Just a suggestion, but on two quests today the monsters were so buffed they ripped us apart easily. I don't mind buffed monsters, but it seems scripted and to be 'over kill' I'm afraid.

The Hoarite Dark Figure is basically untouchable, hasted, spell immune, I didn't even hurt him only one PCs lucky crits touched him. He's not *too* bad though, maybe a little top heavy.

Worse was the Beneath Sewertown quest. 8 Chosen Arcanists basically hasted unleashing Acid Breath essentially wiped out a party with Mandarin *who resist's acid attacks*, Maud, and Bug even in about three rounds. It was ugly. They were also spell immune, etc.

I don't mind a challenge, but that was very ugly and perhaps slightly unbalanced.

Yes on that quest, those many Greater Chosen Arcanists were very much overkill, small room, stoneskin, minor globe of invulnerability ( immune to 3rd level spells and lower!) and hasted, they cast mestils acid breath spammishly and even summoned rat arcanists to help mow us down easier not that it was needed, since they almost wiped the party!

We couldn't touch them, even when i thought i might be able to take one down when its globe dropped, it being hasted got another globe up before my spell finished casting!

Bit of overkill there needs some toning!

I will be taking a closer look at both quests and likely making some adjustments, it's difficult to adjust things for every kind of party. I've seen both quests get absolutely crushed by some parties, so it's hard for me to tell sometimes which is why I appreciate feedback.

The sewer quest also has extremely, extremely good loot attached to it, which is why I designed it to be on the harder end.

The Chosen Arcanists certainly don't start buffed, for what it's worth.

Chosen don't, its the Greater.

Yes, any lucky party cuts through anything--but I'm fairly good at telling when something is balanced or overkill. Hoar isn't overkill, even the end boss just seems vastly stronger than his minions.

FYI too, shadows can do a three hit insta-kill with their STR drain, no saves.

Greater Chosen don't started buffed either, they just can buff themselves.

As of the next reset, the Hoar boss will have his dexterity reduced from 8 to 4 and his magic spear taken away, and that one spawn on the sewer quest will be substantially adjusted.

I think the sewer quest problems came from 'AI magicvision'.

They could see through walls, and even shoot acidarrows through a long closed door. I susect they 'heard' us clanking around and started buffing, which proved fatal. (well, 2 deaths out of 6 players and the rest running isnt so bad) We could just chalk it up to ratlike superhearing.

Had they no time to buff i think the battle would have gone more in the players favour, though they still may have driven us off with losses.

Still, without such moments Cal would never have had a chance to rush in and save Mandarin as he lay dying. :) I'd actually like scripted quests to be 'too hard, turn back now if your smart' about one time in ten. Keep us on our toes.

Ahh, roll on patch and random features for scripting....

Jadelink

With the Chosen quest, i dont really think the quest, in a whole is hard, just that one room. Both times i have bin on that quest someone has died in that particular room, i dont think any of the quest needs changing except that room, maybe make it, one arcanist and the rest rogues or warriors. :?:

I was questioning whether the Hoar quest was even meant to be completable when I went on it. But then, one can't really expect Mandarin to cast protection from evil on us. :) Still, it seemed like it would take a rather large party to do. It'd be nice if the quests scaled to be able to be done by 4 or 5 PCs as that is more the way I think of D&D.

I did use protection from evil on you. All of you. He's just not high enough level as a cleric for it to last.

The real issue I saw on Hoarites was:

Shadows, three shadows with melee touch attacks that drain strength means you die very fast. They tended to attack in large numbers, three or more at a time.

The boss got several attacks a round at a good AB that did 17+ damage a hit. I was doing about 2-3 damage a round due to his buffs.

Its cool that they cast the spell to buff. Originally, it looked like they were buffed as soon as we showed up, and as soon as we cut through the Stoneskins it would be recast. Could be the Arcanists are sorcerers, so they get a lot of spells a day which improves their lethality. Haste: Stoneskin+Minor Globe, Mystil's Acid Breath x2. Its a three round killer.

I'm pretty certain for the hoar qeust it depend son the party. Anytime I do that one we completely mince it except for the odd time.

As fo the arcanists, I think they are a little lethal due to the haste acid breath thing.