Lookign for interesting templates

[Sindri]

One of the BBEGs in a game I'm running is creating a wide variety of magically and/or genetically altered minions. Suggestions for templates?

Any CR increase is probably fine; the base creature's going to be human or goblin in most cases, and it's a pretty high level party. Some of them will have levels, to power any abilities based on total HD, but most will just be mass-produced hordes. Suggestions for layered templates that compliment each other well are also appreciated.

[Keld Denar]

Spellwarped! Its in MMIII.

Gives your minions SR, and if a spell fails to overcome that SR, the minions get buffed. As a caster, prep a bunch of Feather Falls at a really low CL. Every round, cast one on top of whatever else you'd cast. Make sure you target all of your minions. Chances are, when you cast them at a reduced CL, you'll fail some or most of your CL checks vs your minions SR, effectively buffing them.

Now thats action economy!

EDIT: it also has that whole "magic experiement gone wrong" or "magically engineered supersoldier" feel, which works great for minions.

[Sindri]

Ooh, I missed that one. Thanks! That should screw with the players...

So far I've mainly been digging through the Bestiary of Krynn and the Silverthorne Games Book of Templates.

[Prime32]

Half-golem?

Tauric?
Symbiotic?

[Sindri]

I recognize the other two, but where does Symbiotic come from?

Anyway, Half-Golem is great, but Tauric doesn't really fit. He's more about altering things than mixing them.

[JeminiZero]

Any CR increase is probably fine; the base creature's going to be human or goblin in most cases, and it's a pretty high level party. Some of them will have levels, to power any abilities based on total HD, but most will just be mass-produced hordes.

Look up the various grafts. While not strictly templates, they do have that "product of magical experimentation" feel to them. Do remember that you can only ever apply grafts of one sort. Fiend grafts in particular, provide relatively good value for gold for evil graftees.

Suggestions for layered templates that compliment each other well are also appreciated.

See link in Sig.

[Sindri]

The BBEG isn't an Illithid, and I'm trying for tough and interesting, rather than invulnerable. Some of the intermediary stages might work, but the Emerald Legion is right out.

Fiendish grafts are only bestowed by fiends, and most of the other kinds are very expensive for not all that much benefit. They're still better than giving your minions magic items for the PCs to take though...

[Runestar]

I generally discourage templates on classed npcs, because that raises their cr to be greater than their HD, which means they will have even fewer hp.

Savage species has the multiheaded template, Complete arcane has pseudonatural while lords of madness has half-farspawn.

[JeminiZero]

The BBEG isn't an Illithid, and I'm trying for tough and interesting, rather than invulnerable. Some of the intermediary stages might work, but the Emerald Legion is right out.

Its just to give you some ideas on how to compensate for various monster weaknesses. The exact templates/immunities you want to slap on will depend on what your PCs frequently resort to. E.g. A Dire Wereboar Troll benefits from ferocity preventing non-lethal damage from knocking it out.

I generally discourage templates on classed npcs, because that raises their cr to be greater than their HD, which means they will have even fewer hp.

Not all templates do this though. Lycanthropy usually increases HD more thanit does CR. Above mentioned Dire Wereboar Troll has CR 9 and 12 HD.

[Sindri]

I generally discourage templates on classed npcs, because that raises their cr to be greater than their HD, which means they will have even fewer hp.

I'm not talking about putting a bundle of templates on an elaborate, high level villain; I'm talking about putting a few levels of fighter on the goblins so they have more than 1 HD, since a lot of the good templates have variable abilities based on the base creature's HD.

[Fax Celestis]

Half-Fey (FF) is cool. Spellwarped (as mentioned) is awesome. Voidmind (MMIII?) is cool, but needs to be refluffed. Shadow (LoM) is crazyawesome. Phantom (MMV) is also crazyawesome (one of few templates I actually wished had an LA :C)