BADD- evaluate my dragon DM'ing? (KotSQ, Glacier Season module SPOILERS)

[Wolfspider]

Sorry to reinsert myself into the thread, but Wee Jas made an interesting suggestion concerning Harm. My question is: half the character's current hit points or his hit point total?

I prefer the 5d8+level damage with a save that somone else mentioned.

 

[Arksorn]

We fought that dragon about 4 months ago. We had a party of 7 14th level characters. We were well equipped and well prepared.

That dragon mopped the floor with us! Our fighters could not hit it and our spell casters could not get by its SR. Several party members were affected with fear.

It was killing one character a round. With the help of a wish spell from a ring of three wishes, we got out of there. We then did everything we could to cover our tracks and we moved half a continent away.

Now we live everyday in fear that it will come after us. That was a lesson in humility.

 

[evileeyore]

The Wyrm should definitely at least dig a few boltholes... That way ut can back slowly down them leaving behind such nuasance spells as Silence, etc...

Also a few natural traps, maybe a chasm or two, Icy pool to dive through, etc. The party should have to chase it through _Its_ home turf...


TTFN

EvilE

 

[JLXC]

Sorry to reinsert myself into the thread, but Wee Jas made an interesting suggestion concerning Harm. My question is: half the character's current hit points or his hit point total?

I prefer the 5d8+level damage with a save that somone else mentioned.

This solution... Will Save for Partial. On a save Inflict Critical Wounds effects target (5d8+caster level). Brought to you by Monte Cook I believe. Also, Sean K uses this variant I believe. I adopted it... it works great and is STILL a threat.


Also, in the Dungeon magazine (Issue 87) that has the Glacier Season adventure (I believe the one in question) there is a sidebar on page 103 entitled:

"Harm: The Broken Spell." They suggest a Will save for negate.

I go with the partial one myself but YMMV.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Wolfspider wrote:

Sorry to reinsert myself into the thread, but Wee Jas made an interesting suggestion concerning Harm. My question is: half the character's current hit points or his hit point total?

I prefer the 5d8+level damage with a save that somone else mentioned.

These are two variants for Harm I am considering for my game. I cannot speak for Wee Jas, but in my game it would be half the current HP total. That still makes Harm less effective against those with fewer hit points.

I thought Monte's variant was Will save or suffer an inflict critical wounds (4d8+caster level)?

 

[Squire James]

My suggestion about Harm... the target suffers damage equal to one-half its current total, rounded up. No save.

The monster isn't cheated because the spell hardly ends the encounter, and the player doesn't feel cheated because he just did a HECK of a lot of damage if he chose his target well!

 

[Squire James]

In fact, the module does talk about blocking scrying and teleport. It's in the 'Scaling the adventure' sidebar. So, the author taught about it, but decided it would only be appropriate for parties above 15th level (which is the suggested level for the adventure).

There's also a part about the PCs scrying on the dragon (or any other NPC in its lair, even) and what it does if scryed upon (i.e. have his pet wizard cast screen on its lair). It's in the 'We're being watched' sidebar.

So, in a word, you're wrong.

I read the sidebar, and it covered the scrying aspect rather well. Obviously, the sidebar didn't help in Doc's case because all the info was about what to do AFTER the fact. It hardly matters if someone's casting Screen to keep guys from Scrying on you if they've already Teleported to you!

I admit I don't, as a rule, look at the "Scaling the Adventure" section, because most adventures don't scale well. However, I argue that Teleport handling needed to be in the MAIN adventure, in Really Big Letters (as much so as Scrying was), because the suggested level of the adventure was above 9. Handling teleporting PC's (even if the handling is to say "let them") is a CRUCIAL issue for any adventure that expects to host high-level adventurers!

If I were Doc, I would have stonewalled the Teleport spell even if it seemed a bit rushed (um... Scry doesn't give a good enough fix... you need T w/o Error for that!). But I'm not Doc, so all I can suggest is damage control.

If nobody's really willing to "Bobby Ewing" the matter, let the dragon do something appropriately evil (oh I dunno, enlist Jamison for some lich vs lich tactics or something), then get on with life. Perhaps the next time Doc warns the players they are entering a TPK situation, maybe they'll listen.

Oh yeah, lose the nook! The dragon's #1 advantage is his mobility. Their AC and HP are high enough that flanking rarely matters. It's not like you have 6 Rogues in your party or something!

 

[Conaill]

Hey all you DM's out there!

I know you all like to pretend you're ready for anything your players throw at you, and that you can fly at the seat of your pants with the best of them, but...

In a case like this (DM unprepared, suddenly asked to run the final battle of the module, against a very complex and powerful BBEG), wouldn't it be better to just say "Ok, if you guys really want to do this, I'm going to need at least a half hour to prepare. So why don't you just entertain yourselves for a while, and I'll figure out what's going to happen next"?

What do you all think? Yes, it breaks the flow of the game. But I bet the players would enjoy it, because it shows they really managed to blindside the DM. Plus they're likely to get a much better prepared encounter afterwards...

 

[Wolfspider]

In a case like this (DM unprepared, suddenly asked to run the final battle of the module, against a very complex and powerful BBEG), wouldn't it be better to just say "Ok, if you guys really want to do this, I'm going to need at least a half hour to prepare. So why don't you just entertain yourselves for a while, and I'll figure out what's going to happen next"?

I've done this a couple times when players have thrown a wrench in my plans. I've never had any complaints. I make sure to compliment them on their ingenuity of course...

 

[LGodamus]

Doc ,

I ran this very same adventure with a party of 5 19th level pcs. After all the carnage the frost giants were dead, the half dragon was dead and only 2 pc s were alive ... and they went in with a good plan. Honestly the dragon would retaliate,but you could send minions to handle the task as Acessiwal is so powerful the pcs are barely even a menace to him . That at least gives you the chance to continue the adventure without a tpk. who knows it could even turn into an epic cat and mouse game with the knights trying to stay one step ahead of the dragons forces out to destroy them, mean while they are gathering strength and items for a final more well planned assault.