steakburger
First Post
There's this group of friends that I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons with for years. We play a little more loosely than some might, as we view it as just a game. I am usually, if not always, the DM, and the other four have been the PCs so many times, that their level is almost to the point of epic (18).
Anyway, when they started the campaign, I let them remake 10th level characters, since they had gotten to level 10 before on a different campagin and we quit playing for a while. They said they had been reading some of the templates in the monster manuals, and asked if they could be one of them, or if they weren't supposed to. I didn't really care, so I was just like "Sure, just make your level lower so your EL always evens out to 10." Well since then, we've played many, many, many adventures, and they reached the last adventure of the campaign yesterday. Their characters consist of Dorias (3rd level cleric/5th level wizard/10th level mystic theurge)...he can cast 7th level divine spells and 8th level arcane spells. Next character is Bane, a 16th level Death Knight with levels of blackguard, and probably some sort of rogue or fallen paladin levels in there somewhere. Next is their Half-Dragon Monk of 16th level, he is by far their best character. Lastly is some rogue guy.
OK so about halfway through our adventure, the PCs stand outside a wide doorway (4 spaces). This is where they decide to start acting stupid. Bane has a pack of ghouls and ghasts with him, due to his levels in blackguard, and his death knight template. He found them in the previous room, with their leader, who was too strong for him to control. Now outside the doorway, the players waltz right into the room without listening, spotting, searching, or anything else, back themselves into corners, and send their weak undead minions in to fight whatever kind of peril lies ahead. Great job guys, their are thirteen 10th level gnoll fighters in there with you (12 CR 10 monsters is an EL 17 encounter, so I would say this is like EL 18). The room is now cramped with pieces, and no one can move without killing something first. It takes about 5 minutes to roll for initiatives, and then the gnolls just walk around slaughtering weak ghouls. Three gnolls set themself up around one of the corners, so if Bane were to move, he would be in flanking position. He even KNEW this, because I heard someone tell him, and he said "I know." So what does he do? HE MOVES INTO POSITION. Wow two dumb moves in a row, terrific. He somehow ends up dying...on the other hand their caster, decides so just stand in place, because he doesn't want to "waste" his spells. Another great idea. Eventually, when his shield guardian is killed, the caster decides to use a maximized fireball, and the monk does lots of damage in melee and uses his breath weapon. On the other side of the room, the rogue is picking off the gnolls from afar, and pretty soon, two gnolls and three players remain...things are looking up. Then the caster decides he wants to attack the two remaining gnolls...so the monk says, "Oh, I have spring attack," and MOVES OUT OF THE WAY so the caster can engage in melee. My jaw literally dropped, and as punishment I made short work of their caser in a single turn. They killed the gnolls in the next turn, but then we had to take a break, because they were getting frustrated, as both of their PCs that cast spells are now dead. I am accused of "going too hard" on them.
What was so hard about this encounter? Yes, there were a lot of gnolls, I realize that, but look at all the mistakes they made. First of all they trapped themselves in a corner, second of all, Bane moved into flanking position and within range of three 10th level gnoll fighters with halberds. Third, the monk moved out of the way, so fourth, the caster could attack in melee. I have a better idea...send your undead friends in first to scout, and then when they are killed in one turn, make battle plans accordingly.
Did I really go too hard on them here? And if so, what should I have done differently. Also, what should I do about the players? They're facing the final encounter of this campaign next, and with two non-casters they will get dominated...This next one was meant to be tough. Any advice for me/them would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance.
Anyway, when they started the campaign, I let them remake 10th level characters, since they had gotten to level 10 before on a different campagin and we quit playing for a while. They said they had been reading some of the templates in the monster manuals, and asked if they could be one of them, or if they weren't supposed to. I didn't really care, so I was just like "Sure, just make your level lower so your EL always evens out to 10." Well since then, we've played many, many, many adventures, and they reached the last adventure of the campaign yesterday. Their characters consist of Dorias (3rd level cleric/5th level wizard/10th level mystic theurge)...he can cast 7th level divine spells and 8th level arcane spells. Next character is Bane, a 16th level Death Knight with levels of blackguard, and probably some sort of rogue or fallen paladin levels in there somewhere. Next is their Half-Dragon Monk of 16th level, he is by far their best character. Lastly is some rogue guy.
OK so about halfway through our adventure, the PCs stand outside a wide doorway (4 spaces). This is where they decide to start acting stupid. Bane has a pack of ghouls and ghasts with him, due to his levels in blackguard, and his death knight template. He found them in the previous room, with their leader, who was too strong for him to control. Now outside the doorway, the players waltz right into the room without listening, spotting, searching, or anything else, back themselves into corners, and send their weak undead minions in to fight whatever kind of peril lies ahead. Great job guys, their are thirteen 10th level gnoll fighters in there with you (12 CR 10 monsters is an EL 17 encounter, so I would say this is like EL 18). The room is now cramped with pieces, and no one can move without killing something first. It takes about 5 minutes to roll for initiatives, and then the gnolls just walk around slaughtering weak ghouls. Three gnolls set themself up around one of the corners, so if Bane were to move, he would be in flanking position. He even KNEW this, because I heard someone tell him, and he said "I know." So what does he do? HE MOVES INTO POSITION. Wow two dumb moves in a row, terrific. He somehow ends up dying...on the other hand their caster, decides so just stand in place, because he doesn't want to "waste" his spells. Another great idea. Eventually, when his shield guardian is killed, the caster decides to use a maximized fireball, and the monk does lots of damage in melee and uses his breath weapon. On the other side of the room, the rogue is picking off the gnolls from afar, and pretty soon, two gnolls and three players remain...things are looking up. Then the caster decides he wants to attack the two remaining gnolls...so the monk says, "Oh, I have spring attack," and MOVES OUT OF THE WAY so the caster can engage in melee. My jaw literally dropped, and as punishment I made short work of their caser in a single turn. They killed the gnolls in the next turn, but then we had to take a break, because they were getting frustrated, as both of their PCs that cast spells are now dead. I am accused of "going too hard" on them.
What was so hard about this encounter? Yes, there were a lot of gnolls, I realize that, but look at all the mistakes they made. First of all they trapped themselves in a corner, second of all, Bane moved into flanking position and within range of three 10th level gnoll fighters with halberds. Third, the monk moved out of the way, so fourth, the caster could attack in melee. I have a better idea...send your undead friends in first to scout, and then when they are killed in one turn, make battle plans accordingly.
Did I really go too hard on them here? And if so, what should I have done differently. Also, what should I do about the players? They're facing the final encounter of this campaign next, and with two non-casters they will get dominated...This next one was meant to be tough. Any advice for me/them would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance.
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