Dungeon Master's Guide (2014)
Core Rulebooks
DMG
2014
Wizards of the Coast
Dungeon Master's Guide (2014) - core
Table of Contents
Introduction
A World of Your Own
- The Big Picture
- Core Assumptions
- Gods Oversee the World
- Much of the World Is Untamed
- The World Is Ancient
- Conflict Shapes the World's History
- The World Is Magical
- It's Your World
- The World Is a Mundane Place
- The World Is New
- The World Is Known
- Monsters Are Uncommon
- Magic Is Everywhere
- Gods Inhabit the Land, or Are Entirely Absent
- Gods of Your World
- Loose Pantheons
- A Sample Pantheon
- Other Religious Systems
- Tight Pantheons
- Mystery Cults
- Divine Rank
- Monotheism
- Dualism
- Animism
- Forces and Philosophies
- Humanoids and the Gods
- Mapping Your Campaign
- Province Scale
- Kingdom Scale
- Continent Scale
- Combining Scales
- Settlements
- Purpose
- Local Color
- Home Base
- Adventure Site
- Size
- Village
- Town
- City
- Atmosphere
- Government
- Forms of Government
- Autocracy
- Bureaucracy
- Confederacy
- Democracy
- Dictatorship
- Feudalism
- Gerontocracy
- Hierarchy
- Kleptocracy
- Magocracy
- Matriarchy or Patriarchy
- Meritocracy
- Militocracy
- Monarchy
- Oligarchy
- Plutocracy
- Republic
- Satrapy
- Theocracy
- Commerce
- Currency
- Common Coinage
- Trade Bars
- Odd Currency
- Creating Your Own
- Languages and Dialects
- Factions and Organizations
- Adventurers and Organizations
- Creating Factions
- Sample Faction: The Harpers
- Motto
- Beliefs
- Goals
- Typical Quests
- Sample Faction: The Zhentarim
- Motto
- Beliefs
- Goals
- Typical Quests
- Renown
- Gaining Renown
- Benefits of Renown
- Rank
- Attitudes of Organization Members
- Perks
- Downtime Activities
- Losing Renown
- Piety
- Magic in Your World
- Restrictions on Magic
- Schools of Magic
- Teleportation Circles
- Bringing Back the Dead
- Creating a Campaign
- Start Small
- 1. Create a Home Base
- 2. Create a Local Region
- 3. Craft a Starting Adventure
- Set the Stage
- Involving the Characters
- Creating a Background
- Campaign Events
- Putting Events in Motion
- When Not to Shake It Up
- World-Shaking Events
- 1-2. Rise or Fall of a Leader or an Era
- Rise of a Leader, Beginning of an Era
- Fall of a Leader, End of an Era
- 3. Cataclysmic Disaster
- 4. Assault or Invasion
- 5. Rebellion, Revolution, Overthrow
- 6. Extinction or Depletion
- 7. New Organization
- 8. Discovery, Expansion, Invention
- 9. Prediction, Omen, Prophecy
- 10. Myth and Legend
- Tracking Time
- The Basics
- Physical Cycles
- Religious Observances
- Civic Observances
- Fantastic Events
- The Calendar of Harptos
- Ending a Campaign
- Play Style
- Hack and Slash
- Immersive Storytelling
- Something in Between
- A World to Explore
- Character Names
- Continuing or Episodic Campaigns
- Campaign Theme
- Variations on a Theme
- Tiers of Play
- Levels 1-4: Local Heroes
- Levels 5-10: Heroes of the Realm
- Levels 11-16: Masters of the Realm
- Levels 17-20: Masters of the World
- Starting at Higher Level
- Flavors of Fantasy
- Heroic Fantasy
- Sword and Sorcery
- Epic Fantasy
- Mythic Fantasy
- Dark Fantasy
- Intrigue
- Mystery
- Swashbuckling
- War
- Wuxia
- Crossing the Streams
Creating a Multiverse
- The Planes
- Planar Categories
- Putting the Planes Together
- Inventing Your Own Planes
