Group vs. Pixie [Archive] - Wizards Community

Group vs. Pixie [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ZinFeir
10-24-06, 11:13 AM Our DM is running a homebrew campain and feels that we as players give our characters an LA because of the way we play. By this, he throws CR equal to our Effective Group Level +1 or +2. He acutally told us point blank that he adds class levels to anything we fight so its more of a challange. This is all fine and good untill he threw a pixie at us.

The first instance was my Catfolk(lvl 6 Scout) who got paniced and ran into the woods alone for 1600 feet(4 rounds at an all out run). After the ability wore off, I was alone in the woods so I used Survival to figure a way back. Half way there I got shot by an arrow. I looked around an there was nothing, so I kept running and got hit with another and another. I desided to hide under some leaves behind a tree and got killed.

I came back into the game with an Elf Wizard along with a new guy whos an Changling Rogue. We got gated back to the party by the crazy town leader and made out way threw the woods. After about 7 hours in game we got attacked by an Elf who turned out to be a Silant Image. We then came to realize that it was another Pixie. Our group has no way of seeing or sencing invisability.

The question is this: How can we beat this pixie without being able to see it. The group has a 4th level Crusader Half-Dragon, a 4th level Changling Rogue, a 7th level Dragon Shaman Human, 7th level Favored Soul lizard thing and a 3th level Wizard Grey Elf.
KnaveofClubs
10-24-06, 11:30 AM Alignment might be helpful. Burning down the woods to flush out the guy is one way to do it. And there could be some alignment conflicts between the pixie's actions and your groups actions, quite simply a pixie would not have killed a good aligned character if he had been fleeing or for that matter pretty much anything but evil characters who were fleeing. Have the wizard learn and use glitterdust. You can tell in what direction the arrow came from. And if he is trying to snipe and prevent from being see (pulling rules lawyering here) you have to make a hide check at a -20 penalty, invisibility gives you a +20 bonus to hide when moving (hes firing at you) so in order not be noticed even the slightest bit, he has to make a hide check at a normal skill bonus and beat every party member's spot check (unless hes a rogue, not likely). This, in which case, you can cast glitterdust if you know the area he is in, area of effect, expses invisibility, -40 to hide checks, and possibility of blinding. 2nd lvl spell at that too. Aim it in the general direction the arrow came from and you could possibly hit him with it unless the DM is a jerk and won't allow his to be foiled by such simple methods.
ZinFeir
10-24-06, 12:18 PM Half Dragon Crusader - LG
Grey Elf Wizard - CG
Changling Rogue - CN
Lizard-people Favored Soul - NG
Human Dragon Shaman - CG

Pixie - CE

Were in the middle of combat right now, we had to stop the game because it was getting to late. I can't Glitter Dust because he said start at 3rd level, so I have two 2nd level spells, which are Scorching Ray and Bull's Str. The Pixie is always invisable because thats the way pixies are.
KnaveofClubs
10-24-06, 01:27 PM Odd to see a CE pixie but nvr mnd... So you are quite unprepared in a battle that you guys are in over your head. The only thing I could say is try to make a spot check right after he fires according to the previous rules I mentioned. Other than that your only option is to run and fight another day when you are more prepared.
Pangeon
10-24-06, 04:23 PM Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pixies have Invisibility at will, as per the spell. That doesn't make Pixies always invisible, it means they become visible after attacking. This could help.

On an aside, why are you a level 3 character in a group of ECL 7s (aside from the changeling, who's ECL 4?) Does the DM want your character to die?
Penguintine
10-24-06, 04:41 PM Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pixies have Invisibility at will, as per the spell. That doesn't make Pixies always invisible, it means they become visible after attacking. This could help.

On an aside, why are you a level 3 character in a group of ECL 7s (aside from the changeling, who's ECL 4?) Does the DM want your character to die?

Pixies have Greater Invisibility so they remain invisible if they attack.
IllyannaFarseer
10-24-06, 06:06 PM yes pixie's can be quite annoying.

The only way is to be watchful, hold actions and hope to detect the sound of the bow, get direction then using your readied action (after being shot the first time) to see that the leaves on that bush are trembling then attack the square you think the pixie is in (taking the 50% miss chance).

If the pixie just rolls up fire then runs, comes back fires then runs..look at your DM and say..

"Congradulations, you've created an encounter we can't beat...can we move on now?"
angryman
10-24-06, 09:19 PM See Invisibility?
Invisibility Purge?
AOE spells?
Blindfight? (specific, i know)
runestar
10-24-06, 10:25 PM Any chance of getting your hands on a few bags of flour?:P Paint would do nicely as well...:D
theotherdraxen
10-24-06, 11:29 PM Yeah, you're wizard or your favored soul should have a spell to get through it. You should probably try to research pixies for weaknesses in town. Suddenly claiming that you know pixies have greater invisiblity is not good role-playing.

