Scenario: party is lost inside a dungeon, magical escape doesn't work. Aside from other battles, they are chased by a couple of the following monsters, and the party is free to run away once one of them is killed, as the other automatically dies:
Horrormen CR 15
XP 51,200
Male ghost bogeyman antipaladin 5
CE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +37
Aura aura of cowardice (10 ft.), aura of evil, deepest fear (30 ft., DC 29)
DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 28, flat-footed 21 (+11 deflection, +7 Dex)
hp 364 (22 HD; 17d8+5d10+258); terrible rejuvenation 5
Fort +31, Ref +29, Will +29
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal; DR 15/cold iron; Immune ability drain, death effects, death from massive damage, disease, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, mind-affecting effects, nonlethal damage, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning; SR 21
OFFENSE
Speed 9 foot, fly 30 foot (perfect)
Melee Ghost Touch claws +20/+20 (1d8/19-20)
Space 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft
Special Attacks channel negative energy (3d6, DC 23), corrupting gaze, corrupting touch, draining touch, malevolence, shaken, telekinesis, sneak attack +6d6, striking fear, enhanced claws
Spell-Like Abilities: (CL 16th; concentration +21) detect good, darkness, gaseous form, ghost sound (DC 21), invisibility, suggestion (DC 24) (at will) 3/day—crushing despair (DC 21), hold person (DC 20), quickened phantasmal killer (DC 21) 1/day—nightmare (DC 22) Constant—detect thoughts, tongues
Antipaladin Spells Prepared (CL 5th, concentration +16):
1st—murderous command UM (4) (DC 22)
STATISTICS
Str —, Dex 24, Con —, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 33
Base Atk +13; CMB +20; CMD 41
Feats Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Improved Critical (Claws), Improved Initiative, Outflank, Paired Opportunists, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (Phantasmal killer), Seize the Moment, Skill Focus (Stealth), Stealth Synergy
Skills Acrobatics +32 , Fly +15 , Intimidate +40 , Knowledge (Arcana) +16 , Knowledge (Geography) +16 , Knowledge (Local) +16 , Knowledge (Nature) +16 , Knowledge (Religion) +16 , Perception +37 , Spellcraft +28 , Stealth +50 , Survival +21 , Use Magic Device +15
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ aura of cowardice, aura of evil, cruelty, deepest fear, detect good, enhance weapon, incorporeal traits, plague bringer, rejuvenation, smite good, spell-like abilities, striking fear, terrible rejuvenation, touch of corruption, undead traits, unholy resilience
Gear claws, amulet of mighty fists (ghost touch)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Aura of Cowardice (Su) You radiate a palpably daunting aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a -4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within 10 feet of you. This ability functions only while you remain conscious, not if you are unconscious or dead.
Aura of Evil (Ex)
Channel Negative Energy (Su) You can unleash a wave of negative energy. You must choose to deal 3d6 points of negative energy damage to living creatures or to heal undead creatures of 3d6 points of damage. Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a DC 23 Will save to halve the damage. Using this ability consumes two uses of your touch of corruption ability.
Channel Resistance (Ex) You are less easily affected by clerics or paladins. You add +4 to saves made to resist the effects of channel energy, including effects that rely on the use of channel energy.
Corrupting Gaze (Su) The ghost is disfigured through age or violence, and has a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet that causes 2d10 damage and 1d4 Charisma damage (Fortitude save DC 32 negates Charisma damage but not physical damage).
Corrupting Touch (Su) All ghosts gain this incorporeal touch attack. By passing part of its incorporeal body through a foe's body as a standard action, the ghost inflicts 15d6 damage. This damage is not negative energy--it manifests in the form of physical wounds and aches from supernatural aging. Creatures immune to magical aging are immune to this damage, but otherwise the damage bypasses all forms of damage reduction. A Fortitude save DC 32 halves the damage inflicted.
Cruelty At 3rd level, and every three levels thereafter, an antipaladin can select one cruelty. Each cruelty adds an effect to the antipaladin's touch of corruption ability. Whenever the antipaladin uses touch of corruption to deal damage to one target, the target also receives the additional effect from one of the cruelties possessed by the antipaladin. This choice is made when the touch is used. The target receives a Fortitude save to avoid this cruelty. If the save is successful, the target takes the damage as normal, but not the effects of the cruelty. The DC of this save is 23.
Darkvision (Ex) Range 60 ft.; Darkvision is the extraordinary ability to see with no light source at all, out to a range specified for the creature. Darkvision is black and white only (colors cannot be discerned). It does not allow characters to see anything that they could not see otherwise-invisible objects are still invisible, and illusions are still visible as what they seem to be. Likewise, darkvision subjects a creature to gaze attacks normally. The presence of light does not spoil darkvision.
Deepest Fear (Su) A bogeyman is cloaked in a 30-foot aura of fear. This aura manifests as a shifting haze of images that reflect the viewer's deepest fears. The first time it ends its turn within the aura, a creature must make a DC 29 Will save or become shaken for as long as it stays within the aura. If the creature succeeds at the saving throw, it cannot be affected again by the aura for another 24 hours. This is a fear effect. The DC is Charisma-based.
Detect Good (Sp) At will, you can use Detect Good, as the spell. You can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, you do not detect good in any other object or individual within range.
Draining Touch (Su) The ghost died while insane or diseased. It gains a touch attack that drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects on a hit. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. When a ghost makes a draining touch attack, it cannot use its standard ghostly touch attack.
Enhanced claws (Ex) When attacking with the claws, treat the strength score as it were 10.
Enhance Weapon Your fiendish boon allows you to enhance your weapon as a standard action by calling upon the aid of a fiendish spirit for 5 minutes. When called, the spirit causes the weapon to shed unholy light as a torch. This spirit grants the weapon a +1 enhancement bonus. This bonus can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: flaming, keen, vicious (+1), anarchic, flaming burst, unholy, wounding (+2), speed (+3), and vorpal (+5). Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost. These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. The bonus and properties granted by the spirit are determined when the spirit is called and cannot be changed until the spirit is called again. The fiendish spirit imparts no bonuses if the weapon is held by anyone other than you but resumes giving bonuses if returned to you. These bonuses apply to only one end of a double weapon. You can use this ability 1 times per day. If a weapon bonded with a fiendish spirit is destroyed, you lose the use of this ability for 30 days, or until you gains a level, whichever comes first. During this 30-day period, you take a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Incorporeal (Ex) You have no physical body. You can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. You have no physical body. You can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. You are immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, you take only half damage from a corporeal source except for channel energy. Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead. Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting you. Force spells and effects, such as from a magic missile, affect you normally.
Incorporeal Traits (Ex) Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures/+1 or better weapons/magic. 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will. Attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently.
Low-Light Vision (Ex) You can see x2 as far as humans in low illumination. Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-Light Vision is color vision. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to her as a source of light. Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.
Malevolence (Su) The ghost's jealousy of the living is particularly potent. Once per round, the ghost can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the ghost's Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the ghost must be adjacent to the target. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save DC 32. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same ghost's malevolence for 24 hours.
Plague Bringer (Ex) The powers of darkness make you a beacon of corruption and disease. You do not take any damage or from diseases. You can still contract diseases and spread them to others, but You are otherwise immune to their effects.
Rejuvenation (Su) In most cases, it's difficult to destroy a ghost through simple combat: the "destroyed" spirit restores itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. The only way to permanently destroy a ghost is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research, and should be created specifically for each different ghost by the GM. In this occasion, once they are defeated, they won't rejuvenate.
Shaken (Su) Whenever you use Touch of Corruption to deal damage to one target, the target is also shaken for 5 rounds.
Smite Good (Su) You can call out to the dark powers to crush the forces of good 2 times per day. As a swift action, you choose one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, you add +11 to your attack rolls and +5 on all damage rolls made against the target of your smite. If the target of Smite Good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to +10. Regardless of the target, Smite Good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess. In addition, while Smite Good is in effect, you gains a +11 deflection bonus to your AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If you target a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect. The Smite Good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time you rest and regain your uses of this ability.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) (CL 10th; concentration +17) Constant-detect thoughts, tongues At will-darkness, gaseous form, ghost sound (DC 17), invisibility, suggestion (DC 20) 3/day-crushing despair (DC 21), hold person (DC 20), quickened phantasmal killer (DC 21) 1/day-nightmare (DC 22)
Striking Fear (Su) If a bogeyman confirms a critical hit or a sneak attack with one of its claws on a target currently suffering a fear effect, that effect automatically becomes one step more severe (shaken creatures become frightened, frightened creatures become panicked, and panicked creatures cower in fear). A DC 29 Will save negates this increase. In addition, a critical hit from the bogeyman's claw forces any target that has successfully saved against the creature's fear aura to make another Will save against its effects, even if 24 hours have not yet passed. This is a fear effect. The DC is Charisma-based.
Telekinesis (Su) The ghost's death involved great physical trauma. The ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action once every 1d4 rounds (caster level 12th or equal to the ghost's HD, whichever is higher). Save DC 32
Terrible Rejuvenation (Su) A bogeyman gains fast healing 5 while any creature within its deepest fear aura is suffering from a fear effect, including any fear effect created by the aura itself.
Touch of Corruption (Su) You surrounds your hand with a fiendish flame, causing terrible wounds to open on those you touch. You can use this ability 13 times per day. As a touch attack, you can cause 2d6 points of damage. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Alternatively, you can use this power to heal undead creatures, restoring 2d6 hit points. This ability is modified by any feat, spell, or effect that specifically works with the lay on hands paladin class feature.
Undead Traits (Ex) Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not subject to ability drain, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. Undead are immune to damage or penalties to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage.
Unholy Resilience (Su) At 2nd level, an antipaladin gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.
Is this too much?
