Quirken
2010-12-23, 05:39 AM
Basically, an Intellect Devourer can reanimate bodies and pretend to be people. This seems to have great potential for confusing the hell out of my players.
I'm designing a dungeon crawl for a party of 5 level-6 characters. (Paladin, Rogue-melee, Rogue-ranged, Cleric, Sorceror). This is more of a GM-oriented set of questions, although this is a Pathfinder campaign.
The Intellect Devourer's stat block is here: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/intellect-devourer (3.5e version here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Intellect_Devourer).
The PCs know they're looking for the sister of someone from town, but don't know what she looks like.
Basically, my plan is to have an "NPC from town" tied up and in a chair in a room with a bunch of other helpless/recently dead characters. PCs will probably go in, untie her, etc, and something will distract them (probably a crazed townsfolk tries to attack the "NPC"). Meanwhile, NPC will "cower" behind them. After an easy fight, the "NPC," actually a (weakened) Intellect Devourer, will use Confusion on one of the PCs.
This should create some great chaos and they'll probably blame it on something else if all goes as planned. While they're distracted again, she'll actually attack.
Anyway... here come the questions. I want to weaken the ID because it just seems pretty damn tough as is. I'm thinking higher-AC, lower HP, much lower DR, no resistance, and lots of relatively weak bodies for him to take over.
Does this seem like a good way to balance a fun/bizarre encounter with challenge? Or am I overdoing it? Any ideas on how to make more chaos without making it too tough?
I'm designing a dungeon crawl for a party of 5 level-6 characters. (Paladin, Rogue-melee, Rogue-ranged, Cleric, Sorceror). This is more of a GM-oriented set of questions, although this is a Pathfinder campaign.
The Intellect Devourer's stat block is here: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/aberrations/intellect-devourer (3.5e version here: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Intellect_Devourer).
The PCs know they're looking for the sister of someone from town, but don't know what she looks like.
Basically, my plan is to have an "NPC from town" tied up and in a chair in a room with a bunch of other helpless/recently dead characters. PCs will probably go in, untie her, etc, and something will distract them (probably a crazed townsfolk tries to attack the "NPC"). Meanwhile, NPC will "cower" behind them. After an easy fight, the "NPC," actually a (weakened) Intellect Devourer, will use Confusion on one of the PCs.
This should create some great chaos and they'll probably blame it on something else if all goes as planned. While they're distracted again, she'll actually attack.
Anyway... here come the questions. I want to weaken the ID because it just seems pretty damn tough as is. I'm thinking higher-AC, lower HP, much lower DR, no resistance, and lots of relatively weak bodies for him to take over.
Does this seem like a good way to balance a fun/bizarre encounter with challenge? Or am I overdoing it? Any ideas on how to make more chaos without making it too tough?