Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #47 – “The Stray”

Out of the Box introduction

If there is one thing consistent with nearly every campaign I have played or Dungeon Mastered, at least one player will try to turn something (if not a lot of things) into either mounts or companions. There seems to be a little of “the collector” in all of us, but in these players the collection of creatures or things is king. It can be hard to either justify or facilitate such players, as their choices may be neither logical nor timely. Circumstance and choice often work against these players. Even worse, some groups always have the player who seeks to stir the pot and sabotages such efforts.

by Mike Gould

June 29, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #46 – “Your Deal”

Out of the Box introduction

Player characters have tool proficiencies they never use. That’s a fact. I cannot remember the last time any character used a gaming set at my table, either when I was a player or a Dungeon Master. Outside of bards, I cannot remember another character using a musical instrument. Therefore, let’s create a circumstance where at least the gaming set comes into play.

by Mike Gould

June 15, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, series 2, #45 “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

Out of the Box introduction

Different players have different playstyles. this can be a challenge for a Dungeon Master who might be attempting to engage conflicting styles of play at the same time. Failure to do so can lead to player disengagement and boredom. It’s always a risk and tends to be on the mind of many DMs. Therefore this encounter will combine two aspects of the roleplaying game experience. The intention behind this is to get all of the players cooperating in some degree.

by Mike Gould

June 1, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #44 – “Airquarium”

Out of the Box introduction

There are two occasions when a Dungeon Master might wish to make an encounter something other than an obvious combat encounter. The characters may be wounded or otherwise diminished to the point where combat is a lethal risk. Or, the party of adventurers may be so averse to combat as to wish to avoid such at any cost. The latter can be prevalent when running a game for younger players.

by Mike Gould

May 12, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #43 – “The Broker”

Out of the Box introduction

Whereas I believe that this idea is not totally new, I think it bears recognition with some context. Many Game Masters do not have a problem coming up with an end villain, but side quest minor bosses or recurring bad guys can be a challenge. These lesser characters tend to suck up the air of a campaign, as they spend more time in roleplaying moments and interact more often with characters in the trenches of the campaign. These “under bosses” spend more time early in a character arc interfering with the success of the party. Because of that, they are more important overall in the development of the style of each character, because they are there at the start. These lesser villains set the stage, foil early plans, and can reoccur even later in the campaign. These villains will continually factor into the game world unless thwarted in a meaningful way. They may even become allies if the circumstances or price is right. “The enemy of my enemy,” if you will.

by Mike Gould

May 4, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #42 – “Empty Chair”

Out of the Box introduction

I cannot speak for others, but I grew up with a lot of superstitions. My mother was very superstitious, but I cannot say if it was a factor of her generation, age, culture, or what have you. All I know is that I inherited many of these superstitions, and it may have lead to my own world view. Some of them I inherited were forgotten until unlocked by an action, word, or reference. One such occurrence recently unlocked this forgotten lore.

by Mike Gould

April 27, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #41 – “Down the Well”

Out of the Box introduction

Inspiration can be the single greatest challenge for Dungeon Masters new and old. Without it we fall into that funk where we draw a blank on how to proceed, or lose our energy in proceeding forward. The loss of inspiration can lead to the death of any campaign, and it’s something to watch for.

Thankfully, many DMs can find inspiration in almost any source. I have personally used music to great effect to create NPC storylines, and enhance visual imagery in descriptions. It’s important to note I have only played music in two encounters total, and do not use it like some as a background effect. Instead, it inspires creation ahead of time.

by Mike Gould

April 20, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

April 6, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

March 31, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

March 26, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

March 17, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

Out of the Box D&D Encounters, Series 2, #36 – “Ouroboros”

Out of the Box introduction

This series of articles has gone to great length to create rooms and chambers of all kinds, as well as some outdoor settings. It has not really gone into the one area of exploration providing access to many of those moments: doors. A doorways or portal should be approached with the same sort of respect and caution as the chamber beyond might be. These gateways are often guarded in some manner or another, if only a lock. That lock might be trapped, or the door itself might be the trap.

by Doug Vehovec

March 9, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

March 2, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

February 23, 2018

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

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.

by Mike Gould

February 16, 2018

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