Two monks, an assassin, a cleric and a wizard

[Nail]

Anyway......to tactics:

The Wizard's job will be to isolate a PC. The Monks' job will be to contain/stun/grapple the singled-out PC. The Asn's job will be...well, the obvious. The Clr's job will be to buff pre-fight, then support as needed.

Once the target PC is down, the NPCs should leave ASAP. (Wizard teleport, of course.) Then come back the next day to take out another PC. Rinse, and repeat.

Take out the strongest PC first.

 

[Nifft]

Nifft: I was only able to get a peek at one PC character sheet, but have to assume that the others are similarly equipped/tweaked. This is the heavy melee character:

Level 8. Ftr 5/Barb 1/Phoenix Warrior 2 (custom PrC)
STR 19, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 14
AC 27
HP: 83
+2 Flaming Impact maul
+2 Tower Shield animates 1/week
+3 breastplate, Light Fortification, Fire Shield 1/week

Those stats/hp's are before raging. The custom PrC gives him one level of an existing class, so he is effectively a 6th level Ftr. Also gives him the ability to fight to negative CON before dying, and he can heal 8 hp's a day.

I think that is about it. I don't have the complete sheet.

If the monks are well played, they will hit this guy, make him use his 1/week whatevers, and then out run him away. They will return in 30 minutes and kick his ass (or run away again if someone else uses a special limited duration ability that they don't want to deal with).

The monks can heal themselves of 26 hp/day each, so even without the Cleric support guy, they can do at least two hits per day. (And before you say the party could catch them, the 13th level Monks have a land speed of 70 ft.; a light warhorse has a land speed of 60 ft.)

The party has no way of making the monks fight on their own terms. Unless they are very clever -- or the monks are very stupid -- the party will not win.

This is just IMHO. High-level monks are very flexible, especially if they can pick the battle's location -- anywhere that requires Balance or Climb checks, for example -- they can dominate even strong foes. Weaker foes? Heh.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nail]

Since these are NPCs, be sure to give them plenty of expendible magic items, like potions. Then have the NPCs use them pre-fight for buffs.

 

[Nifft]

Anyway......to tactics:

The Wizard's job will be to isolate a PC. The Monks' job will be to contain/stun/grapple the singled-out PC. The Asn's job will be...well, the obvious. The Clr's job will be to buff pre-fight, then support as needed.

Once the target PC is down, the NPCs should leave ASAP. (Wizard teleport, of course.) Then come back the next day to take out another PC. Rinse, and repeat.

Take out the strongest PC first.

Mostly agree. But I'd target differently. I'd try first for the Wizard, then the Cleric, and so on -- take away their options, then kill them at your leisure. Once the casters are gone, bring in your invisibility (and its greater version) and kill them all at once.

Wizard isolationist: wall of ice and solid fog. Lock the melee guys in the solid fog and break line-of-sight to the caster / archer with the wall of ice. Then the monks & assassin can kill whoever is isolated.

Stun + TWF Sneak Attack = ugly.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Nail]

Good work, Nifft!

The strongest is relative...we'd have to know more about the PCs capabilities. It could be there is both a psion and a Wiz, for instance. If so, take the Psion out first.

 

[Palskane]

I think that maybe he's not truly challenged the party so far, or maybe he's frustrated that everything he's thrown at them hasn't landed a PC death? I know he mentioned that none of the PC's have ever died.

*shrugs* I'll just build them as he asked, and leave it up to him to fudge anything he thinks needs to be fudged.

So, any really good builds? Or just straight out of the book be more than enough? *evil grin*

 

[Mycanid]

Yeesh ... the poor pc's are in TROUBLE.

 

[werk]

Just remember to equip them using NPC wealth rather than PC.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Party killers:

13th level human monks get six feats, plus three bonus feats.
Monk 1: Grappler. Monk bonus feats: improved grapple, combat reflexes, improved trip. Other feats: Jotunbrud, snap kick, superior unarmed strike, weapon focus: grapple, earth's embrace, improved toughness.

Monk 2: Stunner. Cobra Strike variant monk from UA bonus feats: Stunning Fist, Mobility, Spring Attack. Other feats: dodge, weapon finesse, ability focus: stunning fist, Improved stunning fist, weapon focus: unarmed strike, elusive target. If the PCs are light on casters, maybe throw in 1 level of rogue and one level of scout, so you get +2d6 damage whenever you spring attack the poor fellow being grappled by Monk 1. Heck, add in 3 levels of assassin for spells and another 2d6 damage.

For the teamwork thing, look into teamwork benefits from... PHB II? Heroes of Battle?

Assassin CR 8: ranger 2/rogue3/assassin 3. Feats: PBS, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot (bonus), TWF, Quick Draw. This guy throws lots and lots of daggers at grappled or stunned opponents. With a +6/+1 BAB, Rapid Shot, and TWF, his full attack has four throws. Each throw is potentially 1d4+1+4d6+Str bonus damage (plus poison). Have his Ranger favored enemy be the most common race among the PCs.

Cleric CR 7: take the trickery (access to Confusion) and evil (access to unholy blight) domains. For feats, take Spell focus: enchantment, Divine Metamagic, Heighten Spell, Scribe Scroll. Spend that NPC money on cheap scrolls (like buffs) and a few powerful/expensive scrolls (like Confusion and Unholy Blight). Cleric's job is to spam Blights and Confusions on the party. Blights can cause the Sickened condition, which lowers saving throws, which is bad news if you follow it up with a Confusion or three. Save one high level spell slot for a high-level summon (summon something Evil, so it benefits from your domain ability)--that way, you can start the fight with a summoned critter handy. Also keep a few dispels at the ready (can be scrolls).

Wizard CR 9: Conjurer, but make sure you don't bar Illusion and Transmutation. Remember you get Scribe Scroll for free; in essence all scrolls of spells in your book are half price. Feats: Spell focus: conjuration, augment summoning, greater spell focus: conjuration, cloudy conjuration, improved toughness. Wizard's job is to divide the party with walls, illusions, and solid fog so that the monks and assassins can do their work. Also, to summon monsters to distract/deal damage. Pick monsters that grapple or otherwise incapacitate. Use scrolls as needed. Also, if the party magics up the wizard should have a dispel magic or two handy.

Minimum buffs from Cleric:
1st level: Protection from Good on all (protects vs. mind control, helps with AC and saves)
2nd level: Str buff for grappler, Dex buff for stunner and assassin, wis buff for self, int buff for wizard
3rd level: Nondetection on assassin (protects against See Invisibility and other divination spells)

Minimum buffs from Wizard:
Mage Armor for monks, fly and haste for assassin, enlarge person for grappler, fly and expeditious retreat for self. Keep a few Improved Invis spells on scrolls in case some get dispelled. Also keep a Dimension Door at the ready.

This party is toast.

-z

 

[Nifft]

Just remember to equip them using NPC wealth rather than PC.

Hell, don't equip them at all. Just give the NPCs the ability to pick when (and where) they attack. Given favorable surroundings, naked (yet buffed) Monks can easily destroy the party.

Cheers, -- N