Combat Tactics for Demons:

[Lordnightshade]

I’m trying to come up with good solid Demon tactics so that I can run my demons to their fullest potential. I need your help, so far I have three demons listed with their tactics, but I need the others done up and I need suggestions for how to improve the ones I have listed.

Nalfeshnee Tactics vs. a Group of Adventurers: (This assumes the Nalfeshnee has other Demons to tank the adventurers while it lays down weakening spells)

At these high levels things like invisibility and mirror image only offer a small amount of protection from adventurers with lots of magic missiles and see invisibility up nearly all the time. Call lightening is pretty useless unless the Nalfeshnee knows the combat is coming and casts it 10 minutes earlier.

Round 1: Slow (to take down haste or actually slow the group. Effects 12 people as long as none of them are more than 30 feet apart).
Round 2: Unholy aura
Round 3: Greater Dispelling (Take down more party buffs)
Round 4: Feeblemind (Neutralize any spell casters)
Round 5: Use the Smite ability to hopefully put a few Adventurers in a stupor
Round 6+: Keep using what works, feeblemind, greater dispelling, slow, etc.

Hezrou Tactics: Same assumptions as above.

Round 1: Blink
Round 2: Blasphemy
Round 3: Melee Attack, possibly grab, force saves vs. stench
Round 2: Blasphemy
Round 4: Melee Attack, possibly grab.
Round 6: Repeat what works or perhaps use summon swarm or other abilities
(The Hezrou should continue maneuvering around the battlefield so as to force as many opponents to save against it’s stench as possible.)

Glabrezu

Round 1: Power word Stun (who ever presents the greatest threat)
Round 2: Targeted Dispel Magic on anyone who is flying
Round 3: Reverse Gravity
Round 4: More Power word stuns and Reverse Gravities.

My brain hurts now. Perhaps some of you could give me some help with these? Eventually I would like to have round by round tactics for every Demon in the MM. What would you change about the tactics I have listed and what tactics would you use for the Bebilith, the Retriever, the Vrock, the Marilith, and the Balor?

Thank you for your help,

Lordnightshade

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Hit & Run!!!

Abuse Teleport as much as possible.

That will cause havoc with their short duration buff spells.

 

[Epametheus]

3 Hezrou, spread out to cover the battlefield:
Round 1: Blasphemy
Round 2: Blasphemy
Round 3: Blasphemy
etc.

And have something else hanging around for mop-up.

SR or being evil is the only way to keep from being Dazed every single round.

Of course, you probably don't want to cheese your group to death..

 

[Shade]

Two words: Unholy blight.

It is amazing how quickly you can nickel-and-dime a 15th-level party down with repeated uses of this spell-like ability that many demons possess.

It works well, if a bit slower, on the neutrals too.

 

[Lordnightshade]

Of course, you probably don't want to cheese your group to death..

There's an interesting question, I mean if Demons CAN do this why don't they? I mean they are evil? Should it being a "cheese" tactic stop them?

 

[Lordnightshade]

Hmmm repeated uses of Unholy Blight I hadn't looked as carefully as I should have at that spell...

Does the effects of repeated Unholy Blights stack? If so with two castings you would have -4 to d20 rolls, then -6, then -8 etc... that could get REALLY ugly!

However, once you make your Fort save you only take 1/2 damage and are not sickened... I assume you have to make a new save for each Unholy Blight cast...

 

[alsih2o]

have them summon the one that rips armor (no books here at work) that thing messed my party up with very little help

 

[trimeulose]

am I hearing correctly??

demons usually don't have good group tactics, and they don't work well with others. They primarily survive from self preservation and fighting solitary. The reason for demons being so much more powerful than devils is that devils can work well together and have order to their destruction and mayhem so they have a greater str in #s. You might want to take this under consideration if you are going to have tanks frontline an assault for a nalf'.

the best way to make sure that you have solid tactics is to make the battle unpredictable at best. Instead of having a semi powerful demon supported by lots of lower demons, try having two semi powerful demons attacking each other from opposite ends and having the group in the cross fire (can you say unintentional flanking bonuses).

If you want to get a bit more evil confront the group in a narrow pass and have the demons cause a rock slide (unintentionally). The adventurers then have no where to go, unless they fight their way out. If they decide to wait until the demons finish each other off, have the demons cause more rock slides for damage. Also have the Demons cast area affect spells that just happen to put the group within range as well. In the end the group willl more than likely fight their way out. When they make it apparent that they are attacking have both demons attack the party.

Why both demons? Well obviously the one that is getting attacked will defend himself, but the other demon is insulted that the PCs would think him so inferior to the other demon that he attacks them for the simple pride of the matter.

Once both Demons are fighting the party engage them in flanking when melee and make it difficult for the party to move, IE since the pass is narrow put them on opposite sides of the pass (if pass is a valley), or in the pass itself (if pass is between cliff and rock wall). Spell casters should be engaged, and AoO should be saved for killing spells, Demons should attack the WEAPONS that have the ability to damage the Demons. If using a cliff try and bull rush opponents off the side (if possible).

If and when the fight is over force the group to make a climb check to reach safety.

Just my suggestions.

 

[Lordnightshade]

Well with an average 14th level party containing some 17th level characters terrain doesn't really hamper their movement or fighting ability. With extended flies, wind walking, and teleporting PCs, you can't really lock them into a valley or ravine.

Also I would say most Demons you randomly encounter in the Abyss would be pretty chaotic and wouldn't have very good group tactics. However, when you have a situation where you have one very powerful Demon commanding lesser demons I would have to say that those lesser Demons will do what the greater Demon says and would have slightly better tactics...

 

[Lord Ben]

People who think that CE never cooperates are slightly less annoying then people who think Paladins can never strike first in combat.

CE is no different then CN except they have evil goals. Do you worry about your CN Barbarians getting into fights during battle? If not then your CE guys shouldn't either.