My poor LBEG - what went wrong?

[irdeggman]

Something else - you can't make an AoO if your target has cover. In this case the fighter turned the table on the necromancer (dealing subdual damage) and it provided cover (see reference to archer) - hence it provided cover to the fighter - so he could not take an AoO.

PHB pg 151 "You can't execute an attack of opportunity against a creature with cover relative to you."

The necromancer never needed to make a concentration check since he didn't need to cast defensively in the first place. Ta da spell goes off.

The necromancer could also have taken a normal move (to get away from the fighter) and as long as he kept the table between him and the fighter no AoO, then he casts his spell.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Can't someone who is Slowed do this as well?

and nobody else can (except under special circumstances...)

Yup.

-Hyp.

 

[Legildur]

These sort of outcomes are why our gaming groups have adopted the variant rule f(I believe from the 3.0 DMG) that the initiative round is like a surprise round = standard action only.

Otherwise one side can completely swamp the other with good iniative rolls, regardless of the circumstances leading to the encounter.

We find it very balancing and I recommend it.

 

[moritheil]

Details : Regular zombies (CR 1/2) : gnome necromancer 5th level.
Party members: : Fighter(4), Thief(4), Cleric(4), [NPC] Sorceress(2), [NPC]
Ranger(3).
[EDIT] Forgot the Psion(3).

1. As others have stated, once he failed the Conc check, he fizzled the spell; the fighter should not have gotten an AOO regardless of how close he was. Defensive casting = no AOO, regardless of Conc check. And it looks like he had cover, which further helps him.

2. I find that, using challenge calculators, "Very Difficult" encounters are usually no such thing, if comprised entirely of enemies that can be easily hit. For the group detailed above, with four casters in the PC party, it is madness to throw an opposing force with only weak fighters and one caster against them (unless that opposing caster has Blasphemy at will or something equally overpowering).

3. Why on earth do you have not one, but three NPCs supporting the party? I can only assume that this is story related, but in general, I would suggest that you tone down on the NPC support, particularly magical support, as the party already has its own artillery.

4. If it was fun for all, ignore the above

 

[The Souljourner]

First and foremost, "equal level" encounters are generally *really* easy for experienced players. In the campaigns I play in, we almost never fight battles less than 2 levels above our average party level, because there's just no challenge otherwise.

Given the fact that the zombies were bound to do nothing in this fight, even if the cleric didn't turn them, I wouldn't even count them against the EL of the fight. That leaves one level 5 wizard against a huge party about level 4. That's hardly a challenge at all.

Since you're running this from a module, you really can't be blamed for the design of the encounter. However, it's really a judgement call about how difficult any specific encounter will be. You can't use a chart in a book to get it right, there are just too many variables. You have to look at the likely tactics of your party, and how effective they're likely to be. The party didn't really do anything unusal at all. Let's see - low level undead - turn is a gimme. Wizard in the back? Concentrate fire until he's dead. This is attack pattern alpha for most experienced parties. At 5th level, the necromancer isn't really going to have any devastating spells, so he's just gonna die. Raise this up 5 or more levels, and the wizard's gonna start having a chance.

-The Souljourner