Test of Spite Exhibition: Claudius Maximus vs. aethernox

[ex cathedra]

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Arena is 30 feet tall, worked stone. Normal lighting.

Starting locations: I'll start somewhere in the top three rows, and you'll start somewhere in the bottom three.

Buff rounds: All days + 3 rounds.

Assuming that everything is to your liking, shall we begin?

[ex cathedra]

Thomas

Initiative: [roll0]

Buffs:

All Day:
Phantom Steed
Heart of Air
Heart of Water
Heart of Earth
Heart of Fire
Superior Resistance
Greater Mage Armor
Create Magic Tattoo

Buff Rounds:
1: True Seeing, Greater Mirror Image
2: Shield
3: Arcane Spellsurge, Greater Invisibility


Starting position:

K1


Vision Modes:
True Seeing
Mindsight [100ft]

[Claudius Maximus]

Myrrhine

You win initiative.

Buffs:
Long-term buffs:
Spellstaff with Blasphemy (permanent until expended) CL 24
Extended Contingency set to cast Owl's Insight "When I cast Armor of Darkness on myself." (48 days) CL 24
Spell Phylactery: Scroll of Death Ward set to trigger "When I would be affected by energy drain or by a death effect" (permanent until expended) CL 25

2-day buffs:
CL = Base +4 Bead of Karma +2 Infernal Threnody +1 Adept Spirit +1 Tome of the Stilled Tongue = 20 or 21. Nondetection is +4 CL from Ankh.

Extended Greater Magic Weapon +5 on scythe (40 hours) CL 20
Extended Magic Vestment +5 on shield (40 hours) CL 20
Midnight Metamagic Extended Magic Vestment +5 on armor (40 hours) CL 20
Midnight Metamagic Extended Pact of Return set to "I will be slain by an aligned spell." (42 hours) CL 21
Midnight Metamagic Extended Pact of Return set to "I will be slain by an attack made as part of a charge." (42 Hours) CL 21
Extended Nondetection: DC 40 (50 hours) CL 25
Extended Zone of Silence (42 Hours) CL 21
Extended Scales of the Sealord +5 (42 hours) CL 21
Extended Glimpse of the Prophecy (42 hours) CL 21
Extended Primal Speed (48 hours) CL 21

All-day buffs:

Endure Elements (14 hours) CL 13
Undetectable Alignment (24 hours) CL 13
Divine Insight +15 (13 hours) CL 13
Superior Resistance (24 hours) CL 13
Tyche's Touch: Protection (24 hours) CL 13
Extended Adept Spirit (26 hours) CL 13
Primal Hunter (24 hours) CL 13
Primal Instinct (24 hours) CL 13
Primal Senses (24 hours) CL 13
Pact of Return set to "I will be slain by a coup de grace" (13 hours) CL 13
Substitution with an iron idol (13 hours) CL 13
Domain Draught: Balance Domain

Round 1: Activate Bead of Karma, Activate Adept Spirit, draw cage full of mice.
Round 2: Cast Battletide on the mice, cast Infernal Threnody, put box in backpack
Round 3: Cast Armor of Darkness, Contingency triggers, Activate Balance domain special ability, Cast Spell Resistance

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Starting Position:
C25

Vision Modes:
Nothing special for now.

[ex cathedra]

Thomas

Turn 1:

Are you visible from the top right hand corner of the map? That is, along K/L?

[Claudius Maximus]

No, I am not.

[ex cathedra]

Continuing:


Fly to K25/L26, 20ft up.


Line of sight on the back two rows?

[Claudius Maximus]

Meaning 25 and 26? If so:
Yes, you see a mass of shadows in C25. Your true seeing sees through the tentacles to reveal a tall, older woman with long black hair. She has a buckler on her left arm, and a staff in her left hand. She also has a large scythe on her back. She does not appear to be wearing armor, but her clothes are rather heavy and baggy, so concealed light armor is a possibility.

With your true seeing, you can tell that she is under the effect of a transformative effect that gives her scales and webbed hands and feet. Above is her true form, however.

