Ghost fight [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ghost fight [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
pmurray@bigpond.com
08-24-07, 11:02 PM The party defeated a CR 3 ghost (hp damage), but is yet to lay the ghost to rest by fulfiling the ghost's quest. Do I give them the XP twice - once for defeating it in battle, once for "laying" the ghost? If only once how do I justify it?

The party defeated the ghost pretty easily. I applied the 50% miss chance, but even so it only took a couple of rounds. Did I miss something? Do ghosts have weapon immunities that I don't know about?

The main melee combatant is "murky eyed" (unearthed arcana) and must roll concealment checks twice in order to hit. Is the incorporeal miss chance a concealment?
Kouk
08-24-07, 11:53 PM Ghost is a template, not a creature.

Anyway, a CR 3 is a CR 3, no matter what the monster is.

You can only hit a Ghost with a magical weapon (50% chance) or a Ghost Touch magical weapon (100% chance).

The Ghost's miss chance comes from incorporeality, not concealment.
primemover003
08-25-07, 02:25 AM XP wise you give the the standard award for defeating the creature and you give them an ad hoc story award for laying it to rest, which might be tricky because the need to figure you the clues you've left, but ultimately isn't as challenging as fighting the ghost.

No incorporeal miss chance is not concealment. It's a miss chance because the ghost isn't fully there. If the PC's were attacking a Ghost with Blur in effect you'd roll the 50% miss for being incorporeal, then the 20% miss for being concealed by the blur spell.
heffroncm
08-25-07, 06:03 PM As for defeating the ghost, it was central to the story. They get XP for defeating the ghost straight out, and you might assing "laying it to rest" as total worth of an encounter equal to the ghost's Encounter Level -1. This is fair wether they beat it in combat or not, as they should get the experience for the combat encounter even if they manage to avoid it in some way.
pmurray@bigpond.com
08-26-07, 04:22 AM Arrgh! Magical weapons only! I knew that I had forgotten something, that a 1st level party ought not be able to defeat a ghost that easily.

Well, I have glossed over it in the adventure log (http://www.paulmurray.id.au/ageofworms). The party will not earn the experience as I did not run a proper CR 3 fight.

But they stll have the chance to lay the ghost to reast and earn the bonus the proper way.
heffroncm
08-26-07, 07:56 AM You should at least give them XP for a CR 1 or 2 fight. The Magic Weapon Only is a part of a Ghost's challenge, but it isn't the entirety of it.
eamon
08-26-07, 12:57 PM I make those kind of mistakes too. Most annoying :).

But on the bright side, it means everyone will see that they get more XP for actually achieving a quest goal, which might motivate power-collector's a little to take questing no less seriously than fighting ;-). I like it anyhow when Quest XP and Combat XP are roughtly equally relevant for advancement.
Kouk
08-26-07, 01:35 PM If the Ghost still hurt them or otherwise proved to be some sort of challenge, you should still give a bit of XP for it.
djtech1982
09-21-07, 11:18 PM The only problem with giving them XP for defeating the ghost in battle is the rejuvenation special quality of the ghost. The ghost can come back multiple times (every 2d4 days) and fight the PCs again and again until they lay the ghost to rest. If you give them, let's say 50%, XP for defeating the ghost in battle, they can essentially earn more XP by not fulfilling the ghost's quest and wait to fight the ghost more for more XP.

I know this is late contribution, but I thought I should point it out for the record.
heffroncm
09-22-07, 12:18 AM The only problem with giving them XP for defeating the ghost in battle is the rejuvenation special quality of the ghost. The ghost can come back multiple times (every 2d4 days) and fight the PCs again and again until they lay the ghost to rest. If you give them, let's say 50%, XP for defeating the ghost in battle, they can essentially earn more XP by not fulfilling the ghost's quest and wait to fight the ghost more for more XP.

I know this is late contribution, but I thought I should point it out for the record.

Same as a enemy that runs away and comes back to fight the party again another day. New encounter, new rewards, even if it's the same opponent. Obviously, if you have players that are going to "camp and farm" the ghost for XP and "teh phat lewtz," you have other issues and need to stop giving XP.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pmurray@bigpond.com 08-24-07, 11:02 PM	The party defeated a CR 3 ghost (hp damage), but is yet to lay the ghost to rest by fulfiling the ghost's quest. Do I give them the XP twice - once for defeating it in battle, once for "laying" the ghost? If only once how do I justify it? The party defeated the ghost pretty easily. I applied the 50% miss chance, but even so it only took a couple of rounds. Did I miss something? Do ghosts have weapon immunities that I don't know about? The main melee combatant is "murky eyed" (unearthed arcana) and must roll concealment checks twice in order to hit. Is the incorporeal miss chance a concealment?
Kouk 08-24-07, 11:53 PM	Ghost is a template, not a creature. Anyway, a CR 3 is a CR 3, no matter what the monster is. You can only hit a Ghost with a magical weapon (50% chance) or a Ghost Touch magical weapon (100% chance). The Ghost's miss chance comes from incorporeality, not concealment.
primemover003 08-25-07, 02:25 AM	XP wise you give the the standard award for defeating the creature and you give them an ad hoc story award for laying it to rest, which might be tricky because the need to figure you the clues you've left, but ultimately isn't as challenging as fighting the ghost. No incorporeal miss chance is not concealment. It's a miss chance because the ghost isn't fully there. If the PC's were attacking a Ghost with Blur in effect you'd roll the 50% miss for being incorporeal, then the 20% miss for being concealed by the blur spell.
heffroncm 08-25-07, 06:03 PM	As for defeating the ghost, it was central to the story. They get XP for defeating the ghost straight out, and you might assing "laying it to rest" as total worth of an encounter equal to the ghost's Encounter Level -1. This is fair wether they beat it in combat or not, as they should get the experience for the combat encounter even if they manage to avoid it in some way.
pmurray@bigpond.com 08-26-07, 04:22 AM	Arrgh! Magical weapons only! I knew that I had forgotten something, that a 1st level party ought not be able to defeat a ghost that easily. Well, I have glossed over it in the adventure log (http://www.paulmurray.id.au/ageofworms). The party will not earn the experience as I did not run a proper CR 3 fight. But they stll have the chance to lay the ghost to reast and earn the bonus the proper way.
heffroncm 08-26-07, 07:56 AM	You should at least give them XP for a CR 1 or 2 fight. The Magic Weapon Only is a part of a Ghost's challenge, but it isn't the entirety of it.
eamon 08-26-07, 12:57 PM	I make those kind of mistakes too. Most annoying :). But on the bright side, it means everyone will see that they get more XP for actually achieving a quest goal, which might motivate power-collector's a little to take questing no less seriously than fighting ;-). I like it anyhow when Quest XP and Combat XP are roughtly equally relevant for advancement.
Kouk 08-26-07, 01:35 PM	If the Ghost still hurt them or otherwise proved to be some sort of challenge, you should still give a bit of XP for it.
djtech1982 09-21-07, 11:18 PM	The only problem with giving them XP for defeating the ghost in battle is the rejuvenation special quality of the ghost. The ghost can come back multiple times (every 2d4 days) and fight the PCs again and again until they lay the ghost to rest. If you give them, let's say 50%, XP for defeating the ghost in battle, they can essentially earn more XP by not fulfilling the ghost's quest and wait to fight the ghost more for more XP. I know this is late contribution, but I thought I should point it out for the record.
heffroncm 09-22-07, 12:18 AM	The only problem with giving them XP for defeating the ghost in battle is the rejuvenation special quality of the ghost. The ghost can come back multiple times (every 2d4 days) and fight the PCs again and again until they lay the ghost to rest. If you give them, let's say 50%, XP for defeating the ghost in battle, they can essentially earn more XP by not fulfilling the ghost's quest and wait to fight the ghost more for more XP. I know this is late contribution, but I thought I should point it out for the record. Same as a enemy that runs away and comes back to fight the party again another day. New encounter, new rewards, even if it's the same opponent. Obviously, if you have players that are going to "camp and farm" the ghost for XP and "teh phat lewtz," you have other issues and need to stop giving XP.