diff --git a/internal/plugin/adventure_events.go b/internal/plugin/adventure_events.go
index 1b51d49..c525121 100644
--- a/internal/plugin/adventure_events.go
+++ b/internal/plugin/adventure_events.go
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) tryTriggerEvent(userID id.UserID) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	// Mid-fight: a turn-based session locks the run. Don't drop a random
+	// overworld event into a live fight — the player can't act on it without
+	// finishing the fight first, and the trigger DM talks over the combat feed.
+	if hasActiveCombatSession(userID) {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// 0.5% chance
 	if rand.Float64() >= 0.005 {
 		return
diff --git a/internal/plugin/adventure_scheduler.go b/internal/plugin/adventure_scheduler.go
index febac2d..7988f3f 100644
--- a/internal/plugin/adventure_scheduler.go
+++ b/internal/plugin/adventure_scheduler.go
@@ -98,6 +98,15 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) sendMorningDMs() {
 			continue
 		}
 
+		// Mid-fight: a turn-based elite/boss session locks the run. The
+		// per-round combat DMs are the player's feed right now — don't talk
+		// over them with the overworld morning menu. (A combat session always
+		// sits inside an active expedition, so the expedition skip below would
+		// usually catch this too; the explicit guard is cheap insurance.)
+		if char.Alive && hasActiveCombatSession(char.UserID) {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		// Active expedition: the expedition cycle delivers its own morning
 		// briefing at 06:00 UTC (deliverBriefing). The legacy overworld
 		// morning DM is irrelevant — and confusing — while underground.
@@ -402,14 +411,22 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) midnightReset() error {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			// Active expedition counts as activity. The expedition system tracks
-			// its own action flow (zone/harvest/combat/transit/extract) and never
-			// touches the legacy CombatActionsUsed/HarvestActionsUsed counters, so
-			// HasActedToday() reports false for expeditioners. Treat them like the
-			// acted-today branch below: advance the streak and bail out.
+			// An active expedition — or a turn-based fight locked open across
+			// midnight — counts as activity. Both track their own action flow
+			// (zone/harvest/combat/transit/extract) and never touch the legacy
+			// CombatActionsUsed/HarvestActionsUsed counters, so HasActedToday()
+			// reports false. Treat them like the acted-today branch below:
+			// advance the streak and bail out (no idle-shame, no streak decay).
+			busy := false
 			if exp, err := getActiveExpedition(char.UserID); err != nil {
 				slog.Warn("adventure: failed to check active expedition for idle reaper", "user", char.UserID, "err", err)
 			} else if exp != nil {
+				busy = true
+			}
+			if !busy && hasActiveCombatSession(char.UserID) {
+				busy = true
+			}
+			if busy {
 				if char.LastActionDate == yesterday || char.LastActionDate == today {
 					char.CurrentStreak++
 				} else {
diff --git a/internal/plugin/combat_session.go b/internal/plugin/combat_session.go
index 8cfde86..3f21963 100644
--- a/internal/plugin/combat_session.go
+++ b/internal/plugin/combat_session.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
 	"time"
 
 	"gogobee/internal/db"
@@ -256,6 +257,23 @@ func getActiveCombatSession(userID id.UserID) (*CombatSession, error) {
 	return s, err
 }
 
+// hasActiveCombatSession reports whether the player is currently locked into a
+// turn-based elite/boss fight. Daily-cron and periodic-ticker paths consult
+// this to avoid firing DMs or mutating run state into a live fight: an active
+// session locks the run (no `!zone advance`), so the player can't move it
+// forward and a cron path shouldn't either. The session carries a 1h TTL, so
+// the collision window is bounded — but real, since a fight can straddle any
+// scheduled tick. On a lookup error this returns false (fail-open): a missed
+// guard is a confusing DM, not corruption.
+func hasActiveCombatSession(userID id.UserID) bool {
+	s, err := getActiveCombatSession(userID)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("combat: cron guard failed to check active session", "user", userID, "err", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	return s != nil
+}
+
 // getCombatSession fetches by ID regardless of status. Test/admin/reaper use.
 func getCombatSession(sessionID string) (*CombatSession, error) {
 	row := db.Get().QueryRow(`SELECT `+combatSessionCols+`
diff --git a/internal/plugin/combat_session_test.go b/internal/plugin/combat_session_test.go
index 94c02a7..33a96e4 100644
--- a/internal/plugin/combat_session_test.go
+++ b/internal/plugin/combat_session_test.go
@@ -138,6 +138,34 @@ func TestListExpiredCombatSessions(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHasActiveCombatSession(t *testing.T) {
+	setupZoneRunTestDB(t)
+	uid := id.UserID("@combat-guard:example.org")
+	defer cleanupCombatSessions(uid)
+
+	if hasActiveCombatSession(uid) {
+		t.Fatal("no session yet, want false")
+	}
+
+	s, err := startCombatSession(uid, "r", "n", "boss", 60, 60, 120, 120)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !hasActiveCombatSession(uid) {
+		t.Error("active session, want true")
+	}
+
+	// A terminal session no longer counts as active.
+	s.Status = CombatStatusWon
+	s.Phase = CombatPhaseOver
+	if err := saveCombatSession(s); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if hasActiveCombatSession(uid) {
+		t.Error("session is won, want false")
+	}
+}
+
 // ── State machine ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 // turnSession builds an in-memory CombatSession for state-machine tests that
diff --git a/internal/plugin/dnd_expedition_cycle.go b/internal/plugin/dnd_expedition_cycle.go
index 8d149ad..b5ce4c2 100644
--- a/internal/plugin/dnd_expedition_cycle.go
+++ b/internal/plugin/dnd_expedition_cycle.go
@@ -81,6 +81,16 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) fireExpeditionBriefings(now time.Time) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, e := range exps {
+		// Don't roll the expedition day forward into a live turn-based fight:
+		// an active combat session locks the run, and the briefing burns
+		// supply / advances the day / processes overnight camp. last_briefing_at
+		// stays stale, so the rollover simply lands on the next 06:00 tick —
+		// the expedition holds on its current day for one extra real day, which
+		// is mild and player-favorable versus mutating a locked run.
+		if hasActiveCombatSession(id.UserID(e.UserID)) {
+			slog.Info("expedition: briefing deferred — player in combat session", "expedition", e.ID, "user", e.UserID)
+			continue
+		}
 		if err := p.deliverBriefing(e, now); err != nil {
 			slog.Error("expedition: briefing", "expedition", e.ID, "err", err)
 		}
@@ -98,6 +108,13 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) fireExpeditionRecaps(now time.Time) {
 		return
 	}
 	for _, e := range exps {
+		// Same guard as briefings: the recap runs the night wandering check,
+		// which can bump threat. Don't mutate a run locked by a live fight —
+		// last_recap_at stays stale and the recap lands on the next tick.
+		if hasActiveCombatSession(id.UserID(e.UserID)) {
+			slog.Info("expedition: recap deferred — player in combat session", "expedition", e.ID, "user", e.UserID)
+			continue
+		}
 		if err := p.deliverRecap(e, now); err != nil {
 			slog.Error("expedition: recap", "expedition", e.ID, "err", err)
 		}