Suggestions for elite monsters with class levels

[danielxcutter]

The title should give you guys some idea of what I'm looking for, but I suppose some more explaining would be helpful.

An encounter that's a pretty good challenge, but nothing special or original, isn't really what I'm looking for. Rather, I'm looking for combinations that utilizes the synergy between the abilities of the base creature, and the class features/feats.

For example: Succubus Bard/Sublime Chord? Actually pretty good, but nothing extraordinarily special. Succubus Hexblade/Blackguard/Nar Demonbinder with Divine Shield and Divine Might? Now we're talking. Succubus Iajutsu Master? Ouch.

So? Let's see what you guys have up your sleeves.

[Celestia]

Gelatinous Cube Psion

[Crake]

Since succubi are so fun to work with, I actually have a trio of them in my game that are all binder 5/ur-priest 2/tenebrous apostate 5. Their levels are gestalted with the succubus HD and each one also has (on their monstrous side of the gestalt) 6 levels in one of the fiend of X classes (blasphemy, corruption and possession). I estimate them to be about CR15 (gestalt is a little hard to estimate, but that's were I landed approximately), with access to 6th level vestiges (including zceryll for plenty of summoning goodness) as well as a small selection of 6th level cleric spells thanks to ur-priest.

They rarely work together unless there's a threat to them as a whole, instead each choosing to corrupt and collect souls for their master in their own specialized way, the fiend of blasphemy working on the weak willed masses, the fiend of corruption working on the powerful, yet corruptible, while the fiend of possession works on breaking the truly strong willed, those who cannot be co-erced, and instead must be broken by force. As such, I rarely play them as combat encounters, and more as recurring villains who show up at just the right (or wrong, depending on your perspective) time to offer aid in whatever way they can... for a price.

[danielxcutter]

Gelatinous Cube Psion

Um... I'm going to need more context.


Since succubi are so fun to work with, I actually have a trio of them in my game that are all binder 5/ur-priest 2/tenebrous apostate 5. Their levels are gestalted with the succubus HD and each one also has (on their monstrous side of the gestalt) 6 levels in one of the fiend of X classes (blasphemy, corruption and possession). I estimate them to be about CR15 (gestalt is a little hard to estimate, but that's were I landed approximately), with access to 6th level vestiges (including zceryll for plenty of summoning goodness) as well as a small selection of 6th level cleric spells thanks to ur-priest.

They rarely work together unless there's a threat to them as a whole, instead each choosing to corrupt and collect souls for their master in their own specialized way, the fiend of blasphemy working on the weak willed masses, the fiend of corruption working on the powerful, yet corruptible, while the fiend of possession works on breaking the truly strong willed, those who cannot be co-erced, and instead must be broken by force. As such, I rarely play them as combat encounters, and more as recurring villains who show up at just the right (or wrong, depending on your perspective) time to offer aid in whatever way they can... for a price.

Yeah, but that's gestalt. I meant normal builds.

[Celestia]

Um... I'm going to need more context.
It's a gelatinous cube with levels in psion. It doesn't need context. :smalltongue:

The players will just be wandering through the dungeon and run into a cube, and they'll be all "Oh, it's just a cube. No big deal." Then the cube will start mind controlling them, and they'll be "Oh crap! What's going on?" And then they'll die. Classic.

[Thurbane]

Will-O-Wisp Rogues.

At will invisibility + innate touch attack + sneak attack = profit (unless your target is immune to electricity or sneak attacks).

[danielxcutter]

It's a gelatinous cube with levels in psion. It doesn't need context. :smalltongue:

The players will just be wandering through the dungeon and run into a cube, and they'll be all "Oh, it's just a cube. No big deal." Then the cube will start mind controlling them, and they'll be "Oh crap! What's going on?" And then they'll die. Classic.

Hilarious, but I wonder if giving a gelatinous cube sufficient Intelligence will be easy.


Will-O-Wisp Rogues.

At will invisibility + innate touch attack + sneak attack = profit (unless your target is immune to electricity or sneak attacks).

Oooooooh yeah, this could be reeeaaally funny.

[JW86]

Beguiler/Mindbender, taking Mindsight, on a Wraith/Dread Wraith chassis.

You are incorporeal, can hide in walls, and dominate and manipulate your opponents to your dark corrupted heart's content from the shadows.

Worked wonderfully for me on a group of PCs last month: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?517251-You-are-a-Dread-Wraith-Beguiler-help-me-cripple-a-Kingdom

[danielxcutter]

Beguiler/Mindbender, taking Mindsight, on a Wraith/Dread Wraith chassis.

You are incorporeal, can hide in walls, and dominate and manipulate your opponents to your dark corrupted heart's content from the shadows.

Worked wonderfully for me on a group of PCs last month: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?517251-You-are-a-Dread-Wraith-Beguiler-help-me-cripple-a-Kingdom

Oooooooh. Nice.

[Celestia]

Hilarious, but I wonder if giving a gelatinous cube sufficient Intelligence will be easy.
You're the DM. It's as easy as changing a number.

[danielxcutter]

You're the DM. It's as easy as changing a number.

I'd prefer to steer away from fiat, personally. On the other hand, an Assassin Jelly with the elite array might work.

[Celestia]

I'd prefer to steer away from fiat, personally. On the other hand, an Assassin Jelly with the elite array might work.
I respect that.

You are missing out on psychic cubes, though. :smallwink:

[Jack_McSnatch]

It's hard to go wrong with a barbarian ogre, but if you wanted to get slightly more creative, a skullcrusher ogre with levels in barbarian, duskblade, and of course rage mage is a scary thing to face down. If you wanted to expand on that more, warblade levels would stack neatly on a build like this, I'm pretty sure you can even use your maneuvers while raging. Starts making "ogre mage" sound like a legitimate threat, rather than a pitiful, half hearted attempt at a monster from Japanese mythology.

On the other hand, if you wanted to do something unexpected, give an ogre with sufficient intelligence psion levels. Players go in prepared for and expecting a bruiser, and what they get is a very large, meaty telepath. Sub-optimal, but it's fun to see their reactions when you declare "the ogre manifests mind thrust. Make a will save."