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DMGuidelinesAstheDungeonMaster,youshouldfamiliarize
yourselfwiththeHowtoPlaydocument,aswell
asthisdocument.HereyoullfindguidanceandDM-specificrulesusefulforrunningthegame.
IntheDUNGEONS&DRAGONSgame,aDungeon
Mastermusttakeanumberofroles,allatthe
sametime.ADMservesasareferee,interpreting
therulesandresolvinganyconflictsthatarise
becauseofthem.TheDMbuildstheworld,
createsadventures,andplacesmonstersand
treasure.TheDMisthecharacterseyesandears,
describingwhatthecharacterscanseeandhear
totheplayers.
ThefirstruleofbeingagoodDMisto
rememberthattherulesareatoolthatyouand
theplayersusetohaveagoodtime.Therules
arentincharge.You,theDM,aretheonein
chargeofthegame.Guidetheplayexperience
andtheuseoftherulessothatasmanyofyour
playershaveagoodtimeaspossible.Therewill
besetbacks,suchasacharacterbeingslainbyan
unluckydieroll,butlookforwaystoturn
setbacksintointerestingcomplicationsinthe
gamesstory. ThesecondruleistorememberthattheDMs
powercomeswithresponsibility.Befairand
impartialwiththeplayers.Dontforceyourstory
uponthemorgivethemagamewheretheir
choicesdontmatter.Bythesametoken,
challengetheircharacterswithdeadlymonsters,
fiendishtraps,andvexingpuzzles.AgoodDMis
nopushover,butagoodDMisalsoneversimply
outtoslaughterthecharacters.
ResolvingTasksTherulesforabilitychecks,savingthrows,and
attacksformthebasisoftheD&Dgame.Asa
DM,yourmostimportantresponsibilitywhenit
comestotheserulesisdetermininghowtouse
themand,justasimportant,whentousethem.
WhentoUseDice
CharactersintheD&Dgamefrequentlyattempt
atremendousvarietyoftasks,fromrunning
acrossaswingingropebridgetotalkingtheir
wayoutofastickyspotwithanorcchieftain.All
thesetasksareresolvedinaninteraction
betweenyou(theDM)andtheplayerwhose
characterisattemptingthetask.
Whenaplayerwantstotakeanaction,its
oftenappropriatetojustlettheactionsucceed.A
characterdoesntnormallyneedtomakea
Dexteritychecktowalkacrossanemptyroom,
oraCharismachecktoorderamugofaleinatavern.Onlycallforarollifyouthinkitsworth
takingthetimefortherulestocomeintothe
flowofthegame.Askyourselftwoquestionsto
aidyourdecision.
Istheactionbeingtakensoeasy,sofreeofstress
orconflict,orsoappropriatetothesituationthat
thereshouldbenochanceoffailure?Soeasy
shouldtakeintoaccounttheabilityscore
associatedwiththeintendedaction.Itseasyfor
someonewithaStrengthscoreof18toflipover
atable,thoughnoteasyforsomeonewitha
Strengthscoreof9. Istheactionbeingtakensoinappropriateor
impossiblethatitwouldneverwork?Hittingthe
moonwithanarrowis,forinstance,impossible
inalmostanycircumstance.
Iftheanswertobothofthesequestionsisno,
somekindofrollisappropriate.
IgnoringtheDiceIfyoureanexperiencedgamer,youhaveseenthe
followingsituationhappenbefore.Rachel,playingher
halflingcleric,deliversaperfectspeechrallyingthe
barbariantribestoaidabesiegedcity.Whenshesdone,everyoneeruptsinspontaneousapplause.Whenshe
rollsherCharismacheck,though,thediecomesupa
natural1andpointstofailure.
AsaDM,rememberthatthediceareliketherules.
Theyreatooltohelpkeeptheactionmoving.Atany
time,youcandecidethataplayersactionis
automaticallysuccessful,eveniftheDifficultyClass,or
DC,wouldnormallybesomewhereabove20.Bythe
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sametoken,abadplanorunfortunatecircumstances
cantransformeventheeasiesttaskintoanimpossibility.
Thediceareneutralarbiters.Theycomeintoplay
whensuccessandfailurearefarfromclear.Thinkof
themasimpartialjudges,readytodispenseayesorno
answerbasedonacharactersbonusandtheDCyou
haveselected.Thedicedontrunthegame.Youdo. AsaDM,youshouldthinkabouttherolethediceplay
inyourgame.Doyoupreferthevagariesoffate,ordo
youprefertorewardagoodeffortwithsuccessanda
pooronewithfailure?Useyourstyletohelpguide
whenyoucallforrollsandwhenyousimplydeclare
successorfailure.
AbilityChecksAnabilitycheckisatesttoseeifacharacter
succeeds.Ifacharacterattemptsanactionthat
hasasignificantchanceoffailure,havethe
playermakeanabilitycheck. Abilitychecksarethemostcommonlyused
mechanicinthegame.Attacks,contests,and
savingthrowsare,inessence,specializedforms
ofabilitychecks.
Whenindoubt,callforanabilitycheck.
ContestsAcontestisakindofabilitycheckthatmatches
twocreaturesagainsteachother.Useacontestif
acharacterattemptsanactionthateither
directlyfoilsorisdirectlyopposedbyanother
creaturesactions. Whenyoucallforacontest,youpicktheability
thateachsidemustuse.Inmostcontests,both
sidesusethesameability,butthatisnotalways
thecase.Forexample,whenacreaturetriesto
hide,itengagesinacontestofDexterityagainst
Wisdom.Butiftwocreaturesarmwrestle,orif
onecreatureisholdingadoorclosedagainst
anothersattempttopushitopen,bothwould
probablyuseStrength.
Whenyoucallforacontest,keepinmind
whatsatstake.Whataretheintentionsofeach
side?Usethatintenttodeterminewhichabilitiesareinvolvedinthecontestandtheconsequences
ofthecontest.
Callforacontestwhen...
acharacterwantstodosomethingthatanothercreaturecouldpreventwithanaction
ofitsown.
successrequiresacharactertoovercomeanothercreature.
twocreaturesattemptthesamethingatthesametime,andonlyonecansucceed.
SavingThrowsSavingthrowsarequickreactions,andtheytake
theformofrollsmadeinresponsetosomeone
elsesactionsoranevent.Youcanthinkofa
savingthrowasareactiveabilitycheck.
Asavingthrowmakesthemostsensewhen
somethingbadhappenstoacharacterandthe
characterhasachancetoavoidthateffect.
Callforasavingthrowwhen...
acharactersarmorisofnouseinavoidinganattack.
anattackersskillhasnobearingontheoutcomeofanattack.
aneffectrequiresacharactertomakeanefforttoresistsomethingwhenitisnotthat
charactersturn.
Anabilitycheckissomethingacharacter
activelyattemptstoaccomplish,whereasa
savingthrowisusuallyasplit-secondresponse
tosomething.
Attacks
Anattackisperhapstheeasiestruletoresolve.Inessence,anattackisachecktoseeifone
charactercanhittheotherwithaweaponora
spell.TheDifficultyClass,orDC,foranattackis
thetargetsArmorClass,orAC.
Callforanattackwhenacharactertriestohit
anothercreaturewithaphysicaloramagical
attack,andthetargetsarmororshieldcouldfoil
thatattempt.
AbilityChecksasaDMTool
Abilitychecksareanincrediblyflexibletoolyoucanusetoadjudicatealmostanypossibletaska
charactercouldattemptintheworldofD&D.
Youcandecidewhichabilityscoreismost
relevanttotheattemptedtask,setaDifficulty
Classbasedonhowhardyouthinkthetask
shouldbe,andapplyavarietyofmodifierstothe
checktoreflecttheparticularcircumstances.
Thissectionhelpsyousettheparametersofan
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abilitychecktoresolveacharactersactsinthe
world.
SettingaDCADifficultyClassisanumericalratingthat
measuresatasksdifficulty.ThehighertheDC,
themoredifficultthetask.AsaDM,itisupto
youtosetmostDCs.Insomecases,suchasa
charactersspecialabilityorataskinapublished
adventure,aDCisprovidedforyou.
Trivial(DC5):Innormalcircumstances,aDC
of5orlowerrepresentsataskthatissoeasy
thatitisnotworthanabilitycheck.An
adventurercanalmostalwayssucceed
automaticallyonatrivialtask.
Easy(DC10):Aneasytaskrequiresa
minimumlevelofcompetenceoramodicumof
lucktoaccomplish. Moderate(DC15):Amoderatetaskrequires
aslightlyhigherlevelofcompetenceto
accomplish.Acharacterwithacombinationof
naturalaptitudeandspecializedtrainingcan
accomplishamoderatetaskmoreoftenthannot.
Hard(DC20):Hardtasksincludeanyeffort
thatisbeyondthecapabilitiesofmostpeople
withoutaidorexceptionalability.Evenwith
aptitudeandtraining,acharacterneedssome
amountofluckoralotofspecialized
trainingtopulloffahardtask.
VeryHard(DC25):Onlyespeciallytalentedindividualsneedeventrytheirhandatveryhard
tasks.
Formidable(DC30):Onlythemosthighly
trained,experienced,andtalentedindividuals
haveachanceatsuccessataformidabletask,
andeventheyprobablyneedmundane
equipmentormagicitemstoaidthem.
NearlyImpossible(DC35):Tasksofthis
difficultyaresochallengingthatonlydemigods
andtheirpeerscansucceedwithoutassistance.
UsingTheseDCsThesenumbersareprettyeasytokeepinyourhead,
becausewereallydontwantyoutohavetolookata
tableeverytimeyouhavetodecideonaDC.Hereare
sometipsforusingthematthetable.
Ifyouhavedecidedthatanabilitycheckiscalledfor,
thenclearlyitsnotatrivialtaskyoucaneliminateDC
5.
Thenaskyourself:Isiteasy,moderate,orhard?If
theonlyDCsyoueveruseare10,15,and20,yourgame
willrunjustfine.
