When D&D Isn't About Fighting

You can't even have an innocent debate about keys without a gosh darn ooze trying to eat your face off

Recently, I've been running fairly combat-heavy games. But that's because the players are venturing forth into the deep wilderness and fighting the wildlife and lowlifes they find there. But can you run a D&D game without combat? D&D, after all, is a system that hinges on its combat engine.

Well, of course you can. But the question becomes: how do you make it interesting? How do you raise the stakes? How do you keep it consistent with the rest of the campaign? You don't want to switch from playing D&D to playing Risk for a session just because the PCs are commanding armies.

Well, it becomes a lot easier when you think of your game in terms of conflicts, not combats.

But before we dig into that, let's talk about how we can use D&D's primary strategic mechanic to ensure our non-combat game is consistent with the rules of the system. I'm not talking about the d20 mechanic, I'm talking about resource management.

New Management

D&D is a game of resource management. You keep track of your hit points, spell slots, hit dice, gold, how many times you've used your Wild Shape, how many Lay On Hands points you have, your Ki points, your Sorcery points, etc. When they run out, there are consequences: you might die, or you lose access to more powerful features or abilities. Thus, a good D&D player uses as little of their resources as possible in a particular combat.

This might smack of meta-gaming, but think about a real adventurer climbing through a desolate dungeon. You don't want to take a grievous wound from a goblin, because the treasure is still at the end of the dungeon. You'd use your wits and abilities to avoid taking damage and using too much of your limited supplies and abilities.

Also, as many DMs have figured out, the stakes are raised when those resources begin to dwindle. A character at low HP begins to panic, with the consequences of death saving throws looming. A wizard or cleric that is low on spell slots will do their best to save them for an epic moment. These are the moments that make D&D feel triumphant, since the system is providing a challenge, a consequence for failure, and reward (experience points or victory) for overcoming it.

So, what are some resources we manage in D&D, and how does the game utilize them?

The most obvious is Hit Points. This is an encounter-level resource, meaning it should only really be managed within the confines of a specific encounter. Thanks to hit dice, healing potions, and healing magic, most characters will enter an encounter with a full complement of hit points. Due to the exponential growth of damage over level in D&D 5e, if a character is lacking hit points at the start of  a combat encounter they are making themselves fairly vulnerable, especially at low levels.

The next obvious thing that characters manage is Spell Slots. Any spellcaster knows they only have so many of these in a single adventuring day, and they must carefully decide which spells will be used at which times. Because these carry from encounter to encounter, these are considered session-level resources. Normally, a session takes place over the course of a single adventuring day, meaning a character must except their spell slots to last 3-5 encounters. This makes it a more long-term resource, and the DM can expect their players to have already expended a few slots by the time a final day's encounter is reached.

Class Features can be considered encounter-level or session-level resources depending on how often they are regained. A Fighter's Action Surge can easily be used every other encounter, but their Indomitable feature can only be used once a day. It's important to know how often your abilities refresh, as some of them (such as a Barbarian's Rage or a Sorcerer's Sorcery Points) can be quickly depleted and leave a character helpless in later battles.

Another session-level resource is Hit Dice, but it's noteworthy that hit dice are dependent on hit point management. A character who is wise with their hit points will find they have plenty of hit points, whereas those who rush in blindly will end up using all of their hit dice on their first short rest.

These are all the primary resources directly related to combat, but there are other, less used resources that can be affected. Supplies that can't be regained until the party returns to a shop can be an session-level resource. Some monsters can drain Ability Scores or add Levels of Exhaustion, which for the most part can only be healed on a long rest. Some Oozes can target a Weapon or Armor, degrading or destroying it and forcing a character to use a different one. These are all considered session-level resources, and impose a longer penalty on a party.

Dividing magic items among a party, however, is a manufactured scarcity

Finally, the game has one primary campaign-level resource. Gold is collected and carried over between sessions, and can be saved to purchase items, magic items, or other expensive things. Taking gold from a party does nothing to lessen their combat potential, but it does penalize their progress towards purchasing an item they might desire.

You can tell D&D is a combat-oriented game, as only two of these resources (gold and supplies) have no combat effect if they are used up. And even that isn't entirely true: fighter that can buy magic weapons or wizards that cast costly spells still need gold to ensure their combat output remains up to speed with their allies. The system is set up to ensure combat is a central part of the game.

So, if we're going to build a non-combat encounter, we can't use these resources in a traditional sense. But if we stray from these resources, we risk decoupling D&D from the things that make it D&D.

The solution, of course, is to think differently about each of these resources!

• Instead of thinking about HP, focus on the HP maximum. A rotting effect might reduce HP maximum by a certain amount, with 0 being the point of death.
• Spells that aren't used in combat often have a ritual component that allows a spellcaster to avoid using up a precious slot outside of battle. So challenges that deplete spell slots have to focus on spells like Knock, Charm Person, or Protection from Evil and Good, which will drain the spellcaster's slots.
• Hit Dice can be used as "Session HP" when you want each character to start with the same amount of hit points. Losing a duel in a noble court might cost 3 hit dice, without requiring a full combat to be played out.
• Exhaustion and Ability Scores are great if you want to simulate a slowly degrading situation like a curse or starvation. Ability scores are good if you want those who are smarter or hardier to have an advantage, exhaustion is great if everyone has the same chances of survival.

The other resources, like supplies, rations, and gold, can easily be adapted to non-combat situations. 

The most important thing to remember in a non-combat scenario is this: there must be a scarcity. If you have a druid casting Goodberry, there's no way you could run a starvation game. If Ability Scores heal with a long rest, you must ensure that your conflict needs to be resolved within a single day. This will allow the players to manage their resources, just like in combat. By making smart decisions and managing risk, the players can make it to the end of your challenge with their characters intact.

Now that we have this baseline for presenting non-combat challenges, let's look at different types of conflicts and how they could be used without fighting!

Non-Combat Conflicts

"I roll to seduce"

As I mentioned earlier, to build a good combat-less game, you need to stop thinking of combats and start thinking of conflicts. This means dealing in conflict resolution and goal-setting.

First, you need to know what your PCs want. This should be baked into character creation, or informed by the story. Most groups perk up at the promise of gold or magic items (both campaign-level resources). However, you might have a paladin who wants to be righteous, a wizard jumping at the chance to explore an ancient ruin, or a barbarian who will do anything for a swig of rum. It's up to you to know what your characters are seeking, both individually and as a group.

Once you know what they are looking for, start asking why. You can do this while the characters are being created, or in-game through a curious bartender or patron. What are they saving up gold for? Do they want a specific magic item? Is the paladin seeking someone's approval? Is the wizard writing a book they hope to sell? Is the barbarian drinking away some past pain?

