Room Design: Egg Hunt

[@electron281]

"Fear is the commodity which you sell as a dungeon master. Sometimes you just hand it away for free" That is the greatest piece of wisdom I have ever heard from you Hankerin!All DMs must make that our mantra

[@sharks3010]

My grandad always told me "never mix the grape and the grain", but that blood wine looked good!

[@dustingonzales2566]

Used this mechanic in our game this last weekend. It was fantastic! Super memorable encounter. My version of the "egg" was a Lich's Phylactery. My "spider" was the guardian of said phylactery. My "webs" was a time warp bubble in the center. I also had a movement puzzle to get to the "egg" which was very obviously placed in the center of the room. Thanks again for the video Hankerin' please keep these room designs comin!.

[@blablubb4553]

I adapted this encounter for a side quest monster hunt, and it went well. Replaced the „pupae bugs“ with spider swarms (lore being that these kind of giant spiders bred their eggs inside their swollen behinds until ready to pop) that could only effectively be wiped by AOE attacks. Replaced the spider egg with cocooned and barely alive npc the players were tasked to rescue. Replaced the dwarven forge with a rocky fissure that filled a ditch with highly flammable gas. My players used the kiting mechanic to lure the spider into the gas cloud and explode it via thrown flaming kindling bundle. Gave the spider the ability to recuperate hp by sucking life force out of cocooned npcs, thus adding tension to the fight. Several cocooned npcs in the spider‘s lair, so the heroes had their hands full trying to rescue all of them. Didn‘t manage to lure the spider into the selfmade spear trap. Also, spider‘s AC way higher when attacked from the front, half damage when hit from front or sides, but full damage and lower AC when hit from behind. Dragonborn battlemaster scored awesome final crit against feeding monster spider when attacking from the rear, ripping open the underbelly and destroying all unopened eggs in the process. Players loved the quest and the monster fight! Thanks, Hankerin! Really cool idea! My campaign has profited very much from your room design series. I also ran an adapted version of „Wolves of the North“ as part of their main questline. One of the most dramatic fight-and-flight-sequences they ever played! Highly recommended!

[@jimmybrook7119]

Can’t wait to try this out.

[@jesternario]

Remember, It's like what Chumba Wumba says. You want them to get knocked down, but you want them to get up again.

[@jim52970]

@4:41 "Cooper, go scratch your flees somewhere else! Go on, and then he very slowly leaves the room..." Watching this vid before work and Hank already has made my day.

[@moviemaniac1838]

I DM'ed for the first time last week (loved it), it went incredibly smoothly, and this channel was a lot of help towards that. It was my first time plying D&D or any table top RPG so I just wanted to say awesome videos and thanks for all the quality content!

[@michaelgarner4315]

I really enjoy your light-hearted approach to the work of designing rooms, and it's always entertaining to listen to the things that spew from your pupae-hole. :-) ("Imma cut off the ends of my socks and pull them up past my ankles because." (That really made me laugh.)) Beyond the sheer entertainment value, your videos have a solid core of kick-ass-ness, and this one is no exception. The concepts are -- as you say -- simple, but when combined, make for a combat encounter that feels a lot like a puzzle. You're checking off a lot of boxes on your players' "fun list" by putting in the DM-skull-sweat ahead of time. Thanks for making these videos -- they're gems.

[@tsass2011]

Ran a version of this encounter tonight with a modified stone golem. Worked wonderfully and my friends players loved it. Thanks for the idea!

[@AltusNoumena]

I love your channel. You have interesting encounters, an engaging personality and you make all our games better. Thank you, thank you, thank you my friend.

