My players are going through the test of the smoking eye in the adventure path for dungeon magazine. In the battle with Myaruk, a clr7 /thaumaturgist 4 Lich, my player’s wizard got a chance to cast ray of enfeeblement (http://srd.pbemnexus.com/spellsPtoR.html#ray-of-enfeeblement)
and black tentacles ( http://srd.pbemnexus.com/spellsAtoB.html#black-tentacles ), both successful. We had to stop playing in the middle of battle because of the late hour and when we resume play I would like to know what some of my options are. The combo of these two spells seem to reduce almost anyone to the point where my players can now just pick off the BBEG with missile weapons and not have to work really that hard. I really wanted to challenge my players with this encounter. Anyone have any ideas?
First off, the lich is immune to the Strength damage caused by the ray of enfeeblement. With that said, it’s certainly less of a sure thing that the tentacles will win every opposed grapple check (though they’ll still win a majority of them). I don’t have the lich’s stat block at hand, but some things (other than making 2 grapple checks a round to escape) do come to mind:
1) Freedom of movement (if already in effect or if the lich has access to the travel domain) would essentially negate the grappling ability of the tentacles. Note that if already grappled, the lich couldn’t cast this spell (as it has a somatic component).
2) The lich could still cast blindness/deafness (if prepared) to pick on an offending combatant who was pelting him with ranged effects (best used on rogues & arcane casters); this would merely require a DC 23 Concentration check to cast successfully and could buy the lich the time he needs for the ongoing tentacles’ spell duration to expire.
3) The lich could still cast command (if prepared) to pick on an offending combatant who was pelting him with ranged effects (best used on warrior-types); this would merely require a DC 21 Concentration check to cast successfully and could nullify one round’s activity (plus a part of the following round’s) by stating ”drop” or “fall” or even potentially be more of a hassle by stating “approach” (and getting the target caught up in the tentacles as well.
4) The lich’s best recourse may be to cast darkness (Concentration DC 22) in order to gain total concealment from the PCs. This requires the lich to have his divine focus at hand (perhaps he wears it on a chain about his neck?).
5) A word of recall (if prepared) could allow the lich to flee the battle with a Concentration check DC 26.
6) Use any spell trigger (wand or staff) item already in hand (Boy, wouldn’t a wand of dispel magic be handy right now?).
7) Activate any command-word activation or mentally-willed use activation item to function.
8) Perhaps utilize the condition set forth by his contingent conjuration class ability (no idea how the trigger condition is specified in Test of the Smoking Eye) have a xill show up and use it’s planewalk ability to help the lich escape the AoE or (if you feel this class ability should share the same spell-level limitation as the contingency spell) have a dretch show up and use its spell-like abilities to try and disperse the PCs.
All of the above advice assumes that the lich has neither a Still Spell feat (with appropriately prepared spells) nor a metamagic rod of still spell in hand. Failing all of the preceding, your big baddy might well be hosed. Keep in mind, the lich's damage reduction (15 / bludgeoning and magic) will render him nigh immune to all forms of ranged weapon damage (excepting sling bullets, thrown clubs, & improvised weaponry).
Creative Director
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Excellent suggestions, Bryan.
As for ray of enfeeblement, the way that the spell is written, I'm thinking that technically it can affect undead. It doesn't inflict ability damage. It instead inflicts a temporary penalty to Strength; the victim's actual Strength score is untouched.
That said, I think that the spirit of the rules should win out here; undead are immune to ability score drain, fatigue, and exhaustion, so I think that extending this to make the lich immune to this spell is legit. That's just my opinion, of course, and since the deed is already done, it's probably best not to retroactively say that the lich is immune to the spell.
I think Myaruk is screwed. I don't see a way out.