So I'm a rookie DM and I thought I'd use a pre-made campaign to get used to DMing and try it out. Make it easier on me. Everyone I know has agreed that that's the best way to DM for the first time.
So we're doing Rise of the Runelords campaign and we're about to assault Thistletop. What level should my party be/almost be before they attack Thistletop? Cause when we were doing the catacombs of wrath they couldn't finish it in one go. They swept the catacombs except for Erylium, then they had to go back out of the catacombs rest for a night and back in cause they were so hurt.
I'm worried that I might not have done the math right on their xp so far, so they should be a level higher than they are. So are they supposed to be level 3 or 4 when they assault Thistletop? Or are they supposed to be 2 and I'm just rolling weird against them? Help please.
Robert, are you using 3.5e or the Pathfinder Beta RPG rules?
I am using the later so it may not hold true for the former.
When my party started into Thistletop they were 3rd level and they pretty much wiped the floor with the goblins and such. They expended most of their resources in an all-out assault on the stockade and faced Ripnugget and all the goblins he could muster. It wasn't really that big a challenge (nobody came even close to dying). They retreated to a camp on the beach, leveled up to 4th and then proceeded to kick the crap out of Nualia and her crew -- even with extra yeth hounds and goblins it still wasn't much of a challenge. The party rested again (in the dungeon) and went on to smack the bejesus out of Malfeshnekor without breaking a sweat.
So...I think my party was too high level.
If you are running PFRPG I would suggest the party being 2nd level to head into Thistletop...and encourage them to be smart. Provide a challenge for your players...walk the fine line between "wow that was scary" and "darn we are all now dead".
CJ
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So I'm a rookie DM and I thought I'd use a pre-made campaign to get used to DMing and try it out. Make it easier on me. Everyone I know has agreed that that's the best way to DM for the first time.
So we're doing Rise of the Runelords campaign and we're about to assault Thistletop. What level should my party be/almost be before they attack Thistletop? Cause when we were doing the catacombs of wrath they couldn't finish it in one go. They swept the catacombs except for Erylium, then they had to go back out of the catacombs rest for a night and back in cause they were so hurt.
I'm worried that I might not have done the math right on their xp so far, so they should be a level higher than they are. So are they supposed to be level 3 or 4 when they assault Thistletop? Or are they supposed to be 2 and I'm just rolling weird against them? Help please.
We used 3.5 rules but I redid the major NPCs using the elite array, giving them different items and treasure etc...
Two members of the group were level 3 and three members were level 2. The goblins werent much of an issue for the most part, but they pressed on even after 75% of their resources was spent and ran into the bugbear below, who sliced the druid's animal companion in two on a critical hit.
If you look through the obituaries file, you'll see most deaths for Burnt Offerings occur at Thistletop. The adventure is a wonderful design for its level.
My group of 5 (at 3rd level going in) easily went through all the goblins (except for Gogmurt who was too elusive for them - and was able to warn Ripnugget). Even so they defeated Ripnugget without trouble, Bruthazmus, and got Orik to drop his sword and leave. After the Yeth Hounds, they had to retreat and rest - so Nualia was ready for them with Lyrie on the second level.
I caught the party Cleric in the trapped hall and Nualia got a critical kill on him with that nasty sword backed up by Lyrie's spellcasting. The rest of the party defeated Nualia and made it past the coin tower but never dealt with Malfeshnekor and decided to not enter the Crypt since their Cleric got killed. As a matter of fact, their only return to Thistletop (after taking the cleric back to Sandpoint) was to get Ripnugget's head because Daverin Hosk had offered them 500 gold for it and they needed the money to help pay for the Raise Dead. They paid Gogmurt 20 gold for it (as he had now taken charge of the island). As they felt they had stopped the plot against Sandpoint and kind of felt sorry for Gogmurt (who they think never wanted the goblins to get involved against the longshanks) they felt leaving Gogmurt in charge of the few living goblins was no big deal.
Enjoy this run with your group knowing that this could be your first big chance to take some of them down if the are not wise.
-Rose