September 22, 2023
Link to article: Push Comes to Shove: Free 5e Encounter!

Push Comes to Shove: Free 5e Encounter!

In my weekly D&D game, there’s a bit of a running gag. Our warlock has the repelling blast invocation, but unfortunately it almost never comes in handy. If you’re not familiar with this ability, it allows the user to force an opponent backwards if hit with an eldritch blast. Basically out of spite, the warlock’s signature move is now to knock defeated foes 10 feet back if he scores the killing blow as a kind of a calling card. My druid was almost able to set up a combo where I cast a web spell behind an enemy. Unfortunately, we downed the foe before the warlock’s turn, so we’re still waiting for the repelling blast to come in handy.

However, your warlock does not have to suffer this fate any longer! As I’ve written before, I love movement in combat encounters. I decided to create a scenario that incorporates forced movement as a high-drama means of victory. The party will find themselves in a flooding sewer trying to push past armored guardians blocking their escape. It allows players to use rarely used options like the shove attack or add some extra weight to thunder wave’s punching ability. It’s intended for tier 1 and 2, as the bevy of movement options at higher levels takes away most of the challenge.


This encounter is part of what we have on offer over at the Charmstone Games Patreon. If you end up liking it, consider becoming a patron today. It helps us continue to produce TTRPG content and also influences the kinds of stuff we’re working on. At this point, we’re releasing one encounter like this per month, but we’re looking to increase the frequency as more patrons join in.