Adventuring through the ruins of ancient societies makes up a good part of what D&D is all about, but if you don't want to do a full-on dungeon, here are some quick ruins with details on what could be found within.
1 - Colonnade - A thicket of stone columns, each decorated with reliefs depicting religious or cultural scenes. Some clues or lore about the society can be found, and perhaps the stone tablet equivalent of some spell scrolls, if someone can take the care and time to chisel them off. 2 - Reflecting Pool - A shallow pool, choked with algae and slime, perhaps with a statue or fountain at the centre. An amphibious creature like a Chuul might make its lair here, submerged beneath the surface, and a scattering of ancient coins might be found at the bottom. 3 - Temple - A wrecked temple, its consecration long faded. The deity's statue has been decapitated and defiled long ago. Spending a little time tidying and making a small offering here might gain a short-term charm (DMG, p228). 4 - Barracks - This area was used for training and equipping a number of warriors. The polished stone floors are worn but bear the marks of the old, broken weapons scattered around. The aged skeletons here might rise up to do battle against intruders, defending their territory forever. 5 - Armoury - Racks of weapons and armour hold a variety of rusted or crumbling weapons. However, an old magical weapon might still be found here amid the heaps of garbage. Some of the suits of armour may be animated to guard against those who would steal equipment. 6 - Arcane Lab - This area bears the damage of destroyed arcane equipment- broken crystals, shattered glass, torn and burned tomes. Perhaps a demon broke free of its binding - or perhaps it still inhabits the area, unable to stray far. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 September 2021. Although it's referenced as one of the "three pillars" of D&D adventuring, there's really not much to mechanically encourage exploring. Experience is awarded for reaching milestones or beating enemies. And while you can give out XP for "finding" new locations or different regions of a dungeon like you're playing Fallout, this pretty much just ends up as a low-grade milestones for the dungeon. However, having just recently played the newer Dark Alliance game, it makes a point of having some big sweeping vistas where you can see other areas of the level stretching out nearby and get a hint of what you're likely to come up against, so here's a mechanic based on that.
Exploration Dice When you've progressed to an area where you can see what kinds of threats you might face, or take at least 1 hour during a short or long rest to study the region and what threats you might face there, you can gain 1 exploration die for the region, which is a d6. If you have proficiency in Survival or if this region is your favoured terrain, you instead gain 2 dice. This die can only be used in the specific area related to where it is gained (the Glengrave Foothills, the Caverns of the Magister - upper level, the Weeping Hollow, the Verdant Pit, and so on), and is lost if you take a long rest outside of the area or gain an exploration die for another region. You can spend 1 die as a reaction when a natural terrain effect forces you to make a saving throw, or when you make a check relating to knowing about the region or a Survival check. When you use an exploration die, roll the die, and add the number rolled to your ability check or saving throw. Once you have used an exploration die, you cannot gain any more exploration dice until at least a week has passed, unless you have an exploration die to 'trade in'. Important: To make this feel useful, it's important to not always give it away straight away. While resting at an overlook opposite a series of cliffside lairs might be useful in letting you be aware of the risks of falling, you might have to venture several rooms into an abandoned dwarven citadel with unstable stonework and slick, slimy floors before you've explored enough to be able to gain a familiarity die. The 'cooldown' period will also prevent your players just camping on every location to be able to bypass all the traps. So give it a try- get out there and explore! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 September 2021. When you're watching a TV show and a dramatic moment comes up, it's going to mean a lot more when you hear a "bang" and then instantly cut to a confused look on a character's face, than if you're treated to a wide shot of a person shooting into someone clearly. If someone steps on a landmine and you give them a "you hear the floor go click" moment, it's going to be more fun than if you just say "you take 3d6 damage".
