BBEG suggestions

[limejuicepowder]

In the game I'm DM'ing, the group is about the meet the BBEG for the first time. They were more or less led to him by a bounty hunter NPC that has been tracking this guy for some time, and needs help actually making the capture.

The bounty hunter has given them some amount of backround: the BBEG is a cultist and a madman, appearing here and there, causing some trouble then dissapearing again. He worships an ancient, evil god and works to bring about the god's resurrection. The BBEG is an inventor of sorts, making dark items enchance his power and the power of the mercenaries he hires (clearly, he's an artificer).

I have already made the stats, but I'm undecided on his character. Originally I was going to make him a delusional wacko, but now I'm kind of thinking he should be a sophistocate (just to throw the screwball, 'cause I know the group is expecting the wacko). What does the playground think? The choice isn't between those two btw; I'm open to any and all suggestions.

[Metahuman1]

There isn't a BBEG. There's two.

There Identical Twins. There both cultists, but of very subtly different cults.

One of them is the Wacko that the PC's are expecting. Think Heath Ledgers Joker. He's Bat**** insane and he kills literally on the whim, but he's very smart, very clever, and very good at doing something you don't expect. A Master at using your rules against you.

The other, he's Sophisticated, always with the nice wines and civil conversation, constantly insisting you can come to an "Arraignment." He's very suave, very hands off, loves his behind the scene's political maneuvering.

And both are Artificers.


As for the bounty Hunter, his Intel was bad, or at least, incomplete.

[Socratov]

There isn't a BBEG. There's two.

There Identical Twins. There both cultists, but of very subtly different cults.

One of them is the Wacko that the PC's are expecting. Think Heath Ledgers Joker. He's Bat**** insane and he kills literally on the whim, but he's very smart, very clever, and very good at doing something you don't expect. A Master at using your rules against you.

The other, he's Sophisticated, always with the nice wines and civil conversation, constantly insisting you can come to an "Arraignment." He's very suave, very hands off, loves his behind the scene's political maneuvering.

And both are Artificers.


As for the bounty Hunter, his Intel was bad, or at least, incomplete.

to summarize: Heath Ledger as the Joker, and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal.

[sirpercival]

I'll make the same suggestion here I did on another post.

What you want is a Binder/Ur-Priest/Divine-adapted Anima Mage.

Evil? Check. Bringing back a dead god? Check. Insane? If he's binding Zceryll, he is. Crafting dark items? With high Knowledge:religion checks he can sacrifice cultists to get as much Dark Craft XP and Gold as he likes, and then bind Astaroth and craft whatever he wants with them, for free.

Have him commit to an Elder Evil for free vile feats for extra bonus points.

And, this build is extremely powerful and versatile. As a binder, every time he appears he displays different abilities. He's also a full divine caster so there's very little he can't do. For example, how about having him shut down the party's melee with a persisted End to Strife? Or their ranged attacks and orb spells with a persisted Friendly Fire. He bound Zceryll so he has Mindsight (good luck sneaking up on him, rogue) and has Rapid Recovery so every 4 rounds he pops out a couple pseudonatural bone devils.

For even more ridiculosity, burn a couple of levels with Uncanny Trickster and Legacy Champion and take a major bloodline. How does an EBL through the roof sound?