Running a marilith - strategy

[Bungus]

I was planning on having a standard marilith at the end of the next adventure for the PCs.

The players are a cleric, a psion, a rogue, a tank dwarf fighter and a finesse fighter/paladin... all are standard PHB races. They will also have a level 6 or 7 ranger apprentice with them, and maybe one other.

What are some good ideas/strategy for running the marilith? What would the party attempt to do when fighting the marilith?

Thanks!

 

[Runestar]

Here is an interesting article from wotc.

Many demons have a laundry list of spell-like abilities and special powers. Knowing just when to use them can be difficult, especially if you're running multiple demons in a fight. Given that demons are supposed to be chaotic and unpredictable, one way to simplify their powers is to make the choice on when they'll use their powers in advance, regardless of how much sense it makes during actual combat. For example, a marilith can make numerous melee attacks, a grapple check to constrict, plus nine spell-like abilities (five of which are likely to be used in combat). Rather than make the most careful choice each round, simply list an order in which the demon will use her powers. If you know she'll use unholy aura first, then use melee attacks for 2 rounds, then go with blade barrier, then have another round of melee attacks, and finally use greater teleport followed by project image and another greater teleport to get back into the fight, recycling as needed until the fight ends, you don't have to worry about making too many decisions. While the heroes may wonder why the marilith suddenly teleported away right after getting close to the wizard, their confusion may work for you, and you have certainly reinforced the creature's chaotic nature.

It is not entirely optimal, but can help to ease the burden in running such a complex foe. Basically, assume it has unholy aura up and augmented its 6 longswords with magic weapon (which amounts to +1 to-hit/damage).

 

[frankthedm]

Unless she is in a good mood or trying to hide, yes, she has Unholy aura up.

She does not fly, as such she will limit he presence where flying foes have the advantage over her.20' ceilings will be the magic hight she will seek out

Light sources, if the party uses them, she takes advantage of that light. Her TK has over 1000' range and she can drop blade barrier spells at 260' range.

Spamming blade barrier should work well. But to do so you need to already have decided how you place wall spells in your game, which has some rules questions involved. Also do note the faq had something to say about the blade barrier spell.

Project image should be given a read over to learn it's uses and limitations. It should be useful for tricking players into false targeting and for fooling them into blade barriers.

 

[Jack Simth]

Unless she is in a good mood or trying to hide, yes, she has Unholy aura up.

She does not fly, as such she will limit he presence where flying foes have the advantage over her.20' ceilings will be the magic hight she will seek out

Light sources, if the party uses them, she takes advantage of that light. Her TK has over 1000' range and she can drop blade barrier spells at 260' range.

Spamming blade barrier should work well. But to do so you need to already have decided how you place wall spells in your game, which has some rules questions involved. Also do note the faq had something to say about the blade barrier spell.

Project image should be given a read over to learn it's uses and limitations. It should be useful for tricking players into false targeting and for fooling them into blade barriers.

Potentially? That the range of Blade Barrier can be extended considerably, and around multiple corners. See, any spells cast by Project Image are cast as though you're standing in the Projected Image's location ... so the first Projected Image (#1) goes to the limit of the spell's effective range (keeping Line of Effect in mind), the second Projected Image (#2) goes to the limit of that spell's range (keeping Line of Effect in mind, based on the location of Projected Image # 1), the third goes to the limit of that spell's range (keeping Line of Effect in mind, based on the location of Projected Image # 2), and so on. As Project Image is 1 round/level, and a Marilith has a caster level of 16 if they're "vanilla", that Maralith could potentially be hiding in a pool of mundane darkness roughly 4,000 feet away, around ten corners, and STILL zap you with Violent Thrust Telekinesis, Blade Barrier, or what-have-you (although that'd be limited to once every X+1 rounds, where X is the number of Projected Images needed to follow the path, limit 16).

Note: If you measure the Line of Effect for Project Image based on the Maralith's actual location, then the Maralith could potentially be an arbitrary distance down a straight hallway - as it's merely Line of Effect that needs to be maintained, distance doesn't matter once the spell is cast ... and you can keep casting new ones over & over & over again..... a Maralith on a mountaintop could theoretically strike at anything in line-of-effect, given time. Like a castle six miles away.

