I could use some help... immediately!

[Zombie-a-GoGo]

Ok, if you happen to be Keith, John, Cory, or Steve, don't you dare read any further...




Since you're not, please help me out here. I'm running a mini-climax in my D&D game today and I'm concerned that the last fight might be too tough. Here's the setup...

The PCs are returning to the Abbey (Pelor and Heironeous) where they grew up; i.e., started the game; unfortunately, it's been overrun by Orcs. The Abbey has two main buildings; the Pelorite church and the keep where the Heironeal soldiers stay. A library beneath the church is the Orcs' objective, and they are currently rooting through the books stored down there for a specific history book.

If this seems strange, I'll just say that these Orcs are under the command of some, shall we say, devilish influences...

Anyway, the PCs will receive no help from the people at the abbey, as the priests have taken them all to a safe shelter. A lot of the grunt orcs followed them there, putting them out of the picture for now (breaking the siege at the shelter will be the "mop-up" adventure). A lone Heironeal knight has barricaded himself inside the Keep and is flying a "Help!" banner out the window; the rest of the Heironeals fell in battle to the Orcs during the Abbey's defense. Ao, anyway, that's that...

The final battle takes place in the basement between the PCs and two NPCs. Upon heading down the stairs to the basement, they'll get hit with a Glyph of Warding tied to a Summon Monster III spell. This will alert the NPCs downstairs and allow them to prepare for battle.

And here's the NPCs:

TAGARUK (Half-Orc/Half-Fiend Bbn3)
CR 4

Hit Dice: 3d12+12
HP: 42 (48)*
AC: 18 (+1 natural, +3 Dex, +4 chain shirt), (16)*
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40’
BAB: +3 / Grapple: +10 (+12)*
Melee: Greataxe +11 (+13)* (1d12+7) (1d12+9)* and Bite +8 (+10)* (1d6+5) (1d6+7)*
Special Attacks: Smite Good 1/day (+3 dmg), darkness 3/day, Rage 1/day (5 rounds)
Special Qualities: Uncanny Dodge (never loses Dex bonus), Darkvision 60’, damage reduction 5/magic, resistance 10 acid, cold, electricity, fire
Saves: Fort +8 (+10)*, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 24 (28)*, Dex 16, Con 18 (22)*, Int 9, Wis 10, Chr 11
Skills: Spot +6. Listen +6
Feats: Weapon Focus (Greataxe), Multiattack
Alignment: CE

GAVISH (Half-Orc Clr5 {Dispater})
CR 5

Hit Dice: 5d8+10
HP: 38
AC: 18 (+6 splint mail, +2 large wooden shield)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20’
BAB: +3 / Grapple: +6
Melee: Morningstar +6 (1d8+3)
Special Attacks: ---
Special Qualities: Cleric spells, Darkvision 60’, Aura
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +7
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 16, Chr 15
Feats: Toughness, Toughness
Alignment: LE
Spells: (L1: dc14) Bane, Cure Light Wounds, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith (L2: dc15) Cure Moderate Wounds x2, Hold Person (L3: dc16) Summon Monster III (cast), Glyph of Warding (cast)

The PCs are:

Hmn Pal3
Hmn Clr1/Ftr2
Hlf Rog3
Hmn Hex2

All of them have high ability scores, but no magic equipment to speak of. Their builds are "classic" for their classes; pretty much what you'd expect. Do you think they'll stand a chance?

Tagaruk will fight to the death; Gavish will attempt to flee as soon as the battle looks hopeless.

 

[Jeph]

Bah, that's only CR 6. They're a level 3 party with good stats. They'll be fine, with just the weeist bit of tactical thinking, and maybe a bit of scouting could do them good if they're up to that sort of thing.

They all have high HP classes except for the rogue, so they'll be able to take on the Barbarian if they manage to make him spread out his hits. The Rogue looks like he should be able to get in a SN in the first round against the Cleric; and the Hexblade can use their curses to give the cleric's Bane tic for tac.

I think It'll be a good challenge a nice bit of fun, but nothing overpowering.
--Jeff

PS: Are there any grunt orcs that will attack with the named NPCs?

 

[Cbas10]

If the players can avoid ambush, they might be okay. However, even the most basic of tactics can be deadly for the characters. Assuming that the half-fiend waits for the PCs to get close and uses his darkness ability (meanwhile, the cleric casts his Sanctuary spell), they will be caught in a dark area where they are blind and they have a raging fiend smashing them to bits. Additionally, his damage reduction is something of an issue: at 3rd level, the party simply cannot do much damage to this guy. He will be able to outlast them, especially if the Sanctuaried cleric is behind him in the darkness casting those prepared healing spells. By the way, the greataxe's damage is 1d12+10 (1d12+13 in Rage) due to the fact that it is a two-handed weapon.

True, the Half-fiend's CR is a 4, but I believe that is too low. I'd call him more of a CR 6 (mostly due to the impact of DR at low levels and the heightened ability scores). If you want to keep him less powerful and not kill the party, assume he has already used his Darkness abilities for the day. Otherwise, the party is WAY over their heads: a EL 6 or 7 encounter.

