The Spy In Our Midst is the second module offering from the team at Dungeon’s Master. This module continues the adventure path started in our first module, The Magistrate’s Daughter. It is designed for first level characters. Playing both modules should provide PCs with enough experience to advance to second level. We hope that you enjoy the module and would appreciate your feedback.
History is one of those skills that many PCs are trained in but don’t really know how or when to use it. Here are 10 new and creative ways to get more out of History.
The basic assumption is that History can only be used to remember things that happened in the past. Sure it can be used in this way, but this is certainly not the only way to use History.
Eleven of the seventeen core classes can take training in History. Three races have a +2 racial bonus in History. So there is a very strong likelihood that every party will have multiple PCs who count History as one of their best skills. If everyone’s so good in History why isn’t it being used more? Lack of imagination, that’s why.
A retired soldier, down on his luck and in desperate need of cash, recently pawned his dead wife’s wedding band. After coming into a few coins, the result of a lucky wager, he returned to the pawn shop to buy back the ring. Unfortunately the shop was recently burgled and the ring was stolen along with four others.
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t split the party. Sure, it might make sense based on the situation the PCs are in, but it’s a nightmare to play it out. What usually ends up happening is that half the people at the table can’t do anything but watch while their companions go left and they go right. It’s extremely difficult to keep the people not in the “active” group focused since PCs not in the scene can’t offer suggestions or actively participate. When I’m the DM, I do everything I can to discourage splitting up.
But an interesting thing happened this weekend during my Sunday night game. We split up and it worked spectacularly. My hat is off to Suddry, that evening’s DM, for taking a usually disastrous situation and making it one of the most memorable nights of D&D we’ve had in a long time. Here’s how it played out and what we learned from it.
The PCs are camping in the wild. Someone, or something, approaches in the middle of the night. In this circumstance, combat should only be considered as a last resort.
Presented below are three possible reasons for the PCs to be engaged in this skill challenge.
The exact nature of the threat is left up to the DM. Some of the DC may need to be altered depending on the creature threatening the camp.
Do you think your really high Endurance is only good for holding your breath? You couldn’t be more wrong. Here are 10 new and creative ways to get more out of Endurance. So, for all those Fighters who have training in Endurance and don’t know what to do with it, read on.
A recent earthquake has uncovered a temple from a long-forgotten age. Rogues from a nearby town immediately tried to loot the temple, but were injured or killed by magical traps still active within. The head of the local church believes that if magic preserved the traps, perhaps it also preserved books, tomes, or other magical artifacts. He has been trying to put together a party to explore the temple, but the local folk are too afraid to do it.
The PCs travel through a particularity hazardous section of underground passages.
This skill challenge is broken into five encounters. In order to overcome the skill challenge the PCs must complete all five encounters. The DM can present the encounters in any order he sees fit. Each encounter will indicate the maximum number of successes that can be earned during that encounter. Failures are cumulative and carry forward through the entire skill challenge.
We’ve reached our first significant milestone: Dungeon’s Master has been live for one month. As we promised in our first post, we published one new article every day during February. Thank you to all the readers who have checked us out and kept coming back. We welcome your comments and feedback, so please let us know what you think.
The lord of the land is ill and dying. The man next in the line of succession is a tyrant. There are rumours that the lord has an illegitimate son who could challenge for the throne.