Low XP 8 hour scenario for level 4/5 chars.

[Albions_Angel]

So I have hit a roadblock.

The last couple of scenarios for my PCs have been encounter heavy, and somewhere between almost dying every encounter at level 2, and their current level, they got really good. Good to the tune of taking on and destroying with no damage and in 1 round, a level 8 encounter at party level 3. I made a stupid mistake and our frenzy barbarian/fighter got a charge on the dread necro BBEG and his Undead companion, used cleave to kill them both. They never got to act. Sigh.

Anyway, through that, and a number of more grindy encounters, the party just jumped from level 3 to level 5 (seriously, I had a tunnel they were never meant to go down, it was merely a plot point, and it was full of shadows. I didnt stat any, or count any, it was a "DONT GO THIS WAY" type tunnel, and I had to come out of game to tell the players I hadnt written anything for that area, because apparently after getting eviscerated by 2 shadows at level 2 means they could take on 50 at level 3).

Well, after consultation with my group, I want to make this scenario XP light. They are more combat oriented but not totally so. I have some fixed points in my campaign that they will get to, and I have a theme for this week.

I want them to escort some refugees northwards. Winter is setting in and so they should have to deal with the effects of cold and such. I dont really want to throw too many encounters at them. I am more than happy to drop a dragon at the end, so they have to shepherd the refugees to safety.

But that still leaves about 7 hours, 30 minutes to deal with. Real time. In game terms, the refugees will travel at 15, the journey is about 60-70 miles. Mostly open country with some small villages, and a large town mid way.

I just cant think what to do! Assassin in the refugees? Mind altering spell from unknown source? Pass through a town that needs their help for something?

Other info that might help.

Party consists of a rebuke dead and casting cleric, halfling rogue/swashbuckler (who is a waste of space tbh), beguiler/wiz wanting to go ultimate magus, barb/fighter with frenzy and cleave (seriously, I cant throw anything against him at all), tripping monk (what the barb doesnt get, the monk does), druid playing buff and animal companion. Half the party cant hit for toffee, but thats fine because they stand there and hit AC 10 to aid one of the 2 big ones. Party is all about 40 XP from level 5.

They are in the northern half of a cold country that has just dipped into winter. The wild hunt is riding forth as the gods abandon the region and it falls into chaos. Rifts keep opening and dumping creatures from the shadow and other planes into this one. And there is a war going on.

Allowed books are core, complete, frost, sand, storm, UA, DrMagic and Tome of Battle.

Help.

[PraxisVetli]

Gibbering mouths and 2 advanced Shadow creature pseudonatural (non epic of course) Chokers hiding in wait.
Have the mouths advance from all sides, using their gibber, then when one of the party fails the save, drop chokers from the trees.
Also. Does deep snow affect charging? I feel like it should. If so, do creatures that can handle snow, or have reach. They can harass the party without getting charged apart.


Also also. Oozes. A snowflake ooze, (I don't know if core includes the various MM's or just the first) waiting in ambush along a trail. Or a belker or two, but those are cr 6.

Consider a more elaborate encounter. Have the aforementioned creatures target the refugees. Maybe the chokers are snatching them up silently, when the group finally notices, have the mouths start swarming them. The group has to fight them, which shouldn't be hard, but they have to do it while dealing with insane refugees running around screaming and possibly attacking.

[Flickerdart]

When you're dealing with refugees, the problems will be internal - there's little to go around in terms of food, warmth, and luxuries, and the people have little in common besides "we escaped from the same place." Cliques will form and start to bully one another for advantage in the group. Steal liberally from The Banner Saga, Battlestar Galactica, and similar stories.

[Albions_Angel]

Thanks for the ideas. Combat is sort of out of it for a bit I am afraid.

So these refugees are marching through snow. They are cold, maybe I will throw in a spy or 2 who are there to turn everyone against each other. Maybe the odd confusion spell?

