For some people GenCon will be their first opportunity to participate in public-play games. Although I played D&D for years, it was always with close friends at someone’s house. I’d never played in a public-play scenario before 4e was released. It wasn’t until I attended my first game convention that I played LFR and got to see what public-play was all about. Not long after that I got an opportunity to participate in one of Wizards’ Worldwide D&D Game Day events at my FLGS. There was something about public-play that really appealed to me. It presented me with a chance to meet other gamers in my community, yet it was more than that. I realized that my gaming experience could be greatly improved by seeing first-hand how other people ran their characters and how other DMs ran their table.

Today we’ve pulled another article from our archives that we think you’ll find useful if you’re heading to Indianapolis to attend GonCon or if you’re just starting out with public play (say with D&D Encounters). Of course many of these tips can just as easily be applied to your home games, so even if you aren’t attending GenCon this year you should still find something helpful in the list below. Enjoy.

Originally published on May 25, 209, Dungeon’s Master once again presents 10 Things I Learned at Worldwide D&D Game Day.

10 Things I Learned at Worldwide D&D Game Day

I learned a few things participating in Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day this past weekend. These may just seem like simple, common sense reminders, but I think they’re incredibly useful nonetheless. I encourage you to review this list and keep it in mind whether you’re playing at a convention, Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day or just at your dining room table.

1. Everyone participates

Make sure that everyone has equal face-time. It’s easy for one or two players to try and control the table. New players may find this intimidating. Everyone there has their own character, so there’s no need to let one player dominate the show. The DM should make sure that he’s not letting anyone get bullied (intentionally or otherwise).

2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Gamers in general are good people (at least in my experience). The common love for the game has brought us all together to play. If you have questions, feel free to speak up. You shouldn’t feel embarrassed if you don’t know what a power does or how a particular rule works. I’ve had quite a few rules that I never really understood cleared right up after hearing a new take on the situation from people I just met at a convention.

3. Keep things moving

Everyone wants the game to run smoothly. If you have tips or tricks for speeding up the game that work for your gaming group, feel free to share them. The biggest complaint I’ve heard at cons and Game Day is that the modules take too long to complete. If you can offer advice for speedy game play it will be gladly received.

4. Share your experiences

Experienced gamers should help others. If someone is playing D&D for the first time then the amount of help they require will be a lot more than if they’ve just never played a particular class before. Don’t overwhelm them with everything all at once. Give them a few basic pointers and then help them as particular situations present themselves.

5. Knowing the classes

If you’ve played a particular class for the past six months in your regular game, then feel free to offer advice to the guy playing that class at the event. Share what you’ve learned about that class since playing it, but try not to be too overbearing. You want to be helpful, but you don’t want to tell someone else how to play their character. Most advice will be seen as useful. This is especially true if the player is a first-timer or is unfamiliar with the class.

6. Plan your actions

Many DMswill give the table and “on deck” warning so that you know who’s going to act next. If you know you’re on deck, think about what powers or attacks you’d like to use. Obviously if the PC going before you does something totally unexpected then you’ll need a second to rethink your plan, otherwise be ready. And when you’re finished be sure to announce clearly that you’re finished so the next PC can start his turn.

7. Experiment

It’s unlikely that you would have built the pre-generated characters provided for Worldwide Game Day the way they were presented. You may have selected different equipment, assigned points to ability scores differently or chosen different powers. But that’s not something you can change in this circumstance. So take this unique build and experiment. Try things you wouldn’t normally do. Try playing a class or race you’ve never played before. These are essentially throw-away characters that you’ll never play again. So feel free to go a little nuts and try outrageous things.

8. Don’t be critical

Experienced gamers often feel that certain character classes should be played a certain way. This is especially true if you’ve actually played that class before. So if the guy playing your favourite class doesn’t do things the way you would, don’t be critical. Let that player run the PC as they see fit. For all you know they feel the same way about how you’re running their favourite class.

9. Help the DM

The DM has his hands full. In some cases he may be reading the adventure for the first time as everyone sits down at the table. Offer to help the DM. Remind him when enemies are marked or ongoing effects require a save. Even something as simple as offering to help track initiative will free up a few minutes for the DM and let him focus more attention on running the game.

10. Have fun

At the end of the day the most important thing to remember is that we’re all there to have a good time. Regardless of how a particular encounter played out or who got the magic amulet, as longs as everyone had fun then the event was a success.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you’ve got some pointers that you’d like to share please add them in the comments. After all, we’re all in this to have fun and to make the gaming experience a good one.

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GenCon is less than two weeks away and we want to do our part to help make your con experience great. We’ve searched through the Dungeon’s Master archives to find articles that provide tips for players and DMs that are specifically related to conventions and public play. Of course these tips are often just as valid in your home games so even if you’re not going to GenCon we think you’ll find these tips applicable. You’ll likely see some trending throughout these articles because some tips are relevant regardless of context. In the end, we hope you find something in one of these articles that you can use to make your game and your con experience better.

Originally published separately on February 22 and 23, 2010, and then again with a new introduction and commentary (which I strongly encourage you to check out) on December 26, 2010, Dungeon’s Master once again presents:

• 6 D&D Convention Tips for Players
• 6 D&D Convention Tips for DMs
• Greatest Hits 2010: Convention Tips 6 for Players, 6 for DMs

6 D&D Convention Tips for Players

D&D is a complicated game. There are the general game rules, the specific rules that apply to player characters and then there’s your character himself. It can be tough just to keep all of that straight, especially if you’re just getting into D&D. After participating in the Spellstorm gaming convention this past weekend in Toronto, I’ve put together a list of things to keep in mind when you’re playing D&D. These tips are applicable to any D&D game, but even more so at a convention where you’re less likely to know all the people at your table.

