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View Full Version : Advice on building an Encounter [4E]



XiaoTie
2009-08-13, 01:33 PM
Gralamin, NEO, Star and Vortling stay away! :smalltongue:















Now that we got them pesky players out of sight, let us begin :elan:


First of all, the party:

Level 5, Shifter Warden;
Level 5, Human Swordmage;
Level 5, Goliath Shaman;
Level 5, Warforged Monk

All with one unique item related to their background to increase the level of awesomeness. Everybody loves those items :thog:

I was tunning up an encounter that could happen in around 2 or 3 sessions, or even 1 if the players steamroll through the encounters/situations previous to this one.

Here is the deal: They are inside a crypt where one of the bad guys has left one of his pet undead construct to guard a somewhat powerful item for his undead army. Since I am away from my books I still haven't decided which base Undead creature I am going to pimp out to make a Solo out of him. Well, the PCs (in case they go from A to D, or go from A/B to E) will face this encounter inside an underground crypt previously pimped out by the Bad Guy mentioned above.

You are probably thinking "Yeah, so?". The thing is, I don't know if the mechanics I have for the room, where the encounter will take place, is overpowered/underpowered.

The encounter will take place in a roughly 10x20 squares room, with the "Dread Pool" (the thing I am worried about) being 5x5 Squares in the middle of the room (5 Squares long, and 2 squares wide through the south and north edges), where the PCs will face a Large Brute Solo Undead Construct thing along with some minions.

Here is the "mechanics":

The "Dread Pool" has such an Aura (1 Square radius) that deals 4 Necrotic damage to every creature around it; if a PC remains for 3 consecutive rounds (or 4 with some period in between) adjacent to the "Dread Pool", in addition to the damage they will become Stunned until they leave the Aura. After a PC has been Stunned once, he will be Stunned again every round he starts inside the Aura range.

Stepping inside the "Dread Pool" will make a character immediately Slowed and <Condition that allows you to only take one action per turn> as long as they remain inside the pool.

The Large Brute Solo Undead Construct was crafted in a way he can absorb the putrid water of the "Dread Pool", regaining 1 HP for every 2 Necrotic damage dealt to the PCs, as long as he remains adjacent to the pool.

So, how awful is it?

Bear in mind I am posting this from work, so my books are not available.

Myshlaevsky
2009-08-13, 01:38 PM
Now that we got them pesky players out of sight, let us begin :elan:

First of all, the party:

Level 5, Shifter Warden;
Level 5, Human Swordmage;
Level 5, Goliath Shaman;
Level 5, Warforged Monk

All with one unique item related to their background to increase the level of awesomeness. Everybody loves those items :thog:

I was tunning up an encounter that could happen in around 2 or 3 sessions, or even 1 if the players steamroll through the encounters/situations previous to this one.

Here is the deal: They are inside a crypt where one of the bad guys has left one of his pet undead construct to guard a somewhat powerful item for his undead army. Since I am away from my books I still haven't decided which base Undead creature I am going to pimp out to make a Solo out of him. Well, the PCs (in case they go from A to D, or go from A/B to E) will face this encounter inside an underground crypt previously pimped out by the Bad Guy mentioned above.

You are probably thinking "Yeah, so?". The thing is, I don't know if the mechanics I have for the room, where the encounter will take place, is overpowered/underpowered.

The encounter will take place in a roughly 10x20 squares room, with the "Dread Pool" (the thing I am worried about) being 5x5 Squares in the middle of the room (5 Squares long, and 2 squares wide through the south and north edges), where the PCs will face a Large Brute Solo Undead Construct thing along with some minions.

Here is the "mechanics":


So, how awful is it?

Bear in mind I am posting this from work, so my books are not available.

Well, if they're stunned without the opportunity to save they won't be able to get away under their own power because while stunned you can't take the necessary actions. The name of the condition you're looking for is Dazed.

It looks alright actually. What I'd do is run a counter along the Necrotic damage, so that turn 1: 4 damage; turn 2: 4 damage and dazed and turn 3: 4 damage and stunned (save ends to reset counter to 1). Keep the stuff inside the pool as it is, looks good.

I think it will hurt the creature to have to keep it next to the pool so would instead allow it to 'trade' damage it has already done to the PC's if it makes it back to the pool - on the 2:1 ratio you suggest. It's up to you what kind of action you want to make this ability - I'd probably go for Minor, or if the Solo has a good ranged attack then Move. I wouldn't recommend making it ranged though, could make the encounter too tough.

In fact, if you allow 'save ends' on the pool consider enlarging the aura.

Kylarra
2009-08-13, 01:43 PM
If you're stunned you can't take actions, so you might want to change that.

Dazed is probably the condition you want inside the pool itself.

