|
So, my CoT campaign took a few turns that were unintended but we are now back on the storyline. They just finished the Maggot Tree siege and are prepping to delve into Walcourt. They just made level 12 (yes I know, ahead of the curve.. i'll explain).
Let me first explain the party makeup. There are 7 Players, consisting of:
Paladin of Desna
Witch (Damn Cackle, Evil Eye and Misfortune Hexes!!!)
Two Weapon Wielding Fighter
Rogue
Oracle of the Heavens
Inquisitor
Cleric of Gorum
First off, the party FAILED to recover the Morrowfall from Delvehaven. They were defeated soundly by Jhair, the Mazeflesh Man and Vahnwynne, retreated, and then decided to head back to the safehouse and rest for two days.
The vamps, in the meantime, were able to discern from the battle that living creatures could handle the Morrowfall. So they went into Westcrown while the PCs were away, abducted one of the Children of Westcrown, dominated her, and made her take the Morrowfall with them to Walcourt for Ilnerik to decide what to do with it.
Next, they have YET to kill any vamp in this campaign.. Jerusen killed one of the former party members, a Sorceror, when he lagged behind in the far back during the fight with the Erinyes in the crater by Aberian Folly's ruins, and dragged him off to become a vamp.
They then entered the Nessian Spiral only to leave for a few days to replenish resources. Obviously I just can't leave the dungeon as they left it. When they came back, the Order of the Gate had quarantined the entrance to the Spiral, erecting a magical barrier and laying magical traps (the landmine force-field, swarm traps like around delvehaven).
The group decided to try and teleport through the barrier, but since the magic used to create the barrier is from the Order of the Gate, I said there was a 20% chance of a botch taking them to Hell... Well, go figure..
The Party didn't have the focus for Plane Shift to take them back to the Material Plane, so they had to wheel and deal in Erebus for one.
Now they are back, higher level than the normal progression, but I can just adjust the levels of the encounters accordingly..
However, there are about 15 vampires for the party to deal with now in Walcourt.
There are two former player characters that were taken and turned (one after a player quit and the other from being turned by Jerusen), one child of westcrown (Yakopulio), Zol, the Medusa and the Vulpinal from the Spiral (the party never got into the Spiral, they spent a week in Material Plane time in Hell.. Liebdaga got loose as a result, another problem). So with Sivana, Thessing, the leader of the Bastards (the party decided not to waste their time with the bastards, so they flourished and Ilnerik 'rewarded' him), Jerusen, Jhair, Vahnwynne and the Mazeflesh Man and Sivanshin, that's 14 vamps they gotta deal with in Walcourt.
My party likes to go against the grain and do what they please. I can't force them down a linear adventure as a DM, it just takes the spontaneity and fun out of the game if everything is pre-decided and laid out for them in a line. So I bend and flex and try to bring things back to the line eventually.
Should I pack them all (the vamps) in there, with no Morrowfall for the party?
My party is nothing to sneeze at.. They literally wiped out half of the Maggot Tree siege army in battle. Stiglor got put to sleep via Cloak of Dreams by the witch, caught, flown 180 feet into the air and freefell to his death.
The Witch single-handedly handled Madjaw, and the Rogue coup de-graced him.
These dudes can take on very hard battles and be fine.. It's tough trying to make things challenging without A. being overwhelming or B. totally undercutting their capability and having it end up with them walking through the encounter on a relative breeze.
Thoughts/Suggestions?
well first let me say my entire party was killed by the medusa.
(turned to stone every last one)
Second let me say, the vamps were a cinch for this party so 15 vamps? eh they still would have won!
these guys NEVER even used the morrow fall because they didnt get what it was FOR!
Our Dragon disciple/barbarian sorceress bit (yes BIT) two vampires to death!
it was a real fun combat, but one the PCs dominated AND not only did they never use the morrowfall, but they took foolish steps that triggered ALL the vampires to fight them at once.
SO it think your party could deal with the vamps at their level without the marrow fall no problem. (hope they bring a raging dragon disciple with them!)
|
These guys NEVER even used the morrow fall because they didnt get what it was FOR!
So none of the PCs who touched it were good aligned? 'Cause any good aligned person touching it knows the name "Easivra" and its various abilities.
