The successful funding campaign is over, but Burials of Teganshire is still available on Indiegogo’s InDemand service. Click here to get your copy! https://igg.me/at/teganshire
Session 0 doesn’t necessarily mean a separate session but is a meeting of minds between the DM/GM and the players. It is where the DM sets the tone, logistics, and expectations.
Personally, I find it helpful to put Session 0 information in a handout, and then both email and then physically hand it to the players. Session 0 is also an excellent time to roll up a new PC, so the information should be sent before the DM expects the players to have their new PC ready to go.
Here’s an example Session 0 handout for Burials of Teganshire and the Circle of the Blood Moon Adventure Path. As always, simple information that a player would find helpful is better than a “lore dump” that just gives the DM a captive audience.
No need for a lore dump. Let the PCs make their own story, discovering the world as they go.
Session 0: Circle of the Blood Moon Adventure Path
Circle of the Blood Moon is a 5E D&D game using standard D&D rules.
When
Every Friday at Rob’s House
Player Books
D&D 5.0 Player’s Handbook or SRD (required)
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (optional)
Stronghold and Followers (optional)
Campaign Setting
Homebrew, European-style feudal system
Races
All except Dragonborn and Tiefling
Classes
Any
Character Creation Rules
Any class out of the PHB
Standard Point Buy
Standard Starting Funds
Milestone experience
Roll for HP when leveling
PCs can have feats if they meet advancement requirements
PCs can multiclass
The campaign uses Encumbrance
Campaign Tone
This is a challenging and complex campaign where players will need to earn their PC progression through heroic actions and deeds. Players are in the driver’s seat to the extent that the DM has material to cover what the PCs are going to do that evening, and if they wander too far off the adventure path, then the game pauses for the material to catch up. It is possible to fail objectives and have the campaign continue—win or lose; there’s going to be action. Your decisions have consequences; this is not a railroad, but there isn’t a multiverse shattering puzzle, either. You’ll know soon enough what needs to be done.
PCs will be making trips outdoors. Outside of villages, it is widely known that the less-civilized wilderness contains monsters and fey. The local authorities are feudal-based and, for the most part, well-respected by the local populous.
Difficulty
PC causalities will happen if players bumble about or if merely unlucky.
Players are expected to use team-centric, combined-arms tactics/strategy. There are random encounters that could turn deadly, and PCs can wander into places beyond their ability to survive if the party does not retreat and reassess.
PC Death
PC death could result in a new 1st Level PC until the campaign advances to where it makes more sense to have a new PC at a higher level.
Magic
This is a heroic-magic campaign setting—there are NPCs with magic, but they usually do not wander about killing monsters. The frequency of magic items is straight out of the DMG.
There is no open market for magic items, except potions, and even then, the alchemist making potions usually has a customer list she’s working towards. However, most alchemists rely on external sources for their concoctions and are predisposed to people selling rare materials.
Coin
Circle of the Blood Moon uses the same coin system that is in the PHB. The nobility also uses letters of credit, which they can exchange for coin with other nobility and the crown. There’s no fractional banking system, but there are wealthy merchants that will exchange coins for these letters of credit.
We are going to move quickly to fulfillment. As soon as Indiegogo sends us the cash and emails, we’ll send out the PDFs’ coupon. We do digital fulfillment through our store website at https://griffonloregames.com/.
Print copies are moving along, too. Theoretically (it’s always a bit unsure in the COVID-19 shipping world), we should get the printed proofs today and approve them. We’re still optimistic the printed versions will go out in September, too.
Our support alias is support@griffonloregames.com.
From the Tales of Lothmar Beastiary comes the Island Red Fox, a teleporting trickster that can’t be killed, but can shoot fire beams out of its eyes if it thinks it’s funny.
Island Red Foxes, of which only three are known to exist, long has been an enigma to the inhabitants of the island chain they inhabit. Benign but annoying, the island red fox will occasionally steal a chicken from a farmer, clothing from bathers, and even toys from children. If it’s food, they’ll proceed to eat it, but other items they play with until bored. “Chase the fox” is their favorite game.
Usually (but not always) found together, the island red foxes are clever and bright (for an “animal”) and can understand the Common language. They will perform tricks for food (sit, roll-over, play dead, shake hands, heel, leave it, and even more complex tasks such as “go to Port Lance and give this to a town guard”), but never stays with a particular person longer than a couple of hours. Sometimes they will sleep next to a campfire, but snap at anyone trying to get them to move.
Several hundred years ago, Garranthe the Sage formally studied the foxes but didn’t find anything people already didn’t know, except for one tidbit: they have a fondness for smoked elk sausage, an oddity as there are no elk on the island chain they inhabit. Garranthe, however, did not study the foxes for long, saying, “he had no interest in revealing any secrets from what appears to be a figment of a long-dead trickster god.”
He did, however, confirm they were not fey.
Currently, if island natives see an island red fox, they believe it is a sign of good luck and coming prosperity.
Combat
If they think it’s funny, an island red fox will use their fire eye beams to light something on fire, including adult people who are trying to harm them. They have a sharp bite, but an island red fox avoids combat with their misty stepor teleport.
Crossbow Man would never shoot a fox. They’re just too dang cute!
Burials of Teganshireis a self-contained, modular adventure that emphasizes localization, so the DM can plug the module into their own environment. It’s also so the players can develop their own story without the plot forcing them to travel hundreds of miles somewhere else. Going back 20 days, we talked about Localized Campaigns:
These posts are a mix of DM Practical and DM Design. Practical is necessary for the DM to save time. The Design is essential for the DM to add bespoke flavor—no commercial product can anticipate all the needs of your game table.
This post gives you some practical options to liven up Burials of Teganshire. Page count, modularity, and such prevented the information from showing up in the module. Perhaps one day, when we complete the adventure path, we can expand the text to include all that flavor that makes a setting come alive.
Of particular note, the next adventure in the series in the Circle of the Blood Moon adventure path (#CBM2) will have more information on Teganshire Village, so the options here are generic.
Before the PCs Head Out
Before the PCs head out to take care of the “bridge problem,” here are some generic flavor additions.
Carols the Halfling Merchant
Carols is a female halfling brewmaster with a wagon of high-quality beer heading up the road to the bridge. However, Carols only has two guards with her, and they are accompanying her mostly to handle the four horses pulling the wagon.
She is now held up and will approach the PCs—she’ll add to their reward. Carols doesn’t have much spare money (only 10 gold pieces), but will pony up a keg of beer if the PCs take care of “whatever killed that poor man!”
Carols and Laura of the Bouncing Mutt don’t get along, as Carols never has any beer to sell her, selling it up the road where she gets a better price.
Randy the Rider
Randy is a message courier with a swift horse, wearing leather armor and a light crossbow, but obviously, he’s not a fighter, but a mailman.
He’s contemplating a bypass, but his horse is a jumper. He’ll ask the PCs if he can follow them, in hopes of saving time crossing the river.
Randy is not allowed to engage in combat, and won’t do so. As soon as the PCs kill the monster, he’ll rush the bridge at full gallop and jump over the damage, continuing on his route.
Randy is a young man and only carries a small amount of coin, as the stops on his route feed both him and his horse. Interfering with Randy has severe consequences, as the local authorities also use his route to deliver military correspondence.
If Randy watches the PCs kill the monster, he’ll inform his employer who will arrange for the PCs:
Discounts on fast riding horses
Free mail delivery throughout the region
Discount at the inns along Randy’s route for a month
No Empty Stomach Left Behind
Before the PCs head out, the matrons of the village pack the PCs lunch, including two freshly baked pies. Farmer Paul, a man of modest means, also gives the PCs two small bundles of high-quality, smoked sausages, one for the PCs, and one for the “nice fellows in the watchtower up yonder.”
While PCs are Traveling
Beyond the random encounters in the module, here are some things to add for additional flavor.
Three Men
Three men were riding war horses along the river coming from the west, hoping to cross the bridge. However, they could see the bridge had significant damage and turned away. They are now riding to Teganshire, to warn the Burgermeister of the issue.
They did not investigate the bridge, but their horses were very nervous, and since they are the ones who trained said horses, they left.
These men are horse trainers. Their mounts are high-quality, and they were set to deliver the horses. They will continue to Teganshire and then leave after a meal, avoiding the road, traveling west.
The Guard Tower
As mentioned in the module, the purpose of this guard tower is less of a way stop and more of a patrol waystation to prevent errant forest critters from molesting the farms and ranches to the west.
As such, they are highly knowledgeable about the region. If helped, the well-paid guards are a treasure trove of information about:
Local nobility
Which farmers or ranchers have eligible, marriage-age bachelors and bachelorettes (ranked according to appearance)
All have respect for Harold and tell the PCs his young wife died long ago before they had children. If the PCs seem like honest, good folk, one of the guards says to the PCs that Harold needs help getting over his grief, and it would be a shame if he continued to be unmarried, as he is a respectable man
One of the guards was shot down, spectacularly, by the owner of the Bouncing Mutt in the village. If the PCs haven’t heard her story yet, he tells it here. He feels terrible because he didn’t know she was in mourning
If the PCs help the guards, they can also supply the PCs with some fresh goods from the local farms. If given the sausage bundle, the guards share a recipe of fried sausage and eggs.
One of the guards knows how to skin and process animal fur. If the PCs killed the dire wolves, he offers to the skin and process the hides, so the PCs can turn them into clothing sometime later.
Machan’s Tower
This would be a great place to put in a cursed book that ties to the next module in the Circle of the Blood Moon adventure path. Just put it there with Machan’s journal, no need to be fancy about it:
Book of Celestial Whispers
This book does not detect as magical but is a highly magical tome and a dangerous one as that. If read, the book, will without fail, impart the ability to speak celestial to the reader. It will also turn the reader’s alignment permanently lawful, so if the reader was neutral good, they would then be lawful good. If the reader was chaotic evil, then the book would change their alignment to lawful evil.
Book Contents
The book, written in Common, is an engaging and well-written story about a paladin named Sir Hashmon Keirman coming to the aid of a celestial forced into mortal form and now besieged by enemies in the mundane world. The story ends with Keirman finding out his paramour is an angel, and in a bittersweet decision, convinces her to go back to Arcadia, and resume her position.
This story is true and contains a large amount of action, romance, and philosophical questions between the nature of duty and desire. It’s approximately 70,000 words.
Curse
However long it takes for the reader to read the book (some can read it in a week, some in a day), when completed the curse takes hold and is irreversible—the Law, Neutral, Chaos portion of their alignment shifts to Lawful. The reader is made aware of this, but they may not know why.
One of the “benefits” of the curse is the reader understands celestial but has no knowledge of the fact. Celestial spoken to the reader sounds likes the reader’s own native language. When they talk to someone else that understands celestial, that’s the language they unknowingly speak.
If the reader already knows the celestial language, the alignment shift still occurs. If the reader is already also lawful, they feel a supernatural sense of understanding Sir Keirman, and their Wisdom score is increased by 1 (to a maximum of 20).
Recharge
Once the book curses a reader, it takes 4d6 weeks for it to “recharge” before it can curse someone else (reading the book twice has no effect the second or subsequent times). If destroyed, it reforms 4d6 months later in a random location, next to another book on a bookshelf.
In D&D and its derivatives, like Pathfinder, the designers, all the way back to Gygax and Anderson, developed a complex, highly detailed magical system that permeates everything. Low magic or high magic, epic magic, or gritty, it’s a beautiful system to play a fantasy roleplaying game.
And right from the get-go, a Dungeon Master (DM/GM) can use the system to add conflict to their campaign. This post is about Cold War-style conflict, that added undercurrent to the main events going on that add tension, tone, and drama.
A hot-war will take over the campaign. The Magical Cold War will add flavor to it.
Set the Stage to the Magical Cold War
D&D 5E has a magical system around these core concepts:
Arcane magic—direct from the weave of magic
Divine magic—magic from the gods
Druid magic—drawing on the divine essence of nature itself
You know what that looks like on the surface? It seems like three factions. Factions are a great way to add theatric sub-plots to a campaign setting. A low-level hum of struggle against the backdrop of PC actions that inserts authenticity onto the environment.
Defining the History of Magical System Conflict
Now that we have the three factions let’s see why they oppose each other.
Arcane Magic Users
Some time ago, demons corrupted a group of powerful sorcerers. These sorcerers started to take over small provinces to the Empire in secret. They built up considerable momentum but were found out by the Providence Magisters (similar to court wizards) in the more significant imperial regions. Events spiraled out of control, and rather than bring in divine help from the various churches, the magisters turned to infernal support through bargains with archdevils. Many of them turned themselves into liches.
Eventually, the wizards prevailed, only to be turned upon by the divine churches of the Empire.
Divine Magic Users
Caught unaware of the demon-devil conflict in their midst using wizards and sorcerers as their proxies, the churches of the Empire fought both and held the Empire together with sheer will, divine magic, and large numbers of men-at-arms. They fought a cataclysmic war with both arcane factions, but suffered heavy losses and the Empire collapsed into fragmented, waring kingdoms jockeying for power and survival. A dark age came upon the Empire, and they could not stop it.
Druidic Magic Users
The hierophants of old stepped into the power vacuum, and each regional archdruid organized what little remained of civilization into pockets of peaceful, relatively safe areas. They instituted monarchies to quickly assemble the remanents into a usable hierarchy. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past, they installed themselves as the overseers of food production, the surviving paladin orders as Inquisitors, and forced arcane magic users into a caste system of serving the people, banned from holding positions of power.
However, over time, the monarchies became powerful nations. Eventually, they instituted the position of the Court Wizard, in which wizard schools, formally wizard prisons, reported to the Court Wizard, who in turn pledged fealty to the King.
Just an Example
This is just an example of the historical conflict. The idea is to be brief—this happened long ago. That also allows the DM the flexibility to flesh out more lore as needed. As long as the three factions had a conflict in the past, it’s all good. And it doesn’t even have to be true. It could be just what people believe and what is in the history books.
Define the Current Magical System Conflict
Now that we have our history, what are our three factions up to? Apparently, shenanigans. Many shenanigans. Since this is all about conflict and drama—have some struggle and tension.
Arcane Magic Users
At one point, arcane magic users chafed under the yoke of Inquisitor tyranny (from their point of view), but that was long ago. Wielders of the arcane enjoy state-sponsored rights and protections for the “privilege” of policing their own—making sure the younger mages and sorcerers toe the line. However, these factions cross national boundaries, and over time, the Court Wizards formed a Council of the Arcane. While the nobility of the various nations deploys power through their feudal system, it is the Council of the Arcane that rule behind the scenes, now working to bring back the glory of the Empire by appointing an Emperor of Nations.
Two groups stand in their way—the Inquisitors that prevent the churches from falling in line and the Druids that run the nations’ agriculture systems. Yet in some rural areas, there are wizards and other arcane users who believe the Council to be an oppressive organization dedicated to stripping away freedom and dignity, all in the name of law and order.
Divine Magic Users
The churches of the nations, sharing the same pantheon, do not want to change the system that gives them power, money, and influence. Things are fine just the way there are, now that they’ve clawed their way back from the brink of annihilation.
Some paladin orders, however, stick to the old school way of doing things, which includes (but not exclusively), the Inquisitors. The Inquisitors aren’t buying the Council of the Arcane at all and undermine them at every opportunity, including waging 4th Generational Warfare in nations that have given their wizards more power than they should. They’ve been here before and see where this is going: a Cabal of Liches, plunging the realms into darkness one more “to save the people’s souls from demons once more.”
The Inquisitors have tried to engage their previous allies, the Druids, to no avail. Some think they’ve been compromised by witches and cultists.
Druid Magic Users
No one could say exactly when the nobility came to be the top of the hierarchy over the archdruids, but that’s what happened. Most druids have forgotten their contribution to putting together the pieces of the Empire back into a small modicum of civilization. Many wonder if that was a good idea, given the large Cities of Men and the power of churches. Churches are more concerned with coin and station than the divine souls of their subjects.
Regardless, the new Council of the Arcane seems precisely like an organization the Inquisitors of old, organizations the archdruids founded long ago, were supposed to prevent. Still, all indications are the Inquisitors are sitting on their hands without church backing or any semblance of higher organization, each Inquisitor chapter acting like a coven of witches or a cultist cell.
Now Engage the Magical Cold War
There you have it. The gist of the Magic Cold War is:
It is background conflict and drama
No one except a few want to see it turn into a Hot War
Each faction has a history
Each faction has a current description of why they are in conflict
That’s the recipe. DMs interested in fleshing out their worlds now have a framework on how these magical groups interact with each other, and it’s all conflict and drama. Each faction even has sub-factions that cause issues within the bloc and without, and there are also small groups that could ally themselves with like-minded members to the “enemy” factions.
The idea is here is that there are paladins who hate wizards and sorcerers. Why is that? And why do the druids have power over food production? And why is there some underlying conflict in cities with strong wizards, etc., etc.?
The Cold War. It’s everywhere. And sometimes it seems nothing can stop it from becoming a Hot War. Put that in the back of your campaign world and see how your players react. And it’s an excellent DM vehicle for tension.
Or, perhaps, a vehicle for lighting the nations on fire.
PC Wizard: Where is Lord Drake? We’ve returned from our quest.
Paladin: I hung Lord and Lady Drake for being witches consorting with demons.
PC Wizard: …
Paladin: …
PC Wizard: We’re not demon consort, um, consort-ers.
Paladin: That’s why you’re still standing here. I am Inquisitor Johanson of the Order of the Platinum Oath, and by the authority given unto me by the First King, I demand you help me save the souls of this demesne.
PC Cleric: You have no author…
Paladin: Quiet acolyte, the adults are talking.
PC Wizard: Why do you even trust me?
