Lich's Tower is the first tower guarding the Tower of Johnathon. It symbolizes the powers of earth, although it's more death-based than earth.
Mini-battle #1[]
Army lead by a reanimated Demon God. It is an excuse to show off the Atropal, an epic creature, which looked interesting. In addition, this battle is one where protection against negative levels is nearly necessary (although many of the lower level monsters will hardly hit). A Turn Undead is fairly potent here as well.
Enemy A-1: Desecrated Shrine
Half-Fiend Atropal[]
Size/Type: Large Undead (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 66d12+132 (924 hp)
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 5 ft., fly 240 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 51 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +41 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 49
Base Attack/Grapple: = +33/+53
Attack: Touch +53 (2d6 Con drain/19-20) melee touch
Full Attack: 2 touches +53 (2d6 Con drain/19-20) melee touch, eye ray +33 (Energy Drain damage/19-20) ranged touch
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft.
Special Attacks: Constitution drain, Energy Drain (2d4 Energy Drains, fort=DC 59), spell-like abilities, summon nightcrawler
Special Qualities: Abomination traits, undead traits, rebuke/command undead, regeneration 20, SR 42, DR 15/good and epic and silver, negative energy aura, resist acid 10, cold 10,
Saves: Fort +24, Ref +28, Will +45
Abilities: Str 47, Dex 19, Con –, Int 32, Wis 22, Cha 44
Skills: Bluff +86, Concentration +86, Diplomacy +98, Intimidate +92, Knowledge (arcana, history, religion, the planes) +80, Listen +77, Search +80, Sense Motive +75, Spellcraft +84, Spot +77
Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Dodge, Expertise, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (touch), Improved Critical (eye ray), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Run, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (touch), Weapon Focus (eye ray), Whirlwind Attack, Devastating Critical (touch), Overwhelming Critical (touch), Undead Mastery, Zone of Animation
Alignment: Lawful Evil
An atropal’s natural weapons are treated as epic, evil, and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Combat
Spell-Like abilities: At will—animate dead, blasphemy, greater create undead, create undead, cone of cold, desecrate, greater dispel magic, finger of death, greater invisibility, plane shift, slay living, speak with dead, spectral hand, greater teleport, unholy aura; 5/day—haste, project image, weird. Caster level 30th; save DC 26 + spell level. The save DCs are Charisma-based
Rebuke/Command Undead (Su): Atropals can rebuke or command undead as a cleric with a level equal to the atropal’s HD + 6.
Negative Energy Aura (Su): A 30-foot-radius spread negative energy aura spreads from each atropal. All undead in the field (including the atropal) are treated as if having turn resistance +20 and a negative energy version of fast healing 20. Living creatures in the aura are treated as having ten Energy Drains unless they have some sort of negative energy protection or protection from evil. Creatures with 10 or fewer HD or levels perish (and, at the atropal’s option, rise as spectres under the atropal’s command 1 minute later).
Constitution Drain (Su): When the atropal hits a living opponent with a touch attack, the opponent takes 5 points of permanent Constitution drain, or 10 points on a critical hit. The atropal heals 20 points of damage, or 40 points on a critical hit, whenever it drains Constitution, gaining any excess as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last a maximum of 1 hour. The attack allows a fortitude save (DC 59). The DC is Charisma-based.
Energy Drain (Su): When the atropal hits with a ranged touch attack (a ray of darkness that it shoots from one eye to a range of 400 feet), the resultant Energy Drain bestows four negative levels, or eight negative levels on a critical hit. For each Energy Drain bestowed on an opponent, the atropal heals 10 points of damage, or 20 on a critical hit, gaining any excess as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last a maximum of 1 hour. After 24 hours have passed, the afflicted opponent must attempt a fortitude save (DC 59) for each Energy Drain. If successful, the Energy Drain goes away with no harm to the creature; otherwise, the creature’s level decreases by one. The DC is Charisma-based.
Regeneration (Ex): Atropals take normal damage from good weapons or sentient weapons (or otherwise living weapons).
Summon Nightcrawler (Sp): Five times per day an atropal can summon a nightcrawler.
Abomination Traits: Immune to polymorphing, petrification, and other form-altering attacks; not subject to Energy Drain, ability drain, ability damage, or death from massive damage; immune to mind-affecting effects; fire resistance 20; cold resistance 20; nondetection; true seeing at will; blindsight 500 ft.; telepathy out to 1,000 ft.
