Pregens vs Lvl 6 Gnoll Marauders (pics inside!)

[FadedC]

I remember going through the MM looking for good higher level monsters to throw against a low level party and the gnoll marauders definitely stood out. The key thing about them is that they have very poor AC for their level, making it so the party can actually hit them.

 

[Michele Carter]

I am concerned about the lack of bard, because I recently play a lot with girls, who favour them... (and also they are my favourite class... yes, i have been mocked enough for that, thanks^^)

ha. Well, at the risk of enforcing a stereotype... I just made up a bard using "unbeta'ed" class rules. He is, without any doubt, made of AWESOMESAUCE even in raw form. So you might encourage your female players to try something else for awhile--seriously, this is the first edition where I've been interested in playing a straight-up *fighter,* and that's saying something--but assure them that the bard will be back and shinier than ever. (No, don't ask me, I can't tell you anything about it yet. )

 

[Rechan]

Dangit. Can't ask Miko.

Glad to see you're enjoying it now.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

ha. Well, at the risk of enforcing a stereotype... I just made up a bard using "unbeta'ed" class rules. He is, without any doubt, made of AWESOMESAUCE even in raw form. So you might encourage your female players to try something else for awhile--seriously, this is the first edition where I've been interested in playing a straight-up *fighter,* and that's saying something--but assure them that the bard will be back and shinier than ever. (No, don't ask me, I can't tell you anything about it yet. )

One of my female players already played a fighter before she tried the bard... with 13 charisma and social skills and raising it to 14 on level up (and i didn´t discourage it... i liked her character).
So i know already that combat and out of combat roles have not a lot to do with each other... as I said... I am pretty sure my concerns are unfounded... but maybe some previews of the skill and feat chapters would be helpful

 

[Cirex]

I see it the same way, because the power doesn't talk about the attack being negated.

I also think that the gnoll A in round 1 should have been able to make the follow up attack against Erais.

PS: Nice description and nice pics.

The fluff leads to think that the attack is negated. There's a similar maneouver at B9S and I rule like it negates the attack.
I'm going to rule that it negates the attack till we get more information.

EDIT : Very nice review, thanks for testing it!

 

[Thasmodious]

Question: In round 3, with the scorching burst over the dwarf corpse, don't you just apply one attack roll for a burst to all those in the radius, rather than make separate attack rolls for each one?

 

[LowSpine]

Lessons Learned:

It was a pretty good fight! For being 5 levels above the PCs, the Gnolls still got taken out.

In order to be 5 levels above the encounter would need to have 5 Gnolls (or the equivalent). Sorry, not being nitpickety, just illustrating how it was a fairly fair match.

 

[Novem5er]

Thanks for the replies again. I'm glad that a few posters have also expressed their interest in putting higher level monsters against their PCs and I think this combat shows that it can work. Of course, the encounter can be deadly (RIP Kethra!) and the monsters need to have a low AC (thank you, savage gnolls!). I should have used dailies in this encounter, but each of the daily abilities feel a little too "swingy" for a good test. If a group of 4 PCs all successfully hit with their dailies, then they'd be putting out a dramatic amount of damage versus if all 4 missed. Of course, not using them at all was like all 4 missing (yes, I know the fighter's is Reliable and wouldn't be wasted).

I'm glad I ran the test, though, as it brought up some rules minutia that I hadn't considered before. Must the Ranger's Fox's Cunning be activated as soon as an attack is declared, but before it's rolled to hit? Does a Gnoll's follow up attack against Bloodied targets activate if the initial attack knocks the target into Bloodied condition?

Thasmodius asked if there was just one attack roll applied to all targets of an AoE or if we're supposed to roll separately (like I did). I believe we've seen it clarified that it's a separate attack roll for each target in the AoE, so casters avoid rolling low and "missing" everyone or rolling a 20 and critting everyone. But I could be wrong.

@ LowSpine, you are correct. I meant against monsters that are 5 levels higher, which doesn't necessarily mean that the "encounter" was 5 levels higher. This was 100 xp over the normal encounter, or 25% more difficult... which made it a tough fight, but not unfair.

 

[FadedC]

The fluff leads to think that the attack is negated. There's a similar maneouver at B9S and I rule like it negates the attack.
I'm going to rule that it negates the attack till we get more information.

EDIT : Very nice review, thanks for testing it!

The ability is a reaction. That means it occurs after the effect that triggers it resolves.

In order for it to negate the attack it would have to be an interrupt, meaning it occurs before the effect that triggers it.

 

[Rechan]

I'm looking through the "Monsters and More" packet, and I'm wondering, do all soldiers mark? Because I don't see anything that makes a soldier a good soldier, except their high DEFs. Where's the OAs/"Stickiness"/Marking?

Still looking for a reply to this.