Heroic Tier Petrification

[Badapple]

If one of them manages to get petrified for the encounter (and I'm planning on stacking the numbers heavily against that happening) my plan is to give them control of the monster the rest of the group is going to be fighting whilst dealing with all the traps.

Sounds good. I kind of realized my comment didn't apply to your specific situation once I started reading your description of what the encounter was like. Sounds like a fun encounter, have you run it yet?

 

[Rachel]

A mechanism that I have used is a power where you get no automatic save to end it, but where granted saves still work. This kind of petrification is like a stun that only another player can break. It lets the party leaders (and anyone with First Aid) shine. If you do it like this, it doesn't need to have the staged effect on failed saves; your monster can petrify right away, but the players have a chance to break the effect.

It should still be quite a rare encounter power, and your player should get knowledge rolls to realize how it works (or just plain out tell them).

Hi Starfox.

I really like this idea. 99% of play groups would have zero problem with this, except my poor group (we don't have a leader) that may not have many or any powers that can grant allies a save. This would kill us, but I like the idea for most groups. Any time you can take a standard mechanic and twist it in a new, fun and interesting way, that is Rule "0" at it's best.

 

[FireLance]

I really like this idea. 99% of play groups would have zero problem with this, except my poor group (we don't have a leader) that may not have many or any powers that can grant allies a save. This would kill us, but I like the idea for most groups.

Any character can make a Heal check to administer first aid which, among other things, can be used to grant an ally a saving throw. Admittedly, it requires a standard action, and it's a DC 15 check, so success isn't guaranteed, especially for low-level characters who are not trained in Heal, but it does mean that, short of a TPK, all groups will eventually be able to deal with the problem.

 

[Zinovia]

The encounter has the 5 members spread between 5 different rooms when things start off and they will each be facing off against a hinted at problem (fear, fire, necrotic, poison, and petrification) individually until they can regroup. Each of the rooms also has a font in it that cures/negates/grants a resistance to the effects of one of the other rooms, and each font is rife with hints that, after the fact, will clue them in to the contents.

It does sound fun. Tell us how it goes, I'm looking forward to hearing about it. My group enjoys puzzles like this, so if it goes well, I'd like to steal it! Thanks.