You can use this "click" moment for your games to have players on the edge of their seats- establish the deadliness of something, know your target's defenses (Armour Class, saves, number of hit points), and announce the attack. When you declare that "a crackling beam of sheer destructive energy issues from the wizard's outstretched finger, and you recognize the disintegrate beam as it unerringly streaks across the room, homing in on... <pointing your finger at Faragorn the Ranger's player> you", you're establishing the dramatic tension and then declaring the target. It means that people are waiting to find out the outcome, rather than just hearing that it's another attack that they can make a saving throw against. You can also allow players an instant out of the initiative order for the dramatic moment when they hit 0 (or less) hit points or are subject to an attack that will take them out-, a muttered apology, a shouted warning, or a declaration of love before everything gets high-budget and would require special effects. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 28 August 2021. While it's fairly commonplace for adventurers to leave town to go on an adventure, it can be a welcome change of pace for the adventure to come to them! If a merchant brings back some kind of monster frozen in ice, captured in a cage, or unearths some imprisoned being beneath the earth, adventure can erupt swiftly onto the otherwise-safe streets and tavern floors.
Threatening somewhere that seems safe can change up the feel of an adventure mid-event, whether that involves changing evading the notice of the patrolling guards to escaping the vision of the vicious hellbeast that's been unleashed, or saving loved (or hated) NPCs from the familiar streets of your hometown. Suddenly, knowledge of where the windows and doors are, how far it is from one district to another, and the level of NPCs in the area will be incredibly useful. The creature may not even be beatable at the PCs' level- the challenge might be in evading collapsing buildings, rescuing NPCs, and fleeing to safety (like the beginning of Skyrim, for example). Some monsters you could use for this idea: - Giants - Demons/devils - Beholders - Dragons - Abominations (including the Tarrasque!) At lower levels, you could consider a Hydra, Deepspawn, or other similar creature with the ability to influence multiple events across a large area. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 August 2021. "Finally, you and Dark Lord Septimus square up to cross blades. He draws his sword slowly, carefully, and levels it at you. His swordcraft is legendary, and he has never been defeated in combat. His vile blade drips tongues of black fire as it gutters in the torchlight, and almost without effort, he.... rolls a 21 to hit you for 15 points of damage. Your turn." As a narrative engine, roleplaying can be a fantastic tool. Your characters can develop, learn new skills, and engage in combat, but sometimes, some things can just seem a little dull for warriors. spellcasters get all sorts of fun names for their spells- Aganazzar's Scorcher, Disintegrate, Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion, and so on- but warriors just get to roll to hit and damage, without much depth to their system. Without inventing an entire new way to handle combat (like 3.5's Tome of Battle), just giving name to some of the things you're doing can make them seem a little more interesting. In this, I was inspired and led by an old Dragon magazine article (#289, November 2001) by Patrick T. Younts and Matthew Sernett, which featured a random martial arts move generator over an impressive double-spread which blew my mind when I first read it. I've tried to create something that captures the same kind of essence, bringing that to a more European fechtbuch style. It's a little kludgy, and the names may need some finessing, but if you describe using "Ognen's sudden twist" as a counter to your opponent's "Leaping Owlbear strike" when you disengage, the scene takes on a much more flavourful and dynamic set of descriptions. Here's the picture version, which I've colour-coded to make it easier to follow. Several results need you to make up bits yourself, or roll further results, so I'd recommend generating a few for your warrior characters up-front to avoid being stuck in Random Number Generator Hell while you're tyring to make stuff up at the table. However, it's complicated enough to be a little finicky, and the kind of thing that would be really handy if someone just threw together a computer version to make it simpler for you to use. So my wife taught me some HTML over the weekend, and here you go: Combat Technique Name Generator.
Feel free to 'reroll' if the generated name just doesn't work for you, but this may just help things along! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 August 2021. "So you guys all meet in a bar, and you can go adventuring together now..."
We've all seen campaigns that start this way, but let's be realistic- when you've just met a stranger, why do you work together? People work together because they learn trust, because they respect one another, and because they further each others' goals. People who have looked after one another, and who have helped one another, are likely to keep on doing so. As an example, I've been playing Minecraft recently with some friends. We all started by building our own houses, and then by constructing some shared spaces for resources that would help each other- a garden, a fenced area for some cows, and then some machinery to aid in resource production. But some of these needed specific parts, and venturing out alone in search of these parts is a dangerous prospect. So the call went out for aid, and people who worked together to protect one another could defend each other when out in the wilderness, collect each others' dropped items when one dies, would build up trust and respect. The point is that people who help one another will have reasons to keep working together- shared goals, shared experiences, and shared favours. If you as a player go along with this, if you remember all the times that the cleric has healed you, and that the wizard's fireballs have killed your opponents, all the times that the rogue's skills have gotten you out of (or into) trouble, you're going to end up forging stronger bonds with the other characters (and their players) and end up with a much more believable party who works together. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 29 July 2021. D&D can be a pretty violent game, and rampaging through a bunch of bad guys can be a cathartic experience, but sometimes you may not want to be a rampant killer. Here are a few reasons that your PCs might spare their enemies- or, if the tables are turned, that their enemies might show them mercy.
1. Mistaken identity - It turns out that the target isn't who the attacker is after. They might have been brought onboard after the fact, they might just be similar-looking but be missing a distinctive feature, or might just be a case on being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 2. Parole - The target might offer a valuable price for their surrender, and swear a genuine oath of apology. A knight might offer their horse and armour, a wizard might offer their spellbook, and a rogue might offer the location of their hoard. This needs to be a genuine offer, and honoured on both parts, otherwise it won't mean anything. 3. Connections - The target is descended from a powerful figure of note- a prince, noble heir, or someone that the attacker knows. This might be just enough to spare their life and offer them another chance. 4. Secret - The attacker reveals their identity as someone related- a brother, parent, or child, perhaps someone from the same order. Although they want to beat the target, they don't want to slay them. 5. Code of conduct - The attacker's personal code prompts them to spare the target's life. Perhaps they are good at heart, perhaps they swore an oath to show mercy, perhaps their god or patron prompts them to remember a parable or lesson. 6. Mystical reasons - Some unknown force stays the attacker's hand- perhaps destiny, perhaps the hand of a deity itself. Something in the target's eyes convinces the attacker that they need to spare them- although they may just want to kill them later for some other reason. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 July 2021. I've been listening to a few podcasts and Youtube things on GMing skills recently, and one of the ideas that came up was beginning with a strong theme for your game, so your players could create characters that fit in and would develop with the story, as well as the story being able to accomodate the right kind of characters into it. Here are a few ideas I've had as I've started (lazily) planning my next campaign, with the idea that these might spark something off for you!
New Campaign Themes
You can roll a d20 to randomly generate one, roll a few and combine them, or pick and choose as you like- whatever works for you. The idea is to get common buy-in from your players so that the campaign itself isn't the surprise for them, and to keep you (well, me) on track with keeping the campaign around the same themes. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 21 July 2021. When a dungeon feels like a series of "go here - kill bad guys - loot - repeat" encounters, things sometimes feel a little formulaic. You can easily shake this up by inverting the encounter- just when they think things are settled, the reinforcements turn up!
This can be especially awful if you allow them a round or two of looting while enemies quietly assemble in the shadows. This might mean that concentration spells get dropped, and that people start making noises while arguing over loot, and especially that they haven't had time to take a short rest to heal up or regain any spell slots in between. If they're clever, enemies might even have hidden ways of closing the distance before they're spotted. As a player, having to redo a fight but from the other side - that of now defending the territory they just attacked- can be startling and make you have to really exercise your tactical thinking. That counts double if the defensive emplacements are still smoldering from the fireballs you hurled! So go ahead, turn the tables on your players today! Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 26 June 2021. The Planar Ally spell requires that you make an agreement with the creature conjured, in order to retain its services. There exist several celestials who offer their services to those perorming good deeds, making known their costs in order to facilitate a quick agreement and foster good in the world.
Here are six celestials and the deeds they ask of those who summon them, in order to retain their services. 1. Huloro, the Shepherd of Lost Souls: Huloro asks for kindness towards orphans and children, as well as those who have bcome physically lost. Donating money to, or founding an orphanage, garners Huloro's favour and grace. 2. Fidelias, Faithful Beyond Measure: Fidelias will only serve those whose loyalty has been tested and proven. Someone who has taken an oath to protect another at great cost may even gain her aid without needing payment. 3. Puhreglael, Immaculate of Light: Puhreglael insists on absolute purity of spirit and body. Those who willingly undergo a Geas to foreswear any kind of contaminant or evil behaviour gain his service at no further cost. 4. Pahadron, Champion of the Host: Pahadron admires only deeds of great strength or prowess. Someone must defeat a champion of evil (especially a devil or demon) themselves to gain his service. 5. Ephemera, Grace and Humility: Ephemera offers her services to those who foreswear material goods, giving up wealth to someone more needy without expectation of return. 6. Thrahabdos, Enduring Sentinel: Thrahabdos stands guard at the edge of the Shadowfell eternally, keeping back the darkness. An offer of a magic item which sheds light must be made, or service to stand in his watch for a number of hours, to earn his favour. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 5 June 2021. Long-time readers will know I'm a fan of encouraging player buy-in, especially by getting people to establish bases, favourite taverns, houses, and the like. You can make this purely for looks, but players who spend money on building up their house instead of buying expensive potions or scrolls often feel a little like they've wasted their money.
Following from the old 3e Stronghold Builders Guidebook, I think that making things modular or at least having specific 'goals' to save for can be really handy. Here are some examples which you can use to make a place feel lived-in and useful. Armoury: A standard armoury costs 100 gp, and weapons stored and maintained here have advantage on saving throws to avoid being damaged. An advanced armoury costs 500 gp, and contains a pair of most weapons from the player's handbook to practice with, or use in combat. It also has enough simple weapons to equip up to twenty soldiers. A deluxe armoury costs 2,000 gp, and contains a few of each weapon in the player's handbook as well as enough simple or martial weapons to equip up to twenty soldiers. Baths: A standard bathroom costs 100 gp, and using this for 1hour means someone has advantage on one Charisma skill check for the day. An advanced bathing room costs 500 gp, and contains enough space for two people to bathe at once, as well as including soaps and herbal scents. A deluxe set of baths costs 2,000 gp, and has enough space for a half-dozen people to bathe at once, as well as including costly scents and powders. Chapel: A standard chapel costs 500 gp, and includes some sacred texts. Praying in the chapel for 1 hour grants advantage on Religion checks until the next short rest is taken. An advanced chapel costs 2,000 gp, and includes sacred texts and illuminations, as well as fancy decorations. Up to twenty people can gain this bonus at once. A deluxe chapel costs 5,000 gp, and includes sacred relics. Up to fifty people can use this at once, and a cleric using this space has advantage on their Divine Intervention roll once per day. Library: A basic library costs 500 gp, and includes racks of writing scrolls as well as texts on a particular subject: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Using the library for 1 hour allows the user to gain advantage on one check made with that skill in the next day. An advanced library costs 2,000 gp, and includes multiple books on different subjects (two different skills). Up to six users can access the library at once. A deluxe library costs 5,000 gp, and includes deep analysis of multiple sources. Users acessing the library may gain the benefit on any of the four skills listed. Stable: A basic stable costs 500 gp, and includes space for three Large steeds. Steeds who stay here recover an additional 1d6 hit points from a short rest. An advanced stable costs 2,000 gp, and has yards for training up to three Large steeds. Animal Handling checks made with animals kept here have advantage. A deluxe stable costs 5,000 gp, and has yards for training up to six Large steeds. Training area: A basic training area costs 100 gp, and includes a cleared area with some basic training dummies. A user who practices for 1 hour in the training area can reroll a single attack roll which is a natural 1 in the next 24 hours. An advanced training area costs 500 gp, and includes multiple targets as well as obstacles and materials to work with. Up to a half-dozen users can access the training area at once. A user who practices for 1 hour in the training area can reroll two attack rolls which are a natural 1 in the next 24 hours. A deluxe training area costs 2,000 gp, and includes interactive target dummies as well as different environments to work in. Up to ten users can access the training area at once. A user who practices for 1 hour in the training area can reroll three attack rolls which are a natural 1 in the next 24 hours. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 3 June 2021. When setting your games or even encounters in different regions, it's useful to consider that just like humans, there will be regional variations in types of houses, culture, and artwork. Even monsters will dress and act differently if they live in a swamp than if they live in a desert, and eat different kinds of foods.
