claiming run groups to her reflective

Returned Sentry

Monsters Mythic Odysseys of Theros

tirelessness, which makes them exceptional guards. In the necropoleis, this sees many Returned employed as sentries, though they might also be messengers or laborers. If threatened, groups of these Returned

. Returned Masks. Adventurers who defeat Returned foes might marvel at their fortune in claiming such rich spoils after a battle. The mask of a Returned is worth approximately 100 gp, based on its

Running Mount Ironrot

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Running Mount Ironrot As the characters search for a Docent, they encounter the Mournland denizens described in the subsequent “Mount Ironrot Encounters” section. Run an encounter each time the

a working Docent in a ruined village called Ialos. They also learn that this Docent is central to a conflict between rival groups of Mournland scavengers: a band of veterans and a community of warforged pilgrims.

Adventures in Dementlieu

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

run Dementlieu’s premier social event. As adventurers interact with people in Port-a-Lucine, they find everyone obsessed with status. Outsiders new to the city are an unknown quantity, and people try to

figure out what magic she used to bewitch her way into a role. 2 A Phlegethan Hospital patient contacts the party, claiming to be the rightful Duke d’Honaire. He has a preternatural ability to bend

Running the Adventures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon Delves

Running the Adventures To run each of these adventures, you need the fifth edition core rulebooks: the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual. Spells and equipment mentioned in

adventures in this anthology. Each adventure is designed for four to six characters of a particular level, but you can adjust for larger or smaller groups by changing the number of foes in an encounter and

Dueling Begins

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

appropriate for their colleges (see chapter 7). All their actions are considered permissible magic for the purposes of dueling. Run as many one-on-one duels as the characters want to participate in

most victors is deemed the winning team and earns bragging rights. Before the groups go their separate ways, though, things take an unexpected turn.

Mordentshire

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

while also secretly hosting a cell of the Ulmist Inquisition (see “Other Groups” later in this chapter). There’s also the herbalist shop of the scholar Rudolph van Richten. When van Richten is away

, his shop is run by local mystery enthusiast Beatrice Polk or by twin sisters Gennifer and Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove (see “Travelers in the Mist” for information on van Richten and the Weathermay-Foxgroves).

Shared World

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

Shared World Some groups take a large, established campaign setting and divide it up geographically so different DMs can run separate campaigns in the same setting. In theory, characters can travel

The Road to Phandalin

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

provisions from Neverwinter to Phandalin. They’re a half-day’s march from Phandalin when they run into trouble with goblin raiders from the Cragmaw band. Read the following text to get the adventure

escorting his supplies safely to Barthen’s Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sildar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to

Cathedral Assault

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

path. As the DM, you can decide where the characters encounter each of these groups. These encounters are meant to be run separately, although running two encounters back-to-back with no chance for the

Cathedral Assault Four groups of devils and their allies are moving through the cathedral. These groups are spread out to cause as much havoc as possible, and have orders to kill everyone in their

Absent Players

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

reporting back to the party’s patron. Substitute Player. With the absent player’s consent, have another player run the missing player’s character, or run the character yourself if you feel you can do so

same XP that the other characters earned each session, keeping the group at the same level. Some groups like to work out a policy regarding how many missing players is too many to proceed. For example

Other Crime Syndicates

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

crime syndicate, while the others include the following groups: Voice of BRELAND Blood ADDICTS’ Dragon Drug Imagine it: a long-lasting state of euphoria, a feeling of power and energy, a measurable

to establish your own headquarters and direct the activities of the 3d6 criminals who work for you. By claiming a 15 percent share of their take, you can rely on an income that will sustain you at a

Adventure Setting

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

Yourself When you’re preparing an adventure to run for your friends, you don’t need to write hundreds of pages describing each location in exhaustive detail. You can run a game with no more written notes

, groups of creatures might compete for resources. When these groups consist of sapient creatures, opportunities abound for the adventurers who enter those areas. Characters might ally with one group or

