Epic Encounters – The Best Game Master Time Saver Around
Are you a GM/DM on a time constraint? Epic Encounters are the best campaign supplemental products you can use!
I’ve run my fair share of RPG campaigns and one of the biggest hurdles is scheduling. It’s like herding cats! The next biggest hurdle for me is always writing and creating the actual content. So what do I do? I look for ideas from everywhere. Some of those ideas pan out while others have constraints on them because of resources — either time or a lack materials like maps/minis/extras that I can’t make. And that’s why I really like to bust out Epic Encounters.
Epic Encounters: Camp of the Bandit Twins
These boxed sets from Steam Forged Games are fantastic shots of content for anyone running a fantasy based RPG. They typically come in pairs. The first box generally contains a batch of “minions” to use while the second has a “big boss” miniature. Steam Forge recently sent us their latest paired sets and I got to take a closer look at the contents.
Epic Encounters: Camp of the Bandit Twins Unboxed
Besides the minis, which we’ll get to below, you’ll get a double-sided play mat and a mini campaign book. The play mat is perfect for throwing on the table when you’re in a rush as it’s got all the details you’d want for an RPG session. It’s already got the square grids on it and there’s typically terrain features, too. Just plop those minis down when it’s time for combat and you’re good to go!
I also don’t want to discount the mini-campaign books. Not only do these have great story hooks for including this particular set of miniatures in your campaigns, but they also have pre-designed encounters for you to run if you choose. What I like best about them is that there’s just enough “meat on the bones” to allow the GMs to run with it the ideas without overpowering the story you wanted to tell. They can be perfect for one-shots or random encounters. Or they could be used to run an entire campaign.
This box features an adventure that uses some bandit minis as well as some elementals. Plus there’s some really cool Ram-rider cavalry in the box, too. If you don’t have a huge mini collection having random bad guys can be a tall order. But that’s the beauty of Epic Encounters. For the price point and quality, you’ll want to bust these minis out an add them to the collection!
The Minis
The big “elemental” miniature — which could double for a ton of other things in a fantasy RPG setting.
Here’s the “Bandit Leader” mini. You get two of them in the box.
I’m not sure what to call this bandit. Maybe he’s the Elemental handler. You can use him how you see fit! It’s just a cool mini.
Here’s one of the Ram-Riders. Again, great mini!
Everything comes pre-assembled. I didn’t have to build anything which means it’s all ready to go right out of the box. Do you want to paint them? You can! There’s lots of great details and you can get as hobby as you’d like with them.
Also in the campaign booklet are some basic stat-blocks for all these minis that are designed for use with 5e. There’s even some rules in there that help you to adjust the difficulty based on the party’s level. Again, super handy for a DM with a time crunch without telling you exactly how to “do your thing.”
Epic Encounters: Cave of the Manticore
The follow-up to the Bandits is the Cave of the Manticore. It’s got pretty much everything I’ve listed from above but only contains one big mini. And the mini-campaign has suggestions on how to tie these two encounter sets together — if you want to do that.
The mini itself is pretty epic! There’s some minor assembly required with this one: you just have to attach the tail. It slots right in and you don’t even need to glue it — although I probably will if I get around to painting this mini. The Manticore also comes in died plastic as you can see here. And, because I know you’re curious, it’s on a 4″ bases which makes this a Gargantuan creature.
Both of these sets are out now and I highly recommend them for anyone looking to save some time for your next session. Or really, if you’re just in a creative rut and are looking for some ideas the prompts for both these sets are perfect for sparking some creative fires.
Epic Encounters: Camp of the Bandit Twins $54.99
Epic Encounters: Cave of the Manticore $49.99
You can order these direct from Steam Forged Games or check in with your FLGS to see if they have them in stock.
You can’t go wrong with an Epic Encounters box!
