The fight is very, very difficult. We wiped on it. In a very anticlimatic and antidramatic way (most of it). Party characters were level 15, most of them non-mixmaxed composed of magus, rogue, cleric, tank fighter, archer fighter and me (paladin).
So owned. 1st round rogue wins initiative and wands me with dimension door (place had teleportation trap and dimension door fails) Karzoug casts quickened wail of the banshee DC 33, kills 3 members (cleric, magus and archer) so essentially bye bye dispels, magic and heals. Then time stops. Gets a 4 in the dice. Forcecage/cloudkill/prismatic wall/(illusionary wall or something like that, disguising the prismatic with a "stone wall") and I don't know what else but I was surprised he didn't gate or delayed blast fireball us.
I somehow passed the reflex saving throw but the rogue and the tank warrior didn't. The rogue popped a gaseous form pot and got out of the cage. I tried to dimension door with the wand but I let myself to be "dragged" to the dimensional anchor which was placed inside the cage. Put the warrior inside the bag of holding, opened it outside the cage and asked him to do the same with me. The rogue tried to cross the prismatic wall and got insane/sent to another plane (Material). I crossed it as well and got insane and dpsed hard by the wall. My boots of haste, green ioun stone and armor destroyed in the process. Insane also.
Meanwhile Karzoug targeted me with a finger of death, 3 transmutation spells that my domineering weapon sucked (telekinesis and 2 others, most probably disintegrate and something else). I got "attack nearest creature" from the insanity. Declared smite evil and I charged him and closed my eyes before I stroke to avoid his mirror images (still had 50% chance because of total concealment). Managed to hit despite "blindness" and blink. Threatened and confirmed. Got my critical card which was rubbish (normal damage and 1d6 str).
His turn. Delayed blast fireball. I had 20 hp left. Failed reflex. 70something damage GG.
The tank warrior surrendered and for that he got baleful polymorphed by Karzoug.
That's how it finished after 2 years of campaign against the rise of Karzoug.
My advice is: don't engage him with less that lvl 17+ party members which necessarily need a dedicated healer, a dedicated arcane caster (counterspelling, dispelling, etc) and heavy dps buffed to the teeth with protections. Karzoug is *that* über.
Well, yeah, you're supposed to be 18-20 to take out that module. How'd you even manage to reach him?
==Aelryinth
I don't know. Was very hard actually. Normally 1, 2 dead members per encounter which were resurrected between fights (we bought materials for a res/restoration for each of us before embarking on the module). The battle against the paladin was very hard. Karzoug just obliterated us. We engaged without resting "as we had no time" altough I don't think it would have made a difference. He could have just disjuncted our buffs with his quicken rod before anything else.
I'm glad :D , that would have helped. And I can only imagine that fight with adds (I was actually expecting them). Guess most parties defeat him, don't they? Wonder if anyone else has wiped on him.
yeah. After the wail of the banshee I knew we were only doing a heroic stand. My DM told me that he still had Primatic sphere (but that he didn't need it anyway).
"That thing was not fun" +1
I was the magus in there, I still have my /SaddestPandaFaceEVAH! that was so anticlimatic I still imagine Karzoug casting that quickened Wail of the Banshee. . .2 freaking years...man it sucked.
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I was the magus in there, I still have my /SaddestPandaFaceEVAH! that was so anticlimatic I still imagine Karzoug casting that quickened Wail of the Banshee. . .2 freaking years...man it sucked.
Oh, don't be a crybaby. He was only a 20th level wizard versus a 15th level party with almost twice the gp they should have according to level and 6 PCs. :)
Don't feel frustrated, I think it made for a good story.
Certainly memorable... lol
Doble de oro...hay ajaaaaaaa.
LOL! I love this thread. Our group of 5(maybe 6) lvl 16 PC's will be in the final battle tonight: A cleric15/ftr1, Inq 16, Monk 16, Barbarian 16, and Sor 16, we might also have a paladin 16 as well.
They've got Karzoug 2.0 (revamped a little to include new pfrpg rules, feats and spells) to contend with.
If they can survive rounds 1 through 3 they might actually have a chance. But if thier cleric or barbarian goes down during that time they better be rolling 20's cause if not hey're toast.
This fight comes down to 2 things initiative and saves.
cant wait!
Minor note, but how is he casting Mirror Image if that's in one of his prohibited schools? (Thasilonian specialists lose complete access to their two opposite schools)
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Minor note, but how is he casting Mirror Image if that's in one of his prohibited schools? (Thasilonian specialists lose complete access to their two opposite schools)
** spoiler omitted **
People using his write-up from before "Inner Sea Magic" were running him as a "normal" Transmustation specalist. So, by Pathfinder rules, he could still prepair an Illusion by using two spell slots.
