D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps

[Rabbitbait]

This is something that keeps coming up in my head, and I guess I blame WotC (in the nicest way) for putting out another story arc so soon. What would be a possible ending place for Princes assuming the PCs don't systematically pursue each Haunted Keep and Temple to their ultimate end? What about some plot points where the Cults are allied Air and Fire vs. Earth and Water and maybe some NPC Factions with the Harpers and Emerald Enclave and Gauntlet sweep in to help? I mean, why the hell wouldn't they do that given their knowledge of the danger to the immediate region? Even if it is like, 20-50 people? I'm not even talking about 15th+ level heroes. In my Realms campaign canon doesn't matter. There are not many high level people traipsing across the continent, and if they are they're involved with other stuff.

This actually makes a great deal of sense to me. There is no valid reason why 3 people in the world (our current PCs) would confront all of this stuff other than in the interest of being heroic D&D people to kick everything's ass.

My point is, if I want to cut this campaign off at a shorter level, what are some options? My players too would probably like to reach maybe 10th or 12th and then start over again with new characters in a new arc. I've known them very well for many years.

That's exactly the position I am in now, where the heroes have visited the Featherspire and the Temple of Howling Hatred, decided that those places are more than they can handle, and have decided that this is what armies are for. So now a delegation has gone to the King to request permission to take out the tower (as the Feathergale Knights are answerable to the King) and attacke the temple. Since none of the party are in the delegation now I am left with choosing:

1) The delegation doesn't make it to the king.
2) The delegation does make it, but become embroiled in politics
3) The delegation does make it, but the king is part of the conspiracy
4) The king doesn't believe the delegation and the delegation lose favour with the king (and so do the heroes by association)
5) The king gives them permission to act, so the Xandrar army is activated (I'm running this in Eberron)
6) The king takes this very seriously and sends in his own army.

I'm unsure which of these options (if any) I should take, and if an army goes in that certainly changes things a bit. But I don't want to put a stop on good player ideas.

However a complicating factor is the fact that Windharrow (from the Temple of Howling Hatred) is part of the delegation - and he is an excellent liar. So at the moment it's all very complicated and I'm not sure which way I want to go with it.

 

[Nebulous]

That's exactly the position I am in now, where the heroes have visited the Featherspire and the Temple of Howling Hatred, decided that those places are more than they can handle, and have decided that this is what armies are for. So now a delegation has gone to the King to request permission to take out the tower (as the Feathergale Knights are answerable to the King) and attacke the temple. Since none of the party are in the delegation now I am left with choosing:

1) The delegation doesn't make it to the king.
2) The delegation does make it, but become embroiled in politics
3) The delegation does make it, but the king is part of the conspiracy
4) The king doesn't believe the delegation and the delegation lose favour with the king (and so do the heroes by association)
5) The king gives them permission to act, so the Xandrar army is activated (I'm running this in Eberron)
6) The king takes this very seriously and sends in his own army.

I'm unsure which of these options (if any) I should take, and if an army goes in that certainly changes things a bit. But I don't want to put a stop on good player ideas.

However a complicating factor is the fact that Windharrow (from the Temple of Howling Hatred) is part of the delegation - and he is an excellent liar. So at the moment it's all very complicated and I'm not sure which way I want to go with it.

Wow, that IS complicated. But it is excellent that you have mapped out potential and logical options. I have no idea what my players will do, but i really, really suspect that in the interest of their own self preservation, they're going to reach out for faction help. I know how they think and they've already nearly died a couple times, so infiltrating a Temple is almost the same as suicide as far as they're concerned.

I would really love for them to enter the Air Temple next session, for one reason I have done so much work to prep it and I really really don't want to waste that. I might have to railroad them a little bit in this case, but I'll try to do it stealthily.

They want to frame the Black Earth cult as the Feathergale murderers. which is fine, but I think ideally they want to see those two groups duke it out with their cultists and troops and prophets fighting each other to the death in the middle of the Sumber Hills, and I just don't see that happening for any good reason. At least not in any quick timeframe. Aerisi is more likely to use subterfuge to strike back.

 

[Nebulous]

That's exactly the position I am in now, where the heroes have visited the Featherspire and the Temple of Howling Hatred, decided that those places are more than they can handle, and have decided that this is what armies are for.
(snip)
However a complicating factor is the fact that Windharrow (from the Temple of Howling Hatred) is part of the delegation - and he is an excellent liar. So at the moment it's all very complicated and I'm not sure which way I want to go with it.

My guys brought in a small regiment from Neverwinter during LMoP to help mop up forces in the Mine, and that was small potatoes compared to the dangers beneath The Sumber Hills. And they're the same level now as they were then!

You've given me another idea - Windharrow comes out of the Temple as a delegate to ask the PCs to strike at the Black Earth Temple, and offers them payment. (?) I still might fall back on the plan of Aerisi summoning three stalkers to inhabit the Tower and kill anything that enters. I'm just trying to think logically what she would do in this position. And it really probably won't be what the players want her to do.

Hell, the Elder Eye probably gives the Prophets guidance and hints, right?

 

[Nebulous]

Well, I made some some adlib decisions and went with it today. Hope to have the recap posted before too long.

Anyway, I have some questions for DMs running this--

What is the real significance and purpose of the Delegation from Mirabar? So the Emerald Enclave and Gauntlet have given these missions to the PCs to recover the delegation or at least determine their dead whereabouts, but WHY?

I understand about the Knight from Icewind Dale, and the seeds to be planted in Goldenfields, and maybe a few others, but my players are quite invested now in really finding the PURPOSE of the delegation as if it has some more important meaning...

