Game Master's Guide

Game Master's Guide

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Starting as a GM

GMing isn’t that hard! It’s actually fairly easy, and WAY more rewarding than being a player. The players only get 1 character, YOU get hundreds—you get entire WORLDS at your command. Sound cool? Yeah it does. A bit intimidating? Also, yes.

The good news is you can start very small and build what you need as you need it. This book will walk you through your first sessions with baby steps, and by the end, you’ll be at the helm of your own open sandbox adventure that follows your heroes wherever they want to go!

1. Familiarize yourself with the core rules.

If you haven’t read (or at least skimmed) the Core Rules book, stop here and do that now. You don’t have to be an expert—you’ll get a better hang of them as you play through the adventure.

2. Get some friends together.

A typical group is 3-5 players—though fewer (or many more!) is certainly possible as well. If your players are new to TTRPGs, use the premade characters: print out character sheets for everyone and start the included adventure! They’ll probably have some questions. Don’t worry, just start playing, you’ll sort it out as you go.

If they’re experienced with other TTRPG systems already, they can make custom characters using the Core Rules and Heroes books.

3. Don’t expect to remember all of the rules perfectly.

The first few times you play, expect to forget some rules, that’s okay. When in doubt, rule in favor of your players and keep the game moving.

The No. 1 Rule: WHEN IN DOUBT, RULE IN FAVOR OF THE HEROES.

Roll With It. Sometimes you won’t know the “right” way to resolve a particularly off-the-wall idea. Don’t stop to look up rules. Often, there are many “right” answers. Do the coolest thing in the moment, look it up later if you must. For example:

Player: “I climb up that building and jump down, landing on top of the bad guy and attack him!”

Encourage the creativity! Let it happen (maybe just this once, and you can reserve the right to change how it works in the future).

For the above example, you can resolve the attack easily enough, roll some dice. But falling that far would likely deal some damage (1d6 per 10 ft.). On the other hand, they’d be landing on another character, and that might soften the blow. Some options on how to handle it:

• The bad guy takes the fall damage instead.
• If the attack hits, split the fall damage between the two of them; on a miss, the hero takes the fall damage; on a crit, the bad guy takes it instead.
• Make a skill check. On a success, the bad guy takes the damage, else split the damage evenly between them.

Any of these would be fair enough and also pretty cool. You could even tell the player how you’d resolve it and give them the chance to change their mind: “You can definitely do that if you want, you’ll have to make a DEX save to avoid taking damage yourself. Still want to?”

What If They…?! Yes, sometimes your players will try to go so far off the adventure path that you don’t know what to do. Be honest and feel free to say “Hey, I’m new at this.” Ask your players to stick to the story you’ve got prepared for now. In time, you’ll be able to let them wander off and do anything they can imagine, but for now, let’s play the adventure that’s at hand. Just don’t stop the game to look up the “right” way to resolve this situation. If this becomes a regular tactic with your group—then you’ll want to agree on a solution that feels right for your table. Starting as a GM

The No. 2 Rule: LET PLAYERS DO COOL THINGS!

Your job is NOT to foil the players or be their enemy. The GM’s job is to facilitate the fun and help them feel HEROIC! Yes, the Oathsworn will deal more damage if you attack them, do it anyway. If you’re playing intelligent monsters, maybe they catch on after a while and attack other players, but don’t rob your players of the cool things they can do.

If a player casts a spell like Shadowtrap, go ahead and have monsters keep attacking them! Then have the monsters be scared to attack them for fear of another Shadowtrap, even when it’s not cast! If it’s what the monsters would do, do it.

Default to Yes. If a player comes up with a creative idea not explicitly in the rules, encourage it! If it seems like a longshot idea, tell them the consequences of failure. If they still want to do it, let the dice decide.

Avoid a flat, “No. It doesn’t work.” Instead, try, “You fail to pick the lock, but you notice the chest isn’t bolted down…” Or, “Yeah, it works, but… (the guards are alerted, you drop something as you leap across the pit trap, you take damage, etc.).” There should always be a way to push the story forward when the heroes fail.

Give everyone spotlight time. If one or two players generally speak up first, call on the others to weigh in. Make sure they get opportunities to shine. Design encounters and situations that cater to different hero strengths (combat, diplomacy, stealth, etc.).

Give More. When an adventure offers an opportunity for a skill check (e.g., picking a pocket, or the Assess action) and they roll exceptionally well (e.g., 20+), feel free to give more than the bare minimum. For example, on a DC 12 Finesse check to secretly pick someone’s pocket: on a 20+ perhaps they find some extra loot. Or, on a 20+ check to Create an Opening, they could get an additional die of damage as well!

When information is necessary: Choose one hero who “knows” the information. For instance: the Hunter knows about this forest, the Mage knows what an arcane symbol means. Alternatively, have everyone roll a skill check and reward the hero with the highest roll with the information. They are the ones who knew it!

The No. 3 Rule: BE HONEST & TRUSTWORTHY

Roll in the open. Even if you’re NOT cheating (perhaps especially so), make sure play also feels to your party like everything is on the up and up. What happens is what was supposed to happen. Players love to know that they won fairly.

For Example. If they missed killing the bad guy by a single Hit Point, you are welcome to tell them “oo, sorry, ALMOST got him, he has 1 HP left.” Or if they suddenly kill a bad guy that was proving to be exceptionally difficult, with exact damage, you could even show them the stat block and congratulate them for their great luck! Cheers will be had all around the table.

Telegraph Danger. You MUST be clear about danger: you are their eyes and ears. They cannot make meaningful decisions if they are in the dark about how deadly a situation is. If you telegraphed danger and the heroes still make bad decisions, let them suffer the consequences of their choices. Heroes have plenty of options to get themselves out of sticky situations—go get ‘em! Don’t be afraid to keep attacking a Dying hero (they’re still standing, it’s what a monster would do), and don’t be afraid to let them fall down an endless pit—leave it to the players to figure out how to save themselves. Interpose, Retreat, or something else….

Advanced GM Tools

Skip It! If you’ve never ran a game as a GM before, feel free to skip this section and come back to it after running the starter adventure “GARDEN OF DEATH”.

After you’ve been GMing for a while, many of the basics become easier and you have the mental bandwidth to try new techniques and see how they work at your table. Some will, some won’t. But you won’t know until you’ve tried!

What You DON’T See Is…

It can be great fun to have the heroes unaware of the plots and machinations of the Big Bad Evil Guy, but you generally want to avoid your players feeling confused or lost in a campaign. A great way to make a complex story more sensible or keep moving forward despite a bad roll is to give the players information that the heroes don’t have and can’t act on. Letting the players in on what is happening, giving them information that the heroes are not privy to, can be a great way to increase the fun.

Cutscenes

Cut away from the heroes and narrate a “cutscene” of the bad guy being bad so they can understand what he’s doing, why, and hopefully hate him more when the time comes to face him!

Flashbacks

Reveal snippets of backstory or context through brief flashbacks. For example, show an NPC’s past struggles or a hero’s forgotten memory.

Foreshadowing

Describe a dark figure watching the party from the shadows as they camp while the heroes are unaware. Describe the weather turning unexpectedly right before a bad twist in the story.

Imminent Danger

The heroes wander into a clearing near a goblin camp, you ask for a Lore check to see how much they know about goblins. On a bad roll, it’s great fun to describe what they COULD have known but didn’t: goblins LOVE to put traps everywhere they go. So you can tell them all about the traps they are about to fall into! Start making some DEX saves!

Monster Secrets

On a failed Assess check (to encourage them to try again), you can inform the players of a monster’s hidden strength, weakness, or technique that they won’t be able to exploit until they succeed, encouraging more thoughtful play and adding more tactics to the encounter.

Secret Allies

While exploring a dungeon, the heroes narrowly avoid a hidden trap. Narrate how a secretive ally (a sympathetic goblin) disarmed it just in time, without the heroes ever knowing. The heroes may just be more open to chatting when they meet their little secret friend rather than coming to blows.

Split Perspectives

Whenever the party splits up, narrate their actions in parallel. Jump between groups whenever there is a cliffhanger to build tension and excitement.

Undetected Traitors

The party meets a new non-player character (NPC)or gains a new companion. Narrate a scene where this companion is communicating secretly with the villain. Giving information to the players that the party can’t act on is a great way to increase drama and excitement!

Note: These techniques only work if your players are willing to PLAY ALONG. Some players may get frustrated by information they can’t act on, others will love it! If you give them hidden information and they try to act on it, you might not be able to use this technique too often.

Heroic Vignettes

Out of all the ways to start a new campaign, heroic vignettes (or playable backstories) are one of the BEST. Campaigns are at their most fun once players have really gotten to know each other’s heroes, but introductions can often feel slow and awkward. Vignettes fix that! These brief, one-on-one scenes (no more than 5 minutes each) help you fast forward to the fun. Before the campaign, talk with your players about their heroes. Some may have detailed ideas, while others might just say, “I’m a dragon dude with a big axe.” Either is great! Work with them to shape a vignette if they have ideas—or surprise them if they don’t.

Example 1

Ben wants to play a dumb kobold who thinks he’s a divinely chosen servant but accidentally made a pact with an evil patron. He doesn’t really care about the details, though. Let’s help him fill in the blanks:

You crouch in a thorny bush, surrounded by twigs, leaves, and the suppressed giggles of your best buds, Doppo and Twigs. Hunger gnaws at your bellies. The sound of wagon wheels and horse hooves grows louder. Doppo: “Aw man, this is gonna be so good! You think they have sandwiches?” Twigs: “If not, we can eat them. Their deaths will not be in vain.”

All: *hehehehe*

What skill do you want to use to ambush the travelers?

With a swift leap, you and your companions spring into action. Doppo and Twigs tackle the driver and passenger while the horses panic, sending the cart flying. You snatch a satchel and vanish into the shadows. Excitement buzzes through you as you tear into the satchel… only to find PAPERS. INEDIBLE PAPERS. What do you do?

Ben: I pull them out and take a look.

Your kobold pals crowd around, eyes wide with curiosity. The papers are covered in strange symbols and incoherent words. You can’t read them, but they feel… different. POWERFUL.

Ben: “Look at me, I’m human! I can read! I can wri—” marks an X on the papers

A surge of power races through you as a shadowy figure bursts forth. The papers disintegrate into ash.

Mysterious Figure: “THE PACT IS SEALED!”

Your friends. are. TERRIFIED. Doppo: “AHHHH! It’s BAHAMUT! We’re doomed! Kerrik made us do it! Eat him, not us!” In your limited kobold intellect, what does Kerrik believe to be happening?

Ben: “Bahamut has chosen ME to be his servant! I have powers now!”

With your chest puffed out and a heart full of pride, you clutch the satchel and declare yourself Bahamut’s chosen. Inside, you find strange words like “UNIVERSITY” and “ADMISSIONS.”

With your awestruck kobold buddies in tow, you set off on a divine mission to uncover what it all means… and maybe find some sandwiches along the way.

Note that Ben is in on the vignette. This is not like an adventure where we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen—you both know that he’s going to sign the papers and start this journey. This is for the other players to find out about his character in a fun way. In a vignette we also introduce fun NPCs that only he knows. His kobold buddies can be called upon to help with a quest, and an investigation surrounding what happened to the people they attacked might start brewing. Great quest hooks for later!

Simply allow your player to say what they do or call for skill checks (the sooner you can get to rolling dice, the better!). If you do call for skill checks, make sure they only have narrative consequences: if he rolls low or high, tweak the narrative to accommodate, but either way, he still jumps out of the bushes, attacks the wagon, and signs the papers.

Example 2

Nicole has a much more developed backstory, including a family with names and even a specific arc she’d like to play out. She is playing a non-magical roguish hero in a campaign set at a magical school.

Where are you hiding as you overhear your mother activate her speaking mirror and start a conversation—about you?

Nicole: Um…in the hallway, just outside her office.

Perfect. From there, you can hear your mother clearly, but the other side of the conversation is muffled:

“Thank you for this favor, Professor, regarding my daughter—… Yes, I know she failed the entrance exam, but there were extenuating circum—”

She’s INTERRUPTED. Twice. Has this ever happened?

Nicole: NEVER! She’s just letting that happen?!

Give me an Insight check. Not only does she allow it, but her voice quavers ever so slightly. She’s AFRAID.

“Professor, I trust you understand the importance of this. My daughter, Maeve, is destined for greatness, and the University is the key to unlocking her true potential. She won’t fail. She’s just… a late bloomer. She’ll thrive surrounded by dedicated classmates. Magic runs in our veins.” Indistinct response

“I see.” (Disappointed) ”…That favor you asked for. I’ll need to pull some strings, but… what if it could be done?” Your mother falls completely silent as the Professor speaks again. Give me a Perception check. How much can you catch?

Professor: “An unfortunate accident will soon befall a student, leaving a spot open. I believe I can take a personal interest in your daughter’s admission. Her lineage and potential are a rare and compelling combination. She will need to begin classes within the week.”

You can use her vignette to introduce important NPCs, and give her personal goals, and raise some questions for her as well. Why is her mom so afraid of this professor? Who is she? What is the favor?

Example 3

Vignettes can also be a great way to give the players information that their heroes wouldn’t have access to. Brandon wants to play an ooze spy character; he doesn’t really care what the other details are. You work together to come up with a cool secret passphrase and response, and he gets to show off his sweet spy skills in front of the rest of the players, as well as secret lore the party shouldn’t have yet.

The countryside of your homeland flashes past you. Hills, farmland, woods. It won’t be long until you’re in the capital. You were instructed to wait here in your private train carriage for your first assignment. You are just beginning to settle in when you hear a gentle knock knock on the cabin door. What do you do?

Brandon: “Open the door, cautiously.”

Old Steward: Would you like any refreshments? Please help yourself (seltzer water, fresh fruits, bread, cheeses). Oh, by the way, how is your sick uncle?

He speaks the secret phrase that has been drilled into your head a thousand times in the citadel, your response?

Brandon: “Dead, as always.”

“Your mission begins now, agent.” The steward’s disguised voice changes in an instant, now hard and hushed as he slips you a sealed envelope.

“You will be a student at the famed magical university. Our target of concern: a group called the Shadowblades. We have > heard whispers that they are recruiting mages from this campus, and need you to investigate. You will find all your documents in order: of course, your identification, forged transcripts and letters of acceptance, contact information for your handler in case of emergency, and, of course, instructions on how to access your expense account.”

“Something big is coming. The kingdom is counting on you. Read the dossier carefully while in your cabin. Burn it before you arrive at the teleportation circle in the capital. Long live the king.”

Do you burn it or keep it? Examination check to see how much you remember.

What a cool way to start a campaign! You’re a spy with secret information AND AN EXPENSE ACCOUNT! This also gives you, as the GM, hooks into the story to drop information and twists in a very natural way. You can make any monetary requests contingent upon him uncovering information. You can have rival nations also sending spies as fellow students trying to ferret him out. You can even have the Shadowblades attempt to recruit him!

Making Your Own Adventures

An adventure should have a mix of all 3 RPG pillars: Combat, Role Playing, and Exploration. Some players will get listless if there is too much yapping and not enough smacking! Even in combat-heavy sessions, let players use their social or exploration skills. Others really like using their creativity to overcome exploration challenges. Some of the most fun sessions are when little to no combat happens! Here are some great ways to ensure your adventures have a nice mix.

Problems, Not Solutions

Create problems or situations for your players to creatively solve. Don’t worry yourself with planning a solution though! It’s guaranteed that your players will come up with ideas you never considered. Encourage them to be creative and allow anything that sounds reasonable. They may have to roll a save or a skill check, there might be consequences, or their harebrained idea might be so good that it just works!

Think about the heroes. Do they have any personal quests? Backstory questions they want resolved? Favorite NPCs? Make sure you keep that in mind as you prep, so you can include moments for those elements.

Bad Guys to Fight

Roughly 1-2 combat encounter per hour of play is typical. Having some fun fights is a great way to let the heroes do their cool things. But make sure the bad guys aren’t merely standing around waiting for heroes to come slay them. What are the baddies doing when the heroes come? Arguing, sleeping, arm wrestling, cooking, hiding, fighting something else, digging, planning, partying, building a trap, etc.

No combat? Sessions can vary—some might feature no combat, while others are action-packed. If you and your players are having fun, don’t worry too much!

Optional Encounters. Some combat encounters can be optional—heroes can choose to engage if they’re itching for a fight, or avoid combat (by sneaking past, by clever negotiation, or any other means).

Vary Difficulty. While most encounters may be fun, fair fights—in a realistic world not everything will be perfectly “level appropriate”. Some encounters will be easy and allow the heroes to flex their muscles. Some monsters will occasionally be far too powerful to face head on; the party will need to RUN. If they do face it, it’d have to be with EXCEPTIONAL tactical/social wit (or cheating).

Be Clear About Danger. You can only do this if you are also CLEAR about danger, though. You shouldn’t spring a super deadly total-party-kill (TPK) encounter on your players when they are expecting an easy one. Warn your players when something is actually dangerous. Remember: you are their eyes and ears.

If they get in over their head because of their own foolish choices, despite your warnings, that’s okay! If that happens and it’s your fault, they won’t be having very much fun. Either way, allow them to retreat (with consequences, if appropriate).

Team dynamics & collaboration. Nimble classes play the best when working together; set up challenges where players need to cooperate and use their unique abilities together.

Places to Explore

Your players can explore boring places at home all day long. We play RPGs to explore INTERESTING places. A “tomb” is boring. An “ANCIENT tomb” is better. “THE PROFANE TOMB OF THE WORLD GORGER” is better still. The places you present can include secret entrances, spots to hide and sneak around in, places to gain the high ground and set up traps for the bad guys, cool loot, and importantly, they should include WEIRD things unique to this area: crystals that produce “anti-light”, mind controlling fungus, walls made of hands, paintings with eyes that follow, a room with no sound…

Traveling Events. Sometimes simply narrating “you get to the adventure site” is fine, but usually an adventure will be more engaging if you can set the stage by including a few interesting encounters that happen along the way. How is this place the heroes are headed to different from all other places?

• A desert may have sandstorms, challenges with extreme heat, an oasis, or hidden sand worms.
• A mountain range may have snow, glaciers, or an ancient dwarven fortress taken over by ice trolls.
• A forest may have tricky fairies, wild beasts, protective druids, hunting traps, or gnome merchants.
• A dark cave may play with light as a resource. Who is holding the light source? Are the cave denizens angered by the light, afraid of it, or curious?
• An open valley or hillside may have marauding gnolls, huge predators soaring through the sky, or simply wide open views of the surrounding landscape heroes can see and learn about.

