Melee Tricks [Archive] - Wizards Community

Melee Tricks [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DonShard
03-09-07, 02:03 PM The primary role of melee types is to hit things real hard.

Outside of that, what are everybody's favorite tactics for melee characters? What do you do when either a) you get bored of swinging, or b) enemies have DR (all your weapons).
kenobi65
03-09-07, 02:04 PM Enemy has DR/everything I've got? Power attack full, hoping to blast as much past the DR as possible.
Redfist
03-09-07, 02:09 PM Elusive Target

Sometimes the fun is in having your enemy kill their friends.

:D
dkay807
03-09-07, 02:26 PM Elusive Target

Sometimes the fun is in having your enemy kill their friends.

:D

Put a lot of enchantments on my weapon so that I can at least roll lots of dice when I hit.

Currently: Magebane, Holy, Vicious
Rerednaw
03-09-07, 05:04 PM The primary role of melee types is to hit things real hard.
Outside of that, what are everybody's favorite tactics for melee characters? What do you do when either a) you get bored of swinging, or b) enemies have DR (all your weapons).
And here I was thinking my primary job was to be a meat shield for the squishies in our party.

What to do?
Improved Trip.
Fight defensively.
Improved Disarm/Sunder.
Throw a Tanglefoot bag.
Provide flanking for the party member who has the correct weapon to bypass DR.
Assist another and give him a bonus to hit.
Grapple.
Jay_Ibero_911
03-09-07, 05:08 PM My high level melee type is a swiss army knife in combat. He can adapt to almost any combat need. He specializes in the Anvil of Thunder weapon style, so he prefers TWF....but more often then not he has been better off pulling out his Glaive for reach and power attacking. He has monk levels for improved grapple and evasion, so he can handle most things casters chuck at him, and barbarian levels for rage and better movement. His strength and dex also make him a decent archer in a pinch. And of course he can even fight unarmed if he needs to do nonlethal damage, or is otherwise deprived of weaponry. He even has Improved Sunder...though he's never actually used it...
Lomiat
03-09-07, 05:20 PM If I get bored of swinging weapons, I roleplay. After my last con -- at which I played my fighter for 6 or 7 consecutive mods -- I was pretty sick of combat dicing, and I was quite thankful that my fighter's just a fun character to play.

*He started as a "Negotiator." (Carry a big stick, offer deals that people would be fools -- generally dead fools -- to refuse.)

*Also a "bodyguard" for arcanists -- Keep your friends close and your enemies closer (Occult Slayer).

*And a pirate. (Sails the Nyr Dyv on the Calabana.)

*And a barrister. (Hey, if you're from Dyvers, it's good to know all about Writs.)

*And a Hexblade. The fact his curse has only a DC 9 Will save doesn't stop him from using it, nor from some monsters rolling nat 1s (Yay, cursed lich!).

Plus, he's Rhennee!
Eric Anondson
03-09-07, 06:49 PM I have two pounders.

My highest level (now 15th) is primarily a shield basher. Some of his other tricks are Shield Charge (to trip), Shield Slam (to daze), his off hand attack is an open fist where he throws in a Stunning Fist (to stun), he has Weakening Touch as a trick to bestow a –6 Str penalty (no save) that stacks with ray of enfeeblement.

My other is a fire cleric, her primary role is as a melee damager. I tell other players she is "a holy warrior"... if the party needs the healing I reveal that she can cast healing, but as she channels negative energy, it isn't easy. She's still better at it than a paladin or ranger with wands. I never thought she'd be as good at it melee as she has turned out, but she really is. I created her because I wanted a cleric that could cast burning hands... really, that was the whole idea. :) Anyways, when she can't dish out the Divine Might, Raging, Smite (destruction domain), Power Attack (with armbands of might), then she can resort to spontaneous inflict wounds, or fire domain spells like produce flame or burning hands or wall of fire, or she can make use of her new Fiery Blast reserve feat.

Not really melee tricks (although the spontaneous inflict wounds comes close), but she does have quite a lot of back-up potential.
copper_wyrmling
03-09-07, 07:14 PM My other is a fire cleric, her primary role is as a melee damager. I tell other players she is "a holy warrior"... if the party needs the healing I reveal that she can cast healing, but as she channels negative energy, it isn't easy. She's still better at it than a paladin or ranger with wands. I never thought she'd be as good at it melee as she has turned out, but she really is. I created her because I wanted a cleric that could cast burning hands... really, that was the whole idea. :) Anyways, when she can't dish out the Divine Might, Raging, Smite (destruction domain), Power Attack (with armbands of might), then she can resort to spontaneous inflict wounds, or fire domain spells like produce flame or burning hands or wall of fire, or she can make use of her new Fiery Blast reserve feat.

Wait... Fire and Destruction domains? *looks hopeful* Is this a cleric of Joramy?

My own cleric of Joramy isn't nearly so melee-focused: she doesn't have a barbarian level (although it was tempting) and her domains are Fire, War and Competition, rather than Destruction. She can bash things in melee if she needs to, but these days (L15), it's rarely her primary tactic. So... when she gets bored of playing melee fighter or DR 10/- is annoying her (she can bypass pretty much anything else, with align weapon / earth hammer / quicksilver capsules / brambles), she buffs the party with righteous wrath of the faithful / (quickened) recitation / holy aura, slings bolts of glory at evil outsiders or heal spells at undead, and fixes anyone who's in trouble (healing lorecall + augmented insignia of healing and mass resurgence to remove status conditions, augmented heal for people who get really badly hurt). Spellcasting is fun :)

My L8 dervish doesn't have spellcasting as an option, and he doesn't get bored of hitting things: that IS his role in the party (along with some alertness and survival skills + Track, and superb mobility skills). If they have DR: his weapon, he either politely requests the appropriate buff from a party caster, uses an oil of bless weapon (if he suspects DR / good), or just power attacks for more. In the worst case, he can normally tie up monsters for a round or two by dancing in front of them with a near-unhittable armor class, while the rest of the party buffs or retreats.
Japangirl
03-09-07, 07:39 PM I know a cleric of Joramy! He's level 6 right now and is about to play RHoD with my wizard. He has Fire and Destruction domains, at 9 taking the Fiery Burst reserve feat.

He has ranks in Profession (Demolitionist) . . .
Cardinal Teplin
03-09-07, 07:54 PM What to do when you can;t hit things..

Canarius isa bodybuilder. He cares about his appearance, and physical fitness. Waist-length blond hair needs care, attention and some rather specialsied conditioner. Gaps in the conversation can easily be filled by flexing, or dropping to the floor and doing one-handed pushups.

He also cares about other people's fitness. Building up a good body is something that everyone can do, and he's keen to help them find the way. He has plenty of spare muscle oil, and a great of patience with those who aren't as muscular as he is, but are keen to learn.

Obviously the lifestyle has its drawbacks. Not wearing a shirt sounds good, but it does tend to result in a very poor AC. Many people will refuse offers of muscle oil, don't want hair-care tips, and some even claim they 'can't do' one-handed push-ups.

As a marshal with a fairly high charisma, and some good motivate auras, EVERYONE can do one handed push-ups if Canarius helps them.

In combat, hitting people is obviously the big role to fill, but there is always tripping them, grapplnig them, overruning them and bull rushing them. Overrunning is actually quite useful when fighting in a restricted space, like a small house, since it gets them out of the doorways and into the open if they try and avoid you.
lunarfish
03-09-07, 08:58 PM Well, I have two front-line participants (I would hesitate to say "fighters"), and neither of them have any difficulty "hitting" things under normal circumstances. However, personal favorites for when the standard "hit it until the movement stops, then hit it once more" routine becomes ineffective include tripping it, smiting it, sundering it's equipment (but I try to avoid this, since it comes off the AR), or my personal favorite, POWER ATTACK FOR MORE! RAAGH!. Oh, and grappling, if you're into that. Too personal for my tastes. I don't like being that close to anything angry, sweaty, and stronger than me. Which is everything I fight, incidentally.

