New Ritual: Spirit Animal

I thought of this ritual from the classic native north American spirit guide or animal guide that follows us on our journey. Ive experienced a few things in my life to accept such this as possible.

The following ritual is similar to speak with nature but has the added benefit of leaving you with a bonus until you rest. Because the ritual commonly performed at night, the DM can allow that the rest that happens shortly after does not count as the first extended rest.

The animals were mostly based off of the wizard familiar.

Spirit Animal
You perform a ritual to find and seek advice from your spirit guide.

Level: 10
Component Cost: 200 gp
Category: divination
Market Price: 1,000 gp
Time; 10 miutes
Key Skill: Nature
Duration: special

You see images you wish to see related to some questions you hold at the completion of the ritual. Your Nature check result determines the number of questions you can ask. The questions can be about your past, your future or something that is related to you.

The questions are answered by your spirit guide, those who participate in the ritual can discover their spirit guide and gain benefits as listed until the next extended rest. Once you have a spirit guide only that animal will appear to you any time you participate in this ritual

Nature Check Result
9 or lower no spirit guides show up, no questions answered
10 to 19 one question
20 to 29 two questions
30 or higher three questions


Animals (2d8)
2 Owl +2 insight and perception
3 Dragon When you spend a healing surge, regain 2 additional hit points per tier
4 Falcon +2 to opportunity attacks
5 Rat +2 stealth and thievery
6 Cat +2 acrobatics, considered trained in acrobatics
7 Snake +2 bluff, shift through difficult terrain
8 Spider +2 climb, +1 saves vs poisons
9 Badger +2 intimidate, +1 per tier to damage rolls while bloodied
10 Toad +2 endurance, +2 healing surge value
11 Weasel +2 acrobatics and bluff
12 Wolf +2 intimidate, +2 damage while flanking
13 Bear +2 endurance, +2 damage while bloodied
14 Deer +2 stealth, +2 acrobatics
15 Bat +2 perception and stealth
16 Fish Shift speed +1, +4 to swim rolls.

Location: The library of Half Moon Lake

This library is currently not run by anyone, it was once owned by a great and friendly wizard who passed on twenty years ago.

The wizard enchanted his library to be self sustaining. All of the books are magical in nature, if they are taken from the library will return within a day; some on its own and some that bring terrible misfortune. Those brandishing weapons cannot seem to enter and harmful magic is turned back on its caster.

It is said that there many secret passages within the library. The library is magically maintained by a staff of unseen servants who ensure everything is kept clean, and floating lanterns ensure there is enough light.

There is a one sentient creature, a Iron Golem named Index, he helps visitors find what they are looking for (if asked he grants the party a +2 to their perception rolls when looking for books)

It is said that on the night of the wizards death, those who find themselves reading books are said to be whisked away to a far away place where the stories are real, but such things are only myth.

Until next time, keep your dice on the table

Adventure Idea: The town who cried Orc

Your party has been traveling for a few days, you stop in a small village of farmer, maybe 5 hours total. Your invited to stay in a barn as its all that is available. Your group is awoken in the middle of the night from screams, some of the animals look brutally murdered, and the half orc teenager is covered in blood.

There is a lot of commotion, and the family who took the orc in fight to protect him, eventually everyone decided to deal with it in the morning.

In the morning the people are upset what has happened and want to know what the parents will do about their adopted child. The boy says he does not remember anything or know what has happened.

The party can investigate (skill challenge by DM) and it is revealed that the animals were killed with weapons, something the boy did not poses, and that apparently there is a blood trail as if corpses were being dragged off in the distance.

If the PC's fail the investigation then the town demands the boy be locked up at night.

The next night the attack happens again, assuming the PCs are ready they find the boy out again, but he does not appear to be himself, but the party does catch a glimpse of a small creature running into the woods, successful perception checks reveal some sort of wolf or werewolf creature

the town blame the boy again, and demand he be exiled, if the PCs stand up for the boy, then the town tells them they are no longer welcomed here and the boy is now their responsibility

This should entice the part to explore the outskirts of the woods even further.

The exploration leads the party to a small goblin encampment, who dress up as wolves and have been attacking the farmlands for food. The boy helps when he can (treat as 1st level barbarian)

After the battle is over, the party is greeted by a orc druid, who says he heard of the half orc and has been watching him for a few years now, he offered to take the boy on a spirit walk and the party is welcomed to join

After the ritual the boy learns he comes from a long line of warriors, and he was entering a blood rage that he has not learned how to control yet, luckily he only killed some goblins

The DM may reward each player who participates in the ritual with a bonus that lasts until the next extended rest. I recommend using the Constant Benefits from any animal like familiar.

