D&D 5E Enhancing "Storm King's Thunder"

[Motorskills]

I finished Kraken's Gamble yesterday, insane boss fight that took us the entire day. For the upper level we had seven 6th level characters. Even with double the number of kuo-toas they ripped through them, excellent use of a Daylight spell. The barbarian was less enthused by the psychic grey oozes though!

The second level took place yesterday, and since we were a couple of players down, including the barbarian, I allowed the remaining five players to start fresh at L7.

I didn't run the water flow very well, partly because it isn't explained very well in the blurb (YMMV). But I fudged it and it worked fine for my purposes.

The bad guys had Oosith, a Whip on full, and the two Enslaved Merrow. The party's attack plan was flawless... until it all went horribly wrong lol.

 

[Tompa974]

When it comes to the different quests given to the PCs from Ch.2 I modify them to be the ones I think are the best. My PCs just defeated the Hill giants and goblinoids at Goldenfields, but I will give some modified quests from the other Ch.2 locations instead.

For example, Zi Liangs quest is now switched with the one that talks about the three brothers at Noanars Hold. She got a letter from her three half brothers who tells her they are going out giant hunting. Seeing how the recent attack on Goldenfields she voices her concern to the players and asks them to check the brothers out if they come across Noanars Hold.

This brings me to my second part about SKT and the adventure as a whole: I haven't seen anyone here include PC background related quests and adventures. Sure, those kinds of side trecks mostly mean more prepping which isn't for all GMs. But for me, PC background and the stories that unfolds together with their new group of friends and adventure collegues, are the backbone of the story. Sure, i will hand out the NPC quests from Goldenfields, but the main goal right now for my PC group is to get to Waterdeep, find information on Gith and Mind Flayers, due to a PCs concern of his daughter being kidnapped by a Mind Flayer. This will probably lead to a side adventure that leads the players to Neverwinter Woods and Sword Mountains.

This is not at all part of SKT, but still so important for my story telling. Thanks to the fluff we get on the Savage Fronteir we can create those side trecks depending on where we want the PCs to go for good story telling.

 

[Charles Rampant]

Is there a map of Yartar available anywhere ?

There's a really bad one in Princes of the Apocalypse.

 

[Daern]

Session #3: Trouble in Triboar (copied from my blog write up)
TL;DR A bit of banter on Triboar and an epic battle with giants and more. The coming of Harshnag.

The travelers arrived in the trading post town of Triboar late in the day. A crossroads town protected by a keep but no wall, it was a strange affair, full of dusty caravan campgrounds
but also a posh hotel and hobbit-elven cuisine restaurant. The travelers settled down for a meal that only successful treasure hunters could afford and made a new friend, a sorceress drow elf who hailed from the hollow depths of the earth, the Underdark. She told a harrowing tail of her home city Menzorberrenzen, a dark metropolis, overrun by hellish demons from beyond this dimension: "The lords of the the Nine Hells stalk the night below!" After that it was left to divide up the bill.
The next morning the group asked around, looking for word of one "Harshnag Grey-Handed". The search lead them to the wizard tower of Kolstaag the Friendless. After some tense mystical negotiations and the payment of a worthy diamond the wizard consulted his crystal ball, ranting a bit about a great tragedy, that Harshnag was a witness to it all, and that he was nearby. Only then did all look out the window to see the approach of a trio of red bearded giants in black iron armor, lobbing boulders at the town while a phalanx of cavalry lopped ahead, armored orcs on massive featherless ostriches. They charged into the town, setting houses afire, slaying livestock and townspeople.
The heroes of Barovia did not shirk the challenge this time, as they had in Waterdeep. They harnessed magic to fly all of them to confront the assault. In the brutal battle that followed, one giant was banished from the world, one slain, and one driven off with the help of an unlooked for ally, a white-bearded frost giant, who called himself Harshnag.
"What were they after?" queried the bard, as the druid brought rain to douse the many flames.
"The Vodinod," answered the blue skinned titan, pulling a massive metal hoop from the ground. "This is a piece of an ancient artifact of war, Duke Zalto seeks to rebuild. Pure adamantine, indestructible."

