Critiques for a campaign "arc"

[pogre]

If anyone's still out there, I'm still struggling with this arc.

What I have written, is too straightforward. I separated everything by a section, but each of them has only one paragraph (no complications of any sort, I have a lot of NPCs saying "Hey you know about this murder?"), and I don't have any encounters for when they are in between locations.

I have a mini encounter between the group's initial location and their next location, which involves some "highway robbers" who shoot at them from trees. However, I have the feeling my players will try to find the robbers, kill all but one and use a charm spell on the last to get info on where the robber's loot is located.

I'm not exactly sure how to end it either. I know the group will be going after two different guilds and a avatar of a god, but I make my fights way, way, too easy (I pretty much don't have the NPC bosses make a hit or my rolls are so low that they don't hit anyway, and the players kill them off within 2 or 3 rounds).

I'm almost wanting to print a pre-generated adventure and call it a day, but still wouldn't help me on the Avatar combat, anyway.

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is - can't you just jack the EL?

As far as the mini encounter with the tree-archer bandits - what's the problem? Sounds like pretty good strategy by the players - let it work.

 

[TheClone]

I don't know whether bandits should have a notable treasure. I mean, if they do have the gold, why risking their lives day by day when robbing armed travelers? Surely they should have some treasure to reward the players for their idea.

For harder encounters raising the EL seems a good thing. And having the bandits sit in the trees sounds also a good idea to make the encounter harder, because then melee won't be possible and with your group config I guess at least half the party will be melee guys. And if you are looking for more encounters:
- The assassin notices being followed and hires some mercenaries to set a trap for the PCs.
- If the evil prince can hire assassins from the jail, he might also hire on to kill the PCs or some mercenaries to do so.
- I guess the High Pries isn't really fond of the players, so could send some minions after the players.
- I don't know whether it fits in the story, but maybe some relative of a dead noble thinks the players are to be blamed and tries to get them arrested or something?

I recently stumbled across this blog entry about saving work as a DM. Maybe it helps you: http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/fenes/721-minmaxing-dm-how-lazy-dm-still-have-success.html
It does target d20, so shouldn't be too difficult to use. And trying to stick too closely what the palyers might do is always creating vast amounts of work. It's better to have the important locations and npcs prepared and maybe some optional encounters that point the players in the right direction, if they don't know how to continue. That should do it.
I recently stumpled across this article to save soem work as a DM:

 

[Anaesthesia]

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is - can't you just jack the EL?

It is one thing to make the EL higher and actually making the NPCs/monsters work like that. As I said before, my big problem is that I usually don't have the NPCs/monsters/etc do anything, except dying or fleeing.

Anyway, thanks for everyone who posted here. Due to a decrease in my game, this particular campaign will either be on hiatus or another game will be played.

 

[TheClone]

It is one thing to make the EL higher and actually making the NPCs/monsters work like that. As I said before, my big problem is that I usually don't have the NPCs/monsters/etc do anything, except dying or fleeing.

Anyway, thanks for everyone who posted here. Due to a decrease in my game, this particular campaign will either be on hiatus or another game will be played.

Either they are to weak, so they have to die (so increase the EL) or you don't play them well. But playing monsters well is nothing else as playing characters well. Maybe you should prepare their tactics ahead of game. Or - if fighting with so many character is too much for you - try using simpler system. D&D 4 and Savage Worlds will help you with that.

 

[Anaesthesia]

Either they are to weak, so they have to die (so increase the EL) or you don't play them well. But playing monsters well is nothing else as playing characters well. Maybe you should prepare their tactics ahead of game. Or - if fighting with so many character is too much for you - try using simpler system. D&D 4 and Savage Worlds will help you with that.

I what I was going to do with this arc, was to plan out combat ahead of time, anyway. One of the 4e dms in my game just complained about the combats being way too easy, this past Friday.

Unfortunately, I don't like 4e enough to DM it, and not familiar with Savage Worlds, besides, the people in my D&D meetup group would be greatly annoyed with yet another 4e game or a game that's not D&D.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion.