D&D 5E Enhancing "Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus"

[Anthony Winter]

Fort Knucklebone notes,
I've just run through fort knucklebone and thought to post some notes on the experience:

• this provides necessary comic and safety relief on an otherwise fairly bleak story line so I extended this a little
• I created a village much like a wild west style town populated by madcaps and redcaps
• In this way there are places to explore such as the blacksmith, workshop, tavern, sleeping areas, bar etc...
• I maintained the Fey proclivity for partying and excess
• hammed up and hammered home the madcaps 'doing the Mikey'
• I've used very cheap party packs of quad bikes and motocross bikes to make a large group of devils rides. simply spray them black and add stuff from your bitz box.
• I also got two tractor/bulldozers from the dollar store, sprayed it black and glued enough card to it so its unrecognisable but has windows, tracks and pistons visible through the armour plates.

Here is a link to the play through including the dream sequence:
8 - Fort Knucklebone - Ch 3 Avernus part1
(NB its on itunes podcasts as well)
<iframe title="8 - Fort Knucklebone - Ch 3 Avernus part1" src="" height="315" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player"></iframe>

 

[ddaley]

Now, this is a shameless (ok, there's always at least a little smidge of shape, I blame my parents for raising me this way!) self-plug, but we've created some cool resources we think might help you enhance your Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign. At the very least, it should shave hours of your preparation, provide you with dozens of full-color maps and other nifty resources.

​

It's not free, but you get a lot of bang for your buck:

• Running Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. 40+ pages of guides, suggestions and troubleshooting for all five chapters!
• Magical Items, Monsters and Handouts. Outfit your players with the greatsword Redemption, pit them against a Hellwasp Queen, or let them read Thavis Kreeg's infernal contract for themselves.
• Monster Stat Blocks. Nearly a hundred pages of monster stat blocks covering chapters 1-4, neatly arranged together on pages, so you don't have to flip through several books.
  DM's Cheatsheets. Neatly condensed notes of everything in Chapters 2 and 4 for easy use at the table. Also includes an Avernus Cheatsheet, summing up the entire nine hells on a single page!
• 25+ Encounter Maps. More than two-dozen battlemaps in both DM's and player versions primed for virtual tabletops. Features both colorized and detailed versions of the official maps, as well as entirely new maps showing locations in Avernus.
• Bonus Content (added after release at no cost!):
  • Enhanced Devils. New versions of the devils in the Monster Manual, providing them with more interesting and varied combat options without increasing their challenge rating!
  • A Cold Day in Hell. A 3-6 hour original adventure for a group of adventurers of 7th-level or higher, featuring frosty devils, infernal snowtoys and epic battles.

You can get the Complete DM's Bundle for Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus here, where you'll also find links to buy resources for individual chapters and products, if you're not interested in the whole package. And, if you just want some free stuff, ideas and inspiration, come visit us at Eventyr Games – we have a few free maps for Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus up already.

Alright, alright, that's it, I promise. I'll show myself out. Thanks for your time – and have fun in hell!

I just started reading Descent into Avernus. I am only in the chapter on the bathhouse. I am liking this adventure so far, and had been considering running it for a group that is new to D&D. However, once I started looking at the stat blocks for the early encounters, I don't see a group that is new to D&D surviving long. Does this supplement address toning down the adventure? I would like for it to be challenging, while not having the risk of a TPK because of a mistake or bad saving throw roll...

 

[Anthony Winter]

A few more notes, lessons and inconsistencies/challenges with Haruman's Hill and thereabouts.

- I continued my expansion of the Fae Tom-follery in Fort Knucklebone creating madcap culture as some sort of violent smurf village - (they love bootscooting adn both kinds of music.... country and western). In hell the only song in the juke box is Achey Breaky Heart

- I skipped Ragdragga for use later on as one of the players had a tormentor.

- I used the initial travel sessions across avernus to give more of a feel for it rather than an out and out running battle.

- At Harumans Hill The hellwasp abduction doesnt really make sense. Lulu is completely immune to poison and the poisoned condition so I move the hellwasp to some time after the battle - with 2-3 wasps lying in wait hidden in the trees. Then while the players are focussed on Jander Sunstar the wasps attack lulu and carry her off unconscious - but stable.

PS I now have two recording devices and getting better at sound editing so from this session on its much easier listen.

