You’ve braved the Forge, retrieved the Talon and slain the Tyrantclaw, now it’s time to stick it to the Drow! On June 1 Rise of the Underdark continues with Lair Assault: Spiderkiller. Season 4 has the PCs facing off against a small but powerful band of Drow that are up to no good in the Undermountain.

Lair Assault is the Top Gun of D&D. It’s for the best of the best. Normally you don’t win at D&D, but Lair Assault changes that. You create the most optimized character possible (within the confines of the challenge parameters) and try your best to accomplish the goal. It’s not easy and Wizard expects 80% of parties to suffer a TPK during their first attempt to complete the challenge. So if you think you’re a D&D Top Gun than Lair Assault is the adventure series for you.

The Challenge

This time the PCs have been asked to venture into a long-forgotten section within the bowels of Undermountain to stop a Drow priestess from opening a permanent portal to the Demonweb. If she succeeds Lloth can send forth her minions to reclaim Undermountain and from there launch an assault upon Waterdeep and the rest of the surface. The stakes are high so it’s important that the party sent forth to complete this objective be exceptionally capable.

The structure of this Lair Assault combines elements from Forge of the Dawn Titan and Talon of Umberlee. The PCs have 20 rounds to find and stop the Drow priestess; however there are three distinct encounters. So time will likely be the PCs greatest enemy. It’s important to remember that killing all the monsters is not the only way (or the best way) to accomplish the goal. In fact I don’t think a party is capable of the output necessary to inflict enough damage to kill all the monsters in the 20 rounds allotted.

Since the PCs only have 20 rounds to complete all three encounters there is obviously no time to take a short rest between encounters. This presents some really interesting tactical challenges. PCs will have to decide when to use powers that last until the end of the encounter as they’ll only be able to gain the benefits of such powers for one of the three encounters.

Character Creation Tips

This is a challenge for level 9 characters. All published D&D sources are legal when it comes to choosing feats, powers, themes and equipment. When equipping your PC you can have one item level 10 or lower, one item level 9 or lower, one item level 8 and 3,400 gp to spend on pretty much anything else. However, you can only have two consumables (level 9 or lower) and only one rare magic item. This is the standard used for character creation for every Lair Assault so far so this shouldn’t come as any surprise to returning players.

Here are some tips that you should consider when creating characters. I’ll try not to spoil anything, as these will mostly be common sense tips using the available information. Before creating a character look at the Glory Tracker (see below). Once you see what actions will earn your PC Glory you should be able to make some pretty accurate assumptions about the challenge.

When it comes to skills training in Athletics is mandatory. There will be plenty of opportunity to swim, jump and climb. Alternatively you can take magic items that will make these actions easier. Arcana and Religion are always useful with the big baddie is a) a priestess and b) creating a magical portal.

Training in Endurance may not be a bad choice either since you know that there will be Drows with poison and spiders with poison. Items that reduce or negate poison damage will be helpful as well anything that will make saves against poison easier. In fact anything that makes saves in general easier is almost always a good idea (feats or items).

Given the time limitations there is something to be said for stealth. If the party can be sneaky they may be able to bypass some or all monsters in one or more encounter. A party that’s all trained in Stealth or that can go invisible, fly or otherwise reduce the likelihood of being seen or heard could provide an unexpected advantage.

You know you’ll be fighting Drow, Driders, spiders and spider swarms. Knowing there will be swarms a few members of the party should have blast or burst attacks. Fighting swarms without these is going to eat away at your time and your resources.

Although the adventure does take place in the bowels of the Undermountain there are light sources (not always good ones, but they are there). However, if the entire party has darkvision they could certainly try to use the darkness to their advantage. Just remember that your Drow opponents have darkvision too so it’s not that they won’t be able to see you, it’s more that they aren’t expecting anyone to pass without a lantern or torch. One round of surprise might be all you need to really change the tide of the adventure.

Glory

There are 20 awards, each worth 10 glory for a total of 200 possible glory points to be earned. A player can earn each award only once regardless of the number of times he plays or the different characters used.

I strongly encourage anyone planning to participate in Spiderkiller to review the Glory tracker before you create your character. You can gain a lot of information from the tracker about what’s in store and this can (and should) influence your decisions when you make your character.

There are five secret glory awards this time through. So be imaginative and creative in your play. Good luck!

Glory Tracker Handout

Official Instructions

Now that I’ve covered just about everything here’s the official sheet that accompanied the DMs kit.

Lair Assault: Spiderkiller runs from June 1 – August 31. Good luck!

Related reading:

• The Drow Are Coming!
• Rise of the Underdark (Wizards of the Coast)
• Lair Assault (Wizards of the Coast)
• It’s Here! – Lair Assault: Forge of the Dawn Titan
• It’s Here! – Lair Assault: Talon of Umberlee
• It’s Here! – Lair Assault: Attack of the Tyrantclaw

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The third Lair Assault has almost run its course and we finally got a chance to run a few sessions at my FLGS. I’m going to assume by now that anyone who is interested in Lair Assault has already played Attack of the Tyrantclaw. That being the case this article will contain a lot of spoilers so that I can speak to direct problems, issues, and tactics. Hopefully it will help DMs who plan to run this adventure again and it will inspire players who haven’t yet defeated the Orcs on Dinosaurs.

There was plenty of interest in playing this season but we had a lot of trouble arranging a time that worked for all of our regulars. By the time we finally got around to playing it was mid-April and the season was half over. But this actually turned out to be a good thing. As the DM for the first event I was able to search the internet for tips and tricks before I ran the first game and am I ever glad I did. Reading about some of the problems other tables experienced gave me time to review some of the rules and be ready to make the right call if similar situations occurred at my table.

Below are tips, tricks, and advice for players and DMs. We’ve also got recordings of three session of Lair Assault: Attack of the Tyrantclaw below for anyone who was unable to play this season themselves but wants to hear how much fun it was to fight Dinosaurs and try to survive. The first two sessions (which I ran as the DM) resulted in TPKs. The third session (in which I played) we won. Enjoy and good luck!

The Party

Although you don’t have to kill all the monsters in order to defeat this lair assault killing a lot of them will certainly make things easier. That being said I strongly encourage you to bring a few strikers with you. In the three times I’ve seen this adventure played it’s never lasted more than seven rounds. That doesn’t give each characters a lot of actions so it’s important that the attack actions actually hit and score a lot of damage when they do.

The party should have a couple of strikers. They should be strikers that hit hard. I like Rangers using Twin Strike and Sorcerers (especially the new Elementalist build). Rogues should be completely discounted as it will be too difficult to guarantee that they get combat advantage every round. A striker who can’t deal his extra damage is useless. Assuming you’ve got a ranged striker or two place at least one on top of the battlement and have at it. They’re more likely to draw the attention of the flying Dinosaurs so be ready for it. Take powers, feats, or items with will either keep you grounded, allow you to escape easily or soften your landing. Anyone on the battlement will be too far away from leaders to get healed so you need to be self sufficient when it comes to healing.

Every PC must have the means to heal themselves aside from Second Wind. Potions are good but they require actions to draw and consume, not to mention a free hand. Personally I like to multiclass into a leader so that you can heal yourself or an ally with a minor action. If your class offers powers that let you or allies spend a surge, strongly consider taking it. Regeneration is good, but remember that most regeneration doesn’t work unless you’re bloodied and won’t help you if you fall unconscious. Temporary hit points can be better than healing powers because they allow healthy PCs to buff up before they even take damage. If you can combine temps with easy healing you should survive any Lair Assault.

