slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (10/03/85)
>>I wrote: >>We had three characters in the 4th/5th level range up against a lich. >>...(other stuff--one is dumb and dies) >>The other two did finish off the lich. >brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >I can tell you how I would have run this. I would have baked the entire >party in a few melee rounds. Any lich that could make it to lichdom would >never be bothered by two 4th/5th level gnats. Was this lich trussed up in >unbreakable chains, gagged blindfolded and sedated? Then perhaps you might >have killed him with only one of you ending up dead. Was this a special >prepared ambush for the lich? (If so, you were foolish not to have a remove >fear spell ready.) > >Unless this is the worst monty haul dungeon I have ever heard of, how did >you do this? Yeah, I was wondering if anyone would catch this. It was a monty haul dungeon, combined with a very strong PC, and a DM who hasn't handled spellcasters much. (I would have flame-broiled the party also. At least I would like to think so--I need more practice handling spellcasters, too. I let a party get away far too easily from a naga last time... ) Anyway, let me elaborate. Four of us play, and 3 DM. We take turns. A person DM's until a good stopping point is reached in their world--usually a supply stop or such--and then another starts up again. So far, at least, the worlds have no connection with each other. And probably won't, considering their differences. Rick's dungeons are anything but monty haul. (My cleric has reached 6th level after 1 1/2 years real time, ~1 year game time, and she has 92 g.p., 1 potion, 1 scroll, +1 chain, and a +1 magic weapon to her name.) They tend to be high-tech, full of neat traps and puzzles. Rachel tends more to hack and slash, monty haul, and a more chaotic style. I am just starting, and I like to think I'm not too free with the rewards, at least I try to control it. I made my world low-tech, lots of emphasis on mythos. Being new, I am in the process of learning game balance, as is Rachel. Rick has been playing, and DMing, for a lot longer. So, this was in Rachel's dungeon. It was monty haul. I won't even mention what we finally got out of it (but those characters who survived will probably have to be retired.) However, it was FUN. We had a great time role-playing. The characters were all crazy ones. It was an evil party and we hammed it up. It was also a nice contrast to the other worlds. We also gave Rachel a lot of shit about the game balance (purple worms on the first level!), and she took it with very good grace. Sometime I might get around to posting an account of the final battle--an attack on a green dragon in which we planned for >3 hours real time and used everything we had (we were up to 5 party members by then)--all our magic, an army of orcs which we conned, and every round mapped out. We still lost 3 people, one permanently in spite of lots of money for resurrections. Monty haul or not, it was the most exciting single melee I've been in yet. (anyone interested?) Anyway, back to the battle in question. We still would have been creamed (I thought we were going to be--she described the thing in the room, and all I could think was "Holy shit, bring back the purple worms!"), except that the one character not feared was Ooglee (named for his less than optimal charisma. "Who are you?" "Ooglee" "Yes, I see"). Ooglee is a very strong character--1/2 orc LE cleric/fighter/assassin with a strength as great as his charisma is small. He also had a +5 sword, and a following of ghasts and ghouls (10 or so, from a previous turning, he was controlling them). He was also played by Rick, who as I said is the most experienced among us. He used his spells (protection from evil, silence) and strength well. The lich got off only one spell (monster summoning) before being silenced. Even so, Ooglee dropped just as Alaric ran back through the door. Alaric finished off the lich, who was almost gone also. A steady diet of such games wouldn't be so hot. But in contrast to the rest of our play, and with the characters we had, it was a real lark. As I said above, the whole thing was a lot of fun. That's the idea, isn't it? And we are learning. Maybe I should have marked the encounter with some equivalent of a smiley face to indicate monty haul. How about $-}? -- Sue Brezden Real World: Room 1B17 Net World: ihnp4!drutx!slb AT&T Information Systems 11900 North Pecos Westminster, Co. 80234 (303)538-3829 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your god may be dead, but mine aren't. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicious Oyster) (10/07/85)
In article <116@drutx.UUCP> slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) writes: >>>I wrote: >>>We had three characters in the 4th/5th level range up against a lich. >>>...(other stuff--one is dumb and dies) >>>The other two did finish off the lich. > >>brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >>I can tell you how I would have run this. I would have baked the entire >>party in a few melee rounds. Any lich that could make it to lichdom would >>never be bothered by two 4th/5th level gnats. Was this lich trussed up in Once while I was playing with a party of 5th/6th level characters, the resident lich fried (figuratively) half the party, captured, stripped, bound and gagged all the rest but one (lucky me!), and sent the one back (also naked with no possessions) to warn others of dabbling in the dungeon. I'm not sure what happen to the captives, but I'm not sure I *want* to know.