This is where knowledge is useful! Or gather info, the townsfolk have got to know something. Or look in a library. Your characters just need to know their enemy before squashing the little insect.
ZinFeir
10-25-06, 09:53 AM Any chance of getting your hands on a few bags of flour?:P Paint would do nicely as well...:D

When an Invisable Creature picks up an item, it becomes invisable as well. Its the way the spell is writen.

Yeah, you're wizard or your favored soul should have a spell to get through it. You should probably try to research pixies for weaknesses in town. Suddenly claiming that you know pixies have greater invisiblity is not good role-playing.

This is where knowledge is useful! Or gather info, the townsfolk have got to know something. Or look in a library. Your characters just need to know their enemy before squashing the little insect.

I'm the Wizard, my 2nd level spells are Scorching Ray and Bull's Str. Our Favored Soul has a level ajustment, so he don't have 3rd level spells yet.

Know: Nature is at +11 for me, I don't even have to roll to know something about Pixies(did roll, got a 29). I'm a big fan of Knowledge skills, as in I sunk alot of points into the useful ones.
runestar
10-25-06, 10:30 AM When an Invisable Creature picks up an item, it becomes invisable as well. Its the way the spell is writen.
From the SRD's entry on invisibility...
Invisibility
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Trickery 2
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lb./level
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) or Yes (harmless, object)
The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from darkvision. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so.
Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible.
Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.
Invisibility can be made permanent (on objects only) with a permanency spell.
Arcane Material Component: An eyelash encased in a bit of gum arabic.

The flour would not automatically become invisible when it comes in contact with the pixie. The only way the pixie can combat this is by suppressing and then renewing its invis as free actions, thus turning the flour invis as well. However, if I understand the rules for this correctly, it can only do this during its round, which still gives the other players time to react if their rounds come up before the pixie's.:)

If I am wrong however, I think you can still set it up such that 1 player sprinkles the flour, and the rest of the party readies actions in preparation to attack the revealed pixie(fighters notch bows, spellcaster prepares most damaging spell etc)...
Cintra
10-25-06, 11:52 AM I agree that flour should work, as would throwing a big handful of leaves (although with leaves you probably couldn't throw them as far) - even if your DM says the flour on the pixie becomes invisible, you can say, "But can't we see a pixie-shaped hole with no flour floating down through it?"
Dwarven_Jihad
10-25-06, 12:56 PM Re-starting at 3rd when you died at 6th? That's harsh...

Throw up a nice low-level spell like Obscuring Mist so that the pixie can't target you. Then sneak out, run back to town and go drinking in the local tavern. Refuse to leave under any circumstances, spending your time regaling patrons with tales of the 'giant invisible mosquitoes' that plague the local woods until your DM wises up.

However, if he doesn't, and pixies suddenly show up in the tavern, burn it down with your DM inside :)
robertliguori
10-25-06, 05:25 PM Burning oil. Lots of it. Burning down the forest is a nice fringe benefit.

No, seriously. If you can get the flasks within 5' of the pixie (and have fire in that area), then that's a guarenteed 1 damage per flask thrown. Plus, eventually, the pixie will fail a reflex save and catch on fire. You'll probably be aiming for tree branches and other elevated solid matter, since only a silly pixie would engage forces on the ground unless he had to.
inky13112
10-25-06, 09:21 PM I agree that flour should work, as would throwing a big handful of leaves (although with leaves you probably couldn't throw them as far) - even if your DM says the flour on the pixie becomes invisible, you can say, "But can't we see a pixie-shaped hole with no flour floating down through it?"

I agree with Cintra. The flour might go invisible, but you can see a pixie shaped hole in the cloud. The rest of you ready actions to attack the pixie hole.

On another note I think your DM might have made this encounter in the first place as a sort of breaking away from the norm, have to be creative to win thing.
Orchomenos
10-26-06, 12:09 PM Perhaps try to parley... Are you sure both IC and OOC that the Pixie is CE? Even a CE Pixie should have some higher goals than simply killing the PCs?
crossp
10-27-06, 02:49 AM Don't forget to point out that the pixie can only carry a finite number of arrows. Then increase your AC with buffs, cover, laying prone, using the total defense action, and so on.

