1. Hex Crawl Steps
This Article has 5 Sections
MICAH'S PRONUNCIATIONS (not definitive) Ataaz Muhahah - ah-TAH-ahz moo-HA-HA Azaka Stormfang - ah-ZAH-kah Bwayes O'tamu - BWAYZ oh-TAH-moo Dungrunglung - DUN-grung-lung (but I always says DUN-grug-lug) Eblis - eh-BLEE Eku - EE-koo Faroul - fah-ROOL Gondolo - GON-doh-loh King Groak - (frog sound) GROKE Kir Sabal - KEER suh-BALL Krr'ook - (frog sound) grr-OOK Mezro - MEZZ-ro Mwaxanare - MWAWKS-uh-NAH-ray Na - NAH Nangalore - NANN-galore Nephyr - NEFF-ear River Olung - OH-lung River Tiryki - tear-YEE-key (alt: "teriyaki") Omu - OH-moo Port Castigliar - kah-STEE-lee-ar Roark - (frog sound) RORK Thiru-taya - THEER-oo-TIE-ah Ubtao - ub-TAY-oh (have also heard UB-tao) Zalkoré - zahl-CORE-ay 2. Eastern Chult - Overview & ThemesThe River Tiryki and River Olung - High on Heights Firefinger > Ataaz Muhahah > Wreck of the Narwhal > Needle's Bones > Kir Sabal > Nangalore > Omu The eastern path(s) to Omu have so much content, it's likely your players will be fully leveled and ready for Chapter 3 by the end of this single trek. Of course, if you are using milestones for leveling, this is easy enough to cheat if you want to treat this as one of two legs in, as mentioned in the Jungle Basics (2 levels per leg if they start in at 2nd level). The themes of this region are heights and highs...and lost (weretiger) love:
Between the mysticism of Kir Sabal and Mezro; the psychedelic experiences that can be had in Nangalore, Ataaz Muhahah, and Drungrunglug (and areas of Mezro, if you choose to use Lost City of Mezro); and all the falling damage that comes from some of these locations, there is plenty of material for exploring the themes of highs and heights. I'll provide some extras as well. When prepping in this region, keep Alice in Wonderland in mind. This region is similarly strange, bizarre, and alien. It's dark and forbidding and labyrinthine. And it's a land of contrasts: the tiny against the towering, the muddy against the mystical. Also, keep the notion of lost love in mind and employ it whenever you can. Bwayes|Scarecrow lost the love of Azaka Stormfang|Okoyeh, Zalkoré|Ophelia lost the love of Thiru-taya, the Tabaxi lost the love of their god Ubtao, and then there's Princess Mwaxanare|Veruca Salt and Na|Russell who lost the love of their parents through tragedy. LORE NOTES Before moving on, check the lore notes page to make sure you're dumping the right lore at the best times. 3. Adventure HooksThere are 6 actual adventure hooks into the eastern jungles of Chult. They point to Firefinger, Kir Sabal, Needle's Bones, Dungrunglung, and Mezro in various ways. The other 4 provided by the book would need to be massaged to get them there (marked with an asterisk). SIDE QUEST HOOKS 1. "Help the Lord's Alliance" p.17* Lerek Dashlynd|Thor wants a map that shows the accurate locations of Nangalore and Orolunga. Maybe Lerek knows the general region they can be found in, which would get them started on into the jungle. GUIDE HOOKS 1. Azaka Stormfang p.33 Azaka is willing to work as a guide for free if they will retrieve the Mask of the Beast from the Firefinger [4230] first. 2. Eku p.34 Eku is on good terms with the Aarakocra at Kir Sabal and can suggest going there to consult them. She knows the way to Omu, though not necessarily that it is the destination they seek. 3. Faroul & Gondolo p.34 Faroul & Gondolo have a map to Needle's Bones and want to get the dragon's hoard there. 4. River & Flask p.35 River & Flask know the way to Firefinger and Dungrunglung. They have no particular goals there, but these are destinations into this region. RUMOR HOOKS Rumor 01-05 p.36 Points the players directly toward Kir Sabal and suggests the route down the Olung River. The hook of the last royal heir of Chult is a pretty compelling one—especially if this person might know things that denizens of Port Nyanzaru wouldn't. Rumor 13-17 p.36 Describes how to get to Firefinger and that it is tall—which may offer a high vantage from which to survey the jungle. Rumor 22-28 p.36* While buying a charter of exploration, Liara Portyr can mention that the Flaming Fist are searching the ruins of Mezro, the original capital of the region. Rumor 29-33 p.36* Gives instructions for how to find Needle's Bones by way of Mezro, Ataaz Muhahah, and Kir Sabal. Why does this hook relate to the Death Curse? Unclear, but maybe there's a super-useful treasure to be had there? Maybe Needle was a famous map or lore collector? Rumor 34-40 p.36* Points to the mystery of Mezro. Also: Artus Cimber's subplot is in this, if you like. 4. River Tiryki OverviewPort Nyanzaru [4120] to Firefinger [4230] = 11 hexes/130 miles Firefinger [4230] to Dungrunglung [4034] = 5 hexes/50 miles It's probable that your players will take this route by canoe. This means they are traveling:
River Mouth [4222]: I recommend opening the river with a scene that emphasizes the jungle's dark strangeness. I would begin any first river launch similarly: Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. …can become… Going down River Tiryki is like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of Toril, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air is warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There is no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. Once they're in, shift the tone to the jungle's weird darkness, isolation. They can hear the Batiri watching them from beyond the emerald fronds, little eyes in the darkness and that chit-chit-chitting they do to scare interlopers. Flavor your random encounters this way too. Waterfall [4229] [NOTE: it was brought to my attention that you don't go over waterfalls when traveling UP-river—which, of COURSE is true. None of my players caught on to something so silly as "facts" before, so no one batted an eye. IF, however, geological basics matter to you, then you might want to skip this particular absurdity. OR, hand-wave it as an effect of the Second Sundering or something! Anyway, thank you, /u/erschraeggit for pointing this out so I don't look so dumb!] I included a waterfall scene to preface the Firefinger and its heights. Run this like every waterfall gag you've seen in a movie:
Firefinger [4230] (p.52) NOTE: I will be providing detailed guides for locations later. I'll link them here when I do. Firefinger is one of many signal towers in the jungle that was used to communicate between the Tabaxi, Eshowe, and Thinguth going back some 4300 years ago back when they were unified. Legendarily, it was built by Ubtao himself. This one is 300 feet tall, though, some are said to have been 3x that height. These are similar to the beacon systems used in Agamemnon and The Lord of the Rings. It is apparently the only one left intact (though, a creative DM may want to put in others if it serves their story). At 300 feet, the furthest another beacon could be seen would be about 40 miles. That puts the likely remains of the nearest ones at [3731] and [3233] (the two leading to Mbala) and [4126] (the one leading to Port Nyanzaru). This location has 3 acts:
Recommendation & Changes:
Dungrunglung [4034] (p.49) There are two main ways that your players would end up in Dungrunglung:
It's not an obvious goal for the party in itself, though it fits with the regional theme of psychedelics. It has some real "King Lear set in Munchkinland" vibes. At Dungrunglung, the players can learn some lore about the Trickster Gods (p.92), and if you're ready to move them on to Act III, you can have Krr'ook|Ivanka tell them to go to Omu (say this tribe of grungs were expatriates of Omu, led by their insane king who is maybe the estranged brother or cousin of the OTHER insane grung king, Yorb). The shrine is protected by a magical thorn maze and houses a giant mud statue in the middle of nowhere. Weird. If the party stumbles upon it randomly, table-talk a bit and let the team know they are outnumbered when the time comes so they realize they need to surrender. If River & Flask lead them there, they know the password ("Roook, roook, erp!"—an amusing burp joke) into the grung village. This is a palace intrigue scenario that employs a fun skill challenge in which the party is going to dupe the insane grung, King Groak|Trump, into believing he has successfully summoned the Trickster Goddess, Nangnang (she's dead—her spirit is in a petrified grung egg in Omu). This ruse will involve the use of the wildling Krr'ook's|Ivanka Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments—a super-fun item for players to have. King Groak wants to mate with the (deceased) goddess, Nangnang, so this ties into our lost love theme nicely. This scenario could turn X-rated at some tables, so be prepared for that (remember your safety tools). Either the ruse ends with success and a helpful King Groak or it fails—and the team must flee or something. 