Educate me on Simulacrum

[Motorskills]

So my BBEG (shapechanger / 20th level mage) knows the heroes are coming.

I have the opportunity to deploy a Simulacrum of the BBEG, principally to provide a distraction while the true BBEG escapes. But I have very little experience with the spell and want to get as good with it as I can.

What will allow the Simulacrum to be detected as such (does it glow under Detect Magic, will it Detect as Evil if the BBEG does, what would be seen via TrueSight etc?)

Does the Simulacrum have the same intelligence - as in the ability to improvise - as the BBEG.

Will the Simulacrum sacrifice itself to save its creator?

What else do I need to know?

[ericgrau]

It's all in the spell description: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/simulacrum.htm
And the general magic rules at the beginning of all the spells.

Since the duration is instantaneous not permanent, detect magic doesn't work (nor dispel, anti magic field, etc.). The simulacrum is a partially real creature. He is basically what the BBEG was at level 10. He has the same ability scores, minus whatever bumps were gained at levels 12, 16 and 20. Yes he can think freely for himself. You have the BBEG roll a disguise check to determine how good the copy is.

Anyone who isn't familiar with the BBEG auto fails his spot check because he has nothing to compare the fake to. If the party is familiar with the BBEG before they can roll a spot check. "Familiar" is subjective and up to you. IMO if they only got a quick look you might say it's impossible to tell the subtle differences from a quick glance or you might give them a penalty on the spot check. Likewise if the party is familiar they can make a DC 20 sense motive to tell the difference.

It says that the simulacrum is under the caster's absolute command, so yes it will die for the BBEG if so commanded ahead of time.

Other than that the only differences between a simulacrum and a real creature are that it doesn't level up and it can't be healed. It must be repaired.

The spell is actually better for making copies of creatures more powerful than yourself. You steal a piece of that creature and make a new creature that is possibly as powerful as the caster is. Though at level 20 the BBEG's options are limited for that. He'd have to steal the toenail clippings of an epic outsider or something. I suppose making a decoy works too. Though he could more easily give a hat of disguise to a weak minion. It's going to be an easy kill either way and a hat of disguise is cheaper. Of course the minion won't want to die, so if a fight will be involved you may have to use a simulacrum.

[JackPhoenix]

Snip

Wrong edition.

Detect Magic would see magical aura radiating from the Simulacrum, Detect Evil and Good woudn't work, because the creature is humanoid or beast and not one of the creature types detected with it. True Seeing is unclear and depends on DM, but I would rule that it would show a snowman.

Simulacrum uses the same statblock as the original creature, but only half HP and it's incapable of learning. How much that limits its ability to improvise depends on situation.

Simulacrum will obey any order the creator gives it, even suicidal.

Everything else you need to know is in the spell's description and the BBEG's stat block.

[DarkKnightJin]

Wrong edition.

Detect Magic would see magical aura radiating from the Simulacrum, Detect Evil and Good woudn't work, because the creature is humanoid or beast and not one of the creature types detected with it. True Seeing is unclear and depends on DM, but I would rule that it would show a snowman.

Simulacrum uses the same statblock as the original creature, but only half HP and it's incapable of learning. How much that limits its ability to improvise depends on situation.

Simulacrum will obey any order the creator gives it, even suicidal.

Everything else you need to know is in the spell's description and the BBEG's stat block.

In short: Apply Nystul's Magic Aura to the Simulacrum, to mask it's nature.
And if I was going to set up a decoy, I'd make the Simulacrum a "Load-Bearing Boss". As in, when they kill it, the lair starts to crumble around them, forcing an escape. The BBEG should be halfway across the continent by the time that happens.

[Motorskills]

Useful, thanks all. :)

[Renduaz]

In short: Apply Nystul's Magic Aura to the Simulacrum, to mask it's nature.
And if I was going to set up a decoy, I'd make the Simulacrum a "Load-Bearing Boss". As in, when they kill it, the lair starts to crumble around them, forcing an escape. The BBEG should be halfway across the continent by the time that happens.

