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

[Anthony Winter]

Rage Against the Machine

Lulu's ethical descent continues.
Denial/Anger/Bargaining/Depression/Acceptance

You can just jump to right before this occurred and listen into the gameplay music interlude:
go to 1:07 in the below audio.

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[Fenris447]

I've been using the Sidekick rules from the Essentials Kit for Reya and Falaster. It's been working very, very well, and I highly recommend it.

I use the Warrior (Attacker) block for Reya. The veteran block the book ascribes to her is way overpowered, and steals combat glory from the party. I gave Falaster the Expert block, but made the party find him weapons when they rescue him under Vanthampur Villa.

I print out (or send a PDF now that we're playing virtually) each NPC's stats in stat block format and let the players pick who controls each sidekick for that session. I still control them from a narrative standpoint (they are NPC's, after all), but the players get to use them for the combats and exploration.

Since the sidekicks level with the party, they remain on-par with the PC's and make balancing pretty easy. The only downside is that both NPC's are relatively more squishy compared to their default stat blocks. But I've found that when the players control the NPCs in combat, they treat those NPCs more preciously, keeping them alive like they do their own PC. And if I do my job right, I make the NPC's likable enough that the players want to keep them around anyway.

 

[Reynard]

The party explores the Cemetery tonight. I think I want to flip the script and make the demons the real threat and have them actually approached by Gideon for aid -- in return he has the power to release Ravenguard from his mind torture.

Also, I am not using Lulu so I need to figure out a way to convey the information she would remember.

 

[Weiley31]

What could go wrong?

Well after it's freed, it decides to murder kill the party while converting the party member it bonded with into a lesser demon servant.

 

[Fenris447]

Also, I am not using Lulu so I need to figure out a way to convey the information she would remember.

When they get back to the cathedral, put a shard of Zariel's sword there. Somehow(?) a Hellrider brought it back to Elturel. It can provide brief glimpses, visions of the past that breadcrumb the party to where they need to go.

 

[Reynard]

Well after it's freed, it decides to murder kill the party while converting the party member it bonded with into a lesser demon servant.

Sounds like things working as intended.

 

[Reynard]

When they get back to the cathedral, put a shard of Zariel's sword there. Somehow(?) a Hellrider brought it back to Elturel. It can provide brief glimpses, visions of the past that breadcrumb the party to where they need to go.

I think I will use Ravenguard to infodump a little by way of his mind being torn between forces of good and evil while he is wearing the helm and gibbering. I want to beef up the fight there, i think and make it a real set piece. Demons from the portal and ones from behind, maybe?

 

[Anthony Winter]

I created a new encounter for DIA - the battle for the Companion.
The module mentions that the companion can be unlocked and the Planetar freed using the keys within the wrecked flying fortress. There is no map or scenario for how the PCs can fly up to the black sun and unlock it, or what the devils and demons do in response.

Ive used it as a good milestone win for the party during what is an arduous goosechase through chapter 3.

The audio (podcast) and video (youtube) of my additional encounter for the battle to unlock the companion is available.
https://dicegrimorium.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/LavaPitBanner.jpg
https://ppmc.podbean.com/mf/play/6uqmkb/17_audio_part_1.mp3
https://ppmc.podbean.com/mf/play/9s3s95/17_audio_part_2.mp3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOrF2gCKvVs

 

[Anthony Winter]

I have used DDAL 09-10 Tipping the scales as a one shot inserted for two reasons.
1) Olianthus is giving this as a mission to the Party to prove their worth before he will join them in their cause and reveal the location of the citadel. This demonstrates their power/capability as well as their benevolence
2) To give a bit of a level up opportunity.

There are loads of good swamp maps available online and I am finding it gives a bit of a change of scenery from the arid burning waste of Avernus.

podcast: https://ppmc.podbean.com/mf/play/c6qt7n/22_audio_20200505.mp3
Video (roll20):

 

[Fenris447]

Has anyone had to scale up Chapters 4 and 5? I want to really break Chapter 3 out into a sandbox, but I want to keep the levels coming so they don't feel like they're stalling out if/when they explore everything available.