The rules
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tactician base | Enemies have more HP, +2 to attacks and DCs, smarter targeting; long rests cost 80 supplies. |
| Single save | One save file. It's overwritten whenever you quicksave, autosave, quit or return to the main menu — including force-closing the game. |
| Total party kill = end | If the whole party dies, you can continue in Custom mode (losing Honour) or end the campaign. Individual deaths are fine if someone survives. |
| Legendary Actions | About 30 boss fights gain extra actions taken at the end of other creatures' turns. |
| Rule tweaks | Stricter action economy and damage rules that scale through the game; restoration pods usable only once. |
| Reward | The golden "Shining Honour" dice skin and the Foehammer achievement. |
Practice first
Custom mode lets you enable the Honour ruleset without the single save, so you can learn the boss changes before committing.
Notorious run-killers Danger
Community post-mortems repeatedly point to the same handful of fights:
- Early random fights at level 1–2: the Nautiloid, the Dank Crypt and the Gnolls on the Risen Road can wipe an unprepared party. Level up before you go looking for trouble.
- The Owlbear (Owlbear Nest): hits like a truck at level 2. Come back later or use shoves and high ground.
- Githyanki patrol: their Misty Steps and high damage punish clumping. Talk your way through if you can.
- Goblin Camp leaders together: separate them (see the Bosses page).
- Grym and Ketheric Thorm with Honour mechanics.
- Raphael — destroy the Soul Pillars early.
- Traps and cutscene fights: a single failed Perception check can mean a fireball trap on a clumped party. Spread out and send one character ahead.
Recommended party structure
Ideal shape
- 1–2 alpha strikers (Gloom Stalker Assassin, Thrower, Sorcadin)
- 1 controller (Bard with Hypnotic Pattern, Sorlock with Repelling Blast)
- 1 healer/buffer with Bless, Aid, Death Ward, Revivify
- At least two characters with Alert or high initiative
Insurance policies
- Scrolls of Revivify on every character
- Invisibility potions / Greater Invisibility to escape
- Potions of Speed for the burst round
- Scrolls of Dimension Door to reposition or flee
- Halfling Lucky, Bardic Inspiration or Bless to rescue key saves
Habits that win runs
- Scout everything. Use invisible or stealthy characters to see fights before they start.
- Initiative is life. Act before enemies can chain hits; Alert is the most-recommended Honour feat.
- Never clump. Fireballs, legendary AoEs and traps punish a tight formation.
- Rest more, not less. Supplies are plentiful; walking into a fight with half-spent slots is how runs end.
- Pre-buff long-duration spells outside combat (Aid, Longstrider, Death Ward, Freedom of Movement, Heroes' Feast).
- Disengage early. If the fight swings, use invisibility or Dimension Door rather than gambling on the next turn.
- Avoid optional fights when they don't give important loot or XP — talk your way out.
- Respect cutscenes. Some dialogues start combat unexpectedly; position the party before talking.
- Inspect every boss. Check legendary actions, resistances and immunities before choosing tactics.
- Close the game properly. Always exit via the main menu — never force-close mid-fight.
"Legitimate cheese" the community uses
- Split-party scouting: Honour only ends on a total wipe, so a single character can scout or bait while the rest wait safely. (Some fights behave oddly if you do this — use discretion.)
- Pre-combat positioning: enter turn-based mode outside combat to set up every character before the first shot.
- Darkness + Devil's Sight: blind ranged enemies while your warlock shoots with advantage.
- Shoves and drops: pushing a boss off a ledge or into a chasm is valid strategy.