My group are just finishing up in the lost mines of phandelver and i am wanting to start with Tyranny of dragons as a follow on campaign. I like the pre written campaigns but i do also tweak and modify them quite a bit. Ive been looking at hoard of the dragon queen which we will start with and there is a lot... just wondering if anybody who has played it has anything they would recommend avoiding or altering
If you have an original edition of the Hoard of Dragon Queen, change the 4 assassins in the Chapter 4 random event to 4 veterans. I ran this when it came out and TPK’d the party. 4 CR 8s made quick work of 4 4th level PCs.
In the first encounter in the city, maybe give them only one fight instead of making them fight each enemy they come across, as that'll make the session an enormous combat slog.
I started my table at level 3 so I wouldn't worry about TPKs early on; I also switched to XP versus milestone, though that may or may not work in all cases. My table has strayed very very far from the MAW, so I've had to be very creative with extemporaneous places and encounters, which has actually added to the investment by the players into the campaign. It's great fun.
The book doesn't do Baldur's Gate, Elturel, or Waterdeep justice. Don't be afraid to describe the immensity of civilization to them in these moments. Elturel with its perpetual globe of sun is sooo unique. Baldur's Gate with its narrow streets and steep hills. Waterdeep with the Walking Statues and just that there's over a million souls living in that small space. Give these places life, make the environment and atmosphere relatable.
My group are just finishing up in the lost mines of phandelver and i am wanting to start with Tyranny of dragons as a follow on campaign. I like the pre written campaigns but i do also tweak and modify them quite a bit. Ive been looking at hoard of the dragon queen which we will start with and there is a lot... just wondering if anybody who has played it has anything they would recommend avoiding or altering
:)
If you have an original edition of the Hoard of Dragon Queen, change the 4 assassins in the Chapter 4 random event to 4 veterans. I ran this when it came out and TPK’d the party. 4 CR 8s made quick work of 4 4th level PCs.
In the first encounter in the city, maybe give them only one fight instead of making them fight each enemy they come across, as that'll make the session an enormous combat slog.
Orange Juice!
I started my table at level 3 so I wouldn't worry about TPKs early on; I also switched to XP versus milestone, though that may or may not work in all cases. My table has strayed very very far from the MAW, so I've had to be very creative with extemporaneous places and encounters, which has actually added to the investment by the players into the campaign. It's great fun.
The book doesn't do Baldur's Gate, Elturel, or Waterdeep justice. Don't be afraid to describe the immensity of civilization to them in these moments. Elturel with its perpetual globe of sun is sooo unique. Baldur's Gate with its narrow streets and steep hills. Waterdeep with the Walking Statues and just that there's over a million souls living in that small space. Give these places life, make the environment and atmosphere relatable.
Are you starting the campaign with new level 1 characters or continuing with the characters from your Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign?
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