D&D Story: An Abserd-ly Difficult Mission

we had an idea in our adventures lead group to run the players through a pretty gnarly adventure I called it the tenacious twisted trials of Terror torture torment and more terror involved players playing for four weeks starting at first level without giving the characters along rest no long rest not through each session but for the four weeks meaning that they wouldn't be able to recover from any of the previous fights that they had for example if you were playing a bard and you went phew and fired your spell I hope you got your worth out of it because you're not getting it back for the next four weeks on top of that it took place during a military occupation with a nearly constant stream of fights breaking out a party of first level adventurers would in total have to contend with an insane number of enemies 40 cobble 20 human koltes 10 soldiers 12 Drake's and a few more I've probably forgotten and two secret encounters one was the group champion and the other was the group muscle the players took orders from the mayor who I couldn't come out with a voice so I just used absurd for some reason I have a great plan we will go up to them we will say hey you are doing the evil aah and they will say ok we stop now hit this great plan but unless it doesn't work out so we might have to figure something else down the missions involve the players running around the town of greenest saving civilians during the time an entire army has moved in as looting the place there was a lot of guerrilla warfare going on with battalions of soldiers passing along the roads to loot and mowed down innocent bystanders and it was the players job to get as many of them out of there as they could my players were handling the encounters pretty well at first until they ran out of magic and health and we're all limping along on one to two hit points and they still had three more sessions to go through the players figured out very early on that they can't keep engaging these mano-a-mano fights all across the city oh my god there's no way we can take all these guys on well yeah we can't take them head-on but what if we were sneaky about it they looted several of the Raiders military guards and we're sneaking around planting traps like making ambushes or locking people in buildings and setting them on fire when hostages were being sent to the Raiders camp they would enter except the caravans pretend they were taking them to the Raiders but instead would get them out of danger since they were dressed up in military garb The Bard loved it because he was like you're telling me I get to use performance in every fight this guy's a traitor forsooth my brother I did not betray you it was a momentary lapse of judgment the heat of battle is upon us let us pursue the enemy with haste why are you talking word fade I don't know what you're talking about is someone talking weird who said anything about anyone talking weird eventually the group ended up drawing the eye of the head of the Raiders who started releasing fake hostages which were koltes dressed up in civilian clothing who would turn on the party and try and take them down the back and forth eventually Rose her ire and pissed her off enough that she was done with all the games sneaking her around the deception the champion Langer OSA challenged one of the players to a fair duel to release some hostages mano-a-mano one-on-one but the Warlock stepped up and accepted the fight the champion was like I am a good sportsman I will let you take the first blow on me she cast a spell which did a little bow damage haha you call that an attack I'll show you how real warriors duel then the champion pulled out her broadsword and I turned over to her stat block which I didn't expect to be that abusively long this this is supposed to be a first level adventure so I rolled her attack on our little warlock oh look at that that's the 19 she got a critical hit on you wait only a fighter can create on 19 does she have player class levels yes six of them so I described as a sword hacks off her head in one blow I commend your bravery little one even if it was not enough to save you after the fighting was over the players managed to flee into the fortress and seal the place op locking the army up behind them they're able to get a moment to catch their breath they're talking amongst themselves like oh thank god it's finally over we're out of spells covered in injuries we can finally rest up and recover and they're congratulating each other that they actually managed to pull it off while they're doing that I'm flipping through the encounter and I'm sweating bullets because I know it's not not by a long shot and what's coming up is an encounter with a Colts muscle that they pull in when the players decide to hole up and to keep so when the players think they're safe and away from the fighting that's when the Raiders send in lineThe on an encounter that I had read ahead of time and had been dreading since we started I described his overhead they hear a loud roar that echoes across the city and all the Raiders in militia look up into the dark sky that is blanketed by a growing storm as a large winged creature passes through the clouds pushing them out of the way and landing in the courtyard he is a fully grown adults blue dragon oh no you go away now we don't want you here your walls mean nothing to me you hit here well for a time and that time is now up since I Lana Thawne have arrived I let the players know okay everyone roll initiative are are you kidding rolling initiative against that thing two of the players are new and the rest are veterans one of ohm's like we can take this thing down right while the others are shaking their heads violently going well they're talking I'm trying to decide which side of the table I like better than the other for the breath weapon the other new player goes we get y'all munch door I'm gonna be checking just didn't go oh you fool he starts wailing on it with those weapons going like ding-ding-ding-ding-ding off of it while the players fires an arrow at it which goes as it sinks into his flesh the dragon goes down the guy was that was that arrow did you just shoot me with an arrow ow oh who does that I didn't fly all the way out here just to get shot with we're gonna narrow this I got some rules or something how at me a dragon a freaking dragon who shoots an arrow at a dragon the disrespect why do I have to take that you know what you know I don't have to take that I guess I guess I'll just be leaving now good luck season your own castle without my help and the dragon flies away yay we won they go talk to the mayor oh yes payment money you're getting the big reward yes for this like whoa my god you guys will look at and be like wow that's just it's really really big and I'll say yes I told you that's what I said earlier this really big and that's what you don't know saying and your reward is going to be the taste of victory and golds in your hearts and me being like really appreciating of the work and you're doing you know you're not getting any actual money for this we're not getting paid for this we're not getting paid for this you [Music]

