DMing Help Needed

[rockdeworld]

I'm running a campaign with Frank&K rules and I have a Frank&K Fighter with Curator Cohort, Frank&K Samurai, and Gadgeteer (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Gadgeteer_%283.5e_Class%29), with "gadget" Astral Construct cohort. The problem is that the Gadgeteer player is a little better at optimization than the others, and turned a Fuel-Efficient Flamethrower into an Invention, then took the Energy Specialty Field, giving him the equivalent of an empowered level*1d6 fire breath weapon usable at will, dealing about 90 damage per use in either a 30' cone or 60' line at level 10.

Now the problem isn't that the Gadgeteer deals a lot of damage each turn, the problem is that the other players have started commenting on how much more powerful he is than they are. Neither of them have focused on optimization outside of the regular sort that every player does, and they're starting to notice that the Gadgeteer ends almost every encounter by flying into the air with two gadgets and loosing flaming death from above with another, with his cohort tanking on top of that. He hasn't even had occasion to use his Oil Spray combined with flamthrower yet. The one exception has been a memorable encounter with about twenty Lemure devils, but that was at party level 10, and so they were easily dispatched by the remaining group members.

I'm not exactly sure how to deal with this difference. I know from reading that a lot of higher-level enemies are fire-resistant or immune, but I haven't really had occasion to throw them into the mix yet. I suppose a Pyrohydra or Fire Giant would be a fair encounter at this level, but I can only throw so many of them at the party before it becomes boring, and I can't see any reasonable way to work in Demons, Devils, or Dragons at this point. Notable also is none of the encounters have had enough HP to survive a round after being flamethrowered.

I've considered talking to the player about nerfing the flamethrower and giving him a different ability instead, but that's last on my list of options.

Suggestions? I could sure use them.

[TheOasysMaster]

Why not use enemies with ranged attacks and flying?
Or burrowing enemies?

[rockdeworld]

Why not use enemies with ranged attacks and flying?He can fly.

Or burrowing enemies?That's a good suggestion, and an option I hadn't thought of! I know about Delvers - are there any other good burrowing creatures?

PS: Really love the look of your ToH game Oasys

[TheOasysMaster]

He can fly.
So? In the air he can be attacked from 360 by 360 degrees. Flanked and flanked again. And some creatures that fly are nasty.
He can only aim the cone in one direction.


That's a good suggestion, and an option I hadn't thought of! I know about Delvers - are there any other good burrowing creatures?
I can't think of any at the moment...
But a sandshark is always good. Well, depends on your point of view...

I'm not familiar with this Frank&K rules, but spellcasters are very bad for one-trick ponies.




PS: Really love the look of your ToH game Oasys
Thanks. I'm pretty proud of it too.
=P

[rockdeworld]

So? In the air he can be attacked from 360 by 360 degrees. Flanked and flanked again. And some creatures that fly are nasty.
He can only aim the cone in one direction.
Good point, I didn't think of that. The last flyers I threw at them got shot down - I guess it's time to bring in reinforcements =P


I'm not familiar with this Frank&K rules, but spellcasters are very bad for one-trick ponies.
True, the only enemy that's gotten away from them unscathed after level 10 was a level 7 spellcaster. I'm not familiar with landsharks though.

[Volos]

Taking away the optimized player's trick or nerfing it by sending foes that completely ignore it is not the way to go. If you weren't able to catch the mistake within a few sessions of it being implimented then he's going to feel cheated. The real solution would be to help the other players increase their level of power until it is closer to the optimizer's. If the optimizer calls foul, then you know he's in for it simply to be the 'best' or 'strongest' in the group and has little or no interest in fair and fun play for all. Combinding this with flying, ranged, burrowing, swimming, and smart caster foes would also help the one-trick pony to realize that his trick isn't always going to work. Any sort of spellcaster should be able to get around a bit of flame headed their way. Summoning fire elementals or other fire based creatures, protection from energy, and fire shield should be enough to survive a blast of fire to the face.

[King-Strawberry]

I believe that by landshark he meant a Bulette

[TheOasysMaster]

The real solution would be to help the other players increase their level of power until it is closer to the optimizer's. If the optimizer calls foul, then you know he's in for it simply to be the 'best' or 'strongest' in the group and has little or no interest in fair and fun play for all.
Ooooh!
That's a good point!
Help the other players rise to the challenge!
:smallbiggrin:


I believe that by landshark he meant a Bulette
Is THAT what its called?
I dunno, it doesn't have the same... Sound.
For example;
"Buuuuuuuulette!"

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaanshaaaaaaaark!"


:smallsmile:


In seriousness though, maybe its time to stop throwing random monsters at your PCs. Create a villain who knows the group and will challenge them. Bring them inside, and reduce maneuverabilty. Attack them at night, and see how will lack of vision but burning swathes of flame do.


True, the only enemy that's gotten away from them unscathed after level 10 was a level 7 spellcaster
How'd that work out?

[rockdeworld]

The real solution would be to help the other players increase their level of power until it is closer to the optimizer's.
I am working on that atm, eg by showing the Fighter new ways to use his skills (I staged a duel with another equal-level fighter, and in Frank&K they get a lot of skills to use), and I guess it's time to work with the Samurai. Um, any suggestions? He's got a two-handed sword as his ancestral weapon, and while a scythe would be better for straight-up damage with his Kiai (turn any confirmed hit into a crit), it's probably too late to change.

In seriousness though, maybe its time to stop throwing random monsters at your PCs. Create a villain who knows the group and will challenge them. Bring them inside, and reduce maneuverabilty. Attack them at night, and see how will lack of vision but burning swathes of flame do.

*snip about the spellcaster*
How'd that work out?
These two are related. The BBEG in my campaign will be a reoccurring villain, and showed up the first time leading a small army in a raid while sending an ally to rescue one of the kingdom's prisoners, and set fire to their castle. The PCs faced him and about 40 CR<5 monsters, he survived due to readying Protection from Fire, Overland Flight, and Invisibility, and retreated after his cohort was killed.

[TheOasysMaster]

These two are related. The BBEG in my campaign will be a reoccurring villain, and showed up the first time leading a small army in a raid while sending an ally to rescue one of the kingdom's prisoners, and set fire to their castle. The PCs faced him and about 40 CR<5 monsters, he survived due to readying Protection from Fire, Overland Flight, and Invisibility, and retreated after his cohort was killed.

Alright, so if the PCs stopped him, he knows how they fight. He shall send assassins with prior knowledge.
Force them ALL to think outside the box.