shortening red hand of doom

[hawkboy772042]

Hello,

I am currently running the Red Hand of Doom module for a group of level 7-8 characters and I am probably going to have to shorten the adventure since we are all in college and the semester is going to end in a month and a half. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[Iku Rex]

The lich, the razorfiend hatchery and the final battle can all be dropped. Get rid of the already optional encounters as well and the campaign will be a lot shorter. If you're really in a hurry you could start the adventure as the advance forces from the horde reaches Drelin's Ferry.

[MeklorIlavator]

Just be careful about dropping stuff, as this means less Xp(and they'll need it for the final fights), less loot(see previous), and less Victory Points. If you do drop the optional things, then you should find a away to give them a boos for the final battle+ lessen the victory points needed.

[RTGoodman]

Where have you gotten to so far?

If you're still near the beginning, maybe finish out through the end of Chapter 1 (so they defeat the forces at Skull Gorge Bridge and get a look at the army at Cinder Hill), and then just tell them about the army rampaging across the countryside. Maybe do a couple of other "random encounters" with Red Hand agents, and then just do the Battle of Brindol. After the battle, Wyrmlord Kharn (or whoever you put in charge) dies, but not before telling about a ritual taking place in the Fane of Tiamat.

Once they get to the Fane, have them fight the Blue Dragon outside, get inside easily, and then just fight a few Blackspawns and maybe the Bone Devil, and then just go right in to the fight with High Wyrmlord Kul and eventually the Aspect of Tiamat. (Some stuff spoilered just in case.)

All together, that might take you about 6-8 sessions max, which you should be able to do by the end of the semester.

Oh, and I'd consider giving out experience just whenever they need to level up. It'd be pretty hard to take out the Fane at levels 8-9, so maybe give them two levels before the Battle of Brindol and one or two more after the battle.

[Crowheart]

A pity you have to shorten Red hand of Doom as it is a nicely written module, but such are the vagaries of fate.

If you have to cut things from the module I have a few suggestions/ideas if you care:

1) Cut out the Ruins of Rhest and the Ghostlord. There's a sidebar referring to the characters that choose to harry the approaching army rather than seek out the other dragons and you should play on this. You might want to even cut out the fact that the black dragon and the behir are even there at all. Just run the first chapter, then run the harrying part until they get to Brindol and proceed with the war council and siege. Thats a month or two of sessions cut out right there (depending on your play speed).

2) Cut out the Fane of Tiamat and end the campaign at Brindol. With a little work, you can take some of the memorable encounters at the Fane and bring them to Brindol with everything else. Specifically Azaar Kul and the Blue Dragon. Depending on how much time you have left, stretch out the siege with more battles using some of the encounters at the Fane. Don't end the siege with the death of the General (was Kharn his name? I forget). Instead use it as a prelude to the final encounters with the Blue Dragon and Azaar Kul (perhaps with his retinue of Erinyes concubines?). If your players are really laying the smack down you could even combine the two for a epic-feeling all-or-nothing battle in the city square with Azaar Kul and his minions and his Blue Dragon father circling overhead.

Things to remember if you plan on doing these changes: Ignore the Victory Points and end the campaign at Brindol, for good or ill. Also be a good idea to not include the other enemy lieutenants from the skipped parts into the battles unless you wanna run them as your own separate encounters (i.e. don't shove 'em all into the battle with the General as prescribed).

You can use one, or both (or neither!) of the above suggestions depending on how much time and how fast you and your group can push through the module. It took me about 12 sessions (three months) to finish Red Hand of Doom. It sounds like your only going to get 5-6 sessions in (again, depending on your gaming speed) so hopefully the above ideas will help in that regard.

I hope you found at least some of this useful. Feel free to ignore it all and enjoy the game in your own way. Have fun! Red Hand of Doom is worth the attention. :)

Edit: Wow. Ninja'd like a mad man.