Spellcraft can reveal the nature of both visible effects:

DC 25:
The concealing shadows are from the spell Armor of Darkness
DC 23:
The transformative effect is the effect of the spell Scales of the Sealord
If not, please clarify what you mean.

[ex cathedra]

(That is precisely what I mean. Also, I auto-pass the spellcraft checks.)

You see a large mass of darkness appear in K25-L26, 20ft above the ground. A writhing mass of dark tentacles obscures a vaguely equine form. [roll0] (max 8) mirror images surround it. (Ha, sorry, forgot to roll.)
DC 27 Spellcraft:

Phantom Steed


Additionally, you suddenly hear spellcasting from the same space.
OO:

Spontaneously cast Twinned Split Darkbolt, empowered with Spellshard, splitting with Lens.


DC 22 Spellcraft:

Darkbolt.

[ex cathedra]

A similarly swirling sphere of shadows appears above the creature, before exploding outwards, towards you.

Spoiling for size:


Attack -> Damage -> carrier effects. Each attack is a ray, and so each roll is against touch AC. Additionally, you are flat-footed, unless you have a way of preventing that.

[roll0]
[roll1]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll2]
[roll3]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll4]
[roll5]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll6]
[roll7]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll8]
[roll9]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll10]
[roll11]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll12]
[roll13]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll14]
[roll15]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll16]
[roll17]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll18]
[roll19]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll20]
[roll21]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll22]
[roll23]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll24]
[roll25]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll26]
[roll27]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll28]
[roll29]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll30]
[roll31]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll32]
[roll33]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll34]
[roll35]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll36]
[roll37]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll38]
[roll39]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll40]
[roll41]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll42]
[roll43]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll44]
[roll45]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll46]
[roll47]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll48]
[roll49]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll50]
[roll51]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll52]
[roll53]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll54]
[roll55]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll56]
[roll57]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll58]
[roll59]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll60]
[roll61]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll62]
[roll63]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll64]
[roll65]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll66]
[roll67]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll68]
[roll69]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll70]
[roll71]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll72]
[roll73]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll74]
[roll75]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll76]
[roll77]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll78]
[roll79]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll80]
[roll81]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll82]
[roll83]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll84]
[roll85]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll86]
[roll87]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll88]
[roll89]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll90]
[roll91]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll92]
[roll93]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll94]
[roll95]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll96]
[roll97]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll98]
[roll99]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll100]
[roll101]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll102]
[roll103]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll104]
[roll105]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll106]
[roll107]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll108]
[roll109]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[roll110]
[roll111]
DC21 will save vs. 1 round daze.

[ex cathedra]

Confirmations:

Confirm #1: [roll0]
Damage :[roll1]

Confirm #2: [roll2]
Damage :[roll3]

Confirm #3: [roll4]
Damage :[roll5]

Confirm #4: [roll6]
Damage :[roll7]

[Claudius Maximus]

[roll0]

[roll1]

[Claudius Maximus]

Looks like I made both of those. What's with the tentacles? If it's a spell effect:

[roll0]

She dodges 52 of the bolts with frightening ease, but your four best shots still hit her.

Anyway, is this more than one casting? I can't think of a means to fire more than 16 from one casting. This is relevant because I have spell resistance, which I believe you check once per casting (if you're twinning, check separately)

Only the natural 20's hit, so check SR for the casting(s) they came from. I'll save against any that get through.

Also, she's in range of your Mindsight, so you can tell that you're facing a Humanoid with an intelligence score of 18.

[ex cathedra]

This is a single casting. The tentacles are part of the Phantom Steed.

Spell Resistance:
[roll0]

[roll1]

[Claudius Maximus]

If it's one casting, why are you rolling two checks? The first one succeeds, but the second fails. How many saves do I have to roll?

[ex cathedra]

It's a single twinned, split, split casting. Each save represents a block of 28 rolls. All of the 20's within the 28 rolls succeed, the twenties within the last 28 rolls fail. So, three bolts hit.

[Claudius Maximus]

Can you split a spell twice? Even if so, it would result in a total of 18 rays, not 56. Not every ray is split. Even if every ray were split, you'd have 21 rays per spell, for a total of 42, not 56, as there is a cap of 7 rays. What is more, if you ignored that cap and fired nine base rays, you'd still only have 54 rays.

Assuming you found a way around all that, here's my four three saves:

[roll0]

[roll1]

[roll2]

[roll3]

Edit: I didn't catch that edit about only 3 hitting.

[ex cathedra]

You may not apply Split Ray twice, no. I don't understand what you mean by 'not every ray is split.'

Regardless, my sheet has been checked and the person who checked it was fully aware of my attack, and it wasn't contested. Perhaps we can settle your concerns after the match?

[Claudius Maximus]

My main concern is that Split ray allows one additional ray over the number normally fired by a spell. A CL 19 Darkbolt fires 7 rays, so a split Darkbolt fires 8, not 14. If there's something else going on behind the scenes responsible for the number of bolts, I'll let it wait 'till after the match, though.

Looks like I made all three of my saves. Is it my turn, or are you going to take further actions?

[ex cathedra]

Of course, you're right. Apologies, there are 32 rays. Feel free to disregard the erroneous extra 24 rays. I misread split ray as "any ray" as opposed to "any ray spell." I have further actions.

[Claudius Maximus]

You don't have to reroll the Darkbolts or anything, since the natural 20's were all in the first 16. Go ahead with those actions.

[ex cathedra]

I cast Solid Fog centered on the intersection of D24-E25. Actions after this probably aren't visible.


I ride away to I1-J2.


It's your turn.

[Claudius Maximus]

Actions:
Cast quickened Freedom of Movement, move to I25 or perhaps further
I move out of the cloud, moving first to K25. Do I gain LoS at any point?

My move may not be over yet.

[ex cathedra]

I do not believe so.

[Claudius Maximus]

I move to K21, do I see you?

[ex cathedra]

As a matter of fact, I might have been wrong. You probably actually see a portion of the creature in J2 and to a significantly lesser extend J1.

[Claudius Maximus]

That's such a tiny amount of LoS... But it's enough.

Do I see you, or just the steed? I was never clear on that as relates to mounts.

[ex cathedra]

The mount, I would think. It's the large creature. More importantly, did you ever mention whether or not you had true seeing?

[Claudius Maximus]

I said earlier that I don't, but I fully intend to get it if I don't see anything from K21.

[ex cathedra]

You see the mount.

[Claudius Maximus]

I end my turn in J21. You detect me there with Mindsight, I believe.

Actions:
Move to J21, obviously, then cast Divine Power.

[ex cathedra]

I cast Great Thunderclap centered in L21.
DC 21 Fort, Reflex, and Will saves.

[Claudius Maximus]

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]

Edit: I am prone, but neither stunned nor deafened.

[ex cathedra]

I fly to K18-L19 and cast Darkbolt. It's safe to assume that only 20's hit, yes? Since you're prone I have an effective +2 AB, and I couldn't hit on a 19 when you were flat-footed and standing.

OO:

Spontaneously cast a Twinned, Split Darkbolt with the lens. 7(Darkbolt)+1(Split Ray) = 8, split again by the lens into 16, twinned to 32.


Attacks:

[roll0]
[roll1]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll2]
[roll3]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll4]
[roll5]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll6]
[roll7]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll8]
[roll9]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll10]
[roll11]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll12]
[roll13]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll14]
[roll15]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll16]
[roll17]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll18]
[roll19]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll20]
[roll21]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll22]
[roll23]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll24]
[roll25]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll26]
[roll27]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze
[roll28]
[roll29]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll30]
[roll31]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll32]
[roll33]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll34]
[roll35]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll36]
[roll37]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll38]
[roll39]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll40]
[roll41]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll42]
[roll43]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll44]
[roll45]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll46]
[roll47]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll48]
[roll49]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll50]
[roll51]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll52]
[roll53]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll54]
[roll55]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll56]
[roll57]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze

[roll58]
[roll59]
DC 21 Will vs. Daze


After this, I fly away, towards the direction from which I came.


