We have been playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen and our DM just moved away. I've decided to step in since our group still wants to play and is really engaged.
The DM heavily modified the module and just told me that the last encounter we had was of his own design, but that he was trying to end the adventure since he knew he was leaving. But I guess he didn't have enough time. There was a dragon attacking the city, and while that was going on, there were enemies invading through a breach in the wall. We stopped them but ended with the dragon destroying half of the city.
Anyway, I'm wondering if I should try to wrap things up for the group or just start a new campaign. And if I start something new, do I have the group roll new characters?
This isn't my first time as a DM, but I am by no means experienced, so any input would be much appreciated.
We have been playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen and our DM just moved away. I've decided to step in since our group still wants to play and is really engaged.
The DM heavily modified the module and just told me that the last encounter we had was of his own design, but that he was trying to end the adventure since he knew he was leaving. But I guess he didn't have enough time. There was a dragon attacking the city, and while that was going on, there were enemies invading through a breach in the wall. We stopped them but ended with the dragon destroying half of the city.
Anyway, I'm wondering if I should try to wrap things up for the group or just start a new campaign. And if I start something new, do I have the group roll new characters?
This isn't my first time as a DM, but I am by no means experienced, so any input would be much appreciated.
*insert surge of wild magic thing here* and time warp all the current players, and revert levels and such, to the start of campaign, and all they get is a “strange sense of deja vu” occasionally.
i personally might just roll new chars, but if you didn’t want to do that, I gave you an option that’s fairly easy to do and won’t cause much trouble.
If I were in this boat... I would prepare to do my own campaign from square one, but while doing so, I would try to find a way to finish what you guys had started. I think your fellow players will appreciate the effort and the sense of closure. Even if you can’t do the entire adventure “as printed,” it will be nice to see how these characters end up.
Then I would say “OK, everyone roll new characters and we are starting a new campaign.” When it’s good and ready, of course.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
The big question is what do you want to do? If you enjoyed the storyline, and want to keep it going, that's great. Maybe get it back on track with the module if that's your thing, or just run with it.
If however you don't know where to go with the story then reroll. I understand the desire to keep a good game going, but if your story telling heart isn't into it, it will fail.
You could also compromise, run a game or two and finish that story up, then do your own. That might make both you and your players happy, and a good story should get a proper ending.
You can reskin the final encounter, and as well, think about setting your own plot hooks for how you want the rest of the story to go.
As others have mentioned, you could do a complete reset, but if you and your group are enjoying the story, think about the other character's backstorys and see if you can throw a fishing line or two out and see who bites. You can use that to shape later encounters.
Another alternative, is a brief "time jump" where you keep the same characters (after the current resolution of conflict) and say that "3 months later you get together again and ...." and at that point start your own campaign.
Hope that wasn't too rambly and it helped!
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I know the other players are fond of their characters, and the story has been ok. The time jump idea sounds like something they would get behind, and we have yet to tie in our backstories, so that would be fun to do.
I'm thinking I should sit down with them and get their input and go from there. Thanks again for all the help!
I know the other players are fond of their characters, and the story has been ok. The time jump idea sounds like something they would get behind, and we have yet to tie in our backstories, so that would be fun to do.
I'm thinking I should sit down with them and get their input and go from there. Thanks again for all the help!
I think your on the right track there. The players should have some say too, after all they have time invested in their characters and may not want new ones.
I know. I've been reading through the next set of adventures in the essentials kit and I've decided we're going to start there. The problem now is coming up with some sort of closure for the current campaign and segue into this one.
My DM suggested I have the party fail at stopping the dragon and have them whisked away by a patron or god to safety, dropping them along the Sword Coast near the start of the new adventure. I think it's kind of cliche, but he did the same thing to us early on and no seemed put off by it.
Instead of that, maybe do a finisher game where the party has to get refugees out of the city while the dragon and its minions are destroying things. They aren't going to beat a dragon, but they can save as many people as they can.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
Instead of that, maybe do a finisher game where the party has to get refugees out of the city while the dragon and its minions are destroying things. They aren't going to beat a dragon, but they can save as many people as they can.
That sounds great! This will give you the chance to change the current Main Plot or just shift the PCs around the map without some god teleporting everyone.
