Need BADD assistance

[Tom Cashel]

Yeah, but I boosted Nightscale two age categories for you guys, since you'd advanced to...what? Sixth level? Plus there were 6 PCs in the group.

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

I didn't know you did that, Tom! You magnificent bastard, you! I knew you had in it for the party. *GRUMBLE*

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

For such a young group, leave the dragon as is and maybe boost its HP a bit (closer to max hp for HD instead of avg) to keep it from dying too fast (everyone gets a shot or two in). IMHO. YMMV, etc. etc.

Good idea, Kengar. Thanks.

Honestly, that's the one thing I do fudge once in while. If the encounter is just going too easy on the party, I add a few h.p. to the villain(s). Nothing more boring than a combat where a couple of fighers hit the beast and it's all over.... And if the combat is too hard on the party, I usually have 0 h.p. = death for the enemy.

But when the party does something stupid, well, I try to make it a lesson for the future--explaining what they might have done differently, etc. I treat the players (at this age level) as "learning to play the game" even though some of them have been playing for over a year. I do give hints to this group I would never give to a group of older players.

The alchemist fire trap in Forge of Fury was quite nasty, but everyone survived (although the druid's animal companion wolf almost bit it; I think he got to -8 h.p.). The Bar/Pal just said "I walk up and open the door." I said o.k., everyone place yourselves on the map exactly where you are. (That alone was a big hint that they missed ). Then I asked everyone--"what exactly are you doing?" (big hint #2) Two of the players moved into the trap's range--d'oh! They have been a lot more cautious around doors since then.