Post/Author/DateTime	Post
primemover003 05-21-07, 09:42 PM	Hey folks, I trying to come up with a series of encounters for my next session to challenge my party of 8 PC's. Yes it's an overly large group. No, we're not gonna split it into 2 smaller groups. I've been running adventures for 6-10 players since 2nd ed so I know all the ins/outs, pros/cons of large groups. Arrys, Air genasi Scout 5 - exp. dodge, mobility Cyrus, Spellscale Harbinger 6 (variant bard) - Party Face, fear and moral penalties Elias, Grey Elf Wizard 6 - good all round wizard, rays and conditions Havoc, 1/2 minotaur dwarf Galdiator 5 (homebrew class) - Knockback/ Power attack, 20 Str, Powerful Build, Large Dw. Warpike Pierce, Spiker Monk 5 - Grappler Rach, Human Dragon Shaman 5 (copper) - Vigor, Energy Shield Auras, Intimidate, breath weapon (line) Solars, Gloaming Wizard 4 - so far less effective than elf Thorn, Fey-ri Rogue 4 - archer/infiltrator That being said my group is currently approaching a "Castle" built by Beholders. Consisting of Three vertical towers built within a vast waterfall the structure needs some guardians. So far I've been using Lurking Stranglers as lookouts and the PC's have been spotted (well the Scout actually, though he knows this). I'm thinking the towers are arranged like church organ pipes one higher than the next. The low tower's entrance is a stout iron portcullis built behind the waterfall. A 10' wide path (hewn stone & slippery; Balance DC 15) leads up to the Gate and it's guardians. Now I was thinking of using an Ogre Barbarian 4 (from MM) but describing it as having no head with a massive eye in its chest and a toothy maw in it's gut. Now just one tough guard won't cut it as the mages are quick with Rays of Enfeeblement and most of the PC's have some range capability. So I plan on keeping the waterfall close enough to provide a block to Line of Sight/Effect and inside the Ogres Darkvision and Charge range. My only question is what else would make an effective "Harrier" to the PC's not engaged with the Ogre??? I was thinking a trio of cultists with heavy crossbows stationed above the portcullis in the winch room. Once inside Lurking Stranglers and Cultists provide much of the defense of the lower tower which is the only tower friendly to non-flyers. Still working on the Mid-tower and High-tower, but I know I'll be using a Gauth, a Huge Animated Object and several pesky Lurking Stranglers (3) as the major encounter within the complex. The Animated object is the Gauth's meat shield while the Stranglers serve to harrass any spellcasters or combatants that fall to the Gauth's Stun, Paralysis, or Sleep abilities.
yellowdingo 05-21-07, 11:25 PM	Concealed in the waterflow of the waterfall is a series of poles. On these poles is a set of blades...the blades are in motion from the water so when some bright spark jumps through the water rather than goes through the gap to access what is behind it and thus be vulnerable to the guard, they instead jump into the whirling waterpowered blades concealed in the mist and water downpour... Ten attacks of opportunity per round with whirlwind attack-sickle later the PC falls backward out of the waterfall and lands in the water bloody and chewed... "Um Bob are you ok?" Bob who is obviously dead gives no answer. "Um Ok we will probably go back cause they knew we were comming..."
primemover003 05-21-07, 11:54 PM	Ooo... devious. Maybe some kinda swimming hazard in the pool beyond the DC 25 Swim check caused by the churning falls???
pmurray@bigpond.com 05-22-07, 01:23 AM	Water elementals in the river, naturally. Maybe even the waterfall is a big water elemental (it's still ok for the waterfall to flow through it as part of it) or several smaller ones, which grapple players and hurl them onto the spikes. The elementals are kind of bound in place as part of the waterfall - they are not able to separate from it. If the waterfall kicks up a mist, consider traps involving slippery surfaces nearby. Green slime, anyone? The beholders simply fly through the waterfall, which opens for them. Landbound creatures with suppies etc have to follow the hewn path that runs along the side of the pool at the bottom.
penchant 05-22-07, 04:24 AM	Wall's of force everywhere. Especially when someone would have to jump a gap, the wall is in the middle of the gap. Beholders ignore it since the wall is supressed with their eye. Jump - SLAM! Aiiieeeee! Also, let the players find out just how many ranks in swim they have and what armor does to that...the hard way.
Ubasrawr 05-22-07, 05:10 AM	Wall's of force everywhere. Especially when someone would have to jump a gap, the wall is in the middle of the gap. Beholders ignore it since the wall is supressed with their eye. Jump - SLAM! Aiiieeeee! Also, let the players find out just how many ranks in swim they have and what armor does to that...the hard way. Anti-magic field does not suppress a Wall of force!
penchant 05-22-07, 06:38 AM	Anti-magic field does not suppress a Wall of force! Well, while the Anitmagic field does say that some spells remain unaffected by it and mentions Wall of Force, Prismatic Sphere and Prismatic Wall it also says to refer to the spell descriptions for details. Primatic Wall does confirm that AntiMagic field doesn't bypass it and Primatic Sphere simply refers to that spell. However nothing in the Wall of Force Description indicates that it is unaffected by Antimagic Field. So disagreeing spell descriptions and nothing in the errata. If it was Wall of stone, I would agree. Please refer me to a FAQ?
primemover003 05-22-07, 08:45 AM	Well as the PC's are only about 6th level the only Beholder they'll actually go up against are Gauth, Directors, or Spectators...