Dropping H2 connections into H1

[D'karr]

Good to know.

Sounds like a really good setup for a lot of fun - I'm guessing some groups will even be able to go past the 4th-6th level guidelines, perhaps?

I think it depends how far into 4th level you were when you started the adventure.

If you want to play at higher level, I can see how you could easily adapt the adventure by increasing the opposition. Tweaking it down, to play at levels lower than 4 might be unsatisfying. So I'd play at level 3 without modification and I would not recommend playing at any lower than that.

 

[Hawke]

Great information... thanks for it! I've definitely made the decision to purchase this.

Any good info about the BBEG (spoiler tagged, I'd guess) that might assist? I saw the name and now need to find a mini and develop a good backstory. That's probably the thing I really want to try and connect most, though don't want to do so to the point that Kalarel seems like a stepping stone rather than the big threat.

 

[Phoenix8008]

Sounds great! Thanks for all the info! Here's hoping that Fiery Dragon puts out a set of printable tokens for use with this adventure like they did for H1. They've worked great so far for Shadowfell Keep!

 

[D'karr]

Great information... thanks for it! I've definitely made the decision to purchase this.

Any good info about the BBEG (spoiler tagged, I'd guess) that might assist? I saw the name and now need to find a mini and develop a good backstory. That's probably the thing I really want to try and connect most, though don't want to do so to the point that Kalarel seems like a stepping stone rather than the big threat.

[sblock]
I twisted H1, a lot, to suit my tastes. Kalarel was female and Ninaran, the ranger was male. I don't know if I spelled those names correctly so forgive me if I butchered them. It made for some fun at the game table, specially because I started that adventure with the PCs helping out a caravan, in which Kalarel was a passenger. This was an unrelated side-trek as part of the setup for KotS.

I don't like the idea of the Bloodreavers being the pervasive enemy between the two adventures. I mean, it is a good link but in my opinion it does not do enough to link the two adventures. So In my game I'm planning on having Paldemar be Kalarel's former mentor. After Kalarel started rising in power he saw her more as a threat and decided to get rid of her. He sent her to Shadowfell Keep, knowing full well that the ritual she would try to perform would probably kill her.

I'll have to make some other changes to both adventures but I like that "hook" better.

In H2 Paldemar is a follower of Vecna, though this is a secret. My reasoning for him sending Kalarel to Shadowfell has to do with being able to siphon power from the rift in Shadowfell and using it for his "infernal machine", with which he plans to dispose of the Mages of Saruun. Of course this is a blatant lie but if Kalarel succeeds he'll just kill her at the same time that he disposes of the other mages and if she fails, then no harm done. This also feeds into the hooks for the follow-on adventure H3yramid of Shadows.
[/sblock]

 

[Classic Villany]

Could someone please provide some details on the Duergar?

Also, I'm curious as to the reason why some Troglodytes are joined by an Angel. I realize Angels can be good or evil, it just seems like an odd match to me.

 

[D'karr]

Could someone please provide some details on the Duergar?

Also, I'm curious as to the reason why some Troglodytes are joined by an Angel. I realize Angels can be good or evil, it just seems like an odd match to me.

Details in the spoiler tag

[sblock]
The duergar are evil subterranean dwarves that have been tainted by infernal powers. The book gives entire entries, similar to the Monster Manual, to each of the new monsters presented in the adventure.

The reason an angel is accompanying the troglodytes is because he is sent to protect one of them. Like you said, they can be "good" or "evil", and this one was sent by an "evil" power.[/sblock]

 

[Hawke]

Almost through KotS and I've done the following to enhance it:

Spoiler

Taking the Krand of the Bloodreaver letter a bit further and realizing that my characters really seem to like having physical copies of letters and such, I've created a back story that the creatures in the Nentir Vale are loosly banding together to try and take down all the human settlements.

I ran Kobold Hall and had the players overhear a conversation between Kalarel and Szarthrrax about the dragon being the ring leader toward getting this done and Kalarel giving him some treasure and artifacts to get some sort of magical artifact from the dragon (something to open the rift, but that wasn't made clear to the players).

In the absence of the dragon, it appears that Balgron the Fat is working with some to funnel the money. As a result, he's not quite as trusted by Kalarel which is why the second level is sealed and passworded (explanation altered in Ninarin's letter). In addition, the characters found a letter explaining the plan signed by one of the mages of Saruun - returning the Nentir Vale to the creatures and then pillaging the cities for magical artifacts that would extend the mages rule over the city. (Little do they know now that it really isn't one of the mages secretly trying to assert control, but Paldemar with the hopes of also framing one of them and causing a massive distraction while he's able to complete his task in H2)

In addition, another found letter later revealed some key names about thunderspire - like the druegar clan, the gnoll blacktooth clan which is sending raids out in eastern nentir, etc. On their second arrival to the keep to push into the second level, they found blood train back again to the torture chamber. A very quick fight and they find the priest from Winterhaven trapped. Apparently she was out doing her own cult research when the Bloodreavers captured her. She thanked the players and went off to town to warn them of something she overheard - a big attack on the town trying to raid them and weaken their resolve. The players chose to let her and the militia deal with that and push in to stop Kalarel.

Overall there's lots of clues and ideas about heading to Thunderspire - the source of all the evil currently. I'm also digging the setup as the player talk seems to really think this Mage of Saruun is pretty evil and should make for some good roleplaying in H2 should they try and out him or confront him. Some of the links I've created in the letters I wrote should also give the feeling that there are several benefactors and people behind the various attacks (one with links to kobolds, one with links to the goblins, etc) in the seven pillared hall that should eliminate the "princess in another castle" as they feel they need to go take care of everybody to save Nentir Vale.

End H1 and H2 Spoilers.