Howdy everyone.
I'm revising the end fight for the entire campaign. I appreciate the work Brandon Hodge did. But my players are freaking powerful. As such I'm optimising the heck out of my final fight because they've certainly done their best to prepare for it (I've got one guy whose AC is reliably 40).
Up till now my PCs have managed to one shot the big bad guy largely due to lucky crits and also them being very good at ganging up on a single enemy. As such I've kept my PCs to level 14 for the end fight. I'm keeping the fight's CR at 17 but I'm lowering the level of Adivion Adrissant so I can include allies. I'm also changing Adivion Adrissant's class to be a wizard because magus aren't really well thought of in my group, my players are also very good at having high ACs. As such I need the full power of a wizard (on the road to becoming a lich) to throw at my PCs.
The final fight is:
- Forsaken Wizard 14 CR 15 (51,200 XP)
- Human Cleric 8 CR 6 (2,400 XP)
- 4 Elder Fire Elementals CR 15 (51,200 XP)
I've had Adivion Adrissant greater scrying on my PCs since mid book 4 so he's well educated on their abilities. As such he's called in some Fire Elementals from a previous day (using Planar Binding spells) giving him all of his spell slots for the final showdown fight.
Does this seem like a balanced fight?
Tactics are: Cleric casts buffs and Shield Other. Then hides while healing himself and Adivion Adrissant in a stone meld. Fire Elementals beat on people (ideally blocking them from Adivion although it seems unlikely people won't be able to just fly around them) while Adivion attacks them from range.
Have you seen this stuff?
Have you seen this stuff?
I have :) I'm wary of using it as it isn't official and I'm worried about it TPKing my party ;) I already did that after the first book so I'm remaining well within the realm of the official legal rules.
I'll definitely use the thematic and descriptive text though. If my PCs manage to kill my Adivion at the end with relative ease then I'll definitely have the Greater Shadow appear.
Likewise I'll be keeping the Wardens of Tar Baphon within mind so that if I need to I can have them animate at the start of a particular round (although I'm fairly confident my players won't need it).
Here's my revised stats for the final fight. I've looked to exploit everything I possibly could.
N Huge outsider (elemental, extraplanar, fire)
Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
DEFENSE
AC 31, touch 19, flat-footed 21 (+4 armour; +9 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural, –2 size; +1 haste)
hp 152 (16d10+64)
Fort +14, Ref +20, Will +7
DR 10/—, Immune elemental traits, fire
Weaknesses vulnerability to cold
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft.
Melee 3 slams +25 (2d8+8 plus burn)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks burn (2d10, DC 22)
M Human Forsaken Lich Wizard 13
NE M undead
Init: +1; Senses: Perception: +14; darkvision 60 ft; see invis;
DEFENSES
AC: 33, touch 26, flat-footed 30 (+1 armor, +3 Dex, +7 natural armour, +8 Ablative Sphere; +1 haste; +3 deflection; +1 luck); +4 ranged attacks
hp: 169 (13d6+91+26-2) +15 temps +36 temps;
Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +9
Channel Resistance: +4; DR 15/bludgeoning and magic; regen 4; SR 25 and spell turning on failed SR (always 10 levels); soul shield concealment (20%); mirror image 5 images; resist 30 acid, 30 fire, 30 electricity, 10 positive energy immune cold, electricity, mind-affecting, death, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning, non-lethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, grapple,_______________________________
; Delusory Aura; Repulsion
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft; 40 ft fly
Ranged Attack: +10; +11 if within 30 ft
Special Attacks: Disembodied Strike (+8 / 1d8+6 negative energy)
Soul Lash swift (6d6 damage and paralysed for 1d10 rounds; DC 24 reflex halves)
Reach: 10 ft (disembodied strike). 5 ft;
Spells (CL 13):
Level 1: 2xRay of Enfeeblement (DC 19 Fort half): 1d6+5 strength penalty for 13 rounds.
