Nebulous
Legend
Pretty good idea. They could have it across the board. I do think the Prophets need more of a theme to them. You could even say their weapon of power invests it.
D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps
- Thread starter Nebulous
- Start date
Pretty good idea. They could have it across the board. I do think the Prophets need more of a theme to them. You could even say their weapon of power invests it.
Uller
Adventurer
I like it. I think perhaps the answer is Ironfang and the other weapons. Maybe they should be more artifact level weapons, intelligent, evil and imbues their weilder with varius elemental powers. But the weapons choose their weilder...those not chosen that attempt to use them will suffer. And perhaps they are also key to summoning the princes.
My OotA copy will be arriving in a few days.. perhaps the madness tables could apply here...
MonsterEnvy
Legend
I should point out that in return to the temple of elemental evil. the plan is to summon the 4 princes. Because only the 4 of them together on the material plane can open the portal to the Demiplane of imprisonment were the elder elemental eye dwells.
It also points out the relation between the Eye and the princes. The prince's think the eye is their primordial creator, but this is not true. The eye is a force of madness and the lord of eternal darkness that desires the end of all things. The gods fearing it banded together to trap it in the Demiplane of inprisonment.
It also points out the relation between the Eye and the princes. The prince's think the eye is their primordial creator, but this is not true. The eye is a force of madness and the lord of eternal darkness that desires the end of all things. The gods fearing it banded together to trap it in the Demiplane of inprisonment.
Creamsteak
Explorer
Also in the old lore there are elemental princes of good. I was thinking of involving them in my game So-far I've given one player some hand-out notes of visions of Chan and Yan-C-Bin playing a game of sorts.
Uller
Adventurer
Okay...the quick and dirty is that Iron Fang in my game will have 6 charges and can cast the following spells at the appropriate level with a DC of 14 and Attack of +6
Shatter 1
Meld with Stone 2
Stone Shape: 2
Erupting Earth 2
Transmute Rock 3
Investiture of Stone 3
It is Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14 Chaotic Evil and Destructive. It will try to dominate a non-CE wielder at every chance.
Also, FYI, Marlos essentially has Investiture of Stone on him at all times. So....At first opportunity, Marlos will move away and use Stone Shape/Wall of Stone to wall up the party...
Shatter 1
Meld with Stone 2
Stone Shape: 2
Erupting Earth 2
Transmute Rock 3
Investiture of Stone 3
It is Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14 Chaotic Evil and Destructive. It will try to dominate a non-CE wielder at every chance.
Also, FYI, Marlos essentially has Investiture of Stone on him at all times. So....At first opportunity, Marlos will move away and use Stone Shape/Wall of Stone to wall up the party...
practicalm
Adventurer
I've been adding the PotA content into the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil and I included having the original Elemental Champion having become the high priest of the Elemental Princes of Good. My players found him and after escorting him to a safer hiding place (and dealing with the forces trying to capture him), returned to the volcano and have been trying to convert the cultists to Elemental Good. It's been interesting and after some good discussion and roleplaying with Aerisi, she converted to good. They are working on the fire prophet this week and we'll see what happens. Having the weapons being intelligent means they would help resist the conversion which would be very interesting. Thanks for the idea.
Nebulous
Legend
Nice.
Uller
Adventurer
Forgot Stone Wall is 3 charges as well...
So we played it out tonight. Good Lawd...
Just a refresher...the party was all on the ledge at the opening to room B21 except the wizard who was above the arrow slit going into B22, he had looked in and saw Marlos and failed his save so he was clinging to the wall turning to stone.
I decided that Larrakh is a 7th level caster and was there meeting with Marlos to talk about the failed attempt to kill the PCs and the destruction of Red Larch along with the Shadow Demon. The party consisted of the following:
Wizard (busy trying to not become a statue)
Paladin (Avenger)
Warlock (Tomepact)
Monk (Shadows)
Cleric (Life)
I admit...I was a bit extra mean...I gave the NPCs advantage on initiative. My reasoning was the NPCs were all aware the party was there and waiting for the fight to start. The party was not so unaware that surprise was warranted, but they certainly were probably taken aback by their wizard screaming in fear and agony as he slowly petrified.
