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Author Topic: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.  (Read 10395 times)

EO

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #50 on: July 31, 2010, 03:10:14 PM »
Our design philosophy is that the further away from Vallaki you are, the higher level. We are slowly working towards that.

Regarding calibans, I will tone them down quite a bit to make them more manageable by level 10-15s. I redid some spawns for the sewers, but did not take into account that they also spawned outside at night.

Budly

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #51 on: July 31, 2010, 07:33:16 PM »
I think that the increase in power is good. Many areas around barovia have been drastically reduced in power so that it will be more in tune with the 'low level' of the area. Dementliue is more meant for the high-level rich/powerfull chars, right?

Is good? If you powergame yes

To have any army of bandits in a normal town is just odd.

Badelaire

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #52 on: August 01, 2010, 12:10:04 PM »
I'd love to see those people feather-preening their builds actually go out and fight a spawn of 2-4 Caliban Gangleaders instead of talking about it. Even one is a nightmare to take on fully prepared. At least they don't chase you through transitions (yet), it'd be interesting to see the whole city's NPC's getting wiped out by one of them. ;)

Telkar

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #53 on: August 01, 2010, 12:31:33 PM »
I'd love to see those people feather-preening their builds actually go out and fight a spawn of 2-4 Caliban Gangleaders instead of talking about it. Even one is a nightmare to take on fully prepared. At least they don't chase you through transitions (yet), it'd be interesting to see the whole city's NPC's getting wiped out by one of them. ;)

I've faced a good number of them now, more so with some mage assistance. Like that they're well manageable, but with the dual wielding caliban brutes on the sides sneak attacking like crazy, that's scary...but still manageable. We once spawned two at a time....also scary, but thankfully blocked the path of the other till one of them was dead.

One funny thing I managed to observe in the sewers....was a giant slug joining the battle. As I retreated back some, they begun hacking at that slug like crazy but with no effect, so I guess they need a +1 weapon at least to damage it, which they didn't have.

Giant slugs, the head of the underworld.  ^-^

Badelaire

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #54 on: August 01, 2010, 12:41:18 PM »
I'd love to see those people feather-preening their builds actually go out and fight a spawn of 2-4 Caliban Gangleaders instead of talking about it. Even one is a nightmare to take on fully prepared. At least they don't chase you through transitions (yet), it'd be interesting to see the whole city's NPC's getting wiped out by one of them. ;)

I've faced a good number of them now, more so with some mage assistance. Like that they're well manageable, but with the dual wielding caliban brutes on the sides sneak attacking like crazy, that's scary...but still manageable. We once spawned two at a time....also scary, but thankfully blocked the path of the other till one of them was dead.

One funny thing I managed to observe in the sewers....was a giant slug joining the battle. As I retreated back some, they begun hacking at that slug like crazy but with no effect, so I guess they need a +1 weapon at least to damage it, which they didn't have.

Giant slugs, the head of the underworld.  ^-^

Sounds like someone needs to develop "on hit: slay slug" salts to combat this growing threat. [nod nod]
Won't someone please think of the cabbages!
« Last Edit: August 01, 2010, 12:43:54 PM by Badelaire »

engelfire

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #55 on: August 01, 2010, 01:25:36 PM »
I'd love to see those people feather-preening their builds actually go out and fight a spawn of 2-4 Caliban Gangleaders instead of talking about it. Even one is a nightmare to take on fully prepared. At least they don't chase you through transitions (yet), it'd be interesting to see the whole city's NPC's getting wiped out by one of them. ;)

I've faced a good number of them now, more so with some mage assistance. Like that they're well manageable, but with the dual wielding caliban brutes on the sides sneak attacking like crazy, that's scary...but still manageable. We once spawned two at a time....also scary, but thankfully blocked the path of the other till one of them was dead.

One funny thing I managed to observe in the sewers....was a giant slug joining the battle. As I retreated back some, they begun hacking at that slug like crazy but with no effect, so I guess they need a +1 weapon at least to damage it, which they didn't have.

