Vordakai's Tomb: what's needed? [SPOILERS]

[LordSerion]

So I have no idea what went through the mind of the devs when they implemented the tomb but I guess this is as close as we get to the worker's raid on Nazarick as we can (until mods that is). I am playing on Normal.

I am at a loss of who or what I should've brought along. I did bring 30 rations and 20 Restoration scrolls, about 70 health potions, several scrolls of haste, heal, bless, scorching ray, fireball, wands of shield, vanish, prayer, resoration.

My team is level 11 (need about 20k to react 12). Universalist wizard main, Harrim, Tristan, Valerie, Ekun and Octavia.

Getting into the tomb was already a nasty experience as I waded through the horde of cyclops brutes but then the shades just murdered 4 of the team (Death door). Not only have I had 3 mano-a-mano with Wistom-draining nasties, once they were gone, bam, 7 more spawn on you. For fun.

And then comes level 2. Hyper-buffed gigantic barbarian undead cyclopses and priests, 4 (!) ancient water elementals the size of a house, poisonous iron golems... and a lich.

So... what should I do? I can't go back levelling as the cuse will wipe the kingdom by the time I reach level 12.

I get the feeling that kingdom events should avard XP, otherwise we are never reaching level 20. Unless DLC happen.

[Valandryl]

You're lacking damage. Harrim, Tristian, Valerie, that's weak. Your mages can't have the same amount of constant DPS as fighters, and they're more squishy.
I did it all at lvl 11 with my main (fighter), Harrim, Linzi, Ekun, custom fighter archer and Amiri. The damage output was very high and allowed me to down everything easy. My main fighter had around 42 AC and was able to tank the hard-hitting cyclops, but they died incredibly quickly with the 2 archers. I guess what you lack is constant DPS.

[fieminamor]

Originally posted by Valandryl:

You're lacking damage. Harrim, Tristian, Valerie, that's weak. Your mages can't have the same amount of constant DPS as fighters, and they're more squishy.
I did it all at lvl 11 with my main (fighter), Harrim, Linzi, Ekun, custom fighter archer and Amiri. The damage output was very high and allowed me to down everything easy. My main fighter had around 42 AC and was able to tank the hard-hitting cyclops, but they died incredibly quickly with the 2 archers. I guess what you lack is constant DPS.

Agree with Valandryl. Ekun with Devourer of Metal (and Rapid Shot) pumps out a lot of damage at these levels, and his Dog helps him stay out of melee. I often spend a round to chug an Enlarge potion, too. Or as part of the pre-battle buffs. I play Reg/Octavia ( as arcane trickster ), who both require more micromanagement than I really enjoy, but if micromanaged, can bring the pain. My main's a Druid, who can either join the support corps with Linzi&Harrim or contribute some DPS - either way, the animal companion is great. Not 42 AC, but w/mage armor & barkskin it's close. Oh, and with Linzi/Reg/Octavia, I have an endless supply of Haste (I think I've found 17 scrolls I haven't used, in case things get grim, too).

[Morgian]

It also helps to have a massive tank to send ahead to trigger encounters, which keeps the casters in the clear. Massive tank means high HP, saves and AC and often the all-important deathward buff.

I am playing a monk and have 38 AC. Since I can sneak I can scout without triggering many encounters and bring the necessary buffs. You can get a lot of mileage out of resist fire (the spell grants 30 points at caster level 11) on the puller, when you can block a doorway while your casters fireball the area.

Your party pretty much sucks, because it has only one melee character, although Harrim can double up for another with divine power. Having few melees means that the enemy hordes can freely swarm the casters. You will probably have to try pulling to passages, where Valerie can block them, while the others deal ranged and magic damage on them.

[fieminamor]

Originally posted by fieminamor:

Originally posted by Valandryl:

You're lacking damage. Harrim, Tristian, Valerie, that's weak. Your mages can't have the same amount of constant DPS as fighters, and they're more squishy.
I did it all at lvl 11 with my main (fighter), Harrim, Linzi, Ekun, custom fighter archer and Amiri. The damage output was very high and allowed me to down everything easy. My main fighter had around 42 AC and was able to tank the hard-hitting cyclops, but they died incredibly quickly with the 2 archers. I guess what you lack is constant DPS.

