A good background should help define who the character is, especially early in the adventurer when he’s relatively inexperienced. Your PC’s backgrounds should do more than just provide him with skill bonus or a free minor power. I encourage players to be creative when coming up with a back-story. I’ve learned that the more detailed their origin story, the more I can use those details to help shape the game to come.

Although I derive inspiration for my campaigns and my characters from a variety of sources, I seem to get the most ideas from reading comic books. As a huge comic-book nerd with a massive collection (5,000+ issues and growing) I have no shortage of source material. What I do find surprising is how I can reread an old favourite and have it inspire me in a way it’s never done before. And that’s exactly what happened this weekend.

The story featured the character Orien of the New Gods, and as I flipped the pages I realized that Orien’s origin story would make for a great D&D adventure and a fantastic character background. The tale is a variation of the traditional “switched at birth” motif. Two worlds – Apokolips and New Genesis – were at war. The ongoing conflict was likely to destroy both so the rules of each world, Darkseid and Highfather, signed a peace treaty. In order to seal the deal they each gave the other their infant son to raise as his own. Orien, the son of Darkseid, was raised in the kind, nourishing and idealistic environment found on New Genesis while Scott Free (Mister Miracle), the son of High Father, was raised in the uncaring and harsh environment of Apokolips.

It’s such a simple idea yet it’s rife with potential. It’s easily adaptable to a D&D setting and the DM or player can continue to draw inspiration from the comics themselves if they choose to do so as the adventure progresses.

Setting the Stage

For this kind of story to have a really strong impact there needs to be conflict, and it’s likely between the two sides that signed the original treaty all those years ago. Although there hasn’t been actual fighting since the treaty, it’s likely that there is still great resentment and even hatred between the two sides. This could be especially true if the original conflict was particularly long and bloody. If the war had been raging for a generation or more it’s a lot harder to suppress those negative attitudes simply because a piece of paper says you’re now at peace. (Just look at the Eberron campaign setting!)

Think about how characters raised on one side or the other is taught to view their one-time enemy. Beneath a mask of good intentions is likely very deep-seeded resentment. Even thought the PCs themselves were not likely part of the original conflict, their parents, teachers and authority figures probably were. How did their prejudice and hatred shape the PCs and their beliefs? Now throw in the switched at birth wild card.

In the Know

Does anyone other than the parents know that the children were switched at birth or was the switch made public from the outset? Do the children even know who their true parents are? If the PC was told from the outset that he is the child of his father’s enemy how did that affect his upbringing? How do others treat him? In the comics, Orien is prophesized as being the only one capable of defeating Darksied, an otherwise unstoppable villain. If a PC is subject of similar prophecy will people react differently and be more accepting of this future hero? How do these expectations weigh on the PC? Does he think that when the time comes he’ll be able to kill his real father?

Kept in the Dark

This seems like a more interesting option to me. The children are raised unaware of who their parents truly are. In this eventuality it’s entirely possible that the child will harbour tremendous resentment and possibly even hatred towards the man who is really his own father. When the PC finally learns of his true linage it will make for a lot of interesting choices that can have significant bearing on where things go next.

What happens if the PC learns the truth along with the general populace? Will he be shunned as an outsider and a villain? Will his adventuring companions accept him for who he is – for who they knew him to be before learning who his real father is? If the PC has already established himself as a hero of the people, how will knowledge of his true father affect public perception?

Family Reunion

Regardless of whether or not the PC knows he was switched at birth, how does the inevitable family reunion play out? Does the foreign king reveal that he’s the hero’s true father to win him over (like Darth Vader in Star Wars) or maybe he does it just as his son is about to defeat him? Maybe the PC is falling in love with a woman that is actually his relative and his parents have no choice but to reveal the truth. If there are other siblings, is the PC jealous of them? Are they jealous of the PC?

Prophecy

Prophecies are fairly commonplace in D&D. Even though we already touched on the prophecy tied to Orien’s character, that doesn’t mean that the PC who was switched at birth needs to have the same one (but they certainly can). Prophecy could be the way that the PC finds out who his real father is.

What if all the PCs in the party are blood relatives and then they learn through prophecy that one of them is actually the child of their enemy, switched at birth? As the adventure progresses the DM can provide clues and details about which PC is the son of the enemy.

Perhaps a prophecy tells of a powerful magical item that can only be activated by the king’s son. When the PC tries to activate it and is unsuccessful he realizes that the man who he believed was his father isn’t. A search for his true father’s identity could eventually result in the big reveal. When he learns he was switched at birth he realizes that his enemy’s son, the king’s real son, could one day active the item. If that were to happen bad things will happen.

A strong background can make all the difference when developing a new character. Even though we normally think of background as being what happened before the PC’s adventuring career, a cleaver DM working with a well thought out origin can continue to draw from it and tie the events ahead with those that came before. When you create your next character give the character’s background the treatment it deserves.

Related reading:

• Nationality and Character Backgrounds
• Giving Character Backgrounds And Themes Teeth
• Make Your Character More Than Just Numbers

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I’ve played in a lot of games where things could have been a lot easier if we’d only had a Cleric in the party. Or an archer. Or someone trained in Thievery. Or a controller. The point is that some obstacles are going to be easier if you have the right tools for the job. This is also true when it comes to PCs. The right mix of classes and races in any given party will provide you with a competitive edge that will make many tasks easier.

Many DMs design adventures knowing what tools, skills and abilities the PCs have and create challenges that their unique skill sets will be adequately suited to overcome. However, there are often just as many times where the DM simply needs to throw certain monsters or other obstacles at the PCs and if they don’t have the right tools for the job then things are going to be a lot more difficult. This is especially true of you are playing form a printed adventure like those found in Dungeon magazine. The key to overcoming this issue is to try to ensure that the party is made up of the PCs most suited for the job in front of them; a task that’s easier said than done.

Most gamers I know have multiple characters. In fact, each member of my gaming group has a character tree. This is a concept that we first learned of playing in the original Dark Sun campaign setting. The idea is that Dark Sun is such a cruel and unforgiving world that PCs will die… often. Getting each player to create multiple PCs – the character tree – ensures that there is a suitable back-up character waiting in the wings in the event that the primary character is killed. We didn’t adopt the character tree idea because our characters are killed with any regularity; rather as new books were released we wanted to try out the new classes and races without leaving the established story and in-game history. In order to keep things balanced all characters in the character tree are exactly the same level. This way a player who always uses the same PC doesn’t end up with a character many levels above the party’s average level while his back-up characters are all still only level 1.

Assuming there is opportunity to swap PCs, and assuming your DM deems it appropriate given the situation, it is possible to have the right tools (or in this case the right PC) for every adventure. However, a lot of players don’t think that far ahead. They have it in their mind that they’re going to play a certain PC and that’s the end of the discussion. But what if you didn’t have final say on which of your characters you were going to use for the next adventure? What if someone else in your gaming group was given the opportunity to tell everyone else what character to play? How might this improve the chances of success?

