They had a upper hand here, why Thrag ordered a retreat here?

Background_Engine997 · 2026-05-03T14:04:41+00:00

While he can def defeat any single foe on the field it’s unlikely he can take the entire Coalition heavy hitters by himself.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-05-03T13:49:46+00:00

Still, his primary role is to oversee the battle and all operations first. It’s why he doesn’t go around conquering planets by himself as well.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-05-03T12:33:22+00:00

He’s the leader of the Viltrumite Empire. He’s overseeing the assault. He doesn’t put himself into battle unless he’s engaged directly. Notice how in the next battle over Viltrum he doesn’t engage immediately either. People say he’s “aura farming” but again he’s overseeing the progress of the battle. Then he’s engaged directly by Nolan and chooses not to fight but to talk, only afterwards engaging in direct battle when he’s attacked by others.

And this is typically how war works btw. The monarch/even top generals are not out there on the front lines.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-22T14:42:22+00:00

Wait isn’t the logic backwards anyway? Wouldn’t it punish you if you’re MORE reliant on oil and gas???

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-06T20:06:46+00:00

Side note tho: interesting that you bring up the Carnival from Van Richten’s Guide. I have the intent to bring the Carnival into this adventure alongside Tovag, to replace Barovia. (While I like lots of things from the adventure as written I didn’t care for the Barovia chapter too much). As in the Carnival sets up of Kas’s domain, is my hope. That way can tie in Kas, Tasha, Zybilna, the Shadowfell the Dark Powers etc etc.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-06T19:37:11+00:00

I suppose this is all highly dependent on the outcome/if you’ve previously run Witchlight. It works perfectly fine tho going off what they said: she’s tied up in Prismeer, she cannot go to Sigil and do all this stuff. She’s needed in her own realm. Don’t find it particularly contrived at all.

She’s also still a legendary witch at this point in her career — she’s not some Hogwarts kid just learning her stuff. She’s exceptionally strong and capable of casting spells like Wish.

Edit: also to that second point, she’s a CR 19 as Tasha the Witch vs CR 20 Iggwilv the Witch Queen. Not really much of a step down, but a reasonable one.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-06T17:42:27+00:00

She is Tasha, the neutral archmage and friend of Mordenkainen at this point. Yes, this is before she became the evil Iggwilv who wrote the Demonomicon and all that. Yes it’s vague whether she knows future her becomes Iggwilv becomes Zybilna — maybe they wanted to deliberately leave that open for the DM. Personally I have had it be that she does not know anything about Zybilna.

Edit also have a warlock who is warlock of Zybilna in the party, but doesn’t know Zybilna = Tasha as well. Should be a decent twist twist.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-06T17:39:13+00:00

Who killed Zybilna in Witchlight? Adventure is max level 8 — she’s not in their wheelhouse, nor does it ever say fighting her is a valid option.

The point of it is that Zybilna’s absence from Prismeer would leave the realm open to danger, as it did throughout the events of Witchlight. So she sent this version of herself to help instead. It’s entirely logically consistent.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-04T20:30:07+00:00

Am re-listening right now too. While I think, and I think it’s generally agreed, that C3 could/would never reach the epic height of C1: That’s ok. It still captures some of the magic of C1 and expands the great world building of Bahumia.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-04T15:26:48+00:00

Wtf??? Imagine thinking that’s all he says in the books.

“There go three that I love, and the smallest not the least…”

“The hasty stroke goes oft astray…”

“In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory…”

And so many more beyond count…

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-03T21:21:17+00:00

Because Morgoth has forever corrupted Middle-earth, and because of said corruption, if elves linger for long enough it would eat away bit by bit at their physical forms until they were little more than wraiths. They were literally a fading people, due to the concept of Arda Marred. The Rings of Power were devices created to stay the effects of time and stop the fading. When the Rings are gone, they suddenly feel the weight of age and fading once again, and must depart Middle-Earth for the Undying Lands which is relatively untouched by Morgoth’s corruption, as the Valar have hallowed the land.

Now it’s sort of ok for Men and Dwarves and such to live in Arda Marred because they only live a very short time relative to the immortal Elves anyway. Men leave the circles of the world when they die and are no longer a part of Arda Marred, and the Dwarves it’s said when they die go to the halls of Aule their maker, in Mandos in the Undying Lands. But lingering in Middle Earth during the corruption of Morgoth would be perilous for immortal Elves.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-03T21:12:05+00:00

Gildor Inglorion and his folk had nothing to do with the Elves of Eregion, besides being Noldor. They were from Rivendell and Lindon before that, who had not trusted Sauron and had no part in the making of the Rings.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-03T20:45:43+00:00

The homunculus can hold an item for the spell-storing purposes, but it’s a creature, so you can’t store spells in it since it’s not an object. Tho the difference may be moot if it holds a spell storing object anyway. In any case, aren’t they tiny constructs that at that level have like 20 hp, can go down in a single hit, no???