The boy says good by to his family and sets off to find himself; and the party continues on the way.

This mini adventure can easily be completed in one game night while the party is traveling. Its presents plenty of opportunity for your group to role play as well as have some fun in combat.

This adventure idea also gives you a chance to introduce a re-occurring NPC, perhaps the boy finds a group of his own, or gets mixed up in the wrong crowd. In any case the boy never forgets those who fought for him.

Until next time, keep your dice on the table

Location: The Cursed Room of Boartooth Inn

Your party has traveled for a few days, after arriving in town the only inn (Boartooth Inn) refuses to let you stay. After some investigation the owner reveals the last empty room is cursed.

Owner tells the party that no one has ever come back from the room, ever. Owner says no one goes up there anymore because they are afraid of the sounds and believe the room to be haunted.

If the players go in the room, nothing seems to happen at first, not until the door is closed and some time has passed (about an hour). Then those inside the room disapear.

The room is a weak link between the real world and the shadowfell, those who stay in the room for any length of time find themselves in an identical looking room in the shadowfell with no way back. The veil is so thin that those screaming in this room can be heard in the real world adding to the mystery of the room and belief that its haunted.

In the shadowfell this in resides in a empty town no longer occupied.

This little location can spawn rumors in your local city, and evenbe used to get the party to the shadowfell, you can even turn it into an adventure where this was the only room left and now the players have to find a way back to the real world.

Idea for low end heroic, before they have a chance to get a ritual to teleport back

Until Next time, keep your dice on the table.

Magic Item: Resurrection Gauntlet

Having only recently started watching Torchwood the Dr. Who spin off, i really started getting into it and liking the different story elements it had to offer. In the last month i have seen a few episodes that revolved around these different Gauntlets and i decided to create one for D&D













The Resurrection Gauntlet is a level 10 wondrous item.

I wanted to focus on two powers, one is an encounter power, the other is a daily.

Speak with dead, i think this is a great ritual, and gives the party an option to use it without spending the casting cost, however as a side effect they can never speak to the corps again and it costs them two healing surges

The idea behind the glove from the episode is that it uses the users life force transferring it to the target corps.

The second power is to fully cast raise dead. Again I've designed it so the user has to spend healing surges, and is also affected by the -1 to all death penalty

I may consider making the raise dead power to be consumable, destroying the glove in the process, but i think the item needs some play testing, its not something that would be used often.

I believe an item like this is best used for story lines, and quests.

Example, no one has raise dead and the prince had died. The PCs are quested to retrieve this cursed item from an ancient tomb before the public finds out.

Until next time, keep your dice on the table.

Running a business for 4e Players

I've often said that 4e d&d is about being a hero and i like to show this in my games. One of the things that was popular in 3.5 that was never moved over to 4e was crafting. I'm thankful for this, i felt 3.5 crafting was broken and forced the player to ignore the game for a bit so they could make a few extra coins. Why would a movie star go back to farming, maybe for fun for a bit but they are going to have a lot more work then just themselves.

I see 4e player characters the same as movie stars and rock stars. As the players level up they get more fame. As a replacement to crafting i would like to offer up the idea of business, something that makes a little more sense. A business is something the players can make money off of and still have other people do the work, they improve the business with their ideas and their own fame.

Letting players run their own business gives you the opportunity for new and exciting story arc's that affect the players at a personal level, and allow the players to have a sort of home inside the game world where they can feel comfortable and feel like the heroes they are.

Rule of Thumb
As a rule of thumb i would only allow a player to own one business per tier, and only starting after level 5. The gold they bring in would be tier times level per day.

Formula
The idea behind the formula is that the higher level tier you are the more exotic your business is and can bring in more money, and the level is equivalent to fame. The numer shows how much profit the business makes that the player can dip into, after everything has already been paid for.

Business Ideas
These are just some ideas of business a player can have at each tier, you'll see I've added a section for Investment, the amount of money a player needs to put down in advance. You being the DM might want to offer this as a reward for an adventure, or split a business between a party.

Pub
Invesement: Building, up to the DM for the cost
Teir: 1
Why it works: A pub works great beacuse idealy its in an area the players are known for, and this brings people to the location for a chance to see the player and hear stories of his adventures.

