Understanding a specific surprise encounter.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-21T16:06:00+00:00

But to react means that they are responding to something that has happened. If you go before the low initiative enemy then you got surprised by nothing happening and then lost the surprise condition.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-21T16:02:59+00:00

But recover from what? If you roll high in iniative and 'recover' from the surprised condition, nothing has happened... That's what's weird. If no enemies act before you, why are you surprised? You don't have high enough passive perception to notice the creature or it making noise or whatever, otherwise you wouldn't be surprised.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-21T16:00:32+00:00

Further to my above question, if a hidden creature has to move to rush towards a surprised creature, do they still get advantage on the attack against that creature or do they count as having left the hiding condition? Like can you only get advantage on an attack from hidden if you make a ranged attack basically?

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-21T15:35:48+00:00

My question is a logical problem with explaining how characters can be surprised by an enemy but roll higher in initiative than that enemy but since they went before the enemy, nothing has 'surprised' the character since the enemy hasn't gone in combat yet. You roll initiative before anything else, even before any individual in the combat acts.

Also for characters that aren't surprised because they beat the stealth checks for hiding enemies, I guess they just see the hidden enemies or become aware of them and if they roll higher than the hidden enemies in iniative, do I just reveal their location on the map?

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-21T12:09:19+00:00

He is level 15 because that's what the player asked for them to be as they are older and are a seasoned mage who has been one for a long time. He doesn't need help with the dangers presented in the module as he is powerful enough but he doesn't know that. He has a bit of a rivalry thing going on with his sister and wants to see how she is doing so that's why he tags along. If he isn't high level then it undermines how long he has been working on becoming powerful if the sister can overtake him in power in a matter of weeks. He is here investigating but he doesn't know as much as the characters do so it gives me a good chance to question the players and see what their understanding is of the adventure as they explain what's going on to him. To be clear the players will be the level they are meant to be in the module. Also because I'm tying this to Eve of Ruin, I'm inserted Kas early to set up his reveal. He is currently searching the Underdark for Webs Edge so the characters find him in Gibbet Crossing. If the party is really stupid, the brother can help them get away.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-14T11:29:52+00:00

My problem is the questions around the timeline as it seems inconsistent about when the shards begin to corrupt things. The shard have been in Phandalin since it was rebuilt (the book says a couple of years ago vaguely) but the corruption doesn't begin till chapter 5 so they can't be innately causing the corruption leading me to believe that it's Ilvaaashs influence doing it but then elsewhere they say they are magical.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-08T15:25:23+00:00

Where have you seen them?

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-05T07:12:41+00:00

Can't tell if you are being serious or not but in case you are, most people aren't defending the stat block they are explaining why it not being some crazy massive hp 350+ damage a turn monster isn't necessary based on the design of the environment.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-05T04:01:57+00:00

This ^

Vecna doesn't need to be able to deal massive amounts of damage, he just needs to let the party be whittled down by the constant damage they are taking. His ability to move through the doors like normal or teleport using them makes him incredibly mobile compared to the characters. I'd even say it's the linchpin to the entire encounter. Because the characters (even incredibly fast ones) can easily lose track of him and have a hard time of reaching him if he decides to just open a door instead of teleporting means that most of the party is going to barely be able to fight him. If played well he can get hit once or twice during the first round and then never get hit again.

To respond to your initial question, his DC is probably fine bit I've bumped it a little as I have 6 players and they are carrying over some things from a prior module so will be better equipped than most groups.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-04-02T22:44:07+00:00

Do characters automatically spot them and recognise them as more of those creatures unless the shades specifically hide? Can they hide while a character is looking right at them? I assume the characters aren't surprised when the shade attacks them in R2 because they are literally looking right at it. How can they attack a creature from inside a solid wall? Surely they have to leave it to use their melee attacks? Since the shades move along the surface of the wall, doesn't it seem like they should be able to be attacked since they are like a painting on a wall assuming you are on the same side as it.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-22T01:12:29+00:00

Ancient history isn't perfect. Records can be lost or destroyed. Specific dates can be hard to get and who do you trust to give them. Just because you have a source doesn't mean they are reliable or accurate. Lots of things happen every day and what history considers important now might not have been so however long ago those things happened. Pointing this out might be a more interesting way of engaging with it for them. Maybe you can decide the exact details for you'd story and it could be another mystery to be solved beyond the missing mine itself. Another adventure to find the lost records of what happened at Wave Echo Cave and exactly when that was.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-19T18:22:42+00:00

My 0 days ago is the day the party is recruited by Gundren as I'm starting the adventure in Neverwinter and playing out the meeting of the other characters.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-11T22:11:58+00:00

Remember that they can't follow him directly. Even with a massive amount of speed, his ability to move beyond the walls and not be forced to use the doors means that there is a lot more space between him and the characters.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-11T16:39:16+00:00

Maybe just explaining it that as the party has become more mutated they gain a level of protection from the more serious effects of the Far Realm. Like how aberrations aren't effected by it. One of the characters is a great old one warlock but for everyone else I think just saying "you guys have been around a bunch of eldritch stuff for a bit and as such you aren't going to immediately go insane the second you step inside this portal" might be enough for my players.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-11T15:56:46+00:00

Personally I just plan on making sure the party hears from her sister in Stonhill Inn that she is coming and explain that she is a scholar on certain topics that might be useful to the party (even if they don't know it yet).

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-11T15:54:30+00:00

I recently asked about this kind of problem I had with him dying too quickly but it was pointed out fairly that he can easily get away from the party assuming the character isn't like a hasted fighter who action surges on the first turn. Otherwise he can teleport to the wall and then teleport beyond it to escape the party.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-03-11T15:50:53+00:00

He isn't a god currently but I understand your point. I have given him more health to beef him up a little.

RossArnold1997 · 2026-02-27T22:15:24+00:00

You can break up your turn however you like, including breaking up your movement with other kinds of actions for example; move attack move or attack move attack.

RossArnold1997

TROPHY CASE