Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Zardnaar Oct 09, 2014 15:24:40	This was the final encounter during last nights session and it was the 5th encounter of the night. Some of the previous encounters were very nasty but I have a 6 person party with a heavy focus on spell casters. My adventure is based off Against the Giants with king Nosta and Snurre   The party     Polearm Master Fighter War Cleric Tempest Cleric Lore Bard Diviner Wizard Hunter Ranger    The final encounter   6 Ogres 6 Bugbears 2 Hill Giants King Nosta (treated as a fire giant for physical stats, not immune to fire though).    Suffice to say the party won although it was a rough fight. Tonights hioll gioants were also buffed as Nosta stonghold had a fire giant there who had been forging better weapons and armor for them so the hill giants had chainmail and Nosta's bodyguards had great swords (6d6 damage same as fire giants). I also experimented with equiping one encounter with 15' pikes for the giants + the threatening reach part of the polearm feat.    I expected a fatality with tonights session as some of the previous encounters were things like 3 elite hill giants (with equipment), 2 hill giants+ogres+lvl 9 Drow Mage etc. I managed to deplete most of the parties spells and healing by the final encounter but the bard and wizard had been holding back to some extent on spells and dropp 4 fireballs (one used in a 5th level slot) in this encounter and King Nosta failed every single saving throw and took over 120 damage from the 4 fireballs totaling 33d6 points of damage. The wizard set a new record on fireball damage when he caught 8 targets in one and dealt over 230 damge when I think every single target flunked their save as Ogres and Hill Giants do not have great dex saves. I might have been somewhat generous in spacing the enemies out but I figured with an intelligence of 5 Hill GIants are not the most tactically adept of opponents and focus firing on one target is about the limit of their tactical ability.    Several PCs also got one shot tonight via critical hits. No deaths but KOed with a 12d6+5 damage hits from great sword wielding hill giants courtesy of Snarg a fire giant weapon smith working for King Nosta on behalf of King Snurre.
#2 Dracones Oct 09, 2014 17:29:43	Suitable? It sounded awesome. I think per the charts it was an overwhelming encounter, but from prior explanations it sounds like your party was pretty much on the ball with tactics and abilities for a lot of your fights.    Not spreading them out was probably the way to go. Otherwise it might've been a wipe for the party and the way it played I'm sure the PCs felt pretty epic.    My only complaint is that with results like what you're getting it seems like encounter design by exp or CR doesn't seem very good in 5e. You may just have to get used to the monsters and eye ball things. I'm used to that from earlier editions though.
#3 Zardnaar Oct 09, 2014 20:29:16	Dracones wrote: