DM help. Urban campaigns to bridge level 3-5

[Whiskeyjack8044]

I'm Running Sunless Citadel for a group of new players. Eventually I want this to lead into Red Hand of Doom. They will finish SC at level 3 and start RHoD at level 5.

I'd like them to gain those two levels adventuring in Brindol, the defacto capital of the setting and site of the epic conclusion of RHoD. I want them emotionally invested in the city and see people and places the know during the endgame.

Do you folks know any good Urban campaigns that can be lifted or Frankensteined into something suitable? Brindol is Smedium sized in-land river city. It's ok if its longish, I'll adjust everything to fit the player levels. Since they are new, spending alot of time at level 3 will let them get very familiar with their core class and subclass abilities.

!IMPORTANT! I'm holding out the vain hope that I will get to be a player in a WaterDeep Dragon Heist game someday, so avoid anything from that unless its pretty generic.

[Damon_Tor]

Well you could always...


!IMPORTANT! I'm holding out the vain hope that I will get to be a player in a WaterDeep Dragon Heist game someday, so avoid anything from that unless its pretty generic.

... Nevermind.

[Whiskeyjack8044]

^*sigh* yeah, that's what I was afraid of.

Even something from the DMs Guild or older editions would be great.

[gandwarf]

I recently read some very good opinions and reviews about a collection of urban adventures called Urban Blight, from a collection called Foul Locales. I think you can find it on DM's guild.

[Lupine]

My characters spent 3-5 tracking down and eliminating a ring of assassins, the leader of which is now the villain in the next set of adventures.

You could do something similar, using those levels to run mini-adventures trying to figure out where an assassin's base is, or who's next to so as to intercept said assassin. As a result of this, they would need to get to know the people in your city well, as well as the sights and sounds to get clues. Plus, it will make the players think that they are the defenders of the city. Make the city give them discounts and free property (And maybe an NPC follower/apprentice) when they uncover and foil the plot. Then, do the same thing; make the ringleader, or the person who hired the ring an a part of the story in Red Hand.

I can't give much specifically, having never played Red Hand, but it shouldn't be too hard

I'd recommend 3, maybe 4 assassins, then write about them. What is their signature style? How do they get their intel? Do they have a team? If so, who are the team members
Race: Elf, wood
Style: Zharin always kills her targets by cutting open their chests, removing everything and laying a single pine cone, or a sprig of a pine tree in the cavity right over where the heart used to be (If you've ever read Speaker For the Dead, similar style)
She does this because her husband Arranis was slain by a (Chose some group, but probably either a rival or a nobel) at a festival with a dagger with a grip made to look like a pine cone. It was stabbed in his heart, and left there. Zharin uses it to this day when she takes out her victims
She always gets the pine cones and sprigs from the same tree, which she planted over her husband's grave
Targets: Zharin will only kill people in the group which slaughtered her husband.
Intelligence Gathering: Zharin sneaks into the homes of those who would know her target's patterns and habits and learns where they'll be and what they'll be doing at most given times. She then captures her target while alone, and tortures them for information and then finishes them in her signature style.
Team use:Zharin doesn't use a team. Her assassinations are a quest of personal vengeance
Reasonably: If the players can accurately find her husband's killer, and supply Zharin with the name, Zharin will kill the murderer, and then give the players The dagger with the pine cone hilt, which is some low power magic dagger, appropriate for tier one characters.
Dying Words: If the players kill Zharin, her dying words are, "Arranis, my love! I am reunited with you at last!

A little cliche, but cliches help adventurers predict what is happening, and make them feel like they know what is coming next. In fact, you could make her be a whole adventure, and plan out clues in three or four crimes.

[Sparky McDibben]

As I recall, there are several NPCs in Brindol who become important. Create a couple missions for each and have their agents approach the PCs. Some ideas are:

1) One of the NPCs is the ruling noble (can't remember his name, but he's in love with the chief cleric). His missions should probably be focused on law and order and threats thereto.
a) "A dwarven merchant is reportedly smuggling. Find out what they're carrying."
b) "A local lord is skimming his taxes and hurting his people. Find me the proof."

