I'm going to be running a single combat scenario with my player group. The goal is to playtest the abilities of some builds.
We want to use something that is a higher CR than generally considered appropriate for them, and has a decent likelihood of killing them but is unlikely to just one shot the lot of them.
I'm thinking I'd like 2-3 monsters to throw against them rather than just one.
They are as follows (at 9th level):
synthesist summoner (well, sort of, this is a heavily modified build that has a lower AC than a synthesist normally would have, some very limited access to spells from the sorcerer list, and no summon monster ability aside from the eidolon.
Zen archer
A wilder (contemplative archetype, this is a Dreamscarred Press psionic class)
A druid (eagle shaman)
Finally one player I'm going to have first test one build and then the other
A bard
then a sorcerer (Verdant bloodline)
I'm guessing their SOP involves splitting the party tactically, with the caster and Zen archer hanging back. So, you use teleporters, or something that can move unexpectedly fast, to access and overwhelm the separate parts of the party.
(If they don't split up, that's good too. Swarms and area attacks.)
Doug M.
usually single monsters vs 4 to more pcs means a curb stomp battle. Its really hard to challenge them this way specially at this level. Also you should consider enviromental hazard, for example. An encounter with a fire elemental could be very dangerous near an active volcano. A water encounter with a big sea monster is also deadly.
Monsters i would recommend (i considered cr 10 to 11)
Pyro/Cryohydra (10-headed)
Ooze, Carnivorous Crystal
Time Dragons...(these f!@@ers are overpowered)
I would love to use a dragon, I'll look at the time dragon (I'm actually not familiar with that one). The monsters should be OP at least a bit for this I think. But not so OP one attack and the are all dead, because that's no fun (guess I'll avoid things like Circle of Death, especially with high DCs).
Yeah... my experience is a single monster is a bad idea (for exactly the reason you mention ElementalXX) because action economy is so valuable, at least unless that single monster is the first in a wave.
Of course with the Wilder even multiple monsters could be turned into a curb stomping fest since that character can stun multiple monsters at once (thus... I definitely want at least one thing to be immune to stun, I know if it turns into a curb stomping stunned monsters fest my other players will sort of... either sigh and just watch as their characters do just that, or actually sit around waiting for it not to be stunned so they can have a challenge).
Doug M. those are the sort of tactics I expect from them for sure. Teleporters may be a way to go, at least one anyways, I'm torn on which would be idea though.
Environmental hazards can be fun, with some dragons and all elementals which is best is easy to figure out fortunately.
Just test run them through the Sealed Gate.
Problem Solved.
Well, I only need one encounter, not sure if I want to buy a book for just for one encounter out of it. Though, if there's one in it that's really amazing I might consider it.
Here is a nice thematic encounter
Raised dias with Lich riding his Draghul to defend him (secretly holding his phylactery and fleeing if lich dies).
Party deals with Huge Elder ice elemental at the entrance
Add a fog cloud to the battlefield and ice pits that require a DC 15 perception check and you have a challenge. The Moaning Diamond can be his Phylactery and explains his elder ice elemental.
Time dragons are on Monster Manual 4
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/dragons/dragon-outer/oute r-dragon-time
This b!~@@es have an aura that stagger you instead of the fear aura and his breath weapon [/b] removes you from play several rounds[/b], CR 11 is just young and doesnt have the special breath weapon tought (meeeh)
You know what else I'm not seeing there? A cleric. So, limited healing, and no energy channeling.
A lich (you can use the standard one right out of the PFSRD/Bestiary -- he's CR 12), along with his cohort, a vrock demon with the advanced template (CR 10), along with let's say eight wights (CR 9) to serve as cannon fodder makes a nice straightforward encounter. The lich throws spells, the vrock teleports and is a melee brute, and the wights swarm anyone who threatens the lich, inflicting multiple negative levels.
Doug M.
Does the lich seem a bit same-old? Here's an alternative: a 10-point nabasu demon and 20 ghouls. I statted up this bad boy a while back (you can find him right here); he's CR 13, and 20 ghouls are about CR 9.
Doug M.
If that seems a bit light, throw in the following: first, give the nabasu an assistant, a ratling who's a sorceror 6 or something. (Why a ratling? Because they're creepy.) Not a big deal by himself, but he can throw Haste on the ghouls and then Web and Glitterdust at the PCs, If seriously injured, it will go invisible and call a rat swarm.
Note that with 10 growth points, the nabasu can keep his death-stealing gaze activated nonstop for 10 rounds. (And it's a free action, so he can continue doing other stuff meanwhile.) Despite the name, this is more like an aura than a gaze: anyone within 30' of the demon must make a DC 18 Fort save or gain a negative level. So the standard "mob the boss and flank him" tactic may not work so well here.
For tactical fun, have the confrontation be someplace interesting... let's say a graveyard. The ratling has hidden itself and has partial cover behind a tombstone, while the nabasu is perched up on top of a mausoleum -- easy to shoot, but hard to melee without flying. (The Zen archer will start shooting, and will promptly attract the murderous attention of all the ghouls and the ratling.) Here and there are sunken graves that count as difficult terrain, impossible to charge over. You get the idea. And if you really want to be a jerk, give the nabasu some anti-missile magic and/or access to healing.
cheers,
Doug M.
definitely going to use some manner of lich (though likely a variant), definitely a dragon, but, as cool as the time dragon is, I've picked a different one.
The vrock has abilities I really like for this, and I'll be extra mean by using a mythic one. I might throw some other undead in, or another demon in (I do like the Nabasu for this so, it is tempting), but, three critters might be enough, especially since they are all tough.
The setting will be a graveyard that's sunken into a bog, and definitely will have some environmental hazards.
an npc with leadership has a lot of posibilities tought
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