My AL table just completed HotDQ and we will be starting RoT next. The party was successful in killing the white dragon (with a clever use of Rath Modar's staff of fire). They then plundered the treasure hoard and each player took away a handsome amount of loot.
Now, as they get ready to participate at the Council of Waterdeep, I was wondering if the council members would ask/demand for the return of the bulk of the treasure as recompense for their collective losses from the cult raids? I think this could have some interesting role playing opportunities and have real impact in the party's ability to create a consensus among the delegates.
To answer your question:
Based on what I have read, they didn't even know about the assault on Skyreach Castle until after it happened. RoT takes place a couple weeks after HotDQ.
That is not accurate. The first council scorecard reflects whether the characters kept possession of Skyreach or not. In my group's case, they were successful in negotiating with Blagothkus (after dispatching the red wizards and Rezmir). As a result, Blagothkus has brought Skyreach to Waterdeep to deliver the characters. Once there, while grateful for their efforts, the council members are wondering what happened to the treasure hoard.
The characters in my group were really excited about the loot they divided up after beating Glazhaezel. They were all discussing how they would spend some of it once they finally have some time back in civilization (Waterdeep) after the non-stop pursuit of the cult over the past several months (of in-game time). I am really curious to see how the characters react if they are asked to return some/most of the hoard to the "rightful" owners.
My biggest question is how would the council know that the hoard was in Skyreach? Yes, the PCs struck a major blow to enemy forces earning them a place at the council meetings - but unless the PCs say something - they have no idea. Resmir made the path to Skyreach circuitus and convoluted after all.
Kalani wrote:
If I recall, something like this is already built into the encounter with the metallic dragons. But returning the treasure to "its rightul owners" would be problematic anyway as it would be hard to identify. Rather, if I were in the mood I'd have council members outright ask for a share of the treasure to help cover their vast expenses in fielding their forces. That puts the characters on the spot; not only are they being asked to give up the treasure they captured, but to figure out how to divide it among the players, too. 
TheBreen wrote:
Consider this as a DM running the adventure -- In episode 1-3, the PCs were tasked with protecting the city and rescuing NPCs in episode 2 and to stop a second raid against Greenrest in Episode 3. In Episode 4 while in Baldur's Gate, a few ranked members of respected factions asked the PCs to find out about the transportation of the treasure hoard and find where it is being taken. They were only given 50 gp for traveling expenses. Depending on what happened, the PCs have performed tasked worth more than 50 gp. As a DM, if you want the Waterdeep Council to insist on the hoard being returned, you can. But the PCs could easily say no.
Keep in mind that the PCs did all that work on their own as traveling adventurers fighting for the greater good. The hoard in Episode 8 would be considered the PCs rightful plunder as there are more valuble resources in Skyreach Castle, Castle Naerytar and if the PCs capture Talis the White and sacked her hunting lodge. Depending on what your PCs did with Skyreach Castle, either having Blagothokus as an ally or capturing the castle would be a much more valuble than any dragon's hoard as the Council now has a mobile fort.
Hibiki54 wrote:
This is a fantastic moral question to pose for the PCs! Who does the treasure "rightfully" belong to?
• The PCs, because they murdered Cult of the Dragon people and took it from them? (Zhentarim would probably say so).
• The Cult of the Dragon, because they murdered townspeople and took it from them?
• The survivors and relatives of the townspeople who were raided by the Cultists?
• The Faction sponsors and Council members who assigned the PCs this task?
Some case could probably be made for any of these, at least by the parties that would benefit. What a great role playing opportunity! Let's face it, essentially all that loot was ultimately stolen from innocent people. It's not like the PCs OR the Cultists raised the money by working at Sears of Waterdeep. So now that there's this big heap of treasure that everyone wants a piece of, what happens next…?
I'd love to hear how this plays out in your group.
We had a great session. With mostly younger/newer players, the adventure has been more of a meatgrinder. I was hopeful that challenging the group at the council meeting would stimulate some role playing and it sure did. It turned into a 90 minute debate (much longer than I was expecting) that had all of the characters (not necessarily the players) vested in the outcome. What was really pleasing is that the players really tried to role play according to their characters' personalities.
There were mixed opinions in the group. Two characters, a dragonborn barbarian and a dwarf cleric, did not want to give any loot back. One of my younger players, playing a wizard, offered to give his entire share back because "he had no use for money." When asked, the wizard even told the council exactly how much loot each party member took from Skyreach Castle (3,457 g.p. each). While this elicited a collective gasp from the council, his mother, playing a half-orc barbarian, was less than pleased that he gave this information so freely (which resulted in a little side discussion). Another cleric in the party was willing to give most of the loot back and he and the other cleric had a pretty heated debate about the need for gold, "but we can get hirelings! Servants! Don't you understand???" Meanwhile, the lone rougue in the group was pretty sullen and silent but urging the group to keep the loot. The group's fighter advocated giving most of it back as it "was in the best interest in maintaining the right relationship with the council. They could have us killed, you know."
To really force the issue, I had the council ask for 3,000 g.p. from each of them. The party countered, after much deliberation with 2,000. The council then countered that offer at 2,500. Prior to acceptance the half-orc barbarian dropped a bombshell on the council demanding an apology for being treated as a "war profiteer" after all the party had done in foiling the cult's plans. After some bickering, it was Sir Isteval, previously silent during the whole discussion, who gallantly apologized on behalf of the entire council for their treatment of the party.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well it went and I think my group will be even more open for additonal roleplaying as this adventure continues to unfold. Next session will be a tough act to follow.
caecafortuna wrote:
What the Wizard doesn't understand is that his loot will be needed to learning new spells that he finds.
My question is: Are you running this as an AL legal adventure? Because it isn't right for you, as the DM running the adventure, to ask for players to "return" gold rewards that they rightfully earned.
I have read RoT in preparation of running it as an AL legal adventure and the situation that you placed your players into does not come up at all. The Council doesn't really care about the treasure hoard, only that the Cult lost funds and access to Skyreach Castle.
Sure, the PCs will find more dragon hoards down the line as they adventure. And unfortunately, hoards will contain only gold and zero magic items (that are AL legal and certed). But you should make this up to your players, if you are running this as an AL legal group, by allowing one or two free passes for Lord Alliance council members in Stage 1 and Stage 2 when the PCs would earn a negative.
If you're not running it AL legal, then do what you want.
Hibiki54 wrote:
Hibiki54 wrote:
TheBreen wrote:
imaginaryfriend wrote:
Kalani wrote:
caecafortuna wrote:
As TheBreen sorta stated. Please remeber this forum is not the AL. Its not even a good overview of the opinions players and DMs hold on or within the AL. Its just the people that feel a flame prone forum envirionment can be a worthwhile extension. The loudmouths if you will (yeah me too 
). So don't draw too broad a conclusion from what happens here. At a guess something like 5 -15% of the players and DMs even see these forums. The number of people actually posting are a fraction of a fraction.
The debate here can still be valuable, but its not a good gauge for the state of the game
imaginaryfriend wrote:
I'm curious to ask anyone who has finished HOTDQ has had the Castle crash? How did you handle that? What happened next? Its a possibility and the location is identified, a glacier in the Spine of the World mtns. The module says that RoT will discuss it more but it does not. What to do?
Durn wrote:
Durn wrote:
Hibiki54 wrote:
That map's great. Why couldn't they release that episode as part of the web freebies? Hmm, I wonder...