D&D 5E Issue with 5th addtion oppurtunity attacks - SPOILER WARNING

[SilanthosKB]

I just want to make sure that our DM is interpreting the rules right. We have just started A Great Upheaval and in the last two session we have almost had a party wipe each night.

the big problem I have see in both the ZENT encounter and the ORC encounter is we are way over match for 1 lvl character for ZENT and 2nd level character for the ORC encounter.

So here is what I would like to understand:

we detect the Orc just when they were on the outside of the draw bridge and we were between the two towers. we had a fighter ( great weapon master), Paladin, mage, druid and cleric.

Combat started with the mage going first and fired his spells. Fighter got to move next and position himself on the bridge to block the orcs from getting to the others because the orc had a better int. fighter attacked critted and ending up taking out 2 orcs and that is when the fight was pretty much over.

The DM then took Orc leaders action to battle cry give all orcs advantage and then had all orcs attacks. I am sorry but a orc chieftain, orc spell caster and 20 orcs way to build a party killing module.

4 orc stopped at fighter but the rest of the orc ran by the fighter with there double move power, ran right in to the other 4 character that hadn't attacked yet and well..... fight was pretty much over.

what I was wondering if I and the DM are reading the rules right in that the fighter was only allow to make 1 opportunity against the 10 orc that ran right by him.
So it seem in this addition the concept of protecting the weaker character is pretty much impossible.

Just to mention by the end of round 1 there was just the druid left up facing 8 orcs around him.

the only reason it wasn't a total party wipe was that the elfs showed up and 2 or us were luck enough to make 3 successful death saves.

I am really not liking the new book.

 

[Tony Vargas]

what I was wondering if I and the DM are reading the rules right in that the fighter was only allow to make 1 opportunity against the 10 orc that ran right by him.
So it seem in this addition the concept of protecting the weaker character is pretty much impossible.

That is correct. Nor is it that unusual in the broader sweep of D&D history. In 3e, the fighter would have needed Combat Reflexes to make more than one AoO and would have been limited to 1+DEX mod in total, still not able to stop 10 orcs even if he could one-shot them (which he probably could). Before that, there was a 'parting shot' rule for someone already engaged, but people were generally free to run right past you (you just blocked a 10' corridor or doorway outright by squeezing two or more fighters into it). Only in 4e, with combat superiority and OA's /per turn/ could a lone fighter have remotely held off an onslaught like that. Even if 5e had such mechanics, you'd've all still bought it being that badly outnumbered.

Presumably you were meant to avoid that combat, somehow.

 

[SilanthosKB]

well that is part of the problem. We have a tough DM and very by the rules. We did detect noise from outside the wall and went to see what it was. But do to the walls and such we didn't detect them till we were just at the gate house. So really I wondering what they are thinking when they build these encounters. There is no way 5 second level party should even come close the facing that type of CR encounter. I understand making it challenging but that was like taking first level character against and adult red dragon. There wasn't even a chance to survive and run away when they give the Orc the ability to double move and attack.

 

[abirdcall]

Yes, 1 reaction per character.

You don't like that 20+ orcs are dangerous?

Also, you really should give spoiler warnings.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I haven't run nor even read the adventure in question, so was just guessing about being 'meant to avoid it.'

As far as running 'by the rules,' well I try not to when I run 5e. 'Rulings not rules' isn't just a slogan, it really helps to use the rules as presented as just a starting point, and not to necessarily resort to mechanics to resolve everything.
JMHO.

 

[SilanthosKB]

I like a challenge when there is a chance to win. But that fight was pretty much a party kill even before we rolled Initiative.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Yeah, only one AoO, which makes sense. You just experienced what being overridden feels like.

Spoiler***


<spoiler>

This was a bad PC decision thing. You're supposed to not have the bridge down when the orcs are arriving. A defensible position like the town isn't defensible when you leave the door open, so to speak. Also, if the orcs are overruning the town, elves are supposed to show up and help. Additionally, if the party feels like their chances aren't good, they can go hole up in the keep (which would seem to be an obvious choice if the orcs enter the town anyway). Not all encounters are meant to be fought.</spoiler>

 

[SilanthosKB]

should we have put the bridge up....probably a good idea. But when we came in to town we were looking for town foke and was not thinking of defending the town. we had just return from going to castle looking for the lord. was heading back to the gate and hear a noise out side the gate. went to the gate and that was when the fight started.

and yes the elves did show up and it took then a few rounds to finish off the orcs but in that time three of the five died.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

You were going to be overrun by those orcs regardless. 20+ against a what 5 character L2 party? Think of it this way, your fighter wanted to attack all 10 orcs running past him but he just can't fit that many attacks in a 6 second round.

 

[CritNerd]

[sblock]Yeah, we raised the drawbridge after we entered the town. But it was to keep the goblins from escaping, not protect from a larger enemy outside! The orcs ended up going around to the broken bridge to the keep, swimming across the moat and trying to enter the town from the south. Our Druid cast "entangle" right on the opening and that slowed them up enough that we were able to snipe at them with ranged weapons long enough to do a bunch of damage before they were able to make their strength save and over-run us. By the 3rd round we had hammered the chieftain enough that our barbarian who was down to about 3hp dealt the final blow.[/sblock]