The final duel

As I mentioned in the email, the duel to settle ownership of the Stolen Lands is going to happen under the auspices and judgment of multiple dragonmarked Houses (Sivis and Phiarlan, at the very least, and possibly some others).

The location is going to be a spot in the no-man's-land between Khatovar and Pitax. The precise elements of the battlefield are going to be hidden from both teams, so that they will need to adapt to it.

The combatants will be as follows:

The five PCs vs. ... dunn, dunn, dunn ... Castruccio Irovetti, Engilidis (the naga), Tyman, Avina Jurrg and Hannis Drelev.

Both sides get to make requests of the Houses regarding the elements of the duel and they will decide which requests to include. So - what would you like included? I'd specifically like info on the following:

1) Is the duel to the death? If it's to the death, does all of an entire team need to die for the other to win, or just one person? Can unconscious combatants be healed up or are they out of the fight?

2) Are combatants allowed time to prepare for the duel? If so, how much time are they allowed? Is any particular form of preparation not allowed?

3) Are there any components to the battlefield that you want to be included or be banned?

And anything else that occurs to you, of course.

I think it should be to the death... or we haven't actually gotten rid of Irrovetti...
It should be to the death of all... otherwise all 5 will go for Grabthar immediately and just focus on him.
Though.. we could all just focus on Irrovetti... so two can play at that game.

No summoning or gating in creatures.

No teleporting out of the area and back in.

If you can be gotten up... you can be gotten up.
I suppose neg 10 means you don't get up anymore.

Nice suggestions.

Luna wrote:

I think it should be to the death... or we haven't actually gotten rid of Irrovetti...
It should be to the death of all... otherwise all 5 will go for Grabthar immediately and just focus on him.
Though.. we could all just focus on Irrovetti... so two can play at that game.

One way to avoid that is to have one team need to take all members of the other team down and kill whichever of Irovetti or Grabthar is on the opposing team. Or would you prefer to go with just the death of Irovetti or Grabthar as ending the duel (with the status of others being irrelevant)?

I think we should all have an equal stake to fight to the end.

Luna wrote:

I think we should all have an equal stake to fight to the end.

So to the death, with all of one team having to be eliminated? That'll certainly ensure that whoever wins doesn't have to worry about anyone on the other side coming back to bother them.

A Tesseract as a battlefield?

It will be as confusing for them as for us.

Nameless wrote:

A Tesseract as a battlefield?

It will be as confusing for them as for us.

Hah! Considering the way you bunch function, I'm guessing fighting you will be confusing enough for them as it is.

Admin wrote:

Luna wrote:

I think we should all have an equal stake to fight to the end.

So to the death, with all of one team having to be eliminated? That'll certainly ensure that whoever wins doesn't have to worry about anyone on the other side coming back to bother them.

I want Hannis to live. Killing him would be too merciful.

At the very least we have to kill him last. He's a funny guy.

Nameless wrote:

I want Hannis to live. Killing him would be too merciful.

At the very least we have to kill him last. He's a funny guy.

That's sweet of you

You could always ask for a team to have the option to spare any of their opponents if they so choose.

It occurs to me that we have at least one and possibly three angles that we can exploit.

1) Leonis needs to go into maximum annoyance mode with regards to The Gimp. I want him frothing at the mouth just from catching sight of Leonis.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please speak up. One idea that had occurred to me was using his spell book for toilet paper just before the duel.

2) Avina is probably still put out with us over her brother? being killed.

Anything particularly insulting in Ogre Mage society? Do we know if she blames/wants revenge on any of us in particular Shil? Was it Grabthar who dropped him?

3) I have a cunning plan involving Hannis...

Basically, The Gimp wants to kill Leonis BAD. Avina probably wants to just kill us, which we might be able to leverage into getting her to do something stupid. If we can manage that we've gotten 40% of their strength to at least loose focus.

We need to sit down and figure out what exactly are our best tactics for operating as a unit. We need to get them pursuing their individual goals (Or in other words get them behaving like us), while we act like Shil.

Nameless wrote:

It occurs to me that we have at least one and possibly three angles that we can exploit.

1) Leonis needs to go into maximum annoyance mode with regards to The Gimp. I want him frothing at the mouth just from catching sight of Leonis.

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please speak up. One idea that had occurred to me was using his spell book for toilet paper just before the duel.

