Encounter Builder

The Encounter Builder is where you construct combat encounters before play and run them live at the table. It is built around your world's stat block library, so creatures you have already defined load with all their mechanical data intact.

Creating an encounter entity

Encounters are entities, just like NPCs and locations. Create one from your world's entity list:

You can also create encounters directly from Session Mode using the + button in the Encounters panel — useful when players wander somewhere unexpected.

The adversary deck

The adversary deck is the list of creatures in your encounter. Add creatures from your world's stat block library:

System-aware display

The adversary deck renders each creature's stat block in the format appropriate for your world's game system:

If a creature's stat block is missing fields the system expects, the builder flags them in orange so you can fill them in before play.

Party size and difficulty

Set the Party Size field at the top of the builder. This number drives the difficulty estimate shown next to the adversary deck total. Difficulty is displayed as a rough band (low / moderate / severe / extreme) — treat it as a gut-check, not a formula.

Objectives

Encounters with clear objectives run better than pure "fight until done" combats. The builder has a structured objectives section:

• Primary objective — the main goal. What does success look like? (Defeat all adversaries, hold the bridge for three rounds, capture the courier alive.)
• Objective type — Combat, Protect, Retrieve, Escape, Survive, or Custom.
• Secondary objective — an optional bonus goal players may or may not accomplish.
• Failure state — what happens if the party does not meet the primary objective. Write this so you know it, not to read it aloud.

Hooks

Attach one or more story hooks to the encounter. A hook is a narrative lead that connects this encounter to a broader thread — "The cult leader drops a letter from the Magistrate," or "One of the wolves has a branded collar from the Ironwood Ranch." Hooks appear in your GM notes during the live tracker so you see them at the right moment.

Linking to a location

Use the Location field to associate the encounter with a location entity in your world. This does two things: Connection Gravity surfaces this encounter when that location is active in Session Mode, and the location's article gets a back-link to the encounter.

Launching the live tracker

Click Launch Tracker from the encounter entity page or from the Encounters panel in Session Mode.

The tracker opens in a side panel with:

• Initiative order — drag to reorder, or use the dice button to roll initiative using each creature's stat block modifier. Enter player initiative values manually.
• HP and stress tracking — click a creature's HP to edit it. For Daggerheart, stress tracks separately from HP. Values update in real time across any open tabs.
• Conditions — click a creature to apply conditions. Conditions with a duration count down automatically at the start of the affected creature's turn. Use N to advance turns and P to go back.
• Loot notes — a free-text field at the bottom for recording treasure, items dropped, or information revealed. This feeds into the post-session debrief.

Resolving the encounter

When the encounter is over, click Resolve. Skryrún records the session number, outcome, and any loot notes to the encounter's history. Resolved encounters remain in your entity list — you can reuse the stat block setup for a rematch.