OK, my group got up this battle last night.
I haven't seen any particular reference to him in the threads so, I was thinking tough fight, but no worries. I unfortunately didn't have a lot of prep time for the session to review the set up thoroughly.
So anyway, he completely owned the party, thrashed them.
The party didn't help themselves, true, they hadn't been particularly quiet, so Malfesh had prep time to cast Invis Sphere, and the Rogue and Wizard rushed into the room to search for secret doors (the wizard had cast Detect Secret Doors so they knew there were a couple in the room.)
This let Malfesh take the Wizard out quickly (2 rounds). Which didn't help. But getting +11 and +17 (IIRC) on his attack rolls, he can hardly miss a 4th level character, and dishing out an average of 20-30 points a round he just carved through the party.
I think he was a bit overpowered really, if for whatever reason the PC's fail to simply stand in the doorway (which my party unfortunatly didn't do) they are in for a whomping.
I suppose I'm mainly wondering how everyone else found this encounter?
He's limited by his lack of mobility, but yes, he's very hard to find for a reason. It's a monster you come back for later. In fact, if a party figures out that he's trapped there, they should come in, shoot at him for a round or two a day and wear him down slowly.
Mal's a brutal fight, but he's stuck there. As soon as they realized just how lethal he was, they needed to change gears to "escape and evade".
In order to moderate his destructive potential, keep in mind that his main goal is escape. When one of my groups encountered him, Mal charmed their bruiser and tried to use him as a hostage to force the rest of the party to release him. Mal's plan broke down when he became frustrated at the bruiser's stupidity and inability to understand him: Mal took a chunk out of the lunkhead from sheer aggravation, breaking the charm.
Yep, it's a great test for adventurers: Do they realise that they're out of their depth and stay away for now?
My players got in, got mauled, got out. They realised at once that they couldn't defeat him now.
But they thought that a good night's sleep and some customised spell lists would take care of it.
They made another attempt, and were lucky to leave with all their body parts intact. He never managed to hit with all three attacks (sometimes because of bad attack rolls, sometimes because the blink miss chance interfered with his own attacks.
If he had, he'd have claimed one of the characters as food.
They left him but vowed to return. Can't wait for that to happen.
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I had a similar experience in my campaign. They entered his room when they were 4th level. He was invisible. He almost killed the ranger in one round (they had to use action points to keep him alive). They fled, vowing to come back later for revenge.
They returned after Skinsaw Murders, at level 7, and this time, knowing what to expect, they totally destroyed him, even though he had managed to charm the Paladin early in the fight.
They returned after Skinsaw Murders, at level 7, and this time, knowing what to expect, they totally destroyed him, even though he had managed to charm the Paladin early in the fight.
I doubt my players will do the same. They think they know what to expect, but they're wrong. }>
It was a tough fight for my party, but they managed to beat him due mainly to lack of mobility, not only can he not leave the room, but he has to "squeeze" if he wants to move from one end of the room to the other due to the fire pit. (there were three 4th level PC's and Orik whom they had recruited... alas Mal killed Orik, but the PC's all managed to survive, although all three were with in one hit of going down when Mal fell).
It was a tough fight for my party, but they managed to beat him due mainly to lack of mobility, not only can he not leave the room, but he has to "squeeze" if he wants to move from one end of the room to the other due to the fire pit. (there were three 4th level PC's and Orik whom they had recruited... alas Mal killed Orik, but the PC's all managed to survive, although all three were with in one hit of going down when Mal fell).
To that, just let me giggle sinisterly.
Call me Sir Prize!
They returned after Skinsaw Murders, at level 7, and this time, knowing what to expect, they totally destroyed him, even though he had managed to charm the Paladin early in the fight.
My party just did the same thing - came back after Skinsaw. They were only 6th level, having gone around a couple of things in Skinsaw. I threw a couple of minor encounters at them on the way to Thisteltop, to force some resource managment, but they tore Mal a new one. Protection from Evil all around and an Invisibility Purge. The blinking kept him alive for a couple extra rounds, but the party got out with only one injury and no fatalities. Very diligent research before hand also helped a lot.
Yes in fact we came back for a little revenge last night on old Mal. He dropped 2 of the party members the last time we had seen him (4th lvl)and had to flee, barely escaping him.
This time we researched his abilities in Magnimar, had inviso purge and protection from evil potions on. He was still able to make our bruiser withdraw while the rest of us pounded him into mince meat.
We took his head and had it stuffed. This was cause for a feast in Sandpoint with the Dire Boar as the food centerpiece that we had killed on the way to Thissletop!!!!
Man that was a lot of pork...
Hahahahaha!
Now that the goblin dog monster's out of the bag, I can reveal my masterfully evil deeds of, eh, evil. Yes, evil's in there twice. I'm that evil. The Whispering Tyrant was there the whole session and took notes!
So the Shaonti Duskblade, finally giving in to his ingrained sense for petty revenge, traveled back to Thistletop to kill Mal - leaving his adventurer mates behind for this.
When he opened, he found the beast could talk - but wasn't adressing him!
Mal: "Here he is! You were right, he actually came. Humans are so predictable."
Xanesha: "Why would I lie to you? Actually, I hoped to get them all, but this is a good start, and getting them one at a time makes things a lot easier, too."
In the ensuing fight, he actually dropped Mal, but Xan made short work of him shortly after. He woke up, tied to some ghastly altair, his hands cut off, and Xan was carving the Sihedron into his chest, idly chatting with Mal:
Mal: "I can't belive you actually healed me."
Xan: "Why would I renege on our deal? Well, I'm done here, dinner's served. But remember, you only get his flesh, his soul's for me and my master. Such a morsel is too juicy to pass up. After that you're free to go back home. But I guess you wouldn't mind to make a meal of the others as well, and I like there's enough greed in them to satisfy our needs. They're adventurers after all. You know how to get in touch."
So endeth Zak, arcane warrior of the Shoanti - in the belly of the beast, and in.... but where the soul went, everyone involved will find out soon enough.
I must say that I did expect them to wait a bit, maybe until after Skull's crossing, or Hook Mountian altogether, and then go back to Thistletop together. In that case, they would have been four instead of one, and a bit more powerful as well, and would merely have had a hard fight. But when the player announced that he wanted to "retire" his character and do a new one, things were just coming together like the diabolist who find a suicidal virgin.
They didn't know the meaning of the word "retreat", eh? Seeing as he was pretty much confined to that one chamber, they could have fled after the first character dropped like a fly. Make sure to laugh at them profusely ;-)
I really hate Malfeshkor....he totally owned the party and now he has all my stuff :(
It is fairly easy for the PCs to be unable to retreat, given that Malfeshnikor can be invisible when they encounter him. If they all enter the room to search it--and why not?--he can get between them and the door. This is an excellent way to lose half the party or more.
In my game he charmed someone immediately and got the party to agree to work on freeing him. I liked this a lot better than the stand-up fight suggested in the module. It also led to a nice scene where the no-longer-charmed PC returned with Xanesha's amulet (which I had decided would break the imprisoning spell), deliberately freed Malfeshnikor and then said "All that stands between you and the world you crave is...me." A brisk fight ensued, but at 7th level the PCs were well prepared to win it.
Mary
It is fairly easy for the PCs to be unable to retreat, given that Malfeshnikor can be invisible when they encounter him. If they all enter the room to search it--and why not?--he can get between them and the door. This is an excellent way to lose half the party or more.
That's being a jerk-GM. It's a fight they can't win. If the GM won't give them a chance to retreat, he's just playing "look how great I am, I can kill your characters."
It is fairly easy for the PCs to be unable to retreat, given that Malfeshnikor can be invisible when they encounter him. If they all enter the room to search it--and why not?--he can get between them and the door. This is an excellent way to lose half the party or more.That's being a jerk-GM. It's a fight they can't win. If the GM won't give them a chance to retreat, he's just playing "look how great I am, I can kill your characters."
Not really. It's how the encounter is written. If he hears the party coming he casts invisbility sphere. The PC's see an apparently empty room - what do they do? go in to search it of course.
And unless you're a very generous GM, who has the beast attack the party the second one of them steps into the room, it is very easy for most of the party to be stuck in the room.
Mal has to "squeeze" to stand in front of the door meaning that while he is blocking it he is taking a -4 to attack rolls and AC (and is consequently much less dangerous).
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And unless you're a very generous GM, who has the beast attack the party the second one of them steps into the room, it is very easy for most of the party to be stuck in the room.
But is Malfeshkor even sane enough to not go killcrazy the first time he sees fresh meat?
He's gone hungry for a long time.
