joshua johnson's page

Continuing the thread of running large groups (6 - 8) players into "The Trial" here.

As with the same thread for HoH - we are looking for experiences and ideas helpful to other DM's running parties that run over the Adv. as written like a SWAT team. ;-)

Bear in mind bumping CR's dramatically increases the odds of individual PC death as discussed in the HoH thread and various DMing advice publications.

As always more monsters of a given type help to keep the party busy, but in addition to areas where adding more mooks works we are specifically looking for creative rules tweaks, appropriate min/maxing of baddies, and any other off the cuff bits of DM'ing genius from the community.

I'm currently bereft of ideas, but will be sure to add to this thread as I get my head into this adv.

Looking forward to seeing your brilliant/deviant/nefarious and ultimately FUN ideas here!

Discuss..... :-)

Hi. I'm running a 6 player game, so the module needs beefing up. Besides "more" creatures in each encounter I've had a few ideas to increase the threat for a big party. I'm interested to hear any other ideas too.

Idea #1 ****DIABLO video game like re-gen lake****
I have the lake spawn skeletons and zombies at will. This works great - as every time the players enter or leave Harrowstone they either have to deal with a minor threat.

Idea #2 ****Entry Gate****
The initial entry has a full blown fear effect instead of shaken. Also the gates slam shut and lock. (no haunt, just slam and lock) I set the DC to open the lock at 22.

Idea #3 - **** INFARAMRY POLTERGEIST ****
Give him full telekinesis as opposed to just the 1d4 surgical implement attack. I had the poltergeist push a PC into the pit into the lower dungeon, wrestle the war hammer from the cowardly priest. Player really didn't like getting beat down with his own hammer! HA HA!

Hello all. Im in the process of setting up this:

http://www.d20srd.org/extras/tabletop_projection/

Not being a graphic designer - I have questions. Any help would be SUPER! Thanks in advance!

Questions:
1) DM only info projected onto tabletop. How to deal with this? I understand that PDF's can have "layers" Does anyone know if the PDF's purchased from this site are layered in such as way as to allow removal of text / DM info?

2) If answer to #1 = no. What is the best way to deal with this? I have access to photoshop and one of the new players I have recently met is a student of Graphic Design, so we can probably get kinda sorta technical here.

3) Best way to create a mask layer for the fog of war effect?

Hi - My group is switching over tp PFRPG. I want to make a "Voodoo Priestess" build for the upcoming campagin.

I'm looking for any suggestions as to background / build that would be along the lines of this type of PC. I had a chance to skim the campagin setting and thought the "sodden lands" may be the best point of orgin for a PC of this type. Probably human (for an extra feat to help bolster energy channeling) or maybe 1/2 elf.....

I want to try the new "command undead" feat mechanics - so I'm pretty sure playing a cleric is the only way to go. Perhaps a diety with a nature / divination / curse / necromancy flavor? I dont know the PFRPG panthenon very well yet......

Also want to incorporate poision use somehow (profession or craft skills?)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Question:
What effect, if any, does magical enhancement of weapons have on CMB and CMD?

Does my +2 whip have a +2 to make trip attacks?

Does my +3 sword resist bieng pried from my hands by someone using the disarm special manuver?

Does an item's bonus roll into CMB / CMD? It appears that it dosent but....
Looking at the RAW it seems unlikely that my cleric (whos diety's favored wpn is a whip) will ever be able to trip or disarm anything other than a drunk gnome commoner!

OK - So we have some teleporting monkey demons here. I <3 them. I have been thinking about how they might better use their abduction abilities. Help me Rhonda.

The adventure as written suggests the demons will abduct PC's to the top level of the blood pool room ( to fight 2 on 1 )and into the shaft below the throne room. No problem.
But the abduction ability can do so much more......
Why not abduct the a PC into the room with the big O?
Why not teleport into the room with big O and alert him to the threat, Bringing O into the fight earlier?
Why not abduct a PC into the surrounding forest? The range on this ability is pretty darn huge.
Why not put a PC into the shaft - then teleport up to the throne room and pull off the grate to allow the MOB into the shaft.

