Warlords throughout this book have the Tactical Focal Point feature. This allows them to apply Warlord Tactics to a designated area on the battlefield. The available benefits are
listed in a warlord's statistics; the details of those Tactics are found below.

Area Clear

When an ally inside the warlord’s tactical focal point hits a creature with an attack, the ally can move that creature 5 feet.

Cover the Flank

As many as three target creatures of the warlord’s choice can use a reaction to move up to their speed when an enemy that the warlord can see enters the tactical focal point, so long as that movement does not end in the tactical focal point. If a target creature is ending their movement adjacent to the enemy that triggered this feature, they do not have to use their reaction.

Lock Phalanx

Until the start of the warlord’s next turn, any allies that are within the tactical focal point and using a shield grant their shield bonus to the AC of other allied creatures they are
adjacent to. A creature can only benefit from one shield bonus.

Phalanx Sidestep

An ally inside of the warlord’s tactical focal point doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks as long as they move from a square adjacent to an ally and into another square adjacent to an ally. In addition, the warlord and their allies can end their movement in a space occupied by an ally. The ally immediately moves 5 feet away from the direction they came in and must end movement inside of the tactical focal point.

Run Away!

When an ally inside of the warlord’s focal point is forced to make a Dexterity saving throw , they move up to their speed by using their reaction and are no longer subjected to the triggering effect if their movement takes them outside of the area or range.

TACTICAL MANEUVERS

Warlords have some special actions called Tactical Maneuvers. The specific Maneuvers available to a Warlord are listed in the Actions section of their statistics; the details of those Maneuvers are found below.

Confounding Maneuvering

Enemy creatures that are inside of the warlord’s tactical focal point make an Intelligence saving throw against the warlord’s tactical DC or can’t leave that area until the end of the warlord’s next turn. In addition, the warlord can take the Attack action.

Coordinated Blows

The warlord takes the Attack action and uses deft commands to coordinate his companions to attack enemies and set them off-guard, knocking them down. Until the end of the warlord’s turn, enemies inside of the tactical focal point make a Strength saving throw against the warlord’s tactical DC whenever they are hit by an attack or they are knocked prone .

Fearsome Display

The warlord and their allies unleash their intimidating battle rage, forcing creatures within 60 feet that are not their allies to make Wisdom saving throws against the warlord’s tactical DC. A creature that fails its save is frightened of the warlord’s tactical focal point. At the end of each of its turns, a frightened creature repeats the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. In addition, the warlord can take the Attack action.

Feinting Attack

The warlord takes the Attack action, and if they use a melee weapon attack to hit a creature on their turn, it makes a Wisdom saving throw against the warlord’s tactical DC. On a failure, the warlord and their allies are invisible to it until the end of the warlord’s next turn.

Group Assault

The warlord takes the Attack action and chooses a creature they can see within the tactical focal point. The creature makes a Constitution saving throw against the warlord’s tactical DC at the start of the warlord’s next turn provided that the warlord or an ally hits it with an attack after this feature is activated. The creature has disadvantage on the saving throw if it has been hit by 3 or more attacks this turn. On a failure, it is stunned until the end of the warlord’s next turn.

Move to Flank

The warlord takes the Attack action and calls out to as many as 2 allies that can see or hear them. These allies can use their reactions to move up to their speed. A creature makes a Strength saving throw against the warlord’s tactical DC if it is adjacent to these allies or the warlord and one of these allies at the end of their movement. On a failure, it is restrained until the end of the warlord’s next turn.

The exploration challenges here provide a plethora of ways to make journeys impactful and memorable, but Narrators can also create new obstacles for their campaigns.

Step 1: Start With a Problem

Come up with a problem the adventurers need to solve. When creating an exploration challenge, keep in mind that its purpose is to provide something to overcome on their journey to other, greater things (the campaign’s plot, the next big conflict, and so on). A good exploration challenge is something that the party doesn’t just react to, but can also directly apply their skills, gear, and ingenuity to overcome.

Step 2: Add Challenge Traits

Many exploration challenges have traits that add mechanics to change the way the adventurers can interact with them or details for the party to discover. For example, the Magical Effect trait says that the challenge can be overcome or simplified by using the spell dispel magic, and it gives the DC for doing so successfully.

Other traits grant adventurers bonuses or penalties depending on which strategies they employ. For example, an adventurer that uses fire to deal with plants gain a bonus to checks made against the plants.

Also consider the size of the challenge. Exploration challenges that gradually deal damage should be large enough in area to threaten adventurers, but not big enough that it means certain death for the party — unless it is being used to create a barrier that the PCs must circumvent or otherwise advance in level before attempting because something crucial to the campaign waits on the other side.

Step 3: Brainstorm Solutions

The solutions provided by each encounter challenge are by no means an exhaustive list of ways around the problem, although they do suggest which approaches should be harder or easier to attempt.

For example, bandits waiting by a falling net have seen plenty of violence in their careers, so it might be easier to persuade or deceive them than it is to intimidate them. In that case, the Intimidation check might be at disadvantage , while a Persuasion check would not.

Certain solutions might also have an added cost or penalty associated with them. If adventurers would rather take the time to engineer a solution to a broken bridge instead of just trying to jump over it, then that should take more time to overcome.

When an exploration challenge makes it to the table, players might present a completely unexpected solution and that’s okay! Use the existing solutions to gauge how difficult this new solution should be in the situation, and the DCs for each Challenge Rating listed in the sidebar on Setting DCs.

Step 4: Determine the Consequences

There are usually four outcomes to consider in an exploration challenge: critical failure, failure, success, and critical success. Not every exploration challenge follows this structure, but those which are based on a group check or an individual ability check often do, and these outcomes can be applied at the Narrator’s discretion.

Step 5: Challenge Rating and Experience

To determine the appropriate challenge rating and experience points to reward for a new exploration challenge, use the same calculations used for a new creature (averaging the DCs for ability checks and using them in place of Armor Class). Otherwise compare the consequences of failures between the new exploration challenge and those listed in this chapter.