I'm working on a relatively short adventure (1st to 6th with 3 Mythic Tiers) to showcase the mythic rules with one of my IRL groups this coming summer.
We're working with some modified rules (chiefly the Tax Exempt alternate rules giving certain feat options for free as well as modifications to how Feat Trees work). We've agreed to this as a group to test these new options and since the adventure will climax at 6th level/Mythic Rank 3 it was a way for us to build more complex and varied characters.
Under the Tax Exempt rules, the following rules are applicable. These optional rules
Free Feats:
Weapons: Most feats and features that apply to a specific weapon instead apply to all weapons within that weapon's associated Fighter weapon group , such as light blades or heavy blades. An exception to this is Exotic Weapon Proficiency .
Power Attack , Deadly Aim , and Combat Expertise are all action types that anyone with BaB ≥1 can do, just like charging or fighting defensively. Ignore any prerequisites involving these feats or the stat requirements of these feats (such as Intelligence 13 for Combat Expertise or Strength 13 for Power Attack).
In addition, the following feats are given to characters who meet their prerequisites:
● Alchemical Strike
● Call Out
● Call Truce
● Cypher Script
● Combat Advice
● Cooperative Crafting
● Death from Above
● Empty Threats
● Favored Prestige Class
● Field Repair
● Kinetic Invocation
● Master Alchemist
● Mounted Combat
● Mud in Your Eye
● Performing Combatant
● Position of Strength
● Raging Vitality
● Ranged Study
● Redeemed Kobold
● Rhino Charge
● Scaled Disciple
● Shadow Strike
● Taunt
● Truth in Wine
● Versatile Jinxer
● Xenoglossy
Furthermore, the Feat Tree variant also includes the following changes to how feats work. I've reproduced these here for everyone's convenience.
Feat Tree Progression:
The initial feats in these feat chains are taken as normal. Later feats in these feat chains are automatically given to characters when they meet the prerequisites. If there are no additional prerequisites for the further feats, they are given to the character 2 levels after taking the previous feat.
● All Style Feats
● Airy Step ➞ Wings of Air
● Alertness ➞ One Eye Open
● Arcane Strike ➞ Riving Strike
● Armor Focus ➞ Improved Armor Focus
● Bodyguard ➞ In Harm's Way
● Blind Fight ➞ Improved Blind Fight ➞ Greater Blind Fight
● Broken Wing Gambit ➞ Wounded Paw Gambit
● Careful Sneak ➞ Exquisite Sneak
● Catch Off-Guard / Throw Anything ➞ Improvised Weapon Mastery
● Charging Hurler ➞ Improved Charging Hurler
● Cleave ➞ Great Cleave
● Cleaving Finish ➞ Improved Cleaving Finish
● Combat Meditation ➞ Meditative Concentration ➞ Slow Time ➞ Perfect Awareness
➞ Perfect Center
● Combat Vigor ➞ Take a Breather/Vim and Vigor ➞ Fortuitous Vigor ➞ Restorative
Vigor
● Cut from the Air ➞ Smash from the Air
● Deathless Initiate ➞ Deathless Master ➞ Deathless Zealot
● Defiant Luck ➞ Inexplicable Luck ➞ Bestow Luck
● Deflect Arrows ➞ Snatch Arrows ➞ Throw Back Arrows
● Devastating Strike ➞ Improved Devastating Strike
● Dimensional Agility ➞ Dimensional Assault ➞ Dimensional Dervish ➞ Dimensional
Savant + Dimensional Maneuvers
● Disengaging Feint ➞ Disengaging Flourish ➞ Disengaging Shot
● Disorienting Maneuver ➞ Canny Tumble
● Double Slice ➞ Two-Weapon Rend
● Draconic Aspect ➞ Draconic Breath ➞ Draconic Glide ➞ Draconic Paragon
● Drow Nobility ➞ Improved Drow Nobility ➞ Greater Drow Nobility
● Echoes of Stone ➞ Murmurs of Earth
● Eldritch Heritage ➞ Improved Eldritch Heritage ➞ Greater Eldritch Heritage
● Endurance ➞ Diehard ➞ Fast Healer
● Familiar Bond ➞ Improved Familiar Bond
