laeZ1
2012-08-17, 05:12 PM
I'm making an NPC in my game, and I'd like some input from the playground on how to best round him out (ie, not get beat to a pulp by my party should the party decide to do that). The NPC is a sorcerer, but we'll talk about him later.
Currently, I have six players, all at level fifteen. Here they are, in order of how many times they have foiled my plans:
Sorceror/Druid/Theurge: It's his first time playing D&D (the campaign's lasted over a year now, and he's the only one whose character is still one of the originals). The player is very intelligent, has an eye for plot devices, and his character is well rounded, with spells that target different saves, but his favorites being rays and utilities. A good chunk of his feats have to do with true name magic out of a number of different books.
Paladin: He's been playing D&D the longest out of my players, and his paladin (while not as tough as his last character) has a bunch of HP, is pretty tough to hit, and can wreck an evil NPC better than your average equivalent level rogue's sneak attack, and he's a decent healer.
Beguiler: Also a vet player, I'm not too worried about him, since he messes up my plots as often as he screws with the party. He recently picked up the leadership feat and his cohort is the healer class out of... masters of the wild, I think. The cohort, unlike his actual character, is min/maxed to a point of vomit-inducing proportions.
Bard/Barbarian: She's brand new to D&D, and with a lot of guidance and encouragement, her character showcases the two different classes very well.
Ranger/Swiftblade: Played D&D for a long time, his character focuses on giving the party haste, then fires his heavily enchanted bow at whatever they fight.
Rogue/Wizard/Daggerspellmage: He's been playing D&D for a while, and even though his build works pretty well, he's the one that usually falls into all my plot traps.
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Technically, I have two more players. One currently works too much to come to game, and he's playing an elf drow. Big powergamer, bad listener. He killed an evil wizard the party convinced to help them. The other moved to a nearby town, but doesn't own a car. He and I play online from time to time. He plays a wizard/master of the unseen hand/paladin.
Now, the NPC in question: Like I said, he's a sorcerer, and he's got a powerful Duskblade/blackguard working alongside him. He commands the guards in this town, but due to the economy, the problems of the town, and the fact that the country isn't known for having good town guards, the guards are nowhere near his ability.
I would also like to point out that my rolling is generally <6.
With all that in mind, knowing that he (human) must also have the leadership feat. I'm thinking some good counterspelling, I'm pretty sure there are a couple feats for that, and a spell he can keep up (permanency, maybe? or some magical equipment? So long as I'm thinking of it, how much SR is too much SR?). Is there a good version of charm person? Are there ways of making it better other than spell focus? Would you all recommend the PHB2 sorcerer option so he can use metamagic?
Now for his cohort, the duskblade/Blackguard. I've seen enough duskblades to know how to run one, but the big thing I'm worried about is smite evil and protection from evil. I'd rather not DMblock an ability. I'd much rather point in a book (after game, of course) and say "she was using this spell" or "she had this feat".
If everything goes according to plan, the party won't fight these two. Things rarely go according to plan.
Tl;dr: Help me build a level 22 Human Sorcerer with the leadership feat (but not based around it), and his level 20 Human Duskblade/Blackguard.
Currently, I have six players, all at level fifteen. Here they are, in order of how many times they have foiled my plans:
Sorceror/Druid/Theurge: It's his first time playing D&D (the campaign's lasted over a year now, and he's the only one whose character is still one of the originals). The player is very intelligent, has an eye for plot devices, and his character is well rounded, with spells that target different saves, but his favorites being rays and utilities. A good chunk of his feats have to do with true name magic out of a number of different books.
Paladin: He's been playing D&D the longest out of my players, and his paladin (while not as tough as his last character) has a bunch of HP, is pretty tough to hit, and can wreck an evil NPC better than your average equivalent level rogue's sneak attack, and he's a decent healer.
Beguiler: Also a vet player, I'm not too worried about him, since he messes up my plots as often as he screws with the party. He recently picked up the leadership feat and his cohort is the healer class out of... masters of the wild, I think. The cohort, unlike his actual character, is min/maxed to a point of vomit-inducing proportions.
Bard/Barbarian: She's brand new to D&D, and with a lot of guidance and encouragement, her character showcases the two different classes very well.
Ranger/Swiftblade: Played D&D for a long time, his character focuses on giving the party haste, then fires his heavily enchanted bow at whatever they fight.
Rogue/Wizard/Daggerspellmage: He's been playing D&D for a while, and even though his build works pretty well, he's the one that usually falls into all my plot traps.
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Technically, I have two more players. One currently works too much to come to game, and he's playing an elf drow. Big powergamer, bad listener. He killed an evil wizard the party convinced to help them. The other moved to a nearby town, but doesn't own a car. He and I play online from time to time. He plays a wizard/master of the unseen hand/paladin.
Now, the NPC in question: Like I said, he's a sorcerer, and he's got a powerful Duskblade/blackguard working alongside him. He commands the guards in this town, but due to the economy, the problems of the town, and the fact that the country isn't known for having good town guards, the guards are nowhere near his ability.
I would also like to point out that my rolling is generally <6.
With all that in mind, knowing that he (human) must also have the leadership feat. I'm thinking some good counterspelling, I'm pretty sure there are a couple feats for that, and a spell he can keep up (permanency, maybe? or some magical equipment? So long as I'm thinking of it, how much SR is too much SR?). Is there a good version of charm person? Are there ways of making it better other than spell focus? Would you all recommend the PHB2 sorcerer option so he can use metamagic?
Now for his cohort, the duskblade/Blackguard. I've seen enough duskblades to know how to run one, but the big thing I'm worried about is smite evil and protection from evil. I'd rather not DMblock an ability. I'd much rather point in a book (after game, of course) and say "she was using this spell" or "she had this feat".
If everything goes according to plan, the party won't fight these two. Things rarely go according to plan.
Tl;dr: Help me build a level 22 Human Sorcerer with the leadership feat (but not based around it), and his level 20 Human Duskblade/Blackguard.