D&D 5E [SPOILERS] Enhancing Tomb of Annihilation

[ArwensDaughter]

My players are not likely to stumble across hints that they need to look for Omu as they are provided in the book. I'm planning on planting a diary on a dead explorer they encounter at some point. (Right now they are on their way to Hrakhamar). I thought I'd also add a reference to the company of the yellow banner. I have a vague memory of someone mentioning this earlier. Has anyone written up diary entries along this line and is willing to share?

Ended up writing my own. Didn't mention the company of the yellow banner, because when I went back and checked on the details given about them, it wasn't reasonable for the dead explorer to have encountered them--their paths would have been different. Here are the entries if they are of help to anyone else:

[sblock='diary entries']We arrived in Chult today. Our mission is to track down the origins of the death curse. It is hot and wet. So many dinosaurs in the city!


We visited the Temple of Savras today, since he is the god of diviners, fortune tellers, and truthtellers. We met Grandfather Zitembe, asked about the source of the death curse and convinced him to “consult the guides.”


Returned to the temple of Savras today, to learn what the Grandfather Zitembe divined. He reported visions of  city in the jungle, “far to the south” swarming with snakes, surrounded by cliffs, and also of “a black obelisk” wrapped in vines


Hired Salida as our guide today, and are heading out into the jungle tomorrow.


It continues to be oppressively hot, and I am fair sick of rain. Yesterday a blue mist arose. Ilyra, impulsive as ever, walked straight into it and began experiencing hallucinations. I wish she would be more careful.


We were attacked today by ghouls with a blue triangle on their foreheads. Somehow Salida’s attacks never managed to hit them. Maron was knocked unconscious.


Last night I thought I saw Salida speaking to a stone she held in her hand. Odd, that….[/sblock]

 

[Unwise]

I'm also considering using this rule for wearing armour. Armour in the hot, humid conditions of Chult is really a terrible idea.
You do not want to be wearing armour, any armour, in that.

35 degrees celcius is a pretty normal summer day where I am from, it gets to the low 40s. It is not great, but you get use to it. There are plenty of historical examples of people wearing armor without undue incident in weather like that. All of the conquistadors going through the jungles, the ancient Egyptians, the warriors in Siam, crusaders v Muslims, caravans and raiders on the silk road etc. I'm not saying it would not suck, just that it does not necessitate any special rules and I doubt they add any fun. A -2 to con saves v exhaustion could drive home that it is really hot, if you find you can't do it with descriptors.

I mean we could add in rules of jock-rot in the jungle and track talc powder usage. It is realistic but nobody wants that.

 

[jasper]

Hmmm dungeon roster like this
Room 1 Acererak Warning
Gargoyle AC 15 HP 52 XP 450 MM 140
Gargoyle AC 15 HP 52 XP 450 MM 140
Gargoyle AC 15 HP 52 XP 450 MM 140
Nalfeshnee AC 18 HP 134 XP 10,000 MM 62

 

[Quickleaf]

I changed navigation a bit - since I couldn't find stats for guides in ToA, I decided that players can go alone into jungle or hire a guide. They decided to hire Azaka Stormfang and I gave them advantage on navigation checks because they hired her.


My party started at lvl 4 and I think this was a great idea. I think that Port Nyanzaru is a cool place but it's not cooler than jungles of Chult. My players almost skipped Nyanzaru part as they wanted to head straight to explore jungle.

They - same as I - find not interesting dino racing and betting and they think of Port as of a base for further journey (a pit stop). Also, adventure that should be a time bomb, locks players in Port Nyanzaru and forces them doing non-plot related things like rescuing a guy who ows someone money etc..

I also changed the main plot a bit. I find it way to expositional that characters now from the beginning that they have to find Omu and Soulmonger. I started campaign in city of Neverwinter (I'm running this in 4e timeline). Dead people were starting to rise from their graves with blue triangle mark on their forhead (Ras Nsi mark) and also people who were resurrected are slowly turning into zombies and rotting alive - they also have blue triangle mark.

