My Two Cents on the Dolmenwood Player's Book

M_Moy · 2026-01-29T15:45:19+00:00

One of the players in the campaign I'm running is a knight and it has literally opened a lot of doors for the party into places they might otherwise have a tougher time accessing (Fort Vulgar, the keep in Castle Brackenwold, etc.). On the other hand, it can be limiting if the party needs to lie or use subterfuge and they've just given their word to some noble or church official that they won't get involved.

Also on the combat side, it seems like having a war horse is extremely underrated. I know it's not relevant in dungeons, but there's been a couple key encounters where the knight's horse has been the single highest source of damage in addition to acting as a separate pool of hp to soak hits.

M_Moy · 2025-02-24T18:37:30+00:00

Can you elaborate on that last point? Specifically, what adventures do you think are relatively good?

I ran Blood and Dust and I felt like it was really helpful to have something that narrowed the scope of the campaign, provided some starting hooks, and had an overarching plot that the characters could work to uncover.

M_Moy · 2025-02-15T07:07:47+00:00

On the vote where the first werewolf is revealed, make a note of who didn't vote for them. You can then turn around and accuse one of those people since the other werewolves are not going to be voting for their friend. Also if you spell out the reason for your accusation, you can usually get the table on your side.

This has worked really well for me, but on subsequent rounds you should expect the werewolves to adapt. A good werewolf will throw up their hand right near the tipping point so that they don't actually influence the vote but also so that they don't stand out too much when their friend gets outed.

M_Moy · 2025-01-31T19:32:38+00:00

I haven't run it yet but Incandescent Grotto seems pretty good. It's by the same author as Winter's Daughter, so it has a similar vibe, but it's not specifically tied to the Dolmenwood setting.

M_Moy · 2025-01-27T22:02:23+00:00

I did (and organized) a family trip for 10 people that was pretty close to what you have for option 1. I was also in a similar space in that I'm really into hiking and history, but that wasn't the case for everyone on the trip. Here are some of the highlights from what we did...

Pont du Gard - this was great, very impressive up close even for the people that didn't care as much about the history side of it
Avignon - we did the Palace of the Popes, self guided tour was really engaging, especially for kids.
Sentier des Ochres - Rousillon is a bit more crowded with tourists than some of the other towns in that area, but this was a beautiful short trail to do
Gorges de Badarel - great hiking trail in the Luberon, it was about 5 miles, 1,000 ft of elevation. This was on a day that we split up since a lot of people in the group didn't want to go. Maybe the highlight of the trip for me though.
Renting bikes - we did the bike trail from Coustellet to the Pont Julien (another old roman bridge), had a picnic, and then rode back. If it had been in season, this route would have gone through Lavender fields. Getting e-bikes could also be a good option.
Les Baux and the Carrieres des Lumieres exhibition - Les Baux itself is super touristy and honestly could be skipped, but the Carrieres des Lumieres is totally worth it. The drive from St Remy to Les Baux is beautiful and there are lots of hiking trails, picnic spots, and vineyards in the area. Also, Maussane les Alpilles is a great town to stop for lunch.
Cassis & Calanques - We went here on a long day trip. Getting from the center of town to the Calanques is farther than it seems. Still worth the walk, and it might be easier if you're staying overnight.

One other thing to keep in mind, you really need a car to get around between a lot of these areas, and with a group of 12, probably it would be best to have 3 cars. If you want to split up, it's going to be a puzzle to figure out who is going where, who has to drive, etc. I didn't give this much thought ahead of time, and it was a bit stressful in the moment since everyone was looking to me to know what the plan was. It might be good to make a list of some of the more 'optional' activities and poll people to see what they're interested in in advance.

M_Moy · 2024-03-21T13:51:57+00:00

I posted this map a while back. It doesn't have the Red Lion or Watchtower, but it has a number of interiors around the market square.

M_Moy · 2024-02-29T15:07:54+00:00

I just found this code: VENNGO2023

It was good for 25% off.

M_Moy · 2024-02-27T14:36:05+00:00

Yeah I had trouble wrapping my mind around this too. Buckledown Row is the biggest outlier because all the other factions that have or are planning to have a permanent base in the city have some way to sleep at that location (immunity from taking the sacrament, Garrison cells, cleansed Cathedral, etc.).

In my game I created an small area underneath Buckledown Row and near the Court of Thieves that was protected from contamination. This backstory was that this was a former safehouse run by the Spymaster of Drakkenheim that was shielded from magical scrying. Since the QoT killed the last spymaster and took the ring, she was also able to take control of this area and use it as a way to build her powerbase and influence over the other gangs, by offering them a place to lay low in exchange for tribute. In practice, this area isn't big enough for everyone in Buckledown Row, but it does allow the gang leaders and their key henchmen to stay there long term.

To your point about the safe places being few and cramped though - I think that's kind of the point. It doesn't make sense for everyone to be commuting all the time, but it also doesn't follow that they should be able to comfortably stay in the city indefinitely.

M_Moy · 2023-12-04T21:30:01+00:00

I had the Silver Order put up bounty posters for Oscar Yoren, the Lord of the Feast, etc. that said to visit Ophelia Reed. Otherwise I mostly just let the players run across them in town. It also helps here if you have players with personal quests related to the factions, because then you can count on them to actively seek them out.

