D&D 5E Enhancing "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" (Practical stuff to try at your table!)

[jayoungr]

I'm just reading over Chapter 5 in anticipation for my next session, and I'm wondering something: How is it that the cult is able to transport their loot on wagons that ostensibly should only be carrying road-building supplies? Have they got agents in the High Road Charter Company who ensure the cult wagons aren't inspected? Have they paid off Ardred Briferhew to look the other way?

Did this come up at all in anyone else's game, and if so, what answer did you come up with?

I think any of those solutions would work. In my own game, the PCs bought horses and rode on ahead to the roadhouse, so they didn't see how the treasure was transported. But I had figured that Rezmir had paid Ardred Briferhew handsomely and fed him some tale about how they wanted to transport some things northward and they wanted to travel with the road crews so they would have an escort as far as the roadhouse.

EDIT: As an aside, I was thinking that, since Leosin is technically willing to bribe the PCs with a ruby worth 1200 gp, what if I were to reward the PCs when they arrive in Waterdeep by having their factions give them 1200gp worth of equipment (like spell scrolls and potions and better weapons/armor or whatever)? They *are* risking their lives on behalf of the factions, after all. In fact, 1200 gp doesn't seem like very much at all, in that respect. I could always make it 1200 gp worth of stuff for each of them, rather than in total.

I don't see why not.

I figured the rewards in the adventure were left to the GM anyway, so I added quite a lot of monetary loot to the adventure, in addition to the various ways the PCs found of getting extra cash--gambling, mending broken pottery, getting bribes from cultists in exchange for not killing them...

 

[pukunui]

I think any of those solutions would work. In my own game, the PCs bought horses and rode on ahead to the roadhouse, so they didn't see how the treasure was transported. But I had figured that Rezmir had paid Ardred Briferhew handsomely and fed him some tale about how they wanted to transport some things northward and they wanted to travel with the road crews so they would have an escort as far as the roadhouse.

Cool. I don't know yet what my PCs will do. I'm going to run with the "council quiet" idea (although I haven't decided who all will be there yet), which I'll do during the first night they're in Waterdeep. The PCs can choose to sign on and accompany the cultists, or they can do what yours did and ride on ahead (or just follow behind) if they want.

FWIW, here's what Steve Winter said when I asked him: "Briferhew is a warrior, not a businessman, so my assumption is that he doesn't care what's in the wagons. His job is to get them safely to their destination. Whatever's in them is the concern of the people building the road, not him. Someone is being bribed to include those wagons in the convoy; maybe it's Briferhew, but more likely it's whatever agent of Lord Neverember organizes the supply convoys in Waterdeep. The cult has plenty of cash to pay bribes with."

I figured the rewards in the adventure were left to the GM anyway, so I added quite a lot of monetary loot to the adventure ...

True.

 

[pukunui]

I'm prepping for Episode 6 right now, and I like Mike Shea's idea of having the dragon twins strike a deal with the PCs. They want something from the castle (a ring of Myrkul), and they want the PCs to get it for them. Snapjaw is the dragons' "agent".

There are a number of reasons why I want to include this scene. For one thing, it shows that not all evil dragons will kill you on sight; these ones are willing to bargain. For another, it shows that not all evil dragons are necessarily on board with the Cult of the Dragon's plans. It also provides the PCs with incentive not to butcher the band of lizardfolk that approach the campsite in the night (they'll want to keep them alive so they can find out which one of them is Snapjaw).

According to Ed, one of the twins' favored tactics is to have Waervaerendor shadow adventurers invisibly for a while. Then, when he's ready to make his presence known, he circles around them, hoping to freak them out as footprints appear out of nowhere in the muddy ground all around them. He'll then try to convince the adventurers to do something for him (usually retrieve a lost relic from a drowned ruin in the mere), all the while pretending to be his brother, Voaraghamanthar.

So I'm thinking that maybe, on the first day, as the PCs trek through the swamp, they'll occasionally get the feeling that they're being followed (or being watched), but it won't be until they make it to the midway campsite that Waervaerendor approaches. The fog will swirl apart as if something large is passing through it and then they'll spot his massive footprints appearing in the ground as he walks around the camp. He'll most likely stay invisible, unless they provoke him into attacking them or something.

He'll attempt to convince the PCs to retrieve a ring of Myrkul from somewhere in the castle. If they agree to do this for him, then he won't eat them. When they find it, they can give it to his servant, Snapjaw, a lizardfolk who is among a band of the creatures now approaching the campsite by boat.

I'm tempted to have Waervaerendor leave in one direction and then have Voaraghamanthar appear from the opposite direction just to frighten the PCs into believing in the myth that the twins are one dragon who can be in two places at once. But I'm not sure if I should.

I'm also contemplating having the dragons ask the PCs to destroy the farseer of Illusk in order to protect their secret (either in addition to retrieving the ring or instead of it). Perhaps they have figured out how Rezmir learned of their secret and don't want anyone else accidentally finding out in the same way. If I were to do that, I could then use the dragon as a way to impart some of the lore about Castle Naerytar's previous occupants, particularly Adele the penanggalan and her female astronomy students (who doubled as her victims).

Any thoughts?

 

[jayoungr]

I'm prepping for Episode 6 right now, and I like Mike Shea's idea of having the dragon twins strike a deal with the PCs. They want something from the castle (a ring of Myrkul), and they want the PCs to get it for them. Snapjaw is the dragons' "agent".

There are a number of reasons why I want to include this scene. For one thing, it shows that not all evil dragons will kill you on sight; these ones are willing to bargain. For another, it shows that not all evil dragons are necessarily on board with the Cult of the Dragon's plans. It also provides the PCs with incentive not to butcher the band of lizardfolk that approach the campsite in the night (they'll want to keep them alive so they can find out which one of them is Snapjaw).

All very sound reasoning, IMO. I wish I'd been able to do this at my table! I never found a good way to work the dragon twins into HotDQ, since the players didn't seek them out.

So I'm thinking that maybe, on the first day, as the PCs trek through the swamp, they'll occasionally get the feeling that they're being followed (or being watched), but it won't be until they make it to the midway campsite that Waervaerendor approaches. The fog will swirl apart as if something large is passing through it and then they'll spot his massive footprints appearing in the ground as he walks around the camp. He'll most likely stay invisible, unless they provoke him into attacking them or something.

That is nicely atmospheric.

I'm tempted to have Waervaerendor leave in one direction and then have Voaraghamanthar appear from the opposite direction just to frighten the PCs into believing in the myth that the twins are one dragon who can be in two places at once. But I'm not sure if I should.

Do they know about this myth already? If not, they might leap to the (correct) conclusion that there are two dragons in the swamp.

Any thoughts?

I guess my main question is, do you have a feel for how your party is likely to approach Castle Naerytar? Will they ally with the lizardfolk and get them to rebel against the bullywugs? Are they more likely to stealth in, impersonate cultists, or attack right away? Giving them extra missions in the castle might push them toward one approach over others--though that could add to the challenge as well. For example, if they're impersonating cultists, they would have to either be a lot more careful about how they break the Farseer (if they do that) or else do it right before leaving.

Also, will your party actually follow through on the mission? They won't be getting any reward for it apart from not being eaten, and they won't be in danger of being eaten when they actually do these things. Essentially they're getting paid in advance and could be a long way away before the dragon finds out they didn't do what he asked, if they chose to just skip out--though they won't find out about the escape route until they get to the castle. Some groups would just blow off the dragon's missions and leave, or they might check out the teleport circle thinking they can come back and then find out that they couldn't. But if you don't think your group is likely to do this, then the dragon encounter could add some great flavor.

 

[pukunui]

My group very much prefers the cautious approach. They tend not to just rush into things (unlike my other group). They accepted the dragon's mission (not that they really had a choice), and when the lizardfolk showed up at the camp, they called out for Snapjaw in Draconic. He's convinced them that they'll be the catalyst the lizardfolk need to rise up and slaughter the bullywugs. I had him draw them a crude map on the ground, giving them the basic layout of the castle and who is where.

I'm not sure if they'll follow through with the dragon's mission or not. We'll have to see. If they don't, maybe I'll have the twins them down in the next adventure or something.

 

[jayoungr]

Wow! Here's a quite amazing alternate map for Skyreach Castle:

http://www.daniel-pietschmann.de/rpg/2015/07/26/new-battlemap-for-skyreach-castle-hotdq/

Just a note that the artist has added gridless versions of the maps to his site!

 

[jayoungr]

The guys at Is It My Turn Yet? recently finished Hoard of the Dragon Queen. Sadly, they don't have plans at this point to go on to Rise of Tiamat.

In Episode 104, when they were searching the Hunting Lodge after subduing Talis, one of the party found her journal. It was an interesting addition to the story, so I've transcribed the description of it below. The characters mentioned are PCs in that game; obviously, anyone wishing to use this idea in your own campaign would need to tailor it to your group.

Talis's Journal

The journal starts:

A doctor told me to start a journal to help with my affliction. Unless written words can cure me, I don't see how it would, but I will try.

After this entry, there are many entries about day-to-day life in Greenest: simple fun and simple people. A few entries later, reflections of a life with Saeryon creep onto the page.

