Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RainerNader 01-12-07, 07:37 PM	The short version of the story is that the party came across a deactivated Shield Guardian (from MM1) and its amulet. The owner was dead, so the party Wizard asked if he could make a Use Magic Device check to use the amulet and attune the amulet so the Shield Guardian would think he is the owner. The party is mostly 7th and 8th level and the Wizard's Use Magic Device check was only like a +5 at the time (although he's an Ultimate Magus and it's a class skill). I said sure, figuring I'd set the DC at 25 or 30, way higher than he could make. Except next level he pumped all his skill points in Use Magic Device, and then the party cleric cast Wieldskill on him (+10 to a skill check!), rolled like a 16, and I felt lame justifying the DC being like 50. Except now the party had this 15 hit dice construct traveling with them, and the session was a debacle. The party Wizard cast Stoneskin on the Shield Guardian and it mowed everything in its path. Between the Stoneskin DR and fast healing 5 it was hard to damage unless all the enemies concentrated on it... leaving them easy pickings for the party. So the next session, I basically waited until Stoneskin finally wore off, then just sent a bunch of Hellcats (they party has been fighting devils) that were able to grapple it and finally damage it enough to finish it off. Was this the best way to handle it? The Wizard was kind of bummed out he lost his new toy so soon. I know I was an idiot for letting him get control of it anyway, but once that happened, what could I do after the fact?
primemover003 01-12-07, 07:55 PM	Yeah that was certainly a Richard Manuever... Giving a Wizard a pet construct means that the party just got Melee Superior. Two campaigns ago the wizard in the group I ran found the effigy template and proceeded to make a Red dragon. This beast nearly killed my campaign... but that was my fault. I was throwing primarily humanoid enemies at the Party and the Effigy ate them for lunch. What you need to do is adjust the encounters after a short period of PC success to compensate for a Juggernaut in the party. Giants, Elementals, more Constructs, Monstrous Vermin... all these things are made out of hit points, do big damage and are CR-cheap!!! Sprinkle some of these in combats with Enemies who know of the PC's tactics and combats will go differently. You don't have to geek the Robot just to bring a campaign back into balance.
kelvinaw273 01-12-07, 08:09 PM	Oh dear ... such an old, damaged Shield Guardian. I'd let them have a smidgen of xp for what it killed, then as it started to crumble point out that well, constructs do get damaged and don't heal ....
RainerNader 01-12-07, 08:25 PM	Oh dear ... such an old, damaged Shield Guardian. I'd let them have a smidgen of xp for what it killed, then as it started to crumble point out that well, constructs do get damaged and don't heal .... Yes, except Shield Guardians have fast healing 5. So the Wizard didn't even need to invest in spells like Repair Moderate Damage. After every battle it would go up to full health in a round. If it took gradual damage I would have been 100% fine with it, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Slap Stoneskin on top of the fast healing and you can see how this thing started to become a PITA.
primemover003 01-12-07, 10:45 PM	Use blade barrier or any other reflex save against Constructs. They generally have horrible Reflex saves. DR doesn't help and Fast healing 5 won't keep up if you're tossing 8d6 fireballs or acid orbs and such!
Nightbluejh 01-12-07, 10:57 PM	Yeah, you amde a mistake, the DC for that should have been higher espescially if the party is going to try and try at controling such a thing at that level. BUT O' well like another in the thread said you could have said it was damaged when they found it, hell you could have made up any ridicualous excuse for it to die off, however you decided to do it your way and it worked. I think in the long run the party would have been more bummed at the over all campaigne when they crushed through all the encounters and got very little xp because the shield gaurdian did all the work. If you really feel that bad for the Wizard (he did invest some heavy skill pts) give him a shot at some other magical device that is appropriate for the campainge.
DarkRhystar 01-12-07, 10:57 PM	Aw... too bad. It would have been a great setup for some touching drama. Ancient Shield Guardian nobly sacrifices self to defeat an amazing opponent and save entire party. :) Maybe next time... Anywho, don't introduce something like that to a campaign unless you're prepared for the consequences. What you did wasn't the fairest thing you could have, but I think you probably learned a good lesson from it.