"GROG!!! GROG!!! GROG!!!!!!!!!"
Axe Strikes: 1d20+38+6=54=60, 1d100=57, 1d20+33+6=59, 1d100=94, 1d20+28+6=37, 1d100=22 HIT/HIT/MISS
blindness:1-50 misses 51+ hits
Shield Bash:1d20+38+6=52, 1d100=4 MISS
blindness:1-50 misses 51+ hits
2d8+4d8+18+6=55-15=40, 2d8+4d8+18=6=43-15=28
68 damage.
Holding for the wall of force clarification...
Uh, when did they change wall of force preventing it being a hemisphere?
Man I really need to DM higher level games more often...learning more here than anywhere...
My mistake...I'll get it clarified...You didn't mention it earlier when it affected the fire elemental...LoL
Antipathy can be used against a "type" of creature...but I completely missed the 1 hour casting time...wow...
Uh, when did they change wall of force preventing it being a hemisphere?
Man I really need to DM higher level games more often...learning more here than anywhere...
My mistake...I'll get it clarified...You didn't mention it earlier when it affected the fire elemental...LoL
It was changed between 3.0 and 3.5.
I assumed that the spell affecting the elemental was Forcecage, not Wall of Force.
Uh, when did they change wall of force preventing it being a hemisphere?
Man I really need to DM higher level games more often...learning more here than anywhere...
My mistake...I'll get it clarified...You didn't mention it earlier when it affected the fire elemental...LoL
It was changed between 3.0 and 3.5.
I assumed that the spell affecting the elemental was Forcecage, not Wall of Force.
Well it is now....LoL
The wall of force fails due to one of the scorpions getting in the way.
Bartimus casts a maximized Firestorm on the tentacular beasty.
SR: 1d20+24=40
Damage 120 FIRE! Damage and DC 28 Reflex for half
Strangler your action before Barts...
Save vs. Firestorm:1d20+17=20
Strangler changes to a gold dragon and breathes fire.
DC 33: 12d8=40
The scorpions keep constricting.
1d20+50=60 1d20+50=54 4d8+24=40 4d8+24=39
Strangler changes to a gold dragon and breathes fire.
DC 33: 12d8=40The scorpions keep constricting.
1d20+50=60 1d20+50=54 4d8+24=40-20=20 4d8+24=39-20=19
The beast is able to contort its form to avoid some of the fiery damage...1d20+17=37 20 dmg+20 dmg+19 dmg = 59 dmg
It is unable to avoid Bartimus' holy vengeance as the flames erupt in the areas where it had moved to avoid Strangler's fiery assault...
120 dmg...which will also incinerate the unicorn...oops
The creature is destroyed, nothing is left as it has now taken 706 dmg out of 570...Bartimus merely scoured it's corpse off the world...
Here's the creature:
DM Fiat Elite Advanced Half-Farspawn Nightmare Psychic Gibbering Mouther
Size/Type: HUGE Aberration
Hit Dice: 27d8+332+30 (570hp)
Initiative: +11 (+8 precog)
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 39 touch:21, flat-footed:30 (10 +3 Dex, +16 natural,+4 dodge, +2 insight, +4 deflection)
Base Attack/CMB: +20/+32
Attack: Bite +30 melee (1d6+10) or spittle +23 ranged touch (1d8 acid plus blindness)
Full Attack: 6 bites +28 melee (1d6+10) and 2 spittle +21 ranged touch (1d8 acid plus blindness)and 2 tentacles (1d8+10)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft. reach 15ft tentacles
Special Attacks: Gibbering, spittle, improved grab, blood drain, swallow whole, ground manipulation, true strike 1/day, half-farspawn magic, psychic powers.
Special Qualities: Spell Resistance 25, Amorphous, damage reduction 20/-, darkvision 60', blindsight 60', immune poison, acid/elec resist 10.