Giant slugs, the head of the underworld.  ^-^

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Darktide18

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #56 on: August 01, 2010, 01:28:16 PM »
Regarding calibans, I will tone them down quite a bit to make them more manageable by level 10-15s. I redid some spawns for the sewers, but did not take into account that they also spawned outside at night.

LIES!!  Blame EO!

DM Tarokka

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #57 on: August 01, 2010, 01:31:51 PM »
Regarding calibans, I will tone them down quite a bit to make them more manageable by level 10-15s. I redid some spawns for the sewers, but did not take into account that they also spawned outside at night.

LIES!!  Blame EO!

ALWAYS!!! :)
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Heretic

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #58 on: August 01, 2010, 02:30:31 PM »
Regarding calibans, I will tone them down quite a bit to make them more manageable by level 10-15s. I redid some spawns for the sewers, but did not take into account that they also spawned outside at night.

LIES!!  Blame EO!

ALWAYS!!! :)

Amen

Thoraion

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #59 on: August 04, 2010, 01:06:02 AM »
Our design philosophy is that the further away from Vallaki you are, the higher level. We are slowly working towards that.

Regarding calibans, I will tone them down quite a bit to make them more manageable by level 10-15s. I redid some spawns for the sewers, but did not take into account that they also spawned outside at night.

I think there's a flaw in that design philosophy. Don't misunderstand me - finding higher level encounters with increasing distance to vallaki is not necessarily bad.
But to include what is supposed to be the everyday's life encounter in that philosophy does more harm than good.
As far as Porte a Lucine is concerned, i agree that the average night-encounters are ridiculously and unnecessary hard. Please notice the word "average". Do you think that an epic encounter with calibans and bandits at every corner adds to the roleplay experience and especially to the Dementlieu setting? I believe that the contrary is true. Toning down the CR is good, but lvl 10-15 is still too much for average encounters.

Dementlieu is not meant - at least by its background - to be the major hack-and-slay area in the core. On the contrary - but with high level bandit and caliban encounters waiting at every corner i fear you have achieved the opposite. Dementlieu does not feel like subtle or even gothic horror to me. There are some encounters there that have that potential - take the mad axeman for example. If you need to run for your life at every corner, the special encounter does not have any weight any more. It takes some more than streets that swarm with deadly and sometimes queer looking foes at night to transport the gothic horror element. Yoe can take "every corner" literally. Gangs are quite close to each other and you do not really believe tat every character should be either able to become invisible or to beat them?

Dementlieu has also increased in importance now for customizing character outfits - and that affects every level. It is quite annoying to walk all the way to dementlieu just to change a few colors and then run as hell or wait another hour till dawn is coming. Yes, no soloing... do you really expect that in every situation? There are some things that you do alone. Not everybody enjoys standing next to his fellow while he tries different outfits for an hour. What i want to say is - Dementlieu is way to time-consuming and deadly for something that basic.

Keep the high level encounters there if you consider it necessary - but reduce the CR there, where one can not avoid them. Leave the special nighttime encounters where they are, but tone down the others in the streets. A warning would be nice, however - maybe a board with a public warning of murders at night in certain areas in the style of a newspaper.
That does not mean that a dungeon needs to be significantly toned down as well... dungeons far away from vallaki may well be high level areas. But please - not the streets!
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Telkar

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #60 on: August 04, 2010, 07:18:55 AM »
Regarding calibans, I will tone them down quite a bit to make them more manageable by level 10-15s. I redid some spawns for the sewers, but did not take into account that they also spawned outside at night.

Nemien Callishan

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #61 on: August 04, 2010, 09:01:18 AM »
I'm with Thoraion on this one. It just doesn't feel like Dementlieu (apart from the nonresponvie npc's who're unhelpful - often because the gm's are doing stuff in Barovia again but it actualy contributes to the alienation and feleing left out of the snobbish society).

herkles

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #62 on: August 05, 2010, 03:45:44 PM »
I agree with Thoraion, That dementlieu should not be the high level zone but rather it should be either a medium level area or better yet, outside of levels.  I prefer it being outside of levels. The type of rp in dementlieu can be for any level, not just high levels, sure there are the gangs at night but the main rp of the port a low level could achieve just as much as a high level could achieve.  But at the same time a high level can do it too. There shouldn't be a level requirement in Dementlieu for the rp, as the horror there is physiological.