If all the PCs can be self sufficient then you may not even need a leader. I’d only discount a leader if your party is very experienced and has a solid game plan. If it’s just five strangers getting together at the FLGS you’ll need a leader or you’re toast.

I think the ideal party would be three strikers, a controller who can control the battlefield and a defender. The defender need to mark the biggest, baddest Dinosaurs and lock them down. If they can mark the flying monsters, so much the better. I also think that five strikers could really do a lot of damage quickly and quite possibly handle this without any of the other roles. They may get killed by they’ll certainly have fun in the process.

Equipment

Lair Assault is intended to challenge the best of the best. It encourages you to create the most min/maxed, power-gamed character you can possibly imagine. What really separates the men from the boys is item selection. If you really do your homework you’ll find that there are some items that really make a huge difference in Lair Assaults. With this adventure the must-have item is the Pixie Music Box (PMB). For 50 gp any PC can purchase this piece of regular equipment (it’s not even magical!) and keep the Dinosaurs at bay.

For those not familiar with this item here’s the relevant passage from the Compendium.

When the shell is opened, a childlike chorus of pixie voices sounds from within it for the next six hours. While the music is sounding, natural beasts won’t approach or attack anyone in the sound’s area (a 20-square radius).

Any party that activates a PMB should have no trouble overcoming this adventure. However, after a lot of parties used this “cheat” to overcome the challenge DMs took to the internet and tried to come up with ways to counter this uber-powerful item.

The most obvious way to counter the PMB is to destroy it. The Dinosaurs won’t come near it, but the Orcs certainly will. I think it’s safe to say that an unattended PMB has defenses of 10 and 1 hit point. So all it takes is a single Orc to smash it. If a PC decides that he’s going to hold the PMB and protect it we’ve ruled that the PMB will use the PCs defenses and that a hit from a weapon will destroy the PMB but not hurt the PC. Blasts and bursts target everyone including the PMB.

Regardless of how DMs try to counter the PMB it only costs 50 gp so it’s plausible that every PC will have one and in some cases PCs may even have more than one each.

The other option is to alter the way the PMB actually works. Once active the Dinosaurs become passive. If attacked in this state I think that monsters should either get a save to counter the music’s passive influence or get to act normally for 1 round. Of course the DM could just be a jerk and say that thee Dinosaurs are special and cannot be affected by the PMB, but that really seems like a screw you to the players. After all, they didn’t make the item they just found it in the Heroes of the Feywild and saw its potential.

Resources

Pixie Music Box aside there are still a lot of things you can do to improve you party’s chances of success. It starts with spending your resource points. At the beginning of the adventure you can purchase boxes or ballista to help you defend Hyacinth. After playing this a few times and reading a lot of the feedback on the forums the overwhelming consensus is that the ballista are next to useless given their cost. At first the magic ballista sounded like a good idea. After all, it amounted to a few attack against the Dinosaurs every round. The problem we faced was that it missed more often than it hit (usually because of poor rolling by us) and even when it hit the damage was only 1d8+3 which averaged around 7. It was nice, but not a game charger at all. If you do go with a ballista place it on top of the ramparts. The will keep it from getting attacked by the majority of creatures.

You’re better off spending your resources to purchase 20 small boxes. Spread them out so that no more than 3 or 4 can ever be targeted with burst 1 or blast 3 attacks. The crates have 20 hit points each and that’s damage better absorbed by a box than a PC. By creating a maze from all the boxes you can control the flow of Orcs without the need for a controller. It also allows defenders to really shine as all the Orcs need to come through them. The crates also work well to keep the land-based Dinosaurs away from Hyacinth initially. Although they can try to climb over the crates it seems more likely that they stop and smash the boxes (at least that’s what happened when we played).

Combat Tactics

The party gets to decide where to place Hyacinth, however, she must be in a square adjacent to the obelisk. I feel that placing her facing one of the two huts provides a significant advantage. Initially the hut and pools of boiling oil make things difficult for approaching monsters. Add to that the placement of the boxes and things become a lot easier. The monsters will naturally move to attack the Druid head on. If there are still a lot of monsters around at the beginning of the fifth round they’ll be in for a nasty surprise when the tar pits boil over. Say goodbye to any lingering minions.

DM Tactics

My favourite tactic when I ran this was to have the flying Dinosaurs grab a PC and fly away with him. Few players realized the danger and didn’t really work that hard to free themselves. I had the monsters fly up at their maximum speed for a couple of rounds and then drop the PC. A dinosaur with a flying speed of 8 that double moves each round will add an additional 80 ft or +8d10 to falling damage. The only way to mitigate falling damage is if you’re trained in Acrobatics or have an item or power that will let you do so. I killed two PCs this way in my first run-through. Dropping them into boiling oil was extreme insult to injury.

My only real criticism about this adventure is that it doesn’t clearly indicate what to do wit the combatants once the T-rex appears. Do the Orcs fight the T-rex or keep fighting the PCs? Does the T-rex consider the Orcs or other Dinosaurs allies or will it attack them (including taking opportunity attacks)? Is the T-rex considered an ally for purposes of flanking? What happens when the T-rex is reduced to 0 hit points if there are still other Orcs and Dinosaurs on the board? Do the PCs have to keep fighting them to win? Do they still need to protect Hyacinth?
Two DMs

I’m not normally a fan of using two DMs but given the quantity of monsters that enter the fray and attack simultaneously this is one adventure when a DM’s assistant might actually be a good thing. With four waves of monsters (five if you count the T-rex) there’s a lot of stuff for any one DM to keep track of. If the party lacks strikers or a decent controller then they won’t kill off the monsters that quickly which means a very crowded battle mat and a lot of work for the DM. Bring a friend and give him half the monsters to run. It will speed things up and likely make things a lot easier for any DM no matter how experienced you are.

Actual Play Podcasts

We managed to play three session of Attack of the Tyrantclaw this season. We’re planning to try and get another run or tow in before month’s end, but for now we stand at three. As mentioned above two parties were wiped out, one was victorious. Listen to what we did right, what we did wrong and some creative and sometimes nasty tactics by the DM.

• Lair Assault – Session 1 (2 hours 59 minutes)
• Lair Assault – Session 2 (2 hours 27 minutes)
• Lair Assault – Session 3 (2 hours 39 minutes)

Have you played Attack of the Tyrantclaw? Did you win? Did you use the Pixie Music Box? How have other DMs handled the PMB? What tactics did you use that worked or didn’t work? What party composition, classes or races would you recommend or not?

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The Drow are an evil race. This is a fact. The overwhelming majority of dark Elves live and thrive in evil societies, and are led by the most evil of their ilk. Yet no matter how often I’ve repeated this most players who create Drow PCs choose to make them good, or at least not as evil as you’d expect them to be and it drives me crazy. I realize that this is your character and that you can ultimately determine their outlook on life as you see fit, but you’re ruining the best aspects of being Drow by making them all good. Play evil! Relish in playing evil!

All of this grief surrounding good rebel Drow adventurers can be traced back to Drizzt Do’Urden. What most players forget is that Drizzt Do’Urden is not your typical Drow. This is a big part of what makes him so endearing to his fans. The early books in the Legend of Drizzt series constantly juxtaposed Drizzt’s atypical behaviour and misaligned morale compass when compared to the overwhelming majority of other Drow. Practically every other Drow you meet in Salvatore’s books is clearly evil.

