[dungeoncrawl] Re: [dungeon crawl] Re: Tuesday morning review
- From: Matt McKeehan <matt.mckeehan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 11:05:12 -0500
I think the whole idea of our characters dying makes for a more committed
player and aids in the mood.... Dying or the presence of pending death will
eventually result in a more focus and entertaining time for all of us. I
also agree with john, Jim's character's need to die :)
Matt Mckeehan
Citrix LAN Supervisor
Admin Office of The PA Courts
PA Supreme Court
(717)795-2063
(717)514-9446 mobile
-----Original Message-----
From: Johnathan Detrick [mailto:jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 10:58 AM
To: dungeoncrawl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Re: Tuesday morning review
I tend to agree with Jim. His characters should be killed. :)
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
No, what I agree with him on is that it is better to simply kill a
character than it is to try and keep them in line by destroying items,
or forcing Wisdom checks to use them. I'm very curious what will happen
if someone dies in the tunnels; how will they be resurrected? Might we
all be forced to follow Matt's rule of one death per character?
jimkaren@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Another thing is, keep the risk level
> high! Last night, it would have been
> fine if Kage was killed by the Beholder
> or Alturo was killed by the being he
> pursued. They're both risk takers, and
> deserve what they get (good and bad).
>
> In fact, the only thing I dread is
> having a DM be nice by letting my
> character live, but taking all his
> possessions - given the choice, I'd
> rather have the character go out in a
> big way and get to be the person to
> play a mage.
>
> Just a thought -
>
> >
> > I think you are still doing a
> great job as DM. I just think you need
> to
> > stop handling these characters with
> kid gloves. They are high enough level
> now
> > that they can handle quite a bit in
> the way of threats, so I think you
> should
> > plan to overwhelm them, and then let
> them get their own butts out of the
> fire.
> > As you say, they can run. They can
> also use group strategy. As I mentioned
> > last night, Cullen has basically been
> sleeping through the recent fights, just
> > pulling out his swords and becoming a
> fighter. While it works for the
> > character, who needs to release some
> frustration of his own, he can do a lot
> > more if given the incentive (such as
> saving his butt from certain death).
> > I also think that you are
> suffering from players that are
> distracted or not
> > focused. However, the holidays are a
> hard time for anyone to focus. And my
> > understanding is that we will
> eventually be downstairs in the
> basement, cut off
> > from any human contact. :) Once we
> get into 2003, I feel that the players
> will
> > be in tune with your plans. After
> all, I think the players have the
> highest
> > interest in this campaign as any
> campaign they have played, so
> everything will
> > come together once the insanity of
> the holidays is over.
> >
> > Damon Kline wrote:
> >
> > > Thank you John for the review. I'm
> going to get in the habit of posting the
> > > latest review on the web site and
> keeping an archive of past reviews there
> > > as well.
> > >
> > > As for the campaign, I have to
> admit that I have been struggling
> lately with
> > > the fights. I don't know why, but
> I can't seem to come up with a good
> > > balance of villains that will give
> the party a challenge, without
> > > overwhelming them. One thing that
> helped me in the past was that I had a
> > > boxed set to base things off of.
> While I didn't adhere completely to
> their
> > > specifications, it gave me a good
> base from witch to plan my encounters.
> > >
> > > With that in mind, I have been
> doing my own thing for a long while now
> with
> > > the campaign and it has really been
> lacking in the combat department. With
> > > these guys, role-playing is never a
> problem. It comes so naturally to this
> > > group, it's like breathing. But
> for me, when I am planning out the
> combat
> > > that I want to use for the evening,
> I just can't seem to get the balance
> > > right.
> > >
> > > On top of that, I have not been
> having the villains use strategy. I
> don't
> > > know why, but I'm having a mental
> block on this stuff lately. I'm not
> > > burned out on the campaign at all,
> I'm very excited about it. I'm not
> > > overwhelmed with other things, I
> have plenty of time to get things
> prepared
> > > for each week and I feel good about
> where I want to take the group.