Once you know these reasons, you can start to see their end goals: buying that orphanage, obtaining a sacred tome in the name of their God, etc. And you can create conflicts by putting something in the way of that goal. The bigger the thing in the way, the more game time you can generate from it.

Obviously, a lot of these conflicts can be resolved by killing the thing in the way of their goal. But when you create conflicts, it's very easy to see how you can create things that combat just won't solve.You're not limited to whatever's in the monster manual. The world is suddenly at your disposal, and you're truly thinking like a storyteller.

So, let's go over some classic conflicts and how we can make them into non-combat encounters. These represent what "thing" is standing between a character and their goal. And remember: a non-combat session is just a session made up of non-combat encounters, strung together.

Man vs Self

This is where a character's flaws or personality gets in the way of their goal. If you have a particularly theatrical player, they will likely have worked something like this into their character. But, you can use this even with more mechanically-minded players. Just make sure you work out a way for them to manage it strategically, and it becomes a fun challenge instead of a penalty.

• A barbarian drinks to forget the slaughter of his tribe. On any given day, he gains one level of exhaustion until he becomes drunk, after which he functions normally. How much alcohol is needed is based on his constitution score, and purchasing the drink can be an expensive endeavor.
• A tiefling must cast Disguise Self on herself each day while moving about a particular city. With a good disguise kit roll, she can get around this, but otherwise she suffers a spell slot penalty.
• A bloodthirsty rogue needs to sate his lust for murder or he might lose control of himself. Any time he spares an enemy, he loses 1d4 points from his hit point maximum from stabbing himself. If his hit point maximum reaches 0, instead of dying, he enters a mindless killing spree. The reduction heals on a long rest, and "enemies" include those who oppose his goals socially.

It's difficult to build a full-party encounter with Man vs Self conflicts. Instead, this might be something that affects a single character over the course of the game.

Man vs Man

When most people think of non-combat games, they think of social encounters like these. You meet with nobles, talk to them, and you don't fight. But there are a couple problems with this. The first is how to keep the players from initiating combat themselves. The second is how to tie this into resource management.

To prevent combat from breaking out, you need one of two things: distance or power. If the mob boss is behind a Wall of Force or in another city, you can't just kill them. And if the queen is surrounded by guards or is a great warrior herself, you probably don't want to pick a fight. Some groups might need a thrashing in order to get their murderous urges under control, but for the most part you can appeal to the players themselves to avoid combat. Telling the fighter that his combat instincts are screaming not to fight is at least a step in the right direction.

The second problem is more interesting. How do you tie resources to social encounters? Here are some examples:

• The nobility is naturally opposed to dirty adventurers. You'll need to spend gold to even gain an audience, and spend more if you want to meet with them again. Money talks.
• A mob boss won't be persuaded by normal means. Spending spell slots on enchantment magic is necessary to win her favor.
• A kind noble has lent the characters some magic weapons from his treasury. If he is talked down to or disrespected, he can easily take them back.
• An adventurer isn't used to the life of the courts. Certain encounters "cost" a certain amount of Charisma, and once you've spent an amount equal to your charisma score, you need to break off and drink for the night.

This type of conflict is fairly easy to write, and there are a lot of resources online that can help you out. But make sure to tie the party's resources to the outcome, or there isn't really a point to having an encounter about it. If the party has nothing to lose, they will simply keep trying until they succeed.

Man vs Society

Discrimination: uncool in any reality

This conflict comes from placing laws, norms, or institutions between a character and their goals. You're not just fighting a person - you're battling the rules of a society. This isn't just something that happens in cities, as tribal societies often have rules in place to restrict of prohibit certain behaviors.

These types of conflicts can help define a session or campaign that takes place in one of these societies. For example, a city where civilians aren't allowed to carry weapons will make any session in that city less combat-driven. The real meat of the conflict, however, occurs when the characters have a goal that is directly opposed by the society.

• The characters find a valuable drug that is illegal in the city they are in. They want to sell it, but if they are caught with it on them they will certainly go to jail.
• A cleric has been cursed, and must consume human flesh to survive. Cannibalism is forbidden in polite society, so they must undertake a quest to obtain their meal before they starve.
• Tribal law dictates that if a rule is to be challenged, the shaman must hear a case for and against it. The PCs wish to alter the tribe's rules, and must abide by the debate if they wish to do so.

This conflict is great for hampering the entire party with a condition for a session, which sets up more interesting smaller conflicts at the encounter level. In particular, it's a good way to establish a precedent for lack of combat, as any city might have a "no fighting" rule. It's an excellent way to set up a stealth mission.

Man vs Nature

This is likely the second-most common non-combat scenario DMs think of. Nature offers plenty of obstacles between a character and their goal: distance, temperature, storms, lack of food and water, and exhaustion, not to mention the wild beasts that might also get in their way. This also covers some conflicts that might be mistaken for Man vs Self. Starvation is fighting against your natural need for food, not a flaw or personality trait that prevents you from reaching your goals.

Thus, anything that might qualify as a "survival game" falls into this category. There's some rules in the DMG and Player's Handbook about this, and you'll notice they focus on gaining levels of exhaustion as a resource. It's kind of a "negative resource" because you get more of it and you don't want it, but that's semantics. The real goal here is to directly connect that resource to the character's actions.

Most of these challenges end up being passive. You stayed out in the hot sun too long, roll for heatstroke. It's much better to set up a system where the players are making a strategic choice and not simply dying bit by bit.

• Parties can go thin on their rations but become more susceptible to heatstroke while in a desert. The choice has pros and cons, and each character might need to take a different option.
• The group can map between different routes, some more treacherous but shorter, others longer and safer. A path might also have an increased chance to become lost.
• A group might need to spend spell slots on Control Weather or other protective spells to venture through treacherous terrain.

Another good method (which I use) is to "simulate" combat via loss of hit dice or hit points. Assuming a dangerous combat happened can allow the players to recognize the danger of an area without slogging through battle after battle. D&D combat tends to slow down the game, and non-combat sessions can pack more in by hand-waving it.

Man vs Technology/Magic

Man vs. Technology isn't really about fighting robots. Most sci-fi robots are just metaphors for particularities of human existence, anyway. Man vs. Technology is about being opposed by the march of progress, the limits of things like medicine or science, or even a character's own understanding of technology.

Obviously, Magic acts as a surrogate for technology in many D&D settings. You can have a character struggle against the limits of their spells, try to fight the rules of magic in your setting, and oppose magical disasters or social movements. Of course, it's easy to see how to translate real-world conflicts into magical settings. A tribe's shamanistic magic could run into the cosmopolitan wizardry of the big city. A hospital that uses life-saving magic could be threatened by an Antimagic Field. A low-level cleric could strive to earn enough favor with their God to bring back a lost love.

