Allanimal
2011-11-07, 04:16 PM
I have some questions about monster tactics that I would like to open to the playground. But first, since this relates to what will probably happen on Saturday, Fitz (and my other players), if you happen to read this, please stop now.
I am DMing a group of 5 players, and they are facing a battle with an iconic D&D monster. I want to make it memorable, but I can see it being either too easy or a TPK... So, the characters (all 11th level)
A) ranger 5 / scout 6. One of the major damage dealers, when she isn't thwarted by DR or energy resistance.
C) monk 4 /Druid 4/warshaper 3 - grapples a lot, does not cast much.
H) wizard 3 / master specialist 8 - transmuter. Tries not to break the game
I) swashbuckler 7/rogue 4 - manages to stay alive
J) ranger 10 / exotic weapons master 1 - TWF, whacks things with axes.
They tend to completely dominate if fights against a single enemy, multiple foes are a challenge. That brings up the #1 tactic of the warshaper - grapple the enemy so the swashbuckling rogue can get free sneak attacks. That pisses off the archer, but once that happens, The combat does not last long. I always have this problem with single opponents... When in bear form, his grapple check is well in the 30's... With multiple enemies it is not so bad, but once the single big bad gets in that grapple, it is usually over.
So, now that you know what the party is like, let me tell you the situation. They will soon (probably) be fighting a beholder. It will be in a large room, but with lots of large objects to block LOE of the anti magic cone and get in the way of everyone's movement.
First off, a question about the beholder's rules.
Up to 3 eye rays can be aimed in any one 90° arc. Does the arc stay relative to the beholder or relative to the map when the beholder turns. That is, can it blast 3x to the north, turn 90° and blast north again with 3 different rays?
So, about tactics. The beholder does not seem particularly tough... So even inside the anti magic cone, my players can probably do decent damage to it. So I think it should try to stay away, but that dramatically reduced the number of rays that it can blast with (assuming 5 above is a no). So, I will probably have it open with a charm monster, charm person and fear on the archer, the axe one and the swashy rogue while trying to keep the cone on the Mage. Getting grappled by the grappler could be a problem. Can the eye rays be used while in a grapple?
I don't see the beholder getting out of that...
Any ideas about how to deal with this? I can't decide if the beholder will TPK them in 2 rounds or if they will slice it up in 2... I want it to be a memorable fight, but not because everyone dies.
Thanks in advance for your ideas...
I am DMing a group of 5 players, and they are facing a battle with an iconic D&D monster. I want to make it memorable, but I can see it being either too easy or a TPK... So, the characters (all 11th level)
A) ranger 5 / scout 6. One of the major damage dealers, when she isn't thwarted by DR or energy resistance.
C) monk 4 /Druid 4/warshaper 3 - grapples a lot, does not cast much.
H) wizard 3 / master specialist 8 - transmuter. Tries not to break the game
I) swashbuckler 7/rogue 4 - manages to stay alive
J) ranger 10 / exotic weapons master 1 - TWF, whacks things with axes.
They tend to completely dominate if fights against a single enemy, multiple foes are a challenge. That brings up the #1 tactic of the warshaper - grapple the enemy so the swashbuckling rogue can get free sneak attacks. That pisses off the archer, but once that happens, The combat does not last long. I always have this problem with single opponents... When in bear form, his grapple check is well in the 30's... With multiple enemies it is not so bad, but once the single big bad gets in that grapple, it is usually over.
So, now that you know what the party is like, let me tell you the situation. They will soon (probably) be fighting a beholder. It will be in a large room, but with lots of large objects to block LOE of the anti magic cone and get in the way of everyone's movement.
First off, a question about the beholder's rules.
Up to 3 eye rays can be aimed in any one 90° arc. Does the arc stay relative to the beholder or relative to the map when the beholder turns. That is, can it blast 3x to the north, turn 90° and blast north again with 3 different rays?
So, about tactics. The beholder does not seem particularly tough... So even inside the anti magic cone, my players can probably do decent damage to it. So I think it should try to stay away, but that dramatically reduced the number of rays that it can blast with (assuming 5 above is a no). So, I will probably have it open with a charm monster, charm person and fear on the archer, the axe one and the swashy rogue while trying to keep the cone on the Mage. Getting grappled by the grappler could be a problem. Can the eye rays be used while in a grapple?
I don't see the beholder getting out of that...
Any ideas about how to deal with this? I can't decide if the beholder will TPK them in 2 rounds or if they will slice it up in 2... I want it to be a memorable fight, but not because everyone dies.
Thanks in advance for your ideas...