Shackeled City - what are my chances and when do you give XP?

[Psychic Warrior]

Thanks for the replies guys. I figured the designers had something along the lines of levelling during the adventure in mind when they made this. My DM never does that however and I doubt I'll be able to convince him though so we're probably screwed. Maybe a strategic withdraw is in order - if the hobgobs kill the prisoners we'll just have to accept the consequences. My character is very dedicated to finding the lost kids but he wouldn't throw away his life without a chance for success. Maybe our DM will at least let us barricade ourselves somewhere to regain spells and hp.

 

[Berandor]

I don't like the insta-level, either, but in our SC campaign, I adopted it. The end fights are brutal as is, and the final fight of Life's Bazaar had 4 PCs down (one dead), one NPC down and the wizard alone to save the day – without spells, with 1 healing potion and 1 alchemist's fire flask. And they were level 3.

 

[billd91]

Thanks for the replies guys. I figured the designers had something along the lines of levelling during the adventure in mind when they made this. My DM never does that however and I doubt I'll be able to convince him though so we're probably screwed. Maybe a strategic withdraw is in order - if the hobgobs kill the prisoners we'll just have to accept the consequences. My character is very dedicated to finding the lost kids but he wouldn't throw away his life without a chance for success. Maybe our DM will at least let us barricade ourselves somewhere to regain spells and hp.

And even if he won't let you rest and regain spells, heading back up to Keygan's and out into Cauldron to buy potions/wands of cure light wounds shouldn't take that long at all.

 

[dragonlordofpoondari]

i second bild91's idea. i'm DM'ing this bad boy right now (and it's incredibly well written and executed for those still on the fence), and that's just what my party did. they holed up in keygan's and the non-spellcasters kept watch to make sure no baddies escaped through the door to create havoc. they re-upped their spells and levelled up with each nap. i don't like to let them level in the middle of the action since it tends to slow things down, but barricading yourself in the dungeon and taking a sleep is a completely reasonable way to level up, in my pov. my party is on the cusp of starting the malachite hold, and they're almost to 4th level already. good thing too, since they've dipped below 0 hp several times. i really think your DM is trying to kill you.

if he is still being unreasonable, just leave the dungeon. chivalrous adventuring and being on a brave mission is one thing, but continuing to adventure when you know you will die soon without re-upping is just plain stupidity. leave the dungeon. check into inns and rest or train in the courtyard or whatever the hell he expects of you and don't return until you're all levelled up.

 

[BlackMoria]

If your DM steadfast refuses to adopt a 'leveling during the adventure' model instead of the 'level at the end of the adventure' model, then you are ....well, not to put too fine a point on it.... you are totally boned.

It may be possible to somehow complete the current adventure at 1st level (albeit with great difficulty) but follow up adventures are written with the understanding that the party is of a level that your characters will be below. And in the Shackled City AP, that usually means TPK in capital letters.

It is either the DM adopt a leveling scheme that is more in line with what the designers intented or deep six the SCAP and go with something else. The party is doomed otherwise.

 

[Rystil Arden]

That room with the light and the artificial meadow in Jzadirune was a nice place to rest for a little while for our group.

 

[jeffh]

You're boned.

But I consider that a design flaw with the AP. The *poof - Welcome to 2nd level* concept always bugged me. Leveling up should come during down time. An adventure designed for 1-20 should provide ample opportunities to break, even if its only for a day or two.

So you're saying people never learn from actually doing the things they are learning to do, but only from not doing them?

Yours is the approach that doesn't make sense, the way I see it. There's nothing terribly realistic about levels in the first place, but as rough an abstraction of the learning process as they are, that's no reason to put limitations on them that make them an even worse approximation of how people learn things.

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

You can't win the final fight as 1st level characters. I just don't see how it's possible.

Ken

 

[Psychic Warrior]

If your DM steadfast refuses to adopt a 'leveling during the adventure' model instead of the 'level at the end of the adventure' model, then you are ....well, not to put too fine a point on it.... you are totally boned.

It may be possible to somehow complete the current adventure at 1st level (albeit with great difficulty) but follow up adventures are written with the understanding that the party is of a level that your characters will be below. And in the Shackled City AP, that usually means TPK in capital letters.

It is either the DM adopt a leveling scheme that is more in line with what the designers intented or deep six the SCAP and go with something else. The party is doomed otherwise.

I really don't want to dump the SCAP as my DM bought it specially for us and I am having fun. But I keep thinking about how lucky we have been up to now and the fact that one hit can now fell even our toughest fighter. I emailed my DM so hopefully he will come around.

 

[Berandor]

So you're saying people never learn from actually doing the things they are learning to do, but only from not doing them?

Yours is the approach that doesn't make sense, the way I see it. There's nothing terribly realistic about levels in the first place, but as rough an abstraction of the learning process as they are, that's no reason to put limitations on them that make them an even worse approximation of how people learn things.

The way I see it at least, it's thus:
D&D is not a game of constant progress (cf. WoD), but one of intermittent jumps in power. These jumps, to me represent not only practice and experience, but also a time of reflection. How exactly did I beat that giant we met last week? Just what did I do different so my fireball was a little hotter? So you take a week or two, or maybe just a day, or reflecting on past expperiences and trying some things in a non-stressful situation, and then you get the jump in ability.