Help me kill Darmanicus & Friends!

[Rystil Arden]

Not that I know of, but that doesn't mean they haven't. Displacement, ghostform and the like will reduce the effectiveness of that. I'm sure they'll have something else, too - they frequently surprise me with stuff.

Well, I suppose its too late to give the Lich Queen Pierce Magical Concealment?

 

[BSF]

In other words - don't make the mistake of looking at the EL and the player levels. That's only half the story.

Fair enough. I would definitely apply a negative planar trait that forces spellcraft checks to be able to cast within. It is unlikely to stop the party, but it gives them one more variable to keep in mind. When the battle starts, just plop a card on the battlemat with the environmental conditions the party has to remember to consider and roll for each round. A checklist, if you will.

On the topic of negative energy, if the walls/pillars are negative energy, consider allowing the lich to touch them and receive "healing" benefits.

The cleric uses some sort of mental bond to heal the rest of the party? Sounds like you need to hit the cleric with a targeted dispel. Try to strip the cleric of every single spell cast on him. Hit the party with the power words, then follow it up with some sort of silence effect.

Wall off the archer in some way so he has to change position to shoot arrows. Hmm, any way you can get a Repel Wood type thing going? Or even a wind wall? Every round that you force the archer to move is a round where he only gets one arrow off. It is a nuisance tactic, but it might be worthwhile. If you are feeling cruel, you could try to sunder the bow. Perhaps with the Slaad King and his outrageous reach from the chain?

The NPCs are on home ground and definitely seem to have some knowledge of the PCs. You can get away with some tactics that target specific weaknesses of PCs without being too cheesy.

 

[BSF]

It worked.

It is probably really concerning that this thread now has more posts than the other.

 

[coriolis]

Githzerai Guard
Male or Female Githzerai Soulknife 13

Thanks Rystil! Excellent work. I would make the following changes (I highlighted the changes in bold):

Armor Class: 28 (+5 Dex, +9 gleaming full plate +1, +2 natural, +2 deflection),
touch 17, flat-footed 23
Attacks: +3 keen lucky Greater Mind Blade +19/+14 melee (2d6+5 damage 17-20/x2)
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +18, Will +17
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Focus (Mind Blade) [bonus], Greater Shape Mind Blade, Speed of Thought [bonus], Mage Slayer, Pierce Magical Concealment, Pierce Magical Protection
Possessions: gleaming full plate +1 (permanent concealment=20% miss chance), crystal mask of mindarmor (+4 Will saves)

 

[saethone]

the lich being able to just touch the pilars and heal may be a bit too much unless the party has alot of wall spells up their sleves, however, you could have it energy drain on touch, so like if a gith knocks a player into one they take some extra damage and a small con drain or something

 

[Rystil Arden]

Thanks Rystil! Excellent work. I would make the following changes (I highlighted the changes in bold):

Armor Class: 28 (+5 Dex, +9 gleaming full plate +1, +2 natural, +2 deflection),
touch 17, flat-footed 23
Attacks: +3 keen lucky Greater Mind Blade +19/+14 melee (2d6+5 damage 17-20/x2)
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +18, Will +17
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Focus (Mind Blade) [bonus], Greater Shape Mind Blade, Speed of Thought [bonus], Mage Slayer, Pierce Magical Concealment, Pierce Magical Protection
Possessions: gleaming full plate +1 (permanent concealment=20% miss chance), crystal mask of mindarmor (+4 Will saves)

Umm, I already gave them more than their alloted gold on the AC boosting items and the +5 to all saves cloak, so now you've made them even richer. Also, I don't see Greater Shape Mindblade as a Feat choice (plus they must take Blind-Fight for Pierce Magical Concealment, sorry [I would never have taken Blind-Fight otherwise])

 

[BSF]

the lich being able to just touch the pilars and heal may be a bit too much unless the party has alot of wall spells up their sleves, however, you could have it energy drain on touch, so like if a gith knocks a player into one they take some extra damage and a small con drain or something

If it were a full heal, yeah that would be problematic. But if it essentially gives Fast Healing 1, 3, or 5 then it isn't overwhelming. Counter it with doing damage to unprotected PCs and you have a wall that the lich could hide inside and the PCs would have to pursue her to finish her off. The Paladin would be OK with a death ward, but might have problems seeing.

 

[saethone]

If it were a full heal, yeah that would be problematic. But if it essentially gives Fast Healing 1, 3, or 5 then it isn't overwhelming. Counter it with doing damage to unprotected PCs and you have a wall that the lich could hide inside and the PCs would have to pursue her to finish her off. The Paladin would be OK with a death ward, but might have problems seeing.

good thinking, would provide a purpose for the oh-so overlooked blind fighting

 

[Rystil Arden]

On a somewhat unrelated note, if the PCs survive this, you should definitely throw in an encounter with a lawful NPC (a Fraternity of Order member / Guvner ?) who insists that the Paladin PC rename his sword Stormwrack...

 

[Navar]

Slaad King

Ok on to the Slaad King He is tough. I aimed for CR 22 in creating him, and I hope I am there.

He is an advanced Black Slaad (he looks like the others apparently) so we start with that. I gave him levels of fighter. He is wielding a spiked chain already so this seemed to be a good choice. I REALLY considered doing him as a hexblade, and you may see 2 versions of him.

Slaad King, Male Black Slaad Ftr 7: CR 22; Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar); HD 18d8+7d10+176+22; hp 317; Int +6, Speed 20 feet; AC 45 (+3 Dex, +14 natural, +5 deflection, +13 Armor), touch 18, flat-footed 39; Base Attack/Grapple +25/+36; Full Attack 2 claws +36 melee (3d8+11 plus stun) and bite +34 (2d12+5), or +41/+36/+31/+26 melee (2d6+2d6 negative energy damage+11, all is vile damage); SA Pounce, stun, spell-like abilities, summon slaad; SQ Feign Death, Change shape, damage reduction 15/lawful, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 10, immunity to sonics, resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire 5, telepathy 100 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort+29, Ref+24, Will+22; Str 32, Dex 23, Con 27, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats Climb +38, Concentration +21, Escape Artist +27, Hide +27, Intimidate +32, Jump +38, Knowledge (any two) +25, Listen +25, Move Silently +27, Search +25 Spot +25, Use Rope +13; Cleave, Combat Brute [Tactical], Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Spiked Chain), Great Cleave, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Toughness, Improved Trip, Multiattack, Power attack
Possessions: Cloak of resistance +5, +5 Keen Negative Energy Burst Adamantine Spiked Chain, Belt of Giant Strength +6, Ring of Protection +5, Amulet of Health +6, +5 Suit of Heavy Fortification Mithril Full Plate.

Feign death is from the Mud Slaad (I figure the King learned it long long ago) and it will make him a great returning villain. Quick and dirty feign death. If an opponent strikes the slaad king and reduces it to 30 or fewer hit points, it can immediately attempt to feign death. This ability comes into use on the opponent’s turn (swift action?). Any creature that witnesses the slaad king while he is feigning death, including those creatures that want it fall can make a sense motive check (DC 35) to determine if the slaad king’s death is guenuine. A Spot check doesn’t give any information. Even a heal check or a search check requires a DC 35 to work (and they have to be looking just to check if he is alive or not.) The save DC is charisma based.

Hopefully the DR 15/Law will save him from the archer. He is a beast, and he can do some cool things. He will have to be played smart, but even if he falls, just have him feign death (that is also what the diehard feat is for)