Dungeons & Dragons

“Counting Sheep”- Out of the Box D&D Encounters # 21

Introduction: I can’t speak for every table, but a touch of the ridiculous can often turn a normally staid affair into one that hooks players into memorable encounters. Even darker humor is often better than none. If you can add a description to that...

by Mike Gould

September 23, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“The Menagerie”- Out of The D&D Encounters Box #20

Introduction:

It’s always important to read the flavor text. For monsters, magic items, and spells, the flavor text can turn a blase encounter into something more. This very encounter is based upon the little details of one spell – Polymorph. (Page 266 of the Player’s Handbook) However, instead of just using that spell as written, what if you created a special region affected by the spell, and tweaked it in such a way as to give the players more agency within the confines of this encounter? What if that special region was a Wild Magic zone? Mayhem!

Environment: Wilderness.

Suggested level: any, but it should be high enough to justify the possible treasure.

The party might be travelling along a lonely road or twisting path through dense woods, and the foliage seems to abruptly open into a single but large glade. The glade is enormous, and appears for all intents and purposes to be roughly circular. At the centre of this glade is a thick and tangled copse of trees, vines, and brambles. The central tree is an ancient oak, twisted and enormous. It’s branches both reach to the sky and bend to the ground like an umbrella. Woven within these branches, innumerable vines twist and turn like a green tangle of webs, dotted by large white lily-like flowers. Shooting from the ground and entangled among the vines and trees are an equally abundant number of thorny brambles.

by Mike Gould

September 16, 2016

Dungeons & Dragons

Want more 5E D&D potions? Look No Further Than The Emporium of Uncanny Magic

For those who played Dungeons & Dragons prior to fifth edition they might have noticed some old, favorite potions no longer appearing in the 5E D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide. This makes sense as 5E D&D is the most streamlined version of the game so far. What to do, then, if you want to include those potions in your current 5E D&D game? Simple. You turn to The Emporium of Uncanny Magic – Lost Potions from Insane Angel Studios.

by Ty Johnston

September 14, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“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?

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.

by Mike Gould

September 9, 2016

Monsters

5th Edition Tome of Beasts – Aberrations

Hello again I am guess you can tell from the title that Nerdarchist Ted is here to talk more about the awesome monsters found in the Tome of Beasts. Last week I touched on the Devils in the book. You can check out that article here. Today we are going to look at some of the Aberrations that can be found within its pages.

Aberrations are creatures from beyond. They are nor of this world and are the things of nightmares. This time Kobold Press brings you 20, if my count is right, new aberrations for use in your 5th edition game. I can assure you that with this spread you get challenge ratings as low as 1/4 with the map mimic and as high as 19 with the Shoggoth

The Map Mimic is cool because it allows dms to use those nasty surprise creatures at the earliest levels. And who does not want to have them find a map that leads to another mimic? Think of all the fun you can do with such a thing.

Shoggoth, I believe is right out of Cthulian Horrors. With a challenge rating of 19 I would imagine it would be so. This is the type of monster that could have a campaign leading up to it as the major adversary. And since the tome of beasts gives you so many more options you have enough aberrations to make that type of game happen

The Arboreal Grappler is an awesome Ape with limbs that are at least 10 foot long. Encounter this guy on the plains and you are all set, but meet this guy in the jungle with heavy tree cover and they might just pull you up into their world and let you fall to your death.

by Ted Adams

September 8, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“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.

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.

by Mike Gould

September 2, 2016

Monsters

5th Edition Tome of Beasts – Arch Devils and Devils

Last week I delved into the Tome of Beats and the Rulers of the Fey Court. You can check out that Article here. This week I have torn through the devils and lets see what we get.

Not only does Tome of Beast give us some new lower tier Devils to play with but some Upper tier Arch Devils that can be a source for an entire campaign arc. If you have not pre-ordered you own copy you can do so here.

We get 4 new Arch Devils to inspire us in new ways. Kobold press did an excellent job of creating foes with goals and agendas. They also added a new format of damage requiring weapons to be silvered to damage certain foes.

Arbeyach is the first Arch Devil we get to explore and he is literally made of a swarm of insects. His greatest weapons is to cause people to be poisoned and he removes resistance and immunities from those close to him. Be warned. Though his power wains through inaction he has many that serve him.

