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As a DM, one of the things i don't usually do to my players is ambush them. Just never seems to come into play. Then again I keep my games at 3rd-7th level. so most BBEG's don't have the resources to spare for that sort of thing.
I've been wantign to show off how deadly a group of kobolds, goblins, or animals could be. Though I'm also interested in what sorts of ambushes other GM's have built.
So if you don't mind sharing a little bit about some of your set ups, that'd be great.
Just to have some sort of outline for the process.
Name:
CR:
APL:
Terrain:
Monsters/Traps:
-Tactics:
-Goals:
-Other:
Flavor:
So my example would be...
Name: Carriage ride of doom
CR: 6
APL: 4 (3 members)
Terrain: 1 foot wide road (normal terrain), 10x30 wagon (difficult, movable terrain), embankment (diffcult terrain: steep), hillside (15 foot climbable surface along roadside)
Monsters/Traps: 1 Werewolf (CR 4) and 5 wolves (Cr 2), Wagon can become moving hazard.
-Tactics: Werewolf tries to destablize wagon and throw part memebers into road or down the embankment, wolves try to flank and trip.
-Goals: to capture on of the party members or strand the wagon.
-Other: If lycan is killed wolves flee at 3 HP
Flavor: The wagonride to edgewater has been rather quiet. The summer breeze brings the scent of apples to the travelers nose. The night sky is clear giving off a beautiful view of the stars and full moon. suddenly there is a muffled cry from outside the carriage, the ride does not seem as smooth, as the horses whiney and take off into a full gallop...
...so yeah, just seeign how other DM's throw ambushes and in travel challenges.
Playing at the same levels as you, i USUALLY throw out ambushes; at least about 1/3 the combats are at some ambush scenario, though only 1/4 manage to actually pull of the ambush without being detected first (I usually give hints).
An easy classic that can be used repeatedly with minor adjustments:
Name: Wildfire
CR: 2-3
- Flavor: The goblins have gotten their eyes on the adventurers, either because of their shiny tools or because some master of theirs don't like the adventurers. The goblins are an elite scouting party of their tribe, and while they're very skilled at sneaking and seeing, they're still weak to the lure of flame and don't care too much that they might burn the forest down.
Terrain: Any area of medium-thickness woods, preferably in the early autumn.
Monsters/Traps: 4 goblin rogues, 2 goblin warriors (all lvl 1).
-Tactics: The warriors and two of the rogues are hiding in the trees ready with heavy crossbows (the rogues) and oil flasks and tindertwigs (warriors). The two last goblins have been stalking the party and are 20 ft. in the forest. Goblins aren't very brave; if they're threatened in melee, they'll withdraw, using kiting tactics or even fleeing if need be. After three goblins have been killed, the last will flee or surrender if cornered.
-Goals: (Goblins) Kill the adventurers, take their stuff. (Party) Kill the goblins, put out the fire before it spreads.
-Other: Everything outside the path is limited in movement, vision and ranged combat as normal for forests. The ground is covered in leaves and any square taking splash damage from the oil will start burn rapidly. When the oil in a square has burnt out, all other adjacent unburnt squares start burning. Putting out the fire in a square by stomping is a full-round action that deals damage as normal. Since the fire spreads rapidly, the party will have to take measures or they'll have a wildfire on their hands. Create water douses an area of 10x10ft.
I'll write down a few more when it's not 3 AM here.
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I've tended towards the "under which cup is the ball" type of ambush... or more like: show a questionably bad creature being protective of an area... hero's charge in, kill creature, and then find all her babies... then they see another of questionable scenes, and they might charge in to find that they were not doing good guy stuff (and then we start looking at if they are keeping to their alignment or not)... and then an ambush might happen, if they notice it they are really really questioning if they are being paranoid or if they are actually seeing what they think they see... but then again, I usually find that my old groups didn't prepare for ambushes unless I was the player doing the looking out... an ambush should be fairly easy to spot at fairly low levels if the players are going to put some time and effort into checking into the "ambush" but also, not everything that seems what it seems for character knowledge should be exactly what it seems... what seems like an ambush could not be an ambush when they look into it and then of course you have to reward them for that...
