So, my group kicked the tar out of Olangu and the girls … just barely. No spells left, most of them are at single digit hps, and they’ve pretty much blown their wads. Three rounds later, the Lemorian Golem starts to boogie. So they do the only rational thing – the run like crazy. That’s were the game secession ended. Here’s my question to all you smart people? What doest the golem do? Will it follow them? Will it leave the room to pursue them into the corridor? Will it leave the shrine to hunt them in the jungle? Or would it instead remain where it is and wait for them to return? After all, they cannot escape Fogmire until the golem is destroyed.
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I'd let them rest outside the temple but use some of the Isle of Dread random encounters. I'm sure there are other creatures stuck in the Fogmire. Then let them return with Golem ready and waiting for them... I mean it doesn't have to sleep and it's intelligent to boot!
I'm guessing the Naga and the mob of fiendish baboons are toast? Perhaps the Golem can use commune in the shrine to request some aid from Khala in the form of some minor demons like dretch, quasits, or rutterkin??? I'd use the mirrors as the conduit for them to arrive.
--Vrock the Monkey!
Hmmm. There's definately something there. In fact, I could got nutz and have the golem re-stock the dungeon - so to speak. He could summon a whole new "sect" of Big D worshipers and servants. And, yeah, if they come in by the mirrors, they could, in therory, come form anywhere.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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Nice update on the site, Troy!
Add my vote to reinforcements. Nothing spoils a big, boss fight like everyone whaling on one target.
Thoughts...
The players will be expecting big slaps with a reach, they won't be expecting CON damage. Nothing spoils your day like taking 15 damage and it turning into 30-something because you just lost 4 con. On the other hand the fortitude save is pretty sappy (for a 9th level fighter then). His dual action thing is nice too. Get someone grappled and watch them panic!
So, I'm thinking not too many heavy reinforcements in case everyone loses scads of constitution. Smart use of reinforcements that complement the golem's strengths and weaknesses would make for a memorable battle though. If you can split their fire it might last a few rounds.
It's lacking ranged ability and battlefield control - flying beasties with a few sorceror levels maybe? If you drive them away from the walls and ceiling you can get the non-fighters within the golem's reach, where their rubbish Fort saves are a liability. Five or six advanced ooze mephits might work nicely, especially if they start invisible. Scatter them at different heights and ranges, give them acid arrrow a few levels higher and bump the stinking cloud dc by 2 or 3. Khala is the master of potions, so I´d litter the floor with empty potion of invisibility bottles.
Have Khala deliver some herbs or alchemical pouches that the golem can throw on the fire to fill the room with dizzying or nauseating fumes - or damp fumes that let the mephits fast heal. Give them all a second potion of invisibility to draw out the agony.
Maybe let the golem use some potions too? (Or does that not work?)
Stone salve him for giggles?
Khala supplying the Lemorian Golem can go a step further. Also, did they loot Olangru's corpse ? If not, have the golem (or a trusted mini-onion) packing Olangru's Ring of the Ram as a back-up method of dealing with pesky adventurers.
If they did not get any of the loot, the golem can readily make use of that loot to further improve itself. Being intelligent, I would certainly say it would probably engage in an aggressive patrol.
You will almost certainly have to royally ramp up its hit points, depending on the specifics of your group.
Carborundum's suggestion should definitely make for a brutal, memorable battle royale...
I never really got the Lemorian Golem. it's a golem right, so it should be immune to all magic except the spells on a short list. But there is no such short list, or even mention of its immunity to magic. Does that mean its immune to everything, or that its not immune to any magic?
Not that magic immunity s what its purported to be. It only means you automatically succeed at Spell Resistance - but not all spells have that. One Fire Orb later, and most golems are scrap.
I knew you guys would come through for me. One question, though: Who is Khala and what chapter do I find him/her in? Plus, yeah, I'd like to know the answers to Carl's questions, too. It's going to matter when the battle comes.
Hmm...while the thing has some intelligence, I'm not so sure it would know how to summon in more help. That being said, you could do it anyway.
According to the description, it's not above pursuing them. Since it is the object keeping the "fog" in tact, I think it could be kind of cool to have it follow them out. While they are trying to rest, it could strike from the shadows of the fog...maybe calling upon some sort of "fog mephits" or something...
Adding concealment from the fog could make it more interesting, as they'd opt to close with the beast, allowing for grapples. And don't forget that it has spell resistence of 18!
Not bad. I can play up the creepiness with the fog. Plus, there’s the whole “It won’t let you escape,” factor of it chasing them. Oooh! And what if the whole “ant-lion trap” thing is something the golem can personally control? What if they can’t escape? They go out into the hall and run down the hall only to find that the double doors at the other end open up …right back into the sanctuary! Actually, now that I think of it, that might be the better option. If they can’t get away and heal and rest and regain spells, there’s really no need for MORE icky-bads. That would be less for me to prepare for the next game, so I can turn my attention to preparing the first encounter of ToD.
As a side note, they had been through the whole complex up to the sanctuary at the previous game secession. I drew in the sanctuary in prep for the last secession and, in so doing, I erased everything but “howling” corridor (because they were still in it) When they discover the space-warping trap they’re in, it will look to the players, in retrospect, that is was part of the plan all along.
On another side note, I got a comment from one of my players on my blog arguing that retreating was “cowardly” and they should finish the battle. This seemed strange to me because he’s always the one IN FAVOR of retreating and resting so he can get his spells back. Hmm...
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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Y'know, that's even better Troy!
It's Fogmire all over again - as above, so below - so to speak. No need to worry about them being loaded for bear either. Plus you get to look all in control and stuff :-)
Are you aware that the golem has 96 hitpoints and not the 51 in the magazine (that was a misprint and mentioned way back when). I'd give it about 140 if they aren't suffering badly enough, but I've been hanging around here too long :)
Khala is the big bad guy in City of Broken Idols - an aspect of demogorgon and bad-ass.
Thank you again. Everyone. I knew I could count on all of you to inspire me (if not just flat out give me the best ideas to rip off!) Our group is taking a break this week (I'm working overtime at the office) so check back with us in about a week and a half (some time after 11 February) to see how it all pans out. And, if you do, be sure to post a comment. My players get fired up when people outside our weekly game group show an interest. Thanks, all!
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Oh how I wish this thread existed just a week earlier. I very nearly had a TPK several times in the Shrine. We were down one player (who was "taken off" by a pair of Olangru's mates for "fun" but left alive in the end...we'll see about his sanity), but still had a wizard, duskblade, VoP monk/cleric, and a druid, so I figured they'd be fine as long as they played smart. As an aside, I have to say I was terribly disappointed at how cleverly they destroyed the mob in the throne room - I couldn't wait to throw the mob at the AC 35 monk that I can never hit...so sad.
The duskblade did his usual dumb thing of going toe-to-toe with the biggest and baddest he could find (which is why this player's characters have short lifespans). A little metagaming led him to attack the big statue instead of Olangru, which I shrugged over and figured the Lemorian golem would wake up early and angry over being attacked.
This made the fight MUCH MUCH worse for the PCs. By the time the survivors decided to flee, the only way I could see to save any of them was to have the golem be "disappointed" with Olangru and pause to smack him around a little. Then the golem remained behind, resuming its post. Olangru and his mates disappeared, and the spirit naga (who they had bypassed earlier) sided with the PCs, deciding they offered a chance to escape Fogmire. The golem didn't last long against a fully prepped party (plus a couple NPCs to make up for the dead PCs), mostly because the night was late and I didn't want to run another complicated battle...probably just should have left a cliffhanger like you did.
On the bright side, Olangru still lives and I have a strong suspicion he will want personal revenge for destroying the shrine. That will be fun to play with.
Oh how I wish this thread existed just a week earlier. I very nearly had a TPK several times in the Shrine. We were down one player (who was "taken off" by a pair of Olangru's mates for "fun" but left alive in the end...we'll see about his sanity), but still had a wizard, duskblade, VoP monk/cleric, and a druid, so I figured they'd be fine as long as they played smart. As an aside, I have to say I was terribly disappointed at how cleverly they destroyed the mob in the throne room - I couldn't wait to throw the mob at the AC 35 monk that I can never hit...so sad.
