Re: mechanics of surprise

In article <1173294637.709965.235430@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
DougL <lampert.doug@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>On Mar 7, 12:30 pm, mkkuh...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (Mary K.
>Kuhner) wrote:

>> We also had a very near miss with the erinys, who had four missile
>> attacks as a full-attack sequence.  It is really hard to stop a
>> flying archer from taking a full-round action, and this was enough
>> damage to kill several of the PCs outright--except that the GM
>> had warned the PCs (and player) and the PCs had Stoneskin.  So the
>> wizard ran like hell with 1 hp left.  Other peoples' descriptions
>> of that fight often involve losing a PC a round.

>Isn't flying a move equivelent action? I think she has to land to get
>a full attack (but since she also has Greater Tele****t at will she can
>ALWAYS keep the range open unless the PCs can close in one round).

If you don't move, and have Good flying so that you can hover, is it
still a move equivalent action to hover?  It's not a move action for
a walking character to stand in place, after all.  But maybe this
would be a good rules correction, reducing the usefulness of flight.

We have added a visible delay period to Tele****t, so Tele****t into
combat was not an option, but she still has numerous ways to avoid
engaging in melee.  She has an 80' tall statue and landings on three
levels in the main temple:  she can land to attack somewhere that the
PCs cannot reach in one round.  She can also Tele****t out and walk
back to missile range, then take a full-round attack as the
PCs attempt to close.  (Once the PCs got out of the death-trap temple
this is what she did in our game.)  Even if a PC can cover the 
intervening distance in a round, she then uses Withdraw or Tele****t 
to disengage.

Extreme mobility coupled with a very strong ranged attack is 
formidable.

A case we (luckily) haven't seen yet is a mounted archer using
the feat that allows a full attack sequence while the mount moves.
It seems nearly impossible to prevent such a character from
getting off one or more full-round attacks, and if their full-round
attack will kill a PC, they can pretty much count on doing so.

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@[EMAIL PROTECTED]