| Sloanzilla |
I'm planning on running the "boss" half of the military district next week and I'm looking for some ideas on how it has played out for other people.
My party is a paladin who does an absurb amount of damage w/ smite, a rogue, a sorc and a ranger. Oh, and there may be a barbarian playing next week.
So far, I've thrown one regular patrol at them and one self-designed "carau-ka" kitchen (in which the monkeys threw halfling brains and other items out the window at the party). I've burned maybe 20 percent of their resources. They've killed all the escape attempts, but I'm assuming spells like fireball have attracted some notice.
My guess is they are going to send the rogue and the ranger up the side of the castle's hill while the other party members wait. This gets interesting considering everything there has scent. Did other people have a lot of messengers and patrols running to and from the giant hill? I want to make the place feel alive, but I don't want to spend the entire evening fighting CR 4 guys.
I'm going to add a few traps to Olujimi's fortress, but keep it fairly simple. The hard part for me is going to be the Olujimi runs to Akkituk, who runs to Grugonoth part.
Assuming the paladin doesn't kill Olujimi in the second round, which he might, I assume by about Round 4 he'll dim door outside and then dim door to the island. He'll then drink Akkituk's healing potion while the old cleric lady spends a whopping four straight rounds buffing. (I'm not sure why evil clerics never seem to take healing spells). My party's sorc does have D-door, so they can probably spot Olujimi a round or two after he flees his fortress.
From that point on, I'm not sure how best to play it out. It says she does a "fighting retreat" but most of her spells are summons which take a full round to cast. Realistically, she's gonna get gunned fairly quickly if I have her leave the island and race to the ziggaraut. She probably already buffed and left the island after she saw the fireball go off, but I did like the idea of the party having to chase down some old monkey lady headed across the zone while chuka-kara's take potshots at the party. (I was picturing hit and run axe throws at this point).
Anyhow, any stories of how this encounter played out would be appreciated. Did you role all three encounters into one big instance-like event, or keep them unique? I'm trying to keep it challenging, original and balanced all at once. I suppose I could also just have Akkituk "activating" the demon statue right as the party arrives at the base of the zigg. She then sticks around and joins that fight while the 4 thugs either die or run off.
| Sloanzilla |
Well crap, was hoping for some other stories before last night. I'm kinda meh with how I ran the whole thing.
Stealth scouts out the castle. I decide there is an outer wall and an interior keep portion with a locked gate. The rest of the party climbs up the side of the hill from the Southwest.
I decide Olujimi senses something up and casts darkness in the front area. A remaining Chuka-kara guard pours some acid on the party and runs off.
The party makes some bluff roles to try to get inside but rolls mediocre. Still, they find out that Aspis was giving halfling slaves to the monkeys.
Eventually, the paladin rolls a 20 and breaks open the gate.
Party buffs and Olu throws some axes. Apes run up to fight.
The paladin, who rolled 7 criticals in one evening, kills two apes. Other two apes die as well. Someone, somehow, rolls an intimdate on Oluj- so I have him dimension door to the second floor of the keep (it's broken off so they can see him).
Sorc grabs the paladin and dimension doors him right to Oluj. Paladin then rolls two smiting holy criticals for 50 damage each (Have I mentioned hating the new paladins in this post yet. I despise how smite gets you past all DR without thinking)
Oluj teleports to the island and spends two rounds drinking old cleric lady's healing potion. She starts her trek toward the statue. Party's sorc casts fly, goes outside and starts fireballing the island.
Oluj- at like 15 hp again teleports to the roof of the castle. The rest of the party comes outside. Party's rogue/bard exp retreats and begins hauling butt after old cleric lady.
Oluj dispels magic and sorc comes floating down to the ground. Sorc casts shocking grasp and finds out, sadly, that electricity doesn't cut it.
Ranger and paladin fail climb rolls to get on the roof. Rogue catches old lady 1/2 way up the stairs and grapples her. Oluj kills sorc in one round, but he's got enough left for one round of ferocity.
Sorc casts magic missile, but fails spell penetration for the first time all session and falls over. Paladin makes it to the roof and kills Oluj. Ranger makes it to Sorc but too late to stablilize.
Meanwhile, the party rogue is pwning the old cleric, but some other monkeys are coming in and the cleric starts pulsing (I never had time to attempt to summon). Rogue's down to like 10 hp and runs off and hides.
Two rounds later a giant ape demon comes to life and starts flying toward the paladin and ranger, who are now on the castle roof. I'm reminded again that I hate smite by the fact that it doesn't seem to have a range limit. The giant ape demon takes 80 points of damage before he gets anywhere close to casting range and blasphemies.
Paladin and ranger each lose 5 strength and have to buff up to use their bows. Demon flies up and hits paladin for 32 hp with a smite good.
Paladin closes, but demon misses his AAO, and hits demon. Demon does an awesome blow and attempts to fly away, now at 8 hp. Ranger shoots down demon.
Meanwhile, rogue is hiding and wanding herself back up to 30 hp. She sees old cleric lady looking for her with a summoned fiendish wasp in tow. Rogue sneak attacks cleric and brings her down to 15 hp. Wasp misses. Cleric fails casting defensivley. Rogue misses. Cleric tries hold person but rogue makes save. Rogue kills old lady cleric.
OK fight, other than my continued complaint that smite is overpowered. I'm also not sure the old cleric lady was designed well. Summoning takes too long if you are trying to move from one point to another. I probably should have given the sorc a second knowledge arcana roll to see if Oluj was immune to lightning, but I thought high gorillions were rare enough to merit a really good roll.