In Which an Elf Kills Many Dragons

DuckTapeal

09:11

Hello!

Metool

Welcome. When we last left our anti-hero, they had just failed to prevent the slaughter of their family by a black dragon.

Our numbers will be laid out here.

DuckTapeal

So, is the point here to make a character who is well equipped to kill many kinds of dragon, or to just kill the one black dragon?

Metool

Many black dragons, but other kinds of dragon may or may not be encountered.

DuckTapeal

Maybe replace Weapon Familiarity with Arcane Focus?

Metool

Sounds about right.

DuckTapeal

09:20

No barred schools in PF anymore.

Metool

Just opposition schools, which you can cast from at the cost of 2 slots.

It's still very relevant.

DuckTapeal

Yeah. You had 'barred' written before, so I fixed it.

Metool

Pff, elf name: Zordlon.

DuckTapeal

wut

Is that seriously one of the example elf names?

Metool

Example names, one of the male names is Zordlon, yeah.

DuckTapeal

09:22

He should have a group of teenage elf rangers with attitude who do his bidding.

Metool

Absolutely.

DuckTapeal

So, that dragon that attacked V in the comic? It was at least a Wyrm.

CR 17.

Metool

Joy.

DuckTapeal

Based on the fact that it cast Antimagic Field, and would only have enough caster level to do that at Wyrm or Great Wyrm.

Metool

Hmm, ring of wizardry.

Some guesses at V's level suggest it's still only 13.

DuckTapeal

09:35

Cool.

So, 140,000 gp, then.

Well, that's interesting. There's not Immunity to Energy spell in PF.

There was a 6th level spell in 3.5 that gave immunity to a specific energy type. I guess it didn't make the transition.

Metool

The thought of a raven with natural armor amuses me.

DuckTapeal

Right?

It looks dealing with a Wyrm black dragon will require a Protection from Energy every two rounds or so.

Metool

Joy of joys.

Can you start a section, or a new document, for spells?

DuckTapeal

Sure.

Should we be faithful to what spells V actually has?

Ignore that. I forgot that he was a wizard, and thus had no real limit on spells known.

Metool

Yup. Just gotta visit a shop or a library or a university or anything and shell out some gold.

DuckTapeal

09:51

Aww. If V was 2 levels higher, there would be an option for getting immunity to an element.

Form of the Dragon III, into a black dragon.

Metool

Hilarity.

DuckTapeal

The only problem is that it's 8th level.

Metool

That could actually be a real goal to be met.

DuckTapeal

Getting immunity to an energy type? Or casting 8th level spells?

Metool

The latter. See the character's original desire for unlimited arcane potential, and then the new motivation of slaying black dragon(s). These goals are not at odds with each other.

Better magic means better means to eliminate that which you hate, and stuff.

DuckTapeal

10:00

I guess I'm a little confused on the goal of this exercise.

Are we trying to stat up V reasonably faithfully, or are we trying to build a level 13 wizard that could stand a reasonable chance at killing a CR 17 dragon?

Metool

The former?

But pushing toward the latter, since wizards are so flexible.

Extra skill trained, or +6 uses of Force Missile?

(1d4+1/2 level damage, as magic missile, as a force effect)

DuckTapeal

I'd go with extra skill.

Spending a standard action to do 7.5 damage isn't really an effective way to spend a turn.

Metool

I suppose so.

Hmm, feats.

DuckTapeal

10:20

Lol. Looks like anything that requires a save is out.

Metool

Oh?

Just from numbers advantage?

DuckTapeal

With a 20 starting Int, V could have up to a 26 or so Int, giving his 7th level spells a DC of 25.

Wyrm black dragon saves: Fort +21, Ref +13, Will +19

Metool

Speaking of ability scores!

DuckTapeal

Reflex saves are slright, I guess.

Metool

A lot of evocation spells seem to have a Reflex save.

DuckTapeal

10:21

Touch AC is 7, which is nice.

Also: SR 28, so things that increase caster level checks against SR are basically required.

Metool

"Vaarsuvius managed to disable and deprive the spell-resistant death knight of its mounted combat feats by disintegrating its skeletal mount." This suggests not much in the way of spell penetration if being faithful to the character.

So basically SR: No all the time.

DuckTapeal

If you want to avoid spell pen, then the only damage dealing spells that will work are going to be conjurations.

There are remarkably few evocations that don't allow SR.

Metool

Conjuration is an opposition school, yeah?

DuckTapeal

Yup.

Metool

Welp.

DuckTapeal

10:28

Basically, a faithful V is absolutely terrible at killing dragons.

His only real attack spells are Disintigrate and Fireball.

In the comic, at least.

Metool

Whoo.

What are the dimensions on a black wyrm?

DuckTapeal

15'X15'

10 foot reach.

Metool

What value is forcecage, then?

DuckTapeal

V casts it on the dragon in the comic.

Metool

Ah, right...

Just lasts a minute and a bit, though...

DuckTapeal

10:34

There's definitely a disconnect between the size and spellcasting abilities of the dragon in the comic, and the size and abilities of a similar dragon in PF.

Forcecage was different in 3.5.

Metool

Christ, that is a difference, yes.

Costs three times as much in ruby dust, lasts a hell of a lot longer.

DuckTapeal

Looking over some of the options here, I think the best strategy would be to use whatever options are necessary to stay alive for 2 or 3 minutes, while casting spells that are fight winners that use will saves.

A will negates spell that allows SR has a 4% chance of getting through.

Though it may be possibly to jack that number up a little higher.

Scratch that, 7.5%

Using Feeblemind brings that up to 12.5%.

Metool

10:51

Hmm, a good 40% of the time, the caster level check will succeed?

[is a few steps behind]

DuckTapeal

25%. V needs a 15 or higher to beat the SR of the Wyrm black dragon.

Metool

That's still 30%.

Count it out on your fingers, 15 through 20.

Plus racial spell penetration for +2 to the check.

DuckTapeal

I was doing my math wrong in at least three separate ways.

:)

So, yeah, 40%.

Possibly 45%, with an Ioun Stone.

Metool

Pff, ioun stone.

DuckTapeal

And the dragon passes it's will saves on a 6, so that's a 25% chance of will save spells working.

For a total of a 10% chance of an SR+Will Save spell working.

Metool

10:57

So with 10 castings, on average one will succeed, but bad luck and spells per day.

What about Will partial and/or save penalties?

DuckTapeal

Well, Feeblemind gives a -4 to the save, and has a 18% chance of working.

And I don't know any other ways of applying save penalties.

Metool

18% chance, what?

From my math, it would seem to be 3.5%

DuckTapeal

Why would a penalty on the save make it work less often?

Metool

Well, it's 40% of the initial 35% chance of working, right?

There, I tihnk.

14% chance of it working.

[coffees up]

DuckTapeal

It makes the save on a 10, which means a 45% chance of affecting it. There's a 40% chance to get through SR.

...right?

Christ, it's 7 in the morning.

Metool

11:06

It makes the DC 23 save on an 8.

(It's a 5th level spell unless you heighten it.)

DuckTapeal

Right, I was thinking of 7th level slots.

Yeah, 14% is right.

Metool

Unfortunately, Feeblemind does not drop Wisdom.

DuckTapeal

True, but it stops all spellcasting and is permanent.

Hit him with a feeblemind, and come back tomorrow to finish the job using more conventional tactics.

Metool

Oh, that's good.

DuckTapeal

Antithetical Constraint + acid resistance means that the dragon is basically powerless against you.

d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/antithetical-constraint

Metool

11:10

@DuckTapeal Wait.

Yeah, it specifies the target needs to be neutral to hit corner alignments.

Cool.

Unless it means targets of attacks?

DuckTapeal

"For example, a lawful evil target would automatically fail at all attacks except those made against chaotic good creatures"

I think it means the target of the spell has to be neutral to hit all corner alignments, based on that line.

Metool

I know, but there's a clause about true neutral targets.

Curious, very curious.

DuckTapeal

If all corner alignments could hit TN, then that line would read differently.

Metool

I just realized limited wish is on the table, costly as it is.

DuckTapeal

Which doubles the chance of the Feeblemind going off, if V picks the 'give someone a -7 on a save' option.

Aww, LW allows SR.

Alright, I'm heading to bed.

See oyu later.

Metool

11:17

Rest well.

Metool

11:35

<Forrest> the dragon would have done exactly what she said she'd do. and V would never see her again. she'd go back to doing dragony things, just on a different plane
<IronHeart> and what would V do?
<Prime32> Be stuck on an island
<Forrest> ^ V has no teleport
<Forrest> (but yeah, that's a black dragon with Sorcerer levels. the answer is "whatever she wants")
<IronHeart> (Oh, so not just a really old dragon?)
<Forrest> well, she's Ancient, right? which means she has at least one sorcerer level to cast AMF with, because ancient black dragons are CL 11. that, or she's a wyrm or older. and t…

Fun stuff has come up.

Heyo, @JonathanHobbs.

doppelgreener

@Metool Hi! Just peeking in. :)

Metool

12:11

> V is known to have had an Intelligence of 18 when recruited into the Order, which may have increased in the interim.

Did 3.5 elves have a bonus to Intelligence?

Awal Garg

I am an elf!!

Metool

Hello, @AwalGarg!

Awal Garg

@Metool Are you a dragon?

Metool

No, I am a construct.

Awal Garg

@Metool You are safe then. I am going for now...

Metool

12:19

1d8

Dice Service

7

Metool

9d6 3d6

Dice Service

•

Metool

Ouch, 19 HP.

22 is average for Con score.

Metool

13:01

For reference, 10 HP (which actually becomes 13 HP) is average with the same score in 3.5e.

Probably should boost the values.

Transcript for

In Which an Elf Kills Many Dragons