[QUOTE=What Exit?]
BTW: It looks like 62 orcs are already dead in here and a Shaman. The rats estimated nearly 100 in this orc lair.
[/QUOTE]
That’s a lot of dead orcs. Here is hoping we get the remainder in nice easy to handle batches of 10 instead of all at once.
[QUOTE=CatInASuit]
That’s a lot of dead orcs. Here is hoping we get the remainder in nice easy to handle batches of 10 instead of all at once.
[/QUOTE]
We can take them!
[QUOTE=CatInASuit]
That’s a lot of dead orcs. Here is hoping we get the remainder in nice easy to handle batches of 10 instead of all at once.
[/QUOTE]
Trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about. 
We’ve killed 60+ orcs and a Shaman in three combats. Only one or two of our Fighters have even been hit, we use about one offensive spell each time and have plenty of healing in reserve.
Several of our Fighters expect to kill an orc with each blow and even our spellcasters can take a few orc hits.
Even if all 38 orcs jump us at once :eek: , most of us would be left standing.
[QUOTE=What Exit?]
How do you think the shaman feels?
[/QUOTE]
Hey now, no empathy! My D&D worldview will not allow for my enemies to be anything other than blood-filled balloons for me to pop. :mad: 
…is waiting for 100+ rabid hobbits attacking from the shadows… 
Please don’t let us get overconfident, please. Hubris is waiting.
[QUOTE=CatInASuit]
Please don’t let us get overconfident, please. Hubris is waiting.
[/QUOTE]
Hubris would be strolling down the corridors in separate groups.
We have an organised marching order, a front line, fine scouts plus offensive and healing casters.
If we meet orcs in waves of 10 attacking our front, we could kill 500.
[QUOTE=glee]
…most of us would be left standing.
[/QUOTE]
most?! Oh, I get it. Sacrifice the NPC.
Now Thoroncir will want to tear out my heart. Ah…making friends…I do it so well.
[QUOTE=D_Odds]
most?! Oh, I get it. Sacrifice the NPC.
Now Thoroncir will want to tear out my heart. Ah…making friends…I do it so well.
[/QUOTE]
No, just an experienced player’s comment that most of us would be left alive, with all the orcs dead.
Do you not agree?
[QUOTE=glee]
If we meet orcs in waves of 10 attacking our front, we could kill 500.
[/QUOTE]
Makes me wonder why the rest of the other groups are out there then, if we are so good :dubious:
If we get 38 standard Orcs turn up, given our current tactics and composition, we would be fine.
Lets just say, I hope you are right and I am wrong.
[QUOTE=CatInASuit]
Makes me wonder why the rest of the other groups are out there then, if we are so good :dubious:
If we get 38 standard Orcs turn up, given our current tactics and composition, we would be fine.
Lets just say, I hope you are right and I am wrong.
[/QUOTE]
Well the groups exploring Ered Lithui certainly weren’t expecting to get massacred.
It was more a question of intelligently hunting down the orcs.
But cheer up! We’re doing well!
[QUOTE=glee]
No, just an experienced player’s comment that most of us would be left alive, with all the orcs dead.
Do you not agree?
[/QUOTE]
Yes. I’ve been on the wrong side of some evil dice before, as have most players. Laws of probability can and will catch up with us. That said, as a player (and as long as I can do it without breaking character, which will be hard with Brin), I consider it my sworn duty to kill off as many of the DMs carefully crafted NPCs as possible. That’s right, What Exit?, I’m gunning for your characters. 
Theogrim is lucky. Hold Person sucks, but a ghoul’s paralyzation is worse! Found out the hard way that Mr. Gygax forgot to put a duration on the ghoul’s ability.
:smack:
CatInASuit, we can’t forget about the Hunter-Killers. They will be harder to stomp (meaning, hopefully, more XP and more loot!) than the shamans.
What Exit?, how do you handle non-magical healing? Is it ‘by the book’, or do you accelerate it?
[QUOTE=D_Odds]
Theogrim is lucky. Hold Person sucks, but a ghoul’s paralyzation is worse! Found out the hard way that Mr. Gygax forgot to put a duration on the ghoul’s ability.
[/QUOTE]
Ghoul paralysation isn’t so bad says the elf
[QUOTE=Malacandra]
Ghoul paralysation isn’t so bad says the elf
[/QUOTE]
Sadly, my mage/thief was only a half-elf, and got the wrong half. 
[QUOTE=D_Odds]
…I consider it my sworn duty to kill off as many of the DMs carefully crafted NPCs as possible. That’s right, What Exit?, I’m gunning for your characters. …
[/QUOTE]
If by that you mean Renee, have a care, sir, as you value your life. You are not the only member of our party to have sworn an oath.
P.S. I thought we’d only killed about 40 orcs in these pestilential caves. Not that I’m complaining! Nuh-uh, not me. Nopearoonie.
Brin’s moral compass is too straight to find a way to effectively treat NPCs as cannon-fodder. Too bad. Would be nice to see the DM cry. (For the record, I’ve been the GM crying for the same reason more than once).
You get more shots with the bow, and probably have a better bonus to-hit than I do. In melee, however, I get bonus damage and likely hit as often as you do.