[@VioletDeliriums]

1:03 SURPRISE!!! That's not a Numidian Desert Hooded Knight, but just the Drunkens and Dragons guy pretending to be one!!!! 2:41 HAHA! That caught me off guard for some reason. I think the part at the beginning with the hood threw me off and I let my guard down and laughed a bit. I could maintain the hipster poker face no longer. 11:58 BLOOD WINE commercial. 21:31 Some solutions, after the Kiting (get the egg and make the spider chase the character with it)... 22:00 HAHA! Once again, caught off guard. 23:19 TIP -- DMs use the pupae hole spawn outta the monsta trick 25:32 TIP -- mechanically challenging battle aids that let the wierdo skills come into play... (see 18:33)

[@hewhoisnamed9050]

While i don't agree with all of the ideas presented in some of your videos, your encounter design is some of the best I've ever seen. What with the cool mechanics, and of course the cool 3d map work you've developed. I wasn't too sure at first, but after watching a few videos I think I have no choice but to subscribe :)

[@Runehammer1]

Oh man great to hear...stay critical! Let's up it from here!! 'preciate teh str8 talk brother

[@MagnaRyuuDesigns]

Learning the mechanics for a room does make it easy. I remember with my Swashbuckler's first adventure the last fight we ended up in a room filled with vines that ended up being sentient. Everyone else in the part went head long into the battle. And since I was last in initiative, my character was able to think things through. So instead of going head long I pulled out my collapsable bow and was able to pin the vines so that the rest of the part could attack the core of the carnivorous plant.

[@Runehammer1]

+Magna Ryuu ahhh gotta love a ranged controller class!

[@avatarofkomma2525]

+1 for having the Stella on hand.

[@ImaginationHobbies]

youve really given me a lot of concepts to incorperate to give my olayers more interactive engaging incounters that seem like they will be mentally/emotionally rewarding :-)

[@ryangoff1897]

Just played through this room with my players and the paladin put the egg down to try go under the spider to hit it from behind and completely missed causing the spider to go hover over its egg. Then our fighter ran up and used his war hammer to smack the egg across the room like it was a ball lol

[@maluzon5236]

Hankerin' needs a badass laser pointer. Put that feeble flashlight back on your key chain! I'll send you one.

[@Runehammer1]

+Matt C. no need! ordered, and thank you

[@nikoladjekic2527]

It is 7 in the morning and we have just finished our 10 hour session. I used this encounter almost same as shown in the video and NOBODY was sleepy till the end. We all had so much fun and we all agreed this was the best fight we played despite we had a dead rogue at the end. Well Dice 🎲 God was not on their side. I rolled 20-20-19 plus rogue rolled 1 on a Luck roll to evade death. I hate when I roll crits as DM. Don't you? Thanks for this great idea.

[@HatFancy]

Done it once again Hankerin, awesome video.

[@pblackcrow]

I like the hour glass idea to strategize. In the beginning I usually give each player a 4 2.5 min, 2 5 minutes, and 1 10 minute time out tokens, 5 question tokens, and a few odds and end ones. I make the tokens with a 3D printer. The game usually runs from 6 to 52 hours, brakes included. I try to do a smoke & bathroom brake every 1.5 hours, and food brake every 6. We all tend to bring munchie foods and snack like CRAZY. When I host I tend to go over board. Anyway, thanks for the ideas, I will give them a try.

[@Runehammer1]

+Shannon Stokely 52 hours...

[@pblackcrow]

Not straight on...We atart on Friday at 7pm after we've ate, we always call it between 10pm and 12am, resume at between 6 and 8, play until Sunday 10pm-12am. We live in the same apartment complex. So, we don't have far to walk. We brake after 16-18 hours.

[@Runehammer1]

thunder.

[@pblackcrow]

I am not going to lie...I have no idea what you meant. But I assume it's a good thing, considering you remind me of myself in my 20s, only with a voice. IF ONLY we had things like kickstarter and KZbin back then.

[@Runehammer1]

BAh! we needed nothing and left only tire tracks in our wake! it was a time of heroes, for folk lived THEIR lives rather than each others'

[@GBlucher]

c'mon now. i gotta +this one too just for the pupae.and the oriface.

[@aleandadventure]

Always funny, entertaining and informative watching your videos sir! Keep 'em coming.

[@cedricantunes4600]

love how you often sing in your videos :D i bet you make a fun bard in d&d games

[@guybob548]

By the Mines of Lork!

[@ebradley82]

fantastic!

[@theDMsCraft]

I agree with giving characters info if the players earn it...I call it due diligence.

