Each Dark Bargain is unique, and a character can enter into a given bargain only once. A character could be bound to multiple Dark Bargains at one time, but each one only once.

You can roll 1d10 on the tables below to generate encounters for a party of any level. Once you’ve used an encounter, remove it from the table and create a new one to replace it.

Any remaining treasure encountered in the adventure is removed at the conclusion of play. Instead, each character selects a treasure bundle as a reward.

Weapon (handaxe), very rare (requires attunement) This magical axe is imbued with a destructive force that builds with each consecutive strike. You have a bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon equal to the number of charges it currently has. The Handaxe gains 1 charge each time you hit a target with it, up to a maximum of 3 charges. When Timber gains its third charge,…

Weapon (Handaxe), Very Rare (Requires Attunement) This magical axe is imbued with a destructive force that builds with each consecutive strike. You have a bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon equal to the number of charges it currently has. The Handaxe gains 1 charge each time you hit a target with it, up to a maximum of 3 charges. When Timber gains its third charge,…

This section provides tools useful for adventures in Calimshan.

This section provides tools useful for Icewind Dale adventures, including guidance on renown, Bastions, and random encounters.

This section provides tools useful for adventures in the Dalelands.

This section provides tools useful for adventures in Baldur’s Gate.

This chapter provides advice on rules for adventure elements such as poison and traps.

This section provides tools useful for adventures in the Moonshaes, including guidelines on renown, Bastions, and an encounter table for seagoing adventurers.

The characters can find the mundane equipment the bandits were carrying.

Magic Items for Starting Characters If you’re starting a campaign for characters above level 1, the Player’s Handbook offers suggestions for how many magic items such characters should start with and the rarity of those items. Consider these approaches to determining the items each character receives: DM Choice: Choose items for each character using your own judgment. Player Choice: Let the…

Wondrous Item, Uncommon This small sphere of thick glass weighs 1 pound. If you are within 60 feet of it, you can command it to emanate light equivalent to that of the Light or Daylight spell (your choice). Once used, the Daylight effect can’t be used again until the next dawn. You can issue another command as a Magic action to make the illuminated globe rise into the air and float no more than 5…

Weapon (Rapier), Very Rare (Requires Attunement) This silver Rapier has a rose adorning its crossguard and pommel and has thorns lining its hilt. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. If you make an attack with the weapon against a Fey or a creature that is shape-shifted, the target takes an extra 1d8 Radiant damage on a hit. Field of Roses. As a Magic…

You can include an optional colour and hyphened extras if you so desire:

Armor (ring mail), very rare You have a +2 bonus to AC while wearing this armor. This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those who can't afford better armor.

One of the best ways to learn how to run a D&D; game is to observe other DMs in action. Another DM can give you a solid foundation for understanding the role—as well as inspire you with cool things you can do in your games. You can use these questions to help you reflect on a game you observe: Beginning the Session. How did the DM start the session? Was there a recap? Body Language. What gestures…

In nearly all cases, the power that is proposing a Dark Bargain is uninterested in negotiating the duration or eventual cost of this gift. However, there may be extenuating circumstances. There could be roleplaying scenarios or simply the current events in the adventure’s narrative that could cause the power to briefly—briefly!—consider negotiating. The GM has the final say on whether a given…

Each Dark Bargain is unique, and a character can enter into a given bargain only once. A character could be bound to multiple Dark Bargains at one time, but each one only once.

No two DMs run the game in exactly the same way—and that’s how it should be! You’ll be most successful as a DM if you choose a play style that works best for you and your players. The Rule of Fun D&D; is a game, and everyone should have fun playing it. Everyone shares equal responsibility in moving the game along, and everyone contributes to the fun when they treat each other with respect and…

Striking down with the fury of a storm, an armor-clad Human releases a powerful bolt of lightning from his sword to cleave through the impending horde. Holding a ball of quicksilver in his hand, a Dwarf describes the appearance of his bounty to a local merchant, magically changing the silver’s shape to better describe his quarry. Twirling in place, a maelstrom of flames leap from an Elf’s cloak,…

Armor (ring mail), legendary You have a +3 bonus to AC while wearing this armor. This armor is leather armor with heavy rings sewn into it. The rings help reinforce the armor against blows from swords and axes. Ring mail is inferior to chain mail, and it's usually worn only by those who can't afford better armor.

Any gear and other mundane items found can be used during the adventure, but are removed at the conclusion of play.

If there are parts of the game you prefer not to handle yourself, assign them to players who enjoy them. If you don’t want to break your narrative stride by looking up a rule, designate another player to be the rulebook reference expert. If you don’t like tracking Initiative, ask another player to do so.

Wondrous Item, Legendary This fine black cloth, soft as silk, is folded up to the dimensions of a handkerchief. It unfolds into a circular sheet 6 feet in diameter. You can take a Magic action to unfold the Well of Many Worlds and place it on a solid surface, whereupon it forms a two-way, 6-foot-diameter, circular portal to another world or plane of existence. Each time the item opens a portal,…

Any gear and other mundane items found can be used during the adventure but are removed at the conclusion of play.