Common High-Level Tactics

As noted in other threads, one common high-level tactic for PC's is "Buff-Scry-Teleport."

What are other things that players tend to do with high level characters?

* Common Combos
* Common Feats & Manuevers
* Common Tactics for Wrecking DM's Carefully Thought Out Plots

Shape Change into (fill in the blank with creature that is immune to opponents attack)
Polymorph rogues into sneak attacking hydras
Archers that can deliver 400 hit points of damage before your opponent moves
Slime Wave gargantuan and colossal creatures
Casting spells that target opponents (particularly mooks) low save - Wail/Delayed Blast/Mass Hold
Contingency Teleport/Contigency HEAL/Mind Blank/Spell Turning/Non-detection/Stoneskin/Improved Inivisibility/Death Ward/Freedom of Movement/Blink/Fly/Pro Energy/Shield/Mage Armor...did you say you were attacking me?
Commune/Find the Path/Legend Lore/True Seeing/Discern Location/Teleport...what mystery?
AC Nerf Debuffs + Sneak Attack/Dual Wielding/Blinking Rogue wielding Ghost Touch weapons
Anti-magic shell + Fighter
Summon Behmoth Gargantuan Silliness IX - we'll go in ethereal behind them
Let's see, my bluff's +38, my diplomacy's a +42 - did I convince him to surrender?
HiPS/Spring Attack/Sneak Attack(Skirmish)/HiPS
Energy Drain/Quickened Enervation - rinse and repeat
Wall of Force/Forcecage the big hulking magical beast/fighter
Time Stop/Delayed Blast/Delayed Blast/Delayed Blast/Maximized Fireball
Every attack: take 20 and make a save or be knocked down/stunned/held/grappled/slain
My saves are +15/+8/+12; fully buffed, my saves are +26/+18/+24 with mettle and evasion
My attack bonus is +17; fully buffed my attack bonus is +40
Rogue/Bard using "Use Magic Device" to cast any spell in the game

TarionzCousin said:

As noted in other threads, one common high-level tactic for PC's is "Buff-Scry-Teleport."

What are other things that players tend to do with high level characters?

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When you can kill anything with a spoon, how much fun is the game...well, maybe just a little.

William drake said:

When you can kill anything with a spoon, how much fun is the game...well, maybe just a little.

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If you can kill anything with a spoon, you need a new DM. There's no level in D&D when a competent DM can't challenge players significantly.

ashockney said:

Slime Wave gargantuan and colossal creatures

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Nice suggestions otherwise, but this one doesn't work any more. Spell Compendium updated Slime Wave to only affect each creature, however large, with one patch of slime.

shilsen said:

If you can kill anything with a spoon, you need a new DM. There's no level in D&D when a competent DM can't challenge players significantly.



Nice suggestions otherwise, but this one doesn't work any more. Spell Compendium updated Slime Wave to only affect each creature, however large, with one patch of slime.

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Well it works if nobody bought that Spell Compendium in your group.

The rogue in a game I play in does at least 12d6 every attack, sometimes almost 20d6, and every attack is a Touch Attack. He's a level 7 Gestalt character, no multiclassing penalties.

I haven't quite figured it out yet. No, he's not using ______strike spells.

Nice list, ashockney. Thanks!

ashockney said:

Find the Path

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More commonly known as Find the Plot around where I play.

Hm, although nearly all the tactics given above sound familiar to me, there's always a way to counter them. If you DM a high-level campaign, you should be prepared to deal with nasty tactics.
Yeah, one might say that's only to keep a balance of power. But I think that's only necessary for power-gamers.

A tactic that was used IMC:
Shapechange into an Earth Elemental to get to certain points of a dungeon without following the tunnels.
My rule as a DM: When the PC moves too far from a tunnel/surface, he has to make survival checks to find his way back. If he fails...

In the one high level game I had, which was composed to an entire party of 1E magic-user/<somethingelse>, they would either create magic items that were tailored to known specific foes (Arrow of Red Dragon Slaying) or even create new spells (Frostball, which was like fireball but did cold damage for against fire giants). They did all their scry/teleport/buffs with a mirror of mental prowness.

For wizards, Time Stop, Prismatic Sphere above enemies, then Reverse Gravity.

Its great success!