Advice on a Khaasta marauder band?

[danielxcutter]

I have an incomplete statblock (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v1F9ZDtLUf5m-twKQsPx10-zZjxwnEGodpati2Kn8ag/edit?usp=sharing) for the leader - 8 levels of Warblade and 3 of Battle Trickster. Since Khaastas have a +2 to Int and no bonus to other mental stats it seemed a decent pick.

I think I've got his items more or less done, but I'm not sure how much non-equipment valuables I should give him. The MIC suggests 100 GP per character level, but since that was in the item level-based section I don't think that's quite the same as the "normal" method.

Oh, also I need advice for his maneuvers. I want to mostly use White Raven maneuvers, since he's the leader of a marauder band and thus has some other flunkies to flank with, but any other maneuvers that would be particularly useful for him?

Skill trick advice would also be welcome for this guy.



Naturally, you can't be a marauder band on your own. For starters I'm thinking of Khaastas with 4 levels of Fighter - it's their favored class anyways, so it makes sense. Barbarian could work as well though, and some might be Ranger/Fighter multiclass? Not sure yet.

A lieutenant with 7~8 levels in Duskblade also sounds like a fun idea. Khaastas have surprisingly helpful stat bonuses for that class.

I wonder if I'll need some serious primary caster support as well, though.

You see, this isn't for an actual game; I have this idea for a webcomic in the vein of Order of the Stick(I wouldn't be the first and I doubt I'll be the last). The big problem is that not only is the party a 7-PC large-sized one, it contains a Ruby Knight Vindicator(refluffed for more general use), an Arcane Trickster(based on Wizard casting), an Illithid Slayer(based on Nomad manifesting), and a single-classed(for now) Sorcerer.

So that's a lot of magic the party has access to, and not much for the marauders.

The leader, the lieutenant(Khaasta Duskblade 8) and four elite marauders(Khaasta Fighter 4) would be about an EL 15~16 encounter, I think. But the relative lack of magic they have currently, and the large size of the "PC party" is a little worrying.

Of course I still have plenty of things to put into place before even starting on this part, but still.

[Palanan]

I’m tickled that you have track changes in Hangul.

:smalltongue:

[danielxcutter]

I’m tickled that you have track changes in Hangul.

:smalltongue:

'Cause I'm Korean, duh.

Any actual advice, please?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

What level is the party, or is it ambiguous? If that's the case then you don't necessarily need fully statted opponents, but a general idea of their capabilities. Encounter level doesn't necessarily matter, especially with an ambiguous party level, but enemies should be smart enough to know they have a reasonable chance of defeating them.

How many times will your party encounter them? They're known to ride giant lizards, and I've been playing a lot of RDR2, so the idea of some sort of reptilian bandits that the party keeps running into could be appealing. Maybe they run into a lieutenant and 3-4 lackeys pulling a heist, then later catch another lieutenant and a few more lackeys red-handed in a caper. They're extraplanar, so give each lieutenant a Potion of Dismissal that they'll try to use to escape if the fight goes poorly for them. Eventually the leader, his remaining lieutenants, and enough lackeys to outnumber the party will track them down. He'd heard about them disrupting his operations and eliminating valued members of his gang, and he's out for blood....

Use as many early encounters with them as you can come up with unique lieutenants for, hopefully there are 2-3 lieutenants who escaped and rejoined the leader for the final showdown. For those mounts, use something tanky but not necessarily dangerous, like a faster (Magebred? Quick trait plus Improved Toughness?) and non-elemental version of the Frost Salamander in MM2. That gets five attacks but only does 1d6 per hit and doesn't have pounce, but give it Mage Slayer and nobody can cast defensively next to them.

