Starter Set Sandbox 15 - Leilon (and Night Below!)

While Leilon does not play/has not played a significant role in my current Neverwinter campaign, I have some fairly major plans for it in my next Neverwinter campaign where it will serve as a major base for Thayan slave traders.

And that's the reason for the picture to the left: wyvern-riders are a significant part of the Thayan forces based in the ruined town, but more on that later in the post.

Realmslore

Old Grey Box

The first reference I can find to Leilon is in the Old Grey Box. It is not a direct entry about the town but, rather, it's in reference to an adventuring party known as the Swords of Leilon. Here's a partial quote:

Based in the small coastal town of Leilon, on the High Road north of Waterdeep, this ragtag band of local toughs has done surprisingly well in a brief career of adventuring, plundering (and surviving) at least six of the Mage-Tombs in the mountains east of Leilon, slaughtering a colony of lizard-men in the nearby Mere of Dead Men (gaining some strange magical treasure thereby), and doing some caravan guarding for merchants in Neverwinter. 

FR1 Waterdeep & The North
This is where Leilon begins to develop its own identity, as FR1 notes:

This small human mining town sprawls along the High Road, on the Sword Coast. It lacks walls (an earthen bank surmounted by a wooden palisade shields it from the landward side, but where the road pierces these works there are no gates), and also lacks a proper harbour. A dozen massive, battered barges are loaded in the shallows in the spring and summer, and are poled and then rowed out to meet ships and unload by means of rickety cranes that rise from the stems of the barges into their holds. Needless to say, this is a fair-weather operation only, and tricky even then if the wind is fresh and the seas high. Increasingly, Waterdhavian entrepreneurs have sent wagons north to buy the copper, nickel, and silver of Leilon at bargain prices and take it south to sell at Waterdeep’s harbour. Leilon’'s mines are guarded by “the Lances of Leilon,” a force of some two hundred fully armed, mounted lancers used to fighting off pirates, orcs, bugbears, and trolls. Each lancer carries an axe and knife, usually a sword of some sort, his lance, and a light crossbow which he is experienced in firing from horseback. Leilon'’s total population is some 3,000; its ruler is Pelindar Filmarva, Lord of Leilon. Leilon is a firm ally of Waterdeep, and considered a friend of the Lords’ Alliance. In the mountains east of Leilon’'s mines is at least one important abandoned dwarf-hold, “Southkrypt,” said to be home to many strange and dangerous creatures.

I rather like the fact that in two small entries we have hints of at least two major dungeon complexes, the Mage-Tombs and Southkrypt. Combined with the references to trade and you have an ideal "home base" for adventurers from which they can combine caravan duty, raids on the lizardfolk in the Mere of Dead Men, and dungeon delving. Oh, and that's forgetting the fact that this is a mining town and mines in the D&D multiverse always seem to end up uncovering balrogs monsters....

FR1 also later notes that it takes 11 days to travel by wagon from Waterdeep to Leilon. Ahhh, I rather miss the simplicity of adventures involving simply guarding merchant wagons....

There's also a secondary entry about Leilon which notes:

... The mines east of Leilon are rich in copper, nickel and silver. The mountains are honeycombed with mine shafts and tunnels, including several that open up into the town itself, and some that go very, very deep....

Volo's Guide to the North

The first reference to Leilon in this book is in relation to the Place of the Unicorn:

One sight the Coast traveller should not miss is the Place of the Unicorn in the hills northeast of Leilon. The place can be found only at night. Wizards of the Coast believe that it lies in another dimension, reached only by a moongate (a magical gate that operates only in moonlight). The Place is sacred to Lurue, the unicorn of the Beast Cult. It is a stand of trees whose leaves are brilliant blue, surrounding a bluegrass meadow. Beings who rest therein are healed of all diseases, poisons, curses, and insanity. Unicorns (only) are also healed of physical damage. Beings who have no faith or are wavering in their beliefs often see Lurue herself in the trees, and their reaction may reshape their lives.

I have already mentioned my own forthcoming campaign that is going to include Leilon as an important adventuring location. At the moment, it would appear that one of the PCs is going to be a tiefling fey pact warlock and, if that is the case, I plan to include the Place of the Unicorn as part of her quest to be freed from diabolic influence. The healing power of this location could also feature in a campaign where a PC (or NPC for that matter) is cursed with lycanthropy or something similar. Too many campaigns - mine included - forget to include magical sites such as this....

Leilon & surrounds

Leilon is addressed more directly as well, with an entry that expands on the one in FR1. I will just quote some of the expanded portions:

... Leilon consists of stout stone cottages with slate or thatch roofs, the latter being covered with a hardened
slurry of mud. The houses cluster together within a crescent-shaped earthen rampart on the landward side of the settlement. The rampart has a ditch on the outside and a wooden palisade on top.

... The hard-working miners of Leilon concentrate on digging rich lodes of copper, nickel, and silver from deep mines in the mountains east of the town, though a few older shafts even descend from within the town itself.

... Leilon is a growing community. Lord Filmarya has established a shrine to Tyr in town. It stands beside older shrines to Lathander and Tymora. The Cult of the Dragon and the Zhentarim are both reputed to be active in Leilon, and there are also dark tales of local cults who worship undead mages or spirits of the mine deeps.

An abandoned mage’'s tower, known as the High House of Thalivar, rises in the centre of town. It is guarded by its own ward. Details on the powers of the ward and the existence of tokens remain unknown. It is known, though, that it has guardian monsters, and they have so far proven deadly to all adventurers seeking to plunder the magic reputed to be therein....

Right at this point in my post, and also as I look at the map I just uploaded to the right, I cannot help but think how Leilon would make a perfect place to start a campaign much like Lost Mine of Phandelver but larger in scope. Like Phandalin in Lost Mine, Leilon is a ruin in the 4E/5E era and all its features - abandoned mines under the town, former lairs of the Zhentarim and Cult of the Dragon, a sealed wizard's tower, numerous nearby dungeons - simply scream out, "Here's a great place to run a campaign!"

You could even call it Lost Mines of Leilon....

And one last thing from Volo's Guide, there is mention of Manyclaws Alley, an alley notorious for being haunted by the ghosts of trolls. A footnote explains this a little bit more:

The alley is actually haunted by nine heucuva. These are all that remains of a long-demolished temple to Loviatar. The monsters guard treasure that still lies buried beneath the alley in vaults long forgotten by the folk of Leilon.

A haunted temple of Loviatar? Now that's a dungeon adventure that almost writes itself.

The North boxed set

The sections on Leilon in this boxed set are an abridged version of what appears in Volo's Guide to the North. Move along; nothing to see here....

Neverwinter Campaign Setting

Is that the High Tower of Thalivar?

And this book brings us to the end of canon references to Leilon and also to the "present day" in FR terms, as there is unlikely to be any official update on Leilon for quite some time from WotC.

This sleepy mining town once served as a convenient resting place for travellers on the High Road. Now, the few travellers who still take this route shun Leilon, going miles out of their way to avoid even laying eyes on the town.