Not really. It's how the encounter is written. If he hears the party coming he casts invisbility sphere. The PC's see an apparently empty room - what do they do? go in to search it of course.And unless you're a very generous GM, who has the beast attack the party the second one of them steps into the room, it is very easy for most of the party to be stuck in the room.
I don't say that he shouldn't attack. I just say that he shouldn't block the exit. Make one mad full attack at the whole party (i.e. one attack against each) and make it clear that he's apparently settling for the easiest mark (having found out who that is with his whirlwind frenzy). Also point out that the thing seems to be quite powerful (even if the damage output - make sure to use power attack) won't teach them that)
Then, they have the chance to retreat. If they don't, at least one of them will be minced unless they're very lucky.
But letting him stand in front of the exit so they have to make insane dice rolls to get out of a situation they didn't get in out of foolishness is quite nasty. That's basically running over the whole party with the train.
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Here's the story Party opened the door saw nothing, MAL was invisible, Party rolled poorly on perception checks and went in. MAL got a suprise round on the bard, but went at the same time as Wizard with the ability go during round, he threw flour on him. MAL won int and slayed the bard -17. Wizard made knowledge roll told him what it was. Paladin was using Detect Evil saw him was outside the room. Three out of the five player were inside the room. MAL has an 18Int, and saw the party was split and shut the door and used his body against the door. The plan was to charm a player MAL turn invisible and say player defeated him. I will say bad rolls helped and buy the end they had him down to 40hp.
As a DM, I am a firm believer about sometimes you find things and are suppose to run away.
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OK, here's my Malfeshkor story: My group got to him with low spells, so many being burnt up already. The wizard enlarged the Cleric (who has a increased size warhammer doing some insane damage), then burst into the room. Malf was invisible, so the Bard enters and moves to the right side, then the rogue just behind the bard...the enlarged Cleric decides to go the same route and passes the other PC's. Malf shows up attacking the Rogue and taking her to exactly 0 HP. Then Blinks. Cleric chases to the other side of the room, loses Malf as he returns to lay waste to the Bard...taking the Bard to -1 HP. At this point the wizard is contemplating running while the valiant Cleric is telling the Wizard on his free actions to retreat and leave this place behind. Malf shows up and begins battle with the Cleric and for the first time I missed with everything but one claw, so the Cleric stayed standing...then the PC's finally got a good idea...the Cleric knew this was a losing battle and again told the Wizard to leave, instead the wizard replied jump in the fire! So the Cleric did and via Baleful Teleporation the Cleric and Malf switched places helping end the battle as Malf was cooked! But otherwise this was almost a total TPK.
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Mal was a fun fight for our group, back when they encountered him, though my party tends to be aware that I like to let the world feel more dynamic rather then always being built to their level, so they know they can go places they might not be meant to yet and things won't just scale down to them. This means that often times they are more prepared to flee if need be.
In this case, the door was pulled open and their fighter peeked around inside(they don't have anyone who can spot so well so the one who is most likely to survive a hit from something he doesn't see tends to do the scouting) and not seeing the invisible Mal decided to enter and start to look around. As the rest of the group trailed in the wizard, who just so happened to have seen invis on from looking in the previous rooms stepped through the door and spotted Mal sneaking up on the fighter.
Making a quick knowledge check I pointed out to him basic barghest information, that they eat the bodies of the fallen and it causes them to grow in power, eventually advancing to a stronger being, and that Mal looked rather large even for one of the greater versions. This led to him saying something inciteful, along the lines of 'Oh crap.' which also led to initiative.
Fortunately, because they spotted him before he could get in close to the fighter, when Mal beat them in initiative he had to move to get all the way in to attack, so just one powerful blow was landed, enough to do way more damage then they wanted to see in one attack, and they decided falling back was in order. Basically the druids animal companion attacked Mal(and sacrificed itself) while the rest of the party fell back, the fighter nearly succumbing to Mals mind tricks before the door way closed.
The group fell back to town and prepared and rested, doing a couple minor things around town, but deciding they needed to handle this evil under thistletop immediately rather then going off adventuring further first, so they hadn't even leveled further when they returned. However, the fight at that point went relatively easier, as they knew what they were expecting and hit it very swat style, having protection from evil on the low will save, likely to be influenced characters, and opening the door with a readied glitterdust(to cancel him being invisible like last time) and firing off a ray of enfeeblement to cut down on his damage and just how much he could reliably power attack for.
Going into things ready for what was to come, after having fled before, the group didn't have too rough of a time with the fight.
-Tarlane