6th Level fighter

[green slime]

I would've expected a 6th-7th level frontline fighter to have an AC of about 24-25...

AC 20 does seem kind of low to me. Bad luck with that critical, BTW. Criticals are bad.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Ok I really want to know what this module is - I haven't a clue and the suspense is killing me

As far as what happened to your party and EL12 encounter vs. an EL 7 (roughly) party should easily have a 50/50 chance for a total party kill. Strangely enough it looks like you guys got off easy with only one party death.

And everyone else is right - only partial actions allowed in the surprise round.

All in all a very difficult encounter but not impossible - your AC could use some improvement (and everyone's suggestions for Expertise, spell buffing and some tougher armour are very good) but I have found that armour really doesn't keep up with a creatures ability to hit you (at least with their full BAB)./ the trick is to get your AC high enough that the second, third etc. attacks miss. Every fighter should be able to suck up a single hit a round (especially if he's dishing out 2 of his own).

 

[StealthyMark]

I DM'ed this module, too. See Heart of Nightfang Spire.

My players were ambushed by the same company. I altered the classes of the NPCs (Brd9, Sor6, pixie Rog3). And included two animated trees, too. But after dropping one (N)PC, I decided to de-animate the trees (they guarded passively the road).

 

[Galfridus]

With EL +5 and surprise, it's no wonder that lots of people died. If you didn't have a reasonable chance to anticipate and avoid the encounter (or at least to arrange it to your advantage rather than theirs), then there's a problem with the adventure.

 

[trentonjoe]

Just my two cents.

1. YOu got hosed on the suprise round it should only be one attack per creature and that is only if they are next to you. They could partial charge but I don't think antimated trees are very fast.

2. An EL12 is to high for 7th level party. Like someone already said, with suprise they should clean your clock.

3. Ac 20 for a 7th level fighter isn't real low in my group. I have an 11th level fighter with Ac 19 (+1 1/2 half plate and dex). I would say a unbuffed 20 for a 7th level fighter is about right. I do kinda run slightly underpowered games though.

 

[G.A. Donis]

I don't know exactly how the encounter is written in the module, but our party had no way of avoiding the combat. One second we are standing there reading some stuff on a stone and the next, WHAMO! Instant death. Our party actually had two deaths, 2 almost dead and 2 rogues that were able to "rogue" their way out of the situation.

I'm thinking that my LN fighter will probably come back (if DM ok'd) as Neutral. Surely death has to change your perspective. I'm thinking he will no longer care how other people think he should act or live his life and will do what he pleases. And he may have some kind of "need more armor" fetish and will spend his free time trying to get a ring, amulet and whatever else he can get away with. In the past he's tried to not slow himself down with a lot of armor, but that may change. Maybe he'll pick up some full plate and turn into a tank.

 

[Victim]

trentonjoe, unless you have Mithral Half-plate, you probably shouldn't be getting any dex bonus with it. If it's just +1, then it has a max dex of zero.