By my count, 63, +1 animal companion.
Nualia is 62, +2 Animal companions.
Swallowtail Festival - 4, 1 AC
Ven Vinder - 1
Glassworks - 3
Goblin in the Closet - 2
Tsuto - 4
Sinspawn (catacombs of Wrath) - 8
Vargouille - 3
Korvus - 7, 1 AC
Fountain - 8
Lesser Runewell of Wrath - 5
Erylium - 27
Thistletop (Goblins) - 14, 2 AC
Goblin Dogs - 4
Bunyip - 10
Gogmurt - 20, 1 AC
Rope Bridge (Thistletop) - 17, 1 AC
Shadowmist - 1
Ripnugget - 25, 1 NPC, 2 AC
Bruthazmus - 10
Orik - 1
Lyrie - 2
Tentamort - 4
Yeth Hounds (Thistletop) - 32
Shadows - 29
Pit trap - 6
Nualia - 62, 2 AC
Malfeshnekor - 40, 1 AC
Giant Crab - 7
Farm Ghouls - 8, 1 AC
Haunt (Misgivings) - 30
Ghouls - 13
Skaveling - 13
Mold - 1
Iesha - 9
Skinsaw man - 22
Carrionstorm - 1, 1 AC
Plague - 1, 1 NPC
Faceless stalkers - 5, 1 AC
Cultists - 7
Ironbriar - 5
The Scarecrow - 28 ,1 AC, 7 NPC
CLocktower - 5
Xanesha - 63, 1 AC
Rukus Graul - 1, 1 AC
Biggun - 3
Crowfood - 3
Muck Graul - 7
Hucker - 3
Mammy Graul - 6
Shocker lizards - 2
Rannick Ogres - 27, 2 NPC
Karly-Lop - 2
Silas - 1, 1 NPC, 1 AC
Mink-tuck - 4
Gragavan Kreeg - 2
Lucrecia - 18, 5 NPC
Dorella Kreeg - 12
Hookmaw - 4, 1 NPC
Jargeth Kreeg - 35, 4 NPC
Skulls Crossing - 4
Wet Papa Gazuul - 10
Skull Ripper - 10
Black Maga - 10, 1 AC, 1 NPC
Kreeg Stronghold - 7, 1 AC
Hags - 1
Lamatar - 1
Barl - 12
Stone Giant Siege - 18
Teraktinus - 7
Longtooth - 4, 1 AC
Storval Stairs - 5
Cinderma - 3
Jorgenfist Environs - 4
Black Monk - 2
Jorgenfist Interior - 22, 2 NPC
Jorgenfist Library - 2
Galenmir - 4
Red dragons - 3
Enga - 8
Lokansir - 5
Headless Lord - 4
Wall haunt - 1
Runecauldron - 4
Scanderig - 3
Mokmurian - 43
Scribbler - 9, 1 NPC
Freezemaw - 22, 1 AC
Rimeskull elementals - 3
Gluttonous Crypts - 5
Shimmering Vales of Pride - 14
Halls of Wrath - 11
Festering Maze of Sloth - 3
Iron Cages of Lust - 2
Vault of Greed - 1
Karzoug statue - 2
Ordikon - 7
Athroxis - 5, 1 NPC
Xyoddin - 2
Azaven - 14
Delvahine - 13
Jordimandus - 2
The Horror Tree - 1
Haunt (Vekkers cabin) - 2, 1 AC
Karivek - 6
Wendigo - 3
The Hidden Beast - 4, 1 NPC
Ghlorofaex - 6
Gamigin - 3
Viorian - 5, 1 NPC
Ceoptra - 3
Spires of Xin-Shalast - 15
Karzoug - 45, 1 NPC
Added content/random encounters - 47
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Name: Doril "Tinker" Silvershaper *
Class/Race: Gnome Rogue 15
Adventure: Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Ghlorofaex...kinda.
Story: After learning that the Sihedron rings were necessary to bypass the occlusion field surrounding the Eye of Avarice, and that two of the powerful lieutenants within lower Xin-Shalast had these items, the party decided to take on Ghlorofaex. They found the creature's hide nearly impenetrable, and he was able to resist most of their spells. They eventually did beat him down quite a ways, and the dragon merely responded by smashing one of his hands into his abdomen. A shattering sound could be heard within, and the dragon's wounds began to heal. Their eyes widened as the ancient dragon gloated about his unkillable status; he had consumed hundreds of healing potions over the years whole, and they remain in his stomach. He was confident that the champions of Sandpoint, as powerful as they are, would remain unable to conquer him as they had so many others.
And he probably would have been right, if not for the quick thinking of Doril, their locksmith and trapfinder. He realized that there was one place that Ghlorofaex's hide could not protect him, and that was inside the beast's stomach. He grabbed the edges of his flying carpet, and with a final battle cry piloted the rug inside the dragon's mouth and down his gullet, dragging his blades all the way down. His body was obliterated by the electrical discharge, but the massive internal injuries was too much, even for Ghlorofaex's potions. He spat up gallons of sparking blood, shuddered, and collapsed to the ground. The heroes had gained another magical ring, but at what cost?
(So, yeah, this is a special case, which is why the death has an asterisk next to it. The gnome's player, who had been with the game since it began over two years ago, was moving out of town, and this was his final game. Since there was no chance he would be coming back before the game was over, I wanted him to go out like a bad ass, and being swallowed by a Gargantuan blue dragon to kill it seemed like an epic way to go. I gave Ghlorofaex the advanced creature template, since I figured that would make him much more difficult. As it happened, I had to construct that healing solution on the fly when the party actually did enough damage to kill him anyway! I ended up giving them XP for defeating a CR 18 monster in the end, so it all worked out.)
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Name of PC: Diana
Class/Level: Cleric of Erastil 10
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Dorella Kreeg and an open charge across the snow
Story: The party's second assault on Fort Rannick saw them trading blows with Hookmaw, Dorella, Jaagraath and a few lesser ogres on the battlements of the inner keep. When Jaagraath went down, all the others fled, and Hookmaw and Dorella got away and returned to the Clanhold. To punish their incredible failure, Barl punished these two by making them guard the entrance to the clanhold. Hookmaw made his perception check to spot the very non-stealthy party, but the ogres were too despondent to care about a possible threat, and Hookmaw couldn't tell that it was the same group. He was crying, after all, and Dorella wasn't kind to him about it. Seeing their interaction and lack of action, the party made the decision to charge them through the deep snow starting from about 300 feet away, moving half speed through the snow, without ranged cover fire. Dorella waited until they were in range and hit them with two Confusion spells, which confused two party members. The party began to string themselves out and form... a line. So she hit them with not one, not two, but three lightning bolts before those fast enough could get to her through Hookmaw and finish both of them off. The third lightning bolt brought the dwarven arcanist's hp to the single digits, rendered the druid unconscious, and fried the cleric.
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I've just had the first two proper deaths in my current runthrough of the Anniversary Edition (we've been using Hero Points, so the PCs have been able to Cheat Death until now...)
Race/Class/Level: Human Ecclesitheurge Cleric of Abadar 10
Adventure/Part: The Hook Mountain Massacre/Hook Mountain Clanhold
Catalyst: Her cohort brother Severus's reckless nature
Story:
The party easily wiped the floor with the first four Kreeg Ogres and Lunderbud, and Octavi dealt with the surge of Ogre smiths led by their Kreeg taskmaster with a well-timed Greater Forbid Action (Attack).
Eight Ogres succumbed, with the other two being charmed by Mercutio's (the party's Gnome Archivist Bard 10) Mass Charm Person and convinced to attack the aforementioned cruel Kreeg Ogre.
Said Ogre fled, wailing for Barl to save him, and Severus (Octavi's Barbarian brother and cohort) pursued in the grips and throes of battle-rage.
The party then, rather foolishly, split up: Octavi and Baramorn (Tiefling Bladebound Magus 10) hounding the Ogres into the mines, Fenir (Garuda-born Aasimar Flowing Monk of the Sacred Mountain 10) rushing up the southern steps to stop the chant of the coven of Annis Hags, and Nicolai (Half-Elf World Walker Druid 3/Order of the Green Cavalier 2/Nature Warden 5) and Mercutio remaining in the chokepoint providing ranged and Call Lightning support.
This left Severus and the two charmed Ogres to face Barl, Lucrecia (who survived the assault on Fort Rannick and fled here) and his Stone Giant Bodyguard by themselves for several rounds. Needless to say, one Haste spell from Lucrecia on the Stone Giant turned it into a rock-throwing machine gun and Severus looked near death, calling for his sister to help him.
Octavi rushed back to the long throne room to heal Severus with a Cure Critical Wounds and cast Spell Immunity (Fireball) on him to protect him from Barl's Fireball, but caught the brunt of the Fireball herself.
Severus retreated at his sisters urging, only for Lamatar to emerge from his shrine to the call of the Hag Coven and unleash a volley of icy arrows at him.
Octavi spent one of her two Hero Points to act out of turn to cast Stone Shape to form a protective barrier against the volley, saving her brother but leaving her without enough Hero Points to cheat death...
Two full attacks from the Stone Giant (who passed his Will Save against Octavi's Sanctuary) later and Octavi was smashed against the wall of the cavern by boulders, dead.
Race/Class/Level: Human (Shoanti) Unchained Barbarian 8
Adventure: The Hook Mountain Massacre/Hook Mountain Clanhold
Catalyst: Being on low HP whilst fighting a single-handed rearguard action against Ogres.
Story: After Octavi's death, Baramorn surged over and engaged Lamatar in melee combat.
Severus (exhausted due to raging whilst fatigued using the Roused Anger rage power) dove back into combat with the Stone Giant and the Ogres that Barl had intimidated into rejoining his cause.
Lucrecia cast Dimension Door to move behind Nicolai and Mercutio, attempting to cast Charm Monster on Cepheus (Nicolai's horse companion) and successfully casting a Suggestion on Nicolai to go heal Severus so that she could try and eat his horse and pesky Gnome buddy.
Unfortunately, Nicolai's Cure Light Wounds spell healed the minimum it could, and the two attacks Severus took from the Ogres hurt him as he attempted to save Octavi's body from being dragged to Barl, who had a strange grin on his face - then another volley from the Stone Giant finished him.
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Name of PC: Mudder Fokker Goblinkicker
Race/Class: Dwarf/ Ranger 10
Chapter/Part: Fortress of the Stone Giants/Raid on Sandpoint
Catalyst: +1 Dwarven Bane Heavy Pick to the face.
Story: The battle started well and coordinated, but as other giant attacks and the dragon began to occur, the party's tactics started to unravel and the group began to split. With the dragon being driven off and having enough giant and dire bear casualties, the attack was foiled, and Teraktinus began to retreat. Muddier, having already taken some lumps in earlier fights, maneuvered to intercept—only to come around the corner of a building to be facing head on with the retreating giant. The giant, in a frustrated rage, charged the dwarf. The dwarf, enlarged by a spell, made an AoO with his Lucerne hammer, doing a respectable amount of damage. The giant rolled a crit threat, then confirmed the crit, with his +1 dwarf bane heavy pick, which left the dwarf with negative thirty-something-I-don't-care-you're-dead hit points.
Fun times.
Our unchained rogue has died 3 times, and our sorcerer has now died twice.
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Meanwhile, over here by fourth book, only death so far is still that wizard in Nualua plus all of the Thistletop fight from crit in tactically bad position xD
Seriously ._. I don't think my group is optimized, but I guess they play smart? They do avoid unnecessary combat even though they like taking on overwhelming odds oddly enough
Meanwhile, over here by fourth book, only death so far is still that wizard in Nualua plus all of the Thistletop fight from crit in tactically bad position xD
Seriously ._. I don't think my group is optimized, but I guess they play smart? They do avoid unnecessary combat even though they like taking on overwhelming odds oddly enough
Book 4 has been particularly lethal. With their reach and high damage output, the giants even have the barbarian trying to use a bow (much to everyone else's amusement).
My group had very few problems with book 4. Mokmurian managed to disintegrate the party healer, but other than that, no fatalities. Book 5 is where things got tough for us.
Ditto. I had no "deaths" until Book 5 and then 3 (2 to the same pc - a wizard.) Now they're in Book 6 - exploring "the city" - and no trouble yet. Guess I have to step up my game ;)
Name of PC: Sarra Balley
Race/Class: Human Bard 7
Adventure: The Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Hucker Graul (and overconfidence)
Name of PC: Elrohir
Class/Level Fighter 15
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: "Viorri Dekanti", good crits and poor saves.
Story: Above NPC was replaced by a former PC who stopped playing, who managed a good crit on Elrohir, both dropping him to 0 HP and turning him into a ruby-like statue, and causing the game to turn into a discussion on how much various body parts would be worth...
Catalyst: bullrushed off the shadow clock.
Xanesha strikes again.
This boss fight is my all-time favorite encounter.
I think it's time for me to write down our deaths so far (though I'm somewhat certain that I missed one or two). I'm a player in this game, but I GM'ed Runelords up to Skulls Crossing in the past.
We've had 2 party wipes and numerous individual deaths. I can't remember the character names but the stories remain.
Thistletop:
The party wasn't using any stealth whatsoever so Gogmurt heard them coming from far away. Squeezing through the small tunnels proved fatal when the melee guys of the party didn't roll too well and hardly managed to hit Tangletooth, who slowly ripped them too shred one by one. Instead of retrating, they kept fighting in very cramped quarters and were utlimately overcome by the cougar. After that, the druid-and-cat pair had little trouble finishing of the second row of the party (archer-paladin and witch).
Complete party wipe, GM let us play a new party from Magnimar who were send Thistletop to investigate after Sheriff Hemlock reported the Goblin attack.
Thistletop 2:
Malfeshnekor seized the opportunity, pulled her into the room and started to bargain with the party: The cleric's life for his freedom. Not having the slightest clue on how to set him free, the party asked for more time and went to Magnimar, asking the temple of the cleric for help. That was the temple of Iomedae, however, and they didn't like the idea of freeing a Greater Barghest. In fact, the priest argued that the cleric would probably forfeit her life gladly if it meant keeping the Barghest locked up (a fact that the cleric's player confirmed out of character). The temple gave the party some items to help them fight Malfeshnekor and they returned to Thistletop.
Their plan to trick and kill the barghest before he could kill the cleric failed miserably. The cleric was murdered right in front of the party before they could finally put an end to Malfeshnekor.
Farmlands:
Seven's Sawmill:
The druid used his strongest attack spell (geyser at that moment) on the party, which prompted the ranger to shoot him. The injured druid died in a hail of arrows before the rest of the party could react.
Shadowclock:
During the fight, the alchemist went down and everyone else was already injured. Not knowing whether the alchemist was still dying or already dead, the mystic theurge went to him, trying to heal him. Xanesha was nearby, however and the theurge relied on her Mirror Images to keep her save. Her trust in defensive magic was torn to pieces along with most of her intestines when Xanesha's attack of opportunity found the real body among the images.
Falling right onto the (already dead) alchemist, her impact caused his remaining bombs and extracts to break, igniting both bodies. The alchemical fire made quick work of the floor, sending the remains of the two heros crashing down to the ground level of the soon burning tower. Xanesha jumped down to escape the inferno and fled while the rest of the party barely made it to the exit before the tower collapsed.
Fort Rannick:
He knocked out the slayer but was killed only a few rounds later. The oracle went to heal the slayer, but the combat noise alarmed Hookmaw and Dorella of their presence. So the fight continued without enough time to heal the slayer to more than barely conscious. For some reason, he decided it was a good idea to engage Hookmaw in melee. He didn't even reach him because the ogre's attack of opportunity killed him outright.
The fight was far from over. Dorella dropped confusion on the party, hitting everyone left standing except for the rogue. Within a round or two, the party was hitting each other and their doom seemed inevitable. The rogue used her scroll of obscuring mist to stop Dorella from additional casts, before attacking the barbarian so he'd attack her with her good dodge abilities instead of the low armor archer.
It actually worked for a few rounds, but Dorella found her despite the fog and blinded her with magic. Being a scout and skirmisher, the rogue never learned to dodge attacks from foes she couldn't see and the barbarian killed her before returning his attention to the ranger, killing him, too, before being overwhelmed himself. The oracle was captured and brought before a beautiful woman in the lower level of the fort who slit his throat with a smile.
Second party wipe.
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Name of (N)PC: Vale Temros
Class/Level: Fighter 4/Ranger 2
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Karly-Lop Kreeg, preceded by the spectre of Lorgus Fenker and poor choices
Several members of the party — protected by Silence and Obscuring Mist — managed to knock down the Old Guard Post. When the tower fell, one of the ogre guards was killed by the fall, but Karly-Lop Kreeg and the other guard survived, and Jolly Kreeg and the guard from the East Gate ran over to see what happened. The party melee specialists hustled to engage, with the archers and spellcasters hanging back to do their thing. My 13yo son ran Vale alongside his own character (a Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight — essentially an arcane archer build without taking any levels in AA), and played him perfectly based on the description in the book — Vale saw Karly-Lop emerging from the rubble of the guard post and, heedless of the damage and negative levels he had already taken, charged into the fray with vengeance the only thing on his mind.
Vale missed with every swing. Karly-Lop did not — with his first attack, he left Vale with less than 10 hp, and with his second, Vale was dead.
Karly-Lop didn’t make it another round, and the party recovered Vale’s body and brought it with them when they retreated back into the tunnels. They’re still fighting their way through the Fort, with Jakardros as the lone surviving Black Arrow. There has been some talk about trying to raise Vale when (or if) they retake the Fort — the party cleric will hit 9th level by the time they’re done — but they’ve got a long way to go to find a 5,000 gp diamond, and may not be able to get one in time.
Name of PC: Sarah
Class/Level Sorceress 15
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Alarming the spire
Story: Killed by a giant in an all out brawl - Breathed of Life by Gronad
Name of PC: Gronad
Class/Level Cleric/Barbarian 15
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Alarming the spire
Story: Killed by a Hungerer in an all out brawl - hero points to cheat death.
Name of PC: Joe Flynn
Class/Level Fighter/Bard 15
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Alarming the spire
Story: Killed by a Hungerer in an all out brawl - Breathed of Life by Gronad
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Name of PC: Selene
Race/Class: Elf Fighter 15
Adventure: Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Warden of Runes
Having finally reached the Pinnacle of Avarice, the Sandpoint Saviors flew up the two-thousand foot tall tower and spiraled up the remaining hundred feet. They met with the Wardens of Wind posted outside the door, and while they were never in any real danger from that fight, one of them fled to sound the alarm, and rejoin the other Wardens of Wind with the Warden of Runes to the east. After the heroes healed their wounds and entered into the hallway, a brief encounter with Karzoug the Claimer's image heralded a fight with the Warden of Runes and his cadre of elite cloud giant soldiers. Selene, always ready to kill giants, leapt into combat, easily killing one of them. While she was struck once or twice, she brought one of them low within moments of engaging the Warden of Wind.
