Returning to form

[MerricB]

During yesterday's session, two of the PCs in my campaign died. It was a combination of their stupidity and bad luck, and I don't feel like I manipulated things to kill them. (In fact, what took them down were a couple of the weaker monsters in the dungeon). Still, they're dead, and their options for being raised are a little limited at present.

The question that will have to be answered in the next couple of sessions is this: has their deaths just been the first links on a chain that lead to a TPK? An attritional one, rather than the encounter with one bodak?

The group is as follows: (approximate levels; some are one level higher)
* halfling druid 3/wizard 3/arcane hierophant 2
* azurin incarnate 8
* grey-touched human knight 7
* elf soulborn 8
* human bard 5/druid 1/rogue 2
* dwarf soulknife 8

Consider the situation: the characters are on a demiplane associated with the Plane of Shadow, exploring the tower of an elven wizardess who, long ago, concealed a potent artifact (the Black Cauldron) within it. The tower's door is sealed by an arcane lock, which the halfling arcane hierophant suppressed with a knock spell so that they could get into the tower.

The initial guardian - a shadesteel golem (MM3) - sent them running back to base camp and much more planning. The next time they came to the tower, they were armed with a bear. An enlarged bear with a balor nimbus makes a great grappler, and the golem, despite inflicting a great amount of damage on the party and the bear, eventually succumbed. So, into the rest of the tower they went.

The next encounter saw the first death: the group found an ogre barbarian 5 (MM) who had managed to penetrate the tower as part of another group, but had been trapped when everyone else had been slain. Initiative was won by the knight of the group, who readied a charge against the ogre for when it was no longer flat-footed. (Code of conduct amusement).

Unfortunately for the knight, his charge didn't kill the ogre, and the ogre rolled a critical in response. 70+ points of damage later, plus a little more for the original attack of opportunity the ogre had made, and the knight was no longer with us. The ogre didn't survive much longer, but the chief meleeist of the party was now dead.

At this point, if I had been playing, I'd have immediately said, "Let's get out of here and see if we can get Willum raised!". However, I was the DM, and could only watch as the group decided to continue on with their quest.

The next encounter was crucial: a group of clockwork horrors (MM2), happily disassembling the dining room of the tower. (Where have the horrors come from? More will be revealed next session). 1 Platinum, 1 Gold and 4 Electrum clockwork horrors. Into the fray the party went. "Zap" went the platinum and gold clockwork horrors - a 12d6 and a 6d6 lightning bolts, really low DCs (15 and 13 respectively), but that didn't stop PCs from failing saves.

This didn't kill them. No, it was the way they stayed lined up for the second and third rounds of lightning bolts. Suddenly, the halfling arcane hierophant was dead, his bear was unconscious, as were many of the rest of the party. Somehow, they managed to slay the horrors, and Greg's azurin incarnate used his superior healing skills to patch up the party...

Still, the halfling was dead. Those who were paying attention will notice that it was the halfling who got them past the arcane lock on the entrance. Which was now the exit. The only exit, which they couldn't open. (Disassembling the tower is not an option. It's sustained by artifact-level magic.)

Based on much of the recent campaign, a mass resist energy from the halfling would have rendered the horrors nearly useless. Unfortunately, the halfling hadn't prepared it because of the number of major spells needed to take out the shadesteel golem earlier. Hmm.

So, the party, with no way to get out, rested, then continued their investigation of the tower, hoping for a way out. (or enough XP for the bard to get another level...)

A greater shadow, 3 lesser flamesnakes, a mageripper swarm, and a fire trap were all overcome (the Bear has lost about 10 strength now, though). The session ended with the party on the second level of the tower. Will they be able to overcome the rest of the challenges, as they're now reduced to four (and a bear?)

Cheers!

 

[Mark CMG]

Still, they're dead

(. . .)

Cheers!

Nice.

 

[MerricB]

Nice.

Thanks. In the earlier days of 3e, I've been far more of a "Killer DM" than I have been recently. I decided with this adventure to let the dice fall where they will - none of the monsters, individually, is unbeatable. (The shadesteel golem almost wiped out the party the first time, but they came up with a great tactic to take it out the second time). However, the cumulative effect on the party can be quite interesting...

The tower has monsters in it from MM1, MM2, MM3, MM4 and the Fiend Folio; something quite rare in my designs. (I tend to use the MM plus one other book for any given adventure). I spent a few hours over the past week copying all the stats so I didn't have to lug about all the books.

Must say, I really, really love the new statblock format, which I've transferred all of the monsters into. It's much easier to use as a DM. Doing the copying also helped familiarize myself with the monster's abilities. I also really appreciate simple monsters. There's one barbed devil later in the adventure, and it's too complicated for what it does. Monsters like the Tomb Spiders and Clockwork Horrors, with only a couple of special abilities, are great.

There were a nice few moments in the session as the greater shadow, by using its spring attack and incorporeality, lured the PCs into the battle with the fire snakes. Thankfully, the PCs didn't go into the next room as well - it could have been a problem!

Cheers!

 

[Nightfall]

Stupidity isn't congatious. It's just concidential.

 

[Joshua Randall]

In fairness, you have put them in a situation from which they cannot escape. It's bad luck that the only caster of knock died, but it's bad design that there is only one entrance/exit from the tower.

Not trying to slam you, just pointing this out. It's analogous to making a dungeon in which the party must solve a certain riddle or they can't advance. Well, what if they hate riddles? Or what if they never solve it? Then they can't advance. Same thing here, except they can't leave.

Maybe a convenient scroll of knock shows up soon, or they find a heretofore unknown secret escape tunnel....

 

[Jdvn1]

Maybe a convenient scroll of knock shows up soon, or they find a heretofore unknown secret escape tunnel....

Or a window and some rope?

 

[diaglo]

can't the bear still break down the portal to escape? iirc, arcane lock only adds 10 to the break DC.

 

[Wik]

A knock scroll will reek of DM Fiat - and I think that's something the OP doesn't want to see. Were it me, I'd throw in some sort of balcony encounter, with flying critters that just might take out another PC. And then, when the PCs go "hey, we're on a balcony... we could use some rope to get out of here!" I'd act surprised, dumbfounded, and then say "Yeah, I guess you could...." It's DM Fiat, but it doesn't LOOK like DM Fiat.

 

[DrNilesCrane]

...or have another group of adventurers arrive with means of getting into the tower. The adventurers could be another set of bad guys for the party to take on and pick up what they need to get out of the tower (Knock spell, a key, etc.).

 

[MerricB]

There *is* another way out of the tower, just to reassure you all. (It also can get them out of the demi-plane, which they're also trapped in).

It is bringing home to them just how magically-deficient they are. They really lack a primary caster. They're good at melee, but at overcoming other difficulties? Not good at all. It's a group primarily of warriors. (Greg's Incarnate has to fill the roles of cleric and rogue, which he can do somewhat, but still...)

can't the bear still break down the portal to escape? iirc, arcane lock only adds 10 to the break DC.

Diaglo quoting 3e rules at me? Eep! What has happened to the world?

Alas, it's an old-style 1e tower: you can't break down the door. (The demiplane has several rules, and one of the rules is "no destroying the tower of the wizardess who created the demiplane). If they get to the Cauldron, that's another way out as well.

Cheers!