5. River Olung OverviewPort Castigliar [4927] to Mezro [4230] = 3 hexes/30 miles Mezro [4230] to Ataaz Muhahah [4632] = 3 hexes/30 miles Ataaz Muhahah [4632] to Kir Sabal [4638] = 11 hexes/110 miles (20 of which on foot) If you want to hurry your players through "Chapter 2: The Land of Chult" quickly, you can fast-track them through all the key lore right down this little river. In Ring of Winter, it's where Artus Cimber arrived to the peninsula. It's probable that your players will take this route by canoe after sailing there on the Brazen Pegasus (450 miles from Port Nyanzaru; 390 from Fort Beluarian — upwards of 5 days to get there). The journey down the Olung River will be:
Kitcher's Inlet & Port Castigliar [4927] (p.82) Port Castigliar was a sorry excuse for an outpost. It consisted of seven tin huts, two small plots of vegetables, a large but ramshackle supply depot, and a graveyard. The latter was more densely populated than the land for five miles in any direction. Canonically considered part of Refuge Bay (p.82), Port Castigliar is where Artus Cimber|Indiana Jones first arrives at Chult in The Ring of Winter novel. Not much to see here except its ruins. The book takes place over a hundred years ago, before Ras Nsi lost control of his undead. They have since run everyone out and all that's left are a couple hundred defiled Sword Coast graves as well as the remains of the supply depot and tin huts. It is here that the adventurers will launch their canoes after arriving by ship. River Mouth - Reprise [4928]: I recommend opening the river with a scene that emphasizes the jungle's dark strangeness. Going down River Tiryki is like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of Toril, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air is warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There is no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. Mezro [4729] (p.74) Mezro is given short-shrift in this adventure. Mezro was THE capitol of the landmass for thousands of years! (-2637 DR to 1385 DR) It's one of the few locations that's been marked on this map since FIRST EDITION. But now…? They tell us it's a ruin, that Artus Cimber has a lost love he wants to recover to restore it, and that the Flaming Fist do some training there (but have cleared it out)—but that's it. The treatment of Mezro in the campaign guide can be summed up with the last line of the description: Neither treasure nor clues remain for the player characters to find here. Lame. This location can certainly be handled this way—as a destitute hole in the ground. OR you can use it as the lore-hub it lends itself to be. Recommendations & Changes: Supplements like Adventurer's League's Lost City of Mezro have a lot of great additional content to employ, especially the stuff in "Chapter 4: Ruins of Mezro." It's only 15 bucks for the pdf. Ataaz Muhahah [4632] (p41) The Laughing Bridge! (Muhahah. Get it? Laughing? "Mwa-ha-ha?") This location really only works for the characters traveling on foot (perhaps from Mezro or Firefinger), not those canoeing down the River Olung—though, really greedy ones might climb up if you tell them they see the sparkle of emerald light from a statue atop the bridge!) Ataaz means "gorge" in Tabaxi. There are two other Ataazes on the peninsula, neither of which have bridges on them (though, maybe they should?) This one is a 100-foot drop (10d6 falling damage) and is a perfect D&D encounter. I love it because it confronts player foolishness with deadliness. The bridge challenge has two parts:
If the players ignore the giant emeralds in the Shrine's eyes, passing this bridge is a cake-walk. Even 1st level characters will be able to safely get to the other side. I have never seen a group of players who could resist stealing the gems from a statue though. Don't forget to tear up those character sheets! Bonus points for laughing a "mwa-ha-ha!" while you do it. Meanwhile, to the east...These two locations, The Wreck of the Narwhal and Needle's Bones, aren't directly on the course of the River Olung, but they are in the region and—if your players are coming by way of River Tiryki—the logical next points of interest for an over-land trek to Kir Sabal. So I will include them, inserted, here. Wreck of Narwhal [5134] (p.84) I don't know. But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they? The Narwhal is the galleon that Artus Cimber arrived on back in 1362 DR (he has a Ring of Winter, which makes him immortal). Since then, the Spellplague happened (the global upheaval that marks the line between D&D 3.5 and 4.0) and apparently tossed the wreckage deep into the jungle, some 80 miles south of where it had been last seen in text (this doesn't really make sense, but it's fan-service, so roll with it). Why would your players happen upon it? They probably wouldn't, unless they are lost in the hex-crawl. Or, you can just hand-wave the location and drop it in their way (that's what I did). "Wreck of the Narwhal" has two main components:
The vegepygmies are the crows to Bwayes' Scarecrow when Dorothy meets him: Boo! You see, I can't even scare a crow! They come from miles around just to eat in my field and laugh in my face! Oh, I'm a failure, because I haven't got a brain. The irony, of course, is that Scarecrow is the smart one all along. Likewise, Bwayes blames himself as a fool for his tragedy, but he lacks acumen only compared to his cousin. The book (as usual) handles language barriers in a tricky way. Don't make Bwayes a grunting mute for too long. Have him return to conversational Common quickly. Visit the introductory scene in Wizard of OZ for inspiration on how to run him. Recommendation & Changes:
Here's what I think: The Tragedy of Bwayes O'Tamu Bwayes and Wakanga O'Tamu were best friends with Azaka Stormfang as children: inseparable scamps, trouble-makers-in-arms. Both boys loved the girl, but as they grew to maturity, it was inevitable that she would come to love Bwayes, the fellow jungle guide, instead of Wakanga, the academic. Recognizing their love, Wakanga acquiesced. But he would no longer speak to Bwayes, his youth made him resentful. In a jungle attack, Bwayes was infected with lycanthropy. By the end of the next moon, he realized what he had become: a weretiger. He had massacred a household. He hid. Desperate, Bwayes came to Wakanga for help and the scholar agreed, setting aside his jealousy. In weeks he discovered an artifact that prevents lycanthropic transformation: The Mask of the Beast. He mortgaged his assets and bought it for his cousin. Bwayes joined Azaka under cover of darkness. He confessed that terrible things had happened and that he must now always wear a mask, but he could not bring himself to confess the full truth to her. They lay together under the full moon, and after he fell asleep, she found she could not resist seeing her lover's face. Azaka Stormfang removed the sleeping Bwayes' mask and was attacked in the full moon light by her transformed lover. When Bwayes came out of the stupor, he found her torn body on the grasses beneath him. He fled believing he'd murdered his true love. Azaka the weretiger woke to pterafolk scavenging their campsite. She scared them off, but they got the mask. In the intervening years, she has learned the nature of the mask and how to retrieve it. Meanwhile, Bwayes has been missing.
Needle's Bones [4837] (p.80) Needle's Bones is a fun puzzle location. Play it as-written. I found that using a terrain and props approach to the scenario helped with the puzzle-solving (though, not sure the water and soy-sauce pond made much difference). Ormalagos ("Needle") is included here as fan-service for those who read the Forgotten Realms novel, The Rage. Kir Sabal [4638] (p.68) Kir Sabal is a diplomatic rest-over, Tomb of Annihilation's analog to the Emerald City. The monastery is set high on the side of a plateau, 500 feet up (50d6 falling damage). Though the aarakocra run this monastery as their own, they did not build it. Presumably, Kir Sabal was built by tabaxi (the cat people, not the Chultans) in the time Ubtao ruled the land. They left it abandoned at some time in the past (Kir Sabal has no canon lore that I can find; it was invented for this module) and the aarakocra moved in later. Note: the aarakocra do NOT worship Ubtao or even know of him. They meditate about their own stuff. How to Play Kir Sabal For the most part, treat the setting like a kung fu movie. The characters have arrived at the Shaolin Temple and must prove their eligibility through patience and menial chores. They have to wait outside in the elements for some time (days? weeks?). Then, as they literally work their way to its inner sanctums, they learn truths. Wax on, wax off, etc. Once inside, the place is a lore-dump and a palace intrigue, but a weird (and maybe funny?) one. It's also offers the following adventure hooks:
Weirdness of Kir Sabal Aarakocra only live to be about 30 years old, which means "incredibly old" as Asharra|Mother Teresa is described is a relative term. She's probably no older than 40. This means they must have settled this location from their home, the Plane of Air, maybe 30 years ago. Thus, Teacher Asharra doesn't know much about the Toril other than what she picked up from the books in the shrine. Play up on her false wisdom as a gag. There must also be a portal to the plane of air somewhere nearby, maybe within the shrine. It's somewhere that Mwaxanare|Vespa can reach, because she has been communicating with the Wind Dukes of Aaqa behind Asharra's back to become a warlock. Her pursuit of power here is the engine of the palace intrigue, if you want to explore it. Nangalore [4341] (p.74) Jerry: What is this about? If your players took the eastern course through the jungle, Nangalore is the big boss for this chapter. After navigating a psychedelic hanging garden, they'll face a medusa and will:
A hanging garden is one formed in terraces rising one above another. It does not refer to things hanging down, but to the overhanging terraces upon which trees are growing. The most famous is one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Though the book provides a lovely map of the location, it probably works best in theater of the mind (or maybe a good VTT with Fog of War on). Obfuscation is a major part of this location and having players see what's going on would screw it up. Note the 3D model I made of Nangalore above: massive trees blot out much of the facility and, because of the various levels, visibility is even further limited. The map is also somewhat confusing unless you study it closely. I've provided here a labeled one. Nangalore is strewn with hints about the presence of a medusa. Don't try to hide them from your players; make it obvious. Much of Tomb of Annihilation is about introducing players to weird Gygaxian monsters, but everyone knows about Medusa. Let them have this bit of insight. It's cooler to walk into the situation with mirrors-at-the-ready and feel smart than to stumble in and be blindsided and suddenly dead. Also, be sure it's obvious that the medusa is pining over her lost love. The graffiti around the garden points to this, but make sure it's emphasized so they have a sense of it before they parlay with Zalkore. Nangalore is a psychedelic experience. Be sure to embrace it. The sheltered gardens (5A, 5B, 5C, 5D) expose the characters to a specialty charming poison. Note:
Lore Dump Much of what Zalkore will explain to the players is about the Omuan line, the Yuan-ti invasion of Omu, and the broad history of ancient Chult. Zalkore will recommend that the Death Curse is certainly coming from Omu. The eblis are intelligent and speak common. They know about the events in Omu since her reign. Note that two generations go unnamed in the adventure, Zalkore's daughter and great-granddaughter. Omuan Lineage: Na N'Buso Ch'gakare (First King of Omuan Line - beheaded the king who ruled Omu before him) Zalkore (Medusa, lover of Thiru-taya) Unnamed Daughter (Mrembo) Napaka, the Last Queen of Omu (200 yrs ago) Unnamed Daughter (Aiberu) Razaan & Omek (fled to Kir Sabal with an infant 17 years ago and died in the last 6 years) Mwaxanare & Na ("Na" must mean "Great" or "King") Medusa Attack! The guide indicates that your players can get through their meeting diplomatically—but don't do this. Eventually, Zalkore gets triggered by the players and flips out. Remember to run the eblis effectively. They're not dumb birds; they're intelligent spellcasting stork-men. And don't skip out on the summoning of Thiru-Taya's spirit!
