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3 in Life's Bazaar.
1 to a Tilt-a-Pit Trap
1 in the theater, just bad luck on the player's part
1 to a gear door trap, the player couldn't take a hint
2 in Flood Season.
1 to Tongue-Eater
1 to the Morkoth, wild shaped druid decided to go exploring
1 in Zenith Trajectory.
1 to the Erinyes, the devil hit with 4 attacks from the flaming bow
None so far in The Demonskar Legacy, about to enter the Starry Mirror.
3 in Life's Bazaar.
1 to a Tilt-a-Pit Trap
1 in the theater, just bad luck on the player's part
1 to a gear door trap, the player couldn't take a hint
2 in Flood Season.
1 to Tongue-Eater
1 to the Morkoth, wild shaped druid decided to go exploring
1 in Zenith Trajectory.
1 to the Erinyes, the devil hit with 4 attacks from the flaming bow
None so far in The Demonskar Legacy, about to enter the Starry Mirror.
that's funny that about the wild shaped druid... i love it...
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3 in Life's Bazaar.
1 to a Tilt-a-Pit Trap
1 in the theater, just bad luck on the player's part
1 to a gear door trap, the player couldn't take a hint
2 in Flood Season.
1 to Tongue-Eater
1 to the Morkoth, wild shaped druid decided to go exploring
1 in Zenith Trajectory.
1 to the Erinyes, the devil hit with 4 attacks from the flaming bow
None in The Demonskar Legacy.
TPK last night in Zenith. All to the devil, however the party had narrowly escaped several times before. Room 5 unhallow spell hurt them when two party members (the big bad fighter for one) failed the will save to enter. It took the remainder of the party 20 rounds to defeat the 8 kua-toa, then the devil arrived.
A few notes of interest - my party does not have a true spell caster. A whole lot of multi-class casters. That is a big limitation. Note 2 - the party spellcasters didnt conserve their spells at the entrance, thus they were limited upon arrival at area 5. Note 3 - the party rogue was successful in getting a sneak peak into the room, however the party fail to use this recon to its advantage and prep for entry. They did however succeed in opening the portcullis loudly, and setting off the first door trap (the fighter just walked up to the entrence and opened the door).
TPK due to party stupidity more than anything else.
Near-TPK in a side adventure (Mad God's Key)
The new party has already suffered two fatalities in Flood Season:
Markis Steelshield, Aasimar Paladin, survived the attack of an ogre zombie (who, along with Veltargo from Mad God's Key, replaced Skaven) only to fall to a coup-de-grace from a thug. To add insult to injury, it was the player's birthday.
Delmar, Pixie Rogue, was eaten in a single bite by a Zombie Megaraptor (which replaced the Tyrannosaurus Skeleton). Shortly after being raised he was critically hit by a zombie spider and nearly wormed by the Spawn of Kyuss (rough night).
Had my first Character Deaths last night, just as the players were entering the Kopru Ruins.
They all decided to pile into the cage, so of course, it fell. Killed the cleric immediatly, and the Barbarian and Wizard barely made it (The wizard made the check to hit the water gracefully, so he didn't take falling Damage).
Then after they got out of that incident, They decided to take the most direct path they could to Tarkilar. After a fight that only Tarkilar down 20hp, He managed to kill the Paladin, and give the Barbarian Huecuva Blight!
I just ran Zenith trajectory with another group, and I have already had the following deaths -
1 Hobgoblin fighter - died to Gottrod, Attempted to lasso him and ride him.
1 Hobgoblin Fighter/Rogue - Died to Aushanna/Whips
1 Hobgoblin Rogue - Died to His pary member, when they were running away
1 Hobgoblin Fighter and Cleric - Died to a behir on the way back to the cauldron, rolled it on the random encounters table.
This is one mean adventure! You may also notice all the creativity on their parts, as everyone was a hobgoblin, And when they cam back, they were hobgoblins again!
On an interesting side note, they killed the cryohydra in one round.
Well, in a few short weeks when one of my players returns from his National Guard duty, I will bring my players back to life from there TPK. All except one who has transfered away for 6+ months. I will be giving them the "Kind DM" rescue. You gain no xp from the previous battles, but you dont lose any either. They will be rescued by one of the parties original members who moved away at the conclusion of Flood Season. An elven cleric he forshadowed the parties ultimate destruction and gave them a coin with which they could "dial 911". Only one PC remembered, and although he called to late to save the day, the cleric along with the striders will arrive to prevent the corpses from becoming a feast.
