The Ghoul Horde

[Gallanoth]

I was just wondering everyone else's opinion on what will happen at the wall breach.
I personally think that the lower level clerics will somehow fail to turn the undead, or at least some of them to extend the plot leaving V and the buffed soldiers to deal with everyone else and the Death Knight.

[NeonRonin]

I don't remember much about Turning Checks(since I almost never play clerics), but low-level casters may, at best, only be able to turn a handful of ghouls each. If those things are ghasts, on the other hand, which have more HD than ghouls(and subsequently higher Challenge Ratings), the clerics may be in over their heads.

Time for Vaarsuvius to break out the area-effect spells. The giant soldiers should be able to hold off the undead hordes- for a time, depending on the duration of the spell- but it probably won't be enough. And the Death Knight... that's gonna be sticky.

[Friv]

I think the giant soldiers are going to get flattened.

Fortunately, there's a whole other army out there; V cleared a lot of soldiers away from the breach, and most of them should still be onhand. And although ghouls paralyze, soldiers can swarm - co-incidentally leaving V to fight the Death Knight elfo a skeleto. Since that has dramatic logic, it seems likely.

[gooddragon1]

I think v is going to blast the hell outta them with 3 fireballs and the death knight, then finish off the DK with a disintegrate.

[Kreistor]

V's battle will be immense. First, V is starting at a big disadvantage: V's arrogantly thinking V has won. Second, the spells she has used have at least indicated a Level 11 arcane caster is in the area. The enemy knows what to expect.

Ghouls are 2HD creatures. The low level clerics have a pretty good chace of turning undead with only 2HD. Even L1 with 10 Cha will turn 2HD creature 40% of the time. The average HD turned for 2D6+1 is 8, so on average, level clerics with 10 Cha will turn 1.6 ghouls each. Each cleric can turn 3x per day minimum, so that's 4.8 ghouls turned. But, these ghouls only run away to come back later. Only L4 or higher Clerics destroy Ghouls.

The DK is going to be a real pain in the rear for V. Spell Resistance of at least 20. (V gets1D20+13, but that still means 1/3rd of V's casts go poof.) Immune to Cold, Elec, and a ton of other things (including Disintegrate, BTW, since it has a Fort save and Undead are immune to anything with a Fort save). My version is MM2, which is 3.0, so I can't comment on modern DR for it, but it's probably 10/something which the large soldiers don't have, so they will be mostly ineffective.

In short, that DK is going to open with a Blast of Eldritch Fire on the other side of that wall, lbasting away most of the defenders and maybe some of the Clerics. He'll flood the wall with Ghouls, and then he'll walk in. V will blast at him ineffectually, and then he'll show V what the price of arrogance is.

[Snake-Aes]

In short, that DK is going to open with a Blast of Eldritch Fire on the other side of that wall, lbasting away most of the defenders and maybe some of the Clerics. He'll flood the wall with Ghouls, and then he'll walk in. V will blast at him ineffectually, and then he'll show V what the price of arrogance is.

You made Snake cry! =..(

[brian c]

The DK is going to be a real pain in the rear for V. Spell Resistance of at least 20. (V gets1D20+13, but that still means 1/3rd of V's casts go poof.) Immune to Cold, Elec, and a ton of other things (including Disintegrate, BTW, since it has a Fort save and Undead are immune to anything with a Fort save). My version is MM2, which is 3.0, so I can't comment on modern DR for it, but it's probably 10/something which the large soldiers don't have, so they will be mostly ineffective.

Actually, Undead are immune to effects requiring a fortitude save unless the spell can also affect objects. Disintegrate can be used to destroy up to I think 10 cubic feet of matter, so that can definitely take out a Death Knight.


Oh, and I don't think there is a 3.5 MM2... the Death Knight would be updated to 10/magic though, and you're right that the pikemen probably can't overcome that, but this is really gonna be V against the Death Knight here, giant pikemen get to fight ghouls.

