Sword and Fist

Sword and Fist
Fight! Fight!
By Angel Leigh McCoy

When the arrows fly, the dragon breathes fire, and death lurks around every corner, then do the warriors step forth to do battle, with blades or bare fists, to end the evil and win the day.

--From Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to Fighters and Monks by Jason Carl, et. al.

Peace, shmeace. Have you considered that, without enemies, warriors would disappear? They'd go home, get fat and lazy, adopt a hound dog or a stray cat, and pine for the good ol' days when they were out kicking goblin butt. Fortunately, the Dungeons & Dragons game has an unending supply of villains.

Fighters and monks, heads up! Here come a couple new encounters a DM can toss in at any time. And these foes aren't just goblins -- they're as good as you!

This article supplements the just-released D&D accessory Sword and Fist, which offers many new prestige classes for monks, fighters and other combat-oriented characters. If your players have grown complacent fighting the same old types of nonplayer characters (NPCs), surprise them with these encounter ideas, of varying Encounter Level.

(Fair warning: You'll find it difficult to use the ravager NPCs described
in the links above without Sword and Fist to reference.)

About the Author of This Web Enhancement

A corn-fed child originally from the Midwest, Angel Leigh McCoy grew up delving into fantasy and horror novels to escape the doldrums of long, hot summers. She won her first essay contest in 6th grade and has been writing ever since. As time passed, she studied French Literature at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and rediscovered the attractions of myth and magic. Evolution happened. She traveled. She learned. Gaming became a part of her life. Over the years, she has designed RPG material for companies such as White Wolf, Wizards of the Coast, FASA, West End Games, Chameleon Eclectic and Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Angel currently haunts Seattle. You can check out her latest projects on her website.