Any tips for DMing PHB2 release day adventure?

[Smeelbo]

DM Guide to PHB2 Characters Posted at Wizards

I've just posted a DM Guide to the PHB2 Release Day Characters to the Wizard's thread above. It lists all of the immediate interrupt/reaction and similar triggered powers that the DM should prepare for, well over two dozen such powers. It also lists some character specific issues, and suggestions for player team work.

I have decided to move the discussion here for now. I intend to make a second, simpler and more flexible attempt at structuring the skill challenge in encounter 2, and collect all my proposed revisions to the combat encounters.

Thank you all for your advice so far, it has been very helpful to me, and I wish you all the best of luck this Saturday.

Smeelbo

 

[Herschel]

The more I look at the characters and adventure, the more I think the racial choices are not just sub-optimal, but plain stupid.

*** Spolier Alert***

Demons are on the loose and they have to calm a young girl. The Dragonborn and Warforged are fearsome, but optimal and not inherently associated with evil. And the Warforged is "new". The Gnome is also a good choice.

But a Tielfing and a Drow?!?!?! WTF's pet races are those? They don't have a wisdom bonus and are most associated with evil and demons/devils. Yeah, that's going to make calming Solphi easier.

I just don't get those choices.

 

[Jhaelen]

you're right, that's really funny!

 

[Smeelbo]

Collected all DM aids

I've collected all the DM aids I wrote into the first post of the thread below:

Tips for DMing PHB2 release day adventure! - Wizards Community

Enjoy!
Smeelbo

 

[WalterKovacs]

Just got the thing package from the FLGS so that I'll be ready for Sunday. I've noticed a couple other things wrong with the PCs (other than the obvious thing with the warforged barbarian having a paladin utility out of nowhere and missing his racial power).

The two other things I caught were:

Devastating strike should have 1d10 + 2d8 (its listed as 2d10 + 1d8 on the pregen), and the Majestic Word should only give surge + 2d6 + 5 (it listed as +10 on the pregen).

 

[Smeelbo]

Majestic Word should only give surge + 2d6 + 5 (it listed as +10 on the pregen).

Actually, +10 is correct, as Roswyn has the Paragon Path Feature Queen's Grace (not listed on the character sheet), which adds her Charisma bonus to all Bardic healing powers. That's why her Stirring Shout heals 10, not 5, for example.

But good catch there, thank you.

Smeelbo

 

[WalterKovacs]

Actually, +10 is correct, as Roswyn has the Paragon Path Feature Queen's Grace (not listed on the character sheet), which adds her Charisma bonus to all Bardic healing powers. That's why her Stirring Shout heals 10, not 5, for example.

But good catch there, thank you.

Smeelbo

Good to know. I'll double check the other paragon paths for anything else that seems off.

 

[Gorrstagg]

Also, you can look at all the characters with Weapon Focus, and then fix their sheets, their damage is all off by 1. As Weapon Focus at 11th level does +2 Feat Damage. Not the +1 that is figured in. This specifically affects the Barbarian, Paladin, and Avenger. Also on the Avengers front page, the damage is listed as 2d4+5, it should be 2d4+9 (4 stat, 3 enhancement, 2 feat) for their basic melee strike.

I'm running this at the Source™ at 2pm on Saturday. We'll see how well this works, should be interesting none the less.

 

[Belares]

I am also running the adventure today at my game shop and really stoked about it. I do not have the character sheets and i thank all that have noticed any errors.

The one thing that i thought was a bit dumb on the adventure was the use of the Infernal Battle Armor. It is a good minion to use but why use them with demons! If they were in the last encounter near the Bearded devil it would make sense but in a place full of demons just is wrong. If i had more time I would do just that is put them in last encounter and maybe use another minion type in that room. Does anyone know where the infernal battle armor comes from what book or is it new monster?

Also interesting use of the skill challenge Smeelbo. I like it a lot and may use it or parts of it.

 

[Herschel]

I'm running it tomorrow but I played it today and really looked at the character sheets this morning. There are som emajor screwups that really could change play:

Invoker has way too many HP. It's equal to the Avenger and Paladin.

The Paladin is a HP short and THREE healing surges.

The mill "trap" went off first-round and stole a good chunk of the party healing surges. The Paladin, Avenger and Bard all bit it in the final encounter. The Avenger went in to teh final encounter with no healing surges and teh Paladin with two (which were for dailies) and no Lay on Hands. The bard blew his daily that gave the party all the extra HP in the first encounter. That was harsh.