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  1. - Top - End - #541
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    I've been running Red Hand of Doom for the first time in real life, and things are going well so far (just reaching the Bridge), but I've an idea I've been toying with for awhile, that I'd like to do in the future - run a reversed Red Hand of Doom, with the PCs as Hobgoblins trying to create a new nation for themselves out of the Vale.

    I'm still in an early planning stage right now, but would anyone be interested in helping me work on a project like that, or even just seeing what I come up with?
    Last edited by Menteith; 2012-07-14 at 02:16 PM.
    There is the moral of all human tales;
    'Tis but the same rehearsal of the past.
    First freedom and then Glory - when that fails,
    Wealth, vice, corruption - barbarism at last.
    And History, with all her volumes vast,
    Hath but one page...

  2. - Top - End - #542
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Certainly willing to take a look at it, at least, Menteith.

    Reversing RHOD'd be a good foundation. You just work it backwards:

    (1) The hobgoblin party enters Vraath Keep to drive out some minor-ish undead that are occupying it (i.e. there was some truth to the ghost stories of the keep - maybe even drive out Amery Vraath's own spirits.)

    (2) The party then goes to Rhestilor, where the exercise is to push out or impress the lizardmen occupying the ruins, as well as overcome a determined elven effort to push the hobgoblins out - until Regiarix arrives to relieve them.

    (3) The party then has to steal the phylactery from the Ghostlord?

    (4) The party then recons for the Red Hand as it tears through the villages, putting out the more elite teams the Vale has against them;

    (5) The party becomes the crack troops of the Hand in the Battle of Brindol. They go after the big defenders of the city.

    (6) Trouble at the Fane! Adventuring party has penetrated the Fane and only the hobgoblin heroes can rush back in time to save Azarr Kul so he can complete the ritual!

  3. - Top - End - #543
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Regarding setting RHOD in America, the obvious option is to have the Red Hand be the Europeans. Historically, they were the invaders.

  4. - Top - End - #544
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    Certainly willing to take a look at it, at least, Menteith.
    Alright, roughly, here's what I'm looking at doing;

    They'll start out working under the Cult of Tiamat, who promises a better life for the beings scratching out an existence in the mountaints, but isn't being totally upfront about what summoning Tiamat will actually do. I'll allow them to use the Cult of Tiamat as a jumping off point, but they could very easily turn this into a non-Evil faction who simply wants to better their lives and create their own civilization in a relatively unpopulated, resource rich area (or not - if they want an evil campaign, they're more than welcome to it ). I want the PCs to eventually become the leaders of the Red Hand, but that could take place at many different points.

    Stage One - The Witchwood (and the Wyrmsmokes!);
    The party needs to establish Red Hand superiority and unify the monstrous tribes in the Wyrmsmokes. This could be done via social, martial, or magical means. I'm thinking of having them have to convince a band of Skull-Crusher Ogres (who primarily value strength and honesty), a tribe of Goblins who've been the lowest on the pecking order for decades, and a rival group of Hobgoblins lead by a charismatic leader who strongly opposes the Cult of Tiamat, who has been swaying away members to his cause. He's taken refuge in Vraath Keep, knowing that the location is key the the Cult's plans. The PCs must put an end to his treasonous words without harming those under his command (if possible). Stage One ends when the keep is taken, and a loyalist is put in command of the garrison there, to use it as a staging point. VP is awarded based on how many monstrous humanoids they needed to kill - if they can recruit the Hobgoblin Dissidents without killing their leader, additional 2 VP is awarded.

    Stage Two - The Ruins of Rhest;
    Once the horde is unified (somewhat), the PCs will need to identify and remove the largest threats to their conquest. In the city of Rhest there lies an ancient artifact, used centuries ago to stop a similar incursion, though it destroyed the city in the process. To stop history from repeating itself, the PCs must reclaim it, and stop history from repeating itself. The city itself is infested by ancient undead, bound to the battle that destroyed the city, who protect the heart of the flooded ruin. Outside of the former capital, the marshes are watched over by a group known as the Tiri Kiror; the elves live in the shadows, and permit no goblin to cross their borders. It is rumored that they hold in captivity a black wyrm, captured decades ago, who they have broken and abused in pursuit of their duty. If freed, it could be a powerful ally for the horde. Stage Two ends when the artifact (a Staff of Power - subject to change, although given that the thing basically only allows for blasting, I don't think it would be a problem) is recovered, with VP awarded for turning the staff over to the horde rather than using it themselves, freeing Regi, eliminating the Tiri Kiror's military, and recruiting the lizardmen.

