Return to Khazad-dum (4E) - Session 2

A summary of our second session of our Return to Khazad-dum campaign.

In attendance:

Kevin - dm
me - male dwarven warlord (Durin)
Ed - male human fighter (Grimbold)
Bob - male halfling rogue (Aramis)
Murph - male eladrin warlock (Allorian)

This summary is going to be a little rant-y.

After Murph's previous experiences playing wizards, Kevin decides it would probably be best if Tharivold becomes an NPC. Wizards popping in and out of the adventure feel more Tolkienish. Kevin creates an eladrin warlock for Murph to play (it lets him sling spells to blast things, seems like a perfect fit).

After a good night's rest, the wizard tells the party that he has learned that evil is on the rise in Middle Earth and strange creatures have been appearing. This is also causing more evils to rise in Moria. In order to help combat this evil, he asks us to retrieve and object of power. The eladrin warlock is introduced as someone who can help us on our journey, and is cousin to the one we must meet.

We head through the gap of Rohan on our way to Edoras. There we will acquire horses to speed our journey. On the way, we run into a strange creature attacking some Rohirrim (Kevin found fan created version of a behir). Before we can join the battle, the horsemen are slain. Lance's character, Goliator, was with us but not really with us (as an NPC). He had gotten sidetracked and was some time behind us.

This would be our only encounter for the evening. Kevin did his best but this evening's combat was pain-ful (stretch out your pronunciation of the word). Kevin had lent Murph his PHB and told him to read up on his character's abilities. Murph did not do so. Kevin had allowed us to tweak our characters if he made character choices we disagreed with. Bob switched a lot of his abilities (one was taking the feat to let him use d8s instead of d6s for sneak attack damage - I didn't realize that hobbits were that blood thirsty). On average, Bob and Murph took 4 - 5 minutes to perform their actions (Kevin timed it). From what I could tell, Bob kept looking for broken ability combinations. Murph kept looking for what he could do (this is what I was afraid of when we started at 11th level, someone unfamiliar with the rules and so many abilities to figure out). Ed and I averaged 1 - 2 minutes (mostly checking the math or trying to remember what we planned on doing). This meant a single round of combat took 10 - 15 minutes. I don't blame 4E for these long delays. These delays did give me additional time to go through my power list. This is where I realized that most powers are essentially the same. Most powers seem to let you attack and grant someone a move (the warlord's specialty), attack and grant someone a bonus, attack and grant healing or a save). The higher level powers just increase the damage output and possibly increase the move/bonus/heal/save. Once you run out of encounter and daily powers, combats really become a slugfest. Again, my powers are not as useful because of the nature of the combat (still loving Hammer and Anvil). Galiator arrives just in time to help finish off the beast so we can end the session.

From here on, this becomes a little rant-ish.

Since we started a such a high level and Kevin only gave our characters a couple of magic items, he's decided to let us pick an item or two (under a certain GP value) and have Tharivold make them. During the week, I leaf through the magic item section of the PHB. I'm underwhelmed. Magic items seems to be there to give you minor bonuses, an occasional boost and of course, up the damage output. Between the powers and the magic items, I'm starting to feel like 4E is missing something. Then it comes to me. Where's the magic, the sense of wonder? I know the rules don't preclude you from roleplaying, but I think they have effect on how you game. Look at how many people say 3.5 had too many rules preventing them from really enjoying the game when they could have just have easily ignored the rules they didn't like. We did it in 1E and 2E. I see no reason you can't in 3E. In theory, it's true in 4E but I haven't investigated it yet.

Let me give you some examples of what I'm talking about. My memory is a little foggy on some of the details but I'll do my best.

In a AD&D game, our characters were about 7th level (near the glass ceiling ) and we had managed to tick off the local evil wizard and his henchmen. We were staying in an inn on the waterfront. My character happened to looking out the window and noticed a glowing object growing brighter and heading straight for us "it's coming right for us"). We just managed to escape the room before the fireball hit. We met the magic user and his henchmen in battle on the docks. Eventually, all the wizard's men were killed and my compatriots were down. The wizard then trapped me with an Iron Bands of Bollero (sp?) spell. Kevin has an evil grin on his face as he tells me that the wizard is gloating and appears to be preparing another spell. He asks what I'm going to do.

I tell him "bead of force."

"What?"

"I have the beads of force we found in my belt pouch. I reach in, pull one out and flick it at him."

Kevin's surprised but lets me make an attack. It hits and the wizard staggers. "You'll regret that." As he prepares another spell, I toss another bead of force at him and hit. Kevin asks, "how many of those things do you have again?" I respond, "four, and I intend on using every last one of them." The wizard's really upset now. "I am going to make your death slow and painful." "Suck on this!" Another hit and the wizard falls. This is probably one of my all time favorite gaming moments. I'm not sure it would have been as memorable in 4E. Sure I could have been immobilized by some power, but the thing that made this encounter so great was that I wasn't supposed to be able to do anything (immobilized just prevents movement). Plus, no beads of force yet (if ever, or I'll have to invest in another book or a DDI subscription).

