Shadows of Drakkenheim Episode 27 -Three Heads Are Better Than Eight

MONSTERS OF DRAKKENHEIM is 300+ pages of eldritch horror inspired monsters for 5e by the Dungeon Dudes! Coming to Kickstarter March 26th, 2024: www.kickstarte... After their encounter with the Duchess, our heroes head back to the lighthouse tower to with River.
DUNGEONS OF DRAKKENHEIM is coming to Kickstarter in 2021! We’re partnering with Ghostfire Games to publish the complete adventure for Fifth Edition.
Sign up at www.drakkenheim... to get the latest updates!
____________________________
Watch us play live Tuesdays 6-9 PM EDT on Twitch:
/ dungeon_dudes
Join our Patreon community:
/ dungeon_dudes
Get our custom t-shirts:
bit.ly/dungeond...
Pick up your next D&D book on Amazon using our affiliate links below. As an Amazon Affliate, we earn from qualifying purchases:
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything -- amzn.to/38SXLK2
Xanathar’s Guide to Everything - amzn.to/2YjaIHY
Volo’s Guide to Monsters - amzn.to/2SseJVu
D&D 5e Starter Set - amzn.to/2Yjbc0K
D&D 5e Core Rulebook Set - amzn.to/2xYTKQG

[@Pixaley]

“Nine missed birthdays, and they want my finger?!?” My stars, I was not prepared. Every episode, I love one character more. 😂

[@euansmith3699]

"The Celestial Nexus", is that a pre-existing name, or does Voltar Banemoon just give grandiloquent names to everything. "Master Banemoon, might I use your water closet?" "To enter the Oubliette of Ultimate Excretion you must first brave the Arcade of Pedal Locomotion!" "Pardon?" "The toilet is down that corridor, first on the right."

[@FedericoVetencourt]

Sounds like classic D&D wizard behavior to me: Name your Spell: magic house/refuge, or MORDENKAINEN'S MAGNIFICENT MANSION!

[@zackcrow1776]

I love the way Wrath swings from his normally disinterested apathy when they're slaughtering entire towns of villagers to absolute rage whenever his parents come up lol

[@euchiron]

2:37:22 "Wilhelm, you're halfway there" (to being blindfolded) Gods I love Wrath when he's throwing shade

[@Skarpo89]

I laughed so hard 😂

[@RicardoMoralesMassin]

Monty's EVIL maniacal laugh as a hydra literally tears through the group is truly a thing of beauty. Wholesome, somehow.

[@superj1010]

The Thunder Step heal play was one of the most legendary things I have ever seen.

[@PartialDemon]

"Fine I'll give them my finger!!!" I'm dying and thinking (I got just the finger for them)

[@pyrhaa]

Here's my thumb

[@couryrussell7653]

“Wilhelm, you’re halfway there.” That. That had me dying 😂😂😂

[@tankul1234]

I had to watch it twice to make sure what we were laughing at.

[@walth5409]

I was unaware that Wilhelm Surprise was a meal in a hydra cookbook.

[@ejnarsorensen2920]

The way Monty pronounces Iron always makes me smile.

[@markdrury7483]

And niches lol

[@Axiom_Link]

And wyvern. In fact these Canadian friends just make me smile to hear them speak in general.

[@sambrown7693]

It's "particularly" for me

[@rcschmidt668]

@@sambrown7693 Same... “par-tikki-lair-ly” LOL

[@flightlessbird2281]

Funny....I noticed it too.

[@devin5201]

This is maybe the third time, don't quote me on that but third-ish time the academy uses the "swords also cause death" analogy and I'm gonna take a guess that Monty is 100% aware of the difference between swords and basically magic uranium which I really like, it's this weird flaw in the academy which is so obsessed with studying delirium that they're unwilling to let even some of it be destroyed for safety's sake, this is the stuff that keeps me coming back, that and the hilarious antics these guys get into even though they're in such a dark world.

