Suggested abilities / milestones by level?

[Brolthemighty]

So I'm in a home group running through WotR. We recently hit level 12 with Mythic Tier 5 and should be tearing through combat encounters....but we're not. This last fight was an outright slog. We faced a caster that had swarm like abilities and flight. It was a pain. But it got me to thinking....we're probably going to start encountering mobs with similar abilities.

So my question is thus. What are the suggested levels for having ways to deal with the various creature abilities like Fly, Concealment, etc. is there a guide out there that discusses this? What're some level appropriate items and such to help deal with such?

[Brolthemighty]

Nobody?

[Rynjin]

Like...8th. Sooner if you can manage it.

Swarms need AoE attack, no ifs ands or buts about it. So if nobody has Firebal, getting a Necklace of Fireballs is a good idea.

Fly comes online at 5th level. Make sure you have some way to do so. Winged Boots are helpful, Communal Air Walk is a good Cleric spell for the whole party.

Concealment basiaclly requires Blind-Fight but generally isn't a huge deal. If you can fit it in, go for it. If not, don't sweat it.

[Rerednaw]

Speaking from my play experience most of my characters are prepped for swarms and flight at level 1.

Against swarms area spells such as Burning Hands are available out the gate. If you don't have spells, mundane items such as acid flasks are to be had for 10 gp a pop. If the swarm is made up of tiny creatures then weapon attacks only suffer half damage but take full damage from bludgeoning weapons such as the mighty club (free).

While low-level characters don't have access to flight, stocking a ranged weapon usually helps. Slings (.1 gp for 10 bullets) or a thrown club (free) are as cheap as you can get.

Concealment is a fairly easy to deal with if you have spells.
Level 1 spells:
Truestrike.
Faerie Fire.
Level 2 spells:
The amazing Glitterdust.
Gust of Wind will get rid of fog and such.
Otherwise you're looking at Blind-fighting, auto-hit spells like magic missile or area spells. Splash weapons, such as acid flasks (10 gp each) also work if spells are not available.

Before Flight comes available as a spell or ability for casters, there's always potions of Fly. Levitate and Spider Climb while not as good as Fly are a level 2 spells and may make the difference. On the mundane side, readied actions with ranged and reach weapons help against creatures doing Fly-by attacks.

Or your caster could summon fliers. Eagles are available as a level 1 summons. Air Elementals are on the level 2 list. Or summon creatures with appropriate spell-like abilities. Mephits have breath weapons (area attacks) and magic missile.

By level 12 every character should be able to deal with flight, swarms, concealment, and damage reduction. If a caster than he or she also should have a means of bypassing SR. Especially with Mythic. Many Mythic abilities bypass standard defenses.

[Magda Luckbender]

@OP: May we ask the party distribution? What character classes and roles do people play? Is it a balanced party?

Also, at what level did you create the characters? I ask because characters that start at level 1 generally have these issues resolved long before they hit level 12.

[Brolthemighty]

Alright, so we started at lvl 1....and I would say we're not nearly balanced...and fairly under geared, we are:

Theurge: Sorceror/Cleric (well built by someone with experience)
Cleric: Basic healbot
Paladin: Sword and board....not even close to well built
Monk: Flowing Monk....good at giving a beating, moderately built for simplicity
Golden Legionairre: Reach/Bodyguard type, focused around party aid and AoO's

That's what we have

[Magda Luckbender]

Forge of Combat style analysis of Party:

Here's a basic Forge of Combat style examination of this party makeup. The three combat roles are:

Arm - Support, buffs, and healing
Hammer - Inflict HP damage
Anvil - Battlefield Control

An ideal group contains an Anvil, an Arm, and several Hammers.

This party contains:

Theurge - Anvil/Arm
Healbot Cleric - Arm
Paladin: Sword and board - Hammer
Flowing Monk - Hammer
Golden Legionaire: Reach/Bodyguard type - Hammer

This party seems to have an Anvil, an Arm, and three Hammers. Looks like a well balanced party.

A few questions and suggestions:

Anything the poor Healbot cleric can do to also dish out damage?

Is the Theurge doing effective battlefield control? If the answer is 'Yes', do you even need the dedicated Healbot? If the answer is 'No' that explains the need for the healbot.

Is there anything the Paladin can do to increase damage output? Has the Paladin ever considered picking up a two handed weapon, ideally with reach? Does the Paladin sometimes drop the shield to two-hand a longsword? Sometimes it's important to be defensive, but sometimes it's most important to maximize damage output. Using a two handed weapon can sometimes increase damage output 50% to 200%, depending on build and tactics.

Gosh, it seems like you guys should do OK. Please tell us more about how you guys are struggling.