DnD 5e - Xanathar's Guide to Everything

dlOO Encounter dlOO Encounter
8S- 86 1 grick alpha with 2d4 gricks 10-14 A circle of standing stones within which the ai r is
87- 88 ld3 yuan-ti abominations utterly still, no matter how hard the wind blows
89-90 l adult green dragon lS- 16 outside
91- 93 ld8 + l giant apes 17- 18 l phase spider
94- 96 2d4 oni 19-20 l gnoll pack lord with l d4 giant hyenas
97- 99 ld3 treants 21-22 l orog or l pegasus
l ancient green dragon 23-24 l ankheg
00 2S- 28 ld3 rhinoceroses
29- 32 l d3 cockatrices
FOREST ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 17-20) 33- 36 ld6 + 2 giant wasps or ld4 + 3 swarms of insects
37- 40 ld4 jackalweres or ld4 scouts
dlOO Encounter 41-44 l d8 giant goats or ld8 worgs
4S-46 2d4 hobgoblins, 2d4 ores, or 2d4 gnolls
01 - 0S l young green dragon 47- 48 1d2 giant poisonous snakes
06-10 l treant 49-SO ld6 + 2 elk or ld6 + 2 riding horses
11-13 l guardian naga Sl-S2 2d4 goblins
14- 16 ldl 0 revenants S3-S4 ld3 boars
17- 19 ld8 + l unicorns SS-S8 l panther (leopard) or l lion
S9-62 ld6 + 3 goblins riding wolves
20- 22 ld3 grick alphas 63-6S 2d6 giant wolfspiders or l giant eagle
66-69 l d8 + 4 pteranodons
23-2S For a few hundred feet, wherever the cha racters 70-74 3d6 wolves
step, Aowers bloom and emit soft light. 7S- 76 2d4 + 2 axe beaks
26-28 l young gold dragon 77-78 l giant boar or ld2 tigers
29-31 ld6 + 2 shambling mounds 79-80 l ogre or ld3 bugbears
32-34 2d4 werebears l giant elk, or l gnoll pack lord with l d3 giant
3S- 37 ld4 oni 81 - 82 hyenas
38- 40 4d6 + 10 elves living in a small community in the 83- 84 ld3 giant vultures or ld3 hippogriffs
treetops l goblin boss with l d6 + 2 goblins and ld4 + 3
41 - 43 ld6 + 2 gorgons 8S- 89 wolves, or ld3 thri-kreen
44-46 2d4 trolls 90- 91 ld3 druids patrolling the wi lds
47-49 ld4 giant apes 92- 93 ld6 scarecrows or l wereboar
SO- S2 ld3 yuan-ti abominations l d3 centaurs or l d3 griffons
S3- 62 ld3 young green dragons 94 ld3 gnoll fangs ofYeenoghu, or l ore Eye of
63- 6S A SO-foot-tall stone s tatue of an elf warrior with Gruumsh with 2d4 + l ores
hand raised, palm out, as if to forbid travelers from 9S-96 l triceratops
66- 7S coming this way 97 l cyclops or l bulette
ld4 treants l d4 manticores
98- 99 l tyrannosaurus rex
76-80 A cairn s et atop a low hill 00
81-90 l adult gold dragon
91-96 l ancient green dragon
97-99 2d4 + l treants
l ancient gold dragon
00

GRASSLAND ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 6-10)

- // dlOO Encounter

GRASSLAND ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 1-5) 01 ld3 gorgons
02 ld4 cyclopes
dlOO Encounter 03- 04 l d3 gnoll fangs ofYeenoghu
01 l hobgoblin captain with ld4 + l hobgoblins OS- 06 l chimera
02 l chimera 07-09 ld4 + l veterans on riding horses
03 l gorgon
04 ld2 couatls 10-1 1 A tornado that touches down ld6 miles away, tear-
OS l ankylosaurus 12-13 ing up the land for l mile before it dissipates
06 l weretiger l d3 manticores
07 ld3 allosauruses
08- 09 ld3 elephants 14- lS 2d4 ankhegs
16- 17 ld8 + l centaurs
18- 19 ld6 + 2 griffons

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS

dlOO Encounter dlOO Encounter
20-21 ld6 elephants 70-79 l d4 + 3 gorgons
22-24 A stretch of land littered with rotting war ma- 80- 88 ld3 young gold dragons
chines, bones, and banners of forgotten armies 89-90 A circular section of grass nearly a quarter-m ile
25-28 l d8 + l bugbears across that appears to have been pressed down;
29-32 l gnoll pack lord with l d4 + l giant hyenas 91 - 96 ld4 more such circles connected by lines can be
33-36 2d4 scarecrows 97-99 seen from overhead.
37-40 ldl 2 lions 2d4 tyrannosaurus rexes
41-44 l dl 0 thri-kreen 00 l adult gold dragon
45 - 46 l allosaurus l ancient gold dragon
47-48 l tiger
49-50 ld2 giant eagles or ld2 giant vultures GRASSLAND ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 17-20)
51-52 l goblin boss with 2d4 gobli ns
53- 54 ld2 pegasi dl OO Encounter
55- 58 l ankylosaurus
59-62 ld2 couatls 01- 10 2d6 triceratops
63-66 l ore Eye ofGruumsh with ld8 + l ores 11-20 ldlO gorgons
67- 70 2d4 hippogriffs 21-25 2d6 hyenas feed ing on the carcass of a dead
71-74 l d4 + l rhinoceroses dinosaur
75-76 l hobgoblin captain with 2d6 hobgoblins 26-35 3d6 bulettes
77-78 ld3 phase spiders 36-40 A fie ry chariot that races across the sky
79-80 ld6 + 2 giant boars 41-50 ld3 young gold dragons
81- 82 2d4 giant elk 51-60 2d4 cyclopes
83-84 ld4 ogres and ld4 orogs 61 - 65 A valley where all the grass has died and the
85-87 A hot wi nd that carries the stench of rot ground is littered with stumps and fallen tree
88-90 1d3 weretigers 66- 75 t run ks, all petrified
91- 92 1 bulette 76-80 2dl0 bugbears with 4d6 goblins and 2d10 wolves
93- 94 A tribe of 2d20 + 20 nomads (tribal warriors) on A friendly adventuring party of l d6 + 1 characters
riding horses following a herd of antelope (deer). 81-90 of varying races, classes, and levels (average level
95-96 The nomads are willi ng to trade food, leather, and 91-96 ld 6 + 2). They share information about their recent
97 information fo r weapons. 97- 99 t ravels.
ld6 + 2 wereboars ldl2 chimeras
98-99 l young gold dragon 00 1d6 + 2 tyrannosaurus rexes
00 l d4 triceratops 1 adult gold dragon
ld3 tyran nosaurus rexes l ancient gold dragon

GRASSLAND ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 11-16)

dlOO Encounter HILL ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 1-4)

01 - 05 3d6 wereboars dlOO Encounter
06- 10 2dl0 gnoll fangs ofYeenoghu
11 - 15 ld4bulettes 01 l eagle
16- 17 An old road of paved stones, partly reclaimed by 02-03 2d4 baboons
wilderness, that t ravels for ld8 miles in either di- 04-06 ld6 bandits
18-27 rection before ending
28- 30 l dl 2 couatls 07 ld4 vultures
A witch (mage) dwell ing in a crude hut. She offers 08 ldlO commoners
potions ofhealing, antitoxins, and other consum- 09 l raven
able items for sale in exchange for food and news. 10 l poisonous snake
11- 13 2d6 bandits or 2d6 tribal warriors
31- 40 2dl0 elephants 14 2d8 goats
41 - 46 2d4 weretigers 15 ld6 + 4 blood hawks
47- 56 ld8 + l cyclopes 16 ld4 + 3 giant weasels
57-61 l d3 chimeras 17- 18 ld3 guards with ld2 mastiffs and l mule
62-66 5 triceratops 19-20 ld6 + 5 hyenas
67-69 A giant hole 50 feet across that descends nearly 21-22 2d4 stirges
500 feet before opening into an empty cave

