Da'Shain
2013-01-06, 08:49 PM
I'll be running a campaign soon that deals with an incursion of Mind Flayers of Thoon (3.5 ed, MMV) into Golarion. It's set to end on an epic scale and so will be going to at least 20th level (possibly more if I make up some PF rules for it), but it's starting at 10th by the players' request. I've been working on transferring Mind Flayers over to Pathfinder, but additionally I have to level them up somewhat to make them a challenge, and I was thinking it'd be flavorful to simply give them all levels in some psionic classes in order to raise their threat appropriately.
For example, with Shadow Flayers, I was thinking that a few levels of soulblade would aid their assassination shtick, and wanted to build them as dual-wielding light blades which they throw; however, I'm not sure whether such levels would count as associated or not, since adding only a few will not really contribute very much, but adding double that will likely overpower them for the CR's I'm shooting for. They're CR 8 in 3.5 and approximately that in PF; I'm shooting for CR 12-14 for them, for use in later sessions, and while 4-6 levels of Soulknife seem low if they're associated, 8-12 seem a bit high if unassociated. Suggestions? Or perhaps I should try another class?
I also want the players to have a nemesis, someone who levels with them, and while the Thoon Elder Brain (greatly enhanced) is the BBEG, I thought that having a Ulitharid (3.5, Lords of Madness) who is always just a bit more powerful than the party's norm would be good for a more personal foe. In LoM, it states that Psionic Ulitharids manifest as Telepath Psions of their HD; however, I wanted to make him a more physical threat (to contrast with the Elder Brain as well as some other monsters), and was toying with having him instead manifest as a Psychic Warrior. Ulitharids start at 12 HD; I was thinking he'd begin as a straight Ulitharid, and then gain levels of Psychic Warrior with the Feral Warrior path, until eventually he's manifesting as a 20th level Psychic Warrior but only has 8 actual levels in it. Would this be OP? Or not enough?
I'd appreciate any suggestions people have, whether for combining classes in interesting ways, or for avoiding making the encounters too overpowering.
For example, with Shadow Flayers, I was thinking that a few levels of soulblade would aid their assassination shtick, and wanted to build them as dual-wielding light blades which they throw; however, I'm not sure whether such levels would count as associated or not, since adding only a few will not really contribute very much, but adding double that will likely overpower them for the CR's I'm shooting for. They're CR 8 in 3.5 and approximately that in PF; I'm shooting for CR 12-14 for them, for use in later sessions, and while 4-6 levels of Soulknife seem low if they're associated, 8-12 seem a bit high if unassociated. Suggestions? Or perhaps I should try another class?
I also want the players to have a nemesis, someone who levels with them, and while the Thoon Elder Brain (greatly enhanced) is the BBEG, I thought that having a Ulitharid (3.5, Lords of Madness) who is always just a bit more powerful than the party's norm would be good for a more personal foe. In LoM, it states that Psionic Ulitharids manifest as Telepath Psions of their HD; however, I wanted to make him a more physical threat (to contrast with the Elder Brain as well as some other monsters), and was toying with having him instead manifest as a Psychic Warrior. Ulitharids start at 12 HD; I was thinking he'd begin as a straight Ulitharid, and then gain levels of Psychic Warrior with the Feral Warrior path, until eventually he's manifesting as a 20th level Psychic Warrior but only has 8 actual levels in it. Would this be OP? Or not enough?
I'd appreciate any suggestions people have, whether for combining classes in interesting ways, or for avoiding making the encounters too overpowering.