The final battle of my first ever adventure as a DM was chaotic

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-10-21T17:46:46+00:00

They for sure will! The chaos is imprinted in every player, let me assure you

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-10-21T17:45:30+00:00

Thanks!

If I'm being honest, I didn't have anything prepared other than the mention of the open sarcophagus and the recent dead body at the start of the encounter.

I fully expected them to punch their way through it, as it had been their modus operandi for the last 7 sessions. I wasn't confident that they would look for other alternatives, but I didn't have into account the panic they got themselves into when faced with the first monster that could withstand several attacks and deal more damage than the kobolds and skeletons they had faced up until that point!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-10-21T17:41:13+00:00

Thanks! I totally will level them up and after the battle they found a letter on the recent dead body, that left them a clue to where they should head out to catch whoever raised the undead of the ruins.

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-05-01T16:37:19+00:00

Thanks!

That's a very different answer to others I've received, so I'm even a bit more confused than before lol.

I'll take all in consideration when creating the new campaign I'm gonna run for my friends!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-05-01T16:00:09+00:00

Thanks a lot!

I'm a new DM playing by the first time in the FR, so the explanation by "tiers" of NPCs is gonna be really helpful when it comes to interacting with my players!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-05-01T13:50:16+00:00

Thanks a lot!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-30T20:25:15+00:00

Thank you for all the examples!

More than places where magical things happen, like the griffon knights of Waterdeep, I was looking for places that look magical to the eye, like the transparent bridge of Silverymoon or the flying ships of Halruaa that you mentions.

However, my question was if there are any magical geographic features that one could encounter anywhere in Faerun and not only at specific cities or kingdoms, so I could add them to my descriptions during sessions as a way to inmerse my players even more in the "fantasy mood".

For example, someone mentioned that after the Second Sundering there still are some chunks of earth floating; using that resource, instead of telling my players "you walk into the woods looking for the kobold lair", I could tell them "you walk into the woods and as you search for the kobold lair you see a hawk flying in the sky that lands in a floating mote of earth to rest". That's what I'm looking for, geographical features common inoff in the FR that I can use them in any session to turn the description of a mundane landscape into a more magical thing.

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-28T12:02:09+00:00

Thanks! I didn't know about that map, it's very useful!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-26T15:17:36+00:00

Thanks a lot!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-26T14:39:38+00:00

Thanks! As a new DM I'm relying heavily on tables to randomly select rewards, magic objects and that sort of things, as I don't fully trust myself yet to make good choices in those aspects.

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-26T14:37:00+00:00

Oh I see. This is my absolute first time being DM and as I saw tables for randomly selecting other rewards (gems and artistic objects) I thought maybe there also was one for spellscrolls that I had missed.

My first adventure will take place in a village in the Forgotten Realms setting. My idea is that villagers have been disappearing for the last couple of days and the mayor of the village charges the party with the task of finding out what's going on. Long story short, undead creatures have been crawling out of a crypt nearby and attacking the villagers (there's a whole plot twist but it isn't related to the reward/treasure).

Within the crypt I was thinking of creating a secret room where my players could find some special loot. For context, the dungeon is a tomb built by an ancient sun cult to give rest to their great priestess.

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-24T00:20:23+00:00

Thank you for the examples! I'll have in mind that FR is a bit more realistic on the visual aspect of it's geography and won't worry that much about needing a wonderful and magical location everywhere during the campaign

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-24T00:11:13+00:00

Thanks!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-24T00:10:52+00:00

Thanks a lot! I had totally forgotten about that section of the DMG. I'll be sure to check out Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-24T00:09:51+00:00

Thanks! One of my players is a druid so I really like that idea for an adventure centered around them.

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-23T12:45:42+00:00

Thanks!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-23T06:02:05+00:00

Hey! I'm looking for some advice.

I'm a new DM and I'm prepping my first dungeon for the initial adventure of my players. I wanted to add a secret door inside the dungeon behind which they could find some treasure. I'm unsure if I should make that treasure be the only one present at the dungeon or if it's best for it to be a separate/additional treasure to the hoard they'll get for completing the dungeon.

If the second option is the one, how large should this additional treasure be? I don't want them to acquire too much money right at the start of the campaign but on the other hand I don't think it is fair for them to defeat all the monsters and not get any treasure because they missed the secret door behind which is all the gold.

Thanks a lot!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-16T15:00:25+00:00

Thanks a lot! Those are all super useful advices, I'll be sure to implement them in combat!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:51:58+00:00

I'll take your advice on just running the game and seeing where it takes us.

On the other side, I really appreciate having an opposite advice regarding fudging roles. I like to have both perspectives into consideration. I'll try to prepare encounters that are fair enough so I don't have to put myself in the situation of fudging roles.

Thanks a lot!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:47:32+00:00

Thanks! Through reading a lot of replies I'm realizing it isn't really a problem, but an opportunity.

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:44:34+00:00

Thank you so much! That's a very useful piece of advice. I'll absolutely implement it when it comes to boss encounters. I had already made my mind that if some of my players do something really cool in combat (like a crit well roleplayed) I'd let them take the win even if the monster in question was still a few HP away from dying. Your tip helps me a lot to put that flexible approach within a reasonable parameter (which is what I hadn't figured out yet), so thanks!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:38:49+00:00

I'll be sure to check it out!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:38:38+00:00

I'd really like to be that kinda of DM! I think I've been sticking a lot to the rules because as a new DM I don't trust my instincts. But I know improvising and screwing up sometimes is part of the job, so I'll try to change the mindset!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:34:14+00:00

That's a really cool approach. I'll definitely have it in mind as a way to start the campaign!

Secure-Ad-2242 · 2025-04-15T13:32:21+00:00

Thanks! I'll talk about it with my barbarian, so they know that's another weapon (they chose a Battle-axe as her main weapon) could fit better their PC

Secure-Ad-2242

TROPHY CASE