2) Another NPC is an evil noble/merchant woman. Her quests ought to involve making money or gaining leverage. This quest giver ought to remain at arms-length, but pay a lot more.
a) "An ambassador of the Tiri Kitor will be arriving tomorrow to dine with the duke. Plant this signet ring in their quarters once they arrive."
b) "We've discovered a rather large shipment of gold being transported by dwarves to the south. Some enterprising individuals could make a hefty cut of that shipment if they were in the right place at the right time..."

3) Another NPC is a crotchety old wizard (Immerstahl the Red, I think? The one with a sphinx as a partner). This quest giver is interested in heading off potential threats to the Elsir Vale as a whole, and might pay in magic items or spells.
a) "Something's going on in the old warehouse. Figure out what."
b) "Rise and shine, kids! I need bat guano and there's only one place to find it nearby. Just watch out for the troglodytes."

After a few unrelated quests, each NPC can have the party start investigating each other. All the while, start sprinkling in references to "some restive goblinoids" in the west, and your party should be primed to visit Drellin's Ferry. Also remember that traveling from Brindol to Drellin's Ferry is a great opportunity for the PCs to forge connections and for you to showcase the locations they'll be revisiting with the Red Hand on their heels...

[Whiskeyjack8044]

I was so focused on creating an arch between the two other stories I never considered the bridge didn't have to have a full narrative.

I think I'll just string along a few side quests centered around specific NPCs, locations, and factions. This is much less daunting. Thanks guys.

I'd still like to hear a any encounters that I can cannibalize.

[Lupine]

I'd still like to hear a any encounters that I can cannibalize.

Sir, yes sir!
your players are still level 3, yes? throw a green hag at them. Nothing too special, but they're fun to plan (if a bit difficult when making bargains). In addition, the players will probably like the idea of strange magics. They're a fun aspect of hags, and really quite fun to combat, because things happen that they don't expect, with the green hag and her minions, you can probably use her all the way up to fifth level and still be challenging.

[DrKerosene]

I'd still like to hear a any encounters that I can cannibalize.

If you skip Forge Of Fury, then I think one of the next adventure in the 3.5e path is “The Standing Stone” which you could set in the Marthton Woods on the right hand side of the map. The RHoD setting says druidic stuff happened in that region anyways.

I’d say you can steal the entire plot of A Dark And Stormy Knight, just up the challenge and say the hobgoblins are looking for magic items/lore that would help with RHoD stuff.

You could have the Party encounter that shapeshifter spy-mistress in a mundane way.

The party could go to Valerian’s Playhouse as part of a job to follow and see if someone is cheating on their spouse.

You could have a Yuan-Ti encounter, where the long-term plan is to first help Tiamat get her avatar summoned in RHoD, who then then helps Apep summon his avatar sometime shortly after.

[noob]

They go around and set the town on fire but a fire brigade comes in with buckets and vehicles carrying water from a close river.
Will they solve that in time to allow the fire to burn the citizens peacefully?
At the end a paladin with a frost brand goes and tries to extinguish the fires with the help of a tenser force disk spam mage carrying a whole bunch of containers filled with water and a druid is trying to read a scroll of control weather to cause a rain.

[Vogie]

I'm AFB, but I'm almost certain there's a 3-5 adventure in Ghosts of Saltmarsh. Moving from City to City requires some travel, and why not boat?


However, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist could be run as a 3-5 adventure in any city. Just run chapter 1, skip chapter 2 almost entirely, and run chapter 3. That'd get the players from levels 3 to 4, then you can finish the adventure with Chapter 4, which is designed for level 4 individuals already, and that'll get them to 5.

[Sparky McDibben]

Other encounter ideas:


The PCs get jumped by two bugbears and a halfling spy who are carrying the PCs descriptions along with a reward of 10 gp for "bringing them to me."
The PCs are offered room and board by a friendly farmer who wakes them up in the middle of the night, terrified. His farm is under attack by 1d4+1 scarecrows sent by the night hag in the Fane of Tiamat who wants to steal the farmer's daughter in order to make her into a hag.
The PCs meet a knight named Sir Chas who is a straight up douche. Sir Chas is a terrible paladin, and is trying to find an ogre to put it down and get back in the church's good graces. He offers to pay the PCs 50 gp to kill an ogre and let him take credit.
The PCs come across a small unit of dwarven mercs (Shining Axes from "Mercenary Gold"). Use this as an opportunity to build out the Shining Axes so they have more of a human connection to these guys (which twists the knife later when they can choose between keeping the gold and hiring some of their acquaintances.)

[noob]

Other encounter ideas:


The PCs get jumped by two bugbears and a halfling spy who are carrying the PCs descriptions along with a reward of 10 gp for "bringing them to me."
The PCs are offered room and board by a friendly farmer who wakes them up in the middle of the night, terrified. His farm is under attack by 1d4+1 scarecrows sent by the night hag in the Fane of Tiamat who wants to steal the farmer's daughter in order to make her into a hag.
The PCs meet a knight named Sir Chas who is a straight up douche. Sir Chas is a terrible paladin, and is trying to find an ogre to put it down and get back in the church's good graces. He offers to pay the PCs 50 gp to kill an ogre and let him take credit.
The PCs come across a small unit of dwarven mercs (Shining Axes from "Mercenary Gold"). Use this as an opportunity to build out the Shining Axes so they have more of a human connection to these guys (which twists the knife later when they can choose between keeping the gold and hiring some of their acquaintances.)

do not be surprised if the adventurers immediately becomes best friend ever with Sir Chas.

[Sparky McDibben]

do not be surprised if the adventurers immediately becomes best friend ever with Sir Chas.

#preachbrother

[Jama7301]

I'm working on a one-shot level 4 adventure that could slot into a near-urban campaign. Cannibalize whatever you'd like.

A nearby mansion belonging to an old, well-liked and retired trader has been the source of some tremors that have been shaking the ground and causing damages to nearby towns and farmers. The party is sent there by the town to find the source of the issue.

The manor is 3 floored (2 above ground, one basement), and is magicked to hell by a powerful/big ritual. It makes the house look lively and full of life with illusions, and covers up the broken tiles, the rusted sinks and pans, and makes it seem like a well kept manor.

Encounters in the area
- 2 Awakened Shrub + 1 Awakened Tree - Approach
- Navigating a dinner with customs from another/the traders own land (one spot at table, can BS through the proceedings with a CHA check, or they can find a book of etiquette in the library). Failed check forces Dex Saves or damage. More damage for the person at the table who is involved in the dinner. Entire ceremony starts over if failed/interrupted.
- Animated Armor + 3-4 Flying Swords
- A trap in the gambling/billiards room with a painting that tries to complete itself by stealing life essence
- Mimic + Rug of Smothering in a bedroom
- Doppleganger
- A game of cards where they can win one of the needed pieces.
- I have a few NPC encounters planned, remnants of the magic and the homeowners memories of them, but haven't ironed anything out.

To access the basement, the party needs to find missing pieces of a chandelier and the crank to move it in the entryway. This will reveal the staircase down. The arcane ritual in the basement will be causing these magical rebound tremors, that keep getting worse, because a pillar in the middle of the ritual is now off-center, and the model of the manor has fallen off. Depending on the encounter, the old, twisted merchant may fight back, or he may just try to live out the days in his own illusion of a bygone time. If the model house, about 1ft by 6 in, is removed form the circle, the ritual ends, and it can be used as a magic relic later. Gonna homebrew up a Magic Room type summon thing that lets people gain a benefit once per... something, by using