My first time DMing: Will these encounters be too difficult?

[cmbarona]

I'll also add these points to consider:

During the first fight, there will actually be 4 of each minion, though I intended the other guards to take down 4 of them.

During the second fight, the wolves will take down those guards, making the lead merchant very grateful for the resulting protection.

I'm thinking of letting at least the one new player know that we're facing difficult encounters, that there will be minions, and that the last encounter will be the most difficult. I don't intend to continue dropping hints like that, but I want him to be able to get used to tough fights in the first session.

Also, I don't intend a gang-up with the elementals. The scene will actually be at a bar, and some of their first attacks will be against the "minion" patrons trying to frantically run away.

 

[Mengu]

Those encounters should be fine, and handling them in one day should be no problem.

In the first encounter, you could drop a healing potion and an alchemist's frost as part of the treasure. The alchemist's frost should help deal with the fire elemental swarm. Since they won't have many AoE's, and the strikers don't do their usual damage against the swarm, they may have some difficulty, but the alchemist's frost should help that. Since the second and third encounters are not likely to have any treasure, you could drop a magic item in the first encounter as well.

 

[cmbarona]

Hmm... alchemist's frost might not be a bad idea. I was thinking of dropping a magic item, yeah, so that had already been considered. I might even drop 2, but the second might be a reward of the 3rd encounter.

 

[timbannock]

Sounds like you have them very well thought out!

As an aside, you can use passive Insight checks as a way for the PCs to gauge the power-level of the encounters they face. I use a similar idea for area-specific special maneuvers: a PC with the appropriate skill (usually Perception, but sometimes other skills) gets to make a check at the beginning of combat, and if they succeed, I hand them a notecard with some basic information detailing the environment that can be used to a character's advantage. Things like swinging on a chandelier, knocking over ale kegs, flipping a bench for cover, using a cold attack to flash freeze a puddle, etc.

You could do the same with Insight (or an appropriate Monster Lore skill roll) and let them know XYZ is a minion, ABC looks really tough (i.e. is a few levels higher than the PCs, or is Elite), and LMN is a typical soldier (soldier role, probably equal level to the PCs).

Neither here nor there, but just a thought.

 

[timbannock]

Sounds like you have them very well thought out!

As an aside, you can use passive Insight checks as a way for the PCs to gauge the power-level of the encounters they face. I use a similar idea for area-specific special maneuvers: a PC with the appropriate skill (usually Perception, but sometimes other skills) gets to make a check at the beginning of combat, and if they succeed, I hand them a notecard with some basic information detailing the environment that can be used to a character's advantage. Things like swinging on a chandelier, knocking over ale kegs, flipping a bench for cover, using a cold attack to flash freeze a puddle, etc.

You could do the same with Insight (or an appropriate Monster Lore skill roll) and let them know XYZ is a minion, ABC looks really tough (i.e. is a few levels higher than the PCs, or is Elite), and LMN is a typical soldier (soldier role, probably equal level to the PCs).

Neither here nor there, but just a thought.

 

[DanmarLOK]

Yep it sounds like you're good. Barring swingy dice rolling which 4e tends to help offset by the number of times you roll per combat, I think with a little help and hints you'll be fine.

A few hints to the new players perhaps might be called for, use the first combat encounter for that. "REmember Cleric, that (lance of faith, righteous brand) gives Paladin/Rogue/Ranger a bonus to hit." or "Paladin, you don't have Divine Challenge on anyone, if you put it on that warrior attacking Rogue he would be at -2 to hit the Rogue and take 3+cha damage if he hits someone other than you." That kind of thing.

In thinking about this your players choices of classes are actually fairly simple to play. The cleric's the only one with 'buff' type at-wills that I can recall off hand so as long as that person is either an experience player or is guided by one for the opening bits they should find it fairly easy, not easy as in the fights are easy but easy as in there's not a ton of complex interactions between these classes.

Anyway best of luck and let us know how it all went!

 

[cmbarona]

For those of you interested in the homebrewed elementals for the bar fight scene, I should explain a bit of my campaign setting first. Everything is happening in and around a sprawling metropolis. It's a very magepunk-ish setting, where they have almost everything we do, but invented with magic. So, for example, they have computers: lightning elementals power illusion enchantments embedded in crystal displays, and they communicate with each other in Primordial (the programming language of this world) across copper wires. The tavern keeps a big one up to display the latest gladiatorial matches. The bar has a huge freezer/refrigerator for their drinks. And they keep everything lit by tiny fire elementals at each table and along the wall. The elementals will go haywire and attack the bar, setting up a continued investigation for future sessions. Anyway, here are the stats. I designed them with Monster Maker 3.4 by Asmor (thanks!).

Freezer Elemental Level 3 Elite Brute
Large Elemental Magical Beast (Cold) XP 300
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +3
Freezing Aura (Cold) aura 2; Creatures entering or starting their turn in the aura become slowed until the end of their next turn.
HP 108; Bloodied 54
AC 17; Fortitude 18, Reflex 15, Will 15
Resist 5 Cold
Saving Throws +2 Speed 5 Action Points 1
Slam (Standard; at-will) ♦ Cold
Reach 2; +4 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 3 cold damage, and the target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Primordial
Str 14 (+3) Dex 14 (+3) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 17 (+4) Int 6 (-1) Cha 6 (-1)

Candle Elemental Swarm Level 3 Skirmisher
Medium Elemental Magical Beast (Fire) XP 150
Initiative +5 Senses Perception +3
Swarm Attack (Fire) aura 1; the candle elemental swarm makes a basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the aura.
HP 46; Bloodied 23
AC 17; Fortitude 15, Reflex 16, Will 15
Resist 5 fire, half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 5 against close and area attacks
Speed 6, fly 6 (hover)
Swarm of Flames (Standard; at-will) ♦ fire
+6 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 3 fire damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
Alignment Unaligned Languages Primordial
Str 14 (+3) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3) Int 8 (+0) Cha 7 (-1)

Computer Elemental Level 3 Artillery
Medium Elemental Magical Beast (Lightning) XP 150
Initiative +3 Senses Perception +3
HP 38; Bloodied 19
AC 15; Fortitude 15, Reflex 15, Will 15
Resist 5 lightning Speed 6
Zap (Standard; at-will) ♦ Lightning
+8 vs. Reflex. 1d6 + 3 lightning damage.
Lightning Bolt (Standard; at-will) ♦ Lightning
Ranged 10; +8 vs. Reflex; 1d10 + 3 lightning damage.
Flash (Move; encounter) ♦ Teleportation
The computer elemental can teleport 5 squares.
Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, Primordial
Str 14 (+3) Dex 17 (+4) Wis 14 (+3)
Con 14 (+3) Int 10 (+1) Cha 14 (+3)

 

[keterys]

Seems like it should be fine, based on those.

 

[cmbarona]

EMERGENCY UPDATE!!!

The Cleric will be gone, and the game starts at 6:00! He just e-mailed me saying he's sick. I've given it some thought, and there happens to be a Dragonborn bodyguard who will be with the players on the caravan anyway. Will it work to give him NPC stats and give him a Warlord template? I can cut the humans out of the first encounter. After that, will I need to adjust anything? Should I give him a PC's share of the XP? Please help!

Edit: by removing humans, I meant removing human minions, not the soldier.

 

[keterys]

I'd suggesting giving him a PCs share of XP, yes. If you have his stats, I'd suggest just running him along for the ride.

You might want to make sure the PCs have a share of healing potions, too.