villain help

[Somensjev]

ok, i'm running some PC's through a campaign, and they're going from lvl 1 to lvl 20.

so, i want a reccuring villain for them to fight, who'll appear after they do normal things (slay goblins, etc), and i want this villain to be in control of everything the PC's have faced so far

i dont know race or class, but i want a build that is playable from any level, and shows what the build is like at each level

i'd like a mid-high op villain, but not overpoweringly so, he must also be the most paranoid sunnuva out there

the villain must be ECL of up to 20, and must be able to handle 5 Pc's, and still have a "fair" fight

you can use any material (RAW, dragonmag, etc) but preferably no homebrew

[Seffbasilisk]

For behind the scenes players, I like Raksashas, especially with a hat of disguise. Until they get True-Seeing, anyone could be him.

Get their will saves, and roll saves in secret.

Take OOC chatter as similar to their thoughts.

With illusions, one can really mess things up, especially if it's coming from an 'innocent' (ring of Mind-shielding if there's a paladin or cleric in the party.)

Get them to trust no one, then he sends real innocents to them for help so the PCs either waste their detection spells, or do evil trying not to be manipulated.

[Somensjev]

-snip-

sounds fun :smallamused: any ideas for class levels, for when they actually fight the thing

[Seffbasilisk]

Dip a level in Mindbender, and pick up mindsight. Then you can either do more broad mind-reading with Mindspy. Then add on to your sorcery, before perhaps dipping Fatespinner.

If they attack him, could go with something specific to that.

[EyethatBinds]

If you have Tome of Battle and Monster Manual 3 you could make a quartet of raksashas who all specialize in particular fields. The standard one could be the leader, since he'd have the highest sorcerer level, I'd suggest making him have 11 levels of sorcerer but this would make him CR21, and the others are tough but mostly there for his support. The Ak'Chazar (MM3) focusing on Undead creation and buffs, the Naztharune (MM3) going stealth and infiltration, and the tome of battle Rakshasa could be the main line fighter for when the team gets caught with their pants down.

Give all of them a means to teleport and it'll be at least level 13 before any of them are taken down by the PCs. Just make sure that Team Tiger has no reason to consider these humans a serious threat at this point, otherwise it makes little sense for the party to survive.

[Somensjev]

-snip-
Just make sure that Team Tiger has no reason to consider these humans a serious threat at this point, otherwise it makes little sense for the party to survive.

actually, i was thinking that the bad guy(s) thougt of the PC's as more of a collection of "interesting playthings" instead of a real threat, until somewhere between levels 15-20 the BBEG(s) would maintain this mentality

[Seffbasilisk]

Use the PC's as a wrecking crew. As a spanner in the gear of some opponent or rival. Maybe the town the PC's are in, the guards there are getting in the way of some shipment. Have the PCs arrested somehow, and count on them to trash the guards for a while.

Send them up against minor annoyances. They should always feel it's their choice, but set in a way they won't refuse.

Nothing and no one is safe.

[Somensjev]

Use the PC's as a wrecking crew. As a spanner in the gear of some opponent or rival. Maybe the town the PC's are in, the guards there are getting in the way of some shipment. Have the PCs arrested somehow, and count on them to trash the guards for a while.

Send them up against minor annoyances. They should always feel it's their choice, but set in a way they won't refuse.

Nothing and no one is safe.

this is going to be so fun :smallamused:

[Waker]

You could have the villain be a Changeling Wizard racial sub (Illusionist/Transmuter) into Master Specialist (for both schools), nab a level of Mindbender and maybe a touch Master Transmogrifist or Recaster. For his banned schools I'd say Evocation, Necromancy and Abjuration.
He could be a pest right away as he can confuse the party with his natural shapeshifting, illusions and transmutations. This guy/gal can be anyone they want to be, read your mind and just in general be a real nuisance. As Seffbasillisk suggested, perhaps make the villain try and trick the party into being catspaws. By various means, they could leave clues and have the party run off and attack his enemies for him.