Help! PC Emergency! Strategy! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help! PC Emergency! Strategy! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
annalivvie
09-15-04, 08:20 PM 10th level variant druid with monk and ranger abilities who lost wild shape has left her party to return to her grove for a while to spend time with her husband, and see what must be down to restore it. She is NG her husband is NE. His mind, while she was away has been overtaken by his artifact that she helped him recover. He has called drow into the grove, one referred to as the drow queen. The artifact favors the drow queen, her husband no longer leaves his room, the drow queen comes to him, and the only time he has snapped out at all is when his chest mysteriously started to bleed. Bleeding caused by their bond when she was hurt in battle elsewhere. Through a tribal tattoo they both received to strenghten their bond. So those are the facts she has about him. Also she knows that three NPCs are trapped in a dungeon and tortured daily. NPCs that would make powerful allies but she does not know the location of this dungeon, only that it is likely in the roots of the tree that the evil has inhabited that was once part of her elven kingdom. She has acquired several comrades aside from her party, which are not with her currently. A hobgoblin with character class who wants to be atoned for her wrongdoing because of the PC. 4 or 5 other hobgoblins who left their master in fear. A wyvern raised by her husband, and two asperis, one a child and one her animal companion, and one gray render who thinks she is his child.
So, she will atone the hobgoblin, then she intends to use the bond to hurt herself and try to draw her husband to her... If this doesnt work and I doubt it will, she has to try a different means.
She needs to get to this dungeon through the drow queen, her men, guardian worgs, an army of goblins, two goblin shamans who see the "future" and use spells, and wyverns atop the tree, and whatever magic is cast around the tree to defeat her.
So how can she get into the dungeon? Free the unseelie druid, whom she has fought alongside before, her husbands general, and her hand maiden? Then find her husband, make him come to his sense, destroy the artifact without having her mind taken over by it and live to see tomorrow with her motley army? Anyone have any ideas?
Vanigo
09-15-04, 11:40 PM First things first, hook back up with your party if you haven't already.
Next, figure out exactly how good those goblin shamen are. You don't want an enemy who can predict your every move. If they're any good at all, you'll need to neutralize them somehow. You might be able to do it just by repeatedly sending them dreams of being killed by drow, especially if they see the future through prophetic dreams.
Scout the situation. Awakened squirrels would be great for this. No one pays attention to the squirrels. No one.
Things get less predictable from there. Most of what you do from here on depends on what the squirrels discover. Did many of the goblins leave when their shamen bolted? How many drow are there? What kinds of magical defenses? How big is this tree dungeon? However, here are some general ideas:

Burrowers. Nothing says "I don't have to go through this dungeon" like popping out of the wall right next to the people you're rescuing. A dire badger would be great at this, since, unlike most burrowers, they leave tunnels. With a 10-foot burrow speed, it'll take a long time, but that shouldn't be that big a deal. They're medium-sized, too, so don't worry that the tunnel will be too small. Again, awaken should be able to get you the help you need. Just make sure the drow don't have any earth elementals. That would get very... fatal.
Nondetection. Definetly nondetection. Or something stronger, if you've got it.
If the goblin army is still an issue, entangle is one of the best mass-combat spells around. Long range, huge area of effect, and it wreaks havoc on formations.
TheDoomBringer
09-16-04, 01:25 AM Stock up on healing. Sounds like you are going to be in a world of hurt very soon. Find a nearby town that sells stuff, unload some cash and get some gear.
Call in all your favors that you must have earned over time.
The burrowing animal idea is good. The badger, while slow, will give the desired effect, up to rock probably. Use whatever spell to blast through stone as needed. Hit the place like a tornado going through a trailer park, with violent surprise and power.
