Dungeon Master's Guide Core Rulebook II V.3.5

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Core Rulebook II v.3.5

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CREDITS

DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE DESIGN

Monte Cook

DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE

D&D DESIGN TEAM

Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet,

Skip Williams

ADDITIONAL DESIGN

Peter Adkison, Richard Baker, Andy

Collins, David Noonan

EDITORS

Julia Martin, John Rateliff

EDITORIAL ASSITANCE

Duane Maxwell, Jeff Quick

MANAGING EDITOR

Kim Mohan

CORE D&D CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ed Stark

DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D

Bill Slavicsek

VISUAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jon Schindehette

ART DIRECTOR

Dawn Murin

D&D CONCEPTUAL ARTISTS

Todd Lockwood, Sam Wood

D&D LOGO DESIGN

Matt Adelsperger, Sherry Floyd

COVER ART

Henry Higginbotham

INTERIOR ARTISTS

Lars-Grant West, Scott Fischer, John

Foster, Todd Lockwood, David Martin,

Wayne Reynolds, Arnie Swekel,

Kevin Walker, Sam Wood

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Sean Glenn, Sherry Floyd

TYPOGRAPHER

Victoria Ausland, Erin Dorries,

Angelika Lokotz, Nancy Walker

CARTOGRAPHER

Todd Gamble

PHOTOGRAPHER

Craig Cudnohufsky

BRAND MANAGER

Ryan Dancey

CATEGORY MANAGER

Keith Strohm

PROJECT MANAGERS

Larry Weiner, Josh Fischer

DIGI-TECH SPECIALIST

Joe Fernandez

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chas DeLong

SPECIAL THANKS

Cindi Rice, Jim Lin, Richard Garfield,

Skaff Elias, Andrew Finch

DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE REVISION

David Noonan, Rich Redman

D&D REVISION TEAM

Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan,

Rich Redman, Skip Williams

DEVELOPMENT AND EDITING

Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel

PROOFREADERS

Bill McQuillan, Cal Moore,

Katsuyo Nagasawa

MANAGING EDITOR

Kim Mohan

CORE D&D CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ed Stark

DIRECTOR OF RPG R&D

Bill Slavicsek

ART DIRECTOR

Dawn Murin

COVER ART

Henry Higginbotham

INTERIOR ARTISTS

Matt Cavotta, Ed Cox, Lars Grant-West,

Scott Fischer, John Foster, Jeremy

Jarvis, John and Laura Lakey, Todd

Lockwood, David Martin, Raven Mimura,

Wayne Reynolds, Scott Roller,

Brian Snoddy, Arnie Swekel, Sam Wood

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Dawn Murin

CARTOGRAPHER

Todd Gamble

GRAPHIC PRODUCTION SPECIALIST

Angelika Lokotz

PHOTOGRAPHER

Craig Cudnohufsky

VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLISHING

Mary Kirchoff

CATEGORY MANAGER

Anthony Valterra

PROJECT MANAGER

Martin Durham

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chas DeLong

OTHER WIZARDS OF THE COAST

R&D CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Barclay, Michele Carter, Jennifer

Clarke Wilkes, Bruce R. Cordell, Mike

Donais, David Eckelberry, Skaff Elias,

Andrew Finch, Jeff Grubb, Rob Heinsoo,

Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Christopher

Perkins, Charles Ryan, Michael

Selinker, Jonathan Tweet, James Wyatt

SPECIAL THANKS

Mary Elizabeth Allen, Stephen Radney-

McFarland, Liz Schuh, Alex Weitz, Andy

Smith, Mat Smith, Jefferson Dunlap

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 1: Running the Game . . . . . . . 5

What Is a DM?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Style of Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Example of Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Running a Game Session . . . . . . . . . . 10

Chapter 2: Using the Rules . . . . . . . . . 19

More Movement Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Movement and the Grid . . . . . . . . 19

Moving in Three Dimensions . . . 20

Evasion and Pursuit . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Moving around in Squares . . . . . . 20

Bonus Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Line of Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Starting an Encounter . . . . . . . . . . 22

New Combatants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Keeping Things Moving . . . . . . . . 24

Combat Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Attack Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Effect of Weapon Size . . . . . . . . . . 28

Splash Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Area Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Big and Little Creatures

in Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Skill and Ability Checks . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Saving Throws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Adjudicating Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Describing Spell Effects . . . . . . . . 34

Handling Divinations . . . . . . . . . . 34

Creating New Spells. . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Rewards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Experience Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Story Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Character Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Making a New Character . . . . . . . 42

Chapter 3: Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Site-Based Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Event-Based Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . 47

The End (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Tailored or Status Quo. . . . . . . . . . 48

Challenge Ratings and

Encounter Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Tougher Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Rewards and Behavior. . . . . . . . . . 50

Treasure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Bringing Adventures Together. . . . . . 56

Between Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

The Dungeon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Dungeon Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Rooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Corridors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Miscellaneous Features . . . . . . . . . 63

Cave-Ins and Collapses . . . . . . . . . 66

Illumination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Traps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Elements of a Trap . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Sample Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Designing a Trap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Dungeon Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Dungeon Animals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Wandering Monsters. . . . . . . . . . . 77

Random Dungeons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Dungeon Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

The Map and the Key. . . . . . . . . . . 77

Random Dungeon Encounters . . 78

A Sample Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Statistics Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Wilderness Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Getting Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Forest Terrain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Marsh Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Hills Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Mountain Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Desert Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Plains Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Aquatic Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Underwater Combat . . . . . . . . . 93

Weather. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Random Wilderness

Encounters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Urban Adventures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Weapon and Spell Restrictions . . 99

Urban Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Urban Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Chapter 4: Nonplayer Characters . . 103

Everyone in the World . . . . . . . . . . . 103

NPC Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Adept. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Aristocrat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Commoner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

NPC Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

NPC Attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Fleshing out NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Chapter 5: Campaigns. . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Establishing a Campaign. . . . . . . . . . 129

Maintaining a Campaign . . . . . . . . . 130

Characters and the World

around Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

War and Other Calamities . . . . . . . . 133

Other Campaign Issues. . . . . . . . . . . 134

World-Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Building a Different World. . . . . . . . 144

Adventuring on Other Planes . . . . . 147

Plane Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Creating a Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Chapter 6: Characters 169

Ability Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Subraces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Modifying a Common Race. . . . 171

Changes through Addition

and Subtraction . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Class/Race Restrictions . . . . . . . 171

New Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Monsters as Races . . . . . . . . . . 172

Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Modifying Character Classes. . . 174

Creating New Classes . . . . . . . . . 175

Prestige Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Arcane Archer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Arcane Trickster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Archmage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Assassin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Blackguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Dragon Disciple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Duelist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Dwarven Defender. . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Eldritch Knight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Hierophant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Horizon Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Loremaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Mystic Theurge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Red Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Shadowdancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Thaumaturgist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

How PCs Improve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Learning Skills and Feats . . . . . . 197

Learning New Spells . . . . . . . . . . 198

Gaining Class Benefits . . . . . . . . 198

General Downtime. . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Gaining Fixed Hit Points . . . . . . 198

Creating PCs above 1st Level . . . . . . 199

Special Cohorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Familiars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Mounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Animal Companions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Epic Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Chapter 7: Magic Items. . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Handling Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . 212

Magic Item Descriptions . . . . . . . . . 215

Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Potions and Oils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Rings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

Rods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Scrolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Staffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Wands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Wondrous Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Intelligent Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

Cursed Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

Artifacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

Creating Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

Masterwork Items . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Special Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

Chapter 8: Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Special Abilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Condition Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

The Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

Visual Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

List of Sidebars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

List of Numbered Tables . . . . . . . . . . 320

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

Introduction

This is the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS®Roleplaying Game, the game

that defines the genre and has set the standard for fantasy role-

playing for more than 30 years.

Specifically, this is the Dungeon Master’s Guide. This book con-

tains information that every Dungeon Master (DM) needs to set

up adventures, narrate the action, run the monsters, and referee

the DUNGEONS &DRAGONS game. This book, the Player’s Handbook,

and the Monster Manual comprise the core rules for the D&D®

game.

THE DUNGEON MASTER

We’ve distilled our knowledge of the D&D® game into the mate-

rial that follows. Whether you need to know how to design an

adventure, a campaign, or an entire game world, the material in

this book can, and will, help you.

You’re a member of a select group. Truly, not everyone has the cre-

ativity and the dedication to be a DM. Dungeon Mastering (DMing)

can be challenging, but it’s not a chore. You’re the lucky one out of

your entire circle of friends who play the game. The real fun is in

your hands. As you flip through the Monster Manual or look at pub-

lished adventures on a store shelf, you get to decide what the player

characters (PCs) take on next. You get to build a whole world, as well

as design and play all its nonplayer characters (NPCs).

It’s good to be the DM.

The DM defines the game. A good DM results in a good game.

Since you control the pacing, and the types of adventures and

encounters, the whole tenor of the game is in your hands. It’s fun,

but it’s a big responsibility. If you’re the sort of person who likes to

provide the fun for your friends, or to come up with new ideas,

then you’re an ideal candidate for DM.

Once your group has a Dungeon Master, however, that doesn’t

mean that you can’t switch around. Some DMs like to take a turn

at being a player, and many players eventually want to try their

hand at DMing.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

No one expects you to read this book cover to cover. It’s not a

novel. Instead, we arranged this book into topics that you can refer

to when you need them. Plus, an extended glossary at the back of

the book provides quick reference to DM-related topics.

Based on those portions of the game that you control, you’ll find

chapters that deal with running the game, adjudicating play, writ-

ing adventures, building a campaign, awarding experience, and

finding or creating the right magic items to stock your dungeons.

Refer to the table of contents and the index to locate the specific

topic you need at any given time.

PLAYING ON THE BATTLE GRID

The D&D game assumes the use of miniature figures, and the

rules are written from that perspective. This book contains a battle

grid and other tools to help you visualize the action.

The poster-sized sheet in the back of the book has a 1-inch grid

on one side, and a collection of rooms that can be used to repre-

sent areas in a dungeon on the other side.

The last 12 pages of this book (just ahead of the index) present a

variety of visual aids that you can use to set up and play out

encounters and adventures on the grid:

—Six pages of diagrams that show the squares contained

within areas of different sizes and shapes, and graphic depictions

of space and reach for creatures of varying sizes.

—Six pages of illustrations that represent various dungeon

features, sized to fit the 1-inch grid, that you can photocopy, cut

out, and place on the grid—enabling players to actually see

what lies before their characters as they make their way through

the dungeon.

FINAL NOTE

The power of creating worlds, controlling deities and dragons, and

leading entire nations is in your hands. You are the master of the

game—the rules, the setting, the action, and ultimately, the fun.

This is a great deal of power, and you must use it wisely. This book

shows you how.

INTRODUCTION

WHY A REVISION?

The new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game debuted in 2000. In the three years

since the d20 Game System energized the roleplaying game industry,

we’ve gathered tons of data on how the game is being played. We

consider D&D to be a living game that constantly evolves as it is

played. Using the gathered feedback, we’ve retooled the game from the

ground up and incorporated everyone’s suggestions to improve the

game and this product.

If this is your first experience with D&D, we welcome you to a wonder-

ful world of adventure and imagination. If you played the prior version of

this book, rest assured that this revision is a testament to our dedication

to continuous product improvement and innovation. We’ve updated

errata, clarified rules, polished the presentation, and made the game

better than it was. This is an upgrade of the d20 System, not a new edition

of the game. This revision is compatible with existing products, and these

products can be used with the revision with only minor adjustments.

What’s new in the revised Dungeon Master’s Guide? The entire book has

been polished and refined, all in response to your feedback and to reflect

the way the game is actually being played. We’ve revised the encounter

tables and magic item creation rules. We’ve expanded the movement

rules, increased the number of prestige classes, added dozens of new

magic items and magic item special abilities, and provided plenty of tools

to help promote the three-dimensional experience.

Take a look, play the game. We think you’ll like how everything turned

out.

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THE PURPOSE OF SIDEBARS

You’ll see blocks of text that look like this one frequently throughout

this book. The information in these sidebars is not part of the rules per

se, but you’ll find them useful and interesting in their own right. Most

sidebars in this book serve either to introduce rules variants or to give

you a glimpse “behind the curtain” into how some aspect of the D&D

game was created.

Variant: To give you an idea of some of the ways in which you can

alter the D&D rules for your own campaign, some sidebars suggest

variants that you can adopt or modify to suit your game.

The basic rules presented in this book—that is, everything not iden-

tified as a variant—apply to the baseline D&D campaign. If you are

playing in an RPGA®Network event, that event uses the basic rules in

this book. Establishing a standard set of rules makes a worldwide

gaming network possible.

Behind the Curtain: Some sidebars provide a further explanation of

why the rules are the way they are—a look “behind the curtain” into

how the game’s designers make decisions about the rules. If you’re the

sort of DM who likes to tinker with the rules of the D&D game, these

sidebars offer some advice and inspiration as you customize the game

for yourself and your players.

pqqrs

pqqrs

n your role as Dungeon Master, you’re the focus of the game. If the

game’s fun, it will be to your credit. If it’s a failure, you’ll get the

blame, whether it’s deserved or not. Don’t worry, though—run-

ning a D&D® game is not as hard as it may seem at first. (But don’t

tell the players that!)

WHAT IS A DM?

Dungeon Mastering involves writing, teaching, acting, referee-

ing, arbitrating, and facilitating. Described below are the different

duties of the DM. You’ll find that you like some more than others.

As in any hobby, focus on what you enjoy the most, but remember

that all the other duties are also important.

PROVIDING ADVENTURES

Your primary role in the game is to present adventures in which

the other players can roleplay their characters. To accomplish

this, you need to spend time outside the game sessions them-

selves, preparing. This is true whether you write your own adven-

tures or use prepared adventures that you have purchased.

Writing Adventures

Creating adventures takes a great deal of time. Many DMs find

that they spend more time getting ready for the game than they

do at the table actually playing. These same DMs often find this

creation time to be the most fun and rewarding part of being a

Dungeon Master. Making up interesting characters, settings,

plots, and challenges to present before your friends can be a great

creative outlet.

Writing good adventures is so important that it receives its

own chapter in this book. See Chapter 3: Writing an Adventure.

Using Purchased Adventures

Many published adventures are available for you to pur-

chase if you don’t want to write one of your own, or if you

just want a change of pace. In a published adventure, you’ll

get a pregenerated scenario with all the maps, NPCs, mon-

sters, and treasures you need, and an adventure plot

designed to make the most of them. Sometimes, when

you use a published adventure, you’ll see that it presents

challenges you would have never thought of on your

own.

Remember, however, that you’re the one who has to

run the adventure: Anything you want to change, you

can. In fact, you will often find you need to make at least

small changes to fit the adventure into your ongoing

campaign and to get your players into the action. You

can have a great deal of fun replacing the villain of an

adventure with one the players have already heard of

in your campaign, or changing the background of the

adventure so that it involves your players’ characters

in ways that the module’s designer never could have

possibly imagined.

TEACHING THE GAME

Sometimes it’s going to be your responsibility to

teach newcomers to the game how to play. This isn’t

a burden, but a wonderful opportunity. Teaching

other people how to play provides you with new play-

ers and allows you to set them on the path to becoming

top-notch roleplayers. It’s easier to learn to play with

someone who already knows the game. Those who

are taught by a good teacher who runs a fun game

Illus. by A. Swekel

are more likely to join in the hobby for the long haul. Use this

opportunity to encourage new players to become the sort of

people you want to game with.

Here are a few pointers on teaching the game.

Read the Player’s Handbook and know the character creation

rules so you can help new players build characters. Have each of

the newcomers tell you what sort of character he or she wants to

play and then show them how they can create those heroes with

the D&D rules. If they don’t know what to play, show them the

player character races and classes in the Player’s Handbook, briefly

describe each, and let them choose the one that appeals to them

the most. Another option is to keep a few simple characters

(such as a 1st-level fighter or rogue) around for newcomers.

Advance those characters in level as the party advances. and

you’ll have “old friends” who adventure with the party when

newcomers play them.

Once the PCs are created, don’t worry about teaching the play-

ers all the rules ahead of time. All they truly need to know are the

basics that apply to understanding their characters (how spells

work, what AC means, how to use skills, and so forth), and they

can pick up most of this information as they go along. Remember

the most basic rule: To attack, make a saving throw, or use a skill,

roll a d20 and hope for a high number.

As long as you know the rules, the players need be concerned

only with their characters and how they react to what happens to

them in the game. Have players tell you what they want their char-

acters to do, and translate that into game terms for them. Teach

them how the rules work when they need to learn them, on a case-

by-case basis. For example, if the player of a wizard wants to cast a

spell or the player of a fighter wants to attack, the player tells you

what the character is attempting. Then you tell the player which

modifier or modifiers to add to the roll of a d20, and what happens

as a result. After a few times, the player will know what to do with-

out asking.

PROVIDING THE WORLD

Every Dungeon Master is the creator of his or her own campaign

world. Whether you use the GREYHAWK® setting (the standard

D&D campaign setting) or another published setting for the D&D

game, such as the FORGOTTEN REALMS®Campaign Setting, it’s still

your world.

The setting is more than just a backdrop for adventures, al-

though it’s that too. The setting is everything in the fictional world

except for the PCs and the adventure plot. A well-designed and

well-run world seems to go on around the PCs, so that they feel a

part of something, instead of apart from it. Though the PCs are

powerful and important, they should seem to be residents of some

fantasy world that is ultimately larger than they are.

Consistency is the key to a believable fictional world. When the

PCs go back into town for supplies, they ought to encounter some

of the same NPCs they saw before. Soon, they’ll learn the bar-

keep’s name—and she’ll remember theirs as well. Once you have

achieved this degree of consistency, however, provide an occa-

sional change. If the PCs come back to buy more horses at the sta-

bles, you could have them discover that the man who ran the place

went back home to the large city over the hills, and now his

nephew runs the family business. That sort of change—one that

has nothing to do with the PCs directly, but one that they’ll

notice—makes the players feel as though they’re adventuring in a

living world as real as themselves, not just a flat backdrop that

exists only for them to delve its dungeons.

For much more on running a campaign, see Chapter 5.

ADJUDICATING

When everyone gathers around the table to play the game, you’re

in charge. That doesn’t mean you can tell people what to do out-

side the boundaries of the game, but it does mean that you’re the

final arbiter of the rules within the game. Good players will always

recognize that you have ultimate authority over the game mechan-

ics, even superseding something in a rulebook. Good DMs know

not to change or overturn a published rule without a good, logical

justification so that the players don’t rebel (more on that later).

To carry out this responsibility, you need to know the rules.

You’re not required to memorize the rulebooks, but you should

have a clear idea of what’s in them, so that when a situation comes

up that requires a ruling, you know where to reference the proper

rule in the book.

Often a situation will arise that isn’t explicitly covered by the

rules. In such a situation, you need to provide guidance as to how

it should be resolved. When you come upon a situation that the

rules don’t seem to cover, consider the following courses of action.

•Look to any similar situation that is covered in a rulebook. Try

to extrapolate from what you see presented there and apply it to

the current circumstance.

•If you have to make something up, stick with it for the rest of

the campaign. (This is called a house rule.) Consistency keeps

players satisfied and gives them the feeling that they adventure

in a stable, predictable universe and not in some random,

nonsensical place subject only to the DM’s whims.

•When in doubt, remember this handy little rule: Favorable

conditions add +2 to any d20 roll, and unfavorable conditions

penalize the roll by –2. You’ll be surprised how often this “DM’s

best friend” will solve problems.

If you come upon an apparent contradiction in the rules, con-

sider these factors when adjudicating.

•A rule found in a rulebook overrules one found in a published

adventure, unless the rule presented in the published adven-

ture deals with something specific and limited to the adventure

itself.

•Choose the rule that you like the best, then stick with it for the

rest of the campaign. Consistency is a critical aspect of rules

adjudication.

PROPELLING THE GAME EVER FORWARD

While all the players are responsible for contributing to the game,

the onus must ultimately fall upon the DM to keep the game

moving, maintain player interest, and keep things fun. Remember

that keeping things moving is always more important than search-

ing through rulebooks to find the exact details on some point or

spending time in long debates over rules decisions.

Even a well-run game can bog down sometimes. Perhaps the

players have been at it a while and are growing a little tired of the

same old thing. Maybe a playing session falls flat for no apparent

reason. Sometimes this can’t be helped—you’re only human. In

fact, occasionally you will find it’s better to cancel a playing ses-

sion or cut it short rather than have a poor experience that may set

back the whole campaign.

However, an average playing session can be turned into a mem-

orable one, or a poor session can be spiced up. For example, props

can bring new life to a game. You can make fake parchment from

normal paper, “aging” it by wetting it slightly with coffee or tea

and then letting it dry to an uneven yellow. Toss in a few creases or

small rips, and later when the PCs find a map or a message you can

actually hand it to them. Old coins, tarot cards, a battered book in

a foreign language, and the like all make wonderful handouts to

get players into the spirit of the game.

Another kind of visual aid is artwork. In all D&D game prod-

ucts, you’ll find wonderful fantasy illustrations. Look through

those products, or find a book cover or some other art source to

provide you with a picture that fits something the PCs will

encounter. Then, when the encounter comes to pass, pull out the

picture and say, “This is what you see.” While players’ imagina-

tions are fertile, sometimes seeing a depiction of something they

encounter in the game—a character, a monster, or a place—

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makes the experience all the more exciting or real. Sometimes you

can find illustrations in odd places. Jewelry catalogs can provide

visual aids for some magic items or treasure, and sometimes a his-

tory book or encyclopedia with illustrations is just as good as a fan-

tasy book.

Of course, you can’t always have a prop or a picture of some

monster, NPC, or place that you have created. That’s when you

rely on an evocative, exciting description. Pepper your descrip-

tions of what the characters see with adjectives and vivid verbs.

Remember that you are the players’ eyes and ears. “A dank, dark

chamber with moss growing in cracks in the stone walls” is much

more exciting than “a 10-foot-by-10-foot room.” Throughout the

game, continually ask yourself: What exactly do the characters

see? Do they hear anything? Are there any noticeable odors? An

unpleasant tang in the air? Do they feel the chill wind against

their skin? Is their hair tousled by hot, damp gusts?

No player will forget a tense battle on a crumbling bridge in the

middle of a thunderstorm. The best way to get the players’ atten-

tion is with gripping action. While not every encounter needs to

be life-threatening or earth-shaking, keep in mind how it would

all seem in some action movie or exciting book. Villains shout epi-

thets as they fight, and monsters roar menacingly. If a fight against

gnolls is exciting, imagine how much more exciting a fight would

be against gnolls on a ledge around a lava pit.

Some DMs enjoy creating just the right atmosphere for their

playing sessions. Music is often a good way to accomplish this. It’s

sort of like having a soundtrack for your game. Not surprisingly,

those who enjoy using music in their games often use soundtracks

from adventure movies, although classical, ambient, or other

styles work well. Keep in mind, though, that some players may

find music distracting. Be receptive to what your players like—an

atmosphere in which they can’t hear, are distracted, or aren’t enjoy-

ing themselves is never a good one. Other ways DMs can create an

atmosphere are with painted miniatures and dioramas, specially

adjusted lighting, and even sound effects. (If the door to the room

you are in squeaks, you may want to use that when the PCs open a

dungeon door.)

Another element many DMs employ and many players enjoy is

for the DM to use different voices when speaking “in character.”

Practicing several different accents or

ways of speaking and assigning them

to different NPCs can be a striking

way to make those characters stand

out in the players’ minds.

Occasionally, a little miming of

actions can supplement a game

that otherwise exists only in your

imagination. If an NPC is shriv-

eled and stooped over when she

walks, stand up and show the players exactly what you mean.

When the ceiling above the PCs begins to collapse, slam your fists

upon the table to simulate the sound of falling rocks. If someone

holds out his hand and offers something to a PC, mime the

action—almost every time, the player (assuming the character

takes what’s offered) will follow your cue instinctively and reach

out, miming the character’s grasping whatever it is. You could

even make a player whose character is invisible sit under the table

to remind everyone that they can’t see her, and her voice just

comes out of nowhere. Keep in mind, though, that this sort of

activity can quickly get out of hand. Don’t act out your combats, or

someone could get a black eye!

Finally, every once in a while, really surprise your players.

The NPC they thought was a villain turns out to be a

shapechanged unicorn with only the best of intentions. The

clue they thought led to the treasure vault turns out to be a red

herring. If the PCs are in a dungeon room, and a fire giant is

about to storm into the room and attack, keep your voice at a

moderate or even soft level while describing the room. Then,

suddenly, raise your voice and leap to your feet as the giant

enters. That’ll get their attention.

STYLE OF PLAY

The DM provides the adventure and the world. The players and

the DM work together to create the game as a whole. However, it’s

your responsibility to guide the way the game is played. The best

way to accomplish this is by learning what the players want and

figuring out what you want as well. Many styles of play exist; two

that sit at opposite ends of the playing spectrum are detailed

below as examples.

KICK IN THE DOOR

The PCs kick in the dungeon door, fight the monsters, and get the

treasure. This style of play is straightforward, fun, exciting, and

action-oriented. Very little time is spent on developing personas

for the player characters, roleplaying noncombat encounters, or

discussing situations other than what’s

going on in the dungeon.

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The kick-in-the-door

style of play.

In such a game, let the PCs face mostly clearly evil monsters

and opponents and meet clearly good helpful NPCs (occasion-

ally). Don’t expect PCs to anguish over what to do with prisoners,

or whether it’s right or wrong to invade and wipe out the bugbear

lair. Don’t bother too much with money or time spent in town. Do

whatever it takes to get the PCs back into the action as quickly as

possible. Character motivation need be no more developed than a

desire to kill monsters and acquire treasure.

Rules and game balance are very important in this style of play.

If some characters have combat ability greater than that of their

fellows, unfair situations may develop in which the players of the

overpowered characters can handle more of the challenges and

thus have more fun. If you’re using this style, be very careful about

adjudicating rules and think long and hard about additions or

changes to the rules before making them.

DEEP-IMMERSION STORYTELLING

The Free City of Greyhawk is threatened by political turmoil. The

PCs must convince the members of the ruling council to resolve

their differences, but can only do so after they have come to terms

with their own differing outlooks and agendas. This style of gam-

ing is deep, complex, and challenging. The focus isn’t on combat

but on talking, developing in-depth personas, and character inter-

action. A whole game session may pass without a single die roll.

In this style of game, the NPCs should be as complex and richly

detailed as the PCs—although the focus should be on motivation

and personality, not game statistics. Expect long digressions from

each player about what his or her character will do, and why.

Going to a store to buy iron rations and rope can be as important

an encounter as fighting orcs. (And don’t expect the PCs to fight

the orcs at all unless their characters are motivated to do so.) A

character will sometimes take actions against his player’s better

judgment, because “that’s what the character would do.” Adven-

tures in this style of play deal mostly with negotiations, political

maneuverings, and character interaction. Players talk about the

“story” that they are collectively creating.

Rules become less important in this style. Since combat isn’t the

focus, game mechanics take a back seat to character development.

Skill modifiers take precedence over combat bonuses, and even

then the actual numbers often don’t mean much. Feel free to

change rules to fit the player’s roleplaying needs. You may even

want to streamline the combat system so that it takes less time

away from the story.

SOMETHING IN BETWEEN

The style of play in most campaigns is going to fall between the two

extremes just described. There’s plenty of action, but there’s a story-

line and interaction between characters as well. Players will develop

their characters, but they’ll be eager to get into a fight. Provide a nice

mixture of roleplaying encounters and combat encounters. Even in

a dungeon, you can present NPCs that aren’t meant to be fought but

rather helped out, negotiated with, or just talked to.

OTHER STYLE CONSIDERATIONS

A few other style-related issues are worth your consideration.

Serious versus Humorous: How seriously you take things

sets the standard for how seriously the players take things. Jokes

and silly remarks can make the game more fun, but they can also

detract from the action. If you make funny comments during the

game, expect that the players will, too.

Likewise, if you design adventures that are lighthearted, create

NPCs that are slightly silly, or introduce embarrassing or humor-

ous situations into the game, realize that it changes the tenor of

the game. If the king of the land is a talking dog named Muffy or

if the PCs have to find a brassiere of elemental summoning rather

than a brazier of elemental summoning, don’t expect anyone to take

the game too seriously.

Overall, it’s recommended that you play things straight. Don’t

intentionally insert jokes into the game. There’ll be enough josh-

ing around at the table already to keep the game fun. The in-game

action should remain fairly serious (although an occasional funny

moment is fine).

Naming Conventions: Related to how serious or humorous

the game is, character names should be fairly uniform in style

throughout the group. Although any character name is fine in and

of itself, a group that includes characters named Bob the Fighter,

Aldorius Killraven of Thistledown, and Runtboy lacks the consis-

tency to be credible.

Multiple Characters: You need to decide if each player is

going to be limited to one character or can have more than one,

and whether a player is allowed to actually run more than one

character at the same time. Generally, it’s best if you keep to one

character per player. However, when players are few, you might

allow them to run more than one character just to get the group

size up to at least four characters.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You’re in charge. This is not being in charge as in telling everyone

what to do. Rather, you get to decide how your player group is

going to play this game, when and where the adventures take

place, and what happens. That kind of being in charge.

EXAMPLE OF PLAY

A DM guides four players through their first adventure. The play-

ers are playing Tordek (a dwarf fighter), Mialee (an elf wizard),

Jozan (a human cleric), and Lidda (a halfling rogue). These four

adventurers seek the ruins of an abandoned monastery, drawn by

rumors of a fabulous fire opal, supposedly hidden there by the

abbot when the place was attacked.

After passing through the lifeless aboveground ruins of the mon-

astery, the adventurers find a rubble-strewn staircase leading down.

Tordek: Let’s give these upper ruins one more quick look.

DM: [Making some rolls in secret, but knowing there’s nothing to find

in the burned-out shell of the monastery.] You don’t find anything.

What are you going to do now?

Jozan: Let’s go down!

Lidda: We’ll light a torch first.

DM: Fine, but I’ll need the marching order that you’ll be in.

At this point, the players arrange their miniature figures, each repre-

senting one character, in the order in which they will march down the

stairs (and walk down corridors, and enter rooms). Tordek goes first, fol-

lowed by Jozan (with the torch), then Mialee. Lidda brings up the rear, her

player noting that she will be watching behind them occasionally.

If the players didn’t have miniatures, writing down the marching order

on a piece of paper would suffice.

Tordek: Fortunately, the torchlight won’t spoil my darkvision—

that’ll help us navigate in the dark down there.

Jozan: Okay, we go down the stairs.

DM: You descend southward, possibly 30 feet laterally, and at

the end of the stairway you see an open space.

Tordek: I enter and look around.

Jozan: I come in behind with the torch.

DM: You are in a chamber about 30 feet across to the south and

30 feet wide east and west. You see 10-foot-wide passages to the left

and right as well as straight ahead, each in the center of its respec-

tive wall. Looking back, you see the stairway by which you entered

the chamber in the center of the north wall.

Lidda: What else do we see?

DM: The floor is rough and damp. The ceiling is supported by

arches that probably rise to meet in the center, about 20 feet above

you—it’s hard to tell because of all the webs. Some moldering old

sacks are lying in the southwest corner, and some rubbish is jum-

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bled in the center of the floor—dirt, old leather, scraps of cloth,

and some sticks or bones.

After a short discussion and the formation of a plan, each player

announces an action for his or her character. Tordek looks down the south

passage, Mialee investigates the rubbish in the middle, Jozan looks at the

old sacks, and Lidda looks down the west passage. The players position

their figures on a floor plan the DM has sketched out on paper.

Since no one paid the webs any attention, the DM doesn’t worry about

Spot checks to see the spider.

DM: Okay. As two of you are looking down the passages and

Jozan starts looking at the sacks . . . [The DM rolls a touch attack for

the monstrous spider in the webs. He knows a 14 indicates success because

he wrote down everyone’s AC ahead of time and knows Mialee’s AC is 13.]

. . . Mialee, you feel something land on your shoulder—it feels

hairy and moves toward your neck!

Mialee: Yikes! What is it?

Tordek: If I hear her call out, I’ll turn around. What do I see?

DM: Wait just a minute. First, Mialee, roll for initiative.

Mialee: [Rolls.] I got a 19!

DM: [Rolls initiative for the spider, and gets a 9.] Everyone else

should roll for initiative as well. Tordek, you heard Mialee gasp,

and you turn to see a large, hairy spider on her neck.

Jozan rolls a 10, Lidda an 8, and Tordek a 4.

