It’s a low prep week for me. Real life’s got me chewing through the pain, literally. I’m dealing with some molar nonsense that’s made D&D prep take a backseat for the first time in… I don’t even know. Since early Tomb of Annihilation, maybe?
That said, the module’s doing the heavy lifting . We’re at the tail end of the Dungeon of the Dead Three. I’ve read it. I’ve watched other people run it. I’m ready. Not high prep ready, but module-ready. And that’s one of the underrated joys of running published adventures… you can ride the rails when you need to.
The real concern tonight is the final boss. A CR 5 cultist with two attacks, a stunning blow, and an aura that rewards murder. He’s a solo, so they’ve got the action economy advantage. But if the dice are unkind, someone will perma-die. I’m not planning to have him attack downed players, probably. But his crits, with the vulnerable aura, have the potential to OTK a PC at low health.
We’ll see how the group handles it. If they finish the dungeon, we’re headed to the Low Lantern next. If not, well, maybe I’ll find time to reread Mortlock’s lines while medicated on ibuprofen and vibes. Actually, I’m going to go practice my Mortlock voice right now.