The members of my gaming group are big believes in “play what you want” when it comes to character creation. The result is a lot of strikers and leaders, but few defenders and controllers. At the beginning of each new adventure all the players choose one PCs from their character tree. Following our “play what you want” philosophy everybody plays whichever PC they fell like running for that game. We rarely take into consideration what everyone else is playing. We’re experienced enough that we can handle missing roles or lop-sided party make-up. In fact, missing a role in the party make-up has often led to some of the most memorable adventures (but not always in a good way).

The problem that we face more often than not is that we just don’t have the right tool for the job. One player chooses his Wizard instead of his Warlord, another chose his Bard instead of his Ranger.

Over the past few years in my home game the PCs have been part of an adventuring company or part of a military unit. In these scenarios the party always has a patron or boss who assigns them missions. It provides the DM with a really easy way to get the PCs involved in whatever he’s dreamt up for the next adventure. It also serves as a good way to explain why all of the PCs, none of whom are the same race or class, have come together and stayed together.

Moving forward I’m going to suggest that out group try something a little bit different to try to ensure that we end up with the best tools for the job. Normally at the beginning of each new adventure the party’s patron brings the group together, sets the stage and sends them off to fight evil and save the world. The players choose which PC they want to use and it’s off you go. But what if the players don’t make that choice for themselves? What if the patron instead picks one PC and designates him as mission commander. The mission commander is responsibly for selecting the best party from the PCs in the character tress to accomplish the mission.

Over the next few adventures, each player takes a turn as the mission commander and they get to put together the best party. The players will still only play their own character, but they won’t be the ones choosing which one they run over the next few sessions. Some players may have some initial resistance to this kind of approach. They might have wanted to play their Sorcerer this time, but the mission commander selected their Paladin so that’s the PCs they’ll be playing. Players have to be willing to take one for the team and play the PC the mission commander thinks will work best.

In order for this kind of approach to work, the adventures need to be fairly short. Most players have multiple characters and among them there is usually a favourite. If the various mission commanders don’t let the player run his favourite PC for weeks at a time there’s likely going to be some out-of-game resentment. However, if everyone gets a turn as mission commander then you know that you’ll get to play your favourite PC at least once.

By designating one PC as mission commander it allows that character to take on some leadership responsibilities. The DM should provide some advanced details to the mission commander secretly so that he can make an informed choice of who’s going to be coming along for this mission. If the mission commander wants to gather all the PCs from “the unit” together and explains the mission the players can have the ones they feel will be most suitable speak up and request to be part of the mission. Alternatively the mission commander can simply tell each player which PC he wants them to play.

In the article Playing Someone Else’s Character we said that letting a player run someone else’s character allows them to demonstrate certain ticks, stunts or tactics that the character’s creator hadn’t considered. Letting one of the other players in your group decide which character you’re going to play has the potential to yield similar results. However, instead of highlighting one character’s potential as an individual the mission commander has a chance to highlight how certain character working together create synergies that might not have otherwise been apparent, especially if those two PCs never seemed to be in the party at the same time.

In the end it all comes down to party building. By taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, in this case all PCs in the various character trees, each mission commander can create a tactical unit he feels is most suited for the upcoming adventure. In some cases there will be obvious choices, divine characters if there is going to be undead, sneaky characters if there’s likely to be some undercover work, or charismatic characters if it’s a social challenge. However in some cases the mission commander may not have a lot of details up front. He may only know that there is unrest in the neighbouring kingdom and has to choose the party with the most versatility. But even when details are sketchy it is still possible to assess the resources at your disposal and do whatever you can to ensure that you end up with the right tools (or PCs) for the job.

Related reading:

• The Party That Prepares Survives
• Adventuring With A Sub-Optimal Party
• Quitting the Party Mid-Adventure
• Playing In An Unbalanced Party

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What if you never got more hit points that what you began with at level 1? Think about it. As 4e is set up now most PCs begin with around 20 hit points. This is enough to take a couple of hits but you are by no means invulnerable. As you get more XP and level up you start to improve and one thing that comes with each level bump is more hit points. But lately I’ve been wondering how things would change if your maximum hit points were fixed. How would this change D&D?

In previous editions of D&D PCs could begin with as few as 1 hit point. Some PCs were extremely fragile and a single hit from anything could, and often did, kill them. Knowing that PCs were this vulnerable forced players to play smarter. If your PC was likely to die from a single hit you didn’t run blindly into a group of monsters, even if they were only Kobolds or Goblins. Tactics were important because they often made the difference between living and dying.

As PCs level their maximum hit points increase. This has been a fundamental part of character design in every edition of D&D. But if you think about it this is actually a really silly concept. After all, an arrow to the chest or a slash from a battle axe is just as likely to kill you whether you’re level 1 or level 20. So what that you’ve been in hundreds of fights and killed countless monsters, that doesn’t make you any less vulnerable to being stabbed. What level advancement should do it give you a better understanding of tactics and let you better prepare for the next fight. It should also provide resources in the form of magic items and gold pieces in order to better equip yourself.

If maximum hit points were to remain fixed throughout the course of a PCs existence things in D&D would change.

• Initiative

Initiative would become the most important part of combat. If a single hit was all it took to kill the PCs or their opponents, then winning initiative would often mean the difference between life and death. Feats like Improved Initiative or any or power, feat or items that bumped initiative would become that much more desirable.

• Tactics

Most 4e combat has two relatively equal forces clashing and battling it out for victory. Through the course of the fight everyone takes a few hits, that’s just part of the game. And because we all know that PCs can take a few hits we often throw any advanced tactics out the window. The heroes line up on one side of the battle map and the monsters line up on the other. When the fighting starts we move in and engage. And this is fine when you’ve got hit points to spare.

But when survival means not getting hit at all you have to change the way you fight. Intelligence and tactics become paramount. Scouting and information gathering are even more important than the ability to swing a sword. If you can learn how many monsters are over the next ridge, their approximate strengths, weaknesses, and whether or not they have archers or Wizards, then you can decide if you’re going to engage or avoid them. Maybe you sneak up, shoot a few of them with arrows and then run. The point is that frontal assaults won’t work the way they do now if everyone involved is vulnerable.

I think that if hit points didn’t increase you’d see a lot more parley and a lot more stealth. Neither side of a conflict would be as willing to fight if they knew that such an engagement would result in huge causalities on both sides. In those situations where fighting did happen, I think we’d see a lot more retreating from monsters and PCs. Better to run and live than stay and die.

• Defenses

If a single jab from a spear could kill you then you’ve got to think that everyone would be wearing heavy armor and carrying big shields. The higher your defenses the less likely your opponents are to actually connect when they attack you. A high AC could mean the difference between lasting one round and lasting three.