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Excelelnt, I have not been playing up the morality of killing monsters.
The Wildfire scenario seems like a good lower lever start.
I try not to offer hints at ambushes, because my players almost always have plenty of etection equipment. That and it's rare that something gets the drop on my parties. At least without me scriptign it.
I am trying to make the encounter feel natural...the goblin one sounds very flavorful and natural.
I try not to offer hints at ambushes, because my players almost always have plenty of etection equipment. That and it's rare that something gets the drop on my parties. At least without me scriptign it.
In the core, there's not too much equipment that helps with mundane detection. Note that a goblin rogue has a stealth modifier of +16 (1 rank, +3 class, +4 dex, +4 size, +4 race), and a perception modifier of +5 (1 rank, +3 class, +1 wis) so can be reasonably assumed to detect the party before they detect him, especially in a woodland area where he could get bonuses from cover and so on.
Bugbears are also very sneaky, if you want some more muscle.
Most kinds of fey are good at sneaking and ambushes, both mundanely (tiny size, good skillset, fly speed) and magically (spell-like abilities).
Remember that the weakest link breaks the chain; the character in a group that is the worst at sneaking will give away the whole party. So an ambush group would probably detect the party fighter/paladin long before they are detected. The party sending a scout in before is a method, but can spell quick death for the scout.
EDIT: And SWARMS! Swarms are excellent ambushers - not only are they great at hiding, fitting almost anywhere, they're also hard to hurt in melee and disturb spellcasters. They should get up from right under the party for best effect - if there's any distance, they're easy to run away from.
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Here is the thing about ambushes it is tough to lull the players so that they walk their character into one. At the game table players will react when you start setting up the scenario and asking intently what they are doing. Even small DM actions can tip your hand. Now while this is meta gaming--most players would call it reading the DM--it is something that needs for which you need to compensate.
I like to have each of my players make 10 or so perception checks at the start of the game and write them down. I use these when I don't want to tip my hand to guys sneaking about. I also have them make two initiative checks and use those sets at the start of any successful ambushes.
In games where I plan to use an ambush I often set up terrain ahead of time (especially for outdoor stuff) and use it for a couple encounters (not all fights) and for the ambush. I have a very large hex mat and set up stuff all over the mat.
I found the most successful ambush relies on distraction. e.g. An enemy ahead draws the characters into the kill zone where the rest of the bad guys pop up and attack. This can be used for ranged attacks or to surround and attack all members of the party.
You can use illusions to hide enemies or to draw the characters into the ambush zone. Humanoids might try to use disguises to draw characters in with non-disguised humanoids attacking disguised ones. Illusion plus disguise can be super effective.
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Also, just using traps is a really good way to ambush a party... like that scene in Star Wars with Chewy
or a trapped trap...
Traps are great especially when drawing the characters in and using the trap to keep them in a kill zone. They are also a great way to keep characters back from archer attackers.
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The swarms are evil. I usually implement the summon swarm spells and terrain altering spells as a wizard or druid.
I never thought to naturally have them occur.
Some examples of a trapped trap could be helpful. I could think how to do it in an urban or dungeon terrain, but I am trying to get out into more and more outdoor terrains.
As a DM, one of the things i don't usually do to my players is ambush them. Just never seems to come into play. Then again I keep my games at 3rd-7th level. so most BBEG's don't have the resources to spare for that sort of thing.
I've been wantign to show off how deadly a group of kobolds, goblins, or animals could be. Though I'm also interested in what sorts of ambushes other GM's have built.
So if you don't mind sharing a little bit about some of your set ups, that'd be great.
Just to have some sort of outline for the process.
Name:
CR:
APL:
Terrain:
Monsters/Traps:
-Tactics:
-Goals:
-Other:
Flavor:So my example would be...
Name: Carriage ride of doom
CR: 6
APL: 4 (3 members)
Terrain: 1 foot wide road (normal terrain), 10x30 wagon (difficult, movable terrain), embankment (diffcult terrain: steep), hillside (15 foot climbable surface along roadside)
Monsters/Traps: 1 Werewolf (CR 4) and 5 wolves (Cr 2), Wagon can become moving hazard.
-Tactics: Werewolf tries to destablize wagon and throw part memebers into road or down the embankment, wolves try to flank and trip.
-Goals: to capture on of the party members or strand the wagon.
-Other: If lycan is killed wolves flee at 3 HP
Flavor: The wagonride to edgewater has been rather quiet. The summer breeze brings the scent of apples to the travelers nose. The night sky is clear giving off a beautiful view of the stars and full moon. suddenly there is a muffled cry from outside the carriage, the ride does not seem as smooth, as the horses whiney and take off into a full gallop......so yeah, just seeign how other DM's throw ambushes and in travel challenges.
1 foot wide road? What.
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1 foot wide road? What.As a DM, one of the things i don't usually do to my players is ambush them. Just never seems to come into play. Then again I keep my games at 3rd-7th level. so most BBEG's don't have the resources to spare for that sort of thing.
I've been wantign to show off how deadly a group of kobolds, goblins, or animals could be. Though I'm also interested in what sorts of ambushes other GM's have built.
So if you don't mind sharing a little bit about some of your set ups, that'd be great.
Just to have some sort of outline for the process.
Name:
CR:
APL:
Terrain:
Monsters/Traps:
-Tactics:
-Goals:
-Other:
Flavor:So my example would be...
Name: Carriage ride of doom
CR: 6
APL: 4 (3 members)
Terrain: 1 foot wide road (normal terrain), 10x30 wagon (difficult, movable terrain), embankment (diffcult terrain: steep), hillside (15 foot climbable surface along roadside)
Monsters/Traps: 1 Werewolf (CR 4) and 5 wolves (Cr 2), Wagon can become moving hazard.
-Tactics: Werewolf tries to destablize wagon and throw part memebers into road or down the embankment, wolves try to flank and trip.
-Goals: to capture on of the party members or strand the wagon.
-Other: If lycan is killed wolves flee at 3 HP
Flavor: The wagonride to edgewater has been rather quiet. The summer breeze brings the scent of apples to the travelers nose. The night sky is clear giving off a beautiful view of the stars and full moon. suddenly there is a muffled cry from outside the carriage, the ride does not seem as smooth, as the horses whiney and take off into a full gallop......so yeah, just seeign how other DM's throw ambushes and in travel challenges.
Thanks for catching the typo. It should read 10.
What sorts of bonuses do you give to the ambusher's stealth? It makes sense thAt stationary ambusher's in cover should have big bonuses to their stealth rolls, but I don't see that described in the core rules. I'm thinking around +10 for a well planned ambush.
Name: Monkeys!
CR: 4
APL: 4
Terrain: A 10' wide road through old-growth forest.
Monsters/Traps: 8 monkeys with short range gaze attacks, climb speed 20, ground speed 20.
[b]Tactics: The monkeys are a single troop scattered through the trees scattered through the tree branches near the road. They are aggressive, but cowardly. In melee they are capable of inflicting some damage, but they prefer to stay out of melee range and and use a weak gaze attack (Roughly a Doom effect) to annoy the party.
Goals: To steal the party's gear, especially food.
Other: In a heavily melee focused campaign, this encounter allowed ranged attacks to shine, and gave melee characters a chance to try out their climbing skills. (I knew the rogue had max ranks in Climb, and hadn't used it yet.) The monkey's "ambush" consisted of making a perception check to detect the party before the party detected them, then holding still until the troop could determine what was coming.
Flavor: Slightly goofy, as the monkeys led the party on a chase through the forest.