D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps

[Creamsteak]

In my case it was a 5th level party, and she almost one-shot the group. Her chain lightning for 10d8 only rolled 30 damage and every single person made their save. Had she rolled average (45) it would have likely dropped anyone that failed the save. It's up to you how you go with that. Her lair action is kinda neat because she can go invisible every single round and regain 3d8+2 hit points, though she shouldn't have access to this by the book if she is encountered here.

I think it's reasonable to buff her up defensively if you want. I probably should have because I'm running for 6 players. I just didn't prepare sufficiently for this game.

An idea that comes to mind for me would be to use those 10 minions she has (poisoned howling hatred initiates) as a sacrifice. Either something like she swaps places with them as a reaction when she's "hit" once each round, or maybe she sucks the life-breath out of them to shield herself or heal herself.

A visual for that I kinda like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0xbBG8NzcE

In my situation she didn't even get to summon the djinn. I intend to make up for my mistakes though when the air cult proves to still be alive and hungry to get back their spear. They might even buddy up more willingly with the fire cult if things go that way.

 

[Nebulous]

And continuing the theme of "modifying the plot of Princes", I've foreshadowed for the players and told them several times so they are aware, there is a 5th and unknown cult, the Elemental Eye. The Necromancer worshipped it, and the Purple Dragon worshiped it. Beyond that, i haven't fleshed it out at all, but i suspect i will wrap that plot thread into the Fane of the Eye eventually and introduce a fifth cult that is...not part of the book. And I don't know what monsters that means yet. But that's fun.

I'm also going to chop out a lot of the later maps and condense this story some to wrap it by 12th level.

 

[Creamsteak]

That all sounds pretty reasonable. I think I read your posts and stole your 5th cult notion in a different skin when I started. My 5th cult is the Cult of the Elemental Eye. I skinned the different Genasi enemies as members of the Greater Cult, which is a secret even to the lesser cults. I think your notion of cutting out some of the repetition and grind is probably a good one. I have a problem with a lot of the cut corners and minor plot-holes with the book. I've also got a slightly misinformed double agent in my party, a female warlock paladin that was going to be used as a child as a sacrifice to summon this "elemental eye" (also how she got her warlock powers), and a genasi monk that is gaining different elemental cantrips from motes of elemental energy.

My group has been pretty brave. They went Rivergard Keep -> Feathergale Spire -> Air Temple.

It's up in the air if the elder elemental eye will the Tharizdun, the relevant drow slime god, or some cthulhu mythos monster in my game. Right this second I'm just dealing with the fact that I can't predict where my players will go. I suspect they are going to try to ally with the fire temple, rather than attack them. Which should mean the Wickerman spell will go off... which I'm intending to have it affect the weather. It will even deliver part of what is promised and stop the storms and earthquakes... at the cost of an immediate severe drought and wildfires.

Anyway, it's fun to read someone elses run-through. I'm also running a play-by-post of this game. They've gone Rivergard -> Stone Temple. They're currently engaged with the gargoyles in the courtyard.

 

[Rabbitbait]

I'm liking it how Windharrow escapes in most people's games. It's probably a fairly likely outcome given his abilities, but the interesting bit comes with what he does afterwards. It's not plotted out at all and I like that. It helps to make each campaign unique.

 

[Rabbitbait]

I just wanted to put a link to my adventure log here where I am also running through PoTA, but it looks as if my one is veering away from the module as written. I'm just following where the adventure leads, and it's leading away from the obvious. I had been keeping updates on ENWorld, but I don't want to resurrect a dead thread - especially as I'm not so sure it's going to continue to be useful to those wanting to follow a PoTA campaign.

My adventure log can be found here: https://deathgrind.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log

My apologies for the threadjack. Back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

 

[Nebulous]

In my case it was a 5th level party, and she almost one-shot the group. Her chain lightning for 10d8 only rolled 30 damage and every single person made their save. Had she rolled average (45) it would have likely dropped anyone that failed the save. It's up to you how you go with that. Her lair action is kinda neat because she can go invisible every single round and regain 3d8+2 hit points, though she shouldn't have access to this by the book if she is encountered here.

I think it's reasonable to buff her up defensively if you want. I probably should have because I'm running for 6 players. I just didn't prepare sufficiently for this game.

