Tiny Bad Evil Guy.

[goat]

I've been considering BBEGs, and I suddenly had the desire for a bad guy who was absolutey minute, allowing for escape by literally slipping through the cracks.

So, given that they would obviously be a full caster, what do you think would be the most effective, absolutely miniscule base for my microscopic evil?

[martyboy74]

A halfling psion who has used Expanded Knowledge to get Compression.

[PinkysBrain]

What campaign setting/books? If a tiny humanoid creature is small enough you can just take a grig. Or a petal from the MM3.

A puppeteer from the XPH is fine ... but he would have to be a psionic character to do much of anything on his own.

[goat]

I'm thinking diminutive, though I'd really like to see if anyone could get it down to fine without permanencied effects.

Preferably kept within 3.5.

[Ramza00]

A Evil Lantern Archon who goes into druid and wildshapes into decent size humanoid forms. Perhaps with 3 lvls of Master of Many Forms so you can assume more humanoid shapes. Also consider planar shepard (nerf it though) so you can do some outsider forms. And/Or the Ranger/MoMF

You then revert back to your "true form" to escape. Maybe with some psion for compression.

Would be a great game joke. We are fighting an evil ball of light.

[Falrin]

Let him disguise as a familiar.

[OOTS_Rules.]

Evil archon? Isn't that impossible?

[cupkeyk]

The halfling Druid substitution levels lets him take on tiny and dimnuitive forms. There is a spell in sandstorm that lets a druid slip through cracks as a wave of sand. I ain't got no books at the moment though.

[Ramza00]

Evil archon? Isn't that impossible?

By the rules yes it should be (note if Lantern Archons have a LA instead of LA-- you could be an evil Lantern Archon if you are a PC).

Though I find such things a silly rule and since we are advising a DM who gets to make the rules he can always change it. Perhaps the Lantern Archon is different than other Lantern Archons, either something changed him or he doesn't see the point of being good. Perhaps he got an evil version of "Sanctify the Wicked" cast on him, and since it is an evil spell (not a good spell like sanctify the wicked is) instead of getting the Sanctificed template he got a new template that is evil the DM makes.

Rules should be a framework that allows the DM to easily craft a story and not waste time creating a new system. If the framework is needed to be adapted or gets in the way it is in the DM's power to say rule 0 and change it as he see fit. Remember the DM is god not the rules.

[Assassinfox]

Evil archon? Isn't that impossible?

Tell that to Baalzebul.

[PinkysBrain]

Even the "always" alignments aren't absolute. You can still have creatures which don't follow it, it's in the front of the MM.

[RandomNPC]

just go with something totally silly, an awakened ooze. and im not talking a giant cube, im talking one that looks like a puddle of water that can slip under doors and whatnot. only its somehow different, so it can make itself stand and apear vaugely humanoid.

ya know in dragon mountain there was a "living steel" thats stats came with the adventure package.i got it second hand without the stat pages (grrr...) but it was basically a low int (6-8) copy of the bad guy from terminator 2. liquid, magnetic, can get outa places, can form limbs (vaugely humanoid) into clubs and blades. all kindsa good stuf. unfortuneatly (spelling?) i have no stats to share as my cousin took the stat sheets before his mom made him give me the game. he was done with it but he doesn't like to share, so he made all the excuses he could to not give me the full game.

anyway, you'd have to homebrew it, but a living steel?

[Thoughtbot360]

By the rules yes it should be (note if Lantern Archons have a LA instead of LA-- you could be an evil Lantern Archon if you are a PC).

Though I find such things a silly rule and since we are advising a DM who gets to make the rules he can always change it. Perhaps the Lantern Archon is different than other Lantern Archons, either something changed him or he doesn't see the point of being good. Perhaps he got an evil version of "Sanctify the Wicked" cast on him, and since it is an evil spell (not a good spell like sanctify the wicked is) instead of getting the Sanctificed template he got a new template that is evil the DM makes.

Rules should be a framework that allows the DM to easily craft a story and not waste time creating a new system. If the framework is needed to be adapted or gets in the way it is in the DM's power to say rule 0 and change it as he see fit. Remember the DM is god not the rules.

"Santify the Wicked" has an evil version. Its called Morality Undone, and its in the Book of Vile Darkness

[Abjurer]

A wereshrew. Or the victim of a rampant reduce person spell.

Whatever he is, he should have a persona that he depicts himself as (the size of a normal person), so that your PCs think that's who he is. Never let him get into close combat with them, and have him run away often (making it look like he actually needs doors and such to escape). Then, when they actually do corner him, their weapons and spells fly right through him.

[Jack Mann]

Remember, NPCs don't have to follow the rules. Just say there was a magical accident, and a former human is now diminutive, or even fine. Fit it into the plot. Maybe he's looking for the Great Plot Coupon of Ergzomanius to reverse his strange curse, and is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way.

