Villainous Competition XLVII: Fairy Queen!

[H_H_F_F]

Shadowy crooks lurk in the cold streets. Evil masterminds plot the demise of civilizations. Terrible abominations rise to slaughter and devour the innocent, and grim tyrants plan their next move. Welcome… to the Villainous Competition!
Remember to switch out adjective at the end of passage.
Each round of the villainous competition, our conniving contestants need to build a villain showcasing a different theme, and following a different set of associated limitations. This round's villain is the alluring and utterly unpredictable…


Fairy Queen


Limitations:



Queen of the Fae: Must have the Fey type. All type-changing templates are banned for this round.
Bewitching: Should be tied to madness, manipulation and confusion, and have some means (magical or otherwise) to inflict those upon the party.
Capricious: The Fairy Queen is the mistress of her own fate, and the slave to her own whimsy. Cannot submit to any outside force or binding ideology.
Must be either CE or CN


Let the carnage begin!



Rules of the Competition:

Contestants:
It is highly recommended for a new contestants to look over a few entries from past rounds to understand what's the expected presentation. We're a little bit different than most optimization competitions. We use CR, not ECL. Each entry presents a villain going up to CR 20, with ability scores based on the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8).
The contestant is to give a stub of the build (EG "Drow weretiger ranger 4/ Cleric 10"), flesh out the full build progression using the table(s) found in the submission and deadlines section, give notes on what the villain does and how it is to be used throughout its CR range, and fully source every aspect of the build that can't be found in the SRD. But what are the allowed sources?

Secret Laboratory:
Competitors will be free to use any official 1st party (WotC) 3.5 rulebook in constructing their builds. Dragon Compendium is allowed, but individual copies of Dragon magazine are disallowed. Unupdated 3.0 materials, as well as web exclusives by WotC are expressly allowed, but take care to verify that an updated version did not appear in print elsewhere. Unearthed Arcana is allowed but limited: The variant character options (such as Wildshape Ranger and Thug Fighter) should not be penalized. Flaws carry a 1 point elegance penalty, and traits carry half of that. Item familiars, gestalt, alternate skill systems, alternate magic systems, alternate crafting rules, generic base classes, LA buyoff, fractional saves/BAB, and bloodlines are banned. Anything not mentioned here is up to individual judges.
Builds that are fully monstrous are allowed at no penalty. All class levels are to be added on as associated class levels – meaning, each class level adds 1 CR, with the exception of NPC classes. See clarifications for more details.
Leadership and similar abilities are completely banned. Undead Leadership and Dragon Cohort are likewise banned. Wild Cohort and Obtain Familiar are allowed. If you are not sure if a specific feat violates the 'no leadership' rule, err on the side of caution, or ask me.

Epic Rules:
We do not use epic progression for BaB and saves in this competition. Remember that four iteratives are still the maximum amount granted by BaB, even if it gets to 21 or more.
A villain is eligible to Epic feats from HD 21 and above, as normal, but Epic Spellcasting and all other Epic feats that affect spells, psionic powers, or item creation are not permitted. For Incarnum characters, Epic Open Chakra feats are allowed; other Epic Incarnum feats are not. The Essentia Capacity increases for Epic capacity as described on p. 212.

Submission and deadlines:
Contestants will have until August 2nd, 20:00 GMT to create their builds and PM them to the Chair (H_H_F_F). Put the name of your build and "Villainous Competition round n" as your PM subject. You may as for an extension if required. The villains will then be posted anonymously – make sure that your PM does not include any identifying details. While waiting for the builds to be posted, please avoid speculation (see speculation rules below). A contestant may submit up to 2 entries.


CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


2
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


3
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


4
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


5
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


6
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


7
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


8
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


9
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


10
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


11
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


12
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


13
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


14
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


15
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


16
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


17
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


18
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


19
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


20
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


Code immediately below (spoiler).

CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


2
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


3
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


4
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


5
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


6
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


7
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


8
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


9
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


10
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


11
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


12
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


13
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


14
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


15
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


16
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


17
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


18
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


19
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


20
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities



Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


Code Immediately Below,
Spells per Day/Spells Known
Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


10th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


11th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


12th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


13th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


14th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


15th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


16th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


17th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


18th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


19th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


20th
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

More useful tables can be found here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BG0-5sq4dL9Ooh7-QfXuyHzO4rXSz-CRcj29t6BeUVE/edit#gid=401538143), made by the immaculate Mattie_p.
Once the villains are posted, judges should strive to finish their judgement until August 23rd.

Judging:
It is highly recommended that prospective judges read through some past judgements. Judges are to give scores between 1-5 in the following four criteria: Originality, Power, Elegance and Memorable Villainy. Judges are not to use alternative criteria or score ranges. A 0 in elegance is permitted for strictly illegal or incomplete builds, but a score lower than 1 in other categories is generally not allowed.
Originality: Is the build creative? Was it surprising in the context of this round? On the other hand, does it use expected or well-known methods?
Power: Is it a powerful and threatening villain? On the other hand, does it have any glaring weaknesses?
Elegance: Is it mechanically pretty? Is it clever? On the other hand, does it have rules or presentation issues? Does it rely on shaky interpretations of text?
Memorable Villainy: Is this a villain with style and presence? Is it interesting to face against? Does it live up to the established theme and the spirit of the round? On the other hand, does it feel more like an encounter-of-the-week than a true BBEG?
Please try to follow the following judging guideline:
One Mistake, One Penalty

Judges are only allowed to penalise once for a given mistake. If someone messes up their skills and doesn't qualify for a PrC, ding them as hard as you like. Once. In one category. You don't then get to declare that because they didn't qualify for that PrC, they don't get those levels, and thus don't qualify for anything else. If Ranger is a common ingredient, ding them for Originality. Once. Don't also take off points for Two-Weapon-Fighting being a common ingredient.

Non-exhaustive list of examples:

Skills

Allowed:

Giving a penalty for miscalculating the number of skill points gained
Giving a penalty for not having enough ranks to meet a prerequisite
Increasing the harshness of a skill miscalculation penalty if it affects critical skills including prereqs


Not allowed:

Giving separate penalties for miscalculating skill points and for non-qualification where the non-qualification is solely caused by the miscalculation



Prereqs

Allowed:

Giving a penalty for not meeting prereqs
Scaling the penalty depending on how important the item that the build failed to qualify for is
Giving minimum score in UotSI for not qualifying for the SI
Not giving credit for (note: not the same as penalising for) tactics using feats or classes other than the SI that were not qualified for (but see below)


Not Allowed:

"Cascading" failures to qualify - declaring that because a build doesn't qualify for a feat, for example, it also doesn't qualify for anything using that feat as a prereq
Treating a build as having fewer levels than it does because of FtQ for classes



Other general things that are no longer allowed:

Penalizing because someone has chosen to build a tribute to an existing creative work
Deciding that a backstory has not met a fluff prerequisite well enough, or because its method of meeting it is "unrealistic". You may penalize if a fluff prereq is not addressed at all, but not for how well it is addressed.
Please don't base your scores off the scores of another judge.


Note that these are protections, not licenses. Deliberately taking a feat that you know you don't qualify for hoping to just suck up the judging penalty for a feat that you couldn't normally take is not okay, and may lead to your build being disqualified.An important note on power, cheese, and CR appropriateness:
Being "too strong for your CR" is not by itself something a judge should penalize here. Using poorly supported cheese or cheese that isn't doing anything interesting in the build can and should get an elegance penalty. Using well-known or otherwise obvious and boring tricks can and should be penalized in originality – but power level by itself is not to be addressed anywhere other than the power category. Same goes for being too weak – that should not affect memorable villainy or anything outside of power by itself. If it helps, you can imagine low-powered villains used against low-op groups, high-powered villains against high-op groups, and TO nonsense villains pitted against TO nonsense PCs.

Speculation:
Please don’t post or speculate on possible builds until the reveal, in order to avoid spoiling the surprise if a particular competitor is producing a build along those lines.
Once builds are revealed, please do not comment on errors or rules issues on entries unless you are a judge. If you have such a comment, wait until the final reveal to post it.

Round One: Leader of Armies (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?395046)
Round Two: Nature's Avenger (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?400517)
Round Three: Double Agent (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?406015)
Round Four: Grave Keeper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?413480)
Round Five: Crime Lord (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?420704)
Round Six: Ultimate Predator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?430650)
Round Seven: Wicked Witch (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?444478)
Round Eight: Master of the Tundra (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?461482)
Round Nine: The Power of Villainous Thinking (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?474230)
Round Ten: Henchman Are Villains Too (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?478068)
Round Eleven: The Higher They Rise The Harder They Fall (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?483052)
Round Twelve: Power Comes at a Price (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?488846)
Round Thirteen: The Gadgeteer - You Are Not Batman (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?491932)
Round Fourteen: The Thing That Should Not Be (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?496091)
Round Fifteen: The Horsemen Are Drawing Nearer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?500829)
Round Sixteen: Burn Baby Burn (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?503974)
Round Seventeen: It's Alive! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?507768)
Round Eighteen: This is Heresy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?511933)
Round Nineteen: He Slimed Me! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?516535)
Round Twenty: Elder Evil (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?521560)
Round Twenty-One: Yarr! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?527415-Villainous-Competition-XXI-Yarr!)
Round Twenty-Two: I Am The Night! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?531199-Villainous-Competition-XXII-I-Am-The-Night!)
Round Twenty-Three: Two Heads Are Better Than One! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?535437-Villainous-Competition-XXIII-Two-Heads-Are-Better-Than-One)
Round Twenty-Four: Wrong For The Right Reasons! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?541650-Villainous-Competition-XXIV-Wrong-For-The-Right-Reasons)
Round Twenty-Five: Keeper of the Gate (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?550139-Villainous-Competition-XXV-No-Solicitors!)
Round Twenty-Six: Get In MY BELLY (Swallow Whole) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?556705-Villainous-Competition-XXVI-Swallow-Whole!)
Round Twenty-Seven: Multiple Personality Disorder (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?559748-Villainous-Competition-XXVII-Multiple-Personality-Disorder)
Round Twenty-Eight: Tiny Only! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?565176-Villainous-Competition-XXVIII-Bad-Things-Come-in-Small-Packages)
Round Twenty-Nine: Halloween Special (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?573496-Villainous-Competition-XXIX-A-Halloween-Special)
Round Thirty: One Feat to Rule Them ALL (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?577930-Villainous-Competition-XXX-One-Feat-to-Rule-Them-ALL)
Round Thirty-One: In Cold Blood (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?582492-Villainous-Competition-XXXI-In-Cold-Blood)
Round Thirty-Two: oh HELL NO! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?586377-Villainous-Competition-XXXII-Oh-HELL-NO!)
Round Thirty-Three: The Do Over (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?589107-Villainous-Competition-XXXIII-The-Do-Over)
Round Thirty-Four: Sword and Board (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?600139-Villainous-Competition-XXXIV-Sword-and-Board)
Round Thirty-Five: I Shall Call Him Mini Me! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?605444-Villainous-Competition-XXXV-I-Shall-Call-Him-Mini-Me!)
Round Thirty-Six: The Broken Man (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?612196-Villainous-Competition-XXXVI-The-Broken-Man)
Round Thirty-Seven: Yin and Yang (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?617485-Villainous-Competition-XXXVII-Yin-and-Yang)
Round Thirty Eight: Spooks and Spectres (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?621069-Villainous-Competition-XXXVIII-Spooks-and-Spectres)
Round Thirty Nine: Sorta Psuedo (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?625680-Villainous-Competition-XXXIX-Sorta-Psuedo)
Round Forty: Negative Nancy (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?629291-Villainous-Competition-XL-Negative-Nancy)
Round Forty One: Gojira! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?632587-Villainous-Competition-XL-1-Gojira!)
Round Forty Two: Caine?! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?635461-Villainous-Competition-XLII-Caine-!)
Round Forty Three: The Big Dumb Brute (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?641088-Villainous-Competition-XLIII-The-Big-Dumb-Brute)
Forty Four: The Sheriff (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?642229-Villainous-Competition-XLIV-It-s-The-Sound-of-The-Police!)
Forty Five: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?643357-Villainous-Competition-XLV-Wolf-in-Sheep-s-Clothing)
Forty Six: Nemesis! (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?644622-Villainous-Competition-XLVI-Nemesis!)

[H_H_F_F]

Clarifications

Monster Advancement and Challenge Rating:
Unless granted by a template or other unusual means, advancement through racial HD is only allowed for monsters with an advancement clause allowing it, and must comply with the rulings and limitations thereof. For example, an Aboleth can only advance up to 24 HD through normal advancement, an Aranea cannot be advanced that way at all, and an Assassin Vine has no limit for such advancement.
Class levels always come after racial HD, unless using non-standard means of gaining HD (Acquired templates granting HD, monsters with special advancement rules or fluff, etc.) If you're not sure, comply with this rule or PM the chair for guidance.
CR increase from HD advancement happens at the first HD of each CR bracket. For example: fey add 1 CR for each 4 HD, so adding 1 HD to an unadvanced fey creature would increase its CR by one, while the following 3 HD would not. Adding a fifth HD would increase CR by another step, and so on.
While all PC classes increase CR on a 1 to 1 ratio, NPC classes follow the rules set out in the DMG. NPC class levels increase CR by n-1 (at least 1) when n is the total number of NPC class levels. That is, adding a single adept level to an entry would increase its CR by 1; Adding a warrior level, or another adept level, would not increase its CR; and adding further levels in any NPC class would increase its CR on a 1 to 1 ratio.

3.0 content updates:
Official Errata and 3.5 updates to 3.0 content are considered valid regardless of whether their sources would otherwise be legal. This includes the 3.5 update of Oriental Adventures given in Dragon Magazine.

Miscellaneous House Rules and clarifications
We'll be using the following Iron Chef house rules:

All creatures are proficient with any natural weapons they may have or acquire.
Bonus feats that are granted even if you do not meet the prerequisites do not require you to meet the prerequisites in order to use.
Able Learner's benefit applies to the level you take it.
Weapons from soulmelds are considered to be magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR.
Unarmed Swordsage grants Improved Unarmed Strike at level 1.
Not finishing Savage Progression is subject to a penalty to Elegance
One dispute per entry. Submit disputes by PM to the Chair.
Ghostwalk ghost is banned
Gold, silver, and bronze are awarded regardless of ties (e.g., 2 silvers does not preclude bronze)
Spelltouched feats are legal and can be taken just like any other feat when you meet the prerequisites and have the feat slot available.

[H_H_F_F]

I AM ASCENDANT

Well, that is to say, Jdizzlean has unfortunately let me know that he's not coming back in the foreseeable future, so I'm leaving my self-imposed interim position and taking on the responsibilities of a fully-fledged chair. That's also why this round's OP is designed a little different - I reordered it and clarified it in a way that suited me more. Please at least skim through the new op and clarifications, as I did change or clarify some things!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Jdizzlean for all the long years of incredible work he's put into this competition. We would not be here if it wasn't for him. Thank you, Jdizzlean!

[AvatarVecna]

Does the ban also apply to templates that is templates that change your type to fey?

[H_H_F_F]

Does the ban also apply to templates that change your type to fey?

Yup10 letters

[Thurbane]

Love the theme for this round, definitely in to submit an entry if inspiration strikes.

[Mage keeper]

Quick question: are classes that give the character fey type allowed?

[H_H_F_F]

Quick question: are classes that give the character fey type allowed?

Yes - As long as they don't do so by referring to a specific template.

[H_H_F_F]

How is everyone doing?

[loky1109]

I have at least one idea, but didn't start yet.

[ciopo]

I got no ispiration with this theme, so I'm sitting this one out

[AvatarVecna]

I've got a neat idea but I'm struggling with it.

[Thurbane]

Got one idea fully fleshed out, just need to do the formatting and fluff. Also got a second idea brewing in my head.

[3SecondCultist]

I have an idea that I am actively working on. This one is coming together nicely.

[loky1109]

I totally dislike what I'm making.

[H_H_F_F]

Less than 4 days to the current deadline, and my inbox is empty. Seems like folks aren't as interested in this theme as I hoped they'd be...

Who's working on an entry? How are you doing?

[loky1109]

Less than 4 days to the current deadline, and my inbox is empty. Seems like folks aren't as interested in this theme as I hoped they'd be...

Who's working on an entry? How are you doing?
I think I'm out. I'm not happy with all my concepts. I'll maybe judge.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Huh, I missed this one. However, I've actually been sitting on a build that'll work perfectly for it. I'll try to get it in.

[Analytica]

I have an idea that feels obvious but basically with no cheese. Not sure how that would be received. Should write it up and submit then.

[Thurbane]

Less than 4 days to the current deadline, and my inbox is empty. Seems like folks aren't as interested in this theme as I hoped they'd be...

Who's working on an entry? How are you doing?

I read the judging deadline as the entry deadline. Derp.

My wife has just tested positive for COVID, so I'm trying to care for her as well as work from home full time, and I've got some medical stuff of my own going on, so no chance I'll be getting an entry in by the current deadline.

I really like fey, too.

I hate to be the one asking for an extension, but any chance of an extra week or so?

[AvatarVecna]

My build isn't really coming together, and the ways I see around it is to basically just build a normal character, which I'd rather not do.

[H_H_F_F]

I read the judging deadline as the entry deadline. Derp.

Was bound to happen with the new OP.


My wife has just tested positive for COVID, so I'm trying to care for her as well as work from home full time, and I've got some medical stuff of my own going on, so no chance I'll be getting an entry in by the current deadline.

Sorry to hear that! Wishing health to you and your wife. Hope you get better soon.


I hate to be the one asking for an extension, but any chance of an extra week or so?

Certainly.

The deadline has been pushed by 1 week, to July 23rd. I'll update the OP soon.

[Buufreak]

I have an idea that feels obvious but basically with no cheese. Not sure how that would be received. Should write it up and submit then.

That might not be a terrible thing. If I generally recall, cheese, especially old worn out stinky cheese, is frowned on.

[H_H_F_F]

Updated the main post with the correct 1 week extension.

Deadline is July 25th. Good luck!

[WeaselGuy]

I actually have a halfway decent idea, I think, but I forget how we take a race that doesn't have "for use as a player character" and derive their stat bonuses, to then apply to the Elite Array. Or do we just use their given stats in the description block for the monster?

[Buufreak]

If I recall, the VC is more concerned about CR, specifically at 5, 10, 15, 20, and your ideal sweet spot. Or has that changed? It has been a while since I've participated.

[3SecondCultist]

I actually have a halfway decent idea, I think, but I forget how we take a race that doesn't have "for use as a player character" and derive their stat bonuses, to then apply to the Elite Array. Or do we just use their given stats in the description block for the monster?

We do track CR, therefore look at the starting CR for that monster to start. For each ability, you deduct 10 from each ability score (or 11 if it's an odd score) to come up with the adjustment that you then apply to the Elite Array as outlined in the OP.

For example, let's say you want to use an Ogre in a different round. The basic MMI stats for an Ogre are Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7. Reducing the scores by 10/11 gets you +10 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -4 Int, and -4 Cha. You would then apply those adjustments to the Elite Array however you wanted to build your monster.

Edit: My build is mechanically done! I just need to do the write-ups and decide how much fluff I want to do with it before hitting 'send'.

[H_H_F_F]

If I recall, the VC is more concerned about CR, specifically at 5, 10, 15, 20, and your ideal sweet spot. Or has that changed? It has been a while since I've participated.

You are correct that we use CR going up to 20. I've shifted to being less concerned with seeing a statblock for these 5 CR points, but these are still welcome of course - and you still need to explain how your villain works throughout its CR range. As the op now Says:


The contestant is to give a stub of the build (EG "Drow weretiger ranger 4/ Cleric 10"), flesh out the full build progression using the table(s) found in the submission and deadlines section, give notes on what the villain does and how it is to be used throughout its CR range, and fully source every aspect of the build that can't be found in the SRD.

