Red Hand of Doom reloaded

[Mark CMG]

Another update...

As noted earlier, I'm sending the PCs to the Fane first and then to Brindol second. Here's how I'm dealing with it...

(. . .)

Once the PCs arrive in Brindol, they should have about a day or so to rest, re-supply, undertake a mission or two, and then have a final showdown.

I've been hoping to hear how this goes for someone. Thanks.

 

[haakon1]

Sterich, towards the south-western side.

Nod, good choice. My Sterich never got conquered, because my campaign world is the same old one from the 1980s, when the PCs beat Against the Giants megamodule, preventing the fall of Sterich and Geoff.

But whether you buy the From the Ashes changes or not, Sterich fits fine.

BTW, some other weird Sterich region ideas from my campaign, that might be fun for you:
- Cryllor in the Good Hills is a university town. Greyhawk's medieval Oxford. Keoland and the whole Sheldomar Valley speak Common -- the language of the Great Kingdom -- because the university and the royal authorities pushed it on the nobility, who pushed it on the merchants, while the peasants mostly still speak Keoish. A bit like Tsarist Russia's upper classes using French while the peasants spoke Russian and local languages.
- Hochoch at the edge of the Dim Forest is a castle town owned by the Knights of the Watch. Not exactly a free city, but not owned by any principality.
- Sterich, Geoff, and Gran March still owe fealty to the Keoish crown, and stick to it in wartime, even though in peacetime they are entirely independent. Think of the relationship between the UK and Canada/Australia circa World War I.
- Gran March is run by an order of knights called the Brotherhood of the Sword (modelled on the Livonian Brotherhood of the Sword and Teutonic Order in the northern crusades, by the Germans against the Baltic peoples). It's run as an armed camp, and very loyal to the king down in Niole Dra. The peasants are not terribly pleased.

 

[haakon1]

Sunless Citadel

Yeah . . . sorry, my brain shut down this afternoon.

Anyhow, it seems like Sunless Citadel ought to fit with RHoD. You've got goblns in an ancient dragon lair, after all. I haven't thought this through yet, but it seems like it could be cool.

Whaddya all think of these ideas?

Idea 1) Play Sunless Citadel as written. Meepo, assuming he survives, rides off into the sunless sunset, happily owning the goblin-cleared dungeon. After a side adventure or two, the PC's get the summons that something bad is going on at the Sunless Citadel. Meepo has come to Oakbridge, and tells that after the PC's left, the goblins who escaped brought in hobgobling cousins to fight the kobolds. That was OK, and the mighty kobold horde held them back, until the hobgoblin warchief discovered dragon magic. Now the kobolds are defeated, and old frosty is stolen again. Oh no!

Sounds like a minor problem, and it works even better, perhaps, if the PC's ignore it, until the big war starts. Sort of like Spider-Man ignoring the problems of the wrestling promoter who got robbed, only to find out with great power comes great responsibility. Bwahahahaha!

Idea 2) The goblins in Sunless Citadel are a Red Hand outpost. The PC attack discovers evidence of a bigger conspiracy, in which the dark druid is but a hireling.

I dont hate them... but they are easy to replace with something else if you want. Demons or Devils would work. Slaad even.

Slaad? I hadn't thought of that. I was thinking maybe Githyanki.

 

[questing gm]

RoHD in the Silver Marches

I'm thinking of running this awesome module during the holidays with my group. They wanted to play in the FR setting and I wanted to try the Silver Marches...

Does this module fit well into the region ? I know there are several hobgoblins in the area (as stated in the book), anything else i should consider changing to suit the flavor of the region better ?

 

[Wrathamon]

I'm thinking of running this awesome module during the holidays with my group. They wanted to play in the FR setting and I wanted to try the Silver Marches...

Does this module fit well into the region ? I know there are several hobgoblins in the area (as stated in the book), anything else i should consider changing to suit the flavor of the region better ?

It would be better to change the gobinoids to Orcs for that region imo.

 

[Vanye]

I'm going to be putting this into my Realms campaign. They players are based out of Tilverton, near Cormyr, about 2 years after the Devil Dragon situation. I'm thinking of changing out some of the leaders of the goblins with half-dragon elves, to fit with the whole Demon Dragon situation, and have them come out of the Stonelands, sweep past Tilverton, and into Cormyr proper, which is still hurting from the death of Azoun and the recent war.

Given that all the characters have family in Tilverton, they may find themselves suitably motivated ...

 

[GwydapLlew]

It would be better to change the gobinoids to Orcs for that region imo.

There are some significant goblin tribes in the Nether Mountains, and there is a family of very powerful blue dragons that rule several of them. It could fit - the normal 'invasion plan' of the Marches is either east from the Trollmoors or south from the Spine of the World ... it would be a little different.

Also, the dragons recently destroyed (in the FR timeline) a monastery in the region, which could be the hook for Vraath Keep.

 

[GwydapLlew]

Idea 2) The goblins in Sunless Citadel are a Red Hand outpost. The PC attack discovers evidence of a bigger conspiracy, in which the dark druid is but a hireling.

I ran Belak the Outcast as a Blighter. He could easily be a discipline of the Ghostlord. The elvish touches in the Citadel could easily be changed around to goblinoid... and the trapped 'dragonpriest' could have been spawn instead. It has potential.

 

[EricNoah]

An update...

PCs have entered the Fane and have gotten through to the temple area. I now have to decide whether I want to stretch things out a bit and make the rest of the Fane plus the Battle of Brindol into a 2-session thing, or condense and have the next session be the last.

If I spread it out over two more sessions, I will want a fairly elaborate combat in the three-tiered cave (I'm thinking the blackspawn ninja, with his great jump skill and archery abilities, would be a good choice in this room). And will want to maybe beef up the Azaar Kul encounter a bit (my players have been wiping the floor with the opposition thus far).

Then after the Aspect has flown off toward Brindol, the PCs have to get to Brindol ahead of it, meet with the leaders of the town, show them some war plans they found in the Fane, and decide on 2 of 3-4 "missions" they could undertake when the battle starts (including the Giants at the Walls encounter and similar things like that). That would be the end of session 1.

Session 2 would be the missions and the fina showdown with Kharn and the aspect of Tiamat in town. And an appropriate resolution.

 

[Mark CMG]

Session 2 would be the missions and the fina showdown with Kharn and the aspect of Tiamat in town. And an appropriate resolution.

Ah, the TPK. Very nice. Very nice, indeed.