DM vs. PC's Question

[Darklone]

Coincidentally, one of the PCs has just been challenged to a gladiatoral duel by a halfling. Odds are that a couple more PCs will be asked to join in for a three-a-side fight. The halflings are going to be about 3-4 levels lower than the PCs. So I'm expecting to beat the crap out of them

Ohhhh shinies! Do you remember the thread about the spiked chain wielding halfling being better thanks to Power Attack than a human with spiked chain because of Weapon Finesse and his to hit bonuses?

I'd design that Spiked chain dude with Stand Still as Psywar to keep the PCs away, add that feat that allows sneak attacks on someone he hit... and change his buddies into archers. Then (I think we should slowly start a new thread...)... MUAHAHAHA the joy of playing with NPCs.

I'll remember that. Did I mention that three sessions ago four of the PCs (now 11th lvl, with over 200,000 gp each of equipment, including three permanent +4 enhancements) walked into a drug den guarded by three CR6, six CR5, and four CR4 NPCs, planning to kick them around for the heck of it. Admittedly, the PCs were really cocky and didn't have their game face on, but by the end of the fight, one PC was below -10 (IMC, you can use action pts to survive that, without which we'd have had 25 deaths in 48 games), another was at -8, and the remaining two PCs were running as fast as they could to get help.

That's why I always use the rule that you die at neg hitpoints = con +1. And you're not unconscious that fast... though you get damage for acting.

Thanks to the dice gawds, sometimes it works the other way round. When my 9 PCs were around level 5-6, I had two assassins (not looking for them but for allied NPCs) around. The one was a multiclassed spiked chain trip master, the other one a fireballing blood sorcerer. Both level 8 and designed as a two man adventurer group able to waste the whole PC group if necessary.

Due to some bad luck, two of the PCs (clerics) without spells and slightly hurt after two big battles that evening where the group barely escaped happened to engage them, the assassins fully buffed, the PCs ... alone. But that's another story that I might post in the storyhour section (Have to translate it from German).

 

[PwrMnky]

I got into this a couple of campaigns ago. I realized that every game was basically me just trying to beat my PCs into submission, and I couldn't scratch them. I kept coming up with more and more villains to try to destroy them.

Once I realized that my games had taken on a "me vs. them" mentality, I stopped GM'ing. It hadn't become fun for me.

That is a very interesting concept. At some point DM's get to a "me vs. them" mindset. When I DM, I like to root for my hometeam (the PC's). Sure I put them up against some evil HUGE creatures ... but I want them to feel like they've accomplished something heroic.

I've found that people who predominately DM ... (watch out) ... typically have control issues.

Yup.

 

[Mark CMG]

I've found that people who predominately DM ... (watch out) ... typically have control issues.

I predominately DM. Take that back!

 

[delericho]

I've found that people who predominately DM ... (watch out) ... typically have control issues.

Guilty.

But that doesn't necessarily make for a bad DM - the crucial thing is to draw the line between the things the DM has the right to control (the rules, the game environment), and the things he doesn't (the plot of the game, the actions of the PCs).

 

[Old Drew Id]

Other ideas to make it interesting:
Put the troll up against the fighter, but have him call out the fighter for one-on-one combat, because he "likes his style".

If the troll starts losing bad enough, have him throw down his weapon and "yield to the better swordsman." The great thing about trolls is that they regenerate, so if the party does stop to negotiate with him, he's healing the whole time.

Have the fighter hear about the troll ahead of time, but not his race. He should just hear about this local mercenary that uses a giant sword. Build up a rivalry between the fighter and the mercenary, so that when the fighter finally meets this guy, he's psyched up for the fight and quite surprised to discover that the mercenary is a troll.

 

[Nightfall]

Better idea: Take that troll and put two kobold adepts throwing lightning bolts on his shoulders.

Sounds good to me!

*figures dual wielding without Monkey grip works just fine*

 

[kaomera]

Better idea: Take that troll and put two kobold adepts throwing lightning bolts on his shoulders.

If you've got the CR to spare, make the kobolds half-trolls (just to keep the flavor going), then hit the whole lot with the half-fiend template...

And make the kobolds F1s so they can get Monkey Grip, Weapon Finesse, and medium spiked chains...

 

[Nightfall]

Kao,

You definitely got my mouth watering now.

*isn't a control freak* I'm just right all the time.

 

[Darklone]

just checked the kobolds... even with the NPC drag, rather take sorc6 for firepower goodness.

 

[Nightfall]

Dark,

After considering the firepower offered...yeah I'd say kobold sorcerers work better than fighter kobolds.

Although the templates were a nice idea Kao!