Campaign ends badly, 4th edition here we come!

[beldar1215]

Just finished my 3.5 Age of Worms campaign after 3+ years (I ran 3 adventures at a time and then took small breaks). It sure didn't end the way I thought. The entire party, except one PC died! This was in the second to last module, so we won't even be playing the last one. I think it was time to put this thing to bed anyway. I'm surprised that it lasted as long as it did. My only regret is that I have a couple of players who will now look at the entire campaign as a failure. Well, what can you do.

4th edition, here we come.

Anyone else have stories like this where the end game was maybe not so stellar.

Beldar

 

[Nebulous]

My only regret is that I have a couple of players who will now look at the entire campaign as a failure. Well, what can you do.

Well, what about Divine Intervention, resurrect the characters (with some penalties, or a debt to the god of death) and finish up that last part! Finishing a campaign is a hard thing to do i think, and as close as you were, i'd pull some strings to make it happen. Unless you were just burned out and wanted a change of pace, which is understandable too. High level 3.x is a pain.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

We had a TPK in the final battle in "Shackled City," and "Age of Worms" is proving to be pretty tough, too. (I think we're three adventures from the end.) Paizo does not screw around when it comes to making "boss" fights tough, so I won't be surprised if we don't complete this one either.

But I had a great time in "Shackled City," and so far I'm having a pretty good time in "Age of Worms," too. (My DM, on the other hand, may be burning out. He seems to be less and less prepared each adventure and more and more easily distracted.)

Anyway, for me it honestly is the journey, not the victory. Winning the fighs and saving the world is just icing. The cake's still good without it.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

That was EXACTLY what happened with our group. We played all the way up to the next-to-last adventure and had a TPK (minus one person who just ran away) against a certain Huge Undead creature who's name starts with D.

That battle took 20 rounds.

Afterwards we unanimously agreed that we would not finish the campaign and leave things as is because we didn't really enjoy high level play very much.

So we took about a half a year break until the 4e books came out (playing other games and farting around with all the 4e prerelease stuff to learn the new system). After that we started a new 4e campaign at lvl 1 that took place in the same world years later.

So, yea, same result. I don't think that D is a very fair challenge to a non-rules-lawyered party.

DS

 

[Holy Bovine]

That was EXACTLY what happened with our group. We played all the way up to the next-to-last adventure and had a TPK (minus one person who just ran away) against a certain Huge Undead creature who's name starts with D.

In my game big D went down in a 2 and a half rounds. Kyuss himself lasted 4. Wouldn't have been so bad but each of those fights took 2 hours to get through! So I was pretty much done with high level 3E after that. When I run 3E again it will be a 10th level cap tops.

 

[Storminator]

We got half way thru Savage Tide, and I just ended the campaign. I was so burnt out on 3.x at that point that I wasn't going to run another adventure in it. 4e came out the same time, so I just bailed.

PS

 

[beldar1215]

I think burn-out was my big problems as well. I did not enjoy running a high level 3.5 game. I think the fact that the game died was OK. Everyone is ready to give 4th a go.

Beldar

 

[JiffyPopTart]

In my game big D went down in a 2 and a half rounds. Kyuss himself lasted 4. Wouldn't have been so bad but each of those fights took 2 hours to get through! So I was pretty much done with high level 3E after that. When I run 3E again it will be a 10th level cap tops.

Our party consisted of the following...

Halfling Rogue/Shadowsomething: Totally useless, since he couldn't sneak attack D.

Minotaur Fighter: Totally useless, since he couldn't fly, which D could.

Human Soulborn: The only guy who could do much against the D, but who also kept getting soulcaged and mazed and other things of that type.

Human Sorcerer/Earth Elemental Adept: This was my guy, who lived because he spent the entire battle with superior invisibility and with just his head and arm sticking out of the rock. I wan't able to do much against the big D, however, since I hadn't invested much in the way of avoiding SR with my feats.

Human Warlock: Just dispelled things trying to keep us alive.

I am surpised we lasted 20 rounds into that battle to be honest. At the end of it I think we only had done about 3-400 points of damage to the D, what with him healing himself over and over and over again.

DS

 

[Rechan]

I know a guy whose AoW campaign crashed thanks to the Big H. Went to 4e.

I've actually never had a TPK. Usually my campaign crashes due to player or DM issues.

 

[ki11erDM]

Just finished my 3.5 Age of Worms campaign ... The entire party, except one PC died!... 4th edition, here we come.

Sounds like a perfect way to start 4e! Begin it a 100 years after the Age of Worms started with 4e rules in Greyhawk! Maybe have them have to search out the lost tomb of the survivor to fine some info about how to over through Kyuss.

As for my AoW campaign, the players I have are way to tactical and skilled to have died in those last few adventures. I had to really beef up the encounters to even challenge them. Big D and K were nearly killed in the first 2 to 5 rounds, and were easily killed off even with the modifications I made. But the encounters did show that 3.x was totally broken at high level and really needed fixing… the end of that campaign really got me excited for 4e.