Chapter 7: Siege of Kalaman
That is the ultimate “journey” chapter of the e-book. This generally is a little complicated, as a result of this isn’t the Siege of Kalaman as described within the Dragonlance Chronicles, however an earlier level within the Struggle of the Lance. “A” Siege. 
What’s Up
Basically, the PCs want to have the ability to infiltrate a location, however whereas they’re ready to have the means to do this, they find yourself encountering varied components of Crimson Dragonarmy forces that have to be repelled. Usually, I like all of those encounters.
It follows that very same format that I’m not a fan of from earlier chapters, the place you could have a listing of encounters, and are instructed to run nevertheless many you need. However I can stay with that, as a result of I just like the encounters.
Up within the Air
There’s one encounter that doesn’t a lot repay in one other plot vital second, a lot because it foreshadows that second. I want there have been a bit little bit of payoff the place “when you assist X right here, you get an extra profit afterward when it exhibits up once more.” Basically, you assist a creature that comes again that will help you later, however one other model of it exhibits up when you didn’t assist this specific creature.
There’s a sure NPC that obtained performed up as an iconic villain that I want had another build-up within the journey, since they solely actually get one scene. If you happen to noticed any of the movies about Crimson Smash, the ace Dragonnel rider of the Crimson Dragonarmy, that’s the one. I want there had both been just a few encounters the place she did a hit-and-run, or at the very least there was a bit little bit of rumor of her constructing as much as this second.
The Fork within the highway
There are two board sport interactions on this chapter, and the primary one is to play via a state of affairs to simulate preventing to get to an space to proceed the PCs mission, versus operating an encounter that permits you to lower to that rendezvous.
If the PCs resolve they don’t wish to take the shortcut, nevertheless, there isn’t a strategy to mannequin that with out taking part in via the state of affairs, and truthfully, from a roleplaying standpoint, I can see characters not being thrilled with the shortcut, from a really Dragonlance standpoint. It has to do with gnomes, is what I’m saying. And a gnomeflinger.
Aerial Stealth
The rendezvous website is one other “skirmish” map with a border that simulates intrusions from a wider fight, and truthfully, I like these. All of them work equally, however with completely different occasions that may spawn from the “fray” part of the map. From right here, the PCs shall be flying through wild dragonnels as much as the Bastion of Takhisis.
Throughout the infiltration, there’s one particular encounter, and one other encounter that may be triggered if the PCs aren’t stealthy, and the place the combat occurs (i.e. there’s fall injury concerned) there are some excessive stakes. This additionally pays off one other NPC interplay, as one of many PCs foils finally ends up on the opposite facet of the battle.
This part feels very closely like plenty of encounters with no actual probability for relaxation, which I’m not against, particularly within the context of the narrative, however I may also see PCs actually getting themselves into bother burning via sources.
Soiled Deeds
The massive well-known NPC that the PCs must confront, Lord Soth, isn’t one they’re possible in a position to oppose immediately, so I like that there are redundant NPCs that the PCs can encounter that may current them with the concept there could also be one other strategy to cope with him. I like that introducing the backstory for Lord Soth helps to arrange why he’s weak to the merchandise that PCs are pointed in the direction of.
There’s a facet tangent the place the PCs can collect some data by getting themselves morally soiled, that feels just like the sort of Dragonlance factor to temp somebody with, however I fear that it isn’t framed in fairly the “fall to the darkish facet” method that it must be. Alternatively, it additionally exemplifies the “evil turns upon itself” facet of issues, as Chemosh’s servants helped arrange the Bastion of Takhisis, however they don’t essentially keep loyal after the very fact.
As an apart, there’s a lot happening on this chapter, so I don’t wish to be too destructive about the place they spend the additional phrases to emphasise an encounter. For essentially the most half, I believe they made the suitable selections, and ensuring you add further nuance to all the pieces is a fast strategy to balloon your phrase depend.