The High Tower of Thalivar long stood as a landmark here, abandoned by a forgotten mage. For generations, the tower proved a tempting target for plunderers - and, too often, a grave for them as well. The people of Leilon knew that the tower held guardian monsters, and they were content to leave it alone. However, the Spellplague's twisted magic unleashed the creatures trapped in the tower, which quickly ravaged the helpless village. Now, the tower is a place of terror, its magic freezing in place all creatures whose eyes rest upon it, even for a moment.

OK, there's a bit of material to work with.

Putting it All Together

The purpose of this series of posts was really to expand the adventure in the 5E starter set into a much bigger sandbox and I think Leilon offers a really great starting point for what I am calling LMoP Expanded (it now has its own tag). Frankly, you could even run Lost Mine of Phandelver with Leilon replacing Phandalin completely and then simply add in such things as:

• The High Tower of Thalivar could be a fairly old-school wizard's tower with lots of weird stuff inside. Ghost Tower of Inverness could provide some inspiration, but it also seems like a perfect lair for, say, the Red Wizards of Thay. Oh, and the sight of the tower may still paralyse but only within, say, 5 squares unless, of course, you happen to be carrying a ward token....
• There are rumours of a treasure-laden lost temple of Loviatar beneath the city streets. Unfortunately, for failing their deity, the clerics of said temple continue to exist as unusual undead determined to protect the sanctity of the temple that they failed to protect in life....
• Numerous played out mines are still to be found beneath Leilon. There may be a black dragon in one, and a nest of aboleth in another, while a third has connections to the Underdark and a mysterious trading bazaar.
• Beneath the streets is the former lair of the Cult of the Dragon (I wonder if Azurl's Hoardseekers might be found here?) hiding a dracolich and various Cult treasures.
• The signs of new life in Leilon have attracted attention from the sea and, while the PCs are exploring the ruins, sahuagin attack!

Here are some ideas inspired by published adventures (in publication order, more or less) which I mention as a reference:

A0-A4 Against the Slave Lords (1E)

This is largely taken from the notes for my next Neverwinter campaign. (My current campaign is simply called Neverwinter: Year of the Ageless One because it's set in 1479 DR. My next campaign will be called Neverwinter: Year of Deep Water Drifting because it's set in 1480 DR. While there is no overlap in players, the events of the former are helping to shape the background of the latter campaign.)

While some Red Wizards of Thay have allowed themselves to be distracted by Szass Tam's plans for the Dread Ring, others have decided to focus on building their own wealth and power by a very traditional Thayan method: slave-trading.

The fundamental lawlessness of the docks and Blacklake district of Neverwinter means that taking slaves is easily accomplished, particularly when Neverember's mercenaries are rather susceptible to bribery. (This also ties in to a reference to press gangs that can be found in the DDi article about The Beached Leviathan, a ship converted to an inn in Neverwinter.)

I imagine that this campaign would actually begin in Neverwinter, take to the Sea of Swords, and then head to Leilon where the PCs seek to beard the Thayan slave lords in their new lair. The Thayans may also have established cordial relationships with the Cult of the Dragon, Zhentarim, and even the lizardfolk of the Mere of Dead Men, all of whom are happy to sell captives to the Thayans in exchange for Thayan gold.

And where do all the slaves go? Skip ahead to Thunderspire Labyrinth....

Ruins of Adventure (1E/2E)

I think Ruins of Adventure provides an excellent blueprint for a Leilon-based campaign. The idea is simple: clear out the bad guys from the ruins a block at a time. The patron could be the Lords' Alliance or Lord Neverember of Neverwinter and Waterdeep, with both the Alliance and Neverember wanting to reopen Leilon's lost mines. 

And competing with the PCs are at least three factions: the Red Wizards based in the High Tower of Thalivar, the Cult of the Dragon who have found their old base, and the Zhentarim who also see the mercantile potential of such a key location on the High Road with mines to boot.

I must admit, the thought of these three groups cooperating makes me think this would be an interesting place to also run an update of Curse of the Azure Bonds.... (Oh, and I wonder if the Place of the Unicorn could remove the titular azure bonds...?)

Night Below (2E)

The longest running campaign I have ever DMed was a 3E campaign that spanned levels 1-24, was set in the Shining South of the Forgotten Realms (from the Forest of Amtar to Dambrath and the Underdark beneath) and was heavily inspired by Night Below. Ever since, I find it difficult to think of a D&D campaign without aboleth: for me, they are the ultimate mastermind monster, especially if you retain the original flavour whereby they remember everything that was in the mind of every creature they have ever devoured.

Night Below consists of three basic parts: raiding for slaves above ground, exploring the Underdark, and dealing with the aboleth in their sunken city. I can easily see the earlier mentioned Red Wizards et al filling the role played by the orc raiders in the first part using Leilon as a base. The second part could be filled by expanding Thunderspire Labyrinth (see below) leaving only the third part to be converted.

IMC, I have an aboleth city beneath The Chasm in Neverwinter. It's Golismorga from the Savage Tide adventure path published by Paizo during the last 12 or so issues of Dungeon's life as a printed magazine. It may not suit every campaign as Golismorga is a city of slumbering aboleth. A curse has drained the water from the city and blocked its return and, as a result, the aboleth have turned to stone and sleep. (This phenomenon was first described in Lords of Madness, the 3.5E book about aberrations and one of my favourite D&D books of all time.) Again IMC, the PCs have lifted the curse from the city causing water to return and the aboleth to awaken and now they actively need slaves to help rebuild.

While your campaign may not have PCs who caused Golismorga to awaken, it could easily have NPCs who have done the same thing. Maybe the same Red Wizards who are running the slaving operation fell prey to some sort of psionic effect of the slumbering aboleth? Or was it drow explorers? Or maybe your Golismorga was never in a state of slumber. Another option is the flying city of the Abolethic Sovereignty: what if it, or one just like it, is hovering invisibly above Leilon?

Anyway, personally I prefer the idea of the aboleth who have just awakened and need slaves to rebuild. There is a certain logic to it both in terms of their current goals but also in the sense of why they haven't posed a threat until now.

Thunderspire Labyrinth (4E)

The main thing I would steal from this adventure is the market city of the Seven-Pillared Hall which is the destination for many of the slaves that come from Leilon on the surface.

I would have several competing factions present including drow from Menzoberranzan and Skullport (the latter is beneath Waterdeep), duergar from Gracklstugh, illithids from Ch'Chitl, and neogi representatives of the aboleth. (I like neogi and think they're underused... plus I like the idea of the aboleth contracting out the work of gathering slaves as they're still not completely au fait with the present time. That also reminds me: if aboleth can retain the memories of any creature they devour, it would make sense that PCs or NPCs trained in History - or the equivalent skill in non-4E editions - might be considered targets for the aboleth to devour so that they can learn what has happened during the time they have been asleep.)

For those who have the Menzoberranzan boxed set, I see Thunderspire Labyrinth being something very much akin to Mantol-Derith. Another option would be to use the city of Pedestal from the 3.5E adventure The Sinister Spire or even Skullport itself from beneath Waterdeep.

And while this location can be dangerous, it's meant to be something of a safe haven the PCs can return to in between forays to the Underdark.

Summing Up

As I have already said, or at least implied, this post is very much inspired by my plans for my next campaign involving Thayan slavers and the aboleth beneath Neverwinter. But it's also a great way, IMO, to take Lost Mine of Phandelver and continue the adventure in the Starter Set to levels 6-12 or so.

