D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

M o n s t e r N a m e s
Throughout the adventure, monster names are presented
in bold. This is a visual cue pointing you to look up the
monster’s stat block in the Monster Manual (or in the free
supplement available at DungeonsandDragons.com). New
monsters appear in appendix A of this adventure. A note
appears after a monster’s name if that is the case.
Elite bands of cultists have been charged with
establishing the cult’s control from the Gray Peaks
to the Sunset Mountains. They seek out allies in the
area, with an eye toward choosing friendly territory for
a capital city and a seat of power for the cult’s Inner
Circle. Such bands are led by a dragonsoul defended
by 4 dragonclaws and a pack of 3 guard drakes. The
dragonsoul rides a warhorse, but the other cultists are
on foot. See appendix A for the cultists and drakes.
D e v i l i s h D e m a n d s
Though the Cult of the Dragon and the Red Wizards are
making use of diabolic allies as they plan the ritual that
w ill free Tiamat, not all devils are on their side. Some
fiends not wanting to see Tiamat gain worldly power
seek to break the alliance between the cult and Thay.
This encounter can be used to reveal to the characters
the divisions already present among the evil factions.
The devils who are aligned against Tiamat send
a delegation of 5 cultists and 2 cult fanatics (devil
worshipers) and a bone devil named Lord Volmer to
treat with the party. The cultists lead the characters to a
large tent, inside which Lord Volmer awaits.
Using telepathy, Lord Volmer tells the adventurers
about the so-called “Thayan Resurrection” (the attempt
by Thayan exiles to supplant Szass Tam), as well as
the fact that Szass Tam intends to destroy Rath Modar
and his “splinter sect” for their impudence. The bone
devil assures the characters that they can earn the
Red W izards’ favor by providing him with information
leading to Rath Modar’s capture.
Lord Volmer also tells the party that the lords of the
Nine Hells are divided when it comes to the matter of
Tiamat’s release. He tells the party that if Tiamat is
prevented from escaping, the party w ill earn “powerful
friends” in the Nine Hells. If the characters attack Lord
Volmer, he and his allies retaliate. The devil is not
worried about dying, since he reforms at full strength in
the Nine Hells upon his demise.
C a p t i v e C u l t i s t
A group of dwarf miners has captured a high-ranking
member of the Cult of the Dragon—a Wearer of Purple
named Cheela Flegsteel who got a little too greedy
while leading a group of cultists that was terrorizing
the dwarves. Having killed Cheela’s drakes and
subordinates, the dwarves bring their prisoner to the
adventurers hoping for a reward.
Cheela has useful information about the cult’s
activities, which could be used to lead into any episode
of your choice. However, she also knows that a rescue
party is not far behind her. The adventurers need to
help the dwarves fend off an attack by 4 ogres and a
half-red dragon veteran named Yggran. The dwarves
are hopelessly overmatched and flee rather than fight. If
her fellow cultists can’t save Cheela, they might kill her
rather than leave her in the adventurers’ hands.
Fa l l e n H e r o
The adventurers meet a seriously injured elf ranger—a
well-known hero named Cylanestriel. She speaks of her
capture by the Cult of the Dragon and her escape from
the stronghold at the caldera of the Well of Dragons.
(If possible, make Cylanestriel an associate, mentor, or
relative of someone in the party.)
Use this encounter to make the players aware of the
dangers presented by a direct assault against the Well
of Dragons. The army of the cult is huge and powerful
enough to have destroyed a major adventuring group.
The Well of Dragons is on alert, and its defensive forces
include flights of dragons that prowl the skies above the
site. The characters should be made to understand that
attacking with a large allied force is their only option for
defeating the cult.
D e a t h a t t h e C o u n c i l
During the second or third session of the Council of
Waterdeep, rumors spread of an aide from Neverwinter
who killed an aide from Mithral Hall and then hanged
himself. In truth, the Cult of the Dragon sent a succubus
spy to Waterdeep. She charmed the Neverwinter aide
into collecting information for her, but the other aide
discovered their meetings. The succubus forced her
victim to slay the other aide to cover her tracks, then to
kill himself.
If the characters investigate, they can obtain the body
to question it using speak with dead, or they might use
commune to discover the spy. The succubus has gained
another victim by that point—a knight of the Order of
the Gauntlet who regularly goes to meet her at her slum
dwelling in the Field Ward of Waterdeep. This pattern
of murder and suicide continues unless the spy’s true
identity is discovered.
R u n n i n g t h e A d v e n t u r e
Tyranny o f Dragons is a big, sprawling adventure
that covers many levels of play and a huge swath of
the Forgotten Realms. This book outlines the overall
structure of the adventure and presents many episodes
and events with which to challenge the characters as
they investigate the nefarious plots of the Cult of the
Dragon. This is not, however, a script to be read aloud
with stage directions that must be followed. Tyranny
o f Dragons does not hold your hand and guide you
step-by-step from the story’s beginning to its inevitable
conclusion. Instead, it presents people, creatures,
locations, and situations for the adventurers to explore
and interact with in a constantly changing, lively way.
You, the Dungeon Master, play a vital role. The
creators of Tyranny o f Dragons have tried to foresee
the most likely courses of action that the characters
might take in the adventure. However, D & D players
are curious and unpredictable, and Faerun is immense
and filled with possibility. In a scenario as open-ended