Dalsine Death Toll


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Shadow Lodge 4/5 * Venture-Lieutenant, Washington—Seattle

How many PCs have you fine GMs killed in the final encounter of The Dalsine Affair?

I was GMing a Tier 6-7 table this week where one PC dropped or died per round, the whole party feeling that a visit with Pharasma was in their near future. I don't seek to kill PCs, but I do roll my dice in the open and let what happens happen. Even if I was the sort to tweak die rolls, there's only so much you can say when that many dice hit the table.

That's two dead in St. Louis. Let's total some numbers, here!

3/5

Brett Sweeney wrote:
That's two dead in St. Louis. Let's total some numbers, here!

Zero in Portland, in three tables.

-Matt

Liberty's Edge 5/5 **

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In the one table I ran two died. One died instantly to a crit shocking grasp. The other died due to heroics (not knowing when lie down and play dead). It would have been a TPK if not for some extreme luck on the side of the couple remaining PCs.

One the plus side, I got at least one more convert to my anti-magus crusade!

Dataphiles 5/5 5/55/5 Venture-Agent, Virginia—Hampton Roads

I am running 3 tables of that game this Saturday and I hope the answer is 0. Will post results as I heard the last encounter is a tad rough.

Dark Archive 5/5 5/55/5 *

Its been played 3 times locally, to the best of my knowledge.

1 kill.

Close shaves for all involved.

[fwiw, my magus taunted him the entire time, calling him out on his 'weak sword style'. To be honest, the only thing that saved my PC was a failed Concentration check on the part of the big bad.]

Sczarni 4/5

It's been run twice in CT that I know of- both times had at least 1 person in negatives, but no deaths yet

Scarab Sages 1/5

Carleston, 1 table = 1 KIA. Too deadly for me to run again.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

I've run this three times...

Spoiler:
  • the PC's avoided the guards and snuck in through the back door. When the Pasha teleports out, they think she is the threat and went invis so the party wizard brings a see invis on line. No surprise, no fatalities

  • surprise nova attack, with empowered shocking grasp. Sure enough, worst case. Confirmed crit=dead tank. no other fatalities

  • TPK...group played up-bad idea. Surprise with an empowered fireball and drop two squishies including the party healer. First round, confirmed crit with a shocking grasp to drop the tank. The remaining PC's refused to flee and were little challenge for the BBEG. six fatalities.

Grand Lodge 5/5

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We've run it twice locally. No fatalities that I know of, but at my table, I purposely had the BBEG go after the level 4 halfling barbarian that was playing down, since the rest of the group were newly recruited kids (around age 11) with level 1 characters, and I didnt want to turn them off to PFS in the first scenario they play.

Silver Crusade 2/5

One fatality, 2 close calls. As a player, I nearly got killed, 1 hp from unconscious.

Its a really nasty hard combat, and if you are looking to play it right, that empowered shocking grasp should be hitting the weakest person in the party.

Silver Crusade 4/5

No fatalities when my group played it. It was a long final combat, but we've had worse in our group. I think it helped that we had a grappling specialist who managed to tackle the guy at one point.

Dark Archive 1/5

Three out of five PCs KIA. At low tier this is a killer and you haven't got the resources to recover from it.

Dark Archive 3/5

I've run it twice so far with 1 KiA (should have been 3 but the sorcerer got lucky when the acid arrow wore off 1 round before final death).

Second time I ran it everyone but the Alchemist got dropped to negatives (should have killed him too but I hate that burning fire bomb, had to stop attacking to go put himself out)

I like this module, it's lethal yeah but I thrive on that look of panic in my players face. Keeps me warm at night.

4/5

I haven't run it, but I read it because I was preparing to. Then it turned out we didn't have enough for a second table so I stood back.

Then it came up for me to play, and the other table that session wasn't an option for me.

Let me tell you, there's nothing quite like the experience of knowing just how deadly the final ambush can be to an unprepared party... and not being able to tell them about it because you don't want to ruin the scenario for them.

2/5

Fromper wrote:

No fatalities when my group played it. It was a long final combat, but we've had worse in our group. I think it helped that we had a grappling specialist who managed to tackle the guy at one point.

