D&D 5E Enhancing Vecna: Eve of Ruin *SPOILERS*

[pukunui]

I don't want to seem like I'm crapping on this adventure. I'm going to be using most of it. I love the concept of a campaign that spans key locations and characters in the history of D&D. The settings and maps look good, even if a few aren't to my taste. I'll be running a lot of it as is. I'm mostly altering plot details to make it fit better with my preferred style and an ongoing campaign. My main enhancements will be focused on the initial chapter, where the kidnapped nobles are going to be linked to the backstory of several characters.

Sounds good to me! Please do share when you've ironed out the details. Even if your take is customized for your group, other DMs might get some inspiration from it and/or be able to tweak it for their own needs.

 

[Remathilis]

• Vecna recruiting Lolth feels uncharacteristic for both of them. No on that.

Lolth got herself in a lot of hot water for having most of her Abyssal contemporaries trappped in the Underdark. She might be looking for an ally to help her now that Orcus, Grazzt and Demogorgon all want a piece of her Thorax. And Vecna being the god of secrets KNOWS this and is willing to use her either by promising her a place in his New Order OR via coercion as if she doesn't help, he'll sell her out to the other Demon Lords.

 

[Remathilis]

The one thing I want to do is possibly run the first two chapters out of Order. The PCs are summoned by the Wizard's 2.5 and then told that the secret to the first location of Ro7P is in Neverwinter. Neverember knows where it is, but he want's them to find the info he needs in return. Then the do the Evernight portion, learn the location of piece one, and go on to the Underdark.

I want to go that way because I plan on pulling PCs from across the multiverse (not just Faerun) and the justification for heroes from several worlds all showing up and going, "well, lets go help this noble" is weak.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I would like to ask, and this is more speculation than pure spoiler, if WotC wanted to publish a new setting based in a new demiplane created by Vecna, how would be it? It had to be designed to be "playable", where the PCs could live different types of adventures, not always linked to some dark lord. It could be like an rip-off of Ravenloft.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

My main enhancements will be focused on the initial chapter, where the kidnapped nobles are going to be linked to the backstory of several characters.

Absolutely. I don't think it's being critical of an adventure that starts mid-career to change the start to something that ties in to whatever they were doing previously. Even when I was running a Forgotten Realms campaign it never went to Neverwinter, so it doesn't have much meaning to my players. I shall be moving the dungeon to Dread Metrol, which means changing the prisoners and their secrets of course, and axing the Evernight portion. The little dungeon that goes with that is fine (is it the first use of Sorrowsworn in an official capacity?), but I can probably find a better use someplace else.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I would like to ask, and this is more speculation than pure spoiler, if WotC wanted to publish a new setting based in a new demiplane created by Vecna, how would be it? It had to be designed to be "playable", where the PCs could live different types of adventures, not always linked to some dark lord. It could be like an rip-off of Ravenloft.

What if Vecna wins?

Then everyone has to play Warhammer 40K instead.

 

[pukunui]

Absolutely. I don't think it's being critical of an adventure that starts mid-career to change the start to something that ties in to whatever they were doing previously. Even when I was running a Forgotten Realms campaign it never went to Neverwinter, so it doesn't have much meaning to my players. I shall be moving the dungeon to Dread Metrol, which means changing the prisoners and their secrets of course, and axing the Evernight portion. The little dungeon that goes with that is fine (is it the first use of Sorrowsworn in an official capacity?), but I can probably find a better use someplace else.

Couldn't you just have that portion be set in Mabar instead?

I've been toying with the idea of making this a fully Eberron module. I wonder if it would work to replace Vecna with Vol in that case. Vecna's cultists could be replaced with the Emerald Claw.

The Sigil portion could be put in Sharn instead, and Kas could be replaced by Kaius (impersonating someone other than Mordenkainen - perhaps Merrix d'Cannith). I'm not sure who would take Tasha's or Alustriel's places, though, since Eberron doesn't have a lot of high-level NPCs roaming around. Maybe some other dragonmarked house leaders?

The Spelljammer section could take place in the Ring of Siberys. The Dragonlance section could be set in the Eldeen Reaches. And so on.

Hmm. This could actually be an interesting way for me to finish off my current Eberron campaign, as the last Golden Vault adventure is for 11th level PCs (and it involves the Book of Vile Darkness).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Couldn't you just have that portion be set in Mabar instead

Not on this occasion. My Dread Metrol campaign is “The Mourning transported Metrol to Ravenloft (the queen caused it and is the dark lord)”. Therefore, Eberron’s moons are out of reach. My players are going to be using the dungeon to sneak back into the city anyway. They won’t know about the prisoners until they stumble across them.

I think your idea of putting it all on Eberron works though. It was always intended to be it’s own, self contained multiverse.

Your substitute three archmages could be dragons, the Silver Flame (in person), or you might involve the Shadow and/or the Traveller.

Edit. How about this? Alustriel, Mordenkainen, and Tasha are a silver, amathyst and black greatwyrms respectively. They are The Chamber*. For convenience, they spend most of their time in human form whilst interacting with the party. Fake Mordenkainen is actually The Shadow (apply the shadow dragon template to get his stat block). That way you could keep as much of names, personality, and art as you like.

*which might also be the organisation behind the Golden Vault.

 

[Shardstone]

A sequel to Out of the Abyss where Lolth is now the true Queen of Chaos, Demon Queen, the Black Spider Whose Webs Touch Every Evil, would be sick.

Gonna smash that up with this adventure if I ever write it. I think, while Vecna has a lot of history as secret man, it would be interesting if Lolth just straight up outmaneuvered him. Might make the adventure more just "Eve of Ruin" then "Vecna: Eve of Ruin" though.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

As pointed out in another thread, the hertilod is a really rubbish monster. Anyone have any better suggestions? I feel it should be something wormlike and pallid.