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D&D 4e: Need opinons on making a difficult skill challenge/battle/puzzle encounter

SipexSipex Registered User regular
edited September 2010 in Critical Failures
Okay, I have the end of a chapter for my campaign coming up and I'm planning a big, intricate encounter (I'll even be practicing it). I want to make sure it's not too easy and that the players have a very real chance of losing. Losing != death unless they stick around to die of course. I also need it to be somewhat feasible so a competent team could just pull it off. I need opinions.

The party is currently level 9 and I know of 4 characters which will definitely be attending and base on confirmations from other players I could have anywhere from six to seven characters (as the one player with two may play her two characters if the two unknowns don't show up). They are reasonably optimised and a bit overpowered due to personal magic items 1/2 the party has (each character gets a personal, upgradable magic item that fits their story as the game goes on) and the fact that I thought rolling for ability scores was a good idea at the start of the game.

Definite:
Dwarf Cleric (Debuffer/Healer) - Me, so don't expect advanced tactics from him, just support
Elf Ranger (Archery)
Wizard (Illusionist)
Wizard (Blaster)
Warlock (Infernal) OR Wizard (Blaster)

Unknown:
Rogue (High damage)
Warrior (Kind of meh) OR Rogue (Also kind of meh)

My current encounter is this:

1x Level 11 Elite Ranger (Only if the High Damage Rogue shows up and wants to duel him. Or if one of the other players really really pisses him off)
1x Level 10 Elite Soldier/Brute kind of thing. Focuses on blocking the players, knocking them down, throwing them around. Can absorb grappled player surges to execute high end attacks.
8x Level 9 Minions. Can tackle players (knock prone) as part of a charge action.
4x Level 10 Artillery. Stays mostly put and fires at the players. Has an encounter blast attack to punish any player who gets close.
4x Level 10 Soldier. Focuses on getting in the way and marking players. Marked players are subject to some sort of movement impeding attack if they don't attack the soldier.

Notes:
- All enemies have had their HP reduced by 30% and their damage increased by 30% since I'm using the DMG1 and the MM1 to build them

In addition the players have 10 full rounds to make it 40 squares down a hall (which is filled with physical barriers and the enemies above) to make it to a contraption and disarm it. If the contraption isn't disarmed in time they lose the encounter.

The hall is subject to attacks at the end of every round. The attacks are as follows:
- Increasingly difficult Balance checks at the end of every round for PCs and monsters alike. Starting at 10 and rising to 25.
- The hall 'splits' in three different spots causing a 1 square wide gap which will need to be leaped. Each spot happens at the end of a different round.
- Three seperate 2x2 pitfalls open up at the end of seperate rounds.
- The ceiling caves in, first at 5 random burst 1 spots for 2d8 damage. Then 3 random burst 2 spots (same damage). Then 3 random burst 3 spots (same damage).

When the players get to the contraption they have to destroy it (200HP) or disarm it using a colour puzzle detailed below in code. Up to two players may work together on it per round. They get 30 seconds to work on it before their turn is up.
Instructions:
1) Clear each circuit panel by pressing the darkened buttons until the appropriate colour shows up.  (you can only use the X'd squares.  The only colours available should already be shown for each seperate panel.)
2) Press the red button once all panels are cleared
3) All four Lock lights should turn green once red button is pressed.  One light for each properly cleared panel.

Panel 1:
X[COLOR="Blue"]B[/COLOR]
X[COLOR="Red"]R[/COLOR]

Panel 2:
XXX
[COLOR="Green"]G[/COLOR][COLOR="Blue"]B[/COLOR][COLOR="Red"]R[/COLOR]
XXX

Panel 3:
XXXX
X[COLOR="Green"]G[/COLOR][COLOR="Blue"]B[/COLOR]X
X[COLOR="Red"]R[/COLOR][COLOR="Purple"]P[/COLOR]X
XXXX

Panel 4:
XXXXX
X[COLOR="Green"]G[/COLOR]X[COLOR="Blue"]B[/COLOR]X
XX[COLOR="Red"]R[/COLOR]XX
X[COLOR="Orange"]O[/COLOR]X[COLOR="purple"]P[/COLOR]X
XXXXX

edit: There are also 4 lights which I will colour whenever a player hits the 'red button'.  Lights will be coloured if they have the right solution for the corresponding panel.

