A very flavorful CCC module, which (sadly) is gutted by the transition to Season 8 AL rules due to the loss of mundane treasure rewards. Run as-is, the players would have little incentive to explore the Duindelve complex (especially if there is time pressure), since most hints point towards the mines and mundane loot is no longer a thing.
My takeaways, and suggestions for DMs who wish to run this module [SPOILERS AHEAD]:
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Don't be afraid to alter the map of the complex, especially if you have to stick to a 2 hour time limit in your FLGS and need to simplify things. Moving the mine entrance to "behind" the complex could be a quick (if lazy) way of getting the players to poke around a bit.
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One possibility would be to have Ani Kuleimatt follow the party in search of her brother (and to act as Ms. Exposition). This could work for smaller groups or for parties where no one has any means of speaking or reading Dwarvish.
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My players honestly thought there was some evil drow bard lurking around when I described the spidery "harp" music within the mines. An actual drow hunting party wising to (re-)claim the tame spiders for themselves is one way to spice things up...especially if they run afoul of the Duindelve's defenses.
- Try to make the various "treasure" around the Duindelve useful in the context of the module. The gems in the dorm could be required for repairing the looms or (if you're going with the hunting party idea above) for potential bribes. And the stone tablet could hint at how to retrieve the Traveler's Heart safely (or perhaps the lantern could be used for that purpose...?).
A fun module, but it could do with a fair bit of prep work and tweaking beforehand (especially for AL tables).
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