Oh, and yes, Eric's cleric of Joramy is a hoot. How's her new hammer, by the way? Have you smote the peaceful and non-argumentative with it yet?
Eric Anondson
03-09-07, 09:04 PM Wait... Fire and Destruction domains? *looks hopeful* Is this a cleric of Joramy?Ding ding! :)

I've been playing her since year 3, but I have had some years when I didn't play hardly at all so she hasn't advanced quickly. Joramy fit for so many other reasons too, living in the Shield Lands she often makes reference to her goal of converting White Plume Mountain into Joramy's largest shrine. I mean, the goddess of volcanoes and White Plume Mountain? A match if there ever was one! There is just that business of displacing some evil gnomes devoted to Keraptis... Gnomes...

I watched a cleric of St. Cuthbert work some havoc on the battlefield with his Destruction and Strength domains and a pole arm. It sold me on the idea that certain clerics could work really well as a melee damager, especially with LG's module format. Plus, your combat clerics bring a whole lot of other tricks to make themselves useful.
Eric Anondson
03-09-07, 09:24 PM How's her new hammer, by the way? Have you smote the peaceful and non-argumentative with it yet?Still saving to put flaming burst on the greathammer. She's played two adventures with it so far. Its developing a distinct pleasure for squashing Iuzians. I mean, really, does that ever get old? :D

The peaceful and non-argumentative just get a tongue-lashing. That's something to add to your bag of melee tricks, Intimidate rolls!. She's probably not the most faithful arguer however, she holds back when she's in the proximity of CR epic tricked-out beholders... :behold: :hides:
copper_wyrmling
03-09-07, 10:15 PM Ding ding! :)

I've been playing her since year 3, but I have had some years when I didn't play hardly at all so she hasn't advanced quickly. Joramy fit for so many other reasons too, living in the Shield Lands she often makes reference to her goal of converting White Plume Mountain into Joramy's largest shrine. I mean, the goddess of volcanoes and White Plume Mountain? A match if there ever was one! There is just that business of displacing some evil gnomes devoted to Keraptis... Gnomes...

I watched a cleric of St. Cuthbert work some havoc on the battlefield with his Destruction and Strength domains and a pole arm. It sold me on the idea that certain clerics could work really well as a melee damager, especially with LG's module format. Plus, your combat clerics bring a whole lot of other tricks to make themselves useful.

Come to Perrenland. We have a temple at Mount Hellspaar now :) We also have an ancient cavern shrine, permanently consecrated by fire welling up from the heart of the Oerth: it has some VERY nice benefits while you stay inside the cave.

Copper, aka Yolande of Hellspaar, L15 High Priestess of Joramy in Perrenland and soon-to-be-official leader of the Shrine of the Inferno (when she retires) ;)
lunarfish
03-10-07, 12:10 AM Thread Hijacking Procedures Initiated...... Processing Request...... Hijacking Thread.....

Still saving to put flaming burst on the greathammer. She's played two adventures with it so far. Its developing a distinct pleasure for squashing Iuzians. I mean, really, does that ever get old? :D

The peaceful and non-argumentative just get a tongue-lashing. That's something to add to your bag of melee tricks, Intimidate rolls!. She's probably not the most faithful arguer however, she holds back when she's in the proximity of CR epic tricked-out beholders... :behold: :hides:

Well, when you're facing off against a CR 19 base critter that's been templated, advanced, and wielding a sentient weapon, (were there some unassociated class levels in there too? I can't remember) pretty much everyone cowers. There isn't a PC currently legal in LG that could fight that thing (which is why the author made it that way - it's supposed to humble you).

So, on a more positive note, is Liselle going to "ze Perrenland" now?