But don't forget that technology still exists in Medieval settings. An army with siege weapons will destroy one without them. In the real world, the transition from copper to iron weapons was such a big deal that it lead to the Greeks and Romans conquering most of the known world. You can use these conflicts for a single character, though it might be better to make these campaign-level conflicts.

Because of the overarching nature of this conflict, and the natural progression of power and gold in D&D, it's relatively easy to build a character that fits this conflict and strives to reach their goal. Just pick a spell or class feature and make it the goal.

• A druid must face a medusa in combat. But first, she must train her powers so she can transform into a giant scorpion and fight using blindsight.
• The barbarians of the Eagle Totem Tribe must attain the gift of flight via training and meditation before they can reach the sacred altar of their Gods.
• A wizard seeks enough knowledge of magic to live forever. Surely a Wish spell would grant such a gift.
• A monk who has only ever used her fists to fight arrives in the big city. She needs to find work and save gold up to purchase daggers and swords, to improve her fighting style.

D&D is naturally suited to growing more powerful. This can directly relate to growth in magical power, or correlate to an increase in gold and therefore better weaponry and armor.

Man vs Fate/Supernatural

"... I roll to seduce"

In the real world, it's difficult to verify the existence of "fate" or the supernatural. But in D&D, the Gods can directly interfere with the mortal world, and can choose a mortal for a specific purpose. And much like the robots from above, most Gods are simply metaphors for certain aspects of humanity. So, really a conflict about the Gods can go anywhere. If a God causes a storm, treat it like Man vs. Nature. If a God causes a War, it's basically Man vs. Man.

This conflict is specifically about fighting against forces of the multiverse that don't talk back, that don't come down out of the sky and explain themselves. And some Gods do prefer to work in more secretive ways. Corellon Larethian from the latest Wizards of the Coast book is a great example: elves aren't sure if they've earned enough favor to be reborn in their outer plane paradise until it happens. They simply must try to live in a way they think is consistent with Corellon's teachings. If things go poorly, they have to assume it's punishment. If things go well, they assume they are doing well by their God.

Gods in D&D can be played as mysterious and impartial, or very active. There's a lot of variation between DMs and campaigns and the Gods themselves. However, Gods aren't the best place to put a Supernatural conflict.

Man vs Fate/Supernatural can essentially be boiled down to a motivated mystery. A character doesn't know what their future might be exactly, but they are fighting against the fate that is expected of them. Or, a character isn't sure of the source of a supernatural phenomena and must explain it to move forward. Here are some good character-conflict examples.

• A character has visions of a future calamity and must try to stop them.
• A warlock has an imp familiar that is constantly pushing them towards evil acts
• A cleric must discover the source of spirits haunting a house and put them to rest

This conflict is tough to fit into a single encounter, but it's great for session or campaign-level conflicts.

Bringing it All Together

Man vs. His terrible sense of direction

So, how can we use these types of conflicts to make a non-combat encounter? Here's my process.

1. What is the character's motivation?
2. What is the character's goal?
3. What is in the character's way?
4. How does the character remove the obstacle?

This process can work for any type of conflict, not just non-combat ones. And the process is exactly the same at the encounter, session, and campaign level. You'll just have slightly different answers at each stage. 

Let's walk through a scenario for building an adventure. At a campaign level:

1. Joe the Fighter is adventuring for gold
2. Joe wants to raise enough money to build an orphanage in his hometown
3. Joe grew up an orphan himself and doesn't have much money
4. Joe was hired by an adventuring guild, which promised to pay him for his skills

Classic example of Man vs. Society. Why can't Joe just have the gold he needs? Because the rules of society are in the way. Now, we can break it down to the session level.

1. Joe the Fighter is adventuring for gold
2. Joe can get gold by killing the bandit leader at Stabbing Pass, at the request of the adventuring guild
3. The bandit leader is pretty strong, and he has a bunch of bandits working for him
4. Joe is a skilled fighter and can kill bandits to get to the bandit leader

So now we have Man vs. Man at the session level. Then, within that session, we can string together a series of encounters:

1. Joe the Fighter is adventuring for gold
2. Joe can get gold by killing the bandit leader at Stabbing Pass, at the request of the adventuring guild
3. A pack of wolves has begun to hunt Joe, preventing him from making it to Stabbing Pass safely
4. Joe is a skilled fighter and can kill the wolves before he is eaten

And voila. We have an encounter. Joe has motivation, we have a good conflict (Man vs. Nature), and Joe has a way to resolve it. But what if we wanted to run a non-combat session? Well, we can't change the campaign motivation. If you want to run an entire non-combat campaign, there are systems with much better resources (such as reputation and honor) built into the system and not tacked on in the DMG. This is D&D, so most of your games are going to be combat-oriented. But for a single session, we can mix things up and provide a non-combat challenge.

1. Joe the Fighter is adventuring for gold
2. Joe can get more gold by getting a promotion in the adventuring guild
3. The leader's council in the guild says Joe is too unrefined to take a higher position and become a representative of the guild.
4. Joe must gain a better reputation among the townsfolk to get the promotion

Here we have a Man vs. Society conflict. Joe's social standing as a dirty adventuring fighter is working against him. Using this as our basic outline, we can build a series of non-combat encounters.

1. Joe the Fighter is adventuring for gold
2. Joe can get more gold by getting a promotion in the adventuring guild
3. Joe must earn a good reputation among the townsfolk to gain the promotion
4. Joe is strong and can help Mrs. Wilson carry her produce to market

Now, you can use the Man vs. Man conflicts to make this interesting. Will Mrs. Wilson accept Joe's help? Is Joe strong enough to carry the produce? Will Joe survive the old ladies flirting with him in the market? Remember, we need to deplete a resource to make this interesting, so perhaps too much social interaction causes Joe to be exhausted, limiting what he can do that day. And with the promotion ceremony only three days away, Joe has to hurry and become popular or he'll have to wait until next year to get a promotion.

And that's how I think about all conflicts, not just non-combat ones. Thinking about the character's motivations and the source of the conflict allows you to create rich encounters. Don't just place Goblins in the PCs' path. Why are the PCs there? Why are the Goblins there? If they are warlike and hate humans, that's Man vs. Man - their prejudice drives their actions. If they are animalistic and hungry, that's Man vs. Nature. If they are being driven by a mysterious curse or disease, that's Man vs. the Supernatural.

Now, go forth and make quality encounters!

An entire non-combat article and no mention of traps. That's gotta be a record. 

Thanks for reading!

Failure is Critical

Feared in myth and legend!

D&D is a game of wonderful absurdity. I mean, somebody looked at a blank sheet of paper and thought, "You know what would be cool? A floating eye. But like, with more eyes around it. And a mouth. Heck, a whole body! But no legs. Or arms. Or torsos."