DM: Mialee, you go first. What do you do?

Mialee: I grab it from my shoulder and throw it to the ground,

where I can stomp on it with my boot.

DM: Okay, but your unarmed attack provokes an attack of

opportunity from the spider, so it bites as you grab at it. [He rolls an

attack roll for the spider, and gets a 16.] Ugh! Mialee, you feel a sharp

prick on your neck. Make a Fortitude saving throw.

The players all gasp in fear. Mialee rolls a die and would add her Forti-

tude modifier, except that it’s +0.

Mialee: Fortitude, my worst save! Let’s see—15 plus 0 is, well,

15. Is that good enough?

DM: You feel okay. But the bite still delivers 1 point of damage.

Mialee: Ouch. Okay, then I roll a 14 to grab it and throw it to the

ground. Do I succeed?

DM: Yes. The spider lands on the ground and looks like it’s

going to scuttle away, perhaps back up the wall to the webs above.

Jozan: My turn. I run up to it and smash it with my mace! I roll

a natural 20! With my bonus, that’s 22 in all.

DM: Good roll! You can move that far and attack, so make a roll

to see if that’s a critical hit.

Jozan: [Excitedly rolling again.] Is a 15 good enough?

DM: Yep. Roll damage—twice. Add the results together.

Jozan: [Rolls.] Sweet! Twelve points altogether once I add my

Strength bonus—which also doubled with the crit!

DM: That mighty blow smashes the creature to bits.

Mialee: Cool. Well, now that all the excitement is over, I’m

going to search through this refuse on the floor like I said I would.

DM: Okay. First, make another Fort save to see if there are any

lingering effects from that spider bite.

Mialee: Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good . . . [Rolls.] . . . a 17!

DM: No problems, then. You feel fine. Looking at the pile of

debris, you’d guess it’s probably refuse from the spider—leftovers

of its victims and its own castings. Amid bits of bone and tatters of

clothing, you find 19 silver pieces. And make a Search check.

Mialee rolls a 9 and adds her +6 Search modifier for a result of 15—just

enough to notice a hidden gem in the pile!

DM: You see something sparkle inside a small skull. Looking

closer, you see it’s a gem—a garnet.

Mialee: Great! I get it out and put it in my pouch. We can try

to appraise it later. You know, I’m getting a little nervous about

that web.

Lidda: Good point. Jozan, why not light the webs on fire with

your torch?

Jozan: Okay. I do. What happens? [Looks at the DM.]

DM: The webs burn quickly. As they do, tiny burning husks of

smaller spiders fall from the ceiling, but nothing the size of the

creature that attacked.

Tordek: [On lookout.] What do we see down the passages?

DM: The south tunnel runs straight as far as you can see. The

west corridor ends in a door at about 20 feet.

Tordek: Okay, I’ll also glance down the east passage.

DM: You see the east corridor goes straight for about 20 feet and

then turns a corner to head north.

Lidda: Let’s check out that door. [Everyone agrees.]

DM: Okay. You walk down the west passage. The door is a great,

heavy thing with a huge ring of corroded bronze in the center.

Tordek: Mialee, your Listen modifier is better than mine. Why

don’t you listen at this door?

Mialee: Okay. I move forward to do so. [Rolls.] I roll a 13. Do I

hear anything?

DM: You hear a faint moaning sound—you can’t really tell what

it is—that rises and then fades away. The door is hinged on the left

and looks like it pulls inward toward you.

Mialee: I hear moaning on the other side. Let’s get ready for

action! And, by the way, I move to my position toward the back. . .

Tordek: [Laughs.] All right, I’ll open the door while the elf

scrambles to the back of the line.

DM: Make a Strength check.

Tordek: [Rolls.] I only got a 10. If that’s not good enough, can I

try again?

DM: That’s not good enough, but if you’re willing to spend more

time on it, you can keep trying.

Tordek: [To the other players.] Look, we really want to get through

this door, right? [They agree, so the player turns back to the DM.] I’m

willing to spend enough time to take 20 on my roll. With my

Strength bonus, that gives me a 22.

DM: Ah, easily good enough. After a couple of minutes, Tordek

forces open the stuck door. Immediately a blast of cold, damp air

gusts into the passage where you are, blowing out Jozan’s torch.

Tordek: Do I see anything with my darkvision?

DM: Beyond the door is a chamber with rough walls, not blocks

of stone like the room behind you. It’s 25 feet wide and extends

about 40 feet to the south. A stream spills through the room into a

pool, carrying with it a cold, damp breeze. You don’t see anything

moving around, but some old barrels and buckets are here.

Jozan: I cast light on a rock, since we’ll never get a torch lit in

this wind.

DM: Okay, now everyone can see.

Tordek: I look at the ceiling and the floor for any more nasty

surprises.

Mialee: I’ll look in the barrels and buckets.

Lidda: Jozan, bring your light over and we’ll check out the pool.

DM: Tordek and Mialee, make Search checks. Lidda and Jozan,

give me Spot checks, since you can’t “search” the pool without get-

ting into it, but you can look into the water to spot anything that

might be there. [The players comply and tell the DM their results,

although the DM knows that there’s nothing for Tordek or Mialee to find.]

There’s nothing alarming about the ceiling and floor, and the

buckets are empty. The pool has some small white fish that look

harmless—they don’t react at all to your light. The pool looks to be

4 to 6 feet deep with a rough and rocky bottom. Jozan, with your

result of 17 you see that what at first seemed to be a rock formation

near the center of the pool looks somewhat like a skeleton.

Jozan: Cool! Mialee, will you cast your own light spell so I can

toss this rock down into the pool to get a better look at this skele-

ton? It might be something interesting.

Mialee: Okay, I do.

Jozan: I toss the rock that I’ve cast light upon into the water,

toward the center of the pool.

DM: Your stone falls to the bottom of the pool, illuminating the

center. The formation is clearly a limed-over skeleton—it must

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have been there for many years. Your stone impacts with it, stir-

ring up dirt and muck, and dislodges what appears to be a cylinder

about a foot long. The current quickly begins to carry it away. . . .

Lidda: Oh, no! I leap into the water and get it—at least I’ll be

able to see down there. Better, in fact, because of my low-light

vision.

DM: Hmmm. Make a Swim check.

Lidda: Uh-oh. I don’t have that skill. Untrained, I use my

Strength bonus, right? Uhh . . . don’t have one of those either.

[Rolls.] Hey! I still got a 17!

DM: You guys are rolling great tonight. Lidda, even with a

penalty for the weight of the gear you’re carrying, you succeed.

You manage to jump in and swim up to the tube just as the current

is going to sweep it out of the room and down the underground

stream. You have no idea if there would be air to breathe if you

swam down the dark, narrow passage, which seems to be com-

pletely filled with water.

Lidda: Okay, then I try to grab the tube now.

DM: Make an attack roll.

Lidda rolls high enough to grab the tube. The DM relays this informa-

tion, and Lidda swims up to the surface and climbs out of the pool with the

help of the others—all of whom announce that their characters crowd

around her to see what she’s found. The DM describes the sealed tube.

Lidda: I dry off the tube a little, and then open it.

DM: Inside is a roll of vellum.

Tordek: Let’s get out of this room and back into that entry cham-

ber where we can light torches again. It’s probably not going to be

easy to read a scroll or whatever with this air current. [The other PCs

agree, and they return to the first room, closing the door behind them.]

DM: The tube must have allowed a bit of water to seep in slowly,

because parts of the scroll are smudged and obliterated, but you

can see what looks like a map of the passages under the monastery.

You recognize the stairs down and the room with the pool and bar-

rels. The eastern portion of the map is smeared beyond legibility,

but you see that the south passage runs out of the room you’re in

now to a blurred area, and beyond that you see a large area with

coffinlike shapes drawn along the perimeter.

Tordek: Let’s head south and see what the map is leading

toward. [Everyone agrees. Tordek lights a torch and takes the lead.]

DM: You pass down a long passage of stone blocks with an

arched ceiling about 15 feet overhead. The passage stretches for

about 60 feet, then opens into the northern portion of an unlit

chamber that looks to be about 50 feet by 50 feet to those of you

with darkvision or low-light vision. It’s completely empty and

seems to be a dead end. What do you do?

Lidda: Does this room look like the one with the coffin shapes

on the map?

DM: No. It looks more like the blotched area on the map.

Mialee: I bet there’s a secret door here. Let’s check the south

wall.

The DM decides to make the Search checks himself, hidden from the

players so that they won’t know the results. He knows that they can’t find

anything; there is a secret door 10 feet above the floor, but he doesn’t want

them to know that. Finding some holes in the wall requires no roll, so the

DM randomly determines who finds them by rolling a d4. He also makes

a Listen check for the ghouls at the far end of the secret corridor—an 18

means they have heard the party tapping on the walls looking for a

hollow spot.

DM: The wall seems solid. However . . . Tordek, you noticed

some strange holes in the wall—square places cut into the stone,

each about half a foot on a side and about that deep. There are four

all together. Each pair of holes is 10 feet apart, with one pair about

3 feet from the floor and the other pair about 6 feet up. You find

some wooden splinters in one of the holes.

Jozan: Let’s look at that map again.

Tordek: While you do that, I’ll feel around to find if the holes

have any levers or catches or anything.

DM: [Making some meaningless rolls, knowing there are no levers to

find.] You don’t find anything like that, Tordek.

Mialee: The only thing I can think of is that the holes are sock-

ets for some sort of wooden construction.

Lidda: Sure! How about a ramp or stairs? How high is the ceil-

ing in this place?

DM: Oh, about 25 feet.

Lidda: How about hoisting me up and letting me search up

high?

Jozan: Good idea. Tordek, will you help me hold her steady?

Tordek: Sure.

Mialee: While they do that, I’ll keep a lookout to make sure

nothing sneaks up behind us from the way we came.

DM: Looks clear, Mialee. Lidda’s not heavy, so you guys don’t

have to make Strength checks to lift her. You do have to make

them to hold her steady so that she can . . . What is it you’re going

to do once you’re hoisted up, Lidda?

Lidda: I’ll scan the stone first to see if markings or some operat-

ing device is evident.

DM: Okay, how about those Strength checks? Tordek, you’re

stronger, so Jozan is helping you rather than the other way around.

If the cleric can succeed on a check against DC 10, he’ll add +2 to

Tordek’s attempt.

The check results are good enough that Tordek and Jozan are able to

hold Lidda steady, so the DM makes a Search check for Lidda. She finds

something.

DM: Lidda, you find some stone projections that seem rather

smooth, as if worn by use.

Lidda: Then I’ll see if I can move any of the knobs. Maybe they’ll

open a secret door. I’ll pull, push, twist, turn, and slide. . . .

DM: Okay. One of the fist-sized projections moves inward, and

there’s a grinding sound. A 10-foot-by-10-foot section of the wall,

10 feet above the floor in the center of the south wall, swings

inward and to the right.

Lidda: I’ll pull myself up into the doorway, and then I’ll see if I

can use my tools to somehow anchor a rope up here to help the

others climb.

DM: You get up there, and you’re looking around for a crack or

something to wedge a spike into, right? Make a Spot check.

The Spot check is actually to see if Lidda sees the ghouls waiting in the

darkness, but Lidda doesn’t know that (although the fact that the DM didn’t

ask for a Search check might have tipped off a more experienced player).

Lidda: Oops. I rolled a 7.

Now the DM begins rolling attacks for the ghouls. The players ask

what’s going on, and why he’s rolling dice, but his silence adds to the ten-

sion and suspense. The ghouls hit Lidda with their paralyzing touch.

DM: Lidda, make a Fortitude save.

Lidda: Oh, no! Why? A trap? [Rolls.] Arrgh—a 1. This is where

our luck runs out.

DM: [To the others.] You see a sickly gray arm strike the halfling

as she’s looking around at the floor where she stands, 10 feet above

you. She utters a muffled cry, and then a shadowy form drags her

out of sight. What do you do?

RUNNING A GAME SESSION

After everything is prepared, and everyone sits down at the table,

you’re on. It’s your show. Here are some points to consider, while

at the table and before you ever get there, to help the game run as

smoothly as possible.

KNOWING THE PLAYERS

Normally, but not always, the DM is in charge of inviting players

to play in his or her game. If this is the case, it’s your responsibility

to know and understand each of these people well enough that

you can be reasonably sure that they’ll all get along, work well

together, and enjoy the sort of game you run.

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A lot of this has to do with playing style. Ultimately, you have to

know the kind of game your players want to play—and, with play-

ers new to the game or a newly formed group, this knowledge may

take a while to emerge. Recognize that while you’re in charge, it’s

really everybody’s game—and that the players are all here, coming

back session after session, because they trust that you’ll help them

have a fun and rewarding gaming experience.

Table Rules

One thing that will help everyone, players and DM alike, to all get

along is establishing a set of rules—rules that having nothing to

do with the actual game but that govern what happens with the

people around the table.

Some table rules issues that you’ll need to deal with eventually

are discussed below. It’s best to come up with the answers before

you start a regular campaign. You can establish these yourself, or

you can work them out with your players.

Nonattending Players: Sometimes a regular player can’t show

up for a game session. The others are faced with the question of

what to do with his or her character. You have several choices.

•Someone else runs that character for the session (and thus runs

two characters at once). This is easiest on you, but sometimes the

fill-in player resents the task, or the replaced player is unhappy

with what happened to the character in his or her absence.

•You run the character as though he or she were an NPC. This

might actually be the best solution, but don’t do it if running a

character and running the game at the same time is too much

for you and hurts the whole session.

•The character, like the player, can’t be present for this adven-

ture. This solution only works in certain in-game situations, but

if it makes sense for the character to be absent, that’s a handy

way to take the character out of the action for a game session.

Ideally, the reason for the character’s absence is one that allows

him or her to jump back in with a minimum of fuss when the

player is available again. (The character may have some other

commitment, or she might fall victim to some minor disease,

for instance.)

•The character fades into the background for this session. This is

probably the least desirable solution, because it strains every-

one’s suspension of disbelief.

Recognize that players come and go. Someone will move away,

another’s regular life will become busier, and yet another will

grow tired of the game. They’ll quit. At the same time, new players

will want to join in. Make sure always to keep the group at a size

that you’re comfortable with. The normal-sized group is around

four players (with the DM as the fifth person). However, some

groups are as small as two players, and others as large as eight or

more. (Very large groups sometime use a nonplayer assistant who

helps manage player actions, rules referencing, and NPCs to help

the DM keep from getting bogged down.) You can also play the

game one on one, with just one player and a DM, but that’s a very

different sort of play experience. (It’s a good way to handle special

missions such as a paladin’s atonement.)

If you can, try to find out from the players how long they’re

interested in playing, and try to get a modest commitment from

them to show up on a regular basis during that time.

Integrating New Players: When someone new joins the cam-

paign, his or her character needs to be integrated into the game. At

the same time, the player needs to be integrated into the group.

Make sure that a new player knows the table rules as well as the

game rules.

Dice Conventions: When someone makes a roll and the die

lands on the floor, do you reroll it or use the die as it lies? What do

you do with a die that lands cocked against a book? Are players

required to make all die rolls where the DM can see them? These

questions have no right or wrong answers, but deciding your

group’s answers ahead of time will save you from arguments later.

Book Use: It’s best if you decide ahead of time which books

(other than the Player’s Handbook) a player can reference during a

playing session.

Rules Discussions: It’s probably best if players don’t question

your rulings or established rules, propose changes to the rules, or

conduct discussions on other aspects of the game (aside from

what’s immediately at hand) during the game itself. Such matters

are best addressed at the beginning or end of the session.

Jokes and Off-Topic Discussions: There are always funny

things to be said, movie quotes, good gossip, and other conversa-

tions that crop up during the game, whether they’re inspired by

what’s going on in the session or completely extraneous. Decide

for yourself (and as a group) how much is too much. Remember

that this is a game and people are there to have fun, yet at the same

time keep the focus on the actions of the characters, so the whole

playing session doesn’t pass in idle chat.

WORKING WITH PLAYERS

Two players want the same magic item. Each thinks his character

can use it best or deserves it for what he’s done. If the players

can’t find a way to decide who gets it, you will have to arbitrate or

impose a solution. Or, worse, one player is angry with another

player for something that happened earlier that day outside the

game, so now his character tries to harass or even kill the other

player’s character. You shouldn’t sit back and let this happen. It’s

up to you to step in and help resolve conflicts such as these.

You’re a sort of master of ceremonies as well as an umpire during

the game. Talk with the arguing players together or separately

outside the game session and try to resolve the conflict. Make it

clear as nicely as you can that you can’t let anyone’s arguments

ruin the game for the other players and that you won’t tolerate

real-world hard feelings affecting the way characters within the

game react to each other.

If a player gets angry when you rule against her, be firm but

kind in telling her that you try your best to be fair and that you

can’t have angry outbursts spoiling everyone else’s fun. Settle the

matter outside the game session. Listen to her complaints, but

remember that you’re the final arbiter, and that by agreeing to play

in your game she has also agreed to accept your decisions as DM

(see When Bad Things Happen to Good Characters, page 18).

Sometimes one player’s actions ruin the fun for everyone. An

obnoxious, irresponsible, troublemaking player can make the

game really unpleasant. Sometimes he gets other characters killed

because of his actions. Other times he stops the game altogether

with arguments, tantrums, or off-topic conversations. Still other

times he might keep everyone from playing by being late or not

showing up at all. Ultimately, you should get rid of this player.

Don’t invite him next time. Don’t play the game with someone you

wouldn’t enjoy spending time with in another social setting.

If one player dominates the game and monopolizes your time

with her character’s actions, the other players will quickly grow

dissatisfied. Make sure everyone gets his or her turn. Also, make

sure each player gets to make his or her own decisions. (Overeager

or overbearing players sometimes try to tell the others what to do.)

If one player insists on controlling everything, talk to him outside

the game session and explain that his actions are making things

less fun for everyone.

METAGAME THINKING

“I figure there’ll be a lever on the other side of the pit that deacti-

vates the trap,” a player says to the others, “because the DM would

never create a trap that we couldn’t deactivate somehow.” That’s an

example of metagame thinking. Any time the players base their

characters’ actions on logic that depends on the fact that they’re

playing a game; they’re using metagame thinking. This behavior

should always be discouraged, because it detracts from real role-

playing and spoils the suspension of disbelief.

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Surprise your players by foiling metagame thinking. Suppose

the other side of the pit has a lever, for example, but it’s rusted and

useless. Keep your players on their toes, and don’t let them second-

guess you. Tell them to think in terms of the game world, not in

terms of you as the DM. In the game world, someone made the

trap in the dungeon for a purpose. You have figured out the reason

why the trap exists, and the PCs will need to do the same.

In short, when possible you should encourage the players to

employ in-game logic. Confronted with the situation given above,

an appropriate response from a clever character is “I figure there’ll

be a lever on the other side of the pit that deactivates the trap,

because the gnomes who constructed the trap must have a means

to deactivate it.” In fact, this is wonderful—it shows smart think-

ing as well as respect for the verisimilitude of the game world.

KNOWING THE PCS

One advantage that you always have over a professional writer

designing an adventure is that you know your players. You know

what they like, what they’re likely to do, what their capabilities

are, and what’s going on in your campaign right now. That’s why

even when you use a published adventure, you’ll want to work to

ensure that it gets integrated into your campaign properly.

A good DM will always know the following facts about the

characters in his or her game.

The Characters’ Basic Statistics: This includes class, race, level,

hit points, save and attack bonuses, spells, and special abilities. You

should be able to look at a monster’s hit points, AC, and special qual-

ities and be able to judge whether it’s a fitting challenge. Compare,

for example, the monster’s AC with the attack bonuses of the char-

acters in the group—particularly the fighters. When you assume

average rolls, can the fighters hit the creature? Do they need above-

average rolls? (If so, the challenge will be great.) Do they need a nat-

ural 20? (If so, the challenge is almost certainly too difficult.)

Examine the attack bonus of the monster. Look at the damage it

can deal. When you compare these pieces of information to the

AC and hit points of the PCs, will the monster be able to hit or

seriously damage the characters? Will it almost certainly kill one?

If the monster’s attack bonus added to an average d20 roll hits the

character’s AC, and the average damage dealt is more than the PC’s

total hit points, the monster will kill the character. When you look

at the save DCs for the monster’s special attacks, are the characters

likely to successfully resist the attack?

These sorts of questions and analyses allow you to judge mon-

sters, encounters, and adventures and determine whether they are

appropriate for your group. Challenge Rating assignments for

such obstacles will help, but no one knows your group of charac-

ters as well as you do. (See Chapter 3: Adventures for details about

Challenge Ratings.)

Keep a record of all the characters, their abilities, spells, hit

points, AC, and so forth. One way to do this is to require the play-

ers to give you a new copy of their character sheet whenever the

character attains a new level. This information is helpful to you for

balancing encounters and monitoring hit point loss and spell

depletion during play. It’s also very handy if a player can’t make it

to a session, enabling you to simply hand the character sheet to

whoever is running the character for that session.

The Players’ Likes and Dislikes: Some groups hate political

intrigue and avoid or ignore it in favor of going down into the

dungeon. Other groups are more likely to run from a serious com-

bat challenge. Some groups prefer adventures with mind flayers

and psionics. Some don’t. You’re the best judge, if you’re aware of

what the players like and what entices them, of whether they will

partake in and enjoy a particular encounter or adventure.

For example, a DM might find that the lure of gold motivates

the PCs in her group. She knows, then, that in order to get them

involved in the adventure she has written (or purchased), there

has to be some treasure involved, and the PCs need to know about

it ahead of time. Another group, however, might be interested in

heroic deeds. They don’t care about money, but if they hear that

the duchy’s in danger from a storm-controlling wizard, they’re off

to stop him in a flash.

Nothing’s more frustrating for a DM than to create an adven-

ture and provide the PCs with the hook that will bring them into

the action, only to have them ignore or even consciously reject it.

No one wants to see his or her adventure go unplayed. Know what

interests and motivates the group, and you’ll be able to avoid this

disheartening possibility.

What’s Going on in the Campaign: Since you’re managing

the events in the game, you need to keep track of what’s going on

anyway. It’s important to always know what the characters are

doing and a little about their plans. If the PCs want to leave the

area and head into the mountains to find one of the characters’ old

mentors, you need to keep that in mind when preparing that ses-

sion’s adventure and in planning ahead for future sessions.

Keep a record of every significant event that occurs in the game.

A timeline can help you keep track of when events happened in

relation to each other (especially handy for monitoring the activi-

ties of recurring villains). Above all, make sure you always have a

good grasp of NPCs’ names (particularly ones you’re forced to

make up in the middle of the game), so that the name of the king

doesn’t change abruptly from session to session. And of course you

should remember what the PCs have accomplished, where they

have been, enemies they have made, and so forth.

KNOWING THE ADVENTURE AND

OTHER MATERIALS

You’re running the game, so you have to know everything. Well,

maybe not everything, but certainly enough to keep things mov-

ing. If you know the PCs want to head into the mountains, it’s

helpful if, ahead of time, you have looked into how mountain

travel affects their movement, what it’s like to be in the mountains

(possibly through some research in an encyclopedia or travel

book), and other considerations (climbing gear, mountain

encounters, and the like). If you have a chance to try rock climb-

ing, or if you’ve done it before, so much the better—there’s noth-

ing like personal experience to lend realism to your descriptions.

More to the point, you will want to have prepared as much as

you can for the adventure ahead of time. You will want to have fig-

ured out what will happen when, the layout of the area (both the

large-scale landscape and individual encounter areas), what the

PCs will encounter if they go to a particular area, how NPCs en-

countered in the adventure will react to the PCs, and the events

likely to happen (such as a conversation or a fight).

When you are running a published adventure, this preparation

often amounts to reading the material carefully and making notes

where you need them. Useful points to note might include any of

the following.

•Page numbers in the rulebook for rules you know you’ll need to

reference in a given encounter.

•Changes needed for the adventure to fit into your campaign.

•Changes you want to make to please your tastes or those of your

group.

•Preplanned actions you want NPCs to take in a given encounter

(ambushes, dying speeches, spell sequences).

•Reminders to yourself about rules, adventure structure, events

that might occur (such as random encounter checks), or the

consequences of certain actions.

If you are designing an adventure on your own, your preparation

requires (obviously) a lot more time. This preparation might in-

clude any of the following elements.

•Maps of the area (large scale) and of specific smaller areas where

encounters are likely to occur. These can be as simple and

sketchy or as detailed as you like.

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•A key to the map or maps detailing special areas and what

might be encountered in each one, including foes, allies, trea-

sure, traps, environmental situations, and possibly even

descriptions of what the PCs see, hear, and experience upon

entering an area.

•NPC listings that include their statistics and notes on their

potential reactions.

•Bookmarks in the rulebooks (or notes listing page numbers) for

rules that might need to be referenced.

•Notes on the overall story or plot of the adventure if it is

complex.

•Statistics for any new monsters you’re introducing.

This preparation can amount to a lot of work. However, not every

adventure is going to require reams of notes in order to play. Not

every DM likes to prepare detailed notes ahead of time. Some have

more fun if they just “wing it.” And sometimes a DM would like to

be better prepared, but there just isn’t time. Find the style of Dun-

geon Mastering that suits you best.

KNOWING THE RULES

If you know that the aerial combat rules will be needed to play out

the battle in which the PCs are mounted on griffons and the gar-

goyles attack them, review those rules before playing. When rules

less often used come into play in the course of the adventure, it

slows things down if you have to reread them in the midst of a

game. Looking over commonly used rules—such as descriptions

for spells you know NPCs or PCs have prepared, or even the basic

combat rules—before a game session is always a good idea.

When a player has a rules question, you should be the one best

able to answer the question. Mastery of the rules is one reason

why the DM is sometimes called the referee.

No matter how well you know the rules, though, a player might

remember some point that didn’t occur to you. Most players, quite

properly, won’t lord it over you if they know some rules better

than you do. If someone else at the table corrects your recollection

of a rule or adds some point you hadn’t thought of, thank that

player for his help. When people cooperate to make the game

better, everyone benefits.

KEEPING GAME BALANCE

A lot of people talk about game balance. They refer to rules they

like as “balanced,” and rules that don’t seem to work as “unbal-

anced.” But what does “game balance” really mean? All game bal-

ance does is to ensure that most character choices are relatively

equal in terms of their chances for success. A balanced game is one

in which one character doesn’t dominate over the rest because of a

choice that he or she made (race, class, skill, feat, spell, and so on).

It also reflects that the characters aren’t too powerful for the

threats they face; yet, neither are they hopelessly overmatched.

The two factors that drive game balance are discussed below.

Good DM Management: A DM who carefully watches all

portions of the game so that nothing gets out of his or her con-

trol helps keep the game balanced. PCs and NPCs, victories and

defeats, awards and afflictions, treasure found and treasure

spent—all these aspects must be monitored to maintain balance.

No one character should become significantly greater than the

others. If this does happen, the others should have an opportu-

nity to catch up in short order. The PCs as a whole should never

get so powerful that all the challenges become trivial to them.

Nor should they be constantly overwhelmed by what they

must face. It’s no fun to always lose, and always winning gets

boring fast. (These types of games are known as “killer dun-

geons” and “Monty Haul games,” respectively.) When temporary

imbalances do occur, it’s easier to fix them by altering the chal-

lenges than by changing anything about the PCs and their

powers or equipment. No one likes to get something (a new

magic sword, for example), only to have it taken away again

because it was too unbalancing.

Player–DM Trust: Players should trust the DM. Trust can be

gained over time by consistent use of the rules, by not taking sides

(that is, not favoring one player at another’s expense), and by mak-

ing it clear that you’re not vindictive toward the players or the PCs.

If the players trust you—and through you, the game system—

they will recognize that anything that enters the game has been

carefully considered. If you adjudicate a situation, the players

should be able to trust it as a fair call and not question or second-

guess it. That way, the players can focus their attention on playing

their characters, succeeding in the game, and having fun, trusting

you to take care of matters of fairness and realism. They also trust

that you will do whatever you can to make sure they are able to

enjoy playing their characters, can potentially succeed in the

game, and will have fun. If this degree of trust can be achieved,

you will be much more free to add or change things in your game

without worrying about the players protesting or scrutinizing

every decision.

Handling Unbalanced PCs

Sometimes, though, the unexpected will happen. The characters

may defeat a villain, foiling what the villain (and you) thought was

an unstoppable escape plan, and gain a vorpal sword that you never

intended to fall into their hands. PCs entrusted to deliver an arti-

fact to its rightful owner may decide to simply keep it instead. Or,

even more likely, the combination of some new acquisition with

an item or spell or power a character already has will prove unbal-

ancing in a way you didn’t foresee.

When a mistake is made, and a PC ends up too powerful, all is

not yet lost. In fact, it’s usually simple to increase the challenges

that the character faces to keep him or her from breezing through

encounters. However, this way of solving the problem can be

unsatisfying, and it can mean that the encounters become too dif-

ficult for the other PCs. At the same time, as already noted, it’s

never fun to lose some new aspect of your character that turns out

to be unbalancing. From the player’s point of view, it’s not his or

her fault.

You have two options.

Deal with the Problem In-Game: “In-game” is a term used to

describe something that happens in the story created by the play

of the game. For example, suppose a PC becomes an unbalanced

character by using a wish spell to give herself the ability to cast all

her prepared spells twice rather than once. (This should never

happen from a wish, but DMs do make mistakes.) An in-game solu-

tion might be to have an enemy cleric use a miracle to rob her of

that newfound ability. Whatever you do, try not to make it obvious

that the situation is actually just a tool to balance the game.

Instead, make it seem just a part of the adventure. (If you don’t,

indignant players will get very angry.)

Deal with the Problem Out-of-Game: “Out-of-game” means

something that takes place in the real world but has an impact on

the game itself. An out-of-game solution to the problem described

in the last paragraph would be to take the player aside between ses-

sions and explain that the game has become unbalanced because of

her character—things need to change, or the game may fall apart.

A reasonable person will see the value in continuing the game, and

she’ll work with you either in-game (perhaps donating a powerful

item to an appropriate NPC guardian) or out-of-game (perhaps by

erasing the unbalancing power or item from her character sheet

and just pretending it was never there). Be warned, however, that

some players may dislike this amount of intrusion on your part and

resent giving up a great ability or item their character “earned.”

Even if they don’t tell you to forget about it, they’ll begrudge the

loss. What’s worse, after an unfortunate exchange of this type, it

will seem obvious and contrived if you try to balance things with

an in-game solution. Nobody said DMing was easy.

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CHANGING THE RULES

Beyond simply adjudicating, sometimes you are going to want to

change things. That’s okay. However, changing the rules is a chal-

lenge for a DM with only a little experience.

Altering the Way Things Work

Every rule in the Player’s Handbook was written for a reason. That

doesn’t mean you can’t change some rules for your own game. Per-

haps your players don’t like the way initiative is determined, or

you find that the rules for learning new spells are too limiting.

Rules that you change for your own game are called house rules.

Given the creativity of gamers, almost every campaign will, in

time, develop its own house rules.

The ability to use the mechanics as you wish is paramount to

the way roleplaying games work—providing a framework for you

and the players to create a campaign. Still, changing the way the

game does something shouldn’t be taken lightly. If the Player’s

Handbook presents the rules, then throughout the Dungeon Master’s

Guide you will find explanations for why those rules are the way

they are. Read these explanations carefully, and realize the impli-

cations for making changes.

Consider the following questions when you want to change

a rule.

•Why am I changing this rule?

•Am I clear on how the rule that I’m going to change really

works?

•Have I considered why the rule existed as it did in the first

place?

•How will the change impact other rules or situations?

•Will the change favor one class, race, skill, or feat more than the

others?

•Overall, is this change going to make more players happy or

unhappy? (If the answer is “happy,” make sure the change isn’t

unbalancing. If the answer is “unhappy,” make sure the change

is worth it.)

Often, players want to help redesign rules. This can be okay,

since the game exists for the enjoyment of all its participants,

and creative players can often find ways to fine-tune a rule. Be

receptive to player concerns about game mechanics. At the

same time, however, be wary of players who (whether selfishly

or innocently) want to change the rules for their own benefit.

The D&D game system is flexible, but it’s also meant to be a bal-

anced set of rules. Players may express a desire to have the rules

always work in their favor, but the reality is that if there were no

challenges for the characters, the game would quickly grow

dull. Resist the temptation to change the rules just to please

your players. Make sure that a change genuinely improves your

campaign for everybody.

