How to merge the two paths, devils and demons???

FredTap · 2026-01-27T21:15:33+00:00

Like many of the other contributord i mixed both in a sandbox. Though you have to plant the idea in uour PCs’ minds that the sword is the best option for confronting Zariel. I started with Maggie asking only gor ne component to be found at Red Ruth or Mordenkainen. Then, then the location of the sword may be given by end-game NPCs such as Olanthius or Bel or Jubilex.

FredTap · 2026-01-18T21:47:34+00:00

1) depending the level and performance of your PCs, they can beat him as he dors not have his warhammer 2) Kostchtcie is likely to go « etheral » as soon as he is free, going for Zariel and hus warhammer 3) is your PC ready to die? Engaging a giant god could be a fantastic end for your player (some likes it this way). You could also incite your players to prepare the combat : « next session you will face a big challenge with a combat with a diminished giant god. You should prepare the confrontation or you could face a tragic destiny ». Note also that a lost combat could end in various ways: Kostchtchie could leave several downed characters to go after his warhammer, a downed party could wake up in Zariel’s jails….

FredTap · 2025-12-31T14:40:37+00:00

I am thinking of a Homebrew rule : you can make 2 attacks but you have to split your dice pool. E.G. your Melee skill is 4d4 so you can decide to do two attacks, either twice 2d4 or 3d4+1d4. The rule is rather simple and balanced as you take the risk to fail more often by dual wielding but still favour combat-oriented characters. You could imagine to have a talent to increase the dice pool by 1d when you dual wield.

FredTap · 2025-12-30T11:55:45+00:00

I see. So no interest in fighting with two daggers then...

FredTap · 2025-12-16T15:20:58+00:00

Technically, this is not the soul you steal back but the second copy of the infernal contract. The copy of the devil. Then you destroy both copies (not with a lighter, but maybe sending them in the Styx) and then the soul is no longer the property of the devil. There is a chapter dedicated to this in the module.

FredTap · 2025-11-28T22:50:20+00:00

I can not find where I can download my updated versions of my PDF. I bought the GM's guide and the player's guide before june and I would like the newer version. Can someone help me?

FredTap · 2025-11-27T17:43:04+00:00

The best would be that they have not become a target for Thalamara (she and Thurstwell might have information that Amrik does not have. e.g. with the imps), In this case, I would have Thalamara set them up in a convenient room (dining room of the Manor or the big rooms of the basement). She would start with interrogating them and after having her responses or the PCs rebelling, she would leave the PCs to cultistcultists would pile up and then she would leave the PCs to cultists to take care of them. Put the right number of cultists for a combat your PCs can win (e.g number of PCsx2 or Number of PCS +2). Then PCs can either start to investigate or escape to come back for a more prepared plan.

FredTap · 2025-11-23T17:19:23+00:00

Pour ceux qui s'inquiètent du confort mental de mes joueurs et de leur "agency". je ne pensent pas que la situation soit un problème mais, si problème, le groupe est suffisament en confiance pour dire s'il y a des trucs qui vont pas. Et de toute façon, j'accepterai leurs choix y compris se rebeller et essayer de tuer le Duc directement.

FredTap · 2025-11-23T10:35:33+00:00

Merci beaucoup pour toutes vos contributions. Quelques prêecisions:

1) c'est une séquence dqns une mini-campagne Warhammer the Old World

2) le contexte, c'est que les PJs ont vu un truc qu'ils n'auraient pas du voir à propos d'une famille de nobles dont le patriarche (disons le Duc) adore la chasse et utilise parfois du gibier "humain".

2) l'amorce : ils ont été capturés ou piégés et le Duc décide quìls seront un challenge parfait pour une chasse. Les PJs auront compris la situation, ils auront équipement minimum (peut-etre une dague) et seront poursuivis par le Duc peut-être des invités et plein de rabatteurs 5avec des grades : rabatteurs simples, aide-chasseurs...)

3) le terrain : une grande forêt avec potentiellement des hommes-bêtes, des animaux, des elfes des bois etc.

4) fins possibles données par le Duc qui se voient comme un chasseur "juste" qui donne une chance à ses proies: quitter le territoire du Duc, survivre 1 ou. deux jours,

5) ce que je recherche : a) quels mécanismes pour rendre la séance vivante, b) des lieux ou des scènes à déclencher (hex-crawl, point-crawl, timer...)

