We’ve all been there. Your party is about to kick down the next door in goblin den when Geoffry the rogue has a smart idea: should we all try a Stealth check to sneak up on them? Grinain the wizard has another smart idea: how about I turn us all invisible first? And then Fingalmil the druid: how about I turn into a rat to sneak in and scout the place?
All of a sudden, the party is gridlocked. Everybody has something to contribute and everybody wants to be polite and supportive to the other players. How do they decide? How does the DM provide suggestions without railroading the group? (This is also a tough nut to crack without metagaming, which I don’t mind but many DMs oppose.)
One possible answer can be found in the video game XCOM: Chimera Squad, a spinoff of the main XCOM series. Chimera Squad cuts out the scouting portion of missions, cutting straight to the firefights. Its main innovation is Breach Mode, during which the player positions squad members at the available entry points.
A door might be open to anyone but leave a member exposed to enemy fire. A locked door might require a key card and a demolition charge can open a hole in a wall, and each of these entrances might provide benefits – an increased chance to hit, or being able to move further on the member’s first turn.
So, I thought, what would this look like in Dungeons and Dragons? What if that room in the goblin den had two entrances that could only be accessed with certain abilities? What if the players had multiple but limited choices, rather than their entire classes’ lists of features leading to analysis paralysis?
Here, I present my take on Breach Mode for Dungeons and Dragons. Below you’ll find an Obstacle table with ideas for how many characters can use it, what it requires, and the bonus and penalty for meeting or failing that requirement. I also included an Objective table to add some tension to the combat encounter. Hopefully this will help your PCs make meaningful tactical choices in your games.
Enjoy!
Obstacle Table
| d10 | Obstacle | Spaces | Requirement | Bonus | Penalty |
| 1 | Standard door/window | 2 | None | None | None |
| 2 | Locked door/window | 2 | Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check | +5 to Initiative roll | -5 to Initiative Roll |
| 3 | Barred door/Alternate floor entrance | 2 | Athletics check | Advantage on attacks on first turn. | Enemies get advantage on first round of attacks |
| 4 | Large door | 4 | None | None | None |
| 5 | Passphrase | 2 | History check | Enemies don’t target you on first round of combat | Enemies take Hide action before combat |
| 6 | Overgrown vines | 3 | Survival check/Leveled spell that deals fire damage | Pouch of 2d6 Goodberries | 3d8 poison damage |
| 7 | Stone door | 2 | Investigation check | 10d10 gp worth of gems | Door does not open |
| 8 | Arcane ward | 1 | Arcana check | Maximum damage on next spell | 4d4+4 force damage |
| 9 | Ambush point | 4 | Perception check versus enemies’ median Passive Stealth | Gain half cover on first round. | Enemies automatically deal critical hits on first round. |
| 10 | Arcane spotlight | 4 | Each PC gets one action to help destroy spotlight (AC 13, HP 18) OR Group Stealth check versus enemies’ median Passive Perception | Can take Hide action before encounter. | Under effect of Faerie Fire. |
Objective Table
| d6 | Objective | Reward | Penalty |
| 1 | Protect creature | Information, supplies | Creature’s allies become hostile |
| 2 | Capture/Kill creature | Foiling the enemy’s plan | Enemy plots revenge |
| 3 | Protect Device | Cure for plague | Cure research delayed/lost |
| 4 | Defuse/Destroy Device | A large dragonshard | Device activates |
| 5 | Find secret (ie. door, chest, letter) | Access to secret | Secret lost |
| 6 | Travel to destination | Access to destination | Access lost |
Into the Fray 