Hope that helps!


We do track CR, therefore look at the starting CR for that monster to start. For each ability, you deduct 10 from each ability score (or 11 if it's an odd score) to come up with the adjustment that you then apply to the Elite Array as outlined in the OP.

For example, let's say you want to use an Ogre in a different round. The basic MMI stats for an Ogre are Str 21, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7. Reducing the scores by 10/11 gets you +10 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, -4 Int, and -4 Cha. You would then apply those adjustments to the Elite Array however you wanted to build your monster.

You are correct - with the exception of monsters that have stat-blocks explicitly using the elite array already. Those are very rare though.

[H_H_F_F]

Couple of days left to the deadline...

What's up? Is anyone working on entries / needs an extension? I don't have a single entry in my inbox so far. I guess this theme didn't really work for you guys.


Anyway, here's what I'd like to do:

Anyone working on an entry, post/PM to let me know, and let me know if you need an extension.

If we have multiple people working on entries, we'll keep going as usual and just have a small round (which'll hopefully make it easier than usual to find judges)


If we have just 1 person working on an entry, we'll just feature that entry and move on without judgement - though anyone is welcome to post feedback, of course.


If we have no one wanting to enter, we'll just move on to the next round.

Sounds good?

[Analytica]

I have an idea I want to submit, I just have to format it. It's not very powerful so I don't expect it will fare well in comparison, but one misses 100% of shots one doesn't take, and I would absolutely play this given the chance.

[Lionheart]

I'm aware that I'm extremely late to this one as only just seen it, but I'd love to make an entry.
If we could extend the deadline by a week that should be enough!

[H_H_F_F]

I'm not thrilled about extending the deadline by a full week twice, but I think the current circumstances justify it.

New deadline: August 1st

[3SecondCultist]

As someone who has been on vacation for the past week but has a build burning through my brain, I really appreciate the extension. I just haven’t had the time to sit down and actually write out the parts that aren’t the main build tables.

I will absolutely have something in by Monday or Tuesday.

[Thurbane]

Same, with an extra full week, can guarantee an entry will be completed and submitted.

Possibly two, but I won't get ahead of myself.

[Analytica]

My writeup is proceeding. I really like this one.

[Analytica]

Question: Do we include equipment? If so, do we use WBL, and if so, PC or NPC WBL? Apologies if asked already, just didn't see it anywhere.

[H_H_F_F]

Question: Do we include equipment? If so, do we use WBL, and if so, PC or NPC WBL? Apologies if asked already, just didn't see it anywhere.

You don't assume any equipment, and don't calculate WBL. However, you may always mention some equipment that will be particularly useful on your villain, and some judges will appreciate that.

If a piece of equipment (or multiple) is absolutely essential for your villain to function, you may rely on it - but judges will penalize your elegance score for excessive item reliance, which makes the playing ground somewhat unfair otherwise.

[Analytica]

You don't assume any equipment, and don't calculate WBL. However, you may always mention some equipment that will be particularly useful on your villain, and some judges will appreciate that.

If a piece of equipment (or multiple) is absolutely essential for your villain to function, you may rely on it - but judges will penalize your elegance score for excessive item reliance, which makes the playing ground somewhat unfair otherwise.

Noted and understood! :)

[H_H_F_F]

How is everybody doing?

[WeaselGuy]

Sorry, I ended up going to a weekend long Warhammer tournament and left my laptop at home. I just have to do some formatting shenanigans, and the fluff, then my entry will be ready. I think.

[Lionheart]

Submitted! Not terribly happy with it, but don't have the time to make necessary improvements now anyway!

[WeaselGuy]

Slightly rushed, may have missed the mark a little, but I actually like my build overall. Submission sent, my return after eh... 7 years? Woo.

[Malphegor]

finally got my act together and submitted a thing and already dread it as how bad it came out in the end oh well, first time with an actual entry in these things

[H_H_F_F]

Folks, I'm going to be unable to publish August 1st, so I've pushed the deadline another 30 hours. You have until August 2nd, 20:00 GMT to submit your entries.

[H_H_F_F]

Less than 48 hours to go time!

Everyone who hasn't submitted yet, make sure you have your eye on the clock!

[H_H_F_F]

Deadline incoming! Less than 12 hours to submit your builds. Is everybody ready?

[loky1109]

Deadline incoming! Less than 12 hours to submit your builds. Is everybody ready?

Yes, I'm ready to read! )

[H_H_F_F]

And... Here come the Queens!

Please, avoid posting until I give the all-clear.

[H_H_F_F]

No Mom, it's a PG forum, I swear!


Moryana Vodyanitsa
Dvorak's Demise
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fl_ylUy1bX0/XNQMkZyILRI/AAAAAAAAztY/qkNSVfD3TDw4sdV5M-L7PtQ--_39ZKBHwCLcBGAs/s1600/rusalka_by_daekazu-d33nvws.jpg

CN Rusalka Savage Bard 4/Dirge Singer 5/Siren 10



"So much for true love!"
Moryana Vodyanitsa doesn't know much about her past. She's heard from visitors and passersby that rusalka like her are the restless spirits of drowned maidens, forever tied to place of her death. But that can't be true, since she's most definitely not dead. But she is old. So very old.

Moryana lives in a large icy lake on the edge of a northern country, known for it's glistening black depths, various narrow inlets, tall reeds, and rocky pillars. At one point in history, a modest town existed where now it is buried beneath the depths, and travelers by boat can still faintly see the stone roofs of some of the buildings, just below the waterline. At night, when the wind is still and the stars are dark, sailors tell tales of eerie candlelight spilling from the doors and windows of these watery dwellings, and travelers along the shore may find themselves drawn to a dwindling campfire and a lone ghostly woman singing of her home, lost beneath the waves.

If he should be so foolish as to attempt to render aid, Moryana sings a tale of enchantment, then grants the doomed soul the ability to breath underwater, before sharing a cold embrace and a new home beneath the waves with him. Until the spell wears off, and he finds he cannot escape the house that will now be his watery tomb.




Attribute
Base
Racial
From Level
Total


Strength
10
-
-
10


Dexterity
8
8
-
16


Constitution
14
-
-
14


Intelligence
12
2
-
12


Wisdom
13
4
1
18


Charisma
15
8
4
27



Increases to Charisma from Siren bring it's total up to 32.



The Rusalka monster starts with 2 racial HD and is ECL 1.



CR
HD
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1
2
Rusalka
+1
+0
+3
+3
Bluff (5), Hide (5), Listen (5), Move Silently (5), Perform {Sing} (5), Sense Motive (5), Spellcraft (5), Swim (5)
Hidden Talent (Demoralize)
Beguiling Song, Low-light Vision, Water Breathing, Water Symbiosis


2
3
Savage Bard 1
+1
+2
+3
+5
Bluff +1 (6), Concentration +2 (2), Knowledge {Religion} +2 (2), Listen +1 (6), Perform {Sing} +1 (6), Spellcraft +1 (6)
Melodic Casting
Bardic Music, Bardic Knack, Countersong, Fascinate, Inspire Awe


3
4
Savage Bard 2
+2
+3
+3
+6
Bluff +1 (7), Concentration +2 (4), Diplomacy +1 (1), Knowledge {Religion} +2 (4), Listen +1 (7), Perform {Sing} +1 (7), Spellcraft +1 (7)
-
-


4
5
Savage Bard 3
+3
+3
+4
+6
Bluff +1 (8), Concentration +2 (6), Diplomacy +1 (2), Knowledge {Religion} +2 (6), Listen +1 (8), Perform {Sing} +1 (8), Spellcraft +1 (8)
-
Soothe the Beast


5
6
Savage Bard 4
+4
+4
+4
+7
Bluff +1 (9), Concentration +2 (8), Diplomacy +1 (3), Knowledge {Religion} +2 (8), Listen +1 (9), Perform {Sing} +1 (9), Spellcraft +1 (9)
Requiem
-


6
7
Dirgesinger 1
+4
+4
+4
+9
Bluff +1 (10), Diplomacy +1 (4), Intimidate +2 (2), Perform {Sing} +1 (10), Sense Motive +2 (7)
-
Song of Sorrow


7
8
Dirgesinger 2
+5
+4
+4
+10
Bluff +1 (11), Diplomacy +1 (5), Intimidate +2 (4), Perform {Sing} +1 (11), Sense Motive +2 (9)
-
Song of Bolstering


8
9
Dirgesinger 3
+6
+5
+5
+10
Bluff +1 (12), Diplomacy +1 (6), Intimidate +2 (6), Perform {Sing} +1 (12), Sense Motive +2 (11)
Haunting Melody
Song of Grief


9
10
Dirgesinger 4
+7
+5
+5
+11
Bluff +1 (13), Diplomacy +1 (7), Intimidate +2 (8), Perform {Sing} +1 (13), Sense Motive +2 (13)
-
Song of Horror


10
11
Dirgesinger 5
+7
+5
+5
+11
Bluff +1 (14), Diplomacy +1 (8), Intimidate +2 (10), Listen +1 (10), Perform {Sing} +1 (14), Sense Motive +1 (14)
-
Song of Awakening


11
12
Siren 1
+7
+6
+6
+13
Bluff +1 (15), Diplomacy +1 (9), Intimidate +2 (12), Listen +1 (11), Perform {Sing} +1 (15), Sense Motive +1 (15)
Doomspeak
Reverberation


12
13
Siren 2
+8
+6
+6
+14
Bluff +1 (16), Diplomacy +1 (10), Intimidate +2 (14), Listen +1 (12), Perform {Sing} +1 (16), Sense Motive +1 (16)
-
Song of Despair


13
14
Siren 3
+9
+7
+7
+14
Bluff +1 (17), Diplomacy +1 (11), Intimidate +2 (16), Listen +1 (13), Perform {Sing} +1 (17), Sense Motive +1 (17)
-
Charisma Bonus (+2)


14
15
Siren 4
+10
+7
+7
+15
Bluff +1 (18), Diplomacy +1 (12), Intimidate +2 (18), Listen +1 (14), Perform {Sing} +1 (18), Sense Motive +1 (18)
Imperious Command
Song of Nightmare


15
16
Siren 5
+10
+7
+7
+15
Bluff +1 (19), Diplomacy +1 (13), Intimidate +1 (19), Listen +2 (16), Perform {Sing} +1 (19), Sense Motive +1 (19)
-
Song of Idiocy


16
17
Siren 6
+11
+8
+8
+16
Bluff +1 (20), Diplomacy +1 (14), Intimidate +1 (20), Listen +2 (18), Perform {Sing} +1 (20), Sense Motive +1 (20)
-
Charisma Bonus (+4)


17
18
Siren 7
+12
+8
+8
+16
Bluff +1 (21), Diplomacy +1 (15), Intimidate +1 (21), Listen +2 (20), Perform {Sing} +1 (21), Sense Motive +1 (21)
Dark Speech
Song of Weakness


18
19
Siren 8
+13
+8
+8
+17
Bluff +1 (22), Diplomacy +1 (16), Intimidate +1 (22), Listen +2 (22), Perform {Sing} +1 (22), Sense Motive +1 (22)
-
Charisma Bonus (+5)


19
20
Siren 9
+13
+9
+9
+17
Bluff +1 (23), Diplomacy +2 (18), Intimidate +1 (23), Listen +1 (23), Perform {Sing} +1 (23), Sense Motive +1 (23)
-
Song of Stone


20
21
Siren 10
+14
+9
+9
+18
Bluff +1 (24), Diplomacy +2 (20), Intimidate +1 (24), Listen +1 (24), Perform {Sing} +1 (24), Sense Motive +1 (24)
Dark Whispers
Song of Death




Spells per Day/Spells Known


Level
Spells Known
Spells Per Day


0th
6
3


1st
3
2


2nd
3
1



Spells Known:

Cantrips: Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sounds, Message



1st Level: Calm Animals, Silent Image, Summon Nature's Ally I
2nd Level: Alter Self, Summon Nature's Ally II, Tongues


Honestly, she's not much of a caster, these aren't super important, except for Ghost Sounds, Silent Image, and Tongues, to lure unsuspecting travelers closer.


Moryana is generally not a hostile entity to those that enter her domain. She usually only preys upon the lone traveler, either along the shoreline or sailing at night across her lake. She entices her new partner in with her Beguiling Song, and then casts Water Breathing on him, before luring him beneath the waves where he will surely perish. If pressed into combat, then the following is likely to happen at various breakpoints in Challenge Rating:


CR 5 - Moryana is basically just a low level Bard at this point. She can do a little bit of Fear with her Hidden Talent (Demoralize) and her Inspire Awe, but really, she's probably going to run away.
CR 10 - Moryana is better equipped to deal with trouble-seeking adventurers now. She has 5 levels of Dirgesinger under her proverbial belt, and at is able to massively reduce the combat efficacy of her opponents, especially with her Song of Horror, which can absolutely tank their Strength and Dexterity scores. If any of her opponents (or recent victims) happen to be dead, she can also Awaken them and have them fight for her, and buff the recently deceased with her Song of Bolstering.
CR 15 - With 5 levels of Siren now, Doomspeak and Imperious Command, whatever doesn't all to her Beguiling nature shall surely cower in fear of her. Songs of Despair, Nightmare, and Idiocy are sitting at a DC 25 Will save, and will outright cripple a party. I think this is probably the sweet spot for this Villain
CR 20 - For completionist's sake, the capstone sees her DC's upped to 31, and Moryana is able to just outright kill an opponent, or turn them into stone.



Moryana doesn't need items. If she were to carry or wear anything, maybe a continuous item of Tongues, or a cloak with defensive enchants on it. But rusalka are typically either unclad, or wearing a thin shift.



Frostburn - Rusalka (p150)
Player's Handbook - Bard (p26)
Unearthed Arcana - Savage Bard (p50)
Libris Mortis - Dirgesinger (p33), Requiem (p29)
Savage Species - Siren (p84), Reverberation (p39)
Expanded Psionics Handbook - Hidden Talent (p67)
Dragon Magic - Inspire Awe (p13)
Player's Handbook 2 - Bardic Knack (p35)
Complete Mage - Melodic Casting (p44)
Eberron Campaign Setting - Haunting Melody (p54)
Champions of Ruin - Doomspeak (p20)
Drow of the Underdark - Imperious Command (p50)
Elder Evils - Dark Speech (p12), Dark Whispers (p12)



I will admit that Moryana isn't much of a Queen. While she is Fey, and technically has a "kingdom", sort of, in her lake, she doesn't really have any subjects. She is able to buff Undead, and is able to raise 1 at a time, but that's not much in the way of a peasantry. If she were to ally herself with a powerful Undead being, such as a Lich or a Vampire, or if enough lesser sentient Undead creatures were to pledge fealty to her, then she could certainly become a Queen in that fashion. That would be at the DM's discretion as the pilot of this Villain, and not explicitly baked into the build though. I fully expect to lose points in this area, but I really wanted to build something this round.

[H_H_F_F]

Fengut? Sure, I know that spell...*PTSD commences*


https://i.imgur.com/GZeQOCm.jpg
Nixina

Nixina was always much more cruel and domineering than the others of her kind. Even compared to the most hateful of her sisters, she always exhibited an overwheling need to belittle and subjugate others to show her superiority.
In her own frozen forest, she became a de facto monarch of sorts, bending the denizens to her will be a mix of guile, threats and violence.
Over time she grew bored of controlling the weak-minded, and instead sought to steal the very life force from other creatures... and at the peak of her power, raising them as undead abominations under her eternal control. Once she wielded such true power, she could finally spread her will to the world beyond the borders of her cold home.

CE Female Yuki-On-Na Fey 8/Sorcerer 1/Mindbender 5/Soul Eater 10
Medium Fey (Cold)


Racial: speed 30 ft, +4 natural armor, +4 deflection bonus to armor class, touch 1d10 cold
Languages: Common, Sylvan




Array
Racial
12HD
16HD
20HD
24HD
Final


Str
10
-
-
-
-
-
10


Dex
13
+2
-
-
-
+1
16


Con
14
-
-
-
-
-
14


Int
12
+2
-
-
-
-
14


Wis
8
+4
-
-
-
-
12


Cha
15
+8
+1
+1
+1
-
26






CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Reflex Save
Will Save
Skill Ranks
Feats
Class Features


4
Fey 8
+4
+2
+6
+6
Bluff 11, Diplomacy 4, Hide 11, Intimidate 11, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 5
Alertness, Final Strike, Weapon Focus (touch)
Immunity to cold, lose the way, low-light vision, paralyzing glance, spell-like abilities, vulnerability to fire


5
Sorcerer 1
+4
+2
+6
+8
Bluff 11, Diplomacy 4, Hide 11, Intimidate 11, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 5
Practiced Spellcaster (sorcerer)
Summon familiar


6
Mindbender 1
+4
+4
+6
+10
Bluff 13, Diplomacy 4, Hide 11, Intimidate 13, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 5
-
Telepathy


7
Mindbender 2
+5
+5
+6
+11
Bluff 14, Diplomacy 4, Hide 11, Intimidate 14, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 6
-
Push the weak mind 1/day, skill boost


8
Mindbender 3
+5
+5
+7
+11
Bluff 15, Diplomacy 5, Hide 11, Intimidate 14, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 7
Mindsight
Mindread 2/day


9
Mindbender 4
+6
+6
+7
+12
Bluff 16, Diplomacy 5, Hide 11, Intimidate 16, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 7
-
Eternal charm (1)


10
Mindbender 5
+6
+6
+7
+12
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 11, Intimidate 17, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 8
-
Push the weak mind 2/day


11
Soul Eater 1
+7
+8
+9
+14
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 16, Intimidate 18, Listen 11, Move Silently 11, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 8
Improved Energy Drain
Energy drain 1


12
Soul Eater 2
+8
+9
+10
+15
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 19, Intimidate 19, Listen 11, Move Silently 12, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 8
-
Soul strength


13
Soul Eater 3
+9
+9
+10
+15
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 20, Intimidate 20, Listen 11, Move Silently 16, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 8
-
Soul blast


14
Soul Eater 4
+10
+10
+11
+16
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 21, Intimidate 21, Listen 11, Move Silently 20, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 8
Spell Drain
Soul enhancement


15
Soul Eater 5
+11
+10
+11
+16
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 22, Intimidate 22, Listen 11, Move Silently 22, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 9
-
Soul endurance


16
Soul Eater 6
+12
+11
+12
+17
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 23, Intimidate 22, Listen 11, Move Silently 23, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 11
-
Soul radiance


17
Soul Eater 7
+13
+11
+12
+17
Bluff 17, Diplomacy 5, Hide 24, Intimidate 24, Listen 11, Move Silently 24, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 12
Epic Destiny (eternal hero - continual resurrection, death denied)
Energy drain 2


18
Soul Eater 8
+14
+12
+13
+18
Bluff 17, Concentration 3, Diplomacy 5, Hide 25, Intimidate 25, Listen 11, Move Silently 25, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 12
-
Soul agility


19
Soul Eater 9
+15
+12
+13
+18
Bluff 17, Concentration 6, Diplomacy 5, Hide 26, Intimidate 26, Listen 11, Move Silently 26, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 12
-
Soul slave


20
Soul Eater 10
+16
+13
+14
+19
Bluff 17, Concentration 8, Diplomacy 5, Hide 27, Intimidate 27, Listen 11, Move Silently 27, Sense Motive 5, Spellcraft 4, Spot 11, Use Magic Device 13
Epic Destiny (eternal hero - quickening)
Soul power



Spells per Day (including bonus spells from Charisma)


CR
0lvl
1st
2nd


5
5
5
-


6
6
6
-


7
6
6
-


8
6
7
-


9
6
7
-


10+
6
8
5



Spells Known:
0 - Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Read Magic, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue
1 - Charm Person, Fengut, Nerveskitter
2 - Wings of Cover

Play tips and tactics -

CR 4: Nixina is a pretty standard Yuki-On-Na at this point. She uses her SLAs to sew doubt and confusion in enemies, uses her skills to trick and manipulate them, and her Lose The Way ability can cause a lone traveler to become hopelessly lost and die in a harsh environment. Paralyzing Gaze can be devastating for anyone who is not immune. Anyone who manages to kill her is in for a nasty surprise, with the Final Strike feat.