Ifyoufindyourselfthinking,Well,itsreallyhard,
thenyoucangouptothehigherDCs,butdosowith
cautionandconsiderthelevelofthecharacters.ADC25
taskisextremelyhardforlow-levelcharacterstoaccomplish,butitbecomesmorereasonableafter10th
level.A1st-levelcharactercanhardlyeverhitDC30,so
usethatverysparingly.Ifyouthinkthetaskreallyisnext
toimpossible,then35isyourDC,butbearinmindthat
evena20th-levelcharacterwhoisskilledatthetaskin
questionneedssomelucktoaccomplishsuchatask.
Heresanothersecret:Youdontactuallyhavetoset
theDCbeforetheplayerrollstheabilitycheck.Decide
whetherthecharactersucceedsbasedonthecheck
result.Youllprobablyfindthatyourgutfeeling(andthe
players)squaresprettywellwiththesetDCspresented
here.Anumberbelow10isnevergoingtomakeit
unlessthetaskistriviallysimple.Anumberinthelow
teensisgoodenoughforaneasytask.Anumberinthe
highteenswillsucceedatamoderatetask.Andwhena
playerrollsa20orbetter,theresusuallylittlequestion
thatthecharactersucceeds.
Yourplayerswillneverknow.
HazardsIsthereachancethatfailingataskmightleadto
adisastrousoutcomeforthecharacter?You
decidewhetherahazardappliestoaparticular
checkandwhenthehazardapplies.
Ahazardmightaffectacharacterwhofailsacheck.Forexample,acharacterwhoattempts
andfailsaStrengthchecktojumpacrossapit
thatheorshecouldntnormallyclearprobably
fallsintothepit.Sometimes,though,ahazard
kicksinonlyifthecharactermissesthechecks
DC(orlosesacontest)byasignificantmargin,
suchas5or10.Examplesofhazardscanbe
foundintheTasksandSkillssection.
RequirementsAtaskmightrequireaspecifictoolor
circumstanceforacharactertohaveanychance
ofsuccess.Forexample,youmightneeda
magnifyingglasstoaccuratelyappraiseagem.
Acharacterwhocannotmeetthe
requirementsforataskautomaticallyfails.One
whomeetsthemcanattemptanabilitycheckas
normalforthetask.
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Youcandecidetowaivethisrequirement,but
thetaskshouldbehardtocompletewithoutit.
Youmightgivethecharacterdisadvantageon
theabilitycheck,orsettheDChigherthanyou
wouldforacharacterwhomettherequirement.
Otherwise,requirementsshouldcomeuponly
rarely.Usethemtoencouragetheplayerstocomeupwithcleversolutions,nottopunish
themfortryingtodointerestingthings.
EngagingthePlayersAsaDM,youcouldmemorizetheseguidelines,
applythemflawlessly,andstillmissoutonthe
pointofD&D.Unlikesomeothergames,D&Disa
flexiblesetofguidelines,notarigidsetoflaws.
Whenyouaskaplayertomakeanability
check,anattack,orasavingthrow,youfirst
shouldfocusonengagingtheplayersimaginations.Describethescenetothem,and
pullindetailssuchassights,sounds,andeven
smellstomaketheactionvivid.
Moreimportant,youwanttheplayersto
becomefullyengagedinthegame.Reward
inventiveplayerswholookbeyondgameoptions
todescribetheircharactersactions.Roleplaying
gamesstandoutfromothertypesofgames
becausetheyallowforthistypeofcreativity.
Encourageitwheneveryoucan.
Theeasiestwaytodosoistomake
imaginativesolutionstheeasiestpathtosuccessfortheadventurers.Considerthefollowing
options.
AbilityChecks:Whenaplayermakesan
abilitycheck,invitehimorhertodescribethe
charactersaction.Iftheplayermakescleveruse
ofthesituationinthedescription,consider
eithergrantinganautomaticsuccessor
advantageontheabilitycheck.
Contests:Inacontest,aningenious
descriptionthatpointstoakeyadvantagethata
charactermightgaincouldleadyoutograntthe
characteradvantageonthecheck. AttacksandSavingThrows:Acolorful
descriptionisniceforattacksandsavingthrows,
butshouldrarelybetheavenuetogaininga
concretegamebenefit,sinceitistooeasyto
abusesuchanapproach.Youmighthaveplayers
endlesslydescribinghowtheyresistamind
flayersmindblastortryingtonarrateevery
detailofaswordblow.Inmostcases,spellsand
specialabilitiesservetograntcharacters
advantageontheirattacksandsavingthrows.
Thatsaid,ifthesituationwarrantsit,use
advantagetograntacharacteranedge.
Disadvantage:Noteveryideaisagoodone.A
charactermighttrytowintheprincesfavorby
braggingaboutallthebanditsheorsheslew,notrealizingthattheprinceisanavowedpacifist.If
anideabackfiresonaplayer,applydisadvantage
totheabilitycheckorattack.
TalkingaboutAbilityChecksandSkillsAbilitychecksaretheprimaryruleselementofthegame.
Muchofthetime,whenaplayerscharactertriestodo
something,yourresponseis,Makea____check.
Youcanqualifythatbyspecifyingaparticularuseof
thatabilitycheck:Makemea____checkto____.
Thatsthelanguageusedthroughouttheserules.
So,forexample,ifaplayersays,Iwanttotrytoslip
theamuletintomypouchwithoutanyonenoticing,
youmightsay,OK,makeaDexteritychecktoconceal
theamulet.Specifyingthenatureofthetaskletsthe
playerknowthattheConcealanObjectskillappliesto
thischeck,anditreinforcesthewaytheruleswork:this
isaDexteritycheck,butaskilldiemightcomeintoplay.
MultipleAbilityChecksSometimesacharacterfailsanabilitycheckand
wantstotryagain.Youhaveacoupleofoptions
inthiscase.
Inmostcases,thecharactercansimplytryagain.Theonlyrealcostisthetimeittakes.The
characterkeepstryingand,afterenoughtime
passes,eventuallysucceeds.Tospeedthingsup,
youcanassumethatacharactercan
automaticallysucceedatataskifheorshe
spendstwentytimesthenormalamountoftime
neededtocompleteit.Thisexceptiondoesnot
allowacharactertoturnanimpossibletaskinto
asuccessfulone.
Inothercases,thefirstfailurerenders
subsequentchecksimpossible.Forinstance,a
roguetriestotrickatownguardintothinkingthatthegroupmembersareundercoveragents
oftheking.Theroguelosesthecontestof
CharismaagainstWisdom.Thesamelietold
againclearlywontwork.
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TasksandSkills
Thissectionprovidesanoverviewofthesortsof
thingsthatcharacterstypicallyattemptinD&D,
asaguidetosomeofthemostcommonways
thatabilitycheckscanbeusedinthegame.For
eachofthesixabilityscoresandthecommon
tasksassociatedwiththem(seeHowtoPlay),
thissectionoffersguidelinesforhowdifficult
varioustasksmightbe.Someexamplesoftasksa
charactermightimprovisearealsoincluded.As
always,useyourgoodjudgmentwhenapplying
theseguidelines.Theyaremeanttoprovide
storytellingandadjudicationoptionstoyou,not
totieyourhandscreatively.
Askillgivesacharacterabonusonability
checksmadetoperformaspecifickindoftask,
suchasaCharismachecktobluff.Theskillsinthegamematchtothecommontasksoutlined
here.Itsuptoyoutodecidewhetheraskill
appliestoaparticulartaskthatacharacter
mightundertake.
StrengthStrengthmeasuresacreaturesphysicalpower.
UseaStrengthcheckforanyattempttolift,push,
pull,orbreaksomething,toforceone'sbody
throughspace,ortootherwiseapplybruteforce
toasituation.
ThemostcommonStrengthchecksareusedtobreakanobject,toclimb,tojump,ortoswim.
Certaincombatactions,includingdisarm,
grapple,knockdown,andpush,alsocallfor
Strengthchecks,usuallyasacontest.
BreakanObject
Easy(DC10):Forceopenastuckwoodendoor
Hard(DC20):Breakopenasoliddoorheldbyalock
Hard(DC20):BreakfreeofropebondsVeryHard(DC25):Breakopenasoliddoor
heldbyawoodenbarorelaboratelock
Formidable(DC30):Breakchainsormanacles
Formidable(DC30):Breakopenaheavydoorheldbyametalbaroramasterworklock
Contest:Pushadooropenwhensomeoneelseisholdingitclosed(againstStrength)
Climb
Easy(DC10):Scaleacliffwithplentyofhandholds
Moderate(DC15):ClimbaroughstonewallHard(DC20):Climbasheersurfacewith
scanthandholds
Formidable(DC30):ClimbanoiledropeJump
Easy(DC10):Jumpafewfeetfartherthanyounormallycould
Hard(DC20):Throwagrapplinghookinthemiddleofalongjump
Swim
Easy(DC10):Treadwaterinroughconditions
Hard(DC20):SwiminstormywatersFormidable(DC30):SwimfreeofavortexImprovisedTasks
Moderate(DC15):Pushthroughanearthentunnelthatistoosmall
Hard(DC20):Hangontoawagonwhilebeingdraggedbehindit
VeryHard(DC25):Tipoveralargestonestatue
VeryHard(DC25):Keepaboulderfromrolling
Hazards:Climbingorswimmingindangerous
conditionscanpresenthazards(fallingor
sinking,respectively)forfailedchecks.Avery
heavyobjectcouldfallontopofthecharacter
whostryingtoliftorpushit.Acharactermight
getstuckhalfwayinatunnelwhiletryingto
forcehisorherwaythrough.
Requirements:Youmightdecidethata
charactercantattemptaStrengthcheckwithout
havingsomeamountofleverageorasolid
foothold.
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DexterityDexterityrepresentsacreatureshand-eye
coordination,agility,reflexes,andbalance.Usea
Dexteritycheckfortasksthatrequirephysical
finesseoragility.
ThemostcommonDexteritychecksareusedtobalance,toconcealanobject,todisableatrap,
todriveavehicle,toopenalock,topickapocket,
torideamount,tosneak,ortotumble.Certain
combatactionsinvolveDexteritychecks,oftenas
adefenseagainstanothermaneuversuchas
grapple,disarm,orpush.