Firstly, characters had to find what is this blue triangle and when they realised it's a mark of dead Barae from city of Mezro, they were assigned for a quest to Chult, to find out what's going on. Lord Neverember's daughter is rotting since she was raised from dead few years ago. He founded their travel to Chult and recommended to contact his ally - Wakanga O'tamu.

Thanks to this, my players know nothing about Soulmonger, Omu and they are exploring the jungle and searching for answers and clues. They are looking for cause of this zombie-disease and they starting to realise it has something in common with Ras Nsi.

All the guides use standard stat blocks as found the Monster Manual (or in the Tomb of Annihilation appendix).

The way this is shown is by displaying the name of the state block in bold. The difference between a scout and a scout is that in the first instance we're talking about scouting people in general, but in the second we are referring to the specific state block called "Scout" on page 349 in the Monster Manual.

Both Faroul and Gondolo are scouts.

Not all guides use stat blocks from the NPC appendix of MM. For instance, you'll find the stats of Musharib on page 210 of Tomb of Annihilation itself, while Azaka Stormfang uses the creature stats on page 210 of the Monster Manual (not in the appendix).

Hope this helps!

Here are my stats for the guides in "short form."

{SPOILERS}

In brief (stats follow):
Azaka Stormfang: weretiger (Monster Manual)
Eku: couatl (Monster Manual)
Faroul: human scout (Monster Manual), to whom I added +1 Str, +1 Int, Deception prof.+ expertise, and Silver-Tongued trait (derived from a UA article)
Gondolo: halfling scout (Monster Manual), to whom I added lightfoot halfling race & swapped out longbow for shortbow
Hew Hackinstone: berserker (Monster Manual), adjusted as described in ToA
Kwilgok: tortle (Tortle Package) with Animal Handling prof.
Musharib: albino dwarf spirit warrior (Tomb of Annihilation)
River Mist & Flask of Wine: tabaxi hunters (Tomb of Annihilation)
Salida: yuan-ti pureblood (Monster Manual), to whom I added Jungle explorer trait
Eeyal: tortle (Tortle Package) with smith's tools & tinker's tools prof.
Qawasha: druid (Monster Manual)
Kupalué: vegepygmy (Tomb of Annihilation)
Shago: gladiator (Monster Manual)

Port Nyanzaru Guides
Jobal’s official guides include Azaka Stormfang, Eku (who only works with good-aligned PCs; if they're mostly neutral or evil, she’ll have just left Jobal’s place prior to PCs arrival after “consulting signs & seeing unfavorable results”), Hew Hackinstone, Kwilgok (Tortle Package), Musharib, and Salida (though if running Return of the Lizard King, consider saving Salida for that module as she is used well by the author). Unofficial guides the PCs may encounter on their own include Faroul & Gondolo (advertising discreetly in Area 19: Red Bazaar) and River Mist & Flask of Wine (who send a message to PCs looking for guides to meet in Tyriki Anchorage).

Azaka Stormfang, the “huntress”
Weretiger. Medium humanoid (shapechanger) NG; AC 12; HP 120 (16d8+48); Spd 30 (40 in tiger form; Senses 15 (darkvision 60 ft); Lang common (can’t speak in tiger form); Immune bludgeoning (non-falling), piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered; Saves Str +3, Dex +2, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +0; Skills perception +5 (advantage), stealth +4; HUMAN FORM #Att 2 scimitar +5 (5 ft), 6 (1d6+3) slashing; longbow +4 (150/600 ft), 6 (1d8+2) piercing; TIGER FORM #Att 2 claw +5 (5 ft), 7 (1d8+3) slashing; bite +5 (5 ft), 8 (1d10+3) piercing and humanoid must succeed DC 13 Con save or be cursed with weretiger lycanthropy, Special shapechange (action), keen hearing and smell, pounce (DC 14 Strength or knocked prone); CR 4 (1,100 XP); ToA & MM 210.

Azaka charges 30 gp upfront and 5 gp/day (or free if helping recover her mask)
Weretiger disguised as tall lithe Chultan huntress. Fear of heights. Seeks a “family heirloom” wood mask stolen by pterafolk of Firefinger. Can lead PCs to Orolunga to consult with the naga Saja N’baza.

