Three Secret Questions for Combat Encounter Locations
When designing a combat encounter there are three questions you should add to your prep. The answers to these questions will help bring the backstory, current obstacles, and potential hazards into focus.

What was it before? What is it now? What happens to it during the battle?

The first question can provide a bit of backstory and context to the encounter area. What was this place before it became a battle site? Was it a temple, a fortress, a marketplace, or a graveyard? Knowing the area’s history can add depth and richness to the world, making the battle more meaningful. Connect the history of the area to the current or future storyline. This is a good way to give more details about the location’s past or possible future adventures.

The second question describes the current state of the encounter area. Is it in ruins, overgrown with vegetation, or occupied by a new faction? These large details will lead to smaller details you can add. A temple taken over by giant spiders will feature cobwebs but if it was occupied by bandits there will be footprints and guards.

What are the environmental hazards and obstacles that the players must navigate during the battle? A jungle or forest could be difficult terrain or living vines could attempt to ensnare the PCs. Setting the scene and describing the current state of the area can help the players visualize the battle and become immersed in the world.

The third question can describe the dynamic and evolving nature of the encounter area during the battle. What traps or hazards are triggered when the players move into certain areas? Falling rocks, trip wires, and magical effects can and should be used by both sides of the fight. A good trick is to use an NPC or enemy to interact with the stuff you want the PCs to interact with. If they don’t understand, you can always have them roll an insight check.

How do the enemies respond to the players’ tactics and abilities? Have the monsters communicate with each other regarding the changing environment. Any leaders among the monsters can be giving orders and changing tactics in reaction to the PCs. If you want more roleplay this is a good chance for the combat to turn into parley or perhaps an interrogation with a survivor.

By introducing these elements, you can make the battle more engaging and challenging while encouraging players to think creatively and strategically.

Good luck with your next session, I believe in you! See you in the future.

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May 31, 2023

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Eldur Aeterna | Magic Item
Eldur Aeterna

Wondrous Item, uncommon

This small, unassuming torch is wrapped in a bright red cloth and is seemingly always burning with a warm, flickering flame. The torch never seems to burn out, providing a steady source of light and heat wherever it is carried.

The Eldur Aeterna functions as a normal torch but never needs to be relit or replaced. It provides bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. The torch also emits a gentle warmth, providing comfort in cold environments.

Blaze of Glory. Once per day, as an action, the user can channel the torch’s magical energy to create a 5-foot radius aura of intense heat and light. All creatures within the area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 fire damage and be blinded until the end of their next turn on a failed save. Creatures that succeed on the saving throw take half damage and are not blinded. This ability recharges on a long rest.

Adventure Hook. A powerful mage has hired the party to retrieve an ancient artifact from the heart of a dark, underground tomb. The tomb is known for its treacherous traps and mazelike corridors, and the party will need a reliable source of light and warmth to survive. The Eldur Aeterna is said to be hidden somewhere within the tomb, guarded by undead who attack once the torch is moved from its resting place.

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May 29, 2023

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The Dungeon Master’s Handbook: Mutating Your Minions

I like using minions and low CR monsters to help fill out important combat encounters or just to pad out an adventure. It’s easy for giant animals and skeletons to get stale quickly. So I made a d20 list of some mutant powers you can give to almost any monster to make a unique and memorable encounter. I even included some harvesting tips in case your players want to craft their own potions or sell them to a merchant.

Here are some quick monster stat blocks to use with the mutations.

Bandit. AC 11. HP 11 (3d6). Sword/Crossbow (M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Blight. AC 12. HP 11 (3d6). Claws/Needles (M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Giant Rat. AC 12. HP 7 (2d6). Bite (M), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage. Pack Tactics.
Goblin. AC 15. HP 7 (2d6). Sword/Bow (M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage. Nimble Escape.
Grimlock. AC 11. HP 11 (3d6). Spiked Club (M), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning and 3 (1d6) piercing damage.
Kobold. AC 12. HP 7 (2d6). Dagger/Sling (M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning or piercing damage. Pack Tactics.
Mephit. AC 12. HP 17 (5d6). Claws (M), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) slashing damage. Death Burst.
Sahuagin. AC 12. HP 21 (6d6). Bite/Claws/Spear (M/M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing/slashing/piercing damage. Blood Frenzy.
Skeleton. AC 13. HP 14 (4d6). Sword/Bow (M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Zombie. AC 8. HP 21 (6d6). Slam (M), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage. Undead Fortitude.

Consider giving the Mephit and Grimlock two mutations. A boss or mini-boss monster should have two mutations and two attacks. To make these Minions tougher just increase the number of die for HP or damage. You can also increase the to hit bonus’ by one every 3 character levels.

d20 Mutations

The following mutations are intended to be added to a statblock as extra options for its normal attacks. They are designed to imitate common wizard spells, damage types, and creature types. Roll a d8 for an easy ability, a d12 for intermediate abilities, and a d20 for the most powerful options. Or choose your own.

Fire. Hurls a ball of fire at a creature within range.
- Fire Bolt (Range 30 ft.), +4 to hit, 5 (1d10) fire damage.
Cold. Numbing frost forms along the ground in a straight line.
- Frost Strike (Line 15 ft.), DC 12 CON save vs. half damage, 5 (1d10) cold damage.
Lightning. A burst of lightning sweeps out.
- Lightning Burst (Self, 5 ft. radius), DC 12 CON save vs half damage, 4 (1d8) lightning damage.
Acid. Spits a bubble of acid at a creature in range.
- Acid Spit (Range 30 ft.), +4 to hit, 5 (1d10) acid damage.
Dragon Breath. The creature exhales in a 15 ft cone. 1d4: acid, lightning, fire, cold.
- Breath Weapon (15 ft. cone), DC 12 DEX save vs half damage, 5 (1d10) fire damage.
Psychic. A psychic swipe takes the damage amount off of the next saving throw.
- Psychic Swipe (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) psychic damage.
- On a hit, the damage amount is subtracted from the target’s next attack, ability check, or saving throw.
Radiant. Mystical dim light glitters around a damaged target.
- Radiant Swipe (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) radiant damage.
- On a hit, the next attack on the target has advantage.
Necrotic. Each attack heals the creature for the amount of damage dealt.
- Necrotic Swipe (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.
- The creature regains a number of hit points equal to the necrotic damage.
Water. Shoots a shard of ice at a creature in range.
- Ice Bolt (Range 20 ft.), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) cold damage.
- On a hit, the target makes a DC 12 CON save vs. reducing speed by 10 ft for 1 round.
Roll twice and combine the two.
Elemental. Shards of elemental magic have been bound to the giant creature.
- Elemental Bite (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) force damage.
- Elemental Shield. The giant creature has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks.
Construct. An assortment of creature parts stitched and bolted together.
- Slam (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage.
- Magic Resistance. The giant creature has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Ooze. The creature resembles a heaving mound of sticky black sludge.
- Acidic Bite (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) acid damage.
- Corrosive Form: Non Magical weapons that hit the creature take -1 penalty to damage rolls. The weapon is destroyed if the penalty drops to -5.
Undead. Necromantic magic animates the remains of a dead creature.
- Slam (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage.
- Undead Fortitude: If an attack reduces the creature to 0 HP the zombie drops to 1 HP instead, one time.
Thunder. A wave of thunderous force sweeps out.
- Thunder wave: All creatures within 5 ft. of the creature make a DC 12 STR save vs 10 ft pushback.
Fey. A fey mystique surrounds the giant creature.
- Fey Presence: One creature the creature can see within 30 ft make a DC 12 WIS save vs being frightened or charmed for 1 min.
Air. A faint but constant breeze follows the creature.
- Gust Of Wind: A whirlwind erupts from the creature and each creature in a 5 ft. radius makes a DC 12 STR save vs being pushed back 10 ft.
Earth. The creature’s fur is matted with dirt, stone, and gems.
- Slam (Melee), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage.
- Tremor: The creature stomps trembling the ground, and each creature in a 5 ft radius makes a DC 12 DEX save vs being knocked prone.
Demonic. Spawned in the Abyss, formed of filth and carnage.
- Devil’s Sight: The creature can cast darkness centered on itself and can see through magical darkness.
Magic Missiles. The creature carries a wand of magic missiles.
- Can cast Magic Missile at 2nd level 3 times per day.

Harvesting

PCs can make a DC 15 Nature or Medicine check to harvest one of the glands in the monster that produces the mutation. DC 20 enables the harvest of two glands of the same mutation or one each of two mutations. The minimum time is 1 hour for getting ready, harvesting, and cleaning up.

Quick and Easy Adventure Builder

Use this table to build an adventure. Roll for the type of quest, the item involved, what magic the item has, and where the adventure takes place. Roll 3 times on the monster list above using a d8, a d12, and a d20. The first two are minions with one mutation and the third is the big boss with two mutations. Don’t be afraid to mix up mutations within a group of monsters.

