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So last night the carnage was fun, until we played. We finished brineway and set off for some other town 2 weeks away looking for answers. So it was a night of travel encounters. We faced a pair of drakes (twice), 4 bandits (rogues?) and 4 trolls.
My questions about this, without being spoiled because I have not read it, are is this about right? We had NO support at all from the rest of the caravan. EVERY encounter the dm is rolling to confirm crits more than he is rolling to hit. I mean, really? 4 trolls? thats a cr 9 encounter. My paladin got critted and then killed by a troll - I dont want to put a new character into this meatgrinder just to watch it die.
It seems our gm has a poor grasp of the rules and especially the CR system; Also we get 'grudge monster' encoutners/attacks whenever we stray 'off track'....not fun. What do we do?
Talk it over. Ask just what the Dm expects from the group and perhaps just toss in a comment about 'going off track' instead of grudge monsters.
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Yep, step one: Talk to your GM in a rational, calm and adult manner. Remind him that whenever you guys are going "off track" it's because you've discovered a bit of the story that you found interesting and it would be nice to be rewarded for taking an interest in the world. Also tell him that while the game does allow for nigh impossible encounters, it doesn't make for a fun night's gaming.
Finally: Jade Regent isn't meant to be a meat-grinder. Occasionally you might roll poorly on the ol' random encounter table, but it shouldn't be wave after wave of near-death combats. Especially while travelling (otherwise how do normal traders get from town to town?)
Hm, maybe he is using the random caravan encounters as normal encounters? The troll encounter is in there for the second module. As are the forest drakes. Oh, and the brigands, too, I just saw.
Playing a "four trolls" encounter without support from the caravan is asking for trouble, though, so I guess you are right if you say that he is inexperienced. You should at least have support from the four NPCs.
And I can understand not wanting to use the caravan combat rules. Because they suck and were not ( admitted by developer ) playtested.
And if he is simply rolling random encounters for you guys going off-track, I wouldn't call that "grudge monsters".
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Are you using the caravan mini-game? If so, the troll encounter should just be hard. If your group threw out the caravan rules, your DM should throw out the caravan encounter table, as well.
Also, some nights the dice are just against you. JR shouldn't be a meat grinder. If you finished Brinewall, though, you shouldn't *have* to roll up a new character.
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I should define stray off track. Basically if you anger the dm with something, expect a crit. I opened a door to a shack and 3 rats attacked me , inflicting me with disease and bleed damage - as a warning not to 'wander off' (I was 50 feet from the party in eyesight). Along that line, someone teleported like 5 feet past a portcullis, and some monster appeared and auto critted the guy. Not very fun. Nothing is ever evil either - I have never once used smite evil
And I do not think he is using the caravan rules. I think I will name my next character Dogmeat :/
Umm.. In that case the DM is messing with you. So, either say you are no longer enjoyignt he game and leave or start cheating. Like forgetting to cross off spellsyou cast and hit point damage you take.
Okay, that really sounds like a bad GM. Get another one.
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There seems to be a little power-tripping going on. Thing in, in the AP, that shack has rats in it, and there are monsters waiting beyod that portcullis. The rats have disease, but not bleed. Auto-crit is only for unconscious characters. Your DM is lying about things being evil (most enemies in Brinewall are), or thinks that smite only works on creatures with the evil subtype (which they don't have).
Those don't sound like grudge monsters, just the AP as written and a DM who doesn't know the rules. Talk to him about it and see if he has misread smite and such. If so, get a rules lawyer with a searchable SRD. If he's just lying, get a new DM.
but not bleed.
Might want to double check me, but I'm pretty sure Skitterfoot(the ratling) has a bleed effect on his bite.
Your DM is lying about things being evil (most enemies in Brinewall are), or thinks that smite only works on creatures with the evil subtype (which they don't have).
I think I've seen someone make an exact comment like this before and I found myself wondering if they were relying on the paladin's ability to detect evil in order to decide if they should smite or not. This isn't particularly reliable at low levels depending on what type of creature you are encountering and how many HD it has. Not saying this is what is happening, but something to consider atleast!
As for the GM, the advice about having a discussion with him is the right choice at this point! It can be hard sometimes but earnest lines of communication are really important to making sure everyone is having fun.