Our newest D&D side quest, Fane of Madness is available on Limitless-Adventures.com. This short D&D quest can be placed in any city or urban area with little or no prep and is intended for four characters of fifth level.
At a glance:
When I’m not writing blog posts or running games, I work as an English instructor at my local community college. The longer I teach, the more I see my teacher-side creeping into my game table, and I think this is actually a good thing. Several of the strategies I use in the classroom have actually provided more enjoyment and an all-around better game (at least in my opinion).
Give your players homework
I find giving my players some small task to do during downtime creates a richer role-playing experience and helps to foster better-developed characters. I always offer some reward as an incentive, usually in the way of XP, but you could offer gold, items, or possibly agree to indulge the play in a side quest or goal.
Examples:
Give handouts
As a teacher I like my students to have something tangible they can look at after class and think about we’ve worked on. The same holds true for the game table; as a PC and a DM I enjoy these handouts immensely, especially maps. This may seem weird (but I’m sure I’m not alone on this), but I enjoy looking at maps of the game world and trying to imagine what secrets reside on those hexes, what adventures are waiting for me.
Note: I think handouts differ from props slightly. We’ll cover props in a different article. Where did I put my foam sword…?
Examples:
Make time to plan your class
Students (and players) can tell when you’ve thrown a game together at the last second. It really hurts the game experience because it puts your players closer to reality, while the purpose of role-playing is to immerse yourself in a secondary world and lose yourself for a few hours. One thing that I find that helps with campaign planning is to keep a log of all the happening in the night’s adventure. Keep a list of people and places that players interact with. You will be amazed at how many adventure hooks the players will create for you. (The guy they picked a fight with at the tavern, the person whose pocket they picked, the loved ones of the monster or npc they killed. Etc) While occasionally it is fun to play a session on the fly, more often than not you’ll want a series of possibilities open, and unless you run a pre-planned world, you’ll need to sit down and prep. (Note: We ran an article a while back that provided prep-time reducing handouts for the DM, a list of NPC names by race, and a list of treasures by encounter level. Both can be found here.)
Give course evaluations
Evaluations, when given in a thoughtful, honest manner, can make you a better teacher. If my students didn’t care for a certain text or film, I generally choose something different the next time I teach the course. The great thing about teaching at the college level is that every sixteen weeks I get to try things differently.
The same approach holds true at the table. Ask your players for honest feedback. Ask your players what they like and write to that. I have some players for example, that could really do without combat, while I can’t remove all they action from the game, and I always try to put some level of mental challenge or puzzle in for that player when they’re present. Sometimes DMs write for themselves rather than for their players. Don’t be afraid to ask your players what they like and dislike about your game. It may be awkward at first, but it will lead to a more enjoyable experience.
-Andy
Do you want some new monsters but don’t want to pay for additional monster manuals? Well the following are monsters from the D&D 3.5 archive and posted here for use in your game.
Alkilith (Tanar’ri), Myrmyxicus (Tanar’ri),Fey Touched Template (Fiend Folio)
Effigy, Gravorg, Mountain Giant (MM II)
Ambush Drake, Boneclaw, Dracotaur, Grisgol, Summoning Ooze, Wood Woad (MM III)
Black Rock Triskelion, Defacer, Dwarf Ancestor, Bluespawn Godslayer (MM IV)
Arcadian Avenger, Dragons of the Great Game, Verdant Reaver (MM V)
Shunned (Drow of the Underdark)
The 3.5 archives are full of valuable information and though it is more difficult to find since 4th edition, it is still there if you’re willing to hunt around for it.
-Andy
GM screens can be useful tools. They are covered in somewhat useful information, and you can use them to shield your rolls and your miniatures. That said, there are some things that a GM’s screen doesn’t cover. Have you ever been in a game where this happens? :
DM: The blacksmith, a grimy dwarf with a long scar on his face, smiles as he hands you the newly forged sword.
Player: Cool, what’s his name?
DM: Um… (looking around the room), Table…Tablemen…yeah…his name is Tablemen.
Player: Did you just look at the table and name him Tablemen?
DM: Um…roll initiative.
Sound familiar? How about this one?
DM: With a flourish of your sword, you slay the last orc in chamber. What would you like to do?
Player: We search the orcs and the chamber for treasure.
DM: Um… (scrambles for a DMG)…you find something, I’ll roll it later.
Player: But, we could find something that would be useful in the rest of the dungeon.
DM: Fine. (Game comes to a halt for the next ten minutes and any momentum is lost)
These are scenarios that I have encountered multiple times, both as a player and as a GM. In an attempt to prevent scenes like these from happening in the future I have created two handouts that should help. The first is a sheet of names for each of the standard fantasy races(26 names per gender, per race). The second is a list of treasure in order of challenge rating (three entries per CR, 1st-20th).
