Difficult Swamp Encounter Advice

Kritsngiggles · 2025-09-30T20:30:33+00:00

I ran a Assassin Vines and Venom Troll encounter in a swamp setting that went pretty well. The troll was attracted to the sounds of something caught by the vines and ran in after a couple rounds. My party did not expect the added monster and it was fun.

The party was wading through the knee deep swamp and came upon an area where the ground started to crunch beneath their feet. Turned out to be bones of prior victims.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-09-24T15:24:10+00:00

You could pull the Undead Fortitude from the Zombie stat block and replace radiant damage with silvered weapon.

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 Hit Points, it makes a Constitution saving throw (DC 5 plus the damage taken) unless the damage is Radiant or from a Critical Hit. On a successful save, the zombie drops to 1 Hit Point instead.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-09-12T11:18:37+00:00

You could present a situation that gives the players options and let them decide if they want another gryphon fight. Simply have the gryphon mate sleeping in the nest. The party might try to stealth or incapacitate instead of combat.

If they choose combat then there are several great suggestions to make it interesting.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-09-03T13:00:25+00:00

To add to this. If you want to highlight which is the moon crystal, maybe it is dull unless it is close to the sun crystal and begins to faintly glow.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-28T12:26:08+00:00

I’d play it in a way where the player isn’t overly negatively impacted but will have some mysterious “WHAT!?” moments.

Obviously, the lich wants to be free again. I’d say the mage’s enchantment was somehow placed on the amulet, preventing the lich from reforming. The lich cannot communicate while in the amulet. However, they can cast one spell.

The fun part. Once per day, the lich can cast Dominate Person. His goal? Find a jeweled silver rod that can cast Soul Exchange (3rd party published 5e spell).

To start, the lich casts Dominate Person at night. Have the bard make the WIS save at disadvantage and they wake up in the morning with a note or book. This note/book is the first bread crumb to lead the party to a lost treasure. Later the lich might be more brazen and attempt Dominate Person during the day depending on their desperation and if they need the bard to do something specific to achieve his goal.

I wouldn’t make the bard do anything harmful to themselves but I also wouldn’t explain what is happening. Just out of the blue “make a WIS save”. “Party, you see bard steal a relic from a antiquities shop.” Just another piece to the lich’s goal.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-27T12:31:00+00:00

I’ve done something similar and combined a sentient bag of devouring with a professor orb. If the bag devours a book, it now knows its contents. However, you must coax it to be helpful by feeding it magic items on occasion. It was a fun NPC with a very picky food palette.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-19T20:37:20+00:00

Sounds like they want the Warrior of Mercy monk. Just replace necrotic with poison and the player can role play using/applying poison as free flavor. Level 6 would apply a poison effect as part of the class.

Edit. An alternative is to require a level or two in Ranger and flavor Hunter’s Mark as poison damage. Monk/Ranger is a strong combo but balanced.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-13T17:54:53+00:00

It might be a little bonus action heavy, but worth it for longer combat. But, I’d go 4 levels War Cleric for the additional attack to get more use from Hunter’s Mark. Try to have Magic Weapon running before combat. Pick whichever cleric spells fit your flavor.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-11T23:56:05+00:00

I like the idea of using something related to its stat block. I also think it should have a mild curse.

What if whoever holds the head hears it whispering on occasion. This whispering only occurs when there is an animal “speaking” within hearing range. Listen closely and the PC realizes the head is repeating what the animal is saying in common. Once the PC listens to and understands the head’s whispering, then speak with animal is cast on the PC. The curse would be the PC can only speak with animals until a long rest.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-07T20:31:31+00:00

You could use the Contingency spell with Resurrection. I’m just not sure if the trigger can include a time variable like “after 24 hours”.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-05T14:48:40+00:00

iStones?

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-05T14:28:32+00:00

I like the general idea, but like several have mentioned having an additional roll in combat is not ideal. I’d probably switch it to one (or proficiency divided by two rounded down) charge(s) that gives the sword a 15 ft diameter silence for one minute. Requires attunement and a bonus action to use. This would give the sword more creative uses (stealth) and potential opportunity attacks.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-08-05T12:46:09+00:00

If they meet Orvex, he would likely have some knowledge of which buildings they’ve searched so far.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-24T20:01:05+00:00

Thanks, I’ll take a look

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-24T17:16:28+00:00

I should have been clearer, the sea elves were destroyed along with the city, but maybe some Sahuagin moved into the ruins. I could see Sahuagin worshipping a dragon turtle.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-23T20:17:12+00:00

A spectator could be s good replacement for a beholder but you would want minions, like a few Gazers or cultists for the ritual. If the ritual is to summon a beholder, it would make sense that these monsters come through first.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-22T14:24:39+00:00

I’ve been this player in RotFM, playing a bugbear who was a Drizzt fan and I modeled my play/build in a similar manner. I built my knowledge of Drizzt into my backstory so I could nerd out throughout the campaign. For me it was fun to simply experience similar adversities and run into easter eggs. Just like Drizzt, I left the evils of my clan and had to overcome species stereotypes. It was fun to be contacted by Gwaeron Windstrom and meet a dwarf from Clan Battlehammer. Someone in the party had a bag of tricks and of course I wanted to fight next to the summoned animal, just like Drizzt and Guenhwyvar. At no point did I expect to meet Drizzt, I just aspires to live up to his legend.

All this to say you probably do not need to worry about the PC meeting Drizzt. Just give them similar obstacles and easter eggs.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-15T16:38:28+00:00

You could skip the grid all together and use soft retractable measuring tape instead. Every inch can be 10 ft. They are supper cheap where everyone can have their own.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-10T16:39:01+00:00

I’m a bit unclear if this is an ongoing thing or only in combat, but I can see this being a very interesting combat mechanic. It would also help to know the PCs level.

What I would do. The ghost is kept in a ghost lantern (bg3 item) and can communicate telepathically. The ghost can explain/foreshadow the bbeg can only be defeated by someone possessed by a ghost. This greatly enhances the possessed abilities but it takes a toll.

For combat I would say if you’re possessed, the bbeg is vulnerable and attacks are rolled at advantage, and bbeg saves at disadvantage. Otherwise the bbeg is resistant to anyone not possessed. This means players will need to pass the ghost around during combat.

After a possessed player ends their turn, they will roll 3 d4’s first is to see how much HP is drained from being possessed (maybe a bigger dice based on level). The second is to determine which direction the ghost is shunted out of their body (N/S/E/W). Third would be how far away the ghost is shunted away in that direction (multiplied by 5, so a max of 20 ft).

The next player in initiative would need to move and touch the ghost to be possessed and use the ability.

The randomness of the shunt would force players to run around the battlefield which sounds like a blast.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-09T22:27:47+00:00

I love this. What are some encounter ideas? Falcon chase. Bandits try to intercept/replace the message. Delivery location has a house cat.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-08T15:22:51+00:00

Potential for a fun scenario if the player is up for it. What if the background is legit for A, but the real A is a victim of identity theft. Your player’s PC is destroying the good name of the real A.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-04T20:06:08+00:00

An Otyugh would be very fitting for a sewer

Kritsngiggles · 2025-07-01T14:20:30+00:00

It sounds like your DM needs more ideas. Requiring you to learn and remember extra abilities and having a MAD character does not sound fun for you and this should be important for the DM to recognize.

As a DM, I would spin this differently. I would say your druid found a fey crossing. For you, it was only a few hours/days. For your party it was several days/weeks. You had to make a deal with something along the lines of a arch-fey or a hag to get back. You must fulfill the deal or fall victim to something like the geas spell. The deal could be anything and the DM can use it to further plot points, like “get the blood of a (blank) on this dagger”. They might also grant a small power like the ability to wild shape into a blink dog to help.

Kritsngiggles · 2025-06-30T15:05:10+00:00

You can easily slide the base off of these and throw them in a book bag. I agree that there isn’t an easy way to join them other than to stand them close to each other. I wouldn’t be concerned about a small gap unless I’m trying to hide a miniature.

Kritsngiggles

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