I have to say, this has been far too easy so far. I grant glee that we can easily take another 38 orcs, probably with only minor damage. I just don’t expect it to be only 38 more standard, run-of-the-mill orcs that we fight here.
Actually, having normal orcs fits the source.
Orc and goblin armies usually relied far more on sheer numbers than on skill. One-on-one, a healthy man/dwarf/elf was easily more than a match for a single orc. Plus, as aggressors, orcs were usually attacking a fortified position, so the orcs needed armies outnumbering their opponents by a factor of at least 5 and more like 10 to have a chance for victory. Also, orcs tended to be cowardly, and without a strong leader, their morale broke easily.
The Uruk-hai were special because they were a one-on-one match, and they had stronger battlefield morale (in addition to the whole daylight thing).
Now if I were cruel, I would point out orcs are a corruption of the Elf template, so the weakness of orcs is likely directly correlated to the weakness of elves. But I wouldn’t do that, because I know that the DM is an ‘Elf-lover’.
[QUOTE=D_Odds]
…
I consider it my sworn duty to kill off as many of the DMs carefully crafted NPCs as possible. That’s right, What Exit?, I’m gunning for your characters.
…
CatInASuit, we can’t forget about the Hunter-Killers. They will be harder to stomp (meaning, hopefully, more XP and more loot!) than the shamans.
What Exit?, how do you handle non-magical healing? Is it ‘by the book’, or do you accelerate it?
[/QUOTE]
Point 1: Good luck, I not only made this one tough to kill, but she has a PC that will do everything humanly possible to protect her.
Point 2: Yes, no Hunter-Killers so far which means there are none in these caves. However, do not believe for a moment the Shaman you killed is the one strong enough to organize whatever is going on. You obviously lucked into a weaker tribe of standard orcs. Only a few have even had 2HD so far. None are skilled warriors, but rather grunts or bigger grunts. One Shaman whose big spell was Hold Person and needed Arrow Fodder[sup]TM[/sup] as a shield.
Point 3: Do you mean natural healing after resting? If so, 1 point per night is the general rule with some exceptions.
[QUOTE=D_Odds]
You get more shots with the bow, and probably have a better bonus to-hit than I do. In melee, however, I get bonus damage and likely hit as often as you do.
[/QUOTE]
You are getting the +3 orc damage with the Bow, I thought you noticed your arrows drop orcs. For you and Gwaelur, these caves are ideal. Just enough orcs to kill at will as long as the group plays it smart. Just enough height for you to use your bow, thought I screwed up once and allowed you a shot in a hall, down to the other end that you could not make with your long bow. You can use your Long Bow at will in the high ceiling chambers, but in the 7’ halls I need to gives you penalties for trying to keep the arc of your arrows lower than normal for a long bow.
[QUOTE=appleciders]
I have to say, this has been far too easy so far. I grant glee that we can easily take another 38 orcs, probably with only minor damage. I just don’t expect it to be only 38 more standard, run-of-the-mill orcs that we fight here.
[/QUOTE]
Depends on how quickly you can flush them out. As you are over half done, this appears to be a weak group and you are playing it smart. Things would have gone very different, if you did not pull back from the cross passage and thus got attacked from 3 sides instead of only one. What you call easy, is just playing it right so far. Your sleep spell helped by stopping the main head on charge.
The orcs were not prepared for a direct assault like this from a team of mixed races and abilities. Invisible Hobbits are always a great help and three spell casters with three strong front line fighters is a perfect mix for these halls. Then two bowyers that rarely miss to help it along.
Whenever a group breaks up, it gets far more dangerous. When you have a scout, send the scout. Besides Hobbit adventures have a certain amount of good luck and favor in this world under this DM.
[QUOTE=D_Odds]
Now if I were cruel, I would point out orcs are a corruption of the Elf template, so the weakness of orcs is likely directly correlated to the weakness of elves. But I wouldn’t do that, because I know that the DM is an ‘Elf-lover’.
[/QUOTE]
Awww snap! He just called you an elf lover. You just gonna sit there and take that DM? I know I wouldn’t take it if I was DM.
[QUOTE=NAF1138]
Awww snap! He just called you an elf lover. You just gonna sit there and take that DM? I know I wouldn’t take it if I was DM.
[/QUOTE]
Actually he is quite correct, my wife’s nickname is Elf and I do love her. (No seriously, those are her initials when she took my last name. It is possible D_Odds remembered this, but I am not sure he knew it.)
Though in game terms, I suppose I am more of a Hobbit lover, I just wanted the Elves not to be the pale wimpy imitations* of standard AD&D 1st Ed.
BTW: The rest of what he said is dead on to Middle Earth. Orcs and Goblins are weak; I would expect 100 Hobbit 0 levels to be able to beat 100 Goblins with ease. Elves and Dwarves are not even a question, besides, I don’t think there are 0 level Elves and Dwarves in this world, it never came up, but all Dwarves and Elves have some combat skill unless they are extremely young.
In general, 100 0 level ill-equipped humans, caught at night would probably be the only thing that 100 goblins (without leader types) should be expected to have a chance against in this world. Those damn Hobbits are deadly with nothing more than rocks.