Memorable Encounters


GM Discussion

Liberty's Edge 2/5

I'm sorry I hijacked things earlier on another thread, so here's a brand-new one.

I've had some players comment that they would like more encounters that provided a tactical challenge, whether it be terrain, placement, etc.

In most of the scenarios I've run (all low-level so far) there is either a wimpy boss with a handful of mooks, or a single BBEG who can nova and kill a PC with a single crit.

Are there any scenarios you can recommend with truly interesting combats that take some creativity to get through?

If they're only higher-level ones, that's OK.

Thanks!

Sovereign Court 4/5 5/5 ** Venture-Lieutenant, West Virginia—Charleston

Severing Ties has two combats which I consider to be tactical masterpieces. They are really challenging for the party and provide interesting strategic decisions due to the map layout.

Sewer Dragons of Absalom is a great romp with some interesting fights and great RP. I don't really think there's a throwaway encounter in any of it.

As far as higher level stuff goes, I'd recommend The Ghennet Manor Gauntlet, The Golden Serpent, The Hellknight's Feast, The Elven Entanglement and the entirety of the Season 4 Lissalan Arc.

Silver Crusade 3/5

The final fight of Storming the Diamond Gate is interesting.

Spoiler:
The map took long to draw and is unique. It's tier 5-9 and if none od the PC's can fly, it will make it much more difficult for them, even if the boss isn't flying.

The final fight of Decline of Glory is interesting, or at least would be if the bad guys got anything done. It sometimes happens, sometimes not. It's a rare case of the party being in more of a defending position for once.

3/5 RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

I second the boss fight of Storming the Diamond Gate. It made effective use of terrain, and really rewarded mobility and ranged attacks over "Power Attack with a greatsword." Of course, I might be biased because my monk was able to jump across the gap and land next to the BBEG on the first turn.

I was also a fan of the trap encounter in Halls of Dwarven Lore. The combinations were very cinematic, and added a sense of urgency when they went off.

My personal favorite would have to be the sled chase in To Scale the Dragon. The fact that you're hurtling down the mountain while you fight really changes the tactics (Create pit right in front of the bad guys' sled! Murderous command on your sled dogs!)

4/5 5/5 Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Tampere

Hm. For some reason, the first memorable encounters that came to mind came to mind because they're so bad. (Tier 4-5 of Murder on the Silken Caravan and Fingerprints of the Fiend, I'm giving you the stinkeye right now.)

Mostly, I seem to recall final encounters with fondness, but there are a few exceptions.

Scenarios with encounters I found memorable: Below the Silver Tarn, The Devil We Know III: Crypt of Fools, Delirium's Tangle, Hall of Drunken Heroes, Way of the Kirin, Before the Dawn II: Rescue at Azlant Ridge.

Modules with encounters I found memorable: Murder's Mark, From Shore to Sea, Masks of the Living God.

Scarab Sages 5/5

Derek Weil wrote:

I'm sorry I hijacked things earlier on another thread, so here's a brand-new one.

I've had some players comment that they would like more encounters that provided a tactical challenge, whether it be terrain, placement, etc.

In most of the scenarios I've run (all low-level so far) there is either a wimpy boss with a handful of mooks, or a single BBEG who can nova and kill a PC with a single crit.

Are there any scenarios you can recommend with truly interesting combats that take some creativity to get through?

If they're only higher-level ones, that's OK.

Thanks!

I ran Hydra's Fang and Cybermage Dilemma back to back - but I think it was Hydra's Fang that had a half dozen paralyzing critters in their midst with little warning. It was a scary time for all (luckily no elves).

Silver Crusade 2/5

Cyphermage dilemma was an excellent final fight. Also fond of Waking Rune (I was a GM for it). Mostly, though, I prefer a villain who makes you excited to fight em.

Grand Lodge 4/5

I would say there are some memorable encounters in You Only Die Twice, especially since the PCs' disguise for the scenario makes some of the normal tactics any party uses a bad idea, rather than beneficial.

Spoiler:
The PCs are masquerading, through a special magical effect, as undead, and some things work on them as though they were undead, so Channel Positive is a bad thing, as is any iteration of a Cure spell...

Then you have an encounter where the normal "PCs kill everyone." tactics is a bad thing, since the enemy is not evil, just misguided, and they have some information that can be useful for the party to gather...

And the final BBEG is nasty.

Also, if you do get to run it, in the upper tier (it is a 7-11), be careful with the haunt, as the effect is as if it were a heal spell, so it can't kill anyone, just leave them with 1 hit point at worst.

5/5

You Only Die Twice is actually a 5-9, but definitely worth running with some very memorable encounters.

4/5

Rise of the Goblin Guild has interesting mook fights that take advantage of terrain and tactics. The BBEG is mostly "Hulk Smash" though.

Seconded Storming the Diamond Gate for a great tactical battle, and Before the Dawn II: Rescue at Azlant Ridge is unique and a buunch of fun.

I'm running The Sewer Dragons of Absalom Sunday and am giddy over some of the stuff I might get to do in that one. =D

3/5 RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

Fury of the Fiend:

We're taking a lift down into the ruins of an ancient underground city. The walls around us are swarming with morlocks, who start jumping onto the carriage and attacking through the bars. Unfortunately, the extra weight causes the carriage to start falling uncontrollably, and makes it near-impossible for us to apply the brakes and slow down.

The Barbarian, who chose to ride on top of the carriage rather than inside, revealed that he was wearing a Ring of Feather Falling. Whoosh! We leave him behind as we plummet. One by one, the other party members reveal that they also have Rings of Feather Falling, open the hatch in the top, and let the carriage fall out beneath them. My cleric didn't have one, but I cast Fly, and let the carriage fall out beneath me as well. Then only the Wizard was left.

He cast Vanish, so the morlocks would leave him alone. Then he produced his scroll of Fly and tried to cast it.

GM: You're invisible, right?
Wizard: Yeah.
GM: So your scroll is invisible too. How are you going to read it?
Wizard: @#$&*!

Luckily he had a bonded item, and just used that to cast Fly from his spell book. So the carriage crashed at the bottom of the shaft, and splattered all the morlocks hanging on into a pink mist.


So enjoyed reading your Fury of the Fiend story!!
Larry!

Liberty's Edge 2/5

RainyDayNinja wrote:
** spoiler omitted **

[Nearly spitting my drink onto my keyboard] Great story!

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts! It will definitely help out as my groups move into the mid levels.

Sovereign Court 4/5 5/5 ***

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
RainyDayNinja wrote:
** spoiler omitted **

As funny as that is, I'm also pretty sure it's not correct, per this FAQ. While the FAQ doesn't explicitly mention your gear, the same logic can be applied to show that you can still see your own gear when you become invisible (especially since the example they provide is a task that is almost always accomplished using tools.)

Shadow Lodge 4/5 5/5 RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8

Just a few off the top of my head.

Spoilered for ease.

King of the Storval Stairs:

You get to play king of the hill by taking over the top of some ancient stone steps and then defend it against a bunch of giants with class levels. Lots of fun (and difficult) mechanics make this a memorable encounter.

Rats of Round Mountain, pt. 1:
Rats 1 has probably the hardest BBEG in a 7-11 aside from hardmode Krune. Played right, the dragon at the end of this excellent scenario is legendary status. The big open terrain works to her advantage, and you get to enjoy dropping powerful control spells as well as just ripping people to shreds with her attacks. Definitely one to challenge players with

Delirium's Tangle:
A lower level game, but one that has a super unique boss fight. The guy is part man, part machine, and uses props around the room to his advantage during the fight. He's like a living obstacle course with spells. Worth checking out.

Below the Silver Tarn:
Ever wanted to challenge your players with a half-fiend elder water elemental? This is the game for you! I one shot a level 11 cleric with a pair of smite good / power attacking slams. That was after the blasphemy and horrid wilting by the way. Nasty, nasty fight. But it also has a very cool mechanic players can use to overcome it. A good game if your players want something epic and challenging.

Sarkorian Prophecy:
I've already gone into length on the deadliness of this scenario before. Enough said.

Silver Crusade 3/5

Oh yeah, Below the Silvern Tarn was cool. My paladin got to shine. Also, deadly. But high level (7-11).

Other great moment for her was in Hall of Drunken Heroes, but that fight can also be frustrating for various reasons. Memorable, for sure. But frustrating.

Sovereign Court 5/5 RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

Cyphermage dilemna

Spoiler:
The fight in the warehouse was memorable for me as a GM, because the bad guys have alchemical items and use them. Plus who doesn't like making pirate voices.

5/5

Echoes of the Everwar part 2 "BBEG" - I use a silver mixing bowl and some painted and broken tooth picks to set the scene.

Rebel's Ransom - Oh the betrayal...

Fortune's Blight - All of these encounters can be made cinematic, tactically challenging, and memorable.

The Confirmation - [redacted]

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