Undead Traits: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, mind-affecting effects, and any effect requiring a fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, or Energy Drain. Negative energy heals. Not at risk of death from massive damage, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less. Darkvision 60 ft. Cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature is willing.
SPECTRE (200 of these)[]
Size/Type: Medium Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 7d12+14(59 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 80 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 15 (+3 Dex, +2 deflection), touch 15, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/—
Attack: Incorporeal touch +8 melee (1d8 plus Energy drain)
Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +8 melee (1d8 plus Energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain, create spawn
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., incorporeal traits, +2 turn resistance, sunlight powerlessness, undead traits, unnatural aura
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +9
Abilities: Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +13, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (religion) +12, Listen +14, Search +12, Spot +14, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks)
Feats: Alertness, Blind Fight, Improved Initiative
Alignment: Lawful Evil
A spectre looks much as it did in life and can be easily recognized by those who knew the individual or have seen the individual’s face in a painting or a drawing. In many cases, the evidence of a violent death is visible on its body. A spectre is roughly human-sized and is weightless. COMBAT
In close combat a spectre attacks with its numbing, life-draining touch. It makes full use of its incorporeal nature, moving through walls, ceilings, and floors as it attacks.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a spectre’s incorporeal touch attack gain two negative levels. The DC is 15 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the spectre gains 5 temporary hit points.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a spectre becomes a spectre in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the command of the spectre that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.
Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a spectre at a distance of 30 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.
Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex): Spectres are powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it. A spectre caught in sunlight cannot attack and can take only a single standard action in a round.
NIGHTCRAWLER[]
Size/Type: Gargantuan Undead (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 25d12+50 (212 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), burrow 60 ft.
Armor Class: 35 (–4 size, +29 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 35
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+45
Attack: Bite +29 melee (4d6+21)
Full Attack: Bite +29 melee (4d6+21/19–20) and sting +24 melee (2d8+11/19–20 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 20 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Desecrating aura, energy drain, spell-like abilities, poison, summon undead, swallow whole
Special Qualities: Aversion to daylight, damage reduction 15/silver and magic, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to cold, spell resistance 31, telepathy 100 ft, tremorsense 60 ft., undead traits
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +10, Will +23
Abilities: Str 48, Dex 10, Con —, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +32, Diplomacy +6, Hide +16, Knowledge (arcana) +33, Listen +33, Move Silently +28, Search +33, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +35, Spot +33, Survival +5 (+7 following tracks)
Feats: Blind Fight, Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Critical (sting), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (cone of cold)
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
A nightcrawler’s natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures inside a nightcrawler’s gizzard gain one negative level each round. The DC is 26 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based.
For each such negative level bestowed, the nightcrawler gains 5 temporary hit points.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a nightcrawler must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check]], it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the opponent in the following round.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 22, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Str. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—contagion (DC 18), deeper darkness, detect magic, greater dispel magic, haste, invisibility, see invisibility, unholy blight (DC 18); 3/day—cone of cold (DC 19), confusion (DC 18), hold monster (DC 19); 1/day—finger of death (DC 21), mass hold monster (DC 23), plane shift (DC 21). Caster level 25th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Summon Undead (Su): A nightcrawler can summon undead creatures once per night: 9–16 shadows, 3–6 greater shadows, or 2–4 dread wraiths. The undead arrive in 1d10 rounds and serve for 1 hour or until released.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A nightcrawler can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Huge or smaller size by making a successful grapple check]]. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+12 points of bludgeoning damage plus 12 points of acid damage per round from the nightcrawler’s gizzard and is subject to the creature’s energy drain. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by usining light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 35 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 21). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A nightcrawler’s interior can hold 2 Huge, 8 Large, 32 Medium, 128 Small, 512 Tiny or smaller opponents.
Boss #1: Yami[]
Mini-battle #2[]
Enemy A-2: Shiki Door A door blocks your path. On the side of the door appears to be a roller for a password, similar to a combination lock. Each roller has all letters, and the numbers 0-9. There are 8 spots. What could the password be?
(See Yami for details)
Answer: Alphabet.
Boss #2: Dark Karth[]
Mini-battle #3[]
The antilight Wraith (Death Wraith) is a custom abomination. It is like a dread wraith, but much powerful. It can only be hurt by Light-based (most wraith's weaknesses) or Holy-based attacks. He also has a large amount of evasion, relying on avoidance to ignore attacks rather than armor. His Shadowstrands ability is deadly, dealing damage and negative levels.