Also, if it helps, the D&D Adventure League adventure "DDEX1-14 Escape from Phlan" is exactly this scenario with a green dragon being the dragon laying siege to the city.
Escape from Phlan
Three important citizens of Phlan, who stand against the tyrannical dragon that rules, seek to escape and find refuge across the Moonsea. Can you extricate those that are vital to the factions before it’s too late? An adventure for 5th-10th level characters.
Overview Escape from Phlan is divided into three parts.
Part 1: Ghosts in the Night. The adventures are recruited by the leaders of the various factions to undertake a desperate mission to rescue three key citizens from the city. Though it would be nice to save all good peoples trapped by Vorgansharax and his servitors, these three in particular are the best hope for Phlan and must be preserved. The PCs enter the city under cover of night and encounter will-o’-wisps that lead them into an encounter with a shambling mound.
Part 2: To the Rescue. The adventurers can now set to their task of locating and rescuing Madame Freona, the Lord Sage, and Jhessail Greycastle--a Knight of the Black Fist-turned-revolutionary. It is up to the players to decide what order they do this in, though finding Madame Freona and the Lord Sage are easier to locate than Jhessail. During this part of the adventure, Ellison Berenger (DDEX1-6 The Scroll Thief), who has managed to become trapped in Phlan, shadows the adventurers looking for an opportunity to find escape from the city. Particularly sharp-eyed characters may notice the Scroll Thief and enlist his aid.
Part 3: Escape from Phlan. Once the adventures have located and freed each of their targets, it is up to them to find a way out of the city. Jhessail knows a way, though it may take some diplomacy to convince her not to launch a full frontal assault on Vorgansharax and accompany the group. High level parties may be tempted to attack the dragon at this point, though such an undertaking is foolhardy at best. It is also unnecessary in order to achieve success.
You all are amazing. Thank you again for all the feedback and suggestions. I was leaning more towards having my character sacrificing himself to save the party since I won't be able to play him anymore and will tie up that loose end. Plus, I get to watch him die as the hero he always wanted to be, and this will give him the redemption he's sought for so long.
A little backstory for anyone interested, my character is a tiefling warlock who's patron is Cthulhu ( I know, can't get anymore cliche than that.) He recently took a level as a cleric when Cthulhu's brother, Kthanid, came to him and demanded he right all the wrongs that have been done in his brother's name.
So I'm thinking I could do something where, as the dragon swoops back around and bears down on the party, my character will become possessed by Kthanid and in a spectacular display of otherworldy power, teleport the party just as the dragon unleashes his fire breath.
The party will be disoriented after they teleport, and will notice my character isn't with them anymore. It's very cheesy but I think the other players will like it. And of course, I will embellish the hell out of it!
That is a bad idea, whenever someone has a god save the players the question comes up that "If your here why do we need to adventure?"
Just say that the Hoard Of the Dragon Queen ends with failure, the cult fails to see their vision through and rumors of older members killing the current leader spread through the underworld.
Cool, so what will you send the players to do next? Will you make that the series finale as it were? Have everyone roll up new characters after they have a proper epilogue? Or will this cast find new purpose to go on adventuring elsewhere?
I asked the players what they want to do, and they said they like their characters, so I'm going with that. They are at level 8 now, and it looks like Storm Lord's Wrath starts around there, so I think that's what we're going with.
We have been playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen and our DM just moved away. I've decided to step in since our group still wants to play and is really engaged.
The DM heavily modified the module and just told me that the last encounter we had was of his own design, but that he was trying to end the adventure since he knew he was leaving. But I guess he didn't have enough time. There was a dragon attacking the city, and while that was going on, there were enemies invading through a breach in the wall. We stopped them but ended with the dragon destroying half of the city.
Anyway, I'm wondering if I should try to wrap things up for the group or just start a new campaign. And if I start something new, do I have the group roll new characters?
This isn't my first time as a DM, but I am by no means experienced, so any input would be much appreciated.
*insert surge of wild magic thing here* and time warp all the current players, and revert levels and such, to the start of campaign, and all they get is a “strange sense of deja vu” occasionally.
i personally might just roll new chars, but if you didn’t want to do that, I gave you an option that’s fairly easy to do and won’t cause much trouble.
If I were in this boat... I would prepare to do my own campaign from square one, but while doing so, I would try to find a way to finish what you guys had started. I think your fellow players will appreciate the effort and the sense of closure. Even if you can’t do the entire adventure “as printed,” it will be nice to see how these characters end up.
Then I would say “OK, everyone roll new characters and we are starting a new campaign.” When it’s good and ready, of course.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
The big question is what do you want to do? If you enjoyed the storyline, and want to keep it going, that's great. Maybe get it back on track with the module if that's your thing, or just run with it.
If however you don't know where to go with the story then reroll. I understand the desire to keep a good game going, but if your story telling heart isn't into it, it will fail.
You could also compromise, run a game or two and finish that story up, then do your own. That might make both you and your players happy, and a good story should get a proper ending.
How close are you to the "end" of that module?
You can reskin the final encounter, and as well, think about setting your own plot hooks for how you want the rest of the story to go.
As others have mentioned, you could do a complete reset, but if you and your group are enjoying the story, think about the other character's backstorys and see if you can throw a fishing line or two out and see who bites. You can use that to shape later encounters.
Another alternative, is a brief "time jump" where you keep the same characters (after the current resolution of conflict) and say that "3 months later you get together again and ...." and at that point start your own campaign.
Hope that wasn't too rambly and it helped!
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Thanks for all the suggestions!
I know the other players are fond of their characters, and the story has been ok. The time jump idea sounds like something they would get behind, and we have yet to tie in our backstories, so that would be fun to do.
I'm thinking I should sit down with them and get their input and go from there. Thanks again for all the help!
I think your on the right track there. The players should have some say too, after all they have time invested in their characters and may not want new ones.
Yes definitely sit down and get their input... make sure everyone is in the same page (or at least different pages of the same book).
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I only looked at the module your running, snd just got to say your doomed.
I know. I've been reading through the next set of adventures in the essentials kit and I've decided we're going to start there. The problem now is coming up with some sort of closure for the current campaign and segue into this one.
My DM suggested I have the party fail at stopping the dragon and have them whisked away by a patron or god to safety, dropping them along the Sword Coast near the start of the new adventure. I think it's kind of cliche, but he did the same thing to us early on and no seemed put off by it.
Instead of that, maybe do a finisher game where the party has to get refugees out of the city while the dragon and its minions are destroying things. They aren't going to beat a dragon, but they can save as many people as they can.
That sounds great! This will give you the chance to change the current Main Plot or just shift the PCs around the map without some god teleporting everyone.
Also, if it helps, the D&D Adventure League adventure "DDEX1-14 Escape from Phlan" is exactly this scenario with a green dragon being the dragon laying siege to the city.
You all are amazing. Thank you again for all the feedback and suggestions. I was leaning more towards having my character sacrificing himself to save the party since I won't be able to play him anymore and will tie up that loose end. Plus, I get to watch him die as the hero he always wanted to be, and this will give him the redemption he's sought for so long.
A little backstory for anyone interested, my character is a tiefling warlock who's patron is Cthulhu ( I know, can't get anymore cliche than that.) He recently took a level as a cleric when Cthulhu's brother, Kthanid, came to him and demanded he right all the wrongs that have been done in his brother's name.
So I'm thinking I could do something where, as the dragon swoops back around and bears down on the party, my character will become possessed by Kthanid and in a spectacular display of otherworldy power, teleport the party just as the dragon unleashes his fire breath.
The party will be disoriented after they teleport, and will notice my character isn't with them anymore. It's very cheesy but I think the other players will like it. And of course, I will embellish the hell out of it!
That is a bad idea, whenever someone has a god save the players the question comes up that "If your here why do we need to adventure?"
Just say that the Hoard Of the Dragon Queen ends with failure, the cult fails to see their vision through and rumors of older members killing the current leader spread through the underworld.
Cool, so what will you send the players to do next? Will you make that the series finale as it were? Have everyone roll up new characters after they have a proper epilogue? Or will this cast find new purpose to go on adventuring elsewhere?
I asked the players what they want to do, and they said they like their characters, so I'm going with that. They are at level 8 now, and it looks like Storm Lord's Wrath starts around there, so I think that's what we're going with.