Villainous Competition XIV: The Thing That Should Not Be

[Thurbane]

Welcome to Round 14 of the Villainous Competition!

Previous Competitions
Round One: Leader of Armies (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?395046)
Round Two: Nature's Revenger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400517)
Round Three: Double Agent (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?406015)
Round Four: Grave Keeper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?413480)
Round Five: Crime Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?420704)
Round Six: Ultimate Predator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?430650)
Round Seven: Wicked Witch (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444478)
Round Eight: Master of the Tundra (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?461482)
Round Nine: The Power of Villainous Thinking (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?474230)
Round Ten: Henchman Are Villains Too (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?478068)
Round Eleven: The Higher They Rise The Harder They Fall (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?483052)
Round Twelve: Power Comes at a Price (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?488846)
Round Thirteen: The Gadgeteer - You Are Not Batman (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?491932)

We're a little different than most of the optimization threads. We run on CR instead of ECL.

Contestants:
You will need to present a write-up of your build with at least one of the following points: 5 CR, 10 CR 15 CR, 20 CR, and a "sweet spot" that you feel is the high point of the build, as well as presenting a fully-fleshed out 20 CR build in the table below. Feel free to present as many of these as you like, and please give a rundown of the build's abilities and playability at all of the levels you didn't show. The rules are as follows:

Secret Laboratory:
Competitors will be free to use any official 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon Compendium is allowed, but Dragon magazine is disallowed. Unearthed Arcana is allowed. Web-exclusive 3.0 or 3.5 materials by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere, as this may cause an Elegance deduction at the judges' discretion. Alternate rule systems from UA such as gestalt or Generic Classes are not allowed, as they create a different playing field. Item Familiars and Taint are also banned from the competition. Leadership and all similar abilities are banned for sanity reasons.
Builds that are fully monstrous are allowed at no penalty. All class levels are to be added on as associated class levels.
32 point-buy is the presumed creation method.
Some monstrous characters can technically qualify for Epic feats as soon as their ECL is over 20. While regular Epic feats will be allowed, Epic Spellcasting and all other Epic feats that affect spells, psionic powers, or item creation are not permitted. Including these would give an unfair advantage over standard characters. For Incarnum characters, Epic Open Chakra feats are allowed; other Epic Incarnum feats are not. The Essentia Capacity increases for Epic capacity as described on p. 212. For all characters, please note that Racial Hitdice do not count towards Epic Progression; use the regular progression even if the BAB ends up higher than 20.

Deadlines:
Contestants will have until 05:59 GMT Sunday August 21st to create their builds and PM them to the Supreme Chancellor. Builds will then be posted simultaneously, to avoid copying. Judges will have until 05:59 GMT Sunday September 4th to judge the builds and submit their scores. If no judges have scored by that point, only the scores of the first judge to submit will be counted. Judging deadline is subject to extension as/if required.

Judging:
Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each build rated on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 5 (exemplary) in each area: Originality, Build Elegance, Competence and Power, Memorable Villainy.
Keep these questions in mind when judging each category:
Originality - Is it unexpected?
Build Elegance - Is it mechanically pretty?
Competence and Power - Can it do what the concept asks of it? Is this a powerfully-built character?
Memorable Villainy - Is this a villain with style? Will it be the BBEG players long to finally kill and then talk about for weeks?
Unearthed Arcana can be penalized for elegance if the specific feature seems unnecessary or makes the playing field unfair (In this case, you can give a 1 if it makes the field unfair.)
Power level is up to you. Cheese is acceptable, but should be kept to a sane level unless you're showcasing a new TO build you've discovered. As the Iron Chef competition states, a little cheddar can be nice, but avoid the mature Gruyere unless you're making a cheese fondue.
You may not judge if you entered the contest, unless you withdraw your submission.

Presentation:
Builds will be posted anonymously, in order to avoid the potential of bias towards a particular competitor. For this reason, please don't put your name in the build, as I'm likely to miss it when reviewing the entries!

Using the table below, the easiest way to use it is to go to the top left of the private message, and click the little a/A icon. It allows you to see what you're writing.
Due to concerns about standardizing entry format, I'd like everyone to try to use the following table for their entry.


CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


2
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


3
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


4
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


5
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


6
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


7
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


8
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


9
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


10
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


11
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


12
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


13
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


14
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


15
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


16
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


17
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


18
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


19
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


20
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


Code immediately below (spoiler).

Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


7th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


8th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


9th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


10th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


11th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


12th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


13th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


14th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


15th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


16th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


17th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


18th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


19th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


20th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


You can use the table below for Spells.

Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Code Immediately Below,
Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-



Speculation:
Please don’t post or speculate on possible builds until the reveal, in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.

Get ready to share those Evil thoughts. This edition’s villain is:


The Thing That Should Not Be


Limitations:

The character presented must be "Lovecraftian" in nature - encouraged: tentacles, Aberrations, Far Realm related.
Must be able to inspire insanity in others (either literally or metaphorically).
Must NOT be of the Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Fey or Giant type.
Must have an Evil or Chaotic Neutral alignment.

We will award 1st through 3rd places, and a possible Honorable Mention.
So, start your evil plotting!

Submission:
To standardize Entries, please use this format when sending it in:

PM: Thurbane
Subject: Villainous Competition 14, Name of your Entry
For Revisions and disputes, do the same thing. It makes it easier for me finding the entries in my mail box.
More questions? PM me with Villainous Competition 14 Questions in the header.

Tips for submitting your entry, provided by Weaselguy:


- Use capitalization and punctuation, correctly.
- Make good use of Spoilers, for cleanliness.
- Don't forget your sources. If it's something that can be found in the contents section, then book title seems to be fine. Obscure stuff, may want to include page number too.
- DeviantArt has about 9 billion pictures that you can reference, I can almost guarantee you can find one there to fit your character.
- Make good use of tables. In addition to the Build table and the Spells table, I like doing on e for my Ability Scores, just to keep it neat.
- Do a build stub at the top of your Build Table, something like Wizard 2/Fighter 3/Abjurant Champion 5/Eldritch Knight 10

As always: let's keep it nice.

[Thurbane]

CLARIFICATIONS/FAQ


"Insanity":
I'm open to suggestions, but I was thinking any of the following:

able inflict Insanity, Feeblemind, Confusion or similar conditions/spell effects (including SLAs and Su abilities). I don't believe fear effects by themselves would qualify, and would probably be handled better in a different round. This isn't to say that your entry can't also be able to inflict fear as well as any of the aforementioned "insanity" effects.
cause Wis damage or drain
otherwise render a character incapable of rational thought*

*This is very open to interpretation, so I'll leave it up to individual entrants to use their discretion.


Point Buy
Characters are assumed to use the 32 point buy method to calculate starting ability scores. If you use a different method, please make this abundantly clear in your entry.

In the case of entirely monstrous entries (i.e. with only racial hit dice and no class levels), starting ability mods should be assume to already include the 1 point per 4 HD increases for starting RHD.**

In the case of entries with RHD and class levels, ability mods should be calculated as normal (i.e. subtract 10 from even scores, and 11 from odd scores). The 1 point per 4 HD/class levels is then added as normal.


A Griffon Magic Beast 7/Fighter 1 would have starting ability mods of Str +8 Dex +4 Con +6 Int -6 Wis +2 Cha -2, with two points added (one at 4HD, one at 8HD) due having 8 hit dice.
A Tyrannosaurus Animal 18 would have ability mods of Str +18, Dex +2, Con +10, Int -8, Wis +4 - there would be assumed to be 4 ability point increases (for 4HD, 8HD, 12HD and 16HD) in there somewhere - where these were applied is open to interpretation.

**I fully appreciate that "guesstimating" that exactly where the HD increases were applied can be difficult. I would ask entrants to use their best estimates, and judges to be lenient in the case where a point or two may have been mis-applied.


Creature Type

The restriction on creature types does not include templated creatures whose end result is an acceptable type. If they base creature type is Humanoid, Fey, Monstrous Humanoid or Giant, but a template changes that to something else, the entry is acceptable.

Note: the template most likely should be inherited, so the entry starts as an acceptable type.


Scaling CR Templates

The CR increase kicks in at the appropriate HD. For a Half Fiend Human Fighter, for example, it CR at 4th level is 5, at 5th level it jumps straight to CR 7, and at 11th level it becomes CR 14. The SLAs come online at the appropriate number of HD.

If you want to add an extra column in the table to make it looks clearer (i.e. one for HD and one for CR) you're certainly free to do so.

[Strigon]

Now, just to be clear, how "metaphorically" can we afford to be, in terms of causing insanity?
I'm going to try to work Wis damage in somehow, but even without it, this feller should be more than capable of causing insanity just by sheer force of terror.

[Jormengand]

The tips for submitting your entry have been destroyed by the quote system.

[Thurbane]

Now, just to be clear, how "metaphorically" can we afford to be, in terms of causing insanity?
I'm going to try to work Wis damage in somehow, but even without it, this feller should be more than capable of causing insanity just by sheer force of terror.

I'm open to suggestions, but I was thinking any of the following:
able inflict Insanity, Feeblemind, Confusion or similar conditions/spell effects (including SLAs and Su abilities). I don't believe fear effects by themselves would qualify, and would probably be handled better in a different round. This isn't to say that your entry can't also be able to inflict fear as well as any of the aforementioned "insanity" effects.
cause Wis damage or drain
otherwise render a character incapable of rational thought*

*This is very open to interpretation, so I'll leave it up to individual entrants to use their discretion.

[The Viscount]

Interesting. I'll see if I can cobble something together for this one.

[Thurbane]

The tips for submitting your entry have been destroyed by the quote system.

Thank you - fixed.

[Strigon]

I'm open to suggestions, but I was thinking any of the following:
able inflict Insanity, Feeblemind, Confusion or similar conditions/spell effects (including SLAs and Su abilities). I don't believe fear effects by themselves would qualify, and would probably be handled better in a different round. This isn't to say that your entry can't also be able to inflict fear as well as any of the aforementioned "insanity" effects.
cause Wis damage or drain
otherwise render a character incapable of rational thought*

*This is very open to interpretation, so I'll leave it up to individual entrants to use their discretion.

That's completely reasonable; thanks for the clarification.

[Inevitability]

Interested. Let's see what I can come up with.

[Amphetryon]

I am in the middle of moving, but I have an idea. We'll see.

[GnomishPride]

I have an idea...

[LordOfCain]

I have an idea.

[Val666]

Neat! big fan of Lovecraft here and d&d too. First time participating in an event like this (I always check the other competitions, iron chef, etc) I'd love to come up with something.

[Thurbane]

To the competitor who recently messaged me - unfortunately I can't currently reply to your query due to your inbox being full.

[Inevitability]

Build submitted! Let's see how it turns out.

[GnomishPride]

Build submitted!

[ben-zayb]

We're no longer doing Elite Array? This ought to be interesting! (though I'm coming up blank with inspiration...)

[Thurbane]

We're no longer doing Elite Array? This ought to be interesting! (though I'm coming up blank with inspiration...)

Yeah, I thought I'd try something different - depending how it goes, I may be reverting to elite array for the next round.

[ben-zayb]

Alright! Also, the Evil alignment is apparently lifted, but fittingly so for this round.

(now, if only I could figure out how to make a story of an oxymoronic low-level lovecraftian horror)

[Strigon]

Alright! Also, the Evil alignment is apparently lifted, but fittingly so for this round.

(now, if only I could figure out how to make a story of an oxymoronic low-level lovecraftian horror)

Aye; there's the rub.
Fortunately, it actually doesn't have to be Cthuhlu-esque, so much as unnatural and wrong - just something that's not supposed to be here.

Besides, Lovecraft wrote a few stories on things that weren't especially strong, but were quite disturbing nonetheless (See: The Beast in the Cave (http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/bc.aspx))

[Thurbane]

I've updated the second post with a couple more queries that I've received. :smallwink:

[Strigon]

What's the running total on entries thus far?

[Thurbane]

What's the running total on entries thus far?

Four by my count. :smallsmile:

[DontEvenAsk]

I've been eyeballing these competitions for a while now but I always seem to be behind. I have a few ideas for this one. Submitting a build at this juncture would be dashing through the gates as they close, I know, but I always work best with a near deadline and a lot of desperation... :smallbiggrin:

[Thurbane]

I've been eyeballing these competitions for a while now but I always seem to be behind. I have a few ideas for this one. Submitting a build at this juncture would be dashing through the gates as they close, I know, but I always work best with a near deadline and a lot of desperation... :smallbiggrin:

Go for it! This is exactly what I did with my own entry (Filia) for the Henchman as Villans round...everything was last minute, and I ended up getting 2nd place!

[Inevitability]

I've been eyeballing these competitions for a while now but I always seem to be behind. I have a few ideas for this one. Submitting a build at this juncture would be dashing through the gates as they close, I know, but I always work best with a near deadline and a lot of desperation... :smallbiggrin:


Go for it! This is exactly what I did with my own entry (Filia) for the Henchman as Villans round...everything was last minute, and I ended up getting 2nd place!

Same here: I got the idea for Brightness the final day of the competition, quickly threw a build together, and ended up winning.

My current build has been submitted over two weeks ago, though... what rating should I expect now? :smalltongue:

[DontEvenAsk]

Oh, yeah, I'd almost forgotten about her. She was instantly my favorite reading that round. :smallbiggrin:

Well, with such inspiration, it's time to forge ahead!

[Thurbane]

More entries received...excellent! By my reckoning, we're a bit under 4-and-a-half hours from the deadline!

It's possible due to social commitments I have today (wedding venue preparations) and my difference in time zones that the reveal may not be done until tomorrow.

I am happy to accept entries right up until the point of the reveal, even if these are slightly after the "official" deadline. :smallwink:

http://i65.tinypic.com/2u8j6ko.jpg

[DontEvenAsk]

Sanity given! Along with all my free time for the past three days. It was worth it.

[Thurbane]

OK, apologies for the delays, and without any further ado, here comes the reveal!

***PLEASE REFRAIN FROM POSTING UNTIL I ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE FINISHED POSTING ENTRIES***

[Thurbane]

Illithid Brute
NE Four-Headed Ulitharid Illithid War Mind 5
*sigh* I couldn't find a picture anywhere! There's just no demand for four-headed illithid drawings!


Multiheaded Illithid Mods: Str +6, Dex +4, Con +12, Int +10, Wis +6, Cha +10
Point Buy: Str 16 (10), Dex 11 (3), Con 13 (5), Int 18 (13), Wis 10 (2), Cha 8 (0)
Stat Increases: Con/Wis/Wis/Str/Str
Final Stats: Str 24, Dex 15, Con 26, Int 28, Wis 18, Cha 18




CR
HD
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


15
18
Multiheaded (+3 Heads) Ulitharid Illithid
+12
+14
+8
+15
Autohypnosis 21 ranks, Diplomacy 21 ranks, Spot 21 ranks, Bluff 21 ranks, Concentration 21 ranks, Listen 21 ranks, Sense Motive 21 ranks, Know (history) 2 ranks, Know (psionics) 21 ranks, Intimidate 21 ranks, Jump 17 ranks
Combat Reflexes (Bonus), Improved Initiative (Bonus), Extended Reach, Willing Deformity, Deformity (Tall), Power Attack, Chain Power, Improved Natural Attack (tentacle), Combat Manifestation
Extract, improved grab, mind blast, psionic powers, power resistance 27, telepathy 200 ft, superior multiweapon fighting, darkvision 90ft, +6 racial to Listen, Spot and Search


16
19
War Mind 1
+13
+16
+10
+15
+1 each to Autohypnosis, Diplomacy, Spot, Bluff, Concentration, Listen, Sense Motive, Know (psionics), Intimidate, and Jump
-
Psychic warrior powers, chain of personal superiority +2


17
20
War Mind 2
+14
+17
+11
+15
+1 each to Autohypnosis, Diplomacy, Spot, Bluff, Concentration, Listen, Sense Motive, Know (psionics), Intimidate, and Jump
-
Chain of defensive posture +2


18
21
War Mind 3
+15
+17
+11
+16
+1 each to Autohypnosis, Diplomacy, Spot, Bluff, Concentration, Listen, Sense Motive, Know (psionics), Intimidate, and Jump
Extend Power
Enduring Body (DR 1/-)


19
22
War Mind 4
+16
+18
+12
+16
+1 each to Autohypnosis, Diplomacy, Spot, Bluff, Concentration, Listen, Sense Motive, Know (psionics), Intimidate, and Jump
-
-


20
23
War Mind 5
+17
+18
+12
+16
+1 each to Autohypnosis, Diplomacy, Spot, Bluff, Concentration, Listen, Sense Motive, Know (psionics), Intimidate, and Jump
-
Sweeping Strike




The Illithid Brute is the result of many years of Mind Flayer experimentation. Ulitharids are known to be essentially the illithid master race, but the experimenters wanted more power! In their foolishness, they created a true abomination: the Illithid Brute, a four headed Ulitharid: Stronger, larger, more tentacled, smarter, and tougher than any illithid that has come before. But they went too far, and created something they couldn’t control. The Illithid Brute, broken in its many minds, used its incredible psionic strength to spread its mental brokenness. Those who resisted were torn apart with its many tentacles.

Sadly, there aren’t stats for baby four-headed Ulitharids. I was considering extrapolating based on the Illithid monster class in Savage Species, but I figured that strayed too close to homebrew (also a lot of work). If you really wanted to, I suppose you could use the Illithid monster class, then add heads as bonus levels and top it off by upgrading the Illithid stats to Ulitharid stats, but it’d have to be compressed quite a bit because the ECL of Illithids and Ulitharids is significantly higher than their CR.

The Illithid Brute is at full strength and maturity. It can use its psionic powers extremely effectively to break the minds of its foes, and its physical strength to break their bodies. Notable powers include Insanity, Psychotic Break, Implant Suggestion, Death Urge, Cerebral Phantasm, and Mindfire. The other powers really focus on upping the creepy level, enhancing its formidable melee capabilities, and various debuffs. I’m personally a fan of the Mass Missive, Trace Teleport, Mass Cloud Mind, and Shatter Mind Blank for upping the creepy level.
In terms of melee, the Illithid Brute has good ol’ Leap Attack for increasing damage output, but the real juice is the reach and attacks per round. With the long tentacles, it has (10 base +5 extend reach +5 deformity (tall) +5 expansion) 25ft reach, and 20ft with the short ones. This combined with Combat Reflexes makes the Illithid Brute pretty good at battlefield control. With its 24 tentacles (6 per head), it can beat down even the toughest fighter.
The Illithid Brute prefers to open with a couple long range psionic powers to debuff them, with a couple defensive powers active just in case. When it feels they’re softened up enough, it’ll charge in and crush them with his massive tentacles, or if it believes they are worthy, it’ll ‘convert’ them by inflicting Insanity, perhaps using Diplomacy to convince them to lower their defenses. If attacked before buffed/it debuffs, it’ll retreat and do that. It’s extremely intelligent and values its own skin above virtually anything else, but relishes battle and is eager to spread his mental illness, especially to other illithids.

