Sir_Wulf's page

I prefer the term "cork" for those guys who don't do very much damage, but just cannot be killed. They're often dwarven defenders or tower shield specialists. "Tank" fits whoever is stuck on the front lines, regardless of how suited they are for the task (e.g.: Barbaric Bob Bonecrusher, who does 60 point of damage with every hit, with a miserable AC 14 while raging).

I can't think of a more boring concept than a melee character with a mediocre damage output because he's poured all his resources into taking hits so someone else can impose the party's will on the bad guys.

There's a certain shadenfreud to be found in telling your GM "He missed" when the Rune Giant rolls a 41 on his attack.

I'm running a table of "Classic Pathfinder" Thursday night at the Con. If you've already played The Infernal Vault (the other Society scenario in that slot), let me know which scenarios you'd enjoy most and I'll make one happen! (Since I prefer to have the right minis handy, I'd appreciate feedback about which older scenarios are most needed by the gamers in the Las Vegas area.)

The paladin would doubtlessly have entered the strip club to perform charitable works and minister to the people working there. Filled with sympathy for the unfortunate, he would distribute donations to help support unwed mothers and orphans, lest they be forced into a life of sin and degradation.

How could that be evil?

So basically what you're saying is it's just an unflavored "invoke rules mechanic" and it's up to the player and GM to describe what's happening.

Yep. The power says what it does. It doesn't describe details of the mechanism.

Some people find that frustrating, preferring a more specific description and mechanism. They want it spelled out whether the challenged creature somehow senses the challenge and knows its source. They want to know whether the paladin needs to boldly declare his holy defiance or whether half-seen spirits gather to smite their god's enemy.

Others find it liberating, deciding that they can make up their own description of the divine challenge. As long as the DM and players agree, it doesn't matter whether the challenge involves defiant shouting and celestial choirs, or simply an unseen manifestation of ill-fortune. To them, the rules leave such decisions in the hands of the gamers.

Like everyone else, I have my preferences, but it's best to understand and respect how others determined their preferences.

No one likes to have their characters whomped on without a fair chance at victory, even if they deserve it or caused it through their own behavior.

Considering some of the more aggravating players I've encountered, it might be fair to say ESPECIALLY if they deserve it.

If the target has no way to understand the challenge, why does it still work when he attacks a target other than the paladin?

In 4e, the Paladin's Divine Challenge is a supernatural compulsion brought upon the paladin's foes. It isn't a mere distraction like the Fighter's Mark, but a manifestation of divine power forcing foes to face the god's representative or suffer a blast of divine power.

Obviously, this would be grossly unbalancing if it prohibited foes from using area attacks, so the rules permit these on the assumption that the Paladin is considered the primary target and others merely collateral damage.

Given the design priorities of D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, or other D20 games, the description of such a power would define how it works, allowing players to modify its effects for better or worse. It might be blocked by silence or accentuated by some other ability or magic item. On the other hand, 4e's design avoids specifying the mechanisms through which powers work. It places priority on game balance, eliminating ways to "short circuit" foes' abilities.

If you're having trouble playing the "wall of steel" because your DM generally describes fights happening in wide open spaces, the Ready action becomes your fighter's best friend. Rather than moving first, he can ready an action to intercept an enemy closing in to attack. If the fighter has a reach weapon and some of the feats mentioned earlier in the thread, he can command a substantial area. I also recommend asking the party's mage to throw enlarge person onto him, making him that much more difficult to bypass.

After the party's enemies suck up two-handed weapon damage from two or three attacks of opportunity, the fighter can expect to have plenty of dance partners.

I'd also allow social skills like Bluff or Diplomacy to be used "backwards", aggravating foes so they choose to attack the fighter instead of his allies. I'd even do away with the time penalties: It takes time to make friends, but only seconds to really annoy them.

To borrow a well-known line, "What we have here... is a failure t' communicate." The DM did err in not clarifying details of the victim's apparent social status and should have offered more clues as to the moneylender's apparent incorruptability. After that, I don't find his calls all that unreasonable.

