Boss Fight! (pathfinder)

[Selion]

Party composed of:

Human Lore dual cursed oracle 12th
Dwarf custom class 10th (similar to a warrior/bard) /custom prestige class 2th(fire themed powers)
Rogue 8th/alchemist 2th/ guild poisoner 2th with a pistol (he has poisons that can affect undeads)
Ranger Witchguard 12th, dual wield with scimitars
Ghost Witch 10th

Boss:
Vampire monk 15th (CR 16)
His shadow: Sorcerer 11th + monster template dread shadow (CR 12)


It should be a 50%/50% encounter (Lep+4, the CR 12 balances the 5th member of the party), but we use hero points and the party is well equipped, so I think the odds are slightly in favor of the PCs.
Strategy: The vampire is a master of many styles, he can use simultaneously crane, turtle and snake styles; with combat reflexes he can reposte 2 times per round when the attacker misses (crane and snake style). He cannot perform flurry of blows and has not feats to increase damage, so his damage output is pretty low, but he has high CA (at least for our standards), i hope this will make the encounter long and interesting.
His shadow has high HPs for a spellcaster, but has few offensive spells, it should try to shut down the party spellcasters with counterspells and concentration checks. This is to prevent the oracle one shotting the vampire with a threnodic piercing hold person powered with misfortune.

Do you think the encounter is fair? Do you have any suggestion to make it more interesting? (the location is a secret area of a castle, in which the vampire infiltrated, the entire area is subject by the spell "forbiddance", so summons and teleports are not allowed)

Vampire:
human Monk (master of many styles)15th
LM
Init +7

HP 142

For 24 dex 17 Con/ int 12 Sag 22 Cha 18
CA 10 + 9 armor (6 natural armor+ bracers) + 9 (sag + dex) +2 dev (ring )+ 1 (dodge)+ 2 (turtle style) + (4 crane style, only melee and fighting defensively)
Total: 37, 21 Flat footed, 28 touch (melee), 24 touch (range), 27 firearms.
TS 16 17 20
SR 25 DR 10 magic and silver
vampire weakness and other vampire and monk stuffs :)
Attack: +19/+14/+9 (+18/+13/+8 fighting defensively thanks to crane style) (2d6+8 + energy drain)

Feats:
Crane Style, Crane Wing, Crane Riposte, Snake Style, Snake Sidewind, Snake Fang, Snapping Turtle Style, Snapping Turtle Clutch, Snapping Turtle Shell, medusa's wrath, Dark Flight, vampiric nobility, red feast, become the swarm.
Bonus Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Toughness

Gear:
Conductive Bodywraps of mighty strikes +1 (12k gp)
Headband of inspired wisdom +4 (16k gp)
Amulet of bullet protection +2 (6k gp)
Ring of protection +2 (8k gp)
Boots of speed (12k gp)
Bracers of armor +3 (9k gp)
Cape of resistance +3 (9k gp)
Eyes of the eagle (2.5k gp)
Total 75k (there's room for some other items, maybe some potions)

Shadow:

Human sorcerer 11th dread shadow
bloodline: void touched

Init +6
For / dex 14 con / Sag 10 int 10 cha 26

HP 141

CA 20
Incorporeal

Incorporeal touch +7 (1d6 strenght drain)

Feats:
improved counterspell
disruptive spell
ectoplasmic spell
eschew materials
improved initiative
silent spell
reach spell
Spells known (as human he has more spells known than usual due to favored class bonus):
5th:Prying eyes, posses object, overland fligth
4th: Bestow curse, black tentacles, aura of the unremarkable, geas (lesser), curse of magic negation, call lightning storm
3th: dispel magic, enter image, blacklight, marionette possession, major image, call of the void, blink
2th: twisted space, invisibility, whispering wind, protective penumbra, detect tought, misdirection, glitterdust
1th: Ray of Enfeeblement, Ventriloquism, Magic Missile, shield, true strike, lock gaze, unseen servant

[FocusWolf413]

You need some smaller minions. The vampire should have some vampire spawn. That'll help even things up. Don't expect either of them to last more than a couple rounds without minions.

Shape the terrain so the party is at a disadvantage.

Have dispel, poison, domination, and other debuff traps everywhere.

The vampire should have a few potions that he chugs before the party shows up.

Make sure the vampire applies his level drain on an unarmed strike. The vampire should target the member with the worst fort save.

[Helluin]

Having Forbiddance up is a bit rough - the party will take damage every round if they are not of the matching alignment. 12d6 (or even just 6d6) each round is not something I'd laugh at even at ECL12 unless all party members have high SR. Perhaps consider using Dimensional Lock or an Unhallow with a Dimensional anchor tied to it?

