> > I tried that. Killed half the party and ran away to the maze to get
> > more minions, hitting a checkpoint on the way to save my
> > progress. When I came back, the guards were all alive again and
> > back to full strength - and I no longer had the powerful items I had
> > used to kill them :(
>
> Wounded parties regenerate when you hit checkpoints. I've had to be very careful with that myself. I usually figure that when I have a fresh complement of minions I won't get killed in the first round of combat.
>
> But you shouldn't be losing your "powerful items", by which I assume you mean your Items of Specialness.

I don't think so -- I'm sure he means one-use magic items. Hitting the checkpoint would save the game at a point after having used those items up.

alaric: That's a bummer, yes, but now that the checkpoint on your way back to the portal is gone, you can try the running away trick again, this time being sure that when you return with reinforcements the party will not have healed when you get back.