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    197 views320 pages

    D&D 5e - DM Handbook

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    timonsinios

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    UCT MUN Ts Met DUNGEONS &&& DRAGONS? rs Everything,a Dungeon Master needs to weave legendary stories (aU aee oo omar cus Crepirs DED Lead Designers: Mike Weal, even Crawford Dungeon Masters Guide Leads: Jeremy Crawford, ‘Christopher Perkins, james Wyatt Designers: Rober). Schualb, Rodney Thompson, Pete Lee tor Seott Fizgeald Cray, Michele Carter, chr Sims, Jenifer Clarke Wilkes Produce: Greg Bisland [An Directors: Kat rin, Dan Gelon, Jon Schindebette, Mar Kolkowsky, Melisa Raper, Shauna Narcio ‘Graphic Designers: Emi Taj, Bree Hes, Tish Yechum, Barry Craig ‘Cover Hstratr: Tye Jacobson Interior lustrator: Rob Alesander, Dave Allsop, Daren Ber, Mari Beh, Ere Belisle, Seven Bellin, Kerem Bei Nosh Bradley, Ales! Brico, Flip Burburan, MilvojCeran, Sidharth Chaturvedi, Conceptopais,O. espe ising ‘Wayne England, EmiyFegenschuh, Seat M.Ftcher. Justin Gerard, EW¢Helaton, jon Hodgson, Ral Horsley, “yet Jacobson, jason Juta, Sam Keiser, Chad Kg, Vance Kovacs, Ol Lawson, Chick Lukacs, Howard Lyon, Vitoria Madera, Aaron ile, Mark Mana, Teese Neon, ‘liam O'Connor, Hector Ortiz, Adom Paquet, Claudio Posse Steve Prescot, David Rapoza, Rob Re, Aaron ily, ‘Ami Saleh, Mike Schley, Cris Seaman, Sean Seves ya Shipin, Carmen Sinek, Craig | Spearng John Stanko, Ales Store Matas Tapia, joe Thomas, Cory Trege-Edner, Beth “Tras, Cyr Van Der Hsegen, Raoul Vitale, Tyler Walpole, Jallan Kok Joon Wen, Renard Whiter, Era Widermann Mart Winter, ben Wooten, Kieran Yene,Jmes Zhang Additonal Contributors: Wolfgang Baut, CM. Cline, Bruce ‘Corel Jesse Decker, ryan Fagan, James jaca, Rabin 0. tw, Colin MeCom, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Matt Sernett, Lester Smith, Steve Townshend, Chris Tulach, Steve Winter, Chris Youngs ‘hci Mn fi a tf net in cs cho oy ot matron etre rc poner Seeds catty prio fate cnr eng of roe Ponta croar nfm enh ne ane Project Management: Nel Shnkl, john Hay. Ke Grates Production Service: Cynds Calanay. Bran Damas Tefferson Dunlap, David Cerhan, Ants Wm ‘rand and Marketing: Nathan Stewart. Ls Sch, ‘Chris Unde, Shelly Mazzanobie Milry Rose. Laure Tomer Ki Ladle ieee a ‘ased onthe original D&D game created by Gary Ojgacand Dave Arneron vet Brian Blume, Rob Karte, ames Ws Drawing rom further developmen by I: Ere Holmes, Tom Molaray, Frank Mentzer, Aaron Allston, Harold johnson, David “Zeb” Cook, E4 Greenwood, Keith Ber Tracy Wieman, Margaret Weis, Ooupse Ne, Jeff Grubb, jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Wiliams, Richard Baker Peter Adkzon Bil Slavicsek Andy Colin, tnd Rob Heinsoo Paytesting provided by ‘ver 173,000 fans of DBD, Thankyou! ‘Adiional feedback proved by “Teo Abadia, Robert Alana jason Baxter, il Darren Bowley David Calander, Mi Cslou, Christopher DiAndres, Brian Danford Krupl ess, Josh Dillard Sar Simpson J, Tim Eagon, David Eval, Rob Ford, Robert Ford, jason Fuller, Piece Cathe, Richard Green, Christopher eter, Adam Hennebeck, Sterling Hershey, Paul Mughes Gregory L Haris, Yan Lacharit Shane Leahy, Ryan Leary, ‘Tom Lommel, Jonathan Longstaf Rory Maden, Mat Maranda, Derek Melntosh, Paul Melamed, Shawn Merwin Lou Michel, Mike Minalas, Oasd Milman, Daten Michal Matthew Mosher, David Muller, Kevin Nef, Adar Page Jobe Proudfoot, Max Reichln, Kv Rese, Matthew Rolston, ason omen, Sam sherry, Peer Sespen, Robin Stacey, Ded Oak” Stak Adam Strong Morse, Arthur Wrigh nd Don eae ON THE CovER ‘ler Jacobson ilustrates the arclich Aesreak ashe alse an at of undead and prepares fo Ce 6204821900001 EN Fiat Printing: December 2044 x su eponmgepie od wt theft ld art ta ter oo memes 9UNCKONSEOMNONS O40 wine Con Fors Rn apenas Pye eo Mee Dg Mia ate Wo eentowasctrane nese incon tor male pet na accra catait bern npn ‘creme atesae thu Salina ade aes CONTENTS ‘Unusual Environments. 116 Traps eer) Cuarren 6: BetweeN ADVENTURES... 125, Linking Adventures cn INTRODUCTION ‘The Dungeon Master. How to Use This Book... 1 9 ° 0 i 3 20 Tec eal ese a Rass and Gumi 2 Ohne Rewarde ets aie! 23 Campaign Evers peg Py Se Sie ieeran Ampere aes ‘Tiers of Play. 36 ‘Table Rules. 