Anything you could do during character creation to give yourself more hit points would become a serious consideration. Assuming that your Constitution (or at least you Con modifier) still affected your hit points then it’s safe to say no one would use it as the dump stat. Selecting a feats like Toughness or anything else that increased your hit points would become almost mandatory for frontline combatants.

• Weapons

Ranged weapons and weapons with reach will become a lot more desirable – anything that keeps your opponent at arm’s length and keeps you from harm is good. The other trend we’d likely see is everyone using weapons that inflict massive damage, like a great sword or craighammer. If your opponent is only going to have 10-20 hit points then you want to inflict as much damage with each hit as you can to ensure that every blow is a killing blow. Feats that improve damage output will be very desirable for the same reason. Suddenly a +1 weapon can actually make the difference between a wounding blow and a killing blow. Crits will now kill.

PCs that aren’t capable of wielding such deadly weapons may still opt to do so, forfeiting the proficiency bonus. They know that one good hit from a really big weapon will do the same job as two hit from a really small weapon, yet it won’t give your opponent a chance to stick you back between attacks. As PCs advance they’ll likely take weapon proficiency feats to offset poor attack scores.

• Legendary Monsters

In 3e and 4e D&D, DMs could scale monsters to give their party an appropriate challenge based on the party’s level. This usually meant that the monsters hit points would scale accordingly in order to challenge higher level PCs who could inflict more damage. But what if monsters – all monsters – were in the same boat as the PCs? Imagine a Dragon that has a fixed number of hit points. Whether it’s level 10 or level 20, it still has the same number of hit points. It would still be a lot of hit points, but the number wouldn’t change.

A party of PCs, regardless of level, trying to face off against a Dragon would really have to use smart tactics or get extremely lucky to beat it. After all the Dragon’s probably going to have hundreds of hit points whereas the PCs will only have 20. So even if everyone hit the Dragon in the first round, it would likely be able to kill multiple PCs before round two began. Victory against these kinds of odd is truly the thing legends are made of. If you defeat a dragon everyone will know that you are truly heroic.

A lot of RPGs use a mechanic where the PCs have but a hand full of hit points that don’t increase or don’t increase more than a few points over the character’s lifetime. Admittedly these games tend not to be populated with creatures like Beholders and Dragons, but when such powerful forces are used it’s clear that the PCs should not engage them one-on-one.

Fixing a character’s maximum hit points would really change the way a lot of people play D&D. It would also mean that a lot of people would spend a lot of time making new characters as their PCs died week after week. But as much as I enjoy playing fantasy RPGs like D&D, the fact that a high level PCs can survive multiple stab wounds and a pelting from archers stretches my disbelief a little bit too far. Weapons are deadly. A sword-wielding opponent should be scary and force PCs to consider options other than “attack” when facing this scenario.

What are your thoughts on fixed maximum hit points? Do you think that as PCs level up they should get more hit points? Do you think that an arrow should have the ability to kill, regardless of an opponent’s level? How else do you think fixed maximum hit points would change the way people play D&D?

Related reading:

• Don’t Fight to the Death
• Retreat Is Always An Option, At Least It Should Be
• Big Bad Weapons

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The announcement that Wizards is working on the next iteration of D&D has created a lot of churn in the gaming community, the online forums and the blogosphere. In light of this flourish of activity we’ve decided to take a step back and look at something a completely different toady – board games.

In addition to being a huge D&D nerd I’m also an avid board game enthusiast. Where my RPG circle tends to include “just the guys,” board games have a much broader appeal. I’ve never been able to get my wife or brother into RPGs, but they love board games. Likewise, I’d never dream of asking my parents to play D&D, but they’ll make a trip to my house for board game night. Board games are generally very easy to learn and don’t have the nerd stigma that a lot of people associate with D&D. It makes them appealing to everyone.

A lot of FLGS in my neighbourhood actually have a slew of board games that you can play in the store. This is a great way to try some new games before you buy them. Purchasing board games from your FLGS (as opposed to a toy store) is yet another way you can support them after you’ve purchased the PHB and DMG.

The next time your gaming group doesn’t have enough people to play D&D, or a critical member of the group is absent (the DM, perhaps), resist the urge to cancel. Get together with your friends and have a good time playing board games. There are a lot of great games on the market today so don’t limit yourself to just Monopoly or Risk. For something different, check out five of my favourite board games below. They’re all easy to learn, fun to play, and well worth the investment.

		Ticket To Ride “Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America.” This is my absolute favourite game right now. I play the board game version and the online version. It took only minutes to learn, but I’m still trying to master it. Last year I participated in the Ticket to Ride tournament at GenCon, but was eliminated in the semi-finals. I prefer Ticket to Ride U.S.A. because the cities and routes are familiar, but there are many new version that include Germany, Scandinavia, Europe, Asia and India. Official Days of Wonder / Ticket to Ride website.
		Revolution! “Blackmail the printer. Threaten the innkeeper. Bribe the priest. Welcome to Revolution! Secretly bid against your opponents to gain the support of the people, win territory… and collect more Gold, Blackmail, and Force for the next round of bidding!” I first played this game when I was at the D&D Conference in Seattle last month and after playing it one night I had to own it. It’s a wildly different experience depending on who else is playing since you’re constantly bidding against the other players. New opponents will play using different strategies, so you have to constantly change how you prepare for the Revolution each time you play. The game is designed for up to 4 players but you change get an expansion pack for 5-6 players. Official Steve Jackson Games / Revolution! website.
		Pandemic “Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out.” This was one of my first experiences playing a cooperative board game. You’re not playing against the other players; you’re playing with them to save the world. It’s up to all players to come up with a strategy that will stop the pandemic. Each player takes on a role, but with more roles than players, one is always missing. This brings new challenges and forces you to adapt every time you play. The end of the world has never been so much fun. Official Z-Man Games / Pandemic website.
		Forbidden Island “Dare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise.” Another cooperative game, this time you’re trying to recover treasure rather than save the world. Like Pandemic, there are more roles than players. However in this game the configuration of the island (made up by tiles) constantly changes. Although it seems like such a simple game it is incredibly challenging and a lot of fun. Official Gamewright / Forbidden Island website.
		The Settlers of Catan “Players are recent immigrants to the newly populated island of Catan. Expand your colony through the building of settlements, roads, and villages by harvesting commodities from the land around you.” I doubt that this game needs much explanation as it’s been a round longer than any of the others on this list and has spawned so many variation and iterations. The random distribution or resources, location of your settlements, luck of the dice and ability to wheel and deal with your adversaries will all factor into your chance of success. It’s the perfect blend of luck and skill. The original game is designed for up to 4 players but you can get an expansion pack for 5-6 players. Official Mayfair Games / Settles of Catan website.

Have you played any or all of these games? Which one is your favourite? What other games would you recommend?