Saves: Fort +22, Ref +17, Will +22
Abilities: Str 30(+10), Dex 17(+3), Con 34(+12), Int 40(+15), Wis 19(+4), Cha 20(+5)
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +9, Swim +8
Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Finesse, dodge, improved natural attack (bite), multi-attack, combat expertise, combat reflexes weapon focus (bite), dazzling display, toughness vital strike, improved vital strike, intimidating prowess, rapid shot.
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 21
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Level Adjustment: —
CL:18th
A gibbering mouther is a horrible creature seemingly drawn from a lunatic’s nightmares. Although not evil, it thirsts after bodily fluids and seems to prefer the blood of intelligent creatures.
A gibbering mouther is about 3 feet across and 3 to 4 feet high. It weighs about 200 pounds.
Gibbering mouthers can speak Common, but seldom say anything other than gibberish.
Combat
A gibbering mouther attacks by shooting out strings of protoplasmic flesh, each ending in one or more eyes and a mouth that bites at the enemy. A mouther can send out a total of six such members in any round.
Gibbering (Su)
As soon as a mouther spots something edible, it begins a constant gibbering as a free action. All creatures (other than mouthers) within a 60-foot spread must succeed on a DC 27 Will save or be affected as though by a confusion spell for 1d2 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting compulsion effect. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected by the same gibbering mouther’s gibbering for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Spittle (Ex)
As a free action every round, a gibbering mouther fires a stream of spittle at one opponent within 30 feet. The mouther makes a ranged touch attack; if it hits, it deals 1d4 points of acid damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 35 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. Eyeless creatures are immune to the blinding effect, but are still subject to the acid damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a gibbering mouther must hit with a bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Swallow Whole (Ex)
The gibbering mouther can attempt to swallow a grappled opponent of Medium or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. (The gibbering mouther doesn’t actually “swallow” the opponent—it engulfs it within its amorphous form—but the effect is essentially the same.) Once inside, the gibbering mouther can use its blood drain ability. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by dealing 5 points of damage to the gibbering mouther (same AC).
The Thing Man Was Not Meant to Hear’s body can hold 4 Medium, 16 Small, 32 Tiny, Diminutive, or 256 Fine creatures.
Blood Drain (Ex)
A swallowed opponent automatically takes 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round.
Ground Manipulation (Su)
At will, as a standard action, a gibbering mouther can cause stone and earth in all adjacent squares to become a morass akin to quicksand. Softening earth, sand, or the like takes 1 round, while stone takes 2 rounds. Anyone other than the mouther in that area must take a move-equivalent action to avoid becoming mired (treat as being pinned).
Amorphous (Ex)
A gibbering mouther is not subject to critical hits. It cannot be flanked.
Skills
Thanks to their multiple eyes, gibbering mouthers have a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks.
A gibbering mouther has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Half-farspawn magic
blur 3/day
touch of idiocy
blink 3/day
greater invis
telekinesis
ethereal jaunt 3/day
scintillating pattern
summon monster IX (pseudonatural template)
implosion
Fear Aura (Su): Any creature within 60 feet of a nightmare
creature must succeed on a Will save (DC 28) or become shaken each time it comes within 60 feet of the nightmare creature during the next
24 hours. If the save is successful, the creature is immune
to that nightmare creature’s fear aura for 24 hours. This
ability affects even creatures that cannot see the nightmare
creature.
Frightful Presence (Ex): When the nightmare creature
charges, makes a surprise attack, or succeeds on a DC 15
Intimidate or Perform check, every creature within 30
feet must succeed on a Will save (DC 28) or become panicked for 2d6 rounds. Success renders the creature immune to that nightmare creature’s
frightful presence for 1 hour.
Night Terrors (Su): A nightmare creature can enter the
dreams of a sleeping creature at will as a standard action.
Th is ability has the same eff ect as a dream spell, except
that once inside the dream of another creature, the
nightmare creature can control the dream world
with which the sleeper interacts.