235 Panett cy ey eters ae CHarrin?: CeeaTiNG A Muutivenst 43 Using Abily Sere) 2or ‘The Planes Se eeerccs a Planar Travel Astral Plane Ethereal Plane Social Interaction Inner Planes... Outer Planes: Other Planes. ‘Known Worlds of the Material Plane Guarrer 9: DUNGEON MasreR's Part 2 68 WorKsHo?.. (CHaprer 3: CREATING ADVENTURE: Elements of a Great Adventure. (Cuarrer 5: ADVENTURE ENVIRONMENTS..99 Dungeons..... 99 APPENDIX 310 Mapping a Dungeon 02 ew tos APPENDIX D: DUNGEON Wildernees Survival MASTER INSPIRATION 316 Settements = Mapping a Siemens. INDEX 37 Urban Encounters... La INTRODUCTION ‘¥5:0000 10 THE DUNoroN Masten! NOT ONLY ddoyou get to tell fantastic stories about heroes, villains, monsters, and magic, but you also get to create the word in which these stories live. ‘Whether you'e running a DAD game already ‘or you think i's something you want tory this ook is for you ‘The Dungeon Master's Guide assumes that you know the basics of how to pay the D&D tabletop roleplaying ‘game. Ifyou havent played before, the Duvasans & Deacons Starter Seti. great starting point for new players and DMs. “This book has two important companions: the Players Handbook, which contains the rules your players need to create characters and the rules you need to run the ‘game, and the Monster Manual, which contains ready-to- lise monsters to populate your D&D world, ‘THE DUNGEON MASTER he Dungeon Master (DM) isthe creative force behind a D&D game. The DM creates a world forthe ‘other players to explore, and also creates and runs [Adventures tha rive the story. An adventure typically hinges on the successfl completion of aquest, and canbe as shorts a siagle game session. Longer “ndventures might exabrol players in great contlicts that Fequire muitple game sessions to resolve. When strung together these adventures form an ongoing campaign. AD&D campaign can inchide dozens of adventures nd Tas for months o ears "ADungeon Master gets to wear many hats As the architect ofa campaign the DM creates adventres by placing monsters, traps, and treasures for the other players’ characters (the adventurers) to discover. As 8 storyteller the DM helps the other players visualize ‘whats happening around them, improvising wen the ‘dvenurere do something or go somowhere unexpected ‘Avan actor the DM plas the ‘supporting characters, breathing ie into them. And asa ‘referee the DM interprets the rules and decides when 0 abide by them and when to change them. Taventing writing, storyeling improvising, acting. refereeing~cvery DM handles these roles i 4nd youl probably enjoy some more than others. helps to remember that DUNGEONS & DRAGONS isa hobby, and being the DM shouldbe fun. Focus on the aspects you enjoy and downplay the rest. For example if ou don like creating your own adventures, you ean use published ones. You an also lean onthe other players to help you with rules mastery and world building. “The DAD rules help you andthe ater plaers have ‘good tne, but the rules aren't in charge-Youre the DM, and you are in change of the game. That sad, your soalisnt to slaughter the adventurers but to create a ‘ampiga world tha evelves around their ations snd decisions, and to keep your players coming back for more! you're lucy. the events of our eampaiga will cho inthe memories of our players lng after the Binal fame sesion is concluded. How To UsE Tus Book ‘This book is organized in three parts. The first part helps you decide what kind of campaign yout like to ‘tun. The second part helps you create the adventures — the stories—that will compose the campaign and ‘keep the players entertained from one game session to the next. The last part helps you adjudicate the rules ofthe game and modify them to suit the style of your campaign. Part 1: MASTER OF WoRLDS [Every DM is the ereator of his or her own campaign world. Whether you invent a world, adapt a world from ‘favorite mavie or novel, or use a published setting for the D&D game, you make that world your own over the course of « campaign. ‘The world where you set your campaign isone of countless worlds that make up the D&D multiverse, ‘avast array of planes and worlds where adventures happen. Even i you're using an established world such as the Forgotten Realms, your