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lol! Podspawn start as little wet-behind-the-blisters minions, until they TPK their first party. Then they get to grow big and strong... and hunchbacked.
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Another factor in this particular TPK is that the outcome of the encounter was always in doubt. It only lasted 8 rounds, and even though the PCs were getting knocked out and ressucitated halfway through they still felt they could win - I missed some crucial attacks that kept badly bloodied PCs conscious, so there was a feeling of luck and "we can do this!" going on. They've pulled through some tough encounters before, too. There was a moment when everyone was conscious and retreat was viable, but my group doesn't really know the meaning of the word.
I wonder how the other minions in the MM2 will be?
Slaad Spawn (level 17 minion skirmisher): they have a +2 to hit over the Podspawn.
But here's the cool thing about Slaad Spawn; as an at will power, they get to jump several squares and make a basic attack. If they miss, they explode - and attack everything around them in a close burst 1 for slightly less damage.
What makes this extremely nasty? There's a template that you can apply to other Slaad; as an at will immediate reaction, they spawn a slaad spawn.
I've one TPK to my credit. The Party (6th level):
- Human Orb Wizard
- Minotaur great weapon Fighter
- Dragonborn Inspiring Warlord
- Elf Archer Ranger
Monsters:
- Shadar-Kai Witch
- Shadar-Kai Chainfighter
- 2 Gricks (modified to have the Shadow keyword, so could benefit from the Witch's aura).
The Gricks just absorbed all the attacks the party poured into them, and they managed to flank the fighter several times, pounding the minotaur. The Chainfighter managed to recharge his dance of death three times in a row. Between these factors, the fully rested party was brought down, the wizard tried to flee, but was brought down by the chainfighter.
The TPK was the result of great monster rolls and poor targeting by the party. Concentrating on the Gricks, the Ranger and Fighter found their attacks had a lot of damage resisted, and their accuracy was limited by the witch's aura. The Chainfighter and Witch kept laying the hurt on all the party, and the Gricks managed to use expert Flanking to hammer the warlord and fighter. The Wizard and Ranger kept getting hit by beshadowed mind, forcing them to close into the witch's aura just to see their targets.
The demons used their variable resistance powers to resist the only damage types they were doing (acid/poison), so could include all of their allies in their bursts and blasts without much fear of harming them.
I apologize for being "that guy", but it may interest you to know two facts about resist variable. First, by RAW it can't be used against poison. Second, even if you do allow a monster to resist poison in this fashion, it can't use its variable resistance against two damage types simultaneously.
On the other hand, it looks like this rule would only have affected your combat insofar as the Pod Demon's Detonate Minion ability should always take out all the minions adjacent to the detonated minion. (The Mezzodemon's poison blast only targets enemies.)
Regardless, the combat sounds like it was an exciting one! I hope your players found the challenge engaging and fun!
Did you get the MM2 too? I need this book, dammit!
Got it just an hour ago.
If you go into Books A Million and ask if they have it in the back (because they get their shipments late at night), the clerk will likely go and get you one.
But Yeesh! I paid $38 for it! Amazon, from here on out. I was just too anxious.
I apologize for being "that guy", but it may interest you to know two facts about resist variable. First, by RAW it can't be used against poison. Second, even if you do allow a monster to resist poison in this fashion, it can't use its variable resistance against two damage types simultaneously.
On the other hand, it looks like this rule would only have affected your combat insofar as the Pod Demon's Detonate Minion ability should always take out all the minions adjacent to the detonated minion. (The Mezzodemon's poison blast only targets enemies.)
Regardless, the combat sounds like it was an exciting one! I hope your players found the challenge engaging and fun!
Ah, good points - thanks! I should have re-read variable resistance in the glossary before running the encounter. Thankfully most of the damage being thrown around was acid and the mezzodemons already resisted poison. Playing the correct way would have resulted in some more minion deaths by friendly fire though. I'll remember you the next time I use variable resistance!
