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We've made some updates to the Trials of Mount Tiamat, our co-operative multiplayer campaign, in order to make things more balanced and fair for everyone playing. Check out the details below, and remember you can always see all the information in the game!
Features:
The cost of each Trials of Mount Tiamat campaign is now paid by all members who join a trial. The cost of different difficulties has been adjusted accordingly.
25% of the cost to start a Trials of Mount Tiamat campaign will be refunded if the trial is failed, a minimum of 1 vial is refunded. A prismatic vial will be refunded if used.
A new checkbox to automatically start the campaign when all 5 trials have been selected by players has been added. This setting defaults to on for all new campaigns but can but toggled off if the host needs tighter control.
Players who contribute 0 DPS to a campaign that lasts longer than 3 days will no longer gain access to the next difficulty of Trials of Mount Tiamat.
If you fail to complete the Area Goal for any day in the campaign, your Area Goal will remain the same for the next day and your daily restriction will be rerolled. This is to prevent unlucky rolls for early days making the campaign contribution somewhat impossible.
Additional notifications pop up to remind you to contribute to your active trial if you haven't for the current day.
Balance Changes:
Tiamat's Health at some difficulties has been adjusted.
Area goals and bonus dps for some difficulties have been adjusted.
Restrictions relating to only using certain types of champions have been adjusted to remove a similar number of champions for each different stat.
Restrictions relating to Neutral alignment have been split into separate ones for the the Good/Evil and Lawful/Chaotic axes.
The max scales you can get from defeating Tiamat has been increased.
The vials found in Glory of Bahamut chests have been improved.
You can find information about the Trials of Mount Tiamat in the game or in our previous blog!
WARNING SPOILERS. This blog contains spoilers for the final episode of Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat.
Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat
Thank you for joining us for Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat. Dungeon Master B Dave Walters (Black Dice Society, A Darkened Wish, Into the Mother Lands) took our three brave parties of Champions through a harrowing campaign across seven episodes, leading them into a direct confrontation against Tiamat with the fate of the Forgotten Realms hanging in the balance.
For a full recap of the adventure check out the Idle Champions Presents: Trials of Mount Tiamat Synopsis blog post In case you missed any episodes or want to rewatch the adventure, check out our YouTube channel. If you want to play through the adventure at home, we will be releasing a PDF of the adventure soon!
We had an exciting seven weeks filled with voting and rewards! As a reminder, all in-game rewards must be claimed before the start of our Year's End Festival, so claim your voting rewards before 12 PM Pacific on Wednesday, December 1st!
As part of voting and with a little Champion rebalancing we had four new feats for our Champions become available - the winners of the votes were unlocked in-game with the conclusion of their votes, but all four will be available for 12,500 gems as of 12 PM Pacific on Wednesday, December 1st.
Party One featured Erin M Evans (Brimstone Angels, Dungeon Scrawlers), Mark Meer (Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition) , Tanya DePass (Rivals of Waterdeep, Into the Mother Lands), and Todd Kenreck (Heroes of the Planes, Beyond Heroes), and Jason Charles Miller (The Gaxx Pack, Sirens of the Realms, Bardic Inspiration).
Party Two featured Hope LaVelle (Heroes of the Planes, Beyond Heroes), Shareef Jackson (Rivals of Waterdeep) , LaTia Jacquise (Rivals of Waterdeep, Into the Mother Lands), and Meagan Kenreck (Heroes of the Planes, Beyond Heroes), and Jim Zub (Heroes of Baldur’s Gate).
Increase Melf's Adaptive Support Spell per race effect to 25% per race (up from 10%)
Increase Melf's Augmented Support Spell bonuses to 100% each (up from 50%)
Triple ultimate damage multiplier
Ascendant Reinforcement Skins DLC
The Ascendant Reinforcements are here! This new DLC is available as Skin & Feat Packs for Strix, Evelyn, Walnut, Vlahnya, & Melf, or bundled all together at a discount!
The Ascendant Strix Skin & Feat Pack contains an unlock for Strix, the new Ascendant Strix Skin, an Epic Feat for Strix, and 7 Gold Strix Chests with 1 Guaranteed Shiny Equipment Card.
The Ascendant Evelyn Skin & Feat Pack contains an unlock for Evelyn, the new Ascendant Evelyn Skin, an Epic Feat for Evelyn, and 7 Gold Evelyn Chests with 1 Guaranteed Shiny Equipment Card.
The Ascendant Walnut Skin & Feat Pack contains an unlock for Walnut, the new Ascendant Walnut Skin, an Epic Feat for Walnut, and 7 Gold Walnut Chests with 1 Guaranteed Shiny Equipment Card.
The Ascendant Vlahnya Skin & Feat Pack contains an unlock for Vlahnya, the new Ascendant Vlahnya Skin, an Epic Feat for Vlahnya, and 7 Gold Vlahnya Chests with 1 Guaranteed Shiny Equipment Card.
The Ascendant Melf Skin & Feat Pack contains an unlock for Melf, the new Ascendant Melf Skin, an Epic Feat for Melf, and 7 Gold Melf Chests with 1 Guaranteed Shiny Equipment Card.
Idle Champions Presents will return next year with Idle Champions Presents: Court of the Raven Queen.
The second season of our liveplay Dungeons & Dragons show Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat has begun! Did you miss the most recent episode and need a link to the video to watch the full D&D game? Are you new to the series and want to quickly read a summary so you can be all caught up for the next livestream? Do you just need a refresher of the plot? Then this blog is here to help you!
Below you will find written summaries of each episode, as well as a link to the full game on YouTube. This blog will be updated after every show, which airs live on our Twitch channel Mondays from 4-7pm Pacific. BE WARNED that there are plenty of spoilers to be found here!
Summary of Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat - Episode 1: Lake of Shadow: October 18th 2021
Faerûn is in danger as Tiamat, the Mother of Evil Dragons, has escaped her prison in Avernus and returned to the world. The Cult of the Dragon successfully ensconced the Dragon Queen in the Well of Dragons, but the arduous process of her escape means that she is struggling to restore her full power. In response, some of the greatest heroes of Faerûn have stepped up to save the world and send Tiamat back to the Nine Hells!
