D&D 5E Enhancing "Rise of Tiamat" (Practical stuff to try at your table!)

[robus]

Draakhorn Mcguffin

I need help. My players just went on a wild goose chase searching for Varram's white dragon mask. Now they're off in the sea of moving ice looking for the draakhorn. I can't have this item also not be where they think it is... that seems annoying.

So is there a better way to deal with it? Or do players take it in stride that it's anything thing they're not going to get?

 

[Sloblock]

I need help. My players just went on a wild goose chase searching for Varram's white dragon mask. Now they're off in the sea of moving ice looking for the draakhorn. I can't have this item also not be where they think it is... that seems annoying.

So is there a better way to deal with it? Or do players take it in stride that it's anything thing they're not going to get?

Good question.

For me the white mask was "lost" so it wasn't a massive wild goose chase per se for the players. They assumed that it was taken by the big bad.

As for Sea Ice escapade I played this as they were after a specialist rather than the horn its self. So you could have it that if/when they save Maccath they find plot rather than the horn? It great but at least some reward. Could she mention that dragon masks too?

But I know what you mean about wild goose chases, as I made the blue mask later on a real one.

I allowed the players to get the black, green and blue masks. I then added some extra scenes to compensate for this.

 

[pukunui]

I allowed the PCs to acquire the black mask when they defeated Rezmir at the end of Hoard. I reworked the RoT mission hooks so that a) they were trying to capture Varram rather than recover his mask and b) they were attempting to locate Maccath in order to find out what the draakhorn was (I made it so Dala knew much less about it than she does in the adventure). So my players weren't disappointed to not get their hands on either item.

 

[robus]

I allowed the PCs to acquire the black mask when they defeated Rezmir at the end of Hoard. I reworked the RoT mission hooks so that a) they were trying to capture Varram rather than recover his mask and b) they were attempting to locate Maccath in order to find out what the draakhorn was (I made it so Dala knew much less about it than she does in the adventure). So my players weren't disappointed to not get their hands on either item.

Yep kicking myself for not planning further ahead. The players surprised me by picking the Varram mission first.

 

[pukunui]

Yep kicking myself for not planning further ahead. The players surprised me by picking the Varram mission first.

I had Talis tell the PCs about Varram. She was hoping to use them to do her dirty work for her, but they managed to hang on to Varram and got him safely back to Waterdeep. Still, Talis is going to take his place as the white wyrmspeaker. They'll meet her (and Cloudchaser) again at the Well of Dragons.

 

[robus]

I had Talis tell the PCs about Varram. She was hoping to use them to do her dirty work for her, but they managed to hang on to Varram and got him safely back to Waterdeep. Still, Talis is going to take his place as the white wyrmspeaker. They'll meet her (and Cloudchaser) again at the Well of Dragons.

Oh Talis is definitely going to replace Varram, and this is made more delicious by the fact that Talis is the childhood friend of one my PCs.

 

[Sloblock]

I had Talis tell the PCs about Varram. She was hoping to use them to do her dirty work for her, but they managed to hang on to Varram and got him safely back to Waterdeep. Still, Talis is going to take his place as the white wyrmspeaker. They'll meet her (and Cloudchaser) again at the Well of Dragons.

One of my regrets of this campaign is that I didn't expand on Talis at the end. I played the scene with her as she was a kind host and then added rumours of her cruelness.

I also had one of the PCs be a childhood friend.



Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app

 

[pukunui]

Talis was the childhood friend of one of the PCs in my campaign too. In fact, it was that PC - feeling betrayed - who started a fight with Talis, which very nearly resulted in a TPK. (Talis shouted for help, and the PCs ended up getting devastated by the helmed horror's black tentacles spell.)

 

[robus]

I guess my idea wasn't as original as I thought.

 

[MichaelArkAngel]

Good question.

For me the white mask was "lost" so it wasn't a massive wild goose chase per se for the players. They assumed that it was taken by the big bad.

As for Sea Ice escapade I played this as they were after a specialist rather than the horn its self. So you could have it that if/when they save Maccath they find plot rather than the horn? It great but at least some reward. Could she mention that dragon masks too?

But I know what you mean about wild goose chases, as I made the blue mask later on a real one.

I allowed the players to get the black, green and blue masks. I then added some extra scenes to compensate for this.

I did the same exact thing! The "fetch" quests were really starting to get my players, so A little change up is always a good thing!