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mikie
Seeker
USA
73 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 18:04:47
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Well again all. I've got a DM dilemma. I need to make a quick side adventure into the Underdark via tunnels. To start this side trek, I am going to use a drow raiding party. My question is how many drow do I use & also should I include a priestess with the raiding party? My "group" has only HEARD & READ about the "fabled drow". I want to scare them BUT,DO NOT want to kill the entire group. (The adventuring band consists of 7 members with levels from 3rd-6th.) Much thanks for any info.
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4686 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 18:44:38
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How dangerous do you want to make the Drow?
Some raiding parties are lead by a priestess. For something like level 5 average (if that high) I would guess a raiding party of about 4 Drow Level 2, with a male fighter level 4 to 6. Giving the Drow their sleep poison, cross bows, see in dark etc. That should be enough to scare most parties of 7. I would not add a Wizard or a Priestess. That strikes me as high risk for TPK and/or slavery for the PCs. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Aulduron
Learned Scribe
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 18:49:12
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| I made a Drow party that was too tough for my players, so I had a male wizard turn on the females. It's perfectly in character. |
"Those with talent become wizards, Those without talent spend their lives praying for it"
-Procopio Septus |
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Snow
Learned Scribe
USA
125 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 20:18:40
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| You may wish to list the general build/role setup of your 7 players ... along with which ruleset and books being used. That way as a DM, you can customize a Raiding Party that challenges them within the appropriate framework of both the rules-being-used as well as being a tough encounter that fits in appropriately with the other encounters you'll be pitting up against the party for that day. |
Edited by - Snow on 21 Mar 2012 20:19:35 |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 21:00:11
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Agreed. Ruleset makes a big difference, as does the conditions of the encounter. Do they just run into each other on level ground? Do the drow know the PC's are coming and set an ambush?
For instance, in 2e, a party of 3 or 4 2nd level drow fighters properly prepared should be able to terrify and perhaps even defeat your higher level party. Have them all be on ledges above the PC party. Attack from ambush with no warning, using hand crossbows and sleep poison. Even by level 6 your PC's aren't going to have much in the way of magical armor, or the really high quality stuff like plate mail, so their AC is going to be fairly bad.
Against this, you have drow, probably with high Dex, attacking from range, and likely cover, by surprise. Specialize them in the hand crossbow for extra nastiness, and it'll be hard for them to miss. Hit the wizards first, then go for the big guys. At that level, the poison has between a 50% and 75% chance of taking them out of the fight entirely. And that's not even touching their other advantages. Your PC's would be wise to flee, and then come back warier.
It gets somewhat less scary in 3e, but even so, just a couple of drow should be enough to give your group the scare of their life. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Artemas Entreri
Great Reader
USA
3131 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 21:01:32
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quote:
Originally posted by Aulduron
I made a Drow party that was too tough for my players, so I had a male wizard turn on the females. It's perfectly in character.
Nice! |
Some people have a way with words, and other people...oh, uh, not have way. -Steve Martin
Amazon "KindleUnlimited" Free Trial: http://amzn.to/2AJ4yD2
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4686 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 21:23:56
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I figured max 5 Drow, I can not picture a "raiding party" having less then that. I clearly agree it would depend on how the encounter unfolds, I see after first round at least 2 of the PCs sleeping. It could be worst of course. The Drow party raiding for something clearly makes a difference as well. Do they want slaves, goods, live sacrifice for Lolth's alters? Whom gets surpeise clearly makes a difference as well.
The PCs not sleeping almost clearly need to take out two of the Drow, the remaining might retreat. There might be luck with magic, however the PCs likely need to depend on the tanks and combat. The fighter, the cleric and Paladin with maybe a thief back stab.
One Drow attacking from shadows might be enough to scare the PCa, put about 4 to sleep before entering to hand to hand combat. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Nilus Reynard
Learned Scribe
Canada
137 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2012 : 22:36:15
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Just an thought:
How about having your party come across a drow raiding party attacking a surface elven settlement. This way they have the elf npcs to help out if things turn nasty & it could lead to further progression in your game now that they have assisted the elves in their defense. |
Nilus Reynard
Doom Master of Beshaba, Hand of Despair.
P24 Hm CN
(2nd Edition AD&D) |
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mikie
Seeker
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2012 : 01:52:41
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I LIKE your way of thinking! I'll let you know how it goes. My thanks!quote:
Originally posted by Hoondatha
Agreed. Ruleset makes a big difference, as does the conditions of the encounter. Do they just run into each other on level ground? Do the drow know the PC's are coming and set an ambush?