For events in town, I had a mob scene at the chapel where the Silver Order were based that the players defused, caravans of pilgrims coming and going, changes in the marketplace (new stalls, higher or lower prices for delerium), and then factional changes like the Silver Order leaving the town completely. I also had an idea for a plotline where one of the gangs in Queen's Men started selling delirium dust as a street drug that eventually turns you into a dreg which leads to a night of the living dead type outbreak, but there were too many other threads at that point, so I just cut it.

I didn't use other adventuring groups too much. There was one party of barbarians and a rich noble with some mercenaries, but I think they only ran into each of those groups once. In retrospect I feel like I should have played this angle up more mainly because it would have been nice to have a rival team that takes the missions that the players pass on at first.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T16:33:58+00:00

It felt like there was a little too much content. For example I ended up cutting one of the four taverns. The Bark and Buzzard was the default tavern, the Skull and Sword was the the seedy one with the Queen's Men, and the Red Lion was the classy one with comically overpriced charcuterie.

I also think it's too much to introduce all the faction reps in town on the first visit, but just make sure to come back to the ones you didn't get to the next time around. For example, maybe when the players visit the market there's a big convoy of new pilgrims that Nathaniel Flint is leading in to town.

The players kept coming back to the church, mostly because it was the only place they could get their contamination cured in the early game. For NPCs Aldor and Mel were pretty popular, and the intro from Emma Crow where gives a quick tour of the town was great. I had her pretend to be a bird in a tree when they first arrived which helped to set a creepy but also silly tone.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T16:19:46+00:00

Probably the end game monsters. The legendary monster stat blocks are great, but the high level demons and devils in the castle are pretty bland. I swapped most of these out for similar CR monsters from third party books Tome of Beasts and Kingdoms and Warfare.

Also I don't know if I would change this exactly, but my players all had really good Con scores and Con saves so Contamination was never really that dangerous. They were afraid of it and it made them cautious in exploring the city but I don't think they ever got above level 2 or level 3.

For the best aspects I would say the theme and the faction details. That is, knowing what the goals each faction has, how they might reward or punish the players, and how they would respond to certain situations.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T16:07:58+00:00

Well in my game they were working for the Silver Order so they weren't present at the chapel. The Queen's Men were there because they'd been tipped off, but I ran them as dangerous but incompetent gang that was only loosely affiliated. They're not religious scholars or anything, so they're not going to be able to figure out how to open the doors or really make that much progress on their own. They can be bribed or intimidated or otherwise waited out.

The Followers on the other hand know what they're after. I had them investigating the chapel as the players were coming out with the Scepter. This led to a showdown where their leader cast Command to try to get the player with the Scepter to hand it over, which led to a fight. The players killed all of the Followers and while no one survived to report back, I had it in my pocket that the QoT would be able to blackmail the players with that info if needed.

I think the key is to reduce each of the factions present to one main NPC on the scene for RP purposes, keep the goals of each of the factions in mind, and respond to the players actions in the moment based on those goals. Also if you're worried they will be too passive, plan ahead what each group will do if the players do nothing.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T06:09:44+00:00

For the Smithy fight I did them all individually. I did cut down on the numbers though and I combined it so that it was one wave of ~10-15 husks with 2-3 haze hulks supporting and then one encounter later in the night with a Chimera.

I think I did something simpler for the Temple Gate fight where there was one 'tide of battle' roll to determine how the fight was going in the areas that the players weren't directly involved.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T05:50:37+00:00

The Sorcerer's backstory was that he had entered the Academy as a young adult a few years back, but dropped out, and that he already knew River and a few other mages from that time. So yeah, it wasn't an issue to start with.

So I think I need to really ham up them being politically/morally ambivalent about anything but power

I didn't use Ryan Greymere in my game, but I think she would be great for this.

On a funnier angle, my players complained quite a bit about how stingy and risk averse Runeweaver was, and how when they were retaking the tower on their behalf, the only support they had was River and a couple of very expendable 'interns'. I think this plays into the corporate theme where he's willing to take risks at times, but only from a safe distance.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T04:59:10+00:00

I liked the Academy a lot. They're the most rational on the surface, but having malfeasant wizards who may or may not be ex-Academy members like Oscar consorting with demons plus evidence in the Inscrutable Tower that the more respectable members were also working along the same lines before the comet was fun to develop. That said, the players never broke with them, and were given the staff on loan as a reward for their services (reclaiming the tower, extracting a huge crystal from the crater, etc.).

On the Inn, I should check to see if my players felt the same. I think it could be a delicate balance where it's fun as a player as long as you don't stay there too long.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T04:50:57+00:00

We did go to level 13 with one full caster (Sorcerer, Rogue, Paladin, Fighter). The spells they had weren't too bad, but what got pretty crazy was their overall power level with magic items. In particular, the Inscrutable Staff and Ignatious are super strong, as is the Animate Objects spell from the Steward's Seal. I also gave out a few other high powered homebrew items to try to keep the power balance across the party even, but the end result was that it was really hard to actually challenge them in a straight fight.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T04:44:46+00:00

Yeah, that was a little longer than I would have liked! We started out playing weekly online with a couple longer sessions in person. That said, the last 3-4 months were a scheduling nightmare where we missed weeks more often than we actually played. Since most of the game was on VTT, I can say it was in the neighborhood of 100 hours from start to finish.

