Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Vaval 01-23-05, 01:09 PM	My party currently consistes of the following (28 point buy): Lv. 2 Fighter (Single Longsword, no Sheild?) Lv. 2 Rogue (Skill based, not combat powerful) Lv. 2 Preist (Varient Cleric, not as powerful in combat) Lv. 2 Wizard (Has some CA stuff) Plot NPC Lv. 3 Witch (As per the DMG example new base class) Temporary NPC All of the PCs are the same race being a homebrew called Tumarians, they get the follwoing: Medium, BLS 30ft, Bonus Feat at Lv. 1, +4 on Climb and Balence Checks and Detect Magic at will. They are one of only 3 sentiant races on their world (so no LA) with the others being a type of Fey and the Evil enemy type, the enemy has lots of differnt types of forms (like adapted goblinoids, abberations and magical beasts) but they are all counted as one races for story reasons, btw they just appeared on the PCs world 24 hours before the campaign started. The NPC wizard is a unique creature (a humanoid crow, created via the same distubence that brought the evil beings to the world, a few other of these creatures (not more crows though) will be encountered but are generaly good). While walking in the tainted forest the PCs and allies are currently in they come across the entrance to a enemy nest thats under construction. Before getting right at it they get a DC 15 Spot check to notice 2 Modified Dromites pulling a dead deer into the nest (under ground). The nest itself is constructed for small sized creatures so I dont think that the PCs will bother trying to enter it (maybe smoke them out though). If the PCs choose to approch the nest 2 modifed Dromite pop up out of burrows each about 20ft away from the entrance in each derection. DC 15 Listen check to notice them. If the PCs fail the modifed Dromites get the Surprise round and hit a differnt PCs each (closest to them) with their electric rays. If those PCs are wearing metal armor of have lots of metal with them the rays have +3 to hit (as per the energy ray power). The Dromites are level 1 Warriors and only have 2 javalins each, they are crude and only made of wood so I figure -2 to hit -1 damage. This is becuase they just got dumbed here, dont have hardly any equipment. Inside the nest are 4 more level 1 warriors (2 are modified goblins) and a Lv. 2 modifed Kobold Preist. All are only armed with wooden spears exept one of the goblin warriors who has a Iron Longsword and wooden sheild. (all built with standerd array) If the PCs smoke them out they will likly ready actions it attack them so I'm not counting on the guys inside being that hard for them to kill but still a chalence if I have some of them come out of the holes that arnt the main entrance. If the PCs try to enter the nest I'm sure they will die just due to the fact they will be squizzing through and will take penaties for that. The races are modifed in the following ways: Dromites loose the energy reistence and scent for 10ft Dig Speed (now LA 0) Kobolds loose light sencitivity and gain +2 Wis and Scent Goblins +4 Ride changes to +4 Hide (I think that was a typo anyway) All 3 of them are the same 'race' however, just differnt casts of that race The look pritty much the same as they normaly do however they share coloration patterns and such. Dromites = Home Builder/Maintaner/Guard, Kobolds = Tracker/Scouts and Goblins = Warriors/Soldiers. Do you think this is to much to through at the party or do you think they can handle it? I think they should be able unless they really act stupid but thats your opinions?
Board_Rider 01-23-05, 01:41 PM	If they play it straight and use a little strategy I really don't see a problem here.
Lxarth 01-23-05, 01:42 PM	I think it will be fine. As long are you are not throwing all the enemy at the party at once they should be ok. 2 modifed Dromite pop up out of burrows each about 20ft away I think the Dromites should make a Move Silently check and the PC get a Listen check. I also think that they need an opposed Hide-Spot check. The listen check is going to be at a -2 because of the distance. I would think that the low quality weapons (Wood, bone and stone) would have a -2 to attack and damage.
aaron3579 01-23-05, 01:46 PM	The PCs can survive any encounter the DM wants them to survive. The hard part is making them feel like they were in any real danger at all. To achieve this, kill off anyone who tries something unbelievably stupid. Suspension of belief is an art, not a science. Don't worry so much about number crunching, you are the DM; at the end of the day, if you WANT the party to survive, they will. And if you don't, they won't.
Vaval 01-23-05, 01:59 PM	I'm playing the role of the Dromites, Kobold and Goblins. They do not want the PCs to survive, they want to eat them therefor: I dont want the PCs to survive and want to eat them. I make all encounters like this. It saves me the trouble of having to try and make it look like they are actualy in danger because they are danger. So far every encounter thy have has is like that and almost died 3 times but thats the way I DM. Nothing is there just so the PCs can kill it for XP, its there becuase its part of the world. PS: This may seem a bit harsh and counter productive but I and my players like 'realistic' enemies, not people with Effective Int scores 4 lower than they really are.
aaron3579 01-23-05, 02:21 PM	I'm playing the role of the Dromites, Kobold and Goblins. They do not want the PCs to survive, they want to eat them therefor: I dont want the PCs to survive and want to eat them. I can see what you're saying, but that style never worked for me. When creating an encounter that I want the PCs to survive, I would rather not crunch all the numbers and leave it to hope. Unless someone does something earth-shatteringly stupid, I have already decided that the party will come out in one piece. If this makes me unscrupulous, or in your view a 'bad DM,' well, all I can say is that my players seem to have a blast. **EDIT** Since when do DMs have to follow rules? :P