Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Neo_Leviathan 01-30-06, 11:27 AM	I'm putting this up here just to display a moment of good preparation and sheer luck from my PCs. Party (5 lvl 10s and 1 lvl 9) is near the stairs up to the next level of the castle, I rolled up a 12 headed Pyrohydra as the stairs guardian. The party scouts (ranger and shadowdancer) sneak towards the stairs until they spot the guardian, head back and report to the party. Mage, after being told the hydra was a reddish colour, rolls an appropriate knowledge check to identify it as most likely Pyrohydra. Party makes preperations (bless, bulls strength, etc). Party sneaks near towards the hydra, and due to the way the caves worked managed to get pretty close to it without being seen (the hydra had sniffed out that *something* was nearby, but didn't know what or where), and manage to get surprise on it. Everyone rolls initiative. Hydra gets a *4*. It's going last, and can't act in the surprise round. Surprise Round Invisible, spider-climbing mage - Cone of Cold Cleric - Searing Light... CRIT! Favoured Soul - Searing Light! Ranger - Multishot! Me - Well, thats 100 damage exactly in the surprise round.. it has 29hp left and everyone gets to attack again before it's turn... you win. My players couldn't believe how easily they'd taken it down :D.
Illion the Red 01-30-06, 11:39 AM	Great story of PC triumph. One question though...How did the Hydra get there? It's a huge magical beast. Just how wide are those stairs?
Andorxor 01-30-06, 11:56 AM	They proable build the stairs around the hydra.
Bruenor CrimsonHammer 01-30-06, 12:49 PM	It would be cool if other people wanted to tell us their great story
Mirage_1 01-30-06, 01:05 PM	They proable build the stairs around the hydra. or just raised the little hydra frokm but a we lad and now he has grown to his current size. or teleported him in or used some stone shapes or used some polymorphing or used a custom shrinking spell that would work on non-humanoids or...
Illion the Red 01-30-06, 01:18 PM	Here is the story of my current campaign where the PCs encountered their first BBEG - a Half-Dragon that I was sure was going to wipe the floor with them. A bit more of background...the Paladin has been billing himself as a "Dragon Exterminator" the entire campaign (even his background story hits upon it heavily). The rest of the party has been kidding him about it all along...now back to the story At this point the PCs had made it to 4th level, so the CR 9 BBEG (Fig 3/Rog 3 1/2 Red Dragon) should still have been a huge challenge for them. Here's how it went down... PCs enter throne room through a secret door behind the throne. They use what little buffing they have left at this point which consisted of a potion of fire resistance for each the Fighter/Cleric and the Paladin as well as "Oil of Maiming*" on the Paladin's greatsword. They sneak (funny for the dwarf in full-plate) around to see him seated, staring at the doors across the room. They don't seem to take the hint that he is just an illusion until one of the PCs starts spouting off at him and physically discovers that the figure on the throne is not really there. That's when the BBEG attacked. Surprise Round: He opened up with his breath weapon and managed to get all but two of the PCs with it and rolled a pretty hefty 38 damage (6d8). Everyone made their saves, but the NPC Sorcerer and the PC Sorcerer both went down anyway. Round Two: 3 of the 4 remaining PCs charge the BBEG, with the Monk moving behind him to take up a flanking position...fairly sound tactics. None of the PCs manage to score a hit and are instanly VERY worried. BBEG hits the Paladin for nearly max damage, dropping him to around 10 hp. Round Three: Paladin withdraws to heal up, fighter/cleric actually scores a hit for about 12 hps, monk misses with stun/flurry. Rougue still working his way into position and missing with ranged attacks. BBEG smacks fighter for a few more than he was hit. Round Four: Paladin charges back in, power attacking, and swinging for the fences...and rolls a 20...confirms with enough to hit and sets off the oil of maiming. He rolls a 4 on the crit multiplier and nearly maximum damage. BBEG dies in what proves to be a character-defining moment. He proves himself as one hell of a Dragon Exterminator and the rest of the party is in awe. All-in-all, a bittersweet ending to the first BBEG of the campaign. *Oil of Maiming provides a weapon with the maiming property (varriable critical multiplier) that will trigger on the next critical hit of the weapon. The oil lasts for 10 minutes.
Lord Ian Stark 01-30-06, 03:12 PM	I'm putting this up here just to display a moment of good preparation and sheer luck from my PCs. Here is the story of my current campaign where the PCs encountered their first BBEG - a Half-Dragon that I was sure was going to wipe the floor with them. Both are good stories to tell around the game table. :D My only exception is having one enemy against many, will always be a huge disadvantage for your BBEG. Then add in buff spells and knowing exact weeknesses of the BBEG... To easy. ;)