Related reading:

• What Do You Do When Your D&D Game Is Cancelled?
• Game Starts In One Hour And You Aren’t Ready

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As 4e D&D has matured, the sheer number of powers to choose from has grown significantly. At its inception, a character made from the Player’s Handbook would choose two or three at-will powers from a total of four listed, one encounter power from four listed and one daily power form four listed. The occasional utility power sometimes provided three or four choices for a character, which served primarily to enhance either their primary role or their secondary role in the party.

With the advent of non-AEDU (at-will, encounter, daily, utility) character classes, such as the psionic classes, as well as the Essentials classes, the one aspect of the power selection that was not changed was the choice of utility powers at level 2, 6, and so on. The introduction of skill powers in the Player’s Handbook 3 began to finally expand the utility power into more than simply a way to enhance your existing class features and powers. In the last year and a half of development, 4e has introduced themes for heroic tier character characters, as well as several articles on the subject of new racial utility powers. Utility powers have shifted away from their original role in a character, and have taken on a new importance as the new true form of character customization.

Aside from power and feat selection, there are five major choices in a character’s playlife. The first three come at character generation, in the form of race, class, and theme, with the other two being paragon path and epic destiny. Counting the subclasses as separate choices, both theme and race serve to form a solid part of the character out of the gate. While there are mechanical benefits associated with both of these choices, they are ultimately less important compared to the mechanical aspect of class. It is in the way that they define the character for purposes of role-playing and story interaction that the choice of race and theme become the strongest.

Utility powers come at points in a character’s development where they can greatly impact a character’s role in and out of combat. At level 2, a utility power is the first time that a character has an opportunity to choose a non-combat related power, or a power that reinforces a secondary combat role. At level 6, the character has reached the middle of the heroic tier, and the second utility power can be used to further enforce their choice of role or secondary role. At level 10, their option of utility power serves as the capstone of their heroic tier, combining with a feat and theme feature to present the picture of a hero on the verge of paragon. The next choice of utility powers comes at level 16, when the character enters into the drive to the end of paragon tier, and the last is chosen at level 22, at the start of a character’s epic career. Each of these levels can be pivotal moments in a character’s development, and in many ways, the choice of a utility power can reflect that.

Finally, it is in the utility powers that characters are given the greatest choice of options. Many class-based utility powers either emphasize their role or their secondary role in combat. However, there are also many that grant useful applications out of combat. Rogues gain mobility, Wizards can manipulate the masses with magic, and Fighters can get advantages to using brute force. With the introduction of theme and racial utility powers, powers can be chosen which move the character more in line with the iconic depiction of either their character’s race or their character’s heroic tier story. Finally, there are the options for skill powers, which can be selected with both the utility slot of the appropriate level, or a feat. This provides most characters with a choice of at least three, and in many cases four, pools of customization. By not being limited to simply in-class, in-combat options, the utility power can be used to provide the character with new options that might otherwise be denied to them.

From personal experience, I have found that it is often the utility powers that intrigue me the most about a class. While most of the other powers provided by a class follow a fairly strict formula for the level of its power, a utility power can run the gamut in action types, as well as the usage. Some utility powers can change the battlefield dramatically, while others give you options of varying power outside of combat. Many assist in skill challenge, an aspect to 4e that does not receive enough attention or support. As opposed to the attack powers, there is no significant power creep per level in utility powers, and a character will have the utility powers they select potentially their entire career. Most importantly, not every utility power is useful in every game, and since they do not have to directly contribute to the equation of tactical combat, this is good. As 4e continues to mature, and more options in the terms of theme, race, and paragon paths are brought to the table, it will remain the utility powers that truly separate characters from each other.

Related reading:

• Character Creation Tips
• Make Your Character More Than Just Numbers
• Skill Training

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Today Dungeon’s Master launched a new permanent resource page on our blog, the Pre-Generated Character Library. We’ve collected all the pre-gens that Wizards put together for the first four seasons of D&D Encounters along with the home made PCs created by the blogging community. Now all the pre-gens are available in one easy to find place and each season’s pre-gens are available for download in PDF format.

Although 6 pre-generated characters are provided with every D&D Encounters kit, Wizards has confirmed that they have no intention of providing new pre-gens moving forward. They want players to create their own characters and not just keep reusing the pre-gens season after season. However, there are always new players who will need a pre-generated character so it’s always a good idea to have a few on hand. Our library gives you more than the stock six that we’ve come to love and hate.

The characters in the Pre-Generated Character Library can be used for D&D Encounters or at any home game. They provide DMs with complete, ready-made stock characters that they can easily use as PCs or NPCs in low level adventures.

The Pre-Generated Character Library will be permanently accessible in our left navigation below the Staff Picks. We’ll continue to add new pre-generated characters to the library as we acquire or create them.

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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While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2011. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

The most important thing to remember when you provoke an opportunity attack is that it’s not a guaranteed hit. Your opponent still needs to make a successful attack roll against you. Yet most players think that an opportunity attack means automatic damage, and it’s this fear that keeps players stationary during combat. The misconception that they’ll take damage if they move or if they make a ranged attack when next to an enemy will sometimes lead players to use less than their best attacks.

Never forget that dice hate everyone equally, and not just your PC. You can’t assume that the dice will always give the DM a successful hit. In most cases the monster’s likelihood of scoring a hit is in the 50/50 ballpark. So the next time you have to decide if you should provoke an opportunity attack, think about what’s to be gained by doing so and then remember that the odds are probably in your favour.

From June 29, 2011, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: Are You Willing to Provoke an Opportunity Attack?

One of the more difficult things that new players have trouble remembering is that moving away from an opponent will draw an opportunity attack. As soon as players hear that moving their character more than one square away from an adjacent creature will result in that creature getting a free attack, all tactics that involve moving are thrown out the window. It’s almost as if they believe that drawing an attack and possibly taking the hit is the absolute worst thing that they can do on their turn.

As an experienced DM I’m going to tell you that you need to be willing to take an opportunity attack once and a while. From a mechanics point of view all opponents know as well as you do under what circumstances they’ll get to make a free attack on you. If you move away they’ll attack you as soon as your back is turned. If you try to use a ranged attack while standing next to them, they’ll see the hole in your defenses and attack you. And if you try to crawl away while prone you bet that you enemy will kick you as you scurry away.

But so what if they do? In most cases a monster’s basic attack is just that – basic. It usually is a straight up weapon attack, be it a sword or claw. Yes, it has the potential to hurt you but you need to weigh that against the value of taking the action that draws the attack in the first place.

For example, in a recent game the PCs faced off against opponents that could entangle them and then pull them in opposite directions. The party’s Rogue used his move action to easily escape the grab. His initial tactic was to charge a different opponent which would put him in a flanking position and allow him to use his sneak dice with that attack. However, when I reminded the player that moving away from an adjacent monster would provoke an opportunity attack the player decided to stay put and go toe-to-toe with the adjacent foe despite not having combat advantage. By not moving away after freeing himself he severely limited his ability to be an effective striker.

