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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quasqueton" data-source="post: 1288891" data-attributes="member: 3854">I think this situation is a very interesting example for supporting the strategy of learning about your enemy before engaging him.The first group of PCs, listed above, encountered the treant and twigblights with no warning or knowledge of them. [The info was available in the dungeon before the undergrove, but the party chose to kill all rather than question anything. *shrug*] Slaughter ensued over 21 rounds of bloody combat. The druid was the only PC to escape alive. The treant was reduced to about half hit points, the animated tree was only lightly wounded, and less than a dozen twigblights were killed. In a nutshell: they attacked an unknown opponent with no tactics and no party coordination. By the time they realized this treant was so tough, they were hindered from retreating by 3 entangle spells (1 cast by the treant, 2 cast by the PC druid) and an animated tree.So, the Players created new characters to continue the campaign. These new PCs went back to the dungeon in the next game session.- Human Druid 6 - specilizes in summoning spells- Elf Rogue 5- Human Barbarian/Cleric 1/4 - magic greatsword- Human Bard/Fighter 2/3 - magic longsword- Gnome Wizard 5Note that the new PCs are one level lower than the original PCs.These new PCs were not specifically designed for only the treant, though I suspect a few choices were made based on knowing the battle was coming. This new party also investigated a treasure vault in the dungeon before going down to the treant. (The first party could have done this too, but didn't. *shrug*) A magic item in this vault allowed the wearer to summon a large earth elemental in his place for 12 rounds. (No control over the elemental -- it is basically a defensive item.)The party then went down to the treant's lair. They buffed up with spells before entering, and made sure not to charge right in. They used group tactics and stuck near each other for mutual support through most of the 25 rounds. When the gnome wizard was grappled by an animated tree (just as the sorcerer in the previous group was), he was able to escape by activating the elemental talisman. But that also took the party wizard out of the fight for 12 rounds. The bard/fighter was the only PC to fall in this battle. (And the barbarian/cleric's greatsword was smashed.)Compare the results between the two fights:First: Party of five 6th-level PCs vs. 22 twigblights, one animated tree, one treant.Result: 4 dead PCs vs. 10 dead twigblights.Second: Party of four 5th-level PCs and one 6th-level PC vs. 22 twigblights, five animated trees, one treant.Result: 1 dead PC vs. 22 dead twigblights, three dead animated trees, one dead treant (final two animated trees "de-animate" with treant's death).The difference a little foreknowledge and tactics made is astonishing. The second party was a level lower, and not particularly "loaded" for this specific encounter, but they overcame the enemy (even though the enemy animated 5 trees in the second battle, and only 1 in the first encounter) that the higher-level group could not handle at all.Quasqueton</blockquote>

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