Serpent Skull AP getting off to a grand start.
Three PC kills from random encounter on the Smuggler's Shiv.
Six Shiv Dragon's got surprise on the party of four.
Serpent Skull AP getting off to a grand start. Three PC kills from random encounter on the Smuggler's Shiv.
Six Shiv Dragon's got surprise on the party of four.
Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.
|
Serpent Skull AP getting off to a grand start.
Three PC kills from random encounter on the Smuggler's Shiv.
Six Shiv Dragon's got surprise on the party of four.
Wow, and here I thought I was mean by throwing six cannibals at my 1st level party while they where having breakfast. The party having breakfast that is, not the cannibals. ; )
Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.Serpent Skull AP getting off to a grand start. Three PC kills from random encounter on the Smuggler's Shiv.
Six Shiv Dragon's got surprise on the party of four.
in their defense, they took down 4 of them before 3 PCs dropped.
Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.
It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...
Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...
It's called "fudging". Or, make it a "Hobbits hiding from the ringwraiths" scene. Not EVERYTHING on the random encounter table need to end in combat. If that were the case, then my players would have eradicated half the elk population in Kingmaker.
|
|
It's called "fudging". Or, make it a "Hobbits hiding from the ringwraiths" scene. Not EVERYTHING on the random encounter table need to end in combat. If that were the case, then my players would have eradicated half the elk population in Kingmaker.Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...
That's very true. They do specifically say in print just because you roll it on the table doesn't mean it's necessarily a combat. It could just be a quick glimpse of said creature or evidence of its passing. GM discretion still applies.
Creative Director
|
Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...
The middle ground is not rolling random numbers and just picking enough monsters for each wandering encounter so that you hit the PCs with a CR-appropriate challenge, I suppose.
The middle ground is not rolling random numbers and just picking enough monsters for each wandering encounter so that you hit the PCs with a CR-appropriate challenge, I suppose.Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...
What fun is that ? The characters can often run away as well.
|
|
The middle ground is not rolling random numbers and just picking enough monsters for each wandering encounter so that you hit the PCs with a CR-appropriate challenge, I suppose.Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...
Absolutely. What he said.
Or remember you can have no encounter at all. I skipped a couple of the Dimorphodon encounters. My party had already done a couple random encounters and any more would have bogged down play. Of course I then added a zombie encounter into a shipwreck because they kept finding them empty. That's no fun, especially with the killer swim checks I was throwing at them to get out there.
You as a DM are in control. Don't let the table dictate your story.
Remember that not all players will be excellent at judging exactly which encounters are too hard and needs to be run away from, and once several players go down it tends to be too late - similarly CR levels are not exactly character knowledge. There is also the issue that having to “meta” judge any fight they are involved in to run away or not might not be what every player thinks of as fun play. It is important to convey a certain sense of danger and encourage player caution – but it can easily go too far.
As a GM I tend to pre-roll any “random” encounters for in-game days or weeks at a time – which enables me to adjust or script them as I see fit. If some encounters seems like they would be absolutely no fun, or “clog up” our precious playing time with a boring event I will simply change or omit it. I feel being able to “script” encounters removes the rather boring “roll initiative now” and having all fights starts the same.
Should the players “suffer” a random encounter with six shiv dragons, this might mean that (if the fight is deemed an ultra-epic CR+5 fight) they hear some screams and sounds in the jungle, close in to investigate and see a shiv dragon hunting pack literality clawing apart a group of cannibals/monkeys. Allowing the players to choose if they want to engage or not. Even if they do not engage they get the same sense of danger and interest in watching their back – as the jungle obviously is dangerous.
That said the random encounter chart of Serpent Skull is excellent, and unlikely to ever send something far too powerful against the PCS.
It should be noted that the max number of Shiv Dragons the encounter table might call for is 1. The extra 5 were added by the GM.
It should be noted that the max number of Shiv Dragons the encounter table might call for is 1. The extra 5 were added by the GM.
Indeed. But another tidbit was that 4 of them were using the 'young' template. But really, it came down to Die rolls. Epic fails on PC side, and EPic Crits on GM side.
Honestly, it was a lot of fun for all.
If the players enjoyed the encounter then all is good.
However,I do think that for the average party of four 1-level characters a CR 6/7 surprise encounter would be a bit over the top - epic rolls aside. But if your players can handle and enjoy it, why not.
I would be curious to hear how you will deal with replacements/resurrections in this particular setting though - as i can imagine it happens quite a bit with CRs like that.