ADDITIONS TO THE GAME

As DM, you get to make up your own spells, magic items, races,

and monsters. Your campaign might have a real need for a spell

that turns foes to crystal, or a monster covered in dozens of ten-

tacles that drains heat from living creatures. Adding new races,

spells, monsters, and magic items can be a really entertaining and

rewarding experience.

On the downside, an addition to the game can spoil game bal-

ance. As stated earlier, maintaining balance is an important DM

responsibility. Most unbalancing factors are actually hasty or ill-

considered DM creations. Don’t let that happen to you.

One way to judge whether a new skill, feat, spell, or other op-

tion is balanced is to ask yourself, “If I add this to the game, is it

so good that everyone will want to have it?” At the same time,

ask yourself, “Is this so limited that no one will be interested in

it?” Keep in mind that it’s easier and more tempting to create

something that’s too good rather than not good enough. Watch

yourself.

Making Mistakes

A magic item that allows the characters to move through walls

unhindered, giving them easy access to all sorts of places you do

not want them to go (at least without great effort), is a mistake.

A 4th-level spell that kills multiple foes with no saving throw is

a mistake. A race without a level adjustment that has bonuses of

+4 to Strength and Dexterity is a mistake.

Usually, the mistakes that creep into a campaign are the ones

that seem innocuous at first. A 1st-level spell creating a blast of

wind that knocks a foe down appears to be fine—until a shrewd

player uses it to knock a powerful opponent off the edge of a cliff.

On the other hand, you’ll know right away that you should never

have put a staff of disintegration with unlimited charges in that trea-

sure chest, or you should never have allowed your players to per-

suade you that the game would be more fun if critical hits multi-

plied all damage by five.

When things get unbalanced, you need to fix them either in-

game or out-of-game, depending on the situation and the involved

players’ personalities. Unbalanced character abilities or items are

best handled in-game, but rule changes can only be handled out-

of-game. Sometimes it’s best for you to admit to the players that

you made a mistake, and now it needs to be fixed in order to keep

the game fun, balanced, and running smoothly. The more reason-

able you are, the more likely your players are to understand.

SETTING THE STAGE

It’s worth stating again: Once the game starts, it’s all up to you. The

players are likely to take their cues from you on how to act and

react. If you handle the game seriously, they’ll be more likely to

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EQUIPMENT FOR RUNNING THE GAME

The following kinds of equipment are available to streamline or

enhance your game. They’re not for everyone, however.

DM Screen: This is a cardstock screen (available in many game and

hobby stores) that stands up on the table between you and the players. It

has useful tables and rules reminders on it to speed play. You can also clip

notes to it, so you can see them but the players can’t. Behind this screen,

you can put your maps and records on the table, and roll dice where the

players can’t see what you’re doing. The only drawback is that a screen

creates a wall between you and the players, which can be distancing. DMs

who wish to have the information on the screen handy but don’t want to

set themselves apart from the players sometimes lay the screen flat on

the table in front of them, hiding adventure notes underneath.

Counters: If you don’t have miniature figures for every character or

creature the PCs encounter, you can use any sorts of counters to

represent characters and monsters: printed counters with pictures of

the creatures, poker chips, checkers, coins, scraps of paper—anything

you want.

Computers: With a computer at the table (or at your side nearby,

but shielded from players), you can keep all your notes and maps in

electronic files easily searched and referenced during the game.

Special DM utility programs are available that manage NPCs, PCs,

monsters, treasure, and other kinds of information. Some will deter-

mine random encounters, create characters, and generate random

numbers. Not all roleplaying groups prefer to use a computer,

however, because of the tendency of the machine to draw the DM’s

attention away from the players and the game. If you find yourself star-

ing at the screen more than at your players, consider scaling back the

computer’s in-game use and restrict it to generating or manipulating

material between sessions.

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take it seriously. If you come across with a relaxed, lighthearted

tone, they will crack a few jokes and make side comments of their

own. You make the game the way you want it to be.

Recapping

“Last time, you had just discovered the entrance to the lair of the

basilisk and learned that a tribe of goblins living nearby appar-

ently worships the creature like a god. You were near the end of

your fifth day of traveling through the Thangrat Forest. Mialee the

wizard had suffered a great wound while fighting the initial

goblin scouts. Krusk wanted to go straight to the goblins’ camp

and deal with them then and there, but the rest of you talked him

into helping you find a suitable place to make a safe and defensible

camp. The goblins, meanwhile, were obviously preparing for a

fight, based on the sounds you had heard earlier that day. Now, as

the sun sets beyond the distant mountains, it seems as though the

basilisk is stirring within its lair. What do you do?”

In the middle of a campaign, recapping activity from the previ-

ous session (or sessions) at the start of a new session often helps

establish the mood and remind everyone what was going on. It

can be frustrating to DM and players alike that while in the game

the characters continue what they were just doing, in real life the

players have lived perhaps several days of real time between then

and now. They might have forgotten important details that will

affect their decisions if they don’t get reminders.

Of course, you need to keep notes on what happens so that

you don’t forget either. At the very least, jotting down a few sen-

tences about what was going on at the very end of a game session

and bringing them out at the beginning of the next session is

always a good idea. You may find that you tend to think about the

game between sessions more than the players do, and thus you

have a better grasp of the events. You may get to the point where

you won’t forget what has happened in past sessions, especially

since the adventures you’re working on now will often build off

those events.

USING MINIATURE FIGURES

Metal or plastic figures are used to represent characters, monsters,

and scenery in the game. You can use them on a grid to determine and

regulate the distance between individuals, tactical movement, line of

sight, and areas of spell effects. This book includes a two-sided poster

map containing a sample dungeon on one side and a 1-inch grid on

the other. (For regular use, a vinyl mat with a grid that you can write

on with wipe-off markers is especially useful. Mats of this sort are

often available at the same hobby and game stores that sell dice.)

Even without a grid, you can use miniatures arrayed on the

table to show marching order and relative position, or you can use

a tape measure and a scale of 1 inch = 5 feet to determine distances

on the tabletop precisely. Sometimes position in combat means

the difference between life and death, and miniature figures (per-

haps along with other suitable objects to represent terrain features

or dungeon furnishings) help everyone agree on the locations of

characters, creatures, and significant objects.

With a little searching, a player can usually find a miniature

that resembles the character he or she wants to play, and perhaps

is even posed the way the character would carry himself or herself.

MAPPING

When one of the players is drawing a map as the characters explore

a new place, give her a break. Describe the layout of the place in as

much detail as she wants, including dimensions of rooms. For clar-

ity, you might draw out the shape and size of a room on a grid in

front of you. Be willing to repeat a description if needed. Describe

anything the characters should be able to see (considering illumi-

nation and their own vision capabilities) or reasonably estimate

(such as the distance to the far wall of a cavern).

Of course, when the PCs are lost in a dungeon or walking

through fog, the whole point of the situation is that they don’t

know where they are (or where they’re going). In cases such as

these, don’t take pains to help the mapper. If the characters are

sneaking through a maze and they make a wrong turn, it’s all the

more fun when they have to backtrack.

PACING THE GAME SESSION

The pace of the game determines how much time you spend on a

given activity or action taken by the characters. Different players

enjoy different paces. Some players have their characters pick up

every copper piece; others decide it’s not worth the playing time.

Some roleplay every encounter, while some want to skip on to the

“good bits”—combat and other action-oriented activity.

Do your best to please the group, but above all, keep things

moving. Don’t feel that it’s necessary to play out rest periods,

replenishing supplies, or carrying out daily tasks unless the play-

ers want to. Sometimes that degree of detail is an opportunity to

develop characters, but most of the time it’s unimportant.

Determine ahead of time, if possible, how long the playing ses-

sion will last. Doing this enables you to judge about how much

time is left at any point and pace things accordingly—you should

always end a session at a good stopping point (see Ending a Ses-

sion, below). Three to four hours is a good length for an evening

game. Some people like to play longer sessions, usually on a week-

end. Even if you normally play for shorter periods, sometimes it’s

fun to run a longer, “marathon” session.

Referencing Rules

Look at the rules only when you truly need to during a game. While

the rulebooks are here to help you, paging through a book to

double-check yourself can slow things down. Look when necessary

(and mark things you’ll need to refer to again with a bookmark), but

recall a rule from memory when you can. You may not be perfectly

correct in your recollection, but the game keeps moving.

Asking Questions

Don’t be afraid to stop and ask important questions. If the players

seem bored, ask if they would like you to skip ahead or pick up the

pace. If you’re unsure how they want to handle a situation, ask.

Taking Breaks

When you finish up a lengthy combat encounter or a tension-

filled scene, take a break. Particularly in a long playing session,

establish a few breaks for food, drinks, trips to the bathroom, or

just a little time to relax. During this time, you can take your mind

off things for a few minutes, or you can begin to prepare for the

coming encounter.

HANDLING PC ACTIONS

The important point to remember regarding the actions of player

characters during an adventure is that each player controls his or

her own character. Don’t force a character to take a specific action

(unless the character is under a magical compulsion; see below).

Don’t tell a player what his or her character’s emotions are. Even

if an NPC with a high Charisma score attempts to persuade a

character, no mere die roll should force a character into doing

something. Some rules in the game apply specifically to NPCs

and not PCs, the most significant of which are the rules concern-

ing NPC attitudes (see NPC Attitudes, page 128, and the Diplo-

macy skill on page 71 of the Player’s Handbook). These rules should

never be used to enable an NPC to change the way a player char-

acter views that NPC. When running an NPC, feel free to try

praising, misleading, tricking, cajoling, or maligning a character,

but don’t use your authority as DM to exert control over what a

player character does.

Magical Compulsion

Your responsibility for dictating PC actions shifts when a player

character becomes subject to an effect (such as a charm person

spell or the domination ability of a vampire) that puts him or her

under the control of a monster or an NPC. Now the character is

compelled to do the bidding of his or her controller—repre-

sented by you.

Sometimes, adjudicating this sort of situation involves walking

a fine line: For instance, if an NPC wizard has just cast charm person

on a PC, what will you (as the wizard) order the character to do?

According to the spell description in the Player’s Handbook, “You

can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed

Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinar-

ily do.” Who decides what the PC “wouldn’t ordinarily do”—you or

the player?

The answer to that question is rarely clear-cut; at times, it may

be necessary for you and the player to come to an agreement on

what the character would “willingly” do in a certain situation. This

is one of the times in the game when you should not make deci-

sions on your own—confer briefly with the player of the PC, and,

assuming both of you are reasonable about the scope of what the

character would do, it shouldn’t be difficult to adjudicate the effect

of the spell.

As stipulated in an adventure you have written (or purchased),

an NPC or a monster who gains control of a character may be

motivated by goals that give you an idea of what to order the PC

to do. Sometimes, the character’s response to such an order (or

the character’s opportunity to make an opposed Charisma

check) will be easy to determine; at other times, you

may need to reach an agreement with the player

as discussed above.

HANDLING NPC ACTIONS

Normally, NPCs should obey all the same rules as PCs. Occasion-

ally, you might want to fudge the rules for them in one way or

another (see DM Cheating and Player Perceptions, below), but in

general, NPCs should live and die—fail and succeed—by the

dice, just as PCs do.

Be as quick—or quicker—to decide what the NPCs do on their

turn as the players are when deciding the PCs’ actions. To keep

things moving, be ready ahead of time with what each given NPC

will do. (Since you know ahead of time that the encounter is

coming, you can prepare better than the players can.) Jot down

NPC strategies alongside their game statistics.

Still, NPCs are people too. Don’t let it be obvious to the players

that a particular character is “just an NPC,” implying that what he

or she does isn’t as smart or important as what a PC does. While that

might be true, it shouldn’t seem to be true. In order to make the

game world seem real, the people who populate it should act real.

DESCRIBING THE ACTION

The players take all their cues from you. If you describe something

incompletely or poorly, the players have no chance of understand-

ing what’s going on in the game world. While this is important all

the time that you’re running a game, it’s crucial that you do it well

during combats.

Your descriptions of each action that occurs, the locations of all

important objects and participants, and the general environment are

all crucial to the players’ abilities to make intelligent decisions for

their characters. Thus, you need to be clear about everything. Allow

the players to ask questions and answer them as concisely as you

can. Refer to each character dis-

tinctly. If you call each NPC “that

guy,” the players will never know

what you mean. If a monster

attacks, describe its

horns, bite, or claws

so that the players

understand what

the beast is

doing.

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Adventurers make careful plans regarding

their next adventure.

If the players do not seem to have understood something you

said, say it again. Sometimes important points are lost among lots

of new description. Don’t be afraid to repeat that a great deal of

heat comes up from the grate, or each time the dragonne moves,

the ceiling rumbles and dust shakes down onto the floor. The

worst that can happen is that players are reminded how important

the statement is, and they will act accordingly.

When a character moves, add background. Say “The manticore

moves away from the opening in the far wall, where the foul smell

seems to originate,” or “The barbarian steps even closer to the pit,”

or “The roper slides slowly across the uneven floor.” When a char-

acter uses an object, describe the object. “The warrior slashes you

with his wavy-bladed dagger” is much better than “He hits you for

3 points of damage.”

The tone of your descriptions controls the flow of an encounter

and the mood that the encounter projects over the entire group. If

you speak quickly and intently, this lends intensity to the action. If

your words are frantic, they will make the mood of the scene seem

urgent and desperate.

Sometimes it’s effective to add a little pantomime to your de-

scriptions. If a PC’s opponent raises his huge two-handed sword

above his head to attack the character, raise your hands as if you

are grasping the sword’s hilt. When someone takes a terrible hit in

battle, flinch or recoil with a momentary look of mock pain. If the

PCs are fighting a giant, stand up when the giant takes his actions,

looking down at the seated players.

Sometimes it’s hard to avoid saying “You miss. He hits. You

take 12 points of damage.” And sometimes, that’s okay. Long

verbal descriptions can get tedious to give and to hear, and the

game effects are the important things. However, that’s the

exception, not the rule. Most of the time, at the very least, make

that “He ducks, and slashes with his longsword for 12 points of

damage.” It is usually better in a descriptive way to talk about

dealing damage rather than taking damage. “Its claws rake for 8

points” is at least somewhat interesting, but “You take 8 points”

describes nothing.

Remember, too, that an attack that does not deal damage is not

always a miss in the ordinary sense of the word. Heavily armored

characters may be frequently hit, but their armor protects them. If

you say “His short sword glances off your plate armor,” this not

only describes the action, but makes the player feel good about his

choice to spend extra gold on the good armor.

NPC Actions

When an NPC takes a combat action, the players sometimes need

to have a clue about what’s going on—both in the fictional reality

of the game and in terms of the game’s mechanics. This means that

when a lizardfolk with a crossbow is taking a ready action to cover

the area in front of a door, the players should have a pretty good

idea that if they move in front of that door, the lizardfolk is going

to shoot them.

You need to think about what various actions look like while

they’re happening. If you were all watching the combat in a movie,

what would you see when a character casts a spell or does some-

thing else that none of you have ever seen a real person do? Be dra-

matic, and describe the action fully, but avoid overexplaining,

because that will slow down the flow of the action. Be consistent

as well, because your words are not just description, they’re cues

by which the players make game decisions. If the last time some-

one used the aid another action, you described it as “distracting”

and “harrying,” use those words again. If that means that pretty

soon your players listen to your description and then say, “Ooh,

the wizard must be casting a spell,” you have accomplished some-

thing good—the players have learned your verbal cues to spell-

casting. Not only does that allow them to make good decisions

based on your descriptions, but it lends believability to the fic-

tional world you are creating.

Here are some vivid descriptions you can use to tell players

what’s going on when a character takes a certain action.

Action Description

Charge “He lunges forward at full speed, eyes full of

violence.”

Full defense “She raises her weapon and watches your

attacks, attempting to parry each one.”

Aid another “While his ally attacks, he darts in and out of

the fight, distracting his foe.”

Ready a “He’s got his weapon trained on that

ranged weapon area, obviously waiting for something.”

Cast a spell “He moves his hands in a deliberate manner

and utters words that sound more like an

invocation than a sentence.”

Cast a stilled spell “She speaks a few short words, staring

intently.”

Cast a quickened “With a word and a flick of his hand, . . .”

spell

Cast a silenced “She does nothing but make a powerful

spell gesture.”

Use a special ability “Without using words or gestures, she calls

upon some power within herself, using her

great will and inner strength.”

Activate a “He focuses intently on his item,

magic item drawing power from it.”

Delay “She’s looking around, sizing up the

situation, and waiting to react.”

Interesting Combats

The spiral pathway rose up to the circular platform where the sev-

enteen magical gems were held in stasis. Below the path, a

seething pit of raw, explosive magical energy waited like an open

maw. The four adventurers climbed up the path, eager to reach

their goal, but suddenly a quasit swooped down from some hidden

recess. Tordek drew his axe, knowing that fighting on this narrow

path would be difficult and dangerous. He wasn’t sure what would

happen if one of them fell into that magical energy, but he didn’t

want to find out.

While any combat can be exciting, you should occasionally

have the PCs face opponents in a nontraditional setting. Some-

times mounted combat, or aerial combat, can provide a change of

pace, and underwater settings can be interesting as well. A short

list of other suggestions appears below.

Factor Game Effect

Pits, chasms, bridges, Characters can attempt to push

and ledges opponents with a bull rush (see page 154 of

the Player’s Handbook).

FogConcealment (20% miss chance) for everyone

involved.

Whirling blades or Characters must make DC 13 Reflex saves

giant, spinning gears each round or take 6d6 points of slashing or

bludgeoning damage.

Steam vents One random character must make a DC 15

Reflex save each round or take 3d6 points of

damage from the heat.

Rising or lowering Characters can only melee opponents at the

platforms same elevation; platforms change elevation

every other round.

Ice or other slippery Characters must make DC 10 Balance checks

surfaces each round or fall prone, and then spend a

move action to stand.

For more ideas, see The Environment in Chapter 8: Glossary,

Chapter 3: Adventures, or take inspiration from an exciting

action movie or book.

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DETERMINING OUTCOMES

You’re the arbiter of everything that happens in the game.

Period.

Rolling Dice

Some die rolls, when seen by a player, reveal too

much. A player who rolls to see if her character

finds a trap and sees that she has rolled very

poorly knows that the information you give her as

a result of the roll is probably unreliable. (“Nope. No

traps down that way, as far as you can tell.”) The game is

much more interesting when the player of a character trying to

hide or move silently does not know whether the character has

succeeded.

In cases where the player shouldn’t know the die result,

you can make the roll, keeping dice behind a screen or oth-

erwise out of sight. While this takes some of the fun of

rolling dice away from the players (and let’s face it, that really

is a part of the fun of the game), it helps you to maintain con-

trol over what the player knows and doesn’t know.

Consider making checks involving the following

skills for the player where he or she can’t see the

result: Bluff, Diplomacy, Hide, Listen, Move

Silently, Use Rope, Search, and Spot.

Do this on a case-by-case basis. When possible,

always let players make the rolls themselves.

When it would increase suspense to keep them in

the dark, roll the dice yourself.

DCs, ACs, and Saving Throws

Don’t tell players what they need to roll to succeed. Don’t tell

them what all the modifiers are to the roll. Instead, tell the players

that keeping track of all those things is your job. Then, when they

roll the dice, tell them whether they succeed or fail.

This is important so that players focus on what their characters

are doing, not on the numbers. It’s also a way to hide sneaky mon-

ster tactics or the occasional DM cheat (see below).

DM CHEATING AND

PLAYER PERCEPTIONS

Terrible things can happen in the game because the dice just go

awry. Everything might be going fine, when suddenly the

players have a run of bad luck. A round later, half the party’s

down for the count and the other half almost certainly can’t

take on the foes that remain. If everyone dies, the campaign

might very well end then and there, and that’s bad for every-

one. Do you stand by and watch them get slaughtered, or do

you “cheat” and have the foes run off, or fudge the die rolls so

that the PCs still miraculously win in the end? There are

really two issues at hand.

Do you cheat? The answer: The DM really can’t cheat. You’re

the umpire, and what you say goes. As such, it’s certainly within

your rights to sway things one way or another to keep people

happy or keep things running smoothly. It’s no fun losing a long-

term character who gets run over by a cart. A good rule of thumb

is that a character shouldn’t die in a trivial way because of some

fluke of the dice unless he or she was doing something really

stupid at the time.

However, you might not think it’s right or even fun unless you

obey the same rules the players do. Sometimes the PCs get lucky

and kill an NPC you had planned to have around for a long time.

By the same token, sometimes things go against the PCs, and dis-

aster may befall them. Both the DM and the players take the bad

with the good. That’s a perfectly acceptable way to play, and if

there’s a default method of DMing, that’s it.

Just as important an issue, however, is whether the players real-

ize that you bend the rules. Even if you decide that sometimes it’s

okay to fudge a little to let the characters survive so the game can

continue, don’t let the players in on this decision. It’s important to the

game that they believe their characters are always in danger. If the

players believe, consciously or subconsciously, that you’ll never let

bad things happen to their characters, they’ll change the way they

act. With no element of risk, victory will seem less sweet. And if

thereafter something bad does happen to a character, that player

may believe you’re out to get him if he feels you saved other play-

ers when their characters were in trouble.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Characters

Characters suffer setbacks, lose magic items, take ability score

penalties, lose levels, and die (sometimes repeatedly). Unfor-

tunate events are part of the game, almost as much as suc-

cess, gaining levels, earning treasure, and attaining

greatness. But players don’t always take it well when

something bad happens to their characters.

Remind players that sometimes bad things happen.

Challenges are what the game’s all about. Point out that

a setback can be turned into an opportunity to succeed

later. If a character dies, encourage the other players (per-

haps subtly) to have their characters get the dead character raised

or resurrected. If doing this is not an option, reassure the player of

the dead character that there are lots of opportunities in new char-

acter types she hasn’t yet tried. A bard somewhere will pen a ballad

about the fallen character’s heroic demise even as the group wel-

comes her new PC. The game goes on.

It’s rare but possible that an entire party can be wiped out.

In such a case, don’t let this catastrophe end the whole

game. NPC adventurers might find the PCs and have

them raised or resurrected, putting the PCs deeply in

their debt (an adventure hook if ever there was

one). The players can create a temporary party for

the purpose of retrieving the bodies of the fallen

adventurers for raising or at least honorable burial.

Or, everyone can roll up new characters and start

anew. Even that’s not really so bad—in fact, it’s an opportunity for

a dramatic change of pace.

ENDING A SESSION

Try not to end a game session in the middle of an encounter. Leav-

ing everything hanging in this way is a terrible note to end on. It’s

difficult to keep track of information such as initiative order,

spell durations, and other round-by-round details

between sessions. The only exception to this guideline is

when you purposely end a session with a cliffhanger. A

cliffhanger ending is one in which the story pauses just as

something monumental happens or some surprising turn of

events occurs. The purpose is to keep players intrigued and

excited until the next session.

If someone was missing from a session and you had her charac-

ter leave the party for a while, make sure that there’s a way to work

her character back in when she returns. Sometimes a cliffhanger

can serve this purpose—the PC comes racing into the thick of

things like the cavalry to help her beleaguered friends.

Allow some time (a few minutes will do) at the end of play to

have everyone discuss the events of the session. Listen to their

reactions so you can learn more of what they like and don’t like.

Reinforce what you thought were good decisions and smart ac-

tions on their parts (unless such information gives too much away

for the adventure). Always end the session on a positive note.

You may want to award experience points at the end of each ses-

sion, or you might wait until the end of each adventure. That’s up

to you. However, the standard procedure is to give them out at the

end of each session, so players whose characters go up a level have

time to choose new spells, buy skills, and take care of other details

related to level advancement.

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his chapter covers the rules you need to play the DUNGEONS

& DRAGONS game, from the moment the characters enter

the dungeon to the end of the session, when they tally up

their experience points.

MORE MOVEMENT RULES

The Player’s Handbook covers tactical and overland movement for

Small and Medium creatures either traveling across the ground, or

using skills such as Climb, Jump, and Swim. This section of the rules

expands on that information to include creatures smaller than

Small and larger than Medium and also discusses flying movement.

MOVEMENT AND THE GRID

While this is a game of imagination, props and visual aids can

help everyone imagine the same thing, avoid confusion, and

enhance the entire game play experience.

In a round-by-round simulation, particularly when you are

using miniatures, movement will sometimes feel choppy. If a

character runs across a room so large that it takes him 2 rounds to

do so, it might seem as though he runs halfway, stops, and then

runs the rest of the way a little later. Although there’s no way to

avoid representing movement in a start-stop-start-stop fashion,

try to keep in mind—and emphasize to the players—that all

movement during an encounter is actually fluid and continuous.

Movement and Position

Few characters in a fight are likely to stand still for long. Enemies

appear and charge the party; the adventurers reply, advancing to

take on new foes after they down their first opponents. Wizards

circle the fight, looking for the best place to use their magic;

rogues quietly skirt the fracas, seeking a straggler or an

unwary opponent to strike with a sneak attack. With all this

tactical maneuvering going on, some way to represent char-

acter location within a defined scale can really aid the game.

Handle movement and position by using miniature fig-

ures on a grid. Miniatures show where a figure is in rela-

tion to others, and the grid makes it clear how far the char-

acters and monsters can move.

Standard Scale

1-inch square = 5 feet

30mm figure = human-size creature

Scale and Squares

The standard unit for tactical maps is the 5-foot square.

This unit is useful for miniatures and for drawing dun-

geon maps, which are usually created on graph paper.

In a fight, each Small or Medium character occu-

pies a single 5-foot square. Larger creatures take up

more squares, and several smaller creatures fit in a

square. See Table 8–4: Creature Size and Scale, page

149 of the Player’s Handbook.

Diagonal Movement

When moving diagonally on a grid, the first square

moved counts as 5 feet of movement, but the

second diagonal move counts as 10 feet. This pattern of

5 feet and then 10 feet continues as long as the character

moves diagonally, even if some straight movement

through squares separates the diagonal moves. For

example, a character moves 1 square diagonally

Illus. by A. Swekel

(5 feet), then 3 squares straight (15 feet), and then another square

diagonally (10 feet) for a total movement of 30 feet.

Armor and Encumbrance

The Player’s Handbook explains the effect of armor and encum-

brance on creatures with base speeds of 20 feet or 30 feet. The table

below provides reduced speed figures for all base speeds from 20

feet to 100 feet (in 10-foot increments).

Base Speed Reduced Speed Base Speed Reduced Speed

20 ft. 15 ft. 70 ft. 50 ft.

30 ft. 20 ft. 80 ft. 55 ft.

40 ft. 30 ft. 90 ft. 60 ft.

50 ft. 35 ft. 100 ft. 70 ft.

60 ft. 40 ft.

MOVING IN THREE DIMENSIONS

Not every creature gets around by walking and running. A shark,

even though it moves by swimming, can take a run action to swim

faster. A character under the influence of a fly spell can make a

flying charge. A climbing thief can use part of his speed to climb

down a short wall and then use the remainder to hustle toward a

foe. Use the movement rules to apply to any sort of movement, not

just when traveling across a flat surface.

Tactical Aerial Movement

The elf barbarian mounted on the giant eagle swoops over the

group of mind flayers, launching arrows from his bow. One of the

mind flayers wears winged boots and takes to the air to better con-

front the elf. Once movement becomes three-dimensional and

involves turning in midair and maintaining a minimum velocity

to stay aloft, it gets more complicated.

Most flying creatures have to slow down at least a little to make

a turn, and many are limited to fairly wide turns and must main-

tain a minimum forward speed. Each flying creature has a maneu-

verability, as shown on Table 2–1: Maneuverability. The entries on

Table 2–1 are defined below.

Minimum Forward Speed: If a flying creature fails to maintain its

minimum forward speed, it must land at the end of its movement.

If it is too high above the ground to land, it falls straight down,

descending 150 feet in the first round of falling. If this distance

brings it to the ground, it takes falling damage. If the fall doesn’t

bring the creature to the ground, it must spend its next turn recov-

ering from the stall. It must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save to

recover. Otherwise it falls another 300 feet. If it hits the ground, it

takes falling damage. Otherwise, it has another chance to recover

on its next turn.

Hover: The ability to stay in one place while airborne.

Move Backward: The ability to move backward without turning

around.

Reverse: A creature with good maneuverability uses up 5 feet of

its speed to start flying backward.

Turn: How much the creature can turn after covering the stated

distance.

Turn in Place: A creature with good or average maneuverability

can use some of its speed to turn in place.

Maximum Turn: How much the creature can turn in any one space.

Up Angle: The angle at which the creature can climb.

Up Speed: How fast the creature can climb.

Down Angle: The angle at which the creature can descend.

Down Speed: A flying creature can fly down at twice its normal

flying speed.

Between Down and Up: An average, poor, or clumsy flier must fly

level for a minimum distance after descending and before climb-

ing. Any flier can begin descending after a climb without an inter-

vening distance of level flight.

EVASION AND PURSUIT

In round-by-round movement, simply counting off squares, it’s

impossible for a slow character to get away from a determined fast

character without mitigating circumstances. Likewise, it’s no

problem for a fast character to get away from a slower one.

When the speeds of the two concerned characters are equal, there’s

a simple way to resolve a chase: If one creature is pursuing another,

both are moving at the same speed, and the chase continues for at

least a few rounds, have them make opposed Dexterity checks to see

who is the faster over those rounds. If the creature being chased wins,

it escapes. If the pursuer wins, it catches the fleeing creature.

Sometimes a chase occurs overland and could last all day, with

the two sides only occasionally getting glimpses of each other at a

distance. In the case of a long chase, an opposed Constitution

check made by all parties determines which can keep pace the

longest. If the creature being chased rolls the highest, it gets away.

If not, the chaser runs down its prey, outlasting it with stamina.

MOVING AROUND IN SQUARES

The characters are all within a corridor only 5 feet wide. A fighter

stands at the end of the corridor, at a dead end. He’s been poisoned

and is dying. The cleric wants to get at the fighter to help, but two

other characters are between them. Thus, there’s no way for the cleric

to get next to the fighter and cast neutralize poison. You can rule that it’s

okay for the cleric to squeeze past the characters who are in the way,

cast the spell, and then move back to where she previously stood.

In general, when the characters aren’t engaged in round-by-

round combat, they should be able to move anywhere and in any

manner that you can imagine real people could. A 5-foot square,

for instance, can hold several characters; they just can’t all fight

effectively in that small space. The rules for movement of minia-

tures are important for combat, but outside combat they can

impose unnecessary hindrances on character activities.

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

Table 2–1: Maneuverability

Maneuverability and Example Creature

Perfect Good Average Poor Clumsy

(Will-o’-wisp) (Beholder) (Gargoyle) (Wyvern) (Manticore)

Minimum forward speed None None Half Half Half

Hover Yes Yes No No No

Move backward Yes Yes No No No

Reverse Free –5 ft. No No No

Turn Any 90º/5 ft. 45º/5 ft. 45º/5 ft. 45º/10 ft.

Turn in place Any +90º/–5 ft. +45º/–5 ft. No No

Maximum turn Any Any 90º 45º 45º

Up angle Any Any 60º 45º 45º

Up speed Full Half Half Half Half

Down angle Any Any Any 45º 45º

Down speed Double Double Double Double Double

Between down and up 0 0 5 ft. 10 ft. 20 ft.

BONUS TYPES

Many racial abilities, class features, spells, and magic items offer

bonuses on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, Armor Class,

ability scores, or skill checks. These bonuses are classified by type,

and each type is briefly described below.

Bonuses of different types always stack. So a cloak of resistance +1

(adds a resistance bonus on saving throws) works with a paladin’s

bonus on saving throws from the divine grace class feature. Iden-

tical types of bonuses do not stack, so a +3 longsword (+3 enhance-

ment bonus for a +3 to attack, +3 to damage) would not be affected

by a magic weapon spell that grants a weapon a +1 enhancement

bonus on attack and damage rolls.

Different named bonus types all stack, but usually a named

bonus does not stack with another bonus of the same name,

except for dodge bonuses and some circumstance bonuses.

Alchemical: An alchemical bonus represents the benefit from

a chemical compound, usually one ingested prior to receiving the

bonus. Antitoxin, for example, provides a +5 alchemical bonus on

Fortitude saving throws against poison.

Armor: This is the bonus that nonmagical armor gives a char-

acter. A spell that gives an armor bonus typically creates an invis-

ible, tangible field of force around the affected character.

Circumstance: This is a bonus or penalty based on situational

factors, which may apply either to a check or the DC for that

check. Circumstance modifiers stack with each other, unless they

arise from essentially the same circumstance.

Competence: When a character has a competence bonus, he

actually gets better at what he’s doing, such as with the guidance

spell.

Deflection: A deflection bonus increases a character’s AC by

making attacks veer off, such as with the shield of faith spell.

Dodge: A dodge bonus enhances a character’s ability to get out

of the way quickly. Dodge bonuses do stack with other dodge

bonuses. Spells and magic items occasionally grant dodge bonuses.

Enhancement: An enhancement bonus represents an increase

in the strength or effectiveness of a character’s armor or weapon,

as with the magic vestment and magic weapon spells, or a general

bonus to an ability score, such as with the cat’s grace spell.

Inherent: An inherent bonus is a bonus to an ability score that

results from powerful magic, such as a wish spell. A character is

limited to a total inherent bonus of +5 to any ability score.

Insight: An insight bonus makes a character better at what he’s

doing because he has an almost precognitive knowledge of factors

pertinent to the activity, as with the true strike spell.

Luck: A luck bonus is a general bonus that represents good for-

tune, such as from the divine favor spell.

Morale: A morale bonus represents the effects of greater hope,

courage, and determination, such as from the bless spell.

Natural Armor: A natural armor bonus is the type of bonus

that many monsters get because of their tough or scaly hides. An

enhancement to natural armor bonus bestowed by a spell (such as

barkskin) indicates that the subject’s skin has become tougher.

Profane: A profane bonus represents the power of evil, such as

granted by the desecrate spell.

Racial: Creatures gain racial bonuses—usually to skill

checks—based on the kind of creature they are. Eagles receive a

+8 racial bonus on Spot checks, for example.

Resistance: A resistance bonus is a general bonus against

magic or harm. Resistance bonuses almost always affect saving

throws.

Sacred: The opposite of a profane bonus, a sacred bonus relates

to the power of good, such as granted by the consecrate spell.

Shield: Much like an armor bonus, a shield bonus to AC repre-

sents the protection a nonmagical shield affords. A spell that gives

a shield bonus usually represents an invisible, tangible shield of

force that moves to protect the character.

Size: When a character gets bigger (such as through the effect

of an enlarge person spell), his Strength increases (as might his Con-

stitution). That’s a size bonus.

COMBAT

The brave party of adventurers smashes through the wooden door

and into an ambush of bloodthirsty hobgoblins with spears and

rusted blades. The trio of knights charges through the forest on

their gallant mounts, their lances plunging into the scaly flesh of

the horrible hydra that waits near the river’s edge. The dragon

takes to the air and chases the elf lord and his retinue, jaws snap-

ping behind them as they run in terror.

Combat is a big part of what makes the D&D game exciting.

There are few better ways to test your mettle against your foes

than in pitched battle. Your most important job as DM is running

combats—making things move quickly and smoothly, and adjudi-

cating what happens during each round of the action.

LINE OF SIGHT

Line of sight establishes whether a particular character can see

something else represented on the grid. When using a grid, draw

an imaginary line (or use a ruler or a piece of string) from the

square the character is in to the object in question. If nothing

blocks this line, the character has line of sight (and can thus see it

to cast a spell on it, target it with a bow, and so forth). If the object

in question is actually another creature, measure line of sight

from the square the character is in to the square that the creature

occupies. If a character can see a portion of a large creature that

occupies more than one square, she can target that creature for a

spell or any other attack.

If line of sight is completely blocked, a character can’t cast spells

or use ranged weapons against the target. If it’s partially blocked,

such as by the corner of a building, spells work normally but the

target’s AC increases due to the cover.

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THE RULES

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: STACKING BONUSES

Keeping track of the different types of bonuses a character gets from

different sources may seem like a real bother. There are good reasons

to do this, however.

Balance: The main reason to keep track of what stacks and what

doesn’t stack is to keep total bonuses from getting out of hand. If a

character wears a belt of giant Strength, it’s unbalancing to allow the

cleric to cast bull’s strength on her as well and allow both bonuses to

add up. Likewise, a character with mage armor, magic plate armor, a

ring of protection, and a divine favor spell would be unbalanced if all his

bonuses were cumulative. Stacking restrictions keep the game within

manageable limits, while still allowing characters to benefit from

multiple magic items. For instance, note that some of the items from

the previous example—the magic plate armor, the ring, and the divine

favor spell, for example—could work together, because they provide

bonuses of different types.

Consistency and Logic: The system of bonus types provides a way to

make sense out of what can work together and what can’t. At some

point, when adding types of protection together, a reasonable player

realizes that some protections are just redundant. This system logically

portrays how it all makes sense together.

Encouraging Good Play: Categorizing bonuses by type allows play-

ers to put together suites of effects that do work in conjunction in a

consistent manner—encouraging smart play rather than pile-it-on play.

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STARTING AN ENCOUNTER

An encounter can begin in one of three situations.

•One side becomes aware of the other and thus can act first.

•Both sides become aware of each other at the same time.

•Some, but not all, creatures on one or

both sides become aware of the

other side.

When you decide that it is

possible for either side to

become aware of the

other, use Spot checks,

Listen checks, sight

ranges, and so on

to determine

which of the

three above

cases

comes into play.

Although it’s good

to give characters

some chance to

detect a coming

encounter, ultimately it’s you

who decides when the first

round begins and where each

side is when it does.

One Side Aware First: In

this case, you determine

how much time the aware

side has before the unaware side

can react. Sometimes, the

unaware side has no time to

do anything before the aware

side gets a chance to interact.

If so, the character or party

that is aware gets to take a stan-

dard action before initiative is rolled, while the unaware character

or party does nothing and is caught flat-footed. During this time,

the unaware character or party gains no Dexterity bonus to AC.

After this action, both sides make initiative checks to determine

the order in which the participants act.

Other times, the aware side has a few rounds to prepare. (If its

members see the other side off in the distance, heading their way,

for example.) You should track time in rounds at this point to

determine how much the

aware characters can accom-

plish. Once the two sides come

into contact, the aware characters

can take a standard action while the

unaware characters do nothing. Keep in

mind that if

the aware char-

acters alert the

unaware side before actual contact is

made, then both sides are treated as

aware.

Example (Sudden Awareness): A kobold

sorcerer with darkvision sees a party

of adventurers coming down a long

hallway. He can see the adventurers,

since they’ve got light, but they can’t

see him because he’s out of the

range of their illumination. The

sorcerer gets a standard action

and casts lightning bolt at the

party. Caught unaware, the

party can do nothing but roll

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VARIANT: ROLL INITIATIVE EACH ROUND

Some players find combat more fun if they get to roll initiative every

round rather than rolling once at the beginning of the encounter.

Rather than determining a sequence of actions for each round at the

beginning of an encounter, the players and DM reroll for all combat-

ants, determining a different sequence at the start of each new round.

The goal is to give the combat a feeling of shifting variability.

Ultimately, this variant rule doesn’t change things much. You’ll find

that it slows down play, because a new sequence of activity will need

to be determined each round—more die rolling, more calculation,

more organizing time. It doesn’t change spell durations, or how vari-

ous combat actions work. Effects that last until the character’s next

action still operate that way. The difference is that it’s possible for

someone to take an action at the end of one round (such as a charge

attack) that puts him at a penalty until his next action, and then to roll

well in the next round so that he goes first and the penalty has no

effect. This means that sometimes it can be beneficial to roll low for

initiative in a round.

And consider this case: A wizard wants to cast a spell unhindered by

the oncoming monk who rushes toward him. He knows that if the

monk reaches him, it will be difficult to cast a spell without drawing an

attack of opportunity from her. He thinks to himself that his actions

will depend on whether he wins initiative in this round (you need to

keep this sort of change in approach in mind if you use this variant).

Meanwhile, the monk wants to reach the wizard and use her stunning

attack to keep him from casting spells. They roll initiative, and the

wizard wins, casting a spell on the monk (but the monk saves and isn’t

affected). The monk runs forward and stuns the wizard, a condition

that lasts until the monk’s next action. In the next round, the monk

wins initiative again, and attacks but misses. Now the wizard casts

another spell—but because he lost initiative in this round, and acted

after the monk’s action, the fact that he was stunned hardly hindered

him at all.

If you roll initiative each round, taking a readied action later in the

same round or delaying an action until later in the same round gives

you a cumulative –2 penalty on later initiative rolls. (The first time you

do this causes a –2 penalty; if you take a readied action later in the

same round or delay an action until later in the same round again

during the current combat, the penalty becomes –4, and so on.) Taking

a readied action in the next round or delaying until the next round

carries no penalty, but you get no other action that round.

Even if you normally use a single set of initiative rolls for the whole

combat, some turn of events could make it worthwhile to reroll initia-

tive. For example, the PCs are fighting a drow wizard using greater invis-

ibility. It’s a climactic encounter with the survival of the party hinging

on it. The drow, on his turn, walks within 30 feet of Jozan, who has cast

invisibility purge. Suddenly, the drow is visible. Under normal initiative

rules, whoever happens to act next would be able to attack the newly

visible drow. Aside from game mechanics, there’s no good reason to

let that character act first. Additionally, everyone else will get one turn

before the drow gets to act again. Instead of following the previous

order, you can call for everyone—the drow included—to roll initiative

again to see how fast each character reacts to the new condition (the

drow becoming visible).

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saving throws. Once the damage from the spell is assessed, both

sides roll initiative.

Example (Time to Prepare): Jozan the cleric hears the sounds of

creatures moving beyond a door in a dungeon. He also hears some

voices, and determines

that the creatures are

speaking Orc. He fig-

ures that they don’t

know he’s there. He

takes the time to cast bless and

shield of faith on himself

before opening the door

and using a standard action

to cast hold person on the

first foe he sees. He can cast

the hold person spell before

anyone makes an initiative check,

unless the orcs heard him casting

bless or shield of faith in the previous 2

rounds, in which case they become

aware, Jozan doesn’t get the action that

enabled him to cast hold person, and he’d

better hope he gets the higher result on his

initiative check.

Both Sides Aware at the Same

Time: If both sides are aware at

the same time and can interact,

both should roll initiative and

resolve actions normally.

If each side becomes

aware of the other but cannot

interact immediately, track time in rounds,

giving both sides the same amount of time

in full rounds, until the two sides can

begin to interact.

Example (Both Aware and Can Interact

Immediately): A party of adventurers burst

into a dungeon room full of orcs, and neither

knew of the other ahead of time. All are equally surprised and

equally flat-footed. Initiative is rolled, reflecting that those charac-

ters with better reflexes act quicker in such situations.

Example (Both Aware but Cannot Interact Immediately): A party of

adventurers comes along a dungeon corridor and hears the

laughter of orcs beyond the door ahead. Meanwhile, the orc

lookout sees the adventures through a peephole in the door and

warns his comrades. The door is closed, so no direct interaction

is possible yet. Jozan casts bless. Lidda drinks a potion. Tordek and

Mialee move up to the door. At the same time, the orcs move into

position, and one uses a ring of invisibility to hide. The DM

records the passage of 1 round. The adventurers arrange them-

selves around the door and make a quick plan. The orcs turn over

tables and nock arrows in their shortbows. The DM tracks

another round. The fighter opens the door, and the DM calls for

an initiative check from all. The third round begins, this time

with the order of actions being important (and dictated by the

initiative check results).

Some Creatures on One or Both Sides Aware: In this case,

only the creatures that are aware can act. These creatures can take

standard actions before the main action starts.

Example: Lidda is scouting ahead. She and a gargoyle spot each

other simultaneously, but the rest of Lidda’s party doesn’t see the

monster (though they are close enough to hear any fighting that

erupts). Lidda and the gargoyle each get standard actions, and then

normal combat starts. Lidda and the gargoyle roll initiative

before taking their actions, and everyone else rolls ini-

tiative after those actions are concluded.

The Surprise Round

When only one side is aware of the other, the DM runs the first

round of combat as a surprise round. In this round, each charac-

ter gets only a standard action. Only those aware of the other side

can take any action at all. This rule reflects the fact that even

when a combatant is prepared, some amount of time is spent

assessing the situation, and thus only standard actions are

allowed to begin with.

This rule makes initiative have less of an impact, since it is in

the first round when initiative matters most. Even if a warrior gets

the jump on an opponent, at best he can make a single attack

against a foe before that foe can react.

NEW COMBATANTS

The adventurers are fighting for their lives against a group of trolls

intent on throwing them into a dank pit to feed to the dragon that

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: SAPIENT MOUNTS

A paladin’s mount is as smart as some characters. Giant eagles, giant

owls, and pegasi are all highly intelligent. When such creatures are part

of the action, you have two choices.

•You can force the mount to act on its rider’s initiative, just like

mounts of animal intelligence. This means that mount and rider act,

essentially, simultaneously.

•You can ask the player to make a separate initiative check for the

mount. This means the mount moves and attacks at its own place in

the initiative order, reinforcing its nature as a separate character.

However, that may be extremely inconvenient for a rider who is

carried away from her opponent! In such cases, of course, the rider

can always delay to synchronize her initiative check result with her

mount’s. Likewise, the mount may choose to delay to coincide its

movement with its rider’s.

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controls this part of the dungeon. Suddenly, in the middle of the

fight, a strike team of dwarves wanders into the room where the

battle rages. If, in the course of a battle between two sides, some

third group enters the battle, they should come into the action in

between rounds. The following rules apply to this situation,

whether or not the new group is allied with one or more existing

side involved in the encounter.

Newcomers Are Aware: If any (or all) of the newcomers are

aware of one or both of the sides in a battle, they take their actions

before anyone else. In effect, they go first in the initiative se-

quence. Their initiative check result is considered to be 1 higher

than the highest initiative check result among the other partici-

pants in the encounter. If differentiation is needed for the actions

of the newcomers, they act in order of their Dexterity scores, high-

est to lowest. The reason for this rule is twofold.

•Since they’re aware, but there’s no way to get an action ahead of

everyone else (because the encounter has already started), they

go first to simulate their advantage. This happens whether the

other sides are aware of the new side or not.

•Placing the newcomers at the beginning of the round means

that those who had the highest initiative check results prior to

their arrival are the first characters to have an opportunity to

react to them. This is an important advantage for characters

with high places in the initiative order.

Newcomers Not Aware: If any or all of the newcomers are not

aware of the other sides when they enter the encounter (for

example, the PCs stumble unaware into a fight between two mon-

sters in a dungeon), the newcomers still come into play at the

beginning of the round, but they roll initiative normally. If one of

the other characters involved in the encounter has a higher initia-

tive check result than one or more of the newcomers, that charac-

ter can react to those newcomers before they get a chance to act

(the newcomers are caught flat-footed).

If more than one new group enters an existing encounter at the

same time, you must first decide if they are aware of the

encounter. Those that are unaware, “stumbling in,” roll initiative.

Those that are aware act first in the round, in the order of their

Dexterity scores, even if they are not in the same group.

Example: A group of powerful adventurers fights a naga in a

dungeon room. The naga rolled badly for initiative, and all the ad-

venturers act before it. Between rounds three and four of that bat-

tle, three orcs on a random patrol stumble in. At the same time,

two more nagas arrive, having been alerted by the sounds of the

battle. At the beginning of round four, the two new nagas act in

the order of their Dexterity scores. Then the orcs roll for initiative,

and the results of their rolls are placed within the normal initiative

order for the battle. In this case, poor check results place them

dead last, even after the original naga.

Then the adventurers act, able to react either to the flat-footed

orcs or to the new naga reinforcements. Then the original naga

acts, followed by the orcs (who probably flee from this battle,

which is clearly out of their league). This same sequence is used

for subsequent rounds of the battle.

KEEPING THINGS MOVING

Initiative dictates the flow of who goes when. It is the tool that the

game uses to keep things moving, but ultimately it’s you who

needs to make sure that happens. Encourage the players to be

ready with their actions when each one’s turn comes up. Players

have less fun if they spend a lot of time sitting at the table waiting

for someone else to decide what to do.

Some resourceful players will learn tricks to help you move

things along. When attacking, they roll attack and damage dice at

once, so that if successful, they can tell you the damage that they

deal immediately. If they know that their next action will require

a die roll, they’ll roll it ahead of time, so that when you ask them

what they’re going to do, they can tell you immediately. (“I attack

with my battleaxe and hit AC 14. If that’s good enough, I deal 9

points of damage.”) Some DMs like to have players make each roll

separately, so you’ll have to decide for yourself whether you allow

prerolling.

One useful thing you can do is to write down the initiative se-

quence once it’s determined for a given encounter. If you place

this information where all the players can see it, each will know

when his character’s turn is coming and hopefully will be ready to

tell you his action when it comes time for him to act. Don’t write

down the NPCs’ places in the initiative sequence, at least not until

they have acted once—the players shouldn’t know who’s going to

act before the enemies and who will act after. It’s too easy to plan

actions around when their opponents act.

Simultaneous Activity

When you play out a combat scene or some other activity for

which time is measured in rounds, it can be important to remem-

ber that all the PCs’ and NPCs’ actions are occurring simultane-

ously. For instance, in one 6-second round, Mialee might be trying

to cast a spell at the same time that Lidda is moving in to make a

sneak attack.

However, when everyone at the table plays out a combat round,

each individual acts in turn according to the initiative count for

his character. Obviously, this is necessary, because if every indi-

vidual took his turn at the same time, mass confusion would

result. However, this sequential order of play can occasionally lead

to situations when something significant happens to a character at

the end of his turn but before other characters have acted in the

same round.

For instance, suppose Tordek hustles 15 feet ahead of his

friends down a corridor, turns a corner, and hustles another 10

feet down a branching corridor, only to trigger a trap at the end of

his turn. In order to maintain the appearance of simultaneous

activity, you’re within your rights to rule that Tordek doesn’t trig-

ger the trap until the end of the round. After all, it takes him some

time to get down the corridor, and in an actual real-time situation

the other characters who have yet to act in the round would be

taking their actions during this same time.

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: STRIKING THE COVER

INSTEAD OF A MISSED TARGET

In ranged combat against a target that has cover, it may be impor-

tant to know whether the cover was actually struck by an incoming

attack that misses the intended target. First, determine if the attack

roll would have hit the protected target without the cover. If the

attack roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target with

cover but high enough to strike the target if there had been no

cover, the object used for cover was struck. If a creature is provid-

ing cover for another character and the attack roll exceeds the AC of

the covering creature, the covering creature takes the damage

intended for the target.

If the covering creature has a Dexterity bonus to AC or a dodge

bonus, and this bonus keeps the covering creature from being hit, then

the original target is hit instead. The covering creature has dodged out

of the way and didn’t provide cover after all. A covering creature can

choose not to apply his Dexterity bonus to AC and/or his dodge bonus,

if his intent is to try to take the damage in order to keep the covered

character from being hit.

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COMBAT ACTIONS

A troll with a longspear mounted on a purple worm can reach

opponents 4 squares away. Surrounded by enemies, it can guide its

mount’s attacks against the same foe that it attacks, hoping to take

him out of the combat entirely, or it can attack one foe and encour-

age the worm to bite (and try to swallow) another while it stings a

third enemy with its venomous tail. Combat can be a tactical game

in and of itself, filled with good and bad decisions.

You need to play each NPC appropriately. A combat-savvy fight-

er with a fair Intelligence score isn’t going to allow his opponents

to get attacks of opportunity unless he has to, but a stupid goblin

might. A phase spider with an Intelligence of 7 might figure that

phasing in behind the dexterous wizard he’s fighting is the best

course of action (since the wizard blasted him with a magic missile

spell last round), but an ankheg (Intelligence 1) might not know

which character is the biggest threat.

Adjudicating Actions Not Covered

While the combat actions defined in the Player’s Handbook are

numerous and fairly comprehensive, they cannot begin to cover

every possible action that a character might want to take. Your job

is to make up rules on the spot to handle such things. In general,

use the rules for combat actions as guidelines, and apply ability

checks, skill checks, and (rarely) saving throws when they are

appropriate.

The following are a few examples of ad hoc rules decisions.

•Reinforcements show up to help the bugbears that the adven-

turers are fighting. Tordek can hear these newcomers attempt-

ing to open the door to get in. He races to the door and tries to

hold it shut while the others finish off the foes in the room. If

it were a normal door, you might call for an opposed Strength

check between Tordek and the bugbears pushing on the door.

Since the door is already stuck, however, you decide that the

bugbears must first push it open and then (if they succeed)

make an opposed check against Tordek.

•A monk wants to jump up, grab a chandelier, and swing on it

into an enemy. You rule that a DC 13 Dexterity check allows the

monk to grab the chandelier and swing. The player asks if the

monk can use his Tumble skill, and you let him. Ruling that the

swing is somewhat like a charge, you give the monk a +2 bonus

on the roll to see if his dramatic swinging attack succeeds.

•A sorcerer readies a spell so that he casts it as soon as he sees a

beholder’s small eyes shoot rays. (He decides this is the best way

for him to determine whether the beholder’s antimagic ray is

currently active.) That means, however, that the rays need to

have actually fired before the spell is cast (the spell can’t go

before the rays in this case). Still, the sorcerer needs to know if

he gets his spell cast before he’s struck by the dangerous rays.

You rule that if the sorcerer can beat the beholder in an opposed

check, he can get the spell off. The sorcerer makes a Wisdom

check, and the beholder opposes that with a Dexterity check.

Combat Actions outside Combat

As a general rule, combat actions should only be performed in

combat—when you’re keeping track of rounds and the players are

acting in initiative order. You’ll find obvious exceptions to this

rule. For example, a cleric doesn’t need to roll initiative to cast cure

light wounds on a friend after the battle’s over. Spellcasting and skill

use are often used outside combat, and that’s fine. Attacks, readied

actions, charges, and other actions are meant to simulate combat,

however, and are best used within the round structure.

Consider the following situation: Outside combat, Lidda de-

cides to pull a mysterious lever that she has found in a dungeon

room. Mialee, standing right next to her, thinks that Lidda’s sud-

den plan is a bad one. Mialee tries to stop Lidda. The best way to

handle this situation is by using the combat rules as presented.

Lidda and Mialee roll initiative. If Lidda wins, she pulls the lever.

If Mialee wins, she grabs Lidda, requiring a melee touch attack (as

if starting a grapple). If Mialee hits, Lidda needs to determine

whether or not she resists. (Since Mialee is a good friend, grabbing

Lidda’s arm might be enough to make her stop.) If Lidda keeps

trying to pull the lever, use the grapple rules to determine

whether Mialee can hold Lidda back.

Adjudicating the Ready Action

The ready action is particularly open-ended and requires that you

make the players using it be as specific as possible about what

their characters are doing. If a character readies a spell so that it

will be cast when a foe comes at her, the player needs to specify

the exact spell—and you’re justified in making the player identify

a specific foe, either one that the character is currently aware of or

one that might come at her from a certain direction.

If a character specifies a readied action and then decides not to

perform the action when the conditions are met, the standard rule

is that the character can keep his action readied. Because combat is

often confusing and fast, however, you’re within your rights to

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: AUTOMATIC HITS AND MISSES

The Player’s Handbook says that an attack roll of natural 1 (the d20

comes up 1) is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is

always a hit.

This rule means that the lowliest kobold can strike the most

magically protected, armored, dexterous character on a roll of 20.

It also means that regardless of a warrior’s training, experience,

and magical assistance, he still misses a given foe at least 5% of

the time.

A different way to handle this is to say that a natural 1 is treated as

a roll of –10. Someone with an attack bonus of +6 nets a –4 result,

which can’t hit anything. Someone with a +23 attack bonus rolling a 1

would hit AC 13 or lower. At the other extreme, a natural 20 is treated

as a roll of 30. Even someone with a –2 attack penalty would hit AC 28

with such a roll.

VARIANT: DEFENSE ROLL

More randomness can sometimes eliminate the foregone conclusion

of a high-level character who always hits, or a low-level one who never

has a chance. A good way to introduce this randomness is to allow (or

force) characters to make defense rolls. Every time a character is

attacked, rather than just using his never-changing, static AC, he

makes a d20 roll and adds it to all his AC modifiers. Every attack

becomes an opposed roll, with attacker and defender matching their

modified rolls against one another. (One way to look at it is that with-

out the defense roll, characters are “taking 10” on the roll each round,

and thus are using a base of 10 for Armor Class.)

The defense roll can be expressed like this:

1d20 + (AC – 10)

For example, a paladin attacks an evil fighter. The paladin rolls a 13 and

adds his attack bonus of +10 for a result of 23. The fighter makes his

defense roll and gets a 9. He adds his defensive bonuses (all the things

that modify AC, including armor), which amount to +11. The fighter’s

result is 20, less than 23, so the paladin hits.

This variant rule really comes in handy at high levels, where high-

level fighters always hit with their primary attacks, and other characters

rarely do. Unfortunately, it can slow down play, almost doubling the

number of rolls in any given combat. A compromise might be to have

each defender make a defense roll once in a round, using that same

total for all attacks made against him in that round.

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make it a little harder on the character who readies an action and

doesn’t take that action when the opportunity presents itself. You

have two options.

•Allow the character to forgo the action at the expense of losing

the readied action.

•Allow the character to attempt a DC 15 Wisdom check to avoid

taking the readied action. Thus, if a character covers a door with

a crossbow, he can make a Wisdom check to keep from firing

the crossbow when his friend comes through the door. A

successful check means that he doesn’t fire at his friend, and is

still ready to shoot the ghoul chasing the friend. A failure

means he completes the action he readied and shoots the first

creature through the door—his friend.

Smart players are going to learn that being specific is often bet-

ter than making a general statement. If a character is covering a

door with a crossbow, he might say, “I shoot the first enemy that

comes through the door.” Although players can benefit from

being specific, you should decide if a certain set of conditions is

too specific. “I cover the door with my crossbow so that I shoot the

first unwounded ghoul that comes through” might be too specific,

because it’s not necessarily easy to tell an unwounded ghoul from

a wounded one, especially when the judgment must be made in an

instant. Ultimately, it’s your call.

Don’t allow players to use the ready action outside combat.

While the above examples are all acceptable in the middle of an

encounter, a player cannot use the ready action to cover a door

with his crossbow outside combat. It’s okay for a player to state

that he’s covering the door, but what that means is that if some-

thing comes through the door he’s unlikely to be caught unaware.

If the character coming through the door wasn’t aware of him, he

gets an extra standard action because he surprised the other char-

acter, and so he can shoot the weapon. Otherwise, he still needs to

roll initiative for his character normally.

ATTACK ROLLS

Rolling a d20 to see if an attack hits is the bread and butter of com-

bat encounters. It’s almost certainly the most common die roll in

any campaign. Because of that, these rolls run the risk of becom-

ing boring. When a roll as exciting and important as one that

determines success or failure in combat becomes dull, you’ve got

to do something about it.

Attack rolls can be boring if a player thinks that hitting is a fore-

gone conclusion or that his character has no chance to hit. One

way that the rules address this potential problem is by providing

decreasing attack bonuses for multiple attacks. Even if a charac-

ter’s primary attack always hits whatever he fights, that’s not true

of his secondary or tertiary attacks.

One thing that can keep attack rolls from becoming humdrum

is good visual description. It’s not just “a hit,” it’s a slice across the

dragon’s neck, bringing forth a gout of foul, draconic ichor. See

below for more advice on description.

Critical Hits

When someone gets a 20 on an attack roll, you should be sure to

point out that this is a threat, not a critical hit. Calling it a critical

hit raises expectations that might be dashed by the actual critical

roll. When a critical hit is achieved, a vital spot on the creature was

hit. This is an opportunity for you to give the players some vivid

description to keep the excitement high: “The mace blow hits the

orc squarely on the side of the head. He lets out a groan, and his

knees buckle from the impact.”

Certain creatures are immune to critical hits because they do

not have vital organs, points of weakness, or differentiation from

one portion of the body to another. A stone golem is a solid,

human-shaped mass of rock. A ghost is all insubstantial vapor. A

gray ooze has no front, no back, and no middle.

DAMAGE

Since combat is a big part of the game, handling damage is a big

part of being the DM.

Nonlethal Damage

When running a combat, make sure that you describe non-

lethal and lethal damage differently. The distinction should

be clear—both in the players’ imaginations and on their char-

acter sheets.

Use nonlethal damage to your advantage. It is an invaluable tool

if your adventure plans involve the PCs’ capture or defeat, but you

don’t want to risk killing them. However, if the PCs’ opponents are

dealing nonlethal damage more often than not, the players begin

to lose any feeling of their characters being threatened. Use non-

lethal damage sparingly, but to good effect.

Players, in general, hate for their characters to be captured.

When your NPCs start dealing nonlethal damage to the charac-

ters, the players may actually get more worried than if they were

taking lethal damage!

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: CRITICAL HITS

Critical hits are in the game to add moments of particular excitement.

Critical hits, however, are deadly. The PCs, over the course of a single

game session, let alone a campaign, are subject to many more attack

rolls than any given NPC. That makes sense, since the PCs are in every

battle, and most NPCs are in just one (the one in which the PCs defeat

them, usually). Thus, more critical hits are going to be dealt upon any

single PC than any single NPC (and the NPC was probably not going

to survive the encounter anyway). Any given PC is more likely to survive

an encounter—but a critical hit against the character can change all

that. Be aware of this potential, and decide how you want to deal with

it ahead of time.

The reason that critical hits multiply all damage, rather than just the

die roll, is so that they remain significant at high levels. When a high-

level fighter adds +5 to his damage roll from magic and +10 from his

magically enhanced strength, the result of the 1d8 damage roll from

his longsword becomes trivial, even if doubled by a critical hit.

Multiplying all damage, the roll and the bonuses, makes critical hits

particularly dangerous. In fact, they can completely determine the

course of a battle if one or two are dealt. That’s why they make the

game both more interesting and more uncontrollable.

Remember, a critical hit feels like a lot of damage, but the difference

between a double-damage critical hit and a normal hit is no greater

than the difference between a miss and a hit. Taking a triple-damage

critical hit, however, is like getting hit an extra two times, and taking a

quadruple-damage critical hit is like getting hit an extra three times.

The weapons in the Player’s Handbook are balanced with the follow-

ing idea in mind: Good weapons that deal triple-damage critical hits do

so only on a 20. Good weapons that deal double-damage critical hits

do so on a 19–20. Axes are big and heavy. They’re somewhat difficult

to use efficiently, but when one does, the effect is devastating. An

executioner uses an axe for this reason. Swords, on the other hand, are

more precise—sword wielders get in decisive strikes more often, but

they’re not as crushing as those dealt by axes. A few other factors are

considered as well (reach, the ability to use a weapon as a ranged

weapon, and more), but for the most part, this is the basic rule of

thumb. Thus, it would be a mistake to add to the weapon list some

new weapon that dealt triple-damage critical hits on a 19–20. (Results

such as this might be possible through magic or feats, but should not

be a basic quality of any weapon.)

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CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: CLOBBERED

Ultimately, damage doesn’t matter until a character is unconscious or

dead. It has no effect while she’s up and fighting. It’s easy to imagine,

however, that she could be hit so hard that she’s clobbered, but not

knocked unconscious or dead.

Using this variant, if a character takes half her current hit points in

damage from a single blow, she is clobbered. On her next turn, she

can take only a standard action, and after that turn she is no longer

clobbered.

This variant will often lead to slightly faster fights, since taking

damage would somewhat reduce the ability to deal damage. It

would also increase randomness by increasing the significance of

dealing substantial but less than lethal damage. It would also

make hit points more important; clerics would want to cure fight-

ers long before fighters are at risk of dying, because they might be

at risk of being clobbered. Finally, it may be easier for a superior

combatant to get unlucky. That fact could hurt PCs more than

NPCs in the long run.

VARIANT:

MASSIVE DAMAGE BASED ON SIZE

If a creature takes 50 points of damage or more from a single attack,

she must make a Fortitude save or die. This rule exists primarily as a

nod toward realism in the abstract system of hit point loss. As an extra

touch of realism, you can vary the massive damage threshold by size,

so that each size category larger or smaller than Medium raises or

lowers the threshold by 10 hit points. This variant hurts halfling and

gnome PCs, familiars, and some animal companions. It generally

favors monsters.

Size F D T S M L H G C

Damage 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

VARIANT: DAMAGE TO SPECIFIC AREAS

Sometimes, despite the abstract nature of combat, you’re going to

want to apply damage to specific parts of the body, such as when a

character’s hands are thrust into flames, when he steps on caltrops, or

when he peeks through a hole in the wall and someone shoots an

arrow into the hole from the other side. (This situation comes up most

frequently with devious traps meant to chop at feet, smash fingers, or

the like.)