End Thread Hijack... Terminating..........
copper_wyrmling
03-10-07, 12:26 AM Still saving to put flaming burst on the greathammer. She's played two adventures with it so far. Its developing a distinct pleasure for squashing Iuzians. I mean, really, does that ever get old? :D

The peaceful and non-argumentative just get a tongue-lashing. That's something to add to your bag of melee tricks, Intimidate rolls!. She's probably not the most faithful arguer however, she holds back when she's in the proximity of CR epic tricked-out beholders... :behold: :hides:

Oh, incidentally, Yolande is a Sacred Exorcist of Perrenland and agrees that a day when you get to squish elite agents of Iuz is generally a good day. Sacred Exorcists also get Intimidate as a class skill, and we're always looking for new recruits...
Timlagor
03-10-07, 06:29 PM Well, when you're facing off against a CR 19 base critter that's been templated, advanced, and wielding a sentient weapon, (were there some unassociated class levels in there too? I can't remember) pretty much everyone cowers. There isn't a PC currently legal in LG that could fight that thing (which is why the author made it that way - it's supposed to humble you).

There are lots of PCs that could fight it... and many that would.

There are however very few (if any) that could fight it and win. (never put anything past the PCs or the dice!)
copper_wyrmling
03-10-07, 06:47 PM There are lots of PCs that could fight it... and many that would.

There are however very few (if any) that could fight it and win. (never put anything past the PCs or the dice!)

Well, if it's a beholder variant, my wild mage has a trick that will be just hilarious if she ever gets into a one-on-one fight with a beholder - Random Deflector, it can be activated as an immediate action and randomly redirects ranged attacks aimed at her.

I want to turn a beholder to stone or disintegrate it with its own eye-rays, just for the coolness factor :)
Timlagor
03-10-07, 08:59 PM The beholder actually sounds relatively easy for such a beasty: once you hit it with 2 FatesSpun Heightened Glitterdusts and force it to reroll the first two made saves there's automatically a better than 15% chance it's blind which takes out most of its power (I think)...though whether it can aim the antimagic Eye at the glitter is an interesting question (it's at least arguable that it can't get itself into the cone and that's how I'd rule it)... ironically the Gauth should have no trouble targetting the glitterdust with a Dispel Magic.

Sure there's a good chance it will not be blind and will proceed to whup everyone but it's definitely *possible* to beat such a beastie.
Cardinal Teplin
03-11-07, 01:57 PM Fill the whole room with magical smoke, using an eversmoking bottle. He can try and dispel the smoke, but it's a continuous effect. (and he can't see the bottle to target it directly)

The only area where people will be visible will be in the antimagic cone of the beholder's central eye. Noone can be targeted with eye rays with much success.

Or the ever-popular anti-magic field...

Is a CR 19 beholder particularly nasty in combat when it doesn't have any magic? Is there anything apart from the eye rays that makes this thing dangerous?
lunarfish
03-11-07, 08:15 PM OK, I've once again successfully sidetracked a thread...

It's THEORETICALLY doable, and the numbers would seem to add up in the PC's favor, but they don't. I'm stopping now, lest I accidentally let slip a spoiler - but it's f****** scary, leave it at that.
Eric Anondson
03-11-07, 09:56 PM Is a CR 19 beholder particularly nasty in combat when it doesn't have any magic? Is there anything apart from the eye rays that makes this thing dangerous?Yes, unbelievably favorable terrain, optimal for it. Templates. Optimal Feats. Sufficient time for it to prep. And more. That's all that can be said until year 9 begins :)
Mommy was an Orc
03-12-07, 12:16 AM Elusive Target

Sometimes the fun is in having your enemy kill their friends.

:D

My Fighter 1 is currently going for Combat Defense and Elusive Target at 6th. Then he's taking Monk 2 and Combat Acrobat at 9th.

He's going to be the kind of guy who tries to disarm you to provoke. Or run through a threatened square to provoke both people, trip them both, and have them pound each other.

