First, Admins please delete this if its been ranted at before, or its innapropriate for this forum.
Secondly there are spoilers here - so begone those who may want to play it some day (poor deluded fools that you are)
After DM'ing for the last 3 years I had a chance to play in a game with my old DM who moved back to town.
The DM has been doing it for over 20 years. 3 players have been playing for over 15 years, and the other 3 for 1-5 years.
We rolled up 1st level characters using the standard 25 point buy system. None were really power-gamed up. We had;
Changeling Rogue - High dex and int
Warforged Monk - High dex and Wis
Shifter Barbarian - Str
Some new race psion - High Con
Human Dragonmarked mage - High Int and Dex
Human Artificer - he only played one session (lucky guy)
No healer, but the noble chick paid us some money beforehand so we bought some healing potions. The adventure went through alright and we made our way down into the sewers. We had a standard marching order with the meatshield and monk in front, and me as the rogue at the back because of my spot and listen scores.
The Artificer was not part of the group during the early stages.
I looked down as a rapier appeared through my chest, I dropped to -9. *thud* Initiative. The warforged rogue stabbed our mage - he dropped to -5. *thud* 2 shifters approached from the front.
Our shifter and monk faced this new threat and traded blows with them, the monk was hit badly and dropped to -1. *thud* The warforged rogue stabbed the psion and he dropped also.*thud*
Our shifter started spending hero points and dropped a shifter and the warforged rogue. The last shifter tore him apart but the GM allowed him a death strike which also killed the other shifter. *thud*
None of us rolled that badly, our tactics were good, we didnt allow ourselves to get flanked or anything - we just got the crap beaten out of us.
We all recovered and rested up, and were joined by the Artificer and a new Shifter (ours died remember)
We proceeded on past some valves, down a big chute/slide thing to an underground cavern type area with some ruins.
We started walking towards some and were asked to make a spot check. I succeded and saw a swarm of beetles. we rolled initiative and i threw some oil - the flask didnt break. The artificer threw some which broke, and the psion set it alight. The beetles were upon us and swarmed over us. The mage dropped, *thud* the shifter got nauseated as did the psion.
We tried to get back up the ledge but were bitten some more and the artificer and psion went unconscious. *thud* *thud*
The shifter picked up the psion and ran to some ruins, near death. I climbed the ledge and threw more oil. I managed to drag the mage up next to me and somehow the artificer managed to get to safety (the Dm was fudging rolls in our favour badly by this time)
Somehow the swarm dispersed and we found some healing potions in the closest ruin (gee that was lucky) we rested yo full health.
We saw a ruined temple like structure and some other ruins. I said, lets make sure we clear behind us before we move on - stupid stupid idea!
We came across 2 rats. These rats are CR1 monsters. yes Cr1 with a +7 to hit, 20ac, 2d6 bite attack including acid and disease and around 20hp. Almost another TPK and 4 of us unconscious. *thud* *thud* *thud* *thud*
We rested up again in the ruined temple and found a magic healing font.
Once at full health we contnued and discovered a big building with adamantium doors. There was no way in so i climbed to the roof and discovered an opening. We dropped a torch down - seemed safe enough and lowered a rope. The Monk and Shifter climbed down and were set upon by construct dogs. These CR1 dogs has the ac, hp, and attacks of a standard level 5 fighter.
I rushed down to help them, holding out the journal hoping to make them stop attacking, I was killed alsmost immediately *thud* as was the shifter *thud*. The monk was reduced to zero and they stopped attacking him.
The others tried missile fire to kill them, but only damaged them before running out of ammunition.
They exhausted thier spells and climbed down to melee. They killed the psion *thud* and only the Monk, mage, and Artificer survived. They looted the vault and existed.
As they headed back to the surface another warforged appeared and demanded the surrender of the schema. They said no so he shot the mage in the head with a crossbow - the mage dropped. *thud*
The monk picked up the mage and started running. The warforged persued and stabbed the artificer in the back. *thud*
he caught up to the monk at the ledge. The monk was only on 0-1 life so decided to drink a heal potion. he healed 6 hp. The AoO dealth him 7 points. *thud*
Noone enjoyed this adventure, and we have decided not to play Eberron ever again, as we were so soured by this experience. I estimate we should have been 3rd level for this adventure or 2nd if we had a much higher point buy system.
The monsters we fought were very hard for us to hit, and could easily incapacitate all but out shifter with one attack if they rolled reasonably well. The highest ac in the group was 16 and the highest attack bonus we had was +3.
I admire Keith Baker for his imaginative setting and his hard work developing products over the years. However, in my opinion he should not write adventures. Ever.
Also, anyone wanna buy a couple of cheap Eberron books?
Secondly there are spoilers here - so begone those who may want to play it some day (poor deluded fools that you are)
After DM'ing for the last 3 years I had a chance to play in a game with my old DM who moved back to town.
The DM has been doing it for over 20 years. 3 players have been playing for over 15 years, and the other 3 for 1-5 years.
We rolled up 1st level characters using the standard 25 point buy system. None were really power-gamed up. We had;
Changeling Rogue - High dex and int
Warforged Monk - High dex and Wis
Shifter Barbarian - Str
Some new race psion - High Con
Human Dragonmarked mage - High Int and Dex
Human Artificer - he only played one session (lucky guy)
No healer, but the noble chick paid us some money beforehand so we bought some healing potions. The adventure went through alright and we made our way down into the sewers. We had a standard marching order with the meatshield and monk in front, and me as the rogue at the back because of my spot and listen scores.
The Artificer was not part of the group during the early stages.
I looked down as a rapier appeared through my chest, I dropped to -9. *thud* Initiative. The warforged rogue stabbed our mage - he dropped to -5. *thud* 2 shifters approached from the front.
Our shifter and monk faced this new threat and traded blows with them, the monk was hit badly and dropped to -1. *thud* The warforged rogue stabbed the psion and he dropped also.*thud*
Our shifter started spending hero points and dropped a shifter and the warforged rogue. The last shifter tore him apart but the GM allowed him a death strike which also killed the other shifter. *thud*
None of us rolled that badly, our tactics were good, we didnt allow ourselves to get flanked or anything - we just got the crap beaten out of us.
We all recovered and rested up, and were joined by the Artificer and a new Shifter (ours died remember)
We proceeded on past some valves, down a big chute/slide thing to an underground cavern type area with some ruins.
We started walking towards some and were asked to make a spot check. I succeded and saw a swarm of beetles. we rolled initiative and i threw some oil - the flask didnt break. The artificer threw some which broke, and the psion set it alight. The beetles were upon us and swarmed over us. The mage dropped, *thud* the shifter got nauseated as did the psion.
We tried to get back up the ledge but were bitten some more and the artificer and psion went unconscious. *thud* *thud*
The shifter picked up the psion and ran to some ruins, near death. I climbed the ledge and threw more oil. I managed to drag the mage up next to me and somehow the artificer managed to get to safety (the Dm was fudging rolls in our favour badly by this time)
Somehow the swarm dispersed and we found some healing potions in the closest ruin (gee that was lucky) we rested yo full health.
We saw a ruined temple like structure and some other ruins. I said, lets make sure we clear behind us before we move on - stupid stupid idea!
We came across 2 rats. These rats are CR1 monsters. yes Cr1 with a +7 to hit, 20ac, 2d6 bite attack including acid and disease and around 20hp. Almost another TPK and 4 of us unconscious. *thud* *thud* *thud* *thud*
We rested up again in the ruined temple and found a magic healing font.
Once at full health we contnued and discovered a big building with adamantium doors. There was no way in so i climbed to the roof and discovered an opening. We dropped a torch down - seemed safe enough and lowered a rope. The Monk and Shifter climbed down and were set upon by construct dogs. These CR1 dogs has the ac, hp, and attacks of a standard level 5 fighter.
I rushed down to help them, holding out the journal hoping to make them stop attacking, I was killed alsmost immediately *thud* as was the shifter *thud*. The monk was reduced to zero and they stopped attacking him.
The others tried missile fire to kill them, but only damaged them before running out of ammunition.
They exhausted thier spells and climbed down to melee. They killed the psion *thud* and only the Monk, mage, and Artificer survived. They looted the vault and existed.
As they headed back to the surface another warforged appeared and demanded the surrender of the schema. They said no so he shot the mage in the head with a crossbow - the mage dropped. *thud*
The monk picked up the mage and started running. The warforged persued and stabbed the artificer in the back. *thud*
he caught up to the monk at the ledge. The monk was only on 0-1 life so decided to drink a heal potion. he healed 6 hp. The AoO dealth him 7 points. *thud*
Noone enjoyed this adventure, and we have decided not to play Eberron ever again, as we were so soured by this experience. I estimate we should have been 3rd level for this adventure or 2nd if we had a much higher point buy system.
The monsters we fought were very hard for us to hit, and could easily incapacitate all but out shifter with one attack if they rolled reasonably well. The highest ac in the group was 16 and the highest attack bonus we had was +3.
I admire Keith Baker for his imaginative setting and his hard work developing products over the years. However, in my opinion he should not write adventures. Ever.
Also, anyone wanna buy a couple of cheap Eberron books?
