Mottul Marches on Fina's Lands
- Thread starter Chris the Bigger
- Start date
Haltherrion
First Post
cc22153 said:
Yeah, I think we can manage if we need to. Assuming Aura is still around, Draeca will fly on her and round up any folks on an airwalk as long as they had feather fall so that they were not plummeting too fast.
While it isn't attractive, we should also remember that surrender is an option. (Although Draeca can't abide undead so that could be a problem for her).
On the wands, Aura and Draeca will take any that are left over but anyone else who can use them should take them ahead of her.
On the scrolls, I don't recall how it works in 3.5e. If there is a chance the spell could fail if you aren't high enough to cast it, then I think Draeca should get the scrolls. She will have the best chance to cast. Also, since we did find implosion scrolls and that is actually fairly potent, don't let me forget to use it
On the overall plan, to be clear, I think we should try to get our FFs in a position to attack or even have them attacking before we go through (if possible) it is just that given the difficulty of coordinating the attack precisely enough for it to matter during the course of a D&D battle (generall 60-120 seconds!) we shouldn't count on it. I think we should keep the party together, too.
Do we have any info on how best to get to Mottul? We were relying on our pathfinders for that. It might take a combination of FFs and portals in which case Mithguard should be used as it is smaller.
PS On the signatures I think they are broken. They actually show up if you do a "preview post". They disappear once you post.
sivousplay
First Post
path to Mottul
We don't have a portal map that shows this information, but my presumption was that Princep could use his portal skills to find out this information, or we could use the head of the guild.
Chris?
jim
We don't have a portal map that shows this information, but my presumption was that Princep could use his portal skills to find out this information, or we could use the head of the guild.
Chris?
jim
Haltherrion
First Post
The importance of being a good scout
I think we need to figure out how to scout the environs of the portal to the MFF before getting too close. I'm not really sure how to do tihs but a few thoughts come to mind:
If we can't scout then I think we just need to approach as steathily as possible until we can see it.
I forget, how much time do we think we have to do this and how close are we right now? I seem to remember it was night and we had to attack at dawn but that we were only 2 miles from the portal.
I think we need to figure out how to scout the environs of the portal to the MFF before getting too close. I'm not really sure how to do tihs but a few thoughts come to mind:
- Someone does this in gaseous form. Draeca does a control weather to calm any winds, if necesary.
- Someone flies over it invisible (I don't suppose anyone has a ring of invis? Spells are too short in 3.5e)
- Brom just waltzes up to the place. he can pass for a member of mottul's forces.
- Kind of late for it now, but I wonder if there are any subterranean passages we can exploit...
If we can't scout then I think we just need to approach as steathily as possible until we can see it.
I forget, how much time do we think we have to do this and how close are we right now? I seem to remember it was night and we had to attack at dawn but that we were only 2 miles from the portal.
SuperBeast
First Post
I agree that we need to scout the MFF before we attack.
I think that gaseous form has the same draw back as invisibilty, it is too short.
Brom will do as he is told, however he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and given how well our ruses worked last time ... I think we better find another plan.
Is there any scry magic that we could use to scope out the MFF? Perhaps something as simple as Arcane Eye can give us a little info?
None the less, when we go through the portal, I think our first action should be some sort of diversion or confusion spell or something. Like a big fog or something, so they have a hard time determining what is going on, and they will not be able to see our numbers.
I think that gaseous form has the same draw back as invisibilty, it is too short.
Brom will do as he is told, however he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and given how well our ruses worked last time ... I think we better find another plan.
Is there any scry magic that we could use to scope out the MFF? Perhaps something as simple as Arcane Eye can give us a little info?
None the less, when we go through the portal, I think our first action should be some sort of diversion or confusion spell or something. Like a big fog or something, so they have a hard time determining what is going on, and they will not be able to see our numbers.
Haltherrion
First Post
Draeca has scrying and greater scrying but in 3.5e you need to scry on a person, not a place. Also, I think the material component for that spell is significant, like a holy water font which I don't happen to have handy. Arcane eyes or the like would be good. I'll see if I have something like that on my list but I probably don't.
Failing that, I like the diversion idea. Here are some diversion thoughts that occur to me:
In general, if we have to fight at the portal, then we are probably going to lose. We need to do most of our fighting on the other side of the portal in the MFF. So we need to figure out a way to get into the portal building and get through asap. We could manage a little at-portal fighting but if we get stalled at the portal, we may be looking at a worst case scenario where some of us could fly away and some of us could use Draeca's recall but some might be captured or fight to the death.
Some other things that Draeca has that might help:
If the portal is somewhere in a big castle or underground, we could try variants of this plan.
Thoughts?
