Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
    
 | | 05/25/2006 12:31 PM |
| Our group, currently 11 - 12th level, is currently enjoying a "pleasant" walk through the Abyss. We have to cover over 100 miles on foot and can not use any form of travel magic. We are averaging 2-4 random encounters a day and have been walking for the last 3 game sessions and are only half way there. (We do a forced march but only move at a base speed of 20 thanks to the dwarf.) At last night's session... we hit fiendish centaur rangers and a group of Slaad's. Neither fight was really all that, but it is a long ways.
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"Are you not entertained?" 
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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Sammael
Underboss
1881 Posts
| | 05/25/2006 12:37 PM |
| | Hmmm... is there a point to the trek that you did not mention (i.e. you have to find something along the way, or the DM is punishing you for doing something stupid [)])? As a DM, I would be bored to death to watch the players walk for sessions and just throw random encounters at them. | |
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Total DDM Count: 1037 | No chance of finishing the set | Will finish the set | Set | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 05/25/2006 12:43 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Sammael
Hmmm... is there a point to the trek that you did not mention (i.e. you have to find something along the way, or the DM is punishing you for doing something stupid [)])? As a DM, I would be bored to death to watch the players walk for sessions and just throw random encounters at them.
Yes... we have a definite goal they we are marching to. And yes, I am bored with the random encounters but the EXP isn't so bad. | |
"Are you not entertained?"
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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ShadowLord XT
Commander
2627 Posts
Plane of Shadow
| | 05/25/2006 1:21 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Malin Lug
(We do a forced march but only move at a base speed of 20 thanks to the dwarf.)
Pick up the Dwarf with a spell or Barbarian. You might be able to move faster. I'm just guessing though, I'm not the most educated person on RPG. Just trying to help. | |
Disipline is the only way to overcome chaos.
Champion of Half-Golems
Knight of Golems
"This world is made for love and peace" - Trigun
"anyway..shadow..you've figured women out. KUDOS." - raye_kino16 | |
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nyjastul69
Commander
2710 Posts
Rhode Island
| | 05/25/2006 1:31 PM |
| | There is a Mordy Mansion type spell in the Planar Handbook that may ease the passing of the nights. I'll check when I get home. | |
You know, I keep thinking that after the new design team gets done with D&D 4e, D&D won't stand for Dungeons and Dragons anymore, because well, that's just not fun. It's old and stuffy. - Originally Posted by BabWryter on Kenzerco.com | |
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Anthraxus
Warrior
212 Posts
| | 05/25/2006 4:02 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Malin Lug
Our group, currently 11 - 12th level, is currently enjoying a "pleasant" walk through the Abyss. We have to cover over 100 miles on foot and can not use any form of travel magic. We are averaging 2-4 random encounters a day and have been walking for the last 3 game sessions and are only half way there. (We do a forced march but only move at a base speed of 20 thanks to the dwarf.) At last night's session... we hit fiendish centaur rangers and a group of Slaad's. Neither fight was really all that, but it is a long ways.
Any specific reason you can't use travel magic? 11-12th level PCs should have plenty of options!
I can't imagine doing ~6 sessions of random encounters... Yikes. DM doesn't have the encounter at the end of your travels ready yet? [)] | |
Yeah, I really need to work on my H/W list one of these days...
Completed trades: 17 ; Pending: 2
Champion of Yugoloths | |
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dagonet
Sergeant
442 Posts
| | 05/25/2006 4:05 PM |
| Maybe the extended hike through the Abyss is intended to build up the party's levels before they encounter something really nasty at your destination. Was there a rash of PC deaths back on the Prime Material Plane?
In any case, it could be worse--I doubt there are many Abyssal layers where it's even *possible* to spend three sessions walking without major protective magic.
Cheers,
Dagonet | |
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Champion of Kyuss and his Servants of Squishy Doom | |
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orcdoubleax
Sergeant
692 Posts
| | 05/25/2006 4:24 PM |
| The march could be interesting if handle carefully.
As long as it is not your walking you get attacked.
Your walking you get attacked.
Your walking you get attacked.
A forced march is not a bad RPG tool in it own right.
After all that is pretty much what the fellowship is. | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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Cheddar Bearer
Warrior
298 Posts
| | 05/25/2006 4:30 PM |
| Hmm does sound a bit unusual perhaps some of he encounter are a little less random than he is indicating. Is he one of those dm who you know has a plan or is he one of those dm's whos just realised how many random encouters there will be on the journey (I think I'd fall into the later of those two categories)
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Master of the
Awesome Sauce
Teflon Jeff
Warlord
7146 Posts
Idaho. Yes, we have Gamers in Idaho.
| | 05/25/2006 10:08 PM |
| | sounds rather dull, I'd bet the DM didn't realize how long it would take to travle 100 miles. | |
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orcdoubleax
Sergeant
692 Posts
| | 05/26/2006 5:33 AM |
| If it was me I would have a map and a plan before I stuck the PC there.
I would deterime what area on the Abyss the players are starting in and what area they are going to. What types of demons or other creatures are the power players in the area, what are the natural dangers to this particular layer of the abyss, How difficult is the terrain to travel.
