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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kaomera" data-source="post: 5451742" data-attributes="member: 38357">The first group I DM'ed for in 3.0, the fresh 1st-level party was traveling through a swamp and came across the half-eaten carcass of an eight-foot long crocodile. Large, semi-humanoid footprints led away, so they followed them. They came to a small muddy hill, and could hear noises, as from a large animal, coming from the other side. The party proceeds to climb the hill, even the two that I pointed out where very bad at sneaking. They find themselves looking down on a troll, digging through the mud and generally making a mess, but it (miraculously) doesn't notice them immediately. They seem unimpressed. I inform them that some of the PCs recognize the monster. I double-check to make sure that they know what a D&D troll is. Several of the players roll their eyes at me.The plan the PCs come up with is as complex as it is brilliant: "CHARGE!!!". I think "Well, they must know something I don't. Or have a plan. I hope..." They toss a total of zero flasks of oil and/or alchemist's fire, the sum total possessed by the group, apparently. One player does have a torch, but declines to light it yet, in case it goes out. The Wizard first refuses to move forward and cast his burning hands, then when he does so smacks the troll with his staff "to get it's attention first" before letting loose with the spell. The two bow-wielding PCs wade in with their back-up weapons, and the rogue forgoes a surprise shot with his crossbow.So awestruck is the troll (and the DM) by the PCs exploits that a full two rounds of combat go by before the troll retaliates, during which a net grand total of absolutely no hit-points of damage is done to the monster, after accounting for regeneration.I amuse myself with lavish descriptions of just how ineffective the whole attack is, while inwardly cringing at the thought of another three-hours plus wrangling the players back through the character-creation process. This impresses the players about as much as the troll did in the first place, and they are disinclined to flee. The troll starts ripping PCs in half, the burning hands does little more than annoy it, and after half the party lies dead one of the players questions whether they can actually beat this thing. "I highly doubt it, " I suggest helpfully.Fleeing proves equally problematic. Had the PCs been willing to abandon their dead... Oh, wait, no, I mean the dead's gear... Anyway, apparently trying to remove armor from a dichotomized corpse does not actually assist in getting away from a hungry monster - who knew? Also, said monster, being a native to the swamp and long-legged to boot, is the odds-on favorite in any footrace that may eventually take place, although the field of competitors rapidly dwindles as they refuse to get themselves to the starting line...Of course, as funny as this is in retrospect, it's all my fault. I should not have allowed them to come into close proximity with a creature that I did not expect them to attack and defeat. They, apparently, thought this must be some kind of lower-level troll equivalent... I'm a bad, bad DM.</blockquote>

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