[DM advice] Did I do this right?

[Whodat]

As long as you made it clear to the players at the very start that this guy was supposed to be a major menace, then I don’t see what they have to complain about.

It sounds like your players had a great idea about using an unusual item to their strategic advantage. But then they made a huge mistake: they got overconfident. They rushed in with one plan, and when the bad guys adapted, they had no back-up strategy to go to.

They weren’t prepared for your villain to be dynamic (responds to changing threats by alternating plans), resourceful… and cunning. I mean, let’s assume that this guy didn’t become a huge threat by accident.

So, yes. The situation was unwinnable… because the players made it so.

Would these players cry “foul!” if you threw them against a Mirror of Opposition, and (using superior tactics) managed to decimate their party again with evil duplicates of their own characters? Probably.
<shrug>
You could always throw them more kobalds if they think you’re being too hard on them.

 

[LcKedovan]

You could always throw them more kobalds if they think you’re being too hard on them.

Heh, in 3e that could be quite dangerous for them

-Will

 

[Guilt Puppy]

From both a player's standpoint and a DM's standpoint, I totally agree. So long as the timescale was enough that Level Boss could actually get ahold of the dust, then you're set. If not, that's just being harsh...

I've always gone for as much versimilitude as possible in my game: Strongholds are built to take into account as many clever tactics as possible, enemies who the PCs overpower will flee instead of sacrificing themselves to the party's XP, NPCs will try to make things as unfair for the PCs as possible (in one case joining the party, "helping" them get into a crypt which was blocked by a heavy stone door, them letting it close, with only the ones too weak to open the door inside -- he was then slain by the party's Half-Orc)... Likewise, they will avoid doing certain things at the risk of giving the PCs ideas (for instance, the lich Sorceror they've been tracking can throw around Geases like nothing, but he doesn't exactly want them to realize how useful it can be.)

In short, kill 'em if you have to. Only time I pull punches is when it appears the entire party will die (especially if it's from a miscalculation on my part... when it's their miscalculation, I'm a lot less nice), because that's just a poor way for a campaign to end. And I'm the first to admit that this isn't really the best way to run a game -- if the players learn not to fear party death, the game becomes a pointless exercise.

 

[Malakye]

From both a player's standpoint and a DM's standpoint, I totally agree. So long as the timescale was enough that Level Boss could actually get ahold of the dust, then you're set. If not, that's just being harsh...

I fully agree with this. I expect my DM to have the NPC's react to what I do and the players in my game know that if the enemy gets away, they are probably going to see them again and they will have adapted to the previous tactics the pc's used. Anything else would be unbelievable and no fun.

 

[Airwolf]

I think you did it right.

I say that both as a player and a DM. I have had my characters killed and I have killed characters with my BBEGs.

I just completed an adventure that I only give the PC's a 40% chance of getting out alive. I created the bad guys in the same way the PCs created their characters. Looking back I am worried that they won't make it out alive.

Anyway, keep up the good work.

 

[tburdett]

Just something to think about.

I try to be fair and use whatever rules that I put in place for both the PC's AND the NPC's.

If you have a method or rule for determining whether or not a magic item is available to the PC's, did you use it for the NPC or did you just assume that this particular NPC could find ANY magic item that he needed?

I'm all for the NPC's using the same tactics that the PC's use, but they do still live on the same world with the PC's and for it be believable, they should have to work under the same limitations.

 

[Thanee]

I think judging this depends on the general availability of magical items in your campaign.

If items can be bought or otherwise easily obtained, then it was, of course, right to do so, even though it might have been a bit harsh.

If items are not so easy to obtain, than I think it was wrong!

Dust of Disappearance is very weird... and it seems quite sensible to nerf it!

Bye
Thanee