Ravenloft Al modles Jasper questions and rants. Spoilers

[Pauper]

I guess we'll see -- the store I play at has a late-night Wednesday session where we're playing through the AL seasons, and we're currently a bit over half-way through Season 2. I doubt we'll have to make a decision on Season 4 until 2018, and by then the question might be moot.

--
Pauper

 

[Tony Vargas]

How about the massive amount of "oh look at this obscure reference I can make to the AD&D version of Castle Ravenloft to somehow justify something that had no business being in this edition"?

I like the references, it became a classic for a reason. I was just chatting with another DM who said her players had just gotten the sun sword, and I was just struck again how cool it was they reprised that item. (Of course, it was a reference in its own right, back then, to Taiyō no Ōji Horusu no Daibōken - OK, maybe I'm the only one who thinks that.)

 

[jasper]

Friday update.
Since I been running the series as more of a campaign, some minor problems and one oops. And about 2 missed ruled calls.
The count stands a 194 villagers alive out of 200, 1 pc death, and about 85 monsters killed/defeated. They were a strong party but due to bad rolls most of the time by the monsters no deaths and only 1 down for death saves. The plot hooks sucked but as my players are saying "bad cut scene". I had moved Granny Jenny to the mansion for campaign purposes. And I allowed them a long rest. If not for the long rest, I would dropped a lot of people.
Problem 1, I need to get some big cardboard counters (or a download site to print my own) for large critters. The 4 ogre battle I used 4 horse figures so I think some crowding was going on.
The major battle rule call was I allowed the ghost to be affect by Tasha Hideous Laughter, since did not say it was a charm spell. After game some players were saying a lot of the Enchantment school spells are basically charms. The other rules discussion was over Mage armor.
Reviewing my notes I think one player is cheating on his damage taken plus he did not tell me his pc had 2 magic items.

 

[jasper]

Friday update of Oct 14th game. Only 5 players due to conflicts and sickness. Still came out to APL level. The group learn about lack of healers will slow down the party. I did make some square cardboard counters for big monsters. Just need to do some trimming. I did miss using the magic trap due to lateness of the hour. It appears time skips form 950 to 1045 in one encounter.
No bad rules calls. And some people maybe going to Granny Jenny for a restoration spell over aging. I am using poker chips for cutting word, and other effects. The player just tosses the chip when he thinks he wants to use the effect. This lets me track the uses. And I do allow take backs.
I still need to study up on my spells, and maybe preplan the first couple of spells casted. I also quit bring most of my lead minis with me. Now down to like 8 pc minis and a dozen orcs and some horses/wolves.

 

[jasper]

Due to the help in another thread, the game went a lit bit different. I changed the Luca to look like Rocky from the show. And Eugene was kicking pcs all around until the RC was casted. The player running the warlock who got the ring did not mega game and waited a few rounds of combat before casting it. I ruled he would have to make an arcana check to know Eugene was cursed. Did have some pcs doing the whack a mole before Eugene died.
Ok here are some questions that popped up.
1. Saving Throws for monsters. What is their bonus Proficient + stat or just stat if not saving throw stat block.
Ex Animated Armor CR 1 gives proficiency of +2 with Str +2 . It save at +4 on str saves. With wis 3 (-4)it will save at -2 for wisdom saves. Or is just die roll + Stat?
2. Troublesome players. I just sum up. One player I have told must have a copy of his character sheet. At best I think he has reading problems. ( he tried to use the 1E PHB), he does not pay attention and some his spells are iffy. At worse he is out right cheating and hoping a messy character sheet and large number of players will hide the fact. He on my to be banned list if he does not straighten up.
3. Eugene had 3 legendary actions and can use all three. Riposte, pounce, and spit. Can he spit 3 times in a round. Or is use each action 1 per round.

 

[Pauper]

1. Saving Throws for monsters. What is their bonus Proficient + stat or just stat if not saving throw stat block.

If a monster has a saving throw that is different from its bonus with that stat, it will be called out in the stat block -- example, Eugen has a listed Strength and Wisdom save that are higher than his Strength and Wisdom scores. His other four saves are thus equal to his ability scores in those stats.

Ex Animated Armor CR 1 gives proficiency of +2 with Str +2 . It save at +4 on str saves. With wis 3 (-4)it will save at -2 for wisdom saves. Or is just die roll + Stat?

If no modifier is listed under Saves (or if there is no Saves section in the monster write-up), then it's just the d20 + the stat modifier. So the Animated Armor (from the Tempter) makes Wisdom saves at -4 (but be sure to notice the armor's damage and condition immunities).

2. Troublesome players. I just sum up. One player I have told must have a copy of his character sheet. At best I think he has reading problems. ( he tried to use the 1E PHB), he does not pay attention and some his spells are iffy. At worse he is out right cheating and hoping a messy character sheet and large number of players will hide the fact. He on my to be banned list if he does not straighten up.

I've had players like this -- my 'favorite' was one guy whose spell list was written so sloppily that he could basically justify any spell he needed being among his prepared spells.

My feeling is that, if a player refuses to abide by the game rules, that player should be uninvited to the game -- if only to remove him as an example for others to follow.

3. Eugene had 3 legendary actions and can use all three. Riposte, pounce, and spit. Can he spit 3 times in a round. Or is use each action 1 per round.

Some legendary creatures have text in their legendary action block that notes that they can only use a given action once per round. Eugen has this text only for his Pounce action, so he can use the other two as many times per round as he has legendary actions.

As I noted in my review, the DM can make this fight a bit easier by arbitrarily restricting Eugen's legendary actions so that he can only take one of each per round -- this is one way the DM can adjust encounter difficulty within an encounter to better target her players' party strength.

--
Pauper

 

[jasper]

Thanks Pauper. So I have been doing correctly. I hate it when people try to confuse me just before the game.
I did not use pounce much. But I was enjoying spitting on the pcs. Plus I used the icy ground option.
I have more info on the Troublesome player, but it not needed to rant about him.

 

[jasper]

grr gripe gripe. I having to rewrite the suspects roleplaying, knowledge agenda sheets. You can hardly read them. grr they can't even keep the spelling of the names the same.

 

[jasper]

Ok, notes from the tempter. 4-09. This was a lay back game and most of my group was hungry so there were breaks to order food and go get it. Our game store is in a strip mall will at least 2 semi fast food places.
I even use the golem and mirror monster. Just say the to hit dice love them last week. The good fun I had was how I let them choose the 5K. I typed up the 4 choices on strips of paper and passed them out after I total up xp and gp. Told it was a bonus and in secret they had to make one of the four choices. The greedy ones, I let them and another player roll a d6. Then let the greedy one choose their die or the other guys for which stat I was smacking.
Two players had fun swapping the magic items.

 

[jasper]

Question. If a player accepts some the gifts in the temple, does the flaw remain after the gift is used up.