D&D 5E Enhancing "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" (Practical stuff to try at your table!)

[valis]

I've been using multiple blogs and message board threads to spice up my HotDQ, then blogging about it myself over at DoctorStrangeRoll. I haven't incorporated everything, of course, because not everything is suitable for my group, but the changes I've made have generally been well-received, especially Hack'N'Slash blog's suggestion to introduce elements of the Council of Waterdeep as early as Chapter 4 after the caravan arrives in Waterdeep. I already had an NPC start hanging out with the PCs (which I'm convinced the website I used to create him was trolling me by giving the halfling the name of Tom Haverford... I don't watch Parks & Recreation, so I didn't realize it at the time), so it was a simple matter to have him actually be an agent of the Radiant Shield spying on the PCs to see if they were trustworthy (the blog used the Council Quiet as the precursor to the Council of Waterdeep, I took the concept and renamed it the Radiant Shield).

I was most certainly trolling you with that name.

 

[Talmek]

So...our group completed the "adult blue dragon" encounter last session and the consensus was to either (a) remove the encounter altogether or (b) figure out a way to role-play through the encounter. Instead, using (c) create a direct combat encounter and force the group to use tactical thinking and/or ranged weapons since he would not fly within 25 feet of the keep's walls, we ended up losing a player character permanently. However, this was due to an "in-character" motive that the PC hated dragons of all kinds (he was a dragonborn - go figure) and decided to try to antagonize the dragon into melee. One breath weapon and 60+ damage later and that player was out of the session looking for another class option. However, the rogue was able to hit enough times to drive the encounter to a close (X damage = dragon leaves area and you win).

I wrote all of that to say this - consider removing this encounter altogether if you have new players who believe that all encounters are (or should be) winnable through combat. My group was collectively dissatisfied and felt helpless to the dragon's involvement in the raid on Greenest. Now, this is not to say that your group won't figure out a different way of handling such a challenging encounter, but even with the "fair warning" of witnessing multiple archer/town guard-types fall in a single round to the dragon's breath weapon ability there was that "one" who decided to try his luck (and now he's rerolling, sadly).

 

[pukunui]

... but even with the "fair warning" of witnessing multiple archer/town guard-types fall in a single round to the dragon's breath weapon ability there was that "one" who decided to try his luck (and now he's rerolling, sadly).

Them's the breaks when you don't heed the clues and decide to be reckless. I wouldn't say the adventure is at fault for the outcome your group experienced.

In my game, my wife chose the dragon scholar option for her PC, so I'm going to make it clear to her when Lennithon attacks that he's only doing it half-heartedly. He's really only there to frighten the defenders and keep them bottled up in the keep. He only attacks the keep because Mondath orders him to do so because she wants him to get rid of the PCs.

 

[Morlock]

Let's go really old school(I mean really old) David and Goliath. Man David was such a moron to fight against a giant of a man that had never lost and with a sling no less! What an idiot.

Sorry, this is a pet peeve of mine. A sling is a deadly weapon. The lesson of David and Goliath is not heroism in the face of daunting odds. It's "always bring a gun to a knife fight." Again, sorry, just a pet peeve.

 

[JediSoth]

OK. Wow. My group is completely off the rails now. They uber-stealth into Castle Naerytar, killed Rezmir and escaped with the dragon mask and the sword and snuck off into the swamp.

They're really good at strategic stealth insertions and hit and runs. Now I have to figure out how to get them to the lodge since they have no knowledge of the portal and no reason to go back to the castle.

 

[cmad1977]

OK. Wow. My group is completely off the rails now. They uber-stealth into Castle Naerytar, killed Rezmir and escaped with the dragon mask and the sword and snuck off into the swamp.

They're really good at strategic stealth insertions and hit and runs. Now I have to figure out how to get them to the lodge since they have no knowledge of the portal and no reason to go back to the castle.

Off the top of my head maybe reskin the lodge somewhat into a swampy homestead.

 

[jayoungr]

Now I have to figure out how to get them to the lodge since they have no knowledge of the portal and no reason to go back to the castle.

Where are they planning on going with the mask and sword now that they have them? Can you insert some clues about the lodge in the new location, or move the location of the portal?

 

[JediSoth]

They want to take the mask back to Waterdeep (I threw in a proto-Council of Waterdeep while they were there, to introduce some elements from Rise of Tiamat), though the bard is wrestling with keeping it because it's so damn useful and isn't intelligent like the sword. The sword is a good match for the barbarian (since she uses a great sword), but they're concerned that it might take control of her and slaughter them when they're doing those long travel sections.

Since they're planning on ambushing the cultists that they got ahead of, I think I can probably dangle a few clues that they need to go back to the castle during that encounter, then have them show up when the lizardfolk and bullywugs are going at it since the PCs basically killed the cult leadership there.

 

[Talmek]

Possibly previously mentioned within the thread - the absence of magic items within HotDQ?

I bring this up with the knowledge that D&D 5e is supposed to be (according to some) light on the magic items within the first few levels of the game. My players even asked how they could get their hands on a "masterwork" (remember those from 3.5?) weapon within the first few levels, at which point I had to remind them that the town of Greenest was burning down around them and I didn't believe that any of the villagers would have one in their haste running to the keep for protection...

Anyway, has anyone else noticed the lack of magic items within the adventure? I know that the adventure was released prior to the official release of the rule set and I can't help but think that this had something to do with this missing aspect of loot.

One thing I have started doing within this adventure is dropping a magic reward (according to the magic item tables within the DMG) for every three to four encounters to spice things up a little bit. As you run this you could consider doing the same.

 

[cmad1977]

My players wanted 'masterwork' items too. At first I wasn't inclined to allow access to those, but the heroes were in Baldurs Gate for a few days and ultimately beggared themselves to acquire the item they wanted.
I also allowed them to buy potions in BG.
I haven't seen that the PCs need magic items, but I don't think a few drops would break the adventure either