These encounters are a great time for heroes to use their skills and should give a flavor of the location, hint at lore, or foreshadow something coming later. They can include obstacles to overcome creatively, situations to gain Boons, learn rumors, or suffer setbacks (take damage, gain Wounds, etc.).

Adventure Locations. This is the meat of the adventure. Typically a 6-10 room “dungeon,” though it need not literally be a dungeon of course. A grove, palace, ruins, magical hills, ravine, cave, sewers, market, hideout, ship, etc. could all work great. Any place with discreet locations your play - ers can explore. Each room/area should have a few words of descriptive text (max 1 sentence) to remind you what it is about. This introductory information should contain just enough for the players to start asking questions or taking actions. Give additional information after the heroes interact with what you’ve presented. Each area will typically have 2-3 things to interact with, learn, or answer to “why this room is here.”

A Note on Dungeon Layout. The best dungeons are usually not strictly linear; they allow the heroes some choice in how to navigate it. They include switchbacks, optional rooms, multiple entrances, secret passages, etc.

Others to Influence

Social interactions can be a wonderful highlight of any RPG session: fun NPCs to role-play with, dumb bad guys to bamboozle, a quirky granny to charm, cuddly animals to befriend, jerks to offend, troops or citizens to rally, people to make into their rivals or allies, or merchants to trade and bargain with.

Traps and Challenges

The best traps and challenges are relatively obvious (rather than well-hidden). Spotting a trap isn’t the fun part, creatively overcoming one (or failing to) is usually where the fun is. For example:

• Traps that are already triggered for foreshadowing or as a decoy.
• Traps that halt movement (a closed portcullis, a caved-in hallway, a net that pulls them into the air).
• Traps that divide the party (temporarily or for an extended period of time).
• Traps the heroes can create themselves or existing ones they can turn on their enemies.
• Traps that make noise and alert nearby bad guys.
• Traps that apply a condition or embarrass (e.g., temporary polymorph into a creature or object, apply a stench/glitter, poison, blinding fog).
• Traps that simply deal damage.

A Note on Trap Damage. Too much or too little damage can be unfun. It is unheroic to lose a character to an extremely deadly trap, while minor damage is merely a bookkeeping annoyance. Aim for a damaging trap to do about as much as a single monster attack.

Lore, Secrets, and Plots

Information can be a fantastic reward as well: the location of a safe resting place to recuperate, knowledge of the bad guys’ plans, secret passageways, answers to a mystery from a hero’s backstory, a monster’s weakness, history of the region, etc. It need not be immediately actionable either, the more your players know about the setting, its people, and history in general, the more likely they will care about the campaign and develop their own personal stakes in the story.

• Foreshadowing/Information. Clues about the theme or direction of the adventure: LARGE claw marks, hinting at a big beast; bodies, drained of blood; exploded, infernal runes; traps that have already been sprung, a cryptic note “do NOT trust HER smile.”
• What Really Happened? Most good adventures involve some sort of mystery that unfolds as the heroes play through. Think about what really happened in the background that requires the aid of the heroes. This is what they will learn as they play through the adventure.
• A Strong Questhook. Get the heroes right into the action as soon as possible. A “hot start” is often preferable to a slow build-up. Something they can’t say “no” to: Their beloved town is on fire, an item of theirs is stolen (be careful with this one!), a once-a-decade festival, The Great Dragon Migration, Bad guys challenging them publicly.
• Complex Situations. Simple Plots. If your players are ever confused as to why they are doing what they’re doing, they’re likely not having fun. The challenges can (and often should) be difficult; however, the story and its stakes must be clear and easy to understand for players to stay invested: Bad guy wants X because Y. Someone wants you to find A because B. An occasional unexpected twist can be a good idea (but avoid making it overly complicated or your players may get lost). Most bad guys have fairly simple motivations: money, power, revenge. The specifics of how they plan to attain their goals can be very complicated, but the goal should be crystal clear to your players.

Dilemmas

Situations where, if the party makes one choice, they can’t choose another one are a great way to emphasize the stakes of a story. Save this person or save this other person, the choice is yours! A treasure lodged deep within a monster; if you take it, the creature will wake!

Follow the Fun

Whatever you plan, your players will make their own decisions and take the adventure in directions you didn’t expect. Let it happen, go where the fun is.

A good adventure has a satisfying conclusion. A challenging/hard battle of some sort is a good option, but not always necessary. You can instead setup a tense role-playing moment with a negotiation or surprising revelations.

Aftermath. Think about the aftermath, what happens after this adventure? Does one faction grow in power, do the heroes make a new friend or enemy, how are they hailed when they get back to town? What of the person who sent them on this quest?

Gating Information

Make sure critical information is not gated behind a skill check; the story MUST be able to continue even if the party rolls very poorly. When something is critical to the story, the party succeeds.

If you do call for a roll, it should be to determine other surrounding consequences. If they roll well: the party succeeds quickly, or they gain surprise on the bad guys; poorly: it takes them longer, or the bad guys surprise them.

Reveal the DC or keep it secret? Typically, a DC is hidden information for the GM only. However, letting the players know what the DC is before they roll can sometimes really increase the drama of a moment.

Compelling Treasures

Yes, a great adventure has treasure, it’s a BIG motivation for many players. Prepare 2-4 treasures that players can find per session (not all will be given/found). It’s also best if they’re not typically powerful magical items; here are some better examples:

• Creative Items. The best treasure often doesn’t have an obvious use, but can be used creatively by the players or the GM as adventure fuel. Your players will have a great time using these to solve puzzles and get out of trouble in unexpected ways. For example: A key that opens ANY red door. A glass sphere that can change the weather. Slippers that grant invisibility but only on holidays. A vial of liquid that can dissolve ANY metal or stone. A cauldron that brews clouds. Rocks that can scream.

• Single/Limited-Use Items. Healing potions, magical scrolls, wands, elixirs that grant temporary Boons, a whistle to call a powerful ally—once. You can also consider a time limit to encourage heroes to use them instead of hoarding them.

• Cosmetic Items. Equipment with a compelling description or name: The Pale Baron’s Rapier. An axe that makes your eyes glow with flames while wielding it. Seeds that grow ever-blooming flowers. An unsettling cap made of teeth. An illusory cloak with ever-shifting colors.

• Gold! Like a giftcard, it can be spent to purchase whatever they want. Alternatively, items that are valuable only to the right buyer can be very handy. Finding that buyer can be a fun sidequest and help widen the number of NPCs the heroes know.

• Quest Starters. Items that can start a new quest: An exotic pet or kidnapped person with no memory of how they got here. An obscenely expensive looking crown. Blessed items, cursed items—how do we get rid of this thing? A zombified hand that always points in a single direction-where is it pointing? Stolen items (that the rightful owner badly wants back), sentient objects that can lead (or mislead) the heroes. Or even an entire castle that they can use as their home base!

• Mundane Items. You’d be surprised how often these simple items can catch the eye of heroes and lead to unexpected places! Potatoes, a board game (with missing pieces), a hand-stitched sweater (ugly), a single shoe, WAY too many spoons, a love letter (lightly perfumed).

• POWERFUL ITEMS. Every few sessions you may want to give out a powerful magical item, for more on that, see “Adventuring Rewards”.

Change It Up!

If things start feeling too formulaic, change things up. Maybe there is a session without any combat and only exploration and roleplaying. Or with lots of skill challenges, or ONLY minions. You’ve got a lot of tools in your GM tool box, use them all!

Running Skill challenges

A skill challenge is an extended series of skill checks that helps paint a narrative picture when there is extreme uncertainty outside of combat. For example:

• Navigating a collapsing dungeon.
• Chasing someone through an urban environment.
• Sailing through a dangerous storm.
• Negotiating a peace treaty.
• Playing a team competition (e.g., a fantasy sport, baking competition, etc.).

Present a series of obstacles and have the heroes use their skills and abilities to tackle each one. A failed check can impose minor consequences such as HP loss, a Wound, a Condition, or loss of an item. Multiple failures might escalate to severe consequences, such as failing the quest, losing a key ally, or even resulting in character death. Tips for Running Skill Challenges:

Vary the Skills. Encourage players to use a range of skills beyond the obvious ones. For example, instead of just using Athletics in a chase scene, allow Insight to predict the target’s movements or Perception to spot shortcuts.

Reward Creativity. If a player spends resources (e.g., a spell, a rare item, or a limited-use ability) or proposes a particularly creative idea, grant advantage on their check, allow an unconventional skill use, or provide an automatic success.

Engage the Whole Party. Make sure to present a variety of challenges so that all heroes have a chance to contribute. Balance physical, social, and mental tasks.

Keep Up the Tension. Describe the stakes and outcomes clearly after each roll to maintain suspense. Use vivid descriptions to illustrate the urgency of the situation. For an example of what a skill challenge might look like, see “Skill Challenge: Escape!”

What to Avoid

”Oh, it doesn’t matter.”

When your players ask you for the name of an NPC or some small detail that you think doesn’t really matter—it matters! When they do this, that means you are doing a good job and they are taking your world seriously! Don’t shatter the verisimilitude by shrugging off their question.

If they ask about a random no-name NPC, he’s got a name now (and don’t forget to write it down)! If they ask what kind of shoes the goblin is wearing, give them an answer! Feel free to ask why they’re curious about it—perhaps they suspect the goblin as a culprit in a crime, or they want to memorize what the goblin’s tracks look like. Reward your players for taking your world seriously. The things they are interested in matter!

Don’t punish curiosity, bravery, or creativity!

Make sure the first few things new players interact with are positive. If the first two doors they come across in a dungeon are trapped, they may stop opening doors entirely. If they save an NPC from danger only to be stabbed in the back, be prepared for them to never trust your NPCs (or even worse, you!).

If they negotiate creatively with some bad guys instead of getting into combat and it goes poorly, expect them to give up on attempting that ever again. Even if the bad guys really are bad, give the party something in return for playing thoughtfully and taking your world seriously.

Don’t let your players behind the screen

Avoid the temptation to reveal “the last hour was completely improvised!” It may feel good to tell them and pat yourself on the back for your improv skills, but it likely won’t feel good to them that you’re “just making it up as you go along.” Granted, that’s what all of this is—but they don’t need to know that! Players want to feel like what happens was what was SUPPOSED to happen. That NPC they took a liking to was really supposed to be in that town. That bad guy was really supposed to tick them off.

Don’t rule too rigidly

Be careful! Before you say “No, you can’t do that…” consider letting it happen. Chances are, it won’t break the campaign. Players may want to use their “combat only” abilities outside of combat, if the situation calls for it and it sounds reasonable, let them. For example, a Berserker may rage before trying a Might check, or a Stormshifter may shapeshift into an Owlbear—you can optionally give them advantage on the skill check or just allow them to succeed. If you’re concerned about some strange thing happening over and over again, you can even say “because that idea is so cool, I’ll let it happen, just this once. But it might not work in the future!”

Don’t roll too frequently

Ask for rolls (skill checks or saves) only when they add tension, uncertainty, or narrative weight to the story. Rolls are most impactful when they occur during moments of:

• Tension: There’s time pressure or immediate danger (e.g., enemies are chasing the party, the door they’re trying to unlock is trapped, they are climbing on a precarious cliff in a windstorm).
• Uncertainty: The outcome is genuinely in question, and failure creates meaningful consequences (and you are okay with either outcome).

The fewer rolls there are, the more meaningful each one becomes. If a task is straightforward, with no risk or stakes, let it succeed and keep the game flowing. When NOT to Ask for a Roll:

• Trivial Tasks: When the task is easy and has no meaningful consequences for failure (e.g., lighting a campfire in good weather, recalling common knowledge, buying standard supplies).
• Repetitive Tasks: If the task can be attempted repeatedly without penalty until it succeeds (e.g., breaking down or lockpicking a simple, unguarded door).
• Story-Critical Moments: When failure would halt the story or create an unacceptable outcome (e.g., if failing to spot a clue prevents the party from continuing their adventure).

Save rolls for moments that heighten drama, challenge the players, or bring the story to life.

Be brief, not stingy.

In order for players’ decisions to be meaningful, they need enough information to work with. Asking “Do you go left or right?” is too stingy. That’s not enough information to make a meaningful decision, the players might as well flip a coin. Here are some better examples:

• Do you save time and take the dangerous shortcut, or go the long way around and risk arriving late?
• “To the left, an awful smell, to the right, you can hear the sound of thousands of tiny footsteps. What do you do?”

That might be plenty of information for certain players to make a decision; others may ask more questions, or they may want to attempt something or come up with their own ideas, make a skill check, use an ability, or something else. This is all far better than reading a long narrative that loses their attention.

Don’t cheat*

Maintaining fairness and trust at the table is one of your most important responsibilities as a GM. Players rely on you to uphold the rules and world logic, so avoid altering encounters or outcomes in ways that feel artificial or contrived.

Adjusting Rolls or Outcomes. Changing dice rolls, hit points, or results behind the screen to save players—or make things harder for them—can feel like cheating, even if you’re doing it with good intentions. It robs players of the consequences of their choices, good or bad. Let victories and failures happen naturally. Heroes should win because they earned it, not because the GM “let” them.

*If you must “cheat”, it has to make sense. Sometimes you may realize that an encounter is too punishing or too boring. If you absolutely need to tweak something, give a good in-world reason for the adjustment. If an encounter is too easy, it’s okay to escalate the challenge slightly; for example, reinforcements could emerge from behind cover, hidden passageways, through a summoning portal, or be called from further in a dungeon as an alarm is raised or an enemy flees for help. Or if it is too hard, a dumb ogre may “waste” his turn fighting an ally and say “HEY! i WaS gOiNg tO eAt tHat ONe!! ” A more intelligent wizard or criminal won’t. Though they may monologue when in a commanding position. Or try to negotiate a truce in exchange for something else they want, rather than killing the party.

Adventuring Rewards

Creating interesting adventuring rewards can be challenging. Magical items that only provide a flat stat or damage boost are good fun—in the fleeting moment a hero receives them. But these bonuses are quickly forgotten—rolled into the base math of the game. It just inflates the numbers and forces you to rebalance encounters around it.

These don’t generally make for memorable moments, nor do they provide the characters with any interesting choices. The most memorable and interesting magical items are a bit strange, have some trade-off, are temporary, require creativity, or provide another opportunity for the players to create memorable moments.

A Note on Rewards. Some players prefer straight-forward rewards, while others enjoy complex options. Tailor your rewards to your table: if they enjoy variety and complex strategy, consider handing out intricate magical items, Boons, Utility Spells, wands, etc. more often—just be sure to adjust the challenge accordingly.

However, rewards don’t need to be powerful or complicated to feel meaningful. A simple item with a cool name and description can be just as exciting. For example, to a player who loves Dwarves, a plain 1d6 hand axe becomes unforgettable if it’s named Trollsbane, adorned with dwarven runes, and garners respect from other Dwarves. The story and flavor around an item often matter more than its mechanics.

Release Valves

A total party kill (TPK, when your entire party dies) is sometimes the right outcome. The heroes are playing fast and loose, you have telegraphed danger and yet they forge ahead, heedless. It’s important that a player’s choices have realistic consequences—the heroes all die.

That said, when it’s NOT the fault of the players (it’s unexpected, unfair, or unintended), a TPK should NOT happen. It’s good for the GM to have a release valve to get themselves out of trouble. This gives you some leeway in encounter design, freeing you from worrying too much about perfect game balance.

Having extremely dangerous threats that players can stumble into (and escape from!) is a great way to show that the world is realistic and to make things painful for the heroes without being so punishing for the players.

Gem of Escape

These magical gems are always crafted in pairs and can have any number of willing creatures magically bound to it. Crush one (1 Action) in case of emergency to instantly teleport ALL who are bound to it to the location of the other gem.

Why This is Great. A party may find the gem on a defeated bad guy. Where is the other gem… who knows? They might use it to hunt down the rest of the bad guys, they might use it to escape a sticky situation. It’s up to you as the GM whether they escape to safety or if it’s “out of the frying pan and into the fire!”

Glacier in a Bottle

When poured out (1 Action), it creates a solid form of ice, filling any number of unoccupied consecutive spaces up to 6 spaces away and 2 spaces high. The ice lasts for 1 hour before melting. Extreme heat or damage may cause it to fail prematurely. 1/Safe Rest.

Phoenix Helm

(Legendary)

On Death: You are reborn as a golden fiery phoenix. Enemies within 6 spaces take LVL d10 fire damage on a failed DC 10+KEY DEX save (half on save). Gain the following stats and abilities:

• Gain a fly speed of 10, 10 Armor, and 10xLVL HP.
• Creatures that touch you take LVL fire damage.
• Fiery Talons. 1 Action, 1d10+LVL damage.

After 10 minutes, this form ends, the helm is no more and you return with 0 HP and all but 1 Wound.

Story Items

Sometimes as the GM you need to reach into the world and give the party information—to lead (or mislead) the party in a particular, dramatic direction. BUT direct advice from the GM can come across as railroading. Especially unasked-for advice. These items give the players an “in-world” way to have access to information they need but perhaps shouldn’t have. They can decide if and when they ask for it, how to interpret it, whether to follow—or even trust—this in-world source, or not.

Hear-ring

A simple piece of jewelry worn on the ear. While worn, wearers can communicate with one another no matter the distance. Frequently crafted as a pair, sometimes as a larger set.

Why this is cool. How many do you let your party find, just one? Who has the other ones (the bad guys perhaps)? Or do they find a pair? Perhaps they are part of a much larger set and left by the bad guys so they can listen in on the party’s plans!

Pocket Cauldron

(Rare)

While taking a Safe Rest, use this cauldron to brew a single potion of your choice, which must be consumed immediately:

• Elixir of Futuresight: Grants the drinker a brief, cryptic vision of a future event.
• Elixir of Requiem: Allows the drinker to relive a crucial memory from their past.
• Elixir of Time: Once every 100 years, the cauldron can brew a potion that can take the drinker back in time 1 day.

Why this is great. Not only does this allow you as the GM to reach into the world and move things along or mix things up, but it can also help your players develop their backstories, and can even serve as a ‘redo’ button should that ever become necessary.

The Grimoire of Truths

This sentient magical book possesses an extensive knowledge of the world, past events, people’s motivations, and even possible future outcomes. It eagerly converses with its owner, presenting itself as a helpful companion. However, its true goal is to gain their trust, offering just enough useful insight to ultimately lead them into great trouble.

“Ah, another mortal thirsting for knowledge.”

“Power comes at a cost. But then, so does ignorance.”

“Oh, that one? Her smile hides a thousand lies and treacheries.”

“Would you like the safe, boring route, or the one filled with excitement and potential doom? I know which one I’d pick.”

