Aust Diamondew
First Post
Every one has pretty much covered everything so I only have one thing to say:
Don't take stupid feats like skill focus.
Don't take stupid feats like skill focus.
Another strategy thread.
Macbeth
First Post
Having played in a PbP game that alsih2o ran (Remember the Cavindale, I believe it was? A great fun game while it lasted.. but A LOT of dwarf PCs that my elf atagonized...) I can safely say that just asking what a NPC is wearing won't always work in his games. I remeber one of the players in the PbP was metagaming and pointing out that, by the MM, gnolls are only active at night (or somesuch). alsih20 was quick to point out that, in his world, that's not always true.The Souljourner said:
There are plenty of ways for a sneaky DM to make a NPC seem like what he's not. A wizard with illusions could make himself LOOK like the full plate wearing fighter, but the PCs are going to have a hell of a time charming him.
I agree with your advice, target NPCs based on what you THINK they are, just be aware that what you think they are is not nessecarily related to what they really are.
Ao the Overkitty
First Post
Always assume there are invisible opponents.
Max Concentration for spellcasters. Combat casting feat is your friend. Try to keep your Concentration skill modifier to one less than you would need to roll for casting defensively with your highest level spell (IE 15 + spell level). Then, ALWAYS cast defensively. Make yourself a little sign that says, "I cast defensively." That trick has messed up a couple DMs that have tried to take AoO on me with invisible opponents.
If you have tumble as a class skill, max it. Tumble everywhere if you can help it (keeps those invisible opponents from hitting you as you move by).
With Sorcerers, you really don't need a lot of attack spells. Try to take one attack spell per spell level at lower levels. Don't duplicate attack types (ie, take different types of elements). Use your other spells for utility spells. Rary's Telepathic Bond, Darkvision, Haste, Dispel Magic, Water Breathing. Stuff like that.
Dimension Door IS an attack spell, and a very good one at that (bring those whappers straight to the bad guy so they don't waste their extra attacks). It also makes a great healing spell (deliver that cleric just where he's needed).
Never underestimate the usefullness of a cantrip.
Even spellcasters should have a spiked gauntlet. You never know when you're going to need to make an attack of opportunity. Our sorcerer, who has a strength of 8, has killed an air elemental cause of that gauntlet.
Be always looking for lines of effect. Teach the others not to get in your line.
The monk is your friend. You can blast lightening bolts through him and he won't take damage.
Max Concentration for spellcasters. Combat casting feat is your friend. Try to keep your Concentration skill modifier to one less than you would need to roll for casting defensively with your highest level spell (IE 15 + spell level). Then, ALWAYS cast defensively. Make yourself a little sign that says, "I cast defensively." That trick has messed up a couple DMs that have tried to take AoO on me with invisible opponents.
If you have tumble as a class skill, max it. Tumble everywhere if you can help it (keeps those invisible opponents from hitting you as you move by).
With Sorcerers, you really don't need a lot of attack spells. Try to take one attack spell per spell level at lower levels. Don't duplicate attack types (ie, take different types of elements). Use your other spells for utility spells. Rary's Telepathic Bond, Darkvision, Haste, Dispel Magic, Water Breathing. Stuff like that.
Dimension Door IS an attack spell, and a very good one at that (bring those whappers straight to the bad guy so they don't waste their extra attacks). It also makes a great healing spell (deliver that cleric just where he's needed).
Never underestimate the usefullness of a cantrip.
Even spellcasters should have a spiked gauntlet. You never know when you're going to need to make an attack of opportunity. Our sorcerer, who has a strength of 8, has killed an air elemental cause of that gauntlet.
Be always looking for lines of effect. Teach the others not to get in your line.
The monk is your friend. You can blast lightening bolts through him and he won't take damage.
DM with a vengence
First Post
A little more info on level and party composition would be valuble, but here are some general tactics.
The best spell in the game is Haste. 3.5 is even better than 3.0 because one guy can Haste the entire party. If you have a lot of fighter types, the extra attack for everybody will be more powerful than almost any blasting type spell you can dish out well up to the upper levels.
Defense beats offense. If you're facing enemies with good melee attacks, make them close the distance to your fighters. Fighters get a full attack, rogues won't need to move as much to flank, and clerics won't need to move as much to heal, etc.
Focus firepower. D&D chars can keep fighting at full efficiency until they hit 0, so try and knock out enemies as fast as possible to keep their damage low.
Use power attack to your advantage. It's the most valuble feat for high-level fighters, especially when combined with 2-Handed weapons.
The most valuble thing in a D&D combat is an action. Never do something during combat that you could've done before or after.
The best spell in the game is Haste. 3.5 is even better than 3.0 because one guy can Haste the entire party. If you have a lot of fighter types, the extra attack for everybody will be more powerful than almost any blasting type spell you can dish out well up to the upper levels.
Defense beats offense. If you're facing enemies with good melee attacks, make them close the distance to your fighters. Fighters get a full attack, rogues won't need to move as much to flank, and clerics won't need to move as much to heal, etc.