Fly around to A15-B16

[ex cathedra]

Confirmation:
[roll0]
Extra Damage:
[roll1]

My turn is over.

[Claudius Maximus]

Roll SR on the one that hit.

1d20+30

Edit: Looks like parentheses ruin rolls.

[Claudius Maximus]

[roll0]
Filler.

[ex cathedra]

SR:
[roll0]

[Claudius Maximus]

Damage is noted.

Map repost:

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I stand myself up, then 5-step to K21. Do I see you?

[ex cathedra]

You do not.

[Claudius Maximus]

I assume you don't see me then. If you can, though, you can look in here:
Cast Surge of Fortune as a swift action, ready an action.
OO:
The Action I'm readying is Greater Dispel Magic, which I will cast on him as soon as I see him.

End turn.

[ex cathedra]

You see the creature as I appear from behind the wall, in A18-B19. I assume that you're still in K21?

[Claudius Maximus]

I am, and I have a readied Greater Dispel Magic for you. Assuming it's not interrupted, how many rolls do I have to make?

[ex cathedra]

I almost certainly auto-pass the spellcraft check, and I redirect it at you with a Ring of Spell-Battle. Are you fine with that?

[Claudius Maximus]

I redirect it back at you with mine.

[ex cathedra]

Is that a legal option? You cast the spell, and you don't need to identify a spell that you have cast. RoS states that you may redirect a spell that you identified with it...

[Claudius Maximus]

Good point, though if choosing to identify my spells gives me a greater control over them, there's no reason why I wouldn't. I'd make the check automatically, and there's no penalty for failure.

[ex cathedra]

I'm sorry, but the fact that you're suggesting that you would like to attempt to Identify a spell that you chose to cast does not sit well with me at all. Honestly, it's logically impossible to choose not to know what spell you're casting so that you may attempt to use spellcraft to identify it.

[Claudius Maximus]

I'm using the function of the ring, which detects and identifies spells on its own. I do indeed know what spell I'm casting before making the check, but if having it ping on the ring lets me retarget it when I want, I'll of course choose to do that.

Since a god half or more of all ToS characters seem to have one of these, we should get a ruling on it. This won't be the last time it will come up (it has come up before, but was never challenged).

[ex cathedra]

One? A good deal of my characters carry two. I'm very curious as to how this will resolve.

Additionally, I'm invisible. Did you ever acquire True Seeing/See Invisibility or is this an area dispel?

[Claudius Maximus]

Oh, you are? I assumed you were visible, but now your references to the mount and to a single blob of shadows make much more sense...

This was intended to be a targeted dispel, but since I recognize that as a Phantom Steed, it would be obvious that there's a caster lurking, probably riding it (this would be reinforced if there were Darkbolts coming from slightly above it). I would have used an area dispel if I were aware of this. May I change it?

[ex cathedra]

You may. Of course, I would use my ring to change its target to you. So, we're back to where we began.

Jake gave me a ruling, and you do indeed redirect the spell back to me.

DC 29 to dispel the mount.

As for my spells, it would probably be easier if you rolled a few times in order and I tell you when you succeed. The DCs start at 30 and progressively lower. Is there a problem with that?

[Claudius Maximus]

No problem, though I apologize for the long wait for my response.

[roll0]

Dispel checks for you:

[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]

Looks like your DC 30 spell gets dispelled, along with your mount.

[ex cathedra]

I see. The mount dissipates. Are you finished?

[Claudius Maximus]

That's my readied action. It's still your turn.

If you fall, can I hear it?

[Claudius Maximus]

I'm rolling a listen check, just say I don't hear anything if you don't fall.

