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Field report for D&D Encounters: Council of Spiders (Week 4) now available at Dungeon's Master.com.

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I ran the encounter twice, once for a level 5 party, once for a level 2 party. Both did very well. The ongoing damage really stacked up for a lot of the PCs who just couldn't make their saving throws. No PC deaths, but a few close calls. This was probably my favourite encounter of the season so far.

Was I the only one who found the Senior Drow Wizards' basic melee attack really powerful for a level 3 Artillery? And was the Sentry supposed to mark with his basic attack? If not the Triggered Attack seemed really powerful.

• Players create 1st-level characters and progress to 8th level as they work to thwart Lolth’s plans and beat back her drow minions.
• Character creation allows for the use of all of the Player’s Option books

• The hunter ranger attacked my female priestess of Lolth with rapid shot (I was in the area of effect), fortunately he missed. The minions died rapidly. (I gave him permission to attack my PC as per the RPGA rules).
• The Paladin refused to use her defending powers or lay-on-hands to help my PC. (are you starting to see a pattern here).
• The wizard diving under one of the beds to get out of the line of fire from two levitating Sr. Wizards. Leaving the Paladin to take all of their attacks herself. (end of adventure quote, Player: I am searching under the beds, DM: The only interesting thing you find is a wizard-sized dust bunny angel under one of them.)
• My PC got smacked hard by a Sentry when I tried to shift towards my Oath target (the third Sr. Wizard) who then in turn blasted me across the courtyard like a rag doll (I had 7 hp at this point). The other sentry then missed me with combat advantage.
• Getting up after my beat-down, popping my second wind and hiding behind the Paladin for cover (that was the only way I was going to get assistance).
• Rogue drow farted preventing my oath target from getting away through a door (not enough movement and didn't want to take the OA with sneak attack damage on top).
• I hit my oath target with Angelic Alacrity bloodying it badly. I also popped Enduring Spirit (when bloodied, +4 to all defenses until the end of my next round).
• Sr. Wizard then attempts to swat me, DM rolls 22 and gets a surprised look when I say miss. AC 24 baby!
• Sr. Wizard then tried to levitate away and my melee basic did 7 normal damage and 7 oath damage because he moved away from me. Dead.
• The wizard casting hypnotism on the 2 levitating Sr. Wizards in quick succession and watching them melee basic themselves was priceless (moment of greatness).
• The hunter finally got his dice to work and made short work of the other two Sr. Wizards and put them down.
• Everyone was bloodied at some point in combat.
• I was able to play spiked drinks and steal a healing surge from the Paladin in revenge for leaving me in the cold.
• The hunter ranger was the only one that remembered to plant evidence out of my sight. Its the quiet ones you got to worry about (moment of greatness because he did it right under my character's nose, Perception +10).

I will say if my store had not run out of Drow Treachery cards, I would have had them dropped on me and my life would have been more interesting... I also invested in 2 healing potions between chapters knowing that my lone House Melarn priestess was probably going to have to take care of herself.

House Melarn for the win!

Bryan "The Party Will Kill My PC Before The End" Blumklotz