    Stage Three - The Ghostlord's Tower (but he lives in a lion....);
    In the ruined capital, the PCs learn more about what happened when the city fell. The Ghostlord was a powerful druid who was the turning point in holding back the horde centuries ago. When the city fell, he was the one who flooded it rather than allow the horde to win. In his terrible guilt, he underwent a ritual to grant himself eternal life, and charged himself with the protection of the Vale. The PCs must travel to his sanctum and stop him from interfering with the invasion. Huge VP bonus if they can recruit him to their side, likely by stealing his phylactery. Any more potential sources for VP would be welcome. This actually needs very little change from how it's run normally, aside from an alignment change for the Ghostlord.

    Stage Four - The Battle of Brindol
    This actually needs very little changing. Sure, you have the PCs advance rather than stand their ground, and they might be in charge of finding a way through the walls, but really, have a huge battle with plot important NPCs on both sides fighting as well. Based on the VP count, the PCs will have more allies and resources to call upon. I don't think a stage five is needed, as the Battle of Brindol is already a great climax, and odds are the PCs will have assumed leadership of the horde and possibly eliminated the Cult of Tiamat at some point anyway. If they haven't, it's possible that they could be betrayed by the Wyrmlords, who seek to bring in their dark master and bath the land in fire/be jerks, but that would only fly over if the PCs are running Neutral/Good Hobgoblins anyway.

    In between big missions, there are plenty of smaller ones - intercept the gold delivery to a group of dwarven mercenaries, crack a well defended choke point infested with human guards, remove a dangerous underling from command, etc.

    Thoughts on this rough sketch?
    Last edited by Menteith; 2012-07-17 at 02:01 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #545
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    There's a bit to go through there, but here's some first thoughts...

    (1) If you eventually make the PCs the leaders of the Red Hand, it really should be towards the end of the campaign rather than the beginning. Hobgoblin society's more or less held together by constantly having a strong leader on top, so if the PCs go wandering round the landscape they could return to find their leadership role usurped or having to fight challengers in mano-a-mano combat.

    (2) Re: the black dragon ... eeeh. Even for the Tiri Kitor, keeping a dragon chained up for decades is firmly lawful or chaotic evil stuff to me. Fair enough that elves are jerks, but you could consider changing the species from elves to something similarly swamp-dwelling and dangerous which lives in tribes. Shifters, maybe, as is the common conversion in Eberron?

    (3) On the betrayal of the hobgoblins due to the Dark Mistress being summoned -- this need not only be a Neutral or Good motivation. If the PCs are evil and command the Red Hand, they probably wouldn't take too kindly to a small cadre of wimpy clerical usurpers demanding control of the Red Hand and calling up Tiamat in support. If your PCs have command, and they're enjoying it as evil folks, have Tiamat try to take it away from them. They'll go and attempt to kick her rear just to stop her taking over from them.

  6. - Top - End - #546
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    There's a bit to go through there, but here's some first thoughts...

    (1) If you eventually make the PCs the leaders of the Red Hand, it really should be towards the end of the campaign rather than the beginning. Hobgoblin society's more or less held together by constantly having a strong leader on top, so if the PCs go wandering round the landscape they could return to find their leadership role usurped or having to fight challengers in mano-a-mano combat.

    (2) Re: the black dragon ... eeeh. Even for the Tiri Kitor, keeping a dragon chained up for decades is firmly lawful or chaotic evil stuff to me. Fair enough that elves are jerks, but you could consider changing the species from elves to something similarly swamp-dwelling and dangerous which lives in tribes. Shifters, maybe, as is the common conversion in Eberron?

