I recently started playing with DnD Beyond's VTT for my game and was looking for a map of level 1. I didn't find any that I liked very much so I decided to make my own map and share with everyone.
I created this map using incarnate, if anyone wants to clone the map and use it in their own games here's a link: https://inkarnate.com/m/VWzJgl
A while ago my players went into level 1, killed Harria and then left. Now they are returning and the Xanathar have taken control of the Undertakers but I want Harria's room to be haunted. Would it make more sense for her to be a ghost or a wraith?
My players escaped Alterdeep, and then escaped (with many of the other held NPCs) the Mindflayer colony heading north. While the Qualith doors gave them trouble, and they met some githyanki scouts who are hightailing back to the Creche to report that the Illithids are weakened (only to find the chaos the party caused on THAT level), they encounter the Neothelid.
I am considering having the NPCs and most of the PCs implanted with a tadpole. The Neothelid avoids those (ala Ripley and the Alien in Alien3) implanted and attacks the ones that didn't "take" (i.e. one is a shapeshifter, etc). It will actually defend the implanted ones, and fight the ones that are not. Knowing the party, they will fight it regardless. Then, following a long rest, they may develop a psionic ability (with a DC check that will progress from 2 as they use the ability(ies)). The Ultharid will visit them somehow (messenger, dream, telepathy) and warn them to return to the pods for their own safety (it keeps the tadpole from developing) and of course for his own nefarious reasons, in reality.
So, I am wondering, why was this not included in the original adventure as an option, nor in the Companion? Am I missing something from this seemingly awesome story plot line? Tell me what I'm missing - and yes, I know some rules are DM fiat in this process, and yes, I have played BG3.
Meloon Wardragon is a former member of Force Grey who has been implanted with a Xanathar intellect devourer.
The Xanathar would like to get even with the party. The Xanathar has taken full control of the 1st layer since my players killed the flesh golem in a earlier delve. How far in will Meloon go with them before turning on them? As soon as they go down? Their first encounter with the Xanathar forces? Or will he help them for a couple encounters before turning on them?
The evil part of me wants him to turn on the party as soon as they encounter Xanathar. But I can also see some merit in Meloon waiting until the party is tired and tries to take a rest.
Wanting some advice from people who have run it.
I’m going to be running this campaign for some friends soon and I’m wanting a bit more of a better reason to be invested in digging deeper into the dungeon than “here are vague side quests, jump in and go”. Maybe I’m wrong but the current starting motivation doesn’t feel great.
My players are pretty good, we’re just about finished with Vecna: Eve of Ruin and didn’t struggle much with it at all.
I’m thinking about starting the players on a ship, that’s either caught in a storm and dragged into however skullport is connected to the outside world, or they’re captured by pirates or someone from skullport and taken as prisoners.
Perhaps they are just in Waterdeep and kidnapped by the drow.
Point being, Is it a stupid idea to have them start in Skullport and have to go backwards through levels 3-1 to get to the top of the dungeon?
I’m thinking that for most adventurers who go down there, they probably only get a couple levels down. But if the party escape, they will have found either one of Halaster’s gates or a passage that connects to the lower levels (skullport and beyond)
I am aware that they’d be level 5 going through content for level 7s but with point buy, and some other stuff I don’t think it’d be wildly hard. Also a lot of the encounters seem to have a way to talk out of.
Thanks in advance.
I want to expand the Twisted Caverns but I'm looking for particularly source material from 2e or 3.5e to convert into 5e.
Each character has a specific card tied to their role or backstory, and I’m planning to use tweaked versions of these cards as major rewards later in the adventure once my party is approaching the endgame.
Alter (drow assassin rogue / beastmaster ranger) — Rogue
Chosen for straightforward thematic reasons tied to her role, and loyalty being a core value of hers.
Badul (goblin hexblade warlock) — Key
Reflects his reliance on and connection to a pact weapon, and power being a core value of his.
Caul (half-orc berserker barbarian) — Star
Linked to a recurring dream in his backstory of a dark star calling to him.
Jorxkin (gnome illusion wizard) — The Fates
Tied to a past mistake as a professor at Dweomercore that killed an entire class of students, after which he asked Halaster to cast modify memory on him to ease his suffering.
Peter (human battlesmith artificer) — Talons
Represents both his dependence on magic items and the red dragon symbolizing fortune in his past.
Victor (aasimar mercy monk) — Comet
Reflects his struggle for survival as a doctor seeking a cure for his radiant blood which threatens to consume him, this trial being one he ultimately must face alone.
I’m keeping the core effects mostly intact. The Fates allows a single event to be erased. Star increases an ability score by 2, up to 24. Comet grants a bonus level if the next encounter is handled solo. Rogue creates a permanent hostile NPC. Key produces a powerful weapon. Talons destroys all carried magic items.
As these are all intended to be rewards, I did make a few changes. The Rogue card can be reverse-pickpocketed onto another target, causing one of their allies to turn permanently against them. The Key has already been rewarded as the warlock's starting magic item and pact weapon: a black blade that can consume other magic weapons to gain their properties. It scales as the campaign goes on, but it also inherits any curses or sentience from weapons it absorbs. Talons becomes a sacrifice the bearer may invoke at a moment of their choosing. When called upon, every magic item they have ever owned is reduced to nothing but in that same instant, they can force the same fate onto another creature, stripping them of all magical items just as completely.
Curious how others would handle balance or placement of these rewards in the adventure. Considering these to be a reward for graduating Dweomercore, defeating Ezzat, or even later upon completing Shadowdusk Hold. Depending on the situation I may have these rewards paired with legitimate draws of specifically 'bad' cards from the Deck of Many Things or as a bargaining chip for Halaster to use to try and deter the party from getting in the way of his plans.