Interesting experience playing KotS

[Scott_Rouse]

Interesting.

I have to ask, how much of the difference is rules/system based and how much is flavour-based? This is relevant to me in that at some point I intend to try and run KotS as a 1e adventure (everyone knows Borderlands far too well!) and if there's some good tactical ideas in there I'm all for it!

Lanefan

I think it is the system that influences the flavor. Feats and Powers add flavor to the monsters.

Minions are generally weak, a successful punch in the face and they are done. But you can not underestimate the minions just the same because there are 5 of them in the encounter and when they interact with a standard monster's abilities things get tricky.

For example Hobgoblin minions that lock shields with standard hobgoblins to form a phalanx making them all more difficult to hit.

And just like your PC the monsters have powers that they can use at-will and per encounter so they have a lot of flavor and variety.

It's sort of like these guys here. They are all the same creature but different with their own flavor and style of doing things.

 

[Cirex]

Is there any chance to know if commoners are considered minions or do we have to wait till next scoop/June?

 

[Ingolf]

It's sort of like these guys here. They are all the same creature but different with their own flavor and style of doing things.

Ugh. Rickrolled (sort of) by the Rouse.

 

[Boarstorm]

Ugh. Rickrolled (sort of) by the Rouse.

Oh, come now! The Hamster Dance is a respected internet meme! ... Well, at least a decade ago, it was.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I have to ask, how much of the difference is rules/system based and how much is flavour-based?

KotS hasn't gone too deeply into the flavour of the monsters; maybe there's more in the MM. The stuff I'm talking about is all crunch.

In terms of having a real, immediate, and consistent effect on how encounters play out, like Scott (hi, Scott!), I find that substantive differences in crunch are actually more effective at creating differentiation between monsters than the fluff, no matter how well thought-out or written. (Not knocking good fluff here--I dig the stuff that makes me interested in creating/running the encounter in the first place!)

So when I say that these monsters felt and played different from one another, and that they forced the players to learn and adapt in play, I'm talking about crunch-driven differences, not advice given to me by the fluff on how to run the monsters.

 

[That One Guy]

Just a general question: can you elaborate on how you used the kobold's shifty ability to maximum effect?

Aside from 'Move in, attack, move out and let another kobold take your place', I can't think of it as an overly effective ability. Because on the PC's turn, they're going to shift and attack.

Wait, I can think of one: A skirmisher shifting away from a fighter, and then using its movement to go leap in the mage's face.

I've tried to explain it, but let me try again... the PCs are bottled into a small area while the kobolds are massed in a wider area. Thus, the kobolds can focus on one PC (the cleric who got caught in that position in the ambush I ran), while the PCs can only get a decent shot at one kobold at a time. The PCs backed up to favour a ranged focus/deal with the other side of the ambush. The kobolds took an L-formation so going for the kobold that was dealing the most damage would be dangerous - OAs. Does that help?

 

[Boarstorm]

I've tried to explain it, but let me try again... the PCs are bottled into a small area while the kobolds are massed in a wider area. Thus, the kobolds can focus on one PC (the cleric who got caught in that position in the ambush I ran), while the PCs can only get a decent shot at one kobold at a time. The PCs backed up to favour a ranged focus/deal with the other side of the ambush. The kobolds took an L-formation so going for the kobold that was dealing the most damage would be dangerous - OAs. Does that help?

Do you have any charts? Charts would help.

 

[Rechan]

I've tried to explain it, but let me try again... the PCs are bottled into a small area while the kobolds are massed in a wider area. Thus, the kobolds can focus on one PC (the cleric who got caught in that position in the ambush I ran), while the PCs can only get a decent shot at one kobold at a time. The PCs backed up to favour a ranged focus/deal with the other side of the ambush. The kobolds took an L-formation so going for the kobold that was dealing the most damage would be dangerous - OAs. Does that help?

A little, yes.

If anything, it means a wounded kobold can skitter away and a fresh kobold can move in quickly.

Or Ye Olde Spring Attack.

 

[GSHamster]

So when I say that these monsters felt and played different from one another, and that they forced the players to learn and adapt in play, I'm talking about crunch-driven differences, not advice given to me by the fluff on how to run the monsters.

I think it's like the old saying about books and movies, "Show, don't tell." Fluff changes "tell" the players about the monsters, but crunch changes "show" them the difference.

 

[Kahoots]

It's sort of like these guys here. They are all the same creature but different with their own flavor and style of doing things.

Scott! You have to mention if a link is NSFW! I had a co-worker step into my office as the Hamster Dance song kicked in.