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This Article has 5 Sections
1. Hex Crawl Steps*
2. "Chapter 2: The Land of Chult" OverviewA third of this campaign (HALF of its non-Tomb content) is the jungle hex-crawl by page-count (and much more if you are going by the amount of adventuring the content implies). It's THE major part of the game besides the dungeon itself (the other parts are Port Nyanzaru, Omu, and the Fane of the Night Serpent, if you forgot). I advise buying some Tabs to put in the book at pages 37 & 90 so you can flip to the section easily. This chapter of the game serves two primary purposes in the campaign:
The realities of running the hex-crawl as-written (see above) are tricky. It can be tedious and frustrating for players. It can waste a lot of game time (remember: most gaming groups break up after SIX sessions!). This is not desirable. What to Emphasize The hex-crawl should telegraph three motifs to our players. Not "tedious, wasteful, and frustrating," but:
The game is called Tomb of Annihilation. Its whole reputation is centered on its deadliness (and the deadliness of its predecessor, the Tomb of Horrors). So whenever you are preparing a section of the jungle to describe, remember to emphasize that deadliness when appropriate. This game is also Chris Perkins & Co's attempt to give us a tour through the weirdness of old D&D content—particularly the creatures found in Monster Manual II and the Fiend Folio, but also a bunch of old modules, adventures, and sourcebooks from the olden days (The Jungles of Chult, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, 3rd Ed) as well as the novel Ring of Winter. It's a lot, so dive into it at your own peril. This weirdness/nostalgia is a part of what's going on, though. Chult is ancient. D&D already is rested on the conceit that there are medieval fantasy characters running around on the bones of ancient, forgotten lore. Playing in Chult adds another layer of antiquity to that, being the bones upon which THAT ancient lore was built. Remember to emphasize the primordial in your game. What to Avoid Avoid making your limited time tedious, wasteful , or frustrating. Hex-crawls were a part of D&D in its early days, but fell out of fashion in the late 80s. WotC included it here to show a new generation what the old days were like. When your players enter the jungle, run the hex-crawl exploration as-written (see p.37 or top of every one of my jungle pages). They'll find the randomized adventuring exciting because it's new to them. It may seem chaotically random for a DM, but players love dice-generated content. Roll with it for now. BUT... If the players keep having similar encounters, the game can become dull. Likewise, if they have their survival gear pinned down (water, food, bug repellant, etc), then the relevant checks for them become tedious. Emphasize these only until they are conquered; then hand-wave them away (unless your players are still loving them!). If every game-night is consumed with random encounters with no keyed-location (a geographical point of interest), relevant lore, or clues to the end-goal, everyone starts to feel like they're wasting time. Find ways to point them toward keyed locations. If players cannot figure out where to go, they'll probably get frustrated. Don't be afraid to provide them with clues often. I'll provide suggestions for this throughout the guide. Grinding vs Realization Players are meant to reach about 5th or 6th level by the time they reach Omu. Whether you use an XP system or milestones, it will take a fair amount of adventuring to reach this goal: 6500-14,000 XP (equivalent to killing 280 Batiri goblins or grungs, 140 firenewts or pterafolk, or 2.37 young red dragons PER CHARACTER). This means you cannot have them rush off to Omu as soon as they arrive at Port Nyanzaru. They'll be too squishy when they arrive. Instead, they will need to grind through some parts of the jungle to level up, then learn where they are going when they are ready. I recommend:
3. A N0te on Hex-CrawlingThis module approaches hex-crawling differently than the old days.
This means the hex-crawl is not about exploring Chult, but a game mechanic that derails players from their already-known destinations. Remember: "Mīlle viae dūcunt hominēs per saecula Omu" — a thousand roads lead men forever to Omu. Moreover, the rules for running the hex-crawl in this adventure are not very clearly expressed. The rules for the navigation are in one place (p.37), determining weather another (p.11), water foraging another (p.38), rain catchers another (p.32), and random encounters yet another (p.193). Meanhwhile, rules for Rangers, Outlanders, and exhaustion are in a totally different book (PHB p.91, p.136, & p.291 respectively). Therefore, I highly recommend you use the procedure developed by Technoskald on his website here. He has consolidated and organized all the steps into a single place in a clear way. Consider using Reddit user /u/limithron's Random Encounter Generator. (Don't forget to thank him for making it!). It's a handy tool. AGAIN: if the randomized hex-crawling becomes un-fun and tedious, hand-wave that part of travel away and run the game like typical D&D. It's fine. I promise. 