Edit:
Also, just a general strategy:
Have a skirmish break out at the expected entrance, large enough to make them think the main attack is coming. Try to attack from many directions, using misdirection as best as possible, to do this the best, use as much nondetection as possible. Good strategy would also be to use a sandwiching action, by having attacks come from the burrowing animal and the top, trapping those in between the two forces. Or splitting your forces might make you weaker than expected. Depends on the tactical situation.
annalivvie
09-16-04, 08:26 AM The goblins came to the elf and told her that her husband wanted to see her which she knew was a lie. However, after seeing her lizard scout, she went with them, into the trap. The drow sitting in the throne on the main floor, drinking, pointed her in her husbands direction. She goes to the room. She sees him, he's trying to fight the intelligent weapon, the weapon is trying to get her to try to wield it. She's fighting it off because of her ridiculous will saves, her husband tries to kill her. He finally suceeds on a save and throws the sword, and she destroys it. She tells her husband he has locked away his friend, goes to the dungeon. They free the captives who have been tortured beyond belief, drow talks **** to her.... She goes after the drow, her husband stops her, lets her know the drow is far more powerful than she is. She leaves with her husband who is supposed to go back to the tree kingdom to see the drow harlot tomorrow, and everyone is healed, everyone sleeps around her tree. His general goes for reinforcements, or at least to decide if he wants to come back. All of the people who were there are gone. Now only her animal companion, her husband and his wyvern. But... **drumroll** her party comes back tomorrow.

His general: "Just give me an opening and I will eat her (the drow queens)heart."
My character: I ask only one thing of you, cut the heart out...but let me eat it.

Thanks all. More to do, more suggestions are welcome.
Vanigo
09-16-04, 08:03 PM You just "destroyed" the artifact? Right then and there? What kind of shoddy plastic bargain-basement artifact was that? You don't just "destroy" artifacts (MDJ notwithstanding). It must have just been an intelligent weapon with a really high ego.

Anyway, sounds like your DM may be something of a railroader, what with you walking into a trap that magically solved all your problems, and the BBEG mysteriously fleeing when she could have (according to your husband) simply killed you all. If that's the case, you don't really need any advice; the DM will drop the solution into your lap.

And here I thought it was an interesting problem. :(
annalivvie
09-16-04, 09:11 PM So maybe I made it sound a little easier than it was. She spent 5 game days and more than one session, atoning a friend, awakening a scout, almost dying to contact her husband. Apparently, the shamans and the drow realized she was badly wounded through self-infliction and fighting sentinels during the day, and she sent the goblins at the request of the sword to bring her to her husband because he was going to kill her. (him being the sword). She came in and the drow knowing the plan sent her to her husband, the shamans hiding away somewhere, her scout unable to find them. She went to her husband and found him fighting the sword and himself in his room. She talked to her husband, the sword dominated him several times, she suceeded on two will saves where the sword tried to dominate her. Then the sword unable to dominate her, ran a ring of fire around her and her husband and dominated him again. He struggled with it, but attacked her multiple times and almost killed her. He suceeded on two saves and released the sword. (At this point she was almost dead.) She failed a save and had to move to the sword to pick it up, convinced she was going to kill herself on it. Her husband made his save and grabbed her, and then she made another save eventually after trying to fight him to get to the sword and failing to break the enchantment, so she failed and fought with her husband for a couple of rounds trying to kill herself. After suceeding her husband had to continue to fight, not to be dominated while she tried to destroy it, his mind to weak to even try at this point. Almost dead, they went to free the captives, then on the way out with the captives and her husband, the drow tells her she's been banging her husband and is emotionally destroying her, and her husband agrees to take her (my character) back home and return back to the drow to do whatever it is he is going to do with her.
He returns her home and stays with her, but intends to return to the drow the next day, refusing to kill her, and refusing to help her and her friends fight the drow and her minions, and tells her he will fight her army (which is very very small), with his own and hers (which are very large). He will not give up all he has fought for, including the power he desires, because of her "jealousy" and so on. They agree to disagree, he tells her he will not hold back on her friends but that she cannot die.....what with the whole loving her, and her possibly at any point being the mother of his children thing, but the shamans and drow all hate her, and there is no telling what could happen. And even if she suceeds without dying she has found that the Ancient Green that ran off the other elves 30 years ago, that lives in her castle, is his father, and he must be defeated as well, to truly protect her grove. And he wants to kill his father as well, but alongside her and the drow... and he says to do so they must all work together, but she refuses. So... there is lots more to be done.
