Specific Trollhaunt Encounter Advice *spoilers*

[SlyFlourish]

** Warning, Trollhaunt Sploilers Ahead! ***

Hello! I'm currently running my group through Trollhaunt and have had a very hard time challenging the party. Most of this is my fault for not running the encounter as well as it could have been but some of it is due to my powergaming players who have a very powerful mix of six party members.

So tonight I am asking you, dear DM tacticians, to help me plan out three specific encounters in the Trollhaunt: W10 - the Roper room, W11, the Briar Hags with the crow cages, and W12, the Throne room with the second Skalmad battle.

Please give me specific advice to make these encounters challenging. Next week we will only have five players so I shouldn't have to modify them much. Our party consists of a ranger (lots of damage), warlock (more damage), paladin (brutal hospitaler's boon that never quits), fighter (glave master with +18 damage on OAs - awful), and a new Diva Invoker. The cleric is off for next week's game which should help make it challenging.

So first is the Roper encounter. How do I best employ his strengths and the strengths of the impalers? What environmentals will help out? How can I use the water to maximum benefit?

Second, the hags. I'm afriad these skeletons are going to get destroyed by the paladin and invoker pretty quickly. How do I best use those cages?

Finally, Skalmad #2. I heard somewhere else that he was a bit weak. Is there anything I should do to beef him up? How do I maximize the trolls and the warriors?

In general I have a hard time landing any serious blows on the party and could use some help to ensure these battles hit the climax they should.

Help me, Enworlders! You're my only hope!

 

[Rechan]

Second, the hags. I'm afriad these skeletons are going to get destroyed by the paladin and invoker pretty quickly. How do I best use those cages?

First, aside from the Boneshard's nice fat explosion effect, I am very unimpressed with them. My suggestion would be to replace the Boneshards with skeletal tomb guardians. Four attacks a round may make their survival at least a little more interesting. (However, 5 tomb guardians making 4 attacks per turn might be a bit much to keep track of).

Next, obviously: have the hags focus on the paladin and invoker. And by focus, I don't mean just attack those two - rake the eyes. Possibly have her rake the eyes and shift two away, then drop one of the cages on the PC. If you want to be vicious, you could have the cage knock him prone/restrain him, because it's on top of him.

 

[jasonbostwick]

My group bypassed the Roper encounter, and we skipped over the Hag encounter as they challenged Skalmad to a ritual duel for control of the tribe... (long story)

I think you might find the Skalmad fight offers very little challenge to your players. I ran it against only two PC (eladrin tempest fighter and drow rogue), subbing out the 3 Warren trolls for a Troll Vinespeaker, and they walked all over it.

If you don't want to change the monsters, the best way to play the encounter up would be to really use the terrain to your advantage. Use your Warren trolls to lock the party down in the lower level.
Skalmad's baleful eye can work to keep one of the more mobile PCs down there (maybe the ranger?) by slowing them.

Have your drow hide behind a stalactite across the river for cover and focus their fire on one of the weaker members like the warlock or invoker.
Have one attempt to hit with its darkfire, and if successful have both of them open up on the target with crossbows to pile on Sneak Attack damage and hopefully poison it.

Don't let the PCs engage Skalmad in the open - have him try and engage one of them down on the narrow bridge, so he can't be flanked.

That said, as it is written the second fight against Skalmad doesn't really seem like it is supposed to be that hard. Skalmad is supposed to book it halfway through the fight to get to the Stone Cauldron.

 

[SlyFlourish]

If I were to modify the Skalmad fight, what would you recommend?