D&D 5E Curse of Strahd (and limitations on 1st level play)

[Larnievc]

The HP, attack bonuses, etc., are still too low to challenge the party.

Yet they run away from encounters? Can you describe a combat encounter the party were allowed to engage with?

I’m running a party through it now and they went from 1st to (now) 7th level without any of the cake walk vs tpk worries you’ve mentioned.

What’s the party composition?

 

[DEFCON 1]

What’s the party composition?

They mentioned it on Page 4 of the thread:

Party composition (all 5th level):
Ranger
Cleric
Rogue
Paladin
Artificer (Artillerist specialization)

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This party could kill 500 of them. It wouldn't matter how many are thrown at them. At the CR 1/8, they are as challenging as a field of No 2 lead pencils.

I think someone did a stat block for "Huge Swarm of Blights".

But this episode is intended to be a mystery, with the objective being to save the vineyard (easily failed by a gung ho party), it's not designed as a serious combat challenge. If you want to switch focus to combat, then you need to make significant changes.

A lot of CoS is like this, it's not really a combat-focused adventure (with some exceptions). It's more about atmosphere and mystery. Which is why it goes wrong if the players don't fully commit.

P.S. Ask the Joker to show you his pencil trick.

 

[Mort]

How did they get there at 3rd level?

This party could kill 500 of them. It wouldn't matter how many are thrown at them. At the CR 1/8, they are as challenging as a field of No 2 lead pencils.

I personally don't like it, but you could try the flanking rule (advantage against flanked opponents). That way AC 19 swarmed by blights is still getting hit 43% of the time - hard to ignore that.

 

[Mort]

I think someone did a stat block for "Huge Swarm of Blights".

But this episode is intended to be a mystery, with the objective being to save the vineyard (easily failed by a gung ho party), it's not designed as a serious combat challenge. If you want to switch focus to combat, then you need to make significant changes.

A lot of CoS is like this, it's not really a combat-focused adventure (with some exceptions). It's more about atmosphere and mystery.

Yeah, this needs to be stressed. The combats are not really supposed to be "hard." at least not yet.

The party is supposed to use this time to get into the ambiance, atmosphere and overall creepiness of the situation.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I personally don't like it, but you could try the flanking rule (advantage against flanked opponents). That way AC 19 swarmed by blights is still getting hit 43% of the time - hard to ignore that.

Give the druids Heat Metal if the PCs are wearing lots of armor!

 

[Mort]

Give the druids Heat Metal if the PCs are wearing lots of armor!

This is one reason these discussions are tough - they are SO situation dependent.

If the Druid casts shillelagh and runs into melee - it will be a short fight for the poor druid.

If the druid ducks behind cover, casts heat metal, has the twig blights form a wall around him and then snipes from a distance. Likely a MUCH tougher fight.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is one reason these discussions are tough - they are SO situation dependent.

If the Druid casts shillelagh and runs into melee - it will be a short fight for the poor druid.

If the druid ducks behind cover, casts heat metal, has the twig blights form a wall around him and then snipes from a distance. Likely a MUCH tougher fight.

Wall of Blights. Summon @MatthewJHanson .

 

[mamba]

They had cast Pass Without Trace and had ungodly high Stealth, so they weren't noticed until they got into the Winery.

sure, but during the first fight the other two rooms should hear something

The combat with the 24 twig blights and 1 druid in the fermentation room was over before anyone could've heard or gotten there (less than 2 rounds).

given that the three rooms manage to notice the fight outside and arrive within one round of each other, the same should be true inside, ie the second room arrives in round 2 and the third in round three

The party hasn't yet left the Winery, so they will have to deal with the 30 blights outside now. (Of course, they can safely rest inside and go completely nova on the blights the next morning.)

that is entirely up to you… you can have a bunch of druids with a sea of the toughest blights show up if you wanted to.

Getting in was the easy part, getting out alive…

 

[Mort]

The party hasn't yet left the Winery, so they will have to deal with the 30 blights outside now. (Of course, they can safely rest inside and go completely nova on the blights the next morning.)

If they try, this is the PERFECT opportunity for you to bring the fight to the PCs. Just because they cleared out the immediate threat, does not mean the area is, in any way, safe.