1) Respect table space

Seven people shouldn’t have too much trouble sitting around a table (1 DM + 6 players). However, every player’s going to have his character sheet, power cards, dice, a pencil and RPGA cards at minimum in front of them. Add to that list a PHB, a beverage, condition markers for minis, and scrap paper for notes and table real estate is suddenly at a premium. Only keep things on the table that absolutely need to be there.

My rule of thumb is to put my PHB and PHB2 side-by-side on the table. Everything else I have out rests atop these books. Anything that doesn’t fit within these confines stays in my bag under the table. If everyone is mindful of their own space everyone should have ample room.

2) Know your PC

We’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again – know your character! Unless you’ve just made your character on the demo of character build at the convention or you’re using a pre-generated PC, there’s no excuse for being lost. You created this PC ahead of time. It’s your responsibility as a player to know what he’s capable of doing. If you don’t understand something, that’s fine. Before play starts ask the DM or one of the other players for guidance. But when the game begins you’re expected to know your character. If you have to look something up every time your turn comes around then you haven’t done your homework. You end up slowing down the entire table and it ruins the flow of the game.

I give brand new players a lot of latitude on this point, but if you’ve played before then you’re just being lazy and inconsiderate when you’re not prepared.

3) Be helpful, but not too helpful

If you need help, ask. Most gamers are very friendly and outgoing. They’re happy to clear up how a power works or what your options are in an unusual situation.

If you’re an experienced player it’s important to ask other players if they want or need your help before offering assistance. If you just assume they need help and keep telling them what’s what you pretty much end up playing their character for them. It also doesn’t give the struggling player a chance to learn whatever it is that he doesn’t understand. By jumping in too quickly or when your help isn’t wanted you run the risk of being the Gaming Jerk and no one wants to be that guy.

4) Act immediately

Most PCs have items or powers that allow them to take immediate actions or immediate reactions. As your PC gains levels you’ll get more and more immediate powers. Since these powers don’t happen on your turn it’s very important that you know what they are, what they do and what triggers them. When you’re ready to use an immediate action announce it to the table clearly and with confidence. Make sure the DM hears you and acknowledges your action before you do anything. If you hum and haw about taking an immediate action then the play will go on you’ll miss your chance. Alternatively if you just say you’re taking an immediate action and start rolling, the DM may ask you to stop, back up and roll again. If you rolled a 20 and are asked to re-roll it you’ll be disappointed with the new result 19 out of 20 times.

5) Plan ahead

Immediate actions aren’t the only reason to pay attention when it’s not your turn. By watching what the other players do you’ll be better prepared to act on your turn. Always try to have your actions ready so that when your turn comes up in the initiative order you can act quickly. State what you’re doing with your standard, move and minor actions before you do them. If you’re going to use an action point, make sure you say that too. When your turn’s over clearly let the table and the DM know.

Planning your actions becomes more important at higher levels. With more options available you need to know which ones you’re most likely going to use and not slow the game down while you flip though all of your cards on your turn. If you’re ready and act quickly on your turn, perhaps the other players will follow suit.

6) Roll your damage first

This applies mostly to controllers. If you’ve got a power that targets multiple creatures, roll the damage along with the first attack or even before the attack roll. This way as you roll to hit your enemies the DM can score the damage as you go. If you roll to attack six targets, hit four and then roll the damage, the DM has to go back at the end of your turn and score the damage. If he knows that each hit does 9 points of fire damage he can score it as you hit or miss your targets. The time saved will really add up over an adventure.

I don’t think any of these tips and reminders will come as a surprise to most experienced gamers, but it never hurts to get a refresher on the basics. If you found these tips helpful I’d also recommend you check out some of the other articles we’re written covering tip, tricks and reminders to speed up play and make your D&D experience more enjoyable.

• 10 Reminders for All D&D Players
• 10 Things I Learned at Worldwide D&D Game Day
• Speeding Up Your Game

6 D&D Convention Tips for DMs

Yesterday we shared 6 D&D Convention Tips for Players; today it’s the DMs turn. After running a few Living Forgotten Realms (LFR) adventures at the Spellstorm gaming convention this past weekend in Toronto, I’ve put together a list of things to keep in mind when you’re the DM. These tips are applicable to any D&D game, but even more so at a convention.

1) Expect the unexpected

Just because you’re playing an LFR adventure doesn’t mean that the PC will do exactly what the text expects them to do. In fact, the best games usually deviate from the script a little bit. As the DM you have to be ready and know how to handle the unexpected.

For example, in a game I ran this past weekend the PCs needed use a secret passage to enter a warehouse. The only way to access it was through a narrow alley. At the mouth of the alley Halflings playing dice games were paid to keep out uninvited guests. The adventure assumed the PCs would fight the Halflings, and then proceed down the alleyway. However, the PCs learned who had access to the secret entrance and disguised themselves as these people The Halflings had no reason to stop them because the PCs didn’t raise suspicion. Creative thinking allowed the PCs to avoid combat. When combat broke out inside the warehouse I had two of the curious Halflings join the fight after a few rounds, but by then the PCs had things well in hand.

2) Bloody hell

The DM runs everyone who’s not a PC. During combat this is usually a lot of creatures. So sometimes the DM forgets to tell the PCs that one or two of the monsters are bloodied. It’s an understandable oversight, but it needs to be corrected. There are a lot of powers that react differently against bloodied and non-bloodied opponents. PCs will often decide who to attack next based on who looks the healthiest or the most hurt. So DMs, pay attention to those bloodied values (printed clearly in the monster’s stat block) and let the players know who’s down to half health. If you use minis, make sure you mark them accordingly.

