D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

Episode 5: The Cult Strikes Back
During the course of this adventure, the heroes
undertake various activities to thwart the plots
of the Cult of the Dragon. The cult’s awareness
of the characters’ opposition to their goals w ill have
started even earlier if the characters played Hoard of
the Dragon Queen. Either way, it doesn’t take long for
the cult to target the characters as a threat that must
be eliminated.
Like the “Council of Waterdeep” episode, this episode
is played out as separate encounters. However, these
attacks work best if they are incorporated into other
episodes, rather than played out between episodes.
Think about the pacing of other episodes and the
placement of these encounters so that the cult’s attacks
can be spaced out over time. In particular, the third
attack should be placed for maximum effectiveness.
The cult’s attacks can happen anywhere, but the
characters are at greatest risk while on their home
ground. The cult wants its enemies to know that they
aren’t safe anywhere. If the characters ever split up
to pursue separate missions in what seem like safe
environments, the cult is almost certain to strike.
C h a r a c t e r D e a t h
Character death should always be handled carefully, but
don't be afraid to kill party members in this adventure. The
characters should be high enough level to cast raise dead,
or to seek out such magic from their allies. Especially if they
played through Hoard o f the Dragon Queen, the characters
have had ample opportunity to prove their worth to the
Harpers, the Order o f the Gauntlet, and the other factions.
F ir s t A t t a c k
The cult’s first attack against the heroes is a measured
assault designed to deliver a warning.
L o c a t i o n a n d T i m i n g
This attack can occur anywhere. The cult has no
concern for innocent bystanders, but the encounter w ill
be easier for you to run without a panicking crowd to
deal with. This combat encounter should occur after
a previous combat encounter has drained some of
the characters’ resources, but before they can finish
a long rest.