Think you have what it takes to be a powergamer? Take this test.

[Kraedin]

I'm afraid that wouldn't work. PHB, page 9, Constitution, first bullet point: "...a penalty can never drop a Hit Die roll bellow one...", and DMG, page 72, Ability Score Loss, top of second column: " A full hit point score, however, can't drop to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die."

Are you sure, Caliban? The Tarrasque still has a CON score of 29 after a Bestow Curse, which still leaves it with well over 1 hitpoint per hit die. It would be 5.5+9 hitpoints per hit die, on average. Not running into any 1 hitpoint per hitdie minimums here. I'm not trying to reduce it from 840 hitpoints to -30 through constitution drain, I'm trying to reduce it from -10 to -30 through constitution drain.

Does anyone else think that this is really more of a rules-lawyer test than a powergamer test? We should really try dragons or solars next time. No really odd rules issues, but lots and lots of firepower.

 

[wolff96]

Brilliant energy weapons ignore non-living things. A tarrasque's natural armor is living, so the brilliant energy weapon is worthless.

Doh!

You're right -- for some reason I thought Brilliant Energy negated Natural Armor as well. Thanks for pointing that out.

Hmmm...

--------------------

If you stop using Expertise (adding five to attack rolls), change the rapier to a +5 frost, shock rapier, add in a +5 defending dagger for the offhand, and a Pale Green Ioun Stone...

Throw in a Belt of Giant Strength (+4) to add another 2 damage per round...

Cash used rises to 759,950gp.

AC stays 77.

Attack rolls go to:
+30/+25/+20/+15
(75% chance/50% chance/25% chance/5% chance)

Damage changes to:
1d6 (weapon) + 3d6 (Precise Strike) + 2d6 (Elemental) + 5 (weapon) + 6 (STR) + 2 (Weapon Specialization) = 31 average damage per hit, or 45 average damage on a critical.

Well, the Duelist still has the AC to stay in the fight a long time, but it's far more doubtful that he will win now.

 

[Voneth]

Re: Re: Think you have what it takes to be a powergamer? Take this test.

If you want the powergamer way of doing this here you go. I won't even use any items:

20th level wizard with Wish and Dominate Monster, Discern Location, and Teleport Circle, and the feat Spell Penetration. .

Locate and trap 40 stirges. (Hire a low level adventuring party. ) Spend 10 days or so casting dominate monster on all of them, then keep them in a 5' diameter cage.

Use discern location to locate the tarrasque. Since it's a unique creature it should be easy.

Cast teleport circle to teleport all the stirges to the tarrasques' location.

The tarrasque has combat reflexes, so it will probably get 4 attacks of opportunity, and kill 4 stirges.

The remaining 36 stirges attack it. The tarrasque has a touch AC of 5, and the stirges have a +6 touch attack, so they only fail on a 1. At least 30 stirges are going to hit (probably more, but let's be generous).

Touch attacks ignore damage resistance (DMG, page 74, 2nd bullet point, second sentence), so the stirges will be able to attach themselves if they hit.

On the tarrasque's next action it can kill 5 stirges (assuming you let it use it's horn attack on itself somehow). This leaves 25 stirges attached, and on their action they will drain 25d4 points of Constitution, or about 50 - 60 points of Con on average. If they somehow do minimum Con damage (25 points), next round there should be at least 10-20 stirges still attached, which will finish him off. (Some will leave because they have drained 4 points of Con, others will be killed by the tarrasque.)

Once the tarrasque's Con reaches 0, it's dead, and then you leisurely stroll through the teleport circle and wish it dead.

If having a 0 Con doesn't count as being at -30, hit with shocking grasp a few times. With the spell penetration feat, at 20th level you will have a +22 on the caster level check, so you penetrate his spell resistance on a 10 or better. (If I could use the Archmage prestige class out of the Forgotten Realms setting, I could get a +30 on caster level checks...)

I like the idea of using lowly monster minions to take on the Big T. is there a flaw in this plan?

