D&D 3.5: BBEG help!

[kennysmith1234]

Hello giantitp, I am the new guy, and I come humbly before you to ask for some help.
I am currently attempting to make a bbeg for the campaign. I want him to have spellcasting, at least to teleport up to 10 people to another plane, but he also has to be able to handle combat with relative ease.
I was thinking of just going cleric-zilla, but I want to know what the forums think.

The race HAS to be Elder Ones (new race):
+2 to all ability scores.
medium, humanoid, 30 ft. land speed, low light vision.
gains an extra feat at 1st level.
DR 2/magic
Elder Ones retain a -2 penalty on any save against magic.
favored class any

So yes, the forebears to humans in this campaign, these guys are superior, and incredibly tough in comparison to humans, and if I wrote that right they are weak to magic, at least slightly.

A little bit of background on the character and his race is this: The Elder Ones were originally born at the hands of a mad god, and placed into the world to be it's slaves. They were enslaved for a good millennium before they finally won freedom from this mad thing. By the way, all of the gods are a chicken nugget short of a happy meal, and they make their followers near-mindless zealot thralls. There is something of hostility between the god-thralls and the free people, but that is neither here nor there. The Elder Ones travelled the world, looking for a good place to live with a good master to serve. That didn't work out too well for them, but after another 1,000 years they were freed from bondage once more. One of them, the BBEG, gets the idea that they should serve themselves. The rest of his species feels like those other people in the taco commercial (why not have both?), and decide to serve him. At this time he is a powerful something or other amongst powerful something or others. Him and his race enslave a few other races, and set up an empire in an isolated mountain-surrounded valley. very warm, very pretty, near impossible to assault from all directions, being set directly above a thick layer of bedrock, and surrounded by high mountains. They have a particular hate towards "god-touched" (aasimar, tieflings, etc;), so they send all of their criminals and their god-touched who get noticed into a big old' arena battle to duke it out. When there are 10 left, said emperor goes down and kills one, only to send the rest to the plane of shadow.

Any ideas past this TL;DR?

[Epsilon Rose]

A few questions before I make any actual suggestions.

What level is he meant to be?
Do you already have the rules of your campaign set (Mainly, is gestalt allowable and what sources are available)?
What is your stance on homebrew?
Do you have a prefered key stat?
What does he actually do with most of his time, how does he operate when he's not fighting adventuring parties?

[Falcon X]

Let me tell you about one of my old BBEGs and you might get a few ideas.

Perdi Bramburn
Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Wayfarer Guide 3/Candle Caster 10/Psion 1/Pyrokineticist 1
- Levels 20-30 if earned are in Divine Agent.

- Wayfarer guide allows him to teleport across the world all the time. He is part of an organization where this is his primary role.
- Candle Caster allows him to braid spells together to go off simultaneously. A showdown in his dungeon would involve being surrounded by candles. Every candle both casts a spell and teleports him across the room to a different one.
He also mass produced flare-like canisters with teleport infused in them. He distributed these to his minions and cohorts for quick getaways.
- He has an arm graft from a Holocaust Disciple, and always keeps his arm hidden in his cloak. Notably, he also has a ton of candles and flares that he can light from underneath his cloak using his arm.

Flavor: He was born into a cult cultist of Imix, and subsequently the Elder Elemental Eye (MM4), so he truly dreams of destroying the world in a blaze of fire.
He is preparing a ritual where he turns 1000 high level humans into large candles via a soul capturing spell. Once the ritual is complete, he can break down the barriers between the plane of fire and the physical plane.
He comes across as a completely insane warlord, not unlike Kefka, and isn't afraid to take the back seat in another organization while he gets his plan together.

[Epsilon Rose]

Let me tell you about one of my old BBEGs and you might get a few ideas.

Perdi Bramburn
Cleric 3/Wizard 2/Wayfarer Guide 3/Candle Caster 10/Psion 1/Pyrokineticist 1
- Levels 20-30 if earned are in Divine Agent.

- Wayfarer guide allows him to teleport across the world all the time. He is part of an organization where this is his primary role.
- Candle Caster allows him to braid spells together to go off simultaneously. A showdown in his dungeon would involve being surrounded by candles. Every candle both casts a spell and teleports him across the room to a different one.
He also mass produced flare-like canisters with teleport infused in them. He distributed these to his minions and cohorts for quick getaways.
- He has an arm graft from a Holocaust Disciple, and always keeps his arm hidden in his cloak. Notably, he also has a ton of candles and flares that he can light from underneath his cloak using his arm.

Flavor: He was born into a cult cultist of Imix, and subsequently the Elder Elemental Eye (MM4), so he truly dreams of destroying the world in a blaze of fire.
He is preparing a ritual where he turns 1000 high level humans into large candles via a soul capturing spell. Once the ritual is complete, he can break down the barriers between the plane of fire and the physical plane.
He comes across as a completely insane warlord, not unlike Kefka, and isn't afraid to take the back seat in another organization while he gets his plan together.

Where is candle caster from? It sounds interesting?

[kennysmith1234]

A few questions before I make any actual suggestions.

What level is he meant to be?
Do you already have the rules of your campaign set (Mainly, is gestalt allowable and what sources are available)?
What is your stance on homebrew?
Do you have a prefered key stat?
What does he actually do with most of his time, how does he operate when he's not fighting adventuring parties?


He is meant to be level 18 or 20. I am unsure what to do for that. It is normal progressions, with some slight alterations to the main classes. Homebrew I am fine with, but I don't want to go overkill and make him an actual god. Able to scare one, yes, but not an actual god. His preferred key-stat would have to be intellect.
When he is not fighting adventurers, he is ruling an empire, keeping his enemies, both near and far, at bay, and ensuring that his people are never enslaved again. He may be True Evil with an emphasis on his only caring for his people. Without making this an alignment argument I am thinking that he is a mixture of Hitler, Moses, and a clever ancient Chinese emperor. He has to deal with other elder ones, and humans, and elves attempting to take his throne. I am unsure of whether he is True Evil, or Chaotic Good, since he cares for his people and wants them to remain in a superior position. He only needs to be in one place at a time, since the empire is technically a city-state.
Candlecaster is from Tome and Blood I believe. It may be 3.0, but it is still usable in 3.5.
God I hate doing wall of words.

@Falconx: Good lord that is ridiculous! I loved the flavor of the candle class, but I think that with usage of UA it could technically apply to tile, fruits, and such things.

[Epsilon Rose]

He is meant to be level 18 or 20. I am unsure what to do for that. It is normal progressions, with some slight alterations to the main classes. Homebrew I am fine with, but I don't want to go overkill and make him an actual god. Able to scare one, yes, but not an actual god. His preferred key-stat would have to be intellect.

That is important information to work with.
I asked about homebrew not because it is necessarily stronger (core breaks things well enough on it's own) but because it can allow for some interesting and flavorful options that wouldn't otherwise exist. For example, The Cosmic Imperator Discipline (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259105) might be interesting. Regardless, good homebrew should be balanced.

On that note, would it be okay if he had to use an item for the teleportation? How often and why does he need it? Also, what do you mean by an altered progression?


When he is not fighting adventurers, he is ruling an empire, keeping his enemies, both near and far, at bay, and ensuring that his people are never enslaved again. He may be True Evil with an emphasis on his only caring for his people. Without making this an alignment argument I am thinking that he is a mixture of Hitler, Moses, and a clever ancient Chinese emperor.

That's kind of a confusing description, especially because True Evil isn't actually an alignment, True Neutral and Neutral Evil are alignments and I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to get at.

The archetypes* you listed also confuse me a little bit. When you say he's like Hitler, do you just mean he's charismatic? Do you mean he engages in ill conceived campaigns to exterminate 'undesirables'? Same with the clever Chinese emperor. Do you just mean the aesthetic? Does he have a fixation on alchemy and mortality? Does he claim to be a god? Could you list actual character traits, please?


He has to deal with other elder ones, and humans, and elves attempting to take his throne. I am unsure of whether he is True Evil, or Chaotic Good, since he cares for his people and wants them to remain in a superior position. He only needs to be in one place at a time, since the empire is technically a city-state.

None of that actually requires him to be evil, or even suggests it really. It's pretty natural to want to maintain power and to have others wanting to take your power. I'm also kinda unsure how you came to a chaotic-good/something (other than chaotic)-evil split. If you're looking for an effective ruler who can maintain a stable nation for a vast amount of time, I'd probably recommend something in the Lawful range, probably LN or LE if you want him to come into major conflict with the party. The difference between LN and LE can be pretty fine and is probably more about his mental state then the actual tactic he employs, though he could be much more blatant about it.

What are his stances on technological advancement and artistic expression amongst his subjects? How about Education and Public Welfare? What about civil liberties and international relations? How about trade? Also, does he listen to his subjects opinions?

Keep in mind, the answers to those questions don't necessarily mark him as evil (a Neutral character could very easily favor the status quo while an Evil character could doe everything in his power to improve his society [after all, he has to live in it too]); nor does he need to be Evil. It's quite easy to have a Neutral and even sympathetic antagonist and the shades of grey and possibility of switching sides that that adds to a campaign can be quite interesting.

Also, it's worth noting that a city-state can't be an empire (unless the name is a holdover from an earlier time when it held more territory), because empires specifically refer to very large and geographically dispersed nations with multiple lower level rulers.


Candlecaster is from Tome and Blood I believe. It may be 3.0, but it is still usable in 3.5.
God I hate doing wall of words.
Thank you.

Also, don't worry, that wasn't anywhere near being a wall of text.

*Bringing up real world religions is actually against the forum rules and Moses really doesn't clarify too much, so let's just leave him out of it.

[kennysmith1234]

That is important information to work with.
I asked about homebrew not because it is necessarily stronger (core breaks things well enough on it's own) but because it can allow for some interesting and flavorful options that wouldn't otherwise exist. For example, The Cosmic Imperator Discipline (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259105) might be interesting. Regardless, good homebrew should be balanced.

On that note, would it be okay if he had to use an item for the teleportation? How often and why does he need it? Also, what do you mean by an altered progression?



That's kind of a confusing description, especially because True Evil isn't actually an alignment, True Neutral and Neutral Evil are alignments and I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to get at.

The archetypes* you listed also confuse me a little bit. When you say he's like Hitler, do you just mean he's charismatic? Do you mean he engages in ill conceived campaigns to exterminate 'undesirables'? Same with the clever Chinese emperor. Do you just mean the aesthetic? Does he have a fixation on alchemy and mortality? Does he claim to be a god? Could you list actual character traits, please?



None of that actually requires him to be evil, or even suggests it really. It's pretty natural to want to maintain power and to have others wanting to take your power. I'm also kinda unsure how you came to a chaotic-good/something (other than chaotic)-evil split. If you're looking for an effective ruler who can maintain a stable nation for a vast amount of time, I'd probably recommend something in the Lawful range, probably LN or LE if you want him to come into major conflict with the party. The difference between LN and LE can be pretty fine and is probably more about his mental state then the actual tactic he employs, though he could be much more blatant about it.

What are his stances on technological advancement and artistic expression amongst his subjects? How about Education and Public Welfare? What about civil liberties and international relations? How about trade? Also, does he listen to his subjects opinions?

Keep in mind, the answers to those questions don't necessarily mark him as evil (a Neutral character could very easily favor the status quo while an Evil character could doe everything in his power to improve his society [after all, he has to live in it too]); nor does he need to be Evil. It's quite easy to have a Neutral and even sympathetic antagonist and the shades of grey and possibility of switching sides that that adds to a campaign can be quite interesting.

Also, it's worth noting that a city-state can't be an empire (unless the name is a holdover from an earlier time when it held more territory), because empires specifically refer to very large and geographically dispersed nations with multiple lower level rulers.


Thank you.

Also, don't worry, that wasn't anywhere near being a wall of text.

*Bringing up real world religions is actually against the forum rules and Moses really doesn't clarify too much, so let's just leave him out of it.

