Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WCH 07-04-06, 01:46 AM	Got a one off tomorrow. Two frail PCs... a high-Int, 10 Con half-orc fighter who wants to prove that brains are more important than toughness and a 6 Con Halfling Scout who just doesn't want to die. The halfling's backstory involves getting ****** at his mother and abandoning his clan, the half-orc's backstory involves an orc barbarian father who didn't stay with his mother (whether she was raped is ambiguous, as she's evil too). The half-orc is NG, the halfling is LN. So... obvious tying together plot... the half-orc's father attacks the halfling's old caravan, requiring them to come to the rescue and both can acheive vindication in the single act of defeating the barbarian. Problem: they both have laughably low hp (well the fighter isn't too bad, but only because he took Improved Toughness and put his lvl 4 bonus into Con). What I want to do to really play up the Int versus Con thing is to force them to out think him and for him to have so much hp that he can last quite a while. Solution: I want to take away his weapon but make him a level or two higher to balance. He has 6 Int and 11 Wis, so this could be accomplished easily. Even better if I can arrange it such that it's the PCs who take his weapon from him. So how do I balance this? If I want him to be CR 6 after losing his weapon, what level should he be, and what else should I do to balance it? Any other suggestions for making this work well, like how exactly to take his weapon, or other twists I can throw in?
Senevri 07-04-06, 03:14 AM	Got a one off tomorrow. Two frail PCs... a high-Int, 10 Con half-orc fighter who wants to prove that brains are more important than toughness and a 6 Con Halfling Scout who just doesn't want to die. ...Well, personally I think "Healthy mind in a healthy body. Problem: they both have laughably low hp (well the fighter isn't too bad, but only because he took Improved Toughness and put his lvl 4 bonus into Con). What I want to do to really play up the Int versus Con thing is to force them to out think him and for him to have so much hp that he can last quite a while. Fourth level? They're not that frail, then. Solution: I want to take away his weapon but make him a level or two higher to balance. He has 6 Int and 11 Wis, so this could be accomplished easily. Even better if I can arrange it such that it's the PCs who take his weapon from him. Err... Disarm? Sneaky skills? Just give the barbarian bad spot, listen and sense motive for his level. So how do I balance this? If I want him to be CR 6 after losing his weapon, what level should he be, and what else should I do to balance it? Give him Improved Unarmed Fighting feat. 1d4 weapon left, only, and no 2x powerattack or 1.5x str bonus. Give it for free, and the CR should still be about right. Any other suggestions for making this work well, like how exactly to take his weapon, or other twists I can throw in? Smart play: - Sneaking - Allies - Using geography: Climb into a tree, use crossbow. - In combat: Tactics. Flanking, Aid another, Defensive Fighting. - Grenadelike weapons, tanglefoot bags, net. - Improvised traps.
WCH 07-04-06, 03:17 AM	They're lvl 6. I don't mean they're weak... they aren't at all. In fact they should be quite powerful; but they still have laughably low hitpoints. Now, usually this shouldn't be too much of an issue... but barbarians have a tendency to one-hit-kill same level chars with negative Con mods. During char gen they both separately wanted to be wizards despite negative Con mods, and I talked them out of it. Having to fight CR 6 enemies while only having 10 hitpoints is a fundamentally bad idea.
Zillah 07-04-06, 04:04 AM	give them full hit points for their past levels. its not bad if your gonna throw stuff at them where they deserve it
Senevri 07-04-06, 04:06 AM	Having to fight CR 6 enemies up close and personal while only having 10 hitpoints is a fundamentally bad idea. Quoted for greater accuracy.