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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 6051521" data-attributes="member: 386">I like the encounter guidelines because a 5th-level encounter is pretty much a 5th-level encounter.  Makes it easy for the players to judge risk and reward, though you have to tell them the level.  (At least I do.)I agree and disagree.  I think that the way 4E is written it points in this direction but there really aren't any problems if you stray off the path.I am reminded of this hex from my current game:[sblock] * ---------------------------------------------- * 08.08 - bael turoth            LEVEL 11 The remains of a city of steel and glass lie in crumbling ruin here.  The skyscrapers and towers have collapsed and have been overgrown by earth and strange, mutated vegetation (a purple fungus), creating strange hills where rusting steel beams jut out at the sky. There are no signs of any other vegetation or animals, a hint at the danger here.  The area is still radioactive (400 - 2000 mSv) and can poison anyone who spends too much time here (atk: once per 4 hours, +14 vs Fort, hit: 8 poison plus mutation).  Roll 1d6 for mutations: 1 - you can only see in the infrared spectrum; 2 - pain is turned into pleasure, +2 CON the first time, after this any pain causes you to be Dazed for a round; 3 - the disgusting purple fungus grows all over you, -4 to Reaction rolls if it's exposed; 4 - you grow a foot, +2 STR and CON, -2 DEX; 5 - you have a stroke, -2 INT, WIS, and CHA, but you can Read Omens as the ritual; 6 - haemophilia, one less healing surge, only affects males.  Effects are permanent and can occur multiple times.  The fungus (known as "Purple Haze") can be eaten; it protects against radiation for 6 hours, though it causes bad cramps. Characters spending four hours searching through the rubble will find a piece of technology (1-4 TL 5, 5-6 TL 6; use the Gamma World Junkulator to determine kind). What happened here?  An ancient green dragon breathed radiation on the city, killing its inhabitants but leaving the city intact. The hermit Carl Sleeg from 05.09 comes here, looking for junk to take home.  He has an old rad suit he will lend PCs if paid.  25% of wandering monsters are with Carl. Monster: A displacer beast pack lord leads a small pack of two displacer beasts and a savage displacer beast.  They live within the ruins, eating the fungus to protect themselves from the radiation.  25% of wandering monsters are with these beasts, hunting. They have gathered the (13th) Bridle of Mating: This heavy leather bridle is adorned with iron studs in the shape of hobgoblin heads.  Its shape changes to fit over any animal.  When placed on a beast it never becomes fatigued from overland travel or work.  The animal becomes full of lust, and it can mate with any other animal, strange creatures a result of the pairing.  The animal feels an intense need to mate while the bridle is on, and must do so once a day or it will go mad and attack until its lust is sated. Trap: A sinkhole may collapse and drop PCs into the city (DC 21 to notice); this occurs 25% of the time on wandering monster checks.  The drop is 1d8+3x10 feet.In the game the PCs were tasked with the goal of recovering the bridle by a nearby green dragon.  He told them of the displacer beast pack lord.  I told the players it was an 11th-level hex.The PCs hunted for large game in a nearby hex and caught two deer.  Then they watched for the displacer beasts and a good roll indicated they were spotted leaving their lair within the city.  They also spotted the beasts eating the fungus.The PCs tracked the beasts down in the woods outside of the rad zone and offered the deer.  This was a skill challenge.  After a few checks one of the PCs used a one-shot magic item that allowed him to tame a beast, and he ended up riding the pack lord back to their lair where they kept the bridle.Then the PCs spent a few hours (risking a wandering monster check) searching for some junk.  (Only after they made a tea from the fungus.)  Most of it was humorous, but one found a sound dampening field generator, or something like that.  No power for it, though.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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