My Forge of Fury players-stay out!!

[Asmo]

(UPDATE) My Forge of Fury players-stay out!!

Hello all and thanx for the advice!
Guess what my players did? They had a talk and then headed back from where they come ( to the troglodytes ,wich they wiped out after a hard fight) so no Gray Ooze this time. Well.
Over to my question: there is a possibility that they will face Nightscale and I want to give them a memorable fight. What I´m searching for is some solid advice how to run her at her best. How did you play her when you run Forge of Fury? Please remember that I´m using 3.0.
Some background: the party has been able to upgrade their weaponry by exchanging Durgeddings weapons against other magical weapons with Baron Althon, ( I made him a weapon-collector, rather than give the party a lot of money) so every party member has some magical weapon.

The party:
4 lvl human wizard - +1 light crossbow with special alchemy bolts (1 d8 + 1 d4 fire damage) and a nice spell selection.
4 lvl dwarwen fighter - +1 dwarwen waraxe, +1 breastplate.
4 lvl half elf cleric - +1 keen Longsword.
4 lvl halfling rogue - +1 daggers and a +1 light crossbow.

All characters is built with 28 point buy.
The will probably meet her well rested and fully recharged,so they will be att their very best.
Glad for any help that will make this fight a truly memorable one!

Asmo

 

[dravot]

Hello all and thanx for the advice!

All characters is built with 28 point buy.
The will probably meet her well rested and fully recharged,so they will be att their very best.
Glad for any help that will make this fight a truly memorable one!

Asmo

Do they know that Nightscale is there? Is she aware of them? My group accidently tipped it's hand scouting the area and she detected our scent and had an ambush set up when we went after her (spells/scrolls prepped, some cast beyond detection range while we moved into place, etc.)

Use the water to Nightscale's advantage. She can survive underwater, she can cast spells underwater. Possible tactics include:

Popping up from the water at random intervals and places to use breath weapon on the party (or spell, or spell effect, or even taking a swipe at an exposed party member).

Grappling a party member, and dragging them underwater.

Use the black dragon's darkness effect to it's advantage.

Make sure that Nightscale has an escape strategy. At what point will she decide that things aren't worth it and take off?

What loot items (scrolls, potions) is she willing to use, and in what situations?

 

[Anabstercorian]

I clued my players in to the dangers of that area by pointing out that the doorframes, once made to hold doors, no longer did, and held no trace of wood scraps. Honestly, do you think that the ooze wouldn't eat the doors?

 

[Nail]

Uhm....Anab...he just said they weren't going after the ooze; rather, they were about to meet the dragon.

Asmo: Use the water, but be careful. The most lethal tactic is the easiest: grapple one PC and drag into the water. Use claw and jaw on the poor, drowning, SOB. Try getting the mage first.

 

[Asmo]

They have not heard about Nightscale yet.
I hope they´ll soon face the small group of duergar that rules Durgeddins quarters and forges.Very much depends on if they go all hostile there or if they actually tries to talk their way out of the situation. I guess that it would be the ideal time to tell them about Nightscale. Could be tricky though,they like to fight,but I will give them a hard time if they try something stupid like that.

Asmo

 

[Asmo]

Another question, about that animated rug with improved grapple and constrict in area 47: if the rug hits with his slam attack, does it do 2 d6+7 AND 2 d6+7 constrict damage in the same round? And after that (if it maintains its hold) it´s just 2 d6+7,right? Sounds like a real tough encounter. Anyone played it out or just skipped it?? Sounds very deadly to me. Glad for any input.
And now back to the Nightscale encounter

Asmo

 

[Asmo]

Anyone?
We play in 4 hours,would be glad for any help,specially regarding the animated rug damage.
Asmo

 

[Olorin]

Anyone?
We play in 4 hours,would be glad for any help,specially regarding the animated rug damage.
Asmo

If it hits with its slam attack it does 2d6+7. It gets a free attempt to establish a hold thanks to Improved Grab; so it and the target make opposed grapple checks. If the rug wins it pulls the target into its space and does constrict damage (2d6+7).

Each following round for the rug, if the target hasn't escaped the grapple during his action, you make opposed grapple checks and if the rug wins it does slam and constrict damage to the target.

Yes, potentially this encounter can be deadly.

 

[Asmo]

Thanx Olorin for the help!
Man, this is one nasty rug.

Asmo

 

[Asmo]

Guess what happened? You know that roper in area 33....
I played it by the book: the roper wants a live meal. Two of the players starts a hunt,while the roper is keeping the other two for company-and possibly a meal.
They find an orch at the Mountain door and brings him back. The party wizard is paralyzed and the cleric is slowly regaining his strength and planning something..
well, he stands down after some thinking, and the other two arrives with the orch. The roper releaseses the wizard at the feet at the party (after devouring the poor orch). Then the wizard whispers to the halfing "kill that stony bastard".
IT WAS SO CLOSE!! Why couldn´t they just retreat? No, the halfling starts to shot at him but misses- the roper asks "do you really want to fight?" YES!
...... I really belived that they would walk away,but no.
From that on it was...not fun. Paralyze and drop the halfling into the river, followed by the wizard. The other two ( one of them is the fighter with a fullplate )..well they drink a water breathing and jumps in the river only to be battered to death in a cavern downstream .
Well, next time maybe...
Asmo