The Waking Rune: GM Prep [MANY SPOILERS]

[Lab_Rat]

One major issue with Krune is that the players know it is Krune they are after. Krune is very easy to prep for. We dropped a bunch of buffs and came prepared for all the nasty conj combos you can think up.

As a result, we didn't loose a single player in hard mode and didn't make a single dime in rewards...just the glory.

[joe kirner]

especially high tier. too easy. my paladin had 8 spells on him when we encountered Krune.

[joe kirner]

Having brain cramp.
What are the save dcs for the spears spells?

[Ragoz]

It is based off its highest stat.

CL 17

Ray of Enfeeblement DC 14
Slow DC 16
Telekinesis DC 18 will(object) or none

[Andrei sverkunov]

How does the power surge mechanic in first encounter works?:S

[Nathan Goodrich]

Power Surge is explained on page 8 under the 7-8 statblock.

[Andrei sverkunov]

Thanks, missed it

[Andrei sverkunov]

Next question ; on a hard mode, how many times Krune can cast wish ? My guess is one >.<

[UndeadMitch]

Just once. Hard Mode only gives him the material components to cast it one time.

[andreww]

Hard mode gives him the components to cast it three times but he doesn't have it memorised and can only access it via arcane bond.

[Andrei sverkunov]

aha , thanks. But what is the rest diamonds for?:D

[Ragoz]

If you cast a spell using wish with a material component greater than 10k gold you would have to pay it (20 HD+ Simulacrum).

Also technically if he stayed inside his Phase Door and the party had no way to make him leave and refused to run away themselves he could rest there and regain his spells. He now can prepare Wish because he knows it.

[Andrei sverkunov]

Another stupid question :)

Encounter with Kurshu , does she have 2 l.wishes left or 3?
The text says it's already factored,but im not sure.

(If Kurshu believes that she is hidden when
intruders arrive, she casts displacement in anticipation of
trouble. She has already used 1 limited wish for the day,
and the effects of her 3 negative levels from not feeding are
already factored into her stats)

[UndeadMitch]

Subtier 7-8: 1 limited wish remaining
Subtier 10-11: 2 remaining

[Andrei sverkunov]

Thanks Mitch

[Majuba]

Just Eric Brittain not as a RVC wrote:

As I have said many times before this scenario more than any other scales in difficulty with the system mastery of the GM that runs it.

No group who plays this event should expect to survive.

It is highly possible that the entire party would die in the first encounter (especially if they failed to win initiative).

Giving a GM highly intelligent opponents, who have been around for a very long time, with access to a very flexible spell selection (wish I am looking at you) means that the more the GM knows about what can be done the more options they have to respond to a party.

This is why I will never play this scenario. The only way I think that I should be allowed to 'win' is if the GM softballs or does not have sufficient system mastery. (my opinion, your mileage may vary)

Does that mean you softballed our table? It didn't feel like it! :) But not all of us voted for Hard Mode.

{Finally, FINALLY, getting to run this soon. Thanks to everyone who has posted all the ideas in the thread!}

[Ragoz]

Majuba wrote:

{Finally, FINALLY, getting to run this soon. Thanks to everyone who has posted all the ideas in the thread!}

This scenario feels really rewarding to run if you put plenty of prep into it. Be sure to give yourself enough time to play so it isn't rushed. Hope you enjoy it!

[Just Eric Brittain not as a RVC]

Just Eric Brittain not as a RVC wrote:

<a whole bunch of stuff that I snipped>

Majuba wrote:

Does that mean you softballed our table?

I did

Majuba wrote:

It didn't feel like it! :) But not all of us voted for Hard Mode.

And that is why. It felt like a challenge.

If I didn't everyone dies in the first encounter due to suffocation. ;-)

[Majuba]

Just Eric Brittain not as a RVC wrote:

If I didn't everyone dies in the first encounter due to suffocation. ;-)

Suffocation? How so? You can't mean the Suffocation spell, that's just one target.

Besides, it wasn't 'softball' to ...

Spoiler:

Quickened Empowered Maximized Horrid Wilting *and* empowered cloudkill in the first round.

- though I may have brought that on ourselves ... never demoralize the overconfident Runelord.

[plaidwandering]

That's a serious stretch to say someone using intimidate breaks all his other tactics of things he is supposed to do before that.

