Arena of the Gods (Inactive)

Game Master Reckless

Darkvision allows many characters and monsters to see perfectly well without any light at all, but characters with normal or low-light vision can be rendered completely blind by putting out the lights. Torches or lanterns can be blown out by sudden gusts of subterranean wind, magical light sources can be dispelled or countered, or magical traps might create fields of impenetrable darkness.

In many cases, some characters or monsters might be able to see while others are blinded. For purposes of the following points, a blinded creature is one who simply can't see through the surrounding darkness.

Creatures blinded by darkness lose the ability to deal extra damage due to precision (for example, via sneak attack or a duelist's precise strike ability).

Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone. Blinded creatures can't run or charge.

All opponents have total concealment from a blinded creature, so the blinded creature has a 50% miss chance in combat. A blinded creature must first pinpoint the location of an opponent in order to attack the right square; if the blinded creature launches an attack without pinpointing its foe, it attacks a random square within its reach. For ranged attacks or spells against a foe whose location is not pinpointed, roll to determine which adjacent square the blinded creature is facing; its attack is directed at the closest target that lies in that direction.

A blinded creature loses its Dexterity modifier to AC (if positive) and takes a –2 penalty to AC.

A blinded creature takes a –4 penalty on Perception checks and most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, including any with an armor check penalty. A creature blinded by darkness automatically fails any skill check relying on vision.

Creatures blinded by darkness cannot use gaze attacks and are immune to gaze attacks.

A creature blinded by darkness can make a Perception check as a free action each round in order to locate foes (DC equal to opponents' Stealth checks). A successful check lets a blinded character hear an unseen creature “over there somewhere.” It's almost impossible to pinpoint the location of an unseen creature. A Perception check that beats the DC by 20 reveals the unseen creature's square (but the unseen creature still has total concealment from the blinded creature).

A blinded creature can grope about to find unseen creatures. A character can make a touch attack with his hands or a weapon into two adjacent squares using a standard action. If an unseen target is in the designated square, there is a 50% miss chance on the touch attack. If successful, the groping character deals no damage but has pinpointed the unseen creature's current location. If the unseen creature moves, its location is once again unknown.

If a blinded creature is struck by an unseen foe, the blinded character pinpoints the location of the creature that struck him (until the unseen creature moves, of course). The only exception is if the unseen creature has a reach greater than 5 feet (in which case the blinded character knows the location of the unseen opponent, but has not pinpointed him) or uses a ranged attack (in which case the blinded character knows the general direction of the foe, but not his location).

A creature with the scent ability automatically pinpoints unseen creatures within 5 feet of its location.

You are skilled at attacking opponents that you cannot clearly perceive.

Benefit: In melee, every time you miss because of concealment (see Combat), you can reroll your miss chance percentile roll one time to see if you actually hit.

An invisible attacker gets no advantages related to hitting you in melee. That is, you don't lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn't get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible. The invisible attacker's bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks, however.

You do not need to make Acrobatics skill checks to move at full speed while blinded.

Normal: Regular attack roll modifiers for invisible attackers trying to hit you apply, and you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC. The speed reduction for darkness and poor visibility also applies.

Special: The Blind-Fight feat is of no use against a character who is the subject of a blink spell.

Charging is a special full-round action that allows you to move up to twice your speed and attack during the action. Charging, however, carries tight restrictions on how you can move.

Movement During a Charge: You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon during a charge attack if your base attack bonus is at least +1.

You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). You must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can't charge. If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can't charge. Helpless creatures don't stop a charge.

If you don't have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can't charge that opponent.

You can't take a 5-foot step in the same round as a charge.

If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.

Attacking on a Charge: After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.

A charging character gets a +2 bonus on combat maneuver attack rolls made to bull rush an opponent.

Even if you have extra attacks, such as from having a high enough base attack bonus or from using multiple weapons, you only get to make one attack during a charge.

Lances and Charge Attacks: A lance deals double damage if employed by a mounted character in a charge.

Weapons Readied against a Charge: Spears, tridents, and other weapons with the brace feature deal double damage when readied (set) and used against a charging character.

Maddie tries to recall some useful information about these creatures, specifically their type and subtype, most lethal attack and weaknesses against magic (meaning: worst save).

This is the information you asked for. Your knowledge check gave you access to those pieces of information, as it was high enough.

Apologies, I wrote that a what was about 3 or 4 in the morning and didn't express my thoughts clearly enough. I supposed they had blinsight since they came to life as soon as Maddie entered the place, even if she had cast invisibility; therefore, I also supposed that a Greater Invisibility would have made no difference.

Also, what made their attacks so deadly was exactly the antimagic field, otherwise a 28 Fort check wouldn't have been a problem (edit: and a lot of those hits would have been misses). That's a gap of information that made a significant difference, imho.

Another piece of information you didn't have is their sensory information. Tremorsense let them know you entered and your position. And while the AMF makes everything more difficult, it is not in the least bit their most lethal attack. That award definitely goes to the 12 touch attacks that deal Strength damage. The ones with the 50' range.

Then on top of it you add darkness, and if you didn't happen to pick a race with darkvision (or build one) the AM field puts that back in place.

Of course a GM can always set up a situation which can screw players. You can't beat god. I do find it annoying when a GM actually thinks they accomplished something by doing it as cheaply as possible.

Right now I am seriously wondering why I wasted the time making this character if these are typical for the shenanigans we're going to see.

Some advantages?!? Anti-magic field is the easiest cheap shot you can take. You immediately turn most casters into toddlers (absent all of 2 spells which can do anything about them). Then you nerf the crap out of everyone else by rendering their equipment moot. Even more 'fun' we get to immediately recalculate every number on our character sheet because it all gets tanked.

Then on top of it you add darkness, and if you didn't happen to pick a race with darkvision (or build one) the AM field puts that back "in place.

Of course a GM can always set up a situation which can screw players. You can't beat god. I do find it annoying when a GM actually thinks they accomplished something by doing it as cheaply as possible.

Right now I am seriously wondering why I wasted the time making this character if these are typical for the shenanigans we're going to see.

Cheap shot.

These are hurtful words and I wish you had chosen to speak with a different, more helpful mindset.

I did not "set up a situation which can screw players". I am using creature's stat block in an effective way. The AMF comes from the creatures, not the environment.

Darkness is a pretty basic condition of dungeons. If you can't see in it, having light sources is a pretty basic concept.

If I was trying to "screw players" there's no way I would have allowed your charge, since charge says it can't be done without line of sight. You invested in feats for your build and I didn't want to invalidate that investment.

If I was trying to "screw players" I wouldn't have reduced the number of Mythic Ropers to two from four (ask Pharnmournx) as soon as I saw that four would probably be insurmountable due to the AMFs.

If you didn't enter this game with the understanding that... and I'm quoting my initial post in the recruitment thread... "This campaign will feature combat against some of the most dangerous creatures from the Mythic Monster Manual by Legendary Games, in environments designed to be challenging." then that is a reading comprehension issue, not an issue of DM malfeasance.