Halloween Fear BBEG DM help 3.5

[Drackstin]

So for Halloween I'm setting up a horror session for my group to go threw. the campaign I'm running has been a little dark anyway so this is just going to add to it. ill be leading up to it in the normal horror movie suspenseful manner. i just want to make sure that my Minor reacquiring BBEG can do what i want him to.

i want to make him with the inspire awe bard variant from dragon magic.

i want him to take 1 level of mind bender and also go into Nightmare spinner

his level will be 7th or 8th and he will have the dark creature template from TOM(this will be a LA+0 from LAbuyoff)

he has the graft Fearsome Eye From the fiend folio (an eye of power stolen from one of the groups PCs brothers during his murder)

feats i want to make him who he is are, Aberration Blood, Inhuman Reach, Darkstalker from lords of madness.(only aberration blood is needed at the time of the first encounter)

Haunting Melody(HH123), and Dreadful Wrath (PG38) are wanted feats and maybe, Doomspeak (CR18) and Unnatural Aura (Dragon Magazine, Issue 356, Page 89)

he is human so he will have the bonus feat at first level.

i want him to get into the minds of the group, using the bards illusions to draw out their fears, and knowledge of there backstorys to push them over the edge.

he will be ether using perform ventriloquist or perform impersonation or both.

his description is, a tall and lengthy man that's able to bend and contort his body, spinning and twisting it in ways no one should be able too. He wears leather armor that looks as though its made of black leather belts, and he wears a white mask with a big smile on it. he tends to high right in front of you or being you, taunting whispering in your ear, throwing his voice, or anyone's voice around you. he finds pleasure in finding your deepest secrets and using them to cause fear.

the first trace the group will find of him is a cottage in the woods, where everyone inside was murdered, and in blood "i know everything" is spread across the ceiling.

So what I'm asking is the best way to make him, and also for progression. i want him to be around for some time, and be the thing that the party is always looking over heir shoulder for when they are proceeding with the real mission. also im looking for any other suggestions and how to use him.

[Red Fel]

There are useful handbooks (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3809.0) out there for Fear builds, and I remember Biff sharing an absurdly good (or evil) Bard/Nightmare Spinner/Dread Witch/Sublime Chord build that uses all sorts of lovely fear mechanics (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252815#4).

Those two links will provide you with valuable tips on how to build around and use fear mechanics.

[Brookshw]

What's the level of the party or target villian level? Just for imagery I like the idea of working phantasmal killer in.

[Tim Proctor]

I once had a character like this called Alice Cooper with the 'Welcome to my nightmare' feat.

His whole thing was to fear people into being incapable of fighting and killing them with fear alone, and it was good til a party member decided to start taking levels in Palladin.

I went with the Dread Necromancer/Dread Witch.

I can see someone going Marshal/Bard/Dragon Lord for massive intimidate/fear auras... I may splash in a level of Exemplar for the ability to take a 10 on intimidate and put an additional +4 on it.

As is it now I think Bard is a hard way to go into Nightmare spinner.

[Red Fel]

What's the level of the party or target villian level? Just for imagery I like the idea of working phantasmal killer in.

If you like Phantasmal Killer, consider the Spelltouched feat Live My Nightmare (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/spelltouchedFeats.htm#liveMyNightmare) for your BBEG. As long as your characters' saves are good, they probably won't die, and it's a great anti-divination tactic that adds a lot of flavor. (For bonus flavor, describe the phantasm that appears as the feat is triggered.)

[Brookshw]

That is easily my favorite feat from unearthed :smallbiggrin:

[Drackstin]

after looking at alot o info and suggestions this is what i came up with so far, how dose it look and what should i change.the party is a group of 10 people ECL-4-5. i would like him to be level 8 at the first encounter.

(Hecatomb Cheshire) true name
Human-Dark Creature
Rogue1/Bard5/Dread Witch2/Mindbender1/Nightmare Spinner1/Sublime Chord2/Dread Witch3/Nightmare Spinner5

Feats:Aberration Blood, Haunting Melody, Dreadful Wrath, Unnatural Aura

spoiler has info for each class and dark creature.

Dread Witch
(Heroes of Horror variant, p. 98)
The dread witch is a spellcaster who manipulates fear as readily and effectively as other casters manipulate magic itself.
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 3 ranks
Saving Throws: Base Will save +4
Spellcasting: Ability to cast cause fear and scare
Special: Must have suffered at least one fear effect against which she failed her save

Mindbender
(Complete Arcane variant, p. 54)
Mindbenders seek to control the thoughts and dreams of others.
Requirements
Alignment: Any nongood
Skills: Bluff 4 ranks , Diplomacy 4 ranks , Intimidate 4 ranks , Sense Motive 4 ranks
Spells: Able to cast charm person, use charm person as a spell-like ability, or use the charm invocation.
Spells or Spell-Like Abilities: Arcane caster level 5th.

Nightmare Spinner
(Complete Mage variant, p. 74)
The nightmare spinner can reach into the darkest recesses of the mind, draw forth his victim's nightmares, and make them seem all too real.
Requirements
Skills: Bluff 4 ranks , Intimidate 4 ranks , Sense Motive 4 ranks
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells; ability to cast at least one fear spell and at least one mind-affecting illusion spell.

Sublime Chord
(Complete Arcane variant, p. 60)
In return for abandoning her continuing study of bardic music, a sublime chord instead masters a number of spells more powerful than most bards can ever use.
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 13 ranks , Listen 13 ranks , Perform 10 ranks , Profession (astrologer) 6 ranks , Spellcraft 6 ranks
Spells: Able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.
Special: Bardic music ability.


CREATING A DARK CREATURE
“Dark” is an acquired or inherited template that can be added
to any creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
Dark creatures tend to be much duller in color, with more
gray and black skin tones and hair highlights, than their
Material Plane versions. In general, they also weigh less, as if
part of their very substance was mere shadow stuff.
A dark creature has all the base creature’s statistics and
special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: Type and size are unchanged. Dark creatures
encountered away from the Plane of Shadow have the
extraplanar subtype.
Speed: As base creature, +10 feet to all modes of movement.
Special Qualities: A dark creature retains all the special
qualities of the base creature and also gains the following.
— Darkvision 60 ft.
— Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): Use the Hide skill even while
being observed (except in natural daylight, the area of a
daylight spell, or a similar ettect).
— Resistance to cold 10.
— Superior low-light vision.
Skills: Same as the base creature, plus Hide +8 and
Move Silently +6.
Environment: Changes to Plane of Shadow.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature or same as
the base creature +1; see sidebar.
Alignment: Usually one step different from the base
creature, rarely good.
Level Adjustment: +1.

[Red Fel]

It makes solid sense to me, but then I've never balanced CRs.

For higher-level encounters with Big Bad here, be sure that Nightmare Spinner and Dread Witch advance Sublime Chord casting.

Also remember that tactical decisions can influence CR. In a straight-on fight, fighting this guy will basically mean that your PCs use the typical "fighting a caster" strategies while subject to his fear effects. If you use him tactically, however (e.g. minions, traps, corridors and such) you can ramp CR up comfortably.