Non-DM Party Tactics

Here is where my Rod of Corruption could really help. Warlock's Curse on one kobold, a simple Eldritch Blast, and suddenly every kobold on the wall has a Curse on it.

I'm not a fan of trying to trick our way in, although that seems to be the strength of this group. So I'm willing to listen if you all have a plan. Here's my suggestion for the brute force approach below:

The tower shield offer partial cover...which amounts to a +2 to defenses. If what Ruku suggests is accurate (we'll have to ask), then Gruunk and Tarner are actually no better offer using the shield.

I don't think attacking the kobolds on the wall is a long-term solution. It's a short-term one that gets someone off our backs instead of having a PC sit around idle. Sure, you can curse the wall. Unfortunately for an infernal warlock, it's not as useful since the temp hp do not stack when you trigger your pact boon (star-pact could have used that huge bonus for a skill check).

I also am not clear how the battering ram works. Can three PCs work together for a single Athletics check from all three PCs? I will ask in the OOC thread.

Let's say we bring both shields (even if they offer no benefit to Gruunk and Tarner) and the battering ram. Gruunk will carry one of the shields and we'll need someone else to carry the other. It's two rounds to the wall thanks to difficult terrain, but the second round we will make it there and be able to do a standard action.

Three of us (Gruunk, Eduard, and Tarner) use the battering ram to beat the door down (or at least try). Nurse tries to take it off it's hinges. Fortune gives us a bit of cover fire. We could switch Tarner and Fortune, although the psion has more area effects. (Could use an action point to get an extra action here too...don't know if I want to blow one this early, but it's an option.)

Thoughts?

I like my idea of using Diabolic Grasp to try and rip the door off its hinges.

Yeah, the Rod of Corruption is especially helpful with a Starlock with a bunch of area powers, which is why as soon as we hit Paragon I'm taking the Dual Pact feat to become both Infernal and Star. I also like my idea of Intimidating the Kobolds. Either they back off and leave us alone, they help us open the door (that would be ideal), or they do nothing (My check fails).

The problem is that it's a wasted action in full view of 20 kobolds. We only have 30-ish hit points. And since it's combat, you can only intimidate the enemy once they're bloodied--they aren't bloodied.

Basically, staying to try to talk to them is a good recipe for dying very quickly. We do need to go to the gate, it's just a matter of how. I am suggesting we try to sneak to it. Shadeus is suggesting we just take the shields and the ram, and run for it.

Hmm, hadn't thought of sneaking. Are you thinking of having them let us approach the gate somehow? And through? Are you basically talking about an elaborate bluff?

I'm game for the sneaking. Trying to bum-rush it will only get us killed. Shadeus, Eduard has a harp that makes it so that any creature within 20ft takes -15 on their perception checks, so it would be fairly easy to sneak up even with Tarner's +1 Sneak.

You know what we need? A diversion. It's so much easier to sneak when someone else is there to grab the attention.

If there is fighting everywhere around us, that's a great diversion. If not, we need to make our own. I've got a few ideas on how to do that, but we don't need them if they're not needed. I've already asked in the OOC thread.

If we are doing the sneaky route, I would suggest this:
Someone grab a shield, the rest pretend to be fumbling with the ram or something. Nurse will become a drow, take the thieves tools and then use this:

Lurking Shadow

Daily * Shadow
Standard Action, Personal
Requirement: You must be in dim light or darkness.
Effect: You become invisible and silent until the end of your next turn, until you move more than 2 squares on your turn, or until the enter a square of bright light. If a creature tries to enter your space before the effect ends, you can either shift 1 square as a free action, or remain where you are. If you remain where you are, the effect ends.
Sustain Standard: The effect persists.

To literally walk up to the gate, either get someone to open it, or take it off the hinges while you guys have the archers concentrating on you and the tower shield.

I like it. Tarner has a pretty good Endurance score, so I guess he'll be the one to hold the shield. Yeah, he'll probably lose his Unarmored Agility bonus, but the shield will bring it up +2, thus cancelling it out. Plus, if he moves 3 squares or more on his turn, he gains concealment. He could also use Ethereal Stride, and so even with the shield it'd be pretty hard for any of them to hit him while he protects his friends.

EDIT: Oh hey, the shield stacks with Unarmored Agility. Combined with Ethereal Stride, this will bring Tarner up to 20 AC, plus partial cover plus concealment.

ANOTHER EDIT: Okay, so Gruunk can also take a shield, and thus the entire party will be protected. He's got better Endurance than Tarner, not to mention higher AC, although Tarner can come pretty close.

Wait, it's 13 squares for Nurse, with a min of 2 being difficult terrain. With a standard action to maintain that ability, that means you only have a move action each round. So move 2 squares a round, it would take six (6) rounds to get to the edge of the caltrops, and another two (2) rounds to get to the caltrops to the door (that's 8 rounds to just get to the door). Then it would be a minimum of 4 rounds to get the hinges off for a total of 12 rounds. Also note for the last 4 rounds, she would have to lose the invisibility (since each skill check is a standard action).

I'm not too keen on the rest of the party's survival chances taking 12 rounds of attacks.