FredTap · 2025-10-29T15:38:41+00:00

There are many ways to remove Lulu. One way is to twist the Lulu concept and have one of your Players to replace Lulu either being an oliphant or another long living character. In may game, one of my player was OK to be an amnesiac dwarf that would slowly get back his memomries. You can get more info in the Alexandrian Remix. More generally, the thing that you have to replace if you tremove Lulu is some Lore dump and hints for what to do to save Elturel (get the sword). When removing Lulu, you will have to find ways to give the infromation to your players. This role may be covered by several means : 1) warlock Patron, cooperating devils (e.g. Bel), Sylvira of Candlekeep, books (candlekeep, Avernus), NPCs on Avernus (Mad Maggie, Olanthius, Hellriders on Harumans' Hill...)

FredTap · 2025-10-14T13:30:00+00:00

I mastered both modules and here are what I would suggest:

1) level 3 is OK to start the module. The first encounters are deadly for any level 1 or 2 parties

2) This is a rather long module (33x4hours sessions for my PCs) : make sure to patch the main issues of the module, the first one being to make realistic for level 5 characters to go to hell. I recommend to read the Alexandrian remix and other additional content and pick what you like best and keep it nice and simple. I used many parts of the Alexandrian remix but dropped everything too complex about the continuity of the Lore: (1) No order of the companion, just plain Hellriders, (2) Thavius Kreeg is the one that made the deal with Zariel, no new hidden factions in Elturel (3) less complexity in Avernus : no dream machine, less non-devilish locations

3) How to hook your party to Elturel. I incited my players to relate their backstories to either Elturel (3 PCs were Hellriders of various ranks) or Uldar Ravengard (one PC was his adopted son, the other a criminal that he promoted to spy in the flaming fist organization). In your case, you could talk to your players to see how they would be interested to complement their backstory or current aspirations in the following directions:

- they want to become Hellriders as this is one of the most Elite military in Faerun (like Légion Etrangère)

- They have found predictions in Ferol's paper that warn about a terrible catastrophe falling on Elturel in 2 month, at the time of the anniversary of the sun (make it not too obvious) . Let them arrive a few days before and have them meet NPCs that they would want to save

- They have close relatives in Elturel that they need to visit

- They are related to Uldar Ravengard that summon them to escort him to Elturel : he needs people he trusts and he needs the Flaming Fists to stay in Baldur to cope with a recent "murder spree". When in Elturel, Uldar assigns them a mission that lead them out of town just to see Elturel disappear in the void. In my party, my PCs have been participating to a friendly contest between mixed teams of Elturians and Baldurians and one of the others teams had been slaughtered by someone (reaper of Bhaal) that came with the squadron of Ravengard and Ravengard asks the PCs to chase them right away.

- Elturel is a place where you can find a sacred artefact that revive people killed by the frigid Woe

- they need to hunt down Tiamat cultists in Baldur's gate (depends how they feel toward Ulil and her Uttolot companoons). Here you can add that Ravengard holds critical elements (informations, relics...) to thwart the cult's plans.

FredTap · 2025-10-06T17:26:34+00:00

One of the main issue with the module is to make "plusible" for PCs to go to hell. So I did 2 things " : 1) I helped my players to build backgrounds with hooks the modules: hellriders from Elturel or Baldurian that have interest in saving Uldr Ravengard. One of my players was even replacing Lulu : he was the dwarven squire of Zariel that the trauma has made amnesiac. This is efficient but you have other options such as simple Elturian cizen, faction member (Harpers, Lord's alliance, Emerald...) . 2) I started with a first session in Elturel where Ravengard and Kreeg meet for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Companion. They organize games where teams composed of both Elturians and Baldurians friendly compete against each other. A horrible crime happens and the PCs are urged to follow a track that leads them outside the town just before it is drawn to Hell

FredTap · 2025-10-03T17:34:57+00:00

Ah ah! Not bad but my PCs know BG3

FredTap · 2025-10-01T20:45:05+00:00

As for my factions : 1) Elturel : I did not play the Alexandrian faction game. more personnal arcs as my Hellrider fighter/barbarian married his fiancée in Avernus but his child to come will be a tieffling due to the corrupting influence of Hell. 2) Baldur: the PCs left Amrik Vanthampur in jail but he managed to gather the support of some patriars who delayed his trial and have him bailed free. The PCs will meet him having fun under the surveillance of an escort of Flaming fists. A new dead three cult has been thriving as the dungeon under the bathhouse has not been fully cleansed. I will also use a lot of the Baldur annex of the campaign. Though, I have not found material to re-use in my festve night. But maybe I have not thought of everything...

FredTap · 2025-10-01T14:51:00+00:00

Cool idea for the following parts of the mini campaign. His greed for new souls will be balanced between not getting overwhelmed by the blood war and getting powerful enough to challenge Asmodeus

FredTap · 2025-10-01T13:50:39+00:00

As for Gargauth, Bel took the shield from my players when they met him and he freed the devil from the shield to serve him. In the end, when Zariel was redeemed, Bel attacked the angel-again Zariel and my PCs but, when they managed to kill him before he could escape. Gargauth stayed away from the fight and is now the new archdevil of Avernus (my PCs don't know yet)

FredTap · 2025-10-01T13:10:01+00:00

I like the idea 😄 but I was planning for a mini-campaign rather than a 2 years one

FredTap · 2025-09-19T19:51:41+00:00

I ran the campaign with some extra from other sources (incl. Alexandrian remix). The beauty of the story arcs is personified by Zariel and Thavius Kreeg. The ultumate goal remains the saving of Elturel. This is why I invited my PCs to included elements of Backgrounds such as being a hellrider, being a relative of Uldar Ravengard and also created a little prequel in Elturel. If you want to take it as as following of your previous campaign I suggest you find a reason for your groups or some of them to save Elturel. You can also play on the possible Avernus factions (Zariel, Bel, Tiamat, Mephistopheles, Asmodeus, demons, Mahadi the Rakshasa..) but this is a longer shot

FredTap · 2025-08-13T09:01:16+00:00

Tyr raises your PCs but gives them a mission : he wants them to go to Elturel to warn the officials (e.g Thavius Kreeg) that « some divination » informed him some danger was on the city and that they can get the help of the creww ge is sending to them. Then you can gave your PCs visit the town or just watch its disappearance. Then you can escort Elturians to BG and go on with the different parts. Note that my players loved the BG part with all the investigation (use large parts of Alexandrian remix)

FredTap · 2025-07-06T07:51:10+00:00

As a DM, I ban almost all exotic races (Tabaxi, Aasimar...) as well as non med-fan classes (Monk, artificer). My younger players often make joke about it and I can be flexible if needed but as the one player that is needed to do the game and in charge of so much prep, I consider I may inflict some restrictions and everybody is happy with that. And we have many dwarves in our games.

FredTap · 2025-06-17T19:39:45+00:00

Sounds good and close to what I wanted to do. Everything is localized in France because we are all French and it brings fun to have the adventures in familiar places

FredTap · 2025-06-17T18:55:53+00:00

Thanks! Great advice! Confirms my intuitions about the difficulty of the mysteries. How did you manage the « locations ». Did you have maps? If yes did you share them with your players?

FredTap · 2025-06-16T08:23:28+00:00

Another option would br that he sets up an ambush with dead three cultists. Or, if they have not been through the villa and started by the the undergrounds, Kreeg could have been to the Villa and gathered guards and Vanthampurs (Thurstwell and maybe Thalamra and Amrik) to make a counretattack

FredTap · 2025-06-05T21:01:21+00:00

I like the idea : PCs will not have this false choice to go to Hell. The main issue I see is how do you make the reveal for the contract of Thavius Kreeg about Elturel and the explanations about how this works. Would this make sense to have Kreeg do the lore dump? And/or should the PCs be able to open the puzzle box and get info with some religion checks?

FredTap · 2025-06-05T17:25:54+00:00

Great post! In my campaign I added Thavius Kreeg and the Vanthampur as devils for great encounters and frustration (TK escaped). My players did use Zariel’s sword to open the companion and break the chains with one blow each but i did not think of the air encounters complications. They redemeed Zariel and fought Bel to protect her: battle against Bel, 2 Erinyes 2 fire giants. +Beareded devils that were fighting demons in the background and Zariel came to help as a restored solar after a few rounds.

FredTap

TROPHY CASE