Feather Fall
Level 2: 2xBlindness (DC 20 Fort negates)
Level 3: Pugwampy’s Grace (DC 19 Will negates): roll 2d20 for 13 rounds.
2xBattering Blast: +10/+10 touch; 5d6 force; Bull rush +21 (+10 if 2 hit and roll twice taking the highest) CMB; Reflex (DC 19) or fall prone.
Vampiric Touch: +11 touch; 5d6 damage and same in temps
Level 4: 2xOverwhelming Grief (DC 20 Will negates): No dex to AC; -2 AC; No actions. New save for 13 rounds.
2xBestow Curse (DC 22 Will negates): +11 touch; Will save or 50% do nothing.
Level 5: Baleful Polymorph (DC 21 Fort negates; Will)
2xIcy Prison (DC 21 Reflex negtates)
Sonic Thrust: +13 ranged; 13d6 damage.
Suffocation (DC 23 fort partial)
Level 6: Unwilling Shield (DC 24 Will negates)
Empowered Vampiric Touch
Level 7: Heightened Unwilling Shield (DC 25 Will negates)
TACTICS
Before Combat: Uses Greater Scrying to watch the PCs; When they’re about to reach him he buffs (see buffs for details).
Morale: Fights to the death.
STATISTICS
Str: 14 (+2), Dex: 13+4 (+3), Con: -, Int: 24 (+7), Wis: 12 (+1), Cha: 22+4 (+8)
Base Atk: +6; CMB: +##; CMD: ##
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Scribe Scroll, Precise Shot, Toughness, Empower Spell, Spell Focus (necromancy), Greater Spell Focus (necromancy), Heighten Spell, Unbanned School (Evocation is banned); Spell Penetration
Skills: Perception +14; Knowledge (arcana) +24; Knowledge (history) +24; Knowledge (religion) +24; Knowledge (local) +24; Knowledge (geography) +24; Spellcraft +24; Bluff +22; Intimidate +22 Diploamcy +22
Languages: List all
SQ: List all class abilities and special abilities (short)
Combat Gear: 2xScroll of Mirror Image (CL 12), 2xScroll of Spectral Hand
Other Gear: Headband of Vast Intelligence +4, Deathless Bracers of Armour +1
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Delusory Aura: Like its soul, a forsaken lich’s mind is discorporated and scattered across the area around its corpse. This fills the area within 100 feet of the forsaken lich with an ever-shifting panoply of its darkest dreams, dashed ambitions, and enraged insanity. This area is considered to be under the effects of mirage arcana, but of a particularly disturbing variety. All living creatures within the area take a –4 penalty on any saves against fear effects. If the effect is dispelled, it reconstitutes 1 round later.
Repulsion: An invisible, 20ft mobile field surrounds you and prevents creatures from approaching you. Any creature entering the field must attempt a save. If it fails, it becomes unable to move toward you for the duration of the spell (13 rounds total). Repelled creatures' actions are not otherwise restricted. They can fight other creatures and can cast spells and attack you with ranged weapons. If you move closer to an affected creature, nothing happens. The creature is not forced back. The creature is free to make melee attacks against you if you come within reach. If a repelled creature moves away from you and then tries to turn back toward you, it cannot move any closer if it is still within the spell's area.
Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier: Once a day spend an immediate action to negate a crit.
Adivion’s Buffs
Scroll of Overland Flight (813 gp)
Level 1
- Shield: +4 shield bonus to AC.
- 3xMage Armour
Level 2
- Mirror Image: 1d4+4 illusory doubles
- Resist Energy: resist 30 acid
- Resist Energy: resist 30 electricity
- Resist Energy: resist 30 fire
- See Invis
- School: Spectral Hand (2 HP)
Level 3
- Ablative Sphere: +8 AC and +4 Reflex; +4 AC and +2 reflex; +2 AC and +1 Reflex; 13 inches; hardness 5; 39 HP
- Cloak of Winds: +4 AC vs ranged attacks.
