SKT: A Great Upheaval [SPOILERS]

[Dalebert]

On page 17, it says Zephyros is convinced the characters can restore the ordning. I may have missed it, but to my knowledge, this is the first mention of whatever that is. Should I just not mention it to the characters? This is something that stays in his head that I should just use as motivation? Because I am clueless. Seems like something that might be in the hardcover but isn't in this release of A Great Upheaval. My book order doesn't arrive until next month but I'm running this this evening.

Also, is it just me or is this adventure kind of a snore-fest? Secondly, is the magic item drop a bit pathetic? There's one permanent magic item, a bag of holding. The pixie dust is kinda amusing if unreliable, but is a consumable. If you compare this to Lost Mine of Phandelver, it's pretty pathetic. If you compare it to going through a series of tier 1 AL modules to reach 5th (about 5 or 6 items), it's pretty pathetic. I've posted an event for tonight's game as "It's a Surprise" and was hoping it would be pretty cool to suddenly discover they're playing a next season adventure but I find myself reconsidering. It feels like a dis-service to my players.

[Hopeless]

I've been wondering from what I've read to merge this with the Starter Set and HOTDQ by using the events of one to explain the others.

For example one of the starter set characters apparently fled a settlement after it was attacked by a dragon during the start of HOTDQ such an event occurs and can't help thinking using this as a prequel to the starter set so we have some back story to explain why the player characters are involved and working together?

My thinking is whatever happened to the Storm Giant King is linked to the dragon attack on Triboar and also linked to the Cult of the Dragon given the Giants consider the Dragons their main enemy so anything usable against dragons would be something the Storm Giant King might have been carrying when he was attacked so some of his gear ends up in Triboar this is leaked to the Cult and from them to the dragons one of whom attacks to secure a potential threat to the Dragons.

It doesn't even have to be entirely true only enough that when the Giants come looking they discover the same information and search Triboar for proof and that's when it effects the PCs.

Any of you have a better idea to handle this?

[Coffee_Dragon]

On page 17, it says Zephyros is convinced the characters can restore the ordning. I may have missed it, but to my knowledge, this is the first mention of whatever that is.

For what it's worth, "ordning" is Swedish (and maybe assorted other Nordic-speak) for "order", so if there's been an upheaval, maybe it's simply the giants' term for whatever was uphoven (social structure, threads of fate, dinner protocol).

[tsuyoshikentsu]

There is an appendix in the back about how to lead other released adventures into SKT.

[Temperjoke]

SKT is a direct result of HotDQ. The giant's gods are pissed that the giants didn't get involved and decided to get rid of the Ordening, the hierarchy of giant society that decides which giants are in charge. So all the giants are rampaging and scheming to take over giant society.

[Minescratcher]

Giants belong to a caste structure called the ordning. Based on social class and highly organized, the ordning assigns a social rank to each giant. By understanding its place in the ordning, a giant knows which other giants are inferior or superior to it, since no two giants are equal. Each of the giant races analyzes a different combination of skills or qualities to determine the ordning. Giants make excelling in these qualities the purpose of their lives.

The ordning is the giant's caste structure.

[Dalebert]

Thanks for the responses. No thoughts on my second paragraph?

[Fflewddur Fflam]

Thanks for the responses. No thoughts on my second paragraph?

Comparing any current adventure in terms of magic items to LMOP is a mistake. They made LMOP at the very beginning of 5e, and they gave away magic items like candy. They soon realized this was counter to their concepts of 5e, so no, 5e adventures shouldn't be giving out as much magic items as LMOP.

The Bag of Holding sounds dope though! Never got one of those!

[Grod_The_Giant]

Thanks for the responses. No thoughts on my second paragraph?
I'd been playing CoS from just after the lead in (others were level 3) to ~8, and I think I've seen all of two magic items- one plot sword, and one magic staff that I had to break to prevent a TPK*. (On the other hand, the group is pretty dumb and disorderly, so it's entirely possible we missed some)

[Temperjoke]

My understanding is while there is not a great deal of magic items, there are a number of rune items used for rune magic. And while they're not built in, I'm sure you could add more items in. Something to keep in mind though is, why would giants have items of a size for the regular-sized races?

[R.Shackleford]

On page 17, it says Zephyros is convinced the characters can restore the ordning. I may have missed it, but to my knowledge, this is the first mention of whatever that is. Should I just not mention it to the characters? This is something that stays in his head that I should just use as motivation? Because I am clueless. Seems like something that might be in the hardcover but isn't in this release of A Great Upheaval. My book order doesn't arrive until next month but I'm running this this evening.

Also, is it just me or is this adventure kind of a snore-fest? Secondly, is the magic item drop a bit pathetic? There's one permanent magic item, a bag of holding. The pixie dust is kinda amusing if unreliable, but is a consumable. If you compare this to Lost Mine of Phandelver, it's pretty pathetic. If you compare it to going through a series of tier 1 AL modules to reach 5th (about 5 or 6 items), it's pretty pathetic. I've posted an event for tonight's game as "It's a Surprise" and was hoping it would be pretty cool to suddenly discover they're playing a next season adventure but I find myself reconsidering. It feels like a dis-service to my players.

Yup.

I'm not just disapointed in any mechanics in this but also the adventure itself.

D&D players are getting played once again, the book again isn't worth full price. But hey, this is what people want right? A half attempt at a generic adventure book once a year and no exploration of other cosmos or mechanics? Right?

[Hopeless]

Yup.

