NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="pukunui" data-source="post: 6458286" data-attributes="member: 54629">Hi guys,I'm in the middle of running Legacy of the Crystal Shard (updated to the final 5e rules and upgraded to levels 3-5). The PCs have succeeded in being a thorn in the side of Auril, the evil goddess of winter, and her agents in Icewind Dale, so I'm thinking that it's time her cultists attempted to get revenge.Last session, the PCs also foiled an attempted coup in Bryn Shander. As part of their reward, they were given the deed to the instigator's residence. They had fought a battle in the building, though, so it is in need of some repairs and new furnishings. I was thinking that maybe some of the tradespeople the PCs hire to fix the place up could be cultists. The locksmith who comes to replace the lock on the back door that the sorceress melted with acid splash would make for a very good candidate. He could make a copy of the key so that his fellows could sneak in easily during the night.One complication is the presence of black ice carvings. The PCs failed to investigate that thread of the adventure, so as a result, the black ice is spreading throughout Icewind Dale. The module indicates that in this eventuality, while the cult of Auril doesn't grow in size, the ferocity of its activities does increase due to the black ice's effect (it makes people more paranoid and belligerent). So instead of just kidnapping people and leaving them to die in the snow as sacrifices to Auril, the cultists are now kidnapping people and leaving their brutalized corpses in the snow.I mention this complication because it might mean that the cultists are less likely to take a subtle approach in seeking vengeance. They might just throw open the doors (in keeping with Auril's commandment to "let in the cold to drive away the false security of warmth") and attack in a murderous frenzy.Another option, however, could be a kidnapping. One of my players will be absent next session, so her PC could end up being kidnapped, and the other PCs have to rescue her. That could make for a dramatic sidequest in keeping with the feel of the module.While the module stresses the importance of the suddenness of the cultists' attacks (to play up the paranoia factor, I guess), I feel like this event, regardless of its specifics, could do with some foreshadowing so it's not a complete surprise. Anyone got any suggestions on how I could go about telegraphing this attack without giving the game away completely?Thanks in advance.Cheers,Jonathan</blockquote>

Verification