PH2 Game Day Adventure Questions (One Dark Night in Weeping Briar) [Spoiler?] - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

PH2 Game Day Adventure Questions (One Dark Night in Weeping Briar) [Spoiler?]

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
DarkTemplar
Mar 13, 2009 22:32:26 Preface: I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this in, but it seems to be the most logical, high-traffic forum; particularly, I tend to play Living FR with the group who is supporting this day.

It's going to be my first time DMing -- 4th Edition or D&D in general. I've been an avid player, and someone who also works on creating his own source material (since 3rd Edition), so I approach all of this with an eye for detail. I may be over-reading, but I am left with a fair amount of questions. Hopefully a WizO, or someone who knows the answers to these questions can help me.

I've just finished going over the adventure for Worldwide D&D Game Day celebrating the release of the Player's Handbook 2, and I've got a few questions about erroneous or missing information. I will attempt to keep this as 'spoiler-free' as possible, but I guess it can't be helped. If there's a better place for this thread, please let me know. In the meantime, can someone with the relevant knowledge suggest the best courses of action for each question below?

Character Sheet for the Warforged:

For the Warforged Resolve power, there is no listing. As the character has improved warforged resolve (and I don't have a PHB), and since there is no power listed with the appropriate details, I know that I couldn't expect a player to know the answer off the top of his head.
-- How many temporary hit points does this character gain when he uses his warforged resolve?

Encounter 1

Under "Illumination", it states that the weather provides concealment, regardless. Applying a -2 penalty across the battlefield for all weapon combat seems to be a little much.
-- Does this penalty sweep across all characters' weapon attacks (melee and ranged), or just against ranged/weapon attacks?
-- Does it still create concealment for a foe adjacent to you?

Under "Puddles", it simply states to use the spaces as depicted. Some spaces seem to have hardly any puddle in them, but it still is in the space slightly.
-- Will the adventure map mark the hazard spaces, or do I have to guess/choose which spaces have the terrain?
-- If I have to puzzle it out for myself, can the border of a space count if the puddle seems to follow a border?

As for the "Wagon"...
-- Does it require the Athletics check to enable use of it?
-- Is it required to travel only in the direction it is pointed?

The "Stalls", as described, can create difficult terrain, and it is described as a "burst 2". This seems rather large.
-- It is intentionally a "burst 2"?
-- How should I determine the center of the burst?

A potion of vitality is listed as a treasure, but it doesn't have any mention of which book to look for it, what chapter to look in, or what page to find it on. We're just assumed to know. I thought the 4E GSL suggested that adventure writers ought to use references. (I know, it's in the PHB.)
-- Shouldn't there be some reference or suggestion as to where to find it?

Encounter 3

"Puddles" appear to be on the floor of the encounter space, but the encounter makes no mention of them.
-- Are the puddles just decoration, for this encounter?
-- Or should I use the rules as written from the previous encounter?

The discolored depression (5x5) in the far-left corner seems to be something like slightly sunken or raised floor.
-- There is no special terrain rule for crossing the border of this area, right?

The minions have a power that works with a creature type that is not present in this encounter.
-- I just want to confirm that this power is non-essential to this encounter.

The demon artillery have a power that triggers upon being bloodied. The range is "close burst 1", and does not specify "creatures" or "enemies".
-- Does this effect include all creatures in the area, or just foes?

The lurker's power grants it a bonus to defenses against all creatures when its power successfully goes off. I just want to confirm that the defense bonus is against all creatures, including its target; and that nobody gets an exception (such as the targeted creature).

Should the rare fiery explosion occur, and the PCs choose to retreat, should I use the map from the previous encounter?

The ramp in the far-right corner (from the entry) goes down, but there is a brighter/discolored ramp area.
-- Do these spaces go down with the ramp, stay flat, or go up to the shelves?

Encounter 4

"Resist variable (#/encounter)" is listed in the Monster Manual on page 282. However, there is no reference as to where to find this rule, which I consider to be tucked away in the middle of nearly nowhere.

The "northwest" corner, from one point of view, is the corner with all of the little black pips on the map, but does not seem to match the description proper, and makes more sense to be the far-left corner of the room (if you were standing at the entryway).
-- Is that space with all the pips the space with the "cowed" fold? By extension, if it is, does that mean the north-west corner is the far-left corner of the room (From the entry)?

