Smashing past her shield, Dakara’s large hand seized Lilandra by the throat with a grip that tightened like a vice. As her eyes began to water from the force of his suffocating grasp, she would notice his thick tail slither through the air past her head. A moment later, the tail retracted with Thad in tow, coiled around his neck like an anaconda!
[FLURRY OF BLOWS ATTACK 2 of 4 - CONTESTED GRAPPLE CHECK – THAD (STUNNED), AUTO FAIL]
Dakara’s tail hoisted the incapacitated dwarf over the pit, dangling him there with nothing below but a deep, foggy void.
“You! Heroes!” Dakara’s deep voice bellowed across the hill at Morthos and Morgan while using his free hand to point at them for emphasis. “You should have used the chalice while you had the chance! Perhaps then you would have had the power to defeat me! Instead, I have already beaten two of your allies using merely a fraction of my full strength! Now, let their deaths serve as a testament to your folly, as well as a reminder that when offered power, ALWAYS TAKE IT!!!”
FLURRY OF BLOWS ATTACK 3 of 4 – CONTESTED SHOVE ATTACK - LILANDRA (ATHLETICS OR ACROBATICS) VS DAKARA (ATHLETICS): 16
(Lilandra acrobatics 13, well gues im instakilled by the god..)
Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. This is D&D. Anything can happen... :)
[FLURRY OF BLOWS ATTACK 4 of 4 – CONTESTED SHOVE ATTACK – THAD (STUNNED), AUTO FAIL]
With a final yell, Dakara flung Thad and Lilandra into the pit.
The rush of freefall was nauseating. The mid-air tumble in total darkness was disorienting. At least it didn’t last long. There was one last split-second glimpse of the elevator platform and its horrific carvings of fiends ripping each other apart, and then it was over. This far down, everyone above couldn’t even hear the splat.
100FT FALL, 1D6 BLUDGONING DAMAGE PER 10FT = 10D6: 38
THAD AND LILANDRA ARE UNCONCIOUS AND DYING. PLEASE GIVE ME DEATH SAVES VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE EACH ROUND. THE OTHERS WON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU UNLESS THEY REUNITE WITH YOU OR FIND YOUR CORPSES.
While Morthos is fighting he sees Lilandra and Thaedren being thrown into the pit. As a reaction, he casts Feather Fall on them, granting them a soft landing at the bottom.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Nicely done! In that case we'll still keep Thad and Lilandra in PMs for now while you're separated, but things for them are certainly a lot less dire. Way to think on your feet!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Morthos is struck by an arrow, but as the green elf moves to stab him, a spectral warrior appears and parries the blow! The Half-Elf is surprised to see ghostly soldiers surrounding Morgan, seemingly fighting alongside him.
Concetration on Heroism: 5
As the tiefling Dakara flings Lilandra and Thaedren into the gaping pit, Morthos speaks an incantation that will grant them a soft landing.
"They'll be alright!" he yells to Morgan, though he didn't know if the nobleman heard him through his rage. The situation was dire, as half of the party was already knocked out of the fight. Morthos had to do something quick.
Morthos casts Heat Metal on Dakara's bracers, seeking vengeance on the tiefling mercenary.
Damage: 4
(I'm wondering, how long will it take Dakara to remove those bracers?)
He responds to Dakara's banter, rolling his eyes. "Yadda yadda yadda. You think you're some hotshot? Well it just got a lot hotter!"
(Morgan has a Bardic Inspiration, and I'd think now is a good time to use it. We are outnumbered now, so if we don't go all out this will end poorly for us).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Morgan grits his teeth as his companions are tossed into the hole. He turns grim, rage-filled, eyes onto the green elf, wanting to finish ehr so they can get the tiefling taken care of. He swings his greatsword in a huge overhand slice at the elf...
(Attacking recklessly, and taking -5 on the attack to add +10 to the damage.)
Attack: 3 Damage: 19
(Not going to waste the bardic inspiration on that...)
Okay, hold up. Quick break here. Originally I had this typed up as a private message response, but I think this should be openly voiced so that everyone here is on the same page and anyone with similar concerns are addressed. So while the following is directed specifically at acoolnamehere, it also applies to all of us.
(Lilandra acrobatics 13, well gues im instakilled by the god..)
Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. This is D&D. Anything can happen... :)
100FT FALL, 1D6 BLUDGONING DAMAGE PER 10FT = 10D6: 38
(my max hp 31, Thad max 40 and no chance to resist) Ye seems legit, anything can happen.. I know the oneshot is for you to learn about DMing but DnDBeyond has an encounter builder, you can check it to see what would be a good matchup and will tell you how deadly encounters are since it seems a lv8 monk with 2 lv5 henchmen are now fighting 4 lv4's).
Anyway Lilandra still has the chalice, so she would ask Thad to use it. Since your pointing this out again i assume Thad can gain a few levels that way to have a chance vs Dakara. If there is no button or thing to raise the platform again Lilandra also has wild shape and can turn into a Fiendish Giant Spider and climb the walls with Thad with her.