[@lost8320]

I know I love it so much, the moment it started I was like oh shit here we go again lol

[@fabiovarra3698]

I realy like how Monty make River start with a sounding argument, but then she keeps repeat how powerful, pure, and magical delirium is. The Silver Order are religious fanatics, but the Academy is a bunch of drug addict.

[@fabiovarra3698]

@@Wintermute909 The taking of magic born children by the academy is a wide known law of Westmar, is part of a series of laws that regulate magic use.

[@donalddouds6033]

The Mage academy suffers from the most primal of all human vices; Hubris. They believe that they and they alone can harness and control delirium when it is already proven that they do not and cannot do so. Already the delirium is in the hands of other mages of the world through illicit trade in Drhansmen because of man’s second most common vice; greed.

[@TheSeventhChild]

Watching Kelly's face through the journey of Monty declaring six hydra bites to him rolling the dice to him doing the classic DM "Uh oh".

[@christopherpearson7261]

The way Monty laughs as they fight the Hydra. It feels like he's playing against the group, which I NORMALLY hate, but the way he does it just makes it seem so much fun. It makes no sense to me, but I love it! LOL

[@LittleDanny9899]

Part of it might be that due to them all being pretty experienced he did trow quite challenging situations ageinst them a bunch of times and they always mastered them quite well (Litteraly the first turn of the hydra fight was probably one of the worst situations they were in) So while he is kinda playing ageinst them they are Kinda still the protagonist able to fight past it witout actualy having to fear it (most of the time) but it does still always have this kind of danger that especialy with newer groups just does not realy happen (atleast from my own experience)

[@Iveno-Von-Aethervein]

rewatching these episodes I realize that maybe the Amethyst Academy did have a hand in the delirium problem... "It would take thousands of mages casting spells in one location to create a fragment." the Academy Tower. "Once you have a piece of delirium it will grow and attract more magic." the entire city was drenched wall-to-wall in magical energy well before the meteor fell and all that magic was put there by mages...

[@nightflame69]

Rudy actually diving into the mouth of the dutchess with the immovable rod was fucking awesomeness!

[@KnicKnac]

This game has so much intrigue and I'm hooked. Plays out like a book when I listen to it. Cannot wait for the book.

[@DungeonDudes]

Thank you!

[@Lord_lost13]

I love how Monty gets a maniacal laugh when he said 2 more heads are about to sprout up. That laugh is awesome

[@naheulnain]

"In only a millenium perharps, there wont be anywhere to run" Said the elf. How to drop a hint

[@monarchlaciel3057]

Elves typically only live ~750 years so... you think Monty is hinting he's not an elf?

[@Axiom_Link]

@@monarchlaciel3057 I keep saying I think this campaign is heading into a space cowboys directions... I think Voltar Boonmane is possibly a Gith... or like. What the Gith where before they became enslaved.

[@CallenExile]

I'm rewatching season one, and wanted to throw out a possible idea for one of the Untold Tales side stories. A game that starts 15 years ago, days before the meteor fell, as a group must fight their way OUT of the city core past looters and the first twisted monsters...

[@CallenExile]

@@AjenjoAnejo And had to be fought later. :D

[@CallenExile]

A couple requests for the book: A map with locations marked from the "Untold Tales" that took place in and near Drakkenheim. If you aren't planning on making a second book for Shadows of Drakkenheim, a map of Westemar and at least a couple paragraphs about each of the settlements in the region should the party branch out in that direction. If the players start as members of a faction, that's a huge benefit. Would it be possible to include some sort of equivalent for not being part of one of those factions? Maybe an NPC who has an interest in the city staying the way it is, who helps people who stay out of the politics?

[@dirmusloner7963]

River's answers to Wilhelm, if I was a player in that table my character would be like "I ve had enough with excuses, it seems river you want us as adventurers to do your dirty work, so you sit there doing nothing"

[@CelticpredGaming]

Monty does such a good job at bringing up opposing points to problems and arguments, That whole delerium speech by River is so good.