In addition to which, when she finished taking care of the weapon she had gathered so much information on for the last couple of months, a black face of smoke that resembled the face that was on the sword flew through the air to god knows where... So while the sword is destroyed.... the spirit or whatever was in the sword, is likely not destroyed, as he had told her previously, he could not be destroyed.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
annalivvie 09-15-04, 08:20 PM	10th level variant druid with monk and ranger abilities who lost wild shape has left her party to return to her grove for a while to spend time with her husband, and see what must be down to restore it. She is NG her husband is NE. His mind, while she was away has been overtaken by his artifact that she helped him recover. He has called drow into the grove, one referred to as the drow queen. The artifact favors the drow queen, her husband no longer leaves his room, the drow queen comes to him, and the only time he has snapped out at all is when his chest mysteriously started to bleed. Bleeding caused by their bond when she was hurt in battle elsewhere. Through a tribal tattoo they both received to strenghten their bond. So those are the facts she has about him. Also she knows that three NPCs are trapped in a dungeon and tortured daily. NPCs that would make powerful allies but she does not know the location of this dungeon, only that it is likely in the roots of the tree that the evil has inhabited that was once part of her elven kingdom. She has acquired several comrades aside from her party, which are not with her currently. A hobgoblin with character class who wants to be atoned for her wrongdoing because of the PC. 4 or 5 other hobgoblins who left their master in fear. A wyvern raised by her husband, and two asperis, one a child and one her animal companion, and one gray render who thinks she is his child. So, she will atone the hobgoblin, then she intends to use the bond to hurt herself and try to draw her husband to her... If this doesnt work and I doubt it will, she has to try a different means. She needs to get to this dungeon through the drow queen, her men, guardian worgs, an army of goblins, two goblin shamans who see the "future" and use spells, and wyverns atop the tree, and whatever magic is cast around the tree to defeat her. So how can she get into the dungeon? Free the unseelie druid, whom she has fought alongside before, her husbands general, and her hand maiden? Then find her husband, make him come to his sense, destroy the artifact without having her mind taken over by it and live to see tomorrow with her motley army? Anyone have any ideas?
Vanigo 09-15-04, 11:40 PM	First things first, hook back up with your party if you haven't already. Next, figure out exactly how good those goblin shamen are. You don't want an enemy who can predict your every move. If they're any good at all, you'll need to neutralize them somehow. You might be able to do it just by repeatedly sending them dreams of being killed by drow, especially if they see the future through prophetic dreams. Scout the situation. Awakened squirrels would be great for this. No one pays attention to the squirrels. No one. Things get less predictable from there. Most of what you do from here on depends on what the squirrels discover. Did many of the goblins leave when their shamen bolted? How many drow are there? What kinds of magical defenses? How big is this tree dungeon? However, here are some general ideas: Burrowers. Nothing says "I don't have to go through this dungeon" like popping out of the wall right next to the people you're rescuing. A dire badger would be great at this, since, unlike most burrowers, they leave tunnels. With a 10-foot burrow speed, it'll take a long time, but that shouldn't be that big a deal. They're medium-sized, too, so don't worry that the tunnel will be too small. Again, awaken should be able to get you the help you need. Just make sure the drow don't have any earth elementals. That would get very... fatal. Nondetection. Definetly nondetection. Or something stronger, if you've got it. If the goblin army is still an issue, entangle is one of the best mass-combat spells around. Long range, huge area of effect, and it wreaks havoc on formations.
TheDoomBringer 09-16-04, 01:25 AM	Stock up on healing. Sounds like you are going to be in a world of hurt very soon. Find a nearby town that sells stuff, unload some cash and get some gear. Call in all your favors that you must have earned over time. The burrowing animal idea is good. The badger, while slow, will give the desired effect, up to rock probably. Use whatever spell to blast through stone as needed. Hit the place like a tornado going through a trailer park, with violent surprise and power. Edit: Also, just a general strategy: Have a skirmish break out at the expected entrance, large enough to make them think the main attack is coming. Try to attack from many directions, using misdirection as best as possible, to do this the best, use as much nondetection as possible. Good strategy would also be to use a sandwiching action, by having attacks come from the burrowing animal and the top, trapping those in between the two forces. Or splitting your forces might make you weaker than expected. Depends on the tactical situation.
annalivvie 09-16-04, 08:26 AM	The goblins came to the elf and told her that her husband wanted to see her which she knew was a lie. However, after seeing her lizard scout, she went with them, into the trap. The drow sitting in the throne on the main floor, drinking, pointed her in her husbands direction. She goes to the room. She sees him, he's trying to fight the intelligent weapon, the weapon is trying to get her to try to wield it. She's fighting it off because of her ridiculous will saves, her husband tries to kill her. He finally suceeds on a save and throws the sword, and she destroys it. She tells her husband he has locked away his friend, goes to the dungeon. They free the captives who have been tortured beyond belief, drow talks ** to her.... She goes after the drow, her husband stops her, lets her know the drow is far more powerful than she is. She leaves with her husband who is supposed to go back to the tree kingdom to see the drow harlot tomorrow, and everyone is healed, everyone sleeps around her tree. His general goes for reinforcements, or at least to decide if he wants to come back. All of the people who were there are gone. Now only her animal companion, her husband and his wyvern. But... drumroll** her party comes back tomorrow. His general: "Just give me an opening and I will eat her (the drow queens)heart." My character: I ask only one thing of you, cut the heart out...but let me eat it. Thanks all. More to do, more suggestions are welcome.
Vanigo 09-16-04, 08:03 PM	You just "destroyed" the artifact? Right then and there? What kind of shoddy plastic bargain-basement artifact was that? You don't just "destroy" artifacts (MDJ notwithstanding). It must have just been an intelligent weapon with a really high ego. Anyway, sounds like your DM may be something of a railroader, what with you walking into a trap that magically solved all your problems, and the BBEG mysteriously fleeing when she could have (according to your husband) simply killed you all. If that's the case, you don't really need any advice; the DM will drop the solution into your lap. And here I thought it was an interesting problem. :(
annalivvie 09-16-04, 09:11 PM	So maybe I made it sound a little easier than it was. She spent 5 game days and more than one session, atoning a friend, awakening a scout, almost dying to contact her husband. Apparently, the shamans and the drow realized she was badly wounded through self-infliction and fighting sentinels during the day, and she sent the goblins at the request of the sword to bring her to her husband because he was going to kill her. (him being the sword). She came in and the drow knowing the plan sent her to her husband, the shamans hiding away somewhere, her scout unable to find them. She went to her husband and found him fighting the sword and himself in his room. She talked to her husband, the sword dominated him several times, she suceeded on two will saves where the sword tried to dominate her. Then the sword unable to dominate her, ran a ring of fire around her and her husband and dominated him again. He struggled with it, but attacked her multiple times and almost killed her. He suceeded on two saves and released the sword. (At this point she was almost dead.) She failed a save and had to move to the sword to pick it up, convinced she was going to kill herself on it. Her husband made his save and grabbed her, and then she made another save eventually after trying to fight him to get to the sword and failing to break the enchantment, so she failed and fought with her husband for a couple of rounds trying to kill herself. After suceeding her husband had to continue to fight, not to be dominated while she tried to destroy it, his mind to weak to even try at this point. Almost dead, they went to free the captives, then on the way out with the captives and her husband, the drow tells her she's been banging her husband and is emotionally destroying her, and her husband agrees to take her (my character) back home and return back to the drow to do whatever it is he is going to do with her. He returns her home and stays with her, but intends to return to the drow the next day, refusing to kill her, and refusing to help her and her friends fight the drow and her minions, and tells her he will fight her army (which is very very small), with his own and hers (which are very large). He will not give up all he has fought for, including the power he desires, because of her "jealousy" and so on. They agree to disagree, he tells her he will not hold back on her friends but that she cannot die.....what with the whole loving her, and her possibly at any point being the mother of his children thing, but the shamans and drow all hate her, and there is no telling what could happen. And even if she suceeds without dying she has found that the Ancient Green that ran off the other elves 30 years ago, that lives in her castle, is his father, and he must be defeated as well, to truly protect her grove. And he wants to kill his father as well, but alongside her and the drow... and he says to do so they must all work together, but she refuses. So... there is lots more to be done. In addition to which, when she finished taking care of the weapon she had gathered so much information on for the last couple of months, a black face of smoke that resembled the face that was on the sword flew through the air to god knows where... So while the sword is destroyed.... the spirit or whatever was in the sword, is likely not destroyed, as he had told her previously, he could not be destroyed.