HM's AP for PbP -(closed group, playtesting)

[Dragonwriter]

Well your character was sent to the "tomb" via signs from his goddess. And since I am still working on the why maybe this item will help.

Let's get you your armor and have it be something truly special. Perhaps a King Scorpion or some such. What we can do is have it linked to your character and become stronger and adaptable as you level up.

Sounds good to me. Similar to the Legacy Items in 3.5 (Weapons of Legacy and some later books had them). Could even be Emperor Scorpion Carapace.

So say at 1st lvl it is just normal (game wise but RP it detects magic) chitin and acts like a breast plate. But then at second level it "grows" and hardens (maybe it bonds to you ?) becoming masterwork half plate.

That would be awesome. If I were proficient with half-plate. For Arsa, it will likely stay a Breastplate and merely grow stronger enchantments, unless I take Heavy Armor Proficiency (unlikely).

You will have control over what this does game wise with the only limit that it should not exceed 1/2 your WBL (a standard rule) I am still working on your characters "vision" post to get him to stick with the group. Should have it up after all the perception checks

HM

1/2 WBL is perfectly reasonable to me.

 

[HolyMan]

Hey DW making sure I didn't miss your round 2 post for Arsa.

Arsa and Tox are the only ones I don't have an action for, unless I did miss it somewhere.

HM

 

[Dragonwriter]

You've missed nothing.

I've been distracted with other business and haven't posted an action yet.

 

[jkason]

Huzzah for dispersing one swarm with a good hit. There's still one in the back of the room, though, correct? Or is that just a mass of bugs and not a proper swarm?

 

[jackslate45]

Ding Level 2! Also, I think for now Beast will keep that Earthbreaker. If only because that thing hits like a truck. When he is not raging i think he coulld be using that, and going claw/claw/bite when he rages.

 

[HolyMan]

Hey @jkason I think I found that question you said you posted LOL

Ok run down of part one of The Lost Tomb of the Sand Sage or LTotSS (LTSS for very short)

1) The traps did not go off as I planned. I wonder if I should make them open ended?

a) The first pressure plate was discovered which by the marks on the wall should lead to the others. Normally (not a nat 20 on the check) the rogue won't spot the first one (DC 25). Then the other three pressure plates are easy to "jump over".

b) The group went in the opposite direction of the next trap. It is 50/50 being there is a right way and a wrong way into the central chamber. But I wonder if the game loses something by missing this trap.

BIG QUESTION: Should I have it that no matter which way the group goes they encounter the trap? The dungeon is set to be a small rectagular room surrounded by two outer corridors. They look the same regardless, so having either entrance be the trap is possible (question is should it be done?)

This being pbp and by not using XP as written I would say that having that trap be whichever way the group goes not a bad thing.

2) Fights - (to few?) Only two this is pbp and the tomb is only half the module.

a) centipedes an average fight that could go bad if Poison saves are failed enough times.

b) iron cobra - well there aren't to many low CR "guardian" monsters that don't need to eat LOL about for any game. With any group it will be five on one and the snake only gets one attack per round. Took the poison down to one dose as it has been around a long time without anyone to refresh it. But the save for it is small.

Wish there was a way for it to hit and run. I see it attacking while the group searches then hiding in the mess to strike someone else. After everyone is attack it could then go back to regular combat.

Could have it made of a different material (like bronze or copper) and get rid of the DR and drop the AC by 2 - still a tough fight.

If Tox would have hit it the first round it would have been to easy. AC drops to 18 then to 14 once it's pinned "Tox holds the metal snake down with both claws. One at the tail, and one below it's hooded head. The body squirms as it tries to free itself to no avail."

Comments? Any changes to the "grab bag" style treasure? The traps are the big thing you missed both of them. They weren't major but by not having them we lost the Indiana Jones feel.

I know the snake is a major hmmmm... it just fits so perfectly though.

EDIT: Oh before level ups let me give you your money reward from Tregin. Will post it in the IC after I figure it out. LOL

HM

 

[HolyMan]

Ok after reviewing my notes - and the part that says not to make a dungeon or add monsters but leave that to the DM and have him play on the strengths and weakness of his group (hmmm... might skip that) -

It looks like treasure will be few and unlikely from lvls 2-4 so neeed to get it out of the way early. Sure you don't mind, right.

Going to have each of you gain enough treasure to be at a total of 5,000gp. The following guidelines should be followed when spending your hard earned cash.

