I have a little table tool that I use for every single session. It helps me track time, encounters, and gives me enough room that I can take whatever notes I want.
Here it is. I use the blank space next to the initiative box for marking hit points, effects, etc.
I keep the sheets in a binder and it makes it really easy to remember past sessions.
For years I’ve been using a simple, yet key, tool in my GM campaign binder, a time tracker developed by olddungeonmaster.com:
DM Tool for Tracking Time Download your free copy here. I have tried several different ways to keep track of time in a dungeon. Years ago I even wrote a “Time Tender” software program. I was thinking of getting a toy clock, or a broken clock that I could turn the hands on. Thinking of […]D&D 5E – TIME TRACKING TOOL
It’s well designed and simple enough to do what I need without getting in the way. It’s quick and efficient and I love being able to shade in the little boxes. There’s tons of space for adding notes about anything else I deem to be relevant.
Keeping track of time improved my game in all sorts of ways, but as I’ve gotten more into West Marches style play I’ve found myself wanting a few small updates to this tracking tool.
First, I wanted an easier way to visually mark the 4hr divisions of the day’s watches, a sort of exploration turn used for overland travel, foraging, hunting, surveying, and other non-combat adventuring tasks. I changed the numeration around the outside of the tracker to better call out these 4hr chunks of time.
Second, I wanted a reminder to track the weather. Weather in ttrpgs is often either forgotten about entirely or used primarily as a plot device. In exploration heavy play the weather can become a key challenge for the party to overcome. Many GMs will randomly generate the weather either in the moment or ahead of time, and this puts that note on the weather in an easy to reference spot – right in the middle.
I enjoy using it so much I wanted to share this tool with others. Download the PDF and never not know what time it is again!
A while back I posted my Lord of Hosts Battlesystem, which provides a straightforward way to scale up the D&D 5e experience to a full mass combat scenario. Recently I created some art for it and got it formatted into a pdf, which you can find over at The DMs Guild. The price is set to be pay-what-you-want, so there’s no reason not to go check them out!
While the standard combat rules of Dungeons & Dragons can handle fights of up to a few dozen, they struggle to adequately handle true mass combat.
The Lord of Hosts Battlesystem builds on the standard combat rules to model larger scale battles, from dozens to hundreds to thousands, while still enabling individual adventurers to lead an army’s charge against an enemy regiment, rally dispirited soldiers to rejoin the fray, or defeat powerful enemy creatures.
Most mass combat rules operate by creating a separate game system that sits on top of the standard 5e mechanics and often only work on a narrow scale, BUT NOT THIS ONE! The Lord of Hosts Battlesystem can upscale your combat without making it feel like you’ve suddenly started playing an entirely different game, AND IT CAN DO IT TO ANY SCALE!
These easy-to-run and easy-to-learn rules help your PCs turn the tide of battle by offering them a small handful of bonus action options, all covered on a single page that makes a simple reference at the table. The rest of the Battlesystem runs on a simple base mechanic and a new use for the DMG’s guidance for Theater of the Mind fights to add considerations for the full range of character and creature abilities. So let your armies clash with The Lord of Hosts Battlesystem!
Check out the preview below:
Last fall I took this Pastors & Dragons project to Gamehole Con. While I was there I ran a bunch of Cypher System adventures that I developed which I called “Adventures of Biblical Proportions”. I have found that the Cypher System provides a much more flexible base for Biblically based games than the more common D&D 5e system. With Cypher the genre of the stories you tell is much more malleable, making it extremely simple to run everything from historical no-magic, supernatural myth, high fantasy, modern, sci-fi, or any mix of genres you can think of.
My main issue with running Cypher, in spite of its simplicity, is that the rulebook is a bit all over the place. The Cypher System Rulebook has a ton of sidebars and cross-references, but I still found it pretty difficult to grok. Something about how it is organized feels really chaotic, and there are little bits of rules hiding all over the place.
In order to understand how to run the game, I began putting a sheet together that had all the necessary rules bits on 1 page. I was inspired by The Alexandrian’s Numenera focused cheat sheet, and wanted something similar but for just the general Cypher System. Last Fall, I polished up that page so I could easily use it to explain the game to new players. I think it turned out pretty well, so here it is for the world to use as well. I hope you like it!
This one-page cheat sheet explains all the basic Cypher System mechanics I’ve found to be necessary for actual play.
