Vrock cheese

[frankthedm]

Oh, and there's another counter to the "spread out" tactic. The Vrock teleports in right next to the party wizard (if he can't appear next to the wizard right off the bat, he can just teleport again or even just move in close once he sees him). If the rest of the party charges, the Vrock releases spores (catching the entire party) and teleports away. If the party doesn't charge, the Vrock kills the wizard with physical attacks.

Sure, the wizard might be able to Dimension Door away, but that's a 4th level spell and thus a very limited resource to a 9th level wizard. He could probably only manage it a couple of times at most.

Actually, the Vrock can get the rogue by himself in another manner...

Telekinesis at will with a 250lb limit. There are some rules questions that come up, but a vrock in flight can aim the victim at itself. The impact of a person will be mostly soaked by DR10/good & the vrock might be able to take an AoO on the victim "moving" through it's threatened area depending on if the DM feels the violent thrust counts as movement. *Either way, after going to the vrock, the victim then falls back down.

*The Vrock has done this before so it knows if the DM will or will not give the victim a chance to grab/climb the vrock to avoid the fall back down and will adjust tacktics accordingly.

Important Note.

Heroes feast and other means of poison immunity and disease immunity do not stop vrock spores. The spores {IMO a parasite*] have notable vulnerabilty to the listed spells, but the spells have to be cast on the spores. Buffing up won't help, being a paladin won't Help, being a Demon won't help, casting one of those spells onto the growing spores will help.

*Parasites don't come up as often as they used to in D&D. Thankfully Cure Disease notes them and specifies the spell kills them in addition to curing diseases.

Remove Disease
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 3, Drd 3, Rgr 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
Remove disease cures all diseases that the subject is suffering from. The spell also kills parasites, including green slime and others. Certain special diseases may not be countered by this spell or may be countered only by a caster of a certain level or higher.
Note: Since the spell’s duration is instantaneous, it does not prevent reinfection after a new exposure to the same disease at a later date.

 

[Votan]

Oh, and there's another counter to the "spread out" tactic. The Vrock teleports in right next to the party wizard (if he can't appear next to the wizard right off the bat, he can just teleport again or even just move in close once he sees him). If the rest of the party charges, the Vrock releases spores (catching the entire party) and teleports away. If the party doesn't charge, the Vrock kills the wizard with physical attacks.

Sure, the wizard might be able to Dimension Door away, but that's a 4th level spell and thus a very limited resource to a 9th level wizard. He could probably only manage it a couple of times at most.

These tactics are more effective if the DM is placing the Vrock knowing the party layout. But traps can be laid for the demon if it tries these tactics and wastes actions maneavering around the battlefield.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

why not use delay poison, then its only doing 1d8 a round, rather then 1d8+10d4.

"A delay poison spell stops the spores’ growth for its duration"

delay poison cant be cast on anything but a creature, so i do think thier is a buff spell that protects from the spore.

one could also say spore attacks dont stack, just like two fire walls on top of eachother dont stack, so the vrock would have to wait 10 rounds to effect a creature again. after all, its not *quite* a poison is it? i realize that may be far fetched, but eh?

also if nutralize poison kills the spores, that would mean the vrock creating the spores could have nutralize poison cast on him and thus stop the spores dead cold. that would be liberal though, but not that far from reasonable.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Sure, if a) the party has a wizard, b) said wizard has Teleport prepared, and c) the party doesn't have a limited amount of time to reach some goal that's past the Vrock.

There are other classes out there with access to teleport (and teleport like abilities/spells/powers) other than a Wizard. A Sorcerer could have Teleport as well, and they always have it "prepared".

But even if all those things are true, you're simply saying that the only way to deal with this tactic is to run away. That makes it problematic in my book.

I never said that was the ONLY way to deal with it. I was merely answering a specific question "How far do you expect to get in 3 round?". That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Others pointed out other ways to deal with the situation, so I felt no need to bring them up again.

 

[Land Outcast]

-non countering-

Oh... :\

Oh, and there's another counter to the "spread out" tactic. The Vrock teleports in right next to the party wizard (if he can't appear next to the wizard right off the bat, he can just teleport again or even just move in close once he sees him)...

Except the vrock's been scrying he won't appear beside the wizard.
Does a Vrock see invisibility?

as an aside: that is countered with a Shield Other by the cleric, and the vrock is still receiving the charge from the fighter and cleric (rogue -> ranged)

 

[Grog]

There are other classes out there with access to teleport (and teleport like abilities/spells/powers) other than a Wizard. A Sorcerer could have Teleport as well, and they always have it "prepared".

Not at 9th level he couldn't.

I never said that was the ONLY way to deal with it. I was merely answering a specific question "How far do you expect to get in 3 round?". That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Yes, and under your scenario, the encounter (and possibly the entire adventure) ends in defeat for the party. And that's assuming that teleporting out is even an option in the first place.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The spores {IMO a parasite*] have notable vulnerabilty to the listed spells, but the spells have to be cast on the spores.

Is that the only way to read "Bless kills the spores"?

I'd read it that if the spores infect a character who is currently under a Bless spell, they spores will die.

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

Spread out tactic:
Let's assume some of the PCs have reach weapons (or Enlarge Person). The Vrock itself is large and has reach... so if he attacks someone, the victim is not necessarily in his spores area.

And as a DM: Yes, I do take care where the teleporting party ends up. Usually wizards use a scry or clairvision spell... which can be detected.

Vrocks can't do that. So to teleport next to someone, they have to be able to watch the combat area from afar.

And about being save for one round due to the Mirror Images: Great Cleave?

I tried this stuff and the mirror images never saved the Vrocks for long. Their AC is simply too low against PCs of level 6+.