Survival Challenge: Under Siege by the Nessian Guard

[Jowgen]

You are a 16 HD adventuerer stuck in a particular room in some stronghold. No one and nothing outside this room can harm you in any way, but you can't leave (or be made to leave) and you categorially can't prevent anyone from coming in through the entrance. The problem is, people will come through this door and they are most intent on killing you.

Specifically, the Nessian Guard; the personal Pit Fiend army of Asmodeus; will gradually flood in through this door and do their damn hardest to kill you. A new Pit Fiend will enter every 1d10 rounds. Let make the room a 100 ft cube with the entrance being a circle in the center floor.

Your one and only job is to survive as long as you possbily can.

You have the WBL for an ECL 16 PC and 25 hours prep time. What sort of build and strategies do you employ?

[Vizzerdrix]

Candles of invocation.

[Jowgen]

Candles of invocation.

Who you gonna call?

[ATHATH]

I start with a bunch of really strong templates, because you restricted HD, not ECL.

[Jowgen]

I start with a bunch of really strong templates, because you restricted HD, not ECL.

I figured that limiting caster class levels was likely to make it more of a challange, and that allowing templates in the mix without much restriction would allow for more creative options; keeping things interesting. :smallsmile:

Had a thread recently to see what templates people would load up on if they had a free buffet of them, and none of those that come up seemed like they'd make too big of a dent though.

[Seppo87]

Troll-blooded half-dragon (red and black) warforged, warblade levels for ihs, high constitution and steadfast determination.
Get mettle somehow (crusader maybe).

Okay now we have immunity to damage, cannot fail fort saves on a natural1, our armor and natural weapons cannot be sundered. No need to sleep, eat, or breath.
Enough damage output to kill each monster within the timespan of 10 rounds.

Survival time: unlimited

[Efrate]

A consistent opening from one plane to a specific place sounds like a portal. Cast analyze portal, then portal reformat. Add key: your (insert part of body that isn't easy to remove, like a heart or something). No save, no sr, no caster level check, not dispellable, portal can only be accessed by you. Lock them out forever. Live in your magnificent mansion, use candles of invocation or whatever to get you stuff to do and/or get out.

Portal domain, useful (finally?)

[Vizzerdrix]

Who you gonna call?

Obviously, the ghostbusters. Who else would you call in such dire times.


What about a necropolitan sorcerer/MotAO with a bunch of evolved undead templates stacked on. Maybe a few levels of pally for all that cha to saves.

[Dromuthra]

I figured that limiting caster class levels was likely to make it more of a challange, and that allowing templates in the mix without much restriction would allow for more creative options; keeping things interesting. :smallsmile:

Had a thread recently to see what templates people would load up on if they had a free buffet of them, and none of those that come up seemed like they'd make too big of a dent though.


Troll-blooded half-dragon (red and black) warforged, warblade levels for ihs, high constitution and steadfast determination.
Get mettle somehow (crusader maybe).

Okay now we have immunity to damage, cannot fail fort saves on a natural1, our armor and natural weapons cannot be sundered. No need to sleep, eat, or breath.
Enough damage output to kill each monster within the timespan of 10 rounds.

Survival time: unlimited

Why not throw on Paragon, Pseudonatural (The Epic one), Monster of Legend, and Half-Golem for even more immunities and fun? Heck, we could break everything in half by using the Symbiote Template, since the hit dice aren't limited on the symbiote's side - we just need to template stack cleverly to make it a plant (not terribly hard) and we could have a Force of Prismatic Dragon attached to ourselves.

[AvatarVecna]

Gray Elf Beguiler 6/Vermin Lord 10 with a Staff Of Gate, a +30 UMD magic item, and a Ring of Sustenance. Vermin Lord is entered early by taking Arcane Disciple (Spider) and Versatile Spellcaster, and using 2 3rd lvl slots to cast your 4th lvl Giant Vermin. Upon reaching Vermin Lord 10, you have 2 vermin companions that can be wasp swarms (4 HD Fine Swarms from Fiend Folio); use a Staff of Gate and some basic UMD skill optimization (Ranks 19+Item Familiar 19+Item 30+Skill Focus 3) gives you a minimum UMD of 72 for emulating a Cleric caster level. Between your familiars and the 18 from casting Gate, you have a total of 200000 wasps to form your hivemind.

This gives your swarms (as a group) the equivalent casting of a Sorcerer 3987 with Intelligence 4007 (+1998), Charisma 4004 (+1997), 7992 bonus feats, all the skill points, and the bonus spells appropriate for your Charisma (499/498/498/498/498/497/497/497/497). The main character doesn't get the Int or Cha increase, but they get everything else, including the bonus feats and casting pool. And of course, your 21 bodies (yours and your 20 swarms) can each act independently, letting you cast up to 21 spells per round without Quicken Spell (which you'll likely have, and use).

Incidentally, with Arcane Thesis (Time Stop), Maximize Spell, Invisible Spell, and Sanctum Spell, you can cast a Maximized Time Stop in a 9th level slot; you have more than enough 9th lvl spells to give you four hours within a layered Time Stop, which is 2 hours for sleeping and two hours for introspection, so you can rest and reset your spells/day in between fights.

If you can't somehow kill a Pit Fiend, despite the fact that you have a four digit caster level, over 4000 spells per day other than Time Stop layering, up to 42 spells per round, thousands of bonus feats, and access to a serious of slavishly loyal minions with a 4 digit Intelligence, that's your own fault.

[HurinTheCursed]

It's probably quite far from optimisation (like Seppo87's) but if I had to find a build that keeps on without depleting ressources, I think of
- a tripper build with wrathful healing, mage slayer and knockback. With a clever positionning, he may avoid being targetted and could heal by piling damages.
- a warlock or a dragonfire adept with action deprival effects, and a way to regenerate.
1s and 20s would be a problem, but there's likely plenty holes that remain.

[weckar]

If the only actual foes are Pit Fiends, that's only a very specific set of immunities one must acquire... Will post later with build (probably).

[Darrin]

Human Cleric 6. Extend Spell, Persistent Spell, Maximize Spell, Divine Metamagic.

Costs:


Price
Item


56,000 GP
Lesser Maximize Metamagic Rod x4


112,500 GP
Nightstick x15


72,000 GP
Pearl of Power 3rd Level Spells x8


100 GP
Masterwork Trombone


240,600 GP
Total



Step 1. Cast a maximized persistent holy storm (Spell Compendium) over the opening.
Step 2. Recover holy storm via Pearl of Power.
Step 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 until 10 holy storms are stacked over the opening.
Step 4. Ready action triggered to pit fiend entering room and wait for pit fiend to appear.
Step 5. On readied action, play "WAH-wah" on trombone. On my turn, pit field takes 240 [good] damage, no save, no SR.
Step 6. Return to step 4.

Assuming one pit fiend arrives every 5.5 rounds, this should kill about 2,618 pit fiends.

How many are in the Nessian Guard?

[ATHATH]

Can the Nessian Guard enter with buffs? Can they send their minions into the box?

[Jowgen]

Can the Nessian Guard enter with buffs? Can they send their minions into the box?

Only the ones they can cast on themselves, plus the odd randomized treasure based items.

No to the minions.


Assuming one pit fiend arrives every 5.5 rounds, this should kill about 2,618 pit fiends.

How many are in the Nessian Guard?

I like it, but I feel like stacking holy storms might run foul of the "In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the best one applies" rule.

As for numbers, I've tried tracking down a concrete or at least extrapolative number to no avail. Arbitrarily large I would presume.