Channel: Puffin Forest

Views: 3,240,114

Keywords: Dungeons and Dragons, RPG, Roleplaying, D&D, DND, D&D Story, Story

Id: rHVO0NxQ5oQ

Length: 8min 7sec (487 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 26 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/JalasKelm]

I ran Greenest as an overnight encounter, during which they couldn't long rest. Or I guess they could have, but at the expense of the town and it's people.

First encounter nearly killed a player, and it wasn't long before I nearly downed the barbarian who was still learning their character mechanics.

I think it's the part of the campaign so far that they remember for being the most difficult, and hated (as characters, hopefully not as players).

I can't imagine dragons that section out for multiple days as described in the video... The exhaustion would surely make it impossible for them to get anything done.

... Though I might run sections of it as one-shots in the future if I need to waste a session or two, a glimpse into a reality where things have already gone wrong, so all these adventures are more like the good/civilised people holding out against an ever increasing darkness in the world. The cults gain more power, and act more openly, the lord's Alliance doesn't exist, the Harper's spread so thin, they can barely get supplies or information to those that need it, the order of the Gauntlet are always recruiting, as their members throw themselves into near suicidal attacks on the enemies of the world...

... Ok, gonna go prep for a one shot instead of the season I should be planning for...

[u/Moon_Jedi]

I have tried twice to run HotDQ and the 1st time was kinda a shit show. My players were def more on the 'we look out for ourselves' troupe and were not super interested in saving a town from a blue dragon / cults. I got them through that by cutting off their exit run and after 3 sessions getting to the camp....but it was painful and these particular players just didn't have fun. So we called it and went on to do witchlight. Much more their speed and everyone is happy (yay).

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But this 2nd time I am running HotDQ ((damn it I want dragons as the DM and I will get them lol)) is going much better. I intro'd them to greenest the day before and had a summer solstices fair going on. This group was invested in the town, this group didn't like it when the dragon/cultists came a callin'. So it was much simpler to get them to engage into the long night that greenest called for. It also helped that I had them win 'health potions' at the fair games instead of GP. It took at 4, 4-5 hour sessions to even get through Greenest and on the road to the camp, but honestly it flowed and they were invested. Which is all I could want as the DM. We are actually playing tonight and they just got Leosin back ((what a fun shit show that was...they completely ignored hints and set fire to the camp...I am still figuring out how to fix that since they have to go back for the hatchery lol)) and are now back to Greenest.

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I personally am trying to get the groups involved a little more before the later chapters. Like learning about the Harpers, Alliance and such earlier so there is that knowledge that the world has fought before and has won...with some sacrifices, but that this is a big lead up that they haven't seen in generations.