My party just finished the haunting of Harrowstone and came up a little bit short of 4th level. I have 5 PCs that have stat mod that adds up to +12 to +16 respectively. I know they are overpowered but to make up for it all monsters get max HP.
Anyway I need a good encounter while the travel to Liepstad to get them level 4. If any one has a good one let me know. My only stipulation is no undead or constructs.
Thanks
Mandragora
Green Hag
Annis Hag
6(+) Orcs
2-3 Dire Wolves
Dire Boar
Hydra
Shambling Mound
Redcap
-These are all critters that I have either run or thought about running during the journey to Lepistatd. Also, none of those repeat in the AP, so you won't ruin any surprises down the road. Personally, I had the most fun running Orcs. Give one or two of them a class level (like cleric or barbarian), and you have the makings of a pretty diverse encounter. Also, I think it'd be strange not to encounter Orcs so close to the border of Belkzen.
Thank you for the ideas. I went with an orc raiding party from Belkzen. For my encounter I set up blinds for the orcs to hide in and had them set up to trees as dead falls to trap the party.
1 shamman
2 Beserkers
9 orcs
Unfortunately for the orcs the party spotted the first tree and caviler said to the sorc, can you drop meteors right behind that tree. A flaming sphere and an entangle later and the and everything was pretty much wrapped up.
The cleric used his travel domain freedom of movement to run down the fleeing shamman so no one got away.
I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing, Brun.
I mean, did it come off as too easy or did you prefer it be that the orcs were easily spotted?
I think that maybe I should have set the preconception DC higher but 25 seamed to be high enough for a 3rd level party. The PCs had a great time in that respect it was a win but it seamed a bit to easy. Not sure what the best way to run an ambush really is.
I wouldn't sweat it. My Orcs (despite stat'ing up a 2nd level Cleric, 1st level Ranger, 1st level Barbarian, and 3rd level warrior) got spanked also, but it let the party shine and have fun. Orcs are kind of swingy; they hit like tons of bricks (2d4+4 18/20 x2), but go down easily, even with the Ferocity. My PCs honestly had more problems with a bunch of racist humans from Tamivrena that followed them. (6th level barbarian and 5 1st level warriors, from GMG. They didn't like the Crooked Kin and the half-breeds that escorted them, and after a performance in the rain outside the gates of the city, decided to try and take all the money that the performers took in) Our Dhampir Magus found out that the hard way that 5 NPC-classed guys with bows can still drop a 4th level PC if they hit everytime.
OUCH! I am going to use that as well. My party is 2 gnomes, a halfling from mwangi. a dwarf and a humman. I think I can get some good old fashion racism in on that one.
I know they will help the croooked kin and the human hates when people who are not him get money so he will take issue with the robbing on "principle".
As to the orcs, they had a blast, after the fight I had the captives admit that they would not have attacked a heavily armed party and just let them walk by if they had not been attacked. I had the orc barb throw his axe at the annoying sorc (18 HP) and the look on the player's face when I announced 23 HP to AC 14 she freaked out until she remembered that she had mage armor up. That was priceless