An idea that comes to mind for me would be to use those 10 minions she has (poisoned howling hatred initiates) as a sacrifice. Either something like she swaps places with them as a reaction when she's "hit" once each round, or maybe she sucks the life-breath out of them to shield herself or heal herself.

A visual for that I kinda like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0xbBG8NzcE

In my situation she didn't even get to summon the djinn. I intend to make up for my mistakes though when the air cult proves to still be alive and hungry to get back their spear. They might even buddy up more willingly with the fire cult if things go that way.

Yeah, a whole lot depends on the luck of the die and saving throws. I think if i can get off one chain lightning spell and then have her retreat that will be good enough. If I recall, she goes to the Fane of the Eye from the Air Temple? How far is it? I assume that's a TPK if the PCs try to follow....

I'm still trying to figure out how buddy buddy the Water/Earth and Air/Fire cults are. I think they just USE each other until such a time as they're no longer needed, then they'll fight. They have some mutual respect for the other element, that's all.

Earth/Air and Fire/Water have mutual hatred.

 

[Nebulous]

That all sounds pretty reasonable. I think I read your posts and stole your 5th cult notion in a different skin when I started. My 5th cult is the Cult of the Elemental Eye. I skinned the different Genasi enemies as members of the Greater Cult, which is a secret even to the lesser cults. I think your notion of cutting out some of the repetition and grind is probably a good one. I have a problem with a lot of the cut corners and minor plot-holes with the book. I've also got a slightly misinformed double agent in my party, a female warlock paladin that was going to be used as a child as a sacrifice to summon this "elemental eye" (also how she got her warlock powers), and a genasi monk that is gaining different elemental cantrips from motes of elemental energy.

My group has been pretty brave. They went Rivergard Keep -> Feathergale Spire -> Air Temple.

It's up in the air if the elder elemental eye will the Tharizdun, the relevant drow slime god, or some cthulhu mythos monster in my game. Right this second I'm just dealing with the fact that I can't predict where my players will go. I suspect they are going to try to ally with the fire temple, rather than attack them. Which should mean the Wickerman spell will go off... which I'm intending to have it affect the weather. It will even deliver part of what is promised and stop the storms and earthquakes... at the cost of an immediate severe drought and wildfires.

Anyway, it's fun to read someone elses run-through. I'm also running a play-by-post of this game. They've gone Rivergard -> Stone Temple. They're currently engaged with the gargoyles in the courtyard.

Yeah, and I love reading someone else's too, you just gave me some idea's I'm sure to steal as well Thanks!

 

[Uller]

One thing learned in our game...PotA is about cults. Cults means there are some clerics about. What good is a high level npc cult leader if he or she doesn't get some buffs from underlings. If there is a 7th+ lvl cleric about, Deathward should be used. I'm sure there are some other keep-my-villian-alive spells I haven't thought of. Maybe that is a thread in its own right

 

[Nebulous]

So in my game, the Mirabar delegation had 4 important members, spellcasters, who had a plan to stop this elemental insurgence. This "Wickerman spell" you mention sounds intriguing, and maybe if they can rescue the captives there's a way it can still be launched.

So what is the ultimate goal of the Elder Eye, to bring just one of the Elemental Gods into the world, and that's why all the cults are in a rat race to get there first, as only one can do it?

 

[Creamsteak]

Yeah, a whole lot depends on the luck of the die and saving throws. I think if i can get off one chain lightning spell and then have her retreat that will be good enough. If I recall, she goes to the Fane of the Eye from the Air Temple? How far is it? I assume that's a TPK if the PCs try to follow....

I'm still trying to figure out how buddy buddy the Water/Earth and Air/Fire cults are. I think they just USE each other until such a time as they're no longer needed, then they'll fight. They have some mutual respect for the other element, that's all.

Earth/Air and Fire/Water have mutual hatred.

Aerisi's most direct route is to go through the purple worm in the north-east corner of the air temple map. I don't think the Fane of the Eye is a total player kill, but the air myrmidon and the DC 20 strength check trap both seem fairly mean. It's also interesting that the air cult currently controls the Hall of Battle by the book. I'm not sure if that will still be the case in my game if the air cult gets mostly defeated.