Rhenny
Adventurer
This session was a continuation of prior sessions in Blingdenstone with new 3rd level PCs using the current playtest package. The group consisted of the following:
Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Lightbringer) – Healing specialist (previously made 1 healing potion for each PC)
Human Fighter Protector/ex-Soldier Endurance Specialist
Lightfoot Halfling Rogue Thief with Stealth specialty
High Elven Wizard (Battle Mage) Sage/Arcane Specialist
We enjoyed our session a lot. As DM, I modified the Throne Room encounter to make it very challenging and it really did work more like what our group is used to. In the Throne room, the party encountered Pharran the Drow Wight (He had 50% more hit points than listed, and he could also reanimate the skeletons that died 1/encounter). There were also 2 Ogre Skeletons that had clubs doing 1d10+2 damage and on a 20 they knocked victims prone. There were 2 gnome skeletons with short swords or short bows. Talabrina also hid in the throne room waiting for a chance to nab the crown before the party could. I also gave all of the monsters +2 additional bonus to hit.
At the beginning of the fight, the skeletons kept the party busy while Pharran fired arrows at the fighter. The fighter engaged in melee with the skeletons and the rogue hid behind a pillar and popped out to use his sling to sneak attack engaged skeletons. The wizard used this Thunderwave to blow back some of the skeletons, and the cleric used turn undead (but only affected 1 injured Ogre skeleton). In a few rounds, the fighter was knocked down to -5 since all of the skeletons focused their attacks on him. The cleric had to use his cure moderate wounds on the fighter, but in the next round, the fighter was knocked down again, and healed by the cleric’s cure light wounds. After a few of the skeletons fell (and the other was turned), Pharran reanimated two of the fallen. The battle continued for a few more rounds before the group dropped Pharran with ranged attacks (Melf’s Acid Arrow, Arrows, Lance of Faith, Sling, and Magic Missle).
When the Wight fell, Talabrina jumped out of hiding, took the crown and ran out the back door. The group had to decide whether to finish killing the remaining skeletons (which had been reanimated before Pharran was killed), run after Talabrina, or go back the way they came to try to get to the main entrance, where they thought Talabrina would have to run to get out of the House Center. Unknown to the party, there were also 2 bugbears waiting outside the south door (the one Talabrina ran out). They were given orders to stop anyone from following Talabrina.
The party decided to run back the way they had come and try to get to the main entrance before Talabrina could. They were banking on the fact that the main entrance was the only entrance that could be used since I did tell them when they came in (a session ago) that the rubble and debris of the fallen house had sealed off other entrances to the House Center. The race was on. The party ran and the skeletons followed them. Talabrina ran and the bugbears followed her. The wizard was able to get to the north intersection closest to the entrance before Talabrina, so he set up in a corner and readied an action, magic missle. The fighter also caught up. They fought the fleeing Talabrina, but she was able to make it to the north door that led into the first room. Just one more door and she would be out of the House Center. The wizard was able to catch up to Talabrina, and then the fighter, while the cleric and the rogue took on the bugbears. Talabrina turned on the wizard and attacked him with two short swords (both poisoned). One hit and the wizard felt the poison. As Talabrina turned to flee to safety, the fighter was able to hack her down (AoO). The wizard picked up the crown and the fighter, cleric and rogue finished off the bugbears. Then the rogue convinced the others to go back to the Throne room to search for treasure. They were lucky…no more encounters.
Treasure haul - Talabrina: 50gp, a House Wanare (I made it up) Signet ring, 2 drow short swords (1 still poisoned), 1 hand crossbow (6 poison bolts). Pharran: 26 gp, 108 sp 43 cp --- Ornamental Longsword with a Sapphire in the pommel.
Reactions/comments
The rogue played well, even though we thought he was not as beefy as the last version. It was nice having the choice between using the sneak attack or the skill mastery in any given round. It was also nice that the rogue could use his sneak attack more often, nearly every round, since the fighter would be engaged with a foe. He felt stealthy and competent in combat, but was versatile so that if he needed to perform thievery, the player felt like he could do it.
