Spore
2014-01-28, 11:30 AM
Greetings playground,
if you're here to read up on the homebrew worlf of Malachira, go away. Yes this means you Roland (not St. Jude).
I want to build an encounter for a one shot DMing (first time also) and I want it to be fun. I can't tell how powerful my players will be (because they have very powerful magic items, but the old DM decided that a permanent Nightmare (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/nightmare.html#_nightmare)spell is fun to cast on a Wizard and an Sorcerer, so no new spells per day). Also I don't know their spell slots still in power.
Current setup (Level 9):
"Nightmared" Gnome Fire Bloodline Sorcerer: Blasting until the dungeon caves in
"Nightmared" Elven Conjuration Wizard: Summoning and afraid of undead (I know Nightmare doesn't work on Elves, any other spells that do similar things?)
Half Orcish Samurai: Absent, will likely be targetted by auto success Hold Person
Human Inquisitor: Dishing out the hurt.
Tengu Rogue: Skillmonkey thief, NOT effective in battle, also absent.
Our old DM had a Mystic Theurge until he decided to DM so his character vanished (love interest of Wizard). They are "fighting" two Drow Liches, which I hoped to incorporate in the final boss fight but seeing as only 3 people are there, I switch to my second option:
The Theurge being slaughtered and sacrificed is split into two very mad ghosts (one cleric, one wizard) in an desecrated (as the spell) tomb choke full of zombies and skeletons. Why those choices? For one, I want the Sorcerer to have Fireball targets. Two, an Inquisitor will massacre one spellcaster on his own in one round, even with incorporeal quality. Three, I want the Wizard to roleplay his fear of undead (he likes that stuff). Four, I need the group to be forced to teleport away without the Inquisitor (as we need the characters, but not the Inquisitor).
So, how would I balance an encounter for three 9th level heroes incorporating:
- 1 cleric ghost, 1 wizard ghost
- hordes of undead
- desecrated area (is that too much with only undead on the field?)
if I want them to have the upper hand but then largely loosing ground? I want their rogue (absent player) to find the artifact causing the nightmares in an certain round and the (absent) samurai to be dominated throughout large portions of the fight.
Please playground, give me pointers to set up this encounter. Even if this is the end of a discontinued campaign I still want it to be satisfactory. Btw most players hate the old DM anyway so anything that makes the death of the ghosts more fun is welcome.
if you're here to read up on the homebrew worlf of Malachira, go away. Yes this means you Roland (not St. Jude).
I want to build an encounter for a one shot DMing (first time also) and I want it to be fun. I can't tell how powerful my players will be (because they have very powerful magic items, but the old DM decided that a permanent Nightmare (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/nightmare.html#_nightmare)spell is fun to cast on a Wizard and an Sorcerer, so no new spells per day). Also I don't know their spell slots still in power.
Current setup (Level 9):
"Nightmared" Gnome Fire Bloodline Sorcerer: Blasting until the dungeon caves in
"Nightmared" Elven Conjuration Wizard: Summoning and afraid of undead (I know Nightmare doesn't work on Elves, any other spells that do similar things?)
Half Orcish Samurai: Absent, will likely be targetted by auto success Hold Person
Human Inquisitor: Dishing out the hurt.
Tengu Rogue: Skillmonkey thief, NOT effective in battle, also absent.
Our old DM had a Mystic Theurge until he decided to DM so his character vanished (love interest of Wizard). They are "fighting" two Drow Liches, which I hoped to incorporate in the final boss fight but seeing as only 3 people are there, I switch to my second option:
The Theurge being slaughtered and sacrificed is split into two very mad ghosts (one cleric, one wizard) in an desecrated (as the spell) tomb choke full of zombies and skeletons. Why those choices? For one, I want the Sorcerer to have Fireball targets. Two, an Inquisitor will massacre one spellcaster on his own in one round, even with incorporeal quality. Three, I want the Wizard to roleplay his fear of undead (he likes that stuff). Four, I need the group to be forced to teleport away without the Inquisitor (as we need the characters, but not the Inquisitor).
So, how would I balance an encounter for three 9th level heroes incorporating:
- 1 cleric ghost, 1 wizard ghost
- hordes of undead
- desecrated area (is that too much with only undead on the field?)
if I want them to have the upper hand but then largely loosing ground? I want their rogue (absent player) to find the artifact causing the nightmares in an certain round and the (absent) samurai to be dominated throughout large portions of the fight.
Please playground, give me pointers to set up this encounter. Even if this is the end of a discontinued campaign I still want it to be satisfactory. Btw most players hate the old DM anyway so anything that makes the death of the ghosts more fun is welcome.