He rarely needs real teleportation. Maybe Dimension Door in combat, but more or less he just needs to be able to planar shift ever so rarely, since he has an uneasy peace with some interplanar beings and places.
Changes are as follows
Fighter:
The fighter is no longer limited to fighter combat feats for bonus feats. The fighter can take any feat he/she qualifies for.
at 10th level, a fighter gains a measure of resistance against spells, enchantments and fear effects. He/she gains spell resistance 10+one chosen ability modifier, as well as the chosen ability modifier as a bonus to saves against fear, enchantments, and fear/enchantment effects. This becomes total immunity to fear and enchantment spells/effects at level 20.
at level 15 the fighter can choose to take 10 on any attack roll, even under extreme duress or stress.

Druid:
Divided into two classes the druid, and the wildshaper.
Druidic Mage: druid spellcasting progression, no wildshape.
Wildshaper: no spellcasting, retains wildshape.

Barbarian:
loses trapsense, and gains extra damage reduction. Damagee reduction is doubled while in rage.
When the barbarian is reduced to 50% hit points while raging, he/she gains doubled ability score benefits from raging.

Rogue:
loses trapsense, gains an extra 1d6 sneak attack.

Sorcerer: can access divine spells, arcane spells, and nature spells.

extra feats are all from Bastards and Bloodlines because that book rocks.
Appealing: +3 on all charisma checks. no effect on said score.
Astute: +3 on all intelligence checks. no effect on said score.
Hardy Stock: You gain a number of hitpoints equal to 2+your current hit dice.
Large: You are size large now, with all benefits and penalties. If this feat is taken after 1st level, it represents a growth sport. no previous equipment will fit.
Lost Tradition: Choose one spellcasting class. You may change which ability score governs spellcasting with that class. That ability cannot be changed again. You can only take this feat at 1st level.
Nimble: +3 on all dexterity checks. no effect on said score.
Old Blood: Choose one race other than your own. For purposes of prestige classes, feat prerequisites, magic items, and so on, you count as a member of that race. You can only take this feat at 1st level.
Robust: +3 on all strength checks. no effect on said score.
Shrewd: +3 on all wisdom checks. no effect on said score.
Stout: +3 on all constitution checks. no effect on said score.

now the alignment is what gets me. His personality...he is incredibly smart, he is not like super handsome or anything, but he has an overpowering personality, usually dominating the attentions of those around him. He was not born with it, but instead learned it, and is forced to use it daily with all that are around him. He is like Hitler in the fact that he can sway a crowd with ease, and his incredible hatred for anything not his race. He is like Moses in the way he led his people from Bondage to a beautiful freedom, and he is definitely an appreciative patron of the arts. He is a good Emperor, an excellent one...to his own species. Him and most of his kind look down at the other races in a much milder version of racism that the Drow of WotC possess. I changed them too, because seriously that society would go kerplop even with that spider wench.
His name is Ther Agros Telan, and he practices the power that others of his race usually shun. Also called magic. Divine, Natural, or Arcane is still undecided...maybe sorcerer with the change I have. But grr no real physical combat, just spells.
So I want him to be incredibly strong, so I am thinking that he should break the 20 level cap and be level 25, with a divine rank of 1 or 0.
Would Lawful Evil really care about his own people? I thought that Evil was usually callous and cared only for number one, but I HAVE seen some liberal interpretations that work pretty well.

Concerning the science and such: This is an early time in the world so the weapons are bronze for the most part. Science and magic are actually further ahead than warfare, because after the burden of the gods was broken, such things excelled in the vacuum created. The architecture and stonemasonry is incredible, but metalworking is relatively crude. The Arts are on the rise, and they are already stunning, the main focus being stone-masonry and music/dance, but weaving and basketry are pretty. The pottery isn't half bad either. In the aristocracy circles, racism is abundant, but as you get lower in the social classes, fewer and fewer really care.

One random and fun things: Ther Agros Telan has aesthetically pleasing and martially effective guards, with a royal guard of dancers and musicians (and illusionists), with Stone Golem guards that have pretty designs and inlays. His palace is a large circle surrounding a beautiful courtyard. One the end furthest away from the main gate is a high tower in which the Emperor reclines, practicing art himself.
I am thinking of tweaking the spells of each class, but that will get to headache-ish.

[Red Fel]

First question: What's the LA on that race? No way it's zero.

