The two-hit Harbinger of Worms

[Arden Belus]

So, the PCs have made it through the Spire of Long Shadows, with several trips back to Greyhawk to resupply. They enter the room with the Harbinger, and as written, he does not hasten to get into combat with them. They talk for a while (long enough that the rogue's Improved Invis ring wears off), and then the PCs get sick of it and roll initiative.

I rolled a 23 for the Harbinger. The PCs rolled better.

The wizard got a 28, the rogue (with an item of constant Gravestrike he got from Tenser) a 26, and the dragon diciple monk a 24.

The wiz lets off a sudden maximized, sudden empowered Greater Disrupt Undead (from the SC, level d8 dmg to undead, 10d8 cap) for 102 or so damage. Then the rogue sneak attacks the flat-footed chaotic lich with the (axiomatic) sword of Aaqa, and drops him. And even if the rogue didn't have the grave strike item, I'm sure the monk would have dropped him in one hit (and wouldn't have been affected by the lich's DR either).

Kinda anticlimactic, but what can you do?

[dungeonblaster]

I'm gonna switch out one of the Harbinger's 8th-level spells for Moment of Prescience. Seems like something the Harbinger would have.

[jjust4me]

Arden Belus wrote:

So, the PCs have made it through the Spire of Long Shadows, with several trips back to Greyhawk to resupply. They enter the room with the Harbinger, and as written, he does not hasten to get into combat with them. They talk for a while (long enough that the rogue's Improved Invis ring wears off), and then the PCs get sick of it and roll initiative.

I rolled a 23 for the Harbinger. The PCs rolled better.

The wizard got a 28, the rogue (with an item of constant Gravestrike he got from Tenser) a 26, and the dragon diciple monk a 24.

The wiz lets off a sudden maximized, sudden empowered Greater Disrupt Undead (from the SC, level d8 dmg to undead, 10d8 cap) for 102 or so damage. Then the rogue sneak attacks the flat-footed chaotic lich with the (axiomatic) sword of Aaqa, and drops him. And even if the rogue didn't have the grave strike item, I'm sure the monk would have dropped him in one hit (and wouldn't have been affected by the lich's DR either).

Kinda anticlimactic, but what can you do?

Again, having a lich just wait around for the adventures' to come and pick him off doesn't seem like what a creature with such a high intelligence would do-especially if the players have made multiple ventures into his lair. I would have had every defensive spell the Harbinger had already up and running, and had him seeking the PC's out along with the knights and a the big worm-that would have changed the fight considerably.

[Arden Belus]

He's specifically written as wanting to avoid combat, since his phylactary has been destroyed.

In fact, I really like the suggestion in the other Harbinger thread that he's resigned to his fate -- he must die in order for the Age of Worms to come about. (too bad I didn't read about that ahead of time so I could have flavored his discussion that way)

A prepared lich, the overworm, and several knights would definitely have been a TPK for my group. The battles with the 2 callers and the overworm, and the 3 Kyuss knights were completely different affairs. (actually had one PC death per fight, hence the use of Greater Teleport to get to Greyhawk and get them raised/resurrected).

[Russell Jones]

Arden Belus wrote:

In fact, I really like the suggestion in the other Harbinger thread that he's resigned to his fate -- he must die in order for the Age of Worms to come about. (too bad I didn't read about that ahead of time so I could have flavored his discussion that way)

I also stumbled upon this idea too late to make use of it, but was intrigued nonetheless. The Harbinger in my game went down a little too easily as well, but not before he had time to tell the PCs that their actions were helping to bring the Age of Worms about sooner rather than later. This got the players, especially the paranoid mage, VERY antsy about what they've been doing, and they almost let the lich go. Put that with the suggestion above, and you'll get even the most bash-happy group to stop and think for a round or two.