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Making Deals with Devils in D&D 5e

Written by Halfling Hannah in Tips & Tricks

Sometimes a trail grows cold, a goal cannot be achieved, or a powerful enemy is too great to be overcome. In such cases, a deal can be struck to give individuals great power…for a price.

Contracts with Devils can be interesting for players and DMs alike, leading to unique powers and stories. But how do you, as the DM, provide such an interaction in a believable way? How do you set up a deal with a devil in Dungeon and Dragons 5e?

To successfully hook your players into a deal with a Devil and create a believable contract that can become its own story hook later, you should follow these 6 steps:

  1. Determine the Devil striking the Deal
  2. Offer something your players desire or need
  3. Agree to the Terms and Conditions
  4. State Consequences
  5. State Punishments
  6. Sign the Deal

Understanding Devils

First of all, all of the information about Devils and Demons below is abridged from Morkenkainen’s Tome of Foes. If you don’t have this amazing resource, I highly recommend it. This source takes an in-depth look at various monsters and their cultures.

It is a wonderful resource if you are looking to change up your campaign from simplistic, “monsters are bad, kill them!” to something that makes your players think and consider their actions. You can grab it at your local game store, or for $10 off retail price with our partner, Noble Knight Games!

The Difference between Demons and Devils

Demons and Devils are completely different beings (and each would have your head for confusing them for the other.) Demons and Devils have waged war for millennia, though neither side has ever gained the upper hand. Here is a quick guide to Demons and Devils:

Demons (Chaotic Evil)

Home: The Abyss 

Demons have no rules or laws. The strongest rule, the weakest must serve or die. Demons see little use for mortals and rarely make deals with them. Demon Princes often have cultist followings, but this is purely for the Demon’s pleasure and purpose, often demon’s provide little in return. 

The Demon’s realm of the Abyss is directly connected to the Devil’s realm via the River Styx. Often, Demon Prince’s will gather their forces and attack the first level of the 9 Hells, but with rare and temporary success. 

Demons are chaotic, killing machines. They have little use for strategy and prefer to kill with brute forces and overwhelming numbers.

Devils (Lawful Evil)

Home: The 9 Hells

Devils are opposite of Demons in every way, save one, they are evil. Devils pride themselves on their strict set of laws and bureaucracies that govern every aspect of their lives. Devils are organized into a hierarchy that is governed by Arch-Devils, each one of whom rules a level of the 9 Hells and has a unique personality and goal.

While Devils adhere strictly to their laws and hierarchy, they are constantly scheming against one another to gain more power. Devils can only move up the ranks by proving themselves in battle, sneakily killing off a superior, or making deals with mortals.

Rightful Rulers

Devils see themselves as the rightful rulers of all realms who could bring order to the chaos. This mindset also distinguishes devils from demons. While demons are only looking to kill, destroy and create chaos, devils seek to bring about a “perfect” world by their rule. If the other realms would bow to them, then the universe could finally see peace. Or so the devils think.

Making Deals with Mortals

Devils love to make deals with mortals. Their ultimate goal is to own the mortal’s soul, which becomes another devil when that mortal dies. The more souls a devil obtains, the higher it can move up in rank (the more powerful the soul, the better). Each Arch-Devil has a quota of souls its “department” must bring in, meaning Devils are always willing to make a deal.

Which Devil Should Your Players Make a Contract with?

Each Arch-Devil has its own level of the 9 Hells and specializes in certain types of mortal dealings. Depending on the situation your party is in will determine which Arch-Devil’s messenger they might encounter. (Of course, they won’t be meeting with the Arch-Devil themselves until they are at a power level that merits such attention. Most often it will be a lower-ranking Devil in the Arch-Devil’s forces.)  

Depending on what your party or party members value will determine which Devil might make the most enticing offer.

Power in Battle: Zariel

Zariel is herself, a fallen Angel. Allured by the sights and sounds of battle, Zariel gave up her place as an angel and become the Lord of the 1st Level of the 9 Hells. Those who seek strength in combat seek to make deals with Zariel.

Forbidden Secrets: Dispater

Lord of the 2nd Level of the 9 Hells, Dispater constantly sends out his spies and minions to scour the Material Plane in search of secrets. Any secret will do, no matter how small, Dispater knows all secrets have power, and he is willing to pay for them. Mortals seeking knowledge will make a deal with Dispater to find out secrets for him in return for forbidden knowledge.

Greed: Mammon

Mammon is the richest (and stingiest) Devil in all the realms. Mortals seeking to gain riches and power will often make a deal with Mammon. Mammon is willing to lend money to power-hungry war-lords to finance their victories, but Mammon’s debts must be repaid, or else there are terrible consequences.

Ruling Emotions: Fierna and Delial

These two Devils rule together, but Fierna is almost exclusively in charge of making deals. She is well known as the second most charismatic Devil in the 9 Hells (beaten only by the Ruler of the 9 Hells, Asmodeus). She is exceptionally gifted at manipulating emotions and often charms others to do her bidding. Those seeking power through charm and manipulation will find her deals irresistible. 

Last Hope of Salvation: Levistus

Cursed by Asmodeus to help any who call out to him, Levistus is a strange savior to the criminal about to meet his end. Those who are on the brink of death, or find themselves in an impossible situation, are the prime clientele for Levistus. Levistus will give such individuals a reprieve from death, or the power to escape their situation, as long as they promise something in return.

Queen of Loopholes: Glasya

Essentially the lawyer of the 9 Hells, Glasya (daughter of Asmodeus) thrives on finding loopholes in the law. She will scour Devil contracts, looking for ways mortals can avoid paying the price (of course, while requiring her own price from them) or assist mortals in avoiding the law of the Material Plane. Getting around legalities is her specialty, but good luck getting out of her contract…

Redemption: Baalzebul

Those who have an ax to grind or desire to find redemption for something done in their past will find a friend in Baalzebul. Baalzebul once tried to usurp Asmodeus as Ruler of the 9 Hells. His scheme failed and Asmodeus placed two restrictions on him.