Sucks about the medusa. I'm guessing they never got to Liebdaga?
My players actually slept in the same room with her without problems! I was SHOCKED! No asking questions about things they shouldn't have, they had the contract, no lies.
However, the ranger noticed her veil was constantly moving, and didn't say anything until after the end fight. (With Liebdaga getting only the glass attack because a PC intimidated him using the Talisman. :\
Later one of the PCs said they killed Liebdaga and she could go.
She runs out of the room, only to get knocked from the binding keeping her there. She was angry and attacked them.
The wolf animal companion was stoned, and the bard/PF chronicler. Who made his "Live to tell the tale" check to be unstoned the next round.
These guys NEVER even used the morrow fall because they didnt get what it was FOR!So none of the PCs who touched it were good aligned? 'Cause any good aligned person touching it knows the name "Easivra" and its various abilities.
Actually the whole combat went down before any of them got their hands on the morrowfall, it was described, they all knew about the bright light and the vamps wouldnt go down the hallway etc etc.
They just went really interested in it.
they had a scroll of sunburst and something else similar and never used them either.
yea the medusa thing, they all rolled like 4s for their save. one of the huge things for them is they split up in the room, and each one failed thier save without every being near, or knowing of the other persons death... they got cocky.
Those vampires almost kicked my butt, and the DM made the shining light so obvious I thought it was a setup so I did not go for until I had no other choice.
Those vampires almost kicked my butt, and the DM made the shining light so obvious I thought it was a setup so I did not go for until I had no other choice.
yea the shining light is uber obvious.... maybe thats why no one in our party went for it?
having a raging dragon disciple helped tons. its a cagey build.
we also had a paladin, and i think there was a monk and a wizard.
we had a serious dicey moment, fighting all three vamps, and their summoned baddies.
someone had a potion of fireball (we allow spells in a bottle) and threw it, rolled a 1.... hit the wizard sqaure in the face (hilarious!)
so the fireball was centered ON the wizard, funny thing is the wizard made his saving throw and had a protection from fire spell (yea maybe shouldnt have allowed that but it is called a SAVING throw) and the half damage and the little bit he got from the protection spell really helped out.
the rat swarms, summoned wolves, bats and a few spawn even bit the dust on the fireball spell (some of the spawn had taken some damage already)
the way everyone was standing several players didnt actually get hit with the fireball but a monster or two less than two squares away did.. despite hitting the wizard in the face with the fireball, and not having it centered where they wanted it? it couldnt have been placed better!
so even thought the wizard was on his death bed... there were not any monsters near him or threatening him!
it was pretty funny.
after clearing out the swarms and lower echelon bad guys, it was pretty much a plot for two of the vampires trying to get away (one vamp and the dragon disciple were busy trying to grapple each other and the dragon disciple ended up biting the vampire to death!)
the rest of the party made it really hard for the vamps to get away.
and in fact, they didnt.
they just hoarded them.
in the end I think the dragon disciple bit three vamps to death (one of them being a spawn)rage really helped here or the DD would have gone down.
the wizard was nearly dead (from fireball to the face)
i dont think the monk had a scratch and the paladin did fairly well too
Sucks about the medusa. [...] My players actually slept in the same room with her without problems! I was SHOCKED! No asking questions about things they shouldn't have, they had the contract, no lies.[...]
:) My players did almost the same. They had the contract and were as honest as they could. The medusa left them in peace. But after a prolongued small talk with her, the wannabe-mayor medusa took notice of the obvious vacancy in Westcrown.
On a later occasion, the PCs liked to speak to Signatar Vaccha again, but the medusa sealed the door behind the PCs, which got very angry and broke in her quarters. Two of them were turned to stone before the rest of the group including the controlled burning guardian took her and her ambitions down... (funny).|
|
rest of the group including the controlled burning guardian took her and her ambitions down... (funny).
The burning guardian?? He was only supposed to NOT attack those with the item keyed to him. He didn't follow them around and help them out! He was a construct, not a golem. He didn't have any intelligence.
The burning guardian?? He was only supposed to NOT attack those with the item keyed to him. He didn't follow them around and help them out! He was a construct, not a golem. He didn't have any intelligence.
:) Yes, you are right. I gave the poor thing a little leeway. ;)