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS

dlOO Encounter HILL ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 5-10)
23-25 An empty cave litte red with bones
l pseudodragon or ld 3 giant owls dlOO Encounter
26 l lion or l panther (cougar)
27 2d 8 kobolds 01 l d4 pegasi or l d3 perytons
28-30 l hippogriff
31 2d4 goblins 02 ld6 + 2 giant goats
32-34 l worg 03 l manticore
35 ld3 s warms of bats o r l d3 swarms of ravens 04 ld8 +l gnolls or l d8 + l hobgoblins
36 1 giant eagle
37 An ol d dwarf sitti ng on a stu mp, whittli ng a piece 05 ld4 lions
38- 40 ofwood
ld4 elk 06 ld6 + 2 worgs
41 ld4 winged kobolds with l d6 kobolds 07 l d4 brown bears
42 ld6 + 2 giant wolfspiders 08 3d6 axe beaks
43 2d4 wolves 09 1 half-ogre with 2d6 ores
44-45 l swarm ofinsects
46 ld8 + l axe beaks 10 2dl0 winged kobolds
47 l brown bear or l d3 boars 11- 12 l goblin boss with l d4 dire wolves and 2d6 goblins
48- 49 l scout
l ogre 13 ld6 giant elk
so 2d4 gnolls 14- 15 l d8 + l giant eagles
l giant elk
51 l d3 + l harpies 16- 17 ld4 phase spiders
52-53 l werewolf 18-19 l gnoll pack lord with 2d4 giant hyenas
2d4 ores
54 l d4 half-ogres 20 2d4 hippogriffs
55 l druid or l veteran 21-25 A 15-foot-tall stone statue of a dwarfwarrior that
56 The corpse of an adventu rer t hat ca rries an int act has been tipped over on its side
57- 58 explorer's pack and lies atop a longsword
59 l green hag 26- 27 2d4 orogs
60 ld3 dire wolves
61-63 A small cemetery containing 2d6 graves 28-29 l d4 + l griffons
l hobgoblin captain with 2d4 hobgoblins
64 2d4 giant goats 30-31 l d6 + 2 harpies
65- 66 l manticore 32-33 l ore Eye ofGruumsh with 2d6 + 3 ores
67-68 ld6 + 2 hobgoblins
69- 70 1 phase spider 34- 35 l d4 + 3 giant boars
A pile of d ro pp ings from a very large bird 36-40 A stone door set in to the side of a steep hi ll, open-
71 1 gnoll fang ofYeenoghu ing onto l 5 feet of descending sta irs that end at a
72 ld3 giant boars
73- 74 1 gnoll pack lord with ld 3 giant hyenas cave-in
75 1 bandit captain wit h 2d4 band its
76- 78 1 ore Eye ofGruumsh with l d8 + 2 ores 41-42 l d3 green hags
79 ld3 orogs or l d4 berserkers 43- 44 l d4 werewolves
80 1 ettin or 1 wereboar 45-46 ld6 + 2 ogres
81 1 goblin boss with 2d6 goblins 47- 48 l hobgo blin captain with 2d8 hobgoblins
82 ld3 griffons
83 l d3 perytons or l d4 pegasi 49- 50 l bandit captain with 3d6 band its
84 l d3 trolls
85- 86 1 cyclops 51-54 l chimera
87- 88 1 stone giant
89 55-58 ld4 ett ins
90 59- 62 ld6 + 2 vete rans with 2d6 berserke rs
91-96 63- 65 An abandoned woode n hut
97- 99
00 66-69 1 galeb duhr

70-73 1 bulette

74-77 1 wyvern
78- 80 2d6 + 10 goats with 1 herder (tribal warrior)

81- 82 ld3 hill giants

83-84 2d4 wereboars
85-86 l d4 reve nants

87- 88 l d2 gorgons
89- 90 ld8 + 1 gnoll fangs ofYeenoghu

91-93 1d4 cyclopes
94-96 1 young red dragon

97- 98 ld4 stone giants
99 ld3 young copper dragons

00 1 roe

HILL ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 11-16) dlOO Encounter
78-80 ld3 nobles with ld4 scouts prospecting for gold
dlOO Encounter 81 - 85 l adult copper dragon
86- 90 2d4 stone giants
01 2d8 manticores or 2d8 phase spiders 91- 96 ld4 roes
97-99 l adult red dragon
02-04 ld6 green hags with ld6 wyverns l ancient copper dragon
05- 07 l hobgoblin captain with l hill giant and 4dl0 00
hobgoblins
08- 10 2d6 + 3 werewolves

11 - 14 ld6 + 2 ettins

15- 18 l d3 bu lettes HILL ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 17-20)

19- 22 ld4 werebears dlOO Encounter
23- 24 A stream of smoke e merging from a s mall chimney
in the hill side 01 ld2 roes
02- 05 l young red dragon

25-28 ld4 wyverns 06-10 2d6 ettins
29- 32 l d8 + l wereboars
11- 15 l d4 bulettes

33- 36 ld3 revenants 16- 20 ldl 0 revenants
37- 38 A mild earthquake that shakes the regio n for ld 20 21 - 25 The white outline of an enormous horse carved
seconds into the side of a high hill

39-42 ld3 chimeras 26-30 ld6 + l gorgons
31-35 2d4 + l trolls
43- 46 ld4 gorgons 36- 40 The scorched remains of 2dl0 humanoids littering
47- 50 ld6 + 2 gnoll fangs ofYeenoghu

51 - 54 l d4 hill giants a hillside
55-58 l young red dragon
59- 62 ld3 + l galeb duhr 41-45 2d4 hill giants
63- 65 2dl0 dwarf miners (commoners), whistling as they 46-50 ld6 + 2 werebears
march toward their m ine 51 - 55 2d4 galeb duhr
56- 60 ld4 + 2 wyverns
66-69 ld3 young copper dragons 61 - 65 A massive boulder partly buried in the earth as if it
fell or was thrown the re
l

70-73 ld4 trolls

74- 77 ld3 cyclopes

dlOO Encounter dlOO Encounter
66-70 1 adult copper dragon 84- 85 1 saber-toothed tiger
71-75 ld6 + 3 cyclopes 86-90 A sparkling stream ofwater spilling from a crevice
76-80 The stub of an old stone tower jutting from the top ld2 ettins
ofa hill 91 1 cyclops
81-85 2d4 stone giants 92 1 troll
86-90 1 adult red dragon 93 1 galeb duhr
91-96 1 ancient copper dragon 94 1 air elemental
97-99 1 ancient red dragon 95 1 bulette
ld2 adult red dragons with ld3 young red dragons 96 1 chimera
00 97 1 wyvern
98 1 stone giant
99 1 frost giant
00