Balance
Easy(DC10):WalkacrossanicysurfaceModerate(DC15):Walkonanarrowledge
Hard(DC20):Crossawildlyswayingropebridge
VeryHard(DC25):WalkacrossatightropeVeryHard(DC25):Slidedownastaircase
whilestandingonashield
ConcealanObject
Easy(DC10):Performsimplefeatsofsleightofhand
Contest:Palmanobjectwhileundercloseobservation(againstWisdom)
DisarmaTrap(requiresproficiencywith
thievestools)
Easy(DC10):Keepapittrapfromopeningwhenitstriggered
Moderate(DC15):Keepascythingbladetrapfromtriggering
Hard(DC20):Preventapoisonneedleorgastrapfromspringing
VeryHard(DC25):DisarmanintricatetrapFormidable(DC30):DisarmamagictrapDrive
Moderate(DC15):Controlaheavilyladencartonasteepdescent
Hard(DC20):Steerachariotaroundatightturnoraroundanobstacleinyourpath
OpenaLock(requiresproficiencywith
thievestools)
Moderate(DC15):PickasimplelockHard(DC20):PickatypicallockVeryHard(DC25):PickanelaboratelockFormidable(DC30):PickamasterworklockFormidable(DC30):Pickamagicallock
(requiresfeat)
PickaPocket(requiresfeat)
Contest:Picksomeonespocket(againstWisdom)
Ride
Easy(DC10):Keepyourseatonarearinghorse
Sneak
Contest:Hideinanobscuredarea(againstWisdom)
Tumble
Moderate(DC15):SwingfromachandelierVeryHard(DC25):Somersaultovera
creatureofthesamesize
ImprovisedTasks
Easy(DC10):SecurelytieupaprisonerHard(DC20):WrigglefreeofropebondsVeryHard(DC25):SlipoutofmanaclesContest:Wrigglefreeofagrapple(against
Strength)
Hazards:Balancingonanarrowsurfaceand
otheracrobaticfeatspresenttheveryreal
dangeroffalling.Whenattemptingtodisarma
trap,abungledcheckoftencausesthetrapto
trigger.Ahazardwhilepickingsomeonespocket
isthatthetargetnoticestheattempt.
Requirements:ThePickPocketsfeatallows
characterstoattemptaDexterity-relatedtasktheyotherwisecouldntperform.Proficiency
withthievestoolsallowsacharactertoattempt
aDexteritychecktodisableatraporopenalock.
Someacrobaticfeatsmightrequireacertain
amountofmovement,orrequirethecharacterto
bewearinglightornoarmor.
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ConstitutionConstitutionrepresentsacreatureshealth,
stamina,andvitalforce.Constitutionsaving
throwsarefarmorecommonthanConstitution
checks,becausetheendurancethisability
representstypicallycomesintoplayinreactiontoexternalevents,notasaneffortacharacteris
making.Ifacharacterattemptsataskthat
clearlyreliesonphysicalresilienceandfortitude,
useaConstitutioncheck.
Therearenocommontasksthatrequire
Constitutionchecks.Usethefollowingguidelines
ifcharactersattemptsomethingthatwarrantsa
testoftheirendurance.
ImprovisedTasks
Easy(DC10):Quaffanentiresteinofaleinonego
Moderate(DC15):Marchoverlandfortwelvehoursinaday
Moderate(DC15):Rolldownasteepslopewithouttakingdamage
Hard(DC20):StayawakeforfortyhoursHard(DC20):SwimforanhourstraightVeryHard(DC25):Marchoverlandfor
eighteenhoursinaday
VeryHard(DC25):Swimforthreehoursstraight
Formidable(DC30):Marchoverlandfortwenty-fourhours
Hazards:AbadlyfailedConstitutioncheckcan
meantakingdamage.Aswimmingcharacter
mightsufferacrampthatmakesfurther
swimmingimpossible,oracharacterattempting
aforcedmarchmightsustainaninjury.
Requirements:Youmightrulethatsome
Constitutionchecksareimpossibleunlessthe
characterremovesheavyarmor.
IntelligenceIntelligencemeasureshowwellacreaturelearns
andreasons.UseanIntelligencecheckwhena
characterneedstodrawonlogic,education,or
deductivereasoning.
ThemostcommonIntelligencechecksare
usedtorecallloreortosearch.
RecallLore
Easy(DC10):Recallcommonly-knownfactsEasy(DC10):IdentifyacommonsymbolModerate(DC15):Recallspecificdetails
aboutcommonly-knownfacts,orvague
informationaboutslightlyobscurefactsModerate(DC15):Identifyanuncommon
monster
Hard(DC20):Recallspecificdetailsaboutobscurefacts,orvagueinformationabouttruly
esotericfacts
Hard(DC20):Identifyaspellasitisbeingcast(higher-levelspellsmightbeharder)
Hard(DC20):Understandadialectofaknownlanguage
VeryHard(DC25):Recallspecificdetailsabouttrulyesotericfactsknownonlytoafew
VeryHard(DC25):Identifyanespeciallyraremonster
VeryHard(DC25):Decipherasimplemessageinanunfamiliarlanguage
VeryHard(DC25):Identifythepersistenteffectsofaspell
Formidable(DC30):Identifyauniquemonster
Search
Easy(DC10):Findasimpletripwireorapitcoveredwithbranchesandleaves(when
searching)
Moderate(DC15):Findthesignsofacreaturepassingacrossdrygroundand
deduceitsnatureandthedirectionofitstravel
Moderate(DC15):Findahiddencompartmentinachest
Hard(DC20):FindasecretdoorHard(DC20):Findapressureplateinthe
floororlocateatransparenttripwire
VeryHard(DC25):Findaparticularlywell-hiddensecretdoor
VeryHard(DC25):Findawell-disguisedpressureplate
ImprovisedTasks
Easy(DC10):Communicateasimpleideatoacreaturethatdoesntshareyourlanguage
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Moderate(DC15):Deducewhatkindofweaponcausedaninjury
Moderate(DC15):Estimatethevalueofapieceofjewelry
Moderate(DC15):Pulltogetheradisguisetohelpanallypassasacityguard
Hard(DC20):Determinehowtocausepartofatunneltocollapse
Hard(DC20):Estimatethevalueofagemstone
VeryHard(DC25):Estimatethevalueofarare,antique,orexoticitem
Contest:Passoffaforgeddocumentasreal(againstIntelligence)
Hazards:Anattempttorecallinformation
presentsthechanceofrecallingfalse
information.Acharactermightmakedangerous
mistakesaboutamonstersresistancesor
capabilities,collapseatunnelinthewrongplace,
ordiscardapreciousitemafterbelievingthatit
isworthless.Acharactersearchingforatrap
runstheriskoffindingitthehardway:by
accidentallytriggeringthetrap.
Requirements:TheUseMagicDevicefeat
allowscharacterstoattemptanIntelligence-
relatedtasktheynormallycouldntperform.You
mightrequirethatacharacterhaveamagnifying
glasstoappraisegemsorjewelry.Fortruly
obscureinformation,sometimesthebestknowledgeiswheretofindtheinformation,but
actuallyunearthingthefactsmightrequire
accesstoaspecifictomeorlibrary.
WisdomWisdommeasuresacreaturescommonsense,
perception,self-discipline,andempathy.Usea
Wisdomcheckinsituationsthatcallforintuition,
gutfeelings,orsensitivitytotheenvironment.
ThemostcommonWisdomchecksareusedto
administerfirstaid,tohandleananimal,tolisten,
tosensemotive,tospot,ortotrackcreatures.
AdministerFirstAid
Easy(DC10):Identifyacommonailmentorpoisonfromitssymptoms
Moderate(DC15):Stabilizeadyingcreature Moderate(DC15):Identifyanuncommon
ailmentorpoisonHard(DC20):Identifyarareailmentor
poison
HandleanAnimal
Moderate(DC15):Getananimaltokeepmovingwhiletired
Hard(DC20):Trainananimalforaspecifictask
Hard(DC20):CalmanaggressivewildanimalVeryHard(DC25):CalmapanickedanimalVeryHard(DC25):RearawildanimalFormidable(DC30):TameawildanimalListen
Moderate(DC15):Eavesdroponaconversationthroughadoor
Contest:Hearsomeonewhostryingtobesilent(againstDexterity)
SenseMotive
Moderate(DC15):Discernwhoamongacageygroupistheleader
Moderate(DC15):Readapersonsmotivesorattitude
Hard(DC20):InterpretenemieshandsignsVeryHard(DC25):Senseanoutside
influenceonaperson,suchasanenchantment
spell
VeryHard(DC25):Eavesdroponawhisperedconversationthroughadoor
Contest:Recognizealie(againstCharisma)Contest:Seethroughadisguise(against
Charisma)
Spot
Hard(DC20):Findatinyitemsuchasageminthemidstofalotofotheritems
Contest:Spotacreaturethatishiding(againstDexterity)
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TrackCreatures(requiresfeat)
Easy(DC10):Trackacreaturethroughsnowormud
Moderate(DC15):Trackacreaturethroughaforest.
Hard(DC20):Trackacreatureacrossdirtorgrass
VeryHard(DC25):Trackacreatureacrossbarestone
Formidable(DC30):Trackacreatureacrossdirtorgrassafterarainfall
ImprovisedTasks
Easy(DC10):Huntandforageforfoodwhiletravelinginthewilderness
Moderate(DC15):Avoidnaturalhazards,suchasquicksand
Hard(DC20):Keepfromgettinglostwhiletravelinginthewilderness
Hazards:Judgingapersonsmotivespresents
theriskofdreadfullymisreadingthosemotives.
Acharactermightendupfollowingthewrong
setoftracks.
Requirements:TheTrackfeatallows
characterstoattemptaWisdom-relatedtask
theynormallycouldntperform.Otherwise,its
rareforWisdomcheckstohaverequirements.
CharismaCharismameasuresapersonsforceof
personality,persuasiveness,andleadership.Use
Charismachecksinsituationsthatrequiresocial
skillsandtheabilitytoinfluenceothers.
ThemostcommonCharismachecksareused
tobluff,togatherrumors,tointimidate,to
perform,ortopersuade.
Bluff
Contest:Fast-talkorconsomeone(againstWisdom)
Contest:Adoptadisguise(againstWisdom)Contest:Impersonatesomeonesvoice
(againstWisdom)
Contest:Givefalseassurancetodullsuspicion(againstWisdom)
Contest:Tellaconvincinglie(againstWisdom)
GatherRumors
Easy(DC10):Gatherthecommongossipinatownorneighborhood
Easy(DC10):Learnaboutthelocalpowerfigures
Moderate(DC15):Findwhatyouneedinanunfamiliarcity
Moderate(DC15):Findoutwhosreallyinpower
Hard(DC20):Weaseloutlocalinformationonlyafewotherpeopleknow
VeryHard(DC25):Digupobscurenewsorlorefromacommunity
Intimidate
Hard(DC20):Getanunrulycrowdtomoveoutoftheway
Hard(DC20):Badgeralliedsoldiersintoafightingmood
Hard(DC20):GoadapersonintoactionContest:Pryinformationoutofaprisoner
(againstWisdom)
Perform
Easy(DC10):EntertainacrowdwithatalltaleEasy(DC10):GiveapleasingspeechModerate(DC15):Givearousingorinspiring
speech
Persuade
Moderate(DC15):Calmandcomfortadistraughtperson
Contest:Persuadesomeonetodosomething(againstWisdom)
Contest:Convincesomeonetobackdownfromaconfrontation(againstWisdom)Hazards:Themostlikelyhazardsassociated
withaCharismacheckareattractingunwanted
attention,arousingsuspicion,orangering
someone.
Requirements:Youmightdecidethata
Charismacheckrequiresbribesofsomesort,
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fromslippinganofficialsomegoldtobuyingan
informantadrink.
AbilityChecksand
Interaction
Fightingmonstersandnavigatinghazardous
environmentsareonlypartofanadventurers
career.Characterswilloftenfindthatwordsare
abetterresourcethanswords,spells,orbrute
force.
Thereareseveralschoolsofthoughtwhenit
comestohandlinginteractionsinaroleplaying
game.SomeDMsprefertospeakincharacter
andadoptthemannerismsofanonplayer
characterinthesamewaythatanactordepictsa
character.
OtherDMsprefertodescribeanNPCsdialogue,givingabasicoutlineofwhatanNPC
hastosay,ratherthannarratingtheexact
dialogue.
Playersfallintosimilarcamps.Donttryto
forcetheplayersintooneapproachortheother.
Justassomepeopleliketoplayfightersand
otherspreferrogues,sotoododifferentplayers
takedifferentapproachestoportrayingtheir
characters.
Nomatterwhichapproachyouuse,an
interactionshouldbedrivenbytheback-and-
forthbetweenanNPCandthecharacters.Diceshouldcomeintoplayonlywhenyouareunsure
aboutaconversationsoutcome.
Playerswhoshyawayfromroleplayingprefer
toletthedicedothetalkingforthem.Forsuch
players,itsprobablybesttorelyonthedice,
ratherthanforcethatplayertogoagainsthisor
herpreferences.
CallingforAbilityChecksAdventurersdontneedtomakeabilitychecksor
enterintolengthyinteractionswhentheybuy
suppliesororderfoodinatavern.Significant
interactionsinanadventureinvolvechallenges
andobstaclespersuadingsomeone(or
something)todosomethingheorsheisnot
initiallyinclinedtodo,ornotdosomethingheor
shewantstodo.Asignificantinteractionhas
objectives(thingsthecharacterswantto
accomplish)andobstacles(reasonswhythe
NPCsdontwanttoacquiescetothePCs).
Whenacharactermakesafirmargument,
whetheritsinsupportofanobjectiveoran
attempttonegateanobstacle,thatsthetimeto
askforanabilitycheck.Typically,theplayer
charactersandNPCswillexchangeseverallinesofdialoguearoundeachabilitycheck.
AbilityCheckorContest?Inmostcases,you
useabilitychecksforsocialinteractions.
Contestsshouldcomeintoplayonlyiftwo
partiesareindirectconflict,suchasinan
argument,adebate,oranegotiation.
DeterminingDCsPickingaDCforaninteractioncheckfollowsthe
normalguidelinesfordeterminingaDC,anditis
importanttoconsiderthecontextofthecheck.Aconversationisafluidthing.BasetheDCon
whatishappeninginthemoment.Howhasthe
conversationebbedandflowed?Whatdoesan
NPCthinkofthecharacters?Astilted,awkward
exchangecanturnasimplerequestintoahigh
DC.
Thinkofwhomthespeakeristryingtoswayor
impress.Youcandoworsethanstartwithan
NPCsWisdomscoreorCharismascoreasabase
DC.UsethetargetsWisdomscoreforattempts
toblufforintimidatesomeone,whilethe
Charismascoreisagoodchoiceinmostothersituations.
Withthatasastartingpoint,considerthe
NPCsattitudetowardthespeaker.Apositive
attitudecangrantadvantage,whereasanegative
attitudeorafauxpascanimposedisadvantage.
MiscellaneousRulesTheserulescoveravarietyofsituationsthat
mightcomeupascharactersdelveintoancient
tombs,sneakintomerchantsmansions,walkthe
ruinedstreetsofancientcities,striveinbattleagainstfearsomedragons,brokerpeacebetween
warringcities,andalltheotherthings
adventurersdo.
IncidentalTasks
Thebasicrulesforthegameallowacreatureto
moveandtakeanactiononitsturn.An
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adventurerislikelytodomanythingsthatare
notdescribedintherulesasanaction:picking
upagem,readyingabow,andthelike.Thegame
assumesthatsuchincidentaltasksaresosimple
thattheydontrequireactionsoftheirown.
Mostoften,incidentaltasksoccurinthe
processofdoingsomethingelse,suchasopeninganunsecureddoorwhilemovingorremovinga
pieceofequipmentfromapackinordertouseit.
Forexample,afighterdrawsaswordandattacks
anorc.Drawingaswordtypicallytakesnoaction,
sinceittakesonlyamomenttocompleteandis
usuallypartofamorecomplexactivity.
Thatsaid,imaginethesamefightertryingto
drawaswordwhiletiedup.Inthissituation,the
taskismorecomplexandrequiresfocusand
effort.Drawingaswordwouldrequireanaction
inthiscase,andthefightermightneedtomakea
checkaswelltoseeifheorshecanwiggleoutof
therope.Thatswhyincidentaltasksareunder
yourcontrol.
Ataskthatmeetsoneormoreofthefollowing
criteriaisprobablynotanactionundermost
circumstances.
Itdoesntrequireadierolloranyotherrules. Itiseffortless. Itispartoforenablesanactionoramove.Hereareexamplesoftasksthatareusuallytoo
incidentaltorequireanaction.
SpeakingDrawingaweaponWithdrawingapotion,arope,orotherpieceof
equipmentfromapack
PushingopenanunsecuredandunstuckdoorPullingadoorclosedwhilepassingthroughitPickingupasmallitemDroppinganitemTippingoveraflimsypieceoffurnitureAlwaysRoundDown
Wheneveryoudivideanumberinthegame,
rounddownifyouendupwithafraction.Doso
evenifthefractionis0.5ormore.
CreatureSize
Duringabattle,creaturestakeupdifferent
amountsofspaceonthebattlefield.Aloneogre
canblockoffa10-foot-widebridge,whileovera
dozengoblinscouldsurroundastormgiant.A
creaturessizedetermineshowmuchspaceit
takesup,howfaritsattackscanreach,andhow
manyenemiescanganguponit.
Size Space Surround Fills
Tiny 2.52.5ft. 8 1
Small 55ft. 8 1
Medium 55ft. 8 1
Large 1010ft. 12 1.5
Huge 1515ft. 16 2
Gargantuan 2020ft.* 20 2.5
*orlarger
Space:Thisistheareainfeetthatacreature
occupies.Acreaturesspaceisnotanexpression
ofitsactualphysicaldimensions,buttheareait
effectivelyownsinthegame.Ahumanisnt5
feetwide,butitdoesownaspacethatwide,
particularlyincombat.Ifahumanstandsina5-
foot-widedoorway,othercreaturescantget
throughthedoorwayunlessthehumanlets
them.
Acreaturecansqueezethroughaspacelarge
enoughforacreatureonesizecategorysmaller
thanitself.Whensqueezingthroughsuchaspace,every5feetofmovementcosts5extrafeetof
movement.Whilesqueezing,acreaturehas
disadvantageonattacksandonDexteritysaving
throws,andattacksagainstithaveadvantage.
Surround:Thiscolumnrepresentsthe
numberofMediumcreaturesthatcanfitina5-
footradiusaroundthecreature.
Fills:Whencreaturesofdifferentsize
surroundoneopponent,acreaturecountsasthis
manyMediumsizecreatureswhendetermining
howmanycanfitinthethreatenedarea.
Forexample,eightMediumcreaturescansurroundafellowMediumcreature.Apairof
Gargantuancreatures(worthtwoandahalf
Mediumeach)andtwoLargecreatures(worth
oneandahalfeach)couldalsosurrounda
Mediumcreature.
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Illumination
Charactersfacethreebroadcategoriesof
illuminationinatypicalD&Dgame.
BrightLightBrightlightisalsocallednormallight.Evengloomydaysprovidebrightlight,asdotorches,
lanterns,fires,andothersourcesofillumination
withinaspecificradius.
Effect:Mostcreaturescanseenormallyin
brightlight.
DimLightDimlightisalsocalledshadows.Anareaofdim
lightisusuallyaboundarybetweenasourceof
brightlight,suchasatorch,andsurrounding
darkness.Dimlightisalsocommonattwilightandjustbeforedawn.Aparticularlybrilliantfull
moonmaycoverthelandbeneathindimlight.
Effect:Creaturescanseeindimlight,but
creaturesandobjectsarelightlyobscuredwithin
it.
DarknessDarknessiscommonatnightunderanovercast
skyorwithintheconfinesofanunlitdungeonor
subterraneanvault.Sometimesmagiccancreate
regionsofdarkness.
Effect:Normalcreaturescantseeanythingindarknessandareeffectivelyblinded.Someonein
darknessisheavilyobscuredfromcreaturesthat
donthaveenhancedsenses.
HoldingYourBreathand
Drowning
Ifacharacterisswimmingunderwater
intentionally(notasaresultofafailedcheck),
thecharactercanholdhisorherbreathfora
numberofminutesequaltohisorherConstitutionmodifier(minimum30seconds).
Acharacterwhorunsoutofbreathwhile
underwater(usuallyasahazardofafailed
check)isdrowning.Whiledrowning,the
characterisrestrained.Asanaction,adrowning
charactercanmakeaStrengthchecktostop
drowning.TheDCtodosoisatleast13,possibly
higherifthewaterconditionswarrantamore
difficultcheck.Thedrowningcharactermust
breathebeforeanumberofroundspassequalto
hisorherConstitutionmodifier(minimum1)or
fallunconscious.Onceunconscious,the
drowningcharacterlosesallhisorher
remaininghitpoints.Thecharacterisdyingandcannotbestabilizedorrecoverhitpointsuntil
heorshecanbreathe(eitherbybeingbroughtto
thesurfaceorbygainingthemagicalabilityto
breatheunderwater).Oncethecharactercan
breathe,normalmeansofrestoringlosthit
pointscanrevivethecharacter.
Encountersand
RewardsCreatingadventuresisoneofthegreatjoysofbeingaDungeonMaster.Itsyourwaytoexpress
yourselfthroughimaginativeelementsofyour
owndesign.Whenyoudesignanadventure,you
calltheshots.
Atthesametime,youllusuallywanttodesign
adventuresthatarenttooeasy,ortoodeadly,
foryourplayers.Whenyoudecideonthe
locationsyourplayerswillexplore,theNPCs
theywillencounter,andthemonsterstheywill
fight,itsbesttodosowithaplanofwhatyou
wanttoaccomplish.
BuildingCombatEncounters
Buildingacombatencounterisamatterof
choosingthreatsappropriatetothecharacters
generallymonstersandotherdangerous
creaturesandcombiningthemininteresting
andchallengingways.Encounterbuildingisa
mixtureofartandscienceasyoucombinethese
threatstogether.
Whenyousetouttocreateacombat
encounter,firstdecidehowchallengingyou
wantittobe.Easyencountersarespeedbumps
onthecharacterspathastheymaketheirway
throughadventures,whiletoughencounters
oftenformtheclimacticmomentofanadventure.
Thebulkoftheencountersinanadventure
shouldfallintheaveragerange.
Thedifficultyyouchoosefortheencounter,
combinedwiththenumberofcharactersinthe
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partyandtheirlevel,givesyouatarget
experiencepoint(XP)valuefortheencounter.
ThesumoftheXPvaluesofallthethreatsinthe
encountershouldfallintheneighborhoodofthis
target,soyoucanselectthreatsuntilyoureach
thattargetnumber.
YoucanthinkofthisprocessasspendingXPagainstabudget.Thedifficultyyouchoosegives
youanXPbudget,andyoubuyindividual
monstersorotherthreatstobuildyour
encounteruntilyouveexhaustedyourbudget.
TofindyourtotalXPbudget,multiplythe
numberofcharactersinthepartybytheXP
valueshownonthetablebelow.Forexample,if
youwanttocreateanaverageencounterforfour
3rd-levelcharacters,useabout240XP(604)
fortheencounter.
Level Easy AverageTough1 10 20 40
2 20 40 70
3 40 60 120
4 80 130 250
5 150 250 500
6 200 300 600
7 250 350 700
8 350 550 1,050
9 400 700 1,300
10 600 900 1,700
11 900 1,300 2,600
12 1,400 2,100 4,10013 1,700 2,600 5,100
14 2,000 3,000 5,500
15 2,500 5,500 7,000
16 3,500 6,000 10,500
17 4,000 7,000 12,000
18 4,500 7,500 14,000
19 5,000 7,500 15,000
20 6,000 9,000 17,500
Ifthecharactersinyourpartyareofdifferent
levels,youcaneitherusetheiraveragelevelor
choosetheappropriatenumberforeachcharacterandaddthemtogether,asyouplease.
So,ifyourpartyhastwo3rd-levelcharacters,
one4th-levelcharacter,anda1st-levelcharacter,
anaverageencounterforthemwouldhave
about270XP(60+60+130+20).
LargeNumbersofMonsters: Ifyouwantto
buildanencounterusingalotofmonsters,bear
inmindthattheencountermightbemore
difficultthanthetableaboveindicates.Ifthe
charactersareoutnumbered2to1,aneasy
encounterbecomesaverage,andanaverage
encounterbecomestough.Ifthecharactersare
outnumbered3to1,whatlookslikeaneasy
encounterisprobablytough.Usesuchlargenumbersofmonsterswithcaution.
TheAdventuringDayWhenyouredesigninganadventure,yourarely
havetheabilitytopredicthowmuchorhow
littletheplayercharacterswillaccomplishinany
givenstretchoftime.Asaruleofthumb,youcan
figurethatthecharacterswillprobablyget
throughfouraverageencounters,sixorseven
easyencounters,ortwotoughencountersbefore
theyhavetotakealongrest. Sinceyoucantpredictthepathyourplayers
willchoosethroughanadventure,youcant
reallydesignanadventurearoundthisdaily
target.Butitmightbehelpfultobearitinmind,
soyoudontforcethecharactersintothree
toughfightsinaroworsendmonsterstoclose
offthedungeonbehindthemaftertheyve
alreadyfoughttheirwaythroughfouraverage
encounters.Keeptheadventurersneedtorest
inmindasyousetupyouradventures.
RewardsExperiencepoints,treasure,andmoreintangible
rewardskeepcharactersmovingonfrom
encountertoencounter,leveltolevel,and
adventuretoadventure.Smallrewardscome
frequently,whilelargerewardsprovideabig
boostonceinawhile.Bothareimportant.
Withoutfrequentsmallrewards,playersbegin
tofeelliketheireffortsarentpayingoff.Theyre
doingalotofworkwithnothingtoshowforit.
Withoutoccasionallargerewards,encounters
feellikepushingabuttontogetamorseloffoodarepetitivegrindwithnomeaningful
variation.
ExperiencePointsExperiencepointsarethefundamentalreward
ofthegame,justasencountersarethebuilding
blocksofadventuresandcampaigns.Every
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encountercomeswithanexperiencerewardto
matchitsdifficulty.
EverymonsterhasitsownXPvalue,specified
withtherestofitsstatistics.Anencounteris
worthXPequaltothesumofallthemonsters
andotherthreatsthatmakeuptheencounter.
Whencharactersovercomeanencountertypicallybykilling,routing,orcapturingthe
opponentsinacombatencountertheydivide
thetotalXPvalueoftheencounterevenlyamong
them.
XPforNoncombatEncounters: Itsuptoyou
todecidewhethertoawardXPtocharactersfor
overcomingchallengesoutsideofcombat.If
characterssuccessfullycompleteatense
negotiationwithabaron,forgeatrade
agreementwiththesurlydwarves,ornavigate
theirwayacrosstheChasmofaThousandDeeps,
youmightdecidethatsanencounterworthan
XPreward.DontawardXP,though,unlessthere
wasameaningfulriskoffailure.
Asaruleofthumb,gaugethedifficultyofthe
encounter(easy,average,ortough)andaward
thecharactersXPasifithadbeenacombat
encounterofthesamedifficulty.
YoucanalsoawardXPwhencharacters
completesignificantadventureobjectives.You
cantreatmajorobjectivesasaverageencounters,
andminorobjectivesaseasyencounters.
TreasureTheresnoassumedamountofgold,jewels,
magicitems,andothertreasureforD&D
adventures.Youcangiveoutasmanyorasfew
rewardsasyoulike,thoughyoumightwantto
adjusttheadventuredifficultytocompensatefortheleveloftherewardsyouprovide.Youcan
alsousethefollowingguidelinesforamore
middleoftheroadamountoftreasureoffered.
Youcanthinkoftreasureonanencounter-by-
encounterbasis.Bythiswayofthinking,agood
targetis12.5gppercharacterperlevelforan
averageencounter.(Soapartyoffour3rd-level
characterswhoovercomeanaverageencounter
mightexpectabout150gpasareward.)Foran
easyencounter,useabout7.5gppercharacter
perlevel.Foratoughencounter,youcangiveout
about25gppercharacterperlevel. Alternatively,youcanthinkabouttreasure
spreadoutoveranadventuringday,usingthe
abstractmeasurementofadaydiscussedearlier.
Agoodtargetforanadventuringdayisabout50
gppercharacterperlevel.Youcanspreadthat
treasureoutovercombatencountersaswellas
secretvaults,ancientchests,andthebottomsof
spikedpits.
Whicheverapproachyouchoose,breakupthe
treasurevalueintocoins,gemstones,artobjects,
andothervaluablebutnonmagicitems.Hereare
somesuggesteditemstofilloutyourtreasurehoards.
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GEMS
d% Value Average Examples
0125 4d4gp 10gp Banded,eye,ormossagate;azurite;bluequartz;hematite;lapislazuli;malachite;
obsidian;rhodochrosite;tigereye;turquoise;freshwater(irregular)pearl
2650 2d410gp 50gp Bloodstone;carnelian;chalcedony;chrysoprase;citrine;iolite;jasper;moonstone;
onyx;peridot;rockcrystal(clearquartz);sard;sardonyx;rose,smoky,orstarrose
quartz;zircon5170 4d410gp 100gp Amber;amethyst;chrysoberyl;coral;redorbrown-greengarnet;jade;jet;white,
golden,pink,orsilverpearl;red,red-brownordeepgreenspinel;tourmaline
7190 2d4100gp 500gp Alexandrite;aquamarine;violetgarnet;blackpearl;deepbluespinel;golden
yellowtopaz
9199 4d4100gp 1,000gp Emerald;white,black,orfireopal;bluesapphire;fieryyelloworrichpurple
corundum;blueorblackstarsapphire;starruby
100 2d41,000gp 5,000gp Clearestbrightgreenemerald;blue-white,canary,pink,brown,orbluediamond;
jacinth
ARTOBJECTS
d% Value Average Examples
0110 1d1010gp 55gp Silverewer;carvedboneorivorystatuette;finelywroughtsmallgoldbracelet
1125 3d610gp 105gp Cloth-of-goldvestments;blackvelvetmaskwithnumerouscitrines;silverchalice
withlapislazuligems
2640 1d6100gp 350gp Largewell-donewooltapestry;brassmugwithjadeinlays
4150 1d10100gp 550gp Silvercombwithmoonstones;silver-platedsteellongswordwithjetjewelinhilt
5160 2d6100gp 700gp Carvedharpofexoticwoodwithivoryinlayandzircongems;solidgoldidol(10
lb.)