Adventure Examples

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

Adventure Examples This section contains example adventures that demonstrate the principles described throughout the chapter. Each provides enough information for you to run a one-session adventure

difficulty of encounters in each adventure is tailored for four characters of that level. You can use adventures for characters of higher or lower level or for larger or smaller groups. However, the

Tactics

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters

like goblins, which tend to squabble among themselves and cooperate only when threatened by a strong leader. Kobolds avoid combat on a large scale, instead sticking to hit-and-run raids using smaller

groups of warriors. If they have time, they prepare the battlefield with small bolt-holes for them to hide in and simple pit traps to hamper their opponents. Standard kobold tactics include the

Small Groups

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

Small Groups A group that contains fewer than four players might find combat encounters difficult, especially if the party lacks important capabilities (such as armored characters to stand toe-to-toe

player character”) to accompany the party. This is a rewarding way for you to roleplay with your friends while they’re exploring your world, but keep in mind that you’ll have to run this NPC in combat

Right and Wrong

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated

sidebar on the last page? And after all the time you’re going to put in getting ready to run this adventure? Outrageous! Someone needs to teach these people a lesson. If you’re running the adventure for

larger or smaller groups, you can adjust the encounters using the guidelines given in chapter 3, “Creating Adventures,” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Or maybe you’ll adjust them anyway to keep things

Dungeon Inhabitants

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

over a cavern complex or a gang of trolls inhabiting an aboveground ruin. Other times, particularly in larger dungeons, multiple groups of creatures share space and compete for resources. For example

flow of power between groups in a dungeon provides plenty of opportunities for more subtle interaction. Dungeon denizens are used to striking unlikely alliances, and adventurers are a wild card that

Seek the Keep

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons

, so it’s still possible to move through the front gate—but not for long. To reach the keep, the characters must make it past three groups of raiders. A group consists of 1d6 kobolds and 1d4 cultists

fight, run the combat normally. When enemies must make a check to notice sneaking or bluffing, make a check with advantage for the group. Each time the party retreats from an enemy group, they run

Seek the Keep

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Hoard of the Dragon Queen

keep, so it’s still possible to move through the front gate — but not for long. To reach the keep, the characters must make it past three groups of raiders. A group consists of 1d6 kobolds and 1d4

they fight, run the combat normally. When enemies must make a check to notice sneaking or bluffing, make a check with advantage for the group. Each time the characters retreat from an enemy group to

Sora Kell, the Queen of the Night

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War

Sora Kell, the Queen of the Night A mysterious figure who appears in lofty myths and children’s fables, Sora Kell extends her reach across the world and through the myriad planes, claiming mystical

have allies, except for a handful of other legends like the following groups: Daughters of Sora Kell. Sora Kell’s three daughters—the gifted oracle Sora Teraza, the cunning trickster Sora Katra, and the

The Forgotten Realms

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragons of Stormwreck Isle

Hotenow. NUMBER OF PLAYERS You can run Dragons of Stormwreck Isle for one to five players. If you have four or five friends ready to play with you, each person can take one of the characters provided

above. Five players will find the encounters a little easier than four players will, but the adventure works fine as written for groups of four or five players. If you have fewer than four players

Baphomet

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

Baphomet Known as the Horned King, Baphomet divides the creatures of the world into two groups. Those who acknowledge his power are his servants, and he endows them with savagery and a hunter’s

vacancy left by a departed rival, expanding the reach of the Demonweb Pits and claiming those servants her enemies have left behind as new spies and informants for her.

Part 1: Goblin Arrows

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lost Mine of Phandelver

Road to the Triboar Trail, which heads east (as shown on the overland map). When they’re a half-day’s march from Phandalin, they run into trouble with goblin raiders from the Cragmaw tribe. Read the

for escorting his supplies safely to Barthen’s Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sildar Hallwinter, claiming he needed to

Never Alone

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

characters hear or see them as they skulk about. Not every encounter with a wandering monster or patrol needs to end in combat, but knowing that they don’t have free run of the dungeon will help keep the

. Destroying the construct or claiming all the Infernal Machine components is the only way to end this effect. The thessalheart construct has a telepathic bond to Thessalar, who becomes aware of the

