Tamarask -- or why I started worrying and stopped loving the

[Maxus]

I'd just spend 900 or 2000 gp on a magic item that allows you to use Acid Splash or inflict light wounds at will, respectively.

[Cynic]

More DM grumbles.

Apparently, according to the two dms in the group, using alter self to change into a Troglodyte for defensive purposes is wrong because it is primarily a spell made for disguising oneself.

My one question then, what the eff is Disguise self supposed to do then?

[virgil]

Don't forget the other thing they consider to be almost pure cheese, the single minion I bring on actual adventures. It's a huge size category animated iron statue with 12 arms (still only has one slam, unless I want 12 attacks at -11 to each, which I don't), and an exotic & masterwork saddle/howdah to give my character cover while I ride around in it.

Then there was the grumbling from our DM over my use of reduce person & unseen servant when I was normally a 30lb halfling. The implication that I could just give myself flight with two 1st level spells did not give him happy feelings.

I'm not the only one he seems to worry about. Our druid saved him and his party member's butts (I d-doored out of reach) from that super assassin vine with antiplant shell. We had a couple large creatures next to him (minions), and he kept an ever vigilant watch for even one of their squares to not be within 10' of the druid so he could attack. Oh, and grapplers by larger monsters apparently pull victims into their space rather than move into their victim's space when they go through the maintenance stage...

[SphereOfFeetMan]

Oh, and grapplers by larger monsters apparently pull victims into their space rather than move into their victim's space...

Thats how it normally works.

...when they go through the maintenance stage...

I don't know what this means.

[Maxus]

I'm pretty sure he means when they reached that point of a grapple attempt where they must maintain the grapple.

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Can you use UMD to qualify for a feat? I read somewhere that you could, using Emulate Class Feature (DC 25 check for Craft Wand, I believe). Not sure though.

[Cynic]

1204555747[/unixtime]]Can you use UMD to qualify for a feat? I read somewhere that you could, using Emulate Class Feature (DC 25 check for Craft Wand, I believe). Not sure though.

Well, you shouldn't be able to use UMD to qualify for a feat.

If it was an item that gave you Craft wand if you were a wizard (or some strange feature) then I suppose it would be viable to use UMD to emulate a level X wizard to use it. Otherwise, I don't think it's possible.

[SunTzuWarmaster]

My dreams. Crushed.

[CatharzGodfoot]

There's always the wand of imbue.

[virgil]

I'm not familiar with this spell, unless you mean imbue with spell ability, in which case I'm not sure how it could be helpful.

As an aside, I get annoyed by DMs that use CR as law for what can be used against a party. When there is not a single rogue in the party, then you increase the CR/EL of traps for gauging what to use, not think to yourself that two CR 9 auto-reset traps is fine for use against a level 10 party (and somehow be surprised at the results).

You also do not throw allips at a level 2 party ("its only a CR 3") where their gear was only what they could find and there was only a pile of +1 shocking arrows (and one longbow). You especially don't pull that and then get pissy because the party equipped themselves with the arrows as improvised melee weapons in order to actually fight it; ruling after the fight that magic arrows only count as being magic when actually fired from a bow.

[SunTzuWarmaster]

Just for the record, in my first D&D campaign (2nd ed.), our DM did something very similar with Shadows. The difference, however, was that we were applauded for using our +1 arrows as improvised daggers.

[Maxus]

Virgileso, A_Cynic, you both have my profound sympathy, and I'm very sorry to put it like this, but...

Your DMs suck.

[virgil]

I can only 'effin hope our DM finished getting his jollies in. Our party got jumped by a super tanglefoot bag (DC 20s, able to affect huge creatures, like my mount), a dozen dire werewolves w/bows, & a level 12 ninja with TWF (also a dire werewolf). The ninja entered the scene with an ethereal jump thing & full-attacked me with all his sneaky glory. Down to 1hp (had been expecting a fight, so was actually buffed), I got away from him via dismount and cast force cage on him and two of his minions.

The crit from his bow finished me off. At least we had a druid in the party.

And he didn't even have any gear besides a pair of +2 dwarven waraxes and a composite longbow built for a +7 strength mod.

[Cynic]

Virgileso, A_Cynic, you both have my profound sympathy, and I'm very sorry to put it like this, but...

Your DMs suck.

Maxus, you don't need to be sorry for saying that. Unfortunately, with my tight schedule, I don't get to rp otherwise, so i'll suck it up.

[Maxus]

I can only 'effin hope our DM finished getting his jollies in. Our party got jumped by a super tanglefoot bag (DC 20s, able to affect huge creatures, like my mount), a dozen dire werewolves w/bows, & a level 12 ninja with TWF (also a dire werewolf). The ninja entered the scene with an ethereal jump thing & full-attacked me with all his sneaky glory. Down to 1hp (had been expecting a fight, so was actually buffed), I got away from him via dismount and cast force cage on him and two of his minions.

The crit from his bow finished me off. At least we had a druid in the party.

And he didn't even have any gear besides a pair of +2 dwarven waraxes and a composite longbow built for a +7 strength mod.

I understand Reincarnate has been getting a lot of use in this game. How's that working out?

[virgil]

It's actually been fairly good, though I'm the only one who's used it more than once. In fact, this is form number four now. I started as a grey elf, died to a surprise round with a violet fungus (came back as a half-elf), died to a barbarian attacking me in my sleep (returned as a halfling), and this most recent death resulted in me coming back as a goblin.

It's actually fairly awesome, because I started off as a race with two physical ability score penalties, which I lost in my new form; so anything I turn into is an improvement over my original form, because I keep my mental modifier.

It's like miniature polymorph abuse.

[Maxus]

It's actually been fairly good, though I'm the only one who's used it more than once. In fact, this is form number four now. I started as a grey elf, died to a surprise round with a violet fungus (came back as a half-elf), died to a barbarian attacking me in my sleep (returned as a halfling), and this most recent death resulted in me coming back as a goblin.

It's actually fairly awesome, because I started off as a race with two physical ability score penalties, which I lost in my new form; so anything I turn into is an improvement over my original form, because I keep my mental modifier.

It's like miniature polymorph abuse.

Sweet. Maybe you'll be turned into something with a Con bonus next time. It sounds like you could use the extra hit points.

[virgil]

Not really. I've been surviving the crap he throws at me, generally. When you have level 12 dual-wielding ninja with a 25 strength full-attack you from stealth, followed by a critical hit with a longbow built for his strength (probably also a sneak attack), a +4 Con isn't going to save me.

[Judging__Eagle]

Not really. I've been surviving the crap he throws at me, generally. When you have level 12 dual-wielding ninja with a 25 strength full-attack you from stealth, followed by a critical hit with a longbow built for his strength (probably also a sneak attack), a +4 Con isn't going to save me.

.... those are retardedly simple monsters.

He's not even thinking of something clever.

Just "hurr, hurr, I use beeg monstar!"; fucking stupid.

When I design a creature or NPC to scare the bejeezus out of the PCs I seriously optimize the race and class combo for the role. Although, a straight Astral Stalker is pretty hardcore with the right feat and gear selection; and that was in a pre-RoW campaign.

The PCs ran away and never found out what was shooting at them.

[virgil]

And now I need to decide how to handle a boss fight. Both parties will be fighting four singular monsters. The ten of us are level 16 each, with about triple standard wealth, and will be using a Mirror of Mental Prowess to create a portal near each one. We are each allowed a single minion/cohort/assistant to come with us when we attack, which is a ruling for the sake of time & sanity.

I have no idea what the stats will be like, but two of them are quite possibly CR 21 (being made by the sane DM). I can only hope that the SR will be conceivably beaten.

I'm tempted to suggest that we choose to fight the ones made by the crappy DM first, so he doesn't have a chance to adjust his stats.

[Maxus]

And now I need to decide how to handle a boss fight. Both parties will be fighting four singular monsters. The ten of us are level 16 each, with about triple standard wealth, and will be using a Mirror of Mental Prowess to create a portal near each one. We are each allowed a single minion/cohort/assistant to come with us when we attack, which is a ruling for the sake of time & sanity.

I have no idea what the stats will be like, but two of them are quite possibly CR 21 (being made by the sane DM). I can only hope that the SR will be conceivably beaten.

I'm tempted to suggest that we choose to fight the ones made by the crappy DM first, so he doesn't have a chance to adjust his stats.

Give into the temptation. Get him out of the way with whatever overwhelming force options you have left.

Edit: Oh, it might be helpful to know what you expect and what the parties have in the golf bag.

[virgil]

I accidentally got a glimpse of one of our opponents...35 AC, +25/+25/+25 attacks for buuku weapon damage, Saves of +18/+15/+21 (possibly two or three higher), 535hp, at least one special attack for 14d10 damage at a +30 to-hit. I didn't see if it had SR/DR or other special abilities.

Me: Generalist Wizard, only PHB spells except Superior Invis and Benign Transposition, 32 Int
A_Cynic: Bard/Paladin, specialized inspire courage (+12 at the moment)
Others: Druid, cohort cleric, fighter, barbarian, paladin w/artifact sword, sorcerer, level 5 weretiger, dual-wielding dagger rogue

[Judging__Eagle]

Rofls. 35 AC.

I had to be able to have greater AC than 40 at lvl 7 in order to keep surviving in an Eberron game.

You'll utterly murder those things. Their saves look pretty balls for that level as well.

Their to-hit looks like ass, +14 and +16 To-Hit are what I considered decent in a lvl 5-6 game. A to-hit of +25 at CR 21 is chump change; more than 10 levels and only +9 more to-hit isn't fast enough scaling.

You should be able to deal 500+ damage in a round or two at that level anyway.

Just plan ahead and you'll murder this type of monster.

Of course, I'm sort of mixing in a mention of a pre-wish Economy RoW barbarian when I talk about that +14-+16 to hit, and Con was his highest stat, not Str.

That guy was able to one-round an Ettin at lvl 5 or so. The cleric had to heal him from 5 or 10 Hp though.

[virgil]

Well, as long as we keep our bard around to buff everyone with his Inspire Courage (+12 by now), we'll be able to have most of us be able to hit it at least once.

I'm not sure about the saves being bad. It still has about a 50% success rate, if not 65%, and I'm still uncertain what the SR is. If it's being one/two rounded from damage, then I can potentially do absolutely nothing. Then there's the issue of immunities, which I have no idea what those are. It's size precludes force cage, someone said it's about gargantuan, maybe colossal (likely the latter, knowing them).

I'm just trying to figure out what I can do that's reliable.

[SphereOfFeetMan]

Use spells that don't rely on the enemy failing saves or sr. Like walls/fogs/summons/etc.