I'm running the 3FoE with 5 players: Ftr, Clr, Rog, Barb/Clr & Wiz. They started the adventure approximately midway through 3rd level. We were pretty heavy on the roleplaying in the first adventure, so by the time they got the green worm from Filge's and talked to Allustan, they went straight for the Dourstone mine. With a combination of bribes, fast-talking and bluff they made it into the elevator shaft pretty easily (within the first two hours of play).
So they immediately encounter the two tiefling guards in the dark cathedral. The first holds them off with darkness while the second makes for the door to Hextor's wing. The party cuts him down just as he opens the door, letting loose the skeletons. The single-class cleric blasts all the skeletons with a good turn check, the party advances into the first room and get mobbed by the commoners. The tiefling guards in room 4 follow the same strategy as the initial two - darkness and run for backup. The Beast is loosed and pounds the party pretty well. The only surviving tiefling warns the guards in 6 and runs into the battle temple, drawing his bow. The guards in 6 bar the hall door and run to warn the rest of the complex. The party finishes up the Beast and commoners and charge into the temple to take out the last tiefling (who makes great use of the big statue as cover). As soon as the last party member is inside, Theldrick closes the door behind them, trapping them in. He gets a few rounds to buff up while Garras and Kendra throw spells and the party works on getting up to the balcony. They finally make it up and start pounding on Garras, who's getting great healing support from Kendra. After a fantastic combat, Garras is pulp, the remaining tieflings and zombies are dead/more dead, Kendra manages to stabilize at -8 and Theldrick bites it in the Chapel of Hextor (room 9), surrounded by the party. We were in combat time the whole running battle, which lasted around 2-3 minutes (roughly 26 rounds, IIRC). Needless to say, the party was pretty banged up and spent: spells gone, lots of potions used, etc. They figured out that by leaving the hall door barred and the big battle temple doors closed that they were pretty secure.
I thought about what might happen overnight. I ended up deciding that the commoners in the Hextor wing were responsible for bringing down supplies from the outside world and taking out the trash (that's mentioned somewhere, I think) and that the rest of the complex's inhabitants weren't likely to go outside of their respective wings. For one night at least....
So the party used up a bunch of cure light wand charges, bunked down in the barracks and crashed. They timed it pretty well - they had garnered enough XP to level to 4th during the big battle, so they woke to the "quickening." They healed Kendra enough to wake her (bound of course) and proceeded to question her. They got out of her that the labyrinth mentioned in Theldrick's journal was located past the door to the north before she chewed out her tongue. They party then set out for Vecna's wing.
They're in the middle of the labyrinth now - I expect them to wrap it up at tomorrow's game - and I'm trying to plan ahead for the post-mortem. Assuming that they storm through the remainder of the Vecna temple, I imagine they'll either return to the barracks in Hextor's wing or go back to the surface (it may depend on if they manage to decipher the scroll from Theldrick's desk). So I need to a) figure out if the grimlocks in the the Erythnuul wing will notice anything amiss and b) ensure the party advances on to the grimlock lair without going straight to the Mistmarsh following the clues in the encrypted scroll. Perhaps I can combine these.... A small party of grimlocks have left the caverns to notify Theldrick and the Faceless One that Grallak Kur has had a vision that must be passed on to them.
So, how has your party worked its way through this adventure?
My group did it very similar. They hit the Hextor temple first and cleared it out. They then rested the night there. They then hit the caverns with the Grimlocks and cleared it out. They went back to the Hextor temple to rest. Now they have entered Vecna's temple and are just through the lybrinth. I assumed that none of the temple really got along, so they really didn't visit each other (thus not noticing that they had been destroyed). Also I assumed that the supplied only showed up a couple of times a week, so it was not uncommon for each temple to not set foot out side its doors for a few days at a time. They are fanatics after all, what need do they have to leave their temples. ;)
My party recently blitzkreiged through the temple, however things did not go the way I imagined.
My Party (all Gestalt characters) Human Wizard/Warmage 3, Human Cleric/Paladin of Heironeous 3, Elf - Half Drow Rogue/Swashbuckler 3, Half-Orc Barbarian/Fighter 3
They come down the elevator, the tiefling guards take up positions on each side of the elevator. My players stay in the elevator discussing strategy. The tieflings overhear this, and realize the players aren't cultist. One prepares to cast darkness on his axe, the other runs off to warn the temple. Paladin steps out of the elevator, followed by the rogue. Suddenly it grows very dark.
After about 5 rounds. The 2 Tieflings are dead and 8 skeletons are dust. The players explore the chamber a bit, and decide to enter the Hextor complex.
The Cultist (warned from the bells on the skeletons)- have closed the door and locked it. They stand side by side with their longspears out behind this door. The two teiflings from area 4 are also present waiting to see what happens. The party rogue picks the lock and cracks it open. She can see several men inside waiting for them she closes it and tells the group what she saw.
The fearless paladin opens both doors and prepares to attack. The players roll initiative. The rogue wins initative and goes first. She throws a dagger. It burriest itself in a cultist throat and he falls over gurgling. The players looked at each other, an obvious look of relief crosses their face, (most likely thinking to themselves these guys aren't as tough as they look). A grand fight breaks out. Both teiflings die in the same round leaving the cultist. Two cultist run off, one free's the beast, the other runs into the temple/arena to warn Theldrick of the intruders.
The Beast charges down the hall, just as the players kill the all the cultist that haven't run off. He tears into the paladin pretty hard. (Until now the paladin has not experience any sort of true damage) A look of worry came across the players eyes. I smiled inside. The beast proved a worthy challenge, but he was dead within 3 rounds. The paladin and rogue suffering the most injuries.
Here is where things happen that I was not expecting. The wizard runs back to close the two doors that lead into the temple, while the other three players go to chase the cultist who got away. They enter the arena. They see a cultist hiding behind a huge statue of Hextor. The doors close. The players look at each other and say oh crap. The wizard is trapped outside, wondering how he will get in. He tries to open the side door. He is to weak to smash it open. (He doesn't have the knock spell). He doesn't know what to do. He runs back and starts looking for a key on one of the dead cultist.
Meanwhile, inside...
Theldrick gives his monologue (you can find it somewhere on these boards), and the battle begins. Arrows and crossbow bolts fly down. Theldrick summons a Fiendish Ape. The Ape tears into the paladin. The Barbarian kills the remaning cultist and the Rogue notices that the statue is not sitting right on it's base. With a surprising push she is able to topple it. (She rolled a natural 20). It crashes into the wall providing a ramp of sorts for the players to use.
Outside...
The wizard is checking all of the bodies when he finds a key! However now he hears 2 voices, speaking a language he doesn't understand. (Two teifling guards have taken up position outside the arena doors). The wizard can't see them but he knows they aren't moving. He backs into a corner and starts trying to think of what his options are. He decides to try and lure them into the room. He uses Ghost sound to make it sound as if Area 4 suddenly caught fire. The sound of burning wood and a roaring fire echo down the hall. One guard goes to investigate. The wizard waits. Suddenly a guard enters the room. The player fires off an orb spell, the guard falls over dead. The other guard calls down the hall. He waits for a response and then he also runs into the room. The wizard attacks him, and a melee breaks out.
Inside...
The Ape is dead, the barbarian is beat up, the paladin is beat up, the rogue has climbed up the statue and through some amazing acrobatics has positioned herself in a somewhat safe place to fight from. She kills a teifling with a bow and throws him off the gallery. Two zombies and an angry priestess move towards her. The half-orc clamers down the statue to fight the paladin. Theldrick summons a second fiendish ape (we are using the spell point system in AU).
Outside...
The wizard kills the last guard, and moves to the door. He unlocks it, and moves through the hall to the stairs.
Inside...
The paladin has killed the two zombies with a few turning attempts (using the alternate rules from Complete Divine). The half-orc cleric of Hextor is at the base of the Statue and is preparing to attack the paladin. The Half Orc is fighting the Fiendish Ape, and the Rogue is hurting from a few Spiritual weapons cast by Theldrick and the priestess. The rogue drops back down into the Arena and hides under the statue. She is very beat up.
The Half-Orc Barbarian falls over dying from fighting the Fiendish Ape, luckily the ape vanishes before it turns on the other players. The paladin is fighting the Half-Orc priest, the priestess is climbing down the statue, Theldrick is yelling at them giving them orders to kill the paladin.
The Wizard arrives...
He is tired, hurt and nearly out of spells.
I'll wrap this up... The players eventually win, but it was by the skin of their teeth, and a ton of fun. I thought I might actually witness a TPK.