[@Runehammer1]

+theDMsCraft gotta doo that doo dilly

[@theDMsCraft]

...or that...lol

[@Runehammer1]

if all croak..wipe. otherwise, side quest ro res

[@CriticalEatsJapan]

I was expecting more of an Easter theme... ;) Glad it wasn't ---cool ideas. Oh yeah, and the Blood Wine...

[@rogerfarley7823]

Great vid Hankerin! Second time you've had the blood wine... think I am going to break down and finally try it lol how about a video on how you estimate and adjust the math for encounter difficulty? the DMG doesn't do a very good job.

[@Lowe505]

I would think the agility of the spider would go up and over the spear,like up the wall and down but still it's the current that's semi cut for the spider.True?

[@Runehammer1]

+lowe505 yep! and I'll gimp a monster's save if the player idea is brilliant...like a diadv dex save on room dc

[@ImaginationHobbies]

thanks again hankrin`!

[@drunkenhobgoblin417]

DMs, selling fear for over 30 years. Or giving it away sometimes... Get your free fear here! Fresh out of the egg fear!

[@mleugim1978]

First of all, I want to say that I have a lot of fun with your videos! I've never played D&D, but I want to start doing it. Forgive me if my questions are stupids, but when players enter the dungeon of this scenario, can they see everything there? Can they see Spider and the egg right from the start? How do the various elements become accessible to players? Because as the room is in 3D despite having the entrance blocked with walls of stones, the players can see the architecture, ie there is no so-called fog of war. That's a lot of questions and probably stupies.

[@Runehammer1]

they usually look around, and you can reveal as feels good

[@mleugim1978]

Ok ;) Thank you my friend!

[@outofthecauldron5062]

Great channel! Question: How much time does your "boredom" hourglass count? (awesome term by-the-way) Thanks! Cheers!

[@Runehammer1]

+Out of the Cauldron 2minutes

[@Hadorus1]

love it!!

[@bigbossignition]

Do you have a video on how you craft that badass game board?

[@Runehammer1]

yeh check out hell world

[@bigbossignition]

Runehammer thanks :) I’ve been watching your videos a lot lately. It’s really helping me feel comfortable with some of my choices to simplify mechanics. I’m a new dm with all new players and all the rules can be intimidating. At the end of the day I feel like as long as everyone is having fun that’s what matters. I let them know if I’m making a change to the rules or lessening a monsters HP and they are happy. All they care about is getting to play some dungeons and dragons like a big ol badass 😂

[@Vpkoivisto]

Very cool idea! I gotta keep this in mind. I can imagine the spider getting some kind of a bonus if her egg gets smashed (barbarian rage, anyone?). Bad times for the players... :D One question, though: How would you handle spellcasting characters? Would they be able to dish out damage on the spider with offensive spells where other attacks just bounce off?

[@Runehammer1]

sure, if it fits...

[@dkbibi]

I'm not sure I get that one. Wouldn't the players just either go left or right and avoid the middle? And what does it matter of they take either pathway? Since the room is tight corridors wouldn't they be kind locked once they come into contact?

[@Runehammer1]

+Addramyr Palinor you'd think..but I've discovered that players do the wildest weirdest things...so providing odd spaces gives them crazy ideas. if you adopt a "wont they just" approach, you wind up with flat open battlefields real quick. the narrows, yes..if they mindlessly head on the thing ina tight space, they will be battle locked and die.

[@Arxpell]

awesome, like yours vids !

[@jasoncutugno8577]

Hank, awesome room. Two things, out of curiosity I was wondering if there was a possibility for you to do some ideas on how to run a room/ campaign on a map system like Roll20. Where you have a room just like that Or do most of the same ideas apply? 2nd thing, do you have any plans on doing a series about your thoughts regarding character class and building a party ? Conventional and Unconventional.

[@Runehammer1]

+Jason Cutugno system don't matter much with room designs! as for class/party..I'm like party balance as I am with stats..let weaknesses happen! NO magic in a group can be a death sentence though..just no evil groups..EVER

[@fahr]

you should record a session of you guys playing together, I'm sure a lot of people would like to see that

[@Runehammer1]

+O agreed, but my group didn't sign up to be filmed, and it wrecks the game..so...trying to find an idea...

