D&D 5E (2014) Dungeons of Drakkenheim: a dark fantasy sandbox in a ruined city

Spoiler Alert;

Last weekend, we played a session of Drakkenheim where we got our butts comprehensively kicked, but it was an awesome game regardless.
Having assisted the Knights of the Flame in liberating one of the gates from the beastmen/gnolls, the party shadowed the fleeing survivors back to the Cathedral of St Vitruvio. We decided on a “reconnaissance in force”; big mistake!
Our level 7 quartet came up against the Lord of Feasts and associated minions and barely escaped a TPK. My rogue got away after some vaguely effective sniping and then undignified fleeing, the wizard escaped by misty step and then polymorphing into a giant eagle, who then carried off the barely alive dwarves fighter and the 0HP barbarian.

It all sounds pretty grim, but it was actually an awesome game session, both atmospheric, dramatic and terrifying in equal measures. It also reminded me that losing battles can be just as much fun as winning them.
Kudos to @TheSword , our brilliant DM
 

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It was touch and go. The lord of feasts is a pretty darn good archer and can make two attacks that would have spelled doom! One reduces speed to 0 and the other paralyzes. Either would have seen the death of three of the four PCs but luck prevailed.
 


GuyBoy said:
Spoiler Alert;

Last weekend, we played a session of Drakkenheim where we got our butts comprehensively kicked, but it was an awesome game regardless.
Having assisted the Knights of the Flame in liberating one of the gates from the beastmen/gnolls, the party shadowed the fleeing survivors back to the Cathedral of St Vitruvio. We decided on a “reconnaissance in force”; big mistake!
Our level 7 quartet came up against the Lord of Feasts and associated minions and barely escaped a TPK. My rogue got away after some vaguely effective sniping and then undignified fleeing, the wizard escaped by misty step and then polymorphing into a giant eagle, who then carried off the barely alive dwarves fighter and the 0HP barbarian.

It all sounds pretty grim, but it was actually an awesome game session, both atmospheric, dramatic and terrifying in equal measures. It also reminded me that losing battles can be just as much fun as winning them.
Kudos to @TheSword , our brilliant DM
Click to expand...

In my experience, a group that can retreat fast is a great idea in drakkenheim....
 

Ancalagon said:
In my experience, a group that can retreat fast is a great idea in drakkenheim....
Click to expand...
Very true.
We already had experience of this, having skedaddled pretty rapidly from Executioner Square! It was exit, pursued by wraiths.
What made this one worse was that the others flew back towards Emberwood, utilising the giant eagle polymorph, leaving my poor rogue to sneak back to Temple Gate avoiding wandering monsters (in this case, 2 trolls!) all by herself. Luckily my stealth roll was very good, but there will be “conversations” next session!
 

GuyBoy said:
Very true.
We already had experience of this, having skedaddled pretty rapidly from Executioner Square! It was exit, pursued by wraiths.
What made this one worse was that the others flew back towards Emberwood, utilising the giant eagle polymorph, leaving my poor rogue to sneak back to Temple Gate avoiding wandering monsters (in this case, 2 trolls!) all by herself. Luckily my stealth roll was very good, but there will be “conversations” next session!
Click to expand...
You could have had an eagle lift back if you hadn't already fled for your life (leaving the rest of us to die). 'Conversations' indeed ;)

Most of that problem has gone away now as a similar thing happened in today's session. Doughty dwarf fighter and heroic elven barbarian both dead trying to protect a rogue that barely suffered a scratch. Luckily you were able to retrieve our items and sell them to further enrich yourself. Ah the sweet rewards of heroics. Death for the valorous and riches for the false and the selfish.

Let us hope you can find a fresh batch of suckers to eat weapon blows for you. Perhaps you will, but I wouldn't bet on it. It has been proven that this party is more 'every man or woman for themselves' rather than a team. If you make the plays designed to help your 'friends' you tend to end up dead in such a group.

A bit dramatic perhaps, but I felt like your 'woe is me, I was abandoned' comment needed at least a small amount of pushback. You ran first. We nearly died. We did die today. You snuck back only long enough to loot our bodies and sold our stuff before we were cold. Leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth when the person that wouldn't pee on you if you were on fire unless there was something in it for her accuses you of abandonment. All in good fun of course. It's not like my Warhammer Dwarf character (or clan) will hold a grudge ;)

Evelyn: "You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance."
Beni: "[laughing] Really? They do?"
Evelyn: "Oh, yes. Always." (The Mummy 1999).
 
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blackflame said:
You could have had an eagle lift back if you hadn't already fled for your life (leaving the rest of us to die). 'Conversations' indeed ;)

Most of that problem has gone away now as a similar thing happened in today's session. Doughty dwarf fighter and heroic elven barbarian both dead trying to protect a rogue that barely suffered a scratch. Luckily you were able to retrieve our items and sell them to further enrich yourself. Ah the sweet rewards of heroics. Death for the valorous and riches for the false and the selfish.

Let us hope you can find a fresh batch of suckers to eat weapon blows for you. Perhaps you will, but I wouldn't bet on it. It has been proven that this party is more 'every man or woman for themselves' rather than a team. If you make the plays designed to help your 'friends' you tend to end up dead in such a group.

