The Underdark: Attn atcDave
FredN
Member Posts: 494
OK, this post is specifically for you, Dave. Concerning the Underdark, you said:
>"No doubt that's a difference in play styles. I hate all that stuff, I can't wait to escape the place!"<
.....This place is killer! It's actually a challenge. I am having to use both strategy and tactics just to survive.
I tried using my usual technique of resting after every combat, only to find that almost everywhere, doing this resulted in a constant stream of enemies intent on interrupting our rest. After 3 such attempts, I realized I was pissing into the wind. Better to just to press on in search of a safe haven. Then we ran into a large Drow war party, who immediately attacked.
.....What followed was a classic fighting withdrawal. We left a bunch of summoned critters in our wake to delay the pursuit, while sniping away with ranged weapons at any pursuers who became visible. I also had Hexxat run back along our likely path of retreat and drop some traps, while Edwin placed a delayed blast fireball and a skull trap. We finally killed them all, but not before one of them caught Jaheira with a Domination spell. We had to hit her with a malison, hold person and then a remove magic spell to stop that particular nonsense. Whew!
.....If I recall, there's a Sverfneblin village in the NW corner of the map where we can safely rest, but we aren't out of the woods yet. I suspect we will encounter more enemies before we finally make it there to (relative) safety. Quite exhilerating, actually.
>"No doubt that's a difference in play styles. I hate all that stuff, I can't wait to escape the place!"<
.....This place is killer! It's actually a challenge. I am having to use both strategy and tactics just to survive.
I tried using my usual technique of resting after every combat, only to find that almost everywhere, doing this resulted in a constant stream of enemies intent on interrupting our rest. After 3 such attempts, I realized I was pissing into the wind. Better to just to press on in search of a safe haven. Then we ran into a large Drow war party, who immediately attacked.
.....What followed was a classic fighting withdrawal. We left a bunch of summoned critters in our wake to delay the pursuit, while sniping away with ranged weapons at any pursuers who became visible. I also had Hexxat run back along our likely path of retreat and drop some traps, while Edwin placed a delayed blast fireball and a skull trap. We finally killed them all, but not before one of them caught Jaheira with a Domination spell. We had to hit her with a malison, hold person and then a remove magic spell to stop that particular nonsense. Whew!
.....If I recall, there's a Sverfneblin village in the NW corner of the map where we can safely rest, but we aren't out of the woods yet. I suspect we will encounter more enemies before we finally make it there to (relative) safety. Quite exhilerating, actually.
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I'd also mention, as an old school AD&D guy, Summon spells are an evil only sort of thing, so I never use those. I'm a little fuzzy on the ethics of things like Druids summoning animals? That might be okiedokie. But the 2E Player's Handbook says pretty clearly that summoned creatures resent the summoning. And of course, summoning undead is innately evil. So I do all fighting myself.
But no doubt, it is epic fun when a fight sprawls out of control. I love those moments when you have to get creative to escape a tight jam. My single class cleric is of course a healer, a buffer and a slinger. Every now and then she'll shake things up with a Turn Undead (goodbye mister lich...) But it makes me laugh when she's force to melee, the rear rank's warrior! She has Gauntlets of Ogre Power now so she can actually be pretty effective, but that's a recent development.
Umm, what part of "My crew is evil as Hell" did you not understand?
Looking at us, Orcus himself would be appalled.
Besides, I'd rather do the fighting myself. I want them know *who* upended their plans.
Ah, so you want to get up close and personal. To extreminate the foe with extreme prejuidice. To get your weapons, clothes and hands all covered with their blood. To revel in their screams of agony. I understnd perfectly; my guys would feel the same way. Umm, hang on, you sure you aren't evil? Methinks thou doth protest too much.
OK let me rephrase that. I can go back to posts from years ago, but I don't know what year the posts you read were written. 2017? 2016? No clue.