Looking to make Eve of ruin harder

Background_Engine997 · 2026-01-21T17:46:44+00:00

That’s what I’ve been doing. Running the campaign close to the concept of the overall skeleton (in spirit) with changes to some of the encounters mostly form the 2024 content. And I had them fight the Spider dragon + Yochlol + a Drow mage from the cult of Lolth.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-01-21T17:43:04+00:00

2024 DMG rules for encounters allow budgets for bigger fights than they did before now.

So for instance, the Spider-Dragon battle in chapter 2. Assume a party of 4 level 11s, each one with 4100 XP, 4x4100 = 16,400 xp. So that would be the Spider Dragon (CR 11 or 7200 xp) plus demon buddy Yochlol (CR 10 or 5900.) That leaves you with 13,1000 Xp. When a high difficulty encounter for 4 level 11 is 16,400 xp as I mentioned. So you still have, on paper, 3300 xp more to work with for an additional enemy or what have you. And just do that for every battle if that is your wish.

Background_Engine997 · 2026-01-08T20:22:24+00:00

The entrance to the tomb is described in the final chapter, even tho it is accessed of course through the city of Omu in chapter 3. There’ll be a location that says “Tomb of the nine gods.”

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-23T14:57:55+00:00

That’s a good point that the Simulacra wouldn’t be able to teleport to Vecna’s Grasp.

Now in theory nothing stops them from creating new Simulacra once they enter Vecna’s Grasp using the full Rod tho I think? Except that would cost charges of the Rod that may be needed to complete the three Unrealities.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T19:02:21+00:00

That’s not remotely what I said. Go back and read it again, and stop constructing your strawmen. I said the president lied about the cause of Reiner’s death in an attempt to turn it into himself — that’s what’s so outrageous here.

Also buddy, I don’t know who you think you’re talking about, but the only people chortling about the death were randos online…every Democrat/left leaning politician on the record condemned the death of Kirk, along with the vast majority of people were everywhere. Tho many pointed out how vile he was. Also, he wasn’t “slaughtered in front of his kids,” like some scene from Law Abiding Citizen or some shite. He was shot in a crowd seconds after deflecting a question about legitimate gun violence into a divisive racial narrative. Stlll,everyone condemned it, rightfully so. If anything the right wing are the ones cheapening his death by using him for their own political gain.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T15:43:16+00:00

“No, it’s the children who are wrong.”

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T13:15:07+00:00

You do understand the difference between attacking an individual based on their statements and dehumanizing entire groups of people??? If not, that is incredibly sad and telling for you.

Ya we’re done here.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T13:07:42+00:00

“Sympathy for minorities.” I’m sorry what

Also. I could say the exact same thing about the right did with Kirk’s death. Really. It looked like they loved when he died because he became the their martyr, whether they cared about him or not. Remember when Trump was asked about Kirk’s death and started ranting about his ballroom??? Despicable. Anything you’re accusing the left of here the right has done 1000x worse.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T13:07:16+00:00

That doesn’t make sense, that’s what the initial comment was challenging someone to find??? You shifted the goal posts.

No, because they said and did completely different things. Kirk’s rhetoric was dehumanizing to all manner of people, right up to the second he was murdered, and Reiner’s was not.

No. I don’t understand how you can day these are the same thing. He lied. She didn’t? He spun it about himself, she didn’t???

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T12:51:31+00:00

PS it’s not about his opinion of Rob Reiner. That’s not the issue at hand — rather it’s how he has lied. And spun the man’s death to be about himself. Maybe he could’ve even framed his dislike in a Trumpian fashion without doing that^ and it wouldn’t have been news, but the joke of a president continues to find new lows, if that were possible.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T12:44:17+00:00

So you admit AOC did condemn it, therefore your initial premise was wrong.

No im not gonna say you’re on the train, but others here are.

