Dungeon Balancing

[Cornuto]

Please leave encounter and dungeon feedback here. A lot of the dungeons were rebalanced to the rest encounters, but have yet to be playtested.

Do not report bugs here. Please post bugs in the bugs area (link) so they can be more easily tracked.

Suggested Form:

Dungeon:
Name of the dungeon tested.

Party Composition (Number of people/Levels/Etc):
Brief run-down of the level, number, and roles in your party.

Feedback:
Were the encounters too stong, too weak, or balanced? Are items/gold loot adequate or not?

[Dragor]

Dungeon: The Mossdale Border area (where the gaurds and orcs used to fight each other).

Party Composition (Number of people/Levels/Etc): 1 Stormlord lvl 19, buffed with Stonebody, Bears, Bulls, Cats, Divine Power, Divine Favor, Flame Sword(Druid), Battletide, Recitation, Stormlord Elec + Sonic dmg, Magic Weapon (+4 bonus), Magic Vestiments on shield and armor (giving +4 bonus to each I believe) and barkskin (+3 bonus I believe (maybe only +2)).

Basically 37-42 dmg per hit and 39 AC

Feedback: First thing noticed was the reaction range on the archers was ALOT longer than it used to be, almost as soon as I came in sight of them they started shooting.

Second thing noticed was the dogs were stealthed and ambushed me.

Third thing noticed was nothing was missing.

Fourth thing noticed was that 17 orcs spawned on the bridge, even the white named ones having a high enough AB to not miss.

Fifth thing noticed is that the Fugue is still very gray.

(It might be nice if you can give us an idea of how hard the areas are intended to be.)

[caterpillar]

Dungeon: The Mossdale Border area (where the gaurds and orcs used to fight each other).

I have to confirm this one, but not the border but the first area behind.

Kili: 20 level fighter/dwarven defender 44 AC

She saw two archers, gulped the potion of natural armour when suddenly 4+ stealth guys with daggers surrounded her. I am sorry I was not able to count. Dead before she could even gulp the potion of invisibility. Insane.

Sorry I can't give you any info about the loot!

[Talleyman99]

Dungeon:
mossdale

Party Composition (Number of people/Levels/Etc):
Grann lvl 21 Vampire blackguard, Iskaroth lvl20 vampire bard, full bard buffs and songs.

Feedback:
exploring the mossdale area, we where able to live. but had to move slow stop and study each spawn, and hit specific targets first. green named archers could hit a 50 ac fairly commonly, and the stalkers area able to sneak attack and crit though spells and creatures that should not be sneak attack able or critable. Main problem we noticed is that SO many archers spawn that math is against you no matter what your AC and the spells that stop that kind of stuff will be chewed though in seconds.

[ManUtd4Ever]

Dungeon: Mossdale Border Area

Party Composition: 20th Level Dwarven Defender

Feedback: The number of spawns I encountered was approximately 6 x wolves, 8 - 10 x archers, and 6 x berzerkers. The archers were hitting me at will with a mid-50's AC and 10/DR. The amount of damage they did was 25 - 60 points per hit.

[4nissa7]

Dungeon Balancing

Party Composition: Two level 15: 1 swashbuckler/duelist buffed with stoneskin, protection from arrows, heroism (can't remember what else - several), 1 mage

Dungeon: Argyle Keep the first outer area with the 3 crypts. The outer area, before entering the crypts.

Feedback: Prior to the Sundering these two were able to manage the outer area with minimal damage. This time one possessed was killed and as we faced the 3 that closed slowly several things happened. Swashie took a lot of damage fast, stoneskin was stripped and likely the protection from arrows (not sure on this) and it became a fast rout. She ran and the mage became visible casting greater missle storms. Both died actually (ran the wrong way . . doh). This seems quite a drastic change from the previous situation. If the intent was to make it harder, it is. I'd like to suggest a posting of the levels devs see the dungeons as suitable for (If I've missed this post perhaps a direction to it) so comments can be more to the point. I don't know what level(s) Argyle is intended for. I like a challenge but to walk into an area that previously was manageable with care and planning and get decimated, wasn't fun.