[@harkthesound32]

Would love to hear more about how cleric subdomains work in the setting for the new book - are all the domains included in the sacred flame? Are some domains/gods blasphemous? Love the show and can't wait for the book. Thank you all!

[@zTom_]

Wilhelm got cocky there, wanting to get up close and personal with such beast. 😅 "HA-HA! Take TH... Oh NO!" 😱 Terrible time to forget he had a badass magic mini-ballista available to safely do big damage from out of the Hydra's reach! : p

[@illoney5663]

I love the way Voltar described Delerium, with it's spread and growth, comparing it to cancer was masterful. Also, this makes me excited to see a world where the containment failed and delerium has spread endlessly. Maybe a future campaign idea if containment fails?

[@alexandercross9081]

Where do you think the Elves came from? All we know is: 1. The Elves needed an astronomical amount of power to escape. 2. They could not use said astronomical power to solve the problem. Planetary scale Delerium cancer would definitely be a problem of such magnitude, and lend itself to such a solution.

[@generalrendar7290]

Really would have liked to see the ballista used against the hydra.

[@captainthorrek262]

Please tell me Wrath sent them his middle finger!

[@N3kr0n15]

Thats what I was thinking

[@Aleksandrus12]

Great!

[@Ashley1Black]

When he read the letter, I thought they would offer to reattach the fingers, not use them to spy on him.

[@Aleksandrus12]

@@Ashley1Black yeah, same

[@troymartin7308]

I thought they wanted to preserve it for a resurrection spell. Make a clone if he dies.

[@pw3829]

Betray the academy! Join the silver order!!! That would make my day! Especially if it’s Wrath’s idea in the first place. Some form of vengeance or Bruce identifies a source of power.

[@theorycrafters7281]

PallyLock? Would be interesting

[@VuvuzelaTM]

You should have quotes from the factions about the other factions on the book. AKA Vampire the mascarede

[@captainthorrek262]

This! I loved how factions in Vampire and Werewolf saw each other, or which of the other side they didn't see as all that bad.

[@rcschmidt668]

There is some of that in the race selection part of PHB.

[@TheyCallMeCarg]

The way Wrath describes welcoming the Bruce-induced nightmares, perhaps the cat should have been called Alice.

[@VuvuzelaTM]

Congrats Joe, it was your best moment in the entire franchise to this day 😂😂😂

[@masonwadd3096]

My favorite was using Suggestion to break Rudi out of mind control

[@lost8320]

My favorite is “you killed a courtyard of paladins and you sleep just fine”

[@harrywhiteley89]

"Wilhelm! This is not The Academies fault. The Academy did not crash a meteor into the city" -Wrath (Season 2, Ep 27 2:14:54-2:15:00) Just holding this quote... for reasons... also cant wait for some Academy Wizard to cast Meteor Swarm in Drakkenheim :)

[@manuelmatos9100]

Yay! We might see the city of Drakkenheim again! So excited to see it again with all the new things from the book!

[@manuelmatos9100]

That's a lot of exclamation sings!!!!! hahaha

[@jaycater131]

Well done all, another great episode tyvm! I thought Wilhelm was toast for sure, then had to imagine him as a bit of a sieve with the running water slowly being turned off as the healing potion took effect. Awesome / funny at the same time. If it is at all possible I think River should politely offer to Prestidigitate Wilhelm's clothes back together before they get teleported. (He is an Academy representative after all).

[@jda2692]

Love the groups dynamic and when Wrath loses his cool!

[@mikecarson7769]

saw the video title and thought "Oh no! Monty sent the team back to fight with the hydra???" later in video = "ooooooohhhhh!!!!"

