Fifth session, Irontooth gets pwned
Posted 9th July 2008 at 11:41 AM by Jack99
Tuesday 8th of July (Elar, Muffin, Eric, Brocun, Torn, Torinn, Nadarr)
So the heroes press on, heading north-west, eager to find Danar Hold and see what it is. As they get closer to the area where it is supposed to be, they hear some someones or somethings digging in the stone with picks.
Elar and Muffin scout ahead, and stumble over a clearing in the forest (just where the forest meets the hills) where 4 burly humans are digging in a large hole. A halfling is casually sitting on a rock, surveying them, smoking a pipe.
Elar and Muffin return to the others, and inform them of what they have discovered. It is decided to just march out and see what it is. As they approach, they are spotted by the halfling. He calls them over, saying he has made an amazing discovery, dragon bones. Muffin walks over to the halfling and follows him towards some bones on the ground. However, as they approach the bones, the halfling puts his arm around Muffin, and Muffin is stricken by panic, thinking that the halfling is out to steal his gold (I wonder why Muffin would think that). Either way, Muffin looks away, down on his gold pouch to check if it is there. As he does it, the halfling rewards him with a dagger in the stomach.
Combat is joined, and shortly more combatants arrive, another halfling with a nasty sling and an Ogre with a big cleaver. Also, a fey gnome pops out from behind some boxes in a corner and joins the fray.
The combat is short and bloody, mostly for the others.
Encounter: The Burial Site (874 xp, Gnome Skulk (200 xp), 2*Halfling Slinger (200 xp), Ogre (350 xp), 4*Human Rabble (124 xp)) (0 dead, 0 unconscious)
After the fight, one halfling is still alive, as is the ogre. Brocun decides on his own that the Ogre will be useless for interrogation, and chops off it's head. The halfling is woken up, and asked a few "nice" questions. They learn several interesting things:
* Asprin, the gnome, was the leader of the band.
* He had hired Sigurd (the halfling) and his brother, along with the human workers
* They had been digging here for a week or so, looking for some kind of relic.
* The relic was supposed to go to Danar Hold, to someone up there, who had hired Asprin to do this.
* Danar Hold is located in a canyon with very steep sides, making it very hard to get there, except by the tunnels
* The tunnels are located behind a waterfall a bit to the north east of here (this is also shown on a map they find on the gnome
They also find a Longsword of Lightning +1, as well as a Fireburst Robe +1
After the little chat with the halfling, they have a vote on killing him or not. 4 against 3 to let him live. As he runs for the forest, Eric blasts him in the back, killing him. This prompts a heated debate, and in the end, it is decided to designate a leader to make these calls, instead of voting. Nadarr is voted as leader of the group, with 3 votes. Muffin and Brocun did not get any votes, Torn voted a blank.
Nadarr's first rule, is that the next person who goes against the group's or leader's wishes will receive no loot for a while.
After the dispute is resolved, they head north-east to find the small river, which should end (start) at the waterfall. As they approach it, they can hear voices speaking Draconic.. More kobolds!
Encounter: Outside The Kobold Lair (875 xp, 6*Kobold Minions (150), Kobold Skirmisher (150 xp), Kobold Dragonshield (175 xp) 2*Kobold Piker (250) Kobold Verminhandler (150 xp)) (0 dead, 0 unconscious)
Towards the end of the fight, one kobold tries to escape as the verminhandler yells "Warn Irontooth", but Nadarr and Torinn manage to stop him right before the waterfall. Another kobold is kept alive to interrogate about the layout of the tunnels and the strength of the kobolds inside. Unfortunately, he gets to yell before they can silence him, warning the inside. The heroes still try to bluff a bit, yelling (through the waterfall!) that they are coming from Asprin, with a message to Irontooth, but it fails, the kobolds are ready for them, and a long and involving battle is engaged...
Encounter: Inside the Kobold Lair (1825 xp, 11*Kobold Minions (275), 4*Kobold Skirmisher (400 xp), 4*Kobold Dragonshield (500 xp), Kobold War Priest (200 xp) Kobold Wurmpriest (150 xp), Irontooth (300 xp)) (0 dead, 0 unconscious)
After the fight, the tunnels are searched, as well as the different rooms. Some money is found (650 gp), as well as a gem worth 200 gp. The exit from the tunnels, leading to the canyon with Danar Hold is also found.
