Adventuring Party Needed!

[Morrus]

Hey folks - I need some help preparing for next week's game. I need an adventuring party to pit against my group.

The enemy party is a group of six undead orcs mounted on undead wyverns, come to reinforce the garrison at a border fort which the players have recently decimated. The only thing I know about this group so far is that the leader is called Cloron Shattersoul, was a powerful warrior/general during his life, and his wyvern is bigger than those of his followers; they're kind of a "special ops unit" in the orc army. The wyverns are slightly odd in that they have a gaseous breath weapon, but that's all I know about them.

The party they will be pitted against is:

• Human Wiz 11
• Elf Ranger 11
• Human Paladin 10
• Dwarf Cleric 10

Plus cohorts, mounts, familiars, animal companions etc.

The party have already defeated one member of this group (he was separate from the main group, commanding the garrison at the fort); he was a Fighter 10, Blackguard 4, on one of the undead, gas-breathing wyverns.

Sources for abilities: PHB, DMG, MM1, Complete Warrior are all fine. Other stuff is probably OK, but you'd best say what something does if you get it from a non-core source, just in case I don't have the book! Feel free to "play around" with the wyverns (technically, they don't have to be wyverns, just kinda wyvern-esque with an undead theme going on).

If characters get complicated, please explain strategies and so forth (I do find it difficult to run high level NPCs with lots of abilities).

The fight should be pretty difficult; I'm thinking that in a direct fight, the PCs would lose, but with clever planning, strategies, preparation and aid, they could win.

Thanks in advance for any help! I'd love to have a good, statted out party with a plan ready for next week!

 

[Tyreus]

Cloron Shattersoul
Vampire Orc, Blackgaurd 3/Fighter 2/Barbarian 1/Exotic Weapon Master 1/Frenzied Berserker 4
HD: 11d12 (hp: 71)
Speed: 40 ft
Initiative: +8
AC: 30 (10+8+2+4+6)
Abilities: Str: 30 Dex: 18 Con: - Int: 10 Wis: 12 Cha: 20
Saves: Fort: +16 Reflex: +13 Will: +8
Attacks: +23/+18/+13 (1d10+21+5*+2d6*) 19-20 x2
Feats: exotic weapon prof, devastating rage, intimidation rage, weapon focus, power attack, cleave, divine might*, alertness, combat reflexes, dodge, improved initiative, lightning reflexes
Items: +1 Unholy* Bastard sword, +2 Elven chain, Ring of protection +2, Ring of counter spells (searing light)
CR 13
Tactics: Rage and frenzy, kill cleric, then paladin. Should survive with deathless frenzy long enough.
With Rage and Frenzy change stats to:
Str: 40
AC: 24
Saves: Will: +14
Attacks: +28/+23/+18 (1d10+31+5+2d6)

Vampire Orc, Fighter 6/Cavalier 2
HD: 8d12 (hp: 52)
Speed: 30 ft
Initiative: +8
AC: 28 (10+5+3+4+6)
Abilities: Str: 30 Dex: 18 Con: - Int: 10 Wis: 12 Cha: 14
Saves: Fort: +9 Reflex: +7 Will: +7
Attacks: +20/+15 (1d8+14) 19-20 x3
Feats: weapon focus lance, weapon spec lance, mounted combat, spirited charge, ride by attack, trample, mounted combatant (tactical)
Items: +2 Heavy lance, Longsword, +1 Chain shirt, +1 Large steel shield
CR 10
Tactics: Charge wizard on wyvern, use spirited charge and trample, then fly away, all in 1 round. Rinse and repeat. I dont have the complete warrior with me so I cant remeber what the tactical feat does, though I'm sure it's useful.

Maybe you could use these guys. With some others they would be even more of a challenge. (vampire spawn?)

 

[Morrus]

That's a great start - thanks!

My main worry is that the Elf Ranger is able to put out six arrows per round, which do an additional 2d6 damage to evil targets; by himself, he could take out the Cloron above in a round or two pretty easily. I'm also not desperately keen on the vampire angle - vampire orc doesn't quite work for me! Can anyone think of another undead type we could use? Cloron, I'm thinking, is more of a "death knight" type of guy, thematically, although not necessarily a death knight per se (the character classes you have suggested certainly fit in well!)

The rest of the party - I'm thinking a typical adventuring party assortment of warriors, spellslingers, rogues etc. I'd like to come up with some "interesting" stuff, in order to suprise my players!

I also need to come up with stats for the wyverns; they'll need to be somewhat modified from the MM, and advanced a little, I should imagine.

 

[Creamsteak]

Hey, that's not right! Using the mod-only posticon for your own stuff! Anway, first thing I think you need are blocks for the standard breath-weapon toting wyvern. I'm such a nerd I have one on hand. This is CR 8 by the books, but the applying the half-dragon template to another dragon doesn't garner a ton of benefits. Also note that if you bump up the breath weapon to a normal usage (once every 1d4 rounds) then the CR 8 is probably justified. If you need one advanced, it wouldn't be too hard either. Here's a by the book one:

Green Wyvern
Large Dragon
Hit Dice: 7d12+21 (66 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 40 ft. (average) or 60 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 22 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+19
Attack: Sting +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) or talon +14 melee (2d6+8) or bite +14 melee (2d8+8)
Full Attack: Sting +14 melee (1d6+8 plus poison) and bite +12 melee (2d8+8) and 2 wings +12 melee (1d8+6) and 2 talons +12 melee (2d6+8)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, poison, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, sleep, and paralysis, low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +7, Listen +13, Move Silently +11, Spot +16
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack (b)
Environment: Warm hills or temperate forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or flight (3–6)
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Lawful evil
Advancement: 8–10 HD (Huge); 11–21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

Breath weapon: A green wyvern's breath weapon deals 6d8 points of acid damage over a 30 foot cone. A successful Reflex save (DC 18) reduces damage by half. A green wyvern can use this breath weapon once per day.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a wyvern must hit with its talons. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and stings.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 18, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills: Wyverns have a +3 racial bonus on Spot checks.

 

[Morrus]

Hey, that's not right! Using the mod-only posticon for your own stuff!

Don't look at today's news page, then!

Anyway - that wyvern looks great, Creamsteak. It's about the right power level, although it needs to be undeadified; I'd kinda like it to have some weird, scary powers too (thinking a banshee scream type thing, but not a banshee scream - but you get the theme!)

Oh, one thing I didn't mention - the group doesn't have to be balanced against the party for a straight up fight. If they get in a straight up fight with this group, I want them to die; they need to strategise, divide, conquer. I'm thinking that 2-3 of the group should be about an equal fight (that includes the wyverns, of course, which bump up the power of the orcs somewhat).

 

[Capellan]

My main worry is that the Elf Ranger is able to put out six arrows per round, which do an additional 2d6 damage to evil targets; by himself, he could take out the Cloron above in a round or two pretty easily.

Two words: Wind Wall. If one of the Orcs is a caster with access to this spell, s/he can hide behind it and serve as a comparatively secure 'rest and healing' spot for the others to get support from.

Actually, an air elementalist, wyvern riding orc would be pretty cool. I might stat it up for you, tonight, if I get a chance

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Here's a beefy orc who could be the right hand man for your leader. If you're worried about him surviving the archer, you could up the potion of blur to a potion of displacement or put an orc with an arrow-catching tower shield next to him.

With his high number of attacks, he's also an ideal candidate to benefit from a bardsong.

Smazzhup Yustef: Male Orc Ftr 4/Bbn 1/Tribal Protector3/Eye of Gruumsh 4; CR 12; HD: 1d12+4d10+3d10+4d12+36; HP (118); Init +3; Spd 30 ft.; AC 22 (+7 breastplate, +3 dex, +1 deflection, +1 natural); Atk +18/+13/+8 (1d8+9 Orc Double Axe) or Wild Fighting +16/+16/+11/+6 (1d8+9 orc double axe) or TWF +16/+11/+6 and +16/+11 (1d8+7 and 1d8+5 Orc Double Axe), or Wild Fighting and TWF +14/+14/+9/+4 and +14/+9 (1d8+7 and 1d8+5 Orc Double Axe) or +16 ranged (1d6+4 javalin); BAB +12; Grapple +16/+11/+6; SA: Rage 2/day, Wild Fighting, Swing Blindly, Blinding Spittle 1 hour, Tribal Enemy: whoever you want; SQ: Follow Orders Blindly, Homeland: wherever you want, Terrain AC bonus +2, Ritual Scarring +1; AL CE; SV: Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 18, Dex 17, Con 14 (16), Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 15