He's using a Ranseur, a Heavy Flail, and a Throwing Axe as his golf bag choices.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DonShard 03-09-07, 02:03 PM	The primary role of melee types is to hit things real hard. Outside of that, what are everybody's favorite tactics for melee characters? What do you do when either a) you get bored of swinging, or b) enemies have DR (all your weapons).
kenobi65 03-09-07, 02:04 PM	Enemy has DR/everything I've got? Power attack full, hoping to blast as much past the DR as possible.
Redfist 03-09-07, 02:09 PM	Elusive Target Sometimes the fun is in having your enemy kill their friends. :D
dkay807 03-09-07, 02:26 PM	Elusive Target Sometimes the fun is in having your enemy kill their friends. :D Put a lot of enchantments on my weapon so that I can at least roll lots of dice when I hit. Currently: Magebane, Holy, Vicious
Rerednaw 03-09-07, 05:04 PM	The primary role of melee types is to hit things real hard. Outside of that, what are everybody's favorite tactics for melee characters? What do you do when either a) you get bored of swinging, or b) enemies have DR (all your weapons). And here I was thinking my primary job was to be a meat shield for the squishies in our party. What to do? Improved Trip. Fight defensively. Improved Disarm/Sunder. Throw a Tanglefoot bag. Provide flanking for the party member who has the correct weapon to bypass DR. Assist another and give him a bonus to hit. Grapple.
Jay_Ibero_911 03-09-07, 05:08 PM	My high level melee type is a swiss army knife in combat. He can adapt to almost any combat need. He specializes in the Anvil of Thunder weapon style, so he prefers TWF....but more often then not he has been better off pulling out his Glaive for reach and power attacking. He has monk levels for improved grapple and evasion, so he can handle most things casters chuck at him, and barbarian levels for rage and better movement. His strength and dex also make him a decent archer in a pinch. And of course he can even fight unarmed if he needs to do nonlethal damage, or is otherwise deprived of weaponry. He even has Improved Sunder...though he's never actually used it...
Lomiat 03-09-07, 05:20 PM	If I get bored of swinging weapons, I roleplay. After my last con -- at which I played my fighter for 6 or 7 consecutive mods -- I was pretty sick of combat dicing, and I was quite thankful that my fighter's just a fun character to play. He started as a "Negotiator." (Carry a big stick, offer deals that people would be fools -- generally dead fools -- to refuse.) Also a "bodyguard" for arcanists -- Keep your friends close and your enemies closer (Occult Slayer). And a pirate. (Sails the Nyr Dyv on the Calabana.) And a barrister. (Hey, if you're from Dyvers, it's good to know all about Writs.) *And a Hexblade. The fact his curse has only a DC 9 Will save doesn't stop him from using it, nor from some monsters rolling nat 1s (Yay, cursed lich!). Plus, he's Rhennee!
Eric Anondson 03-09-07, 06:49 PM	I have two pounders. My highest level (now 15th) is primarily a shield basher. Some of his other tricks are Shield Charge (to trip), Shield Slam (to daze), his off hand attack is an open fist where he throws in a Stunning Fist (to stun), he has Weakening Touch as a trick to bestow a –6 Str penalty (no save) that stacks with ray of enfeeblement. My other is a fire cleric, her primary role is as a melee damager. I tell other players she is "a holy warrior"... if the party needs the healing I reveal that she can cast healing, but as she channels negative energy, it isn't easy. She's still better at it than a paladin or ranger with wands. I never thought she'd be as good at it melee as she has turned out, but she really is. I created her because I wanted a cleric that could cast burning hands... really, that was the whole idea. :) Anyways, when she can't dish out the Divine Might, Raging, Smite (destruction domain), Power Attack (with armbands of might), then she can resort to spontaneous inflict wounds, or fire domain spells like produce flame or burning hands or wall of fire, or she can make use of her new Fiery Blast reserve feat. Not really melee tricks (although the spontaneous inflict wounds comes close), but she does have quite a lot of back-up potential.
