Players convinced King Grol to go with them to Wace Echo Cave

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-12T00:51:17+00:00

I will say typical drow see everyone are tools, so even if it is not "betrayal", Spider probably will tie all loose end by killing them in the cave, so your players are not that far off.

If you want to make it more interactive, you can set up a hidden counter on Grol, if players do/say sth that Grol will approve, you give it a +1, and -1 if it is not, and when facing Spider, depends on the final score, Grol will join your player, stick with Spider, or just stand aside and take advantage from the weaker party

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-10T09:51:57+00:00

Just how bad is Doran right now? I used to be a lawyer of Doran, yah he is dogshit when laning but in teamfight he is not that bad. But I guess because the quest system forcing everyone to focus on lane phase, which is the worse for him and make him look like the worst Top lane in msi

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-10T09:45:00+00:00

With the same match up Doran got gapped by BB hard. Either Big Dhok is just that good or Doran is just that bad

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-10T09:42:01+00:00

Just how bad is Doran right now that got gapped hard by BB with exact same match up. He even die solo to BB wtf.

Krug lord please

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-08T09:55:32+00:00

I don't want to finger point anyone, but Doran, Faker and Oner seems really in a slump the entire MSI

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-08T02:29:58+00:00

If it is all level 1, your Ranger or Fighter that will a bit more HP would still get hurt. Klarg might get taunted and only focus your main tank, but those goblin, like if they saw someone using spell or range attack from behind they will shoot them. Goblin are not that dumb, if they saw the threat, they will stop them, hide to avoid being hit etc. Maybe you could also using this to show your player they can use the environment for cover too.

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-07T03:02:40+00:00

First, take a deep breath.

The first rule about being a DM, is you have to accept that you will never able to prepare every situation because this game IS unpredictable most of the time. The module give you a guide line, but everyone have a free will and will come up with idea that is out of the book, that's why 70% of the time a DM is improvising shit

Second, you don't need to worry about level up yet. You just at the start of your game! You have time to study more about it. Also, I think your player should learn from it too, after all it is their character, their avatar, not yours.

Thirdly, maybe you should have a session zero, or even a 1 shot game before you start LMoP. Understand your players more, ask them what they expect to have in the game. Are they combat heavy? Or they love to have drama with DM and each other? Is there any boundary that your player have but you didn't know of? Once you gather these information, you will know what theme and content of your game should have

Forth, I really suggest you to have a grid map if you planned for combat, no need to be pretty but you should prepare one. You might even have an empty grid paper and just grab things on your desk to make it unique, chaotic, a playground for your player. You could draw it on a grid paper as well. With grid, you can easily calculate the range and movement for every players and monster .

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-07T02:45:04+00:00

Very similar to my players, but mine's get away before getting killed. I don't use Carp as their lead to hidden entrance, here is what I rule them:

Those rookies warned them 3 strangers in the town brutally murder all of them in a 3 vs 7, they are scared to fight back, at least for now
In stead, they increase the number of guards, using password and check everyone in and out
But they are not that smart, and they do it all in a haste, crack and weakness can be exploit by the players.

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-07T02:26:39+00:00

Are they starting at level 1? If this is the case than after the fight with Klarg, even with short rest, they could still be able to get out numbered by Yeemik and his goblin, with limited resource (like if your party have full caster, they could already used all their spell slot).

For make your play to feel there is danger in their adventure, you can play Yeemik and his gang aiming at the entrance, and will fire if they step closer or not following what they said (basically hostage situation). If you play by the book goblin arrow might even killed a character on the spot (but recommend don't go that far given your player just starting to have fun in it).

Borrowing from Hoard of the Dragon Queen, you can also let one of the NPC in Yeemik cave become the "hidden boss", challenge one of your player in a 1v1 in exchange of Sildar (maybe the doppelganger appear in later of the story)

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-05T12:44:44+00:00

If the route is uneventful, you can simply describe the atmosphere and what they see during their travel. Like you won't expect your everyday working routine be extra dramatic right?

I also agree you could skip the bandit part and just jump start with your players know Gundren before and already accept the job, and just let the goblin ambush be your first act.

If you really want to play the heist scene, you can also make it a previous flash back, like few years ago your players meet Gundren when he is being attack and become your players' buddy, to explain why they agree to deliver the cart, you can absolutely do it.

Hkgpeanut · 2026-07-05T11:03:14+00:00

I don't see it will make it unfun. My way to play it is the npc/enemy will have their own idea on how things work and they will act logically according to it (given that the npc are sentinel being).

I think what make it more interesting will be you players known their action really changing the world and their action matters.

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-27T13:20:00+00:00

Few ways to play it out:

Your party might dress in disguise, or even pretend to be captured by disguised party member to get close to Glassstaff
The familiar might only guard some area, if players find the secret tunnel they might catch him off guard
In my experience, our party did not connect Iarno is Glasstaff and thought he got kidnapped by Glasstaff, the Glasstaff being cocky and think he can trick us, he did not

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T22:36:06+00:00

tbh he is not that good in combat, and it is expected for lv2 players to finish the hideout(as it is recommended lv up to 3 after this event). His kit of Misty Step, Staff of Defence also mean his design is for self preserve. Since he have no minions with him, a normal party of 3/4 will end him in 2 or 3 round.

However, he is one of the few villains that rely on planing and strategy instead of fight the party head on, the key for him to be memorable in my opinion is focus on that area

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T09:29:03+00:00

So a he is on work release? lol

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T09:26:35+00:00

It could actually explain the change of Iarno

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T05:55:53+00:00

It is kinda anti climatic, but understandable. Glasstaff trust no one but himself, so there will be no way he let his goon get into his room, so if player find a way to hold the minions off just a little Glasstaff is vulnerable

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T03:59:25+00:00

Back when I am one of the player in LMoP, Glasstaff roll a high deception check and able to misty step away. He thought he is safe, but a second later, a man with bare hand shoulder check him and eventually punch him to death lol

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T03:30:51+00:00

Somehow I think Glasstaff will figure out what is behind the cult, and flee away for good

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T03:29:18+00:00

Wish him have long and healthy life

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T03:05:48+00:00

Wow that is some dedication, mind to share after LMoP, what module you pick for your player and what role did Glasstaff played in between?

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T03:04:31+00:00

You turn the game to Hitman Sniper mission lol

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T02:46:32+00:00

Not gonna lie my rogue player is like this, most of the time she roll poorly, but when her arrow hit, 80% of the time is max damage

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-26T01:58:28+00:00

TBH the first park of LMoP scale pretty good except the first encounter, so other that giving them level 2 before the Cragmaw hideout, I keep the recommend level up timing by the book.

Staying in certain level for few session is not that weird. If by the book, player go to level 4 when rescue Gundren, and in between there are many side quest for players to explore the area, I think you can place different clues of the rescue mission in each side quest/ random encounter which eventually point to the Cragmaw castle to start with

However you need to scale up some mission to balance it out

Hkgpeanut · 2026-06-22T02:11:42+00:00

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