There are two reasons I think I’ve seen so few evil Drow during my gaming experiences. The first is the aforementioned Drizzt. People read about him and want to emulate him. OK I get that. But come on, it’s already been done (to death). Why recreate one of the most popular characters in Forgotten Realms lore when you can create a character so much more interesting and so much more Drow. Think about it, if not for his physical appearance you’d never know Drizzt was Drow. So if you’re going to play a Drow play them right.

The second reason I think people shy away from playing evil is that they don’t really understand how to make an evil character work. The imagined stereotype is that if you’re evil you’re going to kill everyone you meet, rob them blind and desecrate their corpse. Although these are certainly the acts of an evil creature this isn’t how most evil characters behave. Drow society has thrived and is still one of the most powerful and dangerous societies that inhabit any game world despite the fact that practically everyone is evil.

Evil characters can still have friends and families. The real distinction between good and evil usually comes down to selfishness. Evil characters will more often than not do what’s in their best interests. Period. They’re going to do whatever it takes to get what they want and to thrive. If that means killing someone then they will, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll try to kill everyone. The War of the Spider Queen series is a great read for many reasons, but it’s an excellent example of how an evil party can work together to accomplish everyone’s goals. When betrayal happens (and it does, frequently) the rest of the party takes it in stride. They’re angrier that they didn’t see it coming than that the character betrayed them for their own self-interests.

One of the most important distinctions between good and evil characters is boundaries. Good characters follow the rules and don’t break the law because they believe that to do so is wrong. They understand that the rules are there for a reason or at least they respect the powers that put the laws in place enough to trust their judgment. Evil characters only follow laws for fear of punishment if they’re caught. If they believe they can circumvent the rules and avoid punishment for doing so (usually by not getting caught) then they’re more likely to consider a course of action that is unlawful or forbidden. This is not to say that they’ll feel compelled to break the law, but they’ll certainly consider that possibility if it will get them what they want. Good characters generally see the law as a wall and try to find another way to accomplish their goals within the defined boundaries. Evil characters rarely let such boundaries get in their way.

Getting a party with evil PCs in it to work together all comes down to motivation. Evil PCs will certainly betray their allies if they have a good reason to do so. It’s up to the DM and the other PCs to make sure that there’re is an even better reason for not doing so. Finding a common goal certainly helps. As long as everyone is working to accomplish the shared goal and as long as everyone realizes that each member of the party can contribute something useful in accomplishing that goal, evil PCs can work in a traditional D&D party.

For example, the Drow Rogue may not like the party’s Dwarven Cleric but as long as they both seek the same goal it’s beneficial to both to work together. The Drow will keep looking for ways to better his own situation while the Dwarf will contently keep a watchful eye on the Drow knowing that he will eventually betray the party. However, until the party accomplishes their greater common goal, the Drow Rogue in this example will likely behave. He knows that if he acts in a way that will upset his current allies they’re likely to turn on him, booting him out of the party at best or killing him at worse. However, as Drow are usually manipulative the Drow Rogue may sow the seeds of descent within the party convincing the others that the Dwarven Cleric isn’t the only leader out there and they should consider bringing on a different healer if the Dwarf becomes disagreeable.

With the upcoming focus on Drow throughout Wizards’ 2012 product releases (see The Drow Are Coming!)  we’re probably going to see a lot more Drow PCs populating our games (especially during public play). As I already mentioned above, players can give their PC any alignment, but I implore you to at least consider the possibility of playing your next Drow PC as evil. I think you’ll find that it opens a lot of interesting role-playing doors and will make your gaming experience a lot more exciting.

Do you think that there are too many good aligned Drow PCs? By letting everyone play good Drow does it belittle the racial choice? What are your thoughts on playing evil PCs in general? Do your players equate evil with fanatical murderer or do they understand the layers and depth that evil characters actually possess?

Related reading:

• Does Alignment Matter in 4e D&D?
• Exploiting Racial and Class Powers: Cloud of Darkness

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“Sightings of dark elves on the surface have grown steadily—turning from dismissible rumors into disturbing reports. Brave heroes are needed to discover what plot or purpose is driving the children of Lolth to so boldly intrude upon our realm.”

This is the teaser Wizards gave us Monday when they launched their Rise of the Underdark website hub. It looks like 2012 is going to be the Year of the Drow. In 2011 everything revolved around Neverwinter, in 2012 it’s all about the Drow and the Rise of the Underdark. According to Wizards this cohesive storyline will run through 2012 in three distinct phases, one of which is the next season of D&D Encounters (more on that below).

I thought Drow were cool from the very first time I saw them in the original Fiend Folio. Like so many others my admiration grew when R.A. Salvatore introduced us to Drizzt and the world of the dark elves. Since then I’ve devoured anything and everything Drow that I could get my hands on. When I visited Wizard of the Coast in December one of the things they revealed was their plans for the Drow in 2012. I was simultaneously ecstatic to hear what they have in store for the Drow and frustrated that I was bound to the NDA. But now that the cat’s out of the bag I can finally start to talk about it. In the coming week’s we’ll have multiple articles here at Dungeon’s Master featuring Drow.

If you haven’t already visited the Wizards Rise of the Underdark website hub I strongly encourage you to do so (as soon as you finish reading this article). There’s a load of information about what’s coming up including product descriptions, novel previews, and Drow wallpapers for download. If you’re not excited yet, you will be when you watch the preview video which we’ve copied below.

Rise of the Underdark: Step into Shadows Preview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-7vw_pT9tM

D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen

Season 9 of D&D Encounters runs from May 16 through August 15 and this week Wizard provided a bit of a teaser. The adventure is directly tied in to the Drow theme that’s taking over the Wizards product schedule. Players will be encouraged to create Underdark-themed characters using options from the upcoming release Into the Unknown: The Dungeon Survival Handbook.

The story-arc for this season of D&D Encoutners actually began in the adventure “The Sun Never Rises” that was run exclusively at PAX East. For those of us who missed out on this opportunity, here’s what you need to know to bring you up to speed.

Dareen Travaskyr, a priestess in the Temple of Lathander’s Light in Dagger Falls, was intent on creating a holy symbol of great power—then the drow arrived, demanding the symbol for themselves. Dareen refused and had to watch as her followers were captured and poisoned. It was up to the adventurers to arrive in time, defeat the drow, and save the poisoned worshipers.

Now it’s your turn to join the battle against the Drow. Join a group of adventurers—from the surface world and/or the depths of the Underdark—caught in the middle of Lolth’s most treacherous scheme. Wizards has provided the following background to tease us while we wait for D&D Encounters, season 9 to begin in May.

Shadowdale is better known for the past than the present. Ancient battles and the ruins they left behind draw historians and adventurers alike to these lands. Storm and Syluné Silverhand once dwelled here, and sly Elminster still does. His protection has long kept Shadowdale safe, and even if Elminster’s power has greatly diminished since his time as Mystra’s Chosen, who would dare attack his home?

The white granite hill called Old Skull has loomed over Shadowdale for ages, but its significance has varied over time. When drow controlled the town, it was a sign of danger and domination. When their kind was forced out, the people of Shadowdale went back to seeing the hill as nothing more than a fascinating landmark. Sheep graze around it now, while children play atop its slopes of bare white stone.