I had GM'ed that one. I think it would play very differently if I were to run it again (a couple of months later, after I have been playing my own Magus character and really learning the ropes of what could be done)... not that I would be trying to kill anyone, but I bet it would be a lot worse.

2/5

Ran once at tier 1-2. 2 Deaths (confirmed crits with spell strike), saved from a TPK by a crit from the raging barbarian. Won't run at that tier again.

Sovereign Court 4/5 5/5 ***

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Ran it at Tier 1-2 online, no deaths, but not from lack of trying. It never occurred to me until then how many HPs Synthesists have.

On that note, most of the time I don't like cheering for BBEGs, but as a fellow Taldan, and finally getting to flex my magus tactical skills, I couldn't help but let the power run through my veins and cheer for him. Scared the players pretty nicely.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Bob Jonquet wrote:

I've run this three times...

** spoiler omitted **

Actually bob the wizard died cause he cast that, and thus drew attention to himself. And cause he is also cleric had on armour, which equaled powered crit socking grasp. DEAD

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

jjaamm wrote:
the wizard died

Yeah, I thought about that after the post. It was still a well played encounter. Just bad luck.

So I'm 100% at killing at least one character when GM'ing this scenario and 33% at TPK. This might be a candidate for adjusting the BBEG's tactics.

*

Ran it once, killed one PC (the now-infamous crit with that first attack).

So, to state it in a very sensationalist way, I've killed at least one PC every single time I've GM'd this adventure!.

I vote against changing it, though: I think the credible threat of death is good for the campaign, and a few known "danger scenarios" is also good for the campaign.

Dataphiles 5/5 5/55/5 Venture-Agent, Virginia—Hampton Roads

We had three tables of this this past weekend.

1 Level 1-2 table
2 Level 3-4 Tables

The level 1-2 Table was 4 players and was TPK'ed.

I don't have enough time with this scenario to say either way but my gut tells me to leave this one be. It is one I will classify as one of the harder ones and not do a 4 player table with the next time.

Sovereign Court 2/5

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

Fun mod to GM but I had a player Witch slumber him and that's pretty much all she wrote. :(

The Exchange 3/5

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Bob Jonquet wrote:
So I'm 100% at killing at least one character when GM'ing this scenario and 33% at TPK. This might be a candidate for adjusting the BBEG's tactics.

Yeah...I just can't get too worked up about this mod.

I think there *SHOULD* be some scenarios that are notoriously difficult or hard or deadly. Heck, I *like* that there are some encounters that can be dangerous.

Some scenarios will be easy...and some should be hard.

+1 for the difficult encounter in this scenario.

I hope to see more like it.

-Pain

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

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I'm all for more difficult and challenging encounters, but this one "feels" over the top. In the little data I have accumulated, it seems to have nearly a 100% kill rate of at least one PC. Not sure how often it leads to a TPK.

The main issue is that the encounter does not seem to lend itself to ways to avoid the surprise round and the inevitable nova attack, whether that is a single target at low subtier, or AoE at higher tier.

Dark Archive 4/5

This one killed a player at our event too. I wasn't the one GMing, but I've seen the encounter since and it really is maxed out full nova of a prepared caster. Luckily the player had the free resurrection boon.

4/5 ****

When I played it there were no deaths but I suspect our GM softballed it.

Grand Lodge 1/5

Its the ambush with a fully prepared caster foe and at lower tiers, 1-2, the players dont have the hit points to survive that first attack. At 1-2 its at its most dangerous.

Dark Archive 4/5

At the game day where we hosted we had four tables that played Dalsine at various levels. 3 tables had multiple character deaths.

4/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I have soft balled it as it would have one-shotted the tank (my last running of the game). They did come away with respect for the Magus.

The other times I have run/played it; some have gone down to negatives - I can't remember any deaths off hand.

5/5

I'm sure the death toll would be higher, but Todd forbade me from ever running this one. :-)

Shadow Lodge 4/5 *** Venture-Captain, Michigan—Mt. Pleasant

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And here I was looking forward to your totals Kyle... :)

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Pirate Rob wrote:
When I played it there were no deaths but I suspect our GM softballed it.

