City of the Spider Queen Death Rate?(Spoilers)

[National Acrobat]

Ok, just a question for those of you who are also running or have run the super module City of the Spider Queen. I have been Dming this for awhile. The party, against the wishes of the Paladins, have made a temporary agreement with Solom Nedrak so they can get on with the quest without being further bogged down in Szith Morcane. They managed to take out Dorina, Zedar and the twins. However, I have tried to remind them of the lethality of this campaign but they keep shrugging it off. The party is

Human Paladin
Dryad Paladin/Cleric (reincarnated from human)
Human Evoker
Elf Sorceror/Dragon Disciple
Human Cleric/Divine Disciple/Templar
Human Barbarian/Fighter
Human Thief/Fighter/Duellist
Human Monk


The Human Paladin has died three times. He was charged after the first Raising by his church to finish the quest. He can't fo anything else until then.

The Elf Sorceror has died twice.

The Human Thief died once.

The Human Evoker has died once.

Is this normal, or are my guys doing good at this point?

They seem to be getting a bit upset about the deaths, even though every one of them has been due to the tactical errors made by the party.

 

[BlackMoria]

Based on what I have seen on messageboards concerning CotSQ, the fatality rate doesn't seem out of place and is about par for what others have said.

 

[VorpalBunny]

It's normal. Just got back from my running my latest CotSQ session - a TPK.

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The party consisting of a human Clr14, human Mage 13, a human Rog3/Pal2/Ftr8 and a human Ftr4/Rog3/Rgr7 were fighting Dorina T'Sarran. She used her gaze attack to dominate the Rog3/Pal2/Ftr8 who then with her help proceeded to decimate the party.

Nope. The fatality rate is definitely not out of place.

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

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You've had a lot more death then those in my group, but my players (who have a knack for survival) have almost been tpk'd several times. Just luck that has saved them.

We're 6 sessions (and 16 days game time) into the mod and have only had 2 deaths so far (the Drow Rogue and the Half Ogre Fighter). The Rogue became splatter on the Bebilith's lair walls. The Half-Ogre bit it in a huge battle with the Web Team, a Gargantuan Fiendish Wraith Spider (one of their kills coming back to haunt them), the Bazaar guards and the Bazaar Outpost's guards.

Sad thing is, after 6 sessions, it was only this last session that they truly ventued into Szith Morcane (actually going down the web somewhere, that is).

They tend to metagame heavily and have gotten it into their heads that the "castle" at the bottom of the city is the final fight (they labeled the castle CR 18 on their map). Since thy're all still 10th or 11th level, they're avoiding that place for last. Figure they'll find out eventually that there is more to this mod then one city.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Is this normal, or are my guys doing good at this point?

They seem to be getting a bit upset about the deaths, even though every one of them has been due to the tactical errors made by the party.

Depending on their level and what equipment they have, this could range from "expected" to a "high" death rate.

They've got twice the normal party number for 3e--that should make it easier.

But, if they started out at 10th level and have lost several levels, the going will coninue to be treacherous.

And, of course, as they lose more levels (due to the death/Raise Dead cycle), the module will just get harder and the deaths will become more frequent.

Finally, if the party ignores your warning about lethality, well, expect a complete TPK soon.

 

[National Acrobat]

So, I guess some of the horror stories are true then. I guess it's nice to know that my game is right on track.

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The Slay Living door killed the Thief (who failed to find it), The Sorceror and The Evoker. The Paladin and the Sorceror (again) were killed in the Bebilith Lair. The Paladin also died in the fight with Dorina and again in another fight with Solom. It was at that point they decided to talk to the Archmage because they wanted to get on with the mission, not add to the carnage in Szith Morcane.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Yeah, my party had 5 out of 10 party members die (including NPCs and cohorts); only 2 (the PCs) were raised. We just finished it, more or less. The module was pretty lame, IMO. Just a meatgrinder hack-n-slash railroad. YMMV.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Hm... reading all that I think I was far to good to my players - they're ....


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... almost done with the Deep Wastes and still noone has died (but I did save one character once.)

I think I'll get a little harder now (I usually try not to kill them, but I do challenge them. They're always happy if the enemy dies).

I also have to say that they didn't have to fight the dragon: It's an evil party with a Darkmask of Vhaeraun in the party, and so the dragon was willing to let them go - for a price. I also told them that they didn't want to fight the dragon since I would use B. A. D. D. tactics). Again, I think I'll just stop giving them remainders...

 

[Hygric]

Well lets see... so far in the CotSQ that I am playing in:

Newan, cleric of Mystra got Bebelithed.

Serena, fire elementalist sorceress got lightning bolted 5' away from the corner.

Wadi al Sulanar the loremaster got a terrible case of the bodaks.

A shadow adept (lasted so little time that I forget his name) got up close to a nightwalker.

An orog fighter (ditto with the name) got friendly with a fire giant.

...and their just MY deaths... and I think I have forgotten one or two.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Well, we had had a fairly decent fatality rate, but two sessions ago we had our first TPK.

It was a pretty amazing Total Party Kill, though not really a pure one.

We had one character who walked off as an Illithid's thrall and another who was at another base camp and never saw combat.

The new party feels very nervous. We're fairly close to the end.

Last week they pulled off the most beautiful assassination I've ever seen in a game. Made my eyes water...

Gotta figure out what to do with them over the next two weeks.

Bought the ghost walk rules in case they all bite it again.