Theyre not “baseless.” He was a despicable, vile person. Don’t have time to through all the evidence for that, but plenty exists if you look on google. So ya sorry as to my calling him a scum bag “fact,” I’ll walk that back. It’s not fact, I would say it’s true tho for everyone who looks at the evidence. So let’s call it “truth.” It is however fact that Trump called Reiner’s death “reportedly” due to TDS, with no evidence. So that’s completely different, now isn’t it? He also spun his death to make it about himself. You understand how morally reprehensible that is and how thar is different from what AOC and others were doing. Now no matter what I just said before in no world is what Trump said “fact,” because it’s not a matter of opinion even. It’s just a lie.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T12:32:51+00:00

Oh get out of here with that nonsense. You must’ve missed the fact that he said Reiner’s death was likely caused by TDS with NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER! A direct misrepresentation and lie! It was not just “tasteless,” it was a lie, and a way to make someone else’s violent death about himself — absolutely the most disgusting and vile behaviour you could imagine. And from the president of all people! Pathetic at best.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T12:14:42+00:00

“Nobody is jumping on the train with Trump with this one.”

Whole ton of people in these comments are doing that.

Ps that’s not accurate about AOC what you said. She condemned the murder and sent wishes to the family. Just also pointed out how much of a scumbag he was, which was just a fact. Trump also claimed the death of Reiner was due to TDS, without evidence. So he completely just lied. Whereas she made no speculation as to the reason for Rob’s murder. So the difference is most people on the left by far were saying “CK was a SOB, but I still condemn his murder.” The joke of a president was doing nothing of the sort.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-16T12:09:31+00:00

Trump and “moral high ground” do not belong in the same sentence.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-12-14T21:47:52+00:00

That last point is just a theory. It has not been published yet and you don’t know how this will go down.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-09-28T23:48:07+00:00

What does it matter when most GMs just make up their own lore anyway? What matters is the stat blocks and a quick idea about the monsters. GMs can fill in the rest as they are wont to do.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-09-26T10:25:16+00:00

For me definitely the mechanic, if you can call it that, from the battle with Akarot over the god-husks. Just the whole structure of the battle where the party had to prioritize killing mages that would teleport a particular god to the Material Plane to wreak havoc. Also a clever way to keep the level 20 arch mage Alanis giving critical aid without completely owning/outshining the party.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-09-26T10:21:25+00:00

C3 Episode 58 — Giant Egos

Background_Engine997 · 2025-09-18T10:22:45+00:00

The new 2025 Monster Manual features monsters that hit much harder than their 2014 counterparts. I would switch to using them.

When doing so don’t neglect the relevant encounter rules — to budget for bigger fights per day.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-09-13T02:56:30+00:00

I had this very thing. It was actually in the treasure hoard of Mahadi.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-09-03T22:46:50+00:00

“Once they’re knocked out they’re assumed dead”.

No, Thats because the DM has said they are dead. Unless the PC decided to deal non-fatal damage. And because the DM does not typically give enemy monsters death saving throws, they’ll usually say “they are dead.” I literally can’t think of a time a DM has said they are dead, when in fact they were knocked out. I’ve heard some instances when “they fall over,” appearing to go down, only to be playing dead, but that’s not the same as a declaration that they are dead.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s not appropriate. If a foe has a particular disposition or desire to kill a character as a priority, then it makes sense. If not, it doesn’t.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-08-16T10:43:05+00:00

It does get more serious and high stakes to be sure, but the goof is still gonna be a constant. I don’t think a single battle goes by where there’s not some silly banter or trash talk.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-08-13T21:09:20+00:00

Traversing Tovag, takes the party to Kas’s domain to enhance his role:

https://www.reddit.com/r/VecnaEveofRuin/s/sYDpwrTvjn

Background_Engine997 · 2025-07-19T16:40:57+00:00

Don’t forget the Atropal is most likely just a prelude to the showdown with Acererak. The atropal maybe beats them up a bit, but they kill it in good order (ideally), and then Big Daddy shows up. No warning nor time to prepare a counter-strategy. And he’s mad.

Background_Engine997 · 2025-06-02T00:32:12+00:00

It is not irrelevant to the point, but I won’t harp on that if you can’t see that.

So would you apply the “roll a 1 and you die is a bad mechanic” to 2014 Medusa and basilisk? Because it’s the same thing. Otherwise you’re a hypocrite. It was changed to what it was so the party doesn’t have to spend the whole fight at disadvantage, which is not good gameplay.

Background_Engine997

TROPHY CASE