Combat Items

Create combat-related items with a drawback so there is a choice to be made. It can be a one-time-use item, something that damages the hero, or something that needs to be recharged to be used again. Alternatively, you can have it become friends with the party, like Lumina!

Lumina, Living Sunbeam

A small, radiant orb of light, about the size of an apple, with a gentle, warm glow that pulses with life and a perpetually cheerful expression. She is a one-time use item that, when activated as an action, will deal LVL d6 radiant damage to all enemies within 6 spaces and heal allies in the area for the same amount. Until then, she hovers around her owner, spreading warmth and light, and offering encouragement.

“I’m here to brighten your journey! And, when the time comes, it’s okay… don’t be afraid to let me shine.” —Lumina

Resting & Healing

When a party rests is up to you, as the GM. Offering one-time healing or directions to a hidden oasis where they can rest can be great quest rewards. Make sure you reward different classes, too. The Hunter can spot rare medicinal herbs, the Stormshifter could befriend an animal that shares the location of a safe hideaway, the Shepherd or Oathsworn could cleanse and rededicate a holy site, etc.

Secret Spells

These spells are either incredibly powerful and banned from common knowledge, or ancient and simply lost to the ravages of time. They may not be appropriate for heroes to wield freely but can make for excellent quest rewards when found on scrolls, imbued in wands, or taught by a rare NPC. The mere existence of these spells can drive entire storylines and enrich your game world.

Revive

Tier 3, 1 hour

Bring a dead creature back to life, provided they’ve been dead no more than 10 days and have not been revived by this spell before. Attempting to revive a creature already brought back with this spell risks raising a mindless, zombified husk instead.

Why is this secret? Freely returning to life can lower the stakes and sap excitement from near-death encounters. On the flip side, it’s a powerful tool to maintain momentum in a campaign struck by bad luck or to create dramatic story moments (such as reviving a villain).

Sparkfetch

Cantrip

Loudly teleport a tiny, unheld metal item you can see to yourself.

Why is this secret? This seemingly harmless cantrip led to a wave of mysterious thefts, as stormy nights became prime time for mischievous first-year students pilfering coins and valuables. Quickly banned, it remains an infamous spell in magical academies.

Lesser Windform

Cantrip

Concentration: Up to 10 minutes. You are invisible and blinded for the duration of the spell.

Greater Windform

Tier 5

Concentration: Up to 10 minutes. Gain invisibility, a flying speed, and the ability to slip through any space that wind can pass through.

Radiant Bond

Tier 3

Concentration: Up to 10 minutes. Telepathically communicate across any distance with a creature that holds a gift you have freely given.

Speak With Dead

Tier 4

Temporarily animate a corpse, allowing it to answer up to 3 questions before returning to rest. The corpse must answer, but it isn’t required to be truthful if it dislikes the questioner or the questions.

Hearth & Home

Tier 3, 10 minutes

Conjure a welcoming inn, complete with sturdy wooden tables, plush chairs, and a soft rug underfoot. At its heart burns a cozy fire in a fireplace, filling the space with warmth and light. The inn lasts for 12 hours and vanishes without a trace afterward.

Why is this secret? Safe resting anywhere is incredibly powerful. This spell is notoriously tricky to cast manually, so it is most often imbued in wands for wealthy travelers. Allow it cautiously, as it can easily break game balance.

Teleport

Tier 6, 10 minutes

You and up to 10 willing creatures within 2 spaces are instantly teleported to a place of your choice that you have visited before.

Cryotomb

Tier 8, 4 Actions

Range: 12. A target must make a STR save or become incapacitated in an icy tomb and immune to harm. This lasts as long as you remain alive, or until the ice melts or is otherwise destroyed. The creature may repeat the save once every 10 days. Huge or larger creatures have advantage on the save. Small or Tiny creatures have disadvantage. Upcast: +5 spell save DC.

Why is this secret? Being able to instantly trap any boss who fails a single roll is incredibly useful. Cryotomb is even more useful as a narrative linchpin though. For example, the king may have a terrifying monster sealed in ice beneath the palace—and the tomb is beginning to crack…

Memory Veil

Tier 3

Concentration: As long as the caster remains conscious. Conceal or change all memories of an event for up to 12 creatures within 2 spaces on a failed WIL save for as long as this spell lasts.

Why is this secret? This can have profound ethical and narrative implications. Often used by shadowy organizations or rulers to cover up secrets best left buried.

Gold

Gold is a versatile reward that gives heroes the freedom to choose their own rewards. While some gold will be spent on necessities like lodging, its primary appeal is to purchase exciting upgrades: better weapons, armor, potions, wands, or magical items.

How Much Gold? The table on the right outlines the average amount of gold each hero will typically gain per level. A quest for a noble cause or from a poor villager might pay modestly (one or two levels below average), while one from a wealthy noble with questionable motives may offer a more extravagant reward (one or two levels above average).

On Buying Magical Items. Most adventurers can save up enough to purchase uncommon or rare magical items, often found in specialty shops in large cities. However, very rare or legendary items are typically far too expensive to buy and must be earned through adventuring.

Too Much Gold? An overabundance of gold has its challenges and it may attract unwanted attention:

• It’s Cumbersome. You can only carry so much gold before your pockets and bags are full. Large amounts must be transported via caravan or ship and safely stored somewhere while adventuring.
• Bandits & Thieves. Pickpockets, ambushers, and even organized crime may want a cut.
• Jealousy. Rival adventurers, “old money” nobles, resentful poor, debt collectors, etc.
• Corruption. Government looking for bribes, fake “opportunities,” suspicious authorities.
• Curses. A cache of gold or jewels cursed by dark magic, greedy spirits, or treasure guardians.
• Fame. Opportunists, sycophants, bounty hunters, or warlords all may want a cut.
• People In Need. A destitute village, public works projects, beggars, allies in need.
• Greedy Monsters. Dragons and other powerful beings are drawn to large hoards of gold.

Level	Gold
1	25
2	40
3	80
4	150
5	280
6	450
7	750
8	1,200
9	2,000
10	3,000
11	5,000
12	7,000
13	10,000
14	17,000
15	25,000
16	40,000
17	60,000
18	90,000
19	130,000
20	200,000

Lodging Boons

Spending extra gold on lavish accommodations can provide valuable temporary benefits. These perks might include quicker recovery, valuable contacts, additional resources, or unique opportunities. The specific benefits depend on the quality of the lodging and the amount spent. You can roll from the table, or award a Minor, Major, or even EPIC Boon based on how much the heroes pay and where they rest:

• A Minor Boon: Typically costs around 10 gp.
• A Major Boon: Typically costs around 100 gp.
• An EPIC Boon: Typically costs around 1,000 gp.

These Boons are temporary and last only until the heroes take another Safe Rest. Adjust the cost and impact to suit your campaign and the party’s level of wealth.

1d8	Temporary Boon
1	Recover 2 additional Wounds
2	Gain LVL temp HP
3	Gain KEY temp Hit Dice
4	+1 Speed
5	Inspired (reroll any die, once)
6	Advantage vs. Fear/Charm/Etc.
7	Learn an important rumor
8	+KEY mana

Boons

Boons can be a great quest reward from a powerful patron (e.g., an elf queen, hearing of a hero’s bravery, could bestow them with the Brave or Lionhearted Boon), a temporary buff (e.g., a tonic that gives Epic Speed for 1 hour), or you can allow players to take a Minor/Major Boon instead of a Secondary/Key stat increase.

Minor Boons

• Alert. +1 to Initiative.

• Bright. +1 max mana.

• Experienced. +4 HP .

• Feisty. +1 max Hit Die.

• Fiery. +1 fire damage.

• Intrepid. +1 speed.

• Skilled. +1 skill point.

• Simple. +1 VS Charm effects.

• Stand Tall. +Height (slightly).

Major Boons

• Ancestry Trait. Selecting another Ancestry trait (if it makes sense) can make for a great Major Boon.

• Aggressive. On your first round of combat you can spend 1 Action from your next turn.

• Battle Hardened. +2 Armor.

• Brave. +2 to damage while you have the most enemies adjacent to you.

• Expansive Mind. +4 max mana.

• Good Patient. Whenever you would receive healing, you heal an additional KEY HP .

• Hardy. Whenever you would roll your Hit Dice to increase your max HP , roll with advantage 2 instead.

• Honorable Protector. Gain LVL temp HP whenever you Interpose. Suffer LVL psychic damage whenever an ally within 2 spaces is attacked and you don’t Interpose.

• Lionhearted. +2 Armor while you have the most enemies adjacent to you.

• Natural Talent. Learn 1 Cantrip in a school you don’t know.

• Resolute. When pushed, you are pushed 1 space less. Whenever you would be knocked Prone, you can instead be moved back 1 space. 1/turn.

• Resilient. If you would take any Wounds, you may become immune to them this turn instead. 1/Safe Rest.

• Smart, Not Book Smart. -KEY max mana. Gain 1d4 mana whenever you roll Initiative; this expires if unused at the end of combat.

• Sniper. Advantage on attacks when no enemy is adjacent to you; disadvantage otherwise.

• Stalwart. +1 max Hit Die, +2 Might.

• Tenacious. +2 max Hit Dice.

• Tough. Whenever you gain temp HP , gain 5 more.

• Unflinching. Your focus is unbroken even in the face of danger. Advantage on Concentration checks.

• Unnatural Talent. Learn any 1 Utility Spell.

• Veteran. +10 HP .

EPIC Boons

• Epic Agility. Gain 1 action. 1/encounter.

• Epic Criticals. Whenever you roll for critical hit damage, you may replace one die with a d20.

• Epic Defense. Your shields gain +3 Armor.

• Epic Foresight. Gain +5 to Initiative rolls and advantage on your first attack each encounter.

• Epic Knowledge. 1/day, you can call upon a moment of profound insight to gain hidden knowledge about a legendary person or object.

• Epic Mana. Whenever you are healed, you may instead recover 1 mana for every 5 HP you would have been healed.

• Epic Mind. +8 mana.

• Epic Stamina. Rolling 4 or higher on a Hit Die during a Field Rest heals 1 Wound.

• Epic Speed. +4 Speed, +4 Initiative.

• Epic Stats. Increase 3 different stats by 1.

• Epic Senses. Gain Blindsight 6 or Darkvision 16.

• Epic Resistance. 1/encounter. Whenever you would suffer damage or fail a save you can choose not to instead.

Monsters

Running Monsters

The GM controls the monsters during combat. Monsters do not use Heroic Actions/Reactions. They can move, use the actions listed on their stat block, and their turn ends. Monsters die when they reach 0 HP.

Monster Armor

While most monsters are unarmored, some creatures are tougher to take down:

• Medium Armor: Just the Dice. Monsters with Medium Armor (M) ignore all damage modifiers from stats and other effects, taking damage from the sum of the dice only.
• Heavy Armor: Half the Dice. Monsters with Heavy Armor (H) ignore damage modifiers and take half the sum of the dice (rounding up).

Tell Your Players! When a monster has armor, it shouldn’t be a secret. Regular goblins are unarmored. That goblin? He’s holding a shield; he has Medium Armor. A golem that’s completely made out of metal? Heavy Armor.

Dealing With Armor? Heroes’ critical hits, some spells, and damage type vulnerabilities ignore monster armor altogether. This means certain weapons and spells are better or worse against armored foes! This is also a great opportunity to remind your players about the Assess action.

Monster armor VS hero armor. Why does it work differently? GMs have enough to juggle without the added complexity of having to decide when to Defend against a dozen attacks each round. Heroes, on the other hand, have only one character to focus on, so the added tactical depth is not a burden but an enjoyable detail.

Default Monster Stats

Unless otherwise noted, assume that monsters are medium-sized, unarmored, have speed 6 (can replace an attack to move again, or replace either one of those to retry a save), attacks have Reach 1, and roll 1d20 for all saves (though some monsters may have advantaged/disadvantaged saves or checks when appropriate).

Goblin

LVL 1/3, SMALL

• ♥ 15

Goblins: Haha, Missed Me!

Whenever an attack misses you, deal 1 psychic damage in return.

Stab.

1d6+2 (or Shoot, Range 8)

This stat block for a goblin serves as an example. No speed, armor, or saves are listed so we use the defaults. If he ever takes a total of 15 or more damage, he’ll die. His LVL of 1/3 means 3 goblins are about as strong as a level 1 hero. On the goblin’s turn, the GM could move him up to 6 spaces and stab (or shoot) in either order. Whenever an attack misses him, his special ability triggers.

• The creature’s Hit Points.
• The creature’s Armor (M or H).
• The creature’s Speed (fly, burrow, etc.).

Flunkies & Minions

Flunkies. Flunkies are like regular monsters, but with one key difference: they can’t crit. This makes them ideal opponents for new or low-level heroes, offering a challenge without overwhelming them.

Minions. Minions are low-threat monsters that are easy to kill individually but dangerous in numbers. They add dynamic movement and excitement to battles without bogging down gameplay. Minions have:

• No HP to Track. Any damage kills a minion.
• Easy Attacks. Each minion attacks with a single damage die, cannot crit, and misses on a roll of 1.
• Simplified Defense: When multiple minions attack a single target, their damage is combined and counts as a single attack, so heroes can Defend or Interpose against them all at once.

Act Together! If your heroes are facing down a pack of goblin minions, rather than moving them one at a time, all minions attacking a particular hero should move and attack at the same time. For example, 5 minions move next to Grudge and attack him. Roll and add up 5d6 (ignoring any 1s). Fast and easy!

Combat Encounter Guidelines

Monster Levels. Making encounters in Nimble is easy! Simply add up the total levels of the heroes (e.g., if you have 3 level 2 heroes, their total is 6). Monsters with a total level equal to that will be a hard but fair fight; less than that: medium or easy; greater than that: deadly, or very deadly.

Example: A griffon is a level 4 monster. So a flock of 6 griffons (24 monster levels total) would be a hard encounter for: 6 level 4 heroes, 4 level 6 heroes, or 3 level 8 heroes.

Typical encounters should have 1-4 monsters per hero (excluding minions). For an epic fight against a single bad guy, use a legendary monster, and if you want hordes of monsters, use minions.

Important Note! If the heroes or monsters greatly outnumber one another the encounter may be easier or harder than anticipated. 1-4 monsters per hero is the sweet spot for most encounters.

Encounters Per Rest. Typically, a session includes 2-5 combat encounters, but this is flexible. If your players are enjoying the game without combat, don’t force it—especially if they’ve cleverly avoided it or it doesn’t fit the story. If the story calls for more than five encounters, go ahead! The key is to ensure the game remains fun and engaging—avoiding encounters that are trivial, frustratingly difficult, or repetitive.

Easy. If the monster’s total levels are less than half of the heroes’, this is an easy encounter. Heroes will lose minimal HP and resources, making these encounters great for testing new abilities or gauging progress—or whittling down resources. They help players feel powerful, especially after leveling up. Use 1-2 easy encounters in a typical session.

Medium. When the monster’s levels are around 75% of the heroes’, expect some HP loss and moderate resource expenditure. Heroes will get hurt but shouldn’t drop to 0 HP. Use 1-2 medium encounters in a typical session.

Hard. When the monster’s levels equal the heroes’, this encounter will be challenging but fair. Heroes must use significant resources; some may drop to 0 HP, but none should die, barring poor tactics or bad luck. Use 1 hard encounter in a typical session.

Deadly. When monster levels are 100-125% of the heroes’, this encounter requires strategic thinking and teamwork. Suitable for tough battles, well-equipped parties, or campaign bosses. Use sparingly!

Very Deadly. At 150%+ monster levels, this encounter is extremely dangerous. Unless they are extremely well optimized (or are multiclassing) and play exquisitely, they will almost certainly need to retreat—or die. Use only when the heroes made a bad mistake: you telegraphed danger and they fail to heed.

Resting and Recovery. It’s common for heroes to return to a home base or town to rest after each session, but this isn’t a rule. Be adaptable. If your players are accumulating too many Wounds, consider introducing an opportunity for a Safe Rest, such as finding a friendly cleric or a hidden oasis. If a Safe Rest isn’t an option, you can ease the encounter difficulty to keep the adventure moving. Otherwise, heroes might need to cut their journey short to recover.

Armor Variety

While these ratios can vary, too many armored foes can bog down combat. Use armor to add flavor, not frustration. For a balanced session, aim for roughly:

• 60% Unarmored.
• 30% Medium Armor.
• 10% Heavy Armor.

Fine Tuning Difficulty

Start Easy. Creating perfectly balanced encounters takes practice. It’s better to err on the side of “too easy” than “too hard.” As a GM, you have many ways to increase difficulty during play, but few ways to lower it without breaking immersion.

Balancing With Tactics

• Focus Fire. Concentrating attacks on one or two heroes makes encounters feel harder. Conversely, spreading out damage or sending monsters in waves can make the encounter more manageable.
• Movement. Monsters that move each turn force martial characters to reposition, limiting their attacks. This also opens up opportunities for reactions like Opportunity Attacks. To lower difficulty, reduce monster movement.
• Target Squishy Characters. Make them use their actions to defend or run away and hide behind their stronger friends! Let the tanks feel good about Defending and Interposing.
• Adjust Initiative. The sooner the monsters act in the round, the harder the encounter will be, and vice versa. If, after the first player’s turn, it looks like the bad guys are in for a trouncing, move some of them up in the initiative order instead of waiting until the end of the round.
• Relax! Heroes have plenty of tools to handle tough situations, so don’t stress over getting every encounter perfectly balanced. You’ll improve with experience, as will your players.
• Hero Death Isn’t the End. If some (or all) heroes die, it’s not necessarily a failure. Encourage your group to make new characters and dive back in.

Balancing with Minions

Minions excel as battlefield filler, allowing heroes to showcase their strengths. Armored defenders can hold off waves of attacks, while spellcasters can annihilate groups with a single spell. They help combat feel dynamic and give heroes the chance to shine, all while keeping the pace fast and exciting.

Waves of Minions. Start with an easier encounter and introduce minions in waves to dial in the challenge. Minions might emerge from hidden positions or be summoned mid-battle.

• 1 minion/hero: Slightly more difficult, but will greatly increase the tactical options.
• 2-3 minions/hero: Noticeably more difficult.
• 4 minions per hero: Much more challenging.

Overkill Damage. While minions lack HP, you can optionally use their die size as a measure of durability. Excess damage from an attack can carry over to other minions in range. For example, a 20 damage attack could take down two d10 minions or five d4 minions.

