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Returning 35 results for 'play involve'.
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Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
nation or religion that owes the dragon allegiance. Adventures at this scale might involve dragons as villains or as patrons, and they might well involve multiple dragons in conflict with each other. The
characters might loyally serve one dragon in opposition to another, or they might attempt to play multiple dragons against one another—perhaps earning the ire of them all. In the heart of the jungle, the black greatwyrm Rhashaak keeps watch over a ruined city
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
Rhythm of Play When the characters enter an area for the first time, do the following: Step 1: Describe the Area. Describe what the characters perceive in the area. Focus on what they see, hear, or
in the text. This might involve one or more D20 Tests (see the D&D Beyond Basic Rules) to determine the outcome. It could also lead to combat (see below). Step 4: Repeat. When the player characters reach another area of the cave, repeat this procedure.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player’s Handbook
Adventures An adventure might be created by the Dungeon Master or purchased (the examples of play in this chapter are inspired by a published adventure, Curse of Strahd). In either case, an adventure
, mysteries, and more arise during these explorations. Adventures vary in length and complexity. A short adventure might present only a few challenges and take only one session to complete. A long adventure might involve many combats, interactions, and other challenges and take dozens of sessions.
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide (2014)
Something in Between The style of play in most campaigns falls between these two extremes. There’s plenty of action, but the campaign offers an ongoing storyline and interaction between characters as
. Even in a dungeon setting, you can present NPCs that aren’t meant to be fought but rather helped out, negotiated with, or just talked to. Think about your preferred style of play by considering these
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse->Turn of Fortune’s Wheel
before Shemeshka arrives on the casino floor. They can use this time to explore Fortune’s Wheel, play games, and interact with fellow gamblers. Use the games detailed in the following sections and
chance are scattered throughout the casino. Most involve the elements here. Razorleaves Due to the infinite currencies in Sigil, the games in Fortune’s Wheel use razorleaves: gambling chips unique to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Vecna: Eve of Ruin
fifty years of Dungeons & Dragons history. The story spans many beloved settings and wondrous planes of existence. Its cast includes characters iconic to longtime fans. This adventure’s stakes involve
in D&D’s history. The information in this book is intended for the Dungeon Master only. If you’re planning to play through the adventure with someone else as your DM, stop reading now! Vecna: Eve of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Play Style Here are some questions that can help you define your unique style as a DM and the kind of game you want to run: Hack and Slash or Immersive Roleplaying? Does the game focus on combat and
action or on a rich story with detailed NPCs? All Ages or Mature Themes? Is the game for all ages, or does it involve mature themes? Gritty or Cinematic? Do you prefer gritty realism, or are you more
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
Play Style Here are some questions that can help you define your unique style as a DM and the kind of game you want to run: Hack and Slash or Immersive Roleplaying? Does the game focus on combat and
action or on a rich story with detailed NPCs? All Ages or Mature Themes? Is the game for all ages, or does it involve mature themes? Gritty or Cinematic? Do you prefer gritty realism, or are you more
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Princes of the Apocalypse
Princes of the Apocalypse. The first part of the adventure is largely about uncovering the hidden evil that lurks in the region’s small towns and frontier strongholds. You have ample ways to play up the
sense of mystery. Chapter 3 starts with a missing-persons investigation, for example, and the “Cure of the Fire Witch,” “Dark Dealings in Yartar,” and “Halls of the Hunting Axe” side treks all involve
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
suggests a few adventures the god’s champions might involve themselves in. Mogis’s Quests d6 Adventure Goal
1 Foment a war between rival poleis.
2 Bring about anarchy and lawlessness in
structured around Mogis as the party’s patron can be challenging, and all players must agree to play characters in service to the god of slaughter. You should work to create a narrative that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
or notes). A conflict can be as big or as small as you like, and it’s nice to have at least one conflict that can be resolved quickly. Each conflict should involve the adventurers against some
a climactic ending to that conflict look like? One helpful way to structure a conflict arc is to use the tiers of play described in chapter 4. Levels 5, 11, and 17 represent milestones in character
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
if that character doesn’t come into play. Alternatively, you can allow the player to make an NPC into a contact on the spot, after carousing. When the characters are in the area in which they caroused
the streets seemed like a great idea at the time. 8 Everyone is calling you by some weird, embarrassing nickname, like Puddle Drinker or Bench Slayer, and no one will say why.* *Might involve a rival
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
Phenax as Campaign Villain Regardless of whether Phenax begins the campaign as a villain or turns against his champions during the course of play, he presents himself as a confounding, slippery foe
is a worthy goal, whether it’s done as a means to a greater end or simply to enjoy the disruption caused by radical change. The campaign’s objective might involve determining what Phenax is up to and
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Player's Handbook (2014)
present only a few challenges, and it might take no more than a single game session to complete. A long adventure can involve hundreds of combats, interactions, and other challenges, and take dozens of
sessions to play through, stretching over weeks or months of real time. Usually, the end of an adventure is marked by the adventurers heading back to their home base to rest and enjoy the spoils of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Mythic Odysseys of Theros
table suggests a few adventures the god’s champions might involve themselves in. Purphoros’s Quests d6 Adventure Goal
1 Clear out a monster-infested mine and help procure precious iron ore
for a master smith.
2 Protect a traveling theater troupe as they perform a new play that glorifies Purphoros and makes another god look foolish.
3 Retrieve a sacred weapon of Purphoros that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
. Adventures set in Borca often involve characters participating in the machinations of the domain’s nobles, whether as involuntary pawns or as part of schemes to see them indebted to amoral patrons. The
obsessions—but could also learn that the best way to undermine these villains is to play them against one another. The following sections detail the schemes of the domain’s nobles and Darklords, while
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Volo's Guide to Monsters
strategy of picking up a rock and letting it fly. Few activities, in fact, seem to give them as much satisfaction as the simple act of tossing boulders. Most of the games that giants play involve
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
possible, play in an area with minimal visual or auditory distractions. Favor surroundings that appropriately reinforce your desired atmosphere and have little non-player traffic. If space is shared
space, causing distractions to fade and making it look unfamiliar. If the lighting’s easy to control, you might adjust it to suggest a setting’s light level. More elaborate techniques might involve
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
into your adventures and setting higher stakes through play, you’ll help characters grow in exciting ways. You can use the DM’s Character Tracker sheet to keep track of key information about each
emerge during play, such as a character’s tendency to one-up a rude innkeeper or their oft-expressed fondness for displacer beast fur. Players often reveal their characters’ motivations through play. If
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Ghosts of Saltmarsh
masthin shoots and dragonshards. The uneasy peace threatens to break down, renewing the conflict between settlers and lizardfolk. An alliance in Q’barra can involve disparate factions, as complex agendas
Shires, the halfling folk might play a larger role in the alliance. Baron von Hendriks of Fort Doom might be aware of the lizardfolk, even indirectly supporting them. As an alternative, set the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
) might use the magic of Giant runes, or a paladin’s Sacred Oath could involve allegiance to the tenets of a philosophy or organization of giants (such as those described in chapter 2). Giant-Made
for a different use, such as a giant’s letter opener that works as a sword or a giant’s hatchet that serves you as a greataxe. Perhaps you have learned to play a giant’s violin as if it were a cello
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Rise of Tiamat
cyclopes chatting idly with each other. When the cyclopes notice the characters, they exchange a few unheard words, then play some sort of game analogous to rock/paper/scissors. One loses, and both
spell, then use the same spell to enlarge a strong character to throw it. Other solutions might involve casting levitate on the rock and giving it a push, digging a trench for the rock to roll down the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
and places and for characters to make choices. Encounters can involve exploration (interacting with the environment, including puzzles), social interaction with creatures, or combat. The Player’s
Handbook outlines the general rhythm of play in an encounter. The following sections offer more detailed information on how an encounter typically unfolds, in three steps. Step 1: Describe the Situation As
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Tyranny of Dragons
cyclopes chatting idly with each other. When the cyclopes notice the characters, they exchange a few unheard words, then play some sort of game analogous to rock/paper/scissors. One loses, and both
, then use the same spell to enlarge a strong character to throw it. Other solutions might involve casting levitate on the rock and giving it a push, digging a trench for the rock to roll down the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
you resolve one or more workweeks of downtime, pick one of the ways a rival’s plans might be advanced and introduce it into play. Think about how a rival might operate in order to bring specific
often efforts that are specific to the rival. A rival’s action might be a direct attack, such as an assassination attempt, that you play out during a session. Or it might be a background activity that
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
. An adventure focused on giants as adversaries could involve a sustained battle against giants of a single kind (as each of the individual adventures in Against the Giants did), or it could involve
progression through groups of different kinds of giants (as Against the Giants pitted characters against hill, frost, and fire giants in sequence). Alternatively, an adventure could involve giants of
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Eberron: Rising from the Last War
information about them that’s more or less common knowledge in Sharn. This section explores the roles that each one could play in a Sharn-based campaign. Although the powerful organizations in Sharn have a
hand in most criminal activity, sometimes you might want an adventure to involve a smaller gang. The Street Gangs table presents a number of lesser criminal groups adventurers could tangle with
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
covered in green velvet. To one side of the hall is a stage where three harpists play, surrounded by a lounge with comfortable chairs and small tables. Beyond that is the bar, and a door presumably
manner of games can be played at Lottie’s Palace, including Three-Dragon Ante, dice, Dragonchess, roulette, blackjack, and a cutthroat roleplaying game called Papers & Paychecks. A character can play
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Heroes of the Borderlands
on a role. You still need to describe things that can’t reasonably be acted out.
An active approach to roleplaying Haldryck in the “Game Trail” encounter might involve you pretending to hide behind
it.
In the “Bandit Ambush” encounter, a descriptive approach to roleplaying Pral, a smarmy bandit captain, might involve you describing his flashy smile or confident swagger. You might tell the
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Acquisitions Incorporated
characters are hearing snippets from the adventures of the “C” Team and Acquisitions Incorporated. You might even use dialogue from an Acquisitions Incorporated live play session as background sound
relationship advice that feels apropos. This might involve roleplaying in more ways than one, as a character takes on the part of a prospective deep crow partner and Raah tries to put the advice into practice
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Dungeon Master’s Guide
river to the forest’s edge (stage 1), follow a trail into the heart of the woods (stage 2), and then search the woods for an ancient ruin (stage 3). A long journey might involve even more stages and
stages of the journey, however many miles each square or hex might be. (This style of play is sometimes called “hex crawling.”)
In this kind of wilderness exploration, you can take one of two
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica
that you maintain your association with it throughout your life. As a result, your choice of guild can play a more significant role than most backgrounds do in shaping what your character does now
emphasis. If you play a character who has the Spellcasting or the Pact Magic class feature, your guild spells are added to the spell list for your class, thereby expanding the spell options available to
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
giant society. The head of the pantheon is the All-Father, but most giants view him as a remote, disinterested, or deeply disappointed father who has little role to play in giant life any more. The other
a manifestation of Grolantor. These encounters typically involve the god demanding something he wants from the priests, such as a fresh kill or a precious trinket. His priests then demand (and often
compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Netheril’s Fall: Tales of Terror, Treasure, and Time Travel
block for him, except Karsus is a Chaotic Neutral Humanoid who doesn’t have the Spirit Jar ability.
Coliseum of Karsus LUCA BANCONE Brutal competitions play out to screaming, bloodthirsty crowds at
witness or partake in the battles staged here, which often reenact elements of Netherese history or mythology and always involve heavy amounts of showy magic. Additionally, the coliseum is where public
Compendium
- Sources->Dungeons & Dragons->Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Intelligence (History) checks concerning events that involve alcohol as a significant element. Medicine. This tool proficiency grants additional insight when you treat anyone suffering from alcohol poisoning or
set has all the pieces needed to play a specific game or type of game, such as a complete deck of cards or a board and tokens. History. Your mastery of a game includes knowledge of its history, as