In another AD&D game, my fighter found a set of plate mail and put it one. It was armor of missile attraction and I loved having it. Another time, Ed's character found magical boots which turned his character into a woman (hilarity ensued). In a Living Greyhawk game (before the dark times, before the magic marts ) Dave's monk found a Quaal's Feather Token. When he died during a river journey, miles from any civilization, we were able to use it to quickly get us back to a town and have him raised (allowing him to continue the adventure instead of sitting there until the end). Finding a magic item was special (We did loose some of this in 3E where any wizard can make an item). I don't get the same feeling with 4E (especially where the guidelines tell you to make sure the items are useful to your PCs).

At this point, which means today as our next session is this Friday (which I'm looking forward to), I'm still down on 4E. The more I think on it, the more I realize why 4E hasn't grabbed me (yet?). I don't care if the classes are balanced against each other. I play classes I'm interested in, not because they are more powerful than the others. I want my wondrous magic items to be wondrous. Resource management was part of the game (4E has it to some extent but it was much more prevalent in prior editions). Defeating the enemy despite the fact that you started the battle with lingering injuries made it that much sweeter. How cool was it to overcome you're cursed item or a penalty because you're using a weapon you're not proficient with to take out the bad guy. While I like a lot of what 4E brings to the table, I worry that it sacrificed too much in the name of balance (and eliminating penalties).

I think we (as in my group) let the rules of 3E get in the way of our fun (and I am (was) as huge offender). I went back and started looking at 3E again to remember what I liked and didn't like. I also have been looking at the Pathfinder RPG beta rules and the Books of Experimental Might. I'm liking a lot of what I've seen with the Pathfinder RPG beta. It's increasingly likely that the next time I come up in the DM rotation, I'm going to use the Pathfinder RPG rules to run an adventure (at least to start). My 1E / Hackmaster books are also calling.

I plan on keep an open mind as we play 4E (I pointed my group to these posts). I can see 4E becoming my system of choice still. How this campaign goes will have a lot of influence on my acceptance of this system (no pressure). I tried to quickly put together some of my likes / dislikes so far about 4E.

Likes
- monster design
- encounter building
- critical hit system
- death & dying
- action type breakdown (i.e. the utility of the minor action)

Dislikes
- skill challenges (that may change after I give Stalker0' of ENWorld Obsidian system a try)
- "sameness" of powers
- everyone's a wizard
- all spells areas are squares
- magic items
- the sales model


DM's summary:
After stepping through the portal, the fellowship finds itself in the lower basement of Tharilvold's tower in Isengard. The group enjoys a hot meal by a warm fire for the first time in nearly a month. After enjoying some comforts and a good night's rest, the adventurers meet in the morning to assess their situation.

Tharivold has been in contact with other Wizards of the Circle and has learned that the evils stirring deep within Khazad-Dum are a reflection of other evil surfacing all around Middle Earth. Tharivold also needs some time to spend crafting items of power for the intrepid adventurers. To assist in this, he has asked Rualiss, an elf wizard to bring a magical orb back from the far shores. He has arrived from an ancient elven portal deep in the Mistwood to the town of Rhosgobel. Rualiss has sent word to Tharivold that strange creatures have been coming from the woods and that the times are dangerous indeed.

The Blue Wizard asks the fellowship to travel to Rhosgobel to retrieve the orb and bring it back to the tower. In the interim, Tharivold has business with the circle and can craft items of lesser power. To aid them on their journey, Allorian, an elf cousin of Rualiss, has traveled to Isengard and will return with the Fellowship to Rhosgobel. Allorian is an elf who is touched by the ancient powers of his people and can perform great feats of magic naturally.

After another full night's rest, the group makes plans to pass into Rohan, to the town of Edoras, there they will buy horses to make the long journey northward. Loric has fallen ill from the many dark and damp nights in Moria and must take rest in Tharivold's tower. He will catch up to the rest of the heroes once his ailment has subsided. As they enter the Westfold, the fellowship comes upon a handful of Rohirrim fighting a strange dragon-like beast. Unlike a dragon, this creature has no wings but six pairs of legs. It's mouth and scales course with lightning and it stands nearly three times the size of a man. The heroes barely have time to react as the creature seems to burst forth a ball of lightning that fells all four of the riders. Charging forth, the party sets to destroy the strange beast. Unfortunately Galiator is several hundred yards behind trying to shoot a wild turkey with his bow.

A mighty battle ensues with neither party refusing to give ground. Durin flares in anger as blow after blow fails to pierce the thick scaly hide of the beast. Aramis manages to deftly place a short sword strike here and there by dodging and maneuvering around the much larger foe. Grimbold swings his mighty blade but does not seem to be very effective in his attacks. From a safe distance, the newest member of the fellowship blasts the beast repeatedly with mighty ancient elven powers. Just when the heroes feel they are gaining ground, the beast unleashes another wave of deadly lighting. The hobbit barely scampers out of the beasts wicked maw before being swallowed alive. As the beast seemed to intensify its attacks a blood-curdling cry of "Blood, Death, and Vengeance!" booms from over the bluff and Galiator thunders over the hill with his sword held high. His reckless attack catches the creature off guard and the warrior of Gondor lands a mighty blow causing it to lower it's head. Seizing the opening, Durin swings his axe viciously onto the top of the beast's head, dropping it lifeless to the ground.

After the battle the heroes gather up four horses of the fallen Rohirrim and ride into Edoras before nightfall.