MOUNTAIN ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 1-4) MOUNTAIN ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 5-10)

dl 00 Encounter dlOO Encounter

01-02 1 eagle 01-02 2d8 + 1 aarakocra
03-05 ld3 swarms of bats 03-04 1 lion or 1 saber-toothed tiger
06-08 ld6 goats 05-06 ld8 + 1 giant goats
09-11 ldlO + 5 tribal warriors 07-08 1d4 + 3 dwarf trailblazers (scouts)
12-14 ld6 + 3 pteranodons 09-10 ld6 + 2 ores
15-17 ld8 + 1 winged kobolds 11 - 15 ldlO giant eagles
16-20 ld8 + 1 hippogriffs
18-20 1 lion 21-25 ld8 fissures venting steam that partially obscures a
20-foot cube above each fissure
21-24 Stairs chiseled into the side of the mountain that 26-30 1 basilisk
climb 3d20 + 40 feet before ending ab ruptly 31-35 1dl2 half-ogres
25-27 2dl0 stirges 36-40 A ravine blocked by a 100-foot-high wall, which has
28- 30 2d4 aarakocra an opening in the center where a gate used to be
31-33 2d6 dwarf soldiers (guards) with ld6 mules laden 41-45 1 manticore
with iron ore 46-50 2d4 harpies
51 - 52 1 galeb duhr
34- 3 6 1 giant eagle 53- 54 1 bulette
37-38 A small shrine dedicated to a lawful neutral god, 55-56 1dl0 berserkers
perched on a stone outcropping 57-58 1d3 hell hounds
39-41 2d8 + 1 blood hawks 59-60 ld8 + 1 veterans
61 - 65 A distant mountain whose peak resembles a tooth
42-44 1 giant goat 66-69 ld4 ettins
45-47 3d4 kobolds 70-73 1 wyvern
48- 50 1 half-ogre 74-75 1 ore Eye ofGruumsh with ld6 orogs and 3d6 + 10
51 -53 1 berserker ores
54-55 1 orog 76-80 A row of ldlO + 40 stakes upon wh ich the bodies of
1 hell hound kobolds, dwarves, or ores are impaled
56 1 druid 81 - 83 1 fire giant
57 1 peryton 84-85 1 young silver dragon
58-59 1d2 hippogriffs 86-87 ld4 air elementals
60-61 1 manticore 88-90 ld4 trolls
62 ld6 + 2 scouts 91-92 ld3 + 1 cyclopes
63- 64 Enormous footprints left by a giant, which head 93-94 1d4 chimeras
65- 67 into the mountain peaks 95-96 1 cloud giant
2d4 ores
68-73

74-75 1 giant elk

76-77 1 veteran 97 1 roe
78-79 1 ore Eye ofGruumsh 98 ld4 stone giants
ld4 harpies 99 1 young red dragon
80 1 ogre 00 ld4 frost giants
81 1 griffon
82 1 basilisk
83

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS

MOUNTAIN ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 11-16) dlOO Encounter
81-85 ld4 roes
dlOO Encounter 86-90 ld4 young red dragons
91-96 l ancient silver dragon
01-02 ld8 + l basilisks 97-00 l ancient red dragon

03-04 2d4 hell hounds
05-06 ld3 chimeras
07-08 l galeb duhr

09-10 2d6 veterans

11- 15 l young silver dragon
16-20 2d4 trolls
21-25 l red dragon glid ing through the sky above the
highest mountaintops
SWAMP ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 1-4)

26- 30 ld8 + l manticores dlOO Encounter
31 - 35 l d4 cyclopes
36- 40 Heavy snowfall that lasts for ld6 hours 01 l d4 poisonous snakes
41 - 45 ldlO air elementals
02-05 3d6 rats

06- 10 2d8 ravens

46- 50 l d6 + 2 bulettes 11-12 3d6 giant rats
51 - 55 l d4 stone giants
56- 60 l fire giant 13 ld l O+ 5 tribal warriors
61 - 65 2 stone giants playing catch with a boulder a few 14-15 l d8 + l giant lizards
hundred feet away
66- 70 ld8 + l ettins 16-17 l crocodile
71-75 ld3 frost giants
76-80 A wide crevasse, its depths shrouded in mist 18- 19 l swarm of insects
81-85 ld4 cloud giants
20 l giant spider
21-22 l d4 + l mud huts partially sunken in murky water
23-25 2d8 + l kobolds

26 2d4 mud mephits

86- 90 l adult silver dragon 27-29 ld6 + 2 giant poisonous snakes
91- 96 l adult red dragon
97-98 ld4 roes 30 2d4 winged kobolds
l ancient silver dragon 31-32 l scout
99 l ancient red dragon 33-34 The corpse of an adven turer tangled in the weeds.
00 Looting the body turns up an explorer's pack and
perhaps (50% chance) a random common magic
MOUNTAIN ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 17-20) item.

dlOO Encounter 35- 38 l giant toad
39-41 ld6 + 2 constrictor snakes
01-05 ldlO bulettes 42-44 2d4 giant frogs
ld8 + l swarms of rats or ld6 + 2 swarms ofravens
06- 10 ld8 + l chimeras 45
11- 15 l adult silver dragon
16-20 l d8 + l wyverns 46-48 2dl0 stirges
21-25 A massive boat perched atop a mountain
49-52 2d6 + 3 bullywugs
26-30 2d4 galeb duhr 53-54 ld8 + l ores
31-35 ld4 frost giants 55-56 l d4 yuan-ti purebloods
36- 40 A wooded val ley haunted by secretive and reclusive l druid
elves who tell warily of their master: a mad wiza rd 57
who lives in the heart of the va lley
58- 59 l yuan-ti malison
41 - 45 ldlO air elementals 60-62 l giant constrictor snake
46-50 ld6 + 3 trolls 63- 64 A high-pitched s hriek that lasts for ld4 minutes
51-55 l adult red dragon 65-67 2d4 lizardfolk
56- 60 ld4 cloud giants
68-69 ld4 ghouls

61 - 65 A waterfall hundreds offeet high that drops into a 70-71 l will-o'-wisp
clear pool 72 l wight

73 l ghast

66-70 l d3 fire giants 74- 75 l swarm of poisonous snakes
71-75 2d4 stone giants 76-77 A foul stench bubbling up from brackish waters
76-80 A force of l 00 dwarves (veterans) st anding guard
at a mountain pass, permitting no passage until 78-80 ld4 + 2 ogres
a traveler pays 100 gp (if on foot) or 200 gp (if 81-83 l shambling mound
mounted)
84-86 l fizardfolk shaman with ld6 giant lizards and 2dl0
lizardfolk