Level 4
- Haste: +1 AC; +1 Reflex; +1 attack (12 rounds);
- Greater Infernal Healing (10 rounds)
- School: Greater False Life
Level 6
- Repulsion
- School: Maximised Vampiric Touch
Level 7
- 2xGreater Scrying
Cleric’s Buffs
Level 1:
- Shield of Faith: +3 deflection to Wizard’s AC
- Bless: +1 morale to attack for all but Adivion
- Domain: Shield
Level 2:
- Status
- Eagle’s Splendor: +26 HP; +2 fort saves
- Cat’s Grace: +2 AC, +2 Reflex
- Domain: Barkskin: +4 enhancement bonus to natural armour
Level 3:
- Meld Into Stone
- Sacred Bond
Level 4:
- Air Walk
- Freedom of Movement: Wizard
- Domain: Spell Immunity: Immune to 2 4th level spells or lower
Without knowing anything about your party, not a heck of a lot to add.
It looks he's got a gigantic pile of defensive buffs (20 or so? Do remember that some of these don't do anything for Adivion once he's a lich) but a pretty piddling offense.
Fire elementals are easily shut down or banished because of their pathetic will saves. Since it looks he's depending on the fire elementals for his offense, that may be a serious problem.
The fight looks more like a prolonged nuisance than actually dangerous, but again, we have no info about your players.
I'd be curious why you substituted the in-book nightwing backups in favor of fire elementals. As Zhangar points out, very easily banished.
I'd be curious why you substituted the in-book nightwing backups in favor of fire elementals. As Zhangar points out, very easily banished.
One of the tweaks I made to Gallowspire was that within a X-mile radius extra dimensional travel ceases to function. Dimension door, teleport, plane shift and banish don't work. Nor do extra dimensional spaces. Adivion took advantage of this by calling the elementals just outside of the radius and then taking them into the radius thus allowing them to stay well beyond the spell's normal duration (an unintended side effect rather than an intentional abuse of the rules by me).
The reason I swapped out the Nightwings was that they're undead and my party is well suited to killing undead. I'll be keeping them in the fight just before Adivion to soften them up. But I expect them to be little more than speedbumps for my party that will hopefully chew up some resources.
Do remember that some of these don't do anything for Adivion once he's a lich
As far as I'm aware the only buffs that don't help are Mage Armour and Bless.
but a pretty piddling offense.
As I see it he's got about 8 offensive spells.
Unwilling Shield is my opening move and is intended as my strongest offensive attack. I can't keep up with the amount of damage my party is capable of throwing at undead. So I'll halve the damage I take but significantly increase the damage the party member takes. This will be aimed at the Dex based Fighter whose AC is reliably 40 allowing me to damage him without having to hit him.
I've got an archer bard who I'll be throwing a Baleful Polymorph on. Even if she makes the will save I'm hoping she'll fail the fort save.
I'm looking to Icy Prison the Witch in my party. She'll have a good fort save, but reflex I'm hoping is her Achilles heel. Once in she won't be capable of making the required strength check which means either she's out of the fight or an ally will need to do so (thus taking two people out for two rounds or taking the witch out indefinitely).
This leaves an Oracle and a Paladin. The Paladin is essentially immune to my attacks with ridiculous saves with the Oracle also having very good saves. The Paladin will smite Adivion which means I'm hoping to throw the Fire Elementals at her (her lowest defense is AC).
The Oracle unfortunately is the only one I can't work out how to take out. He'll have resist energy EVERYTHING, Spell Turning, Death Ward, Protection Against Evil and Spell Immunity to a few spells. If I'm worrying about the Oracle it's hopefully because this fight has managed to survive 4 rounds. My offensive spells are still: Bestow Curse, Blindness, Pugwampy's Grace, Sonic Thrust and more Vampiric Touches then you can shake a stick at.
The fight looks more like a prolonged nuisance than actually dangerous, but again, we have no info about your players.
Alas this is the best I could do I'm afraid.