Although players are generally much better at denoting when they are bloodied, they do forget from time-to-time. So this reminder applies everyone, DMs and players alike.

3) Don’t forget the details

Most monsters have attacks that are more than just straight-up damage. Whether it’s fire, necrotic, poison or some other damage type be sure to tell the PCs which type of damage just ate away 16 hit points. Many PCs have resistances and may not actually take the full damage. But if you forget to mention that it’s a cold attack they won’t know that their cloak of survival should have softened that last blow by 5.

If the monsters have auras or any other defense or power that the PCs would automatically recognize, be sure to mention it. Don’t wait until they’re standing next to the monster before revealing that it actually has a fire aura 2 and PCs entering this aura take damage and are dazed. If the PC knows about an aura they may decide to attack from range rather than charge in.

4) Give up initiative

When you’re reading the adventure (before the convention) pre-roll initiatives for all the monsters. Even if you don’t expect the PCs to participate in a particular fight, roll it up anyway. It’s an easy thing to do ahead of time and it’s one less thing to do when you’re completely immersed in the game at the Con.

I rarely track initiative myself when I’m the DM. I ask if one of the players will do it for me. I have enough to worry about and handing off initiative lets me focus on all those other things. There’s always one player who is happy to take on the job. When I’m a player I always volunteer to track initiative.

Regardless of who’s tracking initiative, that person should give an “on deck” notice to the next person in the order. This will help keep the game moving.

5) Watch the clock

Most games at a convention are limited to a set time slot. As the DM it’s your job to make sure you give the PCs ample opportunity to complete the adventure. If the game is running slower than you expect and you’re worried about time I’ve come up with two ways to keep things on track.

The easiest way to speed things up during a skill challenge is to determine a challenge breaker (as we discussed in Skill Challenges and Rewarding XP). A challenge breaker is any player action that, if successful, would logically end the challenge immediately. So just because the adventure says that the PCs need 8 successes, I’ll often give the party full XP if the role-playing supports the successful completion of a skill challenge with fewer successful checks.

The easiest way to gain time during combat is knowing when to Call the Fight. When the combat become a war of attrition then it’s time to call it and let the PCs move on.

6) Let the PCs be heroic

This is a mixture of the “say yes” philosophy and the “rule of cool.” If the PC want to try something that’s a little outside of the rules and it makes sense for their character and makes sense for the moment, then I say let them try it.

For example, in a game I ran this past weekend the PCs were fighting on a rooftop. If they fell off they’d take 4d10 falling damage. Needless to say, one of the monsters had a push attack. Two PCs were pushed to the edge but made saves to catch the ledge. The Dwarven Fighter saved and remained on his feet. Next round same thing, two PCs were hit but made their saves to catch the ledge. And again the Dwarf remained on his feet. Third round a PC finally (and unfortunately) failed his save. The Dwarf in the square next to him stood his ground and remained standing. The quick thinking player running the Dwarf asked if he could use his action point to grab his ally as an immediate reaction and catch him before he fell off the roof. I allowed it. Made sense given the circumstances. The next round the pusher was defeated and the combat played out.

Just like the tips for players in yesterday’s article, I’m sure the points I make above are nothing new to most DMs. Some of them may be more relevant during convention play than at a home game, but they’re all good reminders.

If you found these tips helpful I’d also recommend you check out some of the other articles we’re written covering tip, tricks and reminders to improve the way you DM your game.

• Eight Rules That Will Make You A Better DM
• Adjudicating and House Rules
• Don’t Skip the Slow Parts

What other tips should DMs keep in mind when running games at a convention or at the FLGS? Please share your thoughts and ideas. Being a better DM makes everyone’s experience better and more enjoyable.

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Last week’s session ended after the PCs successfully navigated the maze of caverns inside the gates of Zadzifeirryn and found the Torture Theater. After a short rest the PCs moved quietly in the directions of the screams and cheers.

The passage ahead opened into a huge chamber, its lower level a cavernous pit heaped with corpses. Erie red light filled the area cast from glowing fonts full of blood. Two Drow Torturers stood on a platform above the PCs, the walls of the chamber around them lined with stone steps filled with Drow spectators.

A Torturer swung a heavy blade beheading a human captive; the crowd roared with delight. The Drow kicked the lifeless body into the pit and pointed towards a group of chained human captives, “Time for a new victim!”

The two Rogues in the party tried to sneak up to the edge where two Humans were chained. Rogue #2 made an amazing Stealth check, Rogue #1 rolled a 1. One of the Torturers spotted the party and challenged their presence, “Who are you and what are you doing with those bodies?” she demanded. The four Drow PCs, still dressed in House Jaelre uniforms, tried to Bluff their way out of the escalating mess.

“We wanted to have the best seats in the house,” said the Druid. “We didn’t want to pay to get in,” said one of the Rogues. The Torturer paused briefly to consider the plausibility of this explanation but quickly realized that something was amiss. She placed her hand in the adjacent blood font and began chanting as she started a summoning ritual.

This week we (eventually) had enough people to run two tables of five at my FLGS this week. However, because a few players were late we lost one of our regular Drow PCs to another table. For the first couple rounds of combat we had only four Drow PCs, but as things moved from bad to worse another player arrived and a Dragonborn joined team heroes. The party ended up as follows.