Eku, the “priestess”
Couatl. Medium celestial LG; AC 19 (natural armor); HP 97 (13d8+39); Spd 30, fly 30 ft; Senses 15 (truesight 120 ft); Lang all, telepathy 120 ft; Resist radiant; Immune psychic, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons; Saves Str +3, Dex +5, Con +5, Int +4, Wis +7, Cha +6; HUMAN FORM #Att 1 staff +5 (5 ft), 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning; COUATL FORM #Att 1 bite +8 (5 ft), 8 (1d6+5) piercing damage and target must succeed DC 13 Con save or be poisoned 24 hours, and unconscious while poisoned or until shaken awake; constrict +6 (10 ft), 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning and grappled (DC 15), restrained while grappled; Special magic weapons, shielded mind; Innate Spells (save DC 14)
at-will: detect evil and good, detect magic, detect thoughts;
3/day each: bless, create food and water, cure wounds, lesser restoration, protection from poison, sanctuary, shield;
1/day each: dream, greater restoration, scrying;
CR 4 (1,100 XP); ToA & MM 43.

Eku charges 30 gp upfront and 5 gp/day (good-aligned PCs only)
Couatl disguised as a middle-aged Chultan priestess. Seeks to reclaim ruins from undead. Can lead PCs to Kir Sabal (friendly with aarakocra), Mbala (she hates Nanny Pu’pu the green hag), Orolunga (where an oracular naga resides), or Nangalore (where she gathers flowers). While she knows Omu’s location, she keeps it secret; but she can warn them about its gargoyle guardians.

Faroul and Gondolo, incompetent fortune hunters
Faroul. Medium humanoid (human) NG; AC 13 (leather armor); HP 16 (3d8+3); Spd 30; Senses 15; Lang common; Saves Str +1, Dex +2, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +1, Cha +1; Skills deception +5, nature +4, perception +5 (advantage), stealth +6, survival +5; #Att 2 shortsword +4 (5 ft), 5 (1d6+2) slashing; longbow +4 (150/600 ft), 6 (1d8+2) piercing; Special keen hearing and sight, silver tongue (can replace one attack with a deception check against a visible creature within 30 ft opposed by its insight, if successful Faroul’s movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature and his attacks against it have advantage until end of his next turn; if failed can’t use silver tongue on that creature for 1 hour); CR 1/2 (100 XP); ToA & MM 349.
Gondolo. Small humanoid (lightfoot halfling) CG; AC 13; HP 13 (3d8+3); Spd 25; Senses 15; Lang common, halfling; Saves Str +0, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +1; Skills nature +4, perception +5 (advantage), stealth +7, survival +5; #Att 2 shortsword +5 (5 ft), 6 (1d6+3) slashing; shortbow +5 (80/320 ft), 6 (1d6+3) piercing; Special brave (advantage on saves vs. frightened), halfling nimbleness (can move through space of larger creatures), keen hearing and sight, lucky (re-roll a ‘1’ on attack roll, ability check, or saving throw), naturally stealthy (can attempt to hide even when obscured only by a creature of at least medium size); CR 1/2 (100 XP); ToA & MM 349.
Triceratops. Huge beast unaligned; AC 13 (natural armor); HP 95 (10d12+30); Spd 50; Senses 10; Lang –; Saves Str +6, Dex -1, Con +3, Int -4, Wis +0, Cha -3; #Att 1 gore +9 (5 ft), 24 (4d8+6) piercing; stomp +9 (5 ft) vs. a prone creature, 22 (3d10+6) bludgeoning; Special trampling charge (if moving at least 20 ft straight and hitting creature with gore attack, target must make DC 13 Str save or be knocked prone, and triceratops can make stomp attack against it as a bonus action); CR 5 (1,800 XP); MM 80.

Faroul and Gondolo charge 30 gp upfront and 5 gp/day (or reduced for equal share of any treasure found)
Carousing dandies down on their luck. Faroul is a tale-spinning aristocrat cut off from family fortunes in Calimshan, and Gondolo fancies himself a “poet, pugilist, and philosopher” who makes up important-sounding facts when he runs out of actual information. Accompanied by a flatulent triceratops “Zongo” which they purchased for dinosaur races. Have a treasure map to Needle’s Bones.

Hew Hackinstone, the berserker
Hew Hackinstone. Medium humanoid (mountain dwarf) CN; AC 13 (studded leather); HP 76 (9d8+36); Spd 30; Senses 10 (darkvision 60 ft); Lang common, dwarven; Resist poison; Saves Str +4, Dex +1, Con +4, Int -1, Wis +0, Cha -1; Skills survival +4; #Att 1 battleaxe +6 (5 ft), 8 (1d8+4) slashing; Special dwarven resilience (advantage on saves vs. poison), reckless (can gain advantage on all melee attack rolls that turn, but attack rolls against him have advantage until start of his next turn), stonecunning (when determining origin of stonework he makes history checks at +3); CR 2 (450 XP); ToA & MM 334.

Hew charges 150 gp upfront and 5 gp/day
One-armed shield dwarf, only survivor of expedition to retake Wyrmheart Mine that ran into Tinder the red dragon. He wants to return and slay the dragon – he only leads PCs there, no matter what he claims.

Kwilgok, the ex-dinosaur racer
Kwilgok. Medium humanoid (tortle) LG; AC 17 (natural); HP 22 (4d8+4); Spd 30; Senses 11; Lang aquan, common; Saves Str +2, Dex +0, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +1; Skills animal handling +3, athletics +4, survival +3; #Att 1 claw +4 (5 ft), 4 (1d4+2) slashing; quarterstaff +4 (5 ft), 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning, or 6 (1d8+2) wielded in two hands; light crossbow +2 (80/320 ft), 4 (1d8) piercing; Special hold breath (1 hour), shell defense (as an action, tortle withdraws into shell, gaining +4 AC and advantage on Str and Con saves, while in its shell its speed is 0, has disadvantage on Dex saves, can’t take reactions, and only action it can take is bonus action to emerge); CR 1/4 (50 XP); TTP 4 & 23.
Ankylosaurus. Huge beast unaligned; AC 15 (natural); HP 68 (8d12+16); Spd 30; Senses 11; Lang –; Saves Str +3, Dex +0, Con +2, Int -4, Wis +1, Cha -3; #Att 1 tail +7 (10 ft), 18 (4d6+4) bludgeoning and must succeed a DC 14 Str save or be knocked prone; CR 3 (700 XP); MM 79.

Kwilgok charges 180 gp upfront and 6 gp/day
Kwilgok works for Jobal, a former dinosaur racer turned guide. He rides his ankylosaurus “Deadly Treasure” which is equipped with a howdah, and a dangling pole with succulent leaves. He can lead PCs anywhere along the River Soshenstar, is very familiar with the Aldani Basin, and Orolunga. While he knows where Dangwaru, the Typhoon Palace is, he was nearly killed by shadows there and fears it.

Musharib, the spirit warrior
Musharib. Medium humanoid (dwarf) LG; AC 13 (hide armor); HP 38; Spd 30; Senses 14 (darkvision 60 ft); Lang common, dwarvish; Resist poison; Saves Str +1, Dex +1, Con +3, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +0; #Att 1 maul +3 (5 ft or 20/60 ft), 8 (2d6+1) bludgeoning; Special dwarven resilience (advantage saves vs. poison); Innate Spells
1/day each: hunter’s mark, jump, pass without trace, speak with animals, speak with plants;
CR 1 (200 XP); ToA # & 210.

Musharib charges 5 gp/day (or free if helping reclaim his home Hrakhamar)
Albino dwarf spirit warrior wearing dinosaur bone armor & wielding maul. Wishes to reclaim Hrakhamar or sneak in and steal Moradin’s Gauntlet, a dwarven relic. He knows the location of Vertesplendarrorn, the Emerald Crater, but won’t divulge it unless he deeply trusts PCs.

River Mist & Flask of Wine, the illegal guides
Tabaxi Hunters (2). Medium humanoid (tabaxi) CG; AC 14 (leather armor); HP 40 (9d8); Spd 30, climb 20; Senses 14 (darkvision 60 ft); Lang common, sphinx; Saves Str +0, Dex +3, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +2; Skills athletics +2, perception +4, stealth +5, survival +6; #Att 2 claws +2 (5 ft), 2 (1d4) slashing; shortsword +5 (5 ft), 6 (1d6+3) piercing; shortbow +5 (80/320 ft), 6 (1d6+3) piercing; Special feline agility (when the tabaxi moves it can double its speed until the end of the turn, can’t use this ability again until it moves 0 ft on one of its turns); CR 1 (200 XP); ToA 35 & 232.

They charge 4 gp/day (or free for equal shares of any treasure found)
Tabaxi siblings who pay no fee to Jobal because they’re in league with the Zhentarim (who tasked tabaxi with finding/spying on Artus Cimber). Keep business quiet, only meet clients in Malar’s Throat or seedy house in Tiryki Anchorage. Can lead PCs to Firefinger and Dungrunglung, and have heard stories about an old woman in Mbala who can animate the dead so that zombies retain abilities and memories of life.

Salida, the “seasoned explorer”
Salida. Medium humanoid (yuan-ti pureblood) NE; AC 12 (leather armor); HP 40 (9d8); Spd 30; Senses 13 (darkvision 60 ft); Lang abyssal, common, draconic; Immune poison, poisoned; Saves Str +0, Dex +1, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +1, Cha +2; Skills deception +6, perception +3, stealth +3, survival +5; #Att 2 scimitar +3 (5 ft), 4 (1d6+1) slashing; shortbow +3 (80/320 ft), 4 (1d6+1) piercing and 7 (2d6) poison; Special magic resistance (advantage saves vs. magic), jungle explorer (can’t get lost in jungle), sending stone; Innate Spells (save DC 12)
at-will: animal friendship (snakes only);
3/day each: poison spray, suggestion;
CR 1 (200 XP); ToA 35 & MM 310.

Salida charges 5 gp/day
I gave her Jungle Explorer trait
A yuan-ti spy working for Ras Nsi, Salida poses as a female Chultan female explorer skilled in battling jungle monsters, traversing rivers, and organizing expedition logistics. I gave her “jungle explorer” to incentivize parties lacking a ranger with forest/jungle favored terrain to hire her.

Fort Beluarian Guides

Eeyal, the tortle tinker
Eeyal. Medium humanoid (tortle) LG; AC 17 (natural); HP 22 (4d8+4); Spd 30; Senses 11; Lang aquan, common; Saves Str +2, Dex +0, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +1; Skills athletics +4, survival +3; Tools smith’s tools +3, tinker’s tools +3, #Att 1 claw +4 (5 ft), 4 (1d4+2) slashing; quarterstaff +4 (5 ft), 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning, or 6 (1d8+2) wielded in two hands; light crossbow +2 (80/320 ft), 4 (1d8) piercing; Special hold breath (1 hour), shell defense (as an action, tortle withdraws into shell, gaining +4 AC and advantage on Str and Con saves, while in its shell its speed is 0, has disadvantage on Dex saves, can’t take reactions, and only action it can take is bonus action to emerge); CR 1/4 (50 XP); TTP 4 & 23.

Eeyal charges 5 gp/day OR 40 gp upfront for ten days
Knows jungles from Snout of Omgar to Fort Beluarian. Can lead PCs to Snout of Omgar, Lake Luo, Nangalore, the gorge of Ataaz Muhaha, the ruins of Mezro, and the Wreck of the Narwhal (she befriended the weretiger that lives there). Her gear includes smith’s tools, tinker’s tools, climber’s kit, healer’s kit, and a dungeoneer’s pack. Frightened of underground places, and won’t willingly go there unless there’s no other alternative.

