Dungeon Master's Guide : Core Rulebook II

by COOK, MONTE

Edition: 3rd

ISBN13: 9780786915514

ISBN10: 078691551X

Format: Hardcover

Pub. Date: 2000-09-30

Publisher(s): Wizards of the Coast

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Summary

Offers tips, advice, and strategies for mastering the game, dungeons and dragons.

Introduction	p. 6
Dungeon Mastering	p. 7
Providing Adventures	p. 7
Teaching the Game	p. 7
Providing the World	p. 8
Determining Style of Play	p. 8
Adjudicating	p. 9
Propelling the Game Ever Forward	p. 9
Keeping Game Balance	p. 10
Changing the Rules	p. 11
Running a Game Session	p. 12
Considerations for Running the Game	p. 12
Knowing the Players	p. 12
Table Rules	p. 12
Working with Players	p. 12
Metagame Thinking	p. 13
Knowing the PCs	p. 13
Knowing the Adventure and Other Materials	p. 14
Knowing the Rules	p. 14
Setting the Stage	p. 15
Setting the Pace	p. 16
Providing the Action	p. 16
Determining Outcomes	p. 17
Handy DM Scratch Paper Tricks	p. 17
Ending Things	p. 18
Game Session Checklist	p. 18
Characters	p. 19
Ability Scores Generation	p. 19
Races	p. 20
Subraces	p. 20
Modifying Races	p. 21
New Races	p. 22
Variant: Monsters as Races	p. 22
Creating New Races	p. 24
Classes	p. 25
Modifying Character Classes	p. 25
Behind the Curtain: Why Mess Around with Character Classes?	p. 25
Avoiding the Pitfalls	p. 25
Spell Lists for Variant Spellcasters	p. 26
The Witch	p. 26
Creating New Classes	p. 27
Prestige Classes	p. 27
Creating Prestige Classes	p. 27
Arcane Archer	p. 28
Assassin	p. 29
Blackguard	p. 30
Fiendish Servant	p. 31
Dwarven Defender	p. 32
Loremaster	p. 34
Shadowdancer	p. 34
NPC Classes	p. 36
Adept	p. 37
Aristocrat	p. 38
Commoner	p. 38
Expert	p. 38
Warrior	p. 39
Variant: 1st-Level Multiclass Characters	p. 40
At 1st Character Level	p. 40
Achieving 2nd Level	p. 41
Advancing Levels	p. 41
Access and Training	p. 41
Creating Characters above 1st Level	p. 42
Characters and the World around Them	p. 43
PCs and NPCs	p. 43
Class Roles and Society	p. 43
Guilds and Organizations	p. 44
Cohorts and Followers	p. 44
Leadership	p. 45
Animal Companions	p. 46
NPC Statistics	p. 47
Table-Based NPC	p. 47
Reading the NPC Descriptions	p. 47
Random NPC	p. 47
Handcrafted NPC	p. 47
Combination Approach	p. 47
Notes on NPC Design	p. 48
Elite and Average Characters	p. 48
NPC Barbarian	p. 49
NPC Bard	p. 50
NPC Cleric	p. 51
NPC Druid	p. 51
NPC Fighter	p. 52
NPC Monk	p. 52
NPC Paladin	p. 53
NPC Ranger	p. 55
NPC Rogue	p. 55
NPC Sorcerer	p. 56
NPC Wizard	p. 57
NPC Adjustments by Race or Kind	p. 57
Running the Game	p. 59
Encounter Distance	p. 59
Hiding and Spotting	p. 60
Missed Encounters	p. 60
Combat	p. 60
Starting an Encounter	p. 60
Variant: The Surprise Round	p. 61
New Combatants Enter the Fray	p. 62
Keeping Things Moving	p. 62
Simultaneity	p. 62
Variant: Roll Each Round	p. 62
Combat Actions	p. 63
Adjudicating Actions Not Covered	p. 63
Combat Actions Outside of Combat	p. 63
Adjudicating the Ready Action	p. 63
Attack Rolls	p. 64
Variant: Automatic Hits and Misses	p. 64
Variant: Defense Roll	p. 64
Critical Hits	p. 64
Behind the Curtain: Critical Hits	p. 65
Variant: Firing into a Crowd	p. 65
Damage	p. 66
Subdual Damage	p. 66
Variant: Clobbered	p. 66