Solution:
Each panel has to be cleared so all horizontal and vertical rows don't have duplicate colours in them. The colours shown at first are the only colours available. So...for instance, the solution to panel 2 is
[COLOR="Blue"]B[/COLOR][COLOR="Red"]R[/COLOR][COLOR="Green"]G[/COLOR]
[COLOR="Green"]G[/COLOR][COLOR="Blue"]B[/COLOR][COLOR="Red"]R[/COLOR]
[COLOR="red"]R[/COLOR][COLOR="Green"]G[/COLOR][COLOR="blue"]B[/COLOR]

Is it too hard? Too easy?

Sipex on

Posts

  • PatrynPatryn Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    I haven't played quite enough D&D to comment on if it's too hard or easy.

    What I will say is that it sounds awesome.

    Patryn on
  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Thanks! How was the puzzle at least? Could you figure it out without reading the spoiler?

    Sipex on
  • Fondor_YardsFondor_Yards Elite Four Member: Hydra Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    At least to me, the instructions didn't seem that clear to me.
    Since you need to have each row and column doesn't have a single color more than once, but the instructions don't really mention that. They just say to play with the X's till you get the 'appropriate colour,' is this on purpose so it takes them a little longer to figure it out? Overall it doesn't seem too hard*by itself, in combination with a shaking hallway and people trying to kill them+the time limit it should be good*, even if you don't get the rules at first, just through trial and error your players can probably figure out the first set, and get the rest from there. For an extra challenge you could always make the whole thing reset if they fail at clearing one of the circuit panels, either cause they ran out of time on their turn or made a mistake.

    Fondor_Yards on
    Secrets, lies, and tragedy. The trifecta.
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  • CptHamiltonCptHamilton Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    Obviously there are a lot of factors at play here which we, anonymous forum-goers, will know know the specifics of, but 10 rounds may not be enough. Provided that the PCs know what they need to do it's going to take them at least 4 rounds to book it straight down the corridor, assuming that none of the traps or badguys holds them up. I'm not sure how you plan to adjudicate puzzle solving time in terms of rounds, but if it takes them one round to solve one panel that's only a 2-round buffer. I don't know if 4E discarded the old "one round = 6 seconds" rule, but if not then they will have 36 seconds to solve the 4 panels after running down the corridor.

    Possibly you could give them a limited time to get down the corridor and through a locked/trapped door, then put the puzzle on the other side of the door while badguys attempt to get in after them (on a longer time limit).

    EDIT: Oh, also, and I don't know if this is intentional, but your puzzle has non-unique solutions. There's only one way to solve the first panel, but two for the second and I think 5 for the third.

    CptHamilton on
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  • SipexSipex Registered User regular
    edited September 2010
    The puzzle will be allowed to be solved using a 30 second timer per round used in attempt to solve it. And yes, it is meant to be trial and error for the most part, I just wanted to make sure that it didn't feel too obscure.

    The 30 seconds allows for thinking time, a bit of arguement time (if two people are working together) and writing back and forth.

    Again, I'm perfectly fine with my party losing this encounter, it'll steer the story a different way and they haven't really felt challenged up until now. I just want to make sure it can actually be beat with the proper luck/teamwork/circumstances. If it's down to the wire, I'm fine with that.

    Also, the puzzle can have non-unique solutions, I'm fine with that.

    Sounds like the encounter is currently bordering on 'Extremely Tough' without reaching 'Impossible'.

    Also, I've confirmed that we will have a party of 7.

    Sipex on
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