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Wenin
Senior Scribe
585 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Jan 2007 : 21:52:01
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My group has 3 DMs, and whenever the party comes even close to Undermountain there are a few players that just HAVE to go delving into the dungeon. None of the DMs have ran the party through the dungeon for like 15 years, but the issue always comes up. Most of the time the characters are just to low level. I've always wanted to do the dungeon its justice, and not water it down to make it "survivable" for a low level party. IE if they head down the tunnel where an established Lich lives, they'll get their warnings via hard minions.... but generally the party doesn't take such warnings to heart and press on. I just forsee the session turning into a TPK.
I was reading the Skull Gorg (I'm not familiar with this area, but from the thread it sounds dangerous) thread, and was wondering what various DMs do when low level parties want to go messing around in very hazardous regions?
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Stem the Tide Takes place in Mistledale.
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2007 : 23:25:35
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I say do whatever you feel makes a worthwhile story and a fun game. You could, say, have them only travel for a short time in a small part of the dungeon, and have them be lucky enough to either:
1) Not encounter anything strong enough to kill them...
or
2) Be able to face danger in ways that don't need to involve mad combat skills. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 26 Jan 2007 23:25:56 |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2007 : 03:00:48
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do it. if your characters bite the tip of a sword, so be it, have fun. Undermountain is dangerous yes, but still managable at lower character levels. If done correctly, and not pursued into the deeper levels, your party can have all sorts of great adventures.  |
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Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2007 : 12:04:26
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I would suggest a different style of dungeon crawl for this one, after all we are not playing kick-in-the door style. are we? I would suggest a kind of infiltration mission, Undermountain is a huge deadly labyrinth with devious traps and deadly monsters, it can make a good setting for an creepy adventure, with good action scenes of PCs trying to loose chasing monsters or using their heads for outhinking inteligent enemies and/or puzzles, their skills should also be tested (the rogue should pick the lock before those heavy footsteps draws any closer).
Its always more creepy when you are facing something you cant beat (just imagine the PCs using stealth while that fiendish minotaur is looking the other way) its a good idea to manage time so that the PCs will be on the edge all the time, (no resting) and use the enviroment to enchance the game.
To make their lives a bit easier give them items that boost the party infiltration abilities (Softshoe powder, invisibilty pots, haste/expeditious retreat scrolls or wands, and a map with the route -witch of course to make the session spicy- is not 100% accurate or the route must be altered by other events (that Beholder guarding a room, a lock than its impossible to pick, a cave in...etc)and i would encourage the Heavy armored ones to leave their beloved armour back in their comfortable inn.
Do it by all means
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Edited by - Marquant Volker on 28 Jan 2007 04:48:27 |
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Wolf of the Dark
Acolyte
USA
41 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2007 : 01:00:37
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Something that worked for me, once, was to "offer" a situation where the PCs wanted to go into the dangerous place, after having been told of its dangers, but with one advantage-- there was a higher level group out ahead of them somewhere and they were "drawing the heavy fire." By skill and stealth they coould sneak around the hot spots.
Big problem with this method was: The heavily armed and armored fighter player didn't get enough action to keep him happy. Some players are always the tank, and never like to scale it back. Accordingly, I sometimes end up watering down an encounter if the PCs go ahead and blast their way into trouble. I am often surprised however, by their ingenuity in surviving overly deadly battles.
Bottom line, I say: Let them go in. Let them really pit their skill at playing against the 'environment.' They'll probably surprise you, and themselves.
Having a couple spare or NPC character sheets on hand just in case is a good idea. If someone dies, you just hand them a temp PC sheet and say- "How about finishing the night as this guy?"
And as for the Skull Gorge group I'm DMing, I was happy to see them and two NPC henchmen roll very lucky rolls last week. Their skills kept them from being surprised, ambushed or nailed by a trap. |
15 years of DnD, but only a few weeks in the Realms.... |
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Water down locations or not?
