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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Demetrios1453" data-source="post: 7075296" data-attributes="member: 6801060">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! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />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?</blockquote>

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