Include some kind of anti-spellcaster lieutenant, like Cloistered Cleric 1/ Paladin of Slaughter X. Trade Paladin rebuke undead for divine counterspell in CM and take Divine Defiance which is powered by the Cleric turning. Replace domains with Knowledge Devotion and maybe Earth Devotion, and get the Inquisition domain which benefits divine counterspell. Be sure to have the Kn: Arcana ranks to add a +2 to that as well (it honestly doesn't matter what his bonus is, the story determines if it succeeds or fails). Fill his 1st level Paladin spells with Rhino's Rush, give him Power Attack, Leap Attack, Charging Smite, and a two-handed weapon.

One lieutenant should be a serious force multiplier, some sort of arcane spellcaster, but not the same schtick as one of the PCs. Maybe something similar to this guy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?353631-Sorcerer-BBEG-fight-help-for-my-game-tonight#3), or maybe an Inspire Awe (Prestige?) Bard.

[danielxcutter]

What level is the party, or is it ambiguous? If that's the case then you don't necessarily need fully statted opponents, but a general idea of their capabilities. Encounter level doesn't necessarily matter, especially with an ambiguous party level, but enemies should be smart enough to know they have a reasonable chance of defeating them.

Well, I'm planning for them to start at 12th level. As for when they fight these guys, I'm thinking 12~14 or so.


How many times will your party encounter them? They're known to ride giant lizards, and I've been playing a lot of RDR2, so the idea of some sort of reptilian bandits that the party keeps running into could be appealing. Maybe they run into a lieutenant and 3-4 lackeys pulling a heist, then later catch another lieutenant and a few more lackeys red-handed in a caper. They're extraplanar, so give each lieutenant a Potion of Dismissal that they'll try to use to escape if the fight goes poorly for them. Eventually the leader, his remaining lieutenants, and enough lackeys to outnumber the party will track them down. He'd heard about them disrupting his operations and eliminating valued members of his gang, and he's out for blood....

Didn't have plans for them aside as a one-time encounter, but something like that could work yeah... Never thought about the Dismissal potion, though I'm not sure if these guys are going to be fought on the Material or somewhere else.


Use as many early encounters with them as you can come up with unique lieutenants for, hopefully there are 2-3 lieutenants who escaped and rejoined the leader for the final showdown. For those mounts, use something tanky but not necessarily dangerous, like a faster (Magebred? Quick trait plus Improved Toughness?) and non-elemental version of the Frost Salamander in MM2. That gets five attacks but only does 1d6 per hit and doesn't have pounce, but give it Mage Slayer and nobody can cast defensively next to them.

Maybe a Kuldurath? They caught my eye due to literally being right after the Khaasta entry, and both are even native to the Outlands.

Honestly, I don't know yet, but a couple "light cavalry" type marauders could certainly work yes...


Include some kind of anti-spellcaster lieutenant, like Cloistered Cleric 1/ Paladin of Slaughter X. Trade Paladin rebuke undead for divine counterspell in CM and take Divine Defiance which is powered by the Cleric turning. Replace domains with Knowledge Devotion and maybe Earth Devotion, and get the Inquisition domain which benefits divine counterspell. Be sure to have the Kn: Arcana ranks to add a +2 to that as well (it honestly doesn't matter what his bonus is, the story determines if it succeeds or fails). Fill his 1st level Paladin spells with Rhino's Rush, give him Power Attack, Leap Attack, Charging Smite, and a two-handed weapon.

Hmm... Not particularly what I was thinking of, to be frank. Cleric might not be too bad I guess, though; it's apparently a common choice for Khaasta leaders anyway. Maybe Blackguard?


One lieutenant should be a serious force multiplier, some sort of arcane spellcaster, but not the same schtick as one of the PCs. Maybe something similar to this guy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?353631-Sorcerer-BBEG-fight-help-for-my-game-tonight#3), or maybe an Inspire Awe (Prestige?) Bard.

Unless I was literally planning on an evil counterpart, I don't think there'd be much of a "same schtick" thing anyways. And yeah, I guess a proper support character might help a lot...



Oh yeah, I finished the leader's maneuvers known. Could be better I guess(shame there wasn't room for Iron Heart Surge), but it doesn't look too bad either. Still, any advice would still be useful.