What the hell happened? RHoD (spoilers)

[Arkhandus]

For the few people that have suggested Stinking Cloud as cover while he moves around and does damage, it should be pointed out that he has no way of seeing through the cloud either...

Yeah, but he doesn't have to. The lich just moves around and, if anyone comes out of it, he can strike at them. If they step out and aren't sick from it, he has fair reason to believe they might be rather tough and should be dealt with before they become a threat. If they come out feeling sick, he can reasonably assume that they aren't all that dangerous and, if he should have to 'deal' with them, his paralyzing, negative-energy touch may well suffice by itself.

Also, it means he has more time to determine what to do and to cast defensive spells or do other stuff. If he wants to, he can stroll though the far end of the cloud and then collect his servants in another room, or go to a better space from which to fight. Regardless of what he does, the Stinking Cloud should buy him a bit of extra time to do it. Much moreso if some of the adventurers fail their saves and suffer the nausea inside.

That way, if any come rushing out alone, the lich can pick them off rather than face the whole group at once. You can't really talk well to your comrades when you're coughing and gagging, feeling like you might throw up at any moment (as with nausea in D&D, even though you don't necessarily retch while nauseated, you sure feel like you might or something).


At least now you'll be better prepared to make the PCs suffer next time you throw a lich at them!

 

[frankthedm]

For the few people that have suggested Stinking Cloud as cover while he moves around and does damage, it should be pointed out that he has no way of seeing through the cloud either...

The lich still comes out ahead. Without line of site, casters can't use targeted spells on it and if the barbarian can't see the target at the start of his turn, he can't charge. As characters come out of the stink cloud, they still would have lost party cohesion, which at hight levels, matters more than HP.

 

[jefgorbach]

Dont recall the setting off hand, but presuming the lich wins initative and picks a relatively constrained space to force the PCs to keep in formation, launch his ambush would likely follow akin to:

Round 1: stinking cloud
He knows filling his chosen choke point (sorry) with a 20'h x 20' radius cloud provides the lich with total concealment for the next 11 rounds to anyone more than 5' away - providing plenty of him time to plan his follow-up attacks. Furthermore anyone entering into attack range needs to make a Fort save each round or become nausous and remain so for 1d4+1 rounds after exiting.

Round 2: ghost sound
Although the cloud will last 11 rounds, its only effective if the PCs remain within it, so using ghost sound to either increase the cloud's nausa with vomiting noises (a -1 circumstance modifier on the PC's saves seems right) or create footsteps/sounds misleading the PCs to staying within the cloud longer seeking him; increasing their chance of becoming nausous.

Rounds #3: Ray of Enfeeblement
The 50' range means the lich has a chance of not only hitting those within the cloud but anyone standing upto 30' behind it and while he cant target any specific individual because of the cloud, he has 11 minutes (=110 rounds) to sweep the ray back-n-forth thru the cloud, reducing the strength of anyone hit and failing their Fort save by 1d6+5 points PER hit -- for a very good chance of rendering anyone reaching his side of the cloud far too weak to hold stand in the armor or weild weapons.
Anyone passing thru the cloud cant see more than five feet ahead, however the Lich can clearly see them leaving the cloud so should have a free attack round to focus the beam on them before they can react/save.

Round 11:
IF you rule Stinking Clouds are flamable (description doesnt say) then the lich would likely drop the enfeeblement ray in favor of a flaming sphere to ignite the remaing cloud before it disperese, creating a 20'h x 20' radius fireball. Granted, it likely wouldnt be full power - but even reduced 50% would inflict 5d6 to anyone within the cloud (who wouldnt get a Reflex save to duck/avoid the blast since they cant see the explosion coming).
Furthermore he has another 10 rounds to continue pestering survivors with the flaming ball which inflicts 2d6 per hit (Reflex save for half damage)


Attacking an uninjured lich bare-handed and nauious is definately something only the very very brave (or foolish) contemplate.

 

[ThatGuyThere]

My personal observations, from similarly easily-overcome undead BBEGs.

1) Your HP blow. Increase them. If your PCs get any "rerolls" or "always at leasts", your Undead better, too. And assume every undead was created in a Desecrated area, unless they were created involuntarially.
Unless they have better-than-book-average HP, they're laughably weak.

2) If your PCs get better-than-standard ability scores, your NPCs do too. Make sure to improve the "named NPCs" ability scores to match the PCs.

3) If your PCs have extensive access to other books, your NPCs should, too. I can't think of specific spells here, but if your PCs are allowed the Spell Compendium, at least review it for "upgrades". This goes double-or-more for equipment upgrades.

For this specific encounter, when I reviewed the expected fight against the Ghost Lord, I noted that a Druid Lich (which is a really cool idea) encountered in a stone building loses access to Entangle, which I have found to be one of the by-far best low-level spells in the game. I couldn't see this happening; that's like a Red Dragon living in the arctic; he's just specifically chosen a lair that doesn't complement his abilities.