campaign takes place {nn asort of mirror universe ofthe oficial setting where Forgotten Realms novels, game products, and digital games are assumed to take place. The world is yours to change as you see fit and yours to modify as you explore the consequences of the players’ actions. ‘Yur word is more than just a backirop for adventures, Like Middle Earth, Westeros, and countless other fantasy worlds out there, i's place to which you ‘ean escape and witness fantastic stories unfold. A well- designed and well-run world seems to flow around the adventurers, so that they fel part of something, instead lof apart from it Consistency isa key toa believable fictional world. When the adventurers go back into town for supplies, they should encounter the same nonplayer characters (NPCs) they met before. Soon, theyll learn the barkeep's name, and he or she will remember theirs as well. Once you have achieved this degree of consistency you can provide an occasional change. If the adventurers come back to buy more horses at the stables, they might discover thatthe man who ran the place went back home to the large cit over the hills, ‘and nove his nieve runs the family business. That sort of change-—one that has nothing to do with the adventurers directly, but one that they'll notice—makes the players. feel as though their characters are part of a ving world that changes and grows along with them. Part 1 of this book sal about inventing your world. (Chapter 1 asks what type of game you want to run, and helps you nail down a few important details about your world and ts overarching conflicts. Chapter 2 helps you ‘but your world in the greater context of the multiverse, ‘expanding oa the information presented in the Player's Handbook wo discuss the planes of existence and the sods and how you can put them together to serve the needs of your amp: Part 2: MASTER OF ADVENTURES Whether you write your own adventures or use published ones. expect to invest preparation time beyond the hours you spend atthe gaming table. You'll need to carve out some fre time to exercise your creativity as you invent compelling plots, create new NPCs, eraft encounters, and think of lever ways to foreshadow story events yet 10 come. Part 2 of this book is devoted to helping you create and run great adventures. Chapter 3 covers the basic elements of a D&D adventure, and chapter 4 helps you create memorable NPCs. Chapter 5 presents guidelines and advice for running adventures set in dungeons, the wilderness, and other locales, and chapter 6 covers the time between adventures. Chapter 7 is all about treasure, magicitems, and special rewards that help keep the players invested in your campaign. Part 3: MASTER OF RULES DUNGEONS é& DRAGONS isn't a head-to-head competition, but itneeds someone who is impartial yt involved inthe ‘game to guarantee that everyone at the table plays bythe rules. As the player who creates the game world and the adventures that take place within it, the DM is natural fio take onthe referee role. Asa referee, the DM acts as a mediator between the rules and the players. A player tells the DM what he or she wants todo, and the DM determines whether itis successful or not in some cases asking the player to make adie roll © determine success. For example, if player wants his or her character to take a swing at an ‘ore, you say, “Make an stack rll” while looking up the ‘ore's Armor Class. ‘Theres don't account for every possible situation that might arise during a typical D&D session. For ‘example, a player might want his or her character to hur a brazier full of hot coals into a monster's face. How you determine the outcome of this action is up to you. You might tll the player to make a Strength check, While mentally setting the Difficulty Class (DC) at 15. i the Strength check is successful, you then determine how a face full of hot coals affects the monster. You ‘might decide that it deals 148 fre damage and imposes disadvantage on the monster's attack rolls unt the end ofits next turn. You roll the damage di (r let the player 4o it), and the game continues. Sometimes mediating the rules means setting limits a player tells you, “I want to run up and attack the ore" but the character doesn't have enough movement