Common High-Level Tactics

[TarionzCousin]

Yeah, since you're in your own secret extradimensional space.

If the characters all have bags of holding or portable holes, this becomes a problem.

They recently published a tentacle monster with an antimagic grapple.

Ooh! Where? Who?

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

If the characters all have bags of holding or portable holes, this becomes a problem.

Ooh! Where? Who?

Even if you do not go for the most hoselicious rule interpretation on that one, there is a nasty tactical nugget there.

If the inner dungeon complex is a series of linked extra-dimensional spaces, not only do you confuse the usual Dimension Door and Teleport tactics ("You disappear from the clutches of the dragon's mouth to appear...next to the dragon.") but it will really annoy the PCs to have their Bags and Haversacks shut down without warning when an interesting emergency arises.

 

[Slife]

If the characters all have bags of holding or portable holes, this becomes a problem.

By extradimensional I meant extraplanar (typo...). You should have your own plane by the time you get to epic levels, with (if at all possible) very favorable time traits. At non-epic, but high, levels, you should at least have your own demiplane (or the use of a close ally's).

 

[Plane Sailing]

How is this for an evil and very uncommon high level tactic for bad guys?

The setup:
Mist filled corridors and rooms
A magic trap that appears to teleport everyone to a misty room, it actually plane shifts them to the ethereal plane.

The effect
The nasty wizard behind this situation can see the ethereal PCs perfectly well with his see invisibility, and he can hurt them with multiple magic missile spells (since they extend from the prime material onto the ethereal), but they can't hurt him (because other spells don't go the other way).

Interesting potential for a tricky situation if the PCs don't recognise they are ethereal and can't work out why they are not hurting him, while he is hurting them (the magic missile - only - attack is a good hint, perhaps.
)

 

[Ipissimus]

Here's a few tactics.

Fog Cloud/Solid Fog + Rogue or Ninja with blindsense/tremmorsense. In fact, any spell that makes them blind while the Rogue can see = nasty. DMs, take note, you'll have more Rogues than the PCs will.

Ethereal Rogue with Ghost Touch weapons. Plus nondetection of course, better than invisibility since most things won't be able to hit you back. Heck, whack an Improved Invisibility on to to make the weapons invisible too. Tactic for mooks only, though, any BBEG worth their salt has True Seeing.

Maybe not exactly a tactic, but a certain Rogue build I used effectively was a Rogue/Ranger focussed on duel wielding thrown daggers and shuriken, combined with Invisibility/concealment/HiPS/cover/whatever. In cramped dungeons, 30ft can be a loooong way, the real trick is staying mobile and out of sight.

For spellcasters: Flight/Protection from Arrows, etc./Wind Wall/ranged damage spells.

Mystic Theurges and Clerics can really surprise opponents with Divine Power + Ray spells. Fighter BAB making ranged touch attacks, particularly with Polar Ray or Meteor Swarm.

Speaking of Cloudkill and Mystic Theurges, though a tad off topic, the high-level cleric damage spells are unbelieveably nasty, considering they can have enormous areas of effect. Earthquake, Tornado, Fire Storm, Elemental Swarm... Makes the wizards feel a little obsolete at times. Oh, sorry, Shapechange into draconic form, almost forgot that drawcard.

Telekinesis +Trap or Environmental Hazard. Situational, sure, but lava and green slime are still favourites. Also good for pushing interesting objects (heavy rocks, barrels of oil or Dwarven Ale) onto enemies below. Also, Telekinesis + unstoppered vial of contact poison. Lots of fun, depending on the poison. Or, any ideas on creating your own environmental hazards and tossing foes into them? Lots I'm sure.

Contingent area effect spell + Unintelligent or chamed/dominated creature. Create your own suicide bombers, trick is to craft the contingent effect so that the charmed creature doesn't know what it's doing. Skeletons that go boom an old favourite. For those of us who are evil, charm the target's nearest and dearest...

Um, speaking of tactics, can anyone think of anything that a fighter can do that really counts as tactics? I mean, most fighters that I know of soak alot of damage and hit things hard, or at best (tactics wise) tie up powerful creatures while the spellcasters and rogues dish out the real pain.

Monks too... other than 'caster killer', it's hard to see a point to them tactically, though that's not a bad tactic in itself. I guess a Rogue and Monk working in tandem, the Monk attracting attention while the Rogue flanks or snipes is viable. In fact, Monks flanking makes for good co-operative tactics on the whole.

 

[Slife]

Invisible spell + obscuring mist is great. Blind anyone who has see invisible!

 

[Piratecat]

Slife, wouldn't a regular obscuring mist do that, too?

Monks too... other than 'caster killer', it's hard to see a point to them tactically, though that's not a bad tactic in itself. I guess a Rogue and Monk working in tandem, the Monk attracting attention while the Rogue flanks or snipes is viable. In fact, Monks flanking makes for good co-operative tactics on the whole.

A monk's huge advantage is speed. Two monks working together, both with xorn movement and using spring attack, can be infuriating.

 

[Vargo]

Here's a few tactics.
Ethereal Rogue with Ghost Touch weapons.

Ghost touch only works if you're incorporeal, not ethereal. It DOES work to hit ethereal targets, though...

(Yes, I already hammered this one into the ground. I was looking for a way to get around the 20% miss chance my rogue has with his ring of blinking.)

 

[Slife]

Slife, wouldn't a regular obscuring mist do that, too?

You don't want to hamper your own guys. For example, say you have some invisible stalkers. Now, their main advantage (invisibility) is blocked by a simple second level spell that every spellcaster and his grandma can prepare. Put in the spell, and suddenly anyone with the bright idea of casting see invisible has wasted their turn *and* become less effective. Not to mention, you completely screw over anyone with permanent true seeing. For a first level spell and a +0 metamagic, that's not bad. A scroll is only 25 gp. At high levels it's chicken feed.

Combining it with guards and wards lets you protect your entire base.

 

[RichGreen]

Ghost touch only works if you're incorporeal, not ethereal. It DOES work to hit ethereal targets, though...

(Yes, I already hammered this one into the ground. I was looking for a way to get around the 20% miss chance my rogue has with his ring of blinking.)

Let's hope there isn't a way round that!

I had a demonic assassin (a kelvezu, I think) that was after the PCs dispel their Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion and proceed to attack them as they tumbled on to the floor of the one tiny inn room they'd rented! Very funny.


Richard