10 Tense Battlefield Descriptions for Epic D&D Scenes

I’ve got ten tense battlefield descriptions you can use for D&D scenes or other fantasy tabletop RPG campaigns. Keep reading until the end to find out about the advanced battlefield description generator I’m working on.

Battlefield Descriptions 1

Overhead, the sky is grey with clouds that continue to spit out rain, soaking the ground of the field which has become a graveyard of bodies and debris of the battle. Cries of pain and the clashing of swords cuts through the pitter patter of the raindrops, but none of the fighters pay notice to the weather, they are too intent on their mission.

The smell of death lingers in the air, mixing with the scent of blood and swords, the smell of the field has changed considerably since the beginning of the battle. The grass has been trampled on by thousands of feet and even some of the trees that once stood tall are now smashed to kindling.

The air is heavy with the smell of smoke, fire, blood, death, war and desperation, while the skies are threatening to burst with rain at any moment. The clouds are dark grey, almost black, it almost feels like nighttime despite the fact it’s midday.

Battlefield Descriptions 2

This battle rages on and on, day after day, with no one able to come out on top. At the beginning of this war, this land was lush and green, with fields of crops in which the people grew food to sustain their lives.

However, when the war broke out, these fields of crops were trampled on, with some purposely plowed under by the opposing army to inhibit the progress of their enemy.

In certain places, the land had been scorched with fire, in others the many battles have turned the grass to a dark brown with mud being sloshed about in some places, creating a sticky mud in others, and in others a brown sludge from the blood of the fallen.

In some places, the mud has been scorched from the large numbers of soldiers who have been hit by fire spells. Over time, the trees have been destroyed, with branches filled with arrows or long spears or just hacked down by swords. In some places, the trees simply broke under the weight of the fighting and fell over, crushing soldiers along the way.

The air is thick with smoke rising from the ground and rising up into the skies, while also rising from the burning corpses. The sky is grey and dark with smoke, and at some times the wind will change and the smoke will blow over the fighting, causing their eyes to burn and water, with some even passing out from the overwhelming smell of smoke.

The fields are filled with the sounds of war; swords clashing, screams, people calling out commands, calling out in pain, people shouting back and forth, and the metal on metal sound of the large war machines clashing with their enemies.

More Battlefield Descriptions?

This Book Contains the Following…

Battlefield Descriptions x 50
General and Soldier NPCs x 20
Items Found on a Battlefield x 100
War and Battle Names

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Battlefield Descriptions 3

This battle takes place in a large, hilly grassland. The grass is greener than the plains of the grasslands, but it’s still rather dull, not quite able to reach the height of the grasslands. The hills are not very tall, but it adds an extra challenge to this battle.

The Rain continues to fall, making the ground muddy and leaving large puddles everywhere due to the moisture in the air. The puddles are not deep, about knee high for the average human, but the mud is treacherous, making the battle difficult to maneuver around. The mud also makes it so that feet become messy with mud, making it harder to fight with them, and the mud makes it difficult to keep weapons clean.

Battlefield Descriptions 4

The air is cool, but hot at the same time; the moisture in it is making it feel muggy. The grass is dirty, making it brown and dying. The battle is still raging on. The ground is muddy with large puddles, making it difficult to move around. The rocks are slippery, making it dangerous to climb them.

The mud is also slippery, making it easy to fall in a fight. The dust in the air is also a hazard to the fighters eyes. Coughing can be heard from the smoke from the fires. The rain from yesterday has left the ground muddy, making it difficult to move around.

Battlefield Descriptions 5

An open field with a forest to one side, the grass is still soft from the recent rainfall, making it soft to lay on, but it also brings up mud with each step. The sky is overcast, but the sun is still out, creating a hazy feel to the air. It is quite muggy, making it difficult to breathe.

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The wind picks up through the trees, bringing with it the smell of rain, but seeming to cool you down. The ground is soft under your feet, but the mud makes it difficult to keep your footing.

You see signs of a battle, but there are no bodies, just things that have been dropped. You find a sword two feet away from you, but you quickly realize it’s not yours. The grass is littered with arrows, broken bows, shields, spears, axes, and much more.

You can see blood on some of the things, but there are no bodies to be found. You wonder where everyone went. You look around for any signs of them, but all you find is an unopened bottle of water, which you take with you.