One group of Champions arrives at a hidden cave on an espionage mission. Five figures, along with their animal companions cautiously enter; Havilar the tiefling fighter and her Nessian hellhound Zoonie, Avren the half-elf warlock, Baeloth the drow sorcerer, Selise the human paladin and her dire wolf Fenris, and Brig the human bard. They've been tasked with delving under Mount Tiamat and the Well of Dragons in order to reach an old duergar forge that connects to the volcano's slumbering lava flow. They hope to detonate a bag of holding filled with 500 pounds of explosive smokepower in the forge, causing the mountain to erupt on the cultists and Tiamat herself. Avren attempts to take possession of the precious yet dangerous bag of holding, but Brig uses his excellent sleight of hand skills to take it from him on the sly while the warlock chats with Baeloth about the possibility of making a deal with Tiamat. The rest of the group warn against the idea and the Champions push forward on their mission.
As they descend through the rocky path, the group comes across an underground lake with a strange, inky sheen that ripples despite the lack of breeze. Avren senses necromantic energy that is dangerous to touch, Selise can detect a variety of evil entities both in the water and around the cave, and everyone can see six human bodies floating on the surface. After a discussion about the nature of evil and the risks of examining the bodies, Baeloth pulls out his magic carpet so he can safely fly Selise, Brig, and himself above the water. Avren and Havilar stay on the ground and follow on foot around the shoreline. Despite attempting to avoid the lake, six wraiths rise out of the water and demand Havilar be turned over for the rest to pass safely. Defiantly, the Champions fight back, though it's a rough battle as the wraiths sap the life out of those they attack. Anyone who ends up in the water finds their will to survive being smothered. Havilar and Zoonie take the brunt of the damage, but eventually, the team is victorious!
The bodies are searched and along with a map of the area, the Champions find an elixir of health, a wand of web, and some powerful arrows. As a moment is taken to heal, a voice rings out in the cave calling for Baeloth! A Myconid named Puff appears, dragging a stone mortar and pestle from Baba Yaga to be delivered to the drow sorcerer. Puff warns the group that there is some dangerous weather up ahead as an Eldritch Storm has blown in, and says they must report back to the Black Pits. Havilar sends Zoonie to follow Puff back to safety as the poor hellhound is very injured from the battle. Meanwhile, the rest of the Champions worry over how to get around the deadly storm without waiting for it to pass by and chance losing precious time. When there's a break in the tempest, the group manages to dash through to safety.
The next cavern is filled with twisted tree roots, fungus, and a variety of worms and beetles under a tree of unbelievable size. As the Champions take a moment to look around, they are discovered by two adult white dragon twins named Oisioth and Iophiog, guards on patrol for Tiamat. Avren starts spinning lies to the wyrms, filling the air with flattery over their magnificence and deceiving them into believing the group is just passing through, no threat to Tiamat. Brig pulls out his guitar and immediately composes a song called "Echoes of Your Greatness" which enamors both creatures while inflating their egos. The twins start to fight with each other over who should get top billing on the song, and in the confusion the Champions attempt to rush past the battle into the next room. A stray breath weapon and a tail slam endanger the group, but Selise's paladin abilities help bolster her allies and keep them safe as they rush forward!
As the team manages to move to safety, they pass by a portion of the horde the two white dragons brought with them, prompting a few Champions to snatch up some treasure. The next cavern is filled with phosphorescent fungi that shimmer yellow and green across every surface. The forest of mushrooms, toadstools, and puffballs block the far side of the cave from view, and the group remembers that the map they picked up off the dead bodies had a notation of this room to "Stay Focused!!!"
As the Champions ponder what to do next, we'll have to wait until the next episode to see what happens!
Summary of Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat - Episode 2: Fungus Grove : October 25th 2021
Our Champions stand on the edge of a cavern filled with phosphorescent fungi debating ways to safely enter, when a sweet voice interrupts the group. A young woman twirling a flower greets them all by name and shows a familiarity with each of them. Despite the friendly demeanor, everyone can feel the malice and evil pouring off the disguised visage of Tiamat. She tries to suggest they simply turn around and leave, offering prosperity and safety, as well as specific offers to each of the Champions to entice them into a deal. When asked what she really wants, she claims she wants to rule and bring peace to all the realms and planes. While a few of the party members are enticed by her offers and make their own suggestions for deals they would accept, she's eventually rebuked and angered. The Champions are immediately transformed into kobolds and cursed with silliness as Tiamat disappears!
With no other options but to continue forward, the Champions all climb onto Baeloth's flying carpet and head into the cavern filled with mushrooms. Now as kobolds, the smell of the fungus is enticing and they all quickly eat a nearby toadstool. Fortunately, the mushrooms are beneficial and each gains some extra bonuses from the snack. Selise notices details that leave her warry as she spots healthy mushrooms growing out of the bones of dead creatures, and the air is filling with spores. While the paladin warns the group of the danger, Havilar notices something shiny among the fungus and jumps off of the carpet. She finds a strange book that she can use for a variety of magical purposes. Brig quickly joins Havilar on the ground and both enjoy cavorting around the mushrooms, becoming uninterested in leaving the cavern. Realizing the trap they are falling into and the failure to "stay focused," Selise casts Hold Person on the two and Baeloth scoops them up with the carpet. They manage to escape the room but when Brig attempts to run back he is nabbed by Avren who shoves him into his bag of holding. Suddenly there is a bright flash of light as the fabric of the Material Plane is sundered...as Brig's bag of holding reacts to being shoved inside another bag of holding!
All five Champions suddenly stand at a crossroads surrounded by areas of darkness and light. They've turned back to their normal forms but are missing their equipment, and are now dressed in simple robes of black, white or grey. A terrifying gout of flames erupts as Orcus appears and snears at them, while a beam of moonlight illuminates a serene woman they recognize as Selune. As they talk, two more Gods appear. The Raven Queen and Lathandar take up positions to completely surround the heroes on all four sides. Selûne informs the group that their garments are dyed in the color of their souls, and Orcus announces they need one Champion to give their soul to one of the beings who have appeared. The sacrifice will repair the rift in the Material plane, as while these four beings are opposed to each other they are all against Tiamat and wish to see their mission completed.
