So far, there haven't really been any energy resistant or immune critters along the path to date. But for the particulars of my campaign, I was wondering if cold resistant/immune/type critters are going to be present at all in the path.
I ask because my party's sorceror is going into frost mage (Frostburn) and has several of the cold spell feats. Granted, he has to use his own spells to lower the temperature to take advantage of his own spells, but looking at the monsters I know from the Outline, I see him doing full damage every step of the way.
He's specifically boosting caster level and DC, through all relevant feats. He has NOTHING besides magic missle for a "not-cold" spell, but once he gets Piercing Cold from Frost Mage, he ignores resistance, gets half through immunity, and is only fully blocked by the cold subtype. He also completely ignores any magical energy resistance or immunity.
I can't fault him for the progression, its in character and he's been woefully unable to use his feats due to inability to radically alter temperature until higher level.
But will I as DM have to replace monsters to have any chance of him getting even remotely stymied by something? Or has he picked a class progression that equals an Entropomancer in Age of Worms for sheer end-game power?
So far, there haven't really been any energy resistant or immune critters along the path to date. But for the particulars of my campaign, I was wondering if cold resistant/immune/type critters are going to be present at all in the path.
I ask because my party's sorceror is going into frost mage (Frostburn) and has several of the cold spell feats. Granted, he has to use his own spells to lower the temperature to take advantage of his own spells, but looking at the monsters I know from the Outline, I see him doing full damage every step of the way.
He's specifically boosting caster level and DC, through all relevant feats. He has NOTHING besides magic missle for a "not-cold" spell, but once he gets Piercing Cold from Frost Mage, he ignores resistance, gets half through immunity, and is only fully blocked by the cold subtype. He also completely ignores any magical energy resistance or immunity.
I can't fault him for the progression, its in character and he's been woefully unable to use his feats due to inability to radically alter temperature until higher level.
But will I as DM have to replace monsters to have any chance of him getting even remotely stymied by something? Or has he picked a class progression that equals an Entropomancer in Age of Worms for sheer end-game power?
Actually I'd say acid or sonic. Not a whole lot of regular monsters have resistance or immunity to those. And if you haven't gotten to it yet the Mother of All in the Sargasso has resistance to cold.
One thing cold is particularly poor at is damaging objects - such as ships, for instance. Cold damage is divided by four before being applied to objects, whereas fire and electricity are divided by two, and acid and sonic do full damage (minus the object's hardness, in each case).
One thing cold is particularly poor at is damaging objects - such as ships, for instance. Cold damage is divided by four before being applied to objects, whereas fire and electricity are divided by two, and acid and sonic do full damage (minus the object's hardness, in each case).
Yeah - but icebergs are HELL on ships - just ask the Titanic...
Also - I don't know of any wooden hulls that can push through ice without being shredded. So a smart PC would freeze the water AROUND the ship or in front of it. ;)
|
So far, there haven't really been any energy resistant or immune critters along the path to date. But for the particulars of my campaign, I was wondering if cold resistant/immune/type critters are going to be present at all in the path.
tell my PCs about the ravenous zombies & huecuva in the smugglers' tunnels...
They had quite a difficult time with them !!
Neither the Zombies nor the Huecuva have resistance or immunity to cold.
So why would you respond like that?
Neither the Zombies nor the Huecuva have resistance or immunity to cold.
So why would you respond like that?
I think you need to read your Undead subtype again ;)
Common misunderstanding of the undead type, is that while it grants a host of immunities, it does not grant immunity to cold. However, immunity to cold is a feature of both one of the most common undead (skeleton) and one of the most iconic (lich).
This is simply a generalization of the "no flesh to freeze" paradigm. But the early exposure and iconic reinforcement does tend to get people beleiving all undead are immune to cold. But they're not.
I think you need to read your Undead subtype again ;)
At your request I did - only because I am not above being wrong.
And you have only proved me right.
Here is the excerpt from page 317 of the MM:
Undead Type
Features:
- d12 HD
- BAB: to 1/2 HD
- Good Will saves
- Skill points: 4+Int mod.
Traits:
- No Con score
- Darkvision 60'
- Immune: mind-affecting effects
- Immune: Poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
- Immune: Critical hits, Non-lethal damage, ability drain, energy drain.
- Immune: Ability damage
- Immune: Fatigue and exhaustion effects
- Immune: Any effect that requires a fort save unless the effect can affect objects.
- Cannot heal on its own if not intelligent, although it can be healed by negative energy, fast heal ability is an exception.
- Uses Charisma for Concentration checks.
- Not at risk for death from massive damage, destroyed at 0 hit points or less
- Not affected by Raise dead or reincarnate
- Proficient with natural weapons, simple weapons, and weapons in it's entry
- Proficient with whatever armor is in it's entry as well as all lighter types.
- Undead do not eat, sleep, or breathe
**NO WEAR DOES IT SAY IMMUNE TO COLD**
looking at the Ravenous Zombie Pirate:
it only has DR 5/slashing
**NO WEAR DOES IT SAY IMMUNE TO COLD**
Magical ice not only pierces but slices as well. It also destroys the flesh, to include magical cold effects. So the zombie's flesh is either shredded by ICE or severely damage by extreme cold - like liquid nitrogen ;)
Looking at the Huecuva:
It has DR 10/Silver
**NO WEAR DOES IT SAY IMMUNE TO COLD**
The DR though will apply to the magical effect. But it is not due to immunity to cold. A party minus a cleric and/or minus the silver dagger will be challenged by this monster.
The black Bard is right - because many undead are immune to cold effect many DMs incorrectly assume that ALL undead are. ;)
In 1st and 2nd editions, undead were immune to cold-based spells (unless otherwise noted). This is probably the source of the confusion.
As far as the best energy type for the STAP, savage creatures have acid resistance 10 and demons (tanar'ri) have electricity immunity, acid resistance 10, cold resistance 10, and fire resistance 10. In general, the "best" energy type is "all of them" or "none of them." There is usually a large enough variety of monsters in an AP that each energy type will be useless/extremely limited in at least one encounter, so force effects are "better/more versatile" than energy effects if you wish to specialize (especially with the Argent Adept PrC). Conversely, there will probably be many encounters where any type of energy will do damage.