The passive-aggressive tone you've taken lately isn't lost on me. I apologize if you're frustrated with how the game has been going, so I feel like I need to justify my reasoning for why I'm doing what I'm doing. So follow me behind the screen here and let's hash things out.
I love dramatic stories, and I believe D&D is an ideal vessel to create them with friends. In order to ratchet up that drama, I like presenting players with things like powerful opponents and perilous situations. Not everything you do will be easy or go your way. However, beneath that outer veneer of challenge I do endeavor to design my encounters fairly, and to suggest otherwise indicates to me, at best, a lack of trust in me as the DM, or poor sportsmanship at worst.
You make it sound like I'm too inept to recognize a deadly encounter. Or more hurtful still, that I'd lack the imagination to do otherwise. I think you're making assumptions out of frustration, so I'll break down what's actually going on.
Dakara is not 8th level. Only 5th, one level higher than you guys. To say he's a "god" that "instakills" looks to me like whining. The reason he's higher level is because he's a actually a major boss enemy, not some grunt. My intent for him in this encounter was to deal some damage, add some drama, and then leave, not to stick around and fight until one side wipes out the other. That would be lame and uninspired, and more importantly no fun for you the players. The other two enemies are nowhere close to 4th level. They are two CR 1 creatures and are, in fact, pretty much dead.
No, you guys do not need to use the chalice at all. I've tried to describe it in such a way that hints it is an evil magic item, so while it will make you stronger (which would be really cool), it would have also have consequences. You could absolutely stand your ground and not give in to temptation (which would also be really cool). Dakara tries goading players into using it because he's evil and that's just the kind of thing he'd say, so don't confuse an NPC's opinion as me the DM giving instruction. The point of the chalice is to give you the players an element of choice and something to role play about.
I kept Dakara by the elevator on purpose because yes, I did plan from the beginning to stun anyone who approached him and throw that character down the pit. This would be to drive home what a nasty villain this is and set up his eventual defeat to be that much more rewarding. However, a LOT of different things could have happened that would have resulted in not getting thrown down the pit. The other enemies engaged right away, but if you would have left Dakara alone he would have simply watched. And even after Thad engaged him, Dakara pushed him away. Thad could have decided against messing with that anymore, but he chose to re-engage. Even then, he could have succeeded his save against being stunned. With Lilandra, Dakara got a high roll initially, but maybe could have whiffed it, just as had you chosen to roll maybe you could have got a natural 20 and won. Similarly, you were pretty close to succeeding that last save. Plus you have Inspiration which may have swayed things in your favor.
Not to mention even after taking all that into consideration, the fall itself was unlikely to outright kill either of you anyway. Massive damage only results in instant death if it reduces your HP to 0 AND has enough left over that exceeds your maximum HP value. Yes, it's possible one or both of you could have failed your death saves and actually died, but again, that would be anticlimactic and no fun. I have a plot element waiting below that would have introduced a new narrative twist had you died. But that's a moot point, because in a complete surprise to me Thad and Lilandra were rescued by Morthos just in the nick of time! As I said, this is D&D, anything can happen.
I’m not saying I’m perfect or that I don’t make mistakes like anybody else. Already this game has proven to be a great learning tool as I’ve been exposed to different styles and different opinions. What I am saying though, is I don’t do things for no reason, and that if you have a little faith you’ll probably discover what they are over the course of the game.
I will conclude with the following two points. Firstly, I believe you're upset because you got thrown down a hole. Perhaps you think I don't know what I'm doing or that I'm running my game unfairly or antagonistically. I assure you the truth is the exact opposite. There's more going on in the big picture than you can see from a player's perspective, outcomes you don't like are in fact hugely influenced by tactical choices as well as simple whim of the dice, and ultimately I just want things to be fun and cool and exciting, which means there's inevitably going to be tension and struggles to make things dramatic.
Secondly, and most importantly of all, is I don't want you to be frustrated. You're an awesome player and I want you to have fun. I love your long, detailed posts and how you play your character. Your actions are creative, and the mental image of Lilandra jumping in front of Thad with her shield up was touching and just the kind of dramatic moment I love to see. I think the turn summary you include in the blockquote you taught me is a great idea and very helpful.
So if you (or anyone else) still have a problem with how I'm doing things or how things have been handled, please just tell me and we'll work it out. My fun is your fun.
Thank you for the thought-out and well-written response above. I am glad you included the group of us on it, instead of keeping it in a PM.
I am enjoying this game very much, and have found the DM-style interesting and creative. The NPCs have been very well done, and I did not think they were too-strong, as the elf and bug-guy aren't doing much against us for the most part. We are just not rolling all that well, which is more of the issue than anything as to what has happened so far in this encounter.
Morgan is currently seriously considering using the goblet-thing. He has seen the tiefling toss two of their companions around like rag-dolls, and is more than a bit concerned about facing him. He will do so, as he is the strongest of this group, at least that is how he sees himself, so is merely trying to deal with the minions so he can stand face-to-face with the real threat. It is probably a good thing the goblet is at the bottom of the pit.
I would like to offer my thoughts. First, I wanted to mention that you are one of the best Dungeon Masters I have played with on this website. I can see the detail and effort you place in each of your posts, as well as your skill in narrative writing. Because of that, I trust your judgment and decisions as a DM.
