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[CAMPAIGN] Out of the Abyss [SPOILERS]
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<blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 6739827" data-attributes="member: 5834"><p><strong>Session 3: Into the Darkness</strong></p><p></p><p>The players retrieved their weapons, armor, and a few combat support goods like thieves' tools and rope. There was a brief argument concerning escape routes. Karzak and Buppido leapt into the water. They out ran the gray ooze and hid in the darkness.</p><p></p><p>Tytus tried to make his way to the lift against the wishes of his brother Jharzzle. He ran into drow and retreated to the armory tower. They locked the door and followed Karzak off the ledge with Eraxis casting <em>feather fall</em>. The gray ooze attacked Tytus while he was slowly making his way to shore in chain mail. The party killed it, but it tarnished Tytus's armor and weapon (-1 AC and damage). They spent a short bit of time deciding which direction to flee. Buppido pushed Gracklstugh. Jimjar offered to lead the humans and Sprout to Blingdenstone, but could not guarantee the safety of the drow. Shuushar wanted to return to his people at The Darklake promising boats to cross the lake to Gracklstugh. The party decided to take the South Passage to Gracklstugh because the heavy armor wearers didn't want to risk fighting in the water. </p><p></p><p>The party ventured the South Passage with Buppido, Sprout, Jimjar, and Shuushar. They have a ranger and two Outlander backgrounds, so survival was much easier than for a party lacking those character types. They moved at a fast pace the first two days using <em>goodberry</em> for nourishment. </p><p></p><p>The first day they killed a Carrion Crawler taking refuge in a cave area where they sheltered for a long rest. The latter part of the day they were assaulted by Grimlock Raiders and Fanorian avoided a Steam Vent. </p><p></p><p>The second day they met Y the Derro. They had a brief conversation with Y that amounted to little more than a confirmation they were traveling in the right direction. Later the same day a tremor caused a lava fissure to open. They had to choose whether to run forward to keep on the path to Gracklstugh or back towards Velkynvelve. They chose to move forward. Some of them suffered contact with lava which burned them badly, but killed no one. When they ran forward, Jharzzle the ranger acting as forward scout was ambushed by a Grick Alpha. The Grick Alpha was a formidable enemy almost felling Karzak, Jharzzle, and Tytus before Tytus used Vow of Enmity on it and landed a Divine Smite critical killing it. </p><p></p><p>That ended Session 3.</p><p></p><p><strong>DM Notes</strong>:</p><p></p><p>1. The encounter tables seem well done. The terrain features are more interesting than I thought they would be. My only gripe is I wish they had provide XP values for terrain features that do damage or require the use of resources to overcome. I chose to make up experience point values for terrain features that cause the party to expend resources or effort whether healing, skills, or spells to overcome.</p><p></p><p><strong>XP Values for Terrain Features:</strong></p><p></p><p><em>A. Steam Vent:</em> CR 1/4 (50): Affects a single creature for minor damage with an slightly above average save number.</p><p></p><p><em>B. Lava Swell: CR 2 (450):</em> Affects everyone for high damage with an average save number. Not continuous.</p><p></p><p>I'll add more terrain features when I decide what xp I feel they are worth according to how much of an effect they have on the party.</p><p></p><p>2. The creature choices on the table aren't too bad either. The use of tables will become monotonous and I recommend preparing encounters in advance and working them into the mix to keep encounters feeling fresh and interesting. </p><p></p><p>3. If you have a party with a druid or ranger, <em>goodberry</em> all but eliminates the threat of starvation. You'll have to work with dehydration. I recommend a few days where they can't find water to instill some paranoia into the party from the threat of dehydration. I'd make it have a real game effect such as levels of exhaustion. </p><p></p><p>4. Drow Pursuit: I've been thinking about the drow pursuit. I'm thinking Ilvara will not come herself immediately. She is going to send Shoor, Asha, a second elite, a few drow warriors, and some quaggoth . None of them are trackers. This makes things difficult. I'm wondering a bit why the module designer didn't decide to include a tracker or two with the drow if they intended the drow to pursue the PCs. I might work one in by modifying one of the elites or making a few the quaggoth trackers. I'm leaning towards quaggoth trackers because that seems more like a drow to use some other creature for a menial physical task.