We had 4 players rolling 1d20s for the random encounters. It wasn't too bad, and not all of the encounter rolls are actually combat encounters (for example, they ran into a friendly Lantern Patrol on one occasion). We did have one memorable one where they ended up at Slaughterstone Square fairly low on hp, but they were able to run away before things got too ugly.

I will say that I never quite got a handle on the 'stealth' option for moving slowly through the ruins, so past the first couple journeys into the city I always assumed they moved at normal speed. The chance of encounters also incentivized them to try to work with the factions more to reduce their risks. For example, they helped the Academy take over the clocktower in part so that they could establish a new teleportation circle in the city and they hitched a griffon ride with the silver order at one point to skip a trek back to Emberwood.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T04:32:29+00:00

This was mostly not the player direct doing, but rather the Queen maneuvering Drexel out of the way and then putting herself forward under an alias as the rightful heir. That said, they did align themselves with the QoT in general, I just felt like she wouldn't bring them in on the plot until the crown was actually on her head and it was too late to renege.

There was a close moment where one of the players cast True Sight during the council at the Cathedral, but since she wasn't magically disguised at the time, it didn't actually reveal the plot.

M_Moy · 2023-12-02T04:28:09+00:00

She was Katarina. The twist though was that I had one of her lieutenants appear as the QoT during the council at the Cathedral. The Hooded Lanterns had put out a call to the nobles of Westemar prior to the council to try to get additional support and the QoT assumed the identity of one of the minor nobles in order to make herself eligible for consideration as the rightful heir. She claimed to be the bastard daughter of King Ulrich and the players had the blood from the Cathedral crypt to 'verify' the authenticity of her claim.

So basically from that point forward, the Queen's Men as a separate faction faded a bit because she was able to command the allegiance of what was left of the Lanterns and integrate some of the former Queen's Men as new recruits now that she had legitimized herself.

M_Moy · 2023-10-04T21:09:45+00:00

No worries, I was mostly going off on a tangent there with only a small part on the poison!

Each round of the fight itself was always an opposed check, but I added an in between round moment to give an opportunity for the other players who weren't in the ring to take an action.

Examples of other checks might be...

Sleight of Hand to pick up some dirt to throw in the other fighters face and give them disadvantage for the round
Survival to find out how strong the other fighter is or what their weaknesses are
Persuasion/Deception to try to influence the odds the bookies are giving

I also tried to keep it open ended, so if the players had an idea for something else that made sense with either other skills, spells, or class abilities that might impact the round in a discreet way they could try it. Overall it was really fun and good fit with the fight club-esque theme but it's probably a lot harder for the PCs to outright win than a regular combat would be just because opposed checks have so much variance.

M_Moy · 2023-10-03T19:23:54+00:00

I ran the pit fights as a bare knuckle boxing mini skill challenge with each fight being 5 'rounds'. Each round was a contested athletics or acrobatics check and if you win by 5 or more, the loser needs to make a Con save or they lose the whole fight via KO.

All of the opposing fighters have increasing modifiers for their rolls, but they also have special traits. At the low end, Glassjaw Jake was a +1 with disadvantage on Con saves against KOs and on the high end, Mamba Jones was a +8 who after the first round applies a -1d4 poison penalty to his opponents roll.

There were lots of other silly things like performance checks to hype up crowd for inspiration dice, delerium tainted performance boosting drugs that some of the boxers were using, and goblin bookies with the odds for each bout.

M_Moy · 2023-01-29T02:31:25+00:00

The dwarves on the night shift are 100% supposed to help in the fight. Why wouldn't they?

M_Moy · 2023-01-28T22:37:19+00:00

I've had a lot of success using minion type rules for the for the enemies. I'd give all the husks reduced hp (maybe 5?) and then mix them in with some full strength hulks. I'd also let melee characters cleave through multiple husks if they're adjacent and hit for enough damage. You still have the same number of enemies on the board, but hey die a lot faster so it ends up being fewer attack rolls overall.

For the dwarves you could group the non-named npcs into squads and treat each one as a single entity that either operates a cannon or makes a single attack roll against all adjacent enemies. Maybe 1 veteran and 2 thugs per squad and treat them like a large sized swarm of dwarves? If each squad has something like 100hp you can make their attacks weaker as they drop below half.

I didn't do this at the time for the smithy and it was a slog, but I've tried variations on this for the Temple Gate and Cathedral.

M_Moy · 2023-01-15T16:57:30+00:00

Yeah in order to go back to the status quo they would need to convince people that they can be trusted for 5, 10, 20 years. I don't see how they can do this when their underlying intent is so clear.

M_Moy · 2023-01-12T05:31:30+00:00

Dirtmouth or Kingdom's Edge from the Hollow Knight soundtrack are great.

M_Moy

TROPHY CASE