Oh it will be good to sink my talons into the party once again. Dming is so much fun.
Life's Bazzaar: 1 death
Flood Season: Only half way through it, and nearly had a TPK against tongueater. The group had 2 of the 4 member already go into negatives twice, and as the only fighter type stood back up from being healed, Tongueater got an AoO swing. The dice said he hit with a critical which would have killed the last buff dude standing, I said "He missed". The next round the fighter got a critical and took down Tongueater.
It was one of those DM's perogative calls. I didn't want a TPK as they had been playing really well, and they never need to know. They will remember that battle for a long long time however.
A great call!! Bravo
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A TPK!!!
First a little background info. I had three PC's not make the game for various reasons so I ran with 1 PC and 3 NPC's played buy the resident pool of gamers in attendance at the shop where I play. So technically this only a 1 PC kill, but I did manage to get all of the current characters in the party.
They had just wandered in the Glassblowing workshop, and no one had spotted the Dark Stalker. He naturally let them pass, because they did not find the secret door to the treasure room. Travelling south from there the fighter goes in alone to explore the room where the Dark Creeper is hidden with the Pulverizer. The Creeper shouts to activate the Pulverizer, which promptly kills the fighter. The Creeper then proceeds to harry the cleric to keep him from healing the fighter, while the rogue and wizard hang back in the hallway and ready thier actions. The Dark Stalker in the meantime has decided to help out and sneak attacks the wizard, dropping him. The rogue springs into action and hits the wizard with the twinkle stick bringing him back just in time to scramble away. The Stalker then squares off against the rogue and in his first swing crits for 24 pionts, killing the rogue outright. While this is happening, the Pulverizer has walked up behind the cleric and taken him out. All thats left is the wizard, trapped in a 10 by 20 hallway with a Dark Stalker, a Dark Creeper, with a Pulverizer backup.
Welcome to the dungeon gentlemen!! Todays word is PAIN.
S. Baldrik...hmmm,
When I was a snipe playing in the gutter, I told the other children, "My name's Baldrick."
They said, "We know, sod off, Baldrick."
How's your great big turnip in the country?
LG
I am about to run Foundation of Flame so I am expecting a death or two.
Sorry, this goes with the previous post...
...I don't know who I am or where I live...
Your name is of no consequence, and you live in the pipe above the water closet...
Viva, Black Adder
LG
Throughout the entire AP, I've had a lot of deaths...almost too many to count.
I just had 3 casualties in "Test of The Smoking Eye" while the party was taking on Zaur Sza and Motruk (Rakshasa and Fire Giant); what certainly didn't help them was the fact that, in running all of the way up the peristaltic tube during the cource of a 40 round battle, they encountered the Clay Golem and had to fight all three at once!
*shaking head at their misfortune...*
Read about it here:
Adventure Path Evil Variant 2005 to the Present
If you want to check the body count (because I'm too lazy to):
Adventure Path Evil Variant 2004 - 2005
M
My party of 4 characters (a Monk, a Rogue/Cleric/Fighter, a Sorcerer/Ranger and a Cleric/Radiant Servant of Pelor) just suffered their first casualty in "Zenith Trajectory". The Monk died at the hand of the (slightly improved, according to GlassJaw's excellent suggestions) Kuo-Toa cleric Mangh-Mictho's Slay Living attack - after the group hat fought through the soldiers and whips and pincers in the Temple, then the Erinyes and the assassin - the sorcerer (in hybvrid werebaboon form) was looking around on the upper level druing the encounter...
In the end they picked up the dead monk and ran away all the way back to Cauldron, to pool the funds to get the monk raised.
Had our 2nd death this week against the hydra in Zenith Trajectory. Could have easily been avoided too.
Party splits up before entering the pit. The cleric jumps halfway down, the wizards starts to spider climb down, the dwarf fighter flies down (fly spell from the wizard), the ranger starts down the stairs and the other cleric waits at the top.