    (3) On the betrayal of the hobgoblins due to the Dark Mistress being summoned -- this need not only be a Neutral or Good motivation. If the PCs are evil and command the Red Hand, they probably wouldn't take too kindly to a small cadre of wimpy clerical usurpers demanding control of the Red Hand and calling up Tiamat in support. If your PCs have command, and they're enjoying it as evil folks, have Tiamat try to take it away from them. They'll go and attempt to kick her rear just to stop her taking over from them.
    All very good points. I'm working on some of the finer points right now, and I'll post back when I have something more substantial to offer. Thanks for the feedback so far!

  7. - Top - End - #547
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Has anyone tried running this campaign for E6?
    Would that work out?

  8. - Top - End - #548
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    I've never tried doing this myself, and I don't know much about E6, but since this is about the 2nd or 3rd time the question's been asked I'd better take a stab at it.

    Looking at the notes about how E6 functions, it strikes me that what E6 would prrrrobably do to a vanilla, unaltered RHOD campaign is challenge the party on more or less even terms until late in the campaign, since E6 seems to contemplate that CR 7 - 10 can be handled by a level 6 party, and RHOD is meant to run from levels 5 - 11.

    To be honest, my guess is that E6 probably renders a lot of what I say in this guide as unnecessary. The handbook's built envisioning a party of semi-to-decent competence at optimisation, and most of the advice is built around improving the monsters to meet the ever-more-powerful party as it slowly levels up. But if E6 proposes basically no new spells, no BAB increase, no save increases and only extra feats from the point of level 6, which the party hits around Vraath Keep or Skull Gorge on my experience, then there's practically no need to change much else about RHOD given its monsters assume a slowly-improving party as the campaign goes on.

    I suspect the Battle of Brindol probably becomes a lot more brutal and possibly needing a bit more DM support since it takes out the last shelter of the 15-minute adventuring day that the party still has available to it under E6. And the Fane probably becomes a lot scarier given you're sending basically level 6 math at level 10, 11 encounters.

    That'd be my general, theoretical thoughts given how E6 seems to work. Happy to be contradicted by someone with a bit more knowledge of E6, of course.

  9. - Top - End - #549
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    After about 4 to 5 lvls of introducing the adventure with a backstory, finally started off with the RHoD. They just arrived into Drellin's Ferry and had a chat with the Townspeaker and the Captain.

    The party is pretty OP (they had warhorses), so I made some adjustments to the troops of the RH with their first fight:
    1. I put 5 regulars (now lvl 1 fighters with phalanxfighting and shieldbash), 2 in the front, 3 in the back, flanking the party so they couldn't get away. Also added 2 regulars with crossbows in the trees on platforms (laying down, with a +8 to AC). The Phalanxfighters did their job, keep the party in place and doing damage now and then. The shooters were underwhelming, doing very little damage posing no real threat.
    2. I put a sergeant (lvl 3 crusader with a glaive and spiked gauntlet) behind the 2 regulars in the front in Iron Guard's Glare stance. This worked pretty well, although a potion/spell of enlarge person would have been a bit more fun . The only problem with the sergeant was that his AC was pretty low (16) which got him killed pretty fast.
    3. A lvl 1 sorcerer with a scroll of 'Shock and Awe', casting magic missiles and ray of enfeeblement. It gives the goblins 2 rounds of having the party flatfooted and positioning. With focus fire the sorcerer is very squisy (he was killed in round 1 of the fight).
    4. Uth-lar as a lvl 4 warblade (like in the handbook) and backed up with Zarr (with no real changes), buffing, summoning and healing (invisible).
    5. Added the draconic template to the hellhounds and redid the feats.


    The combat was close (several times single digits), but they survived. The warhorses made the difference though, else they wouldn't had pulled it off (12 extra attacks per round).

  10. - Top - End - #550
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Sounds like you're getting them at the right levels, then! :)

  11. - Top - End - #551
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    Sounds like you're getting them at the right levels, then! :)
    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    Sounds like you're getting them at the right levels, then! :)
    This battle it was. The party is somewhere between lvls 4 and 6. I know the RHoD recomments 5 -6, but they are decently OP and the have tons of healing (1 healer, 2 clerics and 1 fav. soul). They can handle a decent flow of damage per round, although spikes can be problematic.

