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Traveler
2011-07-26, 11:55 PM
My group is currently running through an adjusted Fortress on the Yuin-Ti in the Eberron setting, and we are getting beaten up by everything and we are on a timelimit. Normally I'd just think of another plan or something but all of my tricks have been used up already and new plans don't seem to function well either. So I humbly ask the creative and helpful of the playground to lend ideas to help me level the playing field, preferably in a creative way. Backstory is as follows.
Short version,
BBEG literally handwaved us away (teleported 900 miles to the west), we got our hands on the only weapons that can hurt him, returned to the fortress where he is (we think), and have slowly fought though several powerful allies BBEG has gathered. The last fight (one cleric vs 6 of us) ended in a near TPK. The enemy also is gathering armies and will launch a new war should we fail.Long and detailed version.
Our party worked through part of the fortress without that much trouble. Eventually we come across a room where the BBEG Sertrous (or rather a fragment) comes into existance moments after we kill several priests. We talk, he handwaves part of the party 900 miles away. I throw 2/3 wishes at him off a ring I found (he forceably took the ring before I could use the last) to little effect. I wished him Destroyed (something happened to him but I don;t know what) and tried banishing him to another plane. That did not work either. The rest of the party gets teleported away.
We stock up on supplies, chase down some information, and return for payback. We discoverd that there are several items that can hurt him and we have some. He and his followers have the others at his fortress.
We return to the fortress, free some prisoners (sacrifices) and fight two of his new twelve generals. The first fight wasn't bad. Vorpal sword made the fight go quick. It could have been far worse given the enemy was a madusa. Second general killed all but two party members. One was elsewhere and the other was dropped to two hit points. These have been one on six/seven fights, but now I believe that we are going to start fighting more than one general at a time and we a being beat up already. Also, several documents we found say that he (sertrous) has gained the support of a large yuin-ti cult in Xen'drik, the Emerald Claw has lent some of it's forces, and Droam will also back Sertrous up in what has been hinted at a new war should we fail. And this is just from what we found so far. I can only assume that given there are 12 generals that they each have a force behind them.
Now, based on what I have explained (or tried to) we are out numbered (used to that), over matched (used to that), and bad things happen each time we retreat (used to that). But now all of these things are applied at the same time and it is straining the group's resoures and moral. So I could use some creative ideas to help us change up how this is going. The only idea I have aside from plow through and hope for the best is raise an opposing army, but who is going to believe 7 random adventures and lend troops?
So if you have taken the time to read this I thank you for that alone. It's late and I'm tired so this probably isn't as clear or detailed as it should be. If you have any ideas to change the direction of how this is going I'm fully open to whatever you might have to say, including "solve your own problems". If you have played this mod, please do not give spoilers if you can help it.

NikitaDarkstar
2011-07-27, 12:51 AM
First of all what does your group look like level and class wise? and possibly wealth wise?

Second, to me it almost sounds like this guy has plot armor on, if that's the case you won't be able to beat him.

Traveler
2011-07-27, 09:33 AM
The party consists of a 10th level ranger, 11th level cleric, 9th level warmage, 10th level bard, 9th level barbarian, 10/1 fighter artificer, and a 9th level warlock. None of them are overly optimized. As for wealth, we did steal a sum of money from these guys alittle while back. Party treasure that we haven't spent is around 1.7 mil gold pieces.
And yes, the BBEG at the end has plot armor. I'm not worried about him yet. I'm more worried that his new buddies/ten remaining generals are more than we can handle.

imperialspectre
2011-07-27, 09:48 AM
What books can you access for ranger and cleric spells, and how is the ranger built?

Traveler
2011-07-27, 04:12 PM
Provided we have the source to quote, any 3.5 book. We do have pdfs for most of the books. I can't say how the ranger is built because he isn't my character and I don't have his sheet. I know he wasn't built for optimization, neither making advantage of TWF or archery.

Frozen_Feet
2011-07-27, 04:29 PM
Give up. Flee to the ends of earth. Selling your weapons and becoming a dirt farmer is optional.

Alternatively, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

If your GM throws a fit at the possibility, hire an army. Yes, hire. You have 1,7 million gold pieces. If that doesn't get you enough disposable cannon fodder to distract your enemies, I don't know what will.

Can you get some Wish or Gate-granting item with that sum? 'Cause Gating in powerful monsters who can Gate in more powerful monsters would, at the very least, consist a nasty surprise to the opposition.

Severus
2011-07-27, 06:05 PM
Depends on how old-school your GM is.

You have a medusa's head....

Lord Loss
2011-07-27, 06:13 PM
Buy mirrors of Opposition. Tote them around like Shields.

Traveler
2011-07-27, 08:48 PM
Can't buy wishes or wish granting items. The group discussed this way back when we started the campaign.
Mirror of opposition eh. That's not a bad idea. I don't know if I can find one on short notice (the more expensive the item, the less likely we can find it for sale) but I will certainity look. We are taking a quick trip to Sharn anyway.
Our DM is old school. Started in AD&D but we tried the medusa's head already. Once the medusa is dead any magical properties it once had are also gone.
Thanks for the ideas, keep them coming :smallsmile: .

genmoose
2011-07-27, 09:42 PM
I think the trick here may be to turn the various generals against each other. They all may be somehow loyal to this Sertrous guy, but somehow I doubt they are loyal to or even friendly with each other.

Here are some ideas:
1. It may be possible that your DM already has conflict in mind between the generals and their troops. It's a little bit of a cliche (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EnemyCivilWar) so that may be where he's going. You may find that some of this documentation implicates one general against another.

2. If you can't find evidence, make it up. You don't have a thief, but the ranger or bard may be sneaky enough to slip in and plant something will turn general A against general B. Let them hack it out and then finish off whoever survives.

3. If you have high bluff or diplomacy, maybe convince one of the generals to help you finish off his buddies or even the BBEG.

4. Attack the source of the generals, IE why they're helping the BBEG. If he will provide some magic trinket to the general, try to fake a copy. If the general is motivated by money, you may be able to bribe him.

5. If you can, raise hell back in the general's home territory. If he learns that his farms are being burned and villages sacked, he may abandon the BBEG to defend the homeland.

Traveler
2011-07-27, 10:50 PM
We do have a changling... :smallbiggrin:

DaragosKitsune
2011-07-27, 11:02 PM
Also, if you must fight directly, there is the possibility of an old-fashioned training montage.

u-b
2011-07-28, 12:31 AM
So, you have decent amounts of wealth, the only problem is transforming it into power.

A less extreme (than Gate) method is to buy scrolls of Greater Planar Ally and ask for Planetars. Ordinary Planar Ally spell gets you something in line with Ghaele, Trumpet Archons or Astral Deva - not as much, but still handy.

Or you can use scrolls to Earthquake the Fortress into a pile of rocks. Bad thing, you'll need a lot of scrolls. Good thing you can use it from the sky and see if anything gets outside to fight with the angels.