After failing his jump check, the cleric proceeds to take a full blast from the hydra's breath. He makes his save but still takes 30+ damage. The dwarf gets to the hydra and they trade 40 point blows. The wizard nails the hydra with a couple of scorching rays. On his next turn, the dwarf flies away, even though he probably could have killed the hydra. Hydra backs up into the tunnel to heal. Cleric and ranger make it to the bottom in another round or two. Hydra steps up and breathes on them both. Cleric fails his save and take close to 60 damage. Dead, -15 hp's.
After the session I tell them, "you have just went back to the top of the pit and rested and memorized resist energy." Duh.
5 deaths in flood season.
the party knowingly walked into an ambush in the meeting hall and gauntlet of the kopru lair. As soon as they were attacked the party split up into three directions.
First to die was the party cleric who jumped into a room full of gaurds alone. He was bull rushed from behind by the parties 7 1/2' half orc barbarian, into a flaming sphere cast by the parties sorcerer. He sson fell to a sword blow.
Next to die was Serina elf maiden ranger/ sorcerer. after surviving a hail of arrows in the gauntlet, then falling into a 20' deep spiked pit. Serina was finally run through the abdomen by a sword in the meeting hall.
Kagon the paladin died by the hands of triel. Triel was pumped up with bull's strength, divine might, shield of faith and smite. I rolled a 20, crit and a 20 on the threat roll Triel smashed the back of Kagon's skull.
Next to go was red Monk / rogue a rogue gaurd performed a "coup de grace" as his pals Wil and Conk ran out to save there own lives.
Last to go was Conk the 1/2 orc barbarian. Conk and Wil swam the grteen lake and began to climb the cliff to the passage out and to safety. Triel and three of her henchmen were going to beat them to the exit passage. Conk launched two flask of alchemy fire into the gondola bringing it down on top of himself. In a brilliant put fatal action Conk killed three gaurds Triel ad Himself.
OOOh what fun!
In my campaign there has been three deaths, one player left due to domestic issues, and several close calls. The first casualty was the Dwarvin Barbarian who went berserk and chased the skulks down a tunnel in Jazaderune. He made a nice pincushion, and the party learned an important truth. Hit points are best stored in the body...The dwarf had three cure moderate wounds potions on his body. The second death happened when Teril Cleric of Hector made a critical hit during a smite good against her sworn enemy; Victor Cleric of Heronious. My personal favorite was when the party came around the corner to face the gargantuan skeletal T-Rex. The entire party immediately retreated back to the first room....except Victor cleric of St. Cuthbert, played by the same individual of the before mentioned dwarf. His final words were and I quote "Wait I can turn it!!!" He valiantly stood his ground and attempted to turn it.....not even close.....Chomp, chomp, chomp.
I have not posed in some time but
Lifes bizzar; 1 gnome cleric + TPK-1 (5; illuminan fighter, illuinam rougue, halforc rouge; elf cleric;) ther sorcerer survivied total = 5
Floodseason: 1 glioth fighter
zeinith: 1 elf bard (kinda)
Demonscar; warlock
test of the smoking eye 0 however the now eivl party sorcer (threw his familer into the flam left with the asimar paladin)
side quest: (somthing i made up to get the XP up) 1 mistic thearge and a druid left
lord of oblivion 2; wizard and monk
foundation of flam; bard and new mysitc thearge
thirteen cages(only half way threw) fighter and frenzied berzerker
the funny thing about his is one of my players is most of these deaths he was the gnome; the elf cleric;the golioth; the warlock; the asimar palain; the druid; the bard; the wizard and the frenzied berzerker; now he is playing a Dwarf with a AC of 50!!!
Ever thought about fudging so dice rolls? I'm not saying all the time but giving a character a chance without them knowing it . Oh &%$# he missed! or you take 23hp (dropping them down to negatives instead of dead even though the damage was really 46hp).
Some people say this is cheating or reduces belivability but I say it is much better than the anguish and time players endue when their much loved characters die. Afterall we really are all on the same team the only difference is that as Dms its out responsibility to create most of the fun. Getting killed all the time isn't much fun.;)
Just an idea
Delvesdeep
Have only run the first installment of the Adventure Path, but Life's Bazaar managed a tally of 4 character deaths:
2 to the grell in the factory (Gee, let's bash through the barricade and wander into the enormous chamber with vaulted ceilings and then split up like Scooby and the gang . . .) - bard then fighter
1 to a tilt-a-pit trap a couple of sessions later (two fell in but the one that hadn't been critted by the monstrous spider managed to make the requisite climb and tumble checks whilst his companions scurried to save him) - rogue
1 to Kazmojen (this PC had killed Prickles in two measly rounds and earned the slaver's full attention; the character's last action was a successful sundering of the urgrosh . . . had the player only known that the same roll applied as a standard attack would have felled the menace before he managed to hit with both spiked gauntlets, the bite, and the rend) - barbarian
Though the original five players are still active in the group, only two of the original characters made it through LB - 4th-level human cleric of Pelor and 4th-level human warlock.
Throughout the entire AP, I've had a lot of deaths...almost too many to count.
I just had 3 casualties in "Test of The Smoking Eye" while the party was taking on Zaur Sza and Motruk (Rakshasa and Fire Giant); what certainly didn't help them was the fact that, in running all of the way up the peristaltic tube during the cource of a 40 round battle, they encountered the Clay Golem and had to fight all three at once!
*shaking head at their misfortune...*
Read about it here:
Adventure Path Evil Variant 2005 to the PresentIf you want to check the body count (because I'm too lazy to):
Adventure Path Evil Variant 2004 - 2005M
Update:
With the party going up against Ike Iverson on his home turf, I had a near-TPK...the three characters who fled and survived then retired, effectively ending the group.
A new, Good-aligned group is starting up at the next dungeon-crawl, in Karran-Kurral...
SO...what started here:
Adventure Path Evil Variant 2004 - 2005
...and continued here:
Adventure Path Evil Variant 2005 to the Present
...is now continuing here:
The AP Evil Variant Goes Good: 2005 - 2006
The body count got to high for me to keep track of long ago...count them up yourself! :-P
M
Ever thought about fudging so dice rolls? I'm not saying all the time but giving a character a chance without them knowing it . Oh &%$# he missed! or you take 23hp (dropping them down to negatives instead of dead even though the damage was really 46hp).
Some people say this is cheating or reduces belivability but I say it is much better than the anguish and time players endue when their much loved characters die. Afterall we really are all on the same team the only difference is that as Dms its out responsibility to create most of the fun. Getting killed all the time isn't much fun.;)
I fudge sometimes. My party just got to the Kopru Ruins and there have been no character deaths so far. The thief probably should have died to the Grell, but instead of fudging dice rolls, Fario and Fellian arrived with a new PC to save the day.
Actually I kept them in my pocket all through Life's Bazaar just in case, but at the end they got a message from Meerthan that F&F were sent away to the north on other business and they could expect no more help from the Striders. Since then I've been doing my best to kill them, they know it and they appreciate that the gloves are off.
They never even traded blows with Kazmojoen, because he came out into the hall to see what the fuss was about, saw most of his hobgoblin minions dead, the others fighting for their lives, and most importantly, Prickles took a fatal blow that very same round. With a shout of "Prickles!" he charged the 1/2-orc fighter with full blade and I expected some real mano a mano fighting.
The mage had a held action, and used mage hand to open the pit just as Kaz got there. He missed his saving throw and they locked him in. They cleaned out the rest of the dungeon and decided to come back the next day but by then he was long gone.
They never fought Tongueater either. He got caught with a Hold Person in the surprise round (he was, after all, too busy screaming at Sarcem's head to hear the party sneaking up the hallway) and while most of the party fought the baboons (and later all the Alleybashers) the 1/2-orc just walked up and coup de graced our favorite werebaboon.
SPOILERS***************
At last some news, I started the SCAP with 8 PC and we played the third session last sunday, second time in Jzadirune to find a way to reach the missing people after freeing the familiar of Keygan in an epic fight with the "chest".
The Pulverizer was very hard to beat and expanded nearly all the cures from the 2 clerics but they kept going on and what I thought happened, after a meeting with 3 Dark ones the exalted monk was flanked and died, the barbarian fell but stabilized (now prisonner to be sold)...as they back to the surface one rogue is negative, the bard is at 0 hp and nearly all the others are injured.
The count: 1 dead.
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I am about to run Foundation of Flame so I am expecting a death or two.
Sorry, this goes with the previous post...
...I don't know who I am or where I live...
Your name is of no consequence, and you live in the pipe above the water closet...
