BBEG's elites, help please [3.5]

[Ammutseba]

Running a 3.5 campaign. The details can be seen here: The Necropolis (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k5hnrSyNQkBQq6529fy-Vt4yKjrmBIcq4j4GA3OMn08/edit?usp=sharing)


I'd like some help with one of the elements of the game.

Zahar, lemorian goatfolk general of one of Orcus's armies, has Inspiring Leader and enough Charisma to create a teamwork pool that will benefit 12 characters, including himself. He has 2 cohorts, and 2 allies that provide him with service and council. That's 5, so there are 7 characters left to make the pool with.

I'd like Zahar to have a squad of "mobile elites" composed of his highest-level followers to fill those remaining slots, meaning 2 8th-level followers and 5 7th-level followers (non-epic campaign, but Epic Leadership is incorporated into Leadership). They will be sent on guerrilla warfare missions, and have a low-to-no expected casualty rate. I would prefer not to give them any classes of tiers 1, 2 or 3, especially since tier 1 and 2 classes are exceptionally rare and limited in the campaign.

Due to the teamwork pool, they have the following benefits:
Bonds of Friendship: Each time a member of the teamwork pool is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, all other members of the pool gain a +2 morale bonus on attacks and Will saves for the rest of the encounter. You don't get the bonus if the damage was caused by a member of the team.

(I can't tell if this is supposed to stack with itself, because it says "each time," but then it's also a morale bonus.)

Coordinated Actions: Before rolling for initiative, one or more members of the team may each take an initiative penalty to grant another member of them team an initiative bonus of half the penalty's value. The maximum penalty a single character can take is -8.

Team Practice: Once per day, a member of the team can gain the benefits of a feat another character in the team possesses, for one round. To use a feat, a character still needs to meet its prerequisites.


I want the elites to be able to challenge the PCs, hold their own for a round or two, and excel at teamwork, ambushes, taking advantage of the terrain, and fighting retreats. They don't need to deal serious damage, because diminishing the players' resources should be just as good for them as causing injuries.

So, any suggestions?

[Thealtruistorc]

Alright the, let's see what can come up with.

The two eights could be a pair of powerful killers, one of which is a human lion totem barbarian/frenzied berserker who hits like a freight train and the other being a buomman shadow hand swordsage who runs daggers through people when they least expect it. These two are goatlord's left and right hands, and lead most of his endeavors from either the light or the darkness.

For the other five, they should all work as a support squad. A white raven crusader designed to help the others take hits, a changeling factotum who gathers intelligence when needed and can UMD the group out of danger, a wildshape ranger who can switch off between being a scout and being a beast, an intimidate-based fighter who acts as an enforcer, and lastly a wraith, which uses its incorporeality fo dangerous situations.

[Ammutseba]

Alright the, let's see what can come up with.

The two eights could be a pair of powerful killers, one of which is a human lion totem barbarian/frenzied berserker who hits like a freight train and the other being a buomman shadow hand swordsage who runs daggers through people when they least expect it. These two are goatlord's left and right hands, and lead most of his endeavors from either the light or the darkness.

For the other five, they should all work as a support squad. A white raven crusader designed to help the others take hits, a changeling factotum who gathers intelligence when needed and can UMD the group out of danger, a wildshape ranger who can switch off between being a scout and being a beast, an intimidate-based fighter who acts as an enforcer, and lastly a wraith, which uses its incorporeality fo dangerous situations.

I haven't forgotten you. I've simply been working further on the squad. One eight is very close to what you've described; a lesser worghest provided by a kind fellow over on the MMX forums. His name is Akahi, and he specializes in charging drop kicks from heights. The other eight is not yet set in stone, but the swordsage might be going there.

One seven is a bardic sage/war weaver (with an early entry trick). Another seven is a falconer with shadestrikers, but I don't have any of its build worked out. One seven will be a bodyguard; might go crusader, might not. That changeling factotum UMD-spec sure does look attractive, but scout/beast is already taken by the worghest. I'll go with an Intimiforcer only if I can add a second function to the build. And uh... how does a wraith's incorp help the party?

[Honest Tiefling]

I reeeeaaaaallly want to suggest the Dread Necromancer, because they worship Orcus and scythe wielding goat folk are awesome. I think the power of the class is greatly reduced if access to black onyx is carefully controlled (so no minion armies) and allies aren't healed by negative energy. Perhaps reduce the spellcasting to be on par for spells known and spells per day like a bard.

