Wild Beyond the witchlight help

[Khrysaes]

I am going to DM this adventure for 5-6 of my friends soon, and while reading through it there have been some notable questions.
Spoilers for the adventure

I prefer the lost things hook as I can't wrap my head around a "why" would the warlock ask these specific characters to traverse into the feywild to find his archfey. The problem with the lost things is that there is not specifically a reason to go to the Palace of Hearts desire.

I had considered combining the two, such as some characters having lost things, and some having spoken to the warlock, but I still come to the same problem.

I also thought of having the warlock AT the carnival looking for his own way to the feywild, which could serve as a way to tell the players about the entry to the feywild and give them a reason(the offered reward) to head to the palace.

Finally, I have been thinking of placing at least one lost thing with each of the coven, and one in the palace, and say that they were used as part of the ritual to imprison the Archfey. Giving at least one of the party to go to the palace, and one to each of the hags.

I also really like the idea in the warlock plothook that the players met the Archfey at the carnival before, and was thinking that in addition to the lost thing, they may have received a sort of boon, akin to the fateful moments in heroic chronicles: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/783-heroic-chronicle-sword-coast-and-the-north
to contrast the curse of the lost thing.


What are people's thoughts on fueling the motivations of the players?.


This may be obvious, but the guides are the Scarecrow, Tinman(the oil can) and Lion (the dandylion) from Wizard of Oz. I also see the hags and archfey as parralells of the wicked and good witches, as well as the wizard of oz. The three arguing pixies akin to the faeries that raise Aurora(sleeping beauty), and Will and the getaway gang as Peter Pan and the Lostboys. There is even a tornado to transport the players

But, other than a few short sentences, there is no real information on what the guides do upon arrival in a new zone. So, I was wondering if people would think it's a good idea to go full wizard of oz and have their motivations be to reach the Archfey to get their wish(es) granted. Also because Prismeer became so much worse when she was imprisoned.




I am sure I will come up with more as I read through the adventure more and make notes.

But What other problems have people noticed? Solutions to the problems?

[Unoriginal]

I am going to DM this adventure for 5-6 of my friends soon, and while reading through it there have been some notable questions.
Spoilers for the adventure

I prefer the lost things hook as I can't wrap my head around a "why" would the warlock ask these specific characters to traverse into the feywild to find his archfey. The problem with the lost things is that there is not specifically a reason to go to the Palace of Hearts desire.

I had considered combining the two, such as some characters having lost things, and some having spoken to the warlock, but I still come to the same problem.

I also thought of having the warlock AT the carnival looking for his own way to the feywild, which could serve as a way to tell the players about the entry to the feywild and give them a reason(the offered reward) to head to the palace.

Finally, I have been thinking of placing at least one lost thing with each of the coven, and one in the palace, and say that they were used as part of the ritual to imprison the Archfey. Giving at least one of the party to go to the palace, and one to each of the hags.

I also really like the idea in the warlock plothook that the players met the Archfey at the carnival before, and was thinking that in addition to the lost thing, they may have received a sort of boon, akin to the fateful moments in heroic chronicles: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/783-heroic-chronicle-sword-coast-and-the-north
to contrast the curse of the lost thing.


What are people's thoughts on fueling the motivations of the players?.


This may be obvious, but the guides are the Scarecrow, Tinman(the oil can) and Lion (the dandylion) from Wizard of Oz. I also see the hags and archfey as parralells of the wicked and good witches, as well as the wizard of oz. The three arguing pixies akin to the faeries that raise Aurora(sleeping beauty), and Will and the getaway gang as Peter Pan and the Lostboys. There is even a tornado to transport the players

But, other than a few short sentences, there is no real information on what the guides do upon arrival in a new zone. So, I was wondering if people would think it's a good idea to go full wizard of oz and have their motivations be to reach the Archfey to get their wish(es) granted. Also because Prismeer became so much worse when she was imprisoned.




I am sure I will come up with more as I read through the adventure more and make notes.

But What other problems have people noticed? Solutions to the problems?

For why the Warlock ask these specific characters, what I did was simply that they were the only ones he could reach on time to have a chance of using the circus's portal, and a lifetime of warlocking as well as a long adventuring career made him have a good feeling avout them.

Whst the guides do in a new zone is provide info and banter, as well as help how they can in fights and social situations.

[JLandan]

I am running this currently. I am using the Lost Things hook. I didn't like the Warlock hook at all. While Lost Things doesn't motivate for the last chapter, the Warlock doesn't motivate for anything before the last chapter other than general advancement. So, I am running Lost Things with a warlock twist. Not the Warlock hook, the Kenku at the carnival. That warlock can provide the same motivation for the last chapter as the guy in the hook (though the hook has rather dubious rewards). The Kenku gives an altered story in which the PCs learn that the only way back from Prismeer is to go all the way through and complete the last chapter, which also provides its own better rewards.

Also, do not let them keep the balloon from the second chapter. It allows them to bypass almost all fixed and random encounters on the ground. I had them be attacked by the Jabberwocky, who damaged the balloon and forced it to crash in the next chapter. Good foreshadowing too; that alone made the players want to go to the Palace and off it.

Make a few side encounters that are more combat oriented, just in case the PCs roll that way. I altered the Prismeer death rules to not include undead, constructs, or plants. Undead and constructs are destroyed, not killed. And if plants can't be killed, nothing can eat, so it wouldn't be ecologically sound to have no plant death as well as animals.