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

[pukunui]

Something else to consider: Having resistance or immunity to fire damage allows you to ignore the effects of extreme heat. So tieflings, fire genasi, and certain types of dragonborn should be able to wear armor without having to make saves. (They still have to drink lots of water, but they needn't worry about the heat or humidity.)

 

[ArwensDaughter]

I'm still trying to sort out how to easily track/determine how much water the party has had access to over the course of the day. I don't want to constantly be asking, both because it seems tedious, but also because if they know the drill, they will always tell me the "right answer." And that wouldn't take into account potential mishaps ( the raincatcher collapses, they couldn't keep a fire going to boil water, etc.).

I'm thinking about some sort or daily check, with modifiers for things like the use of rain catchers, the amount of rain that day, etc. Casting purify food and drink could be used to add a bonus to the roll if it "fails." (Not a guarantee of success, since it's possible they couldn't find enough water to purify) Casting Create food & water would either eliminate the need for a check or negate a fail. (Although at the moment that spell is not available to the party as no one is 5th level, and even when it is, it will cost a precious 3rd level slot)

Something like this: a straight DC 15 for the group, with the following modifiers:
-No Rain or only Mist all day: -2
-Heavy rain or Storm:
-+1/period* of heavy rain/storm if no rain catchers
-+2/period* of heavy rain/storm if 1 rain catcher for every 2 creatures (including pack animals)
-+3/period* of heavy rain/storm if 1 rain catcher for every creature
-River or lake: +5 if on/by river or lake (access to water, but it has to be boiled)

Purify Food and drink: Auto success if on/by River or Lake (getting enough water to purify is a given)
+5 otherwise (and can be cast after the group knows the roll failed; this may argue for keeping the roll result hidden)

*I split the day up into 3 segments/periods, and randomly determined weather for each period.

I'm also thinking that those in medium/heavy armor will need to make an exhaustion check each day, regardless of water intake. But on low-water days that check is at disadvantage.

What do the rest of you think about this approach?

 

[ArwensDaughter]

Well the obvious answer is to simply change their armour, or get rid of it entirely. If you want you could up their dex to increase their armour class slightly. The rules/adventure should be guideline not a straight jacket.

Using the NPCs from the MM is the easiest way to use them but nothing to stop you simply swapping their armour and AC on the fly.

Stormdale

I'm thinking I'll do this, and usually adjust AC in the process, unless I find it makes encounters too easy.

 

[ArwensDaughter]

So i've been reading the chapter on the Fane of the Night Serpent, and I've run across two items in the first part of the chapter that confuse me:

-There is a table for "Slave Labors" on p. 112, but no explanation of when to use it. We are told on that same page that if the characters are brought into the compound as captives, they are put in the pits in area 8. There's no mention of them being assigned to work details, even though the table seems to presume that's a possibility.

-The text says to use the start using the Temple Reinforcements if the alarm is sounded. But none of the reinforcements are described as returning to the temple compound because of the alarm (besides, how would they have heard the alarm if they were outside?) Doesn't it make more sense to start tracking time/"reinforcements" from then the part arrives? I see it as more like a random encounter table, with the caveat that the party may not be at the entry point when they arrive.

 

[pukunui]

Casting Create food & water would either eliminate the need for a check or negate a fail. (Although at the moment that spell is not available to the party as no one is 5th level, and even when it is, it will cost a precious 3rd level slot)

Don't forget create or destroy water, which is only a 1st level spell. At least it costs a spell slot to use, unlike purify food and drink, which can be cast as a ritual (although the caster still has to prepare it in place of some other spell).

-There is a table for "Slave Labors" on p. 112, but no explanation of when to use it.

Check out the "Audience with Fenthaza" section on page 114.

-The text says to use the start using the Temple Reinforcements if the alarm is sounded. But none of the reinforcements are described as returning to the temple compound because of the alarm (besides, how would they have heard the alarm if they were outside?) Doesn't it make more sense to start tracking time/"reinforcements" from then the part arrives? I see it as more like a random encounter table, with the caveat that the party may not be at the entry point when they arrive.

Look at the last paragraph of the "Temple Roster and Reinforcements" sidebar. It basically says to use it as a random encounter table if the alarm hasn't been raised.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

I'm still trying to sort out how to easily track/determine how much water the party has had access to over the course of the day. I don't want to constantly be asking, both because it seems tedious, but also because if they know the drill, they will always tell me the "right answer." And that wouldn't take into account potential mishaps ( the raincatcher collapses, they couldn't keep a fire going to boil water, etc.).

It's actually relatively simple. When travelling, ask who is foraging. Whoever forages forgoes their passive perception (for purposes of spotting traps or surprise, they effectively have 0 PP). Anyone who forages makes a Wisdom (Survival) check against a DC you set, whenever you call for it. I would only do it once per day, personally. If successful, then they've found enough food and water for themselves. If a person who is foraging has the Outlander background, then they can make this check to find food and water not only for themselves, but for up to five other people. If the person is a ranger and in their chosen terrain for Natural Explorer, then they still get their PP, don't have to make a Survival check, and find food and water for two people (10 if they also have the outlander background).

I just add it to the daily checklist along with the exhaustion rules. At the end of each adventuring day, ask them to make checks for all that stuff. It'd take maybe a couple of minutes at most to resolve.

 

[ArwensDaughter]

Don't forget create or destroy water, which is only a 1st level spell. At least it costs a spell slot to use, unlike purify food and drink, which can be cast as a ritual (although the caster still has to prepare it in place of some other spell).

Ah, I missed that one! It doesn't create as much as the 3rd level create food and water, but it should be counted as having an effect. thanks!

Check out the "Audience with Fenthaza" section on page 114.

Sigh. Somehow I missed that entire section in my reading. Thanks for catching my error.

Look at the last paragraph of the "Temple Roster and Reinforcements" sidebar. It basically says to use it as a random encounter table if the alarm hasn't been raised.

Ah, I did read that but that last sentence didn't register. I still think the bit about using the table after the alarm has sounded is a bit odd, but I guess the point is supposed to be that the party can't entirely clear the dungeon.

 

[pukunui]

[MENTION=6804968]ArwensDaughter[/MENTION]: No worries! And yes, the reinforcements during an alarm thing is a bit odd. I think what you proposed earlier works fine: just start keeping track of time from the moment the PCs arrive and have "reinforcements" show up as random encounters regardless of whether the alarm has been sounded or not.

 

[robus]

[MENTION=6863518]dropbear8mybaby[/MENTION] - I really like this thread and the others like it. However all the great ideas get buried within all the posts. Can we please make this a Wiki thread and have the first post collect the best suggestions from the thread, perhaps collected under chapter headings?

Thanks!

 

[Valmarius]

-The text says to use the start using the Temple Reinforcements if the alarm is sounded. But none of the reinforcements are described as returning to the temple compound because of the alarm (besides, how would they have heard the alarm if they were outside?) Doesn't it make more sense to start tracking time/"reinforcements" from then the part arrives? I see it as more like a random encounter table, with the caveat that the party may not be at the entry point when they arrive.

At the very start of the chapter it goes over the important characters in the temple and their motivations.
Check out page 112 'Captured by the Yuan-ti' and page 114 'Audience with Fenthaza.'