Paladin: Because I heard you speak against the Council. Because Bahamut told me to. Now, do you want this spellbook we’ve been keeping in our reliquary for hundreds of years or not?
Our Indiegogo campaign is nearing the conclusion. Click here to back now so you can get your module in September! : https://igg.me/at/teganshire.
In addition to three custom feats, we’re going to go back up and talk about the custom backgrounds from several days ago, and provide some additional context on modifying those backgrounds and the feats.
But before we do that, let’s talk about D&D Beyond.
D&D Beyond is a 5E Customizer’s Dream Software
Have to admit, like many other people, D&D Beyond’s branding agreement with Wizards of the Coast confused me. I thought I was going to a Wizard’s site. I could not understand why Wizards would sell their hardcovers without an option to also buy a coupon to access the book on D&D Beyond. Stuffing a unique coupon in a printed book—there are a dozen ways to do it.
Then I went on their forum, and read the dozens of replies to confused people—D&D Beyond was not Wizards of the Coast.
Oh. Hahahaha. Take my money then, D&D Beyond, you go with your bad selves.
I love D&D Beyond quite a bit. It has a modern, responsive UI, almost everything I want is available, and I can subscribe and share all my custom goo, and the books I purchase, to our group’s game tables.
The customization, and sharing thereof, makes me a big fan.
Custom 5E Backgrounds—In It for the Roleplay
I can take or leave official Backgrounds, but in D&D 5E, it’s easy to pick one and apply it to your PC, so why not? The players I know like Backgrounds as it gives a bit of customization to the PC without expending a lot of effort, and that’s the appeal, I believe. If picking a Background meant doing a lot of work, they wouldn’t do it.
Let’s go over the list of Backgrounds from the Background post and why they were inserted into the game.
In the Kingdom of Lothmar Campaign Setting, there is a remote holdout city under the direct control of the neighboring Empire, the conglomerate of provinces Lothmar used to be a part of.
This University has strict requirements, and students at the Imperial University of Darathole must exhibit proficiency with magic, or the Dean of Students expels them. They are the elitists of the Empire and Kingdom when it comes to arcane magic. Graduates are either sages, court wizards, or war wizards (the other two backgrounds are under construction).
The campaign setting has a Barony that is run by mercenary compies. A player requested a mercenary forward scout Background, that was all about mercenary companies. She was precise: a scout had to have Perception, Survival, and Nature as skill proficiencies, available at first level, and that’s it. That’s all she wanted—no languages or tools.
Who am I to argue when a player does world-building for you? Certainly not me!
Someday I’ll run a mercenary campaign where all the PCs are forward scouts, kind of like the Black Company meets, um, the Black Company.
I made this as a mirror of the sage-like Imperial University scholar, only for the Kingdom’s theology students.
The (non) Balance of the Backgrounds
In an ideal world, this would not be a thing:
“As detailed in the rules for backgrounds, if a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency of the same kind (skill or tool) instead. This will happen automatically in the character builder.”
But it is, and it’s enforced in D&D Beyond. To meet the roleplaying requirements of the Background, I had to list three skills, which would set up the possibility of the player picking something else from the list.
Is this balanced?
Yes and no. It’s not balanced because the custom Backgrounds don’t follow this pattern:
2 skill proficiencies from a list
1 language
1 tool proficiency
However, it is balanced in my particular campaign world. For one thing, most encounters are designed to be Deadly, random encounters can also be deadly, and there are static locations that are super Deadly. And we play with gritty rules (long rest is a week, short rest is eight hours).
Furthermore, my players have a high degree of expertise in playing D&D. It’s a harsh and unforgiving place for their PCs. An extra skill proficiency just isn’t going to unbalance anything, given the extra planning and tactics they need to use to stay alive. In fact, the setting is so challenging; some of these backgrounds come with extra feats!
And here they are.
Homebrew Feats for Your Homebrew Backgrounds
The two “academic” backgrounds eventually come with extra feats. The gist of the feats is for roleplaying purposes for PCs and to set a particular tone with NPCs. These feats are awarded during the campaign after a year at the University. The student is no longer a freshman and has survived “The Culling,” in which the Dean of Students or the Seargent of Arms has expelled the students that did not pass muster.
The Dean of Students expells any student that does not show some proficiency with arcane magic after the first year. The ability to read and write magic is a required skill of any well-educated Imperial student, regardless of their study area.
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the wizard’s spell list.
Choose one 1st-level spell from the wizard’s spell list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a short rest before casting it again using this feat.
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
You become proficient in Arcana, if not already.
Design Comments
This feat is a modification of the Magic Initiate Feat, but specific to arcane magic and a prerequisite.
The feat goes with the Imperial University Scholar background, the campaign setting’s version of a sage. However, the school is much more vigorous than that. If the student doesn’t learn at least two cantrips and a spell, out the door they go, banished from the city gates!
When the game ticks from Freshman to Sophomore, the player adds the feat to their character. D&D Beyond supports this from the character sheet by clicking on the Feats gear icon.
This feat also has the design for application without the Background. For example, a PC or NPC that makes it past the first year but not the second.
The Royal University’s Seargent of Arms expells any student that does not show some proficiency with divine magic after the first year. The student must also pass a test on the Kingdom’s religions and church history.
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the cleric’s spell list.
Choose one 1st-level spell from the cleric’s spell list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a short rest before casting it again using this feat.
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
You become proficient in Religion, if not already.
Design Comments
Similar to the arcane counterpart, this feat adds the same flair, but down the divine path, to the religious college in the Royal City of Lothmar.
Your expertise as a mercenary troop/army scout makes you an expert at slinking through the wilderness, leaving no trace. You gain the following benefits:
You gain +1 to Dexterity or Wisdom, up to 20 in either ability
In the wilderness and other uncivilized places, you do not leave tracks or other noticeable signs of your passing.
Design Comments
Since we had three Custom Backgrounds, here’s a custom feat to go along with the Mercenary Company Forward Scout. Unlike the other two feats, this one the PC must pay for by choosing it when leveling.
Wilderness Shadow is a simple feat, but in the context of the campaign world, leaving no tracks without being a druid or a spell-casting ranger is almost a prerequisite. In the Black Company-like mercenary campaign, an enemy tracking a forward scout is a super big problem.
More telling, however, is the bump for either Dexterity or Wisdom. Not much use for that except for the mercenary forward scout. At least in the Kingdom of LothmarCampaign Setting.
The Mercenary Forward Scout usually has nice views. When it isn’t raining. Or being chased by bears. Angry druids. Occasional obnoxious fae. And mosquitoes. So. Many. Mosquitoes.
Departing Words on Feat Homebrew
The feat customization and creation options in 5E, once you use the core feats as a template, are a powerful, powerful way to add campaign setting specifics to your game world that has an immediate impact on players’ PCs. I also use homebrew feats to attach to homebrew magical items for a unique flair.
Before embarking down that path, a DM needs to keep in mind three things:
Player buy-in, as it’s their PC
Keep the feat balanced by using other core feats as a template
Willingness to increase the difficulty of the game if players are receiving feats outside of leveling
What are some of your favorite custom feats? Bonus points for a link to D&D Beyond!
Crossbow Man: absolutely going to pick Crossbow Expert feat at 4th Level
Yesterday we provided context for this post in picking apart D&D 5E’s balance problems—there are problems, and some of those problems are systemic. The fundamental issue on the table (literally haha) is that D&D is a game, and games require challenges. However, Fifth Edition of D&D contains mechanics that beneath the surface cause the game to stagnate, and also lacks practical guidance outside of combat concerning player dynamics.
We won’t be the first person to write about this and offer solutions, and we won’t be the last—but here is our take. This essay provides two solutions: game table changes, and encounter and monster changes.
Practical Solutions: Game Table Changes
Since the dawn of the game table, player dynamics, the interaction between players (and the DM), is the primary attribute in making the game challenging, or not.
That’s what makes the game so fun! It’s a social game. So let’s make some social solutions before we dive into mechanics.
Increase Player Agency
Increasing player agency, and thereby “Table Agency” removes the work burden from the DM of making sure each and every interaction with the game world has a homogenized difficulty. In the campaign, via the game world, there needs to be encounters and situations the players can “break into jail” and fail at.
We could go on-and-on about this topic (see: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=D%26D+player+agency) but suffice it to say “Dungeon Master as a Referee” (vs. “DM as a Story-Teller”) is going to go a long way in having players decreasing DM workload as they are the ones driving the story.
We’re not here to beat the Player Agency Dead Horse™. Just realize it’s the real game balance mechanic of D&D, the players’ ability to:
Have their PCs fail (deadly encounters the DM places)
Wander into a wrong place (static places in the world above their ability to emerge victoriously)
Fall to the whims of the dice not working in their favor (random encounter at the wrong place/wrong time)
If the players can’t fail, they don’t have agency.