[Thealtruistorc]

And uh... how does a wraith's incorp help the party?

Let me put it this way:

Here is a world where clerics don't exist, so incorporeal undead don't have too many counters? They can pass through walls, strike through armor, mess you up horrifically with ability drain, and on top of everything create more of themselves. If you are a warlord looking to strike fear into their enemies, look no further than this. Knowing that this thing could be sicced upon you or your family would be enough to keep most folks in line. These principles also apply for combat, as the wraith could effectively tank most of what people throw at it and suck the life out of a bunch of schmucks in the process. Add in the fact that they don't need to be fed and you have a perfect killer on your side.

For other fighter options, consider grabbing a spiked chain. Tripping and crowd control could be the crux of this style, with the character knocking foes to the ground before they even have a chance to attack.

[Ammutseba]

I reeeeaaaaallly want to suggest the Dread Necromancer, because they worship Orcus and scythe wielding goat folk are awesome. I think the power of the class is greatly reduced if access to black onyx is carefully controlled (so no minion armies) and allies aren't healed by negative energy. Perhaps reduce the spellcasting to be on par for spells known and spells per day like a bard.

Dread Necromancers worship Orcus? Are you sure you don't mean Death Master?


Let me put it this way:

Here is a world where clerics don't exist, so incorporeal undead don't have too many counters? They can pass through walls, strike through armor, mess you up horrifically with ability drain, and on top of everything create more of themselves. If you are a warlord looking to strike fear into their enemies, look no further than this. Knowing that this thing could be sicced upon you or your family would be enough to keep most folks in line. These principles also apply for combat, as the wraith could effectively tank most of what people throw at it and suck the life out of a bunch of schmucks in the process. Add in the fact that they don't need to be fed and you have a perfect killer on your side.

For other fighter options, consider grabbing a spiked chain. Tripping and crowd control could be the crux of this style, with the character knocking foes to the ground before they even have a chance to attack.

See, the rest of that I get, I was just curious why the incorporeality was so important. But yeah, I'm def going to go build a "re-purpose the weak" type wraith.

[Ammutseba]

After working with the concept for a while, there is now this team:

Akahi -- Lesser worghest Unarmed Swordsage 2/Lion Barbarian 1/Monk 5 -- Striker, leader
Nym Glourach -- Lesser drow necropolitan Crusader 5/Tactical Soldier 3 -- Defender
Kela Smokeblood -- Silverbrow Pyroclastic dragon-descended magic-blooded human necropolitan Corrupt Healer 5/Singer of Concordance 2 -- Healer
Kadun Smokeblood -- Silverbrow Pyroclastic dragon-descended human necropolitan Bardic Sage 4/War Weaver 2/Buteo Despoiler 1 -- Buffer, secondary striker
Zell Strix -- Changeling necropolitan Rogue 7 -- Support
Vultog the Executioner -- Half-orc necropolitan Fighter 6/Half-Orc Paragon 1 -- Controller
Rosary -- Wraith ??? -- Minion-maker


Okay so the Corrupt Healer is an adaptation of the Healer class, which is modified for "evil," (the campaign still doesn't use alignment), Kadun uses an early entry trick to War Weaver with Versatile Spellcaster, and Buteo Despoiler is an arcane falconing adaptation of the Knight of the Raven class from Expedition to Ravenloft.

Zell Strix might end up going with Factotum 7 or Lurk 7, instead. He's not really a roguish sort, he's actually there to provide UMD/UPD support and get the party out of danger in a hurry, if necessary.

Anyhow, Rosary still gets 2 levels worth of character class. I'd like to know which classes you think would be the most conducive to her making minions out of low-level followers and hirelings. :)

[Honest Tiefling]

Dread Necromancers worship Orcus? Are you sure you don't mean Death Master?

Meant more as a general necromantic thing that could be easily worked to be within guidelines by reducing spells, not that all Dread Necromancers would follow him. But you need SOME necromancers to follow Orcus!

[Ammutseba]

Oh yeah. That totally makes sense, and Zahar definitely has one or two of those. For instance, Yavian, the glabrezu assigned to ensuring that Zahar stays suitably wicked and firmly under control, is also a capable necromancer leading a large number of undead. :)

Anyway, I thought you'd meant Death Master because, per the class description, they explicitly worship Orcus in exchange for power over the undead.