Help design a Fury themed BBEG [Eberron, 3.5]

[Kol Korran]

so, i tried getting the forums help in designing A team of 6 BBEGs (don't read the thread), but got very little response. i think it's because the opening post was too long. so i decided to try again, this time tackling each BBEG on their own, in hopefully a short enough post. so, without further ado:

The Fury
(the build will probably change once i'll know who the PCs are, but the core idea should remain nearly entirely complete.)

the BBEG is loosely themed after the appropriate Dark Six god. a brute force of the team. should have many hit points, deal a lot of damage, and feel to be mad or enraged most of the time (but not all of the time)

basic story is that a small tribe of Shifters was kidnapped by denzines of the underworld. appearently the Daelkyr or some of their minions were intrigued by the shifters shifting ability, and wanted to "explore" it. many experiments later they were suddenly freed by other members of the dark six team. since then she works for them.

• CR: starting at 10, might go up to 12. i'm thinking a weretiger (yes, from shifters, still). she might have a few levels of barbarian. also, i would like to add some influence of the Daelkyr- perhaps some well hiddend symbionts? perhaps some strange traits? she needs to feel maddned by some outside force.
• possible shift: perhaps a shifter with Wertouched Master levels instead?
• Resources: Fury brings her whole tribe as warriors for the team. since they went some experiments with the Daelkyr they should have a few strange quirks, and be tougher than normal (minions slot number 1). her own equipment should be fairly standardized, though optimized for damage, less for protection
• What i mostly need help with: mainly a good build, and a way to bring the influence of the Daelkyr (or more likely their minions into the game.
• It's very importent for me that the team would look powerfull, but also fairly real people. they don't need to have perfect builds.
• The Fury would most likely be capable of wiping the floor with the PCs when we begin (2nd level, 5-6 players), and the PCs will mostly have to avoid her. but later on (level 6) they should be able to battle her, even if it's a tough fight (if her minions are present than level 8 approx)

i do hope this generates more responses. thanks in advance to whomever helps,
Kol.

[DiscipleofBob]

Well, it seems like you got a bunch of good ideas already. I did a similar motif in an old Eberron game that sadly never got off the ground.

A shifter barbarian is probably your best bet. If you really want your PC's to be afraid, throw in a few levels of Frenzied Berseker. If you want the character to have a little more humanity and a little less evil, you could initially have diplomatic attempts to talk down the Fury character work, but then she Frenzies and has no control over her actions.

I also second the idea of using the symbionts, heck, even make up some of your own, like strange arm and leg growths that unnaturally increase her muscular mass.

If for some reason you decide against barbarian or want to throw in something different, I'd think about druid/blightspeaker (I think that was the PrC, the one for fallen druids) and you could get something pretty cool out of that.

[DementedFellow]

Fury or Furry?

[Eldariel]

I think Fury should have Frenzied Berserker 6; it may be real hard within CR guidelines but who the heck cares! It's worth it; Inspire Frenzy for great justice! If she brings a horde of warriors and inspires them all into bloodchilling frenzy...well, it should be at the very least scary! Extra attacks and strength all-around. And since she has insane Constitution (right?), it'll last.

Further, Deathless Frenzy is a perfect BBEG ability; "You cannot kill me!" Little do they know her immortality only lasts until her Frenzy runs out. Combine that with Steadfast Determination and make it a point for it to just ignore all forms of attack and hit back harder.


Also, one level of Crusader along the way to pick up Leading the Charge seems logical to, again, make the warriors much, much more scary. Daelkyr influence should definitely mostly occur as Grafts and Symbionts. That's what they do, after all, and that's how they work.

[ashmanonar]

Fury or Furry?

Can't we have both?

[Saint GoH]

If you are feeling especially mean, PHBII has a barbarian variant that says whenever you drop below 5 x barbarian level in hp, you go into rage that gives you str +4, +2 saves, DR 2/- annnnd -2 to AC.

Kicker is, there is no limit to how many times a day you can do it. And you cant be pulled out of it till you are unconscious or healed above the threshold. So, give teh barbarian an 8 CON (d12/2=6-1= 5) and basically all he does is a ceremonial prick before combat and he is in rage (ceremonial prick to account for the full HD at first level). All the Time. If that isnt fury I don't know what is.

[Kol Korran]

hhhmmmm, some interesting ideas.

so you guys think not to go the Weretiger way? the tiger thing is required for a "big cat" theme in the campagin. hhmmm, i'll need to think this through.

Frenzied berzerker sound right up her ally. though the requirements are a bit problematic, i'll try to look them through. you're right Eladriel- Inspire Frenzy is awesome! maybe i'll slip it in regardless... my players need not know.
Deathless Frenzy is also out of this world for when they finally have to beat her.

i've been thinking of something- instead of a weretiger, how about a were-displacer beast? or something in between? (with added tentacles perhaps? perhaps they could instill powerfull emotions such as depression, rage, fear, invincibility and so on?) that could deliver the Daelkyr influence right enough i think- a new breed of were-creatures (her minions might also display some lesser combinations such as were-kreshnar, were basilisk and the like)

thoughts?