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS

dlOO Encounter dlOO Encounter
87 89-90 ld6 + 1 yuan-ti malisons
1 troll 91-93 ld4 + 1 trolls
88-89 1d4 green hags 94-96 ldlO revenants
90-91 1 revenant 97-99 ld8 + 1 water elementals
92-93 1 giant crocodile ld3 hydras
94-95 1 ore Eye ofGruumsh with ld3 orogs and 2d6 + 3 00
ores
96-97 1 young black dragon SWAMP ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 11-20)
98 1 yuan-ti abomination
99 1d4 water elementals dlOO Encounter
00 1 hydra 01-10 1d4 giant crocodiles
11-15 1d3 yuan-ti abominations
SWAMP ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 5-10) 16-20 ld6 + 1 green hags
21-25 A large, spreading tree from which 2d6 armored
dlOO Encounter knights hang by the neck
26-30 2d4 wights
01 1 green hag 31- 35 ld8 + 1 yuan-ti malisons
02-03 2d4 giant lizards or 2d4 giant poisonous snakes 36-40 Fog that rolls across the terrain , making the area
04-05 2d8 winged kobolds within ld3 m iles heavily obscured for ld4 hours
06-07 ldlO + 1 bullywugs with ld8 + 1 giant frogs 41 - 45 ld4 revenants
46-50 ld6 shambling mounds
08-09 1 druid 51 - 55 ldlO water elementals
10 ld8 + 1 swarms of insects 56- 60 ld4 young black dragons
61 - 65 An eerie, bat-headed idol almost completely cov-
11-13 ld12 ghouls ered by vines
14-16 2d8 scouts 66-70 ld8 + 2 trolls
17-19 2d10 ores 71 - 75 ld3 hydras
20-22 2d4 giant spiders 76-80 The sound of drums beating several miles away
23-24 Tainted water that exposes creatures that move 81 - 96 1 adult black dragon
through it to sight rot (see "Diseases" in chapter 8 97-00 1 ancient black dragon
25-27 of the Dungeon Master's Guide)
28-30 ld6 + 2 giant toads L
31-33 3d6 lizardfolk
34-36 ld8 + 1 yuan-ti purebloods UNDERDARK ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 1-4)
37-38 ld4 + 1 swarms of poisonous snakes
A bloated humanoid corpse floating facedown in dlOO Encounter
39- 41 the water
42- 44 1 shambling mound 01 1 mind flayer arcanist
45- 47 ld4 + 1 will-o'-wisps 02 ld3 + 1 giant poisonous snakes
48- 50 2d6 crocodiles 03 ld3 giant lizards
51 - 54 1d4 + 1 giant constrictor snakes 04 2d4 giant fire beetles
1 lizardfolk shaman with 1d3 swarms of poisonous 05 ld8 + 1 flumphs
55-58 snakes and ld8 + 2 lizardfolk
59-62 ld8 + 1 ogres 06 1 shrieker
63- 65 2d4 ghasts 07 1dl2 giant rats
An altar partially sunk into the mud, devoted to a
66-69 god that is part human and part frog 08 2d4 kobolds
70-73 1 giant crocodile
74-77 1 shambling mound 09 l d8 + 1 stirges
1 ore Eye ofGruumsh with ld3 ogres and 2dl0 + 5 10 2d4 humans (tribal warriors) seeking the way to the
78-80 ores
A torrential rain that lasts ld6 minutes and puts surface, fleeing their Underdark oppressors
out all unprotected flames within 1 mile
11 -12 ldlO troglodytes

81 -82 1 young black dragon 13- 14 ld2 gray oozes
83-84 ld4 green hags with ld6 + 1 ogres 15- 16 3d6 stirges
85-86 1 yuan-ti abomination 17-18 ld3 magma mephits
87-88 ld4 + 1 wights
19-20 ldlO goblins
21-22 Ore graffiti on the walls, suggesting something
rude about the mother of someone named Krusk

CH ·\PTER !2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS

dlOO Encounter dlOO Encounter
23-24 85 1 druid with 1 polar bear (cave bear)
1 swarm of insects 86 1 hobgoblin captain with ld4 half-ogres and 2dl0
25 1 deep gnome hobgoblins
26-28 ld8 + 1 drow 87 1 earth elemental or 1 black pudding
29-30 1d4 violet fungi 88 1 kuo-toa monitor with ld8 + 1 kuo-toa whips
31-32 1dl2 kuo-toa 89 1 quaggoth thonot with l d3 quaggoths
1 rust monster 90 1 beholder zombie or 1 bone naga
33 A rubble-strewn passage that appears to have been 91 1 ore Eye ofGruumsh with ld4 orogs and 2d8 ores
34-35 recently cleared after a cave-in 92 ld4 ghasts with ldlO ghouls
ld8 + 1 giant bats 93- 95 A reeki ng puddle where sli my water has dripped
36- 37 3d6 kobolds from the cei ling
38-39 2d4 grimlocks 96 1 otyugh or 1 roper
40-41 1d4 + 3 swarms of bats 97 1 vampire spawn
42-43 1 dwarf prospector (scout) looking for gold 98 1 chimera
1 carrion crawler or 1 gelatinous cube 99 1 mind flayer
44 l d8 darkmantles or 2d4 piercers 00 1 spirit naga
45 1 hell hound
46 1d3 specters UNDERDARK ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 5-10)
47 1d4 bugbears
48 ld l O+ 5 winged kobolds dlOO Encounter
49 1d4 fire s nakes
50 2d8 + 1 troglodytes 01 3d6 swarms of bats
51 ld6 giant spiders 02 l d4 giant spiders or ld4 giant toads
52 3d6 kuo-toa
53 1 goblin boss with 2d4 goblins 03 1 mimic
54 4d4 grimlocks 04 2d4 gray oozes
55 1 ochre jelly 05 2d10 ores or 3d6 troglodytes
56 2d10 giant centipedes 06 3d6 grimlocks
57 1 nothic or 1 giant toad 07 1d6 + 2 magma mephits
58 ld4 myconid adults with Sd4 myconid sprouts 08 1 goblin boss with 2d4 goblins
59 1 minotaur skeleton or 1 minotaur 09 2d4 darkmantles
60 3d6 drow 10 2d8 + 1 drow
61 1 mimic or 1 doppelganger 11 2d10 piercers
62 ld6 + 3 hobgoblins 12 ld4 minotaur skeletons
63 1 intellect devourer or 1 spectator
64 ld8 + 1 ores 13-14 3d6 deep gnomes
65 A faint tapping comi ng from inside a nearby wall 15 1 druid with 1 polar bear (cave bear)
66 1 gibbering mouther or 1 water weird 3d6 ores
67-68 ld12 gas spores 16-17 1 bone naga
69 1 giant constrictor snake 18 2d6 bugbears
70 l dlO shadows Luminescent fungi growing on the walls of a moist
71 ld3 grells 19-20 cave, filling it with dim light
ld4 wights 21-25
72 ld8 + 1 quaggoth spore servants
ld2 gargoyles 26 2d4 specters
73 ld4 ogres or ld3 ettins 27 l d1 2 + 4 shadows
74 ld4 dwarf explo rers (veterans) 28 1d3 gibbering mouthers
75 An abandoned miners' camp spattered with blood 29- 30 4d4 hobgoblins
76 and littered with the contents of 1d3 dungeoneer's 31 - 32 1d4 carrion crawlers
77 packs 33-34 1 black pudding
78 1 chuul or 1 salamander 35 ld4 ochre jellies
79-80 ld4 phase spiders or l d3 hook horrors 36- 40 A patch of mold that appears yellow when light is
5d4 duergar directed toward it
81 1 ghost or 1 flameskull o r 1 wraith
82 41 ld4 nothics
83 42-43 2d8 + 1 gas spores
84 44-45 l d3 gelatinous cubes
1 ghost
46 1 flameskull
47-48 2d8 duergar
49-50

