Flames of Kythorn is one of the Elemental Evil series of D&D Adventurers League adventures. An adventure for 3-7 characters of levels 1-4, it presents the players with a fascinating situation, and then just can’t handle the landing.
The basic concept behind the adventure is that a cultist of Elemental Fire has tricked an artist into painting magical pictures that cause those who view them to become pyromaniacs – eventually, his hope is to burn the entire city of Mulmaster down. Just what Elemental Fire wants to do. The characters become aware of this when an innkeeper throws a flammable drink onto a noblewoman, and then lights the drink. As this was at the showing of one of the artist’s paintings, clues begin to mount up as to the cause until the characters discover the artist and his patron.
At least, that’s the hope. Unfortunately, the DM is going to have to intervene somewhere because the clues are incredibly vague. They’re great at leading the characters in circles rather than to the true culprit. I think the idea is that once the characters have heard a couple of things about the mysterious patron they should investigate him, but finding where he lives is tremendously hard (if not impossible) in the adventure as written.
The boxed text is fantastic at not giving you relevant information. A pyre is started to burn down a shop… but that’s not in the boxed text. A brooch is referred to again and again, but is only described in an appendix (where you discover it was actually a magic item) and you have to guess it’s a magic item because it’s not listed in the encounter where you gain it.
The hooks for the adventure are vague, and the beginning is tremendously unfocused. Go enjoy yourself at a party! Oh, and while you’re there something happens. The most recent time I ran it, I just skipped to the Something Happens and kick-started the plot. Adventures can start with briefings or start in medias res. What’s it called when you have to wait even to get to the bit when the adventure begins? The Hands of Fate opening?
Despite all these problems, Flames of Kythorn has some tremendous ideas and imagery. It is definitely salvageable, and one of the things it does right is to introduce players to different aspects of life in Mulmaster; something this series really needs.
It’s just an adventure that needs a lot of work: good ideas, but flawed implementation.
So I am not, in fact, crazy or senile or if I am it has nothing to do with not being able to follow this adventure. I had the same issues trying to prep it. There is one set of clues that is a total red herring and doesn’t get the players any closer to resolving the mystery and there are basically no clues that directly point the players to where they really need to go. There are also a lot of typos beyond those listed above. If I had to guess, I would say that the adventure was significantly overhauled during development, some original content was left intact, and some new content got lost. Quite frustrating.