D&D 5E Unsandboxing Princes of the Apocalypse

Once again I think it's illustrated fine.

Well, there's no illustration showing how the different levels fit together. Nor are there any labels on the map reading "this way to the. . ."

So the connections between the levels aren't illustrated *at all*. Much less "well." I mean, I'm glad you like it. That illustration you made is great! Be nice if something like it were in the book!
 

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Well, there's no illustration showing how the different levels fit together. Nor are there any labels on the map reading "this way to the. . ."

So the connections between the levels aren't illustrated *at all*. Much less "well." I mean, I'm glad you like it. That illustration you made is great! Be nice if something like it were in the book!

I'm not sure why you need labels "on" the map when the whole dungeon is keyed. The connections are explained well enough IMO.

The only gotcha that I would point out is that once you do have this mega dungeon laid out, the haunted keeps with their individual entrances to these underground levels don't exactly line up on the surface world.
 

I'm not sure why you need labels "on" the map when the whole dungeon is keyed. The connections are explained well enough IMO.

The only gotcha that I would point out is that once you do have this mega dungeon laid out, the haunted keeps with their individual entrances to these underground levels don't exactly line up on the surface world.

There is a lot of space between the haunted Keeps and the entrances to the Temple. An Underground River, a massive amount of stairs, A long tunnel, a large cave under the keep. They don't need to line up because their is a good deal of space between the entrances.
 

Definitely looks this way. I'm just about to start my campaign, and I have a feeling the party will hit at least one of the strongholds in wrong order. If they do the 5th level stronghold at 4th level, it becomes much harder, but not deadly. If they go straight to the toughest strongholds, they should quickly realize that this is too much and have to retreat, or risk a TPK.

One level off isn't anything to worry about. 5e's flatter math makes this kind of thing a lot more doable that the previous couple of editions.

The PCs in my game got to Red Larch at Level 5, and the place they first found out about was Scarlet Moon Hall. It was a tough fight when they first got there, but even after retreating after the battle in the courtyard, and the defences the cultists put up subsequently, they still cleaned house when they got back.

We last ended with them finding the entrance to the temple...they might be in for a rude awakening if they head down there, but I let them know this is a sandbox and that not every encounter is keyed to their level. They're pretty careful when they discover something new.
 




Not in love with that answer. I'm inclined to connect them by long geographic features but not to each other except for connect via the Fane of the Eye.

You could do it that way. But the temple is a single temple, built by dwarves. The fane was built beneath it by drow. Nothing wrong with changing that up, but that's how it was written.
 

Not in love with that answer. I'm inclined to connect them by long geographic features but not to each other except for connect via the Fane of the Eye.

I would not do that. The temple works so much better when it's connected together. Pretty much look at the map of the Valley. The Temple is more or less underground in the middle of the 4 haunted keeps. Each keep has a pathway near it or in it that leads underground to the Temple.
 

There is a lot of space between the haunted Keeps and the entrances to the Temple. An Underground River, a massive amount of stairs, A long tunnel, a large cave under the keep. They don't need to line up because their is a good deal of space between the entrances.

Okay fine, but IMO they could line up better than they do. On the overland map, Sacred Stone Monastery is south of Rivergard Keep. But the Temple of the Black Earth is actually north of the Temple of the Crushing Wave. That's backwards.
The underground stream from RK to ToCW is described as being 3 miles long in a westerly direction from the keep (not south). The cave passage leading from SSM to ToBE is only 1/4 mile. Each hex on the Dessarin Valley map is 10miles. The two Keeps are at least 1 hex apart from each other.
Since the location of Sacred Stone Monastery doesn't make sense in terms of the "Shallow Graves" placement either, it may be worth moving it.
 

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