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Fiery Diamond
2010-02-03, 03:20 AM
So, as part of my campaign, I'd like to come up with a villain who is important politically but doesn't seem villainy to anyone who interacts with him. He is an intelligent and cunning man, who is secretly working toward two goals: ultimate power for himself and learning about the much more advanced ancient civilization in order to use its magics to bring about destruction. He worships the evil god of the Void, Vorago (whose domains include Evil, Death, Destruction, Power, and War). He holds a position as a researcher and department head in the Academy and is also a noble with special privileges and is on good terms with the royal family.

Rules for his build:
Gestalt. Prestige, if used, can be done on both sides.
No wizard levels (but sorcerer is fine).
No flaws or traits.
Complete Arcane and MIC allowed, as well as Metamagic feats from any book.
Otherwise, core only.
Level 10. (in this setting, this means he's among the best of the best, barring absolute champions and true heroes).
WBL for a 15th level character (using PC WBL, not NPC loot).
Ability Scores: 18, 16, 16, 14, 14, 14 before bonuses.
Race: Human, no templates applied.
If he has Item Creation Feats, he can craft his own items (he can have 10,000XP to play with for this purpose). He can even craft custom items using the rules in the DMG and MIC (if the two disagree, use whichever is cheaper).


Suggest Builds for me! Make him very powerful, but avoid gamebreaking cheeze. This is a high-powered campaign, and I want to make him a challenge for my PCs, who are a Monk//Sorcerer, a Rogue//Ranger, a Druid//Ranger, and a Cleric//Bard (none of them are fully optimized, but they all have great stats and equipment). They should be around his level or a level lower than him when they fight him.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 04:11 AM
So, as part of my campaign, I'd like to come up with a villain who is important politically but doesn't seem villainy to anyone who interacts with him. He is an intelligent and cunning man, who is secretly working toward two goals: ultimate power for himself and learning about the much more advanced ancient civilization in order to use its magics to bring about destruction. He worships the evil god of the Void, Vorago (whose domains include Evil, Death, Destruction, Power, and War). He holds a position as a researcher and department head in the Academy and is also a noble with special privileges and is on good terms with the royal family.

Rules for his build:
Gestalt. Prestige, if used, can be done on both sides.
No wizard levels (but sorcerer is fine).
No flaws or traits.
Complete Arcane and MIC allowed, as well as Metamagic feats from any book.
Otherwise, core only.
Level 10. (in this setting, this means he's among the best of the best, barring absolute champions and true heroes).
WBL for a 15th level character (using PC WBL, not NPC loot).
Ability Scores: 18, 16, 16, 14, 14, 14 before bonuses.
Race: Human, no templates applied.
If he has Item Creation Feats, he can craft his own items (he can have 10,000XP to play with for this purpose). He can even craft custom items using the rules in the DMG and MIC (if the two disagree, use whichever is cheaper).


Suggest Builds for me! Make him very powerful, but avoid gamebreaking cheeze. This is a high-powered campaign, and I want to make him a challenge for my PCs, who are a Monk//Sorcerer, a Rogue//Ranger, a Druid//Ranger, and a Cleric//Bard (none of them are fully optimized, but they all have great stats and equipment). They should be around his level or a level lower than him when they fight him.

I'd suggest some sort of Druid//Cleric or Druid//Sorcerer going "zilla". I would suggest Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil, but at level 10 you'd only get one level in it, which isn't all that good. Instead, since he has all that money, get him a Cube of Force, one of the better defensive items out there.

Temotei
2010-02-03, 04:18 AM
It would be funny to make a joke build and win, wouldn't it?

Commoner 10//aristocrat 10. :smallbiggrin:

Strength: 14
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 18

Seriously though, a good build for PC's would probably involve another tier 1 class like cleric, as the above poster mentioned. Maybe you could go cloistered cleric and monk or paladin with Knowledge Devotion with huge ranks in all Knowledge.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 04:23 AM
It would be funny to make a joke build and win, wouldn't it?

Commoner 10//aristocrat 10. :smallbiggrin:

Strength: 14
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 18

Seriously though, a good build for PC's would probably involve another tier 1 class like cleric, as the above poster mentioned. Maybe you could go cloistered cleric and monk or paladin with Knowledge Devotion with huge ranks in all Knowledge.

Cloistered Cleric is Unearthed Arcana, which has dodgy core-status. Knowledge Devotion is Complete Champion. He said core-only with a couple of exceptions.

absolmorph
2010-02-03, 04:23 AM
Make him an animal handler. Give him a secret lair hidden far away in some mountains, which he can reach by going into a secret room in his public home.
Give him a lot of somewhat advanced dinosaurs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dinosaur.htm#deinonychus) guarding his lair.
Give him a wolf mount (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/direWolf.htm) advanced to 10 HD. Actually, scratch that. Rhinoceros mount (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/rhinoceros.htm), instead.
I'll work up a stat block in a sec. I'm thinking Expert//Sorcerer, so he has an ability to definitely use the magic he's searching for.

Expert//Sorcerer 10

Hit Points 10d6+30 (60)
Str 14 (+2), Dex 14 (+2), Con 16 (+3), Int 16 (+3), Wis 16 (+3), Cha 28 (+9)
BAB +7, Fort +6 Ref +5, Will +10, AC 18 (+2 Dex, +6 enhancement)

Spells Known (casts per day, DC):
0th (6, DC 19): Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation, Light, Read Magic, Arcane Mark, Ray of Frost, Flare, Dancing Lights, Open/Close
1st (8, DC 20): Comprehend Languages, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement, Silent Image, Reduce Person
2nd (8, DC 21) Bull's Strength, Glitterdust, Fog cloud, Web
3rd (7, DC 22) Haste, Fly, Displacement
4th (7, DC 23) Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door
5th (5, DC 24) Animal Growth

Skills: Bluff +21, Concentration +13 (+4 casting defensively), Diplomacy +25, Disguise +13, Gather Information +15, Handle Animal +28, Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +16, Preform (Oratory) +14, Ride +15, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +18, Survival +8, Tumble +7


Feats: Animal Affinity (1st)
Mounted Combat (human)
Eschew Materials (3rd)
Skill Focus (Handle Animal) (6th)
Combat Casting (9th)

Bag of Holding IV (10,000 gp)
Circlet of Persuasion (4,500 gp)
Cloak of Charisma +6 (36,000 gp)
Tome of Leadership and Influence +2 (82,500 gp)
Shortspear +2 (8,302 gp)
Light Crossbow +3 (18,335 gp)
Bracers of Armor +6 (36,000 gp)
195,637/200,000 gp
4,363 gp left for whatever mundane equipment you want him to carry.

Rhinoceros Mount

Large Animal
Hit Dice: 10d8+50
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (-1 size, +7 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+19
Attack: Gore +14 melee (2d6+12)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +3
Str 26, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 2

Skills: Listen +14, Spot +3
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Improved Natural Attack (gore)

Powerful Charge (Ex)
A rhinoceros deals 4d6+24 points of damage when it makes a charge.


Deinonychus Guards

Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 6d8+24 (48)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+2 Dex, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+8
Attack: Talons +9 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Talons +9 melee (1d8+4) and 2 foreclaws +3 melee (1d3+2) and bite +3 melee (2d4+2)
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +2
Str 19, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10

Skills: Hide +12, Jump +26, Listen +10, Spot +10, Survival +10
Feats: Run, Track, Weapon Focus (Talons)

Pounce (Ex)
If a deinonychus charges, it can make a full attack.


EDIT: Got all the skill bonuses for the villain figured out and posted the mount and guards.

Frozen_Feet
2010-02-03, 04:39 AM
That description immediatly made me think about Paladin of Slaughter // Sorcerer. If PoT isn't core enough, Cleric // Sorcerer with domains of Death and Destruction would be fit that fluff nicely too.

I suggest similar stat allocatement as Temotei. For spells, buffs that will make him or possible minions OMGHAX. For gear, eh... +5 magic sword? Cloak of Charisma? Ring of Dispelling to screw over party caster's favorite spell?

Then again, you could make Fighter // Expert, and use it in unison with the above animal handler idea to make a wicked mounted combatant.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 04:42 AM
That description immediatly made me think about Paladin of Slaughter // Sorcerer. If PoT isn't core enough, Cleric // Sorcerer with domains of Death and Destruction would be fit that fluff nicely too.

I suggest similar stat allocatement as Temotei. For spells, buffs that will make him or possible minions OMGHAX. For gear, eh... +5 magic sword? Cloak of Charisma? Ring of Dispelling to screw over party caster's favorite spell?

Then again, you could make Fighter // Expert, and use it in unison with the above animal handler idea to make a wicked mounted combatant.

If noone knows he's evil, he's certainly not a Paladin of Slaughter. Tyranny, maybe.

avr
2010-02-03, 04:42 AM
Have him be similar to but eviler than the party Cleric//Bard? This gives him the knowledge skills to be a researcher & covers his weak saves as a Cleric.

Rather than a zilla I'd look at summoning stuff & buffing it though if he's likely to get any warning before a fight, which seems likely considering his background. A lesser planar ally (succubus?) seems reasonable even if they catch him totally off guard. Also, spells like Modify Memory sound really useful for someone working in the background.

Temotei
2010-02-03, 04:43 AM
Cloistered Cleric is Unearthed Arcana, which has dodgy core-status. Knowledge Devotion is Complete Champion. He said core-only with a couple of exceptions.

Knowledge Devotion must be an exception. :smallyuk:

:smallbiggrin:

Frozen_Feet
2010-02-03, 09:51 AM
If noone knows he's evil, he's certainly not a Paladin of Slaughter. Tyranny, maybe.

Undetectable alignment as 2nd level spell. 'Nuf said. Yes, Paladin of Tyranny would fit about as well, I thought of Slaughter mostly because his goal is destruction instead of domination. He could masquarade as a Paladin of Freedom.

Tyndmyr
2010-02-03, 12:40 PM
I'd suggest some sort of Druid//Cleric or Druid//Sorcerer going "zilla". I would suggest Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil, but at level 10 you'd only get one level in it, which isn't all that good. Instead, since he has all that money, get him a Cube of Force, one of the better defensive items out there.

I beg to differ. It's still one veil a day, and even at level 10, Immunity to non magical ranged attacks for minutes/level is pretty useful. The fire damage to anyone coming into melee and unimpeachable abjuration is just a bonus.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 01:20 PM
Undetectable alignment as 2nd level spell. 'Nuf said. Yes, Paladin of Tyranny would fit about as well, I thought of Slaughter mostly because his goal is destruction instead of domination. He could masquarade as a Paladin of Freedom.

That's not the problem. A Paladin of Slaughter falls if they don't deliberately break laws and murder random people for kicks.


I beg to differ. It's still one veil a day, and even at level 10, Immunity to non magical ranged attacks for minutes/level is pretty useful. The fire damage to anyone coming into melee and unimpeachable abjuration is just a bonus.

Cube of Force keeps out All Things for longer.

Tyndmyr
2010-02-03, 01:21 PM
Yes, but it doesn't allow you to casually fire out from inside of it, something most villains will appreciate quite a bit.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 01:23 PM
Yes, but it doesn't allow you to casually fire out from inside of it, something most villains will appreciate quite a bit.

The only things you can't fire out of it are Horns of Blasting, Prismatic Spray, Disintegrate and a couple of others IIRC. It seems to be a one-way wall to me.

Tyndmyr
2010-02-03, 01:30 PM
Well, it throws up a Wall of Force around the user, and doesn't specify that it's one way. By default, Wall of Force works in both directions.

Now, depending on the level its set at, and what method you are using to attack, you can use it to stop things other than what you're attacking with, but you certainly cant have it stop all things and still attack out of it normally.

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 01:48 PM
Well, it throws up a Wall of Force around the user, and doesn't specify that it's one way. By default, Wall of Force works in both directions.

Now, depending on the level its set at, and what method you are using to attack, you can use it to stop things other than what you're attacking with, but you certainly cant have it stop all things and still attack out of it normally.

Well, it says that it keeps those things out, not that it stops them going out. Hmm. I dunno.

absolmorph
2010-02-03, 02:01 PM
Well, it says that it keeps those things out, not that it stops them going out. Hmm. I dunno.
It's a Wall of Force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm) cast as a cube.