Viva, Black Adder
LG
You forgot "I have a cunning plan my lord"
Viva, Black Adder!|
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1 in Flood Season
2 in Demonscar legacy
1 in Test of the Smoking Eye
1 in The Secret of the Soul PillarsI am about to run Foundation of Flame so I am expecting a death or two.
I can actually update this. Foundation of Flame was pretty much a cake walk. Thirteen Cages, 3 deaths and we aren't even finished yet.
I had 3 PC deaths in Life's Bazaar, 2 deaths in Flood Season, 5 deaths in Zenith Trajectory, and 2 deaths in the Demonskar Legacy. Of all those deaths, I had 2 PC's die twice. I've only had 4 players up until now too. We're about 1/4 of the way into the Smoking Eye and nobody has died yet...
That doesn't count the time Ruphus was adventuring with them and died or the time the NPC rogue got bullrushed into the magical forge by the fire giant in the Demonskar.
One the of party has had the lone surviving character since the beginning...so far...
Great post!
In Life's Bazaar - No party members died for me.
In Flood Season - TPW (Total Party Wipe) in Triel's Room in the Fortress. The party was on fumes from prior encounters and said, "Lets try one more door, then rest". A few fumbles on natural ones later and TPW.
They lost Sensen the NPC, an NPC Cleric that joined them due to one player being out of town that week on vacation in RL, then their party, which had a 4th Paladin, 5th Monk, 5th Dwarven Samurai, 4th Earth Genassi Cleric, and a 4th Bard.
We put that campaign to the side over the Summer and now have another group 5th-6th level I have introduced to the Campaign and intend on picking up with the next adventure, Zenith Trajectory.
We had one death against the Hydra and one against a spell-buffed Minotaur-Fighter in the Underdark, that I through in.
But I'm having the most fun currently, because they are looking for Zenith at the Kuo Toas and met all in one go: The guards at the front door and the Kuos in the Temple (session one), then the Erinyes (session two) and then the High Priest (session three), who raised the water between the area of the spearmaster and Dhorlots front room.
The fourth session startet with Dhorlot sticking his nose out of his door and finding the group (had just healed after all this fighting) standing in the corner, with nowhere to go, but the raised water. They are of course out of spells and their fighter is cursed (acting only 50% of the time).
They tried to flee, but he gathered them up, took all their possesions and told them to get Zenith and out of here.
That's a TPK with the DM being mean.
The party gnome wizard (the player of which has killed the most PCs this campaign) succumbed to multiple reflected disintegrates from the Morkoth in FoF.
This last wizard was the brother of the players previous wizard. The other players joked that they should not approach that family with anymore requests for kin.
The players new wizard is Vortimax Weer. His shop freshly destroyed, he wants to get back into the adventuring lifestlye to help Cauldron, get revenge on whatever malevolent force is doing this to the city, and of course, make enough money to reopen his shop.
Avioding death all the time by luck, and by finding hidden small caps rules like the one that says that a PC can do a standard action at 0 hp and loose 1 hp afterwards (used it to drink a healing potion), one of my PCs have met death at the hands of Gotrod the red dragon.
I used the dragon to circle around and swoop down (using its hover, flyby attack and wingover feats) only to deliver breath weapon damage or power attack tail slaps on rounds when it couldnt do so.
One of the sorcerers in my party got a huge 25 hp tail slap, didn't roll the needed ride DC, fell from his horse and failed his jump check, suffering an other 1d6 damage. Gotrod flew away, only to turn and deliver his already recharged breathweapon at 3 PCs out of the 4, who all gathered to help the sorcerer... All of them survived but the already wounded sorcerer who also failed his REF save and suffered the whole 6d10 breath weapon damage... Fried and still smoking he lies dead only to wake during next session, when i will have him raised by Jenya.
An other funny situation was when the umberhulk's confusion had it's affect on one of the party sorcerers who rolled the "attack closest creature" option from the confusion list. he had immediately cast burning hands (5d4 fire damage at his level) at the crowd that attended the auction. 3 people we considered totally fried and now the families demand him to pay the money for their raising. my PCs now have to spend lots of resources and gold on raising their fallen party member as well as raising 3 commoners whom their sorcerer killed by accident...
although i have to add here that if i was a high level cleric i would spend all my 5th level slots to raise as many people i can each day. why wouldn't Jenya do the same...? i guess she would but that would just spoil the game realism... wouldnt it?
