| robotnel |
This will be along post, I need to just write out what I have in my head. If you would please read through it and then give me some feedback or constructive criticism on how to better manage my campaign and players, I would be most grateful.
My table has just completed book 1. They have reached 6th level and mythic tier 1. When I first started this campaign back in September I had 6 players at the table. Due to this I generally increased the number of enemies by 1.5 to offset the increase in players. Over time attrition has affected my group and right now I have a solid table of 4 players. My most pressing issue with the table is that I am playing with three players who are masterful powergamers.
The 'effectiveness' to which these guys slaughter encounters would be admirable if it weren't so damn frustrating for me. This is my first AP and originally I had wanted to run the books as closely to as written as possible. I just wanted to focus on gaining experience as a GM and not have to worry about how to build encounters. However I have learned that I simply cannot do that.
My table is very combat-heavy. The designated healer of the group is actually the hardest hitter because he somehow devised a way to hit with a lucerne for 1d12+12 vs demons. He was doing this at level 4!! This guy easily does more damage than the paladin does when he is smitting! Another concern of mine is how often the players metagame. I very frequently hear 'i bet these clerics don't have combat reflexes, so I'm going to move in this manner to provoke all their AOO's for my teammates." I hate metagaming at the table. It kills all the fun I have from trying to tell an engaging and interesting story.
For most of the first book, I started by giving all the enemies max HP, then I started to apply advanced simple templates, then I started to just make up abilities for the enemies because the party was quite literally slaughtering everything I put them against. I mean, these guys are 'almost' breezing through CR +3 or +4 encounters! I can barely keep enemies alive for two rounds! You are probably interested in hearing this, but I beefed up the evil clerics encountered throughout the first book. In one fight with the base clerics, I gave the clerics a 2d6 channel burst with a will save of 16. I did this on the cuff without planning it because I was so frustrated with the party. This ended up being on of the more memorable encounters as it really scared some of the party members because they can't block or negate the damage.
As a GM, I am more interested in the story, the feel, and the atmosphere of a campaign. I want to have the players go through a challenging moment before I give them something good, but the way in which they slaughter everything awesome (like mythic tier 1).
I have realized that I need to deviate from the books. Instead of thinking vertically and simply increasing the number of enemies and their stats, I need to think creatively to challenge this party. In this endeavor, I am looking for advice and suggestions on what I could do.
The party is very martially heavy. I haven't audited the characters in a few levels so I am a bit fuzzy on the specific build my players are using. Here is the list of characters being played:
1) Aasimaar Cleric (Party healer, uses a lucerne and hits demons for 1d12+12, other enemies for 1d12+6, this guy is a f+!+ing beast and I hate his damn reach and AOO)
2) Aasimar Paladin (standard paladin, I expect him to hit hard however his ridiculously high AC is a tough barrier to get past)
3) Half-elf Drow Swordlord (I can't believe that just by switching some racial traits this guy gets access to darkness and fairy fire as spell-like abilities. He cheeses his Crane wing all the time which is fine but he complains if he doesn't get to deflect anything or everything)
4) Elf Sorcerer (This is actually my favorite PC because the player plays the character and not the game. Unfortunately she is electricity based and most demons are immune to electricity. I want to give her something so that she can still do her damage and feel cool.)
5) Human Figher/Inquisitor (This guy is fun to play because he focuses on the bull rush feat line but he doesn't often make it to the games)
They have fought nearly all the encounters by charging the enemies and then hitting them all until they stop moving. I want to scare these guys, make them think and act differently. I want to evoke emotions and suspense at the table, not just run perfunctory campaign.
Ideas of Mine:
- Hit the party in their weaknesses: RP encounters (difficult because of paladin's high Diplomacy), No ranged support for the party, more environmental/terrain difficulties.
-Make an 'anti-party' of three NPC's that have access to everything the players do. I'm thinking a tiefling synthesist summoner who has bound a good angel, an evil cleric, and perhaps an evil gunslinger mercenary. I would like this group to become recurring villains.
-Infuse more 'chaos' into the campaign. I want to build a crystal or portable shrine that each round emits a different effect depending on what I role. Like a -2 to all good people within 60 ft, slow-spell effect, tremors, negative burst, rifts in material plane to abyss, etc. My idea is to augment the battlefield.
- I don't want to kill the PC's, just make it more difficult for them.
Thank you for reading!