Goblin chucking Ogre hulking hurler

[Darth Stabber]

So I am revisiting/revamping a previous encounter, and I have need to update the centerpiece. The orginal encounter was 1 ogre fighter2/hulking hurler2 with fling ally, point blank shot, precise shot, far shot, and weapon focus (rock). He also had three lvl2 goblin fighter chain trippers and a lvl8 goblin swordsage (with +1 throwing returning armor spikes). The idea was that they would throw the swordsage (who had an action readied to use a maneuver) and he would snap back, and he would then throw on of the trippers with his iterative. He had knockdown throw to knock the target over, and the trippers would keep them down while he battered them with the swordsage. The swordsage was the brains of the operation, and he is now lvl 12 (having escaped). The ogre also escaped, and now I need to up his game. The first fight was resolved via blinding the ogre, so now I am looking at a new way to make this more difficult. Also an update to the trippers would be nice.

Any thoughts?

[Azoth]

Back him up with some goblin grenadiers. RogueX armed with alchemical items to hurl for some BFC and some of the usual items for fun touch attack damage (alchemist fire for 1d4+xd6SA anyone). Littering the field with caltrops, marbles, tangle patches, sonic flasks, flasks of oil, and (water + powdered ice).

This will make it much harder for the enemies to close in on your forces while he hurls goblins in bladed/spiked locking armor at them. Maybe give the ground troops some warblade or crusader levels to give them access to useful options.

A fun tactic would be to have the first volley hurl oil flasks all around the PCs, and then have the swordsage use fire snake to ignite the PCs and oil creating a mundane wall of fire separating the team and putting some quick fear in them. Plus, if any fail a DC15 REF save they get to waste a round trying to put it out or take damage every round.

[Azoth]

Another thought maybe give the ogre a few warhulk levels. I can't remember what level he gets the ability to have his throws affect 3 5' squares, but that might be a bit deadly if the party has to come through a narrow pass.

Also, cound make some of the goblins dungeon crasher fighters. Guided bullrush the party into the trippers.

[limejuicepowder]

Give the ogre some defensive measures, along with a way to reestablish range. Iron heart surge and cloak of the mountebank come to my mind.

I think one of the best ways to up difficulty is to make the terrain favorable to the villains. Especially after their previous defeat, they aren't going to rushing back in to a battle that is likely to go the same as the last.

You can get extremely mean with this - maybe they wait to ambush the party when the party is picking their way up a narrow crevasse. Early actions have oil barrels thrown to block the way out, and the way forward is steep and rocky. The trippers wait on top of the ledge, ready to AoE anyone who tries to fly out. In the mean time, they pelt the party with alchemical items. The ogre is at the top of the path doing what he does best. He can only be attacked 1 or 2 at a time, and if he feels threatened he uses his cape to move to an opposite ledge.

What level is your party?

[Muktidata]

I thought this sounded really interesting until I realized you meant the Ogre is doing the flinging...

[GreatWyrmGold]

Have the ogre throw the goblins into good strategic position. Include a rogue who has a good sneak attack and readies an action to attack when flung.

If you want to get ludicrous, have a friendly mage or something enlarge the ogre and at least one goblin, and have the goblins throw cats or grigs or reduced kobolds or something.

Oh, and have the ogre buff his Listen skill.

[Toy Killer]

Look up the M:tG card 'Kill Suit Cultist'.

Get a trio of 3 Goblins, decked out in spiked leather armor and spiked gauntlets. give them Power Leap or whatever the feat is called from Complete Adventurer. All they need is a hit/run ability somehow and BOOM, you have an encounter with leaping crazy goblins/living grenades. for extra measure, levels in whirling frenzy barbarians should add some flavor to the fight.

[Darth Stabber]

Give the ogre some defensive measures, along with a way to reestablish range. Iron heart surge and cloak of the mountebank come to my mind.

I think one of the best ways to up difficulty is to make the terrain favorable to the villains. Especially after their previous defeat, they aren't going to rushing back in to a battle that is likely to go the same as the last.

You can get extremely mean with this - maybe they wait to ambush the party when the party is picking their way up a narrow crevasse. Early actions have oil barrels thrown to block the way out, and the way forward is steep and rocky. The trippers wait on top of the ledge, ready to AoE anyone who tries to fly out. In the mean time, they pelt the party with alchemical items. The ogre is at the top of the path doing what he does best. He can only be attacked 1 or 2 at a time, and if he feels threatened he uses his cape to move to an opposite ledge.

What level is your party?

They are level 11, and this will be the last big fight before level up. I like the big crevasse idea, the first iteration was just a hill, this is a nice ante upping.


Back him up with some goblin grenadiers. RogueX armed with alchemical items to hurl for some BFC and some of the usual items for fun touch attack damage (alchemist fire for 1d4+xd6SA anyone). Littering the field with caltrops, marbles, tangle patches, sonic flasks, flasks of oil, and (water + powdered ice).

This will make it much harder for the enemies to close in on your forces while he hurls goblins in bladed/spiked locking armor at them. Maybe give the ground troops some warblade or crusader levels to give them access to useful options.

A fun tactic would be to have the first volley hurl oil flasks all around the PCs, and then have the swordsage use fire snake to ignite the PCs and oil creating a mundane wall of fire separating the team and putting some quick fear in them. Plus, if any fail a DC15 REF save they get to waste a round trying to put it out or take damage every round.

Why would I bother with oil flasks when I have a perfectly good ogre hulking hurler to chuck oil barrels. Maybe give a reflex save against getting cover in oil, and then firesnake.


Another thought maybe give the ogre a few warhulk levels. I can't remember what level he gets the ability to have his throws affect 3 5' squares, but that might be a bit deadly if the party has to come through a narrow pass.

Also, cound make some of the goblins dungeon crasher fighters. Guided bullrush the party into the trippers.

The first seems really interesting. The second one seems like it might end up with too many enemies on the field, and it could really bog down the session, of course given the massive amount of BC the party has it might be okay.


Look up the M:tG card 'Kill Suit Cultist'.

That was actually part of the impetus for this encounter, along with the cyclops that makes goblins have +1/+0 and flying and sacrifice @eot.

[Darth Stabber]

So I have been working out the stats for the trippers (replacing goblin's stat mods with +2dex -2cha).

Tripper (goblin swordsage2/fighter2)
Attack: +7 spiked chain 1d6+3
AC:21 (ff:18, touch: 16)
init: +4
Saves: fort+5, ref+6, will+5
Stats: str14,dex16,con15,int13,wis14,cha8
Feats: EWP:spiked chain, combat expertise, combat reflexes, improved trip, adaptive style
Skills: jump7, concentration7, sense motive5, tumble5, balance5, hide5, move silently 5.
stances: island of blades, child of shadows
manuevers readied: sudden leap, mighty throw, moment of perfect mind, burning blade
equipment: +1 spiked chain, +1chain shirt

[Azoth]

The dungeon crasher fighters were in place of some of the trippers. They also work nicely to compliment the grenadiers and the ogre hurling things.

Oh the party doesn't want to wade into that wall of fire and the tripper can't move or let up (insert party member)...OK...I will Bullrush this guy through the fire and into the trippers threat range!

I always play my goblins as suicidal...ever since back when I played MtG. Goblin Grenade, Goblin Commando's sacrifice ability, pumped up rager running in...Mother Cyst. Blow them up, sacrifice them, feed them to the lawnmower of enemies...just whatever it took to get the kill.