As Brig plays some music to impress the Gods, Selise takes a moment to talk with her God, asking if this is a trick or a trap of some sort. Tyr confirms that the offer is truthful, but reassures that he is proud of Selise no matter her decision. Baeloth contacts his own patron and Graz'zt reassures that this decision will not be acted upon until the death of the Champion, leaving them available to continue their quest to stop Tiamat. Avren attempts to offer himself to the Raven Queen, but she scoffs at him as she is only interested in Havilar. Selise considers making the deal with Orcus, if only to enjoy battling him for all eternity. But after the Raven Queen whispers something to Havilar, the tiefling fighter speaks up and offers herself. As the Raven Queen immediately seals the deal all five are teleported back to the caves, restored with their equipment, with reality repaired and the mission still to be complete.
Multiple tunnels and ore shafts crisscrossed by minecart tracks open up to a huge chasm whose floor is covered in shattered rock and pooling black water. A dreadful sense of undeath brings Selise pause as she and her dire wolf climb onto the carpet with Baeloth. The rest slowly walk along the tracks after Brig has confirmed they look sturdy, when two undead beholders suddenly rise out of the murky water to attack! Both are Death Tyrants radiating death and negative energy. In a terrifying battle several members of the party are severely wounded while Brig is brought to unconsciousness, turned to stone, and begins to sink below the necrotic water!
Will the Champions survive to continue on their quest? Have they already lost their bard? We'll have to wait until the next episode to see what happens!
As a petrified Brig Hellclaw sinks into the necrotic waters, he hears the voice of Tiamat in his head offering to help. Brig rebukes the offer, convinced there would be dire consequences, and continuing to hold faith in his friends. Baeloth tries to use his Djinn's Wish to save Brig, but instead Lathander appears! The Morning Lord warns that the Cult of the Dragon and Tiamat have altered the weave in this mountain, preventing such powerful magic as Wish from working. Fortunately Lathander offers to assist, lifting an unpetrified but unconscious Brig out of water. Thanks to Selise's cure wounds, Brig returns to consciousness and rejoins the battle. As Avren also fails to escape and sinks under the waves, Havilar dives in after him and uses her magic book to teleport back up to safety. With everyone out of the water and finally conscious, the tides of the fight turn and the Death Tyrants are destroyed!
The Champions spend a moment to recover from the battle and search the room and Baeloth finds a crown he is compelled to put on immediately. The crown grows tentacles and attaches to the drow's head, but Baeloth is excited about the new powers the crown bestows. The group pushes on into the next cavern, an intersection point of multiple tunnels surrounded by gleaming crystals. The route they need to take is completely blocked by rubble. While faint tremors above them grow stronger,the team manages to avoid falling rocks and pools of the necrotic water as they clear the path.
Finally, the Champions reach the old duergar forge. It's a vast, high-ceilinged cavern lit up by continual flame torches and lined with six massive iron forge ovens. All are cold, but their seams show the faint glow of the magma that still flows beneath them. The steam in the area is rising from familiar black water pooling across the floor. As they enter the forge, an ancient curse is triggered, inspiring them all to speak only in rhyme! With coordination in rhyming couplets and careful movements, the team pulls all 24 kegs of smoke powder out of the bag of holding and starts placing them in the designated spots. When the last barrel is positioned, they hear the call of a dragon in the distance. The team is able to get to safety before the charges explode using a delayed blast fireball, but the ancient white dragon tracks them down and moves in their path to attack!
The battle is harsh and filled with near death moments. Just as Avren manages to power word kill the creature it comes back to life as a dracolich! Rending claws, gnashing teeth, and freezing ice knock Brig, Havilar and Selise unconscious. When all seems lost, Baeloth manages to disintegrate it to dust! Avren and Baeloth pile the three unconscious Champions on the magic carpet and they barely manage to escape the mountain before it explodes! Outside they find Freely, who offers some healing before insisting that the group help with the final offensive. The halfling disappears to deliver messages to other teams of Champions as Tiamat suddenly explodes out of the mountain with a ground shaking roar!
Brig, Havilar, Avren, Selise and Baeloth are battered and bruised, but victorious! However, what do they have left to fight Tiamat? And who else has been gathered to join the battle? Find out next episode!
A second team of Champions approach the nearby forest, intent on cleansing it of the evil that has pervaded the area. The Cult of the Dragon has sent scouts, while dragons wing their way over the woods. Minsc, the imposing human ranger, stands confident with his miniature giant space hamster Boo on his shoulder. Next to him, the aarakocra monk D'hani comments about how underdressed she feels among the group. Widdle, the gnomish dhampir wizard, is decked out in her speedy silver gear as she stands beside her friend Penelope, the halfling druid, who blends into the greenery with her shrub cloak. Shaka, the tiefling warlock, takes a moment to study the area with a keen arcane eye. He can feel an uneasy energy, a negative abjuration magic that gives him a bad feeling.
As they travel into the woods, casting protective spells and keeping a close eye on everything they pass, they encounter a still pool set in green-black shadow. The water’s surface and the trees above it begin to shift as if caught by a nonexistent wind. Green shadows bleed off from whipping branches and rippling water, and suddenly all the Champions are filled with self doubt and despair. As each grapples with their own inner insecurities, Shaka and D'hani realize that this is a magical effect they need to fight and avoid. Eventually, the team steels themselves against the evil shadows and moves away, exploring deeper into the forest.
Ahead on the path, they encounter a young woman sitting on a log, who immediately recognizes all of the Champions and calls them directly by name. She claims to have just wandered into the woods to ponder some deep thoughts, despite the assault happening nearby. As she opines vaguely about mistakes she has made and feeling alone, Penelope approaches and offers her a flower and her friendship. The woman seems shocked and touched by the gesture, and with gracious thanks she gives the heroes a final warning about how dangerous the forest is before disappearing into the surrounding woods. Just as she leaves, the foliage shakes with the thunderous movements of four young green dragons, snarling and ready to attack! The Champions must fight off not just the wyrms but the debilitating effects of the green-black shadows that filled them with doubts.