Skills and Feats: Climb + (4), Intimidate +16 (15), Jump +4 (4), Intuit Direction +4 (4), Knowledge: Religion +(7.5), Listen +(4), Sense Motive +(6) Wilderness Lore +(4); Ambidexterity, Blindfight, Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Orc Double Axe, Great Cleave, Improved Two Weapon Fighting Power Attack, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus: Orc Double Axe, Weapon Specialization: Orc Double Axe (3.5e +Imp Crit: Orc Double Axe and Superior TWF)

Equipment: +2 Bracers of Health, +2 Cloak of Resistance, +2 breastplate with masterwork armor spikes, +1/+1 Orc Double Axe, +1 Ring of Protection, 2x Potion of CSW, Potion of Blur, Potion of Fly, masterwork dagger, 3 masterwork javalins.

Follow Orders Blindly: The eye of Gruumsh may grant a +2 morale bonus on Will saves to any nongood orcs or half-orcs with HD lower than his character level within 30 feet of him. Any recipient who willingly goes against the eye of Gruumsh’s directions loses this bonus immediately. Using this ability is a standard action and the effect lasts for 1 hour per eye of Gruumsh level.
Ritual Scarring: The eye of Gruumsh gains a +1 bonus to natural armor
Swing Blindly: The Eye of Gruumsh gains an additional +2 bonus to his Strength score while raging. While this ability is in effect, the character provokes attacks of opportunity as though he were casting a spell whenever he takes any kind of attack action.
Blinding Spittle: The eye of Gruumsh can launch blinding spittle at any opponent within 20 feet. Using a ranged touch attack (at a –4 penalty), he spits his stomach acid into the targets eyes. An opponent who fails a Reflex save (DC 17 DC 10+Eye of Gruumsh level + Con modifier) is blinded until he or she can rinse away the spittle. This attack has no effect on creatures that don’t have eyes or don’t depend on vision. Blinding Spittle is usable once per hour at 4th level.
Tribal Enemy: Tribal protectors gain a +3 bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive checks when using these skills against their enemies. They gain the same +3 bonus to weapon damage rolls against these creatures. This damage does not apply to damage against creatures who are immune to critical hits, and the tribal defender does not gain this bonus when using a ranged weapon from more than 30 feet distant.
Homeland: Tribal Protectors gain a +2 bonus to Hide, Intuit Direction, Move Silently, and Wilderness Lore checks when they are within the terrain type and geographical area of their tribal homeland.
Wild Fighting: Similar to a monk attacking with a flurry of blows, a tribal defender of 2nd level or higher can enter a state of wild fighting, attacking in a storm of ferocious assaults. The character gains one extra attack per round, at his highest base attack bonus, but all the character’s attacks in that round suffer a –2 penalty. This penalty lasts for an entire round, so it also affects any attacks of opportunity the protector might make in that round.
Terrain AC Bonus: You take great advantage of your homeland’s features and gain the listed deflection bonus to your AC when in your homeland.

Rage: HP 142, AC 20, Atk +21/+16/+11 (1d8+9 Orc Double Axe) or Wild Fighting +19/+19/+14/+9 (1d8+13 orc double axe) or TWF +19/+14/+9 and +19/+14 (1d8+10 and 1d8+6 Orc Double Axe), or Wild Fighting and TWF +17/+17/+12/+7 and +17/+12 (1d8+10 and 1d8+6 Orc Double Axe) or +16 ranged (1d6+7 javalin)—note that this uses the Swinging Blindly modifiers and therefore provokes AoOs; BAB +12; Grapple +19/+14/+9 SV: Fort +19, Ref +10, Will +8; lasts 7 rounds.