Then the Warden of Runes came around the corner, and the Sandpoint Saviors saw a rune giant in action for the first time. A full round of attacks severely injured Selene, and while her retort staggered him with a critical blow, he retorted with a strike to her vitals that finally ended her life.
But only for a moment. Her fellow elf, Setashiel, rushed forward, heedless of the danger the cloud giants posed, barely making it to the fallen elven warrior's side, before calling upon Kroina to restore her to life. She unleashed a hail of blows upon the Warden of Runes from the ground, and felled her would-be slayer with a mighty blow of her own.
(If not for a timely breath of life by the warpriest, Selene would have been completely dead. Hell, I almost got the warpriest too - she was injured already, and my attack of opportunity on her as she moved to restore Selene to life knocked her down to 2 HP!)
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Name: Bhearstein
Race/Class: Animal Companion (Bear)
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst:Yeth Hounds hitting like tanks
The party opened the chapel doors, unleashing the flying, baying menaces from within. Half the party got split up by their fearful howling, nearly triggering two additional encounters with the tentamort and Bruzathamus. Meanwhile, the bear bravely held the chokepoint, but the yeth hounds couldn't miss, rolled nearly max damage on their bites, and even tripped the very-hard-to-trip bear, finishing him off as he rose back up from attacks of opportunity.
Name: Bhearstein II
Race/Class: Animal Companion (Bear)
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst:Goblin Ghasts
I had to pull a couple punches with this one; the goblin ghasts managed to paralyze four out of five PCs, including the animal companion. We had a very interesting discussion about whether or not the monsters or their victims knew how long their paralysis lasted for(in rounds)and how this knowledge would affect monster tactics (there's nothing written supporting either view). In the PCs favor, the ghasts decided to focus on the bear, being on especially strict orders not to harm Foxglove's obsession. The paralyzed bear's throat was torn, fortunately buying time for another PC to un-paralyze and form a protective unit on those still frozen. A dicey fight to be sure.
Name: Marrek
Race/Class: Human Druid 7 (Bear Shaman)
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Xanesha
Xanesha confounded the party with her various illusions, wasting some of their resources and buying her time to put herself as close as possible to the perceived spellcasters. She finally revealed herself, making good on her vital strike, sneak attack, and high defenses to injure the druid. She utilized the medusa mask to turn the gnome sorcerer to stone (He lived, but she did this to him right next to the edge of the tower and would have killed him next if not for some really lucky hits by the parry) Marrek and his animal companion Bherstein III moved to flank Xanesha and shifted into Huge Bear form in a display of power. Seeing the biggest threat before her (that included a raging, enlarged barbarian), she focused the Impaler of Thorns on the huge druid and struck him easily, critically hitting him on the second hit, dropping him to the negatives. The Alchemist was able to bring him back to consciousness with healing, giving him a turn of actions. Marrek healed himself with a cure spell, rolling a little below average, then attempted to stand up. When he did, she took her attack of opportunity and critically hit, doing more than enough damage to impale him through the heart. He was avenged by Bherstein III, who got the finishing blow on Xanesha.
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Name of PC: Skippy
Class/Level Magus 16
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Image of Karzoug
Story: Rothgar, the party trap finder, opened a door to see Karzoug standing inside a room, and sent his eidelon in to attack, while the remainder of the party gathered around the door. Pretty near everyone was hit by the cone of Karzougs Banshee Blast, and while both Skippy and Elrohir ran away, the others backed off, waiting for Skippy to come back and try to dispel the image. As Skippy opened the door several rounds later, a prepared Karzoug fired a Disintigrate into him, momentarily turning him into ash before his hero points reconstituted his body, leaving him at -9 and stable.
Name of PC: Skippy
Class/Level Magus 16
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Not being healed, and also Gamgin
Story: After Skippys near disintegration, the party decides to back out and regroup before trying to press forward. They make their way out of the Pinnacle, where Gamgin is waiting for them. a battle ensues, in which Skippy lays unconscious off to one side until Gamgin summons an ice storm, the edge of which envelops Skippy, killing him. Gronad rushes over and Breath of Lifes him, saving him again, and proving that Dwarves get all the action.
Name of PC: Calrys
Class/Level: Half-Elf Evoker 4
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Ripnugget (restatted to Cavalier)
Story: Despite being low on resources from chopping their way through the residents of Thisteltop, the brave party chose to press on and confront the goblin in his lair. Warned of their presence, Ripnugget had already mounted his trusty gecko. As soon as the fight began, he issued a challenge to the party's wizard and charged...confirming a crit for 42 points of damage. Calrys was maybe buried at sea or possibly cremated by the priest of Sarenrae; an orphan of the Turandarock Academy, he is survived by nobody but leaves behind a broken-hearted Shayliss Vinder.
