To kill or not to kill (the party.) That is the question!

[Psion]

Re: Well more research and opinions.

First Psion, if I'm reading this right, if said sorcerer already HAS a Cha of 20,

That's not the part I am worried about. The way I design NPC villains, most of them will have 20 in their prime stat anyway if they are major villains. It's the potential to have 40 after draining some people that concerns me. The charisma damage they take doesn't happen nearly fast enough to make that a reasonable option.

Finally, after MUCH researching, I cannot find anything else that might help with this other than maybe a ring of wishing. It's not something that I'd recommend, but then again just in case you DO want your party to survive. I would say just have Sarlac win, as it teaches the party to be a little more...circumspect in their attempts to attacking/take on someone as powerful as Sarlac. [/B]

Well, I don't have to kill them to teach them that. And like I said, I wouldn't be contemplating making an "out" for them if I didn't sort of bait them. But I took Kevin's suggestion. They made the mistake of giving him time to change his spell selection after they entered the keep. As a result, he has a few subdual fireballs (with a metamagic rod of maximization), subdual chains of vengeance, subdual delayed blast fireball, and subdual incendiary cloud ready, in addition to bits like otiluke's sphere.

They alreay have an insider in his group. He could be the key. I just don't want it to feel like the cavalry.

 

[Piratecat]

Make them work for it! He should sucker them into dropping their biggest artillary on an illusion, then open up on them with both (subdual) guns blazing. With luck, they'll get to fight or negotiate their way out of captivity, or at least flee dragging their wounded behind them.

Remember, magical healing effectively heals double when it heals subdual AND normal damage. Thus, you should use all normal or all subdual for as long as possible, in order to make it harder for the PCs to get effectively double service out of healing spells.

Have fun!!

 

[Nightfall]

Yeah I know about the potential abuse Psion.

But I'm glad you went PC/Kev's route. Just remember to also have some REAL power house spells to make them work for it. Also I'd suggest something like sever to make sure they cannot use any divine healing abilities. It's a wonderful thing when the party cannot count on their favorite healing post to work.

Anyway's good luck. I think though these guys are at least more than a little more than monster kibble, but at least it will be FUN kind!

 

[praetorian]

So the PCs are going to go back? I would give them the whipping they deserve! I like the idea of him taking an interest in one of the party members. Maybe he can swipe her off without killing off the party? This would then put the PCs in another predicament with their lost companion. I know you want to keep the party alive, because killing them all off ends things, but . . .
Do they know how powerful this guy is? If they know he is a potent caster, you should fry them all in a moments notice for being such fools, but if you never let them know that, I might have them run into an NPC that has a gripe (maybe a loved one of another kidinapped person) who wants to help them for the moment.

Personally if they were going to take this guy down, they should have done it the first time. Going back a second time sounds really foolish to me, and if I was the DM, I would put them at big risk of death or multiple deaths for trying such a thing, now that the villain has more reason to hate the PCs and bring his full force to bear upon them.

 

[Nightfall]

While this has some truth to it...

The fact is, most bloodless (and this guy seems like no exception), perfer not demostrate their power in what they might consider a vuglar fashion. They are, for all intents and purposes, immortal, even more so than vampires or other undead. So yeah Sarlac would probably be pissed at them, but I think he'd make an example of them BY having them serve him. At least that's my read of him. Psion probably can tell/explain this better.

 

[spacecrime.com]

I vote for "Smoke them like kippers."

If you really must be kind, then kill them one at a time and give the party a chance to run away after each death. Your guy sounds decadent enough that he might not feel the need to wipe them out. I could see him telling them, "Flee! Do not cast away your brief lives! Your time is short -- enjoy it while you can, for I cannot save all of you from its ravages..." or something suitably pompous like that.

If they run away and live to fight another day, great. If they stick around and win, that's okay too. And if they stick around and die, that's ultimately their choice.

cheers,

 

[Fade]

Bestow Curse harms charisma.

 

[Psion]

Make them work for it! He should sucker them into dropping their biggest artillary on an illusion,

One step ahead of you. Project image was probably the first spell on his list.

 

[Psion]

I could see him telling them, "Flee! Do not cast away your brief lives! Your time is short -- enjoy it while you can, for I cannot save all of you from its ravages..." or something suitably pompous like that.

Ooh, that is good (and appropriate), and would make a nice break from the "you are doomed" type uber villain.

However, I had sort of had an outcome planned if the party gets capture. Right now, the Arcane Alliance (a brotherhood of high level arcane spellcasters) is in cahoots with a tyranical empire (called Drakar) to assassinate a visiting head of state and kidnap the prince that the players are sworn to protect (two of the PCs are Bloodguard, which are sort of like the Musketeers of yore.) The players have already spoken with a turncoat (named Sigred) within the Arcane Alliance who does not think that it is a good idea to get in bed with Drakar. He has funneled them some information and already saved the life of one party member (from a creature summoned by a fellow member of the Arcane Alliance).

Now what I was thinking is that if the party gets captured, Sarlac uses scrying to rub their noses in their failure to protect their prince at an upcoming meeting that they are supposed to be at. But perhaps it is that time that that Sigred's objections becomes more vehement and he uses that moment to betray the alliance, and lets them escape in time to save one of their targets.

But even if that happens, I think there will be a few bodies.

 

[Numion]

My vote also goes to "Smoke 'em". A bad guy using subdual? You'll see that IMC the same day PCs use subdual

If they don't realize they're over their heads, well, live and learn. Or die and learn.