DM Advice, one hell of an encounter coming up.

[killem2]

So I've been DMing this series of sessions that deal with local bandits who have been robbing from people all over the area. Clues have led the group to a makeshift hide out that is actually an old crypt and church area long since abandoned.

Well, here is what the party will consist of when they arrive at the main show down: All these characters will most certainly be level 4 by this point.

Dwarf Fighter, with a bear cub (20 ac, 1d4+1 bite, not much here), and a riding dog.

Halfling Rogue (pretty so so build)

Dwarf Priest

Elf Ranger with elven hound (twf build, dual mw rapiers)

Elf Ranger with Swindlespitter (ranged extraordinaire)

Human Barbarian, (my sons character, basic, 17 st, 16 con, 18 dex, big sword (2d6+6) and his wild cohort, a wolf.

Strongheart Halfling Rogue 1 / Wizard 3, with a wild cohort medium viper and an animal companion medium viper, evocation focused specialist.

Elf wizard, 4, no specialty just a wizard.



So, I have 14 bodies on the field and I have to make this a pretty decent battle. The bandits I would prefer to consist of humans, and maybe some halflings, there is going to be a pretty destructive Half-Orc Barbarian (maybe even orc not sure yet) who will be swinging a spiked chain.


My main issue is, I don't want this to be an encounter that is made challenging because all the npcs they fighter have uber magic items, but I do want them to walk away thinking "damn that was a challenge and it was awesome" and then take the motherload of treasure back to the authorities.

The main bandit crews have consisted of a mish mash of Orcs, Halflings, Humans, and some elves/dwarves but mostly the first three. The orcs and goblins tent to be minons who just serve for a quick buck. The halflings and Humans really run the show.

The area they will be fighting in, won't be extremely large but rather large and crowded with tables and piled chairs blocking pathways, as the place is designed to channel anyone to the main gathering area.

Here is the link to the picture. It is very large. (http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/ica171/encounter_layout.png) It gives you an idea of what I original had in mind. But I wasn't really sure the leveling I should actually make all of these baddies. It has to look like a real gang here.

It wasn't original going to be seem so crowded but I also took on some new additions to the group (which is ok).

The rogues listed are hidden when the encounter starts. That big ugly orc is actually a nasty cr 8 barbarian that runs after being jumped by this posse earlier. He's not very bright so his only orders are to smash things on command or run and tell the big bosses when he cant'.

The halfling in the back is not part of the group YET, but he is there because the old wizard that used to be in the group was a good friend of his and he thought this posse had something to do with it, but he soon realizes they are the good guys and will come in mid fighter and start some stuff.

[Kol Korran]

You didn't quite say what is it you want, but i'll address some issues. this seems to be the first really big battle, doesn't it? good luck!

first question though, what is your big surprise? most big finale battles have some known elements (the make up of the group) , some minor unknowns (the rogues) and one major unknown, that often moves the plot forward. what is yours?



Dwarf Fighter, with a bear cub (20 ac, 1d4+1 bite, not much here), and a riding dog.

Halfling Rogue (pretty so so build)

Dwarf Priest

Elf Ranger with elven hound (twf build, dual mw rapiers)

Elf Ranger with Swindlespitter (ranged extraordinaire)

Human Barbarian, (my sons character, basic, 17 st, 16 con, 18 dex, big sword (2d6+6) and his wild cohort, a wolf.

Strongheart Halfling Rogue 1 / Wizard 3, with a wild cohort medium viper and an animal companion medium viper, evocation focused specialist.

Elf wizard, 4, no specialty just a wizard.

damn those are a hell of a lot of people! i'm curious how long does it take for a single round to resolve. still, it seems you're having fun. does all the characters have handle animal? might be trickier when confronting non humanoid/ animal enemies. but so far so good.


there is going to be a pretty destructive Half-Orc Barbarian (maybe even orc not sure yet) who will be swinging a spiked chain. is this the same nasty CR8 orc that is mentioned later? or a separate "boss"? if so, what level is he? i assume he's a tripper?


My main issue is, I don't want this to be an encounter that is made challenging because all the npcs they fighter have uber magic items, but I do want them to walk away thinking "damn that was a challenge and it was awesome" and then take the motherload of treasure back to the authorities.
they don't need Uber magic items, but the challenge could be dealt with in a few ways:
1) relying (at least partially) on characters who don't need much in the way of magic items. perhaps the enemies have a druid as well? ("you stole all those animals from their habitats? die!") or a sorcerer (works spelndidly for these kind of battles- web should be awesome) or a wizard/ favored soul/ warlock and so on.
2) using minor yet effective magic items- scrolls, potions, and the various minor magic items in the Magic Item Compendium might help. keep the "uber" magic items for just one to 3 major characters. note that even a single tangle foot bag, thunder stone against the wizard, or other various alchemical items might work splendidly here. master work items works quite nice as well.
3) instead of fewer higher level up, use some more lower levels, who get less magic items.

put the main stalk of treasure clearly marked away from the treasure which needs to be returned. that way the party might get some loot as well, which they will use to but magic items.


The area they will be fighting in, won't be extremely large but rather large and crowded with tables and piled chairs blocking pathways, as the place is designed to channel anyone to the main gathering area.
except for the big table, there is nothing interfering getting to the main body of fighters, i suggest either small traps in the way (small pit that can be easily climbed of) or more rubble and such, if only to prevent charging and give the ranged defenders some time.

Here is the link to the picture. It is very large. (http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/ica171/encounter_layout.png)
that looks awesome! i'd suggest to make the battle less symetrical- symmetry is boring, have there be disadvantages and disadvantages in every approach, makes things interesting.


I wasn't really sure the leveling I should actually make all of these baddies. this should be a tough fight. i'd suggest to make the hidden rogues and the two characters in front and to the side of the table level 3. the one in fron and 2 from the back level 4, and the 2 remaining are your bosses, which i'd make about level 5-6. but i might be able to tell more if i know their classes. as is this is a serious battle, good chances some might die.


That big ugly orc is actually a nasty cr 8 barbarian that runs after being jumped by this posse earlier. He's not very bright so his only orders are to smash things on command or run and tell the big bosses when he cant'. is he the same tripper orc/ half orc you mentioned earlier. in the pic- is he the one with the axe over his head? CR 8 is hard to beat when he is alone with such a group (but managable due to action economy), but with this group of bandits- he'll be a killer unless he's severely weakened or the party has a special strategy against him.


The halfling in the back is not part of the group YET, but he is there because the old wizard that used to be in the group was a good friend of his and he thought this posse had something to do with it, but he soon realizes they are the good guys and will come in mid fighter and start some stuff.

he's a wizard of 3rd level, behind a bunch of the main assailants, with no cover or help. he'll get slaughtered within 2-3 rounds, unless he can get out of there. (or just had glitter dust prepared and all failed their saves). if you want to bring him to the party, i suggest they meet him earlier, so he'll be on their side of the map when the battle begins.

[killem2]

first question though, what is your big surprise? most big finale battles have some known elements (the make up of the group) , some minor unknowns (the rogues) and one major unknown, that often moves the plot forward. what is yours?

Well, I'm not so sure what the surprise can be. From the get go, they met on the basis of this group of bandits. The wizard (mentioned later that died to the orc) had a small responsibility to find these guys, the halfling rogue used to be part of the group and was going to be framed for more of the henious things they did. The cleric and fighter are together and are just helping, the ranger with the elven hound was actually the body gaurd of a merchant who was murdered by the very same bandits.

The barbarian and the other elf ranger (with the dino) are actually captives that will get released.

The elf wizard and halfling wizard come later.

I guess if we're going to talk about surprises, the entrance to this place will be quite a surprise considering it is a magical portal creator hidden inside of a safe (which they thing is just LOADED with cash).



damn those are a hell of a lot of people! i'm curious how long does it take for a single round to resolve. still, it seems you're having fun. does all the characters have handle animal? might be trickier when confronting non humanoid/ animal enemies. but so far so good.

They do have handle animal, but I might be misunderstanding the concept of the ability so I might have to go to Q & A after this reply.



is this the same nasty CR8 orc that is mentioned later? or a separate "boss"? if so, what level is he? i assume he's a tripper?



they don't need Uber magic items, but the challenge could be dealt with in a few ways:
1) relying (at least partially) on characters who don't need much in the way of magic items. perhaps the enemies have a druid as well? ("you stole all those animals from their habitats? die!") or a sorcerer (works spelndidly for these kind of battles- web should be awesome) or a wizard/ favored soul/ warlock and so on.
2) using minor yet effective magic items- scrolls, potions, and the various minor magic items in the Magic Item Compendium might help. keep the "uber" magic items for just one to 3 major characters. note that even a single tangle foot bag, thunder stone against the wizard, or other various alchemical items might work splendidly here. master work items works quite nice as well.
3) instead of fewer higher level up, use some more lower levels, who get less magic items.

1 - I could use a druid, but why would a druid be part of a bandit gang? I get your reasoning, which could work for a fanatic tree hugger but it doesn't mean they want to steal from humanoids. The magic users is something I find my self having difficulty with. I am sure a necromancer with ability drains could really be harmful, so i might just make them 3d6 stat level 1 wizards with some slings. Wizards can be very dangerous lol. I think I might just do random treasure for items, or lots of money, and let them buy what they want with the money, as of right now, there is no one with magic equipment at all, and they are very very poor. (They have I think about 3500 under what they should be for their wealth or so)

2 - The magic scrolls and stuff could prove perfect. Especially if the rogues are higher level, they could be magical device users.

3 - I am thinking this also. Fighters seem to always be great level 1 and level 2 meat shields that don't put up much of a fight but delay the fight enough that the stronger people start to over come the fight.



put the main stalk of treasure clearly marked away from the treasure which needs to be returned. that way the party might get some loot as well, which they will use to but magic items.

Yeah I guess I could do that, I need to put some clues in there that would make them know this is not theirs to take. (nothing short of alignment changes can stop them of course from doing so)



except for the big table, there is nothing interfering getting to the main body of fighters, i suggest either small traps in the way (small pit that can be easily climbed of) or more rubble and such, if only to prevent charging and give the ranged defenders some time.


I had some other parts to this fight I have not mentioned, it isn't very well lit. There are thick ropes that are connected to the pillars, and handing from them are basic lamps, and those lamps then hang only about 10 feet off the ground. (which is why this fight my be great for the rogue and the hafling in the back, as well as the ranger who focuses on ranged. he uses a greatbow composite)



Here is the link to the picture. It is very large. (http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/ica171/encounter_layout.png)
that looks awesome! i'd suggest to make the battle less symetrical- symmetry is boring, have there be disadvantages and disadvantages in every approach, makes things interesting.


Thanks! Yeah, the symetry is a tough nut to crack, I suppose I can have the rogue hiding in the shadows, but still have the pillars open to go around.

Question: When you have poor light sources and there are people who are in the dark or shadow area looking into an area that is the lighter part, does that give any sort of bonuses? Like if there was a light spell cast on a rock on the table, and there was 20 feet of pure light, then another 20 feet of shadow and the group was 45 feet away, what do they actually see?



this should be a tough fight. i'd suggest to make the hidden rogues and the two characters in front and to the side of the table level 3. the one in fron and 2 from the back level 4, and the 2 remaining are your bosses, which i'd make about level 5-6. but i might be able to tell more if i know their classes. as is this is a serious battle, good chances some might die.

My original idea was to give the rogues poison darts. Not sure if I should retract that idea. I will pull up there info tonight or tomorrow and update the tread with what originally i had.



is he the same tripper orc/ half orc you mentioned earlier. in the pic- is he the one with the axe over his head? CR 8 is hard to beat when he is alone with such a group (but managable due to action economy), but with this group of bandits- he'll be a killer unless he's severely weakened or the party has a special strategy against him.


He isn't a tripper but he is very very stupid and unwise (I rolled 4d6) and he got some seriously low scores, so it worked out well. he has a 5 int, and 6 wisdom. So having him fight with a trip attack would put him on the dead mans plan, because the AoO he would generate would be off the charts lol.



he's a wizard of 3rd level, behind a bunch of the main assailants, with no cover or help. he'll get slaughtered within 2-3 rounds, unless he can get out of there. (or just had glitter dust prepared and all failed their saves). if you want to bring him to the party, i suggest they meet him earlier, so he'll be on their side of the map when the battle begins.


This is true. He has a small story to why he's here, he really isn't going to be joining the fight until they have pretty much moved away from the area, and even then, he's an evocation ranged touch attack wizard. He will have I believe 5 seeking rays and alot of magic missles ready because he is a blaster, and will def be trying to sneak attack some of the casters.

[Kol Korran]

Well, I'm not so sure what the surprise can be. From the get go, they met on the basis of this group of bandits. The wizard (mentioned later that died to the orc) had a small responsibility to find these guys, the halfling rogue used to be part of the group and was going to be framed for more of the henious things they did. The cleric and fighter are together and are just helping, the ranger with the elven hound was actually the body gaurd of a merchant who was murdered by the very same bandits.

The barbarian and the other elf ranger (with the dino) are actually captives that will get released.

The elf wizard and halfling wizard come later.

I guess if we're going to talk about surprises, the entrance to this place will be quite a surprise considering it is a magical portal creator hidden inside of a safe (which they thing is just LOADED with cash).
the surprise i was referring to isn't what the players do, but rahther what the enemies are going to do, what surprise they are going to pull over the players?

what do the players expect at the end battle? have the end battle partly confirm to their desires, and partly bring something totally new:
- perhaps they also meet a messenger of whomever orchestrated the banditry? making this more than they had first thought so?
- perhaps they find a traitor (an NPC who helped them or even sent them on this mission) with the enemies?
- perhaps the enemies have some sort of an unusual monster (some sort of a magical beast) that they unleash on the party? (if you REALLY need rules justification you just need someone with lots of handle animal): and Ankheg? a sort of a fiendish bear? an owlbear? (forgot what their CR is)
- perhaps the leader of this people has some unusual template- fiendish, half dragon, half fiend, and more?

the portal through a safe is a good idea, but does it mean they come to the final battle unprepared? i'd highly, highly advise against that. as it looks, they'll need to be on their best to be able to withstand this.