• Drow Rogue #1
• Drow Rogue #2
• Drow Druid
• Drow Cleric
• Dragonborn Fighter

When combat began one Torturers spent her full turn summoning a Maw Demon (which acted next in the initiative coincidentally enough). The other Torturer moved adjacent to a blood font and watched to see how things unfolded. The Maw Demon engaged the party, attacking and killing the nearest opponent, the last remaining Goblin companion that the party picked up in the Demonspur during week 8. The Drow spectators, here for a show, simply watched with amusement waiting to see how things would unfold.

Rogue #2 moved up to the Torturer nearest the party and attacked her. He then used Thievery to unlock one of the Human captives. However, the Human was in bad shape and as the PC looked like all the other Drow this prisoner had seen in the previous couple of days he didn’t immediately realize he was being rescued, even though the Rogue told him to run. The rest of the party attacked the Demon landing a few solid blows.

The Torturer attacked and hit Rogue #2 with Ensnaring Lash. The other Torturer decided it was time to summon her Demon so she began casting. The Maw Demon engaged Rogue #1 but missed. The Drows in the stands cheered on the Torturers but did not interfere.

At this point the Dragonborn Fighter arrived and joined the party (much to their relief). He attacked the Demon, hitting and marking him. Rogue #2 managed to escape from the Ensnaring Lash but the damage he took at the beginning of his turn bloodied him. Realizing that none of his allies were coming to his aid, he dropped his Globe of Darkness and then moved back towards the rest of the party. The Cleric healed the wounded Rogue while the Druid and Rogue #1 continued attacking the Demon.

The closest Torturer lashed and ensnared the Fighter while the second Torturer completed her summoning and moved towards the other Human captives where she began conducting another ritual. The near Maw Demon attacked the Fighter (but missed) while the fresh Maw Demon charged the Druid (and missed).

The heroes decided for some reason to leave the initial Demon for the Fighter while they all shifted to the new Demon. They managed to hit regularly but they kept rolling almost minimum damage, especially the Rogues who were rolling multiple damage dice.

The first Torturer realized that the heroes were likely to defeat the Demons soon enough so she called out to the audience, “Rewards to anyone who kills one of the intruders.” This got them motivated. Meanwhile the second Torturer completed her ritual which transformed two of the Human captive into mini Maw Demons. Basically the Humans were possessed, and now transformed they moved slowly towards the party.

Both Demons were bloodied in the same round, but neither was close to defeat. Three of the spectators moved adjacent to the nearest blood font and fired their crossbows at the Fighter. All three hit. The Druid went to work targeting the archers, bloodying all three with one attack.

Each round a few more of the spectators reluctantly entered the fight, shooting their crossbows from a safe distance. They initially all targeted the Fighter but realized after a few rounds that once a PC was poisoned they should target someone new. By the third round of crossbow fire all five PCs had ongoing poison damage. Meanwhile the Druid got into a groove hitting and killing at least one or two archers each round.

The PCs never let the Humans that were transformed into Demons get close enough to attack. They attacked them from range, knocking them unconscious rather than killing them in the hope that the possession wasn’t permanent.

Although the Demons looked menacing, they had really low defenses (the Rogues were hitting on anything but a 1 or 2) and their attacks couldn’t hit anything for many consecutive rounds. The heroes finally killed both Demons in the same round, only the Fighter taking a hit from either of them.

The Tortures stayed next to the blood fonts and used their Ensnaring Lash (melee 2) to grasp the closest PC. The Druid, the Fighter and Rogue #2 were all unconscious at some point later in the fight. Rogue #1 was down to 1 hit point but spent a round using Second Wind, a healing potion and his Globe of Darkness to keep himself alive.

Towards the end of the fight one of the archers adjacent to the blood font rolled a 19 and scored a crit. When this happened the font extracted a toll causing him 5 necrotic damage for the boon of critting on 19-20.

By this point the party was completely locked down and had no chance of getting near the blood fonts to reap this benefit (which was too bad). With most of the arches down, both Maw Demons destroyed and both transformed Humans unconscious it was a race to zero hit points. The party was badly wounded and the Torturers were takeing damage in equal increments.

Rogue #2 dropped unconscious late in the fight but rolled a much-needed 20 on his first death save, bringing him back into the fight and turning the tide. After the first Torturer fell it was all over but the clean up. Everyone took pot shots at the last Torturer and she fell quickly.

With combat over the party tended to the captured Humans. The prisoners were weak from the beating and torture they suffered during the past two days. However, seeing the heroes battle the Drow and defeat them gave the Humans hope. They felt that if armed they cold find their way out of Zadzifeirryn and back to Shadowdale. They told the PCs that the main slave pens were through the passage to the north and that Khara Sulwood was imprisoned there. The party took a short rest before venturing on to the slave pens.

The party expended a lot of resources during this combat. They did find 120 gp each among the dead Drow, two magic items and half of the Pendant of Ashaba so the cost seemed worth it in the end.

Anyone who played this encounter likely realized after reading this account I made some changes to the monsters. During the past few combat encounters the monsters fell fast thanks to the combined forces of two Rogues. It made combat fast and boring. In order to present a greater threat I decided to double the Maw Demon’s hit points from 42 to 84. However, because the Demons were beefed up I decided that they could only be summoned once. As written, the Torturers could continue summoning new fresh Maw Demons each time one fell. I also made the Drow spectators into two-hit minions. I knew this wouldn’t really change things too drastically since there was a controller with multiple burst powers in the party. Making them two-hit minions allowed them to benefit from the blood font and illustrate that anyone who did score a crit while next to it would take some damage (another detail I added).

Finally I had the Torturers transform some of the captives into Demons (minions). I gave the PCs a few rounds to try to free the Humans but after Rogue #2 realized the rest of the party was more focused on fighting first they all but forgot about the Human prisoners. I was trying to impress the important of freeing the slaves and emphasize their vulnerability to the party but they didn’t really seem to care. Had they ventured towards the captives they might have realized the blood fonts allowed them to crit more often and those minimum damage rolls could have been maxed.

