“Shell Game”- Out of The Box D&D Encounters #19
Introduction:
Not every encounter requires a lot of set up or preparation. Some encounters just need the players to 
show up and be willing to have a good time. “Shell Game” is one such encounter. It uses the resources on the table as the encounter starts, and uses those limited resources to maximum effect to create an oddball moment that might come up in later conversations. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
show up and be willing to have a good time. “Shell Game” is one such encounter. It uses the resources on the table as the encounter starts, and uses those limited resources to maximum effect to create an oddball moment that might come up in later conversations. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?Environment: Dungeon, but anywhere you wish to set up the conditions.
Suggested level: any.
The characters will enter upon a room or cavern that present the players with a series of challenging puzzles. There should be a Strength challenge, a Dexterity challenge, and an Intelligence/Wisdom challenge. This series of puzzles are essential to proceeding to the next room.
Example:
The players enter a chamber that is perhaps 30’ in diameter, but soars upward like a cylinder with a ceiling at least 100’ above them. Looking way up, faintly lit by bio-luminescent fungi, is the outline of the exit way above. No rope, ladder, steps, or handholds exist to reach this upper exit.
Presented before the players will be a series of odd geometric shapes carved from a variety of substances like wood, stone, and crystal. Each item has a unique shape, and are scattered randomly around the room.
September 9, 2016
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“The Albatross”- Out of the Box #18
Introduction:
I can’t speak for other players or DM’s, but I get a lot of my inspiration from music. The simple act of 
listening to the radio in my car, or a playlist on my phone while showering, can lead to outbursts of “I have to write that down!” Songs inspire character concepts, back stories, encounters, scenes I want to lay out for my players, or images that lead to character sketches and other artwork. This encounter was inspired when I heard “Albatross” by Big Wreck.
listening to the radio in my car, or a playlist on my phone while showering, can lead to outbursts of “I have to write that down!” Songs inspire character concepts, back stories, encounters, scenes I want to lay out for my players, or images that lead to character sketches and other artwork. This encounter was inspired when I heard “Albatross” by Big Wreck. In this encounter, “The Albatross” is a metaphor. Since “Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner”, the concept of “wearing the albatross” (aside from one Monty Python sketch) as come to mean being saddled with a burden or a debt to be repaid. It could mean being wrongfully vilified, perhaps even willingly so, just to serve a greater good. It could mean bearing an immense responsibility, or taking on a curse to save another from it.
In this case, “The Albatross” will create a burden, and in an environment or setting not normally expressed in a tabletop game, but which occurs frequently in an online RPG setting – the escort mission. The intent is to test the resolve of the party, as well as the willingness to share a burden.
Environment: Wilderness, but it could be anywhere travel is required.
Suggested level: variable.
Perhaps as the party travels through the wilderness in a twisting forest road, a hazardous mountain trail, or fog-covered tangled swamp passage, the party will hear the faint cries for help. A successful Perception (DC: 12) will determine it to be female, but in a voice that doesn’t sound human. If the party would like to find the source of this voice, they will need to make either a successful Survival (DC: 13) or Investigation (same DC) roll.
“Fountain of Fortunes”- Out of the Box D&D Encounters #17
Introduction:
Players and characters have a wide array of value sets and see value in many things. The vast majority 
see value in monetary things, but this may simply a pragmatic outlook and not greed. The reality is that things generally cost money. However, many others place value on the intangible. Some place value in concepts or ideals. Love, honour, faith, hope, justice, and freedom…, or even death, carnage, corruption and tyranny. Add to that a bit of flavor text I read in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, and we have an encounter.
see value in monetary things, but this may simply a pragmatic outlook and not greed. The reality is that things generally cost money. However, many others place value on the intangible. Some place value in concepts or ideals. Love, honour, faith, hope, justice, and freedom…, or even death, carnage, corruption and tyranny. Add to that a bit of flavor text I read in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, and we have an encounter. This encounter touches on that overarching theme of value in a small way. What do the players value or deem sacred?
Environment: Dungeon/Urban/Wilderness…
Suggested level: variable. (1-6)
( The players will come upon an elaborate fountain with a floating statue above it. The fountain is 10’ in diameter, only two feet deep, and filled to a depth of 1’ with clear water. Above it floats an unusual and very striking statue. The 10’ tall statue is of two women in robes facing away from each other, but with their arms interlocked at the elbows. This statue floats five feet above the top of the pool. It is itself surrounded by stone statues of warriors in armor. which stand 6’ tall and float in an orbit around the main statues. This series of smaller statues, as well as the main statue, slowing spin in a circle, like a very slowly spinning top held aloft in the air.
“Mirrors of The Soul”- Out of The Box D&D Encounters #16
Introduction:
DMs everywhere will agree on one thing: players will meta-game, even if subconsciously. Because of 
this, it can sometimes be hard to get players to try certain paths, enter portals, or take risks that are new. More experienced players tend to be guilty of this whereas brand new players are not.
this, it can sometimes be hard to get players to try certain paths, enter portals, or take risks that are new. More experienced players tend to be guilty of this whereas brand new players are not.
Sometimes, the trick to getting the players to get their characters to act in a more adventuresome manner is to use their own meta-gaming outlook to trick them into taking a new chance or trying a new thing.
In essence, you have to out-meta the meta. This encounter is one of those pieces of trickery, and all through the use of a D&D classic – “the secret note”.
This encounter requires a little bit of preparation ahead of time. You will need to prepare two stacks of notes, one blank and one pre-written, all on identical paper. They need to be kept hidden behind your screen or in perhaps a box or other container so that the players have no foreknowledge. One stack will have the same message on all of them.
The other stack will be blank. Both sets of notes should be individually folded up so that any contents cannot be seen. When you produce these notes for the players it cannot be noticed that they come from two different piles from behind your screen. A good “poker face” would help here. 😉
Environment: Dungeon (*special)
Suggested level: any
“The Eyes Have It”- Out of The Box D&D Encounters #15
Introduction:
Something that gets overlooked often are the relationships between monsters that exist naturally, and 
without “homebrew” input from a DM. Using these relationships can be used to justify other interactions that can create a chain of encounters that are not only logical, but generate a build in excitement. Intellect Devourers and Illithids, Orcs and Ettins, Goblins, and Worgs…all are existing relationships where you can hint at what comes next and then scale up the danger. Even seeing one may not necessarily lead to another, but even the hint that it might could lead to some great tension or scene building.
without “homebrew” input from a DM. Using these relationships can be used to justify other interactions that can create a chain of encounters that are not only logical, but generate a build in excitement. Intellect Devourers and Illithids, Orcs and Ettins, Goblins, and Worgs…all are existing relationships where you can hint at what comes next and then scale up the danger. Even seeing one may not necessarily lead to another, but even the hint that it might could lead to some great tension or scene building. “The Eyes Have It” is one such case. It takes something relatively easy to deal with by remaining calm, a Gas Spore, and uses the existing flavour text in the Monster Manual to tie it in with Beholders. However, as Beholders are a top tier monster than many not be ready for, and Gas Spores generate from dead Beholders, a Zombie Beholder is not only fitting, but could be reasonable. What if the Gas Spores are not only the reason for the Beholder dying in the first place, but then spawn from it? Add in an undying will, and you have a great dual encounter.
Environment: Cavern/Underdark/Dungeon
Suggested level: 5-6
Whether as part of a wilderness, Underdark, or existing dungeon exploration, the players will discover a cavern entrance that seems to have been dug away, and not natural. Tool marks and signs of excavation will mark a long, twisting tunnel that travels at least 100’, generally 5’ side, and about 7’ tall. A Dwarf with Stone Cunning, or someone proficient in Mining (Investigation DC 10) will note that the tunnel descends slightly. As the tunnel progresses, tiny fungi will start to appear at the mid point, growing off most surfaces. The further along the players travel, the larger the mushrooms get, becoming varied in colour and many of which are faintly bioluminescent. The whole tunnel will take on a dim light in a variety of colours. Upon reaching the end of this twisting tunnel, the rough digging will appear to have broken into a large constructed chamber, circular in shape with a domed roof. The entire area is filled with massive mushrooms and other fungi, as if the area were a secret mushroom forest or garden. The room initially appears to have no exit other than what the players of entered by, and is around 100’ in diameter, with a domed roof reaching to 40’ at it’s apex.
“The Argument”- Out of The Box D&D Encounters #14
Introduction:
This is yet another concept based around a “what if”. When we look at the many magic items available 
in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, one that seems to be missing is the Helm of Alignment Change. This was a cursed magical item that, once worn, converted the wearer’s alignment to whatever was diametrically opposed. The only alignment that was unaffected was Neutral, as it had no opposite. Some old school players and DMs will remember this awful item, either as a victim or as the DM who seeded a treasure trove with this bad boy to see if a greedy player would take it.
in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, one that seems to be missing is the Helm of Alignment Change. This was a cursed magical item that, once worn, converted the wearer’s alignment to whatever was diametrically opposed. The only alignment that was unaffected was Neutral, as it had no opposite. Some old school players and DMs will remember this awful item, either as a victim or as the DM who seeded a treasure trove with this bad boy to see if a greedy player would take it. With that established, there are monsters out there for whom putting on a magic helmet would have a very unusual outcome for one main reason – they have more than one head.
So here’s the “what if”…What if an Ettin put on a Helmet of Alignment Change….?
OUT OF THE BOX ENCOUNTERS –
Environment: Wilderness
Suggested level: 4
While the players are traveling a winding road through a forest, the echoes of shouting and crashing can be heard in the distance. Before they can react, two draft horses, still in full tack, drag torn harnesses as they charge past the party in the opposite direction. As they close toward the noises of conflict, more might (Perception DC 10) become apparent. The sounds loud shouting are broken up with occasional cries of fear, mixed with the sounds of crashing….and then a guttural plea.
Exiting the forest and entering grasslands, what greets the party is an odd sight. A large two headed giant, perhaps 10’ tall, is both overturning…and then righting…wagons, carts and other caravan vehicles. All the while, the heads argue with each other. One head on the right, long-haired and shaggy, roars and creates the carnage. The other head on the left, wearing a decorative iron pot helm, cries out and tries to stop the other, and immediately rights any overturned vehicle. Two draft horses lie dead on the side of the road, butchered by a large bladed weapon. A mule stands nearby the caravan, seemingly either unaware or uncaring of the carnage. The occupants of the caravan are hiding in a nearby ditch; their heads popping up like groundhogs to witness and then hide from the bizarre sight. Every time the giant roars and overturns a wagon, they scream and duck down..only to pop up one at a time out of morbid curiosity to witness the ongoing drama.
“Coin Flip”- Out of The Box D&D Encounters #13
Introduction:
Sometimes a DM is at a loss for how to run an encounter, or that DM may have a party that either cannot nor desire to use tactics or think through solutions. This has often been raised as an issue, and DMs can find it frustrating to build an encounter involving complex layers only to have their players charge through and then blame the DM for any failures. I’ve seen this myself several times. The key is to embrace your party’s chaotic nature from time to time. Engaging the players whom have this “random” outlook at least periodically can only improve rapport at the table. A DM might even find this can lighten the mood at the table, and satisfy the needs of the “chaotic” player so that they might be open to more involved or thought-provoking encounters later on.
cannot nor desire to use tactics or think through solutions. This has often been raised as an issue, and DMs can find it frustrating to build an encounter involving complex layers only to have their players charge through and then blame the DM for any failures. I’ve seen this myself several times. The key is to embrace your party’s chaotic nature from time to time. Engaging the players whom have this “random” outlook at least periodically can only improve rapport at the table. A DM might even find this can lighten the mood at the table, and satisfy the needs of the “chaotic” player so that they might be open to more involved or thought-provoking encounters later on.This is where and encounter like “Coin Flip” comes into play. Also, since this is the 13th in the series of “Out of The Box Encounters”, I thought some “luck” should be involved in the success of this encounter.
