Shadow of the Dragon Queen Chapter 6: Metropolis of Misplaced Names
The opening part of this chapter, resulting in the placement that the PCs have been looking for, is one other of these callbacks that jogs my memory a little bit of the unique journey and the Sla-Mori, the hidden path into Pax Tharkas.
There are 4 places on this part, with three meant to be explored. The fourth is subsequent chapter’s drawback, and to dissuade gamers from going there, it’s probably the most closely guarded.
Exploring the Metropolis
Of the opposite three places, in the event that they go to one of many places first, they don’t get something from the opposite two places, and that’s going to be an enormous challenge. The DM is instructed to have patrols present as much as sign to the PCs to not go to the chapter-ending encounter first.
Given the way in which the location is structured, it’s potential to simply say it’s inconceivable to get there with out utilizing extraordinary means like flying spells, so I feel I’d be extra inclined to simply say that the common path isn’t there till later within the exploration.
Iconic Moments
I’m going to level out that any Dragonlance marketing campaign set throughout the Struggle of the Lance is ready on three massive milestones. One is the return of divine magic, the subsequent is the arcane member of the get together taking their take a look at of Excessive Sorcery, and the third is buying the titular weapon.
We lined a type of within the prologue, and the opposite two are dealt with on this part of the journey, however provided that you discover the places in the fitting order. That’s what I imply by it being a bummer should you don’t correctly redirect gamers from reducing straight to the endgame.
The Take a look at
In relation to the Take a look at of Excessive Sorcery, I feel the scene does one factor properly, however continues to be a bit of missing for me. The Take a look at is used as a way of exploring extra of what occurred at this explicit website. It’s a tragedy on an analogous scale to Soth’s betrayal.
However, the precise take a look at and something that is likely to be personalised feels a bit of disconnected from the individual taking the take a look at. It’s primarily taking queues from the earlier “Take a look at of Excessive Sorcery” associated scenes, plus the character’s alignment.
It’s by no means going to be straightforward to create a “generic” Take a look at of Excessive Sorcery with out realizing the PC and including of their explicit struggles and historical past. I want we had a bit of extra about precisely what an excellent Take a look at of Excessive Sorcery ought to appear to be. This one, nevertheless, is doing double obligation, speaking and pushing ahead the plot, in addition to ending the search line of the character that will wish to turn into a member of the Orders.
The Ecology of the Metropolis
Whereas there are dragon military troops, undead, and constructs for the PCs to run into, there are additionally a number of encounters which are with inhabitants that aren’t routinely hostile, and I like that side of this part. Regardless of the similarity to the Sla-Mori above, exploring this part of the journey, particularly in relation to the scene that includes the Dragonlance, this part does quite a bit to echo the exploration of Xak Tsaroth.
This chapter additionally builds to the primary encounter with one of many creatures most carefully related to the titular lance of the setting as properly. We’re shifting into excessive gear. Spoilers: it’s a D-R-A-G-O-N. An actual one, too, not only a smaller relative.
The PCs must make a fairly dramatic escape from a degraded location and meet up with the troops for whom they have been scouting within the earlier chapter.
Wrapping Up
The board recreation tie on this chapter doesn’t provide you with a “do that state of affairs or play out this skirmish” selection, it’s simply an additional state of affairs you may play, that provides you extra particulars in your withdrawal from the area, and if you’re profitable, you get some prizes.
I like that this journey continues to play related notes to the unique adventures, however these notes are remixed into totally different tiers of play.
I’m a bit of unhappy on the lack of a skirmish for the withdrawal, and with the dearth of personalization of the Take a look at of Excessive Sorcery, however in any other case, this comes collectively as a fairly epic chapter of the adventures, as numerous key Dragonlance story beats begin to come collectively.
