The Joy of Designing an Engaging Three Player Skirmish Scenario

Three-player skirmish games can be very tricky to design. Without careful planning, you risk two players ganging up on the third, one player getting stuck waiting for the others to resolve their turns, or the action becoming lopsided. In this scenario, set in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, I aimed to create a balanced and engaging experience where all three players remained in the thick of the action.

The Scenario: “The Saint’s Fate”

As you probably know, I love adding narrative flavor to my games. Whether D&D or Warhammer an engaging narrative creates much more opportunity for emergent play. I’ve recently developed a loose setting for my 40K inspired games as a way to develop an interesting and ongoing narrative. Consequently, I wanted to set this scenario in the same setting. For more information on Mordax Prime follow the link here. As for the scenario…

A miraculous manifestation has occurred. A Saint touched by the power of the God Emperor, has manifested among the ranks of the Adepta Sororitas, but her fate is uncertain. The Inquisition, ever wary of uncontrolled power, has dispatched a team of Lancet Hereticus Space Marines to capture her for interrogation. Meanwhile, a force of Chaos Plague Marines, the Ferrymen, seeks to claim the Saint for a dark ritual, hoping to summon a daemon of the Warp into realspace.

The Sisters of Battle, unaware of what forces are closing in, have fortified their shrine compound to protect the Saint. What follows is a brutal three-way battle where each faction must act quickly to achieve victory.

Board Setup

  • Board Size: 3ft x 3ft
  • The Saint: Begins inside the shrine compound, positioned on one half of the board.
  • Deployment:
    • Sisters of Battle are entrenched in and around the shrine compound.
    • The Lancet Hereticus Space Marines deploy in one corner opposite the shrine.
    • The Chaos Plague Marines deploy in the other opposite corner.
Table deployment map

Victory Conditions

  • At the start of Turn 4, an escape shuttle may arrive at the compound on a roll of 5 or 6.
  • Each turn after that, the roll threshold decreases (4+ on Turn 5, 3+ on Turn 6, etc.).
  • The player who has control of the Saint and gets her to the escape shuttle wins the game.

Note that the Saint begins in the possession of the Sisters of Battle.

Key Design Features

1. Balanced Start & Player Equality

  • The two marine factions begin an equal distance from the objective (the Saint in the shrine), ensuring no player has an immediate advantage.
  • Sisters of Battle start in a strong defensive position but must react to two incoming threats.
  • Both invading forces must contend with the Sisters and each other.

2. Quick Action & Continuous Engagement

  • The short board size (3ft x 3ft) ensures combat starts early, preventing long movement phases where nothing happens.
  • The Sisters’ defensive position means they will likely be fighting by Turn 1.
  • Since the Saint is stationary at the beginning, players must maneuver aggressively and fight over control.
  • The time limit ensures that all players must take action in order to win.

3. Preventing “Two vs. One” Situations

  • Both the Inquisition and Chaos forces have competing objectives, preventing an easy alliance.
  • The victory condition forces all players to engage—hoarding forces in a corner will not secure a win.
  • The randomized escape shuttle arrival means players must remain flexible; camping a spot isn’t a viable strategy.

Final Thoughts on the Three Player Scenario

This three player scenario creates a dynamic battlefield where all players are constantly engaged. It prevents downtime, discourages ganging up, and forces strategic decision-making. The next blog post will explore how this scenario played out in actual gameplay—did it live up to expectations, or were there unexpected twists? Stay tuned!

Title image is Sister of Battle by Anna Steinbauer. For more of her awesome art visit her site here.

Transforming Plots from Books and Movies into Exciting D&D Adventures

Alien movie poster

How often do you watch a movie or read a book, and think, this would make an awesome D&D adventure? If you are like me, all the time! The rich narratives found in books and movies offer a treasure trove of inspiration for creating compelling adventures. By adapting these stories into the D&D adventure framework, Dungeon Masters (DMs) can craft adventures that resonate with players, offering familiar yet novel experiences. Let’s explore how to convert the plots of the movie Alien and the book Sharpe’s Rifles into engaging D&D adventures.

The Movie: Alien

My favorite movie of all time. I remember watching it as a 16 year old on a rocking chair in my parents house. I kept the lights off, which coupled with the creaking of the old house added to the scary atmosphere. The bleak industrial sci fi, kick ass heroine and beleaguered crew had a big impact on me. Despite the fact there is an Alien RPG and others like Mothership and Those Dark Places I’ve always though that Alien is also great fodder for a D&D adventure.

Synopsis: In Alien, a spaceship crew responds to a distress signal on a distant planet, only to encounter a deadly extraterrestrial creature that picks them off one by one.

Conversion into a D&D Adventure

  • Setting the Stage: The adventure begins with the party receiving a distress call from a remote outpost or a derelict ship. The setting could be a mystical planes jumping vessel, a forgotten temple, or an ancient dungeon.
  • Initial Exploration: As the party investigates, they discover signs of an unknown threat—strange symbols, remnants of battles, or cryptic messages left by the previous inhabitants.
  • The Threat: Introduce a powerful, terrifying creature that stalks the party. This could be a homebrew monster or an adaptation of an existing creature like a mind flayer or a remorhaz.
  • Survival and Escape: The focus of the adventure shifts to survival. The party must use their wits and resources to outmaneuver the creature. The tension rises as they realize direct confrontation might not be the best option.
  • Climactic Escape: The adventure culminates in a high-stakes escape, where the party must make critical decisions to ensure their survival while sealing or destroying the creature to prevent further harm.

I can already picture the experience at the table. Slow dawning dread as they uncover the clues. Followed by a frenetic, time pressured escape. I want to play this already! In fact I will be including this in my regular campaign at some point in the future. So if any of my players are reading this, you better beware when you come across that ancient temple…

Bernard Cornwell’s books have plenty of D&D adventure inspiration

The Book: Sharpe’s Rifles

As a boy/adolescent in the 1990’s the Sharpe books and subsequent TV movies were a staple part of my media diet. Tales of derring-do aplenty with lots of inspiration for D&D shenanigans.

Synopsis: Sharpe’s Rifles follows Richard Sharpe, a soldier in the British Army during the Peninsular War. After a series of setbacks, Sharpe takes command of a group of riflemen and leads them on a daring mission to rally Spanish allies and defeat a superior French force.

Conversion into a D&D Adventure

  • Setting the Stage: Place the party in a war-torn region where they are part of a larger conflict. They are separated from their main force and must navigate enemy territory to regroup with allies. The enemies could be anything from a chaotic orc horde to well disciplined Drow.
  • Leadership Challenge: One of the party members (or a trusted NPC) must step into a leadership role, rallying a group of local militia or refugees. The focus here is on building trust and cohesion within the group.
  • Skirmishes and Guerrilla Warfare: The adventure includes a series of skirmishes against enemy patrols. The party must employ guerrilla tactics, using the terrain and local knowledge to outsmart a superior force.
  • Rallying Allies: The party seeks out local leaders or resistance fighters to bolster their numbers. This involves diplomacy, persuasion, and perhaps a daring rescue or theft.
  • Final Battle: The adventure culminates in a strategic battle where the party and their allies confront the enemy. The players’ earlier choices affect the strength and morale of their forces, adding weight to the final confrontation.

I envisage this adventure being played in the sandbox style. The players are provided with a map of the area. Potential ally and enemy locations are detailed. Now the party must decide where to rally allied troops and where to enact guerilla actions. The final battle could be at the key strategic location being held by the villains. Perhaps a cross roads, bridge over a chasm or a magical portal. Played as a short campaign this gives plenty of opportunity for player dilemmas and cinematic scenes. I know exactly where this sort of adventure can fit into my current campaign.

Final Thoughts

Adapting plots from books and movies into D&D adventures allows DMs to introduce players to thrilling, narrative-rich experiences. By drawing on the suspense of Alien or the military strategy of Sharpe’s Rifles, DMs can create adventures that challenge players in new and exciting ways. The key is to capture the essence of the original story while allowing for the flexibility and creativity that makes D&D unique. By thinking about the inspirations above I now have two potentially awesome adventures to run my players through. I cant wait.

Where are your go to sources of inspiration for your D&D adventures?