[Davor Firetusk]

I definitely think this scenario benefits from some time so that its reputation is well known. Everyone really should know what they are getting into. I had a blast playing this on Hard mode, we definitely brought the cheesy characters, I had a Bonekeep survivor, a slumber hex witch, and a chained summoner were some of the highlights. Our GM definitely went with a high risk strategy (which I think was much worse then the plane shift or nuclear option between rerolls and what not that's just avoidable on a saving throw). He wished for a Nemesis devil, rolled all of the checks to negotiate (the risky part). The nasty part about that tactic is the large caster level difference on the blasphemey automatically paralyzes everyone for at least a round (except for our deaf oracle). Eidolon was very disabled, despite being able to deal a lot of damage the oracle was almost completely wiped in a free round of focus fire. My monk was bleeding out by time the devil was down and we didn't have a healer to make the check to stop the bleeding (DC 29 heal check!) Meanwhile Krune had a few free rounds... We eventually won with a single character standing it was very epic.

[Ragoz]

Wish for a dismissal immune devil!? That's awesome! Sounds like it was a really fun fight.

[Davor Firetusk]

It was an amazing fight, I died flanked by 2 unicorns attempting to magically heal me and failing multiple times to make their caster level checks. Only 1 character was left standing to kill Krune at the end. I very much appreciate at this point in the campaign that there are scenarios with various levels of difficulty, I don't always want Hard mode but it is fun when you gear up for it.

I actually GMed this last night, no hard mode but a playing high tier with a 4 player adjustment. Nearly wiped everyone in the first fight with a mass cacaphonous call. Only 1 person made their save. I got to consume the soul of an Aasimar. Eventually the massive resource expenditure of that fight caught up to them with Krune. He was able to split the party with a wall of stone and grind a lot of battlefield control.

[Venture-Capt. Falnar Long-Blood]

Our group was blowing through the place. Disabled the runes easily enough, took out the first snake lady. However Krune came out teleported away, and then wished the 3/4's of the party to the surface of the sun.

Sooo... yup...

[Ragoz]

Hard mode is pretty spooky. Dimensional anchor scrolls to use on yourself and maybe some spares for Krune go a long way.

[thistledown]

So, spell ideas for Kurshu's limited wish.

Cloak of Dreams - people adjacent to you save or fall asleep. Persists 12 rounds.
Flesh to Ooze - save or become black pudding. Which gives her... well, not an ally, but there's now another problem in the room.
Guards and Wards - This does a lot. The whole place is fogged, locked, the doors are hidden, and 2 free stinking clouds.
Mislead - you become invisible, and an image of you looks like it's doing the casting.
Phantasmal Putrefaction - party takes 1d4 wis damage and every turn save or go to sleep.
Repulsion - everyone must stay away from you
Spellcrash - chew through a targets spell slots
Unconsious Agenda - program a target to Protect and Serve Krune until judged by Pharasma. Or 12 weeks.
Wither Limb - target can't use one of its arms.

Any problems with any of these?

[Ragoz]

Guards and Wards sounds awesome. Kurshu has blindsense I believe so it be quite effective. If they have goz mask then repulsion or fickle winds are probably better depending on what kind of weapons they have.

Edit: I just realized all the steps on the pyramid will be webbed and all the intersections on the pyramid will have the confusion effect. I love everything about this. The players might cry though.

[andreww]

The last time I think I used it for summon monster 6 and dropped multiple fiendish anylosaurs on the group.

I have used it for wall of force before to trap several party members.

With one particularly cocky group I geased their gunslinger to never harm another living creature as long as he lived. The group managed to get round it by spending actions to bluff him that he was dealing with illusions, simulacra etc.

Honestly, the more effective tactic is probably just to plane shift low swill types to the negative material plane or the elemental plane of fire or water while flying out of reach.

[andreww]

Falnar Long-Blood wrote:

Our group was blowing through the place. Disabled the runes easily enough, took out the first snake lady. However Krune came out teleported away, and then wished the 3/4's of the party to the surface of the sun.

Sooo... yup...

That is very much far from his stated tactics which you should be following even in hard mode, at least initially.

[Davor Firetusk]

Remember that anti-magic shell does not affect artifacts. When I GMed one of the players had a scroll of it. I was able to use the telekinesis ability of his staff to keep that guy from just shutting down the Krune.

[GM_Starson]

I know it's a long shot, but i honestly didn't expect this.

My PC just animated dead Kurshu's corpse. Um.... wow, I didn't even realize he could do that. He even had the material's purchased beforehand on sheet during the pre-jump shopping trip.

So, A.)Would Wish to Res on Kurshu still work? B.) Should I even bother, and if not, should I do something else to punish the PCs for being cheeky?