Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="aco175" data-source="post: 9403178" data-attributes="member: 27385">In my group's last adventure, the PCs were in a fight with some manticores and an invisible stalker as they were trying to land their rowboat on the shore in a storm-churning ocean.  As they were landing, a pair of giant crabs came over to also fight them.  The druid had summoned a pair of giant eagles to help fight the manticores and the PCs were finishing with them when they landed so the eagles went to fight the crabs.  Just as the barbarian reached the crabs to fight them, the crabs had their turn.  One giant claw attack on the summoned eagle and I told the player it takes 4d10+6 damage.  The whole table suddenly stopped for a second and changed plans as I described the eagle being squeezed like a balloon until it popped and was summoned no longer.  The point is to telegraph the bad to the players.  Maybe have a spell knock a goblin off or you may have a NPC with the party that can be put into the pit.  They could be holding onto a vine and undead claws reach up from the darkness to grab them.  Now, the players know they do not want to be in that situation.  The fear of the unknown creeps in.Another thing I tend to grant to PCs is a save or check to avoid total falling.  Someone gets pushed or thrown over the side and they can try a DEX save to grab onto something.  If it is a rough pit with vines and junk, then a DC12 is fine as the base.  This allows them to grab something and be delayed only a round or two.  If they make a DC10, then they grab something further down and are delayed 2-3 rounds- a DC15 might be that they grab the edge and can climb out the next round.  I use a DEX save over Athletics or Acrobatics since it is more a reaction to something happening to them and not a choice to use a skill.  The skills are used to climb out without falling further into the pit.</blockquote>

Verification