 

[Runestar]

With the exception of Baldur's Gate 2, where a wizard could cheese project image by casting 3 simultaneously via chain contingency and spam spells like no tomorrow, I have never really found a practical use for project image. Nor do I quite understand the usefulness of a marilith having access to said SLA.

Is there some high-level strategy I have completely overlooked?

 

[Jack Simth]

With the exception of Baldur's Gate 2, where a wizard could cheese project image by casting 3 simultaneously via chain contingency and spam spells like no tomorrow, I have never really found a practical use for project image. Nor do I quite understand the usefulness of a marilith having access to said SLA.

Is there some high-level strategy I have completely overlooked?

I don't know... do you think you could make use of a situation where you're able to shoot around corners, getting line of effect to your opponents without them having line of effect to you?

Project Image doesn't work so hot if you're surprised, due to the 1 round/level duration. But if you are initiating the encounter, or you have it at will, that's another ball of wax.

The spell requires only line-of-effect. If I'm a hundred feet straight down (or up) from the room, looking up through a shaft that's covered with a steel grate, I still have line of effect to the location of my Projected Image, but it's really hard to get to me unless you step onto the square my image is occupying (and most players won't think about trying that, being accustomed to the rule about no two characters occupying the same space most the time). What's the value of being able to attack someone when they can't attack you nearly as easily?

 

[Rackhir]

Given the range on Blade Barrier and the teleport ability, tossing those out and then porting away can make for a hellaciously difficult encounter in an semi open area like say a village, unless they have some extra ordinary movement abilities or ranged damage dealing.

It is a CR 17 encounter, so lv 7 or so apprentices are not likely to be anything other than a liability.

What level is the party? Run well, one of these can put a serious hurting on even a very high level party. So exercise caution if they aren't in the 15-17th lvl range.

 

[Bungus]

Given the range on Blade Barrier and the teleport ability, tossing those out and then porting away can make for a hellaciously difficult encounter in an semi open area like say a village, unless they have some extra ordinary movement abilities or ranged damage dealing.

It is a CR 17 encounter, so lv 7 or so apprentices are not likely to be anything other than a liability.

What level is the party? Run well, one of these can put a serious hurting on even a very high level party. So exercise caution if they aren't in the 15-17th lvl range.

Well, the marilith is sort of trapped in her situation - within a large summoning circle (much bigger than a 20 x 20 template) - so, teleport might not be her best choice.

The party is going to be level 13, and I figured since she was in the situation above, she would be a bit weaker than a standard marilith... (I just have a very well painted Reaper marilith that I'm dying to use, too!)

I may put in a level 11/12 type as another NPC as well. So, it would be five PCs, plus a level 7 and a level 11 or 12 NPC.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Well, the marilith is sort of trapped in her situation - within a large summoning circle (much bigger than a 20 x 20 template) - so, teleport might not be her best choice.

The party is going to be level 13, and I figured since she was in the situation above, she would be a bit weaker than a standard marilith... (I just have a very well painted Reaper marilith that I'm dying to use, too!)

I may put in a level 11/12 type as another NPC as well. So, it would be five PCs, plus a level 7 and a level 11 or 12 NPC.

It depends on how you want to rule the summoning circle. A circle is a two-dimensional shape and the marilith is a three-dimensional creature. Is there any reason that she couldn't go up or down?

Since she's trapped inside the circle, that implies that she herself was summoned. If that's not true, perhaps she should summon some help?

Otherwise, I agree with the blade barrier and telekinesis approach.

 

[frankthedm]

Well, the marilith is sort of trapped in her situation - within a large summoning circle (much bigger than a 20 x 20 template) - so, teleport might not be her best choice.

Because "summon" has certain connotations in the ruleset, could you be more specific about the effects of the 'magical containment field' she is in?

Dialing down the Marilith sounds tricky since you have to balance her stats and special abilties.

If you are trying to model the monster after the mini, you might want to consider giving her a hydra like "Take 6 swings as a Standard Action or Charge" so the group feels thoose 6 arms.