[Aquillion]

I like the idea of having the BBEG seem to be a typical evil wizard, but having the real mind and power behind him being his evil familiar. Maybe it could be some kind of ancient evil wizard trapped as a small animal, or even a trapped demigod (although you'd have to put down solid rules on how he's trapped and his ability restricted to keep him from just sweeping the party--maybe he can grant spellcasting abilities within limits to one person at a time, but can't do much on his own.) These would give him a solid goal, too.

Every time the players defeat the wizard, the 'familiar' escapes, finds a level one evil commoner somewhere, and sets them up as a new BBEG.

[Yvian]

Pixie

Then pick up levels of Sorcerer - it works well with their Cha bonous. Pick up the feat Silent spell. Pick up Reduce person, and you go to Tiny. Which will not work because reduce person only works on humanoids - not fey - which I always felt odd. How come only humanoids? One would think that the fey would be able to do it themselves. This build would be a bit weak to go toe to toe with a PC - but they can wreck lots of damage.

Grig is another execlent choice - they are tiny- execpt they don't have the improved invisiblity.

On a side note, every since I have read the comic Fables I have always wanted to play a mouse police - which I see as a paladin. But why not a black guard on a small fairy dragon with ride by attack? Sneak attack is not reduced for being tiny. I can not think of any particual creature to direct you too - so I might go home brew.

[Ramza00]

Slyph casts as sorcerer with Outsider HD+4. Small Size Fly 90 good. Air Elemental who looks like a faery
At 3 HD his CR is 5 casts as a 7th lvl sorcerer
At 9 HD (his max for outsider HD) his CR is 8 casts as a 13th lvl sorcerer.

After 9 HD you have to start doing class levels, thus levels of sorcerer or levels in a prestige class (abjurant champion?). Each one of these levels adds one to his CR.

Remember

A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm

Slyph also gains Improved Invisibility at Will (3.0's name for Greater Invisibility, only difference is the 3.0 spell lasts mins/lvl instead of rounds a level)

Also can cast Summon Monster VI once a day to summon an air elemental. Can do this at 3 HD and thus CR 5

[PinkysBrain]

Actually the Sylph's casting isn't even restricted to her racial HD ... just her HD period. So just make her a lycantrope ;) Dire hawk lycanthrope Sylph, CR7 ... casts like a 12th level sorcerer.

[Ramza00]

Actually the Sylph's casting isn't even restricted to her racial HD ... just her HD period. So just make her a lycantrope ;) Dire hawk lycanthrope Sylph, CR7 ... casts like a 12th level sorcerer.

Doesn't work " Lycanthropes are humanoids or giants who can transform themselves into animals" a slyph is an outsider.

[PinkysBrain]

Damn :////

[JackMage666]

Sypl idea is cool, but I personally like the idea of a Psion with Compression. Possibly even go with a Pixie or a Grig, so you can get the fey factor in to really screw up your players heads. Grigs would have the advantage of being smaller, of course, but less abilities.

Or Petals. They work too. I'm sure there are lots of Small/Tiny things you could use, even an Awakened Toad or Rat. They all work.

[Ramza00]

Sypl idea is cool, but I personally like the idea of a Psion with Compression. Possibly even go with a Pixie or a Grig, so you can get the fey factor in to really screw up your players heads. Grigs would have the advantage of being smaller, of course, but less abilities.

Or Petals. They work too. I'm sure there are lots of Small/Tiny things you could use, even an Awakened Toad or Rat. They all work.

I am trying to remember the name of a prc that allows you to combine psionics with arcane. I just can't seem to recall its name...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/pr...ebremancer.htm
Don't forget practiced manifester

[ArmorArmadillo]

Pseudodragon! They are soooo awesomely miniscule and absolutely diabolical.
He can be an amazing caster, and also make excellent use of his flight to escape.

[martyboy74]

He can be an amazing caster, and also make excellent use of his flight to escape.

Not really. At that size, what's his movement going to be? 5'-10' per round?

[1337_master]

Evil archon? Isn't that impossible?

and It also works in the same way an Evil paladin, it makes sense, but not in the regular way.

also, have you though about wu jen? they get this shrinking spell that can shrink them from tiny, to fine. and an enlargment spell, that will make them grow from huge, to colossal.

[Rigeld2]

Not really. At that size, what's his movement going to be? 5'-10' per round?

Where does anything say that a change in size means there is a change in speed?

Reduce Person doesnt.
Enlarge Person doesnt.
Compression explicity doesnt.

[Ramza00]

Not really. At that size, what's his movement going to be? 5'-10' per round?

Pseudodragon 60 feet per round, good
Lantern Archon 60 feet per round, perfect
Pixie 60 feet per round, good
Sylph 90 feet per round, good
Petal 60 feet per round, good

This is before you use the run action.

[JackMage666]

An Awakened Toad is Diminutive size, but has a speed of only 5 ft. If you're a full caster, I'm sure you could have a spells that boosts speed if necessary, or, alternatively, Dimension Door and Teleport. Or Hide. Hide works too.

[hewhosaysfish]

One of the random effects of a Rod of Wonder is to reduce you to 1/16th size. It doesn't say when/if it wears off...

So that's from Medium to Fine, isn't it?