Party: it is supposed to be buffed, but not specifically against them. There is a barbarian, a gunslinger, a fighter, a mystic theurge(3 wizard/3 cleric/10 both) and a bard, which is 2 level lower because it's a cohort.
Monster tactics: Due to the ridiculous stealth bonus added to stealth synergy, they always successfully ambush the party, striking who has the lowest will save. They always try to flank. With aura of cowardice they remove fear immunity, also pushing the DC of deepest fear to 33. They critfish with Outflank, Seize The Moment and Paired Opportunist (short story, if someone crits, each one gets 2 attacks of opportunity, which means other 4 saves against deepest fear). Every crit or sneak attack, the target must save again against deepest fear. They change target once they drop someone to cowering.
When everybody is cowering, they finish any party member with corrupting touch, targeting constitution. They do not run for their unlives, but otherwise hunts the party if they manage to escape.
So, what do you think guys?
Nobody?
Bogeyman: CR10
add Antipaladin 5: +5 CR (because there's no way antipaladin isn't "key" for a bogeyman, LOL)
add Ghost: +2 CR
add Favorable Terrain: +1 CR
Total CR 18 ea.
... and you have multiples? ... how many? ... against what level party?
... and how do they know who has the lowest Will save?
-TimD
Bogeyman: CR10
add Antipaladin 5: +5 CR (because there's no way antipaladin isn't "key" for a bogeyman, LOL)
add Ghost: +2 CR
add Favorable Terrain: +1 CRTotal CR 18 ea.
... and you have multiples? ... how many? ... against what level party?
... and how do they know who has the lowest Will save?-TimD
There are 2.
Level 16 party.They see the party as a joke, they will play with them. They'll will attempt to analyse the party while they are fighting.
I have only 3 sheets. The barbarian (optimized overall, focused on high hp and DR/-), the fighter (not optimized but he is working), and the bard (built by me, overoptimized on buffing). The big question is the caster. With 3 player, the monster do not take a point of damage. Win initiative, sneak attack everyone, everybody is running. The barbarian has a crappy will save outside the rage, as the figher. The bard on the other hand has a chance.
As a player, would you find the encounter fun?
-TimD
Sorry for the delay;
As a group (me and the players), we like to be stressed in combat, and a fear based encounter is appropriate.
... maybe I should remove Cha to saves? +29 seems too much.
A bard as your only caster against over-CR'd incorporeals with class levels?
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Doable, but ONLY if your players are on top of their game. I'd drop a few hints here and there about what they're up against so that they aren't completely blindsided.
If this encounter was meant to f@*& with their specific weaknesses (Fighter and Barbarian have no native way to even hit incorporeals without magic bling afterall), then they may well have a problem.
It's entirely possible for a level 16 Barbarian and/or Bard to beat these guys...with the right build. Ghost Rager for the Barb, Ghost Touch weapons for an Arcane Duelist Bard, or some Ghostbane spell. If they aren't prepared in the slightest though...
Well, if you take the general point, that you can't double-stack a source of a bonus to the fort save (since it appears to get charisma twice) you'd reduce that by 11.
Give players a good chance of achieving that knowledge check and they have a weakness to exploit.
Also, as a pair of CR 18 enemies, the encounter (without a mechanic of one dies, both go down) would be ranked as CR 19. On the higher side but within the realms of a significant (see: "epic") encounter. Speaking of, have you provided that information, or left an obvious means to find it? Because that is a boost in the party's favour.
On that, a level 16, 28 AC shouldn't be the hardest thing to hit in the world. So there is a means (if the slowest means) for the party to succeed. Further, if these are meant to be enemies toying with the party - just eyeball the fight. Say a PC is (nearly) taken down in 1 round, let them be ignored rather than killed. Let the enemies use less-optimal tactics such as not rushing the Theurge but going toe-to-toe with the Barbarian for a bit.
General point: At the levels of play you're referring - the game starts requiring a lot more of above eyeballing as to whether you need to buff an encounter on the fly, or throw in some non-optimal tactics. Because numbers get screwy, and too much can be thrown in all at once.
They'll met them 3 times; the first time there's no combat, as they immediately flee. The second time they charge the party, running away when one of them is at least at 2/3rd of their unlife span. The third time, they fight to the death. The party has to roll a relatively simple Knowledge DC (the bard surpasses it by 5 if he rolls a 1), but since they are monsters with class level they don't know their tactics and feats (they are modified), they'll discover them in combat and by getting clues during the game. Also, the barbarian has the highest will save (superstition + being a dwarf and that feat that gives an additional +2). The fighter does have bravery switched on. The bard inspires courage at +6 (Master Performer + Grand Master Performer + Aasimar FCB), adding to morale bonus on fear effects. The barbarian doesn't fail a saving throw unless he rolls a 1, but the ghosts will try to get him unprepared as they'll start the third combat emerging from the ground in flanking position.
Personally, reading all that _ think they'll be fine. The separate encounters, with subsequent chance to build knowledge checks is sufficient space for the players to think of a tactical response for later.