1. He must not lie to another Devil or he will be turned into a giant slug for one year.

2. Any deal Baalzebul strikes will end in disaster. These two conditions mean that Baalzebul is trusted by all the other Arch-Devils, but that they never strike deals with him.

However, mortals do not know this limitation and those seeking redemption from past mistakes often come to Baalzebul for the power to correct their mistakes.

Arcane Knowledge: Mephistopheles

The reclusive Arch-Devil Mephistopheles is in charge of creating new arcane weapons on the armor of the Devil army. He deals exclusively with the brightest mages who can add his endeavors in the afterlife.

Mephistopheles can open mages’ minds to possibilities never before conceived, or give them access to incredible power. But a deal with him almost always means spending eternity as an assistant to his insane experiments. 

Understanding the Terms and Conditions of a Devil Contract

Evil Tricksters

Devils are, above all else, evil beings seeking mortal souls. They will not offer a deal that does not benefit them or their leader, even if that benefit is disguised or unknown to the mortal it is dealing with.

Their schemes bring about evil in some way and even the most mundane of deals will turn out poorly for your players in the end. This can be fun to play with and weave into the plot of the campaign, but offering a contract with a devil shouldn’t be a regular activity. Such contracts are intended to be eternal and come with lasting consequences. 

Tricky Conditions

Because of their evil nature, devils will often include tricky conditions, vague wording or withhold information to let mortals jump to their own conclusions. Again, this is completely within the laws of the 9 Hells. A devil can be tricky, but they cannot lie in a contract. So have fun with this! 

For example, a devil could offer a magic sword to a barbarian on the condition that the adventurer “feeds” it at least once a week, preferably daily, or it will lose its magical properties. Feeding the sword simply requires killing a creature and letting the sword drink its blood. No big deal! Right? Except that the sword is really sending the blood to the 9 Hells where a legendary sword is being forged with the siphoned blood. The Arch-Devil plans to use this sword to defeat Asmodeus, which will send the 9 Hells into utter chaos…but the party doesn’t need to know that!

The less the mortals know, the better, and the more the devil can getaway within the bargain, the best!

Specific wording

If your party is too leary for vague wording to work, try being overly specific. Specific words can have different meanings, therefore changing the nature of the contract depending on interpretation. Also, certain extremely specific conditions can be arranged for the devil’s benefit. 

For example, the condition of the contract could state that the devil is allowed to possess the mortal’s body only when the mortal shakes hands with the devil, which is a very specific action. However, this specific wording says nothing about the devil looking like itself or disclosing the fact that it is the devil. So the devil could disguise itself as a shopkeeper, town guard, or even a friend and simply shake hands and take possession of the player’s body for an undisclosed amount of time.

Catfishing Good Players

Most players should know that devils are evil. This means that good-aligned players are likely not going to be interested in making a deal and may actively prevent other players from striking a deal. If you really want the deal to be a part of your plot, then you may need to “catfish” your good-aligned party.

The law of the 9 Hells states that devils cannot lie in their contracts. This doesn’t mean that devils can’t lie about who they are or what their purpose is. This means a devil can disguise itself as a messenger from a good god or angel, requesting the party to go on a mission that will prevent a demon army from invading the Material Plane.

This is totally legal by devil terms and something a devil would do. Devils will do anything to prevent demons from winning even the slightest advantage over them. It is also something good-aligned players can get behind, especially if they think it is a messenger from their own deity. 

Why Does the Devil Need Your Party:

There are many reasons a devil might need your party’s help in completing a mission. It doesn’t have to always be about owning the mortal’s soul. Rifts that allow devils into the mortal realm are few and far between. Devils can rarely make it to the material plane and often need help obtaining items or doing tasks on the Material Plane. Here are some ideas for why a devil might approach your party (that don’t include their souls):

-To cause pain

Devils are evil after all, and they do love to inflict pain. Perhaps they simply want to cause as much suffering as possible.

-To progress a plot of an Arch-Devil

Arch-Devils are constantly scheming against one another. A devil could need an item, ingredient, or person from the Material Plane for their master’s next plot. 

-Just to have some fun

There is nothing better than slowly corrupting something good. Do you need a better reason than that?

-To recover something they have lost

Perhaps this devil is being punished for his/her last act of mutiny and has had something taken away. That devil might request the party to find something for it, or give it something, such as an eye if it has lost its sight. 

Requested Act

What does this devil need from the party? An action, an item or a task? Determining the level of action requested will determine the reward given. They should be in proportion to one another, even if they don’t seem like it.

Service

A devil could request any number of services from your party. From killing a nosy paladin who is getting too close to dangerous secrets to disrupting a noble’s travels so they don’t arrive at a location on time. Whatever it act, make sure it makes sense for the Arch-Devil you are using and plays into an ultimate plan to either defeat demons or gain power. 

Need more ideas? Check out this post from dndspeak.com! 100 Things Devils Ask for in Their Contracts

Retrieve an Item

Often, devils need mortal help retrieving items of power or interest from the Material Plane. The retrieval of such items could certainly be worthy of a deal. These items could be legendary or mythical in nature, or even something more mundane, such as gems or gold. Any such requested item should be used to advance the devils’ plans, but they likely would not volunteer such information to mortals.  

Tasks

Maybe a devil has a task it is assigned to do, but it just doesn’t feel like it, can’t figure it out, or isn’t strong enough to get the job done. At such a point, a devil might find some strong adventurers to give it a hand. 

Rewards

Once the devil has outlined what it wants to be done, the part will certainly start asking, “What’s in it for me?” Rewards for signing a contract or completing a task could include:

Boons–

The devil empowers a party member with strength in battle, a honey tongue, fearsome qualities, or some other boon based on the Arch-Devil making the deal.  This boon persists permanently, as long as the contract is binding. 

Items-

Magical weapons, armor, wands, scrolls, or accessories all make great rewards. I would avoid a gold reward unless your party is working with Mammon. I find that creating unique items based on the devil they are dealing with is much more interesting and fun.

A Task-

If your party is in a tight spot and needs something, be it an escape, medicine, or for someone to “disappear” devils are often willing to do such tasks. Having a devil show up at just then time the party thinks there is no hope can be a really interesting scenario to play out. 

Consequences

Although the rewards of a devil’s contract can be beneficial, they are never without a cost. Whatever the deal is, no matter how simple for mundane, it should carry a consequence. Some of my favorites are:

Permanent Reduction in Stats– If a devil’s deal gives a player a point in Charisma, then it takes that point from Strength. Law of equivalent exchange. 

Required Giving– As part of the deal, players must place 60 gold on the last day of each month into a bag. The gold disappears and is sent to the 9 Hells. If they forget or cannot pay, the deal is broken.

Alignment shift– The deal permanently shift the party member’s alignment one point toward lawful evil. If they were good, they are now neutral, if neutral, they are now evil.

Considered Evil by members of the Clergy– Although there are no obvious effects from the deal, the stench of evil remains on them and all clergy can smell it. The player is now distrusted and considered evil by all clergy.

Punishments

A contract is only good as long as the two members in it uphold it. So, what happens if your party fails the mission or breaks the contract in some way?

What happens if the players break the contract?

The punishment for breaking a contract should be swift and severe. Here are some of my personal favorites, but your imagination is the only limit.

  • Rapid aging. 1 week = 1 year
  • Strength drops to 1
  • Their soul is immediately taken to the 9 Hells
  • They are marked as a betrayer. Anyone who looks at the cursed person’s face must roll a Constitution Save or be frightened of them.
  • A random person they care about is taken to the 9 Hells
  • A plague is unleashed on an innocent village (or their home village if the player cares about it)

What happens if the devil breaks his/her own contract?

As stated above, devils take their law very VERY seriously. A devil would never break a contract unless tricked or unable to fulfill it because if they do, they are punished for eternity. If a devil breaks a contract, then the contract is null and void and the devil is whisked off to the prison layer of the 9 Hells to be tortured for eternity. 

Sign the Contract

Now that all the terms have been agreed to, it is time to seal the deal. You can make this as dramatic or mundane as you want. Some devils might require a sacrifice or a signature in blood. Others might simply have the player sign on the dotted line, after all, they are very busy and there are many other mortals on the schedule for the day.

However you choose to do it, once the deal is signed, it is binding.

Make Some Deals

Providing players with the option to make deals with the dark side proves both challenging and rewarding for players and DMs alike. While you need to do your homework to understand the world devils are from and what they have to offer, this challenge is far outweighed by the roleplay and story opportunities that can be gained.

To get the full picture of the 9 Hells, Devils and all they have to offer, make sure to pick up a copy of Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. See it and many other helpful resources on my DM Must Have page and buy it at your local game store! (Go local!!)

You don’t need to be particularly clever or tricky to come up with a deal, you just need to know what might entice your players and what the devil you are using might need.

Start small and work your way up. Have a devil present himself as a friend, offering small tasks for good rewards many times, then have all those seemingly unrelated tasks come together into a big plot the players then have to stop. Or, just throw out some options just for the fun of it. You never know what can happen when dealing with a devil!

Until next time, 

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Female DMs in Dungeons & Dragons

Written by Halfling Hannah in Tips & Tricks

As a female Dungeon Master, I am a bit of a rarity. Although Dungeons and Dragons has recently seen a massive revival and opening to the main-stream culture, it is still very much considered a male-dominated game; especially when it comes to being a DM.

I think this sigma is slowing going away as the game becomes more and more accessible to those who have never played it before, but, although there are many more women playing D&D, there still isn’t a large number leading the game. 

Why? 

Are there barriers to entry for women? What are the strengths and weaknesses of female DMs?

I asked myself, as well as my good friend, Lydia, who is also a female DM, these questions. It is our hope that we can dispel some concerns for other women and help get more ladies behind the DM screen. 

Isn’t Dungeon & Dragons A Boy’s Game?

What is it like to be a DM in a game mostly dominated by men?

First of all, this game is not a “boy’s game.” This incredible game is uniquely human. It is about connections, relationships, and adventure; those are for everyone!

Next, we have been extremely fortunate to have been accepted without question by our groups. Neither of our groups has ever rejected or ridiculed us for being women DMs. The only negative comments we have ever heard are from the sexists online. But they don’t matter.

If you are afraid of becoming a Dungeon Master because you think others will mock or bully you, you should know that is rare. We have found D&D to be a very accepting and kind community. Players are far more interested in a good story than our gender. 

Yes, there are nasty comments online, but the loud minority is often what gets recorded. The silent majority is open and welcoming and eager for new players to join, male or female!

If you are a woman, you shouldn’t avoid Dungeons and Dragons just because it is perceived as a boy’s world. Our experience has been nothing but positive and affirming. If you are with a group that is putting you down for wanting to DM because you are female…get better friends.

What are the Strengths of a Female DM?

  1. Emphasis on Characters and Descriptions

One of the greatest strengths of being a female DM is that women tend to be more story-driven. Male DMs, most often (these, of course, are generalized, there are exceptions in each gender) focus more on combat, puzzles or problems. Things that can be killed or solved.

Women tend to be more interested in storylines, character development, and NPCs. This can lead to more interesting interactions and more role-play opportunities and creative options for solving problems that are usually ignored by male DMs. 

This makes the world feel more real. It makes players feel like their characters are real and their actions matter. Women have an eye for these details that can really take the game to the next level.

2. More Options Outside of Combat

Women DMs also tend to spend more time creating side quests, NPC stories, and other out-of-combat options. While male DMs tend to focus solely on progressing the main story plot or moving on to the next battle, female DMs see the campaign as a journey in which the characters learn, grow and become heroes.

This may seem like a small difference, but it can lead to a completely different feel to the campaign. Suddenly the emphasis is not on getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible, it is about the story on the way.

What are the Weaknesses of Female DM?

  1. Downplaying the Importance of Rules and Structure

One weakness I have noticed within myself as female DM is that I tend to not focus on the rules. I prefer to make on-the-fly rulings that make sense and seem fair as opposed to looking up the actual ruling. Now, this may just be a personality trait of mine, but I have noticed the same tendency in several other female DMs. We don’t like to break the story or pause a scene to look up a rule. While this isn’t a big deal, it can drive certain types of gamers crazy!