With blasts of poisonous gas from all four dragons, the Champions are seriously wounded and Shaka falls unconscious! As the rest of the heroes continue to fight, the Raven Queen appears to the tiefling and offers him another chance if he will serve. Shaka declines, already having had a painful transition from one patron to another. As Penelope uses her druid powers to get the forest to assault the dragons, D'hani and Minsc lay into the dragons with fists and swords. Having teleported Shaka to safety, Widdle does the only thing she can to save him from death. She bites her wrist and offers her blood to the tiefling, bringing him back as a fellow dhampir. He sits up, feeling himself but different, a little more ashen, but thanks Widdle for saving him from death.
Minsc and Penelope confront the final dragon, the ranger with threats and the druid with friendship, and convince it to leave without further issue. Examining the dead dragons, they can see that the creatures were also corrupted by the strange shadow magic of the forest. The Champions are able to detect the currents of the corruption leading to a glade filled with oppressive stillness. The old trees are gnarled and twisted with ancient fey magic and Penelope can sense their slow death from this corruption. Widdle points out the signs of battle from a variety of creatures, including many dead animals, but before they can investigate the corpses they are assaulted by animated mounds of forest debris! Several shambling mounds attack from all sides, and dryads with jet black eyes appear to surround them on all sides. The dryads have fallen victim to the flow of negative energy, but Penelope manages to reach out and use her druid abilities to banish the evil from one of their hearts. The shambling mounds all have black crystals embedded in their centers, and Shaka rips one out to remove the corruption at their core. Unfortunately the dryads manage to charm Penelope, Widdle and Minsc, and the Champions are turned against each other!
Will the Champions break the hold these dryads have on them? Or are they now lost to forest corruption? Find out next week as our adventure continues!
The battle with the corrupted forest creatures has been going badly for the Champions. Shaka is the only one free and with all his wits, as Penelope, Widdle and Minsc are charmed by the dryads and D'hani is restrained by a shambling mound. As Widdle begins to figure out how to block the negative energy from affecting the plans, she suddenly hears the voice of Tiamat in her head. The dragon queen offers her a gift without strings as a sign of friendship, giving her the location of a powerful magic item nearby in the ground, and encouraging her to give into her darker instincts. Widdle disrupts the necrotic energy nearby, snapping the dryads and shambling mounds out of its influence. Once the Champions are released from the charm effect, Shaka collects all five of the black gems which he thinks they can use to help stop the corruption of the forest. The dryads explain that a chill wind from Mount Tiamat carried an evil magic into the wood and indicate a nearby spot where several people in dark purple robes performed a dark ritual. The spot corresponds to the location of the gift the Dark Lady gave to Widdle.The dhampir digs into the ground to find The Book of Vile Darkness, a magic item of supreme power that comes with a horrible price when used. The rest of the party are concerned with the consequences of using such a book, but Widdle jealousy takes it and runs off to examine her new prize.
The rest of the Champions use the black diamonds to figure out more details about the forest corruption. They learn that a nearby grove was the location of hundreds of foul sacrifices, corrupting the life force of the ancient trees and latent fey magic of the area. The dryads suggest the Champions talk to the Grandfather Tree, a great treant who is the oldest creature in the wood. They believe he might know more about the grove, including where it's located. The Champions move in that direction, convincing Widdle to finally rejoin them after she insists that the book is not evil. Suddenly Penelope is approached by a small red squirrel, asking for help as all the creatures in the forest have been acting strange. As if summoned by the warning, hundreds of woodland beasts appear in the trees around them! Squirrels unleash a bombardment of nuts from the forest canopy, skunks spray them with their horrible stink, hawks dive-bomb with raking claws, and wolves nip ferociously at their feet and legs. The Champions are able to resist the onslaught for a while, and eventually Red Squirrel uses their ancestral magic to scare off the animals. However the side effect of the magic forces everyone to speak in puns!
Out of the trees a halfling approaches the Champions, resembling a distant relation to Freely but exuding the presence of an apex predator. His conversation is cryptic but filled with ego, and with an exhalation of blue gas paralyzes everyone except Minsc! The ranger charges this evil creature, keeping him occupied and giving his friends time to recover, but the halfing is dangerous. With blows from his powerful fists and a blast of acid out of his mouth, the halfling brings Minsc to unconsciousness. As the ranger's spirit prepares to go onto his heroic reward, Lathander appears to encourage him to return to his friends and finish his quest, and blesses him with some healing to return him to life! The rest of the Champions break free from the paralysis and join the battle, and when the creature is finally defeated it's relieved to have been a massive black dragon.
Finally the Champions push through the forest into a massive cathedral grove where the 200 foot ancient Grandfather Tree stands. He speaks to them about the vile darkness corrupting the woods with sorrow and despair, and bemones the loss of good and nature in the world. Penelope tries to encourage him to hold onto hope, but just as she starts to lift his spirits, a squadron of sprites riding giant horseflies arrive and attack the Champions. They believe the Champions are threatening the Grandfather Tree! The tiny weapons send the Champions to sleep, falling out of the branches and away from the conversation. Grandfather Tree does not notice the sprite attacks and expresses impatience that the Champions are playing at acrobatics during an important discussion. Widdle blasts the attackers with a fireball, destroying many of the sprites, which stops the battle but makes Grandfather Tree very upset. D'hani and Shaka work together to explain how they were just defending themselves, and Penelope swears that the Champions have good intentions to simply restore the health of the forest. Convinced to assist, the Grandfather Tree roars out a war cry to rally the woods to fight!
Moments later the Dark Lady walks out of the woods, alternating between threatening and cajoling the Champions into simply abandoning their mission and walking away. Some of the group recognize she's actually Tiamat, while others are confused. Before she can start to attack the Grandfather Tree, the ground shakes and the Dark Lady decides to leave, grumbling about other heroes who are causing issues, while the Champions realize one of the other assault teams may be completing their mission!
