Rhenny
Adventurer
We continued our 5th level playtest with the following PCs:
Mythra the Elven Wizard (Evoker)
Rynlore the Human Paladin (Warden/Nature Paladin)
Jaden the Human Fighter (Great Weapon Fighter)
This was a continuation of our last session. We played for about 2 ½ hours.
As Mythra and Rynlore rested in the great cave, Jaden came running in. He had trailed them and finally caught up with them. They told him about their progress, and the group decided to search the walls around the cave that the bugbears were using their pick axes upon. Edgar Scrope investigated the area as well. After about 20 minutes, they determined that the bugbears were not digging in the proper places to find the resting chamber of Sayer Veldam. After a few more minutes of discussion, the party decided to go back to where they saw the chained up Ettin and take it down.
The group walked into the Ettin’s cave and since Jaden declared that he wanted to slay the beast, Mythra fired a frost ray at the foe. The enraged Ettin pulled mightily at the chains that held it to the wall and was able to free itself and attack Jaden. The Ettin’s blows did not hit the mark, so Jaden hacked at it with his silvered greatsword, and Rynlore smashed it with his newly acquired magical warhammer, “Brightbeater.” As the Ettin disrupted a pile of refuse in the cave, 4 giant centipedes emerged from the debris, and one of them climbed up the Ettin’s back and bit the giant fiercely (I made the bite and the poison of these creatures more powerful than what’s in the bestiary and the party had cut the Ettin down to 1 hp anyway). The Ettin toppled to the ground as the bite and its poison was enough to take him down. Then the little vermin attacked both Rynlore and Jaden. Jaden would have suffered a wound, but Rynlore used his shield to block the centipedes attack. Then, the trio of adventurers made quick work of the giant insects. Searching the refuse pile, they found a half-eaten human body, undoubtedly other archeologists who had found the site before Edgar Scrope and the adventurers. Mystra saw that their was a plain gold ring on one of the body’s fingers. The group took it and walked back to the main cave.
Turning south into a narrow tunnel, the group moved cautiously, spotting an area that had some rotten support beams. The party decided to go back to the cave and use some raw lumber that was in the cave to sure up the support beams. After working for 10 minutes they felt as if the passage was safer to travel, so they continued deeper south until they came to an eastward bend in the tunnel. Rynlore walked forward with “Brightbeater” casting light for all to see. As he stepped closer to another cave opening, the party heard the sound of flapping wings. Soon, Rynlore, and Jaden (the two PCs in the lead) were swarmed by 8 stirges. Jaden hacked at one and killed it easily. Rynlore killed another, but over the next few rounds, Rynlore was bitten by 1 of the creatures, while Jaden was bitten by 5 of the nasty buggers. Mythra was able to cast burning hands to kill all but 1 of them. Jaden cut through the final one and the group went forward to see a river cutting through the cave, on the other side of the river was a rug with a large, moving bump under it. Rynlore and Jaden both tried to jump over the river, but both of them fell in and had to climb out on the other side. Mythra made it across without fail. Rynlore bravely pulled the rug to reveal a cowering goblin. Mythra was able to speak with the goblin it its native tongue. His name was Gupu and he was taken prisoner by the Hobgolins. He asked for the party to let him go. After asking him about the area, Mythra found out that Gupu had heard of Sayer Veldam, and he said he saw where there were some obscured statue feet, perhaps a secret way into the resting place of Sayer Veldam. Jaden also used some down time to bandage some wounds.
The party let Gupu lead them to the spot and they retrieved some pickaxes and started to break the stone and a statue that they found buried behind the stone. Rynlore moved into the opening and found a number of guardian skeletons with longswords moving toward him, 4 normal skeletons and 4 that wore chainmail. After the skeletons moved in, the party attacked. Jaden hacked one down and injured another. Mythra weakened one with a ray of frost. Then Rynlore used his last channel divinity to utterly destroy all of them as they clawed at him on all sides.
From the north west, the party saw a strange blue glow. They approached it and saw a strange alter with a water receptacle and a place for candles. There was a magical force shield blocking the entrance to another room to the north. Rynlore and Mythra examined the alter, and decided to fill the basin with water and light candles to place on the alter. Then Rynlore blessed the water. As soon as they did that, the magical barrier fell and they could enter the tomb of Sayer Valdem.
