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How are you all finding the encounter building rules working out at higher levels?
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<blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6652771" data-attributes="member: 6787650"><p>There is a winning strategy for a level 12 party, and it's not even very difficult <em>if</em> the party knows what they're facing (has done their research). Here's what I'd do:</p><p></p><p>1.) (Easy way, old school) Cast Fog Cloud. The demilich's life drain only works when it can see you, and Truesight doesn't let you see through heavy obscurement, only through darkness. Similarly, stop up your ears so that you can't hear it howl. Now just kill it with cantrips--it's practically helpless against you so even if you just Fire Bolt it for 9.08 points of damage per round (+9/3d10 vs. AC 20) it will be dead after 10 rounds. </p><p></p><p>In a real game of course you'll do much better than one Fire Bolt per round; my test party would be hitting it with two Agonizing Eldritch Blasts, a paladin's Sacred Weapon, and a strafing Shadow Monk for about 70 points of damage between them if the paladin smites or 40 if he saves his spell slots. It's dead in about two rounds, and this party isn't even damage-optimized. (It's optimized for safe exploration and versatility.) In any case, the point is that without life drain the thing is toast.</p><p></p><p>2.) (Almost-as-easy way, doesn't feel as cheap as just shutting down all its attacks) The demilich has only Str 1, so it will always practically always fail Strength (Athletics) checks. If you have a barbarian or other Str-based, Con-proficient fighter type in the party, have him grapple it, reducing its speed from fly 30 to zero. Since Life Drain is a 10' range DC 19 Con 6d6 attack, and the barbarian is proficient in Con saves, it basically has a 50% chance of dealing 21 damage to him each round, healing 21 HP in the process, at the cost of an action. If you have a cleric you can Bless the barbarian to improve the odds further. Its legendary actions are basically irrelevant (Flight does nothing when you're grappled because your speed is zero, and Cloud of Dust has only a 10' range). The cleric can also Death Ward the barbarian in advance to protect against Howl. Now all you have to do is inflict 80 HP plus whatever it sucked off the barbarian, which you could do with Scorching Ray or Eldritch Blast or just by casting Magic Weapon on the fighter's bow or the barbarian's one-handed backup weapon and letting him beat the thing to death while you Fire Bolt/Sacred Flame it.</p><p></p><p>If you don't have a barbarian or similar in the party you could either summon something (mephits) or even make someone else do it. In fact, even a Str 10 wizard untrained in athletics (+0) would probably do just fine against the demilich's weakling -5, although the demilich will suck more HP out of him than it would out of the barbarian.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="FormerlyHemlock, post: 6652771, member: 6787650"] There is a winning strategy for a level 12 party, and it's not even very difficult [I]if[/I] the party knows what they're facing (has done their research). Here's what I'd do: 1.) (Easy way, old school) Cast Fog Cloud. The demilich's life drain only works when it can see you, and Truesight doesn't let you see through heavy obscurement, only through darkness. Similarly, stop up your ears so that you can't hear it howl. Now just kill it with cantrips--it's practically helpless against you so even if you just Fire Bolt it for 9.08 points of damage per round (+9/3d10 vs. AC 20) it will be dead after 10 rounds. In a real game of course you'll do much better than one Fire Bolt per round; my test party would be hitting it with two Agonizing Eldritch Blasts, a paladin's Sacred Weapon, and a strafing Shadow Monk for about 70 points of damage between them if the paladin smites or 40 if he saves his spell slots. It's dead in about two rounds, and this party isn't even damage-optimized. (It's optimized for safe exploration and versatility.) In any case, the point is that without life drain the thing is toast. 2.) (Almost-as-easy way, doesn't feel as cheap as just shutting down all its attacks) The demilich has only Str 1, so it will always practically always fail Strength (Athletics) checks. If you have a barbarian or other Str-based, Con-proficient fighter type in the party, have him grapple it, reducing its speed from fly 30 to zero. Since Life Drain is a 10' range DC 19 Con 6d6 attack, and the barbarian is proficient in Con saves, it basically has a 50% chance of dealing 21 damage to him each round, healing 21 HP in the process, at the cost of an action. If you have a cleric you can Bless the barbarian to improve the odds further. Its legendary actions are basically irrelevant (Flight does nothing when you're grappled because your speed is zero, and Cloud of Dust has only a 10' range). The cleric can also Death Ward the barbarian in advance to protect against Howl. Now all you have to do is inflict 80 HP plus whatever it sucked off the barbarian, which you could do with Scorching Ray or Eldritch Blast or just by casting Magic Weapon on the fighter's bow or the barbarian's one-handed backup weapon and letting him beat the thing to death while you Fire Bolt/Sacred Flame it. If you don't have a barbarian or similar in the party you could either summon something (mephits) or even make someone else do it. In fact, even a Str 10 wizard untrained in athletics (+0) would probably do just fine against the demilich's weakling -5, although the demilich will suck more HP out of him than it would out of the barbarian. [/QUOTE]
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How are you all finding the encounter building rules working out at higher levels?
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