[roll0]

Distance results in a -5 penalty, so I have 29.

[ex cathedra]

You probably hear me fall, yes. It doesn't really matter, because you soon hear me casting another darkbolt.

Attacks:

[roll0]

[roll1]

[roll2]

[roll3]

[roll4]

[roll5]

[roll6]

[roll7]

[roll8]

[roll9]

[roll10]

[roll11]

[roll12]

[roll13]

[roll14]

[roll15]

[roll16]

[roll17]

[roll18]

[roll19]

[roll20]

[roll21]

[roll22]

[roll23]

[roll24]

[roll25]

[roll26]

[roll27]

[roll28]

[roll29]

[roll30]

[roll31]

[ex cathedra]

SR:
[roll0]

Damage:
[roll1]

[roll2]

[roll3]

and three saves.

This originates from B18ish, by the way.

[ex cathedra]

The first ray uses the first SR roll, the second two use [roll0].

[Claudius Maximus]

I think I have a good shot at pinpointing you, so:

[roll0]

Adjust for distance and compare to your hide check. This is for a pinpointing, and includes the invisibility bonus and your sniping penalty.

Is your turn over?

[ex cathedra]

Hide: [roll0]


I move to B12.


I am now done.

[Claudius Maximus]

Actions:
Activate Scout's Headband for True Seeing.
I now have True Seeing. Do I see you?

If not, I move to B19. Do I see you from there?

[ex cathedra]

You see me in B12.

[Claudius Maximus]

I cast Quickened Maximized streamers on you.

[ex cathedra]

I respond with Wings of Cover.

[Claudius Maximus]

Well that's that then. Your turn.

[ex cathedra]

I cast darkbolt, again.

Attacks:

SR:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]
[roll15]
[roll16]

SR:
[roll17]
[roll18]
[roll19]
[roll20]
[roll21]
[roll22]
[roll23]
[roll24]
[roll25]
[roll26]
[roll27]
[roll28]
[roll29]
[roll30]
[roll31]
[roll32]
[roll33]

[Claudius Maximus]

All miss. My turn?

Actions:
I dismiss a spell. You suddenly hear some kind of fiendish music. It's almost like some kind of... Infernal Threnody.

I move to B8, then cast Quickened Spell Theft on you.

[ex cathedra]

I cast Wings of Cover.

[Claudius Maximus]

Your turn then.

[ex cathedra]

Guess what? Darkbolt.


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]
[roll15]
[roll16]

[Claudius Maximus]

All miss.

I cast Quickened Lahm's Finger Darts at you.

Assuming they reach you:
[roll0]
[roll1] Dexterity damage.
Turn not over.

[ex cathedra]

I cast wings of cover.

[Claudius Maximus]

I use Ankh of Ascension, then Cast CL 23 Blasphemy. You immune?

End turn whether or not you survive.

[ex cathedra]

I'm unaffected by your blaspheming.

I cast Darkbolt.


SR: [roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]

SR: [roll15]
[roll16]
[roll17]
[roll18]
[roll19]
[roll20]
[roll21]
[roll22]
[roll23]
[roll24]
[roll25]
[roll26]
[roll27]
[roll28]
[roll29]

[ex cathedra]

Confirmation:
[roll0]
Damage:
[roll1]

[Claudius Maximus]

When you first cast it, I cast Celerity, then use it to cast Extended Reach Death by Thorns.

[roll0]

[roll1]

If it hits, you must make a 22 fortitude save. If you succeed, you are incapacitated for [roll2] rounds. If you fail, you are incapacitated, then die.

[Claudius Maximus]

Actually, that's supposed to be 1d4 x 2 rounds, so a 3 is not possible.

[roll0] Multiply by 2.

Edit: 6 rounds of incapacity, assuming it hits.

[ex cathedra]

Fortitude Save:
[roll0]

[ex cathedra]

Luckstone reroll:
[roll0]

[Claudius Maximus]

Even worse? Ouch.

I'm going to start giving out coup de grace attacks for 8d4+32, so this is probably game even if you succeed.