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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bullgrit" data-source="post: 2544955" data-attributes="member: 31216">I was thinking of posting the following anecdote from our most recent game, and this thread is a perfect opportunity.I don't want to say anyone in the group is dumb or stupid, but "boneheaded" is good.The group consists of:Cleric 6Bard 4 [NPC]Necromancer 6Sorcerer 7Fighter 7Fighter 7 [NPC]The are about to enter a known-to-be haunted graveyard in which sits a single structure: a mausoleum. They've been told by the locals that the graveyard rises up to attack anyone who ventures into it. They know there are going to be up against undead.They enter the graveyard and head for the mausoleum. When within 60', the ground rises up in the shape of a large form of graveyard earth and bone and stone markers. The cleric tries to turn the creature, but as the area is unhallowed, he gets -4 to his turning. No joy. So they engage it in combat.[This is a "homebrew necromental". Basically a Large earth elemental with the undead traits.]While the cleric and a fighter engage it, the necromancer hits it with a chill touch (via spectral hand). It fails its save and tries to flee. Between the AoOs and the sorcerer's magic missiles, though, it is destroyed.One round later, "another" necromental arises. Repeat the above combat sequence -- attack, chill touch, attempt to flee, destroyed.[A necromental will continue to arise one round after one is destroyed -- this is pretty much why this area remains as a dangerous site.]One round later, another necromental arises. Repeat the above combat sequence.One round later, another necromental arises. You know the drill, but this time the NPC fighter is killed in the battle.One round later, another necromental arises. This time though, the party has become rather stretched out. The remaining fighter tries to open the door to the mausoleum, but it won't open. The fighter then fends off the necromental while the cleric tries to open the door -- still won't open. Everyone agrees to flee the graveyard.The necromancer throws halt undead on the necromental and holds it so everyone can get away (with the living fighter hauling out the dead fighter's body).Of course they didn't know the creature would "respawn" after death, so I don't hold it against them that they had to fight it a couple or few times. But I didn't expect 5 times. And as it is only a CR6 creature, I didn't expect a character to die. But, oh well.Then the party starts trying to figure out how to get in the mausoleum without "arousing" the necromental. They figure to use fly and stone shape. Fly works for getting the cleric to the mausoleum without fighting, and he makes a 4'x3' hole in the door. Then he comes back. They decide to rest overnight so the necromancer can load up on fly spells for the whole party the next day, to get everyone over there and in.Now here is the overall boneheadedness of it all:The necromancer had at least 4 spells that would stop or remove the necromental from bothering them (not killing it, so another would not rise up again) -- chill touch (prepared), halt undead (prepared), command undead (prepared), and control undead (scroll). Plus he has a special magic item that lets a wizard rebuke undead as a cleric of his wizard level (and unhallow gives a +4 bonus to rebuke attempts).The group never discussed strategy. Everytime the necromancer hit the necromental with chill touch, the others killed it because they didn't know what chill touch did. They were perplexed after their retreat to find the necromancer could halt the creature -- "Why didn't you do it at the start? Or at least tell us you could do it?"And, to top it all off, the sorcerer has a wand of knock that would have easily opened the locked mausoleum doors.So, a simple 1st-level spell (chill touch) and one charge off a wand could have gotten them in the mausoleum without any fuss (after realizing killing the necromental wasn't a quick solution).I fear they will be completely eaten once inside the mausoleum (stairs lead down under the graveyard).Bullgrit</blockquote>

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