Zenith trajectory - what levels?

[Talon]

Sorry to bother but I couldn't find the answer to this in the hardcover.

This is a quick question and the fastest to answer can win my smiley: What experience level should the party have by the beginning of Zenith trajectory? I suppose it is 6...

[delvesdeep]

Talon wrote:

Sorry to bother but I couldn't find the answer to this in the hardcover.

This is a quick question and the fastest to answer can win my smiley: What experience level should the party have by the beginning of Zenith trajectory? I suppose it is 6...

Yes you guessed correctly - Lvl 6 is the recommended level though Lvl 7 may be more appropriate given the difficulty of the adventure ie Hydra, Ashanna etc.

It really depends on how large your party is, how well equiped, how well prepared and how experienced they are as a group.

I'm just about to send my party on the same adventure but I have made sure they have a few extra pieces of helpful equipment because of their small numbers (4) and the high possibility of a TPK

Good Luck, to both of us!

Delvesdeep

[Talon]

delvesdeep wrote:

Good Luck, to both of us!

Indeed and thanks!

My party has 8 players but averaging at about 6 per session. They're half way through the kopru ruins, some are 4th, most are 5th lvl. They are probably not very well equiped though and most aren't very experienced. This might become a problem because I'd also like to drop some of the monsters in the ruins - the adventure doesn't seem as much more than a hackfest right now. Far too many alleybashers and hillfolk and just random critters for my taste in there...

I guess I'll spice the way to Bal Hamatugn up a little and place the pit of seven jaws in a swamp I created. The entrance to the underdark will be guarded by illithid-controlled gnolls.

But I really don't know what to do about the umber hulk. They'll have no chance.

[Coridan]

The Umber Hulk isn't nearly as bad as the Dragons, Cryohydra and Erinyes. At least they get quite a bit of help from the town during the umber hulk attack, and you can always have it distracted for a round smashing up a building.

[delvesdeep]

I just played the Umberhulk battle last night and the party had no problems at all! I was really surprized.

They all made their save and then proceeded to take the monster apart in two round not even leaving any time for the critter to escape.

The party was helped out by the rogue rolling a crit on his sneak attack and then the ranger also rolling a crit on her initial attack but the fight was far less telling than I had predicted. Perhaps this will be the case with your party too?

It all depends upon luck in most instances I have found. The party just returned from the Plane of Shadow (side trek) and had a battle with a shadow troll. I had anticipated that the party would have little difficulty with the creature but through a series of good rolls on my behalf and bad rolls on theirs the party was almost completely wiped out.

I'm looking forward to see how they handle the cryohydra and Ashanna (sp?).

The swamp sounds great. Have fun

Delvesdeep

[Zlorf]

I hope you made the PC's roll for beginning of each round that they were looking at the Umber Hulk. :)

My party are also at the same stage, they just defeat the Umber Hulk.

They Hydra should be interesting, to my understanding all the heads get to use there breath weapons, thats just crazy :)
I'll probably get Crazy Jarad to drop some hints on how to defeat it, ie try loping off the heads and then damaging the stalks...to prevent them from growing new head...i think thats how it worked. :)

Cheers

delvesdeep wrote:

I just played the Umberhulk battle last night and the party had no problems at all! I was really surprized.

They all made their save and then proceeded to take the monster apart in two round not even leaving any time for the critter to escape.

The party was helped out by the rogue rolling a crit on his sneak attack and then the ranger also rolling a crit on her initial attack but the fight was far less telling than I had predicted. Perhaps this will be the case with your party too?

It all depends upon luck in most instances I have found. The party just returned from the Plane of Shadow (side trek) and had a battle with a shadow troll. I had anticipated that the party would have little difficulty with the creature but through a series of good rolls on my behalf and bad rolls on theirs the party was almost completely wiped out.

I'm looking forward to see how they handle the cryohydra and Ashanna (sp?).

The swamp sounds great. Have fun

Delvesdeep