However, our conception of reality is deeply tied to this fantasy universe. We expect wizards to be wise, barbarians to be strong, fire to burn, etc. And sometimes the game fails to meet our expectations.

This usually happens when a character makes a skill check they should be good at, but fails miserably. A fighter kicks at a wooden door but doesn't open it. A wizard examines a glowing glyph but doesn't pick up what it is, despite it being a common spell. A rogue fails to pick the lock on a child's toy chest.

Most times, this can be easily mitigated by the DM properly adjudicating actions. If it's a weak wooden door, there's not really a possibility for failure, so no roll should be needed. But in some cases (such as if the party is in a hurry or there are enemies on the other side of the door who would be notified if the door isn't broken down in one fell kick), the roll is still needed.

So how do we handle failure when our concept of the game's reality gets in the way? Well, there's a few ways.

Failing

First, though, let's talk about where these rules don't apply.

In combat, a miss is a miss. Combat is chaotic and fast, and even the most seasoned veteran will occasionally fail to harm their target. Also, the consequences are already baked into the system: the enemy didn't get hurt. They will survive to attack you again.

This can also help us see there are two parts to every failure.

1. The OUTCOME: the PC's attack misses
2. The CONSEQUENCES: the enemy isn't harmed

This seems to be so logical and obvious that is isn't worth thinking about. But it is, and it can help us answer our problem of discrepancy between failure and reality.

First, let's look at the Outcome.

See, that just... no. That wouldn't happen.

Most rolls determine something about the character rolling the die. The die determines information about the action.

• Does my character see X?
• Does my character know X?
• Is my character suave enough to change the mind of X person?
• Is my character skilled enough to perform X task?
• Is my character skilled enough to hit X with their attack?

However, these rolls don't have to be all about the character. Instead, they can change information in the world.

• How well hidden is X?
• How obscure is the knowledge of X?
• How stubborn or insightful is X person?
• Are there complicating factors that make X more difficult?
• How good at dodging attacks is X?

This is a subtle distinction, but if we use it carefully, we can make the characters and the world more realistic. Let's look at a couple examples.

BARBARIAN: I kick down the door!

ACTION DM: Whoops, you failed. Your puny kick fails to open the door. Better try again!

WORLD DM: You failed! Despite your mighty kick, the door stands. And only now do you think to check the frame - of course! Adamantine! It's been hardily reinforced. 

Here, the DM chooses to make the roll determine information about the world, not the character. The barbarian still gets to feel strong, it's just a particularly solid door. Additionally, this solves the problem of everybody in the party giving it a try (and the STR 8 wizard invariably doing the task) . In its place, we now have a new scene: How do you get past an indestructible door? Here's an opportunity for some creative role-playing.

How about another example?

DM: The wolf snarls at your party, baring its fangs. If you venture too close, it looks like it will strike.

RANGER: I'd like to try and calm the wolf, so it can let us pass.

ACTION DM: Ooh, bad luck. You accidentally pull out some rotten fish instead of fresh! Now the wolf is even more angry.

WORLD DM: You cautiously approach the wolf, but as you do, you notice a litter of pups just behind a nearby tree. And at this distance, the origin of the scars on its muzzle are now clear: these are sword wounds. You doubt this mother wolf will back down.

Now, the DM is creating new information about an NPC (the wolf), instead of assuming the Ranger did something wrong. What Ranger would have never encountered a Wolf before? They would most certainly have great empathy for the animal, and revealing more about the creature's character helps build the Ranger's character. Now it's not just a mechanical choice - it's a moral one. Perhaps the Ranger will have a talk with the party's Fighter later about hunting wild game. Perhaps the Ranger will decide to attack anyway and take a wolf pup to raise as their own.

Notice that again, the DM is shutting down the "I try again" route - in the first DM's scenario, the player would just pull fresh fish out and give it another shot. In the second, it's clear that failure has a powerful outcome: this wolf won't ever trust humans.

Now, how does this help us with the problem of failure vs reality?

PHYSICS DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY

Well, let's talk about consequences. Every roll has consequences, which are defined as the story changes based on the roll. If a group of players chooses to cross a pit trap by building a rope bridge, then the monsters pursuing them will be able to use the bridge as well. That's consequences.

You might be thinking that successful rolls deserve good consequences, and failed rolls deserve bad consequences. Well, yes, for the most part. But sometimes you can mix and match outcome and consequence to create the right sense of reality for your game.

Note that this can help you define the amount of "gritty" or "fluffy"-ness in your game world. A world where there are often bad consequences for good outcomes is gritty. A world with good consequences for bad outcomes is "fluffy". This is important to keep in mind, because leaning too far in either direction can change the feel of the reality of your game world. It doesn't matter what reality you want to use, but it should be consistent.

So, in a situation where a character "shouldn't" fail but does, the best way to handle it is to allow them to succeed (good outcome) but add a penalty or complication (bad consequences).

Here are some ways to accomplish this:

• You succeeded, but you took a long time doing it. Random Encounter while you wait.
• You succeeded, but you made a lot more noise than expected. Random Encounter draws near!
• You succeeded, but you pulled a muscle or pricked your finger in the process. take damage!
• You succeeded for now, but the enemy is aware something strange is happening and are now on alert!
• You succeeded, but did so in a way that made an important person upset with you.

There is no limit to the amount of different consequences you can add to a success to make it a failure. For added DM fun, only make the consequences apparent much later. Carefully explain to the players that yes, they failed, but they did indeed complete the task. The dread in the air can be palpable.

Untrustworthy townsfolk, or EVERYONE IS VAMPIRES?

On a side note, this is why I am less partial to "Dungeon World"-esque systems. The dice you roll force the DM to add consequences even when they aren't needed, or prevent you from adding consequences if the dice show a "complete success" or "complete failure". Having the flexibility to add your own consequences gives the d20 system a powerful edge over those games.

This is also why I avoid "critical failure" and "critical success" tables. Let me decide the consequences, dang it!

This can also apply to combat scenarios. Not individual attack rolls: I discussed that above. But the overall combat. If the players fail to defeat their foes, it doesn't have to be a Total Party Kill (bad outcome). Instead, they could survive, but face consequences:

• The group realizes the monster won't move past a certain distance because its eggs/babies are nearby
• The monsters are looking for living hostages for their master or their own purposes
• The monsters are hungry and will simply snap up an unconscious NPC, retreating with the PC's ally in their jaws.

This all happens when the OUTCOME is bad (the PCs lost) but you don't want to make the CONSEQUENCES bad as well. The best part of this is that it often leads to a new goal for the party: escape captivity, or rescue their allies.

