Clumsyninja23
2014-07-21, 01:04 PM
Warning: This story will contain spoilers from the starter box adventure. If you're DM is planning on running this for you, I'd read no farther.
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So my group decides they want to try out the 5e starter box adventure to see how it goes. My group is usually pretty goofy, but within reason (usually). I expect everything to go smoothly throughout the adventure, with good combat and overall a good experience with the system. Things did not go as planned.
We have 4 players using the pre-made characters coming with the module. The players are playing their usual classes, with the one exception being that the player that usually plays the barbarian is playing the dex "Folk Hero" fighter. The only pre-made that isn't being used is the dwarven cleric. And a little background with my group: we like playing up the 1's and 20's on the rolls. Not to the point of things like a crit fumble table, but funny little stuff that makes the group chuckle or laugh. All in good fun.
Adventure start. They're hired by the dwarven merchant as per the adventure. While escorting the goods, they come across the goblin ambush site. With the two dead horses with arrows sticking out of them, the players immediately catch onto the fact that there are probably archers in the woods as the road narrows. The goblin archers ready their arrows as the PCs approach. The PCs call that they want to do perception checks even before I get to use their passive check.
First roll of the game is the goblin's stealth check. Natural freaking 1. So that's how this is going to be.
The PCs all rolled well on their checks, so I fluffed up that one of the goblins accidentally lose their grip on the arrow, sending it flying into the tree of a nearby goblin with a loud thunk, and that goblin shrieking in surprise. One of the goblins yells at the goblin that loosed the arrow in their shrieking high pitched voices, while the party is just looking on at the spectacle. Surprise attack: Unsuccessful.
Combat starts. The wizard and rogue roll extremely well, with the goblins right behind. The wizard steps forward and casts a spell (ray of frost I think?) at the nearest goblin, which after the movement is 30 ft away. The spell barely misses the target, but the rogue has successfully hidden inside the wagon as they spotted the goblins. The rogue pops up from his hiding place and his arrows finds a home: the goblin who accidentally gave away the ambush. Seriously wounded, but not down.
At this point, the order from the back to the front is
-Both fighters
-Rogue
-Wizard
-Goblins
The wizard was expecting at least the dex based fighter to get a higher initiative than the arrows. He was wrong.
3 arrows go flying towards the wizard, as he's the closest target and casting magic and the wizard is dropped to 1 hp. The last goblin drops his bow, pulls out his sword and shield as he's running, and stabs at the wizard, scoring a hit for 5 damage.
Bam, first round of combat isn't even over, wizard is down and out.
Combat continues with the wizard bleeding out on the ground, the noble fighter (str fighter for future reference) charging forward with his axe hitting nothing, dex fighter landing a hit with his bow, and the rogue landing another hit with his bow. At one point the strength fighter throws a javelin at a goblin that's trying to hide. He is slightly out of the normal range, so he has disadvantage on the roll. He rolls 2 d20's. We decide to use the dice from the box for this. The first lands on a 20 and the table cheers. The second rolls on a 1. The table erupts in disbelief at the roll, going from amazing to terrible. The player decides that as he pulls the javelin back to throw, it slips from his hands to the ground as he makes a throwing motion with no javelin in his hands and the table laughs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wizard is still bleeding on the ground.
With only 1 goblin left, the dex fighter who was closest to the wizard (Who at this point has failed 2 death throws and succeeded once) decides to make a medicine check on him to keep him from dying. I'm thinking "Alright, good, it's an easy check, the wizard will live, all will be fine." I was so very wrong.
The rogue decides to chase the lone goblin who started to run away, finally killing him just before he gets out of range with an arrow to the back. Back with the wizard, the dex fighter makes his medicine check. The DC is 10. Very simple to make. He rolls very low, and doesn't succeed the check. Next round, the wizard bleeds out on the ground and dies.
Welcome to 5th edition!
-----------------------------------------
NEXT TIME ON D AND D:
The group head to town to try to get their elven friend resurrected, and aren't too kind to his body. Something something horses, something something sunburn. Oh, and they do plot stuff.
