RHoD looks good. I read it and was thinking about the final battle points system but I'm currently running Dragon Heist and 2x light of xaryxis adventures.
The change I would make to the Sunless Citadel is to make the "magic apple" an item the players desire. Maybe a character has a relative who is sick, and the good apple could be used to restore the relative's health. Or maybe the character belongs to a thieves guild, and they want the bad apple to make an ultimate poison. Great video, btw. I subscribed.
So I decided to link my sunless citadel to my Lost Mines of Phandelver setting. I’m using this adventure as something they’re doing before heading to Phandalin and kicking off goblin arrows along the way. Anyways. My version of your Nim is actually there as an ambassador from the Cragmaw Clan to the south. Specifically, I made it Droop, and made Droop a Nilbog, there on business to check out this big catch of theirs (the dragon). And when shit hits the fan and he flees back to his clan and they hear he was unsuccessful in making an alliance with the tribe in the citadel, then he will get the Meebo treatment with the Cragmaw. My vision for Droop’s place in this is a confident version of Claptrap from the Borderlands series. Thinking he’s on top of the world due to his high stature with the Cragmaw and in strong company who have a dragon in their possession. Only to be a coward if ever actually pressed. And when seen in Cragmaw, maintains that false bravado, knowing the capabilities of the powerful adventurers, deeming them his savior, eventually deciding to declare them as his minion a la claptrap. Constantly meant to just be an annoying character but never truly a threat.
@@BigGamesSmallPieces @BigGamesSmallPieces I actually have small modifications here are there to compensate for levels but more so for party size than anything. There's only 3 of us. Two players, and a NPC who I don't have do very much. He's a bit of a loaf. So with basically 2 PCs, I started them at 2nd level and gave them a roll on the 0-4 treasure hoard table from the DMG to be able to start with some decent gear if they can afford it. Nameless creatures have their minimum HP available to them (so goblins (2d6) all would have 2hp, unless they were a named goblin). Sort of a play on 4e's minion monsters. Boss or significant creatures would have max health possible. Mini boss, or, what I'd call elite, or champion type enemies would have 3/4 max hp. And average hp would be for creatures of somewhat significance, like Yusdrayl's guards (though I believe I actually made those elites, so, 3/4. I usually would reserve elite status for named creatures though.) The adventure will end at the fortress since I have them there to do a soft recovery of missing adventurers, but they will be with the goblins, not in the grove. They are also there to recover what the two adventurers were sent there for, a misc item that Gundren Rockseeker wanted to have recovered. As the group heads back to Phandalin, the goblin attack will occur and that story should kick off accordingly. We have only done a few sessions so, we havent made it super far. But I'm setting up several hooks atm. The grove will be mentioned upon the return of the Hucrele siblings, along with sudden news of other adventurers in the area having gone missing as well--no time for that this time though. Maybe the party will look into it again when they head this way again for thunder tree. I plan on making the vampire's hook be a thing for wayyyyy later They actually didnt manage to roll knowledge to know that fire and acid kills a troll. So, they ended up cutting off several limbs then throwing them all into the spiked pit. So, after a long rest I'll have the troll heal, mutate, work its way into full health, become a 4 armed CR 6 that will probably take over Oakhurst.. That'll be fun to mess with them with if they revisit for the grove.
Lol, tldr: I plan to modify the health for creatures. But my group size is already a bit of a handicap, so I tricked them out a bit and am hoping to meet in the middle with better gear/higher level vs outnumbered with low CR creatures
its a good one. One of my current campaigns we are playing is Baldurs gate Descent into Avernus and the group just got the quest to get some of Tiamats blood. I love little links and pieces that keep all the games grounded in the same world.
i gave players hooks for Belak - the paladin was going after him to capture and bring to justice for poisoning a village, the rogue wanted to kill him for murdering his family. played very well when they had conflicting goals at the end :D
Thanks a lot for the awesome tips. I'm going to be running Sunless Citadel soon as an inexperienced DM with brand new players and this video has been really helpful with putting together the key pieces and breathing some more life into the world. I love the idea of the players being able to choose between goblins/kobolds and playing with the verticality on some of the fights hadn't even crossed my mind- the snake pit is awesome! So glad I found this video and thanks so much for making it. Can't wait to implement it into the run!
Thank You. I do hope someone is getting something out of these reviews. Ill be running Lord of the Iron Fortress for one group soon and for another once I finish light of Xaryxis Ill be running Heart of Nightfang Spire. So they are a little bit away before the reviews come out, but in the meanwhile ill do a few Candlekeep mysteries and Subclass reviews.