CR 5-10: Nixina gains some low-level casting and, more importantly, the various abilities granted by the Mindbender class. Push The Weak Mind is like a very powerful Suggestion, and Eternal Charm means she can always have a "thrall" at hand to defend her and carry out her whims. While not exactly a Dominate effect, with her high Charisma and social skills, manipulating her victim should be fairly easy. The "thrall" will usually be the physically toughest and most capable large or smaller creature she can ensnare - something like a Frost Giant or even a White Dragon might be suitable. She also gains a familiar (Malentus, the raven). She uses her familiar mainly as a spy, and always tries to keep him out of harms way. Malentus is quite adept at hiding, and will usually make sure he isn't in harms way if a fight breaks out (he will always make sure he is out of the area of the Final Strike effect is Nixina is in any kind of danger). He can also use Nixina's skill ranks, and debatably, this includes Use Magic Device (his check isn't great, though). Wings of Cover is a great defense against a single attack, including targeted spells like Orb of Fire. Nixina will usually try to start the first round of combat with Nerveskitter to get the drop on enemies. Fengut is a pretty powerful de-buff for a low level spell, and Charm person can always create more "allies" out of humanoid opponents. Things like Dancing Lights and Ghost sound also give her new ways to distract and disorient enemies. Mindsight also means it's hard for enemies to sneak up undetected.

CR 11-15: Soul Eater adds the ability to drain levels from opponents with a touch, and to buff herself in various ways with the stolen life energy. Spell Drain is a very useful feat, allowing her to steal prepared spells from targets of energy drain, and use them herself. Her use Magic Device check is respectable, so she can use wands, scrolls and other items to bolster her attacks and defenses - even if limited to an amount based on the recommended treasure for her challenge rating. If the DM wanted to make her more challenging, using NPC wealth by level can really shore up her defenses and add some nasty tricks and attack options.

CR 16-20: The Eternal Hero epic feat means it is very difficult to permanently kill Nixina. At CR 20, she also gets a decent pool of temporary hit points every round. Soul Radiance means she can potentially assume the form of any creature she takes down with energy draining. Needless to say, this can be a massive power boost, depending on the target, and the potential for infiltration, misdirection and chaos while wearing the form of another being is huge. Soul Slave means she can potentially have her own army of Wights, and Soul Power is a boost to her SLAs and supernatural abilities, and those with a daily limit can be used twice as often.

Recommended gear: anything that provides defense against fire (Ring of Energy Resistance, scrolls of Protection From Energy etc.); a simple reach weapon (longspear) with the Necrotic weapon quality; stat boosting items, especially for Con and Cha; various Wands for versatility; Bracers of Armor; and just the general items you'd equip an NPC/encounter with.

Use in campaign: Nixina isn't a huge threat in direct combat for most of her career, and works best as a manipulator sending thralls and her "subjects" against the party. Once she can steal spells and shapechange, though, she becomes much more of a threat. Eternal Hero means she can be a recurring villain even if slain (after parting with an explosion of cold and jagged shards, that is). While not massively physically menacing or a high level caster, she can be a memorable villain with a wide array of interesting abilities, especially if she is played up to her role of being a malicious manipulator of those in her forest.


Nixina, Queen of the Frozen Woods

Size/Type: Medium Fey (Cold)
Hit Dice: 8d6+1d4+5d4+7d8+42* (119 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (+2 Dex, +2 armor, +4 natural, +4 deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+13
Attack: Touch +14 melee (1d10 cold + energy drain)
Full Attack: Touch +14 melee (1d10 cold + energy drain)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain, eternal charm (DC 22), lose the way, mindread (DC 20), paralyzing glance (DC 22), push the weak mind (DC 21), soul blast*, spell-like abilities (at will - disguise self, comprehend languages, detect thoughts (DC 20)), spells
Special Qualities: Immunity to cold, low-light vision, soul endurance, soul enhancement, soul radiance*, soul strength, telepathy 100 ft., vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +13*, Ref +14*, Will +18*
Abilities: Str 10*, Dex 15, Con 14*, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 26
Skills: Bluff +27*, Diplomacy +19*, Hide +26*, Intimidate +36*, Listen +14*, Move Silently +26*, Sense Motive +8*, Spellcraft +5*, Spot +14*, Use Magic Device +20*
Feats: Alertness, Epic Destiny(eternal hero), Final Strike, Improved Energy Drain, Mindsight, Practiced Spellcaster (sorcerer), Spell Drain, Weapon Focus (touch)
Environment: Cold forests
Organization: Solitary plus thralls and guards
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Standard (gear below + 1,245gp)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —
Combat Gear: Boots of Striding and Springing, Bracers of Armor +2, Dust of Disappearance, Ring of Minor Energy Resistance (fire), Scroll of Teleport x2, Scroll of Protection From Energy (fire) x2, Spell Component Pouch, Wand of Magic Missile (CL 9) (50 charges)
Spells Per Day: 6/8/5
0 - Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound (DC 18), Read Magic, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue (DC 18)
1 - Charm Person (DC 19), Fengut (DC 19), Nerveskitter
2 - Wings of Cover

* If Nixina has drained any levels in the last 24 hours, she gets +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 enhancement bonus on all saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks, and the ability to project a soul blast for 7d6 damage (DC 25 reflex to avoid). If she has completely drained the levels from a creature in the past 24 hours, she may shapeshift into that particular creature, as per the spell. This is on top of the untyped +1 bonus to all skill checks, ability checks, attack rolls and saves for 1 hour after draining a level, due to the Improved Energy Drain feat.


Malentus (Raven Familiar)
Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast
Hit Dice: ¼ d8 (treated as having 21) (59 hp)
Initiative: 2
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 15 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+8
Attack: Claws +15 melee (1d2-5)
Full Attack: Claws +15 melee (1d2-5)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Empathic link, low-light vision, improved evasion, share spells
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +19
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Bluff +15, Diplomacy +3, Hide +30, Intimidate +22, Listen +15, Move Silently +26, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +2, Spot +15, Use Magic Device +10
Feats: Alertness, Weapon FinesseB
Organization: Solitary
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —

Sources:
Book of Vile Darkness - Soul Eater
Complete Arcane - Mindbender, Practiced Spellcaster
Dragon Magic - Wings of Cover
Frostburn - Yuki-On-Na
Libris Mortis - Improved Energy Drain, Spell Drain
Lords of Madness - Mindsight
Online - Epic Destiny (https://web.archive.org/web/20100916093852/http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/drfe/20080428), Fengut (https://web.archive.org/web/20090601221215/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030706a)
Savage Species - Final Strike
Spell Compendium - Nerveskitter
Original Art - Alef Vernon

Sorry for the non-existent back story and very short fluff section: these have never been my strong suit, and I didn't have the time I might have wanted to devote to this. If you enjoy the concept of this villain, please feel to add your own fluff to make her fit with your campaign.

[H_H_F_F]

Morrigan vibes.

Rowena, Queen of Magpies
Banshrae 8/Mistling 4/Bard 1/Sublime Chord 2/Silverwood Arcanist 5

“Then up spoke the faery queen, an angry queen was she.
Woe betide her ill far’d face, an ill death may she die!”
The Ballad of Tam Lin
Overture
When Rowena was young, she used to watch the magpies from the window of her tower. She would smile as she sang to them, counting them and assigning meaning to their numbers. She would giggle as she saw their eyes caught by the jewellery of the fairy court, as they did their best to steal the trinkets they could to line their nests. She laughed too when they pecked the eyes from the skulls of lambs even as they were being born.
She was no longer young when her voice was taken. Somewhere in the court of the Banshrae, a grave insult had been given. In response, a dark queen of the fae entered their city on a brilliant white horse, followed by a troop of bright eyed riders. Rowena found she could no longer sing as the riders began slaughtering the Banshrae. She could no longer laugh as her entire race were transformed from gossiping nobles to mouthless servants of the other fae. Her hands searched for her mouth in horror as she realised it was gone. Her eyes found the magpies circling, their voices a harsh chorus of amusement at her misfortune.
Nocturne
Rowena was already old by the time she broke free from her servitude. For long centuries she served as minstrel, spy, warrior, to the royal courts of the fae, and the yoke of service hung heavy around her neck. At night she would take herself out into the forests, and play her haunting melodies to the magpies. Sometimes she would use her music to cheer them, sometimes to drive them to sorrow. Sometimes she would hold them in thrall and then snap their necks.
One night, she imagined the birds carrying her away. She imagined that they plotted together to speed her escape. She imagined, and she dreamed, and she wished. And then she ran.
Far and fast the wild hunt pursued her, and long and weary she fled them. With her spirit flagging she turned to the one place that even the fae would fear to follow. She abandoned her sanity to the mists of the Mournlands, and they welcomed her like an old friend.
Requiem
Rowena is a child. Rowena is a crone.
Rowena, queen of magpies sits upon a pied throne.
Her court are living spells and magpies
Her palace but ruins and lies
Every seven years she and her wild hunt ride
On horses made of mist and magic, and in motley pied
To seek a worthy sacrifice so fair and full of flesh,
To quiet the dark queen’s troubled mind and calm her with their death.


Apologies for the poem above, thought it would be thematic but not talented enough to do it justice! So first thing to address, I’ve used Mistling’s SLAs to qualify for Sublime Chord. Not sure if that works by RAW, but it seems fitting and fits the theme, so went with it.
Other mechanics to address: Rowena’s wild cohort is supposed to be a piebald horse with Fey Heritage feats, but with a few feats swapped around could be a magpie spy or anything else you can imagine really. Lots of skills can be moved around to add UMD if you wanted to increase her power a bit.
Use in a campaign: Rowena felt her magical power increase from her time in the Mournlands, and uses her illusion magic to transform one of the many ruined castles into her own palace, and Veil/Polymorph to turn the many living spells she creates in her long life and the magpies that haunt her into courtiers, warriors and servants to populate it. The party could encounter her as a ‘friendly’ NPC or questgiver easily enough, perhaps with the promise of illusory treasure, using them to help her find a victim that will play the role of sacrifice. If pressed, she has plenty of enchantment to force the issue.
Alternatively, Rowena could have chosen one of the party to be her sacrifice and attempts to lure them away or take them by force. The mournlands have eroded her already fragile grip on reality, and she uses the sacrifice as a form of catharsis, turning the victim into an approximation of the faery queen that cursed the Banshrae and then slaughtering them allows her to play out her trauma and revenge fantasy all at once. She is both the queen, and the queen’s slayer.
One sacrifice every seven years is enough for her to slip under the radar of most parties, but there will be rumours in the area around her. Perhaps that she’s a vampire, or owes a tithe to hell in exchange for her powers. She will keep an eye on nearby populations so that she can play into these rumours or contradict them according to her purpose.
In combat, Rowena keeps her distance, preferring to let her living spells take the brunt of the fighting, while using her spells to shut down or turn the party on each other.


15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
Banshrae: Str +6, Dex +14, Con +6, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +10
Str: 14 Dex: 28 Con: 19 Int: 14 Wis:16 Cha: 25
Mistling: Str +2, Con +4, Wis -4
Str: 16, Dex 28, Con 23, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 25
16 HD +1 Cha
20 HD +1 Con

Spells Known: 4 level 0 (Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Detect Magic, Read Magic)
4 level 4 (Dominate Person, Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement)
4 level 5 (Mind Fog, Nightmare, Mass Suggestion, Persistent Image)
3 level 6 (Veil, Irresistible Dance, Project Image)
2 level 7 Simulacrum, Limited Wish)
1 level 8 (Scintillating Pattern)
Spells/Day:
5 lvl4, 5 lvl5, 4 lvl6, 3 lvl7, 2 lvl8

CE Medium Fey
Init: +13 Senses: Low-light vision, Spot +14, Listen +17
Languages: Understands Common, Sylvan, Cannot Speak, Telepathy 100ft
AC: 29 (+2 Natural, +9 Dex, +8 Cha)
Touch: 27 Flat-footed: 29 (Sylvan Warrior)
HP: (23HD) DR: 10/cold iron Spell Resistance: 33
Fort: +13 Reflex: +21 Will: +19

Speed: 60ft
Melee: Unarmed Strike +19/+14 (2d6+3) and Claw +14 (1d4+3 plus poison)
Ranged: Mwk Greater Blowgun +19/+14 (1d3)
Base Attack: +10/+5 Grapple: +13
Special Attacks: Stunning Fist 3/day (DC22), Blowgun Flute, Dart Cone, Locust Dart, Aligned Strike, Magic Strike, Poison (DC 24 2d6 Dex damage), Conjure Living Spell
Spell Like abilities: 3/day Obscuring Mist, True Seeing, Baleful Polymorph, Polymorph any object. 1/day Bestow curse, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Confusion, Phantasmal Killer, Insanity, Antipathy CL 23, Save DC=spell level+18

Abilities: Str: 16, Dex 28, Con 24, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 26
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist, Mounted Combat, Wild Cohort, Ride-by-attack, Spirited Charge, Weapon Finesse, Lingering Song, Improved Initiative, Mounted Archery, Mounted Casting
Skills: Bluff +29, Diplomacy +18, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (nature) +11, Listen +17, Perform (wind) +29, Spot +14, Tumble +19, Handle Animal +11, Ride +32, Knowledge arcana +15, Spellcraft +8, Profession (astrologer) +7
Special Qualities: Sylvan Warrior, Bardic Music 2/day (Inspire Courage, Countersong, Fascinate), Song of Arcane Power, Bardic Knowledge, Fast Handling, Skilled Rider, Cohort Trick, Share Spells, Immune to Disease, Poison and Polymorph, Resist Acid, Electricity and Fire 10, Madness, Misty Aura


Web: Silverwood Arcanist
MM V: Banshrae
Eberron The Forge of War: Mistling
Complete Arcane: Sublime Chord



CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


8
Banshrae
+7
+5
+9
+9
Bluff 18, Diplomacy 10, Intimidate 10, Knowledge (nature) 9, Listen 13, Perform (wind) 18, Spot 10, Tumble 10, CC: Handle Animal 3 (6), Ride 3 (6), Knowledge arcana 5 (10), Spellcraft 6 (12), Profession (astrologer) 6 (12)
Improved Unarmed Strike, Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist, Mounted Combat, Wild Cohort, Ride-by-attack, Spirited Charge, Weapon Finesse, Lingering Song
Sylvan Warrior, Blowgun Flute, Dart Cone, Locust Dart, Bestow Curse


12
Mistling
+7
+5
+9
+9
-
-
Spell Like Abilities, Immunities, Resistances, Poison, Madness, Misty Aura, Conjure Living Spell


13
Bard 1
+7
+5
+11
+11
Knowledge Arcana +8
-
Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, +1 Cha


14
Sublime Chord 1
+7
+5
+11
+13
Perform +2, Bluff +2, Listen +2




15
Sublime Chord 2
+8
+5
+11
+14
Perform +1, Bluff +1, Listen +1, Spot +3
Mounted Archery
Song of Arcane Power


16
Silverwood Arcanist 1
+8
+5
+11
+16
Ride +4

Fast Handling


17
Silverwood Arcanist 2
+9
+5
+11
+17
Ride +4

Cohort Trick, +1 Con


18
Silverwood Arcanist 3
+9
+6
+12
+17
Ride +4
Improved Initiative
Mounted Casting


19
Silverwood Arcanist 4
+10
+6
+12
+18
Ride +4
-
Cohort Trick


20
Silverwood Arcanist 5
+10
+6
+12
+18
Ride +4

Share Spells

[H_H_F_F]

Desertification is not a joke, Jim.

The desert swallowed the old forest long ago, but legends endured that it had once held a fey power, manifesting powerful wardens of the wild lands. And it was, perhaps, such fey power that gave rise to the Queen of Mirages. Surely it was there she was first seen, never in the same place twice, the spires of her palace rising each day to a different vista, with a bountiful oasis surrounding it. Guarded by spectral courtiers and by the very sand itself taking the form of fanciful creatures, she held court. Travellers in need of aid were sometimes taken in, feasted, nursed back to help and sent on their way. And some entered those halls and never came back, or came back changed.

Eventually the Queen of Mirages began to roam, wearing different faces and masks, wandering the bazaars and the seraglios of the great cities, whispering in the ears of merchants and princes. Later still, some say she took to the seas, in a strange ship carved from mahogany wood. Wherever she went, she brought wonderment and madness. Those who caught her eye found themselves fated to greatness - for a time. When the Queen inevitably moved on, all they had built turned out to have been but smoke and hopes. Some were so taken that they spent the rest of their miserable lives chasing after her, but to this day, no-one is known to have found her a second time, or at least, none who lived to tell the tale.

Old Chaotic Neutral Female Killoren Beguiler 12/Sand Shaper 8

Attempt here is to use the Beguiler as the most comprehensive and versatile chassis for the powers of fey glamour, augmented some against those resistant to it by the arsenal of the Sand Shaper, especially its abilities to summon desert creatures. This allows for one of the largest possible repertoires of spontaneously cast spells barring heavier cheese (a Bloodline feat could be brought in but it seems unclear whether Killoren credibly could have bloodlines, though said to breed true). Thematically they meet in the concept of desert mirages. By bringing in Shadow spells, she gains the ability to create semi-real illusions; this too thematically fits with how the Sand Shaper calls temporal allies and equipment out of sand. To connect to that heritage of fey identity as well as drawing power from natural terrains, the Killoren as a LA +0 fey race having sprung from nature itself makes a natural fit. This could perhaps have been stronger by exploiting more powerful monsters as a starting point, or some trickery of unassociated class levels, but as built, the Queen has exactly the abilities she needs for the stories I would want her to be a part of - an immortal faerie being who warps minds and perception, glamours things into temporary realness, and brings her court with her wherever she goes. The attempt here has been to entirely avoid cheese, and use all options in a way as close as possible to their intended application. If actually played as a PC, I would just move some skills around for flavor and maybe try to slot in Leadership and Brew Potion (cornering the market for discount physical ability buff potions through Sand Shaper).

- int 15 +2 +5 = 22
- cha 14 +2 = 16
- con 13 -3 = 10
- dex 12 -3 = 9
- str 10 -3 = 7
- wis 8 + 2 = 10


1: Jack of all trades
3: Touchstone: City of the Dead
6: Versatile Spellcaster
9: Heighten Spell
12: Practiced Spellcaster (Beguiler)
15: Extend Spell
18: Eschew Materials
Bonus: Still Spell
Bonus: Silent Spell




CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1
Beguiler 1
+0
+0
+0
+2
Bluff 4, Concentration 4, Diplomacy 4, Disguise 4, Knowledge: Arcane 4, Knowledge: Nature 2, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4, Survival 2
Jack of all trades
Armored Mage, Trapfinding


2
Beguiler 2
+1
+0
+0
+3
Bluff 5, Concentration 5, Diplomacy 5, Disguise 5, Knowledge: Arcane 5, Knowledge: Nature 2, Sense Motive 5, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 5, Survival 2

Cloaked Casting (+1 DC), Surprise Casting


3
Beguiler 3
+1
+1
+1
+3
Bluff 6, Concentration 6, Diplomacy 6, Disguise 6, Knowledge: Arcane 6, Knowledge: Nature 2, Sense Motive 6, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 6, Survival 3
Touchstone: City of the Dead
Advanced Learning (Power Word: Pain)


4
Beguiler 4
+2
+1
+1
+4
Bluff 7, Concentration 7, Diplomacy 7, Disguise 7, Knowledge: Arcane 7, Knowledge: Nature 3, Sense Motive 7, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 7, Survival 3, Use Magic Device 1

+1 Int


5
Beguiler 5
+2
+1
+1
+4
Bluff 8, Concentration 8, Diplomacy 8, Disguise 8, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 4, Sense Motive 7, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 8, Survival 4, Use Magic Device 1

Bonus Feat: Silent Spell


6
Sand Shaper 1
+2
+1
+1
+6
Bluff 8, Concentration 9, Diplomacy 9, Disguise 8, Intimidate 1, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 5, Sense Motive 9, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 9, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1
Versatile Spellcaster
Desert Insight, Dust Magic, Sand Shape


7
Sand Shaper 2
+3
+1
+1
+7
Bluff 8, Concentration 10, Diplomacy 10, Disguise 8, Intimidate 5, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 5, Sense Motive 10, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 10, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1

Sandform


8
Sand Shaper 3
+3
+2
+2
+7
Bluff 8, Concentration 11, Diplomacy 11, Disguise 8, Intimidate 9, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 5, Sense Motive 11, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 11, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1

+1 Int, Sand Stride


9
Sand Shaper 4
+3
+2
+2
+7
Bluff 8, Concentration 12, Diplomacy 12, Disguise 8, Intimidate 12, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 6, Sense Motive 12, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 12, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1
Heighten Spell
Improved Sand Shape


10
Sand Shaper 5
+3
+2
+2
+7
Bluff 8, Concentration 13, Diplomacy 13, Disguise 8, Intimidate 13, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 9, Sense Motive 13, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 13, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1

Improved Dust Magic 3/day


11
Sand Shaper 6
+4
+3
+3
+8
Bluff 8, Concentration 14, Diplomacy 14, Disguise 8, Intimidate 14, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 12, Sense Motive 14, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 14, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1




12
Sand Shaper 7
+4
+3
+3
+8
Bluff 8, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 15, Disguise 8, Intimidate 15, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 15, Sense Motive 15, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 15, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1
Practiced Spellcaster (Beguiler)
Desert Slumber, Improved Dust Magic 4/day, +1 Int


13
Sand Shaper 8
+5
+3
+3
+9
Bluff 8, Concentration 16, Diplomacy 16, Disguise 8, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 8, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 16, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 16, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 1




14
Beguiler 6
+6
+4
+4
+10
[td]Bluff 10, Concentration 17, Diplomacy 17, Disguise 10, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 10, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 17, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 17, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 2
Surprise Casting (move action)



15
Beguiler 7
+6
+4
+4
+10
[td]Bluff 12, Concentration 18, Diplomacy 18, Disguise 12, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 12, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 18, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 18, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 3
Extend Spell
Advanced Learning (Mirage Arcana)


16
Beguiler 8
+7
+4
+4
+11
[td]Bluff 15, Concentration 19, Diplomacy 19, Disguise 14, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 14, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 19, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 19, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 3

Cloaked Casting (+2 vs SR)


17
Beguiler 9
+7
+5
+5
+11
[td]Bluff 20, Concentration 20, Diplomacy 20, Disguise 16, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 14, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 20, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 20, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 3




18
Beguiler 10
+8
+5
+5
+12
[td]Bluff 21, Concentration 21, Diplomacy 21, Disguise 16, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 20, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 21, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 21, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 3
Eschew Materials
Bonus Feat: Still Spell


19
Beguiler 11
+8
+5
+5
+12
[td]Bluff 22, Concentration 22, Diplomacy 22, Disguise 18, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 22, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 22, Speak Language 2, Spellcraft 22, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 5

Advanced Learning (shades)


20
Beguiler 12
+9
+6
+6
+13
[td]Bluff 23, Concentration 23, Diplomacy 23, Disguise 23, Heal 3, Intimidate 16, Knowledge: Arcane 23, Knowledge: Nature 16, Sense Motive 23, Speak Language 3, Spellcraft 23, Survival 5, Use Magic Device 5





Spells per Day


Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th


1st
5
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


2nd
6
5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


3rd
6
6
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


4th
6
7
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


5th
6
7
5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


6th
6
7
5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-


7th
6
7
6
4
-
-
-
-
-
-


8th
6
7
7
5
-
-
-
-
-
-


9th
6
7
7
6
4
-
-
-
-
-


10th
6
7
7
7
5
-
-
-
-
-


11th
6
7
7
7
6
3
-
-
-
-


12th
6
8
7
7
7
5
-
-
-
-


13th
6
8
7
7
7
6
3
-
-
-


14th
6
8
7
7
7
7
4
-
-
-


15th
6
8
7
7
7
7
5
3
-
-


16th
6
8
7
7
7
7
6
4
-
-


17th
6
8
7
7
7
7
6
5
3
-


18th
6
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
4
-


19th
6
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
5
3


20th
6
8
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
4




0 - dancing lights, daze, detect magic, ghost sound, message, open/close, read magic
1 - charm person, color spray, comprehend languages, detect secret doors, disguise self, expeditious retreat, hypnotism, mage armor, obscuring mist, rouse, silent image, sleep, undetectable alignment, whelm, power word: pain, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, endure elements, parching touch, speak with animals, summon desert ally I
2 - blinding color surge, blur, daze monster, detect thoughts, fog cloud, glitterdust, hypnotic pattern, invisibility, knock, minor image, mirror image, misdirection, see invisibility, silence, spider climb, stay the hand, touch of idiocy, vertigo, whelming burst, eagle’s splendor, fox’s cunning, heat metal, owl’s wisdom, resist energy, summon desert ally II, summon swarm
3 - arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance, crown of veils, deep slumber, dispel magic, displacement, glibness, halt, haste, hesitate, hold person, inevitable defeat, invisibility sphere, legion of sentinels, major image, nondetection, slow, suggestion, vertigo field, zone of silence, control sand, desiccate, dominate animal, haboob, slipsand, summon desert ally III, sunstroke, tormenting thirst, wind wall
4 - charm monster, confusion, crushing despair, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, greater mirror image, locate creature, mass whelm, phantom battle, rainbow pattern, solid fog, blast of sand, summon desert ally IV, wall of sand, wither
5 - break enchantment, dominate person, feeblemind, friend to foe, hold monster, incite riot, mind fog, Rary’s telepathic bond, seeming, sending, swift etherealness, mirage arcana, choking sands, flaywind burst, flesh to salt, summon desert ally V, transmute sand to stone, transmute stone to sand
6 - greater dispel magic, mass suggestion, mislead, overwhelm, repulsion, shadow walk, true seeing, veil, awaken sand, mummify, sandstorm, summon desert ally VI
7 - ethereal jaunt, greater arcane sight, mass hold person, mass invisibility, phase door, power word blind, project image, spell turning, mass flesh to salt, summon desert ally VII
8 - demand, discern location, mind blank, moment of prescience, power word stun, scintillating pattern, screen, summon desert ally VIII, whirlwind
9 - dominate monster, etherealness, foresight, mass hold monster, power word kill, time stop, shades, summon desert ally IX

Advanced learning: Power Word: Pain, Mirage Arcana, Shades

Gear: In line with independence from anything and anyone that could be taken away, most of the Queen's wealth would be spent on Tomes improving her abilities to their maximum potential. Beyond this, she would get items boosting stats and defenses, typically in the form of jewelry.

By and large, the Queen functions at all CRs. In early levels, she does not yet have her summons, and is weak against anything that is immune to mind-affecting magic (but even there, her illusions help her). She will be accompanied by glamored or charmed NPCs as temporary accomplices whenever encountered. She has all the main forms of confusion, madness, charm, and mind control as soon as any other spontaneous caster can acquire them. From level 5 onwards she has increasing Sand Shaper attack spells but above all, can summon and buff desert creatures as a retinue. The Queen has plenty of spells at all levels that hinder enemy action or movement. She is a powerful utility caster and a social powerhouse throughout (eventually able to meet some Epic Bluff DCs through Glibness, crucially the ability to implant nonmagical 10-min Suggestion effects through regular conversation). She can hide her alignment, mask as anyone and eventually cast any spell without components from invisibility or anonymity in a crowd. Main effects to come online later include more mobility through Sand Shaper (Desert Stride, Dust Camel) and Beguiler (Shadow Walk, Etherealness), some self-healing, persistent minions through Awaken Sand, more attack spells and eventually Shades. The latter is versatile with some applications including the Queen's mobile court (desert palace: Extended Mirage Arcana, Extended Shadow Mordenkainen's Magnificient Mansion; pirate ship: Shadow Mordenkainen's Capable Caravel), Shadow Phantom Steed, Shadow Major Creation and so on. How she plays as a villain largely remains the same throughout: she comes to an area, corrupts and influences those in power to some end, then disappears as suddenly; she is dependent on nothing lasting. The Queen does not have a single specific trick for combat she is optimized for, but defaults to e.g. 1) go greater invisible or battlefield control spell; 2) summon something; 3) repeat: more battlefield control or target opponents with whatever they are vulnerable to from her repertoire, buff or repeat summons as necessary. If at risk of defeat, she flees to seek vengeance later.

- Power Word: Pain, Versatile Spellcaster - Races of the Dragon
- Killoren, Jack of all trades: Races of the Wild
- Touchstone, Sand Shaper, Awaken Sand - Sandstorm
- Beguiler - PH2

[H_H_F_F]

...It's the motion of the ocean.

Una Hedera: The Lotus Fey

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/16630bec-ec5e-48be-9877-4c31de9472cd/df22vb8-65598cfd-0e39-4f60-b967-1e2e5396aeca.jpg/v1/fill/w_1024,h_759,q_75,strp/fairy_by_lisnycija_df22vb8-fullview.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI 1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNh NWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMT g4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7 ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NzU5IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMTY2MzBiZW MtZWM1ZS00OGJlLTk4NzctNGMzMWRlOTQ3MmNkXC9kZjIydmI4 LTY1NTk4Y2ZkLTBlMzktNGY2MC1iOTY3LTFlMmU1Mzk2YWVjYS 5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTAyNCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46 c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.G0nu9MOQyI7T5 j4WxHmhmsMILoISvmPF-8ezBkYQf-k

Backstory


When people speak of fairies, it's typically a Petal that comes to mind. The least powerful of the fairies, rather insignificant, and even rumoured to be near extinction, the Petals are the fairies who had largely given in to frolicks and whimsy for all time. This is how it is, how it shall ever be.

Our tale begins when one such Petal, called Una Hedera, who happily spent her days writing magical nonsense on the backs of large leaves, was captured by wandering adventurers who were determined to fufill some clients' wish to have 'a fairy in a bottle' as a art piece. She was in their gambling games, and after her initial screams fell silent, and her heart grew colder and bleaker at her situation, she thought the following:

"I will never be this helpless again. No Petal will be. Nobody is coming to save me. I am to be ground to dust for use in ill advised alchemy ingredients. I will never be this helpless again. No Petal will be. There is no help. I am doomed if I stay. I will never be this helpless again. I will kill everyone who stands between me and my freedom. They think I'm 'pretty'. I will never be this helpless again. I will never be this helpless again. Their emotions are leverage. Their weaknesses are a boon to me. They will be mine. All shall be mine. The Courts are useless. All life is useless. I will ensure that that which is mine, is all there will be, for we will not be helpless again."

She charmed and flirted with some of her captors, while during their games watched their play intently. She waited until they were deep in a game of cards and pointed out there was three Aces of one suit in play, and during the conflict, also asked one of them, a gnome, that she'd give him a kiss if he just.... Uncorked this little bottle here.

He did, much to the screams of 'no, don't do tha-" by his compatriates.

Una flew vertically upwards, and looked at the crowd of people who had been her jailors for far too long, then to the open window.

She winked, then flew as hard as she could out the window.

She was free!

It was now time to conquer this Earth and all the realms!




Simpler Motivations, Alignment and Tactics


Una is a trauma victim who uses a flirtatious persona to make people like her. As a villain, she largely wants control, and her agents if pitted against the party largely want them as trophies for she's seen some desirable trait in them that she'd like added to her paramours and minions.
She is Chaotic Neutral, which I'm taking as 'she'll help you if you entertain her or help her with her goals, or look like you can be moulded into helping her with them', but she's also just as likely to want you dead on a whim or if you're in her way.

At low levels, she's just an artificer. Mid levels, she's getting her hands dirty, and is experimenting with Contiingent Spells to play at being a Fairy Godmother to nations that'll let her bless their children with a magic effect to trigger on some specific conditions, and in her last 10 levels, she's temporarily taking direct control over friends and enemies to make them fight for her. In a fight, the more powerful the member of the party with the lowest will score is, the more powerful Una might be if she gets control over their mind.

Una is an artificer, and probably would use the 'emulate a sublime chord trick' if that's a permissable/fair tactic for the game in question to gain higher level sor/wiz spells early since a singing fey who can grant wishes is useful and helpful and beloved. She wants to be useful to those she wishes to push into her services, to enthrall them. she's well aware she's a weak creature, that she's tiny, that she could be eaten by any number of creatures without much thought.
That's why she needs help.



Build Stub

Artificer 8/Psychic Rogue 2/Psibond Agent 10


Stats & Skills
This competition uses the Elite array, (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8).
Charisma is our 15, followed by a
14 in Intelligence, then
13 Dexterity,
12 Str,
10 Con, and then
Wisdom is 8.

When ability score increases happen, put it all in charisma.

As a Petal, we have a racial... I think it's -3 in Str, +5 Dex, +2 Con +2 Int, +2 Int, +0 Wis, and +4 Charisma? I the person writing this forget how to backwards convert stat blocks into racial stats so I'm just gonna ignore them for now as I am running out of time today before the deadline (these largely are good stats for us anyway, our weakest stat will be wisdom so we the person who mind controls eventually might have issues with will saves ourselves, but una is nothing if not a massive hypocrite.
As for skills, there are only 3 requirements for this character: Gather Information 8 by level 10, and Sense Motive 4 by then. Gather Infomation is a class skill of psychic rogue as is sense motive. Oh, and Diplomacy needs to be put ranks into at all possible opportunities. We have a +2 base int, and most of our starting classes are high skill based, we easily qualify even if not trying. We also need 3 languages, so... Our starting language, then 4 points to invest in 2 languages of your choice.


Last Minute Panic before submitting this
I am not at all confident I've added the Base Attack Bonus properly, as I usually play straight casters and only recently learnt that BAB is useful for anything beyond martial characters, lol. I predict this build is fundamentally wrong by RAW, but submitting it anyway. :P

Build



CR
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features



LA+1










LA+2






(I've built this somewhat ready for a player to just pick this up if it isn't to be used as an npc, do use LA buyoff and PGTF's 'play a LA heavy class at lower levels' penalties if you did do that)


1
Artificer/1st HD
+0
+0
+0
+3
6
Silver Tongue (OA, DragMag Update)
Scribe Scroll
Can make scrolls, and can identify items. Our infusions are fun with spell storing item right out of the bat to have Artificer Level +3 emulation of a class to have access to its spells.

more importantly, we can now make people fall in love with us via diplomacy checks, making them want to be 'near us at all times' through making them of the Helpful disposition.

We can also use diplomacy to make people confused, and as it's just diplomacy, it bypasses mind affecting spell resistances.


2
Artificer
+1



12
Brew Potion
Making potions is pretty lackluster. There's maybe 3 levels in this build that to me are pretty dull, this is the first.


3
Artificer
+2
+x
+x
+x
18
Cards Over Swords
Craft Wondrous Item
You can now make most of the magic items that exist in 3.5e. More importantly though, you have a new use for diplomacy: Challenge them to a card game rather than conflict, winner gets to pass by unscathed, loser gives some of their equipment and leaves. Means Una might be getting encounters handled not necessarily by combat, but by being rather good at games of chance over time.


4
Artificer
+3
+x
+x
+x
24
Craft Homunculus, Extra Rings
Your homunculus needs to be the dedicated wright, so Una can focus on getting on with life rather than spend her days crafting.


5
Artificer
+3
+x
+x
+x
30
Craft Magic Arms And Armour
You can now REALLY make most of the magic items in 3.5e. You also get Retain Essence at this level, which means you can recycle some XP from items you've made.


6
Artificer
+4
+x
+x
+x
36
Trustworthy
Craft Wand
Crafting wands is of use because it at least completes the look in a few levels.


7
Artificer
+5
+x
+x
+x
42

Metamagic Spell trigger is odd when you lack metamagic. I assume rods can be utilised if you find any


8
Artificer
+6/+1
+x
+x
+x
48
Craft Construct
Under the assumption that one isn't going to have an army, building one out of constructs is a good idea. I'd recommend Effigy Creatures for the most part as they're pretty cheap and can do the replicant thing of hiding among us


9
Psychic Rogue
+6/+1
+2
+4
+5
56
Craft Contingent Spell
And here we are. This feat lets us do the whole Maleficent deal. 'when she pricks her finger upon this spinning wheel, this curse of death shall activate!" kind of thing. Can be used beneficially too, to weave a revivify on a target in the event their hp becomes too low. Get yourself invited to parties, fey girl!
We also get sneak attack, so we're now slightly inclined to get people bound and trapped to stab them harder now.



10
Psychic Rogue
+7/+2
+2
+5
+5
64

At this level we get evasion, fine, whatever. But more imporantly we have the feature of at least 1 power point per day, qualifying us into psibond agent. We had bonus points from our int last level, but the specific 'power points per day' class ability was 0 at level 1 in psychic rogue.


11
Psibond Agent
+7/+2
+2
+7
+5
72

Una can now hijack your senses with the Psibond's initial Force Sense Link ability. At this level, it only lasts a minute, and is more of a novelty to play with. But we're a tiny fey, we're absolutely going to hide in someone's pack and forced sense link them to know what's going on.


12
Psibond Agent
+8/+3
+2
+8
+5
80
Craven
Una can now 'suggest' (not the spell) options in the form of a subtle nudge through a psibond. This really means that you have an unlimited range capability to communicate with targets without them being consciously aware you are commanding them. Can only make one nudge of any specific thing once per psibond, so you can't unfortunately just keep pestering them to take the left path if they choose to go right. Still a party trick, but eh.
Craven bolsters our sneak attack because it's so feeble otherwise.



13
Psibond Agent
+9/+4
+3
+8
+6
88

Minor sneak attack boosting level. I said there were a few dull levels in here.


14
Psibond Agent
+9/+4
+3
+9
+6
96

Empathy through our psibond lets us get +2 on most social rolls with a target, and know the emotions they have. This boosts our diplomacy up a bit, and encourages us to be more cavalier with who we psibond to.


15
Psibond Agent
+9/+4
+3
+9
+6
104
Master Manipulator
Master Manipulator lets us Bluff people into being confused (not the status effect) enough to reveal clues , and also lets us trick them into being distracted by us affecting their perception skills.
Our psibonds now linger for an extra round when dismissed.


16
Psibond Agent
+10/+5
+4
+10
+7
112

FIN. ALL. Y. We get to the good suff We can now send a proper Suggestion like the spell through the psibond, giving a authoritative command only once per psibond that they must resist for when we really want to insist they do one specific thing.


17
Psibond Agent
+10/+6/+1
+4
+10
+7
120

We can now have 2 psibonds at once, which is nice.