I thought you designed the encounter well, from the NPCs to the terrain to the enemy tactics. That kind of design is what I try to emulate in my games, and I commend you for the decisions you made to make the battle interesting. I agree with DragonDenn- we weren't rolling well, and the fight is not looking too good for us because of it.
I am thoroughly enjoying the game so far, and I think that even failure provides a good storytelling opportunity. Morthos would be highly against using the chalice. He knows that using the artifact may result in a fate worse than death, though if he was pressured he may change his mind.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral-Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries;Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Yes i do overreact so sorry for that but i am doing it to address a problem. For me the fun was taken out of the encounter simply because it looks like there was no chance to do this, even if we rolled better. We were not at full hp to start. And i realize we should not of attacked Dakara yet but it was likely that we would. The reason im upset is because im also putting in a lot of effort in posts and then i just see it as wasted as the boss just has many attemps to toss us aside like ragdolls taking 2 players (half the team) out in a single turn even if we would be at full hp.
The fall was 10d6, thats on average a 3 or 4 so it would do 30-40 dmg, you could of made the fall less far and have the platform go down so we would be out of the fight for a while as well but you chose to make it so high that it would certainly knock us out. We did everything we could, im going full out on spells and others are using all the abilities as well and yes rolls arent with us but we couldnt have done anything more except get a power boost from the chalice. So deciding to do that much dmg to 2 of us where you could of chosen to do less just seems unnecessary because there was no reason for it. Even if we would get death saves that would of needed 3 turns minimum. While Morgan/Morthos were not doing that great in the fight, they would probably win but would be hurt and thats assuming Dakara would again wait or leave. In my opinion the featherfall saved the game from full party wipe. So i get that a oneshot should be challenging but it should not unreasonably difficult.
I know my wording can be dramatic but id rather speak out than just lose interest and not post anymore or post only oneliners. So how do we go from here?
Dragon, Razor, thanks a lot! Your heartwarming support is what makes running the game worthwhile.
Coolname, I appreciate the candid feedback. Please don't feel like all your effort is wasted. It's not at all. Posts like yours give the game its soul. I'm glad to have players passionate enough about the game to get upset about things, because it shows you actually give a damn and that means a lot to me.
Well, if you would still like to transform into a spider mid-feather fall and climb back up with Thad I would consider that your turn for this round. Thad, if you would still like to check out the chalice as Lilandra climbs then go ahead and give me an arcana check (at disadvantage since you're clinging to a vertically ascending giant spider at the same time).
If that sounds good, then I'll work on a post for the bad guys to wrap up round 4. Then all four of you players can post together for round 5 as we've been doing.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Thad's Arcana Check: 3
As he holds onto the spider form of Lilandra, Thad tries to check the chalice, but almost drops it, juggling it awkwardly in the air a moment before regaining his control and deciding to instead focus on holding on for his life.
(Ok thx for being able to talk about it, first time i done this so not sure what reactions would be.)
Being enchanted with featherfall Lilandra floats in the air moving to the side of the hole. She stretches her arm out holding the chalice towards Thad to grab onto letting them both come together. Hold on she says.
She closes her eyes as her mind drifts back to the forest. Lilandra's body starts to contort once more as she grits her teeth. Hair starts growing all over her body and on her sides small appendices pop out in a jolt of pain as she blurts out in pain Aarggh.. . The unnatural shaped body bloating quickly as the appendices grow into legs. She groans some more as the last of her human features disapear. With Thad holding onto her they glide to the side of the hole. Lilandra streches her two front legs first to latch onto the wall but its smooth surface prevents a good grip. Still getting used to the new form she adds more legs to try and get a grip and prevent both of them from sliding down.
With all her legs now against the wall the slide down stops. The then makes hissing sound as her fangs snap together a few times focussing on the top. She will start to climb up against the wall trying to keep Thad's weight balanced to stablize their ascend.
Action: Wild shape to Fiendish Giant Spider Movement: Glide/grabbing the wall and using the rest to climb up (spider has 40ft climb)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
COMBAT ROUND 4
DAKARA CONSTITUTION SAVE: 20
There was a hissing, searing sound like that of cooking meat as Dakara’s bracers glowed red-hot, and instantaneously the tiefling’s smug composure was shattered. The fiendish warrior let out a long roar of anguish and staggered around as if drunk, flailing his burning arms in a desperate attempt to fight the pain as smoke rose from the superheated metal. People have speculated that tieflings may share their infernal kin’s resistance to fire, but evidently it does still hurt.
“D-Daaaaamn yoooou!!!” Dakara screamed, lancing Morthos with a frenzied death glare more piercing than the bug creature’s arrow, his long tail wildly slashing the air behind him. “Rhaaah!!! I… I won’t forget this…!”
With his tormented arms still quivering, Dakara abruptly turned tail and hopped into the very same dark pit he had so recently hurled Thad and Lilandra into, and just like that he was gone.
