D&D 5E Enhancing "Storm King's Thunder"

[Daern]

Not really worried about the canon. Just thought I could have a series of giant monster battle one-shots with the high level characters.
I thought long and hard about adding the Tiamat storyline. I seeded all the backstory throughout the campaign and that ended up being the best part. Tiamat as the power motivator behind Imryth was epic. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized I didn't want to go through with any of the actual episodes from RoT. High level play is tedious to me. We might as well cut scene to some good stuff.

 

[AusssieDM]

We're 10 months into the game (weekly) and plodding about with chapter 4.

At the moment I'm playing the Klauth card a bit. Through means unknown Klauth has been affecting the dreams of the party. Providing nightmare scenario stuff. Some have recalled their dreams, others only have a feeling of exhaustion in the morning.

They have previously met members of the Dragon Cult. I intend to have the cult bring them to Klauthenvale to ask them what they know about Imyrith etc. I've not decided on the next phase of this but I'm thinking Klauth doesn't like hearing things about Iymrith's actions which is ramping up his paranoia - I just need to determine a deal that may work beneath Klauth and the party.

I'm going to use the Airships but these wont be flown by cultists instead they will be introduced to one of the faction members (LA). Something along the lines of the Griffon riders of Waterdeep were decimated by the Cloud Giants and a gnomish LA member presented his idea of "floating sky boats". The party is already known to a few factions for there actions vs the GIants.

I'll have Harshnag and the party encounter a 'few' giants at the All Father, to set some tension - have the visiting giants asking / maybe attacking Harshnag for defiling the temple little folk etc. I want to have the party wondering if one of these is Iymryth etc.

I'm going to have the party and Harshnag captured by a powerful giant who wants to rule in place of one of the Lords. That Giant will have the party recover the required conch in exchange for Harshnags life.

I think I want Harshnag to die as a shock to the party. Not sure how that will occur just yet.

 

[hastur_nz]

One thing that's bugged me a bit was the "hooks / quests", especially all the scattered references to "the Weevil" (dwarf criminal), so I never put those in. Some Quests, I weave in as potential Plot Hooks, a lot I delete. For example when the PC's defended Triboar, there are no rewards on offer (beyond XP) but I had a couple of NPC's mention treasures etc that the PC's could go after, basically in lieu of immediate reward. Of course, those were so far away, the players passed, but it feels more natural.

Anyway, as it turned out, the PC's traveled from Triboar to Gauntlgrym then off to Mirabar, which means they arrived in Xantharl's Keep, but by-passed Longsaddle. So as they about to leave, the Frost Giant Kaltivar attacks, and while everyone is distracted, his Bugbears capture the Weevil and start dragging him off in a sack. One PC notices, and figuring there's something inside worth saving, they defeat the bugbears and find the Weevil and also find out from a Bugbear why they were capturing him. So now they are off to Mirabar, to collect the reward.

And so that one played out in a way that I liked a lot better. Rather than the PC's being given one or more Quests / Wanted Posters, saying there's a reward out for capture of the Weevil, then having frustrated players taking forever trying to find out where he might be (there are really no clues). Instead, they just stumbled into that side-quest plot-line, and resolved it quickly.

As for Harshnag, I can't say too much yet as he hasn't appeared yet, but suffice to say I love the idea of using him as more of a "old Ben" Kenobi / Gandalf type - old and tired, but willing to help the new young kids on the block get cracking on an epic quest to heal the Ordning (to date, the players have been solving issues as they come across them, but there's nothing driving them to actually fix the breaking of the Ordning).

 

[Motorskills]

My gang reaches Maelstrom.

 

[Afrodactyl]

Any advice for using the kraken as the big bad of the campaign over Imryth? I can't get behind the idea of a kraken bowing to a dragon and would much rather Imryth be just a giant who is a puppet of the kraken.

 

[hastur_nz]

Any advice for using the kraken as the big bad of the campaign over Imryth? I can't get behind the idea of a kraken bowing to a dragon and would much rather Imryth be just a giant who is a puppet of the kraken.

I used the adventure "Last Breaths of Ashenport" as a side-quest, where Dagon = Kraken, placing Ashenport somewhere West of Luskan. Eventually, the Kraken theme will re-surface (so to speak).

 

[pukunui]

I can't get behind the idea of a kraken bowing to a dragon and would much rather Imryth be just a giant who is a puppet of the kraken.

I don't see it as Slarkrethel bowing to a dragon. He's helping Iymrith out because her plans further his own plans (sowing chaos along the Sword Coast).

 

[Prakriti]

Any advice for using the kraken as the big bad of the campaign over Imryth? I can't get behind the idea of a kraken bowing to a dragon and would much rather Imryth be just a giant who is a puppet of the kraken.

Making Iymrith a regular-old Storm Giant seems good enough to me. Just change the location of the final battle and drop the whole blue-dragon-destroys-temple scene.

 

[Daern]

Finished it. The campaign met its finale with a final battle against the blue dragon. No PCs died, though I kinda spaced out and forgot to attack a couple of times. High level fighting is silly.

Happy to turn over the DM screen to my friend for Tomb of Annihilation!

We'll have some one-shots occasionally where they will finally fight Tiamat. I'm thinking instead of using Rise of Tiamat, I'll use some of the high level stuff from Out of the Abyss. Fight some demons then go to hell and fight Tiamat.

The best part was the holiday spirit. Pants brought custom shirts for everyone with a red d4 pun on them. The group also went in on buying me the new book, Xanathar's Guide. Second year in a row I have received a Christmas book signed by my players. I was really touched. I feel so lucky to have this group these days. It's been two solid years of D&D. The wife's wizard is 12th level. We played through two official Type VI campaign books and I am totally ready to hand off the DM duties. The location will change as well. We'll play at the next door neighbor's house. It will be a good change of pace. I got a bit tired of the plotted out campaign and I wasn't as excited to DM the newest book, though I'm stoked to play in it. Of course, my Barrowmaze campaign continues, with my heartbreaker booklet that I am more into every time I play.

The battle itself was fine. Imryth lurked in her sand pile for awhile while her gargoyles and cave-ins softened up the intruders. A pit to Hell was found, guarded by a massive bronze statue of Tiamat, who exhaled poison gas and whispered words of doom and portent, of the coming of the Mother of Wyrms. Finally Althea the Bearer of the Black Mask donned her cursed garb and was assailed by doubt and temptation. She knew that she needed only to betray her company to the reap a reward of ultimate power upon the coming of the Apocalypse, but though she wavered she would not be turned. The fire lady launched a fireball into the sand pile, revealing the ancient blue wyrm!

The old conniver was enraged. She surged forward and roared her electrical fury at the Company of the Raven, leaving the elven mages, both light and dark, a pair of smoking ruins. A red skinned demon emerged to steal Althea's Mask of the Black Dragon. Apollo healed his magical friends. The barbarian and bard assassin engaged with the demon then the dragon herself. Though her tail thrashed and the heroes were between within inches of their lives, the might of sword and spell prevailed just as it had in Barovia against the dread lord Strahd. The dragon was slain and the realms were safe for a time.

The Maelstrom Court pledged friendship and alliance with the Lords of Waterdeep. Bards sang the praises of the brave cloud sailors. Noble titles and lands in contested places were bestowed, with great thanks from the people of the Sword Coast. Yet even as the depredations of giants eased, a low rumble of rumour and dread was heard from place deep below...

 

[Afrodactyl]

Thanks for the advice re the kraken. I think I'm going to go with it laying siege to Waterdeep in a fit of rage once his plans regarding Hekaton and the Ordning become unstuck somewhat due to the party.

Thanks again!