Environment: Dungeon
Suggested level: Any
Somewhere within a dungeon, the party will enter what looks like an empty room. Once everybody is inside, the floor will appear to fall away, with the exception of a ledge on their side and a similar one on the far side. into clouds below. A “new floor” will appear occupying this empty space between the two ledges. What will appear will be an interlocking pattern of giant coins laid flat floating like an interlocking floor, square in shape, with a solid ledge on the far side. Each giant coin is large enough for one player to stand upon, and since they touch each other like circular floor tile, it appears that the floating floor can be crossed. Each “coin” piece is a 10’ diameter tile.
“Island In The Storm”- Out of The Box D&D Encounter #12
For those with access to one, the Dungeon Master’s Guide has a tone of great encounter tables. Chapter 
5, pages 108 and 109 have two great ones. Each item on these tables can generate a good encounter. Mixing them can generate a great one.
5, pages 108 and 109 have two great ones. Each item on these tables can generate a good encounter. Mixing them can generate a great one. The following idea combines Monuments #19 (circle of standing stones), and Weird Locales #16 (skeletal ferry captain) and #20 (floating earth mote). Next, it’s important to note either the special abilities of monsters or NPCs, and pay special attention to any flavor text. When all the pieces fall into place, you can really have an encounter with depth. The intent is to give your players something unusual and thought provoking.
Now your encounter will create a moment where your players will ask more questions than receive answers. They’ll struggle with how to proceed socially and may even have moral or ethical questions. This will add depth to the player character dynamic. That’s the basis for this whole encounter. You might even use something like this to start an adventure, or expose character background features. How you fully utilize it is up to you.
Environment: Any.
Suggested level: Any
One evening as the players are settling in for a night, they will witness an unusual event. Fog will build all around. In the distance, they will witness a green flash. They will then see a small bobbing green light slowly approaching, no bigger than a lantern.
“Rube’s Cube”- Out of the box D&D Encounters #11
Out of the box D&D Encounters Introduction:
Sometimes an encounter occurs because fo a single “what if”. It can lead in all sorts of unexpected directions. Imagine an illusionist’s castle, dungeon, or other lair. Imagine an environment filed with puzzles, tricks, and other dangers. Within such a confine, “Rube’s Cube” can exist.
For this encounter, I wanted to use an under-apprecited monster (ooze) in a way other than a hit point sponge or ambush predator. What followed was a series of “what if” questions.
What if a normally non-spellcasting creature had access to a spell or spell-like effect? In this case, I thought of Mirror Image.
No item to my knowledge creates such an effect outside of a ring of spell storing with the correct spell, so a little extra creativity was called for. What if you made such an item? In the end, you take what would normally be an ambush predator who may not survive more than three rounds, and you’ve created a mystical shell game with one ooze and one item. What if you take that creature, and that magic item, and place them in a room that is custom made for both in a fun way? Hmmm…
And so “Rube’s Cube” was born.
Environment: Dungeon
Suggested level: 2-3
“A Standing Warning”- Out of the Box D&D Encounters #10
Introduction:
Many experienced DMs will know that the key to tension is the right touch of paranoia. The right 
description and setting can establish the right mood and put the players on edge. This can allow the DM to set up other encounters or drop hints from their campaign setting. Such encounters may just be red herrings intended to throw characters of the trail or to make them think.
description and setting can establish the right mood and put the players on edge. This can allow the DM to set up other encounters or drop hints from their campaign setting. Such encounters may just be red herrings intended to throw characters of the trail or to make them think. Coupling these descriptive moments with non-combat skills and a group puzzle might challenge the players in a way that they were not expecting.