● Favored Prestige Class ➞ Prestigious Spellcaster
● Fast Learner ➞ Improvisation ➞ Improved Improvisation
● Fearless Curiosity ➞ Intimidating Confidence ➞ Dauntless Destiny
● Feinting Flurry ➞ Improved Feinting Flurry
● Fury of the Tainted ➞ Improved Fury of the Tainted
● Gang Up ➞ Team Up + Merciless Beating
● Gate Breaker ➞ Relic Breaker
● Goblin Cleaver ➞ Orc Hewer ➞ Giant Killer
● Great Fortitude ➞ Improved Great Fortitude
● Hard-Headed ➞ Dented Helm ➞ Cloven Helm
● Heroic Recovery ➞ Heroic Defiance
● Impaling Critical ➞ Improved Impaling Critical
● Improved Shield Bash ➞ Shield Slam ➞ Shield Master
● Improved Stonecunning ➞ Stone Sense
● Iron Will ➞ Improved Iron Will
● Ironclad Logic ➞ Play to the Crowd
● Jawbreaker ➞ Bonebreaker ➞ Neckbreaker
● Ki Throw ➞ Improved Ki Throw ➞ Binding Throw + Spinning Throw + Enhanced Ki
Throw
● Killing Flourish ➞ Gruesome Slaughter
● Lightning Reflexes ➞ Improved Lightning Reflexes
● Meditation Master ➞ Body Control ➞ Bend with the Wind + Body Mastery
● Misdirection Tactics ➞ Misdirection Redirection ➞ Misdirection Attack
● Monstrous Mask ➞ Terrifying Mask
● Moonlight Stalker ➞ Moonlight Stalker Feint ➞ Moonlight Stalker Master
● Net Adept ➞ Net Maneuvering + Net and Trident ➞ Net Trickery
● Nightmare Fist ➞ Nightmare Weaver ➞ Nightmare Striker
● Nimble Moves ➞ Acrobatic Steps + Gliding Steps ➞ Light Step
● Noble Scion ➞ Enlightened Noble
● Penetrating Strike ➞ Greater Penetrating Strike
● Position of Strength ➞ Improved Position of Strength
● Rending Fury ➞ Improved Rending Fury ➞ Greater Rending Fury
● Sap Adept ➞ Sap Master
● Scorpion Style ➞ Gorgon’s Fist ➞ Medusa’s Wrath ➞ Cockatrice Strike
● Second Chance ➞ Improved Second Chance
● Sharpclaw ➞ Tunnel Rat ➞ Burrowing Teeth
● Shield Focus ➞ Improved Shield Focus ➞ Greater Shield Focus
● Shield Specialization ➞ Greater Shield Specialization
● Shot on the Run ➞ Parting Shot
● Sidestep ➞ Improved Sidestep
● Snap Shot ➞ Improved Snap Shot ➞ Greater Snap Shot
● Spring Attack ➞ Whirlwind Attack + Circling Mongoose
● Staggering Fist ➞ Dazing Fist ➞ Befuddling Strike ➞ Draining Strike ➞ Stunning
Fist ➞ Paralyzing Strike
● Stalwart ➞ Improved Stalwart
● Stand Still ➞ Pin Down
● Step Up ➞ Following Step ➞ Step Up and Strike
● Street Smarts ➞ Measure Foe
● Stony Step ➞ Oread Burrower ➞ Oread Earth Glider
● Surprise Follow-Through ➞ Improved Surprise Follow-Through
● Swap Places ➞ Improved Swap Places
● Tengu Wings ➞ Tengu Raven Form
● Tripping Staff ➞ Tripping Twirl
● Two-Weapon Fighting ➞ Improved Two-Weapon Fighting ➞ Greater Two-Weapon
Fighting
● Umbral Scion ➞ Improved Umbral Scion
● Vital Strike ➞ Improved Vital Strike ➞ Greater Vital Strike
● Weapon Focus ➞ Greater Weapon Focus
● Weapon of the Chosen ➞ Improved Weapon of the Chosen ➞ Greater Weapon of
the Chosen
● Weapon Specialization ➞ Greater Weapon Specialization
● Whip Mastery ➞ Improved Whip Mastery ➞ Greater Whip Mastery
● Wind Stance ➞ Lightning Stance
Agility (Combat)
Prerequisite: Dex 13.
Benefit: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC, and a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity caused when you move out of or within a threatened area. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
Dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most types of bonuses.
Special: This feat replaces Dodge and Mobility . Agility counts as Dodge and Mobility for the purposes of fulfilling prerequisites. If you gain Dodge or Mobility as bonus feats from classes, bloodlines, etc. you may select Agility instead. If you gain both, you may select Agility as well as any single feat with Agility as a prerequisite. You must meet all other prerequisites for this feat.
