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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 4997598" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p>I started my new group last night (AT LAST!), and we had several fun, rough encounters. The pcs were running scared by the end of it all!</p><p></p><p>Scenario: Creekside Ambush</p><p></p><p>[sblock]<strong>XP Encounter Difficulty:</strong> Level 1 Encounter vs. 5 1st-level pcs</p><p></p><p><strong>Brief summary:</strong> The pcs are traveling through some scrubby area alongside a creek when they are ambushed.</p><p></p><p><strong>Area setup:</strong> The western side of the battle zone has a 6-square wide creek running through it (shallow enough to wade through as difficult terrain). Several big clumps of dry foliage (difficult terrain, grant concealment) fill about 30% of the rest of the combat area.</p><p></p><p><strong>Enemies:</strong></p><p>10 twig blights (level 1 minion brutes; see below)</p><p>2 bloodthorn vines (MM2 205) (level 2 soldiers)</p><p></p><p><strong>Enemy setup:</strong> The twig blights emerged from the foliage all around at the start of combat; the two bloodthorn vines attacked at the start of round 2.</p><p></p><p><strong>How it went:</strong> Very cool, fun encounter; had the pcs running scared. Only 2 of them have any experience with 4e at all, so the minion concept slipped by the rest of the party (they figured out that the twig blights had a small number of hps, but didn't get the "one hit drop" thing, I don't think). The bloodthorn vines almost dragged pcs off on multiple occasions, leading to some additional panic on the part of the players. The wizard really shone, taking down half the minions by himself.</p><p></p><p><strong>Actual Difficulty:</strong> About right; it was a little harder encounter than it should have been due to player inexperience (neither of the rogues had a good handle on how to set up sneak attacks yet). They triumphed in the end without real significant damage- just healing surges and the like.</p><p></p><p><strong>How well did it work(on a scale of 1-10):</strong> I give it an 8.5- a good introductory encounter, it taught the new players a lot about the tactics of 4e, showed them how ongoing damage works (and how deadly it can be- one of the rogues actually dropped from it at one point!), etc.</p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>The twig blights I ran:</p><p></p><p>[sblock]</p><p><strong>TWIG BLIGHT--- Level 1 Minion Brute</strong></p><p>Small fey humanoid (plant)--- XP 25</p><p>---</p><p><strong>Initiative</strong> +3; <strong>Senses</strong> Perception +0</p><p><strong>HP </strong>1 (a missed attack never damages a minion)</p><p><strong>AC </strong>13; <strong>Fortitude</strong> 14; <strong>Reflex</strong> 14; <strong>Will </strong>10</p><p><strong>Speed</strong> 6 (forest walk)</p><p>---</p><p><strong>[Melee basic] Scratch</strong> (standard; at will) <strong>Poison:</strong> +3 vs. AC; 4 damage plus ongoing 1 poison (save ends). If the target is already taking ongoing poison damage, instead increase the amount of ongoing poison by 1.</p><p>---</p><p><strong>Alignment </strong>evil; <strong>Languages</strong> understands Elven</p><p><strong>Skills</strong> Stealth +8</p><p><strong>Str</strong> 8; <strong>Dex</strong> 17; <strong>Wis</strong> 10</p><p><strong>Con</strong> 12; <strong>Int</strong> 5; <strong>Cha</strong> 7[/sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 4997598, member: 1210"] I started my new group last night (AT LAST!), and we had several fun, rough encounters. The pcs were running scared by the end of it all! Scenario: Creekside Ambush [sblock][B]XP Encounter Difficulty:[/B] Level 1 Encounter vs. 5 1st-level pcs [B]Brief summary:[/B] The pcs are traveling through some scrubby area alongside a creek when they are ambushed. [B]Area setup:[/B] The western side of the battle zone has a 6-square wide creek running through it (shallow enough to wade through as difficult terrain). Several big clumps of dry foliage (difficult terrain, grant concealment) fill about 30% of the rest of the combat area. [B]Enemies:[/B] 10 twig blights (level 1 minion brutes; see below) 2 bloodthorn vines (MM2 205) (level 2 soldiers) [B]Enemy setup:[/B] The twig blights emerged from the foliage all around at the start of combat; the two bloodthorn vines attacked at the start of round 2. [B]How it went:[/B] Very cool, fun encounter; had the pcs running scared. Only 2 of them have any experience with 4e at all, so the minion concept slipped by the rest of the party (they figured out that the twig blights had a small number of hps, but didn't get the "one hit drop" thing, I don't think). The bloodthorn vines almost dragged pcs off on multiple occasions, leading to some additional panic on the part of the players. The wizard really shone, taking down half the minions by himself. [B]Actual Difficulty:[/B] About right; it was a little harder encounter than it should have been due to player inexperience (neither of the rogues had a good handle on how to set up sneak attacks yet). They triumphed in the end without real significant damage- just healing surges and the like. [B]How well did it work(on a scale of 1-10):[/B] I give it an 8.5- a good introductory encounter, it taught the new players a lot about the tactics of 4e, showed them how ongoing damage works (and how deadly it can be- one of the rogues actually dropped from it at one point!), etc. [/sblock] The twig blights I ran: [sblock] [B]TWIG BLIGHT--- Level 1 Minion Brute[/B] Small fey humanoid (plant)--- XP 25 --- [B]Initiative[/B] +3; [B]Senses[/B] Perception +0 [B]HP [/B]1 (a missed attack never damages a minion) [B]AC [/B]13; [B]Fortitude[/B] 14; [B]Reflex[/B] 14; [B]Will [/B]10 [B]Speed[/B] 6 (forest walk) --- [B][Melee basic] Scratch[/B] (standard; at will) [b]Poison:[/B] +3 vs. AC; 4 damage plus ongoing 1 poison (save ends). If the target is already taking ongoing poison damage, instead increase the amount of ongoing poison by 1. --- [B]Alignment [/B]evil; [B]Languages[/B] understands Elven [B]Skills[/B] Stealth +8 [B]Str[/B] 8; [B]Dex[/B] 17; [B]Wis[/B] 10 [B]Con[/B] 12; [B]Int[/B] 5; [B]Cha[/B] 7[/sblock] [/QUOTE]
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