The game world has deadly static, random and status quo encounters
The players have the latitude to make choices that can get their PCs killed
Players are expected to use combined arms to overcome challenges
The campaign about to begin is more challenging than the last one
What PC classes will not be of much use in the campaign, so players will know which PC choices will be only role-playing centric
The campaign has mechanics to deal with PC death (see below)
Alleviate PC Death by Planning on It
Start using hirelings and henchmen—if a PC dies, the player can switch to playing one of those characters for the evening
Have backup character sheets ready to go, both premade by the DM and premade by the players. One possibility is the players make the hirelings and henchmen character sheets
Don’t sacrifice gameplay for the story, even if the PCs are driving the story. That is, if the current situation would make a new PC come into play seem silly, then it’s best to be silly rather than excluding a player. Then after a session, the player and DM can work on bringing a new PC online
Have a plan for what happens if everyone dies—the TPK. The idea is to have, as the DM, some predetermined direction, even if it turns out to be wrong, rather than be caught going—uh, what now for the game? This includes what happens in the campaign world and what happens at the table. Shoot for that player commandery that D&D builds so well—the game table heading to the pub to salute the fallen PCs and toast a game well played, even in defeat
Recognize that some players don’t care about their PCs living and dying; they care about playing well with what they have. Other players care about playing a specific PC, rather than about playing the game with expertise.
Work with the players that invest time into their PC to also spend time in that PC’s legacy. In other words, have character-story driven players also contribute to their immediate world (friends, relatives, in-game spouses, etc.) beyond their PC, with the expectation that if the PC dies, the new PC comes from this work
Periodically Use Grim Story Mechanics
There’s nothing like showing, rather than telling game difficulty:
Secretly work with a player before the campaign starts to have that player die a messy death in Session One (ala MCDM’s The Chain)
Privately work with a player who decides they don’t like their PC to die a messy death in the game in a believable way
Use a “life is unfair card” (sparingly) that when the players send their henchmen to go do something (let’s run a henchmen adventure!), all the henchmen die in an encounter so dark and grim, your players vow revenge (really, only do this once) on the spot
Embrace Failure Conditions
Often people play D&D where failure in the module equates to a game that halts because there is no other condition than victory. When a DM designs a static encounter or even uses a commercial product, not having failure conditions predisposes against challenges. This is another instance of “Balance the Game Outside Combat.” Find more about that, and practical advice with failure conditions, here: BoT Post 10: When the PCs Lose the Players Will Win—the Hero’s Journey.
Practical Solutions: Encounter and Monster Changes
The previous blog post described the various issues around D&D 5E’s Challenge Rating system. Let’s put what we know to good use. D&D 5E supports a lot of flexibility, even when using online tools such as D&D Beyond, or various encounter generators.
Avoid Attrition Encounters
D20 is famous for its formulaic adventure design in Living worlds. Which is fine, because players know what is in store for them (far from me to declare Wrong Fun). They went something like this: 2 small encounters, a skill challenge, a short rest, BBEG showdown.
All possible encounters should have some semblance of verisimilitude—they are in the game because the game world, not adventure design, arranges their placement. Example:
Wanted Ward and June, two serial killers working as a team, are hiding at the bottom of an abandoned castle dungeon as they know the PCs are on their tail. More sinister murderers than kobold trap experts, they manipulate beasts and an aberration to populate the complex and set some traps to the best of their ability, trying to buy some time.
Are those beasts and traps attrition? They could be. But then again, the PCs could by-pass them. Or they could use the monsters to their advantage and send them against the evil duo. Or they could get creative and draw the pair out into the open.
Either way, the totality of the two villains here should stand on their own. Everything else is window dressing for the campaign world. In other words, the two villains give it their all in the final encounter. The PCs arriving there fresh is part of the game. If they stumble into every trap, do battle with every monster, make mistakes, that’s their issue to deal with.
Not the DM’s.
Use Non-Lethal Encounters to Enrich the Game, not just the (PCs) Story
Sometimes, dealing damage isn’t about anything other than:
Humor
Adding detail to the campaign setting
Letting players blow off steam
Experimentation
In one campaign, I have “island foxes,” a trio of foxes with unique capabilities. They can talk, but they’re foxes. They are brats. They can teleport from one island to the next. They will steal the PCs’ food. Laugh at them for no reason. They can do damage by shooting a firebolt out of their eyes.
Fox: “Hey, hey, PC. Want to see something funny?
PC: “Sure?”
Fox: (shots the PC with a firebolt)
Fox: Yeeeeeeahhh BOOOOOiiiiii!
PC: (rolls initiative)
Foxes: “Hahahahahaha!”
Foxes: (teleports away)
They are there only for comedic value and to reinforce that the world of the fey can be dangerous. The island foxes don’t have a challenge rating at all.
Man, I love those foxes. But I digress.
Avoid Artificial Restrictions on the Number of Deadly Encounters Per Short/Long Rest
Sometimes:
The dice go bad
The PCs make a mistake
A singular PC makes a mistake
The party doesn’t make any mistakes, but the circumstances conspire against them
A player complained the last encounter was too easy
Et cetera. At some point, the DM needs to cross a Rubicon: is this a story-telling narrative with rails laid by the DM? Or are the players reacting organically and making choices, good or bad, and it’s their world?
If the players have agency, balance by encounter restriction in such a flexible system such as 5E is not possible. Embrace the difficulty.
Make Meaningful Encounters Deadly: The Math
Some attributes need tweaking to making a tailored encountered deadly in a balanced way—we’re not talking about populating the game world, but putting together an encounter for an adventure.
APL + 3 to +5
Take the average party level and add 4, and then add monsters until the CR becomes Deadly, plus or minus one CR.
This is your baseline. Either one monster with Legendary or Villain actions (see below) or several monsters in the CR equals APL +3 to +5.
Adjusting for More than Four PCs
For every PC or henchmen or player run combatant in the party, add an additional monster at the parties APL, plus or minus one CR.
So if you have six players at APL 6, adding two monsters, both at CR 5 (not combined!) to the mix.
Why? The CR system breaks down with the action economy. Within the scope of a Hard to Deadly encounter (using the math in the Monster Manual), players have a distinctive advantage over monsters of the same level. The game doesn’t account for this (it tries and fails), and that’s okay because most tables do not have more than four players.
But if they do, well, playtesting reveals that as long as the monsters you add are above the party’s average level (APL), adding a monster on par with their APL compensates for the dramatic change in the action economy. More on the action economy below.
Final Adjustment
When all is said and done, here’s the time to make sure that 1) the encounter is at APL +4 or more and 2) adding monster numbers because the monster design itself is weak, especially if the DM does not want to change the monsters’ design.
Make Meaningful Encounters Deadly: The Design
Putting together an encounter balanced for that right amount of difficulty also relies on design.
Adjust the Encounter for Crowd Control
Some parties’ class combinations have crowd control built-in, such as a warlock, wizard, or stun-moving monk. Some parties do not.
However, any party class combination can do crowd control, it’s just that some will be better at it than others.
Assume the party is doing crowd control, the hard way or the easy way: either place monsters at different ends of the map or add lower-level monsters to harass the party, regardless of what it does to the Challenge Rating.
The party doesn’t do crowd control? Well, that’s their problem, not yours. Surviving to run away and having a learning opportunity is an excellent motivator for combined arms paly.
Adjust the Encounter for Ranged Attack Opportunities
If the encounter has a mixed set of monsters, then some of those monsters need ranged options, especially if they are intelligent. If they are just a bunch of dumb animals, it makes sense to compensate for their lack of ranginess by having them move faster than usual (“These two tigers are ravenous!”) or some other adjustment such as invisibility, flying, incorporeal, or other nasty conditions.
Adjust the Encounter Terrain and Setting
If it’s difficult terrain, not a terrain built into the monsters’ CR already, then either leave the encounter difficulty as is or adjust one CR downward. But only one.
Traps make an excellent terrain adjuster, especially if a PC manages to push a bad guy into one.
Players should be able to compensate for difficult terrain outside of battle–that’s the instance where you want to leave the CR as it. “Surprise difficult terrain!” is when the CR adjusts downward.
Adjust the Encounter for Party Magic Items or Other Effects
This happens more frequently in other versions of D&D as 5E does an excellent job of providing magical items that are cool but still within the bounded accuracy design.
However, there could be instances where the party obtains an overpowering item, effect, or the game world or adventure has arranged for things to go the PCs way.
Here’s where the DM needs to do more design than math. Adding a monster to the encounter with the ability to negate that effect or item is cheezy. However, adding some dangerous monsters, beyond the CR, for the player with the magic item in question to use? That is cool. And the player will love it.
Players can forget to use an item (just tell them), the PC with the thing can be incapacitated or drop from an unlucky roll, etc. That be the breaks. And before anybody throws a yellow flag on this play, the same thing happens to bad guys—all the time.