2. Rabbit Trails

Another weakness I recognize in myself is that I am easily distracted and just as willing to go down rabbit trails as my players are. This can lead to some cool stories, but, just as often, it is pointless and, ultimately, frustrating for everyone. I need to get better about keeping everyone on track. Including myself.

3. Range of Voice

The last weakness is pretty universal for all female DMs: our range of voice. While most men can go into deep bass and get fairly high, women just can’t do a gravely bass without, as my friend Lydia says, “sounding like a sick dog.” We also have a hard time speaking loudly without sounding shrill. Being heard above the music of an epic moment is sometimes difficult for female DMs.

This is our greatest weakness and frustration. I can do accents. I can do vocal tremors and cracks, but I cannot, no matter how I try, sound like a big, intimidating man.

Do you know what I can do though? I can sound like a sexy woman. I can sound like a terrified child. I can sound like a crazy old woman. No. We can’t do the voices men can do, but men can’t do the voices we can do either, and that is ok. 

Your voices for certain characters won’t be perfect and that is ok. You will have weaknesses unique to you, but you will have strengths unique to you too!

Dungeon & Dragons is an amazing game because it allows for multiple perspectives and voices at the table. It’s time we started lending our perspective and voice to the DMs role in this game.

If you need help getting started with DMing, check out my article on The Complete Guide for New DMs! If you need more helpful tips and tricks to continue to give your game advantage, make sure to see the recent posts below!

Until next time, ladies,

May your game have advantage!

-Halfling Hannah

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    Curse of Strahd is a low-magic, high-fantasy setting. This is because the commodity of magic within Strahd’s domain of Barovia is scarce and the magic that once existed is either
  • Complete Guide to Illusion Magic in D&D
    The School of Illusion is a school of magic that specializes in deceit. Like the School of Enchantment, illusion spells focus on altering the perceptions of others to achieve your goals. This can be as innocent as creating an image in a 5 foot cube to as wicked as harnessing the nightmares of your enemies to drive them into madness. 
  • Can Strahd Von Zarovich be Killed? D&D 5e
    No. Strahd Von Zarovich, the Vampire villian of the D&D adventure module starting back in AD&D, cannot be completely destroyed. Because he is the ruler of a Domain of Dread, if “killed” Strahd will regenerate within his Domain anywhere from a few days to months later.
  • Using Werewolves in D&D
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  • Evocation Magic D&D 5e: A Complete Guide
    The School of Evocation is the school of power. No other school of magic contains as many potent damage-dealing spells as this spell list. Whether it is divine, eldritch, or elemental energy, this school specializes in harnessing the tendrils of the Weave to create a desired effect. 
  • Enchantment Magic in D&D 5e: A Complete Guide
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What to Do if You Forget a Rule in D&D 5e

Written by Halfling Hannah in Tips & Tricks

There are a lot of rules for a DM to remember in Dungeons and Dragons. So many, in fact, that even the best DMs are sure to forget something. So what happens when you forget a rule or completely?

Mess up a ruling during a game? How can you correct your error without completely stopping the game? Here are some tips I have picked up over the years that just might help you out in a pinch!

If you forget or don’t know a rule during gameplay you should:

  • Make a ruling at the moment based on logic and look up the rule later
  • Always let the players roll something (when applicable)

If you realize you messed up a rule during gameplay you should:

  • Apologize, explain and correct the ruling immediately if the ruling would have changed the outcome of the situation drastically
  • Apologize and explain the rule for the future if the rule would not have changed the outcome

You should only pause gameplay to look up rules if it is absolutely imperative to the situation. For the most part, these tips should be enough to get you through any situation.

A Couple of House Rules…

For my games, I make sure to have a couple of house rules that help me focus on the story elements and not on a bunch of rules. Feel free to adopt these, they work well!

1.Players are responsible for knowing the rules of their Class, Race, and Spells

If players are unsure of a rule on their class or race (which I don’t know immediately) then they are responsible for looking it up outside of their turn. If they mess up a class or racial ability, I will not correct it, as they are responsible for these things. These are their characters, they should have the rules for them down.

2. No stopping the game to look up a rule that doesn’t matter

If I make a ruling that is incorrect, or I don’t know a rule and make an educated guess at a time when the ruling would not noticeably impact the game, players cannot stop the entire flow of the game just to look up or make me look up a rule. That’s just lame.

3. Trust I am doing the best that I can

Am I perfect? NOPE. Will I make mistakes. YEP. Do I mean to? Never. As long as your players trust you are doing your very best, they won’t have a problem with your rulings, even when they are wrong.

What to Do When You Don’t Know a Rule

There will be times when you don’t know a rule in Dungeons and Dragons. There are simply too many to memorize. In order to prepare for these situations, I like to know several key general rules that I can apply to most anything. Using these, I can make a logical ruling without having to know exactly how the rule goes.

Whatever you do, don’t hold up the game for several minutes trying to find a rule that really doesn’t matter. If it can wait, then make a note of it and look it up LATER. You will not ruin the game by ignoring a small rule, you WILL ruin a game by taking 10 minutes to find a rule.

Go with What Makes Sense

If the rule affects the players’ actions, such as moving through difficult terrain, attacking underwater (I have a whole post about Underwater Combat!) or position, just think through the situation logically and make the best ruling you can at the time. 

Would it make sense for a player to attack normally underwater? No, it wouldn’t, so, logically, there is probably a penalty for swinging an ax underwater. Give players disadvantage on attack rolls and explain that the ax is much more difficult to swing underwater.

Would it make sense in combat to have advantage against an enemy that is surrounded? Yes, it does. So give the players surrounding an enemy advantage on their attack rolls. 

Do what makes sense at the time and look up the actual rule later. You will be surprised how accurate you are most of the time!

There’s an App for That!

