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VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WIZARDS.COM/DND 4E_DMG_DLX_Ch0FM.indd 2 8/5/08 3:09:51 PM contents 1: HOW TO BE A DM . 4 Outdoor Terrain . 66 9: THE WORLD . .148 The Gaming Group . 6 Constructed Terrain . 66 The D&D World . 150 The Players . 8 Light Sources . 66 Civilization . 152 The Dungeon Master . 12 Vision and Special Senses . 67 Mapping a Settlement . 154 Table Rules . 14 Sample Fantastic Terrain . 67 Teleportation Circles . 156 The Wild . .158 2: RUNNING THE GAME . 16 5: NONCOMBAT ENCOUNTERS 70 Weather . 158 Preparing . 18 Skill Challenges . 72 Environmental Dangers . 158 Getting Started . 19 Running a Skill Challenge . 74 Starvation, Thirst, Chronicling a Game . 19 Interrupting a Skill Challenge . 75 and Suff ocation . 159 Modes of the Game . 20 Sample Skill Challenges . 76 The Planes . .160 Narration . 22 Puzzles . 81 The Gods . 162 Pacing . 24 Using Puzzles . 81 Artifacts . .164 Props . 25 Designing Puzzles . 82 The Axe of the Dispensing Information . 26 Traps and Hazards . 85 Dwarvish Lords . 165 Passive Skill Checks . 26 Using Traps and Hazards . 87 The Eye of Vecna . .167 Informing Players . 26 Sample Traps and Hazards . 87 The Hand of Vecna . .168 Rituals . 27 The Invulnerable 6: ADVENTURES . 94 Improvising . 28 Coat of Arnd . 170 Published Adventures . 96 Ending . 29 Languages . 171 Troubleshooting. 30 Fixing Problems . 98 Teaching the Game . 33 Building an Adventure . .100 10: THE DM’S TOOLBOX . 172 Quests . 102 Customizing Monsters . 174 3: COMBAT ENCOUNTERS . 34 Encounter Mix . 104 Increasing or Combat Fundamentals . 36 Adventure Setting . .106 Decreasing Level . 174 Monster Readiness . 36 Setting Personality . 108 Adding Equipment . 174 Surprise . 36 Setting Details . 110 Templates . 175 Roll Initiative! . 38 Furnishings and Features . 111 Functional Templates . 176 Running Combat . 40 Mapping the Site . 112 Class Templates . .182 When Is an Encounter Over? . 41 Outdoor Settings . 114 Creating Monsters . 184 After an Encounter . 41 Event-Based Adventures . 115 Monster Design Steps . 184 Additional Rules . 42 Cast of Characters . 116 Elite and Solo Monsters . .184 Actions the Rules Don’t Cover . 42 AlliesSample as Extra Characters file . 116 Creating NPCs . 186 Cover . 43 NPC Design Steps . .187 7: REWARDS . 118 Forced Movement and Terrain . 44 Level Bonus and Experience Points . 120 Aquatic Combat . 45 Magic Threshold . 187 Quests . 122 Mounted Combat . 46 Creating House Rules . .189 Milestones . .123 Flying . 47 Rules Design 101 . 189 Treasure . 124 Disease . 49 Example House Rules . 189 Monetary Treasure . 124 Poison . 50 Fumble . 189 Gems . 124 Critical Success and Failure . 189 4: BUILDING ENCOUNTERS . 52 Art Objects . 124 Random Dungeons . .190 Monster Roles . 54 Magic Items . 125 Random Encounters . 193 Encounter Components . 56 Awarding Treasure . 125 Encounter Level . 56 Treasure Parcels . 126 11: FALLCREST. 196 Target XP Reward . 57 The Town of Fallcrest . .198 8: CAMPAIGNS . 130 Encounter Templates . 58 The Nentir Vale . .206 Published Campaigns . 132 Battlefi eld Control . 58 Involving the Players . 209 Campaign Theme . 134 Commander and Troops . 58 Kobold Hall . 210 Dragon’s Den . 58 Super Adventures . 138 Double Line . 58 Campaign Story . .140 COMBAT CARDS . 220 Wolf Pack . 59 Beginning a Campaign . .142 Encounter Settings . 60 Starting at Higher Level . .143 INDEX . 221 Terrain Features . 60 Running a Campaign . 144 BATTLE GRIDS . 222 Terrain and Roles . 62 Tiers of Play . 146 Sample Mundane Terrain . 64 Ending a Campaign . 147 4E_DMG_DLX_Ch0FM.indd 3 8/5/08 3:09:51 PM CHAPTER 1 How to Be a DM Most games have a winner and a loser, but the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Roleplaying Game is fundamentally a cooperative game. The Dungeon Master (DM) plays the roles of the antagonists in the adventure, but the DM isn’t playing against the player characters (PCs). Although the DM represents all the PCs’ opponents and adversaries—monsters, nonplayer characters (NPCs), traps, and the like—he or she 1doesn’t want the player characters to fail any more than the other players do. The players all cooperate to achieve success for their characters. The DM’s goal is to make success taste its sweetest by presenting challenges that are just hard enough that the other players have to work to overcome them, but not so hard that they leave all the characters dead. At the table, having fun is the most important goal—more important than the characters’ success in an adventure. It’s just as vital for everyone at the table to cooperate toward making the game fun for everyone as it is for the player characters to cooperate within the adventure. This chapter includes the following sections.Sample file ✦ The Gaming Group: Here you learn what components you need to play the D&D® game. ✦ The Players: Understand your players, help them to assemble as a successful party of player characters, and run a game they want to play. ✦ The Dungeon Master: Understand the role of a DM in the game and what kind of game you want to make. ✦ Table Rules: Consider table rules you should agree on—guidelines for you and the players’ behavior during the game. RALPH HORSLEY RALPH CHAPTER 1 | How to Be a DM 4 4E_DMG_DLX_Ch01.indd 4 8/5/08 3:41:29 PM Sample file 4E_DMG_DLX_Ch01.indd 5 8/5/08 3:41:45 PM THE GAMING GROUP What do you need to play the D&D.