to reach the or, you say, “I's too faraway to move up and sill attack, What would you like todo instead? The player takes the information and comes up with a different pla, ‘oreferee the rules, you need to know them. You don't have to memorize this book or the Player's Handbook, but you should havea clear idea of their contents so that, ‘when a situation requires a ruling. you know where to Find the proper reference. ‘The Players Handbook contains the main rules you need to play the game. Part 3 ofthis book offers a wealth ‘of information to help you adjudicate the rules in a wide variety of situations. Chapter 8 presents advice for using attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. It also Includes options appropriate for certain play styles and ‘campaigns, including guidelines for using miniatures, system for handling chase scenes, and rules for madness. Ifyou like to ereate your own stuf, such fs new monsters, races, and character backgrounds, chapter 9 shows you how. That chapter also contains ‘optional rules for unusual situations or play styles, such as the use of firearms in a fantasy setting, Know Your PLAYERS ‘The success of a DAD game hinges on your ability to entertain the other players at the game table. Whereas ther role is to ereate characters (he protagonists of the campaign), breathe life into them, and help steer the campaign through their characters’ actions, your role sto keep the players (and yourself interested and Immersed in the world you've created, and to let their characters do awesome things. ‘Knowing what your players enjoy most about the DAD game helps you create and run adventures that they will enjoy and remember, Once you know which of the following activities each player in your group enjoys the most, you ean tailor adventures that satiety your players’ preferences as much as possible, thus keeping them engaged. AcTING Players who enjoy acting like getting into character ‘and speaking in their charaeters!' voices. Roleplayers atheart, they enjoy social interactions with NPCS, ‘monsters, and ther fellow party members Engage players who lke acting by + ving them opportunities to develop their characters! Personalities and backgrounds. allowing them to interact regulary with NPCs + adding roleplaying elements to combat encounters. + incorporating elements from their characters’ back {grounds ito your adventures. EXPLORING Players who desire exploration want to experience the wonders that a fantasy world has to offer. They want to know what's around the next corner of hill They also like to find hidden clues and treasure. Engage players who like exploration by + dropping clues that hint at things yet to come, + Jetting them find things when they take the time toexplore + providing rich descriptions of exciting environments, and using interesting maps and props. + living monsters secrets to uncover or cultural details to learn. INSTIGATING Player's who lke to instigate action are eager to make things happen, even ifthat means taking perilous risks. They would rather rush headlong into danger and face the consequences than face boredom. Engage players who like to instigate by. + allowing them to affect their surroundings + including things in your adventures to tempt them. + letting their aetions put the characters in a tight spot including encounters with NPCs who are as feisty and unpredictable as they are FIGHTING Players who enjoy fantasy combat like kicking the tar out of villains and monsters. They look for any ‘excuse to start a fight, favoring bold action over careful deliberation Engage players who like fighting by + springing unexpected combat encounters on them. + vividly describing the havoc their characters wreak with their attacks and spells, + Including combat encounters with large numbers of ‘weak monsters. + interrupting socal interaction and exploration ‘combat, Opriizine Players who enjoy optimizing their characters’ capabilities like to fine-tune thei characters for peak combat performance by gaining level, new features, ‘and magic items. They welcome any opportunity to ‘demonstrate their characters’ superiority Engage players who like optimization by + ensuring steady access to new abilities and spells. + using desired magic