If you do need to look up a rule during gameplay, I suggest making sure you have the “CompleteReference” for Dungeons & Dragons app. This app makes it quick and easy to search for rules, spells, feats, racial abilities, and really anything else you might need to know at the moment. (You can find this app and many others in my post “10 Amazing Apps Every DM Needs”)

You don’t need to know all the rules, but you do need to be able to find them quickly. So either memorize where things are in the Player’s Handbook and DM’s Guide or download this free app. You can guess which is easier.

Have Players Roll Whenever it Makes Sense

If you are trying to figure out if you should allow a player to attempt something, always have the player roll so that the ultimate decision is left up to chance.

Say a player wants to climb a tree, but they are wearing full plate armor. Then, the logical thing to do would be to have them roll an Athletics check with disadvantage. Then if that player falls and lands on another player who is trying to catch them, the player on the ground would take 1d6 bludgeoning damage (plate armor is heavy!) unless they succeed on a dexterity/strength check (depending on the class).

This rule isn’t anywhere in the books, but it makes logical sense. Make a logical ruling, then have the players roll to see how it all turns out. I promise, no one argues with the dice.

Know Your DCs

When you are making rulings on the fly, it is important to know your DCs. Difficulty Challenge (DC) are how difficult a situation. This is the number players are rolling against, and you need to have a DC in mind BEFORE you ask players for a roll. Use this chart to determine what the DC should be:

Difficulty DC
Easy 5-10
Medium 11-15
Hard 16-20
Very Hard 21-25
Nearly Impossible 26-30

The Rule of Cool

If you aren’t sure if you should allow a player to do something, I have a simple rule I like to follow, it is called the Rule of Cool.

If what the player wants to do is character-driven and adds to the enjoyment of the game for everyone, then I allow the player to attempt it.

Some DMs would never do this, but I have found that, most often, the best memories come from following this rule and letting the players try some crazy stuff. Should I have, technically, allowed it? Probably not. But it was cool, everyone loved it, and we still talk about it. So you tell me if I made the right call.

If you are so afraid of making a ruling that isn’t “technically” correct, then you are missing the point of D&D. Lighten up and follow the Rule of Cool.

Remembering all of the rules and making correct rulings at critical moments is probably the most stressful aspect of DMing. At times, the technical rule makes all the difference, but, for the most part, just doing your best and making a ruling that makes sense is more important.

Remember, game flow is king. If at all possible, always keep the game flowing or you will lose your players’ attention. Fun and emersion always win against technicalities. 

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

 

Pssst…if you liked this article, you might like some examples of rules I get wrong all the time

The Best Way to Deal with Murderhobos in D&D 5e

Written by Halfling Hannah in Tips & Tricks

When players could care less about stories, NPCs and thinking their way through a situation; but, instead, kill anything that breathes, then you have a bunch of “murderhobos” on your hands. They move from place to place, killing everyone in their wake without a thought.

This can put a serious damper on the game for DMs and other players alike. So how can you stop your players from being murderhobos without “taking away all the fun”? There are a few simple tips and tricks that will convert your murderhobos into balanced players in no time, plus some suggestions to prevent the situation all together if you are starting a new game!

For new games:

  • Set clear expectations
  • Be sure to check/approve alignments and classes before the first session
  • No evil characters- House Rule

For existing games:

  • Have consequences and make it clear why they are happening
  • Leave clues that the players cannot follow if the NPCs are dead
  • Use their emotions against them
  • Crush the “murder button” habit by rewarding other options

Set Clear Expectations

If you are starting a new game, your campaign against murderhobos begins before the players ever begin to design their characters. You need to be sure you are clearly communicating what your campaign will be like. No, you don’t have to give away your big secrets, but you do need to tell players what your world will be like.

Are they heroes coming in to save the day? Or are they simply another group of adventurers who MIGHT survive if they use all their skill, cunning, and sneakiness? These two worlds set vastly different expectations and must be clearly communicated.

Check Alignments & Classes

If you don’t have a house rule on alignments, you might consider making one. Of course, every campaign is different and every player is different, but I would strongly suggest not allowing Players to play Evil characters. I find these characters rarely gel with the group, cause huge problems for everyone, and are, almost always, murderhobos.

“I’m Evil” becomes an excuse to kill anyone, anywhere, for any reason. And if you have a Paladin in that same group, your campaign is over before it begins. This is why my house rule is no evil characters, and it has worked like a charm. Sure, I will get the occasional grumbler, but my groups have always appreciated this rule.

You will also want to check the classes of your players. While I do not have a house rule against any class (I personally LOVE assassins) I do like there to be a balance.

There needs to be at least a few players with a strong moral compass to keep the party honest, so if you find you have an entire party of barbarians and assassins, you might be heading for murderhobo junction. Someone in the party needs to be the one to question their actions and keep them, at least, semi-moral.

For Existing Campaigns

Consequences

If your players are going around killing everyone they meet, then there should be consequences for those actions. Depending on what they do, this can range from being wanted by the town’s guard in all the major cities, to officials hiring bounty hunters or assassins to track down the party. Some other consequences could include:

  • A patron god/being removing the powers of the cleric/warlock/paladin because they are too cruel, forcing them to prove their worthiness before they can use the entities powers again. 
  • A powerful demon is attracted to the strong scent of blood that is left behind in the player’s wake, and arrives to make a deal with them..
  • The party is haunted by the ghosts of those they have sensely murdered, making it impossible to get any rest (points of exhaustion) and slowly driving them mad. (See my post on 5 Deadly Diseases for the madness chart!) The only way to appease the ghosts is to finish each one’s unfinished business. (This will be side quest city! If you need help one how to build an awesome side quest, see my post on 5 Simple Steps to Awesome Side Quests)
  • A new, and extremely powerful, villain rises to power and systematically destroys everything and everyone the party loves. It turns out he was the son of one of the NPCs they killed without reason.

The consequences will depend on what atrocities your party commits and what will hit them the hardest. But these options can fit well into almost any campaign. Never be afraid to make players feel the consequences of their actions, especially if they were warned or had another option and they chose the violent one anyway.

You will notice that all of my consequences are story-driven.

“What about just throwing a high-level monster at them and killing one or two? Wouldn’t that teach them a lesson?”

