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View Full Version : DM Help (My players stay out) Need help with some spell lists [3.5]



J-H
2019-01-23, 10:46 PM
Yes, you four who are talking with Albin - out with you! Spoilers shalt abound in this thread.

I am pretty sure that I'm shortly going to be running an assault on a mage tower. There are a lot of casters involved, including a couple of caster archetypes that I don't have much experience with. I could use some help determining what spells are appropriate and likely for the NPCs involved, and what the first few rounds of combat might look like.

The setting:
A Multi-story mage tower. The ground floor is guarded by a couple of Warforged Chargers ("some obscure and unusual type of golem"). The chief enemy and his apprentices are likely to be upstairs. Guards & Wards, Alarms, etc., may be present in some areas, but the party will have insider knowledge for most of them.

My plan is for the allies to engage the main enemy wizard, and have the party focus on keeping the apprentices and minions from tipping the balance in that fight. I would not be surprised if one or more allies or even party members gets killed in this battle; there's sufficient wealth at stake to afford some resurrections.

No outside interference due to existing protections and maybe a bit of bribery.

The party:
4 8th level characters who generally hit above their weight. More-or-less unknown to the occupants of the tower. Psion, dragon shaman/crusader, swordsage, warmage.

The allies:
Albin, level 10 NE half-elf wizard 6/psion (telepath) 3/cerebremancer 1: He wants his teacher's mage tower. One of his psionic powers is the short-range messaging one. None of his psionic powers are flashy; he's kept his psionics a secret and appears to be a relatively weak arcane apprentice. He thinks he has a high wisdom score, but may only be Wis 13.
Filister: Mostly retired adventurer psion who does a lot of item crafting and meditation. Specialty unknown, but at least 12th level.
Magdalena: Filister's wife, also a retired adventurer. I'm not sure what her base class is, but she has several levels in Elocator. Not high enough level to Teleport, but could be anywhere from level 9 to level 13

The enemies:
Mezzir-shazz: Level 14 Wizard/Loremaster. He's a jerk. May or may not be as foolish as Albin thinks. Capable of casting Teleport, but not likely to have it prepared.
Sierra: Abjurer 7/IOTSV 1 or 2. I've never messed with IOTSV before. I'm not sure what to do combat-tactic wise.
Brand: Conjurer, around level 10. Not sure what PRC if any he should have. Expect demon or aberration summoning.
At least two warforged chargers on the 1st floor. Maybe more upstairs.
Pre-existing summons or planar-bound servants. Suggestions for what would be appropriate?


There are a lot of moving parts on this one, and a lot of potential spells. Luckily, the enemies are prepared casters, so I only need to think about "What do they have prepared right now?" instead of "What's in the entire spellbook?" They are actively doing practice and research, so if the attack is launched at the end of the day, they may have a few spell slots expended. Aside from summoning/planar binding/etc., I'm not really sure what a wizard spends spell slots on while studying.

ericgrau
2019-01-23, 11:47 PM
Most likely some spells for whatever he is studying, and some of the usual combat spells just to be on the safe side.

I think you should determine what they are studying/practicing/researching to help the forum out. They might say what's necessary for that research. Or set aside a certain number of spells for it yourself and just call them expended. Already cast earlier in the day so you don't really need to track them, just mark the used slots. Or take suggestions on what's necessary for research and then decide on a number.

I don't think any wizard would be dumb enough to prepare 100% of his spells for research and none for combat, but nor would he only set aside only 1 or 2 spells for research when more would make it go by faster. Find a reasonable balance, declare it as a thread rule, then let forum people with more time on their hands than I take it from there. And/or search the forums for recommended general spell lists, since those will be the combat spells.

SLOTHRPG95
2019-01-24, 02:35 AM
If the group has that extensive level of support, and regularly punch above their weight class to boot, then perhaps Brand should be a Conjurer 3/Master Specialist 4/Nar Demonbinder 3. Even just looking at core options, if Brand had a bound Bebilith or Glabrezu on hand then they'd probably be confident prepping their non-Demonbinder spells as almost exclusively research, making your task that much easier. The Glabrezu is overall the stronger of the two options, but the psion and the warmage could be in deep **** if the Bebilith gets the drop on them, unless they're immune to poison. At that point, if Brand thought that their pet plus the tower's other occupants weren't enough to handle the situation, they could still throw a few summon monster whatevers, while probably keeping a 5th level spell slot in reserve to Plane Shift out of there should the whole thing go belly up.