Roll a d10 for each or choose your own.

d10	Quest	Item	Spell	Location
1	Find an item	Necklace	Shatter	Temple, map
2	Kill a Villain	Brooch	Fly	Tomb, map
3	Clear out monsters	Bracelet	Lightning Bolt	Cove, map
4	Protect a monument	Circlet	Guiding Bolt	Vault, map
5	Steal an item	Ring	Spiritual Weapon	Sanctum, map
6	Retrieve an item	Candle	Haste	Ship, map
7	Disable an artifact	Bowl	Burning Hands	Keep, map
8	Convince an NPC	Bone	Daylight	Tower, map
9	Put a monster to sleep	Gemstone	Shield	Mines, map
10	Bury an artifact	Bell	Scorching Ray	Castle, map

d4 NPC Quest Givers

A humorous dwarf clerk with a half-shaved head named Osborne Anvilcloud
An elitist dragonborn apothecary with a feathered earring named Tansa Hollyfang
A wide-eyed human farmer with multicolored eyes named Vesta Redspur
A selfless halfling guide with a missing eye named Wynfreed Lightblade

Example Adventure

Quest: retrieve an item (6)

Item: bracelet (3)

Spell: spiritual weapon (5)

Location: mines (9)

Quest Giver: Vesta Redspur (3)

Minion 1: giant rats that spit acid (3, 4)

Minion 2: mephit that shoots a numbing frost (7, 2)

Boss: bandit that shoots ice bolts and can control the wind (1, 9, 17)

The PCs are hired by the farmer Vesta Redspur to retrieve a family heirloom, the Celestial’s Embrace. The gilded bracelet contains stones that match the family’s shared genetic multicolored eyes and it is known to protect its bearer from danger. The bandit Frostbane has made off with it to their lair in an abandoned mine located outside of town. Vesta is planning on using it for their daughters’ dowry later in the year and will pay up to 50 gp per character upon delivery. The PCs can talk to the townspeople about Frostbane and his followers or try to find a map for the old mine.

On their way to the mine, the PCs must overcome not only difficult terrain and environmental hazards but must confront giant acid-spitting rats angered by them crossing into their territory. Once in the mine they find winding passages and collapsed tunnels. The party must navigate the traps and Mephit minions that Frostbane has set to guard his lair. Finding Frostbane deep in the mines the PCs must contend with his archery skills and elemental magic.

Once the PCs recover the bracelet they can bring it back to Vesta for their reward and a well-deserved rest.

Difficult Terrain. dense forest. DC 11 stealth or nature check to not be ambushed by giant rats.

Encounter 1. one or two giant acid rats per PC

Giant Rat. AC 12. HP 7 (2d6). Bite (M), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage. Acid Spit (Range 30 ft.), +4 to hit, 5 (1d10) acid damage. Pack Tactics.

Trap. fog cloud vent. DC 12 perception/investigation check to notice the trigger. DC 12 dex check to disable it. 20 ft radius sphere of heavily obscured fog.

Encounter 2. one or two frost mephits per PC

Mephit. AC 12. HP 17 (5d6). Claws (M), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) slashing damage. Frost Strike (Line 15 ft.), DC 12 CON save vs. half damage, 4 (1d8) cold damage. Death Burst.

Hazard. brown mold. Frostbane’s frigid magic has allowed a patch of brown mold to thrive.

Encounter 3. frostbane the bandit and 1 mephit per PC

Frostbane. AC 12. HP 21 (6d6). Two Attacks. Sword/Crossbow (M/R), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) piercing damage. Ice Bolt (R 20 ft.), +4 to hit, 4 (1d8) cold damage. On a hit, the target makes a DC 12 CON save vs. reducing speed by 10 ft for 1 round. Gust Of Wind. A whirlwind erupts from the creature and each creature in a 5 ft. radius makes a DC 12 STR save vs being pushed back 10 ft.

As always, good luck with your next session, I believe in you! See you in the future.

mutate-your-minions Download

The Adventure Builder and Quest Giver tables are derived from content made by Sly Flourish in The Lazy GM’s Resource Document, which is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available here. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.

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May 24, 2023

dm tips

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Vial of Storms | Magic Item
Vial of Storms

Wondrous Item, rare

The vial is encased in an intricate silver filigree, depicting images of powerful storms and lightning bolts that dance across its surface. Rumors say that the vial was crafted by storm giants in ancient times, using their mastery of the elements to imbue the glass with the power of the storm. It radiates a faint aura of magic, a testament to the power it contains within.

Once per day as an action, you can open the vial and release either a gust of wind or a bolt of lightning.