They do have handle animal, but I might be misunderstanding the concept of the ability so I might have to go to Q & A after this reply.
um, the handle animal was meant more as a joke. few DMs check every time. only in quite dangerous situations.


1 - I could use a druid, but why would a druid be part of a bandit gang? I get your reasoning, which could work for a fanatic tree hugger but it doesn't mean they want to steal from humanoids. The magic users is something I find my self having difficulty with. I am sure a necromancer with ability drains could really be harmful, so i might just make them 3d6 stat level 1 wizards with some slings. Wizards can be very dangerous lol. I think I might just do random treasure for items, or lots of money, and let them buy what they want with the money, as of right now, there is no one with magic equipment at all, and they are very very poor. (They have I think about 3500 under what they should be for their wealth or so)

The Druid was just a suggestion for a caster. and he might help the bandits in return for them helping him later kind of thing, or maybe he's a friend of the bandit lord and so on... but never mind, you can find justification for nearly every character.

i wouldn't make so many of the enemy casters, just some of them (at most a third i'd say) this is a big battle and you want to keep it flowing and running. starting to track too many statuses and durations and areas will just detract from that. but a few will definetly add to the mix. just give them decent defeenses (even the table as cover but a shield or mage armor spell would go nicely) to avoid being quickly killed by the archery ranger.

also- 4th level heavy fighting adventure and no magical items? all my suggestions assumed they were close to or at wealth by level. i suggest to at least drop a few potions, perhaps even a wand (partially charged if you're worried) of cure light wounds/ lesser vigor and maybe an offensive wand or two for the wizard (even a CL1 magic missile will do) or else he'll quickly do nothing in this battle. i highly suggest to get the magic item compendium for cool and easy to fit magical items.

they are going to need them.


3 - I am thinking this also. Fighters seem to always be great level 1 and level 2 meat shields that don't put up much of a fight but delay the fight enough that the stronger people start to over come the fight.
a good tactic is to have the 3 in front of the table to be divided to 6 identical fighter 1/ rogue 1:2 block entrance from the left, 2 from the right, and 2 in the middle try to drop anyone trying to climb the table. fighter gives them an extra feat and a bit more durability and martial prowess, while rogue gives sneak attack. (used in flanking)

meanwhile the 4 in the back i suggest to make 2 casters (i offensive wizard/ sorcerer, 1 buffing cleric/ favored soul, i'd go with the spontaneous versions) and the other two your one big brute, and the other a master archer (either fighter or ranger. i'd suggest fighter for this for durability)


Yeah I guess I could do that, I need to put some clues in there that would make them know this is not theirs to take. (nothing short of alignment changes can stop them of course from doing so)

I don't know your exact story, or where do they need to return the loot to, but i'd suggest one of two approaches:
1- have some of the loot they stole all be group in ojne place, some of it in boxes with signs of the city/ village/ company whatever
2- on the table let the party find some accounting books, with meticulous notes of where the loot came from, and as much as possible- to whom did it belong. the party should be able to figure out from this what is theirs.

HOWEVER, after learning that party's poor economic state, i do suggest giving the foes all kind of magical loots (such as weapons +1, that are worth 2000 or armors +1 worth 1000) and so on. they seem to have earned it, and it's usually more fun to loot the bodies of your foes (and +1 doesn't make such a huge deal of difference at this point)



Question: When you have poor light sources and there are people who are in the dark or shadow area looking into an area that is the lighter part, does that give any sort of bonuses? Like if there was a light spell cast on a rock on the table, and there was 20 feet of pure light, then another 20 feet of shadow and the group was 45 feet away, what do they actually see?

If i get this straight (i'm not that sharp on D&D rules, but i think i know this... hopefully) anyone in bright light could be attacked normally, anyone in shadowy illumination gets concealment (50 %) anyone in the dark cannot be seen and is considered invisible to you (you need to locate his square by hearing, and even then you have 50% chance).

low light vision doubles the ranges of bright light and shadowy illumination.
dark vision sees normally into dakness in 60 ft.


My original idea was to give the rogues poison darts. Not sure if I should retract that idea. I will pull up there info tonight or tomorrow and update the tread with what originally i had.
that might be a nice idea. i wouldn't pick a too strong a poison, as this can obliterate a party from battle, even if not incapacitated. do the rogues have the "poison use" ability or similar feat? or do you hand wave it away (it prevents them poisoning themselves accidentally 1 in 20 every time they apply poison. stupid rule, most people ignore it)

however, their first SA should add +2d6 (i assume you make them 3d level?) so they should be dangerous enough. i advise you to only keep 1 near the main fighting zone. send the two sneaking at the side of rthe cave to attack the wizard/ archer at the back, bringing them into the fight, out of their safe zone. now that should surprise them!


He isn't a tripper but he is very very stupid and unwise (I rolled 4d6) and he got some seriously low scores, so it worked out well. he has a 5 int, and 6 wisdom. So having him fight with a trip attack would put him on the dead mans plan, because the AoO he would generate would be off the charts lol. even quite stupid people who make it their life to fight know how to fight reasonably well. not strategist, but reasonable at hand to hand fighting.

why do you throw dice for him? don't you just use an elite array (or some sort of array?) i use point buy. oh well, each to his own.

if he stands behind minions, (10 ft reach) his tripping could be a powerful tool- he could trip them, and it opens the prone figure open to sneak attacks and attacks of opportunity when the fallen member can get up.

i assumed you were going for a tripper build, which is arguably one of the strongest builds for melee characters, especially with lots of minions. but with that int (he can't take the needed feats) he'll probably won't be a trip monster.


This is true. He has a small story to why he's here, he really isn't going to be joining the fight until they have pretty much moved away from the area, and even then, he's an evocation ranged touch attack wizard. He will have I believe 5 seeking rays and a lot of magic missiles ready because he is a blaster, and will def be trying to sneak attack some of the casters.

wait, so he's just going to hang in the back till they come closer? won't that alarm the bandits? or is he starting to fight while the party is still away? because he'll get butchered. your top notch bandits are closest to him, and he got no one excepts the viper to protect him (which truthfully, are not that much). is he a player character or YOUR character?

[killem2]

the surprise i was referring to isn't what the players do, but rahther what the enemies are going to do, what surprise they are going to pull over the players?

what do the players expect at the end battle? have the end battle partly confirm to their desires, and partly bring something totally new:
- perhaps they also meet a messenger of whomever orchestrated the banditry? making this more than they had first thought so?
- perhaps they find a traitor (an NPC who helped them or even sent them on this mission) with the enemies?
- perhaps the enemies have some sort of an unusual monster (some sort of a magical beast) that they unleash on the party? (if you REALLY need rules justification you just need someone with lots of handle animal): and Ankheg? a sort of a fiendish bear? an owlbear? (forgot what their CR is)
- perhaps the leader of this people has some unusual template- fiendish, half dragon, half fiend, and more?

the portal through a safe is a good idea, but does it mean they come to the final battle unprepared? i'd highly, highly advise against that. as it looks, they'll need to be on their best to be able to withstand this.


um, the handle animal was meant more as a joke. few DMs check every time. only in quite dangerous situations.