If you're reading this and running 5E, you might think a city of 5E aboleth each with a challenge rating of 10 is a bit too high-powered for the level range I mentioned. That's also an issue in 4E, the edition I use, where aboleth are mid-Paragon Tier monsters. What I have done, though, is to reduce the level of the aboleth to match their 1E hit dice. As a result, my standard aboleth are level 8 controllers which puts them in the level range that suits my games. It wouldn't be difficult to reduce the aboleth in 5E in the same way, and maybe even lower in CR, and simply explain it as a loss of power caused by their slumber (assuming you take the slumbering but now waking up idea I mention above).

So, start with Lost Mine of Phandelver, make a few of the enemies aboleth pawns, include some slavers, and then lead your PCs to Leilon where they can experience a great mash-up of, inter alia, A0-A4 Against the Slave Lords and Night Below. I think that's a campaign your players will remember!

Stat Blocks - Azurl's Hoardseekers

One of the things I really love about 4E - and, really, this is the primary reason I am simply not interested in 5E or any of the earlier editions - is that building NPCs is so easy.

Unlike any other edition, you can have a clear concept of an NPC in your head and then translate that concept into mechanical terms. There was an element of this, of course, in 3.xE but the cost was literally hours of your time to find the right combination of race, template(s), class(es), feat(s), and prestige class(es) to pull this off... only for your carefully-crafted NPC to last maybe one round - two rounds at the most! - of combat.

That doesn't happen in 4E.

Also, one of the things I am finding I am enjoying more and more about 4E is finding pictures of groups of NPCs and then statting them out based purely on my response to what I see in the picture. I can't remember what was the first group I did this to - I think it was the Kneecappers, a band of halfing thieves and thugs - but I have posted Maurvurr's Marauders on this blog and that's attracted a surprising amount of traffic including emails. Clearly there is an appetite for ready-to-run 4E NPCs with a bit of backstory.

As for today's post, the picture comes from one of the few genuinely good adventures published by WotC for 4E, Madness at Gardmore Abbey. While I have taken the picture from there and have read the bit about the NPCs it depicts, I cannot recall any of the details so any influence from Madness is purely subconscious. And, as always, the names for the NPCs come from the list of names by Ed Greenwood I have compiled and posted <here>. In this instance, the names were all taken from the Castlemourn campaign setting which I will never use but which now serves as a convenient source of Greenwood-ian names.

(And if Bob Salvatore happens to read this, you should do the same unless, of course, you officially declare your FR fiction to be works of parody.)

From left to right, the NPCs depicted are: the female human fighter, Xavalla Lanceborn; the male drow warlock, Pelblaes; the male dwarf cleric, Azurl Forgebar, Chosen of Tiamat; Golaunt the male half-orc brute (he's not really based on a class); and Endreene the female human wizard.

Azurl's Hoardseekers

The Hoardseekers are part of the Cult of the Dragon, specifically that faction that seeks to bring the Cult fully under the sway of Tiamat.

(This is a concept first mentioned in the outstanding 2E product Cult of the Dragon and has been taken to its conclusion in the first campaign story for the 5E version of the Realms, the Tyranny of Dragons.  The Hoardbreakers could just as easily be used in the post-Sundering Realms or, indeed, in almost any era.)

The unchallenged leader of the Hoardseekers is the gold dwarf Azurl Forgebar who is also a Chosen of Tiamat. Clan Forgebar is one of the few genuinely evil dwarven clans and they have a particular hatred for metallic dragons, ever since the gold dragon Palarandusk attacked them in retaliation for the dwarves' massacre of the gnomes of Ieirithymbul before the Spellplague.

Largely as a result of Palarandusk's (completely justified!) attack on their clan, the Forgebar dwarves turned to the worship of Tiamat and, in the decades following the Dracorage in the Year of Rogue Dragons and then the Spellplague, the Forgebar dwarves earned a reputation for dragon-slaying but their focus was very much on the metallic dragons.

Many very young gold and silver dragons were slain and unhatched eggs destroyed before Palarandusk shook off the effects of both the Dracorage and the Spellplague and slew almost all of the Forgebar dwarves. Azurl is one of the handful who remain and his hatred for Palarandusk and the other metallic dragons is a tangible thing. His attraction to both Tiamat and the Cult of the Dragon both serve as an outlet for that hatred.

Azurl Forgebar, Chosen of Tiamat

In many ways, Azurl fights for the glory of the now essentially defunct Forgebar clan. And his number one goal is to convert, ideally forcibly, a metallic dragon into a dracolich in Tiamat's service. 

As would be expected from a Tiamat-worshipping dwarf, Azurl practically redefines the meaning of the word greed. He is petty and grasping in a way that, frankly, often embarrasses the other Hoardseekers but he sees this as part of his right as a Chosen of Tiamat.

In battle, Azurl sees Golaunt as his primary weapon. He constantly invests the half-orc with a measure of Tiamat's power and unleashes him across the battlefield. That is, at least until the dwarf is bloodied at which point the full wrath of Tiamat is unleashed and Azurl transforms into the five-headed dragon form of an aspect of Tiamat. At this point, his only available attack is the combined breath weapon of the aspect's five heads. His companions have learnt to stay away from Azurl when he is in this form as much as possible else they too may be caught in the aspect's fivefold blast.

Azurl's stat block began with me wanting to have a genuine PC-like leader among a group of NPCs, one who was capable of granting attacks like a bard or warlord. The idea of a transformation into dragon form was really an experiment in terms of fleshing out what the status of a chosen of a deity could possibly mean.

Eldreene

Originally from Amn, the battlemage Eldreene is a mage-for-hire and the simple fact is, Azurl pays well. Further, the dwarf allows her access to the arcane lore held by the Cult of the Dragon which is her real passion. In fact, the only reason she is a mage-for-hire is so she can acquire more lore. When not involved in an adventure with the Hoardseekers, Eldreene can typically be found with her nose in an old spellbook or set of scrolls.

In battle, Eldreene's fighting style is simple: she unleashes damage at range. There is no subtlety to her choice of spells - she is not trying to control the battlefield - but she exists simply to unleash massive damage.

Her stat block reflects three of the more common attack spells that almost any wizard in the pre-4E editions, and almost definitely in 1E and 2E, would have had in their list of spells. Rather than anything fancy I just decided to make her a simple blaster. Open with a fireball, follow that up with lightning bolt against two targets (and repeated as it recharges), and then spam magic missile (and triple spam magic missile after she is bloodied) until the end of the combat. Her lack of any utility magic is a deliberate - and uncharacteristic - choice on my part.

Golaunt

The half-orc Golaunt is genuinely loyal to Azurl as the dwarf purchased him from duergar slave traders from Gracklstugh and then he gave Golaunt his freedom.

Out of unfeigned gratitude, Golaunt is more than happy to serve as Azurl's primary weapon on the battlefield. He enjoys the strange feelings of power when Azurl invests him with a touch of Tiamat's might via Tiamat's champion and dragon scales. He prefers dealing acid damage as he enjoys how it makes flesh dissolve before his eyes.