Variant: Death from Massive Damage Based on Size	p. 66
Variant: Damage to Specific Areas	p. 66
Using Miniatures and Grids	p. 67
Movement and Position	p. 67
Line of Sight	p. 67
Grenadelike Weapons	p. 68
Area Spells	p. 68
Movement	p. 69
Unconventional Movement	p. 69
Tactical Aerial Movement	p. 69
Evasion and Pursuit	p. 70
Moving Around in Squares	p. 70
Describing the Action	p. 70
NPC Actions	p. 71
Interesting Combats	p. 71
Special Abilities	p. 71
Ability Score Loss	p. 72
Antimagic	p. 72
Blindsight	p. 73
Breath Weapon	p. 73
Charm and Compulsion	p. 73
Cold	p. 73
Damage Reduction	p. 73
Darkvision	p. 74
Death Attacks	p. 74
Disease	p. 74
Energy Drain	p. 75
Etherealness	p. 76
Evasion and Improved Evasion	p. 76
Fast Healing	p. 76
Fear	p. 76
Fire	p. 77
Gaseous Form	p. 77
Gaze Attacks	p. 77
Incorporeality	p. 77
Invisibility	p. 78
Low-Light Vision	p. 79
Paralysis and Hold	p. 79
Poison	p. 79
Polymorph	p. 79
Psionics	p. 80
Rays	p. 80
Regeneration	p. 81
Resistance to Energy	p. 81
Scent	p. 81
Spell Resistance	p. 81
Tremorsense	p. 83
Turn Resistance	p. 83
Condition Summary	p. 83
The Environment	p. 85
Landslides and Avalanches	p. 85
Water Dangers	p. 85
The Drowning Rule	p. 85
Starvation and Thirst Dangers	p. 86
Heat Dangers	p. 86
Catching on Fire	p. 86
Cold Dangers	p. 86
Weather Hazards	p. 87
Suffocation	p. 88
Other Dangers	p. 88
Acid	p. 88
Ice	p. 88
Lack of Air/High Altitude	p. 88
Lava	p. 89
Smoke	p. 89
Falling Objects	p. 89
Weather	p. 89
Skill and Ability Checks	p. 89
Modifying the Roll or the DC	p. 90
The DM's Best Friend	p. 90
Delineating Tasks	p. 90
The General Versus the Specific	p. 91
Degrees of Success	p. 91
Taking 10	p. 91
Ability Checks	p. 91
Variant: Skills with Different Abilities	p. 91
Variant: Critical Success or Failure	p. 92
Critical Successes	p. 92
Critical Failures	p. 92
Saving Throws	p. 94
Assigning Saving Throws	p. 94
Which One?	p. 94
Save or Check?	p. 94
Difficulty Classes	p. 94
Variant: Saves with Different Abilities	p. 94
Adjudicating Magic	p. 94
Describing Spell Effects	p. 94
Handling Divinations	p. 95
Creating New Spells	p. 95
Damage Caps for Spells	p. 95
Variant: Spell Roll	p. 96
Variant: Power Components	p. 96
Variant: Summoning Individual Monsters	p. 96
Adventures	p. 97
Site-Based Adventures	p. 97
Static or Dynamic	p. 98
Event-Based Adventures	p. 98
Motivation	p. 99
Tailored vs. Status Quo	p. 99
Structure	p. 99
Good Structure	p. 99
Bad Structure	p. 100
The Flow of Information	p. 100
Encounters	p. 100
Tailored or Status Quo	p. 100
Challenge Ratings and Encounter Levels	p. 100
Multiple Monsters and Encounter Levels	p. 101
What's Challenging?	p. 101
Difficulty	p. 102
Tougher Monsters	p. 102
Location	p. 102
Making Things Interesting	p. 102
Modifying Difficulty	p. 102
Rewards and Behavior	p. 103
The End (?)	p. 104
Bringing Adventures Together	p. 104
Episodic or Continuing	p. 104
Plot Weaving	p. 104
End of an Adventure Checklist	p. 104
The Dungeon	p. 105
The Dungeon as Adventure Setting	p. 105
Types of Dungeons	p. 105
Behind the Curtain: Why Dungeons?	p. 106
Dungeon Features	p. 106
Walls	p. 106
Floors	p. 107
Doors	p. 108
Walls, Doors, and Detect Spells	p. 110
Rooms	p. 110
Corridors	p. 110
Miscellaneous Features	p. 110
Major Furnishings and Features	p. 111
