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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 9397385" data-attributes="member: 177">So, I know you aren't looking for advice, but there are some thoughts that go here.It sounds like you had the Duergar react to a cave in as if the area was clearly going to be entirely stable, and that their biggest concern was going to be a few people with swords.&nbsp; Might I suggest this as a questionable choice on your part?How did the Duergar know the PCs were even alive?&nbsp; Why are they not concerned with the potential collapse of a larger area?&nbsp; Why are the Duergar set up for battle, instead of set up to work shoring up the damaged tunnels?There are no rules for how cave or dungeon systems react to cave-ins, so you get to decide that.&nbsp; If you wanted a reason to not have it be a super-combat encounter, you had an excuse to make it a more moderate encounter, with environmental hazards.The PCs were having trouble with CR 1 creatures?&nbsp; The Umber Hulk is a CR 5.&nbsp; Yes, it was probably too much.We can't really answer that, not having seen the details.&nbsp; However the encounter builder is a guideline.&nbsp; Its assessment must be reviewed with an eye to what the PCs can really do.At what point - you mean a plan for as they came out of being buried?&nbsp; How on Oerth could they make a good plan for that, not knowing what was going on outside?Is &quot;advancing the adventure&quot; something you all agree should happen?Someone had the idea for the roof to cave in - we don't know if that idea came form the players, you, or the published adventure.&nbsp; If the latter most, well, then dealing with the cave-in is advancing the adventure, by definition.If it was you or your players, that's inserting something that was obviously and surely going to keep you from otherwise advancing the adventure for a while.&nbsp; So, if you find that this detracted from play, maybe be careful about what complications get inserted - maybe make them ones that drive the players towards the other adventure content, rather than keep them from it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 9397385, member: 177"] So, I know you aren't looking for advice, but there are some thoughts that go here. It sounds like you had the Duergar react to a [I]cave in[/I] as if the area was clearly going to be entirely stable, and that their biggest concern was going to be a few people with swords. Might I suggest this as a questionable choice on your part? How did the Duergar know the PCs were even alive? Why are they not concerned with the potential collapse of a larger area? Why are the Duergar set up for battle, instead of set up to work shoring up the damaged tunnels? There are no [I]rules[/I] for how cave or dungeon systems react to cave-ins, so you get to decide that. If you wanted a reason to not have it be a super-combat encounter, you had an excuse to make it a more moderate encounter, with environmental hazards. The PCs were having trouble with CR 1 creatures? The Umber Hulk is a CR 5. Yes, it was probably too much. We can't really answer that, not having seen the details. However the encounter builder is a guideline. Its assessment must be reviewed with an eye to what the PCs can really do. At what point - you mean a plan for as they came out of being buried? How on Oerth could they make a good plan for that, not knowing what was going on outside? Is "advancing the adventure" something you all agree should happen? Someone had the idea for the roof to cave in - we don't know if that idea came form the players, you, or the published adventure. If the latter most, well, then dealing with the cave-in is advancing the adventure, by definition. If it was you or your players, that's inserting something that was obviously and surely going to keep you from otherwise advancing the adventure for a while. So, if you find that this detracted from play, maybe be careful about what complications get inserted - maybe make them ones that drive the players towards the other adventure content, rather than keep them from it. [/QUOTE]

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