Fear the Shadows

[ExemplarofAvg]

So I've been looking at Fear effects lately and I was thinking about making a stock character possibly to be a BBEG or evil NPC focusing on Illusions and Fear effects and I was wondering what prestige classes would best work and what classes would best work.

Race:
Gnome, for Illusion Fluff and Shadowcraft Mage

Class:
Beguiler: I think it meets all of the requirements plus I think it fits flavour wise.
Illusionist (Wizard): Guaranteed to work should Beguiler fall through.
Sorcerer: Never been much of a fan but as backup if the Wizard ends up sucking.

Prestige Classes:
Dread Witch: Fear focus.
Nightmare Spinner: Fear based Illusions.
Shadowcraft Mage: (What spells have a Shadow type?) And more Illusiony goodness.

Opinions, Other Options, Advice, possibly Idea for progressions and which order the levels should be taken in.

The Base idea in my head is
Beguiler 5/ Dread Witch 5/Nightmare Spinner 5/Shadowcraft Mage 5
Awful Hit points. and Total loss of two casters levels.

[Forged Fury]

Don't have much to add, but I love Nightmare Spinner for a BBEG. Nothing says Bad Guy like the class ability to literally scare someone to death.

[gorfnab]

These handbooks may be of use to you.
Shadowcraft Mage Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5638.0)
Fear Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0)

[ExemplarofAvg]

Do you think it will work just as well if I end up using it for a PC? And have you had any interactions with the other Prestige Classes before?

[Forged Fury]

The efficiacy of Nightmare Spinner really depends on what the PC might face. Lots of fear immune stuff is obviously going to make it pretty worthless. If I recall correctly, the save DC on the capstone doesn't scale all that great. The two big things for the class to me were almost always the non-lethal rider effect and the class capstone. Both, I think, work better for an NPC than a PC.

Just something thematic about a BBEG Nightmare Spinner rolling into town and killing the town mayor by essentially saying: Fear This.

[Silva Stormrage]

The efficiacy of Nightmare Spinner really depends on what the PC might face. Lots of fear immune stuff is obviously going to make it pretty worthless. If I recall correctly, the save DC on the capstone doesn't scale all that great. The two big things for the class to me were almost always the non-lethal rider effect and the class capstone. Both, I think, work better for an NPC than a PC.

Just something thematic about a BBEG Nightmare Spinner rolling into town and killing the town mayor by essentially saying: Fear This.

Well if the pc's are fear immune than the BBEG needs to have dread witch because it lets them bypass that.

Another suggestion is fell frighten which is a metamagic that causes any damage spell to cause the target to be shaken. A Black Lore of Moil fell shaken fear causes anyone affected to be feared no save. If they make the save they are only feared for 1 round but it is really nice.

[ILM]

The two big things for the class to me were almost always the non-lethal rider effect and the class capstone. Both, I think, work better for an NPC than a PC.
Also the extra illusion spell slot per level per day, and the standard action shaken effect, save for half duration. I like the class a lot but the capstone actually feels like the weakest ability (though I love it fluff-wise).

[ExemplarofAvg]

Bump
Only for the purpose of renewed interest and need.
Looking at it for both a BBEGNPC and a PC.
Still looking at the class combinations listed.
Beguiler, Dread Witch, Nightmare Spinner and Shadowcraft Mage
The party is about Level 11 so as a PC about level 11 or 15 as the BBEG.