    Couple of things I've noticed of the adventure:
    1. foremost, why doesn't the RH wait until they have opened the portal before entering the vale? the fight should be a lot easier with some 'other worldly' help. This means that the RH must have a reason to start the attack now and doesn't have the luxury to wait another 2 months. IIRC (I don't have the books with me) the RHoD book doesn't give an explanation, so it might be good to come up with one.
    2. the adventure presumes that the adventures are already in the vale. Mine arrived from the north road, so it leaves you the choice to if you put Oxy already in place or not. I've decided that Oxy wasn't there yet, so the party wouldn't have any trouble entering the vale. This means adventurewise that the RH have send very small and fast scoutingparties (the riders) in the Witchwood and towards Drellin's Ferry. Koth arrived about T -3 days setting up his camp. T -1 day he sends out Uth-lar and his buddies, which arrive at the spot on T = 0 and encounter the party on T +1. Oxy arrives with Koth at T +1. Koth sends Oxy with the goblins to the bridge the same day (using the Northroad - this is faster and their presence no longer needs to be hidden, this also means the party can find their tracks)
    3. The encounter with the hydra is pretty underwhelming. The attackbonus (+6) is too small to pose a serious threat to any decent tank. Ranged will have no problem with burning down HP, even with the fasthealing. Making the hydra a pyrohydra doesn't really improve the situation, because it losses all attacks for a 3d6 fire damage.


    Tonight the party will probably encounter Koth or Oxy. Time to separate the men from the boys...

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    At least on item (1), Berron, there's been some brief discussion that a piece of handwavium to cover that query is to say that the ritual Azarr Kul's using to open a permanent portal to Avernus requires a very, very large blood sacrifice to do so. The Red Hand's invasion of the Vale is that sacrifice, so you could have small intercut scenes of Red Hand warpriests devoting the destruction of Drellin's Ferry or other towns to the work of Azarr Kul. This culminates in the attack on Brindol, which is expected to open the gate. When it doesn't, Azarr Kul moves to more dangerous and brutal methods to open the portal, leaving the PCs with the countdown to its opening.

  13. - Top - End - #553
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    I'm new to the forum and I have great interest in running my own RHOD campaign. I started a group with friends but it ended up not going anywhere as most of the players moved or had a child. So my group dwindled away. I am looking to start again and need players in the Atlanta area... I am looking into gaming stores and bulletins in said stores to gather a group. I read your all three RHOD journals and found them to be very helpful and entertaining. I have a home grown campaign setting but I use the PF rule set, just not the PF campaign setting. I have thrown in some Eberon elements as well.

    My campaign actually starts at 2nd level with a modified lead in adventure called "Barrow of the Forgotten King". It takes place thirty years after the Red hand Horde had ravaged the Vale. It's a post apocalyptic setting, that brings all the members of the group together through an underground resistance and an ancient Rhestilorian prophecy. All the PC's start with the dragonmark tattoo feats from ebberon and are affiliated with the resistance one way or another. The prophecy eventually leads them to a portal that can bring the dragonmarked to the past and allow them to change the fate of the vale... they arrive just in time to get ambushed (Marauder Attack).

    I like Time travel in my campaigns and use it well. I usually require an extensive background for all players involved so that I can work it into my campaign. There is nothing like seeing one of your PC's vanish because he decided to change a part of his own past. Time travel opens up a lot of discussion of what to do when the temporal flux situations are about to arise.

    I also was toying around with using the Miniatures handbook... or converting the army's to Warhammer rules in order to run the Battle of Brindol more like a Mass tactical battle game. I might need to break the battle into many smaller mass combats... but assigning and giving the PC's control of Brindols forces and having special character pieces on the field may be a kewl and exciting experience. Plus I use to play dnd minis and I have a huge collection of minis just lying around.

    I would apprieciate some thoughts on these matters and maybe some opinions... I love input
    Last edited by Demerious; 2012-09-05 at 06:52 PM.

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Well, as far as turning Brindol into an actual battle as such governed by minis, the book does give actual orders of battle for Brindol's forces and those of the Red Hand, so that should be of some assistance in planning it all out.

    In terms of how one might break it up, well, the Battle's overall construction is basically "nobody goes out to fight the Red Hand, the Red Hand breaks down one section of wall somewhere, the Red Hand fights its way into the city halfway around the closest gate to where they broke the wall, then Kharn leads an attack on the Cathedral."

