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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Uller" data-source="post: 7347322" data-attributes="member: 413">I'm running ToA for 13th level PCs.  I'm beefing interesting things up to be more of a challenge and handwaving less interesting things.  We only had 3 of our 5 players last night so I had them arrive at Camp Righteous...with some changes...I replaced the fledgling axe beak with a baby T-rex and the adults with two T-rex adults and one zombie T-rex (lingering by...like the zombies in Dawn of the dead they continue their old habits)I replaced the skeletons and zombies with zombie girallons and to the goblins I added bugbears and a bug bear chief mounted on allosauruses.The traps I beefed up so spot and save DCs were 18 rather than 13 and boosted the damage a little but not much.I tried to make a big deal of the Man and Crocodile story...but my players really didn't catch on...First they fed the baby dino and when they tried to leave it started squaking for more.  So the warlock tried to kill it but after three shots from eldritch blast it still had 2 HP. So it started screaming loudly...The two T-rexes showed up and everyone ran into the entrance to the statue...so the warlock fell into the pit (oh...and I figured some undead would have fallen in there at some point so I put 3 ghouls in it).  He used fly (and shield after taking an OA) to get out and cast it on the wizard and an NPC gladiator they hired to join them.  The paladin also can fly (griffin mount) so killing the T-rexes was easy from there (the challenge was more in preventing them from eating their NPC guides and helpers)Then they went into the statue...and set off every trap except the blades.  The thunderwave and fire traps they set off multiple times...very amusing for me.Eventually I took pity on them and had an NPC explain the importance of the Man/Crocodile myth to them...whoever created this place found it to be very important...So that got them through the door.  I pointed out the carvings on the pillar thinking it would remind them to repeat it for the steps...nope.  They spotted three of the four glyphes on the stepps but still set off one, killing the wizard's familiar...then they plucked the magic item from the top with mage hand anyway (I replaced the alchemy jug with a demonic version of a lantern of revealing because they already have an alchemy jug...the lantern requires blood of the user to function instead of oil...enough to take away one HD).Then the girallon zombies attacked...that was a good fight.  We wrapped up as the goblins finally started to attack...It really struck me how my players threw all caution to the wind...they have a griffin mounted paladin, a hawk familiar.. arcane eye....but they did almost no scouting (they could have spotted the T-rexes and the girallon zombies).They laughed abouth the man/crocodile statue but didn't wonder about its significance at all so I had an NPC guide just spontaneously explain it.  They still ignored it.Like I said, I eventually had an NPC help them figure it out after they started comtenplating more brute force ways of getting through the door.  Everyone had fun and I think it was a good learning experience for them before they get to the tomb...the lore around the traps and puzzles matter...hopefully they will remember that or their first foray into the tomb will be their last.What were your experiences?</blockquote>

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