Qawasha, the druid
Qawasha. Medium humanoid (human) NG; AC 11 (16 with barkskin); HP 27 (5d8+5); Spd 30; Senses 14; Lang common, druidic, sylvan; Saves Str +0, Dex +1, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +0; #Att 1 quarterstaff +2 (+4 with shillelagh) (5 ft), 3 (1d6) bludgeoning or 4 (1d8) with shillelagh; Spells (save DC 12, attack +4)
cantrips druidcraft, produce flam, shillelagh;
1st (4) entangle, longstrider, speak with animals, thunderwave;
2nd (3) animal messenger, barkskin;
CR 2 (450 XP); ToA 35 & MM 346.
Vegepygmy. Small plant neutral; AC 13 (natural); HP 9 (2d6+2); Spd 30; Senses 12 (darkvision 60 ft); Lang vegepygmy; Resist lightning, piercing; Saves Str -2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int -2, Wis +0, Cha -2; #Att 1 claw +4 (5 ft), 5 (1d6+2) slashing; sling +4 (30/120 ft), 4 (1d4+2) bludgeoning; Special plant camouflage (advantage Stealth in jungle), regeneration (regain 3 hp at start of turn, negated only by cold, fire, or necrotic damage; CR 6 (2,300 XP); ToA 35 & 234.

Qawasha charges 5 gp/day (negotiable if agreeing to destroy any undead they encounter)
A chwinga magnet, Qawasha is accompanied by his vegepygmy ally Kupalué whom he calls “Weed.”

Shago, the mercenary
Shago. Medium humanoid (human) CG; AC 16 (studded leather, shield); HP 112 (15d8+45); Spd 30; Senses 11; Lang common; Saves Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +2; #Att 3 melee or 2 ranged, spear +7 (5 ft or 20/60 ft), 11 (2d6+4) piercing, or 13 (2d8+4) if used in two hands; shield bash +7 (5 ft), 9 (2d4+4) bludgeoning, and a Medium or smaller creature must succeed DC 15 Str save or be knocked prone; Special brave (advantage on saves vs. frightened), parry (as a reaction, Shago adds 3 to his AC against a melee attack that would hit from an attacker he can see); CR 5 (1,800 XP); ToA 35 & MM 346.

Shago charges 150 gp upfront and 5 gp/day
Son of the merchant prince Zhanthi, Shago is newly recruited to the Flaming Fist at Fort Beluarian. He hopes to make a name for himself, and is eager to take action against the undead threat despite being terrified of being turned into one of the undead.

 

[Quickleaf]

Updated table of contents with ocean travel #288, tomb of nine gods monster roster #297, & guide stats #304.

 

[Quickleaf]

Here's a legend I gathered from old sources with a few touches of my own. I am assembling a couple legends to share with the PCs via storytellers/guides...

“Legend of Katashka”
So long ago that not even elves remember and the stars have long since shifted in the sky, there was a land called Katashka. It was a beautiful land and the people lived close to their god Olorubo who taught them the power of nummo (True Names). What the people of Katashka spoke came to be, and they spoke with one voice, creating a utopia of wonders powered by the nyama, the spirits of life who were Olorubo’s children. Travelers came from across Katashka and from distant lands like Zakhara, land of fate, and Maztica, land of the tabaxi, to marvel at the wonders of Katashka’s capital city Alliz-Dren.

However, the tribal leaders grew ambitious, seeking to bind the nyama to their will. It was at this time that a feathered serpent (a couatl) came to the people and shared the message of Ubtao – to look within their own hearts for power, rather than seek it in the world. However, the couatl’s message fell on deaf ears. Chieftains rose, the people forgot to honor the nyama, magic-users sought their own aggrandizement, and tribes clashed with one another for wealth and power. Their once-unified voice became fractured.

The greed of the chieftains awakened the worst of Olorubo’s children, an evil spirit called the Sleeper who stirred below the Palace of Alliz-Dren. The Sleeper reversed all good things – love, fortune, knowledge, even his hands were said to be backwards. Stirred by the many voices, the Sleeper threatened to awaken and destroy Katashka. Fearful, the chieftains began sacrificing their young to appease the monster, casting them into a great pit in the palace. The chieftains outlawed the practice of matumbe (forbidden magic), fearing it would awaken the Sleeper. However, a young woman named Oyai – who was to be sacrificed to the Sleeper – received a vision from Ubtao, awakening in her the powers of matumbe, making her the first of his bara (the Chosen). When Oyai went to the Sleeper, she defeated him with this magic, forcing the evil spirit back into eternal slumber. Oyai rallied her people who abandoned the worship of Olurobo and the nyama to follow the feathered serpent across the Trackless Sea until they arrived in Chult. And this is where the Chultan people come from.

