Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Zardnaar Sep 04, 2014 4:49:37	Well after tonights session I think I found my 5E sweet spot. Put simply if you like using less encounters for whatever reason ramp up the difficulty. I used 4 Encounters tonight and 3/4 usinfg RAW were deadly encounters.   1st fight 3 CR 3 Duelists high dex, slippery mind feature (advantage on enchantment saves) 2nd fight, 2 duelists+ level 5 "Sorcerer" (5d8 HD, just the spells) 3rd fight CR6 fiendish Rustmonster converted from 3.5, turned out to be an easy fight 4th fight 4 way battle between the rust monster they captured, 2 NPC factions and the PCs. In total the final fight had a base xp value of 9000 xp but the NPCs fought each other, the rust monster, the PCs etc.    The kicker here was also magic weapons. I converted an 3.5 Dungeon adventure where the PCs found very powerful intelligent weapons very early in the game. It was a 5th level 3.5 adventure with 30-60kgp intelligent weapons that were an ancient faction of thieves guilds. SOme of the PCs thougyht it was a bit to good to be true and assumed they were not going to keep said items. Every duelsit and NPC in the final enounter had intelligent weapons ranging from +1 returning venom daggers that could cast bane through to a +1 Ranseur (halberd) called triage that could cast a variety of cure spells.    In the final fight the Cs had reovered weapons from both factions and it more or less was a free for all with the weapons ego sores more or less trying to take control of the PCs every round (DC 9-13 wisdom saves). In hindsight I should have made them charisma saves. The PCsalso had weapons of different factions so those who failed their saves often started beating on each other including the wizard who was not even proficient with his rapier.    Chaos, anarchy pain, death. The 1st two fights had the survivors heavily beaten up with 2/5 KOed and one almost died. THe final fight involved 18 combatants more or less in a free for all + a advanced rust monster where the goal was to feed the rust monster all of the intelligent weapons once you made your saves. PCs were ad hocing disarm rolls (at -4 to hit) and using their actions to kick the intelligent weapons towards the rust monsters. It probably helped I made the talking weapons as intelligent as possible, one told dirty jookes, one was out right racist, another one offered to do bad things in bed to the PC (it throbbed like a heartbeat) etc.    Over 1 million gp worth of items in 3.5 terms went into the final brawl as around 20 intelligent weapons were involved, some PCs had rapier and a dagger so had 2 will saves to make every round. Up until the last fight they were somewhat nice to each other. The rust monster was over fed and started to be affectionate towards the bard (she had the highest charisma), some of the weapons claimed they were burning up as they were destroyed, another one played a funeral dirge in "her" final moments.    2 intelligent weapons that were no evil survived however a short sword of speed and the +1 Ranseur I refluffed as the halberd. They were netral aligned and their goals have been met so I figured they should be somewhat controlable. So I got my brutal fight, had a great session, with no WBL as such I went nuts with the magical weapons and the PCs went nuts destroying them as they really hated the save or be dominated type effects. The PC Cleric also smacked down the PC wizard very hard with his NE greatsword before the PC Ranger shot it out of his hand and fed Gobbles the fiendish rust monster.    So thats what it took to really challenge the PCs at level 5. Deadly encounters as the default when running 1-3 encounters per day using powerful magical items.    Edit just checked. My encounters were worth 4200 xp each with the number multipliers and they had superior magical weapons. Deadly encounters are 2500 xp for 5 PC's.
#2 dmgorgon Sep 04, 2014 7:50:24	That sounds fantastic.   I'll bet the PCs didn't expect the weapons to try and control them.    I'll have to consider using that idea in my game sometime.
#3 Zardnaar Sep 04, 2014 13:45:54	dmgorgon wrote:
#4 THEMNGMNT Sep 06, 2014 16:51:47	"War of the Wielded" Dungeon #149. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.
#5 Zardnaar Sep 06, 2014 16:59:21	THEMNGMNT wrote: