D&D 5E Tomb of Annihilation - how's it going so far?! **spoilers**

[MonsterEnvy]

I have a plot question for the boards:

At the start of the adventure Syndra Silvane directs the PCs to Chult, saying the origins of the curse is there. While the adventure doesn't explain how she know this, the DM'sGuild adventure "Cellar of Death" explains that a Lich (Zaldara) had "researched" it. Although neither NPC knows the exact location of the Soulmonger.

So, as others on this board have indicated, PCs will just have to wander the jungles blindly, while picking up bread-crumbs of info to lead them to Omu. (Sandbox).
While some groups might revel in endless random encounters in the jungle, others might flounder at the lack of a clear location to head towards.

Apart from somewhat eliminating the sandbox-style of this adventure, is there any risk in just telling them Syndra/Lich have discerned the Soulmonger's location is in Omu? Few PCs at 1st-level will have the resources to go directly there anyways (mitigating the risk of getting in over their heads too soon)...

Yeah it did. Syndra was found out that the source of the Curse was in Chult by a contact she knows in the Harpers.

 

[CapnZapp]

You likely know about it, although others may not -

http://thecampaign20xx.blogspot.ca/2017/09/dungeons-dragons-guide-to-tomb-of.html

Looks like he's still working on it. It's really long, and a lot of information from the book is repeated (which I find unnecessary). His guide to CoS was useful, and had some great tips for putting it all together.

To be honest it feels like Tomb overwhelmed him - much of his blog post is essentially just repeating what's in the book.

I expect a deeper analysis. I want the connections between each locations to be neatly collected. I want to be able to answer questions like "who and where can info on Nanny Pupu be gotten?" "Who knows anything about location X". Ideally both ways: first a list of every information giver and where their info leads; then a list of every target location or NPC (or treasure etc), and backlinks to each entity giving the smallest scrap of info regarding that item.

I think his long LONG list of encounters and locations from the book is much less useful than his previous guides. It basically drowns under its own weight. I'm getting the vibe he started out with high hopes and then got so tired he never stopped to question the usefulness of bruteforcing the entire module start to finish...

 

[robus]

I think his long LONG list of encounters and locations from the book is much less useful than his previous guides. It basically drowns under its own weight. I'm getting the vibe he started out with high hopes and then got so tired he never stopped to question the usefulness of bruteforcing the entire module start to finish...

That's disappointing. I do think WotC have stuffed an awful lot into this adventure. The whole Artus Cimber/Frost Giant thing seems quite peripheral (and will be gone if/when I run it) and yet reference to Artus keeps popping up throughout the adventure (mostly "if you haven't met him yet, perhaps he's here?!?" ) I think what would have been more cool would be gathering some clues to the location of Omu and when you have 3 the location is revealed. Sort of like when Indy has the light shine through the staff onto the map of the city. In fact it would have been cool to have a model of Chult in the Hanging Gardens for exactly that kind of thing...

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

To be honest it feels like Tomb overwhelmed him - much of his blog post is essentially just repeating what's in the book.

I expect a deeper analysis. I want the connections between each locations to be neatly collected. I want to be able to answer questions like "who and where can info on Nanny Pupu be gotten?" "Who knows anything about location X". Ideally both ways: first a list of every information giver and where their info leads; then a list of every target location or NPC (or treasure etc), and backlinks to each entity giving the smallest scrap of info regarding that item.

I think his long LONG list of encounters and locations from the book is much less useful than his previous guides. It basically drowns under its own weight. I'm getting the vibe he started out with high hopes and then got so tired he never stopped to question the usefulness of bruteforcing the entire module start to finish...

I agree, although really appreciate the work he's done.

When I started CoS his guide really helped get me rolling, and after things were clicking along I didn't use his guide much after that.

Perhaps even more so, ToA needs to start off with bang and get rolling early. Unfortunately, that's always the toughest part! I think once my party starts exploring things will start to rock & roll. Going to offer 2 choices to start and see how that goes once the exploring starts.

 

[Nebulous]

That's disappointing. I do think WotC have stuffed an awful lot into this adventure. The whole Artus Cimber/Frost Giant thing seems quite peripheral (and will be gone if/when I run it) and yet reference to Artus keeps popping up throughout the adventure (mostly "if you haven't met him yet, perhaps he's here?!?" ) I think what would have been more cool would be gathering some clues to the location of Omu and when you have 3 the location is revealed. Sort of like when Indy has the light shine through the staff onto the map of the city. In fact it would have been cool to have a model of Chult in the Hanging Gardens for exactly that kind of thing...

