(Storm Kings Thunder SPOILERS) my players want to go to the moonshae isles!

[Sir-Carlos]

We just finished the Nightstone section of SKT. Zephyros picked the PCs up and gave a bit of exposition. The thing is, thaht he mentioned going to the Moonshae isles and now my players are dead-set on traveling there with him. The module says that he will make a mistake and take them to the next quest location anyway, but there is now way they don’t notice it if they travel over land for 11 days and not over sea. Also, that method feels somehow like cheating.

What to do now? Any ideas? Should I just move the plot to the Isles? Or do I make a side quest there and then lead them back?

[Intregus182]

I would do a sidequest and and bring them back

[Zuras]

You basically have two choices. You can just tell them “guys I don’t want to railroad you, but there’s no material in the book if you go off on that tangent. We can do a different campaign, but it won’t be SKT.”

Alternately, you can alter the Frost Giant encounter to a Moonshaes location. Since they have ships, a Frost Giant raid in the Moonshaes makes the most sense. Depends on how invested you are in providing a real open world experience and how much DMs guild stuff you want to buy.

[Keravath]

If you want supplemental material, a number of modules set in the Moonshae Isles have been published as part of Adventurers League content.

https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?keywords=moonshae&filters=45470_0_0_0_0_0_0_0&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=

You might find something there to tie into SKT.

Also, Adventurers league published a number of modules with loose tie ins to SKT in season 5. They are labeled DDAL-05-XX and some of those might give some useful modules or ideas that you could set in the Moonshae isles.

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The other alternatives are have the party end up somewhere other than the Moonshaes (let the players know it is a plot device) or move one of the SKT encounters to the Moonshaes then tie that back to the main plot.

[Rafaelfras]

We just finished the Nightstone section of SKT. Zephyros picked the PCs up and gave a bit of exposition. The thing is, thaht he mentioned going to the Moonshae isles and now my players are dead-set on traveling there with him. The module says that he will make a mistake and take them to the next quest location anyway, but there is now way they don’t notice it if they travel over land for 11 days and not over sea. Also, that method feels somehow like cheating.

What to do now? Any ideas? Should I just move the plot to the Isles? Or do I make a side quest there and then lead them back?

Take your favorite chapter 2 location, be it Brim Shader, Golden fields or Triboar, take the Moonshae isles map, mash then together, put there all the NPC´s that you think have interesting quest hooks, you can cherry pick from all 3 locations. They will be able to know the place and you as the DM should really look into it, as it willl greatly enrich the experience, but you can keep with the story.
Last but not least to take then out of there you can run The Kraken gamble, it will build up a lot of stuff to latter use, they can hop into the Cassino ship, back to Yartar and then do any quest hook they desire until meet with Harshnag.
For the attack in the Islands use Countess Sansuri minions as she is the only Giant Lord who can threat the Islands, as they are too far and out of theme for the other giant lords,except the frost giants,as they have ships and can raid the location. You can end with Sansuri herself battling Zephiro in a very climatic way.
I am running SKT myself and after 2,5 years we are going to the Maelstrom. So good luck on your journey

[Tanarii]

What to do now? Any ideas? Should I just move the plot to the Isles? Or do I make a side quest there and then lead them back?Side quest or use another adventure from online. Don't quantum ogre them unless you know they're okay with that kind of thing.


The module says that he will make a mistake and take them to the next quest location anyway, but there is now way they don’t notice it if they travel over land for 11 days and not over sea. Also, that method feels somehow like cheating.If the adventure path suggests it, that sounds like poor design to me.

[5eNeedsDarksun]

I think this is really group dependent. Some groups might be fine with going on a side quest or just travelling around for numerous gaming sessions then realizing they've not made any progress on the main storyline. And, of course, you need to be willing to do the work either creating or finding the content.
Since you started this thread, I'm guessing either you or the party won't be ok with this. So I think you're left with either coming clean or moving part of the mod. Personally, I'd just move part of the mod.

