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Rewrote Encounter details and Tactics section, added common tactics like retreating up the stairs
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(Rewrote Encounter details and Tactics section, added common tactics like retreating up the stairs) |
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* [[Hyrald]], [[Lamona]], and the four [[Sharran Sentry]]s ([[Baxta]], [[Fredrichk]], [[Hendly]], and [[Imwise]]) will never defect. | * [[Hyrald]], [[Lamona]], and the four [[Sharran Sentry]]s ([[Baxta]], [[Fredrichk]], [[Hendly]], and [[Imwise]]) will never defect. | ||
* Failing the ability checks on the earlier dialogue options does not prevent the party from selecting the later ones. | * Failing the ability checks on the earlier dialogue options does not prevent the party from selecting the later ones. | ||
==Encounter details== | |||
Viconia is one of the more difficult opponents in the game. She is continuously affected by the conditions {{Cond|Nightbringer's Beloved}} and {{Cond|Radiant Retort}} and begins the battle under the effect of {{Cond|Sanctuary}}. She has a high initiative bonus and will begin her first turn using {{SAI|Castigate Heartform}} on the character who underwent the [[Mapping of the Heart]], followed by [[Mapped Terror]] on the same target, crippling one character with a series of debuffs. Of the several variations of Mapped Terror, {{SAI|Mapped Terror: Ceremorphosis}} is potentially the worst, fully locking down one character for at least two turns with a {{Cond|Stunned|stun}}-like effect. | |||
Viconia herself is a capable melee attacker thanks to the strength bonus from her {{SmRarityItem|Handmaiden's Mace}}, application of {{SAI|Divine Strike: Poison}}, and potential guaranteed [[Critical hit|critical hits]] from {{SAI|Castigate Heartform}}. Disarming her can be useful for reducing her damage output, but she will still have many powerful spells to fall back on. | |||
=== Allies === | |||
The Sharrans possess overwhelming strength in numbers. Viconia is supported by nineteen allies including two powerful [[Justiciar Crusader|Justiciar Crusaders]], four [[Sharran Sentry]]s, five [[Sharran Fidelian]] mages, and 8 [[Sharran Novice]]s. All of her allies possess the passive feature {{SAI|Born into Darkness}} which allows them to see through {{SAI|Darkness}} and take advantage of many spells and passives like {{SAI|Overwhelming Grief}} and {{SAI|Shadow Ambush}}. The Sharran Fidelians will cast {{SAI|Darkness}} to set up these effects and also frequently attack with {{SAI|Bone Chill}} to prevent the party from healing. | |||
=== Honour Mode === | |||
Viconia gains one [[Legendary action]] per round and three new abilities on [[Honour Mode]]: {{SAI|Heartwrench}}, {{SAI|Sanctuary of Loss}}, and the passive {{SAI|Impenetrable Shadow}}. Heartwrench adds a high-power targeted attack that focuses down the character whose heartform was mapped, while the latter two abilities defensively buff Viconia and her allies with additional instances of Sanctuary. | |||
==Tactics== | ==Tactics== | ||
The easiest way around the Mapping abilities is also the most obvious: don't do the Mapping of the Heart, or don't take the mapped character into battle. Avoiding the Mapping can be done by either leaving the mapped character at camp or passing a {{Ability check|Investigation|20}} to reveal a button that unlocks the entrance to the Cloister without having to participate in the Mapping. Without the Mapping completed, Viconia cannot use Castigate Heartform or Mapped Terror. | |||
Triggering Viconia's {{SAI|Radiant Retort}} with a small AoE source of Radiant damage, such as {{SAI|Spirit Guardians}}, can prematurely block her Sanctuary and allow her to be targeted as early as the first turn. | |||
It is highly recommended to bring a dedicated caster or a large number of AoE spells to this fight, especially in ''Honour Mode''. This will allow the party to deal with the large number of enemies and potentially bypass Viconia's {{SAI|Sanctuary}} and Legendary {{SAI|Sanctuary of Loss}} abilities which prevent her from being targeted by single-target spells or melee attacks. This is potentially an excellent battle to use a [[Cleric|Cleric's]] [[Divine Intervention: Sunder the Heretical]], especially in conjunction with death-prevention effects like {{SAI|Death Ward}}. The enormous radius and large radiant damage will wipe out many weaker Novices and deal significant damage to all other Sharrans, though if it hits Viconia then it will trigger her {{Cond|Radiant Retort}} to kill the caster. | |||
Perhaps most significantly, the entire fight can be somewhat cheesed with a very simple strategy: using the chokepoint. Retreating back up the stairs and through the door will force the entire Sharran army to follow and clump up close together. This makes them very vulnerable to damaging terrain such as {{SAI|Wall of Fire}}, {{SAI|Wall of Ice}}, and {{SAI|Spike Growth}}, as well as AoE spells such as {{SAI|Fireball}}, {{SAI|Cone of Cold}}, and {{SAI|Sunbeam}}. It also places the party on the high ground and allows them to keep pushing enemies back onto damaging surfaces with {{SAI|Thunderwave}}, {{SmRarityItem|Smokepowder Bomb}}, or even {{SAI|Shove}}. | |||
=== Allies === | === Allies === | ||
It is also critical for the party to focus down the five Sharran Fidelians and Sentry [[Fredrichk]]. While Viconia and all her allies have many ways of benefiting from {{SAI|Darkness}}, only these six characters are actually able to cast it. If they are dead or crowd controlled then the other Sharrans will lose access to many powerful synergies and abilities, making them much less threatening. | |||
The Sharran Fidelians also make liberal use of {{SAI|Bone Chill}} cantrips during the fight. Be sure to prepare your party with additional HP, temporary HP, or a way of preventing damage to one or more characters (invisibility, sanctuary, etc.) to avoid a situation where much of your party is immunized to healing effects. | |||
In the case that the Sharrans are able to fill the battlefield with {{SAI|Darkness}}, the party can rely on certain items and spells to counter it. Sources of immunity to {{Cond|Blinded}} such as {{SmRarityItem|Eversight Ring}} or {{SmRarityItem|Shar's Spear of Evening}} may be necessary for melee characters to wade through the clouds of darkness. The party can also cast {{SAI|Daylight}} to dispel the Darkness but they should keep in mind that the most recently cast instance of Sunlight or Darkness will override the other, so Sharran Fidelians could summon more Darkness to extinguish it. | |||
The Justiciar Crusaders, [[Nightmist]] and [[Owltalon]], are second only to Viconia in power and are also significant threats to the party. However, they have very low Wisdom saving throws and thus make great targets for crowd control like {{SAI|Command}} or {{SAI|Hold Person}}, as well as for mind-control effects like {{SAI|Confusion}} or {{SAI|Dominate Person}}. | |||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
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* The bestial polymorphs from Mapped Terror: Wolves and Mapped Terror: Spiders are illusory, and thus not targetable with [[Dominate Beast]]. They also function like a [[Druid|Druid's]] [[Wild Shape]], with the polymorphed creature returning to their original form after the beast's hit points are depleted. | * The bestial polymorphs from Mapped Terror: Wolves and Mapped Terror: Spiders are illusory, and thus not targetable with [[Dominate Beast]]. They also function like a [[Druid|Druid's]] [[Wild Shape]], with the polymorphed creature returning to their original form after the beast's hit points are depleted. | ||
{{noteend}} | {{noteend}} | ||
* Viconia can be reanimated with Sovereign Glut's spores | * Viconia can be reanimated with Sovereign Glut's spores | ||
[[Category:Combat guides]] | [[Category:Combat guides]] | ||