Tag: Dungeon’s Master

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D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Search for the Diamond Staff (Week 3)

search-for-the-diamond-staff-coverAt the end of last week’s session the party followed the thieving Orcs that stole the Diamond Staff a few miles north of Hap. From the party’s vantage point they could see the entrance to a cave, half blocked by gnarled tree roots and moss. This was definitely where the Orcs went.

Should they wait for the Orcs to come out or should they follow them inside? After a quick discussion to decide whether or not resting was necessary, the PCs decided that the need for speed outweighed any counter argument to wait and rest. Fortunately none of the PCs were too banged up from the previous two encounters so they were confident they could handle the Orcs.

Due to the holidays (July 1 in Canada and July 4 in the U.S.A.), a lot of our regular gamers were on vacation this week. At Harry T North in Toronto we ended up with three DMs and six players. One of the DM volunteered to just run everyone as one massive party. Fortunately we’re using the D&D Next rules this season, so running such a large group didn’t seem as imposing or cumbersome as it would with 4e.

The party ended up with the following cast of characters: Human Monk, Halfling Rogue, Dwarf Fighter, Human Rogue, Elf Cleric, Human Wizard, Human Monk, and Half-Elf Ranger (my character). It turned out to be a very impressive mix.

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Actual Play Podcast at Harry T North (Season 14 Week 3) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Actual Play Podcast at Silver Snail (Season 14 Week 3) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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D&D Encounters Player Resources

We’ve Added D&D Next Characters to Our Pre-Gen Library

The Dungeon’s Master Pre-Generated Character Library is one of our most popular pages. It houses all of the character Wizards has provided for D&D Encounters over the years as well as many fan-made characters. We’ve continued to add more characters, including characters above level 1, in order to keep our library useful for all people playing at their FLGS on Wednesdays.

With more and more groups switching their weekly D&D Encounters adventures to D&D Next we felt it was time to create a library for the D&D Next pre-gens. Wizards has provided six pre-generated characters with the playtest packets. These six characters are each available at levels 1, 3, and 4. For your convenience we’ve added links to all of the PDFs in our D&D Next Pre-Generated Character Library. These pre-gens are the property of Wizards of the Coast and the information on these characters fall under the umbrella of the D&D Next NDA.

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DM Resources

6 Tips for Making Potions Fun Again

potionsSome of my fondest memories of D&D involve a situation where a character drinks an unidentified potion. The results were usually chaotic, hilarious, or both. However, as D&D changed so to did the mystery and wonder that potions can bring to the game.

In 4e D&D the system became so magic heavy that potions were of little consequence. At low levels when a potion can actually make a difference, identifying them is automatic during a short rest. I can’t remember the last time characters had a potion in their inventory that they couldn’t identify.

I’ve recently started using the D&D Next rules during public play and in my home games. It draws heavy influence from the older editions of D&D where magic was rare (much more so than it is in 4e). It’s been so long since I’ve played in games with limited magic treasure that I’ve really had to change my gaming mentality to keep things interesting. By thinking back to those fantastic campaigns I was part of in my younger years, I remember the awe and wonder in the simplest elements of the game. Everyone in the party doesn’t need a +1 sword to make their character interesting and to have fun. But when magic is introduced, it’s a big deal.

In a system with limited magic items, even consumables such as potions and scrolls are deemed valuable and important. They always have been, but when there are over 100 other magic items in a party, no one cares about a simple potion. But in a party where there are only one or two magic items, discovering a few potions in the treasure horde is a real find.

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DM Resources

Friday Favourite: Breaking Away From Procedural Story-Telling

On Friday we comb through our extensive archives to find an older article that we feel deserves another look. From October 26, 2011, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: Breaking Away From Procedural Story-Telling.

When you watch an episode of CSI, Law & Order, or NCIS you know that by the end of the show all the loose ends will be tied up. The villain will be captured, the conflict resolved and the story wrapped up nicely. This formula for procedural story-telling is gratifying because you know that it’s going to be self-contained. There’s rarely an expectation that you’ll need any more than a rudimentary knowledge of the story coming in and that when it’s done you can walk away satisfied that no questions were left unanswered.

D&D adventures usually follow a similar procedural approach. The DM sets the stage, introduces the conflict and the villains, and after a few encounters everything is resolved. The exception is a long-term home campaign where the DM creates a much larger story arc, but even when this is the case the stops along the way are almost always resolved as quickly as they happen.

This is not to say that procedural story-telling is a bad thing. If it’s what everyone expects and it makes all the participants happy then by all means keep doing it. But if this is the way your game has run for as long as you can remember then perhaps it’s time to leave some details unresolved. After all, real life isn’t usually anything like the procedural shows we see on TV. There are always loose ends and things left unresolved.

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D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Search for the Diamond Staff (Week 2)

search-for-the-diamond-staff-coverLast week’s encounter ended when the party defeated a band of Orcs who were attacking the village of Hap in the Dalelands. As the party took a quick breather to patch their wounds and assess the situation they heard the faint sounds of combat coming from Imani’s tower. Clearly there were still Orcs about and the party’s job wasn’t completed.