6170 3d6100gp 1,050gp Golddragoncombwithredgarneteye;goldandtopazbottlestoppercork;
ceremonialelectrumdaggerwithastarrubyinthepommel
7180 4d6100gp 1,400gp Eyepatchwithmockeyeofsapphireandmoonstone;fireopalpendantonafine
goldchain;oldmasterpiecepainting
8185 5d6100gp 1,750gp Embroideredsilkandvelvetmantlewithnumerousmoonstones;sapphire
pendantongoldchain8690 1d41,000gp 2,500gp Embroideredandbejeweledglove;jeweledanklet;goldmusicbox
9195 1d61,000gp 3,500gp Goldencircletwithfouraquamarines;astringofsmallpinkpearls(necklace)
9699 2d41,000gp 5,000gp Jeweledgoldcrown;jeweledelectrumring
100 2d61,000gp 7,000gp Goldandrubyring;goldcupsetwithemeralds
MagicItemsYoudeterminehowmanymagicitems
characterscanfindinyouradventures.The
gamedoesnotassumethatcharactersneed
themtosucceed.Magicitems,whenfoundatall,
simplymakePCsbetter.
Thus,youcanaddorwithholdmagicitemsinyouradventuresasyouseefit.Beingsomewhat
stingywithmagicitemplacement,especiallyat
lowerlevels,meansthatplayerswillappreciate
suchitemsallthemorewhentheyfindsome.
Ifyoupopulateyourtougherdungeonlevels
andadventureswithmoremagicitems,then
playerscaninfluencethekindofmagicitems
theyobtainbyacceptinggreaterrisks.
Youcanfindmoreinformationonusingand
awardingmagicitemsintheMagicItem
playtestdocument.
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ExplorationinDetailSometimesinaD&Dadventure,explorationis
purelyamatterofdescription.Playersdescribe
wheretheircharactersareheaded,andyou
narratewhathappensontheway.Atothertimes,
thejourneyisasimportanttotheadventureasitsdestination,andtheseexplorationruleswill
comeintoplay.
Thissectionprovidesaturn-basedsystemfor
exploringruins,dungeons,wildernessareas,and
otherpartsofthefantasyworld.Therules
includethebasicsofhowtomovethroughand
investigateanarea,thetasksthatcharacterscan
undertakewhileexploring,andhowthosetasks
work.
UsingTheseRulesTheserulesareintendedforepisodesoflong-
distancetravelandexploration,whenyouexpect
thecharacterstocoveralotofgroundorwhen
travelisakeypartoftheadventure.Someparts
oftheserulesarebettersuitedtodifferent
phasesofthegame.
DungeonExploration: Youcanusethese
rulesasaguidetodeterminehowfarthe
characterscanmovein5minutes,formapping
thedungeon,andfordeterminingsurprise.
Otherwise,theamountofabstractionintheserulesisalittletoogreatformovementdescribed
onaminute-by-minutebasis.
HourlyandDailyTravel: Theserulesareat
theirbestwhenthecharactersareplanningon
spendingatleastanhourmovingfromoneplace
toanother.Thatjourneycouldcrossaforest,
followaroad,ortraverseaseriesofhuge
caverns.Insuchasituation,theabstractionof
theserulesworks,sincecharactersarecovering
alotoftimeanddistanceinashortamountof
gametime.
IgnoringTheseRules: Aswithanyrulesthatprovidemoredetail,usetheseonlyifthey
improveyourgame.Inthiscase,theserulesaim
togivemorestructuretotravelandexploration,
keepingtheeventsoftheadventureorganized
andclear.IfyouarethetypeofDMwhoglosses
overtravelorexploration,dontusethem.
TheExplorationTurn
Thisisthesequenceofplayforanexploration
turn.
1.Youdeterminethelengthoftheturn.
2.Theplayersdecidewhatdirectiontheir
characterswillmovein,thenchoosetheir
groupstravelpaceandexplorationtasks.The
playersshouldalsodeterminetheir
formation:whoisinthefront,themiddle,and
thebackofthegroup.
3.Youresolvetheexplorationturn,callingfor
checksandotheractionsfromthecharacters
asappropriate.Determinethedistanceand
thedirectionthecharacterstraveled,taking
intoaccounttheirtravelpaceandwhetheror
nottheylosttheirway.4.Youcheckforwanderingmonstersand,ifany
areencountered,resolveanyinteraction
betweenthemonstersandthecharacters.
Ifexplorationcontinues,gobacktothefirststep
andrepeatthesequenceforanotherturn.
TurnLength
Whenanadventuringpartyexploresalocation
ofanysizewhetheritstheruinsofthree
buildings,aforgottenvalleythatismileswide,oranislandthesizeofIrelandyoudetermine
howmuchtimeeachexplorationturntakes.This
determinationisbasedgenerallyonthe
circumstancesoftheadventure,andmightalso
takethewishesofthecharactersintoaccount.
Therearethreebasiclengthsforsuchturns.
The5-minuteturnismostusefulindungeons,
ruins,andotherareaswheremanyinteresting
locationsareclosetogether.Thisturnlength
breaksajourneyintosmallpieces,givingthe
charactersachancetocarefullyexamineeach
areatheypassthrough. The1-hourturnisusefulforoutdoor
adventures,travelintheUnderdark,and
exploringdungeonsorruinsinwhicheach
chamberorlocationisseparatedfromothersby
aconsiderabledistance.Thisturnlength
assumesthatthecharactersspendmostoftheir
timetravelingfromonesignificantlocationto
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another,ratherthanexaminingeverynookand
crannyalongtheway.
The1-dayturnisbestfortraveloverlong
distances,withthecharactersfollowingapath,a
road,oramaptoaspecificlocation.Thisturn
lengthassumesthatthecharactersaremainly
concernedwithgettingtotheirdestinationandthatthattheywillcomeacrossnomorethanone
ortwoobstaclesorpointsofinterestduringthe
day.Duringa1-dayturn,thecharactersspend8
to12hourstravelingandatleast8hoursresting.
TravelPace
Thetravelpacethatthecharacterschoose
determinesthechancethatmonstersandother
threatssurprisethem,howmuchdistancethey
cancoverduringanexplorationturn,andwhat
taskstheycanperformastheytravel.
Explaintotheplayerswhattheirchoicesare
fortheircharacterstravelpace:Dotheywantto
getthroughthenextareaquickly,withoutmuch
careforpossibledangers,orarethey
determinedtomoveslowlyandkeepaclose
watchforanythingalongtheirpath?Whenthe
groupdecidesonatravelpace,usethelineon
theTravelPacetablethatbestcorrespondsto
theirintent.Ifthepartysplitsup,eachsmaller
groupchoosesitsownpace.
Thetravelpaceofanexploringgrouphelpsdetermineitsreadiness.Thisqualityis
expressedasaDCthatyoucanuseforseveral
circumstances,suchaswhenacharactermakesa
Wisdomcheckatthestartofabattletoavoid
beingsurprisedorwhenthecharactersarein
dangerofbecominglost.
Travelpacealsodeterminesthegreatest
distanceagroupcancoverduringanexploration
turnofagivenlength,asshownonthetable.
TRAVELPACE
Readiness Max.DistanceperTurn
Pace DC 5min. 1hour 1day
Rushed 15 1,800ft. 3miles 25miles
Fast 10 900ft. 2miles 15miles
Moderate 5 450ft. 1mile 10miles
Cautious 0 200ft. 0.5mile 5miles
Atarushedpace,explorersaremovingpell-mell.Theyarefocusedonmakingprogress
ratherthanonwatchingfordangers.Atthispace,
thecharacterscannotperformanyexploration
tasks,andthelikelihoodoftheirbeingsurprised
bywanderingmonstersishigh.
Atafastpace,charactersarestillmoving
briskly,andtypicallytheycanperformonlyone
explorationtask:navigating.Beingabletonavigatemeanstheyarelesslikelythanarushed
grouptolosetheirway,buttheyarentmoving
slowlyenoughtoundertakeothertaskssuchas
keepingwatchandsneaking.
Charactersaretravelingatamoderatepace
whentheytakefrequentbreakstorest,look
around,orperformexplorationtasks.Thereisa
chancethatmonstersmightsurprisethem,but
notasgreatasiftheyweretravelingmore
quickly.
Atacautiouspace,charactersmove
deliberately,takingheedoftheirsurroundingsat
alltimesandeffectivelyhavingnochanceof
beingsurprised.
YourOutdoorMap
Beforethecharacterscanexploreawilderness
orotheroutdoorarea,youneedtohaveamap
thatoutlinesitskeygeographicfeaturesand
terrain.Thissectionprovidessomeadviceon
howtocreatesuchmapsandwhatsortofscale
tousewiththem. Theoutdoorenvironmentyouremapping
mightbeanexpanseofwildernessoravast
subterraneanlocation,suchasthegreatcaverns
andpassagesoftheUnderdark.Eitherway,its
bettertouseahexgridthanasquaregrid,
becauseahexgridenablesmoreprecise
calculationofthedistancebetweentwopoints.
Thescaleofyouroutdoormapdependson
whetheryoureusing1-houror1-dayturnsas
thecharacterstravelacrossit.Fora1-hourturn,
eachhexorsquarerepresentsmile.Fora1-
dayturn,eachhexorsquarerepresents5miles.Thisscalegivesyouenoughdetailtomanage
eachturnwhilealsoallowingprecisetrackingif
thecharactersbecomelost.
