Emeryd´s Run advice needed

I have travelled for the first time to Emeryd´s Run with my Lawful Neutral party and have been warned that there is a hard fight to be expected.
However once I arrive I´m immediatly in two encounters (frogs and lizardmen) and by trying to bring some space between the Lizards and my Sorcerer I walked into the sight of that fish - TPK.

Everything I read about ER mentions those as 3 distinct seperate fights - so what am I doing wrong? Is a party of 6 already so large that it triggers two of them? Is it the enlarged spot range with the spyglass?

 

Hi CD
The fact that you have a party of six means you will get attacked by the frogs and the Lizardmen / Seahag group. There is nothing you can do to change that, other than dropping some of your party members before you go there. I don't know what the exact numbers are, but I seem to recall reading that if you have a small enough party ( IIRC no more than 4 PC's / NPC's ), you will only get attacked by the frogs at first.
As you discovered, where you move can have consequences... . I always save just before going "Fishing" because if the Lizardmen (and especially the Seahag ) get the initiative and are able to charge your position before you cast entangle and / or web to keep the Lizards away while you deal with the frogs, it gets real messy real quick. By the way, if you have a 5th level wizard in your party, any "Mage Armor" spell cast prior to leaving Nulb will still be in effect when you reach the river. I think Barkkin cast by a 5th or higher level Druid might also be in effect, but I'm not 100% certain of that.
I should also point out that the Spyglass only helps you avoid Random Encounters while traveling. I don't think it has any effect elsewhere.
The Royal Canadian

 

Try sneaking party before you set out for imridiys run so that your party arrive pre sneaked. this can sometimes allow you to avoid tripping both encounters simultaneously.

i make a habit of sneaking to every new location -

 

Web or Entangle (or Web & Entangle) on the lizardmen really helps in this fight. Maybe throw a Summoned Monster or Animal over that way as well to keep any escapee's attention while you concentrate on the frogs. Finish the frogs, then wait for the lizrdmen to come to you. Missile weapons to soften them up, or kill them outright. Major magics on their leader until she drops.

Then move onto the fish.

 

Hi CD,
Imyerds Run, or IR, is always one of the most fun encounters for me because it is hard to prep for it too much. As the Royal Canadian already mentioned, mage armor lasts long enough from Nulb to pre-cast. Magic circle against evil also lasts long enough.
Depending on initiative, web is great. Spiritual Weapon can also distract the frogs or sea hag long enough to buy some time. I usually target the Giant kingfrog first, as it's grapple and swallow ability can really start cutting down your party. I find that after swallowing, the average 5th level PC can last 2 rounds max inside the frog's gullet before expiring.
I uusally try to put one PC with a decent armor class, and some potions of cure wounds to the west as a block against the sea hag and lizardmen. THat PC uses Total Defense, and tries to hold on until the rest of the party can finish off the giant kingfrog.

 

I usually level Elmo as a cleric with Plant Domain. Since he has an initiative advantage, he can usually get off an entangle before most of the lizardman party can move. I have my wiz hit them with web for good measure, while the rest of the party deals with the frogs.

 

Charming a couple of the Lizardmen to help you is a pretty good tactic as well. A Charm is better than a summon because it will occupy TWO bad guys. Successfully get 3 or 4 of those off and you can concentrate ont he Frogs first.

Charming the Hag would be premium, but I think she may be immune because you would probably need Charm Monster for her, and even if you didn't, her spell immunity and saves are powerful.

If you have a Sorcerer or a Bard, make sure one of there spells to SPAM is Charm, then have at it.

 

I tried that late last evening and it worked like a charm. Put everyone to "sneak" in Nulb, moved to Imridys Run, everyone was still sneaking and *only* the two frogs were in combat with me. I could take them out, then take care of the Seahag and Lizardmen and then of the fish in 3 seperate fights. Thankyou :thumbsup:

That I didn´t save my game, went back to Nulb before resting and wanted to rest in my own house only to be ambushed and TPK´d there... :no:

Have to try sneaking again this evening.

The only strange thing in that tactic is that the characters don´t stop sneaking once they enter combat. And a Paladin that CHARGES a kingsize frog but the animation shows him sneaking so very slowly towards the frog is a bit silly... :roll:

 

I have my wiz or soc (depending on what I am playing with) lob a fireball with 2 levels of spell penetration that pretty much destroys the lizardmen, my barbarian kills the first frog leaving my second front man, this time around its a duel weapon specialist Ranger, to get into position for the Kingfrog. My druid along with my rogue and Bard takes out the seahag, so my two frontmen can take on the Kingfrog. Whoever finishes first help out the other group.

 

When you entered combat did you go back to the radial dial and choose stop sneaking?

 

No, I was immediately in combat and simply had my Fighter/Paladin charge the giant frog.
And he charged sneakingly.
IMO both options are mutually exclusive and you should simply auto-stop sneaking when CHARGE! is selected.

 

I agree, buuuuuuuuut .... we are talking about a game engine that needs a little help sometimes.

Selecting "stop sneaking" from the radial dial does not cost a move action or anything.

 

It is a tough a$$ fight, but a worthy one!

I agree with you to keep it the same. Making it too easy all the time removes the challenge!

 

I think it should stay as it is .
May be you should be able to make a smart remark to the quest giver
like at the end of Hickory Branch.