A famed tavern takes its name from the landmark. The Old Skull Inn is known throughout Faerûn as a haven for adventurers. It is said that secret tunnels lead from the tavern’s basement into catacombs under Old Skull—and from there into the Underdark. Adventurers gossip that a bribe to the innkeeper, Ghessla Silvermane, can gain an honest traveler access to the realms below the earth.

Lady Addee Ulphor rules Shadowdale, presiding over a land that has been peaceful for the twenty years since Lord Azalar Falconhand retired. The symbol of leadership, the Pendant of Ashaba, is Lady Ulphor’s by right, and she keeps it secured in the Twisted Tower of Ashaba.

Long past are the days when drow ruled over Shadowdale from the Twisted Tower—or are they? Beneath the sleepy farming community, an old evil stirs. The drow and their foul Underdark minions have set eyes on the Dalelands, but to what end is anyone’s guess. Now, it’s up to an unlikely band of adventurers to defend Shadowdale from the drow threat and learn what Lolth and her villainous followers are up to. Success means a respite from danger. Failure could doom the surface world.

Visit the official Wizards of the Coast Web of the Spider Queen webpage for more details.

D&D Lair Assault: Spider Killer

Season 4 of D&D Lair Assault is touted as a new dark, deadly, and drow-themed challenge for level 9 characters. It draws inspiration from several previously published adventures:

• Journey the River Sargauth by Christopher Lindsay
• Undermountain: The Lost Level by Steven E. Schend
• Expedition to Undermountain by Eric L. Boyd, Ed Greenwood, Christopher Lindsay, and Sean K Reynolds.

Although they don’t list a start date, I assume it will begin on June 1 when the previous Lair Assault is retired. Wizards is keeping the details of this one pretty secretive. This is all we know so far.

In this Lair Assault challenge, the adventurers brave the depths of Undermountain, the onetime playground of the mad wizard Halaster Blackcloak. As the DM, not only is it your job to challenge the player characters but also to kill them out-right—all in good fun, of course. (Make sure your players know that!) Don’t play favorites or fudge die rolls, however. The encounters are difficult enough that you can let the dice fall where they may.

Visit the official Wizards of the Coast D&D Lair Assault: Spider Killer webpage for more details.

Related reading:

• Rise of the Underdark Wizards of the Coast
• April: In the Works by Bart Carroll, April 9
• Exploiting Racial and Class Powers: Cloud of Darkness
• Band of Brothers: Adventuring Parties of the Same Race

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When creating a divine character it’s strongly encouraged that you choose a deity. Your PC should try to follow the teachings of this deity and wherever possible spread the god’s message throughout the camping world. But in most 4e D&D adventures I’ve run and played in the divine character is usually just the PC who heals wounds and deals radiant damage. No one seems to realize that there is a “Power” behind the power.

In previous editions of D&D a lot of emphasis was placed on which deity your divine character worshipped. It helped the player develop the role-playing and it often granted access to unique powers. But in 4e D&D there is no requirement to choose a deity and there is no down side for skipping this step. All you have to do pick a divine class and continue with character creation. Players involved in games that emphasize combat over role-playing likely have no idea which god their resident Cleric even worships, despite the fact that it’s this unknown deity that’s enabled the Cleric to heal their wounds. What’s even sadder is that a lot of the players running those divine characters don’t know either.

With the desire for all 4e characters to be balanced, the divine classes were dumbed down from what they once were. This may make things easier for new players but I think it really hurt divine classes. Playing a divine character should require work; at least more work than playing a character with another power source. You shouldn’t just be playing your character, you should be playing a set of ideals, rules and beliefs set out by the character’s deity. After all, you are the vassal for your god. You commune with deities. This certainly seems to me like it should be more complicated than playing the character that swings his sword at the monsters.

In my experience people who play divine characters fall into two categories: 1) players who don’t care about the deity and are just looking to play a divine character because they think it sounds fun, and 2) players who find the idea of role-playing a PC who hears the voice of god and acts on his behalf incredibly rewarding. If you fall into the first group then you’re obviously satisfied with the way divine characters behave in the rules as written. Although this isn’t my preference I understand the desire to keep things simple. If you fall into the second group and seek more from divine characters than you’ll want to keep reading.

Worshiping a deity or an ideal

The first step in distinguishing divine character from others is to encourage players to choose a deity for their PC. This has to be more than just writing down the god’s name. Players running divine PCs need to be more vigilant when it comes to spreading the word of their patron deity. After all, if the deity doesn’t feel that they’re getting the love they deserve then the powers they grant could be withheld. OK, maybe not. That would be unnecessarily punitive to divine characters. But it raises an interesting point. How are divine characters rewarded for taking these extra steps that none of the other character need to take? What does the PC get out of it? I suppose that really depends on which deity the PC worships.

Most D&D campaigns take place in a polytheistic world, meaning that there are multiple gods each of whom have providence over different areas. In fact I’ve never played in a monotheistic campaign world where only one “everything” god is worshipped. Yet when was the last time you had a divine character at your gaming table that worship the god of commerce, the harvest, or fertility? Most of the power-gamers choose deities associated with combat or healing. It’s extremely rare to find a PC worshiping a deity who has powers of some other aspect of life. I’m not saying it never happens, but I haven’t seen too many Avengers of Aphrodite, Paladins of Dionysus, or Clerics of Hera (using a few examples from the Greek Pantheon).

For those players who want more from their divine PCs choosing a deity is an important part of character creation that requires serious consideration. One thing that is often overlooked is that it’s well within the rules as written for a player to not choose a specific deity but instead to have their PC follow a broader concept like “good.” The real advantage of being non-specific is that it presents the PC with broader options and lets the player have a lot more freedom and flexibility while running the divine PC. When a PC worships a concept or ideal they are no longer praying to just one god. Any god whose motives coincide with the concept the divine PC is exemplifying could grant them a reward for their accomplishments.

Rewarding faith

Once a PC has determined their deity or concept it’s time to start spreading the good word. This is going to come out in the role-playing. The more a player gets into character and the more that character does what his faith demands, the more likely the DM should reward the PC. The rewards are intended to reflect the touch of god. When the divine PC does what the deity expects (or exceeds those expectations) the PC is rewarded.

In order to earn the divine reward the player would have the PC act as they deemed appropriate and then solicit a ruling from the DM as to whether or not it was worth of a reward. The rewards should be kept simple and be used almost immediately to avoid unnecessary paperwork. I’d recommend that when the DM deemed a reward was earned the divine character be granted +1 to an upcoming skill check or attack roll. Alternatively the divine character could give the +1 to an ally as a blessing from the deity. Using this kind of reward system is an easy way to get some players to really role-play their character and emphasize the divine aspects of their class.

This kind of reward system needs to be kept in check and it’s up to the DM to keep things balanced. Just because a Cleric worships a deity of healing doesn’t mean that he should receive a bonus every time he casts Healing Word. However, if the Cleric gives up his standard action to revive a wounded ally or makes some other self-sacrifice to heal another than I’d argue that the action could warrant a bonus. Similarly a Paladin who follows a deity of combat shouldn’t get a bonus for killing monsters – everybody does that. The bonus would come from the description of the action and the demonstration of prowess other PCs don’t possess. I’d suggest that players running divine PCs talk to their DM to get a better idea of what will and won’t provide bonuses.

