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DDEX1-04 Dues for the Dead (5e)Click to magnify

DDEX1-04 Dues for the Dead (5e)

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Dues for the Dead

For years, the Most Solemn Order of the Silent Shroud has tended the dead at Valinghen graceyard, providing them a peaceful eternal rest. Now, that rest has been disturbed by a necromancer seeking out a key to re-activate the Pool of Radiance.

An adventure for 1st-4th level characters.

DDEX1-4 5E

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Reviews (54)
Discussions (14)
Customer avatar
Dorietta M February 07, 2023 5:50 am UTC
PURCHASER
This is a great module for new DMs and new players. As a DM remove the shortcut
Customer avatar
Marek J April 04, 2022 2:35 pm UTC
4*
I ran this in AL and received the module from the organiser.

It's a fun creepy dungeon crawl with some fun encounters. I thought it would be too short for the 4-hour time window we have for it but I actually had to cut some parts. The party gets a sarcastic sidekick which I think is always great, you can always ignore it if it doesn't fit but we had a fun banter with one of the players so it added some RP into an adventure that otherwise mostly lacks it. The graverobbers in the middle were also a nice idea and the creepiness of some of the rooms were right on the mark. The finale is pretty cool with a special mechanic, it's only a bit regrettable the caster doesn't hang around a bit longer but that's not that hard to adjust. The party also finds some clues about what's going on so that's nice they put some foreshadowing there.
The only thing that I found utterly dumb was the shortcut to the end, just skip that.
I really enjoyed running this and honestly, it was a welcome breather...See more
Customer avatar
Gabriel T February 12, 2019 4:01 pm UTC
Ran this last night at my local game store. I would post this as a review but the adventure was purchased by the store.

In many ways, this is one of my favorite types of adventures for several reasons:

1. There's a straightforward goal, but resolving the goal provides a hook into the larger arc for the season.
2. The rooms are interesting and well-characterized, providing enough detail for the DM to expand upon but without reducing everything to box text
3. The social encounter ties in effectively to the theme of the setting and the module, in what would otherwise be a pure dungeon crawl
4. The simplicity of the combat encounters make it a good way to introduce new players to 5e. The monsters are generally easy to hit yet each has a small twist to introduce new concepts to newer players (Con saves on ghouls, Undead Fortitude on zombies, bludgeoning vulnerability on skeletons).

My negative thoughts about it are pretty standard:

1. the DM-facing...See more
Customer avatar
My N September 21, 2018 10:21 pm UTC
It's largely a dungeon crawl without a lot of ways the characters can go off track unless they split the party and everyone knows how well that generally works. The shortcut to the end is a regrettable inclusion, especially if you have a player who has played before and decides they want to blitz the map in 90 minutes or less despite what the rest of the group wants. Disruptive players aside, this should be a fun, combat heavy module. Season 8 rules water down some of the choices into: why bother, we can't keep any gold from doing X if we wanted to.
Customer avatar
Charles W July 28, 2018 1:29 am UTC
PURCHASER
Fun dungeon crawl with memorable characters. There’s some agency to the last fight but the players may not realize it until it’s too late. Cassyt is fun to RP and my players really enjoyed having her around.
Customer avatar
Juan A July 14, 2018 4:50 am UTC
I really liked this mod, Doomguide Yovir sets the precedence of how Doomguides act in social encounters: dour and reserved; and then theres Cassyt who is by far my favorite npc of this mod. A sunny, bubbly, and talkative pseduo-grave cleric made my party love her with the mentality of "oh Cassyt, never change" whenever I had her begin word vomiting lore of the catacombs to the party.

A suggestion to anyone planning on running this, really play up the horror of the necropolis. It will honestly be tempting for your party to explore but if time doesnt allow for the party to spend a while hunting monsters in the city, really play up the "monster lurk in the dark" and possibly have Cassyt mention to the party "Doomguide Yovir plans to take care of the Necropolis personally...." to try and help move the story along.
Customer avatar
roki K May 28, 2018 11:43 pm UTC
As a player, I quite enjoyed this. My favorite part was exploring the city of the dead and encountering the skeleton family.
As a DM, I ran this for a Tier 1 table whose DM didn't show. It only needed about 15 minutes of prep...
Fairly linear, but it still provided challenge and a few twists for the players.

This is a fun one to have in your pocket for emergencies.
4/5
Customer avatar
Nathan D April 28, 2018 10:04 pm UTC
Dues for the Dead is a great mod to introduce newer players to the game. Here are some recommendations for running it:

-Be sure to have Yovir emphasize to the players that there could be tens of thousands of corpses in the catacombs, and that the city faced an existential threat from the undead in the past. This should help raise the stakes so players will care more about getting to the bottom of the situation.

-When I run this mod, I remove the secret passage to the end of the dungeon. It could also be kept but skip less of the dungeon.

-I usually have the Goggles of Night be a belonging of Sister Bethel (one of the Kelemvorites that got eaten and was found). I think it helps explain why Yovir randomly has such a magic item.

-This is a great adventure to get players to think about their character's morality, but the "default" way of running it doesn't have the moral shades of gray that could make it more interesting. The vast majority of treasure in...See more
Customer avatar
David B March 27, 2018 4:54 am UTC
One of the weaker modules in season 1. It was a pretty straight forward dungeon crawl with little to distinguish it.
Customer avatar
Joshua S January 29, 2018 8:29 pm UTC
This is a pretty middle-of-the-road dungeon crawl. It's been a while since I ran the adventure, but I don't remember any stand-out parts, either good or bad. I think the only in-game complaint was that the catacombs are described as being very extensive, but the map was tiny (as would fit a one-shot adventure).

Stars: 3/5
Customer avatar
Denis C October 07, 2017 8:36 am UTC
Bought it on Dms guild login. I don't know how to merge them.

Stars: 3/5

My least favorite in the Tier 1 adventures of season 1. I can't describe why but it just didn't feel good. The end fight is a total drag and makes the players feel liek there is nothing they can do unless they are highly over leveled. I know other DMs loved playing it but i just couldn't get into it. Maybe take my opinion with a grain of salt. I would still play it agin for a group doing the whole season but definitaly not as a stand alone.
Customer avatar
Joseph D September 13, 2017 9:24 pm UTC
This is by far my favorite module in this story line and tier. The mission into the tombs to investigate the bones is the perfect way to introduce players to the pillars of adventure.
They interact with the Doomguide, puzzle their way through things and fight the baddies!
5/5 stars
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Customer avatar
Anthony J July 16, 2017 9:38 pm UTC
PURCHASER
4/5 Stars, this Module is a great way to get your PCs started and introduce the idea that NPCs can escape. The dungeon allows players to have use of tactics by funneling NPCs into the hallways. I think this was a great module overall and recommend it for newer players to learn concepts of DnD.
Customer avatar
JASON D April 07, 2017 4:58 am UTC
The classic Moonsea setting of Phlan, a crypt filled with undead, and who is behind it all but a... Well, you'll have to see for yourself! However, this is a classic mini dungeon crawl, filled with combat encounters, pitfalls, and eerie interactions. Well worth the four hours of gameplay and lots of fun!
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File Last Updated:
January 11, 2016
This title was added to our catalog on January 11, 2016.