Justasyouwoulddoinadungeon,trackthe
charactersmovementonyouroutdoormapto
determinewhatsortofterraintheyencounter,
monsterlairs,settlements,orothernoteworthy
spotstheymightstumbleacross,andsoon.To
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keepthingssimple,assumethatthecharacters
findanoteworthylocationwhentheyenterits
hexorsquare,unlessthesiteisspecifically
hidden.Thecharactersmightnotwalkdirectly
uptothefrontdoorofaruinedcastleinthehex
theyjustentered,buttheycanfindoldpaths,
outlyingruins,andsuchsignsofitspresenceintheareawithease.
Visibility:Whentravelingoutdoors,the
characterscanseeabout2milesinanydirection
onaclearday,assumingthattrees,hills,and
otherobstructionsdontblocktheirview.Rain
cutsvisibilitydownto1mile,andfogcutsit
downtoafewhundredfeet.
Multiplythedistancethecharacterscanseeby
20iftheyareatopamountainoratallhill,orare
otherwiseabletolookdownuponthearea
aroundthemfromaloftyheight.
ExplorationTasks
Anexplorationtaskisadutyacharacter
assumesforthedurationofanexplorationturn,
adutythatusuallycontributestothegroups
overalldispositionandpreparedness.
Afterthegrouphasagreedonitspace,explain
totheplayerswhattheirchoicesarefor
explorationtasksandaskwhattaskeach
characterwillundertake.(Mosttaskscanbe
performedonlyifthegroupstravelpaceismoderateorcautious.)
Wheneachcharacterhaschosenatask,have
theplayersrollcheckstodeterminetheoutcome
oftheircharacterstasks,thenresolveany
situationsthatarisefromthesuccessorfailure
ofthosechecks.
Acharactercanperformuptothreetasks
duringanexplorationturn,butdividingones
attentionandenergyisrisky.Totakeona
secondtaskinthesameturn,acharactermust
succeedonaConstitutioncheckagainstthe
groupsreadinessDC+5.Ifthatchecksucceeds,thecharactercantrytoperformathirdtask,but
theDCforthisConstitutioncheckisthegroups
readinessDC+10.
Activitiesthatrequireanactionduringa
combatround,suchascastingaspell,dont
countasexplorationtasks.Duringa1-houror1-
dayexplorationturn,theresnohardlimitonthe
numberofsuchactivitiesacharactercan
perform.Duringa5-minuteturn,acharactercan
takeuptofiveactions,inadditiontoattempting
oneormoreexplorationtasks.
KeepingWatchIthelpstokeepaneyeandanearopenfor
danger.Whenacharacterchooseskeeping
watchasanexplorationtask,thecharacter
makesasingleWisdomchecktodetecthidden
creaturesasthegrouptravelsduringthecurrent
explorationturn.Anyonewhochoosesthistask
hasadvantageonthischeckifthegroupstravel
paceiscautious.Acharacterscheckresultis
usedtocontestthechecksofanycreaturesthat
areattemptingtohidefromtheexplorers.If
someonekeepingwatchdetectsacreature,it
cannotsurprisethegroup.
Characterscanchoosekeepingwatchonlyiftheirtravelpaceismoderateorcautious.
NavigatingTravelinginthewildernessoralarge,unfamiliar
citycarriestheriskofbecominglost.Acharacter
canreducethisriskbynavigatingforthegroup,
keepingacarefuleyeoutforlandmarksandthe
positionofthesun,themoon,andstars.
Whenacharacterchoosesnavigatingasan
explorationtask,thecharactermakesasingle
Wisdomchecktopreventthegroupfromlosing
itswayduringthecurrentexplorationturn.Ifmorethanonememberofthegroupchoosesthis
task,eachnavigatormakesacheck,andyouuse
thebestresulttodetermineifthegroup
becomeslost.
Characterscantchoosenavigatingiftheir
travelpaceisrushed.
Explorersdontnormallyneedtonavigate
duringa5-minuteturn,sincethedistance
traveledistoosmallforthemtohavelosttheir
way.Eveninsuchashorttime,though,agroup
mightbecomelostifadoorlocksbehindthem,a
trapteleportsthemelsewhere,andsoforth.Inthatsortofsituation,navigationisofnohelp.
MapmakingMakinganaccuratemapisvitaltoensuringthat
explorershavethebestsenseoftheir
surroundings.Itcanalsohelpkeepthemfrom
becominglost.
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Whenacharacterchoosesmapmakingasan
explorationtask,thecharactermusthavea
writinginstrumentandsomesurface(suchas
paperorparchment)onwhichtorecordthemap.
Themapacharactercreatesmightbesimilar
toyouractualmapofthearea,butnotas
complete.Whenyougiveoutinformationtoaplayerwhosecharacterismapping,restrictthat
informationtoonlywhatthecharacterwould
perceivewhileactuallyperformingthetask.
Ifmorethanonecharacterchoosesthistask,
thosewhodososimplycreatemultiplemapsof
thearea.(Thisstrategycanproveusefulifone
charactersmapislostordestroyedlaterinthe
adventure.)
Characterscanchoosemapmakingonlyiftheir
travelpaceismoderateorcautious.
SearchingSearchingallowsanexplorertouncoverhidden
pathways,secretdoors,forgottenobjects,and
traps.Itsagoodoptionwhenagroupis
exploringadungeonorruin.
Whenacharacterchoosessearchingasan
explorationtask,thecharactermakesasingle
Intelligencechecktonoticeanyhiddenitems
thatyoumightcomeacross.Anyonewho
choosesthistaskhasadvantageonthischeckif
thegroupstravelpaceiscautious.Youcompare
theresultofthatchecktotheDCsofhiddenitemsthegroupispassingby.
Characterscanchoosesearchingonlyiftheir
travelpaceismoderateorcautious.
SneakingKeepingalowprofileisoftenthebestoptionina
dangerousarea.Whenacharacterchooses
sneakingasanexplorationtask,thecharacter
makesasingleDexteritychecktohideasthe
grouptravels.Anyonewhochoosesthistaskhas
advantageonthischeckifthegroupstravelpace
iscautious.Tonoticeasneakingcharacter,acreaturemustcontestthecharacterscheck,
usingWisdomorIntelligence,andwin.
Characterscanchoosesneakingonlyiftheir
travelpaceismoderateorcautious.
ImprovisedTasksAcharactermightthinkofsomewaytocontributetoan
exploringgroupthatisntcoveredbythetasksdescribed
here.Ifso,youcanallowtheuseofanimprovised
explorationtask,butonlyifitsperformancerequiresno
morethanone-thirdofthetimeencompassedbyan
explorationturn.Also,animprovisedtaskcanbe
undertakenonlyifthegroupstravelpaceismoderate
orcautious.
WanderingMonsters
Iftheadventurersarejourneyingthrougha
regionwheremonsterswander,youcheckatthe
endofeachexplorationturntoseewhethera
monstercrossestheadventurerspathorvice
versa.
Themonsterpopulationdensityoftheregion
determinesthelikelihoodofcomingacrossmonsters(seethetable).Youcheckfor
wanderingmonstersbyrollingad20.Ifan
encounteroccurs,rollontheappropriate
wanderingmonstertabletodeterminewhatthe
heroesmeet.
Region EncounterChance(d20)
Desolate 1920
Sparselyinhabited 1720
Typicalregion 1520
Thicklyinhabited 1320
Denselyinhabited 1120
ResolvingExplorationEvents
Afterthecharactershavechosentheir
explorationtasks,younarratewhatthe
charactersexperienceduringtheexploration
turn.Youmightalsoaskfordirections,suchas
whichwaythegroupwantstoturnatan
intersection,andsoforth,allowingthe
characterstomoveuptothedistanceindicated
bytheirpace.Whenthecharacterstasksare
complete,updatethegroupslocationonyourmaptoaccountforthedistanceanddirection
traveledduringthecurrentturn.
EncounteringCreaturesIftheexploringgroupencounterscreatures
(whichmightbewanderingmonstersormight
bespecificparticipantsintheadventure),the
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characterscantrytoattackthem,avoidthem,or
interactwiththeminsomeotherway.
Stealth:Beforeaskingtheplayerswhatthey
wanttodo,youdetermineifeithergroupnotices
theother.Onegrouportheothercanavoid
detectioncompletelyonlyifallitsmembersare
sneaking.Otherwise,contestsoccurasnecessarytodetermineifanyonesneakingoneithersideis
detected.
Surprise:Ifonegroupishiddenfromthe
other,thatgrouphassurprise,asdescribedin
thecombatrules.Otherwise,eachcreatureand
charactermakesaWisdomsavingthrowagainst
aDCthatcorrespondstoitsreadiness.The
charactersreadinessDCisdeterminedbytheir
travelpace.Forthemonsters,youpicka
readinessDCbasedontheirdegreeofalertness.
BelowaresampleDCstoguidethisdecision.
Alertness ReadinessDC
Distracted 20
Unfocused 15
Disinterested 10
Vigilant 5
Paranoid 0
EncounterDistance: Typically,theterrainor
layoutoftheareadetermineshowfarthe
charactersarefromcreatureswhentheyfirst
detectthem.Ifthisdistanceisntpredetermined,
youroll1d20+20.Thatresultismultipliedby10iftheareaisinclearterrain(suchasagrassy
field,barrentundra,orafrozenlake)orby5if
theterrainismostlyclear(suchasrollinghills,
orameadowwithoccasionaltreesandshrubs).
Theresultingnumberisthedistanceinfeet
betweenthetwogroups.
FindingLocationsandObjectsWhenthecharacterscomeacrossalocationor
anobjectofspecialnoteduringtheperformance
oftheirtasks,describethediscoverytothemand
allowthemtotakeactionsasappropriate.
GettingLostThecharactersmightbecomelost,butonlyifthe
currentturnlengthis1houror1dayandthey
aretravelingthroughthewilderness.Explorers
whoarefollowingaroadorsomeotherformof
pathortrailcantbecomelostinnormal
circumstances.
