D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps

Nebulous · Jul 22, 2015

nevermind, i found one for Greenest that looked good enough and just renamed it.

Nebulous · Jul 22, 2015

So next session (or sometime soon) i want the players to find this map in Feathergale. Now I admit I have not read the entire module front to back. I've skimmed it all and read portions here and there. But I wanted to give them some more concrete hints, particularly the Devastation Orbs, knowledge of a Medusa Prophet at the Black Earth, and an unknown entity at a previously unknown place called Scarlet Moon Hall. I think next time the PCs return to Red Larch, or maybe after they wipe out The Howling Hatred, I'm going to have that storm elemental obliterate the town of RL and wipe it off the map, killing many of the NPCs there.

So is there anything else interesting I can add to this map? (the edges got clipped, but it spells out Beliard and Shatterkeel)

Nebulous · Jul 28, 2015

Session #9- Assault on Feathergale Spire

https://app.box.com/s/eiqx9i4qmtkg6sxsjfle7d0sz64mfwpp

MonsterEnvy · Jul 28, 2015

Nebulous said:
So next session (or sometime soon) i want the players to find this map in Feathergale. Now I admit I have not read the entire module front to back. I've skimmed it all and read portions here and there. But I wanted to give them some more concrete hints, particularly the Devastation Orbs, knowledge of a Medusa Prophet at the Black Earth, and an unknown entity at a previously unknown place called Scarlet Moon Hall. I think next time the PCs return to Red Larch, or maybe after they wipe out The Howling Hatred, I'm going to have that storm elemental obliterate the town of RL and wipe it off the map, killing many of the NPCs there.

So is there anything else interesting I can add to this map? (the edges got clipped, but it spells out Beliard and Shatterkeel)

Don't forget the Temple of the Howling Hatred connects to the other temples so they could find themselves in a werid spot were they like go through the Water Temple and take the River exit out and end up in Riverguard.

Nebulous · Jul 28, 2015

MonsterEnvy said:
Don't forget the Temple of the Howling Hatred connects to the other temples so they could find themselves in a werid spot were they like go through the Water Temple and take the River exit out and end up in Riverguard.

yeah i noticed how the air temple connects to the others. That could be so, so difficult if they went down one of those path prematurely.

Rabbitbait · Jul 28, 2015

Nebulous said:
yeah i noticed how the air temple connects to the others. That could be so, so difficult if they went down one of those path prematurely.

It's very easy in PotA to get in over your head very quickly. I lost half the characters two weeks ago because they went into the temple of howling hatred while they were still 3rd level. The others escaped, but only by the skin of their teeth, if the dice had gone slightly differently there would have only been one survivor.

I think this is a good thing - as players knowing that there is a real chance that their characters might easily die adds a good level of tension. It's just a shame - I'd worked out good character arcs for the campaign that will now never happen.

Nebulous · Jul 28, 2015

Rabbitbait said:
It's very easy in PotA to get in over your head very quickly. I lost half the characters two weeks ago because they went into the temple of howling hatred while they were still 3rd level. The others escaped, but only by the skin of their teeth, if the dice had gone slightly differently there would have only been one survivor.

I think this is a good thing - as players knowing that there is a real chance that their characters might easily die adds a good level of tension. It's just a shame - I'd worked out good character arcs for the campaign that will now never happen.

They're about to enter the Howling Hatred at 5th level - only three of them though. But they'll have 3 NPC birdmen to help. Even then I might have to make it a little easier as they are missing some punch. The book suggests 6th level, and they could probably handle it if they were at full numbers, but with only three guys and some bird guys...I dunno. Very iffy.

Nebulous · Jul 28, 2015

Rabbitbait said:
I think this is a good thing - as players knowing that there is a real chance that their characters might easily die adds a good level of tension. It's just a shame - I'd worked out good character arcs for the campaign that will now never happen.

Yep, we damn near had a TPK at 3rd level when the PCs met the Bringers of Woe under Red Larch. They already have realized that the Air cult doesn't seem as vicious as the Earth cult.

I DO have kind of a concern about this campaign, and that's getting burned out on fighting god dang cultists all the time. I know there are side treks and what not to break it up, but it still might get old. Or not. I dunno.

MonsterEnvy · Jul 28, 2015

Nebulous said:
yeah i noticed how the air temple connects to the others. That could be so, so difficult if they went down one of those path prematurely.

But that would give them a good reason to back off and try something else if they feel overwhelmed.