If the party seems to be worried about reporting in, you could have one of the NPCs give them a sending stone to report back. A future plot hook could also involve the matched pair falling into the wrong hands, or a hurried message of dire warning sent with the most important part just outside the 25 word limit of the spell.
-
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!
D&D 5E Enhancing "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" (Practical stuff to try at your table!)
- Thread starter jayoungr
- Start date
Or if the party is already out in the wilderness, you could have an NPC contact them from time to time with sending. Something like "Harper Carlon here; Leosin Erlanthar has arrived in Waterdeep and wishes to know how your efforts are progressing." (That's 18 words, so it would be covered by the spell.)
Beyond that, though, I think it's good for parties to realize that they have complete freedom to choose what they do next, even if it does change up the adventure a bit from what's in the book. They abandon the trail and go back to Waterdeep? Well, they have some information to report, and meanwhile, the Cult of the Dragon is still funneling treasure along the coast road. The PCs can try following the next shipment instead.
Beyond that, though, I think it's good for parties to realize that they have complete freedom to choose what they do next, even if it does change up the adventure a bit from what's in the book. They abandon the trail and go back to Waterdeep? Well, they have some information to report, and meanwhile, the Cult of the Dragon is still funneling treasure along the coast road. The PCs can try following the next shipment instead.
There's no reason they can't do that. Going through the cave is not required; you just have to remember that Cyanwrath and Frulam Mondath are still around in that case, and they could pop up later to cause trouble.
Did the PCs find out about the dragon eggs? Then later someone will ask them why they didn't want to go in and destroy them, and their answer will tell everyone something about the characters involved. If you go on to Rise of Tiamat, the Emerald Enclave will be very happy that they didn't destroy the eggs.
In that case, the main thing the GM has to do is make sure the PCs know somehow that the castle isn't the final destination. Storming the castle is completely optional--as you know, since your group found their own (quite cool!) solution.
I guess what I'm getting at is that all this is only a problem if the DM feels that the players are "doing it wrong" by skipping some parts of the adventure.
Last edited:
Oops, I just realized I never responded to this--sorry! Aravax Foxtraveler is the cult's contact in Baldur's Gate, invented by Mike Shea and mentioned in the sample letter I linked to.
I like that too. I wanted to do something like that, but didn't find a way to fit it into my game.
Yes, my group never actually saw Rezmir until Skyreach Castle!
pukunui
Legend
Ah OK. I've got other plans. Since Mondath escaped from the dragon hatchery, I've been trying to figure out what to do with her. Then, when the PCs got to Baldur's Gate last session, the rogue's player said he wanted to use his Cult Infiltrator background feature to see if he could find some cult agents in the city.
Here's what I'm thinking: The MiBG guide states that there are shrines to all manner of deities in the Outer City suburb of Twin Songs. Why not have a shrine to Tiamat there too? It could cater to any expat Chessentans in the city while also being a front for the cult's operations.
As for Mondath, I've decided that, while the book says she isn't willing to give up her life for the cause, she nevertheless decides to report back to Rezmir. Mondath can always try and lay most of the blame for the hatchery's loss on Cyanwrath. It's not like he can defend himself, after all. That being said, she'll have to admit that the PCs found her notes and thus know that the cult is heading to Baldur's Gate.
Rezmir rewards Mondath with a face full of acid spittle, then gives her a chance at redemption by sending her ahead to Baldur's Gate to intercept the PCs. So who does the rogue find when he goes to the shrine of Tiamat in Twin Songs? A horribly disfigured Mondath in search of revenge!
KingsRule77
First Post
I like that idea. Maybe she's more zealous being 'blessed' with acid face.
MrZeddaPiras
[insert something clever]
I wouldn't say it's a problem, and I'm perfectly happy with the players making their own choices. My players are fairly experienced, so in the end they explored the cave with the eggs, they went into the castle, and I'm delighted they found an alternative way to deal with the bullywughs. I just find it odd that, in a campaign as linear as ToD, the "quest-givers" provide such vague tasks that can sometimes lead the players to not experience the content. That said, since it seems I'm the only one here who noticed this, I'm starting to think it had more to do with the way I presented the information.