Environment: Wilderness/Any
Suggested level: Any
Along a lonesome path that the characters are traveling, they will discover two black obelisks on either side of the path. One is still standing. The other has been broken at the base and lay on it’s side. Both are constructed of a smooth black stone that defies identification. The standing obelisk is engraved with markings in an exotic language (Infernal, Abyssal, Draconic, Deep Speech, etc) that perhaps only one character in the party might speak. It’s important that this be difficult to translate. The markings on the standing obelisk are divided by deep horizontal grooves which break up the obelisk into even sections, each containing roughly the same number of markings. That fallen obelisk has the same horizontal sections, but no markings apart from these grooves can be seen.
“Mirror Mirror” Out of the Box D&D Encounter # 9
Introduction:
This encounter brings up two points that are commonly overlooked.
When anyone makes a campsite, there’s always some kind of preparation. No one simply makes a fire. There’s wood collection, digging or preparing a fire pit, and the like. These activities provide an opportunity for a DM to drop clues or create an encounter. Taking such common activities and making them uncommon can change how players behave during these moments. It might even make them look for things in new ways in other settings, making clues easier to pass on.
Secondly, players, especially experienced ones, are jaded when it comes to monster motivations. Goblins are thieves. Orcs are savages. Undead are mindless. Sometimes it pays to make a player question what they know. It makes them think in new ways and consider new directions. Overall, it may help them grow as a player. Many assumptions are correct for good reasons. Taking these assumptions as a solid rule all of the time can lead players into traps.
The following encounter can turn what would normally be a cut-and-dried combat encounter into a social one. It questions judgement, honesty, motivations and greed.
For your consideration, I present…
Out of The Box D&D Encounter #9 – “Mirror Mirror”
Environment: Wilderness -Forest/Swamp
Suggested Level: 4
One night as the party settles to camp for the night, the normal activities with making camp are interrupted with a strange discovery. As the party makes their fire pit, they uncover a small hand mirror that was buried in a shallow home of leaves, dead grass, or whatever surface in which they are digging. The mirror is covered in dirt and such, but once it’s cleaned up, anyone who peers into it’s reflective surface will see their reflection looking back at them – but as if they were a child version of themselves. The mirror will detect as magic, but possesses no other unusual properties. Later that night, conversations and such that occur around a campfire are added to with the distant sound of sobbing.
“Aces High”- Out of the Box D&D Encounters
Introduction
Aerial encounters are a rare and special circumstance that require a bit more imagination than a 
standard land-based encounter. Whether by traveling on an airship of some kind, or wandering the lands of a Cloud Giant, creating encounters in the sky generally come with the assumption of a higher level foe. Dragons, griffons, wyverns, and the like always seem to come to mind. This doesn’t have to be the case. Further, attacks from above can also be applied to any environment where space is available. Consider urban rooftops, open plains, mountainous regions, and on open seas as other viable locations for an aerial attack. Massive caves and canyons could also be an unusual but perfectly allowable location for such encounters. Additionally, combining lower level foes in an interesting way can create memorable encounters.
For this encounter’s description, I will be mentioning an airship, but feel free to change the location as you need it.
For your consideration, please enjoy “Out of The Box #8 – Aces High”
Environment: Aerial/Anywhere under an open sky/where space is available
Level: 2+
A cool wind blows across the deck of the airship as it glides through broken cloud cover. The sun sets a glow upon the ship though the passing mists. Moisture glistens on the surfaces, and mists dance through the rigging.
You look up past the envelope (balloon) of the ship to examine the clouds, and strange irregular shadows appear from above. Before you can shout a warning, riders on monstrous winged creatures pass by in a flash. Crossbow bolts pepper the deck like rain, and two ceramic balls crash upon the deck, exploding into flames.