 

[Zombie-a-GoGo]

If the players can avoid ambush, they might be okay. However, even the most basic of tactics can be deadly for the characters. Assuming that the half-fiend waits for the PCs to get close and uses his darkness ability (meanwhile, the cleric casts his Sanctuary spell), they will be caught in a dark area where they are blind and they have a raging fiend smashing them to bits. Additionally, his damage reduction is something of an issue: at 3rd level, the party simply cannot do much damage to this guy. He will be able to outlast them, especially if the Sanctuaried cleric is behind him in the darkness casting those prepared healing spells. By the way, the greataxe's damage is 1d12+10 (1d12+13 in Rage) due to the fact that it is a two-handed weapon.

True, the Half-fiend's CR is a 4, but I believe that is too low. I'd call him more of a CR 6 (mostly due to the impact of DR at low levels and the heightened ability scores). If you want to keep him less powerful and not kill the party, assume he has already used his Darkness abilities for the day. Otherwise, the party is WAY over their heads: a EL 6 or 7 encounter.

Yeah; those ability increases for the half-fiend are crazy....

Anyway, the Bbn won't be able to use his Darkness ability when he Rages, right? And I figure that's what he's going to do as soon as he sees the PCs; the Clr is, as you guessed, going to Sanctuary himself and heal up Tagaruk until things look grim, and then he's going to try and jet, throwing up a Hold Person on the toughest-looking of those who try to follow him, if anyone does.

There are no mooks down there; all the other orcs have already left; the Orcish defense of the Abbey's top floors revolves around Animate Dead'ed Abbey folks who didn't get away from the initial assault in time.

As far as the DR goes... if I hook up the PCs with, say, a pair of scrolls of Magic Weapon (from the Heironeal in the keep, perhaps? should they check on him first), perhaps that will help to even the odds a little bit?

Thanks for your input so far; I (and my players, heh-heh) definitely appreciate it.

 

[borc killer]

They should be ok. As long as they are not to beat up by the time they get there. Might want to have some potions of healing on some of the little orcs they have to fight on the way to help them out since you don’t have much healing in that group. Of coarse if you barbarian rolls some crits you might want to ignore them... because that would drop the PCs fast.

Good luck.


Borc Killer

 

[Darklone]

I'd give the barbarian a greatclub, that should take care of the crits. He can rage longer.

How is your group doing tacticwise? Considering the low ACs of the NPCs, the group should be able to bash down the halforc in two rounds even with healing from the priest... as long as they are able to arrange attacks from everyone. Since the fiend can take out any group member with two good rounds easily... I'd rather take care to give them some nice potions before combat. A Cure Mod Wounds potion for everyone? And perhaps a puny +1 weapon for the paladin from the knight?

 

[MichaelH]

Sorry, double post.

 

[MichaelH]

I think your group may have a difficult time with these foes. If they walk in unprepared, I think they are toast.

With that said, a couple of things I noticed that have not been said yet about the half-fiend barbarian.

The rage ability lasts 3 rounds + a number of rounds equal to his new Con bonus. This is 3 + 6, or 9 rounds, not 5 rounds.

The half-fiend also has Desecrate as a spell-like ability once per day. Since it lasts 2 hours/day, don't forget to use it the best possible way for your undead upstairs.

I did not see the SR listed either. Half-fiends have SR equal to 10 + HD, so this one should have an SR of 13.

Don't forget that it can fly at its base speed (40). This may or may not help its tactical position indoors.

 

[Zombie-a-GoGo]

Good looking out on the half-fiend's additional abilities and everything else... my bookkeeping kung-fu, I see, is not all that hot. I intentonally took away the fiend's wings; I did figure that if he starts flying around the PCs will have no way of defeating him.

My players aren't exactly white-hot strategists, either, though hopefully they will start to put some more thought into how they go into battle after this one transpires... if one or two of the PCs fall, I have no problem with that, I just don't want a TPK, and I don't want to have horribly outclassed them without realizing it.

it's really going to be slightly tougher than these two NPCs indicate, even, because the GoW at the top of the steps is going to bring in a Hell hound to soften them up a little... the Ftr/Clr always mems Prot. Evil, though, so that should help out there. Hopefully the Pally doesn't waste his Smite on the Hound...

I think that I'll scatter a couple of CMW potions around the church's main floor for them to find before they head into the basement; if they don't come across them, though... well, no one said life was easy.

Yeah; I think this should just about solve everything. Thanks, all of you, for your input and advice; now it's off to the game.

May all of your crits be confirmed!

 

[Zombie-a-GoGo]

Good looking out on the half-fiend's additional abilities and everything else... my bookkeeping kung-fu, I see, is not all that hot. I intentonally took away the fiend's wings; I did figure that if he starts flying around the PCs will have no way of defeating him.

My players aren't exactly white-hot strategists, either, though hopefully they will start to put some more thought into how they go into battle after this one transpires... if one or two of the PCs fall, I have no problem with that, I just don't want a TPK, and I don't want to have horribly outclassed them without realizing it.

it's really going to be slightly tougher than these two NPCs indicate, even, because the GoW at the top of the steps is going to bring in a Hell hound to soften them up a little... the Ftr/Clr always mems Prot. Evil, though, so that should help out there. Hopefully the Pally doesn't waste his Smite on the Hound...

I think that I'll scatter a couple of CMW potions around the church's main floor for them to find before they head into the basement; if they don't come across them, though... well, no one said life was easy.

Yeah; I think this should just about solve everything. Thanks, all of you, for your input and advice; now it's off to the game. I'll let you all know what happens.

May all of your crits be confirmed!