I'm not just disapointed in any mechanics in this but also the adventure itself.

D&D players are getting played once again, the book again isn't worth full price. But hey, this is what people want right? A half attempt at a generic adventure book once a year and no exploration of other cosmos or mechanics? Right?

Well I'd like a live action tv series loosely based on their released modules say start off with the Triboar attack as the start of HOTDQ leading onto the Phandelver Mines as the main cast which eventually leads back to Triboar and TSKT as a prelude to the second season.

I'm hoping we get a second season from Force Grey, but I'd love a take by Critical Role on the Starter Set adventure!!!

[R.Shackleford]

Well I'd like a live action tv series loosely based on their released modules say start off with the Triboar attack as the start of HOTDQ leading onto the Phandelver Mines as the main cast which eventually leads back to Triboar and TSKT as a prelude to the second season.

I'm hoping we get a second season from Force Grey, but I'd love a take by Critical Role on the Starter Set adventure!!!

Only if Netflix is behind the TV series. And even then... I would prefer to play D&D than watch D&D.

But that doesn't change that all of these have been... lackluster. I expected a bit more from wotc than trying (badly) to copy what made Paizo a success. Like, I'm NOT a Paizo fan at the least but they at least put effort into their work and put out new mechanics and material that is mostly good quality.

[Dalebert]

I agree that LMoP went overboard. Still, AL modules drop an item a piece and there tend to be about 6 modules to get from 1 to 5. They're uncommon at best but there still tend to be several of them that are decent like +1 weapons. And compare it to Hoard of the Dragon Queen and there are a few decent items that drop in the early tier. LMoP isn't the only example. This is very light on items.

More importantly, this adventure is full of typical low-level monsters and nothing particularly intriguing IMHO. It's also fairly rail-roady. There's a cool encounter with a giant that's just a ride-along. It even says if the players ask to go anywhere but the three locations for the quests, he should get confused and take them there anyway. "Oh no! We might have to write more material!"

One more thing--does anyone feel like they went absolutely nuts with naming everything? It feels like an attempt to have more fleshed-out characters but it just feels so shallow. I can poop out names for every goblin and orc on the fly if it becomes relevant, and in most cases, it doesn't seem like it will be.

[R.Shackleford]

My understanding is while there is not a great deal of magic items, there are a number of rune items used for rune magic. And while they're not built in, I'm sure you could add more items in. Something to keep in mind though is, why would giants have items of a size for the regular-sized races?

I think we know that all races go through a phase where little tiny things are all the rage.

http://i.imgur.com/vKJD4EM.jpg

[Dalebert]

My understanding is while there is not a great deal of magic items, there are a number of rune items used for rune magic. And while they're not built in, I'm sure you could add more items in. Something to keep in mind though is, why would giants have items of a size for the regular-sized races?

There aren't any in this adventure.

The friendly cloud giant has a giant-sized Staff of the Magi. If I could somehow get it from him, I'd freackin' throw it over my shoulder and drag it around if I had to.

[Sigreid]

There aren't any in this adventure.

The friendly cloud giant has a giant-sized Staff of the Magi. If I could somehow get it from him, I'd freackin' throw it over my shoulder and drag it around if I had to.

In the ancient days of 1e, everyone I ever played with played it that part of the magic of magic items was they resize to meet the needs of their owner.

For the Ordining, it's in the Monster Manual right before they start talking about individual giants. Basically Hill Giants can boss around ogres...all the way up to Storm Giants can boss around all the others because their higher social status.

[RickAllison]

In the ancient days of 1e, everyone I ever played with played it that part of the magic of magic items was they resize to meet the needs of their owner.

For the Ordining, it's in the Monster Manual right before they start talking about individual giants. Basically Hill Giants can boss around ogres...all the way up to Storm Giants can boss around all the others because their higher social status.

From the 5e DMG:


In most cases, a magic item that's meant to be worn
can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many
magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or the:
magically adjust themselves to the wearer.

Rare exceptions exist. If the story suggests a good
reason for an item to fit only creatures of a certain
size or shape, you can rule that it doesn't adjust.

So magic items can have the ability to change size (so a dragon can use his hoard!), but it is up to the DM whether they do.

[Sigreid]

So magic items can have the ability to change size (so a dragon can use his hoard!), but it is up to the DM whether they do.

This is good. So if you murder that cloud giant it is up to the DM or the text as to whether you can use the staff.

[Dalebert]

It is theoretically possible the characters could end up with that staff... in TIER 1! It seems unlikely but possible. There is an encounter in which the giant gets attacked. The characters could attempt to abscond with it during the fight or after he goes down. I imagine the opponents (dwarves and a silver dragon) might have something to say about it though.

[Temperjoke]

It is theoretically possible the characters could end up with that staff... in TIER 1! It seems unlikely but possible. There is an encounter in which the giant gets attacked. The characters could attempt to abscond with it during the fight or after he goes down. I imagine the opponents (dwarves and a silver dragon) might have something to say about it though.

It could also be a reward if they choose to aid the giant, and perform amazingly well?

[Sigreid]

It is theoretically possible the characters could end up with that staff... in TIER 1! It seems unlikely but possible. There is an encounter in which the giant gets attacked. The characters could attempt to abscond with it during the fight or after he goes down. I imagine the opponents (dwarves and a silver dragon) might have something to say about it though.

So, if they did somehow abscond with it, I would probably have it shrink to fit slowly over the 1 hour attunement process.