The Liberation of Tenh (updated April 24)

[KidCthulhu]

My suggestion would be do something to fudge with their cycle of "Scry, teleport, kick a**. Repeat if necessary". The scry teleport thing is very powerful, but Iuz is a frikkin' god. If he hasn't figured out the Liberator's big trick yet, he deserves to be brought down. Don't these people talk to each other? Wasn't there a memo?

 

[Skaros]

My suggestion would be do something to fudge with their cycle of "Scry, teleport, kick a**. Repeat if necessary". The scry teleport thing is very powerful, but Iuz is a frikkin' god. If he hasn't figured out the Liberator's big trick yet, he deserves to be brought down. Don't these people talk to each other? Wasn't there a memo?

There was a memo, but Iuz didn't send it out next-day delivery...cause its more evil that way.

 

[Sarellion]

I think that after the third fight in this way, I would be a little bit annoyed.

isn´t there something to stop scrying with some spell?

 

[Lazybones]

It's true, I've seen this similar style of scry-buff-attack in a lot of high level story hours (Wulf's, Sep's, Kid C's, and now (contact)'s). Inveitably in these situations the PCs grow to a level of power where they can smite all sorts of terrible foes, and with resurrection magic, death ceases to have any terror for them.

Of course, knowing C's style, I have no fear whatsoever that comeuppance will be ladled out with a big, bent, two-handled ladle of DOOM!

Or something like that.

Great couple of updates; I love the style of this story (something like Vance meets Pratchett, with a couple good-sized belts of scotch thrown in for flavor).

 

[(contact)]

The scry teleport thing is very powerful, but Iuz is a frikkin' god. If he hasn't figured out the Liberator's big trick yet, he deserves to be brought down.

This is entirely true. What the Liberators are slowly finding out is that Iuz *does not care* that they've been wasting His clerics willy-nilly.

The Old One has other concerns on his necrotic and worm-ridden mind. The Liberators will find themselves in trouble when they reach the tipping point with regards to the *organization* of Iuz becoming concerned enough to do actually organize and do something about them.

Of course, other outside forces may be at play, as well . . .

 

[(contact)]

And I should also point out, for the record, that I have no problem with PCs using all avaliable spells and tactics to their maximum efficiency.

That said, my one gripe is that it the relative power levels of a pre-buffed and a post-buffed 3e party are *so* radically different, it becomes a real challenge within this campaign to provide them with tough encounters that are able to handle the full might of the optimized Liberators, without going so far beyond the pale as to strech my game's credibility.

In other words, Cranzer was 12th level when the PCs started the freaking LoT campaign, and he's been sitting on his hairy behind most of the time since then, so if he's 15th level by the time they get around to mauling him it would be a miracle.

It would just strain my sense of disbelief as a player if all of a sudden every Iuzian were 19th level, just because the PCs need foes that tough to give them the appropriate amount of hell when they scry-buff-jump bad.

But yeah, I did come up with a fix, but it's one I wouldn't reccomend trying at home. It nearly got me lynched.

 

[Duncan Haldane]

That said, my one gripe is that it the relative power levels of a pre-buffed and a post-buffed 3e party are *so* radically different, it becomes a real challenge within this campaign to provide them with tough encounters that are able to handle the full might of the optimized Liberators, without going so far beyond the pale as to strech my game's credibility.

Unfortunately 3.5 is going to make that worse. For instance, in 3e at higher levels one could spend most of the day with buff spells on, prepared in some ways to respond to an ambush.

But with 3.5 buff spells only lasting 1 minute per level, it can't be done that way. The ambushing group can buff themselves up mightily before the ambush begins, which the victims of the ambush can't start buffing until the ambush is underway.

Ambushes, especially scry/teleport/kill types are going to be much deadlier in 3.5

And thanks again for a great story hour, contact.

Duncan

 

[Zaruthustran]

If I were an Evil Servant of Iuz and realized that all my Evil Buddies are getting bushwhacked by the Scry/Buff/Teleport Liberators, then I'd do what Saddam did: use body doubles, surround myself with bodyguards, stay on the move, and be paranoid as you can be.

One thing for a Bad Guy to do is to always be with a dominated bodyguard. This guy would be disguised with mundane disguises, what for to be proof against True Seeing. And he'd always be at hand. When the PCs scry, they'll see both of them side by side. As far as I know, there's no "zoom" feature on Scry--it just shows the subject and his surroundings. It's totally believable that at the time the PCs scry, the bad guy is standing close enough to the decoy as to make it unclear which one the Scry spell is centered upon.

Make the decoy a disguised Flesh Golem (or some other magic-proof thing) and it'll maybe soak a few rounds of attacks and spells.

Another thing for Bad Guys to do is RUN, then come back with reinforcements. For instance: a Bad Guy could have a contingency that "Whenever anyone teleports within 60' of me, I Teleport away". Poof! Now the PCs are stuck facing the bodyguards, while the Bad Guy buffs, preps, and grabs reinforcements. If the Bad Guy isn't a caster he can just wear a Spell Storing something-or-other, or have a couple bodyguard spellcasters with quickened Teleports nearby.

Or, arm the bodyguards with Beads of Force, Bands of Bilaro, Grease or Rock to Mud spells--heck, even Bolas and Tanglefoot bags. These cheap things immobilize the Good Guys until more Bad Guys can arrive.

The classic smokescreen is also effective. Cheap Wondrous Items, first level spells, or friendly air elementals can whip up Concealment modifiers right quick. These should give the Bad Guys enough time to prep up or escape. Stack Concealment with Displacement with Etherealness and you can be pretty safe from Heydricus, Dabus, and Lucius.

Got (dead) Friends? Ghostly pals or Spectral cohorts (traveling in the pavement) can be a nasty surprise. Give them the Blindfight feat and have them attack with cheap Ghost Touch weapons--while they're still encased in a wall or the floor. They get to reroll the miss chance for striking an unseen opponent, and are proof against weapons, most spells, and Turning (turning doesn't work against undead with Total Cover). Give them Sense Life effects, clairvoyance effects, or ghostly familiars flying far overhead, what for so they can get an idea of where to swing.

Speaking of Undead, I once made a 1st level monk that was pretty deadly. It was a 1st level monk Mind Flayer ghost. The Charisma bonus from the Ghost template made its mind blast pretty nasty, and it could blast from the ethereal. The Charisma bonus from Mind Flayer made the ghost powers pretty nasty. The Wisdom bonus from both gave it a great unarmored AC. The ECL was 21, but maybe this guy would make a good (as in "Evil") hit man for use against heroes.

But I'm not worried. I think (contact) has his players' doom well in hand.

-z

 

[KidCthulhu]

Contact, I'm not suggesting you pull out the "hose 'em" stick. I think you've got the right idea, to keep your world real and accurate. But I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve.

 

[Derrick Reeves]

Surely Scry-Buff-Teleport is going to be less effective in 3.5, with Will Saves against Scrying? This alone should put the Liberators on a go-slow.