A bit dramatic perhaps, but I felt like your 'woe is me, I was abandoned' comment needed at least a small amount of pushback. You ran first. We nearly died. We did die today. You snuck back only long enough to loot our bodies and sold our stuff before we were cold. Leaves a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth when the person that wouldn't pee on you if you were on fire unless there was something in it for her accuses you of abandonment. All in good fun of course. It's not like my Warhammer Dwarf character (or clan) will hold a grudge ;)

Evelyn: "You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance."
Beni: "[laughing] Really? They do?"
Evelyn: "Oh, yes. Always." (The Mummy 1999).
Click to expand...
Gabriella’s eyes clouded with tears as she fired arrow after arrow into the snarling mass of trolls surrounding her friends. She could see the mage, Gunther, doing the same with bolts of flame. To little avail. Yes, several trolls, including their brutish king, were slain, but both the valiant dwarf and the heroic elf were slaughtered and a grisly feast began.
With no choice but to flee the pursuing beasts, both the mage and the rogue managed to escape and rendezvous at the meeting point.
“I must go back for them,” sobbed Gabriella, near hysteria. “Yes, you must,” replied Gunther, “ and I shall aid you with this invisibility spell, so that you can recover, at least, the belt of giant strength and the troll king’s headband, that I, I mean we, can trade them with the strange merchant in Emberwood for the staff of frost.”

So Gabriella once again dared the snarling, feasting trolls and managed to recover the items and they succeeded in returning to Emberwood.
The wizard, Gunther, go his staff of frost. Gabriella Katzenklaue, oft nicknamed cruelly as Gobby Gabby, gained nothing save a broken heart, and bittersweet memories of two of the finest heroes she had ever known.

Out of game, it was a dramatic session and a HPK ( Half Party Kill), with my rolls being the worst I can remember: ten shots from concealment, so effectively 20 dice, needing a 10 to sneak attack. I rolled just 4 hits!
Thanks to @TheSword for another awesome session.
 

GuyBoy said:
Gabriella’s eyes clouded with tears as she fired arrow after arrow into the snarling mass of trolls surrounding her friends. She could see the mage, Gunther, doing the same with bolts of flame. To little avail. Yes, several trolls, including their brutish king, were slain, but both the valiant dwarf and the heroic elf were slaughtered and a grisly feast began.
With no choice but to flee the pursuing beasts, both the mage and the rogue managed to escape and rendezvous at the meeting point.
“I must go back for them,” sobbed Gabriella, near hysteria. “Yes, you must,” replied Gunther, “ and I shall aid you with this invisibility spell, so that you can recover, at least, the belt of giant strength and the troll king’s headband, that I, I mean we, can trade them with the strange merchant in Emberwood for the staff of frost.”

So Gabriella once again dared the snarling, feasting trolls and managed to recover the items and they succeeded in returning to Emberwood.
The wizard, Gunther, go his staff of frost. Gabriella Katzenklaue, oft nicknamed cruelly as Gobby Gabby, gained nothing save a broken heart, and bittersweet memories of two of the finest heroes she had ever known.

Out of game, it was a dramatic session and a HPK ( Half Party Kill), with my rolls being the worst I can remember: ten shots from concealment, so effectively 20 dice, needing a 10 to sneak attack. I rolled just 4 hits!
Thanks to @TheSword for another awesome session.
Click to expand...
Yeah-It was a cool session even though we didn't get very much done and half the party died. I do still feel a bit let down by the less than spirited assistance that the barbarian and myself received as we were gradually slaughtered. It seemed like far more alacrity was brought to bear in the looting of our bodies and the sale of our meager items.

Yes, it was a tight spot but I feel like if we'd all shared the burden from the start and given our all we could have won. Instead the two players that made the most effort are dead whilst certain other players survive and thrive.

I should really make another tanky character for the good of the party but what happened yesterday and what happens again and again makes me think 'why bother?'. Why should I put my character in all the danger all the time when other characters in the party are frequently invisible and hiding and not even it the room where the action is while her friends (or at least the people foolish enough to fight for their benefit) are being gradually torn apart.

The barbarian and I were torn to shreds whilst being given very little support. We were not higher level. We were not better equipped (indeed your rogue has more magic items than the rest of the party combined) and yet we took on all the risk for none of the reward. Again.

I don't think I'll be making another tank. I should, but why bother? A tank takes the hits whilst the rest of the party support and deal damage. I took the hits but the other half of the equation was sadly lacking. I feel very let down.
 

blackflame said:
Yeah-It was a cool session even though we didn't get very much done and half the party died. I do still feel a bit let down by the less than spirited assistance that the barbarian and myself received as we were gradually slaughtered. It seemed like far more alacrity was brought to bear in the looting of our bodies and the sale of our meager items.

Yes, it was a tight spot but I feel like if we'd all shared the burden from the start and given our all we could have won. Instead the two players that made the most effort are dead whilst certain other players survive and thrive.

I should really make another tanky character for the good of the party but what happened yesterday and what happens again and again makes me think 'why bother?'. Why should I put my character in all the danger all the time when other characters in the party are frequently invisible and hiding and not even it the room where the action is while her friends (or at least the people foolish enough to fight for their benefit) are being gradually torn apart.

The barbarian and I were torn to shreds whilst being given very little support. We were not higher level. We were not better equipped (indeed your rogue has more magic items than the rest of the party combined) and yet we took on all the risk for none of the reward. Again.

I don't think I'll be making another tank. I should, but why bother? A tank takes the hits whilst the rest of the party support and deal damage. I took the hits but the other half of the equation was sadly lacking. I feel very let down.
Click to expand...
In your defense you were insanely unlucky with those attack rolls and the sheer danger level of that encounter made a more robust attempt at assistance difficult to implement (Gabriella could have fallen very fast to that many trolls).

I guess I need to think a bit more about escape and my own characters safety in future rather than squandering my energies on sacrifice and team work and other similarly worthless concerns.
 

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