Silt Runner Ragers - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Silt Runner Ragers

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Khilkhameth
Jan 19, 2012 17:05:21 So, last night I ran a group through the introductory three encounters in the back of the Dark Sun Campaign Setting. It ended in a TPK,with one adventurer actually dying in the first encounter and having a replacement found in the abandoned caravan.

Why? Silt Runner Ragers throwing out 4d6+4 damage on a twice-per encounter power, with another 4d6+4 damage power that they can use when bloodied which also hands out vulnerabilities. It just seems a little much to throw starting adventurers up against.

I checked to see if it was a typo, but no, it matches up with the stats in the Creature Catalog. Yet in the third encounter, their attack bonuses and damage were printed as being significantly lower.

Is it just me, or are silt runners a little bit more dangerous than the kobolds of the desert have a right to be?
#2
WolfLordBran
Jan 19, 2012 21:31:04 When I ran my first DS game, I put the party through the adventure. Oh gods, I nearly killed them without even trying. Between Darters and Ragers, the Mul Fighter was at -6 first turn. Silt Runners are absolutely brutal for level 1 monsters and should honestly been used carefully.

But my pet theory is that the Runners are like that to show the players that Dark Sun WILL beat you up, kick you while you're down, and then do a dance as you bleed to death if it gets the chance. That and it's a racial revenge for every kobold ever slain for petty XPs in regular games.
#3
Khilkhameth
Jan 20, 2012 12:30:26 Well, if nothing else, I suppose I can use them as 'encouragement' to move adventurers on; if there's a choice between going somewhere with or without silt runners...
#4
Kurmudgeon
Jan 21, 2012 1:35:00 Yep. Those silt runners are nasty. My group started at 5th level and they went up against some silt runners as their first encounter. There were no deaths, but there were several characters that were close to dying. Needless to say my players were shocked when I told them that silt runners were level 1 creatures. There were of course additional encounters with silt runners as they climbed through the levels. As a result the PC's despise two things above all others in Dark Sun, silt runners and elves. There are several other deadly low level creatures that my group had trouble with also. The Tembo was nasty, and so was the Gaj, especially due to the 1/2 giants incredibly low willpower defenses and high damage output.

#5
waxwingslain
Jan 21, 2012 10:32:27 Tembos are insanely difficult; they're listed wayy under the level they should be, imo.
#6
BRJN
Jan 21, 2012 20:20:59 For my DS campaign, I'm only using silt runners on silt, but I'm giving them a variant on the psi talent: 'They don't sink into silt as long as they keep moving'. So if you can slow them or trip them or immobilize them or use the Fighter's "STOP" class feature, down they go.

This way I get better raiders: they can just head off the edge of the map if they start to lose. What PC is gonna chase them (maybe alone)?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Khilkhameth Jan 19, 2012 17:05:21	So, last night I ran a group through the introductory three encounters in the back of the Dark Sun Campaign Setting. It ended in a TPK,with one adventurer actually dying in the first encounter and having a replacement found in the abandoned caravan. Why? Silt Runner Ragers throwing out 4d6+4 damage on a twice-per encounter power, with another 4d6+4 damage power that they can use when bloodied which also hands out vulnerabilities. It just seems a little much to throw starting adventurers up against. I checked to see if it was a typo, but no, it matches up with the stats in the Creature Catalog. Yet in the third encounter, their attack bonuses and damage were printed as being significantly lower. Is it just me, or are silt runners a little bit more dangerous than the kobolds of the desert have a right to be?
#2 WolfLordBran Jan 19, 2012 21:31:04	When I ran my first DS game, I put the party through the adventure. Oh gods, I nearly killed them without even trying. Between Darters and Ragers, the Mul Fighter was at -6 first turn. Silt Runners are absolutely brutal for level 1 monsters and should honestly been used carefully. But my pet theory is that the Runners are like that to show the players that Dark Sun WILL beat you up, kick you while you're down, and then do a dance as you bleed to death if it gets the chance. That and it's a racial revenge for every kobold ever slain for petty XPs in regular games.
#3 Khilkhameth Jan 20, 2012 12:30:26	Well, if nothing else, I suppose I can use them as 'encouragement' to move adventurers on; if there's a choice between going somewhere with or without silt runners...
#4 Kurmudgeon Jan 21, 2012 1:35:00	Yep. Those silt runners are nasty. My group started at 5th level and they went up against some silt runners as their first encounter. There were no deaths, but there were several characters that were close to dying. Needless to say my players were shocked when I told them that silt runners were level 1 creatures. There were of course additional encounters with silt runners as they climbed through the levels. As a result the PC's despise two things above all others in Dark Sun, silt runners and elves. There are several other deadly low level creatures that my group had trouble with also. The Tembo was nasty, and so was the Gaj, especially due to the 1/2 giants incredibly low willpower defenses and high damage output.
#5 waxwingslain Jan 21, 2012 10:32:27	Tembos are insanely difficult; they're listed wayy under the level they should be, imo.
#6 BRJN Jan 21, 2012 20:20:59	For my DS campaign, I'm only using silt runners on silt, but I'm giving them a variant on the psi talent: 'They don't sink into silt as long as they keep moving'. So if you can slow them or trip them or immobilize them or use the Fighter's "STOP" class feature, down they go. This way I get better raiders: they can just head off the edge of the map if they start to lose. What PC is gonna chase them (maybe alone)?