James Jacobs
Adventurer
Wik said:
The Crucible's a scary place. But during my playtest of the adventure, a simple 1st level spell pretty much shut it down. Obscuring mist is the party's best friend in this encounter!
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Thoughts and Observations on episode 1 of Savage Tide (SPOILERS!)
- Thread starter Wik
- Start date
The Crucible's a scary place. But during my playtest of the adventure, a simple 1st level spell pretty much shut it down. Obscuring mist is the party's best friend in this encounter!
Just a note: I've been running Age of Worms for the past year with six PCs (and players). I've made no significant adjustments to the adventures (just adding NPCs to interact with).
At this point, half-way through The Prince of Redhand, the PCs are just attaining 14th level. The Spire of Long Shadows was brutal, with several PC deaths, but the encounters in this adventure has been much more in favour of the PCs. (That SoLS worked like that is similar to other groups).
The Prince of Redhand is written for 15th level PCs, and expects PCs will reach 16th level by its end.
So, that's how it's gone for us - I expect to run Savage Tide after AoW finishes.
Cheers!
At this point, half-way through The Prince of Redhand, the PCs are just attaining 14th level. The Spire of Long Shadows was brutal, with several PC deaths, but the encounters in this adventure has been much more in favour of the PCs. (That SoLS worked like that is similar to other groups).
The Prince of Redhand is written for 15th level PCs, and expects PCs will reach 16th level by its end.
So, that's how it's gone for us - I expect to run Savage Tide after AoW finishes.
Cheers!
Joshua Randall
Legend
[HomerSimpson] Obscuring mist... is there anything it can't do? [/HomerSimpson]James Jacobs said:
Wik
First Post
Hm.... I somehow don't think Obscuring Mist will be used. Ah, well... I'm not worried about it. If they die, they die.
My players mentioned what they want to play at last night's game. My friend Shelley wants to play a "pirate chick", and so we settled on Rogue because it's got an obvious role that isn't necessarily centred around combat (Shelley's not huge on the fighting), and my brother wants to play "either a bullywug fighter or a kobold sorcerer". I'm happy either way - the bullywug fighter seems like an obvious tie-in with the campaign, what with the second adventure being all about the bullywugs. Only real worry there is "do I have enough bullywug minis to accomodate all this?"
The third player will, most likely, pick up the mage slot; he had a bad experience with clerics, and the last time he played a mage, he had a lot of fun. Since he knows I'm encouraging a balanced party, he'll probably try to go where the slack is. In any case, I know he'll be playing a human.
I might have a fourth player; if he joins, he's goign to be a non-human fighter of some sort. That *doesn't* use power attack. So, yeah, he'll pretty much be useless.
My players mentioned what they want to play at last night's game. My friend Shelley wants to play a "pirate chick", and so we settled on Rogue because it's got an obvious role that isn't necessarily centred around combat (Shelley's not huge on the fighting), and my brother wants to play "either a bullywug fighter or a kobold sorcerer". I'm happy either way - the bullywug fighter seems like an obvious tie-in with the campaign, what with the second adventure being all about the bullywugs. Only real worry there is "do I have enough bullywug minis to accomodate all this?"
The third player will, most likely, pick up the mage slot; he had a bad experience with clerics, and the last time he played a mage, he had a lot of fun. Since he knows I'm encouraging a balanced party, he'll probably try to go where the slack is. In any case, I know he'll be playing a human.
I might have a fourth player; if he joins, he's goign to be a non-human fighter of some sort. That *doesn't* use power attack. So, yeah, he'll pretty much be useless.
Wik
First Post
What's the search DC for the secret door in area P5? I'm getting ready to run this sometime in the next week or so (hopefully), and I just realized I don't have that information. Also, I fail to see how the elemental bound within the elemental gem in P5 could be used to break the PCs out of the tomb - does it fly up the shaft or something to burst down the door?
Getting the PCs *out* of the Parrot Island dungeon might be a bit tougher than I thought. While I *may* have an aquatic PC in the group, it's looking less and less likely, and I doubt the group would notice the underwater escape route anyways (although you never know). I'm a little curious to hear if anyone's run this part, yet, and how the group got out alive.
Getting the PCs *out* of the Parrot Island dungeon might be a bit tougher than I thought. While I *may* have an aquatic PC in the group, it's looking less and less likely, and I doubt the group would notice the underwater escape route anyways (although you never know). I'm a little curious to hear if anyone's run this part, yet, and how the group got out alive.
cincinnati reds
First Post
Wik said:
My group noticed the underwater passage only after they had scoured the tunnels top-to-bottom trying to figure out how to escape. They didn't have any trouble with the swim checks or holding their breath; granted, they're playing 32-pt buy gestalts, and are quite the beefy group... everyone has a rank or three in swim, also - having been told "pirates and such" as the campaign setting, nobody wanted to be the cat that drowned. If any of the PCs in your group have both low STR and CON scores, it might be a bit worrisome... watching out for the gestalt sorcerer/favored soul of Boccob, though, our strongest swimmer (soulknife/rogue) scouted ahead with rope, thinking to tie one end of the rope off at either end of the passage, so the Boccob girl could just pull herself along.
