Test of Spite: Pharaoh's Fist vs. Imperialspectre

[Pharaoh's Fist]

(I'm going to have to say that we need to postpone this until the morrow. Night, Specter. Hope you've enjoyed the rather... unorthodox tactics employed thus far.)

[imperialspectre]

(Perfectly understandable. It's been awesome; I've never seen a fight like this before. 'Night.)

[Pharaoh's Fist]

(That's because you've never met someone like me before.)

[Pharaoh's Fist]

"Enough talk, it is time for fighting!"

Full attack:

(1d20+5)[21]
(1d20+0)[4]

Damage:

(1d8-1)[6]
(1d8-1)[1]

Looks like you take 6 damage.

Stats:

Spoiler

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AC 10, HP 44

[imperialspectre]

Wait, how do you know I don't have AC 22?

Heh, just kidding.

"Why would I want to fight? This match does not favor me."

The gnome pulls a small stick from his bag (move action) and ignites it (standard action. A cloud of fog billows out from the stick, filling the small enclosure.

(Smokestick. Now can I hide? )

Hide: 1d20+32
Move Silently: 1d20+24

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Don't you provoke an AoO for drawing it out and for using it?

[imperialspectre]

I might. Feel free to roll for whichever one makes you feel better. AC 15.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

AoO from you drawing.

(1d20+5)[25], (1d8-1)[0]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

minimum of 1 damage, crit threat.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Crit threat: (1d20+5)[11]

Alright, take one damage from the staff.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I now full attack.

Attack: (1d20+5)[9],(1d20)[5]
Damage: (1d8-1)[6],(1d8-1)[4]
Concealment: (1d100)[33],(1d100)[37], where anything above 20 connects.

[imperialspectre]

Okay then.

(1d20+2)[6]
(1d100)[45] (Concealment, 20 or above)
(1d4-1)[0]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Full attack: (1d20+5)[15]. (1d20)[13]
Damage: (1d8-1)[4], (1d8-1)[3]
The smokestick lasts for 1 round, so I believe the air has cleared up on my turn.

Take 4.

[imperialspectre]

Okay, this is not going to work. I'll have to go for the Hail Mary option, and I'm going to go ahead and describe what I'm doing where you can see it.

First, I'm burning a ton of spell slots, via Versatile Spellcaster, to get a 9th-level spell slot. To do this, I need 2 8th-level slots, which is 4 7th-level slots, which is 8 6th-level spell slots.

I currently have 3 6th-level slots remaining, 5 5th-level slots, 5 4th-level slots, 7 3rd-level slots, 8 2nd-level slots, and 7 1st-level slots. I burn 6 of my 1st-level slots, giving a total of 11 2nd-level slots. Burning 10 of those gives me a total of 12 3rd-level slots. Burning all of those gives me 11 4th-level slots. Burning 10 of those gives me 10 5th-level slots. Burning all of my 5th-level spell slots gives me 5 more 6th-level slots, to the total of 8 needed.

This leaves me with a total number of spell slots as follows: 1 9th-level spell slot, 1 4th-level spell slot, 1 1st-level spell slot, and assorted cantrips.

I heighten a silent image all the way up to 9th level (effectively 10 from Earth Spell), using it to duplicate the 9th-level evocation spell Invoke Magic (Lords of Madness, p.212). The spell's duration is extended (per Extend Illusion, a Shadowcraft Mage class feature) to 2 rounds, and due to Powerful Shadow Magic is effectively 120% real, meaning that it can't possibly go wrong.

I automatically make the concentration check necessary for defensively casting, so you get no attack of opportunity.

An appropriate Knowledge (Arcana) check, which I'm sure you'll make, will reveal exactly what I'm doing, and also the fact that you can't stop that spell.

I also draw any components needed to cast a [figment] spell of my choosing next round. Pardon the vagueness, but I need to look up a spell that doesn't have somatic components.

End turn, your move.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I don't think Versatile Spellcaster works that way.

What does it do, by the way?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

K. Arcana: (1d20+16)[34]

[imperialspectre]

I'm not 100% sure that it works by RAW. Here's the text:

You can use two lower-level spell slots to cast a spell one
level higher.
Prerequisite: Ability to spontaneously cast spells.
Benefit: You can use two spell slots of the same level to
cast a spell you know that is one level higher. For example,
a sorcerer with this feat can expend two 2nd-level spell
slots to cast any 3rd-level spell he knows.

The Invoke Magic spell lets me cast a single spell of 4th level or lower in an AMF, which discharges the Invoke Magic effect.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

But here's the thing: it doesn't give you spell slots.

[imperialspectre]

Yeah, I see what you're saying. I seem to remember that there was a way to make it work on a CO board somewhere, but I can't recall what it was.

If that doesn't work, I'll go ahead and defensively fight. AC 17.
(1d20-1)[8]
(1d4-1)[0]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Full attack: (1d20+5)[24], (1d20)[16]
Damage: (1d8-1)[4],(1d8-1)[4]

[Pharaoh's Fist]

You take 4 damage. If it's any consolation, you'd have died horribly if all you had left was a 1st level spell slot and cantrips, even if you could hide, I'd find your square and start lobbing AOEs at it.

[imperialspectre]

I had one 4th-level slot, besides the ones I needed to Invoke Magic and get one spell off. That was enough to hit you with an Orb of Acid (at CL cap for damage), which had a good chance of either killing you or, if you made your Will save, knocking your HP down by probably close to half.

edit: Wait, how are you doing 1d8 damage with a quarterstaff? Isn't that 1d6?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I thought quarterstaffs were d8? My apologies.

If so, reduce the amount of damage you take by 1 in each instance to a minimum of one.

Look, do you want to concede the victory? It'd take days for one of us to actually kill the other, and I'm pretty sure you're going to do much worse than I am in a contest of damage.

[imperialspectre]

Yeah, I'll concede. I just got another character into the dungeon anyway.

The gnome leans on his walking stick, scowling. "It seems you have bested me, as I will not be able to duel you with any degree of success in this environment. If you wish, I have a number of magic items that you might review at your leisure, once we are out of this...cage. We may as well cease this silly exchange of physical blows before one of us is seriously injured."

The scowl changes, albeit briefly, into a smirk. "No offense, though, but I'll bet just about anything that you're no monk."

Out of character, the character that just earned passage into the dungeon could use a partner, and another mage would work as well as anybody. Do you want to talk Tide into letting us team up?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

2v2 combat is difficult to arrange, just keep that in mind. But if Tide says that it is feasible, then sure.

"Keep your items, a wizard's spellbook certainly does me no good. The taste of victory is enough for me."