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Thread: Where to go from here......
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2016-08-24, 11:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2013
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Where to go from here......
Followup to this thread.
So, dopplegangers sprang a trap on the party while they marched along a catwalk above a raging river in a deep gorge. Five rangers caused panic amongt the group casters while the Doppleganger Artificer wrecked the warforged. A lucky critical hit helped end the artificer, and an invisibility spell allowed our Psion to live (he had nine HP left).
The party is now scrambling to regroup outside the dopplegangers' hideout, where the group's artificer (and his father) are presumably being held.
So...apart from a doppleganger spellcaster, I'd like to throw something else more terrifying at them for the "boss fight." What is it?
Dragon? Another spellcaster? I do like the idea of a Beholder.....
Thoughts on what could be a challenge for level 10 and also strike some more fear into them?Warforged Avatar graciously provided by linkele!
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2016-08-24, 11:44 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2015
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- The Old World
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Re: Where to go from here......
If you say 'strike fear' I say 'dread'...
They have the fear like nothing else
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2016-08-25, 01:16 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2016
Re: Where to go from here......
I know the hydra has weak versions.
it has fast healing, and requires coordination to defeat.
PC's always seem to get scared when they imagine "hydra" and they act timid so watch out for that.
You can always give it a breath weapon if the PC 's give you too much trouble.
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2016-08-25, 01:36 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2008
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- Texas
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Re: Where to go from here......
Give the doppelgangers some class levels in Warblade and other good classes.
Tiger Claw 3 has a maneuver that lets you do +6d6 extra damage if you succeed at a Jump check against your target's AC. With a greatsword, that's 8d6 damage to roll in front of them.
Got Treants? Tendriculos? Massed shocker lizards? Swarms? A Psion-Killer construct (CR12 by itself!)?Things published on DM's Guild
Campaign Logs:
Baldur's Gate 2 (ongoing)
Castle Dracula (Castlevania)
Against the Idol of the Sun (high level hexcrawl)
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2016-08-25, 02:42 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2011
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- Germany
Re: Where to go from here......
There is a warforged in the party, so i assume you are playing in Eberron?
In this case, add an Inspired Telepath and Charm/Dominate away. Inspired make for great recurring villains, as you can kill the host body but the quori will survive and can come back in another hostOriginal by gkathellar
You get a cookie. You get all of the cookies. Your steal forty cakes, and everyone just shrugs and says, "That's awesome."
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2016-08-25, 06:35 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2013
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- New York
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Re: Where to go from here......
Warforged Avatar graciously provided by linkele!
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2016-08-25, 06:41 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2015
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- The Old World
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Re: Where to go from here......
Depends really, sorry for being incomplete. Dread is a class from DSP psionics. It works with fear and is a rather decent class I think.
Dread are also antagonists in Raymond Feist his 'magician' series, they are beings of anti life from the lowest Plane, quite dangerous
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2016-08-25, 06:44 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2014
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Re: Where to go from here......
Dread is a wonderful psionic class by DSP, that might be nutshell as 'if phantasmal killer were a melee character'
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unl.../classes/dread
3rd party and all that, YMMV, etc etc.
Fair question:
How important is the party?
The Doppel's could easily be in the midst of trying to Ice-Assassin him, assuming they have a scroll. This leads to the classic trope of a mirror match.Currently Playing as:
KalKhan Manyfaces Half-Orc Ranger5/Illithid Slayer3/Aerial Avenger 3/Wizard 2//psionic gish (3.X)
Puck Yuell Pixie (sprite) Bard (3.5)
Currently Running:
Cypher Arcanum- an attempt at giving my players a Monty Haul. Taking it away, but giving nice internal bonuses. (3.X)
Homebrewing:
Reincarnation/Heritage Campaign- using Cypher as the test ground
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2016-08-25, 07:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2013
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- New York
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Re: Where to go from here......
Ice-Assassin?
Party is well-known. Righteous do-gooders who managed to piss off a few evil beings. I'm thinking that doppelgangers are employed by one of the major enemies. Maybe allied with a powerful druid who feels that the party is throwing off the natural balance of the world, etc etc.
Also, I'm trying to do as little work as possible prepping, so.....pre-statted monsters help immensely.Warforged Avatar graciously provided by linkele!
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2016-08-25, 07:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2011
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- Germany
Re: Where to go from here......
Well, in this case, an Inspired is fair game :-)
Most players are afraid of losing control of their characters (at least at my table), so Psionic Charm/Dominate can be a nightmare. The Inspired Telepath is a master of these tactics. Pair him with an Inspired Dread as a bodyguard, add some Doppler-Mooks and: voilá, you have yourself a bossfightOriginal by gkathellar
You get a cookie. You get all of the cookies. Your steal forty cakes, and everyone just shrugs and says, "That's awesome."
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2016-08-25, 09:28 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2016
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- Raleigh, NC
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Re: Where to go from here......
A bunch of dopplegangers working for a Rakshasa might be pretty neat. They're tough bad guys and they have a **** ton of mind-affecting abilities that'll definitely give your party something to think about.
