D&D 5E Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan in ToA

[GlassJaw]

Plopping Tamoachan in ToA in the jungle somewhere seems like a no-brained to me. It fits the level range, the campaign setting, and makes sense as something the PCs could stumble upon in the hex sandbox.

Has anyone done or is planning to do this? If so, how will you use it?

Since it's something I'd like the players to find, I'm considering giving one of the players a clue or lead as part of their background or reason for coming to Chult.

Could the temple have some connection to the campaign or better just as a stand-alone dungeon?


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[pukunui]

I've thought about it. The only problem is the pseudo-Aztec theme makes it a better fit for Maztica than Chult, with its pseudo-Congo feel. But then, maybe it somehow ended up in Chult as a result of the Spellplague/Sundering or some other magical mishap.

I have been considering including it in my own ToA campaign. If I do, that will be my explanation for it, if an explanation is even required. After all, one of the nine trickster gods also has an Aztec/Maztican-sounding name (Popazotl).

I think it would work best as a standalone location.

 

[robus]

Chult (in ToA) seems like a mash up of both African and South American jungles so I think it would be just fine.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Plopping Tamoachan in ToA in the jungle somewhere seems like a no-brained to me. It fits the level range, the campaign setting, and makes sense as something the PCs could stumble upon in the hex sandbox.

Has anyone done or is planning to do this? If so, how will you use it?

Since it's something I'd like the players to find, I'm considering giving one of the players a clue or lead as part of their background or reason for coming to Chult.

Could the temple have some connection to the campaign or better just as a stand-alone dungeon?


Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app

Depending on how much my group is enjoying CoA at that point (we haven't started yet since I'm waiting until Xanathar's and all its options are out before starting to forestall what would have been inevitable requests to switch characters mid-campaign to try out the shiny new stuff), I do plan on adding it in, probably as an outlying section of Omu. I plan on re-skinning the Timoachan gods as the Nine Lost Gods; I'll have to re-read the adventure to choose exactly how to work out the substitutions.

 

[pukunui]

... we haven't started yet since I'm waiting until Xanathar's and all its options are out before starting to forestall what would have been inevitable requests to switch characters mid-campaign to try out the shiny new stuff ...

Considering how deadly ToA is supposed to be, you could just tell them they have to wait until their initial character dies before making a new one with the Xanathar's stuff.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Considering how deadly ToA is supposed to be, you could just tell them they have to wait until their initial character dies before making a new one with the Xanathar's stuff.

We're already running something else in the meantime, although I've already warned them to have backup characters ready once we do start playing ToA!

 

[robus]

The hidden shrine would be a great place to hide a scale model of Chult and reveal the location of Omu... perhaps the shrine is in some kind of alignment with a temple in Omu?

 

[Uller]

I'm running Hidden Shrine now and set it in Chult. We are adding a new player to our campaign so we are using it to get him familiar with the game and Roll20 and build somr back story. The rest of the party is battling Strahd. Both games will learn about the Soulmonger and that will give them a reason to combine.

The Gateway to Death room would be a great place to reveal the location of Omu.

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[CapnZapp]

Plopping Tamoachan in ToA in the jungle somewhere seems like a no-brained to me. It fits the level range, the campaign setting, and makes sense as something the PCs could stumble upon in the hex sandbox.

Has anyone done or is planning to do this? If so, how will you use it?

Since it's something I'd like the players to find, I'm considering giving one of the players a clue or lead as part of their background or reason for coming to Chult.

Could the temple have some connection to the campaign or better just as a stand-alone dungeon?


Sent from my iPhone using EN World mobile app

I'm putting the hidden Shrine three hexes due south of Fort Beluarian, and I'm having the party start off the campaign and enter Chult via dimensional travel right into room 1. (They just levelled up from level 4, fyi)

The reason is I feel Fort Beluarian works best as the "starter town", rather than some kind of extra HQ (and one that is inferior to Port Nyanzaru in every way to boot). It feels much more logical and dramatic to get the first info-dump (the "no, you are in Chult" speech, the map, the curse, the initial rumors) separate from the overwhelming sensation that is the city.

Of course, since I don't want to spend the first three sessions or whatever just escaping the initial tomb, I'm having the staircase (room 6 I believe) be excavatable from below. As they reach the sunlight and the heat, a pair of sweaty but surprised Flaming Fist mercenaries nervously greet them...

Once they have had a chat with Commander Portyr at the Fort they can decide whether to keep adventuring in the Hidden Shrine (despite having to give away half their loot), or decide to not play by the Flaming Fist rule (and thus walk away - to the city, or simply south in the jungle). The poison gas is stated to take weeks to evaporate so everything will still work pretty much as written. They can even approach the Shrine from the top down. The poison gas will explain why the mercenaries won't join them.

Of course, this module is infamous for loads of traps and wordy descriptions - and very little loot. But they don't know they won't lose out on too much money (if there isn't much loot to be had, there isn't much loot to be handed over to the Flaming Fist).

Ideally they will not focus too hard on this module - there's plenty of other stuff going on in Chult. But it provides an easy insert for the "exotic jungle vibe", adds hugely to the sandboxy feel "wherever you go, the DM has adventure for you" - and since my barbarian player rolled a 20 on recognizing the creator gods depicted, I have already been able to introduce the Nine Trickster Gods of Omu to them

 

[Uller]

I'm putting the hidden Shrine three hexes due south of Fort Beluarian, and I'm having the party start off the campaign and enter Chult via dimensional travel right into room 1. (They just levelled up from level 4, fyi)

I think that is a great way to start a campaign. I hate wasting time looking around for the hooks. Boom. Here you are. Trapped and there's poison gas....good luck.

Of course, this module is infamous for loads of traps and wordy descriptions - and very little loot.

Is it? I'm running it now for four 5th level PCs. So far they have found about 600gp worth of jewelry and gems (there is very little coin), a Longsword +1, a Berserker Axe that can cast spells (okay...the curse is pretty bad), Ring of fire resistance, ring of animal influence, bracers of defense and bracelet of rock magic (also cursed), two amulets of protection from turning...oh...and a little flying drone thing. They are about 1/3 of the way through.

There are some opportunities for them to lose it all too...so...fun for me.

I think giving them a taste of it and then letting them decide to go on is a good choice. How do you stop them from just going to the top and going backwards? The lower levels are meant to be done with the time pressure of the poison gas. How do you stop them from just leaving?

One way would be to make the vampire spawn come back as a full vampire and just not allow them to leave...