The description of the far end of the room states a creature may start to take "ongoing 5 necrotic" damage. It does not specify when it ends (encounter, save, end of next turn?).
-- Is the ongoing damage supposed to not end?
-- The creature does not take an initial 5 points of necrotic damage, or the first ongoing damage until his next turn, then, right?

There is a fair amount of rubble near the entryway of the map. It is not listed as being difficult terrain.
-- Is this supposed to be difficult terrain?

As for the obstacle-hazards, I wondered about a "stunned" character in general.
-- Can a stunned player be pushed, pulled, or otherwise aided in movement from the current space, by an ally?
#2
lord_karsus
Mar 13, 2009 23:09:33 -THIS is the best place to send your queries, where you might (I don't use it, so I don't know how they respond and such) get actual answers/errata/etc.
#3
vardenerinkenzei
Mar 19, 2009 15:37:19 These are great questions!

WotC please respond!

Other than that, my two cents as a 26-year D&D veteran.

Encounter 1

Under "Illumination", it states that the weather provides concealment, regardless. Applying a -2 penalty across the battlefield for all weapon combat seems to be a little much.
-- Does this penalty sweep across all characters' weapon attacks (melee and ranged), or just against ranged/weapon attacks?
-- Does it still create concealment for a foe adjacent to you?

That dim illumination applies to Encounter 3, inside the Mill too, but not in Encounter 4, Storm Beneath.

Why not have a -2? It's really poor conditions.

It becomes tricky in the Mill, as Squeaks is the only one who doesn't have dark- or low-light vision, so he is the only one to have the -2 because of light.

I looked at the concealment section of the PHB, and it doesn't mention adjacent being a factor in the -2 catagory, only the -5, so yeah, ranged and melee.

Under "Puddles", it simply states to use the spaces as depicted. Some spaces seem to have hardly any puddle in them, but it still is in the space slightly.
-- Will the adventure map mark the hazard spaces, or do I have to guess/choose which spaces have the terrain?
-- If I have to puzzle it out for myself, can the border of a space count if the puddle seems to follow a border?

I see what you mean. I'd go ahead and mark out the iffy squares ahead of time to save the hassle.

As for the "Wagon"...
-- Does it require the Athletics check to enable use of it?
-- Is it required to travel only in the direction it is pointed?

I'f anyone is creative enough to think of that, I say let 'em just do it.
I'm gonna build a wagon miniature out of lego blocks.

Encounter 3

"Puddles" appear to be on the floor of the encounter space, but the encounter makes no mention of them.
-- Are the puddles just decoration, for this encounter?
-- Or should I use the rules as written from the previous encounter?

If they are on the map then you should expect your players to play them. They need consistency.

Should the rare fiery explosion occur, and the PCs choose to retreat, should I use the map from the previous encounter?

It does beg the question, though, if it's that damp in the mill, would the grain dust ignite? I'm gonna say no, just to keep the game logical, simple and faster.

The demon artillery have a power that triggers upon being bloodied. The range is "close burst 1", and does not specify "creatures" or "enemies".
-- Does this effect include all creatures in the area, or just foes?

'Creature,' 'enemy' and 'ally' are all different. We just had this come up in our game with the wizzo's Acid Arrow! [He critted on me of course...]

The lurker's power grants it a bonus to defenses against all creatures when its power successfully goes off. I just want to confirm that the defense bonus is against all creatures, including its target; and that nobody gets an exception (such as the targeted creature).

Well, if you picture it using the grabbed creature as a meat shield, and that is a cool mental picture, then I'd say the defense bonus wouldn't apply to the victim.
#4
DarkTemplar
Mar 19, 2009 22:08:18 Actually, I've discovered a thread made of gold (almost), posted on both ENWorld and here -- in the "What's a DM to Do?" forum.

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1159795

Although I won't use all of the suggestions, it seems like you've picked up on the basics that everyone else has had.

-- I'm not going to use the puddles in the mill. Only outside.

-- The snapjaw (whatever it's called) is going to get its bonus against the creature it grabs, as well -- being able to hitch onto an out-of-the-way place. He's meant to not be hit as a Lurker for a reason -- and he -does- have to hit, anyways.

-- The close burst 1 power of the artillery hits "creatures" -- so they just might knock out the minions if they go off properly.

-- I've already planned out all the "iffy" squares on graph paper in my graph-paper notebook. Then I just wait for someone to step on it, but I will mark it down as challenging terrain once a player begins to discover "oh, this is slippy!"