I think that's a great idea. It ties up a loose end, makes Baldur's Gate into a neatly separate adventure that can be wrapped up in full while there, and gives the party a foretaste of Rezmir's nastiness.
Castle Naerytar
There are a LOT of rooms to keep track of here. I recommend a DM "cheat sheet" that gives you an overview of the place. The one I found and used seems to have vanished from the net,* but this and this should work well if you read enough German to know that Tag is day and Nacht is night.
If I were to run this again, I'd make sure to have names and roleplaying notes for a couple of the cultists apart from the leaders. It seems likely players will want to infiltrate, as mine did, and that means they'll be interacting with cultists while there.
The other main thing is to make sure the players know this isn't the final destination for the treasure. If they don't investigate on their own, let them see crates being taken downstairs or have one of the cultists or lizardmen mention that the crates go downstairs and don't come back up.
*EDIT: Found it thanks to the Wayback Machine:
There are a LOT of rooms to keep track of here. I recommend a DM "cheat sheet" that gives you an overview of the place. The one I found and used seems to have vanished from the net,* but this and this should work well if you read enough German to know that Tag is day and Nacht is night.
If I were to run this again, I'd make sure to have names and roleplaying notes for a couple of the cultists apart from the leaders. It seems likely players will want to infiltrate, as mine did, and that means they'll be interacting with cultists while there.
The other main thing is to make sure the players know this isn't the final destination for the treasure. If they don't investigate on their own, let them see crates being taken downstairs or have one of the cultists or lizardmen mention that the crates go downstairs and don't come back up.
*EDIT: Found it thanks to the Wayback Machine:
Last edited:
pukunui
Legend
I could do with some help fleshing this out. Anyone got any ideas?
One thought I had is that I could have the PC make some checks, not to see if he can find the cultists but to see if he can do so without attracting unwanted attention (from, say, the Flaming Fist or the Guild even). It could make things more interesting - not only would he then have to try to get the info he seeks (where the treasure is going after Baldur's Gate) but he would also have to try to keep it from falling into the hands of one of the city's power groups (since it's in the PCs' best interest not to let anyone else stop the cultists from completing their loot-hauling mission).
Of course, the problem with having Mondath bent on revenge is that, once the PCs have defeated her, the other cult agents in the city will know their plans are compromised. I'm wondering if maybe I should make it so the cult originally planned to transport the loot in some other fashion and that, because of the PCs' meddling, they end up deciding to go with Plan B: the overland route.
Perhaps, after Mondath dies, I could have some cult assassins try to take out the PCs somewhere in the city ... with the intent being to encourage the PCs to lie low for the remainder of their stay in the city so that the cult will relax and continue with their plan, thinking that the PCs have been dealt with. Not sure how I'd encourage them along that path without it being heavy-handed, though.
One thought I had is that I could have the PC make some checks, not to see if he can find the cultists but to see if he can do so without attracting unwanted attention (from, say, the Flaming Fist or the Guild even). It could make things more interesting - not only would he then have to try to get the info he seeks (where the treasure is going after Baldur's Gate) but he would also have to try to keep it from falling into the hands of one of the city's power groups (since it's in the PCs' best interest not to let anyone else stop the cultists from completing their loot-hauling mission).
Of course, the problem with having Mondath bent on revenge is that, once the PCs have defeated her, the other cult agents in the city will know their plans are compromised. I'm wondering if maybe I should make it so the cult originally planned to transport the loot in some other fashion and that, because of the PCs' meddling, they end up deciding to go with Plan B: the overland route.
Perhaps, after Mondath dies, I could have some cult assassins try to take out the PCs somewhere in the city ... with the intent being to encourage the PCs to lie low for the remainder of their stay in the city so that the cult will relax and continue with their plan, thinking that the PCs have been dealt with. Not sure how I'd encourage them along that path without it being heavy-handed, though.
Last edited:
