D&D 5E Comprehend Languages Saves Lives

[iserith]

Hopefully the Light Cleric is now back in town a) recruiting a new party around herself, b) paying attention to that new party's makeup in terms of what went wrong last time plus any tales she may have heard about the time before, and c) recruiting purely from an in-character perspective rather than a metagame one.

By the last I mean if she in her wisdom (she's a Cleric, I assume she has some!) thinks the party could do with a sneak or scout but nobody at the table wants to play one, that shouldn't matter: she goes out and recruits a sneak/scout anyway because that's what the wise character would do. (and yes, this means putting an NPC adventurer in the party)

She doesn't really have the time to be choosy - the villain grows stronger with each passing day. Whatever group of ragtags she knows in town will likely have to do!

 

[Bill Zebub]

UPDATE:

The Thursday night group went in again - 2 barbarians, 1 sorcerer/warlock, and a light cleric.

Only the light cleric made it out alive.

Once more, they struck too deeply into enemy territory in pursuit of fleeing kobolds, ending up in the audience chamber of their chieftain, Meepa, Bastard of Venthavaxus (a half-red dragon kobold). She burned down the raging barbarians with her fire breath as kobolds swarmed in from all five doors in her throne room. The sorcerer/warlock dug in to try to save the dying barbarians as the light cleric led the tactical retreat to the rear. It was all for naught as the sorcerer/warlock was also overrun and slain.

They try again next Thursday.

Oh man I wish I could join this.

 

[Clint_L]

I’m going to assume that your players don’t have a ton invested in new characters. My players don’t spend much time optimizing characters but come up with lengthy backstories. They would stop coming back if I was chewing through parties like that!

What if the party just opts to skip this adventure and move on?

 

[iserith]

I’m going to assume that your players don’t have a ton invested in new characters. My players don’t spend much time optimizing characters but come up with lengthy backstories. They would stop coming back if I was chewing through parties like that!

Investment comes with time - start out with low investment on the front end and build it up as you play. It's the safest way, and has the least amount of effort involved initially to get to playing quicker.

What if the party just opts to skip this adventure and move on?

This game is the adventure only. It's not a campaign. Besides, all the characters have been personally wronged by the villain, who they really hate now.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Investment comes with time - start out with low investment on the front end and build it up as you play. It's the safest way, and has the least amount of effort involved initially to get to playing quicker.

Yeah, that's how I do it. Roll up a character that sounds fun, then figure out who they are during play.

 

[iserith]

UPDATE:

Again the Thursday night group delved into kobold territory - two diviner wizards, a scout rogue, and a draconic sorcerer.

The sorcerer is now the prisoner of the kobolds. The rest are trying to flee the surface ruins, but a number of kobolds have cut off their escape, and we ended on a cliffhanger of them seeing the kobolds blocking their only path out.

The funny part is that the one player created the draconic sorcerer specifically so his character could communicate in Draconic to the kobolds and their half-dragon kobold chieftain. The goal was to made a deal with them for safe passage, so they could get after the villain which is their true target elsewhere in the dungeon.

Only when they made contact with the enemy, the usual player bloodlust set in and they just started killing. They were a bit more thoughtful in their approach, however, going for more stealthy attempts and fallbacks, and using sleep spells and shatters to maximum effect. I think they killed around 23 of them this session before they tried to run.

We resume again next Thursday with quite an interesting situation!

 

[Bill Zebub]

We resume again next Thursday with quite an interesting situation!

God I can't wait. This is hilarious.

 

[iserith]

I'm happy to report they've finally adapted themselves to this fictional reality.

While the fleeing party executed a rather decisive attack on the kobolds guarding the route out of the ruins, their captured companion negotiated a tentative peace with the kobold chieftain. They could pass through the kobold's realm, for a time, but the kobolds had a claim on the wizard villain's treasure hoard. Turns out the kobolds don't like the villain one bit, and neither do the PCs.

Before long the party was reunited and resting, then struck deeper into the dungeon, making good time while still remaining cautious and tactical. We ended with them laying eyes upon a statue of the villain, so they know they are getting closer.

I think they're learned quite a bit through all that bloodshed and may do well from here on out. But I've been wrong before.