Mike Shea

Tales of the Valiant has many really cool ideas that you can bring into any of your 5e games. The luck system replacing inspiration is one of them. The other one is Doom Points. I have referred to these when I was testing them myself as dreadful blessings, but you can call them whatever you want. Doom points is fine. Dreadful blessings is also fine.

The concept here is that in different encounters, you have these doom points. You have a number of doom points that are based on like the CR of the encounter. But another way to handle it is to basically replace legendary resistances with doom points. So doom points can do what legendary resistances do. You can turn in a doom point in order to automatically save on a saving throw. You might fail.

The concept here is that in different encounters, you have these doom points. You have a number of doom points that are based on like the CR of the encounter. But another way to handle it is to basically replace legendary resistances with doom points. So doom points can do what legendary resistances do. You can turn in a doom point in order to automatically save on a saving throw. You might fail.

The concept here is that in different encounters, you have these doom points. You have a number of doom points that are based on like the CR of the encounter. But another way to handle it is to basically replace legendary resistances with doom points. So doom points can do what legendary resistances do. You can turn in a doom point in order to automatically save on a saving throw. You might fail.

but you can also use them for other things. And you get to decide what those other things are. Some examples, which you can find in the Monster Vault and in the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide include things like getting advantage on attacks or forcing someone's disadvantage on a saving throw, piercing through elemental resistance. There's lots of different things you can do with it.

but you can also use them for other things. And you get to decide what those other things are. Some examples, which you can find in the Monster Vault and in the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide include things like getting advantage on attacks or forcing someone's disadvantage on a saving throw, piercing through elemental resistance. There's lots of different things you can do with it.

but you can also use them for other things. And you get to decide what those other things are. Some examples, which you can find in the Monster Vault and in the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide include things like getting advantage on attacks or forcing someone's disadvantage on a saving throw, piercing through elemental resistance. There's lots of different things you can do with it.

But really they're sort of like a GM intrusion point from like the cipher system for 5e, where we can look at it and say, these points let the monster break the rules. So an example, an extreme example would be a death knight with a doom point can rip through a force cage, right?

But really they're sort of like a GM intrusion point from like the cipher system for 5e, where we can look at it and say, these points let the monster break the rules. So an example, an extreme example would be a death knight with a doom point can rip through a force cage, right?

But really they're sort of like a GM intrusion point from like the cipher system for 5e, where we can look at it and say, these points let the monster break the rules. So an example, an extreme example would be a death knight with a doom point can rip through a force cage, right?

Or a ancient green dragon can use a doom point to have its poison breath pierce through elemental resistances and turn elemental immunity, poison immunity, into poison resistance instead. It kind of barrels through the immunity because of it. You could use them to have a monster recharge and automatically use a breath weapon.

Or a ancient green dragon can use a doom point to have its poison breath pierce through elemental resistances and turn elemental immunity, poison immunity, into poison resistance instead. It kind of barrels through the immunity because of it. You could use them to have a monster recharge and automatically use a breath weapon.

Or a ancient green dragon can use a doom point to have its poison breath pierce through elemental resistances and turn elemental immunity, poison immunity, into poison resistance instead. It kind of barrels through the immunity because of it. You could use them to have a monster recharge and automatically use a breath weapon.

You could have a monster that gets an extra action because they use this thing. So you can use them for lots of different things. I have kind of two rules, two hard rules that I keep in mind when I'm talking about using doom points or dreadful blessings. One is I describe how they work to the players before we ever use them so they understand what they are and how they work.

You could have a monster that gets an extra action because they use this thing. So you can use them for lots of different things. I have kind of two rules, two hard rules that I keep in mind when I'm talking about using doom points or dreadful blessings. One is I describe how they work to the players before we ever use them so they understand what they are and how they work.

You could have a monster that gets an extra action because they use this thing. So you can use them for lots of different things. I have kind of two rules, two hard rules that I keep in mind when I'm talking about using doom points or dreadful blessings. One is I describe how they work to the players before we ever use them so they understand what they are and how they work.

Two, I make sure it's clear to the players how many of those doom points there are in a battle by, again, check marks on an index card or little tokens that are in front of me so they know that they're in place and they know when I've used them and they know they're gone and I can't use them again. So that is the limitation on it.

Two, I make sure it's clear to the players how many of those doom points there are in a battle by, again, check marks on an index card or little tokens that are in front of me so they know that they're in place and they know when I've used them and they know they're gone and I can't use them again. So that is the limitation on it.

Two, I make sure it's clear to the players how many of those doom points there are in a battle by, again, check marks on an index card or little tokens that are in front of me so they know that they're in place and they know when I've used them and they know they're gone and I can't use them again. So that is the limitation on it.

The other limitation is you are using these, you are only using these to make the game more interesting. You're not punishing your players. You're not trying to get them. It's not a competition. You only use them in a way that you think makes the game overall more interesting.