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View Full Version : [PF] Top of the Tower of Law (CR 10) Potential TPK?



Duboris
2013-04-21, 12:41 AM
Alright, so... I'm currently running a completely scratch-made Adventure path for my players, of whom there are 4. All of them recently hit level 7, and, for the most part, they've pretty much breezed through everything I've thrown at them to date.

Prior to "The Tower of Law" which is going to be an important learning curve for them, there was a character that the PC's met. It was a Divine Guardian of a Lawful Neutral Deity, whom happens to be a paragon of all law.

Anyways, they entered, she said they couldn't pass deeper into the tomb, and, being the neutral/good party they were, they rolled their sense motives and all that, and she checked out, so they left. Kudos to them, they stopped themselves from being cursed.

On another note, they came back to the village, whom told them of an eerie tower in the distance that's clouded in a raging sandstorm.

Aaaand here's what's at the top of that tower, waiting for them.

Aiur Hadiding:
Aiur CR 7+2
XP 3200
Female Windigian Fighter (Archer) 8
N Medium Monstrous Humanoid (air)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
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Defense
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AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +5 Dex, +1 deflection)
hp 67 (8d10+8)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +1
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft., flight (40 feet, poor)
Melee Javelin of lightning +5/+5/+0 (1d6+10/x2) and
Unarmed strike +9/+4 (1d3+3/x2)
Ranged +2 Composite longbow (Str +3) +13/+13/+8 (1d8+13/x3)
Special Attacks sky sentinel (1/day)
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 21, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 13
Base Atk +8; CMB +11; CMD 27
Feats Combat Reflexes (6 AoO/round), Deadly Aim -3/+6, Improved Initiative, Manyshot, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (Fly), Snap Shot, Weapon Focus (Longbow)
Skills Fly +15, Perception +9
Languages Common, Windigian
SQ trick shots (trick shot: disarm, trick shot: feint)
Other Gear +1 Studded leather armor, +2 Composite longbow (Str +3), Javelin of lightning (3), Belt of incredible dexterity +2, Bracers of armor +2, Efficient quiver (empty), Ring of feather falling, Ring of protection +1, You have no money!
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Special Abilities
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Combat Reflexes (6 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Deadly Aim -3/+6 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Flight (40 feet, Poor) You can fly!
Manyshot You can shoot two arrows as the first attack of a full attack action.
Point Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet.
Rapid Shot You get an extra attack with ranged weapons. Each attack is at -2.
Ring of feather falling Feather fall activates if you fall more than 5 ft.
Sky Sentinel +1 to attack/+2 to AC (1/day) (Ex) Gain bonus to att/AC vs flying foes. Foes gain no bonus for high ground, +2 Perception vs flying.
Snap Shot Threaten squares within 5 feet of you when wielding a ranged weapon
Trick Shot: Disarm Disarm with a bow at 30' and -4 CMB.
Trick Shot: Feint Feint with a bow at 30' and -4 CMB.

Bardin Bolsheb:
Bardin CR 7+2
XP 3200
Male Belian Fighter 8
CN Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception -1
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Defense
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AC 26, touch 10, flat-footed 26 (+10 armor, +4 shield, +2 natural)
hp 99 (8d10+40)
Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +1 (+4 vs. fear)
Defensive Abilities bravery +4, fortification 25%
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee Heavy Shield Bash +13/+8 (1d4+5/x2) and
+2 Cold Iron Bastard sword +17/+12 (1d10+10/19-20/x2) and
Claw x2 (Claws) +8 x2 (1d4+2/x2) and
Gauntlet (from Armor) +13/+8 (1d3+5/x2) and
Unarmed strike +13/+8 (1d3+5/x2)
Special Attacks weapon training abilities (heavy blades +1)
Spell-Like Abilities Spell-Like Ability, Lesser (Fire Breath) (1/day)
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Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 12
Base Atk +8; CMB +13 (+17 Bull Rushing); CMD 24 (26 vs. Bull Rush)
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword), Furious Focus, Greater Bull Rush, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack -3/+6, Step Up, Toughness +8, Weapon Focus (Bastard sword), Weapon Specialization (Bastard sword)
Skills Acrobatics -3, Climb +9, Escape Artist -3, Fly -3, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (engineering) +8, Ride -3, Stealth -3, Swim +9, Use Magic Device +5
Languages Belian, Common, Windigian
SQ fortification (light)
Combat Gear Scroll of Feather Fall (CL 12); Other Gear +1 Fortification (light) Full plate, +2 Heavy steel shield, +2 Cold Iron Bastard sword, Amulet of natural armor +2, Minotaur belt, Sash of the war champion, You have no money!
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Special Abilities
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Bravery +4 (Ex) +4 to Will save vs. Fear
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Fortification (light) 25% chance to ignore critical hit/sneak attack.
Fortification 25% You have a chance to negate critical hits on attacks.
Greater Bull Rush When bull rushing, foe's movement provokes AoO from your allies.
Improved Bull Rush You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when bull rushing.
Minotaur belt Ignore difficult terrain when charging, overrunning, bull rushing, or trampling a foe.
Power Attack -3/+6 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Sash of the war champion This bright red strip of cloth, stitched with images of a cheering crowd throwing garlands toward a chariot, fits across the wearer’s shoulders and then diagonally down his chest to reach his opposite hip. The wearer treats his fighter level as 4 higher than normal for the purpose of the armor training and bravery class features.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, cat’s grace, remove fear; Cost 2,000 gp
Step Up When a foe makes a 5 ft step away from you, you can move 5 ft to follow them.
Weapon Training (Blades, Heavy) +1 (Ex) +1 Attack, Damage, CMB, CMD with Heavy Blades


At the top of this tower are these 2.

This is the problem I'm having. They have a Stealth rogue, a Ranger focused on a Longbow with a wolf who just hit level 4, a Monk who's unarmed, and a grappler, as well as a Sorceror/Cleric who's on his way to being a Theurge.

The Sorc has Windwall, the monk grapples the first ground target he sees, the ranger hangs back with the sorcerer and pegs things while the thief flanks.

How do you guys see this going? The enemies I've got here are the only 2 present, and neither summon things. They're part of a syndicate that wants to see the gods of the campaign back in their place on the celestial plane, as they're currently ruling their respective domains.

Anyways, this is a pretty well-kept secret, so they're on their way to that tower. The 2 Divine guardians in the tower have been detained by the time they get to the top, hence the reason both of these people are going to be at 75% of their respective hp's, as the guardians weren't pushovers. (One is actually stabilized 2 floors down and would make a great ally in the fight.)

The main person that concerns me is the ranger, as she could easily, as a full-attack, kill the sorcerer provided he doesn't cast wind wall. The other fighter is tanky enough to handle it the punishment he's going to get.

Suggestions?

Also, they'll be on a rather ornate roof, with heavy winds (moderate, nothing particularly amazing. Just enough to bother both the rangers.)

There will be no railing on any of the sides, so bull-rushing will be potentially lethal. As an escape mechanism, both of them are more than willing to jump off the tower to escape, as they had the plans to do that regardless. (Hence the featherfall ring and scroll)

VeisuItaTyhjyys
2013-04-21, 01:12 AM
That doesn't seem too dangerous for a seventh-level party in Pathfinder, unless my own groups have led me astray somehow. If your party is anything like the ones for which I've DMed and of which I've been a part, they'll probably be chewing through that HP in a round or two, especially if the enemies are injured. Bardin might hold up a little bit better, on account of his AC, but I still don't imagine he'll be up for too long. If you don't want to take out the sorcerer, simply don't make the sorcerer the archer's first target. Unless there's some particular reason the archer would definitely, no question, go for the sorcerer first, I'd just have her target somebody a little tougher, but who would still feel the full attack; the monk's a pretty good target for this, probably. Then again, once the sorcerer gets a windwall up, the fight might get too easy, so you may want to take the sorcerer under to bring some gravitas to the fight, in and out of character.

ArcturusV
2013-04-21, 09:47 AM
Hmm, not exactly what you were asking about, but it seems and sounds like your PCs are being tactically predictable. And you did mention learning curves in there. Any plans to break up their usual strategies? Might not be appropriate for this fight, but round 2 (Particularly if it happens soon) should definitely be something where the villains have all the cards stacked against their usual tactics. But it sounds like they're about due for that if you can already call out what they are going to do.

The mention of the Grappler Monk does remind me of one of those evil DM tricks I used before. Random High Level Bruiser left hand minion sort of mook? Throw him out there. Watch the Barb grapple him. Finds out when that mook's turn comes online that it was a polymorphed Gelatinous Cube who is reverting to normal form.

Not saying that level of screw is needed, not at all. Just something to think of. If they are going to go for the exact same tactics all the time. Villains should account for it.

If they had any way to witness events in this Tower of the Law before the party gets to them, sees how they clear out the monsters on lower floors, definitely should prepare tactically for it.

Duboris
2013-04-21, 02:04 PM
Unfortunately none of them have clairvoyance/audience or scry, so they have no way of knowing what these 2 are capable of.