You could try using the troop rules - treats twenty or so enemies as a swarm-like single entity.
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Tucker's Kobolds.
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I'm not a big fan of the troop rules. They take a big leap from "can't hit AC at all" to "don't pay any attention to AC at all" while nominally being just more of the same mooks. Your tank player might cry foul over that.
What is the mooks' job in the fight?
Are they bodyguards for a main BBEG that can hurt the tank as long as the tank doesn't melee-kill him first?
Are they supposed to get around the tank and kill squishies in the back? How come they lack mobility/stealth/reach/teleportation/invisibility for that?
Have you tried Aid Another actions? If there are 4 guys who can't possibly hit then suddenly one of them has an additional +6 to hit.
You don't say what the mooks are, or where or why. If they can't hit the tank and can't get to the other PCs, they'd (if intelligent) retreat to a place where they could achieve something. Or (if the situation allows) go the long way round.
Depending on the tank's build, they might just be able to tumble past. He gets only so many AoOs.
The tank may have an awesome AC, but what's his CMD like? Can he be tripped, disarmed or bull-rushed? Aid Another can be effective here as they dogpile him. Again they don't need the feat as he has limited AoOs.
Is there a boss?
Set up an environment that allows more tactical play on both sides, perhaps by multiple approach lanes, obstacles, cover, concealment, traps, higher ground and so on.
Aid Another is the easy solution. Or, just tailor the enemies to the high AC if he's so good at holding them back.
Honestly though, talking to players is the best solution. They're making your job harder, and that makes it more likely the game will fall apart entirely.
It's always better to have similar optimization levels. Ideally you talk about it before the campaign starts, but that doesn't always happen.
You don't have to bring the one player down, bringing the others up also works.
They'll be running into unguided zombies soon, so I don't think tactical play is a valid solution. I'm planning on throwing individual zombies at the group, but as they get closer to the source, they just start running into mobs.
As for AOOs, he's got 6 or 7. He's a swashbuckler with really, really good rolls all around. So good touch and regular AC, ability to boost AC by 5 or so once a round, and ability to use attack rolls to block attacks.
...You're having issues penetrating the defenses of a swashbuckler? Hit his saves, dude will be down in one round.
If he's a swashbuckler, you might target his will save. Fear would do the job, as he'll run off (letting the zombies attack) but gets to come back a bit later and have fun.
...You're having issues penetrating the defenses of a swashbuckler? Hit his saves, dude will be down in one round.They'll be running into unguided zombies soon, so I don't think tactical play is a valid solution. I'm planning on throwing individual zombies at the group, but as they get closer to the source, they just start running into mobs.
As for AOOs, he's got 6 or 7. He's a swashbuckler with really, really good rolls all around. So good touch and regular AC, ability to boost AC by 5 or so once a round, and ability to use attack rolls to block attacks.
Given how much he's boosting his AC I doubt his saves are going to be easy pickings without attacking them constantly given they have charmed life.
Given how much he's boosting his AC I doubt his saves are going to be easy pickings without attacking them constantly given they have charmed life.
It is usually the case that if a character has invested lots of feats and such into boosting AC, they usually don't have enough resources left over to get good saves and good attack power. If they have poor saves, hit those. If they have poor attack power, just ignore them.
There's actually a CR 14 statblock for a zombie horde.
I suggest liberal use of the aid another action. A tank won't be easily hit by a mook or two, but if they all distract him to let the head mook get a hit in, suddenly they're more of a threat.
Also, get mooks that attack differently. Not all mooks have to target AC. Have some casters who target saves, have mooks who act as tanks themselves, etc. Mooks come in a lot more flavors than "Smash the party!"
Given how much he's boosting his AC I doubt his saves are going to be easy pickings without attacking them constantly given they have charmed life....You're having issues penetrating the defenses of a swashbuckler? Hit his saves, dude will be down in one round.They'll be running into unguided zombies soon, so I don't think tactical play is a valid solution. I'm planning on throwing individual zombies at the group, but as they get closer to the source, they just start running into mobs.
As for AOOs, he's got 6 or 7. He's a swashbuckler with really, really good rolls all around. So good touch and regular AC, ability to boost AC by 5 or so once a round, and ability to use attack rolls to block attacks.
Read the bolded part. Swashbucklers can have a deed that lets them increase their ac against melee attacks by their charisma modifier. They also can increase their saves by that score a number of times per day. If he's boosting his AC by 5 when using that deed, he's gonna boost his saves by 5 as well.
Only a limited amount of times. Some mooks can force multiple saves, such as ghouls or creatures with poison.
You can also use the Minion group from here:
http://theangrygm.com/more-grist-for-the-mill-minion-groups-in-dd-5e/
It was made for 5E but works for PF.
It is 4 mooks, but as one unit.
