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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7142258" data-attributes="member: 20323">Great summary of the situation, Charles! I wish all posts asking for assistance were this articulate and detailed <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />The Setting: The fight's setting feels a bit bland. It should unmistakably be set on Tu'narath (githyanki capital city built on floating dead god). It should unmistakably be on the Astral Plane, and give PCs (and NPCs) a reason to use their (possibly) enhanced speed. Some things I'm imagining...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Lair Action for Vlaakith which change the apparent gravity in Castle Susurrus by making the dead god stir. This should allow her to make difficult terrain with gravity wells, to instigate a non-magical effect akin to reverse gravity, and generally make the fight feel like it's happening in a M.C. Escher painting.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Lair Action for Vlaakith which cause sections of the citadel to tear apart (e.g. to hover like "earthbergs" or simply to separate like the old distance distortion spell). Imagine that scene in Star Wars: Rogue One where the planet tears apart, separating Rey and Kylo Ren. Now the PCs have a reason to move! And the githyanki can misty step / jump between areas.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A "soulcatcher" effect where souls of the dead are caught by Vlaakith as they pass through the Astral on their way to their eternal reward. Maybe any PC who dies in her sanctum is turned into an undead under her command? Or recharges a number of her spell slots equal to their level/HD?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Meteor swarm – cast later in the fight – blowing the top off the throne room (giant meteors are going to do structural damage), so the silvery mists of the Astral are visible and also expose everyone within (save the Lich Queen) to Psychic Winds (DMG p. 47). Luckily for the githyanki, many of them have the ability to plane shift to quickly return to the Lich Queen's side...but what about the PCs? <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" /></li> </ul>The Lich Queen: Sounds like you have a good stat block for Vlaakith that avoids being a "glass cannon" like the MM lich! Have you given any thought to Legendary Actions and Lair Actions yet? Another thing to consider is that antimagic field doesn't work on artifacts and gods...and in the adventure Vlaakith is trying to become a god...so maybe there's some compromise that would make sense... For example: Antimagic field buys X amount of rounds during which Vlaakith is affected. Or Vlaakith slowly regains the ability to cast spells despite animagic, such as regaining 1st-level spells after 1 round, 2nd-level spells after 2 rounds, and so on. With this approach you could also introduce a secondary challenge to Disrupt Vlaakith's Divine Ascension (maybe Channel Divinity needs to be used on something in the throne room?), which would allow antimagic field to work completely like the players expect. That seems fair to me.Opposition: Mini-liches, spectral knights, red dragons <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> Looks like a good start! But I would expect more Githyanki Warriors and/or Githyanki Knights (see MM) to be present...maybe they enter the fray after a round or two? I would run them in 3 ways: First, they're mostly there to use the Help action (e.g. Help Vlaakith escape a grapple, or Help a red dragon attack a high-AC frontline PC). Second, when fighting they'd use the mob rules in the DMG (and also give the PCs a reason to want to lay down area effect spells). Third, I'd expect Vlaakith to have some ability – maybe a Legendary Action? – to drain the life of these "mooks" in order to fuel her own HP...because that's very in keeping with the lore about Vlaakith life-draining any githyankis who get too powerful.The Party's Plan: While antimagic field is a game-changer, it's not a fight-ender. Because it requires Concentration, and focusing fire to break Concentration can be very effective. So I would absolutely have Vlaakith try to counterspell the antimagic field being cast by the cleric, since narratively that would seem more "recognizable"...unless you choose to mitigate the effects of antimagic field on Vlaakith as she is on the cusp of godhood like I mentioned above. However, I would have the antimagic field cast from the monk's ring go off without a hitch.Also, you may enjoy reading this: <a href="http://slyflourish.com/making_counterspell_awesome.html" target="_blank">Making Counterspell Awesome</a>. For example, maybe her counterspell of the antimagic field leads to some unexpected side effect... creating a wild magic zone... or dispelling all magic currently in effect (including whatever spell – hallow? – causes the chamber to dispel invisibility & grant radiant resistance)... or knocking everyone back in a burst of force that shatters the Lich Queen's magical scepter... or whatever you imagine!You've said Vlaakith has had the opportunity to scry the PCs and is familiar with their strengths/weaknesses. If she is aware of their plan, it might be a reasonable tactic for her to be using a project image or some other fake-out during initial contact with the PCs. I'd also have her warn her mini-liches that, in the event of combat, they're