I had the monsters attack in waves so as not to overwhelm the PCs. I didn’t want to keep them pinned near the entrance but they chose to take that stance anyway. The Cleric, who isn’t designed to be an offensive PC, hid out of range and healed the wounded PCs from safety for most of the battle. In retrospect I should have had one of the Torturers order a handful of spectators to go around the long way and flank them. This would have given the PCs strong motivation to move up.

Overall this was a good encounter and a fun fight. After a couple of less-than-stellar sessions we needed a good one and this certainly lived up to expectations. How did your party fare? Did anyone managed to get close enough to a blood font to benefit from the increased crit range? Did you find the Torturers’ ability to re-summon the Demons too powerful? Did anyone suffer a TPK this week? Did any other DMs modify the encounter or the monsters?

Reward Summary Sheets

The summary sheets detail the XP, gp and magic items found during each encounter. The Chapter 3 summary sheet includes the XP and loot up to week 12. I encourage DMs to print copies of the summary sheets ahead of time so that they can hand them out to their players the following week.

• Chapter 3 Reward Summary
• Chapter 2 Reward Summary
• Chapter 1 Reward Summary

Podcasts

Each week I join Alton from 20ft Radius as we discuss the week’s encounter. We summarize our experiences and provide our thoughts on what worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently.

We continue to record our D&D Encounters sessions and make them available to you for download every week. These recordings are made in a loud, crowded game store so at times it may be difficult to hear everyone.

• Week in Review Podcast (Week 11) at 20ft Radius
• Actual Play Podcast at Harry T North (Week 11)
• Actual Play Podcast at Dueling Grounds (Week 11)

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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-Jack’s random wizard tower generator is good stuff. Not a full dungeon maker but quite enough to get the wheels spinning anyway. Though naturally I wish someone would Abulafia it. And that someone would turn it into a split-column format.

Last week’s session ended after the PCs successfully navigated the maze of caverns inside the gates of Zadzifeirryn and found the Torture Theater. After a short rest the PCs moved quietly in the directions of the screams and cheers.

The passage ahead opened into a huge chamber, its lower level a cavernous pit heaped with corpses. Erie red light filled the area cast from glowing fonts full of blood. Two Drow Torturers stood on a platform above the PCs, the walls of the chamber around them lined with stone steps filled with Drow spectators.

A Torturer swung a heavy blade beheading a human captive; the crowd roared with delight. The Drow kicked the lifeless body into the pit and pointed towards a group of chained human captives, “Time for a new victim!”

The two Rogues in the party tried to sneak up to the edge where two Humans were chained. Rogue #2 made an amazing Stealth check, Rogue #1 rolled a 1. One of the Torturers spotted the party and challenged their presence, “Who are you and what are you doing with those bodies?” she demanded. The four Drow PCs, still dressed in House Jaelre uniforms, tried to Bluff their way out of the escalating mess.

“We wanted to have the best seats in the house,” said the Druid. “We didn’t want to pay to get in,” said one of the Rogues. The Torturer paused briefly to consider the plausibility of this explanation but quickly realized that something was amiss. She placed her hand in the adjacent blood font and began chanting as she started a summoning ritual.

This week we (eventually) had enough people to run two tables of five at my FLGS this week. However, because a few players were late we lost one of our regular Drow PCs to another table. For the first couple rounds of combat we had only four Drow PCs, but as things moved from bad to worse another player arrived and a Dragonborn joined team heroes. The party ended up as follows.

• Drow Rogue #1
• Drow Rogue #2
• Drow Druid
• Drow Cleric
• Dragonborn Fighter

When combat began one Torturers spent her full turn summoning a Maw Demon (which acted next in the initiative coincidentally enough). The other Torturer moved adjacent to a blood font and watched to see how things unfolded. The Maw Demon engaged the party, attacking and killing the nearest opponent, the last remaining Goblin companion that the party picked up in the Demonspur during week 8. The Drow spectators, here for a show, simply watched with amusement waiting to see how things would unfold.

Rogue #2 moved up to the Torturer nearest the party and attacked her. He then used Thievery to unlock one of the Human captives. However, the Human was in bad shape and as the PC looked like all the other Drow this prisoner had seen in the previous couple of days he didn’t immediately realize he was being rescued, even though the Rogue told him to run. The rest of the party attacked the Demon landing a few solid blows.

The Torturer attacked and hit Rogue #2 with Ensnaring Lash. The other Torturer decided it was time to summon her Demon so she began casting. The Maw Demon engaged Rogue #1 but missed. The Drows in the stands cheered on the Torturers but did not interfere.

At this point the Dragonborn Fighter arrived and joined the party (much to their relief). He attacked the Demon, hitting and marking him. Rogue #2 managed to escape from the Ensnaring Lash but the damage he took at the beginning of his turn bloodied him. Realizing that none of his allies were coming to his aid, he dropped his Globe of Darkness and then moved back towards the rest of the party. The Cleric healed the wounded Rogue while the Druid and Rogue #1 continued attacking the Demon.

The closest Torturer lashed and ensnared the Fighter while the second Torturer completed her summoning and moved towards the other Human captives where she began conducting another ritual. The near Maw Demon attacked the Fighter (but missed) while the fresh Maw Demon charged the Druid (and missed).

The heroes decided for some reason to leave the initial Demon for the Fighter while they all shifted to the new Demon. They managed to hit regularly but they kept rolling almost minimum damage, especially the Rogues who were rolling multiple damage dice.