The Illithid Brute really doesn’t need levels in anything, so War Mind is really just gravy. Mostly it gets Sweeping Strike, an incredibly awesome ability that can in theory double its attacks per round. Its tactics don’t really change much, though it does get Psionic Lion’s Charge to get more attacks on a charge. If given the chance, it’ll use Extended powers to keep the insanity going for longer.


1)Barbarian/Frenzied Berserker: You could snag Lion Totem to get Pounce, and Frenzied Berserker is of course excellent. I didn’t use it because I preferred the psionic feel of War Mind and Sweeping Strike was too good to pass up.
2)Greater Multigrab instead of Deformity (Tall): Essentially trading +5ft reach for holding people with tentacles. Not sure why you’d hold them instead of eating their brains, but maybe you want a meal on the go.
3) Intimidation: I didn’t prioritize it, but with a little tweaking it’s very possible and synergizes fairly well with the whole Abomination theme. Works well with the Barb/Berserker adaptation mentioned above.
4) Standard Illithid instead of Ulitharid: Sure it saves 4 CR that could be put into class levels. But it loses a couple heads (saving another CR), a total of 16 tentacles, becomes Medium, has worse psionics, and worse stats. If you want to tone down the challenge and/or don’t like Lords of Madness, Illithid is the way to go.
5) Bull Rush: Like with Intimidation, I didn’t prioritize it, but it’s a fairly easy fix. Shock Trooper and Sweeping Strike plus its huge reach make for a combo that’s tough to beat. Also works well with the Barb/Berserker adaptation.


Power Points: 247
Ulitharid (ML 13)
1st: Psionic Daze, Deflection Field, Deja Vu, Primal Fear, Telempathic Projection; 2nd: Id Insinuation, Inflict Pain, Recall Agony, Mass Missive, Concealing Amorpha, Damp Power; 3rd: Touchsight, Cerebral Phantasm, Mindfire, Forced Share Pain; 4th: Implant Suggestion, Death Urge, Personality Parasite, Trace Teleport; 5th: Psychotic Break, Shatter Mind Blank; 6th: Fuse Flesh, Inconstant Location, Mass Cloud Mind; 7th: Insanity
War Mind (ML 5)
1st: Expansion, Dissipating Touch; 2nd: Psionic Lion’s Charge


Ulitharid - Lords of Madness
Multiheaded, Extended Reach - Savage Species
Powers, War Mind, metapsionic feats, Autohypnosis, Combat Manifestation - Expanded Psionics Handbook
Powers - Complete Psionic
Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Improved Natural Attack - Core
Willing Deformity, Deformity (Tall) - Heroes of Horror

[Thurbane]

Amnesia
LE Advanced Maelephant Fiend of Blasphemy 5/Fiend of Corruption 4

http://i.imgur.com/bhfGCpg.jpg

"Ours is a world with a forgotten past and a horrifying future. Bookless roam the lands, Insomniacs go mad as they refuse to accept amnesia, and the Sleepless grow stronger and stronger. Ours is a dark age, but while the mind is weak, the book is strong. Let us record and, through it, remember."

-Arun Shanian, addressing a group of Writers

They say that long ago, the being called Amnesia was summoned by a diabolistic dwarf. The greedy dwarf wished for someone to protect his treasures, and bound a Maelephant to facilitate this.

The devil's servitude was unpleasant. The dwarf would use Amnesia as a test subject for spells, insult him, or make him do horrible (even for a devil) things.

For 101 years was Amnesia bound. Then, at last, the contract expired and he was returned to his home plane. Seething with fury at the dwarf who dared humiliate him.

Aided by his infernal patron, Amnesia returned to the material plane. First, he subdued the dwarf, but that would not be enough. So many still knew of what the diabolist had done: all would have to forget.

And Amnesia made them forget.

Ability scores (CR 10):
STR: 22
DEX: 14
CON: 22
INT: 18
WIS: 20
CHA: 16

At CR 13 and CR 17, constitution is increased by one.

Languages:
Common, Infernal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven and Goblin.

Build table:



CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


11
Maelephant RHD (10)
+10
+7
+7
+7
Balance +5, Bluff +13 Concentration +13, Disguise +6, Diplomacy +13, Gather Information +13, Jump +7, Knowledge (Religion) +13, Listen +13, Search +13, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +13 Spot +13, Survival +13
Apprentice (Criminal), Enlarge Breath, Heighten Breath, Leadership
Breath Weapon, Defensive Stance, DR 10/magic, Fast Healing 2, Frenzied Charge, Improved Grab, Keen Senses, Scent, Spell-like abilities, SR 17


12
Fiend of Blasphemy 1
+10
+9
+9
+9
Disguise +12
-
Blood Oath, Locate Cultist, Undetectable Alignment, Spellcasting


13
Fiend of Blasphemy 2
+11
+10
+10
+10
Bluff +15, Concentration +15, Diplomacy +15
Ability Focus (Breath Weapon)
Transfer spell-like ability


14
Fiend of Corruption 1
+11
+12
+12
+12
Bluff +16, Disguise +14, Diplomacy +16, Sense Motive +16
-
Alternate Form, Fiend's Favor


15
Fiend of Corruption 2
+12
+13
+13
+13
Bluff +17, Disguise +17, Diplomacy +17, Sense Motive +17
-
Mind Shielding, Suggestion


16
Fiend of Blasphemy 3
+13
+13
+13
+13
Bluff +18, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +18, Sense Motive +18
Craft Wondrous Item
Sponsor Worshipper


17
Fiend of Blasphemy 4
+14
+14
+14
+14
Bluff +19, Concentration +19, Diplomacy +19, Gather Information +15 Sense Motive +19
-
Scry on Cultist, Torture Cultist


18
Fiend of Blasphemy 5
+14
+14
+14
+14
Bluff +20, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +20, Gather Information +17, Sense Motive +20
-
Mind Shielding


19
Fiend of Corruption 3
+15
+14
+14
+14
Bluff +21, Diplomacy +21, Listen +14, Search +14, Sense Motive +21, Spot +14
Extra Spell (Remove Fatigue)
Mark of Justice


20
Fiend of Corruption 4
+16
+15
+15
+15
Bluff +22, Diplomacy +22, Listen +15, Search +15, Sense Motive +22, Spot +15
-
Fiendish Graft, Major Creation





Spells per Day (including bonus spells)


CR
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


12
-
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13
-
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


16
-
2+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-
-


17
-
2+1
2+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-
-


18
-
3+1
2+1
2+1
2+1
1+1
-
-
-
-



Amnesia can prepare all spells on the Fiend of Blasphemy list, as well as Remove Fatigue.

Amnesia's domains are Charm and Dream.

Presented are the final 13 entries of a notebook found in the western part of Yrevu Forest.

Entry 421

In the forest, I found some berries and the remains of some animal's kill. I think it was a deer.

I saw another survivor roaming the village two miles from here. She was poking around in the back of chapel near the pale red pillar, perhaps looking for some food. According to this book, I went there fourty-eight days ago, and found it empty.

Entry 422

I found a bird's nest with some eggs in it, and ate them with the remaining berries.

The survivor I saw yesterday, according to this book, must have been Bookless. I know that because I saw her today as well, looking for food in the same spot. It is pitiful to see.

Entry 423

Today, I went to the village to see if she was there again. She was, in the same place I saw her yesterday. Existence without memory: such is a Bookless's plight.

I wonder if I should kill her. Her existence is meaningless, after all. She repeats, without memory, purpose, or understanding. Can she even be called human? Why do we allow the Bookless to exist?

Entry 424

To answer 'myself', we do so because they are dangerous.

The Bookless do not remember, but they do reason. Over time, they realize they are doomed to lose and renew their memories forever. Some kill themselves, others go insane. Their answer to their inability to remember is to make each day the same.

Others again become truly dangerous. They seek only death and destruction, for death and destruction prove they were there. Sometimes, such monsters appear completely human until they notice you. That is why we do not contact them!

Entry 425

I wrote to myself yesterday. Am I going insane too?

What if I am? What if I experience only brief moments of sanity, during which I write those entries? What if entry 424 wasn't written yesterday, but a month ago? How would I know?

Entry 426

How would I know I wrote entry 424, or entry 425, or entry 1? Another survivor could steal my book while I sleep, then write down whatever they want. They could tell me I'm going to do something, and I'd do it without question. What if it's already happened? What if one of the old entries isn't mine?

Or even worse, what if someone takes away this book? I'd wake up with no memory, and no book to restore it. I'd become a Bookless, so seamlessly I might as well always have been one.


Or imagine this: a Bookless ambushes a Writer and kills him. The savage feasts on his corpse, then follows his trail to his camp and goes to sleep there. The next day, the Bookless wakes up, sees the Writer's book, and begins reading. The Bookless steals the Writer's memories, and is Bookless no more.

I just checked the past entries: nowhere does it say anything directly about me. No descriptions of my personality, my appearance... not even my gender! And are those first entries really something I'd write?

Entry 427

The last days were horrifying to read. Future me, please stop writing these things.

Entry 428

Entry 427 may be someone else's attempt to get me to stop thinking about these things. The sudden shift in tone is definitely suspicious.

The book is unreliable. I must stay awake.

Entry 429

It is strange reading a past entry and remembering you wrote it. I'm feeling tired, but the idea of retaking my memory empowers me. I shall not sleep.

Entry 430

I can do this. I will remember. I will not need this book anymore. Even now, I'm trying to write less in it.

Entry 431

Forget the past entries! Forget one to four hundred and twenty-seven! I don't need them! I am my own memory now!

Entry 432

I can hear something coming. Am I imagining things?

Entry 433

I woke up today: past me must have failed to stay awake. Did I really not sleep for five days? I feel remarkably awake. Maybe I slept an entire day? But why do I not feel hungry, then?

I went to the village today. The woman from entry 421-423 wasn't there. A fresh grave not mentioned in my description of the village in entry 381 stood next to it, though. Did she die? Who dug the grave? Did I?

...

...

No.

No.

That can't be.

I'm going to open the grave. I'm going to open the grave, and I'll see a woman there, just a woman who I killed. I am a Writer. I am a Writer. I have always been a Writer. Entry 1 says so. I did not kill the Writer of this book. I am no Bookless. I stole no-one's memories.

I don't want to open the grave.

Amnesia doesn't need any class levels for his main trick! By stacking Enlarge Breaths on each other, then topping it off with a Heighten Breath, the devil can force everyone in an arbitrarily large area to make DC 27 fortitude saves or be subject to Maelephant breath.

What does said breath do? It suppresses all feats, skill ranks, class features, and (arguably) even innate spellcasting. It also wipes all of the victim's current memories and makes them forget all of their newly acquired memories the moment they sleep or rest. The duration? Permanent, of course.

Also note that while Neutralize Poison removes the condition, immunity to poison doesn't prevent you from being affected. Nor does immunity to mind-affecting. I did some searching, and it seems only undead and construct's blanket immunity to stuff that requires a fortitude save and doesn't affect constructs will protect you.

Now, you have a world of amnesiacs. They don't remember how to do their jobs (Profession is trained-only), they don't know who they can trust, and the few powerful individuals amongst them have forgotten their powers and can no longer use them. Basically, you just made the worldwide fabric of society collapse as a standard action, and can do it twice more today if necessary.

Should any adventurers attack Amnesia before he's affected the whole world, fleeing would be wisest. The fiend can Polymorph into a speedy bird and fly (in more than one way) while dropping a few Entangles and Blade Barriers to deter pursuers. A breath weapon can also be very efficient in stopping enemies.

The half-orc awoke in a dark hut. He did not remember the hut. He did not remember the elf sitting next to him. He did not even remember his own name.

The elf turned towards the half-orc, and spoke:

"I have remembered for you, Eagleheart."

The elf began to tell stories. Some stories were sad, others happy. Some were about things that had happened a long time ago far away, others about things that happened a few hours ago, in the hut next to this one.

There was a story about how one day, a great cataclysm took place and wiped out civilization. Sixty survivors banded together and took off into the wilds. Their memories would slip away from time to time, but they would remind each other of their names and tasks.

Another story was about fools who refused to work together. They called themselves the Writers and entrusted their memories to bits of paper and ink. Things would never end well for the Writers.

One Writer had arrived at the last page of his book and was unable to write any more down. Every day, he'd wake up and think it was the same day, and over time he grew mad.

Another Writer stopped trusting his books. He tried to stay awake, but went insane and is now a wilderness-roaming lunatic.

Yet another Writer was replaced by an insane fool, who read the Writer's book and thought she was the book's protagonist.

The stories about the Unified, as the sixty survivors had decided to call themselves, were nicer. The Unified were proud and brave. They worked together and kept each other focused. Never did they let another stay awake and get mad. Never would they betray each other by entrusting their memories to books.

Eagleheart went outside and saw a village that matched the one from the stories perfectly. A few dozen wooden homes surrounded a communal fire pit. A dwarf and two humans were roasting a boar above it. They introduced themselves to Eagleheart and offered him some meat.

Eagleheart did not know what must be done, but he knew the others knew. He asked, and was told to go chop wood. Eagleheart did so, and was happy.

Then, as the half-orc had finished the job, he heard something in the bushes. Turning, his sharp eyes spotted a tall figure staring at him from the brush.

Eagleheart wanted to call out, but found he couldn't move. The figure approached him and softly touched his scalp with a slender finger.

Eagleheart began to speak. He told all the tales he'd heard upon awakening. He told of the Writers, of his fellow Unified, of the beasts in the wild. He told all, until at last the figure was satisfied. It gestured, and Eagleheart fell asleep.

When he woke up, the figure was gone. Eagleheart did not think it strange, for he did not remember it, or anything at all. He simply got up, looked around, and wandered off in the forest.

Meanwhile, Amnesia walked into the village, his form that of Eagleheart. A villager directed the devil towards a hut, and Amnesia went there. A gnome was just waking up, and the fiend sat down and began to speak. Many of the things he said were tales he heard from Eagleheart, but a few were his own.

The gnome accepted them as truth, and so Amnesia's teachings began to spread.

Amnesia has taken some levels in Fiend of Corruption and Fiend of Blasphemy and can now assume a humanoid form, with its preferred shape being a tall mouthless human, and can cast spells (Sleep is especially fun when combined with his breath). At this stage, however, the devil won't be using them directly yet.

Instead, Amnesia will study the surviving humanoid settlements. With everyone constantly forgetting all they experience, Amnesia should have no trouble moving unnoticed. If a settlement is filled with promising cultists, it'll sneak information into whatever memory substitute they use to make them more pliable in the future. If the humanoids are hostile, or simply useless, Amnesia will manipulate them into killing each other.

Furthermore, should Amnesia decide to re-apply its breath weapon (to affect newborn children or tenacious individuals), it's now even harder to resist. With increased constitution from a Bear's Endurance spell and Fiend's Favor, combined with Ability Focus, the DC is boosted to 37. That means a 20th-level cleric with 20 wisdom and a +5 cloak of resistance still only has a 30% chance of making the saving throw. The chances of such an individual making all three saving throws in a day? Less than 3%.

For five days they had been traveling now, stopping not once to rest. To rest meant to forget, and to forget meant to die. It was no different than to have your entire mind destroyed: the Unsleeping One had taught him such.

The headbands sustained them. They were pure white, with a small red gem set in them. All Sleepless had one: it was what allowed them to keep awake. No sleep meant no amnesia. No amnesia meant survival.

The Sleepless looked to his comrades to the left and right. One, a massive orc, had been blessed with two great batlike wings. The other, a slender human, was blessed too, but in a more subtle way. Deep in the halflings torso a worm slumbered.

The Sleepless refocused: their mission was most important. They had received instructions to wipe out a nearby settlement of Sleepers. All had to die, except for one: a gnome the Unsleeping One had meticulously described.

They reached the village. Comparing the humanoids visible to the numbers given by the Unsleeping One, the Sleepless deduced that about half the village had to be asleep right now. Another weakness of these beings: a third of their lives they spent comatose.

They struck swiftly. Four fell before their foes even realized they were under attack. The Sleepless prepared to bring his tentacled arm down upon another being, then noticed it was their target. He twisted his limb aside and struck the gnome on the shoulder, then watched it collapse in pain.

The village was quickly destroyed. A few fled into the forest, but the winged orc would overtake them with ease. The gnome was conscious but unable to move.

They waited for the orc to return, then left. The gnome screamed and cried, but this was not bad. Evening came, and the sobs fainted away. At last, the gnome fell asleep.

When he woke up again, the Sleepless were still traveling. The human took the gnome and began to tell him of the Unsleeping One's greatness.

The Sleepless was satisfied. Another soul saved.

With the few dangers to his absolute rulership eliminated, Amnesia begins to form a cult. With Atonement it turns its servants LE, and with Blood Oath and Scry on Cultist it can use them as expendable scouts.

A custom item that casts Remove Fatigue once per day and only works for LE creatures is only 2800 GP to make: easily affordable for a powerful devil. Amnesia can now equip its servants with those items, allowing them to remember its teachings. And there's obviously no reason it can't add a Charm Person or Charm Monster effect to these vital pieces of equipment...

Furthermore, Amnesia can use Fiendish Graft to slowly warp the cultists into fiendish monsters, all to better allow them to destroy their few remaining enemies. The lack of a GP limit on Fiendish Graft makes this stupidly broken (hello, 120000 GP Charming Eyes), but RAW it works perfectly.

Amnesia doesn't have to be present to expand its army either. A servant can travel somewhere, spread Amnesia's good word, then keep a few promising cultists awake with items of Remove Fatigue and return them to Amnesia for their proper introduction.

After he's eliminated all resistance, Amnesia can begin restoring the world to its former state, but this time lead by him. Using Lesser Planar Ally he can summon fiends that possess the skills to teach the second generation professions.

Once major cities have been retaken, Amnesia can reign supreme. The few who still resist the magic can easily be located and subdued or bound with Marks of Justice, the others will serve obediently.

Amnesia can then continue to expand his cult, supplying each person with an item of Remove Fatigue as they join the cult. The mutated, powerful Sleepless become the elite of society, with a lower class of ungrafted slaves beneath them. Because the breath weapon doesn't have to be used anymore once the world is Amnesia's, he can begin sponsoring clerics.

A few ways to use Amnesia in a campaign are presented here.

An Empty Home: The PC's return from an extraplanar voyage and discover a material plane ravaged by Amnesia. Society has collapsed, millions have died, and the remaining survivors roam the land in disorder. The PC's must find the source of the incident and eliminate it, then slowly begin curing the affected. Even then, restoring the world to its original state may take centuries.

Those Who Remember: The PC's are all undead or constructs who suddenly find most of the world's inhabitants have lost all memory of who they are and what has happened. Will they seek to undo this? Will they band together with their own kind? Or will they seek to become rulers over the amnesic masses?

Seduced... Fooled: The PC's have been faithful cultists of Amnesia for as long as they can remember (that is, a few years). During one expedition into unknown territory, a mysterious individual suddenly cures their memory loss, allowing the PC's to remember something that makes them hostile towards Amnesia. The remainder of the campaign will be focused on scavenging for useful items and fighting Amnesia's forces before finally fighting the fiend.