Agree with Valandryl. Ekun with Devourer of Metal (and Rapid Shot) pumps out a lot of damage at these levels, and his Dog helps him stay out of melee. I often spend a round to chug an Enlarge potion, too. Or as part of the pre-battle buffs. I play Reg/Octavia ( as arcane trickster ), who both require more micromanagement than I really enjoy, but if micromanaged, can bring the pain. My main's a Druid, who can either join the support corps with Linzi&Harrim or contribute some DPS - either way, the animal companion is great. Not 42 AC, but w/mage armor & barkskin it's close. Oh, and with Linzi/Reg/Octavia, I have an endless supply of Haste (I think I've found 17 scrolls I haven't used, in case things get grim, too).

Actually, I'm now L12, and my Boar is only L10 (I'll have to figure out why this is so)... with Mage Armor+Barkskin, his AC is 46, so he's a great battering ram (he does +18/+13 for 17-24 damage at L10, too, not terribly shabby... and "Gore" can hit for a ton) . I def prefer using summons & animal companions for meat shields instead of any of my 6 slotted chars.

And - for the record - even though druids have some limitations (What? No ranged weapons without race/feat compromises?!) starting each day with a Communal Slow Poison and having a tank buddy walking around with me all the time is really nice. And Boar isn't really considered one of the better animal companions - wolves trip, and I think there's a dino which gets 4 attacks (anyway, Boar is color-coded red - worst - on this list: http://rpgbot.net/pathfinder/characters/animal_companions.php ... though that's for the pnp version of Pathfinder)

[SgtLobato]

As they said, you lack damage, i went there lvl 11 too, but with Amiri(1 vivec/1 barb/9 two handed) nok nok (1 vivec 10 rogue) ekun (1 vivec 10 ranger) tristian, octavia and main full sorc focused on aoe fire damage spells. Always full buffed, and put ekun on special rest to save more rations, played on full hard, some fights were tough but death ward and fear resistances helped a lot, didnt use potions or scrolls, octavia, tristian and main can buff everything easily.

[Mysteria]

Did you get by the soul eaters or not? I did it on normal with Tristian, Valerie, Harrim, main caster (diviner, but mostly summons meatshields), Ekun and Jubilost. Also at lvl 11.

Cast restoration after the soul eaters. Then put death ward onto your tanks. Also helps vs negative energy channeling.

Try banishment on the water elementals. And channel vs masses of undead. (I cleared on such cluster ♥♥♥♥ with communal protection from fire and just dropping fireballs right onto my party. Plus channeling.)

You might be able to leave the tomb without clearing everything? (Didn’t try.)

[LordSerion]

I did get through, beating everything but it took quite a bit of micromanaging.

Amiri does hit hard, but she's a glass cannon, not great for sustained fights like these. At least for me, but I don't cross-train my people - I only recently looked into the rulebooks so I am not great at the minmax game yet.

Moral of the story: carry at least 30 Death Ward scrolls and 100 Greater Restoration with you.


EDIT: Oh yeah, I could've brought Jae the Bae with me. Undead = fun in this tomb.

[fieminamor]

Originally posted by juhaszmaster:

I did get through, beating everything but it took quite a bit of micromanaging.

Moral of the story: carry at least 30 Death Ward scrolls and 100 Greater Restoration with you.

Good job getting through it!

P.S. I've yet to use either of those scrolls. Ever. Summons are great for fighting undead.

P.P.S. Druids really are all sorts of good, all-around, to be honest. Entangle is L1, compared to Web (L2), they can easily handle the communal prot/resist energy, communal delay poison at L3 means immunity to spiders and other poisoners starting at druid 5th. Constant meat shield in companion, can shape-change for melee boost as needed, and - of course - summons. Can use scrolls of cures. High Perception (soooo important to have one char who is). Hunts during camping. Aren't nearly as frail as d6 casters, though without metal armor aren't as rugged as clerics. Flame Strike a level early. I miss having restoration. And lack of ranged weapon without being an elf or spending a feat is annoying. So they aren't perfect, of course.

[raubrey]

I think this was the turning point for some people and many bad reviews stem around this time. I'm still mulling over my experience with it. On the one hand it was a true dungeon when many games have The Big Bad Evil thing and the most you encouter is a Zombie Lord here and there and loads of skeletons.

On the other hand it's not a fight you're in any way prepared for, other than if you happen to see it on the Internet. If it's true you can't leave the dungeon if someone dies (such I read) that seems a bit harsh.