A wall of force spell creates an invisible wall of force. The wall cannot move, it is immune to damage of all kinds, and it is unaffected by most spells, including dispel magic. However, disintegrate immediately destroys it, as does a rod of cancellation, a sphere of annihilation, or a mage’s disjunction spell. Breath weapons and spells cannot pass through the wall in either direction, although dimension door, teleport, and similar effects can bypass the barrier. It blocks ethereal creatures as well as material ones (though ethereal creatures can usually get around the wall by floating under or over it through material floors and ceilings). Gaze attacks can operate through a wall of force.
Emphasis mine.

Viletta Vadim
2010-02-03, 02:06 PM
When you say 'level 10,' do you mean ECL or CR? Templates and such apply differently to NPCs than PCs.

I'm thinking along the lines of an Unarmed Swordsage//Evil Incarnate 4/ClericX/something lich, using Gentle Repose regularly to keep from decomposing and Undetectable Alignment to hide the fact that he's a giant ball of weaponized ebul. This guy can pile on some serious damage output for a non-ubercharger.

absolmorph
2010-02-03, 02:08 PM
When you say 'level 10,' do you mean ECL or CR? Templates and such apply differently to NPCs than PCs.

I'm thinking along the lines of an Unarmed Swordsage//Evil Incarnate 4/ClericX/something lich, using Gentle Repose regularly to keep from decomposing and Undetectable Alignment to hide the fact that he's a giant ball of weaponized ebul. This guy can pile on some serious damage output for a non-ubercharger.

He said he wants a Human, with no templates applied.

Arakune
2010-02-03, 02:19 PM
Too bad it's core+Cmage, otherwise a factotum could do better.

Try

Sorc X/Mage of the Arcane order Y, grab arcane preparation, sanctum spell and heigthen spell for "early" entry (make the sanctum your... er... sanctum). For the other part try to fit some gish like class.

AirGuitarGod32
2010-02-03, 02:27 PM
Perfected Strahd?

Human Evolved (x2) Vampire
Death Master 10/Tainted Scholar 2/Lifedrinker 8//Fighter 10/Ur Priest 10?

magic9mushroom
2010-02-03, 03:50 PM
It's a Wall of Force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm) cast as a cube.

Emphasis mine.

That's a normal wall of force. A Cube of Force blocks different stuff, so it would seem logical that it could also be one-way.

Gnorman
2010-02-03, 06:52 PM
Perfected Strahd?

Human Evolved (x2) Vampire
Death Master 10/Tainted Scholar 2/Lifedrinker 8//Fighter 10/Ur Priest 10?

Go read the OP again and get back to us.

Anyway, I echo the Cleric idea. Death and Destruction are trashy domains, though. Evil seems good. I've never heard of Power. But use that one instead of War.

I would use a Cleric//Rogue, with an emphasis on laying traps (magical or otherwise) around his lair and summoning creatures. He seems like the type to be a bit crazy prepared, after all. The rogue levels will give him the social skills necessary to keep his agenda secret and schmooze with the royals, while giving him excellent skills in stealth to annoy your players.

He should stay hidden at all times, while summoning a veritable army of horrible beastly demons to throw at your players. If you're willing/able to branch out into Complete Scoundrel, give him Malconvoker levels on the cleric side. Otherwise dip Thaumaturgist. Maybe handwave the "Arcane caster level 5" requirement of Mindbender and throw in a level, giving him Telepathy to freak out your players. On the rogue side, you could fit in a couple of levels of Blackguard if you use a Feat Rogue instead of a Sneak Attack Rogue.

Around this level, you're going to want to throw Vrocks, Succubi, and Babaus around as minions. He should have plenty of them bound in his secret evil laboratory. Maybe his retinue of researchers and escorts can actually be demons in disguise?

BenTheJester
2010-02-03, 07:30 PM
Clerics/Paladin of Tyranny/Slaughter can't work.

His character hasn't been registered as evil yet. And even undetectable alignment won't hide your super mega aura of evil.

kladams707
2010-02-03, 09:31 PM
Just a crazy spitballing idea: bard//warmage

though, that might not be powerful enough for your needs.