Name of PC: Sarah
Class/Level Sorceress 16
Adventure: The Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Astradaemon
Story: After seeing Rothgar open a door and quickly close it, she decided she wanted to look inside, so she went in and had her soul devoured by the Astradaemon inside. Used hero points to cheat death.
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Ever had one of those sessions where you have no idea what your players are doing?
Name:Bush Senpai
Race: Elf
Class/Level: Sorcerer 11
Name:Ember
Race: Dwarf
Class/Level: Sorcerer 11
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Story:Pit Guardian Barracks - After getting off to a good start where they bluffed the guards into lining up for inspection and then attacking the group divided up into three parts Two sorcerers in a corner blasting the giants, two melee fighters taking on one giant and the cleric just kind of doing their own thing, a couple giants decide the sorcerer look squishy so goes over and squishes them when they try to cast magic while it is in melee with them. (I thought they had learned by now that casting in melee is bad)
Name:Sir Von Duely the Third
Class/Level: Barbarian 11
Race: half orc
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Story:
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Not only was it meta-gaming but it was bad meta-gaming. Taking AoO's is a horrible choice since it gave Nualia (and her Yeth Hound) the one thing they are short of: additional actions.
Peer pressure is a bad thing :)
Book: Skinsaw Murders
Character/s: Beldar (Gunslinger//Wizard) and Feya (Druid//Monk)
My party of two TPKed at the Xanesha fight. Beldar failed the save vs petrification in the first round, this taking out the damage dealer. Xanesha and her three faceless stalkers beat on Feya until she died. They then put Beldar to sleep as soon as the petrification wore off, followed by a coup de grace.
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My party of two TPKed
I think I see the problem.
My party of two TPKedI think I see the problem.
I agree. They are gestalt and well made characters. The monk's AC is ridiculous and the gunslinger does massive damage. When they are not too brash, they work very well together. This was definitely something they could have handled, but the unlucky save round 1 really messed them up. Gunslinger actually had a few rounds of combat after the petricication wore off and he almost dropped her, but that second save did him in.
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This is the problem with small parties: action economy. It's the same reason why traditional boss fights don't work. You have to hinder the party's ability to gang up on the boss.
You basically created a reverse boss fight, and it went as expected.
The Xanesha encounter is tough even for a balanced party of four. There's a reason why she's at the top of the "kills" list in this thread.
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Name: Selene
Race/Class: Elf Fighter 16
Adventure: Spires of Xin-Shalast
Catalyst: Warden of Thunder
Story: Pretty much the same as last story, actually. She took a crap ton of damage from the three chain lightnings tossed out by the Wardens, and weathered Viorian's storm rather well. Once it came time to take the full attack from one of the Wardens, though, she ran out of luck, getting killed again. Akades, the party's warrior-priest of Ragathiel, rushed forwards to bring her back, and very nearly got killed himself in the process, but she was brought back to life. She's really gotta stop doing this.
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Alright, I don't know what went wrong but the 6+ paragraph obituary I wrote for the two PC's that fell last night is somehow lost. So, I'll try again in a shorter, less detailed summary...
Names: Perellon Derexhi and Grungar
Race/Class: Halfelf Cacalier (12), Dwarf Shaman (12)
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: falchions are awesome
VERY long story short: fighting against the Forgefiend, The Headless Lord and his Zombie minions at the same time wasn't too bad, but the Frost Giants that went down to library level to investigate why there were so many corpses lying around under Jorgenfist and were full of anger and rage after getting affected by the Chamber of Reduction joining said battle proved to be very effective getting two of the party members killed. While Breath of Life was enough (by one hit point) to bring Grungar back to life, the party was very glad that there were still 3 charges of True Ressurection left in Grabthar's Hammer to bring back the cavalier who was at the time at -102 hp
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Name Numerick
Race/Class Human Oracle (Battle) 7
Adventure Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst Crowfood going off script/Scythe Trap/Party Split
Details The party (after a lot of goading to get them to follow Kibb) arrived at the Graul farmstead and proceeded immediately towards the barn. Crowfood decided to hide in the cornfield as they approached and waited for the heroes to engage the boys inside. He then proceeded to use spring attack to jump in and out of the rows, bloodying several party memebers before being taken down to about 1/4 of his HP and fleeing back to the farmhouse. While he entered through the side entrance and hid inside, the heroes cleaned up the remaining ogre-kin and healed themselves. Then, for some reason, Numerick decides to go through the side entrance while everyone else goes through the porch entrance. While they deal with the numerous traps that riddle that way in, Numerick quickly makes his way through the kitchen and goes to open the door to the dining room. When he goes to open the door, he gets hit with the scythe trap and then finds Crowfood hiding directly behind the door. Using that awesome rogue talent Surprise Attack, he gets a full attack on Numerick, dropping him with two sneak-attack empowered swings. Everyone in the other room hears this happen, but by the time they enter the dining room and kitchen, they find only blood streaks from where Numerick's body had been dragged into the basement...
Name Toki Jorgensen
Race/Class Human Barbarian (Unchained) 7
Adventure Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst Failing to intimidate Mammy Graul
Details Not willing to potentially back themselves into a corner with little of the farmhouse explored, the heroes decide to clear the first floor before going into the attic or basement (where their companion had been dragged), running straight into Mammy Graul's room. Her zombies blocked the way as she lobbed spell after spell at them. Most of the party was severely injured by the time they closed upon her, with Toki taking the lead into the room. She proved really hard to hurt with Resist Energy and Shield blocking most magical attacks directed at her while Stoneskin absorbed physical damage. Thinking her not physically capable, a very injured Toki decided for some reason that rather than striking a finishing blow upon her decided to try and intimidate her into submission. I think the player's intention was to get her to command her boys inside the house to surrender to the group, but Mammy wasn't having it. She let loose a lightning bolt which finished off Toki before she dimension doored away, into the back of the barn..
Name Mammy Graul
Race/Class OgreKin Necromancer 8
Adventure Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst Biggun' the Spider
Details Unaware of the deaths of her boys in the barn, Mammy Graul dimension doored into the barn for help in dealing with the 'heroes' who had invaded her home. Finding her boys dead, she hid in the back of the barn on the catwalk, thinking it a safe place to heal. When the heroes (looking for a defensible place to rest) came barging in, Mammy proceeded to try and use what spells she had left to drive them out. Unfortunately, by this point, her Fly spell had expired and she found herself perched on the area above Biggun's web. Seeing the opportunity, the alchemist of the group used Grease on her area, which caused her to slip and fall... right into Biggun's web. Acting on pure predatory instinct, the massive spider immediately turned from the gnome it was attacking to the thing in its web. Biggun couldn't miss, and despite cries of "Biggun! No!!", the spider had its meal, only to be swiftly killed off by the heroes.
Name Isabela
Race/Class Human Arcanist
Adventure Burnt Offerings
Catalyst Poor will saves and an ambush
Details
The party was doing fairly well so far in Thistletop. After massacring the chieftain bugbear in a couple of rounds, we headed over to the next room... and our biggest challenge yet. The party was confronted with 3 yeth hounds and things went badly from the start. While our melee members struggled to get in hits, the hounds managed to unleash their bay effects. You would expect that out of everyone, that the oracle and arcanist would have the least trouble making their saves. Alas, they panicked and ran out of the room... into the waiting blade of Orik. The arcanist recovered first and decided to valiantly fend off the attacker. Even with the resident fighter rushing over for aid, they couldn't being him down enough to land two hits to the arcanist, including a near crit. Regardless, it was enough to put her at -13...
... but the GM felt merciful, allowing us to save her in the same round. The Gunslinger arrived on time to one-shot Orik with 17 damage, allowing the oracle to heal her with enough HP to put her at -2. Knocked out but alive.
Name of PC: Malaki
Class/Level: Rogue 7
Adventure: Hook mountain massacre
Catalyst: never tried even once to foresee enemy's strengths, also going first in a tough room.
Story: Malaki is a former member of the Red Mantis. He fled to Sandpoint to find a more quiet position with Jubrayl, actually waiting for overthrowing him and taking revenge on his assassin mentor. His name is a pun that means "ill-gotten gains" in french.
Malaki is not really an assassin, thus his eviction from the Mantis, he only wants to sell poisons or various drugs. If it wasn't for these stupid laws that go against fair trade and entrepreuneur freedomship...
His greed score started high, and skyrocketted during the second chapter of the adventure as you can guess. But Malaki, though great to be around, was never taking the time to analyse his opponents and often going first in a room, heavily relying on his arsenal of homemade powerful poisons. His carelessness already had got him below 0 hp against Xanesha, and he finally met his bane in the Graul farm.
They arrived at the Graul farm during a heavy rain time and took care of the whole House swiftly and quietly (quietly enough...). Then they went for the screams of tortured agony coming from the barn. They burst in the room, Malaki ahead to sneak attack an ogre. But they get distracted by the hounds eating Jakardros leg alive while another ogre was raping Kaven. Enough so the ogre spider, which had spotted Malaki, caugth him in its webs. The damage was sustainable but he failed every single poison check and dropped to 0 strength.
The party was severely wounded, in the middle of the forest, during a cold and storming night. With no access to enough restoration magic for a significant healing, not even talking about the other members of the team, (the black arrows all had significant stat damage, and the priest was also down in wisdom and strength) they barely made it to turtleback ferry and Malaki stayed in coma for several days. He finally died from heavy internal bleeding, right before the party decided they had to try an assault on fort Rannick.
