Need help on a boss monster

[blelliot]

I'm currently trying to build a sneaky type boss gnoll for my party to fight in the next couple of weeks. I have it narrowed down to the following class choices: Shadowdancer, Assassin, Ghost Faced Killer, Blackguard
To get to these options, He has a Rogue/Fighter base. I'm looking to set him at approximately CR 15-18ish. He is a elite vampire gnoll with the following stats: Str 24, Dex 19, Con -, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 16.
Any opinions on what combination of classes of the above would be the coolest for my players to fight? And no they aren't optimized. The party consists of 3 clerics (2 human, 1 Halfling) 1 half orc barbarian/fighter, 1 Halfling cleric/fighter/prestige ranger, 1 elf wizard/frost mage, 1 human rogue/wizard/prestige bard, and 1 human cleric/rogue/skullclan hunter/hunter of the dead.
P.S. since the vampire can make spawn, would those be factored into his CR ?
Any help is appreciated! thanks playground :smallsmile:

[(Un)Inspired]

Crickey that's a big party! Even without any optimization that gnoll is gonna go down like a punk simply by weight of numbers.

What you really need to do it bring the action economy back onto your side.

First, I would make the Gnoll a Flind. Flind are basically special gnolls with higher mental ability scores (and maybe physical ones too i cant remember off the top of my head).

Then, make your flind a seer psion. Take the apprentice feat to get hide and move silently as class skills. Now you have all the perceptive skills and all the stealth skills as class skills. If you need even more stealth use expanded knowledge to grab the chameleon power.

Take hustle and schism as powers known through expanded knowledge as well. Not you have extra standard and move actions to deal with you're frankly gigantic party. Don't forget to get a psicrystal for even more actions.

The vigor power will make up for the fact that your HP is gonna be atrocious from being undead. Now grow claws, turn into monsters, ego whip, basically slide around in the shadows either popping out to tear them apart or staying hidden and shredding their mind.

Something like Flind 2/ Seer 17

[Adalwolf]

I would go with Assasin, have a few of his spawns engage the party while he's creeping in the shadow preparing Death Attacks. And tweak the numbers a little bit since the PCs are many...Maybe give him a spell or two? As for the CR part i can be of little help there.

[blelliot]

Actually, I came across an interesting idea. Cleric 13 of my homebrew god of trickery and deceit (access to the trickery and magic domains)/ Rogue 3/ Shadow Dancer 1. Fill the area with vampire spawn puds, wolves called by children of the night, undead gnolls made by him, and dominated commoners; and have the big bad hiding in the shadows to spring out and hit with his two weapon fighting and sneak attack. Using the feat sacred outlaw, his rogue and cleric levels will stack for determining sneak attack damage and his turning ability. I forgot about a flind gnoll, that will be a grand idea. So a flind Cleric/Rogue/Shadowdancer sounds cool, what does everyone think?

[Gwendol]

Have him use a Flindbar!

Very cool; and using the minions will offset the action economy advantage of the party at least temporarily.

[ShurikVch]

How about Marrashi from MM2?
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mm2_gallery/88268_620_82.jpg
It's only CR 5, so you can add 12 levels of something

[Xintas]

Unless their saves are good/your players don't mind dying (either due to ease of resurrection or just as a plot device) I would rule out Ghost Faced killer, even though I LOVE that class as a big bad.

The Fear on top of the death is just a lot for a party to handle without pretty darn good saves.

[(Un)Inspired]

What level is your party?

[blelliot]

the party is level 11, my bad thought id mentioned that. Oops.

[(Un)Inspired]

How dangerous are your clerics?

[blelliot]

the human ones aren't especially "dangerous", they rp them as healers first and foremost. if healing is unnecessary, they divine power and righteous might their way into battle. The Halfling isn't either, I guess. He rps her as a smasher, but focuses more on keeping utility spells prepared, rather than buffs. No DMM in the party at all, so no shenanigans from that as of yet. As for the mage, in case your wondering, she is a blaster of cold damage(she's trying to make the ice king from adventure time, just not insane or evil) The spells she favors are cone of cold, frost breath, wall of coldfire, and icy web. The only non blasty spell she uses is baleful polymorph, to turn enemies into penguins. (to further the ice king joke)