NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 2706727" data-attributes="member: 151">We're at a level now where combat is something that needs to be valuable.  Minor combats against weak enemies/monsters isn't worth playing out...it leaves too many players bored.  The Hive Birds will most likely make an appearance with the Yugoloth armies.  However, if used here, they'd reduce the impact of the creatures that focused the story; namely they would be speed-bumps and feel like such.  The goal here was to keep the players focused on the elves, their sacrifice and the horror of the invasion.  The Nightmare Elves, as I called them, were in reality 20th level Incarnates from Magic of Incarnum.  Their stat-block (and my notes for the combat) follows below:2.    First Combat – Nightmare Elvesa.    Use Azurin Incarnates, as below.  First attack features a dozen of them.  If any of them manage to make contact with a civilian elf, it transforms them in 2 rounds into a Nightmare Elf.  Assume they are immune to compulsion and mind-affecting spells except Calm Emotions and similar spells, which will stun them for one round.   b.    They fight as mindless automatons, trying to replicate themselves or fight without any regard to personal safety.  The Far Realmsian horrors don’t care about the hosts, who can only be put out of their misery, not saved.  Unless the PCs figure out a very clever solution, in which case go with that).( <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />c.    Nightmare ElfCN Azurin Incarnate 20 - essentia 29Medium Outsider (Incarnum, Chaotic)Str 20, Dex 13, Int - , Con 26, Wis 12, Cha - *Base Atk: +10; HP 232Atk: +8 lawful, force longsword +36/+31 (1d8+13 + Stun + once-9d6 electricity/19-20) or +11 ranged touch (8d6 acid + 8d6 acid (following round), 30 ft range)Note: As automatons, the nightmare elves have no Int or Cha scores.  For relevant saves, use their Con bonus instead, to reflect the life-force of the Realmsian horrors which power them.SA: Incarnum Radiance: +6 melee attacks, 4/day (lasts entire combat, also share with Realmsian allies within 30') - the attack bonuses above assume this is being used.SQ: Perfect Meldshaper 1/day (Free action, lasts 4 rounds, all soulmelds have essentia at maximum capacity during that time)Feats: Expanded Soulmeld Capacity x3, Bonus Essentia, Split Chakra (throat), Split Chakra (soul), Immune to Polymorphing, Mind-Control or Compulsion (except Calm Emotions or similar effects, which stun for one round)Soulmelds: (capacity 6)* (soul) Incarnate Avatar 7: +7 insight on melee attack rolls* (arms) Incarnate Weapon 8: +8 longsword, fortitude stunning (bound)* (feet) Airstep Sandals 0: (fly 10'+10' per essentia as move action)* (hands) Lightning Gauntlets 8: +9d6 electricity damage on one attack (bound)* (crown) Crystal Helm 0 (bound) melee attacks have force descriptor* (shoulders) Mantle of Madness 6: any striking the PC in melee takes 4d6 light damage + 4d6 Realmsian Madness Damage* (throat) Dissolving Spittle 0 (bound)* (brow) Planar Chausible 0 (bound) (resist fire 10 + 5/point of essentia)* (waist) Vitality Belt 0 (not bound) (+20 hp per essentia point invested)Magic Items:* (throat) Amulet of Health +6* (waist) Girdle of Giant Strength +6* (arms) Incarnum bracers* (hands) Incarnum gauntletsd.    If a Nightmare Elf takes too much damage, it will move Essentia into it’s Vitality Belt ability to gain hit points to continue fighting.  For Zinkman and the Silvering, I was using an ancient silver dragon from the Draconomicon and then just effectively doubling his stats (if, in fact, his stats were needed) and for Zinkman I had stats...but never used them.  As Dravot points out in the main thread, I never intended for there to be a knock-down, drag out fight.  This was always intended to be a 'opponent is vastly powerful, but together you can defeat him' battle.  This is also intended to foreshadow the final battle with the Shadow King.I've always been a proponent that the story takes precedence over the rules, and this was a classic example of where it did.  I think it proved much more satisfying for the players.</blockquote>

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