- The Great Wheel
- The World Tree
- The World Axis
- Other Visions
- The Omniverse
- Myriad Planes
- The Orrery
- The Winding Road
- Mount Olympus
- Solar Barge
- One World
- The Otherworld
- Planar Travel
- Planar Portals
- Spells
- Plane Shift
- Gate
- Astral Plane
- Astral Projection
- Color Pools
- Psychic Wind
- Psychic Wind
- Astral Plane Encounters
- Ethereal Plane
- Border Ethereal
- Deep Ethereal
- Ether Cyclones
- Ethereal Plane Encounters
- Feywild
- Seelie and Unseelie Fey
- Fey Crossings
- Optional Rules: Feywild Magic
- Memory Loss
- Time Warp
- Shadowfell
- Shadow Crossings
- Domains of Dread
- Optional Rule: Shadowfell Despair
- Evernight
- Inner Planes
- Elemental Chaos
- Plane of Air
- Plane of Earth
- Plane of Fire
- The City of Brass
- Plane of Water
- Outer Planes
- Layers of the Outer Planes
- Traveling the Outer Planes
- The River Styx
- The Infinite Staircase
- Optional Rules
- Optional Rule: Psychic Dissonance
- Mount Celestia
- Optional Rule: Blessed Beneficence
- Bytopia
- Optional Rule: Pervasive Goodwill
- Elysium
- Optional Rule: Overwhelming Joy
- The Beastlands
- Optional Rule: Hunter's Paradise
- Optional Rule: Beast Transformation
- Arborea
- Optional Rule: Intense Yearning
- Ysgard
- Optional Rule: Immortal Wrath
- Limbo
- Optional Rule: Power of the Mind
- Pandemonium
- Optional Rule: Mad Winds
- The Abyss
- Optional Rule: Abyssal Corruption
- Important Layers
- The Gaping Maw
- Thanatos
- The Demonweb
- The Endless Maze
- The Triple Realm
- Death Dells
- Carceri
- Optional Rule: Prison Plane
- Hades
- Optional Rule: Vile Transformation
- Gehenna
- Optional Rule: Cruel Hindrance
- The Nine Hells
- Optional Rule: Pervasive Evil
- The Nine Layers
- Avernus
- Dis
- Minauros
- Phlegethos
- Stygia
- Malbolge
- Maladomini
- Cania
- Nessus
- Acheron
- Optional Rule: Bloodlust
- Mechanus
- Optional Rule: Law of Averages
- Optional Rule: Imposing Order
- Arcadia
- Optional Rule: Planar Vitality
- Other Planes
- The Outlands and Sigil
- Sigil, City of Doors
- Demiplanes
- The Far Realm
- Known Worlds of the Material Plane
Creating Adventures
- Elements of a Great Adventure
- A Credible Threat
- Familiar Tropes with Clever Twists
- A Clear Focus on the Present
- Heroes Who Matter
- Something for All Player Types
- Surprises
- Useful Maps
- Published Adventures
- Adventure Structure
- Beginning
- Middle
- Ending
- Adventure Types
- Location Based Adventures
- 1. Identify the Party's Goals
- 2. Identify Important NPCs
- 3. Flesh Out the Location Details
- 4. Find the Ideal Introduction
- 5. Consider the Ideal Climax
- 6. Plan Encounters
- Event Based Adventures
- 1. Start with a Villain
- 2. Determine the Villain's Actions
- Big Event
- Crime Spree
- Growing Corruption
- One and Done
- Serial Crimes
- Step by Step
- 3. Determine the Party's Goals
- 4. Identify Important NPCs
- 5. Anticipate the Villain's Reactions
- 6. Detail Key Locations
- 7. Choose an Introduction and a Climax
- 8. Plan Encounters
- Mysteries
- Victim
- Suspects
- Clues
- Intrigue
- Villains
- No Villain
- Many Villains
- Influence
- Framing Events
- Complications
- Moral Quandaries
- Ally Quandary
- Friend Quandary
- Honor Quandary
- Rescue Quandary
- Respect Quandary
- Twists
- Side Quests
- Creating Encounters
