| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I am considering changing Lucrecia from a Sorcerer to Wizard and would like to hear ideas and suggestions.
A little background first on this choice (skip below if you’re not interested):
Party is composed of characters of 8th level, a Druid, a Rogue, a Ranger (TWF), a Wizard (Universalist) and a Barbarian (2H).
Players are not really experienced, they played one year more or less, and just asked me to raise the challenges – I haven’t infact ever used opponents at their full potential, in order for them to learn how to play; now they feel ready for “the real thing” and want a higher (..normal..) challenge.
During last two session they attacked Fort Rannick and had to retreat: after having the Druid transform in a bird and scout around the area (and ignoring all the hints that were given on possible “secret accesses”, sigh…), the players decided to attack with a very frontal tactic (no surprises or sneaking from their side).
The Druid flew over the ramparts, and the rest of the characters were transported (Dimension Door) on the terrace, entering directly the first floor of the fortress from the backdoor and the first door they found.
In five rounds they managed to kill the female Ogre shaman and the Ogre with wooden jaw, plus a basic Ogre, but had to retreat – teleporting and flying back, they were heavily wounded and out of high level spells - since alarm was raised and troops were starting to storm the floor.
They ran through the forest and then pursued till they arrived 10 miles away at the river crossing, where the bridge is (around 1 mile from Turtleback Ferry).
Druid remained back in animal form, to see if somebody was going to track them: indeed a scout troop was sent behind them few minutes later they left the fort and started hunting them down.
Druid then reached the party to report and raise alarm.
The party had a couple of hours advantage on the Ogres (I assumed the scout patrol was proceeding half cautiously), which were used to set up traps, and organize a battle plan: opponents arrived at the river crossing, were they were ambushed and slaughtered (9 ogres).
However, the captain of the troops and one Ogre remained behind, checking the actions of the characters, and retreated to the fort, to refer what they saw (tactics and spells – they’re not able to identify spells, but I assume a lightning bolt can be easily described even by a not very smart creature “…then furless tiny human shoot a storm out of fingers, killing Hurthar and Krag: they sleep with fish now…”)
So, the situation is this:
10 basic ogres, one ogre fighter and the shaman dead.
Lucrecia and Ogre Lord are aware of some of character tactics and spells (due to seeing them in action and having them reported by surviving ogres in the fort and ogre patrol).
Hence my idea of giving the players a fight against a modified Lucrecia, from Sorcerer to Wizard, in order to have her have available Dimensional Anchor (the Wizard uses a lot Blink and Dimension Door) and Resist Energy (lightning) due to big use of Call Lightning and Lightning Bolt from Wizard and Druid, to raise the challenge as per their request.
Ideas/suggestions?
Also, in previous adventure part Xanesha managed to escape their hunt, so I was thinking of have her appear some time during this adventure arch; I guess both Xanesha and Lucrecia together would be a bit too difficult for them to fight together. But if not now, when?
Actually, Sorcerer stacks with Lucrecia's racial abilities. I don't know if Wizard does. You could see if you can adjust L's spells a bit. Remove some and add Dimensional Anchor, perhaps.
Alternatively, just give her extra treasure. A scroll with Dimensional Anchor and a couple other somewhat useful spells.
Wizard won't stack with Lucrecia's racial abilities. So, if you want her to use Dimensional Anchor, the easiest thing to do is to just change one of her Level 4 spells (or, preferably, give her a scroll of Dim'Anchor, or a wand with very few charges left on it).
Is there any second level Lucracia currently has that you think doesn't fit her? If so, exchange it for Resist Energy.
As for Xanesha..., I don't think she'd team up with her sister, of all creatures. Relations between the two are not exactly friendly...
thanks for the answers
Wand with Dimensional Anchor would work indeed.
I've to check with spell list, for sure there's some 2nd level spell i wouldn't use if i was a Sorceror.
As per Xanesha: true, same thought i had when reading her background, she wouldn't ally with Lucrecia.
A confrontation among Lucrecia and Xanesha would still be possible though, maybe some harsh words before Xanesha left.
I gave the hint to the players, when their characters talked to the innkeeper, that a lady passed through Turtleback Ferry a couple of weeks before them without specifying whoever she was.
"She said she was going trekking, looking for some herbs on the mountains, so she bought some supplies at the shop.." said the Innkeeper.
So, where make Xanesha appear? The only possible idea that comes to my mind is much later in time, when the characters will attack the Giant Fortress (she could have allied with the Giants following the orders of Kharzoug...?)
As others have said I wouldn't change her class levels since her sorc levels stack with her spell-casting als lamia matriarch, wizard levels don't.
From Xanesha's stat block under morale:
If she escapes, she cuts ties with her kin and Mokmurian, afraid of the punishment for failure. She grows obsessed with the PCs, however, seeing their capture as the only way she can redeem herself to Mokmurian—-in this case, she becomes a recurring villain who might ally with any number of foes the PCs find themselves up against in the next adventure—-although she specifically tries to avoid any situation that would reveal her failure to her sister Lucrecia.
Emphasis mine.
Having her appear later with her own little band of miscreants would make sense, IMO.
Ruyan.
If Nualia is still alive, it's quite likely she'll snag her and any of Nualia's minions (outside of Orik, who seemed quite happy to just get the heck out) to form her very own Linear Guild. =^-^=
Thanks all for advices :-)
Also remember that a lamia matriarch can cast cleric spells as a sorcerer as if they were arcane spells. She's got a few of them in her as-written spell list.