Inside the tomb, Rynlore was attacked by a skeleton that could fire a ray of frost. There were 2 of those foes, and 2 wights in this room. In the center of the room, in the floor tile, was the flaming eye, the symbol of Sayer Veldam. At the north end of the room there was a stone sarcophagus. The party battled the wights and the chillborn skeletons (27 hp and extra cold damage…multi-attacks) Rynlore faced one of the chillborn skeletons, while Jaden ran to attack one of the wights. After Jaden critically wounded and killed the wight, the sarcophagus burst open and a mummy with chainmail, Sayer Veldam, climbed out. He asked the party to drop their weapons and help him reunite with his brothers. He tried to get them to help him leave the tomb. The party noticed that he was wearing a pulsating red medallion around its neck, but at his point, the trio of adventurers felt a wave of despair, but only Jaden was paralyzed by fear. The paladin stood boldly resolute, and his aura of influence helped Mythra as well. After about 6 rounds of fighting (and Jaden hit with another critical against Veldam), the foes were vanquished, even Sayer Veldem (a mummy with 120 hp – the amulet made it easier for him to resist fire damage even with the mummy’s natural vulnerability).
After the battle, Jaden beheaded the mummy, and the amulet fell to the floor. Mythra picked it up and placed it into the holy water in the basin outside the room. She felt as if the item itself was not evil; then she detected magic and realized that the amulet was a protective device. Searching the sarcophagus, the party found 200 gems (10 gp each) and a golden torc. After a short rest, Edgar Scrope came out of hiding and told the group that they could keep all of the treasure except for the torc, and the urns that they found earlier. The party packed up their loot and headed back to Winterhaven without any mishaps.
Comments:
This concluded a complete mini-adventure that took about 5 ½ hours. Our game illustrated that 2 PCs, joined by 1 PC (about mid way through), could continue on and on through a total of 9 combat encounters and a few exploration encounters without taking a long rest.
By the end of the adventure, Rynlore had no spells, no channel divinity, no hit points of healing left over and had about ½ of his hit points. Mythra had only a 1st level and 2nd level spell (both recalled using arcane recovery). However, she had taken no damage, and had all of her HD of healing left. Jaden, who came late to the party, was down about 10 hp, and had used only 1 HD of healing. The party did have 3 potions of healing that they found in the beginning part of the adventure, which they never used.
Overall, we had fun, but I have to say that the adventure was much more challenging when the party was only 2 PCs. Once Jaden joined in, everything was so much easier. I had to make Sayer Veldam a mummy with 120 hp, and no vulnerability to fire to even challenge the group the little that I did. My monsters missed quite a lot, especially since Rynlore had a 19 AC.
Because the PCs gain so much at 5th level, I think that it is much more difficult to challenge them. Since they don’t gain deadly strike x3 until 10th level, I have a feeling that levels 7, 8 and even 9 will feel more challenging because they will be able to fight higher level monsters, but they will not have a corresponding boost to their damage (except for the wizard who will gain higher level spell slots). Then, when the PCs make level 10 and they gain more damage potential, it will be more difficult to challenge them with level appropriate monsters, etc., etc. I am wondering if the damage boost for all PCs is too much and too abrupt.
One thing about the fighter that was really confusing was that he had so many ways to do damage to multiple foes. He had wide-arc, multi-attack, and cleave. It was confusing deciding which to use, when and how. It was messy.
The paladin and the wizard both felt satisfying to play.
As a DM who has run about 5 or 6 sessions using this package (along with 8-12 previous sessions with other playtest packages), I still find it hard to judge how the PCs will do against the encounters that I build. I thought I was getting the hang of it, but at 5th level I lost it again. I think monsters need to be overhauled to really give them more power and special abilities. For experienced players, there is little challenge if encounters are built using the monsters as written. The xp guidelines also don’t help that much either, but I really do like how lower level monsters can be used against the party and how encounters can vary greatly even against level 5 PCs. I actually think that the players in my games could handle a 10th, 11th or 12th level appropriate combat encounter even at 5th level. That’s just so different from prior D&D experiences, and because it is different, I think lots of playtesters might feel weird about it.