Golaunt prefers to range across the battlefield making a series of charge attacks. He normally charges an enemy in such a way as to trigger fuel my bloodlust before attacking with his greataxe. He then makes another attack with greataxe courtesy of Tiamat's champion and, unless directed by Azurl to stay and keep fighting, he will charge another enemy and repeat the sequence of attacks.

One of my PCs is built to focus on charge-based attacks. Golaunt is my attempt to do the same with an NPC.

Pelblaes

The Hoardseekers are evil. Pelblaes is really, really, really evil. There is something fundamentally sinister about him that almost anyone can sense - including (perhaps especially) animals - due to his close ties with some of the darkest parts of the Shadowfell.

More specifically, Pelblaes is inextricably bound to a vestige of Sammaster, the mad mage and former chosen of Mystra who founded the Cult of the Dragon. He is able to commune with this vestige very directly: he can simply use gloom walk to step into the vestige's presence in one of the darkest pits of the Shadowfell without harm to himself, but woe to any creature he banishes there when he uses share Sammaster's fate....

In many ways, Pelblaes is a pawn of this vestige of Sammaster but his ability to access Sammaster's knowledge makes him invaluable to Azurl and to the Cult of the Dragon in general. For the moment at least, the vestige of Sammaster has Pelblaes firmly allied with, and loyal to, the chosen of Tiamat but that could change at any time.

In combat, Pelblaes generally opens with gloom walk so that on his second turn he can deliver a devastating claws of the ur-dracolich. He saves share Sammaster's fate for an enemy that is clearly a major threat on the battlefield and who must be removed so that his allies can regather their strength or attain a tactically-superior position. 

Originally I was going to built Pelblaes as a skirmisher more along the lines of a traditional 4E warlock, but thinking about what it would mean for him to be a binder warlock and thinking back to the original binder in 3.5E's Tome of Magic had me thinking about him as more of a lurker. I think he will be more fun in play this way.

Xavalla Lancenorn

Xavalla was originally part of adventuring band along with Eldreene in Amn. A trained elite bodyguard for Amnian merchant princes, Xavalla found herself naturally falling into the same role in her adventuring life and she essentially appointed herself as Eldreene's guardian, a role she fills to this day.

Like most from Amn, Xavalla likes wealth and she sees her membership in the Hoardseekers, and in the Cult of the Dragon in general, as an opportunity to accumulate more wealth before they both return to Amn one day to retire and live off their respective investments. 

 

In combat, Xavalla generally hangs back and protects Azurl and Eldeene leaving Golaunt and Pelblaes to roam around the battlefield seeking targets. However, if the situation demands it she will step more directly into the fray although, when this happens, Eldeene is likely to come with her as she feels vulnerable when she is not protected by Xavalla's shield.

In PC terms, Xavalla is clearly a defender and I tried to emphasise that in a way I haven't seen before except, perhaps, with a shielding swordmage. It will be interesting to see how she works out in play.

What are the Hoardseekers Doing?

I'm still a few sessions away from using them in play but I am thinking that the Hoardseekers may be in Neverwinter tracking down rumours of a steel dragon that is playing a role in the reconstruction of the city. This is Zundaerazylym whom the PCs have, until just recently, thought was an eladrin cleric of the Moonmaiden whom they knew only as Lady Moonsilver. Before Neverwinter was ruined, she was also the head of an organisation known as the Soft Claws. 

While the Hoardseekers are no match for Zundaerazylym I might give them a custom magic item that makes them a threat and then let the PCs come to the steel dragon's rescue. 

Starter Set Sandbox 3 - Ruins of Thundertree

Oh No, What Has Rich Baker Done?

Despite the heading, you will not find any criticism of Rich Baker expressed or implied in this post or, indeed, anywhere on this blog. Rich is, without doubt, my favourite D&D designer and his premature removal by WotC was a real setback for D&D fans. After all, when Chris Perkins says that you're WotC's best adventure writer then clearly you have some talent. And WotC clearly recognised this because, instead of throwing the first 5E adventure to the OGL spambot whose bad design (Keep on the Shadowfell and Pyramid of Sh*t, oops, Shadow) and major strategic mistakes (why was there no PHB with Essentials?) did more to destroy 4E than arguably anything else, they asked Rich to write Lost Mine of Phandelver and, it's clear, he did a great job.

So, why the heading?

From reading the reviews of Lost Mine before I had it in my hot little e-hands, it seems the presence of a 16 hit dice green dragon in the Ruins of Thundertree clearly presented a problem that few level 3 parties would be able to overcome. In fact, it would appear that its breath weapon alone, by virtue of its size and average damage, would be sufficient to wipe out many a level 3 5E party.

Oops.

While the obvious solution is to make the dragon a younger age category and thus more level-appropriate (and the green dragon has to be left in the adventure because it's depicted in the cover art), the purpose of this post is to suggest some other ways to make the dragon encounter still work but have it involve negotiation because it seems the dragon has a problem. Further, I think this can also be tied in more strongly with the machinations of the Cult of the Dragon which augurs well for those DMs who want to go from Lost Mine of Phandelver to the Wolfgang Baur- and Steve Winter-penned Hoard of the Dragon Queen which is part of the Tyranny of Dragons RSE being used to launch the 5E version of the Realms.

Realmslore

Thundertree seems to have first appeared in 2003's Volo's Guide to the North where it was described as a village of 90 or so people that survived on careful logging - supervised by a ranger who was also a Harper - and animal skins. Not much more detail was added until 4E's Neverwinter Campaign Setting where, as is the case in Lost Mine of Phandelver, Thundertree is described as being a ruined village thanks to the eruption of Mount Hotenow.

Of course, Lost Mine also goes on to describe it as the demesne of the green dragon Venomfang. It also notes the presence of Cult of the Dragon agents who are trying to find a way to approach Venomfang and entice her into the Cult.

One of the recent Forging the Realms articles by Ed Greenwood on the WotC website - The Eyes of the Dragon, Part 1 - describes two Cult of the Dragon agents that operate out of Neverwinter. In view of Thundertree's status as a former loggers village, I rather like the idea of including one of these two agents, Broegran Waethlunter, as one of the agents of the Cult in the ruins of Thundertree.

This is what the article says about him:

Broegran Waethlunter is a hardy, weather-beaten, grey-haired, and grizzled man who works as a woodcutter, making frequent forays to within sight of Luskan (though he never enters that troubled port). 

He runs a crew of cutters he's trained, and they "garden" (as they put it) the woods diligently, gleaning firewood and wood for carpentry without taking overmuch (and so thinning out the woods). As a result, he has a valid pretext for ranging so far afield on runs (with wagons, or sledges in winter) that last for days at a time. His cutters are aware that he often meets persons in the forest, sometimes accepting items for transport back to Neverwinter that he covers over with wood. 

Waethlunter pays for their silence and he has told them just enough that they think he's mixed up in smuggling, not in anything to do with cults, draconic or otherwise. Waethlunter enjoys feeling important and useful as he makes and receives reports; in the twilight of his days, he wants to be part of big things if he can do so without a lot of danger. That said, he's always well armed and won't back down from a fight. He's pretty good with a crossbow, often downing edible forest creatures for the stewpots on the trail and back home. His cutters trust him and like him because he's fair, kindly, never loses his temper, and knows the woods well.

