Ratfolk

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11 posts. Alias of Dreaming Psion.


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If the module is fairly free flowing in how the enemies can be encountered, perhaps then its time to go a step beyond merely mechanically wearing them down. It may be time to wear them down psychologically with mind games, oh delicious mind games. You're already using disguise self quite a bit; use that to your full advantage to divide and conquer. Have a mook disguised as the cleric show up a couple of/a few encounters in to make them pull out their best resources prematurely and then become thwarted as they find out it was a ruse. Have disguised mooks run in opposite directions around corners and lure them into ambushes. Have them yell false instructions to each other to throw the party off to their tactics. Anything to make them harried; if they get flustered enough they might be thinking in top form.

Since your cleric's been scrying, she should have gotten a few glimpses of some all those minions they have. If you have enough lead-in time, have them abduct a less often seen NPC (perhaps one of their scouts in the field?) and then place the poor fool in an overly elaborate yet not-so-easily-escapable deathtrap (if the area has one) to split up the party and/or take up actions. Or barring that, there's nothing saying you can't disguise your own mooks as their own mooks to lure the PCs into disadvantageous situations. Mix up illusions with the real McCoy for best results.

Above all, you need some incentive to keep them inside the base. If your party has some timed objective (or at least, seems like there is some timed objective), then that might make them less likely to teleport if things go sour. Your cleric has sending, for example. You could just play with that without actually having to use it by leaving some papers (letters, etc.) lying around indicating a greater force is arriving shortly, or some horrid ritual is about to be enacted.


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Wei Ji the Learner wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
...putting the toilet paper on the roll so it comes from the bottom instead of the top?
Isn't that the way it's *supposed* to go? Just sayin'.

Come on, man. Some things are just too VILE, even for me!


Oh, pardon me! I thought this was the "What is the TOUGHEST* Adventure Path thus far? Vote Now!"

*Also Hoping for Most Sadistic


furtively scribbles extensive notes on thread.


I once threw a group of cairn wight zen archers (negative levels delivered via long range can be pretty nasty for them- but ooh so joyous for me!).

Or, even worse, CHOICES! I've never seen the players get so torn apart as they did arguing whether to get through a security check point using the legit but long way or using the illegal but quick way.


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In MY experience, it doesn't take much to get players to hate NPCs. Two of the easiest ways:

1) Bad guys who run away and generally show a will to preserve their own lives.
"Hey, that jerk is making it harder for us to kill him and take his stuff!"

2) Bad guys who drink healing or buff potions when in sight by the player characters.
"Hey, that jerk is drinking OUR TREASURE!"


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The black raven wrote:

209) Sell them to GMs wanting to set up "stupid moral dilemmas".

210) Actually, rent them for the RP scene, with a steep reimbursement in case things go bad (aka Genocidal Paladin on the prowl).

TAKE MY MONEY! Gimme every one you have!


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Demiplane of Kender


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A swamp! (shambling mounds + will'o'wisps)


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I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, players can't punch me over the internet. On the other, I can't nibble on the sheets of dead player characters.


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*Nibble Nibble Nibble* Ah, I've heard old battlefields filled with cairn wights with zen monk levels is just WONDERFUL for catching adventurers! Negative level laden arrows make them just WON-DER-FUL shishkabobs! And drinking it down with a glass of player tears rounds out the meal perfectly!
*goes back to nibbling on the remains of dead player characters*