Let's Play: Hoard of the Dragon Queen (A D&D 5e Adventure) SIGNUP

[Rilbur]

P.S. It amuses me that four out of five are conversant in the Draconic language.

It *is* the language most magic is written in...

[Zergrinch]

Would you guys like to be in control of your own destiny?  Roll your own dice?
 
If so...

• Create an account at the Unseen Servant: http://www.unseenservant.com/
• Create a new character, and name him after your character.  Our campaign ID is 291.
• After that, click on "Roll the dice", and select your character in the drop-down list.
• Type in a description of what you are doing, followed by the macro.  For our intents and purposes, the only format you will need is [xdy+z].  For example, you need to roll a single 20-sided dice and add 5 to it, you will use the macro [1d20+5].  If you need to roll two eight-sided dice and add 3, use [2d8+3]
• Example macro text: I attack the goblin [1d20+5].  Click the dice photo.
• Triple-click the PbP Forum code to select all of it, and copy/paste into here.  Example: I attack the goblin [1d20+5] = 9+5 = 14

For example, Garanth is shooting a goblin with his longbow.  He  has a +5 to his attack, and is attacking with advantage (roll twice, take higher).  The damage is 1d8+3.  On a critical hit, he rolls an extra weapon dice of 1d8.  This can be summarized as follows:
 
I shoot the goblin! [1d20+5] = 12+5 = 17
I have advantage! Reroll [1d20+5] = 17+5 = 22
I damage the goblin! [1d8+3] = 2+3 = 5
 
We take the higher number (22) and compare it against the goblin AC.  Since goblins have less AC than that, the arrow hits it for 5 damage.  Since there was no roll of 20, we don't add an extra [1d8] crit damage.  

 

You can compress this into a single expression:

 

Longbow vs Goblin: [1d20+3] = 12+3 = 15 and [1d20+3] = 15+3 = 18. Damage: [1d8+3] = 6+3 = 9 piercing and [1d8] = 6 on crit

 

In this case, I would rule that your shot hits the goblin and kills it instantly.  To make it simple for you, you can create macros which you use over and over again.  In Garanth's case, the macro text for his longbow would be

 

To hit: [1d20+5] and [1d20+5].  Damage: [1d8+3] and [1d8] on crit

 

This can be used for ALL his attacks with advantage or disadvantage, crit or non-crit.

 

Not forcing you to do this however.  We'll do this only if you're interested in rolling your own dice.   If you want me to roll for you (using my Excel spreadsheet), I can do that too, but obviously you'll have to trust me

[Rilbur]

Not forcing you to do this however.  We'll do this only if you're interested in rolling your own dice.   If you want me to roll for you (using my Excel spreadsheet), I can do that too, but obviously you'll have to trust me

If we can't trust the DM...  We gots issues.

[Jeikor]

If we can't trust the DM...  We gots issues.

Agreed.  I'm fine with you rolling.

[Zergrinch]

Alright. Do feel free to roll anytime you want. Lessens my workload a bit

This is sure a twitchy bunch. Come on, we're still at the Prologue!

Also, do note that True Strike requires a specific target. You can't prepare it in advance, not unless you are ambushing your quarry or somehow got the drop on them...

[Zergrinch]

Just FYI

 

Arjan's Perception Roll: 4

Erwin's Perception Roll: 4

Perrin's Perception Roll: 17

 

I'm giving Jelkor a chance to respond before continuing on with the sequence.

[Rilbur]

 

I'm giving Jelkor a chance to respond before continuing on with the sequence.

Was rather expecting that

[Rilbur]

I'm giving Jelkor a chance to respond before continuing on with the sequence.

And now we're still waiting for that?

My character already gave his direction:  we're going to move on as quick as we can.  Assuming the caravan leader doesn't object...

[Zergrinch]

Yeah, but see, just because Erwin gave orders, doesn't mean the rest will automatically follow, right?

 

Anyway, the waiting is over!

 

BTW you won't be able to just barrel past, because the dead horse is in the way.

[Rilbur]

Anyway, the waiting is over!

How so?  Jeikor posted something new (that doesn't... exactly... make sense in context), you didn't.

 

Edit:

 

N/m, the issue is that you edited your previous post -- which I naturally never saw, the notification tools aren't set up for that.

[Rilbur]

Why did the goblins get advantage?  I don't think a surprise round gives advantage.

[Zergrinch]

The source is from Stealth.  They happened to roll an 18, which happened to beat all of your perception rolls.  If someone had spotted them and cried out a warning, there would be no surprise round.  There would also be no advantage against the person who saw them.

