Rob's Epic Level Campaign

[DM7581]

Indeed, even on a natural 20, the remorhaz would fails. It is ultimately unable to bite down and secure its hold on Bear Ghost as he is flying through the air, with bloodshot eyes. Just as he lands, he brings his axe down on the beast.

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You can only use Dire Charge on the surprise or first round of combat. That is why I've touted the Pounce Alternate Class Feature. I appreciate the multiple rolls, but you only get one attack. I almost used them for cleaves on Xavier and his images.

With a single blow, Bear Ghost cleaves off the small, weakened remorhaz, landing near Xavier and his images. He looks at them all for a quick second, sneers, then directs his attention at the other 2 that remain.

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I've wondered whether his Frenzy requires him to attack friends, but that is only after there are no other, more preferred targets.

Christopher Michael! I have not kept exact track of your HP, but I know that you are not negative. Although swallowed, you can still act, though you are restricted in what you can do:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/spe...ks.htm#grapple

You're up.

[Dr_Nimm]

Nice descriptions

[DM7581]

Nice descriptions

Indeed they are.

[Christ. Michael]

(To myself) My weapon is too large to wield from within the beast. Any mortal would find themselves wallowing in despair, but not I. All is not yet lost, for I always have my ultimate weapon within reach: my faith. My only hope for salvation is to, once again, turn to my god.

From the belly of the beast, I utter a sound so terrible and awesome, that it cannot be produced in Common. In Celestial, I speak the true name of Pelor, and cast Holy Word. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holyWord.htm

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I'm hoping that paralysis extends to peristalsis. I'll try to climb my out if my theory holds up. Or that I'll be able to move my hands cast a spell.

[Dr_Nimm]

Oh snap!!!!!!

[DM7581]

I'll still need a concentration check, DC 27 (DC 20 + spell level) in in order for you to cast. Maybe a chunk of bile gets lodged in your mouth at the most inopportune time. Gross.

Oh, and I'm assuming you are casting this at CL 20 (the cost being 20 SP)? Alternatively it could be your spell-like ability, which costs no SP, but is only useable 1/day.

[Christ. Michael]

(12 + 30) 42 Concentration. 20 CL. I'm not taking any chances.

[DM7581]

Amidst the chaos of the enormous beasts and powerful winds and snow, a slight calm seems to come over everyone (except the frenzied Bear Ghost, who at this point is foaming at the mouth). Almost as if time has slowed down, the muttering of an unmistakable, though unintelligible, "good" incantation can be barely heard by all followed by a soft, yellow glow, coming from inside the larger remorhaz. A moment later, a slight pulse of holy energy explodes in an enormous spread from its inside, brushing over everyone, with a feeling of hope, warmth, and goodness accompanying it. The harsh chaos of the snow, wind, and other elements then resumes.

All good characters are unaffected by the spell (which is mostly everybody), but the smaller remorhaz as well as Reli, Leena's trusted dire wolf animal companion, seem frozen in their tracks, unable to move. The larger beast, however, seems unaffected by the spell, though it does notice the power emanating from within it. That ends Christopher's turn.

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At that, the gargantuan beast completely swallows the now helpless Reli (inflicting 42 points of bludgeoning and 38 points of fire damage) and then proceeds to burrow itself back deep into the snow, disappearing underneath, seemingly content with its daily meal. Christopher also takes 36 points of bludgeoning and 38 points of fire damage as the creature continues to digest him.

Christopher, you feel a large, hairy body join you inside the creature's belly. The warm glow of the monster allows for some vision, as you can barely make out what seems to be the same large wolf you just "met" that was at the side of the elf along with Xavier and Bear Ghost. You can immediately tell that it is alive, but just then you realize that your spell also affects neutral creatures as much as it does evil ones. Luckily, the dire wolf is much tougher than others of its kind and it still lives, though it is temporarily blinded, deafened, and paralyzed, and is unable to defend itself at the current moment, which is quite the predicament.

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Xavier, you're up.

[Dr_Nimm]

Where faith falters, science may prevail!

[Xavier Alexis]

Xavier Alexis: No! Christoper!

Xavier Alexis flies into the hole in the ground in pursuit of the Remorhaz who devoured his friend and casts four maximized Ray of Enfeeblement spells in order to weaken the creature.

My ranged touch attack rolls are 28, 33, 23 and 29.

Each successful Ray of Enfeeblement drains 11 points of strength.

[DM7581]

I may have made this mistake in the past, but the same penalty coming from the same or even different sources do not stack. That is, multiple castings of Ray of Enfeeblement (as well as any other effect that gives a strength penalty) are not cumulative. Only the highest penalty applies. You can edit your post, Xavier.

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PHB page 171-172 details this and even uses Ray of Enfeeblement as a specific example!

