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Enguhl
2008-06-25, 09:09 AM
My recent campaign came to an abrupt end with a TPK. In addition, everyone's schedules are whack at the moment so it makes it difficult to get the group together for a new campaign.

So I came around to the plan of making a dungeon with bits of everything (ie: some combat, some stealth, diplomatic situations, puzzles, etc) and having the players run through, whoever does this the best/fastest/with most role playing wins. Obviously one person will control a 'party' of sorts, since no single character could do all this, but I don't know what to do for the party.

I could create a stock party everyone uses, but that takes out the choices and makes the role playing a bit more difficult. On the other hand this would insure everyone gets a fair chance. Or I could have each person create their own party. While this does allow for better role playing and better party customization, the more advanced players will have even more of an advantage than they already had.

So I turn to you all. Suggestions?

Totally Guy
2008-06-25, 09:25 AM
This looks like a job for... 4th Edition!:smalltongue:

Another_Poet
2008-06-25, 09:42 AM
Options:

1) Give each player 2 characters. They build them however they want (using point buy and whatever books you allow). This will make it challenging and interesting.

2) Give each player 2 gestalt characters. A little less challenging, but still gives each person a chance to show their stuff.

With either of the above, have a place outside the dunbgeon they can go to recruit a new party member if they lose one. Drawbacks: it puts you behind the other groups to go back and recruit, and each time you recruit your reputation is lower (because your team has lost so many people) and your character choices are more limited.

3) Each player gets a 4-person team that has 1 fighter or barbarian or ranger; 1 rogue or ranger or bard; 1 druid or cleric; and 1 wizard or sorcerer or cleric. Alternately, a team can swap out 1 party member for a friendly monster (you give them a list of MM monsters to choose from). This makes the teams a little more standardised and balanced, but the players still get to
customise somewhat. beware, giving each player a whole team of 4 PCs will really bog down play.

4) You show up with about 30 pregenerated character sheets (the D20 NPC Wiki (http://d20npcs.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page) should help here). Each player rolls a d20. Highest roll picks a character for their team. Then the next person picks, etc. until all teams have four PC's. The unpicked characters are available for you to use at any time as competing adventure teams. To make this really interesting, have a surprise modifier to the d20 roll - for instance, whoever was at gaming early gets a +2 to their roll. Or whoever brought snacks or beer has a +2. Something like that.

For (3) and (4) I wouldn't have a recruitment option. If a team member falls, the team must push on as best they can with just their remaining members. You might give each team a single Oil of Resurrection, so they have one chance to bring someone back. (This will be especially cool when players use it strategically - "Yeah, I've lost my rogue and my friendly ethereal filcher, but I'm saving that oil in case the cleric goes down". You might also see players try to barter with their resurrection oil: "Hey, we'll leave this room and let you have that treasure chest without a fight if you give us your oil".)

This makes me want to play in such a campaign. Or run one, if I had time. Anyway good luck!

AP

Enguhl
2008-06-25, 09:57 AM
Hmm.. some of those look good, I might do a combination. I will be assigning (unknown) point values to stuff. Maybe have like 4 stacks of char sheets (to cover the barb/fighter/ranger sets) and a list of monsters, and for each one you pick you get less points. So the more people you have, the higher chance of success, but lower points than someone that uses less.
Or to simplify it just have three stacks of the characters, plus an optional monster.

Hal
2008-06-25, 04:24 PM
Here's an idea:

Everyone gets one character, but it's a custom class: d12 hit die, all skills are class skills, 8 skill points/level, all cleric and wizard spells are on their spell list, bonus feats as a fighter (but not limited to fighter feats) . . . basically they have access to everything, so you just have to decide how to build them.

This might make role playing a bit easier, as it's kinda hard to role play for a lot of people. I hate being DM and having to have conversations with myself when the players eavesdrop on NPCs.

Eldariel
2008-06-25, 04:41 PM
Have everyone solo it with one character with a generous point buy. A real test of character creation. Not impossible, but not easy by any measure either; you still need to have focuses and be worse in the other stuff. I already have a bunch of options on the top of my head (assuming access to Crafting equipment):
Artificer, Cloistered Ruby Knight Vindicator, Factotum/Chameleon, Thrallherd, Totemist, (Divine) Anima Mage, Druid (maybe with 1-level dip for trapfinding abilities), Dread Necromancer or just some very smartly played arcanist (probably Beguiler) provided they don't start on too low level.

Of course, if you don't have a bunch of hardcore optimizers (you really need to be a hardcore optimizer to enjoy such character construction challenge), allow them to make one gestalt character with dual progression classes.

Jack_Simth
2008-06-25, 06:10 PM
Have everyone solo it with one character with a generous point buy. A real test of character creation. Not impossible, but not easy by any measure either; you still need to have focuses and be worse in the other stuff. I already have a bunch of options on the top of my head (assuming access to Crafting equipment):
Artificer, Cloistered Ruby Knight Vindicator, Factotum/Chameleon, Thrallherd, Totemist, (Divine) Anima Mage, Druid (maybe with 1-level dip for trapfinding abilities), Dread Necromancer or just some very smartly played arcanist (probably Beguiler) provided they don't start on too low level.

Which class (at least, of the Core 11) depends almost entirely on starting level; assuming starting at 10th...

Pure Wizard - pick a small race, maybe Gnome or Halfling.

Traps:
Permanency Detect Magic or Arcane Sight (depending on level), take the Elemental Summoning Reserve Feat, and one of the offensive reserve feats (depending on level, you either want Fiery Burst (12th or lower) or Acidic Splatter (13th or higher)). Keep an elemental on hand at all times (by way of the Elemental Summoning Reserve Feat) - which you use to run ahead, triggering traps. Anything that is discrimanatory enough that it isn't triggered by the Elemental will have magical component - in which case, the Detect Magic/Arcane Sight will find it. Once found, trap is destroyed by way of either an elemental repeatedly Charging it until it's out of HP, or blasting from the direct damage reserve feat.

Doors (and other locked objects):
Direct Damage Reserve feat will deal with them quite handily.

Stealth:
Invisibility and Polymorph magic are quite handy at this.

Diplomatic Situations:
Silent, Stilled Charm Person (Monster), anyone? Has a high probability of success for dealing with it, although it helps to have Tongues permanencied as well.

Puzzles:
... this is a player thing, not a character thing, but in character, Wizards tend to be very, very smart, so...
Alternately, just zap them to death.

Combat:
Wizards do quite well here after about 5th level - you'll need some meatshields to help avoid being squishy (the Minor Shapeshift reserve feat also helps with this), but those can be gotten by Charming/Dominating previous opponents, Summoning, (Lesser) Planar Binding something, or quite a few other methods.

Grug
2008-06-25, 08:50 PM
If you see a chance to use the Head of Vecna, YOU TAKE THAT CHANCE.

Jack_Simth
2008-06-25, 09:13 PM
If you see a chance to use the Head of Vecna, YOU TAKE THAT CHANCE.

Just make sure it's someone else's shoulders....