Adjust the Encounter for Player Expertise
Some players are just good at what they do. If that’s the case, the DM should:
Consider giving the monsters a temporary effect that makes sense in the context of the game world-such as the cults sipping on what is effectively a potion of haste, giving them all haste during the battle. After six rounds of this monkey business, they all die
Add a Hard encounter right after the Deadly one concludes
Add a CC expert to the monster roll
Add an evil object to the encounter that radiates a curse for the PCs, or a bless to the monsters
Or both (warning: that’s difficult!)
Make Meaningful Encounters: Balance the Action Economy
And here we come to the balance issue of all balance issues, the action economy.
The Action Economy is a game term to describe how characters are allocated a certain mummer of actions per turn (used by the game’s overall mechanics). This is where things are indeed mathematically tricky for the players or the monsters. If monsters act 40 times a round and the PCs 15 (including bonus and reactions), well, that’s gonna be a problem. The reverse is also accurate, and if anything makes a DM wonder why things were so easy for the players despite the CR, there you go.
Give your bad guys reactions and bonus actions. To compensate for the added complexity of the monster, make sure what they can do as an action is limited to four or fewer things, and that includes casting a singular spell. Make the 5E “cut to the chase” design work for you.
This is not to say having a monster with a lot of actions to choose from is wrong. But it’s challenging to do that all the time. The more actions a monster has, the more experience and prep time a DM needs to run that monster.
Heat Up the Action Economy by Favoring Mixed Monsters
I wanted to make an encounter that was “semi-deadly” in that I wanted it to go south if the PCs made mistakes, but I also wanted the PCs to win the battle without running away (this was a journey of discovery to advance one of the player’s PC plots). They were five Level 6 PCs. I added:
A CR 8 Monster: a custom aberration
Two CR 5 red slaads
This is a deadly encounter. However, if I wanted it to be an iffy encounter, I would have added three CR 5 red slaads, as the paladin did precisely what she was supposed to do—she burst damaged the aberration. Again, the goal here was to not have the PCs get into a position where they run away. I wanted the encounter to be severe but survivable, but notice I didn’t do that by making it a Hard encounter. I just made it less Deadly with the maths. They still could have suffered a PC death—and almost did.
Why was I assured of victory for the party? Because they were way ahead of the Deadly encounter’s action economy. Adjusting the action economy one way or the other is a way to achieve balance or other goals.
Heat up the Action Economy with Villain Actions
What’s a villain action, you might ask? Watch this video, and it explains all. I’ve seen Matt use it and I’ve also used it, and it rules. Literally!
Ahem, sorry. Rule of thumb: pretend the monster is only going to last three rounds. Design accordingly.
Heat up the Action Economy with Legendary and Lair Actions
If your monster seems legendary, make it one. That’s 5Es approach to heating up the action economy and making legendary monsters a rip-roaring epic battle.
Overused, however, it deadens the impact.
And for that truly epic encounter, give your Legendary monsters Villain actions. In their lair. So the PCs have to contend with:
Action-Reaction-Bonus Action
Villain Action
Legendary Action
Lair Actions
Bonus: added minion actions
A Balanced Conclusion
This essay proposed two approaches to making your game balanced: changes to the game table and a host of functional changes to apply CR math, monster/encounter design, and the action economy.
If the players feel the game is teetering on a knife’s edge, and only a combination of skill and teamwork can save them from the villains’ villainy and the capricious whims of the dice—the game has achieved balance.
I leave you with the cover of our next module, which you should back on Indiegogo if you have not already. Crossbow Man and his companions hiding behind him are going to face a challenge. In playtesting, the monster usually brought down half the party before succumbing. In one instance, it brought down all the PCs except one, and that PC was the benefit of an NPC heal built into the encounter. The players were surprised, and when they won, they felt like they had achieved something meaningful and good.
One group high-fived. At that moment, the game was theirs, not ours.
Crossbow Man, I salute you. You are braver than I.
This is a two-part blog post. Today we’ll talk about the illusion of game balance, and tomorrow we go over what to do about it.
Here at Griffon Lore Games, we have a specific design philosophy built around game attributes:
People play games to have fun
Challenges provide more entertainment than “non-challenges”
D&D is a game
D&D is a freeform game
And 5E is a flexible freeform game
It’s that last bullet point where things go south, and when I was learning 5E, it’s the area that had the most struggle. I would make a “deadly encounter,” and the PCs would waffle-stomp the BBEG even though he had Legendary Actions. Why was that?
It’s because no book, formula or design can compensate for player makeup, player skill, amount and type of magical items, what spells the casters prepared that day, the synergic effects of class-combinations shared between your players’ PCs, and various other things up to and including caffeine level and if any player ordered a 12-pack of chili-cheese burritos from the Taco Bell secret menu.
Let’s do a deconstruction of the CR system (everyone else has done it, so let’s do it too!), and then talk about real game challenges for your table.
The CR: Recognize what the CR system is
The Challenge Rating system in 5E is:
“A monster’s challenge rating tells you how great a threat the monster is. An appropriately equipped and well-rested party of four adventurers should be able to defeat a monster that has a challenge rating equal to its level without suffering any deaths. For example, a party of four 3rd-level characters should find a monster with a challenge rating of 3 to be a worthy challenge, but not a deadly one.”
This is a minimum standard
This is a minimum standard that does not account for all the variables at your table. We can talk about the maths, but let’s talk about design flaws:
A system built around no deaths is inherently easy. In D&D, a worthy challenge by its definition is a deadly one.
This system is combat-centric, ignoring for the most part, and even discouraging, PC damage outside of combat. “Well-rested” becomes an artificial box. Not a nice box, either, but that box at the beginning of Jurassic Park with a velociraptor in it.
The DM is an arbiter of the rule system used in the campaign world, but the system doesn’t quickly identify which areas to modify, other than increasing the CR. All it puts forth is a minimum standard. Which isn’t a bad way to go about it, as long as everyone knows what they are getting. It’s not a box of chocolates. It’s the velociraptor.
Any classification system is simply a means to an end
Personally, I like the CR system because it’s a taxonomy based on mathematical methods. Now, I would have done it differently, but a CR system, flaws and all, is better than no system! The intent of this essay is to not replace the system but instead to use it for our own ends.
I really super mega wish Wizards would have called it the Monster Challenge System. Because although there are skill encounters and trap encounters and environmental encounters, the CR system is all about monsters.
And monsters are only part of the difficulty. An important role, but there is more to the game that gets left behind for both page count and DM interest. Monsters are super-interesting, but it’s a chicken and egg thing here. We can make the other portions super exciting, too.
Game Difficulty is Philosophical Not CR Based
Understanding the mechanics behind the CR system isn’t necessary to make the game challenging and fun. The understanding of your players and where they fit in this role-playing game can give DM insights in using a CR system to their advantage. Here’s what you need to determine:
Single Player vs. Combined Arms
It is unfortunate but a cause of MMO popularity that some D&D players play the game in which they are a single player, and the other players, and the DM, are NPCs in their game.
That’s a poor way of playing D&D—the game is supposed to be a combined arms effect where each player contributes, via their PC, something the other players do not. This team play, when combined, overcomes difficulties and challenges.
You can’t make team challenges for a table full of single-players. Well, you can, but that’s going to be a short campaign when everyone TPKs.
D&D is a social game.
Game vs. Narrative
It is also unfortunate that some players in D&D love role-playing and could care less about “winning” the encounter, while others view D&D a game that you “win” by overcoming battles and care less about the role-playing.
A challenging game has both! And it relates to difficulty because some players will see the challenging combats as superfluous, and the other players will see challenging non-combat encounters as boring.
Now that, my friends, is Game Difficulty. For the DM. For decades now. Give me a CR system that fixes THAT, and now we’re talking!
Little is said that role-playing should be interconnected to the CR system.
But it should be.
The DM’s Mantra: “It is what it is.”
There’s an old publishing refrain (that comes from other places, too) that says, “It is what it is,” whereby there is a system so complex (the book industry) that when problems come up with a book, well, yeah, a problem was always going to come up.
And a game world is a complex system. It is what it is. There are too many pieces, too many player variables, too many situations where a DM doesn’t have enough time to figure something out. Or the opposite: has too much time and is now staring at a blank cursor in OneNote wondering where to start organizing what needs organizing.
It is what it is. Balance is an illusion because the game difficulty is a sliding ramp of DM arbitration used to make the game fun. As soon as the PCs master one portion of it, the DM needs to change it to become more challenging.
D&D 5E is freeform and flexible—so let’s use it to create an unbalanced system where the players are high-fiving each other after a difficult encounter. Nobody is going to high-five a balanced encounter. They’ll high-five after crawling out of a spike-filled pit with a bunch of poisonous snakes. And they have to crawl through a gelatinous cube. And the trap door over the pit is a mimic. And the snakes are on fire. Poisonous fire snakes. That can go ethereal.
Does that sound fair to you? Or balanced? Nah, bro, that’s about as unbalanced as it gets. But it sure does sound fun.
Tune in tomorrow, where we use the tools of the trade to game the system. No need to replace it—5E has everything you need.
It’s now time for some 5E Backgrounds! And for an added benefit, if you have D&D Beyond, you can use their homebrew option to add the backgrounds to your homebrew collection and apply it to your character sheet.
If you use pen and paper, then you’re good to go with the PHB and this blog post!
Soldiers that can think on their feet, sneak around, and survive on their own easily find good-paying jobs in any mercenary company. Rather than mold them into conformists, these individuals become forward scouts and spies.
It’s a rewarding but challenging duty. If the intelligence gathered is wrong, whole armies can be crushed by an enemy with superior intel. Lives are on the line, and in the wilderness in between settlements, often the weather, hungry animals, and monsters are more dangerous than enemy forces.
Equipment: An insignia of rank, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy (a dagger, piece of uniform, or piece of a banner) and a set of traveler’s clothes.
Specialty
During your time as a mercenary soldier, you were, or still are, a forward scout or spy. Roll a 1d8 or pick your specialty.
1d8
Specialties
1
Forward Scout
2
Scout in Force
3
Infantry Scout
4
Spy Unseen
5
Scout Officer
6
Wilderness Message Runner
7
Scout Trainer
8
Seargent
Feature: Mercenary Military Rank
You have a military rank from your career as a mercenary. Mercenaries and people loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.
As long as you are not actively opposing other organizations in the field, other military organizations will likely provide some aid and logistics in hopes you will seek employment with them. Standing armies or a noble’s soldiers are less likely to render you aid but may be favorable to you if your company provided assistance to them in the past.
Suggested Characteristics
Forward scouts are a rare breed in any military organization. They must independently adjust their immediate goals out in the field, as they do not have access to the chain-of-command. For this reason, they are usually given broad orders and expected to wing it if necessary. Forward scouts are encouraged not to get captured, and if they do, they are expected to free or kill themselves before interrogation.
1d8
Specialties
1
I’m always respectful. Not everyone is as with it as I am.
2
I’m haunted by memories of my fallen comrades. I miss them so.
3
It's best not to get too close to anyone anymore.
4
I go out of my way to teach the green troops so at least they have a chance at coming home.
5
I can stare down a demon dog. I've seen worse. I've done worse.
6
I enjoy being sneaky and shooting bad guys with arrows from as far away as possible.
7
I have a crude sense of humor.
8
I face problems by gathering as much information as possible before making a decision.
1d6
Ideals
1
Greater Good. If not us, then whom? (Good)
2
Responsibility. The chain of command keeps people alive. (Lawful)
3
Independence. I move freely in the fog of war to maximum advantage. (Chaotic)
4
Slaughter. The weak are preyed upon by their betters without mercy. (Evil)
5
Are we the baddies? (Neutral)
6
Nation. My city, nation, or people are all that matter. (Any)
1d6
Bond
1
I would sacrifice anything for the people I served with.
2
No one gets left behind. No one.
3
Honor is everything otherwise we're no better than animals and beasts.
4
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
5
Those who fight beside me are those worth dying for.
6
I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
1d6
Flaw
1
The monstrous enemy we faced in battle still leaves me quivering with fear.
2
I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior.
3
I made a terrible mistake in scouting the enemy that cost many lives—and I would do anything to keep that mistake secret.
4
Sometimes, I capture an enemy soldier just to see if they will crack under pressure.
5
Pay me or forget you.
6
I'm in it for the spoils of war.
Variant Mercenary Company Forward Scout: Standing Army Forward Scout
Soldiers that can think on their feet, sneak around, and survive on their own are coveted by lords, city watches, and standing armies. Quick to hide, quick to run, but also quick to take care of a problem within their capabilities, the standing army forward scout enjoys both the benefits of army life coupled with the freedom to execute orders without anyone looking over their shoulder.
Variant Feature: Military Rank
You have a military rank from your career as a soldier. Soldiers and people loyal to your former military organization still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other soldiers and requisition simple equipment or horses for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to friendly military encampments and fortresses where your rank is recognized.
As long as you are not actively opposing other organizations in the field, other military organizations will likely provide some aid and logistics as a matter of honor and respect for your former or current position.
You are an Imperial Scholar. You have studied scrolls, read a multitude of books, and listened to exciting and intellect expanding lectures. You have access to vast libraries in the Imperial system, and your University Papers give you access to private libraries, too.
In the Imperial University system, you were obliged to study Arcana, History, and Religion as minimum requisites.
Languages: Draconic and Elvish is a requirement in Imperial Universities.
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, Imperial University Identification Papers, a set of fine clothes, and a pouch containing 10 GP.
Specialty
To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8, or choose from the options in the table below.
1d8
Specialties
1
Noble - sponsored
2
Noble
3
Pure academic
4
Librarian
5
Professor
6
Professional Researcher
7
Wizard’s Apprentice
8
Scribe
Feature: Researcher Extraordinaire
When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of lore, if you do not know that information, you often know where and from whom you can obtain it. Usually, this information comes from a library, scriptorium, university, or a sage or other learned person or creature. Your DM might rule that the knowledge you seek is secreted away in an almost inaccessible place, or that it simply cannot be found. Unearthing the deepest secrets of the multiverse can require an adventure or even a whole campaign.
Suggested Characteristics
Imperial University Scholars are defined by their extensive academic and intellectual studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to intellectualism and philosophy, an Imperial University Scholar values knowledge and intelligence. Using a blend of practical and intellectual knowledge, Imperial University Scholars are actually quite dangerous in any conflict if given enough time to prepare or contemplate outcomes.
1d8
Specialties
1
I use polysyllabic words that convey the impression of great erudition.
2
I’ve read every book in the world’s greatest libraries—or I like to boast that I have.
3
I’m used to helping out those who aren’t as smart as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.
4
There’s nothing I like more than a good mystery.
5
I’m willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment.
6
I … speak … slowly … when talking … to idiots, … which … almost … everyone … is … compared … to me.
7
I don't like social situations but as an Imperial University Scholar, I can tolerate it. Barely.
8
I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.
1d6
Ideals
1
Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral)
2
Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)
3
Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)
4
No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)
5
Power. Knowledge is the path to power and domination. (Evil)
6
Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any)
1d6
Bond
1
It is my duty to protect my students.
2
I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands.
3
I work to preserve a library, university, scriptorium, or monastery.
4
My life’s work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore.
5
I’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
6
I sold my soul for knowledge. I hope to do great deeds and win it back.
1d6
Flaw
1
I am easily distracted by the promise of information.
2
Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
3
Unlocking an ancient mystery is worth the price of a civilization.
4
I overlook obvious solutions in favor of complicated ones.
5
I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others.
6
I can’t keep a secret to save my life, or anyone else’s.
You are a Royal University Scholar and are recognized as a learned theologian of the religions in the Kingdom. You have extensively studied faiths and cults of the realm using scrolls, books, and instructions from prominent religious authorities, both living and dead. You are trained in the identification of planar and otherworld creatures and entities. A medallion signifying successful graduation gives you access to church libraries and reliquaries, and the rights and privileges afforded to learned clergy.
In the Royal University system, you were obliged to study Religion, History, and Arcana as minimum requisites.
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, Royal University Medallion, a set of fine clothes, and a pouch containing 10 GP.
Specialty
To determine the nature of your scholarly training, roll a d8, or choose from the options in the table below.
1d8
Specialties
1
Noble - sponsored
2
Noble
3
Pure academic
4
Acolyte Scholar
5
Professor
6
Religious Book Author
7
Paladin's Squire
8
Scribe
Feature: Theologian
Your theology background from the Kingdom’s premier Royal University gives you special privileges by granting a social rank. You have the same status as clergy, even if not affiliated with a church. You also have the right to pursue religious libraries, even if the works are not deemed proper for the general clergy. You can also examine any reliquaries sequestered away from the public.
These privileges occasionally come with obligations. Nobility can call on you to answer a theological question or answer historical questions with religious connotations. Furthermore, your proficiency with the esoteric Celestial language also comes at a cost. Some celestials can’t or won’t communicate except in Celestial. A Royal University Scholar may be called upon to translate or perform interpreter duties (which, depending on the situation, could be hazardous).
Suggested Characteristics
Royal University Scholars are defined by their extensive academic and philosophical, religious studies, and their characteristics reflect this life of study. Devoted to theology and philosophy, a Royal University Scholar values knowledge and wisdom. Using a blend of practical and philosophical insight, a Royal University Scholar can provide answers and direction to various theological arguments.
1d8
Specialties
1
Theology Scholarship is as important as casting divine spells.
2
The Kingdom's Churches give us all a better understanding of the gods.
3
I’m used to helping out those who aren’t as wise as I am, and I patiently explain anything and everything to others.
4
There’s nothing I like more than a good theology debate, even with paladins.
5
I’m willing to listen to every side of an argument before I make my own judgment.
6
The most important attribute of philosophy is theology.
7
I don't like social situations but as an Royal University Scholar, I can tolerate it. Barely.
8
Learned people can read and write. Philosophical people can argue. Theologians can save lives.
1d6
Ideals
1
Wisdom. The path to power and self-improvement is through wisdom. (Neutral)
2
Beauty. What is beautiful points us beyond itself toward what is true. (Good)
3
Logic. Emotions must not cloud our logical thinking. (Lawful)
4
No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic)
5
Power. Divine philosophy is the path to power and domination. (Evil)
6
Self-Improvement. The goal of a life of study is the betterment of oneself. (Any)
1d6
Bond
1
It is my duty to protect my students.
2
I have an ancient text that holds terrible secrets about the gods that could destroy the churches.
3
I work to preserve a church library, reliquary, religious scriptorium, or monastery.
4
My life’s work is a series of religious tomes related to a specific field of philosophy.
5
I’ve been searching my whole life for the answer to a certain question.
6
I've talked to too many evil creatures about religion, and now they periodically seek me out to further corrupt me to their ends.
1d6
Flaw
1
I am easily distracted by all things religion and will obsess about historical religious events I have not yet studied.
2
Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I might scream too, but wonder if I could get one to debate me on the merits of Chaos vs. Law without the arguments of Evil vs. Good.
3
I have yet to have a serious conversation with someone with a pretty face without getting distracted by base urges.
4
I overlook people's immediate, simpler problems and usually put too much effort into the big picture.
5
I can't have a serious theological discussion with the uneducated, try as I might. I usually wind up insulting them, or their church.
6
Sometimes the thought that we are all just soul power for the gods puts me in a extensional crisis of apathy and depression.
Crossbow Man has a background in punching things really hard, shooting things in the face, and stabbing with his short sword that he has named Stabby Shortstaberson.
Here at Griffon Lore Games, we love us some random encounters. Set up ahead of time, the dice adds that element of “game world interjection” that can (and often is) better than a planned encounter or static location. In this post, you’ll find two helpful tables of random road encounter goodness.
DMs can use the random encounter ability to interject lore into their campaign without the Terrible Lore Infodump™. A handy framework would look like this:
Geographical regions have their own table segmented out by locations. For example, Overland in the Viscounty of Kandra,On the Imperial Road,The Road Between Terganshire and Tegan’s Bridge,
Random encounter tables should have a day and night version
Random encounter tables should have a normal version and a hard version
Triggering the Random Encounter
Use one of the unsung dice heroes from RPG land, the d12. Roll a d12 when:
The players are moving overland, or in a large city, from point A to point B
Players arrive at point B
Every four hours
Players do something that generates attention
Resist the temptation to fudge the roll. The entire worth of the random encounter is the D&D game’s ability to mix things up in exciting and unexpected ways.
An 11 triggers an encounter. A 12 triggers an encounter from a table modified for difficulty. Roll 2d10 to select the encounter.
Many of your random encounter tables should have simple entires. When the area is short on monsters (in a civilized land), a more robust table provides flair.
Random Encounter: On a Semi-Patrolled Road
The Empire paved the Old Imperial Road in the Viscounty of Kandra—and now the horse-lords maintain it least their commerce traffic drops, and they lose tax income. However, in the land of the horse-lords, merchants are responsible for their own safety. While men-at-arms formally patrol the road, they are there to deal with issues after-the-fact, not to intercept trouble for weak and lazy travelers.
Once an encounter triggers, replace it with a new one for the next session, with “nothing happens,” until you replace it.
The below tables, while set in the Kingdom of Lothmar, are mostly generic with lore that a DM can easily change to suit their setting. And note these are encounters on a road, not camping in the woods at night! Unless the PCs are camping right next to the road itself.
Semi-Patrolled Road: 1d12 with an 11 Result
2d10
Day
Night
2
A passing merchant from the opposite direction with a horse and two mules, flanked by a gnome guard riding a war dog
A camp-fire can be seen from a popular campsite, off the road, and on a bluff.
Camped there are a well-armed merchant and a competent guard—a gnome with a massive war dog. They’ll share a meal with friendly folk, but not their site
3
A letter courier, riding a swift horse, overtaking the party. He does not stop, but does wave.
A letter courier, riding a swift horse, from the opposite direction. He stops and trades road conditions and regional gossip before moving on
4
A cloud of mosquitos hovering over the road
A cloud of annoying mosquitos attracted to any light source
5
Four men and a watchful guard making a road repair
The road here was obviously recently repaired
6
Circling vultures off the road. Upon investigation, a grizzly bear is munching on the corpse of a deer
A grizzly bear wanders into camp but will leave if shooed away.
7
An odd and unexpected change in the weather
No change
8
An extensive merchant wagon train traveling in the same direction, complete with six guards
Off the road, a wagon train with six guards camps for the night
9
A patrol of six lancers and their sergeant. They ask if the PCs have seen any trouble on the road. If the PCs look like they are the trouble, they attempt to arrest the PCs and take them back to their lord for questioning
A patrol of six lancers and their sergeant. They ask if the PCs have seen any trouble on the road. If the PCs look like they are the trouble, they attempt to arrest the PCs and take them back to their lord for questioning.
If the PCs are friendly or indifferent, the patrol offers to camp with them, and share the elk they shot earlier
10
A local lord with his twenty men-at-arms, armored and armed to the teeth and all on horseback. If the PCs are wanted criminals, they give chase
Several men, looking hungry and grim, armed with inferior quality weapons, ask the PCs if they can spare any food. The men are from a city, wanting to go somewhere else due to reduced employment opportunities. They have been contemplating banditry, but are not that desperate—yet
11
A merchant with a broken wagon, berating a lone guard trying to fix it
A dead merchant and a broken wagon, filled with supplies for the general store in the next village. The merchant died of sword wounds
12
A trio of foxes chasing a hare run across the road
A trio of domesticated foxes are on the side of the road, waiting for some food scraps
13
An old elf walking down the road. If questioned, the elf claims he is going to die soon, and always wondered where this road went. He asks PCs not to spoil it
A dead elf leaning against a tree by the road, a smile on his face. He died of old age
14
Over 200 King’s Soldiers marching down the road from the opposite direction. A scout on horseback asks the PCs if there is anything unusual from the direction they came from
Camped alongside the road is a small army of professional soldiers wearing the King’s livery. They do not approach the PCs. If approached, they state they are on King’s business, and the PCs need to move along
15
An apple tree in the middle of the road, out of place, and undoubtedly odd. When the PCs investigate the tree, it disappears, and faint giggling can be heard
off in the distance
A group of pixies with a well-lit fruit stand. Payment must be made in silver only.
The fruit is fresh, even if out of season. If questioned on where they got the fruit, the pixies say, “the archmage gave us a few boxes in return for some dust.”
16
A ranger on a mighty warhorse with a rather large sword, a dual-bolt crossbow, and a hunting falcon, coming from the opposite direction, with a younger man. The ranger looks grim and capable, and the young man needs better shoes.
If questioned, the ranger indicates he and his nephew are going to visit a friend in a nearby city to talk about some religious matters
A beautiful woman and a young man, from the opposite direction, walking a rather large warhorse. They ask the PCs if they’ve seen their pet dire wolf.
If questioned, the woman indicates she and her nephew are going to visit a friend in a nearby city to talk about some religious matters
17
Six bandits chased by 20 men-at-arms. If the soldiers catch them, they hang them on the nearest tree
No change
18
Traveling in the same direction, a farmer, his son, and his comely daughter with a wagon of vegetables and fruit bound for the next town.
If questioned the farmer is friendly, and claims crops were so good this year he has more than he can sell locally
Two dead farmers and an overturned wagon of fruit and vegetables. If the PCs search, they find a torn dress
19
An old, ugly woman traveling in the same direction. If the PCs stop and question her, she claims to be an “old witch with tired feet and needing to save her spells.” She requests a ride if the PCs have horses or a wagon, as far up the road as the next town.
As a reward, the Old Witch gives either the prettiest woman a philter of love, with a wink, or the most handsome man a bag of 100 gold pieces, coin of the realm from one hundred years ago.
If attacked, she teleports away with a rude gesture
No change
20
A pack of dire wolves decides the PCs look like lunch
A fog rolls in and deposits an encounter:
(Party Average Level) +4 Challenge Rating undead
Time to roll for initiative
Semi-Patrolled Road: 1d12 with a 12 Result
2d10
Day
Night
2
A group of merchants and their guards in a heated argument about business practices, ready to come to blows
Off in the distance, PCs can easily hear an argument about business practices. If they investigate they find a group of merchants and their guards, ready to come to blows
3
A letter courier, riding a swift horse, overtaking the party. He is wounded and asks for healing, warning that behind him are a “group of nasty stirges”
A letter courier, riding a swift horse, overtaking the party. He is wounded and asks for healing, warning that behind him are a “group of nasty stirges.”
Said stirges show up and attack
4
A cloud of mosquitos hovering over the road
A cloud of annoying mosquitos attracted to any light source. If they come into contact with a PC, they turn into a giant mosquito swarm and attack
5
Four men and a watchful guard making a road repair. They flag the PCs down and ask for help, which will take the rest of the day.
