7th level content, CR15+ challenge? [Archive] - Wizards Community

7th level content, CR15+ challenge? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TrajanCavalous
11-21-05, 02:55 PM Not sure this is the right board but this is for DM's.

Sandstorm has a couple adventures in the back. One is a small city of undead with a cr15 lich in charge. The other is a small tomb with a mummy lord, cr 15, at the end who has a very powerful staff that casts Horrid Wilting and other spells so I'd bump that cr to 16. Both locations are described as suitable adventures for level 7 characters. I want to use these sites but those challenges seem broken. Thoughts?
gleep
11-21-05, 03:01 PM I haven't read the book, but at a guess the locations are good for that strength of a party for recurring adventures while those particular foes (the head cheeses) are not.

--gleep
FriendoftheDork
11-21-05, 06:17 PM Are you sure the PCs are meant to FIGHT these creatures? Are there ways around them or a possibility the enemy will spare them?
cypherx
11-21-05, 06:20 PM finally, an adventure where pc's have to use strategy and get suitabley rewarded for them.
FriendoftheDork
11-21-05, 06:45 PM Reminds me of my old D&D games where I was a player. CR really had no meaning for that DM at all. Most of the time we survived. Most of the time.

Then again sometimes the party was TPK'ed by a high level wizard, invisible, casting haste and 2 fireballs.... man my cleric with +0 reflex save didn't do well!

There is such a think as not causing unnecessary TPKs.
TrajanCavalous
11-21-05, 07:26 PM Thanks for the replies!

In the small city of undead a party could poke around a little but any serious delving would draw the cr 15 lich's attention. In the small tomb, its pretty much a straight forward progression to the resting chamber where the cr 15 (or really 16 or 17) bad guy automatically knows when people enter his area, is guaranteed to have an opportunity to buff and then attacks.

Strategy is appreciated and encouraged but I don't see what strategy would help a level 7 party deal with this, especially in the tomb. The material offers the players no forewarning tho I could add one. The reasonable response from a group of level 7's would then be "are you nuts? no thanks, we'll come back later." I have trouble seeing how any player would not consider this to be ridiculous.

The only option I can see is to either add material that gives the monster and players a reason to talk it out to achieve an end that the material does not cover or remove these creatures and add a suitable difficult challenge, one of cr 9 or 10. As presented it would be 'fake' to not have these critters just mop the floor with the players. ?
FriendoftheDork
11-21-05, 07:33 PM Thanks for the replies!

In the small city of undead a party could poke around a little but any serious delving would draw the cr 15 lich's attention. In the small tomb, its pretty much a straight forward progression to the resting chamber where the cr 15 (or really 16 or 17) bad guy automatically knows when people enter his area, is guaranteed to have an opportunity to buff and then attacks.

Strategy is appreciated and encouraged but I don't see what strategy would help a level 7 party deal with this, especially in the tomb. The material offers the players no forewarning tho I could add one. The reasonable response from a group of level 7's would then be "are you nuts? no thanks, we'll come back later." I have trouble seeing how any player would not consider this to be ridiculous.

The only option I can see is to either add material that gives the monster and players a reason to talk it out to achieve an end that the material does not cover or remove these creatures and add a suitable difficult challenge, one of cr 9 or 10. As presented it would be 'fake' to not have these critters just mop the floor with the players. ?

Ok so the adventure offer no suggestions on how the PCs are meant to handle it, except to vade in?

Then you'll have to alter it. In the city have books, inscriptions on the walls or even intelligent undead talking about their great lich master. Make sure the players know their character have heard about liches and how dangerous they are.

For the small tomb (small? Stupid adventure). Either use some hindrance that the PCs are too low level to bypass right away, or again use inscriptions of the mummy lord and many warnings that if disturbed, the mummy lord (use inspiration from the movie) will rise to spread darkness across the world or some such.

So yeah you seem to be on the right track.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TrajanCavalous 11-21-05, 02:55 PM	Not sure this is the right board but this is for DM's. Sandstorm has a couple adventures in the back. One is a small city of undead with a cr15 lich in charge. The other is a small tomb with a mummy lord, cr 15, at the end who has a very powerful staff that casts Horrid Wilting and other spells so I'd bump that cr to 16. Both locations are described as suitable adventures for level 7 characters. I want to use these sites but those challenges seem broken. Thoughts?
gleep 11-21-05, 03:01 PM	I haven't read the book, but at a guess the locations are good for that strength of a party for recurring adventures while those particular foes (the head cheeses) are not. --gleep
FriendoftheDork 11-21-05, 06:17 PM	Are you sure the PCs are meant to FIGHT these creatures? Are there ways around them or a possibility the enemy will spare them?
cypherx 11-21-05, 06:20 PM	finally, an adventure where pc's have to use strategy and get suitabley rewarded for them.
FriendoftheDork 11-21-05, 06:45 PM	Reminds me of my old D&D games where I was a player. CR really had no meaning for that DM at all. Most of the time we survived. Most of the time. Then again sometimes the party was TPK'ed by a high level wizard, invisible, casting haste and 2 fireballs.... man my cleric with +0 reflex save didn't do well! There is such a think as not causing unnecessary TPKs.
TrajanCavalous 11-21-05, 07:26 PM	Thanks for the replies! In the small city of undead a party could poke around a little but any serious delving would draw the cr 15 lich's attention. In the small tomb, its pretty much a straight forward progression to the resting chamber where the cr 15 (or really 16 or 17) bad guy automatically knows when people enter his area, is guaranteed to have an opportunity to buff and then attacks. Strategy is appreciated and encouraged but I don't see what strategy would help a level 7 party deal with this, especially in the tomb. The material offers the players no forewarning tho I could add one. The reasonable response from a group of level 7's would then be "are you nuts? no thanks, we'll come back later." I have trouble seeing how any player would not consider this to be ridiculous. The only option I can see is to either add material that gives the monster and players a reason to talk it out to achieve an end that the material does not cover or remove these creatures and add a suitable difficult challenge, one of cr 9 or 10. As presented it would be 'fake' to not have these critters just mop the floor with the players. ?
FriendoftheDork 11-21-05, 07:33 PM	Thanks for the replies! In the small city of undead a party could poke around a little but any serious delving would draw the cr 15 lich's attention. In the small tomb, its pretty much a straight forward progression to the resting chamber where the cr 15 (or really 16 or 17) bad guy automatically knows when people enter his area, is guaranteed to have an opportunity to buff and then attacks. Strategy is appreciated and encouraged but I don't see what strategy would help a level 7 party deal with this, especially in the tomb. The material offers the players no forewarning tho I could add one. The reasonable response from a group of level 7's would then be "are you nuts? no thanks, we'll come back later." I have trouble seeing how any player would not consider this to be ridiculous. The only option I can see is to either add material that gives the monster and players a reason to talk it out to achieve an end that the material does not cover or remove these creatures and add a suitable difficult challenge, one of cr 9 or 10. As presented it would be 'fake' to not have these critters just mop the floor with the players. ? Ok so the adventure offer no suggestions on how the PCs are meant to handle it, except to vade in? Then you'll have to alter it. In the city have books, inscriptions on the walls or even intelligent undead talking about their great lich master. Make sure the players know their character have heard about liches and how dangerous they are. For the small tomb (small? Stupid adventure). Either use some hindrance that the PCs are too low level to bypass right away, or again use inscriptions of the mummy lord and many warnings that if disturbed, the mummy lord (use inspiration from the movie) will rise to spread darkness across the world or some such. So yeah you seem to be on the right track.