18
Psibond Agent
+11/+7/+2
+4
+11
+7
128
Imperious Command
"I am the Queen!" Now those you intimidate cower for 1 round.
So far, we've piggybacked on people's senses... We can now mess with them. False Sensory Input lets us make people see things that aren't there, hear things that aren't, with no save. This is the best ability in the game. Enemy fails a will save? You can go full Bugs bunny/Looney Toons on them, making them see tunnels in rocky mountains that aren't there, a bridge over a chasm that has a knockeable tree over it, etc, so long as there's something justifiable there to nudge their mind into thinking that's plausible- The sky is your limit!


19
Psibond Agent
+11/+7/+2
+5
+11
+8
136

Minor sneak attack boosting level, boring.


20
Psibond Agent
+12/+8/+3
+5
+12
+8
144

So here it is, the culmination of your career. You can now dominate those you've psibonded to, DC19+Cha, and they're yours for days. Takes more work than Thrallherd, but with this you can probably take over a lot of people fast as there's unlimited uses for this per day, but you'll have to refresh psibonds to do that.

However. Note that psibonds can be with pretty much any kind of creature that mental stuff works on. This means that if you really wanted to, you can have unlimited chickens under your command. I'm not entirely sure why Una has decided to make an army of chickens, but it's a possibility now. Fey are weird. Maybe she really hated a chicken infested commoner she meets on the way and decided to take all their chickens away? Who knows.






Final notes

Psibonds: Una typically tries to get people to love her first via mundane means, and will make flirty comments via Diplomacy to ease their way into liking her. Then, she works on them with psibonds, makes it normal and causal for her to slip into their minds and see what they see and enhance their prowess as people with aid another checks. After all, it's useful! A fairy who can adjust your senses to make you better notice threats, who can tell you to Listen, and watch out with mental suggestions... Who doesn't want that? It's a quite delicious gift that this fairy's given you, your best companion and friend, you can't imagine adventuring without your friendly fairy friend!

And then when they cease being useful as free thinking individuals... That's when she breaks them to her will.

Una represents a unusual threat to an adventuring party, in that she doesnt really want them dead, not really. At high levels, they can be useful to her. If only. She is of course, the hero, the one who saved herself.

She'll never allow herself to be helpless ever again.

Won't you help this poor, innocent tiny fairy?

[H_H_F_F]

Kneel before them! Five Fairy Queens for your viewing and judging pleasure.

[loky1109]

Wanna read them all!!!

And I want say about my ideas.
Mine first was 32HD Dreamfane (https://web.archive.org/web/20161031215627/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20070711a&page=1) with 2 expert levels lucid dreaming, but... I did know what to do with this great idea. I failed to found interesting continue.
Next I looked at Usunag (https://web.archive.org/web/20161031215718/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20070711a&page=4), but didn't make good story for it.
Also I found Murderjack (https://web.archive.org/web/20201112003011/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040828a), Glitterhaunt (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101150127/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040509a), and Siabrie (http://web.archive.org/web/20201111233000/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20020817a), but... looks like I lost my inspiration.

[AvatarVecna]

I've not looked over entries yet, but my basic concept was to use either an advanced Satyr or an advanced Redcap, two levels of Expert, and then the rest of the levels in something like a rogue or Bard with lots of social skills. Basic idea was to just throw around enormous Bluff/Diplomacy/Disguise modifiers in an urban setting, and have the players try to navigate the maze of deception trying to hunt down a whole cabal of anarchists only to find out its one dude with a suitcase full of different fake moustaches.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

My idea was "Lady Stormfire", a Bard 1/Warlock/Stormsinger. The race would be Feytouched into Feytouched-Half Fey transition class, getting the powerful Half-Fey abilities without using a template or changing type, and for a total of just +1 CR. (Skirts the edge of the "no type-changing templates" rule, but with two degrees of separation I think it's fine). Story-wise... actually, I think I'll hold onto that, since I can reuse the fluff for another competition (operating under the assumption that I will eventually have free time, or at least better time management, at some point in the future).

[Thurbane]

Entry
Build Stub
Judge 1 Score
Judge 2 Score
Total Score
Competitor


Moryana Vodyanitsa (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538106&postcount=49)
CN Rusalka Savage Bard 4/Dirge Singer 5/Siren 10






Nixina (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538108&postcount=50)
CE Female Yuki-On-Na Fey 8/Sorcerer 1/Mindbender 5/Soul Eater 10






Rowena, Queen of Magpies (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538117&postcount=51)
Banshrae 8/Mistling 4/Bard 1/Sublime Chord 2/Silverwood Arcanist 5






Queen of Mirages (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538121&postcount=52)
Old Chaotic Neutral Female Killoren Beguiler 12/Sand Shaper 8






Una Hedera: The Lotus Fey (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538123&postcount=53)
Petal Artificer 8/Psychic Rogue 2/Psibond Agent 10

[H_H_F_F]

My idea was "Lady Stormfire", a Bard 1/Warlock/Stormsinger. The race would be Feytouched into Feytouched-Half Fey transition class, getting the powerful Half-Fey abilities without using a template or changing type, and for a total of just +1 CR. (Skirts the edge of the "no type-changing templates" rule, but with two degrees of separation I think it's fine). Story-wise... actually, I think I'll hold onto that, since I can reuse the fluff for another competition (operating under the assumption that I will eventually have free time, or at least better time management, at some point in the future).


Quick question: are classes that give the character fey type allowed?


Yes - As long as they don't do so by referring to a specific template.

Would've been an issue with this ruling... Still, cool idea!

[H_H_F_F]

While we're waiting to find judges (is anyone here interested, by the way?) Let's decide on next round's theme! What would you prefer?
Love Hurts.
I'm not disappointed...
DEUS VULT!

[loky1109]

While we're waiting to find judges (is anyone here interested, by the way?)

I am. But I don't have time until at least weekend.

About theme... Let it be "I'm not disappointed."

[Mordante]

I really like this idea, But I have no clue about most of what the OP is talking about. All those acronyms.

[Malphegor]

While we're waiting to find judges (is anyone here interested, by the way?) Let's decide on next round's theme! What would you prefer?
Love Hurts.
I'm not disappointed...
DEUS VULT!


Deus Vult could be fun, depending on what that is (I’m assuming ‘somehow being the physical manifestation of your deity in mortal form in order to prove that they are truly great’)

[AvatarVecna]

Disappointed is my vote.

[ciopo]

I vote disappointed, too

[Lionheart]

I think Deus Vult would be my vote, though happy with any of the options really!

[H_H_F_F]

I really like this idea, But I have no clue about most of what the OP is talking about. All those acronyms.

Off the top of my head: CR is Challenge Rating, ECL is Effective Character Level, CN and CE are Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Evil (LG, NG, CG, LN, TN, LE and NE are the other 7 alignments)

I recommend reading through a couple of past competitions (compiled at the end of the OP under a spoiler tag) and figuring stuff out - and if you find that you're interested in participating, keep an eye out for next round!

You're very welcome to contact me via PM with any further questions or clarifications.

[AsuraKyoko]

I had an idea that, interestingly enough, is really similar to Nixina; specifically going Yuki-On-Na into Soul Eater, and taking Spell Drain. My version wasn't going to be a spellcaster, though I like this better than what I had stubbed out.

I also like Moryana, her build reminds me of my submission to the Siren round of Iron Chef, namely combining it with Dirgesinger. It definitely takes it in a different direction, though.

All in all, great work everyone, I'm definitely tempted to include at least one of these in a campaign I run at some point.

[Thurbane]

While we're waiting to find judges (is anyone here interested, by the way?) Let's decide on next round's theme! What would you prefer?
Love Hurts.
I'm not disappointed...
DEUS VULT!


They all sound interesting, but I think I'll vote Love Hurts.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pHNkOQCIzk

[Buufreak]

I'm working on it off and on through my day, but judgment inbound.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I vote Deus Vult, for what that's worth. Also: Judgement.
A quick note: The sort of thing I consider the “obvious” choices would be low-CR fey with bardline classes. I’ll be judging Originality accordingly.


First Impressions: That image was…a choice.
As noted, Moryana is too much of a loner to be a queen, but that’s not actually a requirement. A bigger problem is that she’s not really a villain. She’s folklore, a voice by the lake everyone knows to avoid. Good setting element, but it’s not even a Lambton-Worm-level villain.

Originality: I would have expected one and a half of Moryana’s classes, and would have expected Dirge Singer if I knew it existed. So…yeah, mostly what I’d expect, aside from just how many sourcebooks you pulled from for voice-related feats. I’ll give you some credit for the folkloric flavor and the voice thing; I think they fit better here than under Memorable Villainy. 2.5/5
Power: I don’t see anything exceptionally strong or weak here. That said, the level order feels less like “How can I make this villain effective at lower CRs?” and more like “I’ll just level up the classes in order.” In particular, putting all the Siren levels last when they feel like Moryana’s most central class feels...off. Also, a debuffer usually works better as a support character than a solo villain. 2/5
Elegance: Simple to a fault. I can’t give it a perfect score with three classes and thirteen sourcebooks, but it still deserves an A. 4.5/5
Memorable Villainy: Moryana makes an excellent rumor to tell PCs about at the bar, and a pretty good wilderness encounter. But that’s it. How could you run a proper adventure around Moryana? “The monster by the lake is killing people, so kill it” is the most basic D&D plotline possible, and Moryana doesn’t have anything to make for an interesting buildup to the final battle.
That battle probably won’t be exceptional, either. You don’t provide much detail to the tactics, and I don’t see anything special she can do in battle. Just…different kinds of singing, basically. Maybe the mysterious singing waif switching from an enchanting song, luring them into the freezing water, to one that scares them to death could be memorable? I dunno, there’s not much here. 1.5

Summary: I don’t dislike Moryana. But at the same time, I don’t think she works as a villain. By the criteria we judge by here, she doesn’t have much going for her. 10.5/20


First Impressions: Two for two on frost-fringed fae.
Eternal Hero on a villain? Amusing.
Nice detail.

Originality: Oh, yeah, another Charisma-based spellcaster like—wait, she’s a sorcerer? And hold up, isn’t Soul Eater mostly a melee prestige class? Mindbender is more expected, and the Yuki-On-Na is pretty low-level, but still! Beyond that, combining Lord Soth with the White Witch makes for an interesting brew.
I also appreciate the attention paid to presentation. 4/5
Power: Soul Eater fits better than I expected; the Yuki-On-Na doesn’t actually have any enchanting SLAs or supernatural abilities to rely on, just its frosty touch. So we’re looking at a weird sort of gish villain, who prepares for combat with a debuff or two but mostly relies on melee touch attacks.
That said, I’m not sure how much the Mindbender adds to the Soul Eater or vise versa. They feel very…non-complimentary. A Mindbender fae, you’d expect to throw her frost giants or white dragons or whatever at you and support them with magic from behind. But a Soul Eater like Nixina wants to be in melee combat, where she can actually drain energy. Even at CR 5-10, where the most detail is provided, I can’t imagine how I’d put this encounter together. It doesn’t even really work as a “villain lounges on her throne, providing support, but surprisingly turns out to be an effective combatant once her minions are dispatched” thing, because she doesn’t have enough support abilities to do anything before entering combat. 2.5/5, but it could probably be higher if I had a better idea how she was supposed to fight.
Elegance: Straightforward. One dip, two prestige classes, eight sourcebooks plus a couple online articles. 4/5
Memorable Villainy: Like I said, Nixina is combining common villainous archetypes, but she’s an unexpected combination. Not many faerie queens have undead armies. That said, this “ninja pirate zombie robot” appeal is about all she has going for her in this category. Aside from exploding in a ball of ice when killed and mixing in some living minions with her wights, she can’t do much that ordinary necromancers can’t. 2/5

Summary: There is nothing that Nixina does poorly. She’s a competent enough villain. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like she’s just a thin layer of style without much substance behind it. And to be clear, “faerie queen of the dead” is a cool style! I probably wouldn’t even comment on the lack of substance if the style wasn’t spread so thin, with so little flavor text or DM guidance to help the style sing.


First Impressions: Oh hey, isn’t that the ballad where a local noble teen goes into the woods specifically because she’s heard rumors of a faerie guy who takes maids’ virginity if they don’t have something else to pay him with? Probably unrelated to the entry, but divorced from cultural context, that aspect of Tam Lin’s tale always cracks me up.
Lots more flavor than I’m used to in these contests. In a good way! The poem is also a nice touch.


Originality: I had to look up almost every part of this build, which is mostly a good thing (in this category). The Mistling template in particular is neat (living spells! …that last less than a day and can only be conjured once a day…), and fits the chosen backstory (or vise versa). Also, the build is only 40% PC class by weight! Aside from the fact that those PC classes are bardline, none of this was predictable, and it’s all pretty neat. Add in a distinct fairy-tale vibe (or at least Pact (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Pact)/Pale (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Pale)-side-character vibe), and I feel like giving this a perfect 5/5.
Power: Silverwood Arcanist feels like a random addition? Rowena’s horse seems irrelevant to both her fluff and her build (the Campaign Notes suggests trading it for a magpie spy, and Rowena’s too big to ride one). It’s also most of her class levels. Beyond that…I dunno. It seems alright? I’m not sure what she’s doing in combat; she has spells and spell-like abilities, a flute-blowgun, an faerie monk abilities. Part of this confusion comes from the chosen fey, of course, but part of it comes from the fact that you just haven’t provided any guidance on what Rowena does once the dice hit the table.
She doesn’t seem weak, but I can’t credit her for strength without knowing how to judge her. 2/5
Elegance: Firstly, there don’t seem to be specific rules about whether SLAs qualify as spellcasting for prestige class purposes. I’d probably allow them for “can cast spell X,” if this didn’t cause dysfunction with the PrC’s abilities, but I wouldn’t allow it for the Sublime Chord’s “must be able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells”. After all, while the banshrae can arguably cast bestow curse, it isn’t being cast as an arcane spell.
However, since the rules are ambiguous, I won’t be deducting as much as I would for a more overtly illegal build decision.
I had to look up almost every part of this build, which is mostly a bad thing (in this category). Also marks against it are the two dips, though the fact that you only needed three sourcebooks plus a webpage is a mark in its favor. So…let’s call it a 2.5/5
Memorable Villainy: Damn.
The PCs hear about activity in an abandoned castle outside of town. Maybe it’s one that nobody’s visited for years, maybe it’s one the PCs cleared out two adventures ago. As they approach, it’s more lively than expected—positively dreamlike. Suspicious in some ways—lots of birds on the ramparts, the servants have odd mannerisms, and magic hangs thick enough in the air that the fighter can feel it.
Rowena herself is a bit blasé in comparison, but it shouldn’t be hard to make her a memorable queen when her kingdom is so…weird. The biggest obstacle is that the banshrae is two separate things, neither of which is royal, so picking one thing to build Rowena’s presentation around is gonna require actual work.
I can’t give full credit here—I feel like the DM has to put in some work to make this villain memorable. It’s less of a painting, and more of a paint-by-numbers canvas. But the linework is strong. 4.5[/5

Summary: I feel like the strong concept carries this villain. Its build is nothing noteworthy, but her flavor makes Rowena the most regal and fair of the Faerie Queens.


First Impressions: Two frosty fairies, one sandy sidhe.
I appreciate the work put in to make flavor and mechanics interlock as they do. Also: Not all the levels of each class are taken in one lump!

Originality: Killoren are literally a PC race, you’d be hard-pressed to get lower-CR than that. And Beguilers are basically just smart bards. Sand Shaper is unexpected, though. 2/5
Power: She’s got full casting, she’s gonna be pretty powerful. I don’t see anything exceptional beyond that, though. (And it feels like she was optimized as a PC.) 3/5
Elegance: Two classes, four sourcebooks. Hard to get simpler than that without really suffering for it. 5/5
Memorable Villainy: On one hand, the Queen of Mirages has a pretty strong aesthetic around her. She’s the desert mirage, sand and shadow bound into solid yet fleeting images. There’s potential there…but it’s not quite realized. Contrast with the Queen of Magpies; there’s a lot of work left to the DM, but more groundwork is laid. We have a better sense of who Rowena is, what drives her, and what strange things lurk in her castle.
She also has a bit of the “great wilderness encounter” problem Moryana faces; the Queen of Mirages doesn’t stick around in any one place long enough to do much. The PCs could chase her down, of course, but why would they want to?
All in all…I’d like to see this concept developed more, but it’s not there yet. 3/5

Summary: It’s…neat. But it doesn’t have quite the same fairy tale feeling as Rowena or Moryana, and not just because she doesn’t have a name.


First Impressions: Neat picture! Did you draw it yourself?
A clear backstory, a clear motivation. Nice! Shockingly rare, too.
A summary of what each individual level gives is neat.

Originality: Artificer and psionics? Pretty unexpected. Using a low-CR fey, less so. The psionics are being used in more or less the most obvious way, though. Eh…I guess 3/5?
Power: It’s not nothing, but everything Una does feels like more of a plot hook than a power. It’s not clear what, if anything, she does in a fight. Could use an actual Tactics section. 1.5/5
Elegance: A couple of small errors (for instance, ability score modifiers are never odd) and a psychic rogue ding an otherwise elegant build. 4/5
Memorable Villainy: There’s definitely potential here, but it’s all in how the DM leverages those plot hook abilities. There’s not even a solid aesthetic to build around, like the Queen of Mirages’s shifting sandy castle, here one week and gone the next. It’s not as bad as it could be, but I can’t give a decent score when there’s so little here. As-is, she’s just another vague manipulator driven by vague trauma that doesn’t connect to her manipulations in any clear manner. 1.5/5

Summary: I feel kinda bad for ragging on the Queen of Mirages. Which is a mean way to summarize this other entry, but it’s also true. I struggle to find anything to feel strongly about in this entry, and not just because it’s 1 AM as I write this.

[H_H_F_F]

Thanks very much for judging, GreatWyrmGold!

FYI, I didn't include it in the OP but I am of the belief that limiting access to sources does the competition more harm than good. So starting from next round, there'll be an Iron-Chef-like ruling in place, saying that as long as they're legal and sourced, the obscurity or number of sources used shouldn't affect judgement.

It doesn't apply for this round, of course, so I'm not asking you to change anything - just letting you know that's something you'll need to adjust for in the future.

Thanks again!

[WeaselGuy]

Thanks very much for judging, GreatWyrmGold!

FYI, I didn't include it in the OP but I am of the belief that limiting access to sources does the competition more harm than good. So starting from next round, there'll be an Iron-Chef-like ruling in place, saying that as long as they're legal and sourced, the obscurity or number of sources used shouldn't affect judgement.

It doesn't apply for this round, of course, so I'm not asking you to change anything - just letting you know that's something you'll need to adjust for in the future.

Thanks again!

Granted, it's been almost 7 years since I last participated in a build comp, I don't think I'd realized VC builds could get dinged on elegance for having too many sources. In this day where 3.5e is over 14 years old, and has somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 sourcebooks (and I'm not even going to attempt to count the web only materials), and a handbook or guide for just about every concept under the sun, I don't know if it's impressive or a disservice to *only* draw from a handful of sources. Maybe a bit of both.

Regardless, I knew coming into this that it would be a tough criteria to meet, I'm just happy I got something in on time.

Oh, and edit to add, thank you GWG for judging. The number of build comps that I've seen people put time into and then they go unjudged, while not exceptionally high, is still sad. Without judges, we wouldn't have competitions.

[H_H_F_F]

Granted, it's been almost 7 years since I last participated in a build comp, I don't think I'd realized VC builds could get dinged on elegance for having too many sources. In this day where 3.5e is over 14 years old, and has somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 sourcebooks (and I'm not even going to attempt to count the web only materials), and a handbook or guide for just about every concept under the sun, I don't know if it's impressive or a disservice to *only* draw from a handful of sources. Maybe a bit of both.