I have the grand finale of this dungeon tomorrow night. I’m planning to run the Ashardalon story with some changes. For example, they’ll go to Stormwreck Isle after the Sunless Citadel, as the Forge of Fury doesn’t have to do anything with Ashardalon or Gulthias. In my game Ashardalon isn’t in the Bastion of Souls (yet), but instead under Stormwreck Isle. He now sustains by having lava flow straight through his veins, like blood, because he doesn’t have a heart. Gulthias, who worships the Greatwyrm, is planning to put the Balrog as a heart and have him reign again. Let’s see if my group can stop him!
Yes the forge of fury doesnt relate. I linked it with the map but i had Erky have the map and He was the cousin of a player. I do like the weapons link from FoF and can see sprinkling them in across a campaign a small link that could be expanded on. As for Ashardalon he enter the bastion 6 months prior to the start of the 18th level adventure so yeah he would not be there atm. Lava for blood sounds cool! Ive not played in or read Stormwreck, is it a good adventure?
I'm running Lost Mine of Phandelver, and was going to use the Sunless Citadel as a bridge to the Rise of Tiamat. I had found myself torn between this and Forge of Fury, but I just love the dragon cult theme, and it feels like it would go hand in hand with a Tiamat Cult / BBG story.
I've been reading Expedition to the Demonweb pits, the great modron march and dead gods. These all share links but running one then running another instead of combining them isn't a bad option. As the group start new characters and once again head to familiar locations their previous knowledge will help your current games tension. This will allow the players to plan better and for the DM to drop thing in one game and have them become important in the next!
Thanks for this review/DM tips. I’m thinking of running Sunless Citadel for my group of experienced D&D players. The first map of the ledge is a bit confusing. It looks like a free-standing structure like a tower but that doesn’t make sense. Is it a rock ledge that is below a cliff? Is the edge of a cliff? Do the PC/s have to climb down to area 1 before the stairs or just walk to this ledge?
Look for the black and white images on the internet from the 3e adventure. You walk on old road to you see a large crack/ravine. Posts of an old bridge are all that remain of it. You look down and realise goblins have been using a single rope that desends down. That rope takes you to area 1 and that is not meant to be a pillar but a sandy ledge from the ravine wall. So your PCs will need to climb down the sturdy knotted rope to area 1 then take the stairs the rest of the way down
Dig your ideas! Glad I found this during my research for pre RHoD-adventures. Thx! 👌
RHoD looks good. I read it and was thinking about the final battle points system but I'm currently running Dragon Heist and 2x light of xaryxis adventures.
The change I would make to the Sunless Citadel is to make the "magic apple" an item the players desire. Maybe a character has a relative who is sick, and the good apple could be used to restore the relative's health. Or maybe the character belongs to a thieves guild, and they want the bad apple to make an ultimate poison.
Great video, btw.
I subscribed.
So I decided to link my sunless citadel to my Lost Mines of Phandelver setting.
I’m using this adventure as something they’re doing before heading to Phandalin and kicking off goblin arrows along the way.
Anyways. My version of your Nim is actually there as an ambassador from the Cragmaw Clan to the south. Specifically, I made it Droop, and made Droop a Nilbog, there on business to check out this big catch of theirs (the dragon). And when shit hits the fan and he flees back to his clan and they hear he was unsuccessful in making an alliance with the tribe in the citadel, then he will get the Meebo treatment with the Cragmaw.
My vision for Droop’s place in this is a confident version of Claptrap from the Borderlands series. Thinking he’s on top of the world due to his high stature with the Cragmaw and in strong company who have a dragon in their possession. Only to be a coward if ever actually pressed. And when seen in Cragmaw, maintains that false bravado, knowing the capabilities of the powerful adventurers, deeming them his savior, eventually deciding to declare them as his minion a la claptrap.
Constantly meant to just be an annoying character but never truly a threat.
whats your plan for the level difference? Only do seections of the citadel? or have the party go into LMoP at level 2/3?
@@BigGamesSmallPieces @BigGamesSmallPieces I actually have small modifications here are there to compensate for levels but more so for party size than anything. There's only 3 of us. Two players, and a NPC who I don't have do very much. He's a bit of a loaf.
So with basically 2 PCs, I started them at 2nd level and gave them a roll on the 0-4 treasure hoard table from the DMG to be able to start with some decent gear if they can afford it. Nameless creatures have their minimum HP available to them (so goblins (2d6) all would have 2hp, unless they were a named goblin). Sort of a play on 4e's minion monsters.
Boss or significant creatures would have max health possible. Mini boss, or, what I'd call elite, or champion type enemies would have 3/4 max hp. And average hp would be for creatures of somewhat significance, like Yusdrayl's guards (though I believe I actually made those elites, so, 3/4. I usually would reserve elite status for named creatures though.)
The adventure will end at the fortress since I have them there to do a soft recovery of missing adventurers, but they will be with the goblins, not in the grove.
They are also there to recover what the two adventurers were sent there for, a misc item that Gundren Rockseeker wanted to have recovered. As the group heads back to Phandalin, the goblin attack will occur and that story should kick off accordingly.