 

[mkletch]

Are you sure, Caliban? The Tarrasque still has a CON score of 29 after a Bestow Curse, which still leaves it with well over 1 hitpoint per hit die. It would be 5.5+9 hitpoints per hit die, on average. Not running into any 1 hitpoint per hitdie minimums here. I'm not trying to reduce it from 840 hitpoints to -30 through constitution drain, I'm trying to reduce it from -10 to -30 through constitution drain.

Does anyone else think that this is really more of a rules-lawyer test than a powergamer test? We should really try dragons or solars next time. No really odd rules issues, but lots and lots of firepower.

CON drain lowers both max and current hit points, but the '1 hit point per die' rule applies only to max hit points. The minimum hit points per die would not kick in until T had a -5 CON penalty at a CON of 1 or 2. The stirges would in effect deal 792 points of damage (initial max of 840 reduced to one point per die or 48).

You have to get your death effect in there before the Stirges deal the last 2 points of CON damage: loss of one hit point per die 'dealing' 24 hit points of damage (you are crossing the 'one hit point per die' threshold so the effect is half) and dropping it to -34 hit points.

Considering the T's 'difficulty to kill' features, I would rule that it would not actually die at 0 CON, but it would take a whole day for it to gain 1 CON. It would be 'down' until CON went above 0, so you have some time to deal with it.

Coming to this late, I really loved the stirges solution (perhaps an adventure for 1st-2nd level characters?). Certainly, you only need to be able to cast a few specialized spells from scrolls (15kgp max, I'd think; not worth actually figuring it out). The Gate-Solar solution is a cheese...

What about applying the Vampire template to the Tarrasque so it is immune to CON damage, crits and other nasty stuff? Fast healing should stack with Regeneration. I guess you'd have to use the Maze-many Gates-Solars solution at that point.

-Fletch!

 

[Omegium]

Ok, I guess I have some homework to do, I am too creative in killing tarrasques:
This one is at lvl 15, lvl 20 is just too boring.
Rogue 3/Fighter3/Lasher 9

BAB: 14
Dex: 18 + 6 + 3 = 27 = +8
Con: 16 + 6 = 22 = +6
Cha: 14 + 6 = 20
Feats: Point blank shot, Exotic Weapon Prof. Whip, Rapid shot, Weapon Focus Whip, Skill Focus use magic device
Put all skills in use magic device and in the beginning in the skills needed for Lasher
HP: 10 + 3d6 + 11d10 + 90 = 171
Equipment:
+5 Whip 50k
+6 Dex item 36k
+6 Con item 36k
+6 Cha item 36k
Boots of speed 8k
Ring of 1 wish: 33k
Scroll of II: 700
Scroll of Prot. from Elements: 250
1000 left for some healing potions
Attack: 14 + 8(dex) + 1 (wf) + 5 (magic) + 1 (PBS) + 2 (invisibility) = +31

Tactic: Cast protection from elements. Become very brave, write your will, and with your weapon in your pocket, walk to him. Since he is always looking for food, assume you are swallowed. Cast improved invisibility from a scroll. Got a +23 on the use magic device check, good chance it works. Draw your whip, activate boots of speed
You have got 1 attack from rapid shot, 1 of crack of fate, 1 of crack of doom, 1 of haste, 3 normal attacks. Attack 7 times a turn at +25/+25/+25/+25/+25/+20/+15, with chance to hit of 95%/95%/95%/95%/95%/95%/80%. Do 1s2 + 5 + 5d6 sneak attack damage. That will average on 156 damage. He will be subdual in under 8 turns, after which we take a ring of wish and wish it death. 8 turns in his belly will give 136 crushing, and about 24 points of acid damage. That is 150 points of damage, keeping 20 points left. Maybe a couple of healing potions in the boots of speed partial action instead of an attack, to remain alive.

 

[Epametheus]

hmm..

A friend sent this to me to post here (he's having trouble with registration). And so, courtesy of Runestar (with a little editing and input by myself)..

===========================
25 point human cleric

STR 18 10+2 BOOK+6 BELT
DEX 26 16+4 BOOK+ 6 GLOVES
CON 9
INT 14
WIS 20
CHA 8

Feats:
Quicken Spell
Extend Spell
Point Blank Shot
Rapid Shot
Weapon Focus: Composite Longbow
Iron Will
Improved Critical: Longbow
Martial Weapon Proficiency: Composite Longbow

Cleric Stuff: Magic Domain. Oh, and a few choice clerical spells, as well (see below).

Cast “Extended Divine Power”
Cast “Greater Magic Weapon” on your bow.
Cast “Greater Magic Weapon” on your arrows.
Cast “Extended Haste” from a scroll.
Cast “Improved Invisibility” from a scroll.
Cast “Fly” from a scroll.

Items:
Gloves: DEX+6
Belt: STR+4
Bracers of Archery (+2 competence bonus to attacks)
Cloak of Resistance +5 (so that you are not scared and get the annoying penalty to attacks!)
+8 Mighty Composite Longbow
Enchantments: +1, Icy Burst, Shocking burst, Bane (magical beast), Distance

Tome: STR+2
Tome: DEX+5

Scrolls of “Extended Haste”, “Improved Invisibility”, “Fly”, “Wish”

If you wish to make this go faster, Quicken one divine spell each round.

Bow:
+8 Mighty Composite Longbow
-- Enchantments: +1, Icy Burst, Shocking Burst, Bane (magical beast), Distance
It is +5 due to the “Greater Magic Weapon” spell.
50 Arrows -- They are +5 due to the second “Greater Magic Weapon” spell.

Fly over the Big T and attack it with Rapid shot attacks.

Chance to hit is:
+20 BAB (Divine Power)
+8 DEX
+5 Bow
+2 from Bane enchantment
+5 Arrow
+6 Divine Power
+2 Bracers of Archery
------total----
+48 to hit

So, with Rapid Shot & Haste, you can attack at +48/+46/+46/+41/+36/+31 each round. Note that you only miss on a 1, since being your being invisible denies the Big T its Dex bonus vs. your attacks.

Damage is:
1d8 (base)
1d6 Cold
1d6 Electricity
2d6 Bane
+2 Bane
+5 Bow enhancement
+5 arrow enhancement
+4 STR
+6 Divine Favor
-----Average per hit------
4.5+3.5+3.5+7+22=40.5 damage per hit.

230 average damage per round without considering critical hits (I’m way to lazy to figure those in)
The Big T heals 40 points of that. Net Damage=190.

Total Damage:
Round 1 = 190
Round 2 = 380
Round 3 = 570
Round 4 = 760
Round 5 = 952
Round 6 = Wish it dead

Let me know what you think.

 

[Piratecat]

Re: hmm..

A friend sent this to me to post here (he's having trouble with registration).

Have him email me. I'll sort it out.

 

[Pielorinho]

20-level rogue. Ring of flying, ring of blinking. Heward's handy haversack full of vials of acid. Power attack, point blank shot, rapid shot. A ring of wish, to put on at the last moment.

Stay out of his reach. Each round, hit four times (+14/+14/+9/+4); any additional bonuses to hit that you get (e.g., from a high dex), put into power attacking. Each touch-attack hit (you hit on a 2-20) does 1d6+10d6+1+power attack damage; assuming that you power attack for 5 points, you do 44 points of damage with each hit, or 176 points of damage/round. Subtract 25% from this for misses due to natural 1s and misses due to blinking; you're still doing 132 points of damage/round. Ten rounds of this should be plenty to take the poor beast out.

Note that you can do nearly as good a job killing it at 16th level (when you get your third attack/round).

Daniel

 

[Jairami]

Isn't there a rule that states at the point where your subdual damage equals your current hit points you are rendered unconscious, and any further sudual damage after that point is treated as real damage?

 

[James McMurray]

Pielorihno (sp?)

You cn't power attack with missile weapons, and where does the touch attack come from?