Second question: How much do you love this BBEG? Or, more accurately, how crushed will you be when your players kill it to death with murder? I ask because you've clearly put a great deal of thought and care into the concept. He's got superior abilities in all areas, capable of mass teleport, charms crowds with ease, capable in combat... It sounds like you really love this BBEG. And that's fine - characters we care about can be far more expressive, and interesting, than characters that bore us. But if you care too much, if you try to give it too much power, there is a risk that you will pull strings to prevent this guy from dying until you want him to.

So let me ask that question in a different way: What limits will you place on this BBEG? What is it he absolutely cannot/will not do? I don't just mean ethical limits, like "Does not kick puppies," but ability limits - what tricks will you not have him pulling?

[kennysmith1234]

First question: What's the LA on that race? No way it's zero.

Second question: How much do you love this BBEG? Or, more accurately, how crushed will you be when your players kill it to death with murder? I ask because you've clearly put a great deal of thought and care into the concept. He's got superior abilities in all areas, capable of mass teleport, charms crowds with ease, capable in combat... It sounds like you really love this BBEG. And that's fine - characters we care about can be far more expressive, and interesting, than characters that bore us. But if you care too much, if you try to give it too much power, there is a risk that you will pull strings to prevent this guy from dying until you want him to.

So let me ask that question in a different way: What limits will you place on this BBEG? What is it he absolutely cannot/will not do? I don't just mean ethical limits, like "Does not kick puppies," but ability limits - what tricks will you not have him pulling?

I think he is totally bad-ass as concept so far, and would like him to be able to handle the standard adventuring group. My group is far from standard, since in another campaign one of my players managed to kill 12 3rd level dwarfs with a small scroll and a sling. He was a level 2 halfling rogue.

I don't mind if he dies, but I am hoping he is the final boss of this campaign.

Him and his race are weak to magic. level adjustment is 2, and I am thinking that his hp will be incredibly low for level 25. so just a few well-placed hits will render him dead. I saw the Cosmic Imperator, but that is surprisingly too powerful. I am thinking that maybe a cleric/sorc who worships an ideal instead of an actual deity, since Clerics have solid combat abilities, and the sorcerers in my campaign have access to more spells. Also with a dip or two into swordsage, especially at higher levels. Ability-wise, I am wanting to make sure that he is mobile within a small range, with a back-up plan for escaping elsewhere. General combat being quick and fast, but not incredibly strong, only being able to insta-derp someone with some preparation beforehand. You know, for some reason he is sounding more like a wizard to me, with a dip in swordsage for some diamond mind shenanigans.

[Epsilon Rose]

I think he is totally bad-ass as concept so far, and would like him to be able to handle the standard adventuring group. My group is far from standard, since in another campaign one of my players managed to kill 12 3rd level dwarfs with a small scroll and a sling. He was a level 2 halfling rogue.

I don't mind if he dies, but I am hoping he is the final boss of this campaign.

Him and his race are weak to magic. level adjustment is 2, and I am thinking that his hp will be incredibly low for level 25. so just a few well-placed hits will render him dead. I saw the Cosmic Imperator, but that is surprisingly too powerful. I am thinking that maybe a cleric/sorc who worships an ideal instead of an actual deity, since Clerics have solid combat abilities, and the sorcerers in my campaign have access to more spells. Also with a dip or two into swordsage, especially at higher levels. Ability-wise, I am wanting to make sure that he is mobile within a small range, with a back-up plan for escaping elsewhere. General combat being quick and fast, but not incredibly strong, only being able to insta-derp someone with some preparation beforehand. You know, for some reason he is sounding more like a wizard to me, with a dip in swordsage for some diamond mind shenanigans.

It's worth noting that your "weak to magic" only translates to a - 1, which will get eaten by any save progression at level 20. Also, I'm not sure about giving him unusually low HP. Rocket tag tends to lead to fairly anticlimactic fights and it might throw off your balance calculations if you factor in his low HP, but he relies on defenses other than HP to survive.

[Red Fel]

It's worth noting that your "weak to magic" only translates to a - 1, which will get eaten by any save progression at level 20. Also, I'm not sure about giving him unusually low HP. Rocket tag tends to lead to fairly anticlimactic fights and it might throw off your balance calculations if you factor in his low HP, but he relies on defenses other than HP to survive.

