Tips for high level combat

[Story]

My current group has decided to try to fight much higher level challenges so that we can level faster and also actually have a challenge. But I am new to high level play, so I thought I should ask for tips.

The current party is Anima Mage (me), Ninja Rogue Master Thrower, and a Cleric, all level 9. The Rogue does 18d6+ damage per attack using Fire Shruiken and Dragonfire Strike, though I'm not sure if he has a plan for dealing with fire immunity. Maybe we can hire an NPC to create Searing Spell Fire Shruikens as well. The cleric is a generic prebuilt DMPC cleric so no DMM sadly, but having access to the Cleric spell list is still really useful. We're also hopeing to get more players.

Anyway, we're probably going to end up fighting monsters at +5 or +6 CR, so they'll probably have lots of new special abilities I'm not used to. So I'm not sure what I need to do to prepare.

For defenses I currently have Third Eye Clarity, Headband of Conscious Effort, a Talisman of Undying Fortitude, and I'm about to craft a Hathran Mask of True Seeing (we got a bit ahead of WBL somewhere). I could start binding Naberius if defending against ability damage is important, but I currently just stick with Malphas since the birds eye view is so incredibly useful.

For spells, I usually have Heart of Water and Disobedience, and I plan to start using Heart of Earth too. I can also persist up to two spells now, but I'm not sure what to pick. Ray Deflection maybe, but there's also talk of getting Occular Spell and a metamagic rod of Chain Spell for party buffing shenanigans.

Also, the DM doesn't seem to be customizing monsters, so I'm not too worried about getting destroyed by Tippymages. But Horned Devils for instance are pretty scary, especially when our primary damage dealer relies on fire.

[aeauseth]

I believe the XP chart only goes to +6 CR. There is a reason for this... PARTY WIPE. If the +6 creature focuses all of it's attacks on a single character, that character is likely to die.

If we are talking about ECL of +6 then you should have a tough (and hopefully fun) challenge. Make sure your DM understands the difference between ECL and CR.

Keeping your distance is likely your best bet, don't let the +6 CR monsters get a full attack on you.

[Red Fel]

If your goal is to survive an encounter with high-level monsters, here are some basic tips.

1: Tactics. Higher-level monsters will likely eat your face in a simple smack-and-countersmack encounter. Be smart. Use the landscape. Know their abilities and use this against them - stay at range from the melee brute, get in close and threaten the caster.

2: Teamwork. Know what your allies can do, and complement it. For casters, this means buffing your melees, and debuffing enemies so melees can do what they do best, as well as using spells to establish battlefield control. For ranged, it means keeping the enemy pinned down so that they can't move, let alone cast spells or use their own tactics. For melee, it means improvised facial reconstructive surgery.

3: Saves. Higher level enemies don't kill you by whittling away your HP over time. They do it with powerful spells and abilities that can drop you like a rock. Be sure your saves are up to the task - certain effects are called "Save or Lose" for a reason.

4: Mobility. Never stay in one place when moving around works better. Have methods of mobility available to you - Dimension Door and Flight are excellent choices. What your enemy can't hit, he can't hurt.

These are basic ones. The bottom line is that if you treat a high-level encounter like you did your low-level encounters, you will die. Be smart, and do your homework.

[Story]

I believe the XP chart only goes to +6 CR. There is a reason for this... PARTY WIPE. If the +6 creature focuses all of it's attacks on a single character, that character is likely to die.

If we are talking about ECL of +6 then you should have a tough (and hopefully fun) challenge. Make sure your DM understands the difference between ECL and CR.

Keeping your distance is likely your best bet, don't let the +6 CR monsters get a full attack on you.

Seems to be working out all right so far. Our level 9 party of 4 just killed a Glabrezou in a single round before it could even teleport away.