- Character Objectives
- Sample Objectives
- Make Peace
- Protect an NPC or Object
- Retrieve an Object
- Run a Gauntlet
- Sneak In
- Stop a Ritual
- Take Out a Single Target
- Creating a Combat Encounter
- Combat Encounter Difficulty
- Easy
- Medium
- Hard
- Deadly
- Challenge Rating
- Evaluating Encounter Difficulty
- 1 Determine XP Thresholds
- 2 Determine the Party's XP Threshold
- 3 Total the Monsters' XP
- 4 Modify Total XP for Multiple Monsters
- 5 Compare XP
- Party Size
- Multipart Encounters
- Building Encounters on a Budget
- The Adventuring Day
- Short Rests
- Modifying Encounter Difficulty
- Fun Combat Encounters
- Random Encounters
- Triggering Random Encounters
- Checking for Random Encounters
- Creating Random Encounter Tables
- Assemble Your Encounters
- Probabilities
- Random Encounter Challenge
Creating Nonplayer Characters
- Designing NPCs
- Quick NPCs
- Detailed NPCs
- Occupation and History
- Appearance
- Abilities
- Talent
- Mannerism
- Interactions with Others
- Useful Knowledge
- Ideal
- Ideals
- Bond
- Flaw or Secret
- Monsters as NPCs
- NPC Statistics
- Using a Monster Stat Block
- Using Classes and Levels
- Class Options
- Equipment
- Challenge Rating
- NPC Party Members
- Low-Level Followers
- Adventurer NPCs
- Optional Rule: Loyalty
- Loyalty Score
- Tracking Loyalty
- Contacts
- Patrons
- Hirelings
- Extras
- Villains
- Villain's Secret Weakness
- Villainous Class Options
- Cleric: Death Domain
- Paladin: Oathbreaker
Adventure Environments
- Dungeons
- Building a Dungeon
- Dungeon Location
- Dungeon Creator
- Dungeon Purpose
- Death Trap
- Lair
- Maze
- Mine
- Planar Gate
- Stronghold
- Temple or Shrine
- Tomb
- Treasure Vault
- History
- Dungeon Inhabitants
- Dungeon Factions
- Dungeon Ecology
- Encounter Difficulty
- Mapping a Dungeon
- Dungeon Features
- Walls
- Doors
- Stuck Doors
- Locked Doors
- Barred Doors
- Secret Doors
- Detecting a Secret Door
- Opening a Secret Door
- Concealed Doors
- Portcullises
- Darkness and Light
- Air Quality
- Sounds
- Dungeon Hazards
- Detecting a Hazard
- Hazard Severity
- Wilderness
- Travel-Montage Approach
- Hour-by-Hour Approach
- Mapping a Wilderness
- Movement on the Map
- Wilderness Features
- Monster Lairs
- Monuments
- Ruins
- Settlements
- Strongholds
- Weird Locales
- Wilderness Survival
- Weather
- Extreme Cold
- Extreme Heat
- Strong Wind
- Heavy Precipitation
- High Altitude
- Wilderness Hazards
- Desecrated Ground
- Frigid Water
- Quicksand
- Razorvine
- Slippery Ice
- Thin Ice
- Foraging
- Food and Water
- Becoming Lost
- Settlement
- Random Settlements
- Random Buildings
- Mapping a Settlement
- Urban Encounters
- Law and Order
- Trials
- Sentences
- Random Urban Encounters
- Animals on the Loose
- Announcement
- Brawl
- Bullies
- Companion
- Contest
- Corpse
- Draft
- Drunk
- Fire
- Found Trinket
- Guard Harassment
- Pickpocket
- Procession
- Protest
- Runaway Cart
- Shady Transaction
- Spectacle
- Urchin
- Unusual Environments
- Underwater
- Random Undersea Encounters
- Swimming
- Underwater Visibility
- The Sea
- Navigation
- Shipwrecks
- Random Encounters at Sea
- Weather at Sea
- Visibility
- Owning a Ship
- Crew
- Passengers
- Cargo
- Damage Threshold
- Ship Repair
- The Sky
- Traps
- Traps in Play
- Triggering a Trap
