D&D 5E Hurry up and wait!

[AtomicPope]

When we completely the Starter Set, my character (Starter Set Archer that became a Battlemaster instead of Champion) and his new Barbarian companion (formerly a Halfling Rogue, now an Orc Barbarian) set out to rebuild Thundertree. The basic idea was to reward us with something (tool proficiencies, contacts, status) for taking a few years off from adventuring and fulfilling our background stories. The DM gave me proficiency with Mason's Tools, as I closely worked with the Dwarves because I already spoke Dwarven. The Barbarian got a magic axe called Hew from the mines (does max damage to plants). He used it to clear a path in the forest for a road that I graded. He was able to bring wealth to his tribe through trade and tolls giving him a "folk hero status" with his tribe. The Wizard studied as a Sage and was given a few "spell levels" he could be spells with for his book, or something like that.

You could ask your players "what do you want to accomplish back home?" If they give you something that is story related, like the Bard is doing on an onstage production of "Eye of the Vecna" you could give him proficiency in the Disguise Kit. Once a player is rewarded then the others will perk up and now they'll have incentives to turn their character's down time into a real story. You, as a DM, set the "story time". So think of what you want to transpire (a new empire rises or an old empire falls) and have the characters grow into their downtime roles. The Bard's troupe heads to the capital and their "Eye of Vecna" play becomes a major production every week for the next year or so.

Allowing the players time to grow and grow apart gives you, as a DM, the character and background-driven motivations for the players to start adventuring again. Downtime allows the players to create something they care about. Tragedy is only tragic when it hurts. The players must need to feel their comfort or safety is threatened to make them care about adventuring and fighting. If something happens to a loved one, a business partner, or danger looms on the horizon, now the players have skin in the game.

 

[KidSnide]

If you want to provide an incentive to take down time, you could say that the cultists pull their forces back to their strongholds after one of the other cults suffers a setback. That means the cults have more guards and they are on higher alert, but there is less proactive cult activity. The PCs can rest up and work on other things while they wait for the cult leaders (who, for the record, aren't the brightest villains in the world - but, hey, worshiping elemental evil isn't exactly a sign of brilliance) to relax and resume their plans.

-KS

 

[77IM]

Thanks for all the replies! I have hit on an idea that incorporates what Bupp and KidSnide and others have mentioned; when the cult suffers a setback, they go into hiding and regroup for a while.

The brilliant part (if I do say so myself) is how I'm going to implement this. I'm going to make the four elemental weapons behave sort of like phylacteries for the prophets: when you kill a prophet and they dissolve into their element, some time later they will re-form near the elemental node. So when the prophets are outside of their strongholds (for example, if the PCs encounter a prophet in a haunted keep or as part of a random encounter) they won't have their elemental weapon with them -- it will be safe down in the temple -- and if the PCs manage to kill the (slightly weakened) prophet, then that cult will lay low for a year or so. (The time will vary "at the speed of plot".)

The only way to kill a prophet permanently is to kill them WITH the elemental weapon, or to destroy it and then kill them. If you attune the weapon without killing the prophet then the prophet's spirit hangs around and annoys you and it counts as a cursed weapon.

I love this idea because it also solves another problem I have. The elemental prophets are great NPCs with well-developed personalities ... who just sit in their rooms waiting for the PCs to show up and kill them. That's super boring. I'd much rather have the prophets as active villains, or even occasional allies, who cross paths with the PCs multiple times inside or outside of the dungeon. The phylactery system is a slightly-cheesy but well-understood trope of D&D and a time-honored way of keeping villains alive despite player luck.

Thanks again everybody for the brainstorming help!

 

[jamesjhaeck]

The only way to kill a prophet permanently is to kill them WITH the elemental weapon, or to destroy it and then kill them. If you attune the weapon without killing the prophet then the prophet's spirit hangs around and annoys you and it counts as a cursed weapon.
[snip]
I'd much rather have the prophets as active villains, or even occasional allies, who cross paths with the PCs multiple times inside or outside of the dungeon. The phylactery system is a slightly-cheesy but well-understood trope of D&D and a time-honored way of keeping villains alive despite player luck.

Brilliant! Consider this idea stolen. =)

 

[Nebulous]

Thanks for all the replies! I have hit on an idea that incorporates what Bupp and KidSnide and others have mentioned; when the cult suffers a setback, they go into hiding and regroup for a while.

The brilliant part (if I do say so myself) is how I'm going to implement this. I'm going to make the four elemental weapons behave sort of like phylacteries for the prophets: when you kill a prophet and they dissolve into their element, some time later they will re-form near the elemental node. So when the prophets are outside of their strongholds (for example, if the PCs encounter a prophet in a haunted keep or as part of a random encounter) they won't have their elemental weapon with them -- it will be safe down in the temple -- and if the PCs manage to kill the (slightly weakened) prophet, then that cult will lay low for a year or so. (The time will vary "at the speed of plot".)

The only way to kill a prophet permanently is to kill them WITH the elemental weapon, or to destroy it and then kill them. If you attune the weapon without killing the prophet then the prophet's spirit hangs around and annoys you and it counts as a cursed weapon.

I love this idea because it also solves another problem I have. The elemental prophets are great NPCs with well-developed personalities ... who just sit in their rooms waiting for the PCs to show up and kill them. That's super boring. I'd much rather have the prophets as active villains, or even occasional allies, who cross paths with the PCs multiple times inside or outside of the dungeon. The phylactery system is a slightly-cheesy but well-understood trope of D&D and a time-honored way of keeping villains alive despite player luck.

Thanks again everybody for the brainstorming help!

And THIS is why I love running premade adventures in the internet age, people always come up with ways to make the scenario better than written. Thanks!

 

[Nebulous]

Having the High Air Priest and Earth priest being diametric enemies is good, and the Fire and Water high priests enemies. This can set up all kinds of cross alliances within the party and the cults themselves.

 

[77IM]

My theory is that the Elder Elemental Eye does not want the prophets engaging each other in overt warfare -- but acting through proxy agents (such as wandering adventures who show up at your spire and win the manticore-hunt) is totally fine. ;}

 

[Nebulous]

My theory is that the Elder Elemental Eye does not want the prophets engaging each other in overt warfare -- but acting through proxy agents (such as wandering adventures who show up at your spire and win the manticore-hunt) is totally fine. ;}

i think I'm changing it to a chimera because I have that badass new mini

 

[Nebulous]

My theory is that the Elder Elemental Eye does not want the prophets engaging each other in overt warfare -- but acting through proxy agents (such as wandering adventures who show up at your spire and win the manticore-hunt) is totally fine. ;}

YES...high priests pitting heroes against the other cult factions....who do they trust? And for how long???

 

[Nebulous]

YES...high priests pitting heroes against the other cult factions....who do they trust? And for how long???

The PC air genasi might like the Air cultists, and be subject to dark summons by that faction. She'd especially hate the Black Earth and maybe Air gives her certain advantages against them, to gain her trust....