yeah, perhaps the legendary weapon can't be used with the corresponding dragon head's eyes staying closed. This means if the PCs get the masks they actually have a direct affect.
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D&D 5E Enhancing "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" (Practical stuff to try at your table!)
- Thread starter jayoungr
- Start date
yeah, perhaps the legendary weapon can't be used with the corresponding dragon head's eyes staying closed. This means if the PCs get the masks they actually have a direct affect.
pukunui
Legend
Yeah, that would be easier to track, too. If you've got the black dragon mask, Tiamat can't use the Black Dragon Head legendary action. Maybe you could say that she can't use the black dragon head to make opportunity attacks either.
thats a brilliant idea, the ending is taking shape
Question for readers of this thread:
What is suitable 'reward' for PC's is they succeed with defeating the Rise of Tiamat?
My players come from the 3.5/PF system and are used to oodles of magic treasure and monetary rewards to buy more magic to enhance their characters. I have for the most part stayed away from that throughout the Tyranny of Dragons story. They have what I would say is an appropriate amount of magic and have been using a modified Hazirawn sword.
I wish to provide an epic story ending for their PC's if they succeed in the final battle.
There is a treasure room in the Well of Dragons caldera with 'riches beyond imagination' which needs to be redistributed among the cities and factions, but what I am looking for is a suitable reward for an Epic story.
Appreciate your replies.
What is suitable 'reward' for PC's is they succeed with defeating the Rise of Tiamat?
My players come from the 3.5/PF system and are used to oodles of magic treasure and monetary rewards to buy more magic to enhance their characters. I have for the most part stayed away from that throughout the Tyranny of Dragons story. They have what I would say is an appropriate amount of magic and have been using a modified Hazirawn sword.
I wish to provide an epic story ending for their PC's if they succeed in the final battle.
There is a treasure room in the Well of Dragons caldera with 'riches beyond imagination' which needs to be redistributed among the cities and factions, but what I am looking for is a suitable reward for an Epic story.
Appreciate your replies.
At the first council meeting, the council offered the PCs 100,000 GC, some land north of Waterdeep and titles. I felt that if they are being asked to risk their lives to save the realms then they should get something.
I still need to work out what else they can get at the other locations...
pukunui
Legend
[MENTION=79899]Superking[/MENTION]: How about one (or more) of the supernatural gifts - or maybe even an epic boon - from the DMG? These could be rewards from the gods for saving Faerûn or something. Or maybe they've absorbed a little bit of Tiamat's essence as she fades away back into Avernus. Or whatever.
I had thought of the Granting of Epic Boon/Gift from Bahamut. That would make a lot of sense. The characters will be at level 14 to 15 range. I have a feeling that they may want to revisit playing these PC's a few times down the road should a suitable story develop.
Titles, land, gold, boons. All good. Was thinking of actually turning it back on to the characters, by asking them what direction their PC's would take now that Tiamat was vanquished. Using that lead, come up with something to fit the direction of the character's future. VS Just giving them treasure.
Might be a leadership role in one of the factions, City government, rebuilding an area decimated by the Cult, forming their own Church/Monastery type thing, getting a position at a Bardic College or wizard tower. That type of thing.
Thanks for the brainstorming.
Titles, land, gold, boons. All good. Was thinking of actually turning it back on to the characters, by asking them what direction their PC's would take now that Tiamat was vanquished. Using that lead, come up with something to fit the direction of the character's future. VS Just giving them treasure.
Might be a leadership role in one of the factions, City government, rebuilding an area decimated by the Cult, forming their own Church/Monastery type thing, getting a position at a Bardic College or wizard tower. That type of thing.
Thanks for the brainstorming.
Maybe instead of eliminating those heads completely, just make it so that those heads are the last to wake up.
Maybe they take longer to come into the fight as well, so they stay dormant for an extra round before they enter. But then, that might actually be worse than losing the breath weapon, since she could still make physical attacks in that case
I don't want to make Tiamat too easy--as RoT says, she is a goddess, and the PCs should fear for their lives when fighting her.
I just realized that I've never mentioned two of my favorite tools, which have seen a lot of use in the whole Tyranny of Dragons campaign--and they come from our own EN Publishing!
