Tembo scars - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Tembo scars

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
guest2054654845
Jan 15, 2011 10:41:12 So my group hit lvl 6, and next time we play i'm planning on them facing a Tembo. I really like the idea of tembo scars as a reward, but i'm not sure i want the whole group to get them. I'm thinking anyone seriously hurt by the thing will recieve them, but wanted other opinions on it
#2
Flankster
Jan 15, 2011 11:34:53 I'm a big fan of the battle scars. I like to make them special by only giving them to 1-2 players who deserve them. However in a hard fight like a Tembo, you might have to hand 1 out to everyone. Unless you have a specialized criteria for it ie. "A tembo has had you in its dreadful fangs, and you yet live." -- so maybe they can only earn it by being bitten by the Tembo. Not just bitten, but seriously maimed by the bite attack.
#3
cheezgrater
Jan 15, 2011 20:01:04
I would typically tie them to falling and recovering.

Or if you want to be more generous, give it to any character who gets bloodied during the fight.
#4
guest2054654845
Jan 15, 2011 20:45:40 yeah, we'll see how the fight goes. if the tembo is as difficult as i've read, everyone might get one. But the group is pretty melee based and doesn't have a healer, so they may all die and its a moot point
#5
taerelphelan
Jan 26, 2011 6:25:41 Having run this beast against a party of 4 4th level characters accompanied by the NPC Jossi from the DSCC I have to say if the group does not have a healer it will be a moot point. Doubly so against a heavily melee oriented party. The Thri-Kreen twin blade ranger in the party actually switched over to twin strike with a long bow than engage it in melee. Several people went down a couple of times and the ardent was keeping everyone (himself included) alive via temporary hit points.

I'd say go easy on them if you do use it and maybe have it flee when it is bloodied. It is do-able, but it is a slog to go through a Tembo.

If you want advice to run it mean, have them fight it in a tight space (my group encountered it in an old temple buried under the sand). Hold off on using it's second wind until it has had a chance to mess with the character's healing surges from it's bloodied aura. Save action points to use on a character who has actually fallen to it so it can finish the job. This of course should merit the tembo scars to anyone who does survive.
#6
ritorix
Jan 26, 2011 11:43:19 Tembos are just nasty, I wouldn't put it against a party with no healer unless they put out some serious damage and/or are mostly ranged.

Just the first round, it can do a raking assault -> bite -> unspeakable violation -> AP -> raking assault -> bite -> Blending. Thats a potential 8d10+12 damage. Next init it repeats that pattern minus the Blend, and use Shadow Evasion when hit. Up to 16d10+24 damage, plus the aura damage, in one round (tembo gets 2 initiatives). If that doesnt put the fear of god into a party, nothing will.

If you have no healer, I would say let it run away after the initial blitz round. With its speed of 8, stealth and invisibility you can simply have it run away and return for further harrassment attacks later, bleeding the party of healing surges. That would give everyone a chance to heal up between beatdowns, but also be a scary encounter.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 guest2054654845 Jan 15, 2011 10:41:12	So my group hit lvl 6, and next time we play i'm planning on them facing a Tembo. I really like the idea of tembo scars as a reward, but i'm not sure i want the whole group to get them. I'm thinking anyone seriously hurt by the thing will recieve them, but wanted other opinions on it
#2 Flankster Jan 15, 2011 11:34:53	I'm a big fan of the battle scars. I like to make them special by only giving them to 1-2 players who deserve them. However in a hard fight like a Tembo, you might have to hand 1 out to everyone. Unless you have a specialized criteria for it ie. "A tembo has had you in its dreadful fangs, and you yet live." -- so maybe they can only earn it by being bitten by the Tembo. Not just bitten, but seriously maimed by the bite attack.
#3 cheezgrater Jan 15, 2011 20:01:04	I would typically tie them to falling and recovering. Or if you want to be more generous, give it to any character who gets bloodied during the fight.
#4 guest2054654845 Jan 15, 2011 20:45:40	yeah, we'll see how the fight goes. if the tembo is as difficult as i've read, everyone might get one. But the group is pretty melee based and doesn't have a healer, so they may all die and its a moot point
#5 taerelphelan Jan 26, 2011 6:25:41	Having run this beast against a party of 4 4th level characters accompanied by the NPC Jossi from the DSCC I have to say if the group does not have a healer it will be a moot point. Doubly so against a heavily melee oriented party. The Thri-Kreen twin blade ranger in the party actually switched over to twin strike with a long bow than engage it in melee. Several people went down a couple of times and the ardent was keeping everyone (himself included) alive via temporary hit points. I'd say go easy on them if you do use it and maybe have it flee when it is bloodied. It is do-able, but it is a slog to go through a Tembo. If you want advice to run it mean, have them fight it in a tight space (my group encountered it in an old temple buried under the sand). Hold off on using it's second wind until it has had a chance to mess with the character's healing surges from it's bloodied aura. Save action points to use on a character who has actually fallen to it so it can finish the job. This of course should merit the tembo scars to anyone who does survive.
#6 ritorix Jan 26, 2011 11:43:19	Tembos are just nasty, I wouldn't put it against a party with no healer unless they put out some serious damage and/or are mostly ranged. Just the first round, it can do a raking assault -> bite -> unspeakable violation -> AP -> raking assault -> bite -> Blending. Thats a potential 8d10+12 damage. Next init it repeats that pattern minus the Blend, and use Shadow Evasion when hit. Up to 16d10+24 damage, plus the aura damage, in one round (tembo gets 2 initiatives). If that doesnt put the fear of god into a party, nothing will. If you have no healer, I would say let it run away after the initial blitz round. With its speed of 8, stealth and invisibility you can simply have it run away and return for further harrassment attacks later, bleeding the party of healing surges. That would give everyone a chance to heal up between beatdowns, but also be a scary encounter.