BBEG wildshape ideas?

[Theodred theOld]

The party in a campaign I am running is quickly closing in on the BBEG they've been tracking down. He is a lvl 15 druid and I intend on cycling through a number of wildshape /SNA variations. Had already decided on tendriculos as one form. Any thoughts from the playground? The party consists of human fighter 4/crusader 4, human rogue 7/ GFK 1, human sorceror 8 (blasty), pixie (stripped down to just at will invis.) sorceror 8 and orc barbarian 7/ eye of gruumsh 1.

[Jack_Simth]

Depends. Do you want to kill them all? Are they going to be fighting on the Druid's terms?

1) Anything with a Burrow speed or Earth Glide can get away very readily. Your BBEG is a level shy of an Earth Elemental, but the lowly Badger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/badger.htm) (or it's "Dire" cousin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/direBadger.htm)) can do so quite readily. This is a great "escape" method if needed, as most people have a hard time getting a burrow speed, and tracking a burrowing critter is yet more difficult.
2) Anything flying that's indigenous to the area (if outdoors), especially if it's particularly small. Nobody pays much mind to the bird sitting in the tree branches a few hundred yards away (largely due to the Spot / Listen check modifiers for the distance), but Natural Spell means that the "bird" can spam, oh, Call Lightning Storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/callLightningStorm.htm), Earthquake (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/earthquake.htm), and Ice Storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/iceStorm.htm), and Insect Plauge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/insectPlague.htm) with little fear of reprisal.

[FocusWolf413]

If you're in an area with somewhat dense undergrowth or tall grass, playing a small rodent would work wonders.

[Theodred theOld]

Not really planning on killing all of them outright. I was going for a kind of attrition type battle. He's already appeared as a rat on multiple occasions so that could be fun. I was also thinking a pile of summoned bears at one point could be fun.

[(Un)Inspired]

+1 on the badger idea.

If the fit hits the Shan for your fella just have him shift into a badger, burrow out of sight, cast heal on himself, then buff up.

Having the BBEG on the ropes only for him to explode out of the ground with full health as a venomfire'd Fleshraker ought to keep your party guessing

[Theodred theOld]

Hooray for vemonfire. I believe the party barbarian will be have his dex drained out by a couple of fleshrakers then eaten alive by a tendriculos. Thanks guys.

[Mr.Kraken]

How evil is your druid? You could houserule that he can wildshape into a taint elemental from Heroes of Horror. It's an idea I'm about to try with my BBEG lich druid and I think it's going to surprise the players a bit. You have to be willing to use the taint rules, tough.

[NeoPhoenix0]

Not really planning on killing all of them outright. I was going for a kind of attrition type battle. He's already appeared as a rat on multiple occasions so that could be fun. I was also thinking a pile of summoned bears at one point could be fun.

hmm, maybe a bear riding a bear summoning bears and bear shaped lightning?

[Eloel]

hmm, maybe a bear riding a bear summoning bears and bear shaped lightning?

Needs more bear.

[(Un)Inspired]

Needs more bear.

Spell Thematics: Bear+Bite of the WereBear.

[Thealtruistorc]

Spell Thematics: Bear+Bite of the WereBear.

You forgot Bear's Endurance. Also, try out Bearkskin and the Bearagon Template.


Nobody pays much mind to the bird sitting in the tree branches a few hundred yards away (largely due to the Spot / Listen check modifiers for the distance), but Natural Spell means that the "bird" can spam, oh, Call Lightning Storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/callLightningStorm.htm), Earthquake (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/earthquake.htm), and Ice Storm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/iceStorm.htm), and Insect Plauge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/insectPlague.htm) with little fear of reprisal.

Can I sig this?

[Jack_Simth]

Can I sig this?
Go for it.

[jiriku]

Briefly shifting into cheetah form is useful for opening range. If they're pouring the heat on and he needs a breather, he can charge 500 ft through heavy undergrowth, and it should take the players several rounds of running to catch up to him. Even better, their varying speeds and movement methods mean that they may catch up to him one at a time, rather than all in a unit, allowing him a round or two to pound on the fastest pursuer before the others arrive.

The bird form is an especially useful form to start combat with, since he can fly overhead, earn a surprise round, and use the surprise to lay down a battlefield control effect like wall of thorns or sleet storm. Action suppression is the name of the game in solo boss fights, and the longer he can keep a few players tied up in battlefield control spells, the longer he'll preserve the upper hand.

[jiriku]

Also, if he's got Fast Wildshape and Rapid Wildshape (so you expect him to change forms frequently), he should prebuff with healthful rest and wear a periapt of wound closure. This will triple his normal rate of healing, so he'll heal 45 hp every time he changes forms -- that's a lot of free healing over the course of a fight!

[eggynack]

Also, if he's got Fast Wildshape and Rapid Wildshape (so you expect him to change forms frequently), he should prebuff with healthful rest and wear a periapt of wound closure. This will triple his normal rate of healing, so he'll heal 45 hp every time he changes forms -- that's a lot of free healing over the course of a fight!
A mantle of wild shape is a better choice for that effect. It's both cheap and efficient, and it might even have a better effect given that little buff on top.

Anyway, if you're going the attrition route, maybe consider tossing out something like blizzard. Really slows down a fight to a grinding halt, and a druid can really take advantage of that sorta situation. Control winds works too. As for forms, might make sense to pick up dragon wild shape, because it allows rapid access to a variety of things, or aberration wild shape, which allows relatively slower access to an even wider and more interesting variety of things. Aberration has lots of thematic weight to it, but you usually want to cast enhance wild shape before most of the forms.

[Theodred theOld]

Also, if he's got Fast Wildshape and Rapid Wildshape (so you expect him to change forms frequently), he should prebuff with healthful rest and wear a periapt of wound closure. This will triple his normal rate of healing, so he'll heal 45 hp every time he changes forms -- that's a lot of free healing over the course of a fight!
Umm... that's definitely happening. I plan on it being many smaller encounters using alot of SNA. The goal is for them to stop him before he can complete a ritual to bind a demigod-like critter to his will. Afterwards they gain possession of a seed that will grow into their first spelljammer helm. Can't wait.

[sleepyphoenixx]

If you want to be evil look into Fiend Folio. There's some insane plant forms there, like the Ironmaw with its 60ft reach tendrils and long list of special abilities.

[Theodred theOld]

If you want to be evil look into Fiend Folio. There's some insane plant forms there, like the Ironmaw with its 60ft reach tendrils and long list of special abilities.
They actually fought an ironmaw in the last session. Ran them pretty ragged but didn't managed to engulf anyone.:( pity

[sleepyphoenixx]

They actually fought an ironmaw in the last session. Ran them pretty ragged but didn't managed to engulf anyone.:( pity

Eh, it's okay out of the book, but it's lacking a few things. Like full casting, Combat Reflexes and a few dex buffs. What use is a natural 60ft reach with nasty rider effects when you don't have the AoO's to take advantage of it? :smallbiggrin:

[dascarletm]

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/310/9/e/nobody_ever_suspects____by_elyonsan-d329i39.jpg

You could also just hang-out as a butterfly (if you can get that as a wildshape form)

[atemu1234]

hmm, maybe a bear riding a bear summoning bears and bear shaped lightning?

Leading the bear cavalry.

[dascarletm]

Leading the bear cavalry.

As they bear down on their enemy, the sight alone would be too much to bear.

[eggynack]

You could also just hang-out as a butterfly (if you can get that as a wildshape form)
I dunno that there are stats for it, is part of the issue, and they're also probably diminutive. Might need to run halfling druid substitution levels or something similar to get lower sized forms on that basis, which is awkward. The vermin half is less tricky, assuming this is a vermin.

[dascarletm]

I dunno that there are stats for it, is part of the issue, and they're also probably diminutive. Might need to run halfling druid substitution levels or something similar to get lower sized forms on that basis, which is awkward. The vermin half is less tricky, assuming this is a vermin.

I thought I saw a butterfly somewhere statted, I don't recall the source, perhaps alternative familiars...

[sleepyphoenixx]

I thought I saw a butterfly somewhere statted, I don't recall the source, perhaps alternative familiars...

Dragon Magazine 323

[Theodred theOld]

You could also just hang-out as a butterfly (if you can get that as a wildshape form)
A butterfly flaps it's wings and creates a cyclone. Kinda zen.