We had a decent turn out at Harry T North in Toronto this week. We had 13 players and three DMs so we ran three tables, all using the D&D Next rules. My table had five players all together: three from last week, one regular who happened to be absent last week ,and one brand new player who hadn’t played since 3e. The party consisted of a Dwarf Cleric, Human Rogue, Human Cleric, Elf Ranger, and Human Wizard.

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Actual Play Podcast at Harry T North (Season 14 Week 2) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Actual Play Podcast at Silver Snail (Season 14 Week 2) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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DM Resources Player Resources

Watch the PBS Off Book Documentary on Dungeons & Dragons

While reading through my Twitter feed today I saw that Rodney Thompson (@wotc_rodney) a professional game designer and developer at Wizards of the Coast had shared a link to a short D&D documentary. Naturally I clicked on it and watch to see how D&D was being portrayed in the media this time. I was extremely happy to see a fair and reasonable depiction of the hobby I love so much. If you’re into tabletop RPGs, and D&D specifically I recommend you take 7 minutes and watch it.

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Friday Favourites

Friday Favourite: Even a Regular Item Can Become an Adventure Hook

On Friday we comb through our extensive archives to find an older article that we feel deserves another look. From September 7, 2011, Dungeon’s Master once again presents: Even a Regular Item Can Become an Adventure Hook.

Sometimes the most interesting and memorable part of a D&D adventure is the stuff that happens between the structured encounters. These are often instances when the players do something unexpected and the DM is forced to fly by the seat of his pants. If the DM pulls it off successfully the result can be a scenario that is talked about for a long time. If only there was a way to scrip this kind of strange happenstance?

Spontaneity cannot be scripted by its very nature; however there are ways to still get the effect you’re looking for by giving the PCs a nudge in the right direction. And you don’t have to look any further than their equipment list. When it comes to inventory on a character sheet, most players are really only concerned with magical items and money. The other regular stuff is usually added to the list as an afterthought. So why not have so fun with the regular stuff.

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D&D Encounters

D&D Encounters: Search for the Diamond Staff (Week 1)

search-for-the-diamond-staff-coverThis week we began season 14 of D&D Encounters: Search of the Diamond Staff. The adventure takes place in the Dalelands of the Forgotten Realms. The adventure begins shortly after the events that occurred during the D&D Game Day: Vault of the Dracolich. There was no requirement to play the Game Day adventure first, but anyone who did came into this season of Encounters with a bit more knowledge of the back story, a little bit more XP and possibly even a magical item.

During the Game Day adventure multiple adventuring parties made a coordinated attack on the lair of an undead Dragon in an attempt to recover the Diamond Staff of Chomylla. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the adventurers on Game Day, the Wizard Imani now has the Diamond Staff in his possession and that’s where things pick up in week 1.

We decided at the end of the previous season to try using the D&D Next rules this time around. This decision was made in part to allow people to continue on with the PCs they planned to play at Game Day. Most of the players who normally participate in D&D Encounters at Harry T North in Toronto were at the Game Day so that made for a very smooth transition into week 1.

This week we had 12 players and two DMs. The party at my table consisted of the following characters: Half-Orc Ranger, Half-Orc Paladin, Human Cleric, Human Wizard, Elf Wizard, Dwarf Cleric.

The adventure began with the PCs answering a summons from Imani. Once all the heroes introduced themselves and exchanged pleasantries, Imani addressed them and provided details on what they were being hired to do.

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Actual Play Podcast at Harry T North (Season 14 Week 1) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Actual Play Podcast at Silver Snail (Season 14 Week 1) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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DM Resources

Should the DM Use a Screen?

dm-screen-1
Picture by Mike Shea of Slyflourish.com

The DM’s screen – the great barrier that separates the DM from the players. Behind the screen the DM can do whatever he pleases. Personally I detest the DM’s screen. It forms a literal barrier that divides the table and cuts the DM off from the rest of the group. I feel that the screen only serves to perpetuate the incorrect belief that it’s the DM vs. the players. The screen denotes exclusivity and secrecy and in my vast gaming experiences it often gives the DM a false sense of self-worth, self-importance and power over the rest of the table.

Obviously the DM’s role in the game is different from that of the players. Yes, the DM has more to do, and controls all of the monsters, and decides on how things in the world play out, so I understand why some DMs get drunk with power. But there’s a simple way to level the playing field and bridge any ill will between the DM and players, and that’s to stop using the screen all together. I realize this may be scary for some DMs, so we’ll look at the most common reasons for using a screen and review the pros and cons of each.

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D&D Encounters

D&D Game Day: Vault of the Dracolich – Wrap up

game-day-2013On Saturday, June 15, gamers in Toronto gathered in the basement cafeteria of a local college and stormed the Vault of the Dracolich. Despite some initial logistical challenges the event ran smoothly and everyone had a great time. Today we’re going to share our story and photos from 2013 D&D Game Day in Toronto.

A Rocky Start

The decision to hold our Game Day event at a neutral site and not at any one particular FLGS seemed good in theory. We could draw players from multiple shops in the area without any of the owners feeling that their store was being sleighed and their players poached. Some of the participating stores are on the fringes of the city and difficult for many players to get to. The college was a convenient downtown location close to public transit and with plenty of parking. It was ideal for everyone involved.

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