But another tidbit was that 4 of them were using the 'young' template.
Ok, that's a CR 6 encounter (2800 XP total). That's still tough for a group of four 3rd level PCs, but not impossible.
Hey, they're adventuruers! They deserve it! ;-)
The Half Orc Zen Archer escaped the encounter and three more survivors from the Shipwreck found the location of the NPC camp led by a Human Battle Oracle. Now a Human Arcane Duelist Bard and Tengu Skirmish Ranger are joined up.
We definitely started out with a LOST feel to the game, but they just encountered the first Thrune Cannibal patrol and we ended the session with all players making 2nd level.
onward!
The middle ground is not rolling random numbers and just picking enough monsters for each wandering encounter so that you hit the PCs with a CR-appropriate challenge, I suppose.Yikes, you are EVIL! Six shiv dragons? That's a CR 7 encounter. That's "Epic" difficulty even for four 4th level PCs.It seems to me this always happens with the Random Encounters chart. You either get something pitifully harmless or incredibly overwhelming. I know there's some middle ground in there somewhere...Absolutely. What he said.
Or remember you can have no encounter at all. I skipped a couple of the Dimorphodon encounters. My party had already done a couple random encounters and any more would have bogged down play. Of course I then added a zombie encounter into a shipwreck because they kept finding them empty. That's no fun, especially with the killer swim checks I was throwing at them to get out there.
You as a DM are in control. Don't let the table dictate your story.
I'm not sure about this. Just because the PCs encounter something doesn't mean they have to fight it or run away from it. Sometimes its just in the vicinity. I have this happen a lot when my PCs run into giant insects, animals and creatures of low intelligence that may have already eaten today.
Agree with JJ and Alex Draconis. I would have modified the number of lizards encountered if I rolled 6. As long as they are all having fun I suppose.
Agree with JJ and Alex Draconis. I would have modified the number of lizards encountered if I rolled 6. As long as they are all having fun I suppose.
Actually, if you use the encounter table, you can't get 6 Shiv dragons. You only get 1. The above mentioned encounter must have been a GM creation, not random.
Agree with JJ and Alex Draconis. I would have modified the number of lizards encountered if I rolled 6. As long as they are all having fun I suppose.Actually, if you use the encounter table, you can't get 6 Shiv dragons. You only get 1. The above mentioned encounter must have been a GM creation, not random.
yep. guilty.
|
Yesterday was session #2. The party assaulted the cannibal village. The monk went off by himself while the rest did a frontal assault. The monk got taken out by bad save rolls against Malikadna. The barbarian and the rogue were both taken down by a raging Klorak.
Fortunately none of them bled out, so no permanent deaths...yet.
Is this thread going to serve as the Serpent's Skull Obituaries? Just wondering because I had a TPK in the third encounter of session-1, and I need a place to record my player's deaths!
Is this thread going to serve as the Serpent's Skull Obituaries? Just wondering because I had a TPK in the third encounter of session-1, and I need a place to record my player's deaths!
To be honest? I'd start a Serpent's Skull Obituaries thread, just because nobody has actually posted a character death yet to anything that can actually happen in the module, and the thread is pretty off-topic.
Serpent Skull AP getting off to a grand start.
Three PC kills from random encounter on the Smuggler's Shiv.
Six Shiv Dragon's got surprise on the party of four.
I don't have it right in front of me, but I could've sworn the random encounters table just listed 1 Shiv Dragon at a time. Was this the party tracking them down to their lair, or just DM-Fiat?
|
|
Serpent Skull AP getting off to a grand start.
Three PC kills from random encounter on the Smuggler's Shiv.
Six Shiv Dragon's got surprise on the party of four.I don't have it right in front of me, but I could've sworn the random encounters table just listed 1 Shiv Dragon at a time. Was this the party tracking them down to their lair, or just DM-Fiat?
You're correct. See Tom's post above.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Well Smuggler's Shiv was short lived. We played 5 sessions and went through 10.5 characters amongst 4 players. It was a combination of bad luck, and walking into the most brutal encounters at the wrong time...
--
We lost:
2 PCs+NPC (Summoner & Oracle + Sasha) at a shipwreck north of the crash.
1.5 PCs (Paladin + Druid's Animal Companion) to the Yellow Musk Creeper.
1 PC (Ranger) to Klorak the Red & the cannibal camp.
1 PC (Druid) to the Fungus God.
1 PC (Barbarian) to the Gibbering Mouther.
4 PCs (Oracle, Sorcerer, Paladin, Ranger) to Yarzoth in final showdown.
After the final TPK, the steam had pretty much ran out and the players just didn't have any connection to the Jenevire or anything else in the plot...
