Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #40 – “Snowblind”
Out of the Box introduction
Always read the fine print. I know I have stated this before, but it bears repeating. Sometimes that’s where the real secrets to success or failure are hiding. It seems these little moments of discovery are hidden in plain sight, almost always occur accidentally, and inspire something bigger. These little discoveries are important. Write them down. Why? Because they will have value later.
April 6, 2018
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Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #39 – “Dangerous Fruit”
Out of the Box introduction
Continuing on the concept of dangerous and carnivorous plants, the following will play upon the concept of “turnabout is fair play.” Humans and animals alike will seek out sources of food as a simple case of survival. This instinct and need is played upon by the carnivorous plants of our own world. Many will smell sweet to attract the insects upon which they feed – essentially playing upon the universal hunger of their prey to feed themselves. This dangerous form of irony is often used by those whom use camouflage or lures to hunt. However, this behaviour tends to be static – the hunter lays in wait for the prey to come within striking range (melee range), then uses surprise to ambush a hapless foe.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #38 – “Shadowboxing”
Out of the Box introduction
One of the common tasks every Dungeon Master has to balance is the challenge rating of a creature or group of creatures. Sometimes player characters throw DMs for a loop and either split their group into smaller units or recruit or summon allies at the last second, both of which can truly alter a battlefield. This alteration can either make an encounter more challenging than planned, or become underwhelming and anticlimactic. Either can be frustrating for both players and DMs. Both players and DMs desire a fun and dynamic night of gaming, so this pursuit of the right level of danger can be elusive by times.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #37 – “Ambition”
Out of the Box introduction
I cannot recall how many times I have heard either myself or someone else say “how much do you want it?” This marketing clarion call has crept into a lot of different aspects of our lives, but it’s rarely heard in the tabletop roleplaying game environment. I think the reason for this is based on the easy access to things like healing, magic, and experience in a fantasy setting. There’s always an assumption of the access, and if the party has none within their ranks, then they almost always expect a Dungeon Master to facilitate that access. Whereas this is not a universal practice or outlook, it is a very common one.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, series 2, #35 – “Alone”
Out of the Box introduction
Ideas can be spawned from multiple sources. The players are one such source. What they use, you as Dungeon Master can use. All it takes is a slight twist, a little re-colouring, and perhaps a plot twist, and you have an encounter. In this case, we’ll look at the player character backgrounds feature as a source.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #34 – “Hourglass”
Out of the Box introduction
Three-dimensional movement has always been a challenge for Dungeon Masters and players. It’s something that logically occurs in aerial or aquatic environments, but also in environments like the Underdark. Caves evolve in any direction, despite the occurrence of them in a relatively two-dimensional sense in most adventures. Actual exploration of a cave system is a dangerous and sometimes difficult proposal, involving environmental risks and extra equipment and planning that don’t easily fit in a backpack. Accounting for this in a game setting isn’t always easy, although magic can account for a lot. Despite that, sojourns into the never ending night below are still some of the most treacherous.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #33 – “Shatterfell”
Out of the Box introduction
This series has used items as the centerpiece to encounters previously, but the vast majority have been utilized in an external and obvious way – as things to be held and used. Only one such item (Series 1, Jailbreak) featured an item that could be used as an internal or pocket-dimensional manner.
What I would like to explore is the concept of an item one could both wield, as well as have a para-dimensional experience within. As if one could enter into a weapon with the life stealing property without having to die in the process, so to speak. This weapon may, itself, come with its own tale, or even be sentient. In the latter case, one would have to enter into the item somehow to converse with the intelligence within – a dangerous proposition given any extenuating circumstances.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #32 “Don’t Feed the…Flowers?”
Out of the Box introduction
The range of plant-based foes in fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons is small. Treants, awakened plants, blights, shambling mounds…and very little else. There should be more. A lot more. [NERDITOR’S NOTE: 33 in official sources. Thanks D&D Beyond!]
Carnivorous plants exist in our own world and come in a wide variety of colours and use many techniques to grab their prey. Ambulatory plants are a staple of fantasy (including those already listed), but are almost always magical or otherworldly in nature. If there existed actual mobile, carnivorous plants of such a size as to be a real threat, then they would be a true terror.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, series 2, #31 – “Beardtoberfest”
Out of the Box introduction
A question that comes up a lot has to do with something we, as gamers, take for granted. Games. I cannot recall the number of times I have heard the question “how can I give my players games and puzzles they can do in a (insert community)?” The answer is actually pretty simple, especially for those Dungeon Masters who may live in more rural settings. Community fairs and festivals are a great resource for mundane competitions of all kinds. When one takes simple competitions like tests of strength, accuracy and endurance into consideration, the variations become endless. Consider the games presented in any carnival midway, or competitions like those associated with lumberjacks or “mountain men”. You’ll have a WIDE array of games easily replicated in a medieval society.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #30 – “Alt-itis”
Out of the Box introduction
A common problem some Dungeon Masters have to deal with is one of players desiring to change characters often. I can admit that I, too, love making a wide variety of characters even if they may not see play. If a player isn’t focusing on the character they are playing at the time, this may lead to decision making not only affecting the distracted player at hand, but may ripple out to the characters around the distracted character. It may even affect the DM. This can grow into a problem where some players spend more time making characters than actually playing one.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #29 – “Drinking Problem”
Out of the Box introduction
There are established rules for sentient magic items, and Out of the Box has already delved into that resource. However, as one might assume, this rule typically applies to permanent magic items like swords and such. The precedent has been set for other types of items (also permanent) that could take on their own sentience. I can think of two superheroes who wear armor or symbiotic suits possessing sentience, and I’m sure we already know a story about a ring that may also have a similar property. The following example will take a consumable magic item, make it not only sentient, but permanent and quasi-alive.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #28 – “Crackpot”
Out of the Box introduction
It’s always important to read every detail in a description of any monster or environment. The notes, flavour text, or even the spell descriptions can hold clues to running a given encounter in a completely different way. In the past, I have discovered little facts about hags that have completely altered my campaigns, and they are but one monster. This trick is no real trick – it’s just taking the time to read the fine print.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #27 – “Water Slide”
Out of the Box introduction
I cannot speak for every Dungeon Master, but I can admit some of my favorite references in D&D are the Wild Magic Surge table, the Wand of Wonder table, and the Potion Miscibility table. Why? Players do not accept the endangerment of their characters at most times unless, it seems, it is by one of these tables. This random fun seems to delight both the player it affects and the DM who witnesses it, regardless of who rolls for it.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #26 – “Resident Echo”
Out of the Box introduction
It is rare for a group of players to really hook into a world’s lore or history. That history is actually more than the great tales of kings and dragons. History is more of a collected recording of the lives of many people, great and small, poor and rich. In this historical context, lore is revealed through the lens of the people living through these times.
Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #25 – “The Nursery”
Out of the Box introduction
There are some classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters that don’t get the love they deserve. I can remember being paranoid to walk through any cavern because piercers might be around. Low level characters had to face these along with all the Gygaxian horrors camouflaged as other things, or attacked the characters to punish them for their curiosity.
In this particular case, we’ll use a piercer, as well as it’s progenitor, the roper. One would think the two would be inexorably linked in many encounters, but I’ve seen all of one in the last several years.