[thaelis]

Party Composition: Level 15 Eldritch knight, buffed with stoneskin, imp. mage armor, spiderskin, heroism, draconic might, flame blade, GMW; Level 15 (Fighter?? - Oliver Ironhide) buffed with stoneskin, imp. mage armor, spiderskin

Dungeon: Argyle Cemetary

Feedback: A lot tougher than before. Both archers and melee zombies could hit us, and occasionally knock down which they never used to be able to on me at least. We were able to kill all zombies in Mausoleum's, bosses, and the Emissary (very very slowly!), but nearly overwhelmed and brought to near death by the outside zombies on our way out. The blue zombies especially are deadly. All in all a very tense fight.

p.s. The new emissary looks freaking cool!!!

[Phantom Lamb]

Privateers are pretty strong. AB is +6 as compared to like +1 for white named Spittlefist. Problem is, they are on the roads where you spawn new characters who are ungeared, so you really need to run fast through the area to survive.

[Seheren]

Area: Pioneers way.
Character: Level 3 dwarf fighter 20 AC 2/- DR 5 AB

These privateers also have more life and over 20AC, which is not easy for a new toon, while only giving 20xp to a level three who chanced to kill 1 before being poked full of holes..

Biggest reason for going out of the city? Could not find a store that sells armor...

-Also-

Area: Argyle Keep graveyard
Character: Level 21 Blackguard

At 43 AC I had figured I would not have too much trouble there, however, I ended up having to use combat expertise/etc. to boost my AC after I was crit *twice* by the blue zombies, and had only half my health after only 8 or so zombies.. All this while not even getting gold. It seems that if nothing else, these CR's should be raised quite a bit. If encounters are to be significantly harder, shouldn't the XP be higher as well?

[Catastrophe]

I just want to point out, most of you who are doing these feedbacks are going solo. I believe most of these places are trying to be made for a balanced party in mind, not for solo grinders.

[Talleyman99]

Mossdale,

Bard, Paladin, Sorc, Rouge. avg group lvl 20ish.

We buffed and went in while the groups where big the party working together was able to push from the old battle ground and romp around in the forest itself. We made a move for the Armory but due to players play time we had to leave.

[Seheren]

I just want to point out, most of you who are doing these feedbacks are going solo. I believe most of these places are trying to be made for a balanced party in mind, not for solo grinders.

I guess that is true, though unfortunately many times that isn't an option. I can see how that could make balancing very difficult.

[Fezzik]

Quote:
Dungeon: Argyle, town

Party Composition (Number of people/Levels/Etc):
4 level cleric 5 MoR, 9 Morninglord -- cruncher/tank
11 Cleric 5 Combat Medic -- apparent pincusion
15 WM/Fighter/divine champ -- two handed nasty secondary pincusion

Feedback:
Got hosed mostly by scythe and archers; hectic, but a bit to much damage with archer etc. Gold remains the same, but no real loot otherwise. Balance seems a little to much on the damage side.

Standard buffs, "tank" had stone body... healer was pretty much a sitting duck for buff lacking though.

Overall opinion... a bit to much for what we faced; just about out of level range of the highest and he almost went down... I think they went after the healer because of the Sanctuary effect on the Tank.

[Cornuto]

Sounds like Argyle is a little too strong.

Our main goal was to tone down the strength of spawns since rests/day were now being restricted. If encounters that were challenging and balanced before got stronger its likely we got it wrong in the tweaking.

Thanks for all the feedback so far, please keep it coming.

[thaelis]

Party Composition: 15th lvl dex-based EK, with Cats, Dragon might, Flame blade, GMW, Stoneskin, Improved mage armor etc; Two fighters ( around 12th level? Johannes and Nwani) with no buffs

Dungeon: Mirakus Mines (WARNING SPOILERS!!!!!)

Feedback: Did very well most of the way, got decent xp. In the final little alcove with the Arcane Manifestations we all died. The elemental block your path so the arcane manifestations can blast you at +17 touch attack for about 30 magical damage. Unless you have invisibility/stealth/dimension door to get to the manifestations you are toast. Retried solo with two dimension doors memorized and managed to pull it off (by this time I was level 16)

Loot: Diamond dust, amethysts were the best I found. Particularly I was sad the arcane manifestations dropped junk. Maybe if they dropped a faint or weak essence? They are like pure magic right so would make sense