How to deal exact amounts of damage

[containscotton]

Our DM gave us an interesting task. We must deal an exact amount of damage (2327 to be exact) in as few turns as possible to a magical metallic object. Exceeding (or not reaching) this number will have no effect.

We solved this task by circumventing it. But if I were a better sport, and went about trying to do this, what would be the fastest way to achieve this in a party with:

1 Factotum
1 Wizard
1 Cleric
1 Barbarian
1 Fighter (archer?)

(Low-optimization.)

EDIT

Oh, and no maximize metamagic, or intensify--we're all about level 12, and none of us have either (definitely not the latter).

[Lonely Tylenol]

There is a Diamond Mind (?) maneuver that lets you do exactly 100 points of damage, I believe plus your weapon damage, which you can make 1 by being Tiny and using a dagger (or the equivalent).

Since there are no Martial Adepts though, and this is a high-level maneuver, I don't think there's a way for anyone in your party to have the initiator level to pull it off.

My guess would be to just use low-damage attacks with variable results, and if you go slightly over, then use Repair Light Damage to bring it down to the appropriate level (1/8 chance), and repeat. If it's over by just a few points, a few castings of Mending/Repair Minor Damage will do.

[Dragonsoul]

Just take a tiny dagger(Deals 1+Str damage) and crunch the numbers working from your str scores.


Start by going all out and then use the above for the last ~100.

Watch out for crits!

[Gavinfoxx]

What is the hardness of the object?

[holywhippet]

Just take a tiny dagger(Deals 1+Str damage) and crunch the numbers working from your str scores.


Start by going all out and then use the above for the last ~100.

Watch out for crits!

I don't think you could crit a piece of metal. I'd consider it to fall under the construct category which means no critical hits because there are no critical areas.

To avoid the strength bonus of a tiny dagger (or any other weapon) give it to a character with no strength bonus or a negative strength bonus (since a successful attack always does at least 1 damage).

[Gavinfoxx]

The trick is to MINIMIZE the number of turns this takes, though...

I'd ask this at brilliantgameologists. They are good with this theoretical theorycraft stuff there, maybe?

[Zaq]

If you can get your hands on Insightful Strike (the Diamond Mind maneuver, perhaps through Heroics), you can deal damage based on your Concentration result . . . and if you have the ability to gain psionic focus, you can "take 15" on it, resulting in totally consistent damage.

A Wizard can access both of these elements through spells (Heroics and Mental Pinnacle), though I forget if Insightful Strike has any annoying prereqs.

[Seerow]

You start off with heavy hitting attacks if you have them, barbarian charging power attacking, people using their hardest hitting spells and maneuvers, etc. When you get into the ballpark of the damage needed (this depends on how much damage per round each party member is dishing out, stop before the next attack with a max hit could put you over), at that point use the shrink and plink method others described, minimizing your weapon damage and plinking the rest away within a round or two.

[holywhippet]

Yep. You only want the exact damage dealing methods when you are close enough that any other attack might push it over the limit.

Unless your DM wants the full plan in advance - that would make things a lot harder.

[Hanuman]

Maximize would max variables, easy crunching.

A piece of metal is not a construct, it is a piece of metal.

Technically you are sundering it.

[holywhippet]

Unfortunately the opening poster said maximise is not an option.

True, it's not a construct - but if you took at the types that are immune to critical hits it's basically anything that doesn't have a vital point. So constructs, plants, elementals, oozes and undead can't be critically hit. I'd think an enchanted piece of metal would be handled the same.

[Hanuman]

Unfortunately the opening poster said maximise is not an option.

True, it's not a construct - but if you took at the types that are immune to critical hits it's basically anything that doesn't have a vital point. So constructs, plants, elementals, oozes and undead can't be critically hit. I'd think an enchanted piece of metal would be handled the same.

I wouldn't personally rule that you could crit a piece of metal that wasn't used for anything in particular. But for a rope, a shield, or anything else like that I would rule it acceptable.

It's my impression that to crit is to basically ruin the functionality of the object, and that oozes have the functionality of being a living blob and hitting it with an arrow in one place isn't really going to ruin the functionality more than any other place. A construct on the other hand it really depends on whats being done, so I might or might not rule crits in-- but in general not.

[Ernir]

Would be rather easy on a Sorcerer. Arcane Fusion Sanctum-stacked 2327 times, and a Heightened Sonic Snap = done in one round.

There are definitely more ways if you can build for it. But with a pre-existing characters? Yeah, hack at it with everything you got until it's about to burst, then take out a diminutive adamantine arrowhead.

[KillianHawkeye]

I'll just leave this here.

Objects are immune to nonlethal damage and to critical hits.

[Gavinfoxx]

Don't ANY unattended objects have Hardness to worry about??

[supermonkeyjoe]

Really it's about how to deal out 2000-odd damage very quickly and then be able to deal a specific amount of damage, Maximise spell would have been ideal, especially since the spellcaster can voluntarily lower their CL to deal an exact amount.

Do I remember correctly that there are some spells that drop a creature to 1HP if it fails a save? Combining that with animate object might work.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

It's fairly easy to pull that off in about five rounds with a Charge build.

Barb takes Spirit Lion Totem for Pounce, uses a weapon that only does 1 damage (through various sources), boosts Str, then Power Attack + Leap Attack + Headlong Rush + Shock Trooper. Throw Haste on him for an extra attack.

For extra fun, make it Barb3(whirling Frenzy+Pounce, or Haste+Pounce)/Dungeoncrasher Fighter. Now you can easily pull it off.

Oh, if ToB is available, don't forget Shards of Granite to negate Hardness.

[Silva Stormrage]

Oh, if ToB is available, don't forget Shards of Granite to negate Hardness.

You could simply make the tiny weapon that he is using out of adamantine which also bypasses hardness.