Ever accidentally traumatize your party during a goblin ambush? We did—so we made a whole episode about it.

In this remastered episode, the RPGBOT crew rolls initiative on one of the most delicate balancing acts in tabletop role-playing games: how to manage difficulty and tone in combat scenarios. Whether you’re a GM trying to run a gritty, high-stakes survival encounter or a player who just wants to dropkick goblins and crack jokes, this conversation explores how to harmonize challenge with narrative tone. The hosts unpack the psychology of danger, why tension doesn’t always mean TPKs, and how even a good old-fashioned shinkick can feel appropriately heroic… or humiliating.

They discuss combat pacing, how encounter design shapes the story, and how to use or avoid mechanical lethality to maintain player investment without disrupting tone. From slapstick to soul-crushing, the crew shares real-play examples and tools for aligning your combat difficulty with your table’s emotional goals.

Special thanks to Stubbenz for the idea for this episode

RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes

• RPGBOT.Podcast S2E7 – Random Encounters
• Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic – RPGBOT.News S2E32
• RPGBOT.News – MOAR The Monsters Know What They’re Doing with Keith Ammann
• How to Defend Your Lair with Keith Ammann – RPGBOT.Masterclass S2E95

Other Stuff

• DnD 5e – Practical Guidet to Doom-Style DnD Combat

Topics Covered:

What is "shinkicking" in combat RP?

• A metaphor for unnecessarily brutal or tone-discordant moments in combat that break immersion or fun.

Tone vs. Challenge:

• Aligning encounter difficulty with campaign tone (grimdark, heroic, comedic, etc.)
• When a tough fight feels earned versus when it feels like punishment
• How comedic or whimsical games can still have meaningful consequences

Combat Design Fundamentals:

• Action economy and player agency
• Telegraphing danger vs. ambush mechanics
• The role of pacing and player morale in combat design

The Danger Dial:

• When to turn the heat up for drama
• When to pull punches to keep the tone light
• Avoiding tonal whiplash: don’t drop horror into a Muppet movie campaign

DM Tools and Techniques:

• Using terrain, objectives, and non-lethal consequences
• Building tension without overwhelming
• Letting players feel clever rather than just lucky

Player Perspective:

• How difficulty impacts character expression
• How to engage tone-conscious players in lethal fights
• Encouraging tone-setting through narration and description

Funny and Real Examples:

• Times the hosts accidentally (or intentionally) broke tone
• When a joke fight got real—or a real fight turned into a running gag

Key Takeaways

• Tone and difficulty must be balanced intentionally. A hard fight in a serious campaign feels very different than the same fight in a cartoonish or comedic setting.
• Challenge doesn’t mean constant risk of death. Strategic design can create tension without always threatening character mortality.
• Telegraphing is critical. Players respond better to difficulty when they can see it coming and prepare accordingly.
• Don’t let tone drift accidentally. Maintain narrative cohesion—know when a gritty beat enhances the story and when it undermines the vibe.
• Make combat emotionally resonant, not just mechanically hard. Personal stakes, consequences, and narrative weight can be more impactful than raw damage numbers.
• Player tone is part of table tone. Encouraging players to engage with the narrative tone helps reinforce consistency during combat.
• Not every moment needs to be epic. Allow room for levity, slapstick, or small-scale drama to humanize your game and make epic moments shine brighter.
• Shinkicking is avoidable. Unless you’re trying to ruin someone’s day, there are better ways to raise the stakes.

Call to Action

Want to run better combat and avoid emotional shinkicks? Share your favorite “wrong tone, wrong time” stories on social media and tag @RPGBOTDOTNET.

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How to Find Us:

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Tyler Kamstra

• BlueSky: @rpgbot.net
• TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET

Ash Ely

• Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
• BlueSky: @GravenAshes
• YouTube: @ashravenmedia

Randall James

• BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG
• Amateurjack.com
• Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link)

Producer Dan

• @Lzr_illuminati