+1 for laughing

Role-playing games encourage creativity and imagination. A good example of this is a concept cleric that I had in a recent campaign. Rather than worship any one god he instead worshipped humour. He believed that the gods wanted him to do his part to ensure that people are in good spirits, enjoy what their doing and see the lighter side of things. Since humour is such a broad concept this PC didn’t have to declare fealty to any one god in order for his prayers to be answered. Any deity that got the joke would reward him. Certainly some deities would appreciate intelligent humour while others would love a good fart joke. Some might appreciate slapstick while another might enjoy a good pun.

This PC was rewarded with a +1 bonus to his next roll every time he made another player or the DM laugh. If everyone at the table laughed it would net him an additional bonus. As humour is highly subjective rewards were awarded for any noticeable reaction from the table. A bad pun or lame joke might earn a groan. This didn’t mean that the joke wasn’t funny just that the audience found it too silly or low brow to laugh out loud. In these cases the DM had to adjudicate accordingly. The added bonus of trying to make the table laugh was that the brevity it created certainly increased everyone’s enjoyment of the session.

Anything that encourages more role-playing is worth a try in my book. After playing D&D Encounters for so long it’s refreshing to find players who want to do more than roll dice. If it takes a bribe from the DM to do it, I’m willing to test it out. When it comes to divine characters I think the idea of a divine bonus bestowed upon the PC from their deity (or a deity that agrees with their concept) makes sense. It’s a good way to bring some of the awe and mystery that once accompanied divine characters. It’s also a great way to remind the other player that as powerful as their PCs become, in a world with Dragons and other fantastic creatures the god are watching and will intercede when they find it necessary, so act accordingly.

Do you think that divine characters are regarded with the esteem they deserve or do you think they are fine as they are – equal to all the other classes? Do you think that having the hand of god bestow blessing upon those who follow the deity’s teachings most closely is unbalanced and brings too much extra power to divine classes? What do you think of my Cleric of humour example? Too silly?

Recommended reading:

• Divine Intervention
• The Miracle Of Divine Power
• Divine Connections
• Adventure Hooks for Divine Characters (Part 1 | Part 2)

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DM – You’ve defeated the skeletons. As you search the bodies you realize that one of them was carrying a +1 frost weapon.

Ethan the Rogue – As the striker I should get the magic weapon. The more often I hit the faster I can drop monsters.

Barrack the Fighter – Now hold on a second. I may not be a striker, but as a defender it’s important that I hit monsters ignoring my mark. I think I should get the magic weapon.

Delian the Paladin – Excuse me, guys; this was an item from my wish list. I’m working on a whole cold-theme and already the feats Wintertouched and Student of Moil. Using a frost weapon will give me bonuses when I make cold-based attacks.

Sterling the Warlord – You’re all forgetting that it’s my turn to get the next magic item so I believe the frost weapon is mine.

How often does this happen in your game? As soon as it comes time to divide the treasure everyone tries to lay claim to the best stuff. This is usually a bigger issue when a party is lower levels and there aren’t as many items to go around, but even when the group advances into the paragon tier there can still be some bickering about the division of items.

Over the years I’ve seen many groups handle the division of loot in many different ways. There are certainly pros and cons to all methods and it’s really up to the groups themselves to figure out which method works best for them.

Equal Shares

This is usually the best way to handle things. All coins are divided equally and magic items are distributed evenly throughout the party. No one PC can claim a second magic item from the loot until everyone else in the party has one.

• Pros: Dividing everything equally seems the fairest way to do things. By ensuring that no one can claim two items before another PC as one you’re less likely to have one player complain that their PC was overlooked. This is how things work during D&D Encounters and for the most part it works pretty well.
• Cons: There are two huge cons doing things this way. 1) Not all items will be equally suited for every PC, and 2) not all items are the same level. Everyone usually wants a magic item or implement, magic armor, and magic neck item. Getting an item that fills another slot before filling these three is not usually desirable, especially if everyone else is getting one of these. So when one of these three appears in the treasure horde there’s often fierce competition to determine who gets it. Some players will actually pass on an item they can use that isn’t a weapon, armor or neck item knowing that there will be fewer competitors to argue with when one finally shows up. I’ve actually had games where no one will claim a magic item unless it’s one of these three. All of the players would rather put the magic boots, gloves, or belt into their backpack as “party loot” than claim and equip it.

Sell Everything

All treasure (except artifacts) have gp values in D&D. This method has all items tracked by their gp value and everyone gets an absolutely equal share of everything.

• Pros: This is often the only way to stop fighting. When a +1 weapon worth 1,000 gp is discovered the PC who claims ownership must buy out the rest of the party’s interest in the weapon. In a party of five, the owner would owe the other four PCs 200 gp each. Since the party is likely to find more treasure during their travels this doesn’t have to be an actual cash transaction at the time the item is found. Someone keeps a ledger and runs a tally of who owes what. When the party has some down time they figure out who owes who.
• Cons: I see this as a very petty way to divide loot. This says “we can’t get along and have to nickel and dime the other players to maintain order at the table.” It creates an extra and unnecessary level of logistics at the gaming table. This is a good way to handle non-magic treasure like gems and art objects, but not magic items.

Wish List

Each player provides the DM with a wish list; a list of all the magic items he wants his PC to possible find during the adventure. When the party finds treasure the DM or player will announce that it was from his wish list and his PC gets it.

• Pros: Unless two PC have asked for exactly the same item (which happens), this makes ownership disputes a thing of the past. It’s from your list, you get it. End of story. This is how most DMs I’ve played with during home games run things. They intersperse a few other random items, but the showpieces are most often right off of someone’s wish list.
• Cons: This puts a lot of control of who gets items in the hands of the DM. If the DM isn’t paying attention he may inadvertently reward some players more often than others. This method can also backfire if some players don’t provide wish lists. When the DM tries to come up with suitable loot, the intended player isn’t interested because he doesn’t think it’s an item he’d like. Although this method can save the DM considerable time, it cheapens the whole experience of defeating monsters and sifting through their treasure for something new. There are no more surprises. It’s anticlimactic if you know the treasure is going to be the +3 Sunblade you requested or the +3 Dwarven Armor the player next to you requested.

Common Sense

Despite the name, this is the method I see used the least. When an item is discovered the party gives it to the PC that it’s most suited for regardless of its level or how many other items that PC might already have.

• Pros: A striker with a really awesome magic weapon or a defender with really high defenses will help the party as a whole. If the Warlord usually commands the Ranger to attack every round then it makes more sense to give the Ranger the magic weapon and not the Warlord even if the Ranger already has three other magic items and the Warlord has doesn’t have any. Things will even out in the end.
• Cons: Some items, like magic weapons, are usable by any class so it’s not always so clear cut as to which PC it’s most suited for. In these cases the party will usually determine ownership randomly. This method for dividing treasure will result in some PCs having more items than others which can create some in-game and out-of-game jealousy. DMs need to be mindful of this and try to keep things balanced.

Roll Off

In a game where the dice determine so much already, why not let them determine who gets the next magic item. Everyone rolls a d20 and the highest wins.

• Pros: This method is often combined with all of the others listed above whenever there’s a dispute for really versatile treasure like magic weapons. It’s up to the DM to decide if everyone can roll off. When multiple items are found we’ll often have everyone roll off. Highest roll picks first, next highest roll picks second and so on. No matter how much logic might have otherwise been used to lay claim to an item, players who roll poorly and get nothing are not usually as disappointed as they would be if using any of the other methods listed above.
• Cons: A player with really hot dice can end up with a lot of treasure before anyone else has a single item. A healthy does of the Equal Shares and Common Sense methods often keep this con in check.