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS

,HJ:YI #

dlOO Encounter UNDERDARK ENCOUNTERS (LEVELS 11-16)
51 l wraith
52 l umber hulk dlOO Encounter
53 l xorn
54 ld6 + 2 dwarf hunters (veterans) searching for 01-02 3d6 carrion crawlers
trolls 03-04 l d6 + l gelatinous cubes
55 l hobgoblin captain with 3dl0 hobgoblins 05-06 ld8 + 2 gibbering mouthers
56 1 roper 07- 08 2d8 minotaur skeletons
57 l kuo-toa monitor with ld4 kuo-toa whips and ld8
+ l kuo-toa 09- 10 2d6 ochre jellies
58 ld3 water weirds 11- 12 2d4 doppelgangers
59 ld4 ghasts with ldlO ghouls 13- 14 ld4 quaggoth thonots with ldlO + 2 quaggoths
60 l otyugh 15- 16 ld3 ropers
61-62 A merchant caravan consisting of l drow mage, 2 17-18 3d6 gargoyles
drow elite warriors, and 2dl0 quaggoths
63 ld4 wights 19-20 ldlO mimics
64 ld4 doppelgangers 21 - 25 A 100-foot-long ravine, 4dl0 feet wide and 5d20 +
65 2d8 fire snakes 200 feet deep
66 ld4 spectators 26-27 l hobgoblin captain with 3dl0 hobgoblins
67 l ore Eye ofGruumsh with ld4 orogs and 2dl0 + 28-29 2d4 spectators
3 ores
68 ld3 vampire spawn 30-31 3d6 ghasts
69 ld4 hook horrors or ld4 minotaurs 32- 33 2d8 intellect devourers
70 3d6 quaggoth spore servants 34- 35 ld3 ore Eyes ofGruumsh with 2d4 orogs and 2dl0
71- 72 l d3 grells ores
73 ld6 + l intellect devourers 36-40 A large cave containing 2dl0 extraordinarily de-
74 ldlO gargoyles tai led statues of various creatures
75 l beholder zombie 41 - 42 l d8 + l kuo-toa monitors
76-77 l quaggoth thonot with 2d4 quaggoths 43-44 2d4 water weirds
78 l d6 ettins or ld4 trolls 45-46 2dl0 gricks
79 ld8 + l phase spiders
80 l fomorian or ld3 cyclopes 47-48 3d6 nothics
81 l d4 earth elementals 49-50 2d8 + l ogres
82 3d6 ogres 51-52 ld6 + 2 chuuls
83 ld4 + l chuuls 53- 54 ld8 + l ettins
84 ld lO hell hounds 3d6 grells
85 ld3 drow elite warriors 55 2d4 flameskulls
86 ld4 chimeras 56 2dl2 dwarf soldiers (veterans) on patrol
87 l d4 salamanders 57
88 l cloaker
89 2d4 wights 58 2d8 hell hounds
90 ld4 driders 59 ldlO ghosts
91 l fire giant 60 3d4 wights
92 l grick alpha with 2d4 gricks 61 3d6 phase spiders
93 l mind flayer arcanist 62 ld8 + l bone nagas
94 ld4 drow mages 63-65 A shrill scream followed by dark laughter
95 l spirit naga 66 ld4 chimeras
96 ld4 mind flayers 67 ldlO black puddings
97 l behir 68 3d6 minotaurs
98 l aboleth
99 l dao or l stone giant 69 2d4 otyughs
00 l beholder 70 ld6 + l beholder zombies
71 4d4 hook horrors
72 ld8 + l umber hulks
73 2d4 salamanders
74 ld3 grick alphas

75 ld6 + 2 xorn
76-80 A ru ined village that once belonged to deep
gnomes. A search has a 50% chance of uncovering
81 ld3 potions ofhealing and a 25% chance of finding
a random common magic item.
2d4 earth elementals

82 ld3 spirit nagas

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON ~ASTER'S TOOLS

































MARINA'S PLANS CHELDAR'S PLANS

Element Description Eleme nt Description

Event Rats become a noticeable problem in the streets, Event The grand festival of Pholtus fills the streets
Action with swarms sighted in rundown neighborhoods. Action with somber worshipers, who maintain a day-
Action Folk demand that action be taken. Action long torchlit vigil. They offer food, drink, and
Action Caravan raids by goblinoids become more com- Eve n t shelter to all in the temple of Pholtus.
Event mon, and folk talk of gathering a militia. Marina Action Cheldar, along with a small group of followers,
Action contributes generously to the effort. appears in a tavern frequented by adventurers
Warehouses are overrun with rats, ruining thou- and seeks converts. A few NPC adventurers join
sands of gold pieces worth of goods. Marina his cause.
blames the city for a lax effort in pest control. In a public address in the town square, Cheldar
If the characters interfere, Marina sends her as- rails against the forces of chaos, laying blame
sassins against them. for recent troubles on adventurers who are med-
A sudden storm creates minor flooding, washing dling in things best left alone.
dozens ofdead, bloated, diseased rats from the The characters find that all adventurers in town
sewers. Terror over the plague rips through town. receive an icy reception at best.
Marina fans the flames of panic, spreading ru- Cheldar demands that the city levy enormous
mors that the characters or other riva ls in town taxes on adventurers, claiming that they must
are responsible for the disease. pay their fair share to keep the city safe.

EXAMPLE RIVAL: HIGH PRIEST CHELDAR DOWNTIME ACTIVITIES

The temple of Pholtus, god of the s un, seeks to bring Downtime activities are tasks that usually take a work-
as many folk as possible under its sway. Though it has week (5 days) or longer to perform. T hese tasks can in-
been in town for only two years, the temple is a lready a n clude buying or creating magic items, pulling off crimes,
influential force because of the determination and the and working at a job. A cha racter selects a downtime
brilliant oration of Cheldar, its high priest. activity from a mong t hose available and pays the cost
of that activity in time and money. You, as DM, then fol-
Goals. Cheldar wants to ma ke the temple of Pholtus low the rules for the activity to resolve it, informing the
the most popular rel ig ion in town by bringing about player of the results a nd any complications that ensue.
peace a nd security for a ll. He believes keeping adventur-
e rs in check or driving the m out of town is an important Consider handling downtime away from the game
step in that plan. table. For example, you could have the players pick their
downtime activities at the end ofa session, and then
Assets. The charismatic high priest has his oratory communicate about them by email or text, until you next
skill, divine spellcasting ability, and a few hundred com- see them in person.
mon folk recently converted to the temple's cause.
RESOLVING ACTIVITIES
Plans. Cheldar is stern but fundamenta lly a good per-
son. He tries to win s upport by providing charity, pro- The description of each activity tells you how to resolve
moting peace, and working to enforce law and order. He it. Many activities require an ability check, so be sure to
is skeptical of the characters, however, convinced that note the character's relevant abi li ty modifie rs. Follow
they are troublemakers who will undermine the peace. the steps in the activity, and determine the results.
He wants only officials of the town or the temple to be
involved in handling a ny crises that arise. He strongly Most downtime activities require a workweek (5 days)
believes in his goals, yet he might still be made into a n to complete. Some activities requi re days, weeks (7
a lly by good-hearted characters. days), or months (30 days). A character must spend at
leas t 8 hours of each day engaged in the downtime activ-
W~<"' -i"'iO"'l 'OW'< ~c;d-t {row- ity for that d ay to count towa rd the activity's completion.
<; -issio"', 10-•ti.....u l l<"'J.
The days of a n activity don't need to be consecutive;
S~ofr"'~ ii t~ii t~i"'~ w~<r< you can spread them over a longer period of time than is
""'"'io"'i ~iv< c;wc;i t~<ir st'-'{4 to required for the activity. But that period of time should
ot~<r f'ofl•, c;"'). ot~•r f•ost· ~iv< be no more than twice as long as the required time;
otherwise you should introduce extra complications (see
t~•- J.i{4<mJ it...f-l. below) and possibly double the activity's costs to repre-
sent the inefficiency of the character's p rogress.

COMPLICATIONS

The description of each activity includes a discussion
of complications you can throw at the characters. The
conseque nces of a complication might spawn entire
adventures, introduce NPCs to vex the party, or give the
characte r s headaches or advantages in any number of
other ways.

