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

[HolyMan]

It is your basic dungeon crawl correct - but I did not put the monster in their because I thought the group could best it (especially if they grappled) with their composition. I put it in because it fit the theme as a guardian of an old sage's laboratory, was of the right CR, and didn't need to eat or drink to stay alive down there.

The premise was to have the group think this was an old tomb - prepare themselves for the normal undead - and then have them discovery something totally off the wall.

They missed the couple of traps:

- Large stone that rolls down the "gutters" (hallways) following the group.
- Arrow traps in wall that would require a balance (Acrobatics) check to navigate across the hall - maybe with the rock rolling up behind them.
- Sand dump: your basic walls seal you in and then the narrow hall starts to feel with sand.

I had no way of knowing that the grapple would be effect versus the snake till I looked at the rules after I thought Tox hit with that first attack.

The main thing I looked at was -
- snake attacks and then gets attacked 5 times
- if only one PC does a little damage (say 4pts) every round then combat is over in 5 rounds
- snake gets to attack everyone once (good enough for me)

Still might work on a mechanic for the snake to attack a PC - (PC gets ready action) and then disappears back into the "junk" of the room.

Well this is why we are doing this. I hope to keep it fun for the group (and the lurkers) while I iron it out. And it will be lots of fun when we get out into the desert.

HM

 

[jackslate45]

I think another problem the group had was rolling. I had the best to hit near the end (+9-+12) and I did not hit till the very end.

 

[sunshadow21]

I think because it's very trap heavy, and thus it's comparatively easy to avoid half the challenges in the mod, I would suggest an entrance room before getting to the halls around the lab that contains either a minor combat (some vermin or something along those lines that got past the first sealed door) and/or minor environmental challenge. If the individual DM didn't like the specific challenge you setup, they would have a rough idea of the level of difficulty and a room to work with.

On the iron cobra, is there any reason it has to be a cobra, and not some other form? If the ceiling is tall enough, you could make it into a bat and have it attack and retreat through the air. That would make it harder for the party to attack, but not completely impossible, keeping both the DM and player happy. That would also make combat maneuvers a little harder to pull off, while rewarding the creative use of spells, since that room has plenty of fodder and it's relatively easy to stay out of the bat's threat range unless he is attacking the caster directly, and those with the foresight to grab reach weapons.

 

[rangerjohn]

About the dice roller that always seems to be a problem, and when you add in ecounters that are at upper ends of what is possible to achieve, it get worse. For example an AC of 20 vs low level characters. I will say though, in HM's defense, this is a test. Which isn't as bad as the encounter in the Paizo adventure. Which makes you wonder how well tested those adventure paths are.

 

[HolyMan]

Good ideas sunshadow21. Maybe some sort of antechamber and then bats up near the chain wheel in the ceiling.

I really wanted to have this be generic enough that a DM could make his own dungeon if he wanted and thus have as many fights and or rooms as he wanted but then have the main room be put in somewhere.

Not as to take away my work load, but to let them -

a) make it their own and tailor it to the players (who may want more combats or not) and their characters

b) adjust it, as this is a pbp AP it would allow for the characters not to know what is coming.

c) use it in any system they wish to use.

But that seems a lot harder to account for than just mapping and adding encounters.

HM

 

[sunshadow21]

Sandwalker should be leveled.

For one mod I ran, I changed the iron cobra to an iron bat, and I think it was an effective change. Changed the battle enough that I was satisfied it was a challenge without being a pain to the players (well, except for the fact that they released it into a large set of hallways, but that is another matter entirely).

 

[Dragonwriter]

As others are voicing and working on tweaking that final bout and seem to be doing a better job than I would, I'm going to bring up something else...

I've nearly finished Arsa's level-up but I can't find one crucial piece of information. Precisely, how is HP handled for PCs and my animal companion? (Please don't say roll for it, dicebot just gave me the finger on HP for the umpteenth time. )

Here's the info, though, minus HP.

[sblock=Arsa Level 2]
Arsa Desert Druid 2
1d8+2 HP
+1 BAB, +1 Fort save, +1 Will save.
Gain Desert Native class feature (in place of Woodland Stride).
Gain 1 more 0-level and 1 more 1-level spell per day (Stabilize and Magic Fang at time of level-up 8/28/11).
Gain 5 skill points (4 + Favored Class bonus): +1 Handle Animal, +1 Heal, +1 Perception, +1 Ride, +1 Survival.

Tox gains 1 HD (1d8+1), +1 BAB and +1 Will save.
[/sblock]

 

[HolyMan]

Looks like I did MAX -2 rules for the NPC which seem ok for this for me. I think the die bot is rigged so that when you put words like crit confirm, HP, or save in the descriptor it's set to roll low.

HM

 

[jkason]

I think everyone's already said anything I'd have said and more re: the final encounter. As to the traps, other than previous comments I made about front-loading, I think my only other comment would be to ask if you think managing to avoid traps makes them less effective obstacles? I mean, if traps are only cool if the PCs miss their triggers and set them off ... well, it would sort of suck to be a trapfinding class. I understand that un-triggered traps aren't as cinematic, but as the person playing said class, it's also rather satifying to do one's job and avoid the cinema.

Basic stats on Gyrs are done, but now I gotta spend that loot, so they'll probably change a bit after that.

 

[HolyMan]

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?

Moving this up in case yo missed it jkason. This proves you aren't crazy you did post the question.

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.

Hmm... missed this glad I went back. That will come out of your total gp too (sorry). But during the fight I wanted a weapon that would do minimum dmg and bypass the DR. Glad you liked it. I think it will fit Beast very well.

HM