Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 MarineRaider May 08, 2015 7:16:03	I am not entirely sure I am in the right spot here.   I am going to DM our first 5E campaign starting tonight using the HotDQ adventure.  Does anyone have any tips?
#2 iserith May 08, 2015 7:22:38	Make sure the players are aware of the basic plot and ask for their buy-in on sticking to that plot during play. Further, before play, work with the players to come up with reasons why their characters will risk life and limb to go into Greenest during the Cult's attack. The module has some hooks you can use for that purpose.
#3 Slit518 May 08, 2015 7:40:18	Yeah, you don't want to end up like this! *warning, HotDQ spoilers* http://community.wizards.com/forum/product-and-general-dd-discussions/threads/4182791
(Reply to #3) MarineRaider	Slit518 wrote:
(Reply to #2) MarineRaider	iserith wrote:
#6 Slit518 May 08, 2015 8:01:03	MarineRaider wrote:
#7 iserith May 08, 2015 8:03:40	MarineRaider wrote:
(Reply to #7) MarineRaider	iserith wrote:
(Reply to #6) MarineRaider	Slit518 wrote:
#10 BRJN May 08, 2015 16:52:50	Build up Cyanwrath as An Important Person - some of the Random Encounters can actually be members of the raiding party name-dropping: "I have new orders from Lord Cyanwrath" to a mercenary officer; "Did you forget what Cyanwrath told you already ?!  First loot the houses, then burn them" to some kobolds; random Cultist mistakes the PCs for un-uniformed raiders and tells them "Get a move on, Lord Cyanwrath won't wait all night for us"; the PCs look over the castle wall see somebody (use his description) in front of the mill waving his arms and giving orders.  By the end of the night they should think his personal challenge is a high-risk / high-reward opportunity to take down The Boss.   Have the PCs get into town during the day before the Cult raid starts.  At least one party has had this happen: DM  Your caravan crests the hill and you look down towards a sleepy little village.  In the fading sunlight you see a dragon is strafing the keep and some homes on the far side of town are on fire ! PCs  We stop the caravan and hide back on the other side of the hill !  We are NOT going in there !   Read up an Episode in advance, so you can figure out how to adapt when the PCs do something the book did not anticipate.   I most enjoyed playing the Travelling Caravan episode.  It was a break from Dragon Cultists all the time.
#11 ZSpark85 May 09, 2015 19:16:51	I wanted to give my players more of a connection to the town. I am going to have them begin in the Tavern. Hopefully (I am really pushing for it!) at least one of the PCs will be a regular in the town.  I am going to give them some time to have fun in the Tavern before the town gets attacked that way they can kind of get to know a couple of NPCs and a bit of the town which will drive them to want to save it.   Feel free to use my encounter!   Dharva's Post (named after the founder of Greenest).   It is a very simple tavern, but very clean.  The only real decorations are a pair of really elegant daggers on the wall above the hearth.  It is very late 8-9pm  (just before the attack) so there is a large, lively crowd.     due to the noise of the crowd, it takes a DC 15 perception check to hear the warning horn.  If the PCs notice it, they can get out of the tavern before it is attacked;  if not, then they are inside when a group of 8 kobolds and 3 cultist enter and attack   Because there are so many people, a frenzy erupts and players count movement as Difficult terrain unless they can somehow clam the people down.  They can move normal if they make a DC10 Acrobatics check to dodge people, or DC 10 athletics check to move people out of the way and of course failing by 5 or more means they fall or some other bad thing happens.  About 3 of the patrons help defend the tavern with improvised weapons.   Depending on how the fight is going, some, none, or one of the attackers may try and go for the daggers on the wall as loot for the Dragon Horde.     Once players leave the tavern I plan on running straight into the "Seek the Keep" mission  at least that is the plan lol.   Random NPC:  Cletus "Gut" Upton -  Male Human Commoner.  He is the owner/bartender of Dharva's Post.  Known for his huge belly, he loves to talk and joke with his patrons.  He has bright red hair and aa thick beard.  He cannot stand those who can't take a joke, as well as those who start fights in his tavern.
#12 MarineRaider May 12, 2015 7:27:36	Thank you for all the help.   We got through episode 1 on Friday night and we all liked it well enough, we had intended on playing episode 2 on Saturday night.  When the group got together we had a new person who was more familiar with 5E, we handed the DM reigns to him for the evening, he decided to sandbox his own campaign while using the same PC's from HotDQ, we all liked his campaign much better and have decided to continue in that world.