So, two of my players have expressed interest in Tiamat, one being a sorcerer kobold who reveres her and fangirls over every bit of Tiamat lore she can find, and her constant dragonborn companion and vigilante of their city, who might easily be on board helping the kobold with her dragon worshipping aspirations.
This being the case, you should know that I'm setting the game in Neverwinter, and intend to shoehorn a Descent into Avernus style adventure here at higher levels, and for the first several levels just have a lighter game, less to do with devils just to acquaint the players with the city if I can. I am also thinking that perhaps I can rope the party into doing a couple of missions for the Cult of the Dragon (when they reach level 4 or 5?), though I'm not sure how to implement them just yet.
I realise, as a consequence, that doesn't leave me with a lot of options for foes in the region. I can't have them fight the Ashmadai, because they'll be needed later to plot the descent into Avernus, and I can't have them fight the Cult of the Dragon or kobolds, because they may or may not become allies. I'm hesitant to throw Thay in because they could be seen as "just another cult" and I'd rather not have each faction be too similar to the last. I'd like a few different threats for thematically different adventures.
TL/DR:
How can I propose the Cult of the Dragon as potential party patrons and/or allies?
Have you got any ideas for a few different quests or potential enemies I could use?
Thanks for reading guys, I would greatly appreciate any input you might have! :)
Looking at Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat, there's a section in the first chapter of each, going over the villians and allies. If your characters want to join the Cult of the Dragon, then the details in that could help with how they could get a patron (possibly find a moderate ranked cult member who assigns them tasks to rise in the cult?)
Potentially, needing a new set of enemies, if leaning into supporting the cult of the dragon, one (or more) of the normal allied organisations could turn against them? Alternatively, you could setup another criminal enterprise built around a boss, like with 'The Black Spider' of Lost Mines
You could easily frame it that the Zhentarim are trying to move in on some of the Cult of the Dragon places or activites. They are an easy foe that you'll see in a lot of the literature. They have different motives and greed is woven throughout.
Looking at Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat, there's a section in the first chapter of each, going over the villians and allies. If your characters want to join the Cult of the Dragon, then the details in that could help with how they could get a patron (possibly find a moderate ranked cult member who assigns them tasks to rise in the cult?)
Potentially, needing a new set of enemies, if leaning into supporting the cult of the dragon, one (or more) of the normal allied organisations could turn against them? Alternatively, you could setup another criminal enterprise built around a boss, like with 'The Black Spider' of Lost Mines
Good advice! I don't actually own the Tyranny of Dragons books yet, I just understand the general premise, but I'll have to see if I can borrow it from my previous DM and give it a flick through for the faction information.
I think having major factions like the Harper's or the Lord's Alliance might be kinda too powerful an enemy though
A criminal network could be useful, I know Neverwinter has a thieves guild made up entirely of wererats, so they could work. But I suppose in large numbers they'll be a bit powerful for a low level party, unless maybe I find or make a homebrew lesser wererat statblock...
That's a good idea! I guess in a way 5e kinda underplay the evilness of the Zhentarim that prior content presented, but even if their work is nothing personal, they'd certainly be a pretty cool enemy faction
The Cult of Tiamat is pretty universally treated as a villainous organization in all of the literature, so it sounds like your players are setting up for a villain campaign. In that case, the antagonists could be a group of more traditional heroes. It could be fun to, say... take the pre-made heroes from something like Lost Mines of Phandelver and have them at odds with your players.
In the same way that you'd not have the PC's have to fight the upper tiers of the villain organisations, maybe the local group of Harper's interfere?
That's absolutely possible, and definitely a great idea if they do turn down a darker path!
I recently read the Brimstone Angels novels, and I quite liked their portrayal in the series. Before then I was never really sure they'd be that exciting of a faction, then I realised, wow, these guys are actually pretty baddass
The Cult of Tiamat is pretty universally treated as a villainous organization in all of the literature, so it sounds like your players are setting up for a villain campaign. In that case, the antagonists could be a group of more traditional heroes. It could be fun to, say... take the pre-made heroes from something like Lost Mines of Phandelver and have them at odds with your players.
