Post/Author/DateTime	Post
xaqariah 03-28-07, 05:01 PM	Alrighty! This is a planned encounter. I would like some opinions, and possible problems the PCs will have dealing with it. (along with possible problems the PCs will make for me. :P) A growing river city is throwing a festival. Officially, it is to commemerate the completion of the new sewer system. (The announcement of the engagement of the mayor's daughter to a wealthy individual is also planned to take place on the second night of the festival.) The PCs will have a number of reasons for coming to the city. A series of unfortunate events point up-river (toward the city), and a number of mysterious boxes of brown mold (your standard CR2 trap) have been found washed-up along the shorline at random spots along the river, causing all sorts of trouble. In reality, the city is throwing the festival, in an attempt to make up for draining the city coffers on the sewer project. The wealthy individual helped to finish the project, but has reasons of his own, which will eventually lead the PCs on a dungeon crawl through the sewers and to a long-lost series of ancient ruins of great power (yada... yada...) The wealthy individual wants to not just scare everyone away, but make it so that they will stay away, while he searches for these lost treasures under the city. His plan has been unfolding slowly, and as the vendors set up stands through the city, he is secreting more of these brown mold boxes into their stands. On the second night of the festival (which just so happens to match up with the full moon) a group of Moon Rats (MMII) will herd a larger group of ash rats (MMII) out of the sewers, and through the city streets, lighting fire to as many stands and buildings as possible, while doing their best to stay one step ahead of the bursting boxes of brown mold that begins to freeze the festival in its tracks. A fortunate side effect (from the viewpoint of the BBEG) is that a sleeping Frost Salamander will be drawn out of the ancient ruins, into the sewers, and up to the city streets. The closest people will be frozen in their tracks, while the fire spreads the brown mold further, giving the Frost Salamander pretty much free reign to run rampant through the city. -The moon rats chase the ash rats through the city streets. (I'm thinking 5-10 separate groups, each totalling about a CR 4-5) -The ash rats set fires, which spread the brown mold. -The frost salamander's natural cold damage radius kills the brown mold, leaving reletively "safe" paths through the destruction. -Even though brown mold cold damage is "nonlethal", I'm going to let it eventually put out the fires, limiting the damage from completely burning down the city. -PCs are expected to be Level 6. Barbarian, Rogue/Cleric, Wizard, TWF-Ranger. They will not know exactly who is behind all of this, at the time this is sprung, but they will have seen and dealt with brown mold, leading up to this. (although not on this scale) They will be the only heros "on the scene". Is Level 6 too early, just right, or are they going to be able to walk all over this? (keeping in mind that they will probably have spells-n-the-likes prepared to deal with limited brown mold situations, and that the longer they wait, the more people die.) Thoughts? :D
Prator_the_Legendary 03-28-07, 06:19 PM	Hmmm... If your party is smart, I think this will be an encounter for them that is difficult but doable. Their main goal is to take down the salamander in the brown-moldy environment, right? Because it could take hours of game time to run through an entire city killing individual rats...
xaqariah 03-29-07, 04:03 AM	Hmmm... If your party is smart, I think this will be an encounter for them that is difficult but doable. Their main goal is to take down the salamander in the brown-moldy environment, right? Because it could take hours of game time to run through an entire city killing individual rats... You are correct. The salamander poses the greatest threat. I figure they will deal with a couple of the groups of rats, at best. Many of the groups could reasonably be expected to "paint themselves into a corner" and freeze.
Prator_the_Legendary 03-29-07, 11:17 AM	Okay, because if they had to deal with all the rat hordes on their own, then this would be too much. Then again, theoretically if the casters enchant everyone with plenty of cold-protection spells, it might be too easy...
WotC_Huscarl 03-29-07, 11:20 AM	First -- I created the moon rats, so ... cool! They're a particular favorite. Second -- Gotta feel sorry for the young lady whose betrothal is the highlight of a sewer festival. Third -- Challenge-wise, you have so many opportunities here to adjust CRs up and down that it shouldn't be a problem, provided you stay on your toes. This is a series of many smaller encounters, not one big encounter. The brown mold and the fires should function more as a channeling device than an enemy to be fought. They deny the heroes passage through certain parts of town and might cut them off from things they'd like to have (the local wizard, for example, might get trapped and unable to help when the brown mold engulfs the ground level of his tower). The number of rats in any given encounter can easily be adjusted up or down, depending on the PCs' fortunes up to that point. If they're doing really well, step up the rats, or get them hemmed into a triangle of rats, fire, and brown mold. If they're on the wane, cut down the numbers of rats and step up the townsfolks' fire brigades or help from the militia. It's a bit like conducting a symphony but less complex. The situation has so much flexibility that you can bend and stretch it with abandon on the fly. Steve
xaqariah 03-29-07, 12:30 PM	First -- I created the moon rats, so ... cool! They're a particular favorite. Awesome! :D Second -- Gotta feel sorry for the young lady whose betrothal is the highlight of a sewer festival. The mayor thought of the festival, first, as a way to bring people and vendors in, and charge them to have fun, to make up for all of the money spent on upgrading the sewers, so that the city could continue to grow. The engagement happened, after the original festival announcement went out... The mayor hopes this gets people to spend even more, than they would at a "sewer festival". :P ... there are a whole bunch of things happening, that I didn't relate above... If anyone wants to "play detective", there is a bunch of information that they can piece together, before the rats strike. It is also being written, so that a group of "shoot first, ask questions later" type players can get some fairly obvious clues, but they will probably end up piecing things together, only after the fact. (isn't that what BBEG monologues are for, anyway? :P) Third -- Challenge-wise, you have so many opportunities here to adjust CRs up and down that it shouldn't be a problem, provided you stay on your toes. This is a series of many smaller encounters, not one big encounter. The brown mold and the fires should function more as a channeling device than an enemy to be fought. They deny the heroes passage through certain parts of town and might cut them off from things they'd like to have (the local wizard, for example, might get trapped and unable to help when the brown mold engulfs the ground level of his tower). The number of rats in any given encounter can easily be adjusted up or down, depending on the PCs' fortunes up to that point. If they're doing really well, step up the rats, or get them hemmed into a triangle of rats, fire, and brown mold. If they're on the wane, cut down the numbers of rats and step up the townsfolks' fire brigades or help from the militia. It's a bit like conducting a symphony but less complex. The situation has so much flexibility that you can bend and stretch it with abandon on the fly. Steve Thank you for your insight. :D
Kyle_the_DM 03-30-07, 01:14 AM	Consider your combination of moonrats, ash rats, and brown mold officially ripped off! I've been trying to think of a clever way to use moonrats since I bought my MM2 and let me tell you, none of my plans were nearly as cool. :cool:
Elthbert 03-30-07, 12:16 PM	Consider your combination of moonrats, ash rats, and brown mold officially ripped off! I've been trying to think of a clever way to use moonrats since I bought my MM2 and let me tell you, none of my plans were nearly as cool. :cool: Oh yeah--- I really liked this set up--- I will probably be forced to rip of at least some of this---- I say forced becasue it is just really cool.
xaqariah 03-31-07, 12:33 PM	Wow... Thanks for the responses. I was expecting something a little more critical, I guess, but I'll take positive. :P Swipe away, if you like. :D
GoriceXII 03-31-07, 03:09 PM	I think you could also have riot like elements that are thrown into the mix too. Potentially it would be a walkover if it were just a series of encounters but the way you are doing it it lends itself to being rather challenging.
neilthrun 03-31-07, 04:51 PM	Here is an advanced Ash Rat I used once. Not sure how much I can post with out breaking copyrights, so I'll just post raw numbers and you'll have to refer to MMII, Manual of the Planes, Complete Warior and Savage Species where indicated. Not sure if its anything you need, but it could prove an interesting twist on the Ash Rat part of your plot line, ie Unintelligent Rats being led by Barbarian Rats that are barely sentient vs Rats that are only smart during a full moon. Who will win? Ash Rat Destroyer Ash Rat Destroyers are Advanced Ash Rats that have recieved extra strength from chaotic powers, often the planes of Limbo or Pandemonium. Ash Rat Destroyers are intellegent enough to take class levels, and almost all take levels in Barbarian. Ash Rat Destroyers often lead small packs of normal Ash Rats in crusades against places and creatures assciated with Law, like large functioning Governments and inhabitants of Mechanus. Anarchic Advanced(3HD) Ash Rat Barbarian 3 Small Magical Beast(Fire) Hit Dice: 3d10+3d12+12 (48 hp) Initiative: +4 Speed: 50 ft. (8 squares), climb 20 ft. Armor Class: 16 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +1natural), touch 15, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+0 Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6-2) or Flamespit +11 ranged touch (1d4 fire) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Flamespit, Heat, Smite Law, Rage, Final Strike Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft, Fire Heal, fire subtype, lowlight vision, smoky hide, fast healing 1, Acid Cold Electricity and Sonic Resistance 5, Uncanny Dodge, Trapsense +1 Saves: Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +5 Abilities: Str 6, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 3 Skills: Climb +17, Hide +9*, Move Silent +7 Feats: Improved Natural Attack(bite), Final Strike, Extra Smiting Environment: Any Warm Land, Underground, Limbo or Pandemonium Organization: Solitary, Pack (1 plus 5-10 Ash Rats), Crusade (2-10 Ash Rat Destroyers plus 5-10 Ash Rats per Ash Rat Destroyer) Challenge Rating: 6 Treasure: none Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Advancement: as barbarian An Ash Rat Destroyer has all the normal Ash Rat abilities except those changes noted below. Smite Law: 3 times per day an Ash Rat Destroyer can make a smite attack against a lawfull creature dealing +6 damage. Final Strike: When slain, an Ash Rat Destroyer explodes in a 60 ft. burst dealing 6d6 fire damage(Reflex DC 14 for half damage) and 3d6 damage light burst(DC 14 for half damage) Sources Anarchic Template is from Manual of the Planes Extra Smiting is from Complete Warrior Final Strike is from Savage Species for even more advanced Ash Rat Destroyers, continue giving them Barbarian levels and feats like Extra Rage(complete warrior), Extend Rage(Complete Warrior), Pyro(song and silence) and Inured to Energy(Savage Species).
Darth Sephiroth 03-31-07, 07:05 PM	Here is an advanced Ash Rat I used once. Not sure how much I can post with out breaking copyrights, so I'll just post raw numbers and you'll have to refer to MMII, Manual of the Planes, Complete Warior and Savage Species where indicated. Not sure if its anything you need, but it could prove an interesting twist on the Ash Rat part of your plot line, ie Unintelligent Rats being led by Barbarian Rats that are barely sentient vs Rats that are only smart during a full moon. Who will win? Why am I picturing them as Frenzied Berzerkers. I can also see some Nezumi getting mixed up in this with various templates