Level Up (A5E) Removing Pointless Death (+)

I think the "sneak attack" from the A5E wererats was the result of the advantage from pack tactics which allow them to add +2d6 damage.
This could result in 2 attacks at +(5+8) with advantage (plus expertise from flanking) dealing 3d6+2 damage each. That still might need a crit or above average damage to drop the paladin but he won't look good at any pace.

If the paladin engages one of the rats another just has to engage him so both would get pack tactics in one round (otherwise only one of them would get pack tactics unless they somehow coordinate and one readies his attack until the other has engaged)

What was the other wererat that granted the cleric's attacker pack tactics? Just a normal 1d6+2 hit and another one if the cleric just ran (and didn't disengage) don't seem to be enough to threaten him.

But nontheless... 4 CR2 wererats are a total CR of 8, which cost 4 encounter points (out of the 2 encounter points per day that 4 level 3 characters have).

And three other assessments from Sly Flourish's 5e Encounter calculator:

Encounter Assessment​


Base Monster XP: 1800
Party: 4 characters, average level 3

Lazy Encounter Benchmark
Total Character Levels: 12 | Total Monster CR: 8
Potentially deadly if total monster CR ≥ 3
Potentially deadly single monster if CR ≥ 3
Assessment: POTENTIALLY DEADLY

D&D 2024 Method
Base Thresholds (level 3): Low 150 | Moderate 225 | High 400
Party Thresholds (×4 characters): Low 600 | Moderate 900 | High 1600
Base Monster XP: 1800 | Above HIGH

D&D 2014 Method
Thresholds: Easy 300 | Medium 600 | Hard 900 | Deadly 1600
Multiplier (4 customMonsters): ×2 | Adjusted XP: 3600 | DEADLY

So, even if the party was fully rested, and somewhat prepared things might have gone not so great...

Stumbling "blind" (the rogue "thought" that he might just kill one (or more) of those 4 guys so he charged into danger) and not really using tactics (at least I can't see much of it in the description) doesn't really help them.

2 of those rats might have been a better fight while also making pack tactics way harder for them to get... unless the room also contained "allied" normal rats that the wererats could interpret as allies even if those normal rats don't have that much personal impact on the combat.

Oh wow so A5e wererats are buffed. This was 4 creatures with advantage and able to deal 3d6+2 x2 damage at level 3, I think I could kill most 4 person parties with that.

Especially if they acted in a single initiative group.
 

log in or register to remove this ad


I didn't design that encounter. It was in a published adventure, and I ran it as-is, with the details provided, and the tactics the author gave.
Then I wonder, it was an adventure for the number of players and levels your group was at the time? Some people do look at the level, but forget the number of players. For the right edition? And rule 0 for DMs running published adventures = adjust to party. DMing is a TON of work, we all know it, this is why the torch is often passed around in our group, and it isn't the first time a DM has quit early because they had more going on and couldn't make space for more DM work. Heck, I've heard comments from fellow players/DMs that their spouses/children were saying something along the lines of "So... When is someone else going to DM?".
 


Then I wonder, it was an adventure for the number of players and levels your group was at the time? Some people do look at the level, but forget the number of players. For the right edition? And rule 0 for DMs running published adventures = adjust to party. DMing is a TON of work, we all know it, this is why the torch is often passed around in our group, and it isn't the first time a DM has quit early because they had more going on and couldn't make space for more DM work. Heck, I've heard comments from fellow players/DMs that their spouses/children were saying something along the lines of "So... When is someone else going to DM?".
Theoretically, we were the right level and right number of players. As I wrote upthread, the adventure was written for 5E and I converted it to A5E, so maybe that was part of the issue.
However, this is just one example in a long, long series of TPKs. We're talking around a dozen occurrences with more than a score of players since the year 2000. There's a larger root cause than one poorly planned wererat encounter.
So I passed the torch to another DM after this TPK. Already, about two months later, the rest of the group is already wanting me to take back the reigns. Therefore, I'm wanting to work on this TPK thing.
 

Theoretically, we were the right level and right number of players. As I wrote upthread, the adventure was written for 5E and I converted it to A5E, so maybe that was part of the issue.
However, this is just one example in a long, long series of TPKs. We're talking around a dozen occurrences with more than a score of players since the year 2000. There's a larger root cause than one poorly planned wererat encounter.
So I passed the torch to another DM after this TPK. Already, about two months later, the rest of the group is already wanting me to take back the reigns. Therefore, I'm wanting to work on this TPK thing.
Did the other DM also have a problem with TPKs?
 

I converted it to A5E, because I've got tons of 5E content and not lots of A5E.

I speculate that this may be the issue and maybe the larger issue related to the multiple tpks.

I’m not super worried about 4 regular 5e wererats, it would probably be a tough but ultimately winnable slog of an encounter. I am very worried with 4 a5e versions.

Maybe some a5e designers can give advice on converting 5e adventures to use a5e monsters.
 

I speculate that this may be the issue and maybe the larger issue related to the multiple tpks.

I’m not super worried about 4 regular 5e wererats, it would probably be a tough but ultimately winnable slog of an encounter. I am very worried with 4 a5e versions.

Maybe some a5e designers can give advice on converting 5e adventures to use a5e monsters.
We have straight up inserted A5e monsters into 5e campaigns and they have worked wonderfully - Monstrous Menagerie is a great resource!
It helps that we strategize as a group though and although we've had character deaths we haven't had a TPK in forever. We keep character intrigue close to our chests but other than that we just help each other.
 

We have straight up inserted A5e monsters into 5e campaigns and they have worked wonderfully - Monstrous Menagerie is a great resource!
It helps that we strategize as a group though and although we've had character deaths we haven't had a TPK in forever. We keep character intrigue close to our chests but other than that we just help each other.
Yeah. I've had a few close calls and one PC death recently, but I've never had a TPK since I started playing A5e. My players handle themselves pretty well.
 

We have straight up inserted A5e monsters into 5e campaigns and they have worked wonderfully - Monstrous Menagerie is a great resource!
It helps that we strategize as a group though and although we've had character deaths we haven't had a TPK in forever. We keep character intrigue close to our chests but other than that we just help each other.

It may just be certain monsters that cause issues when doing this.
 

Remove ads

Top