Suggestions for Fun NPCs for an Underdark encounter

[Melestav]

Stay out if you're part of my DnDerp The Night Below Campaign.

Hey all, I'm working on a significant drawn out tunnel encounter for my game tmorrow. The party is going to encounter something of an alternate squad that could've been them in the current conflict had they been evil. They'll be traveling in converging directions in the tunnels of the Underdark and both parties will have been there for numerous months and comfortable in tactics therein.

Kidnappers for deviant illithid tastes, I'm envisioning the enemy party as being a major challenge for the party of 5 or 6 level 7-8 PCs. They're decently optimized for our combat heavy campaign and have approx 30% higher WBL than by the book.

The party:
Paladin/Warder- tank/bruiser/area controller
Bard- reach combat support, optimized inspire and debuff clearing
Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple- Acid blaster and front-line gish
Wizard- Half batman half fire blaster
Rogue- unchained scout/sneak attack, very high stealth/perception
Oracle/Paladin- Lifelink, fast healing and healing channeling with some melee competency

Ideal enemy party would have interesting teamwork tactics to compensate for their lower NPC wealth. Casualties to the PC party are fine, I'd really like them to test their mettle against foes that are ready and willing to use consumables/focus fire before moving into a deadlier phase of the campaign.

Have a fun PC/NPC in the 7-9 CR range? Post em and I'll come back and let everyone know how the fight went!

[critfumbles]

Here's my pitch!

Drow skald (demon dancer) 9 — Grants willing allies +6 Str, +6 Con, fiend totem, greater fiend totem, and superstition (from Extra Rage Power). Should use spells like displacement, good hope, haste, and mirror image. Long-duration buffs should already be cast.

Drider cleric (demonic apostle) 3 — Replace sorcerer spells with cleric buffs. Righteous might[i] and [i]magic vestment seems like good choices. Unlike normal demonic apostles, don't give it the familiar.

For bonus points, have the drider's obvious casting of divination reveal likely cases of death (acid, fire, enemies out-healing the damage dealt), and prepare accordingly. Pernicious poison with black smear, communal resist energy, protection from arrows, mage armour. The works.

Quasit rogue 7 — Previously the quasit familiar of the cleric. Uses invisibility and hides near enemy spellcasters, readied action to deal 4d6 sneak attack damage and laugh at Concentration checks. Got greater magic fang cast on it, and has a bag full of snapleaves. Doesn't use demon dancer's inspired rage.

Drow barbarian (primal hunter) 8 — A barbarian with a bow with the adaptive property, the reckless abandon rage power, and this archetype is rather powerful. Uses demon dancer's inspired rage powers and chooses other ones, but pretends to be a ranger or an archer. If the PCs close into melee, it's still a barbarian with a Strength score and a melee weapon.

Drow arcanist 8 — Black tentacles, dispel magic, Improved Counterspell, readied actions. Does not partake in the demon dancer's inspired rage.

Broken soul duergar brawler 6 — Throws ability damage and Pummeling Style everywhere. While large-sized. Add ironskin racial spell-like ability as well. Uses demon dancer's inspired rage.

[Melestav]

Nice, I like this a lot. That duergar looks particularly brutal when bard raged.

The drider is going to prep communal fire resistance and I've switched the Arcanist to a fire/area control sorc that is just going to drop bombs, pits, and walls of fire on whoever is unfortunate enough to get tied up by the resistant brawler.

Game was delayed due to sickness so I'll have a bit more prep time now.

Is there any way to weave the broken soul's touch attack into a brawlers flurry and/or make additional attacks at the same time?