Crit Academy is joined by Darrin Scott a best-selling creator on DMsguild.com. We discuss his supplement Dungeons and Dragons supplement".
Drizzt Do’Urden’s Guide to Combat is a resource to help you run the most fun combats you ever have, no matter your DMing style. It is the distillation of knowledge from the masters of the hobby (listed in the credits page) as well as the years of experience held by each of the contributors.
This product isn’t a house rules supplement; it works within the Fifth Edition system. You will however find:
Insights on running unforgettable combats, from player engagement to speeding up combat and gameplay.
Guidance on running tactically challenging combats.
18 printer-friendly “Squad” stat blocks for use in mass combat, as well as a guide to creating more.
4 pages of printable tokens for use in grid combat.
Character Concept:
Darrin Scott
Revenant
When someone is killed in an inhumane and unjust manner, a revenant can be formed if the soul has a strong enough will. A revenant’s purpose in unlife is to seek and destroy those who brought about this injustice. Their bodies usually appear as they did shortly after the individual’s death, but deteriorate over time the longer they spend on the material plane. If they are unable to inhabit their original body, they can use another as a vessel.
Hunger for Revenge
Most revenants have only one year to exact revenge upon their intended mark, usually the one who killed them. They have an otherworldly sense of the state of their quarry. Once their task is complete, or their time runs out, they crumble into dust. Some revenants swear vengeance upon a type of person, such as slavers, rather than a particular individual. These revenants can live for longer, and their bodies are better-preserved. However, they lack the ability to inhabit another body if theirs is destroyed; they only get one chance at revenge.
Monster Variant:
Foulspawn are deranged humanoids corrupted by contact with the Far Realm, a maddening and distant plane. Foulspawn gather in roving packs and are drawn to serve powerful aberrant creatures such as aboleths, beholders, and mind flayers.
Foulspawn Berserker
Origin: Duergar
New Features:
Note: Maximize creatures hitpoints. 40* Bloodied value is 20.
Bloody: A creature with less than half its hit points becomes bloody. New features with the (bloody) tag become available at this point.
Reckless. At the start of its turn, the berserker can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.
Berserker Aura(Bloody). A creature that starts or ends its turn within 5 feet of the foulspawn berserker must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed. While charmed this way, slimy blue and purple tendrils appear from its mouth, eyes and ears. The charmed target must use its action before moving on each of its turns to make a melee attack against a random creature. At the end of its turn the creature can repeat its saving throw against this effect.
Note:
Taking dodge action once the berserker aura is triggered allows the foulspawn to enjoy the lust of battle as his enemies battle one another.
Enlarge, Sunlight Sensitivity Duergar Resilience(advantage on saves against poison, spells and illusions, resist charm or paralyze).
Encounter:
Blood Rock: Fantastic Terrain: Blood Rock
This blood-covered rocky outcropping is the site of brutal ritualistic combat. Barbarians often fighting full of hate and rage as their blood and sweat soak into the sand. The bloody area has an aura of power that seethes up from it, so much so that the invisible tendrils of hate fill anyone who stands here. A creature who enters or starts its turn in an area of blood rock, it must succeed a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they toss aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. They have advantage on melee weapon attack rolls, but attack rolls against them have advantage as well.
Tactics: This a great option for using in head on battles with many combat brutes with high HP. You needn’t worry about them falling quickly due to enemies having advantage against them as well. Also consider using creatures who can dash and disengage as a bonus action such as, spy, or goblins. It's also great for offsetting weaknesses like sunlight sensitivity, or debuff spells such as bane or vicious mockery if used correctly.
Magic Item:
Stoneskin Robes
Wondrous item, very rare, requires attunement
In battle, stone colored robe is enchanted to protect its wearing from a devastating blow by temporarily turning the wearers flesh to stone.
You gain a +1 bonus to AC while wearing stoneskin robes. In addition, when you are hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to speak the robes command word to cast stoneskin. You don’t need to concentrate on stoneskin to maintain it during its duration. This effect lasts for one minute. If the hit against you is a critical hit, it becomes a normal hit. Once used, this effect can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Dungeon Master Tip:
Traps as Terrain effects
Adapt traps to fit terrain and combat situations.
For example. when a player character (or an ogre) wants to push a wagon down a slope. use the rolling sphere trap(maybe scale damage to size of object). Any heavy object suspended above the encounter area can use the collapsing roof, including things such as a drawbridge being brought down during a combat scenario. A poison dart trap can be used to represent a person being tossed into a bee nest.
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick
Track Initiative for the DM.
Drizzt Do’Urdens Guide to Combat gives some great examples to help the DM track initiative. But as a player, you can remove this distraction entirely from the DM. A player tracking initiative leaves the DM with many more important things to focus on. This also helps ensure nobody is accidentally skipped as well as any potential readied actions to be triggered.
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