[EyethatBinds]

Unless the knight leads the charge and slaughters all those big targets as a warm up. His infernal blast might be enough to kill the remaining large soldiers and the death knight has enough tactical sense to close with the obvious spellcaster and try to pin him down with ghouls. So really the ghouls are just there to give the death knight a bigger cushion for power attack and to scatter the minor forces while their commander takes on something a little closer to his CR. Should be a good fight.

[Gaelbert]

It seems to be leading up to a confrontation between V and the Death Knight. Unless there's another twist, I can see no other result that would explain the build up of drama.

[dakiwiboid]

Shouldn't Durkon be able to assist with these beasties?

[Kreistor]

The OotS has been scattering and separating. Durkon will have his own problem to deal with soon enough. We've still got the Heucuva, Redcloak, and the Eye of Fear and Flame to assign the OotS to.

[Kreistor]

Oh, and right on the Fort save thing. Missed the bit about affecting objects. It still needs to overcome SR and it still gets a save, and as a melee type, it probably has a high fort save (but without the benefit of a Con bonus) so Disintegrate will still probably bounce.

Though I still expect V will beat the DK despite the difficulties, I don't expect V to hold the breach. V will wind up tapped out, and so the hobgoblins will pour in through the breach.

[PirateMonk]

And how long does Mass Enlarge Person last? 1 minute/caster level, right?

[Malhavok]

What about Belkar, I would like to see him battle the Death Knight.

[the_tick_rules]

let's see belkar is at the south wall, which skeleton was there, he'll probably run into that one.

[Vargtass]

The Death Knight is closer to V. I suspect the Eye will be Belkar's, unless he will have to satisy himself with hobgoblin hordes.

[blackout]

This almost reminds me of when the Smoke Jaguars got flattened by the Inner Sphere, in Battletech history. The Smoke Jaguars were so 'superior' that their hubris was their own downfall. I have the sneaking suspicion that V is gonna pull a Smoke Jaguar here. :)

[DraPrime]

Never Underestimate The Power Of Varsuvius!!!!

[brian c]

The OotS has been scattering and separating. Durkon will have his own problem to deal with soon enough. We've still got the Heucuva, Redcloak, and the Eye of Fear and Flame to assign the OotS to.

Fixed that for ya.

It would be funny though if he ends up being the most challenging of all the fakes.

[Bel_Bel]

A fireball or two + a disintegrate. That should solve the ghouls and the death knight.

[Big_Robot]

This almost reminds me of when the Smoke Jaguars got flattened by the Inner Sphere, in Battletech history. The Smoke Jaguars were so 'superior' that their hubris was their own downfall. I have the sneaking suspicion that V is gonna pull a Smoke Jaguar here. :)

What? Fall to the sword of Author Fiat? :smallbiggrin:

Just joking...nice to see another CBTer around.

[MReav]

I think what's going to happen is that DK kills the defenders with his unholy fireball, charges the broken wall with his horse and ghouls, prompting V to blow them all away with a Chain Lightning (except the DK). When the DK taunts V about his ineffectiveness, she replies "I appear to have miscalculated", then fries him with a disintegrate.

[Kreistor]

Fixed that for ya.

It would be funny though if he ends up being the most challenging of all the fakes.

Mind explaining why you eliminated the EoFnF from the list? It may be scared, but that doesn't mean it won't fight.

Belkar might face it, but that's not certain. He's surrounded by hordes he can't beat alone, unless the GitP ignores teh 5% auto-hit chance.

[factotum]

I believe the Huecuva and the Eye of Fear and Flame are joining up, aren't they? Certainly Redcloak ordered the H to "reinforce his cowardly friend" a few strips back. Both of them together (plus however many thousands of hobgoblin troops they have with them) ought to be a pretty powerful force!

[Kreistor]

Bounce, bounce, bounce goes the disintegrate. AS predicted. I missed on the Eldritch Blast, though. He's still got that one held back for future use on V. 1/2 that damage is divine, too, which will go right through any fire resistance V tries to put up.

Anyway, the DK has cleared the way for the horde, knocked the enlarged crew from 10 down to 7 (almost half the original force) and landed toe-to-toe with V... not V's ideal proximity to engage opponents. Here comes the ugliness...