Hi all. I just wanted to find out if people have run the final confrontation in TotB yet and if so how it went. Or if not, just people's overall opinions/ideas about it. I've read through the book and given all the details involved in the final encounter, I'm really concerned that I'll be looking at either a TPK or the surviving PC's deciding they're better off not worrying about this and that's the end of the AP.
People have already mentioned a lot of the basic concerns inherent when dealing with a golem, Adamantine DR and Immunity to magic being the biggest. Even ignoring this, which is a huge factor of it's own to deal with, the other big concern to me is the tactical situation, at least as I see it. Based on the maps and description, the party will be facing a Huge sized creature with 15ft reach in a chamber that looks no more than 25ft across at the longest. It seems upon initial inspection that so long as the big bad parks it in the middle of the room, anyone other than a melee fighter is gonna provoke an AoO against a creature that has paralyzing tentacles with the Grab ability for anything they do. So even getting up to the top of the tower to call the Beast for help is gonna be near impossible if they get an AoO for climbing the dang ladder.
So on the one hand, I'm looking for advice to possibly help better equip my group, either tactically or with hints, knowledge etc. I mean I could just drop a bunch Adamantine loot and let them slug it out but that is a bit of a cop-out and still doesn't really keep them from being crammed into a small space with a (literal) Huge problem.
Any comments would be appreciated.
I really suggest just making rooms bigger.
The end of Trial, the maps... they seem really, really small. I'm making some maps much bigger, just so that like, every fight isn't a clown car.
Making the room 50ft instead of 25, for instance, alleviates the reach problem.
I really suggest just making rooms bigger.
The end of Trial, the maps... they seem really, really small. I'm making some maps much bigger, just so that like, every fight isn't a clown car.
Making the room 50ft instead of 25, for instance, alleviates the reach problem.
I have to agree. The monster is already a CR 11 and will be a tough fight. I think being cramped in a room with it is not really fair.
Keep in mind that the PCs get a Knowledge Arcana check to know that it is beyond the scope of their abilities. (A check they WONT fail) ;-)
Also give them a round or so to observe its movements.
As a side note: I believe the tentacles don't have reach. The grappled characters are transferred to them.
Let them figure it out and award them for "creativity" when using the bondslave.
I have to agree. The monster is already a CR 11 and will be a tough fight. I think being cramped in a room with it is not really fair.I really suggest just making rooms bigger.
The end of Trial, the maps... they seem really, really small. I'm making some maps much bigger, just so that like, every fight isn't a clown car.
Making the room 50ft instead of 25, for instance, alleviates the reach problem.
I'm going to expand the room size as well. I'm honestly of the opinion the room size, given the mechanics of the fight, was likely just an oversight.
I'm just concerned about this whole encounter. I really enjoyed every other aspect of this installment, but having the climax being watching two NPC creatures fight, while once per round ONE PC gets to make a check to aid the creature they are rooting for seems like one of the cardinal sins of adventure design. The party members are supposed to be the heroes that do stuff. Not just watch from the sidelines.
On that note, has anyone changed this portion to make the creature a lower challenge rating to allow the party a chance to defeat it?
Havent read it but assuming its a trial in a courtroom, how about having them break out of the wall and continue in the street? You can add panicky people, random horses and shop fronts, rubble and rooftops to the mix.
Thanks for the quick response, but no. The party ventures to the tower of the The Creature's creator, and after venturing through it finds him trapped by another of his creations (beyond their ability to fight) and they are supposed to summon The Creature to fight it for them.
I'm just concerned about this whole encounter. I really enjoyed every other aspect of this installment, but having the climax being watching two NPC creatures fight, while once per round ONE PC gets to make a check to aid the creature they are rooting for seems like one of the cardinal sins of adventure design. The party members are supposed to be the heroes that do stuff. Not just watch from the sidelines.
I agree. I'll have the Beast and the Aberrant Promethius duke it out off-screen before the PC's arrive. The Beast will have lost, but the Aberrant Promethius will have been weakened enough for the PC's to take.
I agree. I'll have the Beast and the Aberrant Promethius duke it out off-screen before the PC's arrive. The Beast will have lost, but the Aberrant Promethius will have been weakened enough for the PC's to take.I'm just concerned about this whole encounter. I really enjoyed every other aspect of this installment, but having the climax being watching two NPC creatures fight, while once per round ONE PC gets to make a check to aid the creature they are rooting for seems like one of the cardinal sins of adventure design. The party members are supposed to be the heroes that do stuff. Not just watch from the sidelines.
I liked every part of this module except the end fight. I agree that the players are the heroes not the NPC. I like the idea of the heroes arriving in time to save the beast and not the other way around. As a player and GM, nothing annoys me more than watching the GM's favoirte NPC save the day while the PCs stand around helpless (or worse).