Split into 2 groups for battle. We shared minis on one map, which
made it tricky to know where you and your foes were exactly.
A) Jeff, Jayme, new guy Nick, so = Bard 4 Sorcerer 3? Barbarian
1. = 8 levels avg 2.67
B) Kyle, Liz, Tavis, Dave = Cleric 3? Fighter 1, Fighter 3?,
Fighter 2. = 9 levels avg 2.25
Encounter difficulty is DEADLY. 4600 exp total, consisting
of 12 monks, 2 guards, 1 priest, 1 headmistress monk.
Players were reminded during recap of the difficulties they
had with 7 monks. Pointed out that the number of PCs would be halved, but the
monsters were supposed to have that many and they would all remain present.
Characters were given additional incentive to leave because the
headmistress sent a monk to find more brothers and slay the hippogriffs which
are alongside the compound. The characters chose to not go save the hippogriffs.
Joey ran group A’s battle. I was unable to watch it, but
Jayme told me he survived with 1 hp, and the L1 barbarian went down. I ran
group B’s battle. It was ugly.
PC Cleric started off with a light-blast, rolled high damage
that killed 7 monks. Then it all went wrong. Cleric stepped back from the door intending
to let a fighter take that position, but instead the headmistress went next.
She stepped forward and stunned the cleric until end of her next turn. (Importantly,
the cleric was the only target in sight.) Next one of the PC fighters missed a few
strikes. Then the priest cast Slow on the party and returned to cover. (The spell
was chosen because it is his only L3 spell.) Oskar (Dave) was unaffected; other
fighters were slowed. Another fighter took ranged shots but I believe missed. The
remaining 5 monks ran up to smack the Cleric. Oskar killed the first with his reaction
opp atk. Unfortunately the stunned cleric grants ADV ATK so the monks had a
very easy target, and each has multiple attacks, equals Cleric down. Lots of
missed attacks, on both sides, but the monks had the 3 slowed fighters
outnumbered and outpowered. It was an inevitable grind toward loss. There were
moments of hope, but they surrendered. They were branded with Elemental Earth
symbols.
Without inspiration nobody was able to re-roll their saves
versus Slow. Although even if they did the Priest may well have recast it since
it IS his only L3 spell. That might have moved some AE damage spells to later rounds,
but later on I used a lower damage AE spell so if they were still strong then I
would have kept using the higher damage, so would have felt more hopeful but
result would probably have been the same.
The Cleric said OH! I should have used my reaction to Flare
the headmistress- but then he realized it wouldn’t have worked because she is
actually blind.
OH, and it was funny, Jeff thought I changed the guards’
armor into Stone because he is stoked to use Heat Metal. Well no, that’s written
in the module. However, during prep I found a description that the masks are
tin, and I’m pretty sure he used it on the headmistress so he has no complaints
really ;)
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