Insanely dangerous things you can throw at low level players fairly
- Thread starter clockworkjoe
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clockworkjoe
First Post
Re: Spellcasters are most fun!
That's what I'm talking about! that and the natural disasters like forest fires.
As for PCs not knowing or being able to kill the rakasha due to crossbow bolt weakness, so? I don't pamper players and I'm not *forcing* them to kill the rakasha. It's merely one of several adventures they can choose. They will be forewarned that the bad guy they're chasing after is extremely capable and dangerous. If they choose to go after him, that's fine. Lots of risks, but the rewards they could get balance it out.
Zog said:
Another tactic I used recently was a small room with a stone golem. The challenge: Loot the room as much as possible, without entering and thus triggering the golem's 'kill intruders' command. The PCs had great fun with it.
That's what I'm talking about! that and the natural disasters like forest fires.
As for PCs not knowing or being able to kill the rakasha due to crossbow bolt weakness, so? I don't pamper players and I'm not *forcing* them to kill the rakasha. It's merely one of several adventures they can choose. They will be forewarned that the bad guy they're chasing after is extremely capable and dangerous. If they choose to go after him, that's fine. Lots of risks, but the rewards they could get balance it out.
Bob Aberton
First Post
Well, in my campaign, the 3-4th level party recently just barely survived an encounter with 3 Frost Giants - where they had surprise...
Of course, these characters had had the foresight to hire about 30 mercenary warriors (levels 1-3) beforehand, and o they didn't take much damage...
Well, except for the insane, glory-hound Barbarian, who, despited having been dropped to 0 hp and below several times, insisted he "Felt fine" and could "Keep this up all day." He was 3rd level, yet he insisted on fighting a duel, one-on-one with a Frost Giant.
I had to rule that the Frost Giant was previously injured, or the barbarian would never have survived...close thing though, he ended the fight at -9 hp - for the third time...good thing the party was healer-heavy.
Still, out of 30 mercenary warriors, 8 were killed, 3 more died of wounds recieved, 10 won't be fighting any time soon, and the remaining 9 aren't anxious to do any more fighting right now...
Wonder what'll happen when the army, with the party at the lead, is ambushed by a pair of Giants and half a dozen Winter Wolves...especially considering the mercenaries are cavalry, and the horses will panic at the scent of Winter Wolf...and one of the Winter Wolves is a Sorcerer with the Wild Spell feat, from MoTW.
Think I should scale the encounter down a bit?
Of course, these characters had had the foresight to hire about 30 mercenary warriors (levels 1-3) beforehand, and o they didn't take much damage...
Well, except for the insane, glory-hound Barbarian, who, despited having been dropped to 0 hp and below several times, insisted he "Felt fine" and could "Keep this up all day." He was 3rd level, yet he insisted on fighting a duel, one-on-one with a Frost Giant.
I had to rule that the Frost Giant was previously injured, or the barbarian would never have survived...close thing though, he ended the fight at -9 hp - for the third time...good thing the party was healer-heavy.
Still, out of 30 mercenary warriors, 8 were killed, 3 more died of wounds recieved, 10 won't be fighting any time soon, and the remaining 9 aren't anxious to do any more fighting right now...
Wonder what'll happen when the army, with the party at the lead, is ambushed by a pair of Giants and half a dozen Winter Wolves...especially considering the mercenaries are cavalry, and the horses will panic at the scent of Winter Wolf...and one of the Winter Wolves is a Sorcerer with the Wild Spell feat, from MoTW.
Think I should scale the encounter down a bit?
Another interesting idea...
Hmm, hope none of my players are reading this - 'cause this is what is coming in the next session or two.
Shadows! No direct damage, just strength drain.
And provided the shadows are played fairly non-intelligent (ie, they do not all gang up on one target, then move on) a low level party should be able to survive a little while.
With warning, magic weapon, magic stone and other spells can be used. Also, toss in something interesting - one shadow has a ghost touch dagger or short sword, and is actually using that, instead of his touch attack. If the party can kill that one, or disarm it, they have a fighting chance. Add in an escape route - Shadows bound to an area or unable to cross running water - and you have an interesting encounter that should scare the PCs quite a bit, without having a good chance of wiping them out.
Hmm, hope none of my players are reading this - 'cause this is what is coming in the next session or two.
Shadows! No direct damage, just strength drain.
And provided the shadows are played fairly non-intelligent (ie, they do not all gang up on one target, then move on) a low level party should be able to survive a little while.
With warning, magic weapon, magic stone and other spells can be used. Also, toss in something interesting - one shadow has a ghost touch dagger or short sword, and is actually using that, instead of his touch attack. If the party can kill that one, or disarm it, they have a fighting chance. Add in an escape route - Shadows bound to an area or unable to cross running water - and you have an interesting encounter that should scare the PCs quite a bit, without having a good chance of wiping them out.
0-hr
Starship Cartographer
Why bother? Didn't you just say in your previous post that you cheated to keep the dumb barbarian alive? Leave this encounter as tough as you want since you don't mind weakinging it in the middle of a fight later on.
Sorry, but I'm a big fan of open dice rolling and "no fudging" by the DMs. Otherwise you end up with players who act stupidly because they know you won't kill them.
Bob Aberton
First Post
Normally I don't fudge...
But the barbarian had just joined the group and the player was new, so I didn't want to discourage him too much.
Plus, he wasn't dumb, he was playing a character concept...his barbarian had been ousted from his tribe for cowardice, and was feeling inadequate, so he acts stupidly brave on occasion to prove to himself that he isn't a coward...
Anyway, sorry if I seemed a bit defensive, but the players don't know I fudged the encounter a little to keep them alive, so they won't act stupid because "they know I won't kill them." Besides, not only do I want to encourage heroics in my campaign, instead of running, the point of my DMing style is not to kill players, its to help them have fun, play out a good plot, and build up their character (RP-wise).
Sorry if my apology also sounded a bit defensive...
Anyways, didn't want to hijack this thread, so sorry for anyone who think I am...
Alright, now I'm all out of apologies...
P.S. Before you criticize me fo rfudging to keep the characters alive, you should know that in my campaign, there is no Raise Dead, Resurection, or anything like that. Dead characters are gone forever, no matter how high level they are or how much gold they've got.
But the barbarian had just joined the group and the player was new, so I didn't want to discourage him too much.
Plus, he wasn't dumb, he was playing a character concept...his barbarian had been ousted from his tribe for cowardice, and was feeling inadequate, so he acts stupidly brave on occasion to prove to himself that he isn't a coward...
Anyway, sorry if I seemed a bit defensive, but the players don't know I fudged the encounter a little to keep them alive, so they won't act stupid because "they know I won't kill them." Besides, not only do I want to encourage heroics in my campaign, instead of running, the point of my DMing style is not to kill players, its to help them have fun, play out a good plot, and build up their character (RP-wise).
Sorry if my apology also sounded a bit defensive...
Anyways, didn't want to hijack this thread, so sorry for anyone who think I am...
Alright, now I'm all out of apologies...
P.S. Before you criticize me fo rfudging to keep the characters alive, you should know that in my campaign, there is no Raise Dead, Resurection, or anything like that. Dead characters are gone forever, no matter how high level they are or how much gold they've got.
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