I just started the adventure path with my group of 4 to 5 characters:
human scout
dust-genasi transmuter/egoist
kenku spiked chain fighter
goblin druid
human cleric of pelor (came at the beginning of flood season)
catfolk two-weapon fighter (came after the death of their kenku)
They are now finishing flood season (just the harpoon spider left). They were quite lucky in life's bazaar, they had no death. The grell was able to grapple one and lift him up, but was hit by two rays of enfeeblement and had to drop him from a height of 20 ft., that took their scout to -4. One of the mimics also got the scout sticked to itself but was killed one round before it would have killed him for sure (he was again at -4). The polymorphed ogre nearly killed them until the spiked chain fighter got lucky and first disarmed him and in the second round tripped him :( . In the boss fight at the end they were able to suprise them and in the first round took the howler out and were able to encircle the half-troll and kill him with two high mobility characters in a few rounds (the spiked-chain kenku fighter and the scout, who suprisingly didn't went negative in that battle :) ). In flood season they were not that lucky, when they infiltrated the lucky monkey, they scewed things up and had to face 90% of all opponents in the main entrance hall, that killed their spiked chain fighter and got their cleric of pelor captured. When they infiltrated the kopru ruins, all went quite well, they easily defeated the water demon and with some shark summonings of the druid they were also able to defeat the kopru. They were also quite good in the fight against Triel and made some good use of the environment when Tongueeater joined that fight (they were not able to kill him in the lucky monkey). In the battle against the gnoll huecuva (that I spiced up a little bit :) ) they lost their cleric of pelor, whom they had just freed from the torture chamber, but eliminated all his resources. They are now only left with the harpoon spider and the halfling diviner, though they may loose another character when they have some bad luck, but two of them are allready level 7 (yes, I increased the number of encounter a bit) so that should be no problem even with me increasing the power of those two opponents.
The party rouge (who had not yet previously died; one of the longest surviving party members) was killed by Nulin "the Fish" Wiejeron's Sneak Attack on an attack of oppurtunity. He will probably be ressurected when the PC's have a chance to rest.
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So far I've had only one death, against Kazmojen. I had 5 players, cleric, rogue, ninja, bard, barbarian/scout/fighter. The cleric player had to move, so until we got a replacement and figured out just what we were going to do about healing I played the cleric as an NPC. I had him cast shield other on the ninja earlier in the day and it was still up when they met Kazmojen. The cleric NPC ended up unconcious then died due to further damage from the shield other on the ninja. Was sad but fortunate that it was the NPC. The party will be erecting a statue in his honor soon.
The party has yet to fight the grell, dread guard or raggamoffyns, so we'll see if it gets worse.
One death in the Smoking Eye, which doesn't really count since it was a self sacrifice to the flames. One death in Soul Pillars from the dracolich, almost a TPK there with the huge save vs. the breath weapon. One death in Lords of Oblivion from the big battle in House Rhiavadi. Two deaths in Foundation of Flame from Hookface. The problem with these last two deaths is that the cohort cleric died. None of the PC's are clerics and he was the one who had been casting raise dead. It's kind of hard to raise yourself.
M@
...
although i have to add here that if i was a high level cleric i would spend all my 5th level slots to raise as many people i can each day. why wouldn't Jenya do the same...? i guess she would but that would just spoil the game realism... wouldnt it?
Maybe because:
Raise DeadMaterial Component: Diamonds worth a total of least 5,000 gp.
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None, and I only have three players but each of us has been playing for 20 years plus. This experience and general wileliness seemed sufficient until last night.
They are in Zenith Trajectory at Bhal-Hamatugn. They have just plowed their way through the main doors to area 5, with the glyph blasting the templar quite severely. See elsewhere for more specific class background but they have no rogue so the paladin and templar take turns to "disarm traps" as they call it. They have just obliterated the whips and soldiers with righteous fury (to be blunt I have never seen them be so brutally effective...ever), even though their spellcaster was stating he was down to his lower third of lower level spells. The Saint Cuthbertian started battering the obsidian statue of Blibdoopoolp to "flush out anymore of the craven rogues" to draw them to the party.
