f.e.n
First Post
I've been frequenting this site with some regularity since my first 4e qualm came about (which seems like a longgg time ago now). So i'm presenting my case here in the hopes that my next session will go over without complete disaster.
For starters, i'm sure you're wondering, 'who is still playing KotS?'. Well. I am. We began the game in earnest many moons ago. Two planned sabbaticals running up one month a piece has set us back to where we are now. We play once a week (tuesdays= d-day) for a few hours. It keeps the players hungry and the dm (me) able to stay on top of every situation. So enough about the howzit and whysies of KotS still being played. We still are.
Recently, the group ended their session down by the last two encounters. Normal. But last night, we had a new character join. Not normal. It was a great hazing and initiation amidst a rather boring dungeon crawl. I made some adjustments to encounters which seemed to really make things significantly harder.
Here's my logic, since there is no average party level, encounter level, etc. If an encounter is equivalent to 1000 xp, with a party of five, that would equal 200 xp per pc. So, with the addition of a new pc, the party number moves to 6. Now, in order to maintain an encounters integrity of difficulty, it should seem logical that i create an encounter that pans out with each pc maintaining a 200 xp per pc ratio. In this scenario, i would simply add monsters until the total encounter xp was 1200.
This seems to work out pretty alright. But i'm looking at the last two encounters and shaking my head. I sense tpk at any moment in either.
The last encounter is 1350 xp, which comes out to 270xp per pc. With an additional pc, i can add 270 xp worth of monsters to which i've decided on adding an additional Orcus Underpriest and some minions to the last fight. On top of this, Splug (yes, the Splug goblin from the very beginning) is still with the party, and has been a nice comedic element throughout the horribly dull dungeon crawl (thanks wizards for giving a number of encounters with mindless, speechless, enemies. how thrilling). He of course, will use the last encounter to turn on the party who has suffered his horrible antics, lackadaisical combat efforts, and total guess-work directional leading. they love him and hate him. And they're (pc's) going to really blow a gasket when he starts flanking a wizard or bull rushing a player into the curtain of death (ala harry potter style). Gah, and to think of all the suffering he's caused them with the pee-pee pants, goblin jacks, rune triggering marathon runs... they've even gone out of their way to RESCUE him. *sigh*
I anticipate tpk, like i said. I have no problems with this. But is my logic about calculating xp and adjusting encounters correct? I love bashing in pc brains but i do like being fair too.
It would really be darling if you guys could share your final encounter experiences as well. As i see the whole scenario as unfair and overtly difficult.
For starters, i'm sure you're wondering, 'who is still playing KotS?'. Well. I am. We began the game in earnest many moons ago. Two planned sabbaticals running up one month a piece has set us back to where we are now. We play once a week (tuesdays= d-day) for a few hours. It keeps the players hungry and the dm (me) able to stay on top of every situation. So enough about the howzit and whysies of KotS still being played. We still are.
Recently, the group ended their session down by the last two encounters. Normal. But last night, we had a new character join. Not normal. It was a great hazing and initiation amidst a rather boring dungeon crawl. I made some adjustments to encounters which seemed to really make things significantly harder.
Here's my logic, since there is no average party level, encounter level, etc. If an encounter is equivalent to 1000 xp, with a party of five, that would equal 200 xp per pc. So, with the addition of a new pc, the party number moves to 6. Now, in order to maintain an encounters integrity of difficulty, it should seem logical that i create an encounter that pans out with each pc maintaining a 200 xp per pc ratio. In this scenario, i would simply add monsters until the total encounter xp was 1200.
This seems to work out pretty alright. But i'm looking at the last two encounters and shaking my head. I sense tpk at any moment in either.
The last encounter is 1350 xp, which comes out to 270xp per pc. With an additional pc, i can add 270 xp worth of monsters to which i've decided on adding an additional Orcus Underpriest and some minions to the last fight. On top of this, Splug (yes, the Splug goblin from the very beginning) is still with the party, and has been a nice comedic element throughout the horribly dull dungeon crawl (thanks wizards for giving a number of encounters with mindless, speechless, enemies. how thrilling). He of course, will use the last encounter to turn on the party who has suffered his horrible antics, lackadaisical combat efforts, and total guess-work directional leading. they love him and hate him. And they're (pc's) going to really blow a gasket when he starts flanking a wizard or bull rushing a player into the curtain of death (ala harry potter style). Gah, and to think of all the suffering he's caused them with the pee-pee pants, goblin jacks, rune triggering marathon runs... they've even gone out of their way to RESCUE him. *sigh*
I anticipate tpk, like i said. I have no problems with this. But is my logic about calculating xp and adjusting encounters correct? I love bashing in pc brains but i do like being fair too.
It would really be darling if you guys could share your final encounter experiences as well. As i see the whole scenario as unfair and overtly difficult.
