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Alternatively, perhaps she uses summon monster I to call a fiendish raven and uses her alternate form ability to meet the procreation requirement. On further thought, this seems more likely - it is sustainable.But can a quasit get pregnant from a raven? If she's not giving it an honest try then it doesn't count.
Given the existence of the half-fiend template, it is at least possible. It's almost certainly DM's call, but the image of Erylium carefully hoarding her eggs until they hatch, so she can lovingly sacrifice them when they do, is just too creepy for me to pass up. I really wish I'd thought of this before my players with through the catacombs - given how they reacted to the goblin childrearing cages, I can't imagine what they might have done with finding Erylium's nest and the remains of her sacrificed fledglings...
Is a thaumaturge of Lamashtu required to perform their obedience while they are pregnant, do you think?I think so. At least, that's my take on the class given how it's described in The Book of Fiends. If she wants her spells then she needs to perform her obedience.
I was just wondering whether being pregnant would qualify as an obedience in and of itself for Lamashtu. Among other things, it would provide a strong mechanical reason for them to be pregnant as often as possible, which would be something Lamashtu would encourage...
We used scroll of glitterdust, followed by a summoned Fiendish Medium centipede who could scale the walls easily and grapple the nasty little Quasit.
The centipede then dropped to the floor where the party pounced on the quasit and killed it. It took us a few rounds to get to this point fighting its summoned creatures and the spawn but once those were elimated defeating it wasn't too tough.
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or else she needs to sacrifice a newborn creature (and small animals and bugs don't count).Would a sinspawn fresh out of the well count as a "newborn" creature?
Between the specific prohibition against using summoned creatures for the purpose and Lamashtu's own strong connections with the idea of pregnancy, I wouldn't allow it.
Not that Erylium would risk it anyway, come to that...
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Here's how I'm hoping it will go:
1. PCs read Tsuto's journal.
2. Players ask, "What's a quasit?"
3. I ask for Knowledge (the planes) roll.
4a. On a 13+ (the cleric has a +3 modifier, so it's basically 50/50), I say, "It's a demon."
4b. On something less than a 13, I say, "You don't know."
5. Either way, they discuss the matter with Father Zantus. (If need be, Father Zantus, who has a +8 modifier, says, "It's a demon.") Father Zantus knows little about demons, but knows someone who knows more.
6. Zantus and the PCs go visit the cleric of Irori (whose name I'm forgetting right now) and ask to use her library. Zantus or a PC makes a Diplomacy check, getting Aid Another bonuses from the rest of the group and a total +6 circumstance modifier (+4 for being the Heroes of the Swallowtail Festival, +2 for being sheriff's deputies), and get in to see her library.
7. PCs use library access to take 20 on Knowledge (the planes) roll with the +4 bonus the library offers.
8. I hand players the MM open to the "quasit" entry and let them read up.
9. PCs load up on bless weapon and holy water, and the sorcerer goes to the Feathered Serpent and buys a scroll of glitterdust.
10. PCs beat the everloving s@~% out of quasit.
HOLY SCHMOLY! This is nearly EXACTLY what happened with my party last session! That's brilliant. They face the little wench this coming session, I'll post the results Monday!
-DM Jeff
This text is the reason that we play it the way we do. It specifically mentions ray of enfeeblement.
Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths: In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the best one applies. For example, if a character takes a -4 penalty to Strength from a ray of enfeeblement spell and then receives a second ray of enfeeblement spell that applies a -6 penalty, he or she takes only the -6 penalty. Both spells are still operating on the character, however. If one ray of enfeeblement spell is dispelled or its duration runs out, the other spell remains in effect, assuming that its duration has not yet expired.
Hrmm... Does that mean that level draining creatures can't affect a creature with their drain more than once? I mean, it is the same affect being applied multiple times (and just happens to be the same negative number since it is non-random).
Sean Mahoney
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This text is the reason that we play it the way we do. It specifically mentions ray of enfeeblement.
Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths: In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the best one applies. For example, if a character takes a -4 penalty to Strength from a ray of enfeeblement spell and then receives a second ray of enfeeblement spell that applies a -6 penalty, he or she takes only the -6 penalty. Both spells are still operating on the character, however. If one ray of enfeeblement spell is dispelled or its duration runs out, the other spell remains in effect, assuming that its duration has not yet expired.
Hrmm... Does that mean that level draining creatures can't affect a creature with their drain more than once? I mean, it is the same affect being applied multiple times (and just happens to be the same negative number since it is non-random).
Sean Mahoney
But it's not a penalty. It's drain. Drain stacks.
My group faced Erylium last week and did alright - the battle itself was rather exciting, and the party certainly hated her. Party included Level 2 Shoanti Ranger, Level 2 Dwarf Cleric of Torag, Level 1 Shoanti Fighter, and NPC Level 2 Gnome Cleric/Rogue.
Through some mishaps the party ended up summoning *another* Sinspawn that they had some trouble dealing with, along with Fiendish snakes from Erylium. Her initial "Bane" hit two of the PCs, and her Shatter got the only bow in the party.
Without any spellcasters they had a good bit of trouble, and barely really got a hit on her. Her Inflict Moderate Wounds managed to drop the dwarf (forgot about the attack of opportunity for closing!), but the gnome managed to get a cure on him just before a summoned snake would have coup-de-grace'd.
At that point, spell-less and minion-less, her dagger simply wasn't dealing enough damage for her to stick around and she fled, cursing and plotting against them.
On Level Drain:
Yes, drain "stacks" the same way hit point damage "from the same source" stacks :) - you're gaining negative levels.
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I am really surprised that there have been no new post since 2008. For the past three years we were giving 4th edition a whirl. Now we are giving Pathfinder a run. Love Rise of the Runelords. It is a much better campaign setting than whatever that setting was over in 4th edition. 4th had good points, but we really like the changes Pathfinder has made to the 3rd edition mechanics.
Every great module has an exceptional encounter that players talk about years later. In part one of Rise of the Runelords that encounter may be Erylium. Any new stories out there about this encounter?
Later,
Mazra
We did the fight today, and grapple won it. My players tried jumping from the elevated platform, using an improvised lasso to prevent her elusive tactics, but what allowed them to get her was a grapple from the enlarged shoanti fighter. At that point, he was under the effect of the "Pox Pustules" spell, so he had to scratch himself every round to avoid getting the sickened condition penalties. He proceeded to scratch himself with the grappled quasit... on his armor spikes. It was a really funny (yet pathetic in some aspects) fight.
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My party attacked her in the zero G room and tried to grapple her there. Even though there were four of them and one of her, what followed was a three stooges episode of people crashing into each other and losing their grip on her. When the fighter finally grabbed her, the barbarian bullrushed them both out of the zero G room. After a long struggle, they finally managed to drag her to the basin of water and drowned her. So yeah its definitely not an easy fight. It was near impossible for them to hit her ranged and they fared not much better in melee or grappling.
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My group just played this a few days away. They decided to send in 3 of their group to map out the tunnels. Caviler/Fighter(a hellknight), a Magus and the Oracle.
The Magus got to Erylium just after she casted Shield of Faith at the start of round 2. The Hellknight couldn't hit her with his crossbow and the Oracle cound't hit her with his Masterwork Longbow.. The Magus hit her about half the time (+5 attack). Since she wanted to cast a spell she took a 5 foot step(or fly in her case) to avoid an AOO and summoned a hyena who promptly hit the Oracle and tripped him. Things weren't looking so good. Erylium became invisible but since the she took the 5 foot step the Magus more or less knew were she was and tried to hit her (50% cover). She was also moving away from the stairs while the Magus was slowly moving back down them out of range, as she never flew down down. (This led to a hilariuos momnet when the player of the 5'7" Elf tried to argue that being so tall he could hit her. We all had a good laugh at his expense)
The Oracle used Color Spray knowing full well it could hit the Hellknight. The hyena rolled a natural 20 on his will save, the Hellknight failed. He used up a hero point and we decided that he got his shield up in time to block the spell. Things started to turn for the PCs when the Hellknight decided to stop trying to hit Erylium and gave the Precise Strike feat to the oracle(still on the ground) and stepped behind the hyena. 1d8+1 + 1d6 later the hyena was dead(the Oracle had damaged him a bit as well). Erylium summoned a Dire Rate which the Hellkight promptly killed the following round.
Eryluim was taken down because the Magus hit her with 3d6+4 twice(1d6+2 bonus, +1 Arcane Point, +1 Magic Weapon and Shocking Grasp 2d6. 14 and 17 damage respectively. Shocking Grasp's no save was huge. The enhancement bonus from the Arcane Pool also negated Eryluim's DR. The Oracle's second Color Spray hit her and she was stunned, so I said that she floated down into range of the Magus' second of his Shocking Grasp attacks.
After she died the Sinspawn that had been failing to hit the Magus botch his attack, fell down the stairs (the Magus got an AOO as he rolled past him) and the Hellknight crossbow'd him for the kill.
I forgot to give AOO against my PCs when the casted spells, so that might have made a difference. It went better than I thought, in particular the Magus keeps proving to be a beast. It took about 5 or 6 rounds. The group decided to regroup in town and fill in the rest of the group about what they had discovered.
From Tsuto's journal they knew their might me demons down there, but they chose not to do any research first. Really, I think they just expected more Goblins and went in there all brazen. I expect them to be more prepared before the go down to map the rest.
I hated Erylium. She sent our Gorum war crew packing the first time. She almost sent us packing the second time, but we finally killed her with a lucky crit after she attacked with her little flying dagger and turned visible.
Whoever designed that encounter was a devious bastard.
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I hated Erylium. She sent our Gorum war crew packing the first time. She almost sent us packing the second time, but we finally killed her with a lucky crit after she attacked with her little flying dagger and turned visible.
Whoever designed that encounter was a devious bastard.
Yep between her and Xanesha, the designers sure exercised their sadistic tendencies! For a first AP, the main opponents were very colorful and memorable in a shuddering, have-recurring-nightmares sort of way. (Though I thought the Skinsaw Man was rather underwhelming as presented).
My group managed to get a lucky Command on her (she rolled a 2) when they initially met her in the big cathedral room, otherwise she would have likely killed several characters, since they had weak missile attacks and could not manage to hit her. She fell and got beat up pretty good before fleeing, but was just as hard to kill the second time they met her.
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Later,
Mazra
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** whip spoiler omitted **
Later,
Mazra
My group used the whip in a similar way. I ruled that you can "trip" a wing-flying creature (entangle the wing, drop the critter) with a whip. Once she was on the ground, they dragged her into the pool and held her under water until she didn't wiggle any more.
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My group used the whip in a similar way. I ruled that you can "trip" a wing-flying creature (entangle the wing, drop the critter) with a whip. Once she was on the ground, they dragged her into the pool and held her under water until she didn't wiggle any more.** whip spoiler omitted **
Later,
Mazra
I played it the same as a trip too to determine the odds. I forgot the character had the Warchanter's whip. It was good idea to use this weapon in this situation. The party was rewarded.
Later,
Mazra
This was a really good fight that started off to a bang, than just dragged on way too. Let see party was a dwarf fighter with a great axe, elf rouge, cleric of blah blah(i forgot what of) and celestial blooded sorcerers.
Started off with sin spawn and her shattering the dwarf great ax. Than summoning monsters.
Than it just became her barely able to hit PCs for damage, and PCs barely able to hit her due to DR and invisibility. Towards the end it was the elf running out of arrows, the sorcerers running out of heavenly fire and a dwarf and cleric failing to grapple that tiny annoying cackling demon.
I got tired and she game back later when they were fighting crazy chick with freaky hand shattered the dwarf new great ax again and well the party was horrible wounded out of resources(the goblins got really lucky against them, they sadly failed just about every roll they could make) and help with a tpk.
I now love shatter. best spell ever.
I am also sort of a d*ck