So yesterday me and my fellow party members pretty much wrapped up Bordin's Watch. While I still feel the story for this AP is a bit thin on the ground some of the encounters that we went through were fricken awesome.
As an example we got to the last encounter of the adventure and we learned from a Dwarf that we saved and has been tagging along with the party that we needed to get to this mechanism that was 90 feet up this central column with catwalks leading up to it. The room has all these tunnels leading into it and we learn from our Dwarf companion that if we can reach the apex there is a mechanism for blocking all these entrances into the room.
Well the battle turns into this extremely exciting but brutal encounter were the PCs are fighting their way up the catwalk but it becomes apparent we can't get through the defending orcs fast enough as more and more of them keep pouring out of the side halls onto the catwalk every turn. In desperation we send our fighter (who has an amazing athletics skill) to climb up the walls of the central column and start get to the mechanism to block the passage off. That almost does not work as he is cut to ribbons by bow fire on the way up (and he's moved beyond where my cleric can help him).
He gets to the top as the rest of the party continues to battle their way forward. but were getting broken up as reinforcements are forcing us to try and defend both the rear of the party and also keep driving forward. Meanwhile more enemies at the top of the tower have our beaten up fighter on the defensive and, worse yet, the mechanism is not super simple. We need to send up reinforcements with better skills so the Fighter hooks a grappling hook to the side of the tower and drops the rope so the Avenger can climb up and help with the mechanism.
The constant reinforcements and the need to keep to many Orcs from breaking up to the tower created an awesomely tense battle even as our resources began to really tap out.
My issue is, after participating in some of these awesome encounters, that I've become concerned with my conversion of Age of Worms - or any other conversion I might do really. I'm looking for ideas to create some of these epic style encounters for Age of Worms, especially for some of the more dramatic battles. I feel the bar has been raised enough that if I just run the kill the cool monsters type encounters that are the mainstay of historical D&D it'll make Age of Worms seem rather lame in comparison to the newer material at least in terms of some of the the phenomenal fights.
So where are you DMs getting ideas for spicing up the important fights (presuming your not just running 4E WotC stuff)?
As an example of my problem I've just read over the final encounter in Whispering Cairn. Some air elemental dukes will fight the players in a circular chamber. This actually has a few points in its favour - circles are good and there is a drop to add some excitement but its not really very exciting for the BBEG fight of the module.
It's tough. There are unfortunately few truly dynamic combat situations written into most 3rd Edition adventures, which usually means you need to fundamentally alter the circumstances of the encounter when converting it in order to make the fight really stand out.
I suggest focusing on thematic elements when designing the fight. I have no idea what the air elemental encounter is all about, but interesting air-based elements might include mobile elemental air currents that can affect ranged attacks (for the better or worse) or send creatures caught in them airborne. If the BBEG is fighting the party in his own turf, give him some control over his surroundings (for instance, giving him an action that can reposition those air currents) - make the players feel as though they have encountered evil in a place where it is comfortable.
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If you want my opinion, the most exciting encounters are the ones that the PC's have a heavily vested interest in successfully completing.
It's not enough just to survive it. Attacking something pro-active style usually has better results then the traditional, let's explore a cave and fight goblin hexers and get shot at by crossbow turrets cliche stuff.
Thinks like assaulting a castle to get in to the dungeon inside of it to stop a mad wizard from opening a rift in time and space and letting some unspeakable horror out would be a fun climax to a campaign or adventures, though you have to make sure they actually have a chance to win. :)
Don't worry so much about special effects pf the encounters as the script of the adventure. You can have just as much fun fighting smaller monster as huge epic battles so long as your fighting for the right thing or ideal.
Thinks like assaulting a castle to get in to the dungeon inside of it to stop a mad wizard from opening a rift in time and space and letting some unspeakable horror out would be a fun climax to a campaign or adventures, though you have to make sure they actually have a chance to win. :)
Isn't that basically the plot of Keep on the Shadowfell?
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Isn't that basically the plot of Keep on the Shadowfell?
Not sure, never played that one? Did the PC's find out about him through rumors or other battles and then do everything the could to stop him from gathering the components and sacrifices he needed to complete his ritual, only to fail and have to rally their allies for a final assault on his strong hold, drawing together the threads from a nice long campaign?
Isn't that basically the plot of Keep on the Shadowfell?Not sure, never played that one? Did the PC's find out about him through rumors or other battles and then do everything the could to stop him from gathering the components and sacrifices he needed to complete his ritual, only to fail and have to rally their allies for a final assault on his strong hold, drawing together the threads from a nice long campaign?
It's pretty short (levels 1-4) but involves:
The PCs sent to a remote town to investigate rumors of cult activity.
PCs infiltrate the hobgoblin-held Keep, working their way down three levels into its underbelly.
Only to discover that by the time they get there the BBEG is already bringing the Unspeakable Horror through the dark rift he's created. They have to fight him in front of the rift in the climatic battle of the adventure (with said Unspeakable Horror actually participating in combat through the rift).
If you want my opinion, the most exciting encounters are the ones that the PC's have a heavily vested interest in successfully completing.
It's not enough just to survive it. Attacking something pro-active style usually has better results then the traditional, let's explore a cave and fight goblin hexers and get shot at by crossbow turrets cliche stuff.
Thinks like assaulting a castle to get in to the dungeon inside of it to stop a mad wizard from opening a rift in time and space and letting some unspeakable horror out would be a fun climax to a campaign or adventures, though you have to make sure they actually have a chance to win. :)
Don't worry so much about special effects pf the encounters as the script of the adventure. You can have just as much fun fighting smaller monster as huge epic battles so long as your fighting for the right thing or ideal.
Its not really the size of the encounter I'm concerned with but it is the special effects. While I don't think tons of special effects are needed in every encounter I do think that 4E has raised the bar in terms of special effects especially as a cornerstone to epic fights. I agree with you that having the players very interested in beating the protagonist is always a good idea but amazing special effects does not preclude that. Obviously I want a great story line - its just that I now want a great story line and awesome battles as well.
Thanks!
Good ideas for the final encounter.