Agreeing on this point, and adding another: Epic boss fights tend to be less than epic. At level 20, the entire party versus a single enemy, no matter how powerful, will be a fairly anticlimactic battle, particularly because of this guy's +2 LA. Even if he's level 25 (which really only means 23, due to the LA), he's not going to last long in a solo battle against an entire party. The action economy will brook no dispute.

With regard to class and powers, the more melee you make him, the quicker he will fall in direct combat with (epic) spellcasters. The more charming you make him, the quicker he will fall in direct combat with (epic) spellcasters. Really, short of having truly impressive contingencies, you basically have to make him some kind of spellcaster to give him survivability at that level.

Giving him a Divine Rank breaks the game in delightful new ways, but frankly, at epic levels, the game is already broken. You'll just be granting him a slew of immunities, AC, a bunch of boosts. At Divine Rank 0, he really doesn't even need the LA - quasideities have above-average stats anyway, and also he's immortal. At Divine Rank 1, he has many worshippers, a divine realm, and Salient Abilities. Oh, and he can grant spells.

Frankly, giving him a Divine Rank makes it possible for him to be a boss battle on his own, but it also makes it possible for him to steamroll the party if they're not milking epic rules.

[kennysmith1234]

It's worth noting that your "weak to magic" only translates to a - 1, which will get eaten by any save progression at level 20. Also, I'm not sure about giving him unusually low HP. Rocket tag tends to lead to fairly anticlimactic fights and it might throw off your balance calculations if you factor in his low HP, but he relies on defenses other than HP to survive.


Agreeing on this point, and adding another: Epic boss fights tend to be less than epic. At level 20, the entire party versus a single enemy, no matter how powerful, will be a fairly anticlimactic battle, particularly because of this guy's +2 LA. Even if he's level 25 (which really only means 23, due to the LA), he's not going to last long in a solo battle against an entire party. The action economy will brook no dispute.

With regard to class and powers, the more melee you make him, the quicker he will fall in direct combat with (epic) spellcasters. The more charming you make him, the quicker he will fall in direct combat with (epic) spellcasters. Really, short of having truly impressive contingencies, you basically have to make him some kind of spellcaster to give him survivability at that level.

Giving him a Divine Rank breaks the game in delightful new ways, but frankly, at epic levels, the game is already broken. You'll just be granting him a slew of immunities, AC, a bunch of boosts. At Divine Rank 0, he really doesn't even need the LA - quasideities have above-average stats anyway, and also he's immortal. At Divine Rank 1, he has many worshippers, a divine realm, and Salient Abilities. Oh, and he can grant spells.

Frankly, giving him a Divine Rank makes it possible for him to be a boss battle on his own, but it also makes it possible for him to steamroll the party if they're not milking epic rules.

So most likely a Wizard or other tier 1 caster, with a dip or two in swordsage for a bit of combat skill. Combine that with Spell Compendium and he can just get plain silly. Divine Rank 1 might actually be the perfect challenge. His demi-plane is his palace, which is similar to the Ethereal plane in it's connection to the material plane. Provides him a way to baffle intruders, and inspire awe in his followers.
That cosmic imperator was rather inspirational. I think that I will use that as a theme to base a homebrew class on for him.
So what I now ask is these two questions:
1; is it worth it to specialize as a Wizard? Explain thine answer.
2; would allowing access to maneuvers, stances, AND spellcasting be op, even if I limit the list heavily?

[Epsilon Rose]

So most likely a Wizard or other tier 1 caster, with a dip or two in swordsage for a bit of combat skill. Combine that with Spell Compendium and he can just get plain silly. Divine Rank 1 might actually be the perfect challenge. His demi-plane is his palace, which is similar to the Ethereal plane in it's connection to the material plane. Provides him a way to baffle intruders, and inspire awe in his followers.
That cosmic imperator was rather inspirational. I think that I will use that as a theme to base a homebrew class on for him.
If you're actually going to give him DR, one of the fun things you can do is go Spellthief and take the two magic based salient divine abilities. When everything is said and done, he'll have perfect casting and spontaneous access to any spell he wants (even the one he just made up) and the spellthief's counter magic abilities (bonus points if you use a spellthief fix).

In the realm of Homebrew classes, you might want to look into Tome of Radiance (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258654), Xenothurge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122103), and Gramarie (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291019).

Tome of Radiance is fluffed as being about magical girls, but you should ignore that. It explicitly state (somewhere) that you need not be any combination of female, young or good. This homebrew has a few advantages. The first is that it lets you create a number of rather interesting field and barrier type effects. This means that he'll be able to keep from getting hit without magical shenanigans and that you'll be able to give him allies in the fight without completely unbalancing things. This can help the fight go on longer and feel more important, unlike the rocket tag that Vancien magic tends to devolve into. It also has a special mechanic for influencing people and one of the classes, the Star Gazer, uses her int instead of her cha. This can help with your desire to have an int-based charismatic leader (what you described is extremely high cha, regardless of his physical appearance). There are also some interesting PRCs for these classes.

Xenothurgy is described as a Far Realms Magic System and it really gets that feeling across. I suggest this mainly because you BBEG and his race have really lovecraftian feel (the migu and I think a few other races, including humanity, went through the exact same thing). That said, it can produce some really interesting effects that you won't see anywhere else and Incursions can let you drastically change the feeling of the area around him (either gradually or suddenly) if they meet with him multiple times or of they start out talking peacefully.

Gramarie is a bit different from the other classes. It focusses more on making magitech items than being personally powerful. It's inclusion could give your BBEG and his faction a very distinct feel and high end magitech gear could very easily make up for his lack of personal power. That said, this could work just as well on a cohort. As with Xenothurgy, this fits in very well with the lovecraftian vibe he's giving off. In this case, it's more about him having access to strange knowledge from the before times when his race served the mad gods. You know, things like impossible angles and colors out of time.



2; would allowing access to maneuvers, stances, AND spellcasting be op, even if I limit the list heavily?

Actually, that doesn't really require any homebrew or limited lists. There are a couple of PRCs in ToB that combine casting and manuevers to great effect. There's also the option of gestalt, which lets you take two classes at the same time. That said, while I'm normally fine with giving a boss an extra layer of gestalt, it might be a bit overkill when combined with DR.

Either way, keep in mind that it's hard to use casting and maneuvers at the same time (they take up the same actions and favor different ranges), unless you have classes features that help you with it. On that note, you might want to give the Sublime Shaper (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2737.0) a look. It's a class from the, rather large, Spellshaping (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=845.0), homebrew, subsystem. It's notable because it does a very good job of combining Maneuvers and Proto-magic. (Actually, you might want to look into the system in general, it's a lot of reading, but it might do what you want without further adjusting and there's a lot of base classes and PRCs to go with it).

Also, do you want a link to a list of homebrew ToB disciplines?

[Red Fel]

So most likely a Wizard or other tier 1 caster, with a dip or two in swordsage for a bit of combat skill. Combine that with Spell Compendium and he can just get plain silly. Divine Rank 1 might actually be the perfect challenge. His demi-plane is his palace, which is similar to the Ethereal plane in it's connection to the material plane. Provides him a way to baffle intruders, and inspire awe in his followers.
That cosmic imperator was rather inspirational. I think that I will use that as a theme to base a homebrew class on for him.
So what I now ask is these two questions:
1; is it worth it to specialize as a Wizard? Explain thine answer.
2; would allowing access to maneuvers, stances, AND spellcasting be op, even if I limit the list heavily?

Can't help you with Homebrew; it's not my bailiwick. But as for your questions:

1: Specializing means giving up some of the versatility of a class renowned for its versatility in exchange for some extra spell slots (and the Abrupt Jaunt ACF). I would say no, not usually worth it to specialize (unless you want Abrupt Jaunt).

2: Access to maneuvers + spells is not OP. As Epsilon Rose observed, there are classes in ToB that advance spellcasting and maneuvers. That said, is Swordsage the one you want? Remember, Wizard casts from Int. Warblade also uses Int as its key ability in class features, while still having access to Diamond Mind counters. Oh, and it can use Iron Heart Surge to get rid of any conditions to which it isn't otherwise completely immune due to divine rank.