So, since he'd get so much out of bardsong, here's our orchish warchanter (if you wanted to be really nasty, you'd combine the 3.5 Inspire courage progression with the 3.0 natural horn effect that doubled the inspire courage bonusses (Song and Silence) for a +4/+4 bardsong but I don't think that's really a good idea); I also gave him the Requium feat from Song and Silence that (IIRC) lets his bard songs effect undead. If you don't use undead in the same encounter as him, I'd switch it out for Power Attack, Weapon Focus, or Deflect Arrows:
Orc warchanter: Male Orc Brd 8/Bbn 1; CR 9; Medium-size Humanoid; HD 6d6+12; hp 38; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; AC 16 (touch 11, flat-footed 15) [+1 Dex, +5 chain shirt]; BAB +7; Grap +10; Atk: +11 melee (1d8+5/x3 battle axe), or +11 melee (1d8+4/x3 lance), or +9 ranged (1d8+3 composite longbow); Full Atk: +11/+6 melee (1d8+5/x3 battle axe) or +11/+6 melee (1d8+5/x3 lance) or +9/+4 ranged (1d8+3 composite longbow); SQ: Rage 1/day, Fast Movement, Bardic Music 8/day, Inspire Courage +2, Countersong, Fascinate, Suggestion, Bardic Knowledge; AL CE; SV Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +7; Str 18, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
Skills and Feats: Handle Animal +8 5r, Hide +13 11r, Listen +11 11r, Move Silently +13 11r, Perform: Oratory +14 11r, Perform: Sing +5 2r, Ride +8 5r; Mounted Combat, Reqium, Ride By Attack, Spirited Charge.
Equipment: +1 elf bane lance, +1 battle axe, Mighty [+3] Composite longbow, 20 masterwork arrows, dagger, +1 Chain Shirt, +1 cloak of resistance, scroll of cure light wounds, scroll of Haste x2.
Spells Per Day (3/4/4/3 base DC 13+spell level)
Spells Known: 6/4/4/3; 0th-Dancing Lights, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Read Magic; 1st—Cure Light Wounds, Lesser Confusion, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Undetectable Alignment; 2nd—Blindness/Deafness, Glitterdust, Rage, Silence; 3rd—Confusion, Cure Serious Wounds, Displacement.

Edit--Dangit! I just noticed you want them all to be undead. And here I am without appropriate undead templates to play with. Oh well. I'll leave them up anyway--maybe someone else will use them /edit

 

[Iron Sheep]

Tactics: Rage and frenzy, kill cleric, then paladin. Should survive with deathless frenzy long enough.

Sadly, I believe that deathless frenzy isn't much use for undead: they are destroyed at 0 hp.

Although I guess it would be a reasonable house rule that an undead with deathless frenzy keeps on going until the frenzy stops.

As far as undead types go: death knight is always good for powerful fighter undead, but you might also look at curst (Monsters of Faerun, created by bestow curse + wish or miracle), or dread warriors (Unapproachable East). Bone creature or corpse creature from the Book of Vile Darkness are also possibilities.

A swordwraith from the Fiend Folio might be a good choice: gain strength damage with a melee attack and DR 10/magic and slashing which should put a but of a dent in the archer's attacks.

As for the others: a warmage might be a good choice for arcane caster from the easy-to-DM standpoint. You can cast like a sorcerer, but you don't even have to select most of the spells they know.

If you want to use the Book of Vile Darkness, the Warrior of Darkness might be a good prestige class for a warrior-type.

The monster of legend might be a good way to give the Wyverns a breath weapon and a few extra special abilities, although that would be applying the template to a Dragon.

Any further input on the "feel" of these characters: are they an undead orcish barbarian horde, or an organised militaristic group, or are they dripping with unspeakable evil?

Corran

 

[Morrus]

Any further input on the "feel" of these characters: are they an undead orcish barbarian horde, or an organised militaristic group, or are they dripping with unspeakable evil?

I'll try an give you a little bit of backstory without boring you. I know how dull it is listening to someone tell you about their campaign!

The PCs recently rescued about 30 Rohirrim-type warriors from the fort's dungeons by teleporting in; in the process, they also picked up a 6-year old girl who detects as pure evil, but who doesn't seem capable of doing anything evil (she's all innocent etc. - she doesn't know she's evil personified). The bad guys need this little girl for their plans - she's an important plot point. She's immune to magic, too.

