Did I make a mistake - Gestalt, EL, and testy players

[Metus]

I just got finished running a game of Iron Kingdoms tonight. What the end amounted to was a gestalt ranger/rogue being murdered in a wheat field. The player, who has a penchant for raging, stormed out of the game after he was killed.

The party consists of the ranger/rogue, druid/sorcerer, and fighter/gun mage all level 1.

Their opponents were three level 1 fighters.

Did I do wrong? Was this encounter unbalanced and unwinnable? One of the players - not the rager - just said it's low levels in D&D. I feel like I'm responsible, however, more than I think I ever have, and I feel worse than I ever have whenever something bad happens to the party. There's a lot of factors, I know, least of all the one player's bad temper, but I desperately want to find out other people's opinions about this encounter.

So the question is: with those gestalt characters at full health (which they weren't) and with them all together (which they weren't), would that encounter have been fair enough?

 

[Poster Bard]

So the question is: with those gestalt characters at full health (which they weren't) and with them all together (which they weren't), would that encounter have been fair enough?

How well equipped were the fighters?

 

[Thanee]

It was definitely a tough encounter.

While Gestalt characters are tougher than normal (+2 LA roughly), they do not really have much in terms of additional power at the low levels.

They have no more staying power than other 1st level characters and fighters are among the most powerful 1st level characters.

Not overwhelming, but definitely tough (EL = party level +2 roughly).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Poster Bard]

It was definitely a tough encounter.
(-)
Not overwhelming, but definitely tough (EL = party level +2 roughly).

Maybe. Naked with daggers tough or plate, shield and longsword tough? Big difference.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

The PC should have won if they had been fresh out of the gate, though I understand that they weren't. Players should learn to gauge their PC's strength and not be afraid to withdrawal or surrender when need be. Fighter are tough to beat, but a fighter and rogue team should mulch through first level NPCs no slower than 1 per round, regardless of level. The druid should have made a bi difference, too, unless the gun mage had the means to blow away all three baddies in one action.

Don't feel bad because a player had a tantrum. Some people REALLY dislike PC death, and some are just immature and inconsiderate. I try to avoid PC death when I can, but I tell my players that I've got a lot to do as DM and saving the PCs hides is first and foremost their responsability.

 

[S'mon]

I've found that the 3.0 DMG Fighters of levels 1-4 can easily trash PC groups of equivalent level. At higher levels they become progressively weaker.

 

[Metus]

Their equipment is a good question, and my apologies for not mentiong it.

The one that the ranger/rogue fought had a bastard sword and breastplate. The other two I was planning on changing around on the fly, perhaps with less armor, perhaps a short sword, that kind of stuff.

 

[Thanee]

Maybe. Naked with daggers tough or plate, shield and longsword tough? Big difference.

Heh. I guess we can safely assume, that they were armed and armored.

Bye
Thanee

 

[S'mon]

Their equipment is a good question, and my apologies for not mentiong it.

The one that the ranger/rogue fought had a bastard sword and breastplate.

AIR the default 3.0 Ftr-1 has splintmail or banded, bastard sword & heavy shield. Like I said, these guys can easily make mincemeat out of PCs of equal level; until 5th level they have better equipment!

 

[Krug]

At low levels, all it takes are a couple of dice rolls to go against you for your character to bite the dust. Even three kobolds might have gotten lucky and slain that PC anyway.