Now in some circumstances I totally understand why you’d not want to provoke the attack. If you’re really low on hit points and the attack could drop you, then stay put. If the monster’s basic attack has some other kind of condition attached, like causing you to become dazed or knocked prone, then again I think you’re better off staying where you are. But if it’s early in the fight then tactically speaking you should seriously consider provoking that attack. In this specific example the monster did not inflict any additional condition on a hit and the Rogue was the Artful Dodger build so his defenses against the attack were incredibly high. Had it been me, I’d have risked it. But this action doesn’t seem to be commonplace.

As the DM running the monsters, I see opportunity attacks as a nuisance, and not a deterrent. Assuming the monsters are intelligent or have a competent leader that can shout commands, I’m happy to provoke opportunity attacks if there is a tactical advantage to doing so. This is especially true if the monster is only going to provoke one opportunity attack and if the PC is a class that does not typically have an exceptional Strength (like a Wizard for example).

Again it comes down to tactics (assuming that the monsters are intelligent enough to understand tactics – and this is the real determining factor). If the gains to “team monster” outweigh one possible hit then I’m provoking that opportunity attack as often as necessary. In a recent encounter all of the monsters gained additional damage dice if they had combat advantage (in this case +2d6 each for a heroic tier adventure). By moving one monster and provoking an opportunity attack in the process, three members of “team monster” were able to combine for an additional +6d6 damage to the party. This was a no brainier. I happily took the opportunity attack (which did hit and inflicted 5 damage) in order to pound the PCs and inflict over 20 extra points of damage that wouldn’t have been possible without that one monster moving to flank with his buddies.

Another tactic that I often employ when my monsters are marked by Fighters is to begin the turn by provoking an opportunity attack and trying to move away (not shift away, an important distinction). The Fighter takes his free attack and gets all the additional bonuses that come with Combat Superiority. Needless to say, my monsters get hit more often than not for taking this action. A hit inflicts damage and stops their movement. Then, as my standard action I charge away from the Fighter and attack someone else. Since the Fighter has already taken an opportunity attack against me I can now get away Scott free. Of course, the attack I make on the other end of my charge still has -2 from the Fighter’s mark, but I do get a +1 for charging so I’m netting out at -1. It frustrates the players running Fighters to no end, but I remind them that they do get a free attack on my monster in the process so it’s not all bad for them.

Of course all arguments for moving in order to gain positioning are completely moot if it will provoke more than one opportunity attack. I’m a lot less likely to take any kind of action that will provoke opportunity attacks if I’m adjacent to more than one opponent. In the end it’s a numbers game. If two opportunity attacks will likely inflict 15-25 damage and all I’m gaining for moving is +1d6 sneak dice then I’m staying put. My statement that players should be willing to provoke opportunity attacks should really be qualified with as long is you’re only provoking from one creature.

Players forget that they’re working together on the battlefield. They forget that the party is a team and not just a bunch of guys travelling the countryside in search of a party. Most players are so concerned with their own well-being that that often forget to look at the entire battle. Every PC fulfils a role. Sometimes it’s necessary to take one for the team so that someone else can fulfill their role.

Provoking an opportunity attack to give the Rogue a flanking bonus lets him do his job better. If your standard action was just going to be a basic attack anyway, why not look at the bigger picture and help the party emerge victorious. By working together in this way the combat ends sooner which helps everyone. You may take an extra hit or two (or at least risk it by provoke an opportunity attack) but if the monsters are defeated more quickly, the party’s leader can focus on healing you first for making such a heroic sacrifice.

As I said at the outset more players need to be willing to provoke an opportunity attack. This fear that every monster will hit when they make the opportunity attack and the fear of taking damage if they actually connect is removing tactical options from the minds of many players. PC are being left in place for fear of one hit and the monsters are gaining huge advantages over the heroes because of it. You need to look at the bigger picture and see that taking a hit now will have large implication for the entire party as the encounter continues to play out.

What are your feelings about provoking opportunity attacks? Are you willing to take a hit and move to a more advantageous position or do you feel that any action that gives your opponents a free attack against you is a bad idea? How many DMs move the monsters as they see fit and are willing to provoke those opportunity attacks in the process?

Related reading:

• Using Undead Intelligently
• Should I Fight Or Should I Heal Now?
• The Challenges Of War: Large Scale Battles

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While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2011. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

Since I wrote this article I’ve put my money where my mouth is on numerous occasions. In my home games I delay at some point in almost every encounter and readying an action is becoming a lot more commonplace too.

In a recent adventure our party was being attacked by flying creatures. The monsters would make flyby attacks, never landing close enough for us to engage them in melee. My Paladin had only one ranged attack, but it was range 5. The monsters with their incredible speed of 8 managed to remain more than 5 squares off the ground, staying safely out of my threat range. Round after round they swooped in, attacked, damaged us, and then flew to a safe distance from five of the six PCs.

Finally I decided to ready an action. After the next flying monster completed its move action I would use my only ranged attack against it. The result was better than expected.

Unaware of my plan, the monster continued his attack pattern. Move first, flyby attack second. Unfortunately for the monster my readied action went off after its move but before the flyby attack. I landed a solid hit. As soon as the rest of the party saw my success they too began readying actions. The monsters only lasted a couple more rounds.

After that encounter things really changed at my gaming table. Now we have PCs readying actins all the time. Sometimes they don’t get to act for a round or two, but we’ve become a lot more effective and the combat has actually become faster. So the next time your fighting a bunch of monsters take a second to think tactically and see if readying an action will give you an advantage you might not normally anticipate.

Remember that just because you can attack on your turn doesn’t mean that you have to attack on your turn. There are often better options, but it’s up to you to figure out what they are.

From October 18, 2011, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: Hurry Up and Wait – A Look a Delaying and Readying Actions.

Pay attention players, your spot in the initiative order is not set in stone. Players get so excited when it’s their turn all they want to do is attack. Many players forget, or don’t even know, that they can wait and hold their action whenever they want to. There’s nothing in the rules that says you must go when your turn in the initiative comes up. If more players took this to heart, combat encounters could be a lot more exciting and in some cases a lot faster.

Once combat is in full swing players should talk to each other in-character (assuming that PCs can actually hear one and other and don’t care if they’re overheard). As the battle unfolds situations will arise where some PCs will see an opportunity to shine. It might be a chance to inflict a lot of damage, it might be a chance to push an opponent off a cliff or it might be a chance for the defender to mark everyone with a close burst attack. As soon as you see this golden opportunity let everyone know. By announcing what you want to do the other players can act accordingly and delay as necessary. Remember that the party is a team, not a bunch of individuals all trying to steal the spotlight. By defeating the monsters quickly and efficiently the battle ends faster which is a win for everyone.

There are many reasons to delay. Below is a list of some of the more common situations when delaying could be a better option than acting when your turn in the initiative comes around. Remember, the key to success is teamwork.

