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Author Topic: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy  (Read 2530 times)

kenpen

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New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« on: March 25, 2009, 07:58:27 PM »
The new Forest Fane is completely awesome. Hard grand sword-master darklings and assassins, as well as the normal backstabbers. Big new ogres. A priestly Black Agnes with spells that will pwn you. A nice setup for archers to destroy you. Tons of creatures sneaking at crippling striking you (though, it is annoying that the one spell that you could use to avoid an ability drain has been nerfed.) Very nice set-up. Very attractive.

The two chests are a bit messed up, though. We slugged it through. actually died at the end. Fought a zillion creatures. Got to the chests, DC 44 and 42. Inside, we find... 119 fang, traveller's boots, scrolls: magic weapon, mage armor, PfElement. Considering I think that place is as hard, or harder, than the shadow caves, that's a little paltry.

If you're going, don't go without a priest. And some freedom of movement.

Mrjunkie

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2009, 10:00:11 PM »
Seconded. Went there solo first, just to check it out. Got butcherd within moments, second time with some help. Great challenge, great xp. Little loot, although...i am happyer with xp over loot any time of the week. But for the hunters, the area deserves more for its challenge i'd say.

failed.bard

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2009, 02:21:52 AM »
With the changes to the script that used to pop invis when you were heard opening chests, the place is probably getting ninja looted regularly.
  Seperate issue, really, but the change for chests never should have been made.  Opening a door isn't a hostile act, but stealing all their hard earned loot certainly is.

kenpen

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2009, 03:49:34 AM »
Well, there has been a change implemented to put a damper in that type of ninja looting. Now, instead of popping you out of invisibility, the chests will throw the move silently checks up and - if you fail - nearby creatures will rush the chest. While this doesn't allow them to target you until they're close to the chest, it will still mean once they get in range they will still be able to attack. You have to be really quick to ninja chests now (but, it's still possible using a number of tactics.)

Bad_Bud

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2009, 05:09:37 AM »
Each time I've gone, the loot has been so bad that I destroyed all of it in retaliation.

I saw the black cloak, the fur lined boots, and the 22 gold, and I broke the two by bashing them with my sword!  I even threw in one of my own items and bashed that too!  Then I looted the magic pouch from the other chest, the worn winter cloak from the other chest, and the three broken items from the first chest, put them in the pouch, and then bashed the pouch into a small broken brick of garbage.

It made me happy.

kenpen

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2009, 05:13:21 AM »
Each time I've gone, the loot has been so bad that I destroyed all of it in retaliation.

I saw the black cloak, the fur lined boots, and the 22 gold, and I broke the two by bashing them with my sword!  I even threw in one of my own items and bashed that too!  Then I looted the magic pouch from the other chest, the worn winter cloak from the other chest, and the three broken items from the first chest, put them in the pouch, and then bashed the pouch into a small broken brick of garbage.

It made me happy.

LMMFAO!

failed.bard

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2009, 05:34:28 AM »
Considering lvl 11 (wiz) Ahriman, and level 10 (rogue 7 / Bard 3) Isabelle can do it on high spawn, with a little patience, obviously, I'm not sure the loot is intended to get epic.
  The high spawn Kenny Barush helped them with was certainly challenging, but easy still when comparing it to the coal caves.  It's a nice mid level (9-13) challenge.  Mid spawn didn't give Maria anything, so I doubt it's intended for level 15+ characters, and shouldn't get great loot based on that.
  The same as the mountain fane is good for levels 9-13 or 14, at highest, and the loot reflects that.

kenpen

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2009, 07:31:27 AM »
I've only done it once, so I am not sure what high and low spawns are, but I think what we had was near max. I was fine until the end, when I should have rested instead of continuing to slam through everything without half my buffs. I died with maybe 7 things still left, including the hag and one of her uber ogres. I suppose it's easier than the shadow caves, considering I did this mostly on my own (with a little dwarf cheerleeder occasionally throwing me a haste; thanks, Baez ;)) but I still think the loot is really crap considering how long it takes. I hear Ahriman's tactic involves mostly skeletal champions? Which makes sense, considering they can't be crippled, crit'ed, or anything else - mostly the tactic the darklings use. Maybe we had a DM in there with us, but they and the hag seemed a hell of a lot smarter than most of the AIs. Anyway, I'll have to try it some more.:)

failed.bard

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2009, 07:52:47 AM »
The uber ogre crushers blow their +27 AB in improved power attack KDs, which drops them to a +13, so they couldn't touch Belle.  They're a nice touch, and fit in with what the original fane had for a spawn, but I'm grateful they didn't go with more what I had suggested, which was weapons tweaks for the swordsmen and potions of see invisibility for the look-outs.  The hide while invisible and spam summons tectics would be met with quick, brutal death under that system.

Bad_Bud

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2009, 08:03:08 AM »
look-outs?  lol

That's a low spawn.

I tried the skeleton chieftain tactic with my cleric, and it doesn't work.  He got killed almost immediately, and then I got shot twice with sneak arrows and died.

ThAnswr

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2009, 08:42:46 AM »
Each time I've gone, the loot has been so bad that I destroyed all of it in retaliation.

I saw the black cloak, the fur lined boots, and the 22 gold, and I broke the two by bashing them with my sword!  I even threw in one of my own items and bashed that too!  Then I looted the magic pouch from the other chest, the worn winter cloak from the other chest, and the three broken items from the first chest, put them in the pouch, and then bashed the pouch into a small broken brick of garbage.

It made me happy.

You forgot to spit on the items.  Makes all the difference in the world.   :lol:
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Iconoclast

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2009, 11:49:37 AM »


I did try the area out recently and I like the ambiace.  I'm a fan of the hags when it comes to the types of monsters I like to see in Barovia. 

Carrib, Radnug, Trenton, and Dagos(?) took it on at high spawn; By the end, Radnug, Trenton, and Dagos were near death and on the run.  The place was fun for an enchanter like Carrib, since mind effecting spells work well against these foes.  The variety of enemies is nicely balanced there. 

And yes, Trenton did make a point of destroying the treasure.   :mrgreen:

Soren / Zarathustra217

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #12 on: March 27, 2009, 04:52:52 AM »
Glad you like the new area setup :)

I'll rebalance the loot there to fit better.

k_moustakas

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #13 on: March 27, 2009, 06:45:07 AM »
What I like, is that those places have changed from 'pit-stops' to fully fledged areas. Both the swamp and the forest fane are now a lot improved and much better challenge. Hunting herbs has never been more deadly lol

I also imagine that this place would be an excellent place for assasin PCs to test out their skills... try to outsneak/outspot the darklings and death attack them first ;)
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Mrjunkie

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Re: New Forest Fane - Awesome, Loot Screwy
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2009, 06:56:46 AM »
Or perhaps even learn from them, after learning what makes the Darklings tick, you could maybe bribe/pay them to teach you, even though you'd probably get backstabbed in the end, would be cool rp.