D&D 5E Tips for SKT - 2 parties, 1 game

[Jack Hooligan]

So, I have a group working through LMoP then will hit Storm King's Thunder. I have a second group of players that also want to game, but I don't have the bandwidth to run two different online campaigns. So, I'm thinking about having this second group join the first at the 5th level entry point at SKT.

6 players at once is more than I generally like, so I think I'd have this large combined group together for some of the key chapters, but the big sandbox exploration of Faerun and selecting which giant holds to explore seems like it could be done with different groups, so I can split the party to explore around. Instead of just one giant type being explored, it would be two. There's tons of wilderness encounters to cover two parties. Again, they could come back together for the big moments, but it would allow me to run two groups while only having to keep one narrative straight while also enabling me to make use of more of the SKT book.

It would make the game like the epic fantasy stories, LotR, DragonLance, etc where the party is split most of the time. if this works, i can see doing something similar with the exploration in ToA.

Has anyone done something like this? Thoughts?

 

[Eyes of Nine]

So, I have a group working through LMoP then will hit Storm King's Thunder. I have a second group of players that also want to game, but I don't have the bandwidth to run two different online campaigns. So, I'm thinking about having this second group join the first at the 5th level entry point at SKT.

6 players at once is more than I generally like, so I think I'd have this large combined group together for some of the key chapters, but the big sandbox exploration of Faerun and selecting which giant holds to explore seems like it could be done with different groups, so I can split the party to explore around. Instead of just one giant type being explored, it would be two. There's tons of wilderness encounters to cover two parties. Again, they could come back together for the big moments, but it would allow me to run two groups while only having to keep one narrative straight while also enabling me to make use of more of the SKT book.

It would make the game like the epic fantasy stories, LotR, DragonLance, etc where the party is split most of the time. if this works, i can see doing something similar with the exploration in ToA.

Has anyone done something like this? Thoughts?

What if you did a West Marches style campaign for the sandbox part of STK? Basically provide a bunch of days/times you can run. Then give 4 slots per time. Your players can sign up for the slots whenever it's convenient for them. The other players can attend as audience; but their player isn't actually there. May require some narrative elliding (or flat out ignoring) over "hey, Elf-Bob wasn't here in Yartar last week, but he's here this week" sort of stuff.

 

[Eltab]

You might want to build on the material about the various Ancient Dragons who are not getting involved - both groups are using the dragon as a sort-of patron (and of course the dragon is using them too). This gives an in-game reason why the two independent groups cooperate; once in a while they receive a message "Get over to XYZ quick!"
Old Klauth will send an airship to aid travel; this is my inspiration.
I have seen a 3e sourcebook Dragons of Faerun and websites on the same theme but do not remember any specific names or goals.

 

[Jack Hooligan]

Oh, wow, re-reading though the SKT book last night...almost every chapter has multiple branches with only one used in a given campaign. I could pretty much run two parties/campaigns in parallel with a few chance encounters together. maybe some of Chapter 3 and the Finale.

My first group is doing LMoP for levels 1-5...group 2 could do SKT chapter 1.
Each party defends a different town in Chapter 2.
Each party does their own exploration in Chapter 3. Again, maybe a few joint encounters. the first time they become aware another party is involved.
Each party explores a different Giant hold.
Come together at the end.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Oh, wow, re-reading though the SKT book last night...almost every chapter has multiple branches with only one used in a given campaign. I could pretty much run two parties/campaigns in parallel with a few chance encounters together. maybe some of Chapter 3 and the Finale.

My first group is doing LMoP for levels 1-5...group 2 could do SKT chapter 1.
Each party defends a different town in Chapter 2.
Each party does their own exploration in Chapter 3. Again, maybe a few joint encounters. the first time they become away another party is involved.
Each party explores a different Giant hold.
Come together at the end.

Definitely a good approach. Heck, there are 3 towns and 4 Giant holds and the entire vastness of the north. You could conceivably run 3 parties through.

 

[Jack Hooligan]

I can even have a few PCs die in SKT (but get raised), then have the next campaign be Tomb of Annihilation with the next generation of heroes going to Chult to save the heroes that saved Faerun in SKT.

The hexcrawl in ToA also can use multiple parties running around. I can even have the two parties have slightly different goals, one focus more on exploration and unlocking the tomb, with the other being more combat focused and look to go into the tomb.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself though...

 

[THEMNGMNT]

Mike Shea of slyflourish.com somewhat famously runs two groups and always has them play the same adventure. But they're essentially operating in parallel universes. The two groups can never meet or interact. It cuts down on his prep time a lot and the choices made by the players result in each adventure actually being very distinct.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Mike Shea of slyflourish.com somewhat famously runs two groups and always has them play the same adventure. But they're essentially operating in parallel universes. The two groups can never meet or interact. It cuts down on his prep time a lot and the choices made by the players result in each adventure actually being very distinct.

That's genius. I only have 1 group I'm really running for right now, but at one point had 2... I have a friend who's on his 3rd party/game group running through Tomb of A. Makes sense, you know what's up, you already have all the NPC character traits defined. And if you buy it on Roll20, your book doesn't even fall apart...

 

[THEMNGMNT]

And it works for him because he finishes one published adventure, then starts the next published adventure, and so on. He seems to be able to finish one of the WotC hardbacks in less than a year. So it never really gets stale or tired.