Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Spalkulus" data-source="post: 1643069" data-attributes="member: 14069">I ran a session yesterday with a semi-climactic battle against a single villain, it was supposed to be a pretty rough one. We roll initiative and the PC Bard (4th level) goes first. He wants to use the Fascinate ability and he arguments that he should be able to do this since the battle hasn't actually started yet. I look it up in the PHB and tend to agree with him, so I let him do it.The bard makes his Perform check, and this would on average be 23-24 (7 ranks + 16 CHA + Skill Focus), which is a dastardly high Will save compared to any spell the party wizard could cast or indeed any Will save the PCs would have to make at the present. The villain fails his save and is Fascinated. The other PCs now cast a few buffer spells on themselves and place themselves around the villain (they don't approach him). They then delay their actions and before the fascination stops they all attack him at some specified initiative count. Since there is a lot of flanking (and sneak attacks) and general buffing they manage to severely damage him. When the villain can act, he does put up a bit of a fight, but a few rounds later he bites the dust without having been a serious threat.All in all this combat had become rather easy and though it was clever of the PCs, I would rather not have this become a standard tactic because the initiative roll then decides whether the battle is easy or not. It would make it rather difficult to plan this sort of encounters. Has anybody had similar experiences with this or does anybody have any suggestions for what I could do about it?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Spalkulus, post: 1643069, member: 14069"] I ran a session yesterday with a semi-climactic battle against a single villain, it was supposed to be a pretty rough one. We roll initiative and the PC Bard (4th level) goes first. He wants to use the Fascinate ability and he arguments that he should be able to do this since the battle hasn't actually started yet. I look it up in the PHB and tend to agree with him, so I let him do it. The bard makes his Perform check, and this would on average be 23-24 (7 ranks + 16 CHA + Skill Focus), which is a dastardly high Will save compared to any spell the party wizard could cast or indeed any Will save the PCs would have to make at the present. The villain fails his save and is Fascinated. The other PCs now cast a few buffer spells on themselves and place themselves around the villain (they don't approach him). They then delay their actions and before the fascination stops they all attack him at some specified initiative count. Since there is a lot of flanking (and sneak attacks) and general buffing they manage to severely damage him. When the villain can act, he does put up a bit of a fight, but a few rounds later he bites the dust without having been a serious threat. All in all this combat had become rather easy and though it was clever of the PCs, I would rather not have this become a standard tactic because the initiative roll then decides whether the battle is easy or not. It would make it rather difficult to plan this sort of encounters. Has anybody had similar experiences with this or does anybody have any suggestions for what I could do about it? [/QUOTE]

Verification