D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps

Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 5, 2015

• #51

Jaelommiss said:

One issue I have with the module is that there is almost no interaction with cult leaders until it is time to fight them. They are given interesting personalities and it seems a shame to let them go to waste.

Click to expand...

This is a big issue in many adventures, no less in the author's former Phandelver module. There, I had the Black Spider foreshadowed as the main villain nearly every session, his name was dropped all the time, and then in the final Wave Echo Cave scenario had head automaton headcrabs that spoke with his voice so that the PCs could interact with him (and make a deal) long before they killed him. And seriously, he died in 1 round, if I hadn't done all of that foreshadowing it would have been the lamest villain ever. And THEN he got zombied by a beholder mage, so even then his character was still around.

So yes, plumping out the high priests of the cults is a good idea.

 

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Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 5, 2015

• #52

Also, I'm thinking that since Savra is the only other named NPC besides Thurl, and she does have a little backstory in the adventure, I wouldn't want her randomly slain without trying to reintroduce her innocence as a victim of the mind control. She's taken a liking to the air genasi sorceress and thinks she'd make an excellent addition to the Howling Hatred, which honestly she would, Serena would be a badass general if converted. Which is a whole other subplot that might evolve, who knows.

 

Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 7, 2015

• #53

Ok, Enworlders, there's GOT to be a place I can use this image in Princes, any suggestions? I don't expect anyone to fight it, but it would be a badass set piece encounter to just run from.

 

Uller

Adventurer

• Jul 7, 2015

• #54

The first time a devastation orb is used have the pcs witness it from afar and us this image to show what it looks like...

 

Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 7, 2015

• #55

oh yeah, forgot about the orbs. I was going to have a weird Fury Storm next session with hot rain and ash, and thought of having this thing poking around in the clouds, just to scare the **** out of them

 

Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 7, 2015

• #56

It's arguably even more badass than the actual Princes themselves. Maybe it's air, earth fire and water all combined into one entity.

 

J

Jaelommiss

First Post

• Jul 7, 2015

• #57

It could just stand there, miles away, watching them. When they approach an enormous fog cloud obscures it and it vanishes. A few days later it happens again. And again. And again. Let your players go mad trying to figure out what it is and why it is watching them.

 

Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 7, 2015

• #58

Jaelommiss said:

It could just stand there, miles away, watching them. When they approach an enormous fog cloud obscures it and it vanishes. A few days later it happens again. And again. And again. Let your players go mad trying to figure out what it is and why it is watching them.

Click to expand...

I like that.

 

Nebulous

Legend

• Jul 15, 2015

• #59

We've had players out of town a lot, hence the two week delays. Including the next two weeks. Sigh.

Session #8 - Escape from Feathergale Spire

https://app.box.com/s/tg56w47cgb8cv2troxnev2f0jqwz04tt

I was within seconds of whipping out that elemental storm monster I posed above, but I held off. I can find a better time. They had enough on their plate to worry about without some demon storm thing.

 

M

MonsterEnvy

Legend

• Jul 15, 2015

• #60

Another Idea is that it is the true form of Yan-C-bin. As his form as an old man is noted to be an alternate of his true form as a storm.

Or if you want to go far out you could say it's the Elder Elemental God.