Gauntlet - Break the CR

[CE2JRH]

CR7 multiple-day-in-wilderness adventure:

New Mini-Adventure:

Another CR 7 mini-adventure. Try it first with your Level 5 character, then again with the level 7 character. This one is much more standard in format: I actually just looked at a list of CR 7 monsters in the SRD, picked out 5 that looked interesting, and strung them together into an adventure.

The Lost Temple

You have been told that of an ancient temple that contains fabulous treasures. It lies about a week’s journey into a desert outside of town. You know that the desert is very dangerous, full of nasty monsters.
Hide

A Huge Monstrous Scorpion rests in a group of sand dunes, completely out of sight. As the PC moves past, it detects him with its tremorsense, emerges, and attacks. The scorpion’s lair lies directly in the PCs path.

Tactics: The Scorpion waits until the PC is within 50 feet, then moves out of the dunes (move action) and attacks (standard action). The Scorpion then makes a full attack every round it is able to do so. It will grapple the PC if it hits and triggers improved grab, but will not attempt to start a grapple with a touch attack. If the PC attempts to flee, it will pursue.



After 6 days of journey, the desert suddenly becomes freezing cold. There is a distinct line, past which dark clouds cover the sky and snow swirls permanently.
Hide

A Remorhaz lurks 15 feet beneath the snow’s surface. Due to its tremorsense, it is able to tell when the PC is close.

Tactics: The Remorhaz initiates combat by burrowing upwards and attacking from below. The PC is taken by surprise as the Remorhaz emerges and bites, attempting to trigger its improved grab and swallow hole. The Remorhaz then continues to attack, fighting to the death.


After another day’s journey through the freezing wasteland, a small building comes into sight. It is black stone, starkly visible against the white background. There is a clearly visible doorway, but it appears to be filled with solid stone.
Closer inspection reveals that it is possible to simply step through the stone as if it is not there. You find yourself in a pitch-black corridor, about 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall, which continues 50 feet forward before turning to the right. What was previously a door is now a solid stone wall behind you.
Hide

As soon as you enter, you hear heavy footsteps around the corner. A Flesh Golem comes around it 1 round after your entry, and immediately moves forward and attacks relentlessly until destroyed.


Around the corner and 50 feet farther down is a locked iron door on the right of the passage.
Hide

As soon as anyone touches the door, a spectre emerges from the wall to the right and attacks, surprising the PC. It attacks until destroyed.

When destroyed, the spectre’s body, instead of dissipating, coalesces into a key made of negative energy. The key can open the door, but any living creature that handles it takes 2d6 points of negative energy damage.

Hide

The door opens into the corner of a large square room, about 40 feet by 40 feet. It extends to the right of the door, with a wall to the left extending out to the end of the room. The room is brightly lit, with light seeming to emanate from the perfectly smooth marble walls, floor, and ceiling. A pedestal in the center of the room holds a glowing blue sphere.

The room appears empty, but in reality a Hellcat lurks near the center, invisible in the bright light. The Hellcat sets the most dangerous melee threat as its dodge target then charges. On its next round, it makes a single attack and then moves away in a random direction. On the following round, it charges again. It repeats this sequence throughout the combat unless the enemy can see it, in which case it simply engages in melee and makes a full attack every round. If it manages to grapple, it will do so unless the opponent manages to hurt it badly during the grapple, in which case it will try to disengage and use hit-and-run tactics again.

The entryway remains solid stone until the hellcat is killed, at which point it becomes possible to pass freely through both ways.


Note for the curious: The magical orb in the temple causes blizzard-like weather in a several mile radius around it, permanently. It is a very valuable magic item, but will be really obnoxious to drag back to town and sell.

[CE2JRH]

CR1:
HP:

DMM Persist Cleric, Human, Cleric 1:
Lawful Good.
HP: 8+2+1 = 11

25 point buy
STR: 14 - 6 points
DEX: 12 - 4 points
CON: 14 - 6 points
INT: 8 - 0 points 
Wis: 15 - 8 points
Cha: 9 - 1 point

Domains: Planning, Undeath, Inquisition.
Domain Feat: (Planning) Extend Spell
Domain Feat: (Undeath) Extra Turning
Flaw Feat: Extra Turning
Flaw Feat: Extra Turning
Flaw 1: Shaky
Flaw 2: Murkey-Eyed
Trait: Slow (Speed 15 feet, +1 HP/level)
Trait: -1 Will Save, +1 Fort Save
Level 1 Feat: Persist Spell
Human Feat: DMM Persist Spell

Saves: 5/1/3
Equipment: 200gp:
Morningstar: 8gp (+2, 1d8+2)
Heavy Steel Shield: 20gp
Chain Mail: 150gp
Sling + Sling bullets: negligble. +0, 1d4+2
Total: 178gp
Wand with 1 shot of magic weapon: 15gp
Misc gear: 7gp

Persisted Spells: Divine Favour, Lesser Vigor.
AC: 10+5+2+1 = 18.