That's definitely possible, and I'm mentally preparing myself for things to go off the rails and evil at some point! But the characters themselves, at least according to the little backstory I've read, are not that malevolent yet.
The kobold sorceress just hoarded draconic lore (stolen from temples) like they were marvel comics. The Dragonborn is an ex-militia (batman-style?) vigilantes, sick of corruption, taking dealing out justice into his own hands. They then met, the kobold became infatuated, thinking he was a true dragon, and has followed him as an annoying little fangirly sidekick ever since. (Honestly I don't even think the players knew anything about Tiamat until I mentioned her a couple of times)
Those are just two of the party members, I haven't heard anything about the other three yet, but they're relatively new players so I'm not expecting much in the way of backstory.
I know one is a college of whispers bard, another is an air genasi rogue. The last is a stereotypical elven ranger, which is easy enough for me to make up on my own, probably being from Sharandar in Neverwinter Wood.
I don't expect them to live and breathe the Cult of the Dragon, just take little side quests here and there to sate the kobolds worship of dragons and Tiamat, and possibly setting up hooks for DiA too. That being said, if they wanna make it a full time career, how can I say no??? :)
That would be a lot of fun actually, having the Phandelver adventurers counter them, I would be delighted to do that actually.
In fact, drawing further from Phandelver, Venomfang (who I prefer to call Chaarthraxis after a green dragon boss in the Neverwinter MMO), would make an ideal quest for the cult right? Assist the cult by pursuading Venomfang to their side, or some other motive entirely...
Ooh that Venomfang idea sounds great! It's something that's not overtly evil... in fact, good-oriented players would still be willing to help challenge a dragon in a manner that can be resolved peacefully and hopefully get a dragon ally they can contact at some point in the future. I think that's a good direction to focus any quests they go on that involves the cult... stuff that's, y'know... helpful towards a generally evil cult, but that avoids quests like "Sneak into this Temple, murder everyone and steal some magic hat they've got sitting on a statue".
Absolutely, I guess running with death and violence being second priority, another could be a small heist. Sneaking into the Temple of Oghma and stealing facets of a resurrection ritual they can use on a long dead dragon.
Or a quest to a bronze dragons dragon's lair to take a precious relic the creature took in a past conflict with the cult. This one however might not be such a good idea, seeing as though it's still a pretty darn powerful monster
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So, two of my players have expressed interest in Tiamat, one being a sorcerer kobold who reveres her and fangirls over every bit of Tiamat lore she can find, and her constant dragonborn companion and vigilante of their city, who might easily be on board helping the kobold with her dragon worshipping aspirations.
This being the case, you should know that I'm setting the game in Neverwinter, and intend to shoehorn a Descent into Avernus style adventure here at higher levels, and for the first several levels just have a lighter game, less to do with devils just to acquaint the players with the city if I can. I am also thinking that perhaps I can rope the party into doing a couple of missions for the Cult of the Dragon (when they reach level 4 or 5?), though I'm not sure how to implement them just yet.
I realise, as a consequence, that doesn't leave me with a lot of options for foes in the region. I can't have them fight the Ashmadai, because they'll be needed later to plot the descent into Avernus, and I can't have them fight the Cult of the Dragon or kobolds, because they may or may not become allies. I'm hesitant to throw Thay in because they could be seen as "just another cult" and I'd rather not have each faction be too similar to the last. I'd like a few different threats for thematically different adventures.
TL/DR:
Thanks for reading guys, I would greatly appreciate any input you might have! :)
Looking at Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat, there's a section in the first chapter of each, going over the villians and allies. If your characters want to join the Cult of the Dragon, then the details in that could help with how they could get a patron (possibly find a moderate ranked cult member who assigns them tasks to rise in the cult?)
