JollyDoc's Shackled City: FINAL POST [Updated 11/2!!]

[monboesen]

Is it just me or does Grimm seem far too dangerous ?

Every time he gets of a full attack an enemy goes down. Often a single attack is sufficient to kill a foe.

A pretty anticlimatic fight that seems to highlight some of the stuff that I find faulty in the rules, like spiked chains and the ability to run through a room, tumble behind a sitting man and slit his throat before he can take any action. Thats just wrong !!

 

[LordVyreth]

Well, keep in mind that everyone was already hit by the fireball, which probably did a good amount of damage to him before Grimm even got there. My favorite part was the cleric who got killed by falling damage!

 

[JollyDoc]

Is it just me or does Grimm seem far too dangerous ?

Every time he gets of a full attack an enemy goes down. Often a single attack is sufficient to kill a foe.

A pretty anticlimatic fight that seems to highlight some of the stuff that I find faulty in the rules, like spiked chains and the ability to run through a room, tumble behind a sitting man and slit his throat before he can take any action. Thats just wrong !!

Also bear in mind that I'm taking some artistic license here. This combat basically took an entire evening's worth of play, with a lot of failed attempts to hit, cast spells, etc on both sides. That kind of stuff would be boring to read, so I hit the highlights, and add my own detail. For instance, Tilly's kill of Kerg: the dwarf had 60 hp to begin with. One fireball, and a failed save later, that total was halved. Rusty was already engaging the dwarf. Tilly tumbled behind for a flank, then hit with a sneak attack...more than enough damage to kill.

As for Grimm, yes he is a tank and is lethal, especially in close quarters. This room was approximately 35 feet by 40 feet, and was crammed with 19 people, two of them large! What you would call a target rich environment for someone with a reach weapon. Plus, most of those in the room where not fighters, but spell casters. Even worse for them to be in a situation where they could not put distance between themselves and the combat to cast spells. Stay tuned. Grimm is not the invulnerable monstrosity he seems to be now. No matter how big and nasty you are...there's always something bigger and nastier...like an advanced, half-fiend Morkoth...

 

[Joachim]

As for Grimm, yes he is a tank and is lethal, especially in close quarters...Grimm is not the invulnerable monstrosity he seems to be now. No matter how big and nasty you are...there's always something bigger and nastier...like an advanced, half-fiend Morkoth...

The advanced half-fied morkoth encounter was one of those that basically took advantage of every one of Grimm's weaknesses, but in the end our half-ogre friend still manages to acquit himself pretty well. Grimm is ECL 17 right now, and is about as powerful as an ECL 17 tank should be, but just like every character-type he has his Achille's heel(s).

It is worth probably worth noting that Grimm's real power is not in sheer damage-dealing capability, however, but in his ability to control a battlefield with reach, AOO's, trips, disarms, and (JD's Bane) Stand Still. Now, when I want Grimm to 'put the hammer down', he does well with it, but not nearly as well as if I had built him specifically to inflict HP damage. Not to get overly technical here, the main thrust of Grimm's development has been to try and take away the enemy fighter's/brute monster's full attack action. This is accomplished by making him waste his move action by standing up, picking up his weapon, moving to close, etc.

Having said all that, Fred's new Goliath character (when given the chance) is the one that can deal WITHERING amounts of damage, as can Tilly now when he has an enemy's flank (provided that enemy is not a golem or undead). We also discovered another neat trick...polymorphing Kiko into a Stone Giant gives him a 45 +/- armor class and stupid-sick damage capability. This is not to forget our two competent (and extremely well-constructed) arcane casters, who regularly make the real difference in our harder fights. With Rusty and Gunther adding the healing and buffing, we really have a party that is really coming into its own right now. We still have our run-ins and the need for revivification, to be sure.

God, I am starting to sound like a college football coach...oh well, I may as well stick with it...WAR EAGLE!!

 

[Neverwinter Knight]

Great job of retelling the combat, JollyDoc, especially since it took place a long, long time ago.

Grimm is a death-dealing foe to be sure, but this combat might have taken a completly different turn, if some other NPCs had decided to stick around... Joachim, I think you're being a little too modest with Grimm, though. He is really essential to the party in a way no ordinary fighter could be. A tank well-built!

 

[Graywolf-ELM]

It's cool to see the team at work again. I hate to see the baddies get away though. I had to laugh at the Cleric dying from jumping out the window.

GW

 

[JollyDoc]

We just finished our session for the evening, and I feel the need to make a case-in-point here. One of the main battles of the night revolved around three kelubar demodands. In the course of the battle, they basically imobilized the entire party (which now consists of seven members) with acid fogs. The demondands themselves are immune to acid, and have freedom of movement. Grimm, as it so happens, has a ring of freedom of movement, so he was the only one who could maneuver in the fog. He did so, cornering the demodands in a room...all alone...with no back-up. Well, another little thing about demondands...they can sneak attack. The ganged up/flanked Grimm. All the while he was taking constant acid damage from the fog. Ultimately, he was forced to flee them. The demodands had him down to 18 hp at one time, and were moving in for the kill when Rusty was finally able to Heal Grimm. It was completely a joint party effort that finally won the day.

 

[Neurotic]

Also from Croatia. I didn't mean to post anything here, but you should know you have readers from everywhere

 

[Neurotic]

Uh, sorry about that late post. I just transferred and didn't see number of pages already posted...that last post was reply to some posts on the first page Sorry...

 

[R-Hero]

Ike likes what he see's so far..

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