The first Torturer realized that the heroes were likely to defeat the Demons soon enough so she called out to the audience, “Rewards to anyone who kills one of the intruders.” This got them motivated. Meanwhile the second Torturer completed her ritual which transformed two of the Human captive into mini Maw Demons. Basically the Humans were possessed, and now transformed they moved slowly towards the party.

Both Demons were bloodied in the same round, but neither was close to defeat. Three of the spectators moved adjacent to the nearest blood font and fired their crossbows at the Fighter. All three hit. The Druid went to work targeting the archers, bloodying all three with one attack.

Each round a few more of the spectators reluctantly entered the fight, shooting their crossbows from a safe distance. They initially all targeted the Fighter but realized after a few rounds that once a PC was poisoned they should target someone new. By the third round of crossbow fire all five PCs had ongoing poison damage. Meanwhile the Druid got into a groove hitting and killing at least one or two archers each round.

The PCs never let the Humans that were transformed into Demons get close enough to attack. They attacked them from range, knocking them unconscious rather than killing them in the hope that the possession wasn’t permanent.

Although the Demons looked menacing, they had really low defenses (the Rogues were hitting on anything but a 1 or 2) and their attacks couldn’t hit anything for many consecutive rounds. The heroes finally killed both Demons in the same round, only the Fighter taking a hit from either of them.

The Tortures stayed next to the blood fonts and used their Ensnaring Lash (melee 2) to grasp the closest PC. The Druid, the Fighter and Rogue #2 were all unconscious at some point later in the fight. Rogue #1 was down to 1 hit point but spent a round using Second Wind, a healing potion and his Globe of Darkness to keep himself alive.

Towards the end of the fight one of the archers adjacent to the blood font rolled a 19 and scored a crit. When this happened the font extracted a toll causing him 5 necrotic damage for the boon of critting on 19-20.

By this point the party was completely locked down and had no chance of getting near the blood fonts to reap this benefit (which was too bad). With most of the arches down, both Maw Demons destroyed and both transformed Humans unconscious it was a race to zero hit points. The party was badly wounded and the Torturers were takeing damage in equal increments.

Rogue #2 dropped unconscious late in the fight but rolled a much-needed 20 on his first death save, bringing him back into the fight and turning the tide. After the first Torturer fell it was all over but the clean up. Everyone took pot shots at the last Torturer and she fell quickly.

With combat over the party tended to the captured Humans. The prisoners were weak from the beating and torture they suffered during the past two days. However, seeing the heroes battle the Drow and defeat them gave the Humans hope. They felt that if armed they cold find their way out of Zadzifeirryn and back to Shadowdale. They told the PCs that the main slave pens were through the passage to the north and that Khara Sulwood was imprisoned there. The party took a short rest before venturing on to the slave pens.

The party expended a lot of resources during this combat. They did find 120 gp each among the dead Drow, two magic items and half of the Pendant of Ashaba so the cost seemed worth it in the end.

Anyone who played this encounter likely realized after reading this account I made some changes to the monsters. During the past few combat encounters the monsters fell fast thanks to the combined forces of two Rogues. It made combat fast and boring. In order to present a greater threat I decided to double the Maw Demon’s hit points from 42 to 84. However, because the Demons were beefed up I decided that they could only be summoned once. As written, the Torturers could continue summoning new fresh Maw Demons each time one fell. I also made the Drow spectators into two-hit minions. I knew this wouldn’t really change things too drastically since there was a controller with multiple burst powers in the party. Making them two-hit minions allowed them to benefit from the blood font and illustrate that anyone who did score a crit while next to it would take some damage (another detail I added).

Finally I had the Torturers transform some of the captives into Demons (minions). I gave the PCs a few rounds to try to free the Humans but after Rogue #2 realized the rest of the party was more focused on fighting first they all but forgot about the Human prisoners. I was trying to impress the important of freeing the slaves and emphasize their vulnerability to the party but they didn’t really seem to care. Had they ventured towards the captives they might have realized the blood fonts allowed them to crit more often and those minimum damage rolls could have been maxed.

I had the monsters attack in waves so as not to overwhelm the PCs. I didn’t want to keep them pinned near the entrance but they chose to take that stance anyway. The Cleric, who isn’t designed to be an offensive PC, hid out of range and healed the wounded PCs from safety for most of the battle. In retrospect I should have had one of the Torturers order a handful of spectators to go around the long way and flank them. This would have given the PCs strong motivation to move up.

Overall this was a good encounter and a fun fight. After a couple of less-than-stellar sessions we needed a good one and this certainly lived up to expectations. How did your party fare? Did anyone managed to get close enough to a blood font to benefit from the increased crit range? Did you find the Torturers’ ability to re-summon the Demons too powerful? Did anyone suffer a TPK this week? Did any other DMs modify the encounter or the monsters?

Reward Summary Sheets

The summary sheets detail the XP, gp and magic items found during each encounter. The Chapter 3 summary sheet includes the XP and loot up to week 12. I encourage DMs to print copies of the summary sheets ahead of time so that they can hand them out to their players the following week.

• Chapter 3 Reward Summary
• Chapter 2 Reward Summary
• Chapter 1 Reward Summary

Podcasts

Each week I join Alton from 20ft Radius as we discuss the week’s encounter. We summarize our experiences and provide our thoughts on what worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently.

We continue to record our D&D Encounters sessions and make them available to you for download every week. These recordings are made in a loud, crowded game store so at times it may be difficult to hear everyone.

• Week in Review Podcast (Week 11) at 20ft Radius
• Actual Play Podcast at Harry T North (Week 11)
• Actual Play Podcast at Dueling Grounds (Week 11)

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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It was another strong month here at Dungeon’s Master. We covered a wide variety of topics including sex and drugs in D&D, Wheaton’s Law, social media, essential RPG books and of course D&D Encounters. If you missed any of our articles from July than now is the time to get caught up. We’ve provided links below to everything we posted in July along with a brief description of each.

Our readership increased in July thanks to a couple of controversial articles and some amazing Star Wars pre-gens for D&D Encounters. We want to thank everyone who visited our site last month, especially those of you who comment regularly. Your feedback lets us know if we’re doing a good job and the overwhelming majority of comments are usually quite positive. Please keep reading and please keep providing your comments and questions.

Highlights

Me, Me, Me

It wasn’t until I was grouping the articles for July’s Month in Review that I realized how much narcissism was going on this month. Here are three articles that are all about me.

• Only Ten – Ameron’s List - If you could only keep 10 print books from your own RPG collection, what would they be?
• Ameron’s 2012 GenCon Schedule - I share my GenCon itinerary and provide additional commentary about some of the events.
• Dungeon’s Master Joins Twitter, Follow @ameron_dm - Can’t get enough Ameron or Dungeon’s Master? Follow me on Twitter to get your fill. I’ll be Tweeting regularly from GenCon in August.

Player Resources

• Don’t Be a Dick – 4 Tips for Following Wheaton’s Law - Inspired in part by things I’ve witnessed at my own gaming table, I’ve provided four tips that (if followed) will ensure you don’t break Wheaton’s Law.
• Master of the Dungeon Webcomic – Epic Treasures - Matt Domville provides us with another great web comic. This time he pokes fun at epic treasure.
• Never Leave a Man Behind - Just because a PC is unconscious doesn’t mean you can or should forget about him.

DM Resources

• The Things We Do Not Talk About in D&D - A frank discussion about sex, drugs and slavery in your game and some reasons for including or excluding them.

D&D Encoutners

Season 9 continues on as the heroes faced an elite squad of Drow, visited the stalactite fortress called the Demonspur, stormed the gates of Zadzifeirryn, and carefully navigated the spider-filled maze of caverns to the heart of the Drow city.

• D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 7)
• D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 8.)
• D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 9)
• D&D Encounters: Web of the Spider Queen (Week 10)
• Star Wars Pre-Gens for D&D Encounters - If you’re looking for some new pre-gens try these familiar faces from Star Wars created using by-the-book D&D mechanics.

Each week I join Alton from 20ft Radius as we discuss the week’s encounter. We summarize our experiences and provide our thoughts on what worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do differently.

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.

A Look Ahead

August is GenCon month so expect relevant and related articles before, during and after the con. For those who can’t make it to Indianapolis this year be sure to follow me on Twitter (@ameron_dm) to keep on top of my GenCon experiences.

August will be a big month for D&D Encounters. Expect the usual field reports every Thursday (including the week of GenCon) along with the season report card when season 9 ends. We know that season 10 will be another Drow-themed adventure and as soon as we get a copy we’ll do our usual preview and share the highlights.

In between Gencon and D&D Encoutners there will still be articles about good old D&D. Upcoming topics include epic terrain, my experiences at D&D Camp,  a new skill challenge (it’s been a while since we’ve done one of those!), and a new Master of the Dungeon webcomic.

As always we welcome your input and encourage you to send us your questions or suggestions, and we’re always looking for guest posters if you’re interested in writing for Dungeon’s Master. Be sure to visit Dungeon’s Master regularly in August for more great D&D articles.

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Last night, I dreamt of Gen Con. This happens to me 4-5 times a year, and though the details are usually different, there are some common threads. First, it’s always the second or third day of the con, and I haven’t done even close to everything I wanted to do. Second, something insane happens, and I’m no longer gaming, and usually my life is in danger. Sometimes, I’m a secret agent. Once, I was at a surfing academy, and my classes were conflicting with all the best seminars. In the most recent iteration of this dream, I found a holy lamppost that told me how to get a date in Victorian England and threatened to unmake reality, and I was really bummed that I was going to miss True Dungeon.

I am no psychologist, but what my subconscious wants is usually pretty clear (even if the way it expresses it isn’t). Gen Con is one of my favorite times of the year, and I don’t want to miss out on any of it.

Of course, any of you who have been to Gen Con (or any other large convention) already know the horrible truth — unless you’re a Timelord, you can’t do it all. I’m kind of glad I’m not, to be honest. I’d be busy catching up on everything I missed at last year’s con and the Daleks would destroy the universe.

This is, of course, the time of year where you will see every RPG blog in existence giving our very best Gen Con tips. There are lots out there, and lots of the older posts still apply. That’s not what this is about. Most people have heard of the 3-2-1 convention rule (3 hours of sleep, 2 meals a day, 1 shower) and the best way to turn a hotel room into a clown car. We’ll do that later.

This is about making memories.

Rule 1: Whenever Possible, Join A Raging Mob

I have been coming to Gen Con since 1997, but for a long time, I was coming for the sales floor. As the Internet made stuff easier to get, I started to lose sight of why I was making the trip. In 2006, I decided I’d give the old ‘con one last shot. I decided to register for a couple games.

What eventually happened was a couple pickup games followed by what I consider one of the formative moments of my gaming career. Namely, I saw a guy in a kobold pope hat standing on a chair, working a horde of gamers into a frenzy. I was just about to walk by when one invited me to join them. I didn’t have much to do at the time, so I proceeded to get worked into a frenzy as well.