<iframe title="9 - Harumans Hill - Ch3 Avernus part 2" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src=""></iframe>

 

[Anthony Winter]

....
One thing I need to figure out before then is what to do about Lulu. I DESPISE cutesy, especially in my D&D. I need to change the character into something else, something tragic or weird or anything but cutesy. I am thinking that instead Lulu IS Zariel's sword but just doesnt remember (that's how they hid it) and now takes the form of a minor archon that thinks it was Zariel's page or squire.

I guess you dont need to make her cute and if she gets killed off early the shield can start to take on her role.
Be aware of whether it is you or your players who dont like cutsey.
Rather than change her into something else I am slowly hardening her up by having her go hrough the seven stages of grief.

I am using chipmunk versions of well known songs to reflect this.

ie starts off ignorant and cute
gets depressed and introverted - black Parade / My imortal
gets morose and ambivalent - black hole sun (soundgarden)
gets angry and goes all badass- killing in the name of (rage against the machine)
resigned and cold - hurt (Jonny Cash) Red Right hand (nick Cave)

 

[Anthony Winter]

I have recorded a just over 20 minutes of a recap of my Season 1 tips and lessons as well as an example of how you might jump straight into the deep end at lvel 4:

<iframe title="13 - Chapter 1 tips" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src=""></iframe>

 

[sim-h]

Question. The Hellriders (e.g. Reya Mantlemorm) know Zariel led their ancestors into hell and was defeated. This is presumably not secret knowledge.

Do they know she was corrupted and became an archdevil? How widely is this known?

I can see several possibilities:

1) It is known to only a few scholars of the lower planes
2) It is more widely known, but the Hellriders and others who choose to, live in denial of the fact
3) Everyone knows

The book states that Reya is horrified at the news of Thavius Kreeg's compact with Zariel when this is found in the infernal puzzle box - but does she know Zariel fell to evil in the first place?

I'm interested because this will affect how she reacts to various cues when with the party - e.g. in the basement of Vanthampur Villa where there is a statue of Zariel.

 

[Talltomwright]

Question. The Hellriders (e.g. Reya Mantlemorm) know Zariel led their ancestors into hell and was defeated. This is presumably not secret knowledge.

Do they know she was corrupted and became an archdevil? How widely is this known?

I can see several possibilities:

1) It is known to only a few scholars of the lower planes
2) It is more widely known, but the Hellriders and others who choose to, live in denial of the fact
3) Everyone knows

The book states that Reya is horrified at the news of Thavius Kreeg's compact with Zariel when this is found in the infernal puzzle box - but does she know Zariel fell to evil in the first place?

I'm interested because this will affect how she reacts to various cues when with the party - e.g. in the basement of Vanthampur Villa where there is a statue of Zariel.

I’ve been wondering the exact same thing! I think 1) makes the most sense but it’s not stated anywhere.

 

[jayoungr]

- I continued my expansion of the Fae Tom-follery in Fort Knucklebone creating madcap culture as some sort of violent smurf village - (they love bootscooting adn both kinds of music.... country and western). In hell the only song in the juke box is Achey Breaky Heart

LOL! I suppose for a group of country fans, you could make it opera or something else that's commonly disliked. (Disclaimer: I like opera.)

Thanks for the podcast links, btw. They'll be super-useful if/when I get to running this.

 

[Anthony Winter]

OK just ran my group through the Bone brambles and a Visit to Mahadi's Emporium.
in terms of the bone brambles lessons and tips.
its very short if they pass a single check and find thier way to red ruth's straight away so I assumed the forest was larger and ensured they had a 'rich' bone brambles experience prior to meeting Red Ruth.

In line with my penchant for incorporating music references Red Ruth is names as such because she keep congealed blood in one of her dusty leather trench coat pockets as a means of soothing and affliction on her right hand:

Theme song:
She's a god, she's a girl
She's a ghost, she's a guru
They're whispering her name
Through this disappearing land
But hidden in her coat
Is a red right hand

The group went all in at Mahadis and ran amok, dayspas, feasts and stolen lemures

<iframe title="11 - Bone Brambles and Mahadi - Ch3 Avernus Part 4" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src=""></iframe>

 

[jasper]

My changes. Lulu aura comes and goes depending on party strength. PC can obtain a story award of land vechilies war machine. This is temporary and goes away at the end of the season. If your die or sell your soul, your name goes onto a soul coin. These coins have 4 charges.