I heard how tough it was so I used all stats start at 8 then 32pt buy method.
Theres four players in our group, Goliath Barbarian, Human Monk, Human Fighter, Gnome Bard.
It went ok, no real deaths yet (i fudged once), just finished WC in our first game, we played last night, took us ten hours. Havent slept yet, still writing up the camp-journal now!
They liked Diamond Lake but hated Allustan, they think hes evil and just gonna kill them, I used the pictures from the magazine to introduce the npcs, everyone thought Allustan was "a serial killer waiting to happen" they refuse to send anyone to see him alone "just in case".
In the Feral Dog, Kullen was angered by the cocky (8 feet tall!) goliath barbarian who failed a diplomacy check and the halforc almost punched through the goliath guys head, taking him just into the negatives, the players crapped themselves and picked up the goliath barbarian making a quick exit to get him healed. The people from the Feral Dog laughed them all the way home.
They had another close call when they went up against the acid beetle swarm, the bard nealy died. Then the barberian and monk got took to negatives against the wind warrior and then the bard later (really) did die against Filge but I secretly fudged the damage so he lived, I hate doing that but Greg (the player) eyes fill up with tears and I hate seeing a 25yr old man cry over a dead gnome at my dining table, really puts a downer on things.
They managed to scrape through the adventure, even with their min maxed 32pt buy characters! The bard loves his CLWs!
Apart from the Goliath they are all second level nearly third, the Goliath is neary second as his +1LA screws him.
I use the following for my campaign, an it works very well indeed. The party is potent, but there have already been two deaths and we've only just completed The Three Faces of Evil.
Page 7: Ability Scores
· Ability scores will be generated via a “Point Buy” system. This system ensures that all characters start out on an equal footing at the campaign’s beginning. Characters receive 32 points to distribute amongst their 6 ability scores. All ability scores begin with a base score of 8. Characters than allocate points to the base scores as they see fit. The table below details the “point cost” for a particular ability score.
Ability
Score Point Cost
9 1
10 2
11 3
12 4
13 5
14 6
15 7
16 9
17 11
18 13
As can be noted from the table above, ability scores begin getting more expensive once a score of 15 has been reached. This is to ensure that any character who wishes to be truly outstanding in a particular ability score must make a significant sacrifice in his overall ability scores. It is advised that characters are built with good balance with the idea that the characters will be able to raise their ability scores as they gain levels, enjoy the benefits of ability score raising items, a (rarely) other permanent ability score increases.
I use the standard 3rd edition ability score generation: roll 4d6, drop the lowest, arrange as desired. There has been a TPK, but I don't think that was because of ability scores, as on average, the party members had well over 30 pts had we used the point-buy creation method. I think it has to do with the fact that they charged, unprepared, headlong into a fortified position and kept pressing the attack, even when outnumbered and at a severe disadvantage.
The Shackled City AP hardcover states that due to the difficulty of the campaign, you should let the players roll three sets of scores and choose the ones they like best. Had I had the SCAP hardcover before running AoW, I probably would have done that since the AoW is at least as difficult as SC.
Once I run it (as I'm probably going to soon), I'm going to use 26 point-buy (gets you the same result as the elite array - 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 8). However, to compensate for this, I will also be using an expanded version of Action Points. That is, the PCs will get 5 AP + double their character level... per day. I want to run a *very* cinematic game, and will be encouraging the following uses for action points:
1 AP: +1d6 to any d20 roll, as standard. This option can only be used once per round.
2 AP: emulate a feat for 1 round. Nearly any feat may be chosen for this emulation, with the following caveats: Each prerequisite for the feat that the character lacks will cost an additional AP. Supernatural prerequisites cannot be emulated in this manner (for instance, Psionic feats require characters to have a power point pool. This cannot be emulated). This option can be used any number of times in any round, so long as the character has enough AP remaining.
1 AP: double the numeric bonus of a feat the character is using for 1 round. This use has a cap of +6. For instance, a character may use this with Power Attack, lower their AC by 7, and gain a total of a +13 to damage. This option may only be used once per round.
1 AP: Automatically stabilize if the character is dying.
2 AP: Regain 1 use (and use this round) of a use-based class or racial feature (like rage, smiting, or shifting). This option may only be used once per round.
2*X AP: Where X is the increase in effective spell level for using a metamagic feat, to apply the effects of that feat without increasing the effective spell level. Any number of times per round.
1 AP: Double the bonus from fighting defensively. Once per round.
I plan on having a list of appropriate feats to emulate handy.
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Just about to start having my players create characters for the AoW and I was wondeirng what method is best or what method did you use?
Reebo
My players being experienced players, they like to roll dices to create their characters. As a DM, I've been using the same method for the past 6 years :
- write down the 6 characteristics in order,- roll 4 6-sided dices, keep 3 best results minus 1 point (do that 6 times),
- you have your 6 characteristics, and the player may add the 6 substracted points as he wishes.
- If the result is very bad, I let the player going through his rolls once again.
- The player then chooses his class and race.
It's a method that adds flavor to my players (no more intelligence and charisma 8 barbarians), since you may have a mage with 12 or 13 in strength. Also, the 6 points added may compensate a very bad roll (if the player WANTS a particular class). OK, the PCs are above 32 points method, but you have a mage with a better strength than dexterity, a fighter with an above average intelligence, a favored soul with more intelligence than wisdom, strength or dexterity.
Afterwards, it all depends on how your players are.
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I suppose all the constant d20 rolling of 3E has made the most critical die rolls of the game obsolete to some: rolling those xd6 for character generation. I'm a Traditionist Randomologist. ::smirk::
Since 1986 players have rolled three sets of 4d6, picking the set they like the best and arranging as they'd like. Since 3E's arrival, I've allowed a set to be rerolled if it's ability bonuses don't exceed +1 total for the six stats.
Pre-'86 I was still a newbie/munchkin and was inclined to use the Type VII method from Unearthed Arcana having a PC roll 9d6, keeping the best three rolls for a primary statistic... Even though my original DM was true to the rules and my first PC was 3d6 rolled in order. ::big smile::
Through the years statistics haven't killed PCs...poor judgement kills PCs 75% of the time, bad die rolls kills them the other 25%. So I wouldn't change your traditional character generation method just because you're concerned that the Age of Worms is particularly lethal.