Scariest Monster(s) that you can make

[Calanon]

My friends want to do an Epic game (21) and they told me to go crazy... Unfortunately my mind is occupied on 2 other games that I am participating as a Player in (I play multiple games a week so yeah~) So what is the most powerful creatures you can think of/create. All books are allowed so knock yourself out. :smallamused:

[Xtomjames]

Most monsters that will be challenging to epic level players will be monsters with player classes. You've basically asked us to create epic level monster based player characters to be used as NPCs.

That said, try a Quickling Half-Fiend Barbarian. Level 29.

A Pixie Scholar level 28 out of Conan the Barbarian.
Or a Dracoillithic lich warmage level 28.

[Fable Wright]

My friends want to do an Epic game (21) and they told me to go crazy... Unfortunately my mind is occupied on 2 other games that I am participating as a Player in (I play multiple games a week so yeah~) So what is the most powerful creatures you can think of/create. All books are allowed so knock yourself out. :smallamused:

While not my own work, I hear that the Emerald Legion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101587) is just about the scariest thing that you can drop on absolutely anyone. Completely indestructible terrifying beasts of war, controlled by their illithid masters.

[dextercorvia]

Black Ethergaunt/Swiftblade10 with Initiate of Mystra in a Dead Magic demiplane.

Beholder Mage//Planar Shepard (flowing time) 100 spells per round. Now add White Raven Tactics.

[Telonius]

My friends want to do an Epic game (21) and they told me to go crazy... Unfortunately my mind is occupied on 2 other games that I am participating as a Player in (I play multiple games a week so yeah~) So what is the most powerful creatures you can think of/create. All books are allowed so knock yourself out. :smallamused:

I really think you ought to clarify "most powerful creatures you can think of." This can range anywhere from a Batman Wizard 20 to Pun-Pun to some of Tippy and Shneeky's abominations to anything up, down, or sideways from those. How high-op are your players? How thoroughly are they going to abuse the epic rules? And what's the maximum amount of cheese you can take before being ashamed of yourself?

[Calanon]

I really think you ought to clarify "most powerful creatures you can think of." This can range anywhere from a Batman Wizard 20 to Pun-Pun to some of Tippy and Shneeky's abominations to anything up, down, or sideways from those. How high-op are your players? How thoroughly are they going to abuse the epic rules? And what's the maximum amount of cheese you can take before being ashamed of yourself?

Pun-pun is clearly out of the question. I've never seen Tippy and Shneeky's abominations (Hint-hint). These are the kinds of players that will try to exploit anything and everything that can be thrown infront of them. Its a High-OP game. My last game with these guys, they literally beat the BBEG with the friken Gold dragon orb to death (It's exactly how it sounds). There is NO limit of cheese that can be applied that I will ever be ashamed of :smalltongue:

I generally don't apply class levels to Monsters BUT if I gotta then I gotta

[Dr.Orpheus]

Crawling Head from Fiend Folio with the Multi-headed, Pseudo-natural, and legendary templates. You do not need all of these, but at least do the Multi-headed template, adding several huge sized heads to a huge sized head will give you a gargantuan pile of heads letting you increase the max number of additional heads you can add so you then can make the pile colossal (You do not need to max out the number of heads if the CR is to high). The Pseudo-natural template just gives this monster more flavor, but if the CR is just to high then feel free to get rid of this one. The legendary template is great for how little the CR goes up. Lastly it is so fun to describe to your players.

You come across a pile of giant heads reaching 100ft in to the air all on top of a colossal octopus.

[Cirrylius]

...and they told me to go crazy :smallamused:

Neutronium Golem. Show them the error of their ways. :smallamused:

[Dr.Epic]

Held up in fortress, undead army approaching from every direction.

[Flickerdart]

Neutronium Golem. Show them the error of their ways. :smallamused:
Neutronium Golem loses to Black Ethergaunt, and the Ethergaunt isn't even Epic level.

[Calanon]

Neutronium Golem. Show them the error of their ways. :smallamused:

If i did this to my group they would probably get up and yell at me :smalleek:

... I am tempted to however :smallbiggrin:

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

gah, theres a thread around here somewhere from long ago, or at least awhile back, that was a pseudo-natural cat... someone has it in their sig, can't remember who though. Any case, thats terrifying. a cat with tentacles and a host of supernatural abilities.