Scholar of Impossibilities

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel

Scholar of Impossibilities Run this encounter when you’re ready to bring the hunt for R04M to an end. The tunnel ends in a ledge overlooking a vast, empty crevasse. No path clearly proceeds above or

. 3 The Whispered One is coming, but there’s still time to prevent him from claiming power over the spokes of the Great Wheel. 4 The entire multiverse is inside an impossibly vast bag of holding. The

Travelers in the Mists

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Travelers in the Mists Adventures in the Domains of Dread often indulge in a single domain’s distinctly frightful themes. But if you plan to run whole campaigns set in the Land of the Mists, creating

domains. The following sections present groups and individuals who routinely travel the Mists. The Strangers in the Mists table also suggests the kinds of people characters might encounter amid the Mists

Pursuit Level

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

cross or traverse some feature that obscures their trail, such as a subterranean river. Decrease the pursuit level by 1 if the party splits into two or more groups. Each group becomes a separate party

level reaches 5, the drow forward scouts spot the party. At this point, the pursuit might become an encounter if the characters spot the drow and engage them. The characters might try to run, at which

Chase Complications

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

failed check, you are bitten and take 1d4 piercing damage, and the dogs count as 5 feet of difficult terrain. 7 You run into a brawl in progress. Make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics), Dexterity

ground counts as 10 feet of difficult terrain. 3 You run through a swarm of insects (see the Monster Manual for game statistics, with the DM choosing whichever kind of insects makes the most sense). The

Vault Guards

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Keys from the Golden Vault

past a guard with a successful DC 16 Charisma (Deception) check. If the party’s preparations convincingly support their story—such as wearing guard uniforms while claiming they’re new guards—the DC

persuading a guard to share it. Caught in the Act If the characters are spotted by a guard and don’t talk their way out of it, the guard yells loudly for backup and attempts to run away, taking the Dash

High Forest

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

the centaurs who make the High Forest their home, claiming the plateaus near the head of the Unicorn Run. For decades, the centaurs have been growing in number, enough so that they may soon divide

the waters of the Unicorn Run, which cuts through the rocks of the lower range to form a series of gorges and cliffs known as the Sisters. The sight of the tiered waterfalls is positively breathtaking

Inspiration

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

inspiration. Roleplaying. Using inspiration to reward roleplaying is a good place to start for most groups. Reward a player with inspiration when that player causes his or her character to do something that

role in their campaigns. Inspiration normally requires a DM’s judgment to award, which might run against your style if you like a campaign where you let dice determine most outcomes. If that’s your

Murder

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

Baldur’s Gate. In the Outer City, murder is practically a way of life. With neither the Watch nor the Flaming Fist to look after residents, criminals run free in the sprawling district. Criminals use

, murder is less common but remains a threat. Long-time residents know to travel in groups after dark. Those looking to earn a few coins sometimes linger outside of taverns, hiring out as escorts for

The Order of the Gauntlet

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Out of the Abyss

. There are few, if any, lone operatives in this organization. Working in pairs and small groups reinforces the bonds of friendship and helps keep members from straying off the path of righteousness. The

chapter. If you don’t want to control the veterans yourself, you can distribute the stat cards among the players and let them run the NPCs. Should Sir Lanniver come under attack, use the knight

The Attack

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

run this encounter. As the characters load the wagons, storm clouds descend and block the sun. Argus Skeel (male vampire spawn) and two ghouls, plus one ghoul per character, including sidekicks

sidekicks, approach from the other direction. Velleen is a female Damaran master thief (see appendix A). As the combat begins, the two evil groups recognize each other, and also attack one another when

Canyon Shrine

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

Canyon Shrine Aside from the other dangers of the twisting canyons of Phoberos, followers of Mogis openly worship and offer sacrifices to their dark god in these places. Twisting cave systems run

caves. 6 A lamia lures young nobles into its cult with promises of hedonism and sells those who disappoint it to other canyon inhabitants. 7 A vicious gynosphinx captures groups of people

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