The Druid was just a suggestion for a caster. and he might help the bandits in return for them helping him later kind of thing, or maybe he's a friend of the bandit lord and so on... but never mind, you can find justification for nearly every character.

i wouldn't make so many of the enemy casters, just some of them (at most a third i'd say) this is a big battle and you want to keep it flowing and running. starting to track too many statuses and durations and areas will just detract from that. but a few will definetly add to the mix. just give them decent defeenses (even the table as cover but a shield or mage armor spell would go nicely) to avoid being quickly killed by the archery ranger.

also- 4th level heavy fighting adventure and no magical items? all my suggestions assumed they were close to or at wealth by level. i suggest to at least drop a few potions, perhaps even a wand (partially charged if you're worried) of cure light wounds/ lesser vigor and maybe an offensive wand or two for the wizard (even a CL1 magic missile will do) or else he'll quickly do nothing in this battle. i highly suggest to get the magic item compendium for cool and easy to fit magical items.

they are going to need them.


a good tactic is to have the 3 in front of the table to be divided to 6 identical fighter 1/ rogue 1:2 block entrance from the left, 2 from the right, and 2 in the middle try to drop anyone trying to climb the table. fighter gives them an extra feat and a bit more durability and martial prowess, while rogue gives sneak attack. (used in flanking)

meanwhile the 4 in the back i suggest to make 2 casters (i offensive wizard/ sorcerer, 1 buffing cleric/ favored soul, i'd go with the spontaneous versions) and the other two your one big brute, and the other a master archer (either fighter or ranger. i'd suggest fighter for this for durability)



I don't know your exact story, or where do they need to return the loot to, but i'd suggest one of two approaches:
1- have some of the loot they stole all be group in ojne place, some of it in boxes with signs of the city/ village/ company whatever
2- on the table let the party find some accounting books, with meticulous notes of where the loot came from, and as much as possible- to whom did it belong. the party should be able to figure out from this what is theirs.

HOWEVER, after learning that party's poor economic state, i do suggest giving the foes all kind of magical loots (such as weapons +1, that are worth 2000 or armors +1 worth 1000) and so on. they seem to have earned it, and it's usually more fun to loot the bodies of your foes (and +1 doesn't make such a huge deal of difference at this point)



If i get this straight (i'm not that sharp on D&D rules, but i think i know this... hopefully) anyone in bright light could be attacked normally, anyone in shadowy illumination gets concealment (50 %) anyone in the dark cannot be seen and is considered invisible to you (you need to locate his square by hearing, and even then you have 50% chance).

low light vision doubles the ranges of bright light and shadowy illumination.
dark vision sees normally into dakness in 60 ft.


that might be a nice idea. i wouldn't pick a too strong a poison, as this can obliterate a party from battle, even if not incapacitated. do the rogues have the "poison use" ability or similar feat? or do you hand wave it away (it prevents them poisoning themselves accidentally 1 in 20 every time they apply poison. stupid rule, most people ignore it)

however, their first SA should add +2d6 (i assume you make them 3d level?) so they should be dangerous enough. i advise you to only keep 1 near the main fighting zone. send the two sneaking at the side of rthe cave to attack the wizard/ archer at the back, bringing them into the fight, out of their safe zone. now that should surprise them!

even quite stupid people who make it their life to fight know how to fight reasonably well. not strategist, but reasonable at hand to hand fighting.

why do you throw dice for him? don't you just use an elite array (or some sort of array?) i use point buy. oh well, each to his own.

if he stands behind minions, (10 ft reach) his tripping could be a powerful tool- he could trip them, and it opens the prone figure open to sneak attacks and attacks of opportunity when the fallen member can get up.

i assumed you were going for a tripper build, which is arguably one of the strongest builds for melee characters, especially with lots of minions. but with that int (he can't take the needed feats) he'll probably won't be a trip monster.



wait, so he's just going to hang in the back till they come closer? won't that alarm the bandits? or is he starting to fight while the party is still away? because he'll get butchered. your top notch bandits are closest to him, and he got no one excepts the viper to protect him (which truthfully, are not that much). is he a player character or YOUR character?

He is hiding pretty far up, in the darkened area of the fight, at this point he doesn't really know who these people are, but followed the group after the death of his gnome friend. (which was my character) This was actually the entire story behind my "real" character if you will, which was going to be a wizard but focused strictly on damage damage damage, and the little gnome who died at the hands of the barbarian orc, looked up to this halfling, but wasn't the greatest at choosing the same path (which is why he's dead because he's wreckless).

The elf wizard joins the group after the party takes the little gnome to get rezzed because at this point, the group sees it as my only character and will assume I want a rez spell on me, and the cleric is a son of two very powerful priests who are part of the hammer of moradin. This will turn out badly and he will be scolded for this and the body will be taken back to the academy to which the little know came, and the elf wizard is sent to replace the gnome (another character) and the halfling wizard is not entirely trustful of this group and that's why he ends up where he ends up and doesn't want to come right into the fight until he knows why everyone is actually here.

The portal does not open to the fight, the room is actually a bit larger than that and they will be able to prepare. But the group of baddies knows something has went down, because the orc has told them.

And before anyone says something about me running a DMPC the group is happy with my envolvement, I don't abuse the position and they are very pleased with how my character has been. As with all things I do with my character I always run them by my group, and they are equal with me in regards to bonuses. This char starts with some magical items (the only time I as the dm have given my self gear for my character) and that is because after this fight they will be brought up to the correct wealth levels.


Overall:

1. I want them to be rewarded for being in a dungeon that has been going on through three sessions, had undead that made for long boring battles, and because they never got a chance to earn anything to spend the money on before coming here.

2. I want the battle to be memorable for them, because this is going to link to the whispering kairn module after this. (evil mining barren was behind it all)

[Kol Korran]

The portal does not open to the fight, the room is actually a bit larger than that and they will be able to prepare. But the group of baddies knows something has went down, because the orc has told them.
in that case the portal is Excellent, as it gives them the sense of "something serious is coming up", which will heighten the tension


And before anyone says something about me running a DMPC the group is happy with my envolvement, I don't abuse the position and they are very pleased with how my character has been. As with all things I do with my character I always run them by my group, and they are equal with me in regards to bonuses. This char starts with some magical items (the only time I as the dm have given my self gear for my character) and that is because after this fight they will be brought up to the correct wealth levels.
i wasn't criticizing you. i remember when you asked about the DMPC and you seem to be doing things quite well. i think many of the "dogmas" of how to DM can come down to "make your players have fun, don't be a jerk and whatever gets the job done- go with it" and as far as ican tell you're doing a good job.


