Good CR 12 Monster to fit my game

[cartejos]

I'm gonna be running a campaign with 1 PC and ~maybe a (weaker) NPC that'll change depending on what the PC might absolutely need to progress.

A guild is offering 50,000 gp for the hunt and slaughter of some kind of "Long lost creature, that no one has seen for ages"

I want the creature to:
-Fit in a subterranean environment
-Have a somewhat Awe-Inspiring legend that might encourage some to seek it out and build a cult around
-Not be the true BBEG, I want the BBEG to become aware and angered after the slaughter of this beast, with that being the driving plot to the finality of the campaign


I know it may be unorthodox, but I am wanting this to be a 1-20 campaign. Levels 1-6 would be adventuring and earning renown to qualify for the guild that is offering the reward. 7-12 being the quest for hunting the monster. And 13-20 being the downfall of the kingdom and eventual rise of the PC to conquer the evil.


Does this sound too generic? Any tips to run a campaign like this? It does need to be Solo-able, I'm not sure yet if the player will be a caster, though if they aren't some of the NPCs I have help them may be low-power casters

Edit: A Kaorti campaign seems like it might fit what I want. Does anyone have experience with that kind of campaign?

[martixy]

Kythons!

D&D Aliens, in all but name. Live underground, CR range from 1 to 13.
Send em after a kython nest or a queen.
Play it like the movies.

Found in Book of Vile Darkness.

[Demidos]

Aboleth with dips in warblade
Roper with a dip in soul-eater
A dragon.
The last drow! Scimitars not included.

Possibly slap the half-fey template (with the magic in the blood feat) onto any of these to give them mind control and charm abilities often / at will.

[ExLibrisMortis]

I'd go with a big physical threat, not too fast, relatively strong in melee and weaker at range, maybe with some invisiblity or cure-type spells, nothing too aggressive. Non-damage effects, like mind control, hard cc (nausea, daze), and SoDs are all really brutal against a single-PC party, even with an NPC buffbot as backup.

[PunBlake]

I'd go with a big physical threat, not too fast, relatively strong in melee and weaker at range, maybe with some invisiblity or cure-type spells, nothing too aggressive. Non-damage effects, like mind control, hard cc (nausea, daze), and SoDs are all really brutal against a single-PC party, even with an NPC buffbot as backup.

This.

With your requirements, I tend to think of Aberrations. Aboleths, Mind Flayers, and Beholders make good BBEGs for later (and allow for mooks), but that's a bit harsh for a one man party.
Maybe consider Slaadi? A cult based on worshiping Chaos, Slaadi eggs implanted in their bodies to chest-burst into tadpoles later, ect.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Legends tell of a vicious predator that stalks the hills and forests. A deadly beast with four heads that rips opponents to pieces!

If the PC can handle being grappled (or avoid being grappled, i.e. Freedom of Movement, or be large size), go with a Rage Drake (MM3, CR 9) with Multiheaded (SS, +3 heads, +2 HD, +3 natural armor, +6 Con, +3 CR). That +2 HD from Multiheaded gives it another feat, plus it gets Improved Initiative and Combat Reflexes as bonus feats so it gets to pick two more feats total. I'd give it Multiattack and Improved Multiattack so its bites are at the same attack bonus as its claws. Its grapple bonus goes to +28 for the additional HD, and to +30 with rage, which should last three rounds longer from its increased Con.

Its pounce would be two claws, two rakes, and four bites. For each bite that hits it gets a chance to improved grab until one succeeds. It can then choose to only grapple the target with that head at a -20 to maintain the grapple, and full attack with two claws and three heads (ignoring the target's Dex and Dodge bonuses, as though from outside the grapple) on subsequent rounds. If the target escapes the grapple it should circle around and pounce again to repeat that process.

It does have a 1-round stun when it initially gets a grapple (Fort DC 28 with rage and the increased HD), which causes the target to automatically drop everything it's holding. If the grapple is maintained it doesn't get to use that again, or if it doesn't ever get to grapple (i.e. the target is large size or bigger, or has Freedom of Movement) it never gets to use this.

You could make those two extra feats Rock Hurling and Fling Enemy in RoS, instead of (Improved) Multiattack. In that case its lair should have very rough walls that are somewhat sloped (ad hoc DC 5 climb check), and it would use the following attack sequence:
Round 1: Activate rage, charge, pounce, two claws, two rakes, four bites, four improved grab attempts, activate worry if a grab is successful (maybe activate worry multiple times if multiple grabs succeed?).
Round 2: Opponent should be grabbed and stunned. Hold with one grabbing head at a -20 to maintain the grapple, the rest of the drake isn't part of the grapple. Full attack with two claws and three bites from outside the grapple, ignoring the target's Dex and Dodge bonuses to AC, with none of the penalties to attack due to grappling. The head holding the opponent gets a grapple check (at -20, so +10 total) to deal bite damage. If you want to be really mean, each head that successfully bites gets a chance to improved grab, if successful it can use worry again.
Round 3: If the opponent is still grabbed, move-action to accelerated climb as high up the wall as possible (Climb is +10 from Str 31, -5 for accelerated climbing, versus DC 5 means it never fails), then use Fling Enemy to toss the opponent down for meager falling damage. If the opponent broke free just full attack or charge/pounce again and start over at round 1.
Round 4: Charge (accelerated climbing down) and start these steps over at round 1.