They really DO push the Artus Cimber thing and the Ring of Winter don't they? I guess it's just a tie in to previous story lines, and might make more sense for continuity. My players don't have any clue who Artus or the Ring is, so it might seem really left field to have Frost Giants in the adventure. Then again, I'm not adverse to it, it would be a real shock to see them, and Artus as a potential ally in the Tomb of Nine Gods would be useful.

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

I do love the visual of a bunch of really vexed giants stomping around the jungle (and hating every minute of it).

Forget as an ally, perhaps there will be an opportunity for a player to use Cimber (or Dragonbait) after their PC is horribly wiped out along the way!

 

[Nebulous]

I do love the visual of a bunch of really vexed giants stomping around the jungle (and hating every minute of it).

Forget as an ally, perhaps there will be an opportunity for a player to use Cimber (or Dragonbait) after their PC is horribly wiped out along the way!

I might use it for that very reason, pissed off frost giants, and I have 3 or 4 minis i've never used. Lol, there might even be one on a mammoth. How the F can I justify a mammoth in Chult???

It's their steamroller, crushing down trees as they advance, lol

 

[CapnZapp]

I agree, although really appreciate the work he's done.

When I started CoS his guide really helped get me rolling, and after things were clicking along I didn't use his guide much after that.

Perhaps even more so, ToA needs to start off with bang and get rolling early. Unfortunately, that's always the toughest part! I think once my party starts exploring things will start to rock & roll. Going to offer 2 choices to start and see how that goes once the exploring starts.

Don't know if I said this in this or another thread, but here goes:

I'm thinking teleporting right into Port Nyanzaru is a bit overwhelming, and draws away focus from the exploration theme.

I think it's simpler to feature a "starter town", and the choice here is really simple: there's only Fort Beluarian to choose

Especially if you start at level 1 (I'm starting at level 5).

Furthermore: I want to begin in the jungle right away, so I'm considering 'porting them right into a tomb, temple or somesuch. (I am considering Hidden Shrine of Tamachoan, but it really is too long and too... sloggish(?) so either I find some other tomb or I'll have to cut it into pieces)

Then when they climb out (hopefully sooner than later) they're greeted by the Flaming Fist, and the infodump can commence. Without getting dazzled by PN at the same time, that is. They will want to "escape" Fort Beluarian as soon as they realize the Flaming Fist is serious about the half share thing anyway.

 

[CapnZapp]

The issue I'm wrestlig with right now is how to motivate the jungle exploration.

As I've stated elsewhere (or here?) I'm not too keen on springing the countdown on them right away, since that
a) makes "aimless" exploration extra frustrating; i.e. it defeats the notion of "an enjoyable hexcrawl"
b) it really means they need to find out about Omu straight away. Asking players to do "aimless hexcrawling" when all they want to do is find hex 96 is not a good idea.

So there needs to be goals. Preferably in layers, so the players understand there's a (distant or vague) threat called the Soulmonger, but that they need to explore the jungle to find out more. They should know about the wasting disease from the start. The connection to Soulmonger doesn't have to be confirmed at this stage.

The countdown starts when a PC gets herself killed or whenever the DM decides to introduce Syndra.

That's where the "mindmap" of the adventure comes in!

I really want to gain a complete understanding of all the various threads you can follow up on, and how they eventually lead to Omu. In the meanwhile, there needs to be rumors of faboulous treasure that draws adventurers into the jungle all by itself. We can't expect PCs to endure all the hardship just because. And I really dislike starting yet another campaign by "you're my only hope - the world is ending and only YOU can save it".

I mean something like (again making up stuff just for the sake of example) "you can find omu through clue chain A B C or D":
A) find Batiri goblin tribe, gain their trust, get sent to Nanny Papu, kill Pterafolk, get sent to Orumangu, get Omu coordinates
B) find Weretiger, have audience with whats-her-face the Medusa, get vague Omu directions, preferably stumble upon Kir Sabal on the way, debate whether to return to the gardens, --> Omu
C) I don't know: grunlungdung, something something Hrak-mine, kill Red Dragon, loot map to Omu
D) really stretching it now...

Of course you can "mix the streams" - if the party is following up on one treasure lead, they go from Nanny Papu to Kir Sabal. That's okay - they eventually find Omu info anyway.

Point is: all this is incredibly difficult to overview. Without someone's help

 

[Banesfinger]

That's where the "mindmap" of the adventure comes in! ... I really want to gain a complete understanding of all the various threads you can follow up on, and how they eventually lead to Omu. In the meanwhile, there needs to be rumors of faboulous treasure that draws adventurers into the jungle all by itself. ... Point is: all this is incredibly difficult to overview. Without someone's help

I completely agree. I'd buy something like that off DMs Guild if it were available. Especially if it added little details that the adventure left out: for example, how long does it take to sail from Waterdeep or Baldar's Gate to Chult/Port Nyanzaru?