Regardless, I knew coming into this that it would be a tough criteria to meet, I'm just happy I got something in on time.

It's not about the rules saying they can be penalized for that; it's about a lack of rules saying they can't. And absent those, a judge finding it inelegant is certainly within their right to penalize them.

I tend to agree think that this is not a criteria that encourages the kind of builds we want to see here, so I'll change the rules by next round. 'Till then, GWG's autonomy as a judge is more important to me than this issue.

[WeaselGuy]

It's not about the rules saying they can be penalized for that; it's about a lack of rules saying they can't. And absent those, a judge finding it inelegant is certainly within their right to penalize them.

I tend to agree think that this is not a criteria that encourages the kind of builds we want to see here, so I'll change the rules by next round. 'Till then, GWG's autonomy as a judge is more important to me than this issue.

Oh, I 100% agree. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear in my post. Mine was more a haphazard musing on the state of things with 3.5e and build comps on these forums. Again, I thank GWG for his time, and abide by what he presented.

[Buufreak]

While we're waiting to find judges (is anyone here interested, by the way?)

Oh they are here, and they are JUDGING!


Alright, dope. Always love something that can manage to take a mechanic that is just a class feature (and derivatives there of) and crank it to 11. This chick sings. She sings, and she sings, and she sings some more. But what can she do with that singing? Let's see.

Originality: Not the most well known Fey out there, which is good. Savage bard, okay. Dirge Singer, okay. Siren is a bit on the nose. Then we are taking most of our feats (I almost typed feets) into further exemplifying all the fun voice stuff. I'm sitting comfortable with a 3.

Power: So speaking of your voice, lets see what all you can do with it! We can do emotions, phantasmal killer, feeblemind (a personal favorite, but that gets no extra points here!), enervation, flesh to stone, power word kill, some nice -2 debuffs, bolstering some undead, confusion, ability damage, some animate dead... All solid effects, although quite a few of them are only 1/day. There is some spellcasting in there that isn't exactly worth writing home about. You also run into the charisma/constitution damage of using the Dark Speech, but in a weird way, I kinda love the idea of as she keeps using her abilities, she gradually becomes gaunt, hideous, and only if there was like wisdom damage too so she can go insane! Overall, I enjoy it, and I feel like it has some decent power and utility. It's not full caster, but you found the right sources and methods to take something and make it good. Have a 4.

Elegance: You aren't jumping through tons of hoops to make something work. I don't think I saw anything in there like dumping metrics of half skill points all the sudden to qualify. It's a Fey, so it fits the theme. The classes chosen all seem to work together nicely and thematically. Yea, I have no problem giving a 5 here.

Memorability: So, there is some good mechanical support here, but who hasn't heard an ole sea shanty about some bloke running into some gorgeous creature of the waters that lures them in. I do like it, and on the individual level I feel like it would be very good, but maybe not the big show runner. Doesn't just scream BBEG to me. It's a 3.

What a lovely little sketch of art. And another entry from Frostburn. Just how many Fey are in this book? Anyways...

Originality: Well, definitely not a creature I had heard of, but I feel Mindbender is something that gets suggested almost always whenever someone is looking at filling out a stat block on the way to 20. It's a bit of a give and take here, but I can sit comfortably with a 3.

Power Another build that pushes forward with some spellcasting, but then it falls off completely and only goes up to moderately low levels of spells. I feel like you all are conspiring against me to make this more difficult. I do appreciate the idea of something that is VERY hard to kill, and in fact punishes you for attempting to. It is an interesting shtick. Negative levels is always a strong option, right until you run into anything that is immune, but that is neither here nor there. Eventually doubling up on SLA's sounds cool, but I'm not super sure the ones you have are too big to right home about in the first place. I believe this is also a 3.

Elegance: Ah, elegance. The wonderful scoring bit where I tend to find the silliest of things to point out, and bring an entire build crashing down for it. Case in point, did you know a touch attack is in fact NOT a natural weapon? They are listed as SU effects, much like natural weapons are, but in quite the different manner. You aren't at any point inflicting damage with some form of natural status of appendage. You are very much channeling some sort of energy (in this case, cold) through the touch itself. Otherwise, we would have seen plenty of caster builds bringing out the INA cheese, stacking things like Beast Claw (I think I am remembering that right) and the such you usually see on a Claw-lock build.

Then we also have something that is far MORE nitpick, but it is for elegance so semantics arguments can quite be thrown out. The feat is called "Eternal Hero" and last I checked, we are very much not making heroes here.

All in all, I don't think it is enough to disqualify the entire build, but is easily enough something that would get a DM to throw it out and send you back to the drawing board. So I believe this shall be a 2.

Memorability: It is quite the shame that you couldn't find the time to really fluff this one out, because it has some cool ideas. Effectively, its a Fey Vampire. My wife has been trying to figure out how to make that actually work rules legally for years, and this is so close to that. I just wish we had a bit more here. 2.

Alright, what do we have here. That's an odd way to spell Banshee, innit? So, it seems pretty Banshee-like, but with appropriate Fey stuff. Cool. Let's dive in.

Originality: Well, another one I've not heard of, and a class that does druid things, but also kinda paladin mount, but specifically for arcane casters. I actually dig it. It's also not one (that I can immediately see) that takes away your familiar or combines it into your mount. Oh dope, a template that lets you animate living spells? LOVE IT! Found me a new book I need to get my hands on. The only thing that seems really on the nose is doing bard on Fey, then Sublime Chord on bard. I'm fine with a 4.

Power: Okay, so we are using arcane rid-a-ma-jig to progress the casting of SC. So we are casting as a 7th level SC, but minus most of the song effects. And ya know, that's a-okay, because besides the time bubble, I honestly think the class features are pretty meh. Some of the things I'm finding odd are statting into mounted archery. You've got a solid dex stat for it, but it just feels a bit out of place to me? Idk. Its nitpicking. Oh, well I guess it actually makes sense with the blowdart. Okay, cool. I believe, all things tallied, this comes out to a nice 4.

Elegance: So we are pretty damn straight forward here. You ride on a thing, you shoot the darts, you cast the spells, maybe some magical music mixed in there. I'm not digging through 1000 books to find it all. It does seem like the bard and SC are just dips, but that would be my only complaint. 4.

Memorability: So I do enjoy this. I get a weird kind of Princess Mononoke (sp?) vibe from this. Some mystery, some elegance, some charm. I like it. I think you are taking a sweep here with straight 4.

Okay, so this seems straight forward. Let's dive in.

Originality: Not the most obscure race, its from the Races of series. Beguiler, been there. Sandshaper, an interesting choice. Definitely one I have seen a thousand times for fixed list casters to get a few more on the list, which is a shame. What I am really liking here is I don't see anything mentioning bard or music. That's great actually. Have a 3.

Power: We've got a full caster here, folks! Not the fattest list of spells able to be used, but we get to the 9's. Not really amazing class features besides that, but as well all know, spells are what win. This can be a 4.

Elegance: It really is straight forward. No wild dips all over the place. Not trying to juggle RHD and LA. Hell, you could play this 1 to 20 in any old game. Not really reaching all over the place to find just one more thing. Its neat, pretty, and simple. 5.

Memorability: I actually really like the idea of weaving shadow magic and illusion into the idea of a mirage. It isn't something I really have seen touched on before, and as a native desert dweller, I like it. Enjoy the 4.

Ah, the wee little pixie critter that is the Petal. This should be interesting.

Originality: Can't say I've heard much of the illustrious Fey smiths. But we will touch more on that later. One thing that is bothering me is how it is mentioned in like a single sentence, some cheese (well known at that) is explained, and then we see it in the build stub and table without really any reasonable elaboration. But moving on, Fey rogue is definitely a thing, but pushing it into psionics is rather different. So I can sit comfortable with a 3.

Power: So again, I see the artificer, and I know it has some stank when it comes to the silly things you can do with it. No one here is going to discount that. You took it to 8, which is dipping out of it before you can get the most out of your EXP pool for crafting, which is a shame. It's hard to talk about, because a reliance on items is something that literally anyone can do, however your entire class feature is focused on creating those items, so it is a bit of a wash.

Then we have the prestige class that as a capstone can dominate. That's cool and all, but people have been doing that 11 levels ago. Given, it is stated as dominate monster which has a much wider range of things that can be hit, but it still feels lacking for a level 20 ability. Then of course we have some sneak attack progression. Idk. It all feels a bit underwhelming to me. 3.

Elegance: Well we all had to know we would get to here. I take issue with something not particular to the 3.5 rules, but the contest rules. It specifically states that you take your starting CR and then start adding more as you level. The issue here is a Petal starts at CR 1 with 1 HD, so am I to judge this based on the first class level taking the place of that first HD? Because that rule generally applies to things that DON'T have a full 1 CR based on their racial HD. If I am to take this this way, we actually lose out on a level somewhere. I'm not super sure where you would want that, but that's my opinion on it.

Then comes artificer. We all know it is cheesy. We all know that if you specifically do this thing, then that thing, then take this one reading that says "any magic item can be a psionic item as well," then you can do practically whatever you want. It's old had, I've heard and read it a thousand times. Not to mention the implied reliance on magic items, because when you are talking about emulating things like sublime chord spells and abilities, you aren't going to be doing that with just base stats alone.

Honestly, above all, I don't really understand artificer being there. It feels so "hey, i tacked this on because it is a powerful choice" and doesn't come out well in the idea, the story. As I said, it gets mentioned in the early levels as just kinda being there, but any sort of elaboration on how or why would really help this.

C'est la vie. 2.

Memorability: A crafting, mind controlling fairy sounds... a bit spot on, but with a twist. I'm not sure how much of a long lasting feel this one would have. Definitely doesn't scream BBEG to me, but I could see how someone with a bunch of thralls... but that would get a DQ and we don't want that. Anyways. 3.


And I believe that is it. Feel free to wish for rebuttal. I'll be around for such.

[H_H_F_F]

Thanks for judging, Buufreak!

[loky1109]

I'll judge slightly lazy this time, "by eye". But I still go from 3 in Originality and Memorable Villainy, from 0 in Power, from 5 in Elegance.


I'm Russian. Русалка isn't something surprising for me. Your classes aren't wow, either. Bard is just in theme, Siren was my first idea, even prior to thoughts about base creature. Dirgesinger is slightly new even after the Siren IC round, but that's all. 1.5 2 points here from me.
Add +0.5 after dispute.
I don't see you as a powerhouse. Most of your attacks are mind-affecting. Your best abilities came from Siren and are usual for members of this PrC. Yes it's something, but not something mindblowing. Your saves are normal, your HP looks low, can't say something special about your AC. Your skills are slightly better than average and you can do something as a bard. It's a shame you have not enough allies to buff. I give you 3.
Okay. Your build is simple and consistent, but it has some issues.
Bluff and Spellcraft aren't in-class skills for Rusalka RHD.
You took +1 Fort and +1 Reflex on Siren 1 level from nowhere.
I don't like your skill presentation.
I don't understand why you are Savage Bard (no penalty).
I had to search Bardic Knack and Music of Creation ACFs.
You use cross-setting materials (not something worth a penalty, but I should slap on your wrist).
Total Elegance will be 3.
Change to 4 points after dispute.
Moryana is very thematic and very Bewitching. Literal. But... she is more NPC than Villain. I see how I can use her in a game, and it can be a good session, but only one. Her water symbiosis doesn't work well for her Villainy. She is very local. If the party will fight with Moryana I don't see it'll be a very great encounter. Underwater fighting is something slightly interesting, but that's all. Give you 2.
Total: 9.5 11.
Sorry. When I read entries first, Moryana was my favorite, but now I read her more closely and can't give you more. Give you my HM.

Yuki-On-Na. Of course she is here. Five levels of Mindbender? Unusual. Soul Eater for nonhumanoid is expected. Final Strike and Epic Destiny (eternal hero)? You have my attention. Yeah, I have always open tab with Epic Destiny in my browser, but it's still very underused feats.
3 points.
You are immortal. Have good skills, have good social options, Soul Eater up to 10th level is one of the best PrC for melee monster. If you die, there's a surprise for your foes. I think it's 3.5.
Well. I don't think your Touch attack is a Natural weapon, so you didn't qualify for Soul Eater, which is an essential part of your entry.
I wanna to see some marks that skills are cross-class in your table.
I can't give you more than 1 as a debatable illegal entry. I can imagine DM who buy your Soul Eater entry, but I don't.
Lack of backstory isn't good for you, but you have some sketch. And you have interesting monster. Monster which is Bewitching by her nature. With potential to become a recurrent threat. It isn't best Villain I saw in VC, but a good one. 3.5 points.
Total: 11.
Good advancement of classic fey-monster. Slightly illegal, but apart from that well done.

Mistling Banshrae. Well, I looked at Banshrae, but it's still very obscure fey. Good for you. Mistling is unexpected, too. Bard... boring. Silverwood Arcanist? Unexpectedly. Spells are nothing to say about. Mounted Combat feats line... didn't expect to see it here. 3.5 points.
8th level spells are always good. SLAs aren't bad. Good saves. Very low BAB. And... I don't understand your build. What is your focus? Looks like you try to do all at once: melee, casting, skills, mounted combat, ranged attacks. And of course in it all you are below average.
3 points.
You can't take Lingering Song when you take it.
Web: Silverwood Arcanist - isn't enough reference. If it's online material I want a link.
And I don't see sources for anything other than race and classes.

Stunning Fist 3/day (DC22)
You have 5 SF attempts.

Rowena’s wild cohort is supposed to be a piebald horse with Fey Heritage feats, but with a few feats swapped around could be a magpie spy or anything else you can imagine really.
No, it can't if you want to qualify for Silverwood Arcanist.
I see issues with spellcasting on monster who cannot speak.

And the most important issue.

I’ve used Mistling’s SLAs to qualify for Sublime Chord. Not sure if that works by RAW, but it seems fitting and fits the theme, so went with it.
No, it doesn't work. Nor for Sublime Chord, nor for Silverwood Arcanist (Sublime Chord don't give you 3rd level spells, so it isn't chain penalty).
Your entry is illegal. Not debatably illegal as Nixina, but strictly illegal. Zero points.

I like your story and Rowena is clearly Bewitching. I think Rowena is CE. I see potential, but without tactical tips and only short story I can't give you a high score. Give you 3.
Total: 9.5.
Cool entry with potential, but with structural errors, too.

I didn't expect your race and your class combination. Feats, however, are very common. 4 points. Like you.
9th level spells including shades. Very good skills. Nothing to say about saves and very low HP. But it's still deserves 4.5.
Your table broke down on 14th level (no penalty).
Eschew Materials on the 18th level... Is it really worth it? I don't think so.
I want to see more tips about your spells. What do you use in combat and how? List of 156 spells with three vague suggestions isn't very informative.
But it's all troubles I was able to find, you have your 4.5.
You of course are Bewitching - you are Beguiler, but... Why are you Killoren? What does change if I substitute Killoren for, let's say, Human? Apart from that, I like your style, while I see PC or NPC, not Villain. 3 points
Total: 16.
Interesting, but too much IC entry. VC's point is that you can create monster. You for some reason make a PC build.

Artificer 8/Psychic Rogue 2/Psibond Agent 10 - unexpected all. Petal - unexpected, too. Silver Tongue and Cards Over Swords... well, not not as much unexpected for me as you probably expected, but still a nice catch. Trustworthy is a very nice catch, too.
Give you 5.
Artificer is cool. Psibond Agent up to 10th level isn't the most powerful PrC choice, but far from the worst, too. I can't say anything about your skills, but the number of skill-points looks good. Saves normal, hp looks low, and anyway Una isn't created for fight.
I can give you 3.5 points.
I have bad news for you in this category.

I think it's -3 in Str, +5 Dex, +2 Con +2 Int, +2 Int, +0 Wis, and +4 Charisma?
I don't understand how you get these values.
Petal has: -8 Str; +10 Dex; +4 Con; +4 Int; +0 Wis; +8 Cha.

Artificer-1 doesn't have +3 base Will.
Your saves from 2nd to 8th levels don't exist. And they are incorrectly calculated.
You have mistakes in the BAB - you should get +1 more on 14th and 17th. And +10/+6/+1 on 18 is wrong. Like later levels. +10/+5 or +11/+6/+1. Not +10/+6/+1.
Skills. I don't buy this. I want to see purchased skills, not numbers of skill points. Especially wrong numbers. You can't have 6 skill points on the 1st level.
I like your level-by-level progression description, but I don't like it's instead Class Features listing.
You didn't qualify for Extra Rings and Craft Contingent Spell.
I want to see sources. At least for obscure things like Cards Over Swords or Trustworthy.
Only 1 point. I thought about zero, but entry isn't completely illegal, just has mistakes.
Bewitching - yes. In theme - yes. Villain - ... Maybe? I see it's inherent issue of this round. More than half of all entries are more friendly NPC than Villains. For you I give 3.5.
Total: 13
Interesting entry, but it looks like you need more practice.

[H_H_F_F]

Thanks for judging, loky!

[H_H_F_F]

One dispute for you, loky.

First, this isn't directly aimed at you, but man, I wish I had kept up with ICITP rounds more, and seen that Siren was recently done there. I 100% would not have gone that route, since nobody is fazed by it at all.

With regards to Rusalka not surprising you because of your nationality, I guess that's about the same as Petal not surprising me at all, since the Petal is basically just Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, and what probably 99% of Western Europeans and Americans think of, when you mention "Fairy". Oh well.

You're 100% correct about her AC, it's only 12, and her HP rounds out to about 103. Both of these would obviously go higher with gear, but the theme of the race is to not wear gear.

Speaking of "theme", Savage Bard was 100% thematic with minimal mechanical impact. Regarding Bluff and Spellcraft, as well as cross-setting materials, I'd leave those up to DM's prerogative to swap in and out, to make for a more interesting NPC for their PCs to go up against. I guess I didn't really consider that the skills they start with are set in stone. The +1 to Fort and Reflex were a typo that actually carries all the way down. I think it was from changing a class out on my spreadsheet. 100% my bad.

Regarding you not liking my skill layout, I very specifically changed how I present my skill progression from a critique that I received in previous competitions, because another judge couldn't easily tell where the jumps in skills were coming from.

Finally, I'm honored that you give me your HM vote, and that I was your favorite. I just wish that that first impression had actually transferred over in some tangible manner.

Regardless, thank you for judging.

[H_H_F_F]

And yet another dispute, for both Buufreak and loky:

Firstly, thank you both for judging.

Secondly, no disputes for GWG.

Thirdly, couple of points to raise with Buu:

1. I'm honestly surprised you feel Mindbender is common. I mean, it see it as a one level dip on occasion to get Mindsight, but multiple levels of a half-casting class isn't something I see that often myself.
2. Strongly disagree that touch attacks are not natural attacks. They are in the attack line of monster stats, not the special attacks line. I have previously asked in the Simple RAW thread whether the touch attack of a Will-O-Wisp, for instance, is eligible for feats like Improved Natural Attack, and the reply was always "yes". Can you provide a citation that shows that innate touch attacks are not natural weapons?

Finally, for Loky - same question I asked Buu about natural weapons. Also, just curious: did you pick that up yourself, or was it based on what Buu brought up? NOt that there's anything necessarily wrong with it either way, just interested to know.

Other than that, just wanted to thank you all again for the judging, and I fully accept my lack of backstory can often hurt my entries. It's not something I'm particularly good at, so I tend to keep it down to basic motivations. I'd like the think my Play Tips and Tactics and Use In Campaign sections help a little with this, but I realise some judges really prefer a lengthy backstory.