 

[ArwensDaughter]

My crew is still trekking through the jungle; They've enjoyed it for the most part, but I can tell that it's beginning to be a bit of a slog for all of us. Once they reach & finish Hrackhamar, I'm going to suggest we change how we handle the traveling. I planning to continue to use the spreadsheet I've been using to "roll" weather and random encounters, but then grouping the days into 5 day chunks: I'll look through the encounters in each chunk, choose one or two particularly interesting ones of us to actually play out; the rest would be handwaved/narrated. As part of that, I may choose some "random encounters" from the list instead of going solely by the "rolls" in the spreadsheet.

It will also mean changing how I handle foraging, exhaustion, etc.

 

[Quickleaf]

I wasn't satisfied with the presentation of the factions in ToA, so I made some revisions...

FACTIONS OF CHULT, REVISED

There is a bit of "foreigners save the people of Chult" undercurrent in how ToA is presented. However, my group is comprised of Chultan natives & I wanted to give the peoples of Chult greater agency, so I made the Emerald Enclave a faction indigenous to Chult and tied it to an adventure site (the Emerald Crater) from AD&D's take on Chult.

Emerald Enclave: Inheritors of the druid & spiritlord teachings and old faith of Ubtao, the Emerald Enclave seeks to protect the jungles from being despoiled whether by dark magic or the greed of men. Though they have no true leader, there are legends that the Enclave’s founder is an ancient emerald dragon dwelling deep in the jungle; many members wish to find the Emerald Crater said to contain the jungle’s nyama (life force). Qawasha is a member.

The Flaming Fist & Order of the Gauntlet seemed to occupy very similar roles of "fighting undead" in ToA, so I emphasized their differences; the former are cynical treasure hunters operating under false pretenses of helping, while the latter are idealists woefully underprepared for Chult who *may* switch sides.

Flaming Fist: Mercenaries backed by Duke Ulder Ravengard of Baldur’s Gate, the Flaming Fist came to Chult under auspices of fighting the undead menace, but their true intentions are to loot ruins. Under the command of Liara Portyr, they’ve already looted the Ruins of Mezro, and seek to do the same when they find Omu. Shago is a member. They sell “charters of exploration” to keep tabs on rival treasure hunters.

Order of the Gauntlet: Brave foreigners, many clerics and paladins, come to combat the undead scourge, but have found themselves woefully underprepared for Chult’s culture & jungles, as well as the sheer intensity and size of the undead attacks. Gradually, their ideals are being worn down as death, disease, and madness take their toll. If they learn that the Death Curse will result in the end of all liches (well, except Acererak), some misguided members might be swayed into fighting so the Death Curse continues on its course. Niles Breakbone, commander of Camp Vengeance, leads the order in Chult.

The Harpers are painted as a generic good-guy organization, swooping in to help whenever people can't stand up for themselves. I decided to portray them as meddling do-gooders whose interference in Chult has led to the Ring of Winter set loose upon the land. I also decided to play up the ambiguity around Artus: is he possessed or not?

Harpers: A secret society of good-aligned spellcasters and spies, the Harpers covertly act against any abuse of power; they work behind the scenes to aid the weak, poor, or oppressed. However, their well-intentioned meddling often has unintended consequences; in the case of Chult, Artus Cimber (who may or may not be possessed) and his Ring of Winter which the Harpers fear will fall into evil hands. Allies of the Harpers include Wakanga O'tamu, Syndra Silvane, and Lomar Dral (captured by yuan-ti).

The Red Wizards I've left as is: smooth-talking bad guys.

Red Wizards of Thay: Sent by the lich Sszas Tam to steal the Soulmonger and hunt down Artus Cimber for the Ring of Winter, these wizards employ bribery, honeyed words, and magical gifts to get leverage on various high-ups. They're in Chult under the auspices of trading magical items, but hardly anyone is fooled. Unbeknownst to the Chultans, they operate out of the Heart of Ubtao (very taboo) where their leader Valindra Shadowmantle studies the lore of Omu and maintains contact with various groups via sending, such as Zagmira’s in Omu.

I thought the Ytepka Society was under-utilized. Yes, they opposed the colonial powers, but that's no longer as pressing an issue, so ToA relegates them to market watchdogs & pirate hunters. Which is cool, but doesn't really tie into the main story. These are Chultans, so clearly they care about the undead ravaging Chult! I added a foil for them – the Horned Society – which helps tie them into the main plot.

Ytepka Society: A secret society of Chultans who drove off their colonial exploiters, the Ytepka (Triceratops) Society works against any evil or foreign group getting too much power in Port Nyanzaru’s government. At one time they opposed the Horned Society of Omu (necromancers who served Acererak’s will), making sure forbidden magics stayed out of Port Nyanzaru, but these days pay most attention to the Red Wizards and Zhentarim. Their ranking member is secretly the merchant prince Zhanti.

In ToA, you have the frost giants, Xandala, Harpers, Red Wizards, *and* Zhentarim all after Artus Cimber. It seemed a little overkill to me, so I made the Zhentarim neo-colonialists seeking to manipulate Princess Mwaxanaré so they can be the power behind the throne when a new royal regime begins. This helps explain, at least partly, why the Princess is in hiding – the Zhentarim are looking for her and her brother. I also decided to explicitly tie the Zhents to a group of slavers on the islands east of Refuge Bay, which helps drive home the ugly history of slavery & it still being "legal but frowned upon", and lets the Zhents play the "ally with us or we sell your little brother into slavery" card.

Zhentarim: Having made inroads with merchant prince Ifan Talro’a and slavers at Slaver’s Cove, the Zhentarim are shady neo-colonial sellswords and merchants seeking to expand their influence, wealth, and power by controlling Chult’s future. In particular, their plan is to secure various mines, get the merchant princes beholding to them, and “befriend” (or abduct) Princess Mwaxanaré to control the next generation of royalty. River Mist and Flask of Wine work for the Zhentarim as spies looking out for Princess Mwaxanaré.

 

[Eltab]

While the PCs were in Port Nyanzaru, I rolled on the random encounter table and got the tabaxi minstrel who asks for a coin for gambling. In a flash of brilliance, I named her Smoke on the Water. Don't hate me.

Given that Smoke comes back the next day with a x10 payout, she must have had an 'advisor' helping her pick her bets.

A tabaxi named Fire in the Sky?

 

[Quickleaf]

I just caught this tidbit on the Dawn Warrior island from Ed Greenwood!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sa...-close-by-island-of-the-dawn-warrior-pt3/amp/

The Dawn Warrior (older local names include Eoubral, Iryth/Eerith, and Ssalmur) is a low, gently-rolling thick-jungle-clad island rising to Iylya/ “the Eye,” a peak at its northeastern tip that is a sea-mark for many sailors. Its most popular name comes from its morning appearance from the mainland coast to the south; its white-rock shores (in contrast to the iron-rich red rocks of the Mother and the Ssan) catch the morning sun and glow pink. The shape of the isle, viewed from afar across the waves, looks uncannily like a conical-helmed head and shoulders holding a raised-to-shoulder axe (the Eye).

The Dawn Warrior has been colonized many times by various humans from the 700s DR onward, by everyone from sects and cults wanting to found a favored home to pirates. None of their settlements has lasted long, in part because of pirate raids and at least one determined yuan-ti “cleansing,” and in part because of the Dragon Brood: several related green dragons have used the island as a nursery for their hatchlings to grow, dining on everything at hand and learning about foes, flying over strong-wind seas, and so on. There are careening-suitable beaches and anchorages all around the Warrior, though it offers poor shelter when storms turn fierce.

More recently, it seems someone or something who/that commands transformative magics is dwelling on the Dawn Warrior and using their arts to change creatures into horrific monsters, or breed beasts, or both. Or perhaps a portal has been opened that links to somewhere that has abundant wild creatures. Wherever they’re coming from, they are many, and the Warrior is now a dangerous place to make landfall; sailors beware.