D&D 5E Creating a coherent campaign with TftYP

[Demetrios1453]

So, having purchased TftYP looking for some interesting dungeons to drop into existing campaigns when needed, I have since realized that it would be interesting to actually run them consecutively as a continual dungeon-crawl campaign. It's obvious from the levels for the dungeons featured in the book that they can be run this way (and the designers have admitted to this), but there really isn't a common thread given in the book to build a coherent story around. Sure, you can just run the dungeons with the characters hearing about them at the tavern and then running out to investigate them consecutively, but that's not a really satisfying story. So I have been working on an overarching story line to link all the dungeons; I've got a good basic idea, but I'm posting here for suggestions on how to connect the dungeons that are giving me some issues. And of course, if anyone has some alternative ideas for linking the dungeons with one overarching story, that's fine too!


So my idea is this: Acererak, having grown tired of mere lichdom, has decided to take the next step and work towards ascending towards godhood. He's suborned some powerful wizards, most notably the lich Kazit Gul (who was known as Keraptis when still a mortal), into assisting him with this project. They have built the great research center known as the Doomvault as the main center of their research, although Kazit Gul/Keraptis still maintains his old quarters in White Plume Mountain as a secondary center. Kazit Gul/Keraptis has recently acquired some powerful magical weapons that he is keeping in the latter until they can be transported to the Doomvault for further research. Finally, having heard of the Gulthias Tree, they have dispatched a low-level minion known as Sir Bradford to investigate the Sunless Citadel in the guise of a paladin adventurer.

So far, this story line would incorporate The Sunless Citadel, White Plume Mountain, Dead in Thay, and Tomb of Horrors with fairly minimal work (the main difference would be that the lead-in to WPM won't be "an evil wizard just stole some weapons and is taunting their former owners for the lulz"). The transition from WPM to DiT would be very simple - the adventurers would find the location of the Doomvault somewhere in White Plume Mountain. Where I'm running into problems is incorporating the other three dungeons, as well as coming up with ways of linking them. With Forge of Fury, I have a decent idea for a link (Sir Bradford was told to investigate it as well), but not the reason why - perhaps some connection to Whelm (perhaps Durgeddin forged it as his master work; perhaps he forged all three WPM weapons?)? As for Against the Giants, presumably Eclavdra is associated with Acererak and Kazit Gul in some way, but how? And why, narratively, should this adventure happen between the fall of the Doomvault and the search for Acererak's tomb - perhaps Eclavdra fled the Doomvault, knows where the Tomb of Horrors is, and is just stirring up the giants to delay the party? While somewhat logical, that does seem a bit of an anti-climatic reason for massive giant attacks. As for The Hidden Shrine of Timoachan, I'm really at a loss in how to fit it in at all.

So any ideas on how to complete the overarching plot? Or, any completely different ideas on how to link the dungeons?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I would agree, Acererak seems like the key to it.One thing I’d keep in mind is that the lich is ancient. His scheme could have started ages ago.

As for the Hidden Shrine, perhaps its architecture is supposed to be some sort of conduit for the energies that he needs to channel to ascend? Maybe there's a device at its center that needs to be destroyed?

 

[TerraDave]

Hidden Shrine was very much inspired by ToH. Both are challenge the player tournament modules that have lots of puzzles and a dark sense of humor. ToH was of course super deadly, but Shrine was no slouch in this area.

So in that sense, it fits.

 

[robus]

I've been thinking about options for this too. I agree that ToH has to be the "final destination". The two approaches I'm pondering at the moment are:

* A "Voyages of Sinbad" style campaign where the PCs find a long lost clue to the hidden tomb of Acerarak and are charged by some patron to go retrieve some artifact from there for which they will be showered with riches. However the location of the tomb is in some remote location across the sea and will require a perilous voyage through dangerous islands with exotic mysteries of their own.

* A "Ready Player One" crazy thing where these adventures are VR recreations of classic dungeon crawls and the PCs are racing other parties to get to the finish and win the prize (each dungeon contains a clue that leads to the next dungeon). Totally not sure how to pull that off but it keeps intriguing me

But your idea seems cool too (I'm just kind of tired of the Realms).

 

[jimmytheccomic]

If I was going to run it straight through (Which I considered), I would have a piece of the Rod of Seven Parts in each dungeon, and a race against some sort of Big Bad trying to grab them all (so I could build my own climax post ToH.) I'd also have rival adventuring parties looking for it- the "Yawning Portal" tavern would be a neutral ground that everyone hangs at between dungeon crawl races, so I've still given due diligence to the title.

 

[jasper]

Sunless and Forge had a slight connection in 3E. So leave some clues in each dungeon. Ex. Sunless has part of shrine, and general location of tomb. ETC

 

[Demetrios1453]

So, just to update this - my group finished SKT today (all that was left was the final fight with Iymrith, which went fairly quickly due to the potions of giant size and the fact they were 14th level), so we basically did a Session 0 for TftYP. And then one of the players dropped a nicely-wrapped gift with a bow on it right in my lap: she wants to play a tiefling who was abducted as a child and was afterwards studied and experimented upon, as background for a vengeance paladin. Well, that simply screamed "escaped from the Doomvault". So now I have my plot hook - this character has just escaped from the Doomvault, having been found wandering lost in the wilderness with only the fuzziest of memories of the place (whether repressed or simply wiped), but does remember that someone sent somebody to investigate the Sunless Citadel and Khundrukar for what can only be nefarious purposes. The lore bard in the party will want to investigate such storied ruins (and can help find out where they are), the dwarven cleric's ears will perk up at the mention of Khundrukar (and, later, mention of Whelm), and the druid will become intrigued once the story of the weird fruit from the Sunless Citadel is brought up. I'm still working out how THSoT will fit in, but my players really helped me out simply through the process of character creation!