[@walth5409]

2:31:00 Man, Wilhelm didn't like being called inbred. poke that bear, monty

[@martiansoon9092]

Having this open field of gaming is a challenge for any DM. Open portals, alternative ideological parties that players may join, many routes and chances to go forward... This creates multiple ways to go forward. And that means DM has to prepare multiple plays, specially if they are given to players during the game session. One real issue is to try to give these forwarding choices in the end of the session. This gives time to properly prepare the next session.

[@gregshimmin5334]

Monty and I feel the same about Hydras, so much fun!

[@ShadowOfThePoet]

Great plan with the oil. I would have had the hydra try to rush to the water. I was also excited to see Wrath shove it into the corner and was hoping for a hunger of Bruce or some tentacles. Crowd control for the win.

[@martiansoon9092]

Hydra keeps teaching Wilhelm that a rogue is a RANGED fighter. Specially with repeating xbow. 😮‍💨

[@johnmorgan4558]

Can’t wait for the book to launch. I’m sure this has been suggested and/or crossed your minds ... but a series of Drakkenheim lore videos would be helpful for players and DMs.

[@Bernardonogmo]

What If the Queen of thieves has taken kesselholm?! I would love to see It!

[@alexinfinite7142]

Nooo she's scary enough as it is!! Lol 😆

[@Ashley1Black]

That's what I'm thinking. It used to belong to the royal family. It makes sense for Kat to go there and reclaim it.

[@N3kr0n15]

That was my first thought too

[@palatablepotato]

I just thought "hmmmm maybe their new video is up" and there it is... five minutes ago... what a timing!!

[@clodguida5056]

Ok, I've got a theory about Kesselholm, which involves a spoiler from season one. SPOILER What if The queen of thieves (a.k.a. Kat) escaped from Drakkenheim to Kesselholm? I mean, rats destroyed her whole place, and it seems that Kesselholm could have been, plausibly, her summer house, plus it's close to Drakkenheim, plus she might be up to something amassing delerium. Maybe it's a stretch, but I would love to see her again.

[@phillipblindenbach6978]

Or the Queen…escaped from the crypts & started up her delirium lily grow op???

[@nightflame69]

You have to remember. In season one, it was the amethyst academy.. that basically turned delirium into a suitcase nuke..

[@danielstandridge448]

Oh man, great episode guys! One of the best yet. I was hoping to see some of those famous Caspian Bungalows, but I guess I'll have to wait for the next series.

[@reavercorp4863]

Listening to Wrath's rant about the letter had me absolutely rolling 😂

[@mattfitzgerald7836]

Amethyst Academy - Do not forget to blindfold the horses. 'Speak with Animals' is also a thing :)

[@jimprice1943]

Monty: "How will you approach (the Hydra)?" Answer: "With soiled trousers!"

[@jakobandersen3210]

Can we get the PCs stats, HP and AC under their cameras?

[@mahdiaman3993]

yes pleaaaaase...!!!

[@Joshbehe]

If you watch live they have their DnDbeyond linked

[@eagleveteran]

@@Joshbehe www.dndbeyond.com/characters/19977848/1TXR1J is the link for Rudi and you can click on the campaign link to see the others

[@TheyCallMeCarg]

Delirium has been silently offering the same deal to the Amethyst Academy that The Duchess made to Rudi. "I have many secrets. I will tell them to you." The Academy does not have the wisdom to push back that Rudi displayed with very little effort. This brings it back to the Fallout 4 comparisons Monty made in the early days. The Silver Order is the Brotherhood. The Academy is the Institute.

[@RicardoMoralesMassin]

Guys come on, y'all have ranged attacks. Open with the cat tongue space rupture thing, Wrath knocks it back and back, Whilhem shoots it and Rudi cauterizes the bolt wounds with firebolt. Always from a distance. It comes to you, you knock it back, if it still comes you run away. You have the river and that big rock to go around as much times as you need. Knock it back, hit it from a distance, repeat until it dies. Berries.

[@user-go9vu9dm1p]

Rudi needs the Headless Horseman's Axe to take out the hydra!