In her younger days, she would apparently set up a small encampment outside the main army's own and signal various different officers and the like. One officer struck her fancy, though: a shining star that had ideals, a soft face, and a soft heart. She never made him pay, not even once. They discussed their families, what they wanted to do in the future, and so much more.

There are dried tear-marks on the page of smeared ink.

I remember the first time he didn't come when I flew my signal, the second, the third, and the thirtieth. Eventually, I got the notion that he was never going to come back. I don't know whether he fled the army or not. I fled down a different and darker path after that, and I think I grew colder inside. I don't know why certain nights in this small town bring up memories like this. I will try to sleep it off.

More entries down the line, she harkens back to darker days with friends in various places. Many names pop up here and there, and eventually, one name in particular catches your eye: Kasalt. Many kind words are said about this dwarf--how rugged and handsome he was, the cold demeanor he exudes outwardly, but his inner kind heart was revealed to her eventually. The page goes on to describe several heists they did together. She would come and go as she pleased, and he would welcome her at any time. An interesting passage pops up toward the end, saying, If I had been brave enough to kill him then, perhaps I wouldn't be here in this town, slowly dying from my affliction.

A few pages are ripped out, and then another final entry before the book ends:

A man wearing a purple cloak came to me a few tendays ago. He said he had heard of my clerical powers, although I know not where he could have heard this; I haven't practiced in such a long time. Anyway, he said that he had also heard of my affliction. "I can cure you," he said--as if I believed him! But I was curious, and I followed him on his adventure.

This is the last journal I will ever write, as it was a coping device for my death that I was awaiting.

Her words become bigger and bolder as the entry draws to an end.

I am not dying anymore, though. That man belonged to some dragon religion. I shall learn more about it, but my blood is now part dragon's, and I no longer feel weak.

HOORAY! is written in big, bold letters.
​

 

[akr71]

My group is only just starting Episode 2, but I am just trying to think ahead (Episode 6, mainly). The group has a Dragonborn among them, so I was going to allow Advantage on any Charisma rolls in dealing with Snapjaw and the lizardfolk. Does this sound like too much?

Also, I may as well throw the Charisma rolls out the window for the Recognized event in the caravan - a dragonborn warlock, wood-elf assassin and a mixed blood elven monk (drow/high elf). They wouldn't stand out in a crowd or anything

 

[Sloblock]

My group very much prefers the cautious approach. They tend not to just rush into things (unlike my other group). They accepted the dragon's mission (not that they really had a choice), and when the lizardfolk showed up at the camp, they called out for Snapjaw in Draconic. He's convinced them that they'll be the catalyst the lizardfolk need to rise up and slaughter the bullywugs. I had him draw them a crude map on the ground, giving them the basic layout of the castle and who is where.

I'm not sure if they'll follow through with the dragon's mission or not. We'll have to see. If they don't, maybe I'll have the twins them down in the next adventure or something.

For us, I had the PCs find a trail of dead creatures, heightening the suspense of the Black dragon, I then had a small encounter where the dragon appeared in Human form ( I know this is against RAW, but felt that over time they would have had access to some magical mcguffin ).

He asked that as they were guests in his realm that he would be grateful if the PCs could retrieve the items from the castle, and that they were to make contact with Snapjaw as his lizard man contact. anything retrieved could be handed back to him.

As it turns out my PCs then agreed to this and then went through the castle as Cult recruits who had come with news of what had happened at Greenest and when they spoke to Rezmir that Frulam Mondath was really working against the cult as was the Elf running the castle.

I then had Rezmir ask some questions which they answered so she asked for the PCs to deal with the problem. This gave the PCs a reason the get the Elf and at the time form an alliance with the Red Wizard to sort it out.

The PCs also made sure snap jaw would lead the Lizard rebellion and ultimately run the castle...

so a little off topic but still provided some table based fun and fleshed out the Cult a bit more.

 

[jayoungr]

Hi, akr71! Thanks for joining in!

My group is only just starting Episode 2, but I am just trying to think ahead (Episode 6, mainly). The group has a Dragonborn among them, so I was going to allow Advantage on any Charisma rolls in dealing with Snapjaw and the lizardfolk. Does this sound like too much?

Not at all! You want to have cool roleplay, and it makes a lot of sense that a dragonborn would be able to talk to them "reptile-to-reptile"...so to speak.

Also, I may as well throw the Charisma rolls out the window for the Recognized event in the caravan - a dragonborn warlock, wood-elf assassin and a mixed blood elven monk (drow/high elf). They wouldn't stand out in a crowd or anything

The assassin doesn't sound too bad. Maybe you could encourage the others to visit someone who could hook them up with a really good disguise (even a magic item) in Baldur's Gate? If they join a faction, their faction chief(s) could suggest it.