A competent BBEG would likely be in a Demiplane warded by Mordekainen's Private Sanctum rather than on any continent, while communicating with his servants via "Sending" or completely telepathically through a controlled Succubus/Incubus in the Demiplane with him ( Who have an ability that can bypass normal spell restrictions on planar disances ). He's also going to have a Clone of himself in that Demiplane too. And if he wants to send another Simulacrum/something, he'll disable the private sanctum for just the fraction of a second to teleport the new Simulacrum back, then erect it back up again. ( Lasts 24 hours so he can easily keep it up perpetually inbetween the 6-second downtime ).

But that's mostly if you want to torture your players.

[Degwerks]

I've got a lawful evil Lore Bard 14 / Warlock 2 in an old kingdom builder style campaign. The DM said he would like to revisit that and has made it now cannon that I upsurped the crown. If I get to play the villain, i will make great use of Simulacrum. I had already collected a things from party members w/o their knowledge to make copies of them.

[DarkKnightJin]

A competent BBEG would likely be in a Demiplane warded by Mordekainen's Private Sanctum rather than on any continent, while communicating with his servants via "Sending" or completely telepathically through a controlled Succubus/Incubus in the Demiplane with him ( Who have an ability that can bypass normal spell restrictions on planar disances ). He's also going to have a Clone of himself in that Demiplane too. And if he wants to send another Simulacrum/something, he'll disable the private sanctum for just the fraction of a second to teleport the new Simulacrum back, then erect it back up again. ( Lasts 24 hours so he can easily keep it up perpetually inbetween the 6-second downtime ).

But that's mostly if you want to torture your players.

I'm trying to make a slightly less insane Bond Villain. Not something that actually uses common sense and paranoia to stay alive. At least, no more than is healthy. You want everybody to have fun, not just the DM.

[Willie the Duck]

I wouldn't phrase it as that kind of dichotomy (player fun v. DM fun). Just that Renduaz's example is a 5e Tippyverse-equivalent version of events. It just depends on what kind of game you want to play.

If the advice was "No competent BBEG would actually be on a any continent where they would need a simulacrum distraction to make an escape, they'd be in a Demiplane warded by Mordekainen's Private Sanctum, communicate only telepathically through a controlled Succubus/Incubus" I think we'd all be up in arms with a bunch of 'what kind of game do you think we are playing?" Instead it was a (relatively) nice calm, "A competent BBEG would likely be in a Demiplane warded by Mordekainen's Private Sanctum rather than on any continent," with a qualifying "But that's mostly if you want to torture your players" at the end.

[Unoriginal]

So my BBEG (shapechanger / 20th level mage) knows the heroes are coming.

I have the opportunity to deploy a Simulacrum of the BBEG, principally to provide a distraction while the true BBEG escapes. But I have very little experience with the spell and want to get as good with it as I can.

What will allow the Simulacrum to be detected as such (does it glow under Detect Magic, will it Detect as Evil if the BBEG does, what would be seen via TrueSight etc?)

Does the Simulacrum have the same intelligence - as in the ability to improvise - as the BBEG.

Will the Simulacrum sacrifice itself to save its creator?

What else do I need to know?

Well, let's see what the spell says:


It appears to be the same as the original, but it has half the creature's hit point maximum and is formed without any Equipment. Otherwise, the Illusion uses all the Statistics of the creature it duplicates.

The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on Your Turn in Combat. The simulacrum lacks the ability to learn or become more powerful, so it never increases its level or other Abilities, nor can it regain expended Spell Slots.


Meaning that while the Simulacrum physically appears the same as the BBEG, except the equipment, and would indeed sacrifice itself for the BBEG, the Simulacrum lacks free will and can only obey to your spoken orders.


So, your bad guy would need to give instructions to the Simulacrum before leaving, and it'd follow those instructions to the end.

It wouldn't be able to improvise or use its intelligence in ways its creator hasn't ordered.

However, until it acts weirdly, or the group notices its equipment doesn't match the BBEG's (I doubt most groups would notice, but still a possibility) it would be very hard to make the distinction between the two. Of course, as an illusion, the Simulacrum's wounds wouldn't bleed or the like, so once the Simulacrum gets hurt the group can notice that.

[Motorskills]

Thanks again all.