 

[Motorskills]

In the brutal battle that followed, one giant was banished from the world, one slain, and one driven off with the help of an unlooked for ally, a white-bearded frost giant, who called himself Harshnag.
"What were they after?" queried the bard, as the druid brought rain to douse the many flames.
"The Vodinod," answered the blue skinned titan, pulling a massive metal hoop from the ground. "This is a piece of an ancient artifact of war, Duke Zalto seeks to rebuild. Pure adamantine, indestructible."

Very nice!

 

[Motorskills]

My party will shortly be heading to Noanar's Hold, to drop off the crated harnesses from Triboar, one of the 'reward missions' from that town, they have several of these missions to do on their way to Citadel Fellbar and then onto Duke Zalto's crib.

Now that's an interesting place, an exclusive hunting lodge on the edge of the Big Damn Forest. The owners have become undead, but that doesn't stop them from continuing to hunt, long pig being a particular favourite target.


Now th party, 7 x L7 characters, will roflstomp five basic wights. So I've devised a souped-up challenge for them.

Let me know what you think, and whether this is too dangerous.

All the baddies retain wight abilities and vulnerabilities. But they have also retained their combat prowess from when they were alive, including hit points. Basically full on fighters, with undead flavouring.
They will all be dressed in distressed (thematic) platemail or something, equivalent AC17, shield on top if necessary. The boss will have some magic items, probably sword, shield and armour, plus something weird and fun that is on the players' magic item wish list.

My initial thinking is:
1 x EK 12
1 x Champ 7
2 x BM 6 (each with different combat techniques)
1 x Champ 5

That means the party outnumbers the baddies 7 to 5, but I'm thinking these guys will be no slouches. I want it to be a tough, but not lethal challenge.
(Part of the exercise is to train myself and the other players on what the Fighter Class can actually do, since we don't have one in the group).

Thoughts?

 

[Daern]

They could also be revenants.

 

[hastur_nz]

I wouldn't make fully-fledged NPC's for these; they have too many options so it's lots of work and makes it harder to run at the table; also risks over-powering the encounter. I'd just take a couple of 'iconic' options for each, and add to a simple stat-block ala Monster Manual rather than a PC's style of character sheet. Ideally you should be able to fit all four of them on a single page.

 

[Prakriti]

There's a really bad one in Princes of the Apocalypse.

Bad doesn't do it justice. The houses look like gummy drop candy.

 

[Tompa974]

My party will shortly be heading to Noanar's Hold, to drop off the crated harnesses from Triboar, one of the 'reward missions' from that town, they have several of these missions to do on their way to Citadel Fellbar and then onto Duke Zalto's crib.

Now that's an interesting place, an exclusive hunting lodge on the edge of the Big Damn Forest. The owners have become undead, but that doesn't stop them from continuing to hunt, long pig being a particular favourite target.


Now th party, 7 x L7 characters, will roflstomp five basic wights. So I've devised a souped-up challenge for them.

Let me know what you think, and whether this is too dangerous.

All the baddies retain wight abilities and vulnerabilities. But they have also retained their combat prowess from when they were alive, including hit points. Basically full on fighters, with undead flavouring.
They will all be dressed in distressed (thematic) platemail or something, equivalent AC17, shield on top if necessary. The boss will have some magic items, probably sword, shield and armour, plus something weird and fun that is on the players' magic item wish list.

My initial thinking is:
1 x EK 12
1 x Champ 7
2 x BM 6 (each with different combat techniques)
1 x Champ 5

That means the party outnumbers the baddies 7 to 5, but I'm thinking these guys will be no slouches. I want it to be a tough, but not lethal challenge.
(Part of the exercise is to train myself and the other players on what the Fighter Class can actually do, since we don't have one in the group).

Thoughts?

I love the idea of Noanar's Hold and all, but I don't think it is worth the trouble.

I'll make them minions for a Necromancer lich that is part of one of my PCs background and story