Spoiler:
Our GM didn't softball it, per se, but he did miss the note about the empowered part, which was good for my 2nd level PC playing at sub-tier 3-4, who was the initial target.

I think my PC was only 1 or 2 hit points from dying, even without the empower. Although I think I remember him criting on my PC....

He pretty much wound up mopping up the rest of the party, all higher level than my PC, dropping one esach round, until he came to the dwarf tank with uber Con. He wasn't able to drop him in one round, so I think that saved us from a TPK.

2/5 ****

When I played it, my fighter challenged the illusion of the BBEG, and made the "Will save for interacting with illusion" check and made the save.

At which point, the rest of the party spread out, I Dazzling Displayed, the Oracle cast Bane, and the BBEG was swinging at -3 to hit.

My fighter was his first target - and I got dropped in two attacks with Spellstrike and Shocking Grasp; I also put a serious hurt on the BBEG and the rest of the party was able to nail him in time. The Rogue used smoke sticks to create areas of concealment for sneak attack and kept missing him. (Never heard anyone cuss so much about a damned shield spell, ever.)

That cumulative -3 to hit was what saved us, to be ruthlessly honest.

My objection to that scenario is the way the PCs can't intercede to save Baron Taco....

I don't think I dropped anyone when I ran it.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

AdAstraGames wrote:
When I played it, my fighter challenged the illusion of the BBEG, and made the "Will save for interacting with illusion" check and made the save.

I expect that challenging from a distance would be interpreted differently from table to table if it qualified as "interacting" with the illusion.

Since this is a low-tier encounter, most of the time, the PC's will not have the resources to deal with the surprise round before he goes nova. Although, the presence of an animal companion with scent may be the biggest, most reasonable, nerfing.

2/5 ****

The big advantage of dealing with the illusion early is that it kept us all from being around the stairwell, where he was positioned to go nova. I'd moved near the middle of the room for Dazzling Display, the Oracle cast Bane, he nova'd and missed on his first attack on me, blowing the invisibility.

He still dropped me in two attacks, but that -3 to hit was big for the rest of the fight.

(Besides, it's electrical damage. That character has a well justified phobia about electrical damage.)

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

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AdAstraGames wrote:
(Besides, it's electrical damage. That character has a well justified phobia about electrical damage.)

If not before then certainly now :-)

The Exchange 4/5

in my area only one table had issues. and that was two players short of a tpk at tier 1-2. but that said they where all level 1 most with only one session in. it was the halfling cavaliers wolf mount that saved the unconscious ones.

I personally agree with painlord. its ok to have a couple really tough scenarios. word will get out. and players will wait to play it untill they are ready for a challenge.

2/5 ****

Bob Jonquet wrote:
AdAstraGames wrote:
(Besides, it's electrical damage. That character has a well justified phobia about electrical damage.)
If not before then certainly now :-)

Character has been dropped three times and killed once.

All four instances are by electrical damage.

I am SO saving up my gold to get his armor enchanted with energy resistance [electricity] 10...

Liberty's Edge 4/5

I ran this once and killed 2. First hit was a crit. Is it me or does this scenario have alot of fist hit crits?

3/5

jjaamm wrote:
I ran this once and killed 2. First hit was a crit. Is it me or does this scenario have alot of fist hit crits?

Nahh.

The instances of first-hit crits are just more likely than runs without first-hit crits to make it into threads like these.

-Matt

Silver Crusade 2/5

jjaamm wrote:
I ran this once and killed 2. First hit was a crit. Is it me or does this scenario have alot of fist hit crits?

Well, he is attacking with an 18-20 weapon, meaning 15% of the time he will threaten. Considering the circumstances, he should just about always be able to follow up on that crit to confirm. Afterwards, his odds of critting go back down to normal, but that first strike having such a high to-hit chance makes it lethal. He should be getting a critical hit in on that first strike roughly 10% of the time, and considering how many times this scenario is played? It adds up to a lot of posts about it.

And yes, I did first hit crit with the empowered spell when I ran it. Poor wizard....

Shadow Lodge 4/5 * Venture-Lieutenant, Washington—Seattle

jjaamm wrote:
I ran this once and killed 2. First hit was a crit. Is it me or does this scenario have alot of fist hit crits?

It gets worse in Tier 6-7. An amusing side-note, one character death at my table was actually due to that PC's defensive buff!

Spoiler:
The PC (a rogue) had Blur up, and the BBEG attacks with Shocking Grasp. The first attack is a 7 on the die, which hits the rogue, but doesn't threaten. She would have survived (but gone unconscious) from the normal damage... unfortunately, Blur's 20% miss chance kicked in, that attack missed, and therefore Shocking Grasp didn't discharge. BBEG's next iterative threatened and crit the PC, killing her. I've never seen someone killed by their own miss chance before. ;)

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Brett Sweeney wrote:
jjaamm wrote:
I ran this once and killed 2. First hit was a crit. Is it me or does this scenario have alot of fist hit crits?

It gets worse in Tier 6-7. An amusing side-note, one character death at my table was actually due to that PC's defensive buff!

** spoiler omitted **

Had similar good news into bad with a remorize. rolled a 1 to confirm maintain grapple on paladin, so dropped and grabbed fighter whom couldnt survive the swallow but would have hit for lots damage. Pally was a gnome, so little damage, but would have survived the swallow. In the end both died.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Alexander_Damocles wrote:
And yes, I did first hit crit with the empowered spell when I ran it. Poor wizard....

Ummmm. IIRC, he is only supposed to empower the spell against someone in metal armor, so it shouldn't apply against most wizards...

Silver Crusade 2/5

Callarek wrote:
Alexander_Damocles wrote:
And yes, I did first hit crit with the empowered spell when I ran it. Poor wizard....
Ummmm. IIRC, he is only supposed to empower the spell against someone in metal armor, so it shouldn't apply against most wizards...

When the wizard is using OOC knowledge to cast Protection From Electricity just outside the room before the Magus, walk in, and cast glitter dust right where he was standing....well, OOC knowledge doesn't pay well. I checked with the organizer, and had the spell do a different sort of damage. It was either that or boot the player from the table and send a report up the line. Instead, he learned not to play with fire ;)

5/5

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Alexander_Damocles wrote:
boot the player from the table

This.

The Exchange 5/5

should have booted him ('course I wouldn't have either... but I'm kind of a wet noodle for this sort of thing.)

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Alexander_Damocles wrote:
Callarek wrote:
Alexander_Damocles wrote:
And yes, I did first hit crit with the empowered spell when I ran it. Poor wizard....
Ummmm. IIRC, he is only supposed to empower the spell against someone in metal armor, so it shouldn't apply against most wizards...
When the wizard is using OOC knowledge to cast Protection From Electricity just outside the room before the Magus, walk in, and cast glitter dust right where he was standing....well, OOC knowledge doesn't pay well. I checked with the organizer, and had the spell do a different sort of damage. It was either that or boot the player from the table and send a report up the line. Instead, he learned not to play with fire ;)

That is stupidly obvious cheating. death was good, but I think

Okay I dont know what im thinking- He was so obvious about it, what was he thinking!!!

Silver Crusade 2/5

Kyle Baird wrote:
Alexander_Damocles wrote:
boot the player from the table
This.

Would have, but they were running it as a table of 4. I wasn't hunting for a TPK. I didn't want to take out my frustrations on the honest players at the table.

Sovereign Court 2/5

Iammars wrote:
Ran it at Tier 1-2 online, no deaths, but not from lack of trying. It never occurred to me until then how many HPs Synthesists have.

Hi

I was that Synthesist. Round one, big hit. Took me out for rest of combat. Managed to get off a Daze spell which managed to finish him in the end.

Dwarf Fighter was down to big negatives thanks to Shocking Graasp crit. (Plenty of those). He went down to -13 HP, failed to stabilise until -15 HP!

Thanks to Iammars for running the game.
Paul H
(Who played the Synthesist 2)

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