Dementlieu should be a place where levels don't matter, save for skill checks IMO. You likely will not be fighting any sort of monster in the port as the horrors there are all human, all to human for it is the evils that men do. However, the biggest issues with the Port IMO are as followed. Also about levels, if it is to be a high level area, why is there a little low level area there where you can fight dire rats?

 First it takes a while to get there, since it does take a while to get there, that does distract people from going there. My suggestion having a portal in the OOC area to Dementlieu with a sign in big bold letters saying NOT RECOMMENDED FOR BEGINNERS, or something like that. 

The second issue, is that it is hard to get money there. Plenty of ways to spend money there, but not enough to get money there. My suggestion is to have some minor delivery quests, ie, bringing holy water to the church of ezra, ink to the printing press, similar things. You wouldn't get a lot of money but you should be able to support yourself in the port.

the third issue is lack of people and DMs. yes, this is an issue IMO, but this is harder to solve then the other two issues. My suggestions are simple, one more people should try to apply for the DM team as they do seem to be interested in people becoming DMs who are willing. Also The dms should try doing some shout outs for the place, like heretic's awesome shout outs for barovia.  PCs should not be afraid of doing some events them. Just attempt to do something to create something and likely more people will come there, but no one will go there if people don't try stuff.


k_moustakas

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #63 on: August 06, 2010, 01:46:49 PM »
Actually, the way things are now with the sewers, you can get lots of coin and you don't have to defeat epic level enemies to do so.

My whole difficulty with the port is that I haven't found out yet what's the port equivalent of the outskirts. So I sort of try to stay in one place close to transitions and hope people bump into me :( Somebody enlighten me please.
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DM Tarokka

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #64 on: August 06, 2010, 01:53:44 PM »
My trick as Caterina was being close to the bank...

... my trick as Arden is that of trying not to be noticed...

... and if I still played more Belinda I'd stay in Chez Leon...
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HellsPanda

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #65 on: August 06, 2010, 02:58:42 PM »
there isn't an Outskirts equivilant

Nemien Callishan

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #66 on: August 06, 2010, 04:11:26 PM »
there isn't an Outskirts equivilant

The library and that cafe out in a park see the most activity. Oh, and the cathedral too.

k_moustakas

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #67 on: August 07, 2010, 03:10:38 AM »
Wouldn't it be better if we made one? I'm all for the hotspots topic but sometimes it just gets lonely over there when it shouldn't as there are loads of people wandering around looking for you
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Budly

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #68 on: August 07, 2010, 04:38:55 AM »
No!

Telkar

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #69 on: August 12, 2010, 10:04:35 AM »
After last update, there are still caliban brutes and gangleaders out in the street at night. Didn't feel like engaging them to see if they had been actually toned down, but I thought likely not since they have the same models and names. Correct me if I'm wrong.

EO

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #70 on: August 12, 2010, 10:15:57 AM »
After last update, there are still caliban brutes and gangleaders out in the street at night. Didn't feel like engaging them to see if they had been actually toned down, but I thought likely not since they have the same models and names. Correct me if I'm wrong.

They've been toned down quite a lot. They also use weaker weapons, but they don't look much different visually.

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #71 on: August 12, 2010, 06:31:58 PM »
you toned them down, the day after they permerd my vamp :( stupid gangleaders.. spamming KD... where did they get +1 weapons from anyway?
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Telkar

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #72 on: August 12, 2010, 06:51:46 PM »
you toned them down, the day after they permerd my vamp :( stupid gangleaders.. spamming KD... where did they get +1 weapons from anyway?

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DM Nocturne

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Re: How to die in five seconds or Going to the port at night.
« Reply #73 on: August 14, 2010, 11:44:42 PM »
Damn... why didn't I read this thread before deciding to explore Port-a-Lucine sewers to kill time...

Within a few rounds of entering I was annihilated by Ancient Oozes/Jelly and Greater Wererats hasted.

Anyone not level 15+ or so, BE WARNED.