Will this group be successful in cleansing the forest of corruption, or will the temptations of the Dark Lady win them over? Find out on the next exciting episode!
The team of Champions stands at the base of Grandfather Tree, receiving the apologies of the pixies who had attacked. Apparently they were mistaken for members of the Cult of the Dragon, despite the cultists being decked out in purple. While there's some antagonism between the groups, they all agree that cleansing the forest is the main goal. The pixies lead Widdle, Shaka, D'hani, Minsc, and Penelope deeper into the woods towards the corrupted temple, but Penelope becomes separated from the group. She encounters a beautiful woman in the forest, though as she moves in the moonlight she transforms into an older matron and at other times back into a younger version of herself. She mentions that Widdle received a powerful book of darkness, and as a fan of Penelope's she wants to offer a mirror book of light to help balance things out. The goddess admires Penelope's ability to stay positive even after all the horrors and sadness. Wishing Penelope good luck and the offer to visit in the future, she gives her the book of exalted deeds.
Penelope reappears next to her friends just as they all arrive at the edge of a clearing. Before them the scattered ruins of the temple are being swallowed by the forest. A group of cultists are engaged with some of the local wildlife, and while the animals are putting up a fierce fight, the mages of the cult are preparing to turn the tides. Quickly, the Champions engage and make short work of the remaining cultists. As the team rushes towards a glowing staircase leading down into the crumbling ruins, two massive dragons appear! While the dragons inhale deeply to prepare their breath weapons, the forest erupts with treants and creatures who all swarm the dragons. With the last of the foes engaged, the Champions are able to reach the stairs and head below ground. Shaka can feel the source of the corruption and leads the party forward through the cracked and crumbled halls. They stop to clear the rubble off of the body of a cultist as Widdle and Shaka can sense something powerful and important buried nearby. Their gut instinct pays off as they uncover a rod of resurrection, an item worth the bludgeoning damage from the falling rocks.
The next chamber features an overflowing pool of viscous, gray liquid pulsing with blue-white light underneath. A wand of lighting bolts has made the liquid slippery and dangerous, so the team attempts to avoid the water completely. Penelope uses her balloon pack to join D'hani in flying over it, while both Widdle and Shaka use their spider climbing ability to clamber along the walls. Unfortunately, Minsc slips into the water and is coated with the liquid, making him too slippery to even hold a weapon! D'hani is able to snatch the wand and repair the casing, but when she tries to fix the magical properties it explodes in crackling lightning. Everyone is burnt, but alive. They recover and while they head to the next room, Minsc is distracted by the crying of a young woman, who bemoans his failure as a hero to save her family. Distraught at having someone think he failed in his heroic duties, Minsc tries to reach the woman, but Widdle notices the figure is actually a ghost! Quickly, Widdle casts a wall of force between the ranger and the dangerous trap, then transforms into her loup garou form to attempt to pull her friend away. But Minsc is still single minded in his attempt to reach and console the crying image, injuring himself in an attempt to get through the wall.
Meanwhile in the next room, the other three Champions find a triangular chamber twenty-five feet along each side with tapered walls rising to a point. In the center of the chamber a triangular pit opens up, a silvery light pulsing in its depths. Around the pit a narrow ledge allows access across the room, but appears precarious. When Penelope tries to fly over, the anti-magic field activates and only a quick grab from D'hani prevents her from falling to her doom. D'hani is able to soar high enough to avoid being affected and heads across with a rope.
Widdle manages to get a dimension door to open up in front of Minsc and the two tumble through, but instead of the intended destination on the other side of the room, the door opens directly over the anti-magic field! Fortunately they also fall across D'hani's rope and scramble to catch themselves before plummeting into the darkness below. With the rope now to assist, the rest are able to walk along the ledge and get across the well safely.
One last turn brings the Champions to a huge, vaulted chamber that is not ravaged by the effects of time. Its white stone walls are unmarked; its ceiling is held up by pristine columns of green stone. Red-black bloodstains are unmistakable along the flagstone floor and the walls are lined with piles of humanoid bones. The room is lit by bursts of green light flaring within a half-dozen magic circles scribed into its stone floor, each with a familiar black gem at the center. A frenzied-looking Tiamat cultist runs around the room, stopping at each circle for a moment and frantically waving their hands, with the green light flaring or fading in response. Noticing the Champions entering, the cultist tries to defend their work, but Minsc cuts them down. As they fall, green energy swarms into the body and they rise again to face them all. Using her book, Widdle is able to dominate the cultist to stop the battle, while Shaka and Penelope examine the magic in the room.
With a moment to examine the area using their keen senses, they figure out that the black diamonds have twisted the life giving temple into a place that causes death, feeding that energy directly to Tiamat. They're able to rearrange the stones and magic circles to stop the flow of corruption into the forest and prevent the energy from going to Tiamat. While doing so they realize the rest of the power will be siphoned into the nearest dragon. Penelope suddenly insists that D'hani hit her, an idea blooming in her mind. Confused but trusting the halfling, the monk reluctantly inflicts some damage on her friend, and it's enough to activate the figurine of wondrous power Penelope holds. It transforms into an adult gold dragon, calling the druid his mother, and accepts the name Albert! With the instructions to take on the siphoned energy and use it to do good things, Albert flies off to join the forest creatures in their fight.
Thinking the battle is won, Minsc cuts the cultist that Widdle has been magically holding in half. But once again the cultist revives from the dead and starts to drain Minsc's life. Knowing he must do something, Shaka feels a dual tug on his soul, conflicting powers of light and dark. He decides to lean into the light and protect his friend without harming his enemies by casting feeblemind. With the cultist devoid of his senses and powers, Penelope offers him a hug, and the book of exalted deeds gently sends the cultist to his final rest.