Well…humans are tricky. If you just throw monsters at the players that are well above their level, they will think you are “out to get them.”

It doesn’t matter if you warned them to run or sneak, it will be your fault and no one will be happy. One deadly encounter never fixed a murderhobo and it certainly never helped a player DM relationship. Story-based consequences are far more lasting and remind the players of their past actions and why they are in this situation, to begin with.

Leave Clues

Some of the best rewards cannot be looted off of dead bodies. Some quests can only be gotten from NPCs, and if they are dead, so is the quest. If your party keeps murdering random people, then make up a quest the players would love, and connect it to that NPC.

For example, your players learn of a powerful weapon that lies in the tomb of a warrior, but only Thorian Willowhand knows its exact location. The tomb has been guarded by the Willowhand family for generations and he is the only remaining guardian. He lives in the city your party went through recently. When they go back, they find out that Thorian was killed (by them). 

Do this a few times and the players will start to get the hint that killing NPCs is a bad idea. Do this too many times, however, and they will start to catch on and it won’t have any effect.

Remind Them This World is Real

Unless you are playing with some truly deranged individuals, even if your players have disconnected your fantasy world from reality, there are ways to bring real emotions into the game.

Take the liberty of your position to describe NPC deaths in a way that makes the players feel terrible. When players loot bodies, make sure they find personal effects, such as a love letter and an engagement ring, a small wooden rattle, or a locket containing a picture of a baby girl and a small locke of bright blonde hair. 

If your players are just murdering people because they don’t see them as “real people” show them they are wrong. Remind them that these are people with hopes and dreams and that they (the party) are the real monsters.

If that doesn’t work, I suggest finding a new group…

Reward Other Options 

Sometimes, killing things is just a habit. (wow, that felt weird to write) Players are presented with a problem, they murder, and they are rewarded with that problem being solved.

If you want to break this line of thinking, then you need to reward players when they do something, ANYTHING, other than murder. If they at least try to look around the room, then they find a secret door. If they try to talk to the guard, then they find the guard has been waiting for an opportunity to get even with the lord of the castle and sneaks them in. Some other reward options can include:

  • Bonus gold for doing a job without killing anyone
  • Items which are given by NPCs when the players ask them for help
  • Discounts on prices or options for specially made armor and weapons
  • Extra loot is hidden in down the “sneaky” path
  • Inspiration for actions that don’t include killing

Options for rewards are really endless, you just want to make sure you are rewarding players for being cunning, skillful and wise more than you are for killing.

Murderhobos can really ruin the experience of a game and be difficult to handle. Of course, you want players to have fun, but when it is all about combat, it can get plain boring.

If you can prevent it, make sure you do, if it is taking root in your campaign, nip that bud! Hopefully, these tips have given you ideas for how to encourage players to be more balanced so everyone, you included, can have more fun!

Until next time,

May your game have advantage, my friends!

-Halfling Hannah

10 Incredible Apps Every Dungeon Master Needs

Written by Halfling Hannah in Tips & Tricks

Have you ever been tracking initiative with a pen and paper, or scribbling out monster HP, or even trying to play some fantasy music and thought, surely there is an app for this! Good news for you tech-savvy DMs out there, there is! As a matter of fact, there are several really useful apps you probably don’t know about. Here are my top 10:
  • DMDJ by Blueface Games (4.99)
  • NPC for Hire by Knight of Vasteel (4.99)
  • RPG Sounds: Fantasy (Free)
  • Spells for D&D 5e (Free)
  • RPG Adventure Manager (Free)
  • MapKeeper.net (Free)
  • App of Many Things (Free)
  • mRPG Chat app (Free)
  • Complete Reference for Dungeons and Dragons 5e (Free)
  • ProDnD- Map Builder (basic version is free, full access is $1.99)

DMDJ by Blueface Games

This app is a game-changer, and I don’t say that lightly. I have spent HOURS compiling music, only to lose it, have nothing prepared that fits the moment perfectly and no way to change it, get annoyed that I have to restart it over and over, have to switch over to an FX maker and lose the ambiance at times, etc. This app changes all of that. DMDJ has literally endless possibilities for you to create the perfect atmosphere for your adventure, every time! Choose from the main categories of Nature, Town, Battle, Dungeon, or Special to get started. Each category has tons of options, such as “store,” “town,” “around the fireplace,” and “cafe” (along with many many more!) for town; or caves, coast, dark woods, haunted forest, and swamps (again, many many more) for nature! 
To add to the awesomeness, you can layer music of various styles, sound effects, and weather! To top it all off, DMDJ includes a quick Dice Roller at the bottom of the menu to let you roll dice to quickly determine random encounters and NPC ideas, damage for certain attacks (like sneak attack) or create your own custom dice to use when you need them.  Drawback: There is only one major drawback to this app: the sound stops when you close the app or when your phone goes to sleep. This is a major drawback if you want to have the background music going all night. You will need to have your phone plugged in, sleep mode turned off, and you cannot use your phone for any other apps. If you don’t typically use your phone while you DM, this will be perfect for you! If you have, ya know, 9 other apps you like to use, this is a major bummer.

NPC for Hire by Knight of Vasteel (4.99)

Simple, beautiful, and OH so useful! NPC for Hire might be one of the most useful apps I own. After a while, it is hard to come up with interesting NPCs, even if you do use my foolproof method (check out my method in my article, “Creating Unforgettable NPCs”) so having an app that creates them for you, complete with flaws, items, and backstory, can be a lifesaver! Whether you are looking for NPCs for your main storyline, or you need a random one quickly, NPC for Hire is perfect. 
Once you find an NPC you like, you can save it to access later, as well as edit the details either with your own custom ideas or items, or more randomly generated ones. NPC for Hire also includes a beautiful hand-drawn sketch of the NPC, so you know exactly how to describe them to your party.  With NPC for Hire, you won’t be caught scrambling for an NPC ever again, nor will you forget that random NPC in that one town from 2 years ago. Nope. It all right there in the app!

