D&D 5E How Twin Polymorph almost resulted in a TPK.

[DaveDash]

Because my group got TPK'd once, and nearly so another two times

It's a module in which it is very easy for the players to get in over their heads. For example, the TPK happened when they met Windharrow, who led them down two levels into a much higher level dungeon and straight to a boss fight that they couldn't handle. (I expected them to try to get off the ride before the end, but they didn't...) Another time they entered the Fire Temple about four levels too early, and had to beat a hasty retreat. The Stone Monastery nearly did them in as well, due to aggroing nearly the entire place in one go.

But the final few levels - the Fane, the final dungeons - really don't have tough enough monsters to justify their increased level. It wasn't necessarily a problem - it mimicked a lot of computer RPGs, where it gets easier the more power you acquire - but still very noticeable.

Interesting - this has been my experience too - and evaluating the lower levels (the nodes and fane), they do seem to have way less in the way of monsters and more in the way of hazards.

I could only assume that this was to make it easier for the characters to clear out the dungeons without having to rest every five minutes and ruin the pacing towards the end.

How did their fight against the Elemental Prince go?

 

[Charles Rampant]

The final fight was against Yan-C-Bin. His ability to suffocate people provoked a hilarious reaction from the players, who also still speak with dread of the Sea Hag which one-shotted the Barbarian early in the campaign, but otherwise that fight felt about right. The party was level 13 or 14 I think.

Thinking about it, I also suspect that you are right to speculate that the final dungeons are lacking in difficult fights partly as a pacing concern; they're fairly big, and at that point you are close to the end of the campaign, so keeping things easy lets the party explore them in a suitably heroic fashion. I do the same thing myself in other adventures - I'm more likely to remove a fight than to add one, just because a dungeon can overstay its welcome pretty easily.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Princes is a really tough campaign until the players hit 11th level, at which point they easily steamrolled the rest of the campaign.[/QUOTE

- can you explain why you feel that way?

Because my group got TPK'd once, and nearly so another two times

It's a module in which it is very easy for the players to get in over their heads. For example, the TPK happened when they met Windharrow, who led them down two levels into a much higher level dungeon and straight to a boss fight that they couldn't handle.

Sounds like it was designed to some extent to be less of a 'railroad?' So the party could pick a fight they couldn't handle...

But the final few levels - the Fane, the final dungeons - really don't have tough enough monsters to justify their increased level.

And that just sounds like high-level D&D.

Interesting - this has been my experience too - and evaluating the lower levels (the nodes and fane), they do seem to have way less in the way of monsters and more in the way of hazards.

I could only assume that this was to make it easier for the characters to clear out the dungeons without having to rest every five minutes and ruin the pacing towards the end.

It could also be reflecting the Tier design of 5e & its experience progression. After 10th level, the exp to level, relative to the exp value of same-CR enemies and exp 'budget' of encounters goes down, so you'll tend to have fewer 'encounters per level' later in the game.