D&D 5E (2014) Enhancing "Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage"

[robus]

Added the TOC to the first post and indexed the first few replies.

 

[CapnZapp]

I have a question, how would you manage the instakill trap in the first floor. It seems to be taylor made to make a character fall on it, disguise it as an magic item, put it in a box protected by a trap...

Who's Taylor?

 

[CapnZapp]

I'm going to make it gold for XP as well, which should encourage more exploration at the expense of fighting, though it mean we have to start adding in treasure.

I believe you are already aware of this, but for the benefit of any new viewers:

For each hoard, take the CR of the main monster (or the "effective CR" of a group of monsters, if there aren't a given BBEG).

Generate your hoard per DMG. (Obviously, using an online generator is the quick and easy way.. Especially if you can find one with new items from splatbooks factored in as opposed to the "DMG items only" restriction of most)

Ignore tier IV hoards, they result in ridiculous amounts of wealth. That is, treat a monster CR of 17+ as 16 for purposes of gold. (Of course feel free to make an exception when you no longer feel "reaching level 20 too soon" is a concern)

Now, if the monster CR falls in the upper half of each tier, double the DMG's monetary rewards (that is, 100 GP becomes 200 GP. One +1 dagger still remains one dagger). Tiers are 1-4, 5-10, 11-16 and 17+. So the "upper half" of tier I is CR 3 and CR 4, and so on.

You get treasure that comes close to the XP the regular rules would award.

That is, treasure that enables 1 GP = 1 XP.

Source: http://blogofholding.com/?p=6760

 

[André Soares]

Who's Taylor?

Thanks, all I needed today was to feel insecure about my english grammar. Maybe I should do it in portuguese to make it clearer for you.

 

[CapnZapp]

Thanks, all I needed today was to feel insecure about my english grammar. Maybe I should do it in portuguese to make it clearer for you.

I just found it funny, no slight intended.

 

[jayoungr]

Link to a thread on the "withered heart":

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...d-Mage-and-the-quot-Withered-Heart-(spoilers)

 

[Anthony Winter]

Thanks, all I needed today was to feel insecure about my english grammar. Maybe I should do it in portuguese to make it clearer for you.

I dont thinks CapmZapp meant it as a slite.
CapmZapp - Andra could not have been referring to a person as thier was no capitol 'T'.

 

[Anthony Winter]

I got this for xmas and am currently runnign my group through the rise of tiamat.
They did a side quest whereby forces identified (or hinted) rather at a famed cache of magic deep in undermountain that woudl give the heroes a significant boost in the final battle against Tiamat. Ie a dungeon crawl in search of lost treasure.

Something 15-16th level characters may need to fight an 800 hp five headed dragon.
I am thinking I will send them to Terminus - the planetar there - since fallen from grace was supposed to be the guardian of the cache.
If they can turn him back good he will give them the items before returning to the outer planes, having fullfilled his task. If not they can loot the items from him forceably.

Some sort of powerful weapon:
- Dragonslayer of speed?
- +3 shield of energy resistance
- +3 plate mail

 

[jayoungr]

Some sort of powerful weapon:
- Dragonslayer of speed?
- +3 shield of energy resistance
- +3 plate mail

How many players do you have, and how optimized are they? My group made it to level 20 before fighting Tiamat, and they dispatched her easily without having any items that were that powerful. But they were super-optimized (they killed a CR 22 lich in his lair at level 16).

 

[Anthony Winter]

How many players do you have, and how optimized are they? My group made it to level 20 before fighting Tiamat, and they dispatched her easily without having any items that were that powerful. But they were super-optimized (they killed a CR 22 lich in his lair at level 16).

They are pretty buff but while tiamat may be so what weakened through mask deprivation I will add in allies to deplete them on the way in. There is no real optimised warrior in the party.