On reading the completed AP1 i was wondering if it can really be accomplished by a party of just 4 Hero's. This is what it is set for but in all honesty can it really be done??
Opinions!!
On reading the completed AP1 i was wondering if it can really be accomplished by a party of just 4 Hero's. This is what it is set for but in all honesty can it really be done??
Opinions!!
I'm merely halfway into Life's Bazaar, and allready running into trouble. Of course, I have a party of only 3 players (and no rogue or characters with any social skills to speak of.
But I'm guessing having a larger party is hardly a problem.
There are definately some really tough encounters for parties of four or less in all of the adventures.
My groups experienced PC deaths at the hands of Skaven in Flood Season, the black dragon in Zenith Trajectory, the hill giants and the fire giant (separately) in the Demonskar Legacy, and the morkoth in Foundation of Flame. There were some really, really close calls at every step.
But, yes. I think that a well-rounded group of four players could successfully complete the adventure path. They may lose a PC here and there, and they may have to narrowly avoid a TPK here and there, but it could be done.
When my group was going to storm the Cathedral of Wee Jas, there were only three players that showed up. The PCs were a rogue, a druid, and a warmage. They had to change their normal group tactics, and make a couple of life-or-death saving throws, but they survived and captured Ike Iverson without killing him.
In a campaign where the PCs can purchase as many wands of cure light/moderate wounds, I think the optimum group of four would be:
Paladin, Rogue, Ranger, Wizard
Potentially, the paladin, rogue and ranger could all use the wands to cure. The paladin makes a big difference aginst the demons, using spells to overcome damage reduction. The ranger could take favored enemy evil outsider, which gives a big boon in many encounters. And the benifits of the rogue and wizard are obvious.
Well, if the PCs can't do it, then the Stormblades will have to. :-) The Stormblades are already trying to steal my PCs glory.
I have a nicely rounded group of four characters generated using the point-buy method and 36 points.
We've just finished Zenith Trajectory. Two character deaths so far. Plenty of challenge.
Sorry, this has nothing to do with the post, it's just the first time I saw Boredflak's name on the boards. That's awesome! I had forgotten all about Finneus Fingers and Boredflak the Boltlobber. You have really brought back the memories, man.
Heh. Too bad I couldn't find an avatar wearing a pair of Foster Grants!
Email me at Jans(at)d20srd.org and I'll send you a special Finieous treat :)
Remember PC death is another part of the game. If you mean can four PCs make it all the way through no problems the answer is no. Can four PCs at a time complete the seperate parts, sure. My group unfortunatly differs from 3-6 players so some weeks are a lot harder than others. The balance is a lot harder to maintain. The most difficult part thus far thoough for my group (other than dice rolls-see the missed by one thread) is magic items. Most the players already have in mind exactly what items they want their PC to have so they sell almost everything, posibly usefull or not. Then complain about not being able to buy what they want (I'm actually generating Skie's Treasury so no 'any item' availability) and fear going to the big city will make them miss out on something in the timeline. We know it won't but if the PCs are too concerned w/ the city's welfare than I'm not going to impart that info on them. I did suggest commisioning items they want and have them made but they have completely refused stateing it takes too long to get the item. They are now about to pay a spellcaster to teleport them to the city and back.
As always the character races, classes, personalities, type of adventure and the players at your table alter how 'beatable' an adventure is as well as unpredictable varieable (ie dice rolls). The AP fits the guidelines for EL so it is as close as any other adventure can be to it ability to be conqured.
As a final note I tried to run one of Dungeon's adventured a while back, the one for 20th level with the awakened whale and a storyline of turning PCs epic. Anyways I had a really hard time starting that adventure because no casters could cast divinations to find out about the dreams and the ,yeas very rich 20th level characters, refused to pay the money to have the spells cast. After an hour and one finally paying the money they tried getting out of paying a few gold to take a boat the someodd hundred miles to the location needed. Just goes to show adventures can differ based just on the players perspectives ans personality.
I am running it with a party of five very wacky characters, and they have no arcane spellcaster, no rogue, and only a paladin for divine magic. The party is a noble, a paladin, a barbarian, a weretiger (using the monster class from Dragon) and a gold dragon (ditto). It's tough, but one of the nice things is that the party has spent a lot of money on potions, meaning that I'm not having to deal with PCs that can buy and sell the city on a whim.
It can be done with the "core" party or wizard, fighter, cleric, rogue, but any variants definitely throw a monkey wrench into things.
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I seem have the TOO-TOUGH-PROBLEM since 3E came out.
I play D&D for 18 years now and I never got this feeling before.
I never had so much character deaths before 3E.
Don't get me wrong - I love D&D3E but thats what I observed and what I am constantly fighting against.
AP1 is VERY hard in some places (especially, when you be honest to the adventure. I only remeber VAPRAK'S VOICE where the moment came when my players had to fight almost all of the giants and ettins at once, and they were already hurt before they entered the spell weavers city ruins.)
That's it from me...