PDA

View Full Version : Azalin Challenge



elliott20
2007-07-11, 09:51 AM
My friend who just got into 3.5E Ravenloft, and he wants to try out a hamburger run of Azalin vs. an adventure party. So he gave me a challenge: create two parties. One party of 6 level 12s, and one party of 4 level 16s, and they would take a competently played 18th level lich wizard in a dungeon. (So he would be roughly an ECL 20 encounter, I think)

The two things that the party knows for certain is that Azalin is a lich, and that he's a level 18 wizard. But that's about it.

How would you go about tackling this?

Fixer
2007-07-11, 10:15 AM
Well.. critical hits, sneak attacks, and most fort-or-die spells are out of the picture so tricked fighters, combat rogues, and some specialist mages would be no-nos.

Clerics would be good. Very good.

Kurald Galain
2007-07-11, 10:22 AM
The lower level party doesn't stand a chance. Azalin is not just any lich, he's the second biggest badass in all of Ravenloft, which is pretty badass to begin with.

I'd go with an all-cleric party.

Wolfbite
2007-07-11, 11:20 AM
Heh, yeah Azalin in the Ravenloft lore is crazy powerful. I don't recall exactly, but I believe there is an updated stat-block for him for 3.5 Don't remember where though. Saying he's a competent Lv18 Wizard Lich in a dungeon, just doesn't do him justice. He is so much more, being Lord of his Domain alone gives him a huge advantage on anyone fighting him in his lair. From any of the campaigns we ever ran in Ravenloft in the two prominent gaming groups I've been apart of. Attempting to unseat a Domain Lord was always a huge endeavour and made for some epic storytelling.
I don't believe either of those groups your friend will be fielding would even survive his "Dungeon", if done properly, let alone a final confrontation with Azalin and his minions...

elliott20
2007-07-11, 11:49 AM
yeah, we knew that if we include all of Azalin's resources including his minions, dark powers, domain powers, etc, it just wouldn't be possible without an epic level party.

That's why for the sake of this exercise, he went from Darklord with nigh infinite resources to lvl 18 wiz Lich.

Wolfbite
2007-07-11, 01:48 PM
Ok, that is a lot more manageable.
As far as knowing your enemy, as a party you could probably just research it first (if it's an option), take out some hirelings (If it's an option), and then delve into Dungeon deep to overcome traps and fight horrid beasties! Are you going to be playing both parties as one big group? Or doing two seperate runs? You will definitely want a Paladin and Priest at least...some classes to overcome the dungeon, maybe a specialist undead killer...casters... what are your options for building your parties? Do you get the standard level gp for magic items? I've had some pretty obscure parties overcome a lich, at least in the initial battle. :)
Or are you wanting the "Optimal Lich killing Level 16 party?" Cause if you only know your ultimate enemy is a powerful lich, then you really can just treat it like any old dungeon crawl. :smalltongue:

fireinthedust
2007-07-11, 01:48 PM
Actually, check out the wizards site. Go to the downloads section and pick up the ravenloft modules from 2nd edition. There's an entire multi-level floor plan of Azalin's entire castle. While most of the stuff in the rooms... well, I would have gone a different route; HOWEVER the floor plan on its own is pretty sweet (and it's more fun than just 10x10 corridors, an 100x100 room with a box and three locked doors).

Azalin was way tougher than Strahd, but the "rules" of Ravenloft stopped them from anything more than political battles. His borders were legions of undead, appearing and leaving at will.

As well, the Ravenloft Domains of Dread book from White Wolf has a whole pile of things to add to the standard Lich from the MM: major increase in undead control, the ability to "mimic" one's spells back at the PCs for free (not including own spell count), immunity to metal (weapons and armor? what weapons and armor?), and other tidbits; any of which could be added to the Azalin your DM is using.

