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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Taed" data-source="post: 5696698" data-attributes="member: 89454">We assaulted the lair a fourth time, this time on Nightmare mode and with [MENTION=996]Tony Vargas[/MENTION] acting as an "evil" GM.  We were trying for a speed run with characters all the same race.  Summary:  Two out of five of us were down before even acting, and the others by the end of the third round.We played 5 Void Genasi that one of the players put together (so 4 of us were unfamiliar with our characters).  The thinking was that we'd make a run for the lava room (hopefully triggering an OE from the elemental to trigger our Armor of Sudden Recovery) and pop out of existence (I forget the power) and appear on the other side in the final room at the start of the second round.  Only then would we start fighting.Unfortunately, the first room did not have the fire elemental and hellhound as we had previously faced.  Instead it had a hellhound, a handler, and 8 minion acolytes who were surrounding us in a semicircle when we entered the room.Here's a simplified version of what transpired...First round:  We had one PC with a high initiative and he was able to run past them, triggering 3 OEs, but surviving, doing a double run (with a +4 speed on first round feat) to the far end of the lava room and popped out of existence -- a good start to our strategy.  Next the hellhound went, fire breath, lit two pools on fire, lit up all 8 acolytes, who then rushed us and blew themselves up (around 17 fire damage close burst 1 each), resulting in 2 characters unconscious and the other 2 with single-digit hit points.  But at least all the minions were dead!  The two conscious PCs then ran for it, following our plan.  The hellhound and handler then did a Coup de Grace the next round.  Two dead characters who died without ever taking an action.Next two rounds:  Three PCs were in the final room and focused on the Tiefling, but didn't have enough firepower, but did bloody him at least.In retrospect, we did not expect all the minions as had hadn't seen them previously.  We needed a way to control them, such as a Wizard with Beguiling Strands.  If we hadn't been working on Nightmare mode, I think our plan would have worked out well enough to at least get us all into the final room.</blockquote>

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