Failing that, I like the diversion idea. Here are some diversion thoughts that occur to me:
- Draeca can summon a storm. However, that could be dispelled and could tip our hands.
- Draeca could summon another dragon ally and have him create a distraction on the far side of the army. We could even summon two allies if desired. These are 7th level spells for me. I just have one 8th level and 4 7th levels spells at present.
- I've got obscuring mist; may also have some other distraction.
- We could try a raid near the army with folks who can fly and fly them to the portal after making a disturbance (seems kind of far fetched but it's a thought)
In general, if we have to fight at the portal, then we are probably going to lose. We need to do most of our fighting on the other side of the portal in the MFF. So we need to figure out a way to get into the portal building and get through asap. We could manage a little at-portal fighting but if we get stalled at the portal, we may be looking at a worst case scenario where some of us could fly away and some of us could use Draeca's recall but some might be captured or fight to the death.
Some other things that Draeca has that might help:
- With her last level, she can now do an undead damaging burst of energy (8d8 for all undead within 100', fairly low DC save for half damage). It could take down a horde o' little undead and soften up some bigger ones. Costs 2 turnings. She could combine that with a free-action turn against more specific big-undead which ought to chew through a pocket of an undead army fairly quickly. In fact, if the portal is guarded by undead, we probably don't have a major problem. She has 13 or so turnings per day (2 more with eagle's splendor) so this is expensive but probably worth doing.
- Airwalk: not sure how much of the party she could cover but we might be able to airwalk (for those who can't fly) over obstructions, like walls, armies, etc.
- Earthquake: might mess with an army. Would be counterproductive if it destroyed the portal and its building or blocked the dungeon it is in.
- Summon two dragon allies.
- One attacks the far side of the army
- The second dragon joins the attack group.
- The party airwalks/flies to the roof of the building as steathily as possible
- We bust through the roof and run through the portal, taking opportunity attacks as necessary
- The second dragon provides cover/distraction until we are all through.
- Both dragons go home at that point and we are in the flying fortress
If the portal is somewhere in a big castle or underground, we could try variants of this plan.
Thoughts?
Last edited:
Haltherrion
First Post
SuperBeast said:
Just realized you meant a diversion after we go through the portal. I think that is a good idea as well. I can do obscuring mist and maybe summon some monsters. Not sure if Draeca can create any other diversions than that, though.
Haltherrion
First Post
Some useful spells Draeca has:
- Find the path. Not only tells you how to get somewhere but also precisely how to get there so as to avoid trips, glyphs, etc.
- We shuold have true seeing up on a few people. (It is 5th level so i can't do everyone). Lasts 1min/lvl
- Obscuring mist is very short range (20' radius)
- Draeca has anti-life shell. Could maybe use that to block a doorway, portal, etc. Except it doesn't work against outsiders which makes it kind of useless here
- Sanctuary: can be cast on others. Attacker must make a will save or can't attack. No SR.
Haltherrion
First Post
Plam for inside the MFF
Anyone have any ideas for what to do once inside the fortress?
I was thinking we don't go for subtle. We disable the portal then go to the control room and take or disable it. We could always take the control rod and then just jump off the fortress and leave it floating helpless. We could then reboard it from our own FFs with more forces.
There are quite a few floors between the portal and the control room if I recall.
I think our research gave us no idea of magic defenses. Do the pathfinders think they can disable the portal? Most had some sort of emergency off switch.
Anyone have any ideas for what to do once inside the fortress?
I was thinking we don't go for subtle. We disable the portal then go to the control room and take or disable it. We could always take the control rod and then just jump off the fortress and leave it floating helpless. We could then reboard it from our own FFs with more forces.
There are quite a few floors between the portal and the control room if I recall.
I think our research gave us no idea of magic defenses. Do the pathfinders think they can disable the portal? Most had some sort of emergency off switch.
Haltherrion
First Post
The "Rush"
One other thing, if the portal off switch is well guarded or there is some other thing that is well protected that we must get to, we should be prepared to have Leonus ignore any opportunity attacks and rush it. As a Firstborn, he is very unlikely to die. As a back up, Brom could do a similar thing since he regens all but chaos damage. Worst case, Draeca can reincarnate if you don't mind being a badger or a warthog or some such. Although in Ophir, I'd imagine the reincarnate options are somewhat more interesting.
One other thing, if the portal off switch is well guarded or there is some other thing that is well protected that we must get to, we should be prepared to have Leonus ignore any opportunity attacks and rush it. As a Firstborn, he is very unlikely to die. As a back up, Brom could do a similar thing since he regens all but chaos damage. Worst case, Draeca can reincarnate if you don't mind being a badger or a warthog or some such. Although in Ophir, I'd imagine the reincarnate options are somewhat more interesting.
Similar Threads
