So after reading the latest AP module I'm left wondering one thing. Well, actually wondering several things, but I'll focus on the one:
When will see a Sphere of Annihilation?
Considering the players have been carrying this talisman around for almost 20 levels now, and I haven't seen a Sphere in any of the modules, they *should put it in the last module. There's a theatre maxim that goes something like "You can't show a gun in Act 1 without having it go off in Act 3."
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In another thread, Erik Mona himself stated something along the lines of "stay tuned for the final chapter of the Adventure Path."
My guess: one of Kyuss' servants will be running amok in Alhaster, using a talisman of his/her own to bring annihilation to all. Then, it'll be a battle of wills between him/her and one of the PCs for control of the sphere.
A direct attack on a risen demigod being even more scary than facing down Dragotha (and that's saying something), I suppose they'll weaken Kyuss by destroying the ziggarut and the portion of his power that is still trapped in it. The challenge could be to reach the ziggarut, sure to be guarded by powerful undead and monstrous minions! Maybe Lashonna and others...?
We'll see; just my own speculations. I'm psyched for the final showdown.
Creative Director
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We've known what we were going to do with the talisman and the sphere from the start. In fact, this was one of the kernels of the campaign, as in, "Wouldn't it be cool if..."
The way these two artifacts finally meet up and are used in "Dawn of a New Age" is pretty cool, but I'm not gonna spoil it here. Suffice to say, there IS a sphere of anihilation in the last Age of Worms adventure.
I'm interested in seeing how you fit the tarrasque into AP3. ;)
I already know where it is in Eberron. It's not where you'd think.
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Creative Director
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BTW, is me or is a CR 20 for a Tarrasque a bit on the low side?
Possibly... it's got a little more than twice the hit points of the standard CR 20 monster, but it's AC is about four points too low. Of course, none of this matters when it attacks and deals a bazillion points of damage. The average damage for a CR 20 monster is 105 per round, with a primary attack of +31. If the Tarrasque drops it's attack down to +31 with Power Attack... it's doing an average of around 260 or so points of damage a round if all its attacks hit.
Of coruse, the tarrasque can't fly, so it's a simple matter in an outdoor setting to just float above it and use ranged attacks on it. Still, I'd have to agree that CR 20 is a bit low for it.
I'd increase it's natural armor bonus by 10 or so and make it a CR 25 monster, if I ran the show. The Tarrasque should definately be the highest-nondragon CR monster in the Monster Manual, in any case.
He just needs a pair of winged boots or something.
Or how about you give him a pair of leathery wings? mwahahahaha
I liked the 2ed Tarrasque, but the 3ed one looks kind of dumpy. Especially with the eyes on the side of its head...generally speaking, herbivores have eyes on the side and predators have eyes in front.
James, how'd you know what the average attack and damage is for a CR 20 creature? Do you have access to some tables that the rest of us don't know about?
I'm still of the mind that one of the last minions will be running around with a Rod of Cancellation...
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Creative Director
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James, how'd you know what the average attack and damage is for a CR 20 creature? Do you have access to some tables that the rest of us don't know about?
More or less... basically, it takes all of the monsters from the Monster Manual and condenses them all down to CR bands and averages their hp, AC, Primary Attack, Benchmark Average Damage, Primary Saves, Secondary Saves, and target Special Ability DC. It's basically a "generic monster level progression" thingy that helps in assigning CRs to new monsters.
Helps, but not solves. Assigning CR is still more of an art form than a math formula. Even if it uses math as its medium.
Wow, James, those tables sound pretty useful. Any chance they'll appear to the general public at some point? In, maybe, a Dungeoncraft article or something?
And, on the topic of the tarrasque, I have briefly entertained the notion of an undead tarrasque as Kyuss' mount during his failed attempt to re-emerge last time (maybe an avatar or greater aspect got out to supervise the battle in the LoLR flashback?). Just because the image of seeing the tarrasque on the horizon - and oh god somebody's riding it - appeals to me immensely.
Here's a few questions to ask. Has anyone's group sold the talisman because they have been hanging onto it for so long? Has anyone decided to leave it behind in some bank vault somewhere? Does anyone have really forgetful PCs, and you know that by the stage the last adventure comes along they will have completely forgotten they even have it?
Also, what's this about the tarrasque?
Half-Dragon Tarrasque!!!!!!!!!
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Creative Director
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Wow, James, those tables sound pretty useful. Any chance they'll appear to the general public at some point? In, maybe, a Dungeoncraft article or something?
It's unlikely; they're part of the Wizards of the Coast style guide and design documents. Of course, there's nothing preventing anyone from taking the SRD and doing up similar tables to serve as a guideline, I suppose.
maybe they could add it as part of the monster manual IV
They're lying about the sphere of annihilation btw. It's really an Umbral Blot.
isn't that really just a living SoA? :)
oh wait - "just"???
isn't that really just a living SoA? :)
oh wait - "just"???
It's a living Sphere of Annihlation that isn't affected by the Talsiman (nor any other effect that controls such an item), but knows about them, pretends that it is, and then eats you when it's bored. In other words, it's everything that's wrong with the SoA, multipled by a factor of ten.
Sometimes, I hate Epic Level.
We've known what we were going to do with the talisman and the sphere from the start. In fact, this was one of the kernels of the campaign, as in, "Wouldn't it be cool if..."
The way these two artifacts finally meet up and are used in "Dawn of a New Age" is pretty cool, but I'm not gonna spoil it here. Suffice to say, there IS a sphere of anihilation in the last Age of Worms adventure.
Just got back to my thread. Thanks for the replies... I must have missed the first thread on the sphere. I like the idea of a worm-tarrasque mount for Kyuss though...
*Worships the Tarrasque and all it's wacky, genetic forms*
Ok my bet is Sphere meets Monolith, unstoppable force vs immovable object= Big Bang Bang.....
While we're talking about the Terrasque, I now want to give it the Kaiju template from that old issue of Dragon... I need to get that one...
"IT'S GODZILLA!"
Haha, tarrasque of legend! That'd be dangerous.
Undead tarrasque wouldn't work too well. Yeah, it'd make a cool fight, but the loss of Constitution to hit points would weaken him too much.
Haha, tarrasque of legend! That'd be dangerous.
Undead tarrasque wouldn't work too well. Yeah, it'd make a cool fight, but the loss of Constitution to hit points would weaken him too much.
Dire planetouched Tarrasque?
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Shadow or half-shadow dragon tarrasque.. or both ;). A wicked thought tied to an apocalyptic scenario for a low-magic campaign I've been designing.. it's not about beating the beast, it's about beating the fallen angel that keeps your world blocked from all other planes of existence (and thus escape) ;).
Hmm, while we're applying hideous templates- half-celestial tarrasque? The benign, ravenous beast? :)