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<blockquote data-quote="Lancelot" data-source="post: 3379626" data-attributes="member: 30022">**** Possible SPOILERS ****Subrosas, I know how you feel (...but have less guilt about it, personally)&nbsp; <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)"&nbsp; data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> My group lost 12 characters during the campaign, including a TPK in the &quot;defend the city from siege&quot; section. The four players each had 10-15 years of D&amp;D experience, with an extremely good knowledge of the rules and solid characters. I ran the module as written (no modification of encounters) and let the dice fall where they may.Fortunately, the general quality of the module dispelled any bad feelings around the carnage. They all enjoyed Red Hand (and I really enjoyed running it). I rate it as one of the best WotC modules ever, including 1st and 2nd edition. Many of the deaths were extremely humorous (...eaten by a hydra due to repeated failed Balance checks to run away, trying to grapple the Ghostlord with no Improved Grapple and a lousy modifier, captured by a minotaur with anger-management issues...).I've begun to think that a lot of published modules require active &quot;DM fiat&quot; (fudging) to keep characters alive. Unless a party is truly optimized (uber-healing cleric, uber-frontline fighter, uber-blasty mage, etc...), I've noticed my group has a very hard time with the WotC mega-adventures. Expedition to Castle Ravenloft was similarly lethal. Go down some stairs and run into four hidden demons (who can teleport at will, have DR cold iron, and good spell resistance) with your 4x 8th level (injured, slightly depleted) characters? That's a paddlin'...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lancelot, post: 3379626, member: 30022"] **** Possible SPOILERS **** Subrosas, I know how you feel (...but have less guilt about it, personally) ;) My group lost 12 characters during the campaign, including a TPK in the "defend the city from siege" section. The four players each had 10-15 years of D&D experience, with an extremely good knowledge of the rules and solid characters. I ran the module as written (no modification of encounters) and let the dice fall where they may. Fortunately, the general quality of the module dispelled any bad feelings around the carnage. They all enjoyed Red Hand (and I really enjoyed running it). I rate it as one of the best WotC modules ever, including 1st and 2nd edition. Many of the deaths were extremely humorous (...eaten by a hydra due to repeated failed Balance checks to run away, trying to grapple the Ghostlord with no Improved Grapple and a lousy modifier, captured by a minotaur with anger-management issues...). I've begun to think that a lot of published modules require active "DM fiat" (fudging) to keep characters alive. Unless a party is truly optimized (uber-healing cleric, uber-frontline fighter, uber-blasty mage, etc...), I've noticed my group has a very hard time with the WotC mega-adventures. Expedition to Castle Ravenloft was similarly lethal. Go down some stairs and run into four hidden demons (who can teleport at will, have DR cold iron, and good spell resistance) with your 4x 8th level (injured, slightly depleted) characters? That's a paddlin'... [/QUOTE]

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