copper_wyrmling 03-09-07, 07:14 PM	My other is a fire cleric, her primary role is as a melee damager. I tell other players she is "a holy warrior"... if the party needs the healing I reveal that she can cast healing, but as she channels negative energy, it isn't easy. She's still better at it than a paladin or ranger with wands. I never thought she'd be as good at it melee as she has turned out, but she really is. I created her because I wanted a cleric that could cast burning hands... really, that was the whole idea. :) Anyways, when she can't dish out the Divine Might, Raging, Smite (destruction domain), Power Attack (with armbands of might), then she can resort to spontaneous inflict wounds, or fire domain spells like produce flame or burning hands or wall of fire, or she can make use of her new Fiery Blast reserve feat. Wait... Fire and Destruction domains? looks hopeful Is this a cleric of Joramy? My own cleric of Joramy isn't nearly so melee-focused: she doesn't have a barbarian level (although it was tempting) and her domains are Fire, War and Competition, rather than Destruction. She can bash things in melee if she needs to, but these days (L15), it's rarely her primary tactic. So... when she gets bored of playing melee fighter or DR 10/- is annoying her (she can bypass pretty much anything else, with align weapon / earth hammer / quicksilver capsules / brambles), she buffs the party with righteous wrath of the faithful / (quickened) recitation / holy aura, slings bolts of glory at evil outsiders or heal spells at undead, and fixes anyone who's in trouble (healing lorecall + augmented insignia of healing and mass resurgence to remove status conditions, augmented heal for people who get really badly hurt). Spellcasting is fun :) My L8 dervish doesn't have spellcasting as an option, and he doesn't get bored of hitting things: that IS his role in the party (along with some alertness and survival skills + Track, and superb mobility skills). If they have DR: his weapon, he either politely requests the appropriate buff from a party caster, uses an oil of bless weapon (if he suspects DR / good), or just power attacks for more. In the worst case, he can normally tie up monsters for a round or two by dancing in front of them with a near-unhittable armor class, while the rest of the party buffs or retreats.
Japangirl 03-09-07, 07:39 PM	I know a cleric of Joramy! He's level 6 right now and is about to play RHoD with my wizard. He has Fire and Destruction domains, at 9 taking the Fiery Burst reserve feat. He has ranks in Profession (Demolitionist) . . .
Cardinal Teplin 03-09-07, 07:54 PM	What to do when you can;t hit things.. Canarius isa bodybuilder. He cares about his appearance, and physical fitness. Waist-length blond hair needs care, attention and some rather specialsied conditioner. Gaps in the conversation can easily be filled by flexing, or dropping to the floor and doing one-handed pushups. He also cares about other people's fitness. Building up a good body is something that everyone can do, and he's keen to help them find the way. He has plenty of spare muscle oil, and a great of patience with those who aren't as muscular as he is, but are keen to learn. Obviously the lifestyle has its drawbacks. Not wearing a shirt sounds good, but it does tend to result in a very poor AC. Many people will refuse offers of muscle oil, don't want hair-care tips, and some even claim they 'can't do' one-handed push-ups. As a marshal with a fairly high charisma, and some good motivate auras, EVERYONE can do one handed push-ups if Canarius helps them. In combat, hitting people is obviously the big role to fill, but there is always tripping them, grapplnig them, overruning them and bull rushing them. Overrunning is actually quite useful when fighting in a restricted space, like a small house, since it gets them out of the doorways and into the open if they try and avoid you.
lunarfish 03-09-07, 08:58 PM	Well, I have two front-line participants (I would hesitate to say "fighters"), and neither of them have any difficulty "hitting" things under normal circumstances. However, personal favorites for when the standard "hit it until the movement stops, then hit it once more" routine becomes ineffective include tripping it, smiting it, sundering it's equipment (but I try to avoid this, since it comes off the AR), or my personal favorite, POWER ATTACK FOR MORE! RAAGH!. Oh, and grappling, if you're into that. Too personal for my tastes. I don't like being that close to anything angry, sweaty, and stronger than me. Which is everything I fight, incidentally. Oh, and yes, Eric's cleric of Joramy is a hoot. How's her new hammer, by the way? Have you smote the peaceful and non-argumentative with it yet?