Reasons to Delay

Set Up a Flank

Staying put while an ally moves to flank is one of the most common reason for delaying, especially if there’s a Rogue in the party. By delaying your turn and remaining where you are, the Rogue (or any other attacker who can benefit from combat advantage) can move into position and get that +2 to attack. By delaying in this way you have added bonus of seeing if the monster dies before you act. If it does you can move on to another target. If it doesn’t then you can help the Rogue.

Avoiding Friendly Fire

A controller who sees an opportunity to get multiple targets with a blast or burst will often ask others to delay, or at least not move into the danger zone. When I first started playing 4e this was actually a really big problem for our group. The controller didn’t want to tip his hand until his turn in the initiative came around. He’d then announced he was using an attack that would target all creatures, including a few PCs. Had he delayed long enough for us to move or had he told us to delay and not get in the area of effect we’d have saved a lot of hit points. Eventually we learned to communicate better and this happens a lot less often now.

Stay Within Range

The most common reason to stay close to other party members is when you need healing. You never forget the first time you move too far away to get healed only to drop the next round. By delaying long enough for a leader to heal you, you have a greater chance of staying on your feet and a greater chance of helping the party achieve victory.

Weed Out Minions

Nothing angers players running strikers more than “wasting” their attack on a minion. After the first round or two our strikers will often delay long enough for other adjacent party member to attack new monsters first. If the monster falls down then he knows it was a minions and the striker can look for a different target. If the monster is still standing the striker moves in and does his thing, often with combat advantage since the other PC is already adjacent to the target.

Get a Save

Delaying to get healed is a good idea, but delaying to get a saving throw is a great idea. If you’re affected by a condition that stops you from being effective until you save (slow, immobilized, daze, or weakened, for example), you can always delay long enough for another PC to grant you a save.

Remember that an adjacent ally can use Heal as a standard action to grant you a save. Depending on what condition is affecting you and what you’re capable of doing when it’s gone, it might be worth another PC giving up their attack to make that Heal check.

The only time delaying in order to get a save won’t help is when you’ve got ongoing damage or need to make a death save. If you were at 16 in the initiative when these conditions occurred then they trigger next round when 16 comes around, even if you choose to delay down to 6 so the Cleric can grant you a save.

Tactical Delay

Sometimes delaying will actually speed up combat. When everyone insists on going when it’s their turn then a lot of attacks are not as effective. For example, if a monster has 25 hit points left and the striker typically does 30+ damage then other attackers should delay and let the striker go first because that single attack will likely kill the monster. Any other attacks on the monster before the striker goes are wasted actions. Monsters fall when they reach 0 hit points. Bringing them to -20 makes no difference.

When the party communicates they can put their resources where they’ll do the most good and that usually means shuffling the initiative by delaying again and again throughout the battle.

In a recent encounter the monster’s tactic was to grab the nearest PCs while all the other monsters attacked him. Creatures grabbed took twice the normal damage. As soon as one PC was grabbed everyone started using their powers with forced movement to free him. The Wizard, who acted next in the initiative order after the monsters, used a forced movement power to slide the monster away and break the grab.

Normally this is a great idea. However, the grabbed PC needed healing badly and the Bard agreed to use Majestic Word on his turn. Had the Wizard delayed, the Majestic Word would have freed the PC from the grab since it lets the Bard slide the recipient one square. By delaying, the Wizard could have used a power that targeted multiple monsters and inflicted a lot more damage. The power he actually used certainly did the job and broke the grab, but it inflicted no damage. Had the Bard made it clear to the Wizard that the Majestic Word would free the grabbed PC, the Wizard could have either taken another action or delayed until he confirmed the grabbed PC was freed.

Delaying long enough for one or two of your allies to act can often let you be more effective on your turn. If everyone is playing to their strengths the battle will end faster despite players delaying.

Ready an Action

Players who are reluctant to delay are usually even more reluctant to ready an action. At least if they delay they can jump back into the initiative order whenever they want to, but if they ready an action it can only be taken if the triggering condition is met. If not they’ve essentially wasted their turn. Or have they?

Players will generally ready an action because of extreme circumstance. They anticipate something (usually bad) will happen and they want to be ready when it does. If that trigger doesn’t happen then that bad thing obviously didn’t happen. Readying an action you never get to take shouldn’t be seen as a waste.

Many players and DMs are not entirely clear about what happens when you ready an action. To summarize you indicate what kind of action you’re going to take and the specific condition that will trigger that action. When the condition is met you take an immediate reaction to do whatever you indicated you were going to do. Your spot in the initiative moves to just before the creature that triggered the readied action.

Readying an action has the added bonus of happening on the monster’s turn which means that it cannot use interrupts in response to your attack. This is a popular tactic for PCs who use powers that daze or stun when they’re fighting monsters with interrupts that allow them to shrug off the effects or get an immediate save against the effect.

Because some DMs aren’t sure how to handle readied actions they allow very vague triggers. I suspect this is because they don’t want the player to miss their turn waiting for a trigger that isn’t likely to happen. I’ve also seen jerk DMs who will have monsters act out of character and deliberately change their normal actions so that they specifically do not trigger the readied action. When players see a DM do this once too often they decide that it’s just not worth readying an action, which is unfortunate.

In my experience readying an action can often be a really exciting part of a battle. Because it doesn’t generally happen that often it becomes a big deal when it does, especially if thing play out as the player readying the action expects it to.

For example, in a recent adventure the party knocked a monster into a pit. The Wizard stood on the edge and readied a Beguiling Strands to target the monster if it managed to climb up successfully. Since the pit was deep enough that the monster needed to use a double move to escape, the readied action went off after it completed its first movement. The Wizard ended up holding the readied action for three consecutive rounds while the other PCs used ranged attacks to shoot the “fish in the barrel.”

When the monster finally managed to succeed on its climb check, the Wizard blasted it, knocking it off the wall and causing it to take falling damage. The Wizard readied the same action for another round before the other PCs managed to kill the creature at the bottom of the pit.

The Wizard could have used Magic Missile to just shoot the monster and deal automatic damage, but reading the blast was a lot more exciting. When the monster finally met the conditions and the triggered action went off the whole table cheered. The player certainly felt that readying the action was worth the wait.

How often do players at your table delay? Do you find that it’s the same players who delay all the time or does everyone delay as necessary? How about readied actions? How often do they occur at your gaming table?

Related reading:

• Use Teamwork, Aid Another
• Should Monsters Employ Smart Tactics?
• Avoiding Death (Part 1 | Part 2)

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While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2011. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

A catchphrase can certainly add personality to an otherwise dull character. But it can work in reverse as well. If your catchphrase is weak or silly you can make an interesting character seem dull in a hurry.

