Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Is it possible to make giant ants scary to a 15th level party?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Primitive Screwhead" data-source="post: 2882072" data-attributes="member: 20805"><p>Bunch of good ideas, but it really depends on what you are looking for..</p><p></p><p>You can keep things pretty much 'normal' and still challenge the party by using advanced soldiers, layered defensive tactics, and the MOB template. The colony will have enough to overpower the party at some point so survival requires stealth and avoidance over the typical bash the door in.</p><p>- Your biggest single scare tactic is the hit/grapple/drag away. A large push of ants hits the party from the edge.. sure they can beat them off and kill a bunch, but if 2 or 3 get thier claws into a character.. they start hauling him away. Even without much tweaking of the core much. . The STR is a bit low, but with Aid Another grappling will get nastily possible.</p><p>More so if you hit the group while climbing. Remember, this is in the Ant's nest so the home turf advantage should be obvious.</p><p></p><p>Step it up one from this, add limited hive-mind ability. Basically same tactics as above but when an intruder is encountered a short distance 'there here' is telepathically shouted..meaning stealth is that much harder to acheive. I would suggest a short range so the party still can succeed at the stealthy thing.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Starship Troopers, even the movie.. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" />, is a good reference for tactics and options. For nasty encounters have the ants tunnel into the midst of the party, splitting up the group and foiling most area attack options. </p><p>Definately give the Ants terrain advantage by having all the tunnels at least difficult terrain {that the ants ignore}, and throw in tunnels of various pitch and twistings..forcing combat during a climb {with all the denied dex and other fun stuff that includes...like only one hand for weapons <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> }</p><p></p><p>Always give the party a way to run away.. preferably set things up so the first encounter screams 'run away' so they can get into the habit early on.</p><p></p><p>Make sure that the Ranger has a chance to shine with his abilities that should out-stealth the Rogue in this enviroment. The Ants have Scent.. so being stealthy will be difficult. </p><p></p><p></p><p>If this is supposed to cover an entire session, then go all the way through the Queen's chamber and all that good stuff. If not, one or two major encounters and call it good. Something like the scene in LOTR with the goblins pouring out of the cracks and crevices would be a good end to their time in the ant hill <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Actually.. it sounds like alot of fun <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Primitive Screwhead, post: 2882072, member: 20805"] Bunch of good ideas, but it really depends on what you are looking for.. You can keep things pretty much 'normal' and still challenge the party by using advanced soldiers, layered defensive tactics, and the MOB template. The colony will have enough to overpower the party at some point so survival requires stealth and avoidance over the typical bash the door in. - Your biggest single scare tactic is the hit/grapple/drag away. A large push of ants hits the party from the edge.. sure they can beat them off and kill a bunch, but if 2 or 3 get thier claws into a character.. they start hauling him away. Even without much tweaking of the core much. . The STR is a bit low, but with Aid Another grappling will get nastily possible. More so if you hit the group while climbing. Remember, this is in the Ant's nest so the home turf advantage should be obvious. Step it up one from this, add limited hive-mind ability. Basically same tactics as above but when an intruder is encountered a short distance 'there here' is telepathically shouted..meaning stealth is that much harder to acheive. I would suggest a short range so the party still can succeed at the stealthy thing. Starship Troopers, even the movie.. :(, is a good reference for tactics and options. For nasty encounters have the ants tunnel into the midst of the party, splitting up the group and foiling most area attack options. Definately give the Ants terrain advantage by having all the tunnels at least difficult terrain {that the ants ignore}, and throw in tunnels of various pitch and twistings..forcing combat during a climb {with all the denied dex and other fun stuff that includes...like only one hand for weapons :) } Always give the party a way to run away.. preferably set things up so the first encounter screams 'run away' so they can get into the habit early on. Make sure that the Ranger has a chance to shine with his abilities that should out-stealth the Rogue in this enviroment. The Ants have Scent.. so being stealthy will be difficult. If this is supposed to cover an entire session, then go all the way through the Queen's chamber and all that good stuff. If not, one or two major encounters and call it good. Something like the scene in LOTR with the goblins pouring out of the cracks and crevices would be a good end to their time in the ant hill :) Actually.. it sounds like alot of fun :) [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
Is it possible to make giant ants scary to a 15th level party?
Top