Author Topic: Challenging optimized adventurers?  (Read 6232 times)

Offline Pencil

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Re: Challenging optimized adventurers?
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2012, 05:38:32 PM »
Well, WARRIOR is pretty damn low tier indeed....

As for challenging high lvl party: another high level party.(May as well be including monsters)
Pretty lame?Definitively.A challenge?Definitively.
« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 05:40:35 PM by Pencil »
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Offline kitep

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Re: Challenging optimized adventurers?
« Reply #21 on: July 12, 2012, 06:04:04 PM »
I'm having a similar problem with my group.  They don't optimize, but at level 21, they still have lots of power and abilities.  Been tempted to start a new game to make things easier on myself, but I know quite a few of them are enjoying playing a high level character for a change.

Ways to challenge:
1) NPC PCs.  Everything the player's can do, a group of NPCs with character levels can do too.  Problem with this, it can turn out to be rocket tag in a group of optimized players.  Not to mention it's a pain to come up with good but unique characters.

2) Anti-magic.  Whether it's a beholder or the anti-magic spell, this usually stops them dead.  Sometimes really dead, but True Resurrection is easy to come by.  It's so effective (at least vs my group) that I have to remind myself not to use it too often.

3) Tactics.  Bad guys often have the home field advantage, or they get to ambush the PC party.  Like your water trap, tactics can make for a big difference.  But tactics get harder and harder when the party gets higher and higher level.

Good luck!

Offline Kethrian

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Re: Challenging optimized adventurers?
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2012, 08:36:28 PM »
Ah, I remember one DM who had set up a good boss fight in a large room.  The room had 2 pools, off to the sides, and the boss was a caster, with 2 ogre bodyguards that had bulettes on chain leashes.  Our party was level 10-11.  The Boss quickly hosed our barbarian with a simple Command spell, using the word "Swim".  Poor dwarf barbarian in full plate had no ranks in swim, and failed his will save hard.  He spent the next three rounds climbing his way out of the pool.  Then he got hit with the exact same spell again, and again failed his save!

I was playing a sorcerer, and had taken out the bulettes quite quickly.  Because I had a much better will save than the dwarf, the DM knew I would likely succeed on my save, so he instead had an ogre bull rush me into the other pool from the dwarf, and had the Boss blast it with Cone of Cold, freezing the surface.  Luckily, I was able to hold my breath long enough for the rest of the party to win and get me out!
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Offline Eagle of Fire

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Re: Challenging optimized adventurers?
« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2012, 09:38:23 PM »
Quote
I think he meant penalties.  Mal-us, as in the opposite of Bon-us.
You got that right.

I'm sorry if it doesn't translate in English. It indeed mean "penalties". :)