Mortal Combat: Overcomming a Higher level NPC in single combat

[Canis Wolfsong]

Hello Playground,

This is my first post so please bare with me if make any mistakes, I am currently seeking creative solutions to defeating an NPC who i believe is 3 levels higher than me. The current situation is that my character is stranded on an island with a member of an Assassins guild who want him dead, previously they thought he was dead and she is the only member who now knows differently. This means i cannot allow her to get off the island, the only reason why she hasnt killed me yet is because she needs me to help crew the ship that would get her off the island. Right now she is missing almost all of her gear minus her armor and axe she picked up. Although her armor is a custom item and im not sure what abilities it has. On the other hand i have recovered enchanted armor and +3 shocking spear, I want to make on her but up to this point she has been able to drop party members in one round and has singles has driven off other scary npcs bare handed. I need your help, listed below are my stats and items and what i believe she is.

Me:
LV 7 Swordsage
Banned: Desert wind and Stone Dragon
Custom dicipline: Demented One's Oncomming storm
Feats: TWF, modded Dodge, Weapon focus,Quick Draw, Improved Init, shadow blade
Stats: STR 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 8
Gear: 2 axiomatic +1 short sword, +1 fire resistance chain shirt, potion of Bulls Str, Bark skin, 2 cure mod, +3 shocking spear
Stances: Pearl of Black Doubt, Assasins Stance, Step on the wind
Maneuvers:Counter Charge ,Skillful Parry ,Shadow Blade, Unseen Hand, Sudden Strike,Saphire Nightmare Blade,Mighty Throw, Cloak of Deception,Shadow Jaunt,Lightning Slash,Mind Over Body,Crimson Slash.
HP:56

Opponent: SwordSage 9-11

So in closing a quote from the 5th Element "Please, help"

Thanks in advance

[Madara]

Well, survival can be used to make basic traps.

And you could try using craft(poisonmaking)

You really need to just debuff your foe before meeting in combat.

[Urpriest]

How are your skills? In particular, Hide/Move Silently?

[Canis Wolfsong]

Our house rules have collapsed hide and move silently into stealth, in which i have a +13. The issue is she is higher level and also good at sneaking and perceptive. The only debuff i have is crimson blade which does 1d6 of STR and CON, no save. Though i should mention she has Iron Heart and would just Wall of Blades it away, the other school she seems very fond of is setting sun and touch attach are a pain to try and guard against.

[Randomguy]

You could try digging a covered pit trap with spikes on the bottom and tricking her into falling into it. Just rig the trap so that you can collapse it after she falls in, burying her alive.

[Urpriest]

Well if the character is a Swordsage, then at least you can probably count on her only using any given maneuver once per combat, since losing out on a full-round action in a one on one fight hurts. So if you use something else to get her to use Wall of Blades early, you could probably land Crimson Blade. That said, I agree that you should first try to set up the area to your advantage with traps etc.

[metabolicjosh]

PLEASE READ THIS!
Do this
Help her out and explain how you realized that you need each other.
While going to the ship i bet the DM would throw animals at you because you teamed up. Hold back to see how good she is and then if she gets hurt save her. Ask her why she is an assassin and if she like it. The dm might make her a reluctant killer. if he does than get to know her, make her like you. When getting close to the mainland ask if she has to kill you. Tell her that you are unable to think about killing her because of how you feel. Then offer your life. She will be conflicted over you. Then take your weapon and put it too your chest and say its what she wanted.

If this works out well then take leadership and enjoy a Assassin you stud.
-Implied marriage-

I did this before and it worked.

[metabolicjosh]

People always complain that 4e is all about combat.
Yet people always have a ungodly powerful glass canon in 3.5
Why don't we roleplay anymore?

[Urpriest]

People always complain that 4e is all about combat.
Yet people always have a ungodly powerful glass canon in 3.5
Why don't we roleplay anymore?

See, when a professional assassin is after you, planning to seduce her and gain her trust isn't roleplaying, it's expecting the tropes of a children's story to hold in a game played by adults.

[metabolicjosh]

Well i did have 34 cha and 75 diplomacy when i did that...

[Madara]

Well i did have 34 cha and 75 diplomacy when i did that...

The OP has 8 Charisma. We make the best out of what we have.

[Canis Wolfsong]

As much as I would love to seduce and recruit dear Wubei-san (as I happen to have a weakness for murderous red heads who could give Dark Phoenix a run for their money) she has proven to have greater fortification when it comes to appealing to her on a human level. She is almost fanatically devoted to the guild will not relinquish any information about herself and views me as an absolute traitor because I had to kill another member to protect the party. I had thought about the pit trap as well, however with the good reflex save of the Swordsage im not sure that anything a novice trap builder could build would trap her; plus maneuvers like shadow jaunt make trapping her very difficult. Up to this moment i have seen her take on a dire boar, a warlock/rouge who like to turn invisible and repeatedly sneak attack, and some sort of demon that could cast dominate person (not an incubus). In order to weaken her i would need the cooperation of the rest of the party which due to the demon dominating half of them is now made up of mostly npcs who do not share the PC mentality and wont go like sheep to the slaughter to assist me. To cut to the point does anyone have any good combination of maneuvers i have listed or tactics other than planting my feet and going blow for blow with her?

[metabolicjosh]

Fine... Just do what i said then kill her while she is a sleep. If you must...

[Madara]

As much as I would love to seduce and recruit dear Wubei-san (as I happen to have a weakness for murderous red heads who could give Dark Phoenix a run for their money) she has proven to have greater fortification when it comes to appealing to her on a human level. She is almost fanatically devoted to the guild will not relinquish any information about herself and views me as an absolute traitor because I had to kill another member to protect the party. I had thought about the pit trap as well, however with the good reflex save of the Swordsage im not sure that anything a novice trap builder could build would trap her; plus maneuvers like shadow jaunt make trapping her very difficult. Up to this moment i have seen her take on a dire boar, a warlock/rouge who like to turn invisible and repeatedly sneak attack, and some sort of demon that could cast dominate person (not an incubus). In order to weaken her i would need the cooperation of the rest of the party which due to the demon dominating half of them is now made up of mostly npcs who do not share the PC mentality and wont go like sheep to the slaughter to assist me. To cut to the point does anyone have any good combination of maneuvers i have listed or tactics other than planting my feet and going blow for blow with her?

Wait. You have a party? At the very least use them as bait/ distractions(The NPCs)

[Canis Wolfsong]

I have thought of doing that, but im afraid that she far too clever. I believe that her armor can function as a ring of sustenance and therefore she sleeps only two hours and probably rotates when she does this. If I go after her and dont find her she may very well counter stalk me and force a confrontation Im not ready for. My DM loves to challenge us so she may choose to sleep in a pitch black cave cause her armor gives her dark vision and i would essentially blind or alert her if I used a torch. And since I was imploded I lost my version of the same armor and therefore my low-light and scent abilities. My DM has taught me not gamble and to be extra prepared, but i will attempt the suggestion of finding her den and seeing if I could knife her in her sleep.

[metabolicjosh]

If you cant do that but play coy and pretend to be demon pawn.
She will need to try to bind you not kill you. Then you could blame the demon.

You: Sneek sneek sneek.
DM: She gets up
You: Must kill, betray NO!... Yes... -Pull out knife- no family no freinds only one... father..., Your... n.. my... yes father. -Walks towards the redhead.-
Simple just slice thoat... like the other... What?.. no what Ahhhhh!
Fall to the ground clutching you head withone hand while crawling towards her with the other. And say stop me... K.. Kill... The Demo.. demo.. -fall unconscious-

Then she should be confused as ****

[Crasical]

See, when a professional assassin is after you, planning to seduce her and gain her trust isn't roleplaying, it's expecting the tropes of a children's story to hold in a game played by adults.

Now, I resent that. Certain people like different sorts of games, and 'gritty' or even 'serious' is not the only way to play. I've played in several games where that sort of thing would have succeeded because we like playing very zorro-esque swinging from the chandeliers games, and I dislike the insinuation that our 'childish' tropes somehow detract from our story. We are still adults, playing a game with other adults, and I think it's a bit rude to imply we're having the wrong sort of fun.

[Canis Wolfsong]

To refocus, my DM strives to make the game as realistic as a fantasy setting could be. Meaning NPC behave just like people and not some sort cast of supporting roles meant to get the PC from point A to point B. Meaning you better be epic level with high deception in order to convince an assassin that LOATHES you that you are under control of a demon she personally sent packing and you are try to fight his control for her sake. I will tell you plainly try to put on a show for this woman and she will break you neck with her bare hands, with Wubei you either face her with everything you have or you do not face her at all. I am looking for advice on tactics, maneuver combination that could be used to event he gap in level in experience. Currently my ideas were as some of you had already suggested find her lair and insert knife into goo, and try and get the rest of the NPCs to help. Currently the NPCs view her as too dangerous and will not provide support other than potions, and none of the ships I have searched on the island have gunpowder so I cant rig an explosion to do my job for me. I need a plan to exhaust her teleportportation via Shadow Jaunt and her ability to block attacks such as Wall of Blades with risking my person. Any advice on how I could use the environment or natural hazards to my advantage would be apreciated.

[Zerter]

You could try to convince the assasin that the NPCs are dangerous to her in some way (and thus must be taken care off) while simultanously making sure the NPCs are aware that she is being guided to this way of thinking (and thus must be stopped or else!). This way you force the NPCs to help you deal with her before she deals with them, instead of them taking the coward's way out.

If she absolutely needs you to cross btw you can use that as a threat as well. Tell the NPCs you won't help her, therefore they have no choice but to help you kill her because if you tell her that she'll get rid of everyone.

[Urpriest]

Now, I resent that. Certain people like different sorts of games, and 'gritty' or even 'serious' is not the only way to play. I've played in several games where that sort of thing would have succeeded because we like playing very zorro-esque swinging from the chandeliers games, and I dislike the insinuation that our 'childish' tropes somehow detract from our story. We are still adults, playing a game with other adults, and I think it's a bit rude to imply we're having the wrong sort of fun.

Sorry. You're right, there are many different ways of playing D&D. What I resent is metabolicjosh's implication (repeated with some frequency by other "roleplayers") that groups who don't follow their preferred set of tropes are just min-maxing, rather than roleplaying competent professionals.

[Canis Wolfsong]

On the other hand, who thinks that I should keep the peace get to mainland with her and just risk the guild coming after in force.............again. Also, that she dosent decide to retake the spear that i took a week and a half in game looking for cause she lodged in our dominated Warlock who's corpse got stuck in deeper darkness.

[metabolicjosh]

I will admit that i was wrong to group everyone who min/max's together.
Some just play in games where you must fight because of how the game just is.
I just like to find peaceful solutions thats all. :)

[crazyhedgewizrd]

You could just fake your own death, so she will believe your dead. After that just stay out of the guild territory for a few years.

[Diarmuid]

To refocus, my DM strives to make the game as realistic as a fantasy setting could be. Meaning NPC behave just like people and not some sort cast of supporting roles meant to get the PC from point A to point B. Meaning you better be epic level with high deception in order to convince an assassin that LOATHES you that you are under control of a demon she personally sent packing and you are try to fight his control for her sake. I will tell you plainly try to put on a show for this woman and she will break you neck with her bare hands, with Wubei you either face her with everything you have or you do not face her at all. I am looking for advice on tactics, maneuver combination that could be used to event he gap in level in experience. Currently my ideas were as some of you had already suggested find her lair and insert knife into goo, and try and get the rest of the NPCs to help. Currently the NPCs view her as too dangerous and will not provide support other than potions, and none of the ships I have searched on the island have gunpowder so I cant rig an explosion to do my job for me. I need a plan to exhaust her teleportportation via Shadow Jaunt and her ability to block attacks such as Wall of Blades with risking my person. Any advice on how I could use the environment or natural hazards to my advantage would be apreciated.

Relevant part bolded for reference. While I like the sound of realistic NPC's, realism doesnt/shouldnt completely trump the game system. While it's not terribly important as you dont have the CHA or likely the skills to pull it off....that kind of bluff/ruse should be "possible". Good roll on your part, bad roll on her part can happen. Again, not saying you should try it...but you've come up with counterarguments for just about every suggestion and most of them seem to involve a highly advanced line of thinking from the NPC. Players have to avoid metagaming, but so do DM's. NPC's/BBEG's/etc dont have the luxury of the entire DM's thinking at their disposal and shouldnt be played that way.

[Canis Wolfsong]

Our DM strives to challenge us, not only combat wise but mentally. Having come from a hack/slash background he is trying to impress upon us that some people cannot be out muscled, and have to be out thought or even compromised with. Our current or has almost died more than 10 times so far purely because he cannot break free of the Tolkien version of what an orc is, seeing as how in our campaign setting they are more akin to the Spartan society. So as his first response to thing is "I charge it with my axe" he has seen death's door more than anyone else, my character is not optimized nor is he an upper tier character. However, I strive to elevate my self to higher levels of power beyond what my class is typed as through a combination of clever thinking and resourcefulness. The issue is that there are times where he has to stand up for something and take responsibility for his actions, Wubei is the personification of that responsibility. She is stronger, and may even be smarter than my character but she must be overcome. This is a lesson on learning on how to deal with things that you cant just throw fireballs at, and understanding that NPCs are people too and they can act in the same manner as PCs and demonstrate the same if not higher abilities without being the BBEG. So I hope that gives insight into our campaign and the goals of my DM.

[Urpriest]

Hmm...could you find a way to plant evidence that Wubei is the real person who betrayed the guild/also betrayed the guild? Evidence that Wubei would have a lot of trouble destroying, and that the guild would be likely to find someday?