Keep reading after Monster Monday for an important announcement
Monster Monday
I don’t think it is any surprise to learn that most Dungeons and Dragons games are played somewhere below level 12. I did a poll a while back and found that very few people ever got to level 20—at least not on a regular basis.
This is likely why we hear all the reports about how the game is “broken” at higher levels. Some of that is just people that hate D&D making baseless claims, as many still do for 4e, but it also could be that the higher levels have not had as much playtesting so there will naturally be issues.
Whatever the reason, I am also one of those that spend most of my D&D time at the lower levels. But that does not translate to boring encounters. There are some really cool monsters for the early levels. Even something as simple as a skeleton can be quite interesting.
This week’s encounter puts the party in the middle of a slew of skeletons.
Skeleton encounter idea…
Medium encounter for five 3rd-level characters (1,000 XP)
This passageway ends at a large iron door. The surface of the door is coated with a layer of rust.
Environment
Lighting There are no light sources in this area.
Door The door fits tight against the stone. No air or light passes around it. There is no lock. Just a sturdy handle that has been rusted over. A successful DC 12 Strength check is needed to turn the handle.
The hinges are also rusted over. A successful DC 18 Strength check is required to pull the door open. This can be reduced by 1 for each party member that assists, but no more than 4 party members can contribute to the effort.
When the door opens, a rush of stale air escapes from the cavern beyond
Skeletons There are 8 skeletons lying in state. There are no markers indicating who any of them are. There are different markings on the shields indicating their role.
The skeleton opposite the door has the most ornate shield. An old journal lies at his side.
Journal The book is old and fragile. It tells of the soldiers battle in this dungeon. They were abandoned by their leaders who flooded the caves as a final attempt to defeat their enemies.
This unit sealed the door as the water rushed in, but were then trapped. Over the weeks that followed, the soldiers died of starvation. They created this tomb and swore to take revenge against those that abandonded them.
A successful DC 12 History check will reveal that this journal is from more than a century ago.
Stone The boulder at the center of the room appears to have been dragged to this location from the alcove in the northwest corner.
Crudely carved into the rock is the warning, The Forgotten will have Their Revenge.
Tactics
Skeletons The skeletons awaken at any point after the party has read the journal and the stone.
Skeletons #1 and #4 take up a position blocking the door. Skeleton #8 begins issuing orders to the others.
Skeleton #3 tries to use its shortbow while the others all attack their nearest enemy with their shortswords.
Skeleton #7 is mostly concerned with protecting the leader (skeleton #8).
They will lay down arms only if the group can convince them that they are not responsible for abandoning them and that they will tell their story to the world.
Treasure
If the party defeats the skeletons in combat, they find nothing of value.
If they negotiate a peace with the skeletons, they are gifted an Amulet of Protection from Evil.
🎲Roll initiative!! 🎲
Announcement
As 2023 came to a close, I began planning for 2024. I had grand ideas and set my sights on really growing my content. This was going to be a big year. But as this first month has unfolded, I began to realize that this was becoming work.
D&D is my hobby. It is fun. I love drawing maps, creating encounters, and running games. At the end of 2022, I put all my effort into growing my YouTube channel and seeing what I could do with this hobby. 2023 had some ups and downs, but I had a great time growing a community.
I love the community that I have built. I appreciate everyone that participates in the discussions.
But, I cannot lie, it has turned into a job.
I spend much of my free time scheduling posts and coming up with poll questions and quizzes and newsletters. Somewhere in 2023 I prioritized the work over the fun.
So I need to take a step back.
I am going to be taking the month of February off to regroup and make some decisions on where I want to go with my content. Some will continue. Some will not. I might still try some new things.
Whatever I end up with, my focus is to rediscover the fun and spend my time this year on those things.
I will be back online in March with more information. I hope you stick around and join me in whatever that revised journey looks like.
Thank you everyone for all your support.
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