Pay for Play

This is certainly a controversial method but it needs to be included. PCs are rewarded based on the significance of their contribution to the battle that yielded the loot. Those PCs who really stood out get a greater share than those PCs who were unconscious or missed with every attack.

• Pros: With so many intangible criteria likely in play, the biggest up side to this method is people will really strive to play their character. In the few occasions when I’ve seen this kind of method employed the role-playing was fantastic. Everyone knew that they needed to stress the importance of each action and explain how it was helping. The fight usually took longer but they were a lot of fun and very memorable.
• Cons: With each class filling a different role it’s exceptionally difficult to come up with a consistent measuring stick that you can apply equally to all PCs. Is a striker who kills three monsters entitled to a larger share of the loot than the leader who healed four PCs during the fight? What about the Fighter who took over 100 hit points worth of damage while protecting the Wizard? If your group decides to try this method I’d recommend using something akin to the Renown Points in D&D Encounters. Things like reviving a dying ally, killing multiple minions, and moments of greatness will net each PC points and then use the points to determine who gets what share of the loot.

With treasure being so integral to 4e D&D it’s important that the loot is divided at least somewhat evenly regardless of what method you use. At low levels getting the shiny new item may be a big deal but as PCs advance I’ve found that the players become less enamored with loot. This is especially true if you’re using the inherent bonuses system. DMs should keep a close eye on each PC’s inventory and make sure that one PC isn’t getting too much or too little of the treasure. The goal is to have fun and if one PC is capable of doing things no one else is because he’s got twice as many magic items, the other players will feel belittled. On the flip side, if one PC is always getting left out of the loot distribution they won’t be able to contribute in a meaningful way which will hurt the party as a whole in the long run.

How does your group divide treasure? Have you run into problems and had to switch from your preferred or usual method to one of the others listed? What other methods of dividing loot have you used?

Related reading:

• Let Monsters Use the Treasure
• 7 Adventure Hooks for Making the Loot Part of the Plot
• Benefits of Random Treasure
• The Spoils of War

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It will happen to you one day and when it does don’t be embarrassed, it happens to all gamers. I’m talking about cold dice. Eventually the dice run cold for all of us. Maybe the d6 keeps coming up 1, the d12 won’t roll higher than 3 or the d20 isn’t cooperating at all and you haven’t hit a monster all fight. Eventually the dice gods will correct the problems and balance the scales, but until then a streak of poor rolls can crush even the most experienced player.

When a player goes through a bought of bad dice karma it can actually have a detrimental effect on the entire group. Even though everyone else rolls as expected and has fun doing so, one player’s poor rolls can effect the overall mood of the entire table. I’ve learned over the years that when this happens (and it will, if it hasn’t already) players and DMs can actually do a lot of things to turn the tide.

What Players Do

As a player with bad dice karma you can ride it out or follow the three steps below until you achieve satisfaction and turn your luck around.

1. Verbally abuse the dice: Yelling, complaining, and even cursing at the dice may not actually help but it will often make the player feel a little bit better. I’ve seen more than my share of dice get berated only to roll the desired number on the very next throw. It could be luck or it could be that the die took your threats seriously. Either way I’m a believer.
2. Switch dice: I’ve never met a gamer who didn’t own more than one set of dice. When the dice are running cold it’s time to cal in a reliever. However, even this isn’t always effective. After all, even relief pitchers need to warm-up before they can strike out the next batter. By the time the new dice warm up the battle could be over… and your PC could be dead.
3. Destroy the offender: In extreme cases where a die just won’t roll the number you need when you need it, a player might go to the extreme of destroying the dice. I’ve heard players claim that they’ve smashed bad dice with a hammer, melted them in the microwave, thrown them in a lake, or subjected them the wrath of a soldering gun. One of the players in our main group actually used a paint stripper to melt his pesky d20. (Note that destroying dice can be dangerous so please exercise caution if you’re going to do more than throw a d20 into a lake.) One important reminder if you’re going to go to this extreme: be sure to line up the rest of your dice where they can see the show. By witnessing the execution they’ll know that you’re serious when you threaten to destroy them for poor rolling.

Have you even seen a melted d20? Other dice take note.

What DMs Do

In all seriousness there will be times when a players dice just won’t roll high enough for him to make a meaningful contribution. I’ve been that guy and it’s awful. The game drags on and you actually dread your turn coming up in the initiative because you know you’ll miss again. As the DM I see this happen a lot. It doesn’t usually happen for more than a coupe of rounds but every so often it becomes a real problem.

As the DM you have ultimate control over what happens in your game. There are plenty of things that you can do to help the player suffering from cold dice. Make them a more active participant by adding elements to the game that don’t depend on great dice rolls or that don’t require dice rolls at all. Here are a few examples.

• Miss effects: A lot of powers in 4e D&D still do stuff on a miss, most daily powers for example. If a player is going through a cold dice streak encourage them to use powers that will have some effect regardless of the dice roll. Since most PCs only have a few daily powers you might have to come up with a way for them to use these powers more than once a day. I’ve let players recharge a daily power by trading in two encounter powers or cashing in an action point. Be creative and do what it takes to keep the player involved. If none of the PC’s attacks do anything on a miss you may also allow them to retrain on the fly.
• More than just fighting: The most interesting combat encounters usually have something going on other than just the fighting. It’s a good idea to include non-fighting options in any encounter, but it is especially important if you’ve got a player with cold dice. Mini-skill challenges are a popular choice but they usually require decent rolls as well, so that isn’t always going to be the best alternative. Try to include tasks that anyone can do, tasks based more on role-playing that aren’t dependent on dice. These should make sense for the encounter and be more than just busy-work. Try to work in some kind of reward for the PC who completes the non-fighting tasks to emphasize the task’s importance to the encounter and the story.
• Get a new job: Sometimes there are tasks that need to be done during combat that no one else is willing to do. Don’t feel that just because you’re a striker you HAVE to attack every round. If the dice are cold find another way to be useful and get a new job (until your luck changes). We’ve found that giving one PC a bunch of healing potions and then having him go where he’s needed most has been very effective when a PC can’t perform his usually job (usually because he’s out of healing surges). As the medic you can also aid you allies by performing Heal checks to trigger their second wind or grant saves. These tasks do require a roll, but if you’ve got a really good Heal skill then you may only need to roll a 3 to succeed.
• Assist others: As mentioned above, performing a Heal check on your allies can certainly be a useful way for a guy with bad dice to contribute in a meaningful way. Along those lines there’s always the opportunity to assist with other skill checks. Assisting is usually much easier and won’t require you to roll a 20. Worse case scenario if you fail the check you only impose a -1 penalty which isn’t that bad.
• Accept help: Many players and DMs forget that it’s possible to assist others with attack rolls or assist to pump up their defenses. If a player is consistently rolling badly, introduce a few friendly NPCs to assist him. This can really improve a PC’s odds. Alternatively the DM can find ways to give the slumping PC combat advantage as often as possible. A helpful NPC can become the PC’s flanking buddy, or maybe there’s a terrain feature that knocks creatures prone. It seems like such an obvious and simple thing, but sometimes that +2 to the attack roll can make all the difference.
• Group checks: The beauty of group skill checks is that the entire party isn’t screwed if one guy rolls poorly. In a party with six PCs, only three need to make the check successfully for the group to succeed. By using more group checks when a player is on a cold streak you let them roll dice but alleviate some of the pressure if they roll poorly. If the group does fail, the blame isn’t solely on the one player’s shoulders.
• New dice: If all else fails and one player has unprecedented bad luck it’s time to go to extreme measures. This is when the players need to pass the hat, collect a few bucks, and just buy the player a new set of dice. This gives the player the freedom to get rid of his old dice. Depending on how unlucky he’s been of late he may even want to destroy the bad dice permanently. Just remember to let the new dice watch.