I had, through sheer dumb luck, accidentally found my way to Nascrag, where I competed with a team of random strangers in a really freaking awesome weird adventure piloting a submarine through some dude’s colon and fighting the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I was excited when our group got assigned a DM last, and we wound up with the kobold pope guy. (I didn’t know it at the time and I have no idea if he remembers me, but that same kobold pope turned out to be Tom Lommel, who would later strap on some sweatbands and a bat’leth and become the Dungeon Bastard.)

I had a really great time, and it was simply because I took an opportunity to try something unusual. Gen Con is loaded with both weirdness and opportunity. I can’t say it’s always worked out, and I’ve occasionally found myself stuck in 4 hours of something I hated, but I have far more good stories in this category than bad.

NOTE: if the mob looks like it is comprised of at least 50% vampires or is otherwise going to separate you from your blood, you may want to consider trying something else.

Rule 2: Try To Create Scenarios That Feel Like A Weird Dream

One of the most incredibly fun convention gaming sessions I’ve ever had almost never happened. It was about 9pm. I was there with one of my college roommates. My usual DM and his wife were there, as was their DM from college. The weirdest part was their DM’s dad was there too, and he was a grizzled old epic level DM who spun us a wild tale that had us all spellbound until almost 3 in the morning. I wish I could remember how the adventure went, or how we decided to get together. If I wasn’t able to ask the others if they remembered parts of it, I’d swear I’d just had another Gen Con dream.

What has proven fun in later years, though, can only happen at something like Gen Con. I’ve had a ton of fun getting people together from several places I’ve lived or that I typically only see on the Internets together for a couple hours of gaming. On occasion, it will weird somebody out a little, not wanting to meet people they don’t know, and that’s fine. Once the gaming starts, though, it typically yields lots of fun, and a nice helping of cognitive dissonance while your brain mixes worlds together.

I might also add that True Dungeon is amazingly well suited for this purpose. Nothing like bringing a team of all the allies you’ve ever known on an epic dungeon quest, and I’ll never forget my college roommate critting Death himself right in the face.

Rule 3: Everyone Is Socially Awkward At Gen Con, So That Means Your Awkwardness Is Nullified Via The Transitive Property

I had a lot more fun at conventions once I figured this out, and it applies in a wide spectrum of ways.

If you’re looking for someone to game with, signing up for scheduled events will usually get you a seat with some random gamers. I’ve met some cool people this way (and one or two that freaked me out a little, but I haven’t woken up sans kidneys yet). One can also find people to meet and game with simply by roaming around a gaming hall, or even the occasional hallway. Many times, DM’s will find themselves in need of one more person, and they’ll call out for people to fill the seat (though some cons will have an official place to sign up to be in the pool of people who get called to play).

One could even find a lonely or bored looking person and offer to play some Zombie Dice or a quick game of Magic: The Gathering with them.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this: if you’re at Gen Con, and you can’t find anybody to play with, you either don’t know where to look or you’re not trying hard enough.

Rule 4: Epic Rare Brains Are The Tastiest

Gen Con tends to have an unusual quantity of people whose names appear on books we use every week. With a random exception here or there, most gaming industry professionals are pretty cool and would be happy to talk to you provided:

• they’re not busy
• you’re not being a jerk

You don’t have to write for a blog or work for someone important. Ask your question, give your (brief!) feedback. Better yet, say thanks. That yields epic smiles that give you +1 morale for the rest of the con. You could buy some stuff too. But that would be cheating.

You may be surprised to find out that the gaming industry is populated by an unholy crapton of *GASP* big giant gamers just like you, and many have cool stories to share. You may also find that either the pedestals you’ve put them on get lower, or that your venom-laced fangs retract a bit when faced with a real human. Either way, it’s put some things in perspective and given me lots of great memories over the last few years.

Rule 5: Do Stuff You Normally Wouldn’t Try

Before I get much farther, this doesn’t mean multiclassing in adultery or smoking crystal meth for the weekend. It also doesn’t mean playing hours of something you hate. As cool as playing a giant megatable full of minis combat looks, I know I would be wishing I was doing something else by the end of it.

What this does mean is to sign up for something you’ve wanted to try but could never get your group to go for, or something you’ve been on the fence about getting. I like trying stuff that barely even makes sense in the event listings. That got me playing Microscope, which turned out to be completely awesome.

Look at it this way. You can play the same old thing you’re used to with the exact same people every week of the year. Go a little nuts, at least for a couple hours. If nothing else, you’ll have a story to tell.

To Adventure!

This is the time of year we can be completely ourselves.

This is the time of year we can be strange and do strange things in the name of adventure.

This is the time of year when legends are forged.

That’s it. I can’t wait any longer. I’m driving to Indianapolis now and waiting for you guys to show up. I’ll text message someone on our staff with the GPS coordinates of the dumpster I’m staying in until then.

The morning brings with it a blizzard of epic proportions, but by the afternoon, the temperature has spiked well into the 90s. The group takes the time to analyze, propose, repropose, reanalyze and finally abandon all manner of plan. Eventually they cobble together a workable solution and set off on a 18 mile row to the next island. This one is ringed with mountains and statuary appears everywhere. Fearing basilisks or medusae the group proceeds with caution to the main structure on the island, the ruins of the merchant prince’s mansion.
There, they spend hours searching through the ruins.

As a category 5 hurricane starts to make landfall and some of the statuary becomes airborne, they discover a trapdoor that leads below ground. They follow and encounter traps, statuary, undead, and golems, The last encounter is the deadliest, claiming Reza’s life and sorely testing the party. The sword of golem slaying helps to turn the tide as it is passed from hand to bloodied hand buy various battered party fighters. They pause to regain breath and focus…and then they are off again.