With a sarcastic clap, the Dark Lady appears. She once again tries to convince the group to simply walk away from a fight with Tiamat, especially Penelope and Widdle, who have shown her kindness. Despite the conversation, all the Champions are resolute in facing off against Tiamat, so she creates a floating disk to bring the group to the surface. As D'hani and Minsc leap in to join the fight against one of the remaining green dragons on the surface, the Dark Lady continues her conversation with Widdle and Penelope. Hoping to gain the favor of two powerful Champions, she offers the druid the opportunity to be the queen of all forests and Widdle the power to live forever, avoiding her pact with the Dark Lords. While both are tempted, neither outright accept. Shaka breaks in to insist they stop all the violence and have an audience with Tiamat. With several of the Champions still ignorant of her actual identity, the Dark Lady slyly agrees to deliver them all safely to their audience.
The Champions are teleported to the top of Mount Tiamat, where the Dark Lady produces a beaten but alive Freely to toss at their feet. Suddenly growing in size, she finally reveals her full majesty as the Mother of All Evil Dragons! With a dismissive scoff, Tiamat asks if they have come to die like all the other Champions before them, but Widdle quickly casts time stop to freeze the moment and have a chance to react. In a frozen moment of time, she can see that the five of them are not alone in this battle.
Help is on the way.
The final episode of this outstanding epic will see both teams reunited, and an epic battle with Tiamat! Will they survive? Will they succeed? Find out IN THE GRAND FINALE!
Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat Episode 7: Nemesis of the Gods : November 29th 2021
Team Two, made of Penelope, Widdle, Shaka, D'hani, Minsc, and the gold dragon Albert, stands on top of the volcano ready to engage Tiamat. Before the battle can begin, Widdle casts time stop to give herself a moment. She creates a magical shield and then attempts to cast feeblemind on Tiamat, but the spell does not work as the Raven Queen appears. The goddess remarks that she thinks Tiamat deserves better, but is willing to help if Widdle will choose a fellow Champion to join in serving her. Caught off guard by the question, the gnome picks Shaka, and with a pleased smile the Raven Queen vanishes.
Team One, made of Havilar, Avren, Baeloth, Selise, and Brig, joins the fight as Tiamat begins to radiate fear. However Avren casts true polymorph to turn into a red abishai and uses the power of his new form to give his party advantage on attacks and immunity to that fear. Using the wand of wonder, Brig becomes invisible and maneuvers behind the gargantuan Queen of Dragons, while Selise and Havilar run directly at her to smite and stab the dragon's hide. Baeloth tries to fool Tiamat with a major image of Bahamut, but she can easily see through his deception.
Announcing her boredom with the battle already, the white head breathes ice on the group which sends Havilar and Selise unconscious. D'hani shoots Tiamat with her bow and then moves in to start punching, while Albert tries his weakening breath. Before wildshaping into a mammoth, Penelope lights up the blue head with a sunburst, while Widdle attacks with her crown of stars and a fireball transmuted to acid. The Queen of Dragons shrugs off the attacks and mocks Penelope for no longer being her friend. Minsc flies into a rage and with a mighty blow slices off the red head! But before anyone can celebrate, the green head breathes poison gas which causes both Minsc and Shaka to fall unconscious, and a sharp claw reaches out to impale Boo! As Shaka falls, the Raven Queen once again appears to him and presents the wand of Orcus as a gift to join her, but he resists and denies her offer.
The two teams are looking rough when Freely appears along with the god, Lathander, who announces that while he can't interfere directly he can offer to make the fight fair. With a bright flash of light, both Team One and Two are fully healed and leveled up to 20! Then Lathander summons his own team of Champions to join the battle as Walnut, Evelyn, Strix, Vlahnya, and Melf arrive in epic style! All fifteen Heroes stand before Tiamat in ascendant glory, rejuvenated and ready to finish the fight!
In response to Lathander's actions, the Raven Queen regenerates the red head of Tiamat, announcing the fight is now actually fair. And the REAL battle begins!
With a globe of invulnerability created around him, Melf begins his bladesong, while Walnut gives Evelyn foresight before transforming into a mammoth. The red dragon head bathes the group in flames, but as the fire erupts around them, Strix casts time stop to heal herself. Before she can continue with her plan, Selûne appears and compliments Strix on showing up to help despite knowing very little about the situation. The goddess says she will prevent the volcano from exploding and invites the tiefling to her temple if she survives. Vlahnya gives Brig some bardic inspiration and then casts haste on Evelyn, who blasts the heads with a sunbeam while sinking her axe into the dragon hide with a smite!
Acid pours out of the black head onto many of the party, claws and tail dig into Avren, and Tiamat's wounds continue to heal. When Tiamat mocks the warlock and threatens his wife, Avren responds by moving into her body and polymorphing into a walking statue from Waterdeep. The red head ruptures, blood and fire exploding in all directions! In response, Tiamat shoots lightning at everyone, and Brig uses the distraction to sneak attack with his war lute, then sings to Selise for inspiration. Selise tries to hold monster, while Havilar and D'hani continue to slash and shoot into the dragon hide with epic attacks!
Baeloth calls out to the Raven Queen, admitting he was always her servant but had stayed quiet in order to let her try and ensnare others. She gladly gives him the wand of Orcus that Shaka refused. With Graz’zt at his side lashing out, Baeloth rains a meteor swarm down on Tiamat’s heads! Penelope surrounds the white head in a wall of thorns, but is suddenly confronted with an image of the Dark Lady asking if this is what friends and heroes do to each other. Penelope is conflicted, responding that she must help do the right thing, and she watches in horror as Tiamat kicks Albert into a portal to Avernus. With another casting of time stop, Widdle attacks Tiamat with several transmuted acid fireballs, but the Queen of Dragons is unaffected by the damage. Calling out to his giant miniature space hamster friend, Minsc joins in a flurry of slashing and teeth attacks!
