RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Unless you have a ridiculously fat head, then falling unconscious in a foot of sludge does mean you're at risk of drowning.
Just make sure you know the drowning rules: they don't die the next round, they have to start making CON checks, starting at DC 10 and going up by 1 each round until a check is failed. Once that happens, they go to -1 HP (or lose 1 HP if they're already in negatives), and then drown the following round.
There will always be at least one round for someone to grab them and pull them up.
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I would certainly not have them die the round immediately after, it really would be a case of drowning rules needing to be used which was said above.
I also wanted to mention that this scenario can run rather long depending on how you do it.
I ran this one and could tell we were going to be running way to short on time and ended up skipping that encounter. It's the least interesting I think and you can just go straight to the next couple of encounters which are pretty good.
The whole thing still ended up running over 4 hours.
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Thanks Jiggy, I know the drowning rules. "It is possible to drown in substances other than water, such as sand, quicksand, fine dust, and silos full of grain." I am pretty sure sludge is in that category and 2 feet of it will suffice. Technically it is water.
Here is what I envision could happen...
If the character falls in the trap door then they will be fighting this thing 1v1. When they fall they land prone, and an Otyugh will run up and start munching on the character. The monster will probably eat their face then drop them, upon dropping them, the character begins to make con checks, most people have a con of 14. Thus a +2 on the roll, is pretty scary, a 1/3 chance. They fail it. Nobody is able to get to them in time because they are screwing around with the kobolds up top and the character dies.
A horrible situation. But one that could happen. I just want to make sure I am running the situation correctly.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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An easy way to avoid drowning is in the Otyugh's tactics (which don't appear under the low tier critters but can easily apply).
If they feel they have a clear advantage in combat, Gurva and Grlak prefer to toy with their food, using nonlethal damage to subdue a potential snack for later fun. This game quickly ends if either of them is reduced below half their normal hit points.
If a character is solo under there, the two can play catch, dangle the unconscious character, lick them, bury them, argue over how to divide them, play tug-O-war...
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I just ran this one, and the players had some real trouble with Trapmaster Tok.
His description notes that his Stink Bomb and Smoke Bomb deal no damage, but this is incorrect. Source. The combination of nauseate and that much damage is pretty devastating for a low level party.
Assuming the PCs dick around with the torch for a few rounds he also ends up with an AC of 27 at tier 3-4, which means most players miss on an 18. Grapple eventually took him out.
He's also capable of some nasty hit and run tactics since he is small, in a cluttered room, has spider climb, expeditious retreat and a +18 Stealth.