EDIT: found it.

Snuggles... post #24 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93068) is where it starts to get good....

[AspectOfNihil]

I don't really have the mindset for this sort of thing, but you could probably make something fairly brutal if you combined Non-associated Class levels with the monster of legend template. For +2 CR, that template is hideous.

If you don't want class-levels, undead and their +1CR/4HD are your best friends. This can put them well out of turning range and if they have special attacks with DCs based on HD, it gets nasty. Same for Abberations. They tend to have more nasty special attacks, but they don't have the same immunities (though I'm sure at epic level they'll be fairly easy to nab)

[Geigan]

While not my own work, I hear that the Emerald Legion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101587) is just about the scariest thing that you can drop on absolutely anyone. Completely indestructible terrifying beasts of war, controlled by their illithid masters.

Imma second the Emerald Legion. That mindflayer cabal and their army would make a great enemy organization for epic characters.

[Balor01]

I always wonder how can a monster survive a huuuuge cube of iron falling on it for several 10.000 points of dmg.

[CTrees]

Pick a monster at random. I'm fond of dire rats. Apply every template, in every book you have. Yes, even the ones that are contradictory. Try to rationalize how this monstrosity can exist. Finally settle on, "a wizard did it." Send the party against that wizard.

[Starscream]

Adamantine-plated Paragon Beholder, but instead of eyes, each of his eyestalks has a Demilich on the end.

I've always wanted to do some sort of crossbreed between a Tarrasque and a Rust Monster as well.

[Eldan]

I always wonder how can a monster survive a huuuuge cube of iron falling on it for several 10.000 points of dmg.

Incorporeal. Immediate action teleportation. Regeneration. Very, very high DR.

The Ghost Template can make anything very, very annoying via rejuvenation.

[Socratov]

a mushy and stale sentient cake (sort of ooze in diguise)... with a lot of thrallherd levels and swallow whole... :smalleek:

or a sentient book with dreadwitch levels showing you slashfiction of yourself and another PC, ever changing on which PC's reading/closest... That would actually be horriffic...:smalleek::smalleek:

[Little Brother]

I'm in the Emerald Legion camp.

Make sure, though, that they don't abuse epic spellcasting, or nothing will be able to stand up to them.

[Qwertystop]

Teratomorph. Boost the HD and saves. Add a few extra effects if you want.

[dextercorvia]

Living Epic Spell of Rocks Fall

[Wings of Peace]

Zanatos style villains are scary in epic. Everything else is rocket tag.

[super dark33]

Im in the Obsidian legion camp.

Its like emerald legion, just add both half fiend and both fiendinish templates to it.

[Aegis013]

Adamantine-plated Paragon Beholder, but instead of eyes, each of his eyestalks has a Demilich on the end.

I'm implementing this into every game I run from now on forever. Awesome.

[RedWarrior0]

Crack open Deities and Demigods, pick a greater deity at random, win.

cryohydra//beholder//illithid with class levels.

Pandorym. Or any Elder Evil, really.

Send them into battle with a mechanical colossus of unknown material. At some point, they realize it is the plane of Mechanus itself.

[CTrees]

Animated Object, constructed out of a Deck of Many Things.

Intelligent Sphere of Annihilation.

Sphere of Annihilation golem.

Living Spell (Miracle).

[Campbellk8105]

Tarrasque'o'Wisp or Atropaltonchieres

[motoko's ghost]

Greater phantom Vecna-blooded Balor with levels in fiend of possession and thrallherd, Hide in plain sight and the darkstalker feat.:smallwink:

Possibly give it quicken SLA(greater teleport) to make a quick getaway.

With the right tactics/build should be scary,even for epic parties with the difficulty in finding it and the fact that you can only really kill the body its in now and it has an unlimited supply of bodies.

[Randomguy]

What's wrong with plain old epic monsters? Make them fight the action economy itself, in the form of a gibbering orb.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Epic Monsters (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/epicMonstersAndObstacles.htm), for starters.