[Dr_Nimm]

I am beginning to have serious doubts about the legendary Xavier. But what can I expect from a sorcerer with no proper schooling in the magical disciplines!

[Xavier Alexis]

Xavier to Dr. Nimm: I don't know what is happening. The laws of magic must have recently been altered in this realm! I have weakened creatures in this manner numerous times before.

I choose not to alter reality and end my turn.

[Dr_Nimm]

Lol. Yes this realm is quite shifty. I too have experienced sudden changes.

[Dr_Nimm]

Must be the unusual amounts of atmospheric micro-anomalies and magical antipole particles present in this area!

[DM7581]

Xavier, steps off lightly and takes flight, over to the huge hole left behind by the larger remorhaz, his images floating near, around and through him, now concealing his location from others (there are 9 such Xaviers now). Now nobody knows who the true Xavier is (not even Xavier himself... j/k).

With a wave of his hand and a quick incantation, all of the "Xaviers" unleash a coruscating ray from their respective hands, all of which come together to seemingly strike the beast beneath the surface, as a loud, echoing grunt is heard throughout the frozen tundra.

That ends Xavier's turn. It would normally be the remaining, smaller remorhaz's turn, but it is frozen in paralysis due to the Holy Word spell.

To the top of the third round we go, to the incorporeal Dr. Nimm.

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Initiative Order:
Dr. Nimm
Leena
Bear Ghost
Christopher Michael
Big Remorhaz
Xavier
Small Remorhaz (paralyzed)

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I had been running this campaign using a modified spell point system on the SRD, but its intricacies have seemed to upset the locals. Those playing spellcasters (Xavier, Christopher, Dr. Nimm, and even Leena), please text, e-mail, or private message me with what your preference is on magic (points or slots). I have no issue going back to the spell slot system, so if that is what you all decide, we will disregard the crazy caster level and spell point rules in favor of the traditional format. The only changes that I ask stay in place are:

-divine casters will stay spontaneous. They are overpowered as it is, plus having a set of spells known makes them more flavorful and specialized, if a tad bit more narrow focused

-non-spontaneous casters (wizards, ALCHEMISTS) must still abide by some restriction on spells/extracts known. Again, this is a balance issue with having every "spell in the book" at your disposal, urging your character to have more consistent tendencies. I did resolve this through e-mail with Bryan (total spell/extract LEVELS known equal your level class level times your key ability modifier) since his character is the only one affected by this right now. So, for example, a level 20 Wizard with 30 (+10) Int should be able to have 200 spell levels worth of spells in his spellbook, divided however he sees fit. This makes higher level spells harder to learn, which they should be.

Alternatively, a prepared caster (or even divine casters, doing away witht he spontaneous casting thing) may be allowed to know a number of spells per spell level equal to their key ability modifier. That same 30 (+10) Int Wizard will be able to have 10 spells per spell level in their spellbook while a cleric or druid would have the same access of spells known (though they would have to prepare their slots as normal).

In either case, I may change the spell progression tables a bit to better adjust for these changes. At the very least, prepared casters (which may include the alchemist, though I am unsure about the paladin and ranger) will "lose" 1 spell across the board, with any 1s turning into 0s, 2s into 1s, and so on, meaning that, if its a 0, they only get a spell of that level if it is of their school of specialization (if a wizard; non-specialists in this case get none until the next level), domains (if clerics), or summon nature's ally (if druid).

Tell me which you guys favor. One allows for more flexibility at the cost of raw power (points) while the other (slots) limits flexibility for ultimately more casting power.

[Dr_Nimm]

Break into a full run and jump down the hole. I clamber onto its back with the aim of entering its mouth. With dust form I can squeeze through a crack, and perhaps percolate through recently loosened earth, if the monster is under ground.

In fact, to save time, if its anus is closer to me I go through that instead.

[DM7581]

Given his speed and the full move, Dr. Nimm is able to quickly make his way across the snow and even partially down the gaping hole left behind by the remorhaz. The barely visible gnome in his dust form dashes across the field, the pelting snow passing harmlessly through him.

The remorhaz itself has descended a good 20 feet or so beyond the surface, so Dr. Nimm is able to make it right on its tail, though not quite close enough to "percolate" into its anus (yes, it is facing the other way).

Leena, your turn.

[DM7581]

Everyone, please check and read on any magic items that you may be carrying to see if they are continuous effects or if the need to be activated. I just read that Bear Ghost's Greater Cloak of Displacement needs to be activated (and only works up to 15 rounds per day), so he probably should have been bitten a few more times during this encounter (and even more so in previous encounters).

If a weapon has a property that requires activation, I will assume that it is activated at the beginning of the day, but only if it has a continuous effect (like a flaming weapon). Basically, your character wakes up and gets ready, carrying the weapon, activating it before he/she sets off. This may change if you are ambushed at night, so beware (bwahahahahaha).

