Tomb of Annihilation: Episode 0
After completing a full campaign of Storm King’s Thunder, I was itching to step back into the Forgotten Realms for another epic adventure. Tomb of Annihilation seemed like the perfect antidote for this, so I purchased a copy (in hardcover and on Roll20) and got started.
I would be playing with almost the same group from Storm King’s Thunder, with one new player being swapped in. But the group had such a good rapport that I knew our dynamic would be just fine. As Matt Coville has said, the best Dungeons & Dragons groups are groups of friends who could hang out and do any number of things, they just happen to play D&D together — if the only thing they do together is play D&D, then you might have some problems.
We met up and I went through what this adventure entailed from what I’d read up to that point. I showed them the player’s version of the map of Chult, a mysterious jungle peninsula where dinosaurs roam. A big part of the adventure would be exploring the land and searching for “something.” Travel would be a major component, and it would include a little resource management, like tracking food and water. And then I told them that the adventure was notoriously deadly, so they shouldn’t get too attached to their characters.
I had read in discussion about Tomb of Annihilation that the adventure hook it used was a little weak — a retired Harper in Baldur’s Gate named Syndra Silvane essentially just asks the party to go on this quest, or she’ll die soon. I asked the players to each create a reason in their history for why Syndra Silvane would be important to them, and why they would want to keep her alive. If I’d done more research, I would have just used Cellar of Death as my introduction, as the feedback for it as an intro to this campaign is stellar.
Regardless, my players came back with some fun and interesting characters.
Terry would play as Harden Arnskull, a dwarven barbarian. While hunting trolls outside the Snakewood as a member of the Arnskull Axe Grinders, his team was wiped out by a shadowy figure who commanded an army of dinosaurs. Harden saw one brother-at-arms, Sturm, get dragged off, but otherwise everyone else was killed. Harden swore revenge. The Axe Grinders were a notable enough company to earn the recognition of Syndra Silvane.
Matt chose a burgeoning gnome illusionist named Illiyum. This sage had studied magic for some time but never applied it in practical ways or as an adventurer. He glimpsed some powerful and dangerous magic that made him vow to keep a safe distance. As he learned more and more, he came across Syndra, whose catalogue of texts and arcane knowledge proved invaluable.
Stacy went with a young lizardfolk monk named Torven. He lived under the sewers of Baldur’s Gate, and heard stories of how his clan originally came from a far-away land. After hearing these tales and legends, his curiosity was piqued. The lizardfolk also served as an underground source for the Harpers, making them Syndra’s valuable contacts.
Jon was new to D&D and decided on a half-elf bard named Alathar Taleweaver. A travelling troubadour who was searching for purpose, he came across Syndra while performing in Baldur’s Gate. They spoke for some time and he left with the impression that he was destined for more than playing in taverns and inns across The Sword Coast, and intended to see that vision through.
I wanted to do right by the new setting as I’d read some feedback on Chult and understood that it was too much of a mish-mash of African cultures, from a very Euro-centric perspective. POCGamer had an interesting list of things they would have liked to have seen incorporated into the game, like items that make sense to the area (no magic wolf-pet cloaks!), more in-depth political situations (so not all Chultans act as one monolith), and no “lazy Africans” (who need the adventurers to do everything for them). I’d make the effort to not stereotype the region in my game while still providing a fun, meaningful adventure.
I approach DMing my D&D games by thinking of myself as the “showrunner” of a miniseries. I’ve purchased the script, I’ve hired my lead actors, but to set the scene so everyone’s on the same page for the adventure, I love to make video “cutscenes.” They give an idea on the background of the story, provide a tone for the campaign we are embarking on, and hint a little at what is to come. They always get a bit self-indulgent, but they’re just too fun to make so it’s a flaw I’m willing to accept. I made one to introduce all the characters and the setting, and then lead them to Syndra Silvane.
With that, the characters got to meet each other and begin their adventure for the Tomb of Annihilation.