Minor Furnishings and Features	p. 112
Obstacles, Hazards, and Traps	p. 112
Falling	p. 112
Pits and Chasms	p. 113
Cave-Ins and Collapses	p. 114
Mechanical Traps	p. 114
Magic Traps	p. 115
Behind the Curtain: Traps	p. 115
Dungeon Ecology	p. 116
Dungeon Animals	p. 116
Dungeon Slimes, Molds, and Fungi	p. 116
Wandering Monsters	p. 117
Wandering Monster Rolls	p. 118
Monsters Encountered	p. 118
Wandering Monsters' Treasure	p. 118
Random Dungeons	p. 118
Dungeon Level	p. 118
The Map and the Key	p. 118
Random Dungeon Encounters	p. 119
Strenghening Encounters	p. 121
A Sample Dungeon	p. 126
Statistics Blocks	p. 129
Example of Play	p. 130
Wilderness Encounters	p. 132
Building Wilderness Encounter Tables	p. 133
Example: The Dark Mountains	p. 136
Generating Towns	p. 137
Community Wealth and Population	p. 137
Power Center for the Community	p. 137
Community Authorities	p. 138
NPCs in the Community	p. 139
Racial Demographics	p. 140
One Hundred Adventure Ideas	p. 138
Campaigns	p. 141
Establishing a Campaign	p. 141
The Adventuring Party	p. 142
Beginning the Campaign	p. 142
Maintaining a Campaign	p. 142
Variant: Upkeep	p. 142
Context	p. 142
Building on the Past	p. 143
Other Campaign Issues	p. 143
Introducing New Players	p. 144
Fostering Player Goals	p. 144
Changing Alignment	p. 144
The Transition from Low to High Level	p. 144
Character Power Levels	p. 145
Player Characters Out of Control	p. 145
Behind the Curtain: Cool Ways to Break the Rules	p. 146
Handling NPCs	p. 146
Everyone in the World	p. 146
Enemies	p. 146
Friends	p. 147
NPC Spellcasting	p. 149
NPC Attitudes	p. 149
Fleshing Out NPCs	p. 149
Expanded Equipment List	p. 150
World-Building	p. 153
Creation Methodology	p. 153
Behind the Curtain: How Real Is Your Fantasy?	p. 154
Geography	p. 154
Climate/Terrain Types	p. 154
Ecology	p. 154
Demographics	p. 155
Economics	p. 155
Coinage	p. 155
Taxes and Tithes	p. 155
Moneychangers	p. 155
Supply and Demand	p. 156
Politics	p. 156
Political Systems	p. 156
Cultural Tendencies	p. 157
High-Level Characters	p. 157
Legal Issues	p. 157
Social Classes	p. 157
Titles, Offices, and Positions	p. 158
War and Other Calamities	p. 158
Religion	p. 159
The Pantheon and the Campaign Setting	p. 159
Creating New Deities	p. 160
Magic	p. 160
Magic Items	p. 160
Superstition	p. 161
Restrictions Placed on Magic	p. 161
Building a Different World	p. 161
Society/Culture	p. 161
Asian Culture	p. 161
Technology	p. 162
Weapon Size and Damage	p. 162
Extremely Low Tech	p. 162
Advancing the Technology Level	p. 162
Very High Tech	p. 163
Differing Magic	p. 164
Rewards	p. 165
Experience Awards	p. 165
Standard Awards	p. 165
Monsters Below CR 1	p. 166
Challenge Ratings for NPCs	p. 167
Challenge Ratings for Traps	p. 167
Modifying Encounter Levels	p. 167
Assigning Ad Hoc XP Awards	p. 167
Variant: Faster or Slower Experience	p. 167
Modifying Challenge Ratings	p. 168
Variant: Free-Form Experience	p. 168
Variant: Story Awards	p. 168
Challenge Ratings for Noncombat Encounters	p. 168
Mission Goals	p. 168
Roleplaying Awards	p. 168
Story Awards and Standard Awards	p. 169
Experience Penalties	p. 169
Death and Experience Points	p. 169
Treasure	p. 169
Behind the Curtain: Experience Points	p. 169
Monsters with Treasure	p. 169
Treasure per Encounter	p. 169