What did give them problems were the six additional zombies I put in the passage, that the scout had to try and fight underwater. He tugged on the end of the rope that the dwarven scout/duskblade was holding to indicate "danger!" and the dwarf jumped in to help. They all survived, though it was close... but as I said, they're a pretty beefy group, and it's always nice to watch the players' faces go bone white.
Wik
First Post
Hm... underwater zombies, eh? That sounds like a fun one. I might throw a corpse under there, and make the group terrified... but I don't think I'll throw a fight in. But who knows?
My brother, knowing it's "pirates!" has gone a little nuts making sure he has water breathing as either a class ability or some sort of spell. He's checking out every LA +0 aquatic race he can find.
So, your group had trouble finding their way out of this dungeon, hunh? Good to know, thanks.
My brother, knowing it's "pirates!" has gone a little nuts making sure he has water breathing as either a class ability or some sort of spell. He's checking out every LA +0 aquatic race he can find.
So, your group had trouble finding their way out of this dungeon, hunh? Good to know, thanks.
Beckett
Explorer
Started my campaign yesterday. The ship went pretty well; I was a little worried if all the smugglers ganged up on the group, but the players dealt with them quickly and cleanly. The Fighter/Monk (gestalt game) was protected by mage armor, allowing him to avoid almost all hits. A single crossbow bolt struck him with a nat 20, but I rolled a 1 for damage. The beast below deck was a bit more of a challenge, partly because I ruled its improved grab worked on medium creatures (it felt like the intent of the monster). The bite caused some nasty wounds, but with a healer in the party everyone survived.
I was quite pleased that my players were able to figure out the puzzle in the vault; I've read too many posts about players faced with "obvious" riddles that were impossible. The only sticking point was the mention of the medusa- how many eyes does one have if you count in the snake hair? I let a knowledge check inform them that the snake heads were effectively eyeless, and they moved past the stumbling block.
The Parrot Island trip proved to be very dangerous. The set-up was perfect; the body of the guide being tossed down the shaft, followed by the rope, and then the trap door being closed, the players realized just how screwed they were. The zombies served to deplete resources and HPs, leaving very little with which to confront the huecuva. Fortunately, the Monk had thought to invest in a silver kama. Bolstered once again by mage armor, he defeated the undead beast.
Next session, we'll see how the lair of the lotus dragons goes.
I was quite pleased that my players were able to figure out the puzzle in the vault; I've read too many posts about players faced with "obvious" riddles that were impossible. The only sticking point was the mention of the medusa- how many eyes does one have if you count in the snake hair? I let a knowledge check inform them that the snake heads were effectively eyeless, and they moved past the stumbling block.
The Parrot Island trip proved to be very dangerous. The set-up was perfect; the body of the guide being tossed down the shaft, followed by the rope, and then the trap door being closed, the players realized just how screwed they were. The zombies served to deplete resources and HPs, leaving very little with which to confront the huecuva. Fortunately, the Monk had thought to invest in a silver kama. Bolstered once again by mage armor, he defeated the undead beast.
Next session, we'll see how the lair of the lotus dragons goes.
Emirikol
Adventurer
James,
I really can't thank you enough for the timeliness of this adventure. Our Age of Worms is just about done and I'm looking forward to the next series. We'll have it set in Argos or Zingara of Hyboria (Conan's world). The fact that it looks more "action-oriented" and less dungeon-zoo-crawly will be a welcome sight. I'm looking forwards to depth of plot too. Now that this is you guys' third adventure path, you've got it perfect right? Right?
Thanks,
Jay Hafner
Lakewood, CO
I really can't thank you enough for the timeliness of this adventure. Our Age of Worms is just about done and I'm looking forward to the next series. We'll have it set in Argos or Zingara of Hyboria (Conan's world). The fact that it looks more "action-oriented" and less dungeon-zoo-crawly will be a welcome sight. I'm looking forwards to depth of plot too. Now that this is you guys' third adventure path, you've got it perfect right? Right?
Thanks,
Jay Hafner
Lakewood, CO
cincinnati reds
First Post
Wik said:
If you are thinking about throwing a zombie in the underwater passage, I'd like to add that my group's PCs, since they ran through Mad God's Key as a prologue, were 3rd level Gestalts when I did this (and really, it was the only part of Parrot Island that really challenged them since they were of slightly higher level than the module is written for).
With James Jacobs' Amazing Zombies grappling and biting as opposed to using slam attacks, all the zombie has to do is grab a halfling or gnome and... hold them for a bit... then it's goodbye PC.
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