Test Your Might Continues!

[afroakuma]

Test Your Might has continued to be a great success, and so we've had to expand to a second thread to accommodate its popularity!

As these foes are notably more complex, I've decided to apply more than just my own DM's perspective on how best to run them.

Test Your Might runs a mock battle between a four-person party and an unknown, homebrewed opposition, via PbP. If you would like to join on the players' side, please read the Players' Rules (and only the Players' Rules) below. If you would like to join on the DMs' side, all information is available to you.

If you are interested in playing or DMing, please post here, and PM me when you are ready to play. Statement of intent goes in the main thread. You will not be added to the main list until I have received a PM.

Players' Rules

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You will be constructing a party of four characters, to a reasonable level of optimization, with the following rules:

• The party must all be the same level

• If you have XP costs to pay or abilities requiring XP, you are treated as having half the amount it would take for you to reach the next level. You cannot spend XP over this limit.

• The party has free rein to purchase goods and magic items as their WBL would allow, excepting items which grant a wish, miracle or gate power or a fashion to obtain same (candle of invocation, ring of three wishes etc.)

• Each character uses a 32 point buy.

• HP is full on first HD, average on every HD thereafter, rounded down.

• The party must conform to these specifications:

○○○ One barbarian, fighter, monk, psionic warrior, paladin or Complete Warrior base class

○○○ One bard, ranger, rogue or Complete Adventurer base class

○○○ One cleric, druid or Complete Divine base class

○○○ One psion, sorcerer, wilder, wizard or Complete Arcane base class

(or, to put it more succintly, one beatstick, one skillmonkey, one support and one blaster)

• The books allowed are Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, Expanded Psionics Handbook, Unearthed Arcana, Tome of Battle, Magic Item Compendium and Spell Compendium. The character in each role can use the Complete book from their listing.

• You may select one additional sourcebook from the following list: Complete Champion, Complete Mage, Complete Psionic, Complete Scoundrel; or, you may request specific material from another book.

• If one or more of your characters are psionic, you may exchange the Complete book that character would normally be permitted with Complete Psionic. Should you choose to do so, the original book is no longer available and must be used as an extra source if used at all. You must do this for each character who wishes to use Complete Psionic if you do not intend to select it as your extra source.

• If material from one of the four main Completes is clearly intended for a character in a role other than the one it corresponds to, you may request access to that material without counting it as your additional source.

• Any alternate class features must be pre-cleared by afroakuma. When in doubt, assume it to be prohibited.

• The Leadership feat is specifically banned.

• The Craft Contingent Spell feat is specifically banned.

• The spell genesis is specifically banned.

• The spell ice assassin is specifically banned.

• The spell clone is specifically banned.

• The spell simulacrum is specifically banned.

• The spell mindrape is specifically banned.

• The prestige class Incantatrix is specifically banned.

• The prestige class Ur-Priest is specifically banned.

• Explicit cheese is to be kept to a minimum.

DM's Rules

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We are planning the best stratagem for a villain to take on a party of four. Each villain available is homebrewed; some have abilities that permit creative exploitation of the rules, others have budgets beyond a PC of their ECL.

We may set up to reasonable parameters the area of the encounter and dictate the encounter range. Any questions or difficulties that might crop up, or ambiguities raised by a particular rule, ability etc. must be determined in advance if needed.

For the combat setup, you must also dictate lighting conditions and decor. Ad hoc rulings as necessary are encouraged. Until the party can actually see the enemy, list all enemy initiative rolls and actions in a spoiler under the bolded heading Observers Only. Any other battle data that the player should not be privy to should also go in such a spoiler.

For the ease of observers, any rules discussion, clarification, debate etc. should take place in Spoiler tags.

• ECL 1-2 is an underwater encounter against a CR 4 merfolk Sorcerer.

• ECL 5 is a cavern encounter against a CR 8 predatory vermin.

• ECL 7-9 is an encounter against a CR 12 living bodak with an energy draining ray.

• ECL 9-10 is an encounter against a CR 14 unseelie fey Hexblade.

• ECL 10-11 {New!} is an indoor encounter against a CR 15 sentient living spell.

• ECL 12-13 is a stealth encounter against a CR 17 Ninja assassin.

• ECL 14 is a cavern encounter against a CR 19 predatory vermin.

• ECL 15-16 is a dark encounter against a CR 20 wraith dragon.

• ECL 20 is an encounter against a CR 25 lich.

Battle Rules

• Encounters occur in a chamber dictated by the needs of the opposition, in an otherwise infinite and unoccupied world.

• Encounters occur without foreknowledge on the part of either side.

• Encounters occur at a range determined by the DMs.

• No external force is paying active attention to the conflict. No planar entity of any kind will provide you pre-battle assistance.

• The party may elect to begin combat having had time to generally prepare (including buffs) or not. If they choose the former, then the opposition benefits from same.

• The party may alternately elect to begin combat with all-day preparations intact only. If they do so, then the opposition benefits from same. An all-day buff is one which has a duration of at least 12 hours, or a spell cast multiple times to a total duration of at least 12 hours (in which case you begin battle as though you had cast that spell every single time).

• The party cannot bring called or summoned beings, or allies other than those granted by class feature, to the start of the battle.