DiscipleofBob- i'll need to think of good permenantly attached symbionts if the were displacer beast idea doesn't catch up. the tongue one is good, and i'm thinking of perhaps a skin that changes resistances to damage and energies in response to the last attacks that hit. any other ideas?

thanks guys.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Were-dire-wolverine, whirling frenzy barbarian, frenzied berserker, or possibly sub in totemist.

A CR 10 were-dire-wolverine would have seven class levels in addition to its animal HD, so something like Barbarian 3/ Frenzied Berserker 4. That would get Deathless Frenzy, and you could even spend a feat on Extend Rage. He could Barbarian Rage (or Whirling Frenzy) plus Frenzy, and as soon as he takes damage his Wolverine Rage would kick in as well. Since Whirling Frenzy grants an extra attack, and Frenzy grants an extra attack, I'd say he strikes twice with each claw along with a bite. Just be sure you overrule the loophole on using Grease to keep him in the same spot until his rage runs out, since a raging character can't make the balance check to move off.

Maybe use Wolf Totem Barbarian and give him Knock-Down, so each attack could potentially knock an opponent prone. I would make him divide his attacks among as many opponents as possible while still full attacking, since otherwise he would probably kill a single target in only a few rounds.

[Runestar]

Barbarian/bear warrior/warshaper/frenzied berserker?

Shifter Barb4/warshaper4/FB1/bear warrior1? Use fractional saves so your will doesn't suffer too much. Replace 2 lvs of barb with 2 lvs of fighter if you need the bonus feats.

[Eldariel]

Honestly, Shifter can have the "Cat"-feel you want. You can pick Pounce from Barbarian and Improved Grab from Bear Totem (though you'll have to make do with Improved Grapple if wanting both); being Were-anything tends to be a bit of trouble. Shifters are basically "Lycanthrope-blooded" anyways so they work without excess hassle on that front.

I'd probably go with Barbarian 4/Fighter 2/Frenzied Berserker 6 Shifter (if playing by the rules; cut two levels of Barb away to fit the FB into 10 levels otherwise, just so you get Inspire Frenzy). And as mentioned, small Crusader-dip doesn't hurt; Leading the Charge is a great stance.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Were-dire-wolverine barbarian/frenzied berserker

Was gonna mention just that. Well, he's an orc were-dire wolverine barbarian/frenzied berserker, but close enough.

Epic-leveled leader of the shifter/orc alliance in my campaign.

[AslanCross]

Give the shifter barbarian the Half-Farspawn template? It's pretty damn terrifying, though you might have to sacrifice class levels for this. I think it's the best way to get the Daelkyr and madness theme going.

[Kol Korran]

Biffoniacus_Furiou & Runestar... i probably should have explained that there needs to be some sort of a "Big Cat" theme to the Fury, so Dire Wolverin and bear warrior probably won't do...
or they could do with refluffing? i need to think about this. i liked the dire wolverin idea, though Whirling Frenzy can't work with it's rage by the rules... but we can bend thr rules, though i'd prefer not to.

Eladriel, you're right that i can stick to the shifter, i just wanted a more "Tigery" feel to the Fury (though come to think of it, i can always describe her shifting anyway i want to). the Fury will probably go from level 10 to maybe 12 in the campaign, so maybe i could get in "Inspire Frenzy" legaly anyhow. but i really think i would just rule that she has it and be done with it.

how do i get Pounce from Barbarian? and why being a were-anything causes trouble? i ask this because i intend for some of Fury's tribe to be lycanthropes as well, albeit less powerfull ones.

Aslan Cross, where do i find that template? is it in lords of madness? or MM 4 or 5? damn for not having books! it sounds intriguing, perhaps exactly what i'm looking for...

thanks for the help people!

[Runestar]

If you are using shifter to qualify for the cat fluff, then you can safely remove bear warrior from my build, it was simply an alternate means of qualifying for warshaper.

I reviewed my post and realised it was quite misleading. Apologies for the confusion there.

So the basic build would be shifter barb4/warshaper4/frenzied berserker2. Again, feel free to play with either barb4 or barb2/fighter2.

Pounce can be obtained as an alternate class feature in complete champion, you essentially swap out barb's fast movement for pounce.

Races of the wild has catfolk, which can obtain pounce with a feat.

I am not sure if were-tiger has been mentioned or not. It doesn't seem all that bad for an npc - 6 animal HD for +4cr. I can't recall if a lycantrope's alternate form qualifies for warshaper though (there was errata, IIRC), though you could always just dump warshaper and go barb/weretiger/frenzied berserker.