Galeforce Gust. Point the bottle in a direction and all creatures within a 15-foot cone must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet and knocked prone.

Thunderbolt Strike. Point the bottle in a direction and all creatures within a 15-foot cone must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw and take 4d6 lightning damage on a failed save or half damage on a successful save.

Adventure Hook. A powerful mage has hired the party to journey to the center of a magical storm and retrieve a rare artifact. The Vial of Storms is said to be hidden within the storm’s eye, guarded by dangerous elemental creatures.

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May 22, 2023

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How to Award and Track Inspiration the Easy Way
I have personally tried a few different methods of using Inspiration at the table. Out of all of them, this technique is the easiest way to award and track inspiration during your D&D sessions.

https://www.cryptocartographer.net/blog/inspiration-cards

This post from Crypto Cartographer has a great set of Inspiration cards that you can print up and hand out to your players when you award them an inspiration point. For a VTT, just resize the image and import it as a token. You can either type a character’s name on it in the VTT or create a new token in an image editor for each character. Both ways work just as well but the latter requires a little more time and effort. GIMP is an easy-to-use and free image editor you could use for this.

For those unfamiliar, using a point of inspiration allows the player to reroll their d20 attack, ability check, or saving throw. This new result is used instead of the previous role. A player can also use it before a roll to give themselves advantage and roll 2d20 and use the better result of the two. Both of these allow the player to give themselves a better chance at succeeding on their roll.

Using inspiration like this can increase player engagement since they’ll be on alert for nat 1s and 20s so someone can get a point of inspiration. It can also encourage role-playing by getting players to use more skills to roll more dice to increase their chances of inspiration. This is okay and kinda encouraged. I’m a fan of the players and characters and love to see them succeed in amazing ways. There are other dials of difficulty I can turn instead of being mad my players keep rolling with advantage.

Awarding Inspiration

This method almost guarantees that you will give out inspiration during the session. It’s an idea I had from reading one of the early OneD&D playtests.

On a natural 20, the player gives an inspiration card to another player. This simulates seeing another character doing something awesome and being inspired by it.

On a natural 1, the player receives an inspiration card. This is to simulate the urge to do better after a poor performance.

If a player already has an inspiration card, they can give it to someone else. You cannot have more than one at a time. All inspiration cards expire at the end of the session. Inspiration has to be used before the DM starts adjudicating the roll.

Additionally, I reward inspiration when a player does something cool. Look for moments when the whole table is like “Wow, I can’t believe you did that, that was so cool!” That’s a good time to hand out a point of inspiration. It doesn’t hurt to tell the players they can nominate each other for inspiration points when something awesome happens.

Using this method not only do I remember to hand out inspiration but I find the players using them each and every session. Try this out at your next game and let me know how it goes.

Good luck with your next session, I believe in you. See you in the future!

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May 17, 2023

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Spellbreaker | Magic Shield
Spellbreaker, +1 Shield

Wondrous Item, very rare (requires attunement)

This large, circular shield is made of a rough, black and gold obsidian-like ore called aechronite. Its surface is pock-marked and shimmers slightly in the light. When spells are cast at the user, the shield emits a faint purple glow as it reflects the magic back at the caster.

While holding this Spellbreaker shield you gain a +1 bonus to AC. This bonus is in addition to the shield’s normal bonus to AC. Additionally, when you are subjected to a spell effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Spellturn. Once per day, as a reaction the user can reflect a spell back at a caster provided the spell targets the user and requires a spell attack roll as long as the user is aware of the spell and can see the caster. This ability recharges on a long rest.

Spellbreak. Only when the Spellturn ability has already been used there is a 1 in 6 chance the shield will reflect a spell back at a caster provided the spell targets the user and requires a spell attack roll as long as the user is aware of the spell and can see the caster.

Adventure Hook. Rumors have been spreading of a powerful wizard who can deflect all magic aimed at him. However, the wizard is also known to have a powerful shield, the Spellbreaker, that is said to be the source of his incredible defenses. The local lord has put out a bounty for anyone who can retrieve the shield and bring it to him.

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May 15, 2023

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The Black Pillar of Death | Environmental Hazard
The Black Pillar of Death

Standing tall and ominous against the darkening sky, the ancient stone spire looms like a bony finger reaching up from the earth. Its surface is etched with sinister runes that pulse with sickly green light, and its very presence seems to drain the warmth and life from the surrounding air.

