How D&D's 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide Can Make Large-Scale Battles Way More Chaotic

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Combat in can be fun, but it can also be slow and complicated. This issue is exacerbated when a fight gets too large, such as during a siege or large-scale battle; thus, many DMs often seek out different mechanics to use in those circumstances that change the rhythm of combat. Employing large, cumbersome siege weaponry is one way of doing that, though in previous editions, the siege weapon options have often been either too slow to be effective or too low on damage.

The aims to change that, with modified rules for existing siege weapons and three new options for players to wreak havoc with. The new options not only make siege combat more interesting, but they are also more powerful than their older counterparts, and add some magical spice that things like catapults or cannons lack. These changes should make huge battles much more fun, both for players to act in and DMs to run.

The contains rules for ten siege weapons, three of which are entirely new. The new options are the Flamethrower Coach, the Keg Launcher, and the Lightning Cannon. Each is fairly self-explanatory, shooting electric bolts or launching poisonous ale over castle walls. But the most interesting is the coach, which doubles as a defensive vehicle and a weapon for burning things down.

D&D is full of cool and fun magical objects and weapons, and the new Dragonlance adventure is introducing many new items for players to enjoy.

The rules for each of these weapons include how many actions they take to ready and fire, as well as the damage they deal, and these three meet the best damage-to-action ratio out of the options presented. Still, old-school weapons like cannons and trebuchet remain viable because of their massive range and damage output, though they tend to be on the slower side. These new rules give players more useful options when it comes to taking down an enemy fort — or defending their own.

Many of these siege weapons take multiple turns to load, aim, and eventually fire, which can give