When a specific body part takes damage, you can apply a –2

penalty to any action that the character undertakes using that

portion of his body. For example, if a character’s fingers get slashed,

he makes attacks rolls with a weapon in that hand at –2 and he takes

a –2 penalty on skill checks involving the use of his hands. If a char-

acter steps on a caltrop, he takes a –2 penalty on skill checks involv-

ing the use of his feet (in addition to the effects described in the

Player’s Handbook).

Chapter 8 of this book defines some effects of damage to specific

body parts, such as what happens when a character is blinded or deaf-

ened. In addition to that information, use the table below as a guide to

what rolls are modified by injuries to what body parts.

This penalty lasts until the character heals, either magically or by

resting. For a minor wound, such as stepping on a caltrop, a DC 15

Heal check, 1 point of magical healing, or a day of rest removes the

penalties.

You can allow a character to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 +

damage taken) to “tough it out” and ignore the penalty. Also, these

penalties shouldn’t stack—two hand injuries should not impose a

–4 penalty.

Location Damage Affects:

Hand Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Forgery, Heal,

Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, and Use Rope checks; attack

rolls.

Arm Climb and Swim checks; attack rolls; Strength checks.

Head All attack rolls, saves, and checks.

One eye Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Forgery,

Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Spot

checks; Survival checks (for tracking); initiative checks;

Dexterity checks; ranged attack rolls; Reflex saving throws.

Severe damage to both eyes causes a character to become

blinded.

One ear Listen checks; initiative checks. Severe damage to both ears

causes a character to become deafened.

Foot/Leg Balance, Climb, Jump, Move Silently, Ride, Swim, and

Tumble checks; Reflex saving throws; Dexterity checks.

VARIANT: WEAPON EQUIVALENCIES

The party slays a drider armed with magic short swords. The party’s

halfling rogue is delighted. Even the party’s human ranger wants one

of the swords. As DM, you gently remind them that while they are short

swords, they are Large weapons (see Weapon Categories on page 112

of the Player’s Handbook). The human ranger can use one of them as

a one-handed weapon at a –2 penalty, and the halfling rogue can use

one as a two-handed weapon at a –4 penalty.

The rules on weapon categories are based on the idea that most

weapons do not look like smaller or larger versions of other weapons,

nor are they used in the same fashion. The shape of a longsword

reflects its primary use; it is not simply a big dagger. This variant

suggests weapon equivalencies for DMs who wish to offer their play-

ers more utility from monster weapons. If a weapon has an equiva-

lent, a character proficient in the equivalent can use the weapon with

no penalty.

On the table below, find the Medium weapon in question in the left

column and then read across to the size of the creature in question.

For instance, a Medium battleaxe is equivalent in this system to a

Large handaxe. Alternatively, find the size of the wielder and read down

the column until you find its weapon. The weapon column then shows

what is equivalent for a Medium character. For example, a Large battle-

axe is equivalent in this system to a Medium greataxe.

Weapon Equivalencies

Medium ———— Size of Equivalent Weapon ————

Weapon Tiny Small Large

Battleaxe — Greataxe Handaxe

Club — Greatclub Sap*

Dagger Longsword Short sword —

Dart Spear Shortspear —

Flail, heavy — — Flail, light

Flail, light — Flail, heavy —

Greataxe — — Battleaxe

Greatclub — — Club

Greatsword — — Longsword

Handaxe Greataxe Battleaxe —

Longsword — Greatsword Shortsword

Mace, heavy — — Mace, light

Mace, light — Mace, heavy —

Pick, heavy — — Pick, light

Pick, light — Pick, heavy —

Shortspear — Spear Dart

Short sword Greatsword Longsword Dagger

Spear — — Shortspear

* A sap deals nonlethal damage.

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You can rule that certain damaging effects deal nonlethal

damage when it seems appropriate. For example, a variant rule

given in Chapter 8 (page 303) states that you can make the first

1d6 of falling damage nonlethal damage. You can do so on a case-

by-case basis if you wish. If a villager throws a rock at a knight,

that also might be nonlethal damage. Certain types of damage,

however, should never be nonlethal damage—puncturing

wounds and most damage from energy attacks, such as fire.

EFFECT OF WEAPON SIZE

When weapons change size, many other factors change at the

same time. The Player’s Handbook discusses the effect of size on

weight and cost. According to Weapon Qualities on page 114 of

that book, costs given are for Small and Medium versions of the

weapons. Large versions cost twice as much. The same section says

to halve the given weight for Small versions, and double it for

Large versions.

To calculate the damage a larger- or smaller-than-normal

weapon deals, first determine how many size categories it changes

from Medium. A longsword (normally Medium, commonly used

by Medium beings) in the hand of a Huge cloud giant increases

two size categories. For each category change, consult the accom-

panying tables, finding the weapon’s original damage in the left

column and reading across to the right to find its new damage.

Table 2–2: Increasing Weapon Damage by Size

Medium Number of Size Categories Increased

Damage One Two Three Four

1d2 1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8

1d3 1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6

1d4 1d6 1d8 2d6 3d6

1d6 1d8 2d6 3d6 4d6

1d8 2d6 3d6 4d6 6d6

1d10 2d8 3d8 4d8 6d8

1d12 3d6 4d6 6d6 8d6

2d4 2d6 3d6 4d6 6d6

2d6 3d6 4d6 6d6 8d6

2d8 3d8 4d8 6d8 8d8

2d10 4d8 6d8 8d8 12d8

Table 2–3: Decreasing Weapon Damage by Size

Medium Number of Size Categories Decreased

Damage One Two Three Four

1d2 1 — — —

1d3 1d2 1 — —

1d4 1d3 1d2 1 —

1d6 1d4 1d3 1d2 1

1d8 1d6 1d4 1d3 1d2

1d10 1d8 1d6 1d4 1d3

1d12 1d10 1d8 1d6 1d4

2d4 1d6 1d4 1d3 1d2

2d6 1d10 1d8 1d6 1d4

2d8 2d6 1d10 1d8 1d6

2d10 2d8 2d6 1d10 1d8

A weapon can only decrease in size so far. Weapons that deal less

than 1 point of damage have no effect. Once a weapon only deals 1

point of damage, it’s not a weapon if it shrinks further.

SPLASH WEAPONS

A splash weapon is a ranged weapon that breaks apart on impact,

splashing or scattering its contents over its target and nearby crea-

tures or objects. Most splash weapons consist of liquids, such as

acid or holy water, in breakable vials such as glass flasks. Attacks

with splash weapons are ranged touch attacks. Attacking with

splash weapons is covered on page 158 of the Player’s Handbook.

Refer to pages 128 and 129 of the Player’s Handbook for specifics

of certain splash weapons.

AREA SPELLS

Spells that affect an area are not targeted on a single creature,

but on a volume of space, and thus must fit into the grid in order

for you to adjudicate who is affected and who is not. Realize

ahead of time that you will have to make ad hoc rulings when

applying areas to the grid. Use the visual aids on pages 305-307

and the following information as guidelines.

Bursts and Emanations: To employ the spell using a grid, the

caster needs to designate an intersection of two lines on the grid as

the center of the effect. From that intersection, it’s easy to measure

a radius using the scale on the grid. If you were to draw a circle

using the measurements on the grid, with the chosen intersection

CHAPTER 2:

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VARIANT: INSTANT KILL

When you or a player rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll, a critical roll

is made to see if a critical hit is scored. If that critical roll is also a 20,

that’s considered a threat for an instant kill. Now a third roll, an instant

kill roll, is made. If that roll scores a hit on the target in question (just

like a normal critical roll after a threat), the target is instantly slain.

Creatures immune to critical hits are also immune to instant kills.

The instant kill variant only applies to natural 20s, regardless of the

threat range for a combatant or weapon. (Otherwise weapons, feats,

and magical powers that improve threat ranges would be much more

powerful than they are intended to be.)

The instant kill variant makes a game more lethal and combat more

random. In any contest, an increase in randomness improves the odds

for the underdog. Since the PCs win most fights, a rule that makes

combat more random hurts the PCs more than it hurts their enemies.

VARIANT: SOFTER CRITICAL HITS

Instead of making critical hits more lethal, you can make them less

lethal. Do so by reducing each weapon’s threat range one step.

Weapons with a threat range of 20 and a ×2 multiplier deal no critical

hits at all.

Standard Softer Standard Softer

Threat Range Threat Range Multiplier Multiplier

20 — ×2—

19–20 20 ×3×2

18–20 19–20 ×4×3

This variant makes feats and magical powers that improve threat

ranges less valuable, it slightly decreases the value of a monster’s

immunity to critical hits, and it reduces randomness in combat.

VARIANT: CRITICAL MISSES (FUMBLES)

If you want to model the chance that in combat a character could

fumble his weapon, then when a player rolls a 1 on his attack roll, have

him make a DC 10 Dexterity check. If he fails, his character fumbles. You

need to decide what it means to fumble, but in general, that character

should probably lose a turn of activity as he regains his balance, picks

up a dropped weapon, clears his head, steadies himself, or whatever.

Fumbles are not appropriate to all games. They can add excitement

or interest to combat, but they can also detract from the fun. They

certainly add more randomness to combat. Add this variant rule only

after careful consideration.

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at the center, then if the majority of a grid square lies within that

circle, the square is a part of the spell’s area.

Cones: Determining the area of a cone spell requires that the

caster declare a direction and an intersection where the cone

starts. From there, the cone expands in a quarter circle.

Miscellaneous: Using the rules given above, apply areas to the

grid as well as you can. Remember to maintain a consistent num-

ber of affected squares in areas that differ on the diagonal.

BIG AND LITTLE CREATURES IN COMBAT

Creatures smaller than Small or larger than Medium have special

rules relating to position. These rules concern the creatures’

“faces,” or sides, and their reach.

Table 2–4: Creature Sizes summarizes the characteristics of

each of the nine size categories. The Max. Height and Max. Weight

columns are guidelines, not firm limits; for instance, almost all

Medium creatures weigh between 60 and 500 pounds, but excep-

tions can exist. The figures in the Space and Natural Reach

columns are explained below.

Space: Space is the width of the square a creature needs to

fight without penalties (see Squeezing Through, below). This

width determines how many creatures can fight side by side in a

10-foot-wide corridor, and how many opponents can attack a

creature at the same time. A creature’s space does not have a front,

back, left, or right side, because combatants are constantly

moving and turning in battle. Unless a creature is immobile, it

effectively doesn’t have a front or a left side—at least not one you

can locate on the tabletop.

Natural Reach: Natural reach is how far a creature can reach

when it fights. The creature threatens the area within that distance

from itself. Remember that when measuring diagonally, every

second square counts as 2 squares. The exception is a creature with

10-foot reach. It threatens targets up to 2 squares away, including a

2-square distance diagonally away from its square. (This is an

exception to the rule that 2 squares of diagonal distance is meas-

ured as 15 feet.)

As a general rule, consider creatures to be as tall as their space,

meaning that a creature can reach up a distance equal to its space

plus its reach.

Big Creatures

Large or larger creatures with reach weapons can strike out to

double their natural reach but can’t use their weapons at their nat-

ural reach or less.

A creature may move through an occupied square if it is three

size categories or more larger than the occupant.

Very Small Creatures

Tiny, Diminutive, and Fine creatures have no natural reach. They

must enter an opponent’s square (and thus be subject to an attack

of opportunity) in order to attack that opponent in melee

unless they are armed with weapons that give them at least 5 feet

of reach.

Because Tiny, Diminutive, and Fine creatures have no natural

reach, they do not normally get attacks of opportunity. Specific

creatures may be exceptions, and some may carry reach weapons

that do threaten adjacent squares.

Mixing It Up

Two creatures less than two size categories apart cannot occupy

the same spaces in combat except under special circumstances (for

example, when grappling, riding a mount, or if one is unconscious

or dead).

Creatures two size categories apart can occupy the same space

without special circumstances. Half the normal number of crea-

tures can occupy the space as usual (fractions are not allowed).

Creatures may occupy the same square if they are three or more

size categories different. For instance, a human could occupy one

of the squares also occupied by a purple worm.

Example: A human (Medium) fights a cloud giant (Huge). The

human occupies a single space. The cloud giant occupies roughly

nine spaces. If the human tried to occupy one of the giant’s spaces,

up to half as many humans as normal could fit, since the creatures

are two size categories apart. Since that only amounts to one-half

of a human, the human cannot occupy one of the giant’s spaces

without grappling.

Example: A halfling (Small) fights the same cloud giant. The

halfling, like the human, occupies a single space. If the halfling

tries to occupy one of the giant’s cubes, the normal number of

halflings (one) could fit, since the creatures are three size cate-

gories apart.

If a creature is in at least one of the spaces occupied by a larger

creature when that creature moves out of that space without

taking a 5-foot adjustment or a withdraw action, then the smaller

creature gets attacks of opportunity against the departing creature.

Since a creature can attack into its own space (unless armed

with a reach weapon), a smaller creature in one of the spaces occu-

pied by another creature cannot take a withdrawal action.

Any time more than one allied creature occupies an opponent’s

space (either in the same square on the grid or in separate squares),

the allied creatures provide each other with the benefit of flank-

ing. If a creature occupies part of an opponent’s space, it provides

flanking to all allied creatures outside the opponent’s space.

Example: A colony of stirges (Tiny) attacks a human (Medium).

Up to four Tiny creatures can occupy the same space. They are two

size categories apart from a human, so up to two Tiny stirges can

occupy the same space as the human, and they provide each other

with flanking against the human.

Example: A squad of halflings (Small) attacks a bulette (Huge).

The bulette takes up a space three squares across. Since the half-

lings are three or more size categories apart from the bulette, they

can enter the space the bulette occupies. Each halfling can only

occupy one space, but the bulette occupies nine squares, so up to

nine halflings can occupy the same space as the bulette. The half-

lings provide each other with flanking.

Squeezing Through

A creature can squeeze through a space as narrow in width as one-

half its space. While doing so, it moves at half its normal speed. It

takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to AC. While a

creature is squeezing through a narrow space, it’s not possible for

other smaller creatures to also occupy that space.

A creature can move through a space with a ceiling as low as

half its height with the same penalties (in spaces both narrow and

CHAPTER 2:

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Table 2–4: Creature Sizes

Max. Max. Natural Reach

Size Height

1

Weight

2

Space (Tall) (Long)

Fine 6 in. 1/8 lb. 1/2 ft. 0 ft. 0 ft.

or less or less

Diminutive 1 ft. 1 lb. 1 ft. 0 ft. 0 ft.

Tiny 2 ft. 8 lb. 2-1/2 ft. 0 ft. 0 ft.

Small 4 ft. 60 lb. 5 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft.

Medium 8 ft. 500 lb. 5 ft. 5 ft. 5 ft.

Large 16 ft. 4,000 lb. 10 ft. 10 ft. 5 ft.

Huge 32 ft. 32,000 lb. 15 ft. 15 ft. 10 ft.

Gargantuan 64 ft. 250,000 lb. 20 ft. 20 ft. 15 ft.

Colossal 64 ft. 250,000 lb. 30 ft. 30 ft. 20 ft.

or more or more or more or more or more

1Biped’s height, quadruped’s body length (nose to base of tail)

2Assumes that the creature is roughly as dense as a regular animal. A

creature made of stone will weigh considerably more. A gaseous

creature will weigh much less.

low, double the penalties). It can move through a space with a ceil-

ing as low as one-quarter its height, but it must do so by going

prone and crawling. The normal penalties and restrictions for

being prone apply.

Standing in Tight Quarters

A creature may find itself standing atop a rocky pinnacle, fighting

from the back of a wagon, or taking advantage of the cover pro-

vided by a hole in the ground. In such cases, the creature’s space

decreases to match the space available on the ground, but its at-

tacks are unaffected because its upper body isn’t constrained. It

can use its weapons and natural reach without penalties.

SKILL AND ABILITY CHECKS

The whole game can be boiled down to the characters trying to ac-

complish various tasks, the DM determining how difficult those

tasks are to accomplish, and the dice determining success or fail-

ure. While combat and spellcasting have their own rules for how

difficult tasks are, skill checks and ability checks handle just about

everything else.

MODIFYING THE ROLL OR THE DC

Circumstances can modify a character’s die roll, and they can

modify the Difficulty Class needed to succeed.

•Circumstances that improve performance, such as having the

perfect tools for the job, getting help from another character,

and having unusually accurate information, provide a bonus on

the die roll.

•Circumstances that hamper performance, such as being forced

to use improvised tools or having misleading information,

provide a penalty on the die roll.

•Circumstances that make the task easier, such as a friendly audi-

ence or helpful environmental conditions, decrease the DC.

•Circumstances that make the task harder, such as a hostile audi-

ence or doing work that must be flawless, increase the DC.

THE DM’S BEST FRIEND

A favorable circumstance gives a character a +2 bonus on a skill

check (or a –2 modifier to the DC) and an unfavorable one gives a

–2 penalty on the skill check (or a +2 modifier to the DC). Take

special note of this rule, for it may be the only one you’ll need.

Mialee runs down a dungeon corridor, running from a

beholder. Around the corner ahead wait two ogres. Does Mialee

hear the ogres getting ready to make their ambush? The DM calls

for a Listen check and rules that her running from the beholder

makes it less likely that she’s listening carefully: –2 penalty on the

check. But one of the ogres is readying a portcullis trap, and the

cranking winch of the device makes a lot of noise: –2 modifier to

the DC. Also, Mialee has heard from another adventurer that the

ogres in this dungeon like to ambush adventurers: +2 bonus on

the check. Her ears are still ringing from the shout spell that she

cast at the beholder: –2 penalty on the check. The dungeon is

already noisy because of the sound of the roaring dragon on the

level below: +2 modifier to the DC.

You can add modifiers endlessly (doing so is not really a good

thing, since it slows down play), but the point is, other than the

PC’s Listen check modifier, the only numbers that the DM and the

player need to remember when calculating all the situational

modifiers are +2 and –2. Multiple conditions add up to give the

check a total modifier and the DC a final value.

Going beyond the Rule: It’s certainly acceptable to modify

this rule. For extremely favorable or unfavorable circumstances,

you can use modifiers greater than +2 and less than –2. For

example, you can decide that a task is practically impossible and

modify the roll or the DC by 20. Feel free to modify these numbers

as you see fit, using modifiers from 2 to 20.

DELINEATING TASKS

A task is anything that requires a die roll. Climbing half one’s

speed is a task, as is making a pot, despite the fact that one task

takes seconds and the other hours (or even days).

A single task can encompass any of the following activities.

•Moving a set distance (as covered in a skill description).

•Making one item.

•Influencing one person, creature, or group (DM decides if

NPCs are acting as individuals or as a group).

•Dealing with one object (opening a door, breaking a board,

tying a rope, slipping out of a manacle, picking a lock).

•Determining or acquiring one piece of information.

•Searching or tracking over one area (as described in a skill or

feat description).

•Perceive one sound or sight (DM decides if NPCs are acting as

individuals or as a group).

Different skills handle task delineation in different ways. In

fact, the same skill may handle tasks in different ways depending

on what the character is doing. For example, Heal allows the

healer to make one character stable or to assist in a group’s overall

healing rate over a night’s rest. Both of these are single tasks,

requiring only one roll.

Sometimes, however, a task requires multiple rolls. You must

decide, for example, if a character attempting to use Sense Motive

on a group of ogres must treat them as a group (one roll) or as indi-

viduals (a different roll for each ogre).

If two different groups approach a character from a distance,

he has to make two different Spot checks to see them if you have

decided that they are indeed different groups. If a character

searches one wall using the Search skill, he might find several

objects of importance—but you decide that each such object

requires a separate roll. In such a case, you should make the rolls

beyond the first one in secret. Asking the player to make more

than one roll at the same time gives him information that he

shouldn’t have.

A few examples of long-term duties (and how many tasks they

comprise) follow.

Character on Watch: The rest of the party sleeps while Mialee

takes the watch. The DM asks for a Listen check about half an

hour into her watch, and she succeeds. She hears a rustling noise

in the nearby bushes (made by a goblin that was trying to sneak up

on the party). She decides to investigate, and the DM calls for a

Spot check opposed by a Hide check from the goblin. Mialee dis-

covers nothing (the goblin successfully conceals itself ), so she

goes back to where she was keeping watch. Later, the DM asks for

another Listen check (as the goblin once again tries to move in),

and she succeeds again. This time she catches the goblin and alerts

the rest of the party to deal with the foe. Eventually they go back

to sleep, and she goes back on watch. Later, the DM calls for

another Listen check, even though he knows there’s nothing to

hear this time.

The duty of being on watch required three Listen checks, be-

cause the watch was broken into three segments—at the first

appearance of the goblin, upon checking for the goblin the second

time, and after the goblin was dealt with.

Riding: Soveliss rides his horse along rocky terrain, making no

roll to perform this mundane task. He guides it down into a steep

gully, and you call for a DC 10 Ride check to do so. At the bottom

of the gully, an owlbear menaces a wounded centaur. The ranger

spurs his mount into the fray, making no roll to do so. Once in

battle, the owlbear slashes at the ranger with a powerful claw. You

call for a Ride check for Soveliss to stay on the horse, and another

one to keep the now-panicking horse from running off. The

ranger succeeds on both checks, and then decides to leap out of

the saddle and fight the beast, requiring a DC 20 Ride check.

Soveliss succeeds again, meaning that he dismounts without

falling and moves to engage the owlbear.

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CHAPTER 2:

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Table 2–5: Difficulty Class Examples

DC Example Roll (Key Ability) Who Could Do It

–10 Hear the sounds of a pitched battle Listen (Wis) A commoner on the other side of a stone wall

0Track ten hill giants across a muddy field Search (Int) The village fool hustling at full speed at night

5Climb a knotted rope Climb (Str) An average human carrying a 75-pound pack

5Hear people talking on the other side of a door Listen (Wis) An absent-minded sage being distracted by allies

10 Run or charge down steep stairs Balance (Dex) A 1st-level rogue

10 Follow tracks of fifteen orcs across firm ground Search (Int) A 1st-level commoner

10 Ransack a chest full of junk to find a map Search (Int) A 1st-level commoner

10 Tie a firm knot Use Rope (Dex) A 1st-level commoner

10 Find out the current gossip Gather Information (Cha) A 1st-level commoner

11

1

Avoid being tripped by a wolf — (Str or Dex) A 1st-level commoner

12 Assess the value of a silver necklace Appraise (Int) A 1st-level rogue

13

2

Resist the command spell Will save (Wis) A 1st-level wizard or a low-level fighter

13 Bash open a simple wooden door — (Str) A fighter

15 Make a dying friend stable Heal (Wis) A 1st-level cleric

15 Make indifferent people friendly Diplomacy (Cha) A 1st-level paladin

15 Jump 10 feet (with a running start) Jump (Str) A 1st-level fighter

15 Tumble past a foe Tumble (Dex) A low-level monk

15

1

Get a minor lie past a canny guard Bluff (Cha) A 1st-level rogue

16 Identify a 1st-level spell as it is being cast Spellcraft (Int) A wizard (but not anyone untrained in spells)

17

2

Resist a 10th-level vampire’s dominating gaze Will save (Wis) A low-level monk or a high-level fighter

18 Bash open a strong wooden door — (Str) An enraged half-orc barbarian

18 Cast fireball while being shot with an arrow Concentration (Con) A low-level wizard

20 Notice a typical secret door Search (Int) A smart, 1st-level half-elf rogue

20 Notice a scrying sensor — (Int) A low-level wizard with Int 12 or higher

20 Notice an invisible creature moving nearby Spot (Wis) A low-level ranger

20 Pick a very simple lock Open Lock (Dex) A dexterous, 1st-level halfling rogue (but not anyone

untrained at picking locks)

20 Find out what sorts of crimes the baron’s Gather Information (Cha) A low-level bard

daughter has gotten away with

20 Avoid falling into a pit trap Reflex save (Dex) A mid-level rogue or a high-level paladin

20 Walk a tightrope Balance (Dex) A low-level rogue

21 Raise a dire wolf cub Handle Animal (Cha) A mid-level ranger

21

1

Sneak quietly past a hellcat 50 feet away Move Silently (Dex) A low-level rogue

22

1

Escape from an owlbear’s clutches Escape Artist (Dex) A low-level rogue

23

1

Grab a guard’s spear and wrest it out of his hands Melee attack (Str) A mid-level fighter

24 Resist the wail of the banshee spell Fortitude save (Con) A high-level fighter

24

3

Shoot an armored guard through an arrow slit Ranged attack (Dex) A high-level fighter

25 Notice that something’s wrong with a friend Sense Motive (Wis) A mid-level rogue

who’s under a vampire’s control

25 Persuade the dragon that has captured you Diplomacy (Cha) A high-level bard

that it would be a good idea to let you go

25 Find out from a city’s inhabitants who the Gather Information (Cha) A high-level bard

power behind the throne is

26 Jump over an orc’s head (with a running start) Jump (Str) A 20th-level ranger wearing light armor or a mid-level

barbarian wearing light armor (who really only needs

a 22 because his speed is higher)

28 Disable a glyph of warding Disable Device (Int) A high-level rogue (but not anyone of another class)

30 Notice a well-hidden secret door Search (Int) A high-level rogue

28 Bash open an iron door — (Str) A fire giant

29 Calm a hostile owlbear Wild empathy (Cha) A high-level druid (and only a druid or ranger)

30 Hurriedly climb a slick brick wall Climb (Str) A high-level barbarian

30 Read a letter written in ancient Draconic Decipher Script (Int) A high-level wizard

30 Pick a good lock Open Lock (Dex) A high-level rogue

43 Track a goblin that passed over hard rocks Survival (Wis) A 20th-level ranger who has maxed out his Survival

a week ago, and it snowed yesterday skill and has been fighting goblinoids as his

favored enemy since 1st level

1 This number is actually the average roll on the opponent’s opposed

check rather than a fixed number.

2 Actual DC may be higher or lower depending on the caster or ability

user.

3 This is the target’s adjusted Armor Class.

DC: The number a character needs to roll to succeed.

Example: An example of a task with that DC.

Roll (Key Ability): The roll the character makes, usually a skill check,

but sometimes a saving throw, an ability check, or even an attack

roll. The ability that modifies the roll is in parentheses. A “—” in this

column means that the check is an ability check and no skill ranks,

base save bonuses, or base attack bonuses apply.

Who Could Do It: An example of a character that would have about a

50% chance to succeed. When this entry names a character by class,

it assumes that the character has the skill in question. (Other

characters might have a better or worse chance to succeed.)

Riding a mount doesn’t normally require rolls. Only riding into

difficult terrain or performing a specific task involving riding

requires a roll.

Tracking: Soveliss is following a giant scorpion across the

desert. He follows the vermin for 3 miles, making a Survival

check each mile, but tracking in the soft sand is easy. Shortly after

the third mile, a windstorm comes up. Soveliss waits it out, and it

passes after an hour. Now he must make a fourth check to see if

he can pick up the trail in the wind-tossed sand. This check is of

course more difficult than the earlier ones, as are all subsequent

checks until the tracker gets to the place where the scorpion was

when the storm passed.

Normally, tracking requires a Survival check each mile, but a

sudden change in situation can require an additional roll.

Sneaking: Lidda is sneaking through a dungeon filled with

hobgoblins. She must pass by an open doorway beyond which is

a room where the brutes are drinking from a keg of ale. She

makes a Move Silently check, and the hobgoblins make opposed

Listen checks, but they’re not paying much attention, so the half-

ling sneaks by easily. The hobgoblins aren’t even looking at the

door, so no Hide check is required. To get out, however, she must

pass right through a guard room. She must make a Hide check to

keep to the dark shadows near the walls, and a new Move

Silently check (new because the listeners are different individu-

als, plus they’re more alert) to get past the guards and through

the room.

A new Move Silently check is needed for each different group

that a sneaker is trying to avoid. Sometimes both a Move Silently

check and a Hide check are needed when sneaking around. Some-

times they’re not.

GENERAL VERSUS SPECIFIC

Sometimes a player will say, “I look around the room. Do I see

anything?” and sometimes she’ll say, “I look into the room,

knowing that I just saw a kobold dart inside. I look behind the

chair and the table, and in all the dark corners. Do I see it?” In

both cases, the DM replies, “Make a Spot check.” However, in

the second example, the character has specialized knowledge of

the situation. She’s asking specific questions. In such cases,

always award the character a +2 bonus for favorable conditions.

It’s good to reward a character who has knowledge that allows

her to ask specific questions.

If the kobold’s actually not in the room, but a cloaker waits in

ambush on the ceiling, the character has no special knowledge

and gains no bonus. She doesn’t get a penalty, either—don’t

penalize specific questions. If both the kobold and the cloaker

are in the room, two Spot checks are required (unless the mon-

sters are working together as a group, which is highly unlikely).

The character gets a +2 bonus on the check to spot the kobold

and no bonus on the check to spot the cloaker.

DEGREES OF SUCCESS

When determining how much information a skill check or abil-

ity check gives a character, the degree of success is important to

the task. For example, an invisible assassin sneaks up on a cleric.

The cleric makes a Listen check opposed by the assassin’s Move

Silently check, and the cleric is successful. You could describe

this success to the player of the cleric in many different ways,

including these.

•“You heard a noise and you know something’s out there, but

you don’t see anything.”

•“You heard a noise. It sounded like a person moving, and it

came from ‘over there.’ ”

•“You heard a noise. You know there’s an invisible creature

about 15 feet northeast of you, and you can target that crea-

ture’s location with an attack.”

To determine how much information to give out, compare

the opposed check results (or for a nonopposed check, the

check result and the DC). In the example above, you give the

first answer if the check merely succeeds on the check. If the

cleric beats the assassin’s check result by 10 or more, he has

achieved a greater success, and he gets the second answer. If he

exceeds the assassin’s check result by 20 or more, he has

achieved a perfect success, and he gets all the information—the

third answer.

Degrees of success usually only apply when the amount of

information you have to give out can be different depending on

how well the character succeeds. Most of the time, the only out-

come that matters is whether the character succeeds or fails.

DEGREES OF FAILURE

Usually failure itself is a sufficient problem and does not need to

be compounded. However, failure can sometimes cause addi-

tional problems, such as a setting off a trap or alerting a sentry to

the characters’ presence. When such consequences exist, a check

that fails by 5 or more causes them to occur. For example, if

Lidda the rogue misses a Disable Device check by 5 or more, she

sets off the trap she’s trying to disable.

Skills that carry an additional risk on a failed

check include the following. Other risks on a

failure may apply, at your discretion.

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

Incorporeal wraiths

lunge toward

an adventurer.

Illus. by S. Fischer

Skill Risk

Balance Falling

Climb Falling

Craft Ruin raw materials

Disable Device Device triggers, or is not disabled

Spot (reading lips) Receive false information

Swim Sink below surface of water

Use Rope Grappling hook fails in 1d4 rounds

TAKING 10

Encourage players to use the take 10 rule. When a character is

swimming or climbing a long distance, for example, this rule can

really speed up play. Normally, you make a check each round with

these movement-related skills, but if there’s no pressure, taking 10

allows them to avoid making a lot of rolls just to get from point A

to point B.

ABILITY CHECKS

The game has no rules for trying to stay awake through the

night, writing down every word someone says without a mis-

take, or opening the stuck lid of a container without spilling a

single drop of its contents. However, in the course of an adven-

ture any of these situations could potentially make or break an

encounter. You have to be ready to make up checks for such non-

standard activities.

Using the example situations above, staying awake might be a

Constitution check (DC 12, +4 for every previous night without

sleep), with an elf character gaining a +2 bonus on her check

because an elf is only giving up 4 hours of trance instead of 8

hours of sleep. Writing down every word that someone says would

require a DC 15 Intelligence check, and a DC 10 Dexterity check

prior to the Intelligence check would provide a +2 bonus on the

roll. Opening the container would normally be a Strength check

(DC about 17), and once that’s accomplished, a DC 13 Dexterity

check is required to keep from spilling the contents.

The three kinds of ability checks you could call for to handle a

nonstandard situation include the following.

•A single check using an relevant ability (as in staying awake).

•One ability check that, depending on the result, might provide

a modifier on another check involving a different ability (as in

writing down every word).

•Two or more separate ability checks, usually involving different

abilities, to accomplish a multipart task (such as opening the

jug without spilling).

