Fixing Problems in a D&D Adventure
So your adventure is broken? Here is how to fix it!
Occasionally, the characters decide to go exactly the wrong way, pursuing a path not covered in the adventure at all. They discover a shortcut that the adventure designer or GM didn’t anticipate and skip right to the climactic battle of the adventure. They traipse through encounter after encounter without breaking a sweat.
What do you do?
You can ask your players to show mercy and do what the adventure expects them to do. Understanding players will agree, but it leaves a sour taste in their mouths. Instead, remember the first rule of improvising: Say yes, and go from there.
Wandering Off Course
It's easy to steer characters back towards the main plot, but don't be too heavy-handed about it. Guide them instead of picking up and dropping off; make sure they're engaged in what you want for yourself! And if your players find themselves lost or missing something along their journey? You can always send out search parties—just keep things moving smoothly so no one gets bored...I expect this will go over well with most people since its simple message compellingly contrasts against some very common pitfalls
Use Extra Encounters
Why not use some of your favorite encounters from past adventuring to fill in the gaps? You can make them just as exciting and pulse-pounding! Then plant hooks at important points so that players will be led back into prepared material.
Generate Random Encounters
Sessions take time, and you only have so much of it before your adventure comes to an end. If there are gaps in the story due to forgetting details or not having enough material for all players' characters’ needs then just make something up on the spot! You can always come back next session with fresh ideas about getting your plots started again--and don't forget that preparation is key here; knowing what will happen beforehand helps us avoid starting off head down a rabbit hole without any idea how we're going get out once it’s done crashing around inside us like some kind of crazy rollercoaster ride gone wrong (no really though – I've been there).
Let It Go and Move On
Whether the characters have strayed off course on purpose or by accident, it's time to end their adventure. If an encounter with one of your friends isn't worth steering them back towards what they're trying so hard for then don’t lead them there again because this will just become a cycle where you keep going over old ground and getting no closer toward achieving whatever goal is at hand — which might not even include exploring new places!
Skipping to the End
Skipping to the end is sometimes an option. Adventure designers fail sometimes when they don’t account for higher-level characters or player's resourcefulness, and players find their own ways around by skipping on content so as not to waste time in vain pursuits like fighting tough opponents that can easily be bypassed. If one has enough expertise with certain skills beforehand means having fun! It sometimes is ok to just let people feel how satisfying it feels knowing their ideas can have big rewards. This is perfectly ok. We don’t always have to throw in extra content just cause the party skipped a few things. Just enjoy it.
Promote a Lesser Villain
Just because the climactic battle is over, the adventure need not end. If the PCs defeat the scheming villain early on, one of his lieutenants or subordinates will step up if left alive by players in their rush for an ending early on (or by showing mercy). This means there may not be a need to fight this person since they are not really relevant anymore, but when it comes down to deciding who wins between good versus evil later in act three - these folks might come into play again!
Introduce More Plot Twists
When the characters go too far off the rails, sometimes you just need to add plot twists. One way this can happen would be if the characters jump ahead in their adventure and arrive at a conclusion before having accumulated all of the information needed for an ultimate resolution or understanding what’s going on around them - like guessing who might have committed murder (without any evidence). Introduce these unexpected events early enough so they don't seem predictable. Otherwise, players will figure out right away which side each character falls onto. Giving the players too much information is better than giving them too little and leaving them searching for fun. You can keep things moving by introducing plot twists. For instance, the baron is a rakshasa, but he’s working against the real villain of the adventure, thus the villain becomes an ally.
Move On, and Scavenge for Future Improvisation
Improvisation is about taking the best from what you have and making something new, but it can be tough to start with nothing. If your group skips a lot of their adventure or doesn't like where they are going on a quest, then trying scavenging for future sessions may work better in this case since there won’t always need perfect preparation before starting one! I’ve found that listening to players’ bizarre random comments is great for this. A simple off-handed comment that becomes reality. They feel like a star AND you get material. Win, Win!
A Cakewalk
Whether your characters are higher in level than the adventure intended, better equipped, or just more inventive and tactically savvy, sometimes they overcome the encounters you throw at them without ever feeling seriously challenged. To make the game more challenging, you can adjust encounter levels upward using three techniques. First, it is important to note that if your party isn't higher level than what's intended for their current location in adventure then there will be no serious challenge at hand - even with better equipped or ingenious characters who seem capable enough against these foes so far (but aren't). Secondly once again raising difficulties doesn’t always require adding additional enemies; sometimes simply tweaking how often they appear and which sorts of attacks are more devastating (looking at you Strength Drain) works wonders!
