Battling Tiamat - Objectives
The characters are an integral, even pivotal, part of a large Alliance of forces. To succeed at preventing Tiamat's Return, the Alliance needs to succeed at a number of objectives - the players, acting as the Alliance Lords may assign those forces to one of more of the objectives, and depending at how effective the character's efforts were on behalf of the forces, those forces may be more effective at completing those objectives. Objectives being attempted by forces other than the characters themselves are "background" objectives. Characters should only perceive how the background tasks are going by second-hand reports or movie-style cutscenes.
[h1]The Results of Superior Morale[/h1]
Using the Council Scorecard for your campaign, calculate the expected maximum expected results for each faction. Then compare the actual results to the following table:
| Harpers | Order of the Gauntlet | Emerald Enclave | Lady Laeral Silverhand | Lord Dagult Neverember | Ambassador Connerad Brawnanvil | King Melandrach | Marshall Ulder Ravengard | Taern Hornblade | Sir Isteval | CONDITION | EFFECT |
| < 5 | < 7 | < 5 | < 7 | < 5 | < 7 | < 6 | < 7 | < 6 | < 6 | Minimal Support | Failure of assigned Objective, or alternatively disadvantage on the attempt's check. |
| >= 5 | >= 7 | >= 5 | >= 7 | >= 5 | >= 7 | >= 6 | >= 7 | >= 6 | >= 6 | Full Support | Can attempt Objective at normal chances. |
| >= 8 | >= 11 | >= 8 | >= 11 | >= 8 | >= 11 | >= 9 | >= 11 | >= 9 | >= 9 | Superior Support (1.5x full, round up) | Advantage on assigned Objective |
| >= 10 | >= 14 | >= 10 | >= 14 | >= 10 | >= 14 | >= 12 | >= 14 | >= 12 | >= 12 | Inspired Support (2x full, round up) | Advantage at +3 to assigned Objective |
| Max | Max | Max | Max | Max | Max | Max | Max | Max | Max | Maximum (Fanatical) Support | +2 to rolls of a specific type (Faction Dependent) |
| All Strength, Intelligence, and Charisma saving throws | Damage | All ability checks | All Wisdom saving throws | The save DC for 10 chosen spells | Per die to all healing rolls | All Dexterity saving throws | All non-spell attack rolls. | All spell attack rolls | All Constitution saving throws | | Faction Benefit |
[h1]Objective: Destroying the Draakhorn[/h1]
One of the primary objectives of the assault at the Well of Dragons must be to capture and silence the Draakhorn. While destroying the Draakhorn will not interrupt the ritual, it does strengthen the chromatic dragons and weaken the good ones.
The characters may choose to take on this mission, or one of the other strike teams may. If one of the other teams takes on this task, the background resolution is a DC 20 Consititution saving throw.
If the task is failed, the good dragons fight at disadvantage, while the evil dragons fight at advantage, and the DC for all draconic frightful presence has increased by 4.
Success at this task means that all dragons fight normally, and all the DCs for draconic frightful presence are reduced by 2. Success is acheived if the air elemental blowing the Draakhorn is killed or banished, and the Draakhorn is prevented from sounding again, either with a permanent guard or somehow silencing the horn.
While the Draakhorn is an artifact, and will repair itself over time, it can be damaged long enough to make a difference for this battle.
[h3]Draakhorn:[/h3]
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AC 21, HP 100; Immune to nonmagical weapons, vulnerable to magical piercing and thunder damage. The horn can be destroyed by reducing it to exactly 9 hit points, then while standing in front of it while it is being blown, do more than 50 hit points of thunder damage to the interior of the horn. It heals 1 hit point of damage per day.
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[h1]Objective: Against the Legions[/h1]
The Cult of the Dragon has prepared a massive legion to aid Tiamat in conquering the world once she arrives. Dealing with this force is the primary responsibility of the forces raised by the Alliance, aided by the Giants if the negotiations were successful.
The characters are unlikely to be responsible foar the success of this objective, as the effort is just on too large a scale for them to be effective. As a background task, a successful resolution requires a DC 20 Strength saving throw.
Success frees more of the Giants to assist in "Assaulting the Temple", lowering the required DC by 3.
Failure means in takes longer to break through the cult's lines, allowing the cult to sacrifice more of the commoners. The number of remaining commoners in the chapels' ritual circles is reduced to 60-2d10, and the ritual lines hit points are increased to (40+2d10)x10+(10/commoner sacrificed).
[h1]Objective: Against the Dragons[/h1]
The Cult of the Dragon has used the Draakhorn to call a large number of chromatic dragons to aid in, and witness, Tiamat's arrival. Most of these dragons are young or have just entered adulthood, but there are a few older (and even ancient) dragons as well. This is the reason the alliance with the metallic dragons is so neccessary. The metallic dragons will insist on leading the effort to secure this objective. If the metallic dragons did not join the Alliance, this objective will fail.
A successful resolution as a background task requires the metallic dragons to aid the Alliance, as well as a successful DC 20 Dexterity saving throw.
If successful, the Alliance has control of the skies, and a strike team can try to enter the temple through the spires or roof.
If the effort is a failure, some of the chromatic dragons are able to break free of the aerial combat and reinforce the Temple. In this case, the DC needed in "Assaulting the Temple" is raised by 3.
[h1]Objective: Assaulting the Temple[/h1]
This is the objective that involves a large force penetrating to the Well of Dragons itself, and then assaulting the Temple of Tiamat itself to allow the strike team inside to disrupt the ritual. While the characters are likely to be a part of this force, it is unlikely that they will be the group responsible for the success of this objective.
If the characters have successfully forged an alliance with the Giants, the Giants will volunteer to lead this effort, in addition to supporting the Alliance forces against the Cult's Legions. The primary opposition to the assault are the dragons conducting the sacrifices, plus the few chromatic dragons that can break away from the aerial combat in the skies above.
As a background task, a successful resolution requires three of the opposing dragons from the chapel to fail on a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to the character's average level + 3.
If fewer than three dragons fail their save, there is no effect on the ritual or weakening of Tiamat. If three or four dragons fail their save, Tiamat suffers a Critical weakening, as the flow of sacrifices is disrupted. If all five of the dragons fail their save, the ritual suffers 2 Critical Weakenings.
If at least one of the opposing dragons fails its Strength saving throw, the force assigned to Breaking the Ritual (most likely the Characters) is able to safely enter the Temple itself.
If none of the opposing dragons fail its Strength saving throw, the force assigned to the Breaking the Ritual must figure out how to enter the Temple when all the entrances are not just guarded, but fully occupied by a fully alert dragon conducting sacrifices. If the Breaking the Ritual objective is being conducted in the background, the assigned forces are at -3 on their attempt.
[h1]Objective: Breaking the Ritual[/h1]
[h2]What the Characters Know About the Ritual[/h2]
Summoning Tiamat bodily from Hell is a two-stage process. First, the Temple of Tiamat must be pulled from Avernus to Faerun, then a portal can be opened from within the Temple, from which Tiamat will emerge.
[h3]Calling Forth the Temple[/h3]
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Calling forth the Temple requires the following:
- The bodies of 50 Huge Earth Elementals, soaked in the blood of enough devils to turn the earth to a thick mud.
- The spine and skull of 5 metallic wyrmling dragons (one of each type), set with the gem corresponding to the color of the opposing chromatic dragon, each blessed by a cleric of Tiamat.
- The blood of those wyrmlings, used to draw the outline of the Temple.
- 50 good mortal humanoids, who will be sacrificed during the ritual.
- 50,000 gold pieces
Once the materials are assembled, the wyrmspeakers will conduct the ritual. The ritual itself requires 25 minutes of chanting. When complete, the Temple will begin constructing itself over the next 5 days.
The wyrmspeakers are expected to be wearing their Dragon Masks. If the Cult is missing one or more Masks, for each missing mask the ritual will require an additional 50 mortals, an additional 10,000 gold pieces, and one additional day for construction. For example, if the Cult is missing the Black, White, and Green Dragon Masks, the ritual would require 50 Huge Elementals, the blood, spine, and skull of five metallic wyrmling dragons, 200 good mortals, and 80,000 gold pieces, and would then require 8 days of construction time.
