TheFamilarRaven
2016-08-08, 04:43 PM
Hello playground! Recently I've begun crafting villains for a campaign I'm working on, so this my be the first of many threads that seek guidance in helping me build effective boss encounters.
So the thing is, I just can't find a good combo for this guy! So let me go into more details.
Komandarm Zakhar is a maltora (my campaign's word for minotaur) noble. He leads the forward army that has landed on the island where my campaign takes place. He is ruthless and efficient and is held in high regards by his troops. In his homeland of Kolskiir, his clan are renowned dragon hunters and giant slayers. As the head of the clan, he rides Dolskol, a subjugated old white dragon.
I imagine him as someone who eagerly leads the charge during the vanguard rush of battle. Riding on the back of Dolskol as he lays waste to the enemy army with powerful lance charges and devastating breath attacks from his dragon. However, straight up cavalier chargers, well, lack versatility, so I wanted to give him spell casting and some supernatural abilities. I looked into anti-paladin (tyrant archetype) but their were't too many spells that seemed useful on their list, but some of the auras (I'm looking at you, aura of cowardice) and immunities are nice. i even looked into magus, but every source I read seems dubious as to whether or not spell combat works with a lance while mounted.
Encounter plans:
When encountered on the battle field, Zakhar will most certainly be riding Dolskol. His preferred tactic is (If not buffed) is to fly away with Dolskol's 200ft/rnd fly speed, buff up, and return to the fray, singling out casters as the primary target to be taken down first, while Dolskol using the freezing cloud to hamper the mobility of the opposition. Using ride by attack to strafe through the ranks while remaining outside the range of the heavy melee.
When he's not with Dolskol, he is always accompanied by his honor guard, which consists of a lower level wizard, cleric and four big bruiser type melee.
So I'm hoping the playground can help me with building the mechanical crunch for this guy, or any other interesting tactics that could be done with such a villain
So onto the crunch. Racial abilities include:
Large size
+6 str
-4 Dex
+2 con
-2 cha
+1 on fortitude saves
gore attack 1d8, double damage on a charge
never lost underground
scent
LA +1
Built using the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.), as I believe is standard for powerful NPC's and monsters. And has standard wealth by level for an NPC +- a few thousand if necessary. Both encounters should be a challenge for a party of about five 11-13th level PC's, but I'm mainly concerned about the Zakhar/Dolskol combo rather than the encounter with the honor guards.. Sources include only paizo official. No 3pp.
Accepted cheese (DM fiat resources): He rides a dragon, I mean, yeah. And leads an army w/out Leadership
Only items that I for sure want for him is a lance, a rign of energy resistance (cold), and winged boots (in case he gets dismoutned while midair.) and maybe a ring of feather falling in case of emergencies.
Thanks in advance
So the thing is, I just can't find a good combo for this guy! So let me go into more details.
Komandarm Zakhar is a maltora (my campaign's word for minotaur) noble. He leads the forward army that has landed on the island where my campaign takes place. He is ruthless and efficient and is held in high regards by his troops. In his homeland of Kolskiir, his clan are renowned dragon hunters and giant slayers. As the head of the clan, he rides Dolskol, a subjugated old white dragon.
I imagine him as someone who eagerly leads the charge during the vanguard rush of battle. Riding on the back of Dolskol as he lays waste to the enemy army with powerful lance charges and devastating breath attacks from his dragon. However, straight up cavalier chargers, well, lack versatility, so I wanted to give him spell casting and some supernatural abilities. I looked into anti-paladin (tyrant archetype) but their were't too many spells that seemed useful on their list, but some of the auras (I'm looking at you, aura of cowardice) and immunities are nice. i even looked into magus, but every source I read seems dubious as to whether or not spell combat works with a lance while mounted.
Encounter plans:
When encountered on the battle field, Zakhar will most certainly be riding Dolskol. His preferred tactic is (If not buffed) is to fly away with Dolskol's 200ft/rnd fly speed, buff up, and return to the fray, singling out casters as the primary target to be taken down first, while Dolskol using the freezing cloud to hamper the mobility of the opposition. Using ride by attack to strafe through the ranks while remaining outside the range of the heavy melee.
When he's not with Dolskol, he is always accompanied by his honor guard, which consists of a lower level wizard, cleric and four big bruiser type melee.
So I'm hoping the playground can help me with building the mechanical crunch for this guy, or any other interesting tactics that could be done with such a villain
So onto the crunch. Racial abilities include:
Large size
+6 str
-4 Dex
+2 con
-2 cha
+1 on fortitude saves
gore attack 1d8, double damage on a charge
never lost underground
scent
LA +1
Built using the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.), as I believe is standard for powerful NPC's and monsters. And has standard wealth by level for an NPC +- a few thousand if necessary. Both encounters should be a challenge for a party of about five 11-13th level PC's, but I'm mainly concerned about the Zakhar/Dolskol combo rather than the encounter with the honor guards.. Sources include only paizo official. No 3pp.
Accepted cheese (DM fiat resources): He rides a dragon, I mean, yeah. And leads an army w/out Leadership
Only items that I for sure want for him is a lance, a rign of energy resistance (cold), and winged boots (in case he gets dismoutned while midair.) and maybe a ring of feather falling in case of emergencies.
Thanks in advance