Paragon one-on-one: A slayer versus the world

[MortalPlague]

I have some recent experience with 1 on 1 paragon 4th Edition. For my 19th level game, I ran a pre-adventure with each character (although two of them were paired up for it). So I ran three 1 on 1 sessions; once with a fighter, once with a sorcerer, and once with a cleric.

The first thing I did was cut all hit points in half for monsters. Didn't prove as necessary for the sorcerer, but particularly the fighter and cleric; their damage output was decent, but if they took four or five rounds to drop a foe each time, they would be swarmed under.

Secondly, none of them went in alone. I statted up companions for each, gave them a RP reason to be there, and they proved invaluable. The cleric in particular had a really nasty round of crits and hits against him; he actually went down below 0. Fortunately, his companion was a paladin, so he used lay on hands to bring him back up.

Furthermore, I like the idea of using an elite or two, but I'd half their hit points too. The action point and improved defenses should be enough of a boon. And if you're using lots of minions, I'd tweak them to be slightly more interesting than normal. They all have a "basic attack", but in a solo game, I think minions should also have an aura, or a bigger attack, or a debuff. Or a benefit from positioning, perhaps? Giving them a small damage boost or effect on a crit is a nice touch too.

I had a lot of fun running the 1 on 1 games, and I hope you do too. That character sheet is fantastic, by the way. You've put that together very nicely.

 

[cavalier973]

Something I was considering (although it was for low-level characters) was giving out a spectacularly powerful weapon, but have it cursed. So, the player starts using it (according to MME, one can't tell that an item is cursed until the curse is triggered), and then is stuck with the item (he can try to make a save to switch weapons during combat, but he cannot get rid of the item without a special quest or powerful ritual or somethig like that).

So, for your 15th level slayer, give her a 30th level sword, but make it cursed, which means that the weapon just might fail at a crucial moment, but otherwise the slayer will be blowing through really tough encounters quite easily.

 

[cavalier973]

I feel I should point out that "Mobile Blade" allows a free move action, but it is not a shift.

At level 4, the slayer can stow or draw a weapon as a free action (as opposed to a minor action); the character can have, for example, a bow ready, fire off a shot, then stow the bow as a free action, pull out the sword as a minor action, then move. If the character is in the "Mobile Blade" stance, then she can move into position, use a standard action to shoot with the bow, move again (up to four squares) as a free action, stow the bow with a free action, and draw the blade as a minor action.

Your friend may not want to mess around with ranged attacks, of course, but it is an option.

One other thing (again from MME): it's an Artifact called the Book of Infinite Spells. It allows non-wizards to cast wizard spells. The character must study the BoIS for an hour during an extended rest, and she can replace any attack power she knows with a wizard attack power of the same level or lower; the replacement lasts until the end of the next extended rest.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=62721]MortalPlague[/MENTION] Thanks! Great advice on spicing up minions, I'll probably add stuff to their critical hits yo make them more interesting. Maybe I'll play with your other ideas if I have time.

[MENTION=91595]cavalier973[/MENTION] Good stuff with the cursed object, I'll think about it. Probably not necessary with the special rule "use healing surges as action points."

I goofed on the Mobile Blade, though I wonder if it should be "shift" to allow for greater mobility?

Yeah I'm going to give the PC a distance longbow keyed off strength. I think the PC had an "oathbow" from one of the 2e elf supplements. Oh yeah, I also gave the PC the Master at Arms feat so swapping weapons is pretty much a non-issue.

The spellbook from MME is a bit much for this PC but a very very cool item nevertheless.

 

[Grimmjow]

You may want to give him a cleric to help just an NPC who really doesn't do much but serve as a healer for him. it would be really easy to get him into play because your slayer has been gone for 7 years. Just make the cleric waiting for him wherever he shows up and be a follower of the same god. That way they have reasons to be working together. The slayer needs the cleric cause he knows whats been going on sense he disappeared, and the cleric was told by his god to help him, this could also lead to problems that the cleric has gotten himself into becoming a problem for the slayer

 

[S'mon]

Slayer does seem like the ideal class for this solo paragon oneshot - good ranged attack potential for a melee class, good in melee, robust, and simple to play by 4e standards (though I find the DDI online character sheet appalling - Essentials seems to work best with hand-made character sheets!).

For a 15th level Paragon Striker, as baseline encounter I would suggest a group of lower-level Standard monsters. Minions are annoying when the PC is focused on doing point damage; and in open terrain may quickly prove overwhelming. An equal-EL would be 2 11th level standard monsters, but I would actually consider 4 7th level standard monsters, for that Red Sonja feel. Even better would be 1 11th & 2 7th. I really wouldn't worry too much about the monsters struggling to hit the PC, for this game that's a feature, not a bug. I think a boss monster should probably be an 11th level Elite, not 15th level Standard, but either will work.

Avoid Stun effects; and be wary of Weakened too - a single creature with Weaken (save ends) as an Encounter power is ok, but don't use PC-nerfing At Wills unless it's with low level creatures who will rarely hit - a 9th level battle wight might be ok as it will probably only hit once.

 

[S'mon]

Personally I halve all monster hp; if you do that you can add +2 to monster levels.

Re magic items - I always give my warrior PCs Dwarven Armour, the free access to a healing surge's worth of hp is a lifesaver.

 

[Quickleaf]

Personally I halve all monster hp; if you do that you can add +2 to monster levels.

Re magic items - I always give my warrior PCs Dwarven Armour, the free access to a healing surge's worth of hp is a lifesaver.

Yep I generally do the same, and sounds like I'm on the same level about limiting conditions. Hadn't thought of lowering HP allowing for increased level of monsters, huh, seems so obvious.

I'm doing the character "daily power free" so that rules out the Dwarven Armor idea. But I'm probably going to include some story based opportunities to spend healing surges.

My buddy is pretty heavy into armor and weapons, and he knows quite a bit about "medieval" combat and military history. So I'm going to try and include that as the backdrop of the adventure, like having his PC return while his former army is in a doomed scenario and getting to save the day.

I'd also like so kind of mystery my buddy can solve that reveals where his PC has been these past years. Sort of a subplot nested within the main military threat.

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm still brainstorming, so open to all ideas

What do follks think of the ability to spend healing surges to re-roll misses and to make extra attacks 1/round (like action points)?

This PC has a couple outstanding adventures which it would be fun to tie into whatever adventure I end up running. Here are the highlights...

* Stole flower from the god Set which can restore lost memories

* Saved High Elven Queen from assassination by agents of Lolth

* Single-handedly defended town from Abyssal invasion

* Defeated an Abyssal Lord on his home turf (with artifact help)

* Foiled plot of fallen deva (and Erinyes manipulating him) that imperiled Celestia

 

[Arctic Wolf]

I don't think you should have him offer up healing surges for more attacks. How about at-will attacks/basic attacks are considered minor actions so that way he can use his awesome abilities for standards. Also this will help him do more damage if he runs out of encounter/daily attacks since he can do 2 aw/b attacks. Just never allow him to give up his movement action or make him use it if he isn't dazed or stunned(?). This will also kinda solve the problem of re-rolling missed rolls too since he can do 2 attacks per round. Hope this gives you some ideas buddy