Go there at night. Pixies can't see in the dark, so you'd be on level footing.
ZinFeir
10-29-06, 05:14 AM Thanks for the great ideas, we play tomarrow afternoon and I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ZinFeir 10-24-06, 11:13 AM	Our DM is running a homebrew campain and feels that we as players give our characters an LA because of the way we play. By this, he throws CR equal to our Effective Group Level +1 or +2. He acutally told us point blank that he adds class levels to anything we fight so its more of a challange. This is all fine and good untill he threw a pixie at us. The first instance was my Catfolk(lvl 6 Scout) who got paniced and ran into the woods alone for 1600 feet(4 rounds at an all out run). After the ability wore off, I was alone in the woods so I used Survival to figure a way back. Half way there I got shot by an arrow. I looked around an there was nothing, so I kept running and got hit with another and another. I desided to hide under some leaves behind a tree and got killed. I came back into the game with an Elf Wizard along with a new guy whos an Changling Rogue. We got gated back to the party by the crazy town leader and made out way threw the woods. After about 7 hours in game we got attacked by an Elf who turned out to be a Silant Image. We then came to realize that it was another Pixie. Our group has no way of seeing or sencing invisability. The question is this: How can we beat this pixie without being able to see it. The group has a 4th level Crusader Half-Dragon, a 4th level Changling Rogue, a 7th level Dragon Shaman Human, 7th level Favored Soul lizard thing and a 3th level Wizard Grey Elf.
KnaveofClubs 10-24-06, 11:30 AM	Alignment might be helpful. Burning down the woods to flush out the guy is one way to do it. And there could be some alignment conflicts between the pixie's actions and your groups actions, quite simply a pixie would not have killed a good aligned character if he had been fleeing or for that matter pretty much anything but evil characters who were fleeing. Have the wizard learn and use glitterdust. You can tell in what direction the arrow came from. And if he is trying to snipe and prevent from being see (pulling rules lawyering here) you have to make a hide check at a -20 penalty, invisibility gives you a +20 bonus to hide when moving (hes firing at you) so in order not be noticed even the slightest bit, he has to make a hide check at a normal skill bonus and beat every party member's spot check (unless hes a rogue, not likely). This, in which case, you can cast glitterdust if you know the area he is in, area of effect, expses invisibility, -40 to hide checks, and possibility of blinding. 2nd lvl spell at that too. Aim it in the general direction the arrow came from and you could possibly hit him with it unless the DM is a jerk and won't allow his to be foiled by such simple methods.
ZinFeir 10-24-06, 12:18 PM	Half Dragon Crusader - LG Grey Elf Wizard - CG Changling Rogue - CN Lizard-people Favored Soul - NG Human Dragon Shaman - CG Pixie - CE Were in the middle of combat right now, we had to stop the game because it was getting to late. I can't Glitter Dust because he said start at 3rd level, so I have two 2nd level spells, which are Scorching Ray and Bull's Str. The Pixie is always invisable because thats the way pixies are.
KnaveofClubs 10-24-06, 01:27 PM	Odd to see a CE pixie but nvr mnd... So you are quite unprepared in a battle that you guys are in over your head. The only thing I could say is try to make a spot check right after he fires according to the previous rules I mentioned. Other than that your only option is to run and fight another day when you are more prepared.
Pangeon 10-24-06, 04:23 PM	Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pixies have Invisibility at will, as per the spell. That doesn't make Pixies always invisible, it means they become visible after attacking. This could help. On an aside, why are you a level 3 character in a group of ECL 7s (aside from the changeling, who's ECL 4?) Does the DM want your character to die?
Penguintine 10-24-06, 04:41 PM	Correct me if I'm wrong, but Pixies have Invisibility at will, as per the spell. That doesn't make Pixies always invisible, it means they become visible after attacking. This could help. On an aside, why are you a level 3 character in a group of ECL 7s (aside from the changeling, who's ECL 4?) Does the DM want your character to die? Pixies have Greater Invisibility so they remain invisible if they attack.
IllyannaFarseer 10-24-06, 06:06 PM	yes pixie's can be quite annoying. The only way is to be watchful, hold actions and hope to detect the sound of the bow, get direction then using your readied action (after being shot the first time) to see that the leaves on that bush are trembling then attack the square you think the pixie is in (taking the 50% miss chance). If the pixie just rolls up fire then runs, comes back fires then runs..look at your DM and say.. "Congradulations, you've created an encounter we can't beat...can we move on now?"
angryman 10-24-06, 09:19 PM	See Invisibility? Invisibility Purge? AOE spells? Blindfight? (specific, i know)
runestar 10-24-06, 10:25 PM	Any chance of getting your hands on a few bags of flour?:P Paint would do nicely as well...:D
theotherdraxen 10-24-06, 11:29 PM	Yeah, you're wizard or your favored soul should have a spell to get through it. You should probably try to research pixies for weaknesses in town. Suddenly claiming that you know pixies have greater invisiblity is not good role-playing. This is where knowledge is useful! Or gather info, the townsfolk have got to know something. Or look in a library. Your characters just need to know their enemy before squashing the little insect.
ZinFeir 10-25-06, 09:53 AM	Any chance of getting your hands on a few bags of flour?:P Paint would do nicely as well...:D When an Invisable Creature picks up an item, it becomes invisable as well. Its the way the spell is writen. Yeah, you're wizard or your favored soul should have a spell to get through it. You should probably try to research pixies for weaknesses in town. Suddenly claiming that you know pixies have greater invisiblity is not good role-playing. This is where knowledge is useful! Or gather info, the townsfolk have got to know something. Or look in a library. Your characters just need to know their enemy before squashing the little insect. I'm the Wizard, my 2nd level spells are Scorching Ray and Bull's Str. Our Favored Soul has a level ajustment, so he don't have 3rd level spells yet. Know: Nature is at +11 for me, I don't even have to roll to know something about Pixies(did roll, got a 29). I'm a big fan of Knowledge skills, as in I sunk alot of points into the useful ones.
runestar 10-25-06, 10:30 AM	When an Invisable Creature picks up an item, it becomes invisable as well. Its the way the spell is writen. From the SRD's entry on invisibility... Invisibility Illusion (Glamer) Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Trickery 2 Components: V, S, M/DF Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal or touch Target: You or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lb./level Duration: 1 min./level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (harmless, object) Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) or Yes (harmless, object) The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from darkvision. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so. Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible. Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area. Invisibility can be made permanent (on objects only) with a permanency spell. Arcane Material Component: An eyelash encased in a bit of gum arabic. The flour would not automatically become invisible when it comes in contact with the pixie. The only way the pixie can combat this is by suppressing and then renewing its invis as free actions, thus turning the flour invis as well. However, if I understand the rules for this correctly, it can only do this during its round, which still gives the other players time to react if their rounds come up before the pixie's.:) If I am wrong however, I think you can still set it up such that 1 player sprinkles the flour, and the rest of the party readies actions in preparation to attack the revealed pixie(fighters notch bows, spellcaster prepares most damaging spell etc)...
Cintra 10-25-06, 11:52 AM	I agree that flour should work, as would throwing a big handful of leaves (although with leaves you probably couldn't throw them as far) - even if your DM says the flour on the pixie becomes invisible, you can say, "But can't we see a pixie-shaped hole with no flour floating down through it?"
Dwarven_Jihad 10-25-06, 12:56 PM	Re-starting at 3rd when you died at 6th? That's harsh... Throw up a nice low-level spell like Obscuring Mist so that the pixie can't target you. Then sneak out, run back to town and go drinking in the local tavern. Refuse to leave under any circumstances, spending your time regaling patrons with tales of the 'giant invisible mosquitoes' that plague the local woods until your DM wises up. However, if he doesn't, and pixies suddenly show up in the tavern, burn it down with your DM inside :)
robertliguori 10-25-06, 05:25 PM	Burning oil. Lots of it. Burning down the forest is a nice fringe benefit. No, seriously. If you can get the flasks within 5' of the pixie (and have fire in that area), then that's a guarenteed 1 damage per flask thrown. Plus, eventually, the pixie will fail a reflex save and catch on fire. You'll probably be aiming for tree branches and other elevated solid matter, since only a silly pixie would engage forces on the ground unless he had to.
inky13112 10-25-06, 09:21 PM	I agree that flour should work, as would throwing a big handful of leaves (although with leaves you probably couldn't throw them as far) - even if your DM says the flour on the pixie becomes invisible, you can say, "But can't we see a pixie-shaped hole with no flour floating down through it?" I agree with Cintra. The flour might go invisible, but you can see a pixie shaped hole in the cloud. The rest of you ready actions to attack the pixie hole. On another note I think your DM might have made this encounter in the first place as a sort of breaking away from the norm, have to be creative to win thing.
Orchomenos 10-26-06, 12:09 PM	Perhaps try to parley... Are you sure both IC and OOC that the Pixie is CE? Even a CE Pixie should have some higher goals than simply killing the PCs?
crossp 10-27-06, 02:49 AM	Don't forget to point out that the pixie can only carry a finite number of arrows. Then increase your AC with buffs, cover, laying prone, using the total defense action, and so on. Go there at night. Pixies can't see in the dark, so you'd be on level footing.
ZinFeir 10-29-06, 05:14 AM	Thanks for the great ideas, we play tomarrow afternoon and I'll let you all know how it turns out.