The final challenge takes place amid the clouds of a vacant deific realm against the antagonist's leader, a roughrider 6/guardian 3 and his mythic drake ally serving as his mount.
I've pretty much completed the stat blocks at this point but I'm a little at lost for the best feat choices, equipment and I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to maximize their potential as they work side by side.
Advanced male human fighter (roughrider) 6/guardian 3 (CR 9/MR 3)
N medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses Perception +11; darkvision 60 ft.
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+0 armor, +3 dex, +1 dodge (+4Agility), +2 natural, +0 shield)
hp 69 (6d10+36)
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +4
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee lance +12/+7 (1d8+10/×3)
Ranged weapon +9/+4 (1d8/19–20)
Special Attacks mythic power (9/day), sudden block (+3 bonus), surge
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15
Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +11; CMD 24
Feats Agility, Ride-by-Attack, Spirited Charge, Feat 2, Feat 3, Feat 4, Feat 5, Feat 6, Mythic Feat 1, Mythic Feat 3
Free Feats Death from Above, Mounted Combat
Skills Handle Animal +11, Intimidate +11, Perception +11, Ride +12
Languages Common
Roughrider Abilities
Steadfast Mount (Ex)
At 2nd level, after a roughrider has spent 1 hour practicing with a mount, the mount gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and a +1 morale bonus on saves, but only while the roughrider is mounted on it or adjacent to it. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 2nd.
This ability replaces bravery.
Armored Charger (Ex)
At 3rd level, a roughrider no longer suffers armor check penalties on Ride skill checks. His mount’s speed is not reduced when carrying a medium load or wearing medium barding.
This ability replaces armor training 1.
Mounted Mettle (Ex)
At 5th level, a roughrider and his mount gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when he is mounted or adjacent to his mount. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels after 5th.
This ability replaces weapon training 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Mythic Abilities
Hard to Kill (Ex)
Whenever you’re below 0 hit points, you automatically stabilize without needing to attempt a Constitution check. If you have an ability that allows you to act while below 0 hit points, you still lose hit points for taking actions, as specified by that ability. Bleed damage still causes you to lose hit points when below 0 hit points. In addition, you don’t die until your total number of negative hit points is equal to or greater than double your Constitution score.
Mythic Power (Su)
Mythic characters can draw upon a wellspring of power to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. This power is used by several different abilities. Each day, you can expend an amount of mythic power equal to 3 plus double your mythic tier (5/day at 1st tier, 7/day at 2nd, etc.). This amount is your maximum amount of mythic power. If an ability allows you to regain uses of your mythic power, you can never have more than this amount.
Surge (Su)
You can call upon your mythic power to overcome difficult challenges. You can expend one use of mythic power to increase any d20 roll you just made by rolling 1d6 and adding it to the result. Using this ability is an immediate action taken after the result of the original roll is revealed. This can change the outcome of the roll.
Amazing Initiative (Ex)
At 2nd tier, you gain a bonus on initiative checks equal to your mythic tier. In addition, as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action during that turn. This additional standard action can’t be used to cast a spell. You can’t gain an extra action in this way more than once per round.
Recuperation (Ex)
At 3rd tier, you are restored to full hit points after 8 hours of rest so long as you aren’t dead. In addition, by expending one use of mythic power and resting for 1 hour, you regain a number of hit points equal to half your full hit points (up to a maximum of your full hit points) and regain the use of any class features that are limited to a certain number of uses per day (such as barbarian rage, bardic performance, spells per day, and so on). This rest is treated as 8 hours of sleep for such abilities. This rest doesn’t refresh uses of mythic power or any mythic abilities that are limited to a number of times per day.
Sudden Block (Su)
As an immediate action, you can expend one use of mythic power to hinder a melee attack made against you or an adjacent ally. Add your tier to your AC or the ally’s AC against this attack. The creature making the attack must make two attack rolls and take the lower result. Once the attack is resolved, you or your ally (your choice) can make one melee attack against the creature. The damage from this attack bypasses all damage reduction.