We have only done a few sessions so, we havent made it super far. But I'm setting up several hooks atm. The grove will be mentioned upon the return of the Hucrele siblings, along with sudden news of other adventurers in the area having gone missing as well--no time for that this time though. Maybe the party will look into it again when they head this way again for thunder tree.
I plan on making the vampire's hook be a thing for wayyyyy later
They actually didnt manage to roll knowledge to know that fire and acid kills a troll. So, they ended up cutting off several limbs then throwing them all into the spiked pit. So, after a long rest I'll have the troll heal, mutate, work its way into full health, become a 4 armed CR 6 that will probably take over Oakhurst.. That'll be fun to mess with them with if they revisit for the grove.
Lol, tldr: I plan to modify the health for creatures. But my group size is already a bit of a handicap, so I tricked them out a bit and am hoping to meet in the middle with better gear/higher level vs outnumbered with low CR creatures
This was a fantastic adventure back in the day. It's in the hopper for my next Tiamat themed adventure idea.
its a good one. One of my current campaigns we are playing is Baldurs gate Descent into Avernus and the group just got the quest to get some of Tiamats blood. I love little links and pieces that keep all the games grounded in the same world.
It’s a great adventure but definitely there are some useful tips in this for DMs on expectations and preparation
Most definitely! I should do a video on introducing players to games and things that should be covered
Beautiful adventure and even more beautiful UA-camr ;)
i gave players hooks for Belak - the paladin was going after him to capture and bring to justice for poisoning a village, the rogue wanted to kill him for murdering his family. played very well when they had conflicting goals at the end :D
Thanks a lot for the awesome tips. I'm going to be running Sunless Citadel soon as an inexperienced DM with brand new players and this video has been really helpful with putting together the key pieces and breathing some more life into the world. I love the idea of the players being able to choose between goblins/kobolds and playing with the verticality on some of the fights hadn't even crossed my mind- the snake pit is awesome! So glad I found this video and thanks so much for making it. Can't wait to implement it into the run!
Thank you. It's good to know this helped someone. It does take a while to do these as I like to run them recently before I talk about them
Ty. I ran a party through the original AP we only made it through the standing stone but these videos have been a great asset.
Thank You. I do hope someone is getting something out of these reviews. Ill be running Lord of the Iron Fortress for one group soon and for another once I finish light of Xaryxis Ill be running Heart of Nightfang Spire. So they are a little bit away before the reviews come out, but in the meanwhile ill do a few Candlekeep mysteries and Subclass reviews.
I have the grand finale of this dungeon tomorrow night. I’m planning to run the Ashardalon story with some changes. For example, they’ll go to Stormwreck Isle after the Sunless Citadel, as the Forge of Fury doesn’t have to do anything with Ashardalon or Gulthias.
In my game Ashardalon isn’t in the Bastion of Souls (yet), but instead under Stormwreck Isle. He now sustains by having lava flow straight through his veins, like blood, because he doesn’t have a heart. Gulthias, who worships the Greatwyrm, is planning to put the Balrog as a heart and have him reign again. Let’s see if my group can stop him!
Yes the forge of fury doesnt relate. I linked it with the map but i had Erky have the map and He was the cousin of a player. I do like the weapons link from FoF and can see sprinkling them in across a campaign a small link that could be expanded on.
As for Ashardalon he enter the bastion 6 months prior to the start of the 18th level adventure so yeah he would not be there atm. Lava for blood sounds cool! Ive not played in or read Stormwreck, is it a good adventure?
I'm running Lost Mine of Phandelver, and was going to use the Sunless Citadel as a bridge to the Rise of Tiamat. I had found myself torn between this and Forge of Fury, but I just love the dragon cult theme, and it feels like it would go hand in hand with a Tiamat Cult / BBG story.
I've been reading Expedition to the Demonweb pits, the great modron march and dead gods. These all share links but running one then running another instead of combining them isn't a bad option.
As the group start new characters and once again head to familiar locations their previous knowledge will help your current games tension. This will allow the players to plan better and for the DM to drop thing in one game and have them become important in the next!
Thanks for this review/DM tips. I’m thinking of running Sunless Citadel for my group of experienced D&D players. The first map of the ledge is a bit confusing. It looks like a free-standing structure like a tower but that doesn’t make sense. Is it a rock ledge that is below a cliff? Is the edge of a cliff? Do the PC/s have to climb down to area 1 before the stairs or just walk to this ledge?
Look for the black and white images on the internet from the 3e adventure. You walk on old road to you see a large crack/ravine. Posts of an old bridge are all that remain of it. You look down and realise goblins have been using a single rope that desends down. That rope takes you to area 1 and that is not meant to be a pillar but a sandy ledge from the ravine wall. So your PCs will need to climb down the sturdy knotted rope to area 1 then take the stairs the rest of the way down