J-H
2019-01-24, 08:13 AM
I don't think I want them Plane Shifting away.

Brand is researching conjuration and denizens of other planes.
I don't really know what a 14th level Loremaster would research - ideas?

zlefin
2019-01-24, 08:57 AM
I don't have any good suggestions; but if you don't get better help from our more knowledgeable folk, you could try cribbing spell lists from the numerous pathfinder NPCs around the level range you're looking at.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/npc-s
a 2 minute skim would indicate whether any might be suitable.

SLOTHRPG95
2019-01-24, 10:49 AM
I don't think I want them Plane Shifting away.

Brand is researching conjuration and denizens of other planes.
I don't really know what a 14th level Loremaster would research - ideas?

Then just have Brand blow all 5th- and 6th-level spell slots early on. Nothing else need change.

J-H
2019-01-24, 12:18 PM
Ok, how's this for a reasonably paranoid wizard?

Keep in mind he has some construct minions around so he doesn't have to do all the damage himself.


Mezzir-Shazz, Dwarven Loremaster. 7th level casting.
Non-specialist wizard 7, Loremaster 7

HP: 15d4+90+15 = 165
AC: 22 (+1 DEX, +3 Deflection, +2 natural armor, +4 mage armor, +1 inherent dodge, +1 luck)
Stats:
STR 10
DEX 14-2
CON 16+2+4=22
INT 16+6+2(tomes/levelups)=24
WIS 14
CHA 8

BAB +6/+1

Feats: SF: Spellcraft, item creation x 2, Toughness L7, Extend Spell9, Twin Spell 11, Fell Drain13, Scribe Scroll W1, Quicken Spell Wiz5; Forlorn/Luck of Heroes
Saves: Fort +17, Ref+10, Will+17

4 Loremaster secrets:
bonus 1st level spell
bonus 2nd level spell
+1 dodge AC
+2 Fort save

Possessions:
INT+6 circlet
Con+4 belt
Spellbook/pouch stuff
Mage Robe of Resistance+4/Mage Armor +4 (continuous)
Ring of Protection +3
Amulet of Protection from Evil, Natural Armor +2
Earring of Conceal Thoughts

CONTINGENCY: If paralyzed, blinded, or reduced to 60%HP, Dimension Door to panic room. Panic room contains scrolls of passwall, continous flame lantern, 5 potions of CCW, 1 potion of remove disease, a wand of Break Enchantment with 3 charges, and a Scroll of Remove Curse.

Spells prepared for day (level, base+Secret+bonus from INT):
0th 4
1 4+1+2
Swift Expeditious Retreat
Fell Drain Sonic Snap
Fell Drain Sonic Snap
Hold Portal
Grease
Grease
Ray of Enfeeblement
2 4+1+2
Fell Drain Magic Missile
Fell Drain Magic Missile
Scorching Ray
Resist Energy
Hideous Laughter
Blindness/Deafness
Blindness/Deafness
3 4+2
Slow
Haste
Dispel Magic
Magic Circle against Evil
Magic Circle against Chaos
Fly
4 4+1
Resilient Sphere
Charm Monster
Black Tentacles
Summon Monster IV
Dimensional Anchor
5 3+1
Passwall
Wall of Force
Dismissal
XMage's Private Sanctum (24hr block scrying on tower)
6 3+1
Mage's Lucubration (recall a 5th level spell)
Dispel Magic, Greater
Analyze Dweomer
Twinned Scorching Ray
7 2+1
Avasculate (1/2HP & stun), SPC
Forcecage
Arcane Sight, Greater

tyckspoon
2019-01-24, 12:27 PM
I don't think I want them Plane Shifting away.

Brand is researching conjuration and denizens of other planes.
I don't really know what a 14th level Loremaster would research - ideas?

'Whatever he wants' is probably too vague an answer to be useful, I suppose..

Let's see. He's got a specialist in prismatic magic and a conjuration specialist as research assistants. Maybe he's convinced 'prismatic' energy is actually a fundamental magical power, just like Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Good, Evil, Positive & Negative energy, etc? He's trying to figure out how to contact the source plane of Rainbow Power and summon a Prismatic Elemental, or at least infuse summons with prismatic energy the way normal Summon Monster spells give you celestial/fiendish creatures. Unfortunately he's wrong, or at least is going about it the wrong way, and is frustrated that he keeps winding up with stained-glass golems, Senmurvs, and Coatl..