EL of this encounter -- my Players stay out

[Bad Paper]

That said, I don't agree with Bad Paper that the EL changes. The CR 8 (modified down to 7) is based on a fully-functional creature.

Mitigating circumstances (getting through the lock, whether or not they even meet the efreeti, the type of conjuration, the fact that the PCs are tipped off by the presence of the bars that something spooky is here) made me say "eh, 7 or 8." A called efreeti behind a locked door will, I think, be more canny and relish his role more. A summoned one will just want to get the fight over with. Note that this is merely my style as DM.

I tend to reward the PCs more XPs for more robust interaction with baddies. Hence, for me, I would inflate the encounter with a called feller, which would burn more table-time. Since treasure doesn't change in this scenario, it's the XPs that have to, so that the party feels better about spending more of the evening talking to some twerp of a genie.

Note that in awarding XPs for this encounter, I would give one CR7 for the summoned version of events, and one CR7 plus one CR...2? 3? something like that, for the called version of events. It all depends on the difficulty of the lock, the ease of the passphrase, the demeanor of the efreeti, etc.

PS: "efreet" is plural for "efreeti"

 

[Quasqueton]

Question: How often can an genie/efreeti plane shift?

PS: "efreet" is plural for "efreeti"

<embarrassed> I know this. I don't know what misfired in my brain cells to cause me to type it wrong. Repeatedly.

Quasqueton

 

[Infiniti2000]

Question: How often can an genie/efreeti plane shift?

Good question. Apparently as often as they want. I'm guessing that since no limit is given, then it's at will.

 

[Quartz]

Don't wing any negotiations: have the efreeti's contract written out beforehand. Also decide on his personality: bored, cruel, honourable,...?

 

[Quasqueton]

Don't wing any negotiations: have the efreeti's contract written out beforehand. Also decide on his personality: bored, cruel, honourable,...?

The encounter isn't that important. 90% chance that all that forework would be wasted effort.

Quasqueton

 

[Quasqueton]

The location does not significantly benefit the efreeti and there are multiple, easy, ways to handle it.

What are the multiple, easy ways to handle it? The PCs came to this encounter last game session, and of course didn’t handle it in any way that I expected.

The party:
Halfling sorcerer 9 (with pseudodragon familiar)
Human ranger 9 (with heavy horse animal companion)
Human paladin 9 (with dire wolf special mount)

The sorcerer noticed the abjuration aura on the bars, and the conjuration aura in the room. They used a knock spell to unlock the portcullis. The paladin then tried to lift the portcullis. This “summoned” the efreeti, who asked his question in Infernal. The PCs didn’t understand and couldn’t answer, so the efreeti threw up a wall of fire on the wall of bars. This drove the PCs out of the room. They went to do other stuff.

When they came back the next day, the ranger had prepared some “fire defense” spells (protection from, resistance). The group considered the wall and portcullis for a while, thinking of ways to get through. They eventually settled on brute force. They strung a silk rope through the bars of the portcullis, without touching the bars (the ranger with 19 Dex did this), then tied the rope to the horse and dire wolf.

The two animals pulled until they completely ripped the portcullis off the wall. Then they tried to push the fallen portcullis out of the way. I ruled that the abjuration was still on the portcullis, and so this “summoned” the efreeti again. The PCs retreated from the room again.

I broke the game session there.

They could so easily overwhelm the efreeti with combat, and with fire protection spells prepared they could have avoided much of the damage. But because of an encounter with a guardian-type creature in another adventure in another campaign, they were wondering if another efreeti (or “demon”, as they didn’t know what this thing was) would be summoned if this one was killed.

This encounter has turned out to be much more complicated for the PCs than I expected or intended.

Quasqueton

 

[Nail]

But because of an encounter with a guardian-type creature in another adventure in another campaign, they were wondering if another efreeti (or “demon”, as they didn’t know what this thing was) would be summoned if this one was killed.

Right....this sort of thing crops up with us from time to time. (Nothing to be done from the DM side when this happens.) We all remember another encounter, in another campaign, and respond appropriately to that other encounter.

 

[Infiniti2000]

What are the multiple, easy ways to handle it?

I said that in response to your original plan, and knock was the easiest way. That avenue was eliminated, but the other way I suggested was a dispel magic. Another way would be to talk to the efreet and get the passname. Does the sorcerer have tongues? (probably not) Comprehend languages (requires a touch though). The last 'easy' way I can think of is to just use protection from evil, resistance to fire, and walk past him.

Worst case scenario, fight with resistance to fire activated, after buffing up. There's nothing easier than a fight against a creature in which you decide when it appears. Now, however, the creature is upset that it keeps getting called . . .

But because of an encounter with a guardian-type creature in another adventure in another campaign, they were wondering if another efreeti (or “demon”, as they didn’t know what this thing was) would be summoned if this one was killed.

That's unfortunate thinking on their part. Tell them OOC to stop metagaming like that.

I'm amazed no one has knowledge (the planes). With even only a few ranks, they should be able to understand a little of what's going on.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Using the OP's encounter of a trap of a called "mini-efreet" behind a barred wall...I'd say the CR = 7, and the EL is 6 (i.e. 2/3 the XP for a CR 7).

I agree that EL 6 is about right. There are possible ways to avoid the encounter entirely. And if moderately careful they have ample opportunity to be forewarned that an encounter is likely and buff up for combat.

I would not be inclined to change the XP significantly if the encounter is cleverly bypassed with little resources spent.

 

[Nail]

Tell them OOC to stop metagaming like that.

IME (from both sides of the DM screen), that's tough to implement.