Help finding a unique ability for a boss foe

[Lonewolf147]

Hey all,
I'm creating a powerful boss creature for my PC's to deal with. The PC's are quite powerful and it's hard to just throw a high HP heavy hitter at them. So I want to try and throw a curve ball instead. If there was a way to by-the-rules, negate or remove class features and racial abilities from PC's either temporarily or permanently, they would be really on the spot.

I know that there are level drain abilities, but those are pretty broad based. I was hoping to come up with a method that could be used to do something like remove or suppress a rogues Sneak Attack ability, or a druid's Wild Shape, or any other Class, Racial, SU, EX, SP, abilities.

Magic? Psionics? Divine? Artifacts? Relics? All books and resources are available to me, even a good chunk of 3rd party stuff too.

[hemming]

You could use something like an anti-magic field or some such...

For example, in the Shrine of Sekolah adventure setting in stormwrack the shrine itself is covered by an unhallow spell that anchors an area dispel magic effect. The effect only works against beings that are not followers of Sekolah

Edit: Taking away rogue sneak attack is a little more straightforward - have the party surprised by the enemy or in a very well lit open room area with no where to hide

[Feilith]

Rogues can't sneak attack undead and Druid loses wild shape in an Anti-Magic Field(suppresses all Su abilities). Sounds to me like you're looking at a Dread Necromancer who's focusing on Summoning and Battlefield control.

More information on the party is needed if you want a specific answer constructed for your party

[lunar2]

ToM has truename spells that can suppress or steal Ex and Su abilities. if you don't want to deal with the truename check, you can always waive it.

[animewatcha]

If boss successfully saves ( or saving throw is within x of dc ), spell, ability, etc. does not effect boss at all. Pretty much Evasion + Mettle only better.

[Fitz10019]

"Unique" as in new / invented?

Give him an attack that drains the mind. PCs 'forget' their feats/abilities. Make it an item in the room or that he carries, with a resonating hum or inane music. They PCs forget a feat/class feature each round, starting with their highest. They have to find the item and either UMD to turn it off, or destroy it.

Don't change their stats/BAB -- it'll be too much math adjustment. But they 'lose' Cleave, 3rd level spells, 1d6 sneak attack, wildshaping Large, etc.

Maybe the feats they forget should transfer to him. Action economy should keep that reasonable. He goes invisible in the beginning and spends the first few rounds walking around among them until he's absorbed a bunch of options.

[Lonewolf147]

Those are some good starting ideas. Thanks!

Unique as in not an already written up monster/creature in a book. I'm creating a boss NPC and am looking for stuff/features/abilities to make him a significant challenge, but all within the written rules. This particular game group of mine is a rules heavy group, so I want to make sure to create something that is derived from the rules. Even if it kicks their a$$ they will appreciate the use of the rules to do it. :smallamused:

[hemming]

I know you asked for specific abilities, but adding reinforcements/underlings is always solid:

-Turn the tables on the rogue - give the boss a few underlings with decent rogue levels that can hide and sneak attack the party.

-Theres also the old: harmless flock of birds is actually a flock of druids - can be a good way to add surprise reinforcements to an outdoor battle

-A few cleric underlings can heal up your boss for that exta oomph

[broodax]

The first thing I thought of was a Dread Necromancer / Dread Witch build that just scares the bejeebers out of them, through all their fancy protections and immunities.

And then you have enervation for some level draining too.