> > >
> > > But when I get to the combat
> situations, no amount of planning seems
> to be
> > > able to give me enough "umph" to
> make it have tension. Now, last night I
> > > had planned to throw a few more
> things at the group, but I changed my
> mind
> > > because your were down by two
> characters. So, my thought is now I
> think
> > > going to be to throw a lot at the
> group and if they are being overwhelmed,
> > > then it is their responsibility to
> run if they have to. I'm not going to
> > > intentionally try to overwhelm the
> group at all, although I think I would
> be
> > > pretty hard pressed to do that with
> these guys anyway. But as I work on my
> > > balancing act to feel out how well
> the party can handle things, I just ask
> > > that you bear with me.
> > >
> > > The other advantage that I had
> before with the Sigil, is that I had
> been
> > > DMing them straight through from
> first level on up and I was well aware
> of
> > > what everyone could do, what items
> they had, etc. Since we've taken
> several
> > > extended breaks, we've added three
> new characters and the levels are up
> > > there, it is very hard for me to
> keep track of what everyone can do and
> what
> > > they can take.
> > >
> > > However, I know I've said this
> before, but the next time we play, I
> hope,
> > > should prove to get things rolling
> for these guys and hopefully bring the
> > > campaign back up to the level that
> it had previously been. I firmly
> believe
> > > that the combats will have that
> tension to them again and the group
> will be
> > > focused, at least towards a common
> goal, if not internally between the
> > > characters.
> > >
> > > Please feel free to comment and
> discuss, as I should be at my desk
> working
> > > on some things for a while.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Johnathan Detrick
> [mailto:jdetrick@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> > > Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002
> 9:48 AM
> > > To: Riders II
> > > Subject: [dungeoncrawl] Tuesday
> morning review
> > >
> > > Last night, the Sigil reunited
> on the battlefield where the scouts
> > > had recently fought evil's
> minions. They were unable to accomplish
> > > much, as the beholder attacked from
> above, a trio of minions attacked
> > > from the passageway outside, and a
> mind flayer appeared to attack them
> > > as well. The group beat their
> foes, but Tori and Elizabeth were
> knocked
> > > out and the party could not revive
> them. The made their way to the
> > > beholder's former lair, where they
> were attacked by a sentient table.
> > > Defeating it, they discussed the
> need for a leader, and Sir Ivan was
> > > elected to that position. They
> then set watches and rested. During the
> > > watch of Kage and Whilce, Whilce
> heard six creatures approaching them
> > > (and saw their shadows), and that's
> where we ended.
> > >
> > > Last night was fun. Bobby was
> missed, and the mystery of why his
> > > character's won't awaken is nowhere
> near as interesting as what the
> > > group will do with them. How do
> you handle lugging their insensate
> > > bodies through the Underdark? It's
> an interesting moral dilemma.
> > > Last night was full of
> distractions, and that took away from
> the
> > > role-playing to an extent. While
> the players were a little unfocused to
> > > begin with, the distractions just
> exacerbated the situation. By the end
> > > of the evening, we all came
> together and had quite a bit of fun.
> The
> > > role-playing began to gel (although
> it wasn't horrible in the beginning
> > > of the evening, and there were some
> good bits even then), and we ended
> > > on a great note.
> > > I think that another reason we
> may have been somewhat distracted
> > > last night was because the fight,
> again, had no real tension. In the
> > > end, I think it's because the party
> was too powerful for the villains
> > > that they faced. I hate to say
> this, as I feel that the group will be
> > > pelted by 20 ilithid the next time
> we play, but I think Damon has been
> > > too easy on the Sigil for some
> time. To illustrate my point, cast your
> > > minds back to the last time the
> Sigil were stuck in the Underdark,
> > > before we ended the first part of
> the campaign. Does everyone remember
> > > how difficult those fights were?
> Does everyone remember the time spent
> > > detailing strategy and figuring out
> how to best foes that were too
> > > powerful for the group? I remember
> setting traps for trolls, and
> > > actually using group plans. We did
> that, because if we didn't, the
> > > Sigil would have had their butts
> handed to them. While the group is
> > > more powerful than they were then,
> they are still not strong enough that
> > > the Underdark could not provide a
> strong challenge for them. Besides
> > > the mind flayers, the beholders,
> drow and duergar (while not as
> > > powerful) know the terrain. They
> should be able to have strategies and
> > > traps and such set up to tip the
> odds in their favor. Just a thought.
> > > In the end, last night was a
> blast, and I can't wait to see what
> > > happens with Ivan as leader.
> >
> >
> >
Other related posts:
