The Theocracy (recruitment closed to those posted)

[Insight]

This guy, if he's using Divine Metamagic, has already blown 8 turning attempts in two rounds. So he's either now out of turn attempts, has extra turning, or has more than a +5 cha modifier.

And he's not even a cleric of their theocracy! Is he Bob the guard's cousin or something??? Why would they let him in there, much less help him? And why the heck would a high level spellcaster (a lich no less) be hanging out in the barracks?

Sorry, but this just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[fenixdown]

I have a feeling these guards will be mopped up real quick

I find this amusing for some reason.

 

[ethandrew]

I find this amusing for some reason.

Especially if you apply the context of what Insight just said in the IC. They sure will be mopping up real fast; blood stains.

 

[Insight]

Especially if you apply the context of what Insight just said in the IC. They sure will be mopping up real fast; blood stains.

LOL I don't even have confirmation that Nathira hit on any of her attacks, one of which was a 35! Hopefully WL just missed that info. If the lich has more than a 35 AC, we are already more screwed than we were before.

 

[Shayuri]

Hee hee

Okay okay...Warlock said he didn't expect this and I believe him. It tickles me a bit, but I believe him. Maybe it's the psych degree talking, but I'm thinking it may be powwow time.

Liches, by definition, have to have at least 12 HD, likely caster levels, to be liches. And it's a +4 template. This means the -minimum- ECL of the critter is 16, CR 14 or so. I might even say to bump it up one because of the apparently random and completely unexpected nature of its appearance. Liches, like dragons, are usually end bosses...telegraphed ahead of time because they require some special preparations to brace for.

We're level 10. A +4 CR battle (and again, +4 is conservative given the circumstances) is just about always a potential TPK. They tend to be either spectacular blowout fights, with all stops pulled (if all goes well) or disspiriting crushings of the PC's bodies and souls (if it doesn't).

If I were a hair more cynical, my reaction to this would be that it's punitive somehow. The GM is trying to punish us for screwing around and stirring up trouble. In fact, before I read his post...that's kind of what I thought. The implication being that every random storefront, barracks, dark alley, and so on is filled with beholders and dragons and liches...all just waiting to pounce on us should we leave the comforting environs of the annointed path.

Having read the post, I'm willing to concede Warlock may simply have either overestimated our power and resources...or underestimated the power of a lich (armed with one of the more broken feats from Complete Divine, natch ). Either way, I think my complaint is not that we're too weak, nor that the lich is too strong.

It's that nagging sensation of...wtf? This is random! If you can bump noses with liches when doing the equivalent of just horsing around to pass game time, then what are the -dangerous- missions going to be like?! I think it would help me at least...and possibly the rest of us...if we could understand the thinking that led up to this encounter. Then we could be sure that, if it is a mistake, that it won't happen again...and if not, then at least we'd know the how and why it's not, and could adjust OUR behavior so as to avoid such surprises in the future.

 

[fenixdown]

Unless he's going for a PhD in RBDM, I'm guessing his math was just bad. (I know mine is.) Vecna showing up to hand out free true resurrections agrees with me.

... too bad I'm not going to take mine. Stupid in-character decisions.

 

[ethandrew]

Unless he's going for a PhD in RBDM, I'm guessing his math was just bad. (I know mine is.) Vecna showing up to hand out free true resurrections agrees with me.

... too bad I'm not going to take mine. Stupid in-character decisions.

If that's your decision, and this stands for anyone, you can play Dehg if you'd like. I know it's not as fun playing something someone else made, but he's not dominated or anything, he just likes Latham.

 

[Insight]

If I were a hair more cynical, my reaction to this would be that it's punitive somehow. The GM is trying to punish us for screwing around and stirring up trouble. In fact, before I read his post...that's kind of what I thought. The implication being that every random storefront, barracks, dark alley, and so on is filled with beholders and dragons and liches...all just waiting to pounce on us should we leave the comforting environs of the annointed path.

You're forgetting that WL encouraged us to go do something like this. Why would you on the one hand encourage your players to get into some action and then on the other hand throw them into an unwinnable fight that kills half the group?

Having read the post, I'm willing to concede Warlock may simply have either overestimated our power and resources...or underestimated the power of a lich (armed with one of the more broken feats from Complete Divine, natch ). Either way, I think my complaint is not that we're too weak, nor that the lich is too strong.

It's that nagging sensation of...wtf? This is random! If you can bump noses with liches when doing the equivalent of just horsing around to pass game time, then what are the -dangerous- missions going to be like?! I think it would help me at least...and possibly the rest of us...if we could understand the thinking that led up to this encounter. Then we could be sure that, if it is a mistake, that it won't happen again...and if not, then at least we'd know the how and why it's not, and could adjust OUR behavior so as to avoid such surprises in the future.

It's ridiculous that 1) there was a LICH just hanging out in the barracks and 2) we didn't even get a surprise round on these guys (somehow, they were totally prepared for us despite our best efforts at disguising our approach).

 

[WarlockLord]

Alright, alright, I screwed up.

I thought you guys could take this lich down, without dying. The fact that he is not a cleric of the theocracy is important, plot-wise. He was assigned to the barracks to whip the slothful, lazy morons into shape. (You saw how weak they were! The guards, I mean. Stoned on duty???) I kinda overestimated your power. (If it's any consolation, Nathira kills Mr. Lich in the next round with her flurry of blows) But yeah, I was trying to have a big-boss plot fight. Introducing a major villain. You weren't expecting it, and I don't blame you. (Although maybe the DMM quicken was a bit...much). Don't worry, not every little mook fight will be at this power level. I want you to HATE this guy, but I wasn't expecting bodies strewn across the floor. I won't do this again. Not without warning, anyway.

Fenix, if you don't like Vecna, you can make a new character (at the same level) if you want. Vecna will get you when you die. It might, just might, be possible to cheat and /or bargain with him...

 

[ethandrew]

I do appreciate your honesty. Had we known we were stepping into a major fight, I'm sure things would have progressed much differently. And while I won't complain since it was us who barged in looking for a fight, it certainly was a learning experience for me, since know I know that my character is completely ineffective against undead. All I managed to do was get two guys to wrestle