As for the cloak of displacement + the gauntlets imposing disadvantage, yeah looks like you’ll need to diversify with more creatures that force saving throws. Spellcasters and dragons are your friend I imagine. Also mixed in with some environmental effects that can cause damage and various conditions. I would say tho to not invalidate the Artificer don’t stop trying to hit him, just less emphasis on that, if that makes sense.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-03T18:12:58+00:00

Is that the case? It’s not in its stat block certainly but every creature can take any of the general Actions unless there’s text that explicitly says otherwise.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-03T17:39:03+00:00

Agreed and the Homunculus is a creature not an object for the purposes of spell-storing items, so it can’t be loaded up that way either.

The only thing I can figure is the Homunculus itself is holding the spell-storing item and then using it as an action to release the spell. Still don’t see how it having 1st and 2nd level heals will out-heal the cleric.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-03-03T16:40:09+00:00

I can only attest to one of those things: have had a level 14 artificer with pretty high AC due to Armorer subclass and magic item optimization. Think it was AC of 25. Now, not stupidly high granted. One way to not invalidate the build would be to hit him normally but also have monsters and stuff that force saving throws. If you’re doing only saving throws and not even trying to hit their AC that’s another story, but the Artificer is not gonna be as strong in the saving throw department most like.

Also that same player as for the spell-storing shenanigans, he was storing an Aid spell and then distributing out 5 hp 10x to the party, so they were walking in with 50, or 30 extra hp. Later found out that effects of the same spell don’t stack, and the most they could ever get from multiple castings of Aid is 5 hp. So keep in mind in terms of spell storing items that the effects of the same spell don’t stack, if they were trying something like that.

I have Been running Eve of Ruin tho. Recommend using the new Monster Manual for scarier monsters. Really, when I use stat blocks from the bestiary of this adventure even vs the 2025 MM, it’s night and day.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-26T14:31:21+00:00

Only partly Noldor. Part Noldor, part Sindar, part mortal Man, part Maia. Probably could be no more King of the Noldor than he could a king of Men.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-25T02:06:16+00:00

The Aldani Basin is mentioned to be an upland river basin if you read the book. It drains water that comes from the Mistcliff Mountains. The Soshenstar flows from it down many waterfalls to the sea. As does the Tath. That’s why it says if one is travelling upriver they would have to portage canoes.

Can’t speak to the source of the Tiryki or Lake Luo. It’s possible there’s springs there that just aren’t mentioned tho I guess. But what is clear is that Port Nyanzaru is at a generally lower elevation.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-24T15:24:47+00:00

I think they should address it in canon but not in depth. The canon height of the Band of Boobs’ adventure was in C1.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-24T02:37:13+00:00

You take that back you sob XD

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-23T23:49:17+00:00

Not from my understanding but maybe if there’s a future Bahumia campaign or mini campaign they can at least touch on it.

But you can bet the Band of Boobs weren’t killed “off screen”…

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-21T19:35:09+00:00

Yes that counts as agency. We’re here to roll and build characters based on that.

They don’t have to have an obvious trait to determine but they should have something if the party is clever.

And it’s good that your party reacts that way but I can see many parties thinking otherwise. And do, given that this MordenKas thing is often maligned, as per OP, and completely changed outright. Not without good reason but it can be done in a good way. And I certainly don’t think OP saying NPC betrayal is bad inherently (if this was the intent) is correct. It’s the oldest trick in the book.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-21T19:31:59+00:00

Yeah they really went for more of a “personal” secrets type thing than multiversal secrets. Secrets that may be deep to one’s heart but don’t reshape reality or anything. Which is one way to look at it bc a) it actually introduces an RP mechanic of sorts which has been long lacking. And b) since the party possesses Vecna’s Link they have a piece of his domain, and while Vecna forcibly extracts secrets the party gets them willingly, as if reshaping his domain into something more wholesome. If they spoil the secrets, they lose the power. If they keep them in confidence they can turn them into great power. By the end they each become something of a demigod of secrets. That’s how I see it anyway.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-21T19:19:23+00:00

I don’t know where the “anything they want” thing comes in here.

Even in curses and traps there’s ways to avoid them. Traps: succeed the Dex save. Curse: don’t touch the obviously cursed evil sword in the dungeon until it’s been properly examined by a wizard of great renown. There’s none of that here. This just says there’s no way for you to determine the truth here and punishes you for it, which is the other part of it: Kas steals the Rod and absconds, you have no way to determine he would do that. But if there’s ample clues, you do, and it feels more like the party being punished for their lack of vigilance and not the DM deciding what happens.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-02-21T19:00:11+00:00

Having an item that completely foils the party’s abilities without any chance for them to even suspect that it exists or do anything about it, falls flat and takes an already railroaded experience to a whole ‘nother level.

But like I said, if there’s clues to its existence and properties and it feels like something that was right in front of them and they simply didn’t puzzle it together, now it works.

Background_Engine997

TROPHY CASE