The duskblade did his usual dumb thing of going toe-to-toe with the biggest and baddest he could find (which is why this player's characters have short lifespans). A little metagaming led him to attack the big statue instead of Olangru, which I shrugged over and figured the Lemorian golem would wake up early and angry over being attacked.
This made the fight MUCH MUCH worse for the PCs. By the time the survivors decided to flee, the only way I could see to save any of them was to have the golem be "disappointed" with Olangru and pause to smack him around a little. Then the golem remained behind, resuming its post. Olangru and his mates disappeared, and the spirit naga (who they had bypassed earlier) sided with the PCs, deciding they offered a chance to escape Fogmire. The golem didn't last long against a fully prepped party (plus a couple NPCs to make up for the dead PCs), mostly because the night was late and I didn't want to run another complicated battle...probably just should have left a cliffhanger like you did.
On the bright side, Olangru still lives and I have a strong suspicion he will want personal revenge for destroying the shrine. That will be fun to play with.
^_^ There are some stat blocks floating around for Olangru I believe ... just sayin' ...
...The duskblade did his usual dumb thing of going toe-to-toe with the biggest and baddest he could find (which is why this player's characters have short lifespans). A little metagaming led him to attack the big statue instead of Olangru, which I shrugged over and figured the Lemorian golem would wake up early and angry over being attacked.
This made the fight MUCH MUCH worse for the PCs....
Well, even the best DM can't blame her self for bad player decisions. There is a certain justice to to the players metagaming actually making things WORSE. Yeah, the scenario is clearly written so that the party isn't fighting Olangru and the golem at the same time. However, leave it to an overly clever player to snatch defeat from the jaws of near victory.
Maybe they've learned something. Or not.
Then again, a heroic character wanting to do heroic things is very... heroic. Seems like you want a more tactical game, he wants a more heroic one. Neither of you is wrong, you just have to agree on what the game is about.
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Then again, a heroic character wanting to do heroic things is very... heroic. Seems like you want a more tactical game, he wants a more heroic one. Neither of you is wrong, you just have to agree on what the game is about.
Except, if I recall from the adventure, there's nothing much to indicate that the golem is anything but a statue until it moves, is there? That's not heroic, that's just plain metagaming - beat on the statue to weaken the golem before it 'wakes up' when you destroy Olangru, rather than dealing with the clear and present danger of the ape-demon.
Then again, a heroic character wanting to do heroic things is very... heroic. Seems like you want a more tactical game, he wants a more heroic one. Neither of you is wrong, you just have to agree on what the game is about.Except, if I recall from the adventure, there's nothing much to indicate that the golem is anything but a statue until it moves, is there? That's not heroic, that's just plain metagaming - beat on the statue to weaken the golem before it 'wakes up' when you destroy Olangru, rather than dealing with the clear and present danger of the ape-demon.
A (nasty) trick to use is that the golem IS a statue until it activates - the cheap shot(s) that hit it have to deal with a statue with hundreds of hit points and a hardness rating of 8+. Retain the golem's saving throw bonuses - and be sure to errata the hit points AT LEAST, if not maximize them.
In other words, the first say, 300 hit points that hit it are 'temporary' hit points that go away first. When it animates ... it's all shiny and deadly, eager to squeeze and squish.
And for the record, if any one had done that in either group I ran through it, the exact same result would have occurred. You whack a golem hard enough for it to notice, it wakes up on the spot and returns the favor.
Then again, a heroic character wanting to do heroic things is very... heroic. Seems like you want a more tactical game, he wants a more heroic one. Neither of you is wrong, you just have to agree on what the game is about.Except, if I recall from the adventure, there's nothing much to indicate that the golem is anything but a statue until it moves, is there? That's not heroic, that's just plain metagaming - beat on the statue to weaken the golem before it 'wakes up' when you destroy Olangru, rather than dealing with the clear and present danger of the ape-demon.
Yeah, that's not tactical, that's just dumb - even from a metagaming POV. It's like saying, "I don't have enough on my plate. How much more hurt can I pull on myself? Wakey wakey statue!"
I'm with Turin on his suggestion. I even toyed with (had my players run to "rest") having the other statues in the room animate, too.