Assuming the moneylender is a man known for high integrity, closely allied with the local lord, of course the town watch takes his word over that of a group of "rootless mercenary adventurers".

If the town sits in a rugged wilderness or similarly-dangerous area (the sort of area where adventures occur), it's likely to have a strong town watch or militia. A band of adventurers is likely to be seen as exceptionally dangerous, so the guardsmen will pull out all the stops. They'll wake up the off shift guards to ensure they have "backup".

After the lethal brawl with the guardsmen, the PCs are going to be locked up securely, not just held in the lord's woodshed. To be credible, an escape plan would need to be truly exceptional. Cutting off prisoners' hair was not uncommon in the Middle Ages or Renaissance, both to fight vermin and to reduce any magical powers they were believed to possess.

I feel for your group. As a DM, I've had games so "south" on me, spinning in entirely the wrong direction. Possible plot hooks were overlooked, clues weren't noticed, and the game bounded off the rails into uncharted territory. As a player, I've been in games where our expectations and the DM's were not on the same page. That's not fun.

I'd suggest giving the DM a break. He may have made some mistakes, but not everything that went wrong was his fault.

There's nothing wrong with your ruling about how that played out, but you should try not to "fast forward" ahead to the execution too quickly. Even a death sentence can be an adventure hook.

I'd give them a chance at a jailbreak scenario, but make it clear that their chances are slim. The subsequent adventure would be a grueling test of their ability to think on their feet, something that would make it clear that they dug themselves into a deep hole and you're not letting them off the hook. Let them know that inspired roleplaying will give them bonuses for their next characters if they don't manage to escape.

Perhaps things might open with the party chained to the town gaol's wall, clad only in loincloths. Spellcasters have iron gags (quickly modified from bits for horses) riveted around their heads. Their jailors laugh at their impending doom, except for a couple of merciful souls who treat them kindly. I'd make these characters sympathetic, putting the PCs in a bind later, as these NPCs try to prevent their escape.

A diminutive figure appears in the shadows of the cell, crushing despair filling the dismal chamber. Resembling a sharply-dressed gnome, this gutterkin devil (found in The Great City: Urban Creatures and Lairs) offers the PCs a chance at survival, asking only the cost of an unspecified favor later. His decayed, predatory smile gleams unnaturally in the darkness if they agree. After contracting with the tiny fiend they receive one prybar and one potion of reduce person, enabling one to slip his bonds. The devil urges the party not to waste any time, as only the truly determined will survive.

Before all the characters can pry themselves loose, the guards discover the escaping PCs. Violence ensues and they get their first dilemma: If they stay to pry their allies loose, more guards are sure to arrive. Do they abandon the last one or two PCs to their doom?

The next few scenes would feature town militia tracking the PCs with dogs and furious lynch mobs of townsfolk. If they take cover in a building, the townsfolk set fire to it to flush them out. If they head into the wilderness, their ill-equipped band draws the attention of monstrous predators.

I'd keep the aftermath of this adventure as a theme for the campaign: Whenever they think they have a good thing, their past catches up to them.

Chaucer died in 1400, and is considered the father of English literature. I defy you to read his works as written in OE ("Old English").

Actually Chaucer's works fall under Middle English, and aren't that difficult to puzzle out. With a little training and practice, you too can enjoy Middle English prose...

A KNYGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the tyme that he first bigan
To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.

Old English is a bit more challenging. Beowulf is the best known work of Old English prose, and is clearly a different language from Modern English.

While the changes seen in English and the langiuages used in Egypt argue for linguistic change, these examples don't preclude such survivals. In a world with extremely long-lived creatures such as elves, gods, and dragons, where supernatural figures intervene regularly, the survival of ancient tongues seems more likely than in our world. The culture of Osirion has much closer ties to their ancient ancestors than does the current Egyptian culture. This might argue for the survival of their ancient language.

Let your player characters be heroes, not victims. I'd suggest something like:

- The PCs are in town to meet with a powerful NPC patron/teacher/ally when big bad shows up, escorted by a group of minions. A group of defenseless bystanders is also present in the area. Big bad orders his minions to secure the area and starts killing.

- The powerful ally tells the PCs, "Get those innocents out of here! This foe is beyond your power to defeat: I'll hold him off! Get the (McGuffin); I'll meet with you in _____ (etc.) "

- The villain's minions oppose the PCs leaving. Violence ensues. Their ally falls as the PCs finish off the minions. If they're going to save the innocent bystanders, they need to bolt. Give them something to keep them with the bystanders, such as a boat or wagon the NPCs can't drive effectively. Otherwise, they may be tempted to go back in to fight the big bad.

When I'm at the computer, I enjoy listening to Radio Rivendell, a site which streams music from games and movies, intended as background music for gamers. Unfortunately, SoundExhange.com has finally latched onto their site, politely pointing out that US law requires them to pay royalties.

From what I've read, small not-for-profit Internet broadcasters in the US are required to pay $500.00 annually (which some can do) and report numerous details about every song they play (which becomes very burdensome without specialized software they can't afford). This is in addition to any royalty agreements reached with the recording industry.

Radio Rivendell is based in Sweden, so they could just shut down any stateside servers carrying them, but it's only a matter of time before word goes to whatever organization serves the same purpose in Europe. It's my understanding that stifling bureaucracy and crushing royalty fees on web-based broadcasting have effectively shut down most small Internet broadcasting operations in England; I don't know how things fare in other parts of Europe.

If someone is well versed in Swedish and European law regarding such matters, Radio Rivendell could use some help.

I'd recommend #6 Black Waters as a good horror scenario.

Crocodile Games has some figures that should be right up your alley. There are several promising priests in their Wargods of Aegyptus line, including an impressive Priest of Aten.

Tell everyone that your sorcerer has been working out.

...for my PFS character...

Akori is from Orision, he is a tall sorceror, so should wear robes, and carry a staff at most. My vision of him is basically the bad guy from The Mummy - High Priest Imhotep.

Let's see... Reaper has Lamann the Sorcerer, although his robes may be more voluminous than you prefer. Eredain the Mage has a very different look, but his polearm could be easily modified to serve as a staff.

My wife teaches at a very conservative Christian school. When time allows, we plan to start a Pathfinder campaign with one of the other teachers at the school. We've often dealt with people who ignorantly believe that RPGs are evil.

Realistically, role-playing games can be a negative influence, just like comic books, popular music, TV shows, books, competitive sports, dancing, movies, and the hundred other things that self-proclaimed experts have ranted about over the years. All these things can also be good influences, stimulating critical thought, inspiring creativity, encouraging friendships and providing hours of fun.

As a boy, I asked my pastor whether D&D was evil. He told me that "God knows that you're just playing a game" and encouraged me to do what is right as I go through life.

1 Corinthians 10:23 tells Christians that everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial or constructive. Do the things you do lead you to be a better person and Christian? I think that games of heroic fantasy often encourage and motivate their players in positive ways.

Games and activities can also encourage negative thoughts and behavior. You do have to use discretion in what you play and who you game with. Proberbs 13:20 points out that "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm."

When running scenarios in a convention or game day setting, gamemasters need to remember that not all gaming groups will resemble the groups in their home games. It's easy to "beef up" an encounter, only to discover that the team isn't nearly as capable as the parties seen in home games. Inexperienced players or poor tactics can place parties in terrible danger.

As a GM, it's vital to discover the players' opinions before making changes to a scenario. If I suspect that some part of an adventure just won't work well for the players, I'll ask whether they would prefer that I adjust things or would rather play the adventure "by the book". Over the years, I've learned that players are reluctant to admit that they don't trust the GM's judgment, so GMs need to be particularly alert for signs of reluctance.

I've seen what Reaper has to offer in the way of hags. I've seen WotC's DDM minis.

What other minis are out there that would make a good annis hag?

I did it, but don't know if I made any mistakes. Tell me what you think.

It looks good, with one minor problem: You have him fighting with a longsword and a heavy shield. Unfortunately, a heavy shield and longsword are both considered "one hand" weapons: If you wield both of them together, you suffer a -4 to each attack.

If you want to use a shield, I recommend one of two choices: Either replace the longsword with a short sword, or replace the heavy shield with a light shield or madu. If you do this, two-weapon fighting only carries a -2.

I am lost on food, what types do you get or is it the various meal (poor, common, or good) that you refer or just various foods? Plus how do the various stat modifer work. Is it every 2 points aove ten add a bonus or +2?

Don't worry about the food that much. You can iron that out with your GM when you go to play.

Every two points above ten gives a +1 bonus, for example:

Str 6 = -2

Str 8 = -1

Str 10 = 0

Str 12 = +1

Str 14 = +2

etc...

Str 22 = +6

The same is true for each attribute.

If you have more questions, you may want to drop by www.DMTools.org/chat . The wonderful folks there can advise you.

I didn't know that racial traits were ten. So can I remove that trait or not?

I'd give the character the following stats:

When he reached 4th level, I'd boost his DEX to 16, then boost his CON when he reached 8th level.

I was iffy on using a two-bladed character. I'd prefer one, but don't know what the advantages or disadvantages are.

The major disadvantage is lack of a shield, which means that your AC will be 2 points lower while low-level and about 4 points lower at high level. To make up for this, you may want a small spiked shield or a madu in your off hand.

What would those arrows you mention cost, and should I get an better bow?

If you plan to use it regularly, get a better bow. As mentioned above, a mighty (Strength 18, so +4 Damage) masterwork (+1 to Attack rolls) composite longbow will cost 800 gp total.

If you don't see yourself using missile weapons often, you might just buy some javelins. They will only do 1d6+4 Damage when you throw them, but you can then spend your gold on other things. Use your present bow only when fighting distant foes.

Plus I didn't know that racial traits were ten. So can I remove that traist or no? I was iffy on using a two bladed character and my prefer one, but don't know what the advantages or disadvatages to it. Plus what would those arrow you mention cost, and should I get an better bow?

I may have been unclear: The racial bonus gives you a +2 to one attribute. Strength 16 costs 10 points and Strength 18 costs 17 points, so the most efficient way to get the 18 would be to raise the attribute score to 16 and add +2.

Welcome to Pathfinder! Let's see if I can help you!

If I understand correctly, Zane is an 18 year old fighter who has completed three adventures and reached second level. I assume that he is human, but he could easily be a half-orc or half-elf.

Str.: 18 Assuming the racial +2 goes here, this costs 10 points.
Dex.: 15 This costs 7 points.
Con.: 13 This costs 3 points.
Int.: 13 This costs 3 points.
Wis.: 10 This costs 0 points.
Cha.: 12 This costs 2 points.

These would add up to 25 points, which is more than you are allowed. I'd recommend lowering his Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma to free a few points.

Skills: Climb 2, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (dungeoneering) 2, Survival 2, Swim 2

If he's human, these skills are possible. This number of skill points suggests that you placed your favored class points into skills instead of using them for hit points. With a fighter, I'd generally prefer more hit points.

Feats: Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Quick Draw, Weapon Specialization (long sword)

As noted by other posters, you probably meant Weapon Focus (longsword) instead of Weapon Specialization. You become eligible for Weapon Specialization at 4th level.

When you reach 3rd level you become eligible for another feat. I'm fond of Power Attack: Not only is it a decent feat, but it opens up other fun feats. Since you took Int 13, you might prefer Combat Expertise. Dodge is also popular.

Bravery +1 This is technically a class feature, not a feat.

Equipment: breastplate, longsword X 2, shortbow, arrows (30), silk rope, tent small, scroll case, map of the Silken Way, back pack, compass, 966 gp

Your character has extra penalties if he fights with a longsword in each hand. You're better off to use a longsword and a short sword. Also, arrows are usually purchased in sets of 20. I'd recommend that you buy a cold iron shortsword and a few cold iron and silver arrows: They aren't expensive and you never know when they might be handy. It's also wise to carry food and a waterskin.

H.P. 11 As a 2nd level fighter, Zane should have 18 HP. He could have 20 if he invests his favored class points as HP.