[@janehuskmann1914]

So, make the monsters Mook Makers? Interesting.

[@XAncientRelicX]

I'm wondering why the spider didn't web the character running with the egg and then eat his face? Did I miss something?

[@Runehammer1]

+XAncientRelicX nope! that is the spider's first tactic..HAND OFF lol

[@kapittsalt]

Rando q, but what's that wine? My pappy be a nerd for high-wheel bicycles, so easy gift winnnnn.

[@Runehammer1]

+Keith Pitts butcher crossing!

[@gerbie42]

I wonder what would happen if the players destroy the egg.. say throw it in the forge. They would lose their kiting 'bait' and have a very very angry spider on their hands... :D

[@Runehammer1]

+gerbillgrubb that's what happened in our group...thus the near tpk

[@kuppler14]

another great vid...

[@shaddonon]

12:13

[@the_professor5838]

8:53 classy... XD

[@Stratplayer05]

Even for you this was pretty damn innovative. You mention dragons though. How would you have a dragon spawn things?

[@Stratplayer05]

+Drunkens & Dragons: Play D&D Like a Badass All good ideas. Now though I'm almost certain that at some point I'm going to do this with a troll. All those detached living limbs flailing around. It'll be such an amazing mess...

[@Runehammer1]

limbs! haha yes

[@Stratplayer05]

+Drunkens & Dragons: Play D&D Like a Badass If I wanted to be a complete asshole I could have had it have eaten some slaad eggs or something and vomit up a couple slaadpoles to fill the pupae role.

[@Runehammer1]

yes. yes.

[@marcadiadd5681]

Great question. When he said the enemy could be human, it made me visualize dirty little spawns emerging from a human pupae hole.

[@Hadorus1]

what would you have the human spawn for adds??

[@Runehammer1]

+Hal Patterson hmmm...backpack o' gobbies? bamfs? parachuters?

[@ImaginationHobbies]

players* encounters* spellcheck*

[@Balin93]

Greetings, Master Control.

[@Dancingbeetles4]

What level is this recommended?

[@Runehammer1]

my guys were 2 ish..

[@trentonmaloney3280]

how big are the base boards that you set this up on?

[@Runehammer1]

+trenton maloney about 24 b 34"

[@trentonmaloney3280]

the mechanic itself works very well, i think im having a problem with my pupae hole though...

[@Runehammer1]

HIT IT! lol

[@aria8928]

SPIDERHELM is best helm

[@pkrangehit]

Is that drink just red wine and beer?

[@Runehammer1]

yep

[@damnation3346]

i just got a computer!!!!!

[@thermonuclearwarhead]

Pupae holes.

[@SonOfBeor]

Orifice Mechanics 101

[@timcalandrino743]

😊

[@mleugim1978]

I also don't understand very well the sand timer mechanism and how this one integrate with the d4 timer...another silly question...

[@Runehammer1]

sand timers are for players, timer dice or round timers are in-world :D

[@mleugim1978]

Thank you for your time and for your sympathy. So when you roll a dice D4 (roll a 3), for example, before the spider shows up, what the players know is that after 3 turns something will happen, but they do not know what. That's it? Thank you in advanced.

[@METALGEARMATRIX]

Miguel Salgueiro I know it's been almost a month but yes, that is how you use the timer dice. I would also suggest smiling wickedly and chuckling to yourself on a 2-4 to really get them worried On a 1 just stare at it for a moment in shock/horror

[@mleugim1978]

WarMachineBrony, thank you my friend, for your time and for your the answer and also for the tips!

[@UnionJackstones]

How do you spell pewpay?

[@Runehammer1]

puepae

[@janehuskmann1914]

pupae*

[@Runehammer1]

puepae

[@stevetheintern2552]

Egg hunts. Bitches love egg hunts.

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Not cool Steve. This is why you had to do sensitivity training.

[@Runehammer1]

+Black Magic Craft really weird dude...really weird