pukunui
Legend
Hi folks,
My home campaign is a mashup of Acquisitions Inc, Tomb of Annihilation, and Dragon Heist. Note: There are spoilers below for all three adventures!
I began the campaign in Waterdeep, with Episode 1 of the AI book's adventure, "Orrery of the Wanderer". The PCs were sent on a mission to investigate some strange goings-on beneath the city. Along the way, they rescued and befriended a wyrmling bronze dragon named Dabshabah. Instead of continuing the Orrery adventure, I had AI HQ send the PCs to investigate what happened to their Chultan franchise, run by the Company of the Yellow Banner.
Once the PCs arrived in Port Nyanzaru, I ran a modified version of the Orrery Episode 2, placing the dungeon beneath the Company's abandoned manor, which I placed on a hill overlooking the city. I used the generic merchant prince villa map from ToA for the manor itself, and I tossed in the three urchins from Dragon Heist as squatters in the manor just for fun.
The PCs took Dabshabah with them to Chult. After concluding their investigations into the disappearance of the local AI franchise and sending a report back to Waterdeep via ship, they decided to undertake some expeditions into the jungle. They opted to leave Dabshabah behind in the city, telling her to maintain a low profile. She said she'd mostly explore the harbor.
By the time the PCs return to Port Nyanzaru, they'll have been gone for nearly a month. I'm thinking that it would be fun for something to have happened to Dabshabah in the meantime. I can't imagine that an impulsive wyrmling dragon of any type would be able to go entirely unnoticed, especially since they'd be such a rarity in a place like Chult. If someone like Ifan Talro'a learned of her presence, he'd undoubtedly want to get his hands on her!
That said, I've also been wanting to introduce Zardoz Zord's Sea Maiden's Faire (from Dragon Heist) to the mix -- mainly because I like it but also because I want to give the PCs the opportunity to claim the Scarlet Marpenoth for themselves.
I'm thinking that Jarlaxle has just been to Lantan to pick up the Scarlet Marpenoth and has stopped in Port Nyanzaru before heading back up to the Sword Coast (perhaps to collect some of the local wildlife for his menagerie). Since that adventure also includes a bit with a bronze dragon alerting the PCs to the sub's existence, I'm thinking that maybe Dabshabah could fill that role ... she went out exploring underwater, only maybe she got too close, was spotted and was then captured by Jarlaxle's crew in order to keep the sub a secret (and perhaps also to exhibit as part of the menagerie).
I've been thinking of how the PCs, upon returning to Port Nyanzaru, could learn about what has happened to Dabshabah. Obviously, when they get back to the manor, the urchins could tell them that they haven't seen the dragon in a while. From there, I have come up with two possible ideas:
1) One of the merchant princes (most likely Ifan Talro'a) has learned that Zord has caught a dragon and wants the PCs to sneak on board his ship and steal it for them. (In this case, the merchant prince wouldn't know that Dabshabah is the PCs' friend, so I can't imagine they'd agree to hand her over, and thus the prince could become an enemy/rival.)
2) Having conversed with Dabshabah, Jarlaxle has learned that she has friends in the city who are adventurers-for-hire. He then contacts the PCs and offers to give them back their dragon friend in exchange for a service of some kind ... I don't think that I want to fully transpose the main plot of Dragon Heist to Port Nyanzaru, although I could always simplify it and make the treasure be a cache that the Amnians hid and were unable to take with them when the merchant princes drove them out. I'd probably have to make the guardian be something other than a gold dragon, in this case.
I should add that I have not yet introduced the death curse. I want the PCs to be able to explore all the little side locations in Chult before introducing it.
Also, there are five PCs in the group, and they'll be hitting 4th level when they return to town. They will also be officially starting up their franchise at that point and receiving their company positions and hirelings and all that. (The abandoned manor with dungeon will be their starting headquarters.)
That's about all I've got for the moment. I'd appreciate some help finalizing and fleshing out this plan.