So, yeah, check out the other thread -- it's got a LOT of feedback, and if you haven't already come up with a good idea, there's a dozen of them there.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 DarkTemplar Mar 13, 2009 22:32:26	Preface: I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this in, but it seems to be the most logical, high-traffic forum; particularly, I tend to play Living FR with the group who is supporting this day. It's going to be my first time DMing -- 4th Edition or D&D in general. I've been an avid player, and someone who also works on creating his own source material (since 3rd Edition), so I approach all of this with an eye for detail. I may be over-reading, but I am left with a fair amount of questions. Hopefully a WizO, or someone who knows the answers to these questions can help me. I've just finished going over the adventure for Worldwide D&D Game Day celebrating the release of the Player's Handbook 2, and I've got a few questions about erroneous or missing information. I will attempt to keep this as 'spoiler-free' as possible, but I guess it can't be helped. If there's a better place for this thread, please let me know. In the meantime, can someone with the relevant knowledge suggest the best courses of action for each question below? Character Sheet for the Warforged: For the Warforged Resolve power, there is no listing. As the character has improved warforged resolve (and I don't have a PHB), and since there is no power listed with the appropriate details, I know that I couldn't expect a player to know the answer off the top of his head. -- How many temporary hit points does this character gain when he uses his warforged resolve? Encounter 1 Under "Illumination", it states that the weather provides concealment, regardless. Applying a -2 penalty across the battlefield for all weapon combat seems to be a little much. -- Does this penalty sweep across all characters' weapon attacks (melee and ranged), or just against ranged/weapon attacks? -- Does it still create concealment for a foe adjacent to you? Under "Puddles", it simply states to use the spaces as depicted. Some spaces seem to have hardly any puddle in them, but it still is in the space slightly. -- Will the adventure map mark the hazard spaces, or do I have to guess/choose which spaces have the terrain? -- If I have to puzzle it out for myself, can the border of a space count if the puddle seems to follow a border? As for the "Wagon"... -- Does it require the Athletics check to enable use of it? -- Is it required to travel only in the direction it is pointed? The "Stalls", as described, can create difficult terrain, and it is described as a "burst 2". This seems rather large. -- It is intentionally a "burst 2"? -- How should I determine the center of the burst? A potion of vitality is listed as a treasure, but it doesn't have any mention of which book to look for it, what chapter to look in, or what page to find it on. We're just assumed to know. I thought the 4E GSL suggested that adventure writers ought to use references. (I know, it's in the PHB.) -- Shouldn't there be some reference or suggestion as to where to find it? Encounter 3 "Puddles" appear to be on the floor of the encounter space, but the encounter makes no mention of them. -- Are the puddles just decoration, for this encounter? -- Or should I use the rules as written from the previous encounter? The discolored depression (5x5) in the far-left corner seems to be something like slightly sunken or raised floor. -- There is no special terrain rule for crossing the border of this area, right? The minions have a power that works with a creature type that is not present in this encounter. -- I just want to confirm that this power is non-essential to this encounter. The demon artillery have a power that triggers upon being bloodied. The range is "close burst 1", and does not specify "creatures" or "enemies". -- Does this effect include all creatures in the area, or just foes? The lurker's power grants it a bonus to defenses against all creatures when its power successfully goes off. I just want to confirm that the defense bonus is against all creatures, including its target; and that nobody gets an exception (such as the targeted creature). Should the rare fiery explosion occur, and the PCs choose to retreat, should I use the map from the previous encounter? The ramp in the far-right corner (from the entry) goes down, but there is a brighter/discolored ramp area. -- Do these spaces go down with the ramp, stay flat, or go up to the shelves? Encounter 4 "Resist variable (#/encounter)" is listed in the Monster Manual on page 282. However, there is no reference as to where to find this rule, which I consider to be tucked away in the middle of nearly nowhere. The "northwest" corner, from one point of view, is the corner with all of the little black pips on the map, but does not seem to match the description proper, and makes more sense to be the far-left corner of the room (if you were standing at the entryway). -- Is that space with all the pips the space with the "cowed" fold? By extension, if it is, does that mean the north-west corner is the far-left corner of the room (From the entry)? The description of the far end of the room states a creature may start to take "ongoing 5 necrotic" damage. It does not specify when it ends (encounter, save, end of next turn?). -- Is the ongoing damage supposed to not end? -- The creature does not take an initial 5 points of necrotic damage, or the first ongoing damage until his next turn, then, right? There is a fair amount of rubble near the entryway of the map. It is not listed as being difficult terrain. -- Is this supposed to be difficult terrain? As for the obstacle-hazards, I wondered about a "stunned" character in general. -- Can a stunned player be pushed, pulled, or otherwise aided in movement from the current space, by an ally?
#2 lord_karsus Mar 13, 2009 23:09:33	-THIS is the best place to send your queries, where you might (I don't use it, so I don't know how they respond and such) get actual answers/errata/etc.
#3 vardenerinkenzei Mar 19, 2009 15:37:19	These are great questions! WotC please respond! Other than that, my two cents as a 26-year D&D veteran. Encounter 1 Under "Illumination", it states that the weather provides concealment, regardless. Applying a -2 penalty across the battlefield for all weapon combat seems to be a little much. -- Does this penalty sweep across all characters' weapon attacks (melee and ranged), or just against ranged/weapon attacks? -- Does it still create concealment for a foe adjacent to you? That dim illumination applies to Encounter 3, inside the Mill too, but not in Encounter 4, Storm Beneath. Why not have a -2? It's really poor conditions. It becomes tricky in the Mill, as Squeaks is the only one who doesn't have dark- or low-light vision, so he is the only one to have the -2 because of light. I looked at the concealment section of the PHB, and it doesn't mention adjacent being a factor in the -2 catagory, only the -5, so yeah, ranged and melee. Under "Puddles", it simply states to use the spaces as depicted. Some spaces seem to have hardly any puddle in them, but it still is in the space slightly. -- Will the adventure map mark the hazard spaces, or do I have to guess/choose which spaces have the terrain? -- If I have to puzzle it out for myself, can the border of a space count if the puddle seems to follow a border? I see what you mean. I'd go ahead and mark out the iffy squares ahead of time to save the hassle. As for the "Wagon"... -- Does it require the Athletics check to enable use of it? -- Is it required to travel only in the direction it is pointed? I'f anyone is creative enough to think of that, I say let 'em just do it. I'm gonna build a wagon miniature out of lego blocks. Encounter 3 "Puddles" appear to be on the floor of the encounter space, but the encounter makes no mention of them. -- Are the puddles just decoration, for this encounter? -- Or should I use the rules as written from the previous encounter? If they are on the map then you should expect your players to play them. They need consistency. Should the rare fiery explosion occur, and the PCs choose to retreat, should I use the map from the previous encounter? It does beg the question, though, if it's that damp in the mill, would the grain dust ignite? I'm gonna say no, just to keep the game logical, simple and faster. The demon artillery have a power that triggers upon being bloodied. The range is "close burst 1", and does not specify "creatures" or "enemies". -- Does this effect include all creatures in the area, or just foes? 'Creature,' 'enemy' and 'ally' are all different. We just had this come up in our game with the wizzo's Acid Arrow! [He critted on me of course...] The lurker's power grants it a bonus to defenses against all creatures when its power successfully goes off. I just want to confirm that the defense bonus is against all creatures, including its target; and that nobody gets an exception (such as the targeted creature). Well, if you picture it using the grabbed creature as a meat shield, and that is a cool mental picture, then I'd say the defense bonus wouldn't apply to the victim.
#4 DarkTemplar Mar 19, 2009 22:08:18	Actually, I've discovered a thread made of gold (almost), posted on both ENWorld and here -- in the "What's a DM to Do?" forum. http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1159795 Although I won't use all of the suggestions, it seems like you've picked up on the basics that everyone else has had. -- I'm not going to use the puddles in the mill. Only outside. -- The snapjaw (whatever it's called) is going to get its bonus against the creature it grabs, as well -- being able to hitch onto an out-of-the-way place. He's meant to not be hit as a Lurker for a reason -- and he -does- have to hit, anyways. -- The close burst 1 power of the artillery hits "creatures" -- so they just might knock out the minions if they go off properly. -- I've already planned out all the "iffy" squares on graph paper in my graph-paper notebook. Then I just wait for someone to step on it, but I will mark it down as challenging terrain once a player begins to discover "oh, this is slippy!" So, yeah, check out the other thread -- it's got a LOT of feedback, and if you haven't already come up with a good idea, there's a dozen of them there.