...and now I think it should. I think it SHOULD play into the Elemental Cults and it should have a more major, determinable, logical impact on why they were kidnapped and killed and waylaid.

And maybe the book does detail this later, but I haven't reached that part yet, so if someone could point it out that would be cool. Or otherwise help me lay groundwork for some reasons why the Delegation and the Enclave and the Gauntlet and whoever else would have a vested interest in this little expedition.

I noted to the PCs today, there is not even a known roster of participants, so SHOULD there be in Beliard perhaps? But why?

According to one note from Feathergale, there is a "Waterdeep noblewoman" now prisoner in the Howling Hatred temple. That is the only clue they have to go on that maybe someone of the delegation is kidnapped.

But why was the Delegation killed in the first place? Random attack is not as good as "calculated plot point", and maybe i'm totally missing that angle, or maybe that angle can be better fleshed out.

 

[DaveDash]

Well, I made some some adlib decisions and went with it today. Hope to have the recap posted before too long.

Anyway, I have some questions for DMs running this--

What is the real significance and purpose of the Delegation from Mirabar? So the Emerald Enclave and Gauntlet have given these missions to the PCs to recover the delegation or at least determine their dead whereabouts, but WHY?

I understand about the Knight from Icewind Dale, and the seeds to be planted in Goldenfields, and maybe a few others, but my players are quite invested now in really finding the PURPOSE of the delegation as if it has some more important meaning...

...and now I think it should. I think it SHOULD play into the Elemental Cults and it should have a more major, determinable, logical impact on why they were kidnapped and killed and waylaid.

And maybe the book does detail this later, but I haven't reached that part yet, so if someone could point it out that would be cool. Or otherwise help me lay groundwork for some reasons why the Delegation and the Enclave and the Gauntlet and whoever else would have a vested interest in this little expedition.

I noted to the PCs today, there is not even a known roster of participants, so SHOULD there be in Beliard perhaps? But why?

According to one note from Feathergale, there is a "Waterdeep noblewoman" now prisoner in the Howling Hatred temple. That is the only clue they have to go on that maybe someone of the delegation is kidnapped.

But why was the Delegation killed in the first place? Random attack is not as good as "calculated plot point", and maybe i'm totally missing that angle, or maybe that angle can be better fleshed out.

I've started running this and here's what I did.

I've been emphasising the strange weather patterns in the region. The Knights have been troubled by this and reached out for the delegation for assistance. Since it's compromised of scholars etc, they have aided the call and were traveling to the vale to research the strange weather patterns.

My group started at level 1, so I've had the town awash with rumours already that a delegation from Mirabar is coming to the valley, and also that the Knights are putting on festivals and games in the region to 'raise morale'. Everyone is very excited.

However, my group has just finished The Tomb of Moving Stones, and are about to find out that the delegation has ran afoul, and the festivities have been cancelled...

 

[Nebulous]

So, a delegation of experts and scholars to investigate the weather patterns and come up with a solution and/or explanation.

 

[Nebulous]

I've been emphasising the strange weather patterns in the region. The Knights have been troubled by this and reached out for the delegation for assistance. Since it's compromised of scholars etc, they have aided the call and were traveling to the vale to research the strange weather patterns.

What if a cultist in Mirabar infiltrated them, such as Aerisi's second in command, Windharrow, and used that opportunity to lead them into a deliberate ambush so they could not investigate the region and possibly unearth their operations?

In fact, I think a contact in Beliard NEEDS to know this information and pass it onto the PCs asap.

 

[designbot]

I've been emphasising the strange weather patterns in the region. The Knights have been troubled by this and reached out for the delegation for assistance. Since it's compromised of scholars etc, they have aided the call and were traveling to the vale to research the strange weather patterns.

I like this. There's a good summary of what's in the book about the delegation here, and frankly, it's not much. It's just a "trade delegation" with no clear goal or consequence for their capture, other than a bunch of unrelated vague faction hooks. It reminds me more than anything of The Phantom Menace.

 

[g0gmag0g]

Entirely agree that the delegation should have a greater plot significance than it does in the written adventure. Some of the delegates are prisoners in various parts of the temples and nodes but beyond possibly tying into individual adventure hooks there is no other 'point' to the delegation.

The suggestion that at least some members of the caravan have been called in as arcane/divine experts to investigate the weather is a good one. Possibly sponsored by faction(s). And it's a nice development of that to have Windharrow infiltrate them. Since it's the Earth cult that make the actual attack, that would also give greater reason for the Air cult's later attack on the Earth cultists ('Shallow Graves' encounter): it was a rescue/revenge mission.

 

[Nebulous]

Entirely agree that the delegation should have a greater plot significance than it does in the written adventure. Some of the delegates are prisoners in various parts of the temples and nodes but beyond possibly tying into individual adventure hooks there is no other 'point' to the delegation.

The suggestion that at least some members of the caravan have been called in as arcane/divine experts to investigate the weather is a good one. Possibly sponsored by faction(s). And it's a nice development of that to have Windharrow infiltrate them. Since it's the Earth cult that make the actual attack, that would also give greater reason for the Air cult's later attack on the Earth cultists ('Shallow Graves' encounter): it was a rescue/revenge mission.

I think this is the way to go. I also want a contact in Beliard to know this, somehow, and relate it to the PCs. Including Windharrow as a spy and betrayer and his purpose as Aerisi's second hand.

I will play up the nature of the delegation's mystical and investigatory significance, and this is why they were falsely led into a trap and killed and kidnapped.