D&D Wargaming: Evil OOC

[OldCrowe]

My initiative question revolves around how teleport itself effects initiative. The goodguys have actions they want to perform the MOMENT they arrive. Is there any initiative modifications because of the teleport...

Do I roll for initiative before or after they arrive, for instance. If before, then when they arrive they've already acted, and they automatically go first. If after, then it's just a case of rolling, right?

You have to determine surprise. It seems that the Forces of Good will get a free surprise round before initiative is rolled unless you determine there are factors that will tip off Drakknyte and co to their sudden teleportation (ie, they have a chance to spot the portal). If Drak spots the portal, initiative is rolled normally, if Drak fails to notice the portal, Good gets 1 round of actions before initiative is rolled (and Drak is flat-footed for this surprise round). After the surprise, initiative is rolled normally. This is really a judgement call on your part. Teleportation is pretty sudden, and it seems Good has readied actions, normally, I would judge them to have surprise. Drakknyte is a dragon though, and smarter than the average bear, and is aware that a wizard has just scryed his location, and could TP in, so it is not out of the question for him to expect a teleport assault, and in which case he would be ready and initiative be rolled normally (ie make an Int check to be aware of this possibility). I warned Drak of this in the RG, but I am not in game yet, so THAT is all meta-game knowledge, otherwise, our telepathic communique would give him a good chance of being ready.

What am I saying? It's up to you, whatever you think makes a good story.

Re,

C. Rowe

 

[Fieari]

Think I've got that covered. Now I just have to worry about the fact that the good wizard is telling me he has a quickened greater teleport prepared... *smacks forehead at the concept of someone trying to cast an 11th level spell* These people...

 

[OldCrowe]

Oh sh!!T it sems that we are underseige already!

The Good Guys are teleporting in and we know they have a high level Wizard - so anyone got any advice on how we should deal with them (and I think I've already used my Word of Recall for the day!)

so Drak? we gonna stand and fight or do a runner? (Earth Elemental glide here I go....)

Umm...Fight Dirty? We are evil after all. Drakknyte is a dragon, and he is big and red, and the mage has spells like protection from elements, so chances are he and his minions are buffed to the gills on Fire Resistance, so I would limit fire attacks, either by spell or breathweapon, you will probably just waste time.

If the mage makes a personal appearance, you have to kill him quick, it sounds like he has a really jacked-up INT, so his save-or-die spells are going to be murder. Get on him and stay on him.

What do Mages hate? Being Grappled. What do Mages REALLY hate? Being bullrushed into the scrying pool and grappled underwater, only way he will get out of that is contingency or silenced teleport (hard to cast spells with a mouth full of water and 900pds of dragon wrapped around you). I REALLY think the dragon can hold his breath longer than the mage.

STAY MOBILE: Dragon's that stay in one spot and duke it out are easier to kill than one that uses its excellent mobility to perform hit and run tactics. Attacks of Opportunity aren't going to do much on your 43 AC, fly, bite, run away. Keeping off the ground will allow Tonguez to Entangle the place, limiting them abit. Drak, you are too small to make Snatches (Snatch is a really good feat to take once you are Huge size), but you can carry anything you can grapple, either take them for a swim in the pool, or fly them up 150' through the pit and drop them.

Tonguez: You've got that nifty rod, use it and see what happens, probably most will make the save, but the more you take out of the fight, the better. You might also want to meld with stone (preferably after you hid, you don't want to get disintegrated or what not), Summon some critters with Blindsight or tremorsense, and cast Storm of Vengeance, until things get under control, the Disrupting effects that thing puts off will give the melee'ers time to take out spellcasters (maybe, it makes it hard for everyone to see). Shapechanged, you rock, you can do some really incredible damage as a polar bear or what not, and if you get low on hp's, shift to a new form and heal up.


Just some ideas,

C. Rowe

 

[Tonguez]

These are the Tactics I've posted IC. The problem with Storm of Vegeance is that it affects all of us both enemy and ally so I'll save it until we're out of the cave and in the open air. I want to throw a few entangles but not sure what the undergrowth in the cavern might be.
Oh and thanks for the heads up on NOT using firebased spells

and I agree that our best trick is probably to stay mobile

Druid Tactics
Be Protected by the Dragon
(all subject to change on a round by round basis)
Round 1 - Move into concealment behind the Dragon, Wild Shape to Large Air Elemental (standard action gives me AC 20)
Round 2 - Fog Cloud to fill to obscure the emeies vision
Round 3 - Transmute Rock to Mud on ceiling above enemy troops
Round 4 - Summon Huge Air Elemental (natures ally) to attack in whirlwind form (and disperse the fog)
Round 5 - Pull a Flame Strike down upon the enemy leaders (if the Dragon has the Mage grappled replace the Flame strike with call lightning)
Round 6 - Once the Druid can get behind the Pack its time to leave (with the mirror) *possibly meld into stone if leaving with the mirror isn't practical