The encounters in the WotC adventures I have read are set up anticipating a medium-skilled group from the PHB. If your PCs are better-than-beginners at character optimization (I'm not saying munchkins; just no longer raw recruits), and / or have more "books" available to them than the PHB, it's worthwhile to consider "upgrades" for major NPCs (the majority of mooks will still serve their purpose just fine).

Added Note: I realize RHoD draws upon non-core materials (like, say, Blighter). But in order to avoid page after page of reprinted material, it only touches upon them minimally; I'm suggesting a (potentially) more extensive use of such materials might be in order if your PCs make more extensive use of them.

 

[Kwitchit]

For this specific encounter, when I reviewed the expected fight against the Ghost Lord, I noted that a Druid Lich (which is a really cool idea) encountered in a stone building loses access to Entangle, which I have found to be one of the by-far best low-level spells in the game. I couldn't see this happening; that's like a Red Dragon living in the arctic; he's just specifically chosen a lair that doesn't complement his abilities.

The Ghostlord is not a Druid-lich, he's a Blighter-lich. Blighters are ex-druids, so they don't get their druid spells any more- and Entangle isn't on the Blighter list.

 

[ThatGuyThere]

The Ghostlord is not a Druid-lich, he's a Blighter-lich. Blighters are ex-druids, so they don't get their druid spells any more- and Entangle isn't on the Blighter list.

D'oh!

And this - THIS, specifically - is another reason I suck.

Reason # 175,734.9

 

[Victim]

Rounds #3: Ray of Enfeeblement
The 50' range means the lich has a chance of not only hitting those within the cloud but anyone standing upto 30' behind it and while he cant target any specific individual because of the cloud, he has 11 minutes (=110 rounds) to sweep the ray back-n-forth thru the cloud, reducing the strength of anyone hit and failing their Fort save by 1d6+5 points PER hit -- for a very good chance of rendering anyone reaching his side of the cloud far too weak to hold stand in the armor or weild weapons.
Anyone passing thru the cloud cant see more than five feet ahead, however the Lich can clearly see them leaving the cloud so should have a free attack round to focus the beam on them before they can react/save.

Round 11:
IF you rule Stinking Clouds are flamable (description doesnt say) then the lich would likely drop the enfeeblement ray in favor of a flaming sphere to ignite the remaing cloud before it disperese, creating a 20'h x 20' radius fireball. Granted, it likely wouldnt be full power - but even reduced 50% would inflict 5d6 to anyone within the cloud (who wouldnt get a Reflex save to duck/avoid the blast since they cant see the explosion coming).
Furthermore he has another 10 rounds to continue pestering survivors with the flaming ball which inflicts 2d6 per hit (Reflex save for half damage)


Attacking an uninjured lich bare-handed and nauious is definately something only the very very brave (or foolish) contemplate.

That'd be great if those spells actually worked like that.

 

[jeffh]

Rounds #3: Ray of Enfeeblement
The 50' range means the lich has a chance of not only hitting those within the cloud but anyone standing upto 30' behind it and while he cant target any specific individual because of the cloud, he has 11 minutes (=110 rounds) to sweep the ray back-n-forth thru the cloud, reducing the strength of anyone hit and failing their Fort save by 1d6+5 points PER hit -- for a very good chance of rendering anyone reaching his side of the cloud far too weak to hold stand in the armor or weild weapons.
Anyone passing thru the cloud cant see more than five feet ahead, however the Lich can clearly see them leaving the cloud so should have a free attack round to focus the beam on them before they can react/save.

What on Earth gave you the idea that Ray of Enfeeblement worked even remotely like this? It shoots ONE ray which (among the many other problems with this suggestion) requires a target. The duration is for the Strength penalty, not the ray itself!

 

[Shazman]

The Ghostlord is not a Druid-lich, he's a Blighter-lich. Blighters are ex-druids, so they don't get their druid spells any more- and Entangle isn't on the Blighter list.

1) I'm pretty that blighter continues druid spellcasting. Druids can be NE and favor the nastier side of nature. The fact that he has 6th level spells supports this. Blighters twist their connection to nature into a twisted, rotting, defiled mockery of nature.

2) If it didn't continue spellcasting advancement, he couldn't have access to 6th level spells and couldn't even qualify for the lich template.

 

[Keith Robinson]

I'm presently running RHoD and have been making changes where needed to challange my players. I don't think any module can possibly suit every party make-up, so it's quite imprtant to taylor things a little. Threads like this can be very useful in giving a heads-up to potential pitfuls and I'll be taking a look at the Ghostlord with a keener eye now - as the party have just discovered the phylactery and might well be heading that way soon.