In regard to a question that came up in this dispute, I will point out just in case it wasn't known that judges are to avoid looking at other judgements before they post their own. I don't see it as a very big deal, but that's the accepted norm and we'll try to keep it here.

[Buufreak]

@Nixina, everything I am finding merely states that if one would hold a touch attack, it can in a following round be delivered through a natural weapon. Thus far, I have seen nothing that has stated an inate touch attack is a natural weapon, nor one granted from a class, template, etm. I am more than glad to admit that I am wrong and will give it all another look if I see some actual citation. I'm away from books currently, but I intend to give it another look, especially in the rules compendium.

As an aside, of the times I have judged, I have been able to notice that others had finished before myself. However, to stay impartial and keep any and all thoughts original and of my own, I specifically ignore all such other posts until I finish with my own.

[loky1109]

I wish I had kept up with ICITP rounds more, and seen that Siren was recently done there. I 100% would not have gone that route, since nobody is fazed by it at all.
Siren IC round didn't do much for your score. Siren + High Cha + Beauty's Bounty (https://web.archive.org/web/20161101074242/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fey/20030815a) just really my first idea. It isn't great, so I didn't make it, but I can't forget it.


With regards to Rusalka not surprising you because of your nationality, I guess that's about the same as Petal not surprising me at all, since the Petal is basically just Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, and what probably 99% of Western Europeans and Americans think of, when you mention "Fairy". Oh well.
You know, Originality is very subjective and for me Petal is far more surprising than Rusalka somehow. But I look at your point, look at your entry one more time and I'm giving you +0.5 in Originality.


Speaking of "theme", Savage Bard was 100% thematic with minimal mechanical impact.
That’s what I assumed.


Regarding Bluff and Spellcraft, as well as cross-setting materials, I'd leave those up to DM's prerogative to swap in and out, to make for a more interesting NPC for their PCs to go up against.
Cross-setting materials isn't a big deal, it's really in the DM's power, but class skills are another matter. Yes, DM can change it, too, but we here are making entries according to the rules of D&D 3.5 and you broke these rules.

I guess I didn't really consider that the skills they start with are set in stone.
Skill ranks - of course no, replace it as you wish. But the in-class skill list is. Rusalka's RHD doesn't differ from, let's say, levels of fighter in that regard. Fighter can buy Spellcraft, but without shticks it isn't a class skill for him.


Regarding you not liking my skill layout, I very specifically changed how I present my skill progression from a critique that I received in previous competitions, because another judge couldn't easily tell where the jumps in skills were coming from.
I understand that. But it's still uncomfortable for me.

If you ask me what should you do, I'll give that example (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25482749&postcount=27) and that tool (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BG0-5sq4dL9Ooh7-QfXuyHzO4rXSz-CRcj29t6BeUVE/edit#gid=401538143).


I looked at my Elegance ranking... Well, it really looks to be over penalized with such minor violations. It should be 4 points instead of 3.



Also, just curious: did you pick that up yourself, or was it based on what Buu brought up?
It's definitely my decision. I didn't even read the other judges' evaluations before I did mine.


Finally, for Loky - same question I asked Buu about natural weapons.

Strongly disagree that touch attacks are not natural attacks. They are in the attack line of monster stats, not the special attacks line.
I was ready for that. That's why you have 1 point, but not 0 in Elegance. This is debatably illegal.


I have previously asked in the Simple RAW thread whether the touch attack of a Will-O-Wisp, for instance, is eligible for feats like Improved Natural Attack, and the reply was always "yes".
My answer would be - no. Simple RAW thread's answers aren't strong arguments.


Can you provide a citation that shows that innate touch attacks are not natural weapons?
I know exactly one touch attack that explicitly is a natural weapon - Unbodied's melee touch (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 215). It is clearly stated - natural weapon. I see it as an exception that confirms the existence of the rule.

Score stands.

[H_H_F_F]

Thanks for the responses, friends.

Do we have anyone else wishing to judge? If not, contestants have 24 hours for further dispute.

[AvatarVecna]

Thanks for the responses, friends.

Do we have anyone else wishing to judge? If not, contestants have 24 hours for further dispute.

I'm judging.

[loky1109]

Four judges? Wow!

[H_H_F_F]

I'm judging.

Awesome. Thank you.

[AvatarVecna]

+3.00: Base
-0.25: Race choices
-0.25: Class choices
+0.50: PrC choices
+0.25: Feat choices
-0.25: Skill choices
+0.50: Overall concept

I kind of expected low-CR fey going into bard-like classes. That's just playing into typical fey shenanigans. Playing a water fey who lures people to drown isn't particularly interesting, but using those previous victims as undead fodder for you to buff? That's a nice twist on a common trope, nicely done. I don't generally expect Dirgesinger or Siren for mechanical reasons, even if maybe they should've been more expected for this particular round, but I'm not gonna knock you for that.+3.00: Base
-0.50: CR 5
-0.25: CR 10
+0.00: CR 15
-0.25: CR 20

The first half of your career has a big problem: you can't really take people out. You can debuff them a little, and later more than a little, but the only condition that really matters is "dead", and you have a lot of trouble inflicting that on adventurers. You're mostly limited to tricking commoners into drowning themselves. That's it.

Later on, when you've (presumably) got some beatstick minions you can buff who can do the killing for you, while you debuff enemies (or even use phantasmal killer/power word kill abilities on people), now you can actually do some work. It's still not great, but it's something, and better late than never? I think at the high-levels, your build starts suffering again, though: fear/MA immunities are becoming more common, undead beatsticks just won't be cutting it anymore, and power word kill is actually pretty garbage against most enemies.+3.00: Base
-0.25: Class Skill Issue
-0.25: Too Many Skill Points
-1.00: 2 feats never qualified for
+0.25: probably qualifies for PrCs
+0.25: No MC issues
+0.25: Listed All Sources

Bluff and Spellcraft are not class skills for your race. After checking your HD and Int, you have 2 more skill points per level at every single class level, and 5 more skill points in total between your racial HD. Not a single CR has the right number of skill points listed, and it's always more than you should have. Both of those things together make it hard to qualify for Melodic Casting at the time you take it, although that's not an insurmountable problem. Similarly, "too many skill points" requires you to shuffle things around to make sure that your feats and Dirgesinger are still qualified for. I won't penalize for that, though. Because you have Int 12, you never qualified for Dark Speech (and thus, never qualified for Dark Whispers either).

All of this taken together makes it feel like the villain was built with high-Int initially, then you went for a second pass through, switched the base 15 from Int to Cha, and forgot to change all the Int-based mechanics. That one small change makes a lot of the build far less legal, though.+3.00: Base
+0.25: Queen Of The Fae
+0.50: Bewitching
-0.25: Capricious
+0.25: Alignment
-0.50: Overall Villainy

So, slight penalty to Capricious because your build is 1) dependent on having undead minions to buff, and 2) has no way of producing said minions. You mention the possibility of having a vampire buddy or something who can create spawn, but that's kinda the problem: they're working with you, not for you. They're your partners, and you have to compromise to work with them. It's even entirely possible that they're the BBEG, and you're just the support-focused mini-boss.

And that's kind of the problem with your villainy too. You're not a villain. You're a folkloric character with barely more backstory than the typical myth: the lady of the lake who lures unsuspecting people to drown. You don't have plans or goals or ambitions. You're not seeking out people to cause problems, you're just making problems for anybody who gets near you. Your entire career can be dealt with by building a sturdy fence, or even just a good "warning folks off" sign post. You're Shrek, building a wall around your swamp warning people to stay away, and as long as they do, you're a non-threat.

I can't build a campaign around you. I can build an encounter around you, but that's it. You're a side character in some other villain's story.

+3.00: Base
-0.25: Race choices
+0.00: Class choices
+0.50: PrC choices
+0.25: Feat choices
-0.25: Skill choices
+0.75: Overall concept

Another cold fae necromancer, but this one actually has the ability to make minions. Definitely wasn't expecting a melee monster this round.+3.00: Base
-0.25: CR 5
+0.00: CR 10
+0.50: CR 15
+0.50: CR 20

You're starting off pretty weak. That sorcerer level isn't doing very much to help your base chassis - a few CL 5 1st lvl spells does not +1 CR make, IMO. But when Mindbender gets involved, you've got some enchantments to throw around, and some minions to man the front line. I wish there was more detail here, but I could see a decent encounter setup here. It's in the latter half of the build, when you get the ability to spawn minions and become effectively immortal that things start really coming together. Final Strike + Eternal Hero is a nice combo, I think.+3.00: Base
+0.50: Skills check out
+0.50: feats check out
-0.25: PrC qualification issue
+0.25: No MC issues
+0.25: All sources listed

So on the one hand, a touch attack is not a natural attack. It just straight up is not. The fact that it's in the attack line is meaningless, because all kinds of things can be in the attack line. Natural Attacks are well defined, and this isn't one.

But also...ehhhhh who cares. This is villain comp, this is making enemies for DMs to wield, and DMs are allowed to cheat. In my mind, Elegance in this category is less "could I get the DM to let me play this build" (a question where legality can be very very important sometimes), and more "will the players cry foul and pitch a fit if I run this villain" (a question where the DM has more leeway in terms of strict adherence to RAW). And this is a fairly minor technical foul - certainly nothing to tank a whole category over. It's a minor issue, and I'm sure if you asked players, all but the most hardcore rules lawyers would be surprised to hear that the Yuki-on-na's natural attack wasn't a Natural AttackTM. It's like complaining that the DM made a monk villain who didn't spend a feat on Weapon Proficiency (unarmed strike).+3.00: Base
+0.25: Queen Of The Fae
+0.25: Bewitching
+0.25: Capricious
+0.25: Alignment
+1.00: Overall Villainy

Now here's a villain I could build a campaign around. I could just take the lvl 17 version and have it be the "true villain behind it all" starting from 1st lvl. The party can run into wights early on, and gradually trace the source of the necromantic plague back to Nixina. Maybe along the way, they find a lake with another cold fae in it who buffs the undead, but that one is a false flag mini-boss, and the real villain is in a different part of the same frozen forest. The party can even get a couple "kills" on late-game Nixina around lvl 10, and it's fine, she'll just reconstitute herself elsewhere.

+3.00: Base
+0.50: Race choices
-0.25: Class choices
+0.25: PrC choices
+0.25: Feat choices
+0.00: Skill choices
+1.00: Overall concept

Bard was expected, and the skills were mostly expected, although Ride is pretty nice. Overall, though, this is a very strange and interesting build, and I love the characterization.+3.00: Base
+0.25: CR 8
-0.25: CR 12
-0.50: CR 15
-0.50: CR 20

Early on, you rearrange feats to give yourself a nice mounted combat set-up, and I think that's definitely a big upgrade over the base race you had. But after that, it's all downhill. Mistling is neat, but not worth its CR. As for the casting...

I know something about Sublime Chord that you didn't mention: the caster level issues. Even if we're counting your SLAs as spellcasting for the purposes of qualification, SC builds its CL on your existing caster classes. So those shiny lvl 8 spells? CL 8. Oof! This kinda echoes through the build: you've got a lot of things you can do, but none of them are really good for their level. They're all neat and flavorful and...weak. And not just because of the CL issue. You have 8th lvl spells...at CR 20. You have BAB +7...at CR 8. Which becomes BAB +10 at CR 20. That's...not good. High Dex is helping early on, but in the latter half of the build, it's not enough.

The CL issue is also important because it determines the HD of your living spells, and thus plays a big part in determining how powerful they are. The fact they'll have half the HD they should is gonna be a real problem in a bunch of ways.+3.00: Base
+0.50: skills check out
-0.25: Feat issue (eventually qualify)
-1.00: 2 PrC issues (never qualify)
+0.25: No MC issues
-0.25: Not fully sourced

Lingering Song requires Bardic Music, which you don't have at CR 8. You get it later, though, so that makes the penalty smaller.


Characters or creatures that use spell-like abilities or invocations never learn the arcane circumlocutions of logic and mental training necessary for advanced spellcasting. As such, requirements for feats and prestige classes based on specific levels of spells cast (“Able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells,” for example) cannot be met by spell-like abilities or invocations—not even spell-like abilities or invocations that allow a character to use a specific arcane spell of the appropriate level or higher.

+3.00: Base
+0.25: Queen Of The Fae
+0.50: Bewitching
+0.50: Capricious
+0.25: Alignment
-1.00: Overall Villainy

Overall, you're a very good fae noble. There's madness and trickery galore, I'm loving the flavor here. But...I can't really call you a villain, you just don't have the staying power, or any real villainous intentions. You can't actually give the PCs a challenge. You could be the mastermind behind a lot of weird stuff, but not a full campaign - the PCs are having to delve into the Mournland to deal with some other adventures, and you're the mini-boss for this part of the campaign that has nothing to do with whatever the real villain is doing. And at the end of the day...what are you even doing that could be called villainous? Squatting on property that nobody wants? Refusing to pay your taxes?? Stealing one (1) child every seven years??? That's the rap sheet of a particularly uppity 1st lvl commoner.

+3.00: Base
-0.50: Race choices
-0.50: Class choices
+0.00: PrC choices
-0.25: Feat choices
-0.25: Skill choices
+0.00: Overall concept

Built a character instead of a monster, which I dislike for VC. Oh look, the bard's big brother. Oh look, caster feats. Oh look, social skills and magic skills. Yawn. The fluff isn't too much to write home about either. Tying in with a natural illusory phenomenon is nice, so some points for that, but there's no character here.

+3.00: Base
+0.50: CR 5
+0.50: CR 10
+0.50: CR 15
+0.50: CR 20

Well, this is what you sacrificed for, yes? Full casting, full power. You'll always have a few levels on the PCs, so you'll have bigger spells to bring to bear, and they'll have to save some slots for dealing with minions and random encounters rather than throwing everything at you, so you've got enough nonsense you should be able to go toe to toe with them.+3.00: Base
+0.50: skills check out
+0.50: feats check out
+0.50: PrCs check out
+0.25: No MC issues
+0.25: Fully sourced
-0.25: Wall Of Text

Only minor issue here is you've got a bad habit to make walls of text. Other than that minor presentation issue, full marks.

+3.00: Base
+0.25: Queen Of The Fae
+0.50: Bewitching
+0.25: Capricious
+0.25: Alignment
-1.00: Overall Villainy

You've got the power of an evil fairy queen, but as seems to be a common problem this round, you don't really have the villainous intentions. You're just kinda wandering around a desert, and on the rare occasions you encounter someone, it kinda mildly sucks for them, but they tend to survive. They're just disappointed when the illusions of a better life fade away. There's nothing here that would get a sultan calling down a bounty on your head.

+3.00: Base
-0.50: Race choices
+0.00: Class choices
-0.25: PrC choices
+0.25: Feat choices
-0.25: Skill choices
+0.25: Overall concept

I definitely wasn't expecting an artificer this round. Some of the choices definitely caught me off-guard, but for the most part you've built a PC rather than a monster. There's a seed for a character here, and it's a very nice seed, but you've not grown it into anything.

+3.00: Base
+0.50: CR 5
+0.50: CR 10
+0.50: CR 15
+0.50: CR 20

This might be a little controversial, but I'm going to give full marks in power for a very particular reason: this contest isn't about building the biggest baddest PC to have a chance at taking on whatever the DM throws at you, it's about making a monster who is a good challenge for the players, a good BBEG for a campaign. And a very important point for that, in my mind, is how adaptable you are: if the PCs are significantly stronger or weaker than your base monster, how hard would it be to give them an appropriate challenge? And in this, artificer is king. Artificer 8 could be doing as little as just giving you some neat wands of low-level illusions/enchantments to spam. Artificer 8 can also be used to access low-CL versions of high-level spells from Sublime Chord, Ur-Priest, or Divine Crusader. At-will or continuous versions of such spells could make you a powerhouse capable of wrestling with gods. Or anywhere in between those two extremes. You can give players as much or as little challenge as the DM wants to give them, and that's incredibly valuable. That's the power sweet spot.+3.00: Base
-1.00: Very incomplete entry, various errors
-0.50: Contest runs on CR, no LA/ECL
-0.50: Multiclass penalties
-0.50: Excessive cheese
-0.25: No listed sources

Given that a Petal Artificer 1 is supposed to have Artificer 1 replace their 1 fey HD, I'm not gonna knock you for that exactly, but I think the LA should be left off the table entirely, and I'm not sure how to calculate the CR of a Petal Artificer 1. I would've preferred if you assumed it was CR 2 instead of CR 1.

The bigger issue is just how much of this is done wrong, or just straight up not done. Your BAB is wrong in places, as you were worried about. Your saves are unlisted several times. Your skills haven't been chosen at all - and while I havent' double-penalized you for this, this makes it hard to be sure that the build as designed qualifies for some feats or even their PrC at all.

The lack of sources makes it hard to look up stuff when I don't know where it comes from. I know full well what Cards Over Swords does, but I don't know it's prereqs, and without a source it's hard to check. You see the problem.

Finally, you're the only build here with multiclass penalties, but it's worse for you than most characters. I know that this is a BBEG contest so characters don't necessarily have to worry about XP, but an XP penalty on an artificer is always going to hurt, and that's gonna get players calling foul even moreso than usual. Which is a lot, if you're really going all-out on the artificer cheese.+3.00: Base
+0.25: Queen Of The Fae
-0.50: Bewitching
-0.50: Capricious
+0.25: Alignment
-0.50: Overall Villainy

Psionic powers listed: zero. Illusion/enchantment spells listed: zero. Frickin' social skills listed: zero. And I'm sure you'd have those skills if you'd bothered to do them, but without a lot of support, a standard number of ranks in social skills just isn't gonna cover the whole 'trickery and deceit' angle, you would need some ludicrous bonuses or some abilities supporting that stuff to really have a go at it.

You're playing fairy godmother to princesses. You're literally submitting yourself to a monarch. Okay sure you're "working with them", and you're "manipulating them towards your own ends", but realistically you're providing them with spellcasting, psionics, and magic items in exchange for some nebulous unspoken advantage at some vague point in the future? You're not a queen, you're a lackey who's convinced she's in charge because she's the one who put the shackles on her own wrists.

Also, "manipulating them towards your own ends" is a stretch, because you don't seem to really have an end-goal. You're manipulating for no stated reason. You've got a vague motivation to make sure that petals don't go extinct, but you're not taking actions towards that goal, or at least you don't say how you're getting there. It's the underpants gnomes problem: step 1 sell magic items to the king, step 2 ??? step 3 save all fairies from being hunted. Except step 2 is actually step 2 through 100, and you've got no advice for DMs on how to get from step 1 to step 101. You've at least got a villainous motivation and the seed of an idea to become a villain at some point in the future, but right now...you aren't one.

EDIT: I'll also say on a personal note that the biggest issue with the last build (IMO) is the incompleteness. Filling out the build table with everything properly is costing at least a solid point. The utter lack of a villainous story outside of that one "seed of a motivation" is costing at least 1.5 points across two categories. That's 2.5+ points that could've been gained with me personally. If the others were all similar, Una would easily be competing for a medal right now.

[AvatarVecna]

Build
Chef
GreatWyrmGold
Buufreak
loky1109
AvatarVecna
Total Score
Placement


Moryana Vodyanitska

10.50
15.00
11.00
11.00
47.50
4th


Nixina

12.50
10.00
11.00
17.00
50.50
3rd


Rowena, Queen Of Magpies

14.00
16.00
09.50
12.50
52.00
2nd


Queen Of Mirages

13.00
16.00
16.00
14.50
59.50
1st


Una Hedera, The Lotus Fey

10.00
11.00
13.00
10.50
44.50
5th

[H_H_F_F]

Thank you for judging, AvatarVecna!