You can also use a combination of an ability check and a skill

check in an appropriate situation. For example, when swimming

in frigid water, Lidda might have to make a Constitution check to

avoid taking a penalty on her Swim check.

Decisions on how to handle nonstandard situations are left to

your best judgment.

SAVING THROWS

Adjudicating and varying saving throws works a lot like adjudicat-

ing and varying skill and ability checks.

WHICH KIND OF SAVE?

Fortitude, Reflex or Will? When assigning something a saving

throw, use these guidelines.

Fortitude: Fortitude saves reflect physical toughness. They

incorporate stamina, ruggedness, physique, bulk, metabolism,

resistance, immunity, and other similar physical qualities. If it

seems like something that a “tough guy” would be good at, it’s a

Fortitude save.

Reflex: Reflex saves reflect physical (and sometimes mental)

agility. They incorporate quickness, nimbleness, hand-eye coor-

dination, overall coordination, speed, and reaction time. If it

seems like something that an agile person would be good at, it’s

a Reflex save.

Will: Will saves reflect inner strength. They incorporate will-

power, mental stability, the power of the mind, levelheadedness,

determination, self-confidence, self-awareness, the superego, and

resistance to temptation. If it seems like something that a confi-

dent or determined person would be good at, it’s a Will save.

SAVE OR CHECK?

A character slips and falls. He tries to catch himself on a ledge,

while another character reaching forward attempts to catch him.

Are these Reflex saves or Dexterity checks?

The answer to the above question is “Both.” The character at-

tempting to save himself makes a Reflex save. The character trying

to grab him makes a Dexterity check.

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VARIANT: SKILLS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES

Sometimes a check involves a character’s training (skill ranks) plus an

innate talent (ability) not usually associated with that training. A skill

check always includes skill ranks plus an ability modifier, but you can

use a different ability modifier from normal if the character is in a situ-

ation where the normal key ability does not apply.

For example:

•A character is underwater and tries to maneuver by pulling himself

along some improvised handholds. Since his body has natural buoy-

ancy (meaning he doesn’t need to pull as hard to lift himself), the

DM rules that the player should make a Climb check keyed to

Dexterity rather than to Strength.

•A character is trying to pick the best horse from several that a

merchant is selling. Normally this would be an Appraise check, but

familiarity with horses ought to count for something. The DM lets

the player use the character’s ranks in Ride instead of ranks in

Appraise and applies the character’s Wisdom modifier (as normal

for an Appraise check).

•A character needs to use main force to restrain a panicked horse.

Normally this would call for a Strength check, but a character skilled

at handling animals ought to be able to use his knowledge to

restrain the horse more easily. The DM lets the player add the char-

acter’s ranks in Handle Animal (but not his Charisma modifier) to

the Strength check.

•A character has created a masterwork dagger as a gift for a visiting

noble. He attempts to inscribe it with intricate designs. The DM

rules that this is a Dexterity check to which the character’s ranks in

Craft (weaponsmithing) apply.

•A character is trying to climb a ladder to the bottom of a very deep

chute. Normally, the DM would call for a Constitution check to see

if the character can keep going, but he can also allow the player to

add the character’s ranks in Climb to the roll.

These sorts of unusual situations are always handled on a case-by-case

basis, and only as exceptions. The vast majority of the time, use the

normal key ability.

Remember that when you change the way a skill works in this fash-

ion, you should dictate when the change comes into play—it’s not up

to a player to make this sort of decision. Players may try to rationalize

why they should get to use their best ability score modifier with a skill

that doesn’t normally use that ability, but you shouldn’t allow this sort

of rule change unless you happen to agree with it.

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Key Concept 1: Checks are used to accomplish something,

while saves are used to avoid something.

Key Concept 2: Check modifiers don’t take into account

character level or class level. Save bonuses always do. If a task

seems like it should be easier for a high-level character, use a

saving throw. If it seems like the task should be equally difficult

for any two characters with the same score in the relevant

ability, use a check. For example, opening a door is merely a

reflection of strength, not experience. Thus, it’s a Strength

check. The middle ground is a skill check, such as a Balance

check to avoid falling while running over broken ground. A

Balance check takes level into account only if the character has

ranks in the skill.

DIFFICULTY CLASSES

Assigning DCs is your job, but usually the rules are straightfor-

ward. The game has a standard rule for the DC of a saving throw

against a spell, and creatures and magic items with abilities that

force others to make saves always have that saving throw clearly

detailed (or else they function just like spells, and you use the

spell rule). The general rules are as follows.

Spells: 10 + spell level + caster’s ability modifier.

Monster Abilities: 10 + 1/2 monster’s Hit Dice + monster’s

ability modifier.

Miscellaneous: 10 to 20. Use 15 as a default.

As with checks, saving throw die rolls can be modified, or the

DC can be modified. See The DM’s Best Friend, page 30.

ADJUDICATING MAGIC

At the middle range of levels (6th through 11th), most charac-

ters cast spells, and they all use magic items, many of which pro-

duce strange effects. Handling spells and effects well is often

the difference between a good game and a really good one.

DESCRIBING SPELL EFFECTS

Magic is flashy. When characters cast spells or use magic items,

you should describe what the spell looks, sounds, smells, or feels

like as well as its game effects.

A magic missile could be a dagger-shaped burst of energy that

flies through the air. It also could be a fistlike creation of force

that bashes into its target or the sudden appearance of a

demonic head that spits a blast of energy. When someone

becomes invisible, he or she fades away. A summoned fiend

appears with a flash of blood-red energy and a smell of brim-

stone. Other spells have more obvious visual effects. A fireball

and a lightning bolt, for example, appear pretty much the way

they are described in the Player’s Handbook. For dramatic flair,

however, you could describe the lightning bolt as being a thin arc

of blue lightning and the fireball as a blast of green fire with red

twinkling bursts within it.

You can let players describe the spells that their characters

cast. Don’t, however, allow a player to use an original description

that makes a spell seem more powerful than it is. A fireball spell

that creates an illusion of a dragon breathing flames goes too far.

Spells without obvious visual effects can be described as well.

Since a target who makes his saving throw against a spell knows

that something happened to him, you could describe a charm

spell or a compulsion spell as a cold claw threatening to enclose

his mind that he manages to shake off. (If the spell worked, the

target would not be aware of such an effect, for his mind would

not be entirely his own.)

Sound can be a powerful descriptive force. You could say that a

lightning bolt is accompanied by a clap of thunder. A cone of cold

sounds like a rush of wind followed by a tinkling of crystalline ice.

HANDLING DIVINATIONS

Spells such as augury, divination, and legend lore require you to come

up with information on the spot. Two problems can arise when

dealing with divinations such as these.

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: CRITICAL SUCCESS OR FAILURE

If a player rolls a natural (unmodified) 20 on a check, allow him or her

to make another check. If the second check is successful, the charac-

ter has achieved a critical success with the use of that skill or ability,

and something particularly good happens. Likewise, if a player rolls a

natural 1, he rolls again. If the second check is a failure, the character

has achieved a critical failure (made a critical blunder), and something

really bad happens.

It’s up to you to determine the specific result of a critical success or

failure. Some examples follow.

Critical Successes

On a Climb check or Swim check, the character moves twice as far

as she would on a normal success.

When using Diplomacy, the character makes a good, trusted friend

for long-term play.

When using a Knowledge skill, the character comes to an important

conclusion related to the task at hand.

When using Search, the character discovers something that she

otherwise never could have found (if anything is present to be found).

When using Survival to track, the character determines some amaz-

ing minutiae about her prey. For instance, she realizes that the three

subjects she’s tracking aren’t happy with one another because they

occasionally stop and apparently argue, based on where they stand in

relation to each other.

When using Heal to give first aid, the character heals 1 point of

damage dealt to the subject.

Critical Failures

When using a Perform skill, the character displeases his audience so

greatly that they wish to do him harm.

On a Climb check, the character falls so badly that he takes an

additional 1d6 points of damage, or he falls and tears away a few

good handholds, making it a more difficult climb (+5 to the DC) on

the next try.

When using Disguise, the character not only doesn’t look like what

he intended, but actually looks like something offensive or hateful to

the viewers.

When using Escape Artist, the character actually gets himself more

entangled or pinned, adding +5 to the DC on the next try.

On a Use Rope check, the character breaks the rope.

When using Open Lock, the character breaks off his pick in the lock,

making it impossible to open.

When using any kind of tool, the character destroys the tool.

Sometimes, there’s nothing more that can be achieved with a critical

success, or there’s nothing worse than a normal failure. In such a case,

ignore this variant rule.

You should also ignore this variant whenever a character takes 10 or

takes 20. It’s not possible to achieve a critical success when all you’re

trying to do is complete a task without worrying about completing it as

well as possible, and it’s not possible to get a critical failure if you’re

not under pressure when you’re making the check.

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The Player Could Learn Too Much: The strategic use of a

divination spell could put too much information into the

hands of the players, ruining a mystery or revealing a surprise

too soon. The way to avoid this problem is to keep in mind the

capabilities of the PCs when you create adventures. Don’t forget

that the cleric might be able to use her commune spell to learn

the identity of the king’s murderer. While you shouldn’t allow a

divination to give a player more information than you want her

to have, you shouldn’t cheat a player out of the effects of her

spells just for the sake of the plot. Remember also that certain

spells can protect someone from divinations such as detect evil

and discern lies—but that’s not really the point. Don’t design sit-

uations that make the PCs’ divinations worthless—design situ-

ations to take divinations into account. Assume that the cleric

learns the identity of the king’s murderer. That’s fine, but the

adventure is about apprehending him, not just identifying him,

and it’s especially important to stop him before he kills the

queen as well.

In short, you should control information, but don’t deny it to

the character who has earned it.

Needing Answers on the Fly: Most likely you won’t know

that a character is going to use a divination spell until the spell is

cast, and so you often need to come up with an answer on the fly.

One of the ways to get around this problem is obvious. To an-

swer a question about what lies at the bottom of the dark staircase,

you have to know what’s there. Chances are you already do know

what’s there, or the character using the divination wouldn’t con-

sider the question worth asking. If you don’t know, then you need

to make something up in a hurry.

More difficult is coming up with a way to convey the infor-

mation. For example, the description of the divination spell

notes that “The advice can be as simple as a short phrase, or it

might take the form of a cryptic rhyme or omen.” Cryptic

rhymes are often difficult to come up with in the middle of a

game. One trick is to create a rhyme ahead of time that can fit

just about any question, such as “If X is the seed you sow, reap

you will Y and know,” where X is an action and Y is the result. Or

“If into X fate doth thee send, thou wilt find Y in the end,”

where X is a place and Y is a result or consequence, such as

“danger” or “treasure.”

CREATING NEW SPELLS

Introducing an unbalanced spell does more damage to your

game than handing out an unbalanced magic item. A magic

item can get stolen, destroyed, sold, or otherwise taken away—

but once a character knows a spell, she’s going to want to keep

using it.

When creating a new spell, use the existing spells as bench-

marks, and use common sense. Creating a spell is actually fairly

easy—it’s assigning a level to the new spell that’s hard. If the

“best” 2nd-level spell is invisibility, and the “best” 1st-level spell is

charm person or sleep, and the new spell seems to fall between

those spells in power, it’s probably a 2nd-level spell. (Sleep, how-

ever, is a strange example, because it’s a spell that gets less useful

as the caster gains levels—compared to a spell such as magic mis-

sile or fireball, which gets better, up to a point, for higher-level

casters. Make sure spells that only affect low-level creatures are

low-level spells.)

Here are some pieces of advice to consider.

•If a spell is so good that you can’t imagine a caster not wanting

it all the time, it’s either too powerful or too low in level.

•An experience point (XP) cost is a good balancing force. An

expensive material component is only a moderately good

balancing force. (Money can be easy to come by; an XP loss

almost always hurts.)

•When determining level, compare range, duration, and target

(or area) to other spells to balance. A long duration or a large

area can make up for a lesser effect, depending on the spell.

•A spell with a very limited use (only works against red dragons)

could conceivably be one level lower than it would be if it had

a more general application. Even at a low level, this is the sort of

spell a sorcerer or bard never takes, and other casters would

prepare it only if they knew in advance it would be worthwhile.

•Wizards and sorcerers should not cast healing spells, but they

should have the best offensive spells. If the spell is flashy or

dramatic, it should probably be a wizard/sorcerer spell.

•Clerics are best at spells that deal with alignment and have the

best selection of curative and repair spells. They also have the

best selection of information-gathering spells, such as

commune and divination.

•Druids are best at spells that deal with plants and animals.

•Rangers and paladins should not have flashy attack spells in

the manner of magic missile and fireball.

•Bard spells include enchantments, information-gathering

spells, and a mixture of other kinds of spells, but do not include

powerful offensive spells such as cone of cold.

Damage Caps for Spells

For spells that deal damage, use the tables below (one for arcane

spells, one for divine spells) to determine approximately how

much damage a spell should deal. Remember that some spells

(such as burning hands) use a d4 for damage, but fireball uses a d6.

For clerics, a d8 damage die counts as 2d6 for determining the

maximum damage a divine spell can deal.

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: SAVES WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES

To model unusual situations, you can change the ability score that

modifies a save, just as you can do with a skill (see the sidebar on page

33). This is purely a variant, however, since not all DMs want this

degree of complication.

Fortitude saves against mental attacks (such as phantasmal killer)

could be based on Wisdom, making it a cross between a Fortitude and

a Will save. (Apply the character’s Fortitude save bonus from class and

level, then add his Will modifier instead of his Constitution modifier.)

The DM may allow a character to cast a quickened dimension door

spell in response to falling into a pit trap. Reacting quickly to a trap

requires a Reflex save, but in this case the DM might make this a Reflex

save based on Wisdom rather than Dexterity, since casting the spell is

mainly a mental action.

Will saves against enchantments could use Charisma instead of

Will, since Charisma reflects force of personality.

Will saves against illusions could be keyed to Intelligence, the abil-

ity that best represents discernment.

As with skills, changes to a saving throw’s key ability are always

handled on a case-by-case basis. Unless you institute changes to

saving throws as a house rule, these changes are very rare.

Remember that when you change the way a saving throw works

in this fashion, you should dictate when the change comes into

play—it’s not up to a player to make this sort of decision. Players

may try to rationalize why they should get to use their best ability

modifier on a saving throw that doesn’t normally use that ability,

but you shouldn’t allow this sort of rule change unles you happen

to agree with it.

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Maximum Damage for Arcane Spells

Arcane Max Damage Max Damage

Spell Level (Single Target) (Multiple Targets)

1st 5 dice —

2nd 10 dice 5 dice

3rd 10 dice 10 dice

4th 15 dice 10 dice

5th 15 dice 15 dice

6th 20 dice 15 dice

7th 20 dice 20 dice

8th 25 dice 20 dice

9th 25 dice 25 dice

Maximum Damage for Divine Spells

Divine Max Damage Max Damage

Spell Level (Single Target) (Multiple Targets)

1st 1 die —

2nd 5 dice 1 die

3rd 10 dice 5 dice

4th 10 dice 10 dice

5th 15 dice 10 dice

6th 15 dice 15 dice

7th 20 dice 15 dice

8th 20 dice 20 dice

9th 25 dice 20 dice

The damage cap depends on whether a spell affects a single

target or multiple targets. A single-target spell affects only one

creature or has its total damage divided among several creatures.

For example, a magic missile spell can deliver 5 dice of damage to

one target. If it strikes more than one target, its damage dice must

be divided among them. A multiple-target spell deals full damage

to two or more creatures simultaneously. For example, a fireball

damages everything within its 20-foot spread.

REWARDS

Mialee and Tordek stand within the treasure chamber, surveying

the riches before them. To get there, they slew three trolls, by-

passed several devious traps, and solved the riddle of the golden

golem to stop it from crushing them. Now they are not only

richer, but from their experiences they have grown in knowledge

and power.

Experience points are a measure of accomplishment. They rep-

resent training and learning by doing, and they illustrate the fact

that, in fantasy, the more experienced a character is, the more pow-

er he or she possesses. Experience points allow a character to gain

levels. Gaining levels heightens the fun and excitement.

Experience points can be spent by spellcasters to power some of

their most potent spells. Experience points also represent the per-

sonal puissance that a character must imbue an object with in

order to create a magic item.

In addition to experience, characters also earn treasure on their

adventures. They find gold and other valuables that allow them to

buy bigger and better equipment, and they find magic items that

give them new and better abilities.

EXPERIENCE AWARDS

When the party defeats monsters, you award the characters expe-

rience points (XP). The more dangerous the monsters, compared

to the party’s level, the more XP the characters earn. The PCs split

the XP between themselves, and each character increases in level

as his or her personal XP total increases.

You need to calculate XP awards during the course of an adven-

ture, whether it’s one you wrote or one you purchased. You may

wish to award experience points at the end of a session to enable

players to advance their characters in level if they have enough

experience points. Alternatively, you may wish to give out XP

awards at the beginning of the game session following the one in

which the characters earned it. This gives you time between ses-

sions to use these rules and determine the experience award.

As part of determining experience point awards, you need to

break the game down into encounters and then break the encoun-

ters down into parts. If you’re using monsters from the Monster

Manual, some of the work has already been done for you. Each

monster in that book has a Challenge Rating (CR) that, when

compared to party level, translates directly into an XP award.

A Challenge Rating is a measure of how easy or difficult a mon-

ster or trap is to overcome. Challenge Ratings are used in Chapter

3: Adventures to determine Encounter Levels (EL), which in turn

indicate how difficult an encounter (often involving multiple

monsters) is to overcome. A monster is usually overcome by defeat-

ing it in battle, a trap by being disarmed, and so forth.

You must decide when a challenge has been overcome. Usually,

this is simple to do. Did the PCs defeat the enemy in battle? Then

they met the challenge and earned experience points. Other

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: SPELL ROLL

Substitute this variant for the standard method of determining saving

throw DCs for spells. Every time a character casts a spell that requires

a target to make a saving throw, the caster rolls 1d20 and adds the spell

level and the appropriate ability modifier. The result is the DC for the

saving throw. Roll once even for a spell that affects many creatures.

This variant introduces a great deal more randomness into spell-

casting—sometimes low-level spells cast by mediocre casters will

have high DCs, and sometimes high-level spells cast by powerful

casters are easy to resist. It downplays the level of the spell and the

ability modifier. As with variant combat rules, any change that

increases chance in a battle favors the underdog, and that’s usually

the enemy of the PCs.

VARIANT: POWER COMPONENTS

The horn of the rare red minotaur can be combined with a potent

mixture of herbs that can aid in restoring wholeness to the afflicted. So

potent is the energy contained in the concoction that a cleric who uses

it while casting greater restoration (and uses it up) need not devote any

personal power (XP) in order to cast the spell.

This variant allows for special rare ingredients (“power compo-

nents”) to be added to material spell components in place of an XP

component. You’re free to allow this on a case-by-case basis. Perhaps

these components exist only for certain spells. They’re certainly rare,

and certainly expensive—ten to twenty times the XP component in

gold pieces is a good baseline price. Further, characters may need to

consult sages or cast divinations in order to find out what the proper

ingredients are.

Consider not allowing characters to buy power components—

instead, make them the object of an adventure. The hunt for the red

minotaur can be a challenging and entertaining adventure by itself, but

if the defeat of the minotaur is the first step toward the goal of bring-

ing back a fallen comrade, the scenario takes on a larger importance.

In the same way, special ingredients can substitute for the XP that a

character otherwise has to spend to create magic items.

This variant works if it makes powerful magic more colorful and if it

fits the way you want to portray magic in your campaign. It fails if it

means that the only hard control on casting powerful spells and creat-

ing magic items (the XP component) slips away, so that such actions

become commonplace.

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times, it can be trickier. Suppose the PCs sneak past the sleeping

minotaur to get into the magical vault—did they overcome the

minotaur encounter? If their goal was to get into the vault and the

minotaur was just a guardian, then the answer is probably yes. It’s

up to you to make such judgments.

Only characters who take part in an encounter should gain the

commensurate awards. Characters who died before the encounter

took place, or did not participate for some other reason, earn noth-

ing, even if they are raised or healed later on.

To determine the XP award for an encounter, follow these steps.

1. Determine each character’s level. Don’t forget to account for

ECL (see Monsters as Races, page 172) if any of the characters

are of a powerful race.

2. For each monster defeated, determine that

single monster’s Challenge Rating.

3. Use Table 2–6: Experience Point

Awards (Single Monster) to cross-

reference one character’s level

with the Challenge Rating for

each defeated monster to

find the base XP award.

4. Divide the base XP award by the

number of characters in the party. This is

the amount of XP that one character

receives for helping defeat that monster.

5. Add up all the XP awards for all the

monsters the character helped defeat.

6. Repeat the process for each character.

Do not award XP for creatures that enemies summon or other-

wise add to their forces with magic powers. An enemy’s ability

to summon or add these creatures is part of the enemy’s CR

already. (You don’t give PCs more XP if a drow cleric casts unholy

blight on them, so don’t give them more XP if she casts summon

monster IV instead.)

Example: A party of five PCs defeats two CR 2 monsters and a

CR 3 monster. The party consists of a 3rd-level character, three

4th-level characters, and a 5th-level character. The 3rd-level char-

acter earns 600 XP for each CR 2 monster and 900 XP for the CR 3

monster. That’s 2,100 XP, and dividing by 5 (the number of charac-

ters in the party) yields an experience award of 420 XP. The 4th-

level characters each earn 400 XP [(600 + 600 + 800) ÷5] and the

5th-level character earns 350 XP [(500 + 500 + 750) ÷5].

Monsters Below CR 1

Some monsters are fractions of a Challenge Rating.

For instance, a single orc is not a good challenge

for even a 1st-level party, although two

might be. You could think of an orc as

approximately CR 1/2. For these cases,

calculate XP as if the creature were CR

1, then divide the result by 2.

Challenge Ratings for NPCs

An NPC with a PC class has a Challenge

Rating equal to the NPC’s level. Thus, an

8th-level sorcerer is an 8th-level encounter. As a

rule of thumb, doubling the number of foes adds 2 to

the Encounter Level. Therefore, two 8th-level fighters are an EL

10 encounter. A party of four NPC 8th-level characters is an EL 12

encounter.

Some powerful creatures are more of a challenge than their

level would suggest. A drow, for example, has spell resistance and

other abilities, so her CR is equal to her level +1.

Some creatures have monster levels in addition to their class

levels, such as a centaur ranger. In this case, add the creature’s

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

VARIANT: SUMMONING INDIVIDUAL MONSTERS

When a character casts a summon monster or summon nature’s ally

spell, she gets a typical, random creature of the kind she chooses. As

a variant in your campaign, you can rule that each spellcaster gets

specific, individual creatures rather than just some random one. This

variant lets players feel more ownership over the creatures that their

characters summon, but it entails some special problems, so don’t

allow it without considering it carefully.

Specific Creatures: Whenever a spellcaster summons a single crea-

ture of a given kind, it’s always the same creature. A player can roll the

ability scores and hit points for each creature that his character can

summon. His specific creatures may be above or below average. Allow

the player to take average statistics instead of rolling if he wants to

avoid the risk of getting stuck with bad dice rolls. (There’s no “hope-

less creature reroll” for bad ability scores in this case.) The player can

also name each creature and define its distinguishing characteristics.

Multiple Creatures: Whenever a spellcaster summons more crea-

tures, the first one is always the same, and each successive creature is

likewise always the same. Thus, if Mialee can summon up to three

celestial eagles named Kulik, Skitky, and Kliss, then she always gets

Kulik when she summons one celestial eagle, Kulik and Skitky when

she summons two, and all three when she summons three. The player

can roll ability scores and hit points for all three.

The summoner gets the same creatures no matter which version of

a spell she uses. Mialee gets Kulik with summon monster II and she

gets Kulik plus possibly Skitky and Kliss with summon monster III.

Summoning Limits: Getting the same intelligent summoned crea-

ture over and over again gives a summoner certain advantages. She

can, for instance, send a creature to scout out an area for the duration

of the spell and then summon it up again to get a report. If the crea-

ture is killed (and thus sent back to its home) or dispelled, however,

that individual creature is not available to be summoned for 24 hours.

The summoner summons one fewer creature of that kind because the

unavailable creature still takes up its normal “slot.” Thus, if Kulik is

killed and later that day Mialee summons two celestial eagles, she only

gets Skitky (instead of Kulik and Skitky).

If a creature that a character summons is actually, truly killed (not

just “killed” while summoned), it is no longer available, and the

summoner gets one less creature of that kind than normal. On attain-

ing a new level, however, the summoner may replace the slain creature

(see below).

Replacing Creatures: Each time a summoner gains a level in a spell-

casting class, she can drop out one of her creatures and roll up a new

one to fill its “slot.” For example, at 5th level, Mialee can summon

Kulik, Skitky, and Kliss with summon monster III. When she reaches 6th

level, she can drop any one of her summonable creatures and replace

it with a new one. If Kulik has low ability scores or if it has permanently

died, she can drop it in favor of a new, randomly rolled creature, which

then occupies her “first celestial eagle” slot.

Improving Creatures: Summoners can improve their creatures.

Typically, they do so by giving them magic items or other special

objects. The trick is, a summoned creature can’t take things back home

with it. When a summoned creature disappears, it leaves all the things

that it gained while on the Material Plane. Mialee can’t just summon up

Kulik and give it a cloak of resistance. She has to go to its plane or bring

it actually onto the Material Plane before she can give it anything it can

keep. The way to get a creature to actually come to the Material Plane is

to use a lesser planar ally, planar ally, greater planar ally, lesser planar bind-

ing, planar binding, greater planar binding, or gate spell, since these are

all calling spells and actually bring the creature to the caster.

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base CR to its total class levels to get its overall CR. For

example, a centaur is CR 1, so a centaur who’s also a 7th-level

ranger is CR 8.

Since NPC classes (see Chapter 5: Campaigns) are weaker than

PC classes, levels in an NPC class contribute less to a creature’s CR

than levels in a PC class. For an NPC with an NPC class, determine

her Challenge Rating as if she had a PC class with one less level.

For a creature with monster levels in addition to NPC class levels,

add the NPC levels –1 to the creature’s base CR (always adding at

least 1).

For example, when adding class levels to some sample charac-

ters, the resulting CRs would be as given in the following table.

Remember that warrior is an NPC class, and fighter is a PC class.

—————— Class Levels ——————

Creature 1 2 10

Dwarf warrior CR 1/2 CR 1 CR 9

Dwarf fighter CR 1 CR 2 CR 10

Orc warrior CR 1/2 CR 1 CR 9

Orc fighter CR 1 CR 2 CR 10

Drow warrior CR 1 CR 2 CR 10

Drow fighter CR 2 CR 3 CR 11

Ogre warrior

1

CR 3 CR 3 CR 11

Ogre fighter

1

CR 3 CR 4 CR 12

1 The ogre with no class levels has a CR of 2. Ogres with class levels

retain their original 4 HD, attack bonuses, and other aspects of their

monster levels.

CHAPTER 2:

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THE RULES

Table 2–6: Experience Point Awards (Single Monster)

Character —–————————————————————— Challenge Rating —–———————––——————————————

Level CR 1 CR 2 CR 3 CR 4 CR 5 CR 6 CR 7 CR 8 CR 9 CR 10

1st–3rd 300 600 900 1,350 1,800 2,700 3,600 5,400 7,200 10,800

4th 300 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 6,400 9,600

5th 300 500 750 1,000 1,500 2,250 3,000 4,500 6,000 9,000

6th 300 450 600 900 1,200 1,800 2,700 3,600 5,400 7,200

7th 263 350 525 700 1,050 1,400 2,100 3,150 4,200 6,300

8th 200 300 400 600 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,600 4,800

9th * 225 338 450 675 900 1,350 1,800 2,700 4,050

10th * * 250 375 500 750 1,000 1,500 2,000 3,000

11th * * * 275 413 550 825 1,100 1,650 2,200

12th * * * * 300 450 600 900 1,200 1,800

13th * ****3254886509751,300

14th * **** *3505257001,050

15th * **** * *375563750

16th * **** * **400600

17th * **** * ** *425

18th * **** * ** **

19th * **** * ** **

20th * **** * ** **

Character —–————————————————————— Challenge Rating —–———————––——————————————

Level CR 11 CR 12 CR 13 CR 14 CR 15 CR 16 CR 17 CR 18 CR 19 CR 20

1st–3rd ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

4th 12,800 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

5th 12,000 18,000 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

6th 10,800 14,400 21,600 ** ** ** ** ** ** **

7th 8,400 12,600 16,800 25,200 ** ** ** ** ** **

8th 7,200 9,600 14,400 19,200 28,800 ** ** ** ** **

9th 5,400 8,100 10,800 16,200 21,600 32,400 ** ** ** **

10th 4,500 6,000 9,000 12,000 18,000 24,000 36,000 ** ** **

11th 3,300 4,950 6,600 9,900 13,200 19,800 26,400 39,600 ** **

12th 2,400 3,600 5,400 7,200 10,800 14,400 21,600 28,800 43,200 **

13th 1,950 2,600 3,900 5,850 7,800 11,700 15,600 23,400 31,200 46,800

14th 1,400 2,100 2,800 4,200 6,300 8,400 12,600 16,800 25,200 33,600

15th 1,125 1,500 2,250 3,000 4,500 6,750 9,000 13,500 18,000 27,000

16th 800 1,200 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,800 7,200 9,600 14,400 19,200

17th 638 850 1,275 1,700 2,550 3,400 5,100 7,650 10,200 15,300

18th 450 675 900 1,350 1,800 2,700 3,600 5,400 8,100 10,800

19th * 475 713 950 1,425 1,900 2,850 3,800 5,700 8,550

20th * * 500 750 1,000 1,500 2,000 3,000 4,000 6,000

For monsters with CRs higher than 20, double the reward for a CR two levels below the desired CR. Thus, a CR 21 reward equals double the CR 19

reward, CR 22 is double the CR 20 reward, CR 23 is double the CR 21 reward, and so on.

Bold numbers indicate the amount of XP that a standard encounter for a party of that level should provide.

* The table doesn’t support XP for monsters that individually are eight Challenge Ratings lower than the character’s level, since an encounter with

multiple weak creatures is hard to measure. See Assigning Ad Hoc XP Awards, page 39.

** The table doesn’t support awards for encounters eight or more Challenge Ratings higher than the character’s level. If the party is taking on

challenges that far above their level, something strange is going on, and the DM needs to think carefully about the awards rather than just taking

them off a table. See Assigning Ad Hoc XP Awards, page 39.

Challenge Ratings for Traps

Traps vary considerably. Those presented in this book

(see pages 70–74) have Challenge Ratings as-

signed to them. For traps you and your players

create, as a rule of thumb, assign +1 CR for

every 2d6 points of damage the trap deals.

For magic traps, start at CR 1 and then assign

+1 CR for every 2d6 points of damage the trap

deals or +1 for every level of the spell the trap

simulates. Traps generally shouldn’t have a

Challenge Rating greater than 10.

Overcoming the challenge of a trap

involves encountering the trap, either by

disarming it, avoiding it, or simply sur-

viving the damage it deals. A trap

never discovered or never

bypassed was not encountered

(and hence provides no XP

award).

Modifying XP Awards

and Encounter Levels

An orc warband that attacks

the PCs by flying over them

on primitive hang gliders and

dropping large rocks is not the

same encounter as one in which

the orcs just charge in with spears.

Sometimes, the circumstances give the

characters’ opponents a distinct advan-

tage. Other times, the PCs have an

advantage. Adjust the XP award and the

EL depending on how greatly circum-

stances change the encounter’s difficulty.

Encounters of EL 2 or lower are the

exception. They increase and decrease in

proportion to the change in XP. For example,

an EL 1 encounter that’s twice as difficult as

normal is EL 2, not EL 3.

You can, of course, increase or decrease XP

by smaller amounts, such as +10% or –10%,

and just eyeball the EL.

Modify all ELs and experience rewards

as you see fit, but keep these points in

mind.

•Experience points drive the game.

Don’t be too stingy or too generous.

•Most encounters do not need modi-

fying. Don’t waste a lot of time

worrying about the minutiae.

Don’t worry about modifying encounters until after you have

played the game a while.

•Bad rolls or poor choices on the PCs’

part should not modify ELs or XP

awards. If the encounter is difficult

because the players were unlucky

or careless, they don’t get more

experience.

