Epic level encounters, like those involving creatures with challenge ratings higher than PC levels can reach, where do you find them?
Are there campaign settings that include such beasts?
For those of you who have killed a Jabberwock or any other CR20+ monster, how did you do it? What did your party consist of? How long did it take to end the fight?
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I was the DM for it, but my players have a high level game going and they have killed a Balor, a Mythic Lich, a solar (reskinned to be evil), and some other supped up creatures.
The Balor killed the barbarian with a vorpal crit because the barbarian did not know the danger of a critical from that and opted to not negate if. He was quite shocked when I informed him the attack cut off his head.
The Mythic Lich was a dangerous foe with the use of multiple spells and environmental effects he aaa hard to hit and even harder to stay injured. High DR, fast healing, harm (undead), made. Challenge to keep him down. Included with risking paralysis on every hit the players were afraid to even smack him.
High level enemies can become rocket tag to a point. Either one shotting a player or having no effect. Combats take long for turn length, but are often over in just a couple rounds unless you do something to extend them.
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I had a Tarrasque as a mount with an Empyrean rider for the BBEG in my campaign, but the group fell apart before we got that far.
A Balor is the highest CR monster any party I have been part of has killed.
I had a Tarrasque as a mount with an Empyrean rider for the BBEG in my campaign.
Mind if I steal that?
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Have at it. I never got to use it, so let me know how it goes.
Jabberock was the end boss in a home game I ran, though the game ended before we ever made it that far. I later ran a Gestalt/Mythic campaign with Cthulhu as the end boss. I toned down his insta-death aura to be a single save for the duration you're inside it, instead of something needed to be saved for every single round. This was because the group was, I believe, level 14 by this time - vs. a CR 30 creature. They also had about 6 or 7 Mythic tiers. They wiped the floor with the Great Old One.
The only high-level Pathfinder campaign we had was Carrion Crown. I don't believe there are any CR 20+ enemies in that book, but I could be mistaken (I was a player not the GM). We continued the campaign into a PF version of A Paladin In Hell where we fought many CR 20+ monsters including the Arch-Devil Geryon. We were level 20 at the time. Six players: barbarian 20, fighter/bard 5/15, life oracle 20, rogue 20, wizard 20, cleric/holy vindicator 12/8 (not sure of the level split).
The only high-level Pathfinder campaign we had was Carrion Crown. I don't believe there are any CR 20+ enemies in that book, but I could be mistaken (I was a player not the GM). We continued the campaign into a PF version of A Paladin In Hell where we fought many CR 20+ monsters including the Arch-Devil Geryon. We were level 20 at the time. Six players: barbarian 20, fighter/bard 5/15, life oracle 20, rogue 20, wizard 20, cleric/holy vindicator 12/8 (not sure of the level split).
That is awesome. Sounds like a solid party.
Kingmaker has a "lesser" Jabberwock that's like CR 17 or so, though our GM upgraded it to an advanced actual Jabberwock (so CR 24) to throw at our L17 or so party because our party was pretty boss.
Most of the party actually flubbed the save against Burble, so my paladin who'd dipped 2 levels of bard for versatile performance (dance) had to zip around the battlefield with Countersong going to snap everyone out of the confusion effect.
As a final kind of "really?" note to the fight, my paladin rolled a natural 20 with the above-mentioned intelligent vorpal sword and snicker-snacked the Jabberwock's head off when it only had 2 HP left.
The only high-level Pathfinder campaign we had was Carrion Crown. I don't believe there are any CR 20+ enemies in that book, but I could be mistaken (I was a player not the GM). We continued the campaign into a PF version of A Paladin In Hell where we fought many CR 20+ monsters including the Arch-Devil Geryon. We were level 20 at the time. Six players: barbarian 20, fighter/bard 5/15, life oracle 20, rogue 20, wizard 20, cleric/holy vindicator 12/8 (not sure of the level split).That is awesome. Sounds like a solid party.
We played Carrion Crown for 3 years and then spent a fourth year playing through APIH. No one switched characters once. It was a good group to be sure.
Way of the Wicked
The party killed the following
Group consisting of Jabberwocky, Bandersnatch, Jub Jub Bird and the other 2 tane , boosted with templates
Great Wyrm Silver Dragon
Solar
Level 20 half dragon sorceror
Hecontier (Hundred armed titan spelling probably wrong)
A bunch of other stuff with a CR over 20 also got killed
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No special tactics just extreme violence and standard pc tactics for their group, no more difficult than killing off CR 14 opponents at level 10
I don't count Wrath of the Righteous where angry glances from the pc's caused Balor's to explode
Think the worst non Homebrew I ever fought was an unnerfed Cthulhu. 2 man party with cohorts. Lv21(used normal advancement + 10th level spell slots) arcanist blaster and a martial build summoner. Cohorts were a home brew dragon and a full class wizard. Lasted around 6 rounds mostly because the dm multiplied the HP by at least a factor of 10.
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Killed a bunch of CR 18 fighters trying to protect some CR 16 priests of Asmodeus. It was almost comical how poorly equipped the generic online fighters are. Something like +9 perception. Never stood a chance against 3 Shadowdancing Rogues. As for monsters, same characters downed End's Voice (Groetus' champion). But that's only CR 15. Which is why +21 Perception helped him to no avail either. 3 Rogues moving around sniping (sniper goggles) at 200 feet... yeh, not gonna find them... might as well go back to the moon now, whispy fella.
Skinning a Solar at level 14.
One rounding a CR 27, Lich Queen at 18.
These are awesome. And, yes, templates for PC's can get out of hand pretty fast.
Anyone fight a Iathavos Quipploth, CR 20? Those things are foul.
fought the terrasque in a 2nd edition game, does that count? Paladin lost a leg and that was about it, everybody else chilled out in rope trick after we "super saiyan-ed" the Pally (gave him all of our good gear, dunked him in the barrel of potions of haste we had, and then let him loose)