Absorb Blow (Su)
As an immediate action, whenever you take hit point damage from a single source (such as a dragon’s breath, a spell, or a weapon), you can expend one use of mythic power to reduce the damage you take from that source by 5 per tier (to a minimum of 0 points of damage taken). If you have another ability or effect that reduces damage (such as protection from energy), reduce the damage with the absorb blow ability before applying any other damage-reducing effects. For every 10 points of damage that this ability prevents, for 1 minute you gain DR 1/epic and 5 points of resistance against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic damage. The DR and resistances stack with any other DR and resistances that you have.
Burst Through (Ex)
Whenever you charge, you can move through squares containing allies and opponents almost as if they were not obstructing your charge. You can move through squares containing allies freely, but you must succeed at an overrun combat maneuver check for each opponent that obstructs your path to the target of your charge. If the result of the check exceeds the opponent’s CMD, you may move through the opponent’s square and continue toward the target without provoking an attack of opportunity from that opponent. If you fail any of these combat maneuver checks, your movement ends in the square before that opponent, but you may resolve the charge attack against the foe that stopped you.
Additional Call (Ex)
You learn an additional guardian’s call ability (absorb blow). You can select this ability twice.
Parry Spell (Su)
As an immediate action, you can expend one use of mythic power to block a spell targeting you or an ally adjacent to you. The spell must be a ray, a single-target spell, or a spell that creates an effect targeting one creature (such as acid arrow), and the level of the spell’s spell slot must be equal to or lower than your tier. Make an attack roll as if making an attack of opportunity. If the result of the attack roll is greater than the spell’s attack roll or save DC, the spell has no effect on the intended target (though other targets from the same spell, such as multiple targets of scorching ray, are affected normally). A spell that has neither a DC nor an attack roll (such as magic missile) can’t be affected by this ability.
You must declare using spell parry after the spellcaster’s target is announced, but before the target’s saving throw or attack roll is made.
Ozias Caldane is a courageous and valiant mounted fighter. Alongside Velikavatra, his mythic Fire Drake ally, he defends his newly claimed divine realm.
Agile Invincible Advanced Flame Drake (CR 8/MR 2)
N female large dragon (fire)
Init +25/+5; Senses Perception +12; darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
DEFENSE
AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+1 dex, +2 dodge, +12 natural, -1 size)
hp 89 (6d12+50)
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +8
DR 5/epic; Immune dragon traits, fire, paralysis, sleep; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10
Weakness vulnerability to cold
Defensive Abilities block attacks, evasion, second save
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft., fly 90 ft. (average)
Melee bite +12 (2d6+7 plus 1d6 fire), tail slap +7 (1d6+4)
Space 10 ft. Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks dual initiative, fireball breath
STATISTICS
Str 25, Dex 17, Con 20, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +6; CMB +14; CMD 27
Feats Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Feat 1
Free Feats Death from Above
Skills Fly +10, Intimidate +11, Perception +12, Stealth +8, Survival +12
Languages Draconic, Common, Ignan, Celestial
Special Qualities speed surge
Fireball Breath (Su)
A flame drake can, as a standard action, breathe a ball of flame that explodes like a fireball. This attack has a range of 180 feet and deals 5d6 points of fire damage (DC 16 Reflex half) to all creatures within a 20-foot-radius spread. Once a flame drake has used its fireball breath, it cannot do so again for 1d6 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Speed Surge (Ex)
Three times per day as a swift action, a flame drake may draw on its draconic heritage for a boost of strength and speed to take an additional move action in that round.
Mythic Abilities
Block Attacks (Ex)
Once per round, when the creature is hit by a melee or ranged attack, it can attempt a melee attack using its highest attack bonus. If this result exceeds the result from the attack against it, the creature is unaffected by the attack (as if the attack had missed).
Dual Initiative (Ex)
The monster gets two turns each round, one on its initiative count and another on its initiative count – 20. For example, if the monster’s initiative is 23, for its first turn it could make a full attack (and take a 5 foot step) at initiative 23, and for its second turn at initiative 3 it could take a move action and cast a spell. This allows the monster to perform two actions per round that normally take an entire round, such as using a summon monster spell. For the purposes of spells and effects that have a duration of a round or longer or trigger at the beginning of the creature’s round or the start of its turn such as saving throws against ongoing effects or taking bleed damage), only the monster’s first turn each round counts toward such durations.
Second Save (Ex)
Whenever the creature fails a saving throw against an effect with a duration greater than 1 round, it can keep trying to shake off the effect. At the start of its turn, if it’s still affected, it can attempt the save one more time as a free action. If this save succeeds, the effect affects the creature as if it had succeeded at its initial saving throw.