4. 1000 Roads to OmuThere are an infinite number of ways your players can find their way to Omu, but there are really only a handful of likely paths they'll take. We'll look at these left-to-right on our map (west-to-east). 1. The Western March - The Merry Old Land of OZ (link to guide forthcoming) Yellyark > Vorn > Mbala > Orolunga > Omu Adventure Hooks "Help the Lord's Alliance" p.17 "Seek Wisdom at Orolunga" p.17 Azaka Stormfang p.33 Eku p.34 River & Flask p. 35 Rumor 93-96 p.36 Wakanga O'tamu - Wizard's Journal, p.27 The subject of the northwestern jungle is the Wizard of OZ. Emphasize the themes "no place like home" and the value of intelligence, compassion, and bravery. Saja N'baza|OZ can tell them to go to Omu. Yellyark = Munchkinland, Vorn = Tin-Man, Nanny Pu'pu = Wicked Witch, Saja N'baza = Wizard of OZ 2. Sail to the Southwest - Journey of Descent (link to guide forthcoming) Jahaka Anchorage > Wyrmheart Mine > Hrakhamar > Omu Adventure Hooks "Hunt Pirates" p.17 Hew Hackinstone p.34 Musharib p.34 Rumor 41-45 p.36 Rumor 51-55 p.36 Rumor 56-60 p.36 (sort of) The subject of the southwest region of Chult is colonization and theft. The three main examples to emphasize are theft of property (pirates), resources (mines/forges), and people (prisoners/genocide). Tzindelor/Tinder|Tab can tell them to go to Omu. 3. River Shoshenstar - Into the Heart of Darkness...er...Ubtao (link to guide forthcoming) Camp Righteous > Camp Vengeance > Heart of Ubtao > Omu Adventure Hooks "Escort a Priest to Camp Vengeance" p.17 "Explore the Aldani Basin" p.17 Eku p.34 Rumor 61-65 p.36 Rumor 88-92 p.36 Rumor 93-96 p.36 The subject of the trip down River Shoshenstar is Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now! Emphasize the themes of colonialism, imperialism, and racism. Valindra Shadowmantle|Lydia from Beetlejuice can tell them to go to Omu. Fort Beluarian = Central Station/I Field Force Headquarters, Camp Righteous = Russian hut/army outpost, Camp Vengeance = Inner Station/Angkor temple, Niles Breakbone = Kurz 4. River Tiryki and/or River Olung - High on Heights Firefinger > Ataaz Muhahah > Wreck of the Narwhal > Needle's Bones > Kir Sabal > Nangalore > Omu Adventure Hooks "Help the Lord's Alliance" p.17 Azaka Stormfang p.33 Eku p.34 Faroul & Gondolo p.34 River & Flask p.35 Rumor 01-05 p.36 Rumor 13-17 p.36 Rumor 22-28 p.36 Rumor 29-33 p.36 Rumor 34-40 p.36 The subject of the eastern jungles of Chult is heights and highs. Emphasize the themes of falling damage and psychedelic mysticism (and also: weretiger love). Technically, this path is two paths combined, but they are so closely aligned thematically, and overlap so practically, that I'll treat them as one. Separately, they are: Firefinger > Ataaz Muhahah > Needle's Bones > Kir Sabal > Nangalore > Omu (if by land) and Port Castigliar > Ataaz Muhahah > Kir Sabal > Nangalore > Omu (if by sea) Teacher Asharra|Mother Teresa or Zalkore|Ophelia can tell them to go to Omu. 5. Some Other Roads to Omu No matter whether your players take the bait of the hooks above or not, over time they should learn that their destination is Omu. The book says these other characters can point them in the right direction:
5. Handling Random Encounters in the JungleRandom encounter generators like the ones on p.193 are both classic and cool, however, they don't always work thematically with what's going on in your adventure and sometimes it's not clear how to make them cool.
When preparing for your coming session, it's okay to plan a non-random encounter or two if appropriate for your theme. Your players will not mind at all that a pre-planned thing happened when normally there would be a random one. Flavor your random encounters with the day's weather, the regional themes of encounter, and the lore of the adventure. I find it tough to run the random encounters with just the little information in the descriptions. They're only a short paragraph usually. I will provide a linked list of these encounters on the Table of Contents that you can run directly from—including flavor text, stat blocks, and appropriate flavorings to help your game. Until then, remember to emphasize heat and rain and soggy feet and thundering torrents when the weather calls for it. I suggest making the northern half of the peninsula a facsimile of every Vietnam or Amazon rain-forest film you've ever seen—and the southern jungles of the peninsula like Savage Land or Skull Island. I wish there was an easy way to point to how the lore could be organized, but I don't have one. You'll just have to do your best until I can get the other pages up! |
AuthorMicah Faulkner first started playing D&D back in 1985. He took many years off after high school, but came back in 2016 to find everything new and changed. Now he plays with his wife, son, and sisters every couple weeks. Archives
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IN DEVELOPMENT:
The Playa's Handbook (working title) A supplement for your campaigns with mechanics for romance! Fall in love! Get sticky! Stay tuned! |