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Message: <blockquote data-quote="roguerouge" data-source="post: 4154915" data-attributes="member: 13855">Okay, this is more evidence for a bad DM issue, 'cause he definitely changed the module or the players didn't hear him right, or both.1. There are no bells in those towers. On page 33, the hobgoblins are to "shout a warning to their comrades" or fire an arrow into their camp to warn them.So, the DM made the encounter more difficult by adding bells. The main encampment is more than 100 feet away, making that a -10 to the listen check to hear the shout of warning. The hound is approximately 70 feet away (40' up, 30' across) for a -7 to their listen check (for a total Listen mod of +0) and the other guard is 40 feet away, for a -4 to the listen check for a total modifier of +0.So the simple addition of a bell makes it much more likely that these separated foes will act with perfect coordination. To sum up: your DM did change the module, significantly, but when called out on the issue, he hid behind the module and began blaming the system.(And let's say your player killed the guard. Did he have a plan to climb down 40 feet, cross past the hound, and climb up 40 feet before the other guard noticed the absence? I'm just curious.) 2. The description text states on page 32: "A powerfully build hound with glowing red eyes and short ruddy fur sits watchfully near either end of the bridge." This is the first clue-hammer that this might be an elite force, not one populated with mooks.3. The very next sentence: "Yet the most impressive creatures present is certainly the sleek and menacing green dragon that perches on the roof of the northwestern watchtower on the far side of the gorge." A dragon is a big clue-hammer that this is an elite force.So, you've got tougher than normal guards. It's ALSO a cinematic trope to have an extended, silent, frantic struggle between the guard and the infiltrator, in addition to the quick silent slit throat convention. The player misjudged which cinematic convention was going to be operating here.I'll repeat: no system is mistake-proof. The DM made a mistake. The players misevaluated the narrative. GURPS won't solve the problem of making mistakes. And emotionally, that's what you really want here.</blockquote>

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