Building a Treasure	p. 170
NPCs with Treasure	p. 171
Other Treasure	p. 171
Using the Treasure Table	p. 171
Types of Treasure	p. 171
Other Rewards	p. 172
Magic Items	p. 173
Handling Magic Items	p. 174
Placement as Treasure	p. 174
Appearance	p. 174
Identifying Items	p. 175
Magic Items and Detect Magic	p. 175
Using Items	p. 175
Size and Magic Items	p. 176
Limit on Magic Items Worn	p. 176
Saving Throws against Magic Item Powers	p. 176
Damaging Magic Items	p. 176
Item Bonuses	p. 176
Behind the Curtain: Stacking Bonuses	p. 177
Intelligence	p. 177
Cursed Items	p. 177
Charges, Doses, and Multiple Charges and Uses	p. 178
New Magic Items	p. 178
Magic Item Descriptions	p. 178
Magic Item Names	p. 179
Random Magic Items	p. 179
Armor	p. 179
Weapons	p. 183
Potions	p. 190
Rings	p. 192
Rods	p. 195
Scrolls	p. 199
Staffs	p. 204
Wands	p. 206
Wondrous Items	p. 207
Intelligent Items	p. 228
Cursed Items	p. 231
Behind the Curtain: Putting Cursed Items in Your Game	p. 232
Artifacts	p. 236
Creating Magic Items	p. 241
Behind the Curtain: Magic Item Gold Piece Values	p. 243
Masterwork Items	p. 242
Special Materials	p. 242
Creating Armor	p. 243
Creating Weapons	p. 244
Creating Potions	p. 244
Creating Rings	p. 245
Creating Scrolls	p. 245
Creating Rods	p. 245
Creating Staffs	p. 246
Creating Wands	p. 246
Creating Wondrous Items	p. 246
Intelligent Item Creation	p. 246
Adding New Abilities	p. 246
Quick Reference Tables	p. 247
Index	p. 254
Tables
Ability Score Point Costs	p. 20
Ability Score Nonstandard Point Costs	p. 20
Common Subraces	p. 21
Monsters as Races	p. 23
Monster PCs' Ability Scores	p. 23
Monster PCs' Intelligence Ability Scores	p. 23
Ability Score Equivalencies	p. 24
The Arcane Archer	p. 28
The Assassin	p. 29
The Blackguard	p. 30
Fiendish Servants	p. 31
Fallen Paladin Blackguard Abilities	p. 32
The Dwarven Defender	p. 33
The Loremaster	p. 35
Loremaster Secrets	p. 35
The Shadowdancer	p. 36
The Adept	p. 37
The Aristocrat	p. 38
The Commoner	p. 38
The Expert	p. 39
The Warrior	p. 40
Apprentice-Level Characters	p. 40
Fixed Hit Points per Hit Die	p. 42
Starting Equipment for PCs above 1st Level	p. 43
Leadership	p. 45
Leadership Modifiers	p. 45
Example Special Cohorts	p. 45
Random NPC Alignment	p. 47
Random NPC Class	p. 47
Good NPC Race or Kind	p. 48
Neutral NPC Race or Kind	p. 48
Evil NPC Race or Kind	p. 49
NPC Barbarian	p. 49
NPC Bard	p. 50
NPC Cleric	p. 51
NPC Druid	p. 52
NPC Fighter	p. 53
NPC Monk	p. 53
NPC Paladin	p. 54
NPC Ranger	p. 54
NPC Rogue	p. 55
NPC Sorcerer	p. 56
NPC Wizard	p. 57
NPC Gear Value	p. 58
Spotting Distance	p. 60
Spotting Difficulty	p. 60
Direct Fire Range	p. 65
Direct Fire Path	p. 65
Direct Fire Deviation	p. 65
Indirect Fire Target Area	p. 66
Indirect Fire Deviation	p. 66
Massive Damage Based on Size	p. 67
Effects of Damaging Specific Areas	p. 67
Creature Size and Scale on Grids	p. 67
Flight Maneuverability	p. 69
Special Ability Types	p. 72
Damage Reduction Rankings	p. 74
Diseases	p. 75
Listen Check DCs to Detect Invisible Creatures	p. 78
Poisons	p. 80
Wind Effects	p. 87
Damage from Falling Objects	p. 89
Random Weather	p. 89
Varying Degrees of Success	p. 91
Difficulty Class Examples	p. 93
Maximum Damage for Arcane Spells	p. 95
Maximum Damage for Divine Spells	p. 96