Saved From Oblivion: The PC's wake up, their minds blank, with nothing to guide them but a handwritten note saying: 'stay awake'. For several days they must travel through a hostile land, growing increasingly sleep-deprived. Eventually, they are found by one of the few priests who has survived the cataclysm and cured of Amnesia's breath.

Now, the PC's must work together with their new ally to avoid the entire world's destruction. And they must make haste, for Amnesia will soon breathe again...

I've been throwing some jargon around that may be incomprehensible to some. Allow me to explain the various factions in a world ravaged by Amnesia here:

Writers are those who seek to substitute books for their memory. They maintain detailed accounts of what occurs, then read those accounts every day to maintain a shred of sanity. The vulnerable nature of their accounts means they are liable to go insane.

Writers are typically solitary. Occasionally, they band together in small communities to share writing equipment, but such things are rare. After all: being near others makes your books much more vulnerable.

Insomniacs are people who, for whatever reason, decide to stop sleeping. They invariably go mad, then begin roaming the land as unsleeping lunatics. Many Writers end up as Insomniacs after realizing their books do not suffice as memory. A Sleepless who is banished for whatever reason may become Insomniac too, in a vain attempt to keep his memories.

Bookless is what the Writers call people who lack any kind of permanent record. They lose their memories when they go to sleep and renew them over the course of a day. Because this state doesn't allow for anything but simple survival, the Writers scorn these people. They, too, are vulnerable to insanity once they realize their situation.

The Unified are a small subsection of the Bookless. They share a collective memory kept alive by whatever members of their communities are awake. Mentally, they are most stable of all groups, but horrible things can occur once unwanted ideas are introduced to their 'hivemind'.

The Sleepless are a cult dedicated to Amnesia. Amnesia's headbands remove their need for sleep. These fanatics are often radically altered with grafts, symbionts, and other fiendish mutations.

The Unsleeping One is Amnesia by another name, which he uses when interacting with his cultists.

[Thurbane]

Fiend of Blasphemy 5 is only useful for the spellcasting it grants you. One may very well replace it with a level in a spellcasting-advancing prestige class and reap some secondary benefits. I chose to not do so in fear of elegance penalties.

If you want, you can also give Amnesia more levels in Fiend of Corruption. By trading in the ability to keep people awake indefinitely for the ability to collect souls, Amnesia would have little interest in building a stable society. Instead, he'd take advantage of people's limited or shapable memory to coax them into a soul bargain.

How does Amnesia qualify for this contest? Allow me to explain:

1. Amnesia is definitely lovecraftian in nature. It can change shape at will (in something horrifying, for one), graft it's followers' flesh and even bestow infernal parasites on them.

2. Amnesia can cause madness in other with psychological games, by wiping their entire mind, or by driving them to sleep deprivation.

But I thought the effects of sleep deprivation were minor and ignorable?

Sadly for Amnesia's victims, they aren't. Elder Evils states on page 9:


A living creature can go without sleep for a number of days equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum one). Thereafter it is fatigued, remaining in this state for a number of days equal to its Constitution modifier (again, minimum one); if it would become fatigued during that time, it is exhausted instead. Each day after that period, the creature takes 1 point of Wisdom damage. If the total Wisdom damage exceeds its Hit Dice, the creature is affected as if by an insanity spell.


This means that after a few days, the average commoner will be driven (permanently) mad by lack of sleep. This means they have the choice between staying awake and becoming insane, or falling asleep and forgetting everything. It's a lovely dilemma, if only I say so myself.

In addition, Amnesia can drive Good creatures mad by bestowing fiendish grafts on them. The fact that they have to be willing would normally make this difficult, but if he can influence everything they remember, it's easy enough.

3. Amnesia is an outsider, has always been an outsider, and will be an outsider for the foreseeable future. No problems here.

4. Amnesia is tyrannical and cruel. LE seems to fit.

Race:
Maelephant - Fiend Folio

Class:
Fiend of Blasphemy - Fiend Folio
Fiend of Corruption - Fiend Folio

Feats:
Apprentice - DMG 2
Enlarge Breath - Draconomicon
Heighten Breath - Draconomicon
Leadership - PHB
Ability Focus - MM
Craft Wondrous Item - PHB
Extra Spell - Complete Arcane

[Thurbane]

Ashken Weir

"Fate may command that we die before we find what we seek. There's just one thing wrong with that:
We take orders from no one."

http://orig07.deviantart.net/0763/f/2011/244/a/6/asenath__by_akbulatova-d48jhqf.jpg (http://akbulatova.deviantart.com/art/Asenath-256211079)
Ashken the Witch-Child

(I am Ashken)(I am our knowledge)(We are the Weir unit). We-Ashken are of age, but of-age to Synad is not the same as of-age to humans, so we-Ashken are not treated like a grown-unit-member/adult. This is annoying but it will soon go away.

We-the-unit are different/distinct [from other Synad] in many ways. Other units have told us this is wrong. Why should it be wrong? Our red hair is beautiful, so why should it not grow long? (I ask these questions)(I cannot answer these questions)(It is because of fear and narrow-mindedness, child).

(Mother)(The provider)(Our unit queen) teaches us-Ashken-distinct-from-the-unit magic. Some of our neighbors say this is also wrong. Why should it be wrong? Our-two magic helps people/unit-members get to sleep and wake up again. It makes people/unit-members more beautiful. It keeps people/unit-members from being hurt. It is good for teaching and for talking. We-Ashken can read all night without a candle because of magic. Why should we-two not use it? (I ask these questions)(I cannot answer these questions)(It is because of hatred and self-restriction, child.)

We will never do those things. We are the unit, and the unit is best.

Miss Weir, the Three-Faced Witch
(Mother)(The provider)(Our unit queen) is dying! They/she is sick and (Father)(The protector)(Unit drone) will not leave her. The healer/doctor says they/she will die within the week. We-Ashken do not understand. Why should they/she die? This is wrong! They/she is powerful. Their/her blood is from the flayers who sheltered our unit when we-they first came from the Other Place. Why should they/she be so sick? This is not how things should be!

(Mother)(The provider)(Our unit queen) is dead/among the Collective. (Father)(The protector)(Unit drone) will not come out of her room. We-Ashken hear him crying. We-Ashken are too angry to cry. Who was it who decided they/she should die? What is their unit? We-Ashken will hurt them and make them give them/her back!

(We will do it!)(It cannot be done.)(Death is a law of existence, child.)

(We are the unit. The laws are wrong.)(That is possible.)(Many have said so, child.)

We-Ashken study with (Father)(The protector)(Unit drone) now. They/he teach different things, not magic. Mastery of the soul. Mastery of the mind. Old secrets belonging to the unit. We-Ashken are glad to learn these things. The unit should continue.

The Last Weir
(Father)(The protector)(Unit drone) is also sick. They/he will probably die. We-Ashken have locked him in the attic. The town does not need to know. It is for their/his own good. This way the unit will continue. We-Ashken will be sure of it.

(Father)(The protector)(Unit drone) is dead/among the Collective. We-Ashken have cried. We are ashamed. We are the entire unit now, so we should be strong. They-two are with us, in the Collective. It is hard to hear/remember/know their voices, because there are so many unit-members in the Collective. We should not cry. We should not cry!

(I am so ashamed)(This is a natural part of grief)(It is all right, child).

We will study with (Father)(The protector)(Unit drone)'s books and other materials until we learn what to do. The unit is safety. The unit is freedom. The unit is life. We will continue the unit. We will be free from death. The unit must never die.

The Faceless Temptress
There is a way. But first there must be bodies of the unit, and we must focus.

Our mind is superior. Things/persons outside the unit are secondary. We will bend not-unit-minds until they help us. We must find ways to become more powerful.

We have found a mage. It/he will make us bodies of the unit. We did not even need to bend its/his mind; it understands. Others may obey and cripple themselves if they like. We do not. We will be free from death, and we will not limit ourselves to what is accepted or has been done before.

The mage is Solas. It/he is now of the unit, although it/he is not Synad. If it/he were going to die we-Ashken would miss him, because it/he would not come to the Collective like Mother: and Father: did. But it/he will never die, just as we-Ashken will never die. (Solas)(The protector)(Unit drone) will make bodies of the unit, its/his and ours-Ashken's. We-Ashken will study the way to take a new body. Solas: cannot do this, but it/he has promised that its/his mind will go to the new body when the old one is destroyed.

We-Ashken have brought new (Men)(Males)(Unit drones), as well. Some of their minds had to be bent, regrettably. Not all. We-Ashken are sure to give Solas: precedence. This way it/he will not be jealous/angry with us-Ashken. We-Ashken forgive Solas: as it/he is not Synad. It/he does not understand the practice of keeping drones.

We-Ashken are no longer the only Weir unit-member. Progress.

The Unit Queen
We-Ashken (Are a mother)(Have given birth)(Have added to the unit)! Their/her name is Eternity. They/she is named for a trait/virtue she will have, like Mother: was. This is how long they/she will live. No one can/will harm them/her. We-Ashken will destroy them. Solas: will help.

We-Ashken have learned to take a new body, but it is not permanent. We must do more research.

The Oculist
Mastery of the soul. We-Ashken have learned this. Mastery of the mind; not yet. We-Ashken have not yet learned to keep a body once taken.

And yet, we-the-unit have found a ritual which will make us-Ashken more powerful. It was in a deep ruin but we have brought it to light. We-Ashken performed it and are now greater. We-Ashken have learned the Third Sight. It is disorienting [to see so many things] and yet wonderful. We-the-unit will use this power.

The Body Stealer
IT IS COMPLETE.

The unit is secure. We-Ashken know the secret. We will never die.

Ashken the Witch-Child
In town there lives old Eleph Weir and his wife. They have a child, Ashken, maybe fourteen, sixteen. And let me tell you, that child is wrong. Can't 'splain it, she just ain't all there. Ain't human. Mebbe it's something from the wife. She goes around veiled, like she's hiding some ugly scar or sommat.

Mrs. Weir and her daughter have magic. And no, not like them kindly old men of the temples, not at all. They have magic that'll bend your brain straight around itself, they do. Cast it on the street like there's nothing wrong. Witches.

And Eleph! Eleph... does things. Dunno what. They say he can move things with his mind.

Steer clear of that house, I'm telling you. Nothing good lives in there.

Miss Weir, the Three-Faced Witch
No, don't go down Rosely Lane at night, sonny. The Weirs live there. Old Mr. Weir, the widower, and his daughter. Now, I'm not as harsh as some, but there's whispers there's sommat wrong about them two. About how, when Miss Weir is still out by nightfall, which ain't altogether common to begin with, it's as if she grows two more heads the moment you look away from her. And she does magic, and... other things. Strange things. Mr. Weir, too. He's been teaching her, they say.

I won't tell you who says it, no. That'd be uncivil. Blasted nosy strangers.

It was horrible, what carried off Mrs. Weir. Some sort of fever. Rumor is that Mr. Weir might have it too, lying dormant in his old bones somewhere. Poor Ashken. That's the daughter, Ashken is. Witch or no, no one deserves to lose a mother like that.

The Last Weir
Ohhh, no, you couldn't pay me to pass through that part of town. Not even with a year's wages. That way is the Weir house, and it's plain haunted.

Two deaths there in three years! It ain't natural. First poor Mrs. Weir, and then Mr. Weir right after! All that's left is Ashken, their daughter, and she ain't natural, either. No, sir.

Well, it's no secret in this neighborhood that the Weirs did all sorts of magic and other tricks up in that house, and they taught little Ashken all of it. "Little Ashken," bless me, she's a fine young woman now. Eyes a bit wide, and an odd color yellow. And her hands, dear gods, no wonder she wears gloves! Her fingers all spindly, nails like claws, and don't tell anyone I said this but they look almost webbed. Like a toad. I saw them once, you know. Some idiot thought he'd try and court her without her permission, and when he took her by the hands she tried to get away, see? But he held on. Silly clunch. She had to take off her gloves to get her fingers healed, and that's when I saw them. I was in there for some scrape or cut or other and happened to be just after her in line...

Oh, the young man died not long after. Uncanny, 'twas. The worst gossips say it was Ashken's doing, but I don't know how that'd be. They only even touched the once.

The Faceless Temptress
There's a new fellow in town, a Mr. Weir. Solas Weir. Very strange man, all said, and his "brothers." I don't know that they're actually brothers, me. Absolutely no resemblance.

He came in with that Miss Weir, or Mrs. Weir I suppose she is now, back from one of her trips. Nobody knows where she goes, though I hear tell she sometimes walks right off the road and into the wilderness. Anyhow, one day she left, and she was gone for weeks and weeks, and then poof! She's back, and there's Mr. Weir with her. They must have got married on holiday.

Now, Mrs. Weir was never normal at the best of times, but Mr. Weir is downright creepy. His teeth, ye gods! Like a shark's. And he's some manner of wizard, he says. I suppose that's no surprise. Makes sense that a witch would marry a wizard.

Oh, yes, Mrs. Weir's been the "town witch" for years now. It were her mother before her, too, before she died of the fever. And her father, too, poor tyke. She only carried on the mantle of uncanny things from there, that she did. She hardly leaves but to go on one of her trips, these days. Most of the young'uns couldn't tell her face in a crowd. I remember it, just. Bright red hair, eyes a queer yellow. I allus wondered whether her eyes would goggle right out of her face.

Ah yes, and the brothers! Like I said, they ain't really brothers, I'd wager a hundred on it. They look more like Mrs. Weir than Mr. Weir, in fact, only they can't be relations of hers, for everyone knows the old Weirs had no siblings or aunts or uncles or anything of that sort. There's three of them, all bald. They run all the Weirs' errands for them.

Oh, no, that's not the strangest thing. The strangest thing is that nobody else on their street seems to care anymore. Even the ones who used to preach to the merchants in the town square about how the Weirs were a dirty menace! Strange thing. Strange. Some say there's even been folk gone missing...

The Unit Queen
There's been a birth, down Rosely Lane. Little Eternity Weir, not three months old. Miss Ashken must be so happy.

Oh, Miss Ashken! Now there's a tale. Miss Ashken were born here in town, to old Eleph Weir and his wife. Mrs. Weir was known as a witch, then, though you'd never catch me speaking ill of her. She got my Jimmy to lay down his head and sleep proper every night, that's what I cared about. Eleph, though, he were a bit funny. No one's been able to put a finger on it. Not a bad kind of funny, you understand, but peculiar all the same.

Well, Ashken were near a woman when her mother died of fever. Sudden thing. Terrible, terrible. And then, just three years later, old Eleph too. Caught us all by surprise. Just Ashken left, the poor girl, just barely in her womanhood.

She made the best of it, though. Always off adventuring, looking for some secret or treasure or some such. She came back with a husband one day, and that was that. I think her porters are some sort of relation as well.

Anyhow, a few months gone she came out into the town, to the town square, which is really quite an occasion these days, mainly it's those bald fellows who do all her heavy lifting. And she called out, in her clear little voice, "I'll be a mother! A mother!" And, well, word gets around, soon the whole town new. I heard it from my Jimmy, and he said she sounded as if the gods themselves had kissed her on the cheek and granted her every wish. Bless her.

Oh, yes, everyone loves Ashken. Well, no, not ezzackly. I mean. Er. All of us on Rosely Lane, they do. I just moved away last year, and it's the strangest thing. Every last one of the neighbors had just the most glowing things to say about our Miss Ashken, but then when we left, my Jimmy and me, suddenly half the town was calling her ugly names. Strangest thing. I'm sure there's nothing to it. Our Miss Ashken, a witch! I'm sure she's never done a thing wrong in all her days. Although that poor fellow who came a-courting her some years back didn't fare at all well. Maybe she was too harsh on him.

Oh, yes, he died. Terrible thing. So tragic. Right off the bridge he went, as if he couldn't bear to live without her. Miss Ashken couldn't have had anything to do with it, of course. It's not as though she pushed him. They spoke, just moments before, I heard, but nothing came of it. She must have rejected him one last time. Poor fellow.

And yes, a few people have gone missing, but it's really... it's really no concern...

That Miss Ashken. She surely is something.

The Oculist
They say Mrs. Weir's brought something odd into town. Some package. Word is that it's for some magic ritual, or leastways something magic.

All I know is, she suddenly wears this big old hat over her for'ead. And she seems different, all twitchy. I get gate duty, y'see, and she passes by whenever she needs to leave town. She went out just last week and she acted like she'd left the kettle on the entire time. Makes me wonder what could spook a woman so... well, fearsome, really, but don't tell anyone I said so.

Word is, the Weir house is haunted. Both Mrs. Weir's parents died in there, years back, and Mr. Weir's a piece of work himself. All lisping, like, and he ain't got a firm grasp on Common, it seems. And his teeth. Gods above, his teeth. He don't even try to hide them.

Folks have gone missing round that neighborhood, too. Just... poof. Right out of their homes. And nobody on Roseley Lane mentions it, ever. They all near worship her. It's creepy, if I'm honest. Nobody likes to go there, 'specially after dark.

The Body Stealer
That Ashken Weir, down on Roseley Lane... does she even get older anymore? Seems like she hasn't aged a day since she were married. Witch. They say she made little Livvy disappear, d'you hear? Oh, yes, all sorts of wicked things happen down Roseley Lane.
http://img01.deviantart.net/6af2/i/2011/137/5/f/hecate_by_hrefngast-d3gkr7h.jpg (http://hrefngast.deviantart.com/art/Hecate-209240765)

"The last enemy that shall be defeated is death."


CR/
Lvl
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skill Ranks
Feats
Class Features


1st
Beguiler 1
+0
+0/+2
+0/+1
+2/+7
Bluff 4, Concentration 4, Diplomacy 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (Psionics) 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Apprentice (Philosopher)
Armored Mage, Trapfinding, Spellcasting


2nd
Incarnate 1
+0
+2/+5
+0/+1
+4/+9
Bluff 4, Concentration 5, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 1, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Psionics) 5, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4

Chaotic Aura, Detect Law, Meldshaping


3rd
Incarnate 2
+1
+3/+6
+1/+2
+5/+10
Bluff 4, Concentration 6, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 2, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (Arcana) 2, Knowledge (Psionics) 6, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Illithid Heritage
Chakra Bind (Crown)


4th
Psion 1
+1
+3/+6
+1/+2
+7/+12
Bluff 4, Concentration 7, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 3, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (Arcana) 3, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Psionics) 7, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Azure Talent (Bonus Feat)
Telepathy Discipline, Powers


5th
Psion 2
+2
+3/+6
+1/+2
+8/+13
Bluff 4, Concentration 8, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 2, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 2, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4




6th
Psion 3
+2
+4/+7
+2/+3
+8/+13
Bluff 4, Concentration 9, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 2, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 2, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Psychoanalyst



7th
Soul Manifester 1
+2
+4/+7
+2/+3
+10/+15
Bluff 4, Concentration 10, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 3, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4

Psionic Investment 1


8th
Soul Manifester 2
+3
+4/+7
+2/+3
+11/+16
Autohypnosis 4, Bluff 4, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 3, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4




9th
Soul Manifester 3
+3
+5/+8
+3/+4
+11/+16
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 4, Concentration 12, Diplomacy 4, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Illithid Compulsion
Chakra Binds (Feet, Hands)


10th
Soul Manifester 4
+4
+5/+8
+3/+4
+12/+17
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 5, Concentration 13, Diplomacy 5, Gather Information 4, Intimidate 4, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4




11th
Soul Manifester 5
+4
+5/+8
+3/+4
+12/+17
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 5, Concentration 14, Diplomacy 5, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 4, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4




12th
Soul Manifester 6
+5
+6/+9
+4/+5
+13/+18
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 5, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 5, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 6, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Dodge



13th
Soul Manifester 7
+5
+6/+9
+4/+5
+13/+18
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 6, Concentration 16, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 5, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 6, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4

Psionic Investment 2


14th
Soul Manifester 8
+6
+6/+9
+4/+5
+14/+19
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 6, Concentration 17, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 4, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 6, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4

Chakra Binds (Arms, Brow, Shoulders)


15th
Soul Manifester 9
+6
+7/+10
+5/+6
+14/+19
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 6, Concentration 18, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 5, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 5, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 6, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4
Alertness



16th
Soul Manifester 10
+7
+7/+10
+5/+6
+15/+20
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 6, Concentration 19, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 6, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 6, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 7, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 4, Spot 4

Psionic Distillation


17th
Percipient 1
+7
+7/+10
+5/+6
+17/+22
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 6, Concentration 20, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 6, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 6, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 8, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 6, Spot 4

Third Eye, Initiative Modifier (-3), Search&Spot Bonus (+2), Low-Light Vision


18th
Percipient 2
+8
+7/+10
+5/+6
+18/+23
Autohypnosis 6, Bluff 6, Concentration 20, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 8, Sense Motive 6, Spellcraft 6, Spot 4
Midnight Augmentation
AC Bonus (+1), Uncanny Dodge, Initiative Modifier (-2)


19th
Percipient 3
+8
+8/+11
+6/+7
+18/+23
Autohypnosis 8, Bluff 6, Concentration 20, Diplomacy 6, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 8, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 6, Spot 4

Search&Spot Bonus (+4), Vigilant Sight


20th
Percipient 4
+9
+8/+11
+6/+7
+19/+24
Autohypnosis 8, Bluff 6, Concentration 20, Diplomacy 10, Gather Information 6, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 8, Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Psicraft 8, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 6, Spot 4

AC Bonus (+2), Mesmerizing Gaze, Initiative Modifier (-1)



Under the Saves columns, the numbers are respectively: Base Save Bonus/Full Save Bonus (with ability bonuses, racial bonuses, etc added in). Skill ranks are just skill ranks; an in-depth skills overview is attached separately.


Level
Str
Dex
Con
Int
Wis
Cha


1st
8 (-2)
12 (+1)
15 (+2)
16 (+3)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)


4th
8 (-2)
12 (+1)
16 (+3)
16 (+3)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)


8th
8 (-2)
13 (+1)
16 (+3)
16 (+3)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)


12th
8 (-2)
13 (+1)
16 (+3)
17 (+3)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)


16th
8 (-2)
13 (+1)
16 (+3)
18 (+4)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)


18th
8 (-2)
13 (+1)
16 (+3)
19 (+4)
12 (+1)
14 (+2)





Level
Manifester Level
Power Points/day
Powers Known
Max Power Lvl Known
Powers Discovered


1st
-
3
-
-
-


2nd
-
3
-
-
-


3rd
-
3
-
-
-


4th
1
5+1
3
1st
Psionic Charm, Attraction, Disable


5th
2
9+3
5
1st
Empathy, Mind Thrust


6th
3
14+4
7
2nd
Aversion, Psionic Suggestion


7th
4
20+6
9
2nd
Read Thoughts, Crystal Shard


8th
5
28+7
11
3rd
False Sensory Input, Detect Hostile Intent


9th
6
38+9
13
3rd
Touchsight, Inertial Armor


10th
7
49+10
15
4th
Psionic Dominate, Psionic Modify Memory


11th
8
61+12
17
4th
Schism, Correspond


12th
9
75+13
19
5th
Mind Probe, Psionic True Seeing


13th
10
91+15
21
5th
Psionic Divination, Death Urge


14th
11
109+16
22
6th
Mind Switch


15th
12
129+18
24
6th
Suspend Life, Deja Vu


16th
13
150+26
25
7th
Insanity


17th
14
173+28
27
7th
Psionic Major Creation, Create Sound


18th
15
198+30
28
8th
Control Sound


19th
16
224+32
30
8th
Bend Reality, True Metabolism


20th
17
253+34
31
9th
True Mind Switch



Numbers following the + under the Power Points per Day column indicate bonus Power Points gained from a high Intelligence score, for ease of reference in case of Intelligence damage.


Level
Meldshaper Level
Essentia
Essentia Capacity
Soulmelds Shaped
Chakra Binds


1st
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
1
1
1
2
0


3rd
2
2
1
3
1


4th
2
3
1
3
1


5th
2
3
1
3
1


6th
2
3
2
3
1


7th
3
4
2
3
1


8th
4
5
2
4
1


9th
5
6
2
4
1


10th
6
7
2
4
2


11th
7
8
2
5
2


12th
8
9
3
5
2


13th
9
10
3
5
2


14th
10
11
3
6
3


15th
11
12
3
6
3


16th
12
13
3
6
3


17th
12
13
3
6
3


18th
12
14
4
6
3


19th
12
14
4
6
3


20th
12
14
4
6
3





Caster Level
0lvl/day
1st/day


1
5
3+1



Numbers following the + under the 1st Level Spells per Day column indicate bonus spells per day gained from a high Intelligence score, for ease of reference in case of Intelligence damage.

Beguiler Spells:
0-Level - Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Message, Open/Close, Read Magic

1st-level - Charm Person, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Detect Secret Doors, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Hypnotism, Mage Armor, Obscuring Mist, Rouse, Silent Image, Sleep, Undetectable Alignment, Whelm

Ashken's a fairly plain Beguiler at this point, albeit one with formidable parents. At this level, Ashken is 14 years old, but she functions as if she were nearly 19. The Synad Collective advises her, keeping her rational, and her Oracle maintains her memory. Her brain is at a more advanced stage of development than a human's of her age. Setting Ashken up as an antagonist at this level is not advised.

Encounter: A girl called Ashken has asked the PCs to look for a way to cure her mother, who is ill. She may have used magic to encourage them to accept her request. Asking around town will reveal that although there are many priests in residence, none are powerful enough to cure the virulent fever Mrs. Weir, Ashken's mother, has contracted. However, rumor has it that a bandit clan outside of town has taken a powerful cleric for ransom by using an antimagic field. Exploring this lead will reveal that the cleric is actually a fraud. However, Ashken will blame the PCs for her mother's death when they fail to bring back a powerful healer, and will plot revenge on them.
By now, all of Ashken's subsystems (spells, powers, and soulmelds) have come online. She'll use her Enigma Helm to defend against her own ilk, and her Charming Veil to enhance her ability to affect others. She has goodies like Mind Thrust and Disable for combat, and Psionic Charm and Attraction for everything else. Her spells are backup - PCs of a level to fight her probably won't be affected by her low caster level, but things like Obscuring Mist and Disguise Self will still be of use to her. At this level she doesn't often leave the Weir residence, meaning she'll be on her home turf, but also in fairly confined spaces where she's not as able to run. She's not particularly good at what she's built for - working behind the scenes with minions and the like - quite yet, but she can more or less hold her own.

Encounter: After exploring an ancient ruin, the PCs meet a small party of lower-level adventurers who had been previously investigating it. The adventurers explain that a woman came to the ruin and killed half of their party over the loot in the final chamber, which included many scrolls of some psionic value. They ask you to find and kill the murderer, and offer to help you track her down. She turns out to be Ashken, holed up in her house and studying. If the PCs choose not to harm her, the NPC adventurers will seek revenge later.
This right here is where Ashken comes into her own. She's got her Mind Switch and her Suspend Life - huge milestones in her quest for immortality. She also has Death Urge (which she used to kill her unfortunate suitor), Inertial Armor and Crystal Shard for greater efficacy in combat, and a whole host of powers to mess with people's heads and learn what makes them tick. She's fully realized her mother's Illithid lineage as well. By this point she also has her consort Solas (Jaebrin Wizard 14) and her three drones (low-level Synad Commoners), but also her daughter Eternity, whom canny players could exploit. She's now actively out and about looking for psionic lore. This is also around the time she starts enchanting her neighbors and making the inquisitive ones disappear.

Encounter: As they exit a dungeon where they've acquired some valuable psionic or Incarnum artifacts, the PCs come across Ashken, who attacks them in order to gain the loot they're carrying. If she drops below half of her full HP, she'll try to flee.
Ashken has now achieved her goal of immortality via True Mind Switch. Solas has a brigade of clones ready for her if she dies or starts to get old. She has self-healing, and a whole heck of a lot of powers to stop a fight before it starts. On the other hand, she's probably retired by now, so she's not much of a threat anymore... although the people whose loved ones she's disposed of might not agree. At this point, she's not an encounter, she's a campaign.
H. P. Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep": Inspiration
Player's Handbook: Dodge and Alertness feats, most of the spells
Player's Handbook 2: Beguiler class, and what spells on its list aren't from the PHB
Dungeon Master's Guide 2: Apprentice feat
Expanded Psionics Handbook: Psion class, all psionic powers, Autohypnosis, Knowledge (psionics), and Psicraft skills
Complete Psionics: Synad race, Illithid heritage feats
Mind's Eye Web Supplement: Soul Manifester and psionic soulmelds (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a), Percipient (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20031024a)
Psionics Handbook 3.0: Psychoanalyst feat; it was a prerequisite for Percipient, which was published during the 3.5 era, so I figured, why not
Magic of Incarnum: Incarnate class, Azure Talent and Midnight Augmentation feats, all soulmelds not from Mind's Eye
Complete Scoundrel: Swift Concentration and Collector of Stories skill tricks

[Thurbane]

Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Appraise
Yes
Int
3
-
-
3



Balance
Yes
Dex
1
-
-
1



Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Climb
Yes
Str
-2
-
-
-2



Concentration
Yes
Con
2
4
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
10



Craft (Any)
No
Int
3
-
-
3



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Disguise
Yes
Cha
2
-
-
2



Escape Artist
Yes
Dex
1
-
-
1



Forgery
Yes
Int
3
-
-
3



Gather Info
Yes
Cha
2
-
-
2



Heal
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Hide
Yes
Dex
1
-
-
1



Intimidate
No
Cha
2
2
-
4



Jump
Yes
Str
-2
-
-
-2



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
4
-
7



Listen
Yes
Wis
1
-
-
1



Move Silently
Yes
Dex
1
-
-
1



Perform (Any)
No
Cha
2
-
-
2



Ride
No
Dex
1
-
-
1



Search
Yes
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
Yes
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Survival
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Swim
Yes
Str
-2
-
-
-2



Use Rope
No
Dex
1
-
-
1



Skill Points Available: 32
Class Skill List Used: Beguiler

Knowledge (Psionics) and Sense Motive are always class skills until level 5 (Apprentice feat). From level 5 onwards, although ranks already placed in these skills remain the same, they are not necessarily class skills.

Only skills that can be used untrained are listed, until such time as ranks are gained in them (allowing them to be used). All skills that will remain unchanged for the entire build will henceforth be omitted for ease of reading. For reference as to their skill modifier at higher levels, refer to this table. Corollary: for Int-based skills and at 16th level or higher, add 1 to the number listed. Other than that, trust me, they're not going anywhere.


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Bluff
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
2
5
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
11



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
1
-
3



Intimidate
No
Cha
2
2
-
4



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
3
1
-
4



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
5
-
8



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
Yes
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Gather Information 1 (Cross-Class), Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Psionics) 1
Class Skill List Used: Incarnate


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod


Bluff
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
2
6
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
12



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
2
-
4



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
2
-
4



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
3
2
-
5



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
6
-
9



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
Yes
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Gather Information 1 (Cross-Class), Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Psionics) 1
Class Skill List Used: Incarnate

Intimidate is always a class skill (Illithid Heritage feat).


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod


Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
7
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
14



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
Yes
Cha
2
3
-
5



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
2
-
4



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
3
3
-
6



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
3
1
-
4



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
7
-
10



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Gather Information 1, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Psionics) 1
Class Skill List Used: Telepath


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod


Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
8
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
15



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
2
-
4



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
3
2
-
5



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Gather Information 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1, Knowledge (Psionics) 1
Class Skill List Used: Telepath


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod


Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
9
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
16



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
3
2
-
5



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
2
2 (synergy)
7



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Intimidate 2, Psicraft 2
Class Skill List Used: Telepath


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod


Bluff
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
10
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
17



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
3
-
6



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
4
2 (synergy)
9



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Know Dungeoneering 1 (Cross-Class), Psicraft 2
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
4
2 (synergy)
7



Bluff
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
11
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
17



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
3
-
6



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
4
2 (synergy)
9



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Autohypnosis 4, Concentration 1
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
12
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
18



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
4
-
6



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
4
2 (synergy)
9



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Autohypnosis 2, Concentration 1, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
5
-
7



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
13
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
19



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
5
2 (synergy)
9



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
4
-
6



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
4
+2 (synergy)
8



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
4
2 (synergy)
9



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Bluff 1 (Cross-Class), Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester

[Thurbane]

Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
5
-
7



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
14
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
20



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
5
2 (synergy)
9



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
5
-
7



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
4
2 (synergy)
9



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Gather Information 1 (Cross-Class), Intimidate 2
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
5
-
7



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
15
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
21



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
5
2+2 (synergy)
11



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
5
-
7



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
6
2 (synergy)
11



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
5
-
6



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Psicraft 2, Sense Motive 1 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
16
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
22



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
5
-
7



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
6
2 (synergy)
11



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
5
-
6



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Bluff 1 (Cross-Class), Concentration 1, Diplomacy 1 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
17
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
23



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
6
2 (synergy)
11



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
6
-
7



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
-
5



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Gather Information 1 (Cross-Class), Sense Motive 1 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
18
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
24



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
No
Int
3
5
-
8



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
3
5
-
8



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
3
8
-
11



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
2 (feat)
3



Psicraft
Yes
Int
3
6
2 (synergy)
11



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
6
-
7



Spellcraft
No
Int
3
4
-
7



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
2 (feat)
7



Skill Points Available: 5
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1 (Cross-Class), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
Yes
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
19
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
25



Diplomacy
No
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
No
Int
4
6
-
10



Know Dungeoneering
No
Int
4
6
-
10



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Listen
No
Wis
1
-
2 (feat)
3



Psicraft
Yes
Int
4
7
2 (synergy)
13



Search
No
Wis
1
-
-
1



Sense Motive
No
Wis
1
6
-
7



Spellcraft
No
Int
4
4
-
8



Spot
No
Wis
1
4
2 (feat)
7



Skill Points Available: 6
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Knowledge (Arcana) 1 (Cross-Class), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1 (Cross-Class), Psicraft 1
Class Skill List Used: Soul Manifester


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
No
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
20
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
26



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
4
6
-
10



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
4
6
-
10



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Listen
Yes
Wis
1
-
2 (feat)
3



Psicraft
Yes
Int
4
8
2 (synergy)
14



Search
Yes
Wis
1
-
2 (class)
3



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
6
-
7



Spellcraft
No
Int
4
6
-
10



Spot
Yes
Wis
1
4
2 (feat), 2 (class)
9



Skill Points Available: 6
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Concentration 1, Psicraft 1, Spellcraft 2 (Cross-Class)
Class Skill List Used: Percipient


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
No
Wis
1
6
2 (synergy)
9



Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
20
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
26



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Listen
Yes
Wis
1
-
2 (feat)
3



Psicraft
Yes
Int
4
8
2 (synergy)
14



Search
Yes
Wis
1
-
2 (class)
3



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
6
-
7



Spellcraft
No
Int
4
6
-
10



Spot
Yes
Wis
1
4
2 (feat), 2 (class)
9



Skill Points Available: 6
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Knowledge (Arcana) 2, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 2, Swift Concentration skill trick
Class Skill List Used: Percipient


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
No
Wis
1
8
2 (synergy)
11



Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
20
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
26



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
6
2+2 (synergy)
12



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Listen
Yes
Wis
1
-
2 (feat)
3



Psicraft
Yes
Int
4
8
2 (synergy)
14



Search
Yes
Wis
1
-
4 (class)
5



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
10
-
11



Spellcraft
No
Int
4
6
-
10



Spot
Yes
Wis
1
4
2 (feat), 4 (class)
11



Skill Points Available: 6
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Autohypnosis 2, Sense Motive 4
Class Skill List Used: Percipient


Skill
Class Skill?
Key Ab
Ab Mod
Rank
Misc Mod
Total Skill Mod



Autohypnosis
No
Wis
1
8
2 (synergy)
11



Bluff
Yes
Cha
2
6
-
8



Concentration
Yes
Con
3
20
2 (racial), 2 (feat)
26



Diplomacy
Yes
Cha
2
10
2+2 (synergy)
16



Gather Info
No
Cha
2
6
-
8



Intimidate
Yes
Cha
2
6
+2 (synergy)
10



Know Arcana
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Know Dungeoneering
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Know Psionics
Yes
Int
4
8
-
12



Listen
Yes
Wis
1
-
2 (feat)
3



Psicraft
Yes
Int
4
8
2 (synergy)
14



Search
Yes
Wis
1
-
4 (class)
5



Sense Motive
Yes
Wis
1
10
-
11



Spellcraft
No
Int
4
6
-
10



Spot
Yes
Wis
1
4
2 (feat), 4 (class)
11



Skill Points Available: 6
Ranks Added Since Previous Level: Diplomacy 4, Collector of Stories skill trick
Class Skill List Used: Percipient
Ashken hasn't got the best of her goodies yet right now, but she definitely has some whoppers. She's well into her mastery of mind and soul (Soul Manifester, that is) and while she hasn't yet got the powers she'll be infamous for later (Mind Switch, Death Urge, and so forth) she does have some handy treats like Psionic Dominate and Psionic Modify Memory to bring to the party. She may not be able to read enemies like books just yet, but she can rewrite them all the same, and she's started to toughen up for actual combat as well.
None of these are actually required for the build (hence why I was willing to use the Half-Fey template, which is 3.0 material) but I think they give it a little extra pizzazz.


Monster Manual 5: Jaebrin race (Solas)
Forgotten Realms - Underdark: Half-Illithid template (Charity)
Fiend Folio 3.0: Half-Fey template (Eternity)
Neutral Evil Half-Illithid Synad Beguiler 9

Charity was born to the Weir unit, which sheltered with illithids when they first crossed into this continuum from their own. The illithids took advantage of the Weir unit to create quasi-illithid "offspring," and to this day Weir unit members are sometimes born with illithid features. Charity is unlucky in that she possesses very obvious signs of this lineage. Malice runs in the Weir blood right along with the other marks of illithid influence, and Charity was treated viciously in her home village for her appearance, exacerbating her low-level hatred for all non-unit members. Ultimately the townsfolk attacked the Weir family, saying that they sheltered a brain-eating monster, and only Charity (ironically enough) escaped.

She moved to town from the village, making a fresh start, and attracted a husband/drone in Eleph to continue the family line. She goes about veiled to hide her illithid appearance, when she leaves the house at all. She functions as the "town witch," living up to her name in order to avoid suspicion, but she also takes time out of every day to use her magic to make someone suffer. Preferably several someones. For instance, while she's there to get some fellow's son to sleep at night, she may surreptitiously cast a suggestion on the man's wife that her husband has been unfaithful, causing a rift in the marriage and ultimately a separation that leads the husband and son to move to a different part of town. (This is exactly what happened to the guy from "The Whispers" and his son Jimmy.)

She is a spiteful, petty, misanthropist bundle of loathing and tentacles. She does love her daughter, and arguably has some affinity for her husband, but everyone not of her unit can sod off, frankly. She's well aware that if she does anything drastic to her neighbors she'll be killed or arrested, which she doesn't want, so she settles for little, passive-aggressive things that make their lives suffering incarnate without anyone suspecting her. Much.

When Ashken is about to reach 2nd level, Charity falls horribly ill with a delirious fever and dies. Ashken's apprenticeship (Apprentice feat) transfers to her father, Eleph. As to why Ashken has the Philosopher mentor category instead of the Spellcaster one - it was the closest model I could find for a psion, and everyone in the family has a little psionics in them. That's the Weir legacy, and it's what's really being taught to young Ashken, more than simple spells.
Lawful Neutral Synad Incarnate 2/Psion 3/Soul Manifester 4

Eleph was a fairly well-to-do Synad gentleman living in a fine house on Roseley Lane, when along came one Charity Weir, fleeing some tragedy, begging for shelter. Odd for a Synad in that she had long red hair, not to mention the tentacles. (Synad beauty standards are different from ours. Don't think about it for too long or you'll need brain bleach.)

She lived in his attic for a year, an attic with odd angles that seemed to suit her perfectly. During that time he came to understand her history and her personality. They became, with little to no ceremony, what their neighbors would eventually call husband and wife. Eleph took to calling himself Mr. Weir. His own unit had disowned him several years back for excessive trade deals with outsiders.

When their daughter Ashken was born, Eleph couldn't have been happier. Ashken was the only thing that kept him going when his wife died. He'd truly loved Charity, for all she was an evil spiteful abomination, and Ashken was all he had left of her.

He'd stayed so long at his ill wife's side, in fact, that he caught the fever too. He was only able to teach his daughter for a few years, instructing her in the perfection of soul and mind that brought him his power, before it came back to finish him off.
Chaotic Neutral Jaebrin LA 1/Wizard 19

Fey are cruel. Fey are cunning. Fey are charming.

Solas knows these things too well. He has been on both sides of all of these things.

Solas does not speak to other fey anymore. Instead, he wanders, poking his nose into whatever places he finds interesting.

In one of them he finds a woman. Ashken. She tries to put a little mortal magic on him, and her face is adorably confused when it doesn't work.

She says she needs the crystals in the broken temple, so that she can be free from death. Solas understands this. For this same goal he dedicated his life to the study of arcane power, which most fey flit through like aimless little butterflies. He offers to help her, and a friendship is forged. She is without a doubt good-looking enough to catch any self-respecting fey's attention. At first that's all it is, a fascination with her. He is conscious of her playing the game, the battle of words that can enchant a man without any magic at all. He does not resist.

His teeth are sharp and her hands are gnarled and neither of them cares one whit. Solas flouts all rules. He especially flouts fey rules, which is why he submits to Ashken's traditions and becomes her life mate rather than leaving her as soon as little Eternity is born. It is also because Eternity is their life, their joy. If he left, what would give Ashken and Eternity eternal life? He is needed, so he stays. Only Ashken and Eternity have his loyalty. All others will turn to dust of silly mortal old age, and he will outlive them. It's lonely, being an outcast, when fey are such social animals. Now he has a unit, and the unit will outlive them all.

(So why, if she's in a dedicated relationship with a fey, does Ashken not have the Nymph's Kiss feat? Well, the text for that feat specifies good-aligned fey, and Solas isn't good-aligned. And why, if he was listed earlier as a Wizard 14, is Solas listed here as a Wizard 19? Well, first of all, I messed up. When Ashken is level 15, he should be at LA 1/Wizard 15. Beyond that, he and Ashken adventure together looking for rare manuscripts and crystals and things, and he levels with her.)
Chaotic Neutral Half-Fey Synad Incarnate 1

In Ashken's high levels - 18-20, let's say - little Eternity starts to get old enough to learn her mother's ways. In a campaign where Ashken herself is the CR 20 boss, Eternity may be above 1st level, depending on how long Ashken's been in her retirement. In such a case her class progression will resemble her mother's except without the Beguiler level.
Three Synad Commoners 5

These are Ashken's... concubines, to put it bluntly. Is a concubine still a concubine if he's a male concubine? Food for thought.

For each drone, roll 1d4 to see if he's enchanted or if she just lied to him. 1-2 is enchanted, 3-4 is mundane.

Lovecraftian: Ashken is (loosely) based on the character of Asenath Waite, from H. P. Lovecraft's "The Thing on the Doorstep." (With flourishes from "The Dreams in the Witch House" and "Herbert West: Reanimator.") It does not, to my knowledge, get any more Lovecraftian than actual Lovecraft. You can blame LudicSavant for all the psionics. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?448397-The-Deep-Ones-Twisted-Seas-and-Alien-Light) Ashken may not be the most overt eldritch abomination out there, but the Uncanny Valley effect hopefully makes up for that. She looks human but is in fact a conglomerate of her "own self," a frantic librarian that keeps her memories well-catalogued, and every other Synad ever to die. Her mother is an evil tentacled abomination and her husband is a disturbing fairy jester with shark teeth. She controls her neighbors' minds to keep them from getting too curious, and she wants to live forever by having her husband clone her and then possessing the clone until it wears out. "The thing that should not be" more or less covers it, I think.

Insanity: Whooo buddy, do I have a ride for you. She's capable of swaying people's rationality right at first level with Charm Person and Hypnotism. It only gets better from there, as she accumulates psionic powers that induce various delusions and compulsions. Her crazy-people capstone comes at level 16, with the insanity power (although death urge, which causes the target to become irrationally suicidal, is a doozy as well).

Type: Synad = Aberration. Open and shut, nothing to see here, folks.

Villainy: Alignment = Chaotic Neutral, just as the doctor ordered. She does love her family, and her core drive to escape death is very understandable, but keep in mind, this woman doesn't care about the welfare of anyone who is not a member of her unit. She will gladly kill, maim, or drive insane any individual who isn't her husband or daughter, if she thinks it's for the good of the unit. Yes, even her subordinate drones. That's neutrality on the good-evil axis at its finest: doesn't go out of her way to hurt people, but doesn't really care about them either. She was raised by an evil mind-bending tentacle monster and an "ends justify the means" philosopher along the lines of Andrew Ketterley from The Magician's Nephew. Not a healthy combination. In fact, about the only constant in Ashken's approach to life is that she refuses to play by the rules. The rules of society? NAH. I'll just control my neighbor's minds until they stop caring! The rules of biology? NAH. I'll just harness the power of my mind until I can overcome them with pure willpower! Rules and Ashken really don't mix - which a psychologist would likely put down to how she felt limited by her Lawful Neutral father as she studied with him after her mother died. Which I guess makes sense. If the parent who had previously spent the most time with you was a selfish, manipulative misanthrope who doted on you, it makes sense that you'd have more freedom than if said parent were a disciplined scholar who believes in a very definite set of Rules for How Things Should Be. All told, she may not be evil but she's definitely not good, and I, for one, would not want to meet her down some dark alley.

[Thurbane]

THE HOUND OF NGATHA

https://s3.postimg.org/hcvp0m8eb/Runehound_S.jpg

A greenish glow settles over the group, a dozen men in cloaks, their hoods pulled low over their faces. They stop chanting and instinctively look at the space at the centre of their circle, where the very fabric of existence seems to have torn open. Out of this rent emerges a seemingly endless number of tentacles, some receding into nothingness as others form, writhing like a sea of worms rolling in on itself.

One man is still chanting, the leader, the priest of Mak Thuum Ngatha, The Nine-Tongued Worm. This is his cult, his summoning, he will not be distracted by the parlour tricks of the far entities. Around him, he hears soft thuds as the others fall to the ground. They might be dead, he is not sure, but still he chants and watches the tear, through which countless newly forming tentacles are protruding.

He can feel his consciousness being pulled out of his body, drawn towards the mass of palpi, as though it were psychically reaching out to him. A voice in his head tells him it's time, and he is bombarded with horrific visions of chaos and madness. Desperately clinging to the last vestiges of sanity and reality, the priest mentally asks the creature what it wants, and the tentacled mass seems to pulsate in response. He knows it wants a sacrifice. He wants to offer his own life, to be given just a glimpse of the wonders of the far realm, to experience chaos in its completeness, but the second he thinks this, he can feel the being mentally pulling away from him, it does not want him.

He casts his thoughts over his current situation, the encampment, the makeshift altar, his probably dead companions, his cult. His hound. The faithful tracker that for years has helped him hunt down countless victims to torture and sacrifice in the name of The Worm, in preparation for this very moment. The sea of tentacles seems to swell at this thought and he senses a large tuber separating itself from the coiling swarm and reaching out across the encampment, towards the kennels. Then his soul is ripped from his body and he dies.


* * *


Born of the union between a runehound and a far entity, The Hound of Ngatha is an amalgamation of all things unnatural. It is an expert hunter and serves only the purposes designated by the voices of chaos in it's head. With natural stealth and tracking abilities, it's hunting capability is enhanced by the resistances and offensive abilities granted by it's far realm heritage. It is an unnatural beast you would never want to cross in your endeavours.


Half-Farspawn Runehound Swordsage 4/Soul Eater 10

CE Medium Outsider

Hit Dice 19d8+114 (203 hp)




Ability
Point Buy Base Score
Racial Modifiers
4HD
8HD
12HD
16HD
Final


Str
10
+12




22


Dex
14
+6




20


Con
10
+12




22


Int
16
-6




10


Wis
14
+6




20


Cha
14

+1
+1
+1
+1
18







CR
Class
Base
Attack
Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skill Ranks
Feats
Class Features


4
Aberration 1
+0
+0
+0
+2
Concentration 2, Hide 4, Jump 2, Listen 2, Move Silently 4, Spot 4, Survival 4, Tumble 2
Alertness, TrackB
Change Shape, DR 5/magic, DR 5/silver, Extended Reach, Immunity to Poison, Fast Healing 3, Psychic Scent, Resistance to Acid 10 and Electricity 10, SLAs, SR, Uncanny Blindsight


4
Aberration 2
+1
+0
+0
+3
Concentration 2.5, Hide 5, Knowledge (arcana) 0.5, Jump 2.5, Listen 2.5, Move Silently 5, Spot 5, Survival 5, Tumble 2




4
Aberration 3
+2
+1
+1
+3
Concentration 3, Hide 6, Knowledge (arcana) 1, Jump 3, Listen 3, Move Silently 6, Spot 6, Survival 6, Tumble 2
Weapon Focus (bite)



4
Aberration 4
+3
+1
+1
+4
Concentration 3.5, Hide 7, Knowledge (arcana) 1.5, Jump 3.5, Listen 3.5, Move Silently 7, Spot 7, Survival 7, Tumble 2




5
Aberration 5
+3
+1
+1
+4
Concentration 4, Hide 8, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 4, Listen 4, Move Silently 8, Spot 8, Survival 8, Tumble 2




6
Swordsage 1
+3
+1
+3
+6
Concentration 5, Hide 9, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 4, Listen 5, Move Silently 9, Spot 9, Survival 8, Tumble 3
Darkstalker
Quick to Act +1, Discipline Focus (Tiger Claw) (Weapon Focus)


7
Swordsage 2
+4
+1
+4
+7
Concentration 6, Hide 10, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 4, Listen 6, Move Silently 10, Spot 10, Survival 8, Tumble 4

AC Bonus


8
Swordsage 3
+5
+2
+4
+7
Concentration 7, Hide 11, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 4, Listen 7, Move Silently 11, Spot 11, Survival 8, Tumble 5




9
Swordsage 4
+6
+2
+5
+8
Concentration 8, Hide 12, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 5, Listen 8, Move Silently 12, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5
Sudden Recovery
Discipline Focus (Tiger Claw) (Insightful Strike)


10
Soul Eater 1
+7
+4
+7
+10
Concentration 9, Hide 13, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 6, Listen 8, Move Silently 13, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Energy Drain 1


12
Soul Eater 2
+8
+5
+8
+11
Concentration 10, Hide 14, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 7, Listen 8, Move Silently 14, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Soul Strength


13
Soul Eater 3
+9
+5
+8
+11
Concentration 11, Hide 15, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 8, Listen 8, Move Silently 15, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5
Martial Study (Mind Strike)
DR 10/magic, Soul Blast


14
Soul Eater 4
+10
+6
+9
+12
Concentration 12, Hide 16, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 9, Listen 8, Move Silently 16, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Soul Enhancement


15
Soul Eater 5
+11
+6
+9
+12
Concentration 12, Hide 17, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 11, Listen 8, Move Silently 17, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Soul Endurance


16
Soul Eater 6
+12
+7
+10
+13
Concentration 12, Hide 18, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 13, Listen 8, Move Silently 18, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5
Martial Stance (Step of the Dancing Moth)
Soul Radiance


17
Soul Eater 7
+13
+7
+10
+13
Concentration 14, Hide 19, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 13, Listen 8, Move Silently 19, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Energy Drain 2


18
Soul Eater 8
+14
+8
+11
+14
Concentration 14, Hide 20, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 15, Listen 8, Move Silently 20, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Soul Agility


19
Soul Eater 9
+15
+8
+11
+14
Concentration 16, Hide 21, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 15, Listen 8, Move Silently 21, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5
Martial Study (Rabid Bear Strike)
Soul Slave


20
Soul Eater 10
+16
+9
+12
+15
Concentration 17, Hide 22, Knowledge (arcana) 2, Jump 16, Listen 8, Move Silently 22, Spot 12, Survival 8, Tumble 5

Soul Power







Class
Caster
Level
SLAs
Initiator
Level
Maneuvers Known
Maneuvers
Readied
Stances Known


Aberration 1
1
Blur 3/day
0

-



Aberration 2
2

1

-



Aberration 3
3
Touch of Idiocy
1

-



Aberration 4
4

2

-



Aberration 5
5
Stinking Cloud
2

-



Swordsage 1
6

3
Counter Charge, Drain Vitality, Emerald Razor, Flashing Sun, Shadow Jaunt, Wind Stride
4
Hunter's Sense


Swordsage 2
7
Blink 3/day
4
Stone Vise
4
Stance of Clarity


Swordsage 3
8

5
Flesh Ripper
5



Swordsage 4
9
Greater Invisibility
6
Strength Draining Strike
5



Soul Eater 1
10

7

5



Soul Eater 2
11
Telekinesis
7

5



Soul Eater 3
12

8
Mind Strike
5



Soul Eater 4
13
Ethereal Jaunt 3/day
8

5



Soul Eater 5
14

9

5



Soul Eater 6
15
Scintillating Pattern
9

5
Step of the Dancing Moth


Soul Eater 7
16

10

5



Soul Eater 8
17
Summon Monster IX
10

5



Soul Eater 9
18

11
Rabid Bear Strike
5



Soul Eater 10
19
Implosion
11

5








Half Farspawn Runehound, 4th-Level Swordsage/1st-Level Soul Eater


Size/Type
Medium Outsider (Native)


Hit Dice
10d8+60 (108 hp)


Initiative
+6


Speed
50 ft. (10 squares)


Armor Class
22 (+5 Dex, +7 natural), 29 if wearing leather barding (armor bonus +2, Swordsage AC Bonus +5)


Base Attack/Grapple
+7/+13


Attack
Bite +14 melee (2d6+6)


Full Attack
Bite +14 melee (2d6+6) and 2 tentacles +8 melee (1d4+3)


Space/Reach
5 ft./5 ft. (bite 10 ft.)


Special Attacks
Energy drain, martial maneuvers, spell-like abilities, true strike, vile spew


Special Qualities
Change shape, DR 5/magic and silver, extended reach, fast healing 3, immunity to poison, martial stances, psychic scent, resistance to acid 10 and electricity 10, SLAs, SR 20, uncanny blindsight


Saves
Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +13


Abilities
Str 22, Dex 20, Con 22, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 16


Skills
Concentration +15, Hide +18, Knowledge (arcana) +2, Jump +14, Listen +13, Move Silently +18, Spot +17, Survival +13 (+33 when tracking), Tumble +12


Feats
Alertness, Darkstalker, Sudden Recovery, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite)


Environment
Any


Organization
Solitary


Challenge Rating
10


Alignment

Chaotic evil


Level Adjustment

-



A pale, hairless, hound-like creature with two tentacles sprouting from its shoulder blades advances on you. It has no discernable face, instead, an immense mouth sits atop a long neck protruding from the centre of it's back. Caustic slime drips from its razor sharp jaws.

Maneuvers and Stances Known (IL 7th)
Stances - Hunter's sense (1st), stance of clarity (1st)
Strikes - Drain vitality (2nd), emerald razor (2nd), flashing sun (2nd), flesh ripper (3rd), stone vise (2nd), strength draining strike (3rd)
Counters - Counter charge (1st)
Boosts - Shadow jaunt (2nd), wind stride (1st)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th)
3/day - blink, blur; 1/day - greater invisibility, stinking cloud (DC 16), touch of idiocy (DC 15). The save DCs are Charisma-based.


CR5​ - At this point, the hound relies on it's blindsight and psychic scent to help track victims, dealing significant damage with it's vile spew (acid) and bite attacks. It's stealth skills and blur ability help with defence, as do the multiple resistances and fast healing. It uses it's vile spew (goo) and stinking cloud to incapacitate enemies, while immunity to poison and blindsight allow it to fight effectively within the cloud itself, where it can then use touch of idiocy to hinder casters.
CR10 "Sweet Spot" - By this stage, the hound's many stances and maneuvers add to it's combat versatility, both in defence (boosts and counters) and offence (strikes). It's first level of soul eater also allows it to drain enemy levels. If it bites off more than it can chew, it uses greater invisibility, followed by blink to get safely out of combat and recover.
CR15 - While not much has changed at this point, the hound can now use telekinesis and soul blast to assist in ranged attacks, or wield a mouthpick weapon (base attack +11) to enable iterative attacks. It can also use ethereal jaunt to assist with defence. Mind strike now enhances it's ability to inflict mental damage.
CR20 - By now the hound has gained some powerful abilities. Scintillating pattern allows it to confuse or incapacitate crowds of enemies, while soul radiance allows it to take the form of a creature it has completely drained for 24 hours, aiding it's infiltration skills (if it takes on an appropriate form it can also wield weapons for the duration). Summon monster IX and soul drain help it create allies, while it's rabid bear strike lets it greatly boost bite damage. All of the hound's spell-like and supernatural abilities are improved by soul power, which doubles the uses per day, while step of the dancing moth and a high jump skill allow it to better handle flying opponents. Perhaps the highlight of all the abilities the hound possesses, though, is implosion, which utterly destroys enemies who fail a saving throw.

