D&D 4E Wizards vs Goodman Games, Lethal 4E Scenarios

[Goonalan]

So far me and my players have been through-

Wizards- first 4 of Core Modules (H1 to P1) and the first 4 of the Scales of War AP in Dungeon Magazine, and a few others besides like- Into the Shadowfell, Kobold Hall (from the DMG), oh and another (I forget which) from Dungeon magazine, so approx. 11 scenarios.

We've had two PC deaths, never come close to a TPK.

We've played 3 Goodman Games scenarios- Sellswords of Punjar, Isle of the Sea Drake & the Dwarven Forge one.

We've had five PC deaths so far, and only five because I engineered it that instead of a TPK the PCs were captured and sacrificed one-a-day until the rescue mission saved the day. We also avoided a TPK by the narrowest of margins in another of the scenarios- one guy still standing able to heal up two of his fellow PCs (two others bled out).

My point Goodman Games Scenarios can be lethal, anyone else experience this, much more dangerous than Wizards scenarios.

Supplementary Question: What's the hardest/deadliest 4E scenario you've been involved in so far?

 

[Riastlin]

I don't have any experience with the Goodman Games modules. However, I have seen plenty of struggles with the Scales of War path. The group I am running through SOW lost 3 of 5 in the second adventure for instance.

My impression has been that 4th Ed. encounters can be a little more fickle than in some of the older editions. Where one group might steamroll through an encounter and barely use any resources, another might struggle mightly with the same encounter. A lot depends on party makeup/tactics. One of the problems my group had in the SOW encounter that was a near tpk (but for two characters running) was that they were very melee oriented and went up against a very tough melee monster (which even managed to lock down one of the two ranged-capable characters into melee).

My experience has been that auras and area attacks that impose status effects tend to be the most deadly, but obviously terrain and the like can wreak havoc too.

 

[delericho]

Supplementary Question: What's the hardest/deadliest 4E scenario you've been involved in so far?

I had a TPK when running "Kobold Hall" (from the DMG).

I'm currently one encounter into "Tomb of Horrors". No-one died, but I did fear there was a TPK in the offing - fortunately (or not?) the dice turned at a key moment.