Cleric/Paladin would be good for one party (undead slaying machine, saving throws)
Artificer (buff spells plus trapfinding)
Druid (warp wood comes in handy, so does wildshape)
Monk (combat plus saving throws)

However, I've seen fun things done with a Monk/Barbarian (start as monk, then shift, you keep the powers) with some fighter levels for feats: spiked chain (two-hands for 1.5x damage), power attack, great cleave took out all the minions, with reach. Get the spellcaster to cast Enlarge Person on you for a bigger spiked chain (or play a duergar, or take monkey grip to use a bigger weapon).

Items should focus on immunities and saving throw enhancement: if it can't affect you, you're fine. After that worry about initiative and damage (as AC is filed away by item pluses, BAB, buff spells, whatever).

The cleric should have Extra Turning. have two clerics. Also, keep them back from level-drain effects (ie: one cleric for attacking undead, the other is there for restoration spells and healing).

elliott20
2007-07-11, 03:32 PM
Ok, that is a lot more manageable.
As far as knowing your enemy, as a party you could probably just research it first (if it's an option), take out some hirelings (If it's an option), and then delve into Dungeon deep to overcome traps and fight horrid beasties! Are you going to be playing both parties as one big group? Or doing two seperate runs? You will definitely want a Paladin and Priest at least...some classes to overcome the dungeon, maybe a specialist undead killer...casters... what are your options for building your parties? Do you get the standard level gp for magic items? I've had some pretty obscure parties overcome a lich, at least in the initial battle. :)
Or are you wanting the "Optimal Lich killing Level 16 party?" Cause if you only know your ultimate enemy is a powerful lich, then you really can just treat it like any old dungeon crawl. :smalltongue:
in terms of books, seeing as my friend and I fairly minimalist, I'm trying to stay mostly core, if possible. and yes, it'll be two seperate runs. standard treasure magic items and all that.

My initial level 12 party was going to go something like this:

paladin
cleric
cleric
druid
wizard
wizard

cleric 1 is going to defensive buff himself to kingdom come before entering the lich chambers with the paladin. cleric will also have true seeing on (to deal with any potential illusions he has on) cleric 2 enters one round after cleric 1, and helps invisibility purge or whatever illusion purge that needs to be done. Mean while, wizzies will have invis up on them and enter behind the first cleric while they start disarming the various lich defenses and possible offenses he throws. (i.e. dispelling his flight, taking down whatever battlefield control spell he has) If they get lucky, they might be able to teleport/fly right up to the lich, and hit him with a disintegrate.

the paladin is really going to be nothing more but distraction and give out plenty of healing. However, if he finds himself with an opening to charge the lich on his steed (he'll be of the "spirited two-handed charge" build variety), he'll charge him with everything at his disposal. (Smite Evil + Divine Might + Spirited Charge + Power Attack + True Strike item + Shock Trooper might just be enough to take down the lich in a single blow)

It's not the most sophisticated, nor is it the crunchiest. but it might work.

Callix
2007-07-11, 04:33 PM
The 6 man party will be wiped off the map. Don't worry. For the 4 man:
Cleric
Cleric
Druid
Wizard (Transmuter, barring Evocation and Enchantment)

Cleric 1 goes CZilla (divine power, divine favour, righteous might) and burns turn attemptsa either on persistent metacheese or divine might/divine vigor. Or spams heal.

Cleric 2 chucks Heal spells at the lich until he fails a save. Now at 1 hp.

Druid goes polar bear/dinosaur, deals damage after lich fails save. Lich now discorporated.

Wizard buffs. When the lich is down, someone casts Divination to find the phylactery, and the wizard disintegrates it. Problem solved.

bigbaddragon
2007-07-11, 05:02 PM
Disrupting Weapon is a 5th level spell for a cleric and everyone who would fight him in melee should have this buff.
Also it would be handy to prevent lich from dispelling buffs either through spell immunity spells or counterspelling.
Another mean of protection would be Death Ward spell which grants immunity to death spells and negative energy effects (which a lich is likely to use).

Paladin will want that charging smite alternative feature if he is going to be the first to enter (he'll add 3*palLevel to damage)