Before the adventure, part 1: Leosin and Nesim, making them mean something

Tyranny of Dragons is an adventure module for Dungeons and Dragons 5. Edition and it was the first module that was written for it. It features an amazing enemy - Tiamat, the evil, five-headed Dragon God and her followers, a reformed cult that used to try and create undead dragons but now has decided to summon her from her banishment in the Nine Hells. It features great locations, interesting material and some very memorable moments. 
It is also one of the most critiqued campaigns when it comes to railroading, blandness and missing information. Many NPC's are left without a name and face or just introduced as waypoints that give out a bit of cash and then direct the characters to the next bland quest. Especially the first half of the campaign is one long railroad for location to location with very little room for player autonomy. 

In this blog I will write about my attempts to make the module more fun for both players and the DM and features options to use alongside the campaign as well as random tables, more interesting options for NPC's and locations and a ton of stuff that you can take your pick from. 

We will start with one of the first mayor problems of the game: The missing introduction. 

So in Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the first book of ToD you get a table of 10 possible plot hooks for you player characters and then an active participation in a cult raid is foisted on the group of level one characters. They are supposed to charge into a town that is being attacked by an ADULT BLUE DRAGON (a creature that poses a deadly encounter to a 4 - character party under level 12) to rescue a bunch of NPC's that they have little reason to care for. After that they have a monk to save that they do not know. The only motivation for the characters - leaving the few plot hooks that force you to care for family or friends living at the town of Greenest - is that the party are Lawful Good hero wannabe's with a deathwish or impressive amounts of megalomania. 

So, I'm not going to start there. We're going to start along the Uldoon Trail. Here we meet Leosin Erlanthar and his apprentice Nesim Waladra, whom I made a female acolyte of Deneir (the NPC's in the first chapters are almost all male...why?). 

In addition to the possible plot hooks here are a few ideas that might also motivate characters to go to Greenest: 

• - Greenest is a small but quickly growing trading Hub, since the local government has been taken over by two new rulers. (more on making those two interesting in the next blog). Having invested into some trading goods you hope to make a profit there.
  See page 157 of the Players Handbook for suggestions for Trade Goods. Even with the meager few gold from a characters background you could by some raw copper, cotton cloth, spices or even a few livestock-animals.
• - Greenest features a small temple dedicated to your god (other Gods representing the domains of Nature, Life or Water are easily placed in the temple next to or instead of Chauntea). You are on a pilgrimage there or have been sent by a higher ranking member of your faith to deliver a package of vestments and holy symbols there and to help out the single priestess. (Yes, I genderbent Eadyan as well). 
• - You have family in Greenest that you are visiting. This might be, for example:
  
• an estranged aunt of yours that has written to you to visit her for years but now has threatened to strike you from her will. She lives as a herbalist in Greenest, but is said to have stashed away a lot of coin her husband had made as an alchemist.
• a brother or sister that has been working as a guard for the local rulers who has written to you to tell you there are positions open for someone with your talent and that governor Nighthill pays very well. 
• (for dwarfs) An estranged clan member lives in Greenest. Many years ago he left the clan to go adventuring, now you have heard that he apparently runs an Inn in Greenest. You have been asked by his family to inquire about his well-being and request his return to the clan. His name is Escobert Copperbeard, fondly called "The Red". 
• Your younger brother has visited Greenest on a journey lately and has fallen madly in love with the local miller's daughter. Her father did not allow him to court her since he did not appear to have any money at all and looked ragged after a long journey. One of you always needs to stay at home with your parents to help with the family business and he is cured of his lust for adventures. But he has asked you to bring a letter to her and speak on his behalf to her father.

Traveling alone through the Greenfields is dangerous. Bandits, Goblin, the wildlife and even occasional bands of marauding centaurs might ambush you. But, near the Southern Exit of Beregost you have been approached by a half-elf traveler who has introduced himself as Leosin Erlanthar. He is a scholar who has visited the nearby library of Candlekeep and now wishes to return to Berdusk where his cloister is. He is accompanied by a young acolyte of Deneir called Nesim Waladra. They are looking for traveling companions towards Berdusk. If safety in numbers is not enough they will offer 10 gold per character as a mercenary's fee to accompany them to Greenest where they will reevaluate your services. 