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MAST.ER'S TOOLS

BUYING MAGIC ITEMS

Each of these sections has a table that offers possible Check Items Acqu ired
complications. You can roll to determine a complication Tot a l Roll ld6 times on Magic Item Table A.
random ly, pick one from the table, or devise one of your 1-5 Roll l d4 times on Magic Item Table B.
own, and then share it with the player. 6- 10 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table C.
11-15 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table D.
EXAMPLE DOWNTIME ACTIVITI-ES- - - 16-20 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table E.
21-25 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table F.
The following activities are s uitable fo r any character 26-30 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table G.
who can afford to pursue them. As OM, you have the 31-35 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table H .
fina l say on which activities are available to the char- 36-40 Roll ld4 times on Magic Item Table I.
acters. The activities you allow might depend on the 41+
nature of the area where the characters are located. For
example, you might disallow the creation of magic items MAGIC ITEM PRICE
or decide that the cha racters are in a town that is too
isolated from major markets for them to buy s uch items. Rarity Asking Price*
Common (l d6 + 1) x 10 gp
BUYING A MAGIC ITEM Uncommon
Rare ldG x 100 gp
Purchasing a magic item requires time and money to Very rare 2dl0 x 1,000 gp
seek out and contact people willing to sell items. Even Legendary (ld4 + 1) x 10,000 gp
then, there is no guarantee a seller will have the items a 2d6 x 25,000 gp

character desires. ·~H alved for a consumable item like a potion or scrol l
Resources. Finding magic items to purchase requires
Complications. The magic item trade is fraught with
at least one workweek of effort and 100 gp in expenses. peril. The large sums of money involved and the power
Spending more time and money increases your chance offered by magic items attract thieves, con a rtists, and
of finding a high-quality item.
other vi llains. If you want to make things more interest-
Resolution. A character seeking to buy a magic item ing fo r the characters, roll on the Magic Item Purchase
makes a Cha risma (Persuasion) check to determine Complications table or invent your own complication.
the quality of the seller found. The character gains a
+l bonus on the check for every workweek beyond the MAGIC ITEM PURCHASE COMPLICATIONS
first that is spent seeking a seller and a +1 bonus for
every additional 100 gp spent on the search, up to a dl2 Complication
maximum bonus of +10. The monetary cost includes The item is a fake, planted by an enemy.*
a wealthy lifestyle, for a buyer must impress potential
business partners. 2 The item is stolen by the party's enemies.*
3 The item is cursed by a god.
As shown on the Buying Magic Items table, the total of 4 The item 's origina l owner will kill to reclaim it; the
the check dictates wh ich table in the Dungeon Master's
Guide to roll on to determine which items are on the party's enemies spread news of its sale.*
market. Or you can roll for items from any table associ- 5 The item is at the center of a dark prophecy.
ated with a lower total on the Buying Magic Items table. 6 The seller is murdered before the sale.*
As a further option to reflect the availability of items 7 The seller is a devil looking to make a bargain.
in you r campaign, you can apply a -10 penalty for low 8 The item is the key to freeing an evil entity.
magic ca mpa igns or a +10 bonus for h igh magic cam- 9 A third party bids o n the item, doubling its price.*
paigns. Furthermore, you can double magic item costs 10 The item is an enslaved, intelligent entity.
in low magic campaigns. 11 The item is tied to a cult.
12 The party's enemies spread rumors that the item is
Using the Magic Item Price table, you then assign
prices to the available items, based on their rarity. an artifact of evil.*
Halve the price of a ny consumable item, such as a po-
tion or a scroll, w hen using the table to determine a n *Might involve a rival

asking price. CAROUSING
You have final say in deter mining w hich items are for
Carousing is a default downtime activity for many char-
sale and their final price, no matter what the tables say. acters. Between adventu res, who doesn't want to relax
If the characters seek a specific magic item, first w ith a few drin ks and a g roup of friends at a tavern?

decide if it's an item you want to allow in your game. If Resources. Carousing covers a workweek of fine
so, include the desired item among the items for sale food, strong drink, and socializing. A character can at-
on a check total of 10 or higher if the item is common, tempt to carouse among lower-, middle-, or upper-class
15 or higher if it is uncommon, 20 or higher if it is rare, folk. A character can carouse with the lower class for
25 or higher if it is very rare, and 30 or higher if it is 10 gp to cover expenses, or 50 gp for the middle class.

legendary.

CHAPTER 2 I DUNCEON MASTER'S TOOLS

Carous ing with the upper class requires 250 gp for the Lowe r-class contacts include criminals, la borers,
workweek a nd access to the local nobility. mercenaries, t he town guard , and a ny other folk who
normally freque nt the cheapest taverns in town.
A ch aracter w ith the noble background ca n m ingle
w ith the upper class, but other characters can do so only Middle-class contacts include guild members, spell-
if you judge tha t the c ha racte r h as made s ufficient con- casters, town officials , and other folk who frequent well-
tacts. Alternatively, a c haracter might use a disguise kit kept establishments.
a nd the Deception s kill to pass as a noble vis iting from a
distant city. Upper-class contacts are nobles and their personal
servants. Carousing with s uc h folk covers for mal ban-
Resolution. After a workweek of carousing, a charac- quets, state dinners, and the like.
te r stands to ma ke contacts within the selected social
class. The character makes a Charis ma (Pers uasion) Once a contact has helped or hinde red a cha racter,
c heck us ing the Carousing table. the c ha racter needs to carouse again to get back into the
NPC's good graces. A contact provides h elp once, not
CA ROU S I N G help for life. The contact remains frie nd ly, which can in-
fluence roleplaying and how t he characters interact w ith
Check Resu lt the m , but doesn't come w ith a guara ntee of help.
Total Character has made a hostile contact.
Character has made no new contacts. You ca n assign specific NPCs as contacts. You might
1- 5 Character has made an allied contact. decide that the barkeep a t the Wretched Gorgon and
6- 10 Cha racter has made two all ied contacts. a gu a rd s tationed at the western gate are the charac-
11 - 15 Character has made three allied contacts. te r's a llied contacts. Assigning specific NPCs gives the
16- 20 players concre te options. It brings the ca mpaign to life
21+ a nd seeds the area w it h N P Cs that the characters care
a bout. On the other ha nd, it can prove difficult to track
Contacts are NPCs w ho now share a bond with the and might render a contact useless if that character
c haracter. Each one either owes the ch aracte r a favor doesn't come into play.
or has some reason to bear a grudge. A hostile contact
works against the c haracter, placing obstacles but s top- Alternatively, you can a llow the player to ma ke an
ping s hort of com mitting a crime or a viole nt act. Allied NPC into a contact on the spot, after carous ing. Whe n
contacts a re friends w ho w ill re nde r aid to t he c haracte r, the characters are in the a rea in which they caroused,
b ut not a t the r is k of the ir lives. a player can expend an a llied contact and designate
a n NPC they meet as a contact, assuming the NPC is
of the correct social class based on how the ch a racter

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON Ml\STER'S TOOLS

caroused. The player should provide a reasonable expla- UPPER - CLASS CAROUSING COMPLICATI ONS
nation for this relationship and work it into the game.
d8 Complication
Using a mix of the two approaches is a good idea,
since it gives you the added depth of s pecific contacts A pus hy noble family wants to marry off o ne of
wh ile giving players the freedom to ens ure that the con-
tacts they accumulate are useful. their scions to you.*