LOL! I love this thread. Our group of 5(maybe 6) lvl 16 PC's will be in the final battle tonight: A cleric15/ftr1, Inq 16, Monk 16, Barbarian 16, and Sor 16, we might also have a paladin 16 as well.
They've got Karzoug 2.0 (revamped a little to include new pfrpg rules, feats and spells) to contend with.
If they can survive rounds 1 through 3 they might actually have a chance. But if thier cleric or barbarian goes down during that time they better be rolling 20's cause if not hey're toast.
This fight comes down to 2 things initiative and saves.
cant wait!
I thought the fight went well, my side didn't exactly win but I got a promotion out of it.
Also, to Karzoug.
Heh. High level play is rocket tag. Our DM made karzoug auto-win initiative (as he knew that if Karzoug lost initiative he would just die in one round). We got max time stopped and had to fight through some seriousness as well, but eventually got him. We lost one group member, and made some seriously important saves along the way, though. We were level 16, I believe, with a fighter, bard, rogue, rage prophet, and Eldritch Knight (archer).
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The group I am running through RotRL is still way off, we just started stones over Sandpoint but I am looking forward to this fight.
Here is the version of Karzoug I will be using.
Male Human (Azlanti, Pureblooded) Wizard 20
NE Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +11; Senses Perception +11
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DEFENSE
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AC 37, touch 22, flat-footed 30. . (+6 armor, +4 shield, +7 Dex, +5 natural, +5 deflection)
hp 282 (20d6+160)
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +15
SR 24
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft.
Melee +5 Dancing, Flaming Glaive +20/+15 (1d10+12/19-20/x3)
Wizard Spells Known (CL 20, 15 melee touch, 17 ranged touch):
9 (5/day) Wish, Meteor Swarm, Meteor Swarm, Wail of the Banshee (DC 31), Time Stop (DC 32), Time Stop (DC 32)
8 (5/day) Mind Blank (DC 29), Maze, Temporal Stasis (DC 31), Temporal Stasis (DC 31), Horrid Wilting (DC 30), Prismatic Wall (DC 29)
7 (6/day) Spell Turning (DC 28), Forcecage (DC 28), Reverse Gravity, Reverse Gravity, Finger of Death (DC 29), Limited Wish
6 (6/day) Repulsion (DC 27), True Seeing (DC 27), Disintegrate (DC 29), Flesh to Stone (DC 29), Flesh to Stone (DC 29), Globe of Invulnerability, Dispel Magic, Greater
5 (6/day) Cloudkill (DC 27), Wall of Force, Telekinesis, Cone of Cold (DC 26), Baleful Polymorph (DC 28), Baleful Polymorph (DC 28)
4 (6/day) Black Tentacles, Scrying (DC 25), Enervation, Ice Storm, Bestow Curse (DC 26), Reduce Person, Mass (DC 27), Reduce Person, Mass (DC 27)
3 (7/day) Protection from Energy (DC 24), Blink (DC 26), Fireball (DC 24), Fireball (DC 24), Slow (DC 26), Slow (DC 26), Slow (DC 26), Vampiric Touch, Stinking Cloud (DC 25)
2 (7/day) Resist Energy (DC 23), Pyrotechnics (DC 25), Pyrotechnics (DC 25), Shatter (DC 23), Scorching Ray, Scorching Ray, Blindness/Deafness (DC 24), Glitterdust (DC 24), Protection from Arrows (DC 23)
1 (7/day) Reduce Person (DC 24), Reduce Person (DC 24), Expeditious Retreat (DC 24), Alarm, Enlarge Person (DC 24), Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 23), Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 23), Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 23), Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 23), Grease (DC 23)
0 (at will) Acid Splash, Flare (DC 21), Mage Hand, Touch of Fatigue (DC 22), Prestidigitation (DC 21)
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STATISTICS
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Str 14/20, Dex 18/24, Con 18/24, Int 26/32, Wis 12, Cha 18
Base Atk +10; CMB +15; CMD 37
Feats Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Eschew Materials, Greater Spell Focus: Transmutation, Immortality, Improved Initiative, Inscribe Rune, Martial Weapon Proficiency: Glaive, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus: Spellcraft, Spell Focus: Conjuration, Spell Focus: Necromancy, Spell Focus: Transmutation, Toughness +20, Wizard Weapon Proficiencies
Skills Acrobatics +12, Climb +10, Craft (Alchemy) +34, Diplomacy +19, Fly +20, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (Arcana) +34, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +34, Knowledge (Engineering) +34, Knowledge (Geography) +19, Knowledge (Nature) +19, Knowledge (Nobility) +34, Knowledge (Planes) +24, Knowledge (Religion) +19, Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +40, Survival +11, Swim +10
Languages Azlanti, Common, Giant
SQ Bonded Object: +5 Dancing, Flaming Glaive (1/day) (Sp), Change Shape II (20 rounds/day) (Sp), Greed (Transmutation), Hero Points (1), Physical Enhancement +5: Constitution, Dexterity (Su), Ring of Freedom of Movement, Telekinetic Fist (14/day) (Sp)
Combat Gear +5 Dancing, Flaming Glaive; Other Gear Amulet of Natural Armor +5, Belt of Physical Might, STR & DEX +6, Headband of Vast Intelligence, +6: -Choose-, Ioun Stone, Amber Spindle (2), Ioun Stone, Crimson Sphere (3), Ioun Stone, Emerald Ellipsoid (12), Ioun Stone, Onxy Rhomboid (3), Ring of Freedom of Movement, Ring of Protection, +5, Robes of Xin-Shalast, Rune of Contingency
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Bonded Object: +5 Dancing, Flaming Glaive (1/day) (Sp) DC 20 + spell level to cast spells without the bonded object. Once per day, you can cast any spell in your spellbook for free.