1. I want them to be rewarded for being in a dungeon that has been going on through three sessions, had undead that made for long boring battles, and because they never got a chance to earn anything to spend the money on before coming here.

so some loot in items the bandits use, some as just treasure. any specific problem in dealing with this? i suggest ot only generate part of the loot (1/3? 1/4?) as random loot. the rest i think should be chosen specifically for the group. i usually decide on how much the group is supposed to have (due to their level and current wealth) and then choose items (usually that can be used by several people in the group, though not always) that i think can:
a) either make them more effective
b) or cover their weaknesses
c) or most likely- items that are just bloody fun


2. I want the battle to be memorable for them, because this is going to link to the whispering kairn module after this. (evil mining barren was behind it all)

i think the battle will surely be memorable. i still think you need one big surprise, the focus of the battle, and the rest will come from interesting tactics- the sneaking rogues making an unexpected appearance, overcoming mooks before the table while the artillery behind the table keeps pestering the party.

and then the big bosses themselves.

one small note: i found 3 things that help make a climactic battle memorable:
1) surprises, but we covered that
2) stages to the battle, the battle changes, forcing different tactics.
3) certainly not least- you need to give the party interesting possibilities, interesting tactics to try. some things that could be fun of the top of my head:
- there should be ropes around, through loops of steel in the ceilings- the bandits used these help move crates and boxes around, the party members can use these to swing across the cavern- over the table perhaps, perhaps towards the wizard at the back, givinf it cover.
- let the party be able to turn the table upon any enemy that is close to it, make it reasonably difficult (but still quite doable) to do.
- there might be a crate with something useful the party might use- a few flasks of oil, or better yet- alchemist fire
- speaking of fire, let there be some ornate but very delicate crystal lamp on the table (the bosses think it's pretty) but if struck strongly enough it may burn the table (and documents?) down, providing some fiery cover between the two sides?
- have some of the crates be badly stacked (the rogues that are now sneaking were dealing with this) which can be toppled on some of the minions or the like?

hope this helps, and that i'm not nagging too much. you just seem to quite invest in DMing, which is something i appreciate, and try to help with.

[Andorax]

Do my eyes deceive me, or so I see someone using WorldWorks terrain to spruce up an encounter? Compliments on that!


I also think you need to put some sort of secret in...not necessarially a combat-related one, though if it ties in so much the better. Do you know where you're going with your campaign from here?

What's it a long-abandoned church of? Could a ghost of the last high priest get involved (on either side) during this fight?

Could the bandit leader be hiding some sort of hideous deformation, indicative of illithid experimentation, and leading the group into an underdark expedition? A hidden tentacle? A graft or symbiont?

Might the bandit's official cleric be a cultist of some sort, trying to drag the bandits into worship of the demon/devil/deity he or she worships? Perhaps the same cult that used to meet in/originally sacked the old temple?

[killem2]

in that case the portal is Excellent, as it gives them the sense of "something serious is coming up", which will heighten the tension


i wasn't criticizing you. i remember when you asked about the DMPC and you seem to be doing things quite well. i think many of the "dogmas" of how to DM can come down to "make your players have fun, don't be a jerk and whatever gets the job done- go with it" and as far as ican tell you're doing a good job.




Of course not, you are fine, I just said that because others like to come in and **** on DMPCs. :smallannoyed:



so some loot in items the bandits use, some as just treasure. any specific problem in dealing with this? i suggest ot only generate part of the loot (1/3? 1/4?) as random loot. the rest i think should be chosen specifically for the group. i usually decide on how much the group is supposed to have (due to their level and current wealth) and then choose items (usually that can be used by several people in the group, though not always) that i think can:
a) either make them more effective
b) or cover their weaknesses
c) or most likely- items that are just bloody fun

These are great ideas, my original thought was, when they go to turn it in, they will be advised that this has to be given back but for their hard work, they get to keep (insert wealth by level charge amounts) + 20% from the pool.

If they take off with it all, fine, then they do, but the cleric is keen on being a hammer of moradin and if it got back to them that he ROBBED from ROBBERS who killed innocents, he would be exiled from the clan and most likely driven from the region. :smallyuk:

[killem2]

Ok, here is what I decided to generate for the party.

I think this might be safer only because when I was rolling I was actually making them fight basically PCs, because of how I was doing weapons, this new npc designer works a lot better.



Arlia CR4
Female Human Rogue 3/Fighter 1
CE Medium Humanoid
Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses Listen +4, Spot -1
Languages Common, Halfling, Ettin

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16
hp 31 (4HD)
Fort +6 Ref +5 Will +0

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk longsword +6 (1d8+1/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp +4
Special Atk sneak attack +2d6

Abilities Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 11
SQ evasion, trap sense +1 and trapfinding
Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (longsword)
Skills Balance +8 (+6 ranks, +2 dex), Bluff +6 (+6 ranks), Climb +7 (+6 ranks, +1 str), Decipher Script +7 (+5 ranks, +2 int), Gather Information +5 (+5 ranks), Heal +2 (+3 ranks, -1 wis), Hide +8 (+6 ranks, +2 dex), Intimidate +8 (+6 ranks, +2 synergy), Knowledge (Local) +4 (+2 ranks, +2 int), Listen +4 (+5 ranks, -1 wis), Move Silently +8 (+6 ranks, +2 dex), Search +8 (+6 ranks, +2 int), Sense Motive +5 (+6 ranks, -1 wis).
Possessions +1 studded leather, +1 buckler, mwk longsword, potion of spider climb, 2 pp, 14 gp, 7 sp, 15 cp, 695 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Background: Dungeoneer, Ht: 5' 7", Wt: 113lbs, Hair: Red, Eyes: Brown, Age: 42.
Sneak Attack (Ex): Any time Arlia's opponent is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, or if a she flanks her opponent, she deals an extra 2d6 points of damage.
Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Arlia takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Trap Sense (Ex): Arlia has a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps.
Trapfinding: Arlia can use the Search skill to find traps with Search DCs higher than 20.



Ybilaven CR3
Female Elf Cleric 3
CE Medium Humanoid
Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Listen +6, Spot +4
Languages Common, Elven

AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15
hp 20 (3HD)
Immune to sleep
Fort +3 Ref +1 Will +5

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk morningstar +4 (1d8+1)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; Grp +3
Special Atk rebuke undead 5/day
Cleric spells prepared (CL 3, +3 melee touch, +2 ranged touch)
2nd--death knell (DC 14/W), hold person (DC 14/W), spiritual weapond
1st--comprehend languages (DC 13/W), magic weapon (DC 13/W), protection from lawd, sanctuary (DC 13/W)
0--cure minor wounds (DC 12), guidance (DC 12/W), purify food and drink (DC 12/W), resistance (DC 12/W)
D Domain Spell. Domains: War, Chaos

Abilities Str 13, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 14
SQ low-light vision, immunity to sleep, elf traits and low-light vision
Feats Extra Turning, Power Attack
Skills Balance +1 (+1 ranks), Heal +6 (+4 ranks, +2 wis), Knowledge (History) +1 (+1 ranks), Listen +6 (+2 ranks, +2 wis, +2 racial), Search +2 (+2 racial), Spot +4 (+2 wis, +2 racial).
Possessions mwk studded leather, +1 light steel shield, mwk morningstar, potion of resist energy (electricity) 20, wooden holy symbol, 8 pp, 13 gp, 8 sp, 14 cp, 328 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Deity: Bob; Background: Diplomat, Ht: 4' 11", Wt: 104lbs, Hair: Black, Eyes: Green, Age: 132.
Rebuke Undead (Su): Ybilaven can rebuke or command undead 5 times per day as a 3 level cleric.
Elf Traits: Ybilaven is immune to magic sleep spells and effects and has a +2 racial bonus on saves against enchantment spells or effects. She has low-light vision (can see twice as far as a human in low-light conditions) and is entitled to a Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door as though actively looking for it. As an elf, she has Martial Weapon Proficiency (composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, longsword, and rapier) as bonus feats and a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into the statistics given above).