War is a force that gives us meaning. The clashing of armies has the power to rewrite national boundaries and change the course of history. While the standard combat rules of Dungeons & Dragons can handle fights of up to a few dozen, they struggle to adequately handle true mass combat.
The Lord of Hosts Battlesystem builds on the standard combat rules to model conflict on a much larger scale, from dozens to hundreds to thousands, while still enabling individual adventurers to lead an army’s charge against an enemy regiment, rally dispirited soldiers to rejoin the fray, or defeat powerful enemy creatures.
In most cases, when two armies oppose one another, the DM serves as the general for one side, and the players serve as generals for the opposing force. These leaders direct the soldiers that make up their armies, and everyone at the table might also represent individual champions (such as the PCs and important NPCs) who are capable of turning the tide of battle all by themselves.
To make managing dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of creatures at a time easier, similar creatures are organized into units. A unit might be a small squadron of 10, a company of hundreds, or a battalion of thousands of individuals. Each unit acts together on the battlefield, fighting until they are victorious, destroyed, or flee, succumbing to broken morale.
Each unit may have a commander, though they can also operate without one. Commanders play a key role in resolving battles, and their Charisma might be what stands between victory and defeat.
Units consist of similar creatures, for example 15 Orcs or 6000 Star Spawn Manglers. In general, units are organized in sizes according to the scale of the combat being played out. The scale of a battle impacts how big of a map to use and the length of a round of combat. Refer to the Battlesystem Scale Table to determine appropriate map scales, combat round lengths, and unit starting sizes.
| Square/Hex Size | Time of Combat Round | # of Creatures per Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 25 ft. | 30 seconds | 15 |
| 50 ft. | 1 minute | 60 |
| 100 ft. | 2 minutes | 240 |
| 250 ft. | 5 minutes | 1500 |
| 500 ft. | 10 minutes | 6000 |
The starting size is the number of creatures a unit begins the battle with. As a unit takes damage, the number of surviving creatures will shrink. Starting size is like a unit’s maximum hit points, while surviving creatures is like a unit’s current hit points. Note these numbers – they will impact when the unit makes morale checks and will be refered to throughout the battle.
A unit of creatures with a starting size equal to the number of creatures per unit shown in the Battlesystem Scale Table occupies the same space on a battle grid that a single creature would occupy on a 5ft grid.
When operating as a unit, the unit’s creatures make a single initiative roll and act together as one, using the same stats and abilities as of the single creature. If a creature has an ability that requires an ally to be nearby, such as Pack Tactics, that ability is active for all creatures within the unit.
All rolls other than initiative are resolved using these modified mob rules.
Whenever a unit of identical creatures makes a roll (attack roll, ability check, saving throw, etc.), make a single roll as if for a single creature. Divide the unit’s surviving creatures into three roughly equal sections. One section rolls this number, one section rolls this with a +5 bonus, and one section rolls this with -5 penalty.
Modified Mob Rules
If a unit’s actions result in making damage rolls, use average damage or roll damage as if for a single creature, then multiply that number by the number of creatures that scored a hit. The same applies for healing.
Example: A unit of 14 Orcs attacks an enemy unit of Svirfneblin (AC 15) with their greataxes. The player makes an attack roll and rolls a 10 on the die, resulting in a 15 to hit. 5 Orcs hit with a 15, 5 more hit with an unnatural 20, and the last 4 miss with a 10. The player rolls damage and gets 9, multiplied by 10 creatures that hit equals 90 points of damage dealt to the enemy unit.
Advantage and Disadvantage can apply to these rolls as circumstances favor or disfavor the entire unit. Critical Hits and Critical Fails apply to the entire unit as well. If a player rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll, every creature in the unit hits the target and deals critical damage. If a player rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll, every creature in the unit misses the target regardless of their other modifiers.
When casting spells or using creature abilities with lingering effects (like a Ghoul’s paralyzing claws) during mass combat, the duration of these effects is measured in rounds.
Spells and abilties that have a duration of Instantaneous or until next turn happen immediately or last until the next turn, even though the time scale of combat turns is longer. Spells with a duration of a minute or longer instead have a duration equal to the number of minutes times ten.
Example: a unit of Priests who cast Spirit Guardians (with a 10 minute duration) have a spell duration of 100 rounds regardless of the time scale. Likewise, a single PC warlock who casts Armor of Agathys (1 hour duration) now enjoys a duration of 600 rounds regardless of time scale.
The potential lengthening of spell and ability durations represents the combatants drawing on otherwise hidden stores of magic to rise to the need of their comrades and the heightened challenges of warfare.
