Don’t forget Strength take a turn - ten rounds - to cast, although once up, it lasts an hour per level. It seems to be worthwhile for almost anyone except the muscleman Theogrim. What Exit?, I’ve seen Enlarge refereed various ways - one is to give a +1 damage bonus for every level of the caster, analgous with whichever psionic discipline it is that allows the user to enlarge himself (Expansion, I think - can’t be arsed to go and check). Another (I think it’s how 2nd Ed handles it) is to multiply the damage rather than apply a fixed addition, so someone 60% bigger does 1.6 times as much damage.
On evil parties:
Well, there’s evil and then there’s evil. Keeping the poor and weak alive to exploit them is one thing - characteristic of Lawful Evil. Killing the poor and weak just because you like to watch them die (and it’s so much safer than killing the rich and strong) is another - much more Chaotic Evil. Or ignoring them altogether and getting on with major-league villainy like levelling the most powerful Lawful Good temple in the land, which would work for either alignnment. But it’s no use deciding you’re going to DM for a party of evil characters and then murdering them all just because they act evil.
And as to your berserk hobbits, Jim, I hereby label you a big fat cheat.
Strength (Alteration)
Level: 2
Range: Touch
Duration: 6 turns/level
Area of Effect: Person touched
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: I turn
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: Application of this spell increases the strength of the character by a number of points- or tenths of points after 18 strength is attained and the character is in the fighter class. Benefits of the strength spell last for the duration of the magic. The amount of additional strength accruing to a character upon whom this spell is cast depends upon his or her class and is subiect to all restrictions on strength due to race, sex or class.
Minimum-Maximum
Class Strength Gain
CLERIC 1-6 (d6)
FIGHTER 1-8 (d8)
MAGIC-USER 1-4 (d4)
THIEF 1-6 (d6)
MONK 1-4 (d4)
If a fighter (paladin or ranger as well) has an 18 strength already, from 10% to 80% is added to his extraordinary strength roll. All Strength addition scores above 18 are likewise treated as 1 equalling an extra 10% on the extraordinary strength rating. The material component of this spell is a few hairs or a pinch of dung from a particularly strong animal -ape, bear, ox, etc.
I don’t think he was necessarily cheating, I saw it done with Kobolds, and oh grief was that messy.
Straight forward AD&D thinking says that the party will win easily. (One enemy at a time)
A small amount of lateral thinking and if the party does not catch on, it is in big trouble. How does an Evil Knight manage to handle himself under the weight of 12 small hobbits, leaving the other 6 free to poke him.
Net + Flour + Granny’s magic frying pan = Dead Imp. They are Hobbits, of course the cutlery is enchanted
I see you understand Hobbit combat. That pretty well summed it up. The Hobbits had nothing to lose by an all out berserk attack. The worst thing they could imagine had already happened.
I saw a dungeon set in a low cave, where parties underestimated the movement problems.
One enemy at a time? Not any D+D I’ve played.
He has 1 attack per level as they approach, killing with every hit. Most grappling rules give penalties to unarmed small people attacking armoured large ones.
And granny can see Invisible and the net is magically enchanted to cope with Polymorphing and the flour prevents Regeneration and these hobbits are immune to Poison and the Imp can’t think of what to say when it casts Suggestion…
I would seriously expect the Imp tby itself to be able to take the whole Hobbit village, one at a time.
Agreed, and I reiterate “big fat cheat”. From the point of view of the one making the all out berserk attack, there is generally the loss of one’s irreplaceable life to consider - which is why, as a rule, a sudden act of gratuitous murder tends to terrorise a small peaceful population, not rouse it to a desperate act of death-or-glory vengeance.
Of course, if hobbits had a reputation for their mad battle skillz and complete indifference to personal injury, pain or death, you could imagine that fireballing some of them would spell instant death at the hands of the rest (who would likewise ignore the horrific casualties they take just trying to get to grips with a halfway competent fighter. glee is exactly right). But in that case, how do you play up the contrast with those critters that are meant to be savage and fearless?
Internet is still not working right for me at home, but I will try and follow along and possibly even post from my phone over the weekend. If the new adventure doesn’t really get started until Monday, so much the better, but don’t hold up the game on my account.
A wonderful passage about Minas Tirith, from ROTK, Chapt. V, “The Steward and the King,” p. 947 in my edition:
*…the King passed through the flower-laden streets, and came to the Citadel, and entered in; and the banner of the Tree and the Stars was unfurled upon the topmost tower, and the reign of King Elessar began, of which many songs have told.