Example I made:
Horde of Human Tar Baphon Zombie Shamblers: CR ½ (200)
Init -1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0
Defense
AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (0 Dex, 2 NA)
hp 12/12/12/12 (2d8+3) Hp: each of the 4. Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3; Speed: 30 ft
Speed: 30 ft
DR 5/Slash Immune: Undead traits.
Minion Group: Minion Group. The [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] is a group of four [[Zombie Shambler]] with identical statistics. Each [[Zombie Shambler]] has its own space on the battlefield and each has its own hit points, which it tracks separately. Each [[Zombie Shambler]] is also affected by conditions separately and constitutes a single target. The [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] as a whole cannot be targeted. The [[Zombie Shambler]] rolls for initiative and takes one turn during each combat round. During the [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] turn, any or all of the [[Zombie Shambler]] may move, provided the total movement taken by all of the [[Zombie Shambler]] does not exceed the [[creature group’s]] speed. Any [[Zombie Shambler]] may take the [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] action and, if the [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] is entitled to multiple actions or attacks, those actions or attacks may all be taken by one [[Zombie Shambler]] or may be divided between multiple [[Zombie Shambler]]. The [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] may also take one reaction between each of its turns, and that reaction may be taken by any [[Zombie Shambler]]. If a combat includes multiple [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]], you do not need to distinguish between the members of each [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]]. Any member of any [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] may act or move on any [[creature group’s]] turn provided the total movement and number of actions do not exceed the [[Horde of Zombie Shambler]] speed or allotted number of actions. –
Zombie Fort: If damage reduces to 0 hp, Cha check DC 5 + damage dealt, unless damage from critical hit/radiant damage (positive energy, searing light, etc); Success leaves hp at 1.
Area; If multiple members get hit by an area attack, each takes 1.5 area damage.
Offense:
BAB +1, CMB +4, DMD 14
Str 17 Dex 10 Con- Int- Wis 10 Cha 10
Multiattack: Makes 4 attacks
Slam: +4 (1d6+4), or Slam +4 and -1 Bite (1d4+4, grab)
Bite: Hit +4 (1d4+4, grab)
Tactics: When an opponent dies, the zombie uses its next turn to feast upon its victim’s brain
Feat: Toughness
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Everyone seems to be suggesting ways to "beat" the tank. The intention is not to "win" against the players, it's to ensure that the entire party has fun and feels valued. I ran into this situation with a pre-nerf Crane Wing monk whose AC was laughably unhittable. Targeting the monk's weak saves constantly just left her feeling cheated, and rightly so - when the GM plays to win, he's going to.
The solution I found was to throw something big and scary at the invincible guy. He wants to be invincible, so let him be invincible against something really threatening. Meanwhile, the rest of the party tangles with a swarm of mooks, or a horde of zombies, which they're collectively able to handle because the big scary thing with all the teeth is too busy chewing uselessly on the tank to kill them.
The tank feels like a hero, the rest of the party appreciates the tank being around, and they get to blow stuff up like they probably built their characters to do. Everybody wins - even the GM, because with the players still alive, he gets to unveil the next level of his epic dungeon... and the next.
I'm not a big fan of the troop rules. They take a big leap from "can't hit AC at all" to "don't pay any attention to AC at all" while nominally being just more of the same mooks. Your tank player might cry foul over that.
Actually, I feel the same way.
I created my own 'Mob' rules which are a compromise between "can't hit" and "always hit".
Mob: 16 squares in size, made from four two by two blocks that must remain adjacent. (Assuming Medium source creature.)
AC: as source creature, minus two
Hit points: sixteen times that of the source creature
Mobs provoke attacks of opportunity as normal.
They are always treated as rolling a 1 on their initiative.
Mobs attack all adjacent enemies. They do the same damage as the original creature on a hit. A single square of a mob can attack only one adjacent creature. They spread their attacks as evenly as possible. If multiple squares of the mob attack the same creature, they get iterative bonuses. Example:
If the source creature is an orc with an attack of +5 (2d4+4/18–20) and three squares of orc mob are attacking a single character, they can full-attack with +15/+10/+5 (2d4+4/18-20). No more than four attacks can be made on a single creature in a round, but if the mob is able to attack from opposite sides at once, all these attacks get flanking bonus.
They can also make ranged attacks under the same rules, but no more than three can fire on a single creature in a round.
With attacks that target a single enemy, you can inflict no more damage than the hit points of the source creature - but with a bludgeoning or slashing attack, you can inflict a maximum of twice that much damage.
For each 25% of maximum hit points the mob loses, one two by two square of the mob is dispersed.
Area effect attacks are very effective against mobs, getting bonuses based on the number of squares hit:
1-2 - normal damage.
3-4 *1.5 damage
5-6 double damage
7-8 *2.5 damage
9-10 triple damage
11-12 *3.5 damage
13-14 quadruple damage
15-16 *4.5 damage
An area effect attack cannot do more damage than (number of squares hit) times (source creature hit points).