Albert Allan
Villager
Hi!
I'm planning the final battle of an Oneshot I'm setting up for some friends, and I wanted some feedback on that battle.
It will be a 12-hour oneshot that will pass in the abyss,there will be at least 1 to 2 hours before they get there, of course. And the characters will be going there to face a very powerful, high-level demon that directly serves Orcus, who stole something (they are a cleric who has lost the sense of feeling his God, a paladin who has lost his name and identity, a paladin who has lost all his history and memory of his former party, a monk who has lost his peace and the ability to concentrate, and a warlock who wants to be free), are all five characters at level 14. Players are well experienced and powerplayers (one of the paladins is padlock), and more importantly, they asked for a big challenge this time!
The journey into the abyss will begin on the floor of Pazunia, where they will face a gigantic horde (11 Drech, 8 Maw Demos, 3 Buhl, 3 Baboons, 3 Shadow Demon, 2 Barlgura, 2 Tanarukk, 1 Draeglhoth, 1 Herzou and 1 Glabrezu) to arrive at portal that leads them to Thanatos (they do not have to defeat all, but the demons will try to stop the passage as best they can), where the demon that stole them is is located.
The Party is being helped by an NPC who was the character of one of the players in a past campaign, a Half Barbarian Orc level 16. In Thanatos they will find, from a rival of this demon, that they need to save someone from a prison in Lacrimosa. Someone who would help them very much against this demon, because he discovered his true name, but is imprisoned. The prison is guarded by a Sibriex and some Quasits. After defeating Sibriex, they will release an undead who has been trapped there for many years after being killed in Shadowfell, Count Strahd Von Zarovich (the first villain the players faced long ago, we started it all in the Curse of Strahd campaign in 2017; Half Orc participated in this campaign until level 10 in the past).
So the final battle will have: 5 players level 14, 1 NPC level 16 and a Vampire Spellcaster CR 15.
The boss is a more powerful version of a Nightwalker, with legendary resist (3), legendary deeds (since he steals things, thought of a charisma contest against his charisma, to have some random attribute stolen in 1d4), and he is supported by three crystals, one gives a temporary amount of HP (I think 100), another, CA (I imagine it at +8), and the third, I still have not thought about what it would have, perhaps increasing damage or recharging its Finger of Doom. Each Crystal with 15 AC and a 30 or 50 HP. In addition to being guarded by seven Wights, on a borderless platform that falls to the endless abyss of souls (falling into that blue is instantaneous death, for heroes, or for villains).
How heavy is this combat? They may still face random battles of medium difficulty on the way at Thanatos. A party level 14 with two strong NPCs, well warped and with magic items (1 rare and 3 unusual each), do you realize that?
I'm planning the final battle of an Oneshot I'm setting up for some friends, and I wanted some feedback on that battle.
It will be a 12-hour oneshot that will pass in the abyss,there will be at least 1 to 2 hours before they get there, of course. And the characters will be going there to face a very powerful, high-level demon that directly serves Orcus, who stole something (they are a cleric who has lost the sense of feeling his God, a paladin who has lost his name and identity, a paladin who has lost all his history and memory of his former party, a monk who has lost his peace and the ability to concentrate, and a warlock who wants to be free), are all five characters at level 14. Players are well experienced and powerplayers (one of the paladins is padlock), and more importantly, they asked for a big challenge this time!
The journey into the abyss will begin on the floor of Pazunia, where they will face a gigantic horde (11 Drech, 8 Maw Demos, 3 Buhl, 3 Baboons, 3 Shadow Demon, 2 Barlgura, 2 Tanarukk, 1 Draeglhoth, 1 Herzou and 1 Glabrezu) to arrive at portal that leads them to Thanatos (they do not have to defeat all, but the demons will try to stop the passage as best they can), where the demon that stole them is is located.
The Party is being helped by an NPC who was the character of one of the players in a past campaign, a Half Barbarian Orc level 16. In Thanatos they will find, from a rival of this demon, that they need to save someone from a prison in Lacrimosa. Someone who would help them very much against this demon, because he discovered his true name, but is imprisoned. The prison is guarded by a Sibriex and some Quasits. After defeating Sibriex, they will release an undead who has been trapped there for many years after being killed in Shadowfell, Count Strahd Von Zarovich (the first villain the players faced long ago, we started it all in the Curse of Strahd campaign in 2017; Half Orc participated in this campaign until level 10 in the past).
So the final battle will have: 5 players level 14, 1 NPC level 16 and a Vampire Spellcaster CR 15.
The boss is a more powerful version of a Nightwalker, with legendary resist (3), legendary deeds (since he steals things, thought of a charisma contest against his charisma, to have some random attribute stolen in 1d4), and he is supported by three crystals, one gives a temporary amount of HP (I think 100), another, CA (I imagine it at +8), and the third, I still have not thought about what it would have, perhaps increasing damage or recharging its Finger of Doom. Each Crystal with 15 AC and a 30 or 50 HP. In addition to being guarded by seven Wights, on a borderless platform that falls to the endless abyss of souls (falling into that blue is instantaneous death, for heroes, or for villains).
How heavy is this combat? They may still face random battles of medium difficulty on the way at Thanatos. A party level 14 with two strong NPCs, well warped and with magic items (1 rare and 3 unusual each), do you realize that?
