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D&D 5E (Phandalin) When Keep on the Borderlands turns into Tombstone...

I must admit, I rather love an idea I read on RPG.net where someone in Dark Sun finds a Stargate that leads to Eberron. Now that's a mash-up I wish I had the creative skills to really run! :)
 

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The characters loose a fight but instead of a TPK they are left for dead and thrown out in the trash (to the elemental plane of air) and find themselves in a strange land with distrustful villagers. Then the BBEG who beat them up and left them for dead out shows up and the party must defend the innocent villagers from them.

The characters must lead a team if disparate warriors in a game against a rival empire, in the Arctic. With divine help (one might say a miracle) they win the game only to find out that their team has been infiltrated with a murderous bizarre shape shifting monster that they unlocked from the ice in the post game drunkfest.
 

Indeed!

Clearly I am going to have to head over to IMDB.com and see what other ideas I can get from Kurt Russell movies... or I could also just wait for more people to post here.... ;)



Jack Burton: What's in the flask, Egg? Magic potion?

Egg Shen: Yeah.

Jack Burton: Thought so, good. What do we do, drink it?

Egg Shen: Yeah!

Jack Burton: Good! Thought so.
 

I laughed when I read this... I'm doing almost the exact same thing! Both with the Keep on the Borderlands basis and the Lost mine adventure all with a Western feel! However the Keep exists, outside of town as a monk school of eladrin who aren't overly open with the population of Phandalin for soon to be found out reasons. Even made a new map of Phandalin and renamed it Dead Gnoll Gultch just to get the players in the mood. Now I need to find some "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" music...

View attachment 66116

I went to Youtube and played the theme of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" for my players while they were in Phandalin. Rather than an encounter in the inn with the Redbrands, I had the encounter occur in the streets of Phandalin - complete with a tumbleweed or two.
 

I went to Youtube and played the theme of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" for my players while they were in Phandalin. Rather than an encounter in the inn with the Redbrands, I had the encounter occur in the streets of Phandalin - complete with a tumbleweed or two.

I changed mine to be a bit different. The bar fight happened, but they didn't go to the manor to finish the fight. There was a good old fashioned shootout/duel in the middle of town, when the reinforcements showed up. There was some jawin' then it went downhill. Townsfolk diving in barrels and all the great western stereotypes. Such a good time. Only thing missing was a hangin... maybe next time.
 

The characters loose a fight but instead of a TPK they are left for dead and thrown out in the trash (to the elemental plane of air) and find themselves in a strange land with distrustful villagers. Then the BBEG who beat them up and left them for dead out shows up and the party must defend the innocent villagers from them.

The characters must lead a team if disparate warriors in a game against a rival empire, in the Arctic. With divine help (one might say a miracle) they win the game only to find out that their team has been infiltrated with a murderous bizarre shape shifting monster that they unlocked from the ice in the post game drunkfest.

Actually, I really like Soldier as a movie. I've watched that quite a few times. It would also make an interesting template for an adventure in Eberron involving Warforged....

As for The Thing, before I try something like that, I want to make sure I have a solid handle on 5E's rules and balance. But I wouldn't be surprised if a malaugrym or two eventually show up.... (For those who don't know, malaugrym are shapeshifting creatures from FR invented by Ed.)

Jack Burton: What's in the flask, Egg? Magic potion?

Egg Shen: Yeah.

Jack Burton: Thought so, good. What do we do, drink it?

Egg Shen: Yeah!

Jack Burton: Good! Thought so.

As I have been thinking about this Kurt Russell theme, the idea of a Shou (FR analogue of Chinese) sorcerer turning up to assist the PCs has some appeal. I wonder if the players will notice where he came from...?

I went to Youtube and played the theme of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" for my players while they were in Phandalin. Rather than an encounter in the inn with the Redbrands, I had the encounter occur in the streets of Phandalin - complete with a tumbleweed or two.

My game is now set up so the PCs know that the Zhentarim will be attacking in about a month. You've given me an idea for how to set up an encounter in the streets of Phandalin with a band of bugbear scouts.... :)

I changed mine to be a bit different. The bar fight happened, but they didn't go to the manor to finish the fight. There was a good old fashioned shootout/duel in the middle of town, when the reinforcements showed up. There was some jawin' then it went downhill. Townsfolk diving in barrels and all the great western stereotypes. Such a good time. Only thing missing was a hangin... maybe next time.

Great stuff. Clearly I need to include a hanging and I will. ;)

Thanks for all the riffing, folks. This is getting the creative juices flowing....
 

I've decided that the rest of the campaign is going to be based on 3.5E's excellent Red Hand of Doom but I am definitely going to find ways to include lots of Kurt Russell movie references. After all, Red Hand is going to kick off with Escape from Phandalin....
 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is great, as is Tombstone - but let us also not forget the legendary Desperado's street scene with the mariachi gunslingers (Banderas and his two friends) or that scene with the awesome knife-thrower Navajas (Danny Trejo). I'm sure I can make one of the ruffians have knives strapped all over his body...

My wife had the pleasure of giving Mr Trejo a haircut in her salon when he was shooting a movie here. She didn't know who he was at the time. I think he was a little surprised. :P
 

Into the Woods

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