Your party is in for some bad times honestly. The only one that can safely attack the brute is the shaman, as the rest are melee (not entirely familiar with monks, but I'm assuming they're melee :smallwink:), and if your brute is halfway decently played, he'll stay inside the pool, and with so many negative status effects there, unless they've got resist necrotic, it'll be a tough fight.

In theory with the right powers, they could pull the brute out of the pool, and immobilize/surround him, but without knowing their builds I couldn't say.

Myshlaevsky
2009-08-13, 01:46 PM
If you're stunned you can't take actions, so you might want to change that.

Dazed is probably the condition you want inside the pool itself.

Your party is in for some bad times honestly. The only one that can safely attack the brute is the shaman, as the rest are melee (not entirely familiar with monks, but I'm assuming they're melee :smallwink:), and if your brute is halfway decently played, he'll stay inside the pool, and with so many negative status effects there, unless they've got resist necrotic, it'll be a tough fight.

In theory with the right powers, they could pull the brute out of the pool, and immobilize/surround him, but without knowing their builds I couldn't say.

A brute makes me think this will probably be something mindless or dumb who needs to attack the PC's physically.

Kylarra
2009-08-13, 01:49 PM
A brute makes me think this will probably be something mindless or dumb who needs to attack the PC's physically.
Probably. Me, I'd place the pool so it was blocking off whatever opposing door they need to pass through, and thus the party has to come to it, or force it out of the dread pool where it is enjoying tasty regeneration every time they come near it.

XiaoTie
2009-08-13, 01:53 PM
They made the 4E Monk awesome. He moves fast and makes things prone while mostly targeting the Reflex defense, IIRC.

So Dazed it is, thanks for the help guys :D
I was trying to give a feel of "this water comes from a place so evil that even contact with it will make you weaker. OVERWHELMED BY EVIL!"

Kylarra
2009-08-13, 01:55 PM
They made the 4E Monk awesome. He moves fast and makes things prone while mostly targeting the Reflex defense, IIRC.
Sounds like my druid, but he only slows people... and tries to knock them off cliffs. :smalltongue:

Myshlaevsky
2009-08-13, 02:00 PM
They made the 4E Monk awesome. He moves fast and makes things prone while mostly targeting the Reflex defense, IIRC.

So Dazed it is, thanks for the help guys :D
I was trying to give a feel of "this water comes from a place so evil that even contact with it will make you weaker. OVERWHELMED BY EVIL!"

Have you considered letting the water grab & restrain them? Restrain is a nasty status effect that will leave them sitting ducks for powerful Brute attacks. I'd again recommend a 'save ends' tag if you do this, though.

If the pool is a mass grave or something it could literally be black, skeletal hands that rise from the silt and grab them by the legs.

Kylarra
2009-08-13, 02:04 PM
Throwing in weakened (save ends) or an automatic attack against fortitude to force a weakened condition (still save ends) from the pool could be interesting too.

Kaziel
2009-08-13, 02:41 PM
I've already been beaten to the punch on the bit about stun being overwhelming, but I have a few other thoughts. How strong the encounter is will depend on how strong the Brute is.

Without a frame reference I can't speak, but as a Solo Brute, especially with some minions, I'll guess the combat will last no less than 10 turns (especially since there are no controllers to quickly take out the minions). If it spends the entire encounter adjacent to the pool that will increase it's health by, effectly 20, minimum.

Also worth considering is the intelligence and wisdom of the undead thing. Brutes are not necessarily stupid mindless monsters, but as it is an Undead thing, it could well be. If it's low... say 5 or lower on both, it's probably not smart enough to stay by the pool and will just chase the party members, so if they play it smart, they can keep it weak. OTOH, if it's not just some dumb monster (or if its master programmed it a certain way), it can either chase after them, then retreat to the pool to heal up, or wait for them to come to it to maximize the use of pool.

Though with a Swordmage and a Warden, if they could get the Brute away from the pool, they might be able to hold it there. Depends on the powers they have. For example, the Swordmage level 1 At-Will, Lightning Lure, can pull a target 3 squares if it hits. If Swordmage can consistantly connect with this, it'll essentially negate the effect. Though with it being a Brute this may be a non-issue, since IIRC, Brutes generally have high Fort saves (which is what Lightning Lure targets).

I will point out I'm not saying you should tailor the encounter to counter the powers your party has. Instead, take into account what abilities they have... which will generally be more accurate than others, and then adjust the level(s) based on that.

Mando Knight
2009-08-13, 05:07 PM
Brutes are not necessarily stupid mindless monsters,

Case in point: Tiamat. Deity. Level 35 Solo Brute. Each head is smarter than you, and she knows it. :smallamused: