Last weekend we had a great time running the end portion of G2: GLACIAL RIFT OF THE FROST GIANT JARL. It's been a long year and a half of trying out different systems and playing alternate characters, but the players have slipped into their old character roles like putting on a pair of well-worn, but comfortable gloves. They are now in the 9th-12th level range and loving playing their high level characters!
The last session, I think, truly displayed the power at the beck and call of these high-level characters. The party magic-user can fire off 6 magic missiles nearly every round, doling out a consistent 12-30 points of damage. She also has a wand of fire, a wand of frost, a wand of conjuration, and 2 charges left in the Ruling Staff of Amun-Re (thunderclap ability only) as well as a robe of blending, ring of protection +4, cloak of protection +2, and now bracers of AC 3 traded to her by the cleric (who is now wearing magical plate mail). This provides a -3 AC....for a magic-user.... She also typically carries 2 fireballs, 2 slows, a hold monster or two, and several strength spells cast upon the party henchmen to make them more formidable.
The druid particularly impressed me. He is now able to summon an earth elemental AND a fire elemental, as well as casting his usual fire-based spells like produce fire, heat metal, and wall of fire, all of which cause creatures to burn and catch on fire! During this last session, his random roll for the fire elemental produced 3 salamanders! Not to mention that he also has with him 3 1st level druid servants, most of whom carry slings, and with extra spells to boot!
The party ranger is ridiculously powerful against giants, given his damage bonus of +9 per hit, and the fact that he attacks 3/2 due to his level. He lost his dancing falchion, but has replaced it with a +2 scimitar which he wields with a magic shield for a better armor class.
The party cleric is currently being run as an NPC because the player is away for the time being. She has been relegated to healer role and also takes protection spells and party boosters like bless and prayer.
Each of the henchmen have their own roles to play in the party. Most of these are straight fighters, but two are a dwarf and halfling who have excellent ACs against giants. The other wields a +3 longsword and has a low AC with magical plate and shield (his employer hooked him up). Two of the henchmen are now 7th level fighters and get 3/2 attacks. The halfling, although he is stuck at 6th level, owns a short sword of speed (once belonging to Markessa) which allows a first strike each round he begins next to an opponent in addition to his normal attack. As I mentioned before, all three fighter henchmen are strengthened by magic to be in the 18-percentile range of strength (most of the time).
They took out one frost giant guard at the entrance to the Jarl's personal chambers, two additional guards outside the Jarl's bedchamber, and 3 frost giants that came to investigate the noise from the Caverns of the Carls. The magic-user used a fireball in the large chamber (one of the only times this is a good idea to cast underground) while the druid simply commanded his elemental creatures to swarm in and attack (the salamander's were happy about the fireball, while the earth elemental simply sunk down into the earth to wait for anyone to approach the druid and the rest of the party in the rear). It took them only about 10 rounds total to complete the battle, and most of that was simply opponents moving into range. The Jarl sent out his winter wolves to attack the party, but they died shortly after emerging from the curtain. We ended with the party only slightly wounded outside the chamber with the Jarl and his wife.
Now, I'm all for them succeeding, but this frost giant is no stooge. I think there is something going on between the Jarl and the other giant clans. I believe he suspects that the giants are being used by the dark elves as pawns, and had the ancient temple to the Elder Elemental God collapsed in order to somehow regain control over his frost giants. However, he will probably escape with his wife (and the treasure) to the fire giants instead of letting the party kill him. This would leave the bulk of the lair's females and young behind, as almost all of the males are now slain.
But perhaps there is an alternative. I could have the cleric (with permanent tongues ability) talk with the Jarl and convince him to break the alliance in exchange for a ransom. In return the party would spare the lives of the remaining giants if the Jarl told them the easiest way to the Fire Giant Lair. The party knows the giants likely took the dragon hoard for their own, so they are looking to get that back - and since it was "found" treasure, the giants are likely to part with the bits they can't use. Then again, these giants are Chaotic Evil and will likely screw the party over somehow if they don't watch out.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this romp against the giants - almost as much as I did as a 13-year old playing a human fighter in my first actual campaign ever! The by-the-book timekeeping is really giving the campaign a realistic feel and the players are making more intelligent choices given the information they have. I can't wait to see how they are going to get all that treasure back to Quasqueton, including the horde of the two white dragons they killed on the mountainside the last time they treked home....