Whether as travel companions or hired mercenaries the group leaves Beregost in a Southern Direction. Allow last minute shopping at the It's about 12 days of travel along the Uldoon Trail, walking at a brisk pace of about 25-30 miles a day. Leosin does seem bothered a lot less than most of the group (having a much higher speed) but the travel is easy and not bad surprises have come your way so far. You have stopped at tiny settlements along the trail to stock up on provisions and now are only two days from Greenest. 

You can start with summarizing this trail or - if you want a bit more roleplay to start out - give your players a chance to interact with the two monks when making camp during the trip. 

Leosin is not extremely talkative and Nesim is a bit shy, but long journeys together would have given the characters plenty of opportunity to learn a few things about both of them: 

• 

  Leosin's Stats, for your consideration

  Leosin and Nesim both are followers of Deneir, working in the Twilight Hall in Berdusk. Deneir is a lesser god of knowledge. Nesim wears a holy symbol around her neck, a silver pendant in the shape of an eye with a burning candle above it. She prays in the morning and evening, quietly and by herself. Leosin does not seem to be deeply religious. 
  Read up about Deneir here, if you want
• The two have spent some time in Candlekeep, an enormous library west of Beregost, where they have done research. They do not want to tell about the subject of their research, but if a player tries to inquire about it while being alone with Nesim, let them make a DC 15 Persuasion check. She will then let loose that it is important research that she can not talk about, not if the wrong person hearing about it might mean certain death for...many people. She stops there, realizing that she has already said to much and will not speak more of it. If Leosin finds out he berates both her and the players mildly and request respect for the need to secrecy. 
• When camping Leosin and Nesim pitch in with building the camp and getting the fire going. Nesim then prays and chats with the characters. She is young, only 17 years old and when her father, a cartographer died and left all his maps and tools to the temple she decided to become an acolyte there to learn the craft as well. She is working of a map of the Uldoon Trail and the landscapes around it when she gets the chance. She does not yet know what to do with her live, but she enjoys her time with the temple and with Leosin, doing research.  
• Leosin spends the time at camp with reading and studying. He is alert on anyone trying to peek at his books and notes though. A character attempting to discern what he is reading can try to sneak up on him (DC 12) or look through his things when Leosin is relieving himself or asleep. 
  Leosin carries four volumes of writing with him:
  
• A very disheveled chapbook from the Baldur's Bash, a tabloid with an article about a paladin called Ontharr Frume who has apparently made a fool of himself when flying into a rage after few drinks too many and a few insults from a bard. Ontharr is a friend of Leosins and he bought the chapbook a long time ago, waiting for a chance to use it to annoy Frume with it
• The book "Dragoncults of the North", a new looking book (copied for Leosin at Candlekeep) with information about many different local cults worshiping specific dragons or dragons in general. The Hoardkeepers are named, but only as a cult trying to raise undead dragons. But there is a side note that recent reports tell of discord among the cults leaders, something that needs to be kept an eye on. 
• A thick, also new looking book called "Archetymbal". This is a famous novel by the poet Kastor, telling the tale of a traveling bard called 'The Cricked', his life, songs and the many times he fell in love without ever having the courage to confess it only to find true love and loose it again in his later years. Leosin bought this for himself, he identifies with the main character. 
• A collection of parchments with notes on dates and locations of reported bandit raids on villages and caravans along the swordcoast in the last few years. Leosin made a lot of notes about the size, organization and result of the raids. These notes are made in draconic and Leosin is trying to find a pattern. He is starting to realize that the targets are getting progressively bigger over time. He has noted a few other possible locations for other attacks as well, among them (marked as 'probable') the town of Greenest. 
• Leosin values the wit and stealth of anyone finding out any of this information, but he will not tell more. If intimidated, he becomes taciturn, solemn and resentful and keeps his books in his bag from then on, using them as a pillow at night. 

Both Leosin and Nesim are members of the Harpers, but they will not reveal this information yet, insisting on the story that they are temple-monks. 

Pick from this information what you want to flavor the beginning of your campaign. If you want to get to the meat quickly, stay tuned. Next time I will write about the character encountering an already raided village two days west of Greenest and a beginners quest that will get them to level 2 by the time they arrive at Greenest.