How to challenge a high powered group?

[styker]

sorry rhystil arden, it's because in my country AC was translated like CLASSE de ARMADURA (portuguese) so i changed, the same think to Attack Bonus

 

[Rystil Arden]

sorry rhystil arden, it's because in my country AC was translated like CLASSE de ARMADURA (portuguese) so i changed, the same think to Attack Bonus

Yeah, I figured it was a foreign translation when I discovered it wasn't a typo. This will help people understand you better though (also you can just write out the whole thing if you like)

 

[Thanee]

sorry rhystil arden, it's because in my country AC was translated like CLASSE de ARMADURA (portuguese) so i changed, the same think to Attack Bonus

Funny, what translations can make out of acronyms. Also wondered for a moment, what CA might be.

Hey, in german it's just completely different and called RK, tho AB is the same.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Shellman]

Hello guys, i'm a newbie in the forum and i'm with a great problem in my group... i don't know more how to challenge them... they are indestructible... just in a antimagic field i can put monsters that they have more than a "little" problem to defeat... i need ideas to challenge them, the group is made of a cleric 18, a wizard 10/archmage 3/fatespinner 5, a cleric 17, a rogue 16, a wizard 10/initiate of the seven foil 7 and a druid 18.

Are you throwing Monsters/ bad guys that are the same CR or lower?

If yes, start advancing your bad guys and raise the the CR for them.

Add some templates onto your bad guys to add some new flavor. Your adventurers may know how to deal with a CR18 Dragon, but have they dealt with a Dracolich for example.

Maybe throw in some intelligent magic traps with a tougher CR. Looks like there is only one rogue in the party, has he prepared himself to deal with a tough trap? Intelligent traps are great for effecting the other party members as well as the Rogue.

 

[Thanee]

Anyways, that's some HUGE amount of spellcasting you have to deal with...

Two Clerics, one Druid, two Wizards all with 9th level spells...

Doesn't the Rogue feel kinda out of place there sometimes?

I can see how you came to the conclusion, that only an Antimagic Field can stop them.

Well, against such a large group of high level PCs, I'd definitely try multiple *tough* opponents.

For example, an Ancient Shadow Dragon (-> Monster's of Faerûn), a 17th-20th level Cleric following an evil darkness/shadow deity, an advanced 30 HD fiendish black pudding, some constructs/undead and a dozen CR 12-14 thugs (giants, advanced trolls or whatever), or maybe a few cultists (also 12th-14th level with a mix of classes, Clerics, Fighters, Rogues, Black Guards) instead.

I guess that could challenge them appropriately.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Rystil Arden]

Anyways, that's some HUGE amount of spellcasting you have to deal with...

Two Clerics, one Druid, two Wizards all with 9th level spells...

Doesn't the Rogue feel kinda out of place there sometimes?

I can see how you came to the conclusion, that only an Antimagic Field can stop them.

Well, against such a large group of high level PCs, I'd definitely try multiple *tough* opponents.

For example, an Ancient Shadow Dragon (-> Monster's of Faerûn), a 17th-20th level Cleric following an evil darkness/shadow deity, an advanced 30 HD fiendish black pudding, some constructs/undead and a dozen CR 12-14 thugs (giants, advanced trolls or whatever), or maybe a few cultists (also 12th-14th level with a mix of classes, Clerics, Fighters, Rogues, Black Guards) instead.

I guess that could challenge them appropriately.

Bye
Thanee

On the topic of negative energy beasties and Antimagic, I had my group fight a Beholder which had (psionics are different imc) psionic Energy Drain eye beams which it could fire into its Antimagic Eye area. It was positioned at the top of a cone-shaped room where the entire room was covered with the field, and the door shut behind the party. If not for the psion sacrificing his life to put out the central eye, that would have been a TPK, despite bringing along the NPC Archmage with the Sceptre of the Sorcerer-Kings...Try one of those!

 

[Thanee]

Very funny... Psionic eye rays and an Antimagic Field... *shakes head*

That's not a challenge, that's pure munchkinism!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Rystil Arden]

Very funny... Psionic eye rays and an Antimagic Field... *shakes head*

That's not a challenge, that's pure munchkinism!

Bye
Thanee

What? I'm the DM. I can't be a munchkin! It was a fun challenge for a group that relied too much on figuring they could commission the help of their high-level archmage buddy with the Sceptre of the Sorcerer Kings, since the underground ruin was actually part of the landmass that the archmage had lifted up in his floating fortress (same guy as the one that killed the Solar in the other thread, actually ). The best part is that even though the archmage didn't really help at all, they still had to give him a huge share of the loot as per their agreement with him

 

[Rystil Arden]

Besides, they lost a lot more people to the CR 13 girl they had to fight sometime before that...even though they had like 3 archmages levels 21-27 to help them at the time...

 

[Rystil Arden]

Here's some other monsters that worked reasonably well against my PCs, even in a 1-on-1:

Umbral Eye (that beholder)

Gigas of Flame (Swarmform [wisps of light] Fire Giant Archmage)

Gorgotaur (Half-Gorgon Minotaur with a much improved DC on the Breath Attack and the ability to animate statues resulting from its Breath Attack as Stone Golems)

Themis, Prismatic Titan with 7 levels in Disciple of the Sevenfold Veil

Laryna, ECL 13 half-nymph (my variant that gives the Deflection bonus from Unearthly Grace instead of those other abilities from Dragon)

Adriala, Ex-Iajutsu-Master Frenzied-Berserker

more if I recall them