Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Acceptableloss 04-23-05, 01:53 AM	So I am running an Eberron campaign for a group that meets at our local gaming store each week. Originally I was not the DM, but took over to run an adventure and let the DM play his NPC kenku rogue/monk. I think I may stick with being the DM for a while. The party will be mostly 5th level by the time I finish the current adventure, which is a heavily modified version of the "Bad Light" adventure off the Wizards website. My issue is that the PCs are somewhat overpowered for their level and I'd like to tone them back just a bit, without seeming like I'm just taking stuff away. The original DM, who is now a PC, ran a single adventure that took us from 1st lvl to a mix of 3rd and 4th level. The group also ended up with an almost absurd amout of magic loot. Conveniently the lvl 5 dwarven fighter with the full plate +2 and battle axe +1 just died a horrible death by leaping from an 80' high window in a light house. He missed the water. (The bad guys got ahold of his gear and sold it off to some sahuagin because it was useless to them.) The PCs still have quite a bit of magical loot, on top of some pretty impressive stats for some of them, so I'm looking for a fun way to curb them a little. (There's also an artificer in the group so that tends to add to the quantity of magical gear floating around in the party.) Basically I'm just trying to keep this from turning into a Monty Haul campaign. I've seen the living Mordenkainen's Disjunction on the boards here, but i'm looking for something along those lines that I can use to impartially eliminate some elite magic equipment. Is there a lower powered spell like that I could make a living spell out of? Or perhaps another bad guy in the ballpark of CR5 that could serve a similar purpose? Here is the party make-up in case that is useful: Warforged Barbarian 1 / Fighter 4 combat killing machine Human, House Cannith Artificer 5 Warforged Paladin 5, of the Godforged (from Races of Eberron) Valenar Elven Sorcerer 4 Half Elven Rogue 4 Kenku Rogue 2 / Monk 3 I plan to have the PCs be based out of Clifftop (from Sharn: City of Towers, in Upper Dura). I'm also vaguely entertaining the following ideas for future adventures: -PCs getting dragged into a game of Six Stone by the Daask -Kenku assassins belonging to the Nightswift guild (MM3) taking their revenge on the group for previous transgressions -The PCs getting caught between the machinations of an evil rogue bronze dragon, and his nemesis, a blue dragon member of the Chamber -Any excuse I can come up with to use a Quori Nightmare BBEG (from Races of Eberron) -Anything that provides a good excuse for the PCs to end up at a Hrazhak match Anyway, I'm a DM looking for material and I'd love any feedback/suggestions/ideas any of you would be good enough to provide. It would be really sweet if I could come up with an interesting and convoluted way to combine as many of the above elements as possible into an adventure / series of adventures that gets into the pulp noir feel of Eberron. Feel free to spam me with any ideas that you may have.
ILL34GL3 04-23-05, 02:11 AM	I wouldn't consider a character with +2 armor and a +1 weapon to be overpowered. Did he have a bunch of other stuff too? The DMG suggests about 9000gp of wealth for a 5th level character. Those two items only add up to 7960gp. That doesn't seem to be Monty Haul to me.
Acceptableloss 04-23-05, 02:46 AM	That's not all he had. That's just what I could remember off the top of my head. One PC has a Flaming Shortbow +1 and some arrows +1 and a shortsword +1. Another has an Ioun Stone, a magic weapon +1 (I can't remember what). Etc....etc... The group doesn't have a truly absurd amount of magical gear, but between them all they do have more than the DMG listed character wealth. They also have an artificer with Extraordinary Artisan who doesn't mind making stuff for the group. Most of them have some decently impressive stats, which I don't really have a problem with, but that on top of their solid magical gear makes it pretty difficult to scale an encounter for them. (Six PCs mostly 4th lvl at the time, ripped through a CR8 encounter like a hedgetrimmer through tinfoil in a previous session.) I'm basically just trying to make sure that they don't get too out of hand, and I'm also looking for some inspiration for adventure ideas.
