Shane the Shy from most annoying villain greentext.

[Reprimand]

Recently read a greentext about a BBEG called Shane the Shy. That was the type of bad guy that wasn't tough or strong or anything but stupidly hard to kill not because he's tough but because he's paranoid and a coward (The objectively best survival traits for a villain).

From what I gather from the green text Shane was a CE Human multi-class character focused on running away, survival, UMD and hide + move sliently. The only form of "Offense" he had is bluff/diplomacy and some knowledge.

He never actually did anything he just increased the amount of suffering in the world by assisting every would be doom cult / evil overlord / greedy noble.

What would be some of the best items to buy to be stupidly hard to kill and catch? Feats? Suggested multiclasses? Trying not to dip too far out of core lets say allowed sources are: Core + PB2 + Complete Scoundrel / Arcane / Adventurer / Mage + Spell Compendium and Magic Item Compendium.

What would this character look like? I was thinking rogue / wizard / Unseen Seer (?) with focus on Int and Charisma w/ decent dex and con. Diplomacy Bluff Knowledge and Stealth are going to be my bread and butter. Maybe a bit in ride to get away faster?

[TheCount]

i think i remember that greentext, but wans he just a simple aristocrat? i mean, iirc, he had a lot ( A LOT) of money, so he bought stuff/ arranged services for others, aside from the stop time scrolls, healing items and some others for himself.

[Telonius]

What would this character look like?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Rincewind.png

Some variation on the "Joker Bard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?99903-Batman-s-Bane-The-Joker)" might be a good idea. If you're going for a less combat-oriented thing, Fortune's Friend (CSco) could be in order.

Warlock is a decent one if "Getting Away" is the primary concern. Flee the Scene is exactly what it says on the tin, and there are a bunch of different ways to avoid detection sprinkled among the Invocations. (Walk Unseen, Entropic Warding, etc). Beguiling Influence would give him the Bluff/Diplomacy angle.

[Segev]

If not a Warlock (and thus able to get the misdirecting escape/teleport Invocation), a CApe of the Mountebank sounds like a must-have. 3x/day teleport away is perfect for somebody being hard to catch.

You'll also want items of freedom of movement and one of the protection from [alignment] spells (to keep Compulsions off). A wand of knock and a good disable device/open locks skill is also important. THe latter for most situations, and the former as a backup for when in a hurry or the lock just isn't cooperating.

Hide skill, and anything that gives invisibility.

Boots of Elvenkind to move more quietly (and, if Hide/Move Silently are separate, both skills high).

Disguise, and a Hat of Disguise to augment it/provide quickchange options. As important as hiding is hiding in plain sight.

[Telonius]

This would require two things from outside your list of allowed books (Drow of the Underdark and Champions of Ruin), but it would make for a very nasty, hard-to-detect foe and allow for a lot of the skills you're asking about.

Rogue1/Warlock19

1 Craven (CoR)
(Human) Able Learner
3 Blend Into Shadows (DotU)
6 Scribe Scroll
9 Extra Invocation: Entropic Warding
12 Extra Invocation: Charm
15 Craft Wondrous Item
18 ?

Invocations
2 (Warlock 1): Beguiling Influence
3 (War2): Darkness
5 (War4): Devil's Sight
7 (War6*Lesser): Fell Flight
9 (War8): Walk Unseen
11 (War10): Flee the Scene
12 (War11*Greater): Devil's Whispers
14 (War13): Chilling Tentacles
16 (War15): Devour Magic
17 (War16*Dark): Retributive Invisibility, swap Walk Unseen for Relentless Dispelling.
19 (War18): Path of Shadow

[Goaty14]

1 Craven (CoR)

Why take Craven if you aint stabbing nobody? :smallconfused:

Remember: This guy's only offense is manipulating proxies into doing his bidding.

[Telonius]

Why take Craven if you aint stabbing nobody? :smallconfused:

Remember: This guy's only offense is manipulating proxies into doing his bidding.

It just wounds my soul to see a Rogue level and Hide in Plain Sight (through Blend Into Shadows) in a build without Craven being there. It works just fine without it, but urgh, it wants to be there. :smallbiggrin:

[Thurbane]

Dark Creature, Vecna Blooded, Darkstalker...

[Reprimand]

i think i remember that greentext, but wans he just a simple aristocrat? i mean, iirc, he had a lot ( A LOT) of money, so he bought stuff/ arranged services for others, aside from the stop time scrolls, healing items and some others for himself.

They specifically said he was some multiclass character and they were using mostly core as it was the early days of DnD 3.5

Mostly just want to keep him as a pretty mundane dickbag that's hard to catch rather than having a bunch of templates. I'd rather him out smart players by low cunning or being a coward than having a bunch of abilities to help him get away.

The story basically said he would have been really easy to kill if they could just catch him. So I'm thinking of not even making him that optimal or giving him anything special in general just resourceful and willing to cut and run at the first sign of trouble (and maybe even before that!). Other than that maybe just some caster and rogue levels unsure what would be best.

Not sure what the best options for spells / class ability would be though. I'm fine with having access to sneak attack even if I won't really use it. And he just seems to be really good at running and hiding so stuff like conjuration and transmutation might arguably be better than most illusions or enchantment.