Combat Paprika

Trying to keep combat fresh? Want to avoid hack-n-slashing too much stuff? I've got a random table for that. Check it out.

 

Intro

I've been a dedicated homebrew DM for 30 years, so I have my ruts. Deep deep ruts. As such, I'm always on the hunt for ways to bump out off my tracks. Gotta keep things fresh after all for my own sake as much as for my players'. If the DM isn't excited, then no one is.

A year ago, I made this table of tables (see below) called Combat Paprika. Its 8 sets of complications. I use them in mainly in two ways,

1. The basis for a battle or encounter.
   
2. If a battle becomes a forgone conclusion, I'll roll up a complication. 

For example, let's say that we're on round 3, but the players have effectively won. All that's left is to roll out the slaughter to see how efficiently they can win. (But I don't want to throw the second half of the fight because that resource drain on their spells/hp is important.) Still, it's YAWN.

So I roll! 1d8...1, precious enemy. Then 1d6...6. "The target spends our reward to fight us." Hahah, yes!

Here we go,

Suddenly the enemy furthest in the back pulls out a cursed Wand of Magic Missiles. It takes blood to use, which is why he didn't use it before. Anyway, what's really important is that that wand is very expensive and valuable. The enemy starts ripping off missiles with it, which hurts! Now the players will scramble to get the wand from that foe before he spends the last charge and potentially destroys the valuable wand.

Bonus: they don't know how many charges it had to start with! Any shot fired could be its last.

Now, if you don't want them to have something like that, best use a different idea.  This was definitely an example moreso than a suggestion.

Anyway, you probably want to see the tables, so here they are. 

 

A complication in the form of… (1d8)

(1) A precious enemy (1d6)

(1-2) Target is or is wearing a valuable.

(3) Target is or is wearing a bomb.

(4) Target has a hostage.

(5) Target is a friendly (charmed.)

(6) Target spends our reward to fight us.

(2) A wacky chase involving (1d6)

(1) Boats

(2) Wild Animals

(3) Magical Teleportation

(4) Chariots or wagons

(5) Tunneling

(6) Contraptions! – erratic movement

(3) There’s a powerful audience (1d6)

(1) Fighters must do arena showboating.

(2) A Power that Be is watching and judging.

(3) Hostile Crowd.

(4) Guards are watching.

(5) No killing is allowed.

(6) Only killing is allowed. (Thunder Dome!)

(7) Place your bets!

(8) Love interest is in the crowd.

(4) A natural disaster strikes (1d6)

(1) Collapse – beware falling rocks, limbs, people, building, whatever.

(2) Slide – landslide, mudslide, floor slide, etc…

(3) Flood – prone chance, slowed movement, all lightning is AOE now.

(4) Fire – spreads rapidly unless put out endangering everyone.

(5) Rumbles and Shakes – earthquake, boat tossed on the waves, etc.…

(6) Wind – range combat penalties, easier to get knocked prone (disadvantage to resist), vehicle control issues.

(5) Magical Mishaps (1d8)

(1) Wild Magic (See 5e surge table)

(2) A random madness afflicts everyone at once.

(3) Crackling Energy.

(4) Someone mixes their potions.

(5) Teleportation scramble.

(6) Temporal! Re-roll initiative.

(7) Brain swap, temporary.

(8) Rift to a micro-plane. Escape before it closes!

(6) Endangered Innocent (1d6)

(1-2) Cat, dog, or another cute animal

(3) Panicked commoners

(4) A “Princess”

(5) A “Prince”

(6) Child

(7) Misunderstandings (1d6)

(1) Monster X, “doesn’t’ want to be here but has to.”

(2) Sudden third party, now it’s a three-way struggle.

(3) A foe shouts, “I know you!”

(4) Bribery attempt

(5) False surrender

(6) A fake- (roll for new complication.)

(8) Suddenly there’s a MacGuffin! (1d6)

(1) Two people desperately need the one antidote.

(2) Mass Disarm: Everyone’s weapons fly 1d6m away.

(3) Secret treasure revealed! But it’s made of glass.

(4) Powerful buff object appears. Holding it is awesome (gain advantage) but there can be only one.

(5) Catch the golden snitch!

(6) Murder machine enters the fray; its control rod is just right over there though!