Ideally it would start out with the PC being grabbed, beat up, shaken up, and thrown down or break free once. Then he or his NPC sidekick can activate something that makes him immune to the improved grab (cast or potion of Enlarge Person, psionic tattoo of Expansion, cast Freedom of Movement, etc.). He'll still get full attacked again and need to retrieve anything he dropped or pull out a backup weapon if he was stunned, but from there it should be a much more even fight.

[ShurikVch]

How about to take a page from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?
Monster of Legend Monstrous Beast Legendary Snake (with some unique NPC ability from the DMG2 - like Prophet, Fey Spirit, or Divinity)?

[blackwindbears]

I'm gonna be running a campaign with 1 PC and ~maybe a (weaker) NPC that'll change depending on what the PC might absolutely need to progress.

A guild is offering 50,000 gp for the hunt and slaughter of some kind of "Long lost creature, that no one has seen for ages"

I want the creature to:
-Fit in a subterranean environment
-Have a somewhat Awe-Inspiring legend that might encourage some to seek it out and build a cult around
-Not be the true BBEG, I want the BBEG to become aware and angered after the slaughter of this beast, with that being the driving plot to the finality of the campaign


I know it may be unorthodox, but I am wanting this to be a 1-20 campaign. Levels 1-6 would be adventuring and earning renown to qualify for the guild that is offering the reward. 7-12 being the quest for hunting the monster. And 13-20 being the downfall of the kingdom and eventual rise of the PC to conquer the evil.


Does this sound too generic? Any tips to run a campaign like this? It does need to be Solo-able, I'm not sure yet if the player will be a caster, though if they aren't some of the NPCs I have help them may be low-power casters

Edit: A Kaorti campaign seems like it might fit what I want. Does anyone have experience with that kind of campaign?

The monster fight should feel very rewarding, so some thoughts in no particular order:

1. If the CR is equal to the level of the PC soloing. So if you want them to be level 12 aim for CR14 depending on party optimization. (CRs in the monster manual were originally measured against Core options and blaster wizards)

2. The boss should not be straightforward to defeat using the PC's standard plan. If the PC is a power attack barbarian, maybe it should be hard to hit. If the PC is a sorcerer, maybe it should be immune to the sorcerer favorite spells. If the PC gets to the epic monster battle and their standard plan works without any issues, there is no tension and the battle is no different than the many other battles they will have.

2 cont) This should not be a **** you. The PC should know, hopefully a few levels in advance, that the monster will be hard to defeat with their standard plan. If the PC gets to the epic monster battle and discovers their standard plan doesn't work in that moment, you have failed.

3. Wait to choose the monster until after you get some idea of the player character.

4. Running a 20 level campaign will take something like 260 encounters. If you can get through 4 per session (hard to do, especially at high levels) it'll take 65 sessions to get done. If you meet weekly you're looking at a year and a half. I find two years more likely. Make sure that's the amount you really want to commit to. I suggest doing the minimum that could possibly work. Maybe more like level 1-10. 1-3 for renown, 4-7 for the monster, 8-10 for the final stuff.

5. D&D encounters and adventures generally assume a team. You can make a solo thing work, but I'd sure recommend recruiting a couple more players.

6. The classics are classic for a reason. Don't generally worry about not being original enough. Worry about executing well.


Some suggestions in no particular order:
1. A dragon (classic, difficult for it's level, very threatening, very customizable, check out draconomicon) (The monster is in the name of the game for a reason. Players generally want to play a fun game. Especially newer players probably want to play a more "standard" game.) (I'd be dissapointed to play 3 years and never fight a dragon...) (Works for any cr)


1. SR and energy resistances might screw with a wizard's standard plan.

2. Flight messes with a melee character's standard plan.

3. Dragons have spells which can be selected to make a particular character's life difficult.


2. Beholder (Subterranean yay, classic D&D monster) (kinda scales to party size. Only a quarter of the eye ray can point at you any particular turn).

1. No character can go in without a special plan. Getting 2-3 save or dies pointed at you will kill you if you can't deal somehow.

2. If you do figure out a plan for the eye rays, the antimagic field means a magically powerful character needs to come up with a new plan.


3. Destrachan (Fights in the dark, several Sonic attack modes) (CR 8)



1. PC will need a light source badly.
2. Can destroy gear.
3. Immune to illusions



4. Golem (Maybe the guild is a magical guild and a golem has escaped into the nearby Subterranean area



1. Immune to sneak attack.
2. Immune to magic.
3. High DR that requires an adamantine weapon. (A good magic adamantine weapon could be it's own quest!)
4. Decent AC

[Thurbane]

Lilitu (FC 1)
Greater Doppelganger (MoF)
Elemental Weird (MM2)
Ulitharid (LoM)
War Troll (MM3)