Challenging my high-lvl group (NPCs and monsters; my players shouldn't read this!)

[Piratecat]

it's a jolly good job it wasn't a typical Shadow STR drain, otherwise Velendo would currently be an undead shadow of his former self - probably some others too!

Whatcha mean, Alex? Did I make a stupid mistake?

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Two completely different items. The shadows personal ability is via touch and that drains strength and creates a shadow if it kills you. The ability used against the Defenders was a psionic ability. Now if every strength drain by a shadow can cause it victims to be raised as fewllow shadows then all shadows from now on take a single level in mage to get the Ray of Enfeeblement spell and get a LOT more dangerous.

it's a jolly good job it wasn't a typical Shadow STR drain, otherwise Velendo would currently be an undead shadow of his former self - probably some others too!

(I like the idea of allowing still spells to be cast while incapacitated at 0 Str, I think I'll use that)

Cheers

 

[Capellan]

Originally posted by DocMoriarty
Two completely different items. The shadows personal ability is via touch and that drains strength and creates a shadow if it kills you. The ability used against the Defenders was a psionic ability. Now if every strength drain by a shadow can cause it victims to be raised as fellow shadows then all shadows from now on take a single level in mage to get the Ray of Enfeeblement spell and get a LOT more dangerous.

*yoink*

Actually, I think that could work *really* nicely as a visual ... instead of the usual appearance of the spell the Shadow's version could be for it to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out to the PCs, mimicking a real life shadow. Same game impact, much greater "ooga booga" spooky effect.

Even if you didn't allow the spell effect to raise further shadows (which, of course, it shouldn't), I'm guessing it would scare the pants off a few players!

And if PC is looking for ideas for non-Ghoul enemies for the Defenders to fight, may I suggest:

Solnir Darkmantle
Ranger / Necromancer / Palemaster (insert levels to taste)

As a youth, Solnir a Ranger (enemy: Aberrations) who was captured and enslaved by Mind Flayers. After a number of years of slavery (feel free to make this a really long time if you make Solnir non-human) chance circumstances lead to his escape ... possibly it was even a True Ghoul attack.

Swearing vengeance on the Mindflayers, and realising that Undead were immune to the Illithid's major powers, Solnir became a Necromancer (Barred: Enchantment ... too similar to the powers the Mindflayers used on him), and subsequently a Pale Master.

His motivation for assisting the Ghouls may be to protect a particular settlement (per the offer the Defenders were given) or simply because they are helping him kill Mindflayers.

One of the nice aspects of this is that Solnir can get away with being N or CN in alignment quite easily, if you want to push the Defenders into something of a moral dilemma.

Feats: Solnir should have Iron Will, Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration as feats, to reflect his Illithid-hunting preferences.

As people may have guessed, I have plans to use Solnir as a foil for my own players at some point. My draft has him at Ranger 1 / Necromancer 5 / Pale Master 6, which is nowhere near enough to challenge the Defenders, but if pushed up a bit and given support, he could prove a nasty surprise.

 

[Knightfall]

ATTENTION: Piratecat.

Ok, I asked you in the story hour thread but didn't get a response. Can I please, please, please use Calphas in my homebrew campaign, World of Kulan?

And can you please, please, please fill in the following for me (if you've even got that far when it comes to your pantheon)? Stuff you haven't done I'll just make up.

CALPHAS
The Wallbuilder

Lesser, Intermediate, or Greater Deity (?)
Symbol: (?)
Home Plane: (?)
Godly Realm: (?)
Alignment: (?)
Portfolio: (?)
Worshipers: (?)
Cleric Alignments: NG* and (?)
Domains: Earth, Wall* and (?)
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff* (?)

* Gleaned from Velendo's character sheet

I promise I'll leave you alone after this. Well, maybe. Did I say please?

 

[Piratecat]

Knightfall, absolutely you may! I'll stat that up for you tomorrow.

 

[Kaodi]

Creepy Idea

Maybe you get enough ideas here, maybe shadows are done too often, maybe life would be different if the moon really was made of green cheese, but in any case, I had an interessting yet relatively simple idea to spruce up spooky encounters.

I was just thinking that it would be really neat to have a villainous spellcaster who had a shadow with a life of its own, a la (sp?) Peter Pan. What would be different though is that this shadow and its owner are linked, so that they have all of their hp added together into one pool. All target non-area spells that affect one affect both (so if they are affected by something like curse, they are both affected) and if both are caught in a single area spell the pool would be hit twice. They would fortify each others turning resistance, giving something like +4 to each other (which is why this version using an undead shadow works best with another undead) and they are telepathically linked. Noticeably, on a turning attempt they can only be turned, not destroyed, unless *both* are destroyed by the same attempt. This idea would probably work well with a high-level undead cleric, and would be really creepy to describe that they realize their opponent suddenly casts no shadow, then have the shadow attack from behind. Said shadow would have maybe half of its owners HD rounded up. Modify as wished and enjoy.

 

[Knightfall]

Knightfall, absolutely you may! I'll stat that up for you tomorrow.

Woohoo!!

Thanks P'Cat...

 

[Gidien]

More ideas

Wow. Just found this thread yesterday. Many thanks to PCat for its existence. And now for my musings...

Going back to the undead monks, you could have it so that in a large cavern, they leap down from concealed ledges, strike, and using spring attack and leap of the clouds hop back up. When the PCs fly up to investigate, they are greeted by the ten goulish sorcerers, all of which have prepped fireballs... Ten saves, tens sets of 6d6 damage, and the gouls aren't even high level. Plus, the monks are still there...

And, for something different, add levels of blackguard to the monks. Sneak attacking, spellcasting, smiting goodness.

Oh and to Gideon... you stole my name! Or I stole yours... this could get confusing if I start posting with any frequency.

 

[Elric]

Hmm, that's a good point about Horrid Wilting. 8th level Wizard spells are really powerful. On the other hand, I don't think that Psions have anything close as powerful as Horrid Wilting. I don't have the book on me, but I thought that the "blast" power at that level did 15d6 damage. I'm not sure about the exact wording of the Shadow's touch attack. Can Baendril bring someone to 0 Str with Shadow Blades and then touch them once to turn them into a Shadow?

I wonder if any powerful creatures about to be killed by Malachite know enough to kill itself or ensure that it dies either to someone else or by Malachite's Positive Energy Burst or turning instead of his blade.

 

[Piratecat]

I wonder if any powerful creatures about to be killed by Malachite know enough to kill itself or ensure that it dies either to someone else or by Malachite's Positive Energy Burst or turning instead of his blade.

Nope. They don't even know he has that power! Boy, will they be mad when they find out.

"He can lock us into permanent death. He must die first!"