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[h3]Summoning Tiamat[/h3]
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Summoning Tiamat requires the following:
- A hoard worth at least 500,000 gold pieces that will be claimed by Tiamat, and blessed by 5 priests of Tiamat.
- 500 mortal humanoids, who will be sacrificed during the ritual.
- 5 chromatic dragons, adult or older, one of each type.
- 5 specially prepared harnesses that will be worn by the dragons.
- 5 sets of ritual circles, used by the dragons and the spellcasters.
- 5 sets of ritual spellcasters that will channel and control the sacrificed energy. A set is one or more spellcasters.
- The combined Mask of the Dragon Queen, worn by the leader of the ritual.
Starting this ritual is quite simple - every ritual participant says a minute long chant, then the dragons begin the sacrifices, which the ritual spellcasters channel to the leader. After all the sacrifices have been made, the portal to Hell will open one round later. The dragons do not have to finish their sacrifices in synchronization.
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[h2]Vulnerabilities in the Ritual[/h2]
[h3]Calling Forth The Temple[/h3]
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From the characters point of view, this ritual will be hard to interfere with. A DC 20 Arcana check (which cannot be made if the character is not proficient in Arcana) reveals the following:
- The elementals and devil blood are only spell away, and can be preserved. The Cult cannot be prevented from acquiring them.
- Based on intelligence, the gold and the sacrifices (for both rituals, barely) have been already acquired.
- The wyrmlings should have been assumed to be acquired. If the metallic dragons are allied, they agree with this - unfortunately, 5 wyrmlings dying is well within normal, and their loss would not raise any flags.
Another proficient DC 20 Arcana check reveals:
- The spine and skulls can be eliminated from the ritual by removing Tiamat's blessing, giving them burial rights in the name of Bahamut, then destroying them beyond recovery.
- Killing the Wyrmspeakers will also interrupt the ritual.
- Interrupting the ritual will cause a large energy backlash.
Interrupting the ritual deals 5d6 radiant damage, plus 1d6 radiant damage for every minute (or fraction thereof) the ritual continued to every being within the ritual circle, and a 50' ring surrounding the ritual circle. If any of those targets are good-aligned, they also take a half as many d6's of additional necrotic damage. (E.g. if interrupted at minute 7, any good-aligned characters within the area would take 12d6 radiant + 6d6 necrotic damage.)
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[h3]Summoning Tiamat[/h3]
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From the characters' point of view, this ritual is easier to interfere with, but harder to completely stop as it can produce weaker results. A proficient DC 20 Arcana check reveals the following:
- There are 5 "chains" of sacrifical energy flowing to the leader.
- All 5 chains will need to be broken to completely stop the ritual.
- Destroying the ritual circle is also a certain way of breaking the chain, but they will probably be hard to destroy, and heavily guarded.
- Stopping the sacrifices is the most certain way of breaking the chain, but easy to guard against, and would involve fighting what is probably a powerful dragon. They could also be resumed.
- The dragon has to kill the sacrifices with its body, not its breath weapon (I.e. bite, claws, and tail).
- Having more than one spellcaster in the ritual chain grants finer control and redundancy. However, the spellcaster must be competent and reasonably powerful, capable of casting 5th level spells.
- The ritual spellcasters and the dragons must be constantly concentrating on performing the ritual.
- The ritual spellcasters are replaceable as long as the sacrifical energy flows.
- Breaking a chain while the sacrifical energy flow will cause a large energy backlash.
- A chain has to remain broken for 3 minutes to remain broken, but if the sacrifices are still continuing, it can be reforged with a minute's work.
- The Mask of the Dragon Queen is the key - destroy it, and the ritual will also fail. Reaching it during the ritual is likely to prove very dangerous and difficult.