What did you do the last time you went on a really long cold streak with your dice? As a DM, how have you handled this situation when it’s happened at your gaming table? Please share your ideas and your stories.

Related reading:

• Dice Rituals
• Let the Players Roll More Dice
• Use Teamwork, Aid Another

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It’s common for people in long-term relationships to talk about how the romance is gone. They remember how it used to be: the anticipation, the excitement, the thrill. But now things are just so-so. They go through the motions and wonder where it all went. They still love their partner and want stay with them, but they know the need a change. They look for ways to spice things up in an attempt to rekindle the lost romance.

A similar phenomenon can happen to gamers who play a lot of D&D (believe me, I know). You enjoy D&D and you’re not looking to play a different game, you just want to make each session a little bit more exciting. Sure you face new challenges and new monsters each time you play but so much of the gaming experience has become repetitive and routine. How do you bring back the romance and ignite the spark of excitement you once had when you first started playing D&D? We have 8 ways to get out of a gaming slump and make your game more exciting.

These suggestions are ways for individual players in a larger gaming group to make changes that will really only affect them. After all, it’s possible that the rest of the group is having a great time and wouldn’t change a thing if they could. These ideas can spice up your D&D experience without intruding or ruining anyone else’s good time.

1. Switch your dice
   I’ve never met a gamer that only owned one d20. If changing dice isn’t something you do often then this could be an easy way to try to change your luck. Many gamers believe that there are dice gods (myself included) and that from time to time they will punish players. The dice gods are finicky and no one knows why they will pick on the same poor players so often. So changing your dice may get you out of a funk, especially if you think that part of your displeasure stems from missing all the time or rolling poorly on damage. (See Dice.)
2. Switch weapons
   When creating a character, most of us choose the weapon that deals the most damage or the one that offers the best proficiency bonus. If you’re getting bored with your character why not try changing weapons? I’d assume that if you’ve been playing long enough that you’re getting bored then your PC is likely pretty tough by now. So what harm is there is going from a long sword to a club, or a great axe to a scimitar. Figure out an in-game reason why you think your character would make the switch and then go with it for a few sessions. If you let the DM know what you’re planning he may even be able to help you come up with a way to work this into the story. (See Big Bad Weapons and Don’t Bring a Dagger to a Sword Fight.)
3. Retrain your at-will powers
   You use your at-will powers more than any others. In my experience players rarely change them. So a really easy way to make a noticeable change is to retrain one or both of your at-will powers. Some classes offer both ranged and melee at-will powers. If you’ve got mostly melee powers, try taking a range at-will or vice versa. Now that you’ve got this new way to attack, make sure you put your character in situations where he can actually use them effectively. It could change the whole way that you use your PC in combat. (See Have you Retrained Today?.)
4. Choose a multi-class feat
   If you’ve played the same character for a long time then you know what that character is all about. The next time you get a feat, why not multi-class. Once you’ve done that try taking feats that will allow you to swap powers from your existing class with the new one you’ve multi-classed into. It’s a way for you to take the character in radically new directions. And remember if you’re not happy you can always retain those feats and powers back to ones from your primary class. Think of it as a romantic getaway. You’ve tried something different and if you like it you can keep going back. If the food made you sick then stay home from now on. (See Changing Classes.)
5. Talk to the DM about a side quest
   Most DMs have a story blueprint that they work from. The high points are mapped out but there’s still a lot of room for creativity on everyone’s part. If you’re looking to add something extra to your game why not talk to the DM about a side quest? This could be something that you keep secret from the other PCs or it could be something that you ask them to help you with. It shouldn’t take you or the party away from the main adventure, but it can generate interesting role-playing while you look for clues.
6. Flesh out your back-story
   When creating a new character most of us give the PC some kind of back-story. However, very few of us take the time to document all the details about what the PC did before he became an adventurer. When you find yourself looking to get more out of your game, try going back to the beginning. Flesh out your back-story in detail. By adding the finer points and then sharing them with the DM he can start to inject bits and pieces into the game that will tie into your history. This could include adding NPCs from your past or taking the party to a location important to your PC for reasons that have nothing to do with the current quest (See Giving Character Backgrounds And Themes Teeth and Nationality and Character Backgrounds.)
7. Try playing a new character
   If none of the other suggestions we’ve listed so far seem to do the trick there’s always the grand gesture of changing your character all together. You’ll likely want to talk to your DM if you want to go this route. In my home games we use a character tree system. Every player has a few characters in his tree and at the beginning of each adventure you play the PC from your tree that you feel like playing. Since out adventures usually run about 6-8 weeks this gives you a chance to really see if you like this character while not so long that you feel restricted if you’re not having a good time. Perhaps your DM would be open to creating a similar roster of characters for your group? (See Character Creation Tips.)
8. Take a break
   If all else fails, it might be time for a break. If you gaming group meets weekly (as mine does) then perhaps you set aside one night a month for some other, non-D&D activity. We often have a board game night if we’re short players or if the current DM can’t play. The week off really seems to make a difference to the game when we return the following week. The anticipation breeds excitement and the extra time off gives the players a chance to really think about what they want to do next if they’re hip-deep in an existing adventure. (See Take a Break From D&D, Play a Board Game.)

It’s an unfortunate reality that we’ll all find ourselves in a gaming slump at some point. By sharing tips like the ones above we can help each other get out of these ruts. What other tips or suggestions can you think of that will help gamers reignite the gaming spark and make their game more exciting?

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Normally there’s no real grey area when it comes to the distinction between living and dying in D&D. If you’ve got 1 or more hit points you’re living. If your hit points are between 0 and your negative bloodied value you’re dying. As long as you’re living then you can act on your turn whether you’ve got 1 hit point or 100 hit points. But when you reach 0 hit points or lower you fall down and start bleeding out.

In some cases taking excessive damage may kill you, dead-dead outright, but most of the time you’ve got a fighting chance of waking up. If you’ve got a leader in the party or an ally with a decent score in Heal, then you’ll likely be back in the action by the time your next turn comes around. Most of the time falling unconscious isn’t even a big concern. After all, the way that 4e is designed makes it practically impossible for PCs to die.

However, there will be those rare occasions when the leader can’t help you and the other PCs are in so much trouble that they can’t take the actions necessary to use their Heal skill on you. These are the rounds when all you can do is roll that death save and hope that you get a 20. Being in this situation sucks! What’s even worse is if you spend multiple rounds in a row making death saves and not getting that elusive 20. I’ve played in a few games where the rest of the PCs can’t or won’t help their wounded comrade and that player does nothing but make death save on their turn. This is not fun.

After this happened in a recent encounter where a player was sidelined for over an hour we decided to introduce a new house rule that would minimize this kind of player exclusion from happening again. The proposal was to create a new state somewhere between living and dying.