Enemy A-3: Antilight Wraith
Size/Type: Large Undead (Incorporeal, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 40d12 (480 hp)
Initiative: +19
Speed: Fly 60 ft. (good) (12 squares)
Armor Class: 59 (–1 size, +15 Dex, +35 deflection), touch 59, flat-footed 44
Base Attack/Grapple: +40/—
Attack: Incorporeal touch +55 melee (3d8 plus 3d8 Constitution drain)
Full Attack: 2 Incorporeal touches +55 melee (3d8 plus 3d8 Constitution drain) plus 4 Shadowstrands +55 (8d10 plus 2d4 negative levels)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Constitution drain, create spawn
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., daylight powerlessness, incorporeal traits, lifesense 60 ft., undead traits, unnatural aura, Regeneration 40, Abomination traits, Improved Evasion
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +14, Will +14
Abilities: Str —, Dex 48, Con —, Int 24, Wis 18, Cha 30
Skills: Hide +62, Intimidate +43, Listen +47, Move Silently +62, Search +50, Sense Motive +47, Spot +47
Feats: AlertnessB, Blind Fight, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved InitiativeB, Improved Natural Attack (incorporeal touch), Multiattack, Improved Multiattack, Weapon Finesse, Tenacious Magic (Shadow Phase), Epic Prowess, Combat Reflexes, Self-Concealment (50%)*****,
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a wraith at a distance of 30 feet. They will not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.
Daylight Powerlessness (Ex): Wraiths are utterly powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it.
Lifesense (Su): A dread wraith notices and locates living creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability. It also senses the strength of their life force automatically, as if it had cast deathwatch.
Constitution Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a dread wraith’s incorporeal touch attack must succeed on a DC 25 Fortitude save or take 1d8 points of Constitution drain. The save DC is Charisma-based. On each such successful attack, the dread wraith gains 5 temporary hit points.
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a dread wraith becomes a wraith in 1d4 rounds. Its body remains intact and inanimate, but its spirit is torn free from its corpse and transformed. Spawn are under the command of the wraith that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life. Immunities (Ex): Abominations are immune to polymorphing, petrification, or any form-altering attack. They are not subject to ability drain, or ability damage. They are immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and are immune to one of five energy types (specific to the abomination).
Resistances (Ex): Abominations have fire resistance 20, cold resistance 20, and damage reduction of at least 10/epic (certain abominations have higher damage reduction). Abominations all have significant spell resistance. Abominations resist detection, and are all treated as if affected by a nondetection spell of a caster level equal to the abomination’s HD.
Special Qualities (Ex): All abominations have the spell-like ability to use true seeing at will. Abominations are not subject to death from massive damage, and they have maximum hit points per Hit Die. Abominations have the blindsight extraordinary ability to a range of 500 feet. Abominations can choose both nonepic and epic feats as part of their feat selection.
Telepathy (Su): Abominations can communicate telepathically with any creature within 1,000 feet that has a language.
Summon Wraiths (Sp): A Death Wraith may summon Wraiths at will, and a Dread Wraiths four times per day.
Regeneration (Ex): Death Wraiths take normal damage from light weapons/spells.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will – Deeper Darkness, Shadow Walk, Shadow Phase (20% miss chance), Shades. Caster level 40 (Cha based).
Shadowstrands (Ex): A Death Wraith can use small threads of the shadow plane to attack. They deal 1000 Shadow energy damage, and give the subject 2d4 negative levels. These negative levels only last for 1 day.
Boss #3 Eirika & Ephraim[]
Mini-Battle #4[]
Enemy A-4: Room of Blindness As you enter, you notice the great crystalline walls and ceiling. In the middle of the room, there appears to be a fine blanket covering a spherical object.
-Take off: DC 55 Fort or blinded until you leave the room and for 2d4 rounds after. Successful save negates and no more saves are necessary.
You need to blast the door to the next room by using this item. A blast to the left wall reveals this item:
White Raven Halberd: Extraordinary Halberd +20
Damage: 1d10+20, x3; piercing or slashing
Enchantments: Valorous (x2 Charging damage), Aptitude (Copies weapon feats)
Special: Warmaster's Charge; You and all allies (within 30') charge at the enemy. Your charge attacks gain +50 damage, and those of your allies gain +25 damage.