Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 lonewolf Mar 04, 2009 16:32:33	This is a seperate thread fight between Istima Telarc and a Young Gold Dragon. If you are not Zevox or myself please dont post here. Istima Male Goblin Small Humanoid (Goblinoid, Psionic) Lawful Neutral Nomad 14 [ECL 14] XP/TNL: 101,415/105,000 [3,200 start + 52,020 fights + 46,195 quests & campaigns] Height 2’8’’, Weight 39 lbs, Age 23 Scholar of the [thread=517706]PSIONIC CONSORTIUM[/thread] Deity: Oghma (God of Knowledge, Invention, and Inspiration) Current 3-Fight Cycle Information Fight 1 Time Between Fights: 6 hrs Prebuffs/Ongoing Effects: Greater Dispel Magic in Ring of Counterspells. Items Used: Powerstone of Fly [ML 7] Spells or Powerpoints Used: 52 pp. x/day Abilities Used: N/A Free Activity: Craft (Scholarly Texts) for 518 gp.
#2 lonewolf Mar 04, 2009 17:35:00	Istima starts in box B. Give me your starting location and setup. You lose initiative, so dont post any actions yet.
#3 zevox Mar 04, 2009 17:52:54	I actually lost initiative to this thing? That's not a good sign... Well, with its size, it has to do some squeezing past statues to get anywhere, which definitely means no flying right away with our winged fliers house rule, so I shouldn't have to worry about attacks round 1 anyway. Except maybe that breath. Can't avoid being spotted though, considering it towers over the statues and I can't start behind one. Start in my box's back corner, nothing in hand. Leave Istyar behind - he'll just get slaughtered if he comes along. If it uses its fire breath round 1, manifest an Energy Adaptation (augmented to 11 pp for use as an immediate action) before it hits me.
#4 lonewolf Mar 04, 2009 17:59:23	I still have to choose equipment and feats for that thing, so I will update sometime tomorrow. But note that you cannot do immediate actions while flatfooted, which you are in round 1.
#5 lonewolf Mar 05, 2009 18:16:43	Round 1: The Gold dragon squeezes forward through his starting box towards the center, where he can finally rise to his complete height. Once there he casts Obscuring mist to hide from Istimas powers for now. Istima manifests a 13pp defensive precognition and moves west. Istima 132/132 hp, AC 36; defensive precognition(long) Round 2: The Gold dragon spreads his wings and flies to base Istima, squeezing up to the ledge again. Istima defensively manifests an empowered energy ray(cold), and thus triggers the dragons readied breath attack. Istima responds with manifesting energy adaption, and together with a good dodge he manages to avoid any fire damage. Distracted by the attack, he fails to breach the dragons Spell Resistance with the energy ray. Istima steps back and refocuses, dodging the dragons AoO. Istima 132/132 hp, AC 36; defensive precognition(long), Energy Adaption(long) Round 3: The Gold dragon does a full attack and hits with bite, one claw and the tail slap for 43 damage. Istima steps behind cover and shoots another energy ray at the dragon, hitting this time for 112 damage. He recovers his focus. Istima 89/132 hp, AC 36; defensive precognition(long), Energy Adaption(long) Round 4: The Gold dragon does a full attack and hits with bite for 21 damage. Istima shoots another empowered energy ray at the dragon and hits for even more damage, dropping the dragon. Istima 68/132 hp, AC 36; defensive precognition(long), Energy Adaption(long)
#6 zevox Mar 05, 2009 20:16:42	So, it wants to do some buffing, eh? Well, do note that I have spellcraft skill, so if I hear him casting, I may be able to ID what hes doing. For myself, 13 pp Defensive Precognition (+5 AC/Saves) is all I need until/unless he breathes (consider that emergency energy adaptation a constant contingency). So do that and single-move towards him round 1 (head due west, so I should end up next to the northernmost statue in my box). Round 2 wipe away the mist with a 7 pp Dispel Psionics (area, so it can dispel anything he buffs with then too). We'll see how things go from there. PP: 100 - 13 - 7 = 80 (Noting this mostly for my own benefit - need to make sure I save a fair amount of that for offensive powers.)
#7 lonewolf Mar 06, 2009 4:03:41	updated above, your turn.
#8 zevox Mar 06, 2009 10:01:33	Huh, odd. What did the mist accomplish, then? Well, the only way to avoid an AoO here would be to use a move action dimension door, and frankly there's no good spots for me to 'port to, so I won't bother. Just blast him with a defensively manifested (auto-succeeds) Empowered Energy Ray (Cold), then refocus (auto-succeeds, draws AoO). Use fight defensively on the ray (-4 attack, +2 dodge to AC, I still hit on anything but a 1 anyway). +14 vs SR 21 to affect him, damage (12d6+12*1.5)*1.5 for empowered and his vulnerability. That'll hurt pretty bad. Oh, and take a 5' step back (east) too. That'll put me in position to 5' step behind the statue next turn to get cover.
#9 lonewolf Mar 06, 2009 11:04:26	updated above, your turn
#10 zevox Mar 06, 2009 11:23:27	Looking at the rolls, the claw missed. You forgot the -4 attack it suffers for squeezing. So 12 less damage for Istima. 5' step behind the statue into cover (AC now 42 with fight defensively) and repeat last round's actions. Hope my SR check doesn't suck so bad this time... For my own benefit - PP: 100 - 13 - 14 - 11 -14 = 48. (Wow, I went through that faster than I thought...)
#11 lonewolf Mar 06, 2009 11:41:41	updated above. I figured the squeezing penalties, but also figured in the boni from the dragons items, which in this case cancel each other out. your turn
#12 zevox Mar 06, 2009 11:49:29	Hm, slightly sub-par on the damage roll. Oh well. Repeat the shot. My hp is getting slightly worrisome, but unless it gets quite lucky, it shouldn't be able to take me down in one round of attacks. And one more shot may take it down if I get a bit above par on the damage roll.
#13 lonewolf Mar 06, 2009 12:33:59	updated above congrats! Those energy rays were probably the best possible power to take this thing down. Dragon equipment, Feats & Spells Amulet of mighty Fist +2 Belt of Giant Strength +2 Ring of Protection +2 Cloak of Resistance +3 Feats: Power Attack, Hover, Wingover, Flyby attack, Ability Focus(Breath Weapon), Multiattack Spells: 1- Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Shield, Obscuring Mist 2- Resist energy, see Invisibility mage armor prebuffed
#14 zevox Mar 06, 2009 12:50:08	Indeed they were. I was actually a bit concerned that you may give it a scroll or wand of Protection from Energy to try to cover up that weakness - its a pretty glaring one. Of course, I could have gone for Crystal Shards instead and just taken an extra shot or two to take it down, but I figured it was worth dealing with the SR for the bonus damage I'd get on the ray. Anyway, this fight levels Istima up, so hes now in a league where he can get actual opponents (theoretically). Huzzah! :D Oh, please add Energy Adaptation to ongoing effects. It has approximately 2 hours and 19 minutes remaining.
#15 lonewolf Mar 06, 2009 12:58:39	I was considering buying a ring of energy resistance, but its too expensive to fit into the equipment restrictions. He could have cast resist energy himself, but I figured that he had to attack as fast as possible. Also, with CL5 it would be easily dispelled.
#16 zevox Mar 06, 2009 13:02:00	Plus since it would only be resist 10 it would be easy to power through. That's why I was worried about Protection from Energy, not Resist Energy. A scroll of protection from energy at, say, CL 7 could have negated most of one of my rays, while Resist Energy is a fairly weak defense against the damage output I get. Zevox