Ketheric Thorm/Combat: Difference between revisions

| race = Undead

| class = Paladin

| wis save_prof = Yes

}}{{CombatTab}}

== Encounters ==

Ketheric Thorm's actual battle has two individual stages, with some of the choices of the party coming into play in them.

 

 

The necromites can be safely ignored if the party is equipped to have a high DC or has necrotic resistance, as they only cast [[Reach from Beyond]], a low damage spell. However, both Ketheric and Susdera can summon more of them, so it's best to dispatch them with AoE attacks to avoid being overwhelmed.

Susdera herself may prove to be more of a direct threat at the start of combat given that she can cast Fireball and the party begins the fight grouped together by default. [[Silence]] or [[Darkness]] spells can neutralize her and give the party a chance to form up as needed. She's also able to cast "Bone Chill", preventing healing for one entire turn.

Ketheric may be a challenge if the party has no means of reliably damaging high AC enemies as he boasts a strong 22 AC. Additionally, though his Dexterity skill is relatively low, he has advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws via [[Ketheric's Shield]]. Spell with a dex save component can still be used should Ketheric use [[Reaper's Embrace]], which would negate the advantage he has. Charming or putting him to Sleep is out of the question too given his Fey Ancestry.

Ketheric has relatively low Intellect, so spells with it as a saving throw are a good means of damaging him. Alternatively, players may lean more into the melee side of things and attempt to knock him prone, paralyze him, disarm him or otherwise. Blinding him or other means of granting the party Advantage are also means of getting hit in more reliably.

 

Ultimately, the best course of action is to burst Ketheric down as soon as possible through whatever means available. Should the player have spared Aylin, she will join the fight on the party's side and assist. She's capable enough of quickly dispatching Susdera through her own Smites and greatly help with Ketheric.  

===Stage 2===

The next stage of the fight begins shortly after catching up to Ketheric in the [[Mind Flayer Colony]]. A Restoration Pod that grants the benefits of a [[Long Rest]] can be found to the right of the elevator that brings you to him. This is also an excellent opportunity to prepare for the coming fight by summoning additional help. If available, a set of [[Conjure Elemental|Elementals]] can be particularly helpful in keeping the necromites and skeletal involucres under control; likewise [[Conjure Minor Elemental|Azers]]. The area also offers unlimited fodder for [[Animate Dead]].  

After the cutscene regarding Ketheric and his allies, players will enter a short conversation with Ketheric. During this dialogue, he can be talked down from fighting with a {{Ability Check|Persuasion|18}}, which will be available only if party members laid the conversational groundwork during the prior conversation on top of Moonrise Towers. On a success, Ketheric will kill himself and the battle will skip directly to [[#Phase 2|phase two]]. Otherwise, a fight will ensue.

This time, Ketheric can be found on the raised, round platform before the party. To the far right, a [[Mindflayer]] can be found overlooking the battlefield, further in, four [[Intellect Devourer|Intellect Devourers]] will quickly approach the party. Should she be alive, [[Dame Aylin|Aylin]] will be found trapped by spectral hands, granting Ketheric [[Invulnerable_(Condition)|invulnerability]] once more. On the other side of the room, to the left, four [[Necromite|necromites]] will sling spells down at the party.

Ideally the party should split in three: one to deal with the Mindflayer and help Aylin if alive, one to keep Ketheric occupied, and one to deal with the Necromites. Dispatching the Mindflayer quickly will help the party keep control of the battle as otherwise it will attempt to stun them. It will also grant the party member a vantage point to fight against the intellect devourers and Ketheric. Dispatching the intellect devourers shouldn't be too difficult, most AoE spells should work, and they are not too troublesome either, though they could prove an annoyance should they [[Threatened|threaten]] a ranged unit.  

Aylin can be freed from her prison via the [[Help]] action. Once free, she will assist the party in the fight, usually by charging directly at Ketheric. The Necromites on the left platform are not too dangerous, however, they should be eliminated before the next phase, otherwise Ketheric will have a great power spike. One party member with an AoE spell should suffice, leaving them up there will also provide another vantage point for the rest of the fight.

Finally, dealing with Ketheric himself should be relatively similar to his first encounter. Beware that much like any other NPCs, he will quickly deplete all his spell slots using Smite on each of his attacks, so any form of mitigating this burst damage is good, such as an [[Elixir of Radiant Resistance]]. Like in the previous fight, Ketheric can order his party to focus using [[Deadly Orders]] and raise new necromites using [[Incubate Death]].

As soon as Ketheric is defeated, the next and final phase of the fight begins. It's recommended to clear all of Ketheric's allies before moving on to the next phase of the fight.

The last phase of the fight begins as soon as Ketheric is killed, and this time the party faces the '''Apostle of Myrkul'''. Twisted by necrotic magic, the Apostle takes up the entire space in the center of the room, summoning necromites as the fight begins.  

During this phase, up to four additional [[Skeletal Involucre]]s will be created at random points at the edges of the battle space at the end of every turn. Since the involucres are resistant to piercing damage but vulnerable to bludgeoning damage, party members with access to highly mobile summons that have powerful melee attacks, such as {{c link|Elementals|nocat}}, will find themselves in good shape on this front.

The Apostle hits hard, hits often, and has a large health pool. However, the battle is manageable provided you take care of the necromites and keep the Apostle occupied. The main gimmick of the fight is that the Apostle will sacrifice a necromite in order to gain the {{SAI|Finger of Death}} spell. Should the necromites be dealt with (or the Apostle itself prevented from consuming them), then this spell won't be an issue.  

The Apostle's presence also applies {{cond|Bone Chilled}} to anyone near it on the platform, which prevents healing damaged party members. Wounded party members can use [[Disengage]] to leave the platform (or move to a few small areas at the very edge of it outside the Bone Chill aura), and downed ones can be shoved off by others if necessary.  

Party members having trouble hitting the Apostle can turn to area-of-effect attacks, such as spells or smokepowder bombs.  

Despite the large size of the Apostle, it's still susceptible to most regular conditions, such as weakened or blinded, and can be made [[Wet (Condition)|wet]] using [[Create Water]]. The effect from Arrows of Ilmater that prevents healing and similar effects that prevent healing are extremely effective. Likewise, although it has a difficult-to-overcome saving throw versus many more severe conditions, casting {{SAI|Darkness}} on it will blind the Apostle thereby helping any melee fighters prevent some of the damage and combos, in particular removing its ability to opportunity strike.

The Apostle's [[Reaper's Scythe]] does respectable damage and also knocks foes back, potentially off of the platform itself. Positioning all melee units with the spikes of the arena at their back will prevent them from being knocked off the platform this way. Alternatively, the Apostle can be disarmed of its scythe, removing the threat entirely.

Once the Apostle is defeated, Ketheric will finally die for good, allowing the party to retrieve his Netherstone, and proceed to [[Baldur's Gate]].

{{Achievement|No Free Lunches}}