Right now when you’re reduce to 0 you fall unconscious. The proposal was to let a PC whose hit points fall below 0 remain at least somewhat conscious. After all, the PCs are heroes. They’re the stars of the show that is your D&D adventure. They already do extraordinary things, so why not muster the stamina to remain conscious when they’re clearly on death’s door? You see this happen in the movies all the time so why not figure out a mechanic for working it into 4e D&D?

We decided to create a new state called Gravely Wounded and here’s how it works.

• When a PC first falls below 0 hit points they do not immediately fall unconscious, instead they become dazed and on their turn they can take only one action: a standard, move or minor.
•  At the end of their turn they make death saves as they normally would.
• 20 or higher – Spend a healing surge. PC regains consciousness.
• 10-19 – No better, no worse. PC remains dazed.
• Less than 10 – Strike one. PC is still dazed and cannot take standard actions.
• If the PC doesn’t receive healing by the end of their next turn they make another death save (like normal).
• Less than 10 – Strike two. PC is still dazed and cannot take standard or move actions.

By keeping the PC conscious, players are less likely to feel that a turn where they have to make a death save is a wasted turn. In circumstances where they end up making multiple death saves they don’t go for extended periods of game play where they aren’t participating. The dazed effect allows their PC to still be functional but in a limited capacity. They suffer all the normal restrictions and penalties that came from being dazed which seems right for a guy who’s about to die. Since they still need to make those death saves there is still a danger that the PC will eventually die, if not helped.

Giving cumulative penalties (no standard actions then no move actions) for PCs that fail their death saves is reflective of the PCs being that much closer to death. But even in a worse case scenario the PC has enough actions to either expend their second wind or get out of harm’s way, draw a potion of healing and consume it. In the unlikely event that you don’t have a healing potion it gives the PC a chance to emphatically beg for help before they die. In my games I’ve had to enforce a strict rule that when a PC is unconscious the player cannot talk to the other players about the ongoing encounter. Without this rule the unconscious players got really annoying begging every to help them, and then complaining even more when they decided to do something else.

On top of the progressive action restriction that comes with the failed death saves we’ve made a few other footnotes in order to keep the spirit of the condition in check and balanced. The dazed condition that persists while in the Gravely Wounded condition cannot be negated under any circumstances. Period. So feats, powers or items that allow you to shrug off dazed are ineffective against daze in this circumstance. While Gravely Wounded, PCs cannot spend action points or gain the benefit of any other power that would give them another action. They’re Gravely Wounded; they get to do one thing. Warlords cannot command them to act nor can they get a free attack from an item, feat or power. This minimizes the likelihood of abuse. After all, this PC is in really, really bad shape. If they don’t get serious aid quickly they’ll die. It seemed silly to let them take more than one action under any circumstance.

Since this idea sprang up from something that happened at my gaming table recently we haven’t had the opportunity to put it into practice yet. However, the new season of D&D Encounters begins this week and I’m going to allow the PCs are my table to take advantage of this house rule. With lower level play we’ll likely see PC fall unconscious every week and we’ll find out in a hurry if this improves game play or just adds an unnecessary level of complexity. In the end it’s intent is to ensure that everyone has a good time at the gaming table, so if it keeps the unconscious PC in the battle (even in a diminished capacity) and keeps the player happy then I think it’s a good addition to any gaming table.

What are your thoughts on the introduction of a new state between living and dying called Gravely Wounded? How many of you already have some kind of house rule mechanic to get unconscious players back into the game quickly? Do you think that this will make PCs too powerful by leaving them in the combat when they should be on their back?

• Should Players Suffer When PCs Die?
• Death’s Impact in D&D
• Avoiding Death

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As the new season of D&D Encounters is about to begin we wanted to share a few tips about character creation and party composition that we think will help you get more out of this season. Although these suggestions are intended more for players who are D&D Encounters veterans, newer players may still find them useful.

Remember that this season of D&D Encounters only lasts for 11 weeks so why not try something a little bit different; take a risk and shake things up a bit?

Party Composition

At one of my FLGSs there is a core group of players that have come our consistently week after week for multiple seasons now. This is their only D&D outlet. So in order to make things a little bit more interesting this season I suggested that rather than create characters in a vacuum they should come up with some kind of party idea. Something a little bit more interesting than, “We’re adventurers that have come from places far away to fight the forces of evil together.”

The group, eager to get more out of their gaming experiences, jumped on the idea. They’ve since been kicking around a few possibilities, the most popular of which is to create a party where everyone’s the same race. However they’ve also considered playing a group of all strikers, or a group that all uses the same power source (all divine, all arcane, etc.).

Because the group is working towards a common back-story for the party we’re hoping that it makes for stronger role-playing and a greater personal investment in each character.

Related reading:

• Band of Brothers: Adventuring Parties of the Same Race
• Nationality and Character Backgrounds

Become the Character

One way to heighten the role-playing experience in any setting is to really get into the character. An easy way to help people become immersed in their character is to address everyone at the table by their character’s name and not their real-life name. Additionally have the players speak as their characters. Instead of saying “My Rogue sneaks up” encourage things like “I sneak up” or “Ethan the evasive sneaks up.”

Some players this may decide that in order to really become their character they need to use a distinct voice. When only one or two players take the game to this level it can make some of the other players a bit uncomfortable, so DMs really need to encourage everyone to participate. After all, it’s not silly if everyone’s doing it.

Related reading:

• Make Your Character More Than Just Numbers
• 27 Questions To Ask Your New Character

Try Something New

There are so many different class and race combinations that it’s impossible for any one player to try them all. So when you’re making your next character for D&D Encounters be creative. Try playing some of the new classes or races that were released with the last few supplements. This is one of the things I like most about public play. The adventures tend to be long enough to get a real feel for the character, yet short enough that you won’t get stuck with something you don’t like for too long.

Related reading:

• Playing Against Type
• Creating A Character Around A Concept

Weekly Character Draft

If your FLGS has enough player to run multiple tables every week, how do you decide who plays at which table? At my other FLGS there’s very little rhyme or reason. Sometimes players sit with the players they like, other times they pick the table with their favourite DM, and sometimes they see where their character will add the greatest value. If the players at your FLGS haven’t taken steps to form a solid, cohesive party they why not add another level of excitement to party composition and hold weekly drafts.

Each week the DMs pick players to be team captains based on the number of tables running that week. The captains then pick the players for their team. Do they pick their buddy or the guy playing the leader? Do they pick the striker with the obsene damage output or the player who’s really into role-playing?

Depending on how long the drafting takes the player may prefer to only pick new teams at the beginning of each chapter and not every single week. Alternatively the DMs could be the captains and then they get to pick (or assign) players to various tables.

Adding this kind of random assignment of party members will encourage players to make interesting characters that actually add to the party unit. PCs that can’t pull their own weight will likely be the last ones selected which should tell the player something about they way they approach character creation.

Regardless of what character you decide to play or how you go about forming your party, remember that the point of any D&D session is to have fun. Use D&D Encounters as your testing round to try new things and experiment with your characters. You may find that the things you try at D&D Encounters soon become staples in your home game.

What other tips would you suggest for players when it comes to creating characters and forming a party? Has anyone tried the player draft I described above? How did it go over? How often did you re-draft?

Visit the Dungeon’s Master D&D Encounters Archive for all of our ongoing weekly coverage as well as other great D&D Encounters articles and resources.

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