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Anybody got a good idea for this? My players fought one very early on in a previous campaign, and it was, frankly, boring. They didn't have the magic to hit it and it couldn't do anything with the tank fighter. It got down to "who rolls the crit first" with the rest of the party cheerleading.
Well, if you have a ranger in your party you might try to find a CR 3 critter that fits into his/her favored enemy category. Players always appreciate it when you make their choices for their character matter in the game. Beyond that... there's a ton of other monsters of about the right CR that could fit into this encounter. Then again, the fight with grick shouldn't be so bad if someone found the +1 shortsword earlier in the adventure, or if someone in the group can cast Magic Weapon.
If there's a cleric or wizard in the party, a good option is for them to cast Magic Weapon on the fighter's weapon... Its an often overlooked strategem, and one v. necessary for fighting gricks and fiendish/celestial creatures at v. low levels.
I know this isn't an exact answer, but I feel it does validtae the grick's inclusion... it's also nearly invincible vs. the trap, which a non DRed creature might othwerwise have fallen to before the party ever arrived.
Or you can do what the rogue did in my group:
Made a listen check to avoid surprise...
Beat the pants off the Grick in the initiative roll, making it flat-footed.
Attacked with the short sword + 1 and got sneak-attack damage, killing it in one shot...
Making the DM (me) wonder why I bothered transfering the stats to the combat sheet.
(Sneak attacks work on aberrations, right?)
(Sneak attacks work on aberrations, right?)
Yep.
I thought our groups battle with the Grick was fun. If you can do 6 points of damage, then you can contribute with direct damage. Can't do 6 points of damage? Consider a new line of business...adventuring isn't your calling. Just kidding...if you can't do 6 points of damage, consider positioning (flanking) to help the ally that can hurt the grick, and also consider the Aid option to grant a bonus to your ally's attack roll. A grick is also still hurt by fire (even a torches relatively weak damage potential), acid, and other energy types. How about a Cause Minor Wounds? It deals 1 point of Negative Energy damage with only a touch attack.
Remember a grick's hit point total is not all that impressive.
Yep.
I thought our groups battle with the Grick was fun. If you can do 6 points of damage, then you can contribute with direct damage. Can't do 6 points of damage? Consider a new line of business...adventuring isn't your calling. Just kidding...if you can't do 6 points of damage, consider positioning (flanking) to help the ally that can hurt the grick, and also consider the Aid option to grant a bonus to your ally's attack roll. A grick is also still hurt by fire (even a torches relatively weak damage potential), acid, and other energy types. How about a Cause Minor Wounds? It deals 1 point of Negative Energy damage with only a touch attack.
Remember a grick's hit point total is not all that impressive.
And on that note, don't forget that the DR of the grick has been reduced since 3.0. Your fighter really shouldn't need a crit to hurt it anymore.
Sebastian
I had thought an ooze of some sort would be more appropriate for the ecological reasons of how the grick arrived. The thought of a "blob" amongst the clay balls (I'm making them clay to avoid the capitalize-the-economic-value-of-the-iron-spheres issue) makes for some great visuals and eliminates the sneak attack damage the rogue has thus far been clearing out the dungeon with. But then I have these grick miniatures I'll never use so this may be my one chance...
Well, unless I'm smoking crack, the DR is still 10 on these babies:
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monstersG.html#gri ck
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/grick.htm
I don't have my MM here at work, but if both these SRD's are wrong, somebody's got some 'splainin' to do.
I should have mentioned I was aware of the +1 sword and Magic Weapon. There's just no guarantee either will be available, and I was looking for a little variety anyway.
Gricks have never impressed me either (though the minis are cool and disturbingly numerous in my group's shared collection).
It's going to be a grell in my game. Going to have lightning-lance scorch marks all over the chamber (frightening duels with Alastor over time; the ghost is scared of possesing it... he's just a kid after all). A flying creature with a good chance of paralyzing foes (and then automatically winning bull rush attempts against them to send them into the iron spheres) who can then strafe grounded opponents on iron balls (lightning oughta conduct a bit on ferrous metals, no?). Should be much fun... if my PCs ever figure out how get to this chamber (not looking very bloody likely).
Well, unless I'm smoking crack, the DR is still 10 on these babies:
Even if the Gricks DR is 10, it still doesn't change any of the tactics that could be employed. Assuming your PCs have faced one, and learned from this encounter, they should be more adept at facing a second encounter with one of these baddies.
I'm missing the logic of the rust monster (sorry, Achilles). First off, it would be the most obese rust monster of all time (with all those iron balls). Second, there wouldn't BE any iron balls to cause movement difficulties or to hide Alastor's bones, the treasure, etc. because the rust monster would've reduced them all to rust and/or consumed them. Seems like a bit of a killjoy to me.
If there's a cleric or wizard in the party, a good option is for them to cast Magic Weapon on the fighter's weapon... Its an often overlooked strategem, and one v. necessary for fighting gricks and fiendish/celestial creatures at v. low levels.
I know this isn't an exact answer, but I feel it does validtae the grick's inclusion... it's also nearly invincible vs. the trap, which a non DRed creature might othwerwise have fallen to before the party ever arrived.
And don't forget good ole' magic missile.