This is also a good way to make the game more difficult without the players fearing for their lives in every combat. Give the bad guys prisoners, so the players know for sure that they will become prisoners if they lose a fight. Give the monsters motivations, and let the players work with them. This also has the added effect of making fights with monsters who simply want the PCs dead even more frightening.

This also answers one of the common problems that people have with "railroading" campaigns: If we know the players are going to win, then what's the point?

The point is what they have to give up along the way. How the world changes based on their actions. Make failure hurt, but let them keep pushing forward. Give everything consequences, good and bad. Make the world a different place by the time their quest is finished.

I want to talk about one last thing: Critical failures.

Actually reasonable. Well done.

Like any failure, these abysmal rolls don't always have to have a bad outcome. But if you do deign to grant a good outcome to a critical failure, you need to increase the consequences by a significant factor.

BARBARIAN: I kick the door open.

DM: Ouch, critical failure! Well, the door is a weak wooden door, so you kick it open... but standing on the other side is General Vicious, the terrible leader of the Lich Lord's Army!

I actually like these situations. DMs who want to plan the exact nature of the world before they sit down at the table are cutting off a major part of tabletop role-playing: the element of randomness. Obviously, General Vicious isn't going to be standing behind every door, but the Barbarian spraining their ankle would have been an equally good consequence.

I think the best example of this, though is the simple RPG "All Outta Bubblegum". It's so simple, I'm not even going to explain the rules. You can read it at that link.

Essentially, though, "Failing" to do a normal task in AOBG is just like any other RPG - you get a bad outcome and some consequences, good or bad. But in our group, we play it with a home rule: Catastrophic Failure. That means any failure isn't just a bad outcome, it's also a SUCCESS on kicking ass. Being polite to someone means you risk punching their head off.

That's actually pretty analogous to a critical failure. It's not just a bad outcome for the player, it's a good outcome for the forces working against them. Whether that's monsters, traps, the universe, luck, fate, whatever - that's up to the DM.

Thanks for reading!

Monday Recap: Mission Dalyassa-ble

Bum-bum-badaa bum-bum-badaa

Another month, another Dragonborn Quest. It's gotten to the point where the players are familiar enough with the island that they are able to self-direct their own adventures. I certainly don't mind that, it just means I ask them where they want to go and I write a game in that direction.

As far as DMing goes, that's half the work done for me! Coming up with an idea for an adventure is just as hard as actually writing one.

This story is part 5 of a series. The campaign was completed.
| Previous Campaign | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 |

Dragonborn Quest: Mission Dalyassa-ble

Cast of Characters
Jon: Dungeon Master
Will: Daardendrian Kreev, Red Dragonborn Bard, former prince, back to set things right
Megan: Daardendrian Zovira, Red Dragonborn Fighter, Kreev's aunt, champion of the clan
Bria: Druuga Faelynn, Silver Dragonborn Bard, avenged her sister, now to fix the isle...
Michelle: Nerithya Finzerwin, Half-Drow Rogue, ex-cultist looking for a new purpose to her life
Matt: Myastan Faerbor, White Dragonborn Fighter, Kreev's friend and owner of the legendary Axe of the Elders
NPC: Svihios Torrin, a clanless young Gold Dragonborn who is eager to go on adventures and become a hero
NPC: Oddmund, Nerithya's Shield Guardian, has a smiling face painted on his head
Other traveling companions: Tofras the Smiter (War Priest of Bahamut), Ariann the Wizardess (Faelynn's friend), Nazavur the Assassin (clanless and edgy)

When we last left our heroes, they had freed a lot of Kobolds and killed Moudan the Scale-Eater, the legendary Behir living beneath the The Isle of Z'ildroth. However, they had lost their comrade Dalyassa, who was also Kreev's half-sister. She had been captured and was being held in Gravengong Fortress, the eponymous center of Gravengong city.

Faerbor, who had been gathering information from Yarjerit Jinprax, his "employer", dismissed himself in the night and returned to the group to share what he had seen of Dalyassa. The party decided to infiltrate the fortress and save her, opting for disguises and stealth over force.

The party left Tofras, Torrin, Oddmund, and Ariann at camp. They decided to take Nazavur the Assassin, not only because he would be good at stealth, but it seemed like he was getting dangerously annoyed with Torrin while the heroes weren't around.

Kreev made them all disguises, except for himself and Nerithya, who donned their Disguise Self spells. They left camp for the city and arrived as evening was setting. Nervous but unnoticed, their disguises got them through the city streets past the guards at the fortress gates. When pressed for a reason for their visit, they made up an appointment with Yarjerit Perfyire, clan elder of Yarjerit.

A fortress this big is a Sen

Once inside the fortress, they found themselves standing before a training yard, where White Dragonborn of clan Myastan were practicing their fighting techniques on slaves. Faerbor, being from that clan, immediately recognized his cousin, Faergrax, running the exercises. Faergrax was the current clan champion of Myastan, and the previous owner of their clan's artifact, the Axe of the Elders, which Faerbor now held.

While a Yarjerit guard was sent to inform the clan elder Perfyire of their "appointment", Faerbor and Faergrax got to talking. Faerbor learned that the front door of the castle was warded against non-Black Dragonborn, and that there was an alternate entrance through the dungeons, which was locked.

While they spoke, Kreev noticed a group of Myastan trainees beating up on a slave that wasn't a lizardfolk - it was the Red Dragonborn they had seen being sold in the slave market when they arrived in Gravengong! Kreev used magic to whisper to the slave that he had friends nearby. However, the poor Dragonborn seemed like he might've thought he was going insane, rather than having actually heard the voice of a friend.

Meanwhile, Nerithya showed off her pet rock to Faergrax. He was a little confused, but after a few moments she left him alone, having pocketed a set of fortress keys from under his nose. Faelynn then used her illusion magic to create a glint of light in a nearby sewer/body disposal pit, causing Faergrax to order several trainees to spend hours searching for his lost keys.

The Yarjerit guard returned, saying that Perfyire wasn't aware of their appointment and that it was too late in the day for them to take any further guests. Faergrax offered them a set of beds in the barracks within the fortress, and they took him up on it.

While he was outside looking for his keys, Nerithya secretively opened Faergrax's personal foot locker and looted it. They found a few magic items and a note that said Dalyassa had been taken to Perfyire's personal torture chamber. The group decided to wait until cover of darkness and make their move.

After everyone in the barracks had gone to sleep, Nerithya woke everyone up and they snuck out into the training yard. Using Faergrax's keys, they entered the fortress via the dungeon, through a basement door.

The area was filled with cobwebs, implying that nobody used this entrance, or hadn't in a while. They burned away the webs with their torches, and Faelynn made sure to lock the door behind them.