+2 Base Attack Good!

Fort Save +3 Good!

Init.: +4 I assume that he used a Trait to get this. A high initiative is certainly beneficial.

Which means that a creature cannot be summoned into a vacuum or an air-breathing creature cannot be summoned underwater and vice versa for water-breathing creatures. A creature cannot be summoned into a place where it would automatically die. This is what it means by environment, not whether it has something to stand on or not.

The rule is also meant to prevent someone from summoning an aurochs or an elephant 30 feet above an enemy so that the falling creature crushes him flat. Phrasing used in the spell description for create water suggests that it is an exception to this rule, able to be conjured above a surface.

Since casting such a spell above a moving target would involve a fair amount of precision, I'd think it fair to require the caster to make a ranged touch attack to place the water for maximum distraction. Otherwise, the target evades the worst of the unleashed downpour and need not make a concentration check. While there is no mention of an attack roll in the spell description, it seems fair to conjecture that the original designers didn't envision create water as an attack spell except under very unusual circumstances (fire elementals and the like).

Unfortunately, not everyone who visits the boards is worthy of such an honor.

I've practiced armored combat in the SCA on and off since 1983. My experience suggests that even if you're unaware of an impending attack, a properly-held shield makes it significantly harder to successfully strike you.

When facing opponents attacking from opposite sides, one's shield can substantially aid in defense against the one you can't see well: You position yourself so the shield obstructs your foe's best angles of attack and use your weapon to parry attacks from the opponent you face. With luck, the shield will obstruct your foe's strike for the crucial second or two needed to reposition yourself.

"From a shambling, clumsy horror... A debonair man-about-town!"

I could see trolls developing mutagens that work backwards from those used by PC races: They'd boost Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma at the cost of physical attributes.

I'd recommend either the Pathfinder Society adventure Silent Tide, or the Free RPG Day scenario from a few years ago, Hollow's Last Hope (Available from Paizo as a free download)

While these scenarios work well for 1st level characters, I've found that Pathfinder's 1st level PCs are resilient enough to handle a convention-slot scenario without running out of cool options halfway through.

To convert this for usage by a paladin (the pinnacle of LG), unless they have some sort of code or oath of poverty, when they defeat an enemy, dead or alive, the paladin is within his rights to take whatever possessions that person has on them.

As another well-known example, William Marshal was one of the most renowned knights of the Middle Ages, and he made vast profits from his victories on the tournament circuit.

Until modern times, soldiers normally looted and pillaged the lands they passed through. When the First Crusade passed through Byzantine Empire, they wisely kept the city gates of Byzantium closed until their "allied" crusader army had passed by. Unless a ruler specifically limited his men's depredations (such as when Henry V forbade his troops to despoil churches), they considered looting a normal part of warfare.

I'd recommend that you don't force a healer on them: You didn't seem very pleased with that prospect anyway.

Provide them with a CLW wand and let them try Thistletop without a healer. If they run into trouble, give them the chance to retreat. If they start to complain about the lack of healing, let them decide to recruit a cleric.

Throw in a couple of extra encounters or a side-quest on their journeys, ensuring that the characters are a level or two higher than they would otherwise be. That should balance the encounters to some degree.

Also, Magnimar is a vast city: They can head for a temple if they need healing.

I didn't see that blog's claims as hubris. The article simply recognizes that gamers today have more resources and information from which to develop their games. To borrow a quote, "We stand on the shoulders of giants".

Even the best-designed game will have some weak points, often caused when players' behavior changes in reaction to the game setting. As an example, if every encounter is carefully tailored to the party's power level, players may grow arrogant, depending on combat as the best way to tackle every encounter.

Those celebrating the "Old-School Renaissance" enjoy a sense of nostalgia for the games of role-playing's early days, but can inform their design ethos by comparing the older games to more recent efforts. Learning from all that has gone before, they develop campaigns that integrate the advantages of both old and new games.

In order to prepare for additional players, have your backup GM prepare a second adventure. If you have enough for two tables, he runs his adventure; if not, he plays at your table.

