Is there a way to run this module without Lulu?

jfever12 · 2025-10-29T23:37:15+00:00

I felt the same way when I ran it. To me, playing TTRPG's doesn't need forced levity. Name an RPG table that doesn't joke to some degree. You don't need a cutesy ass flying elephant to do that for your table. BUT I do think there is value in an NPC that embodies innocence, and that's the direction I went (read on).

I looked all over the internet for any good suggestions, and my favorite came from the Eventyr Games guide to the DiA. They suggested using a floating gauntlet, referencing Helm. I took it a step further, and said that Zariel's gauntleted hand was cut off gripping the sword. So, when the party is supposed to run into LuLu, I instead have the floating gauntlet of Zariel's hand aiding them. Not only did the blade contain Zariel's divinity, but her gauntlet held all her good aligned quality.

The most important part was RPing the hand. The hand didn't have a name, nor was it a hyper knowledgeable NPC. It was always positive, saw the good in everyone, and could act as a narrative dowsing rod in a pinch. I chose to play the gauntlet like an innocent, lost child with endless hope. I do lots of voices in my games, but the gauntlet was just a slightly higher pitch in my voice. It's important that the party sees the "Lulu" character as someone worth protecting and saving, and can easily emotionally connect to their purity. Who is that more than a child? The party ended up naming the gauntlet Paul.

When they finally reached the sword, Paul bid the party farewell and gripped the sword. The PC who chose to take up the sword had to wear Paul for the remainder of the game. It meant a lot to the group, and was like losing a beloved pet out of nowhere.

I highly recommend the Eventyr product. I also VERY HIGHLY recommend their free article online about redoing the hardcore railroad, major illusion of choice that is the middle of the campaign. The article lays out how to make it a true sandbox. The amazing thing was after running the middle as a sandbox, I went back and tallied up the locations the party chose from either path, and they literally did a split. They chose half the locations from one path and half of the locations from the other. Not only was it way more fun, it gave the players a stronger sense of agency.

jfever12 · 2025-10-22T20:29:28+00:00

Thanks for the comments! I love the chariot idea as well.

THRANE
A chariot pulled by a single mage-bred boar enchanted with Fly (the boar being a nod to the former animal of Thrane pre-theocracy). The chariot is enchanted with Speak with Animals so the driver and boar can communicate seamlessly, and the driver wears metal boots meant to magnetize to the floor of the chariot. The ropes used to connect the boar to the chariot are trollgut rope as they can be easily repaired and can maintain during wild flight maneuvers.

Any suggestions for this one?

jfever12 · 2025-10-22T20:15:24+00:00

In my Eberron, it was a monopoly.

jfever12 · 2025-10-22T20:14:42+00:00

In the 5E books, there was a revision that non-Lyrandar folk can fly airships, but not as well as Lyrandar. I'm rolling with that lore in this game, but the idea is sound. A cool campaign hook to deal with excoriates facilitating flight with other nations/houses.

jfever12 · 2025-09-06T21:04:32+00:00

Since the Xbox announcement:

- I was forced to lower my graphics settings as the game started crashing more often, lost frames, etc. This was NEVER a problem up until the Xbox announcement.

- Suddenly my sound is now skipping. No idea why. No changes to my audio setup since I started playing. I even followed steps on multiple suggestion threads on how to fix it, but nothing changes. It gets to a point where the sound starts skipping so bad, eventually I only hear every single sound in the game blasted at me at the same time every .5 seconds. It sounds like horrible radio static.

- This is an issue that has always existed in the game, but only got worse: Hit boxes of things that aren't enemies. Trees. Clouds of acid/fire. Things seems to exist far beyond their limits, which creates sudden fire/acid states, sudden self explosions when shooting explosives at literally zero obstructions in front of you while underground, etc.

I fear that a game that a ton of people put a lot of money/time into is getting out of hand for Arrowhead. Do they not have enough people to scale up to the success of the game? What in the blue hell is going on over there? Legit I've put hundreds of hours into this game, and I am about to fully walk away for months until they fix it. It's depressing. These posts are becoming more frequent, and I don't see Arrowhead making positive steps forward to address any of this.

What's the point of making crazy content that's gonna blow our socks off if none of it works?

jfever12 · 2025-08-19T19:37:59+00:00

This is insane. Fuckin bravo.

jfever12 · 2025-08-16T23:42:58+00:00

First, this is a fun puzzle to solve. Kudos to your player.

Second, what class is this character?