Additionally, you can also alter the terrain to give the monsters a home-field advantage and challenge the players’ tactical mastery. Watch what your players do and use the same tactics against them. These changes are easy enough to make during your preparation time, but you can also make them on the fly if you need to.
Dungeons and Dragons can be a lot of fun, but it’s not all laughs. Sometimes things go wrong- players get lost, the plot falls apart, or the party just isn’t up to the challenge. When that happens, it’s time for the dungeon master to take action. We’ve shared some tips on how to fix common D&D problems, so hopefully, you won’t have to suffer through any of these challenges. What are your favorite tricks for getting your adventure back on track? Let us know in the comments!
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Unearthed Tips and Tricks
Monster: Dweller
Origin Statblock: Mimic
Lost Features: Shapechanger, Adhesive, acid immunities, speed becomes 0. pseudopod.
New Features:
Etherealness. The dweller enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane.
Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of the dweller that can see it must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 × 10 years. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to this dweller's Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed with a greater restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring.
Vampiric Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken, and the dweller regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.
Reaction
Telekinetic Counter. When the dweller is hit by an attack, it can use its reaction to target a creature or unattended object within 30 feet of it. A creature must be Medium or smaller to be affected by this magic, and an object can weigh up to 200 pounds.
If the target is a creature, the dweller makes a Charisma check contested by the target's Strength check. If the dweller wins the contest, the dweller hurls the target up to 30 feet in any direction, including upward. If the target then comes into contact with a hard surface or heavy object, the target takes 1d6 damage per 10 feet moved.
If the target is an object that isn't being worn or carried, the dweller hurls it up to 30 feet in any direction. The dweller can use the object as a ranged weapon, attacking one creature along the object's path (+4 to hit) and dealing 5 (2d4) bludgeoning damage on a hit.
Encounter: Ahoy Matey!
This encounter is meant for five 6th-level characters. If you have more or fewer players, you can adjust the difficulty of the encounter by adding or removing creatures accordingly.
The ship is crewed Braden Uskaworks (use the stat block for pirates in the Monster Manual) and is anchored just off the coast of a small town. The PCs can come across the ship in one of two ways: they could spot it while flying overhead or they could be investigating rumors of piracy in the area and stumble upon it while scouting the coastline.
If the PCs approach by land, they'll need to row out to the ship in a small boat. The pirates will spot them approaching and will prepare an ambush; two pirates will be hiding in the crows’ nest with crossbows, while the rest of the crew will be hiding below deck. When the PCs are within range, the pirates in the crows’ nest will attack with their crossbows (using ranged weapons) and try to take them down before they can board the ship. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew will wait until the PCs are boarding before springing their trap.
When combat begins, the captain of the ship (a level 8 human fighter) will give orders to his crew. The pirates will focus their attacks on any enemies that are trying to board the ship or climb up into the crows’ nest; they're not interested in chasing down anyone who's already on board. If any of the PCs are able to reach cover on deck, they'll be able to avoid most of the enemy's attacks.
Once combat has been going on for a few rounds, one of the pirates will sound an alarm bell to call for reinforcements from shore. Two more small boats full of pirates will begin rowing out to join the fight (these reinforcements should arrive within 2-3 rounds). At this point, the captain will start ordering his crew to abandon the ship; anyone who's still alive and fighting will be left behind as bait while the captain and what remains of his crew retreat back to shore.
Magic Item: Wall of Demonic Visage
Armor (shield), uncommon
As an action, you can speak the shield’s command word. If you do, each creature within 60 feet of you that can see the shield must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If it fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d6 x 10 years. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the shield’s effect for the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed with greater restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring. This feature cannot be used again until the next dawn.
Dungeon Master Tip: Searching for the Fun
Sometimes characters wander about, growing increasingly frustrated with you and the adventure, not because they’ve strayed off the intended course, but because they missed some important bit of information the adventure assumes they’ll come across. Don’t make the players search for the fun in the adventure. The fun should be within easy reach, even if the answers to the mysteries they face aren’t.
Player Tip: The Right Zombie for the Job!
Animate Dead, is a 3rd-level necromancy spell that allows the caster to reanimate and control a pile of bones or the corpse of a medium or small humanoid to become a skeleton or zombie, respectively. With a bit of clever thinking, they become more than just meat shields.
Animating a zombie or a skeleton doesn’t need to just be for combat. They are useful for a variety of reasons, including carrying stuff, construction and labor, watchmen, and even filling in roles for your party bard’s show.
If the characters need the assistance and/or cooperation of a recently deceased person, they can be brought back for a short while to use as needed.
Zombies make excellent test subjects for new spells, potions, traps, etc.
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