CR1: Horrid Rat -- From Eberron
The rat has +4 bite (1d6, + 1d6 acid – basically 2d6), AC 20 (touch 14), 7 hp. It has +3 initiative and a con of 16.
Immune to acid, scent, low light vision. Spot +4, Listen +4

Weighted Average: My init +0, his init +3, he wins init. 65% of the time

I cast magic weapon before moving in.
Round 1:
It moves to door and attacks: +4 bite versus +18 AC = 35% of 7 damage = 2.45 damage
I attack it: +4, 1d8+4 = 20% of an average of 8.5 damage = 1.7 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 2: 4.9 damage, 3.4 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 3: 7.35 damage, 5.1 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 4:  9.8 damage, 6.8 damage
I heal 1 point
Round 5: 12.25 damage, 8.5 damage
I heal 1 point

(Win --- but doesn't happen without magic weapon to benefit from).



2 kobolds, ac 15, hp4, spear +1, 1d6-1.
Orc: AC 13, hp5, Falchion +4, 2d4+4

Round 1: I win initiative, and charge the orc.
I attack the orc: +3, 1d8+3 versus ac 13 = 50% of 7.5 = 3.75 damage
Orc's weighted damage: +4 versus AC 18 = 40% of 9 = 3.6 damage
Kobolds weighted damage, flanking: +3 versus AC 18 = 35% of 2.5 = 1.75

Round 2:
I heal 1 point of damage
I attack the orc: +3, 1d8+3 versus ac 13 = 50% of 7.5 = 3.75 damage
The orc dies
Kobolds weighted damage, flanking: +3 versus AC 17 = 35% of 2.5 = 1.75 damage. I've taken 3.5+3.6 = 8 damage
Round 3: I heal 1 point of damage (5/11hp remaining).
I attack 1 kobold. +3, 1d8+3 versus AC 15 = 45% of 7.5 damage = 3.375 damage.
Kobolds weighted damage, flanking: +3 versus AC 17 = 35% of 2.5 = 1.75 damage.

Round 4: I heal 1 point of damage.
I attack 1 kobold. +3, 1d8+3 versus AC 15 = 45% of 7.5 damage = 3.375 damage. 1 kobold dies.
Kobolds weighted damage, +1 versus AC 17 = 20% of 2.5 = 0.5 damage

It does not overcome my regen. 2 rounds later, the remaining kobold goes down.

If I do not win initiative against the orc, I lose this battle. I think the precarious nature of both successes shows how things are swingy at lower levels.

I think a Greatsword, Punishing Stance, Steel Wind, Steely Strike warblade has a much, much easier time of both these encounters. But this is just working the dmm persist cleric up.



Level to 2:
HP + 4.5 + 2 + 1 = 11 becomes  18.5.
Attack bonus goes up +1
Fort and will save go up +1
Extra first level spell is magic weapon
+900gp lets me switch the morningstar to a masterwork morning star.

HP: 18.5. AC: 18. Saves: 6/1/4.

Equipment: 900gp:
Masterwork Morningstar: 308gp (+2, 1d8+2)
Heavy Steel Shield: 20gp
Chain Mail: 150gp
Sling + Sling bullets: negligble. +0, 1d4+2
Wand of shield of faith (1/50 charges) (15gp)
Wand of magic weapon --- used (15gp)
Wand Chamber from Dungeonscape: +100gp
Wand of Blade of Blood (10/50 charges): 150gp
Total: 758gp


Worg: The worg has +7 bite (1d6+4+trip (+3)), AC 14 (12 touch), 30 hp. It has +2 initiative.

I ask the farmers politely to show me to ~200 feet from the Worg, outside it's range of senses. I cast magic weapon, and then shield of faith, and then ask them to point me in the right direction. At 100 ft, the worg detects me (3 rounds later; shield of faith will last 7 rounds).

Round 1: Worg wins initiative, charges
+9 bite versus AC 20 = 50% of 7.5 damage = 3.75 damage.  I have a +2 against the Worg's +3 to trip, and it has a 50% chance to hit, so I'll say 1/4 trips succeed, and 3/4 trips fail. On a trip it gets an attack of opportunity with +4 as I stand, which means 70% of 7.5 damage = 5.25/4 rounds = +1.312 damage a round. We'll say it deals 3.75 + 1.312 damage each round then; 5.062 damage/round, -1 hp/round for the lesser vigor. 4.062 damage/round means I die at round 5. Do I deal 30 damage in 4 rounds?

