It just proves...

[Treebore]

That this game is unpredictable.

I made up an encounter where I was very sure the party was going to die. It involved the Witch Queen of Unklar at 15/15 and 8 of her priests at level 9 versus the party. A 10th level Paladin (Berethor), an 11th level Ranger (Sylva), a 9/9 Runemark Druid (Jaygo), and a 11/9 Thief/Mage (Faranth).

See? Very possible TPK here.

Not even close. Witch Queen got off a surprise spell which is a 6th level spell that combines entangle, wall of thorns, and poison (lose 2d4 STR).

Everyone made thier saves versus the poison and all but one made their save versus the entangle effect and thorns. Whew! Their going to live until the Unklarian Clerics go, second to last.

First to go in normal combat is the Queen. 15d6 Fireball. Ouch!

First of the party to go is Jaygo (Runemark Druid). She uses a Fireball rune and makes a SIEGE check to change the energy to sonic (They were fightiing in old growth forest and she didn't want to damage anything beyond what she had to). She makes the SIEGE check and is able to hit all of the Unklarian party with the area of effect. All but one of the Unklarian priests FAIL their saves. OK, I think, they ahey are almost half down on their HP. Maybe they will live after all.

Next to go is Faranth. She pulls out a staff of evocation (12th level casting) and hits them with a Fireball. I'm not too worried, the priest have some minor protection versus fire and electricity up, they should handle this. Then the damage was rolled. A bunch of 6's and 5's with some 1's. Uh Oh. The damage is pretty high, 44 after the damage is reduced by the cleric spells. So then I roll saves. Once again, all but one (the same one as before) fails their saves. 7 of the 8 priests go unconcious.

Sylva charges in and hits the Witch Queen. He does some hefty damage, even after the Queens defensive spells knock it down a good bit. Her Fire Shield does 20 points back at him.

Then the Cleric goes. Seeing that the Queen is pretty hurt the cleric casts Cure Critical (5d8+9 HP in my games) and gives her a whopping 40 points back).

Finally Berethor, the Paladin, wielding "Iron Cleaver", a sentient Vorpal type sword, attacks the Queen. Rolls an 18. Off with her head!!

The Queen is dead!!

A second later the Queens body parts disappear (essentially a contingency spell put on her by Unklar, her Greater God husband).

Jaygo goes again. She holds action to see if the others take the priest prisoner. (besides, she is the one held by the Entangle effect)

Faranth casts 4 magic missiles. Does 1 3 damage.

Sylva grapples the cleric successfully. Cleric attempts to break free, very feebly (rolled a 7).

Combat over.

So instead of a TPK, or a near TPK, it was a butt kicking instead. Of the bad guys.

I love this game.

[Maliki]

Yea, vorpal swords can really bring a quick end to a battle. (of course it sounds like it was the party's night anyway.)
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Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

[Julian Grimm]

Either way I would have loved to have sit in on that!
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[Tadhg]

Treebore wrote:
That this game is unpredictable.

*snip*

So instead of a TPK, or a near TPK, it was a butt kicking instead. Of the bad guys.

I love this game.

That is very, very cool and . . . funny. I have never played or CK'ed at that level so I don't know what to expect. But if were to guess, I would think it would much more unpredictable than lower levels.
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"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

[Jungger]

Cool scrap, Treebore.

Quote:
I made up an encounter where I was very sure the party was going to die.

Just curious why you made an encounter that would have probably TPK'd the group?

[Treebore]

Jungger wrote:
Cool scrap, Treebore.


Just curious why you made an encounter that would have probably TPK'd the group?

Because I have been doing this for 20+ years and I figured they would get lucky enough. Just not this lucky. Plus I didn't have the clerics cast their most powerful protective spells that would have made them totally immune to the fire damage, upped their AC's by another 3 or 4 points, upped their BtH another 2 or 3 points. They only had their 1st and second level protection and boosting spells going, such as Bless, etc...

I just find it strange that encounters I think should be pretty easy end up nearly killing them rather than when I think its going to be a TPK, they romp like gods. I can't remember how many time I have seen this happen over the years.

One last reason I was OK with it being a possible TPK. The Witch Queen had good reasons to want them alive. So even if they lost, she would have taken them prisoner. Then they could have seen about escaping.

Instead, they defeated her, and are destroying a major temple/ziggurat, which will demoralize and unsettle the Witch queen and her generals that they will call off their current invasion into the United Kingedoms to the West of Outremere.

A force powerful enough to slaughter the Witch Queen and 8 of her attendant high priests and priestesses of Unklar is something serious to consider. Plus they have to consider that such a defeat of such high religious leaders and major temple/ziggurat of their god is a very , very, bad omen for them.

So they accomplished some heavy stuff last night. Way easier than I was expecting, thats for sure.

They were all kinds of giddy, excited, and happy about it. So it was a top notch game session for them.

[Jyrdan Fairblade]

That's a very cool story!

We don't need no steenking CRs!

We don't need no steenking balance!