Spells that require a longer casting time have their casting time measured in rounds in a similar manner. Spells with a casting time of a minute or longer instead have a casting time equal to the number of minutes times ten.
While each unit uses the statblock of its component creature, the DM and players should round the creatures’ average hit points to the nearest 5 or 10. Write down the hit points of a single creature in the unit next to the unit’s starting size.
Tip! Adjust the creatures’ average hit points up or down to reflect how the combatants have been treated by their allies and commanders, their general health and condition, the stakes of the battle, their investment in the outcome, and any other factors that you think should play a role.
Tally the damage inflicted to the unit as a whole instead of the damage dealt to individual creatures. Assume that every hit targets the most damaged individual. When the damage tally is enough to kill one or more individuals in the unit, remove them from the number of surviving creatures, reset the damage tally to zero, and carry over extra damage.
If a unit has an ability that allows it to drop to 1 hp instead of 0 hp, like Undead Fortitude or the Death Ward spell, determine how many individuals are affected by this ability and track those survivors separately as a sub-unit of the main force. This sub-unit is identical to the main unit except for the damage threshhold to kill an individual. Assume that attacks target this sub-unit first, before the main unit.
If a unit receives any healing, apply the healing to the damage tally of the unit as a whole. If multiple creatures within the unit will benefit from healing, multiply the healing by the number of creatures that benefit. If the healing is enough to completely heal one or more individuals in the unit, add them back to the number of surviving creatures, carrying over any extra healing. A unit can never have more surviving creatures than its starting size.
If a unit receives temporary hit points, determine how many creatures within the unit will benefit. Multiply the temporary hit points by the number of creatures that will benefit. These are the unit’s temporary hit points and serve as a buffer against damage. The temporary hit points are lost first and any leftover damage is applied ot the unit’s damage tally.
As an action, a unit can reinforce an adjacent unit of similar creatures. These reinforcements renew the resolve of their allies, reversing the effects of a failed morale check and resetting the sarting size of the unit to the sum of surviving creatures in the two units. The reinforcing unit loses its turn in combat and is joined to the space of the other unit, as the two units meld into one.
If both units have a commander (see below), the commanders decide which one stays with the newly reinforced unit. The other commander immediately leaves the unit.
A unit can occupy an individual creature’s space and vice versa, but not the space of another unit. A unit can also move through any opening large enough for one of its individual creatures.
When using a grid, the speed of a unit’s movement is measured in squares, and is equal to the speed of an individual creature divided by 5. To translate this speed into feet, multiply the size of the squares/hexes by the unit’s movement speed.
Example: a unit of Hobgoblins have an individual speed of 30 feet, resulting in a unit movement speed of 6 spaces, regardless the size of those spaces. In a single round, the unit can move 150 ft. in a battle using a 25 ft. scale or 3000 ft. in a battle using a 500 ft. scale.)
A unit can make a melee or ranged attack against an enemy if any part of the unit is within reach or range (respectively) of the target. Likewise, a unit of spellcasters can use their spells to target any point that is within range of any part of the unit. If a spell’s area of effect covers any part of an enemy unit, the entire enemy unit is affected.
Some spells and creature abilities like a dragon’s Breath Weapon attack are especially effective when used in mass combat. Their damage to a unit is multiplied based on how many targets could reasonably be caught in their area of effect. Use the Targets in Areas of Effect Multiplier table to adjust damage from area of effect spells and creature abilities. The damage multiplier represents the number of small or medium sized combatants that are caught in an area of effect. Players running spell casting units or units of creatures with similar abilities may want to jot down the TAE damage multipliers for their commonly used spells and abilities.
| Area | TAE Damage Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Cone | Size ÷ 10 (round up) |
| Cube or square | Size ÷ 5 (round up) |
| Cylinder | Radius ÷ 5 (round up) |
| Line | Length ÷ 30 (round up) |
| Sphere or circle | Radius ÷ 5 (round up) |
If the combatants are of a size other than small or medium, modify the rounded result of the TAE damage multiplier by the modifier listed in the Size Damage Modifier Table.
| Size of Creatures in Unit | Size Damage Modifier |
|---|---|
| Tiny | x 2 (round up) |
| Small/Medium | — |
| Large | ÷ 2 (round up) |
| Huge | ÷ 3 (round up) |
| Gargantuan | ÷ 4 (round up) |
When a spell or ability requires a targeted creature to make a saving throw, the entire unit makes a saving throw using the modified mob rules above. When a unit makes a saving throw to save for half damage, the total damage dealt is reduced by 1/6 if one section saves, reduced by 1/3 if 2 sections save, or reduced by half if all 3 sections save. Likewise if succeeding on a saving throw results in no damage taken, the total damage dealt to the unit is reduced by 1/3 if one section saves, 2/3 if two sections save, and is reduced to zero if all three sections save. If a spell or ability imposes a condition, a unit is only affected by that condition if the condition affects more than 50% of the unit.
If a unit is forced to make a saving throw based on the amount of damage they have received, like a concentration check, use the damage of a single attack, before multipliers and modifiers, to determine the save DC.
| # of Unit Sections that Save | For Half Damage | For No Damage | Against a Condition or Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Full Damage | Full Damage | Unit Affected |
| 1 | Damage Reduced by 1/6 | Damage Reduced by 1/3 | Unit Affected |
| 2 | Damage Reduced by 1/3 | Damage Reduced by 2/3 | Unit Not Affected |
| 3 | Damage Reduced by 1/2 | Damage Reduced to 0 | Unit Not Affected |
Example 1: a single PC wizard directs Burning Hands (a 15-foot cone) at a nearby unit of 60 medium Orcs. The Orcs make a saving throw and 1/3 (20) of them succeed, while 2/3 (40) of them fail. Using the TAE Multiplier table, we can say that two Orcs are actually targeted (15 ÷ 10 = 1.5, rounded up to 2). The wizard multiplies the damage of their Burning Hands spell (3d6) by two to get an average of 21 damage. Since 1/3 of the Orcs succeeded on the saving throw, the damage to the unit is reduced by 1/6. So the total damage from the wizard’s spell to the unit is 18 (21 – 3).
Example 2: a unit with ten surviving Archmages could launch a barrage of Lightning Bolts (100-foot line) at a unit of 15 large Ogres. Using the TAE Multiplier and Size Damage Modifier tables, we can say that two of the Ogres are targeted by each Archmage (100 ÷ 30 = 3.33, rounded up to 4 ÷ 2 = 2). The Archmages multiply the damage from their Lightning Bolts by 2 (8d6 x 2 = 56 average damage per spell x 10 sorcerers = 560 total average damage). The Ogres rolled poorly on their saving throw and none saved, so their unit takes the full 560 points of damage, likely killing 9 of them.
A commander is a significant creature on the battlefield—usually a player character or a powerful NPC or monster. These individuals may operate independently on the battlefield, but are most effective when they are appointed to a unit.
At the begininng of a mass combat, determine who the commanders are and whether they begin the fight independent or appointed to a unit. Commanders roll their own initiative and retain their place in the initiative order even when joined to a unit. While appointed to a unit a commander shares their unit’s space and moves with them on their turn, but take’s actions on their own turn. A commander maintains their own statistics and makes their own attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
As a part of a unit, a commander both protects and is protected by their allies.
A commander can force an attack targeted at their unit to target them instead. Likewise when a creature the commander can see targets it with an attack, the commander can make the unit the target instead. Any time the unit is dealt damage, the commander can choose to redirect any amount of that damage to themself.
If a commander’s unit is eliminated, even if the commander was the original intended target of the attack, the commander remains in play. A newly
unattached commander can immediately join an
adjacent unit without a commander or remain unattached
and occupy part of the space the stand formerly occupied. If a commander’s unit is subjected to a spell or ability that forces a saving throw and has an area of effect which covers more than 50% of the unit’s space. then the commander is also affected and must make a saving throw.
If a commander is dropped to 0 hit points and forced to make death saves, they make a single save each round.
When joined to a unit, a commander uses their Charisma to bolster the strength and the spirits of those in their charge.
A commander on the battlefield has five new options for its bonus action: Incite, Prepare, Rally, Reappoint, and Spur.
A commander can try to inspire the soldiers of its unit to greater effort by making a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. If it succeeds, the unit gains advantage on all attack rolls and ability checks it makes until the end of the commander’s next turn.
A commander can order its unit to be more wary by making a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. If it succeeds, the unit gains advantage on all saving throws until the end of the commander’s next turn.
A commander can steel the nerve of their troops by rallying them to the fight and making a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. If it succeeds, the unit gains Advantage on all morale checks until the end of the commander’s next turn. Whether the commander succeeds or fails, a broken unit can make a new morale check at the beginning of its turn. (See Check Morale.)
A commander leaves its unit and becomes independent, or joins a unit without a commander.