Farm
Invesement: Farm, again up to DM for cost, makes good story
Teir: 1
Why it works: A farm works beacuse it gives the player a home, and is something they can just get farmers to continue doing the work.

Arena
Invesement: Large Building, up to the DM for the cost
Teir: 2
Why it works: Having a fighting area with your name on it can bring a lot of attention, you'll find people wanting to prove themselves, and as a player you can capture monsters and bring them here.

Shipping Company
Invesement: Cost of ship
Teir: 2
Why it works: Having a shipping company works great, beacuse it allows the player to buy and own a ship without having to do much with it or worry about it later on. The player knows he has access to the ship at most times so why not make money on it. Any pirate knows the ship is proected and would have to be crazy to attack your ship.

Moneylending
Invesement: Money set aside up to DM
Teir: 3
Why it works: It works beacuse at epic level you have lots of money, you can setup a small team to run everything for you and slowly make money by helping people help themselves.

Other Ideas
Caravans - who would attack a caravan under your protection
School - Create a school to train ohers trained in your ways
Gang - Why not haves a theives gang, other players need not know

This realy comes down to a situation that lets the players roleplay more with the DM in creating the world around them, and as the DM i encourage you to lessen the gold at lower levels but at higher levels it might not make a diffrence. Or simply make something a group business.

This is Mike signing off from Las Angeles California, until next time keep your dice on the table.

Skill Challenges you and your players will love

I think skill challenges are great, i love the idea behind them but i hate building them. The reason is the book tries hard to really explain what a skill challenge is and it over complicates things. I think that you can create a hole game night around skill challenges and the players will go home loving the game even more. Hopefully i can prove it with this example.

I'm a support tech by day, i believe in KISS. Keep It Simple Solution*. The simpler you keep a skill challenge the better it works.

Paul Smecker: Television. Television is the explanation for this - you see this in bad television. Little assault guys creeping through the vents, coming in through the ceiling - that James Bond shit never happens in real life! Professionals don't do that!

Think of your favorite TV show, your favorite episode even its all a skill challenge and yet you loved it.

Here is an example of an episode of Star Gate Season 3, Episode 8 – Aired: 8/13/1999 called Demons

SG-1 arrives at a medieval village and frees Mary, a young woman who has been left outside tied to a stake. Simon, friar of the village and Mary's friend, explains that Mary is a sacrifice for the demon that plagues their village. The Canon chose her when he mistook her illness for an evil possession.

When the demon arrives and finds no sacrifice, he promises to destroy the village the next day unless five humans are left for sacrifice. SG-1 recognizes this "demon" and plot to destroy it, but the Canon pronounces SG-1 evil and condemns them to be sacrificed.

SG-1 must convince Simon to go against everything he believes in order to save themselves and rid the village of its demon forever.

Now sure this episode is almost 10 years old now but you know its been around. You can have this simple adventure from a series of skill challenges, the key is create the challenge and let the players use the skills. What they do with the skill is more important then the skill itself, and that should be used to determine if the roll is success or nothing (or if the roll is a failure)

Skill Challenge DC's and Complexity
First let me say ignore the complexity listed in the DMG, ideally because this is an encounter (just not a combat encounter) you want to all players to each have a chance to roll at least twice so they feel they contributed. So number of successes is twice the party size failure is set by you, i would say a quarter of the party size to half.

ie: party 5, successes 10 before 3-5 failures

As for the Difficulty, you can use the charts listed in the DMG, i would say use the tougher values, your players may just surprise you.

Skill Challenge 1: Convince the people of the town that the woman is sick and not possessed
Success:
When the 'demon' shows up the town refuses to give in, thus the demo makes the threat
Failure:
The town is now plotting against the party, this could lead to a combat, or a kidnapping of the woman. the party can easily retrieve her
Skill Challenge 2: Cure the woman of the disease
Success:
The party successfully cures the woman of the disease
Failure:
Wile trying to cure the woman, the party contracts the disease itself
Skill Challenge 3: Convince Simon to help them against a demon
Success:
Simon gives the party a blessing that gives them +2 to hit and damage vs demons until the next extended rest.
Failure:
Simon warns the demon that the party is on the way to slay him in hopes to protect the town, the party grants combat advantage on its first round of combat or the party is surprised
Combat: Fight the Demon
a nice elite fight here would work well, one elite, toss in some minions and your good to go.

