I know I've said it before, and I've see several other people mention it, but none of the pregen speaks any of the languages spoken by any of the monsters. Comprehend Languages might let you understand what they are saying, but the party has no way of actually asking any questions. That will make figuring out the political situation very difficult if not impossible. It would be a great idea if the playtest wasn't built in such a way to prohibit it.
I don't want level 1 characters to be superheroes. I do want them to be heroes with lots of room to grow, and maybe someday with a lot of work and luck they could become superheroes. If I wanted to Bob the Ratcatcher or Fred the Tailor, who has to run in terror from a handful of the weakest humanoids in existence, I'd go play an old edition of WFRP. A level 1 hero should be a cut above a common guard, otherwise there would be no need for the PCs, or the players should be playing the guards instead.
I know I've said it before, and I've see several other people mention it, but none of the pregen speaks any of the languages spoken by any of the monsters. Comprehend Languages might let you understand what they are saying, but the party has no way of actually asking any questions. That will make figuring out the political situation very difficult if not impossible. It would be a great idea if the playtest wasn't built in such a way to prohibit it.
Playtest Materials said:In return, though, the free-form nature of this adventure can get the PCs into trouble quickly. The ravine is full of areas boasting far more monsters than a typical group of 1st-level adventurers can handle. Ten orcs can be big trouble for the party, especially when those orcs can give as good as they get. Pile on another ten, and the adventurers careers might very well end abruptly. The players need to know that some places hold too many monsters for their characters to defeat all at once. A nonplayer character (NPC) could warn the party that the caves house tribes of humanoids, many at least fifty warriors strong, or you can describe evidence of the passage of many individuals through the area as the party draws near. If all else fails, just tell the players up fron thta they need to watch their step.
It's in the wizard's spellbook, as a matter of fact.How are the players supposed to use charm person on someone they can't communicate with. Comprehend languages is a first level spell in at least three editions of the game why couldn't that spell have been available?
A couple of thoughts.
First, let's quote the actual "Caves of Chaos" module write-up:
Emphasis mine. There is also nearly a page and a half of details on what to do if the party gets in over their head through no fault of their own. I'm not really sure why your DM was so certain that cave 'A' was the easiest cave. The goblin cave is the same difficulty, perhaps easier. The Ogre cave would have been dangerous (though entirely doable, as my group beat him after fighting four groups of goblins).
Either way, the module is VERY CLEAR that this module is more like Temple of Elemental Evil than Keep on the Shadowfell.
The module also details about three to four pages of variations and changes the DM could make if he wanted to, to retool the character of the module, the nature of the caves or the reasons for the players being there. In my case, the players were there to rescue a kidnapped noble.
As far as the players being unable to speak to the groups there...some of them, that's true. But the hobgoblins, bugbears, cultists and others speak common unambiguously in the module (even posting signs in common). Nowhere does it say these particular goblins and kobolds do not, though by the bestiary, there is no mention. Of course, both clerics have the Diplomacy skill, which should allow for some form of negotiation, regardless of a common tongue. It's clear several tribes here interact, regardless of shared language....there's no reason the players couldn't do so. Given that the Ogre doesn't have multiple languages listed, he clearly has worked out deals without a shared tongue OR he and the goblins speak common, at the least.
The module may or may not have faults, but the layout and interactions do not appear to be things I would list among them. These were design intents, pure and simple. It sound more to me like the OP's DM didn't read the module fully or didn't make his party aware of the threat they faced.
I think it's reasonable to be able to try to stop runners with a bow, thrown weapon, or spell. But, to do this, a PC must be able to act during an opponents action. I'm not in the playtest, but my impression is that this option is not included in the rules. (Someone tell me if this is right or not)
I've heard complaints in previous editions that interrupt mechanics make combat too long and complicated, but this is exactly the problem you run into if you leave them out. Personally, I think such mechanics are needed.
That said, I think running for help is an eminently reasonable thing to do, and intelligent enemies should attempt to do it any time it makes sense.