High level evil cleric, sorcerer and psion working together

[NewJeffCT]

The penultimate encounter in my 2+ year old 3.5 campaign is going to start tomorrow night - the bad guys are highlighted by a high level evil cleric, evil psion and evil sorcerer.

The party is basically level 18 and includes: cleric, psion, rogue/spellthief, dwarf fighter, goliath barbarian and an elf fighter/paladin of freedom/champion of corellon. They also have a cleric/paladin and a fighter with them as well.

My thought is to have the evil sorcerer go after one of the party tanks each round using Arcane Spellsurge & Greater Arcane Fusion to cast: Orb of Acid for level 4 and Disintegrate or Finger of Death and then a maximized damage spell as his standard action.

The psion is going to Energy Current the party spellcasters and maintain that concentration with his Schism'd second mind or his psicrystal, and then focus on big AoE damage powers (Energy Ball for range, Energy Burst if he is pressed in melee at all)

The cleric is going to stay in range to heal the psion & sorcerer, but also cast Implosion, then continue it via Extraordinary Concentration, while casting other spells.

Any other suggestions - they are all lawful evil, so should be working together.

 

[milo]

I would throw out the idea of Summoning some creatures for extra meatshields for them. One of them could throw out mass versions of buff spells to help them out too.

 

[NewJeffCT]

I would throw out the idea of Summoning some creatures for extra meatshields for them. One of them could throw out mass versions of buff spells to help them out too.

Thanks - both sides will have a chance to buff for a few rounds. Then, the evil cleric and/or the sorcerer will also do a Chain Dispel. I think somebody on here once said that high level casters often spend much of their time buffing their allies and debuffing the bad guys, and that's somewhat true.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Are you sure the psion will be able to maintain concentration in the middle of combat. It can get really difficult with the damage at that level. I would only do that if his saves and AC (and possibly PR) are high enough that the party has a high chance of not harming him and is thus dissuaded from attacking him...or if he were invisible and summoning allies, for example.

I don't know how your party plays, but in general I'd say you would need to focus more on hindering the spellcasters in the early rounds of the fight, aside from just some blasty powers.

 

[Runestar]

Well, there is always the tried and tested tactic of mazing the cleric and forcecaging the fighter. Since you are using greater arcane fusion, this can be extended to hitting the fighter with dimensional anchor followed by forcecage, followed by an extended? maze (if only to increase its casting time). These effects can't be readily dispelled (not least because the forcecage blocks line of effect).

If you have complete arcane, summon elemental monolith can be a viable alternative to implosion (not least because you have already used said spell previously). But as mentioned, maintaining concentration can be problematic.

Summoning can be fun if you factor in imbued summoning (since this lets you play around with the feats of summoned monsters via heroics spell, such as bringing in hezrous with mageslayer). Don't expect them to be meatshields though, think of them as silver bullets to use against the PCs' strengths, like bring in monsters to perform bull-rushes and trips.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Are you sure the psion will be able to maintain concentration in the middle of combat. It can get really difficult with the damage at that level. I would only do that if his saves and AC (and possibly PR) are high enough that the party has a high chance of not harming him and is thus dissuaded from attacking him...or if he were invisible and summoning allies, for example.

I don't know how your party plays, but in general I'd say you would need to focus more on hindering the spellcasters in the early rounds of the fight, aside from just some blasty powers.

good points - i was thinking damage spells early, though, because the party's casters' first tendencies are usually to de-buff the bad guys.

not sure if Cloud Mind (for the psion) would foil True Seeing or Touchsight, but I don't think it would foil True Seeing. Was thinking Nondetection for the sorcerer and cleric, though.

Believe it or not, I used Maze in a previous battle on the party's goliath barbarian with a 10 INT. However, she rolled a natural 20 for her INT check and got out the next round as a full round action.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Thanks - I have the Elemental Monolith sheets printed out already, as that is a serious consideration for the cleric. All three have Concentration in the mid 30s or greater, so can possibly make some concentration checks...

Where is imbued summoning, by the way?

The cleric has some ogre magi bodyguards that i was going to use to spam the battlefield with cones of cold as well. Of course, if the PC cleric gets in range, Holy Word would zap them all...

 

[Jack Simth]

Thanks - both sides will have a chance to buff for a few rounds. Then, the evil cleric and/or the sorcerer will also do a Chain Dispel. I think somebody on here once said that high level casters often spend much of their time buffing their allies and debuffing the bad guys, and that's somewhat true.

Spell Compendium: Reaving Dispel.
Magic Item Compendium: Greater Rod of Chain Spell.
Tack on some caster level boosters, and Arcane Mastery (take 10 on Caster level checks... like Dispel checks...) and steal the party's buffs. All of them. At once.

Cleric can use Planar Ally, Sorcerer can use Planar Binding. Both can get you long-term semi-allies for meatshields at the start of battle - and they're not dispellable.

 

[Runestar]

Imbued summoning is in PHB2. +1 metamagic feat, applied to a spell of up to 3rd lv. Is cast on the summoned creature at the time you summon it.

I wouldn't use ogre magi - too weak and fragile, IMO.

What are you going to do about defense, by the way? NPC spellcasters can be very strong, but may also easily fold the moment someone breathes on them.

 

[Shin Okada]

Will PCs going to raid villains' lair? Or will villains going to raid PCs' home ground? Or will they meant to meat in some other place?

That will change the situation a lot. If PCs must raid the villain's lair, bad guys can use long-term defensive spells such as Unhallow, Forbiddance, vairous Symbol spells and/or other traps and dungeon features.

For defense, I always prefer to have enough number of soldiers in addition to BBEGs. Even how strong the villains are, if 18th-level PCs can concentrates their attacks, they will fall soon, very soon.

Regarding summoned monsters. Well, if that is a 18th-level game, allowing villain cleric to use Gate for calling (not summoning) some extraplanar critter will be acceptable. If their alignment is LE, how about some Pyroclastic dragon or Rust Dragon?