If the item/effect can only last X rounds per day, that has to be activated using whatever type of action is described by the item, be it a swift, immediate, standard, or full round action.

[DM7581]

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Giselle is unable to participate due to her studying for her exam, so I will control Leena until she is ready to resume play.

Leena cries out in despair:

Reli! Nooo!

She clicks her boots together, activating her Boots of Speed, allowing her to quickly make her way over to the underground path, made by the remorhaz, across the rough obstacles of ice and snow. She jumps recklessly in as she draws and fires four of her Flaming Burst arrows (Manyshot attack roll 5+33, 38).

Her arrows connect (inflicting 22, 22, 20, and 26 points of damage) as the beast again bellows in agony.

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I made a mistake in her bow being a wounding item; that property cannot be applied to ranged weapons, so she actually hasn't been doing Con damage

She lands rather softly after jumping down (Athletics roll 12+27, 39), taking 3 points of falling damage (reduced from a 20 to a 10 foot fall) as well as 30 fire damage from the heat of the remorhaz. The heat burns quite a lot, as she lets out a scream of pain herself.

Bear Ghost, you're up. You have a smaller remorhaz that is a sitting duck (paralyzed) and the other that went burrowing as targets until you start turning on your friends.

Remember that you cannot use Dire Charge every turn (just the surprise or first round), so you get 1 attack. Make it a good one.

[Dr_Nimm]

Most impressive. If only Xavier had the precision and artistry of Leena!

[Bear_Ghost]

Bear Ghost goes after the smaller one with a bounding leap.. jump check 56. And
comes down with a devastating strike. With a 10 power attack, rolls 51 to hit .. damage roll 2+28(str)+ 120(power attack + leap attack)= 150

Leap Attack

You can combine a powerful charge and a mighty leap into one devastating attack.

Prerequisites: Jump 8 ranks, Power Attack.

Benefit: You can combine a jump with a charge against an opponent. If you cover at least 10 feet of horizontal distance with your jump, and you end your jump in a square from which you threaten your target, you can double the extra damage dealt by your use of the Power Attack feat. If you use this tactic with a two-handed weapon, you instead triple the extra damage from Power Attack.

This attack must follow all the normal rules for using the Jump skill and for making a charge, except that you ignore rough terrain in any squares you jump over.

[DM7581]

Bear Ghost explodes from the ice once again, lunging toward the single, smaller (and paralyzed) remorhaz left standing. He needed to cover 25 feet in order to just make it.. and he did (the Jump check allows for 28 feet of coverage), circumventing the rough terrain and landing on the creature with a horrific blow, severing its head with but a single swipe!

Warm blood splatters all over Bear Ghost as he howls in fury, but then...

After landing (he had to land near the opening of the larger remorhazes hole in order to land the jump as it was the shortest distance and no other location would have allowed an attack) his footing starts to give way until...

Bear Ghost, follow this up with an Acrobatics (formerly a Balance) check.

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You landed right at the square diagonal to the smaller monster (which is partially in the hole). You land the hit, but now must struggle to keep your balance and not fall in. I tried to see where else you could have landed, but if you choose any other square, your jump check falls short by 5 or more feet.

[Bear_Ghost]

Balance Check: 21

[DM7581]

As Bear Ghost lands with the immense power that he fell the creature with, the surface beneath him starts to buckle inward. He takes a small, but critical skip in the opposite direction as a chunk of the icy platform plummets a good 20 feet, melting instantly as it makes contact with the remorhaz burrowing bellow.

Bear Ghost peers back over his shoulder, taking a glance at his final hostile target, with a sneer, as he again composes himself.

The wind and snow has subsided somewhat, but all that has been revealed with everyone's newfound visibility is the upcoming sunset in the hazy distance beyond the western mountain picks. With the sun setting, the temperature drops even more so, if that's even possible.

Christopher, your go.

[Christ. Michael]

(I don't have access to my weapon, nor most of my spells, unless you consider the somatic requirement on Cure spells simply laying hands on myself. If that's the case, I'll cast a cure serious wounds on myself, Concentration Nat 1 + 30. Otherwise, I'll curl up in the fetal position and continue praying.)

[DM7581]

Remember that ALL of your half-celestial spell-like abilities simply require a concentration check, but have no other components.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfCelestial.htm

That said, you are still limited, but not helpless.

[Christ. Michael]

To be fair, I did already roll a Concentration (Nat 1+30). Should I reroll? You know messing with time is risky business.

[DM7581]

Ah, ok. The check is good for a 10th-level spell (DC 20+spell level). You can use any spell-like ability on your list.

[Christ. Michael]

If that's the case, I'll cast Summon Monster XI and summon and Leonal http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/leonal.htm