It's a pretty reasonable assumption that he really wants Leonis dead already and won't need much pushing (or perhaps any) to focus on him. The one thing to watch out for, of course, will be the possibility that he will kill Leonis if you don't make sure the latter's protected enough to serve as effective bait/distraction and survive.

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2) Avina is probably still put out with us over her brother? being killed.

Anything particularly insulting in Ogre Mage society? Do we know if she blames/wants revenge on any of us in particular Shil? Was it Grabthar who dropped him?

Ogre mages don't really have a society of their own, invariably living with other monstrous creatures (or, more rarely, within humanoid communities in disguise). Mocking their loneliness and status as outsiders might work, esp. in view of you having killed off someone close to her. On the other hand, Avina does appear to be quite smart and cool-headed, so it might not work. You'll have to try and find out.

And Grabthar was the one who dropped him. He stumbled out of the Acid Fog + Wall of Fire right next to Grabthar and ate a full attack.

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3) I have a cunning plan involving Hannis...

Interesting. I look forward to seeing what that is.

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Basically, The Gimp wants to kill Leonis BAD. Avina probably wants to just kill us, which we might be able to leverage into getting her to do something stupid. If we can manage that we've gotten 40% of their strength to at least loose focus.

We need to sit down and figure out what exactly are our best tactics for operating as a unit. We need to get them pursuing their individual goals (Or in other words get them behaving like us), while we act like Shil.

Good tactics will definitely be needed. This fight consists of a bunch of enemies very close to the PCs' power level overall. On paper, certainly, there are only a tiny handful of fights in both campaigns combined which were tougher on paper.

Admin wrote:

The five PCs vs. ... dunn, dunn, dunn ... Castruccio Irovetti, Engilidis (the naga), Tyman, Avina Jurrg and Hannis Drelev.

Do we know what they can do? We should compile what we know about them - spells known, etc. I don't recognize Tyman or Avina.

We should specify that familiars, being part of their master's magic, will also be present. Vulpingetorix has some nasty tricks up his, er, fur.

Should we start w/spells up, or no spells up?

That is my question.

Rowan wrote:

Admin wrote:

The five PCs vs. ... dunn, dunn, dunn ... Castruccio Irovetti, Engilidis (the naga), Tyman, Avina Jurrg and Hannis Drelev.

Do we know what they can do? We should compile what we know about them - spells known, etc. I don't recognize Tyman or Avina.

We should specify that familiars, being part of their master's magic, will also be present. Vulpingetorix has some nasty tricks up his, er, fur.

Tyman is "The Gimp".

Avina is the ogre mage (fighter type) we've tangled with on a couple of occasions. IIRC she is the one who brought down Kelis.

As far as protecting Leonis goes. I was thinking of having him put up an anti-magic field with Grabthar standing next to him, since Grabthar doesn't rely on magic for most of what he does. Greater Globe of Invulnerability might be better since it won't shut Leonis down completely.

We are up against enough casters, that I think we should have Leonis, Rowan and possibly Kelis alternating ready to counterspell actions. Kelis doesn't have Dispell IIRC, but she can counterspell other spells she can cast. Though that does require a Spellcraft check (15+Spell Level), which I don't think she's got a good chance of making.

Rowan wrote:

Do we know what they can do? We should compile what we know about them - spells known, etc.

You have detailed info about all of them and PCs have, at some point or other, fought all except Irovetti. I'll give you all the details in a later post. Here's a quick version (mixing metagame and in-game terms):

Castruccio Irovetti - Primarily a bard, but has some martial class levels too. Tends to generally use spells and bardic abilities in combat. Particularly good at enchantment spells. Can cast up to at least 4th level bard spells.

Avina Jurrg - Has a few levels in some martial class besides standard ogre mage abilities. At least +11 BAB, since she can attack four times a round when hasted (Kelis can vouch for this!). Has an ability to focus on a single foe and gain additional bonuses against them. Capable of using scrolls via UMD to augment her abilities.

Engilidis - Dark naga with additional sorcerer levels. As with all dark nagas, has a stinger with sleep-inducing poison. Can use spells up to 6th level.

Tyman - Generalist wizard. Can cast spells up to 6th level.

Hannis Drelev - Fighter with some rogue levels. Fights with sword and shield. Less than +11 BAB, since he gets two attacks a round. Good defensive/skill fighter, with skill at flanking, disarming and feinting.

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I don't recognize Tyman or Avina.

Avina Jurrg is the ogre mage who is Irovetti's general.

Tyman is the Aundairan mage from whom Leonis stole a spellbook ages ago (that's why Leonis was in prison and "persuaded" to be part of the PCs' mission to the Stolen Lands). He showed up working for Irovetti a little over a month ago and clearly hates Leonis (esp. since he has been consistently taunted ever since he showed up).

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We should specify that familiars, being part of their master's magic, will also be present. Vulpingetorix has some nasty tricks up his, er, fur.

Good idea. This also gives you an edge since none of your opponents has a familiar.

Nameless wrote:

Kelis doesn't have Dispell IIRC, but she can counterspell other spells she can cast.

Kelis has the 3rd level Dispel Magic.

An Antimagic Field is... interesting. It cripples Kelis, because it suppresses her SU Oracle abilities that provide her AC, movement, and invisibility, plus her favorite buffs. She could always stay outside of it, but then she becomes one of, if not *the* main, target.

Then again, she's suicidally brave --when she's in her right mind-- so it probably wouldn't bother her.

Kelis wrote:

Kelis has the 3rd level Dispel Magic.

And shooting someone in the face with a readied shot is always a good way to "counterspell."

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An Antimagic Field is... interesting. It cripples Kelis, because it suppresses her SU Oracle abilities that provide her AC, movement, and invisibility, plus her favorite buffs. She could always stay outside of it, but then she becomes one of, if not *the* main, target.

Interesting is right. An AMF is definitely one of those combat-swinging spells, since casting it means somebody's dying very soon. At this level, the PCs and their opponents are hugely dependent on magic, so taking that out of the equation means a target suddenly becomes extremely squishy. Leonis, for example, is AC 13 in an AMF and Kelis is AC 14.

So if you use an AMF and both place and time it just right, you can absolutely murder the enemies, but there's the risk that they'll take advantage of it too. Avina Jurrg, being an ogre mage with a big sword, would be fine within it (though with lower offense/defense), as would Hannis, but the others are all at a significant disadvantage (with Engilidis not being quite as badly off as most mages since she's a naga).

If you do use it, I'm very curious to see what effect it has.

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Then again, she's suicidally brave --when she's in her right mind-- so it probably wouldn't bother her.

And she's going to be in her right mind now, thanks to the effects of the Wish.

Tactically speaking, Kelis would definitely have a very interesting decision to make with an AMF in play. Stay inside and be immune to all magic, but with lower offense/defense? Or stay outside and have all her options (which can be really good if Leonis gets some enemy into the AMF)?

Here are some of the rules for the duel which the PCs (and their competitors) will be informed of ahead of time. There may be additional rules and information which you will only be told of just before the duel begins.

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1 – The judges assigned by the Dragonmarked Houses are the sole arbiters of the duel. If they intercede in any way in the duel, such as stopping a character in some action, one must comply immediately or be disqualified from the duel.

2 - The duel ends when all members of a team are dead or have had their surrender accepted by the opposing team (a team can refuse surrender and continue to fight till their enemies are dead, if they so choose). A character who surrenders and has their surrender accepted (by any member of the opposing team) is considered out of the fight and cannot rejoin it. Surrendering must occur without magical coercion.

3 – Each participant may enter the duel with no more than two scrolls and/or potions (in total). These may not be of a level beyond 6th and cannot both be the same. No wands or staves are allowed.

4 – Each participant may begin the duel with no more than three spells active on themself. An activated magic item (i.e. an ability which is not constantly on) counts as one of these three spells. So do most non-spell magical effects which differ from a spell, e.g. bardic song.

5 – Participants cannot leave the arena physically or via other methods (such as teleportation), but any form of movement within the arena is permitted.

6 – One may not summon other creatures into the area. A familiar may participate in the duel but, to do so, must (like the other participants) remain in the duel area at all times and will not be able to exit it in any way (i.e. no hiding inside a familiar pocket, a magical haversack, etc). A familiar can benefit from up to three spells at the duel’s start, like other participants, but cannot be equipped with scrolls or potions.

7 – Unconscious participants may be attacked or revived, as one wishes.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the above.

And here's what you know about your opponents:

Irovetti: At least as high level as the PCs. Can cast at least 4th level bardic spells. Is proficient with heavy armor and with varied weapons, but usually prefers to wear lighter armor and use spells during battle. Also likes to use his bardic abilities, which he can activate and attack simultaneously (and which lingers for some time once he stops using them). Particularly good at mind-affecting magic and effects. Known spells: Charm Person, Disguise Self, Alter Self, Gallant Inspiration, Mirror Image, Silence, Confusion, Dispel Magic, Displacement, Haste, Dominate Person and Ruin Delver's Fortune. Known feats: Combat Casting, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Imp. Initiative, Spell Focus (Enchantment).