Next week you switch positions: He becomes the primary GM, while you prep a third adventure and take the backup spot.

Westley: "Oh, what I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak!"

Inigo: "There, we cannot help you."

Fezzik: "Will this do?"

I'll bet there will be something even BETTER than a flumph on the cover!

What could possibly be better than a lovable, wriggly flumph?

Make a brightly colored cardstock tent to put in front of yourself when you're performing, marked "INSPIRE COURAGE" and listing the relevant bonuses in large text on either side. While you're at it, you could make a similar tent for other common party buffs, such as haste.

You generally need to ostentatiously point to it a couple of times, and then the other players catch on for the rest of the session.

Go Fatey!

But my point is, whether he spends 2 minutes or 20 minutes, if he misses the trigger plate, there is a negative consequence, because he's going to continue on and step on it, releasing large quantities of acid that will burn his eyes out, giving him an even worse Perception check.

While some traps might be exceptions to this rule, the assumption is that the trapfinder wouldn't step in an area until it has been thoroughly scrutinized. Consider the land mine mentioned earlier: The soldier looking for mines wouldn't do ANYTHING that might trigger one until he exhausted all available means to safely scrutinize the minefield. There's a substantial difference between discovering the trap (Perception: "Yep. There's a minefield there. Can't you see the damaged plants?") and disarming the trap (Disable Device: "You might want to stand back while I mark a safe trail through. I'll need to probe ahead to pinpoint each mine.")

'Looking for traps' does not just use you eyes. You have to search with your hands. Thus, no take 20, because if you roll low, that means you put your hand on the trigger by accident. Boom.

Characters can normally take 20 on such searches, with the assumption that they carefully avoid potential triggers, but since traps take so many forms, it's hard to be dogmatic.

It is possible that a trap's trigger couldn't easily be detected until the searching character enters its area ("Your search finds that the entire floor serves as some sort of pressure plate. You also heard a faint mechanical ticking coming from beneath the flagstones...").

Alternatively, a magical trap could have a time delay, automatically going off several rounds after other events happen. ("The caryatid columns on each end of the hall let go of the stone ceiling above them. With loud pops and cracks, the stone begins to collapse.")

I guess that leads me to having several questions. The first being is there a small chance I could get into a first level game with generics? I'd rather know what my chances happened to be before I tried it.

Your chances to get in are excellent if you can get there a little early and be one of the first "standby" people in line.

If I could get into a game, what is the general feeling on people who don't 100% know the rules?

Nobody's going to have an issue with that. Many players are still making the transition from 3.0/3.5 to Pathfinder, so you won't be alone: Even active players are sometimes caught flatfooted by the changes between the editions.

Also, I recommend highly AGAINST Mage Knight having played with the figures as replacement D&D figures. They just don't fit even remotely well in D&D.

I carefully cut them off of their bases and place them on smaller ones. A couple minutes' work and the problem is solved.

The most interesting romantic elements I've played out in recent games involved frustrated, inconvenient romantic relationships. Because they never went anywhere "physical", there was no awkwardness on-camera. Sexual tension influenced the characters' actions and gave them dimension: This tension could be maintained, as the characters' feelings were never consummated.

I'd have the god reward his faithful (nosy) follower by granting him a new ability: He cannot be magically forced to reveal anything against his interests. When suffering torture or coercive interrogation, the priest also gains a +15 profane bonus to Bluff.

Norgorber would also let the priest know that his blood will spontaneously transform into thousands of fiendish rot grubs if he shares the god's secret in any fashion.

"Silence is golden, my friend..."

If you're willing to make a few modifications to minis, you can get what you want pretty easily.

*A human male Dragon Disciple/Bard, with a shortsword and a whip

Start by grabbing Reaper 500008 (Jack Harrison, Adventurer) for its whip. Attache the whip hand to the body of Reaper 3065 Kellen, Nobleman Adventurer.

*A half-elf male monk (I've already found some potentials for this one)

Reaper 3169 Peruhain

*A half-elf Ulfen based ranger with two swords

Start with Reaper's 2295 King Jurgen Heyerdal (out of general production: order him from Reaper) and switch his hammer for a sword.