Potentially, needing a new set of enemies, if leaning into supporting the cult of the dragon, one (or more) of the normal allied organisations could turn against them? Alternatively, you could setup another criminal enterprise built around a boss, like with 'The Black Spider' of Lost Mines
You could easily frame it that the Zhentarim are trying to move in on some of the Cult of the Dragon places or activites. They are an easy foe that you'll see in a lot of the literature. They have different motives and greed is woven throughout.
Good advice! I don't actually own the Tyranny of Dragons books yet, I just understand the general premise, but I'll have to see if I can borrow it from my previous DM and give it a flick through for the faction information.
I think having major factions like the Harper's or the Lord's Alliance might be kinda too powerful an enemy though
A criminal network could be useful, I know Neverwinter has a thieves guild made up entirely of wererats, so they could work. But I suppose in large numbers they'll be a bit powerful for a low level party, unless maybe I find or make a homebrew lesser wererat statblock...
That's a good idea! I guess in a way 5e kinda underplay the evilness of the Zhentarim that prior content presented, but even if their work is nothing personal, they'd certainly be a pretty cool enemy faction
In the same way that you'd not have the PC's have to fight the upper tiers of the villain organisations, maybe the local group of Harper's interfere?
The Cult of Tiamat is pretty universally treated as a villainous organization in all of the literature, so it sounds like your players are setting up for a villain campaign. In that case, the antagonists could be a group of more traditional heroes. It could be fun to, say... take the pre-made heroes from something like Lost Mines of Phandelver and have them at odds with your players.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
That's absolutely possible, and definitely a great idea if they do turn down a darker path!
I recently read the Brimstone Angels novels, and I quite liked their portrayal in the series. Before then I was never really sure they'd be that exciting of a faction, then I realised, wow, these guys are actually pretty baddass
That's definitely possible, and I'm mentally preparing myself for things to go off the rails and evil at some point! But the characters themselves, at least according to the little backstory I've read, are not that malevolent yet.
The kobold sorceress just hoarded draconic lore (stolen from temples) like they were marvel comics. The Dragonborn is an ex-militia (batman-style?) vigilantes, sick of corruption, taking dealing out justice into his own hands. They then met, the kobold became infatuated, thinking he was a true dragon, and has followed him as an annoying little fangirly sidekick ever since. (Honestly I don't even think the players knew anything about Tiamat until I mentioned her a couple of times)
Those are just two of the party members, I haven't heard anything about the other three yet, but they're relatively new players so I'm not expecting much in the way of backstory.
I know one is a college of whispers bard, another is an air genasi rogue. The last is a stereotypical elven ranger, which is easy enough for me to make up on my own, probably being from Sharandar in Neverwinter Wood.
I don't expect them to live and breathe the Cult of the Dragon, just take little side quests here and there to sate the kobolds worship of dragons and Tiamat, and possibly setting up hooks for DiA too. That being said, if they wanna make it a full time career, how can I say no??? :)
That would be a lot of fun actually, having the Phandelver adventurers counter them, I would be delighted to do that actually.
In fact, drawing further from Phandelver, Venomfang (who I prefer to call Chaarthraxis after a green dragon boss in the Neverwinter MMO), would make an ideal quest for the cult right? Assist the cult by pursuading Venomfang to their side, or some other motive entirely...
Ooh that Venomfang idea sounds great! It's something that's not overtly evil... in fact, good-oriented players would still be willing to help challenge a dragon in a manner that can be resolved peacefully and hopefully get a dragon ally they can contact at some point in the future. I think that's a good direction to focus any quests they go on that involves the cult... stuff that's, y'know... helpful towards a generally evil cult, but that avoids quests like "Sneak into this Temple, murder everyone and steal some magic hat they've got sitting on a statue".
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Absolutely, I guess running with death and violence being second priority, another could be a small heist. Sneaking into the Temple of Oghma and stealing facets of a resurrection ritual they can use on a long dead dragon.
Or a quest to a bronze dragons dragon's lair to take a precious relic the creature took in a past conflict with the cult. This one however might not be such a good idea, seeing as though it's still a pretty darn powerful monster