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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 6536852" data-attributes="member: 3586">My first suggestion is to use the Bonds from Appendix 1. They're really important to link player characters into the adventure.I recently ran the first session of Hoard again for a different group, having already finished it with another. It was very interesting how much my understanding of the adventure had improved, and I was able to properly understand how the backgrounds linked in.There are a few bonds that work a lot better if the character begins in Greenest - so, instead of having to run into the village, the character is either in the keep or making for the keep when they meet up with the other characters. This is most true of bond #2 (resettled in Greenest) and #6 (escaping the cult).Other notes on initial bonds:#1: Leosin was in Greenest, but got captured by cultists. The group may be able to find Nesim Walandra (chapter 2) a bit earlier if they look for him to learn about what happened to Leosin, although they still won't be able to rescue him until the initial raid ends.#4: Onthar Frume is a senior member of the Order of the Gauntlet, a holy order dedicated to fighting evil. This bond works best when applied to a priest, paladin or character who strongly believes in the gods (and is likely good). He appears at the beginning of Episode 4 to guide the players on their quest, and is a major character in The Rise of Tiamat when he is on the Council of Waterdeep - and likely interacts with the party a lot.#5: Talis wasn't kidnapped; she joined the cult! However, she has become disaffected (as seen in Episode 7). So, this bond gives a strong role-playing connection which will become important later. It is unlikely anyone in Greenest knows about her. (The characters probably won't interact with any cultist who will know and/or tell them!)#9: Mondath is in Episodes 1-3, Bog Luck is in Episode 5, and Rezmir is one of the chief foes throughout the adventure - most of the time, the group will be chasing Rezmir, and have a chance to fight her at the conclusion of the adventure.Cheers!</blockquote>

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