before badly diffusing combat rewards - Search

Living Doll

Monsters The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

False Appearance. If the doll is motionless at the start of combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a creature hasn’t observed the doll move or act, that creature must

living doll is a mean spirit that encourages those around it to behave badly toward others. The doll takes pleasure in tormenting the guilt-ridden and despondent, hastening their descent into depression

Fighter Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

mastery with weapons and armor, and a thorough knowledge of the skills of combat. And they are well acquainted with death, both meting it out and staring it defiantly in the face. Well-Rounded

Specialists Fighters learn the basics of all combat styles. Every fighter can swing an axe, fence with a rapier, wield a longsword or a greatsword, use a bow, and even trap foes in a net with some degree of

Urchin Legacy

Backgrounds Player’s Handbook (2014)

are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your speed would normally allow. Suggested Characteristics Urchins are

life — and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly. d8 Personality Trait 1 I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. 2 I ask a lot

Rogue Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

variety of skills as they do to perfecting their combat abilities, giving them a broad expertise that few other characters can match. Many rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine the

skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks. When it comes to combat, rogues prioritize cunning over brute strength. A rogue

Urchin - Baldur's Gate

Backgrounds Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus

can find passages through the urban sprawl that others would miss. When you are not in combat, you (and companions you lead) can travel between any two locations in the city twice as fast as your

; and maybe get some payback on all the rich people who treated them badly. d8 Personality Trait 1 I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets. 2 I ask a lot of questions

Orc Legacy

Species Volo's Guide to Monsters

scythe. Only a skilled and determined hero can hope to survive single combat with an orc. Savage and fearless, orc tribes are ever in search of elves, dwarves, and humans to destroy. Motivated by their

to be invincible. They see the principles that define them and their deities at work every day in the world around them — nature rewards the strong and mercilessly eliminates the weak and the

Mercenary Veteran

Backgrounds Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

greater rewards as an adventurer. Your experience makes you familiar with the ins and outs of mercenary life, and you likely have harrowing stories of events on the battlefield. You might have served with

tales from my military experience relevant to almost every combat situation. 5 I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. 6 I enjoy being strong and like breaking things. 7 I have

Quick NPCs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Quick NPCs An NPC doesn’t need combat statistics unless it poses a threat. Moreover, most NPCs need only one or two qualities to make them memorable. For example, your players will have no trouble

remembering the no-nonsense blacksmith with the tattoo of the black rose on his right shoulder or the badly dressed bard with the broken nose.

Warlock Legacy

Classes Basic Rules (2014)

(such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat. They

for your patron, or did your patron find and choose you? Do you chafe under the obligations of your pact or serve joyfully in anticipation of the rewards promised to you? Work with your DM to

1. Just Desserts

compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->One-Shot Wonders: Holiday Adventure Pack

Quest Rewards Artum has agreed to pay each party member 25gp each for a day’s work, plus a seat at the banquet if they do a good job. Any wealthy guests the party protect in combat will give them a 5gp tip and Elias gives them a tin of spiced biscuits to take away.

Optimizing

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Optimizing Players who enjoy optimizing their characters’ capabilities like to fine-tune their characters for peak combat performance by gaining levels, new features, and magic items. They welcome

. including encounters that let their characters shine. providing quantifiable rewards, like experience points, for noncombat encounters.

Awarding XP

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide

NPCs made the challenge easier. (See also “Nonplayer Characters” in chapter 3.) Noncombat Challenges You decide whether to award XP to characters for overcoming challenges outside combat. If the

point, use the rules for building combat encounters in chapter 4 to gauge the difficulty of the challenge. Then award the characters XP as if it had been a combat encounter of the same difficulty

Statuesque

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Infernal Machine Rebuild

combat, if the characters are allied with Moghadam and remove a hand and an eye from any statue, Vecna rewards them with some boon (advantage on attack rolls during the first round of their next fight, having a consumable magic item appear in the statue’s remaining hand, and so forth).

Statuesque You might introduce different options for interacting with the statues in area 24, especially if combat breaks out there. For example, if the eidolon inhabits a statue of Zariel or Bel

Flight to Steel Springs

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Flight to Steel Springs Assuming the characters head to Steel Springs, they arrive as Kalaman’s forces engage the Dragon Army. However, Kalaman received faulty intelligence, and its troops are badly

outnumbered. Rather than joining the Kalaman forces in their advance, the characters find themselves defending a retreat. The adventure unfolds in one of two ways: With Mass Combat. If you’re using

Noncombat Challenges

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Noncombat Challenges You decide whether to award experience to characters for overcoming challenges outside combat. If the adventurers complete a tense negotiation with a baron, forge a trade

agreement with a clan of surly dwarves, or successfully navigate the Chasm of Doom, you might decide that they deserve an XP reward. As a starting point, use the rules for building combat encounters in

Trained for Danger

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

Trained for Danger Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen’s army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively untrained soldiers with only the most basic combat

also much greater rewards — few fighters in the city watch have the opportunity to discover a magic flame tongue sword, for example.

Trained for Danger

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

Trained for Danger Not every member of the city watch, the village militia, or the queen’s army is a fighter. Most of these troops are relatively untrained soldiers with only the most basic combat

also much greater rewards — few fighters in the city watch have the opportunity to discover a magic flame tongue sword, for example.

Why Use Riddles?