That's it your done, you have a interesting adventure that will last one night, and that your players will remember for a long time all because you focused on skill challenges/role playing over combat. You can build an entire campaign based on this idea, and based on TV shows you know and love.

What i hope you've learned about skill challenges

• Trust your instinct not the book
• Give all your players at least two chances to participate
• Use multiple skill challenges in the form of role playing
• End the night with a big bang

Extra tip: After each player makes their roll in the skill challenge, role play it out a bit
, give them a chance to turn a possible failure into a success or add flavor.

Well that's it for me, until next time keep your dice on the table

Deadliest Warrior Paragon Path: Shaolin

The Shaolin was one of my favorite warriors so far on Deadliest Warrior, i liked the fact that one weapon seemed to turn the tide for them in battle. Though i am sure that an entire class can be built around the Shaolin i wanted to focus more on a paragon path and keep everything similar to the last post Deadliest Warrior Paragon Path: Spirit of Wallace

I did however create a new weapon and a new feat that i felt the Shaolin needed though.

Now the Shaolin is not a Monk only paragon path, and the key reason is that who knows what is going to come out in PHB3, i know there is a play test of a monk currently out, but i wanted to focus more on strikers.

From Spike TV:

The art of Kung Fu was invented by the Shaolin Monks as a form of meditation and exercise at first, but due to constant attacks by the Chinese army over hundreds of years, developed into one of the deadliest and most famous fighting styles in the world.

Shaolin
Prerequisite: Any Striker

Shaolin Path Features
11th Level - Hook Blade Opening
When you spend an action point to take an extra action you also get a free basic melee attack with Hook Blades
11th Level - Shaolin Dance
You may shift 1 after any attack that hits.
16th Level - Quick to Cut
When you score a critical hit with a dagger, make an additional melee basic attack

Shaolin Exploits
Attack 11 - Link Blades
You link your hook blades together able to reach enemies further away without having to move.
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Close burst 3
Requirement: You must be using a Hook Blade in each hand
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 3[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Effect: Gain +2 to all defense until the end of your next turn

I actually think this just should be a reach attack, but i think burst works as well, could modify that either Hook Blade or Chain weapon.

Utility 12 - Shaolin Focus
Using your meditative training you get yourself out of trouble and focus on healing
Encounter * Martial
Immediate Reaction Personal
Trigger: You are hit with a critical attack and take damage
Effect: Shift your movement speed and spend a healing surge

The show touched a bit on the monks ability to withstand pain and move in combat, i wanted to combine the two into one ability.

Attack 20 - Distracting Jab
You spin one dagger in your hand to trick your opponent into looking at it and losing track of the real attack.
Daily * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirements: You must be wielding a dagger
Target: One Creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: Target grants combat advantage until the end of your next turn
Secondary Attack: 4[W] + Dexterity modifier damage
Third Attack: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage

I don't know if this was the most devastating attack because on the show the expert just went crazy on the head, but i think it really shows what happens if you get distracted in combat. The attack itself doesn't do much, except grant combat advantage which should help out any striker.

New Weapon
Hook Blades - Military one-handed melee weapon
Cost 15 gp
Damage 1d8
Proficient: +2
Weight: 3lb.
Properties: Versatile, Off-hand, Defensive
Also considered a Dagger

New Feat
Hook Blade Dagger
Hook Blades are now considered to be Daggers for you, Cannot be thrown.

Well that's it for the Shaolin, i hope you enjoyed it, go ahead and leave some comments and tell me what you think about it.

Until next time, keep your dice on the table.

Skill Challenge: Pub Fight

Now a pub fight might not seem like a good idea, mainly because players can just attack and kill anything they want. Well the idea here isn't one of combat, it is one of a pub fight, no ones trying to kill one another its just a angry mob fight. Its a good generic skill challenge that can easily be tweaked to fit your needs.

Primary Skills:
Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Endurance, Intimidate, Attack

players will often come up with their own ideas, use your judgment and roll with it, each skill can be used uniquely, if the players to say how they are going to use the skill don't reward them a success

Secondary Skills:
Perception, Thievery

Each can be used to help out the party and give a +2 to next rolls. max once per round

Attack
Players can make a basic attack roll (no damage) a successful hit grants the group another success

Doing Nothing
Any player who doesn't do anything takes 5 damage, from inadvertently getting hit in the fight

Targets DC's
The pub fight can ideally only be run in the firs two tiers after that the players powers get to the point where there is no pub fight.

Levels 1-6 DC 18 Complexity 4 (10/5)
Levels 7-12 DC 25 Complexity 3 (8/4)
Levels 13-18 DC 27 Complexity 2 (6/3)

Success
Success means they got out of the fight without being damaged, or being considered responsible for the fight. And the DM can include any other reward that the story or game may require.

Failure
Another situation where it is up to the DM. The players can be thrown in jail for the night and unable to get a proper rest. lose a healing surge, owe the bar money for breaking things. Or if the story calls for it, be charged with murder.

This challenge is a quick one to run off, and can works when its tailored for your game.

Until next time, keep your dice on the table

An Intro to the Feywild and Shadowfell for new 4E Players and DMs

First let me warn you that the information i provide here may not be 100% accurate as only recently did i figure out exactly what was going on. Pretty sad considering my campaign is now 11th level.

Also i am a horrible reader of most d&d books, i skim over stuff over the period of years and add my own twist to things. This really isn't a problem as my players enjoy the games just the same.

The best way for me to explain this is by using "Legend of Zelda:A Link to the Past" as an example. Now if your too young to know this game or told old to have played it then i fell sad, go play it.

In legend of Zelda there were two parts to the game, a light world and a dark world where you were able to teleport back and forth if you knew how. The layout was the same except the dark world was twisted.

The Feywild and Shadowfell work along the same lines. You have the regular world, a parallel world known as the Feywild and a parallel world known as the Shadowfell.

Unlike the game, there is no duplicates for creatures or people. However like the game the worlds are identical except twisted in its theme.

I see the world like this

Shadowfell <|> World <|> Feywild

Again each realm twists reality to its own cause, the Feywild being about nature and life, while the Shadowfell is more of the undead, the opposite of nature and life. Its pretty much the goth realm if i may be so bold.

Now what this means for you as a DM in a 4e game is a lot more room to explore even if you have a small home brew campaign.

Imagine if you will a player dies, and for whatever reason the raise dead scroll isn't working. The only thing for the other players to do is to travel to the Shadowfell and try and speak to the spirit of the dead player. In this idea your deviating from the rules to have a interesting adventure on bringing the player back to life.

Another idea is having a dungeon exist in the same location on each realm, twisted by the realities and at the end a piece of a powerful magic item. The players need to explore each dungeon to retrieve the piece.

For me fourth edition is all about options, and this is true with the Shadowfell and Feywild. I highly recommend reading the Manual of the Planes to find out more information on each.

Feywild

This area is of nature, a sapling in the real world might be a ancient tree taking roots in the Feywild. The Feywild is home of Eladrin Fomorians, Firbolgs, gnomes, goblins and pretty much any fey creature. Portals to the Feywild are an emerald green and work any way the DM wants them to, similar in other editions



Shadowfell

This area is that of undead, and decay. It seems familiar to Ravenloft in way where great evil can poses its own domain and creatures may become trapped there. Creatures in the Shadowfell are often crazy cultists, the un/dead, shadar-kai, dark-ones, and anything with the shadow keyword. Portals to the Shadowfell are black. Where a stream from a mountain might exist in the real world, in the Shadowfell it could be a sulfurius spring or even dried up.

There you go, now you have enough information to run a adventure that utilizes these realms in your game. I recommend that you read the Manual of the Planes as early on in the book you will find a chapter dedicated to each location

Deadliest Warrior Paragon Path: Spirit of Wallace

Being a fan of the SpikeTV show Deadliest Warrior, i felt that i needed to use this information in d&d in some way. At first i thought about adding some cool powers and abilities that could be gained by taking feet but instead i went the paragon path route.

This first one is based off of the William Wallace battle, and i look forward to comments and reviews, anyway i can modify the build to be balanced.

Spirit of Wallace
Prerequisite: Warlord

Quick Description
The spirit of Wallace is a warrior trained in the history and fighting style of the great William Wallace

Path Features
11th level - Ever Vigilant
When you spend an action point to take an extra action, one of your allies may make a basic melee attack as a free action. Your ally needs to be able to see and hear you to gain this attack

11th level - Inspiring Rest
When you use your Inspiring Word ability, your ally also gains +2 to all defences until the end of your next turn.

16th level - Critical Cleave
When you score a critical hit using a heavy blade, you may make a melee basic attack against an enemy adjacent to your target.

