Near TPK in Shackled City... Possible Spoilers.

[billd91]

For the most part, it sounds like the party wasn't really playing very smart in that encounter. I too am running that same adventure but they haven't encountered the grell yet. They've cleared out just about everything else in Jzadirune though, so they've reached 3rd level (with some close calls). I don't think the grell will be much of a problem for them, ultimately. They're a bit too mobile to just stand and wait for the grell to come to them.

 

[Rystil Arden]

For the most part, it sounds like the party wasn't really playing very smart in that encounter. I too am running that same adventure but they haven't encountered the grell yet. They've cleared out just about everything else in Jzadirune though, so they've reached 3rd level (with some close calls). I don't think the grell will be much of a problem for them, ultimately. They're a bit too mobile to just stand and wait for the grell to come to them.

Third level already? Wow, at that point, you might have to skip the second adventure to keep them on track for level--I remember after Drakthar's Way when we were level 5, our GM said we were a level above usual for Flood Season.

 

[Someone]

I usually want to hear the other side before making judgement, but sounds that you already were quite kind to them.

 

[alan]

First off, many DMs miss the bit about it only grappling smaller opponents, as has been pointed out here.
​

According to Lords of Madness, page 109: "Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a grell must hit an opponent of its size or smaller with a tentacle attack."

This does contradict what is in MM II, though. ;>

The one in LoM also has the Expert Grappler trait, which allows it to grapple and attack a bit more effectively.

Alan

 

[WizarDru]

Third level already? Wow, at that point, you might have to skip the second adventure to keep them on track for level--I remember after Drakthar's Way when we were level 5, our GM said we were a level above usual for Flood Season.

This varies depending on the party size. The Shackled City is designed for a party of six characters. My group just finished "Drakthar's Way", which is relatively short compared to "Life's Bazaar".

My group never encountered the grell, by design. Armed with Keygan's map, they quickly figured out that that someone had gone to serious effort to trap the grell inside, and didn't want to bother with it, especially after they established that the slaves weren't there.

 

[Stalker0]

If 1st-2nd level characters fight a few battles and refuse to rest its their fault....period.

 

[Rystil Arden]

This varies depending on the party size. The Shackled City is designed for a party of six characters. My group just finished "Drakthar's Way", which is relatively short compared to "Life's Bazaar".

My group never encountered the grell, by design. Armed with Keygan's map, they quickly figured out that that someone had gone to serious effort to trap the grell inside, and didn't want to bother with it, especially after they established that the slaves weren't there.

He has a map? Damn him! He told us he didn't have a map, and we ransacked his house and didn't find one Anyway, I know people like to say it was designed for 6 players, but I remember (though it may be a false memory) someone from Paizo posting that while they played a lunch game through the adventure path with 6, it was still designed as normal (it was just really hard). We had 4 PCs for much of LB and then a fifth for the Malachite Hold bit.

 

[Rystil Arden]

If 1st-2nd level characters fight a few battles and refuse to rest its their fault....period.

On the other hand, the "We just got hurt--rest after each battle!" syndrome is annoying. Our party did all of Jzadirune without resting (we RPed with the dark stalker and some of the little guys instead of fighting, though, and we kept the cute little constructs to fix them) and then all of the Malachite Hold without resting (apparently the hobbos heard us and there were like 15 in the room at the end with the boss--ouch!). It was not easy, but we did it.

 

[WizarDru]

He has a map? Damn him! He told us he didn't have a map, and we ransacked his house and didn't find one Anyway, I know people like to say it was designed for 6 players, but I remember (though it may be a false memory) someone from Paizo posting that while they played a lunch game through the adventure path with 6, it was still designed as normal (it was just really hard). We had 4 PCs for much of LB and then a fifth for the Malachite Hold bit.

It's a false memory. It's made quite clear in the book that it was designed with 6-players in mind. It's one reason that several good NPCs stand ready to join the party, if they don't have enough players.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Oh, and there are a couple of suboptimal characters in your party, IMO. Playing a spellcaster from a race with a level adjustment is usually a pretty bad idea. Especially a sorceror - they're already a level behind wizards and clerics in spell progression, a +LA race just makes it worse.

I agree, in spades.

Besides the rather suboptimal PC design and the recklessness of going after something noteworthy enough to be worth mentioned by an NPC while at less than full strength, there are numerous tactical errors that compounded themselves. Even with all those factors stacked against them in the first place, if only they had all just wailed on the thing with ranged weapons in the first place, it is conceivable that they would have defeated it with 1 (or even 0) men on the deck.

Readying an action once a brawl is already going on is getting far too cute at this level. Unless you are trying to disrupt spellcasting, it is far more likely to be counterproductive than useful. That is just a newbie error.