A commander can order its unit to move more quickly across the battlefield by making a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check. If it succeeds, the unit can use its reaction to move up to its speed.
Few soldiers want to die. After a unit suffers significant losses, the survivors might lose their nerve for battle. Rather than stay and fight, the rest of the unit tries to run away. Anytime the rules call for a morale check, the unit must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw.
The first time that a unit is reduced to less than half of it’s starting size, or any time it begins its turn at less than half or its starting size, the unit must immediately check morale.
If a friendly unit within sight of the unit is destroyed or broken, the unit must immediately check morale.
If a unit’s appointed commander is killed during the battle, the unit must immediately check morale.
If more than 50% of the unit fails the morale check, the unit becomes broken. For the rest of the battle, a broken unit must spend its turns trying to move as far away from enemy units as it can. It also can’t take Reactions. For its action, the unit can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s nowhere to move, the unit can use the Dodge action.
A commander is never broken. It can decide to move with a broken unit or immediately leave the unit at the start of any of its turns.
If a broken unit has a commander, the unit has a chance to rally at the start of its turn. If the unit is called to rally by its commander, it makes a new morale check at the start of its turn, potentially with Advantage. If the save succeeds, the unit is no longer broken. It takes its turn as normal.
One of the things that never scares me as a Dungeon Master is whether or not I’ll be able to challenge my players.
A lot of people worry about this. As a DM you don’t want the game to be too easy and of no consequence. You also don’t want it to be an adversarial and impossible grind that punishes player characters just for existing. You need to find just the right balance of challenge.
I’ve got lots of little tricks that I’ve learned along the way, but the one that has been the most freeing for me has been this little rule: “Your character only stays dead if you want them to.”
I unabashedly embrace resurrection in my games. I always provide a way back from the dead, and one that doesn’t take up too much table time, though it might provide an opportunity for other characters to make a sacrifice for their fallen ally. In a current campaign one player made a deal with an evil NPC to raise their comrade from the dead, while another had an opportunity to offer up one of their own bones for the sake of a resurrection.
Embracing resurrection in your TTRPG also teaches an important faith lesson: Death is not the end of our story. God overcame death, so that we could do the same. Death need not be feared.
Without being afraid of killing the PCs at my table, I embrace things like putting monsters in front of players that hit like a dump truck and knock them out, rolling dice in the open and letting them fall where they lie, putting giant mobs of monsters in front of them, making them figure out how to actually overcome difficult challenges or even come back from the dead.
I’ve knocked out and killed plenty of characters in my games, but there’s always that rule “Your character only stays dead if you want them to.” This rule has created deep and meaningful story moments as the players get the opportunity to role play with grief and loss, emotions that we often shun. It’s beneficial for us to experience these grittier emotions, especially if we can do so in a relatively safe way. A bit of grit is a good thing. The grit gives our stories and our lives definition.
Character death also has a game mechanics benefit. It gives players an opportunity to respec their PCs, or say goodbye and build a whole new character if they like. I find that a lot of times they’re ready for some kind of change. It’s an opportunity for the player to consider their character and if their story is complete just yet.
And if you TPK the party of heroes? Well it’s the same rule. They stay dead only if the players want them to. Mostly a TPK is just an opportunity to up the stakes a bit. Fail forward and raise them up in a hairy situation with an opportunity to overcome defeat.
You can’t learn to rise if you never get the chance to fall.
Just a quick post to share a DM tool I’ve really enjoyed over the last year.
I’ve tried keeping track of time in previous campaigns, and I always fall off the wagon pretty quick. I found this little tool from olddungeonmaster.com and have been using it over a year now on my current campaign and I LOVE it!
It’s well designed and simple enough to do what I need without getting in the way. It’s quick and efficient and I love being able to shade in the little boxes. There’s tons of space for adding notes about anything else I deem to be relevant.
DM Tool for Tracking Time Download your free copy here. I have tried several different ways to keep track of time in a dungeon. Years ago I even wrote a “Time Tender” software program. I was thinking of getting a toy clock, or a broken clock that I could turn the hands on. Thinking of […]
D&D 5E – Time Tracking Tool
Keeping track of time has improved my game in all sorts of ways. On the big scale it’s helped me track moon cycles, npc contracts, and town festivals. On a smaller scale it has added a much more satisfying way to answer the player’s inevitable questions of, “What time is it?” with more than hand-wavy-timey-wimey-ness.
Dungeon Master Pastor 