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DM Guidelines

Dungeon Masters help craft the events from just trading blows and big numbers to stirring tales dealing with dangerous odds. Events can also differ from just armies facing off to missions, infiltrations, wall defense, tournaments, derbies, and major boss battles.

But what can DMs do? What makes the battles and missions special?

Special Abilities​

These may be options and powers used in an event by players. DMs may have specific goals and targets for their events, supporting the use of these options.

  • Teleport: Area on the map with a gate or teleport, usable to other areas in the map. This could be used for quick moving across the board, behind barricades, into structures, and so on. You could also provide an item or option for mass teleporting units out of the battle, etc.

  • Mass Abilities: Weapons, buffs, or locations that provide additional attacks or mass actions. For example, an altar or totem area for mass healing for anyone near it for a turn. A bomb that does whirlwind damage to every enemy landing in the area.

  • Stealth/Perception: Mark enemies with increased awakeness. Players could receive an ability or buff for sneaking through an area. Roll off 1d100 between players and enemies for spying units. While stealthed, players could sneak to grab items or save others, complete objectives, escape from potential attacks, or perform Assassinations.

    Assassinations may be a roll off between stealthed players and the target. If the player(s) roll over 50, they may choose to incapacitate or destroy an enemy, or receive a bonus to damage rolled result.

  • Conjoined Actions: Allow units to roll together for a specific goal, be it attacking a target, saving a unit from death, and so on. The goal can be anything the DM comes up with. This may affect the turn order, putting groups of players all rolling together for that goal. For example, repair groups for barricades and walls, healing groups going after attacking groups in wave battles, spell workers in a ritual protected by other players to banish an enemy/summon an ally/break open an objective, etc.

  • Inspiration: Granting inspiration buffs to players who complete extraordinary acts or complete an incredible stunt! This could be used by NPCs on the field, allies, or just the DM acknowledging some incredible roleplay! The buff could be earning a charge of a power, gaining an additional amount to action roll results like +25 or +50. Or players could have 1 inspiration each to pay out for something random. This gives so many options to the DMs for the event!

  • Weakened/Strengthened Enemies: Provide options in the field for players to add more Damage Weaknesses to an enemy target. For example, they may use options on the field to hex the enemy. On the flip side, an enemy could have an added Damage Resistance or buff from another enemy or situation on the field. For example, a blood ritual altar could provide more damage to a boss. Destroying the altar would remove the buff.

Enemy and Ally Abilities​

These are options for DMs to use for their enemy and ally units. The powers are general, allowing the DM to flavor how they work, the damage they do, etc.

This list gives a playbook of options, open to add new ones!

  • Commander’s Order: 2 uses per Full Turn: Instead of taking attacks on their own, the commander calls for their units to attack or heal. This gives an extra attack for their units.
  • Location Swap: Change the position of two units, can be any on the field.
  • Traps: Create treacherous terrain, set dangerous traps that explode with a specific damage type, apply a debuff to a unit, and so on. Traps can have many possibilities for DMs to cause havoc on players and enemy units alike.
  • Powerful Attack: Make a powerful attack rolling 1d100+100. Options for handling the results:
    • Toll of the Dead: Have all players roll. If selecting a number of low rolls, split the damage across those units.
    • Bolster the Army: Split across as healing for enemy units.
    • Destroy Aid: Spend the damage to take out ally units, barricades, buff items, etc that may be on the field.
    • Consume Life: Drain the amount split across a number of players as damage, healing the boss for this amount.
  • Shieldsworn: Call upon magical prowess or the shields of allies to protect all nearby units against an attack. This could be a major shield and gathering location to reduce all damage or lair abilities. Anyone outside of the protection takes damage normally.
  • Madness of the Reaper: Spirits and skeletons of the dead rise and attack in one major attack on the targets. This includes enemies and defenders. The called spirits and dead fade away after the attack. Part of this mechanic could be burning/cleansing/repelling the dead enemies when they fall.
  • Blight/Bless the Land: Mark areas to cause more damage or repel damage of specified types. For example, a blessing of power on an altar/totem or sickly vines and bile rising from the ground. The area is a circle with a diameter of 4 grid boxes around the mark (or larger depending on the map).