Monster Manual III - Runehound
Lords of Madness - Half farspawn template; mouthpick weapons; Mak Thuum Ngatha deity; darkstalker feat
Tome of Battle - Swordsage; sudden recovery, martial study and martial stance feats
Book of Vile Darkness - Soul eater prestige class

Context - The runehound is probably one of the more bizarre and interesting monsters I've encountered in D&D, so it kind of just popped into my head when I thought of aberrations or unnatural monsters. Half farspawn seemed a great addition to enhance this and give it the Lovecraftian feel, while making the thing a soul eater also just resonated with me for the solitary, epitome-of-evil style hunter I was going for. I considered mortal hunter, but it didn't feel like it fit right with the flavour of the creature I was making, mainly because I just can't see a runehound spellcaster. Swordsage might seem like an odd fit, since the creature doesn't use weapons, but most of it's strikes are focused on it's bite and the maneuvers and stances enhance the creature's fighting capabilities at a higher CR.

[Thurbane]

The Thing that Should Not Be
http://i.imgur.com/fMXGpo1.jpg

Yurgear Isflipplingawn

Kender Good Lich
Antiquarian Handler Rogue 1/spellthief 8/Apostle of Peace 4//Contemplative 1/Divine agent 1/Loremaster 1/mystic theurge 1
Undead with [Evil] subtype
Alignment undetectable but CG on paper
Inspires insanity in real life in players, and therefor, in their characters.
Has tentacle attacks in the form of trained rust monster antennae and disenchanter snouts

A kender that you can’t attack that has unlimited free action sleight of hand checks, no sense of property rights, and a bag of devouring that he feeds all of your goods to while riding either a rust monster or a burrowing arachnoid disenchanter. He has crazy immunities and AC, the ability to rebuke constructs as well as to turn undead and outsiders. Mundane items explode when they hit him. Did I mention that he trains bags of devouring? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cursedItems.htm#bagofDevouring) He breeds them and leaves them around. No saving throw calm emotions that can affect anything with emotions. Crazy high DC Paralysis. He can walk up to you, pilfer tons and tons of things, and if he touches you, it prevents you from attacking him. His disenchanters and rust monsters often feed off you, and if you’re humanoid, you suffer from a calm emotions effect the whole time. He is often heard yelling, “It’s what my character would do!” when people ask why he is even around their persons. Sometimes, he’s been heard saying, “I’m Chaotic Neutral!” which is totally a lie, but detect alignment spells don’t work on him and he’s got a weird evil subtype. If you cast a spell at him he can absorb it. He can literally steal up to your 3rd level spells, doing non-lethal damage in the effort. The only way to kill him for good is to find his phylactery. He’s not entirely sure where he left it. He can make magic items using distilled joy, which he harvests from the madness that he instills in players. He can rebuke undead, fiends, and constructs which is crazy useful considering that those types of creatures are the most likely to be immune to his calming presence.
He also believes that the root of all evil is the reliance of people upon their technology and views creatures that eat technology as divine agents of a happy sky robot that he worships.





CR
HD
Class
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Feats
Skills
VOP and Racial Abilities
Abilities


1
1
antiquarian (CC p.51) “handler” (DLCS p.31) rogue
0
0
2
0
Sacred Vow (BOED p.45)
44: Sleight of Hand 4, Handle Animal 2, Spot 4, Disable Device 4, Balance 4, Climb 3, escape artist 1, Listen 4, spot 4, Hide 4, Diplomacy 4 Move silently 4
small, landspeed 20, +1 racial bonus to saves, +2 racial bonus to spot, open locks and sleight of hand, lack of focus, +4 to use bluff to taunt, fearless: immune to fear
Antiquarian, sneak attack +1d6


2
2
Spellthief 1 (CA)
0
0
2
2

9: Sleight of Hand 5, knowledge arcana 4, move silently 5, decipher script 1, UMD 1

Sneak attack +2d6, steal spell (0 or 1st), trapfinding


3
3
Spellthief 2
1
0
2
3
Vow of Poverty(BOED p.48 & 29)
9: Sleight of hand 6, Knowledge arcana 6, UMD 6
AC Bonus (Su): +5, Endure Elements (Ex):
Detect magic, spellgrace +1, steal spell effect


4
4
Spellthief 3
2
1
3
3
Vow of nonviolence (BOED p.47)
9: Sleight of Hand 7, UMD 7, Diplomacy 7, Hide 7
Bonus Exalted Feat, Exalted Strike (Su), +1 Cha
Steal energy resistance 10


5
5
Spellthief 4
3
1
3
4

9: Sleight of Hand 8, UMD 8, Concentration 6
Sustenance (Ex): At 5th-level ascetic doesn't need to eat or drink
Steal spell (2nd), spell casting


6
6
Spellthief 5
3
1
3
4
vow of peace (BOED) master pickpocket (CoS)
9: Sleight of hand 9, UMD 9, concentration 9, Dipolmacy 9,
AC Bonus (Su): +6, Bonus Exalted Feat, Deflection AC Bonus +1,
Sneak attack +3d6, steal spell-like ability


7
7
Spellthief 6
4
2
4
5

9: Sleight of hand 10, knowledge religion: 2, Concentration 10
Plus 1 Resistance (Ex) bonus to saves, ability Score enhancement +2 wis:
Steal spell (3rd)


8
8
Apostle of Peace 1 (BOED)
4
4
6
7
nymphs kiss (BOED), Craft wondrous item (Heward’s Hall variant option (CS p.146)
7: Handle animal 8
Bonus Exalted Feat, Natural Armor (Ex) Bonus +1, Mindshielding: immune to detect thoughts, discern lies, and any attempt to discern his alignment. +1 CHA
Turn Undead, spells


9
9
Apostle of Peace 2
5
5
7
8
creature type trainer: rust monster (A&EG p.73)
7: knowledge religion 9
AC Bonus (Su): +7
Pacifying Touch!!!


10
10
Apostle of Peace 3
5
5
7
8
exalted turning (BOED)
7: knowledge religion 13, Handle animal 11
Bonus Exalted Feat, Exalted Strike (Su): +2, Damage Reduction (Su) 5/magic



11
11
Apostle of Peace 4
6
6
8
9
Inscribe Rune (PGTF p. 40) via Heward's Hall Magical location variant option.
8: spellcraft 4, craft 1, Sleight of hand 11, handle animal 12
Ability Score Enhancement (Ex): +4 wis/+2 int
Censure Fiends


12
12
Contemplative (CD)
6
6
8
12
practiced spellcaster (CA p.82), words of creation (BOED)
6: craft 7
AC Bonus (Su): +8, Bonus Exalted Feat, +2 Deflection (Su) AC bonus, Greater Sustenance (Ex)
Bonus Domain: Joy (BOED p.87), Advance Apostle spellcasting


15
12
Become good (LM) Lich(MM)
6
6
8
12


Turn Undead (Su): As a cleric = to HD, Turning Immunity (Ex), damage reduction 15/bludgeoning
and magic, immunity to cold, electricity,
polymorph (though they can use polymorph effects on themselves),
and mind-affecting attacks., Fear Aura (Su), Paralyzing Touch (Su), HD turn to d12s. +5 natural armor bonus, ritual of alignment: [evil]
Ritual of Alignment (SS p.148)


16
13
Spellthief 7
7
6
8
12
Tattoo magic (Lords of Darkness, p. 189) via (Heward’s Hall variant option (CS p.146)
11:UMD 16, sleight of hand 13
Resistance (Ex): +2 on saving throws, Energy Resistance (Ex): resistance 5 to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy.
Absorb spell


17
14
Spellthief 8
8
6
8
13
sacred strike (BOED), Skill focus Knowledge (history) via Frog gods Fane (CS p.145)
11:disable device 15
Bonus Exalted Feat, Exalted Strike (Su): +3, Freedom of Movement (Ex)
Steal spell (4th)


18
15
Divine agent (MoP)
8
6
8
15
creature type trainer: bag of devouring (DMG)
10: UMD 18, sleight of hand 17
AC Bonus (Su): +9, Ability Score Enhancement (Ex): +6 wis/+4 int /+2 cha, Damage Reduction (Su): damage reduction 5/evil
granted domain: warforged (FoE p150)


19
16
Loremaster (DMG)
8
6
8
17
Intuitive attack (BOED p.44), Creature type trainer: mineral warrior (Und p.96) arachnoid (Und p.80) disenchanters (FF p.62)
11: Handle animal 19, sleight of hand 19
Bonus Exalted Feat, Natural Armor (Ex): +2 , +1 Int
Secret: Bonus Feat: [Arachnoid Disenchanter mineral warrior] trainer, advance apostle spellcasting


20
17
mystic theurge (DMG)
8
6
8
19

9: spellcraft 13
Exalted Strike (Su): +4, Resistance (Ex): +3 on saving throws, Regeneration (Ex): 1hp/hour
advance spell thief and apostle casting.








Here are some combos:
Master pickpocket + pacifying touch.
Rob them of everything you possibly can as a free action and touch them to no save, force them to be non-violent about it. Nonchalantly feed spellbooks and component pouches and wands to your bag of devouring. If pcs want their gear back, just hand over the bag of devouring. (Doesn't matter to Yurgear becasue he breeds them anyway!)

Joy domain’s Distilled Joy on an apostle of peace + tattoo magic = 450gp per spell, 18xp per casting, casting time is limited from 24 hours to 1 hour.

VOP + Words of creation + inscribe rune + tattoo magic: you can inscribe runes on your gear, or tattoo yourself, and if you consecrate the spells with words of creation they gain a caster level.

VOP + [creature type] trainer + bag of devouring, not technically a magic item, but a creature. VOP has no provisions against carrying creatures around. Your creature just happens to be

Vow of nonviolence + Vow of peace + entice gift= gimme your sword + feed sword to bag of devouring.

Quick potion should allow you around the use of the prohibition against magic items, at least that is what the text around VOP implies.

Creature type trainer doesn’t necessarily have to be as limited as they are used here with different uses of rust monster trainer and arachnoid mineral warrior disenchanter actually both belonging to aberration trainer as a feat. Mostly we wanted your players to know that this guy wants to train these things. If aberration trainer is a feat that covers both, take godsblood spellthief (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070606) at level 9, and aberration trainer as your loremaster bonus feat. Key godsblood spellthief to the joy domain (when you steal spells you can then cast them from the joy domain) and take the plant domain and warforged domains with contemplative and divine agent so that you can rebuke all of the creatures likely to be immune to your shenanigans.

This build uses the same variant of the hewards hall 3 times to get free item creation feats as well as Frog god’s phane: Skill focus(knowledge (religion)) as a Bonus Feat. Dude is an immortal lich with wanderlust, of course he’s going to travel to all of the world’s most notorious halls of archaic rune production to learn how to use skills that he can use without any material inputs.

1st level spellthief spells
Transference (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060526a)
Hoard Gullet (draconomicon)
Instant diversion (Races of the Dragon)
Spontaneous search (Spell Compendium, p. 204)

2nd Level spellthief Spells
Entice Gift (draconomicon)
Quick potion (Spell Compendium, p. 164)

Access to spells and powers of Joy Domain and warforged domain.


Drive the players mad, and their characters will be forced to act incoherently!

[Thurbane]

http://i.imgur.com/LpUylwt.jpg


Out in the Northern Moors, a foul group has brought to this a plane a creature of terror and madness in the hopes that it would protect them from the forces of Good.
In truth, the beast has no allegiance to any mortal, and seeks only to spread its fell influence across the world. This group would do, for a start, but their lives would be
only a tool to be used and then discarded - there were older and more powerful things in this world, whose loyalties would be far more valuable.

The Hound of Ba'azz - Ravil is a Pseudonatural Blink Hound Ardent/Sorcerer, causing havoc in the northern reaches in the world. It uses its superior mobility and spellcasting
ability to perform hit-and-fade attacks on the party, either as part of a group or on its own. The beast does, admittedly, have several weaknesses that make it a fairly easy
encounter for the prepared party, but its stealthy nature and knack for causing insanity should prevent the party from gathering too much information beforehand.

CR 5:
Pseudonatural Blink Hound Ardent 1/Sorcerer 1

Freshly arriving on this world, The Hound saw the twisted, marred faces of the cultists who had summoned it. It felt the strange, restrictive rules of this alien place.
The beings around it cowered in awe and fear as it prowled the floor, until one made contact. The being asked for protection from those who would stop their work, and The Beast
knew that these wretched fools would only be useful for a short time.

4D8 + 2D6 (25 HP)

Str: 10
Dex: 14 (8, +6 racial)
Con: 10
Int: 15
Wis: 14 (12, +2 racial)
Cha: 18

At this level, The Hound is still quite weak, and relies on guerilla tactics when in combat. It uses Obscuring Mist, and then hides, taking attacks when possible and then
using Dimension Door to escape retaliation. Its Scent ability gives it the upper hand when in the mist, especially when combined with high Hide, Move Silently, Spot and Listen.
It sticks mostly to farmland and sparsely populated areas, harassing travellers and farmhands, but only strikes at night. If it senses
a battle is not going its way, it will Dimension Door as far as possible in a random direction, and run away. If that isn't possible, it will simply use its fast run
speed to escape.
This opponent ideally shouldn't be encountered just yet (at least, not as a boss battle), but the party may here tales of the beast and set out to hunt it. If this is the
case, it should be able to hide from the party until the time is right and it can have the fight on its terms. Under these circumstances, especially with a surprise round,
it should be capable of harassing the party enough to make for an interesting encounter, and should easily be able to escape from a level-appropriate party. The Hound should
also be able to hide in the fog easily, allowing its teleportation ability to go undetected - played properly, it can easily be mistaken for a fast, stealthy opponent.

If necessary, The Hound can also be a part of a group - it can serve either on its own, as a guard, or jump into a fight already in progress, spreading confusion amongst its
enemies.

CR 10: (Sweet Spot)
Pseudonatural Blink Hound Ardent 3/Sorcerer 4

The Hound's "masters" were dead. They had, in fact, been found, and it made no attempt to help them. It had already gained a significant amount of its former power, and
was now going to do its true calling; spreading the madness of its home to this world. In time, it might get followers of its own - The Beast had already heard and felt the
presence of far more powerful creatures here. But for now, all that was required was to bring these mortals out of their small, safe world.

4D8 + 7D6 (43 HP)

Str: 10
Dex: 14 (8, +6 racial)
Con: 9
Int: 15
Wis: 14 (17, +1 level, +2 racial)
Cha: 19

At CR 10, The Hound becomes a credible threat. It has enough abilities to wreak havoc across a countryside, leaving a trail of madness and paranoia in its wake. A party without
immunity to Mind Affecting can be thrown for a real loop, especially if combined with low Will saves. The Hound's tactics remain largely unchanged, except instead of using damage,
it seeks to cause debuffs until its opponents can be safely dispatched - although it will often leave its victims alive, babbling and wailing. Its Id Insinuation ability can be
augmented to affect a full party at this level, virtually guaranteeing at least one party member will be taken out of the fight immediately. It also uses its Dark Whispers
ability to soften up its opponents at the start of combat, to further give itself the advantage.

CR 15:
Pseudonatural Blink Hound Ardent 3/Sorcerer 8

This world was nowhere near so restrictive as The Hound once thought. It had more rules, but provided those rules were followed, it could do almost as much here as it could
back home. That wasn't to say The Beast was growing comfortable - having to obey constant, immutable laws disgusted it - but its power was still growing daily. Some of its
former victims had, in fact, begun revering The Beast. The people here were in a panic, fearing the dog which stalked the land nightly, and the madness it brought with it.
Slowly, this world's foundations of Law were being stripped away from them, leaving only the stark emptiness of insanity that The Beast knew so well. [I]

4D8 + 11D6 (56 HP)

Str: 10
Dex: 14
Con: 9
Int: 15
Wis: 14
Cha: 20

By CR 15, The Hound has many ways to inflict its victims with insanity, whether by confusing them, removing Wisdom, or simply leaving them as an amorphous blob of flesh.
The party can run across many victims; some marred in ways too horrible to contemplate, some still alive but with their mind broken - and some both.
In combat, while not often directly lethal, it can certainly cause the party enough damage to make an unprepared lot break the attack. If this isn't enough, The Beast has ways
of gathering followers to help in a fight, while it provides harmful statuses and debuffs.

CR 20:
Pseudonatural Blink Hound Ardent 3/Sorcerer 13

4D8 + 16D6 (76 HP)

[I] The madness had returned. This plane's laws had been stripped away and laid bare, leaving its inhabitants broken. Some ran, some remained in denial, and many swore allegiance
to The Hound - but none were unaffected. Its work was nearly complete.

Str: 10
Dex: 14 (8, +6 racial)
Con: 9
Int: 15
Wis: 14 (17, +1 level, +2 racial)
Cha: 22

At this point, the party should have many ways of shutting down The Hound by itself. While it has many options for causing damage, it will most likely need backup to do its job
well. Mind Flayers serve well, for obvious reasons, but there are any number of options. The tactics remain the same, however; hit-and-fade, using superior mobility and stealth
to prevent yourself from being cornered, all the while hitting those weakest with debuffs and confusion.


