Page 80 - Dungeon Master's Guide

on the characters. A love interest might demand that
a character turn away from a dangerous quest. A
dear friend might plead with the characters to spare
the villain's life, to prove that they are better than the
villain. A weak NPC might beg for a chance to win favor
from the characters by undertaking a dangerous but
essential mission.
Honor Quandary. A character is forced to choose
between victory and a personal oath or code of honor.
A paladin who has sworn the Oath of Virtue might
realize that the clearest path to success lies in deceit
and subterfuge. A Joyal cleric might be tempted to
disobey the orders of his or her faith. If you present
this quandary, be sure to provide an opportunity for a
character to atone for violating his or her oath.
Rescue Quandary. The adventurers must choose
between catching or hurting the villain and saving
innocent lives. For example, the adventurers might
learn that the villain is camped nearby, but they also
learn that another part of the villain's forces is about
to march into a village and burn it to the ground. The
characters must choose between taking out the villain
or protecting innocent villagers, some of whom might be
friends or family members.
Respect Quandary. Two important allies give
conflicting directions or advice to the adventurers.
Perhaps the high priest counsels the characters to
negotiate peace with militaristic elves in the nearby
forest, while a veteran warrior urges them to prove their
strength with a decisive first strike. The adventurers
can't follow both courses, and whichever ally they
choose, the other loses respect for them and might no
longer aid them.

TWISTS
A twist can complicate a story and make it harder for
the characters to complete their goals.

TWISTS
dlO Twist
The adventurers are racing against other creatures
with the same or opposite goal.
2 The adventurers become responsible for the safety
of a noncombatant NPC.
3 The adventurers are prohibited from killing the
villain, but the villain has no compunctions about
killing them.
4 The adventurers have a time limit.
5 The adventurers have received false or extraneous
information.
6 Completing an adventure goal fulfills a prophecy or
Ally Quandary. The adventurers have a better chance prevents the fulfillment of a prophecy.
of achieving their goal with the help of two individuals 7 The adventurers have two different goals, but they
whose expertise is all but essential. However, these can complete only one.
two NPCs hate each other and refuse to work together
8 Completing the goal secretly helps the villain.
even if the fate of the world hangs in the balance. The
9 The adventurers must cooperate with a known
adventurers must choose the NPC that is most likely to
help them accomplish their goal. enemy to achieve the goal.
10 The adventurers are under magical compulsion
Friend Quandary. An NPC that one or more of the
characters cares about makes an impossible demand (such as a geas spell) to complete their goal.

CHAPTER 3 I CREATING ADVENTURES
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