- Detecting and Disabling a Trap
- Trap Effects
- Complex Traps
- Sample Traps
Between Adventures
- Linking Adventures
- Using an Overarching Story
- Example 1: The Quest of Many Parts
- Example 2: Agents of X
- Planting Adventure Seeds
- Foreshadowing
- Campaign Tracking
- Campaign Planner
- Character Notes
- Player Handouts
- Adventure Log
- NPC Notes
- Campaign Calendar
- Toolbox
- Recurring Expenses
- Total Cost per Day
- Skilled and Untrained Hirelings
- Businesses
- Garrisons
- Downtime Activities
- More Downtime Activities
- Creating Downtime Activities
Treasure
- Types of Treasure
- Coins
- Gemstones
- Art Objects
- Magic Items
- Random Treasure
- Treasure Tables
- Using the Individual Treasure Tables
- Using the Treasure Hoard Tables
- Treasure Hoard: Challenge 0—4
- Treasure Hoard: Challenge 5—10
- Treasure Hoard: Challenge 11—16
- Treasure Hoard: Challenge 17+
- Gemstones
- Art Objects
- Magic Items
- Rarity
- Buying and Selling
- Identifying a Magic Item
- Variant: More Difficult Identification
- Attunement
- Cursed Items
- Magic Item Categories
- Armor
- Potions
- Variant: Mixing Potions
- Rings
- Rods
- Scrolls
- Spell Scrolls
- Variant: Scroll Mishaps
- Staffs
- Wands
- Variant: Wands That Don't Recharge
- Weapons
- Wondrous Items
- Wearing and Wielding Items
- Multiple Items of the Same Kind
- Paired Items
- Activating an Item
- Command Word
- Consumables
- Magic Item Formulas
- Spells
- Charges
- Magic Item Resilience
- Special Features
- Random Magic Items
- Magic Items A-Z
- Sentient Magic Items
- Creating Sentient Magic Items
- Abilities
- Communication
- Senses
- Alignment
- Characteristics
- Special Purpose
- Conflict
- Sample Sentient Items
- Artifacts
- Artifact Properties
- Destroying Artifacts
- Sample Artifacts
- Other Rewards
- Supernatural Gifts
- Blessings
- Charms
- Marks of Prestige
- Letters of Recommendation
- Medals
- Parcels of Land
- Special Favors
- Special Rights
- Strongholds
- Titles
- Training
- Epic Boons
- Alternatives to Epic Boons
- Ability Score Improvement
- New Feat
Running the Game
- Table Rules
- Table Talk
- Dice Rolling
- Rolling Attacks and Damage
- Rules Discussions
- Metagame Thinking
- Missing Players
- Small Groups
- New Players
- The Role of Dice
- Rolling with It
- Ignoring the Dice
- The Middle Path
- Using Ability Scores
- Ability Checks
- Multiple Ability Checks
- Contests
- Intelligence Check vs. Wisdom Check
- Attack Rolls
- Saving Throws
- Difficulty Class
- Variant: Automatic Success
- Proficiency
- Skills
- Tools
- Saving Throws and Attack Rolls
- Advantage and Disadvantage
- Inspiration
- Awarding Inspiration
- Roleplaying
- Heroism
- A Reward for Victory
- Genre Emulation
- Players and Inspiration
- When Do You Award Inspiration?
- Tracking Inspiration
- Ignoring Inspiration
- Variant: Only Players Award Inspiration
- Resolution and Consequences
- Success at a Cost
- Degrees of Failure
- Critical Success or Failure
- Exploration
- Using a Map
- Special Travel Pace
- Visibility Outdoors
- Noticing Other Creatures
- Tracking
- Social Interaction
- Resolving Interactions
- 1. Starting Attitude
- 2. Conversation
- Changing Attitude
- Determining Characteristics
- 3. Charisma Check
- Conversation Reaction
- Aiding the Check
- Multiple Checks
- 4. Repeat?