Perhaps a starved and ravenous Ghast? Another member of the previous seeker expedition, perhaps a rogue, who finally managed to make it this far into the room, only to be killed by the trap (could make his head look all caved-in and fractured-looking). Frankly, if you want to think about things logically, it would almost HAVE to be an undead or construct of some sort lingering in the chamber, since there's no easy way in or out until the Face is opened from the other side, and only something without a constitution score could exist in the chamber indefinitely without food or water.
I'm missing the logic of the rust monster (sorry, Achilles). First off, it would be the most obese rust monster of all time (with all those iron balls). Second, there wouldn't BE any iron balls to cause movement difficulties or to hide Alastor's bones, the treasure, etc. because the rust monster would've reduced them all to rust and/or consumed them. Seems like a bit of a killjoy to me.
:) at the image of barrel-shaped rust monster. Guess I could change to balls to stone, or maybe he just likes a little variety in his diet.
Perhaps a starved and ravenous Ghast? Another member of the previous seeker expedition, perhaps a rogue, who finally managed to make it this far into the room, only to be killed by the trap (could make his head look all caved-in and fractured-looking). Frankly, if you want to think about things logically, it would almost HAVE to be an undead or construct of some sort lingering in the chamber, since there's no easy way in or out until the Face is opened from the other side, and only something without a constitution score could exist in the chamber indefinitely without food or water.
I thought the text said something about a fissue in the room, which is how the Grick got in. But I agree, for the encounter to make sense is should be an undead, contruct or creature that would normally come in through a fissue. I initially though spiders would be fun, but they would starve to death in that room.
Overall the Grick worked really well for my group. When the halfling rogue was lowered to the ball floor, she was quite suprised when the tenticle swung out at her. She was down right scared, when the little voice giggled at the attack. ;)
I'd leave it.. just beacuse previous characters in a previuos campaign couldn't do anything against it doesn't mean this group can't. How did they take the Acid Beetle Swarms? Anything they used against them should work on the Grick. Spells, the magic shortsword, alchemist fires, etc will all get through, and as someone else pointed out, each person aiding the person with the magic shortsword gives a bonus 10% to hit. If they wisely give it to the warrior or flank for a rogue that is carry it, it's not going to last more than one or two rounds.
I was actually rather disapointed with how quick it went down... stupid Warlocks...
My first post must not have been very clear. All I'm looking for is a replacement for the grick. I think it would be boring for my players to fight the same thing again. They'd know immediately what they need to kill it, and run away if it would be difficult.
Only one of my players is a veteran player - every monster is new to the others, so that's why I like to give them as much variety as possible. The ghast looks like he has a lot of potential.
because the rust monster would've reduced them all to rust and/or consumed them. Seems like a bit of a killjoy to me.
Nothing to say the rust mosnter does not arrive at the same time or a little after the party...attracted to the smell of metal from the underground fissure....in fact, it might look cool for a rust monster to come bursting up in a spray of ...well...rust! just as the party gets closer...it also is a good way to stop partys from SELLIGN all the iron, from previous posts...and it won't really have the potential to be a lethal encounter
Our group finally got to the grick encounter last night, and I ran it as written... sounds of metal rubbing metal and it popping up next to one of the folks on the metal balls and surprising him. One of the group tosses the shortsword to him (having identified it the previous day), and he stabbed at the grick, actually rolled a 20, and almost killed it. The wizard used one of his magic missiles and the grick was toast. The fight didn't even make it to a second round!
Our group finally got to the grick encounter last night, and I ran it as written... sounds of metal rubbing metal and it popping up next to one of the folks on the metal balls and surprising him. One of the group tosses the shortsword to him (having identified it the previous day), and he stabbed at the grick, actually rolled a 20, and almost killed it. The wizard used one of his magic missiles and the grick was toast. The fight didn't even make it to a second round!
Wow. Low-level characters that know it requires a magic weapon to affect a grick. Those boys get around!
A somewhat more challanging replacement for the grick would be to use a boggle from the MMII. A fine example of an old critter I had forgotten about that has had a nice 3.xE treatment done for it. The dynamics of the boggle make it's placement even more logical in the sphere room: it could be sifting through the spheres for shiney objects figuring the trap would generate lots of it from its victims; Alastor and the boggle could be "at war" creating some interesting voices in the darkness for the PC to hear; the boggle's dimension door ability and Sleight of Hand skill could make for an interesting recurring antagonist throughout the Cairn and even back at Diamond Lake. The boggle would become a Age of Worms Gollum of sorts.
Hmm...a cousin of Tom from the Emporium? Or Tom himself sneeks out rob the party...he is a boggle after all....
That explains that niggling feeling of familiarity about "boggle". I figured I was just having AD&D flashbacks.
So, um, yeah, Tom from the Emporium. He's a boggle. Yeah.
Mental note: keep better track of the races of the hundreds of NPCs in the adventure path; or at least force another gaming session or two on the PCs meeting every NPC in town so I can remember them! Yeah, they'll love that! Honestly, the PCs haven't been to the Emporium en masse and the jermalines grabbed the attention of the two that had visited. I had forgotten about "Tom Shingle". Obviously. ::blush::
To build on this information: sure, a relative of Tom's, or another boggle entirely. A completely different boggle would have PCs wondering if Tom and the Emporium have some sort of connection to the Cairn.