I’ve heard my share of lame catchphrase at the gaming table. Some of the worst catchphrases I’ve ever heard are nothing more than really bad puns. I don’t think a con goes by where I don’t hear “It’s hammer time!” from the guy playing a Dwarf with a hammer, “Let me axe you a question,” from a PC with a axe, or “I’m giving him the shaft,” from an archer. If you’re going to go to the trouble of actually creating and using a catchphrase please try to be imaginative. I realize that puns or wordplay can get a quick chuckle from the table, but the ones like I’ve described here aren’t funny or original. They’re just lame.

There’s a reason that some of the coolest characters in D&D and fantasy fictions are the strong silent type: saying the wrong thing is often worse than saying nothing at all. So when you decide that your character is going to use a catchphrase, just make sure to it’s something interesting. It can be funny, especially if it’s derived from previous failure or an unexpected success, but don’t bore the table with nothing more than a bad pun. Now you know. “And knowing is half the battle!”

From April 8, 2011, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: Character Catchphrases.

“I’ll be back.” “D’oh!” “Go ahead, make my day.” A clever catchphrase is an easy way to make a run-of-the-mill character more memorable. As you play more and more characters over time they’ll likely start to blurring together in your memory. Distinguish you next character by giving him a catchphrase.

If you’re playing a public game at your FLGS or at a convention then you often end up at a table with six complete strangers. What better way to distinguish yourself and your character than with a clever catchphrase.

The Wizard that shouts in a funny voice “Heeeeeeeeeere comes my missile” may seem annoying at first, but I guarantee that when you tell your friends about your last D&D game you tell them all about that PC. Meanwhile the other characters all fade into the background.

The key to a good catchphrase is to realize how often you should use it. Think about characters in pop culture that use catchphrases. You may think they use them all the time, but the best ones are used only at specific times. In D&D a character that just keeps repeating his catchphrase is bound to get knifed in the back by the other members of his party just to shut him up. But if a clever catchphrase is used at just the right time and with just the right frequency then it will certainly add something to that PC and to the game.

Types of Catchphrases

The Battle Cry Catchphrase

The most common catchphrases in D&D are the battle cries. Divine characters will often shout out the name of their deity as they charge headlong into melee. Martial character likely just bellow at the top of their lungs, perhaps shouting an insult or two.

A truly clever player can easily come up with something suitable and more memorable than just a growling yell. The Thing from The Fantastic Four always yells out “It’s clobberin’ time!” when he’s about to smash someone to a pulp.

Puns are often criticized as being the lowest form of comedy, but when it comes to a catchphrase they can work really well. A maul-wielding Dwarf who runs into battle screaming “It’s hammer time!” may not seem very imaginative, but he’s certainly going to be memorable.

Not all catchphrases need to be called out in the heat of battle. Before killing someone, Jack Nicholson’s Joker asked “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” and Samuel L. Jackson’s Jules from Pulp Fiction quoted an entire bible verse before killing someone. This certainly makes your character memorable but it will have limited uses in most games. In the case of Jules, his catchphrase probably took almost a minute to complete. That’s 10 rounds. Your character may not have that kind of time.

The Social Catchphrase

Depending on how often your gaming group engages in social role-playing you may find a different kind of catchphrase more appropriate. Something as simple as the way you introduce yourself can work wonders, just think of that famous British secret agent, “Bond, James Bond.”

Nonsense Catchphrases

Sometime the most memorable catchphrases are nothing more than someone mispronouncing a word, saying a name in a funny way or just blazingly announcing their most common attack strategy. The words may not make sense outside of that first initial contextual usage, but as far as the party is concerned that character wouldn’t be the same if he didn’t keep repeating it.

Catchphrase Origins

Accidental

In my experience accidental catchphrases are better and tend to have more staying power. They often come about when a character does something stupid or unexpected at a key moment. The player says something off the wall, inappropriate or over the top. Assuming the character survives the gaff, you know that it’s likely to be repeated the next time a similar situation is presented.

Sometimes the character who coined the phrase never ends up using it again; rather the rest of the party uses it to mock his initial foolishness.

Intentional

Intentionally creating a catchphrase is risky. Although your desire is to create a memorable and defining battle cry for your character, there is a good chance that the plan will backfire. In many cases catchphrases just come off as contrived and forced. But that’s not to say that they don’t work.

If your objective is simply to have people remember your PC, even a bad catchphrase will do the trick. The problem is that people may opt not to include you in their next game if you insist on playing the guy with the dumb catchphrase.

Catchphrases are certainly not for everyone. A party in which everyone has a catchphrase or two is likely to unravel into chaos really quickly. Choose your moments carefully and make sure that your catchphrase helps define the character you want to play.

If you’ve never thought of using a catchphrase for your character I encourage you to give it a try. Whether you run into battle shouting “It’s clobberin’ time!” or “Leeeeeeeeeeeeeroy Jenkins!” a character catchphrase is sure to leave a lasting impression at your gaming table.

What are some catchphrases you’ve used or heard at your gaming table over the years? Have any catchphrases ever been so bad that you’ve insisted another player stop using it?

Related reading:

• Make Your Character More Than Just Numbers
• Character Creation Tips
• Creating A Character Around A Concept

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While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2011. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

We all like getting stuff, whether it’s in real life or in game. If it’s new, it’s exciting. In the case of magical items they have the added benefit of being powerful; likely more powerful than the items you currently possess. But being able to discover everything about an item over the course of a short rest, a mere 5 minutes in game, is a lot like receiving a gift without wrapping paper. Where’s the surprise? Where’s the suspense? And more importantly where’s the joy that comes from finally discovering what’s actually beneath that disguised exterior?

By making magical identification harder you take something that was once a thrilling part of the game, and add the excitement back into getting something new. When you don’t know what the magic sword actually does (beyond providing a plus or two) it’s like looking at all the wrapped presents underneath a Christmas tree with your name on them. You know that eventually you’ll get to open those presents, but until then there’s the anticipation of what they might be? Is that box a new video game or a pair of dress socks? Does that small packable contain a gift card to your favourite store or is it a last minute bauble from a discount store?

By making magical identification harder you bring back anticipation. You make the PCs and the players live with the suspense of not knowing what that item will be. And when they finally do discover the item’s full potential it’s just like being a kid on Christmas morning and finally getting to open all those presents that you could see but not open in the day days and weeks leading up to Christmas.

From October 7, 2011, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: Make Magical Item Identification Harder.

In its attempt to simplify things and keep the game and the players focused on the important details, identifying magical items in 4e is something any PC can do during a short rest. I think it’s time for this to change. This is something that they had right in previous editions of D&D.

In this week’s Legends & Lore column Magic and Mystery, Monte Cook talked about the wonder of magical items. He focused mainly on the idea of magic being too commonplace in most campaigns, but he also brushed on the idea that some magical items should have hidden properties that are only revealed when certain conditions are met. This really got me thinking about the whole mechanic of magic item identification.

Based on the current rules all a PC has to do to identity an item is spend time handling and examine it during a short rest. After the five minutes are up they know that the sword is a +2 Frost Weapon or that the boots are Goblin Stompers. They know the exact nature and properties of the item. I realize that this makes things simpler but it also makes things boring.