As they walked down the tunnel, suddenly Faelynn felt a cold wind pass through her. A ghost appeared in their midst, and took the form of a Copper Dragonborn! The spirit howled in anger and bore down upon them, shouting that she would destroy all Black Dragonborn.

The group was still in their disguises, and they quickly dispelled them to prove they were not the subjects of her torment.The ghost calmed down, and told them that she had been one of the first Copper Dragonborn captured. The Blackwings, clan Z'ildroth's personal army, had tortured her for information. She had tried to escape, but had been killed in this hallway.

The group promised they would try to avenge her, and carried on to the prison. After Nerithya dispatched a sleeping guard, the group started asking the caged kobolds and lizardfolk what they knew about the place. The prisoners were mostly unaware of the fortress layout, but they said one Kobold had made it out of the cells and was being punished in the Maze of Darkness.



In the dungeon, the mighty dungeon, the kobolds sleep tonight

The Maze of Darkness, it turned out, was a pitch-black room behind an iron door in the prison. The group tied a rope around Zovira and sent her in to find the lost Kobold. She felt multiple waves of magic wash over her, but in the end was able to pull the creature out of the darkness. The heroes didn't know how the maze worked, but they were glad to have navigated it successfully.

The rescued kobold was named Lok, and he promised to lead his friends to safety, using his knowledge of the fortress. The group unlocked the cages and pressed onward.

They bumped into a guard, but Zovira made quick work of him. After passing over a false pit trap, and unlocking the door leading up into the rest of the building, they came across a forge and armory situated within the fortress.

The forge itself was a large structure covered in runes. Inside, the fire howled and banged the walls, and it was apparent to the group that this was a captured fire elemental. Kreev and Nerithya used their knowledge of arcana to unseal the forge just long enough for the elemental to escape.

The creature introduced itself as Scoria, and swore a debt to the group for saving it. It told them there was a portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire in the fortress, and it was hoping to use the exit to get home.

As luck would have it, nearly immediately afterwards, the group beat up a Blackwing guard and stumbled on the portal. It appeared as a large painting, with swirling red colors in it. Scoria took their leave, but not before promising to uphold the debt he promised. Kreev said he'd hold him to it.

The party moved to the second floor of the fortress, Perfyire's personal quarters. They faced a long hallway, with the shadow of a guard just around the corner at the end of it.

Faelynn, invisible, and Nerithya moved from room to room, checking on doors and getting information. They saw signs that the door at the end of the hallway must be Perfyire's, and found her servant's quarters. Nerithya discovered the torture chamber, which sure enough, contained Dalyassa. Meanwhile, Faelynn discovered the identity of the shadow: Yarjerit Baldaar, the clan champion, who apparently fought with a bullwhip of demonic power.

After coming up with a plan, the group sprung into action. Kreev placed a Forcecage around Baldaar, while Faelynn cast Otto's Irresistible Dance on the Blackwing Elite guarding Dalyassa. Nerithya freed Dalyassa from her restraints while Nazavur and Zovira let the slaves loose from the servant's quarters. Finally, Faerbor cast Arcane Lock on Perfyire's door, to keep her locked up tight.

Baldaar roared in fury and brandished his whip against Kreev's cage, to no avail. Meanwhile, Faelynn grabbed Dalyassa and used Dimension Door to get outside the fortress, to the training yard. Everyone else made for the upper balcony and leapt off, letting Faerbor cast Feather Fall to slow their descent.

Uh oh

As they landed, they saw a standoff had occurred on the training yard. Perfyire, who was apparently on a midnight walk, had a poisoned crossbow leveled at Faelynn and Dalyassa. With her finger on the trigger, Perfyire warned the group that so much as a slight movement would end Dalyassa's life.

Kreev, acting quickly, cast Animate Objects on the crossbow, while Faelynn began shouting the incantation to Dimension Door. However, as soon as they began speaking, the bolt had left the crossbow, and it thudded into Dalyassa's shoulder a split second before she disappeared.

Faerbor and Zovira attacked Perfyire, who had drawn a blazing sword made of pure sunlight to fight them. Also, her now-living crossbow attacked her as well. Nerithya quickly went to work on the main gate, hoping to raise the portcullis and let them free.

Meanwhile, Faelynn cast a powerful healing spell on Dalyassa. The Red Dragonborn was still unconscious, but the poison rushing through her veins had been quelled. Faelynn made them both invisible and quietly walked out of town.

Inside the fortress, Faerbor struck the final blow to Perfyire, and with the fortress coming to life around them, the group made for the gate. Zovira grabbed the sunblade, as well as a strange amulet around Perfyire's neck.

Later, in the forest, the group met back up at camp. Search parties were beginning to travel through the woods, which prompted them to move their campsite even deeper into the woods. As they did so, Kreev and Faelynn began to examine the mysterious amulet.

The amulet turned out to be a key of sorts - wearing it would change the portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire into a portal to Palaga, the capital city. More amulets would allow the wearer to travel deeper and deeper into Castle Z'ildroth, and each of the four chromatic clan leaders under Z'ildroth were given an amulet.

The remaining chromatic clan leaders were all within or nearby Palaga as well, but the group didn't feel like they would be able to sneak back into Gravengong and get back to the portal. Instead, they opted to travel overland to the swamps of the western coast, hoping to gain some allies among the Lizardfolk of the island.

As they were eating dinner, Nazavur the assassin stood up and announced his intention to leave, with Kreev's approval that he had fulfilled his contract. Kreev reluctantly granted it, and the assassin disappeared into the night. The group shamed him while he left, much to Torrin's delight.

Oddly, not five minutes later, a new Dragonborn approached the campsite and introduced himself as Cheskapen. He appeared to be from clan Kepeshmolik, a Black Dragonborn tribe. Though he claimed to come in peace, weapons were brandished and aimed at him. He slowly raised his claws in surrender.



Big bad Dragonborgs

We stopped there for the night. I'm really happy with the way the game went, since normally when I run these kind of dungeons it takes a lot more time, and we were able to do a pretty short and sweet game.

Also, now I get to write a swamp game. Fun stuff!

Thanks for reading!

Sneak Through the Jungle

8 Dexterity but +15 Stealth

Stealth sessions are hard to pull off in D&D.

First off, in D&D 5e you have exactly two things you can do as a player to remain hidden from an enemy. There's rolling a stealth check, and taking the hide action (which is just the combat version of the stealth check). If you want to avoid combat by sneaking around, you better be a pretty powerful rogue character, or it just isn't going to happen.

Second, the system isn't really designed for that sort of play. D&D is very much about combat encounters, fighting head-on, and epic battles. Not that that sort of thing isn't fun, but it doesn't really translate into a stealth-based game. The rules on hiding and obscured vision are scattered all over the PHB, and rogues have to get massive bonuses (seriously, Reliable Talent is one of the most broken skill abilities I've ever seen) to even be able to attempt that sort of stuff.

