Holy cow my party is all strikers!! Forked Thread: Holy cow my party has 3 strikers

[Sadrik]

All Striker Frontline:
- Hexhammer (Infernal Warlock / Fighter -> Iron Vanguard): more durable than most Defenders.
- TWF Ranger / Cleric -> Warpriest (in heavy armor, with HBO): hits like a Striker, marks like a Defender; durable 1/day with Divine Power. Oh, he heals too.

Midrange:
- Brutal Rogue: normal melee Rogue who can wear Hide armor.
- Draconic Sorcerer: Burning Spray + White Lotus feats = yeah, bugger off. Throw in Acid Orb + Reaper's Touch and you've covered a lot of bases.

Optional:
- Elf Archer (Hybrid Ranger | Cleric): it's not like Archery Rangers actually have any good class features...
- Barbarian: my experience with these guys is that they really like having a full-on Leader in the party. However, a hybrid Str+Cha Barb | Cleric could be excellent, taking Str-powers which heal and key their secondary benefits off of Charisma. Same deal with a hybrid Str+Cha Barb | Warlord.

Cheers, -- N

I like the strike team.

Do we want to open it up to PHB2/MM2 I know there was discussion limiting it to the first three core book.

 

[ilmoin]

Re: scoring criteria, I think the simplest and most 'objective' way of doing this would be testing to destruction: both groups run through the same series of encounters with on a single short rest between each. See how far they get before everyone is dead. It's the only real measure, even if it might not be quite practical for your run.

 

[Nifft]

I like the strike team.

Do we want to open it up to PHB2/MM2 I know there was discussion limiting it to the first three core book.

I had a Sorcerer in there (if you want no PHB2, replace him with an Archery Ranger).

Cheers, -- N

 

[AllisterH]

Here's some encounters...I just used the standard encounter listing found in the DMG (it's of course listed for 5 players but the encounter budget doesn't push it up too far...)

Battlefield Control

1 Controller - Succubus (MM1)
6 skirmishers - 3 Tigers (MM2) + 3 Spined Devils (MM1)

(yeah, it's random, but I couldn't find a good match given the restrictions I placed on myself

Double Line Encounter

3 Front Line Soldiers - 3 Wood Woad (MM2)
2 Rear Line (1 Artillery - Gnome Entropist {MM2}, 1 Controller - Eladrin Twilight Incanter {MM1}

Slightly above a standard encounter +1 (Total Xp = 1750) but not overly much that a party should have to use up dailies or action points.

Commandeer and Troops

Commandeer Controller - Neogi Slaver (MM2)

5 Troops in support - 2 Duergar Shock Troopers (MM2) and 3 Dwarven Hammerers (MM1)

Dragon's Den
Behir Bolter Whelp (MM2)

EDIT: Forgot to add one

Wolf Pack
1 Fang of Yeenoghu (MM2)
3 Gnoll Gorgers (MM2)
3 Gnoll Claw Fighters (MM1)

 

[Sadrik]

Here's some encounters...I just used the standard encounter listing found in the DMG (it's of course listed for 5 players but the encounter budget doesn't push it up too far...)

Battlefield Control

1 Controller - Succubus (MM1)
6 skirmishers - 2 Tigers (MM2) + 3 Spined Devils (MM1)

(yeah, it's random, but I couldn't find a good match given the restrictions I placed on myself

Double Line Encounter

3 Front Line Soldiers - 3 Wood Woad (MM2)
2 Rear Line (1 Artillery - Gnome Entropist {MM2}, 1 Controller - Eladrin Twilight Incanter {MM1}

Slightly above a standard encounter +1 (Total Xp = 1750) but not overly much that a party should have to use up dailies or action points.

Commandeer and Troops

Commandeer Controller - Neogi Slaver (MM2)

5 Troops in support - 2 Duergar Shock Troopers (MM2) and 3 Dwarven Hammerers (MM1)

Dragon's Den
Behir Bolter Whelp (MM2)

EDIT: Forgot to add one

Wolf Pack
1 Fang of Yeenoghu (MM2)
3 Gnoll Gorgers (MM2)
3 Gnoll Claw Fighters (MM1)

1. Solo combat
2. Boss + many minions
3. Terrain/traps + artillery
4. Straight up just a good mix of monsters without minions or very few

We have a lot of the #4 type encounters, we need a #2 and #3 encounter so the wizard can shine.

I don't know what should come first the encounters or the PCs because likely one will influence the build of the other.

Mixed Role Party:
Tiefling Wand Wizard using fire and maximizing their to hit chance and damage
Dwarf WIS Cleric maximizing their ability to lead the party by giving bonuses
Dragonborn or Human Fighter, sword and board with hyper defense
Rogue duplicated from the the Strike team

 

[AllisterH]

Hmm..Boss and minions?

Well, I got one for you...

2 Black Pudding (MM2) in an underground cavern that has suffered from an earthquake and the cavern has slightly collapsed thus the entire area is considered Difficult Terrain


There aren't a lot of choices for solo monsters at the heroic tier especially if you want to add some minions in....

 

[Sadrik]

Hmm..Boss and minions?

Well, I got one for you...

2 Black Pudding (MM2) in an underground cavern that has suffered from an earthquake and the cavern has slightly collapsed thus the entire area is considered Difficult Terrain


There aren't a lot of choices for solo monsters at the heroic tier especially if you want to add some minions in....

Elite + minions --> not a solo. Conceptually like a necromancer and a bunch of minion skeletons and zombies. Something along those lines.

 

[AllisterH]

Elite + minions --> not a solo. Conceptually like a necromancer and a bunch of minion skeletons and zombies. Something along those lines.

Well, the 2 black puddings make their own minions but if you want just an elite and minions that still is a little bit tricky without the use of a template...I rather only restrict myself to the MMs and not use either the DMG or any other source...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well, the 2 black puddings make their own minions but if you want just an elite and minions that still is a little bit tricky without the use of a template...I rather only restrict myself to the MMs and not use either the DMG or any other source...

Solo + Minions - the standard template seems to suggest using a lower level solo and some minions, doesn't it? I am sure you could find something in the area, it just won't look like a Necromancer, more like a Dragon plus some Human Lackeys or so.

It might also be interesting to have a single higher level encounter in the middle, followed by easier encounters. E.G. see if the party still fairs well when it spend most dailies in a previous encounter.

 

[AllisterH]

Solo + Minions - the standard template seems to suggest using a lower level solo and some minions, doesn't it? I am sure you could find something in the area, it just won't look like a Necromancer, more like a Dragon plus some Human Lackeys or so.

I was actually hoping NOT to use Dragons but really, there aren't any level 7 monsters that are solos that aren't dragons in the MMs.

It might also be interesting to have a single higher level encounter in the middle, followed by easier encounters. E.G. see if the party still fairs well when it spend most dailies in a previous encounter.

Well, all of the encounters I've put up have XP budgets between EL + 1 and EL + 2 so I don't think they'll need dailies so we might want to add more monsters or a new encounter for a challenging/hard fight.