If the effect already allows another saving throw on a later turn to break the effect (such as for hold monster), this ability is in addition to the extra saving throw from the effect.
Together, Ozias and Velikavatra ride as one through the cloudscape.
As highly defensive yet maneuvrable opponents, I built this final encounter to truly test the PCs.
I'm missing the following though and could use some advice:
- Gear for Ozias. His CR is 1 higher than normal so he can have gear as a 6th level PC.
- Feats for Ozias, including regular and mythic feats from his class and rank.
- Some good possible tactical strategies for the two. I assume flying charges to be among their repertoire.
Thanks for any advice you can send my way.
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First off, Ozias is going to want Iron Will (& the free Imp. Iron Will that gives in your house rules). Yes, he has Parry Spell, but that won't work every time - let alone if he gets targeted by two spells in a round.
Combat reflexes (for both) might help given the party might try to swarm them. Ozias might get Stand Still as well. Fortified Armor Training might also help keep Ozias alive a little longer, likewise Shield Focus and Missile Shield. Mounted Shield might be an option.
The mythic ride-by attack and/or spirited charge feats could be a nasty surprise to the PCs. The (non-mythic) Wheeling Charge feat might help here too, if you're willing to skip the Lastwall affinity prereq; especially if they charge down to attack a PC and want to pull back up after.
6th level PC = 16 000 gp. I'm not clear whether Velikavatra gets any in his or her own right. The minimum equipment for Ozias would be a +1 lance, +1 O-yoroi (if eastern equipment is available) or +1 full plate if not, +1 heavy shield, +1 cloak of resistance, belt of giant strength +2, and a ring of protection +1. Maybe an Aegis of Recovery and some backup masterwork weapon, which leaves about a thousand to play with - a potion of cure serious wounds and a couple of minor potions perhaps. 16K doesn't go as far as you might think.
Aside from trying not to be caught and swarmed I have no special advice on tactics. If you want them to have a chance of withdrawing alive there needs to be terrain to break line of sight somewhere.
Cheers avr, really good ideas to get started on this.
As a monster, Velikavatra has treasure but I'm not sure how much should be actually usable amount. Judging by most "dragon" encounters, the treasure is rarely used by the dragon itself.
Maybe a potion of mage armor if they get any warning then? It might be useful for the drake, and Ozias could keep a couple out of his own funds.
Maybe a potion of mage armor if they get any warning then? It might be useful for the drake, and Ozias could keep a couple out of his own funds.
Easily arrangeable.
I think Ozias would be CR8: 5(Human /w 6 Class lvls)+1(advanced)+1(extra gear)+1(MT/2 - round down)=8 - could make him MT4 to make him 9 - alsoI've found that if you truly want to test mythic PCs you have to make the encounter at least APL+4-5 (APs quite often have the final boss be APL+4 anyway) - the PCs will be APL 7 at this point (6(lvls)+1(1/2 of MT3 round down)) - so that'd require CR 11+
I think Ozias would be CR8: 5(Human /w 6 Class lvls)+1(advanced)+1(extra gear)+1(MT/2 - round down)=8 - could make him MT4 to make him 9 - alsoI've found that if you truly want to test mythic PCs you have to make the encounter at least APL+4-5 (APs quite often have the final boss be APL+4 anyway) - the PCs will be APL 7 at this point (6(lvls)+1(1/2 of MT3 round down)) - so that'd require CR 11+
Ozias is mounted on Velikavatra however. I assumed that the two of them together made up a serious enough final fight.
velikavatra is also at the wrong CR: 5(base)+1(advanced)+1(1/2 of MR2)=7 - so together they make approx CR 9.5 - so that's APL+2.5, or rounding everything down APL+2 - end bosses should be minimum APL+3, most APs have +4, as I said before - you've also missed off the other mythic stuff velikavatra gets for being MR2 - 2 surges at +d6, +2 ability bonus from getting MR2, a mythic feat from MR1
velikavatra is also at the wrong CR: 5(base)+1(advanced)+1(1/2 of MR2)=7 - so together they make approx CR 9.5 - so that's APL+2.5, or rounding everything down APL+2 - end bosses should be minimum APL+3, most APs have +4, as I said before - you've also missed off the other mythic stuff velikavatra gets for being MR2 - 2 surges at +d6, +2 ability bonus from getting MR2, a mythic feat from MR1
I thought the mythic simple templates didn't give those.
I'll see what changes I can add to make them better final bosses.