On to the next, I guess!
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Well Smuggler's Shiv was short lived. We played 5 sessions and went through 10.5 characters amongst 4 players. It was a combination of bad luck, and walking into the most brutal encounters at the wrong time...
--
We lost:2 PCs+NPC (Summoner & Oracle + Sasha) at a shipwreck north of the crash.
1.5 PCs (Paladin + Druid's Animal Companion) to the Yellow Musk Creeper.
1 PC (Ranger) to Klorak the Red & the cannibal camp.
1 PC (Druid) to the Fungus God.
1 PC (Barbarian) to the Gibbering Mouther.
4 PCs (Oracle, Sorcerer, Paladin, Ranger) to Yarzoth in final showdown.
After the final TPK, the steam had pretty much ran out and the players just didn't have any connection to the Jenevire or anything else in the plot...
On to the next, I guess!
Not trying to be rude but I find that hilarious because it only gets more and more difficult in later mods (we're up to part 4). Keep a stack of blank sheets handy.
Luenthyan Lire, Half-Elf Bard 2.
Party tried to ambush Mother Thranefang, but got overun. One full attack of the Ghoul Cleric to the poor Bard later, it was gone.
First casualty on the island.
Why did a 2nd level bard try to toe-to-toe that monster?
Why did a 2nd level bard try to toe-to-toe that monster?
He did not. The party tried to hold their own on V25 instead of running to attack the ghouls on V27. The party's tank and cleric got both paralyzed on the first round for 4 rounds each. When Mother arrived, she tried for two rounds to attack the secondary fighter but could not hit his massive AC (he was fighting at full defense). So by the third round, she got tired and made a 5-foot step to engage what she considered the "leader" of the party -- the bard. She made a full atack, connected all attacks (one a critical) and the bard was gone.
Why did a 2nd level bard try to toe-to-toe that monster?He did not. The party tried to hold their own on V25 instead of running to attack the ghouls on V27. The party's tank and cleric got both paralyzed on the first round for 4 rounds each. When Mother arrived, she tried for two rounds to attack the secondary fighter but could not hit his massive AC (he was fighting at full defense). So by the third round, she got tired and made a 5-foot step to engage what she considered the "leader" of the party -- the bard. She made a full atack, connected all attacks (one a critical) and the bard was gone.
curious how that went down.
back in 1st edition, remember how if an elf or halfling in non metal armor could get a surprise on a group of baddies if it lead in front of the party by a certain number of feet?
we still play that way.
so we send out the stealthy high perception guy ahead of the main body.
(in our case the ranger)
and keep him in sight of the next guy in line with the good range skills (in this case the half-elf witch with the high dex)
because of the whole set up of this dungeon, there are no doors to open, so ranger sneaks up, checks out the baddies, signals to the rest of the group we set up, and then let em have it with a round of missle weapons in the suprise round.
we won initative in round one, let them all have another round of missles.
Baddies move up (cant remember what spells were cast, but nothing that damaged anyone) but didnt make it to melee range.
roud two we mowed them with a third missle barrage while the ranger and paladin held actions, waiting for what ghouls didnt get tooled by the rest of the ranged attacks.
Ghouls move up, a smite and a dual weilding attack later, no more ghoulies.
The boss hung back to cast spells (but apparently didnt have super effective ones for combat damage, it think she channeled energy, if memory serves me, but the first time wasnt in range of nay PCs to do damage and the second time we saved for half)
round three it was down to Big Baddy, paladin smite, ranger tooling on her, witch hex, and inquisitor judgement, she didnt last long.
she didnt make it to her action in the third.
all told, the party took somewhere around 10 damage on average from the fight.
if we all wandered headstrong into the encounter and split up to face off bruce lee style? it might have gone differently.
we like to open up with ranged when ever possible (and even when its not possible!)
i still remember is 1st edition the fighter kicking down a door that the elf said had bugbears on the other side of it, the entire party tried to shoot their bows through the single door at the "bugbears" on the other side, with the fighter still in the door way....funny mental picture.
it was an otyugh , not bugbears. (the listen at the door check said 'guttural speaking, belching and slobbering noises'...we had been fighting alot of bugbears... just that the otyguh was talking to itself lol