social encounter
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DRIDER: How to Use Darkness and Range in Combat
Three Ways of Running DnD’s Drider: The Temporary Parley Trap, Tactics of the Darkness Spell, and the Drider’s devastating sniper range tactic. How to Use – DnD’s Drider Parley Tactic Advantage of Knowledge of the Drow The drider is the ideal monster with which to set up a drow campaign. As a being who was… Continue reading
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ADULT GOLD DRAGON: Robbing a Dragon, and What Comes Next
When players are forced to rob a gold dragon to gain the item they need, we get to see just how powerful Dnd’s adult gold dragon is. How to Avoid Using – Keeping the Players in Charge Let’s start with my usual. The list of possible reasons for the good-alignment creature to refuse to join… Continue reading
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YOUNG GOLD DRAGON: Dignity in Battle and Moderation in Advice
How to Use in Moderation Reason’s for the Gold Dragon’s Refusal As I often mention, the main problem with using powerful good-aligned monsters is figuring out why they don’t do the quests instead of you. Here are reasons for the young gold dragon: Reason’s for the Player’s Refusal There are also a couple of ways… Continue reading
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COPPER DRAGON WYRMLING: Trickery on the Battlefield and Beyond
How to Use a DnD Wyrmling I mentioned in chromatic dragon wyrmlings that I dislike the idea of using wyrmlings as enemies. In my mind, a battle against a dragon should be impressive, and using wyrmlings as enemies robs dragons of their majesty. With that said, here are a few encounters if you do want… Continue reading
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ANCIENT COPPER DRAGON: The Host Hiding in Plain Sight
This ancient copper dragon can uses Change Shape to trick players, lure them into danger, mess them up, and strike when they least expect it. Change Shape as Combat Tactics How to Use (difficulty 24) The ancient copper dragon, like all ancient metallic dragons and several of the adult metallic dragons, has the ability to… Continue reading
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YOUNG COPPER DRAGON: The Comedian and the Crumbling Cliff
How to Use Personality of the Copper Dragon While the copper dragon is officially classified as good, I fail to see it in the flavor text description. Based on that description, I’d classify the dragon as neutral. This is not a dragon that will help vanquish evil, unless it is in its most direct self-interest… Continue reading
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ADULT BRONZE DRAGON & Fighting Alongside a Powerful Ally
This article will discuss ways to have the dragon say no in a realistic manner when the players push for help, and also a interesting lair encounter against the dragon, but our main focus will be on how to team up with an overpowered ally in D&D without overshadowing the players. Tips for balanced storytelling… Continue reading
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YOUNG BRONZE DRAGON: How to Use Allies Without Overshadowing Players
How to Avoid an Overpowered Ally I already gave several reasons for why the dragon isn’t accompanying them on their quest, or fighting it for them. (Having an NPC accompany the players is generally a mistake. Even more so if it’s more powerful than the players, an thereby stealing the spotlight. [The young bronze dragon… Continue reading
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BRASS DRAGON WYRMLING: Hostile in the Heart of Flames
How to Use a Wyrmling as an Ally When I came to the first chromatic dragon wyrmling, I spoke out against using wyrmlings. I argued that dragons should feel like a formidable enemy, and that wyrmlings as villains make dragons feel weak. I should have added a caveat. That applies only when the wyrmlings are… Continue reading
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ANCIENT BRASS DRAGON: The Hidden King and His Deadly Domain
How to Use – A King in DnD Why Monarchs Must Impress By the time a brass dragon is ancient, it’s established its reputation enough to be a king, or at least to be on the highest tier of society that it cares for. In some genres of fantasy, it has become accepted that the… Continue reading
About Me
I’ve been a DM since I was about 10 years old. (Not of D&D, admittedly, but still.) After growing bored of fights that were all the same, dungeons heavily populated by one monster type, and a general shortage of ideas, I figured I’d embark on my own trip through the Monster Manual, one monster at a time. Feel free to join the quest.