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celtavian, post: 6739827, member: 5834"] [b]Session 3: Into the Darkness[/b] The players retrieved their weapons, armor, and a few combat support goods like thieves' tools and rope. There was a brief argument concerning escape routes. Karzak and Buppido leapt into the water. They out ran the gray ooze and hid in the darkness. Tytus tried to make his way to the lift against the wishes of his brother Jharzzle. He ran into drow and retreated to the armory tower. They locked the door and followed Karzak off the ledge with Eraxis casting [I]feather fall[/I]. The gray ooze attacked Tytus while he was slowly making his way to shore in chain mail. The party killed it, but it tarnished Tytus's armor and weapon (-1 AC and damage). They spent a short bit of time deciding which direction to flee. Buppido pushed Gracklstugh. Jimjar offered to lead the humans and Sprout to Blingdenstone, but could not guarantee the safety of the drow. Shuushar wanted to return to his people at The Darklake promising boats to cross the lake to Gracklstugh. The party decided to take the South Passage to Gracklstugh because the heavy armor wearers didn't want to risk fighting in the water. The party ventured the South Passage with Buppido, Sprout, Jimjar, and Shuushar. They have a ranger and two Outlander backgrounds, so survival was much easier than for a party lacking those character types. They moved at a fast pace the first two days using [I]goodberry[/I] for nourishment. The first day they killed a Carrion Crawler taking refuge in a cave area where they sheltered for a long rest. The latter part of the day they were assaulted by Grimlock Raiders and Fanorian avoided a Steam Vent. The second day they met Y the Derro. They had a brief conversation with Y that amounted to little more than a confirmation they were traveling in the right direction. Later the same day a tremor caused a lava fissure to open. They had to choose whether to run forward to keep on the path to Gracklstugh or back towards Velkynvelve. They chose to move forward. Some of them suffered contact with lava which burned them badly, but killed no one. When they ran forward, Jharzzle the ranger acting as forward scout was ambushed by a Grick Alpha. The Grick Alpha was a formidable enemy almost felling Karzak, Jharzzle, and Tytus before Tytus used Vow of Enmity on it and landed a Divine Smite critical killing it. That ended Session 3. [b]DM Notes[/b]: 1. The encounter tables seem well done. The terrain features are more interesting than I thought they would be. My only gripe is I wish they had provide XP values for terrain features that do damage or require the use of resources to overcome. I chose to make up experience point values for terrain features that cause the party to expend resources or effort whether healing, skills, or spells to overcome. [b]XP Values for Terrain Features:[/b] [i]A. Steam Vent:[/i] CR 1/4 (50): Affects a single creature for minor damage with an slightly above average save number. [i]B. Lava Swell: CR 2 (450):[/i] Affects everyone for high damage with an average save number. Not continuous. I'll add more terrain features when I decide what xp I feel they are worth according to how much of an effect they have on the party. 2. The creature choices on the table aren't too bad either. The use of tables will become monotonous and I recommend preparing encounters in advance and working them into the mix to keep encounters feeling fresh and interesting. 3. If you have a party with a druid or ranger, [I]goodberry[/I] all but eliminates the threat of starvation. You'll have to work with dehydration. I recommend a few days where they can't find water to instill some paranoia into the party from the threat of dehydration. I'd make it have a real game effect such as levels of exhaustion. 4. Drow Pursuit: I've been thinking about the drow pursuit. I'm thinking Ilvara will not come herself immediately. She is going to send Shoor, Asha, a second elite, a few drow warriors, and some quaggoth . None of them are trackers. This makes things difficult. I'm wondering a bit why the module designer didn't decide to include a tracker or two with the drow if they intended the drow to pursue the PCs. I might work one in by modifying one of the elites or making a few the quaggoth trackers. I'm leaning towards quaggoth trackers because that seems more like a drow to use some other creature for a menial physical task. [/QUOTE]
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