PF-sub-BBEG creation thread...

[ArendK]

Denizens of the Playground, whether Small or Huge, I come forth with a challenge...

I'll cut to the chase. I'm building a BBEG for a campaign, and I decided that at the level from the BBEG I want to run, it's too high initially. And I hate wasting all my cool ideas on only the tail end guy (or gal, in this case) and have everything else in between be lame. So as a link, I was thinking so my main BBEG is a female Juju Oracle teeming with undead baddies and tricks, that one of the other notable baddies should be a type of undead that you just don't go buying off the street corner. Maybe some wicked templates (a trick I notoriously hate using normally, but if it makes sense I'll let it fly), or something most people don't use.

What came to mind for me: An Anti-paladin or a ranger, probably human, though open to other ideas. The catch; at somepoint, before entering service or being forced into service by the true BBEG, this bloke was a terrifying lycanthrope of some kind (probably werewolf, to keep things simple, but still open to ideas); then through undeath forced into service for the Oracle BBEG.

To me, the image of an armored undead werewolf (probably Juju Zombie, but any other ideas?) relying on his claws to destroy his enemies seems incredibly awesome.

Crunch time...
25 BP Build
All the Ultimates + Inner Sea World Guide.
Shooting for a final CR of 10-ish. I won't be heart-broken if it's a few lower or one or two higher.

Hit me with your coolest combos and crunch ideas. I'll post up the final product of any I come up with (the joys of Hero Lab).

[Bigbeefie]

I really Like the Undead Lord from Rise of the Runelords. He was a CR 11 but brought his own minions with him. That's typically what a Necromancer does is Bring under his control things that have minions of its own thus increasing his Amount of Undead. Here is His stats and maybe it can give you IDeas to take from it or heck you might like it to use it.



The Headless Lord
Male fast ogre zombie undead lord fighter 6 (Pathfinder RPG
Bestiary 289, Tome of Horrors Complete 748)

NE Large undead
lnit + 6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception + 17
Aura desecration (20 -ft. r a d i us)

DEFENSE
AC 28, touch 11 , flat-footed 26 (+1 0 armor, +2 Dex,
+7 natural, -1 size)
hp 126 (12HD; 6d8+ 6d10 + 66)
Fort +14, Ref + 9, Will +10; +2 vs. fear
Defensive Abilities bravery +2; channel
resistance + 4 ; DR 10/magic; Immune
undead traits

OFFENSE
Speed 3 0 ft.
Melee runechill hatchet +2 1/+1 6
(1d8+15/ 19 -20/x3), runechill hatchet
+21/+16 (1d8+10/19-20/x3)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks create spawn, quick
strikes, weapon training (axes +1)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th;
concentration +14)
1/day-darkness, fear (DC 18), summon
( level 5 , 9 human fast zombies)

TACTICS
During Combat The Head less Lord orders its four hill giant
zombies to attack as soon as foes enter this room, or if it
sees some one out side preparing to use ranged attacks. T h e
Head less Lord casts fear on the PCs once it can
catch at least three of them in the area of effect.
It summons nine fast zombies to help flank foes,
block charges, or provide cover, keeping as
many as it can within its aura of desecration .
Morale The Head less Lord fights until destroyed .

STATISTICS
Str 31 ,Dex 15,Con -,lnt 10, Wis 14,Cha 18

Base Atk +10; CMB +21 ; CMD 33
Feats Cleave, Command Undead, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull
Rush, Improved Critical (handaxe), Improved Initiative, Lightning
Reflexes, Power Attack, Toughness, Two-Weapon Fighting,
Weapon Focus (handaxe), Weapon Specialization (handaxe)

Skills Climb +21 , intimidate + 19, Perception +17
Languages Giant; undead telepathy 100 ft.
SQ armor training 1 , head less
Gear + 1 full plate, runechill hatchets (2)

Special Abilities
Command Undead (Su) The headless lord can use its Command
Undead feat seven times per day to command any type of
zombie as if it were a 12th - level cleric.

Create Spawn (Su) A creature s l a i n by the Headless Lord rises i n
1d4 minutes as a fast zombie under the Head less Lord's control.

Desecration Aura (Su) The Head less Lord constantly projects a
20 -foot-radius aura that functions as a desecrate spell.