For instance, in 2e, a party of 3 or 4 2nd level drow fighters properly prepared should be able to terrify and perhaps even defeat your higher level party. Have them all be on ledges above the PC party. Attack from ambush with no warning, using hand crossbows and sleep poison. Even by level 6 your PC's aren't going to have much in the way of magical armor, or the really high quality stuff like plate mail, so their AC is going to be fairly bad.
Against this, you have drow, probably with high Dex, attacking from range, and likely cover, by surprise. Specialize them in the hand crossbow for extra nastiness, and it'll be hard for them to miss. Hit the wizards first, then go for the big guys. At that level, the poison has between a 50% and 75% chance of taking them out of the fight entirely. And that's not even touching their other advantages. Your PC's would be wise to flee, and then come back warier.
It gets somewhat less scary in 3e, but even so, just a couple of drow should be enough to give your group the scare of their life.
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mikie
Seeker
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2012 : 01:55:59
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I was thinking along the same lines as well. That way, the players have a little bit more fire power & sword arms.( IF the elves would want to help.) My thanks!quote:
Originally posted by Nilus Reynard
Just an thought:
How about having your party come across a drow raiding party attacking a surface elven settlement. This way they have the elf npcs to help out if things turn nasty & it could lead to further progression in your game now that they have assisted the elves in their defense.
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3738 Posts |
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Imp
Learned Scribe
231 Posts |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2012 : 02:21:01
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Glad to be of help. I haven't done a whole lot with drow in my games, but when properly run they are utterly terrifying. I once ran the Beneath the Twisted Tower adventure from the 2e Revised FR box set for a higher level party and just increased the number of drow a bit. It took them months of real time to weed them all out, and it got really bloody.
And Aulduron has exactly the right idea for how to make it easier if needed: have one of the drow turn on the others, and then withdraw. Perfect. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Snow
Learned Scribe
USA
125 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2012 : 16:38:17
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Keep in mind the tactical mindset of an optimized and combat-savvy Drow Raiding Party (assuming 3.5 or PF rules). They have 3 unique game mechanics that they will smartly exploit in a combat encounter:
1. 120' Darkvision.
2. Poisoned Weapons.
3. Darkness SLA's.
Ergo, they will always use their superior 120' Darkvision to try & keep the encounter range at a distance. Your party will likely only have a few players with 60' Darkvision - so they will not able to visually acquire the Drow for the majority of the conflict. The Drow will attempt to incapacitate-at-range at least 1 or 2 of your party members (via accumulated damage, spell effect status, and/or poison) before they can realistically engage in melee combat. The Darkness spells will help keep the party from creating cohesive formation tactics. Experienced Drow Raiding Party leaders will inform their underlings that squishy, non-tank type characters (wizards, rogues, etc.) tend to be more susceptible via their body-effect (read: CON-based DC) poisons. Hence, if you have party members who look like archetypical wizards and rogues, they will get the lion's share of the poison arrows/bolts.
So in essence, if your party is able to jump into melee with the Drow with relative ease, you aren't playing the Drow to their strengths. |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2392 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2012 : 12:33:37
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quote:
Originally posted by mikie
Well again all. I've got a DM dilemma. I need to make a quick side adventure into the Underdark via tunnels. To start this side trek, I am going to use a drow raiding party. My question is how many drow do I use & also should I include a priestess with the raiding party? My "group" has only HEARD & READ about the "fabled drow". I want to scare them BUT,DO NOT want to kill the entire group. (The adventuring band consists of 7 members with levels from 3rd-6th.) Much thanks for any info.
One, no need to be a full raiding party on the way out.
In fact, if the group isn't really strong, it's better if they're beaten up: as replied above, normally drow are sneaky and likely to have a drop on PCs, and if they're out to kick ass, they will...
But if PCs hear a magic battle and haven't good sense to move away from it, and run into a few drow and a lot of scorch marks... since they have to be bleeding and slightly down on spells, you may set up just about any power level without unreasonably nerfing the drow.
quote:
Originally posted by Aulduron
I made a Drow party that was too tough for my players, so I had a male wizard turn on the females. It's perfectly in character.
...and since drow are suspicious, now you can get your PCs caught in crossfire between Vhaerunites (anywhere in range from a bunch of refugees to The Dark Dagger bosses, if close to their territory) and Lolthites, when you want it. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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drow raiding party