Bonus! Magwa’s Magic Item Compendium

Also created by Knight of Vasteel, this amazing FREE app is exactly like NPC for Hire, ONLY FOR MAGICAL ITEMS. Do I need to say more? Check it out!!

RPG Sounds Fantasy (Free)

If you just can’t bring yourself to pay for an app, then there is a free version for fantasy sounds music. RPG Sounds is a good app, it has lots of options and you can find nearly everything you might need for a game. However, the loops on the sounds do not flow together well, leaving a small, but noticeable silence before the sound begins again at the beginning.  Also, switching between sounds is abrupt and there is no fade or layering. These are all problems that DMDJ has solved, so if you are a bit picky (like me) you will want to just pay the people $4.99 for the better app.

Spells for D&D 5e (Free)

Not only is this a great app for your players who use magic, it can be a real time-saver for you too. (Plus, the art for each of the spells really puts this app over the top for me.) It is nearly impossible to remember all the parts of a spell, between damage, range, saves and attack rolls, they are tricky to remember. That is why this free and gorgeous app is so great.
You can find all the spells your players will throw at you so you can quickly double-check. You can also sort by magic-user (wizard, warlock, druid, etc.) and create spellbooks. This is great for players to create their own spellbooks, but good for you too if you have spells your players like to use over and over again.  Of course, if you want to feel like you are combining Magic the Gathering with your RPG adventure, (and who wouldn’t?) as well as have your spells handy, then make sure to check out these convenient and fun spell cards! Plus, your purchase from our partners at Noble Knight Games supports a local game shop, supports Halfling Hobbies, AND gives you a discount! Triple win!

RPG Adventure Manager (Free)

This simple app can be useful if you want to store all of your characters, locations, and plot information in one app. This app helps you keep track of what NPCs and ideas you have already used and which are still available (a huge help during long campaigns!) This app can have some issues, such as not marking items or NPCs as used. 
If you are looking for a free app to track multiple parts of your game, I would recommend trying this one out. 

MapKeeper.net (Free)

If you are someone who likes to draw out your dungeon on paper, but you HATE trying to cover up the parts that players haven’t gotten to yet, then you will LOVE this app. It is an elegantly simply app that solves this problem without any fluff. Just take a picture of the map you drew, add it to the app and there you have it, a blacked-out map that you can reveal as the players progress. 
If you come to combat in one of the rooms, then you can draw out that room on the battle map, go through the encounter, then keep mapping the rooms in the app. If you have an iPad or Tablet, you can even leave it in the middle of the table for players to see and reveal as they move or cast it to an Apple TV. This is a neat, free app that solves a problem in my own life, maybe it can help you too!

App of Many Things (Free)

This is a combat tracker app. It isn’t the most complex one out there, and if you pay for D&D Beyond or Fantasy Grounds, I would recommend sticking with them. However, if you don’t mind the prep-work in order to keep your bottom line at 0, this app can be very useful.  App of Many Things lets you add Player Characters and Non-Player Characters, but you have to manually input the information. This isn’t really practical for a random encounter but can be useful or planned encounters. However, be warned that the options are very limited. You can input health, hit points, perception, and armor class, that’s it. No weapons, no spells, no items.
While this app is limited, I do find it useful on occasion. Mostly I use it as an initiative tracker. It has little check-boxes you can click to show a player or monster has taken its turn, then when they are all filled, you can clear them all and start a new round. I am pretty forgetful, so I find this extremely useful! Especially when I have a big party and a lot of combatants to keep track of! With this app, I never skip players or monsters.

mRPG Chat App (Free)

Are your players too busy to get together and play? Do you desperately want to play but you are always stuck DMing? Well, mRPG is the answer to these problems.
mRPG is a chat app that allows people to play remotely. It includes character sheets, dice, and a platform. You can search and join campaigns, create your own campaign if you can’t find anyone in your area to play, or create a campaign for your players where you can play remotely when you can’t get together. After you create your campaign, you can invite players to it via a link, or open it up for others to join. This system can be a bit difficult to learn, so I would suggest giving it a good look over and playing a game or two with another group to get a feel for it. It can be a great remote option, and it really scratches the itch when you just have to play!

Complete Reference for Dungeons and Dragons 5e (Free)

Just what it sounds like, this no-nonsense app lets you search all D&D 5e equipment and items and bookmark them for later. I love to use this app to get ideas for shops, treasure troves, or find something random for when the rogue inevitable says, “I pick-pocket the shopkeeper!” You can filter items, search for specific items, or just peruse the endless list of awesome. 

ProDnD- Map Builder (basic version is free, full access is $1.99)

Looking for an app to help you build and store maps? Need an app to quickly generate random caverns, dungeons and mazes? Want to make those random maps gorgeous and even add creatures, items and events? When it comes to creating dungeons, this app does it all! You can choose to create your own dungeon if you have a specific idea in mind, or you can start with a randomly generated dungeon and edit it. With a click of a button, you can add monsters and encounters to random parts of the dungeon so you know exactly when to have your party roll perception or initiative. You can add backgrounds, themes and even share your favorite dungeons with other DMs. There is really so much to this app it is hard to describe. If you are looking to take your pen and paper game and go digital, this is a great, free app to get you started. 
Obviously this app does not compete with the overwhelmingly detailed maps you can make at Inkarante.com, but, in this case, that is a good thing. This app fills the need of generating caverns or dungeons on the fly. You can literally create a dungeon or maze in SECONDS. It is a great app to have in your back pocket, especially for you DMs who have unpredictable parties. Being the DM is difficult, but, luckily, there are plenty of apps and tools to help make it a little easier. If you are looking for more useful tools, check out my post on the 10 Best Tools for DMs and be sure to check out the Trinket Shop to get yourself something nice. After all this work to prep, you deserve it 😉 Until next time, May your game have advantage, my friends! -Halfling Hannah

Check out the Trinket Shop!