Eric Anondson 03-09-07, 09:04 PM	Wait... Fire and Destruction domains? looks hopeful Is this a cleric of Joramy?Ding ding! :) I've been playing her since year 3, but I have had some years when I didn't play hardly at all so she hasn't advanced quickly. Joramy fit for so many other reasons too, living in the Shield Lands she often makes reference to her goal of converting White Plume Mountain into Joramy's largest shrine. I mean, the goddess of volcanoes and White Plume Mountain? A match if there ever was one! There is just that business of displacing some evil gnomes devoted to Keraptis... Gnomes... I watched a cleric of St. Cuthbert work some havoc on the battlefield with his Destruction and Strength domains and a pole arm. It sold me on the idea that certain clerics could work really well as a melee damager, especially with LG's module format. Plus, your combat clerics bring a whole lot of other tricks to make themselves useful.
Eric Anondson 03-09-07, 09:24 PM	How's her new hammer, by the way? Have you smote the peaceful and non-argumentative with it yet?Still saving to put flaming burst on the greathammer. She's played two adventures with it so far. Its developing a distinct pleasure for squashing Iuzians. I mean, really, does that ever get old? :D The peaceful and non-argumentative just get a tongue-lashing. That's something to add to your bag of melee tricks, Intimidate rolls!. She's probably not the most faithful arguer however, she holds back when she's in the proximity of CR epic tricked-out beholders... :behold: :hides:
copper_wyrmling 03-09-07, 10:15 PM	Ding ding! :) I've been playing her since year 3, but I have had some years when I didn't play hardly at all so she hasn't advanced quickly. Joramy fit for so many other reasons too, living in the Shield Lands she often makes reference to her goal of converting White Plume Mountain into Joramy's largest shrine. I mean, the goddess of volcanoes and White Plume Mountain? A match if there ever was one! There is just that business of displacing some evil gnomes devoted to Keraptis... Gnomes... I watched a cleric of St. Cuthbert work some havoc on the battlefield with his Destruction and Strength domains and a pole arm. It sold me on the idea that certain clerics could work really well as a melee damager, especially with LG's module format. Plus, your combat clerics bring a whole lot of other tricks to make themselves useful. Come to Perrenland. We have a temple at Mount Hellspaar now :) We also have an ancient cavern shrine, permanently consecrated by fire welling up from the heart of the Oerth: it has some VERY nice benefits while you stay inside the cave. Copper, aka Yolande of Hellspaar, L15 High Priestess of Joramy in Perrenland and soon-to-be-official leader of the Shrine of the Inferno (when she retires) ;)
lunarfish 03-10-07, 12:10 AM	Thread Hijacking Procedures Initiated...... Processing Request...... Hijacking Thread..... Still saving to put flaming burst on the greathammer. She's played two adventures with it so far. Its developing a distinct pleasure for squashing Iuzians. I mean, really, does that ever get old? :D The peaceful and non-argumentative just get a tongue-lashing. That's something to add to your bag of melee tricks, Intimidate rolls!. She's probably not the most faithful arguer however, she holds back when she's in the proximity of CR epic tricked-out beholders... :behold: :hides: Well, when you're facing off against a CR 19 base critter that's been templated, advanced, and wielding a sentient weapon, (were there some unassociated class levels in there too? I can't remember) pretty much everyone cowers. There isn't a PC currently legal in LG that could fight that thing (which is why the author made it that way - it's supposed to humble you). So, on a more positive note, is Liselle going to "ze Perrenland" now? End Thread Hijack... Terminating..........
copper_wyrmling 03-10-07, 12:26 AM	Still saving to put flaming burst on the greathammer. She's played two adventures with it so far. Its developing a distinct pleasure for squashing Iuzians. I mean, really, does that ever get old? :D The peaceful and non-argumentative just get a tongue-lashing. That's something to add to your bag of melee tricks, Intimidate rolls!. She's probably not the most faithful arguer however, she holds back when she's in the proximity of CR epic tricked-out beholders... :behold: :hides: Oh, incidentally, Yolande is a Sacred Exorcist of Perrenland and agrees that a day when you get to squish elite agents of Iuz is generally a good day. Sacred Exorcists also get Intimidate as a class skill, and we're always looking for new recruits...
Timlagor 03-10-07, 06:29 PM	Well, when you're facing off against a CR 19 base critter that's been templated, advanced, and wielding a sentient weapon, (were there some unassociated class levels in there too? I can't remember) pretty much everyone cowers. There isn't a PC currently legal in LG that could fight that thing (which is why the author made it that way - it's supposed to humble you). There are lots of PCs that could fight it... and many that would. There are however very few (if any) that could fight it and win. (never put anything past the PCs or the dice!)
copper_wyrmling 03-10-07, 06:47 PM	There are lots of PCs that could fight it... and many that would. There are however very few (if any) that could fight it and win. (never put anything past the PCs or the dice!) Well, if it's a beholder variant, my wild mage has a trick that will be just hilarious if she ever gets into a one-on-one fight with a beholder - Random Deflector, it can be activated as an immediate action and randomly redirects ranged attacks aimed at her. I want to turn a beholder to stone or disintegrate it with its own eye-rays, just for the coolness factor :)
Timlagor 03-10-07, 08:59 PM	The beholder actually sounds relatively easy for such a beasty: once you hit it with 2 FatesSpun Heightened Glitterdusts and force it to reroll the first two made saves there's automatically a better than 15% chance it's blind which takes out most of its power (I think)...though whether it can aim the antimagic Eye at the glitter is an interesting question (it's at least arguable that it can't get itself into the cone and that's how I'd rule it)... ironically the Gauth should have no trouble targetting the glitterdust with a Dispel Magic. Sure there's a good chance it will not be blind and will proceed to whup everyone but it's definitely possible to beat such a beastie.
Cardinal Teplin 03-11-07, 01:57 PM	Fill the whole room with magical smoke, using an eversmoking bottle. He can try and dispel the smoke, but it's a continuous effect. (and he can't see the bottle to target it directly) The only area where people will be visible will be in the antimagic cone of the beholder's central eye. Noone can be targeted with eye rays with much success. Or the ever-popular anti-magic field... Is a CR 19 beholder particularly nasty in combat when it doesn't have any magic? Is there anything apart from the eye rays that makes this thing dangerous?
lunarfish 03-11-07, 08:15 PM	OK, I've once again successfully sidetracked a thread... It's THEORETICALLY doable, and the numbers would seem to add up in the PC's favor, but they don't. I'm stopping now, lest I accidentally let slip a spoiler - but it's f****** scary, leave it at that.
Eric Anondson 03-11-07, 09:56 PM	Is a CR 19 beholder particularly nasty in combat when it doesn't have any magic? Is there anything apart from the eye rays that makes this thing dangerous?Yes, unbelievably favorable terrain, optimal for it. Templates. Optimal Feats. Sufficient time for it to prep. And more. That's all that can be said until year 9 begins :)
Mommy was an Orc 03-12-07, 12:16 AM	Elusive Target Sometimes the fun is in having your enemy kill their friends. :D My Fighter 1 is currently going for Combat Defense and Elusive Target at 6th. Then he's taking Monk 2 and Combat Acrobat at 9th. He's going to be the kind of guy who tries to disarm you to provoke. Or run through a threatened square to provoke both people, trip them both, and have them pound each other. He's using a Ranseur, a Heavy Flail, and a Throwing Axe as his golf bag choices.