[3.5] Gestalt Character versus Normal Party? Is this doable?

[tahu88810]

NOTE: tl;dr at the bottom, since there is a lot of information, and most of it might be unnecessary but I'm being wordy anyways.

Hey there everybody, I've got a quick question as to how balanced a potential encounter might be, but first some quick background:

-Our group is currently engaged in a "Legacy" campaign set in the Forgotten Realms universe. By this I mean that changes to the world made with one party will persist to the next campaign. This leads to many coincidences, where players will meet family or friends of their other characters or other NPCs who they have met. (Though we haven't gotten far enough for that to happen much yet)

-There are only two players, and I am the only DM. The players are currently controlling two characters each: A level 4 dwarf sorcerer, A level 4 dwarf cleric, a level 2 dwarf fighter, and a level 2 dwarf rogue. In another campaign, which we'll eventually be returning to, they'll be playing a level 12 drow beguiler and a level 12 human scout. Pertinent to the dwarves are two level 17 elves: a wizard and an assassin/bowman type who's class I can't remember. The elves lived hundreds of years ago, and the dwarves will occasionally see flashbacks into their lives.

-One player is an amazing optimizer, though he will ignore optimization and intelligent tactics if it makes sense for his character to do so (his cleric recently led the dwarves in a reckless charge into a bandit stronghold, where his drow would have infiltrated the group and then destroyed them from within). The other player...well, let's just say that sometimes I'm not sure he actually knows the rules. Since the players work together to make their characters, they have an average level of optimization.

In effect, I intend to have the group(s) come across a character multiple times throughout their many campaigns, occasionally catching glimpses of his schemes and, also, getting the chance to slow him down (or even stop him, should they kill him). When first introduced, he will simply be a normal wizard. But later on, he'll be a wizard//warlock. Further down the road he'll become a lich, and eventually a demilich, while also taking the hellfire warlock prestige class. While it may be possible that the group's current characters are the ones that fight him during some his many stages, it's very likely that they'll eventually roll entirely new characters with which to face him should he reach his full strength (or eventually act to stike him down as their dwarves, now at epic level). I was wondering if this would be a WINNABLE encounter, for the PCs, if the BBEG had minions and also if the BBEG did not have minions?

tl;dr: Wizard 21/Lich 4/Demilich 6//warlock 21/hellfire warlock 10 potentially with minions of CR20-ish, versus between 2 and 4 PCs of level31~ of average-good optimization (from any class tier) who may or may not have the assistance of followers, other high level characters, an army, or some sort of amazing magical buff. Can the PCs win? (Even with losses. A victory is still a victory, and sometimes death can make a more compelling story)

[Scarlet-Devil]

Eh, first off there are only 3 levels to Hellfire Warlock, and liches typically can't use it, because you can't use hellfire if you're immune to constitution damage or have no constitution score. But yeah, can't really predict...

[term1nally s1ck]

A level 21 wizard who uses his epic casting better will beat a level 100 wizard. Seriously, epic casting is just that flawed.

[tahu88810]

A level 21 wizard who uses his epic casting better will beat a level 100 wizard. Seriously, epic casting is just that flawed.

I'm aware of that. Epic Casting might not come into use, though, as the BBEG won't be using it unless the players are, and for all I know they might not have any casters by the time they reach him.

Eh, first off there are only 3 levels to Hellfire Warlock, and liches typically can't use it, because you can't use hellfire if you're immune to constitution damage or have no constitution score. But yeah, can't really predict...

I didn't have the book on hand at the time of writing, so I just assumed it went to ten.
I also intend to change the type of damage dealt by the hellfire ability so that it can be used by liches, likely having it deal #Hitdice/2 in damage for every point of constitution that should have been lost. I'll be refluffing the flavor of the class anyways.

[umbrapolaris]

tl;dr: Wizard 21/Lich 4/Demilich 6//warlock 21/hellfire warlock 10

lich & demilich are templates, you use monster class instead?

[tahu88810]

lich & demilich are templates, you use monster class instead?

I tend to convert any race/template with an LA into a monster-class when possible, just because I find it easier to deal with.