@ Rechan - No Books A Million near me, but my FLGS just got their copies in and they're sneaky gits who sell stuff early! *does happy dance*
OK, so even though podspawn say "0 XP if encountered with pod demon" what they actually meant was "0 XP if spawned during an encounter." The sample pod demon encounter includes 4 podspawn and they contribute to the encounter's XP reward. I suspected this when I was writing up the encounter - what I thought was a 16th lvl fight was actually 17th lvl! Oh well...
And tune in for the next game session in Chaotix42's game, where he "forgets" that his party is only of 5 PCs and "accidentally" gives them an encounter with monster XP total enough for 10 PCs
OK, so even though podspawn say "0 XP if encountered with pod demon" what they actually meant was "0 XP if spawned during an encounter." The sample pod demon encounter includes 4 podspawn and they contribute to the encounter's XP reward. I suspected this when I was writing up the encounter - what I thought was a 16th lvl fight was actually 17th lvl! Oh well...
Ah. Here I thought the podspawn would be free if they are encountered with a pod demon.
Monsters that generate or need more monsters seem to do that; the Oni spiritmaster comes with 4 minions; they're included in his XP total. There's an elite monster in MM2 that, when it dies, it generates another monster, and if encountered with the original elite, it grants 0 XP.
And tune in for the next game session in Chaotix42's game, where he "forgets" that his party is only of 5 PCs and "accidentally" gives them an encounter with monster XP total enough for 10 PCs
He'll do anything to make 'Ace'
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rechan
Ah. Here I thought the podspawn would be free if they are encountered with a pod demon.
Me too! When I counted the XP for the monsters in the MM2's sample encounter the 4 initial podspawn definitely count toward the total though. I hate having to read between the lines.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hereticus
What is a "TPK"?
Total Party Kill, or some slight variation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Runestar
Shush. What your players don't know can't hurt them (at least no more than what they have already been through), or you (physically, so to speak).
My thought exactly! None of my players come to these boards anyway... *nervous glance*
There are more than a few "Irontooth" scenarios out there in official WotC encounters. Dungeon Delves is rife with them. Just something about fighting a guy five or six levels higher than you...
It was 2 owl bears what done it for my 6th-level party. Hugs o'death.
I didn't manage to create a TPK yet. (But then, I am soft.)
But our group of 4 2nd level characters once died to a 1st level encounter, involving 2 Hobgoblin Soldiers and 2 Goblin Archers, and a fire trap. The trap was irrelevant for the encounter, but the fact that no one of the characters managed to roll to save his life (literally - I don't think any of the death saves succeeded) made us totally and utterly ineffective. The Wizard even tried to escape, and almost did, but he thought he should try to rescue one of his comrades and attack that bloodied Hobgoblin following him. He shouldn't have done that...
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In 20+ years as a DM, often a sadistic one, I have never had a "Total Party Kill".
Usually one character will survive and mount a rescue, which often amounted to finding bones and Raising Dead.
Twice I had a Total Party Capture. Once the group was converted from agents of good to agents of evil by a year of torture and magical memory manipulations. The second time they were Feebleminded and Possessed, until they were defeated and cured.
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Last edited by Hereticus; 16th May 2009 at 01:54 PM..
So, last night I managed my second TPK. This was an odd one, it turned from what I thought was going to be a tough, but doable encounter into complete destruction of the party, with 2 PCs failing 3 death saves, another was blasted past negative bloodied, and the 3rd failing his death saves after the sole remaining monster left.
Basically, the Soulrider's ability to recharge his area effects allowed him to continually smack most of the party. The minions were wiped out early by the figher's Rain of Steel, meaning the Soulrider could let off blast after blast and not damage his remaining ally, and the Pain Devil's weakening basic attack meant that the fighter's damaged was continually reduced.
There were a few poor choices and some bad rolls. The party couldn't keep the Cleric on his feet after he got dropped, because 2 attempts to heal him only lead to the Soulrider's next area blast knocking him back down. Action points were unused, as were some Dailies.
I should have re-read variable resistance in the glossary before running the encounter. Thankfully most of the damage being thrown around was acid and the mezzodemons already resisted poison. Playing the correct way would have resulted in some more minion deaths by friendly fire though. I'll remember you the next time I use variable resistance! 
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