Mangh-mitchoo (can't remember exact spelling) has just finished "buffing" (sorry been playing WOW too much) and emerged with a dramatic entrance, and as the players worked out the Greater Glyph of Warding was caster level 16 they have got it into their heads he could be a kuo-toan Clr16 AND they are still going to fight him (the templar and paladin are getting more and more zealous). All this and 10 rounds has already elapsed for Aushanna to appear. The Wiz3/Cloistered Cleric3/Mystic Theurge3 (Wee Jas) is out of spells (oops), as are the Pal9 (Pelor) and Ftr3/Clr3/Pious Templar3 (St. Cuthbert).
So if they finish of Mangh with nothing but hit points, weapons, and blind faith, which will take at least 10 rounds, they will then immediately have to deal with Aushanna. I think they will manage Mangh as they are clearly on a roll but Aushanna is going to absolutely paste them. Very heroic and glorious though. What was Lord Helmet's line from Spaceballs?
"Evil will always triumph over good because good is dumb".
To be fair they cannot have know she was going to be called. Their assualt which started as soon as Aabhaca unpturned the boat has not lost impetus and they are still going. Their attack has reminded me of Lancelot's attack in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (without the wedding party :). Pity, they are, to use WOW parlance again, really going to get "wiped". A shame, for sheer ballsiness they deserve to win, it's not as if they haven't been fighting intelligently and effectively, it's just Aushanna's appearance is going to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Oh well, I'll probably be posting here next Thursday stating three deaths and TPK.
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They not only survived, they won. Took out Mangh-Mictho but he did knock the templar into negatives twice and had the paladin below 10 hp most of the time. Fortunately the mystic theurge had a spectral hand floating around and could use what little healing he had left. Also Mangh got touched of idiocy twice and with Int 1 playing him with any kind of tactics would have been unreasonable. The party retreated to the 10 by 20 space between the two sets of double doors and drank all their cure mods (still had plenty of potions from Flood Season) and emptied the wand of curse serious from Triel. Eventually they took out Aushanna but not until she had shot and nearly killed the mystic theurge twice. She did 1d8+6+1d6 with her bow, which meant she could shoot down the hardness 8 hp 60 doors in two rounds (party delayed this with a make whole) with Rapid Shot. Took her out with sacred weapons and an inflict serious in the end. Excellent fight, very tense, but they accept they are lucky to br alive (the paladin having cast bless weapon and divine sacrifice and rolling 19s to hit when needed is what turned it).
They retreated to the armoury, locked themselves in with Mangh's keys and used arcane lock. Oddly enough a kuo-toan shrine full of kuo-toan rogues and not one hads Open Locks).
Here it is almost a year later and I have only reached the Demonskar legacy, but my death toll has risen to 10.5. Why a half a kill. The player with the bard wanted to kill the character, so he only counts as half. However, on brave soul brought back his sorcerer 3 times for a grand total of 4 deaths! The last in the Kua-toan temple to the bow of the Erinese (yeah, I know I did not spell it right. lol).
Currently the party has grown by 2 members and they are slightly (smirk) over the average party level they should be for the Demonskar Legacy. Four 9th level characters and two 10th level fellows. Thus, TDL should be a death free module. I also expect that they will finish up their glory time of being over the suggested levels in the next adventure, so by the time Secrets of the Soul Pillars rolls around, the body count will begin to rise again. I will keep you informed...*insert evil laugh here*
-Neomorte
First death last night: my feralized Tongue-Eater took out the rogue. You can read about it in my TE thread. ;>)
I've had a lot of people go into the negatives but this was the first actual death. Just when I think the party is getting more careful, the first thing they do when they got to the Lucky Monkey is split up. Go figure.
God bless players. I love it SO much when they split up like Scooby and the Gang.
Ever see the Random Tactics Generator?
Roll 2d6:
2 Yell "Retreat!" and then attack normally.
3 Look around and ask, "Are we retreating?" Then attack normally.
4 Announce that you need healing and charge the foe farthest from the cleric.
5 Tell the nearest NPC to manuever to a flanking position, then retreat.
6 Go to the bathroom and read the Monster Manual.
7 Use a spell, an item, or an ability that helps you move away from the group.
8 Open the nearest closed door. If there's no door nearby, go look for one.
9 Stop play to announce that your last attack actually hit.
10 Make a comment about haste being too powerful. Roll again on this table.
11 Move into the next room, trigger a trap, and call for help.
12 Retreat!
My players managed to get through Life's Bazaar with a few close calls. They started Drakthar's Way last week, and were one Will save away from a TPK. They missed noticing the goblin sneaks as they entered, and turned right toward the defiled temple. As they explored it and the priest's bedroom, 2 worgs, 2 silent wolf goblins, 4 sneaks, 5 skirmishers, and an adept poured into the room.