Determining how to destroy the Mask of the Dragon Queen is difficult (a proficient DC 25 Arcana check). For maximum effect, it requires a cleric of Bahamut and a metallic dragon of each type. For each participant in its destruction that doesn't match the maximal requirements, the Mask of the Dragon Queen receives a saving throw against each of the participant's efforts. If the participant is one of the maximal ones, the Mask receives no saving throw against the particpant's efforts. The steps involved in the destruction, which must be done in the order listed:
- (Cleric of Bahamut) Cast Dispel Evil and Good on the Mask
- (Gold Dragon) Deal 70 points of fire damage in one action
- (Silver Dragon) Deal 60 points of cold damage in one action
- (Bronze Dragon) Deal 70 points of lightning damage in one action
- (Copper Dragon) Deal 60 points of acid damage in one action
- (Brass Dragon) Deal 50 points of fire damage in one action.
- (Cleric of Bahamut) Cast Divine Word on the Mask
- (Cleric of Bahamut) Deal 10 points of damage from a DragonSlayer, or any magical bludgeoning weapon.
Each dragon can attempt its effort multiple times, as long as the dispel evil and good is in effect. Likewise the divine word, and the physical damage. If the dispel evil and good reaches its maximum duration before all the steps have been completed, the process must start over.
Interrupting the summoning ritual will weaken Tiamat, with some interruptions weakening her more than others.
- Automatic Failure: Breaking the ritual lines on all 5 chains, destroying the Mask of the Dragon Queen, stopping the flow of sacrifices for all the chains for more than 3 minutes (30 rounds).
- Critical: Breaking the ritual lines for a chain, stopping the flow of sacrifices for a chain for more than 3 minutes, preventing a Dragon Mask from joining to form the full Mask of the Dragon Queen, killing both wizards in a chain, removing the Mask of the Dragon Queen from the focal point for more than 5 rounds.
- Severe: Stopping the flow of sacrifices on a chain for more than 2 minutes, killing a single wizard in a chain, causing an energy backlash, removing the Mask of the Dragon Queen from the focal point for 5 rounds or less.
- Minor: Stopping a dragon or wizard from concentrating for more than 10 rounds.
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[h2]As a Background Task[/h2]
If the characters choose to assign this objective to another group, the most natural fit will be the allied wizards (regardless of whether the wizards are from the Arcane Brotherhood or Thay). As a background task, a successful resolution requires a successful DC 20 Intelligence saving throw. There will be a total of 5 such saving throws, one for each "chain". Each successful saving throw counts as a Severe weakening of the ritual. Failure, of course, allows Tiamat to enter the Forgotten Realms.
[h1]Objective: Stopping Severin the Archmage[/h1]
While it is most likely that the characters will attempt this task themselves, the may assign it to a different group. The most natural fit is one of the other strike teams. As a background task, a successful DC 20 Charisma saving throw is needed to acheive the objective.
If the attempt is successful, the ritual suffers a critical weakening. A failure has no additional effect.
[h1]Preventing the Temple's Arrival[/h1]
If the players have been speedy and efficient, they may have enabled the Alliance to put itself on a war foooting fast enough. to actually begin the assault on the Cult at the Well of Dragons before the cult can begin the ritual to summon Tiamat.
If the characters manage push to Fourth Council meeting to Day 60 (from the First Council), or earlier, the may be able to prevent the temple from being summoned at all. In this case, the only objectives that still matter are:
- Destroying the Draakhor
- Against the Legions
- Against the Dragons
Additionally, award the characters XP as if they had defeated a CR 28 monster.
If the Fourth Council began after Day 60, but before Day 65, the Temple has not yet been fully called onto the material plane (the ritual itself is conducted on day 61). If the Alliance force (or at least the party) arrive at the Well of Dragons on day 61, see
Breaking the Ritual for how to interrupt the ritual calling the Temple. The characters will also need to achieve:
Additionally, award the characters XP as if they had defeated a CR 26 monster.
If the Fourth Council is held after Day 65, the characters must deal with the situation as presented. The ultimate penalty, of course, is to arrive after the Summoning Ritual has successfully completed. If you choose to have this penalty in play, be sure to communicate that fact, as well as the time left, to the players without ambiguity, and as early as possible (i.e. no later than the Second Council's mid-mission meeting).
Reason: Forgot an objective.
