Testing Caster Interrupt Variant

[RedTonic]

GM: 3.5e, LV 10 party squaring off against EL 10 encounter to test the "declare spell at top of round" houserule. RAW MM3 Critters Conflagration Ooze 2 Arrow Demons

GM: Terrain: Flat, outdoors, no cover, daytime.

 

[Dandu]

Here are my submissions:

Evard the Sorcerer

Mook the Monk

Cohen the Barbarian

Angel Summoner


How can I make this easier for you, ie, party initiative and you get to control everyone but the spellcasters?

 

[RedTonic]

How can I make this easier for you, ie, party initiative and you get to control everyone but the spellcasters?

Party initiative sounds good. I'll use a single init roll for the mobs as well. If you don't mind controlling the PC foursome, that would be good.

Now I've got to figure out the roller interface.

 

[Dandu]

Alright. Looks like you'll be going first.

When deploying the team, may I suggest that the monk be in front by, say, 30 feet since he is the stealthiest member, while the others are in a line behind him? The order for the line should be cleric, sorcerer, fighter in order to reduce the chances of something hearing us. We should stick close together, like we were congaing.

Something like Cleric/Sorcerer/Fighter at A1/B1/C2, with the monk at D5 would be nice.

Commentary: Have you seen the Test of Spite, RedTonic? I went through a dungeoncrawl where we faced off against what I believed to be a conflagration ooze and two arrow demons, along with some blood blossoms. In the first encounter, with only 3 level 13 PCs on our side. Our party monk ended up dying.

Good times.

 

[RedTonic]

I definitely haven't seen the Test. Any resemblance is purely coincidental. Also, I have no idea why this text is bold, but it won't unbold...

Instead of waiting until the caster's turn in the round, the player announces the spell to be cast at the top of the round and the action resolves during the PC's round. For NPCs, if their location is known to the party, I will announce at the top of the round (or when the NPC is revealed) that the NPC is casting.

Mechanical consequence is that an attack on the caster during the interim has the potential to disrupt casting (opposed by a Concentration check). This houserule harks back to previous editions of D&D where there was a casting time to be resolved. The concentration check would work as normal.

This would not apply to spells cast as a free action (ex. featherfall).

What applies to PCs also applies to NPCs, so any resulting vulnerability works both ways. Casting spells which are not full-round or longer actions will still permit the caster to move as normal during the round.

Grid is 5x5' squares.

D1, D2 = arrow demons 1, 2; big square = ooze.

Since everyone generally enters battle buffed, want to have a free round before we start?

 

[Dandu]

Sure.

During the free round, Angel Summoner will cast Obscuring Mist on himself, giving everyone but the Monk concealment, though he can move back into the cloud if he needs it, obviously. If that does not count as a buff, then he will cast Divine Favor.

Evard will cast Resist Energy (Fire) on Cohen.

I would like to state, for the record, that both casters are coming into combat with spells that lasts for hours active, if that is ok with you.

Now, I believe I declare my spells for the combat round.

Angel Summoner will cast an Shield of Faith extended with a metamagic rod, while Evard will go on the offense and cast Black Tentacles - on the enemy, of course. Both will move to the edge of the cloud in order to see the enemy.

 

[RedTonic]

I'll go with disallowing the fog and going with divine favor, in keeping with my general, arbitrary custom. Hours of active buff just comes with the territory!

1. Arrow Demon 1 summons dretches.
2. Arrow Demon 2 attacks Evard.
3. Conflagration ooze uses supernatural ability: Confusion (DC 15) on Mook.

 

[RedTonic]

Looks like Evard got off scot free; feel free to roll grapples for his tentacular assault.

 

[Dandu]

Monk will save: +12

Grapple for Evard's tentacles.

Angel Summoner has +2 to attack, damage, +3 to AC.

 

[Dandu]

My mistake. I must have done something wrong. Ignore the first d20 roll.

I'm placing the Black Tentacles at the intersection of L11, M11, L12, and M12. This actually means that Dretches 4 and 5 will be out of the AoE if I am not mistaken, so those two escape the tentacles.