Code:



Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


3rd
Pseudonatural Blink Dog (Outsider, 4 HD)
+4
+4
+6
+6
Hide +9, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Spot +11, Knowledge (Planes) +9, Concentration +6, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (Religion) +9, Jump +6, Escape Artist +9
Run, Stealthy, Improved Natural Attack
Scent, Blink, Dimension Door, Acid Resistance 5, Electricity Resistance 5, DR 5/Magic, Alternate Form


4th
Sorcerer 1
+4
+4
+6
+7
Hide +1, Listen +1, Move Silently +3, Spot +1, Concentration +1
---
Spellcasting, Familiar (Cat)


5th
Ardent 1
+4
+4
+6
+7
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
Dark Speech
Mantles (Corruption and Madness, Mental Power)


6th
Ardent 2
+5
+4
+6
+8
Hide +1, Listen +1, Move Silently +1, Concentration +1
---
Mantle (Pain and Suffering)


7th
Ardent 3
+6/+1
+5
+7
+9
Hide +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1, Concentration +1
---
Ability Score Increase (Cha +1), Acid Resistance 10, Electricity Resistance 10


8th
Sorcerer 2
+7/+2
+5
+7
+10
Hide +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1, Concentration +1
Dark Whispers
---


9th
Sorcerer 3
+8/+3
+5
+7
+11
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
---
---


10th
Sorcerer 4
+8/+3
+6
+8
+11
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
---
---


11th
Pseudonatural Creature
-
-
-
-
-
-
Acid Resistance 15, Energy Resistance 15, DR 10/Magic


12th
Sorcerer 5
+8/+3
+6
+8
+11
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
Vile Natural Attack
Ability Score Increase (Cha +1)


13th
Sorcerer 6
+8/+3
+7
+9
+12
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
---
---


14th
Sorcerer 7
+8/+3
+6
+8
+11
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
---
---


15th
Sorcerer 8
+9/+4
+6
+8
+12
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Concentration +1
Spell Focus (Enchantment)
---


16th
Sorcerer 9
+9/+4
+7
+9
+12
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1
---
Ability Score Increase (Cha)


17th
Sorcerer 10
+10/+5
+7
+9
+13
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1
---
---


18th
Sorcerer 11
+10/+5
+7
+9
+13
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1
Spell Focus (Trans)
---


19th
Sorcerer 12
+11/+6/+1
+8
+10
+14
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1

---


20th
Sorcerer 13
+11/+6/+1
+8
+10
+14
Hide +1, Listen +1, Spot +1, Move Silently +1

Ability Score Increase (Cha +1)



Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


4th
5/4 (Acid Splash, Ghost Sound, Ray of Frost, Caltrops)
4/2 (Obscuring Mist, Shocking Grasp)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
5/4 (3 PP)
4/2 (Mind Thrust, Primal Fear)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
5/4 (8 PP)
4/2 (Disable)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
5/4 (14 PP)
4/2
- (Id Insinuation)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
6/5 (Prestidigitation) (14 PP)
4/2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
6/5 (14 PP)
6/3 (Chill Touch)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
6/6 (Daze) (14 PP)
7/3 (Ray of Enfeeblement)
4/1 (Touch of Idiocy)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
6/6 (14 PP)
7/3
5/1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
6/6 (14 PP)
7/4 (Protection from Good)
5/2 (Eagle's Splendour)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13th
6/7 (Touch of Fatigue) (14 PP)
7/4
6/2
4/1 (Hold Person)
-
-
-
-
-
-


14th
6/7 (14 PP)
7/5 (Blood Wind)
7/3(Phantasmal Assailants)
5/2 (Mind Poison)
-
-
-
-
-
-


15th
6/8 (Electric Jolt) (14 PP)
7/5
7/3
6/2
4/1 (Corporeal Instability)
-
-
-
-
-


16th
6/8 (14 PP)
7/5
7/4 (Veil of Shadow)
7/3 (Fly)
5/2 (Evard's Black Tentacles)
-
-
-
-
-


17th
6/9 (Silent Portal) (14 PP)
7/5
7/4
7/3
6/2
4/1 (Draconic Might)
-
-
-
-


18th
6/9 (14 PP)
7/5
7/5 (Electric Loop)
7/4 (Shadow Binding)
7/3 (Phantasmal Killer)
5/2 (Mind Fog)
-
-
-
-


19th
6/9 (14 PP)
7/5
7/5
7/4
7/3
6/2
3/1 (Eyebite)
-
-
-


20th
6/9 (14 PP)
7/5
7/5
7/4
7/4 (Bestow Curse)
7/3 (Wrack)
4/2 (Freezing Fog)
-
-
-

[Thurbane]

...and there we have it. Whew! Had some real trouble posting these, mainly through a series of errors at my end!

I'm really impressed by the entries this round. Well done to everyone who got an entry in! :smallbiggrin:

If I've messed up any formatting of entries with my copy pasta, or posted old versions of an entry, please message me and I'll do my best to get everything sorted.

And now we eagerly await judges to come forth from the void!

http://i66.tinypic.com/33nvjw7.jpg

[Inevitability]

It seems I'm going to have quite a bit of competition. Very excited for judging!

[GnomishPride]

Outstanding builds from all. My entry's in major trouble! :smalltongue:

[Catdrake]

Props to creating a build capable of causing wisdom damage out of game, mister kender.

[LordOfCain]

I was planning on making a Dvati Wizard 5/Alienist 5/Warblade 1/Spellsword 4/Prestige Bard 1/Abjurant Champion 4 that focused on channeling confusion through his weapons but never finished it.

[Thurbane]

I had my own build in mind for this comp (had I not been chair! :smalltongue:); I might post if after the judging etc.

[Jormengand]

I was gonna make a wizard/incantatrix who persisted horror-type spells that, for example, detached your arms so they could float off on their own or gave you tentacle attacks and so forth, but my computer messed up at one point and I lost my spell list, and didn't have the heart to start over.

[ben-zayb]

Amazing entries, and I already have two favorites in mind! Too bad I can't conjure a good back story for a Lovecraftian villain, or I'd think of an entry, too.

[DontEvenAsk]

Ah, but the thing about Lovecraftian villains is that they don't always need a backstory. Some of them - in my opinion, the most disturbing ones - just are. Colour out of Space, for instance. What is it? Where did it come from? What does it want? Nobody knows.

[Thurbane]

Ah, but the thing about Lovecraftian villains is that they don't always need a backstory. Some of them - in my opinion, the most disturbing ones - just are. Colour out of Space, for instance. What is it? Where did it come from? What does it want? Nobody knows.

I really should ask one of my friends if I can borrow his complete works of Lovecraft set. I've only read a couple of stories in an anthology (At The Mountains of Madness etc.).

I've read a bit of the expanded myths (I particularly enjoy Brian Lumley's books, in the more modern stuff) but I need to read more of the originals.

[The Viscount]

I've quite enjoyed what I've read of his. I've found that what I enjoyed most wasn't the cosmic horror type things, (Call of Cthulhu, Mountains of Madness), but the more down to earth ones where the horror stems from something of this earth (Shadow over Innsmouth, Rats in the Walls), or result of man's work (Herbert West: Reanimator, the Lurking Fear).

I still don't know how to feel about Kadath things; they're certainly strange and filled with grotesquerie, but they're not quite horror stories in my eyes.

Anyway, I unfortunately didn't get to finish what I had planned, a Multiheaded spellwarped kuo-toa exalted whip sea mother whip 5/warchief 3/hierophant 1. Its thing was working with 7th level cleric spells taking advantage of divine reach, casting 2 a round via multivoice, also throwing in some independent lightning bolts (perhaps boosted from heads counting as multiple whips), but the real trick would have been juggling of warchief's drain on health with mass lesser vigor and aid from sea mother whip to trigger exalted whip's weird aura where when they fall to 0 they get a free attack. It would have been a high priest character for a group of Innsmouth natives, but time constraints did not permit.

[Strigon]

I really should ask one of my friends if I can borrow his complete works of Lovecraft set. I've only read a couple of stories in an anthology (At The Mountains of Madness etc.).

I've read a bit of the expanded myths (I particularly enjoy Brian Lumley's books, in the more modern stuff) but I need to read more of the originals.

There's quite a bit online. (http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/fiction/)

[Thurbane]

Hey all - we've got some really great entries this round. Does anyone want to step up to judge? It would be greatly appreciated by me, and I'm sure by the competitors as well. :smallsmile:

[Inevitability]

Hey all - we've got some really great entries this round. Does anyone want to step up to judge? It would be greatly appreciated by me, and I'm sure by the competitors as well. :smallsmile:

As a competitor, I can confirm.

[DontEvenAsk]

As a competitor, I can confirm.

Agreed. Pretty please? :smallfrown:

[MisterKaws]

I think the builds are scaring the judges in a different sense from what was intended. Seriously, one of those has over twenty tables...

[WhamBamSam]

I'm up for judging. I've read through the builds once already and have some thoughts. I can handle 5 entries I think. I'll get started sometime tomorrow.

[Thurbane]

I'm up for judging. I've read through the builds once already and have some thoughts. I can handle 5 entries I think. I'll get started sometime tomorrow.

Thank you - very much appreciated.

[GnomishPride]

I'm up for judging. I've read through the builds once already and have some thoughts. I can handle 5 entries I think. I'll get started sometime tomorrow.

Thank you - very much appreciated.

Indeed. :smallsmile:

[Inevitability]

I'm up for judging. I've read through the builds once already and have some thoughts. I can handle 5 entries I think. I'll get started sometime tomorrow.

Thank you, good sir. When the eldritch horrors invade, I promise you'll be eaten first (http://foo.ca/wp/chick-tract-satire/who-will-be-eaten-first/) (NSFW language).

[DontEvenAsk]

Mine humble thanks to thee, Your Honor!

[Thurbane]

We're technically past the judging deadline, but I'm happy to hold it open as required.

While we're waiting, now is a good time to vote on what you'd like to see as the ingredient for next round.

[WhamBamSam]

Yeah, sorry about that. The first week of classes hit harder than I expected. I do still intend to get to this, but I'll need an extension.

[Thurbane]

Yeah, sorry about that. The first week of classes hit harder than I expected. I do still intend to get to this, but I'll need an extension.

All good - real life often hits us with the unplanned.

[Strigon]

I'd be interested in seeing what could be done with a plague or famine themed villain. Not sure exactly how many options there are for this, but it seems flavourful.

[Thurbane]

I'd be interested in seeing what could be done with a plague or famine themed villain. Not sure exactly how many options there are for this, but it seems flavourful.

I'm certainly happy to consider this.

Also, for next round, I think I'll be returning to the elite array (15,14,13,12,10,8) for stats, instead of point-buy. I did a high point buy as an experiment, but on reflection, I think it kind of goes against the intent of the comp (i.e. creating NPC villains).

[Tiri]

I think a plague-and-famine themed round would be good.

[Jormengand]

Can War and Death get a look-in too? :smalltongue:

[Tiri]

Well, we already had a leader-of-armies and an undeath themed round.

[GnomishPride]

I believe Jormengand was suggesting the four horsemen of the apocalypse. That'd be an interesting one. Pick one or do a build for each?

[Strigon]

I believe Jormengand was suggesting the four horsemen of the apocalypse. That'd be an interesting one. Pick one or do a build for each?

I mean, the small face at the end suggests to me it was a joke, but that does sound pretty cool.

[Jormengand]

Four horsemen would mean that there would be more interesting choices, certainly. Plus, an excuse for mounted villains.

[Tiri]

Four horsemen would mean that there would be more interesting choices, certainly. Plus, an excuse for mounted villains.

Although it might actually restrict entries more, since the theme would be quite limited. It's not like you need an excuse if you want to make a mounted villain anyway.

There would be a lot more work doing four builds, too. You could only do one, but then it's not really Four Horsemen themed, it's just a villain whose theme happens to coincide wih one of the four.

[Thurbane]

Although it might actually restrict entries more, since the theme would be quite limited. It's not like you need an excuse if you want to make a mounted villain anyway.

There would be a lot more work doing four builds, too. You could only do one, but then it's not really Four Horsemen themed, it's just a villain whose theme happens to coincide wih one of the four.

I'm wondering if this would be better off broken up into 4 rounds, or just the one, giving people an option of doing 1 horseman only, or all 4? I think stretching a theme over 4 rounds might be a little to much. If I condense it into one round, asking people for 4 builds seems a little intense, while if I let entrants pick any one of the 4, then there's a good chance we might end up with 5 deaths, and only 1 war, for instance.

It would be a tricky theme, but I'm very open to it. Maybe if I just concentrate on one of the 4 for next VC, then do the other gradually intersperse with other ingredients (may a 4 horsemen theme every 2nd VC?).

In either case, next VC is probably the last I can chair for a little while, since I'm getting married mid-October. I'm more than happy to pick up the reins again once I get back, however.

[Inevitability]

How about we just make a 'Horseman of the Apocalypse' round, with the only requirement being the builds emphasize some destructive concept and are mounted? We could get the classical 'War' 'Death' or 'Pestillence' builds, but also things like 'Betrayal' or 'Entropy'.

[Tiri]

How about we just make a 'Horseman of the Apocalypse' round, with the only requirement being the builds emphasize some destructive concept and are mounted? We could get the classical 'War' 'Death' or 'Pestillence' builds, but also things like 'Betrayal' or 'Entropy'.

Well, then that's not really Horsemen of the Apocalypse at all. Just the usual themed villain, with mountedness added. If you want Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they have to be the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, not just apocalyptic horsemen.

Also, congratulations, Thurbane.

[Jormengand]

I was thinking that we would have a round where you picked one horseman, or you could make four builds if you wanted I guess. Given both the number of people who do and the number who don't want to do a pestilence/famine villain, I would guess that you'd get enough of each horseman.

[Tiri]

I was thinking that we would have a round where you picked one horseman, or you could make four builds if you wanted I guess. Given both the number of people who do and the number who don't want to do a pestilence/famine villain, I would guess that you'd get enough of each horseman.

In that case, though, you wouldn't really be doing the Four Horsemen unless you did all of them. Otherwise it would just be a standalone villain with a theme happening to coincide with one of the Four Horsemen, and most people might not be willing to do all four. I mean, the villains might be good, but they wouldn't really be the Four Horsemen.

[Jormengand]

In that case, though, you wouldn't really be doing the Four Horsemen unless you did all of them. Otherwise it would just be a standalone villain with a theme happening to coincide with one of the Four Horsemen, and most people might not be willing to do all four. I mean, the villains might be good, but they wouldn't really be the Four Horsemen.

What's wrong with a villain themed on one of the four horsemen? :smallconfused:

[Tiri]

What's wrong with a villain themed on one of the four horsemen? :smallconfused:

Well, provided it was a singular villain, it would cease to really be a Horseman. It would be a villain sharing a theme with one of the Horsemen, and those are not uncommon villain themes. It might be a great villain, but it wouldn't truly be themed on the Four Horsemen.

[khadgar567]

as far as ı know when 4 horseman appears even tartaresque sh*ts himself a solid platinum(wanna use gold but decide to up the rarity a little) poop so 4 horsman needs to be powerful enough to warrant deus or ex machina to be used like 4 elder evils representing each one its up to you my little mad scientist buddies muhahahahahahahahaha!

[Troacctid]

Four horsemen in every entry sounds like a Nightmare to judge.

[dascarletm]

Well, provided it was a singular villain, it would cease to really be a Horseman. It would be a villain sharing a theme with one of the Horsemen, and those are not uncommon villain themes. It might be a great villain, but it wouldn't truly be themed on the Four Horsemen.

The horsemen appear canonically in sequential order, so building just one of them isn't really a problem, it isn't as if they appear together, though anyone willing to do all 4 would probably have an advantage.

[Thurbane]

The horsemen appear canonically in sequential order, so building just one of them isn't really a problem, it isn't as if they appear together, though anyone willing to do all 4 would probably have an advantage.

I'm leaning towards this.

Everyone is free to enter as few or as many of the horseman as they want.

And if any horseman is missed altogether, they can be covered in a future round.

[Tiri]

I'm leaning towards this.

Everyone is free to enter as few or as many of the horseman as they want.

And if any horseman is missed altogether, they can be covered in a future round.

So, if we do use this theme, does that mean that the entries have to work similarly to the actual Horsemen e.g. Famine making necessities harder to obtain but leaving luxuries alone, or just something that uses a theme of Famine in some way?


The horsemen appear canonically in sequential order, so building just one of them isn't really a problem, it isn't as if they appear together, though anyone willing to do all 4 would probably have an advantage.

Well, they appear sequentially, but they are related, so anyone who builds 4 is actually following the theme more closely, and as you say, that gives them an advantage, which is a little unfair. After all, most rounds don't give you a higher chance of winning the more builds you submit.

[dascarletm]

Well, they appear sequentially, but they are related, so anyone who builds 4 is actually following the theme more closely, and as you say, that gives them an advantage, which is a little unfair. After all, most rounds don't give you a higher chance of winning the more builds you submit.

This is the biggest issue with the theme.

Also, I'm not sure of the etiquette, but are we not allowed to talk about the builds until the judging is completed?

[Tiri]

This is the biggest issue with the theme.

Also, I'm not sure of the etiquette, but are we not allowed to talk about the builds until the judging is completed?

Well, there's always been some talk about the builds before completion of judging, as far as I remember. It doesn't really matter much one way or the other, given that the builds are already up.

[Strigon]

So, if we do use this theme, does that mean that the entries have to work similarly to the actual Horsemen e.g. Famine making necessities harder to obtain but leaving luxuries alone, or just something that uses a theme of Famine in some way?

Usually the rounds are pretty open-ended. I'd say that for famine it should be able to severely impact the production of at least one major good produced; whether this be by actually killing crops, or poisoning waterways to stop fishing, or something more creative is irrelevant. Likewise, Death should have a strong necromantic bend - not necessarily zombies and the like (although those can be done), but anything to do with either corrupting life or snuffing it out. War should be capable of causing conflict, and I think it's safe to say that pestilence is easily defined.



Well, they appear sequentially, but they are related, so anyone who builds 4 is actually following the theme more closely, and as you say, that gives them an advantage, which is a little unfair. After all, most rounds don't give you a higher chance of winning the more builds you submit.

Well, all you'd have to do is tell the judges not to do that. Base them on the flavour and quality of the individual builds, and if they submit several, try to go for an average.

[Tiri]

Usually the rounds are pretty open-ended. I'd say that for famine it should be able to severely impact the production of at least one major good produced; whether this be by actually killing crops, or poisoning waterways to stop fishing, or something more creative is irrelevant. Likewise, Death should have a strong necromantic bend - not necessarily zombies and the like (although those can be done), but anything to do with either corrupting life or snuffing it out. War should be capable of causing conflict, and I think it's safe to say that pestilence is easily defined.

I know how things are usually done, but it's different this time because of the use of actual mythological creatures. So I asked the Chairman.


Well, all you'd have to do is tell the judges not to do that. Base them on the flavour and quality of the individual builds, and if they submit several, try to go for an average.

In this case, though, it's different because the more builds you have the closer you actually are to the theme.

[dascarletm]

Also, if you thought judging X submissions was time-consuming, imagine 4X.

I'd say make one character, for the judges sake!

Won't somebody please think of the children judges!

[Inevitability]

Also, if you thought judging X submissions was time-consuming, imagine 4X.

I'd say make one character, for the judges sake!

Won't somebody please think of the children judges!

This. We've got few enough prospective judges already: we should probably go easy on them.

[Thurbane]

This. We've got few enough prospective judges already: we should probably go easy on them.

That's a very good point.

Speaking of judges, WhamBamSam - how are you going juggling judging with you classes?

[lord_khaine]

A bit late, but my compliments to all the entries, they had some really disturbing ones, that showed a lot of creativity.

[dascarletm]

I'd like to give a virtual high-five to the author of Amnesia. I'm going to use this in an upcoming campaign of mine with some minor modifications. :smallbiggrin:

[Strigon]

In this case, though, it's different because the more builds you have the closer you actually are to the theme.

Well, yes, but they're people. They understand the meaning of "please don't allow the number of villains in your entry to affect your scoring system".
In any case, I quite agree with the idea of picking one and sticking with it. Whether this is by doing a full loop and picking a villain based solely around famine/pestilence, or opening it up to any of the horsemen, I don't have any particular preference.

[Thurbane]

At the moment I'm leaning towards having all four horseman on the menu (Famine, Pestilence, War and Death*), but limiting the comp to one horseman per entry.

If any horsemen get missed this way, happy to have a future round specifically dedicated to any not accounted for.

I agree that having an entry consisting of four builds is going to be very daunting for judges. However, if an entrant wanted to submit more than one horseman, each in a separate entry, I think it would be OK.

As soon as judging is done and disputes settled, I'll get the new round up.

*Historically the exact composition of the four horseman varies somewhat, so I'm happy to be a little lenient in slight variations from this list.