[Lilandra and Thad could make an attack of opportunity as he falls past you, but that might be difficult while currently climbing the wall as a spider or trying to hold on to said spider. If you can think of a way to make it work go for it, but if not don’t worry about it.]
Crossing her knives overhead, the elf-looking creature intercepted Morgan’sheavy blow and locked blades with him, her arms nearly buckling from the tremendous impact. As she struggled against the nobleman’s strength, she cast a sidelong glance at her fellow kidnapper.
“Crik! What’s the hold up? Let ‘em have it!”
The humanoid insect’s ant-like head was directed at the top of the hill where Dakara had disappeared. It then turned slowly to regard its remaining companion and the opposition facing her. Its antennae unusually still.
“Don’t even think about it!” the green-skinned female barked. “Now help me out here and keep shooting!”
The insectoid archer did no such thing. In fact, after another quick pause, it actually lowered its shortbows. With two giant 30ft leaps, it rapidly began retreating down the hill. The elf that wasn’t an elf let out a bitter stream of expletives in both common and her own language that, needless to say, wasn’t very nice.
[“GREEN ELF” – DISENGAGE ACTION]
Stepping off to one side, the creature adorned in hides, knives, and tattoos slid her blades free from Morgan’s sword with a sharp metallic ring. Brushing past him close enough to bump shoulders, she then spun around to his back, ducked past Morthos, and darted up the stone stairs. Partway to the top she grunted and nearly stumbled, clutching the wound at her side. But just as she was about to reach the top she pulled short with a startled gasp. A massive, terrifying spider emerged from the pit roughly 10ft in front of her.
Her head snapped back and forth between the spideron one side and Morthosand Morgan on the other. Realizing she was overwhelmed, her eyes widened with a very real sense of fear.
Morthos points his rapier at her throat. "You're surrounded. Resisting would be a bad idea. Tell us where Caelia is, and maybe we will spare your life."
Intimidation: 14
He was surprised how quickly the tide turned during the battle. But his mission was not over yet. He needed to find Caelia.
Morgan gazed down into the hate-filled eyes of the green elf. He felt that rage nearly matched the fire burning inside his own soul. He was aware enough of his surroundings though to hear the anguished roars of the teifling, smoke rising from the man's wrists. When he glanced towards the tiefling the slender elf twisted away, Morgan feeling her body brushing aginst his as she swung around behind him. He cursed himself for being distracted, and whirled, fearing a blade in his back, but the elf was fleeing it seemed, heading towards where the tiefling had jumped into the hole above.
When the giant spider came crawling out of the hole Morgan paused. He hoped it was friend, not foe, as he could only hope that LILANDRA had managed to transform and climb out on her own. Gripping his greatsword, Morgan stalked up the hill, gray eyes intent on the green elf. His rage still burned, phantoms of his ancestors, warriors as big as Morgan himself, wielding greatswords, greataxes, maules, and other powerful weapons, swirling in his wake as he walked up the stairs.
"Surrender or die." Morgan gritted out, laying his greatsword on the woman's shoulder. "I will not speak it again..." His voice is nearly a growl as he holds his rage in check in order to, hopefully, get information from this woman on the Baron's daughter.
As Dakara flies past Lilandra and Thad she takes one leg of the edge thinking to strike but feels the weight of Thad shift and quickly places it back on the wall to steady themselves. She quickly starts moving up again to get to her allies, unsure what is happening above.
Climbing over the edge she will let Thad climb off, letting the others see the spider is certainly Lilandra. But she will remain in this form for now, not knowing if the green elf is still a threat.
Lilandra's many eyes watch the field for movement as well as watching the elfs actions. Her fangs eagerly snap together for effect, the movement causing a few drops of poison on her fangs to glimmer in the passing light as Morthos and Morgan intimidate the elf.
Movement: Getting to the top waiting near the elf Action: Help for intimidation, doesnt look like its needed but for lack of another action atm.
Thad climbs down off the giant spider and rifles through his pack to pull out a set of manacles. He holds them up for the elf-thing to see, "P'haps you'd like ta share a little o' yer... knowledge, yes?"
The lone remaining enemy did an unconvincing job at remaining defiant now that her allies had abandoned her and she found herself surrounded. The best she could manage was a hard glare at everyone, yet even that faded under Morgan’s withering intensity as he ominously marched right up to her. She winced as his greatsword was placed threateningly upon her shoulder. Between the weapons trained on her, the manacles jangling nearby, and the snap of the spider’s fangs at her back, the seemingly elven creature’s former ferocity had been utterly crushed under the weight of her defeat.
“Fine. I yield,” She quietly admitted. Her eyes lowered and her long pointy ears visibly drooped. She let her short, talon-like knives slip from her hands, and the weapons clattered to the crumbling stone underfoot.
[COMBAT CONCLUDED. INITIATIVE ORDER DROPPED.]
“I’ll tell you what I can,” reluctantly offered the green-skinned humanoid. “Even if it does disgust me to no end to be seen this weak by an elf. Anyway, you want the kid? She’s down in the cathedral below. Don’t ask me what for, we weren’t paid to know. The job was to snatch the baron’s brat and then keep watch out here, and in exchange we’d get some powerful magic item. Since you swiped the reward, I don’t owe them anything anymore, I have no reason to lie to you.”