Suggested minion die size by party level:

Level	Die Size
1-3	d4
3-5	d6
5-10	d8
10-13	d10
13-17	d12
17-20	d20

Unique Encounters

Most encounters start with heroes and bad guys aware of each other, within one or two moves apart, and feature 1-4 level-appropriate enemies per hero who fight to the death. While this formula works, changing it up from time to time can make for a more memorable encounter. Here are some ways to spice things up:

• Ambush (Bad Guys)! A easy encounter becomes much more difficult and exciting when the bad guys get the drop on the heroes. Place hidden enemies close to the party, and let them act first (just be careful that there is a good story reason for the ambush or you give them a chance to spot it!).
• Ambush (Heroes)! An extremely hard encounter, but the heroes get plenty of time to scout, research weaknesses, set up traps and obstacles, or even choose the battleground (on top of getting a full turn to act before the bad guys can act).
• Backdraft. Heroes take damage whenever they take a certain action(e.g., cast spells, use weapons, move, or use special abilities).
• Betrayal! Have an allied NPC suddenly turn on the heroes mid-fight (temporarily or permanently).
• Can’t Reach Me! Where a relatively weak group of bad guys are at an unfairly advantageous height, and able to drop heavy things onto the heroes. Or out of range of melee attacks from the heroes and with excellent cover against range.
• Capture the Flag. The heroes must take (and keep) possession of an item that the bad guys desperately want.
• Charmed Allies. Enemies cast powerful charms or illusions on one or more party members, forcing the heroes to fight their own while trying to break the spell.
• Defend the Fort. Heroes must defend a location for a certain number of rounds until reinforcements arrive.
• Divided Loyalties. Two enemy factions are fighting each other when the heroes arrive. The party can choose to sit back and let the factions weaken each other, manipulate the chaos to their advantage, or attack both sides.
• Environmental Ally. Heroes gain an advantage from the environment, a rampaging beast, a structure collapsing, or a natural disaster to help turn the tide. Just make sure you properly foreshadow what is coming and allow them to set up a cool moment, otherwise they can feel cheated.
• Environmental Catastrophe. The environment itself is the main challenge: rivers of lava, throwable explosive mushrooms,collapsing caves, a sinking ship.
• Enraged Baddies. Each time something happens (a bad guy takes damage, they lose an ally, etc.) their damage increases.
• Ethereal Enemies. The bad guys are ghosts, shadows, or other ethereal beings that phase in and out of the material plane. They’re immune to damage during certain phases, forcing the heroes to adapt their timing and tactics.
• Grudge Match. An otherwise easy encounter but all of the bad guys ONLY attack one hero. Perhaps that hero has a bounty, or has offended a warlord, or is cursed? Make sure your players know ahead of time what is going on so it doesn’t feel unfair. Players will have to greatly change up their typical tactics to survive this encounter.
• Illusory Enemies. Bad guys that create illusions, making attacks miss more often, or that can redirect attacks against allies. Special care must be taken to see through the illusions and ensure you are hitting the right targets.
• Impending Doom. Try an encounter that would be otherwise far too difficult, but the heroes get an extra round or two before the enemies can properly engage. Enemies with no ranged attacks starting very far away, enemies that need to wake up or “charge up” before acting.
• Interlopers. Another faction arrives while the heroes are engaged in combat already. The bad guys ask for assistance—the heroes could fight both sides or convince the newcomers to join their side instead.
• Manastorm. All spells have a reduced mana cost, even as low as 0 mana. Casting spells may damage the caster instead (e.g., 1d6/mana spent).
• Mid-air Combat. Enemies that fly, heroes that don’t is a great classic. Particularly when the bad guys can pluck the heroes off the ground, fly high, and then let gravity do the rest. Alternatively, giving heroes flight and letting them strafe and pick off the bad guys is likewise great fun.
• Mounted Combat. Heroes fight while mounted on beasts that are running, climbing, flying, or swimming!
• Moving Hazard. Heroes fight on a collapsing bridge, in a building that is burning down, or on a battlefield under attack by siege weapons. Heroes have to continually move—or die!
• Non-combatants. Bad guys interspersed with innocent bystanders or other precious resources that must not be harmed.
• Oops, All Minions! Heroes can face a TREMENDOUS amount of minions. This setup shines when heroes have access to area-of-effect (AoE) abilities and rewards players who position themselves strategically.
• Pitch Black. Monsters attack in the dark, heroes can’t see, any light sources are magically snuffed out. Cannot Interpose or Defend against unseen attacks.
• Poor Tactics (Dumb Enemies). A very hard encounter, but the enemies do their best to spread damage out equally across the heroes and otherwise make obvious tactical blunders.
• Push ‘em Off! Battle at very great heights, the most efficient way to win (or lose) is to push others off the edge or where forced movement is otherwise greatly incentivized.
• Puzzle Combat. A puzzle that must be solved mid-fight: Enemies that are invulnerable while standing in a certain place, or until a device is turned off or destroyed, or a ritual is disrupted.
• Reinforce! Enemies run away for reinforcements when bloodied or half of their numbers are taken down.
• Split the Party! Physically split the party in an interesting way: melee heroes on one side, ranged heroes on the other; make them fight in ways they normally don’t.
• Stealthy Take Down. Loud noises attract more enemies!
• Thorns. Enemies have very few HP; any overkill damage is dealt back at the heroes.
• Tight Quarters. Unusually small room/platform, or a location crowded with obstacles.
• Traps Abound! A location filled with traps and environmental hazards that can be used against the heroes or bad guys.
• Turncoats. Bad guys (honestly or dishonestly) negotiate to aid the heroes against a common foe or threat.
• Vehicular Combat. Heroes fight bad guys while piloting a vehicle traveling at speed.
• Waves Upon Waves. Heroes can face FAR more bad guys if they appear over time rather than all at once. Add more enemies each round and watch your heroes rack up the kills! Just make sure you have a good reason for the baddies to show up over time (summoning portals, they’re spread throughout a hideout, an arena challenge, etc.).
• We Give Up! Enemies who give up and run away once their numbers are fewer than the heroes (they may or may not return during the next encounter).

Dessert, not main course. These unique encounters should be used sparingly, not as the norm. Heroes have plenty of variability with their abilities, spells, tactics, and monsters—getting fancy too often may feel too chaotic. There should still be baseline “typical” encounters more frequently.

Monster Builder

If you’d like to create your own monsters, use the table below for your monster’s stats. You can also mix and match stats from different levels for a different kind of monster. For each special ability added (e.g. the Kobold’s “Noooo!” ability), lower the HP or damage 1 step or treat the monster as 1 step stronger.

Example. If you wanted a glass cannon type of enemy, like a mage or an assassin, you can use damage from 1-5 rows higher, and the HP from an equal number of rows lower. A level 5 mage might have 34 HP and deal 26 damage per round. If we give the mage a teleport ability, it’d be as strong as a level 6 monster. For a tanky, defensive creature, lower the damage and increase the HP/Armor.

Monster Level	HP (no armor)	HP (M)	HP (H)	Dmg / round	Attack (sample)	Save DC	CR equiv.
1/4	12	9	7	3	1d4+1	9	1/8
1/3	15	11	8	5	1d6+2	9	1/4
1/2	18	15	11	7	1d6+3	10	1/4
1	26	20	16	11	2d8+2 or (2×) 1d8+1	10	1/2
2	34	27	20	13	2d8+4 or (2×) 1d8+3	11	1
3	41	33	25	15	2d8+6 or (2×) 1d8+4	11	1
4	49	39	29	18	2d8+9 or (2×) 1d8+5	12	2
5	58	46	35	19	2d8+10 or (2×) 1d8+6	12	2
6	68	54	41	21	2d8+12 or (2×) 1d8+7	13	3
7	79	63	47	24	3d8+10 or (2×) 2d8+4	13	3
8	91	73	55	26	3d8+12 or (2×) 2d8+5	14	4
9	104	83	62	28	4d8+10 or (2×) 2d8+6	14	4
10	118	94	71	30	4d8+12 or (2×) 2d8+7	15	5
11	133	106	80	33	5d8+11 or (2×) 3d8+3	15	6
12	149	119	89	35	5d8+13 or (2×) 3d8+4	16	7
13	166	132	100	38	6d8+11 or (2×) 3d8+6	16	8
14	184	147	110	40	6d8+13 or (2×) 3d8+7	17	9
15	203	162	122	43	7d8+11 or (2×) 3d8+8	17	9
16	223	178	134	45	7d8+13 or (2×) 4d8+5	18	10
17	244	195	146	48	8d8+12 or (2×) 4d8+6	18	11
18	266	213	160	50	8d8+14 or (2×) 4d8+7	19	12
19	289	231	173	52	9d8+12 or (2×) 4d8+8	19	13
20	313	250	189	54	9d8+13 or (2×) 4d8+9	20	14

What die size to use? Default to d8 for custom monsters—it offers a balanced chance of hitting, missing, and critting. Any die size is fine as long as overall damage per round stays consistent. Here are some thematic guidelines:

• d4: Undead (slow, with BIG bonus damage).
• d6: Goblins (small, chaotic, likely to miss or crit).
• d8: Humans (balanced and reliable attackers).
• d10: Beasts (stronger than humans).
• d12: Giants (superhumanly strong/accurate).
• d20: The mightiest creatures (massive damage).

Flavorful Monster Abilities

Once you have the base stats for the encounter, you can optionally add a cool flavorful ability to make these monsters feel and play differently. Abilities can be passive or trigger “On Movement,” “On Attack,” “On Miss,” “On Hit,” “On Damage,” “On Crit,” “On Death,” and more.

• Acid Blood. Melee attackers take half the HP lost in return as acid damage.
• Aggressive. +X speed if moving toward enemies.
• Blinding Spit. Spits a blinding substance at a target within range. The target must make a save or be blinded for 1 round.
• Bloodthirsty. Has advantage on attacks against Bloodied targets.
• Brute. Attacks also knockback a number of spaces equal to the primary die rolled.
• Brawler. Extra damage, can only attack in melee.
• Burning Aura. Creatures that start their turn adjacent to this monster take 1d6 fire damage.
• Climbing. Can traverse walls or ceilings normally.
• Controlling. Creates/immune to difficult terrain.
• Disgusting/Venomous/Heavy Blows. Attacks also Daze the target.
• Disintegrating Armor. Starts with Heavy Armor, on crit degrades to Medium, then to none.
• Doom. Attacks also Wound the target.
• Explosive Death. Explode on death, dealing 2d6 damage to creatures within reach.
• FAST. Reaction: 1/round. Force a reroll with dis -advantage on an attack.
• Fearsome. Frighten enemies within Range on a failed WIL save. 1/encounter.
• Flying. Flying speed and immune to Opportunity Attacks. May FALL when crit (1d6 damage/10 ft. fallen, and lands Prone).
• Formation. Armor increases 1 step for each adjacent ally (None, Med, Heavy).
• Frenzied. Deals extra damage or has faster speed while damaged.
• Grappler. On hit: Grapples.
• Gravity Manipulator. Can pull or push enemies within reach.
• Hates the Light. Attacks the hero holding light.
• Hypnotic Gaze. Forces enemies to make a WIL save or be confused for 1 round.
• Invulnerable. Immune to damage until crit.
• Mounted. Faster movement and deals extra damage after moving toward an enemy.
• Obstinate. When attacking a target with disadvantage, treat the roll as if it had advantage instead.
• Pack Tactics. Advantage on attacks when an ally is adjacent to the target.
• Parry. Attacks against them miss on a 1 and 2.
• Ranged. Extra damage; can only attack at range.
• Retaliate. Attacks the first creature who attacks them in melee each round.
• Savage. Always crits Grappled creatures.
• Shifty. Can move after being attacked.
• Silencer. Attacks silence enemies (making them unable to cast spells or perform other actions that requires the voice).
• Sneak. Invisible until they attack.
• Spiked. When hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes 1d4 piercing damage in return.
• Standard Bearer. Buffs nearby allies, reducing the damage they take or increasing the damage they do (see Kobold Clanger or Doomsayer Cultist).
• Sturdy/Undying. The first time the monster would die, they have 1 HP instead.
• Summoner. Calls minions to their aid each round.
• Tricky. Can swap places with allies or enemies.
• Vicious. Crits are Vicious (roll 1 additional die).
• Warping Touch. On hit: teleport target X spaces.
• Webslinger. Can immobilize a target with webs when hit or crit.

Bestiary

Goblins

Green, cunning, & thriving on the edge of chaos. Will mock you mercilessly if given the chance.

Goblins

Haha, Missed Me!

Whenever an attack misses you, deal 1 psychic damage in return.

Goblin Minion

LVL 1/4, SMALL

Stab.

1d6 (follows minion rules)

Goblin

LVL 1/3, SMALL

• ♥ 15

Stab.

1d6+2 (or Shoot, Range 8)

Bugbear

LVL 2

• M
• ♥ 30

• Cleave.

  2d6+4

  OR:
• Javelin.

  1d6+2 (Range 8)

Goblin Ratrider

LVL 2

• ♥ 30
• Walk 10

CHAARGE!

If you move at least 4 spaces in a straight line, attack with advantage once.

Bite & Stab (2x).

1d6+2 On crit: Prone.

Goblin Taskmaster

LVL 2, SMALL

• M
• ♥ 30

Meat Shield

Can force other goblins to Interpose for him.

• Stab.

  1d6+2 (or Shoot, Range 8) Then:

  Then:
• Get in here!

  Call a goblin minion to the fight.

Goblins Loot

Live mouse (a snack for later), moldy bread, smooth stones, sharp sticks, teeth (forcibly removed), arrows (surprisingly well-made), lots of blades (jagged, but effective), dead captive (forgot to feed him), shiny junk (random shiny bits of metal, broken glass, and buttons), slug farm (a jar of slimy, wriggling slugs),"Potion" (suspiciously colored liquid in a dirty bottle), unidentifiable jerky. A filthy notebook tracking bizarre trades and bets, boots (too big).

Kobolds

Small, maniacal dragonlings. Fiercely protective of their own.

Kobolds

Nooooo!

When an ally within 2 spaces dies, attack once for free.

Kobold Minion

LVL 1/4, SMALL

Stab.

1d4 (follows minion rules)

Kobold

LVL 1/3, SMALL

• ♥ 12

Stab.

1d4+2 (or Sling, Range 8)

Kobold Sneak

LVL 1/2, SMALL

• ♥ 15

Revenge

When an ally dies, you may move up to 6 spaces before using your Nooooo! ability.

Stab.

1d4+2 (or Sling, Range 8)

Kobold Clanger

LVL 1, SMALL

• H
• ♥ 16

CLANG!

Allies who hear your clanging, roll 1 additional die whenever they attack.

Kobold Denwarden

LVL 1, SMALL

• M
• ♥ 20

Hold!

Adjacent allies gain Medium Armor.

Stab (2x).

1d4+2 (or Sling, Range 8)

Kobold Trapper

LVL 1, SMALL

• ♥ 26

Trap!

When an enemy moves adjacent to you or an ally, they trigger one of your traps! (1/encounter each). BEEES! Deal 5d4 damage (doesn't miss). Half as much to ALL adjacent creatures. HIDDEN NET! Restrained (escape DC 10).

Throw Scorpion (2x).

1d4+2 (Range 8)

Kobold Trapper (Medium)

LVL 1

• M
• ♥ 20

Hold!

Adjacent allies gain Medium Armor.

Stab (2x).

1d4+2 (or Sling, Range 8)

Kobolds Loot

Honey, LOTS of twine, sandwiches (stolen), shiny objects, dragon painting (poorly—yet lovingly—made), rotting meats, a variety of traps (small cages, spikes, snapping).

Bandits

You’ve got money, they want money… a perfect match! (hand it over)

Bandits

Parry

Treat attacks against you that roll 2 as a miss.

Bandit Minion

LVL 1/4

Stab.

1d8 (follows minion rules)

Bandit

LVL 1/3

• ♥ 12

Stab.

1d8+1 (or Shoot, Range 8)

Bandit Hunter

LVL 1

• ♥ 22

Battlebow.

2d8+2 (Range 12)

Bandit Assassin

LVL 2

• ♥ 24

Sneak

You are invisible until you attack.

Poison Blade (2x).

1d8+2 On damage: Dazed.

Bandit Bruiser

LVL 2

• M
• ♥ 24

Bash.

2d8+4

Bandit Captain

LVL 4

• M
• ♥ 36

Slice (3x).

1d8+1 (or Shoot, Range 8)

Bandit Mage

LVL 4

• ♥ 41

Spark Step

When damaged, teleport up to 4 spaces.

Arc Lightning.

3d8 (Range 12) Also strikes the next closest creature. On miss: damage self instead.

Bandits Loot

VERY valuable item (stolen; its owner may come looking for it, or reward you for its return), kidnapped person, leather armor, chipped blades, old food, fine art or clothes, wagon load of some commodity (salt, nails, wool, etc.), coded letter from a secretive client.

Sample Encounters

• Level 1: 1 Bruiser / 2 Assassins
• Level 2: 2 Bruisers + 1 Mage

Snakemen

Aggressive Hissing Noises

Snakemen

Coiling Strike

On melee crit: Grapple (escape DC 10).

Snakeman Minion

LVL 1/4

Strike.

1d6 Melee/ranged (follows minion rules)

Snakeman

LVL 1

• ♥ 26

Slash.

1d6+6 (or Spit, Range 8)

Cobra Captain

LVL 4

• M
• ♥ 36

Slash (2x).

1d6+6 (or Spit, Range 8)

Giant Cobra

LVL 8, LARGE

• M
• ♥ 80

Crush.

2d6+20 Advantage vs. smaller creatures.

Dungeon Denizens

For some creatures, YOU are the loot at the end of the dungeon.

Mimics

Ambusher

Mimics always start first and heroes roll Initiative with disadvantage.

Sticky

Mimic hits also Grapple and can Grapple any number of creatures. When crit: release 1 creature (attacker's choice).

Tiny Mimic

LVL 1, TINY

• ♥ 28

• Pseudopod.

  1d4 (escape DC 9)

  OR:
• Bite.

  1d12 (a Grappled creature)

Small Mimic

LVL 2, SMALL

• ♥ 41

• Pseudopod.

  1d6 (escape DC 11)

  OR:
• Bite.

  1d20 (a Grappled creature)

Medium Mimic

LVL 6

• ♥ 79

• Pseudopod.

  1d8 (escape DC 13)

  OR:
• Bite.

  2d20 (a Grappled creature)

Oozes

Digestive Touch

Contact with an ooze inflicts the Digested condition: they deal an additional X damage for each time the target has been Digested this encounter.

Goopy

When crit or dealt any slashing damage: summon X ooze minions (size: d6); their attacks inflict Digested.

Gray Ooze

LVL 1

• ♥ 28

Acidic Touch (2x).

1d6+2

Ochre Jelly

LVL 4, LARGE

• ♥ 52

Acidic Touch (2x).

1d6+3

Black Pudding

LVL 8, LARGE

• ♥ 90

Acidic Touch (2x).

1d6+5 (Reach 2)

Elder Ooze

LVL 12, HUGE

• ♥ 150

Acidic Touch (3x).

1d6+6 (Reach 3)

Stirges

Evasive Flier

Attacks against stirges are made with disadvantage.

Latched On

You move where your target moves until either dies. Your attacks can't miss or be Defended/Interposed against. Attacks that miss you damage your target instead.

Stirge

LVL 1/2, TINY

• ♥ 10

Latch On.

1d4+2 On hit: Latched On.

Greater Stirge

LVL 6, SMALL

• ♥ 60

Latch On.

1d12+10 On hit: Latched On.

Dungeon Denizens Loot

Tarnished coins (partially dissolved by acid), ancient bones with traces of gnaw marks, indigestible items (bones, gems, magical trinkets), a leather-bound journal (water-damaged pages), lockpicks, a treasure map (only half), boots (suspiciously untouched by corrosion).

Hill & Field

Mighty brutes and cunning beasts, always on the lookout for easy prey.

Gnolls

Frenzy

Advantage against Bloodied creatures.

Gnoll

LVL 1

• ♥ 28

Frenzy

Advantage against Bloodied creatures.

• Ravage (2x).

  1d10

  OR:
• Shoot.

  1d10 (Range 12)

Gnoll Packleader

LVL 4

• M
• ♥ 39

Frenzy

Advantage against Bloodied creatures.

• Bark Orders.

  2 allies can move. Then:

  Then:
• Ravage (3x).

  1d10

Worg

LVL 1, LARGE

• ♥ 28
• Walk 10

Savage

Always crits when attacking a Grappled creature.

Rip Apart (2x).

1d6+2 On hit: Grappled (escape DC 10).

Blue Drake

LVL 2

• ♥ 34
• Fly 12

On Death

Deal 1d12 damage back (ignores metal armor).

Shocking Bite.

1d12+5 (ignores metal armor)

Griffon

LVL 4, LARGE

• ♥ 50
• Fly 12

• Talons.

  2d6+10 On hit: Grappled (escape DC 14)

• Fly & Drop.

  (if grappling) Fly upward 12 and release (6d6 fall damage).

Bulette

LVL 10, LARGE

• H
• ♥ 74
• Burrow 6

Burst Forth!

Combat with a Bulette starts with the heaviest character making a DC 14 DEX save or they are Grappled (escape DC 14) and take 1d12+20 damage (half on save).

• Drag Below.

  2d12 (A Grappled creature) Then drag below and burrow away.

  OR:
• Leap & Bite.

  1d12+20 (If not grappling) Leap 6, and attack. On hit: Grappled.

Troll

LVL 10, LARGE

• M
• ♥ 100
• Walk 8

Regenerate

Does not die at 0 HP. Only fire, radiant, or a crit while at 0 HP can kill it.

• Claws.

  1d4+10 (Reach 2) On crit: Prone.

• Bite.

  1d4+20 (A Prone creature)

Hill Giant

LVL 12, HUGE

• ♥ 140
• Walk 8

Brute

On hit: Knockback Primary Die spaces.

• Smash (2x).

  1d6+15 (Reach 2)

• Boulder!

  1d6+20 (Range 12)

Roc

LVL 17, GARGANTUAN

• M
• ♥ 195
• Fly 20

• Pluck Up.

  3d12+20 (Reach 4, target up to 2 creatures) On hit: Grappled (escape DC 18).

• Crush & Drop.

  20 Fly upward 20 spaces, deal damage to Grappled creatures, then release (10d6 fall damage).

Undead

Hate the living for not being dead, hate themselves for not being living.

Undead

Unliving, Undying

The first time this dies, reset to 1 HP instead (excluding minions).

Skeleton

LVL 1/3

• ♥ 10

Grave Arrow.

1d4+3 (Range 8)

Zombie

LVL 1/2

• ♥ 15

Crunch.

1d4+4 On damage: Grappled.

Ghoul

LVL 1

• ♥ 20

Sickening Claw.

1d4+8 On damage: Dazed.

Specter

LVL 3

• ♥ 30
• Fly 6

Deathly Touch.

1d4 On damage: set HP to 0.

Ogre Zombie

LVL 5, LARGE

• ♥ 46

Greatclub (2x).

1d4+8 On crit: Prone.

Mummy

LVL 6

• ♥ 54

Slam (2x).

1d4+8 On damage: Dazed.

Giant Zombie

LVL 8, HUGE

• ♥ 73

Decaying Swipe (2x).

1d4+10 On damage: knockback Primary Die spaces.

Wraith

LVL 10

• ♥ 94
• Fly 6

Soul Rend (2x).

1d4+10 (Range 8) On damage: deal 1 Wound.

Mummy Lord

LVL 21

• ♥ 280

Cursed Gaze

When crit: DC 20 INT save, or suffer 1 Wound.

• Scarab Swarm.

  Summon 10 scarab minions (d6) within 6 spaces. Then:

• Slam (2x).

  1d4+20 On damage: Dazed.

Undead Loot

Tarnished silver locket containing a faded portrait (who is it?), bone fragments engraved with arcane symbols, a dark gemstone (emits a faint chill), vials of blood (long- dried), a diary written in an ancient hand, a macabre necklace (skeletal finger bones), a broken holy symbol smeared with ash, a signet ring from a lost noble house, moldy grave dirt (whispers when touched), shovel.

Forest Denizens

Every shadow hides a predator, every branch and leaf conspires against you, the forest is alive—and you are not welcome.

Duskprowler

LVL 6, LARGE

• ♥ 70

Illusory Aura

Attacks against the Duskprowler have Disadvantage 2. Damage suppresses this effect until the end of the next hero's turn.

Ravage (2x).

2d8+2

Basilisk

LVL 7

• H
• ♥ 48

Flesh to Stone

Creatures Dazed by the Basilisk remain so for 10 minutes. Dazed 3 times = Petrified.

• Stone Gaze.

  Daze 1 creature within sight, then:

• Envenom.

  1d8+10 Advantage vs Dazed targets.

Druid

LVL 8

• ♥ 90

• Beastshift.

  4d4+10 +4 speed, gain Medium armor this round.

• Hurricane.

  4d4+10 (Reach 3) To all enemies within reach. On damage: move targets anywhere else in Reach.

Briarbanes

Peeling Bark

Damage degrades Armor 1 step: Heavy » Medium » None.

Seedling

LVL 1/2, SMALL

• H
• ♥ 8

Thorn Seed.

2d6+2 (Range 6)

Acidpod

LVL 1, SMALL

• H
• ♥ 8

Caustic Eruption

On death: 4d6 acid damage to all adjacent creatures.

Grab.

DC 12 DEX save or Grappled.

Tangler

LVL 2

• H
• ♥ 20

Tangle (2x).

1d6+2 (Reach 6) On Hit: Grappled (escape DC 12, or any fire or slashing damage).

Rootbreaker

LVL 5, LARGE

• H
• ♥ 50

Slam.

3d6+6 On crit: knockback 2.

Treant

LVL 14, HUGE

• H
• ♥ 170

Enrage

Attack with advantage when unarmored.

• Slam.

  2d6+10 (Reach 3) On damage: Prone.

• Stomp.

  2d6+20 (Hampered target)

Forest Denizens Loot

25 ft. of vines (usable as rope), glowing sap (minor healing properties), moss-covered coins from an ancient era, a brittle leaf with veins that spell out words in Druidic, a pouch of dried herbs, a cluster of rare mushrooms, a handful of acorns (they grow INSTANTLY when placed in water), a small flower that never wilts, flute overgrown with moss, a tattered map to a hidden grove, a dried flower crown.

Cultists & Horrors

Driven by twisted beliefs, fanatical cultists perform dark rituals to awaken ancient evils, unleashing horrors that feast on fear and despair.

Cultists

Fanatical Zeal

While not at max HP, make all rolls with advantage. Your crits also inflict Despair (Disadvantage on the next attack you make this encounter).

Cultist

LVL 1

• ♥ 28

• Oblation of Blood!

  If undamaged, attack self for 2 damage. Adjacent enemies are inflicted with Despair.

• Dreadful Blade.

  1d6+6

• Blood Boil.

  3d6+6 (Range 12) (Bloodied creature)

Fanatic

LVL 3

• ♥ 41

• Oblation of Blood!

  If undamaged, attack self for 2 damage. Adjacent enemies are inflicted with Despair.

• Whispers of Madness.

  3d6+6 Contested STR check or Grappled (reroll to escape, or any radiant damage); if successful, deal psychic damage (cannot be Defended or Interposed against).

Doomsayer

LVL 5

• ♥ 58

• Feverish Chant.

  (Concentration) Reduce all damage done to allies who can hear you to 1.

• Ecstatic Ravings.

  2d6 Psychic damage to all enemies who can hear you.

Horrors

Stenchling

LVL 1/2, SMALL

• ♥ 18

Putrid Cloud

On Death: 2d6 poison damage to enemies within Reach 2.

Bite.

2d6

Spiny Fiend

LVL 4

• ♥ 49

Spines

Melee attackers take 3 damage.

• Claws (2x).

  1d6+6

• Shoot Spine.

  1d6+6 (Range 12)

Glabrezu

LVL 14, LARGE

• H
• ♥ 110

• Doomclaw (2x).

  3d6+10 (Reach 2) On damage: Grappled (escape DC 17). If the same creature is Grappled by both of the glabrezu’s claws, it must escape from each of them separately.

• Tear Asunder.

  50 (A creature Grappled by both of the glabrezu’s claws) Unpreventable damage. If the target is at 0 HP: DC 17 STR save or be torn in two, dying instantly.

Cultists & Horrors Loot

Bloodstained dagger (engraved with dark symbols), a twisted idol (whispers terrible thoughts), vial of black ichor, a mask (carved, likeness of a fiend), a tattered robe (lined with hidden pockets), a scroll with summoning rituals (half-finished), shackles inscribed with infer- nal runes, fragment of a fiendish contract, black candles (cannot be extinguished).

Underground

Nightmarish denizens of the deep, these monstrous beings lurk in dark tunnels and cavernous depths, ready to ensnare or devour any intruders.

Giant Spider

LVL 2

• M
• ♥ 27

• Shoot Web.

  1d8+2 (Range 6) On hit: Restrained (escape DC 12, or any slashing/fire damage).

• Bite.

  2d8+4 (Hampered target) Poisoned (magical healing ends).

Ettercap

LVL 4

• ♥ 49

Web Garrote.

1d8+2 On hit: Grappled (escape DC 13), Silenced until target escapes. (Silenced: Cannot cast spells or use other abilities that require speaking.)

Nestweaver

LVL 6, LARGE

• M
• ♥ 54

• Shoot Web.

  1d8+2 (Range 6) On hit: Restrained (escape DC 12, or any slashing/fire damage).

• Bite.

  3d8+6 (Hampered target) Poisoned (magical healing ends).

Umber Hulk

LVL 10, LARGE

• H
• ♥ 70

Confounding Pheromones

Enemies make a DC 15 WIL save at the start of their turns or Confused this turn. Gain advantage 1 on the save for each failure this encounter. (Confused: The GM spends your next action.)

Mandible & Claws (2x).

1d10+10

Cloaker

LVL 13, LARGE

• ♥ 110
• Fly 10

Ambusher

Cloakers always start first and heroes roll Initiative with disadvantage.

Mutual Harm

You take half damage from attacks while grappling a creature (they take the other half).

• Wrap.

  2d10+20 On Hit: Grappled (escape DC 16).

• Horrifying Wail.

  DC 16 WIL save, or creatures within 6 spaces are Frightened and must spend 1 Action moving as far away as possible.

Great Worm

LVL 16, HUGE

• H
• ♥ 140
• Burrow 8

Tremor Sight

Advantage against creatures that moved since the worm's last turn.

• Crush.

  50 Creatures in a 2×6 area take damage on a failed DC 18 DEX save. (Creatures who fail can spend 1 Action to dive out of the way instead of taking this damage. They move half their speed and land Prone.)

• Bite/Swallow.

  1d4+40 On crit: Swallowed. (Swallowed: You take 20 damage at the start of your turn. Your attacks cannot miss and ignore armor.)

Underground Loot

Chitinous plating, tunnel map (hastily scrawled), serrated teeth (as much as you can carry), spider silk, venom sac, partially digested meats, gemstones (uncut), pheromone gland, luminescent fungus, molted cara- pace, rusted tools, ancient coins, echo stones (faintly hum when tapped).

Legendary Monsters

While most combat encounters will be the heroes against a group of monsters, occasionally a solo fight is demanded by the story. However, when facing only a single enemy, heroes can pump out serious amounts of damage and take down even an extremely powerful foe quickly. So, solo monsters should almost always be Legendary.

Heroes should know when they are fighting a Legendary creature. It should not happen every session; these encounters should be saved for a particularly meaningful fight. This is THE SCARY DRAGON, or the named boss, or the Big Bad Evil Guy. A Legendary monster has a few important elements:

Legendary monsters act after EACH hero’s turn. This creates new tactical options and challenges for the party and aids you in balancing an encounter for different party sizes.

Acting after each turn? What if a mob of 100 commoners attack a dragon, does it get to move at light speed after each one of their turns?! No. Only after hero’s turns. Commoners, minions, and other followers are not heroes. As the GM, use your best judgment and feel free to nix any rule that your table doesn’t like or that doesn’t make sense in the world.

They have interesting mechanics and weaknesses that can be uncovered through research ahead of time or using the Assess action in combat.

Saves. Like heroes, Legendary Monsters have advantaged (+) or disadvantaged (-) saves. For example STR++, WIL- means that this monster would roll STR saves with advantage 2 (two additional dice), and WIL saves with disadvantage.

Bloodied. They gain an additional dangerous ability as their HP drops to half.

Last Stand. When they are reduced to 0 HP, legendary monsters are dying and they gain dangerous new capabilities. They finally die once a small amount of additional damage is done. The tide shifting back and forth in a Legendary battle will help make it memorable!

Optional Actions. Each legendary monster can also have the default actions to cause fear or move players around instead of their listed attacks. A great way to add drama or tune down an encounter that is too challenging. For example:

• Wind Up/Breathe In. Regain the use of a single use ability.
• Terrible Roar/Creepy Monologue/Taunt. Creatures (or a creature) who hear this make a WIL save or are Frightened for 1 turn.
• Toss Around/Telekinetic Shove. STR save or moved, Prone, etc.
• Size Up/Spot Weakness/Pin Down. DEX save, the next attack you make is with advantage and cannot be Interposed.

Legendary Monster Builder

Legendary monsters are balanced to last long enough for heroes to each get a chance to do something cool, and short enough to not drag on for too long (roughly 15 hero turns to get to the Last Stand, and then 2-4 additional turns after that). Legendary Monsters will typically have 2 actions to choose from: one that allows them to move (or has other utility) and deals a small amount of damage, and another that deals big damage if they’re already in position (though, as always, feel free to change it up!).

A good legendary monster will feel almost puzzle-like. It should have abilities that the heroes need to figure out how to best deal with, and encourage the heroes to think differently, move, and use teamwork to overcome. A good monsters is not merely their stats; however, the following stats should help when creating your own legendary monsters. Unlike normal encounters, the numbers here are all based off the Party Level, and stay the same regardless of the number of heroes in the party.

Legendary Monster Stats by Level

For an easier encounter, use the stats 1 or 2 levels lower; more challenging, 1 or 2 levels higher. Legendary monsters will typically have at least Medium armor; if unarmored make sure they have some other defensive ability.

Party Level	HP (Med Armor)	HP (Hev Armor)	HP (Last Stand)	Save DC	Attack Dmg (Small)	Attack Dmg (Big)
1	50	35	10	10	8	16
2	75	55	20	11	9	18
3	100	75	30	11	10	20
4	125	95	40	12	11	22
5	150	115	50	12	12	24
6	175	135	60	13	13	26
7	200	155	70	13	14	28
8	225	175	80	14	15	30
9	250	195	90	14	16	32
10	275	215	100	15	17	34
11	300	235	110	15	18	36
12	325	255	120	16	19	38
13	350	275	130	16	20	40
14	375	295	140	17	21	42
15	400	315	150	17	22	44
16	425	335	160	18	23	46
17	450	355	170	18	24	48
18	475	375	180	19	25	50
19	500	395	190	19	26	52
20	525	415	200	20	27	54

Examples

For example, see Pudge the Blunderer below. For a level 2 party he’ll have 75 HP and Medium Armor. No need to stick strictly to the stat guidelines though his small attack hits for slightly less than suggested and, in exchange, his big attack hits for slightly more. When Bloodied, Pudge gets angry and his die size goes up, increasing his damage and reducing his chance to miss. For his Last Stand, he becomes far more dangerous, moving and using his big attack each turn.

Pudge the Blunderer

Level 2, Solo, Large, Dumb Ogre

• M
• ♥ 75
• ★ STR+
• Walk 8

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Move & Smack.

  1d8+2. Move 8. On damage: Prone.

• Grab & Throw.

  1d8+2. On damage: they are thrown at another hero within 6 spaces. Both make a DC 12 DEX save or take 1d8+2 damage and are knocked Prone, half damage on save.

Bloodied

At 37 HP, Pudge’s damage increases to 1d12+2.

Last Stand

Pudge is dying! 20 more damage and he dies. Until then, Pudge can move 6 spaces, and use Grab & Throw each turn.

Legendary Teams

“Solo” encounters need not be strictly solo! Legendary creatures may have pets, summon minions, or even come in groups. You can have ALL of them attack after each hero, or take turns attacking.

Level 3 Solo Bug Druid & His Stinky Pet

Kelebek & Poppy

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose Kelebek OR Poppy to act.

Kelebek (Entomancer)

• M
• ♥ 60
• ★ INT+
• ★ WIL+

Vinelash.

Move 6, then 2d6. On damage: move target to an unoccupied space within 10 spaces.

Poppy (Giant Stinkbug)

• H
• ♥ 60
• ★ STR+

Stink Cloud

When damaged, enemies within 2 spaces make a STR save (DC equal to the higher of 10 or the damage done). On a failure, they must spend their next action vomiting, and they cannot take reactions this round.

Crushing Mandibles.

Move 6. 4d6 damage, up to 2 adjacent creatures.

Bloodied

When Kelebek is reduced to 30 HP, Poppy always Interposes for him.

Last Stand

When Poppy dies, the room is filled with noxious gas: all heroes have a maximum of 2 actions each turn.

Legendary Bestiary

Official legendary stat blocks, ordered from lowest level to highest.

Grimbeak, the Unyielding

Level 3, Solo, Large, Large Owlbear

• M
• ♥ 100
• ★ STR+

Brutal

Treat the highest die rolled as the Primary Die. On crit: knock Prone.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Savage Screech (1x).

  2d6. All enemies within reach 12 suffer damage (ignoring armor). DC 11 WIL save or become Frightened for 1 round.

• Rend & Tear.

  2d6+10

• Beak.

  2d6. Move 8.

Bloodied

At 50 HP, Savage Screech recharges.

Last Stand

Grimbeak is dying! 30 more damage and she dies. Until then, her Attacks use d10s instead of d6s.

Thorn Quickblade

Level 4, Solo, Human Criminal

• M
• ♥ 125
• ★ DEX+
• Walk 8

Strike Back

When crit, make a Heart Piercer or Stormquill attack in return.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Stormquill (Crossbow).

  4d4+10 (Range 8). Move 4.

• Heart Piercer (Rapier).

  2d4+3. Move 8. On crit: Dazed.

Bloodied

Smoke Bomb. At 62 HP, Thorn immediately becomes invisible (until the end of his next turn), then moves 8, ignoring opportunity attacks.

Last Stand

Mortal Panic! Thorn is dying! 30 more damage and he’s dead! Until then he’ll Strike Back EVERY time he’s hit (1/turn).

Ravager of the Lowlands

Level 5, Solo, Large, Large Manticore

• M
• ♥ 130
• ★ STR+
• ★ DEX+
• Fly 10

Feral Instinct

Whenever Ravager is crit, he can fly 10.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Venomous Stinger (1x).

  5d12. Reach 3.

• Ravage.

  1d12+20

• Claw.

  1d12+6. Fly 10.

Bloodied

At 65 HP, his Venomous Stinger recharges.

Last Stand

The Ravager is dying! 40 more damage and he dies. Until then, the first time each turn he takes damage, he uses Move & Claw.

Nalzar, Apex Predator

Level 6, Solo, Large, Large Grey Drake

• M
• ♥ 180
• ★ STR+
• ★ DEX+
• Fly 8

Tail Swipe

When dealt slashing or lightning damage: knock a hero within 3 spaces Prone.

Torn Wings

Each slashing crit reduces the Wing Buffet DC by 1.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Devour.

  4d12+6 (Prone creatures only, Reach 2)

• Wing Buffet.

  1d12. Fly 8, then land. Cone 8: then DC 14 STR save or also knocked Prone (advantage if behind cover or another hero).

Bloodied

At 90 HP, her Wing Buffet Range and DC increase by 2.

Last Stand

Nalzar is dying! 60 more damage and she dies. Until then, each turn, she moves 6, then uses Devour (ignoring the Prone requirement).

Queen Aranya, Broodmother

Level 6, Solo, Large, Large Matriarch of Spiders

• M
• ♥ 160
• ★ ALL+
• Walk 8

Weave Web

Creatures she hits are entangled in a sticky web (Dazed).

Flammable Webs

Fire critical hits suppress the Broodmother's Weave Web for 1 turn.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Impale.

  2d8+8 (Reach 2) Then skitter away up to 8 spaces.

• Hatch Brood.

  Summon spiderling minions (1/hero, size: d8); they act only when commanded.

• Dinner Time!

  Command all of your spiderling minions to move up to 6 spaces and attack once each.

Bloodied

“Avenge Your Queen, My Brood!” At 80 HP, summon 3 spiderling minions/hero anywhere within Reach 8.

Last Stand

Aranya is dying! 40 more damage and she dies. Until then, Hatch Brood after each of her turns.

Florindris, Bane of the Forest

Level 7, Solo, Large, Large Floral Dragon

• M
• ♥ 200
• ★ ALL+
• Fly 10

Aura of Wind

Ranged attacks against you have disadvantage. End of turn: push adjacent creatures 2 spaces away.

Wither

Resistant to necrotic damage, but it suppresses Aura of Wind for 1 turn.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Petal Storm (1x).

  3d10+10. Damage to all enemies within Reach 8, half on a DC 13 DEX save.

• Rend.

  1d10+10. Fly 10 before or after attacking. (Reach 2) Up to 2 targets within reach. On hit: Gain Thornblight (suffer 5 damage for each space forcibly moved, magical healing ends).

• Gust.

  (Reach 8) Move a target 1d10 spaces.

Bloodied

At 100 HP, enemies within Reach 12 gain Thornblight, and Petal Storm recharges.

Last Stand

Florindris is dying! 70 more damage and she dies. Until then, Aura of Wind and Gust move creatures twice as far.

General Flameheart

Level 8, Solo, Huge, Huge Flame Titan

• H
• ♥ 175
• ★ STR+
• ★ WIL+
• Walk 8

Cinder Armor

Immune to fire. When damaged, deal 5 fire damage to all adjacent creatures.

Extinguish Flame

Cold or radiant crits extinguish all areas ignited by Molten Fury and suppress Cinder Armor for 1 turn.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Inferno Cleave.

  2d10+10. Move 8 then strike a 2×2 square area for fire damage.

• Molten Fury.

  2d10+10. Lob a molten fireball at the furthest hero not already in the flames, igniting a 2×2 square area. Another 10 damage at the end of each of their turns if they remain in the area.

Bloodied

At 87 HP, on his next turn, he uses Molten Fury a number of times equal to half the number of heroes (rounded up).

Last Stand

Flameheart is dying! 80 more damage and he dies. Until then, the area of his attacks increase to a 3×3 square.

Vael, Undying Necromancer

Level 9, Solo, Luminary of Malice

• ♥ 250
• ★ INT++
• ★ WIL++

Protect Master!

Whenever Vael would fail a save or take 20 or more damage, he may sacrifice his Lifebinding Spirit, Bane, instead. He spends his next turn moving up to 6 spaces and summoning Bane.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, Bane attacks for 1d12+6 then Vael chooses one:

• DOOM.

  5d12 (Range 12) (Undamaged target) DC 14 WIL save or full damage. Half on save.

• Veilwalker's Rebuke.

  2d12+6 (Range 8). Double damage against those behind cover. 1/round you may swap places with them.

• Cruelty's Edge.

  1d4+2. On hit: DC 14 WIL save or Dazed and Frightened. Then move 6.

Bloodied

At 125 HP, Vael gains the reaction Shield of Cruelty. (1 time use) If Vael would be damaged, instead he may reflect that much radiant damage back at the attacker.

Last Stand

DEATH, AN OLD FRIEND. Vael is dying! 90 more damage and he dies. Until then, he gains Heavy Armor, the hero that most recently damaged him is reduced to 0 HP, and Bane is sacrificed into a Vengeful Spirit. It deals 1d12+6 necrotic damage to creatures within reach 3 at the end of each of his turns.

Titan of the Deep Woods

Level 10, Solo, Gargantuan, Gargantuan Skeleton

• H
• ♥ 240
• ★ STR+++
• Walk 10

Splintering Legions

Bludgeoning damage or any crit cause bones to splinter off and animate, forming a d10 minion.

Brittle Bones

Resistant to piercing, vulnerable to bludgeoning.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Devastating Strike.

  1d4+30 (Reach 4) On hit: Knockback 6.

• Crushing Stomp.

  1d4+20. Move up to 10 spaces. Up to 2 targets along the path. On hit: Prone.

• Beckoning Doom.

  The 2 furthest heroes make a DC 16 STR save or are moved adjacent to Titan.

Last Stand

Shattered Legion. At 0 HP Titan collapses into 4 skeleton minions/hero (d10 sized). If any remain, they reassemble into the Titan the next evening.

Ul'vek, Psionic Despot

Level 11, Solo, Medium Brain-Eating Aberration

• ♥ 300
• ★ DEX+
• ★ INT++
• ★ WIL++

Mind Shield

Whenever Ul' would fail a save or take more than 30 damage while he has a creature Dominated, he may avoid the attack instead, but all Dominated creatures come to their senses.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Dominate.

  2d12 (If no creatures are Dominated) Choose half of the heroes to suffer psychic damage (ignoring armor). DC 15 WIL save or Dominated as well. Dominated: Rolls are made with disadvantage. Ul’ spends your first action on each of your turns. Damage ends.

• Consume.

  6d12 (Dominated creature) Contested DEX or STR check, on success: Grappled. Cannot be Defended or Interposed against.

• Control.

  Teleport 8. (Reach 8) DC 15 WIL save, force an enemy to spend one Action to make a weapon attack or cast a cantrip. On save, they attack with disadvantage.

Bloodied

At 150 HP gain Illusory Shift. Reaction, when attacked (1 use): Swap places with a Dominated creature, making them the new target of the attack.

Last Stand

Ul’ is dying! 110 more damage and he dies. Until then, Dominated no longer ends on taking damage. Every hero makes a WIL save or become Dominated.

Dravok, All-Seeing Tyrant

Level 12, Solo, Large, Large Aberration, all TEETH & EYES

• ♥ 325
• ★ INT++
• ★ WIL++
• Fly 6

My plans, flawless!

Dravok makes all saves with +1 Advantage, attacks against him have Disadvantage.

Weakness

Taking more than 12 piercing or slashing damage: Dravok's plans are FLAWED! (until the end of the next hero's turn.)

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, Move 6 and then either use Eye Ray OR Terrible Maw:

• Eye Ray.

  (Range 10) Randomly chosen ray then choose target: 1. Warping Ray: 3d6, On hit: Dazed, exchange places. 2. Petrification Ray: Permanently Dazed, healing ends (3 stacks = Petrified). 3. Terror Ray: 5d10 psychic & Terrified. 4. Gravitation Ray: 2d6, push that many spaces, Prone on 7+. 5. Charm Ray: DC 16 WIL or spend 3 Actions controlled. 6. Death Ray: DC 16 STR or drop to 0 HP.

• Terrible Maw.

  4d4. Melee attack. EVERY die can crit and is Vicious.

Bloodied

To Dust! At 110 HP, use Petrification Ray against every enemy. His save DC increases to 18.

Last Stand

Dravok is dying! 70 more damage and he dies. Until then, each turn he will move or use Warping Ray and then Devastation Beam: 2d12+20 in a 10 space long, 2 space wide line.

Azriel, Lord of Pain & Flame

Level 14, Solo, Huge, Huge Balor Feeling Hot & Spicy

• H
• ♥ 320
• ★ ALL+

PAIN!

Crits against Azriel are Vicious, he deals damage equal to the crit dice back to the attacker.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Crackling Whip.

  3d12. Move 6. (Reach 6) On hit: Grappled and pulled adjacent to Azriel (escape DC 17 STR, DEX, or until he uses the whip again).

• Doom Sword.

  3d12+10. Fire damage to all creatures within Reach 2.

Bloodied

At 160 HP, Azriel can use Crackling Whip twice each turn.

Last Stand

YES, MORE PAIN! Azriel is dying! 180 more damage and he dies. Until then, EVERY hit against him is a crit.

Gloomwing the Cruel

Level 15, Solo, Huge, Huge Rot Dragon

• H
• ♥ 320
• ★ ALL++
• Fly 10

Aura of Rot

Creatures within 6 spaces take 5 necrotic damage at the end of their turns.

Light Sensitivity

Radiant damage suppresses Aura of Rot until the end of the next hero's turn.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose one:

• Rot Breath (1x).

  8d10. Fly 10, then (Cone 8) DC 17 DEX save or necrotic damage, half on save.

• Bite.

  3d10 (Reach 2) Move 6. On damage: Cruelty’s Gift (Healing is halved and Vulnerable to necrotic, healing ends).

• Claws.

  3d10+10 (Reach 2) Slashing + necrotic damage.

• Tail.

  1d10 (Reach 4) Knocked back that many spaces.

Bloodied

At 160 HP Gloomwing’s Rot Breath recharges.

Last Stand

Gloomwing is dying! 150 more damage and he dies. Until then, the damage and range of His Aura of Rot is doubled.

Alaric Draegoth, the Crimson Count

Level 16, Solo, Vampire Lord

• ♥ 320
• ★ ALL++
• Fly 8

Sanguine Cloak

(1/turn) Deal 1d10 necrotic damage whenever you are hit, the attack is reduced by this amount.

Sunscorn

Vulnerable to radiant. After taking radiant damage, use Beguile as a Reaction, they roll with disadvantage.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, summon 1 blood bat minion (d10) within 8 spaces, then choose 1:

• Ebonfang.

  1d10+15. Your target is considered Bloodied for 1 round. Fly 8 before or after attacking.

• Beguile.

  If no creature is Beguiled, Beguile a target on a failed DC 18 WIL save (w/ disadvantage if Bloodied). Beguiled: Dazed. Cannot Defend or allow anyone to Interpose for you. Damage ends.

• Beckon & Bite.

  2d10+30. Move a Beguiled creature adjacent to you and bite them. Also deals 1 Wound.

Bloodied

At 160 HP, gain Mistform. Not vulnerable to radiant. Bat Decoy: Whenever Alaric would take damage, instead first swap places with a bat minion, 1/round.

Last Stand

Alaric is dying! 160 more damage and he dies. Until then, his Sanguine Cloak, attacks, and bats roll d20s instead of d10s.

Caerys, the Hollow Star

Level 20, Solo, Gargantuan, World-Ending Cataclysm

• H
• ♥ 620
• ★ ALL+++
• Fly 12

Ravages of Time

At the beginning of each round, all heroes suffer 1 Wound.

Slipstream

3/encounter when she would suffer any negative effect she can swap places with a creature of her choice making them the target instead. All heroes recover 1 Wound.

ACTIONS: After each hero's turn, choose 1 not yet chosen (reset when all have been chosen):

• Wormhole.

  3d20. Teleport 12. Damage to a creature adjacent to where you began or ended.

• Immensity.

  3d20 (Reach 12) DC 20 STR save (disadvantage if within Reach 4) or damage and Prone. Half on save.

• Glimpse Your End.

  DC 20 WIL save or DOOMED: Concentration ends, the next damage roll against you is maximized.

• Plasma Storm.

  2d20+2d20. Reach 6, DC 20 DEX save or lightning and fire damage. Half on save.

• Singularity.

  5d20. Reach 2, bludgeoning damage.

• Almighty Push & Pull.

  (Range 12) DC 20 STR save or be launched 20 ft. into the air, repeat until the target saves. Fall damage for this attack is 1d20 for every 10 ft. fallen.

Bloodied

At 310 HP, Gravitational Mastery: Move ALL objects and creatures within 16 spaces anywhere else within the area. Gravitational Lensing: The hero with the most HP is marked by Caerys. She takes half damage from all sources, her mark takes the other half. This lasts until the mark drops to 0 HP.

Last Stand

Use Gravitational Mastery, then Caerys is dying! 200 more damage and she dies. Until then she chooses twice each turn. If still alive after 1 round: Reset Time: she resets back to full HP.

The Garden of Death

A THORNY STARTER ADVENTURE FOR 2+ HEROES BY JOSIAH MOORE & EVAN DIAZ

LET’S PLAY!

The following adventures will guide your players from level 1 beginners to seasoned level 3 heroes while helping you grow from a new GM to someone confident enough to run a sandbox-style campaign. By the end of this journey, your players will have plenty of choices about what to do next, and you’ll have the tools to create new adventures that can keep the story going indefinitely.

If you’re new to GMing, expect the first session to be a (fun) learning experience for everyone. You and your players will get used to the rhythm of the rules and the flow of a TTRPG. By the second session, you’ll all feel more at ease, and by the third, running the game will become second nature. For more seasoned GMs, consider using the Advanced GM Tools in this book to add complexity or customize challenges to suit your group.

A good rule of thumb: your players will remember their own choices far more than the story you’ve planned. Wherever possible, leave room for their creativity and ideas to shape the narrative. The adventures included here are designed to fit into a standard 2-4 hour session, but they’re flexible enough to be extended, condensed, or otherwise adjusted to fit your group’s needs.

Feel free to adjust the adventures to suit your group’s preferences!

• Don’t like spiders? Swap them out for another type of monster.
• Prefer a treasure hunt over a rescue mission? Maybe the goblins stole a precious item instead of kidnapping Moonblossom.
• Do your players thrive on combat or roleplaying? Add more opportunities for their favorite parts of the game.

These adventures are designed to inspire, not constrain. Follow the fun, and trust your instincts to adapt as the story unfolds. Make them your own!

A Tiny Rescue

The Garden of Death, Chapter 1: A introductory adventure for LEVEL 1 heroes (and GMs) to learn the ropes!

Jump Right In! Long narrations can lose attention, so this adventure starts right in the middle of the action. Whenever possible, jump right into the fun parts rather than a slow build-up of excitement! Get the heroes involved, asking questions and rolling dice right away.

What’s Going On?

The heroes are at the Valley’s Rest, a cozy inn located in the humble town of Merivale. Goblins have snuck into town to kidnap the town’s beloved fairy, Moonblossom. Read or paraphrase:

Just as you are sitting down for dinner (griffon stew), a tiny scream sends the inn’s patrons into a hush. They look at the door, then to you—the only ones capable of handling anything scarier than a stray sheep. What do you do?

Encourage them to ask questions! This starting information is intentionally minimal to get your heroes involved and asking questions as quickly as possible! “Wait—Where are we?” “What do we see?” “Did we hear anything else?” They’ll get more out of the game the more questions they ask!

• Did We Hear Anything Else? DC 10 Perception check: The sound of a dozen or so small feet shuffling outside in the dark, accompanied by orders being whisper-shouted.
• Be A Hero! Some players are naturally hesitant to face danger, egg them on! If they’re hesitant: Marla, the innkeeper can offer “Free dinner to whoever deals with that!” A very elderly old man slowly stands up, armed with a fork, shuffles toward the door. When the heroes go to investigate:

Opening the door, you are facing down a pack of goblins who clearly look like they’ve been caught red-handed. A goblin in the back riding on top of a giant rat is quickly stuffing something into his pack (Perception:it’s Moon- blossom!), as he yells “get’em boys!” He, and a few others take off into the night.

• The remaining goblins (2 goblin minions/hero) face you down, filthy, crooked daggers drawn, and look ready to leap at you and attack. “ROLL INITIATIVE!” To do this, each hero rolls 1d20 and adds their Initiative bonus. If the total is a single digit, they start their first turn with just 1 action; 2 digits, 2 actions; and a result of 20+, all 3 actions.
• Regardless of what they rolled, at the end of their turn, each player gets all 3 actions back. Whoever is ready first can go first, and then play will go around the table clockwise; the monsters will go last.

