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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ymdar" data-source="post: 7804768" data-attributes="member: 24254">Thank you for the responses. It will take a considerable time to get the characters from the Dalelands to Cormyr and then Greenest so I don't think I'll be able to start before 22 October. I like to plan way in advance.I didn't mind any of the HotDQ starting scenes especially since I didn't want to show the dragon at the start - only mentioning they can hear and see some "dry lightning" on the "other side of town".However I am still struggling with tying DH with the rest of the camaign. Characters arrive to Waterdeep following the cultists. That's fine. Their pre-established faction then tells them to stand down and help solve a heist? Then they would be asked to go to Goldenfields? Then after they save the Sword Coast from giants they are asked to resume on the dragon lead?  How to tie all of this together? Apologies for the wall of text that follows.Adventure plan (rant?): My idea is that regardless of their level or their achievements in Greenest and the rest of the previous homebrew campaign the factions and the proto-Council (who might already know how dangerous the Cult of the Dragon is) regards the characters as small fry and incapable of solving the "Draconic incident". Told to hold back for a day or two the characters go to the Yawning Portal and get the Volo hook (or whatever other hooks I can find that is suitable). I have only began to read DH but the PCs will get through the module somehow. I will certainly make a change that Lord Neverember didn't embezzle the money but instead made a deal with a Cult of the Dragon member -likely Severin- in disguise for a "risky but high yield" business venture that will enable him to "fund both cities". So after he gambled the money away, Jarlaxle (who is an established anti-hero in my campaign appearing several times before) stole it from the Cult. Not sure if the previous will really impact the adventure or not?  Also I know the adventure recommends DMs not to give PCs 500k gp but I'll eventually get around reading reviews on what's advised. I'm sure Waterdeep would want the money back but since the city is so rich I think most of the factions would settle for a - or a -/- in RoT if the PCs stole the money. Meanwhile one or more elite SWAT team of Force Gray is sent after the Hoard and are promptly and silently eaten by the dragon or the lizardfolk before raising any alarms inside Castle Naerytar. PCs are recognised as capable heroes or individuals to be watched and are given the Goldenfields mission from SKT maybe asking them to investigate further attacks in the Sword Coast. They progress on missions given by NPCs of Goldenfields (or something better once I read reviews) but this part of the adventure is certainly less high profile than the previous parts of this campaign. How to tackle this? I mean epic dragon villagefight, epic caravan ride, epic heist, epic giant attack all the while being acknowledged by the biggest factions in the coast now an ... innkeeper asks them to deliver a message the his brother? I'm sure I'd get a lot of raised eyebrows if I gave the PCs such hooks with the obvious: "And what about the evil cult?" question would follow. How should I sell them the change of pace and focus? Their faction contacts could tell them to pursue the giant lead and investigate more as this threat could be even larger than the Dragon thing which was in all honesty some brigands attacking a village or two (or thirty-five but I guess the Lords Alliance doesn't share everything with each other). And the factions have their best people on the leads of Dragons too! Aaanyway the PCs travel aimlessly from one location to another and eventually the Giant appears and gives them more hooks. I really need to read up on how to fix this. Eventually they find out more and are encouraged by the increasingly occupied proto-council to pursue on the giant lead as they have the most clues. Finally adventure is concluded either as written or somehow else. i will certainly involve Blagothkus  at least as per written in the book. Meanwhile, all elite Force Gray swats fail the swamp mission. Dragon cult attacks are ever more happening. The PCs are finally entrusted with this delicate mission to go to a ... repair shop in the middle of the swamp? Ooookay. By this time the black dragon realises if it eats even more Waterdeep units, it will be exterminated so retreats back to the swamp appearing only if the PCs take a lot of wrong turns. The dragon tells Snapjaw to make a deal with the next group of adventurers who come along and get rid of his enemies. HotDQ concludes as normal. In the meantime there is a lenghty audit investigation on Lord Neverember's Waterdeep accounts and he is increasingly distrusted in the city even if the PCs returned the money in DH. RoT proceeds as normal or with suggestions from all the forums and articles I have already saved.Does the above wall of text make sense? If I only give XP for combat and PCs clear out only one or two giant strongholds will they get enough XP to advance to a level they can successfully conclude RoT? With 3 PCs of which two are multiclass I assume they would need at least level 16-17 to have a chance to succeed.</blockquote>

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