Russ Morrissey's 1d100 Mundane Treasures
Russ Morrissey's 1d100 Mundane Treasures II
I add a few of them to every dragon hoard, or any time the PCs find a crate of stolen items on their way to the the Well of Dragons. Sometimes I roll randomly, and sometimes I just skim the list for something that looks thematically appropriate, modifying on the fly as needed. It adds so much color and occasionally quirky flavor to the scene, rather than just "Yeah, there's some gold and some jewels and stuff."
For example, last night the PCs checked out Chuth's hoard (in RoT) and found, among other things, an eight-foot-tall wooden statue of a rampant dragon (#59 on the first list). It was too big to carry, but they liked it so much that they drew their teleportation circle around it and took it back to Waterdeep with them.
And right now, the lists are even on sale! Though they're inexpensive even at full price. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the author or anything!)
Russ Morrissey's 1d100 Mundane Treasures
Russ Morrissey's 1d100 Mundane Treasures II
I add a few of them to every dragon hoard, or any time the PCs find a crate of stolen items on their way to the the Well of Dragons. Sometimes I roll randomly, and sometimes I just skim the list for something that looks thematically appropriate, modifying on the fly as needed. It adds so much color and occasionally quirky flavor to the scene, rather than just "Yeah, there's some gold and some jewels and stuff."
For example, last night the PCs checked out Chuth's hoard (in RoT) and found, among other things, an eight-foot-tall wooden statue of a rampant dragon (#59 on the first list). It was too big to carry, but they liked it so much that they drew their teleportation circle around it and took it back to Waterdeep with them.
And right now, the lists are even on sale! Though they're inexpensive even at full price. (Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the author or anything!)
pukunui
Legend
So I finally managed to get my group out of Baldur's Gate last session. I ran the Stranded encounter for them, and even though I added four worgs to the encounter, it was still way too easy. Partly because they now have quite a few hit points at 5th level, but mainly because the wizard decimated the hobgoblins' ranks with two fireballs, while the druid tore up the worgs with two conjured brown bears. Yes, if they'd had another encounter that same day, they'd have been in more trouble, but that doesn't seem to be the way things work in this section of the adventure.
Anyway, it wasn't that big a deal that it was easy. I took the opportunity to explain that everyone seemed quite impressed with the PCs' handiwork, and they all got treated to free drinks from Beyd's mobile tavern.
But that's got me thinking about some of the other road encounters. Like the No Room at the Inn encounter. I think four assassins might still be too much, even for 5th level PCs, but what about 1 green slaad (also CR 8) plus some minions? I'm not sure what I'd use for them. Maybe veterans? If the battle proves to be too tough, some of the NPC guards can always come to the PCs' aid.
I'm also thinking about the Golden Stag encounter. I really like it, but I'm wondering whether it might be more fun to run it as a chase scene, rather than having three basic Survival checks. In fact, it could be a three-horse race, as it were, with the PCs trying to stop some of the NPCs from killing the stag.
In terms of chase mechanics, I prefer the alternate rules published in DDEX2-10 Cloaks and Shadows to the ones in the DMG, although I can still use the wilderness chase table in the DMG, just with minor modifications. I can post the results here, if anyone's interested.
Anyway, it wasn't that big a deal that it was easy. I took the opportunity to explain that everyone seemed quite impressed with the PCs' handiwork, and they all got treated to free drinks from Beyd's mobile tavern.
But that's got me thinking about some of the other road encounters. Like the No Room at the Inn encounter. I think four assassins might still be too much, even for 5th level PCs, but what about 1 green slaad (also CR 8) plus some minions? I'm not sure what I'd use for them. Maybe veterans? If the battle proves to be too tough, some of the NPC guards can always come to the PCs' aid.
I'm also thinking about the Golden Stag encounter. I really like it, but I'm wondering whether it might be more fun to run it as a chase scene, rather than having three basic Survival checks. In fact, it could be a three-horse race, as it were, with the PCs trying to stop some of the NPCs from killing the stag.
In terms of chase mechanics, I prefer the alternate rules published in DDEX2-10 Cloaks and Shadows to the ones in the DMG, although I can still use the wilderness chase table in the DMG, just with minor modifications. I can post the results here, if anyone's interested.
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