I guess I am just wondering what to actually DO for 8 hours? Any help would be appreciated.

[Spore]

Which magical fast-thinking creatures do you play with? A dragon encounter in 30 minutes? If this isn't a gimmick fight (provided items or assistance essentially making the combat a mini-game) this could take a while.

[daremetoidareyo]

The old dragonlance module had this exact plot point. Occured between dragons of autumn twilight and dragons of winter knight.

There were these giant bees that were in a frenzy to find the last of the giant pollen before winter. So they were highly aggressive and try to kill refugees. But they also had low morale. If PCs make a knowledge nature check, they can rightly assume that the giant bees have giant honey. So they could, in fact kill a few and chase the rest back to the hive. This provides provisions for the refugees.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Hilarious kobolds are the solution to this conundrum.

They're escorting refugees through a snowy, wooded environment. A band of about eight (arctic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm#arcticKobolds)) kobolds have an ambush set up: Three in the bushes on each side of the road, and two atop a low ridge that overlooks the road. The ambush is easily spotted because their spears are sticking up out of the bushes, which at least one refugee shouts out, alerting the kobolds who quickly flee. The terrain is all difficult, and there are obstacles such as trees, bushes, and fallen limbs, making it impossible to charge, and the kobolds often break line of sight. If nobody gives chase, they'll stop and fire their shortbows from the cover of the trees until someone comes after them. They'll always move their full speed every round, making their way toward the real ambush they've prepared.

The challenge comes after a few rounds of pursuit when the kobolds run through a bottleneck in the terrain and across a deep pit they've dug and laid branches across, which is hidden by the snow. The bottleneck is probably between two ridges, about twenty feet wide. The kobolds are light enough to run across safely, but anyone in pursuit will fall through. The pit was dug quite some time ago, and several feet of now frigid water is at the bottom, causing hypothermia to anyone who falls in. It will be difficult to reach them at the opposite side of the pit, and they'll attack their pursuers with shortbows from the other side. There are two more kobolds atop each cliff, who remain hidden until the pursuers approach close enough for one of them to release a pile of rocks and oil flasks to fall on their heads. The other has a flask of alchemist's fire to toss down, setting them alight. Now at least one pursuer is in the deep pit and suffering hypothermia, at least one other has been bombarded with rocks and set on fire, and the others cannot reach any of the kobolds very easily.

While the guards are distracted, another band of about twenty kobolds attack the refugees from the opposite direction that the others fled and quickly surround them. This will be audible to any PCs who were chasing the kobolds, and they'll be forced to abandon their companion(s) in the pit to save the refugees, which will take them several rounds to reach through difficult terrain.

Eight kobolds is an EL 2 encounter, and a group of twenty should be about EL 5. It's not an unfair encounter, they'll just be outsmarted by some of the weakest opponents in the game. If they seek out the kobolds' lair, perhaps to rescue a dozen or so refugee children who were taken, then you should unleash the full fury of Tucker's Kobolds upon them!

[daremetoidareyo]

Hilarious kobolds are the solution to this conundrum.

Eight kobolds is an EL 2 encounter, and a group of twenty should be about EL 5. It's not an unfair encounter, they'll just be outsmarted by some of the weakest opponents in the game. If they seek out the kobolds' lair, perhaps to rescue a dozen or so refugee children who were taken, then you should unleash the full fury of Tucker's Kobolds upon them!

Why are the kobolds attacking? What is their motive to risk life and limb in this way? Other than not having an easy answer for that, I love this idea.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Why are the kobolds attacking? What is their motive to risk life and limb in this way? Other than not having an easy answer for that, I love this idea.

There's a powerful tribe of orcs whose territory is on the opposite side of the kobold lair from the road, so the kobolds are sort of outsourced and muscled into raiding travelers for them. The kobolds trade slaves, weapons, and goods for food and protection from nearby creatures.

Maybe the kobolds just need to stockpile 'food' for the winter, and these humans are as good a source of meat as any.