• All rolls (both player's and DM's) are made using the forum roller and are made public.

Battles Currently Available

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• Party ECL 1-2

• Party ECL 5

• Party ECL 7-9

• Party ECL 9-10

• Party ECL 10-11 {New!}

• Party ECL 12-13

• Party ECL 14

• Party ECL 15-16

• Party ECL 20

Current Matchups
{table=head]Player|OpFor|ECL|Location
Darwin|Open|5|-
9mm|Open|10-11|-
theterran|Tidesinger|15-16|Soundstage A
Eurus|Tidesinger|20|Soundstage D
[/table]

Old soundstage links and records may be found here.

[theterran]

Wow, new thread already huh?

[afroakuma]

Really though. I'm amazed.

[Doc Roc]

I wouldn't mind seeing the hall of honor resto'd.
I'm really never gonna live down how I killed Terran the first time, am I?

[Starbuck_II]

Should I re-apply or is the other thread still counting...sigh, still no battles.

I was really hoping to kick some butt and chew bubble gum. I'm currently all out of gum.

[ranagrande]

I wouldn't mind trying it, either as a player or a DM.

[Doc Roc]

You need to reban ur-priest, I think.
Is wish intended to be banned, or just impossible to purchase?

[Kurald Galain]

Cool. Can we get some links to previous battles please? For onlookers only, of course.

[afroakuma]

You need to reban ur-priest, I think.
Is wish intended to be banned, or just impossible to purchase?

Right.

And no, you simply can't purchase wish.

Kurald: I added a link at the bottom of the OP.

[Kurald Galain]

Kurald: I added a link at the bottom of the OP.

Thanks, but perhaps someone can help make things a bit easier to find? The only links I can find in that post are to eight "soundstages", each of which appears to have three or four fights on it at some point, and there seems to be no way to tell where I might e.g. find "Trial ? Eurus vs Dark Scary" except by scrolling through all of them...

[Doc Roc]

You can search threads on this forum, can't you?

[lord_khaine]

my fight is still going on Here, mostly because i cant find my opponent.

[afroakuma]

Thanks, but perhaps someone can help make things a bit easier to find? The only links I can find in that post are to eight "soundstages", each of which appears to have three or four fights on it at some point, and there seems to be no way to tell where I might e.g. find "Trial ? Eurus vs Dark Scary" except by scrolling through all of them...

I can't find that one either. Hence the ?.

The Soundstage links all go to the header of the most recent fight to take place on that soundstage. If anyone wants to actually go get me the post links to the individual battles, I'll put them up.

lord_khaine: I don't know where he is either, and he apparently has his "last active" display disabled. In a post on Wednesday, though, he mentioned exams yesterday and today, so he might be back soon.

[9mm]

color me interested as a player, not sure what level yet.

[Eurus]

I can't find that one either. Hence the ?.

It's Trial IX, Soundstage C.

[afroakuma]

Awesome. The more I know.

[theterran]

Alright Tidesinger, I'm ready for that Rematch in SoundStage A!

Everyone NOT Tidesinger

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Tank
Skillmonkey
New Arcane
New Divine

Extra Source is Complete Mage

[Doc Roc]

As soon as AA arranges a link, etc, I'm good to go.

[afroakuma]

Using the new Soundstage A.

What ECL?

[theterran]

Using the new Soundstage A.

What ECL?

15-16 again.

[Olo Demonsbane]

I want to DM any level or play low level. Anyone want to be murdered?

[Juhn]

I recognize these villains...

Perhaps I should take a closer look at these.

[Ixahinon]

I have...like 8 times..

can anyone DM ECL 14?

[afroakuma]

On lunch I'll list all waiting challengers.

[Zaq]

Would a Totemist, and the accompanying material from Magic of Incarnum, be a suitable way to fill the "beatstick" role? Just curious.

[Talic]

Provided it's approved, and it demonstrates the noncaster/lightcaster combatant role, then probably (lightcaster = paladin progression, for example).

[Ixahinon]

I just want to make sure, before I go on to do it...can wands be made to cast metamagiced spells? Example: Empowered Wand of Fireballs (50 Charges) 5th level spell x 8th level caster x 750gp = 30,000gps?

[Talic]

Technically legal, but you don't benefit from metamagic reducers when getting those wands (so no Arcane thesis+practical metamagic to make empowered fireball wands at no additional cost).

For actual approval on anything, though, it needs to go through Afro.

[Ixahinon]

I'm not gonna do it..because it is just too cheesy...but Fell Drain Magic Missile (3rd level spell x 6th level caster x 750gp) is only 13,500gp, and since it's Fell Drain...as long as the magic missiles do damage, the target takes a negative level as well. Negative level would last for 6 rounds.

[lord_khaine]

I'm not gonna do it..because it is just too cheesy...but Fell Drain Magic Missile (3rd level spell x 6th level caster x 750gp) is only 13,500gp, and since it's Fell Drain...as long as the magic missiles do damage, the target takes a negative level as well. Negative level would last for 6 rounds

just about anything with SR would ignore it, and even so its just a singel negative level each round, at the cost of a standard action, i dont think its that cheesy.