I think I can use him.

As for Venomfang herself, no backstory is given but shecould be the descendant of "Old Gnawbone", Claugiyliamatar of the Kryptgarden Forest, or perhaps the offspring of Mornauguth of the High Moor. Clicking on those names will take you to the Wyrms of the North articles on the WotC website where those two particular green dragons are fully described. Of course, giving her this sort of detailed parentage is not really required.

Other Lore

During the course of the Next/5E playtesting period, quite a few articles appeared on the WotC site describing how the designers were thinking about various matters. While most were eminently forgettable, one of the few that I found had real value related to a rethink about green dragons in terms of, inter alia, their personality, goals, and effects on their environment. I think the author was James Wyatt and this was what was written:

Personality: Green dragons are wily, seductive, manipulative, controlling, scheming, and subtle. Just because a green dragon can swallow you whole in a single bite doesn’t mean it’s going to—it would rather wrap you around its finger until you’ll do whatever it suggests.

A green dragon seeks dominion over the forest and treasure, like other dragons. It has a broad definition of treasure that includes the minions and pawns it can use to gain more treasure. Control is its driving desire—control over its environment and every living thing therein.

A master of misdirection, a green dragon bends others to its will by letting them think they’re getting what they want, right up until it’s too late. It’s very skilled at assessing the desires of its opponents and playing off of them. Anyone foolish enough to subdue a green dragon learns sooner or later that it is only pretending to serve, while actually manipulating its “master.”

Environment: Green dragons live in forests and jungles in any climate. They sometimes compete with black dragons in marshy forests (or mangrove swamps) and with white dragons in subarctic taigas. But it’s not hard to tell, upon entering a forest, whether it’s controlled by a green dragon or some other sort.

A perpetual fog hangs in the air of a green dragon’s forest, with a hint of green to it and just a whiff of the acrid chlorine the dragon exhales. The trees grow close together, except where winding pathways trace their way like a maze toward the center. Moss grows thick on tree trunks, making the whole forest a bright, emerald green with otherworldly beauty. Light barely reaches the forest floor and every sound seems muffled by the fog. Branches seem to reach out to snag clothing, and roots twist up to catch feet and twist ankles. Half-glimpsed shapes appear and vanish in the fog, inspiring sometimes fear, sometimes desire—leading you in or scaring you out, depending on the dragon’s wishes. The fog makes it nearly impossible to keep track of one’s path through the forest, too, which sometimes keeps intruders out and sometimes hems them in.

No creature living in the dragon’s forest is unaffected by its presence. A silent squirrel frozen on a branch as the party passes by is the dragon’s eyes and ears. Crows calling to each other in the uppermost branches are issuing warnings and tracking the party’s movement. Snakes dangle from branches overhead, lizards crawl upon the forest floor and scurry up gnarled trunks, and snapping turtles lurk in burbling streams. Deer and other large game are even more skittish than usual, knowing they could become the dragon’s prey at any moment.

Servants: Above all else, a green dragon delights in corrupting elves and bending them to its will. Sometimes (as was the case of King Lorac of Silvanesti), a green dragon so wracks its minion’s mind that the fog throughout its forest reflects the tortured dreams of the imprisoned minion.

Green dragons view other fey only as a food source, but other forest dwellers make fine minions for the dragons such as bugbears and goblins, ettercaps, fomorians, kobolds, peryton, and yuan-ti.

Hoard: A green dragon’s favoured treasures include people bent to its will, famous or significant people it has subverted (such as a renowned bard), emeralds, sculpted wood, musical instruments, and artistic busts and other sculptures of humanoid subjects.

Lair as a Dungeon: At the heart of a green dragon’s dominion is an enormous tree with a thick tangle of roots at its base. Among the roots is the opening to a cave. Or it might be a tree grown over an ancient elven ruin, like you see in Angkor Wat and other old temples in Southeast Asia.

Inside the cave, the tunnels branch like a root network as they proceed down into the earth, with occasional small caves that serve as dens for the dragon’s minions. Roots hang down from the ceiling everywhere in the tunnels, even at their deepest extent, and the dragon can cause them to extend and grasp at intruders.

The fog that shrouds the forest above is here in force, reeking of pungent chlorine and disorienting intruders to the point where they can’t keep track of the branches or even their direction of travel. The dragon can thicken the fog to obscure vision (like obscuring mist), slow movement (solid fog), weaken the mind (mind fog), and even sicken (stinking cloud) or kill (cloudkill) intruders.

Nestled in the midst of all the branching passages is a large cave that serves as the dragon’s nest. It often has a small stream flowing through it. Many passages lead into the cave, giving the dragon an easy way to escape from intruders—and then circle around behind them when they get lost in the passages again.

Now this is infinitely better than simply having a green dragon living in a ruined tower in Thundertree (and, again, there is no criticism of Rich Baker expressed or implied here: he had only limited space to make this adventure work). But it also seems a waste to have the first encounter with a dragon in a new edition be nothing more than just another monster, albeit one grossly overpowered compared to the PCs....

Ruins of Thundertree, Redux

So, the basic goal here is to throw out some ideas that will turn the green dragon into less of a threat and more of an NPC to be negotiated with.

The simplest way to do this - and I admit to drawing some inspiration from Green Lady's Sorrow in Dungeon 35 - is to begin the adventure shortly after the Cult of the Dragon has stolen her eggs. Venomfang is surprisingly desperate to get her eggs back as she is far more maternal than others of her kind.

The  Cult agent, Broegran Waethlunter, is a ranger and a logger who reclaimed the ruins of Thundertree as a base from which his crew of cutters could log the Neverwinter Wood as the rebuilding of the city of Neverwinter  has created an enormous demand for lumber. And while the Cult, of course, benefits from the income this generates, it also offers Broegran an opportunity to explore the Neverwinter Wood on behalf of the Cult looking for signs of green dragons that the Cult can convert to dracolichdom.

Venomfang was one of the first found but rejected Cult overtures. Sadly for her, Broegran recognised that she was ready to lay eggs and simply waited until the eggs were laid and Venomfang left her lair for a brief hunt. The Cult then stole the eggs leaving a magic mouth in their place. The magic mouth simply said when Venomfang returned: We have your eggs and you will submit to us or your children will die.

Of course, green dragons are nothing if not cunning and Venomfang has bided her time as she searches for cat's-paws whom she can use to recover her eggs or, at the very least, distract the Cult so that she can recover her eggs. She watches the ruins of Thundertree carefully, as do her animal spies, and the arrival of the PCs and their likely clash with cultists prompts her to make contact with them and offer them a deal.

The simplest deal would be for the PCs to recover the eggs in exchange for certain items from Venomfang's treasure and that would work reasonably well. And, of course, when the PCs have the eggs in hand, Venomfang will also make an appearance to slaughter any remaining members of the Cult, including some who might be in combat with the PCs while they are trying to flee Thundertree with the eggs.

However, I think a more manipulative approach might be more in keeping with a green dragon's nature, particularly as described above under Other Lore.  Venomfang is more likely to lie about what she wants - although she will be clear that she despites the Cult of the Dragon and wants them slain or otherwise removed from Thundertree - and she will feel obliged to negotiate over the terms of the reward.

