Relevant Orcs

[Number48]

I'm now having this vision of the entire adventure from level 1-20 being one fight with one orc.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'm now having this vision of the entire adventure from level 1-20 being one fight with one orc.

Over one pie?

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Keep in mind that "being a credible threat" does not necessarily mean "can take the party down" right this minute. Rather, it means that the threat is severe enough to drain party resources and/or take them down if it catches them at the right time.

For a goofy example, assume one of those "options" for the 10th level fighter is that he can make his sword burst into flame 3/day, giving a small area effect to the damage for several rounds. The party meets 20 orcs. Because the orcs can plink and plunk against hit points, the fighter decides to use this power--one flaming charge versus a lot less hit points lost. So the party still takes some damage, but was never in danger of dying.

They party can't do that over and over. Whereas, with that group of 5 orc raiders that used to be a serious threat to kill at 2nd level, the party can pretty much wade through those. The threat of the 5 orc raiders is that they'll go get some friends.

 

[Remathilis]

Yes. 8 out of 10 encounters were goblinoids. Even if they had funky new powers (Which they did not), I want to see different things.

So my complaint is that I don't want to keep facing them. Also, that after a certain point, I want to be beyond the reach of something I fought at low levels.

 

[Lord Vangarel]

Remathilis that's so funny lol. Can you do more?

 

[Umbran]

Over one pie?

Well, by level 20, the treasure has to be epic. So, it is more like it is over The One Pie. As in...

Three pies for those elvish guys, fruity and light,
Seven for the dwarf lords, in their dining rooms at home,
Nine for the mortal men, who want them deep-fried,
One for the Dark Lord, served a la mode.

 

[Nebulous]

I like the idea of flattening the power curve, and giving the PCs more aces up the sleeve instead of scaling numbers up.

But...

If a goblin remain a serious threat for many levels, when are the "big guys" such as dragons, liches and balrogs going to become beatable opponents? Because while it may be fine for my PCs to still be threatened by goblins, I am not so sure I want dragons, liches and balrogs themselves to be threatened by goblins! If they're all to be in the game, and the PCs are supposed to still be afraid of goblins when they're high-level enough to challenge a dragon, doesn't it mean that the dragons too can still be challenged by goblins?

I could understand if the both high-level PCs and dragons are both challenged by 100 goblins, but I have a hard time seeing how the combat rules can handle such a scenario smoothly.

Well, i'd argue that there has to be a cut-off point somewhere where goblins just are NOT a threat to PCs anymore. I'm fine with that, so long as the window is more open than before. Likewise, 100 goblins should never pose a threat to an ancient red dragon either.

 

[Reynard]

Well, i'd argue that there has to be a cut-off point somewhere where goblins just are NOT a threat to PCs anymore. I'm fine with that, so long as the window is more open than before. Likewise, 100 goblins should never pose a threat to an ancient red dragon either.

That depends on whether it's St. George's dragon (B/X dragons) or Smaug (3.x dragons). I am hoping we have the tools to do either, or both.

 

[Remathilis]

Remathilis that's so funny lol. Can you do more?

I take no credit: DM of the Rings was a great webcomic (now done) that goes through all three movies as if it was a bad D&D game.

As stated, the link is DM of the Rings I:The Copious Backstory - Twenty Sided Be warned, you won't stop reading them until they're done.

 

[Fanaelialae]

That depends on whether it's St. George's dragon (B/X dragons) or Smaug (3.x dragons). I am hoping we have the tools to do either, or both.

Even fairly low resistance (DR) could accomplish that.