DM's notes
Okay, so much worry for nothing. The big thing of tonight was of course the Irontooth encounter. For those (if any) who reads this, and do not know the Irontooth encounter, let's just say that it is a very rough encounter, that according to a poll here have caused a TPK in something around 40-50% of all the fights. In other words: N-A-S-T-Y!
First problem was adjusting it. Irontooth is originally a 1250 xp encounter, against a level 1 party. This means that it is effectively a party level +5 encounter. Next up, it is made for 5 people. My group is level 2, and 7 players. So, going by the math, it should have been upgraded to a 2100 xp encounter. That's a lot of monsters.
However, asking around these boards, most if not all suggested that I do not upgrade the encounter that much. Some thought that it was hard enough as is, while some advocated for different degrees of upgrading, up to around 1700 xp combat. I ended up making it a 1825 xp combat, and.. well, let's just say that my players have been in a lot fights that were tougher on them.
Several points though:
They played superbly. For years I have been telling them that they make too many stupid tactical choices, that they too often think too much of themselves. 4e has completely changed that. I don't know if it is because the system demands/encourages it, or because my nagging has finally gotten through to them (probably the former, as I doubt they listen much to my rants), but they have been really good lately, starting during the playtesting, and topping yesterday. Keywords were focused fire, helping each other and great placement/use of terrain.
They rolled like gods. All made crits during that 7 round combat, some made more than one (Irontooth received around 80-90 damage before he got the chance of hitting anyone). Crits from a vicious greataxe is just plain nasty. Also, all saves were made on the first try, except one (and there were a lot)
I was also very impressed by the time it all took. Total fighting clocked in at 3 hours and 15 minutes for all 3 fights. Considering there is 7 players and there were more than 40 monsters in those three fights, I think it was pretty awesome, and if the length of encounters doesn't increase as they level, the game will indeed be perfect for me.
The evening was a bit light on roleplay, but the whole debate and vote on party leadership was very funny. I love when my players argue ingame, they get really nasty, it's fun.
I am not sure how much of KotS will be run as is. I am not quite grokking the fights at this point, as in, I fail to see how to make it good combats for us. Luckily it is not all of it that we will play at first, since we have 2 times left before I head to Crete for a couple of weeks of R&R with the wife and gnome, err I mean daughter, so there will be plenty of time to ponder on how to change them.
So the heroes press on, heading north-west, eager to find Danar Hold and see what it is. As they get closer to the area where it is supposed to be, they hear some someones or somethings digging in the stone with picks.
Elar and Muffin scout ahead, and stumble over a clearing in the forest (just where the forest meets the hills) where 4 burly humans are digging in a large hole. A halfling is casually sitting on a rock, surveying them, smoking a pipe.
Elar and Muffin return to the others, and inform them of what they have discovered. It is decided to just march out and see what it is. As they approach, they are spotted by the halfling. He calls them over, saying he has made an amazing discovery, dragon bones. Muffin walks over to the halfling and follows him towards some bones on the ground. However, as they approach the bones, the halfling puts his arm around Muffin, and Muffin is stricken by panic, thinking that the halfling is out to steal his gold (I wonder why Muffin would think that). Either way, Muffin looks away, down on his gold pouch to check if it is there. As he does it, the halfling rewards him with a dagger in the stomach.
Combat is joined, and shortly more combatants arrive, another halfling with a nasty sling and an Ogre with a big cleaver. Also, a fey gnome pops out from behind some boxes in a corner and joins the fray.
The combat is short and bloody, mostly for the others.
Encounter: The Burial Site (874 xp, Gnome Skulk (200 xp), 2*Halfling Slinger (200 xp), Ogre (350 xp), 4*Human Rabble (124 xp)) (0 dead, 0 unconscious)
After the fight, one halfling is still alive, as is the ogre. Brocun decides on his own that the Ogre will be useless for interrogation, and chops off it's head. The halfling is woken up, and asked a few "nice" questions. They learn several interesting things:
* Asprin, the gnome, was the leader of the band.
* He had hired Sigurd (the halfling) and his brother, along with the human workers
* They had been digging here for a week or so, looking for some kind of relic.
* The relic was supposed to go to Danar Hold, to someone up there, who had hired Asprin to do this.