“Auntie Knows Best”- Out of The Box D&D Encounters #7
Introduction: This entire encounter is all about any and all complications. It is intended as a set-up for other encounters or adventures, or as a way to advise a villain of the actions of the party. It is, in effect, a valid reason for a villain...
“Down on the Farm” Out of the Box D&D Encounters #6
Introduction:Often, the most basic of settings can be a great place to put an encounter. What will seem like another boring problem will turn out to be more. When missing goods, livestock and the like become a problem, players always assume that goblins, kobolds, or the usual rogues gallery of villains is to blame. Switching that up from time to time is a good idea, as it keeps the players guessing.
Additionally, players tend to forget that others operate as a team too. Players will use scouts, terrain, spells and the like to their best potential. They will seek to flank their foes or find some way to gain Advantage. Some monsters like to do this too, but the list is short. What if a monster has another monster as a pet? What if the players assume that typically solo monsters surprise them by acting like a team?
Environment: Wilderness/Forested/Farmland.
Suggested level: 3
A local village or farmer of renown has a problem with an increasing loss of farm animals. Chickens geese, small goats, and even domestic dogs or cats has gone missing of late. What started as a suspicion of a coyote problem has been made more mysterious, as no howls have been heard and no large tracks have been found. What has been really disturbing is the lack of cricket song in the evenings, giving nightfall an eerie silence.
The farm borders on a large forest that has been avoided by local hunters because of rumors of a haunting. To reinforce this foreboding sense, an increase of large webs has been noticed deep in the forest, and a prized hunting dog has gone missing in pursuit of a deer very recently while exploring this area.
In reality, a “Fengus” the Ettercap has begun a spider farm.
“Fengus” has been breeding spiders bigger and bigger, creating a new species in the process. His 
favorite spider is “Beatrice”, a giant spider and very protective companion. On the way to Beatrice, he has bred a species of dog-sized Large Spiders, as well as fostering an entire swarm of tiny spiders who have recently hatched.
favorite spider is “Beatrice”, a giant spider and very protective companion. On the way to Beatrice, he has bred a species of dog-sized Large Spiders, as well as fostering an entire swarm of tiny spiders who have recently hatched. For them, he has created a “fenced in” spiral series of webbed walls leading to a large central pen. This is where he’s been breeding spiders to be bigger and bigger. These spiders then hunt for him and are for sale to many nefarious sorts as guards and pets. The “farm” can be as big as desired, but should have webbed walls clinging to strong trees tall enough to discourage climbing. Anyone still trying to do so should be treated as if under the effect of a “Web” spell, DC:14. Within this spiral maze of webs, the walls will be crawling with Large Spiders (see below), a swarm of tiny spiders from which they were bred. In the center of the maze will be the open area where “Fengus” and Beatrice will be.
Once the players find their way inside the labyrinth of webs, they will see the “farm” in all it’s glory. The carcasses of dead animals, wrapped in gossamer, will cling to the inside walls or dangle from the trees. Fengus and Beatrice will be here and ready, having seen the trembling of the webs as the players either fought their way through, burned a hole through, or got caught in the webbing. They will fight as a pair. Beatrice will have been with Fengus since she was born, so they are very familiar with each others tactics.
The Dance Macabre- Out of the Box D&D Encounters #5
Introduction:
Many times, the hardest thing to do is getting started. Many DMs will have awesome ideas on what to 
do later in a campaign, or even later in a dungeon crawl, but struggle with a starting point. I’ll often see a campaign in reverse. I see where I want it to end, or what a final encounter will look like, then write encounters like movie scenes to guide players in the direction of that end scene.
do later in a campaign, or even later in a dungeon crawl, but struggle with a starting point. I’ll often see a campaign in reverse. I see where I want it to end, or what a final encounter will look like, then write encounters like movie scenes to guide players in the direction of that end scene. The first encounter, or start point, is often the sticking point.
That’s where “The Dance Macabre” comes in. It’s vague enough to be the entry level to a dungeon, and has non-combat skill checks that hint at something more. It could be used as a stand-alone encounter, an adventure hook, a start point for a dungeon crawl, or whatever a DM wants.