The cleric loved being able to heal and fight, and Lance of Faith “at will” was awesome. In fact, that is why the player decided to be a Lightbringer cleric rather than a Battle Cleric. The lightbringer actually seems like a better battle cleric!!
Wizard felt better than we thought it would. Melf’s Acid Arrow did tremendous damage on the hit, which really helped the party finish off Pharran. Magic Missle was also quite powerful, but the Wizard did have to use almost all of his spells during this long encounter (more like 2 encounters without time to rest). The wizard player felt that having more hit points was kind of weird. He would have rather had less hp but a cool ranged “at will” attack spell. He didn’t like Burning hands as a 0 level spell doing only 1d6 damage. Also, he remarked that having Thunderwave as a signature spell might get boring after a while. We discussed how the illusionist got Color Spray as an at will, which seemed better suited as a signature spell because it had 3 different ways to cast it, so even if it was reused in different encounters their would still be choices. We suggest that any signature spell be a broadly crafted spell that has multiple uses like Color Spray.
The fighter player really loved all of his choices. Even though most of it was attack with weapon…he could deadly strike, parry or protect. He ended up only using deadly strike and parry, but he felt that his character played like a fighter. He also loved the endurance specialist ability to roll 2 times and take the highest roll for HD use after the battle. With 31 hit points he felt strong, even though he did go down twice.
As DM I enjoyed the experience. My players were happy. They were frightened, and had many choices that arose from the PC mechanics and the encounter/location design. If they followed Talabrina or stayed in the throne room to finish off the skeletons, they would not have caught Talabrina, and she would have escaped with the crown. (I actually thought she would escape, so I created a 2nd part to the adventure where the PCs could track her and find a secret library in the underdark where she would be meeting a Vrock Demon to plot mischief). I'll have to use the library a different way now. I also like how easy it was to call for perception checks, dex checks, religion checks, etc, so I'm getting more comfortable with the ability checks plus modifier mechanic. Overall, I like the way it feels/works.
Mountain Dwarf Cleric (Lightbringer) – Healing specialist (previously made 1 healing potion for each PC)
Human Fighter Protector/ex-Soldier Endurance Specialist
Lightfoot Halfling Rogue Thief with Stealth specialty
High Elven Wizard (Battle Mage) Sage/Arcane Specialist
We enjoyed our session a lot. As DM, I modified the Throne Room encounter to make it very challenging and it really did work more like what our group is used to. In the Throne room, the party encountered Pharran the Drow Wight (He had 50% more hit points than listed, and he could also reanimate the skeletons that died 1/encounter). There were also 2 Ogre Skeletons that had clubs doing 1d10+2 damage and on a 20 they knocked victims prone. There were 2 gnome skeletons with short swords or short bows. Talabrina also hid in the throne room waiting for a chance to nab the crown before the party could. I also gave all of the monsters +2 additional bonus to hit.
At the beginning of the fight, the skeletons kept the party busy while Pharran fired arrows at the fighter. The fighter engaged in melee with the skeletons and the rogue hid behind a pillar and popped out to use his sling to sneak attack engaged skeletons. The wizard used this Thunderwave to blow back some of the skeletons, and the cleric used turn undead (but only affected 1 injured Ogre skeleton). In a few rounds, the fighter was knocked down to -5 since all of the skeletons focused their attacks on him. The cleric had to use his cure moderate wounds on the fighter, but in the next round, the fighter was knocked down again, and healed by the cleric’s cure light wounds. After a few of the skeletons fell (and the other was turned), Pharran reanimated two of the fallen. The battle continued for a few more rounds before the group dropped Pharran with ranged attacks (Melf’s Acid Arrow, Arrows, Lance of Faith, Sling, and Magic Missle).
