Thieves' Cant

Monday, September 1, 2014

Variant Acoylte (Hoard of the Dragon Queen)

Below you will find a more sorcerous acolyte. I like the idea that dragon-blood sorcerers would work with the Cult of the Dragon, and this simple fix spices up the encounter variety.

Right now, I've got the True Acolyte pegged as a CR 1/4, so I could entertain an argument for raising him/her to CR 1. I let you know how he plays out.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Fleshing Out HotDQ NPCs

So far, I am really enjoying both 5e and Kobold Press's Horde of the Dragon Queen. I like the episodic structure, the presentation of problems without easy solutions (thus, leaving it up to the gaming group), and the overall story is a fun, if generic, romp [A]. There are problems--poor encounter balance and no real variety in opponents--but both of those are things I tweak anways, so I am likely less affected than others.

One of the other things I am tweaking is trying to firm up the NPCs; this is largely because I want to make sure that if my PCs want to interact with them meaningfully, I will be prepared. To do so, I am simply using the Trait/Ideal/Bond/Flaw concept and applying it to NPCs [B].

Here are a few samples from Episode 1 "Greenest in Flames":

TARBAW NIGHTHILL (male human noble)
Personality: Often puts a hand on the person to whom he is speaking.
Ideal: Integrity. Honesty and diligence are the only things a man can truly control.
Bond: Greenest. It is Tarbaw's duty and his joy to see his village prosper.
Flaw: Self-Centered. Tarbaw believes he can affect change in all things, micromanages, and rarely offers praise.

ESCOBERT THE RED (male dwarf castellan)
Personality: Escobert always mumbles and trails off when speaking.
Ideal: Service. Performing one's duties, no matter how menial, is fulfilling because it makes one useful.
Bond: Faith in Helm. Though not a priest, Escobert finds Helm's emphasis on diligence a calling he can relate to.
Flaw: Unassertive. Escobert would much rather follow an order, regardless of his personal belief than challenge a leader.

EADYAN FALCONMOON (female half-elf priest)
Personality: All things can be interpreted as the will of the gods.
Ideal: Charity. Piety is enough for Eadyan; and to be close to her goddess means making sure her flock wants for nothing.
Bond: Her temple (The Hall of the Tilled Field). While not built by her hands, Eadyan feels her goddess present in the temple, and she takes a not-so-secret pleasure in the bountiful garden she's raised out back.
Flaw: Naïve. Eadyan trusts everyone the first time she meets them.

[A] Generic, or classic if your nice, adventures are kind of par for the course considering for early adventures of a new game, yes?

[B] I believe this concept was first introduced in the playtest packets.