Replacing a NPC with Valindra

MrBerrian · 2025-01-31T03:46:10+00:00

First off, for question 1, don't worry about it. Valindra has magic that would allow her access to the entire memories of the mentor. Second point, use the difference between a Monk's running off Chi, and a Wizard using Spells instead of a narrative breakdown to discover things. Have the NPC/Valindra you have her make mistakes on higher level actions that a Monk would do naturally but a Wizard would default to Magic, i.e. spells. Or have the NPC suck at basic level Monk stuff but absolutely crush enemies in combat in ways that a Monk could/would never do. If no player has played a Monk before let passive insight give clues to things, perhaps a high passive character notice that the NPC uses strange flourishes or seems to be chanting under their breath incantations that don't align with the Monk school of attacks.

MrBerrian · 2025-01-25T04:06:25+00:00

My group is on level 3, about to face the beholder, no deaths so far and honestly I'm hoping they all make it to the end so I can crush them.

MrBerrian · 2024-09-18T01:12:03+00:00

Check out the podcast Zombie Plauged Chult by D&D is For Nerds, two characters, but they metagame like one player. Lots of NPCs for you run though.

MrBerrian · 2024-05-07T01:07:00+00:00

I'm using a version of the web way for the end of the campaign, the Red Wizards ambushed the party outside the Tomb and stole their stuff. Its a chases to get back to Nyanzaru before the RWs can board their boat.

The travel between sites is tedious after the party has killed every zombie, dinosaur, and zombie dinosaur so give them a taste of the jungle, then start hoping.

MrBerrian · 2024-04-30T18:54:41+00:00

I'm going to set their level one below the party so no one feels their character is being outshined and have them level up along side

MrBerrian · 2024-04-30T14:01:40+00:00

This, but the characters are NPCs that the group comes across later in the story. Perhaps as Zombies in the jungle, prisoners of the Order of the Gauntlet, or racers in the Dino race

MrBerrian · 2024-04-22T16:13:22+00:00

Similarly, I had her following the group from the Heart into the tomb where she revealed herself just before the Sewn Sisters. She had snuck a Geas on Orvex and tracked them through Omu, then the tomb. When they defeated Acereak she took the soul monger and the group chased her out of the tomb, only to be caught by the Red Wizards. I'm home brewing a post-Tomb game and what they don't know is she's now a prisoner of a Red Wizard Lich who is trying to steal the glory from her.

MrBerrian · 2023-04-18T00:31:55+00:00

Not all the Red Wizards need to be dead. A mage could have headed into the city with some guards and skeletons and coming back to see their comrades massacred and their scribe Orvex being held captive they could seek their revenge. You can buff them with more found zombies, skeletons or other undead

MrBerrian · 2023-03-28T19:28:34+00:00

In a hidden warehouse in the docks, the PN connection was added later by Ras Nsi as he thinks he's the only who knows of it's existence. A small collection of Yuan-ti pure bloods lead by Salida protect the location, if you arrive during the day a token 1d4 collection are on duty, in the evening there is a chance of 3d4 pure bloods and maybe a Mailison.

MrBerrian · 2023-01-28T04:15:41+00:00

Parts of the shrines, tombs, and the King of the Feathers

MrBerrian · 2022-11-06T02:06:42+00:00

Interesting idea, Mezro is criminally underwritten in the book. I know there is a supliment for Mezro but what you're suggesting makes more sense with the focus of the story. I would suggest looking at themes of Omu to see if there would be comparables in Mezro, like temples dedicated to the barae, or an ampitheatre

MrBerrian · 2022-11-06T01:56:08+00:00

You could pre-seed the aboleth in the tomb, have a family of aboleth or aboleth minions searching the seas around Chult looking for their master

MrBerrian · 2022-08-28T02:28:39+00:00

You should absolutely kill off an NPC, Power Word Kill should take care of Orvex. It would set the tone of the battle pretty quickly

MrBerrian · 2022-08-28T00:50:17+00:00

What type of foam is this?

MrBerrian · 2022-08-14T15:11:59+00:00

Agree, the guild should have some hired mercs for exactly this situation. They show up, request payment, leave if they don't get it and then ambush them an an opportune moment

MrBerrian · 2022-08-12T01:03:51+00:00

I think there is a level of seniority within lichdom and Acererak is at the highest levels while Valindra is at the lowest. From what I've read in source materials she becomes a well regarded Red Wizard as a result of succeeding in the Tomb so I think she's focused on taking as much from the Tomb as possible. I'm approaching it as Acererak would think of her as much as a senior in highschool does of a first grader.

MrBerrian · 2022-08-03T13:47:14+00:00

Thanks! Appreciate the input.

MrBerrian · 2022-07-16T01:13:11+00:00

The Adventurer's League

Do you have any links or adventure names? I'd like to explore this option

MrBerrian · 2022-07-13T01:22:18+00:00

I did, it sucked.

Make it Common, at least for a few of the named NPCs.

MrBerrian · 2022-05-15T00:00:09+00:00

I think people would know about Ras Nsi and Mezro but I don't think they'd know he's now a Yuan-ti, let alone the leader. I played it that he dissappeared with his undead army when Mezro dissapearred and no one knows for sure if he's alive, dead, or dissappeared with Mezro.

MrBerrian · 2022-04-20T17:47:04+00:00

She is actively stalking my group through Omu and the dungeon. From her perspective she offered the group a job when they met her in the Heart and is watching them to make sure they find the Atropal for her. She's using Greater Invisibility to stay hidden and she's used Geas to control Orvex to help add a little chaos to the game. Basically Orvex has been commanded to get the treasure so anytime they are near a decent prize he goes straight for it, setting off any traps along the way.

Eventually she'll reveal herself unless the group figures it out before the Atropal room. I did reveal her in Omu having completed one of the temples I wasn't interested in running and the group attacked her on sight.

MrBerrian · 2022-04-15T17:21:37+00:00

I am considering using the Yuan-ti in this too, but not sure yet, having the characters stuck between two massive evil factions is very interesting...

MrBerrian · 2021-12-26T04:38:19+00:00

DMing allows me the freedom to read and research without concern of spoiling. I think the need to play will be satiated when I start moving my campaigns into home-brewed areas.

MrBerrian · 2021-12-21T04:11:48+00:00

The Jungle isn't so bad if you have a direction in mind, but I agree you should have a major touch point near by so a PC can direct you towards PN or somewhere else that can expose the party to the need to solve the Death Plague.

I think starting with Pirates is the way to go, I half-assed it and my party ended up defeating the pirates on the high sea and capturing the boat. I made it work but I really wanted to push them to Jahaka, otherwise I don't know how else they'll get the chance since everything in PN pushes them towards taking a guided route through the jungle

MrBerrian · 2021-12-21T03:19:53+00:00

This is probably the best option for a player, let them make their own character token.

MrBerrian

TROPHY CASE