[Selion]

You need some smaller minions. The vampire should have some vampire spawn. That'll help even things up. Don't expect either of them to last more than a couple rounds without minions.

Shape the terrain so the party is at a disadvantage.

Have dispel, poison, domination, and other debuff traps everywhere.

The vampire should have a few potions that he chugs before the party shows up.

Make sure the vampire applies his level drain on an unarmed strike. The vampire should target the member with the worst fort save.

Yep, it's the same concern i have... Plotwise he's supposed to be alone, his comrades will create one hell of diversion outside the castle, but cannot enter unless invited :P

I could have some dominated guards to protect the vampire, plotwise it is consistent and they could do the job nicely.

[jiriku]

I would suggest some sort of cathedral-like room, lit by sconces of candles, with many supporting columns throughout. The vampire can climb up and down the columns and walls to gain advantage, and the candlelight at the bottom won't reach to the ceiling, allowing him to move beyond visual range, hide, then re-engage from ambush a round later. In fact, he could ambush very effectively by letting go while at the top of a pillar, slow falling to the ground, taking a standard action to attack, then using his move action to swiftly climb up the pillar again. Pass a stealth check and only the PC he attacks is likely to even see or hear him. The others just turn around at the sound of a shout and see their friend bleeding with no enemy visible nearby.

[Selion]

Having Forbiddance up is a bit rough - the party will take damage every round if they are not of the matching alignment. 12d6 (or even just 6d6) each round is not something I'd laugh at even at ECL12 unless all party members have high SR. Perhaps consider using Dimensional Lock or an Unhallow with a Dimensional anchor tied to it?

I thought forbiddance did damage only when they enter the area:
"In addition, it damages entering creatures whose alignments are different from yours. The effect on those attempting to enter the warded area is based on their alignment relative to yours (see below). A creature inside the area when the spell is cast takes no damage unless it exits the area and attempts to reenter, at which time it is affected as normal. "

[Selion]

I would suggest some sort of cathedral-like room, lit by sconces of candles, with many supporting columns throughout. The vampire can climb up and down the columns and walls to gain advantage, and the candlelight at the bottom won't reach to the ceiling, allowing him to move beyond visual range, hide, then re-engage from ambush a round later. In fact, he could ambush very effectively by letting go while at the top of a pillar, slow falling to the ground, taking a standard action to attack, then using his move action to swiftly climb up the pillar again. Pass a stealth check and only the PC he attacks is likely to even see or hear him. The others just turn around at the sound of a shout and see their friend bleeding with no enemy visible nearby.

Very nice idea, thank you!

[Helluin]

I thought forbiddance did damage only when they enter the area:
"In addition, it damages entering creatures whose alignments are different from yours. The effect on those attempting to enter the warded area is based on their alignment relative to yours (see below). A creature inside the area when the spell is cast takes no damage unless it exits the area and attempts to reenter, at which time it is affected as normal. "

ah - my bad. I had always thought Forbiddance would do constant damage to your foes... In that case I guess it would work fantastically since Unhallow with Dimensional Anchor doesn't stop Summoning...

Also would you mind slapping another archetype onto your vampire? If not, the Hungry Ghost Monk is compatible with Master of Many Styles and a great fit for a vampire thematically.

[Selion]

ah - my bad. I had always thought Forbiddance would do constant damage to your foes... In that case I guess it would work fantastically since Unhallow with Dimensional Anchor doesn't stop Summoning...

Also would you mind slapping another archetype onto your vampire? If not, the Hungry Ghost Monk is compatible with Master of Many Styles and a great fit for a vampire thematically.

Thematically it would be great, but it would make the vampire a little less effective. Stunning fist is way better than punishing kick and he would lose SR. The hungry ghost monk would be effective with flurry of blows. I'll think about it.

[legomaster00156]

I would suggest some sort of cathedral-like room, lit by sconces of candles, with many supporting columns throughout. The vampire can climb up and down the columns and walls to gain advantage, and the candlelight at the bottom won't reach to the ceiling, allowing him to move beyond visual range, hide, then re-engage from ambush a round later. In fact, he could ambush very effectively by letting go while at the top of a pillar, slow falling to the ground, taking a standard action to attack, then using his move action to swiftly climb up the pillar again. Pass a stealth check and only the PC he attacks is likely to even see or hear him. The others just turn around at the sound of a shout and see their friend bleeding with no enemy visible nearby.
Did... did you just find a way to make Slow Fall useful?