In his time the City was made more fair than it had ever been, even in the days of its first glory; and it was filled with trees and with fountains, and its gates were wrought of mithril and steel, and its streets were paved with white marble; and the Folk of the Mountain laboured in it, and the Folk of the Wood rejoiced to come there; and all was healed and made good, and the houses were filled with men and women and the laughter of children, and no window was blind nor any courtyard empty; and after the ending of the Third Age of the world into the new age it preserved the memory and the glory of the years that were gone.*
Sorry I mentioned it but it was 20 years ago. When 40 Hobbits throw rocks, sling bullets and fire arrows at you with your excellent AC of 0. There +3 to hit means that 6 will hit. This is part of what brought down the party. Kids were distracting and harassing like you would not believe (apparently) and Mages go down fast to concerted attacks. 6 against 100+ very motivated aggressors was not a one sider fight for the 6 my any means. Your imps seem to have mad powers that they did not posses in my game. It was killed and burnt in short order, making it even easier to kill the magic user. The Evil Gnome went down fast as I vaguely recall, his AC was very poor, I think a 4. Don’t know what to tell you, the Hobbits won easy. Pick up the 1st Ed MM and read up on the halflings. You will see why these are not the best peasants to pick on.
Well, pick up the 1st Ed MM yourself and read up on the *Imp * and you will see, as glee has already said, that it is immune to non-magical weapons, has a poison stinger (save or die), regenerates one hit point per round, and can cast suggestion once a day. They turn invisible when they like and are immune to cold, fire and electricity. So killing it would be hard and burning it would be impossible.
Halflings are all (except the 1 per 30 who actually have levels) <1 hit die so go down in droves to any fighter capable of hitting AC7 with any regularity. Your wizard was insufficiently cautious apparently - as if he’d been able to Fly and had Protection from Normal Missiles he could have laughed at anything the halflings could do; and there are plenty of other ways for a moderately competent wizard to protect himself.
Rocks, sling bullets and arrows huh? So one minute a helpless village has just had its most competent citizens wiped out and the next thing you know everyone is armed and blood-mad for revenge. Thank goodness they’re “hard-working, orderly and peaceful”, I’d hate to think what they’d be like if they were “murderous and kill-crazed”. :dubious:
I’m not sure where you’re getting this spontaneous berserker fury and telepathic coordination of attacks from, either (but again, if this is what your halflings are like I’d hate to face your Roman legions). I’d have thought there should be an element of utter chaos there, with about twenty different people screaming orders, mothers telling children not “Everyone hobbitpile the black knight!” but “Run! Run far away and hide!” ('cos, y’know, halflings are really good at hiding, the MM says, and you’d think they’d know this).
I mean, hey, you want to kill off a party, you can do it. Just don’t brag about your ability to turn a village full of peaceful halfling women, children and elders into the perfect evil-party killers.
Malacandra summed it up very well, but I can add a couple of points:
Hobbits are less than 1HD, so have a base of 21-AC. Throw in their +3 (which doesn’t apply to rocks) and they move to 18-AC.
You mention the defender’s AC0, which gives a weapon v AC penalty of -5, taking them to 23-AC.
So they only hit on a natural 20, which means just two hits per round doing a total of 2d4 damage, i.e. 5hp.
Is the Fighter just standing there?
Sounds like a gormless party to me. They are standing in the open, making themselves available to be attacked from all sides?
I have read that book , and (as I said) it should be trivial for the Imp (exactly as per 1st Ed MM) to take the entire village by itself.
So the party’s mistake was to go in themselves, instead of taking the day off! :eek:
Of course there’s no reason why evil PCs who go around Fireballing defenceless halflings shouldn’t earn themselves a world of hurt by doing it. Paladins, rangers, good clerics and wizards, blink dogs, metallic dragons, treants, some cloud giants, storm giants, elves, dwarves, ki-rin, shedu, lammasu, some sphinxes, werebears, centaurs… not to mention the fact that most other evil characters and monsters will do for them the first chance they see a way to make a profit by it (or in the case of chaotic evils, just think it would be fun).
And of course one definition of annoyance is when you’ve just finally managed to defeat the high-level paladin who has been beating the crap out of your evil party, and you just know darn well that the beautiful sword he’s been using to do it not only will not work for you but will burn your hand off to the wrist if you so much as pick it up.
Each passing year we see more and more here at my home.
I saw a hawk/Eagle yesterday with about 6’ span, but I don’t what it was, I suspect a local Eagle. I know there is a pair near here, but I am unsure of the species. We also have Ospreys on the nearby River where I sail.
I had a pair of Hawks flying only about 40’ over our heads yesterday. Awesome birds.
Most likely a Bald or a Golden eagle (those are basically your options in the US). We see a Bald just about every year during the migration, but I’ve only seen a Golden once. But we’ve had a pair of red-tails nesting at the bottom of the driveway for a few years now (long, windy, gravelly country driveway) and I got to watch a kestrel eating a rat on a fencepost last year. You’re absolutely right; there’s a reason I picked a hawk familiar.
Not any D+D I’ve played.
From the point of view of the one making the all out berserk attack, there is generally the loss of one’s irreplaceable life to consider - which is why, as a rule, a sudden act of gratuitous murder tends to terrorise a small peaceful population, not rouse it to a desperate act of death-or-glory vengeance.
