Sometime after Covid lets up and I can meet with my group in person (I'm not DMing online, both because I'd prefer to learn the relevant software in person from one of my group, and because doing it from home would make voice acting awkward due to my living situation), I'm planning to DM Descent into Avernus as my first campaign (don't worry, I've done a one shot, and I've got plenty of experience as a player). I have asked the likely people in my party, and the general mood I get is that between Act 1 and Acts 2-5, they would like to stay in Baldur's Gate a little rather than speed through that section. I've thought of a few things they could do in the city besides what is just in the book:
Suggest to the players that if they are members of any of the five factions, they should tell me and I can write a sidequest related to their faction.
Related to the above, the person who knows about their dark secret will likely be Nine Fingers Keene, but rather than confront the party about it, she'll send someone in her stead to blackmail them. Unless the party wants her to leak the secret to Captain Zodge, they'll undertake a mission for Keene to investigate the Order of the Gauntlet's known hideout (I'm having Szaar Mansion double as the Gravemaker Crew hideout and the Gauntlet headquarters) for intelligence on where their safe house within the city is. If the party goes along with it or tries to double cross her is on them.
After the Dungeon of the Dead Three, if the party tells Captain Zodge about the Vanthampurs, I'm planning to have him angrily cut them off and tell them to focus on the Dead Three Cult, since he doesn't want any trouble from the duchess. This might encourage the players to pursue something before I railroad them back into the plot.
I'll post some stuff on our secret Facebook group page that has a lot of the information in the Baldur's Gate Gazetteer. Obviously, I won't include any information that the average citizen wouldn't know about, nor will I put the "shellfish poisoning" of Bormul House right next to the shantytown murderer.
That's all I could think of off the top of my head, but I'd appreciate any thoughts you guys might have.
If the Vanthampurs are vanquished, you have a political crisis. Only two dukes are left, and Patriars will want seats at that council. Also, one of the city states rulers was just revealed to have been plotting to deliver the city state to Hell, and it's "secret not for discussion" that many patriars consort with infernal forces (The Knights of the Shield being but one). Krieg has also been exposed. Between. the Lower City and the Outer City and the influx of Elturel refugees, sounds like time for an uprising. In my game, due to personal losses Zodge suffered during Cult of the Dead Three's campaign, he actually pulls the Faming Fist to sit out of the riot and let the people move on the Upper City. When the 2nd in Command of the Flaming Fist returns from Chult, things are tense since her Baldur's Gate garrison doesn't want to be involved in advancing her Uncle's authority over the city. The FR factions, observe but aren't really interested in intervening in the volatility, many taking the "let it burn" approach with plans to move in once the vacuum stabilizes.
Sometime after Covid lets up and I can meet with my group in person (I'm not DMing online, both because I'd prefer to learn the relevant software in person from one of my group, and because doing it from home would make voice acting awkward due to my living situation), I'm planning to DM Descent into Avernus as my first campaign (don't worry, I've done a one shot, and I've got plenty of experience as a player). I have asked the likely people in my party, and the general mood I get is that between Act 1 and Acts 2-5, they would like to stay in Baldur's Gate a little rather than speed through that section. I've thought of a few things they could do in the city besides what is just in the book:
That's all I could think of off the top of my head, but I'd appreciate any thoughts you guys might have.
If the Vanthampurs are vanquished, you have a political crisis. Only two dukes are left, and Patriars will want seats at that council. Also, one of the city states rulers was just revealed to have been plotting to deliver the city state to Hell, and it's "secret not for discussion" that many patriars consort with infernal forces (The Knights of the Shield being but one). Krieg has also been exposed. Between. the Lower City and the Outer City and the influx of Elturel refugees, sounds like time for an uprising. In my game, due to personal losses Zodge suffered during Cult of the Dead Three's campaign, he actually pulls the Faming Fist to sit out of the riot and let the people move on the Upper City. When the 2nd in Command of the Flaming Fist returns from Chult, things are tense since her Baldur's Gate garrison doesn't want to be involved in advancing her Uncle's authority over the city. The FR factions, observe but aren't really interested in intervening in the volatility, many taking the "let it burn" approach with plans to move in once the vacuum stabilizes.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.