The PCs escaped the fort with the people they rescued, and were pursued by the garrison's commander, a orc warrior/blackguard on an undead wyvern. They defeated him. At the same time, a large contingent of orc archers moved out of the fort towards the copse where the PCs were hiding, and the PCs defeated them also.

While the PCs rested in the copse, they saw smoke signals being sent from the fort. They deciphered these, which said "Reinforcements needed! Send Shattersoul!")

They teleported into the fort's courtyard, and battled the remaining troops; they did a lot of damage, decimating the garisson, but had to flee eventually, back to the copse (via teleport again).

They were attacked by 4 orc sorcerors who teleported into their camp, did some damage, but were defeated (one managed to teleport back to the fort).

As they planned their next assault on the fort, they spied some specks in the sky, far in the distance. Using a spyglass, they were able to determine that these were 6 winged wyvern-type creatures with riders - i.e. Cloron Shattersoul and his men. Shattersoul doesn't know about them yet, or that they're hiding in the nearby copse, but as soon as he arrives at the fort, the orc troops there will quickly fill him in (and the surviving wizard will give him lots of info about their capabilities and general strategies).

I see Shattersoul as the a high-ish ranking leader of an elite group, used by the orc armies for the tough missions. The PCs have heard of him, but only that he was an orc general who died a few hundred years ago. This group is part of an organised army, but is somewhat eclectic and atypical of the the army, called upon in dire situations. Think Nazgul, but not so much "enslaved by the ring" as "important allies of the bad guys".

The PCs want to run, but they tried teleporting away and found that the girl didn't arrive at the destination, being immune to magic. So they had to immediately teleport back, because they couldn't just leave her there. Thus, they are left with no choice but to fight Shattersoul.

 

[Creamsteak]

Anyway - that wyvern looks great, Creamsteak. It's about the right power level, although it needs to be undeadified; I'd kinda like it to have some weird, scary powers too (thinking a banshee scream type thing, but not a banshee scream - but you get the theme!)

Zombie dragons breath weapon damage is half and only DC 10, lower the CR to 5, and the dragon's not able to engage in combat and fly at the same time anymore. Basically the thing falls apart. Dracolich, ghostly, and skeletal dragons are all even more problematic for different reasons.

I think that the best fit is going to be a corpse creature from the BoVD. It's basically a better zombie template. The side effects are decreased flying ability and hit points. Now I have to ask about whether you think I should modify the hit points/hit dice of the creature since I'm using a 3.0 template. Should I apply the draconomicon zombie hit dice bonus (+2 hp per dice) or the monster manual zombie hit dice bonus (double hit dice)? This version uses the flat +2 per hit dice.

Green Corpse Wyvern
Large Undead
Hit Dice: 7d12+14 (59 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 60 ft. (clumsy)
Armor Class: 21 (–1 size, +12 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+21
Attack: Sting +16 melee (1d6+10 plus poison) or talon +16 melee (2d6+10) or bite +16 melee (2d8+10) of slam +16 melee (1d8+15)
Full Attack: Sting +16 melee (1d6+10 plus poison) and bite +14 melee (2d8+10) and 2 wings +14 melee (1d8+10) and 2 talons +12 melee (2d6+10)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Breath weapon, poison, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, sleep, and paralysis, low-light vision, scent, and undead traits
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +6
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 10, Con —, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +6, Listen +13, Move Silently +9, Spot +16
Feats: Ability Focus (poison), Alertness, Flyby Attack, Multiattack (b)
Environment: Warm hills or temperate forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or flight (3–6)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Lawful evil
Advancement: 8–10 HD (Huge); 11–21 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

Breath weapon: A green corpse wyvern's breath weapon deals 6d8 points of acid damage over a 30 foot cone. A successful Reflex save (DC 15) reduces damage by half. A green corpse wyvern can use this breath weapon once per day.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a green corpse wyvern must hit with its talons. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and stings.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 15, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills: Wyverns have a +3 racial bonus on Spot checks.