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

an opportunity for the characters to engage with a creature that’s too strong to defeat in combat Reward clever characters who overcome a challenge with brains instead of brawn Make a villain, an

area, or an object seem more interesting or mysterious However, using too many riddles can slow gameplay. Use them thoughtfully and sparingly. Especially tricky riddles should entail worthwhile rewards

Mythic Monsters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros

into truly legendary confrontations, well suited to the climactic battles at the ends of adventures or whole campaigns. Mythic traits are optional; they don’t need to be used during combat with these

twist that changes the way the monster behaves, restores its resources, or provides it with new actions to use. As a result, the battle becomes deadlier and rages on for longer than most combat

Controlling a Mount

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)

independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might flee from combat, rush to

attack and devour a badly injured foe, or otherwise act against your wishes. In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you’re on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.

Controlling a Mount

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might flee from combat, rush to

attack and devour a badly injured foe, or otherwise act against your wishes. In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you’re on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.

The Enemy Sighted

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

road, headed toward Vogler. The adventure unfolds in one of two ways from here: With Mass Combat. If you are using the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn game along with this adventure, consult the

“Warriors of Krynn: Scenario 1” sidebar. Without Mass Combat. If you aren’t using the Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn game, continue with the “Invasion of Vogler” section. WARRIORS OF KRYNN: SCENARIO 1

Ignoring the Dice

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Ignoring the Dice One approach is to use dice as rarely as possible. Some DMs use them only during combat, and determine success or failure as they like in other situations. With this approach, the

make an ability check to do so. This approach rewards creativity by encouraging players to look to the situation you’ve described for an answer, rather than looking to their character sheet or their

Aphelion's Errands, Level 2

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Quests from the Infinite Staircase

Hedges. Invasive plants have spread to this level. Aphelion asks the characters to destroy the growths near three of the drop tubes (see area S38). For each task the characters complete, Aphelion rewards

gifts them four energy cells instead. The items are delivered by a combat robot that arrives via the nearest drop tube before returning to the first level of the ship.

Chapter 3: Creating Adventures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)

Chapter 3: Creating Adventures Creating adventures is one of the greatest rewards of being a Dungeon Master. It’s a way to express yourself, designing fantastic locations and encounters with monsters

interaction, and combat into a unified whole that meets the needs of your players and your campaign. But it’s more than that. The basic elements of good storytelling should guide you throughout this process, so your players experience the adventure as a story and not a disjointed series of encounters.

Bottom Card: Reward or Ruin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Book of Many Things

a ruin based on how well the players resolved the day’s top card. If you’re using cards that have a different meaning when they’re upright versus upside down, ignore the cards’ orientation. Rewards

When determining rewards, here are some effects to consider: Friendly Aid. The characters encounter another traveler or a friendly local resident who offers them food, shelter, information, or other

Character Advancement

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Character Advancement In a shared campaign, characters gain levels not by accumulating experience points but by reaching experience checkpoints. This system rewards every character (and player) for

player’s preferred style is neither penalized nor rewarded. Whether someone focuses on roleplaying and social interaction, defeating monsters in combat, or finding clever ways to avoid battles, this system

Lords' Alliance

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

agents include sophisticated bards, zealous paladins, talented mages, and grizzled warriors. They are chosen primarily for their loyalty and are experts in observation, stealth, innuendo, and combat

cold and rain, waiting for battle while hunger gnaws at their bellies? Many wish to reap the rewards of a good harvest, but few care to remove the stones and till the fields for planting. “The Lords

Using These Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Basic Rules (2014)

character attempts, and describes the three broad categories of activity in the game: exploration, interaction, and combat. Part 3 is all about magic. It covers the nature of magic in the worlds of D

the characters can earn as their rewards for vanquishing those monsters. The end of the document contains supplemental material. Appendix A collects all the definitions of conditions that can

City Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen

Army Engineers (see below) 5 A curious death slaad wants to eat one of each type of draconian. If the characters help it hunt all five, it rewards them with a ring of feather falling. 6 Monster

them, the engineers stay out of combat. The engineers can tell the characters they’re making sure the city’s foundations are solid, though they don’t know why. Monster Hunters A sivak draconian and

Ghostly Events

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Storm Lord’s Wrath

Thalivar’s ghost in combat is difficult, so the players are better off finding a way to lay it to rest using the clues in the tower. TOWER FEATURES The House of Thalivar is an 80-foot-tall stone tower

day. Doors. Doors are made of wood and are unlocked and badly rotted. They all creak loudly when operated. Dangerous Floors. Some sections of floor are perilously weak and rotten. If a creature

Dragon Encounters

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons

encounter with a dragon needs to involve combat, let alone an all-out fight to the death. Maybe the characters are trying to help a kobold Keeper of Dragons retrieve a wyrmling kidnapped by a gang of

a dragon’s lair is more likely to mean a fight to the death, since the dragon will be less keen on fleeing an encounter that goes badly and more determined to hunt down adventurers who flee after

Combat Encounter Difficulty

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules

Combat Encounter Difficulty Use the following guidelines to create a combat encounter of a desired level of difficulty. Step 1: Choose a Difficulty Three categories describe the range of encounter

. Moderate Difficulty. Absent healing and other resources, an encounter of moderate difficulty could go badly for the adventurers. Weaker characters might get taken out of the fight, and there’s a

Living Doll

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->The Wild Beyond the Witchlight

Living Doll A living doll is easily mistaken for an inanimate doll or a stuffed animal until it moves. Trapped within each living doll is a mean spirit that encourages those around it to behave badly

Perception 10 Languages Common Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 False Appearance. If the doll is motionless at the start of combat, it has advantage on its initiative roll. Moreover, if a

Crew Members

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh

kill them, imprison them, or throw them overboard. The crew can be cowed into obedience through violence, combat, or offers of treasure or other rewards. When the DM ends the mutiny, the crew’s quality

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