Kobolds in a coastal environment, for example, would likely act very differently when compared to their cave-dwelling mountain cousins, and they may not even be enemies of the creatures nearby, if they are not rivals for resources. If they can hunt and trap fish, and are not threatened by other humanoids, Kobolds might be well-respected crafty folk rather than mine-ruining nuisances. If you think about the 'invisible' influences on creatures, people, and cultures, these can change how you use them and how you present them. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 May 2021. While Dragons are literally THE titular monster of Dungeons and Dragons, they can sometimes make it a bit tricky to involve them. Here are a few small adventure hooks you can use to bring a dragon into your adventures:
1- Patron. A dragon looks after a particular geographical area (it might be out of enerosity, or it might be a protection racket) in exchange for something valuable- cattle, tithing of gold, or human sacrifices (perhaps it takes them to be servants, taking inventory of its treasure hoard, polishing its scales, or even running the administration of its empire). For whatever reason, the village is unable to pay its price, and asks the PCs to intercede for them. Maybe they're bringing a different or substandard offering, or maybe they're trying to renegotiate the deal. Maybe the PCs aren't even aware that there is a deal... 2- Tyrant. A dragon imposes its will on the nearby area by force. It's powerful and dangerous, and the bones of would-be heroes adorn the scorched fields near its lair. Those who would win glory and renown would do well to end this dragon's reign of terror. 3- Vicious Beast. A dragon has been wounded by something which has lodged within it. This might be a poisoned thorn, the axe of a would-be killer, or something it has eaten. Whatever the injury, this has driven the dragon into a rage, despoiling the area. A reward is offered for bringing peace to the region again. 4- Territorial conflict. Some kind of dragon lives in the region, and has an uneasy peace with the humanoid that live there. However, a younger, but more powerful dragon is looking for territory nearby and is trying to drive the first dragon away. If you can make things uncomfortable for the new dragon, it might seek a lair elsewhere. 5- Undercover Boss. A dragon lives peacefully in shapehanged humanoid form, pretending to be a simple noble or perhaps a sorcerer. When someone discovers the dragon's identity, they call in professional dragon-slayers (perhaps including the PCs) and try to win themselves a hoard and a name. If the dragon is good-aligned, it may even seek out some of the slayers to neutralize or recruit them against its foes. 6- Power Vacuum. The death of an ancient dragon causes a 'gold rush' of sorts, with various adventuring parties, wizards, and even nations sending caravans to claim part of the dragon's hoard. Whether the dragon's descendants (perhaps including Dragonborn or Half-Dragons) agree to this is irrelevant. Perhaps the dragon even had a Will instructing what should be granted to each of its many descendants. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 22 May 2021. Royal courts are filled to the brim with rumours, and any one might be lethal for people. Here are 6 you can use in a game, either as things that could spark off a quest, or ideas to overhear while at a ball.
1. The recent orders to expel refugees from the border may have had an ulterior motive- some say that spies have been trying to infiltrate disguised as pilgrims! 2. Lady Valotton appeared at the ball last week in a scandalous outfit spun out of Phase Spider web. It was magnificent until the entire dress all, er, ...phased out at once. 3. Someone's been hiring mercenaries out on the Eastern March recently- several companies have been hired in their entirety at once, and won't discuss details of the contracts. 4. The Seneschal has been glimpsed visiting a very doubtful tavern by the docks, twice a month like clockwork. He wears a long cloak with a hood, but how many 6'4" people wearing silver-filigreed cloaks do you know? 5. Some people say that the new flower patterns in the palace gardens have a hidden meaning. Some say they form arcane patterns of entrapment centred on the dungeons, while others say they show different words if you view them from a distance while bending your head to the correct angle. One thing's for certain- those new purple tulips have a fabulous colour! 6. Several of the serving-men in the palace have reported feeling watched while going about their business. It's been a generation since the spirit of the Whispering Lady was seen- perhaps she has returned? Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 8 May 2021. When storytelling, it's sometimes tempting to try to reinvent the wheel, to come up with something utterly new andnever-before-thought-of. If you're writing a book, sure- but if all you're doing is entertaining your friends of a Friday night, you're allowed to steal from popular culture and rewrite stories which you can find elsewhere.