Ia’Affrat is actually the offspring of Arbeyach. While his father is a swarm of insects, he is a swarm of fire. He is composed of tiny elementals. So removed from flesh and blood he is immune to weapon damage of any kind. Do not get into a fight with him unless you are prepared.

by Ted Adams

September 1, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“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.

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…anywhere you want a fountain.

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.

by Mike Gould

August 26, 2016

Monsters

5th Edition Tome of Beasts – Fey Lords and Ladies

last week we delved into the Tome of Beasts and touched on the Dragons. Today we are going to talk about the Fey Lords and Ladies. This is from the Tome of Beasts that is coming out for 5th Edition. You can pre-order your own copy here. It is expected to be released on September 13th.

They divide the fey lords and ladies up into regions and tell you the power and political side of things. if you wanted to run a game dealing with them there is the structure set up already. Each of these mighty beings has the ability to alter the land around around them coming in with legendary actions, lair actions and regional effects. These beings are not toppled easily and unless you have a DM set things up poorly or you set up machinations correctly you are never going to encounter them alone.

The mythological Cold Iron comes back into play with these might Fey Lords and Ladies. There has been no previous mention, I am familiar with. There is a side bar for how to obtain them in the game but crafter beware. These beings are powerful and live a long time. They might kill you just for making them. The reason cold iron is a thing as these mighty beings can’t be harmed with weapons that are not made of the stuff. Only 2 of the Fey lords and Ladies are able to be hurt with just regular magic weapons. The rest require you to have Cold Iron Weapons.

by Ted Adams

August 25, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters Roleplaying

“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.

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

by Mike Gould

August 19, 2016

Monsters

5th Edition Tome of Beasts – Dragons

Every Dungeon Master loves access to new monsters. And what Dungeon Master does not like using Dragons. With the Open Gaming License we are starting to see 3rd party publishers getting hardbound products out as options to, well give us more options.

Kobold Press has released a new product out for Pre-order. You can preorder your copy here. We did a review on Daves copy that he got early because he backed the kickstarter.

I was sad when I found out that missed getting my own early copy. When we looked at the pdf we were not disappointed. There are so many awesome monsters in this book as well as some new beasts and NPCs to easily add into your game.

Today I am just going to talk about the Dragons that are in this book. Next week I will touch on some other monster groups. I will keep this series going until the book is released.

In this book you get 6 new Dragon types for your 5th edition game. Kobold Press does not give you any carbon copy of dragons that exist in your 5th edition monster manual but 6 new whole cloth creations that stand out as unique.

Almost all of the dragons have 4 separate stat blocks for the 4 age categories of Dragons: ancient, adult, young and wyrmling. I make my notes below

The cave dragon is a fierce beast that constantly needs to eat. It lives underground where its sensitivity to sunlight keeps it safe. But sadly living underground is not a place abundant with food. It is not mindless and is a true dragon. I compare this one with a white dragon with lower stats and its desire for food out weighs its desire for any coin. Sorry adventurers if you are looking to slay a dragon

by Ted Adams

August 18, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“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.

“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.

by Mike Gould

August 12, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“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.

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.

by Mike Gould

August 5, 2016

Adventure Hooks

Ducknapping, Nanny Nibbling and the Governor’s Goods- A D&D 5e, SRD compatible adventure

Written with thanks to Scott Garibay for his Five Page Tabletop RPG Adventure Design

Ducknapping, Nanny Nibbling and the Governor’s Goods

D&D 5e, SRD compatible adventure.

A D&D game session in progress perception

A D&D game session in progress (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Launch and Locations

In the aftermath of a raid on the town by strange cultists with giant lizards and kobolds, the characters scouted the raiders camp. After returning from scouting the raiders’ camp, where the characters freed several enslaved townsfolk, their breakfast the following morning is interrupted.

Green Rest Inn (Where the characters are eating breakfast after a long rest)
Featherend Farm (Duck Farm of small repute for winning ribbons in the fair)
Swardheart Farm (Goat Farm run by two halfling females)
The Governor’s Manor (The Governor has retired here, delegating oversight to proper carpenters)
Snoutslap Sties (Pastured swine farm, the furthest of the three farms from the Governor’s Manor)

by John Wells

August 4, 2016

Out of the Box D&D Encounters

“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.

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.

by Mike Gould

July 29, 2016

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