The same process can apply to hostile contacts. You 2 You tripped and fell during a dance, and peo ple
can give the characters a specific NPC they s hould
avoid, or you m ight introduce one at an inopportune or can't stop talking about it.
dramatic moment.
3 You have agreed to take on a noble's debts.
At a ny time, a character can have a maximum number
of uns pecified allied contacts equal to 1 +the character 's 4 You have been challenged to a joust by a knight.*
Charis ma modifie r (minimum of 1). Specific, na med
contacts don't count toward this limit- only ones that 5 You have made a foe ou t of a local noble.*
can be used at any time to declare an NPC as a contact.
6 A boring noble insists you visit each day and listen
Complications. Characters who carouse ris k bar
brawls, accumulating a cloud of nasty rumors, and to long, tedious theories of magic.
building a bad re putation around town. As a rule of
thumb, a character has a 10 percent chance of triggering 7 You have become the target of a variety of embar-
a complication for each workweek of carousing.
rassing rumors.*
LOWER-CLASS CAROUSING COMPLICATIONS
8 You spent an additiona l 500 gp trying to impress
d8 Complication
people.
A pickpocket lifts ldlO x 5 gp from you.*
~'Might invo lve a rival
2 A bar brawl leaves you with a scar.*
3 You have fuzzy memories of doing something very, CRAFTING AN ITEM

very illegal, but can't remember exactly what. A cha racter who has the time, the money, a nd the
4 You are banned from a tavern after some obnox- needed tools can use downtime to craft armor, weapons,
cloth ing, or other kinds of nonmagical gear.
ious behavior.*
5 After a few drinks , you swore in the town square to Resources and Resolution. In addition to the appro-
priate tools for the item to be crafted, a character needs
pursue a dangerous quest. raw mater ials wor th half of the item's selling cost. To
6 Surprise! You're married. determine how many workweeks it takes to create an
7 Streaking naked through the streets seemed like a item, divide its gold piece cost by SO. A cha racter can
complete multiple items in a workweek if the items' com-
great idea at the time. bined cost is SO gp or lower. Items that cost more than
8 Everyo ne is cal ling you by some weird , embarrass- SO gp can be completed over longer periods of time, as
long as the work in progress is stored in a safe location.
ing nickname, like Puddle Drinker o r Bench Slayer,
and no one will say why.1' Multiple characters can combine their e fforts. Divide
the time needed to create an item by the number of char-
* Might invo lve a rival acters working on it. Use your judgment w hen determin-
ing how many characters can collaborate on an item . A
MIDDLE-CLASS CAROUSING COMPLICATIONS particularly tiny item, like a rin g, might allow only one
or two workers, w hereas a large, complex item m ight
d8 Complication a llow four or more wo rkers.

You accidenta lly insulted a guild master, and only A character needs to be proficient with the tools
a public apology will let you do business with the needed to craft an item a nd have access to the appro-
guild again .* priate equipment. Everyone who collaborates needs to
have the appropriate tool proficiency. You need to make
2 You swore to complete some quest on behalf of a a ny judgment calls regarding whether a character has
temple or a guild. the correct equipment. The following table provides
some examples.
3 A social gaffe has made you the talk of the town.*
4 A particularly obnoxious person has taken an in - Proficiency Items
Herbalism kit Antitoxin, potion ofhealing
tense romantic interest in you.* Leatherworker's tools Leather armor, boots
5 You have made a foe out of a local spellcaster.* Sm ith 's tools Armor, weapons
6 You have been recruited to help run a local fest iva l, Weaver's tools Cloaks, robes

play, or similar event. If all the above requirements are met, the result of th e
7 You made a drunken toast that scandalized the process is an item of the desired sort. A character can
sell a n item crafted in this way at its listed price.
locals.
Crafting Magic Items. Creating a magic item requi res
8 You spent an additional 100 g p trying to impress more than just time, effort, and materials. It is a long-
people. term process that involves one or more adventures to
track down rare materials and the lore needed to cre-
* Might involve a rival
ate the item.

C H APTE R 2 I DUNGEON MASTER 'S TOO LS

Potions ofhealing and spell scr oJ/s a re exceptions to
the following rules. For more information, see "Brewing
Potions of Healing" later in this section and the "Scrib-
ing a Spell S croll" section, below.

To start with, a characte r needs a formula for a magic
item in order to create it. The formu la is like a recipe.
It lis ts the materia ls needed a nd steps required to

make the item.
An item invariably requires an exotic material to com-

plete it. This materia l ca n ra nge from the s kin of a yeti to
a vial of wate r taken from a whirlpool on the Elemental
P la ne of Water. Finding that materia l should take place

as part of an adventure.
The Magic Item Ingredients tabl e suggests the c hal-

lenge rating of a creature that the cha racters need to
face to acquire the materials for an item. Note that fac-
ing a creature does not necessa rily mean that t he c har-
acters must collect items from its corpse. Rather, the
c reature might gua rd a location or a resource t hat the
cha racte rs need access to.

MAGIC ITEM INGREDIENTS

Item Rarity CR Rang e

Common 1-3
Uncommon 4- 8
Rare 9-12

Very rare 13- 18

Lege ndary 19+

If appropriate, pick a monster or a locatio n that is a Comp lications. Most of the complications involved in
thematic fit for the item to be crafted. For example, cre- creating something, especially a magic item, a re linked
ating mariner's armor might require the essence of a to the difficulty in finding rare ingredients or compo-
water weird. Crafting a staffofcharming mig ht require ne nts needed to comple te the work. The complications
the cooperation of a specific a rca naloth, who w ill help a cha racte r mi ght face as byproducts o f the creation
only if the c haracters complete a task for it. Making a process are most interesting when the characters are
staff ofpower might hinge on acquiring a piece of a n working on a magic item: there's a 10 percent chance for
an cie nt stone that was once touched by the god of mag- every five workweeks spent on crafting an item that a
ic- a s tone now gu arded by a s uspicious androsphinx. complication occurs. The Crafting Complications table
provides examples of what might happen.
l n addition to facing a specific creature, c reating a n
item comes with a gold piece cost covering other mate- CRAFTING COMPLICATIONS
rials, tools, a nd so on, based on the item's rarity. Those
va lues, as well as the time a character needs to work in d6 Com plicat ion
order to complete the item, are s hown on the Magic Item Rumo rs swirl that what you're working on is unsta-
Crafting Time a nd Cost table. H a lve the .listed price and ble and a threat to the community.*

creation time for any cons umable ite ms. 2 Your tools are stolen, forcing you to buy new
ones.*
MAGIC ITEM CRAFTING TIME A N D COST
3 A local wizard shows keen interest in your work
Item Rarity Workweeks •~ Cost~' and insists on observing you.
Common
l so gp 4 A powerfu l noble offers a hefty price for yo ur work
and is not interested in hearing no for an answer.*
Uncommon 2 200 gp
s A dwarf clan accuses you of stealing its secret lore
Rare 10 2,000 gp
to fuel your work.*
Very ra re 2S 20,000 gp 6 A competitor spreads rumors that your work is
Legendary
so 100,000 gp shoddy and prone to failure.*

* Halved for a consumable item li ke a potion or scroll * Might involve a riva l

To complete a magic item, a character also needs CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER'S TOOLS
whatever tool proficiency is appropriate, as for crafting a
nonmagical object, or proficie ncy in th e Arcana s kill.

If all the above requirements are met, the result of the

process is a magic item of the desired sort.

Brewing Potions o f Healing. P otions of healing fall CR IM E COMPLICATIONS
into a s pecia l category for ite m crafting, sepa rate from
o ther m agic items . A character who h as proficiency with d8 Complication
the herbalism kit can create these potions. The ti mes
and costs for doing so a re s umma rized on the Potio n of A bounty equ al to your earnings is offere d for info r-
Hea ling Creation ta ble. mation abou t your crime.*
2 An un known person contacts you, threatening to
POT IO N O F HEALI N G CREATION reveal yo ur crime if you do n't rende r a service.*

Typ e Time Cost 3 Your victim is fi nanc ially ruined by you r crime .
25 gp
Healing 1 day 100 gp 4 Someone who knows of you r crime has been ar-
Greater healing 1 wo rkweek 1,000 gp rested on a n unrelated matter.>'•
10,000 gp
Superior hea ling 3 workweeks S Yo ur loot is a single , easily identified item that you
Su pre me healing 4 workwee ks ca n't fen ce in this region.

C RIME 6 You rob be d someone who was unde r a loca l crime
lo rd 's protection, and wh o now wants revenge.
S om etimes it pays to be bad. T his activity gives a cha r-
acter the cha nce to ma ke some extra cash, at the risk 7 You r victim calls in a favor from a guard, doubling
of arrest. the efforts t o so lve the case.