Tarrasque (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/tarrasque.htm) + Half-Fiend (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfFiend.htm) + Divine Rank 0 (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineRanksAndPowers.htm#divineRanks), CR 24

Max ranks in Spot, Listen, Search, Survival, and Concentration. Kn: Local 2, Balance 5, Jump 5, Tumble 5, Kn: Arcana 5, and the rest in Spellcraft. Count them all as class skills.

Feats are Magic in the Blood (PGtF, via Kn: Local 2), Martial Study: Wall of Blades (ToB), Martial Study: Iron Heart Surge (ToB), Combat Reflexes, Quicken Spell-Like Ability: Destruction, Maximize Spell-Like Ability: Horrid Wilting, and Improved Flight (RotW).
Epic feats are Great Dexterity, Improved Combat Reflexes, Spellcasting Harrier, and Improved Spell Resistance x7.

Divine Rank 0 grants a few overlapping immunities but also takes care of some glaring weaknesses (ability damage, suffocation, starvation, movement speed). As a colossal biped its land speed changes to 140 ft., and half-fiend grants it a 140 ft. fly speed with good maneuverability with Improved Flight. Its Rush ability improves its movement by x7.5 once per minute, for 1050 ft. speed on land or flying. Note that deities are unaffected by antimagic and dead magic, as their magical abilities are fueled by their own divine nature and not reliant on the existence of magic in the environment.

With its flight and considerable Spot and Listen skills, it will probably get the drop on any potential victims. Tactics for a group of powerful opponents will be to rush in and use its caster level 48 Blasphemy, which automatically kills any nonevil creature within 40 ft. of it that has 38 or fewer HD. It will then full attack any survivors (those with high enough HD or SR to survive), and anyone who continually keeps out of reach gets a Quickened Destruction and/or some Maximized Horrid Wilting. If defeated the Tarrasque will retreat, only to track down its opponents and strike when they're most vulnerable. It can use hit and run tactics, relying on its regeneration, immunities, and Iron Heart Surge to recover fully after every battle, while preventing the enemy from resting and recovering any spells. It should use Wall of Blades to avoid a dangerous leap-attacking-charge hit, and its SR 46 will probably prevent a Wish spell from successfully ending its life (and the caster probably won't even know that it failed).

[motoko's ghost]

But that would pretty much insta-nuke anything not ridiculously above its CR, you players would either insta-die or cakewalk it.
You want something that's a challenge,but not unbeatable

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

But that would pretty much insta-nuke anything not ridiculously above its CR, you players would either insta-die or cakewalk it.
You want something that's a challenge,but not unbeatable

It is beatable, but it requires effort apart from making a statistically powerful character. You let them know ahead of time that it's about to awaken, let them know that it's not the same as the one in the book and that they'll have to discover its abilities in-character in order to defend against them. Make them go on an entire adventure or two to find out what it's capable of. A Greater Spell Immunity on every party member can easily defeat the Blasphemy, or just a simple Silence spell but that could disrupt their own spellcasting. The hard part is knowing to do that ahead of time, but then when it runs off and stalks them for days at a time they'll wish they'd prepared extras or brought a few scrolls, and they may resort to using Silence and screwing their own spellcasting just to survive. Force them to play smart and feel like their characters are at risk instead of just making unstoppable piles of numbers.

[motoko's ghost]

It is beatable, but it requires effort apart from making a statistically powerful character. You let them know ahead of time that it's about to awaken, let them know that it's not the same as the one in the book and that they'll have to discover its abilities in-character in order to defend against them. Make them go on an entire adventure or two to find out what it's capable of. A Greater Spell Immunity on every party member can easily defeat the Blasphemy, or just a simple Silence spell but that could disrupt their own spellcasting. The hard part is knowing to do that ahead of time, but then when it runs off and stalks them for days at a time they'll wish they'd prepared extras or brought a few scrolls, and they may resort to using Silence and screwing their own spellcasting just to survive. Force them to play smart and feel like their characters are at risk instead of just making unstoppable piles of numbers.
Ah okay, that's actually pretty clever, I've tried doing that a couple of times, but the people I DM usually dont get it unless its spelled out:smallfrown:
Usually when I try making a smart monster, I try to minimise its weaknesses and give it different abilities in line with the party.
Thats why dragons are iconic monsters,because they can challenge the party on all levels, and require all the players to play smart and use their resources and dont go down without a big fight. (NO mentioning shivering touch, please)