D&D 5E Tyranny of Dragons: Integrating the Bonds

[jayoungr]

EDIT 2: Speaking of Baldur's Gate, I also just ordered myself a copy of Murder in Baldur's Gate to help with fleshing that bit of the adventure out. I'm hoping maybe I'll be able to use some bits and pieces of the adventure, as well as the campaign guide.

If you can make that work, I'd be interested in hearing more about it. I had a similar thought and bought a copy of that adventure as well, but I ended up scrapping the idea. It's still a cool adventure, though, and I'd like to run it alone sometime.

 

[pukunui]

I had a similar thought and bought a copy of it as well, but I ended up scrapping the idea.

Any particular reason why?

 

[jayoungr]

Any particular reason why?

Well, my original idea was to run MiBG as a prologue and get the PCs to level 3 before starting HotDQ, making them more survivable in the raid on Greenest. But the two adventures aren't really connected thematically, and I couldn't see any good ways to bring the dragon-related bonds into MiBG. I also couldn't see a very easy way to send all the PCs to Greenest once the events of MiBG were over. On the whole, I thought that it would feel like what it was--two unrelated adventures tacked onto each other for no particular reason.

For purposes of what you are thinking of doing, the structure of MiBG might be more of a challenge. It's very tightly woven, with pretty much everything put into the service of mounting tension in the plotline, but in another way it's also very loose, with a great deal being dependent on choices the PCs make. As I recall, there are few if any encounters that can be just lifted out and dropped into another adventure. You could have the city-wide conflicts of MiBG happening as a backdrop when the PCs are there, I guess, but it would be hard to involve the PCs in any of them, and even describing them in any detail might be too intrusive. --That's how I remember it, anyway. You may think differently when you read it.

That said, it is definitely worth purchasing. It looks like an awesome adventure, for the right group, at least. And the sourcebook gives you a good overview of the city of Baldur's Gate and how it works. Plus, there's an NPC from MiBG who turns up in The Rise of Tiamat.

 

[pukunui]

As I recall, there are few if any encounters that can be just lifted out and dropped into another adventure.

Hmm. Well, if nothing else, I'm sure the campaign guide will give me some ideas. I definitely don't want to have the whole "return of Bhaal" thing going on while the PCs are there, though. For one thing, that was part of the Sundering, and my HotDQ campaign takes place after the Sundering has finished. For another, I don't want to throw in another deity trying to make a comeback, as that would just distract from the Tiamat storyline.

Plus, there's an NPC from MiBG who turns up in The Rise of Tiamat.

Right. Sir Isteval (from some of the other Sundering adventures) also shows up.

 

[pukunui]

If you can make that work, I'd be interested in hearing more about it. I had a similar thought and bought a copy of that adventure as well, but I ended up scrapping the idea.

My copy arrived yesterday and I've read through the adventure. I see what you mean about there not being much you can cut out and repurpose. I *might* use the encounter with the greedy toll collector dwarf (or a variation thereof), if I can get the PCs to explore the city a bit.

That being said, there's definitely some good info in the campaign guide. As I mentioned in your Enhancing HotDQ thread, there are a few people and places that one could easily tie to the cult.

The Blushing Mermaid tavern might be a place where cult agents go to meet. There might also be a cult presence in Little Calimshan since it's a) a den of thieves and b) Severing is a Calishite. The campaign guide also says that the Redlocks, a patriar family, secretly finance pirates and smugglers. They could be helping the cultists smuggle their loot through the city!