* Danar Hold is located in a canyon with very steep sides, making it very hard to get there, except by the tunnels
* The tunnels are located behind a waterfall a bit to the north east of here (this is also shown on a map they find on the gnome
They also find a Longsword of Lightning +1, as well as a Fireburst Robe +1
After the little chat with the halfling, they have a vote on killing him or not. 4 against 3 to let him live. As he runs for the forest, Eric blasts him in the back, killing him. This prompts a heated debate, and in the end, it is decided to designate a leader to make these calls, instead of voting. Nadarr is voted as leader of the group, with 3 votes. Muffin and Brocun did not get any votes, Torn voted a blank.
Nadarr's first rule, is that the next person who goes against the group's or leader's wishes will receive no loot for a while.
After the dispute is resolved, they head north-east to find the small river, which should end (start) at the waterfall. As they approach it, they can hear voices speaking Draconic.. More kobolds!
Encounter: Outside The Kobold Lair (875 xp, 6*Kobold Minions (150), Kobold Skirmisher (150 xp), Kobold Dragonshield (175 xp) 2*Kobold Piker (250) Kobold Verminhandler (150 xp)) (0 dead, 0 unconscious)
Towards the end of the fight, one kobold tries to escape as the verminhandler yells "Warn Irontooth", but Nadarr and Torinn manage to stop him right before the waterfall. Another kobold is kept alive to interrogate about the layout of the tunnels and the strength of the kobolds inside. Unfortunately, he gets to yell before they can silence him, warning the inside. The heroes still try to bluff a bit, yelling (through the waterfall!) that they are coming from Asprin, with a message to Irontooth, but it fails, the kobolds are ready for them, and a long and involving battle is engaged...
Encounter: Inside the Kobold Lair (1825 xp, 11*Kobold Minions (275), 4*Kobold Skirmisher (400 xp), 4*Kobold Dragonshield (500 xp), Kobold War Priest (200 xp) Kobold Wurmpriest (150 xp), Irontooth (300 xp)) (0 dead, 0 unconscious)
After the fight, the tunnels are searched, as well as the different rooms. Some money is found (650 gp), as well as a gem worth 200 gp. The exit from the tunnels, leading to the canyon with Danar Hold is also found.
DM's notes
Okay, so much worry for nothing. The big thing of tonight was of course the Irontooth encounter. For those (if any) who reads this, and do not know the Irontooth encounter, let's just say that it is a very rough encounter, that according to a poll here have caused a TPK in something around 40-50% of all the fights. In other words: N-A-S-T-Y!
First problem was adjusting it. Irontooth is originally a 1250 xp encounter, against a level 1 party. This means that it is effectively a party level +5 encounter. Next up, it is made for 5 people. My group is level 2, and 7 players. So, going by the math, it should have been upgraded to a 2100 xp encounter. That's a lot of monsters.
However, asking around these boards, most if not all suggested that I do not upgrade the encounter that much. Some thought that it was hard enough as is, while some advocated for different degrees of upgrading, up to around 1700 xp combat. I ended up making it a 1825 xp combat, and.. well, let's just say that my players have been in a lot fights that were tougher on them.
Several points though:
They played superbly. For years I have been telling them that they make too many stupid tactical choices, that they too often think too much of themselves. 4e has completely changed that. I don't know if it is because the system demands/encourages it, or because my nagging has finally gotten through to them (probably the former, as I doubt they listen much to my rants), but they have been really good lately, starting during the playtesting, and topping yesterday. Keywords were focused fire, helping each other and great placement/use of terrain.
They rolled like gods. All made crits during that 7 round combat, some made more than one (Irontooth received around 80-90 damage before he got the chance of hitting anyone). Crits from a vicious greataxe is just plain nasty. Also, all saves were made on the first try, except one (and there were a lot)
I was also very impressed by the time it all took. Total fighting clocked in at 3 hours and 15 minutes for all 3 fights. Considering there is 7 players and there were more than 40 monsters in those three fights, I think it was pretty awesome, and if the length of encounters doesn't increase as they level, the game will indeed be perfect for me.
The evening was a bit light on roleplay, but the whole debate and vote on party leadership was very funny. I love when my players argue ingame, they get really nasty, it's fun.
I am not sure how much of KotS will be run as is. I am not quite grokking the fights at this point, as in, I fail to see how to make it good combats for us. Luckily it is not all of it that we will play at first, since we have 2 times left before I head to Crete for a couple of weeks of R&R with the wife and gnome, err I mean daughter, so there will be plenty of time to ponder on how to change them.
Total Comments 0
Comments
Total Trackbacks 0
And yet another word from our sponsors
