Squark
2020-11-14, 04:30 PM
So, for a bit of background, due to a new player having to miss a session, I'm extending my players' journey to their destination a bit by filling the road with deadly monsters. Specifically, I've decided that a Catoblepas, mourning the loss of its mate, has wandered out its swamped and disturbed the local cockatrice population. With a pretty balanced party of 5 5th level characters, I'm thinking this is going to be difficult but achievable, and the party is also flush with cash, so I'm going to give them the opportunity to buy diamonds for Revivify and even a Scroll of Raise Dead if they're willing to liquidate many of their gemstones. However, I do have a couple of questions for the playground about the encounters
1) The party is likely going to encounter at least one pack of angry Cockatrices. This isn't going to be a killer, since 5e cockatrice petrification wears off after 24 hours, but if a player does fail two DC 11 CON saves in a row, this might set the party back a day. Since a cockatrice's petrification isn't permanent, should I allow the players to avoid having to return to town by using, say, Lesser Restoration or Remove Curse?
2) I want to give the party some ways to prepare for a fight against something potentially as lethal as the Catoblepas; I'd rather not TPK the party in what amounts to a filler episode, after all. What would you say is a fair price for an alchemical concoction that might dead a character's sense of smell?
Thanks for the help.
EDIT: So, the game was tonight and neither of these questions came up (The Barbarian made his second constitution saving throw vs. petrification, and the Catoblepas was pincushioned during a surprise round), but if anyone has any suggestions on what I could have done, I would still welcome them.
1) The party is likely going to encounter at least one pack of angry Cockatrices. This isn't going to be a killer, since 5e cockatrice petrification wears off after 24 hours, but if a player does fail two DC 11 CON saves in a row, this might set the party back a day. Since a cockatrice's petrification isn't permanent, should I allow the players to avoid having to return to town by using, say, Lesser Restoration or Remove Curse?
2) I want to give the party some ways to prepare for a fight against something potentially as lethal as the Catoblepas; I'd rather not TPK the party in what amounts to a filler episode, after all. What would you say is a fair price for an alchemical concoction that might dead a character's sense of smell?
Thanks for the help.
EDIT: So, the game was tonight and neither of these questions came up (The Barbarian made his second constitution saving throw vs. petrification, and the Catoblepas was pincushioned during a surprise round), but if anyone has any suggestions on what I could have done, I would still welcome them.