Help with an Encounter - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help with an Encounter

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
mystictheurge
May 28, 2006 20:31:26 I'm looking to build an encounter that recreates the scene in The Crimson Legion where Tamar summons Borys' other shades to "help" Rikus discipline the legion. For reference the scene is on p. 237.

The encounter should be EL 8, and could happen within the context of a larger battle (i.e. PCs fighting a single shade, or a group of animated skeletons, while other gladiators fight others).

First, are there stats for Tamar and the other shades and where can I find them? If there aren't, does anyone have suggestions on what to make them? Second, does anyone have suggestions for this encounter?
#2
kalthandrix
May 28, 2006 21:02:22 Athasian Wraiths are in Terrors of the Dead Lands- and if you go with the same # of opponents, then it is going to be WAY higher then a EL 8 encounter.
#3
mystictheurge
May 28, 2006 21:48:40
Athasian Wraiths are in Terrors of the Dead Lands- and if you go with the same # of opponents, then it is going to be WAY higher then a EL 8 encounter.

Hmm that could work, two CR 6s is an EL 8. I could just have the other wraiths busy killing other gladiators.

Here's another question though, Tamar suggests, in the novel, that being far from their focus items (gems in this case) weakens their ability to, well, do much of anything and that's why they animate other objects.

If this is the case, does it make more sense to use Wraith stats or Skeleton stats, given that they're so far from their fortress and in the novel they all animate skeletons to attack? Should I use skeletons and add some modifications, to kind of blend the two creatures together? Or should I just have the wraiths keep animating objects until Caelum turns them? If all they're going to do is animate objects how much should I lower their CR by?
#4
kalthandrix
May 28, 2006 22:50:18 IMO the wraith in the book would maybe not be your 'basic' kind - but would maybe be auqmented in some way.

As for the linking to their gem - well there is an undead weakness in the TotDL that is called Bound to Area or something like that - well I do not see that is weakness could also be applied to a 'thing' - maybe it removes some of their abilities or reduces their HD or something.
#5
Pennarin
May 29, 2006 2:25:35 Kal beat me to it. Use the Bound to Area mechanics while twisting it so it works not for an area but for the wraiths' focus, the one from their Enduring Focus ability. As a 3E DM you are allowed to do anything you want with NPCs: Give them unique abilities, weaknesses, too much or not enough magic items, whatever, as long as you use DM judgment and adjust their CR accordingly. A wraith halfway destroyed from being too long away from its focus would have a proportionally lessened CR.
#6
mystictheurge
May 29, 2006 8:25:46 Cool, I'll fiddle around with the unique benefits and drawbacks.

If I were to advance them, do you think HD or class levels would be more appropriate? Tamar at least ought to have levels of a Psi class, probably Psychic Warrior. Maybe I'll explore that idea with the rest of them too.
#7
kalthandrix
May 29, 2006 9:38:13 Class levels as warriors of almost any type would fit IMO - heck, you could even work in the Knight class with these fellows - although they would need a few tweeks to the abilities.

Maybe they could be called Cleansing Knights and they could be given the racial enemy feature from the Ranger class and the racial superiority kind of feature from the Knight of the Scale PrC in the Appendix I.

Darn - that is a great idea and I think I will have to make either a PrC for it or a full 20-level class =).

I will be doing this PrC and it will be sweet too - so maybe I will have something to post in a few days.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mystictheurge May 28, 2006 20:31:26	I'm looking to build an encounter that recreates the scene in The Crimson Legion where Tamar summons Borys' other shades to "help" Rikus discipline the legion. For reference the scene is on p. 237. The encounter should be EL 8, and could happen within the context of a larger battle (i.e. PCs fighting a single shade, or a group of animated skeletons, while other gladiators fight others). First, are there stats for Tamar and the other shades and where can I find them? If there aren't, does anyone have suggestions on what to make them? Second, does anyone have suggestions for this encounter?
#2 kalthandrix May 28, 2006 21:02:22	Athasian Wraiths are in Terrors of the Dead Lands- and if you go with the same # of opponents, then it is going to be WAY higher then a EL 8 encounter.
#3 mystictheurge May 28, 2006 21:48:40	Athasian Wraiths are in Terrors of the Dead Lands- and if you go with the same # of opponents, then it is going to be WAY higher then a EL 8 encounter. Hmm that could work, two CR 6s is an EL 8. I could just have the other wraiths busy killing other gladiators. Here's another question though, Tamar suggests, in the novel, that being far from their focus items (gems in this case) weakens their ability to, well, do much of anything and that's why they animate other objects. If this is the case, does it make more sense to use Wraith stats or Skeleton stats, given that they're so far from their fortress and in the novel they all animate skeletons to attack? Should I use skeletons and add some modifications, to kind of blend the two creatures together? Or should I just have the wraiths keep animating objects until Caelum turns them? If all they're going to do is animate objects how much should I lower their CR by?
#4 kalthandrix May 28, 2006 22:50:18	IMO the wraith in the book would maybe not be your 'basic' kind - but would maybe be auqmented in some way. As for the linking to their gem - well there is an undead weakness in the TotDL that is called Bound to Area or something like that - well I do not see that is weakness could also be applied to a 'thing' - maybe it removes some of their abilities or reduces their HD or something.
#5 Pennarin May 29, 2006 2:25:35	Kal beat me to it. Use the Bound to Area mechanics while twisting it so it works not for an area but for the wraiths' focus, the one from their Enduring Focus ability. As a 3E DM you are allowed to do anything you want with NPCs: Give them unique abilities, weaknesses, too much or not enough magic items, whatever, as long as you use DM judgment and adjust their CR accordingly. A wraith halfway destroyed from being too long away from its focus would have a proportionally lessened CR.
#6 mystictheurge May 29, 2006 8:25:46	Cool, I'll fiddle around with the unique benefits and drawbacks. If I were to advance them, do you think HD or class levels would be more appropriate? Tamar at least ought to have levels of a Psi class, probably Psychic Warrior. Maybe I'll explore that idea with the rest of them too.
#7 kalthandrix May 29, 2006 9:38:13	Class levels as warriors of almost any type would fit IMO - heck, you could even work in the Knight class with these fellows - although they would need a few tweeks to the abilities. Maybe they could be called Cleansing Knights and they could be given the racial enemy feature from the Ranger class and the racial superiority kind of feature from the Knight of the Scale PrC in the Appendix I. Darn - that is a great idea and I think I will have to make either a PrC for it or a full 20-level class =). I will be doing this PrC and it will be sweet too - so maybe I will have something to post in a few days.