Now my concern here is twofold -
1) I don’t want to make things not fun for players ( I see players being very disgruntled with being teleported 4 miles into the forest alone, even though it's a sound strategy on the demons part )
2) Making the encounters too deadly. (having the MOB funnel down onto a lone PC while the rest of the party is otherwise occupied)
Who has run this and how much trouble did your PC's have with the challenges as written?
Any other ideas?

http://www.coolminiornot.com/store/product.php?xProd=2497&xSec=23

Well - she's bald.

Anyone happen to have a e-mailable version or a link to the picture of the grell in the OG Fiend Folio - the full page one with it swooping down on the party?

any help would be great

Question on Olangru and his mates:

when the big O teleports from point to point on a battle map, how are you guys running the time of re-appearance?

is it:
a) standard action -- teleport then immediately place mini on battle map and resolve the move action? what if the move action comes first?

or

b) round one - teleport then on the next round place mini on map and allow the O a full action?

I guess its this: does the mini re-appear on the map the same round as the standard action or on the next round?

I've been playing the "creature appears next round" (option b) and that O gets his full action after re-appearing.

hey all - just read JJ's article on stat blocks, and got to wondering: how do you all make up your stat blocks? I know there are programs to help with this stuff, but I've always found that pulling out a character sheet and scratch paper is the best way for me.

Getting ready to run the Mob of monkeys in Olrangru's crib and a question popped up.

Part of the description says "expert grappler" and the tactics block incorporates grappling as well.

OK so far......

But then it says Mobs cannot be grappled, under the mob anatomy.

So a grappled PC can escape the grapple -(yea right with its + 36 grapple)
but not pin, ect. I think it would be reasonable to say a PC could grapple an individual, dealing damage and killing it to reduce hitdice.

Any input?

Hello!

I ended last session with the T-Rex encounter - ( gotta love swallow whole... see the obits thread)

Anyway.. any advice for running this adventure? things you did you wish you hadnt? vice versa?

I found a thread with some great advice on upping Olangrau's creepout factor, I'll be usting some if that. Also I may have creepy things start happening in the Terror Bird forest.

I plan on simplifying the door trap in Dark Mtn. pass, to speed things along a bit.

Ameila got munched, Conrad too. ( i skipped some of SWW and homebrewed the sea journey) Avner, lirith, tavey, Dirt gnome and some other NPC's survived the wreck.

Thanks in advance!!

OK - so I'm just about to start running HTBM, and I've realized that running this AP has been a huge mistake.

In another thread, some people were mentioning the overhead projector as a great game aid. I love the idea.

Follow this link of you dont know what I'm talking about:

http://www.d20srd.org/extras/mapProjection.htm

I would like some input from anyone who has actually done this and/or anyone familiar with photoshop (or similar recommended app) Specifically, I'm wondering:

A) how complicated is the process of layering, scaling and masking?

b) How would you get your maps to comply with the layering and such? Can you just DL the PDF maps from this site?

I'm handy and computer literate, but i'm not a tekkie/graphics
guy-- realistically how long would it take to prepare maps for projection? (I know the first few would be slower, learning curve and all that)

Thanks in advance for any pointers!

I'm DMing the STAP, but I ran WC a while back. I had a PC do a funny thing when the swarm came up into the false tomb area......

The party saw the swarm and the slasher coming, and most just ran, but the FTR got caught and was covered by critters. Having discovered the fire trap in the sarcophagus (the hard way) earlier, he ran over to it, covered in swarm, and opened it, again, and again, and again, each time taking burning hands damage, until the swarm died. He nearly bought it as well, but I rolled his damage and the swarms damage separately for each opening, and the swarm got the worst of it..

The whole table was cracking up. It was fun.

Anyone else have PC's do this?

HI! I'm running the grimlock U cavern as part of an underdark side quest in the STAP. Ever since I first read 3Foe i thought it was pretty darn cool, Mearls and all.... so anyway....