Mythra the Elven Wizard (Evoker)
Rynlore the Human Paladin (Warden/Nature Paladin)
Jaden the Human Fighter (Great Weapon Fighter)
This was a continuation of our last session. We played for about 2 ½ hours.
As Mythra and Rynlore rested in the great cave, Jaden came running in. He had trailed them and finally caught up with them. They told him about their progress, and the group decided to search the walls around the cave that the bugbears were using their pick axes upon. Edgar Scrope investigated the area as well. After about 20 minutes, they determined that the bugbears were not digging in the proper places to find the resting chamber of Sayer Veldam. After a few more minutes of discussion, the party decided to go back to where they saw the chained up Ettin and take it down.
The group walked into the Ettin’s cave and since Jaden declared that he wanted to slay the beast, Mythra fired a frost ray at the foe. The enraged Ettin pulled mightily at the chains that held it to the wall and was able to free itself and attack Jaden. The Ettin’s blows did not hit the mark, so Jaden hacked at it with his silvered greatsword, and Rynlore smashed it with his newly acquired magical warhammer, “Brightbeater.” As the Ettin disrupted a pile of refuse in the cave, 4 giant centipedes emerged from the debris, and one of them climbed up the Ettin’s back and bit the giant fiercely (I made the bite and the poison of these creatures more powerful than what’s in the bestiary and the party had cut the Ettin down to 1 hp anyway). The Ettin toppled to the ground as the bite and its poison was enough to take him down. Then the little vermin attacked both Rynlore and Jaden. Jaden would have suffered a wound, but Rynlore used his shield to block the centipedes attack. Then, the trio of adventurers made quick work of the giant insects. Searching the refuse pile, they found a half-eaten human body, undoubtedly other archeologists who had found the site before Edgar Scrope and the adventurers. Mystra saw that their was a plain gold ring on one of the body’s fingers. The group took it and walked back to the main cave.
Turning south into a narrow tunnel, the group moved cautiously, spotting an area that had some rotten support beams. The party decided to go back to the cave and use some raw lumber that was in the cave to sure up the support beams. After working for 10 minutes they felt as if the passage was safer to travel, so they continued deeper south until they came to an eastward bend in the tunnel. Rynlore walked forward with “Brightbeater” casting light for all to see. As he stepped closer to another cave opening, the party heard the sound of flapping wings. Soon, Rynlore, and Jaden (the two PCs in the lead) were swarmed by 8 stirges. Jaden hacked at one and killed it easily. Rynlore killed another, but over the next few rounds, Rynlore was bitten by 1 of the creatures, while Jaden was bitten by 5 of the nasty buggers. Mythra was able to cast burning hands to kill all but 1 of them. Jaden cut through the final one and the group went forward to see a river cutting through the cave, on the other side of the river was a rug with a large, moving bump under it. Rynlore and Jaden both tried to jump over the river, but both of them fell in and had to climb out on the other side. Mythra made it across without fail. Rynlore bravely pulled the rug to reveal a cowering goblin. Mythra was able to speak with the goblin it its native tongue. His name was Gupu and he was taken prisoner by the Hobgolins. He asked for the party to let him go. After asking him about the area, Mythra found out that Gupu had heard of Sayer Veldam, and he said he saw where there were some obscured statue feet, perhaps a secret way into the resting place of Sayer Veldam. Jaden also used some down time to bandage some wounds.
The party let Gupu lead them to the spot and they retrieved some pickaxes and started to break the stone and a statue that they found buried behind the stone. Rynlore moved into the opening and found a number of guardian skeletons with longswords moving toward him, 4 normal skeletons and 4 that wore chainmail. After the skeletons moved in, the party attacked. Jaden hacked one down and injured another. Mythra weakened one with a ray of frost. Then Rynlore used his last channel divinity to utterly destroy all of them as they clawed at him on all sides.
From the north west, the party saw a strange blue glow. They approached it and saw a strange alter with a water receptacle and a place for candles. There was a magical force shield blocking the entrance to another room to the north. Rynlore and Mythra examined the alter, and decided to fill the basin with water and light candles to place on the alter. Then Rynlore blessed the water. As soon as they did that, the magical barrier fell and they could enter the tomb of Sayer Valdem.
