Dungeon Master's Playbook · Dungeons and Dragons Lovers!

Dungeon Master's Playbook

When I started tabletop, I played Vampire: The Masquerade, and the DM in those games was called the storyteller. I like the idea to this day of the DM narrating the story as it develops. So here is a story you can use as a DM.

For those who have read Robert Greene's Laws of Power, you may remember a story about an Italian mercenary general who negotiated a great price to defend a city. The Doge (City Prince) agreed, as the situation was hopeless. By military genius and some luck, the general defended the city and saved the day, but when it came to his reward, well...

The abridged historical account:

In Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws of Power," the story of the Italian mercenary who was executed after saving a city, Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola. The prison and execution palace central to his downfall was the Doge's Palace in Venice.

Carmagnola, a highly successful condottiero (a leader of mercenary soldiers), had served the Duke of Milan before offering his services to the Venetian Republic. After leading Venetian forces to a significant victory, his subsequent indecisiveness and perceived lack of aggression aroused the suspicion of the Council of Ten, the powerful governing body of Venice.

In 1432, under the pretense of a war council, Carmagnola was summoned back to the Doge's Palace. Upon his arrival, he was separated from his guards and escorted to the palace's notorious prisons. Specifically, historical accounts indicate he was imprisoned in the Pozzi, or "the Wells," a series of bleak and damp cells located on the ground floor of the palace, known for their harsh conditions.

Following a swift trial where he was accused of treason, Carmagnola was sentenced to death. While his imprisonment and trial occurred within the walls of the Doge's Palace, his execution was a public spectacle. He was beheaded in the Piazzetta di San Marco, the public square situated between the Doge's Palace and the library, a prominent location for state executions intended to serve as a powerful warning to others. Therefore, the Doge's Palace acted as both the seat of power that condemned him and the immediate backdrop to his death, making it the "execution palace" of his story.

The Hook:

In this story, your party stumbles upon this impressive and bustling trade city. They are there doing their normal adventuring and resupplying when they find out about this evil doom that will befall the city and its inhabitants if good men do nothing. When they offer their services, they are introduced to the Doge. He is desperate for salvation, and even the poorest rolls in insight tell the party they can get a fortune out of him if they negotiate. Shrewder players may get a different opinion since this captain of negotiation, a trade prince, is so easily haggled, but the situation is indeed dire. You choose the enemies at the gates, pick something the party is particularly strong against, if clerics and paladins, undead, for example, if Wildfire Druid, Sorcerer, and Fire Wielders, something with vulnerability to fire. Whatever it is, treat their attacks have advantage and the party to be incredibly potent. They have a battle, and even when it didn't go to plan, it worked out better than imagined. For instance, they attack a creature, and even their misses seem to do damage to another creature in the horde. Finally, the assault collapses and the enemy is routed. The party is the city heroes, and they are going to be rich beyond their dreams!

"The Doge's Gratitude"

Concept

This is a social/skill challenge encounter based on the historical betrayal of the condottiero Carmagnola in Venice. After the players save a city, the fearful and greedy ruler decides they are too powerful (and expensive) to be left alive and free. The goal is not to kill them in a fight, but to systematically capture them through trickery.

Phase 1: The Celebration

Immediately after the battle, the city is a scene of pure pandemonium and joy. The party is hoisted onto shoulders, showered with flowers, and hailed as saviors.

The Doge's Proclamation: The Doge appears on a balcony of his palace, praising the party's valor. He publicly reaffirms his promise of reward, stating, "A fortune in gold and a feast worthy of the gods await the Heroes of the City! Come to the palace this evening to receive your just reward!"
The Atmosphere: Let the players revel in their victory for a bit. Commoners offer them free drinks, artisans promise to craft them gifts, and city guards salute them with genuine respect. This phase is crucial to lower their guard and make the betrayal more shocking.

Phase 2: The Lure

A few hours later, as the party is celebrating or resting, a stern but polite captain of the palace guard, Captain Valerius, approaches them. Let the party split up, seeking their own business, so that it will not seem unusual that they go alone with the Guard, as the guard assures them others will find the party members and escort them as befitting heroes of the realm.

He addresses the party as a group first: "The Doge is preparing your reward, but he wishes to consult with each of you personally. He wants to hear your accounts of the battle and discuss tailored roles for heroes of your stature within the city's new command structure."

He will then summon them one by one, with about 15-20 minutes between each summons. The order can be random or you can strategically pick the most trusting or least perceptive character first. The reasoning is sound: a private debrief is a high honor.

Phase 3: The Trap - The Bridge of Judgment

Each player character is escorted by Captain Valerius and a small honor guard of four soldiers. The route to the Doge's private council chamber doesn't go through the main throne room but through a less-used, stately administrative wing that crosses a high, enclosed stone bridge connecting two parts of the palace. This is the kill box.

As a character walks this route, this is their last chance to notice something is wrong. Here is how the different skill checks would work. Set the DC based on your party's abilities (where the passive of someone with a +2 in an ability and proficiency in the skill would detect something).

Use Passive Scores as the default. This is your primary tool to feed information to the players as they are being escorted. It is quiet, suspenseful, and rewards character design.

Switch to Active Rolls when a player declares an action. If a clue from a passive check prompts a player to say "I want to look for..." or "I'm going to try to...", that is the perfect time to ask them to roll the dice. This combination gives you the best of both worlds.

Wisdom (Insight) Check: A successful check allows the character to analyze the behavior of their escort.
Wisdom (Perception) Check: This check is about noticing environmental details that are out of place.
Intelligence (Investigation) Check: This check allows a character to deduce intent from a series of connected clues.
Intelligence (History) Check: This is the direct callback to the story you mentioned. It would likely require a higher DC (perhaps 18).

Phase 4: The Consequences

What happens next depends entirely on the characters' actions.

If They Fail the Checks:

The character walks onto the Bridge of Judgment. The moment they cross the halfway point, heavy portcullises slam down on both ends. Dozens of guards emerge from hidden alcoves, weapons leveled. Captain Valerius says grimly, "The Doge thanks you for your service. Your payment is a quick death, if you surrender now."

There is no winning this fight. It's an overwhelming force. Surrendering characters are stripped of their gear and magic items and thrown into the Pozzi, the palace's infamous dungeon cells.

If They Succeed the Checks:

The character knows something is wrong before stepping onto the bridge. They have a brief window to act.

They can confront Valerius: This will spring the trap early, but in a slightly less advantageous position for the guards.
They can make an excuse: "I'm sorry, I left my blade—a gift from my father—at the tavern. I must retrieve it before meeting the Doge." This would require a difficult Charisma (Deception) check against Valerius's Insight.
They can attempt to escape: This is the most likely outcome. Using magic like Misty Step, Invisibility, Expeditious Retreat, or an ability like a Rogue's Cunning Action/Monk Step of the Wind, they could try to break away from the escort and flee into the city. This would trigger an immediate alarm and a city-wide manhunt for that character.

The true genius of this encounter is the potential for a split party. Imagine the tension as the first two players fail their checks and are captured, their players now sitting silently at the table. The third player succeeds, escapes, and now has a new, desperate mission: to warn their last remaining party member and figure out how to rescue their imprisoned friends from the most secure fortress in the city. Their triumph has turned into a prison-break horror story.

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