Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
White Dwarf Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Nest
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
EN Publishing
Twitter
BlueSky
Facebook
Instagram
EN World
BlueSky
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Twitch
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Design Debate: 13th-level PCs vs. 6- to 8-Encounter Adventuring Day
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="iserith" data-source="post: 6841051" data-attributes="member: 97077"><p>For funsies, these are the suggestions/feedback I gave to Flamestrike on <strong>Encounters 1 & 2:</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>Some snowy terrain in this scene can aid the wolves, especially if the PCs enter somewhere between the room where the giants are such that if the PCs hear the giants, they might not notice the wolves hidden behind them before it's too late. And since the spellcasters are likely to be in the back ranks of the marching order, this synergizes with Gorbarth's tactic of having the wolves take down obvious spellcasters. The snowy terrain might be considered a situational advantage for the enemies, however, which would increase difficulty by one step. I personally wouldn't consider it a big enough deal to rise to that level, but others might. If it is seen as a situational advantage that steps up difficulty, then you may as well go all in and have it be magical snow that empowers cold magic and other effects. When the winter wolves are standing in the snow, their breath weapons are more powerful, imparting disadvantage to the targets' saves.</p><p></p><p>You mention a pit being removed, but I would consider keeping it in there and making it about 30+ feet deep. Then I would change Gorbarth's axe to one where it either shoves on a successful hit or gives him advantage on ability checks related to shoving. Maybe make it an oversize maul or greatclub and call it <em>Bully's Bludgeon</em> or something like that. Knock the melee guys into the pit so they lose a turn or more getting out. Maybe put the<em> scroll of telekinesis</em> down there as a booby prize. Since the pit can be used by either side, it doesn't increase difficulty. The giants' height might make it easier for them to climb out, however.</p><p></p><p>For the social interaction component, I would consider making any end to hostilities be contingent upon the PCs and the giants taking a blood oath not to mess with each other. This ritual act costs each PC a hit die, but guarantees the frost giants will not double cross them lest they draw the ire of their gods. It both fits the theme of the frost giants and drains some resources.</p><p></p><p>[hr][/hr]</p><p></p><p>The battle with the death slaads seems interesting. The heavily obscured nature of the place will hamper the ranged characters, but I imagine they'll have races with darkvision for ranged PCs. I would suggest that the slaads are at the top of a steep incline that poses a difficulty traversing (perhaps it's covered in horrible slime). A rusted lever somewhere in the starting area creates steps on the incline which avoids the slippery climb, but it requires great strength or some skill with tools to make it work. The incline might be seen as a situational advantage for the enemy, but the guidelines say if the PC also have an advantage, they cancel each other out. So I would suggest providing a couple areas of rubble which provide cover down where they enter.</p><p></p><p>This setup will synergize with <em>cloudkill </em>which flows downhill, plus that spell's heavy obscured condition means the ranged guys are shooting blind. Few characters are also proficient in Con saves. <em>Fireballs</em> follow. I would suggest having one slaad visible, but shapechanged into a "helpless" little girl who is scared of some lurking monster and has valuable information to share about the metal man elsewhere in the dungeon if only she weren't so scared. This sets up some potential social interaction. I might even put her down where the PCs come in while the invisible slaad lurks up the incline behind the statue and offer characters the opportunity to take disadvantage on their own save in order to protect the little girl from <em>cloudkill</em>/<em>fireball </em>damage. How delicious it will be when the players are sacrificing resources to save her only to see her shapechange into a slaad and tear into their back ranks!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="iserith, post: 6841051, member: 97077"] For funsies, these are the suggestions/feedback I gave to Flamestrike on [B]Encounters 1 & 2: [/B] Some snowy terrain in this scene can aid the wolves, especially if the PCs enter somewhere between the room where the giants are such that if the PCs hear the giants, they might not notice the wolves hidden behind them before it's too late. And since the spellcasters are likely to be in the back ranks of the marching order, this synergizes with Gorbarth's tactic of having the wolves take down obvious spellcasters. The snowy terrain might be considered a situational advantage for the enemies, however, which would increase difficulty by one step. I personally wouldn't consider it a big enough deal to rise to that level, but others might. If it is seen as a situational advantage that steps up difficulty, then you may as well go all in and have it be magical snow that empowers cold magic and other effects. When the winter wolves are standing in the snow, their breath weapons are more powerful, imparting disadvantage to the targets' saves. You mention a pit being removed, but I would consider keeping it in there and making it about 30+ feet deep. Then I would change Gorbarth's axe to one where it either shoves on a successful hit or gives him advantage on ability checks related to shoving. Maybe make it an oversize maul or greatclub and call it [I]Bully's Bludgeon[/I] or something like that. Knock the melee guys into the pit so they lose a turn or more getting out. Maybe put the[I] scroll of telekinesis[/I] down there as a booby prize. Since the pit can be used by either side, it doesn't increase difficulty. The giants' height might make it easier for them to climb out, however. For the social interaction component, I would consider making any end to hostilities be contingent upon the PCs and the giants taking a blood oath not to mess with each other. This ritual act costs each PC a hit die, but guarantees the frost giants will not double cross them lest they draw the ire of their gods. It both fits the theme of the frost giants and drains some resources. [hr][/hr] The battle with the death slaads seems interesting. The heavily obscured nature of the place will hamper the ranged characters, but I imagine they'll have races with darkvision for ranged PCs. I would suggest that the slaads are at the top of a steep incline that poses a difficulty traversing (perhaps it's covered in horrible slime). A rusted lever somewhere in the starting area creates steps on the incline which avoids the slippery climb, but it requires great strength or some skill with tools to make it work. The incline might be seen as a situational advantage for the enemy, but the guidelines say if the PC also have an advantage, they cancel each other out. So I would suggest providing a couple areas of rubble which provide cover down where they enter. This setup will synergize with [I]cloudkill [/I]which flows downhill, plus that spell's heavy obscured condition means the ranged guys are shooting blind. Few characters are also proficient in Con saves. [I]Fireballs[/I] follow. I would suggest having one slaad visible, but shapechanged into a "helpless" little girl who is scared of some lurking monster and has valuable information to share about the metal man elsewhere in the dungeon if only she weren't so scared. This sets up some potential social interaction. I might even put her down where the PCs come in while the invisible slaad lurks up the incline behind the statue and offer characters the opportunity to take disadvantage on their own save in order to protect the little girl from [I]cloudkill[/I]/[I]fireball [/I]damage. How delicious it will be when the players are sacrificing resources to save her only to see her shapechange into a slaad and tear into their back ranks! [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Design Debate: 13th-level PCs vs. 6- to 8-Encounter Adventuring Day
Top