talion09 04-23-05, 03:04 AM	Well, aside from throwing higher EL fights at them, which you have already mentioned, how about... 1. Encounters where the armor and weapons aren't appropriate/allowed? I'm thinking social situations similiar to the masquerade in Whispers of the Vampires Blade... 2. I'm assuming that the PC's are being a little flashy with thier power and items, b/c they are plowing through every challenge, right? Have someone like the Boromars or Daask (or even Dark Lanterns) take an interest in this powerful group that isn't aligned with any other organization. Yet. This doesn't really solve the problem, but it does help illustrate to the PC's that they might be powerful, but there are others who are more powerful, at least collectively... (or have some valenar seek them out for a worthy challenge...b/c if the PC's win, then more valenar will come seeking glory, etc) 3. Throw the occasional fight against them that doesn't play to their strengths and items. A fighter who specializes in disarm could go up against the dwarven tank, a grappler/tripper against someone with a high AC, etc. I know this might be rudimentary advice, but I find it is often overlooked. 4. Check the Sharn book to see if the PC's are violating any laws by owning and/or operating those magic items. They might be seized by the Watch, or at least it might be a hook to get them into an adventure. 5. Keep the downtime to a minimum, so the artificer doesn't have months between adventures to craft items. Make him pick and choose among his priorities, not just make as much as his EXP/craft reserve and cash flow allows. --- I do have sympathy for your problem... I DM for a group of 6 PC's who like highpowered characters, and it does make it a challenge to run the campaign and still keep it interesting. At least in my case, there aren't any primary spellcasters, just a warlock and a couple of rogues with UMD...
Vharuck 04-23-05, 03:17 AM	Send them into encounters dealing more with investigation. These tend to never give out wealth or treasue, and should allow you to raise the levels and remain at the same wealth so that it evens out after a while.
sooperspook 04-23-05, 04:42 AM	Private investigation also tends to ahve more 'favour' type rewards which they can 'cash in' so to speak at a later date. I kno players might be very appreciative of a cheap remove curse in the future thanks to someone owing them.
DarkWarriorKarg 04-23-05, 10:54 AM	The above posters have it right... just don't give out so many toys. At least the artificer is doing his job, rather than loading up on wands of fireball... I also notice that no one chose healer type (Cleric, Druid) Sure the Paladin can use a wand of Cure XXXX... does he have one? Same for the artificer. If they don't have one, you have a mighty big limit on the group there. Just send in lower-level goons with little treasure. You're not going to get much stuff from War3 goons.
Xaraan 04-23-05, 06:56 PM	Doesn't sound too bad to me. It could be A LOT worse too. I wouldn't give much more out over the next few adventures and it should even out some. You can easily up the challenge of the adventures or lower the experience they earn for killing creatures that normally would be more of a challenge. I would also throw things at them that require more than brute force to beat. Teach them the sword and fireball doesn't solve every situation and show them consiquences for solving the wrong problems with violence as well.
Korhal_IV 04-23-05, 11:31 PM	Six lvl 4 PCs should face CR 6 encounters, so ripping through a CR 8 with the help of some better magical items isn't too bad. Try inserting a villain who needs them alive (i.e., he wants to kidnap the artificer to force him to work on an eldritch machine, he wants the dragonmarked party member for ransom, etc). Then weigh them down with Sleep, subdual damage, nets, grappling - whatever. Have the villain take some of their items, and plan it so they don't get those items back until the appropriate level.
Acceptableloss 04-24-05, 01:59 AM	Anyway, I'm a DM looking for material and I'd love any feedback/suggestions/ideas any of you would be good enough to provide. It would be really sweet if I could come up with an interesting and convoluted way to combine as many of the above elements as possible into an adventure / series of adventures that gets into the pulp noir feel of Eberron. Feel free to spam me with any ideas that you may have. Okay thanks for your input on the quantity of magic items question. How about some cool ideas for living spells or some of the other adventure ideas I mentioned? Or adventures based out of Sharn that you ran yourself that turned out well. I'm sort of having DM writer's block and having issues coming up with interesting plot/adventure hooks.