I deal 1d8+4 with a +5 bonus. That's 60% of 8.5 damage = 5.1 damage/round. Unfortunately, that's not enough.

Time to work in the Wand Chamber of Blade of Blood which I'm famous for. It adds +1d6 damage per round (+3d6 if I take damage, but I don't think I should here)

Weighting that; it becomes 60% of 8.5 + 3.5 damage/round = 60% of 12 damage = 7.2 damage/round. Even this doesn't get me to 30 damage in 4 rounds.

If I won initiative, it would be enough, or if the Worg was unable or unwilling to charge, providing me with the first strike. In an actual D&D game, this combat would largely be decided by luck on the attack and trip roles in particular. But I'll call this a loss



Level 3: Runehound

Levelling up gives me another extra turning feat, +7.5 hp, attack bonus +1, and more importantly, second level spell slots.

HP: 26. AC: 21. Saves: 6/1/4.

1) Good Morning. I wake up, pray.

Spell Set up: Guidance +1, Moment of Insight +10, the Spell Unseen Crafter (Races of Earth, Owl's Wisdom to Hijack for a +5 and Take 10, Interfaith blessing will give me 1 more. That's too many second level spells, but for craft days, we can put second level in 3rd level slots.

Bonuses: Insight 10, Take 10, Ability Score (Wisdom in place because of spell) competence, moral.
10, 10, 5, 1, 1 = 27.

Full plate: DC 18. 15000 sp. Voluntarily adding 10 - 28 - 840 sp per week = 18 weeks of crafting.
Large Sanctified Shield with Wandchamber: 1600 sp (With Wand Chamber and Sanctified from Dungeonscape) and a DC of 16 (10+2+2+2 for Sanctified and Wand Chamber) - Add 10 to the DC - 780 SP done per week, so 3 weeks of crafting.
Light Crossbow and Bolts: 15, 400 silver: Add 10 - 750 silver - done in 1 week.
Morning Star: 80 silver. DC 12 - Add 10 - 660 silver - done in one week.

Masterwork Fullplate (550 gp)
Large Sanctified Shield (Dungeonsape page 34) with Wand Chamber (53.4 gp)
Light Crossbow + 50 bolts (13.4 gp)
Masterwork Morning Star (102.7 gp)
Silver Dagger (8gp)
Wand of shield of faith --- used (15gp)
Wand of magic weapon --- used (15gp)
Wand of Blade of Blood (6/50 charges): 150gp
Total: 907.5gp
Just shy of 1800gp remaining.

Slots: 2+1d, 3+1d =
2nd level: Persists (2) = Balor Nimbus, Cloud of Knives with a silver dagger (+5 attack, 1d6 damage)
1st level: I probably won't cast these, divine favour, magic weapon, shield of faith, and domain.

I can make a knowledge nature check by cheating with +skills spells, which gets me that it is a runehound. I can then make a gather information, cheating with +skills spells, to find out that it requires silver weapons.

HP: 26. AC: 21. Saves: 6/1/4.

It has blindsense 500, so it doesn't have trouble finding me before I notice it, presumably at 100ft.

It has +8 bite (2d6+5 with 10’ reach even though it is medium sized) and +5 ranged touch vile spew (5d6, DC15 ref for half, or web). DR5/silver, fast healing 3, cannot be flanked, blindsight 500’. AC 16 (touch 12). HP 37. It has initiative +2.
+4 fort/+5 reflex/+5 will.

I don't know anything about it's tactics or movements.

Round 1: It wins initiative
It charges me, +10 versus AC 21 = 50% of 12 = 6 damage.
A silver dagger flies at it, +5 versus AC 16 = 50% of 3.5 damage = 1.75 damage
I take a 5 foot step towards it and attempt to initiate a grapple; I take 50% of 12 damage = 6 damage,
and have a 50% chance to initiate the grapple, so touch attack +2 BAB +2 str = +4, versus AC 12 =  65% chance to deal 6d6 fire damage; 50% * 65% * 21 = 6.825 damage.

I deal 8.575 damage/round to it, it deals 12 damage a round to me. At 3 rounds, I die.

I'll try a tactical rewrite for normal melee (and maybe spend some of that 1800gp), but not sure there is much hope for this one, either. The Persist cleric really comes online with 3rd level spells.

I again suspect a warblade would have a much better shot at these encounters. A wizard might, as well, depending on spell selection; thresholding + enough movement. One of those travel devotion cleric archers would probably have a better shot at these early encounters as well, kiting.

Suffice to say, 1-4 are a DMM persist clerics worst levels.

[meyer_william]

Great posts!! I had the write ups from attempting/solving these ones, but hadn't saved the original encounters ... thanks for the posts.