Avina Jurrg: At least +11 BAB, so at least 3 levels in a +1 BAB class beyond her natural ogre mage levels. Wears mithral full-plate and uses a greatsword. Likes to use scrolls (usually arcane) to boost her abilities and defenses, especially Shield, See Invisibility and Displacement. Has usual ogre mage abilities like regeneration, flight, invisibility, etc. Can do limited damage to enemies with a touch. Supposed to have an ability to do particularly well against a particular enemy she focuses on (i.e. a challenge, smite or similar ability). Known feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical, Power Attack, W. Focus.

Engilidis: Dark naga with at least 5 sorcerer levels, since she can cast 6th level spells. Has usual dark naga abilities (stinger with sleep poison, immunity to mind reading, etc). Known spells: Color Spray, Magic Missile, Shield, True Strike, Alter Self, False Life, Mirror Image, See Invisibility, Scorching Ray, Dispel Magic, Greater Mage Armor, Scintillating Sphere, Vampiric Touch, Dimension Door, Enervation, Greater Invisibility, Ruin Delver's Fortune, Charm Monster, Cloudkill, Overland Flight, Sending, Mass Suggestion. Known feats: Empower Spell, Eschew Materials, Quicken Spell, Reach Spell, Silent Spell.

Hannis Drelev: Fights with longsword and shield, usually wearing breastplate or (more rarely) full-plate. BAB of +10 or less. Combination of fighter (more) and rogue (less) levels. Likes to use Boots of Speed and fight defensively while trying to disarm and feint enemies for sneak attacks, preferably fighting with a flanking ally. Known feats: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Outflank, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization

Tyman: Generalist wizard. Can cast spells up to 6th level. Regularly prepared spells: Magic Missile, Nerveskitter, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shield, True Strike, False Life, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility, Displacement, Dispel Magic, Greater Mage Armor, Haste, Dimension Door, Enervation, Overland Flight, Teleport, Flesh to Stone, Sirocco. Known feats: Bouncing Spell, Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Weapon Finesse.

Admin wrote:

And shooting someone in the face with a readied shot is always a good way to "counterspell."

Indeed. Does Kelis have anything that would enable her to shoot multiple arrows on a standard action?

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Interesting is right. An AMF is definitely one of those combat-swinging spells, since casting it means somebody's dying very soon. At this level, the PCs and their opponents are hugely dependent on magic, so taking that out of the equation means a target suddenly becomes extremely squishy. Leonis, for example, is AC 13 in an AMF and Kelis is AC 14.

Vulpingetorix, OTOH, has an AC of 22 in an AMF. <grin>

Rowan wrote:

Does Kelis have anything that would enable her to shoot multiple arrows on a standard action?

I don't think so. All her multi-arrow tricks state "as part of a full attack".

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Vulpingetorix, OTOH, has an AC of 22 in an AMF. <grin>

"Vulpingetorix, I choose you!"

Rowan wrote:

Indeed. Does Kelis have anything that would enable her to shoot multiple arrows on a standard action?

Nope. As Scott said, all her archery stuff tends to work off full actions. But she does pretty decent damage even on a single shot when buffed and sometimes it'll be worth it to make that one hit and prevent casting. Of course, sometimes it'll be better just to take that full attack and try to drop someone instead. It'll depend on the situation.

Speaking of Kelis, I noticed something odd. According to the PRD, her Air Barrier, Thunderburst and Wind Sight abilities are all Ex abilities. So, as written, an Oracle of Wind (if high enough level) can cast AMF and walk around with a barrier of wind that gives her +10 to AC and blocks ranged attacks 50% of the time, can toss around Thunderbursts, and use Clairvoyance + Clairaudience in an area, all non-magically.

For our game, however - hell, no! Those abilities count as Supernatural in my book, so an AMF would affect them.

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Vulpingetorix, OTOH, has an AC of 22 in an AMF. <grin>

His attack bonus will also be much closer to (or, in the case of Leonis and Rowan, perhaps better) the others' in an AMF.

Hmm 4 spellcasters vs us.

OK - grabthar and kara are walking around with stones of silence.

No invisibility for me (this is the VERY reason why I didn't want this kind of battle - no element of surprise).