•Just because the PCs are

worn down from prior encoun-

ters does not mean that later (more

difficult) encounters should gain

higher awards. Judge the difficulty of an

encounter on its own merits.

Assigning Ad Hoc XP Awards

Sometimes the XP table doesn’t quite

cover a given situation. If two orcs

are an EL 1 encounter, four orcs EL

3, eight orcs EL 5, and sixteen orcs

EL 7 (maybe), are thirty-two orcs

an EL 9 encounter? A party of 9th

level characters almost certainly

can wipe them out with ease. By 9th

level, a character’s defenses are so

good that a standard orc cannot hit

him or her, and one or two spells

cast by a character of that level

could destroy all thirty-two

orcs. At such a point, your

judgment overrules what-

ever the XP table would

say.

An encoun-

ter so easy that it

uses up none or

almost none of

the PCs’ resources

shouldn’t result in any

XP award at all, while a

dangerous encounter that

the PCs overcome handily

through luck or excellent

strategy is worth full XP. How-

ever, an encounter in which

the PCs defeat something far

above their own level (CRs higher

than their level by eight or more) was

probably the result of fantastic luck or a

unique set of circumstances, and thus a full

XP award may not be appropriate. You’re going

to have to make these decisions. As a guideline, the min-

imum and maximum awards given on Table 2–6: Experi-

ence Point Awards (Single Monster) for a group of a given

level are the least and most XP you should award a group.

Circumstances in your campaign may alter this, however.

You might decide that an EL 2 encounter is worth at least a little to

CHAPTER 2:

USING

THE RULES

Circumstance XP Award Adjustment EL Adjustment

Half as difficult XP × 1/2 EL –2

Significantly less difficult XP × 2/3 EL –1

Significantly more difficult XP × 1-1/2 EL +1

Twice as difficult XP × 2EL +2

VARIANT: FREE-FORM EXPERIENCE

Instead of calculating experience points, just hand out about 75 XP

times the average party level for each character in the party per

balanced encounter. Hand out more for tough encounters: 100 XP per

level per character, or even 150 XP. Award less for easy ones: 25 to 50

XP. Alternatively, you could give out 300 XP times the average party

level for each character per session, modified slightly for tough or easy

sessions.

It’s very simple to track how quickly characters gain levels using this

system. The drawback is that it generalizes PC rewards, rather than

granting them based on specific accomplishments. You risk players

becoming dissatisfied by gaining the same reward every session.

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your 10th-level party since it caused them to waste some major

spells, so you give them half the XP an EL 3 encounter would have

earned them, or 125 XP. Or you might judge that a large quantity

of CR 1 monsters is indeed an appropriate challenge for a 10th-

level party because the group had lost all their equipment before

the fight started.

STORY AWARDS

The PCs have rescued the constable’s son from the troll lair. They

leave the lair and stop their current quest so they can return the

young boy to his home and parents. Do they get experience points

for this?

Some DMs want the answer to be “Of course they do.” To

accomplish this, you need to set up a system in which you can

award XP for accomplishing goals and for actions and encounters

that don’t involve combat.

Sometimes you may want to estimate experience point awards

for actions that normally don’t result in an XP award under the

standard system. These are called story awards, and they should

only be used by an experienced DM.

CRs for Noncombat Encounters

You could award experience points for solving a puzzle, learning a

secret, convincing an NPC to help, or escaping from a powerful

foe. Mysteries, puzzles, and roleplaying encounters (such as nego-

tiations) can be assigned Challenge Ratings, but these sorts of

awards require more ad hoc ruling on the DM’s part.

Challenge Ratings for noncombat encounters are even more of

a variable than traps. A roleplaying encounter should only be con-

sidered a challenge at all if there’s some risk involved and success

or failure really matters. For example, the PCs encounter an NPC

who knows the secret password to get into a magical prison that

holds their companion. The PCs must get the information out of

her—if they don’t, their friend remains trapped forever. In an-

other instance, the characters must cross a raging river by wading,

swimming, or climbing across a rope. If they fail, they can’t get to

where the magic gem lies, and if they fail spectacularly, they are

washed away down the river.

You might see such situations as having a Challenge Rating

equal to the level of the party. Simple puzzles and minor encoun-

ters should have a CR lower than the party’s level, if they are worth

an award at all. They should never have a CR higher than the

party’s level. As a rule, you probably don’t want to hand out a lot of

experience for these kinds of encounters unless you intentionally

want to run a low-combat game.

In the end, this kind of story award feels pretty much like a

standard award. Don’t ever feel obligated to give out XP for an en-

counter that you don’t feel was much of a challenge. Remember

that the key word in “experience award” is award. The PCs should

have to do something impressive to get an award.

Mission Goals

Often an adventure has a mission or a goal that pulls the PCs into

the action. Should the PCs accomplish their goal, they may get a

story award. No Challenge Ratings are involved here: The XP

award is entirely up to you.

Such rewards should be fairly large—large enough to seem sig-

nificant when compared to the standard awards earned along the

way toward achieving the mission goal. The mission award should

be more than the XP for any single encounter on the mission, but

not more than all standard awards for encounters for the mission

put together (see Story Awards and Standard Awards, below).

Potentially, you could give out only story awards and no standard

awards. In this nonstandard game, the mission award would be the

main contributor to the PCs’ experience point totals.

It’s possible that in a single adventure a party can have multiple

goals. Sometimes the goals are all known at the outset: Unchain

the gold dragon, destroy or imprison the two black dragons, and

find the lost staff of healing. Sometimes the next goal is discovered

when the first one is accomplished: Now that the illithid is dead,

find the people who were under its mental control and bring them

back to town.

Some players will want to set up personal goals for their char-

acters. Perhaps the PC paladin holds a grudge against the night

hag from when they encountered her before. Although not crit-

ical to the adventure at hand, it becomes his personal goal to

avenge the wrongs she committed by destroying her. Or,

another character wants to find the magic item that will enable

her to return to her home village and stop the plague. These are

worthy goals, and the individual character who achieves them

should get a special award. “I want to get more powerful” is not

an individual goal, since that’s what just about everyone wants

to accomplish.

Remember: A goal that’s easy to accomplish is worth little or no

award. Likewise, goals that merely reflect standard awards (such as

“Kill all the monsters in this cavern complex”) should be treated as

standard awards.

Roleplaying Awards

A player who enjoys playing a role well may sometimes make

decisions that fit his or her character but don’t necessarily lead to

the most favorable outcome for that character. Good roleplayers

might perform some deeds that seem particularly fitting for

their characters. Someone playing a bard might compose a short

poem about events in the campaign. A smart-aleck sorcerer

might crack an in-game joke that sends the other players to the

floor laughing. Another player might have his character fall in

love with an NPC and then devote some portion of his time to

playing out that love affair. Such roleplaying should be

rewarded, since it enhances the game. (If it doesn’t enhance the

game, don’t give an award.)

CHAPTER 2:

USING

THE RULES

VARIANT: FASTER OR SLOWER EXPERIENCE

You control the pace of character progress, and the easiest way to do

that is through experience point awards. Obviously, if you want the

characters to progress faster, simply make every award 10%, 20%, or

even 50% larger. If you want characters to progress more slowly, give

awards that are some suitable fraction of the original award.

When modifying awards in this way, keep track of the amount of

change you impose on the PCs’ progress. You need to balance this with

the pace of treasure awarded. For example, if you increase the amount

of experience earned by the characters by 20% across the board, trea-

sure also needs to increase by 20%, or else the PCs end up poor and

underequipped for their level.

Modifying Challenge Ratings

The other way to modify character progress is to modify the Challenge

Ratings of monsters encountered. If you increase the CRs, you increase

the experience awards and speed up advancement.

Of course, whether or not you want to change character progress,

you may decide to modify various Challenge Ratings. If you think that

a certain monster is worth more (or less) than its Monster Manual

rating, feel free to change it. Keep in mind, however, that just because

the PCs in your campaign happen to all have bane weapons useful

against aberrations, that doesn’t necessarily make beholders a lesser

challenge overall. It just means that your party is particularly well

equipped to deal with their challenge.

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XP awards for roleplaying are purely ad hoc. That is, no system

exists for assigning Challenge Ratings to bits of roleplaying. The

awards should be just large enough for the player to notice them,

probably no more than 50 XP per character level per adventure.

Story Awards and Standard Awards

You can handle story awards in one of two ways. The first is to

make all awards story awards. Thus, killing monsters would earn

no experience in and of itself—although it may allow characters

to achieve what they need to do in order to earn a story award. If

you follow this method, you should still pay attention to how

many experience points the characters would be earning by

defeating enemies, so that you can make sure the PCs’ treasure

totals are in line with what they should be earning.

The second way is to use standard awards for defeating enemies

but award only half the normal amount for doing so, making up

the other half through story awards. This method has the virtue of

keeping the treasure earned at about the same rate as XP earned.

Don’t simply add story awards to standard awards (even if

you compensate by giving out more treasure as well) unless

you want to speed up character progression.

EXPERIENCE PENALTIES

Characters can lose experience points by casting certain

spells or creating magic items. This allocation of personal

power serves a specific game function: It limits and controls

these activities, as well as making them interesting choices for

players. In general, however, you shouldn’t use experience

penalties in any other situation. While awards can be used to

encourage behavior, penalties don’t serve to discourage bad

behavior. They usually only lead to arguments and anger. If a

player behaves in a way you don’t want him to behave, talk to

him about it. If he continues, stop playing with him.

DEATH AND EXPERIENCE POINTS

If a character takes part in an encounter, even if she dies

during the encounter, that character gets a share of the experi-

ence points. If a character dies and is raised, the awarded

experience points are granted to her after she comes back

from the dead (and after she loses the level from death, if

appropriate).

TREASURE AND OTHER REWARDS

Unless you’re making up an adventure as you go, you assign

treasure as you make up encounters. The rules for treasure and

other rewards appear in Chapter 3: Adventures.

CHARACTER DEATH

It happens. Adventuring is a high-risk enterprise. Characters in

your campaign will die, sometimes because they were reckless and

sometimes because luck was against them. Fortunately, D&D is a

game, and death doesn’t have to be the end.

Raise dead, reincarnation, resurrection, and true resurrection can

return characters to life. Bringing Back the Dead, on page 171 of

the Player’s Handbook, briefly discusses all four. Any creature

brought back to life loses one level of experience, unless brought

back with true resurrection. The character’s new XP total is midway

between the minimum needed for his or her new level and the

minimum needed for the next one. If the character was 1st level,

he or she loses 2 points of Constitution instead of losing a level.

This level loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any

mortal spell, even wish or miracle. Still, the revived character can

improve his or her Constitution normally (at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th,

and 20th level) and earn experience by further adventuring to

regain the lost level.

Raise dead has a number of limitations. The caster can only

raise characters who have been dead up to one day per caster

level. Casting time is a single minute. It does heal 1 hit point

per Hit Die, but the body of the raised character must be

whole. Raise dead doesn’t regenerate missing body parts.

Paying someone to cast raise dead costs 450 gp (assuming a 9th-

level caster) plus 5,000 gp for expensive material components.

Reincarnate brings back creatures dead one week or less, but

in entirely new bodies. The subject of the spell faces the same

level loss or Constitution loss as with other spells. Paying some-

one to cast reincarnate costs 1,280 gp (assuming a 7th-level

caster), making it the least expensive option. The drawback, of

course, is that the player has no control over the new form

and may not be welcome in civilized society.

Resurrection must be cast within 10 years per

caster level of the time of death. It

works as long as some small

portion of the character’s

body still exists.

CHAPTER 2:

USING

THE RULES

BEHIND THE CURTAIN:

EXPERIENCE POINTS

The experience point award for encounters is based on the concept

that 13.33 encounters of an EL equal to the player characters’ level

allow them to gain a level.

Thirteen or fourteen encounters can seem to go by very quickly.

This is particularly true at low levels, where most of the encounters

that characters take part in are appropriate for their levels. At higher

levels, the PCs face a varied range of Encounter Levels (more lower

than higher, if they’re to survive) and thus gain levels somewhat

more slowly. Higher-level characters also tend to spend more and

more time interacting with each other and with NPCs, which results

in fewer XP over time.

With this information in mind, you can roughly gauge how quickly

the PCs in your game will advance. In fact, you can control it. You are

in charge of what encounters happen and the circumstances in which

they occur. You can predict at what level the characters will reach the

dark temple and prepare accordingly. If it turns out that you predicted

incorrectly, you can engineer encounters to allow them to reach the

appropriate level or increase the difficulty of the temple encounters

as needed.

Published adventures always provide a guideline for which levels

of characters are appropriate to play. Keep in mind that this infor-

mation is based on character power as well as expected treasure.

Table 5–1: Character Wealth by Level gives a guideline for about how

much treasure a character of a certain level should possess. This

guideline is based on the (slightly more than) thirteen-encounters-

per-level formula and assumes average treasures were given out. If

you use a published adventure but tend to be generous with experi-

ence points, you might find that the characters in your group don’t

have as much treasure as the scenario assumes. Likewise, if you’re

stingy with experience points, the characters will probably gain trea-

sure faster than levels. Of course, if you’re stingy or generous with

both treasure and experience points, it might just all even out.

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Casting time is a full 10 minutes. It heals the character completely

when cast, but the character suffers the same level loss or Constitu-

tion loss as with raise dead. Paying someone to cast resurrection costs

910 gp (assuming a 13th-level caster) plus 10,000 gp for expensive

material components.

True resurrection, like resurrection, can be cast on a character who

has been dead for up to 10 years per caster level. No part of the

deceased is required for the spell. Casting time is a full 10 minutes.

True resurrection restores a character completely, with no loss of

level or Constitution. This is the most expensive of these spells to

have cast. Paying someone to cast true resurrection costs 1,530 gp

(assuming a 17th-level caster) plus 25,000 gp for expensive mate-

rial components.

MAKING A NEW CHARACTER

A player may decide that she wants to make a new character rather

than continue adventuring with her existing one. Or maybe

you’ve recruited a new player for your campaign. When a player

makes a new character for your game, you have an important

choice to make: What level will the new character be?

In general, D&D encourages continuity of characters in the

adventuring group. Players get a greater sense of accomplish-

ment if they develop their characters over time. The group is

more effective—and has more fun—if they learn the strengths,

weaknesses, and quirks of the PCs they’re adventuring with. A

sense of teamwork is hard to develop if the roster of PCs is

always shifting.

But there are times when making a new character is the best

option. Under the following circumstances, a new character may

be warranted.

•A new player joins the campaign.

•An existing PC dies, and the party doesn’t have access to magic

that brings her back to life.

•An existing PC is unable to adventure for an extended period of

time. Perhaps he was turned to stone by a medusa cult, which

then absconded with the statue. The rest of the party intends to

rescue him, but until that happens, he should have another

character to play so he’s not left out.

•The players find they don’t have a character to cover a key party

role. If the player of the sole PC cleric moves away, another

player might make up a new cleric so the party still has access

to healing magic.

•An existing PC has become difficult to play, and the player is

amenable to a new character. Perhaps you allowed an ogre

barbarian PC into your game, but the players find they prefer

political intrigues and urban adventures.

•A player is eager to try a new race or class.

How you handle each of these situations is up to you. Choosing

a level for the new character is matter of finding the balance point

where a new character is viable and fun to play without outshin-

ing the other PCs.

Under most circumstances, a new character should begin play

at the beginning of the level lower than the player’s previous PC.

For example, if a player wants his 9th-level paladin to ride off

into the sunset, his new character starts with 28,000 XP, the

beginning of 8th level. A new player should create his first char-

acter at the beginning of the level where the lowest-level exist-

ing PC is.

In some circumstances, you might want to be more lenient. If

the lowest-level PC is magically imprisoned, you can let that

player create a new, temporary character at the same level until the

original PC is rescued. But avoid situations where a player would

be punished for sticking with an existing PC rather than creating

a new one. It’s bad for continuity if a player picks a brand-new

10th-level character over a longtime PC who will come back from

the dead at 9th level.

You also need to tell the player creating the new character how

much gear to have. The new PC should have the proper equip-

ment to be an effective character, but his weapons, armor, and

magic items shouldn’t be so good that they inspire jealousy among

the other players. Two factors determine how much gear to allow:

the average amount of gear among the other PCs and whether the

new PC will have access to an old PC’s gear.

As long as your campaign is reasonably close to the PC gear

guidelines outlined in Creating PCs above 1st Level (page 199),

you can use Table 5–1: Character Wealth by Level to set the gear.

For example, a new 13th-level character should have 110,000 gp

in gear. If your characters are more than 20% higher or lower

than the values on the table, adjust the gear value for the new

character by the same percentage. If the three 12th-level charac-

ters each have 132,000 gp in equipment (50% above the norm of

88,000), give a new 11th-level character 99,000 gp (50% above the

norm of 66,000).

If the new character is replacing an old PC, reduce the trea-

sure amount by whatever the old PC leaves behind. For example,

if a player creates a new 3rd-level druid because her 4th-level

druid died, she can just pick up the old PC’s gear and use it,

rather than getting a gear allowance from you. But if the player

makes a 3rd-level rogue instead, the gear of a 4th-level druid

won’t be as useful. If the party sells the druid’s gear for 1,000 gp,

give the new 3rd-level rogue a gear allowance of 1,700 gp so the

character will have a total of 2,700 gp in equipment. If the party

instead buries the druid with her equipment, give the rogue

2,700 gp worth of equipment.

As a general rule, a new character can spend no more than half

her total wealth on a single item, and no more than one quarter

the total wealth on consumables such as ammunition, scrolls,

potions, wands, or alchemical items.

CHAPTER 2:

USING

THE RULES

BEHIND THE CURTAIN:

WHEN A PC FALLS BEHIND

D&D works best when all the PCs are within a level or two of each

other. The classes are carefully balanced against each other at each

level, and the Challenge Rating system gives you great freedom to

design appropriate challenges that are fun for everyone at the table.

But often an unlucky PC—or the PC of a sometimes-absent player—

will fall behind the rest of the party. If the difference is one or two levels,

you don’t need to do anything special. The experience point system

gives bigger awards to lower-level PCs, so a character who’s behind by

a level or two will naturally catch up over time. For example, if a party of

three 9th-level PCs and one 7th-level PC defeat a CR 9 vrock, the 9th-

level PCs each get 675 XP (2,700 ÷4), but the 7th-level PC gets (4,200

÷4) 1,050 XP.

The experience point system will diminish a three-level gap over

time, but it might not erase it. And a PC four or more levels behind

the rest of the party is a recipe for trouble. An encounter challeng-

ing to the rest of the party is overwhelming to the lowest-level char-

acter, increasing the likelihood that character will die—and thus

fall further behind. The player of the lowest-level character might

feel like his character can’t do anything useful, and the other play-

ers might resent having to keep the lowest-level character out of

harm’s way.

If a PC falls that far behind the rest of the party, take action to restore

a semblance of balance. You can discuss a new character with the

player, write a solo adventure for that character to earn the XP needed

to catch up, or design encounters that simultaneously provide chal-

lenges appropriate for the low-level player and the rest of the PCs.

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reating adventures is one of the great benefits of being a

Dungeon Master. It’s a way to express yourself creatively,

designing fantastic places and events filled with monsters

and imaginative elements of all kinds. When you design

an adventure, you call the shots. You do things exactly the

way you want to. Designing an adventure can be a lot of work, but

the rewards are great. Your players will thrill at the challenges and

mysteries you have created for them. Experienced DMs pride

themselves on masterful adventures, creative new situations and

locales, and intriguing NPCs. A well-honed encounter—whether

it’s a monster, a trap, or an NPC who must be reasoned with—can

be a thing of beauty.

“What is an adventure?” isn’t as easy a question to answer as you

might think. While a campaign is made up of adventures, it’s not

always clear where one adventure ends and another begins.

Adventures can be so varied that it’s tough to pin down the basics.

This chapter is going to try to help you do that.

An adventure starts with some sort of hook, whether it’s a

rumor of treasure in an old, abandoned monastery or a plea for

help from the queen. The hook is what draws the PCs into the

action and gets them to the point where the story of the adven-

ture truly begins. This point might be a location (such as the mon-

astery or the queen’s palace) or an event (the theft of the queen’s

scepter, which the PCs are tasked with recovering).

Adventures are broken down into encounters. Encounters are

typically keyed to areas on a map that you have prepared.

Encounters can also be designed in the form of if/then state-

ments: “If the PCs wait outside the druid’s grove for more than an

hour, then his three trained dire bears attack.” The encounters of

an adventure are all linked in some way, whether in theme (all

the encounters that occur as they travel from the City of Grey-

hawk to the Crystalmist Mountains), location (all the

encounters in the ruins of Castle Temerity), or events (all

the encounters that occur as the PCs attempt to rescue the

mayor’s son from Rahurg the ogre king).

MOTIVATION

Motivation is what drives the adventure—it’s what gets

the PCs involved in whatever you have designed for them

to do. If the PCs aren’t motivated, they won’t do what you

want them to, and all your work will be wasted. Greed,

fear, revenge, need, morality, anger, and curiosity are all

powerful motivators. So, of course, is fun. Never forget

that last one.

Writing an adventure with strong motivation is

really a matter of knowing what style of game you and

your players prefer (see page 7 for a discussion of dif-

ferent playing styles).

TAILORED OR STATUS QUO

Tailored motivations are ones that you have specifi-

cally designed with your group’s PCs in mind. Here

are just a few of many possible examples.

•The PCs are a hardened group of mercenaries, not

interested in the pleas of innocents or the stories

of evil that threatens some good kingdom.

However, they are quite interested in gold. . . .

•Mialee the wizard has been slain by the gargoyles in the

Caverns of Dread. Now the other PCs seek a means

to raise her. They know of a good-hearted cleric of

Pelor to the south, in the city of Dyvers. When

Illus. by A. Swekel

they arrive, the cleric is willing to raise Mialee, but only if the PCs

help him by ridding the temple’s lower level of wererats. . . .

•You know that the party has just finished clearing out a wizard’s

tower and has lots of treasure. Therefore, you don’t lure them to

the next adventure using the promise of gold, but instead with

the rumor that the wizard isn’t dead, but has risen as a vampire

and has sworn revenge. . . .

•Tordek’s brother Ralcoss comes to the PCs, explains that a

terrible tragedy has beset the dwarven city of Dumadan, and

asks for their help . . .

A status quo motivation isn’t really a motivation in the strict sense

of the word. It’s the fact that (for instance) adventure awaits in the

Lost Valley for anyone who dares brave the wyvern-haunted cliffs

that surround the place. The PCs can go there or not, depending

on how they feel.

While a tailored motivation is good for ensuring that the PCs end

up in the adventure you have designed and for letting the players

feel that their characters have a real place in the world, a status quo

motivation allows you to set up situations unrelated to the PCs

specifically. Doing this creates a sense of perspective, the feeling

that the campaign world is a real place that extends beyond the PCs.

STRUCTURE

An adventure runs its course from the beginning to an ending.

Some adventures are completed in an hour. Others take months of

playing sessions. Length is up to you, although it’s smart to plan

ahead and know roughly how many sessions an adventure will last

(and make sure that the current group of players can commit to

that length). Following are some guidelines to keep in mind for

structuring good adventures and avoiding bad ones.

GOOD STRUCTURE

Good adventures are fun. That’s an easy generalization, but it’s also

true. An adventure that everyone enjoys likely includes the fol-

lowing features.

Choices: A good adventure has at least a few points where the

players need to make important decisions. What they decide should

have significant impact on what happens next. A choice can be as

simple as the players deciding not to go down the corridor to the

left (where the pyrohydra waits for them) and instead going to the

right (toward the magic fountain), or as complex as the PCs decid-

ing not to help the queen against the grand vizier (so that she ends

up being assassinated and the vizier’s puppet gains the throne).

CHAPTER 3:

ADVENTURES

ONE HUNDRED ADVENTURE IDEAS

Use the following list for spur-of-the-moment adventure seeds or for

generating ideas.

d% Adventure Idea

1Thieves steal the crown jewels.

2A dragon flies into a town and demands tribute.

3The tomb of an old wizard has been discovered.

4Wealthy merchants are being killed in their homes.

5The statue in the town square is found to be a petrified paladin.

6A caravan of important goods is about to leave for a trip

through a dangerous area.

7Cultists are kidnapping potential sacrifices.

8Goblins riding spider eaters have been attacking the outskirts

of a town.

9Local bandits have joined forces with a tribe of bugbears.

10 A blackguard is organizing monsters in an area.

11 A gate to the lower planes threatens to bring more demons to

the world.

12 Miners have accidentally released something awful that once

was buried deep.

13 A wizards’ guild challenges the ruling council.

14 Racial tensions rise between humans and elves.

15 A mysterious fog brings ghosts into town.

16 The holy symbol of a high priest is missing.

17 An evil wizard has developed a new kind of golem.

18 Someone in town is a werewolf.

19 Slavers continue to raid a local community.

20 A fire elemental escapes from a wizard’s lab.

21 Bugbears are demanding a toll on a well-traveled bridge.

22 A mirror of opposition has created an evil duplicate of a hero.

23 Two orc tribes wage a bloody war.

24 New construction reveals a previously unknown underground

tomb.

25 A nearby kingdom launches an invasion.

26 Two well-known heroes fight a duel.

27 An ancient sword must be recovered to defeat a ravaging

monster.

28 A prophecy foretells of coming doom unless an artifact is

recovered.

29 Ogres kidnap the mayor’s daughter.

30 A wizard is buried in a trap-filled tomb with her powerful magic

items.

31 An enchanter is compelling others to steal for him.

32 A shapechanged mind flayer is gathering mentally controlled

servitors.

33 A plague brought by wererats threatens a community.

34 The keys to disarming all the magic traps in a wizard’s tower

have gone missing.

35 Sahuagin are being driven out of the sea to attack coastal

villages.

36 Gravediggers discover a huge, ghoul-filled catacomb under the

cemetery.

37 A wizard needs a particularly rare spell component found only

in the deep jungle.

38 A map showing the location of an ancient magic forge is

discovered.

39 Various monsters have long preyed upon people from within

the sewers of a major city.

40 An emissary going into a hostile kingdom needs an escort.

41 Vampires are preying upon a small town.

42 A haunted tower is reputed to be filled with treasure.

43 Barbarians begin tearing up a village in a violent rage.

44 Giants steal cattle from local farmers.

45 Unexplained snowstorms bring winter wolves into an otherwise

peaceful area.

46 A lonely mountain pass is guarded by a powerful sphinx

denying all passage.

47 Evil mercenaries begin constructing a fortress not far from a

community.

48 An antidote to a magic poison must be found before the duke

dies.

49 A druid needs help defending her grove against goblins.

50 An ancient curse is turning innocent people into evil murderers.

51 Gargoyles are killing giant eagles in the mountains.

52 Mysterious merchants sell faulty magic items in town and then

attempt to slink away.

53 A recently recovered artifact causes arcane spellcasters’ powers

to go awry.

54 An evil noble puts a price on a good noble’s head.

55 Adventurers exploring a dungeon have not returned in a week.

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Difficult Choices: When a choice has a significant consequence, it

should sometimes be a difficult one to make. Should the PCs help

the church of Heironeous wage war on the goblins, even though

the conflict will almost certainly keep them from reaching the

Fortress of Nast before the evil duke summons the slaadi assassins?

Should the PCs trust the words of a dragon, or ignore her warning?

Different Sorts of Encounters: A good adventure should pro-

vide a number of different experiences—attack, defense, prob-

lem-solving, roleplaying, and investigation. Make sure you vary

the kinds of encounters the adventure provides (see Encounters,

page 48).

Exciting Events: Like a well-told story, a good adventure

should have rising and falling tension. This sort of pacing is easier

to accomplish with an event-based adventure (since you have

more control over when each encounter takes place), but it’s pos-

sible in a site-based adventure to design a locale where the

encounters are likely to occur in a desired fashion. Make sure to

pace events appropriately. Start slowly and have the action build. A

climactic encounter always makes for a good ending.

Encounters that Make Use of PC Abilities: If the party’s

wizard or sorcerer can cast fly, think about incorporating aerial

encounters into the adventure. When there’s a cleric along, occa-

sionally include undead that she can use her turning ability on. If

the party has a ranger or a druid, include encounters with animals

(dire animals can make challenging encounters for even mid- to

high-level PCs; see the Monster Manual for more information). The

advice to remember is “Everyone gets a chance to shine.” All abili-

ties available to PCs were designed to make the characters better,

but an ability (or a spell) that a character never gets to use is a waste.

BAD STRUCTURE

Try to avoid the pitfalls described below.

Leading the PCs by the Nose: A bad event-based adventure is

marked by mandates restricting PC actions or is based on events

that occur no matter what the PCs do. For example, a plot that

hinges on the PCs finding a mysterious heirloom, only to have it

stolen by NPCs, is dangerous—if the players invent a good way to

protect the heirloom, they won’t like having it stolen anyway just

because that’s what you had planned beforehand. The players end

up feeling powerless and frustrated. No matter what, all adven-

tures should depend upon player choices, and players should feel

as though what they choose to do matters. The results should

affect the campaign setting (albeit perhaps in minor ways), and

they should have consequences (good or bad) for the PCs.

CHAPTER 3:

ADVENTURES

56 The funeral for a good fighter is disrupted by enemies he made

while alive.

57 Colossal vermin are straying out of the desert to attack

settlements.

58 An evil tyrant outlaws nonofficially sanctioned magic use.

59 A huge dire wolf, apparently immune to magic, is organizing

the wolves in the wood.

60 A community of gnomes builds a flying ship.

61 An island at the center of the lake is actually the top of a

strange, submerged fortress.

62 Buried below the Tree of the World lies the Master Clock of

Time.

63 A child wanders into a vast necropolis, and dusk approaches

quickly.

64 All the dwarves in an underground city have disappeared.

65 A strange green smoke billows out of a cave near a mysterious

ruin.

66 Mysterious groaning sounds come from a haunted wood at

night.

67 Thieves steal a great treasure and flee into Mordenkainen’s

magnificent mansion.

68 A sorcerer attempts to travel ethereally but disappears

completely in the process.

69 A paladin’s quest for atonement leads her to a troll lair too well

defended for her to tackle alone.

70 A kingdom known for its wizards prepares for war.

71 The high priest is an illusion.

72 A new noble seeks to clear a patch of wilderness of all

monsters.

73 A bulette is tearing apart viable farmland.

74 An infestation of stirges drives yuan-ti closer to civilized lands.

75 Treants in the woods are threatened by a huge fire of

mysterious origin.

76 Clerics who have resurrected a long-dead hero discover she’s

not what they thought.

77 A sorrowful bard tells a tale of his imprisoned companions.

78 Evil nobles create an adventurers’ guild to monitor and control

adventurers.

79 A halfling caravan must traverse an ankheg-infested wilderness.

80 All the doors in the king’s castle are suddenly arcane locked and

fire trapped.

81 An innocent man, about to be hanged, pleads for someone to

help him.

82 The tomb of a powerful wizard, filled with magic items, has

sunk into the swamp.

83 Someone is sabotaging wagons and carts to come apart when

they travel at high speed.

84 A certain kind of frogs, found only in an isolated valley, fall like

rain on a major city.

85 A jealous rival threatens to stop a well-attended wedding.

86 A woman who mysteriously vanished years ago is seen walking

on the surface of a lake.

87 An earthquake uncovers a previously unknown dungeon.

88 A wronged half-elf needs a champion to fight for her in a

gladiatorial trial.

89 At the eye of the storm that tears across the land lies a floating

citadel.

90 People grow suspicious of half-orc merchants peddling gold

dragon parts in the market.

91 An absentminded wizard lets her rod of wonder fall into the

wrong hands.

92 Undead shadows vex a large library, especially an old storeroom

long left undisturbed.

93 The door into an abandoned house in the middle of town turns

out to be a magic portal.

94 Barge pirates make a deal with a covey of hags and exact a high

toll to use the river.

95 Two parts of a magic item are in the hands of bitter enemies;

the third piece is lost.

96 A flight of wyverns is preying upon sheep as well as shepherds.

97 Evil clerics gather in secret to summon a monstrous god to the

world.

98 A city faces a siege by a force of humans, duergar, and gnolls.

99 A huge gemstone supposedly lies within a ruined monastery.

100 Lizardfolk riding dragon turtles sell their services as

mercenaries to the highest bidder.

