- I Cast...Brainstorm!
- Posts
- I Cast...Brainstorm issue 24!
I Cast...Brainstorm issue 24!
A weekly newsletter of ideas and advice for D&D Dungeon Masters, players, and fans
Dave Palmer
September 19th, 2025
This week — A Series of Trapped Hallways to Dissuade Pursuit, and an Anti-Magic Ring
Thanks for reading I Cast…Brainstorm!, a weekly newsletter with ideas and advice to help make DM-ing and playing D&D (and other TTRPGs) easier and more fun.
You can say hello, share feedback, and let me know what you’d like to see in the newsletter at [email protected].
And please share our link with your friends and fellow gamers, so they can join us, too. https://icastbrainstorm.beehiiv.com/
Let’s brainstorm some fun!
In this issue...
Happy Friday, Brainstormers!
I DM’d two different ongoing campaigns this week, and had a great time during both sessions, (one of the biggest benefits of gaming with your friends!), but at the end of my Tuesday night Rime game the players completely crushed multiple monsters in an encounter and took barely a scratch, and I felt kinda frustrated as we wrapped the session.
The players used really smart tactics for the encounter, but I think I missed every attack, and the whole encounter felt like it was no challenge at all. I was even more frustrated later when I realized I could’ve tossed in part of a later encounter to add the element of surprise mid-battle, and raise the difficulty level to a proper encounter for the characters. Harrumph.
On the other hand, the players all seemed to have fun, and enjoyed feeling powerful, and that’s a great thing. So all that is to say — sometimes things don’t go as planned, but as long as everyone is having fun, it’s all ok. Next time I’ll try to do better.
May all your games this week go as planned!
A Devil Worshipping Noble’s Escape Route
Rembert Jayom is the youngest son of a noble family, who was widely known as a lazy miscreant on his best days as a youth, and the years have not bestowed any additional wisdom on the man. Now deep into his adulthood, Rembert has fallen into the worship of the devil Asmodeus, who promises the bitter noble the power and standing in the city that he always felt he deserved. Jayom has no idea that the devil merely thinks of him as an amusing plaything, when he thinks of him at all.
Jayom completely believes Asmodeus’ lies, (ably reinforced by servants of Asmodeus in the city), and commits heinous acts in an effort to prove his worth to the devil — destroying the reputations of those who oppose Asmodeus, sacrificing innocents, and other dark deeds. The crimes Jayom has committed so far have done little to endear him to his deity, however. Instead, they’ve only served to further condemn the noble’s soul in the afterlife, and created a growing list of people whose loved ones have suffered at his hands, who would love to see the noble come to the end of his days.
The possibility that his past may catch up to him one day caused the noble to create what he refers to as “the Escape” — a secret way out of his mansion through a series of ancient underground tunnels that lead to a hidden exit in the city. The tunnels are filled with invisible permanent teleportation spheres to slow and befuddle any pursuers, at least until they find themselves in one of the nests where carnivorous creatures eagerly await their next meal.
*Note that this location is probably best played without a battlemap, at least until the PCs figure out the teleportation.
Jayom’s Escape
Location Key
1
Entrance
The iron door that leads to Jayom’s Escape is locked, and the noble wears the key on a chain around his neck. The same key opens the door at location 5, and the door can be locked or unlocked from either side.
2 and 3
Nests
These two rooms smell awful, and are filled with dirty hay mixed with gnawed bones and unidentifiable remains. Jayom has filled these rooms with creatures able to make a quick meal out of any unfortunate souls trying to follow him through the Escape — choose creatures of an appropriate level from the list below, or something else appropriate for your world/story/characters.
Character lvl 1-2 — 2d4 Giant Rats
Character lvl 3-5 — 2d4 Ghouls or 1d4+1 Ghasts
Character lvl 6-10 — 1d2 Chimera or 1 Behir
Character lvl 15-20 — 1d2 Steel Predators or 1d3 Death Knights
Iron grates are set in the ceiling of these rooms, (across from the entrances), that Jayom’s servants use to feed the monsters in the Escape. Servants dump scraps of food down chutes above each grate every few days. The monsters are only fed enough to keep them alive, but never satiated, so if any “meals” appear in the nest, they’ll attack with gusto.
The teleportation spheres outside each nest create a loop that traps creatures in the monsters’ lairs, but clever adventurers can find, remove or bypass the grates — for example, chipping away at the stone around the grate for an hour with a pick or similar implement, and then pulling the grate free, or shrinking down to pass between the slats of the grate and climbing up the chute. Above the grate, a chute leads up at a steep angle for 30’ before it reaches a trap door situated next to, and just outside, the mansion.
4
Dead Ends
These dead ends are tiled in a clever way so when they’re seen from a distance, they look like hallways that continue off into the distance. Anyone within 10’ of the dead ends can see the illusion for what it is.
5
Exit
Jayom carries the key that opens both this door and the entrance (location 1) on his person at all times. The door can be locked or unlocked from either side, and leads to another door in a quiet part in the city, hidden from prying eyes.
Teleport Fields
The letters on the map indicate the invisible 10’ radius spheres of teleportation magic, cast and made permanent by an archmage who was paid handsomely for the effort.
Locations A through L are tuned to teleport anyone who crosses the center of the sphere to a specific location, indicated below. Characters can be teleported to locations W, X, Y and Z, but those particular spheres don’t teleport anyone away.
A — Teleports to Location Z
B — Teleports to Location L
C — Teleports to Location Y
D — Teleports to Location E
E — Teleports to Location D
F — Teleports to Location W
G — Teleports to Location W
H — Teleports to Location X
I — Teleports to Location X
J — Teleports to Location K
K — Teleports to Location J
L — Teleports to Location B
W— Anyone teleported from locations F or G appears here
X — Anyone teleported from locations H or I appears here
Y — Anyone teleported from location C appears here
Z — Anyone teleported from location A appears here
A Magic Ring
The devil-worshipping noble Rembert Jayom had this ring made specifically so he could quickly escape through the trapped tunnels under his mansion — the antimagic field it creates suppresses the teleportation circles perfectly. He’s also used it on numerous occasions to nullify the magical equipment or casting ability of his victims, as he slips a poniard between their ribs.
Nullweave Ring
Wondrous Item, very rare (requires attunement)
While attuned to this ring and wearing it you can use it to cast Antimagic Field, requiring no spell components. The spell can’t be cast from the ring again until the following midnight.
Brainstorming Links
You probably already know about the folks below, who are real inspirations to me, but if not, do yourself a favor and check them out.
The Arcane Library — masterpiece adventures, and Shadowdark, too!
https://www.thearcanelibrary.com
The Angry DM — so angry….so many great ideas….
https://theangrygm.com/
DMDave — on point analysis of D&D rules, and a ton of fun ideas
https://bsky.app/profile/dmdave.bsky.social
RPGBot — whip smart critique and explanations of 5e rules
https://rpgbot.net/
Sly Flourish — a DM’s best friend who is also a better DM
https://www.slyflourish.com/
Treantmonk — years of helpful advice and clever ideas
https://www.youtube.com/@TreantmonksTemple
If you like I Cast…Brainstorm!, you might also like these amazing newsletters with more great ideas, advice and news about RPGs.
|
|
|
What I’m DM-ing
We just ended our Curse of Strahd campaign via Roll20 using 2014 5th edition rules, and have begun a new high-level campaign
A weekly Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign, in-person, with 2024 5th edition rules
A series of one-shots in a bi-weekly game at a bar in LA. If you’re interested in joining in, invites are sent via the Partiful app, and you can sign up at Ye Rustic Inn — 1831 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, California
Two different campaigns with my kids, (Rime and Storm Kings Thunder) when schedules align
What I’m Playing
Vecna: Eve of Ruin as Clybb Thistlebridge, a 9th level Halfling great-weapon Fighter
If you play Hearthstone, find me at BigKahuna (#1802)
Also, I just purchased all the gold-box D&D CRPGs via Humble Bundle, and I just started Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession
Gifts for Gamers
You can also check out great gifts for the gamers in your life at Total Party Kits, which features all-original designs by yours truly on shirts, hats, mugs and other gifts!
www.totalpartykits.etsy.com
I Cast…Brainstorm! subscribers can save 10% off everything in the store.
If you have an online store that sells D&D or TTRPG themed things, let me know — I’d love to add it here.
What Do You Think?
How do you like I Cast…Brainstorm! so far? What’s working for you? What would you like to see more of? Or less of, or done in a different way? How’s the layout? Please let us know at [email protected]
The original ideas in this issue of I Cast….Brainstorm! are covered under the Creative Commons BY-SA license — all content is free to use (including commercially) and change, with proper attribution.
You can read about the license here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