My question-- the tactics column states the grimlocks attack light sources. Umm..... being blind just exactly how do they do that?
Maybe a torch or lantern could be smellable and thus attackable but my party is relying on sunrods. So really, I dont see how the locks will even know there is light. Am I missing something?

I really would like the grimlocks to snuff out the lights, but HOW??

Hello again! I am adding the Sable drake to the list of baddies for my PC's to deal with.
They have been hearing rumors about it for a while, and guess who is going to be at the Sea Wyvern when the PC's get back to Kracken’s Cove to claim it? The SABLE DRAKE!! YAY!
I plan on making this encounter so that the PC's can fight off the gobs, but are unlikely to be ablr to claim the Sable Drake for themselves.
To this end I will say that the Captain has in depth knowledge of the reefs protecting Krackens Cove, and perhaps the captain will also have a gasp--rope golem--(from some old dragon mag i dug up) Maybe the rope golem cannot leave the sable drake just yet due to some unexplained magical effect....humm.. This would make it so the PC's (all 4th level) are very unlikely to defeat the drake on the 1st encounter.
I plan on having the drake replace the blockade in SWW and then who knows.....

So has anyone run the Sable drake in any campaign? Pointers?
Looking for ideas here!

OK--so I'm suggesting to my players that they construct backup PC's prior to departure from Sasserine. These backup PC's will be crew on the Blue Nixie, and if needed will transfer over to the SW.
My question: How will this affect things further down the path? I do not want to open the door to a combat in which I'm separately running all the backups and the regular PC's. I know I can just surmise the results of any battle (between the Nixie and whomever)
I'm just loooking to avoid any pitfalls having PC level characters onboard the Nixie may create. Anyone further down the path have any reason to pooh-pooh the backup PC idea?

I have a group of five 4th level PC's about to storm the Vanderboren Manor. I feel like they are likely to be cut up and eaten!
It seems my group is a bit behind in levels. What levels were your PC's at this point in the BWG, and to what end?

Ok the I have a PC swashbuckler from the noble district fully trying to er.. romance.. Lavinia.
He's roleplaying it very well-- while the rest of the party is down at the arena betting 1000's of coppers on the bugbear vs. 4 wolves, he's at the Vanderboren manor, being supportive. He recommended his sword master to her, who she has now hired. (I saw she takes a level of SB in the Bullywug Gambit) The PC and her have spent days training together. His diplomacy checks are going well.
So at what point do you all think a DM should say "ok- she falls for you" It has been pointed out that she is in a vulnerable state...

BTW there is no LARPing allowed at my table, so no jokes! ;)

OK--My party kicked in the Taxidermests door during pre dawn twilight and came in axes a swingin. Nemien had little time to respond-and rather than face down the 6 assailants in the room, fled behind the secret door. When they discovered the door, he jumped down, hoping to save his skim by warning the Lotus Dragons.
We ended the sesh mid crawl with the PC's kicking butt and taking names (well.. no names were actually taken..)
My question is this--what would you have him do? I think he will lend aid to the Dragons in an attempt to prove his worth and save his skin.
Where would you place him in the guild hall? D11? They (PC's) trashed the training hall so thats out. He dosent seem the type to team up with creatures--(worg, ixixes or otherwise)
Would adding him to Rowans room be to heavy? He has burned hypnotic pattern already.
Ideas Welcome.
Thanks!

I'm in the first issue of the STAP and I had 3 PC's in negs on the Blue Nixie, and 2 PC deaths under Parrot Isle. I've read that this AP is a meatgrinder, so I'm thinking of upping the PC levels (with side treks) by one or maybe 2-- Has anyone else done this? Results?

I think it would be VERY groovy if there were STAP minis. They could be compatoble with the minis game. Maybe a booster pak for eash issue--so you would get lavina, some ravenous zombies, maybe a worg or a croc, maybe an ixititiaiaita (ray thingie) for the first issue, a bunch of bulllywugs and a stiltwalker or two for the second pack. I know it's late for this now, just saying how pleased I would be if there was a product like this. Anyone else think so?