[Zergrinch]

Rilbur, I would just want to point out that Perrin goes before Arjan, and Erwin is actually the last to move.  Be advised that sleep is indiscriminate in targeting people who have the lowest HP.  And it's an autohit without any kind of saving throw

 

We're just starting out, so I'll hold off on updating until you confirm that is exactly what you want to do.  

 

EDIT: Never mind, you targetted the ranged goblins!

 

Currently however, I am rethinking the strict order of actions.  I'm considering rolling initiative for Jelkor, you, and the enemies, instead of having it potentially alternate as it does now.  What do you think?  The result is that Arjhan, Erwin and Perrin always go together (and can even swap turns if necessary), as well as for Morganor and Garanth.

[Rilbur]

Currently however, I am rethinking the strict order of actions.  I'm considering rolling initiative for Jelkor, you, and the enemies, instead of having it potentially alternate as it does now.  What do you think?  The result is that Arjhan, Erwin and Perrin always go together (and can even swap turns if necessary), as well as for Morganor and Garanth.

 

I'd go ahead and continue letting them flip around.  Bundling them up is going to lead to distinct clusters, which can have 'unfortunate' side effects.  Having all the enemies move at once can cause encounters to flip-flop on their difficulty a little.

 

In this case, I just accidentally reversed two of the char's orders, which isn't that big a deal because the two I flipped acted independently of each other.

 

Edit:

 

For inspiration, look at how Kyle ran his adventure.  He took in our planned actions, then ran the entire round, fitting them in around each other.  In this case, because you gave me the turn order in advance, I was able to plan out an interaction between two of my chars.  What he does, when the turn order messes up someone's plans, is he either tosses it back at them, or intelligently updates their intentions.  E. G. a healing spell 'to get someone on their feet' might have been interrupted by a critical-hit death save that gets them on their feet, so he'd let a player rechoose his actions.  A sword slash at one enemy, though, could be automatically transferred to another eligible enemy.

 

Edit edit:

Wait, I didn't flip cahracter order... lol.

[Zergrinch]

Remember, I don't have Kyle's abilities

 

Do note, healing word is a bonus action, so the Bard can do something other than heal this round.  In case you want to, anyway...

[Rilbur]

Do note, healing word is a bonus action, so the Bard can do something other than heal this round.  In case you want to, anyway...

Stupid me...

[Zergrinch]

Huh.  First level 5e characters are so fragile, aren't they?  Six lowest threat-level monsters, and it's already being classified as a deadly battle 

 

All of you gain 60 XP.  Notify me when you reach 300

[Rilbur]

Huh.  First level 5e characters are so fragile, aren't they?  Six lowest threat-level monsters, and it's already being classified as a deadly battle 

 

All of you gain 60 XP.  Notify me when you reach 300

 

Please tell me we at least get a long rest before we have to do that again!  Deadly battles are, well, deadly!

 

Edit:

Also, please don't use that gray color again for text.  The color games you play often make it difficult to read or focus on text, but the gray color you used this time...  It blends in great with the background color.

[Zergrinch]

Ok, noted!  I actually used Teal, but I guess on certain configurations and/or people, it can blend into the background.

 

Also, I feel that I should warn you that if you think this was bad, the actual start of the HOTDQ module expects you to do about 6 encounters like this... without a single long rest. 

 

Buuut at least no goblins with stealth. 

[Rilbur]

Also, I feel that I should warn you that if you think this was bad, the actual start of the HOTDQ module expects you to do about 6 encounters like this... without a single long rest. 

 

That's... insane.  That can't be right.  Can not be right.

 

Either the DM is expected to scale the encounter intelligently, or there's some type of break-off you're missing.

[Zergrinch]

Do a search for how deadly the very first part of Hoard of the Dragon Queen is. And consider that it is written for a party of four, not five.

I plan to adjust for this by having you all reach level two before the episode starts. You now have 60/300 experience, or five more encounters like this to go

Basically you're going to have to pull out all the tricks that you have just to survive. And since none of you are warlocks whose spell slots recharge every short rest, you'd need to be much more judicious in using up your very precious spell slots

By the way, the DMG suggests that a party should be able to handle about six to eight medium/hard encounters in a single adventuring day, with about two short rests in between. No five minute workdays here... Isn't it the case in D&D organized play?

Also the next update is going to be delayed because first I must sleep, and second, I expected you to just kill the goblins so more research needed

[Rilbur]

By the way, the DMG suggests that a party should be able to handle about six to eight medium/hard encounters in a single adventuring day, with about two short rests in between. No five minute workdays here... Isn't it the case in D&D organized play?