Battlefield Descriptions
Battlefield Descriptions

Battlefield Description 6

There is a heavy stench in the air, like that of burning flesh. The ground has been trampled by masses of shuffling feet and is now stained with dark brown and black patches. It is deathly silent and the terrain is flat and quite open.

There is a small forest on one side of the battlefield and a large hill on the opposite side. Rain is now pouring down, but the scene is still as still as death. As you look around, you begin to notice that there are no bodies in the field, just the evidence of the battle that has taken place. From what you can tell, it seems that each side was brutally wiped out in their entirety.

You then see that the ground is covered in the remains of arrows, swords, broken shields, spears, axes, and bows. You are able to make out their shapes but are unable to identify them.

Then you see the bodies. They are scattered all over the field, most are where they fell, but some are in piles. You are not able to identify them either, but you do see the unmistakable mark of blackened flesh on some of them. Dragons. You can see large scorch marks all over the ground, but most of the grass has burnt away.

More Battlefield Descriptions?

This Book Contains the Following…

Battlefield Descriptions x 50
General and Soldier NPCs x 20
Items Found on a Battlefield x 100
War and Battle Names

Get Your Softcover Print Copy Today at Amazon!

Battlefield Descriptions 7

This battle has been ongoing for days now, with neither side able to overpower the other. Two armies are facing off against one another, one army made up of men, the other army made up of orcs. Neither side is willing to back down, no matter how many men they lose, they are determined to win, even if it means sacrificing their own lives.

The sound of swords clashing, the clanging of armor, the screams of pain, the cries of anger, the shouts of joy, the groans of the dying, the rattling of armor, the clanging of swords, the grunts of men, the screeches of orcs, the beating of wings, the thumping of hooves, the flapping of wings, the bellowing of dragons, the groaning of death, and the sounds of the battle surround you.

There is nothing but the sounds of the battle. You pause to look around, wondering where the fight is at its thickest. You wonder if you should go towards it or away from it. You wonder if you should join the fight or flee. You wonder if you will live or die.

Battlefield Descriptions 8

The forest is dark and gloomy; the rays of sunlight can barely shine through the canopy of trees above. The breeze is cool and bitter, the leaves on the trees rustle with the wind. It is also very dark; the sun is nearly blotted out by the canopy of leaves above. The leaves on the forest floor are crackling softly. There is a sweet, natural scent in the air, along with the muskiness of the forest.

The ground is wet, but the mist is light. It is very muddy. The water is ankle-deep, but the mud is very thick. It is difficult to maneuver around in the mud.

Battlefield Description 9

This battle has been ongoing for days now, with neither side able to overpower the other. Two armies are facing off against one another, one army made up of men, the other army made up of orcs. Neither side is willing to back down, no matter how many men they lose, they are determined to win, even if it means sacrificing their own lives.

The sound of swords clashing, the clanging of armor, the screams of pain, the cries of anger, the shouts of joy, the groans of the dying, the rattling of armor, the clanging of swords, the grunts of men, the screeches of orcs, the beating of wings, the thumping of hooves, the flapping of wings, the bellowing of dragons, the groaning of death, and the sounds of the battle surround you.

There is nothing but the sounds of the battle. You pause to look around, wondering where the fight is at its thickest. You wonder if you should go towards it or away from it. You wonder if you should join the fight or flee. You wonder if you will live or die.

Battlefield Descriptions 10

The heat is oppressive, the air is thick and humid with it. There is a continuous buzzing of insects around you, as you walk down the path through the dense jungle. The sounds of wildlife are all around you, chirping, buzzing, howling, screeching, and roaring. Then you see the destruction as two massive armies clash with one another.

The sounds of combat surround you. As you listen, you sense that half of one army has split off, leaving the other half to face the other half. The battle continues around you as both sides become more desperate to win. You can hear groans of agony spring from the wounded as the battle rages on. You hear the cries of some as they see their lives end.

You see those that are hit, and those that are too weak to fight, but were dragged out of the fight, and left to die. But you also see the joy of those who have won, and have survived. Overall, this battlefield is one of carnage, blood, and viciousness.You want to look away, but you can’t.

Battlefield Descriptions Generator?

I’m working on one over at LitRPG Adventures right now. I’ll update this article once it’s completed, so stay tuned.

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Paul Bellow

Paul Bellow

Paul Bellow is a LitRPG author, RPG game developer, and old school webmaster. He's been playing tabletop games since the 1980s. He started Random Tables RPG as a way to give out free D&D and Pathfinder content to the world. Enjoy!