She let out a small grunt of pain from the pressure of Morgan’s blade. “Nnnggg… So, is that all? Because if you don’t mind, there’s a certain bug out there I really, really want to go squash. I hope you lot didn’t get here on horseback. I hear thri-kreen love the taste of horse flesh.”
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Smashing past her shield, Dakara’s large hand seized Lilandra by the throat with a grip that tightened like a vice. As her eyes began to water from the force of his suffocating grasp, she would notice his thick tail slither through the air past her head. A moment later, the tail retracted with Thad in tow, coiled around his neck like an anaconda!
[FLURRY OF BLOWS ATTACK 2 of 4 - CONTESTED GRAPPLE CHECK – THAD (STUNNED), AUTO FAIL]
Dakara’s tail hoisted the incapacitated dwarf over the pit, dangling him there with nothing below but a deep, foggy void.
“You! Heroes!” Dakara’s deep voice bellowed across the hill at Morthos and Morgan while using his free hand to point at them for emphasis. “You should have used the chalice while you had the chance! Perhaps then you would have had the power to defeat me! Instead, I have already beaten two of your allies using merely a fraction of my full strength! Now, let their deaths serve as a testament to your folly, as well as a reminder that when offered power, ALWAYS TAKE IT!!!”
FLURRY OF BLOWS ATTACK 3 of 4 – CONTESTED SHOVE ATTACK - LILANDRA (ATHLETICS OR ACROBATICS) VS DAKARA (ATHLETICS): 16
[Will finish Dakara’s turn after Lilandra’s roll]
(Lilandra acrobatics 13, well gues im instakilled by the god..)
Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. This is D&D. Anything can happen... :)
[FLURRY OF BLOWS ATTACK 4 of 4 – CONTESTED SHOVE ATTACK – THAD (STUNNED), AUTO FAIL]
With a final yell, Dakara flung Thad and Lilandra into the pit.
The rush of freefall was nauseating. The mid-air tumble in total darkness was disorienting. At least it didn’t last long. There was one last split-second glimpse of the elevator platform and its horrific carvings of fiends ripping each other apart, and then it was over. This far down, everyone above couldn’t even hear the splat.
100FT FALL, 1D6 BLUDGONING DAMAGE PER 10FT = 10D6: 38
THAD AND LILANDRA ARE UNCONCIOUS AND DYING. PLEASE GIVE ME DEATH SAVES VIA PRIVATE MESSAGE EACH ROUND. THE OTHERS WON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU UNLESS THEY REUNITE WITH YOU OR FIND YOUR CORPSES.
ROUND 3 CONCLUDED.
ROUND 4 START!
(Wait a second, don’t worry).
While Morthos is fighting he sees Lilandra and Thaedren being thrown into the pit. As a reaction, he casts Feather Fall on them, granting them a soft landing at the bottom.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Nicely done! In that case we'll still keep Thad and Lilandra in PMs for now while you're separated, but things for them are certainly a lot less dire. Way to think on your feet!
Morthos is struck by an arrow, but as the green elf moves to stab him, a spectral warrior appears and parries the blow! The Half-Elf is surprised to see ghostly soldiers surrounding Morgan, seemingly fighting alongside him.
Concetration on Heroism: 5
As the tiefling Dakara flings Lilandra and Thaedren into the gaping pit, Morthos speaks an incantation that will grant them a soft landing.
"They'll be alright!" he yells to Morgan, though he didn't know if the nobleman heard him through his rage. The situation was dire, as half of the party was already knocked out of the fight. Morthos had to do something quick.
Morthos casts Heat Metal on Dakara's bracers, seeking vengeance on the tiefling mercenary.
Damage: 4
(I'm wondering, how long will it take Dakara to remove those bracers?)
He responds to Dakara's banter, rolling his eyes. "Yadda yadda yadda. You think you're some hotshot? Well it just got a lot hotter!"
(Morgan has a Bardic Inspiration, and I'd think now is a good time to use it. We are outnumbered now, so if we don't go all out this will end poorly for us).
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Morgan grits his teeth as his companions are tossed into the hole. He turns grim, rage-filled, eyes onto the green elf, wanting to finish ehr so they can get the tiefling taken care of. He swings his greatsword in a huge overhand slice at the elf...
(Attacking recklessly, and taking -5 on the attack to add +10 to the damage.)
Attack: 3 Damage: 19
(Not going to waste the bardic inspiration on that...)
Okay, hold up. Quick break here. Originally I had this typed up as a private message response, but I think this should be openly voiced so that everyone here is on the same page and anyone with similar concerns are addressed. So while the following is directed specifically at acoolnamehere, it also applies to all of us.
The passive-aggressive tone you've taken lately isn't lost on me. I apologize if you're frustrated with how the game has been going, so I feel like I need to justify my reasoning for why I'm doing what I'm doing. So follow me behind the screen here and let's hash things out.
I love dramatic stories, and I believe D&D is an ideal vessel to create them with friends. In order to ratchet up that drama, I like presenting players with things like powerful opponents and perilous situations. Not everything you do will be easy or go your way. However, beneath that outer veneer of challenge I do endeavor to design my encounters fairly, and to suggest otherwise indicates to me, at best, a lack of trust in me as the DM, or poor sportsmanship at worst.
You make it sound like I'm too inept to recognize a deadly encounter. Or more hurtful still, that I'd lack the imagination to do otherwise. I think you're making assumptions out of frustration, so I'll break down what's actually going on.
Dakara is not 8th level. Only 5th, one level higher than you guys. To say he's a "god" that "instakills" looks to me like whining. The reason he's higher level is because he's a actually a major boss enemy, not some grunt. My intent for him in this encounter was to deal some damage, add some drama, and then leave, not to stick around and fight until one side wipes out the other. That would be lame and uninspired, and more importantly no fun for you the players. The other two enemies are nowhere close to 4th level. They are two CR 1 creatures and are, in fact, pretty much dead.
No, you guys do not need to use the chalice at all. I've tried to describe it in such a way that hints it is an evil magic item, so while it will make you stronger (which would be really cool), it would have also have consequences. You could absolutely stand your ground and not give in to temptation (which would also be really cool). Dakara tries goading players into using it because he's evil and that's just the kind of thing he'd say, so don't confuse an NPC's opinion as me the DM giving instruction. The point of the chalice is to give you the players an element of choice and something to role play about.
I kept Dakara by the elevator on purpose because yes, I did plan from the beginning to stun anyone who approached him and throw that character down the pit. This would be to drive home what a nasty villain this is and set up his eventual defeat to be that much more rewarding. However, a LOT of different things could have happened that would have resulted in not getting thrown down the pit. The other enemies engaged right away, but if you would have left Dakara alone he would have simply watched. And even after Thad engaged him, Dakara pushed him away. Thad could have decided against messing with that anymore, but he chose to re-engage. Even then, he could have succeeded his save against being stunned. With Lilandra, Dakara got a high roll initially, but maybe could have whiffed it, just as had you chosen to roll maybe you could have got a natural 20 and won. Similarly, you were pretty close to succeeding that last save. Plus you have Inspiration which may have swayed things in your favor.
Not to mention even after taking all that into consideration, the fall itself was unlikely to outright kill either of you anyway. Massive damage only results in instant death if it reduces your HP to 0 AND has enough left over that exceeds your maximum HP value. Yes, it's possible one or both of you could have failed your death saves and actually died, but again, that would be anticlimactic and no fun. I have a plot element waiting below that would have introduced a new narrative twist had you died. But that's a moot point, because in a complete surprise to me Thad and Lilandra were rescued by Morthos just in the nick of time! As I said, this is D&D, anything can happen.
I’m not saying I’m perfect or that I don’t make mistakes like anybody else. Already this game has proven to be a great learning tool as I’ve been exposed to different styles and different opinions. What I am saying though, is I don’t do things for no reason, and that if you have a little faith you’ll probably discover what they are over the course of the game.
I will conclude with the following two points. Firstly, I believe you're upset because you got thrown down a hole. Perhaps you think I don't know what I'm doing or that I'm running my game unfairly or antagonistically. I assure you the truth is the exact opposite. There's more going on in the big picture than you can see from a player's perspective, outcomes you don't like are in fact hugely influenced by tactical choices as well as simple whim of the dice, and ultimately I just want things to be fun and cool and exciting, which means there's inevitably going to be tension and struggles to make things dramatic.
Secondly, and most importantly of all, is I don't want you to be frustrated. You're an awesome player and I want you to have fun. I love your long, detailed posts and how you play your character. Your actions are creative, and the mental image of Lilandra jumping in front of Thad with her shield up was touching and just the kind of dramatic moment I love to see. I think the turn summary you include in the blockquote you taught me is a great idea and very helpful.
So if you (or anyone else) still have a problem with how I'm doing things or how things have been handled, please just tell me and we'll work it out. My fun is your fun.
Thank you for the thought-out and well-written response above. I am glad you included the group of us on it, instead of keeping it in a PM.
I am enjoying this game very much, and have found the DM-style interesting and creative. The NPCs have been very well done, and I did not think they were too-strong, as the elf and bug-guy aren't doing much against us for the most part. We are just not rolling all that well, which is more of the issue than anything as to what has happened so far in this encounter.
Morgan is currently seriously considering using the goblet-thing. He has seen the tiefling toss two of their companions around like rag-dolls, and is more than a bit concerned about facing him. He will do so, as he is the strongest of this group, at least that is how he sees himself, so is merely trying to deal with the minions so he can stand face-to-face with the real threat. It is probably a good thing the goblet is at the bottom of the pit.
I would like to offer my thoughts. First, I wanted to mention that you are one of the best Dungeon Masters I have played with on this website. I can see the detail and effort you place in each of your posts, as well as your skill in narrative writing. Because of that, I trust your judgment and decisions as a DM.
I thought you designed the encounter well, from the NPCs to the terrain to the enemy tactics. That kind of design is what I try to emulate in my games, and I commend you for the decisions you made to make the battle interesting. I agree with DragonDenn- we weren't rolling well, and the fight is not looking too good for us because of it.
I am thoroughly enjoying the game so far, and I think that even failure provides a good storytelling opportunity. Morthos would be highly against using the chalice. He knows that using the artifact may result in a fate worse than death, though if he was pressured he may change his mind.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Yes i do overreact so sorry for that but i am doing it to address a problem. For me the fun was taken out of the encounter simply because it looks like there was no chance to do this, even if we rolled better. We were not at full hp to start. And i realize we should not of attacked Dakara yet but it was likely that we would. The reason im upset is because im also putting in a lot of effort in posts and then i just see it as wasted as the boss just has many attemps to toss us aside like ragdolls taking 2 players (half the team) out in a single turn even if we would be at full hp.
The fall was 10d6, thats on average a 3 or 4 so it would do 30-40 dmg, you could of made the fall less far and have the platform go down so we would be out of the fight for a while as well but you chose to make it so high that it would certainly knock us out. We did everything we could, im going full out on spells and others are using all the abilities as well and yes rolls arent with us but we couldnt have done anything more except get a power boost from the chalice. So deciding to do that much dmg to 2 of us where you could of chosen to do less just seems unnecessary because there was no reason for it. Even if we would get death saves that would of needed 3 turns minimum. While Morgan/Morthos were not doing that great in the fight, they would probably win but would be hurt and thats assuming Dakara would again wait or leave. In my opinion the featherfall saved the game from full party wipe.
So i get that a oneshot should be challenging but it should not unreasonably difficult.
I know my wording can be dramatic but id rather speak out than just lose interest and not post anymore or post only oneliners. So how do we go from here?
Dragon, Razor, thanks a lot! Your heartwarming support is what makes running the game worthwhile.
Coolname, I appreciate the candid feedback. Please don't feel like all your effort is wasted. It's not at all. Posts like yours give the game its soul. I'm glad to have players passionate enough about the game to get upset about things, because it shows you actually give a damn and that means a lot to me.
Well, if you would still like to transform into a spider mid-feather fall and climb back up with Thad I would consider that your turn for this round. Thad, if you would still like to check out the chalice as Lilandra climbs then go ahead and give me an arcana check (at disadvantage since you're clinging to a vertically ascending giant spider at the same time).
If that sounds good, then I'll work on a post for the bad guys to wrap up round 4. Then all four of you players can post together for round 5 as we've been doing.
Thad's Arcana Check: 3
As he holds onto the spider form of Lilandra, Thad tries to check the chalice, but almost drops it, juggling it awkwardly in the air a moment before regaining his control and deciding to instead focus on holding on for his life.
(Ok thx for being able to talk about it, first time i done this so not sure what reactions would be.)
Being enchanted with featherfall Lilandra floats in the air moving to the side of the hole. She stretches her arm out holding the chalice towards Thad to grab onto letting them both come together. Hold on she says.
She closes her eyes as her mind drifts back to the forest. Lilandra's body starts to contort once more as she grits her teeth. Hair starts growing all over her body and on her sides small appendices pop out in a jolt of pain as she blurts out in pain Aarggh.. . The unnatural shaped body bloating quickly as the appendices grow into legs. She groans some more as the last of her human features disapear.
With Thad holding onto her they glide to the side of the hole. Lilandra streches her two front legs first to latch onto the wall but its smooth surface prevents a good grip. Still getting used to the new form she adds more legs to try and get a grip and prevent both of them from sliding down.
With all her legs now against the wall the slide down stops. The then makes hissing sound as her fangs snap together a few times focussing on the top. She will start to climb up against the wall trying to keep Thad's weight balanced to stablize their ascend.
DAKARA CONSTITUTION SAVE: 20
There was a hissing, searing sound like that of cooking meat as Dakara’s bracers glowed red-hot, and instantaneously the tiefling’s smug composure was shattered. The fiendish warrior let out a long roar of anguish and staggered around as if drunk, flailing his burning arms in a desperate attempt to fight the pain as smoke rose from the superheated metal. People have speculated that tieflings may share their infernal kin’s resistance to fire, but evidently it does still hurt.
“D-Daaaaamn yoooou!!!” Dakara screamed, lancing Morthos with a frenzied death glare more piercing than the bug creature’s arrow, his long tail wildly slashing the air behind him. “Rhaaah!!! I… I won’t forget this…!”
With his tormented arms still quivering, Dakara abruptly turned tail and hopped into the very same dark pit he had so recently hurled Thad and Lilandra into, and just like that he was gone.
[Lilandra and Thad could make an attack of opportunity as he falls past you, but that might be difficult while currently climbing the wall as a spider or trying to hold on to said spider. If you can think of a way to make it work go for it, but if not don’t worry about it.]
Crossing her knives overhead, the elf-looking creature intercepted Morgan’s heavy blow and locked blades with him, her arms nearly buckling from the tremendous impact. As she struggled against the nobleman’s strength, she cast a sidelong glance at her fellow kidnapper.
“Crik! What’s the hold up? Let ‘em have it!”
