D&D General Savage Tide Experience

[Tyler Dunn]

Has anyone here completed the Savage Tide adventure path (in either 3.5e or 5e)?

If so, how many characters died permanently throughout the adventure path?

 

[dave2008]

Has anyone here completed the Savage Tide adventure path (in either 3.5e or 5e)?

If so, how many characters died permanently throughout the adventure path?

I have not, but I have read post on these forums of people who have.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

I have.
We tried many times and had multiple TPK. It became a point of honor to finish it. Maybe after a dozen attempts we made it. So it could be over 40 casualities - this is in the top 3 hardest D&D adventures I know of.
I remember as very very hard the initial phase (Blue Nixie, Parrot Island), the entire second adventure, Olangru, and the final battle in the lost city at the centre of the Island of Dread. We even had a TPK the first time we reached the final fight of the entire campaign!!
My character in the party that finally made it was a Red Knight Vindicator (an overpowered prestige class from Book of Nine Swords).

 

[MarkB]

I ran it through until they reached the Isle of Dread. We lost count of the character deaths, and nobody wanted to continue any further with it.

 

[Enrico Poli1]

The campaign was written to challenge optimized PCs at the end of 3.5 edition, so even with all the splatbooks. It was even more deadly then Age of Worms (much more actually).
The first four adventures of the campaign were nightmarish, the PCs were constantly butchered in very brutal ways. After that, death count slowed, optimizers could feel safe, but the illusion of safety led to catastrophe in a number of choke points. Underestimating the enemy could quickly result in a TPK, even at high levels.
The sheer difficulty of the campaign was very appreciated by the optimizers, which felt challenged and wanted to finish it at all costs.
This is the most cinematic of all D&D adventures I know of, you really really feel as a star in a movie during play. We actually chose the faces of Hollywood actors for PCs and NPCs (Gwynneth Paltrow was Lavinia, Brad Pitt was Vanthus...)

I love Savage Tide. My #2 best of all times, just a bit after Age of Worms.