Help my party take out a Pit Fiend

[Wild Gazebo]

I've got a soft spot in my heart for Pit fiends. So, I would probably drop most of the party with the plans I figure the extremely intelligent, immortal, creature would lay. But, I must say, I've been surprised by PCs more than once.

Remember, Pit Fiends don't get their own hands dirty very often unless it envolves direct promotion in the Baatorian ranks.

I say...let um have it...and if you don't want to do that...let the PCs get the drop on him. A group of PCs with five minutes of prep against a creature they know will fight at probably, at least, five levels higher.

 

[Nightfall]

Task one your PCs to become a paladin. Get a nice fiendslaying sword. Problem solved.

 

[Bryan898]

I don't really see the problem. I think when facing just one monster the CR needs to be 5 or 6 higher, especially at higher levels. It should be an epic battle though.

 

[Jdvn1]

I don't really see the problem. I think when facing just one monster the CR needs to be 5 or 6 higher, especially at higher levels. It should be an epic battle though.

Isn't that supposed to be a near impossible encounter?

 

[Bryon_Soulweaver]

conjuring

 

[S'mon]

Isn't that supposed to be a near impossible encounter?

Usually buffing gives at least +2 to party EL at higher levels. 3.5 Pit Fiends are a very tough CR 20 though, even without any equipment (bracers of armour...). I prefer the 3.0 Pit Fiend, tough but not ridiculous. 3.5 version is more like a Duke of Hell.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

Most Pit Fiends are just below the powers of the Rulers of the Nine and The Dark Eight. In fact, I think there is one Pit Fiend who is a Ruler...is Bell still a player? And several, if not all, of The Dark Eight are Pit Fiends. So, there really isn't many Pit Fiends that are...average...or rank and file...they damn near are Dukes of Hell.

At least, that's how I play it.

 

[Jupp]

I would say that at least half your party will die in that final battle. I mean, a level 15 party against a pit fiend? If you are playing that little bugger how it should be played (shrewd, merciless, cunning, etc) the players will have a very bad time And even if you take away levels from it and remove some of the abilities its still a freaken tough oponent.

Personally I wouldnt change a bit on the Pit Fiend and let the players face it as it is in the book, and play it like it should be played. But you have to give the players every time they need to prepare for the battle and I would tell them that this is THE battle, no fudging rolls, no mercy, the winner takes it all.
If you have the feeling that at least one player will survive to finish the fiend, then you can let the fun begin. The battle can be controlled pretty fine sometimes by not playing some of the abilities of the monster when you start to see that you would otherwise kill too many PCs in a row Probably the Pit Fiend thinks he can toy around with the PCs since he is too arrogant to recognise them as the threat they really are to him. If you play like that you can hold back some of the nasty stuff in a believable way. Only when he starts to get really hurt and the players are still in good health you can let loose all the power of the pit fiend and let him fight the hard way.

Edit: Is there a possibility to give the party one or more NPCs that could help in the battle?

 

[Runesong42]

I second the idea of giving the creature some kind of Weakness. It gives the PC's another quest to seek out some sort of legendary artifact or perhaps even the items to create one. Provided they win, they now have an Item of Legend they can tote around and pass on to family etc etc. as well as the bragging rights.

Maybe even use it as a one-time item. Spears simply aren't used enough, so why not have the Spear of something-or-other that ewither disrupts one of the Pit Fiend's stronger abilities or knocks off some of its HP or DR...

or, let the dice fall where they may. That's more fun.

 

[S'mon]

Most Pit Fiends are just below the powers of the Rulers of the Nine and The Dark Eight. In fact, I think there is one Pit Fiend who is a Ruler...is Bell still a player? And several, if not all, of The Dark Eight are Pit Fiends. So, there really isn't many Pit Fiends that are...average...or rank and file...they damn near are Dukes of Hell.

At least, that's how I play it.

In 1e MM2 Asmodeus & Mephistopheles commanded Legions of Pit Fiends! For these 'mook' pit fiends the 3.0 stats work fine (I'd say they're about CR 13 or so). The 3.5 CR 20 stats are usable for Dark Eight or Dukes of Hell like (1e MM2) Hutijin.