Core Only Cleric, Final Battle

[kevin_video]

So my 14th level cleric, is going to be heading into a free-for-all battle with various other creatures with his 12th level mystic ranger/fighter cohort. I'll also have a young adult gold dragon helping us. You can opt out and forfeit, but the winner gets to be eligible for the god progression given in Deities and Demigods.

It's a major competition that the gods of Heaven and Hell have put together because I guess they fancy seeing mortal blood spilled.

Others who will be in the competition are: 2 balors, 1 chain devil sorcerer, 1 earth elemental fighter/ranger, 1 thri-kreen warblade, 1 red dragon fighter/barbarian, 1 skeletal tiefling cleric, 1 marilith, 1 half air elemental elan psion, 1 kelvezu, 1 lich, 1 dracolich, 1 half-celestial lich mountebank, 1 silverbrow human TWF swashbuckler/sorcerer/abjurant champion, 1 dwarf ACF barbarian, 1 elf wizard, 1 human bard/sorcerer/ultimate magus, 1 kobold sorcerer/force missile mage... and I think that's it.

So I guess my question is, what spells do you possibly use against something like this? I already know I can't possibly win this. I just want to hurt them. Before anyone goes "can you cast anything before hand", or "DMM Persist X", the cleric was built using the core only rules. He was brought in to this tourny from a previous game so there's no changing him. Also, initiative has been rolled, but spells have not been done up yet. We're being given a week to figure things out before the brawl.

So if you were going to be facing off against all of this, with no prep time whatsoever, and you were only allowed to use the core books and SPC, what would you take for upwards of 7th level spells for the cleric, and 4th level spells for the ranger? The dragon's spells are premade so there's no changing that.

[X-Codes]

Shield/Nightshield for both, to neuter the FMM (assuming it doesn't have a way around the immunity to Magic Missile these spells grant).

Sunbeam is good for the Undead.

Some manner of save-or-die for the Elf Wizard and the UM.

Banishment for pretty much everything else.

[kevin_video]

Shield/Nightshield for both, to neuter the FMM (assuming it doesn't have a way around the immunity to Magic Missile these spells grant).

Sunbeam is good for the Undead.

Some manner of save-or-die for the Elf Wizard and the UM.

Banishment for pretty much everything else.

I don't know that the deities watching us kill each other will allow the banishment. They might dispel it and call foul on us.

Just to add, the dragon and half-elf ranger/fighter are NG and the cleric is a CG elf of Corellon. Half the stuff we're fighting is evil, while the other half consist of neutral or good.

[Nytemare3701]

I don't know how much blasting you are planning, but soundlance is a pretty good one.

[Vomica]

Lets be honest now. With what you are up against, how many, and the differences amongst all parties involved...

This is not a duel. Or a game of chess. This is a game of 'not dying'. Thus, don't be a target as long as possible. I have no idea what spells or domains you have at your disposal...

...but Stone Shape a wall of safety might be good! Meld with Stone? Sanctuary?

... ... ...

Then there is always the 'Overlord' route. Guidance of the Avatar or something your diplomacy skill up, and be like 'Hey! Forces of good! Let's team up. We CAN NOT let the evil win.' That'll get you ever so much closer to victory.

Then you can start blasting.

[Bloody Initiate]

Sound Lance is good, I actually really like Cyclonic Blast from Spell Compendium, but all of that feels ill-advised against that horde. Of course most things feel ill-advised against that horde.

Keep in mind the tactics of the Power Players (Balors immediately use blasphemy) and beware the dude who looks at you like an easy kill.

Basic FFA tips:

Stay out of the thick of it. Watch your corners and wait for targets to soften each other up, then ping them with one good hit to steal the kills. The best tricks are cheap.

As Vomica said, this will be a game of "not dying". The "last man standing" doesn't have to be the guy with the most kills. If you could get away with killing no one, and avoiding notice until the last two other fighters conclude their bout, then finish off the winner, then that would be ideal. More likely someone will target you and you'll have to defend yourself, but the best strategy in a survival situation is simply to stay unnoticed for as long as possible, defend yourself with minimal expenditure of resources, and then pour it all out on the last threat.

[Havok4]

I agree with the others on this issue, a good strategy might be to try to pick up as many immunities as possible.Obscuring mist first to keep them from knowing what you are doing than Meld into stone to get you out of the way of the fighting and then buff yourself as much as you can. I would recommend fortunate fate(spc)x2 (they should stack), superior resistance(spc), conviction(spc), greater blindsight(spc), Visage of the Deity (spc), Anti-life Shell, Death ward, Spell Resistance,  delay death (spc). And try to stay in the obscuring mist or doom tide(spc) to keep the enemies from targeting you. The ranger is more or less as good as dead unless he hides or drops out.

I think banishing the outsiders is as good as killing them for the purposes of this contest as you are restricted to a set arena.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Kill yourself before the tournament and have your vengeful ghost compete


What are your domains, and what type of significant items do you have?

[kevin_video]

Kill yourself before the tournament and have your vengeful ghost compete


What are your domains, and what type of significant items do you have?

Pfft. No vengeful ghosts here. If you nearly die, you're supposed to tap out, and forfeit.

Protection and Good. He was originally built as the heal bot of the party since we had major damage dealers, but they had low AC and glass jaws.

Significant items? Probably none. Between the ranger and cleric you've got a wand bracer with dispel magic, cure serious, cure moderate, and daylight on it. A belt of battle (each) and belt of potions. A golden visor which gives darkvision and blindsight 30, medium and lesser prayer beads, a mass heal scroll, a greater dispel scroll, a cure serious mass scroll, pearls of power 1-6 (cleric), boots of speed, ring of rapid healing, fiend slayer crystal, ring of ironskin, gloves of lucky striking, bowl of command water elemental, greater crystals of true death and fiend slayer. Helm of teleportation, blindfold of true darkness, soulfire shields, a water subtype bane trident of returning, a dragon and earth subtype bane bow, pearls of power 1-5 (ranger), a scroll of control winds, ring of silent spells, hands of glory, and horizon goggles.

[Echoes]

As others have stated, first you need to not die. Whatever defenses you can employ, do so. If you can help it, avoid combat altogether until the end. You will, however, need to be ready to kill whoever is left standing. Most likely this will be one of the balors, the wizard, the lich (assuming he's a wizard or sorcerer with good spells), or the psion (again, depending on powers known). If the blaster is smart enough and able to burn down the balors, their death throes could deal a whole pile of damage to everybody, so there's an outside shot he'll win. Finally, depending on how intelligently-played the other cleric is, you'll need to make sure he isn't trying to pull the same stunt. If he tries to blast/melee his way to victory, he'll most likely go down hard.

Regardless of who wins, your best bet is to finish off the survivor with one of the word spells. However, we do need some information. First, what alignment are you? This is important, because if you're neutral good you can take everyone except another NG target out of the fight. If you're lawful good that's almost as solid, since most of those races/classes tend to lean chaotic. Second, can you get your hands on an ankh of ascension from the MIC? Finally, any chance you can get the other participants' alignments (and HD totals, if possible) before you prep spells?

Depending on the answers to those questions, pack yourself with holy word/dictum/word of chaos. Use the bead of karma and the ankh of ascension (if you get one) to boost the CL. Depending on the HD of the various players, you should be able to paralyze most of the field (save the balors, they get off being blinded and deafened but have to save vs. banishment (Will save +19 vs. effective DC of 21 + Wisdom)). At that point, you CdG the incapacitated target and win.

[dark_samuari]

I just keep imagining the Psion using Time Hop until the end as well, perhaps look out for that tactic to be used.

[kevin_video]

I love this quote. "first you need to not die". That's way easier said than done.  As stated in my third post, the cleric is a CG elf cleric of Corellon, and ranger/fighter is a NG half-elf, and the gold dragon is NG. Everyone else is all across the board. The only alignment not on there would be LG. I would not be capable of getting anything other than what we came in with. To be completely honest, this wasn't what was supposed to happen. We went in, fought the BBEG, the gods showed up and went "Fight each other. We command you." And the balors went "HELL YEAH!" and now it's on. Again, as previously stated, initiative's already been rolled. All I know is I'm not going first. I'd say that the majority of the evil guys are CE, or LE. No NE that I'm aware of. For my party (who have turned on me because they want to live), you've got LE, CN, NG, and CG. The psion is CN and loves using some tornado attack and crystal shards.

I'd say that the HD totals of everyone are likely way higher than mine. Probably 4 HD or more. There might be a couple who are less than me, but not by much. Maybe 2-4 at best, and they're good aligned. The chain devil is apparently an epic sorcerer, and that lich is a fallen solar. Other than that, I'm kind of in the dark.

The Banishment spell will likely be seen as "cheap" by the gods/DM and likely countered or dispelled.

[Havok4]

So banishing the outsiders is cheap, but the balors insti-killing (or paralyzing, not much difference) you with their blasphemy is not?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

You can make a decent argument that stopping up your ears with wax will prevent blasphemy from having any effect (since it's basically a copy and paste from holy word, including the banishment saying "This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the blasphemy".  And as for arguing that it's a cheap tactic... well, it's a classic, and if Odysseus is allowed to pull it off, you should be able to too.

[krusk]

I feel like my first action would be for a summon monster 7, huge scorpion. Front and center. A giant target, for everyone else to be worried about, while you run off and hide. Big distraction type thing.

Id then self buff, and send SOD effects at everyone.

Toss in a few greater dispel magic's, ect.

My tactic would be "I am over here ignoring you, worry about the big guys fighting you instead of me. Oh also, I just threw a SOD at whoever does look like they plan to fight me".

[X-Codes]

Actually, if you have CL boosters then some targeted GDMs thrown the way of the casters could turn them into Balor food, and I'd rather fight a Balor than a high-level Wizard.

[Mixster]

Getting up a long lasting sanctuary might be pretty effective, if you can extend it somehow that is good.

Getting up 5 of those are better.

It will protect you from most damaging spells they can throw at you.

Then you could buff yourself into a diplomancer, and talk them into killing eachother, hopefully having a wizard (or even better, the barbarian) who's failed your sanctuary check there last, so you can buff yourself up before attacking him.

[kevin_video]

I honestly don't see myself walking away from this. Some of the spells will never happen. Like Fortunate Fate. It's 1 min to cast. The first round is already beginning.

[Brainpiercing]

Do you have PHBII in the book list? I'm guessing not, but... you have a mystic ranger?

If I were to do it, I would say screw it, become evil. Cast Greater consumptive field, crush cockroaches. Become really powerful. Hit things with my shiny new 50 Str.

[kevin_video]

Do you have PHBII in the book list? I'm guessing not, but... you have a mystic ranger?

If I were to do it, I would say screw it, become evil. Cast Greater consumptive field, crush cockroaches. Become really powerful. Hit things with my shiny new 50 Str.

Yeah, I've got PHBII. It's considered a Core book.