Alternatively, use 3362 Kjell Bloodbear.

*A human male rogue, 1 part Chelish nobleman, 1 part archer

14401 Crusader Ivy Crown Archer

*A female gnome (halfling models will work too) from Alkenstar, who uses a giant rifle.

2676 Female Halfling Thief The crossbow is separate: Switch out a gun.

Prepainted WotC minis are also available on Ebay, although true bargains are rarer than they once were. Useful search terms include "D&D minis", "DDM", and "D&D Minis lot".

You seem to have overlooked a few classics...

The original Errol Flynn Robin Hood leaves its imitators in the dust.

Danny Kaye's The Court Jester... "The pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle!"

It may fall into the "so bad, it's good" category, but I'm a big fan of Army of Darkness.

For fans of Chinese film, I'd recommend Iron Monkey over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Chinese Ghost Story is another great Hong Kong flick, filled with hokey low-budget special effects, but still classic. A down-on-his-luck tax collector needs a place to stay, so the townsfolk send him to an ominous temple, infested with seductive ghosts, withered vampiric corpses, and other undead horrors. It features romance, action, horror, and the largest undead tongue ever seen on film...

It's not uncommon for players to dismiss warning signs that an overpowering encounter lies ahead. How many times have we all heard, "No one has ever entered the Cavern of Mortlethe and returned to tell the tale," only to say, "That's why they call us heroes!"

A DM who plans potentially lethal encounters really ought to make his philosophy clear to the players ahead of time. Otherwise, they may try foolish stunts (like a frontal assault on a massive bandit camp)without considering that their foes might annihilate them. After all, if the bandits were 1st level warriors led by a small group of 4th and 5th level leaders, their reputation might still be quite fearsome.

Once upon a time, GMs didn't precisely balance every encounter. The game didn't encourage it (and many GMs weren't very good at it). Overpowering encounters were an occasional hazard of dungeon delving.

The rise of organized play encouraged more careful encounter design, but had the unfortunate effect of convincing many players that their PCs could do almost anything.

Aggravating that tendency, the pernicious idea spread that when the PCs lose, it's the GM's fault for failing to properly balance the encounters. "The game's purpose is to ensure everyone has fun and losing isn't fun." This idea overlooks that role-playing games are a cooperative exercise, one where everyone's input affects the outcome.

I don't think it's fair to blame the GM in this case. The players were complacent and sloppy, failing to use proper reconaissance and apparently relying overmuch on area control spells to guarantee their escape when everything went south on them. They went in fat, dumb and happy, forgetting that people die when they see exactly what they expected to and fail to look for unexpected threats.

[Plus, the GM has already read the scenario, and had time to think about how the NPCs and monsters will behave. The players have not (unless they are dishonorable cretins) so I think it is somewhat unfair to the players to allow the monsters to have such bonuses.

But the players have much greater familiarity with their PCs' abilities and "style" that the GM has for their opponents. In my experience, the PCs tend to benefit most from this style of gamemastery.

Having been shafted by a few cheating gms who 'handwaved' rules in order to win, I prefer to keep as level a field as possible in my games.

I certainly understand where you're coming from, having occasionally met adversarial DMs who treated their players as opponents. It's unwise for a DM to build their ego at players' expense, but it happens.

On the other hand, if the players cooperate at all, their PCs have a massive advantage: They can draw on the imagination and savvy of an entire team, while the GM generally has only himself. Sometimes a GM needs to fudge things a bit to offer a decent challenge.

Build the guy to trip/disarm foes... Things get nauseating quickly.

The Morgaine novels by C.J. Cherryh were mentioned in passing, but they should be emphasized in big, brassy capitals. While justified with a science-fiction backstory, her protagonists wander worlds in which any fantasy hero would feel right at home.

Ms. Cherryh's artfully-phrased prose reflects a comfortable erudition that fills me with envy. Her characters and plots build on, then confound the stereotypes of heroic fantasy.

I cannot recommend her work strongly enough.