7thW1ckedness
2013-08-02, 02:16 AM
Upcoming session (or three depending) my players are going to be just about done tracking down what they believe (thus far) is some kind of cult leader, or reasonably terrible and machiavellian BBEG, (or maybe some outright nut) and are going to be poking their respective noses into a few rural villages that seem to be up to . . . . . weird stuff and no good . . . . . shall we say?
possible human and animal sacrifices, intrigues and schemes that seem to benefit some kind of grand evil scheme, the usual good plot hooks.
Anyway, assuming their investigative abilities are up to snuff, the whole thing should end up in a foreboding wet semi-subterranean cave next to sea, I'm sure we're all familiar enough with lovecraftian literature to know what flavour of boogyman is going to pop out once they get appropriately too deep in to see or feel natural light and other such nice things . . . . . .
Slight adjustments to mr. Lemorian Chuul
-5th level cleric *tyranny/trickery)
-size moved to huge from large
-slight bump up to its charisma
-a few magic items more or less "accidentally" stuck on or to the creature that its figured out how to use to its advantage
Basically, the creature is hanging around and has figured out the best way to keep fed well and rich is to be mysterious and impressive to a few random two leggedy air breathing twits to perpetuate a quiet legend about itself as something much less pedestrian than what it is, However this has been done long enough for various bards and nobles and courtiers and generally crazy and superstitious people to have its original tricks and lies to morph into a full blow self-operating doomsday cult that the creature knows essentially nothing about . . . . . and really nor would it care as long as its getting fed well occasionally.
The party is four strong, level 12 or (equivalent) couple of levels of spell flinger on all of them ("wizard-ish" circle campaign), mid range stats (none currently lower than 8, none higher than 22, most between 14 and 19 somewhere) a handful of armed hirelings, and one decent combat tank cohort, however no healer class to be seen, the sorc has a healing spell learned from scrolls or two, but nothing very special.
party wealth is around 16 000 per PC, mostly protective items, a few that allow additional uses of a couple of class abilities (at a cost to the PC) and a few wands and magic weapons, but low on healing/buffing items.
Party breakdown:
half-fey/human -->sorc8/rog2
human -->wiz5/ftr3/spellsword4
half elf -->warmage8/ftr2/arcane archer2
halfling -->hexblade5/warlock5/justicar2
+(cohort)warforged -->sohei7/"pious" templar4
+6 lv3 (ftr3) human hirelings
So, I'm looking for this fight to be a reasonably hard challenge without the party getting wiped out, but the math looks a little . . . . unfavourable . . . to the PCs . . . . there is definitely going to be a few water-logged and goo covered undead joining the fight at some point to turn up the pressure, and the hirelings aren't going to do very well vs the mind control effects tossed out, but I'm iffy on tactics for this encounter otherwise, its going to be a tight squeeze with some raised vantage points around the room that the party can take advantage of, but nothing ultimately out of reach of the creature (for long anyway).
I should mention as well; fear/horror/madness rules as per ravenloft are in effect, with house-rule of bonus of 1/2 class level to said checks.
Anyone have any idea or insight to how to make this fight hard, a little scary, but winnable? ideas for items for the creature maybe as well?
possible human and animal sacrifices, intrigues and schemes that seem to benefit some kind of grand evil scheme, the usual good plot hooks.
Anyway, assuming their investigative abilities are up to snuff, the whole thing should end up in a foreboding wet semi-subterranean cave next to sea, I'm sure we're all familiar enough with lovecraftian literature to know what flavour of boogyman is going to pop out once they get appropriately too deep in to see or feel natural light and other such nice things . . . . . .
Slight adjustments to mr. Lemorian Chuul
-5th level cleric *tyranny/trickery)
-size moved to huge from large
-slight bump up to its charisma
-a few magic items more or less "accidentally" stuck on or to the creature that its figured out how to use to its advantage
Basically, the creature is hanging around and has figured out the best way to keep fed well and rich is to be mysterious and impressive to a few random two leggedy air breathing twits to perpetuate a quiet legend about itself as something much less pedestrian than what it is, However this has been done long enough for various bards and nobles and courtiers and generally crazy and superstitious people to have its original tricks and lies to morph into a full blow self-operating doomsday cult that the creature knows essentially nothing about . . . . . and really nor would it care as long as its getting fed well occasionally.
The party is four strong, level 12 or (equivalent) couple of levels of spell flinger on all of them ("wizard-ish" circle campaign), mid range stats (none currently lower than 8, none higher than 22, most between 14 and 19 somewhere) a handful of armed hirelings, and one decent combat tank cohort, however no healer class to be seen, the sorc has a healing spell learned from scrolls or two, but nothing very special.
party wealth is around 16 000 per PC, mostly protective items, a few that allow additional uses of a couple of class abilities (at a cost to the PC) and a few wands and magic weapons, but low on healing/buffing items.
Party breakdown:
half-fey/human -->sorc8/rog2
human -->wiz5/ftr3/spellsword4
half elf -->warmage8/ftr2/arcane archer2
halfling -->hexblade5/warlock5/justicar2
+(cohort)warforged -->sohei7/"pious" templar4
+6 lv3 (ftr3) human hirelings
So, I'm looking for this fight to be a reasonably hard challenge without the party getting wiped out, but the math looks a little . . . . unfavourable . . . to the PCs . . . . there is definitely going to be a few water-logged and goo covered undead joining the fight at some point to turn up the pressure, and the hirelings aren't going to do very well vs the mind control effects tossed out, but I'm iffy on tactics for this encounter otherwise, its going to be a tight squeeze with some raised vantage points around the room that the party can take advantage of, but nothing ultimately out of reach of the creature (for long anyway).
I should mention as well; fear/horror/madness rules as per ravenloft are in effect, with house-rule of bonus of 1/2 class level to said checks.
Anyone have any idea or insight to how to make this fight hard, a little scary, but winnable? ideas for items for the creature maybe as well?