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hey hey,
I have some questions regarding Xanesha & the clock tower and am looking for feed back on it.
First some background:
1. I have 6 players, 5 of whom are very experienced.
2. The players are built using a 30pt stat array (16, 15, 14, 14, 12, & 11).
3. They originally crossed paths with Ironbriar during Nualia Tobyn's trial (post Burnt Offerings) and have become celebrities by virtue of a news paper reporter that heavily publicized their exploits in Sandpoint.
4. To connect them with Magnimar better, I'd had Mayor Grobaras & Ironbriar invite the PCs in to investigate the murders in Magnimar. Grobaras so he could have outsiders/scape goats if needed, Ironbriar so he could have a chance to eliminate the only effective opposition his group has faced.
5. Ironbriar then organized them to report to him during the investigation, which they did, over the course of a week. Including that they had clues pointing to the Seven's Sawmill.
6. So, seeing it coming, Ironbriar had a week to prepare his people to ambush the PCs at the Sawmill. However, because the PC's took a week to recon the place, Ironbriar's people weren't as effective as they could have been. But they fought their way through it, though it was close a time or two.
So that leads us to the current situation. Xanesha has been aware that the PC's are onto her favored minions for a week now and given her 16 int & 14wis, I feel it's totally appropriate for her to feel that the jig is up on her current location/plot. However, being a mean spiteful creature she doesn't wanna just walk away.
As such, I was considering the following ambushes against the PC's.
1. Call in additional Faceless Stalkers. Easily explainable, but kinda bleh to just throw in more mooks.
2. Rig additional bells to drop as per the normal trap rules.
3. Change the tower into an ambush. First, Xanesha leaves the Scarecrow down below and 2 Faceless Stalkers above. Both groups are bait to show that the place is still occupied. Second, when the PC's get up to the top, after the Faceless Stalker's are dealt with (or may be during), Xanesha triggers the tower to collapse by the bells having been tethered to the structural supports for the tower so that when they drop they pull the top down too. Since she's not an engineer, it wouldn't be perfect, so they'd get saves to avoid falling all the way down and/or would get saves to mitigate the damage.
Can y'all think of others? Suggestions on DCs for #3?
Thanks!
Have her spend some of her treasure to acquire several potions to buff her strength, dexterity, constitution, and whichever stat she uses for spells. She'll drink them shortly before the PCs get onto the tower. She may even remain invisible as much as possible to prevent possible ambushes from above.
If you want to have some extra fun, she could recruit a certain succubus from the Scarlet Sun module to provide extra muscle. But that might be overkill.
What I like to do, though it takes a little time, is on my own I will run my players through the battle to see how their stats will hold up. I set up the best case and worst case scenarios and adjust my ideas for them from there.
As for the two bells idea I believe that having two fall before the battle with her would be overkill. Instead you might want to have a wizard cast web on them and have some archers up above shooting down. This adds some challenge to the encounter without it being totally over kill. Also don't discount the grease spell on the stairs.
Which version of Xanesha are you using? If it's the nerfed Anniversary Edition (Rogue 1), you might want to go back to the original version (Sorcerer 2).
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Which version of Xanesha are you using? If it's the nerfed Anniversary Edition (Rogue 1), you might want to go back to the original version (Sorcerer 2).
Pathfinderised version available on-line here, BTW. ;)
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Hey hey,
Thanks for the responses!
Then some more stuff within:
1. I'm using the pathfinder-ized original version of Xanesha, though with a katana (loot for the party samurai) instead of Impaler of Thornes.
2. The Charm Monster thing is an excellent idea. Though instead of Gargoyles, may be a 10-15 townsfolk. Then have them backing up the Scarecrow from the stairs above with crossbows/rocks.
3. Finally, am I reading the map of the tower right, the top section is on the roof of the place, right? And then based on the art, that is a VERY heavily slanted roof. Has anyone's battle spilled out to there? And if so, what sorta checks did you require for folks to avoid sliding off?
Thanks!
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Hey hey,
Thanks for the responses!
Then some more stuff within:
** spoiler omitted **
Thanks!
In regards to the katana and the townsfolk,
I worry that the 10-15 townsfolk would be difficult, as that'd be 10-15 charm monster spells and people would have reported their husbands and children missing. It also might make it too difficult for the players having to choose to somehow deal with these innocent bystanders and potentially getting mixed up with the law for 10-15 counts of manslaughter.
While it could be good to sometimes morally test the party, in my experience as a GM everytime I've tested my parties morality they always assume the worst and are being run out of town by the guards.
Gargoyles or another CR/Story approriate critter is really advised. My suggestion? A raven swarm or two can be appropriately devasting to a back line.
I'm facing a smilar problem next sunday (6 player party vs Xanesha). I use the AE version of her beacause the group still lacks experience. I'll have her use a Scroll of Summon Monster to call in a Babau before she drops her Invisibility and engages the group. I think it's the perfect distraction: Decent AC and HP, DR, SR, Resistence to all elements, not too chalenging on its own but quite dangerous if ignored due to 3 attacks + sneak attack. Depending on the party it could also provide valuable support for Xanesha with Darkness and Dispel Magic at will.
(I'm AFB at the moment, so take this with a grain of salt.)