Consider, for example, the story of star-crossed lovers from families on opposite sides of a war, trying to unearth magical secrets within themselves, and of their own inheritances. And somehow, an ancient enemy has returned! The concept itself is compelling, even if you found the execution of the story itself imperfect. The base story like this can be used (and you can find all sorts of critique on errors made within the story, and potential fixes for them, from fans online). Or, as was done with the original story, consider stealing the story of a small band of heroes trying to infiltrate a hidden fortress ruled by a dangerous warlord; or to evade an army arrayed against them, bringing down their defenses and even turning once-trusted allies against them while they seek to find a little peace in a war-torn land; or to engineer a strike against a seemingly-invulnerable warlord, only to find that he has predicted their attacks and lad a lethal trap for them. And let's not forget the immortal parable of political appointees settling a trade dispute. But then, setting that against a tapestry of betrayal, ancient and secret foes, and protecting a queen whose land has been stolen, and you've got yourself something that can really capture someone's attention! So think about the sources near and dear to you when you write a story, on this day of all days. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 May 2021. Some legends say that a witch is "born with two hearts, two souls and two rows of teeth", and that once they pass away, they keep only one of their souls and roam among the living. There, they devour prey, hungry to recover their lost soul.
Anchoring your monsters in some level of reality like this can make them seem a little more than just a sack of hit points with some special abilities. In addition, bringing back a fallen foe (a few adventures later, perhaps) can give your PCs some level of obligation to go back and "finish the job", especially if witnesses can also recognize the previous witch. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 17 April 2021. DISCLAIMER: This is absolutely not a paid post, and no consideration has been given for this. I'm just passing on feedback about a service I've paid to use.
I tend to run narrative-heavy games with lots of locations, NPCs, and information, and sometimes (for both myself and my players), all of that becomes a little hard to track. Having read recommendations on Facebook, Reddit, and tried a few different services, I decided to try a website called Obsidian Portal. This has let me establish a wiki for my campaign, uploading pictures, maps, and even statistics, and keeping some information as 'GM-only' so my players can't read it. It takes a bit of work and upkeep to do, but it's been a miracle for me in terms of being able to cross-link characters and items, write up adventure logs of each session and track how much XP and treasure is awarded, and start populating in my own stuff for later, like a Pinterest board. After putting in the details of my first 6 sessions, I invitied my players to contribute as well, which lets them upload details of their own backstories if they like, and even create their own NPCs as well. You are able to access this for free, but the storage space is a bit limited. I upgraded to one of the paid options, which let me upload a whole bunch more stuff. If you're just doing this casually, it may not be the best option for you, but if you're GMing multiple games, plotting a lot of stuff out, or invested professionally, this is a really good service, and worth considering. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 27 March 2021. Today's Game Mastery tip is about improving the narrative flow for your combat encounters. I mean, ou can have everything just take place in a 10-foot by 10-foot room with a single Orc guarding a chest, but it gets dull really quickly. So how can you make your combat locations more interesting, easily?