What happened to the mystery? What happened to the fear? What happened to the sense of wonder upon discovering that your magical staff was actually so much more than a glorified walking stick? It’s gone in order to keep things simple. Well I think it’s time to bring back some of the mystery and wonder in magic items and the simplest way to do that is to stop revealing everything about a magic item just because a PC played with it between fights.

Once upon a time there were only two ways to figure out what your magic item actually did: magical identification or trial and error. Magical identification usually involved time and material resources. Since these were not always available the trial and error method was a lot more common. Once a magical aura was detected the PCs would just start using it and hope for the best.

In the case of weapons or armor the DM wouldn’t reveal the enchantment bonus until it was actually discovered. Until then the DM would add the requisite amount to attack and damage rolls for weapons and defenses for armor. It meant more work for the DM but it made the game a lot more exciting and fun.

In the case of less obvious magical items, basically anything not a weapon or armor, the PCs just put it on and when the conditions were met it would activate. Once the power kicked in the DM would incorporate that into the narrative and the player would be able to record the actual item’s power on his character sheet. Again, it was a little bit more bookkeeping for the DM but it was a lot more fun for the players.

The 4e DMG flat out contradicts the idea of withholding this information. In fact it says “It’s not fun to use a magic item without knowing its capabilities. Tell the players at least any numerical bonus the item gives. You don’t want to hear ‘I hit AC 31… plus whatever this sword’s bonus is,’ for hours or weeks on end.”

I don’t know if I agree with this statement. Some of my fondest memories of D&D involve using (or not using) magic items that the party has not identified. When a party finds an item they have to decide if they should identify the item now or leave it for later. Unless time and money are in vast supply the usual decision is to wait. Most players will risk using an enchanted item rather than stowing it until it can be identified. Unless the DM has a propensity to use cursed items in his game, there are very few down sides to using an unidentified magical item. In some cases the party discovers the items powers before they have time to identify it and they end up saving themselves time and money.

I remember numerous occasions when I was the DM and the party was using various unidentified items. I often created encounters that would intentionally give the PCs opportunities to meet the conditions required to activate their items. The players knew I often did this and they looked forward to it. It didn’t always work out as I intended but it was always a lot of fun. When a PC had boots that allowed him to jump greater distances or a Ring of Feather Falling I had a lot of pits and wide ledges that the players could jump across. When a PC had a weapon that was really a fire weapon or armor that provided resistance to cold I had them fight cold-based monsters. You get the idea.

In the case of magical weapons and armor the PCs usually figured out the enchantment bonuses by the end of one gaming session. If not I usually revealed it to them for the exact reason stated in the DMG.

Tracking the true properties of every unidentified magical item certainly put more work on the DM’s shoulders but it was often well worth it. The players felt every item was special because they often had no idea that they only had a +1 long bow. All they knew was that it was magical and that was good enough. When the party had some down time, usually between adventures or during a long journey, the Wizard or other character with suitable skills or spells to identify the loot would do so.

By making the magical identification process something that actually expends resources it allows players to choose whether or not identifying items is something they want to excel. Players could tailor their PC by taking powers, feats, and rituals that allowed them to identify items faster and easier. The down side is that they had to sacrifice other options that might give them bonuses to attack and defenses. It all depended on the kind of character the player was interested in running.

If magical item identification was introduced into 4e this is how I’d do it. A check from a PC trained in Arcana or Religion could sense a magical aura. Alternatively a History check might reveal some unique marking on the item that revealed it’s creator or its previous owner. Finally a Perception check could reveal superior craftsmanship since almost all magical items are masterwork quality.

Once the PCs know or suspect that an item is magical they can try to identify it. I’d create ritual to meet this need. However any ritual to identify items would need to scale (in level and component costs) or else it would be nothing more than annoying once the PCs found a few gp. Perhaps the level 1 ritual would only reveal heroic tier enchantments, the level 11 ritual would reveal paragon and heroic tier enchantments, and the level 21 ritual would reveal everything. This would stop really high level PCs from continuing to cast the level 1 ritual. If they did all they’d be able to confirm is that the weapon was at least +2 enchantment, even if it was really a +5 Holy Avenger. For that they’d need to perform the level 21 ritual since +5 items are in the epic tier.

Potions and other minor consumables are a whole different case. Any ritual to identify items would likely cost as much or more than the value of the potion itself. I’d rule that one ritual casting could identify multiple potions keeping in mind the scaling. Or maybe there could be another ritual that was a flat price and was only good for identifying potions.

Although potions are magical I’ve always assumed that similar potions are generally made from the same base materials. This means that PC may be able to identify potions by smell or taste. In my games I’ve always said that healing potions smells like almonds (I’m sure I borrowed this from a fantasy novel but I can’t remember where the idea came from originally). This allows heroes in my game to identify common potions with a successful Perception checks. They’re not right 100% of the time but 19/20 is still a pretty good ratio.

The uncertainty that comes from an unidentified vial makes for a lot of great role-playing. During a fight when you’re low on hit points do you drink the potion that smells like almonds hoping that it will restore hit points or do you hold off fearing that it might actually be poison?

I’ve played and run more than a few games in which a PC has quaffed a potion that smelled like almonds hoping for a healing potion but discovering the hard way that it was something more exciting and certainly unexpected. A few of the best examples were when the potion turned out to be a Potion of Dragon Breath, a Flying Potion and a Potion of Invisibility. On a few very rare occasions it was poison. However, more often than not it was exactly what the PC thought it was. After all why would the dead adventure you took it from have kept it on his body in the fist place if it wasn’t beneficial? If he had three identical potions it makes more sense that they’re healing potions and not three other different potions that just happen to look and smell the same.

The rules as written do say that PCs can easily and quickly identify magical enchantments. This is the way 4e has worked since its beginning and there’s been very little outrage. If this is working in your game then keep doing it. But if you’re like me and have played a lot of D&D then perhaps you’re looking for a way to add a spark to you next game. I think that withholding a magical item’s properties for a little while will make for a lot of really fun encounters and some unexpected role-playing. Suddenly the hack and slash guy wants to visit the Wizards’ Guild so that they can tell him if his new magical hammer is more than just a +2 hammer. I think that the quote from the DMG I referenced above certainly has merit, but I don’t think it’s true for all gamers who play D&D. I know that I for one will be changing the way magic is identify in my games moving forward.

What are your thoughts on identifying magical items? Is the current mechanic working? Do you think there’s value in withholding such information? Do you think players will enjoy the possibility of using trial and error to identify their newly gotten gains or will they just be annoyed? What are some of your best D&D memories that involve situations where a PC used an unidentified item?

Related reading:

• Who Owned Your Magic Sword Before You Did?
• What’s a +1 Sword?
• What Do You Mean All My Magic Items Are Gone!

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