The world as they knew it could possibly be ending. Months in the past, a blinding beam of sunshine shot up into the heavens from the east, darkening the skies and unleashing all types of undead and monstrosities upon the land of Uta. What had the Demon Lord Shozai executed? Because the occasion ventured east with a dangerous plan to destroy what they known as “The Anomaly,” they laid waste to a foundry the place imperial Warforged had been manufactured utilizing the Druid Belric’s lightning magic. However as they rested within the forests close by, a behemoth robotic as tall because the bushes assaulted the occasion, spewing molten steel and blasting them with a large beam of vitality from its chest. Because the group wavered, the Barbarian Kellnor leaped onto the assemble’s again, plunging his Danzigsword into its neck, and unleashed each final one of many souls the blade had claimed within the many months he’d wielded it. Kellnor beheaded the huge assemble because of the explosion of soul vitality channeled by the sword. However the sweltering large’s warmth solely grew, and a deafening beep elevated in frequency till the heap of steel exploded. Not a single soul survived, till she got here.
In Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, constructs take part in pageant parades.Picture: Wizards of the Coast
That is the story of the primary time I ever skilled a complete occasion kill (TPK) in Dungeons & Dragons, and it occurred whereas I used to be operating the sport because the Dungeon Grasp. But it surely’s additionally the story of how a single gargantuan loot desk with 979 objects in it has repeatedly influenced the marketing campaign we’ve been taking part in for nearly a whole decade. And, extra importantly, it’s additionally the story of how over time, I discovered to embrace the randomness that occurs in D&D to fabricate one of many coolest surprises I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing within the sport. Although this long-running journey started with a closely modified model of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, we use a novel setting with plenty of homebrew lore. Sooner or later in my early days as a DM, I found a Reddit publish selling one thing known as “The One Loot Desk to Rule Them All.” It’s been advanced and refined with neighborhood enter through the years, however the basic concept is a large, customizable loot desk that DMs can reference at any time when gamers come across a treasure chest, rifle via the pockets of a physique, and so forth. You possibly can kind it by totally different rarities to focus it extra, however one thing about staring down an inventory of just about a thousand random objects enticed me. Our group performs digitally on Roll20 since we’re pretty unfold out throughout the northeastern United States, so on a platform like that, you possibly can actually roll a cube with any variety of sides. So each time the gamers needed to loot a fallen enemy, requested a benefactor for a present, or stumbled upon some type of treasure, I had them kind within the command “/roll d979” to roll a digital cube with 979 sides. No matter quantity they rolled decided precisely the loot they obtained on the corresponding desk. Roll a 2? Get pleasure from some “Oily Rags” in a wicker basket. Roll a 419, and also you get a witch’s broom you possibly can fly round on. There’s additionally a motley assortment of armor, weapons, and different gear with varied makes use of — and like most rolls within the sport, plenty of the most effective stuff is discovered among the many highest rolls. In a single memorable occasion, somebody within the occasion acquired a Crate of Chaos Mushrooms that, when eaten, causes them to roll on the Wild Magic Surge desk. Which means they roll on a d100 desk and endure a random magical impact that could possibly be both wonderful or horrible. The d979 roll is essentially performed for laughs at our desk because it’s plenty of oddities and baubles, however over time the occasion started to appreciate that it could actually generally result in some large boons.
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist’s oddest subplot sees a drow known as Jarlaxle Baenre pose as Zardoz Zord, a personality based mostly on Sean Connery’s 1974 science fiction fim Zardoz.Picture: Wizards of the Coast
The earliest “good” roll got here when our Ranger Iona rolled a 732 and obtained a Blink Dagger from a wily pirate captain. I put a twist on the default Blink Dagger and made it in order that Iona might throw it 30 ft in any path and teleport to the place it lands. It got here to redefine how she approached fight, particularly since she wields a bow and arrow along with a magical scimitar. Utilizing the Blink Dagger to teleport to a extra advantageous location turned the usual. A while later, the occasion was trapped inside an inn that was set on hearth by Imperial Warforged. Iona, simply essentially the most noble and “good” occasion member, insisted on rescuing everybody. Simply because the roof was about to break down, she held the final survivor in her arms and flung the Blink Dagger via a tiny window and tried to teleport herself and the opposite particular person. Technically, this isn’t allowed, so we adjusted it by making her roll a talent examine to see if she might handle it. Embracing randomness and nurturing good role-playing is at all times extra vital than doggedly following the foundations — not less than in my ebook. D&D is about improvisation and telling a shared story. It’s not the DM’s job to stifle any type of creativity. Probably the most campaign-defining roll on the d979 desk, nonetheless, got here a lot later. After the Anomaly sprung up within the skies, the occasion was tasked with management of town that they’d spent a lot of the marketing campaign in to enterprise east and shut it down, regardless of the associated fee. Within the forests past town, they shortly encountered all types of twisted aberrations and undead. Within the deathly quiet fog, they heard crows shrieking down the trail and occurred upon what gave the impression to be an ornate dealer’s card. There have been no our bodies, however the cart had been smashed towards a boulder on the facet of the highway and there have been streaks of blood all over. As they appeared contained in the cart, they every rolled a d979. Belric claimed an costly fist-sized gem. Toto the Monk found a cursed ring he shortly threw away. Iona picked up the aforementioned Crate of Chaos Mushrooms. However inside an expensive-looking chest, Kellnor found a legendary longsword. I didn’t inform him it was the Soul Stealer, a sword that devours souls of these it defeats. However he certain was shocked and thrilled when he secured a kill with it not lengthy after, and the soul of his foe shrieked because it was sucked contained in the sword. As a bonus motion, the souls may be launched following an assault to deal an extra 1d4 psychic harm per soul. Over time, the character and use of the sword advanced. Technically, you’re solely presupposed to let all of the souls out without delay, however I let Kellnor stockpile as many as he needed and select what number of he’d launch at any given time. And if he slew a boss or different main enemy, I began adjusting the dimensions of the souls, so as an alternative of a d4 it is likely to be a d6, d8, and so forth. The place did this sword come from within the sport’s universe? All of us puzzled. And sooner or later it obtained the title Danzigsword after the American heavy steel band known as Danzig. (You’ve in all probability heard not less than the 1988 track “Mom.”) Just like the Blink Dagger earlier than it, the Danzigsword shifted how Kellnor and the remainder of the occasion approached fight. It subtly turned extra about setting Kellnor up for the kill so he might declare the soul, in order that it’d ultimately assist the occasion down the road once they actually wanted it. Behind the scenes, I saved excited about Danzig. Who or what was it…or she? A imaginative and prescient emerged of some warmongering Previous God who ate up bloodshed, some entity older than any of the Utar lore they had been aware of. The proper alternative offered itself years later after the occasion destroyed the Foundry. They had been presupposed to infiltrate the power and ultimately face the Foreman of Embers, that hulking robotic impressed by the EVAs from Neon Genesis Evangelion, full with tethers to its energy supply and all. It at all times had a self-destruct mechanism after it remodeled into its second section. However as a result of Belric carpet-bombed the Foundry with Name Lightning from afar, I needed to improvise.
An Armorer Artificer fees up an assault as enemies cost towards him — precisely the type of vibe that conjures up plenty of what goes on in my homebrew marketing campaign.Picture: Wizards of the Coast
I didn’t essentially want or need to kill the occasion with the Foreman, however they did battle within the battle. Kellnor took a direct hit from a giant laser blast, and watching him launch greater than a dozen souls to deal sufficient harm to lastly kill it satisfied me the time was ripe for her large reveal. The Foreman exploded, like an upscaled model of Fireball, and Kellnor was knocked down whereas the opposite occasion members struggled to remain up and save their good friend amidst a raging inferno. The second explosion knocked the remainder of them out.
As all of the gamers had been toasting to the deaths of their beloved characters over the Discord video name, Danzig herself strode into view, a large, wiry, and unearthly-looking deity with disturbing options. She froze time and supplied Kellnor a deal: the occasion might die, or he might change into her Reaper. He eagerly accepted the deal, itself a Warlock Pact that mechanically offers him much more advantages for utilizing the Danzigsword and a little bit dip into some darkish magic. Seeing the gamers’ reactions to this twist was one of the crucial satisfying experiences I’ve had as a Dungeon Grasp. And this whole subplot emerged as a result of Kellnor rolled a 935 on his d979 again in Could 2021 and located a very cool sword. Significantly if you’re operating a homebrew marketing campaign, it’s straightforward to railroad the narrative to inform a sure story — or get pissed off when gamers pursue diversions. But it surely’s so vital to lean into the entire random issues that may occur in a sport of D&D. As a DM, I might have simply let Kellnor maintain his sword as-is with out ever delving deeper into it, however drawing inspiration from these unpredictable twists and utilizing that to maneuver even smaller tales ahead makes for a way more enriching expertise. As daunting as it could appear, I’d encourage everybody to check out a large desk like this one and lean in to no matter emerges. See how the gamers reply. Assume deeply about the place you possibly can carry it. In case you’re fortunate, the proper circumstances would possibly ultimately come up so that you can ship an occasion that shocks and delights gamers in equal measure and grows out the lore of your world on the similar time.
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