Then instead of random encounters I would create encounter and other obsticles base on that with some since of a story to them. A 100 miles in the absys should be an dangerous and almost epic feat but it should not be boring. | |
Yes I am Gelatinous.
www.gelatinousdudes.com
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 05/26/2006 11:47 AM |
| We do have a very definite goal in mind, our wizard has teleport and shadow walk and our cleric has plane shift ready just in case. Feasable we could teleport, but the wizard is not high enough level to take the 8 person party with her. We decided not to try and enter the plane of shadows from the Abyss, and Plane shift is "our skip out of here and go home spell." We are very good at ploding along. We did have two irreversable party deaths a while before leaving and have two replacement PC's in tow. One person has leveled on the march and a couple of people aren't too far off. We are well stocked in food, water, arrow, spell components and Belivan's Ale. We can't fly due to low flying bouts of flame that will burn you with the fires of... well the Abyss. We plod along for 12-14 hours and then rest for 10 - 12. The dwarf and the human tempest both have endurance so they can carry a person or two when exhastion hits.
I am the only one really getting bored, the rest of the party is really either nervous or excited about the walk. This group has been preparing to fight demons for a very long time, we have a plethora of magic weapons that are designed to kill demons, either holy or good alinged evil outsider bane weapons. Dimensional anchor spells across the board. We are finally doing what we have been training to do... kickng demon butt. I am the one that would rather just get on with the story even at the cost of a bit of EXP and cash. (Masterwork +5 Strength bows are worth about 900 GP if you can find a large creature to buy them.) The whole area is plotted out, it is just that we were a bit off target where we landed. | |
"Are you not entertained?"
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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zhanteel
Sneak
173 Posts
| | 05/26/2006 2:57 PM |
| I'm curious to know, when you say 3 game sessions, how long are these sessions? I can see where this could happen if sessions were only a couple of hours, and the fights pretty large scale. However, our sessions tend to run 4-8 hours and I can't imagine one of our sessions (much less 3) devoted only to walking.
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"Call no man happy til he is dead"
-E Cobham Brewer | |
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Malin Lug
Sergeant
742 Posts
| | 05/26/2006 3:22 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by zhanteel
I'm curious to know, when you say 3 game sessions, how long are these sessions? I can see where this could happen if sessions were only a couple of hours, and the fights pretty large scale. However, our sessions tend to run 4-8 hours and I can't imagine one of our sessions (much less 3) devoted only to walking.
Each session is about 4 hours of actual play. And most of the session is RP conversations between the players and combat, we don't RP out walking.
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"Are you not entertained?"
Champion of the Common Bar Wench
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dagonet
Sergeant
442 Posts
| | 05/26/2006 4:30 PM |
| Wait a sec. . . Low flying bouts of flame? You're not by any chance running Shackled City here, are you?
If so, sit back, enjoy the view of Occipitus, and snag all the experience you possibly can. | |
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Champion of Kyuss and his Servants of Squishy Doom | |
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Zenako
Commander
3468 Posts
| | 05/26/2006 6:39 PM |
| Just because you are flying does not mean you HAVE to go up high, even a few inches off the ground would do. In fact one of the characters in my group, (A high level Shugenja) is almost continously flying, but often remains right with the group in the march order with her kimono barely rippling as she drifts along.
As for the extended trek. As a DM I can think of a number of reasons to create this sort of series of sessions. 1) PC's need to level up a few times to be able to realistically confront the BBEG, 2) Certain ket information has not yet been revealed and perhaps some clever PC's would be able to question the various denizens who attack them as to why?, 3) End game ain't ready yet so this is a way to kinda stall a bit, but to also make SURE that all the players really understand any gameplay quirks about being on another plane BEFORE a major encounter and things go sour.
And hell, it sound like way more plot in play than 'whooop whooop .... firing up the way back machine.....' when some of us first started playing and the only place to adventure was the "Dungeon" and when we finished for the night we went to "town". Next time we went back to the Dungeon to find more magically sustained and timestopped (until we opened the doors that is) monsters just waiting this THIS group of advneturers to try and enter their otherwise empty 20 by 20 room with one locked Iron bound door.
As for moving, what about casting a few Mount Spells and zipping along for a number of hours (2xcaster level). Unless the DM is not letting you renew spells while on the other plane, which is a nasty but not unprecedented trick. In fact in my other game group we just had a similar effect, where until we made a check once a day until made, WIS check we could not renew our divine spells. First few days in the other location were a bit scary for the priests. (group is 4-6th level and we had passed through a gate (on purpose) in the service of trying to free Apollo. We are on perhaps step 2 of 10 or more in a LONG term quest to restore Sun to the world instead of the continual twilight it lives in now and has for the past generation. | |
Built the addition for this addiction, now on to the "gaming table" project....
http://www.maxminis.com/hw_list.asp?user=Zenako last updated 29 May 2006
Set Status: in a nutshell = all of all
In Process trades 0), (Sig last updated 05/29/06) 300 plus Completed Trades -
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