Psychic Powers
Empath Spell-Like Abilities:
1–2 Remove fear 3/day, hideous laughter 1/day
3–4 Cause fear 1/day
5–6 Calm emotions 3/day, scare 1/day
7–8 Good hope 2/day
9–10 Rage 2/day
11–12 Fear 2/day
13–14 Crushing despair 3/day
15–16 Symbol of fear 1/day
17–18 Sympathy 1/day
19–20 Antipathy 1/day
Precognizant : Spell-Like Abilities: At will—guidance (self only);
3/day—augury, moment of prescience; 1/day—foresight.
Precognizant : Foresight (Su): A precognizant functions as
though constantly affected by a foresight spell (caster level
equals precognizant’s character level). The precognizant
receives instantaneous warnings of impending danger to
itself and gains a general idea of what actions it might
take to protect itself. It is never surprised or flat-footed
and gains a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves.
This insight bonus is lost whenever the precognizant is
denied its dex bonus.
Telepathic: Informed Prediction (Su): If the telepath has
successfully used detect thoughts against a creature
within 24 hours, it gains a +2 dodge bonus against
that creature’s attacks and a +2 insight bonus on saves
against that creature’s spells and special attacks.
Telepathy (Su): A telepathic creature can use telepathy
to a range of 100 feet, as described in the MM.
Telepath: Spell-Like Abilities:
At will—detect thoughts;
1/day—dream
mind blank
phantasmal killer
telepathic bond
Caster level equals telepath’s character level. The
save DCs are Charisma-based.
Telekinetic: Spell-Like Abilities: A telekinetic gains spell-like
abilities according to its character level, as indicated
on the following table. These abilities are cumulative.
Caster level equals telekinetic’s character level. The
save DCs are Charisma-based.
Telekinetic Spell-Like Abilities
Character Level Ability
1–2 Mage hand at will, shield 1/day
3–4 Animate rope 1/day, hold portal 2/day
5–6 Floating disk 1/day
7–8 Control water 1/day, sympathetic vibration 2/day
9–10 Resilient sphere 1/day
11–12 Telekinesis 3/day
13–14 Repel wood 1/day, repel metal or stone 1/day
15–16 Reverse gravity 1/day
17–18 Telekinetic sphere 1/day
19–20 Wall of force 3/day
DM Fiat Template
40 Intelligence
20/- Damage resistance
infinite mind (3 full attack actions)
CR 21
BASE: 5
+5 (+22 Hit Dice)
+2 Size
+3 Half-Spawn
+3 Psychic
+1 Elite
+1 Nightmare
+1 Fiat
Had some of those implosion saves been bad, it might have turned out worse...or if I hadn't had the second implosion go after the other scorpion.
Nice use of the Shadow Jump to escape the grapple...
Interesting. Where does that creature come from? Or, if you made it up, how did you come up with the CR?
the CR calculation is at the bottom, it has several templates overlaid on it, then a DM Fiat template, stuff I added to make it more of a challenge...The base Creature is a Gibbering Mouther.
CR 21
BASE: 5
+5 (+22 Hit Dice)
+2 Size
+3 Half-Spawn (Book of Madness)
+3 Psychic (Advanced Bestiary)
+1 Elite
+1 Nightmare (Advanced Bestiary)
+1 DM Fiat
Nifty bad guy! I dig the horror from beyond angle. Pathfinder characters are definitely powerful as levels progress. I'm leaning toward a cumulative +1 Level Adjustment per 5 PC levels...
Thanks, I wanted to shift away from the types of stuff we'd already playtested..I almost put our party against another party...LoL
Oh man I shoulda put a mirror of opposition in a room...heh.
the priest is in my profile as well...
and the elemental had the pseudo-natural template applied.
By the way, I think that gorgon breath is too good. I should've used it on the big, bad monster, too...
Yeah, I think that would have shortened the entire battle...Fort save?
It's main weakness was the reflex saves...even with mods it was only +19.
Hey, I've checked in periodically on this and another of your high level tests,
I just wanted to know how you were calculating the PC's ECL/'CR':
Were you adjusting their effective level up for stronger Pathfinder classes vs. 3.5 Monsters?
Or were the Monsters themselves "Pathfinder upgraded" in some way?
I assume you started with high point buy, so was PC ECL adjusted for being "Elite"?
But anyhow, I loved the flavor of the last encounter you put together, I kindof wished it's vileness could have vanquished the mortal challengers... But thanks for putting it's stats up, I just might use those sometime!
In the frost giant + dragon encounter, I assigned skill points and feats for the dragon, including some Pathfinder-only feats like Dazzling Display and Intimidating Prowess. For the frost giant, I retooled the skill points a little (to get rid of any penalty for cross-class skills).
Sleepy mentioned that he didn't change anything for his encounters (manticore + lions, and horned devil + barbed devils).
I did retool my encounter a bit, including adding that 16th levle priest, and having the beasty summon the pseudonatural elemental, then upping it's power level quite a bit, by allowing 3 actions per round, and the DR 20/-, it was already immune to criticals and had a 25 SR (which is nothing to level 20 character with spell penetration...needs to be upped to 30 max I believe.)
If I were to re-run the encounter, I would probably have used implosion right off the bat on the weakest characters first...
The party was pretty tough, it was a pretty fun encounter.
Cool,
it seemed like both Monsters and PCs probably made "bad choices" at different points, but people do that, so I took it more as a general display of how things COULD go more than an "ultimate test" of power levels.
...Though I really did like what you did with that last Monster, enough that re-running it with PRPG Bestiary stats + Feats would be interesting. You should try the next Paizo contest and submit Ddgzigoth (or whatever) as a monster/NPC submission - I think the concept worked well despite the seeming profusion of templates. Maybe even design a Cultist/Priest PrC dedicated to the Vile Madness to populate the temple grounds...
Cool,
it seemed like both Monsters and PCs probably made "bad choices" at different points, but people do that, so I took it more as a general display of how things COULD go more than an "ultimate test" of power levels....Though I really did like what you did with that last Monster, enough that re-running it with PRPG Bestiary stats + Feats would be interesting. You should try the next Paizo contest and submit Ddgzigoth (or whatever) as a monster/NPC submission - I think the concept worked well despite the seeming profusion of templates. Maybe even design a Cultist/Priest PrC dedicated to the Vile Madness to populate the temple grounds...
I have entered both Superstars, haven't gotten top32 yet...maybe next year...
Thanks, it did have Dazzling Display...and I upped the # of feats if I remember correctly...there was so much for it to do, I never got around to having it do....everything LoL
I think if I had pushed it up to CL20, that might have been the difference, also if I had made it's SR 30 instead of 25..that 25 is just completely ineffective at level 20...30 would have at least made a roll necessary...
Can you use Dazzling Display while Invisible? :-)
It really does get hard to use "everything", which is why simply adding additional abilities doesn't really effect the CR as much as "the numbers" suggest. "Scaling" SR & CL like you mention definitely seems a requirement, hopefully rules for that are included in the final RPG/Bestiary.
BTW, if you're familiar with Maneuver AC, do you think the Tentacle Grapples would have done better against non-Grog targets if that approach was used for CMB?
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Can you use Dazzling Display while Invisible? :-)
It really does get hard to use "everything", which is why simply adding additional abilities doesn't really effect the CR as much as "the numbers" suggest. "Scaling" SR & CL like you mention definitely seems a requirement, hopefully rules for that are included in the final RPG/Bestiary.BTW, if you're familiar with Maneuver AC, do you think the Tentacle Grapples would have done better against non-Grog targets if that approach was used for CMB?
Well the tentacle grapples worked well against the unicorn and the rogue, and if it had been able to hit grog, would have worked on him as well most likely...but I had made grog to test the high end of AC for a shield fighter...and it worked... especially once he got buffed...I think it was a fairly good test, I forgot that the creature had improved vital strike or I would have used that against Strangler...*sigh* ah hindsight, why are you always 20/20....
I would rule that no, Dazzling Display can't be used while invisible, which is why it didn't really use it. It did make use of the Toughness, Improved Natural Weapons and Multi-attack quite well though.
(Unless maybe you use it to shred your opponents clothes in the process of your Dazzling Display...I know that would freak me out.)