War gamers may be familiar with the concept of "line of sight blockers", which do pretty much what they say on the tin. They're big objects, often ones that go all the way to the roof (or at least high enough that it doesn't matter), and force people to move around them to get line of sight, which is important for most ranged weapons and spells, and gives people opportunities to hide and sneak. It also means that abilities that don't rely on line of sight, or affect people who are in cover, really shine. You can shake things up by making some things block line of sight, but only for Medium-size creatures (Giants might be able to see over shoulder-height rocks, for example). Another option is to add features that block line of sight, but NOT movement- smoke clouds, fog, or even curtains. These require movement through to the engagement area, but can restrict spellcasters or ranged attackers. You can also have areas that are impassable but don't block line of sight- pits or pools, for example. Access to these areas might be by climbing a rope or a set of stairs further away, meaning that you need to change your options instead of just charging towards the opponent. This benefits creatures that have interesting mobility (like being able to fly over), and creatures with ranged abilities. Stationing a bunch of archers across a pit on a balcony means that they're pretty safe from the fighter on the ground with a halberd, but the ranger can get a clear shot at them without worrying about hitting the fighter - for now. You can even include vertical elements- starting a fight while the PCs are on a high balcony, and enemies are trying to come up a narrow staircase at them can make for a challenging battle. If you add extra enemies who start swinging down through windows or rappelling through a skylight, it changes the standard "fighter at the front, wizard at the back" dynamic totally! And how can you use these easily? Depending on where the fight happens (dungeon, open field, rocky mountain), some fit better than others. If you're really stuck, pick up 3-5 d6s before anything is laid out on the mat, and just go ahead and roll them onto the map, and check each die. If it's a 1-2, put a tall line-of-sight blocking object there (wall, tall rock, cave-in, etc.) If it's a 3-4, put an object that blocks line of sight, but not movement (tall grass, curtain, fog, etc.) If it's a 5-6, put a movement blocker that doesn't block line of sight (pit, water, etc.) Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 20 March 2021. Some critters are just too big to be easily hurt with regular weapons- if you didn't bring a Titan of your own, you need to find their weak points and bring them down. Whether your setting is based on Pacific Rim, Attack on Titan, or Shadow of the Colossus, fighting BIG MASSIVE MONSTERS is a real favourite.
Ideally, you might want to keep your colossal monsters impervious to regular weapon attacks or small arms fire, but might want them at least lightly bothered by person-portable heavy weapons, like missile launchers or artillery, which lets squads or armies at least distract them. This means that your players need to find weak spots or use their own big weapons to crack the shell, playing into the campaign tropes. You may need to give your players some sort of extra-mobility options here- jetbikes, grappling hooks, a loyal horsie that lets them keep up with mountain-sized enemies, or something more unique and relevant to your setting. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 16 March 2021. Sometimes, you really want to throw a wave of lesser creatures at your player characters, but you don't want to have to track 58 hit points for each and have the entire combat slow down into an 18-hour slugfest. Here, we can borrow something from 4th edition's rules for Minions, allowing you to throw hordes of disposable critters at a time, being scythed down wholesale by heroic characters.
Adapting the rules to 5th edition won't be a perfect solution, but it can let you do some fun action scenes. Minion template Minions are expendable henchfolk which attack en masse, being downed easily by heroes. This template should only be applied to creatures with a Challenge rating of 4 or more below the party's average level, which will likely be destroyed or overcome quickly by the party. When you apply the minion template to a creature, it retains its statistics except as described below. Hit Points: A minion creature's hit points are equal to its Challenge Rating (minimum 1). Saving Throws: If a minion would be affected by a spell or effect which causes damage or another effect even on a successful saving throw, it is unaffected instead. Experience Points: A minion creature awards only one-quarter the amount of experience which would normally be awarded. It is recommended to use four minion creatures where you would normally use one creature of the same type. Attack damage: Minions only inflict average damage on an attack. If a minion manages to inflict a critical hit, add 5 points of damage. Disposable. Minion creatures lose any ability which would heal them or preserve them from death. Example: Zombie Minion (recommended for level 5+ parties) Medium undead, neutral evil Armour Class 8 Hit Points 1 Speed 20ft. Str 13 (+1); Dex 6 (-2); Con 16 (+3); Int 3 (-4); Wis 6 (-2); Cha 5 (-3) Saving Throws Wisdom +0; If a minion would be affected by a spell or effect which causes damage or another effect even on a successful saving throw, it is unaffected instead Damage Immunities Poison Condition Immunities Poisoned Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 8 Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 1/4 (*12 XP) Actions Slam. Melee weapon attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 bludgeoning damage. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 10 March 2021. |
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