Finally, there's one little hook in the PHB that really cements the idea that the game isn't about stealth. PHB pg.195: If you make an attack while hidden, you're no longer hidden. And note that it's not just to the creature you're targeting. It's everyone. Even the Skulker feat (which allows you to stay hidden if you miss your attack) doesn't let a low-level character deal with more than a single guard without revealing themselves.

The problem is compounded even further when you get to group stealth checks. Don't have a group full of rogues? It just isn't going to happen.


Troubled youths, the lot of them

So how do you run a meaningful, choice-filled session that doesn't hinge on every player being a stealth master?

Group Sneaking Sessions

This method works best in a city or crowded area. Of course, it can work just as well in a dungeon crawl, but it requires a bit more setup.


Makin' my way downtown...

First off, you want to give your players a lot of reasons to sneak rather than fight. Make the enemies numerous, powerful, or vicious. Put an alarm system in play, such as tripping magical wards or waking a sleeping dragon as the center of the dungeon. Make the activity they are doing illegal, so they can't risk having the local police force turning against them.

Next, you'll need to set up the destination, and make sure the players know what it is. Whether it's a safe house, a cache of jewels, a magic item, or a meetup location, the players should have their goal in mind.

Finally, you'll need a punishment for failure. Loss of Hit Points, Gold, Spells, etc. Any resource that the player has to give up to stay in the game. I recently ran a session using this method within a large city, where the characters had gotten on the bad side of the local militia. They were trying to get to a meetup location without being detected by the militia, within a large city.



This rogue is OUT

Here's the failure table I used. For reference, the average player level for this group was 7.

On a failed check, choose one of the following:

1. Run! Your are winded from the activity and lose 10HP
2. Bribe! Pay a nearby citizen 50GP to cover your tracks
3. Distract! Spend a 1st-level or higher spell slot to make a big distraction

After that, you can start designing the areas your players need to sneak through.

Each area should have a few different options on how to pass undetected. Really use the skill list here! Stealth should be an option only in areas where a character could reasonably go completely undetected. Otherwise, distraction, coercion, and outsmarting opponents should be the way to go.


Distraction: a good rogue's best friend

Here's some examples for different environments this could be used in.

City
Area: a long street bustling with carriages, carefully watched by the Royal Guard

• Animal Handling: release a noble's caged hounds and cause a ruckus!
• Persuasion: cleverly disguise yourself and pass unnoticed!
• Slight of Hand: casually slip an illegal good into a random citizen's back pocket!

Forest
Area: a large clearing of trees, easily guarded by the Witch's Flying Monkey Scouts

• Survival: create a ghillie suit and crawl across the clearing!
• Acrobatics: with perfect timing, leap across the clearing from tree to tree!
• Deception: make the sound of a child crying, then sneak across while they investigate!

Dungeon
Area: A large catacombs, stalked by the Wights of ancient warriors

• Investigation: figure out their patrol pattern and avoid them completely!
• Perception: move slowly, listening for their shuffling footsteps!
• Performance: walk like a wight and hope they buy it!

Castle
Area: the king's banquet hall, dutifully watched by Royal Guards

• Athletics: climb up the wall and pass right over their heads!
• History: of course you're supposed to be here, you're a scholar studying the King's history!
• Intimidation: bully a servant into giving you his Royal Servant Robes!

Just in time for dinner!

You have probably noticed that these "areas" are large, complex locations with a lot of interactable objects/people. I think this is a far better way to keep the game moving and keep everyone invested, since just moving down a single hallway is only fun to the rogue. If I did want to do a hallway scene, I would probably have a large interconnected area of hallways (a central hub of a castle or a maze of alleyways, etc).

Another way to ratchet up the tension of a scene is to have certain checks be "everybody or nobody" situations. If two characters try to pass through the King's banquet hall by pretending to be historians, they better both be up to snuff or they'll both have to pay the penalty for failure. These checks should probably have a slightly lower DC than the alternatives.

Another way you can set up a stealth scene is as a search. Maybe the players know the blood diamond is in the Lich's palace, but they don't know exactly where. In that case, just create areas that are connected to several other areas rather than just making the series linear. In the end, you'll have a very rudimentary map of the areas that the players can use to narrow down their options, if they decide to map it out.

How it played out in my session

You're not invited to their club

In my game, I ran a linear path from the character's safehouse to the meetup location. It was fairly straightforward, and a lot of players failed. However, nobody ran out of resources, mostly because I only used 4 areas before they reached their destination. However, knowing their spells, gold. or HP were on the line certainly gave the players a bit more incentive to pass, and use their skill-related abilities more.

If I was going to run it again, I would probably expand it a bit. I think the fundamental system is good, and the players ran through 4 areas very quickly. I bet I could make more areas and let them explore a bit more in between the areas.

Also, I think it could be fun to expand the options a bit in each area. Maybe they require attack rolls, using tool kit proficiencies, or gaming set/instrument skills. Maybe they could require 2-3 checks of different skills, and the players would have to pass a majority of them to get through. Maybe each player could have a luck point that lets them pass a failed check with pure luck. Maybe that comes back to haunt them later.


Ain't no safe can hold me now

There's a lot of ways to expand the system. Hopefully you can find a way to make it work in your own game!

Thanks for reading!

Monday Recap: Old Wounds

Leap before you look

A game I was supposed to be a player in fell through this weekend, so I decided to write up a quick heist game for my gaming group. I used this fantastic outline on how to create a heist game, but I did end up changing it to be a little more planned out. In the end, I really am not that good at improvising plots on the fly.

Also, I'm not sure if I'll do a Monday Recap for games I play in. Maybe just a quick note at the beginning of any other Monday Recaps that week.

Old Wounds: A Heist Game

Nate has had enough of your crap

Cast of Characters:
Jon: Dungeon Master
Will: Nate Mortcombe, older thief, has been around the block, used to be the Face in the Phantoms
Wade: Fernar Vale, half-elf wizard, used to crack magic wards for the Phantoms
Bria: Harlor Maren/Rowen Miller, socialite with a million identities, loves to steal from the rich
Megan: Voralah Ostymon, halfling thief, loves gold and has high aspirations
Shannon: Mina Maeghor, half-orc bruiser and former pirate, known as "Four-Fingers"
Quinn: Tom Samble, young musician and amateur thief that Nate picked up for this heist

This was a shorter game, with no combat. I had planned for at least one combat to happen, but the players used all the skills and spells at their disposal to avoid it (to Shannon's displeasure!).

