An Underwhelming Terrasque Story

[The Grumpy Celt]

I think it's a typo...

Nah. I new there were going to be some though monsters, so I let them find a Blast Scepter. Which is also why the lich had the ring of fire resistance - so they would not be able to wax him with one blast.

What's a 6th-level party doing trying to fight a CR 17 lich?

A good questions. For one thing, there are six members of the party, five at 6th level, one at 5th level. For another, the barbarian/fighter is a horrible killing machine that tends to leave a cloud of fire red mist where a monster had once been.

Also, I made a correction to the story above - it was glitter dust not color spray the wizard used on the lich. Give me a break - it's Monday and I've got a lot going on at work.

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

Also, I made a correction to the story above - it was glitter dust not color spray the wizard used on the lich. Give me a break - it's Monday and I've got a lot going on at work.

You also edited in the description of why the phylactery got a save. For the record held objects don't take damage from area effect spells unless the holder rolls a 1 on his save and even then only one of his objects and that's based on a list in the DMG.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

For the record held objects don't take damage from area effect spells....

And that never made any sense to me.

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

It's because few people like prancing around naked after the first round of combat at mid levels and up.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Speak for your self.

(Grumpy prances out of the office.)

 

[Sammael]

And that never made any sense to me.

Sense or no sense, you just house-ruled yourself out of a supposedly nasty encounter.

IMO, the lich just wasn't played right. Although... it was a kobold lich. I don't really think I'd be scared of a kobold lich, troll body or no. Even a CR 17 kobold lich.

 

[ForceUser]

A good questions. For one thing, there are six members of the party, five at 6th level, one at 5th level. For another, the barbarian/fighter is a horrible killing machine that tends to leave a cloud of fire red mist where a monster had once been.

Six PCs of 5th-6th level would get pasted by a CR 17 monster of any stripe in most campaigns (including mine). I can't imagine a scenario in which such characters could possibly win against such a foe, unless I severely handicapped the CR 17 monster. I mean, one horrid wilting and it's all over. Or one empowered cone of cold. Or one mass hold person. Or one delayed blast fireball. Or one prismatic spray. Or one reverse gravity.

A wand of inflict moderate wounds was his main weapon? You crippled your lich so your PCs had a chance to beat it. I dig on your story setup, but I don't think I'd have an enjoyed a fight where the DM had so obviously invoked deus ex machina so we could win. But hey, if everyone had fun, you're not doing it wrong I guess.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Eh, as long as you had fun.



Though that was really sort of being set up for comedy gold. You give them a weapon that does roughly 9d more damage than they could ordinarily muster, then give the foe an item to specifically counter-act the item that you gave them. Then house-rule it where items have to make saves even if the weilder doesn't roll a 0. Then the kobold-lich holds his phylactery over his head ... screaming: "BEHOLD, you fools, I LIVE YET AGAI ... *KERBLOOM*"

As a player I would dig all over it.

I had a grand (short)-campaign ending combat go something like that.

It was Star Wars ... the party walked in, watched all the enemy dark-siders get all wuxia jumping around and brandishing their lightsabers ... then gave the guy they were there to "reclaim" a stomach ache, slung him over a shoulder and ran for it. We howled with laughter for a good ten minutes. ... after I got over seeing all my dramatic planning go right out the window.

--fje

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

Something similiar happened towards the end of a campaign in which our party was attempting to stop a huge evil army (tm) marching towards our capital. It was lead by a guy who we'd been running into the effects of since about 4th level or so. He thwarted our plans, we'd thwart his plans and leave taunting notes for him. He was the Big Bad Guy we all loved to hate.

The epic confrontation between our Paladin and the BBG lasted one attack, a critical from the Paladin's falchion broke the 50 point mark, the BBG rolled a 1.

"Next".

We laughed ourselves silly to the thunderous echo of a host of devils deciding it was time to try out the teleport power.

 

[Mithran]

Funny, funny story. The players will probably remember this story long after they have forgotten any "by the book" fights anyway.