Change Shape II (20 rounds/day) (Sp) Use Beast Shape III or Elemental Body II as a Spell-Like ability.
Eschew Materials Cast spells without materials, if component cost is 1 gp or less.
Greater Spell Focus: Transmutation +1 to the Save DC of spells from one school.
Greed (Transmutation) Transmuters use magic to change the world around them.
Immortality You discover a cure for aging, and from this point forward you take no penalty to your physical ability scores from advanced age. If you are already taking such penalties, they are removed at this time. You must be at least a 20th-level wizard to sel
Physical Enhancement +5: Constitution, Dexterity (Su) +1 bonus to physical ability, +1 per 5 levels (change per day).
Quicken Spell Cast another spell in the same round you cast this one. +4 Levels.
Ring of Freedom of Movement This gold ring allows the wearer to act as if continually under the effect of a freedom of movement spell.
Moderate abjuration; CL 7th; Forge Ring, freedom of movement; Price 40,000 gp.
Spell Focus: Conjuration Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Spell Focus: Necromancy Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Spell Focus: Transmutation Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Spell Resistance (24) You have Spell Resistance.
Telekinetic Fist (14/day) (Sp) 30' ranged touch attack, 1d4+10
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9th—meteor swarm, time stop, wail of the banshee (DC 31), wish (2)
8th—horrid wilting (DC 30), maze, mind blank (already cast), prismatic
wall (DC 30), temporal stasis (2, DC 31)
7th—finger of death (DC 29), forcecage, quickened haste, quickened
lightning bolt (DC 24), limited wish, reverse gravity, spell turning
6th— disintegrate (DC 29), flesh to stone (DC 29), globe of invulnerability,
greater dispel magic, repulsion (DC 27), quickened resist energy, sign
of wrath* (DC 27), true seeing
5th—baleful polymorph (DC 28), cloudkill, cone of cold (DC 26), quickened
magic missile, quickened shield, telekinesis (DC 28), wall of force
4th—bestow curse (DC 26), black tentacles, enervation (2), ice storm (2),
mass reduce person (DC 27), scrying
3rd—blink, fireball (DC 24), keen edge (already cast), greater magic
weapon (already cast), protection from energy, slow (DC 26), stinking
cloud (DC 25), vampiric touch
2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 24), false life (already cast), glitterdust (DC
24), protection from arrows, pyrotechnics (DC 25), resist energy,
scorching ray (2), shatter (DC 23)
1st—alarm, enlarge person, expeditious retreat, grease (DC 23), ray of
enfeeblement (4), reduce person (DC 24)
0—acid splash, flare (DC 21), mage hand, prestidigitation, touch of fatigue
(DC 22)
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@bigkilla: I know it's not something that PF does with bad guys, but personally when they are a named opponent (especially in the case of Karzoug), I think they are deserving of being treated like a PC, meaning they get a Favord Class bonus. I didnt see it listed anywhere on the Karzoug the Claimer stat block, but I didnt count out his skill points.
Personally, I'd give it to him and apply it to his HP, but thats just me.
I plan on copying an idea I read from these boards in that Karzoug will really be a dragon who is in his human shape when the PCs fight him. When they defeat him, his Clone (thats been frozen in time with him) will awaken and then the party will have to fight Karzoug the Dragon. Out to make the fight last a bit longer.