SESSION TWO
Previous Article…Campaign Chronicles #5 – Session One and More Details
In this second session I want my players to learn a bit more about fighting and how to develop basic tactics.
I do not pretend they start thinking about middle and long-term strategy, their knowledge about the rules and the builds is not enough.
This session lasted a bit less than two hours and I had to remind both players about spells effects.
As I anticipated in the previous article I prepared an encounter with three gnolls that attempt to ambush them during the night, assuming they want to travel during daytime.
Don’t forget the caravan master they met in the previous session warned them about the possible presence of more gnoll along the road.
I explain the players that gnolls are creature that act like night predators and probably the one they previously met was just a scout. I don’t have them to roll any skill check to retrieve such information, it would be pointless.
My assumption about them travelling during daytime was wrong, because Maeve the drow suggests to travel during the night to take advantage of her excellent darkvision.
Well, I’m glad to see that they start to understand what kind of resource their characters possess.
So, after a very short briefing both players agree to rest during the morning and travel during the night.
As you can guess the decision they make is a wise one, because the gnolls were waiting for anyone crossing the road weak enough to be assaulted.
After few hours of travel I decide to trigger the encounter.
Three gnoll will attempt to assault the characters at the best of their possibilities.
I take into account that their scout was killed thus the gnolls don’t know who they are going to deal with, but they know that they are going to assault at least two persons.
Two and not three, because Kirk the orc is resting inside the wheeled chart and thus is out of sight.
In the eyes of the gnolls this is an easy target composed by two humans.
Maeve the drow ask me something more about her darkvision, because she wants to employ a lantern to illuminate the road in front of her while handling the donkeys.
I explain that if she employs the lantern her darkvision won’t work in the arc of vision in front of her, however it will work normally at her left and right sides.
She seems satisfied with the explanation and decides to light the lantern up while Alegra the tiefling will be driving the chart.
The basic tactis they want to employ is to take advantage of the drow superior darkvision, while having the gnolls thinking they are assaulting humans and not someone who possess darkvision.
While the tielfing will be driving the chart, the drow will be observing the sorroundings to spot any possible threat, and the orc will stay hidden to act with surprise.
Well, this is a tactic in my opinion, not a sofisticated one, but it’s an interesting attempt.
So, I take this explanation into account while I’m thinking about the gnoll’s tactic, which will look like a wolf pack tactic against an unaware target.
In other words, the gnolls will act as they usually do, thinking they are dealing with an easy target.
So, let’s proceed with the encounter!
I have Maeve the drow spots two gnolls, one on the left and one on the right side of the road.
She can see them quite clearly while they are walking hidden within some bushes – don’t forget the environment is composed of low and barren hills, so trees are uncommon and bushes sprout everywhere.
Maeve the drow warns Alegra the tiefling and the orc.
So, the gnolls don’t know they have been spotted, and have no reason to think they are about to be attacked, that’s why they are at a distance of 60 feet – drows darkvision has 120 feet range.
I decide to grant to the characters the surprise round against the gnolls, it sounds consistent and fair.
Alegra the tiefling casts chill touch (120 feet range) and hit the gnoll that is placed on the right side of the road.
Maeve the drow, who had previously readied the spear, take a move action toward the same gnoll and throw the spear. The attack misses the blank.
Kirk the orc springs out of the chart and draws the weapon.
The suprise is over and now we can roll for initiative.
Maeve the drow, Alegra the tiefling, Gnolls, Kirk the orc.
In this round of combat I realize some problems are still presents. The players don’t want to understand they can employ spells!
I suggest the drow to employ poison spray because the gnoll – already wounded – is within range. However she insists to employ her sword and attack in melee…the attack misses.
The same happens with Alegra. Even if chill touch worked, she decides she wants the rip the gnoll with her battleaxe. Fine…I do not insist and I explain she can charge her opponent to increase the chance of hitting.
Now, I know that in 5th edition the charge full action is not contemplated, however I don’t really care and I apply the rule as it is.
I grant the Alegra the tiefling a +2 on her attack roll. The attack is successful but the gnoll is not dead yet.
Now it’s the time for the gnoll to act. As I said there are three gnolls around and the characters have spotted only two of them and have focused on the gnoll on their right side.
This gnoll attack the tiefling and miss, which is a good thing…
The other gnoll, the one on the left side, ponder the situation and decide to round the wheeled chart passing from behind and trying to flank both the drow and the tiefling, avoiding a direct fight against the orc at the same time.
The third orc appear in front of the chart and head rush against the donkeys.
Kirk the orc has to make a decision. Intercept the the gnoll rounding the chart and avoid having him flanking the drow and the tiefling, or prevent the other gnoll from killing the donkeys.
I have the orc saving the donkeys, so he charges the approaching gnoll.
Now, the rest of the combat is very messy.
The drow and the tiefling manage to overcome the first gnoll, who was already wounded, and are almost killed by the second that attacked them them on their flank.
The combat between the orc and the gnoll was made of many missed attack rolls where the orc was about to lose. Only the intervention of the drow and the tiefling saved his life.
Indeed the drow decided to drink an potion of alter self to take the appearance of a gnoll and attacking by surprise – thus with advantage – the gnoll fighting against Kirk the orc. A good and expensive idea, however it worked.
Thoughts about this encounter and session.
Well, it’s not the first time that I see newbie players employing melee tactics even when they have spells available, and this happened even this time.
Both the players employed their melee weapons more than their spells to fight the gnolls, even when their lives were in danger.
Once the session ended we spent some time discussing this detail, I wanted to know why they employed weapons and not spells.
The answer they gave me is something related to how the combat is “perceived”.
It seems it’s more satisfying imagining their characters slashing with something “material” like a sword or a battleaxe. While spells don’t have the same flavour.
It’s an interesting answer and I obviously take note of this.
Both players eventually tell me they prefer to be fighters other than spellcasters, or witches in such specific case.
So I have to think about how to manage multi-classing in 5th edition. A pain in the ass.
Next Article…Campaign Chronicles #7 – Session Three and Four