11th level attack: Claymore Cleave
Encounter * Minor
Next at-will attack this turn becomes burst 1 (or increase burst by 1) when using a heavy blade.

12th level utility: Charge the enemy
Daily * Free
Trigger: The first time you become bloodied during an encounter
Effect: Your allies can make a basic charge attack as a free action. They need to be able to see and hear you to gain this attack

20th level attack: Claymore Great Cleave
Daily * Minor
Next encounter attack this turn becomes burst 1 (or increase burst by 1) when using a heavy blade.

That's it for now, i plan on adding more later, and would appreciate feedback.

The level 0 Delve, Roleplaying Introductions

So you recently started playing with some new players who had just started playing D&D in the last two editions and are focused on the rules.

That's great, but you find yourself sometimes wishing they would break away from the rules a little bit to try new things. Well then this delve is for you.

The idea behind this delve is that the party is not quite level 1 yet and do not have money to get what they need. It limits their resources so they can think outside of the box more. The adventure is just very basic notes, its up to the DM to decide what happens or how each encounter is built out, i am only simply providing notes.

All players also have a 'new power', the DM should review this with them.

DM for a second: That right, you as the DM allow the player to take control of the game for a second, the player spends an action point, and changes something in the game to his or her advantage.

Level 0 Delve

• 1x at will, 1x encounter, 0 daily
• no feats
• no equipment DM gives each player one or two basic item, depending on party role.
• players only have 1/2 healing surges

Adventure

While traveling with a group of adventures/family/etc the caravan became under attack by some orc's and goblins. the adventure were beaten and taken hostage along with the family members, the party was knocked unconscious and the game starts when they wake up.

DM Notes: No not use a map or miniatures for the setup, simply in great detail describe the scene, the color of the trees the time of year, day. Is there a smell wafting in the wind. Hint at players that the caravan might contain some useful equipment. (this is where they find their first weapon, some rope, some paints) the paints are their so they can use it later.

Skill challenge 1

Track everyone back to the base, success = they arrive, fail = -1 healing surge, and the party needs to find a way out of a trap from a local hunter. let RP begin (all in a deep pit that sinks, all hanging upside down in tree's little bit of both.

DM Notes: Don't roll initiative, just ask the party what they do, let them decide what they will do and let them roll in order. Better yet, don't allow any rolls. A success is simply a good idea, a failure is something that would just waste the party's time. The skill challenge is over once every player has had a chance at either success or failure. If they just don't seem to be getting it maybe drop a few hints, or make them fail and have to role play out of being trapped or lost in the woods.

Encounter 1

The group has come up to the camp, soon realizes there are too many of them to fight. They need to figure out a way to pull some of the orc's away from the main camp. This is where the DM comes in to help and give hints to the players. DM should suggest use of cantrips, or disguises to pull an orc away before entering combat.

DM Tips: Monsters in encounter 1 should be 1/2 the number of players. The key here is this should be something for the players to have fun with. When you started the adventure maybe there were items they could have used, like an old mop and some paint, one of the players could have disguised as a female orc and pulled a orc off tot he side. The key with this is to have fun with it. as long as the players keep role playing set them up for success. Maybe they do enough role playing that you don't need to roll to knock out the orc they just do it. No map or miniatures.

Encounter 2

Now that the main guards area dealt with, the party needs to find a way to attack the rest of orcs. Monsters = number of players + 2 minions. Instead of charging in, the DM should suggest a few things that are outside of the game. have ranged players go in tree's, have the mage distract them and play tricks for combat advantage.

DM Tips: Hopefully by this point your players should be picking things up and getting into the role playing aspect. One idea is to tell the group they can see the camp of the orcs, ask one player what it looks like, then go around to each player asking them to add something to the scene. Then start the encounter. Tell them they can only add one thing to the encounter. Build out the map & miniatures as the players describe the scene.

Encounter 3

Once the main encounter is over with the party can enter into a battle with the main boss, 3rd level orc, with some minions. setup combat in a situation where the party can split up and take advantage. have minions do ranged from higher ground.

End of Delve

If you plan on developing this into a campaign, then a perfect reward is that the group of players now advance onto level 1, they get their normal 100g starting money plus an extra 100g and their choice of a level 1 magic item.

Hope you like this idea, please let me know what you think

Artwork provided by Andy "ATOM" Taylor

Until next time, keep your dice on the table.
A thought from Mikes Mind