it probably helps that the biggest thing to being santa claus is cultivating a strong sense of empathy.. which is largely what Brett’s previous character development arcs have been focused on. so this would be a natural progression.
You are correct that it should have applied. And also correct that it wouldn’t have helped, since advantage (guiding bolt) and disadvantage (prone) would have cancelled each other out. Provided both attacks came at the same time (moving out of threatened squares at the same moment), they could have meta-gamed a bit and had Ufgren attack first, therefore gaining the extra roll for advantage. In this case, a lenient DM might ret-con and go back to allow that extra attack roll, especially if they were feeling a bit remorseful at the moment.
If this results in a TPK, as well as what we’ve just seen in making Brett a better man, it might very well help Sam with processing his own Karthun TPK and how he felt.
Brett’s not doing anything wrong. He created a tough challenge for a final battle; is is what players expect. But when the dice gods abandon the players during the big fight, well, TPKs happen.
(And this sort of thing is the best argument for having multiple healers in a group…)
having read and reread this comic, this hit me right in feels. That last panel made me smile and a little tearful. That my friend is good character development. Brian, I salute you.
You’re 100% right!
My group don’t even have a dedicated healer :'(
When I asked if we had one before making a rogue, my friend said “Oh yes, I’ll be the healer this time!”… and he made a freaking Warpriest (those are not good healer… even when built for healing (which he didn’t)).
I’ll make healer for the rest of my life with this group, just because they don’t seem to like taking the role…
Gotta agree with the final part its why I love paladins in 5e, They are god like beings in that game and with alignment restriction gone makes for a wide variety of fun rp they fill all the sub positions they are secondary tank, dps, healer, buffs the one weakness is range. but nonetheless definitely need someone capable of atleast an emergency healing word. (I personally love playing ancients dwarven paladin one of the tenants can be construed as bringing joy so I go around paying bar tabs and starting drinking parties in every town)
IDK why everybody’s excusing the DM. He put a bunch of low AC, squishy players against an arcane tank w/ 4 attacks per round. Even if they were scoring hits this looks like an easy TPK.
I’d have to go back and remember Brett’s character as a player, but from what I recall from the start, wasn’t he a big powergamer? If so, he may feel that ‘Hey. I could handle this so the players should have no problem’. But I’d have to re-read to make sure I’m not being mistaken. The other option that jumps out at me as to how this combat would work is if it is some sort of a ‘puzzle approach’ that the players may have missed. Given that Brett hasn’t been hinting towards the ‘glowing weak spot’ like a video game would, it would then make the leap towards the puzzle solution be outside the player’s grasp so I kinda doubt it.
It doesn’t look good for the PCs, but only one character is unconscious/dying at the moment. Depending on what one-shot magic items they have and the tactics they use, this fight could be far from a TPK.
With that said, one of the things I have really noticed with 5e is how hard it is to get encounter balance really right given what you are trying to achieve. It is easy to try to design a deadly encounter worthy of a boss fight and either have it go way too easy or have it turn out to be complete overkill.
With all that said, this has been an awesome story arc! Keep up the great work, Brian.
And always a problem in games where chance (gambling) is a factor – not only is Brett playing the intelligent monster well, the dice are running entirely in its favour and not in the partys’.
For those of you who have been critical of Brett as too harsh a DM I wanna point out there are many flavors of gm. Yes this is a hard encounter but honestly one I would have run. It hits hard and is tanky but it is now dragon flying out of reach, no displaced beast covered in adamantine armor… It is very doable but the dice have been showing then no quarter.
Now some of you might prefer easier encounters and more story driven rp sessions and that rocks but from the beginning this comic has been about players who wade into tough encounters and gms who while they do not try to murder the party (except for that one time Sam had a nervous breakdown but that was a cry for help) they let the dice roll as they may. That is how they roll and he has been very on brand for them. Keep that in mind. Notice how no one is upset, no one deems this unfair. They grumble but not with feeling. I find Brett a brillent gm and if this is an inkling of how Brian Dms… I would love to play at a table he run… Though I would bring a spare character sheet.
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Oh damn. Epiphanies behind the screen…
Yup – and many of us that GM do so primarily for our friends.
Brett’s growth in this arc has been absolutely amazing – fine work as always Brian
it probably helps that the biggest thing to being santa claus is cultivating a strong sense of empathy.. which is largely what Brett’s previous character development arcs have been focused on. so this would be a natural progression.
Does the advantage granted by Guiding Bolt not apply to Attacks of Opportunity?
Not that it would have helped Jeanie, of course, but more as a matter of curiosity, since I’m not that familiar with 5th Edition.
It would have. Looks like I have a flub in my script. Let me fix that.
You are correct that it should have applied. And also correct that it wouldn’t have helped, since advantage (guiding bolt) and disadvantage (prone) would have cancelled each other out. Provided both attacks came at the same time (moving out of threatened squares at the same moment), they could have meta-gamed a bit and had Ufgren attack first, therefore gaining the extra roll for advantage. In this case, a lenient DM might ret-con and go back to allow that extra attack roll, especially if they were feeling a bit remorseful at the moment.
ehhh…Brett made an error…first time behind the screen…worrying about wiping the party….very real and reasonable.
If this results in a TPK, as well as what we’ve just seen in making Brett a better man, it might very well help Sam with processing his own Karthun TPK and how he felt.
Interesting to see how that plays out, Brian 🙂
God damn it.
Brett’s not doing anything wrong. He created a tough challenge for a final battle; is is what players expect. But when the dice gods abandon the players during the big fight, well, TPKs happen.
(And this sort of thing is the best argument for having multiple healers in a group…)
having read and reread this comic, this hit me right in feels. That last panel made me smile and a little tearful. That my friend is good character development. Brian, I salute you.
You’re 100% right!
My group don’t even have a dedicated healer :'(
When I asked if we had one before making a rogue, my friend said “Oh yes, I’ll be the healer this time!”… and he made a freaking Warpriest (those are not good healer… even when built for healing (which he didn’t)).
I’ll make healer for the rest of my life with this group, just because they don’t seem to like taking the role…
Gotta agree with the final part its why I love paladins in 5e, They are god like beings in that game and with alignment restriction gone makes for a wide variety of fun rp they fill all the sub positions they are secondary tank, dps, healer, buffs the one weakness is range. but nonetheless definitely need someone capable of atleast an emergency healing word. (I personally love playing ancients dwarven paladin one of the tenants can be construed as bringing joy so I go around paying bar tabs and starting drinking parties in every town)
I am soooo feeling this session.
All the feels. We’ve all been there Bret. Its such a tear jerking moment of realization on his long journey.
Jeez, these dice rolls are brutal. Hopefully Gul’ren can pull something out of his hat to turn this around.
Brett has leveled up as a player.
He has gained the skill “empathy for the gm”
IDK why everybody’s excusing the DM. He put a bunch of low AC, squishy players against an arcane tank w/ 4 attacks per round. Even if they were scoring hits this looks like an easy TPK.
I’d have to go back and remember Brett’s character as a player, but from what I recall from the start, wasn’t he a big powergamer? If so, he may feel that ‘Hey. I could handle this so the players should have no problem’. But I’d have to re-read to make sure I’m not being mistaken. The other option that jumps out at me as to how this combat would work is if it is some sort of a ‘puzzle approach’ that the players may have missed. Given that Brett hasn’t been hinting towards the ‘glowing weak spot’ like a video game would, it would then make the leap towards the puzzle solution be outside the player’s grasp so I kinda doubt it.
I’m still hoping victory will be grabbed from the jaws of defeat…
It doesn’t look good for the PCs, but only one character is unconscious/dying at the moment. Depending on what one-shot magic items they have and the tactics they use, this fight could be far from a TPK.
With that said, one of the things I have really noticed with 5e is how hard it is to get encounter balance really right given what you are trying to achieve. It is easy to try to design a deadly encounter worthy of a boss fight and either have it go way too easy or have it turn out to be complete overkill.
With all that said, this has been an awesome story arc! Keep up the great work, Brian.
And always a problem in games where chance (gambling) is a factor – not only is Brett playing the intelligent monster well, the dice are running entirely in its favour and not in the partys’.
For those of you who have been critical of Brett as too harsh a DM I wanna point out there are many flavors of gm. Yes this is a hard encounter but honestly one I would have run. It hits hard and is tanky but it is now dragon flying out of reach, no displaced beast covered in adamantine armor… It is very doable but the dice have been showing then no quarter.
Now some of you might prefer easier encounters and more story driven rp sessions and that rocks but from the beginning this comic has been about players who wade into tough encounters and gms who while they do not try to murder the party (except for that one time Sam had a nervous breakdown but that was a cry for help) they let the dice roll as they may. That is how they roll and he has been very on brand for them. Keep that in mind. Notice how no one is upset, no one deems this unfair. They grumble but not with feeling. I find Brett a brillent gm and if this is an inkling of how Brian Dms… I would love to play at a table he run… Though I would bring a spare character sheet.
Life ain’t so easy behind the screen, is it?