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

[jayoungr]

Heading to the Neronvain chapter and Galin's motivation seems awfully weak. He sees his wife killed and then begs for mercy for himself?

How about something a bit darker...

It's cool ... but don't underestimate the effects of seeing a loved one gruesomely devoured by a dragon before your eyes while half your village dies at the same time. I truly think that's plenty sufficient to snap someone.

 

[robus]

It's cool ... but don't underestimate the effects of seeing a loved one gruesomely devoured by a dragon before your eyes while half your village dies at the same time. I truly think that's plenty sufficient to snap someone.

True, but I also am coming to the opinion that as a DM you have to "believe" in your NPCs. If you don't buy their motivations then you'll never be able to sell it to the players.

 

[pukunui]

Absolutely. If something doesn't make sense to you (even if it makes sense to others), then by all means change it!

 

[Sloblock]

Absolutely. If something doesn't make sense to you (even if it makes sense to others), then by all means change it!

A good plan, and I have used this rule many times


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[pukunui]

My group's going to be doing the Xonthal's Tower mission next. Any suggestions on how to improve it? I've heard it can be a bit too easy for high-level PCs. My guys are all 11th level.

One change I've already made is to use the new necromancer statblock from Volo's for Jorgen Pawl. I've also replaced the regular elementals with elemental myrmidons.

 

[robus]

My group's going to be doing the Xonthal's Tower mission next. Any suggestions on how to improve it? I've heard it can be a bit too easy for high-level PCs. My guys are all 11th level.

One change I've already made is to use the new necromancer statblock from Volo's for Jorgen Pawl. I've also replaced the regular elementals with elemental myrmidons.

Sounds good. We're right behind you finishing up the Neronvain episode tonight. I'll do some prep on Xonthal and watch this space with interest.

I'd also heard that some groups get stuck in the maze?

 

[pukunui]

I'd also heard that some groups get stuck in the maze?

I can see that happening. I've got some clever thinkers in my group, though, so I'm fairly confident it won't happen to them.

 

[robus]

I can see that happening. I've got some clever thinkers in my group, though, so I'm fairly confident it won't happen to them.

Cool. I'm also not going to bait and switch them. The Blue Dragon Mask is real but Severin thinks it's fake which is why it's at the tower for testing. Hmm perhaps the adventurers are tasked with taking a fake mask and doing a switcheroo?

 

[pukunui]

Cool. I'm also not going to bait and switch them. The Blue Dragon Mask is real but Severin thinks it's fake which is why it's at the tower for testing. Hmm perhaps the adventurers are tasked with taking a fake mask and doing a switcheroo?

I let my players get their hands on the black dragon mask at the end of Hoard. I've come to regret that a bit. I'm going to stick with the fake mask, but then I'm going to downplay the whole mask element of the adventure. I'm going to have the alliance state flat out that they're sure it's a trap. Instead, they're going to push for the PCs to reclaim the tower itself so that the alliance can use it as a staging point for the fight against the cult, since it's fairly close to the Well of Dragons.

I am also planning on putting a bit of spin on things so that part of the cult's plan here is to get the PCs to do their dirty work for them, eliminating the dracolich holdouts so that they don't have to.

 

[Charles Rampant]

I let my players get their hands on the black dragon mask at the end of Hoard. I've come to regret that a bit.

Out of interest, why do you say this? I just ran my group through Greenest in Flames, so I'm a fair way away, but I know that Steve Winter said he wanted to let the players get the masks, while WotC were resistant to that idea.