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Moved from General.
Our party barbarian asked me to post that we managed to level to 4th level in Rappan Athuk and to defeat the boss room in the Mouth of Doom with no deaths. It was a near thing several times and my poor poor eidolon is still ruined.
That certainly redefined being in the bowels of a dungeon!
Altogether, I would say that RA is a very challenging module for low level play and people should expect deaths. There are several death traps in the early stages and the random encounters are outrageously powerful.
I would give the following advice:
1.) run often and fast.
2.) think outside the box.
Mechanically, it functions as a difficult adventure because of several design approaches:
1.) Near total embargo of purchasable goods.
2.) At level CR+4 to CR+8 encounters sprinkled in on each level.
3.) Lack of grindable areas if the stuff you find is too tough.
Good stuff.
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To satisfy the cliché:
Whatever you do, don't go down the well.
*ahem*
One hint: Craft-feats? VERY useful in RA.
Do you have a character with good trapfinding/disabling skills? If not...well, you should have one of these guys around before tackling the main-dungeon. So far, you're in Rappan Athuk light. The beginner's dungeon, so to speak.
Yeah.
PCs will die, unless they already are as paranoid as mine.
Good gaming and good luck!
Yes,
We are crafting and have a trapper. We're running high tier characters and are by this point, very very paranoid.
Sadly, there are even limits to crafting, as there are distinct item material limits. My kingdom for teleport!
I'm honestly not sure what RA proper can throw at us that will be more terror inducing than incurable status ailments on low level characters, but I'm confident that there will continue to be ridiculous monsters to flee or die to.
The Master Summoner's ability to test things with non-PC bodies has turned out to be key. I loathe encountering more Black Skeletons.
I may be shooting myself in the foot but I shared this with my group. We start Rappan Athuk on Jan 2.
PS. No Summoners allowed.
Psh, I'm not scared Silverhair. Your monsters are frightened babies, which I will sneak attack to death!
So says the first PC to die horribly.
Bring it old man!
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One final Spoiler-free hint: If you do find something hidden in a remote, hidden area, something exceedingly well hidden...RUN.
RA veterans will probably get a chuckle out of this hint. Yeah, my players found *that* encounter. You know, the *really* nasty one. Oh BOY.
This Grouchy Old Fart will definitely show you you young whippersnapper!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
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Wow, Endz. I just thought no body would find that. My characters missed it when there were in the room where it was hidden.
They have now sent themselves, unintentionally, to Stoneheart Valley and I am not sure they will return to Rappan Ahtuk in the end.
But we are playing in the Lost Lands or the foreseeable future, so there is a chance down the road.
All my Master Summoner asks for is to live long enough and get powerful enough to get to trash all the big bad guys all the DM's talk about in RA. I've DM'ed for so many years and barely played and I am so very ready for high stakes rocket tag.
Being low level is like playing with bottle rockets. I want my RPG's. I've been promised RA will deliver.
Always remember to wear a rubber glove when digging into rucksacks. You never know when some idiot will put scorpions or a mummy's limb in one.
One final Spoiler-free hint: If you do find something hidden in a remote, hidden area, something exceedingly well hidden...RUN.
RA veterans will probably get a chuckle out of this hint. Yeah, my players found *that* encounter. You know, the *really* nasty one. Oh BOY.
Which one Endz? In RA there is about one a level and sometimes more!
Yeah Bill, been skimming through SoA. Super deadly! Very cool! I just have to train a new bunch of players so they are ready for The Lost Lands.