Chapter 3: Battlefield Encounters

Illus. by D. Kovacs

layer characters can encounter almost any monster on the battlefield, if for no other reason than the fact that a battle can spring up almost anywhere. Many of the PCs’ hostile encounters will simply be with members of the enemy army. You can use the following encounters in three ways. It’s easy to integrate them into a battlefield adventure you’re planning (see Chapter 2). If you want to give PCs a taste of the battlefield, you can include these encounters as a sideline in a traditional D&D adventure that takes place near a battle or at the behest of an army. And if you just want an evening’s entertainment, you can run any of the following encounters as stand-alone scenarios. Here is the format for battlefield encounter descriptions. BATTLEFIELD ENCOUNTER NAME

(CHARACTER LEVEL)

Description of the encounter setup in plain language.

Character Level: The optimal average character level for the encounter. Characters of the indicated level are expected to expend 20% to 25% of their resources in such an encounter, much as if they were engaged in an encounter of an EL that matched their character level. Note that the actual EL of the opponents in the encounter tends to exceed this value, since it takes into account allied forces aiding the PCs.

Objective: The PCs’ goal. Many battlefield encounters have primary and secondary objectives.

Allied Forces: Additional troops or reinforcements available to the PCs undertaking the mission.

Enemy Forces: The foes the PCs will face in the encounter. These creatures are described either in the Monster Manual or in the appendices of this book (or both). Depending on the encounter and the situation, the PCs might be aware of some, all, or none of these foes before the encounter begins.

Terrain Features: Any significant features of the landscape that could affect the outcome of the encounter, such as hills, undergrowth, or fortifications.

Tactics: Options available—whether to the PCs and their allies, their enemies, or both—and what effect such tactics have on the encounter.

Aftermath: Effects of a successful or unsuccessful operation by the PCs.

XP Adjustment: In addition to the normal reduction of XP awarded after a battlefield encounter that features allied NPCs fighting alongside the PCs, some encounters afford the PCs even greater support before, during, or after the battle. In such cases, reduce the XP reward granted to the PCs by the indicated percentage. This concept is detailed more fully in the XP on the Battlefield section (see page 61). 45