D&D 5E Tonight's CoD: Amber Temple - any tips?

[Morrus]

Looks like the PCs will be going to the Amber Temple tonight. Their likely last destination before Castle Ravenloft.

Any tips, advice, thoughts, or observations?

 

[Prakriti]

Make it creepy. Here's the playlist I used when I ran it.

Consider removing Neferon from the central chamber or changing him into an RP encounter. The flameskulls are deadly enough as it is.

 

[Morrus]

I'm not using any of the secret doors. Making them all normal doors.

Question - how are the PCs supposed to find the passwords to each of the vaults? I can't find the answer to that anywhere. Probably just missing it.

 

[maxed]

The lich has the passwords. Details are on page 189.

 

[Morrus]

Oh, that's a bit anticlimactic. So they're either all locked or all unlocked just depending on whether they have the lich on side?

Hmm. I have 30 mins. Need to come up with a better idea.

 

[Prakriti]

Oh, that's a bit anticlimactic. So they're either all locked or all unlocked just depending on whether they have the lich on side?

Hmm. I have 30 mins. Need to come up with a better idea.

The doors are made of amber and can be broken down (in fact, the vault changes depending on whether the characters break down its door or not).

When I ran the Amber Temple, I had the party find a partial map of the place, with some of the passwords listed on it.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Oh, that's a bit anticlimactic. So they're either all locked or all unlocked just depending on whether they have the lich on side?

Hmm. I have 30 mins. Need to come up with a better idea.

If you don't want the Lich to hold the answers...or don't want only that....then I would say to place the passwords in the main library somewhere. Allow the PCs to research the books there and come up with the passwords for some or all of the amber vaults.

Or you could simply allow the PCs access to the vaults without the need for passwords. The whole Temple certainly plays better with access to the vaults and possible bargaining with the vestiges within....so maybe say whatever magic once protected the vaults has faded? Something like that.

 

[Morrus]

I was thinking maybe printing out some clues so they could match the passwords to the vaults, but I'm out of prep time. Gotta leave for the game. Should've prepped earlier!

 

[maxed]

My party never found the lich. Since the doors are locked with Arcane Lock, they just cast Dispel Magic on each door.