Ifthecharactersmightbecomelost,makenote
oftheWisdomcheckresultofanycharacterwho
chosenavigatingduringthecurrentexploration
turn(orthehighestresult,ifmorethanone
characterperformedthistask).Ifnoonedidso,treatthecheckresultas0.TheDCforthischeck
correspondstothereadinessofthegroup,as
determinedbyitstravelpace,plusamodifier
basedontheterrain(seethetable).
Ifanycharacterperformedmapmakingasa
taskduringthecurrentexplorationturn,theDC
isreducedby5.
Terrain DCModifier
Forest,swamp,jungle,mountains +5
Lightforestjungle,hills,desert,tundra 0
Plains,prairie 5
Success:IfthenavigatorsWisdomcheck
succeeds,thecharacterssuccessfullytravelthe
distanceandinthedirectiontheywant.
Failure:Ifthecheckfails,thecharacters
inadvertentlytravelinthewrongdirection.
Halfwaythroughtheirtravelinthecurrentturn,
yourollad4todeterminehowthegrouphas
deviatedfromitsintendedcourse.
d4 Deviation
1 90degreesleft2 45degreesleft
3 45degreesright
4 90degreesright
Forexample,foragroupintendingtomove
north,arollof1indicatesthatthecharactersare
nowactuallyheadingwest;arollof3meansthat
theircoursehas(unknowntothem)shiftedto
thenortheast.
Thischangeofdirectionappliesonlytothe
characterstravelduringthelasthalfofthe
currentturn.Onthenextturn,ifthechanceofgettingloststillexists,thecharactersmake
anothercheck.Ifthatcheckfails,theycontinue
tobeunawareoftheirchangeinheading.Ona
successfulcheck,thecharactersrealizethey
havemovedoffcourseandinwhatdirection.
Thecharactersmightnotrealizetheyarelost
unlesstheyencounteranobstaclethatindicates
theyareheadinginthewrongdirection.Ifthe
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charactersrealizetheyhavelosttheirway,you
stoprollingfordeviationintheircourseuntil
theyfailanotherchecktoavoidbecominglost.
ExamplesofPlay
5-MinuteTurnFourbraveadventurersKragothedwarf
fighter,Estrathehumanrogue,Raltthehuman
wizard,andWilberdthehalflingclericare
exploringthehallsofadungeon.Having
confrontedanddefeatedagroupofdragoncult
berserkersjustinsidethedungeonsentrance,
theypreparetotravelonward.
Sincetheactiontakesplaceinadungeon,the
DMoptsfor5-minuteturns.
DM:OK,whatsnext?Thepassagecontinuesto
thenorth. Estra:Theremightbemoreguards.Letsmove
slowlyandkeepourguardup.
DM:Thatsacautiouspace.Youcanmove
about200feetevery5minutes.Whattasksdoes
everyonewanttodowhilemoving?Youcanmap,
searchfortraps,sneak,orkeepwatch.
Estra:Illsneakandtakepoint.
Ralt:Ihaveinkandparchment,soIllmake
ourmap.
Krago:Illcarryatorchandkeepwatch,
behindEstraandinfrontofRalt.
Wilberd:IguessIllbringuptherearandsearchfortraps,butshouldntEstradothat?
Estra:CanItryboth?
DM:YoullneedtomakeaDC15Constitution
checktodobothtasksatonce.Otherwise,youll
failboth.
Wilberd:OK,Illsearchfortraps,then.Ihave
ahalf-decentIntelligence.
TheDMtracksthecharactersprogress.The
charactersmaketheirchecks,andtheDM
recordstheresults.Estra,Wilberd,andKrago
haveadvantageontheirchecksbecauseofthegroupscautiouspace.Thatpacemakesiteasier
tosucceedoncheckstohide,detecttraps,or
spotcreatures,butsincethecharactersare
movingslowly,theywillfacemorechecksfor
randomencountersastheytraversethe
dungeon.
DM:OK,youmove60feetandcometoan
intersection.Whichwaydoyouwanttogo?The
eastandwestpassagesbothextend30feet
beforeturningsouth.Tothenorth,thereare
doorsonbothsidesofthepassagewithin10feet
ofyou,asidepassagetothewest,andaside
passagetotheeast,plusthecorridorkeepsgoingnorth.
Estra:Letsgoeast.
DM:Thepassagegoes30feeteastandthen
about60feetsouth.Youcometoanother
intersection.Theareatothewestisa10-by-10-
footniche.Thepassagestotheeastandsouth
continueonintodarkness.
(Thereisasecretdoorinthisarea,buttheDM
notesthatWilberdscheckistoolowforhimto
becomeawareofit.)
Estra:Wellheadtotheeast.
DM:Youcomeacrossasidepassageheading
tothenorth,oryoucancontinueeast.
Estra:Eastagain.
Atthispoint,thecharactershavemoved200feet
atacautiouspaceand5minuteshavepassed.
ItstimefortheDMtocheckforrandom
encounters.Themonsterpopulationdensityof
thedungeonistypical,andad20rollof15
indicatesarandomencounter.TheDMrollson
theappropriatetablefortheadventure,and
determinesthatthepartywillmeetagroupofcultists.Thecultistswillapproachfromtheside
passageandwillattackonsight,becausethey
holdthisplaceassacredground.
Sincethepartyiscarryingalightsource,the
DMdecidesthatthecultistscantbesurprised
andthatthelightiswhatdrewtheirattention.
Thecharactersaremovingatacautiouspace,so
theycantbesurprised,either.(Ifthecultistshad
beenhiding,theycouldhavesurprisedthe
charactersifKragofailedtheWisdomcheckhe
madeaspartofkeepingwatch.But,sincethe
cultistshavealightsourceoftheirown,theDMrulesthathidingwouldhavebeenimpossiblefor
them.)
Estradidchoosetosneak,however,sotheDM
conteststhecultistsWisdomagainsthercheck
resultforsneaking.Thefivecultistsfailthe
check,sosheishiddenfromallofthematthe
startofthefight.
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DM:Youheartheclatterofweaponsand
armorbehindyou.Halfadozenhumanscladin
crimsonrobesandcarryingclubscomearound
thecorner.Onesnarlsatyouandshrieks,
Heretics!Defilers!Everyone,rollforinitiative.
Estra,itdoesntlooklikethesepeoplehave
noticedyouatthebackoftheparty.
Combatbeginsnow.Kragoneedstohandhis
torchtoRaltifhewantstowieldbothhisshield
andflail.Meanwhile,Raltiscarryingthe
parchmentandink.Theserulesencouragethe
playerstothinkabouttheirmundanegear,
travelformation,andlight-sourcemanagement.
Ifthatsoundslikeafunwrinkletoaddtothe
game,theserulesaredefinitelyforyou.
1-HourTurnLateron,thecharactershavesucceededin
defeatingthecultandlootingitstreasure.Their
nextdestinationisakeepseveralmilesaway
throughaforest.Astheypreparetoleavethe
dungeon,theDMshiftsto1-hourexploration
turns.Shecouldhaveoptedfora1-dayturnif
theterrainwasrelativelysafeorthecharacters
hadatrailtofollow,butneitherofthosefactsis
true:Theforestbetweenthedungeonandthe
keepisinfestedwithaninvadinggnollarmy,and
notrailthroughtheforestexists,makingitlikely
thatthecharacterswilllosetheirwayatsomepointduringthenextdaystravel.Shedecides
thattrackingeventsinmoredetail,hourbyhour,
isthewaytogo.
DM:Itsearlymorningasyouexitthedungeon.
Itscloudyandchilly,atypicalearlyspringday.
Youhaveabout15milesofthickforestto
traversebetweenyouandthekeep.
Krago:Wellneedtohustletomakeitthere,
unlesswewanttospendthenightinthewoods.
Estra:Letsnotdothatwiththosegnoll
raidersontheloose. DM:OK,Imassumingyouwanttomoveata
fastpace.Thatwillputyouatthekeepinabout8
hours.
Estra:Soundsgood.Illtakepointandsneak,
Kragowillkeepwatch,Wilberdwillnavigate,
andRaltwillmap.
DM:Whatdirectionareyouheaded?
Wilberd:Wellstrikewestwardforthefirstsix
miles,thenturnnorthforeightmilesoncewe
crosstheRunningBrook.Thatwillbringusto
themaintraderoad.
TheDMhasthecharactersmaketheirchecksas
appropriatefortheirtasks.SheusesWilberdschecktonavigatetoseeifthepartybecomeslost.
ThebaseDCis10forthepartyspace,+5forthe
forestterrain,5becauseRaltismapping,fora
totalDCof10.
TheDMhasthecharactersmakecheckseach
hour.Thefirstfourchecksforeachcharacterare
successful,allowingthegrouptoreachthe
RunningBrookandturnnorthwithoutincident.
Duringthatnextlegofthejourney,theDMrolled
forwanderingmonstersanddeterminedthatthe
characterswerespottedbyabloodhawk,thepet
ofagnolldruidactiveinthearea.Kragoscheck
tokeepwatchfailedtotakenoteofthecreature
asitwheeledoverhead,thenturnedtowarnits
master.
Compoundingthecharactersbadluck,Wilbert
failshisnextnavigationcheck.TheDMrollsad4
anddeterminesthatthecharactershave
accidentallyveered45degreestotheleftfrom
thewestwardcoursetheywantedtofollow.
Checkinghermap,sheseesthattheyare
venturingdeeperintognollterritory.
Fortunatelyforthem,thecharactersnextnavigationcheckissuccessful.
DM:Itsbeenafewhourssinceyoufordedthe
brook,andyourealizethatyouwanderedoff
courseawhileago.CheckingRaltsmap,yousee
thatyouhaveaccidentallyveeredtothe
southwest.
Krago:Thatsgnollcountry.Doesthatputus
fartherfromthetraderoad?
Ralt:Weshouldheadeastforonemile,then
turntothenorth.Ifwekeepgoingwestfrom
here,wellcomeclosertothatgnolloutpostthecastellanwarnedusabout.
Atthispoint,thecharacterswillmoveforhalfa
turninonedirection(movingamiletakeshalf
anhour),thenstrikeoutinanother.They
succeedontheirnavigationcheckinthemiddle
oftheturnandremainontheirdesiredcourse.
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