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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voodoo" data-source="post: 1415636" data-attributes="member: 17350">If I really wanted to give the players a hard time I’d make the most of the information that the surviving orc sorcerer can provide. If this is not enough then the orcs could set about gathering more information. Scrying is a great option, and even if the players know there being observed it serves well to start getting them paranoid. The DC of the scrying can be helped buy using one of the rangers arrows, either if the surviving orc sorcerer has one stuck in him or after the first time the two groups meet a single arrow should be easy to find. Alternatively send in a ghostly orc rogue to either materialize near the sleeping ranger and take a lock of his hair or to plant a scrying magic item, covered by a Nystal's Magical Aura, into the party’s possession. From this you can learn their plans and when you can catch them in the open. Secondly I’d make the orcs really work as a team, combining spells from more than one caster and setting opportunities up for each other.Now to cunning plans. I'd defiantly make the most of the air superiority of the wyverns by keeping them spread out and attacking with fly-by attack where possible, avoiding getting in to hand to hand where possible until they can dominate the situation. If the orcs can follow the activity of the players then there is no reason for them not to arrive fully prepared with an array of buff spells and defenses. If the orc force contains 2 wizards of at least 8th level then, between them, they can dimension door all 12 creatures in (or/and out). This should give them a surprise round on the players. In this round you can really hurt the players. Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is ideal for neutralizing the cleric, With his low reflex save and being a dwarf, no doubt in full plate, low dexterity. Cleric generally also lack the teleportation or disintegration abilities to free themselves, and if you can get the orc cleric to drop a Silence spell in the area just beforehand he won’t be able to dispel it either.  A simple wand of Fog Cloud can reduce the effectiveness of the ranger immensely. In the surprise round drop a fog cloud on the party, once you’ve finished all your other attacks. Now the ranger will have to move before he can shoot limiting his rate of fire. If you can get the wielder of the wand to be readied waiting for the ranger to move he can drop a fresh cloud as soon as the ranger tries to start firing. Now the ranger is down to 1 shot around with a 50% miss chance. If having a wand at hand is too convenient then the orc wizards could stock up on 3 each to achieve the same effect. This can also all be done from the safety of Invisibility.    So with a group of 6 Orcs, 2 fighters, 2 wizards, 1 cleric and 1 (ghostly) rogue-Dimension Door in gaining surprise. Fighters throw javelins (of lightening?), 1 wizard and the cleric silence and contain the party’s cleric, the other wizard drops a Fog Cloud on the party, especially the ranger.      Round 1 – The orcs attempt to contain the party’s wizard in a similar fashion, the other wizard continues to Fog Cloud the ranger, the fighters and rogue gang up on the paladin.By this point things are getting pretty bad for the players and unless they can really hurt the orcs soon and make them flee to rethink there in big trouble. Should the paladin fall in this fight I’d defiantly have his corpse taken away by the wyverns as sending an ex-paladin reanimated against the party later on is just too good to miss out on.However this might all be a bit harsh and end up just killing the party outright, so you might just want to use fog clouds to reduce the effectiveness of the ranger.</blockquote>

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