Any suggestions for running for seven? I really hate the "everything balanced for four", standard of the game but that cant be helped. Some of my common solutions to this problem are
a - give badguys max hp
b - increase qty/hd of badguys
but in the end the larger parties have so many overlapping abilities the entire feel of the game changes. I have alway felt 5 was the perfect number. You get the 4 basic food groups, and someone can play something special. But seven gives just way to much redundency especially with my very seasoned (all since 1ed) gamers.
Anyway, if any DM have any additional suggestions to help that would be great.
Thanks
I'm running for 9 right now... I double (at least) all the bad guys. Except for the Level boss... but I do give them more henchmen and/or increase their level by 2. So far things have worked out well.
After book 4 things get more complicated... I'm in hte middle of it right now.
Good luck Fray, yeah as it gets higher in level it does get more complicated. I rand Shackled City for 6 and the final few chapters were very painful to balance, but my players were different then. Not near as concerned with "optimize" as some of these players are so it will be a harder battle to keep things interesting.
Thanks for the comment
mac
I'm about to do the same, actually. My deal, though, is that not all 7 will likely be able to make every session, so I have to play it by ear.
I plan on adding enemies. I'll need to, as my game will be a Pathfinder/Trailblazer, so the PCs are going to be pretty tough.
I'm about to do the same, actually. My deal, though, is that not all 7 will likely be able to make every session, so I have to play it by ear.
I plan on adding enemies. I'll need to, as my game will be a Pathfinder/Trailblazer, so the PCs are going to be pretty tough.
Trailblazer ?
Trailblazer ?I'm about to do the same, actually. My deal, though, is that not all 7 will likely be able to make every session, so I have to play it by ear.
I plan on adding enemies. I'll need to, as my game will be a Pathfinder/Trailblazer, so the PCs are going to be pretty tough.
A supplement for 3.5/Pathfinder which adds new rules to make the game more balanced or something.
A supplement for 3.5/Pathfinder which adds new rules to make the game more balanced or something.Trailblazer ?I'm about to do the same, actually. My deal, though, is that not all 7 will likely be able to make every session, so I have to play it by ear.
I plan on adding enemies. I'll need to, as my game will be a Pathfinder/Trailblazer, so the PCs are going to be pretty tough.
Let us hope that some one will kindly linky it for me then ... :)
EDIT: Found a few threads discussing it, but nothing going into any real details.
A couple threads on ENWorld:
List of changes in Trailblazer
It's kinda cool, they go through the math of the game and draw some conclusions from it, and then present a set of rules taking those conclusions into account.
What they did with action points and iterative attacks is awesome.
Any suggestions for running for seven? I really hate the "everything balanced for four", standard of the game but that cant be helped. Some of my common solutions to this problem are
a - give badguys max hp
b - increase qty/hd of badguysbut in the end the larger parties have so many overlapping abilities the entire feel of the game changes. I have alway felt 5 was the perfect number. You get the 4 basic food groups, and someone can play something special. But seven gives just way to much redundency especially with my very seasoned (all since 1ed) gamers.
Anyway, if any DM have any additional suggestions to help that would be great.
Thanks
I'm running with seven, but not every player can make it. I try to hold off big encounters until everyone is there (so no one misses big story moments) but I just usually double the henchman and max the hit points. Also, don't forget to double the treasure!
Beef up the 1st couple of encounters slightly (+2 to hit and damage, max hp's) then keep most of it the same (add hp's only to BBEG's) but with the PC's 1 or even 2 levels below.
such that they start 7days to the grave at 3rd level.
(I will be running for 7 and this is kinda what I will do- it worked for me for RotRL)
Yep I boosted everything and will just play it by ear. Seven is just so problomatical from every facet. I have one PC taking the dazzling display feat tree (which I hate) and when he hits it will be pretty much automatic shaken followed by 6 guys hammering them, it is going to get ugly quick, so I will probably add some extra chumps once he picks up this feat.
If you have BBEGs that MUST withstand the effects of fear, dominate, charm et al, I recommend the Dreadnaught template from the Book o' Templates as an equalizer.
Yep I boosted everything and will just play it by ear. Seven is just so problomatical from every facet. I have one PC taking the dazzling display feat tree (which I hate) and when he hits it will be pretty much automatic shaken followed by 6 guys hammering them, it is going to get ugly quick, so I will probably add some extra chumps once he picks up this feat.
Quite honestly, if you got one guy who wastes his rounds making enemies Shaken at higher levels, be glad about it.
Yep I boosted everything and will just play it by ear. Seven is just so problomatical from every facet. I have one PC taking the dazzling display feat tree (which I hate) and when he hits it will be pretty much automatic shaken followed by 6 guys hammering them, it is going to get ugly quick, so I will probably add some extra chumps once he picks up this feat.Quite honestly, if you got one guy who wastes his rounds making enemies Shaken at higher levels, be glad about it.
Yep at high levels I agree 100%, but at low levels this is butter. This feat would have been way more balanced, had it just been a -2 to attack rolls, by giving them the shaken feat you get -2 to everything. Not a big shift at high levels, but murder to saves and to hit rolls at low levels.