Encounter Level for Overpowered Party

[parinho7]

We play a campaign where all player take turns on dming, This time it's my turn and I want to make an encounter that will push the players to their limits. The problem is we all have equipment that is above the recommended for our levels and also some others like to experiment and gave us some custom items and abilities that make this more complicated.

The party is:
Sorcerer(5)/MotAO(2)
Barbarian(1)/Fighter(5)/FB(1)
Duskblade(8)
Hexblade(8)

-The Barbarian has a +2 spiked chain and a +3 breastplate and also the complete set of x of Valor items from Complete Champion.

-The Duskblade has a drake helm with wraithstrike on it and a +2 whirlwind weapon. He also has an item that gives him a rage-like ability that increases dexterity instead of strength and some other dexterous combat bonuses that I am unaware of.

-The hexblade is a more complicated matter, he was offered smite evil in place in return of his curses. He Has a +2 defending stunning elven lightblade and a +1 elven thinblade (exotic wp for free), he also has an item that 1/day produces a mist that damages 2d6 per round in a 20 ft squar everyone exept himself and a kneepad that allows him for 5 rounds to have dr 10/- and other bonuses for 5 rounds. He also has SR 13.

-The sorcerer is mine and I have the freedom to give him some equipment. I haven't decide yet what it will be but obviously my selection will keep up with the items the other members have.

My question is, what is the appropriate encounter level for these guys? Also, I am using d20 Encounter Calculator :: d20srd.org to define that level. Is it trustworthy? I currently have an encounter level of 13 but it seems like it wont be very difficult for them but I can't be sure. Maybe it's harder than I think and I'll end up killing everyone. What is the encounter level you recommend? Thanks in advance.

 

[James the Newbie]

From what I have found encounter level wise, your best bet is small groups of powerful monsters, try 2-3 beefed up creatures with regen, or something like invisible stalkers, they tend to cause trouble with people not prepaired for them.

 

[emoplato]

We play a campaign where all player take turns on dming, This time it's my turn and I want to make an encounter that will push the players to their limits. The problem is we all have equipment that is above the recommended for our levels and also some others like to experiment and gave us some custom items and abilities that make this more complicated.

The party is:
Sorcerer(5)/MotAO(2)
Barbarian(1)/Fighter(5)/FB(1)
Duskblade(8)
Hexblade(8)

-The Barbarian has a +2 spiked chain and a +3 breastplate and also the complete set of x of Valor items from Complete Champion.

-The Duskblade has a drake helm with wraithstrike on it and a +2 whirlwind weapon. He also has an item that gives him a rage-like ability that increases dexterity instead of strength and some other dexterous combat bonuses that I am unaware of.

-The hexblade is a more complicated matter, he was offered smite evil in place in return of his curses. He Has a +2 defending stunning elven lightblade and a +1 elven thinblade (exotic wp for free), he also has an item that 1/day produces a mist that damages 2d6 per round in a 20 ft squar everyone exept himself and a kneepad that allows him for 5 rounds to have dr 10/- and other bonuses for 5 rounds. He also has SR 13.

-The sorcerer is mine and I have the freedom to give him some equipment. I haven't decide yet what it will be but obviously my selection will keep up with the items the other members have.

My question is, what is the appropriate encounter level for these guys? Also, I am using d20 Encounter Calculator :: d20srd.org to define that level. Is it trustworthy? I currently have an encounter level of 13 but it seems like it wont be very difficult for them but I can't be sure. Maybe it's harder than I think and I'll end up killing everyone. What is the encounter level you recommend? Thanks in advance.

Well, I think you should tell what you had in mind in throwing at them and where you would lead them. The combination of the two can make even the most seemily innocuous types of monster or builds incredibly annoying and difficult to deal with.

 

[parinho7]

Well, I think you should tell what you had in mind in throwing at them and where you would lead them. The combination of the two can make even the most seemily innocuous types of monster or builds incredibly annoying and difficult to deal with.

I am thinking a sorc or wizard some devils and a small army of undead blackguards in a completely dark environment (the bad guys all have darkvision) and the two parties will be separated by a bottomless chasm. The demons will unleash air attacks and the blackguards will try to reach them at the other side of the chasm causing some of them to fall in it. The caster will be 8 to 10 level and will leave fairly early at the battle. What the CR of the other creatures might be and how many of them?

 

[Jack Simth]

Hmm....