Phinneas Blythe, local fence, had gathered a crew for a job he needed done. His client was interested in a rare magic item being auctioned off, a Sphere of Annihilation. The person auctioning off the Sphere was Selena Kingsley, a former member of the Phantoms and Nate's old flame. Blythe had put together this team to pull off the job, partly because he knew Nate and Fernar would jump at the chance to steal from Selena. She and their other partner Lucious were the reason that Nate and Fernar had spent a stint in prison.

The group planned out exactly what they were going to do. They spent four days preparing the various contacts, covers, and equipment they would need to bust this job wide open.


Like any good adventure, this happened mostly in a tavern

To get to the sphere, they had to get past six layers of Selena's brand of magical security. The outer perimeter of the tower was being warded by alarm spells, phantom dogs, and impenetrable Wall of Force spells. However, Nate and Rowen decided to simply walk in the front door (in disguise of course). Easier said than done, since their old friend Lucious was standing right outside the entrance gate, wearing a medallion of thoughts to cast Detect Thoughts!

Nate knew even with his disguise, Lucious would probably recognize him. So Rowen decided to play the bait. From speaking with Volorah (who had worked at Selena's tower and been hit on by Lucious), Rowen knew exactly what sort of thing Lucious liked in a woman. She approached, making sure all those qualities were the only thing on her mind. Lucious immediately took the bait, and while he slunk off with Rowen, the rest of the gang showed their forged invitations to the new guard.


Rowen: Best at whatever it is they do

A few minutes later, Rowen rejoined the group, with a shiny new medallion of thoughts in hand and Lucious tied up back in the bushes.

Volorah, knowing it would be useful later, took a chance and pickpocketed the new guard of Lucious' key ring. If they were going to crack the final layer of security, that key would be important.

Next, the group had to get past the main entrance. Heavy-set bouncers were checking for signed invitations, and they had a Zone of Truth spell set up. Rowen had forged a set of invitations for a noble house that had declined to come to the party, House Islington. Even though he was forced to tell the truth, Nate slyly convinced the bouncer that he was indeed Goniffer Islington, Patriarch of the House. The bouncer smiled and let them pass.

While passing through, Mina noticed one of the bouncers was an old pirate friend of hers. She made a note of it, knowing that if he was paid he wouldn't mind starting a brawl as a distraction.

They entered the lavish main hall, where nobles mingled and decorations were everywhere. Nate immediately noticed Selena herself standing at the top of a large double staircase. She looked fantastic.


Can't really blame Nate at this point

Rowen immediately got to work. This was their element! Chatting it up with nobles, asking all the right questions, winking and nudging their way into the nobility's trust. Rowen was surprised, however, to suddenly be approached by a servant and given a message.

The note read, "Sorry darling, couldn't make it! - Mabel". Rowen crumpled the note in anger. Mabel was supposed to be their Sphere expert, someone who had been paid off to move the sphere for them once they reached it. She had been bribed, Tom had gone on a date with her, and now she had vanished. The entire crew swore revenge.

They weren't completely out of luck, however. One of Mina's contacts was there, a rare magic item collector that they had contacted about getting an Amulet of the Sphere. They hoped that it would be enough to enable Fernar to move the Sphere himself.

Fernar, Mina, and Volorah walked up to one of the robed wizard guards who was watching the door to the undertunnels. It was Tom! He had gotten himself a position here for the party. He quickly filled them in.


Tom Samble, off the job

The wizard guards were supposed to be casting spells such as Detect Thoughts, Detect Magic, and See Invisibility on the party. However, the crew had sabotaged the magic scrolls a couple days before and now they all simply made it feel like the spell was being cast instead of actually casting it.

Nate and Rowen decided to stay up and work the party room while the other four headed through the door to the undertunnels.

The undertunnels were simple stone passages, but they were guarded by a Guards and Wards Spell, and invisible Imps patrolling. Fernar had made a deal with the devil who provided the imps, and he hoped it would hold.

He tried the password to dispel Guards and Wards, but it failed. Selena must have changed it for the party! They decided to use brute force to get through this section. tom pulled out a scroll of "Find the Path" and they began to head towards the inner sanctum, where the Sphere would be kept.


Ain't no stinkin' spell can stop these picks

After muscling their way through foggy corridors and Volorah picking her way past an arcane lock, Tom noticed a door reading "Prison". Volorah started to pick it, but the door suddenly opened and a crossbow bolt slammed into her.

Thanks to an uncanny dodge, the damage was minimal. The jailer who had fired the bolt looked ready to fight. Mina grinned, Volorah drew blades, Fernar readied his spells. Tom, however, cast a quick suggestion. They were just lost, no need to attack. With the help of Fernar's portent, the jailer believed them and closed the door.

Meanwhile, up at the party, Lucious came bursting into the room, having freed himself, and headed straight for Selena. Rowen made a quick interception, telling him she had stolen the medallion to make sure they saw each other again. Lucious fell hard for that one, and ten minutes later he was knocked out and strung up again outside the washroom window.


Another time, you'll hear the story of Fernar and the much-too-big sword

Downstairs, the group finally reached the inner sanctum. Tom headed back upstairs to retake his post, and Fernar got to work on cracking the safe. Working through the multiple layers of magic, avoiding alarm spells and exploiting his dispel magic scrolls, the others watched on as he did his finest work.

However, it wasn't quite enough. He only had one layer of protection left, an Arcane lock, and he had just run out of scrolls. Volorah suggested they use Lucious' key. Knowing there was a heat metal spell on the keyhole, they clicked it open quickly.

The inner sanctum door swung open.

Upstairs, Selena approached Nate and told him to drop the act. Nate acted surprised, but he had been thinking about talking to her anyway. She began to grill him on what he was doing and who he was here with.


In and out burglar

The Sanctum was empty! Mina and Volorah started to panic, but Fernar was well aware of Selena's tricks. A simple illusion spell had made the sphere invisible. He put on the Amulet of the Sphere and began to move it.

Nate smiled at Selena, and said a strange little phrase they both knew meant a job had just been completed. Selena's face dropped. She immediately ran towards the undertunnels, gathering her guards.

She slammed open the door to the sanctum, but it was empty. All that was left was a perfectly-round hole leading out of the back wall, which the crew had made using the sphere of annihilation itself to escape.

Outside of Auraglow, a few days later, Phinneas Blythe shook Nate's hand. The Sphere was being transported in a specially-made levitation chamber, and the crew would be well paid for their fantastic work. The group headed out of town, into a life of great riches... at least, until the next job came up!

A job well done!

This game was really reminiscent of the games I started playing RPGs with. They were more theatrical, less combat, more deduction and problem solving. I really enjoyed the game, and the players seemed to respond well to it. I think I could have included more character building components, but for a one-shot I thought the level of character interaction was perfect.

I'd highly recommend using the format I linked above to run your own heist games! Even though I did more scenario creation than it suggested.

Thanks for reading!