Encounter Numbers	p. 101
Encounter Difficulty	p. 102
Walls	p. 107
Doors	p. 108
Dungeon Dressing--Major Features and Furnishings	p. 112
Dungeon Dressing--Minor Features and Furnishings	p. 113
Spells for Magic Traps	p. 117
Wandering Monster Summary	p. 118
Door Types	p. 119
Room Contents	p. 119
Traps CR 1-3	p. 119
Traps CR 4+	p. 119
Random Encounter Master Table	p. 120
Modified Die Roll	p. 121
1st- to 20th-Level Dungeon Encounters	p. 122-125
Random Dragons	p. 126
Chance of Wilderness Encounter	p. 132
Terrain Modifiers to Encounter Levels	p. 133
Wilderness Encounter Lists	p. 133
Dark Mountains Wilderness Encounters	p. 136
Random Town Generation	p. 137
Power Centers	p. 137
Power Center Alignment	p. 137
Highest-Level Locals (PC Classes)	p. 139
Highest-Level Locals (NPC Classes)	p. 140
Community Modifiers	p. 140
Racial Mix of Communities	p. 140
Character Wealth by Level	p. 145
Prices for Hireling Services	p. 149
Initial NPC Attitude	p. 149
Influencing NPC Attitude	p. 149
One Hundred Traits	p. 150
Additional Goods and Services	p. 151
Community Sizes	p. 155
Asian Weapons	p. 161
Renaissance Weapons	p. 162
Renaissance Grenadelike Weapons	p. 162
Modern Era Weapons	p. 164
Modern Era Grenadelike Weapons	p. 164
Futuristic Weapons	p. 164
Experience Point Awards (Single Monster)	p. 166
Treasure Values per Encounter	p. 170
Average Treasure Results	p. 170
Treasure	p. 170
Gems	p. 172
Art Objects	p. 172
Mundane Items	p. 172
Random Mighty Composite Shortbow	p. 172
Random Mighty Composite Longbow	p. 172
Bonuses from Magic	p. 177
Random Magic Item Generation	p. 179
Armor and Shields	p. 180
Random Armor Type	p. 180
Random Shield Type	p. 180
Armor Special Abilities	p. 180
Shield Special Abilities	p. 180
Specific Armors	p. 182
Specific Shields	p. 183
Weapons	p. 184
Weapon Type Determination	p. 184
Common Melee Weapons	p. 184
Uncommon Weapons	p. 184
Common Ranged Weapons	p. 185
Melee Weapon Special Abilities	p. 185
Ranged Weapon Special Abilities	p. 185
Specific Weapons	p. 188
Potions	p. 191
Rings	p. 192
Rods	p. 196
Scroll Types	p. 204
Number of Spells on a Scroll	p. 204
Scroll Spell Levels	p. 204
Arcane Spell Scrolls	p. 200
Divine Spell Scrolls	p. 201
Staffs	p. 204
Wands	p. 206
Minor Wondrous Items	p. 208
Medium Wondrous Items	p. 208
Major Wondrous Items	p. 209
Item Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and Capabilities	p. 228
Item Alignment	p. 229
Intelligent Item Primary Abilities	p. 229
Intelligent Item Extraordinary Powers	p. 229
Intelligent Item Purpose	p. 230
Intelligent Item Special Purpose Powers	p. 230
Item Ego	p. 230
Cursed Item Common Curses	p. 231
Specific Cursed Items	p. 233
Calculating Magic Item Gold Piece Values	p. 242
Potion Base Prices (By Brewer's Class)	p. 244
Base Cost to Brew a Potion (By Brewer's Class)	p. 245
Scroll Base Prices (By Scriber's Class)	p. 245
Base Cost to Scribe a Scroll (By Scriber's Class)	p. 245
Wand Base Prices (By Crafter's Class)	p. 246
Base Cost to Craft a Wand (By Crafter's Class)	p. 246
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Dungeon Master's Guide : Core Rulebook II

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Dungeon Master's Guide : Core Rulebook II

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