CotCT - Edge of Anarchy Beta Run


Playtest Reports

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

My group has just switched over to Beta partway through Edge of Anarchy from a mix of 3.0 and 3.5 (we're all longtime gamers who went to other games when 3.5 came out, not wanting to rebuy, again, all the books ::sigh::)

Anyway,

Spoiler:
we'd finished through retrieving the incriminating letters from Devargo Barvasi before we got our mitts on the Beta book. The players were not happy about leaving the pseudodragon in the Spider King's hands, and plotted ways and means between play sessions while we also translated the characters over to Beta. I'll go into other parts of the play test later, need to find all my notes and make it all clear.

The part I wanted to share this time was with Channel Energy, that I found worked very nicely during our weekend of play.

The party had entered the Dead Warrens and were making their way into the first room. I waited until the party was nicely centered in the room, their heads swiveling all about, before having the dead rise to greet them.

Two members of the party were surprised, including the cleric, so the dead were able to close with the group before she could use Channel Energy. Two of the skeletons crumbled away to dust, and the owlbear failed his save, fleeing down the hallway. The party then waded into the rest of the skeletons, managing to polish them off just in time for the Owlbear to return <eg>.

A second dose of Channel Energy, healing the poor ranger and wizard who had taken some major damage from blows by the skellies scimitars, and another failed save sends the Owlbear scurrying off once more.

The party sets up an ambush for the monstrous skelly, to get flanking bonuses, and eventually polishes him off when he returns. Meanwhile the two Derro who were in their quarters, having seend the owlbear come through now twice to hover in a corner, know that someone is about, and take to the secret tunnels to come at the party from surprise from behind.

The party is once again damaged, and uses the potion of cure moderate on the ranger, and a cure light on the rogue before heading further into the dungeon. The cleric is wounded, but unwilling to use more healing since they don't know how far they have to go.

Another battle with the Derro and the Stirges, and the party comes to the room with the Lesser Necrophidiuses. The rogue, who was very paranoid about the skulls in the wall, was in the room long enough to trigger the spray, but dove back to the Exsanguination Chamber where the rest of the party had been waiting where they began to discuss options. I gave them a perception test to hear the subtle sound of ribs rattling, since I had rolled rather poorly on the stealth of the constructs, and the party was prepared for something undead to come around the corner.

The cleric, on her turn, attempted to turn the nasties, which of course failed since they are not undead but golems. However, the healing wave that accompanied the Channel Energy did a very good job of bringing the party back to near full health again.

All in all, I am VERY pleased with Channel Energy. Allowing the cleric to aid the party with turning and healing, without depleting all spells and turning the cleric back into the walking first aid kit, makes for more fun for the player of the cleric, and more flexibility on the GM, I find.

I am curious on one thing from other GMs. The player of the cleric was unwilling to use Channel Energy outside of the presence of undead for two reasons: (1) Because of the limited amount, and wanting to have it handy for the rest of the undead they expect to meet before they're done, and (2) because it was felt that was an "abuse" of the power ... that the healing is a benefit of the turning, not something to be used friviously. What think ye? I felt it great roleplaying, and was not going to argue, but I don't want the player feeling it would be _wrong_ to use it if the need is felt, but I could also see the argument he was giving on behalf of his character to another character that wanted the cleric to "do it again!" (The rogue is always nervous of carrying any damage ::chuckle::)

Thoughts?

ps: I'll post more of the playtesting things we ran into when I sort me notes better.


Gamer Girrl wrote:
I am curious on one thing from other GMs. The player of the cleric was unwilling to use Channel Energy outside of the presence of undead for two reasons: (1) Because of the limited amount, and wanting to have it handy for the rest of the undead they expect to meet before they're done, and (2) because it was felt that was an "abuse" of the power ... that the healing is a benefit of the turning, not something to be used friviously. What think ye? I felt it great roleplaying, and was not going to argue, but I don't want the player feeling it would be _wrong_ to use it if the need is felt, but I could also see the argument he was giving on behalf of his character to another character that wanted the cleric to "do it again!" (The rogue is always nervous of carrying any damage ::chuckle::)

For what it is worth, my group really liked the new Channel Energy as well. It extended the need for rest, and allowed the cleric to use more spells that would have otherwise been spent on healing. I think the player was a little hesitant at first too, but got over it pretty quickly. The only time the ability was a problem was when she forgot that it healed everyone in the radius, including enemies.

To answer your question more directly, I don't think it would be an abuse of power. Your player has a good point for a roleplaying aspect, as long as it doesn't cause a death in the group.

Sovereign Court

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

We ran Seven Swords of Sin at a con and converted it to the Beta rules. I still kinda' felt like the cleric was a healing bot. It may have been the way the player ran the cleric or our group dynamics or the general lack of undead in the adventure, but he spent most of his time healing and buffing and did very little fighting. The positive energy blasts were cool and certainly came in handy, but felt a little ... cheap. BOOM, you're all healed! And again. And again. It's pretty much just a mass healing spell. I don't know, maybe I'd feel better if it was a touch effect, limited to one or two people at a time.

I'm also leaning toward the Second Wind idea to allow players to heal a few points on their own rather than always needing magic, especially the cleric, to do it for them.

Community / Forums / Archive / Pathfinder / Playtests & Prerelease Discussions / Pathfinder Roleplaying Game / Playtest Reports / CotCT - Edge of Anarchy Beta Run All Messageboards
Recent threads in Playtest Reports
Rangers