to cast bestow curse (at 5th level) upon known casters in the party to disadvantage their Constitution checks/saves (i.e. Concentration checks).But lets say the monk casts antimagic field with the ring and grabs Vlaakith. She has a couple ways out of the grapple (and out of the 10-ft sphere of antimagic around the monk). Her Paralyzing Touch will automatically end the grapple if it hits (and one "mook" should Help her on that attack roll) because you can't grapple someone while you're paralyzed. Her Frightening Gaze will improve her chances of making an Acrobatics/Athletics check to escape if the monk fails his save, and then make it hard for him to close that range again...giving her time to mobilize some other defense (e.g. a wall between her and the monk OR having a dragon grapple the monk and carry him off).As an aside, how on earth does a 19th level party have no magic weapons? Strange. But at the very least the paladin should be able to cast magic weapon.The Enemy Plan: I think the silver dragon polymorphing to paralyze & forcecage to entrap is a sound strategy against the party of frontline warrior-types. Sounds like you have a good handle on the spell strategy for Vlaakith and her mini-liches. However, I think the enemy's plan needs to make better use of their "home court advantage." I'd actually need more details on the stat blocks you're using & the environment of Castle Susurrus / the throne room to help better formulate Vlaakith's plan...for example if the spectral githyanki knights have telekinesis, I would make separating the party with movable barriers OR spikes on the walls that PCs can be flung into part of that plan.Some ideas, perusing my old copy of A Guide to the Astral Plane...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Under Vlaakith's description: "Assume the Lich Queen has numerous contingency-style spells active at any given time, utilizing her command of magic to its full extent."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Many githyanki were described as exhibiting psionic talents, with 3/4 wild talents. You'll want to decide if that's the case in your game and if antimagic field works on psionics. For example, you could look to the Mystic (released on UA and now on DM's Guild) for ideas about psionic powers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">On the Astral, githyanki warriors swarm in, making full use of their enhanced speed, attacks and then retreat before retaliation can be made, vanishing into the silver mists. Reminds me of a wuxia movie fight I once saw staged in a misty forest.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Some githyanki have a "project thoughts" proficiency which allowed them to slow and even stop the movement of others on the Astral. It's described as requiring Concentration, and allowing saves each round to break free of.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are spellshadows on the Astral, the result of magic cast from a plane "close" to the Astral, appearing as nebulous floating shadows. They can be probed to learn the nature of the spell and the caster. Could be several of these floating around in Vlaakith's throne room, maybe from others who've tried to challenge her rule. Could be turned into a combat-puzzle. Could be used simply as flavor to her Legendary Action-granted spellcasting.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Knights are described as anti-paladins.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gith Warriors are described as rising through ranks as sarth (sergeant) or kith'rak (captain). They wear chain, banded, or plate, and wield longswords, greatswords, bardiches, halberds, large spiked flails, scythes, and barbed whips. A recent innovation is the triple crossbow, a baroque-looking affair that can fire three bolts separately or simultaneously as a light crossbow. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Githyanki Wizards tend to favor evocation and necromancy spells.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gish are fighter/wizards...possibly eldritch knights in 5e terms.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hr'ack'nir are generally non-combatant specialists that provide important support roles: healing, collecting astral energies, predicting the future and scrying, transporting.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tl'a'ikith, aka "swords spirits", are dead githyanki knights whose souls are bound to their swords, animating the swords. They sound like high-level versions of animated swords (MM) that could be "dispelled" using dispel evil and good or Turn Undead. Hundreds of them are in the Lich Queen's palace, guarding treasure vaults, egg chambers, and elite quarters. They don't speak or take orders, instead acting instinctively to defend the githyanki and their Lich Queen. Hmm...summoning these "sword spirits" could make for an interesting Lair Action... Personally, I wouldn't make them higher than CR 4, that way the cleric's Destroy Undead would still affect them. Or they could even be treated as a type of trap.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Assorted magic items: Gravity-emitting rugs/spheres, Psychic armor protecting from physical effects of Psychic Wind, Psychic helm protecting from mental effects of Psychic Wind, Vorpal silver swords.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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