These handouts aren’t meant to be used during the planning phase of your adventure (you would go through the treasure and names quickly), instead reserve them for those instances when your players ask you the name of an NPC you didn’t deem important enough to warrant a name, and for those time when your players wander into an encounter you didn’t expect (and therefore didn’t roll treasure for).
I hope you find them useful. Print them out, paper clip them inside your GM screen, and never be caught off guard again.
-Andy
Illusionists, in 1st and 2nd edition, were always the cute and cuddly spell-casters who could make the orc you were fighting grow bunny ears, and whose best option in a scrap was to disappear only to reappear when he whiffed with his puny dagger +1. No more my friends, the illusionist of third edition is the undisputed master of the shadow plane. In this article, we will look at each spell level and the best options available for the illusionist who wants to be more than the party charlatan. In this article we will make use of the Player Handbook (3.5), the Players Handbook II, and the Spell Compendium, as each of these books has a plethora of useful new spells and are a must have for any 3.5 edition DM’s collection.
Turn this...
Level 0- One should not overlook the usefulness of zero level spells. While ghost sound is the only PHB option for illusion spells. However, the spell silent portal from the spell compendium could have its uses. One could use this spell on a door that the party thief is picking, covering up the noise. Or it could be used to prevent any makeshift alarm traps on a door. For a zero level spell, it has options, if you are looking for a change in place of your typical ghost sound.
Level 1- If your illusionist can tolerate the mockery of his party( about being a leprechaun, for example)the best 1st level illusion spell is, hands down, color spray. While its uses fade for higher-level spell casters, a first level spell that has four different status effects that is pretty tough to beat. I have seen this spell used on my party at low levels and it practically incapacitated the entire group. In fact out of the first level offensive spells color spray is probably one of the best spells overall. Even though it gives a save, its area of effect is a cone.
Level 2- Invisibility is the bread and butter utility spell, which has dozens of uses and most likely will be memorized by an illusionist as soon as he can access 2nd level spells, but what if I were to tell you that by casting a second level spell twice you could kill 90% of monsters of any hit die that you could encounter… because that is what phantasmal assailants (spell compendium) can do for you! This spell inflicts attribute damage not penalties meaning with a failed save they take 8 wisdom and dexterity damage. This in itself is useful in making the target easier to hit ( by lowering dex) and easier for your spells to take effect ( by lowering wisdom) but if a second spell is casted within the duration, that is 8 more in attribute damage. 16 wisdom or dexterity loss will incapacitate most foes and if not make them sitting ducks for future mind-breaking illusions. Keep in mind the spell does have a duration, and at the end of which the spell will have no use, but if it is casts consecutively, it could lead to a potent combination.
Into this...
Level 3- Displacement is a very useful defensive buff but let us place another potent combination into our grimoire. Suspended silence. Silence is always a useful spell-caster bane. This version gives us a command word activated ability. Imagine casting this on one of your ranger’s arrows and having him pelt the lich with them; you speak the command word basically eliminating most of his offensive capabilities. Or using a bit of subterfuge (invisibility perhaps) you cast this spell on the enemy wizard’s favorite magic item. When combat breaks out you utter the command to leave them spell-less, they must then make the choice to discard the item or go silent. Plus one would imagine if it were a wand or staff they would be unable to activate it because you have silenced them.
Level 4- Greater Invisibility is the lynchpin of mages everywhere, as they cloak themselves to reign death upon their enemies with little recourse. Yet after annoying several DMs with this tactic, eventually more and more enemies will gain the ability to see the invisible, which is when the crafty wizard implements the ever-useful greater mirror Image (PHBII). This spell not only creates more images than the second level companion, but also makes new images over time. This makes the wizard practically as protected from attack as invisibility, but it is much harder to counter.
-Ben
(Next time, we’ll look at level 5-9)
It is hard to match the coolness of gaming with 3D miniatures and terrain, but miniatures can get expensive. A cheaper alternative to miniatures is 2D tokens. Tokens have two major advantages over miniatures: they are much cheaper, and you can create a token to accurately match any creature in your game regardless of system or genre. Best of all, tokens are very simple to make.
Materials List
Time and patience (seriously) Circular paper punch
Photo paper Chipboard
Glue stick Wax paper
Digital images
Step one
Select the images that you want to make tokens of. You can find anything you need by simply running a Google image search. I take my images directly from Wizards of the Coast. You have to search around (or click this link), to find them, but all the art from all the 3.0/3.5 books can be found free of charge. (That is one problem I have with 4th edition, most of the art galleries require a DDI subscription)
Step two
Once you have the images that you want, paste them into a Word or Publisher document. I have seen other sites mention fancy token making software and Photoshop programs, but you don’t need any of those. Simply paste your images onto a MS Word document placing them in even lines. By double clicking the image on the page, you can adjust its size, color, etc.
For some large pictures, you may want to crop the portion that you intend to use. Again, you don’t need fancy software, your computer’s Paint program will work just fine. Make sure the image is larger than the token. For example, a tiny, small, or medium token will be a one-inch circle, so make you image 1.25 – 1.5 inches to ensure you don’t lose any part of the image when you cut it.
Also, don’t bother trying to make a fancy border around your picture, they are hard to cut out and take up valuable space.
Step three
Once you have your images arranged on a Word document, you’re ready to print them out. Use a high-grade photo paper. It costs more, but the added quality is worth the cost.
Learn from my mistakes. In the past I have tried several different paper types, sticker paper (don’t cut cleanly, and the image is grainy), various cardstocks (any images will be low quality) to name a few, photo paper is your best bet.
Step four
Once your images are printed out, you’re ready to cut. (Note: the printer ink will likely still be wet on your photo paper, so be careful and allow it an hour to dry before messing with it)
Save yourself a world of trouble and purchase a circle cutter from your local scrapbook store. They come in various sizes, and you will need a 1” punch for tiny, small, and medium, a 2” for large, a 3” for huge, a 4” inch for gargantuan, and a 6” for colossal (but you will use this one so rarely you can skip it and cut out squares if you like).
By using these punches, you will save yourself a great deal of trouble and frustration. I started out with just a 1” punch and tried to cut the larger monster into squares. The end product (regardless of the tools used), was not high quality. The circle punch will give you a perfect cut every time and look amazing.
Marvy or EKsuccess brands work well
Step five
Next, you will need to glue the circle onto a sturdier material. Some sites recommend washers, but that can get costly, take up more room and weigh a ton. Just use chipboard (thin cardboard) that you can get for next to nothing at the scrapbook store where you bought your circle punch. Punch out several chipboard circles. Glue your photo paper images onto the chipboard circles with glue and you’re nearly done. (Note: don’t try and save time by gluing the photo paper to the chipboard and then trying to punch out the images, the photo paper/chipboard combo will be too thick and you’ll get ragged cuts)
Final step
Place your tokens on a flat, hard surface, cover with a piece of wax paper, and place several heavy books on top. Leave the tokens to dry for several hours.
The following are two websites that I use frequently, and they have been extremely useful so I thought I would share them with you.
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The SRD (or System Reference Document) is a website that contains all the open license information found in the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual, Epic Level Handbook, Deities and Demigods, and the Expanded Psionics Handbook (Plus the open content from Unearthed Arcana). The site allows for quick reference without the need for costly game books.
The website is laid out in a clear and organized manner so finding what you need is a breeze. The only drawbacks to the site (which are due to legal constraints, not design flaws) are that some content is not available. Anything that is property of Wizards of the Coast will not appear on the site. For example, Mind Flayer, Slaad, and Displacer Beast are copy written creations and cannot be published under the open gaming license.
The site itself is free, but it can be downloaded for greater ease and mobility for ten dollars.
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This site, true to its name, automatically advances the hit dice of the chosen monster. Also, the site has a number of templates that can be applied and then does the math for you. For example, you can select a basilisk, advance it up to 18 hit dice, and apply a fiendish template, click the button and a printer friendly version will appear in a new window. Along with the ability to increase hit dice, and add templates, the site allows you to add levels to your monsters.
I cannot begin to explain how useful this site is for busy DM’s that don’t have the time to sit and rework the monsters in their game. We all know how tedious it can be to add templates, increase the size, and add levels to monsters. The site breathes new life into monsters that your players have outgrown, and allows for maximum use of expensive miniatures. Haven’t been able to use that CR 7 Hill Giant because your party is too powerful? Literally, with two clicks from a drop down menu, you can advance that Hill Giant to 24 hit dice, add ten levels of Barbarian and you have a CR 20 bruiser ready to crush anything in its path.
My only complaint about the site (and it is a small one), is that the ability score increases that each monster receives every four levels are not automatically calculated. That said the advanced entry will have a line that tells the DM how many ability points the monster has accrued.
As with d20srd.org, the site does not have creatures that fall outside of the open game license. The site also has a quickened version of its program as well as a random monster chart generator.
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Both of these sites are free (though they do appreciate donations from grateful gamers), and they will make planning your games easier and quicker.
-Andy
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