[Eldariel]

Eladriel, you're right that i can stick to the shifter, i just wanted a more "Tigery" feel to the Fury (though come to think of it, i can always describe her shifting anyway i want to). the Fury will probably go from level 10 to maybe 12 in the campaign, so maybe i could get in "Inspire Frenzy" legaly anyhow. but i really think i would just rule that she has it and be done with it.

how do i get Pounce from Barbarian? and why being a were-anything causes trouble? i ask this because i intend for some of Fury's tribe to be lycanthropes as well, albeit less powerfull ones.

The "Spirit Lion Totem" Alternative Class Feature for Barbarian trades the 1st level Fast Movement for Pounce. It's in Complete Champion, but as it isn't more complex than that, you don't really need the source to use it.

As for Lycanthropes, it's mostly the fact that you end up with the animal racial hit dice; in other words, it's hard to fit 'em with class levels and such without making them too strong.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Biffoniacus_Furiou & Runestar... i probably should have explained that there needs to be some sort of a "Big Cat" theme to the Fury, so Dire Wolverin and bear warrior probably won't do...
or they could do with refluffing? i need to think about this. i liked the dire wolverin idea, though Whirling Frenzy can't work with it's rage by the rules... but we can bend thr rules, though i'd prefer not to.

Wolverine Rage + Barbarian Whirling Frenzy + Frenzied Berserker Frenzy is what I meant. A Were-Lion would be able to go Animal HD 5/ Barbarian 3/ Frenzied Berserker 4 at CR 10, its stats are slightly lower than dire wolverine but it gets pounce and rake. I'd guess a were-lion would be LG, so it may be a bit difficult to explain. There's also the Dire Puma in Sandstorm, a were-dire-puma could be HD 6/ Barbarian 2/ Frenzied Berserker 4 at CR 10 and could probably be played a bit more sinister than a lion. In either case, my previous advice remains unchanged: Wolf Totem for Improved Trip to get Knock-Down, Whirling Frenzy plus Frenzied Berserker plus Extend Rage, swing twice with each claw plus whatever other attacks.

For one of the cats you should probably not go into a grapple with anyone, but you can still use improved grab to get a double-hit. Looking at grappling step 3 and improved grab, if it succeeds in the grapple check it only gets more damage if it has the constrict special ability. At HD 6/ Barbarian 2/ FB 4, or at HD 5/ Barbarian 3/ FB 4, it will have 12 levels for an initiator level of 6, high enough to get Martial Stance: Crushing Weight of the Mountain from the Stone Dragon discipline. That will give it a Constrict ability for 2d6 + 1.5x Str bonus. Looking at grappling step 4 and the changes to it outlined in improved grab, he could probably voluntarily release a grabbed opponent instead of pulling them into its space, so he wouldn't be considered grappled and can continue attacking and using improved grab for the remainder of his full attack.

[Fishy]

Speaking of being consumed by your emotions, don't forget Wilder. Races of Eberron has some nifty Shifter substitution levels. 3 levels of Wilder and the Practiced Manifester feat will let you bust out an augmented Animal Affinity, and add +4 to two ability scores for you and your symbionts- essentially another Rage that stacks with Barbarian.

[Kol Korran]

Biffoniacus_Furiou- i've taken your suggestions to heart. so far it's shifer Ftr2/Brb1/Were-lion/Frenzied berserker X (will be explained shortly). the fighter levels were so i could get the needed feats for the PRC in time. Whirling Frenzy is an excellent idea and in character. i've decided against the wolf totem, since there is another BBEG who'se goona knock them down constantly. this one is meant to be mainly a damage machine, and a (hopefully) tough fight.

i might start at a lower level of Frenzied, and level up as the game progresses. main reason i'm thinking about this because i want to add permenently attached symbionts to the Fury.

Fishy- thanks for the wilder suggestion, but i don't think i can add anything. and besides, i think my Shadow BBEG might be a psionic character allready (i know there are differences, but still).

Eladriel- i'll either just rule the Fury has the "Inspire frenzy" ability, or perhaps play it through her symbionts, as described below.

so here come the next questions:
1- what key equupment should the Fury have, especially since it might shapeshift to a tiger (unlikely) at some points. i'm looking mainly for things that can shapeshift as well, and be usefull in big form as well as medium.
main thing i wand is a way to increase damage- her 1d8 claws, even with strength, could benefit from some improvement.
2- Symbionts/ Daelkyr influence: what should i get? so far i'm thinking of a Shadow sibling (her own slef before the Daelkyr minions twisted her? she might talk to the sibling in battle, and so on. it's basically a cloak of concealment working Con times/day.
next i thought to add 3-4 tnetacle whip that retract to the back of the FUry, that may attack with different fairly weak poisons, or that can affect the emotions of those around it (frenzying allies, depressing foes, and the like). also- disarming attempts. sort of Doc-Octopus, Eberron style. the Fury won't be guiding them, they'll attack on their own.
a final thought is to perhaps have it's blood have some sort of effect when it's spilled on someone/ something (perhaps causing madness?) but i'm drawing a bit of a blank here.
all of these will of course increase CR, which is why i thought to have less levels of frenzied berzerker to begin with.

thanks. you guys have been a great help so far!