Head less (Ex) Although the Headless Lord lacks a head, it can still
hear and see and speak as if it had one.

Undead Telepathy (Su) The Headless Lord can
communicate telepathically with any other
undead creature with in 100 feet. It can use
this telepathic communication to direct
mind less undead as a free action.


Special Special Tactic:
If any trespassers approach, it
waits patiently for them to make the first move as its
head alerts BBEG and describes the intruders to
him in crude detail. (including Favored Elements Ext ext.) Helps BBEG get a Alarm and Info on the PCs to Buff up for. If the Wizard Prefers Fire spells BBEG will cast Resist Fire Ext Ext.

[JHShadon]

I'm no optimizer but I think giving him levels in Barbarian with the Armored Hulk Archetype and Full Plate with Spikes is a cool idea.

[ArendK]

Alright, due to tech issues, I'd normally just post the final PDF of the character as I've got now. But here's what I've got.

Elred- Natural Werewolf/Juju Zombie/ Antipaladin 5/Barbarian 4 (Invulnerable Rager)

STR +5 STRENGTH 20
DEX +3 DEXTERITY 16
CON +3 CONSTITUTION --
INT +1 INTELLIGENCE 13
WIS +1 WISDOM 12
CHA +3 CHARISMA 16

Feats;
Aspect of the Beast (Claws of the Beast), Dodge, Improved Natural Attack (Claws), Power Attack, Step Up, Toughness (Juju Zombie), Improved Initiative (Juju Zombie)

Gear
Right now, I've got him really equipped light; a +1 Elven Curve Blade and a +1 Elven Chain Mail.

Rage Powers
Raging Leaper, Swift Foot

Anti-Paladin stuff
Cruelty (Sickened), and Fiendish Boon (Weapon +1)

Racial Trait Swap;
Swapped Elven Magic for Silent Hunter.

Skills;
Given the Intellect of the character, he has quite a few more skill points at this level then I imagined. Perception, Stealth, Survival, Knowledge (Religion & Nature), Intimidate, Climb, and Acrobatics all get several points for significant boost.

Other goodies;
Got consistant Damage Reduction in some capacity no matter what. Whether it be just a few for the class, DR 5/magic for the juju zombie, or DR 10/silver for the hybrid form (the preferred style of combat).

I'm thinking of building a background of the character for Golarion setting, and I think I can definitely come up with something.
But as far as a simple build goes, what do the Playgrounders think?

[Akolbi]

just remember that undead have no con score, and thus cant rage

[ArendK]

Wrong; As an undead, they use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution for determining abilities and such numerically.

I hadn't even thought about rage and Constitution scores; I'll agree that he doesn't get the HP bonus from the improved CON, but other than that, it works fine mechanically as far as I can see.

[stack]

Antipaladin can be fun. Swift channel burns channel uses quickly, but who cares? Give swift action damage. If he's undead, having high charsima for HP will also boost saves and the channel uses/DC. Smite evil is also nasty against PCs, though you might run the risk of killing them.

[ArendK]

Right now, with the build, I'm looking at alternate ideas to represent a more bestial, physical presence.

As I'm building the character;
I'm thinking he was born a lycanthrope (wolf or otherwise) in an elven community due to a witch's curse. Despite normally being good hearted, he was shunned as he grew up due to his curse. As a result, he became dark hearted and twisted. He stole a blade and set off to get away from his homeland. Lamashtu, seeing an opportunity, blessed him with dark powers and aided him in subtle ways. Soon, the elf was a true warrior with prowess.

After a time, he began embracing his more bestial side, letting his claws fight compared to his blade. After a particularly unlucky fight with a Juju oracle (the true BBEG in this campaign) he was raised as one of her juju zombie warriors. He is treated as a general of the Oracles undead hordes.

Crunch wise; after 5th level, I can't decide what to go with for 4 levels.
Ranger, Barbarian, and Rogue have all seemed fitting. I also contemplated switching the first 4 levels to fighter and then switch to Anti-paladin.

I'd like something with kind of a bestial theme, but has some real mechanical benefits that make him kind of unique. When the party meets him, he will rely on his sword until he feels he is in trouble, then switch to his claws (which with the Scout Archetype, charging with those things would hurt like hell with sneak-attack and smite good...)