Thanks in advance!
My home campaign is a mashup of Acquisitions Inc, Tomb of Annihilation, and Dragon Heist. Note: There are spoilers below for all three adventures!
I began the campaign in Waterdeep, with Episode 1 of the AI book's adventure, "Orrery of the Wanderer". The PCs were sent on a mission to investigate some strange goings-on beneath the city. Along the way, they rescued and befriended a wyrmling bronze dragon named Dabshabah. Instead of continuing the Orrery adventure, I had AI HQ send the PCs to investigate what happened to their Chultan franchise, run by the Company of the Yellow Banner.
Once the PCs arrived in Port Nyanzaru, I ran a modified version of the Orrery Episode 2, placing the dungeon beneath the Company's abandoned manor, which I placed on a hill overlooking the city. I used the generic merchant prince villa map from ToA for the manor itself, and I tossed in the three urchins from Dragon Heist as squatters in the manor just for fun.
The PCs took Dabshabah with them to Chult. After concluding their investigations into the disappearance of the local AI franchise and sending a report back to Waterdeep via ship, they decided to undertake some expeditions into the jungle. They opted to leave Dabshabah behind in the city, telling her to maintain a low profile. She said she'd mostly explore the harbor.
By the time the PCs return to Port Nyanzaru, they'll have been gone for nearly a month. I'm thinking that it would be fun for something to have happened to Dabshabah in the meantime. I can't imagine that an impulsive wyrmling dragon of any type would be able to go entirely unnoticed, especially since they'd be such a rarity in a place like Chult. If someone like Ifan Talro'a learned of her presence, he'd undoubtedly want to get his hands on her!
That said, I've also been wanting to introduce Zardoz Zord's Sea Maiden's Faire (from Dragon Heist) to the mix -- mainly because I like it but also because I want to give the PCs the opportunity to claim the Scarlet Marpenoth for themselves.
I'm thinking that Jarlaxle has just been to Lantan to pick up the Scarlet Marpenoth and has stopped in Port Nyanzaru before heading back up to the Sword Coast (perhaps to collect some of the local wildlife for his menagerie). Since that adventure also includes a bit with a bronze dragon alerting the PCs to the sub's existence, I'm thinking that maybe Dabshabah could fill that role ... she went out exploring underwater, only maybe she got too close, was spotted and was then captured by Jarlaxle's crew in order to keep the sub a secret (and perhaps also to exhibit as part of the menagerie).
I've been thinking of how the PCs, upon returning to Port Nyanzaru, could learn about what has happened to Dabshabah. Obviously, when they get back to the manor, the urchins could tell them that they haven't seen the dragon in a while. From there, I have come up with two possible ideas:
1) One of the merchant princes (most likely Ifan Talro'a) has learned that Zord has caught a dragon and wants the PCs to sneak on board his ship and steal it for them. (In this case, the merchant prince wouldn't know that Dabshabah is the PCs' friend, so I can't imagine they'd agree to hand her over, and thus the prince could become an enemy/rival.)
2) Having conversed with Dabshabah, Jarlaxle has learned that she has friends in the city who are adventurers-for-hire. He then contacts the PCs and offers to give them back their dragon friend in exchange for a service of some kind ... I don't think that I want to fully transpose the main plot of Dragon Heist to Port Nyanzaru, although I could always simplify it and make the treasure be a cache that the Amnians hid and were unable to take with them when the merchant princes drove them out. I'd probably have to make the guardian be something other than a gold dragon, in this case.
I should add that I have not yet introduced the death curse. I want the PCs to be able to explore all the little side locations in Chult before introducing it.
Also, there are five PCs in the group, and they'll be hitting 4th level when they return to town. They will also be officially starting up their franchise at that point and receiving their company positions and hirelings and all that. (The abandoned manor with dungeon will be their starting headquarters.)
That's about all I've got for the moment. I'd appreciate some help finalizing and fleshing out this plan.
Thanks in advance!
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