The cleric was up first and opted for bless with a third level slot to give the wizard a better chance on his save vs petrification.
The monsters all went first...the wizard rolled a 2, so he would go last, so that would mean some extra suspense (oh...and we reroll initiative every round because we find that a lot more fun).
Marlos was up first. He walked right through the wall into the main room and used Iron Fang to cast erupting earth (and here I was merciful and didn't give anyone a chance of falling of the ledge). That caught all 4 other characters. The monk escaped damage because evasion.
Larrakh stepped out and hit them with shatter. Doing more damage. Now the Paladin was starting to feel a bit worried with 30 hp of damage right off the bat.
Then the Shadowdemon emerged from the wall, attacked with advantage and rolled a crit. 47 damage to the cleric and down he went...(and that ended bless...uh-oh).
The Paladin was up next. He could have moved closer to the wizard to help him make his save...but that's not his style. He looked the Medusa in the eyes (made his save) and charged, swore his oath of enmity and used smited the crap out of him. I think he did around 50 damage.
The warlock dropped Hunger of Hadar. The monk gave the cleric a potion of greater healing. And then the wizard was up. He needed beat a 14 Con save. He rolled a 13....but has a 12 Con. Just. E. Nuff.
Next round things quieted down a bit as both sides regrouped. Marlos and Larrakh retreated south. The monk shadow stepped into a corner and got a shot at Larrakh with her bow. This broke his concentration on Stoneskin. The Paladin just charged all the way through Hunger of Hadar. Larrakh just grinned at him. The Shadow Demon emerged to attack the paladin and then Larrakh cast Stone Wall, bisecting the room with the Paladin and the Monk on one side with Marlos, Larrakh and the shadow demon and everyone else on the other side.
He could not quite fill the entire space, though so there was a small hole near the top. The monk shadow stepped up to it and then jumped down to attack the shadow demon. The wizard had a scroll of Transmute Rock that he found in the monastery...so he used it to bring the wall down.
The Paladin smited Marlos again and the warlock blasted him. He was down to 43 hp. That was enough. He moved through the wall and sealed the door with Mold Earth and made his escape. No one ever had to make another save because Marlos had to keep backing up out of sight.
So Marlos set about to rallying his forces. Rather than wait to be attacked the party busted through the door. Two Black earth guards opened up on them with crossbows and now a running battle started with nearby NPCs joining the fight every few rounds. First two BEGs. Then three cultists. Then two more BEGs (Yarsha did not join the fight. She was waiting and observing...).
Then a Bullete and a Burrowshark and two hobgoblins (not all the NPCs would leave their posts...they had to assume threats could still come through the front door). The party started getting scattered with the dwarf in the shrine of ogremoch fighting the bullete. The monk and paladin fighting the BEGs in the dining hall and the warlock and wizard supporting both with spells. A fireball took out the hobgoblins and softened up the burrowshark. Now Yarsha decided to act. She felt she could not defeat the party and she wants Miraj dead. So she turned on the one remaining BEG and then brought the roof down on the Bullete with an earth quake spell. This didn't quite kill him but it was enough to convince the party she was on their side.
Once they finished off the Bullette she showed them the way back to the arrow slit that overlooks the front door just as another Bullette and burrow shark entered the Ogremoch shrine. She told them that the mud sorcerer is the real power behind the cult and if they kill him the cult will disband and she told them how to find him. They used their last darkness orb to cover their tracks and Yarsha cast Stone Shape to open the arrow slit enough for them to get out (and she had the monk punch her several times so she could claim to have been defeated with the rest of the guards).
The party fled the complex at that point. Beaten, battered, out of spells and hp. They all agreed this was the closest to death they had come. There was some discussion on what to do next. Go back into the temple to attack the cult before it can reinforce itself, go to the Vale of Dancing Waters to heal in safety (heh!) or turn their attention to one of the other cults and fight Black Earth another day.
All in all, a very fun game. Really touch and go from start to finish.
Uller
Adventurer
Oh....and they were skeptical of Yarsha saving them from a meta POV. They thought I threw her in there just to save them. I admit I probably overplayed her "betray the mud sorcerer" RP notes, but I actually read them the text from the book (leaving out that it was a lie, of course).
I played her as waiting in the shadows for an opportunity. She was not going to commit to battle while the outcome was in doubt. Once it became clear the PCs were winning and reinforcements weren't coming quickly enough she betrayed her side.
Now I have to decide what the cult does with her. Do they figure out her betrayal? If so, does she escape? I have to think about that one.
I played her as waiting in the shadows for an opportunity. She was not going to commit to battle while the outcome was in doubt. Once it became clear the PCs were winning and reinforcements weren't coming quickly enough she betrayed her side.
Now I have to decide what the cult does with her. Do they figure out her betrayal? If so, does she escape? I have to think about that one.
Nebulous
Legend
So I'm trying to work on Windharrow and what he actually KNOWS. He is an ex-Zhentarim agent from years ago, and although he IS the bald guy now tattooed with Air cult graffiti, he will betray Queen Aerisi to save his life. I think now that he suspects that this would have happened anyway, and as SOON as the PCs show themselves he will surrender. He still has a plethora of escape mechanics, but I really need him as a plot device to explain what is happening, and that is best if they don't nova him in one round.
Stuff Windharrow knows:
A) Areisi has illusionary wings, blah blah about her race and background.
B) She carries Windvane the spear, a weapon of elemental evil needed to summon Yan C Bin. (correct or not, or just to seal the elemental node?)
C) In my campaign, there is a 5th Elemental Eye Cult, and it is tricking the other 4 cults into manifesting just to DESTROY them and break a portal into the Far Realm and allow Tharizdun or Azathoth or whoever you want to call it into the Realms.
Windharrow and the Prophets and their cronies do NOT know about the 5th cult. It's a secret. They know of the Eye, just not a secret cult with an ulterior plan with a special cadre of cultists and monsters.
D) So Windharrow might betray the Queen, although knowing my PCs, they will at least tie him up first, so he will not like that and try to escape as best he can.
E) Windharrow led the Mirabar delegation to a deliberate point near the Desairn river where they where going to flown across by Air cultists and Feathergales Knights, but the Black Earth ambushed them first. Windharrow escaped.
F) WINDHARROW, before he left Yartar, helped plan and arrange the theft of the 2nd devastation orb (???) So he's like a traitorous double agent, but then again I can't imagine why immortal gods presiding over this stuff wouldn't see this puny mortal ingressions, so that's maybe a poor idea.
G) THE DEVASTATION ORBS - Each Prophet is individually tasked with sending their own unique orb to the Fane of the Eye. One alone is bad enough, but when coalesced with each other, they become they kind of orb that destroyed Beliard, a thing of all elements at once, but this is a slow process to create.l
Stuff Windharrow knows:
A) Areisi has illusionary wings, blah blah about her race and background.
B) She carries Windvane the spear, a weapon of elemental evil needed to summon Yan C Bin. (correct or not, or just to seal the elemental node?)
C) In my campaign, there is a 5th Elemental Eye Cult, and it is tricking the other 4 cults into manifesting just to DESTROY them and break a portal into the Far Realm and allow Tharizdun or Azathoth or whoever you want to call it into the Realms.
Windharrow and the Prophets and their cronies do NOT know about the 5th cult. It's a secret. They know of the Eye, just not a secret cult with an ulterior plan with a special cadre of cultists and monsters.
D) So Windharrow might betray the Queen, although knowing my PCs, they will at least tie him up first, so he will not like that and try to escape as best he can.
E) Windharrow led the Mirabar delegation to a deliberate point near the Desairn river where they where going to flown across by Air cultists and Feathergales Knights, but the Black Earth ambushed them first. Windharrow escaped.
F) WINDHARROW, before he left Yartar, helped plan and arrange the theft of the 2nd devastation orb (???) So he's like a traitorous double agent, but then again I can't imagine why immortal gods presiding over this stuff wouldn't see this puny mortal ingressions, so that's maybe a poor idea.
G) THE DEVASTATION ORBS - Each Prophet is individually tasked with sending their own unique orb to the Fane of the Eye. One alone is bad enough, but when coalesced with each other, they become they kind of orb that destroyed Beliard, a thing of all elements at once, but this is a slow process to create.l