[@tool9386]

Wilhelm got his day wrecked. LOL. amazing.

[@MrBiloxifireman]

Haha a reminder Rouges are not tanks.

[@jacktom3799]

@@MrBiloxifireman i mean a hydra attacking with so many heads can fuck up anyone not just rouges

[@MrBiloxifireman]

@@jacktom3799 very true

[@alexinfinite7142]

I was driving at work yelling "Wilhelm no!" and looking like a lunatic lol

[@MrBiloxifireman]

@@alexinfinite7142 😆🤣

[@joeschlosser687]

When Wilhelm was ganged up on by 6 hydra heads after having such a confident readied action attack might have been the funniest moment of season 2 so far

[@mixmastermike2128]

LMAOOO im so scared for the team but laughing so hard at this encounter!!!

[@alexdaum3862]

What a great episode. And cool teaser for the book too. Such a good idea to detail the factions that way!

[@zactheg]

Love when they try to be sneaky about putting 3 'yes's together.

[@GrandRezero]

If all 6 of those hydra bites hit Wilhelm.. he would have just been dead, immediately.

[@kelb76]

Deliereum doesn't kill people; people kill people

[@superj1010]

I just ran the Nothic from the Lost Mine of Phandelver, and I succeded in throughly creeping my family out. The best part is, they decided to spare it, because it knew information about an NPC child they ard trying to save. More creepyness!

[@shyler602]

Also Monty as far as keeping the personality per say of the different factions a little more open and vague, it allows the dm to adjust the game to more their own instead of exactly the same. It will give it more replayability.

[@WilliamWhyles]

Hey! Like I said from the "Pool Party" Episode *_Overconfidence is a slow and insidious kiler_*

[@chewygad7899]

What a planning and tactical blunder.

[@alexanderbglass]

Looks like the party is doing the Kessel Run...

[@bautistapappolla2726]

wrath is so cute when he get pissed off XD

[@ShadowsOfEssence]

Warlocks and rings of spell storing are a powerful combo. Only draw back is as warloxk.gets higher lvl they can only store one spell in it.

[@DGenHero]

32:45 Joe, I love that. That silent "WHAT?"

[@Axiom_Link]

I want that area map in tapestry format, my friends. And I want it now.

[@emophobe]

As an MGS4 nuclear dismantaler: betray the academy.

[@MrZonehawk]

(River) "let me just checkmate this guy (Wilhelm")

[@jasonmims6058]

Not gonna lie...I was certainly glued to the screen and my breathing was held when this part unfolded 1:21:11

[@OrichalcumHammer]

The invisible bodies hanging in Purple light that Wilhelm accidently kills by throwing his coins, what happened to them, the Elder High-Elf also didn't seem to care.

[@martiansoon9092]

Wilhelm should ask fire bolts and perhaps other fire potions. Even oil flasks would be wise to have. Also perhaps few fire spewing scrolls would be nice for casters. And flame axe spell / poured fire potions on the Rudi's axes...

[@ledhyper4282]

Dungeons of D. Plan: kill the gnolls, ignored rats now get unlimited food, rats go out of control. Shadows of D. Plan: kill the fishfolk, ignored rats claim big shiny in submarine, rats go out of control. Hail the rat god

[@HiopX]

Yes yes yes

[@RicardoMoralesMassin]

dude the rats we've seen got whooped. And their plans for a submarine sank with the ship the last one was on. They were almost anihilated.

[@chewygad7899]

That was some tedious RP after the delirium detector scene. Yes, there’s a lot of it. Most of these RP sessions seemed like… “hey lots of magic stuff is happening and and it will take time to figure it out, we’ll get the academy on it.” Have the academy send a team and on to the next fight.

[@cat_died]

I miss the notion of the Amathyst Academy mages wearing inconspicuous clothing with small accessories to subtly mark their status as a member. That was the idea for the academy early in season one, wasn't it? Seems if they'd stuck with that, Wrath would have a much easier time concealing his identity.

