Fastball special boss fight

[Darth Stabber]

Inspired by this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197199) thread I am trying to work out an encounter for a 7th level party based on a Ogre Hulking Hurler throwing a Goblin Warblade with a readied standard action to use a maneuver on impact. does anyone have any thoughts on how to go about doing this in a challenging but beatable manner?

As a note: While this group didn't try to be optimized, they seem to be fairly optimized by accident. Party makeup Tibbit Dread Necromancer7, Human Unarmed Swordsage5/shadow-sun ninja2, Elan Psion (shaper)5/Uncarnate2

Additional note: I am ruling that armor spikes with the returning property return the thrown goblin to the ogre's hand. However a readied action to attack the goblin before he returns to the ogre's hand will prevent the return (provided the attack hits).

[Alabenson]

The difficulty of this encounter is mainly based on how readily the PCs can drop the ogre (after which the encounter becomes much easier). Based on your description of the PCs, it doesn't look like they have much ranged blasting capability, so placing the ogre so that it is difficult to engage in melee with him could make the encounter reasonably challenging, depending on how quickly the PCs figure out how to stop the goblin from returning.

[Person_Man]

Note that Races of Stone actually has a feat that specifically covers this mechanic, if you're interested.

[Moogleking]

Pop the Ogre on top of a winding cliff, one that's shallow enough for him to have clear vision all the way down, but steep enough for the PC's to have difficulty climbing straight up (especially whilst, say, a ninja goblin is flying back and forth at them :smalltongue:). Chuck in a few traps on the way up and a few mooks (maybe some archers, just to be sadistic) and this would be a good fight!

[Darth Stabber]

Does anyone have any advice as far as builds go?

[Darrin]

Does anyone have any advice as far as builds go?

King of Pong (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5897646) can be use his allies for projectiles. If he doesn't activate Sweeping Strike, the projectile doesn't even take damage.

[Telonius]

Relevant questions ... do any of the PC's have Deflect Arrows, and does a Goblin count as an "unusually massive" ranged weapon?

[Darth Stabber]

Relevant questions ... do any of the PC's have Deflect Arrows, and does a Goblin count as an "unusually massive" ranged weapon?

No body has deflect arrows to my knowledge.

So instead of just a returning goblin projectile (or in addition to), add goblins that don't return but have combat reflexes, improved trip, and ewp(spiked chain), and give the hulking hurler the knockdown trick (damaged targets are knocked prone, no save) for his hulking hurler 2 trick. Since he has his first iterative he can throw one lockdown goblin and the returning goblin every turn. Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha! Am I too evil a gm?

Heck with a flaw the lockdown goblins only have to be lvl2 (fighter)