Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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I ran this Today and thought there were a couple of "Oh crap" moments, the players played took the oblique approach. They were clever and did a good job taking advantage of the weaknesses of the bad guys. Lots of smart play and a good party mix (about half casters and half damage dealers).
About the only thing I was a little generous on was with prestige. We started a little late and had a hard finish, so we wound up running it in 3 1/2 hours (calling obviously finished fights etc).
We'll see how Monday's game works out. I
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I ran this Today and thought there were a couple of "Oh crap" moments, the players played took the oblique approach. They were clever and did a good job taking advantage of the weaknesses of the bad guys. Lots of smart play and a good party mix (about half casters and half damage dealers).
"Oblique approach"?!? Is that the euphemism for what we did to the scenario?! I would use a different term....Uhm...uh....family board..."skull kissed"? That might work better.
I haven't read the scenario, but it was obvious our party was doing stuff that Ogre didn't think of, but he rolled with it pretty well. Time was an issue, but that's typical for some of the more combat-driven high-tier PFS scenarios.
Let me say this now: our solutions was a good example of how much access to teleportation magic changes the game at high levels. Also, the stone oracle was balls on fire with screwing with stuff...she was awesome.
As a player, I liked his scenario but won't know more until I've read and run it.
-Pain
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Second session of the weekend and though I did knock one character down to negative con, she was revived with Breath of LIfe before the end of the scenario (and I totally forgot about the negative level until she was long gone). For what it's worth, both groups had at least a couple casters so they were able to effectively counter the spell effects that were flying around.
The second time through I was on time to the start and kept the pressure on the players (and myself) the entire time so we finished just about on time.
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Played over the weekend in LA. 5 players APL 9 TPK'd by the Harpies. The general consensus is that that division of the party by the wall of stone is a killer. Ranged combatant and arcane ended up in cave mesmerized. Wizard outside ended up mesmerized. Everyone else shot to death at range with harpies doing about 40-50 points of damage a round/each.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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I was at Dennis's second table of this for the weekend and the mod was a lot of fun.
It was appropriately challenging. I really enjoy a good multi-fronted battle, especially now that 6-person tables are the default size.
Was I not paying attention? How did I not know this?
Ah... (riffles through profiles)... Ursus. It was great playing with you. I was fortunate to have two great groups for this scenario over the weekend.
I like putting forum names with faces. Not you are a forum name with a character name but no meatspace identity of your own ;)
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Ah, I'd thought you'd know who I was. Painlord always makes a big deal about connecting all the dots for people.
The term meatspace is... disturbing.
To be fair Feral, I *did* tell Ogre that you were meatspace. I mean, it's pretty accurate...have you met Taurus and Gallard?
But yeah, I failed there. Ogre is pretty new to our community and so maybe I failed to make a few love connections.
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I was in one of Kyle B.'s tables at DragonCon this weekend. our party had to bail and escape the encounter after the cookpot.
Half the party in the room behind a wall of stone. Everyone else outside (summoner, bard, ninja if memory serves correctly) was not a high-durability class, so we got mowed down. My bard was barely alive when the group in the other room finally busted the wall. Eventually, with 2-3 players dead, I tried my hand at diplomacy (rolled a 40) and bargained for her to let us lick our wounds and teleport back home.
It was my first scenario with a 0xp chronicle sheet. Still had fun!
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Played this at High Tier last night. Probably the most challenging scenario I have played in. This is not a cake walk at high tier. No one died at our table last night but others have lost characters to this mod (especially melee heavy tables that lack decent spell support).
I think by far the best encounter for us was the last. With proper prep (Arcane eye to scout out what was coming) we built a 5 ft thick, 10 ft tall wall of stone with arrow slits that kept good separation between us and them. Go team Wizards! I think the best part was seeing one of our wizards toss out a DC27 persistent Flesh to Stone on the king, watching the GM fail the save, and the having a big WTH moment. Thanks Dennis! You have successfully kept your boss from becoming one of many statues in that wizards garden (Not an easy task).