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PCs as Spectators: In this kind of bad adventure, NPCs

accomplish all the important tasks. There might be an interesting

story going on, but it’s going on around the PCs, and they have

very little to do with it. As much as you might like one of your

NPCs, resist the urge to have him or her accomplish everything

instead of letting the PCs do the work. As great as it might be to

have your big NPC hero fight the evil wizard (also an NPC)

threatening the land, it’s not much fun for the players if all they

get to do is watch.

Deus ex Machina: Similar to the “PCs as spectators” problem is

the potential pitfall of the deus ex machina, a term used to describe

the ending to a story in which the action is resolved by the inter-

vention of some outside agency rather than by the characters’ own

actions. Don’t put the PCs in situations in which they can only sur-

vive through the intervention of others. Sometimes it’s interesting

to be rescued, but using this sort of “escape hatch” gets frustrating

for the players quickly. Players would rather defeat a young dragon

on their own than face an ancient wyrm and only defeat it because

a high-level NPC teleports in to help them.

Preempting the Characters’ Abilities: It’s good to know the

PCs’ capabilities, but you shouldn’t design adventures that contin-

ually countermand or foil what they can do. If the wizard just

learned fireball, don’t continually throw fire-resistant foes at him.

Don’t create dungeons where fly and teleport spells don’t work, just

because it’s more difficult to design challenging encounters for

characters with those capabilities. Use the PCs’ abilities to allow

them to have more interesting encounters—don’t arbitrarily rule

that their powers suddenly don’t work.

THE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Much of the structure of an adventure depends on what the PCs

know and when they learn it. If they know that there’s a dragon at

the bottom of the dungeon, they will conserve their strength for

that encounter and have proper spells and strategies prepared.

When they learn the identity of a traitor, they will probably act on

this information immediately. If they learn too late that their ac-

tions will cause a cavern complex to collapse, they won’t be able to

keep it from happening.

Don’t give away the whole plot in one go, but do give the play-

ers some new bit of knowledge every so often. For example, if the

drow elves are the secret masters behind an uprising of giants,

slowly reveal clues to that fact. Information gained while fighting

the hill giants leads the PCs to the frost giants, which in turn gar-

ners them clues that take them to the fire giants. Only among the

fire giants do the PCs encounter information that leads them to

understand that the drow are involved. And thus the final en-

counter with those drow masters is made all the more dramatic.

In some situations, the PCs know everything they need to

know before the adventure begins. That’s okay. Occasionally, there

is no mystery. For example, the adventurers learn that a haunted

tower in the woods is inhabited by a vampire and her minions.

They go in with stakes and holy water, slay a bunch of undead, and

finally meet up with the vampire and take her out. That’s a fine

adventure. Sometimes, however, a surprise that the PCs never

could have seen coming makes it all the more interesting—the

vampire turns out to be a good-aligned undead resisting her blood-

lust but slowly succumbing to the temptation of an erinyes devil

who lives under the church back in town. Both the “no surprises”

and the “unexpected twist” structures work well, so long as you

avoid overusing either.

Divination Magic

Keep divination magic in mind when predetermining how

you’re going to control the flow of information. Don’t deny the

spells their potency. Instead, learn what they can and cannot do,

and plan for the PCs to use them. (See Handling Divinations,

page 34). After all, if you have assumed that they would cast the

proper spells and they don’t use what’s available to them, they

deserve to fail.

SITE-BASED ADVENTURES

The Tomb of Horrors, the Temple of Elemental Evil, the Ghost

Tower of Inverness—these are places of legend, mystery, and ad-

venture. If you create an adventure based around some place—a

dungeon, a ruin, a mountain, a valley, a cave complex, a wilderness,

a town—then you have created a site-based adventure. Site-based

adventures revolve around a map with a key, detailing important

spots on that map. Encounters in the adventure are triggered

when the PCs enter a new location at the site. The implication is

that each encounter describes what occurs at that site when the

PCs arrive (or arrive for the first time).

Creating a site-based adventure involves two steps: drawing a

map and keying the encounters.

Draw a Map: Graph paper is useful for mapping out dungeons,

because you can assign a scale for the squares, such as 5 feet or 10

feet per square. The printed gridlines also aid in drawing straight

lines (particularly useful when you’re mapping the interior of a

CHAPTER 3:

ADVENTURES

ADVENTURE WRITER’S CHECKLIST

If you want to write an adventure but aren’t sure where to start, just

work your way down the checklist below. Each entry corresponds to a

section found later in this chapter.

•Brainstorm one or more motivations for the adventure, keeping in

mind the style of play you prefer. Why will the PCs put their lives at risk?

•Decide whether you want a site-based adventure, an event-based

adventure, or an adventure that incorporates both.

•If it’s a site-based adventure, imagine where the adventure will take

place. You don’t need to know every detail yet, just a broad sense of

what the place is like.

•If it’s an event-based adventure, imagine the starting scene, a likely

climax scene, and a few “set piece” intermediate scenes you think

would be fun.

•Choose the most important antagonists for the PCs. If allies,

patrons, or other NPCs are important, think about them too.

•Begin assembling your adventure. If it’s a site-based adventure,

sketch out the site and decide where your important NPCs spend

most of their time. If it’s an event-based adventure, identify the most

likely sequences of events that take the PCs from the beginning

scene to the climax, hitting one or more of the important intermedi-

ate scenes along the way.

•Fill in the details. Create the areas and scenes that aren’t integral to

the adventure but may be fun or challenging nonetheless. Draw the

maps you’ll need, build the NPCs, and create any random encoun-

ters you want for the adventure.

•Check your work. Examine what you’ve done, but think like your play-

ers. Is there a clever way to bypass many of the adventure’s chal-

lenges? Think of ways to reward cleverness without rendering the

adventure obsolete.

Now that you’ve worked your way down the checklist, here’s a secret:

You don’t have to do the items in order. You can just as easily start by

saying, “I want to write an adventure with mind flayer assassins as the

main villains,” starting with the antagonists and making the other

choices later. You might design a site first, then figure out how to entice

the characters inside. But it’s always a good idea to start with motiva-

tion, because it’s the energy that gets your adventure off the ground.

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building or a dungeon). Mark important areas with numbers or

letters that reference the map key. Make notes on the map describ-

ing anything of importance, including room contents (statues,

pools, furniture, pillars, steps, pits, curtains, and so on). Plan out

which areas are linked by similar or allied inhabitants. Place traps,

taking care to note particularly the location of trap triggers. Con-

sider spell ranges—if an NPC wizard is in a particular area and you

know that she might cast a particular spell, save yourself time

during the playing of the adventure by noting now how far the

spell effect can extend.

As you map out the site, think about how you’ll depict each area

at the gaming table. It’s a bad idea, for example, to design a site

with many areas that are larger than the grid you place your minia-

tures on. If it’s likely that characters will travel back and forth

between two adjacent rooms, make each of the rooms small

enough to fit both of them on the tabletop grid at the same time.

Remember that the player characters are catalysts for change.

While you play, note changes caused by the PCs’ presence—pos-

sibly even writing them directly on the map. That way it’s easier to

remember, on the second time they pass through an area, which

doors they have knocked down, which traps they have triggered,

which treasures they have looted, which guardians they have

defeated, and so forth.

Create a Key: A map key is a set of notes (as detailed or brief as

you need them to be) detailing each area’s contents, NPCs

(description, statistics, possible actions), and whatever else makes

the place special. For example, on an outdoor map you might mark

an area that triggers a landslide if crossed, a bridge over the river

guarded by lizardfolk, and the lair of a basilisk—complete with

details about the interior of the lair and the treasure formerly in

the possession of the half-eaten, petrified victims in the back.

Each entry should include the game information needed to run

that encounter. If an area has nothing to write about, don’t bother

marking it on the key.

Most dungeon adventures are site-based. See The Dungeon,

page 57, as well as the sample dungeon adventure that begins on

page 78.

A site-based adventure allows the PCs to drive the action. If

they come to a fork in the path, they’re free to choose whichever

way they want. It doesn’t matter which path they choose, or if they

never go down one path at all. The characters can leave the loca-

tion and come back, often resuming the adventure exactly where

they left off (although some aspects of the site may have changed,

depending on how static the site is; see below).

A site-based adventure is easy to run once you’ve made all the

preparations. All the information is right there in front of you, on

the map and in the key. Between the two of them, you should be

able to handle any sort of action the PCs may take during the

adventure.

Site-based adventures often lure PCs based simply on the repu-

tation of the site, but sometimes an event triggers a site-based

adventure, drawing the PCs to the location. Once they are at the

site, your map and its key come into play.

STATIC OR DYNAMIC

Sometimes a site-based adventure takes place at a static location.

The map depicts an old ruin filled with monsters, shows where

the ancient treasures are located within the ruin, where the traps

or danger spots are located, and so on. The PCs can arrive at this

location at any time, stay as long as they desire, leave whenever

they want, and come back later to find the site pretty much the

same as they left it (although more monsters may have taken up

residence, or a few may have wandered off; maybe a trap has been

triggered by a monster and no longer threatens the PCs, or a trap

the PCs previously triggered has been reset).

Designing a static site-based adventure is fairly easy. You don’t

have to think much about how the residents of the various en-

counter areas interact, and each encounter area need only be de-

signed with the most immediate implications in mind—namely,

what happens when the PCs arrive?

By contrast, a good example of a dynamic site is a drow fortress-

temple. A dynamic site usually involves some sort of intelligent

organization. As the PCs move around the site, they discover that

actions in certain areas affect encounters in other areas. For

example, if the PCs kill two of the drow priestesses in the fortress-

temple but allow a third one to escape, the fortress-temple mobi-

lizes its populace—now, defenders are moving around from loca-

tion to location and are much more likely to attack any unknown

intruders rather than ask questions. Perhaps the two dead priest-

esses rise from the dead as vampires and start creating vampire

spawn as bodyguards.

Designing a dynamic site is more complicated than designing a

static one. In addition to creating a map and a key—both of which

might be updated significantly as the adventure develops—you

must address the following issues as well.

•Formulate defensive plans for the inhabitants. “If attacked, the

guards use the gong to raise the alarm. The sound of the gong

can be heard in areas A, B, and D. The inhabitants in those areas

hastily don hide armor (5 rounds) and overturn tables to give

themselves cover. The sorcerer in area B casts mass invisibility on

himself and the barbarian.”

•Develop conditional requirements for various areas. “If anyone

disturbs the three unholy gems upon the altar, the Infernal

Gates in area 5 open, allowing access to the City of Dis but also

calling 3d4 barbazu devils, who live in the dungeon by day and

come out at night to raid the countryside in a 5-mile radius.”

•Determine the inhabitants’ long-term plans. “In a month’s time,

the goblins will have completed the wall in area 39. With that

defense to fall back on, they begin the assault on the kobold

caves in areas 32 through 37. If no one intervenes, the goblins

will clear out the kobolds in three weeks and the goblin adept

will gain the wand of lightning bolt stored in the secret vault in

area 35.”

EVENT-BASED ADVENTURES

The death of the king. The Rain of Colorless Fire. The carnival’s

arrival in town. Unexplained disappearances. Merchants of Druus

looking for caravan guards. Events can lead to adventures, drawing

the PCs in and getting them involved in amazing predicaments.

When you create an an event-based adventure, you structure it

in the form of “Something happens, and if the PCs do this, then

that happens. . . .” An event-based adventure is built around a series

of events influenced by the PCs’ actions. The PCs’ reactions

change the events that occur, or the order in which they occur, or

both.

In an event-based adventure, the PCs usually have a goal or a

mission beyond “Kill all the monsters” or “Get as much treasure as

possible” or even “Explore this area.” The adventure instead

focuses on the adventurers trying to accomplish something spe-

cific. The encounters in the adventure occur as an offshoot of that

effort—either as a consequence of their actions, or as opposing

forces attempting to stop them, or both.

This kind of adventure is often described as story-based,

because it’s more like a book or a movie and less like exploration of

a passive site. An event-based adventure usually doesn’t use a

room-by-room key of a location but instead consists of notes on

which events occur when. Two of the best ways to organize these

notes are in the form of a flowchart or a timeline.

Flowchart: By drawing connected boxes or circles with event

descriptions in them, it’s easy to visually track the flow of events:

“As the PCs investigate the murder, they question the innkeeper.

She tells them that she saw someone suspicious hanging around

the back of the livery last night. If they ask specifically about Greg-

CHAPTER 3:

ADVENTURES

ory, she tells them where he lives.” In this example, the flowchart

has two lines drawn away from the innkeeper. One goes to the

livery and the other goes to Gregory’s house, since those are the

two likely paths the PCs will take next.

Timeline: Another way to organize an event-based adventure is

by the passage of time. A timeline starts when the PCs get involved

in the story (or sometimes even before then). It marks what hap-

pens when: “One day after the PCs arrive in town, Joham comes to

them pleading for help. The next day, Joham is found dead in his

room at the inn. That evening, Gregory comes to the inn, poking

around for information to see if the body has been found.”

Combination: An event-based adventure might use both a

flowchart and a timeline that are closely integrated: “If the PCs ask

the innkeeper about Gregory on the day after the murder, she tells

them where he lives. The following morning, Gregory shows up at

the inn, heavily disguised, and convinces the innkeeper that he is

being framed for the murder. She agrees to hide him. If the PCs

ask the innkeeper about Gregory after this occurs, she gives them

the location of his house—but she also tells the PCs (untruth-

fully) that Gregory has been away from town on a trip for the last

several days.”

Random Encounters: Even in an adventure driven by events,

an encounter unrelated to the flow of events can serve to empha-

size (or distract from) the ongoing plot. See Table 3–28: Urban

Encounters, page 102, for an example of an event-based random

encounter table.

THE END (?)

Eventually, each adventure comes to an end. A climactic

encounter places a nice capstone on an adventure, particularly if

it’s one that the players have seen coming. (If the ogres they have

been fighting have been referring to a dragon, then an encounter

with the dragon is a suitable ending.)

Many adventures require a denouement—some wrap-up to

deal with the aftermath of the final encounter. This can be the

time when the PCs discover what treasure is in the dragon’s hoard,

a dramatic scene in the king’s court in which he thanks the adven-

turers for slaying the dragon and passes out knighthoods all

around, or a time to mourn those comrades who did not survive

the battle. Generally, the denouement should not take nearly as

long as the climax itself.

As with movies and books, adventures sometimes deserve se-

quels. Many adventures lead directly into new adventures for the

PCs, relating to what they have accomplished or discovered. If the

characters just destroyed the fortress of the evil overlord, they may

find clues within the fortress that betray the identity of a traitor on

the town council who has been secretly aiding the warlord. Per-

haps the overlord’s orc minions fled the site—where did they go?

(Orcs, no matter where they go, are sure to cause trouble!) Suppose

bandits attacked the adventurers while they were on their way to

the overlord’s fortress—going back now and finding the bandits’

lair is an adventure of both justice and vengeance.

ENCOUNTERS

As interesting as it is to talk about adventures (and the stories be-

hind them), the game is really composed of encounters. Each indi-

vidual encounter is like its own game—with a beginning, a middle,

an end, and victory conditions to determine a winner and a loser.

TAILORED OR STATUS QUO

Just as with motivations, encounters can be tailored specifically to

the PCs or not. A tailored encounter is one in which you take into

consideration that the wizard PC has a wand of invisibility and the

fighter’s AC is 23. In a tailored encounter, you design things to fit

the PCs and the players. In fact, you can specifically design some-

thing for each PC to do—the skeletal minotaur is a challenge for

the barbarian, another skeleton with a crossbow is on a ledge that

only the rogue can reach, only the monk can leap across the chasm

to pull the lever to raise the portcullis in front of the treasure, and

the cleric’s hide from undead spell allows her to get to the treasure

the skeletons are guarding while the battle rages.

A status quo encounter forces the PCs to adapt to the encounter

rather than the other way around. Bugbears live on Clover Hill,

and if the PCs go there, they encounter bugbears, whether bug-

bears are an appropriate encounter for them or not. This kind of

encounter gives the world a certain verisimilitude, and so it’s good

to mix a few in with the other sorts of encounters.

If you decide to use only status quo encounters, you should

probably let your players know about this. Some of the encounters

you place in your adventure setting will be an appropriate chal-

lenge for the PCs, but others might not be. For instance, you could

decide where the dragon’s lair is long before the characters are ex-

perienced enough to survive a fight against the dragon. If players

know that the setting includes status quo encounters that their

characters might not be able to handle, they will be more likely to

make the right decision if they come upon a tough encounter.

That decision, of course, is to run away and fight again another day

(when the party is better equipped to meet the challenge).

CHALLENGE RATINGS AND

ENCOUNTER LEVELS

A monster’s Challenge Rating (CR) tells you the level of the party

for which that monster is a good challenge. A monster of CR 5 is

an appropriate challenge for a group of four 5th-level characters. If

the characters are of higher level than the monster, they get fewer

XP because the monster should be easier to defeat. Likewise, if the

characters are of lower level than a monster’s Challenge Rating,

the PCs get a greater award.

Parties with five or more members can often take on monsters

with higher CRs, and parties of three or fewer are challenged by

monsters with lower CRs. The game rules account for these facts

by dividing the XP earned by the number of characters in the

party (see Rewards, page 36).

Multiple Monsters and Encounter Levels

Obviously, if one monster has a given Challenge Rating, more

than one monster represents a greater challenge than that. You

can use Table 3–1: Encounter Numbers to determine the

Encounter Level of a group of monsters, as well as to determine

how many monsters equate to a given Encounter Level (useful in

balancing an encounter with a PC party).

To balance an encounter with a party, determine the party’s

level (the average of all the members’ character levels). You want

the party’s level to match the level of the encounter, so find that

number in the “Encounter Level” column. Then look across that

line to find the CR of the kind of creature that you want to use in

the encounter. Once you have found it, look at the top of that

column to find the number of creatures that makes a balanced

encounter for the party.

For example, suppose you want to send ogres against a 6th-level

party. The Monster Manual entry on ogres shows that they are CR 2.

Looking at the “6” row in the “Encounter Level” column, you read

across to the “2” entry and then check the top of that column to

find that four CR 2 monsters make a good 6th-level encounter. To

determine the Encounter Level of a group of monsters, reverse

these steps (begin with the number of creatures, read down to find

the CR for the creature, then look left to find the appropriate EL).

In general, if a creature’s Challenge Rating is two lower than a

given Encounter Level, then two creatures of that kind equal an

encounter of that Encounter Level. Thus, a pair of frost giants (CR

9 each) is an EL 11 encounter. The progression holds of doubling

the number of creatures for each drop of two places in their indi-

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ADVENTURES

vidual CR, so that four CR 7 creatures (say, four hill giants) are an

EL 11 encounter, as are eight CR 5 creatures (such as shadow mas-

tiffs). This calculation does not work, however, with creatures

whose CR is 1 or lower, so be sure to use Table 3–1: Encounter

Numbers for such encounters.

Mixed Pair: When dealing with a creature whose Challenge

Rating is only one lower than the intended EL, you can raise the

EL by one by adding a second creature whose CR is three less than

the desired EL. For example, a DM wants to set up an encounter

with an aboleth (CR 7) for an 8th-level party. Two aboleths would

be EL 9, and she wants an encounter of EL 8, so she decides to give

the aboleth a companion or pet to raise the encounter to EL 8.

Checking Table 3–1: Encounter Numbers, she finds that the entry

for 8th-level encounters in the “Mixed Pair” column is “7+5.” This

means that a CR 7 monster and a CR 5 monster together are an EL

8 encounter.

In general, you can treat a group of creatures as a single creature

whose CR equals the group’s EL. For example, instead of having

the PCs encounter one CR 4 creature (say, a brown bear), you

could substitute two CR 2 creatures (a pair of black bears), whose

EL together is 4. However, creatures whose CR is far below the

party’s level often provide no challenge at all, so don’t substitute

hordes of low-CR creatures for a single high-CR creature.

Some monsters’ CRs are fractions. For instance, a single orc (CR

1/2) is not a good challenge even for a 1st-level party. This means

that you should either calculate XP as if the orc were CR 1, then

divide by 2, or treat each pair of orcs encountered as a CR 1 monster.

Encounters with more than a dozen creatures are difficult to

judge. If you need thirteen or more creatures to provide enough

XP for a standard encounter, then those individual monsters are

probably so weak that they don’t make for a good encounter. That’s

why Table 3–1 doesn’t have an entry larger than twelve for

“Number of Creatures.”

Table 3–1: Encounter Numbers

Encounter —————— Number of Creatures —————— Mixed

Level 1 2 3 4 5–6 7–9 10–12 Pair

11, 2 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/6 1/8 1/8 1/2+1/3

22, 3 1 1/2, 1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/6 1+1/2

33, 4 1, 2 1 1/2, 1 1/2 1/3 1/4 2+1

43, 4, 5 2 1, 2 1 1/2, 1 1/2 1/3 3+1

54, 5, 6 3 2 1, 2 1 1/2 1/2 4+2

65, 6, 7 4 3 2 1, 2 1 1/2 5+3

7 6, 7, 8 543211/26+4

8 7, 8, 9 654321 7+5

9 8, 9, 10 765432 8+6

10 9, 10, 11 876543 9+7

11 10, 11, 12 98765410+8

12 11, 12, 13 10 9876511+9

13 12, 13, 14 11 10 987612+10

14 13, 14, 15 12 11 10 9 8 7 13+11

15 14, 15, 16 13 12 11 10 9 8 14+12

16 15, 16, 17 14 13 12 11 10 9 15+13

17 16, 17, 18 15 14 13 12 11 10 16+14

18 17, 18, 19 16 15 14 13 12 11 17+15

19 18, 19, 20 17 16 15 14 13 12 18+16

20 19+ 18 17 16 15 14 13 19+17

What’s Challenging?

So, what counts as a “challenge”? Since a game session probably

includes many encounters, you don’t want to make every

encounter one that taxes the PCs to their limits. They would have

to stop the adventure and rest for an extensive period after every

fight, and that slows down the game. An encounter with an

Encounter Level (EL) equal to the PCs’ level is one that should

expend about 20% of their resources—hit points, spells, magic

item uses, and so on. This means, on average, that after about four

encounters of the party’s level the PCs need to rest, heal, and

regain spells. A fifth encounter would probably wipe them out.

The party should be able to take on many more encounters

lower than their level but fewer encounters with ELs higher than

their level. As a general rule, if the EL is two lower than the party’s

level, the PCs should be able to take on twice as many encounters

before having to stop and rest. Two levels lower than that, and the

number of encounters they can cope with doubles again, and so

on. By contrast, an encounter of even one or two levels higher

than the party level might tax the PCs to their limit, although with

luck they might be able to take on two such encounters before

needing to recover. Remember that when the EL is higher than

the party level, the chance for PC fatality rises dramatically.

Single Monster Encounters

Many adventures reach their climax when the party encounters

the mastermind behind the plot, or when they track a big mon-

ster, such as a dragon or beholder, to its lair. Unfortunately,

encounters with single monsters can be very “swingy.” If the party

takes the time to use the Gather Information skill and divination

spells, they may begin the encounter immune to the monster’s

most powerful weapons. If the party wins initiative, they can gang

up on the monster and severely weaken it before it can act.

When planning adventures, consider some or all of the follow-

ing points to make single monster encounters more enjoyable.

•If your monster uses spells or magic items, prepare additional

statistics blocks that show the impact of ability enhancers and

other defensive spells and effects. Depending on how much

warning the monster has of the party’s approach, it may have all

sorts of additional defenses. Remember, though, that readying

an action is a combat action, and the monster shouldn’t do this

until combat begins (no fair readying a fireball before anyone

checks for surprise or rolls for initiative).

•Prepare your monster’s tactics in advance, including what it

does if it loses the initiative roll. It may flee, or it may simply

choose a different order for its spells and attacks.

•Distract or split up the party. If the entire party can gang up on

a single opponent, the encounter can end very quickly (espe-

cially if the party wins initiative).

•Put the party in situations where they must burn resources in

order to move forward. For example, a very hot environment

might do damage every round, forcing the party to use spells

such as endure elements, or to use most of the cleric’s spells to

heal up after passing through the hot area.

•Go on the aggressive. Let the single monster attack the party

before the party has a chance to use all its ability enhancers and

defensive effects.

•Fool the party. Use lookalikes and decoys to convince the party

that a major encounter is starting, so they use lots of high-level

spells and powerful items before encountering your single

monster.

DIFFICULTY

Sometimes, the PCs encounter something that’s a pushover for

them. At other times, an encounter is too difficult, and they have

to run away. A well-constructed adventure has a variety of encoun-

ters at several different levels of difficulty. Table 3–2: Encounter

Difficulty shows (in percentage terms) how many encounters of a

certain difficulty an adventure should have.

Table 3–2: Encounter Difficulty

% of Total Encounter Description

10% Easy EL lower than party level

20% Easy if handled properly Special (see below)

50% Challenging EL equals that of party

15% Very difficult EL 1–4 higher than party level

5% Overpowering EL 5+ higher than party level

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Easy: The PCs win handily with little threat to themselves. The

Encounter Level for the encounter is lower than the party level.

The group should be able to handle an almost limitless number of

these encounters.

Easy if Handled Properly: There’s a trick to this kind of encoun-

ter—a trick the PCs must discover to have a good chance of vic-

tory. Find and eliminate the evil cleric with greater invisibility first

so she stops bolstering the undead, and everything else about the

encounter becomes much easier. If not handled properly, this

kind of encounter becomes challenging or even very difficult.

Challenging: Most encounters seriously threaten at least one

member of the group in some way. These are challenging encoun-

ters, about equal in Encounter Level to the party level. The average

adventuring group should be able to handle four challenging en-

counters before they run low on spells, hit points, and other re-

sources. If an encounter doesn’t cost the PCs some significant por-

tion of their resources, it’s not challenging.

Very Difficult: One PC might very well die. The Encounter Level

is higher than the party level. This sort of encounter may be more

dangerous than an overpowering one, because it’s not immedi-

ately obvious to the players that the PCs should flee.

Overpowering: The PCs should run. If they don’t, they will

almost certainly lose. The Encounter Level is five or more levels

higher than the party level.

Difficulty Factors

You have several options for making an encounter more or less dif-

ficult by changing the circumstances of the encounter to account

for some feature of the PCs’ surroundings or the makeup of the

party. For instance:

•Tight quarters make things more difficult for rogues, since it’s

harder to skulk about and gain a sneak attack.

•A spread-out force makes things more difficult for spellcasters,

since the area affected by most spells is small.

•Many lesser foes are harder for a character to engage in melee

than one powerful foe.

•Undead are much more difficult to fight without a cleric.

•Encounters involving animals or plants are much more difficult

without a druid or a ranger in the party.

•Encounters involving evil outsiders are much more difficult

without a paladin or cleric (and perhaps a wizard or sorcerer) in

the party.

•A large force is much more difficult to fight without a wizard or

sorcerer in the party.

•Locked doors and traps are much more difficult to overcome

without a rogue in the party.

•Multiple combat encounters are more difficult to win without a

fighter, a barbarian, a ranger, or a paladin in the party.

•Multiple combat encounters are more difficult to survive with-

out a cleric in the party.

•The bard and the cleric make good group support characters.

Their presence makes practically every encounter easier.

None of the above factors should necessarily be taken into

account when assigning or modifying Challenge Ratings, but you

should keep them in mind when designing encounters.

TOUGHER MONSTERS

A really big basilisk with more hit points and a higher attack

bonus than a normal basilisk is a greater challenge. If you use the

rules found in the Monster Manual for increasing the Hit Dice of

monsters, you should also increase the experience point (XP)

award for the monster appropriately. See Advanced Monster Chal-

lenge Rating, page 293 of the Monster Manual.

If a monster has levels in PC or NPC classes, see Monsters and

Class Levels, page 290 of the Monster Manual, for how to determine

its CR.

LOCATION

A fight between characters perched on a bridge made of skulls

over a pool of bubbling lava is more exciting and more dangerous

than that same fight in a nice, safe dungeon room. Location serves

two purposes, both equally important. It can make a humdrum en-

counter more interesting, and it can make an encounter easier or

much more difficult.

Making Things Interesting

Arguably, the dungeon itself is a fairly exotic locale, but eventually

the same old 30-foot-by-30-foot room starts to grow stale. Like-

wise, a trip through the dark woods can be interesting and fright-

ening, but the tenth trip through is less so. Since this is a fantasy

game, allow yourself the freedom to consider all sorts of strange

locations for encounters. Imagine an encounter inside a volcano,

along a narrow ledge on the side of a cliff, atop a flying whale, or

deep underwater. Think of the exciting location first, and then

worry about how and why the PCs would get there.

Situations within a location can have as much impact as the

location itself. If a rogue has to pick the lock on the only door out

of the top room of a tower that’s collapsing, it’s suddenly a much

more exciting situation than just another locked door in a dun-

geon corridor. Create an encounter in which the PCs must be

diplomatic while all around them a battle rages. Fill an under-

ground cave complex with water for a different sort of dungeon

adventure. Set a series of encounters in a large wooden fort—that

happens to be on fire.

See the Interesting Combats section, page 17, for a short discus-

sion that deals with this same issue.

Modifying Difficulty

Orcs with crossbows, behind cover, firing down at the PCs while

the characters cross a narrow ledge over a pit full of spikes are

much more dangerous than the same orcs being engaged in hand-

to-hand combat in some tunnel. Likewise, if the PCs find them-

selves on a balcony, looking down at oblivious orcs who are carry-

ing barrels of flammable oil, the encounter is likely to be much

easier than if the orcs were aware of the PCs.

Consider the sorts of factors, related to location or situation,

that make an encounter more difficult, such as the following.

•Enemy has cover (for example, behind a low wall).

•Enemy is at higher elevation or is hard to get at (on a ledge or

atop a defensible wall).

•Enemy has guaranteed surprise (PCs are asleep).

•Conditions make it difficult to see or hear (mist, darkness,

rumbling machinery all around).

•Conditions make movement difficult (underwater, heavy grav-

ity, very narrow passage).

•Conditions require delicate maneuvering (climbing down a

sheer cliff, hanging from the ceiling).

•Conditions deal damage (in the icy cold, in a burning building,

over a pit of acid).

Conversely, the first three conditions given above make

encounters easier from the PCs’ point of view if they are the ones

benefiting from the cover, elevation, or surprise.

REWARDS AND BEHAVIOR

Encounters, either individually or strung together, reward certain

types of behavior whether you are conscious of it or not. Encoun-

ters that can or must be won by killing the opponents reward

aggression and fighting prowess. If you set up your encounters

like this, expect wizards and priests to soon go into every adven-

ture with only combat spells prepared. The PCs will learn to use

tactics to find the best way to kill the enemy quickly. By contrast,

encounters that can be won by diplomacy encourage the PCs to

talk to everyone and everything they meet. Encounters that

reward subterfuge and prowling encourage sneakiness. Encoun-

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ters that reward boldness speed up the game, while those that

reward caution slow it down.

Always be aware of the sorts of actions you’re rewarding your

players for taking. Reward, in this case, doesn’t just mean expe-

rience points and treasure. More generally, it means anything

that consistently leads to success. An adventure should contain

encounters that reward different types of behavior. Not every-

one prefers the same kind of encounter, and even those with a

favorite enjoy a change of pace. Remember, then, that you can

offer many different kinds of encounters, including all of the

following.

Combat: Combat encounters can be divided into two groups:

attack and defense. Typically, the PCs are on the attack, invading

monsters’ lairs and exploring dungeons. A defense encounter, in

which the PCs must keep an area, an object, or a person safe from

the enemy, can be a nice change of pace.

Negotiation: Although threats can often be involved, a negoti-

ation encounter involves less swordplay and more wordplay. Con-

vincing NPCs to do what the PCs want them to is challenging for

both players and DM—quick thinking and good roleplaying are

the keys here. Don’t be afraid to play an NPC appropriately (stupid

or intelligent, generous or selfish), as long as it fits. But don’t make

an NPC so predictable that the PCs can always tell exactly what he

or she will do in any given circumstance. Consistent, yes; one-

dimensional, no.

Environmental: Weather, earthquakes, landslides, fast-

moving rivers, and fires are just some of the environmental condi-

tions that can challenge even mid- to high-level PCs.

Problem-Solving: Mysteries, puzzles, riddles, or anything that

requires the players to use logic and reason to try to overcome the

challenge counts as a problem-solving encounter.

Judgment Calls: “Do we help the prisoner here in the dun-

geon, even though it might be a trap?” Rather than depending

on logic, these encounters usually involve inclination and gut

instinct.

Investigation: This is a long-term sort of encounter involving</