Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Against the Cult of the Reptile God: advice
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="jamesmanhattan" data-source="post: 6435221" data-attributes="member: 75838"><p>WARNING SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p><p></p><p></p><p>I love this module. There were things that jumped out when I ran it, that I didn't even think of when I just read it. I didn't realized that almost everyone offers the party wine, and the party starts to get real suspicious of the wine. </p><p></p><p>The first person they meet is the local sheriff. Make sure to play him as nosy and questioning. It actually makes the party respect him for doing his job. Little do they know.... </p><p>It can trigger later if they ever think to turn someone in or go to the law for help, they go right to him. And then he can go "Ah, let's go get some help... at the temple"</p><p></p><p>The crazy blacksmith is one of the greatest NPC's ever. Play him for maximum aggression to pick a fight, make him like a barely contained rabid dog, it's often the best place for the first fight to break out. As you ask for initiative, Your players will be like "what are we really going to fight this guy?" "He's a townsperson for crissake". Then his wife and kids get in on the fight. She has a crossbow I think. It's awesome.</p><p></p><p>I ran this in 4E, where its super easy to just knock people out. So I made it so that any charmed person (cult member) when they got reduced to 0 HP, would start gurgling green bile, and die even if someone tried to knock them out. It ensured a body count. Kept the party from easily interrogating someone, although the cult members are charmed, so you could instead, rule they resist interrogation.</p><p></p><p>Also there's two inns in town. Their names are somewhat innocuous. something like Honey, and the other is Slumbering Serpent something or other. I didn't even realize that when the players start getting suspicious and desperately need somewhere to rest, they will avoid the serpent simply because of the name, snake~reptile? metagame with the title? Oh and dont let them rest in the streets or in townsperson's house, remember all the town are suspicious. Even if they do somehow convince a townsperson to let them rest in their home, you can do the ambush scene there. </p><p></p><p>Oh it's such great glory if you can get them to go to the honey tavern. The little rat faced guy cooks their food, and he can put sleep poison in it. If that happens, just launch the ambush right then and there. If half of them fell asleep, let the others wake them with slaps or something. After a long day, a big feast somehow puts even the most suspicious adventurer at ease. </p><p></p><p>It can be really cool if Derek, towards the end of the fight, says "Hey, I know what's going on here. I can help you. I can tell you where the cult is" There's a very slim chance you can get the party not to kill him, and even slimmer if you can get the party to allow him to guide them. But if you do! there's so much potential for future betrayal!!</p><p></p><p>The ambush scene. You have to flexible. You don't have to force it to be in the rooms of the inn. You can have it happen anywhere in town, or even in the woods, if the party is so paranoid they sleep in the woods! Do it at night when they are damaged and out of spells. Try to control your dice so you dont kill the party, it can get dangerous. Or even if you have a TPK; you can always have the classic "whole party is tied up and left alone in a room while the idiot minions go notify the big bad guy" and of course the party gets an attempt to escape. Always a fun scene. </p><p></p><p></p><p>My players were like "this town is crazy, surely the temple might be able to help us." ha ha ha</p><p>The temple is like another perfect place to launch a betrayal/ambush. With a cleric, and several monks it can be a really cool fight. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The very scared townsfolk are actually nicely detailed out. Each one has a description of what they do when approached. Enough that you can make more up on the fly as to their motivations and personalities. </p><p></p><p>Ramne who is often assumed to be with them, comes with Dispel Magic. Very useful for dispelling Charm Person. If he's not with them, maybe consider having some scrolls of dispel magic.</p><p></p><p>Don't be afraid for the Naga to open up with a Fireball (which is part of the classic memory for this module). I just ran Starter Set and a 4th level party can take a Fireball, they took one from the Flameskull. As long as someone has a healing potion to get a potential downed healer back up. Actually opening with the fireball is over-all much safer than saving it for later when everyone is bruised battered.</p><p></p><p>Plus always keep in mind. The naga is arrogant as all hell, so if there is ever a TPK, remember she puts all the players in a room, and will try to seduce/charm each one in turn. She wants more cult members, and isn't ever worried about being defeated. She is immortal after all. Doing this, allows a reset, and always keeps the story going.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="jamesmanhattan, post: 6435221, member: 75838"] WARNING SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this module. There were things that jumped out when I ran it, that I didn't even think of when I just read it. I didn't realized that almost everyone offers the party wine, and the party starts to get real suspicious of the wine. The first person they meet is the local sheriff. Make sure to play him as nosy and questioning. It actually makes the party respect him for doing his job. Little do they know.... It can trigger later if they ever think to turn someone in or go to the law for help, they go right to him. And then he can go "Ah, let's go get some help... at the temple" The crazy blacksmith is one of the greatest NPC's ever. Play him for maximum aggression to pick a fight, make him like a barely contained rabid dog, it's often the best place for the first fight to break out. As you ask for initiative, Your players will be like "what are we really going to fight this guy?" "He's a townsperson for crissake". Then his wife and kids get in on the fight. She has a crossbow I think. It's awesome. I ran this in 4E, where its super easy to just knock people out. So I made it so that any charmed person (cult member) when they got reduced to 0 HP, would start gurgling green bile, and die even if someone tried to knock them out. It ensured a body count. Kept the party from easily interrogating someone, although the cult members are charmed, so you could instead, rule they resist interrogation. Also there's two inns in town. Their names are somewhat innocuous. something like Honey, and the other is Slumbering Serpent something or other. I didn't even realize that when the players start getting suspicious and desperately need somewhere to rest, they will avoid the serpent simply because of the name, snake~reptile? metagame with the title? Oh and dont let them rest in the streets or in townsperson's house, remember all the town are suspicious. Even if they do somehow convince a townsperson to let them rest in their home, you can do the ambush scene there. Oh it's such great glory if you can get them to go to the honey tavern. The little rat faced guy cooks their food, and he can put sleep poison in it. If that happens, just launch the ambush right then and there. If half of them fell asleep, let the others wake them with slaps or something. After a long day, a big feast somehow puts even the most suspicious adventurer at ease. It can be really cool if Derek, towards the end of the fight, says "Hey, I know what's going on here. I can help you. I can tell you where the cult is" There's a very slim chance you can get the party not to kill him, and even slimmer if you can get the party to allow him to guide them. But if you do! there's so much potential for future betrayal!! The ambush scene. You have to flexible. You don't have to force it to be in the rooms of the inn. You can have it happen anywhere in town, or even in the woods, if the party is so paranoid they sleep in the woods! Do it at night when they are damaged and out of spells. Try to control your dice so you dont kill the party, it can get dangerous. Or even if you have a TPK; you can always have the classic "whole party is tied up and left alone in a room while the idiot minions go notify the big bad guy" and of course the party gets an attempt to escape. Always a fun scene. My players were like "this town is crazy, surely the temple might be able to help us." ha ha ha The temple is like another perfect place to launch a betrayal/ambush. With a cleric, and several monks it can be a really cool fight. The very scared townsfolk are actually nicely detailed out. Each one has a description of what they do when approached. Enough that you can make more up on the fly as to their motivations and personalities. Ramne who is often assumed to be with them, comes with Dispel Magic. Very useful for dispelling Charm Person. If he's not with them, maybe consider having some scrolls of dispel magic. Don't be afraid for the Naga to open up with a Fireball (which is part of the classic memory for this module). I just ran Starter Set and a 4th level party can take a Fireball, they took one from the Flameskull. As long as someone has a healing potion to get a potential downed healer back up. Actually opening with the fireball is over-all much safer than saving it for later when everyone is bruised battered. Plus always keep in mind. The naga is arrogant as all hell, so if there is ever a TPK, remember she puts all the players in a room, and will try to seduce/charm each one in turn. She wants more cult members, and isn't ever worried about being defeated. She is immortal after all. Doing this, allows a reset, and always keeps the story going. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Against the Cult of the Reptile God: advice
Top