Hello everyone !
I've just started DMing the "Hoard of the Dragon Queen" adventure, and it looks really great (just like every 5th Edition product I might add 
)
I do have a small question : in the the very first part of the adventure ("Greenest in Flames"), a lot of different things and a lot of different combats are happening during the very same night, without the possibility for the characters to gain a full 8-hours rest.
So, my group is now facing a dangerous situation : the spellcasters have used up all their Spell Slots (they're only lv.1 characters), and they still have dangerous situations and dangerous foes to face !
For those of you who have already run this adventure, how did you cope with this problem ?
So far, I have allowed them a short 1-hour rest, so they can at least regain some hit points and the fighters can be ready to fight again, otherwise I might just not have a group of characters anymore by now
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks guys !
Spoilers!
In the adventure, the missions are The Old Tunnel, The Sally Port, Dragon Attack, Prisoners, Save the Mill, Sanctuary, and Half-Dragon Champion. That's 7 missions that we're told to assume take an hour each (page 8) which is a total of 7 hours, the exact amount of time the army is in Greenest (9 pm to 4 am). By that metric, there really isn't any time for a short rest unless you assume that the missions take less than an hour or that some of the missions are declined by the PCs. Cut the missions down to more or less 30 minutes a piece and you have room for 3 short rests or so. Me, I prefer the players to make tradeoffs. This gives them tough choices to make and underscores the fact that they can't be everywhere saving everyone and hope to remain alive.
That said, as a reward, I am giving the adventurers the benefits of a short rest (without spending time on it) if they are successful in The Sally Port, Dragon Attack, and Sanctuary. These are boons due to their demonstration of heroism in the face of impossible odds.
Most spellcasters will be down to cantrips pretty quickly. Don't forget to keep tabs on XP - the PCs might level in the middle of these missions which can augment their power.
Good luck!
iserith wrote:
akr71 wrote:
iserith wrote:
iserith wrote:
UltimaTom wrote:
akr71 wrote:
CCS wrote:
UltimaTom wrote:
If you think it is too tough for them, perhaps Lord Whatsisname at the Keep has some useful items he can put at the groups disposal - healing potions or a couple low level spell scrolls. Maybe he has a couple of NPC retainers that can help on an episode or two...
UltimaTom wrote:
UltimaTom wrote:
iserith wrote:
Not every one of the Random Encounters has to mean "You get into a fight with..."
- Encourage the PCs to sneak around town and evade the plundering parties.
- Have some of the Encounters be a chance for the PCs to "accidentally overhear" important information - like the name Langdredosa Cyanwrath. (Cultist Boss to kobolds: "No, Lord Cyanwrath told you to plunder the goods first, THEN set the houses on fire !")
- Maybe another group splits up to search for the troublemakers - the PCs can clobber one at a time, without facing all of them.
- Let the PCs steal some gear / uniforms to look like mercenaries, confront another group (the next Encounter), and tell them "We already finished with this block"
Discuss this with the PCs, perhaps in the persona of the Castle Steward (the guy with the cellar keys).
Don't just throw them into one fight after another, let them use their heads and be inspired by any over-the-top movie scenes they can emulate !
Edit: If the PCs (and their spell slots) are totally wiped and the night's not nearly done yet, have the Lord of the Keep (or somebody who they previously impressed) bring out a flask of some liquid and tell them, "Take a swig of this." Mechanically the Potion gives them the benefit of a Long Rest. "This recipe is a traditional secret from my wife's side of the family. We keep some around only for medicinal purposes." wink wink nudge nudge
BRJN wrote:
UltimaTom wrote:
UltimaTom wrote: