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I've run into an issue around the use of level draining attacks in an older issue of AD&D.
How do I best run a dagger that steals levels from a PC in 5e?
I know that 5e approach is to reduce max hit points by the value of damage taken but the damage is doing to be inflicted by assassins with the SNEAK ATTACK trait, A CR 2 assassin can still deal 3d6+ damage PER turn and I feel my players would not be able to deal with that kind of hit point loss until the end of the adventure.

What I did when running Death Unchained was this:

The "sneak attack" didn't drain any hp. The dagger dealt 3d4 point of necrotic damage, that reduced maximum hit points. 3 of these hit points were drained permanently while the rest returned after a long rest. The only way to retrieve those 3 hit points were the ways described in the adventure (dispelling and breaking the dagger, destroying the school, strong magic)

In D&D next, you can make your NPCs as you like. I didn't give sneak attack to the Ebon Fold, I gave them an ability similar to pack tactics. I.e. in cases they would deal the sneak attack, they had bonus to actually deliver those blows.

alhoon wrote:What I did when running Death Unchained was this:

The "sneak attack" didn't drain any hp. The dagger dealt 3d4 point of necrotic damage, that reduced maximum hit points. 3 of these hit points were drained permanently while the rest returned after a long rest. The only way to retrieve those 3 hit points were the ways described in the adventure (dispelling and breaking the dagger, destroying the school, strong magic)

In D&D next, you can make your NPCs as you like. I didn't give sneak attack to the Ebon Fold, I gave them an ability similar to pack tactics. I.e. in cases they would deal the sneak attack, they had bonus to actually deliver those blows.

Awesome, I think that's alot fairer to my players.
Did you have issues with the Talons and the amount of magic items they hold, as i'm planing on removing alot as my party are of the mindset where they would just try and "farm" the talons until they TPK'd.

jimjams wrote: Did you have issues with the Talons and the amount of magic items they hold,

Obviously... but it's not version-oriented problem. I would have exactly the same problem in 2nd edition. A sword of wounding every 4-5 Talons? Preposterous! It was not the damage, it was the sheer number of magic items.

And your characters wouldn't be the only ones to think of that if the Talons were head-to-toe covered with magic items. I added wererats and vampyres in the sewers under Levkarest. According to source books, such predators exist. If Talons were carrying tons of magic... they would face tons of people to steal it.

I actually did a lot of stuff in my run of the adventure in 5e.
BTW, the adventure (for me) ran BETTER in 5e than in 2e. That's because I'm more experienced as a DM though, and because I took to heart the "hidden" rule of 5e which is "chillax and have a good time; something you don't like? Change it and don't sweat it".
Too many magical items? Removed. No sidestories? Added. No mention of Vampyres? Added. Wizard of 12th lvl not having enough slots to spam magic jar as intended? Changed the artifact to actually do something besides keeping the illusions going. As in, drop the level of any necromantic spell casted by one; I.e. magic jar in the dungeon takes a 5th lvl slot.

etc. Many small changes here and there.


Oh! And before I forget!
I have added the Talons and the Ebon Fold in Jester's monster manual if you want to take a look.

alhoon wrote:

jimjams wrote: Did you have issues with the Talons and the amount of magic items they hold,

Obviously... but it's not version-oriented problem. I would have exactly the same problem in 2nd edition. A sword of wounding every 4-5 Talons? Preposterous! It was not the damage, it was the sheer number of magic items.

And your characters wouldn't be the only ones to think of that if the Talons were head-to-toe covered with magic items. I added wererats and vampyres in the sewers under Levkarest. According to source books, such predators exist. If Talons were carrying tons of magic... they would face tons of people to steal it.

I actually did a lot of stuff in my run of the adventure in 5e.
BTW, the adventure (for me) ran BETTER in 5e than in 2e. That's because I'm more experienced as a DM though, and because I took to heart the "hidden" rule of 5e which is "chillax and have a good time; something you don't like? Change it and don't sweat it".
Too many magical items? Removed. No sidestories? Added. No mention of Vampyres? Added. Wizard of 12th lvl not having enough slots to spam magic jar as intended? Changed the artifact to actually do something besides keeping the illusions going. As in, drop the level of any necromantic spell casted by one; I.e. magic jar in the dungeon takes a 5th lvl slot.

etc. Many small changes here and there.


Oh! And before I forget!
I have added the Talons and the Ebon Fold in Jester's monster manual if you want to take a look.

Thanks, Alhoon you're my new favorite Ravenloft deity.
I tried to find your post on the Talon stats but failed, do you have a link please?

The monster manual is located here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kRO ... JiH7g/edit

It's a great help for those of us running these in 5e, I'm looking forward to my run of Death Unchained in a little bit...