Also the next update is going to be delayed because first I must sleep, and second, I expected you to just kill the goblins so more research needed

 

A ) You just said this rated as a deadly encounter.  Deadly encounters are NOT supposed to occur six to eight times a day and B ) a dungeon master always has the authority to tweak anything and everything.  The book isn't the master, you are.  If I decided to upgrade a monster to a dragon in D&D organized play, no one would question me as long as it was a reasonable decision.  DMs are damned near to gods, even in the heavily controlled organized play.  In fact, the 'boilerplate' text on the episodic adventures has an entire section covering a single, bolded point of text:  Make decisions and adjudications that enhance the fun of the adventure when possible.  That is the GM's primary and most important job.  He's not chief rulemaster and and rules-lawyer, he's the guy in charge of making sure everyone is having fun.  He is empowered to change damned near anything and everything he chooses.  (Again, within limits.  If I give everyone at the table a +5 vorpal sword, I'm probably going to be asked to reconsider)

 

The take-away here is that if our group can't figure out how to handle these encounters more readily, you can and should give advice on how to handle them better and if needed adjust the encounters.

 

As for killing the goblins, you could always have the caravan master give that order, and no one would blink twice.  Erwin is in charge of the guard, yes, but he still reports to and obeys the caravan master.  The only time he's likely to do anything contrary to the caravan master's orders is in the middle of combat, and everyone else has clearly accepted him as the leader.  So far he's simply engaged in what I consider one of the most important jobs of all: intelligence gathering.  Doesn't mean we have to use the intelligence.

 

Or, the caravan master could decide to negotiate, and maybe the goblins will be willing to trade escort duty through their territory in exchange for some food and trinkets.  Not a lot of people would trust them, but once the idea spread around that this group kept its word and doesn't attack caravans that pay... well, toll roads can usually earn their keep.  Or maybe it fails, and only our caravan gets the advantage.

[Zergrinch]

There is something screwed up in the way 5E calculates the threat levels and experience.  You are supposed to level once per adventuring day, as far as the first three levels are concerned.  There are five of you, so that's an XP budget of 1,500.  The interesting part is that if this is split between five encounters, that comes to 500 XP per encounter.  At these levels, this is considered deadly.

 

I may just switch to a milestone experience system; you don't gain XP, but you gain levels at a point of my choosing, usually after some significant event.

 

You bring up a good point with the fun factor.  What is more fun for you guys?

1. Crafting ways to shine in combat
2. Role-playing and social interactions
3. Exploration and puzzle solving

I gravitate more towards #1, hence the goblin were being played somewhat more competently than you might expect, especially with the ambush and stealth tactics.  If I can get an idea of what you, the players, prefer, I can then start to adjust accordingly.

 

As for how the matter of the goblins is going to proceed, I'm going to leave it up to you guys.  Kill them, strike a deal with them, befriend them... There will be interesting repercussions either way... 

[Rilbur]

There is something screwed up in the way 5E calculates the threat levels and experience.  You are supposed to level once per adventuring day, as far as the first three levels are concerned.  There are five of you, so that's an XP budget of 1,500.  The interesting part is that if this is split between five encounters, that comes to 500 XP per encounter.  At these levels, this is considered deadly.

 

Zerg, either your math or your assumptions are off.

 

1,500 / 5 = 300, not 500.  So either you meant 3 encounters of such difficulty (unlikely) or 5 encounters of a much lower difficulty.

 

You bring up a good point with the fun factor.  What is more fun for you guys?

1. Crafting ways to shine in combat
2. Role-playing and social interactions
3. Exploration and puzzle solving

I gravitate more towards #1, hence the goblin were being played somewhat more competently than you might expect, especially with the ambush and stealth tactics.  If I can get an idea of what you, the players, prefer, I can then start to adjust accordingly.

 

I honestly enjoy all three, within reason.  I'd have no trouble with the difficulty of the fight we just had, if we had a chance to rest afterwards.  We exhausted ourselves to do it -- which is normal for a 'deadly' category fight, especially at level one.  It was fun, IMO.  (Though having one goblin wake two others was a bit of a mean streak )

[Zergrinch]

My math stinks.  The encounter you just had is six goblins @ 50 XP apiece = 300 XP.  Your threshold for a "deadly" fight is 500 XP; a "hard" fight is 375 XP, a medium fight is 250 XP, and an easy fight is 125 XP.  

 

But there is actually a multiplier of 2 because of their numbers.  So effectively that fight was "deadly" because you dealt with 600 XP worth of monsters.

 

Still, the XP you got is not adjusted.  It's only 300 XP.  Maybe I'll have to house-rule this

 

And yes, I had the gob wake two others.  Buuuut in my defense, the looting gobs could have done more damage than just steal 10GP and 5 rations from you