Ideas for escaped Mages (3.5)

[Magemakeboom]

In my current game, 5 evil mages have escaped imprisonment by the aide of the main villains. These convicts are now working with the main villain of the game to torment the PCs. I am looking for ideas/ concepts to to help flush out these escapees and make them more interesting then just the escaped mages. Levels will vary for each.
--Their levels should be around 8-12
--They need to be arcane based. No Warlocks. Wizard and Sorcerer base classes preferred.

Any thoughts or Suggestions.

[SPoilaaja]

You're not giving us much to work with here. 5 convicted mages that escaped due to villain action. They could be anything.

Just to stay on topic: build 5 different specialists. Wizard transmuter, conjurer, diviner and necromancer and for the fifth one sorcerer evocater

[Magemakeboom]

I left it open discussion on purpose. I wanted ideas that weren't restricted apart from their levels and required arcane component.

The main villain is a High level frost mage bent on bringing about a new ice age. However, I'd like these convicts to be varied and different from the main villain. To add a little bit of ordered chaos.

Originally they were never meant to escape. However, due to the rogue, the story was driven forward. The rogue encountered the big baddies alone while the rest of the party were preoccupied. Due to his actions, the main villain escaped with what he wanted and while in no hurry, freed the convicts for new recruits

[Callin]

Early Entry Wiz Binder 1/ Anima Mage x

Wizard/Escalation Mage

Wizard/Sorc/Ultimate Magus (blaster type maybe)

[Thurbane]

Maybe 5 different arcane casters:
Sorcerer
Wizard
Beguiler
Dread Necromancer
Wu-jen

[afroakuma]

Wu-jen

Why not five different wu jen? :smallbiggrin:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Illumian, Krau/anything, Beguiler 1/ Wizard 4/ Ultimate Magus, get Practiced Spellcaster: Beguiler, Able Learner, and Versatile Spellcaster. Sweet spot levels are UM 5 (ECL 10) for 2nd level Beguiler slots and 5th level Wizard slots, and UM 8 (ECL 13) for 3rd level Beguiler slots. Good metamagic feats to consider are Split Ray, Fell Drain Spell, Fell Frighten Spell, and Invisible Spell. This is more of a skilled/tricky character than anything, I'd make him a Conjurer with Abrupt Jaunt and make him use summoned/called minions, enchanted mooks (thieves' guild, low level rogues), and illusions, plus tons of crowd controls.


Strongheart Water Halfling, Wizard (Transmuter) 5/ Paragnostic Apostle 2/ Effigy Master. Sweet spot levels are Effigy Master 1, 3, and 5 (ECL 8, 10, 12). Paragnostic Apostle abilities are Mind Over Matter* and Spatial Awareness. He should have effigies as follows: a pair of Fleshraker dinosaurs (MM3), three Desmodu Hunting Bats (MM2), and either a Bladerager Troll (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20070705b&page=3) or a Hydra.

He can use Mage Armor, Mass (SC) to give everything +6 AC* including himself, Haste to give tons of benefits, and Bull's Strength and similar, plus the Repair Damage spells in SC. He should be riding one of the hunting bats, ideally you'll want to update the hunting bat to 3.5 by giving it Flyby Attack, and allowing the effigies to keep that as it improves its ability to attack. He should wear a Necklace of Adaptation and use spells that his constructs will be immune to, such as Wall of Smoke and Stinking Cloud (with Invisible Spell even).


Silverbrow Human Dread Necromancer 8+ from Heroes of Horror. Give him two flaws, Corpsecrafter, Destruction Retribution, Deadly Chill, Fell Frighten Spell, Arcane Disciple: Cold, and Practical Metamagic: Fell Frighten. Give him a Ring of Lesser Desecration (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20021031x) and a Talisman of Undead Mastery (MIC). All of his undead minions were created by himself via Animate Dead. He's released and then used Rebuke Undead to control many of up to (level+4)/2 HD thanks to the Talisman. At level 8 with Cha 20 (18 base, +2 levels) he can have 72 HD of undead from Animate Dead, and 8 HD of undead (none above 6 HD) from Rebuke Undead, or 80 HD total.

His undead army should consist of a lot of Dire Bat Zombies (8 HD), Frost Folk Skeletons and Zombies (4 or 8 HD, Frostburn), a few Five-Headed (Cryo) Hydra Zombies (10 HD, still get to make five bites on a standard action or charge or AoO), Smilodon Skeletons (9 HD, Frostburn), and (Abominable) Yeti Skeletons (4 or 10 HD). Consider using some of the skeleton and zombie variants in LM for a few signature minions, such as Soldier Skeleton Frost Folk, Vicious Skeleton Abominable Yetis, and Unkillable Zombie Hydras. He should be the most immediate threat, hence the lower level/CR. Keep in mind that as his undead minions are destroyed they'll deal negative energy damage to nearby creatures which heals other undead. Most of his undead should be used to attack settlements and pose an immediate threat to the PCs and their allies.

When they finally confront him in his lair, it should be in a ruin with an open ceiling, covered in loose snow, with numerous alcoves up high. The ground should be difficult terrain and the area large enough that they can't all just rush him immediately. When the PCs come in a bunch of Frost Folk Zombies should jump out of the snow to surround them, Dire Bat Zombies should fly out of alcoves and swoop in at them, and a few Abominable Yeti Vicious Skeletons can clamber down the walls to put the hurt on them. The Dread Necromancer himself can use Summon Swarm (which only attacks living foes), Black Tentacles, (Lesser Rod of Extended) Sleet Storm, Ice Storm, and Fell Frighten Chill Metal (fear condition escalates each round). As they destroy the undead they'll take damage from Destruction Retribution while it heals nearby undead, and the Dread Necromancer can spam spells the whole time.


Young Adult Steel Dragon (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mm/20040328a), note the CR listing goes 2/4/4/5/7/8, there's no way two age categories are both CR 4, so it should actually go 2/4/5/7/8/11, putting Young Adult at a more appropriate CR 8. Consider using the Loredrake archetype to make him less beefy and more of a caster, though he'll definitely be the deadliest of them all in melee combat without minions. His spells should consist of personal buffs, debuffs and crowd controls, spammables like Wraithstrike and Swift Invisibility, a few efficient ranged attacks, and of course Dispel Magic. Consider even making him younger but adding Abjurant Champion to make up to 3rd level abjurations swift actions to cast, along with its other benefits. You could also include Spellhoarding from Dragon 313, as a way of explaining why he's allied himself with a bunch of villainous Wizards: They're paying him in spells.


For the fifth one, maybe some sort of Abjurer 5/ Loremaster who sticks to divining their enemies' movements and guarding them against attack. This one can be included in the BBEG fight, and he should focus on disrupting the opponents and keeping his boss safe. You can even give him Craft Contingent Spell and throw a pile of just-in-case effects to be triggered on the boss and on himself.

[Magemakeboom]

Early Entry Wiz Binder 1/ Anima Mage x

Wizard/Escalation Mage

Wizard/Sorc/Ultimate Magus (blaster type maybe)


What is an escalation mage? I have never heard of that

[Fjolnir]

Evil mages kind of run the gamut, are they Con Artists who enchant their victims? Duelists who use magic spells to strike down their opponents? Murderers who raise their victims from the dead and use them to terrorize others? Scrying blackmailers? Illusionist thieves? I know these are kind of cliche but still work on WHY they are imprisoned and then you can fill in characteristics based on that.

[Magemakeboom]

thanks for all the suggestions folks ! These are helping out quite a lot! They are a breath of fresh air. Particularly liking that Steel Dragon.

[Callin]

What is an escalation mage? I have never heard of that

From Faiths of Ebberon. Its an Arcane Prc for a Shadow Worshiper. Not that hard to refluff though.