Inside the tomb, Rynlore was attacked by a skeleton that could fire a ray of frost. There were 2 of those foes, and 2 wights in this room. In the center of the room, in the floor tile, was the flaming eye, the symbol of Sayer Veldam. At the north end of the room there was a stone sarcophagus. The party battled the wights and the chillborn skeletons (27 hp and extra cold damage…multi-attacks) Rynlore faced one of the chillborn skeletons, while Jaden ran to attack one of the wights. After Jaden critically wounded and killed the wight, the sarcophagus burst open and a mummy with chainmail, Sayer Veldam, climbed out. He asked the party to drop their weapons and help him reunite with his brothers. He tried to get them to help him leave the tomb. The party noticed that he was wearing a pulsating red medallion around its neck, but at his point, the trio of adventurers felt a wave of despair, but only Jaden was paralyzed by fear. The paladin stood boldly resolute, and his aura of influence helped Mythra as well. After about 6 rounds of fighting (and Jaden hit with another critical against Veldam), the foes were vanquished, even Sayer Veldem (a mummy with 120 hp – the amulet made it easier for him to resist fire damage even with the mummy’s natural vulnerability).
After the battle, Jaden beheaded the mummy, and the amulet fell to the floor. Mythra picked it up and placed it into the holy water in the basin outside the room. She felt as if the item itself was not evil; then she detected magic and realized that the amulet was a protective device. Searching the sarcophagus, the party found 200 gems (10 gp each) and a golden torc. After a short rest, Edgar Scrope came out of hiding and told the group that they could keep all of the treasure except for the torc, and the urns that they found earlier. The party packed up their loot and headed back to Winterhaven without any mishaps.
Comments:
This concluded a complete mini-adventure that took about 5 ½ hours. Our game illustrated that 2 PCs, joined by 1 PC (about mid way through), could continue on and on through a total of 9 combat encounters and a few exploration encounters without taking a long rest.
By the end of the adventure, Rynlore had no spells, no channel divinity, no hit points of healing left over and had about ½ of his hit points. Mythra had only a 1st level and 2nd level spell (both recalled using arcane recovery). However, she had taken no damage, and had all of her HD of healing left. Jaden, who came late to the party, was down about 10 hp, and had used only 1 HD of healing. The party did have 3 potions of healing that they found in the beginning part of the adventure, which they never used.
Overall, we had fun, but I have to say that the adventure was much more challenging when the party was only 2 PCs. Once Jaden joined in, everything was so much easier. I had to make Sayer Veldam a mummy with 120 hp, and no vulnerability to fire to even challenge the group the little that I did. My monsters missed quite a lot, especially since Rynlore had a 19 AC.
Because the PCs gain so much at 5th level, I think that it is much more difficult to challenge them. Since they don’t gain deadly strike x3 until 10th level, I have a feeling that levels 7, 8 and even 9 will feel more challenging because they will be able to fight higher level monsters, but they will not have a corresponding boost to their damage (except for the wizard who will gain higher level spell slots). Then, when the PCs make level 10 and they gain more damage potential, it will be more difficult to challenge them with level appropriate monsters, etc., etc. I am wondering if the damage boost for all PCs is too much and too abrupt.
One thing about the fighter that was really confusing was that he had so many ways to do damage to multiple foes. He had wide-arc, multi-attack, and cleave. It was confusing deciding which to use, when and how. It was messy.
The paladin and the wizard both felt satisfying to play.
As a DM who has run about 5 or 6 sessions using this package (along with 8-12 previous sessions with other playtest packages), I still find it hard to judge how the PCs will do against the encounters that I build. I thought I was getting the hang of it, but at 5th level I lost it again. I think monsters need to be overhauled to really give them more power and special abilities. For experienced players, there is little challenge if encounters are built using the monsters as written. The xp guidelines also don’t help that much either, but I really do like how lower level monsters can be used against the party and how encounters can vary greatly even against level 5 PCs. I actually think that the players in my games could handle a 10th, 11th or 12th level appropriate combat encounter even at 5th level. That’s just so different from prior D&D experiences, and because it is different, I think lots of playtesters might feel weird about it.
