Sometimes just beating the bad guys is not enough.

Alternate objectives are goals beyond just killing everyone that you can include in your combats. These encounters still feature enemies to fight, but they also include tasks for the heroes to complete. These could be anything from rescuing hostages, to destroying an evil relic, to holding a scrap of land long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

The book Alternate Objectives includes advice for creating your own encounters with seven categories of goals, plus general advice like using skill checks and making combat optional.

It also includes six sample encounters that you can drop into your campaign, each with multiple story hooks.

• Necklace Heist: The characters steal a necklace from a corrupt noble at a crowded tavern.
• Caves of Ice: The heroes escape a crumbling ice cave while battling elementals.
• The Fire Fight: The heroes try to extinguish the blaze at an abandoned warehouse while battling fire-breath bugs.
• The Assassination: The characters protect a prince from would-be assassins.
• Escape the City of Brass: The heroes activate a portal to escape the City of Brass as unending waves of efreet and their minions attack.
• Fallen Angel: The characters try to bring a fallen planetar back to the light while battling his new diabolical allies.