When the Wight fell, Talabrina jumped out of hiding, took the crown and ran out the back door. The group had to decide whether to finish killing the remaining skeletons (which had been reanimated before Pharran was killed), run after Talabrina, or go back the way they came to try to get to the main entrance, where they thought Talabrina would have to run to get out of the House Center. Unknown to the party, there were also 2 bugbears waiting outside the south door (the one Talabrina ran out). They were given orders to stop anyone from following Talabrina.
The party decided to run back the way they had come and try to get to the main entrance before Talabrina could. They were banking on the fact that the main entrance was the only entrance that could be used since I did tell them when they came in (a session ago) that the rubble and debris of the fallen house had sealed off other entrances to the House Center. The race was on. The party ran and the skeletons followed them. Talabrina ran and the bugbears followed her. The wizard was able to get to the north intersection closest to the entrance before Talabrina, so he set up in a corner and readied an action, magic missle. The fighter also caught up. They fought the fleeing Talabrina, but she was able to make it to the north door that led into the first room. Just one more door and she would be out of the House Center. The wizard was able to catch up to Talabrina, and then the fighter, while the cleric and the rogue took on the bugbears. Talabrina turned on the wizard and attacked him with two short swords (both poisoned). One hit and the wizard felt the poison. As Talabrina turned to flee to safety, the fighter was able to hack her down (AoO). The wizard picked up the crown and the fighter, cleric and rogue finished off the bugbears. Then the rogue convinced the others to go back to the Throne room to search for treasure. They were lucky…no more encounters.
Treasure haul - Talabrina: 50gp, a House Wanare (I made it up) Signet ring, 2 drow short swords (1 still poisoned), 1 hand crossbow (6 poison bolts). Pharran: 26 gp, 108 sp 43 cp --- Ornamental Longsword with a Sapphire in the pommel.
Reactions/comments
The rogue played well, even though we thought he was not as beefy as the last version. It was nice having the choice between using the sneak attack or the skill mastery in any given round. It was also nice that the rogue could use his sneak attack more often, nearly every round, since the fighter would be engaged with a foe. He felt stealthy and competent in combat, but was versatile so that if he needed to perform thievery, the player felt like he could do it.
The cleric loved being able to heal and fight, and Lance of Faith “at will” was awesome. In fact, that is why the player decided to be a Lightbringer cleric rather than a Battle Cleric. The lightbringer actually seems like a better battle cleric!!
Wizard felt better than we thought it would. Melf’s Acid Arrow did tremendous damage on the hit, which really helped the party finish off Pharran. Magic Missle was also quite powerful, but the Wizard did have to use almost all of his spells during this long encounter (more like 2 encounters without time to rest). The wizard player felt that having more hit points was kind of weird. He would have rather had less hp but a cool ranged “at will” attack spell. He didn’t like Burning hands as a 0 level spell doing only 1d6 damage. Also, he remarked that having Thunderwave as a signature spell might get boring after a while. We discussed how the illusionist got Color Spray as an at will, which seemed better suited as a signature spell because it had 3 different ways to cast it, so even if it was reused in different encounters their would still be choices. We suggest that any signature spell be a broadly crafted spell that has multiple uses like Color Spray.
The fighter player really loved all of his choices. Even though most of it was attack with weapon…he could deadly strike, parry or protect. He ended up only using deadly strike and parry, but he felt that his character played like a fighter. He also loved the endurance specialist ability to roll 2 times and take the highest roll for HD use after the battle. With 31 hit points he felt strong, even though he did go down twice.
As DM I enjoyed the experience. My players were happy. They were frightened, and had many choices that arose from the PC mechanics and the encounter/location design. If they followed Talabrina or stayed in the throne room to finish off the skeletons, they would not have caught Talabrina, and she would have escaped with the crown. (I actually thought she would escape, so I created a 2nd part to the adventure where the PCs could track her and find a secret library in the underdark where she would be meeting a Vrock Demon to plot mischief). I'll have to use the library a different way now. I also like how easy it was to call for perception checks, dex checks, religion checks, etc, so I'm getting more comfortable with the ability checks plus modifier mechanic. Overall, I like the way it feels/works.
