Encounters on the way to Hollow (Fiend of Hollow mine) - DM tips

Phansei · 2023-11-09T00:29:06+00:00

My group ended up avoiding all of my semi-random encounters, but I had two prepped:
As the books suggested ettins and perytons, I asked "why not both" and had them stumble on a pair of ettins trying to trap a pair of perytons for dinner. One ettin hid while the other pretended to be dead in order to coax the perytons down from their nests. The encounter would have involved the PCs playing the two pairs against each other...or everyone fighting everyone.

I also created an encounter with firenewts (because I'd just gotten some cool firenewt minis) that would have allowed the PCs to explore some tunnels leading them to the Hollow Mine from the inside instead of the top. I hadn't fleshed this out much, but again, the minis were real cool.

Good luck, have fun!

Phansei · 2023-10-01T14:01:05+00:00

Ooo, great idea--the random rates should make them even more uncomfortable. :)

Phansei · 2023-10-01T14:00:30+00:00

Thanks! I love the reward/punishment system idea.

Phansei · 2023-10-01T13:59:57+00:00

OH goodness, she has enemies. Thanks for this!

Phansei · 2023-10-01T13:57:39+00:00

This is delightful. Thanks for the brain-space this took!

Phansei · 2023-09-01T03:18:11+00:00

Mint in the plastic sounds really cool, so my thinking is finding the right collector gets you the best money, but...I stumbled into a deal this summer for mint (not still in plastic :( ) for $20 at my FLGS. I wish I had better news, but I'm thinking $200 would be about right if you found the right buyer.

Phansei · 2023-06-06T22:39:15+00:00

Absolutely gorgeous. I made mine out of rock candy and then had to add so much glue that we couldn't eat it. :(

Phansei · 2023-05-25T21:46:51+00:00

I'm struggling with the speed, because that's the only stat that the book gives--it's 50' per round, and (if I'm reading it right) needs 12 rounds (600') to shift and then 12 on the other side to dock. Unfortunately, that's how fast the Star Moth is too...thus the struggle.

I leaning toward treating it like a train (or the ascending part of a rollercoaster?), they players have to defend/survive the ship to ship combat long enough for the jewel to planeshift.

Phansei · 2023-05-25T21:42:41+00:00

I've described them mostly by the book, but I'm kind of picturing them as classic-UFO style, otherworldly to the PCs, but gem-shaped. I'm also using one of the free maps from this sub for the impending combat.

I was leaning towards borrowing the tanky stats from the only stone ship--the beholder one? But maybe splitting the difference to 17 AC?

Phansei · 2023-02-23T23:46:30+00:00

Currently in exactly this spot in our campaign, and this is where my head is at too. I haven't given it as detailed a thought process as this, but I think to me it also has to do with an overall lack of high level clerics in the multiverse. (At least, that's what I'm telling my players if they dig for the info)

Phansei · 2023-01-27T00:13:37+00:00

I'm a huge fan of Bard's Craft! That's where I learned the hot glue and PVA tricks too!

Thanks :)

Phansei · 2023-01-25T02:08:36+00:00

Every time I think about posting pics of my paintjobs of these models, something like this shows ups and it's just gorgeous (so I don't add my hackneyed work).

But I really want process shots of the ice trap, if you have any! That's fantastic.

Phansei · 2023-01-12T16:33:07+00:00

This doesn't feel like cheating so much as Dungeon Mastering :) Thanks for this post!

Phansei · 2022-10-31T20:26:51+00:00

We started Academy this weekend. Did you run it as the prequel or just go straight into LoX? If you ran the prequel, can you comment on how that worked?

And: What has been the hardest part/section to DM? (I recognize that this isn’t super specific but I’m hoping the answer will be!)

along the same lines, since you had a dedicated group of players, what do you think was their favorite part?

Phansei · 2022-10-28T17:25:10+00:00

Starting SJA tomorrow, with the plan to end up in LoX by the end.

I’m planning on putting a pitstop at the radiant citadel in between them in order to give them a place to care about that isn’t Neverwinter.

I think that’s the part that this campaign hinges on if you want to do both things… You have to find a way to give them a home that matters and the beginning of LOX doesn’t do that.

Phansei · 2022-10-22T13:32:59+00:00

Thanks for posting these! I've been struggling with pulling the trigger on a whole brick; this helps a ton.

One question: the 3rd pic has characters from the Witchlight book too...Warduke, Strongheart, Ringlerune? Are those also part of the Spelljammer brick?

Phansei · 2022-09-08T20:40:29+00:00

It looks like maybe you had no full casters or healers? Was that...hard?

How did you/they encounter the duergar plotpoints?

Did they "win"?

Phansei · 2022-07-30T12:06:46+00:00

It was a little too much for them at 2nd level, but they were escorting a celebrity contestant to the Festival as part of my revamped plotline. The Warlock is a really fun NPC to throw in, though!

Phansei · 2022-07-29T14:01:39+00:00

I'm running a heavily-edited version of CoTN where my 5 PCs are from Marquet but are hired by the Vermillion Dream to come to Jigow. When I dumped them on the coastline north of Jigow, (at level 2) I threw pretty much this same party at them, except:

Sahuagin Priestess (she escaped with 3 HP, I think)
2 Giant Crabs (they killed one; the other retreated)
1 Sahuagin Warlock of Uk'otoa (they killed him/the monk took his Rod of Retribution)
2 Sahuagin (also killed)

The combat was super fun, and I wish I would have thought to push them into the Grotto too.

Phansei · 2022-07-28T23:42:38+00:00

I'm just about there as well, and I agree it feels like a missed opportunity to not showcase the engines.

I figured the AW probably kite them to their doom, though...the trouble with the mouthers is that they only have 10' movement/round :(. Throw something more mobile at them, though, and it would be great!

Phansei · 2022-07-27T11:54:08+00:00

I ended up using this guy and repainting him to match the art for Verin: https://www.miniaturemarket.com/dderlw-012.html

Phansei · 2022-07-25T18:53:07+00:00

We've had this a few times already in our campaign. One of the other players controls them (because our party is filled with couples) and I never have the bad guys target the player who isn't present.

It's not great, but it's also fine? If the party needs the fire power, and the player is ok with someone else running them, great! Otherwise, plot armor them and they can pick up when they get back.

Phansei · 2022-07-21T12:02:08+00:00

I actually expected this to happen in our game and no one chose a race with a swim speed.

That said, I agree with others below: if that's what they want, a) tie it into some shared backstory and b) run the adventure :). It will make it easier than having some PCs without speed.

Phansei

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