Tirarid CR3
Male Elf Sorcerer 3
LE Medium Humanoid
Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +10
Languages Common, Elven, Gnoll

AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
hp 12 (3HD)
Immune to sleep
Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +4

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 spear +1 (1d8/x3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +1; Grp +0
Sorcerer Spells learned (CL 3, +0 melee touch, +2 ranged touch)
1st (6/day)--disguise self, hypnotism (DC 13/W), mage armor (DC 13/W)
0 (6/day)--dancing lights, daze (DC 12/W), mending (DC 12/W), message, open/close (DC 12/W)

Abilities Str 8, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 15
SQ low-light vision, immunity to sleep, elf traits and low-light vision
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Spot)
Skills Concentration +5 (+4 ranks, +1 con), Listen +7 (+2 ranks, +1 wis, +2 racial, +2 alertness), Search +5 (+2 ranks, +1 int, +2 racial), Spellcraft +2 (+1 ranks, +1 int), Spot +10 (+2 ranks, +1 wis, +2 racial, +2 alertness, +3 skill focus).
Possessions +1 spear, potion of darkvision, 7 pp, 17 gp, 12 sp, 14 cp, 249 gp in other assets.

Tirarid`s owl familiar: hp 6

Personal Info: Background: Adventurer - Mage, Ht: 5' 3", Wt: 95lbs, Hair: Black, Eyes: Green, Age: 130.
Elf Traits: Tirarid is immune to magic sleep spells and effects and has a +2 racial bonus on saves against enchantment spells or effects. He has low-light vision (can see twice as far as a human in low-light conditions) and is entitled to a Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door as though actively looking for it. As an elf, he has Martial Weapon Proficiency (composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, longsword, and rapier) as bonus feats and a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into the statistics given above).


Erelith CR4
Male Halfling Rogue 4
LE Small Humanoid
Init +4 (+4 Dex); Senses Listen +7, Spot +5
Languages Common, Halfling, Goblin, Elven

AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 13
hp 21 (4HD)
Fort +3 Ref +9 Will +3

Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee shortspear +2 (1d4) and +1 short sword +3 (1d4+2/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp -1
Special Atk sneak attack +2d6

Abilities Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 10
SQ halfling traits, evasion, trap sense +1, trapfinding and uncanny dodge
Feats Iron Will, Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills Bluff +5 (+5 ranks), Climb +9 (+7 ranks, +2 racial), Forgery +7 (+5 ranks, +2 int), Jump +5 (+7 ranks, +2 racial, -6 speed, +2 synergy), Knowledge (Local) +3 (+1 ranks, +2 int), Listen +7 (+6 ranks, -1 wis, +2 racial), Move Silently +12 (+6 ranks, +4 dex, +2 racial), Ride +6 (+2 ranks, +4 dex), Search +6 (+4 ranks, +2 int), Spot +5 (+6 ranks, -1 wis), Tumble +13 (+7 ranks, +4 dex, +2 synergy), Use Rope +11 (+7 ranks, +4 dex).
Possessions +1 padded, +1 short sword, shortspear, potion of shield of faith +2, 8 pp, 13 gp, 7 sp, 10 cp, 283 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Background: Diplomat, Ht: 3' 3", Wt: 47lbs, Hair: Black, Eyes: Green, Age: 36.
Sneak Attack (Ex): Any time Erelith's opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, or if a he flanks his opponent, he deals an extra 2d6 points of damage.
Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Erelith takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Halfling Traits: Erelith has a +1 racial bonus on all saving throws, a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear, a +1 racial attack bonus with a thrown weapon, and a +2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, Listen, and Move Silently checks (already figured into the statistics given above).
Trap Sense (Ex): Erelith has a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps.
Trapfinding: Erelith can use the Search skill to find traps with Search DCs higher than 20.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Erelith retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.


Adriadith CR3
Female Elf Ranger 3
NE Medium Humanoid
Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses low-light vision; Listen +8, Spot +7
Languages Common, Elven, Draconic

AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14
hp 15 (3HD)
Immune to sleep
Fort +3 Ref +4 Will +1

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk longsword +4 (1d8+2/19-20) and mwk dagger +5 (1d4+1/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp +5

Abilities Str 14, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ low-light vision, immunity to sleep, elf traits, low-light vision, favored enemy (aberrations +2) and wild empathy
Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
Skills Knowledge (History) +2 (+1 ranks, +1 int), Listen +8 (+6 ranks, +2 racial), Ride +8 (+5 ranks, +3 dex), Search +9 (+6 ranks, +1 int, +2 racial), Spot +7 (+5 ranks, +2 racial), Survival +6 (+6 ranks).
Possessions +1 studded leather, mwk dagger, mwk longsword, potion of eagle's splendor, 9 pp, 12 gp, 11 sp, 19 cp, 608 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Background: Diplomat, Ht: 4' 11", Wt: 98lbs, Hair: Black, Eyes: Green, Age: 135.
Elf Traits: Adriadith is immune to magic sleep spells and effects and has a +2 racial bonus on saves against enchantment spells or effects. She has low-light vision (can see twice as far as a human in low-light conditions) and is entitled to a Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door as though actively looking for it. As an elf, she has Martial Weapon Proficiency (composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, longsword, and rapier) as bonus feats and a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into the statistics given above).
Favored Enemy (Ex): Adriadith has selected Aberrations as favored enemies. She gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against Aberrations. Likewise, she gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against Aberrations.
Wild Empathy (Ex): Adriadith can use body language, vocalizations, and demeanor to improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to influence the attitude of a person, but Adriadith's modifier to the die roll is +0. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, Adriadith must be able to study the animal and it her, so they must be within 30 feet of each other under normal conditions. Generally an attempt takes 1 minute. Adriadith can also use this ability to influence the attitude of a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.








Chaowyr CR3
Male Gnome Wizard 3
CE Small Humanoid
Init +1 (+1 Dex); Senses low-light vision; Listen +7, Spot +4
Languages Common, Gnome, Dwarven, Orc

AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 11
hp 17 (3HD)
Fort +4 Ref +2 Will +6

Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee +1 quarterstaff +2 (1d4)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +1; Grp -4
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1) 1/day - speak with animals(burrowing mammals only, duration 1 minute).
Special Atk spell-like abilities
Wizard Spells Memorized (CL 3, +0 melee touch, +2 ranged touch)
2nd--resist energy (DC 14/F)
1st--floating disk, magic aura, protection from good (DC 13/W)
0--detect poison, flare (DC 12/F), prestidigitation (DC 12), read magic

Abilities Str 8, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 8
SQ low-light vision, gnome traits and low-light vision
Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Iron Will, Scribe Scroll
Skills Intimidate +1 (+2 ranks, -1 cha), Knowledge (Arcana) +7 (+5 ranks, +2 int), Listen +7 (+2 ranks, +1 wis, +2 racial, +2 alertness), Search +4 (+2 ranks, +2 int), Spellcraft +9 (+5 ranks, +2 int, +2 synergy), Spot +4 (+1 ranks, +1 wis, +2 alertness).
Possessions +1 quarterstaff, 9 pp, 17 gp, 16 sp, 12 cp, 550 gp in other assets.
Spellbook Wizard: spells prepared plus: 0--acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, ray of frost, resistance, touch of fatigue
1st--endure elements, hypnotism, unseen servant, magic weapon
Spell Book value: 1400 gp.

Chaowyr`s bat familiar: hp 8

Personal Info: Deity: Bob; Background: Adventurer - Mage, Ht: 3' 4", Wt: 44lbs, Hair: brown, Eyes: Dark Blue, Age: 64.
Gnome Traits: Chaowyr has a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusions, a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids, and a +4 dodge bonus against giants. The DC for any illusion spells he casts increases by +1. He also gains a +2 bonus on Listen and Craft (alchemy) checks (already figured into the statistics above).
Chaowyr may treat gnome hooked hammers as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.

Legiraoered CR2
Male Human Barbarian 2
LE Medium Humanoid
Init +1 (+1 Dex); Senses Listen +2, Spot +1
Languages Common

AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14
hp 24 (2HD)
Fort +4 Ref +1 Will +1

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk falchion +5 (2d4+3/18-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; Grp +4
Special Atk rage 1/day

Abilities Str 14, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 9
SQ fast movement and uncanny dodge
Feats Run, Track
Skills Climb +5 (+5 ranks, +2 str, -2 acp), Handle Animal +4 (+5 ranks, -1 cha), Intimidate +3 (+4 ranks, -1 cha), Jump +9 (+5 ranks, +2 str, +4 speed, -2 acp), Listen +2 (+1 ranks, +1 wis), Ride +7 (+4 ranks, +1 dex, +2 synergy), Swim +2 (+4 ranks, +2 str, -4 acp).
Possessions +1 hide, mwk falchion, potion of enlarge person, 6 pp, 14 gp, 9 sp, 11 cp, 410 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Background: Dungeoneer, Ht: 6' 1", Wt: 225lbs, Hair: Black, Eyes: Hazel, Age: 41.
Rage (Ex): The following changes are in effect as long as Legiraoered rages:
AC 13, touch 9, flat 12
hp 28 (2HD)
Fort +6 Will +3
Melee mwk falchion +7 (2d4+6/18-20)
Base Atk +2 Grp +6
Abilities Str 18, Con 17
Skills Climb +7 (+5 ranks, +4 str, -2 acp), Jump +11 (+5 ranks, +4 str, +4 speed, -2 acp), Swim +4 (+4 ranks, +4 str, -4 acp).
His fit of rage lasts for 6 rounds, though he may voluntarily end it prematurely. After raging, he is fatigued (-2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. Legiraoered can fly into a rage only once per encounter and only one time per day. Entering a rage takes no time by itself, but Legiraoered can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else's action.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Legiraoered retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.


Cromabwyn CR3
Male Half-Orc Barbarian 3
NE Medium Humanoid
Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Orc

AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15
hp 34 (3HD)
Fort +5 Ref +2 Will +2

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee mwk heavy flail +7 (1d10+4/x3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +3; Grp +6
Special Atk rage 1/day

Abilities Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 6
SQ darkvision 60 ft., half-orc traits, fast movement, trap sense +1 and uncanny dodge
Feats Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Skills Handle Animal +2 (+4 ranks, -2 cha), Intimidate +2 (+4 ranks, -2 cha), Jump +9 (+5 ranks, +3 str, +4 speed, -3 acp), Ride +2 (+1 ranks, +1 dex), Survival +5 (+4 ranks, +1 wis).
Possessions +1 scale mail, mwk heavy flail, potion of fly, 5 pp, 15 gp, 5 sp, 11 cp, 435 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Background: Bounty Hunter, Ht: 5', Wt: 164lbs, Hair: Brown, Eyes: Dark Brown, Age: 19.
Rage (Ex): The following changes are in effect as long as Cromabwyn rages:
AC 14, touch 9, flat 13
hp 40 (3HD)
Fort +7 Will +4
Melee mwk heavy flail +9 (1d10+7/x3)
Base Atk +3 Grp +8
Abilities Str 21, Con 18
Skills Jump +11 (+5 ranks, +5 str, +4 speed, -3 acp).
His fit of rage lasts for 7 rounds, though he may voluntarily end it prematurely. After raging, he is fatigued (-2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. Cromabwyn can fly into a rage only once per encounter and only one time per day. Entering a rage takes no time by itself, but Cromabwyn can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else's action.
Half-orc Traits: Cromabwyn has darkvision 60 ft. He is considered orc blood for all special abilities and effects.
Trap Sense (Ex): Cromabwyn has a +1 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Cromabwyn retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.




Guld CR3
Male Human Wizard 3
CE Medium Humanoid
Init +1 (+1 Dex); Senses Listen +4, Spot +5
Languages Common, Draconic, Ettin, Elven

AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
hp 13 (3HD)
Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +4

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee +1 quarterstaff +1 (1d6)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +1; Grp +0
Wizard Spells Memorized (CL 3, +0 melee touch, +2 ranged touch)
2nd--fox's cunning (DC 15/W), rope trick
1st--color spray (DC 14/W), enlarge person (DC 14/F), floating disk
0--acid splash, detect magic, disrupt undead, mage hand

Abilities Str 9, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 9
Feats Alertness, Maximize Spell, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Knowledge (Arcana)), Spell Penetration
Skills Concentration +5 (+4 ranks, +1 con), Decipher Script +8 (+5 ranks, +3 int), Forgery +5 (+2 ranks, +3 int), Hide +3 (+2 ranks, +1 dex), Knowledge (Arcana) +12 (+6 ranks, +3 int, +3 skill focus), Listen +4 (+1 ranks, +1 wis, +2 alertness), Search +4 (+1 ranks, +3 int), Spellcraft +10 (+5 ranks, +3 int, +2 synergy), Spot +5 (+2 ranks, +1 wis, +2 alertness), Swim +1 (+2 ranks, -1 str).
Possessions +1 quarterstaff, 5 pp, 19 gp, 8 sp, 3 cp, 550 gp in other assets.
Spellbook Wizard: spells prepared plus: 0--arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect poison, flare, ghost sound, light, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, touch of fatigue
1st--detect undead, erase, hold portal, jump, mount
Spell Book value: 1550 gp.

Guld`s cat familiar: hp 6

Personal Info: Deity: Bob; Background: Diplomat - Arcane, Ht: 5' 6", Wt: 144lbs, Hair: Dark brown, Eyes: Grey, Age: 42.


Elieeich CR2
Male Elf Fighter 2
NE Medium Humanoid
Init +2 (+2 Dex); Senses low-light vision; Listen +2, Spot +4
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16
hp 16 (2HD)
Immune to sleep
Fort +6 Ref +2 Will +0

Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee mwk longsword +5 (1d8+2/19-20)
Ranged mwk shortbow +6 (1d6/x3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +2; Grp +4

Abilities Str 15, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ low-light vision, immunity to sleep, elf traits and low-light vision
Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Weapon Focus (shortbow)
Skills Handle Animal +2 (+3 ranks, -1 cha), Intimidate +2 (+3 ranks, -1 cha), Listen +2 (+2 racial), Ride +7 (+5 ranks, +2 dex), Search +3 (+1 int, +2 racial), Spot +4 (+2 ranks, +2 racial).
Possessions mwk hide, +1 heavy steel shield, mwk shortbow with 23 arrows, mwk longsword, 9 pp, 14 gp, 13 sp, 17 cp, 219 gp in other assets.

Personal Info: Background: Dungeoneer, Ht: 5', Wt: 127lbs, Hair: Brown, Eyes: Green, Age: 132.
Elf Traits: Elieeich is immune to magic sleep spells and effects and has a +2 racial bonus on saves against enchantment spells or effects. He has low-light vision (can see twice as far as a human in low-light conditions) and is entitled to a Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door as though actively looking for it. As an elf, he has Martial Weapon Proficiency (composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow, longsword, and rapier) as bonus feats and a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into the statistics given above).







Ermas CR8
Male Orc Barbarian 8
NE Medium Humanoid
Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common,Orc, Undercommon

AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14
hp 70 (8HD); DR 1/-
Fort +9 Ref +4 Will +3

Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Melee mwk battleaxe +13/+8 (1d8+6/x3) and +2 dagger +14 (1d4+5/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +8; Grp +14
Special Atk rage 3/day

Abilities Str 22, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
SQ darkvision 60 ft., damage reduction 1/-, light sensitivity, fast movement, improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +2 and uncanny dodge
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Two-Weapon Fighting
Skills Concentration +9 (+6 ranks, +3 con), Handle Animal +7 (+7 ranks), Intimidate +9 (+9 ranks), Jump +21 (+11 ranks, +6 str, +4 speed), Ride +11 (+7 ranks, +2 dex, +2 synergy), Survival +10 (+9 ranks, +1 wis).
Possessions +1 studded leather, +2 dagger, mwk battleaxe, potion of mage armor, 14 gp, 14 sp, 12 cp.

Personal Info: Background: Diplomat (Spy), Ht: 6' 5", Wt: 201, Skin: Red Orange, Hair: Reddish Brown, Eyes: Yellow, Age: 25.
Rage (Ex): The following changes are in effect as long as Ermas rages:
AC 14, touch 10, flat 12
hp 86 (8HD)
Fort +11 Will +5
Melee mwk battleaxe +15/+10 (1d8+8/x3) and +2 dagger +16 (1d4+6/19-20)
Base Atk +8 Grp +16
Abilities Str 26, Con 21
Skills Jump +23 (+11 ranks, +8 str, +4 speed).
His fit of rage lasts for 8 rounds, though he may voluntarily end it prematurely. After raging, he is fatigued (-2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. Ermas can fly into a rage only once per encounter and only three times per day. Entering a rage takes no time by itself, but Ermas can do it only during his action, not in response to someone else's action.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ermas can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack Ermas by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than Ermas has barbarian levels.
Light Sensitivity (Ex): Orcs are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of daylight spell.
Trap Sense (Ex): Ermas has a +2 bonus on Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +2 dodge bonus to AC against attacks by traps.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ermas retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.




TREASURE

Give all money and items on the enemies to the players and all the gold in assets as one lump sum of gold.

Level 11 encounter, will grant:
1600 gp
black star sapphire, worth 4000
Silver Masterwork Dagger
Vanisher Cloak
ALL ENEMIES have GOGGLES OF NIGHT.

[Kol Korran]

this is going to be a big battle, i suggest to make your work easier and not make ALL the enemies individuals. instead make just the interesting ones individuals, and the rest generic (such as rogue 3a, b, and c, who use exactly the same stats). the players aren't going to care or see the difference except for the major league guys. don't bog the game down looking for every single enemy, when their individuality doesn't contribute to the game one bit.

i can't guage if this is a fair fight for the party, due to all the characters and animals and such. but i think it might be quite hard on them. they got 4 (!!!) casters against them, not to forget the hulking half orc barbarian. if you have the time, i highly recommend to play out the battle yourself and see any glaring problems. sure, the real battle will pan out differently, but some things you can catch. this is a big time investment, but it might be worth it to save an easy victory or a crushing defeat.

it's really hard to gauge these big parties and big battles.

a note about the NPCs magic items and spells: character generators tend to be lazy and just dump things, without thought. some of these really don't make any sense: mostly in the armor department: padded leather +1? studded leather is better! +1 light shield? heavy shield is better! and so on. the ziard and sorcerer for some reason have magic weapons... which they would have changed at the first opportunity for wands, a resistance cloak ior even a +1 protection ring.

the spells of the caster's are quite crap, especially if they had time to change them since the half orc gave them a warning (rope trick? floating disc? comprehend languages?) i'd suggest to choose more interesting spells if you don't want them to look rediculous.

last thing. at the bottom of the list i see all are wearing googles of night... you are aware they cost 12,000 a piece? the googles alone will be worth more than the entire loot many times folds. i suggest to remove that, and just have lamps in the cavern, or ever some ever burning torches (not a big expenditure, 1 costs about a 100 i think.)

generators are nice, as a base, but then you need to fix up the goofy stuff they make.

good luck with the encounter!

[killem2]

Ok fight done. We didn't end up having that elf wizard on our side, but we had an extra barbarian. It was one hell of a fight. I think it might have been a much more dangerous fight but the barbarian got jumped pretty hard core with ranged weapons and magic. And three of the attacks were criticals, and he was down to half health before we actually touched him.

the fighter, the barbarian and wolf and his dog got nailed really early with a color spray.

After pre testing it, and they kept rolling the enemies I had one of the rogues run for back up, and from a secret door, bugbears, orcs, and goblins came in, but sadly it was too late for them to really help.

The fight took damn near 2 hours to complete.

Our ranger who is going to get a two-weapon fighting homebrew prestige class defeated a worthy opponent one on one and our rogue who needed it for invisible blade also defeated a raging barbarian. Took all they had to do it though.

The barbarian was killed three times before they finally killed the cleric that kept healing him.

Was really really fun :)