Let's look at some specific examples you can use to tie together the threads in the early stages of the adventure.
Thread to the Haunted Keep: Red Larch to Feathergale If they don't actually acquire it from a lieutenant, that lieutenant might come after them directly, giving the PCs a chance to win the key segment in a big battle. It also gives the PCs access to the temples once they have defeated all four lieutenants. This can work as a reason for the four lieutenants to battle against one another in attempt to gain access to the temples themselves. Rather than trust it to any one lieutenant, they split it and gave one piece to each of the four.
The weapons of the prophets (see page 5) act as keys for the four prophets themselves but they had a fifth key. Each part of the key is held by one of the four leaders of the Haunted Keeps: Thurl Merosska, Gar Shatterkeel, Hellenrae, and Elizar. Instead of leaving them wide open, each of the temples could be locked with a special iron door that can only be opened with a key of four parts. There's a more direct way to prevent the PCs from accidentally entering the four elemental temples before it's time-lock the doors. If the PCs never hear about Scarlet Moon Hall, they're certainly not going to end up at its front door. You can also easily steer directions by withholding information. Shining the right light on a clue can give players the clear message that one way is the right way to go. First of all, which clues are clearly overt and which are more subtle? The sight of giant vultures being ridden by knights might be far more interesting to explore than attempting to find an unknown monastery of some weird monks. There are a couple of ways to help keep Princes on track and guide PCs to the right directions without making the whole game feel too much like a railroad. It might be fun to dominate one group of bad guys in an encounter, but do that for a few sessions and players may get bored. Now, if they decide to go, they know what they're getting into.Īnother problem, however, could occur if high level PCs have to return to a low level area and find it boring. They could get a lot of passive insight checks to realize that the area they are in is beyond their power. There are some subtle ways to deal with this problem.
PRINCES OF THE APOCALYPSE PDF ASSISTANT PC
So there is the potential that a very low level PC will end up in a very high dungeon.Īgain, the world shouldn't shift itself around to suit the level of the PCs, but players may get frustrated if they find themselves outmatched by what they find. These are MUCH higher level than the keeps (7,8,9, and 10). If the PCs discover the entrances into the temple dungeons beneath the haunted keeps. There's another issue with the design of the module. This can end up leading to a poor game if not handled well. If run as a sandbox, the PCs might find themselves outmatched by their opponents but not so FAR outmatched that they know to run. The Sacred Stone Monastery is level 5, and Scarlet Moon Hall is designed for level 6 PCs. In the adventure book itself, it describes the appropriate level range for all of the smaller adventures in chapter 6 that take PCs from level 1 to 3, and then, in sequence, all of the Haunted Keeps that take PCs from level 3 to level 7. One good reason to run Princes in a linear fashion is the level range of the various parts of the adventure. It also has a long list of useful Princes of the Apocalypse links. This guide is packed with useful information for running Princes as either a sandbox or linear adventure and why you might choose one over the other.
For a more streamlined adventure, it's better to have clear threads and seeds that help draw the PCs from one situation to another.īefore we begin to dig deep into this look at threading together the adventures in Princes of the Apocalypse, take a look at this excellent guide to Princes of the Apocalypse on the Power Score blog. The official D&D 5th Edition adventure Princes of the Apocalyse is built as a large sandbox adventure with a lot of freedom to let the PCs wander within and throughout the physical locations and the cults who inhabit them.įor some games, particularly organized play games, this might not be an ideal way to run the adventure. New to Sly Flourish? Start Here! Tying the Threads of Princes of the Apocalypse: Red Larch through Rivergard Keep
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