For a third time the Raven Queen appears to Shaka, trying a final attempt to entice him to serve. She presents him with all the good times that she stole from his soul, and while he's frustrated at losing the happy memories he will not accept the deal. Turning back to the fight with Tiamat, he lets loose a psychic stream in anguish, causing her to stumble back in pain and begin to fall. But a green energy pours out of the ground, rising from the forest and re-energizing the Queen of Dragons. Havilar witnesses a vision of the future from the Raven Queen, showing the death of all her friends as Tiamat regains her strength. The Raven Queen asks Havilar to submit and serve in exchange for saving her friends. The tiefling accepts the deal, despite Melf and Widdle trying to intervene, and Havilar follows the Raven Queen through a glowing portal. The green energy dissipates leaving Tiamat vulnerable!
The rest of the Champions rally through the pain of their injuries and charge in to deliver an epic final blow, though Penelope chooses to simply stand with Tiamat to be with her at the end. And with the combined forces of all three teams of Champions Tiamat is slain and the threat to Faerûn is ended!
Our full cast of Champions:
B. Dave Walters as the Dungeon Master, Erin M Evans as Havilar, Jason Charles Miller as Brig Hellclaw, Mark Meer as Baeloth Barrityl, Tanya DePass as Selise Astorio, Todd Kenreck as Avren, Hope LaVelle as Penelope "Half-Pint", Jim Zub as Minsc & Boo, LaTia Jaquis as D'hani Lai, Meagan Kenreck as Widdle, Shareef Jackson as Shaka, Anna Prosser as Evelyn Avalona Helvig Marthain, Holly Conrad as Strix Beestinger, Luke Gygax as Melf, Satine Phoenix as Vlahnya Um'vairar, and Trystan Falcone as Walnut Dankgrass.
...but there's just one more thing…
On another side of the mountain, Farideh has been separated from her team. Three cultists of Tiamat try to attack her, but with a wall of fire and eldritch blasts she defeats them with ease. Freely arrives, trying to assist getting back into the fight, but the tiefling is stopped dead by a cold feeling in her heart. She can no longer feel the presence of her sister, Havilar. As the two hug, she witnesses the Raven Queen appear for a moment, and Farideh knows for certain that she must journey to the Shadowfell and rescue Havilar!
We'll see you in 2022 with Idle Champions Presents: Court of the Raven Queen!
The Cult of the Dragon has succeeded in their efforts to bring the Queen of Evil Dragonkind to the prime material plane, and has consolidated their power to fortify their stronghold at the Well of Dragons.
Champions from across the Forgotten Realms heed the call to band together and face this cataclysmic threat. It is here that the adventure for Idle Champions Presents: The Trial of Mount Tiamat begins...
Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat
We are excited to announce the return of Idle Champions Presents, a TRPG live play special event series starting Monday, October 18th. Each episode of Idle Champions Presents will broadcast live from 4PM until 7PM Pacific Time Mondays on the CNEGames Twitch.
Join Dungeon Master B Dave Walters (Black Dice Society, A Darkened Wish, Into the Mother Lands) as he takes two brave parties of Champions through an epic level campaign across seven episodes, leading them into a direct confrontation against an evil goddess with the fate of the Forgotten Realms hanging in the balance.
Party One features Erin M Evans (Brimstone Angels, Dungeon Scrawlers), Mark Meer (Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition) , Tanya DePass (Rivals of Waterdeep, Into the Mother Lands), and Todd Kenreck (Heroes of the Planes, Beyond Heroes), and Jason Charles Miller (The Gaxx Pack, Sirens of the Realms, Bardic Inspiration).
Check out the synposis and catch up on epsiodes from the first arc of Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat here with Episode 1: The Lake of Shadow, Episode 2: Fungus Grove, and Episode 3: Episode 3: The Mountain’s Fury!
Party Two features Hope LaVelle (Heroes of the Planes, Beyond Heroes), Shareef Jackson (Rivals of Waterdeep) , LaTia Jacquise (Rivals of Waterdeep, Into the Mother Lands), and Meagan Kenreck (Heroes of the Planes, Beyond Heroes), and Jim Zub (Heroes of Baldur’s Gate).
The second arc of our adventure begins on November 8th at 4PM Pacific at Twitch.tv/CNEGames with Episode 4: Forest of Dragons!
Vote for the Show You Want to See
Just like with our first Idle Champions Presents, Idle Champions players will be able to influence the characters and events of upcoming Idle Champions Presents episodes through in-game daily votes. Starting on Tuesday, October 12 with the in-game daily reset (12PM PT), each vote will go live for 24 hours, with the final vote for the week ending on Monday at 12PM PT.
Daily votes will have both an In-Game Effect and a Livestream Effect. For example, if players vote for one of two Champions to be granted a boon for the next episode of Idle Champions Presents, that Champion would be granted a corresponding boon in Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms! We don't want to spoil everything that players will be able to vote for, but here's an idea of what a few of the daily votes might look like:
Dice Roll! — Which Champion gains an guaranteed 'critical' roll?
Players will get to roll an Idle Champions D6 to collect a number of Electrum Chests and if they roll a 6, they can collect this paragon of honor and justice as a free familiar!
Lucky Choice — Which Champion should gains a luck die?
Surprise Find — Which Champion should find some additional gear?
Wild Card! — Do the Champions meet goblins or kobolds? Who explores the darkness? What fun affliction affects the chosen Champion?
But wait, there's more: there are Weekly Challenges each week that will vary between easy, medium, and difficult challenges to earn additional votes for daily votes. You can save these votes up for as long as you wish, using them all on the final vote in Week 7 if you wish. The choice is up to you!
The first vote begins on Tuesday, October 12 at 12PM PT in-game. You'll want to check in every day if you want the most chances to influence Idle Champions Presents!
Party 1 Champion Rebalance
In order to account for the way the current meta would impact voting, we’ve made some adjustments to certain Champions.
Increase base effect of A Celestial Puzzle from 100% to 150%
What do I need to know?
Idle Champions Presents: The Trials of Mount Tiamat begins on Monday, October 18th with the first episode broadcasting from 4PM until 7PM Pacific Time on Twitch.tv/CNEGames. Daily votes for the first episode will begin the week before, starting on Tuesday, October 12th at 12PM Pacific.
While Season 2 is a completely separate story arc than the first season, if you want to relive the Idle Champions Presents magic, you can watch Idle Champions Presents: The Unfair Seas and Idle Champions Presents: A Fool’s Errand on YouTube.
