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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stalker0" data-source="post: 8415914" data-attributes="member: 5889">I'll put this in spoilers since its Off-topic but some people might be interested to see how a group of 9th level characters beat a CR30.[Spoiler]<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The party had teleported into a "trap" that they had fallen into through various other plot pieces. The githyanki forces were mainly on their barges in a wide open area, save for one tower in the area (aka the archers could target and kill anyone). I had designed this to be an absolute kill trap, as I told the players when the fight started "the gloves were off". However, the party did have a special one use item that gave them all the effects of a long rest....aka they were at 100% power when things went down.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The party 9th level:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wizard</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sorc</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fighter</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Paladin</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rogue</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Barb</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">11th level Cleric (had a cursed shield of arrow attraction, an "important magic item" for this.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Most players had 1-2 magic items, like a +1 sword or a ring of fire resistance or something. The only really impactful items were the shield previously mentioned, the one use item that gave every a long rest to start the fight, and each player could get bardic inspiration 1/day through a plot based effect.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Party all had the standard point buy from the PHB, max hp at first level, half round up for future levels (aka d8 = 5 hp)</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wizard won initiative, cast a wall of force (dome version) to prevent an insta death to most of the party from the archers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Knights started teleporting through the wall, and then porting out when hurt. Main front line forced to engage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sorc cast a fog cloud to prevent the teleportations, and they took out the remaining knights in the dome.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The wizard's familiar was a bit away from the group and had not been attacked yet. The wizard had his familiar race towards the barge. The familiar was sniped but it allowed the wizard a glance at one of the gun ports through the familiars eyes, and so now the wizard had a direct location and distance inside the ship.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">While the others made the loudest sounds they could as distraction, the wizard and sorc began d dooring people into the gun port. Leaving the barb, rogue, and cleric on the ground.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Alpha team (in the ship) managed stealth checks and were able to move through key parts of the ship. At the end, they faced the commander (aka the second in command of the entire expedition). Instead of fighting him, the Paladin actually used diplomacy to try and talk the commander down (this was a very intense moment, several of the other players were actually heated about this....they thought it was an insane waste of action at a time when a TPK was still very much a concern). And yet....the paladin got a 30! Moreso, I had actually written into the plot that the commander was fed up with the general on the entire strategic course of the Githyanki campaign (completely in plot before this fight, I was even surprised it came up). And so, the commander took a dive off the ship (with feather fall esque power of course). He didn't surrender, but he didn't intervene. The wizard got to the control wheel (aka a ship looking spin wheel). He placed a resilient sphere around himself and the wheel....he took himself out of the fight directly, but guaranteed he would keep control of the ship. This dropped the wall of force, leading to....</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Beta Team prepared for the wall of force drop. The cleric casts as many protective spells as he could, and went into dodge. The Rogue and Barb prepared to run. As the wall of force dropped and the fog dissipated, the archers opened fire. The shield of arrow attraction gives the user resistance against arrows but also attracts all areas in the area to them. And so the cleric took the full force....but through the power of dodge, a massive buffed AC to begin with, and resistance to arrows.....managed to survive and get a heal spell off. The barb and rogue raced for the tower while the arrows were raining down into the shield.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The main barg (now under Alphas Control) began raining fire on the smaller platforms holding the archers (basically fireballs). And so the archers who had been in cramped conditions on the platforms, began to get devastated. The main barge lifted up to ensure the knights on the ground couldn't get back to them, and so the main barge started focusing on the archers....and the small barges were no match for the main one.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Beta Team got into the tower where the main githyanki general was at, and started the fight there.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">This led into the meat of the combat. Alpha Team dealt with githyanki on the main barge while the wizard used the barge to fight the archers....even ramming them to knock more archers off to their deaths. Beta Team fought the general, and the cleric dealt with the knights.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It remained a big scramble through the rest of the fight. A fireball from the barg helped the cleric with the knights. Eventually the sorc was able to get down to the tower and help Beta team, who was no match for the General 2 on 1. A lot of epic combat, but your more standard tactics at that point, not the "special actions" we have seen up onto this point.</li> </ul>At the end of it all, the party was now drained. Everyone was seriously hurt, spells and abilities were all massively drained. But....at the end of it all, the party defeated the entire force with no casualties, and managed to secure a githyanki battle barge for their home city.[/Spoiler]</blockquote>

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