Focus firepower. D&D chars can keep fighting at full efficiency until they hit 0, so try and knock out enemies as fast as possible to keep their damage low.
Use power attack to your advantage. It's the most valuble feat for high-level fighters, especially when combined with 2-Handed weapons.
The most valuble thing in a D&D combat is an action. Never do something during combat that you could've done before or after.
Beale Knight
First Post
Rel said:
Being one of those players I can fill you in.
We've got a Wilderness Rogue, a Druid with an owl companion, and a Fighter.
We had a dwarf sorcerer and human ranger, but alas they have been killed by gravity and won't factor in any longer. I think one of the replacement characters is going to be an elf barbarian, but that could change, and as for the other I have no idea. [EDIT] I think we're all level 3. If not we're 1 L3 and the rest are L2.
The battle that prompted this thread and much discussion on our yahoo group was an ambush at a rope bridge stretching over a chasm. We were ambushed by a lemure summoning cleric and her small hoard o' goblins. The lemure was quickly killed, the cleric (played very well by a visiting player) cast fog cloud (or something like that). All of us were on the bridge, leading the first horse across when the ambush began.
We made generally reasonable combat choices, I thought. The W-Rogue worked at picking off goblins from a choice distance, the fighter moved to close on the cleric, the ranger (hindered by a horrible initiative roll) did the same, the sorcerer worked on killing goblins, and the druid calmed the horses.
Then the first of the bridge's three ropes was cut. No one fell, not even the horse (GM rolls the horse's reflex save, looks at the result and says "I don't think horses get a +4 reflex save". The fighter had already checked his SRD printout of "Horse, Light" and was smiling).
The druid worked on getting the horse to the safety of "our" side of the bridge. The W/Rogue fired a blind shot into the fog cloud (and actually made a very lucky hit!) and then ran for the safety of solid ground.
The other three remained on the rope bridge. The far end was obscured by the fog cloud, but after one strand had been cut, you can probably guess what was going on.
1 round later the others were 85 feet down. When they hit the ground the fighter and ranger were still alive, but only the fighter made his stabilze roll.
I've been thinking that our biggest problems in combat are communication and that we don't fight as a team, but as a bunch of individuals that happen to be on the same side. When we've had a chance to make a plan and act on it we have shined brightly. Four of us took out three of Alish2o's kerbals (feral wookies) with no damage but from a cold-die induced weapons fumble. This fight might have gone very differently had we remembered something we perpetually forget - THE #$@*ing OWL!!!
So that's who we are and how we had our numbers cut. There's been some ideas brought out in this thread already that I'm going to jot down, and I look forward to hearing more now that you have more information on the situation.
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alsih2o
First Post
Beale Knight said:
Not biggest, only.
You guys faced wgat was probably your toughest combat yet,
A baddie a level ahead of the party (level 4) with several mooks (goblins) and a nasty location.
The together thing is probably it.
Although the rest of the thread gives our fighter/military type room for quoting
Will
First Post
Most has been covered, but I'd point out a few more... disarm can be handy, sunder probably not worth it.
But the number one bit of advice... Hold action. That stupid rogue keeps Springing forward to attack you and then darting back out of sight? Hold action, and smack the jerk when he gets close.
If you are a lightly armored melee type, hang back until the nature of the battlefield is clarified. (I'm a high level duelist type who died a few times before learning this)
But the number one bit of advice... Hold action. That stupid rogue keeps Springing forward to attack you and then darting back out of sight? Hold action, and smack the jerk when he gets close.
If you are a lightly armored melee type, hang back until the nature of the battlefield is clarified. (I'm a high level duelist type who died a few times before learning this)
The_Universe
First Post
Fight defensively or use full defense when disengaging from combat, assuming you're not winning.
When you run out of ammo, or find yourself well over your head in melee, AID ANOTHER. There are a wealth of combat options besides *attack* and *move*. I always try to remind players to use them...Disarm and Sunder can really play havoc with BBEG, especially if his power is largely in his Magical Sword of Doom Reaping +30
When you run out of ammo, or find yourself well over your head in melee, AID ANOTHER. There are a wealth of combat options besides *attack* and *move*. I always try to remind players to use them...Disarm and Sunder can really play havoc with BBEG, especially if his power is largely in his Magical Sword of Doom Reaping +30
Buzzardo
First Post
1- Reach weapons combined with the Combat Reflexes Feat, Hight Dex, and thoughtful movement can result in tons of AoOs, which helps alot. Even without the Combat Reflexes, reach weapons are a great idea. They do provide at least a bonus AoO, and many have trip capability.
2- Low levels a druid with reasonable dex can make great use of the Produce Flame spell. Ranged touch makes a miss quite difficult.
3- Rogue with maxed ranks in bluff can feint to get sneak attacks. Or... rogue with high tumble ranks can maneuver into flanking position without drawing AoOs.
2- Low levels a druid with reasonable dex can make great use of the Produce Flame spell. Ranged touch makes a miss quite difficult.
3- Rogue with maxed ranks in bluff can feint to get sneak attacks. Or... rogue with high tumble ranks can maneuver into flanking position without drawing AoOs.
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