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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FatherTome" data-source="post: 4007137" data-attributes="member: 50815">As one of the players involved in this encounter, I really don't think anyone expected it to go like it did.The party consists of six characters:1.) A Shifter Barbarian/Warshaper/Weretouched Master (me)2.) A Warlock/Cleric/Eldritch Disciple3.) A Warlock/Beguiler/Eldritch Theurge4.) A Scout5.) A Sorcerer/Mage of the Arcane Order/Arcane Demonwrecker6.) A Spellscale War Mage/Dragon Prophet, with the Smoking EyeI feel sorry for Atavar sometimes because the campaign path assumes Core, and we are playing in Eberron with few restrictions on character class, feats, or spells. We are all 12th level.In short, we spent a day in town buying equipment, and after resting the next day we teleported in, in two groups (using the 'Seen Once' table) - with the Sorcerer, Cleric(esque), and myself in the first group, and the rest in the other.Atavar had us roll initiative, and party members who went before the party members casting teleport (Wizard and Beguiler(esque) delayed until after the teleport went off. We didn't realize this at the time, but the purpose was to establish a clear initiative order for actions, as neither us nor the enemy would be surprised.Immediately, the second group had a mishap upon teleportation, and ended up in the other room with the soul pillars in it. The remainder of the group suffered a lightning bolt (which only was able to hit two of three party members, and the dracolich used his own readied action to drink a potion.The wizard had used Greater Anticipate Teleportation, and both the wizard and dracolich had had three turns to cast preparatory spells. The dracolich had moved into position right above the party on the wall (with Spider Climb).When the combat played out, however, things went sour for the dracolich and the wizard. An attack of opportunity caused the dracolich's potion to be sundered before he could drink it, and a buffed, Enlarged, Shifting and Raging barbarian and a fully buffed Cleric(esque) took down the dragon with one full attack from each (due to luck; the correct mirror image was hit the first time). The rest of the party Dimension Doored into the room on their action and stomped the wizard.Could that encounter have been a Total Party Kill? Unlikely; at worst we would lose one or more party members before the remainder were able to make a fighting retreat. That's hindsight, however. I, at least, and probably the rest of the party figured we were in serious danger and prepared accordingly. It's unsurprising, in that vein, that things went as they did.Atavar certainly surprised us greatly, and had things gone slightly differently (if the dracolich used Shield instead of Mirror Image, for example) things could have gone much worse for the party.Despite that, I feel that the dracolich and wizard performed very well in their role as antagonists. The wizard managed to kill a party member and escape, while the dracolich forced the PCs to frantically retreat (and caused a humorous and suitably heroic moment where a party member, panicking, shuts the door in the dracolich's face, only to have the dracolich rip the door off its hinges). The final showdown with a prepared, informed party went as well as could be expected.For DMs preparing to run this encounter and looking to make it more interesting and exciting for the PCs, I strongly recommend taking a page from Atavar's book and pulling the rug out from the PCs whenever possible. If the PCs are using material from non-core books, ensure that your major villains are such using material as well - and it doesn't have to be the same as the PCs use. Major kudos to Atavar. We don't always make it easy for him, but he finds ways to turn the tables on us. - Veegy"Protection from Rays? What?!"</blockquote>

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