I appreciate the large list of unique loot on the chronicle too. Nothing like a huge list of scrolls, partial wands, and even a CL18 greater teleport scroll to make a wizard happy at the end of the day.
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Hey guys,
I love this scenario which is why I keep posting about it.
In short: if the PCs are hiding in area D preparing an ambush for the giant guards heading down the stairs, where should Formach and Atga appear? Why? :)
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Hey guys,
I love this scenario which is why I keep posting about it.
Glad to hear it.
The final encounter is very much a sandbox situation, you are given a huge playground and the PCs can go where-ever they'd like. You have to run things the way you feel makes the most sense. In my situation, they just dropped into where the PCs were holed up, but it's really all about having them react to what they see.
This is one of those cases where the GM just needs to make a judgment call. They know the location, they are smart and should act intelligently based on what they know.
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This is one of those cases where the GM just needs to make a judgment call. They know the location, they are smart and should act intelligently based on what they know.
Thanks for that Dennis. Here are some related ideas I'd like to share:
In both games, the PCs camped out in area D. A natural choice since it's easily defensible, roofed and roomy. When the Giant guard(s) approach, only about half the players leave the safety of area D and then just barely, hoping to set up an ambush. My instinct was to set Atga and Formoch in Area E and try to get Atga to fire off her stinking cloud then her wall of ice. However with the players hiding in area D, the wall of ice will only serve to keep the monsters from the heroes and you may get lucky and catch one character outside the wall of ice.
A more cunning plan might be for Atga and Formoch to Dimension Door behind the players INSIDE area D itself! Area effect spells might seem tougher to use but it is a fairly large area so it shouldn’t effect tactics at all. Also, dividing the party with wall of Ice might be even easier in area D. More importantly, Atga and Formoch would not have to walk across the Parade Square (area C) and take a number of ranged attacks before the final battle really begins.
I think this tactic would be far deadlier for the PCs than the standard tactic most GMs will likely choose.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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Played this recently.
Our biggest speed bump: God...damn...harpies. We were barely holding on the entire fight. Had zero deaths, but tons of close calls. Easily a 1.5 hour fight.
Solution to the final fight: 15 giant bane arrows, liberal uses of wall of stone and a hasted, raging, dragon disciple getting to take full attacks on senor giant-lord. 153 damage from some claws and bites, I'm looking at you! Best two rounds of combat ever.
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Wow, I just read this scenario at subtier 10-11, and it's a brutal killing machine. No wonder PCs are dropping left and right. Subtier 7-8 is hard but reasonable.
Also, the abilities of the opponents make it a little bit of a sandbox, evil GMs with good tactical knowledge can just milk this scenario. If GM/PCs play cat and mouse, I can see this scenario going way over 5 hours. I think you almost have to do that at subtier 10-11, crazy!
I also have some questions about some of the stats which I'll post later.
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Wow, I just read this scenario at subtier 10-11, and it's a brutal killing machine.
I keep hearing this, but that wasn't my experience at tier 10-11. Granted...
For some reason I still don't understand, we didn't go into the Giant's Den first, we walked right in on the Harpies and made the Perception checks to realize they were hiding up top.
One Glitterdust, a Silence spell, and a some Fly buffs later they were shredded before the giants even became an issue.
Our party had a pretty nasty Barbarian, Cleric/Barbarian, two-weapon Fighter, two-handed weapon ranger, and an Eidolon that also dished out disgusting damage once hasted. They were able to escape/resist the Black Tentacles and otherwise shut down the Sorcerer pretty fast at the end.
A few parts dumb luck and the rest being able to put the giants down before they put us down, I guess.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Wow, I just read this scenario at subtier 10-11, and it's a brutal killing machine.
I keep hearing this, but that wasn't my experience at tier 10-11. Granted...
** spoiler omitted **
FWIW, the way the scenario is written there is no way to walk in on the harpies in their den.
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FWIW, the way the scenario is written there is no way to walk in on the harpies in their den.Wow, I just read this scenario at subtier 10-11, and it's a brutal killing machine.
