D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse campaign recaps

[Rabbitbait]

The latest adventure log. It doesn't seem too exciting in the writing, but it was really high tension stuff, going into a second massive battle before they had any chance for a short rest. They were already very injured and out of resources.

I'm a bit sporadic in my gaming at the moment as work has become very busy, so gaming is not as often and updates will be less often as a result. I hope they are helpful (or interesting) though.

THE DEFEAT OF THE EARTH TEMPLE

The group realise that another battle is imminent. At this point they are already badly injured, so decide to retreat into Marlos’ room. The hope being that with a small door there will be a chokepoint and good cover so that they can take on one enemy at a time.

This appears to work well intially, with cultists and guards getting blocked at the doorway and only able to come in one at a time. However, then a Bulette comes into sight. The enemies move aside and the Bulette charges at the door, smashing the door and wall apart and opening a large hole in which enemies can enter. The earth wizard is seen at the back casting polymorph at Mythoras (unsuccessfully) and causing the earth to break apart under the heroes feet.

At this stage Layna has exited through a trapdoor and is watching a small path over the crevasse, and Kir takes fright, turns invisible and hides in the corner. Tito is quickly knocked unconscious and Mythoras finds himself alone in a small room, completely surrounded by enemies.

Fighting bravely, Mythoras manages to hold his own until Tito comes round and Layna is able to flank the enemies and kills the earth wizard before he is able to do much damage to the party. At that point the battle turns and the party are able to slowly whittle down the enemy numbers until they are defeated. All the inhabitants of the Earth Temple have been defeated, apart from the Dao who has no interest in them.

The group stop for a while to rest and recuperate before they plan their next move. They are worried that they may not have the capability to defeat Marlos and the Fane of the Eye, but Layna recalls (from when she had Windvane) that summoning an elemental prince takes time, and many sacrifices of sentient beings. She thinks they have some time yet, but not enough to go to the surface and get reinforcements. They also doubt that any help would be forthcoming with the beginnings of civil war imminent in Breland.

The group, remembering that all the temples appear to be joined decide to travel to the water again, but this time they will wipe out the cultists. They feel that if they wipe out the temples they may reduce the resources and capibility of their leaders to summon the elemental princes. After taking the time to loot the earth temple, they head back through the southern tunnel to the earth tunnel where they begin sneaking through the dark passages, slaughtering as they go. This time it is easier, as the sound of roaring water means that their slaughter is not heard by others....

 

[Nebulous]

I dont remember who came up with it but I'm usingit too. Nodes are closed by powerful diametrically opposed elemental magic. An elemental weapon. A devastation orb or a prophet.

I think i'm going to have The Triad be three undead drow who form the synergistic Prophets of the One Eye. The float in the air and spin slowly in the Fane, speaking in one voice. There will also be one or two or three normal devastation orbs there, not the fourth, so they are unable complete a superorb like the one that destroyed Beliard. The Triad will all be kickass spellcasters, capable of twinned chromatic orbs and dispel magic and spell turning on a single move, as well as being Legendary, so they're way too tough (in my imagination) for the upcoming 9th level party to defeat. But the party doesn't really have a good reason to explore the rest of the Fane yet until they get a new elemental weapon.

 

[Kyvin]

Greetings, all!
First off I wanted to thank everyone for posting their recaps of this campaign. I am currently running Princes as well and I am enjoying this thread and interesting to see how other DMs are running it and what their players are doing.

I currently have 5-6 players at level 5 (but they should reach level 6 very soon). They are: dragonborn vengeance paladin, high elf bladesinger wizard, human bearbarian, aarakocra ranger/fighter, and a human shadow sorcerer. The sixth player has missed some sessions but was playing a human assassin. I am thoroughly enjoying the characters and am very pleased with the group and party balance.

The party followed the standard plotline and started at level 1: we did the bandit camp, investigated the necromancer cave at Lance Rock, and did the sinkhole and moving stones scenario after suspiciously investigating some of the Red Larchers. Interestingly, the Earth priest from that scene managed to escape and the characters have been looking to meet up with him again, so I will definitely be having him return.

Next, the characters began exploring the area, uncovering the grave sites and gathering clues about the missing delegation. I slowly started introducing the cults. They checked out Feathergale Spire, managed to figure out something bad was going on when invited to join the air cult, and killed everyone. They have also cleared out Rivergard Keep and the Scarlet Moon Hall. After clearing out Rivergard Keep the characters got bold and headed down into the Water Temple. Soon enough they got overwhelmed and found themselves in trouble. I had the sea hag Thuluna Maah meet up with them and strike a deal: kill Gar Shatterkeel and deliver the trident Drown to her. She provided a clear path to Gar and the characters managed to kill him. They tried to escape with the trident but of course Thuluna was waiting with all of her monstrous allies. The party made a run of it and through some great decisions and roleplaying (such as casting shatter on a tunnel ceiling to cover their escape) survived and made it back to the surface. Now Thuluna will be after them for the trident.

I also began having the cults start using the devastation orbs earlier to add some danger. After escaping the water temple and returning to civilization the characters learned that Womford was destroyed by a tornado (air orb). The players were stunned and even looked visibly upset! (they had befriended some npcs in womford and rescued some commoners from there, some of whom were now slain).

The party is now in the upper floors of the Sacred Stone Monastery. They managed to earn Renwick's favor and got some items from him (the paladin is a follower of Tyr and the knights of samular). They know Marlos is a medusa but don't seem concerned about that at all which will be interesting.

I plan on sending them on some side missions next as well: the Uthgardt burial mound, the Yartar orb mission, and the Dark Lady one. None of the others interest me or seem tied to the story enough for me to use.

 

[Nebulous]

Greetings, all!
First off I wanted to thank everyone for posting their recaps of this campaign. I am currently running Princes as well and I am enjoying this thread and interesting to see how other DMs are running it and what their players are doing.

I currently have 5-6 players at level 5 (but they should reach level 6 very soon). They are: dragonborn vengeance paladin, high elf bladesinger wizard, human bearbarian, aarakocra ranger/fighter, and a human shadow sorcerer. The sixth player has missed some sessions but was playing a human assassin. I am thoroughly enjoying the characters and am very pleased with the group and party balance.

The party followed the standard plotline and started at level 1: we did the bandit camp, investigated the necromancer cave at Lance Rock, and did the sinkhole and moving stones scenario after suspiciously investigating some of the Red Larchers. Interestingly, the Earth priest from that scene managed to escape and the characters have been looking to meet up with him again, so I will definitely be having him return.

Next, the characters began exploring the area, uncovering the grave sites and gathering clues about the missing delegation. I slowly started introducing the cults. They checked out Feathergale Spire, managed to figure out something bad was going on when invited to join the air cult, and killed everyone. They have also cleared out Rivergard Keep and the Scarlet Moon Hall. After clearing out Rivergard Keep the characters got bold and headed down into the Water Temple. Soon enough they got overwhelmed and found themselves in trouble. I had the sea hag Thuluna Maah meet up with them and strike a deal: kill Gar Shatterkeel and deliver the trident Drown to her. She provided a clear path to Gar and the characters managed to kill him. They tried to escape with the trident but of course Thuluna was waiting with all of her monstrous allies. The party made a run of it and through some great decisions and roleplaying (such as casting shatter on a tunnel ceiling to cover their escape) survived and made it back to the surface. Now Thuluna will be after them for the trident.

I also began having the cults start using the devastation orbs earlier to add some danger. After escaping the water temple and returning to civilization the characters learned that Womford was destroyed by a tornado (air orb). The players were stunned and even looked visibly upset! (they had befriended some npcs in womford and rescued some commoners from there, some of whom were now slain).

The party is now in the upper floors of the Sacred Stone Monastery. They managed to earn Renwick's favor and got some items from him (the paladin is a follower of Tyr and the knights of samular). They know Marlos is a medusa but don't seem concerned about that at all which will be interesting.

I plan on sending them on some side missions next as well: the Uthgardt burial mound, the Yartar orb mission, and the Dark Lady one. None of the others interest me or seem tied to the story enough for me to use.

Good job. Princes is an excellent adventure, it's just tricky to tie all the pieces together, or pick and choose which ones you want to use and how to use them, they're just scattered all over the book. You also might want to consider adding a 5th secret cult of the Eye, one that lords over the other lesser elements.

Edit - I'm obviously also really into miniatures play, and the maps provided for Princes are some of the best. But in 5e, we use 10 foot squares abstractly and it's really not a problem, it's actually rarer when we have 5' square combats because all the default maps are 10 feet.

 

[Kyvin]

I also really love using miniatures. I have a ton and I provide my players with minis for their characters that I paint myself.

I feel like I have had to make some changes to the story but that's fine. I enjoy it and it feels more my own. For example, like you guys I've changed around where some of the delegates are and will be fleshing them out a bit more.

My party explored more of the Sacred Stone Monastery this past week. The barbarian has been devastating the baddies so far. The party ended up facing Qarbo and he managed to trick them into going down the stairs. I changed this part up a bit. I didn't like the idea of the maimed Umber Hulk at all and so I changed the room below to be kind of a cesspool/garbage dump/disposal for sacrificed victims with an Otyugh in it. The otyugh sent out telepathic cries for help which lured the players even more into going down the steps. Then Qarbo clicked the trap and sent them down to face the Otyugh. The party took some damage but defeated the beast and began exploring the mines. I also changed it up a bit by adding a Gelatinous Cube. The two tanks walked right into it and the pally actually dropped from the acid damage. He was pulled out of the cube and healed but it made for a very interesting and tense encounter. The party is definitely going to be more careful now, haha.

I definitely do plan on using the cult of the eye as the thing that ties together the elemental cults. If the players succeed and defeat the prophets, I think it would be a great place to go next with the story. Since the drow Vizeran DeVir created the elemental weapons and sort of started this whole chain of events, I'd like to tie him in and perhaps have the party try and face him eventually.

 

[Rabbitbait]

Here is our latest adventure log - A watery fate: http://deathgrind.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log/a-watery-fate

This one took a lot of writing as a heck of a lot happened. The players descended through 3 levels of water in one 3 hour session, ending at the water portal. But the entire party is split up now, they haven't found drown and potentially next session there will be three separate battles happening simultaneously in three different locations spread across The Plunging Torrents.

I'll be going into another session not sure if a TPK is on the cards or not. Eeep. And there will be a big pause before my next update as I am working evenings for the next two weeks, so no gaming for me.

It's worth noting that this may have been the most fun session I have ever run - especially the bit where the racist subterfuge failed. We were falling off our chairs.

 

[Nebulous]

Here is our latest adventure log - A watery fate: http://deathgrind.obsidianportal.com/adventure-log/a-watery-fate

This one took a lot of writing as a heck of a lot happened. The players descended through 3 levels of water in one 3 hour session, ending at the water portal. But the entire party is split up now, they haven't found drown and potentially next session there will be three separate battles happening simultaneously in three different locations spread across The Plunging Torrents.

I'll be going into another session not sure if a TPK is on the cards or not. Eeep. And there will be a big pause before my next update as I am working evenings for the next two weeks, so no gaming for me.

It's worth noting that this may have been the most fun session I have ever run - especially the bit where the racist subterfuge failed. We were falling off our chairs.

Rabbit, that was an excellent synopsis. Loved it.

 

[Nebulous]

I definitely do plan on using the cult of the eye as the thing that ties together the elemental cults. If the players succeed and defeat the prophets, I think it would be a great place to go next with the story. Since the drow Vizeran DeVir created the elemental weapons and sort of started this whole chain of events, I'd like to tie him in and perhaps have the party try and face him eventually.

I think he will be one of the Triad of undead drow. So where did his story originate and how does it tie into Princes? He's not in the book at all.

 

[Nebulous]

Session #35 - The Lost Crown of Besilmer

https://app.box.com/s/c8b9er6a8kek1d5o3g3dfaskcg1zm8hy

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I think he will be one of the Triad of undead drow. So where did his story originate and how does it tie into Princes? He's not in the book at all.

Vizeran I brought up in a few other places relating to princes.

He is an Drow Archmage and exile, who worships the Elder Elemental Eye. Seemingly out of hatred and spite towards Lolth who he hates. He was forced out of the Drow city of Menzobarranzan by his rival Gromph who made clear his lack of respect for Lolth. Him being gone is apparently a key reason why his House (House DeVir) fell to House Do'Urden. He is also notably related to Viconia DeVir (A companion in the Baldur's Gate game series) a fellow exile who is likely the cousin or uncle of.

He created the Elemental Weapons due to the call of the Elder Elemental Eye, but felt they were best left alone until their proper owners came for them. Overall he plays a minor role in Princes beyond being the one who got the plot started.

Vizeran's main role is in the adventure following Princes of the Apocalypse, Out of the Abyss. In Out of the Abyss Vizeran is a major character and his aid is necessary for banishing the Demon Lords. Though his main goal is to bring suffering and death upon the drow to show how pathetic their goddess is.

Here is his art from out of the abyss. He is an old drow, but has little interest in undeath to preserve his life. As he still has a good deal of time left on his clock and he is a bit nihilistic as a result of him worshiping the Elder Elemental Eye.