I swallowed my pride and turned a couple settings down as it just wasn't fun in parts. Now some areas are fairly tactical if you can fight in a doorway etc. but others, not so much. The thing that probably irritated me the most was the ice trap...silly but the check shouldn't have been failed and an icetrap that goes through walls is just mean.

I liked the daemon and the boss fight was OK (actually too easy as nothing, like his aura, bypassed my buffs), and much easier than the soul eaters for me. A name that is well deserved as they have corrupted mine.

[VladK02]

everything in the tomb, including the boss, can be solved with low-level druid spell entangle/throrns, positioning, and flanking rogue.

But.

Water elementals / dread cyclops - there is AoE arcane level 5-6 spell called cirocco - great, traps elementals and cyclops, knocks them down, and burns them with fire. Great spell in general. One application, and hard mobs just...die.

trash zombies are not a problem.

General cyclops - groups of 4 with priest - cirocco if you have plenty rations, but in general, web/thorns/entangle, and take em apart one by one. These are not hard fights.

Ghosts - magic missle, hightened magic missle, maximized magic missile, fireballs, controlled fireballs.

Soul stealers - this is a tough fight no doubt. Death ward is a must (jaelal is immune), sacred flames druid buff gives protection from ability drain and regen - and then DPS them down. If you dont have druid, get your AC (and fortitude saves) as high as you can, heroism yourself, and out-dps the soul stealers. Rogue with kukris (noknok) can out-dps a soul-stealer with haste on him. jaelal can tank soul stealers for dayz, she is immune to everything and has infinite regen. Second stage of that encounter, just summon 30 undead of your own, and go to town on added soul stealers.

Boss fight is ridiculously easy - buffs, haste, he dies in 10 seconds flat.

In the caves, the zombie caster - cirocco him, and his 20 zombie lord friends.

What else is there? Thats it. barbarians? trash mobs.

ahh yeah the demon - contrcting coils him, hes weak to enchantments. The hold monster spell line.

soul stealers are hardest encounter in that tomb.

edit - and oh yeah, you need nok-nok for dps absolutely. That goblin puts out 30-50 per hit, so a few hundred dmg per round. Thats your problem right there, you dont have dps to burn through cyclops hp. In my playthough, nok-nok and my custom barbarian, they CLEAVE cyclopses in one round flat - all of them.

[raubrey]

Originally posted by VladK02:

Soul stealers - this is a tough fight no doubt. Death ward is a must (jaelal is immune), sacred flames druid buff gives protection from ability drain and regen - and then DPS them down. If you dont have druid, get your AC as high as you can, heroism yourself, and out-dps the soul stealers. Rogue with kukris (noknok) can out-dps a soul-stealer with haste on him. jaelal can tank soul stealers for dayz, she is immune to everything and has infinite regen. Second stage of that encounter, just summon 30 undead of your own, and go to town on added soul stealers.

Deathward didn't do much and that's all well and good until one of the "named" targets is Linzi. :D I had enough restoration but geez.

[Shadenuat]

Soul Eaters don't care for Death Ward, and they're not Undead.
Jaethal is still immune to their drain though.

They're Evil Outsiders, meaning they are actually living things and can be CCd even with Enchantment spells. Stuff like Phantasmal Web & Overwhelming Grief.

They can also be Banished.

And Octavia can turn gigantic cyclops into cute doggies.

[raubrey]

Originally posted by Shadenuat:

Soul Eaters don't care for Death Ward, and they're not Undead.

They're Evil Outsiders, meaning they are actually living things and can be CCd even with Enchantment spells.

They can also be Banished.

Seriously, Banished? I feel silly about now. I knew they were outsiders but I guess I thought Banished was for a spellcaster summoning. That's very helpful, thank you.

[Shadenuat]

Water Elementals are also Outsiders and can be Banished btw.

Banishment/Dismissal is random on Hard-Unfair though due to high saves, but for people playing Normal it should work ok. Crusader's Edge is also free +2d6 damage against Soul Eaters.

[VladK02]

Originally posted by Shadenuat:

Soul Eaters don't care for Death Ward, and they're not Undead.

They're Evil Outsiders, meaning they are actually living things and can be CCd even with Enchantment spells.

They can also be Banished.

death ward to protect vs level drain. sacred flames to protect vs ability drain.