To make this work, I think Thundertree needs a Cult spellcaster to be present. It's this spellcaster who poses the real threat to the PCs but also to Venomfang. In the case of the latter, it's because he's not holding the eggs as a threat: he's actively seeking to use them in a ritual that will enslave Venomfang while she is still alive (rather than in dracolich form) and/or to create other draconic beings such as the greenspawn creatures in 3.5E's Monster Manual IV. (This spellcaster may even be a cleric of Tiamat.)

Aside from the Cultists, Thundertree should be, more or less, a functioning logging village with a sawmill, log piles, barracks for the cutters etc.... That also means that a lot of those present are not members of the Cult and, frankly, have no idea what is happening. They're just working at a legitimate job that pays reasonably well.

The Dragon's Lair

Let's assume that the PCs do recover Venomfang's eggs and that they do not end up fighting the green dragon. Personally, I rather like the idea that later in the campaign the PCs might realise that Venomfang is a genuine threat to the region and they decide, because they already know something of her and her location, that it is their duty to deal with her.

Their sense of responsibility might also increase if Venomfang is raiding various settlements in conjunction with her hatchlings whom the party actually saved from the Cult of the Dragon!


So, let's further assume that the search for Venomfang's lair takes place a few levels later when the PCs are at a level where tackling Venomfang is not simply suicidal. I think this is where the green dragon lore described under Other Lore really comes into its own: make Venomfang's lair a great hollow tree and give her various servitor creatures, as well as a bunch of hatchling/very young green dragons, and make the environment one of strange clouds and mists some of which are genuinely dangerous.


And, as per the picture I have posted here, what if Venomfang is capable of taking on some sort of humanoid form? Earlier in the post I mentioned that Venomfang might be the offspring of Mornauguth of the High Moor. Mornauguth, as the linked article shows, was a human priestess of Shar transformed into green dragon form as the result of a curse. What if she passed on to her offspring the ability to change into humanoid form as shown here? And what if Venomfang has a drow lover? Perhaps he is also tied to the drow that appears in Lost Mine of Phandelver?

But back to her lair. I have only once run a "dungeon" set in a hollow tree. I stole the maps from Forest of Doom in Dragon 73 in my first 3E campaign and, I must admit, it was one of the best dungeon adventures I have ever run. The idea of doing this again, but as the lair of a dragon, really appeals to me and, I think, goes a long way to making the encounter with a green dragon feel different to, say, an encounter with a black dragon or a red dragon. After all, why have a cave lair when you can have a hollow tree?

Conclusion

As I have been typing - and this is an unedited first draft - I am also conscious of there being a lot of holes in terms of what I have suggested here. Like most things on my blog, it is horribly half-assed but, at the same time, this isn't something that is being published. I know there are the guts of some good ideas here but they do need some work if they are going to work.

What I also know is that taking this approach or a similar approach to the dragon encounter in Lost Mine of Phandelver will produce something a lot more memorable than the simple encounter that currently exists in that adventure (and that is no slight on the adventure author but simply a recognition of the constraints of limited space).

Knights of the North - Adventure One

The Blade of Lathander

 A 1st-Level Adventure for the Knights of the North Campaign

Introduction

Background

Refer to the current brainstorming thread.

Hooks

Refer to the current brainstorming thread.

Précis

Location: Valhingen Graveyard

After arriving in Phlan, the PCs seek out information on the location of their parents' remains. This leads to Valhingen Graveyard where the party frees the doomguide of Kelemvor they need to speak to from the clutches of a mad Cyricist and his graverobber followers.

Location: Ruins of Twilight Keep

They follow the doomguide's advice to the Twilight Marsh where they find an abandoned fort once belonging to the Zhents and the site of their parents' last stand. It is now the lair of a Cult of the Dragon cell with their two black dragon wyrmlings.

After defeating the Cultists, the party find their parents' burial site only to be confronted by a vindictive Zhentarim spirit. Its defeat allows one or more of the parents' ghosts to speak to the PCs. It seems there is a new quest: to find and recover the legendary Blade of Lathander from deeper in the swamp.

Location: Lost Temple of Bhaal

The PCs ultimately find a black dragon's lair - the mother of the two wyrmling they presumably slew - which is a cave-like opening in a large mound. The Blade of Lathander is part of the dragon's hoard. Beneath the mound is an ancient temple - more than 1,000 years old - devoted to the dead power, Bhaal.

The temple is now seeing some activity. There are lizardfolk guards and a presiding cleric - a fallen doomguide of Kelemvor who now thinks he is a cleric of Bhaal but is actually a cleric of Cyric. His name is Varak Redshield. Perhaps even more dangerous is the hezrou that the cleric commands - its name is Toadface and the lizardfolk and bullywugs of the Twilight Marsh see it as some sort of avatar of the powers that they respectively reverence. Zhent emissaries are also present.

While lizardfolk are guarding the temple and serving the cleric (and Toadface), there are also lizardfolk prisoners. If rescued they open up an optional expansion of this adventure.

Location: The Tomb of the Lizard King

The lizardfolk prisoners solicit the party's aid in freeing their fellows from their task of uncovering the lost Tomb of the Lizard King. It seems that if the tomb is uncovered and the lizard king freed a great evil will be unleashed within the Twilight Marsh. If the PCs act with haste they can ensure that the tomb is not opened otherwise they will need to enter and put an end to the threat posed by the lizard king, Sakatha, who is now a lizard king vampire.

(Toadface wants the lizard king to be awakened.)

Conclusion

Third level has been reached (possibly 4th but I will play with the XP awards and try and restrict it to 3rd) and the party has completed the major quest to recover the Blade of Lathander.

They have clashed with the Cult of the Dragon and with Zhents and are aware that the Zhents are becoming more active again in the Moonsea. A cleric of Kelemvor may have been slain as a cleric of Bhaal/Cyric or rescued from evil. Lizardfolk have been freed from a very evil influence (they may also wish for a new treaty with Phlan which the Lord Protector will welcome).

And the party has slain their first dragon (the two wyrmlings don't count).

All in all, I think if that is the way the adventure works out then it's a pretty good start to the new campaign.

Monster List

Named NPCs and Monsters

• Dalmanu: solo controller 1 (male human wizard)
• Graverobber 1: lurker 1
• Graverobber 2: skirmisher 1
• Thelzar, Zhentarim spirit: solo controller 2 (former male human wizard)
• Toadface: elite or solo brute 4 (hezrou fiend of blasphemy)
• Varak Redshield: elite soldier 3 (male human cleric of Cyric)
• Zzygarn: solo lurker 3 (female young black dragon) - can return as a dracolich

Generic NPCs and Monsters

• black dragon wyrmling
• Black Watch city guard, minion soldier 3
• Black Watch guard captain, soldier [leader] 3
• bullywug
• Cult of the Dragon sellsword, minion soldier 2
• Cult of the Dragon wizard's apprentice, minion artillery 2
• darktentacles, elite controller 4 (check Neverwinter Campaign Setting)
• lizardfolk, lurker 2
• lizard king, brute 8 = elite brute 3 or 4
• lizard king vampire, elite brute 8 = solo brute 3 or 4
• Zhent sword fodder (minion soldier 1)

Brainstorming the Adventure

While this is written up like a railroad, the PCs will be free to make other choices. Just as a line is the shortest distance between two points, I want to keep this synopsis as brief as possible.

This is also a first cut. Right now it really doesn't have enough encounters. It also needs a few more encounters that are actually interesting.

I should also include a conflict between the unaligned lizardfolk and the chaotic evil bullywugs. A conflict like this - with the potential for the party to take sides - also offers the opportunity to gain allies, something I am normally hopeless at including in my games.

Phlan

• The PCs arrive in Phlan and are surprised by the paranoia and heightened alertness of the Black Watch.
• Need information on the site of their parents' last stand. Parents were never given a proper burial.
• Library is a smouldering ruin. Librarians helpfully point them in the direction of the doomguide of Kelemvor in Valhingen Graveyard.
• Doomguide is not there. Kidnapped by grave robbers working for a strifeleader of Cyric who is also a Zhent agent (some freelance stirring up of strife). Report to Black Watch - hired to find him. Black Watch is busy watching for Zhents.
• Explore graveyard. Find graverobbers (skirmisher or lurker 1; level >1 encounter). Use Eye on the Realms article for names and picture.
• Evil tomb complex - the tomb of a traitor? Cadorna? Maybe use ideas from the low-level delve in Open Grave. Doomguide to be sacrificed to Cyric. This is a three-encounter Delve: skeleton guards (minion soldier 1; level 1 encounter), zombies (brute 1; level 1 encounter), strifeleader or eye of fear and flame/flameharrow (solo controller 1; level 1 encounter). Recover some old, rare books that can be given to Mantor's Library for when they rebuild (worth a minor quest reward => add to graverobber encounter to give level 1 encounter XP).
• Doomguide is able to use Kelemvorite magic to locate the remains of the PCs' parents.
• Doomguide provides some consumable items.

From Phlan to the Twilight Marsh

The route is the along the Phlan path across the Trank River before turning south into the Twilight Marsh.

• (Phlan Path) Red Claw goblin bandits (skirmisher 1 and minion skirmisher 1) with a hobgoblin commander (soldier [leader] 2).
• (Phlan Path) Knight of the Black Gauntlet patrol (all soldiers).
• (Bridge across the Trank River) Lizardfolk (lurker 2).
• (Twilight Marsh) Darktentacles (elite controller [?] 4).
• (Twilight Marsh) Cult of the Dragon mercenaries led by a mage.

The Twilight Keep

This uses the map of the Moathouse from Village of Hommlet, either the 1E or 4E version.

• Giant frogs. It wouldn't be the moathouse without giant frogs.
• Zhent patrol spying on the Cultists in Twilight Keep. At least one will attempt to escape.
• Basic encounters: Cultist mercenary (soldier 1; sellsword - minion soldier 1), Cultist mage (artillery 1; apprentice mage - minion artillery 1), Cultist scout (skirmisher 1). NPCs: cleric of Beshaba (elite soldier or controller 2), swordcaptain (elite soldier 2), wizard wearer of the purple (elite controller 2; wears ring of dragons and has a lesser tome of the dragon). Combine into two level 1 encounters, one level 2 encounter and one level 3 encounter.
• Two wyrmling black dragons (elite lurker 2 or 3).
• The PCs should be 2nd-level before they enter the dungeon level.
• Ghast NPC (elite something 4) - use the named ghast from Dungeon 53 - Steelheart for inspiration.
• Zhentarim spirit (solo controller 2).
• Major quest: bury their parents. Actually, they are buried but there are stones there that can be used for a more appropriate memorial.
• A ghost of one of their parents directs them to find Zzygarn's lair in order to recover the Blade of Lathander.

Zzygarn's Mound

A skill challenge might be in order at this point.

• Lizardfolk can be parleyed with so that they will point the way to the dragon's lair (are there any low-level divination rituals the PCs could use?);
• Zzygarn (solo lurker 3) has her lair in a great mound (use 1E's Tomb of the Lizard King for inspiration) that may be the tomb of an ancient lizardfolk, orc or human king from before the fall of Northkeep (treat as a three-encounter delve and include at least one trap as part of the three encounters). The encounter with the dragon will provide the PCs with enough XP to reach 3rd-level.

Return to Phlan

• Zhent ambush (level 3 encounter) with a demand for the ring of dragons. This encounter should involve a lot of minions (including archers that are minion artillery so that they are launching a cavalcade of ranged attacks) so that the PCs when they first see the map and the miniatures feel like it's a serious ambush. Of course, at this point they're 3rd-level so it's time for them to show what badasses they've become!

The next adventure begins when they reach Phlan and deals with Zhent infiltration of the city via a portal beneath a haunted former tavern (the Red Spyglass) and leads to Zhent pirates and slavers  (although the party may first deal with a Tyranthraxus-possessed cleric of Bane who is planning to betray his city). The Blade of Lathander will be a key BBEG magnet. Maybe I will call it Yellow Sword & Yellow Sails or just Yellow Sails. It will be followed by Bane's Eye then The Stonecrown(ed?) King and concluding with Ruins of the Raven.

Further Adventures in the Twilight Marsh

I've been rather enamoured with the idea of running an adventure in a swamp since I first read the Mere of Dead Men series in Dungeon magazine the late 1990s. However, to the best of my knowledge, I have never actually run swamp or marsh adventures but I would like to change that.

Source Material

These ideas draw inspiration from Dungeon 71's Dreadful Vestiges - this is from the Mere of Dead Men series, arguably the first adventure path to appear in Dungeon magazine - as well as  1E's U2 Danger at Dunwater and I1 Tomb of the Lizard King, Swamp Stomp from Dungeon 93 and Fiend's Embrace from Dungeon 121. I may also use elements from The Muster of Morach Tor from Dungeon 144.

Introduction & Background

The old saying is that a picture says a thousand words. This picture from the Dreadful Vestiges adventure - of a fallen Helmite cleric, Varak Redshield, summoning a hezrou - really illustrates the root of the problem in the Twilight Marsh.

Varak Redshield is an adventuring cleric, or doomguide, of Kelemvor. After travelling to Phlan he learnt more of the history of humanity in the Moonsea North including the rise of the Dark Three - Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul - and the existence of an early temple "of death" in the area now covered by the Twilight Marsh.

Believing that this was a temple of Myrkul, Kelemvor's predecessor (forgetting Cyric's interregnum), Redshield travelled into the Twilight Marsh to try and learn more about the foundations of his own beliefs.

While it was indeed a temple "of death", this was a temple of Bhaal rather than Myrkul. A most unholy place, it has attracted the attention of one or more revilers, incorporeal undead creatures (cf the Dreadful Vestiges adventure) that are now under Cyric's sway. One of the revilers corrupted Redshield and now he thinks he is a cleric of Bhaal although, in fact, it is Cyric whom he serves. (Besides the revilers, in something inspired both by a Fourthcore adventure and also the original Caverns of Thracia, a dying character that revives attracts the attention of a minor aspect of Bhaal. I am thinking of the flying skull I once statted up in 3.5E which wept tears of blood that caused what would now be ongoing damage. However, I am also thinking it needs to be a minion and insubtantial [being a minion this basically means that, if it takes damage and thus would be destroyed, it is instead able to remain on 1 hit point with a successful saving throw].)

The revilers have been whispering to him about the need to find an awaken the lizard king to unite the lizardfolk tribes of the Twilight Marsh so that they can bring death to the surrounding lands in Bhaal's name. The Tomb of the Lizard King is located at the bottom of a swampy lake. Redshield uses magic whispered to him by the revilers to summon a hezrou to cow the lizardfolk into obeying him and forces them build a dam around the tomb. Once the dam walls are finished, the water will be pumped out allowing easy access to the tomb.

(The lizardfolk of the Twilight Marsh typically live in large lodges similar to those built by beavers so this is something they possess the expertise to accomplish.)

If Redshield succeeds, the lizard king will be awakened and all the lizardfolk of the Twilight Marsh will be brought under his sway... with Redshield and his revilers controlling the lizard king. (At this stage, the lizard king will be a vampire in a shameless rip-off - or flattering homage - to the original I1 Tomb of the Lizard King.)

Complicating matters further, the temple of death that is now Redshield's lair is also the home of Zzygarn, the black dragon that the PCs will be seeking in order to recover the Blade of Lathander. (In a sense, this idea is also stolen from I1 Tomb of the Lizard King where the tomb had a guardian black dragon.) Added to that, Redshield is now receiving overtures from Zhent emissaries whose Cyricist leader was guided here by whispers from same mad deity - the same whispers that Redshield is hearing. For the Zhents, control of the lizardfolk provides them with a ready-made and expendable army. For the Cyricists, an unleashed army of bestial lizardfolk led by a lizard king vampire is the perfect way to bring chaos and strife to Phlan.

For the PCs, there is an opportunity to free Redshield from the evil influence of the revilers and Cyric. Essentially, Redshield is possessed by a reviler and the Blade of Lathander has the power to end that possession and destroy the possessing reviler even while Redshield remains possessed. This is also foreshadowing the power of the Blade of Lathander to drive out and harm Tyranthraxus should that possessing spirit make an appearance later in the campaign.

The Unopenable Doors

Drawing inspiration from 1E's WG5 Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure, there will be a party of Zhent mercenaries in the Twilight Marsh looking for the Unopenable Doors. They've found them but they are truly unopenable.

I want to make sure that the campaign has a few mysteries and this will be one of them. Of course, if I'm ever stuck with a need for a dungeon adventure later, I can make it this - the party will simply have to find the key.

The Fane of Kerzit has a nice ring to it....

Key Monsters & NPCs

Toadface the Hezrou

While most hezrous are utterly bereft of anything resembling subtlety, Toadface has learnt from its true master - Graz'zt - how to suppress its more bestial urges from time to time in order to accomplish greater evil.

Due to an alliance between the Dark Prince and the Prince of Lies, Toadface finds itself aiding Cyric and compelled to obey a cleric of Cyric, Varak Redshield, whom he originally corrupted.

Design Considerations

The name is a placeholder but I rather like it. It seems like a nickname that the Zhents would bestow on a summoned demon.

The 4E version of the hezrou is a 22nd-level brute. That's too high for this campaign - obviously - but, more importantly, my monster level philosophy is now very much about reducing them to the level equal to the number of hit dice the monster had in 1E, more or less.

In the case of the hezrou, or the type II demon as it was then, it should be a 9th-level brute to match its 9 hit dice in the 1E Monster Manual. The 1E version is quite boring: it's got cause fear, darkness 15' radius, detect invisible objects (a spell that never actually existed), a chance to gate another hezrou (but only a 20% chance) and telekinesis. None of those are signature abilities.

The 3.5E and Pathfinder versions include the fairly potent blasphemy as well as, inter alia,  chaos hammer and unholy blight. The Pathfinder version also has a stench aura which seems to be its signature ability (I think 3.5E also had this but I have the Pathfinder Bestiary open on my laptop right now). The 4E version is really boring: all it has is a noxious stench aura which now inflicts poison damage in an aura 2 (albeit only to enemies and only if they attack). Another 4E version from one of the HPE series adventures inflicts an attack roll penalty of -2 unless the hezrou is bloodied in which case an enemy is weakened while in the aura.

I particularly like the Pathfinder flavour text:

... The hezrou dwells in the vast Abyssal swamps, mires, and waterways, equally at home on land and in the water. The presence of a hezrou has an obvious effect on the nearby flora and water, causing plant life to twist and knurl and infusing water with a foul odour and brackish taste — signs much easier to spot on the Material Plane than the Abyss. Long exposure to this corruption can cause vile transformations and hideous deformities. Often, entire backwater communities of deformed mutants owe their twisted countenances not as much to ... poor breeding as they do to a hezrou’s proximity....

Putting this all together, I think these are the points to include in my version of the hezrou:

• it will be a 9th-level brute;
• a 9th-level brute is worth 400 XP which means I can also stat this up as a 4th-level elite brute which is also worth 400 XP;
• the noxious stench aura is retained and it causes poison damage;
• the hezrou is immune to poison and disease, possesses necrotic resistance but is vulnerable to radiant damage;
• as per the 4E version, its normal attack will be via its claws while it will have high damage  recharge attack via its bite; and
• it possesses an encounter power that produces something akin to a blasphemy spell from 3.5E, only effects non-evil creatures and probably inflicts poison damage (possibly in combation with either psychic or necrotic - the former because I am thinking of the phrase, "psychic miasma"). 

As for Toadface, I will start with a 4th-level elite brute and then:

• possibly make it a solo brute to reflect a new template I need to create based on the 3.5E prestige class, fiend of blasphemy, from that edition's Fiend Folio;
• if Toadface is a fiend of blasphemy then perhaps I will not need the revilers - at the very least, they will not be responsible for Redshield's fall - because it will be Toadface's doing (the revilers will be 4th-level controllers or lurkers);
• with a name like Toadface, I think of this hezrou as something of a cane toad in appearance so that also means poison sacs on its back (immediate interrupt of melee attacks particularly involving flanking - poison spray in retaliation that may even have a blinding effect);
• Toadface is a thrall of Graz'zt and also an agent of Cyric so I may include some powers to reflect an unusual ability to deceive and manipulate (the themes for Graz'zt in Demonimicon are a good place to start); and
• of course, I may also go with Toadface as the simple brute that the current version of the stat block I have created would indicate.

Questions I need to answer:

• Is there a link between Toadface and Dagon or Umberlee? (And, if so, what does this mean for the possibility of 1. sahuagin appearing in the Twilight Marsh and 2. a redoing of the plot of 1E's Saltmarsh series?)
• What do the bullywugs of the Twilight Marsh think of the appearance of Toadface in this place?
• Does Toadface have any goals?
• How was Toadface summoned and how is he controlled? A statue or idol? (I rather like the idea of an animated idol as a monster - call it the idol of blasphemy. What if this idol can also summon a stream of minions? I am thinking of swarms of Tiny hezrous....)

The Blade of Lathander

The Blade of Lathander is a flametongue sword (the type of sword will be determined once we determine which PC is going to be the heir of the last wielder). Despite doing fire damage, it is able to harm Tyranthraxus even while he is possessing a creature and notwithstanding his immunity to fire.