The guard is really a local knight. He won’t bother the PCs if they refuse, but he sure will remember their faces
The road here was obviously recently repaired, and five tired men, one of them a guard, are resting near the repair.
If the PCs offer them beer or wine, the “guard” tells the PCs to stop by his manor home for a dinner served by his wife and with their “three marriage age” offspring.
The knight has significant funds
6
Circling vultures off the road. Upon investigation, a dire grizzly bear is munching on the corpse of a deer
A dire grizzly bear wanders into camp and will eat all the PCs food. If attacked, he becomes enraged and attacks first every round
7
An odd and unexpected change in the weather for the worse:
Spring: Downpour
Summer: Summer storm with lightning
Fall: Hail and sleet
Winter: Blizzard
The same except with 90+ MPH winds doing 1d4 damage per round to any unsheltered PC, animal companion, or mount.
The effect lasts for 1d4 hours
8
An extensive merchant wagon train traveling in the same direction, complete with six guards.
One of the wagons is on fire. In 1d4 rounds, it blows up, doing fireball damage to anything nearby
An extensive merchant wagon train camped on the side of the road, complete with six guards.
One of the wagons is on fire. In 1d4 rounds, it blows up, doing fireball damage to anything nearby
9
A patrol of twelve lancers and their sergeant. They ask if the PCs have seen any trouble on the road. If the PCs look like they are the trouble, they attempt to arrest the PCs and take them back to their lord for questioning
A patrol of twelve lancers and their sergeant. They ask if the PCs have seen any trouble on the road. If the PCs look like they are the trouble, they attempt to arrest the PCs and take them back to their lord for questioning.
The patrol warns friendly PCs that traveling at night without a light source is an arrestable offense. Any PCs guilty of this are simply given a warning.
If the PCs are friendly or indifferent, the patrol offers to camp with them, and share the elk they shot earlier
10
A local lord with his twenty men-at-arms, armored and armed to the teeth and all on horseback. If the PCs are wanted criminals, they give chase.
Accompanying the party is a squad of rangers, one with tracking hounds, and a mid-level druid
Six paladins and their men-at-arms stop the PCs. They seem cautious and wary, and claim they are “looking for an aberration.”
They ask each PC to take a test—a pinprick on the finger to see if their blood is red, and they will also do the same in return.
f the PCs ask about the Paladin’s quarry, their leader says, “You don’t want to know.” If the PCs persist, the paladins will claim they are chasing some type of “uber slaad.”
If the PCs insist on helping the paladins, sometime in the night, the party is attacked by 2d4 Death Slaad.
If the PCs refuse the blood test the paladins and their men-at-arms attack—they try to subdue the PCs until one of their own dies in combat, and then, as they say, it’s on.
During a lethal battle, the 2d4 Death Slaads show up and attack both groups.
11
A merchant with a broken wagon, berating a lone guard trying to fix it. The guard suddenly stands up and attacks the merchant
A dead merchant and a broken wagon, filled with supplies for the general store in the next village. The merchant was staked naked over a fire-ant hill
12
A trio of foxes chasing a pixie with a broken wing across the road
A trio of domesticated giant foxes with halfling riders stop the PCs and ask them if they have seen “an old elf walking down the road.”
Thus far, the PCs have not
13
An old elf walking down the road. If questioned, the elf claims he is going to die soon, and always wondered where this road went. He asks PCs not to spoil it.
If the PCs spoil it, he says “ah, man,” and dies of old age right there
A dead elf leaning against a tree by the road, a smile on his face. He died of old age.
If the PCs deal with the body in the local elf tradition, a courier delivers a package from an anonymous shipper, addressed to the PC that first suggested to take care of the body. Inside is a suit of elven chainmail +2
14
Over 200 King’s Soldiers marching down the road from the opposite direction. A scout on horseback asks the PCs if there is anything unusual from the direction they came from
Camped alongside the way is a small army of professional soldiers wearing the King’s livery, secured by a lot of guards.
They ask the PCs pointed questions about the region, seeing if the PCs are local or not. If the PCs refuse to answer, the guards tell them to bugger off down the road or be set upon.
If the PCs do not bugger off, the entire camp will attack them. ¼ are awake right now
15
An apple tree in the middle of the road, out of place, and undoubtedly odd. When the PCs investigate the tree, it falls over, making a mess in the middle of the road
An apple tree in the middle of the road, out of place, and undoubtedly odd. When the PCs investigate the tree, it turns into a confused treant.
If the PCs attack the confused treant, 2d4 other treants animate from a nearby copse of trees and attack.
If the PCs help the treant, it gives them all apples that when eaten, cures any diseases or poisons
16
A ranger on a mighty warhorse with a rather large sword and a hunting falcon, coming from the opposite direction, with a younger man. The ranger looks grim and capable, and the young man needs better shoes.
If questioned, the ranger indicates he and his nephew are going to visit a friend in a nearby city to talk about some religious matters.
Insightful PCs will realize this party is composed of ghosts, acting out something that happened to them hundreds of years ago. If confronted as such, they fade away
A beautiful woman and a young man, from the opposite direction, walking a rather large warhorse. They ask the PCs if they’ve seen their pet dire wolf.
If questioned, the woman indicates she and her nephew are going to visit a friend in a nearby city to talk about some religious matters.
Insightful PCs will realize this party is composed of ghosts, acting out something that happened to them hundreds of years ago. If confronted as such, they both fade away, and a pack of dire wolves follow the party for a few miles, sadly howling if approached—before they too, disappear
17
Six bandits chased by 20 men-at-arms. If the soldiers catch them, they hang them on the nearest tree.
One of the bandits is armed with a wand of fireballs
Six bandits chased by 20 men-at-arms. If the soldiers catch them, they hang them on the nearest tree.
One of the bandits is armed with a wand of fireballs, and one of the men-at-arms is a high-level ranger
18
Traveling in the same direction a farmer, his son, and his comely daughter in a wagon of vegetables and fruit, bound for the next town.
If questioned the farmer is friendly, and claims crops were so good this year he has more than he can sell locally.
Insightful PCs will note that the daughter seems distressed. The farmer says pay that no mind, she is always skittish around strangers.
The young woman suffers from a brain injury and doesn’t like to travel. Everything the farmer and his son says is true. What also is true is that the farmer can’t find a husband for the girl, so he is going to sell her to a brothel
Two dead farmers and an overturned wagon of fruit and vegetables. If the PCs search, they find a torn dress.
PCs will have a hard time tracking what happened, as the farmers were set upon by a vampire. He plans to make the young woman he took his vampiric paramour
but wants to cure her first.
If the PCs manage to confront the vampire, he first offers the PCs a bribe to leave him be. Failing that, he will offer to cure the young lady and give her back to the PCs if the PCs in turn pledge to not tell the local authorities of his existence.
And failing that, he’ll tell the PCs what he found out—the farmer and his son were going to sell her to a brothel (true), and that the vampire knew he shouldn’t have killed the farmer and his son, but the injustice of it all “just turned my crank, if you know what I mean.”
And if that doesn’t go anywhere, he simply teleports away, leaving the farmer’s daughter behind
19
An old, ugly woman traveling in the same direction. If the PCs stop and question her, she claims to be an “old witch with tired feet and needing to save her spells.”
She requests a ride if the PCs have horses or wagons, as far up the road as the next town. She will also tell curious PCs that “You don’t want to know what my business is, so I’m not gonna tell you.”
As a reward for a ride, the Old Witch gives either the prettiest woman a philter of love, with a wink, or the most handsome man a bag of 100 gold pieces, coin of the realm from one hundred years ago. If attacked, she reveals her form as the Goddess of Love. She curses the party and departs in a clap of thunder.
Curse:
PCs that were married find themselves still married, but their spouses hate them. Unmarried PCs with lovers have them turn bitter at a perceived, terrible insult and will hire an assassin to have the PC killed.
One (and only one) PC without a paramour eventually finds out they are married to three argumentative, but attractive young women. Once a month, each will demand the PC divorce the other two, becoming more belligerent with each refusal. The PC is unable to convince any of the wives that he or she has chosen a favorite.
If the PC survives this for a year, the wives stop collectively trying to browbeat the PC, tell the PC that next time be nice to old ladies, and reveal themselves as witch-priestesses. The PC then has the option of ridding himself of the trio or staying married
No change
20
A giant green dragon flies over the PCs and sits on a road, and demands the PCs cook her bacon. If the PCs don’t have bacon, she will tell them there are plenty of wild boars in the nearby woods.
Refusal of bacon results in one angry dragon
A giant green dragon flies over the PCs and sits on a road, and demands the PCs camp and share their dinner with her after polymorphing into a beautiful human maiden. She just wants a good meal, but will respond to flirting with “Seriously? Just stop. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
The dragon knows a surprising amount of local gossip, along with regional history.
If the PCs refuse or attack the dragon, she disappears, leaving behind a 60ft x 60ft death cloud