[Tiri]

Well, yes, but they're people. They understand the meaning of "please don't allow the number of villains in your entry to affect your scoring system".

Yes, in theory. In practice it is harder, since if multiple villains are in the same entry and following a particular theme, they could be built in a synergistic manner, which in this case helps with both power and the concept.

Of course, since our dear Chairman seems inclined to restrict it to one build per entry, the point is now moot.

[Thurbane]

I can certainly sympathize with the desire to submit and/or see a "full build" of horseman - however, historically it's quite hard to get judges to score these comps. I'm afraid they would be too overwhelmed by the prospect of judging (up to) four builds per entry. Potentially eight builds, if full builds are submitted for the "horses" themselves.

Entrants would still be free to submit four separate entries, if they want to. They can even put notes in the individual entries noting that each build is "part of a set" if they like. But the judges would be judging individual entries, so, in effect, they'd be competing against themselves.

I hope this seems fair to everyone: in an ideal world where we would be guaranteed one or more judges happy to commit to judging up to four entries per build, I'd certainly be willing to take up that option...

[Strigon]

I'm more than happy to just stick with one; I doubt anyone will be deeply upset at having that limit imposed.

[ben-zayb]

Yes, in theory. In practice it is harder, since if multiple villains are in the same entry and following a particular theme, they could be built in a synergistic manner, which in this case helps with both power and the concept.

Of course, since our dear Chairman seems inclined to restrict it to one build per entry, the point is now moot.

As mentioned, judging will be the most problematic issue here. However, should you preempptively volunteer to judge, that would at least guarantee there will be a resolution to the contest, and will get your suggedtion more traction.

[Tiri]

As mentioned, judging will be the most problematic issue here. However, should you preempptively volunteer to judge, that would at least guarantee there will be a resolution to the contest, and will get your suggedtion more traction.
I never made any suggestion. I was pointing out something that might pose a problem.

[WhamBamSam]

That's a very good point.

Speaking of judges, WhamBamSam - how are you going juggling judging with you classes?Poorly, unfortunately. One of my classes has an extreme dearth of chill, and now I'm a bit behind on grading as well. I feel badly about having to back out, but you're probably better off looking for another judge.

[Thurbane]

Poorly, unfortunately. One of my classes has an extreme dearth of chill, and now I'm a bit behind on grading as well. I feel badly about having to back out, but you're probably better off looking for another judge.

No problem, real life takes precedence.

Anyone else willing to judge?

There seems to be a fair bit of interest in the next round, but we can't move forward until judging is done.

I'm sure I'll the entrants would appreciate someone else volunteering.

[GnomishPride]

No problem, real life takes precedence.

Anyone else willing to judge?

There seems to be a fair bit of interest in the next round, but we can't move forward until judging is done.

I'm sure I'll the entrants would appreciate someone else volunteering.

Please? :smallsmile:

[Jormengand]

Okay, let's get this round over with, then:

Don't worry, I'm not judging you on the picture, especially since the type of picture uploaded to this kind of contest tends to be used illegally.

I immediately don't like the fact that this build doesn't exist until CR 15. I would love to have a horrific BBEG that affects the PCs from early levels, not just as a big final boss. But fine, let's get into the meat of it:

Originality: I immediately expected psionics, illithid, and trying to add extra limbs to things. Also, you're basically just mini-Cthulhu, with no real theme, rhyme or reason to what you're doing. Really, this reads to me as "Psionic character + tentacles", so I can't see any reason to give it a score higher than 1.

Elegance: Admitting that you're just adding five random levels on at the end may not be the best move, and I don't see much of a coherent theme beyond "Psionics" and "Moar tentacles." At least those are coherent themes, so you get a 2.

Competence: You have a decent selection of powers up to 7th level, and I'm not even sure how many natural attacks you get (probably because you don't have a section listing what you think the character's main capabilities and tactics are). I don't really know what you do, but you certainly do it, so I can give you a 3.5.

Memorable Villainy: Who's going to forget a multiple-headed illithid? That said, I'm not sure it will really be its villainy that's on show, just the description of what it is. Driving people insane may help, but it's exclusively available at a level where insanity and even death are temporary. For something that's supposed to be a horror-villain, it's essentially just a combination debuffer and pouncer. Maybe it will be scary for the characters, but the players? Probably not. Take a 2 for effort, though.

Total: 8.5. Sorry, but this villain simply doesn't inspire me. I see a stat-block, not a character, not a monster, just a thing, and to its eternal cosmic credit, a thing that does some stuff.

Oof, again a villain that starts at a fairly high CR. Let's see. Affecting an arbitrarily large area with a TO trick that I haven't the will or the cause to check is legal, possibly fortunately for you. What it does do is make everyone forget how to use practically anything they could want to use to kill you. That is insanely good.

Originality: This kind of thing has been done before, but... damn. The storyline you have created is enough to write an entire novel about, to the point where I bet someone's done something like it already without either of us knowing. Since I'll give you the benefit of assuming that you came up with it indepentently of our hypothetical author, you get a 5.

Elegance: The levels seem a bit thrown on, but... I can't fault the effect they have. The fact that it doesn't come online until high levels (to the effect of not existing at all) is an elegance hit as far as I'm concerned, but I can still give you an easy 4.

Competence: The thing about villains is the ultimate purpose of the villain is to cause a major effect in the world, put up one or more memorable fights, and then die. I'm having trouble seeing the last step because you're actually way too strong. You're actually too powerful to get the maximum score because you're just going to end up making the PCs feel useless as they lose all of their skill ranks and class features. While you have 5th-level spells, they have... nothing. At best, they have dragon hit dice, minus the skill ranks and minus all their feats. They simply are not going to win unless they use the kind of TO trick that will make you irrelevant, or they happen by sheer luck to have chosen to be something that's immune, in which case you're toast. To me, this category isn't about maximum power, but appropriate power. I'm afraid I can only give you a 3 in good conscience.

Memorable Villainy: Fortunately for you, we're concerned about the players' memories, not the characters'.

Unfortunately for you, while the players will certainly remember the campaign, and be glad they did - visiting a world where the people lose their memories whenever they sleep, and where any profession is impossible - they will also remember the boss fight, and soon wish they hadn't. In a horror game, you need to feel as though you have options but any option you make is the wrong one. When your actions are limited by the fact that your class levels are now glorified RHD and you have no skills or feats, the fight goes from "Climactic and scary" to "I hit it with a stick that I'm not proficient in and wait for my character to die".

With careful encounter design, where players have to choose whether to stand in its way and let their allies escape or try to save themselves (not that there'll be any point even tring to hide from it when it has +15 spot/listen and they have maybe +5), this can be mitigated, but the feeling of helplessness should be used sparingly. Oh, and if one player is undead or a construct, everyone will be counting on that player and trying to protect that one player, which may make the others miserable.

I can only really give you a 3 here.

Total: 15. I like it in principle. In practice, it's likely to frustrate more than to terrify.

Whuh.

It's a... something. That's all I can really say. It hurts my eyes trying to get my head around it. It's a spellcaster, but doesn't really cast spells, and it theurges psionics and meldshaping for... some purpose. Huh.

Originality: Again, I expected psionics, and the messing-with-minds stuff. Meldshaping less so. I can't say much about the concept, because I'm not sure what it really is. Have a 3.5.

Elegance: Levels are thrown on seemingly at random with no visible means of explanation to convince me otherwise. The creature's actual race is only mentioned in the sources list, and the strength penalty is written as -2 on the table. One of your build highlights is separated off for no apparent reason, and seriously, you don't need all those skill tables. To me, that speaks of a 1.

Competence: This is where you shine. You do a lot of stuff, none of it is going to overwhelm the PCs and much of it is going to affect them. I have little problem giving you a 5 here.

Memorable villainy: You end up being vaguely memorable, you have your own story and you tie the PCs into it, possibly even making them wonder if it might be their fault that you came to be this way. You've done a pretty decent job here, too. Take a 4 and run.

Total: 13.5. It works out being pretty decent, but... it's difficult to pick up and use. I know that my head would spin actually trying to run this villain, which is why it's just as well that you can probably lift up the backstory and put it back down on someone else.

Woah. That's one helluva dog.

Let's take a look at this thing rather than just gawping at it, shall we?

Originality: Warped twisted animal-like horror-being that does evil mind stuff isn't new, but I do like the way you've done it. Take, oh, a 3 seems fair.

Elegance: Your build makes sense, and it's relatively simple to pick up and play. Take a 5 with my blessing.

Competence: With IL 11, some nasty SLAs, and just enough BAB for a full allocation of attacks, you're fairly mean. That said, your build doesn't do much other than hurt people directly, so I can only really give it a 3.5

Memorable Villainy: The evil invisible dog of explosive doom is an encounter you remember, but not necessarily a villain you remember. Again, you don't have any evil plan, haven't lain dormant for milennia tainting the land. Hells, you don't even have much of a backstory. I can only really give this a 3 here.

Total: 14.5. You could get higher with a little bit more development. At the moment, it's just some dog.

You get a zero in all categories for a build in total contradiction to the rules not only of the game but of the contest.

In the first instance, you haven't provided a write-up at any of the levels you need to (5, 10, 15, 20, or any other level of your choice. In the second, you are of chaotic good alignment, irrespective of what alignment subytpes you may have. In the third, you are a flat-out kender for most of your existence, which is not acceptable either (it is noted that the template "Most likely should be inherited", so perhaps if this were the only issue I would be satisfied with a heavy penalty)

Further, you do not qualify for your exalted feats due to repeated, wilful theft (BoED 39, BoVD 7). A good character should be making an especial attempt to avoid evil actions. An exalted character should be willing to bring harm to their own status and even life to avoid doing so. This is explicit. For a good, even chaotic good, character to make deliberate attempts to devote his life to theft is in flagrant contradiction of these rules. To judge this properly, I would have to willingly ignore the fact that you have four levels in a powerful prestige class alongside three of the most influential feats in the game and you do not qualify for a single one of them.

Finally, while I absolutely love the idea in theory, it has no relevance whatever to the elder evils, far realms, or anything else that I can see apart from the vague horror-esque-ness of the bag of devouring.

To your credit, I do actually like the villain in theory, and if it were better written up and used different rules to support itself, and were in a contest more suited to it (it's actually a pity that you didn't wait and enter something like this into the next round, as it would make a great Famine) then it would potentially be great - I can easily see it scoring high in originality, competence and memorability, and perhaps even elegance if cleaned up. As it stands, though, I can't judge a villain that doesn't qualify for over half the build, or the rules of the contest.

Another evil doggie! Let's have a look at this thing.

Originality: Psionics and corrupted pseudo-animals are things that I both expected, and already got. Nothing about this build stands out to me, and it has a sparse backstory. I can only really give you a 1.5.

Elegance: I'm honestly confused by no cerebremancer. Apart from that, I don't like the way you set out the spells/powers table. As a build that's easy to follow, though? I'm happy enough to give my poor brain a rest. Take a 3.5.

Competence: It takes a while to evolve into a threat, and later evolves back out of a threat. You admit this yourself, and end up counting on backup you can't summon, which is never a good idea. However, it becomes very dangerous at the levels it is threatening. While I would prefer a continuous level of threat, this fluctuation leads the PCs not to know what to expect. Whether that was luck or intention, you can take a 4 either way.

Memorable Villainy: Your fighting style is memorable, but your overall influence is less so. Your villainy is more on the scale of angry wild animal and less on the scale of Cthulhu, but angry wild animals can still be gruesome enough to score a 3.

Total: 12. Unfortunately, you don't have a great deal of macrocosmic significance, which could really have bumped up your originality and memorable villainy scores.


NameOriginalityEleganceCompetenceMemorable VillainyTotal
Amnesia543315
The Hound of Ngatha353.5314.5
Ashken Weir3.515413.5
The Hound of Ba'azz - Ravil1.53.54312
Illithid Brute123.528.5
Yurgear Isflippingawn00000


Obviously disputes are expected, but I'd like to try this in one round of disputes.

There is precedent for a chair to force judging entries that DNQed for parts of their build, but not on such a scale nor if they broke contest rules. If necessary, I can judge the entry that DNQed, but I'm afraid the scores won't be pretty either way.

[Thurbane]

Good stuff Jormengand - much appreciated!

I'll hold the comp open for 24-48 hours for disputes, then announce winners.

[daremetoidareyo]

Good stuff Jormengand - much appreciated!

I'll hold the comp open for 24-48 hours for disputes, then announce winners.

Mr. Chair, thine Inbox hath reached maximum capacity.

[Jormengand]

Mr. Chair, thine Inbox hath reached maximum capacity.

The subtext of this message, of course, is that I should expect a dispute next time it's not full. :smalltongue:

[daremetoidareyo]

The subtext of this message, of course, is that I should expect a dispute next time it's not full. :smalltongue:

It's only a dispute as far as I disagree on a single point. But it's a FUN dispute, if you can believe in such things.

[Thurbane]

Disputes ahoy!


Just want to point out that willfull theft is a terrible accusation for a person who hails from an entire race that fundamentally cannot understand property rights...let alone abide them. It's like asking a merman to breathe comfortably in lava. Theft is a chaotic act, not an evil one. This Dude, right here, totally qualifies for exalted feats.

That bag of devouring is hungrier than any opponent's right to continue to having their imaginary categorization scheme of what is and isn't ownership. Don't be giving me your anti-astral creature rhetoric. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be a devouring bag? If you did, you would have some pity.

Seriously, there is only one true "Thing that should Not Be" in this round and context clues from oodles of websurfing dnd stuff online would indicate that kender are more universally feared and hated than any other race: Let alone immortal good lich kender that are capable of neutralizing all hostile action. *Pffft* In a war game?

Making the people who imagine you seeth with involuntary emotions: Now, that is power, my friend.

And Neitzsche once said that in the natural evolution of morals, something to the tune of:

"puny species like men can't help but revile that which is more powerful than itself. Accordingly, they seek to destroy the threat that is capable of shaping their lives. And if they can't destroy it, they demonize all entities, be they famine, pestilence, loss, or death as inherently evil, instead of simply accepting that they are too weak to make peace with these things."

You can't "own" material unless it literally is you. Everything else is loaned by the universe. But being the messenger of such a terribly powerful truth leads to a castigation so foul as to deny my right to qualify? It's not my fault you only get to exist a finite amount of time and therefor your context is hemmed in.

Why don't you just get straight with the good guys and just take a few points from the other builds and give them to me, it's all just an arrangement of pixels anyway. While you're at it, feed their gear to my pets. It's the only exalted option on the table!

I am disputing the low Competence and Memorable Villainy scores, both of which seem to be based on the fact that any battle with Amnesia is supposedly doomed to fail. This is not true.

You seem to be assuming that a fight against Amnesia will be fought by three to five high-level PC's, all of which lack preparations and all of which are under the effect of Amnesia's breath. You are right that this fight will be hard bordering on impossible.

However, the PC's aren't unprepared. The PC's have had a campaign to prepare.

Within Amnesia's post itself were already several suggestions how the PC's survived the initial breath attack, or regained their memories afterwards. At most, players will be spending the campaign's introduction chapter under the effect of Amnesia's breath: That sounds acceptable to me. Remember, Amnesia is unlikely to breathe frequently after the first few times, because a modicum of society should be allowed to develop for his plans to function best.

The first part of the game should be spend finding a means to protect against Amnesia's breath: the specific means is up to the DM. Maybe he'll inform the players of the ritual of Crucimigration, which is written on a stone tablet in the deepest reaches of an ancient necropolis (dungeon craaaawl!). Maybe he'll let them brew plenty of potions of Neutralize Poison if they manage to gather the appropriate ingredients (monster huuuuunting!). Maybe they need to persuade a surviving vampire to turn them into free-willed spawn (social encounteeeer!).

The next phase could be spend establishing a base. Again, all kinds of encounters are possible; from clearing out a dungeon to expanding and fortifying an already existent village.

Finally, there's the fight against Amnesia himself. It could start with skirmishes with Sleepless, then expand to fight some of Amnesia's fiendish allies (Lesser Planar Ally is on his list, remember?).

Of course, in between all this resources need to be located and secured, alliances need to be forged, mysteries need to be solved. Fortunately, there's a ton of sidequest material. What to think of a dragon, driven insane by lack of sleep, is burniating rampaging across the countryside? Or perhaps dozens of Writers are gathering spellbooks to erase and use for their own purposes, and the PC's need to be quick if they want to recover the spells.

What I'm saying with all this: by the time the PC's face Amnesia they'll be immune to his breath in at least one, up to five ways, and will have the support necessary to take on a cult of devils and mutated humanoids. Sounds pretty memorable to me.

[Jormengand]

Fine, dispute resolution:

Whether or not your character is under a grave delusion does not change the fact that they are putting themselves repeatedly into a position where they have the opportunity to do something that they can see makes people upset and angry. Theft is an evil action, listed in the book of vile darkness of all places as one of many acts which define evil, and even if your kender can't help himself when near people, he can prevent himself from going near then in the first place, and also for building his entire existence around theft. Not that this addresses my other reasons for his nonqualification for the contest anyway.

When threatened, as in seriously threatened, by a group of exceptionally powerful and dangerous individuals, would you really hold back your most powerful weapon just because it might have some essentially minor side effects? I'm not sure you would.

If there are up to five ways to be immune to the effect, then it seems odd that in the entry you explicitly stated there were only two and both of them were creture types. Either way, competence or elegance penalty. Also, if you're relying on vampires, dragons and devils to make things more exciting, this doesn't speak of a memorable villain, only memorable... y'know, other stuff. It's like saying your computer is great because it has great peripherals: yeah, maybe it's a good computer in effect, but the actual build of the computer itself isn't anything to write home about.

Score stands.

[Thurbane]

Without any further delay, here is the final reveal:



Name
Originality
Elegance
Competence
Memorable Villainy
Total


Amnesia: Dire_Stirge
5
4
3
3
15


The Hound of Ngatha: Ilveshlea
3
5
3.5
3
14.5


Ashken Weir: DontEvenAsk
3.5
1
5
4
13.5


The Hound of Ba'azz - Ravil: Strigon
1.5
3.5
4
3
12


Illithid Brute: GnomishPride
1
2
3.5
2
8.5


Yurgear Isflippingawn: daremetoidareyo
0
0
0
0
0



Congrats to Dire-Strige, and everyone else!

New comp will be up soon.

[Thurbane]

New competition is up: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?500829

http://i66.tinypic.com/1zeb4wi.jpg

[Inevitability]

All hail to the mindwiping fleshwarping fiendish elephant-mo... wait, what was I happy about again?

[Thurbane]

Chairman's note: if I had not been the chair, my entry would have been Half-Illithid (Underdark version) Winged Phaerlin Giant, Cleric (of Tharizdun) 13.

Mainly just to have a huge, winged creature with face tentacles... :smallbiggrin:

[DontEvenAsk]

Welp, was not expecting to get 3rd Place.

The 1 in Elegance, however, I wholly anticipated. :smallbiggrin:

[jdizzlean]

in reading over this well after the fact, the kender entry is super awesome, i just want you to know that :)

it reminds me of this:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/f6/f7/9af6f77d8154dd842030f6530b645201.jpg