[GreatWyrmGold]

FYI, I didn't include it in the OP but I am of the belief that limiting access to sources does the competition more harm than good. So starting from next round, there'll be an Iron-Chef-like ruling in place, saying that as long as they're legal and sourced, the obscurity or number of sources used shouldn't affect judgement.

It doesn't apply for this round, of course, so I'm not asking you to change anything - just letting you know that's something you'll need to adjust for in the future.
I will keep this in mind for the future! (Unless I drop off the forum again next week and forget by the time I randomly return and judge Competition XXCVI.)

"Elegance" is just one of those things that I find tricky to judge. I can use the biologist's rule of "I know it when I see it" to an extent, but that only goes so far when you have to provide a specific number on elegance. Especially when the few metrics I consistently use (like dips and questionable rulings) are fairly consistent for all entries in a single contest. (Or at least I don't notice all the issues someone like AvatarVecna does, since I don't want to spend an hour checking each feat I'm not familiar with. Good on Vecna for putting in the legwork, though!)

[H_H_F_F]

One final dispute from Nixina for everyone who took issue with the touch attack / natural weapon discussion.


OK, looks like the judges have a very firm mindset on what is and is not natural weapon. I continue to disagree, so here's my final case, and after that I will let it be.

The glossary and Rules compendium say this (bolding mine):


Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below.
Bite: The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.
Claw or Talon: The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage.
Gore: The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn, or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage.
Slap or Slam: The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.
Sting: The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to hit point damage.
Tentacle: The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning (and sometimes slashing) damage.

The bolded section would indicate to me that this is not an exhaustive list of what can be called a natural weapon.

FWIW, here is at least two forum threads where multiple posters seem to agree that things like the Will-O-Wisps shock attacks are natural weapons:
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?286497-101-Natural-Weapons
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?518420-Zappin-foes

The RC definition of Touch Attacks says:


Touch attacks come in two types - melee touch attacks and ranged touch attacks. When an attack is a touch attack, your target’s AC doesn’t include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus, including enhancement bonuses to these factors. All other modifiers apply normally. To hit your target, you make a touch attack roll - ranged or melee - and all other rules that affect attack rolls still apply.

And the glossary says this:


touch attack
An attack in which the attacker must connect with an opponent but does not need to penetrate armor. Touch attacks may be either melee or ranged. The target's armor bonus, shield bonus, and natural armor bonus (including any enhancement bonuses to those values) do not apply to AC against a touch attack.

There is nothing there saying a touch attack is not a weapon. There's plenty of feats, skill tricks and class features that allow touch attacks to be made with weapons: does that mean they cease to be weapons for that attack?

I know stat blocks are not the greatest source of RAW, but have a look at these examples (Improved Natural Attack feat can only be applied to a natural weapon). At least some devs seem to agree with my reading:
Eyes of the Lich Queen p.12 - Evolved Dread Wraith with Improved Natural Attack (incorporeal touch) as a feat
Iggwilv's Legacy - The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth p.91 - Dread Wraith with Improved Natural Attack (incorporeal touch) as a feat

Finally, I would ask if the cold touch of a Yuki-On-Na is not a natural attack, then what exactly is it? Is it a Supernatural or SLA, which would mean it stops working in an AMF? Is it an Ex ability, which is somehow not a manufactured or natural weapon? Does it threaten if someone provokes an AoO? If things like the Yuki-On-Na and Will-O-Wisp's innate attacks are classified as not being natural weapons, it seems to open up a lot more questions than it answers.

Anyhow, I rest my case. I don't think I'll be changing any minds, but I feel better having put across my side of things.

[AvatarVecna]

That fact that two stat blocks (which are notoriously inaccurate no matter how many people worked on the sourcebook they're from) from obscure sources might've been developed by people who have the same bad take as you doesn't make it a good take. The fact that the SRD list of natural weapons says "the most common" doesn't mean you get to declare anything you want that's not on the list as being potentially a natural weapon if it's to your advantage to treat it as one.


Finally, I would ask if the cold touch of a Yuki-On-Na is not a natural attack, then what exactly is it? Is it a Supernatural or SLA, which would mean it stops working in an AMF? Is it an Ex ability, which is somehow not a manufactured or natural weapon? Does it threaten if someone provokes an AoO? If things like the Yuki-On-Na and Will-O-Wisp's innate attacks are classified as not being natural weapons, it seems to open up a lot more questions than it answers.

This whole section is written from the perspective that RAW makes sense. It does not. The cold touch attack the Yuki-On-Na makes is not inherently magical, supernatural, spell-like, or extraordinary, but it's not a natural attack either because it's not declared to be one (where other unorthodox natural attacks have had just such a note).

"Opens up more questions than it answers" is a meaningless rubric for making readings of the rules. The rules are often, even frequently, nonsensical and self-contradictory. There are multiple full threads dedicated to finding dysfunctional points in the ruleset. That doesn't mean you get to claim whatever you want falls under whatever ruleset you want. You can houserule it as a "Natural AttackTM" if you want, and everyone can agree that makes more sense, and is a more fair and reasonable way of reading the rules. But that doesn't make it RAW.

And I'm not even saying you can't take Weapon Focus for it. You're making an attack roll, you can take Weapon Focus for it. Complete Arcana provides good precedent for that. I'm not even saying that I disagree - I think it probably should count as a natural weapon, and be integrated into that subsystem of rules. I'm just saying that, AFAICT, it's not actually, technically, a natural weapon. I'm just saying it doesn't count as Weapon Focus in a natural attack, for the purposes of qualifying for Soul Eater. I'm leaving the penalty as-is, because generally my penalties in elegance are less strictly about legality, and more about whether it's gonna cause an argument, and how big of an argument it causes, and how difficult it would be to resolve that argument. If a player wanted to play a Yuki-On-Na at tables I've sat at, I could see this exact argument happening, until the DM eventually ruled that "come on guys, even if it's not labeled as one, it's an attack they can make naturally, stop being idiots about this". Small argument, easily solved, so small penalty. I certainly don't agree that it warrants a zero, but not everybody views Elegance the way I do.

[Buufreak]

AV summed it up quite well, but to expand on the RAW argument: At no point in the sections you cited does it say that a touch attack is not a natural attack. However, in the same note, they also do not say that it IS a natural attack. There is a legal theory that goes something along the lines of if you can rule out any and all other options, then the last remaining option must be the truth. I believe it is proving a contrapositive. However, that doesn't hold up in D&D, because when all else fails, there are simply untyped.... well, many things. Untyped bonuses, penalties, damages. This, as I see it, would actually fall under an SU ability, much like you will see it listed in many other stat blocks (including but not limited to touch attacks granted by classes), but as AV mentioned it would seem that without any SP, SU, or EX being listed in the entry, it would be another case of something being untyped.

That said, I do really appreciate your dedication and determination on this.

EDIT!

The thought just occurred. Perhaps in the future to preserve the very ideal of ethical and unbiased, untampered judgments, judges could use a double spoiler to keep others from even seeing the final scores while scrolling by. Just a musing as I sign off for the evening.

[GreatWyrmGold]

(Or at least I don't notice all the issues someone like AvatarVecna does, since I don't want to spend an hour checking each feat I'm not familiar with. Good on Vecna for putting in the legwork, though!)
On a related note, upon checking the Soul Eater prestige class I noticed that it has the Weapon Focus (claw or other natural attack) feat. I now understand why the question of whether the Yuki-On-Na's touch attack is a natural weapon or not is relevant.

Alright, so first question: Can a YON take Weapon Focus for her touch attack? The comparison to touch spells makes this an obvious "yes". You can take Weapon Focus (touch spells) (cit. Complete Arcane 73), and you can take Weapon Focus for natural weapons (not sure this is specifically spelled out anywhere?), so obviously you can take it for something similar to both.

Second question: Is Weapon Focus (touch) "Weapon Focus (claw or other natural attack)"? I think so. It seems like "Yeah, sure" should be the null hypothesis here, which admittedly comes down to my intuition and gaming philosophy as much as anything. I can't come up with a compelling argument for someone who thinks it should be disallowed by default and only allowed if there's an exceptional argument in favor, and I don't have any unexceptional arguments in favor that Nixina hasn't provided.
I do have some counterarguments, however.

Buu says that it shouldn't count because touch spells aren't natural attacks. I agree with the premise that touch spells aren't natural attacks, but disagree with the conclusion. Melf's acid arrow is not a manufactured weapon, but that doesn't mean arrows aren't. The freezing touch is not a spell at all, so it shouldn't be treated as a touch spell.
The related argument that Nixina isn't inflicting damage with a natural appendage is even weaker. The stat block spells out the damage that this attack causes, so I assume that's not the part you take issue with. But what do you think the Yuki-On-Na is touching its enemies with? A sword? A natural attack being energy-based doesn't disqualify it from being a natural attack, any more than a spell that deals slashing damage through a physical object stops being a spell.

Everyone else has said that there's no rule specifically saying that a YON's touch is a natural weapon. To anyone who thinks this is a valid argument: Find me a rule saying that a needlefolk's needles, goatfolk's headbutt, or briarvex's spiked fists are natural weapons. (Monster Manuals 2, 3, and 4, respectively.) Barring that, convince me that none of these are natural attacks. Natural weapons are clearly not intended to be a narrowly-defined set of options, but whatever weapons come to a creature naturally.
Plus, loky found an example of a touch attack that is considered a natural weapon. Why he considers that evidence that other touch attacks are not natural weapons and not that most monster entries don't feel a need to spell out what attacks are natural attacks is beyond me.

Trying to find other arguments that don't sound ridiculous if I isolate them from the bits that I've already explained why I disagree with. Um...let's start with, I don't see why the touch being a supernatural ability means it can't also be a natural attack.

As a closing argument...well, I've already given my strongest arguments. All I've really got left are vibes. The Soul Eater's defining ability is its energy drain, which triggers on any touch, not just a natural attack. So it makes sense that a creature with a deadly touch would be able to augment that with Soul Eater negativity. The vibes match.
But at the end of the day...I don't see why Nixina should have to prove that the touch attack is a natural attack. The RAW isn't clearly in her favor, but the reading that is in her favor is pretty straightforward and reasonable.

P.S. The way that WotC decided to...spell? "Yuki-On-Na" bugs me personally. It shouldn't have the second hyphen. That is all.

[Analytica]

Is the contest now settled so participants may come forward to comment publicly? :)

[H_H_F_F]

Soon! Hoping to post in a couple of hours.

[H_H_F_F]

Entry
Build Stub
Chef
GreatWyrmGold
Buufreak
loky1109
AvatarVecna
Total Score
Competitor


Moryana Vodyanitsa (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538106&postcount=49)
CN Rusalka Savage Bard 4/Dirge Singer 5/Siren 10
Weaselguy
10.5
15
11
11
47.5
4th
(HM)



Nixina (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538108&postcount=50)

CE Female Yuki-On-Na Fey 8/Sorcerer 1/Mindbender 5/Soul Eater 10
Thurbane
12.5
10
11
17
50.5
3rd


Rowena, Queen of Magpies (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538117&postcount=51)
Banshrae 8/Mistling 4/Bard 1/Sublime Chord 2/Silverwood Arcanist 5
Lionheart
14
16
9.5
12.5
52
2nd


Queen of Mirages (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538121&postcount=52)
Old Chaotic Neutral Female Killoren Beguiler 12/Sand Shaper 8
Analytica
13
16
16
14.5
59.5
1st


Una Hedera: The Lotus Fey (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25538123&postcount=53)
Petal Artificer 8/Psychic Rogue 2/Psibond Agent 10
Malphegor
10
11
13
10.5
44.5
5th



Congratulations to our winners! Well done on everyone for participating, and thank you to our 4 (!) judges this round! This one took a while, but I think it ended up being worth the wait.

Next round: Deus Vult, coming soon!

[loky1109]

Congratulations to all participants and for medalists especially.
H_H_F_F, how about HM?

[H_H_F_F]

Congratulations to all participants and for medalists especially.
H_H_F_F, how about HM?

Missed it. Is it Moryana?

[loky1109]

Missed it. Is it Moryana?

Don't know. My vote is for her, but can't speak for the rest of the world.

[H_H_F_F]

Can't find any other HM mentions. Moryana it is.

[Analytica]

Yay! I feel extremely honoured to win in my very first contest!

I want to say that I see and agree with the shortcomings/limitations that most judges independently highlighted for the Queen of Mirages!

The lack of story/background, thus context of villainy, absolutely. To be honest, it was a miracle I submitted in time at all because some various emergencies got in the way. If I had had more time uninterrupted, I would have elaborated that more, but what is written is what can be judged. I suspect that what she actually does that is villaineous is build up local power holders into starting conflicts with each other, each believing they have a stronger basis than they do and are facing more urgent threats than they do. Then the result is a vendetta or even war, leaving everyone bloodied. Essentially she likes watching others struggle against each other for her entertainment and does not care about collateral damage as long as she can claim to herself someone else holds the more direct blame. Think con games in the vein of "Better Call Saul" on the level of feudal regional and eventually national politics. Or think how Nyarlathotep is described in some of HPLs stories - arriving as a mysterious stranger, disrupting the social order and founding new movements that ultimately collide and collapse, causing chaos.

As for built as a PC, I have no real defense, I would love to play her as a PC doing abovementioned villainry. The closest excuse would be: aside from using the existing abilities of a social fey (I was considering a nymph/druid makeup also) which would mean relatively little on top of the base creature, beguiler really seems the quickest way to do all the things that were requested, so losing as little casting as possible was ideal. Killoren is not only a fey LA +0 race, but also one of very few such races that are called out as not dying from old age, so her villainry can be as ancient as one chooses. I.e., race was chosen to not need a convoluted fit to the concept, to allow maximal class features, and allow longevity. Sand Shaper complements beguiler spellcasting by offering options that work against anyone immune to mind-affecting magic, and the rest was mostly mitigating weaknesses. If trying to optimize power even more, would have looked into spell DC boosters and also perhaps patching the gaps from low hit points.

In any case, this was really fun and I am glad to have had the chance! And super fascinated by the other entries, each quite unique and also interesting both how we differed and were similar. I am honestly surprised no-one used a nymph!

[Thurbane]

Congrats everyone!

I'm happy to get a placing - I knew my lack of backstory would hurt my score, but I never foresaw any controversy about qualifying for Soul Eater! :smallbiggrin:

Side note: any suggestions about back story etc? For me, it's a combo of not being a great creative writer (I have all these funky ideas in my head, but struggle to put them in writing), and also with chronic procrastinating, usually run out of time. What is the process others use for backstory and fluff?

[H_H_F_F]

New round is up (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?648561-Villainous-Competition-XLVIII-Zealot!&p=25542765#post25542765)!

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Side note: any suggestions about back story etc? For me, it's a combo of not being a great creative writer (I have all these funky ideas in my head, but struggle to put them in writing), and also with chronic procrastinating, usually run out of time. What is the process others use for backstory and fluff?

I've done it several different ways.

For sheer efficiency, the best I've seen wasn't one of mine. A picture of some bubbles and a creepy nursery rhyme was all it took to instantly convey what Old Johnny Blackspine (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24037024&postcount=33) was all about. The picture sets the tone (creepy, primal fears of darkness and the depths/drowning), and the rhyme makes it clear he was a serial killer while reinforcing that people are afraid of this guy, and also lets the reader infer that he was successful enough to have become part of the cultural zeitgeist. A great example of minimalist showing-not-telling. (Although I might be a bit biased for this one, since it strongly reminds me of a favorite song, Voltaire's "Don't Go By The River" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bvgyMHStlE).)

On that note, for some builds, an easy way to do some heavy lifting for fluff is to just link to your inspirations. If it's a deliberate port of an existing villain to D&D, that can be as simple as YouTube links to the relevant scenes. That's what I did for reimagining the Halo villain Atriox as the leader of a band of werewolf ogres, at war with both humanity and the mindflayers: link to his most iconic scenes, and then go "Now imagine those Spartans getting flung around are your players" (my submission (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23999697&postcount=95); please forgive the lack of formatting or style of any kind, since I was new to the site at that point).

Another pretty easy way to add some flavor is the CR/ECL breakpoints. For my submissions, I like to give them thematic names, and/or provide a quote appropriate to that level. These can be quotes from the character, from people encountering them, or just a snippet of a song you like and think is relevant. It only takes like 3-10 sentences total, but can give a sense of what the character is like and how they're progressing over time. Severus (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24240854&postcount=104), probably the most minimalist fluff I've submitted, was literally just a handful of quotes and a cool picture, but I think they did a good job of characterizing him quickly and efficiently.

And of course, there's the most traditional form of fluff: walls of text. Short stories are hard to write, but if you can pull them off (and the judge likes them) they're great. But it doesn't have to be a short story. You can also just write a bunch of notes, on how you see this character being used, possible motivations for clashing with/joining the PCs, plot hooks, and anything else a DM/player would want to know before using your character. Or you can write it more like a play script: probably my favorite fluff piece did it this way, showing a fictional DM running the monster as their party encountered it for the first time. Only having to do character names and dialogue (and occasionally rolls) really trims down the amount of writing you have to do, and looks cool besides (link to Futility (http://bit.ly/2XGBURC)). And don't forget that you can also break these up; instead of trying to write one big wall of text, consider writing a few smaller ones.


And to cap it off, I'll walk through a build I submitted that uses all of these and got a perfect score in Memorable Villainy, to show that I'm not talking out of my rear end (or at least, not just talking out of my rear end). Introducing: Pollyanna, The Littlest Nightmare (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=24809459&postcount=45).

Picture and name are the first things anyone will see about your build. I didn't dedicate a paragraph to this above, but you should generally use the site's formatting to center them and make the text larger; you can even make it a different color if you think it needs something extra. Try to make them memorable. In Polly's case, her name and epithet contrast nicely (cheerful/nightmare), and the picture is actually a video link to a thematically appropriate song, with a perfect thumbnail showing the character exploring to boot (link to your inspirations; that song/music video was the inspiration for this character).

Below that is a snippet of song. The same song, actually, but with the lyrics edited slightly to match the character (changed it from "I've never been easily frightened" to "I've always been easily frightened"). These three things are the only parts of the entry not in spoiler boxes, and already give you a very clear idea of what this character is about, even if you don't listen to the song. They are a small, frightened child, who ends up becoming a nightmare in their own right. (Efficiency).

Each section (except for the spoilers devoted to the build table and sources; I don't generally like to put fluff there) has a thematic name telling you what part of the journey Polly is at. "Building Rapport" for when she's an ally instead of an antagonist, "Little Nightmare" and "Haunt Their Dreams" for when she's a hit and run menace that preys on them psychologically (and literally if they get unlucky), and "Apotheosis" for when she's undergone her finally transformation and is ready for the ultimate showdown. Additionally, each one starts with another snippet of appropriate song lyrics.

The submission has three different types of 'wall-of-text'. First, a short one that gets its own spoiler section. Literally just a line of dialogue; this is here to indicate that something major has happened between the two CR breakpoints. Each breakpoint also gets its own section devoted to "DM Notes"; advice for running Polly as a villain separate from the mechanical explanations, ranging from how the players should first encounter her to recommended background music. I definitely went overboard for this, but these sections don't require much creative writing inspiration compared to a short-story, so the cost for adding them is mostly just time rather than brain-effort and stress. And finally, a short story tucked away in the middle CR breakdown, where it's supposed to be occurring. This one did require a lot of brain-effort (you may notice that it switches from first person to 3rd halfway through, except for half of one line towards the end where it inexplicably switches back); I mention it for completeness sake, since it's not really relevant to the "write fluff without having to write a full short-story" seminar. At the end of the day, sometimes you do want or need a longer fluff piece to round out your characterization. But with these other methods, it can at least be an optional add-on, rather than the overwhelming majority.