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Part 2: Master of Adventures

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

Part 2: Master of Adventures Whether you write your own adventures or use published ones, expect to invest preparation time beyond the hours you spend at the gaming table. You’ll need to carve out

for running adventures set in dungeons, the wilderness, and other locales, and chapter 6 covers the time between adventures. Chapter 7 is all about treasure, magic items, and special rewards that help keep the players invested in your campaign.

Understanding Horror

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

Understanding Horror Your primary goal as a DM running a horror adventure is to facilitate a fun D&D experience. This book assumes you and your players enjoy the thrill and suspense of scary stories

. The audience of a horror movie can enjoy the menace on screen because they know it can’t harm them (and they have an idea of what to expect from the film’s trailer). In the same way, your players

Set Expectations

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

Set Expectations Well before you assemble a group around a game table, pitch the adventures you’re thinking about running to your prospective players. Note the types of conflicts that might arise

, the tone, and major themes. Telling players what to expect prepares them as they imagine what sorts of characters they could create and launches conversations about content to be embraced and avoided

Converted Windmill: Summer

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Converted Windmill: Summer The characters head to a decrepit building in the Southern Ward that used to be a windmill. Therein, they expect to find the Stone of Golorr in the clutches of two

fanatics do everything in their power to enable the devils to escape. Next Encounter If the characters deal with the cult fanatics, they can chase after the fleeing spined devils by running across rooftops. Proceed with encounter 5, “Rooftop Chase.”

Running the Adventure

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6

Running the Adventure There is considerable information contained herein with respect to what the players see as they explore the steading, and what the inhabitants do if they become aware of the

from within. The characters have been warned to expect guards at the great doors to the steading, but none are visible. (If the party returns to the stronghold after an initial foray, there will be

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice & Errata

, “rules as fun.” We expect DMs to depart from the rules when running a campaign or when seeking the greatest happiness for a certain group of players. We recommend a mix of RAW, RAI, and RAF!

typical D&D session, a DM makes numerous rules decisions—some barely noticeable and others quite obvious. Players also interpret the rules, and the whole group keeps the game running. There are times

Selecting Franchise Tasks

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

of a franchise’s task slots are filled, one of those tasks must be completed before staff can be allocated to a new franchise task. (The one exception to this rule is the running a franchise activity

carried out by the majordomo. At the same time, the characters might send out another staff member to engage in the explore territory activity (a new activity detailed below). You can’t expect to get

The Role of Rules

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Sage Advice Compendium

players. Such DMs aim for RAF, “rules as fun.” We expect DMs to depart from the rules when running a particular campaign or when seeking the greatest happiness for a certain group of players. Sometimes

running. There are times, though, when the design intent of a rule isn’t clear or when one rule seems to contradict another. Dealing with those situations is where Sage Advice comes in. This column

Mudbutton Warren

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Lorwyn: First Light

chaotic and raucous of all the boggart warrens in Lorwyn. Visitors should expect risky experiences—they are as likely to stumble upon a potion that cures an ailment as they are to lose a toe while

running from a strange beast a boggart thought funny to provoke. One of the eldest boggarts in Mudbutton Warren, the eccentric Auntie Gobgot (Small, Chaotic Good Mage) is fiercely protective of the

Example of Play

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

practice. In this example, the Dungeon Master is running an adventure (“The Fouled Stream”) from chapter 4. The four players are Amy (playing Auro, a Halfling Rogue), Maeve (playing Mirabella, an Elf Wizard

: the withered shrubs are actually monsters. It’s important to establish which characters are closest to the hidden monsters. 2 Jared: The cave entrance is ten feet wide, with the stream running

Cliffside Redoubt Locations

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

. A citadel spider (see appendix A) attacks the structure while four driders direct its efforts. They expect retaliation from Miska’s forces and are quick to attack unfamiliar creatures. If Lolth’s

) broods here on his throne. He feasted on the corpses and drained their bodies of blood. See the “Fighting Kas” section below for information about running this confrontation. The holes are ventilation

City Watch

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

crossbows or other weapons to attack at range, but running from the Watch — though it may be a time-honored tradition for local miscreants — rarely works out for newcomers to the city. I guarantee that all

Elturgard. As long as you don’t engage in unlawful behavior, you can expect to be left untroubled by the Watch. WATCH TALK Members of the City Watch employ a sort of slang in dealing with the public

Running the Adventures

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tales from the Yawning Portal->a6

Running the Adventures This is a series of three linked adventures. It is designed for a group of four or five player characters of 11th level. If the characters persevere, they are likely to advance

characters should have magic items to help them overcome the challenges they face. For a small party, the most important qualities are experience and caution. A group of four well-played characters can expect

Roleplaying Devils

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

infernal equivalent of a gold star and can eagerly expect a superior to take notice and give it the promotion it so richly deserves. Meanwhile, when that mortal dies, its soul will find itself condemned to

roles in this story. Before running the adventure, it’s worth taking the time to familiarize yourself with the “Devils” entry in the Monster Manual, which not only describes the most common types of

Franchise Costs

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

Franchise Costs Running an Acquisitions Incorporated franchise offers countless benefits to an adventuring party — but those benefits aren’t cheap. Operating the franchise, installing and maintaining

“Recurring Expenses” section of chapter 6 in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. (That section details the costs characters might expect to pay to own an inn, a keep, or other types of properties.) This is because

Encounters (F-H)

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

same kind of creature are present, since the druid might favor a certain kind of beast or plant.) Running the Encounter. The frost druid aims to kill the characters or send them scurrying back to Ten

giant riding a mammoth, as the earth rumbles and trembles with every one of the mammoth’s heavy footfalls. Running the Encounter. The frost giant has come down from the Spine of the World mountains

Phandalin Quests

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dragon of Icespire Peak

Hill” section. Each location includes an overview that briefly describes what characters can expect to find there. This overview is followed by information you’ll need to run the encounters at that

location. Running Encounters. This adventure describes what the characters see when they first arrive at a location, and what they’ll discover as they explore it. The adventure also tells you how the

City Celebrations

Compendium - Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

for guildmasters to meet with the Lords of Waterdeep and renew their charters for another year. Mirtul 6–9: The Plowing and Running Rural areas around the city observe this holiday in the traditional

sense of shared activities of plowing fields and moving (or “running”) livestock. But within the city, the holiday is celebrated with a series of races. Foot, horse, and chariot races are run through

Icewind Dale

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

? Well, if you’re like many who’ve drifted up there from the south, it is because an easier life doesn’t suit you, you’re running from something, or you just don’t fit in anywhere else. Ten-Towns Coming up

, and while they have their quirks and charms, they are mostly what you might expect: fishing villages at the edge of frigid waters in a frozen waste. Certainly, there is trade to be done, coin to be

Combat Encounter Difficulty

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

each), for 46,000 XP total Troubleshooting When creating and running combat encounters, keep the following in mind. Many Creatures. The more creatures in an encounter, the higher the risk that a lucky

streak on their part could deal more damage to the characters than you expect. If your encounter includes more than two creatures per character, include fragile creatures that can be defeated quickly

Sites and Ruins

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

— the siege of Eston in 895 YK — to the running battle on the Saerun Road that was cut short when the Mourning occurred. Battlefields across the Mournland, both ancient and recent, stand like open

the Mourning started here also expect that Making is where the mystery of its origin will be unraveled. A secret Cannith facility is supposed to lie in the city’s subterranean depths. Metrol This city

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