I keep hearing this, but that wasn't my experience at tier 10-11. Granted...
** spoiler omitted **
I've had some suspicions based on this thread it was run incorrectly at my table, TBH.
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Sanakht
Your answer lies here:
"Before Combat The warbird’s stat block includes the effects of good hope and inspire courage from the harpy queen."
So time for the Resurrection and restoration spells.
Dennis keep writing those 7-11's games just like that. I don't need another easy time like 3-20 ;-)
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I just GMed this scenario, and the table and I both had a wonderful time. Roleplaying a dominated hill giant was a hilarious and entertaining experience. The harpy encounter was dangerous, but the party thought tactically, and that made a huge difference. And thank you so, so very much for writing the stat blocks for the monsters is they're not buffed.
Question, though: Why is the King made immune to Charm Monster? He can be affected by Charm Person by dint of being a humanoid.
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Oh and just for the record, I love tough senarios and had a great time despite the TPK. Makes me wish I could replay it, expecially seeing as how we did not even make it to the final encounter.
Same here. My first chronicle with zero xp, and still had a blast.
Can't wait to GM it, although my GM was great and will be hard to do as good as he did.
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I keep hearing this, but that wasn't my experience at tier 10-11. Granted...
When you have encounters of this complexity, the challenge of the encounter is directly related to the GMs ability to run that encounter. Believe me, there's a huge difference between someone with system mastery running it (like Kyle Baird) and a GM who didn't even bother to prepare and run the scenario correctly.
Not that I think GMs should push the petal to the metal and crush PCs, I think moderation is the key, at least for me.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Oh and just for the record, I love tough senarios and had a great time despite the TPK. Makes me wish I could replay it, expecially seeing as how we did not even make it to the final encounter.
I think you have made the single best argument for replay I've seen yet.
Alas, I think replaying just won't work. Spoilers totally change the game with this module.
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I just drew a side view of the storval stairs in preparation to run this on Wednesday. All I'm going to say is 'oh my'.
One question I do have is how tall are the edges/rails of the stairs. Could a bull rush or just throwing a character over into the rock city work?
Did anyone account for PC's attempting to hide in the city towers/buildings itself?
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Most of the sections of stairs where the fights are, are more or less like a canyon with steep 50' tall or taller sides on either side. Not sure if you saw the picture from the players guide (and also searchable on Google) which gives a little perspective. If the players moved the fight further down the stairs near the base, I believe there are still walls which would limit bullrushing off the edge.
The final encounter is very sandboxy. The giants will be coming down the stairs and it's a logical place for a confrontation but.... where the players wind up is up to them. They are told to hold the stairs until reinforcements arrive.
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I keep hearing this, but that wasn't my experience at tier 10-11. Granted...When you have encounters of this complexity, the challenge of the encounter is directly related to the GMs ability to run that encounter. Believe me, there's a huge difference between someone with system mastery running it (like Kyle Baird) and a GM who didn't even bother to prepare and run the scenario correctly.
Not that I think GMs should push the petal to the metal and crush PCs, I think moderation is the key, at least for me.
I agree that a GM shouldn't be hellbent on killing the PCs; but on the flip side half the fun of any scenario is a challenge. But I finished the Harpy/Giant encounter thinking "Gosh, that would have been a lot more interesting if it had turned into a three way fight..." and was a bit disappointed to find out that was the intent, but the GM hadn't run it correctly.
Oh well =/
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The first table I ran had someone decide to fly and scout the stairs, flying past the harpies hangout and triggering that fight with the PCs down by the Giants 1 encounter. No cover, strafing harpies, badness
Are they new to PFS? Everyone knows not to trigger all the encounters at once. That's how you end up super dead.
Also I have ran it so far as the harpies can hear the fight with the giants. So I always put them in the initiative order at the start of that fight. Then have them ready a song for when they hear the players have downed the giants. From there next fight starts. No overlap and no giant on harpy action.