We can't wait to see how this all comes together! We hope you'll join us in discussion about Idle Champions Presents on Twitter using the #ICPAscendant hashtag and tagging @IdleChampions.
Tiamat recently escaped to Faerûn and threatens to destroy the whole of reality. It's time for you and your Champions to take part in an epic battle to distract, disrupt, and destroy the Dragon Queen's forces in a last-ditch effort to banish Tiamat back to Avernus and save the world!
We are excited to challenge you and your Champions to the Trials of Mount Tiamat, our co-operative multiplayer campaign! Team up with four other players, battle the Queen of Chromatic Dragons over seven days, and earn epic loot to level up your gear to new heights. Read on to learn the basics and make sure you check out all the details in the full FAQ in the game!
Softcap Increase
Before we get into the Trials of Mount Tiamat, we're excited to announce that the softcap on all of our Champions has been increased! So if you have yet to complete Descent into Avernus, or you've been stuck at your wall for a spell, your Champions will be able to level up even further, with 470 new upgrades split across 87 Champions!
What are the Trials of Mount Tiamat?
The Trials of Mount Tiamat is a new asynchronous co-operative multiplayer system that is unlocked once you complete the Descent into Avernus campaign. By playing through the Trials of Mount Tiamat, you can collect Scales of Tiamat, which you can use to upgrade your Epic items into Legendary rarity, imbuing them with new and unique powers!
How do I unlock this feature?
Before you can take part in Trials, you must have battled Tiamat and completed 'Elturel's Last Stand' in the Descent Into Avernus campaign. Then you need to complete the introductory adventure by clicking the Trials of Mount Tiamat campaign button on the campaign map. Once that is done, a new dialog will appear in the game which will let you create and join active Trials of Mount Tiamat campaigns.
How do I create or join a Trials of Mount Tiamat campaign?
On the main Trials of Mount Tiamat dialog screen, you can choose to create or join a campaign. If you're creating the campaign, you pick the campaign difficulty and the currency you will use to start it. Once you have created a campaign, you can select your Trial and nominate your Assault Front Champion. You will also see a campaign code you can give out if you want specific people to join your campaign. Pick a Trial to attempt, nominate your Assault Front Champion in order to "ready-up," and then wait for up to four additional players to join and "ready up" before you start.
If you're joining another campaign, you can view a list of available campaigns started by other players, or input a campaign code to join a specific one. You can filter by the difficulty of the campaign and/or the available Trials. You can only join campaigns that are at most one difficulty higher than the highest difficulty at which you have defeated Tiamat. Once you have joined a campaign you must pick a Trial to attempt and nominate your Assault Front Champion in order to "ready-up".
What are the "Trials" and how do I pick one?
The "Trials" are five unique adventures that take place on, around, or under Mount Tiamat. They focus on distracting, disrupting, and destroying the Dragon Queen's forces so the Assault Front Champions can engage her directly in order to banish her back to Avernus. The monsters and environments you battle in vary from Trial to Trial, and there are rewards for completing each Trial for the first time. Other than that, it doesn't make a difference which Trial you choose on any given week. Only one player can pick each Trial each week and everyone must choose a Trial before the campaign can begin.
What is an "Assault Front Champion" and how do I pick one?
When you join a campaign, you will select one of your roster's Champions to join the Assault Front. The Assault Front is where Champions directly engage Tiamat and attempt to reduce Tiamat's health to zero to force her into the Red Wizard's trap. Choose carefully, as you will be unable to use your chosen Assault Front Champion while the campaign is active! These Assault Front Champions will provide buffs to all players on the campaign based on their roles and their item level, so sending more popular, more powerful Champions to the Assault Front will result in higher buffs to each party.
What happens on my Trial Adventure?
The goal is to reduce Tiamat's health to zero and you do so by increasing your DPS contributions by doing your chosen Trial adventure. You can reset your Trial Adventure multiple times a day, but will always be forced to reset at the end of the day. This is because each day the battle against Tiamat gets harder! You start out on day one with a single, simple restriction on the adventure, such as "Only Champions with STR 10+ can be used." Each day a new restriction is added, making the fight to reach your daily area goal even harder. You will earn Bahamut favor by resetting your Trial Adventure, which can be converted to the permanent favor of your choice after the campaign has ended.
What rewards can I earn from the Trials of Mount Tiamat?
Every time you complete a campaign you receive Scales of Tiamat, which can be used to upgrade your epic items into Legendary rarity, imbuing them with new and unique powers! If you manage to bring Tiamat's health to zero and banish her back to Avernus, you will receive a bonus of 50% more Scales. You may also receive one or more Glory of Bahamut chests for defeating Tiamat. The higher the difficulty level of the campaign, the more Scales and Chests you can get!
There are also some one-time rewards you can receive. The first time you defeat Tiamat on each difficulty, your Scales of Tiamat reward will be multiplied by 3. Additionally, the first time you defeat Tiamat after taking part in each Trial, you will receive a special Wyrmspeaker Champion Skin!
Collect each of the Wyrmspeaker skins above by defeating Tiamat on each of the Trials!
The Mountain Trial for Wyrmspeaker Torogar
The Swamp Trial for Wyrmspeaker Makos
The Underground Trial for Wyrmspeaker Jarlaxle
The Forest Trial for Wyrmspeaker Krull
The Plains Trial for Wyrmspeaker Avren!
Would you like to outfit more Champions in fantastic Wyrmspeaker garb? There are more Wyrmspeaker skins available in the in-game shop, including Wyrmspeaker Nayeli and her adorable Baby Tiamat Familiar! You can find Wyrmspeaker Nayeli in the Trials Founder’s Pack, which will appear in the shop once you have access to the Trials of Mount Tiamat.
We hope you enjoy this epic battle with one of the Forgotten Realms most iconic characters, and cannot wait to hear all the glorious tales of triumph as you team up with your friends on the Idle Champions Subreddit, on the Steam forums, or on the Official Idle Champions Discord!