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So my group decides they want to try out the 5e starter box adventure to see how it goes. My group is usually pretty goofy, but within reason (usually). I expect everything to go smoothly throughout the adventure, with good combat and overall a good experience with the system. Things did not go as planned.
We have 4 players using the pre-made characters coming with the module. The players are playing their usual classes, with the one exception being that the player that usually plays the barbarian is playing the dex "Folk Hero" fighter. The only pre-made that isn't being used is the dwarven cleric. And a little background with my group: we like playing up the 1's and 20's on the rolls. Not to the point of things like a crit fumble table, but funny little stuff that makes the group chuckle or laugh. All in good fun.
Adventure start. They're hired by the dwarven merchant as per the adventure. While escorting the goods, they come across the goblin ambush site. With the two dead horses with arrows sticking out of them, the players immediately catch onto the fact that there are probably archers in the woods as the road narrows. The goblin archers ready their arrows as the PCs approach. The PCs call that they want to do perception checks even before I get to use their passive check.
First roll of the game is the goblin's stealth check. Natural freaking 1. So that's how this is going to be.
The PCs all rolled well on their checks, so I fluffed up that one of the goblins accidentally lose their grip on the arrow, sending it flying into the tree of a nearby goblin with a loud thunk, and that goblin shrieking in surprise. One of the goblins yells at the goblin that loosed the arrow in their shrieking high pitched voices, while the party is just looking on at the spectacle. Surprise attack: Unsuccessful.
Combat starts. The wizard and rogue roll extremely well, with the goblins right behind. The wizard steps forward and casts a spell (ray of frost I think?) at the nearest goblin, which after the movement is 30 ft away. The spell barely misses the target, but the rogue has successfully hidden inside the wagon as they spotted the goblins. The rogue pops up from his hiding place and his arrows finds a home: the goblin who accidentally gave away the ambush. Seriously wounded, but not down.
At this point, the order from the back to the front is
-Both fighters
-Rogue
-Wizard
-Goblins
The wizard was expecting at least the dex based fighter to get a higher initiative than the arrows. He was wrong.
3 arrows go flying towards the wizard, as he's the closest target and casting magic and the wizard is dropped to 1 hp. The last goblin drops his bow, pulls out his sword and shield as he's running, and stabs at the wizard, scoring a hit for 5 damage.
Bam, first round of combat isn't even over, wizard is down and out.
Combat continues with the wizard bleeding out on the ground, the noble fighter (str fighter for future reference) charging forward with his axe hitting nothing, dex fighter landing a hit with his bow, and the rogue landing another hit with his bow. At one point the strength fighter throws a javelin at a goblin that's trying to hide. He is slightly out of the normal range, so he has disadvantage on the roll. He rolls 2 d20's. We decide to use the dice from the box for this. The first lands on a 20 and the table cheers. The second rolls on a 1. The table erupts in disbelief at the roll, going from amazing to terrible. The player decides that as he pulls the javelin back to throw, it slips from his hands to the ground as he makes a throwing motion with no javelin in his hands and the table laughs.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wizard is still bleeding on the ground.
With only 1 goblin left, the dex fighter who was closest to the wizard (Who at this point has failed 2 death throws and succeeded once) decides to make a medicine check on him to keep him from dying. I'm thinking "Alright, good, it's an easy check, the wizard will live, all will be fine." I was so very wrong.
The rogue decides to chase the lone goblin who started to run away, finally killing him just before he gets out of range with an arrow to the back. Back with the wizard, the dex fighter makes his medicine check. The DC is 10. Very simple to make. He rolls very low, and doesn't succeed the check. Next round, the wizard bleeds out on the ground and dies.
Welcome to 5th edition!
-----------------------------------------
NEXT TIME ON D AND D:
The group head to town to try to get their elven friend resurrected, and aren't too kind to his body. Something something horses, something something sunburn. Oh, and they do plot stuff.