[Sir-Carlos]

Take your favorite chapter 2 location, be it Brim Shader, Golden fields or Triboar, take the Moonshae isles map, mash then together, put there all the NPC´s that you think have interesting quest hooks, you can cherry pick from all 3 locations. They will be able to know the place and you as the DM should really look into it, as it willl greatly enrich the experience, but you can keep with the story.
Last but not least to take then out of there you can run The Kraken gamble, it will build up a lot of stuff to latter use, they can hop into the Cassino ship, back to Yartar and then do any quest hook they desire until meet with Harshnag.
For the attack in the Islands use Countess Sansuri minions as she is the only Giant Lord who can threat the Islands, as they are too far and out of theme for the other giant lords,except the frost giants,as they have ships and can raid the location. You can end with Sansuri herself battling Zephiro in a very climatic way.
I am running SKT myself and after 2,5 years we are going to the Maelstrom. So good luck on your journey

Thanks so much for the tips! I think What you suggested is exactly what I am going to do. Maybe I'll even have Sansuri kill Zephyros, that way the PCs have a cause to hate one of the evil giant lords. (Evil DM laughter)

[Zhorn]

If the adventure path suggests it, that sounds like poor design to me.
It's more the book uses that as Zephros's exit from the adventure; dropping the players off and leaving for Moonshae alone to peacefully do his own thing.
The players are supposed to have their own matter to attend to (Bryn Shander, Golden Fields or Triboar) and this is a "and here is where I leave you" moment as Zephros has been warned against getting too directly involved in the primary adventure of the module. Moonshae isn't a quest location; the book just presents it as the area Zephros researches as his wizard-hobby.

I think this is just a case of details being presented to the party in an order that made Moonshae seem like that was where the adventure was, rather than the inconsequential fluff detail of Zephros's backstory it was meant to be.

I don't blame OP, we've all been there before; trying to send the players to location B, and they instead fixate on location 28z :smallbiggrin:

[Unoriginal]

We just finished the Nightstone section of SKT. Zephyros picked the PCs up and gave a bit of exposition. The thing is, thaht he mentioned going to the Moonshae isles and now my players are dead-set on traveling there with him. The module says that he will make a mistake and take them to the next quest location anyway, but there is now way they don’t notice it if they travel over land for 11 days and not over sea. Also, that method feels somehow like cheating.

What to do now? Any ideas? Should I just move the plot to the Isles? Or do I make a side quest there and then lead them back?

You could have Zephyros recieve a message by an ally telling him he must go to [quest location] ASAP, so he has to change his plans.

[meandean]

Thanks so much for the tips! I think What you suggested is exactly what I am going to do. Maybe I'll even have Sansuri kill Zephyros, that way the PCs have a cause to hate one of the evil giant lords. (Evil DM laughter)Have Sansuri steal the players' pumpkins.

[Sir-Carlos]

Have Sansuri steal the players' pumpkins.

I guess I deserved that, xD. That was the cringiest post I ever made. I have still no clue how it blew up so much.

[Rafaelfras]

thanks so much for the tips! I think what you suggested is exactly what i am going to do. Maybe i'll even have sansuri kill zephyros, that way the pcs have a cause to hate one of the evil giant lords. (evil dm laughter)

do it !!!!!!!!

[meandean]

I guess I deserved that, xD. That was the cringiest post I ever made. I have still no clue how it blew up so much.Honestly, it was interesting and I want to know what happened!

[PattThe]

Yo- the Kraken Society DOMINATES the waters off the Sword Coast. If your party wants to head west by sea, make it DIFFICULT! Also the inhabitants of the Moonshae might not even want any human visitors and could cast storms at your ship..

When should sailing and flying far in the wilderness where literal 'here be dragons' sea serpents are drawn on the oldest maps? NEVER! There's always crazy **** in the realms!

[Sir-Carlos]

Honestly, it was interesting and I want to know what happened!

it was very boring in the end, xD. At the beginning of the next session, the DM basically said "Guys, I think it didn't make sense that everything, including your tents, teleported but not the cart. So here is the cart back." Yay :D

Everything else is progressing normally. We had a TPK in the first dungeon, but since then, all went smooth. (the cart is gone though.) :-(

[meandean]

Ah, well. Thanks for resolving the story. Hopefully the original party can enjoy their pumpkins in heaven.