    So I'd guess it's going to be mostly fighting down city streets and encounters of that kind - lots of choke points for the defenders and urban fighting, though I don't know much about how D&D minis handles that aspect of it. Mass combats might well be a good way to handle it.

    If your players are going to personally handle the defence of Brindol then there's obviously the possibility that they'll organise the defence so well that the Hand doesn't get over the first wall. I'd tend to rule or bump up Hand numbers to make sure overwhelming force is applied -- the Battle of Brindol doesn't become an even fight until Abithriax is out of the action and the party holds the Dawn Way. The final fight in Cathedral Square is meant to be the linchpin of the battle -- the Hand is meant to break and collapse when Kharn dies, or at least the assault on Brindol is meant to fail at that point.

    Does that assist at all?

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Hey, I'm preparing to run Red Hand right now, and your guide has been absolutely great Saintheart!

    But I'm here to do more than kiss ass. I wanted to point out that there are several hobgoblin specific feats in the Pathfinder SRD. In particular, I noticed Hobgoblin Discipline, which gives a +1 morale bonus to saving throws when hobbos are in groups. It's not conviction, but it's pretty much always active.
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    I'll note it since the Pathfinder section of the Handbook is pretty thin, obviously, but I think Conviction still gives the advantage - it'll give you that +1 to saving throws without having to give up a precious feat slot for it. But thanks for the asskissing, anyway!

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    The final fight in Cathedral Square is meant to be the linchpin of the battle -- the Hand is meant to break and collapse when Kharn dies, or at least the assault on Brindol is meant to fail at that point.

    Does that assist at all?
    Actually, that depends on Victory points. The hand falls back if he is killed, but if VPs are too low they return with another leader (if any Wyrmlords/dragons/Skather because he is awesome remain to choose from)

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    I Started the Ghostlords Lair encounter and got my third notch in the GM Screen. They wanted to give the Phylactery to the Ghostlord and wanted his promise that he wouldn't assist the Red hand. Once they reached the "Lions Rock" and saw the stairs and opening, they draw a circle of protection against evil, started to shout and Varanthian answered truelly Lawful-Evil without leaving her lair. Seemed as a good deal to get the Phylactery back and not to fight for the Horde :D

    The sorcerer laid the box with phylactry down at the bottom of the stairs, and I had an inner fight with my self. Should the "Heroes" really leave the phylactery alone without ever seeing there Opposite? Once I let them "roll for Intelligence", they got the obvious. The sorcerer raced back with the Phylactery, Varanthian hunted the sorcerer down. Swallowing him whole in hope of getting the Phylactery with him seemed a good idea. He escaped long enough and got hit often enough, that the gulping down killed him... "How can it fly, it has no wings?" "How can you fly, you have no wings? *eg*"

    We had to stop in the middle of the fight. We play Pathfinder with the critical hit deck and one of my players scored a critical hit. Arterial bleeding, 2D6 every round. As long as they keep the pressure, I can't see that Varanthian using the "Heal" skill on herself. Without healing magic (No potion, No spell IIRC), the Red Hand Operatives some minutes away (3 min after the fight started). It's gonna be interesting in our next session.

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Interesting. Sounds like Varanthian's still going to fall to the imbalance in the action economy as normal. How's the Red Hand three minutes away, though?

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Something that has been bothering me for some time concerning Azarr Kul and his heritage. Why is he a half-blue dragon? I mean in most despictions of Tiamata I've seen, the red head is the "main" one. It makes much more sense to me that her champion would have that heritage.

    I might be running RHoD in November and I am tempted to switch Tyrgarun and Arbithriax roles in the story (changing Tyrgarun to juvenile and adding 1 or 2 HD to compensate while bumping up Arbithriax two HD and possibly adding a sovereign archetype, loredrake being the yummiest one)
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Running Red Hand of Doom in Rokugan?
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Was that directed at me? Because not really, since it will be my first actual campaign (have some experience with one-shots) I thought of generic fantasy setting #3243465.
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Sorry, I was suggesting other campaign settings he could adapt it to in post 2.

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Dusk Eclipse View Post
    Something that has been bothering me for some time concerning Azarr Kul and his heritage. Why is he a half-blue dragon? I mean in most despictions of Tiamata I've seen, the red head is the "main" one. It makes much more sense to me that her champion would have that heritage.