[@BlackShadow1991]

The hydra encounter was fantastic and the party did a good job :D

[@yearsofDeath-vv7nl]

I can't help but think of a few weeks ago where my 7th level fighter took out a hydra in a single round. Naturally I'm breaking the game with polearm master and battle Master. Great weapon fighting and all that fun stuff. But, with 4 attacks and the bonus action attack I dealt enough damage to kill all the heads before it could regenerate them. It was a happy day for me

[@a-aron391]

Awww yeah, love it when Shadows drops on Friday. Highlight of the workday

[@donalddouds6033]

Sometimes I wonder about the team’s tactics (or horrible lack of) Wilhelm using a reaction to attack a HYDRA IN MELEE when he could easily have done so from range is absolutely 100% mind boggling. Not to mention CONSTANTLY placing both casters and rogues in melee range CONSTANTLY

[@crownlexicon5225]

Literally watched the last episode hours ago before work. What amazing timing!

[@jeffreybomba]

This is the DnD version of a zombie apocalypse and the mages sound like the scientists that tried to use virus to cure cancer.

[@thisisarobberyb4398]

Wrath saying „Also, River, thank you. [...] you’re what I really consider my family“ was actually fucking wholesome Edit: Kelly sounding so depressed after being bumrushed by 6 hydra heads as he says "the 16 misses..." XDDD this whole situation made me laugh way harder than anything within the past fucking months! Hahahahahaha

[@1Lanavis1]

River is unhinged with her comparing swords and iron to literal magic, corruptive radiation rocks lol. Despite that I do agree they should not write it off as "destroy on sight" and should try safely learning more about it to use for good

[@ShadowsOfEssence]

River " delirium may need to be destroyed. We need to study it more." Also earlier River, " here are your delirium power weapons, totally safe"

[@Pixaley]

Best use of a thunder step in the history of DnD. 😂

[@Yogue7]

Whenever the hydra takes 25 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the hydra dies. At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last turn, unless it has taken fire damage since its last turn. The hydra regains 10 hit points for each head regrown in this way.

[@papaswench8161]

1:25:00 why did Rudi use a flint instead of firebolting? It just seems like she wasted an opportunity to do extra fire damage and attack after because of her feat.

[@Nanalagoon]

I'm mildly surprised that the Dungeon Dudes don't have D&D tattoo sleeves on their arms. Just a suggestion haha

[@sylvnfox]

Jill just had a baby, now Monty and Kelly are making one of their own.

[@boldarock4095]

Joe steals the show no matter what Pluto and now Wrath I’m dead

[@boldarock4095]

I don’t need a watchful eye I already have that in Wilhelm 😂🤣💀

[@alexinfinite7142]

Downloading for my day at work tomorrow... :)

[@isaackarr6576]

2:15:00 my plan would be to turn Draccenheim into a flying city and coat it in glass.

[@MrBiloxifireman]

Shadows of Drakkenheim episode 27. 2:00:54. Powering up the Orb that's attached to the Celestial Nexus and the Cloud Watcher Lines. 2:03:30 Locations of Delirium, (please help to correct the spelling of the names.. thanks) Along the Drann River in Altbroke, Todesfeld, Drannsmund, Aschaffen and Ash Bay. Also in Caspia port city of Jackson town. Also South of Drakkenheim along the Trade route Geldsadt, Leuchten and South to The free city of Levario. Also NE of Drakkenheim in Kesselwald at Lake Dray and in the Forest of Kesselwald & Achtungwald there are spots all over. These spots may have enough Delirium that's its actually growing 😳🤔.

[@ShadowsOfEssence]

Lol... poor Wilhelm. Who needs ranged healing? As the person normally playing support charecters, this was funny.

[@phillipblindenbach6978]

Where was the ballista up on the cliff??? Face-to-face against a Hydra?!?

[@levgoldiner3098]

Love the family drama. Great job.