How to Make Puzzles Your Players Will LOVE

Written by Halfling Hannah in Tips & Tricks

Don’t forget to Pin this for later!
Let’s be honest, most of the time, puzzles don’t go over well with our parties. Either they take too long and the players get bored, or they are so easy they don’t really seem like much of a challenge (seriously? Why would a god or ancient wizard make that?)  How do you make puzzles that your players will love AND that will challenge them? Here is what you need to consider:
  • Purpose: What is the end result you are hoping to accomplish with this puzzle? Why does it exist at all?
  • Dangers: What level of danger does this puzzle present? 
  • Drawbacks: What happens if they get it wrong?
  • Challenge Level: How difficult do you want this puzzle to be?
  • Brain vs. and Brawn: To ensure everyone enjoys your puzzles, you need to include something both ways of playing.
  • Hints: ALWAYS hide hints on how to solve the puzzle. Not an option.
  • BONUS- Hidden “Work-Arounds”: For players that are particularly creative or good at observations, I like to have some hidden “workarounds” they can use. See more on this below!
If you are purposeful and intent on each of these categories for your puzzle, you are sure to create something your players are going to love. Now let’s look at each one of these in more detail to help you get started!

Purpose

There needs to be a purpose for your puzzle, otherwise it is just an annoying speed bump that your players are going to hate. Only use puzzles when it makes sense in the story, and even then, you need to make it abundantly clear WHY you are doing it.  Players need to be assured that their efforts will be rewarded. So if they are diving into a dungeon filled with puzzles, make sure to leave hints at every step of the treasure or powerful item that is hidden at the end. This will keep the players engaged with your puzzles because they know there is a carrot at the end of the stick.  Puzzles for the sake of puzzles are not fun. They just aren’t. Sorry. Make sure you have a purpose for each puzzle.

Dangers

Now that you know why the puzzle is there, you need to decide how dangerous it will be. Is this puzzle nonthreatening and just designed to discourage adventures, or is this a deadly puzzle designed to kill the unworthy? Make sure if you have a deadly puzzle that you drop enough hints to let your party know to take it seriously, unless you like the surprise factor of dealing 54 points of acid damage out of the blue (…sorry guys..) The danger level of your puzzle will guide you in the next two steps..

Drawbacks

What happens if they get the puzzle wrong? In a non-threatening puzzle, it could just reset and the players could try again, in a deadly puzzle, it could unleash a monster, acid could fall from the ceiling (again…sorry..) or a spell could be triggered (like Power Word Kill). Drawbacks could include any of the following:
  • Spells: Some of my favorites include Fireball, Power Word Kill, Stinking Cloud (LOVE this one!) Spike Growth, 
  • Physical Attacks: Fire from statues, Acid from the ceiling, Floor tiles falling, Spikes, Collapsing walls, Poison arrows or darts etc.
  • Summonings: Monsters, Undead Warriors, Demons, Devils
  • Puzzle Reset: For some puzzles, if they are solved incorrectly, you can have the puzzle reset in a new configuration that the players then have to figure out.
  • Time Limits: The players have a limited amount of time to solve the puzzle once they begin/enter the room. This really helps fight overthinking!

Challenge Level

Next, I like to decide how difficult I want the puzzle to be. Is this a simple “put-the-object-in-the-right-slot” puzzle, or something that will require more thought? I should note that even my “really hard” puzzles are not really that difficult.  You have to remember, anything you think of will be 2-3x harder for your players to think of in the moment. You have a very clear picture of the room in your mind, after all, you designed it, but your players don’t. Players will, often times, also misinterpret what you are saying or not listen to your description at all.  And, let’s not forget, OVER THINKING. Players will think a situation to death! Which is why I like to have time limits on most of my puzzles. 

Brain vs. and Brawn

Puzzles are often used to make the brainer members of the party feel more useful, but they don’t have to exclude the brawny members! You can include the following to make your puzzles enjoyable to everyone!
  • A monster/horde of enemies emerges that your party must fight until the puzzle is correctly solved (I love this as it is both a drawback AND a timer!)
  • To access a part of the puzzle, a large rock or statue must be moved with a successful strength check
  • A thick wall of quartz must be broken by non-magical means in order to get to the last piece of the puzzle
  • Only the simply may enter, to walk through a barrier to finish a puzzle, a player must have an intelligence of 10 or lower (I love this one for those quintasential “dumb barbarians”) 
By incorporating both brain and brawn into your puzzle design, you will ensure that all members of your party end up loving your puzzles.

Hints/Clues (Essential!)

If you party is doing their due diligence and investigating your puzzle room, you should reward them with hints and clues for how to solve your puzzle. This can be done any of the following ways:
  • Artwork: Murals and art work around the room depicting different elements of your puzzle or perhaps the drawbacks and dangers of answering incorrectly.
  • Bodies: It is very likely that others have tried and failed to solve this puzzle before your party. It is possible these bodies could contain notes on the puzzle, thoughts, or a missing inscription or item the players did not have.
  • Markings/Footprints: If something needs to slide or be moved for a puzzle to be solved and a player rolls a decent perception/investigation check, I make sure to tell them that they see “scrapes on the floor as if the heavy statue has been moved several times”, or “a bloody handprint on the third button.”
These hints both make the puzzle easier for the player to solve and reward them for being smart players. As I talk about in my article on the benefits of the inspiration system, players only learn to be better players when you reward them for actions you would like to see them do more often. Giving them clues when they take the time to investigate rooms is a great way to do this.

Bonus! Hidden “Work-Arounds”

I love hiding a “work-around” in each of my puzzles for if my players are especially creative or ingenuitive. A lever attached to a book which opens a hidden by-pass door (because a mage wouldn’t want to solve his own puzzle every time he came home, now would he?) or a false wall or even a hidden portal. My players LOVE finding these, it is like a mini-game for them. I even give them inspiration if they do find the “work-around.” It is a lot of fun and has really added to my player’s enjoyment of my puzzles.  The internet is FULL of puzzle and riddle ideas that you can use and adapt, but the best planned puzzle will fall flat if you don’t consider these aspects. By including all members of the party, making sure the puzzle is appropriately challenging and dangerous for the area, laying out clues and providing options, you are sure to make puzzles your players will love and talk about for many many sessions.  Until next time, May your game have advantage, my friends! -Halfling Hannah