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2016-08-25, 09:48 AM (ISO 8601)
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Warforged Avatar graciously provided by linkele!
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2016-08-25, 03:42 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2014
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Re: Where to go from here......
First, explanation!
Ice Assassin
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 9
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 8 hours
Range: Touch
Effect: One duplicate creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: No
The ice assassin spell is in many ways
an improved version of simulacrum.
Developed by powerful frost mages
who have more than their fair share
of enemies to fi ght, an ice assassin is
an effective way to destroy an enemy
without putting yourself at risk.
An ice assassin spell creates a living,
breathing creature that is a near-per-
fect duplicate of an existing creature.
The duplicate is formed entirely out
of ice, but once the spell is in effect,
it appears as an exact duplicate to
all but its source, who always sees
the ice assassin as an animated ice
statue of himself. The ice assassin
possesses all the skills, abilities, and
memories possessed by the original,
but its personality is warped and
twisted by an all-consuming need to
slay the original. It also constantly
uses locate creature on its duplicate
at a caster level equal to your own. If
its quarry is outside the range of this
effect, the ice assassin must rely on
its own cleverness or advice from you
to track the original.
The ice assassin has the cold sub-
type. Creatures familiar with the
original might detect the ruse with
a successful Spot check. You must
make a Disguise check (gaining a
+10 circumstance bonus from the
power of the spell) when you cast
the spell to determine how good the
likeness is.
The ice assassin is under your
absolute command. You possess a
telepathic link to the ice assassin, and
when you concentrate, you receive a
clear image of the area surrounding
the ice assassin as if you were scrying
it. Further, you can have any spell you
cast on yourself affect the ice assas-
sin as well; this includes spells with
a target of “You” only. These benefi ts
persist as long as you and the ice assas-
sin remain within a mile of each other.
If the ice assassin travels beyond this
range, it continues to function and
seek out its nemesis, but you have no
direct control over it.
An ice assassin has no ability to
become more powerful; it cannot
increase its level or abilities. Damage
caused to the ice assassin can be
repaired only via a complex process
requiring 1 day, 100 gp per hit point,
and a fully equipped laboratory. If
the ice assassin is reduced to 0 hit
points by any damage except for fi re
damage, it explodes into a burst of
icy shrapnel in a 20-foot radius that
causes 1d6 points of cold damage for
every two caster levels you possess; a
successful Refl ex saving throw halves
the damage. An ice assassin slain by
fi re damage simply melts into a pool
of water.
Material Component: This spell is
cast over the ice statue of the creature
to be duplicated. Some portion of the
creature to be duplicated (hair, nail,
and so on) must be placed inside
the ice statue as it is constructed. In
addition, the spell requires powdered
diamond worth 20,000 gp.
XP Cost: 5,000.
Now, on to nutshelling:
It's a kill and replace sort of spell. Depending on your party's level, this could be either 'awesome! We're causing issues for the BBEG!' or 'Oh ****, we're causing problems for the BBEG!'
This would also make them paranoid about who around them is an original, and who could be a fake. Wonderful bit of mentalism right there.Last edited by zyggythorn; 2016-08-25 at 06:44 PM. Reason: Site that must not be named
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2016-08-25, 04:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2015
Re: Where to go from here......
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2016-08-25, 04:52 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2011
Re: Where to go from here......
Ice Assassin seems like overkill for a Level 10 party - if the BBEG can toss around level 9 spells with 20k material costs, he can probably spend less time & overall effort to scry-n-die the party instead.
I'd keep hitting the "you can't trust your eyes" theme you've got going. Doppleganger illusionists! They'll never be quite certain that they actually killed their foe.
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2016-08-25, 06:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2013
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Warforged Avatar graciously provided by linkele!
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2016-08-25, 06:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2016
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- In the forest of my Mind
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Re: Where to go from here......
Drop a Deck of Many Things onto the hapless adventurers ....
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2016-08-26, 12:43 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2011
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- Germany
Re: Where to go from here......
Inspired Inquisitor - there is your manipulator - Magic of Eberron pg. 146
or, if you'd like it a little softer/squishier - Inspired - Eberron Campaign Setting pg. 290
Tsucora Dreamblade - not a dread, but close enough to the idea as a bodyguard - Secrets of Sarlona, pg. 66 ff. If you would like a more warrior-like approach, take look at the Du'ulora Champion on the same page (although CR 13 might be a bit much for your group).
Hope this is helpfulOriginal by gkathellar
You get a cookie. You get all of the cookies. Your steal forty cakes, and everyone just shrugs and says, "That's awesome."
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2016-08-26, 11:00 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2013
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- New York
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Re: Where to go from here......
Warforged Avatar graciously provided by linkele!
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2016-08-29, 01:36 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2011
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- Germany
Re: Where to go from here......
Original by gkathellar
You get a cookie. You get all of the cookies. Your steal forty cakes, and everyone just shrugs and says, "That's awesome."