Hook, Line, and Sinking

[LoyalPaladin]

Every Thursday night I host a table of people in a 3.5 campaign and I am having a little trouble. Originally when the game started it was a party of four people consisting of a Barbarian, CW Samurai (he was warned), a CA Ninja, and a Monk (also warned). They wanted to play D&D hardcore mode basically, they would have no magic in a world of magic and they'd have to keep a steady supply of potions.

Enter the Artificer, a friend of ours joined on and decided to play an Artificer. Which, to be honest, I didn't know the slightest bit of information about the class. But I figured they could use a little magical help. Since then, a lot of sessions end up with him becoming ethereal and skipping encounters. Which has made the non-stealth oriented adventurers feel a little left out.

So I come to you playground. How can I help even the playing field a little. As of last night, the party just started "The Standing Stone" and have only just gotten past the first encounter with the horsemen. I need some serious spice to toss in my dungeon master stew for these people.

I don't normally have any of these issues, even though I've run a 10 player group before.


They have roleplaying mood swings, I could design an adventure with a hook that would totally entice a character and it only has a 50% chance of working. It seems odd to me.

They keep asking me to drop in a cameo for a few sessions, of one of my characters (from a campaign I am in currently), which I know is a trap. DMPCs are a no go.



I need some interesting magic items for the party. The barb needs AC and the Monk needs... something?

I'd like to find a good combo of 10-12 minion monsters and one boss looking monster if you have any suggestions. I want to challenge them with something that can't just be blown up by the artificer.

[Zilzmaer]

Generally, I'd say that you, being aware of the party's desire to play 'hard mode', should have investigated the class and asked the other players before giving the okay. Artificer is not only solidly cemented three tiers above any of them, but directly opposes their desire for no magic in the party. The only thing I can suggest on this front is to talk to the player in question.


I need some interesting magic items for the party. The barb needs AC and the Monk needs... something?

I'd like to find a good combo of 10-12 minion monsters and one boss looking monster if you have any suggestions. I want to challenge them with something that can't just be blown up by the artificer.

For the monk, I'd suggest a Necklace of Natural Attacks, from Savage Species. They're pretty cheap if you only want one attack affected (unarmed strike), and do something no other item does for a monk.
For the barbarian, there are any number of ways to increase AC. You're going to have to give us more info about his gear and stats if you want useful input.

[LoyalPaladin]

Generally, I'd say that you, being aware of the party's desire to play 'hard mode', should have investigated the class and asked the other players before giving the okay. Artificer is not only solidly cemented three tiers above any of them, but directly opposes their desire for no magic in the party. The only thing I can suggest on this front is to talk to the player in question.
I definitely agree with the fact that I should have looked into the class better. As far as talking to the player, that's already been done. There should be less etherealness... They want a kick in the door adventure type feel right now, so I've been trying to give that to them. But then they always try to find the easy way around. So I asked them about that too. I mean, they've even got an arena to go test their might in any time they want. We're all going to sit down and figure out what the party needs tonight.


For the monk, I'd suggest a Necklace of Natural Attacks, from Savage Species. They're pretty cheap if you only want one attack affected (unarmed strike), and do something no other item does for a monk.
For the barbarian, there are any number of ways to increase AC. You're going to have to give us more info about his gear and stats if you want useful input.
I'll pack one of those necklaces into the next adventure. As far as the Barb goes, he wears a mithral chain shirt and wields a Goliath Greathammer. I think he's got all 10's other than a 18 Str and 16 Con? He's a smashy smashy kind of barb haha.

[Karl Aegis]

The ethereal plane has its own hazards and obstacles that are different from the material plane. If it isn't dangerous now, you could always bump into a girl too busy to notice you while using her Interface Helmet and get your bags mixed up, threatening to turn the game into a really crappy dating sim cliche. It's quicker to go places in the ethereal because you don't have to worry about running into walls and doorknobs, but sometimes you get attacked by ethereal nasties. I think the presence of magic items attract ethereal monsters, so a lead-lined bag filled with pieces of a house effected by shrink item that was supposed to be delivered to a wealthy client is an interesting story hook.

[LoyalPaladin]

The ethereal plane has its own hazards and obstacles that are different from the material plane. If it isn't dangerous now, you could always bump into a girl too busy to notice you while using her Interface Helmet and get your bags mixed up, threatening to turn the game into a really crappy dating sim cliche.
I feel like this is a reference I should know.


It's quicker to go places in the ethereal because you don't have to worry about running into walls and doorknobs, but sometimes you get attacked by ethereal nasties.
What sort of nasties would be good. Maybe something with DR...

[Karl Aegis]

I feel like this is a reference I should know.


What sort of nasties would be good. Maybe something with DR...

It happens often enough that it should be a trope recorded somewhere over on tvtropes, but trying to find it risks ruining your life (because tvtropes ruins your life, its a trope, look it up).

Lower level ethereal enemies are usually the ethereal scarab or the ethereal marauder. Stupider enemies are the ethereal filcher (who knows why it exists) and the ethereal doppelganger if you like dudes who ambush someone and replace them (possibly to steal a macguffin at the end of a labyrinth). Ethergaunts (Fiend Folio) are pretty much total party kills waiting to happen.

Expanded Psionics and Complete Psionics probably have tons of ethereal creatures. Psionics tend to have access to interplane travel earlier than magic.

[Arbane]

Stupider enemies are the ethereal filcher (who knows why it exists)

It has four arms and one leg. Obviously, it's the reason odd socks disappear from the dryer.

[BilltheCynic]

Well, if you're trying to even the playing field, perhaps you can allow the non-casters to gestalt, but put the restriction that they can only gestalt in a tier 4 (http://www.brilliantgameologists.com/boards/?topic=1002.0) or lower class. That should give them a nice power boost and enough little goodies to keep them happy.