Minions. Any damage kills a minion, they all move at the same time, they can’t crit, and their attacks (each goblin minion rolls 1d6) can be blocked as if it were a single attack.

Moving & Attacking. Heroes can spend 1 action to move up to their speed (typically 6 spaces), or 1 action to attack. Roll the dice listed on your weapon or ability and you’ll deal that much damage (a 1 misses, the max roll crits)! After all the players have gone, any Goblins still standing will take their turn. The goblin minions can move up to 6 spaces on their turn and make a single attack (1d6).

The Quest

After the goblins are dispatched, encourage the heroes to loot them as villagers pour out into the town square.

• Goblin Loot. Chipped/rusty daggers, rope, pocket full of teeth, nicely shaped rocks.
• The Quest. The party is asked to hunt down the rest of the goblins and rescue Moonblossom. They are well-provisioned before leaving (steamed potatoes) and promised 20 gp each upon her safe return.

Additional Info

• The Fairy Tree. A large golden oak stands proudly in the town square, a symbol of hope and good luck. It feels warm and comforting to the touch, giving goosebumps. (Arcana or Lore Check: fairies are often kept for the blessings they bestow, but more sinister forces use them as ingredients.)
• The Goblins. People are shocked goblins would come so far from The Elderwild into the valley.

Traveling Encounters

• Old Caravan. An abandoned and ransacked supply wagon. Signs of a recent struggle (DC 10 Examination: blood and goblin tracks all around; 12+: also find 1d10 gp).

  Skill Checks. Let 1 person roll; this represents the party’s best effort at uncovering information. If necessary, 1 other person can help on occasion. Don’t let them all roll until they succeed! If your heroes have particularly good ideas for searching, you can give them advantage on the skill check.

• Misleading Footprints. The goblins have left multiple sets of diverging footprints. Only one path is cor- rect; the others lead to hidden pitfall traps. Whoever is in front must make a DC 12 Naturecraft check or take 2 damage from a pitfall trap. Keep rolling to find the right path until someone succeeds. Should arrive at the woods tomorrow.

  Resting. If the heroes make camp for the evening, remind them that they can take a Field Rest and spend their Hit Die to recover HP.

The Elderwild

Two days north of Merivale, the Elderwild is an ancient forest with impossibly large trees. Misty canopy, dense undergrowth, teeming with life (rabbits, squirrels, dragonflies, etc.). (DC 10 Lore: Grown from the corpse of a titan, flora practically hums with magical energy.)

• Distant Laughing. Loud, boisterous laughs echo through the forest. Following the sound reveals a goblin encampment. 1 Goblin is riding on the back of a giant rat; other goblins are pelting him with rocks, trying to knock him off. All are laughing maniacally.

  Planning! Allow the party time to observe, ask questions, and plan how to deal with the situation. This can be some of the most fun your heroes will have! If the party takes too long, the rat sniffs the air and growls suspiciously.

• Roll Initiative! This encounter kicks off when the party jumps into action; if they’re taking too long, the giant rat begins sniffing the air suspiciously in their direction and growling. 1 Goblin Flunkie/hero and 1 Goblin Ratrider (Ratrider is at half HP if there are 3 or fewer heroes).

  Defend & Interpose. This is a more challenging encounter designed to teach the Defend and Interpose reactions and what happens when a hero drops to 0 hp (use the Ratrider’s speed to go for the hero with the least armor or HP).

Aftermath/Loot

A curious map. Found on a goblin, odd symbols (will need to ask about it in town). On the back, a note:

“Tell Pinky he better not come back without my ingredients! WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, KROGG!” —Greenthumb.

Moonblossom.

*Muffled* “Pardon me? A little help would be lovely…”

A tiny fairy with a minuscule voice, locked in a crude cage. She’s eager to return home and promises them a gift as thank you when they get there. She’ll offer a healing kiss on the forehead of the most injured hero, restoring all HP and removing all Wounds.

What She Knows. The goblins were hired by some- one bad. It sounded like they were arguing about which boss to deliver her to. Apparently, there are two bosses.

Back in Merivale. Moonblossom gifts the party a golden acorn from the Fairy Tree as a token of thanks. (1 time use: reroll any 1 die).

Level Up. The heroes also advance to Level 2 upon resting back in town. See “Leveling Up” on pg. 19 of the Core Rules book.

Goblin Minion

LVL 1/4, SMALL

Goblins: Haha, Missed Me!

Whenever an attack misses you, deal 1 psychic damage in return.

Stab.

1d6 (follows minion rules)

Goblin

LVL 1/3, SMALL

• ♥ 15

Goblins: Haha, Missed Me!

Whenever an attack misses you, deal 1 psychic damage in return.

Stab.

1d6+2 (or Shoot, Range 8)

Goblin Ratrider

LVL 2

• ♥ 30
• Walk 10

Goblins: Haha, Missed Me!

Whenever an attack misses you, deal 1 psychic damage in return.

CHAARGE!

If you move at least 4 spaces in a straight line, attack with advantage once.

Bite & Stab (2x).

1d6+2 On crit: Prone.

Goblins of the Crystal Crag

The Garden of Death, Chapter 2: A LEVEL 2 adventure for 2-8+ heroes.

What’s Going On?

The froglin wizard Greenthumb, in his hubris, has planted a Deathbriar seed—a sentient plant whose spores can animate the dead—believing he could tame it for study. His experiments have gone horribly wrong, and now the Deathbriar has grown out of control. In desperation, Greenthumb seeks to perform a ritual to become a Lich in order to gain the power needed to undo his mistake.

Greenthumb hired a band of goblins, led by the cunning chieftain Krogg, to steal magical items from the nearby town of Merivale for use in his ritual. However, the goblins are demanding triple payment and refusing to turn over the goods. Furious, Greenthumb has sent Rootbreakers—animated plant creatures—to the goblin’s lair in an abandoned mine to take the items by force. The adventurers are drawn into this volatile situation, with danger on all sides.

Back in Town

The villagers of Merivale are overjoyed at Moonblossom’s safe return and eagerly share what they know:

• The Goblins. They returned while the party was away; some food and a golden locket were taken Villagers are unsure of what else was stolen. The Goblins are up to something and getting more aggressive. They must be stopped!
• The map. Leads to a well-known abandoned mine deeper into the Elderwild. The villagers are happy to deeper into the Elderwild. The villagers are happy to provide directions.
• Unnatural Growth. Plants around town are “acting up,” thorns and briars are growing at a rapid pace.
• Krogg. Nobody knows who Krogg is, but it sounds like a goblin name. Pinky is likewise unknown.
• Greenthumb. The froglin wizard stayed upstairs at the Valley’s Rest for a few days (grumpy, kept to himself). Left a few weeks ago (travelers are always coming through Merivale on their way to Farhope).

Who’s Talking? Your players may be perfectly happy talking to anyone in general and not asking for names or details, that’s fine! But if they ask for more information about who they’re speaking to, or who might be the best person to speak to, see “Merivale” on pg. 78 for more information.

Travel Encounters

The trek through the Elderwild takes 2-3 days. Possible encounters include:

• Distant Landmarks. A particularly clear day, you see far to the NW the peaks of the Iceforge Mountains. To the NE, the Skyreach Isles floating in the sky. Feel free to share small bits of info they might know about these areas—you can ask for a Lore check, or give it for free if their character would know.
• Flying Predator. A BIG monster carrying something in its claws. (DC 10 Perception: it’s a manticore, carrying a cow!).

Adventure Locations

Goblin Cave Entrance. Deep in the woods, a large hole in the side of a rock face.

• A goblin, covered in dirt, stands watch at the entrance.
• He’s dozing off as he leans against a dead tree, jagged machetes and hatchets are lodged in its bark (DC 8 Naturecraft: It’s actually a dead Rootbreaker. A large plant creature animated by botanical magic).
• If startled, on his turn in combat, he will run inside and try to alert his buds, but will get pulled down into the pit by the trapped Rootbreakers.

Rootbreaker Pit. Just inside, the cave lies a DEEP pit obstructing further progress.

• Freshly dug & DEEP. Too dark to see the bottom (Goblins have dug the pit to stop the attacking Rootbreakers, two of which are stuck inside).
• Narrow, rickety scaffolding zigzags to the other side. (Perception check, DC 10: Vines reach up from the pit, will entangle the first one to cross if not spotted first).
• Upon crossing (or if they investigate further before attempting to cross), DEEP rumbling voices are heard: Rootbreakers (wrapped in black thorny vines, with dull red eyes) are trapped at the bottom.
• (Rootbreaker voice: as deep and slowly as you can!) “HEELLLP USS, WEE ARE TRAAPPED.” and “WEE WILL AAIIID YOU AGAINST OUR COMMON FOOEEE…”

Do the Voice! You don’t need to be good at it (the worse you are at it the more fun it can be!), your players will be more likely to loosen up and play along the more they see you getting into it.

If the heroes cross without speaking to them, the Rootbreakers will attempt to entangle the heroes and pull them down (DC 10 DEX save or Grappled and pulled down into the pit). The Rootbreakers will negotiate with the heroes (though they will use any heroes in the pit as leverage in the negotiation, threatening to pull their limbs off if negotiations don’t go well). If freed from the pit, the Rootbreakers will fight and defeat the goblins in the Atrium, dying in the process.

What the Rootbreakers know:

• Master created us to retrieve the necessary components. “A locket, and a life.”
• The ritual must be completed or “All is lost.”
• Aid us and you will be rewarded when Deathbriar makes all things new (they don’t know what this means). The hero with the highest WIL gets a deathly cold chill down their spine upon hearing this name.

Atrium. Large cavern illuminated by a few lit torches along the walls.

• 1 Goblin/hero mills about in this room. Examining the floor (it is covered in cracks, they seem to be growing) scratching their heads deep in thought.
• Unless the heroes made a lot of noise in the previous room, they can have advantage on their Initiative roll.
• A Collapsed Tunnel to the left, a barricaded tunnel straight ahead (to the Goblin’s Den - removing the barricade is easy enough, but will alert the goblins on the other side to your presence: automatic 1 on Initiative), and an open tunnel to the right, covered in spider webs (to the Spider Chamber).

Collapsed Tunnel. A passageway blocked by rubble.

• Another Rootbreaker (motionless, but alive) is visible under the collapsed rubble along with a shiny object (1d4 amber crystals, 5gp each). Will take 30 min to et to the loot.
• The Rootbreaker attacks the closest creature if the rub- ble is cleared, then dies (1d12 damage).

Spider Chamber. Passageway obstructed by dense layer of webs.

• Giant Spiders (1/hero) hide amidst the webs and will attack if the webs are disturbed.

Giant Spider

LVL 2

• M
• ♥ 27

• Shoot Web.

  1d8+2 (Range 6) On hit: Restrained (escape DC 12, or any slashing/fire damage).

• Bite.

  2d8+4 (Hampered target) Poisoned (magical healing ends).

Drill Room. A dozen holes drilled into the walls.

• A large mechanical drill (broken) is lodged in the wall.
• (Examination: DC 10, with a diamond-tipped drill bit 25gp). Moving the drill (DC 16 Might) reveals a secret passage to the Goblin’s Den.
• A dozen holes (2 ft. in diameter, 3-6 ft. deep) bored in the walls and floor. The first hole looked into has a small treasure. Looking in additional holes, roll 1d12:
  • 1-5: A Giant Spider (it attacks first).
  • 6-10: Bones wrapped in spider webs.
  • 11: A small treasure.
  • 12: A big treasure!

Don’t punish curiosity or bravery! Make sure the first few things the players interact with in a dungeon are positive. If instead the first 2 doors are trapped, they may just stop opening doors. If they save an NPC from danger only to be stabbed in the back, be prepared for them to never trust your NPCs.

Goblin’s Den. Smell of fish, body odor, and charcoal. Shoddy bunk beds and hammocks.

• Goblins are here (2/hero), sleeping, picking their toenails, or playing cards at a stump.
• Crude drawing of a goblin named “Pinky” on the wall used as target practice for thrown daggers and darts. Known as a traitor amongst the goblins.

Slop Hall. Large cauldron full of slop bubbles over a fire.

• A grumpy goblin (Sprig, wearing an old, stained white chef’s apron full of wooden spoons) stands on a step- ladder stirring it lazily. Grumpily mumbling:
• “Stupid KROGG, make me stir this stupid slop, it’s not MY fault my stupid brother…”
• When he sees the heroes: “AH DON’T KILL ME I’LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW IT WAS MY BROTHER, PINKY! HE DID IT”

What Sprig Knows:

• He was put on slop duty as punishment for his brother Pinky’s crimes. He ran off to serve some “hack” wizard called “Greenthumb.”
• Pinky has been secretly visiting his brother Sprig using some magical item to come and go invisibly (a Cloak of Lesser Windform). He wants to convince Sprig to join him in service to Greenthumb.
• Pinky claims there is an dreadful force that will soon terrorize the region (unsure what that means).
• If the party has taken a large amount of damage and is in need of healing, Sprig can offer some slop. Tastes terrible but very nutritious. Eating one bowl heals 2 Hit Dice worth of HP. Eating more than that will not heal them any further, and may cause awful vomiting.
• Krogg (a bugbear) is in the next room awaiting his slop. Very mean, very strong.
• “Oh, before you go?” Sprig asks to stab one of you (just a little stab), in case you lose—so Krogg knows he at least put up a fight. Will offer one of you to punch him in return, but quickly drops it if heroes seem unwilling. “It’ll probably be fine…”

Krogg, Goblin King. Bugbear, strong, crafty (smarter than average goblins). Wears a crown of metal scraps. Wields a Manglemaul, a warhammer with a bear trap on the end.

Krogg’s Quarters. Large hock of meat on a spit roasts over an open flame (way overcooked).

• A very large creature sits behind a wooden desk scrawling something, growls without looking up:
• “IT’S ABOUT TIME, I’M STARVING. GO TAKE THIS LETTER TO YOU BROTHER, THE BETRAYER—”
• Krogg is happy to reveal any information he knows about “GREETOM” before attacking.

:: Krogg stat block here

Treasure

• Scrawled Letter. Sloppy handwriting out- lines a deal with “GREEETOM” who instructed Krogg to steal the amulet and a fairy for a strange ritual. In exchange, the goblins were to receive 10 wagons of pigs and rats. “10” is crossed out, “30” is written in big bold lettering.
• Manglemaul. (Rare, 2-handed Maul). 1d6+STR bludgeoning damage. On hit: you may Grapple a creature smaller than you (escape DC 10). Action: You may swing a creature Grappled this way at another creature within Reach, damaging both of them and ending the Grapple.
• Abacus with beads made of bone, silver and gold (30 gp). Used by Krogg to keep track of his ledgers.
• Golden Heart Locket. Opens to reveal small (not very good) paintings of Marla Homebrew’s children. She’ll definitely want this back!

What’s Next?

When the heroes make it back to Merivale to Safe Rest (2-3 day journey) they will level up to level 3 and be ready to start the next adventure!

Greenthumb’s Base

The Garden of Death, Chapter 3: A LEVEL 3 adventure for 2-8+ heroes.

What’s Going On?

Rest well, friends. I’m afraid we’ll need to lean on you once again for aid.

A terrible scene awaits your tired eyes as you arrive back at Merivale: it has once again been attacked and ransacked. Not by goblins, this time; Nature itself seems to have risen up and taken a swipe at the village.

• A dead Rootbreaker and a few other smaller plant creatures lie heaped in a pile in the town square.
• Farmers and peasants stack the wooden and viny corpses to be burned.
• Greenthumb, betrayed by the goblins and more desperate than ever, has taken the situation into his own hands. Despite their lack of intelligence, the plants will follow orders well enough—the ritual to ascend to lichdom requires beloved things, he cares not much for what they are.

What The Villagers Know

• They were attacked last night at dusk, fighting went on for hours. “We fought bravely, there’s only so much farmers and peasants can do.” Most of the plants left willingly after picking up and taking anything that wasn’t nailed down. Barrels, tables, a door, livestock, you name it.
• “MASTER NEEDS BELOVED THINGS” They all kept mindlessly bellowing, without seeming to know what they were saying.
• Ruby and Pearl were taken—well, Ruby was at least; Pearl went chasing after her sister (probably to get out of her chores).
• The only book in town that speaks of the Deathbriar is an old dusty tome in Mayor Till’s personal library:

The Deathbriar. It began as a benign magical flower cultivated by ancient druids who sought to harness its rapidly spreading roots to enrich blighted soils. But some soil will not so easily be cleansed of its corruption. It became twisted, gaining sentience and cultivating a hunger for power. It was thought to be wiped out—at terrible cost to the druids.

• Nobody but the most prideful and hubristic botanical wizards would even think to plant a Deathbriar seed.
• Marla Homebrew is grateful to have her locket back and isn’t too worried about her children, “Foolish as they are they can look after themselves.” But these incursions and attacks against the town must be stopped. Suggests meeting with Mayor Till, “There’s not nothing he don’t know about plants.”

To Greenthumb’s Base

• The numerous, plodding tracks the Rootbreakers left make it easy to navigate to the ruins where Greenthumb has been holed up.
• A half day’s journey from the Goblin’s former base, you find Rootbreakers (1/2 heroes) standing watch outside the entrance of an ancient tomb—eyes closed, absorbing the warm sun.
• Trivial to sneak past. Give surprise if combat is started.

Blade Trap Hall

Long corridor, the floor is covered in a dense carpet of foliage arranged in a strange manner.

• Insight/Examination check: the foliage has been CUT as if by a massive blade every 5 ft.
• Swinging blades from the ceiling activate if pressure plates are pressed (1d8 damage). Traversing the hall unscathed requires two DC 12 DEX saves to avoid the blades (advantage if the blades were noticed first).

Encourage Creativity. Heroes can use a special ability they have as well. If the idea is good enough, let them roll with advantage 1 or 2, or you can even allow them to succeed automatically.

Mural Chamber

Water trickles in from open ceiling and cracks in the walls. Dappled sunlight shines through.

• 1 Tangler and X Seedlings (1/hero) gathering under a beam of sunlight.
• Murals cover the walls and floor (partly obscured by creeping vines and overgrown moss). If heroes look more closely, under the foliage:
  • Panel 1: An engraved series of murals depicts a band of dwarven soldiers led by a human king.
  • Panel 2: Depicts them in a losing battle against terrible odds, four of the dwarves are slain.
  • Panel 3: Partially destroyed by the ravages of time—the human king offers something, and they all are taken away to safety by a flock of griffons.

Hall of Tombs

CRACKED walls. Four stone tombs, one is empty.

• A skeleton wrapped in RED thorns lies in a heap in the center of the room. A trail of plant matter leads to the Empty Tomb.
• Skeleton holds a silver sword (20 gp). DC 12 Examination or Lore check: this is a Dwarf, died in battle.
• If the skeleton is disturbed or the sword is taken from its hands, the thorns it is wrapped in recoil and retract back into a crack in the wall.

Cracks. It’s important to foreshadow the connection between the vines and the cracked walls; this will become important later when the place begins to fall apart!

Four stone coffins rest in alcoves:

1. Empty Tomb: Vines seem to have pushed its large stone lid to the side.
2. Overgrown Tomb: Wrapped in RED VINES. DC 14 Might check to remove the vines (advantage if a slashing weapon is used) to open the coffin. Inside: A small silver dwarven charm (10 gp).
3. Scratching Tomb: Image of a warrior carved on the stone lid. DC 12 Perception check to hear SCRATCHING sounds from within. Inside: A hostile skeleton (use Ghoul stat block, it has 10 HP/hero) covered in RED VINES, gold belt buckle (20 gp).
4. Undisturbed Tomb: Decorated in a Griffon crest. Carved stone hands hold an empty bowl on the (immovable) lid. Secret: filling the bowl with anything valuable causes the lid to open, revealing secret stairs. Leads to Acid-Flooded Room.

On Puzzles. The above is only one possible solution to the puzzle. If the players are taking the world seriously, coming up with ideas that make sense, LET THEIR IDEAS WORK! Reward creativity, even if it isn’t exactly the right answer.

Venus Fly Trap Room

Large dome-shaped chamber. Dozens of tombstones jut out from the dense foliage on the floor.

• Giant Venus Flytrap in the center of the room. When heroes enter it begins swaying its head and leaves, blindly looking for prey. Stuck in its teeth: An iron key hanging from a chain (unlocks door to Storage Room).
• About a dozen smaller plants grow throughout the room. A few are closed around what you can assume to be unlucky (or foolish) goblins. One is closed around a treasure (Healing Potion).
• Players can willingly enter combat for the treasures, or attempt to sneak past. If any hero fails a DC 10 Stealth check, they are noticed and combat begins!
• 1 Giant Venus Flytrap and 1 Seedling/hero.

Giant Venus Flytrap · Huge · 20/hero

Blind. Always attacks with disadvantage.

Choose 1:

• Tangle (2×). (Reach 12) 1d6+2, Grappled (escape DC 12, or any fire or slashing damage).
• Reel In. If any creature is Grappled, pull them adjacent, then Bite.
• Bite. (Reach 3) 1d6+15 damage.

Seedling

LVL 1/2, SMALL

• H
• ♥ 8

Briarbanes: Peeling Bark

Damage degrades Armor 1 step: Heavy » Medium » None.

Thorn Seed.

2d6+2 (Range 6)

Acid-Flooded Room

Circular room. A large statue on an ornate, 20 ft.-tall pedestal.

• Lore check (made with advantage for any Dwarf, or anyone who saw the murals): Statue is of Roderic Stout-heart, first human king of the dwarves. Great Great grandfather of the current Queen.
• Enormous pitcher plants grow from vines that wrap around the statue. Acid trickles from their mouths flooding the room (2 ft. deep). Touching the acid does 1d4 damage/round.
• Naturecraft/Insight check: Plant matter floats freely on the surface and is unaffected by the acid.
• Crown on the statue is made of GOLD and can be removed (priceless, looks important). Climbing the statue is possible, but dangerous. Your choice of reasonable skill checks and consequences!
• 8 pillars spaced around the perimeter of the room have faces of unknown DWARVES carved into them.

Ceremony Room

Ceremonial weapons and shields hang on the walls (unusable, merely decorative).

• Large stone block in the center of the room (to prepare bodies for burial).
• You feel the heavy, thudding footsteps of Rootbreakers (1 for every 2 heroes) and the scratchy voice of a goblin (Pinky): “Hey! Get back here! If you escape, he’s going to sacrifice MEEEEEE!!”
• You see a pale goblin with a pinkish hue, chasing after a girl, no older than 10 years old, bright red hair. Matches the picture in Marla’s Locket (Ruby).
• She runs to the tallest hero, hiding behind them, and sticks her tongue out at Pinky, who stops in his tracks.

Parley With Pinky

A pink goblin, frail and overwhelmingly anxious (literally vibrating).

Pinky is Greenthumb’s assistant. He left his goblin den to learn magic from Greenthumb, but is now afraid Greenthumb will use him as a sacrifice to become a lich. Pinky wants Greenthumb’s praise and approval (which he will never get), to become a real wizard, and information about his brother Sprig.

• Pinky knows enough botanical magic to control the monsters with him in the room, and he will defend himself if attacked, but doesn’t particularly want to come to blows.
• He has a Cloak of Lesser Windform. He will use it to flee combat if things get too scary, or will offer it to them in exchange for his own life or information about his brother.

Fight or Parley? If the players want to fight, let them fight! But this is also a great opportunity for the players to parley. If they spoke to his brother Sprig in the goblin cave, he’d very much like to hear how he’s doing. If they can come to terms, Pinky has a key to the iron door where Ruby’s sister, Pearl, is being kept. He will give it to the heroes if they can defeat Greenthumb (or right away, if they threaten him).

Rootbreaker

LVL 5, LARGE

• H
• ♥ 50

Briarbanes: Peeling Bark

Damage degrades Armor 1 step: Heavy » Medium » None.

Slam.

3d6+6 On crit: knockback 2.

Pinky · Lvl 2, Small · 18 HP

Panic. Attacks are made against Pinky with disadvantage.

Choose 1:

• Protect Me! Command a Rootbreaker to attack.
• Escape. (Reaction: when Bloodied) Use Cloak of Lesser Windform to turn Invisible and run away.

Locked Iron Door to Storage Room

Key can be found in the jaws of the giant Venus Flytrap, on Pinky, or DC 16 Finesse check with a lock pick—failing it means the pick breaks.

Storage Room

Cold, damp cave. Stalactites dripping water from ceiling.

• Vases and clay jars on shelves.
• Greenthumb’s incompetent goblin assistant Pinky makes frequent trips to this room, preparing spell ingredients for the ritual to become a lich.
• Inside the jars: oil, gauze, adhesive, long-since spoiled liquids, and a Health Potion.
• Pearl, hiding high up on a shelf behind the door with the heaviest rock she could find. Will drop it on the first person who comes through the door (unless it’s Ruby). DEX save to avoid.

Greenthumb’s Quarters

Floor covered in broken vials, potion bottles, and dead plant specimens. Shelves of old tomes and discarded experiments. A mattress and pillows made of shabby cloth stuffed with hay.

• Disheveled desk. Covered in ink stains and crumpled up parchments.
• Notebook lies on top of the mess open to a page detailing the care of a “Deathbriar” plant.
• Journal entry catalogs Greenthumb’s attempts to halt its rapid, uncontrollable growth. And his fears/thinking on becoming a lich.

The Reveal. We don’t want the players going around not knowing why things are happening, we WANT them to know. The Journal contains any additional information you might want the heroes to know about Greenthumb and the Deathbriar.

Deathbriar Cave

Large cave. Sunlight streams through cracks in the ceiling.

• Greenthumb seems to be arguing with Deathbriar (it does not respond): A black flower growing inside of a hollow rib cage. Sprouting from innumerable red thorny vines that reach into the wall it is growing out of.
• Pitcher plants hang from its body. If it’s set on fire, they burst and quench the flames. It will protect itself with walls of instantaneously growing red vines if attacked.
• Greenthumb notices the heroes and is relieved to see them (he considers them to be far better vessels for his lichdom than the children or Pinky). Will attack at the slightest provocation.
• Greenthumb will fight to the death. When he dies, the Deathbriar’s red vines will take his body and absorb him, gaining strength. This causes the walls to begin cracking even further—the entire place is about to collapse, with the heroes in it if they’re not fast!

Greenthumb, Lichling (Level 3 Solo Botanical Wizard) · 100 HP · INT+ · WIL+

ACTIONS: After each hero’s turn, move 6 and then choose one:

• Summon Briarbanes. Summon 1 minion/hero (size: 1d4).
• Root. Choose half of the heroes to make a DC 11 DEX save or take 2d4 piercing damage and be Restrained by thorny vines (escape DC 11 STR or DEX save, or any slashing or fire damage).
• Thorn Shot. (Range 10) 5d4+5.

BLOODIED: At 50 HP, Greenthumb gains magical bark, giving himself Heavy Armor.

LAST STAND: Greenthumb is dying! 30 more damage and he dies. Until then, he chooses twice each turn.

Skill Challenge: Escape!

The heroes will now need to escape quickly. Below are a series of dangers that will need to be navigated carefully in order to succeed. The starting DC is 10 and increases by 1 for each check. If their idea is particularly good or if they spend some limited resource you can give them advantage or let them succeed automatically.

• The Deathbriar Room. Debris and giant rocks begin falling from the crumbling ceiling. Everyone will need to tell you what they’re doing to avoid rocks (e.g., Finesse check, holding a shield over their head, using an ability to run extra fast).
• The Ceremony Room. If the children haven’t been rescued yet, you’ll need to save them! If you left Pinky in the Ceremony Room, Ruby has made friends with the Rootbreakers, and is sitting on one of their shoulders. A gaping crack has opened up in the floor and the Rootbreaker gently tosses her across as she squeals in delight, landing safely on the other side. Pinky is fumbling with his keys and she snatches them from him and unlocks the door for her sister Pearl: “Took you long enough!” They scamper off to safety together. “Come on guys!” The party will need to figure out how to get across.

Kids and Danger. A BIG “no-no” for many people is putting kids (or pets) in danger. These kids will be just fine, no matter how poorly the heroes do. Like Marla Homebrew said, they can take care of themselves!

Failure States. Failing this check doesn’t mean that a hero can’t get across, rather they get across but they take some damage, or drop an item down the pit, or it takes them longer to make it across. It’s up to you what makes most sense.

• Acid Flooded Statue Room. Cracks begin appearing in the floor, draining most of the acid. (If the heroes have already dealt with the Briarbane seedlings, they all gain advantage on their checks in this room. If not, they are pelting the heroes with seeds, making navigating this room more challenging.) Dust and debris make seeing in this room very difficult—what do you do to navigate?
• Venus Fly Trap Room. With all of the shaking in the ruins, it is easy to get disoriented and lost in this large room—what do you do to ensure you don’t get turned around? (If the heroes discovered the secret passageway, they can use that and skip this room entirely.)
• Hall of Tombs. The collapse of these ruins seems to be accelerating; it is going to come down on your heads any moment. The exit is nearly within sight, but rubble blocks the door out of this room! What do you do?
• The Mural Chamber. You can see the sunlight! Not too far now! Everyone make a DEX save. Whoever gets the lowest trips and falls just as a huge piece of rubble breaks free from the ceiling directly overhead. They are going to take 1d4 Wounds from this, unless the rest of you help. What do you do?
• Blade Trap Hall. The blades are swinging wildly, to and fro. How do you get past without being sliced to ribbons? YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME!

---

You all make it out of the collapsing ruins just in time, you lay safely in the grass and the rumbling soon ceases. Greenthumb is dead, the Deathbriar destroyed—the town of Merivale can rest well tonight thanks to your heroic efforts. Well done!

Feel free to allow the players to role-play here some if they want. You can ask how everybody is feeling, or describe how Ruby, Pearl (and optionally Pinky) are now the heroes BIGGEST fans. Really make your players feel heroic—play it up, call out individual feats they pulled off—they’ll love it! They are now quite famous in Merivale, but they’d be unknown in the city of Farhope.

Aftermath

Does the Deathbriar reanimate Greenthumb and use him as its puppet? Are one of the factions in Farhope secretly working with the fiends of the shadowblight to take control of the region? Is someone trying to resurrect the Titan that gave rise to the Elderwild? Follow the adventure that you and your table want to create. You have more than enough tools at your disposal to craft a campaign that can last for many months or even years if you so desire. Play on!

Adventure On!

From here, you should be comfortable enough as a GM to start thinking about making your own adventures. It’s not too hard, and it can be some of the most fun you’ll have playing TTRPGs. Don’t worry too much about having a big, complex, overarching plot—your players won’t actually remember that too much. What they’ll remember is all the silly things they do, and the trouble they get themselves into and out of.

What’s Next?

Show them the map and ask where they’d like to go next. Each region has enough information, NPCs, Points of Interest, Encounters, and Loot for your party to adventure for a very long time. Each one also contains an example adventure using some of the available details.

Tip! Use the Monster Builder charts to adjust the adventure difficulty to be appropriate for any level!

As for adventures, what interests you and your players? The rest of this book describes the local region, and a number of different quests the heroes can go on while providing enough content to take them all the way up through level 6. After which, the setting opens up to be more of a sandbox. You can use it as a whole or strip it for parts—taking bits you like, changing names and details however you like.

There are also plenty of adventure hooks and tools contained here for enough content to play much, much longer if desired. The rest of the journey is up to you!

Leveling Up

After one more good-sized quest, they can level up to 4. Heading to Farhope may be a good idea to learn about the factions and their various quests. The quest “Vermin’s Vengeance” on pg. 83 is a great one to take your players from level 3 to 4.

For levels 4–5 you might level up after 2–3 sessions (weeks of in-game time). For levels 6–12, level up after roughly every 2–4 sessions (months/years of in-game time). Beyond that… you reach the rarefied heights of truly epic heroes; leveling up perhaps only every 3–5+ sessions (years/decades of in-game time). This, of course, is more of a “rule-of-thumb” than a hard rule. Go at whatever pace is comfortable for you and your players.

Leveling up too frequently might not give your players enough time to learn their new character abilities and can end up feeling rushed. Too slowly, and your players may get bored.

5e Conversion

:: 5e conversion here

Appendix of Inspiration

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael Shea. Step-by-step guide on how to prep and run a TTRPG (without it taking all day). Buy 2 copies, one for you and one for the friend you want to become a GM.

Mastering Dungeons. TTRPG Podcast where co-hosts Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin talk about RPG news, design deepdives, interviews, and listener Q&A.

Mausritter by Isaac Williams. A light-weight, charming TTRPG that has deeply inspired my own design. I love everything about it.

Forge of Foes by Teos Abadia, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, and Michael E. Shea. Even more ideas on how to create flavorful (and balanced) monsters quickly and easily.

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing by Keith Ammann. Monsters are much more than their statblocks, this teaches how to bring more life to your combat encounters by treating the monsters more 3-dimensionally.

Flee, Mortals! by MCDM. Super crunchy, exceptionally well-balanced monsters. Some of the best monsters around (but be prepared to study them ahead of time).

Oz and Neverland by Andrew Kolb. 5e-compatible settings. Absolute masterpieces of layout, design, and creativity.

Knave 2 by Ben Milton. Lots of great tables for getting the creative juices flowing.

Mothership: Warden’s Operation Manual by Tuesday Knight Games. Some of the best GM advice around. From prepping a session and structuring a campaign, to player agency and thinking through consequences. Even if you never intend to run the system, buy this book.

Dragon Town and the Darkness Below by JP Coovert. JP’s writing and art style have long been an influence for me, as has his clean and lightweight adventure writing. You can be guaranteed most anything he produces is gold.

Tome of Adventure Design by Matt Finch. A TOME indeed. Random tables for nearly everything you’d ever need when making TTRPG content.

To Be Or Not to Be a Villain by James Introcaso and Rudy Basso. An absolute masterclass of thoughtful adventure design and what TTRPGs can be. Compatible with 5e and Zwiehander.

Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian by Finn J. D. John and Robert E. Howard. Classic pulp fantasy. Great adventure inspiration.

Running the Game. Youtube series by Matt Colville. Excellent series of videos designed to teach how to be a GM and get people excited about it. 11/10.

The Alexandrian. A blog by Justin Alexander. Prolific writer, excellent mind for TTRPGs, what makes them work. See his blog at the-alexandrian.net and his book, So You Want to be a Game Master.

Alphastream. Game design blog of Teos Abadía. Fantastic resource for game designers.

Chaos Table

Unless otherwise noted, ongoing effects last for up to 1 minute or until Chaos is triggered again.

d20	Name	Effect
1	Elemental Eruption	Creatures within 6 spaces of you must make a DEX save or take INT d10 fire damage on a failure, half on save. You fail the save.
2	Backfire	Suffer 1 Wound. The spell you just cast also targets you (or an enemy if it was a beneficial spell).
3	Aww, Nuts!	You polymorph into a cute squirrel until you take damage. Your TOP priority is to find acorns (squirrels can't cast spells).
4	Summon Aetherlings	At the end of each of your turns, summon INT hostile aetherling minions adjacent to you that act immediately after you (size: d6).
5	Graviturgical Grace	A random enemy is pulled adjacent to you at the end of each of your turns.
6	Liquefy Legs	You fall Prone, cannot stand, and your speed becomes 0 while out of water.
7	Elemental Entanglement	An enemy controls 1 Action for you at the start of each of your turns.
8	Ethereal Cocoon	You are enveloped in a magical cocoon until the end of your next turn. You fall Prone, are unable to move or speak, and are immune to damage. You must spend all of your Actions casting cantrips at the nearest creature.
9	Manastorm	The last spell you cast is cast again for free, against a random target.
10	Reality Warp	Everywhere around you within 6 spaces is difficult terrain.
11	Displacement	Teleport. 1d4: 1. The worst place! (GM's choice) 2. UP! 6 spaces (3d6 falling damage) 3. Player's choice, 6 spaces 4. Player's choice, 12 spaces
12	Chaos Step	Swap places with any creature you can see.
13	Mindfire	The dumbest enemy within 16 spaces takes INT d6 psychic damage (ignoring armor), and gains the Smoldering condition.
14	Emerge beautiful	You sprout butterfly wings from your back; gain a flying speed.
15	Unbiggen	Your size is halved. Gain advantage on Stealth checks, and attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
16	Embiggen	Your size is doubled. Gain INT d10 Temp HP and advantage on STR saves instead of disadvantage.
17	Awakening	A 3rd eye appears on your forehead. Gain advantage on the Assess action and all attacks.
18	Diamond Skin	Multiply your Armor by INT; you can Defend for free each round.
19	Mighty Mana	Your spells (including the one that triggered this effect) are empowered and are cast as if you spent 2 additional mana on them (ignoring your natural max).
20	Elemental Overload	Enemies within 12 spaces of you take INT d8 lightning damage. You regain INT mana at the end of your turns (this mana expires at the end of combat if unused).