If you happen to use the particular merchandise to incapacitate the Immovable Power (Soth), the following puzzle is to determine learn how to shut down the evil artifact, and learn how to quench it. As soon as that’s executed, we’ve obtained one other load-bearing plot level, the place the PCs want to determine learn how to get out safely. That is successfully the “use the Blue Crystal Employees to kill Onyx” second, besides it’s utilizing the Dragonlance to proper a mistaken linked to the artifact.
The Starting of the Finish
Basically, within the climax of this journey, the PCs face one huge dangerous that they want a particular merchandise to incapacitate, one other huge dangerous whose historical past is tied to the Metropolis of Misplaced Names, and the ultimate huge dangerous, which would be the huge dangerous that enables them to route the Dragonarmy.
The ultimate combat, which includes Dragon Highmaster Kansaldi and her dragon mount, can also be framed as a kind of skirmish maps with a “fray” border, so they’re successfully going through off in opposition to the pinnacle of what’s left of the Dragonarmy.
The ultimate Warriors of Krynn board sport state of affairs is one other state of affairs that solely occurs you probably have the board sport, and doesn’t have a distinct encounter decision to play in a skirmish. On this case, if the gamers win, they get some “marketing campaign rewards.” This consists of some good gear, however except you might be persevering with the marketing campaign with your personal materials, this gear is basically simply bragging rights.
The very very last thing to occur within the journey formally is a contextual message letting you recognize that sure occasions of the Struggle of the Lance are nonetheless going to occur, however you probably did a great job scuttling a batch of undead dragons and a Crimson Dragonarmy superweapon. Implied cameo by a mysteriously threatening word.
General, I’m fairly pleased with this journey. I’ve seen different WotC adventures that I preferred, however the place I felt just like the ending missed the mark. I believe this one fairly properly nailed it, hitting the right word for a heroic ending
Ultimate Ideas
I believe this journey did an incredible job threading the story of a member of the Order of Excessive Sorcery all through. I believe the reclamation and use of the Dragonlance is an excellent word to hit, and preventing a Dragon Highmaster whereas she’s mounted on her pink dragon is a reasonably rattling epic and iconic second for a Dragonlance marketing campaign.
Making the undead dragons that Soth resurrects not chromatic dragons, however metallic dragons with a tragic backstory, suits in completely with different components from the Struggle of the Lance, just like the destiny of the metallic dragon eggs. Whereas there are occasions when “do that one factor to take out a risk that’s out of your league” can really feel unsatisfying in some adventures, I believe that they spend sufficient time promoting Soth’s backstory that you must be capable to use this plot level with out it feeling contrived.
We additionally get a great steadiness of assembly those that the PCs can care about, worrying concerning the destiny of the folks displaced by battle, and arguing with folks over petty politics within the face of a higher risk, once more, all Dragonlance hallmarks. We even get a pleasant development of a squire that acts like a knight even with out the right assist for his actions.
This brings me to considered one of my few downsides on this. For all of the hype surrounding the Knights of Solamnia, there isn’t as a lot assist for A Knight’s Story (you recognize what I imply) on this journey. There is no such thing as a one that may promote a PC knight, or convene a conclave to induct them, which suggests if they only degree up taking Solamnic Order feats, the DM might want to add in their very own helps, and doing so sort of undermines the NPC who has been ready till all the difficulty is over earlier than he can formally be a part of the knighthood.
The dearth of knights really is smart for the areas round Kalaman, but it surely may need been good to have had at the very least some sort of extra particular time when a Knight’s Conclave may have invited the PC to argue their admission into an order, whilst we get the Orders of Excessive Sorcery popping in right here and there. I do know, similar to Sturm, the PCs might be Solamnic Squires that by no means get promoted till after the journey, and simply be taught the knightly abilities of the order, however I nonetheless would have preferred only a wee bit extra on this regard.
Alternatively, you get to combat a tragic, purple-flaming undead gold dragon on a falling platform with the Dragonlance that killed it when it’s alive, so I actually don’t wish to complain an excessive amount of.