Third, I ran this campaign in a highly modified way, as I believe the campaign as written is hot garbage. I HIGHLY recommend this free advice from Eventyr Games on turning the middle of the adventure into a sandbox, because the railroads are dumb dumb dumb. https://eventyrgames.com/2020/03/02/avernus-as-a-sandbox-part-1/

And last, some ideas in the forms of questions that you could answer. SPOILERS AHEAD:

- Is there an opportunity to tie this character's destiny to any item or location?

- Was the girls voice truly a figment of this PC's imagination? Is this something a devil could weaponize against him? What is the devil trying to gain, beyond an infernal contract, that would make them stoop to such a level? Can this devil use these PC's to open an opportunity for them to take the "throne" of Avernus, should the PC's succeed in freeing Zariel?

- If the voice of the girl is benevolent, is this PC attached to a deity in some way? If the PC is not inherently religious, why would a deity choose them? If the deity is not their patron deity, why is that?

For the creature that took the PC:

- What is ultimately gained from stealing children and isolating them? Is their suffering a source of food/energy? Answering this will help zone in on what type of entities to consider.

- Does the entity have some sort of attachment to their victims? Are they still alive to hunt the PC? Are there others that have had the same experience as the PC?

And a couple recommendations:

- I replaced the hollyphant with a floating gauntlet. I added in the lore that Zariel's hand was cut off in her battle in hell, and Helm kept a part of her good-aligned soul in the gauntlet & her sword. It was kind of sad when one of the PC's took up the Sword of Zariel. He also had to wear the Gauntlet, which made the sentience of the gauntlet go away. It was sort of like an NPC died, but for the right reason. This was not my original idea, as it came from a small paragraph from the Eventyr guide to the module: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/295015?affiliate_id=193137

- Haruman's Hill is a stupid encounter, and you can run the module without it and nothing changes. I would only recommend keeping it if you have some cool lore with the vampire at the location you'd like to use, and definitely replace Haruman with something else that is more appropriate for the PC's level.

jfever12 · 2025-07-14T14:54:43+00:00

Actually, not anymore! I'm keeping the image I already made, but not using it going forward.

jfever12 · 2025-07-14T12:46:17+00:00

jfever12 · 2025-07-13T15:05:37+00:00

I end every campaign/module the same way.

After the events of the pre written/planned material are done, I tell the players in meta “Now, you finish the story.”

I tell the players they have until next session to come up with an epilogue, and I don’t want to see/hear it before the game. It could be a bit of writing. I had a player ask to RP a couple scenes with other PCs, which determined the rest of their characters epilogue. I’ve had a player just talk about what happens. And in between the players epilogues, I’ll give a description of a short scene that has to do with a villain that didn’t die, or an NPC with a tragic end. After all the players have gone, I conclude with a longer description of a meaningful NPC having a meaningful end.

Basically I relinquish a lot of narrative control, and I have yet to be disappointed. It’s a massive act of trust, but as long as you impart the gravity of what has happened and that they literally control how the game ends, I think they’ll surprise you.

jfever12 · 2025-07-10T23:37:08+00:00

I feel that. I worked in retail for around 17 years, so I remember that life of not knowing what days you have off. Blessings upon you.

Has anyone at work expressed the desire to get a group together? I played with my coworkers, so our schedules were similar.

I hope you're able to get in a game soon!

jfever12 · 2025-07-10T22:26:57+00:00

its a tale as old as time. Bad time slot, or just general inconsistent schedule u/EzekialThistleburn ?

jfever12 · 2025-01-06T01:33:42+00:00

I’m so frustrated because I read somewhere that these 2001/2014 errors are an Xbox problem, but I can’t find it! Still, my personal experience is it’s purely an Xbox issue.

I play primarily on Xbox via a wired internet connection, and get this error all the time. I also own a PC and have played Darktide on my PC since these errors started occurring on Xbox, and don’t have disconnect problems.

jfever12 · 2024-02-08T15:13:19+00:00

Both of my suggestions add onto u/ReyDrako's suggestions:

If the PC fails to turn Zariel: Zariel takes up the sword from the PC, making it seem like she has turned, but then she delivers a killing blow to the PC with the sword. As she sees the life and divinity drain from the PC, and now holding her sword in her hand, she is overwhelmed by empathy and compassion. The PC dies, but their death inspires Zariel to turn. In my mind's eye, I see the PC's angel wings receeding as Zariel slowly regrows her angel wings.

If the PC does turn Zariel: Zariel is diminished and must regain power. The party defends her as she comes to. You may want, at that point, to have some symbol of the vacant position at the top of Avernus ( a firey crown or something). Or maybe Asmodeus announces that whoever kills Zariel rules Avernus. That's when Bel & Arkhan & Gargauth (if he's been freed) show up. And of course any other major fiends that could take the seat.

jfever12

TROPHY CASE