- Roleplaying
- Being the NPC
- Using Your Voice
- Using Your Face and Arms
- Engaging the Players
- Appeal to Player Preferences
- Target Specific Characters
- Objects
- Statistics for Objects
- Armor Class
- Hit Points
- Huge and Gargantuan Objects
- Objects and Damage Types
- Damage Threshold
- Combat
- Tracking Initiative
- Hidden List
- Visible List
- Index Cards
- Tracking Monster Hit Points
- Using and Tracking Conditions
- Monsters and Critical Hits
- Improvising Damage
- Adjudicating Areas of Effect
- Handling Mobs
- Using Miniatures
- Tactical Maps
- Creature Size on Squares and Hexes
- Areas of Effect
- Line of Sight
- Cover
- Optional Rule: Flanking
- Flanking on Squares
- Flanking on Hexes
- Optional Rule: Diagonals
- Optional Rule: Facing
- Adjudicating Reaction Timing
- Combining Game Effects
- Chases
- Beginning a Chase
- Running the Chase
- Dashing
- Spells and Attacks
- Ending a Chase
- Chase Complications
- Designing Your Own Chase Tables
- Splitting Up
- Mapping the Chase
- Role Reversal
- Siege Equipment
- Diseases
- Sample Diseases
- Poisons
- Contact
- Ingested
- Inhaled
- Injury
- Sample Poisons
- Purchasing Poison
- Crafting and Harvesting Poison
- Madness
- Going Mad
- Madness Effects
- Curing Madness
- Experience Points
- Absent Characters
- Noncombat Challenges
- Milestones
- Level Advancement without XP
- Session-Based Advancement
- Story-Based Advancement
Dungeon Master's Workshop
- Ability Options
- Proficiency Dice
- Skill Variants
- Ability Check Proficiency
- Background Proficiency
- Personality Trait Proficiency
- Hero Points
- New Ability Scores: Honor and Sanity
- Honor Score
- Honor Checks
- Honor Saving Throws
- Sanity Score
- Sanity Checks
- Sanity Saving Throws
- Adventuring Options
- Fear and Horror
- Fear
- Horror
- Healing
- Healer's Kit Dependency
- Healing Surges
- Slow Natural Healing
- Rest Variants
- Epic Heroism
- Gritty Realism
- Firearms
- Proficiency
- Properties
- Ammunition
- Burst Fire
- Reload
- Explosives
- Bomb
- Gunpowder
- Dynamite
- Grenades
- Explosives
- Alien Technology
- Firearms
- Plot Points
- Using Plot Points
- Option 1: What a Twist!
- Option 2: The Plot Thickens
- Option 3: The Gods Must Be Crazy
- Combat Options
- Initiative Variants
- Initiative Score
- Side Initiative
- Speed Factor
- Initiative Modifiers
- Speed Factor Initiative Modifiers
- Rolling Initiative
- Turns
- Action Options
- Hitting Cover
- Cleaving Through Creatures
- Injuries
- Massive Damage
- Morale
- Creating a Monster
- Modifying a Monster
- Switching Weapons
- Adding a Special Trait
- Creating Quick Monster Stats
- Step 1. Expected Challenge Rating
- Step 2. Basic Statistics
- Step 3. Adjust Statistics
- Step 4. Final Challenge Rating
- Defensive Challenge Rating
- Offensive Challenge Rating
- Average Challenge Rating
- Creating a Monster Stat Block
- Step 1. Name
- Step 2. Size
- Step 3. Type
- Step 4. Alignment
- Step 5. Ability Scores and Modifiers
- Step 6. Expected Challenge Rating
- Step 7. Armor Class
- Use the Table
- Determine an Appropriate AC
- Step 8. Hit Points
- Use the Table
- Assign Hit Dice
- Step 9. Damage Vulnerabilities, Resistances, and Immunities
- Effective Hit Points
- Step 10. Attack Bonuses
- Use the Table
- Calculate Attack Bonuses
- Step 11. Damage
- Use the Table
- Base the Damage on the Weapon
- Overall Damage Output
- Attack Riders
- Step 12. Save DCs
- Use the Table
- Calculate the DCs
- Step 13. Special Traits, Actions, and Reactions
- Innate Spellcasting and Spellcasting
- Step 14. Speed
- Flying Monster
- Step 15. Saving Throw Bonuses
- Step 16. Final Challenge Rating
- Step 17. Skill Bonuses
- Step 18. Condition Immunities
- Step 19. Senses
- Passive Perception Score
- Step 20. Languages
- Telepathy
- NPC Stat Blocks
- Creating NPCs from Scratch
- Monsters with Classes
- Creating a Spell
- Spell Damage
- Healing Spells
- Creating a Magic Item
- Creating a Magic Item
- Modifying an Item
- Creating a New Item
- Power Level
- Maximum Spell Level
- Maximum Bonus
- Attunement
- Creating New Character Options
- Creating a Race or Subrace
- Cosmetic Alterations
- Creating a New Subrace
- Example Subrace: Eladrin
- Creating a New Race
- Example Race: Aasimar
- Modifying a Class
- Changing Proficiencies
- Changing Spell Lists
- Restricting Class Access
- Substituting Class Features
- Creating New Class Options
- Variant: Spell Points
- Creating a Background
- Step 1. Root It in Your World
- Step 2. Suggest Personal Characteristics
- Step 3. Assign Proficiencies or Languages
- Step 4. Include Starting Equipment
- Step 5. Settle on a Background Feature
Appendix A: Random Dungeons
Appendix B: Monster Lists
Appendix C: Maps
Appendix D: Dungeon Master Inspiration
Credits
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