    I might be running RHoD in November and I am tempted to switch Tyrgarun and Arbithriax roles in the story (changing Tyrgarun to juvenile and adding 1 or 2 HD to compensate while bumping up Arbithriax two HD and possibly adding a sovereign archetype, loredrake being the yummiest one)
    Going by the fluff, Kul is Tyrgarun's son -- i.e. the campaign's blue dragon. That seems to be the main reason for it, and the perception that a blue is a more dangerous opponent than a red dragon at more or less party levels. On the other hand, if you can balance it, there's nothing particularly special about him being half-red vs. blue. Speaking personally, I would've thought the colour coding for one's convenience would be too much of a match with a red dragon being the final dragon of the adventure and Tiamat's main head being a red, but whatever floats your boat. :)

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by dascarletm View Post
    Sorry, I was suggesting other campaign settings he could adapt it to in post 2.

    Double post: I wish someone would run it in Rokugan to see how it goes there! :D

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    Interesting. Sounds like Varanthian's still going to fall to the imbalance in the action economy as normal. How's the Red Hand three minutes away, though?
    Monks hearing the fight, running to see what it's about. One is looking on, the other runs to Ulwai. 1 min by the book ist quite fast IMO. Ulwai takes a look, has to make a decision. Decision-making, giving orders and get battle-ready 2 mins are not that much time.

    So, 3minutes away wasn't quite accurate. The monks are trying to get a look at the situation next round. But it will be some minutes, before the Red Hand is battle-ready.

    With the blaster away, it's gonna be tough for my bunch of heroes. With a ongoing sub-plot the cleric could raise the sorcerer, they've got an "evil" magic artifact, called the "coin of power" that grants 2 (temporary) levels. Good cleric <-> evil coin *hehe*

    With Varanthian dying I'm ok, would have even without killing a party member. It's tragic and heroic atm. Hot dark Blood is spraying out of a possible deadly wound (Spotlight for one player), In game they don't know the Sorcerer is dead. Right now they have a dying but deadly opponent. But they can't wait to have him bleed.

    With V. at the entrance, some high-level spells are cast. They have to make fast decisions, once the fight is over. Cut the dead one out of varanthian, leave the lair and have him risen (dwarves@hammerfist, a barbarian tribe@Thornwaste, the elves, brindol...) or going on without proper intelligence. Deal with the Ghostlord, to have the sorcerer risen? At which cost? What about the Red Hand, they haven't seen anyone... *g* And they hate making decisions *g*

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Borgut View Post
    With V. at the entrance, some high-level spells are cast. They have to make fast decisions, once the fight is over. Cut the dead one out of varanthian, leave the lair and have him risen (dwarves@hammerfist, a barbarian tribe@Thornwaste, the elves, brindol...) or going on without proper intelligence. Deal with the Ghostlord, to have the sorcerer risen? At which cost? What about the Red Hand, they haven't seen anyone... *g* And they hate making decisions *g*
    If they leave the lair, will there be a ghost Varanthian? Ghostlord would love a new minion.

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by Saintheart View Post
    Double post: I wish someone would run it in Rokugan to see how it goes there! :D
    I think I'm going to, I have a one-man campaign about to go down. It is starting at level 1 so It'll be a bit before the red hand comes in play.

    Hoping to get some general advice on the subject.

    (I'll probably bring in some NPC players to help give my friend some backup.)
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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by dascarletm View Post
    I think I'm going to, I have a one-man campaign about to go down. It is starting at level 1 so It'll be a bit before the red hand comes in play.

    Hoping to get some general advice on the subject.

    (I'll probably bring in some NPC players to help give my friend some backup.)
    I have absolutely no idea on how that would work. Rokugan is simply too different.

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    Default Re: The 3.5 Red Hand Of Doom Handbook for DMs [Major spoilers!] - WIP, PEACH!

    Quote Originally Posted by ThiagoMartell View Post
    I have absolutely no idea on how that would work. Rokugan is simply too different.
    I know! I'm either going to have to scrap it, or just do an Oriental Adventures game (non-Rokugan), maybe.

    Gonna need lots of editing either way. Maybe even to the point that it isn't recognizable anymore.



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