Resources. A character must s pend one week a nd at 8 Your victim asks o ne of your a dvent uring co mpan-
least 25 gp gathe ring in fo rma tio n on potentia l ta rgets ions to solve the cri me .
before committing the intended crime.
* Might involve a rival
Resolution. The cha racte r mus t ma ke a series of
checks, with the DC for a ll the checks chosen by the GAMBLI NG
cha racter accord ing to the a mount of profit s ought fro m
the crime. Ga mes of cha nce a re a way to ma ke a fortune- a nd per-
haps a better way to Jose o ne.
T he chosen DC can be 10, 15, 20, or 25. Successful
completion of the crime yields a number of gold pieces, Resources. T his activity requires o ne workweek of ef-
as s hown on the Loot Value table. fo rt plus a stake of at least 10 gp, to a max imum of 1,000
gp o r more, as you see fit.
To a ttem pt a cr ime , the character makes three checks:
Dex terity (Stealth), Dexterity us ing thieves' tools, a nd R esolution. The cha racter mus t ma ke a ser ies of
the playe r's choice of Intelligence (Investigatio n), Wis- checks, with a DC dete rmined at ra ndom based on the
dom (P e rception), or Cha ris ma (Deception). quality of the competitio n that the character runs into.
P ar t of th e r is k of gambling is that one never knows w ho
If none of the checks a re s uccessful, the cha racter is might e nd up sitting across the table.
caught a nd ja iled. T he cha racter mus t pay a fine equa l to
the profit the crime would have earned a nd mus t s pend T he cha racter ma kes three checks : Wis dom (Ins ight),
o ne week in jail for each 25 g p of the fine. Cha ris ma (Deceptio n), a nd Cha ris ma (Intimidation).
If the cha racter has proficie ncy with a n a ppropriate
If only one check is s uccessfu l, the he is t fa ils but the gaming set, that tool proficiency can re place the rele-
character escapes. va nt s ki ll in any of the checks. T he DC for each of the
checks is 5 + 2d10; gene rate a separa te DC for each
If two checks a re s uccessful, the heist is a pa rtia l s uc- one. Cons ult the Gambling Results table to see how the
cess, netting the cha racter half the payout. character did.

If all th ree checks a re s uccessful, the characte r earns GAMBLING RESULTS
the full va lue of the loot.
Result Val u e

L OOT V AL UE 0 successes Lose a ll the money you bet, and accrue a
debt equal to that amount.
DC Value 1 success Lose ha lf t he money yo u bet.
10 SO gp, robbery of a struggling mercha nt 2 successes Gain the amo unt you bet plus ha lf again
1S 100 gp, robbery of a prosperou s me rchant m ore.
20 200 gp, robbe ry of a noble 3 succe sses Gain dou ble t he am ount you bet.
25 1,000 gp, ro bbery of o ne of the ric hest fig ures in town

Complications. A life of crime is filled with complica- Complications. Ga mbling tends to attract unsavory
tions. Ro ll on the Crim e Complications table (or create individua ls. The potentia l complications involved come
a complication of your own) if the characte r s ucceeds from run-ins with the law and associa tio ns with vario us
on o nly one check. If the character's riva l is involved in crimina ls tied to the activity. Every workweek spent
cr ime or Jaw e nforcement, a complication ens ues if the ga mbling brings a 10 percent cha nce of a complicatio n,
character s ucceeds on o nly two checks . examples of which a re o n the Gambling Complica-

tio ns table .

CHAPTER 2 I DUNGEON MASTER"S TOOLS

GA M BLING CO MPLI CAT IO N S P IT FIGHTI N G COM PLIC AT I O N S

d 6 Co mplication d 6 Complication

You are accused of cheating. You decide whether 1 An opponent swears to take revenge on you.'~
you actually did cheat or were framed.'~
2 A crime boss approaches you and offers to pay you
2 The town guards raid the gambling hall and throw to intentionally lose a few matches.'~

you in jail/' 3 You defeat a popular local champion, drawing the

3 A noble in town loses badly to you and loudly vows crowd's ire.
to get revenge.*
4 You defeat a noble's servant, drawing the wrath of
4 You won a sum from a low-ranking member of a
thieves' guild, and the guild wants its money back. the noble's house.*

5 A local crime boss insists you start frequenting the 5 You are accused of cheating. Whether the allega·
boss's gambling parlor and no others.
tion is true or not, your reputation is tarnished.*
6 A high-stakes gambler comes to town and insists
6 You accidentally deliver a near-fatal wound to a foe.
that you take part in a game.
'°'Might involve a rival
*Might involve a rival
RELAXATION
PIT FIGHTING Sometimes the best thing to do between adventu res is
Pit fighting includes boxing, wrestling, and other nonle- relax. Whether a character wants a bard-earned vaca-
thal forms of combat in an organized setting with prede- tion or needs to recover from injuries, relaxation is t he
ter mined matches. If you want to introduce competi tive ideal option for adventurer s who need a brea k. This op·
fighting in a battle-to-the-death situation, the standard tion is a lso idea l for pl ayers who don't want to make use
combat rules apply to that sort of activity. of the downtime system.

Resources. Engaging in this activity requires one Resources. Relaxation requires one week. A charac-

workweek of effort from a character. ter needs to maintain at least a modest lifestyle while
relaxing to gain the benefit of the activity.
Resolution . The character must make a series of
Resolution . C ha racters who maintain at least a mod-
checks, with a D C determined at random based on the
quality of the opposition that the character runs i nto. est l ifestyle while relaxing gain several benefits. While
A big part of the challenge in pit fighting lies in the un- relaxing, a character gains advantage on saving throws
known nature of a cha racter 's opponents. to recover from long-acting diseases and poisons. In
addition, at the end of the week, a character can end one
The character makes three checks: Strength (Athlet- effect that keeps the character from regaining hit points,
ics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), and a special Constitution or ca n restore one ability score that has been reduced to
check that has a bonus equal to a rol l of the character's less than its normal value. T his benefit ca nnot be used
largest Hit Die (this roll doesn't spend that die). ff de- if the harmful effect was caused by a spell or some other
sired, the character can replace one of these skill check s magical effect with an ongoing duration.
with an attack roll using one of the character's weapons.
Complications. Relaxation rarely comes with com-
The DC for each of the checks is 5 + 2d10; generate a
plicat ions. I f you want to make life complicated for the
separate DC for each one. ConsuJt the Pit Fighti ng Re- characters, introduce an action or an event connected
sults table to see how the character did. to a r ival.

PIT FIGHTING RESULT S RELIGIOUS SERVICE
C haracters with a religious bent might want to spend
Re s u l t Va lu e downtime in ser vice to a temple, either by attending
rites or by prosely tizing in the community. Someone
0 successes Lose your bouts, earning nothing. w ho undertakes this activity has a chance of winning
the favor of the temple's leaders.
1 success Win 50 gp.
R esources. Performing religious service requires ac-
2 successes Win 100 gp.
3 successes Win 200 gp. cess to, and often attendance at, a temple whose beliefs
and etho~ align with the character's. If such a place is
Complications . Characters involved in pit fighting available, the activity takes one workweek of time but
involves no gold piece expend iture.
must deal with thei r opponents, the people who bet on
matches, and the m atches' promoters. Every workweek R esolution. At t he end of t he required time, the char-
spent pit fighting bri ngs a 10 percent chance of a compli·
cation, examples of w hich are on the P it Fighting Com- acter chooses to make either an Intelligence (Religion)
check or a Charisma (Persuasion) check. The total of
pl ications table. the check determines the benefits of service, as shown
on the Religious Service table.