With that, I present you with “Out of The Box #5: The Dance Macabre”
“The Dance Macabre”
Environment: Wilderness/Dungeon
Suggested level: 2-3
In a clearing obviously made for a massive structure, the players encounter an old ruin. It’s ringed by barbed hedges to a height of six to eight feet, obviously from a lack of care. A series of arbors, choked with nettles and vines, lead through the hedge in a curving path, exposing the ruins beyond.
Its many walls, towers and other structures have crumbled to rubble – all save one example. The remains of the columns and buttresses that supported a massive great hall still remain, with it’s vast decorative tiled floor mostly intact. Beyond it the former grandeur of a noble’s castle lay in piles of broken walls, toppled towers, and other debris. Much of what debris should be there seems gone. (History, Investigation, or even an Intelligence check, DC:12, will reveal that this practice is not uncommon. Scavengers will often raid ruined buildings for materials to be used elsewhere.)
What will come as a surprise is that these ruins are not unoccupied. Figures in formal clothing dance 
endlessly to the eerie lack of music – like an eternal waltz in silence.
endlessly to the eerie lack of music – like an eternal waltz in silence. Even as the characters advance, the figures remain dancing, seemingly oblivious to their approach. When they close to within 50’ they can finally ascertain (Perception: 12) that the finery worn by the figures are in poor repair, and in some cases, tatters.
Should the characters wish to really test their knowledge about either the setting, location , or even this activity, you might optionally allow the characters a Difficult (DC:17) History, Religion, or Arcana skill check to know some or all of the following:
The former Lord and Lady of this castle dabbled in dark necromancy, and held great celebrations and grand balls to lure unsuspecting victims into their lair. During the height of the celebration, a victim would be lured away to a hidden chamber and sacrificed to Orcus. Over time, their machinations were discovered and the surrounding peoples allied to destroy the Lord and his holdings. Now, ages later, his victims have animated to continue the dance where they died – a tortured reminder of the vast power of the Demon Lord.
What happens next is up to the player characters. If any character steps upon the dance floor, it is subjected to “Otto’s Irresistible Dance” (p.264 Player’s Handbook. DC:14 Wisdom save. Duration 1 minute. Save ends.).
Within the finery are Skeletons, who will attack those who step upon the floor, whether they are affected by the Dance or not. The Skeletons do not discern if a character is under the affect of the Dance or not, nor do they care. If you need to determine between a number of characters whom is attacked, determine randomly.
If the players retreat beyond the hedge, the Skeletons will not pursue beyond the thorny barrier, as if held back by the curse that animates their remains. However, should a character continue to attack the undead while retreating, in effect taunting them through the hedge, then the undead that are being 
attacked will pursue as long as they are being damaged.
attacked will pursue as long as they are being damaged. Once the players are on the other side of the hedge, any remaining skeletons cannot effectively be attacked by normal ranged weapons through the hedge, and trying to lob projectiles over the hedge will prove ineffective. The hedge is green, and so does not burn readily. However, a truly committed effort to burn the hedge might work at the DMs discretion…although not really to much effect, as the thorny remains will still be difficult to pass though.
Monsters:
Skeletons (10): p. 272 of the Monster Manual, or p. 310 of the Player’s Handbook, and depending on “Complications” below, perhaps a Zombie or two (P. 316 of the Monster Manual or p. 311 of the Player’s Handbook)
Complications:
While under the influence of the Dance, a character is at Disadvantage for all of it’s attack rolls and saving throws, and can be attacked with Advantage.
If a character is knocked unconscious upon the dance floor, the skeletons will ignore it and move on another target.
If a character is killed on the dance floor and left there, it will animate as a Zombie in 24 hours, and continue to dance like the others. It may be that some of the original dancers seen on the dance floor have been here long enough to rot from Zombies to Skeletons.