Army Tactics
1. The flock of ravens (300 of them) come through the mirror first providing cover/concealment for those behind.
2. The Dog Soldiers* follow 5 go to the Druid and act as bodyguard (note 2 already here - they broughtthe mirror and have been guarding it), the other 5 go into offensive and attack the spellcasters
3. As the Dog Soldiers move, 20 raging Barbarians follow and defend the mirror
4. The Pixies then pour in and start shooting anything that looks like it shouldn't be here
5 The Bard in ethereal form comes through and hits the Wizard with a Sound burst

(The Marshall and remaining troops stand in reserve on the other side of the mirror portal)

* Dog Soldiers = Werewolf Rangers

Tonguez: You've got that nifty rod, use it and see what happens, probably most will make the save, but the more you take out of the fight, the better. You might also want to meld with stone (preferably after you hid, you don't want to get disintegrated or what not), Summon some critters with Blindsight or tremorsense, and cast Storm of Vengeance, until things get under control, the Disrupting effects that thing puts off will give the melee'ers time to take out spellcasters (maybe, it makes it hard for everyone to see). Shapechanged, you rock, you can do some really incredible damage as a polar bear or what not, and if you get low on hp's, shift to a new form and heal up.


Just some ideas,

C. Rowe

 

[Serpenteye]

Questions to Fierari

*What price would you put on my stronghold?

*What is your ruling on spawning undead, if you have a special ruling? (It would be easy for me and Pyrax to overrun the world if it works like in the core rules. I don't really mind, but it's not much of a challenge)

 

[Serpenteye]

Just a note, I expect the spoils of war to be split evenly between all parties involved, regardless of their effectiveness in a fight. There may be only a partial share if only a part of your troops join the fight though (Half your army gets you half a share). The exception to this is when it has been agreed that the other troops will remain behind to defend, In which case they count as being in the fight. Is this okay with others?

I think that should be determined on a case-by-case basis. I think effectiveness should matter and there are many degrees of participation. Some units are going to be at greater risk than others and it is difficult to create a fair general template for rewards.

 

[Serpenteye]

Fierari, is this an acceptable magic item for my character?

--
Vile Ring of the Arcane Teleporter
Teleport, unlimited use /day, command word activated.
5x9x1800 = 81'000gp

Requirements
Item requires Chaotic Evil alignment to use (81'000 gp x 0,70 = 56'000 gp). Item requires a Wizard to use (56'000 gp x 0,70 = 39'690 gp)

Cost 39'690 gp.
--

 

[Pyrex]

*What is your ruling on spawning undead, if you have a special ruling? (It would be easy for me and Pyrax to overrun the world if it works like in the core rules. I don't really mind, but it's not much of a challenge)

I support the interpretation that undead can control twice their HD worth of spawn. (this is what is listed in savage species for all intelligent spawn-capable undead)

Drak, Tonguez, I can't figure any way I can help, so it looks like you're on your own defending your lair. But I'm ready to help out once you've resolved the defense.

 

[Drakknyte32]

Um Tonguez, do you think you could throw some damaging spells in there as well. Cover is all well and good but it blinds my troops if not me. My mephits have a +10 attack bonus but it won't do them much good if they are blind.

I have no intention of running. Here is an excellent opportunity to see what the forces of good are made of. Also I think they are underestimating us. The most troops they can bring in are about 8, and only magic users provide a threat to me (hence my minions will attack them first). And once we destroy them it will be easy to wipe out the city.

Of course they might be better prepared than I think (Shudders at the thought of each army having 2 level 15 mages, all teleporting in at the same time) in which case I will try to grab the mirror if you haven't and skedadle through the hole.

 

[Drakknyte32]

Limiting fire is definately a good idea, as in taking advantage of my insane grapple bonus. If the druid is safe then I'm going to try and grapple the mage.

I'm not actually worried about save-or-die spells right now. I've calculated out that a level 15 wizard, whith max int and the proper feats, can cast a death spell on which I have to roll a 4 or less to be affected by. That is if it has both spell focus feats and a tome of clear thought+5

Fieari, you have noticed that the new spell focus feats only add +1 to that schools DC right? It could make a big difference in this battle.

Fieari when you showed me the dragon classes one of them had the prerequisite, 3 metabreath feats. Can you tell me what metabreath feats are? They sound very nice.