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Give your players a chance to experience the pain but still make their way out if things go poorly. Just keep in mind that the rats can be quite lethal. These stories are the sorts that players will remember years later so don't nerf the rats too much. With high hit points, heavy damage resistances, and the potential for 4d6 damage on a critical hit, many share stories of the horrors of the rats. Of all the encounters in Greenest in Flames, few are as difficult and memorable as the rat swarms in the tunnels. You'll find it won't take much to tax the PCs even if they are level 2. If they appear to have an easy time, add a couple of extra monsters or random encounters to the scenario. Given the difficulty of the scenario, this won't make them too powerful. You might also simply choose to start them at level 2 instead of level 1. First, you can have them level up to 2 during the night which gives them some extra hit points, extra spells, and an extra hit die of recovery. With only a small handful of spells at their disposal, few hit points, and only one hit die for recoveries, the PCs might find it hard to last the night. The Greenest in Flames scenario is very difficult for level 1 PCs. Make sure you reinforce this wearing down as part of the story and clarify the risks of the invaders killing and capturing more townsfolk if they choose to rest. They shouldn't feel like they are getting punished or you, as the DM, are purposefully holding them away from a long rest. Your players should feel like the PCs have been through a long night of constant and continual battles. This will give them the much-needed hit points to face so many waves of foes. You might also give them access to healers and healing potions inside of the keep. You'll want to make it clear to your players early on that they have a long night ahead of them and will want to conserve resources.
HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN PDF PRINTER FRIENDLY FULL
Greenest in Flames is one long series of encounters with no full rests in between. You can also add in some random encounters to keep PCs busy in between other bigger missions. As the Id DM mentions the adventure specifically mentions that you should pick and choose which missions you want to run. You might move or skip some of these missions depending on the choices of the PCs. Cyanwrath, however, wants to face one of the PCs before they head out. The Half-Dragon Champion: With Lennithon gone, the invaders decide its time to go.
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If you enjoy this article, check out Sly Flourish's bestselling books, weekly newsletter, YouTube videos, twice-weekly podcast, and fan-supported Patreon, all offering tips to help you run awesome D&D games. This article will offer tips for running the first chapter of the adventure, Greenest in Flames. This article is the first in a series to offer suggestions for running Hoard of the Dragon Queen for your own group either at home or as part of the D&D Encounters program. Designed as a series of open-ended sandbox chapters, Hoard requires a lot from the DMs who run it. Taking the spot as the first officially published Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition adventure (excluding Lost Mines of Phandelver included in the the Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set), Hoard of the Dragon Queen has a lot of pressure on it. New to Sly Flourish? Start Here! Hoard of the Dragon Queen: Greenest in Flamesīy Mike on 11 September 2014 Hoard of the Dragon Queen: Greenest in Flames
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