The Black Pillar of Death is an environmental hazard that can be included in many different encounters. It can be used by itself as part of a trap or puzzle, or even as part of a challenging combat. One of the best parts is that throughout a handful of rounds, it will get to one of most characters’ weaknesses. From the low-strength wizards and the low-intelligence barbarians to the low-charisma fighter and the unwise ranger they will eventually fail a saving throw. Which is at most 6 damage but at least the barbarian can stay in a rage. Wherever you use it, the mechanics stay the same however some of the attributes can be modified to suit your table or tier of play. Numbers that can be adjusted include the AC, HP, save DC, and amount of damage.

The Black Pillar of Death. AC 17, HP 43 (6d10). Arcana Check DC 17 to understand how it works, how to stop it, or to successfully scratch the magical runes.

Necrotic Pulse. On initiative count 20 (losing any ties) the black pillar releases a wave of necrotic energy. Any creature not familiar with the pillar within 60 feet must make a DC 14 saving throw taking 3 (1d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Round 1 begins with a Strength saving throw, each round moves to the next ability score, and starts again with Strength at round 7.

Round 1: STR saving throw

Round 2: DEX saving throw

Round 3: CON saving throw

Round 4: INT saving throw

Round 5: WIS saving throw

Round 6: CHA saving throw

Round 7: STR saving throw

d6 Fantastic Locations. desolate wasteland, twisted swamp, haunted graveyard, forgotten temple, cursed village, remote island

Tell me your ideas for using this in an encounter in the comments below.

As always, good luck with your next session, I believe in you. See you in the future!

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May 10, 2023

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Nightweave Cloak | Magic Item
Nightweave Cloak

Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)

This dark, flowing cape is made from an enchanted fabric that seems to drink in the light around it. When worn, the cloak perfectly blends into any surrounding shadows.

The cloak grants the wearer advantage on Stealth checks made in dim light or darkness.

Shadow Shroud. Once per day, you can use an action to cast the Darkness spell centered on the cloak. While wearing the cloak, you are immune to any effects of the darkness it creates. This ability recharges on a long rest.

Adventure Hook. The party is sought out by a wealthy merchant whose valuable possessions have been vanishing during the night. The thief is said to be using a legendary Nightweave Cloak to melt into the shadows, and their intentions are shrouded in mystery. Can the adventurers uncover the truth behind the thief’s actions and retrieve the stolen goods?

d6 Uncovering the Truth.

funding a child’s medical treatments

attempting to frame someone else

revenge for past injustice

protection from blackmail

international spies stealing valuable secrets

gathering components for a dark ritual

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May 8, 2023

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The Dungeon Master’s Handbook: Tips from April 2023
Here are the top ten Dungeon/Game Master tips that I posted to various social media channels in April 2023. These tips are great for almost any TTRPG like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, or Old School Essentials.
- Your players will always assume traveling NPCs will betray them. Surprise them.
- Not all random encounters need to be battles against monsters.
- For your heavy tactical gamer players, incorporate roleplaying as a part of combat.
- Don’t save up that good idea for later, use it as soon as you’re able to.
- Plan only what you need to plan and force yourself to improv at the table. It makes for a much more open-ended game in the end.
- Build your NPCs and their actions as stand-alone characters and events, not just how they react to the PCs.
- Tune your lazy DM powers. Force yourself to come up with a random on-the-spot NPC at your next game.
- Consider layered traps. Maybe the pit trap has a falling pot of pitch trap right on the other side.
- Preparing for improvisation means having the right tools available to you. What is your improvisation tool list?
- A quick and easy way to add flavor to an NPC is to associate them with a character in a movie or TV show you like.
These tips are courtesy of Mike Shea at slyflourish.com.

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below.

As always, good luck with your next session, I believe in you! See you in the future.

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May 3, 2023

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Leyfinder | Magic Item
Leyfinder

Wondrous item, rare

Appearing as an ordinary compass, the Leyfinder shows faint glowing runes etched into the metal casing upon closer inspection. The needle spins erratically until it settles on a specific direction, pointing towards the nearest source of magical energy. The runes seem to hum and pulse with a faint blue light whenever it detects a strong source of magic. This enchanted compass is attuned to the flow of magical energy that permeates the world called ley lines.

While the Leyfinder is in your possession, you have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks made to identify the properties of magical items related to ley lines and the flow of magic.

Arcane Sight. Twice per day, you can use an action to cast the Detect Magic spell allowing you to sense the presence of magical energy within 30 feet of you. This ability recharges on a long rest.

Adventure Hook. Goblin raiders have stolen the Leyfinder from a museum and are using it to locate and loot magical treasures. The party has been hired by a local lord to retrieve the artifact and put a stop to the goblins’ raids.

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May 1, 2023

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