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Runeforge just claimed my entire party, including the character that have not died since the beginning of the campaign. I am sad :(
Race/Class/Level: Tiefling Abyssal Primalist Rageshaper Bloodrager 12/Vivisectionist Alchemist 2
Adventure/Part: Sins of the Saviors/The Iron Cages of Lust
Catalyst: Recklessly charging ahead into the guns of multiple enchantment spells, Shining Children
Negotiations went poorly in the Iron Cages of Lust. Drekevac flew ahead of the party, ripped into the Pavilion from above and attacked Delvahine and her Shining Children solo.
After being charmed by Delvahine for a period of time in the battle, Drekevac broke the charm seeing the attack on his ally Baramorn with the use of his final remaining Hero Points, but had taken too much damage over the previous wing and here to not fall to a Searing Ray from one of the Shining Children...
Race/Class/Level: Tiefling Black Blade Magus 14
Adventure/Part: Sins of the Saviors/The Iron Cages of Lust
Catalyst: Same as Drekevac, but a little slower.
With no aid from a charmed Drekevac when Baramorn breached the boudoir of Delvahine, and a Greater Dispel Magic from one of the Shining Children stripping most of his important buffs, Baramorn had a hard solo fight on his hands. He was blinded by the Blinding Light aura of the other Shining Child, and Deafened by Delvahine, but still managed to kill several Aludemons before succumbing to another Searing Ray.
He spent much of the battle unconscious, but was later revived by Nicolai, our Druid, and after being pulled into the entrance room and fighting some more Delvahine clones that had survived from the Pride wing, eventually engaged Delvahine in single combat.
Unfortunately, after a failed save versus a Confusion spell and becoming entangled in her whip, Baramorn was finally stabbed by Delvahine back down into death.
Race/Class/Level: Half-Elf Druid 3/Cavalier 3/Nature Warden 8
Adventure/Part: Sins of the Saviors/The Iron Cages of Lust
Catalyst: A ranseur critical hit from an Aludemon and Delvahine clones using Vampiric Touch repeatedly
After killing the enslaved Stone Giants and rescuing and healing several of his allies, Nicolai and his horse Cepheus fled the boudoir, but was crit on his way out by an Aludemon for 67 HP (most of his remaining health). The Aludemon fell beneath Impaler of Thorns and his battle horse, and escape to the entrance room was affected, but the Delvahine clones pursuing drained the life out of Cepheus with Vampiric Touch.
The Clones teleported away, but they eventually returned in an unguarded moment via Ethereal Jaunt, set up a flank around Nicolai ethereally, cast Vampiric Touch and held the charge, dismissed Ethereal Jaunt and despite a last minute Obscuring Mist from Nicolai for the concealment chance the clones fell upon him with vampiric claws.
Nicolai encountered a Psychopomp Usher known as Phlegyas, the Consoler in the Boneyard who gave him a choice and thrust him back into his body, unconscious (spending Hero Points to Cheat Death) but was Coup De Graced by Delvahine after the last hero fell...
Race/Class/Level: Garuda-born Aasimar Flowing Monk of the Iron Mountain 5/Evangelist of Desna 9
Adventure/Part: Sins of the Saviors/The Iron Cages of Lust
Catalyst: Blindness
Fenir killed several Giants, the two Shining Children and the remaining Aludemons and Clones over the various fights - one of his highest kill counts outside of Fort Rannick in book 3 - but after Baramorn fell ended up 1v1-ing Delvahine whilst blind from her Blindness spell (after having been Blinded by the Shining Children and healed of it by Nicolai). While between Fenir and Baramorn they reduced Delvahine to 64 HP from maximum, the numbers game was always against him despite his amazing defences and he eventually succumbed to a dagger thrust to the chest.
And thus died my Rise of the Runelords party. They only had the Envy wing and the secret encounter to do and they would have levelled after the Lust wing...
Yikes!
My condolences. Are there any plans to send in a back-up party from Sandpoint/Magnimar when there is no more contact from the orginal characters?
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Runeforge just claimed my entire party, including the character that have not died since the beginning of the campaign. I am sad :(
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **...
Maybe player character sheets should come with a warning label:
There are three classic blunders -
- never get involved in a land war in Asia
- never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line
- AND NEVER split the party
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Oh, this happened months ago, but does "sorcerer got paralyzed and neck snapped(coud de grace) by mummies" count even though he was brought back on following round with breath of life?
Nothing else in Runeforge provided as big threat as final boss though. I mean, it didn't manage to kill anyone, but it was pretty close
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Yikes!
My condolences. Are there any plans to send in a back-up party from Sandpoint/Magnimar when there is no more contact from the orginal characters?
They weren't organised enough as a party to have set up a contingency plan, but I've offered them a similar arrangement as many influential NPCs in both places knew where they were going.
They haven't decided yet though, as we were planning on moving onto Strange Aeons when we finished RotR, and we might just move onto that AP early.