The humanoid insect’s ant-like head was directed at the top of the hill where Dakara had disappeared. It then turned slowly to regard its remaining companion and the opposition facing her. Its antennae unusually still.
“Don’t even think about it!” the green-skinned female barked. “Now help me out here and keep shooting!”
The insectoid archer did no such thing. In fact, after another quick pause, it actually lowered its shortbows. With two giant 30ft leaps, it rapidly began retreating down the hill. The elf that wasn’t an elf let out a bitter stream of expletives in both common and her own language that, needless to say, wasn’t very nice.
[“GREEN ELF” – DISENGAGE ACTION]
Stepping off to one side, the creature adorned in hides, knives, and tattoos slid her blades free from Morgan’s sword with a sharp metallic ring. Brushing past him close enough to bump shoulders, she then spun around to his back, ducked past Morthos, and darted up the stone stairs. Partway to the top she grunted and nearly stumbled, clutching the wound at her side. But just as she was about to reach the top she pulled short with a startled gasp. A massive, terrifying spider emerged from the pit roughly 10ft in front of her.
Her head snapped back and forth between the spider on one side and Morthos and Morgan on the other. Realizing she was overwhelmed, her eyes widened with a very real sense of fear.
Morthos points his rapier at her throat. "You're surrounded. Resisting would be a bad idea. Tell us where Caelia is, and maybe we will spare your life."
Intimidation: 14
He was surprised how quickly the tide turned during the battle. But his mission was not over yet. He needed to find Caelia.
DMing:
Solo Hoard of the Dragon Queen
Playing:
Baral- Coliseum of Conquest, Lazarus Vernon- Tale of Mercenaries; Bernard Lionsbane- Solo Curse of Strahd
Morgan gazed down into the hate-filled eyes of the green elf. He felt that rage nearly matched the fire burning inside his own soul. He was aware enough of his surroundings though to hear the anguished roars of the teifling, smoke rising from the man's wrists. When he glanced towards the tiefling the slender elf twisted away, Morgan feeling her body brushing aginst his as she swung around behind him. He cursed himself for being distracted, and whirled, fearing a blade in his back, but the elf was fleeing it seemed, heading towards where the tiefling had jumped into the hole above.
When the giant spider came crawling out of the hole Morgan paused. He hoped it was friend, not foe, as he could only hope that LILANDRA had managed to transform and climb out on her own. Gripping his greatsword, Morgan stalked up the hill, gray eyes intent on the green elf. His rage still burned, phantoms of his ancestors, warriors as big as Morgan himself, wielding greatswords, greataxes, maules, and other powerful weapons, swirling in his wake as he walked up the stairs.
"Surrender or die." Morgan gritted out, laying his greatsword on the woman's shoulder. "I will not speak it again..." His voice is nearly a growl as he holds his rage in check in order to, hopefully, get information from this woman on the Baron's daughter.
As Dakara flies past Lilandra and Thad she takes one leg of the edge thinking to strike but feels the weight of Thad shift and quickly places it back on the wall to steady themselves. She quickly starts moving up again to get to her allies, unsure what is happening above.
Climbing over the edge she will let Thad climb off, letting the others see the spider is certainly Lilandra. But she will remain in this form for now, not knowing if the green elf is still a threat.
Lilandra's many eyes watch the field for movement as well as watching the elfs actions. Her fangs eagerly snap together for effect, the movement causing a few drops of poison on her fangs to glimmer in the passing light as Morthos and Morgan intimidate the elf.
Thad climbs down off the giant spider and rifles through his pack to pull out a set of manacles. He holds them up for the elf-thing to see, "P'haps you'd like ta share a little o' yer... knowledge, yes?"
The lone remaining enemy did an unconvincing job at remaining defiant now that her allies had abandoned her and she found herself surrounded. The best she could manage was a hard glare at everyone, yet even that faded under Morgan’s withering intensity as he ominously marched right up to her. She winced as his greatsword was placed threateningly upon her shoulder. Between the weapons trained on her, the manacles jangling nearby, and the snap of the spider’s fangs at her back, the seemingly elven creature’s former ferocity had been utterly crushed under the weight of her defeat.
“Fine. I yield,” She quietly admitted. Her eyes lowered and her long pointy ears visibly drooped. She let her short, talon-like knives slip from her hands, and the weapons clattered to the crumbling stone underfoot.
[COMBAT CONCLUDED. INITIATIVE ORDER DROPPED.]
“I’ll tell you what I can,” reluctantly offered the green-skinned humanoid. “Even if it does disgust me to no end to be seen this weak by an elf. Anyway, you want the kid? She’s down in the cathedral below. Don’t ask me what for, we weren’t paid to know. The job was to snatch the baron’s brat and then keep watch out here, and in exchange we’d get some powerful magic item. Since you swiped the reward, I don’t owe them anything anymore, I have no reason to lie to you.”
She let out a small grunt of pain from the pressure of Morgan’s blade. “Nnnggg… So, is that all? Because if you don’t mind, there’s a certain bug out there I really, really want to go squash. I hope you lot didn’t get here on horseback. I hear thri-kreen love the taste of horse flesh.”