I'm not seeing any skillmonkeys in the group. Does anyone have a decent Spot modifier? Sure, the Sorcerer probably has See Invisibility... but if you're not actually invisible, that doesn't help.

A stealth-focused sniping Rogue or Ranger in an area with some cover / darkness could do evil, evil things to this party. If the Rogue/Ranger has the correct form of Hide In Plain Sight, no cover is necessary, even.

So...

Elite Array (15/14/13/12/10) Whisper Gnome Rogue-7/Shadow Dancer-1.

Prioritize Dexterity.

Max ranks in Hide and Move Silently.
Pick up any items that grant bonuses to Hide and Move Silently (Greater Silent Moves, Greater Shadow on leather armor, perhaps).

Then attack from hiding. "It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging."

- but that doesn't matter when you've got a modifier of... let's see...

+4 Size, +4 Racial, +15 Item, +4 Dex, +11 ranks = +38 to Hide before hand (more, with Gloves of Dexterity!), and you're working against people NOT focused on Spot. Net +18 or higher to Hide (and similar to Move Silently), and the party, while they won't have much trouble killing him, will have problems finding him to kill him... while he shoots at them mostly with impunity from sneak attack range. Hit the Frenzied Berserker first if you really want to hurt the party (it's not a very party-friendly class, especially when it can't find an actual opponent...).

Lots of things scattered about (say, from it being a forest), and there's lots of shadows around even if the party lights the place up.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

You've been playing with these PC's for a while now? What do you think would be a challenge? Under water? Magical darkness? Swarms? Vertical surfaces? Inner Planes dangers? Combat within any of these out-of-the-ordinary environments could mix things up a little.

 

[parinho7]

You've been playing with these PC's for a while now? What do you think would be a challenge? Under water? Magical darkness? Swarms? Vertical surfaces? Inner Planes dangers? Combat within any of these out-of-the-ordinary environments could mix things up a little.

There are many things that could be challenging for the group but I already have a concept for the battle I just need to calculate the challenge rating so the encounter won't get very easy or unbeatable.

They are in a demiplane with no light, banned conjuration(teleportation) and conjuration(summoning) and they look for an artifact. There is also a group of creatures send by an evil deity to look for the artifact also and when they arrive they will face them at once.

I am currently going with Sorcerer(10) (who will leave the battle after a couple or rounds) a Cleric(7), 4 black abishais and 10 death knights warriors/paladins (UA lawful evil ACF).

According to the encounter calculator this encounter (without the sorcerer who leaves early) is 14 level and overpowering. After some thought I see that this might be a balanced encounter since there will be flying opponents, a bombardier cleric (who will on the other side of the chasm) and the warrior meat shields.

My concern is that the above encounter might be more that they can handle but I also hesitate to lower the CR because they are cruising out of all battles up until now. What do you think?

 

[emoplato]

There are many things that could be challenging for the group but I already have a concept for the battle I just need to calculate the challenge rating so the encounter won't get very easy or unbeatable.

They are in a demiplane with no light, banned conjuration(teleportation) and conjuration(summoning) and they look for an artifact. There is also a group of creatures send by an evil deity to look for the artifact also and when they arrive they will face them at once.

I am currently going with Sorcerer(10) (who will leave the battle after a couple or rounds) a Cleric(7), 4 black abishais and 10 death knights warriors/paladins (UA lawful evil ACF).

According to the encounter calculator this encounter (without the sorcerer who leaves early) is 14 level and overpowering. After some thought I see that this might be a balanced encounter since there will be flying opponents, a bombardier cleric (who will on the other side of the chasm) and the warrior meat shields.

My concern is that the above encounter might be more that they can handle but I also hesitate to lower the CR because they are cruising out of all battles up until now. What do you think?

What are the strength of the Death Knights? I assuming they are a template and the Paladin of Tyranny is their base class right? I think you could reduce the number of Death Knights. As Jack Smith pointed out you should look to what characters would take advantage of this the most.

 

[xigbar]

What are the strength of the Death Knights? I assuming they are a template and the Paladin of Tyranny is their base class right? I think you could reduce the number of Death Knights. As Jack Smith pointed out you should look to what characters would take advantage of this the most.

No, I believe they're a base class from Dragon Magazine?

 

[parinho7]

Death Knight is a template from MM2 and I'll apply it to Paladins of Tyranny and/or Warriors for the particular encounter, at least that's where I saw the template.