Build Fantastic Monuments in D&D and 5e Combat

Mike offers tips for building fantastic monuments of power to shake up your big D&D and 5e battles.
Video Contents
00:00 Show Start
02:38 Prepare Ahead of Time
02:58 Base Monument Stats on CR Monster Stats
05:17 Monument Effects
08:11 Tie Spells to Monuments
09:30 Ensure Monuments are Fun for Players
12:14 Building Monuments Step by Step
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[@the_purple_mage]

As a big fan of Lair Actions and other environmental effects, I am definitely on board with this concept! Anything that makes combat more interesting and may even serve some story elements is a win in my book!

[@Gumby-vx7ki]

This podcast was monumental. Level up, Sly.

[@FamBoren]

It's a great idea to involve the environment in different ways to disrupt or change the best plans forged by the players. I love it!

[@lowRolls]

I love giving objects like locks some HP. On a successful d20 check a player rolls successive d4 to pick it. When it’s at zero, the lock opens. Great for a heist when time is of the essence or the party is fending off goblins while you pick the lock. It’s an ICRPG thing I’ve adopted.

[@justinblocker730]

magical things, in this case statues. Have the players find it as a reward, a Statue that answers any question after you give it a gold coin. Great for depleting the party's gold, and giving them a good resource, but the statue might not know everything? which would also be fun.

[@crimfan]

I had one where there was a big tree on the VTT map. A lot happened around that tree and eventually the wizard threw a lightning bolt at it. He rolled really high damage and so I had it make a save. It got a natural 1 so I decided it was hollow and had it explode with a bunch of extra damage that splattered on some of the PCs and killed a bunch of the enemies! But I agree, overall, do think about such things in advance, at least to some degree, especially so you can drop things in without hemming and hawing.

[@JesseCohoon]

Very neat. I'd add one thing to your idea. They might have a name and/ or a history. For instance, The Statue of Liberty, or The Colossus of Rhodes

[@SlyFlourish]

The history can come in from Secrets and Clues

[@mikecarson7769]

excellent creative ideas for big battle scenes! i like adding the theme of solving a mystery or a puzzle, as part of a combat encounter

[@anathema1828]

Excellent!

[@gmanbo]

Something interesting to add in with an object that has a fair amount of adverse effect on the battle field. The spell mending. I realize it takes a minute to cast. However if players are forced to retreat.... The monument can be repaired. Or a magic item has 1 or 2 charges of mending that can be used to repair during combat. These could recharge on a long rest. A monument that the players take with them and can set up. Takes like 10min to deploy but must stay in exactly that spot for 24 hours after this. This could allow some interesting applications for the players to face off against odds that would normally be out of their ability. + With a magical item that allowed for the repair of the deployable monument in question.... They might be tempted to deploy it in more risky situations. If deployment could only be done 1 time every 48 hours this could be interesting. Or if a time restriction is something thats not interesting for you or your table. Make it a 2 or 3 use monument. With set up restrictions. Cant pop it out mid combat but can set one up in a specific advantagus location and pull enemies to it.... I would a good reference here is the circle of the shepard totem ability when creating a player deployable monument. Not to copy but to keep in mind power lvl of the deployable. It should buff better then the totem would. + Have a wider area of effect. Damage + Ac + Temp hp+ Could be a fog cloud (See ever smoking bottle) but your allies have the ability to see through it. In the area of the effect you and your allies gain resistance vs damage from an element+ advantage on saves vs damage from it. Untill broken or actions are taken acting upon something outside the area of effect all allies within are invisible. How these monuments recognize allies is just like spells do. Or you could have trinket type objects that could allow new allies to use the monuments effects. Powerful yes. But also situational and it encorages the players to plan as a team and be tactical. + The monument is vulnerable if it gets hit a few times and goes down its already surved its purpose. A few potions / more hitpoints are what the players gain from using the item effectively. In my mind allowing the players to engage in altering the feild of battle through a temp deployable monument. Can be quite fun as it changes a dynamic of the encounters. Instead of the players being lured in by the monsters / creatures. Now the players need to find ways of getting the monsters to come into their traps. If the players really like this style of play. It might be worth looking into items and boons that encourage it and make the luring of monsters easier. For some monsters a recipe for pharamone lures could be useful. For others a book of horrid and hateful insults. For those touchy and quick tempered creatures. Prey animals or a fake prey animal. Old school trapping uses trails and the covering of smells with prey animal sents. Magical lures that hit something deep within a creature. Think the orbs that inniated the dragon rage. Do note that typically players are the ones inniating combat and if they have a quick enough lure type that can avoid missiles and escape back to a prepared position. The players deserve their tactical advantage. But some monsters/ creatures will not take the bait.... Unless they do what the players tend to do in dangerous areas. Pick their way forward with caution. If the players have put in effort, time and cash.... Its usually best to throw them at least a few fool hardy mooks / minions that take the bait.