Going off this, something I strived to do in my last encounter is allowing each side in a conflict 1 extra action per group, but it having to be a test/save ie no direct damage actions. It was a fun way to make the encounter more dynamic without taking too much creative juices. I just think of 1 extra thing someone on a side is liable to do. In this case, the horseman mounting and charging on a stolen horse, the elf casting levitate to try to get away when about to be defeated, and the cleric throwing a lasso to prevent the elf from escaping.