items as adventure hooks. + including encounters that let their characters shine, + providing quantifiable rewards, like experience points, for noncombat encounters. ProsLEM SOLVING Players who want to solve problems like to seruinize [NPC motivations, untangle avllain’s machinations, solve puzzles, and come up with plans. Engage players who like to solve problems by + including encounters that emphasize problem-solving. + rewarding planning and tactics with ingame benefits. + occasionally allowing a smart plan to grant an easy win for the players. + creating NPCs with complex motives STORYTELLING Players who love sorting want contribute oa arate They ei hen ler character are Realy Invested nan unfolding story and they enoy encounters that are ted to and expand an overarhing pt Engage players who like storytelling by. hing thei characters’ backgrounds tel shape the meee atoepatbe + fuaking mura encour advances thitry insome way. taking her career cons hep steer this crete + giving NPCs nls bonds, and fawe tha the adven- turers can explo Master of Worlds as CHAPTER 1: A WORLD OF YOUR OWN the place where adventures happen. Even ifyou use an existing setting, sich asthe Porgotten Realms, becomes yours a8 you setyour adventures there, create characters toinbabitit, and make changes tot over the course of your campaign. This chapter is all about building your world and then creating a campaign to take place in it THE BiG PicTURE ‘This book, the Player's Handbook, andthe Monster Manual present the default assumptions for how the ‘worlds of DAD work. Among the established settings of D&D, the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, stray very far from those dings such as Dark Sun, Eberron, Ravenloft, Spelfammer and Planescape venture further way from that baseline As you create your own world, {ts up to you to decide where onthe spectrum you want your word (ofall Core AssuMPTIONS ‘The rules ofthe game are based on the following core assumptions about the game world. Gods Oversoe the World. The gods are real and embody a variety of beliefs, with each god claiming {dominion over an aspect ofthe world, such as war, forests, or the sea. Gods exert influence over the world by granting divine magic to their followers and sending signs and portent to guide them. The fllower of a god serves as an agent of that god in the world. The agent ‘seeks to further the ideals ofthat god and defeat it rivals. While some folk might refuse to honor the gods, none can deny their existence. “Mach of the World Is Untamed. Wild regions bound. Citystates, confederacies, and kingdoms of various sizes dot the landscape, but beyond their borders the wilds crowd in. People know the area they live in wel. They've heard stories of other places from ‘merchants and travelers. but few know what lies beyond the mountains or in the depths ofthe great forest unless they've been there themselves. The World Is Ancient. Empires rise and fall, eaving few places that have not been touched by imperial ‘grandeur or decay. War, time, and natural frees ‘eventually elaim the mortal world, leaving i ich with places of adventure and mystery. Ancient civilizations And their knowledge survive in legends, magic items, and their ruins. Chaos and evil often follow an ‘empires collapse Conflict Shapes the Workd’s History. Powertul individuals strive to make their mark on the world, and factions of like-minded individuals can alter the course of history. Factions include religions le by charismatic prophets, kingdoms ruled by lasting dynasties, and shadowy societies that seek to master long-lost magic. ‘The influence of such factions waxes and wanes as they compete with each other for power. Some seek to preserve the world and usher in a golden age. Others strive toward evil ends, seeking to rule the world with ‘an iron fist Still others seek goals that range from the practical tothe esoteric, such as the accurnulation ‘of material wealth or the resurrection ofa dead god. ‘Whatever their goals, these factions inevitably collide, creating coafiet that can ster the world’s fate. ‘The World Is Magical. Practitioners of magic are relatively few in number, but they leave evidence of their craft everywhere, The magic can be as innocuous and commonplace as potion that heals wounds to Something much more rare and impressive, such as a levitating tower or a stone golem guarding the gates ‘ofa city. Beyond the realms of civilization are caches ‘of magic items guarded by magic traps, as well as ‘magically constructed dungeons inhabited by monsters created by magic, cursed by magic, or endowed with ‘magical abilities. Ir’s Your Wort In creating your campaign world, it helps to start with the core assumptions and consider how your setting ‘might change them. The subsequent sections ofthis chapter address each element and give detailson how to flesh out your world with gods, factions, and so forth ‘The assumptions sketched out above arent carved in stone. They inspire exciting D&D worlds ful of adventure, but they're not the only set of assumptions that an do so. You ean build an interesting campaign concept by altering one or more of those core assumptions ust as well-established D&D worlds have done, Ask yourself ‘What ifthe standard assumptions ‘weren't true in ey world?” The World Isa Mundane Place. What if magic is rare and dangerous, and even adventurers have limited of no ‘access to if? What ifyour campaign is set ina version of ‘our own world’s history? Thre World Is New. What if your worl is new, and the characters are the frst of long line of heroes? The adventurers might be champions of the first Jgreat empires, such asthe empires of Netheril and ‘Cormanthor inthe Forgotten Realms setting, ‘The World Is Known. What ithe word i completely charted and mapped. right down tothe "Here there be dragons” notations? What if great empires cover huge streiches of countryside, with clearly defined borders between them? The Five Nations ofthe Eberron setting ‘were once part of a great empire, and magically aided ‘travel between is cities is commonplace. ‘Monsters Are Uncommon. What if monsters are ‘are and terifying? In the Ravenloft setting, horrific domains are governed by monstrous rulers. The populace lives in perpetual terror of these darklords ‘and their evil minions, but other monsters rarely trouble people’ daily lives ‘Magic Is Everywhere. What ifevery town is ruled ‘bya powerful wizard? What if magi item shops are ‘common? The Eberron setting makes the use of magic an everyday occurrence, as magical fying ships and trains carry travelers from one great city to another. Gods Inhabit the Land, or Are Entirely Absent. ‘What ifthe gods regularly wall the earth? What ifthe ‘characters can challenge them and seize their power? ‘Or what ifthe gods are remote, and even angels never make contact with mortals? Inthe Dark Sun setting, the ‘ous are extremely distant—perhaps nonexistent—and clerics rely instead on elemental power for their magic. Gops or Your WorLD Appendix B ofthe Player's Handbook presents number of pantheons (loose groupings of deities not united by a single doctrine or philosophy) for use in your ‘tame, including the gods of established D&D worlds and fantasy-historical pantheons. You can adopt one of these pantheons for your campaign, or pick and choose deities and ideas from them as you please. See“A ‘Sample Pantheon" inthis section for an example. ‘As faras the game's rules are concerned, it doesn't ‘matter if your world has hundreds of deities or a church devoted (0a single god. In rules terms, clerics choose domains, not deities, so your world can associate domains with deities in any way you choose. Loose PANTHEONS Most D&D worlds have a loose pantheon of gods. A multitude of deities rule the various aspects of existence, variously cooperating with and competing against one another to administer the affairs of the tuniverse, People gather in public shrines to worship {ods of life and wisdom, oF meetin hidden places to venerate gods of deception or destruction. Each deity in a pantheon has a portfolio and is responsible for advancing that portfolio. Inthe Greyhawk setting, Heironeous isa god of valor who Dawn War Deities Deity Alignment ‘Asmodeus, god of tyranny ie Avandr, goddess of change and luck « Bahamut, god ofjustice and noblty ic ane, god of war and conquest le Corellon, god of magic andthe arts << Eathis, goddess of evlization and invention Nn

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