1) This is not in addition to the item you received in the tomb. That item should be subtracted from your 5k GP total. (So Sandwalker would have 4,000gp to spend, etc.)

2) No item you purchase should be worth more than half your current wealth total (or no more than 2,500gp).

3) You are not limited at this time in what you may purchase as you are in a Cairo type city with goods coming from all over. Later in the adventure your selections may (read as will) be limited.

4) Any oddities (like the gloves from before) will need to be written out or link for me, please.

Ok have fun with the level up - and post your leaving Tregin's employ so that when we pick this back up we can move to the next chapter.

HM

 

[Dragonwriter]

Seeing as you’re looking for feedback, here goes…

Ok run down of part one of The Lost Tomb of the Sand Sage or LTotSS (LTSS for very short)

1) The traps did not go off as I planned. I wonder if I should make them open ended?
<snip>
BIG QUESTION: Should I have it that no matter which way the group goes they encounter the trap? The dungeon is set to be a small rectagular room surrounded by two outer corridors. They look the same regardless, so having either entrance be the trap is possible (question is should it be done?)

Perhaps another option would be to have a cave-in collapse the other path. Or a door, locked and barred from the other side. Older cultures were often quite paranoid about tomb-robbers… Along with Indiana Jones, you might look at The Mummy (90’s) and its pressurized salt acid trap as an example.

2) Fights - (to few?) Only two this is pbp and the tomb is only half the module.

This being PbP, the combat should be less significant. We all know how it slows the game to a crawl, and it’s really important for that not to happen when the campaign has only just begun.

Wish there was a way for it to hit and run. I see it attacking while the group searches then hiding in the mess to strike someone else. After everyone is attack it could then go back to regular combat.

Could have it made of a different material (like bronze or copper) and get rid of the DR and drop the AC by 2 - still a tough fight.

Hit-and-runs aren’t really an easy thing at low levels, even for monsters. The different material tweak could have reduced the difficulty (I’d say reduce the DR, rather than drop it, or add another weak snake or two). The main issue with the cobra fight was its high AC and DR. Arsa, Tox and Sandwalker could barely hit it, let alone harm it through the DR. Admittedly, they aren’t the warrior-types, but when they were working on just giving bonuses to the other fighters, they were still ineffective due to the thing’s high (for such low levels) AC.

If Tox would have hit it the first round it would have been to easy. AC drops to 18 then to 14 once it's pinned "Tox holds the metal snake down with both claws. One at the tail, and one below it's hooded head. The body squirms as it tries to free itself to no avail."

Yeah, but that was a big IF. He only finally hit because of a nat 20… It’s really not possible to rely on those for the fight. Still, the random element is a large part of the game.

Any changes to the "grab bag" style treasure? The traps are the big thing you missed both of them. They weren't major but by not having them we lost the Indiana Jones feel.

The treasure was a clever way of giving out personalized gear. But it runs the risk of giving players something more potent than they should really have.

Ok after reviewing my notes - and the part that says not to make a dungeon or add monsters but leave that to the DM and have him play on the strengths and weakness of his group (hmmm... might skip that)

Yeah, that note should probably be X’d out. AFAIK, the biggest draw of an AP is the encounters, story and locations are all mapped out for you. By leaving all those things up to the DM, they might as well just write their own.

As for the 4K cash, this again runs into players being able to get exactly what they want (benefit!) but with the possibility of them picking up something overpowered (drawback). But anyway, can we spend some of the money to upgrade our special item with a new effect? Yes, I'm thinking of watching the Emperor Scorpion Carapace turn magical and get a +1.

 

[sunshadow21]

I'll level and provide my thoughts tomorrow after I get some sleep.

 

[rangerjohn]

Uh, HM since you are looking for feedback, I had to say this. You are trying to justify a monster in a generic adventure on a very flimsy premise. On a very unusual animal companion, that wouldn't generally be chosen. Doing something it can barely do. Here are the assumptions in order:
1. One of the characters is a druid.
2. He chooses giant scorpion as his animal companion.
3. He thinks to have it grapple the snake.
4. He rolls a natural 20.


I'll even go so far as to say this, you assume the following:
1. One of the characters that is not the prime attacker has a high CMB.
2. They think to grapple.

I'll be honest and say, I have rarely seen CM used. This is probably a hold over from 3.5 where it was so complicated. Psychologically, people still shy away from that area.