The barbarian was tripped by a worg and killed outright with sneak attacks as he stood. The fighter was dropped to -6 by attacks combod with a scorching ray from the adept. The psion managed to get off two AE effects in two rounds, which dropped every goblin but the adept, but then fell to a burning hands from that adept, and then was savaged to death by the other worg. The NPC cleric was surrounded, tripped and rendered unconscious.
This left the chain-wielding fighter/rogue who managed to drop the 2 heavily wounded worgs with AOOs as they attempted to close on him, made his will save against the adept's sleep. At that point, out of attack spells, the adept fled to go find some more friends (like the skirmishers at the other end of the hall. The fighter/rogue poured a couple of potions down the two living ones' throats, and they hauled their dead companions out of there.
I asked the two people who died whether their characters were interested in being raised from the dead (speak with dead by clerics of Wee Jas), and the barbarian's player said he'd re-roll. Posthumously, he's become a great hero in the town and by the end of the campaign, will be a legend. Having just rescued the enslaved kidnap victims, his untimely death, and subsequent obituary in the weekly periodical has increased his name recognition immensely.
Well my group (un)fortunately has some good searchers and they quickly found the secret door that leads to the elevator in Jzadirune. Needless to say, they completely skipped the gnomish enclave and now are taking out the fortress...at first level. They just barely made it past the stone spoke and Xuakuss (the poly'd ogre), but I don't think the other fights will go so easily for them.
First off, this has been a super-helpful thread. I'm just beginning to run the AP, and it helps to know the areas where PCs tend to croak--and for what reason.
That being said, thus far:
Half-Way through Life's Bazaar. 0 deaths--Though a very close call against the choker. The choker grabbed the dwarf rogue, then held the door shut. The party got the trap door open and the human paladin jumped in just as the rogue went to negative hit points. The choker just closed the door again (move action) and went to work on the paladin. Both paladin and the rogue were in dire straights by the time the choker was killed and the cleric got in to save them.
Cheers,
Andrew
1st: Kax and Prickles are dealt and the party is healing up. Nail the dwarven rogue is healed up not quite to full - "Nah, that should be enough. I'm good." Off to the pulverizers hiding behind the illusionary walls. One good smack sends Nails exactly to -10. Never knew what hit him.
3 deaths in Zenith Trajectory--3 rounds with Aushanna--1 dead halfling barbarian, 1 dead drow bard, 1 dead human rogue.
Aushanna would have gotten a TPK had the centaur wizard not cast Jump and jumped 25' in the air to finally grapple her down to the ground. Aushanna dropped her bow in the grapple, but managed to escape.
She'd have gotten away too, but she "really" wanted her bow back. Her attempt to steal it off the centaur was detected and the other PC's that were left finally had her at melee range....a few chops later she was dead.
All 3 PC's got raised from the dead, but the drow bard retired from adventuring and got replaced by a Hound Archon.
Lost one to the black dragon and the fire giant in Test of the Smoking Eye. Last week.
I just had my first character death of the campaign in Demonskar Legacy.
The halfling rogue sprinkled himself with dust of disappearance and went into the ogre cave to investigate, where he met... the Forest Sloth.
That thing is just designed as a halfling rogue killer. It has scent, so the invisible rogue was essentially visible, and in its first full attack poor Ricros the rogue was dead. I was all excited to swallow him whole, but max damage on each claw, and another 14 points on the bite, and that was it for Ricros.
I briefly thought about having it swallow his body whole, but then the fighter whacked it twice with his full blade, and that decided the issue, the sloth threw the limp body on the floor and went for the thing that was making it hurt.
Thus Ricros was not digested, and could be raised.
2nd Death: Three PCs are fleeing from the Kuo-toa ruins with Dhorlot's treasure. Lock, in a grand gesture, runs down the beach yelling "here, dragon, dragon" while his companions quaff potions of water-breathing and dive into the lake. Dhorlot chases Lock, eats him. Dumb DM forgets that black dragons can water breath or I would have gotten 3rd & 4th.