Abilities for a boss that doesn't exist in any physical way (It's complicated)

[Twizzly513]

The BBEG for my campaign is technically a sentient part of the Weave that wiggled free. He saw all of material existence as pointless and overcomplicated and distracting, so he plans to erase it all. He is a humanoid area of reality of matter that doesn't really exist because through a ritual carried out by some dudes charmed by him, he was able to physically put himself - part of the Weave - on the Material Plane, which makes it hard for mortal minds to comprehend because it's unnatural. The way he intends to erase the world is by subjecting it to his power and literally removing matter from existence, similar to a sphere of annihilation.

However to do this he must undo a powerful abjuration put on existence by the gods that keep that sort of thing from happening. It's being undone, but slowly, giving the characters some time to do something. They traveled and obtained a magic item that could severely dampen movements of the Weave rendering most spells useless (e.g. invisibility makes you slightly transparent, fireball does 1d6, etc.) to weaken him and take him from near-omnipotent to very powerful. The effect only applies to targets within a small radius upon activation and lingers there, similar to an antimagic field. Any targets within range of this initial acivation, however, the effect still applies to.

Now that you know the idea of it all, what are some abilities that would be good for him, or settings that would be interesting for the final battle?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Uhh... maybe base it off the Living Spell template, but with a wide variety of potential spell effects? Plus some dispel-y stuff.

[Shinn]

I'll suggest something very frustrating but usually very powerful :
The BBEG can spend an action to undo any damage or debuff taken since its last turn, wether it's from physical attacks or spells.

Bonus points if it's automatic, meaning that the Party has to one-turn-shot it.

[Random Sanity]

I'll suggest something very frustrating but usually very powerful :
The BBEG can spend an action to undo any damage or debuff taken since its last turn, wether it's from physical attacks or spells.

Bonus points if it's automatic, meaning that the Party has to one-turn-shot it.

That's not so much "powerful" as it is straight-up Killer DM Schtick. One step short of "rocks fall, everyone dies".


I'd lean more towards background effects that indicate this thing is futzing with reality simply by being there - minor illusions going off as free actions, the boss (and possibly everyone else) being teleported around randomly every so often, craggy rocks popping out of the ground. That sort of thing.

[Mordar]

Uhh... maybe base it off the Living Spell template, but with a wide variety of potential spell effects? Plus some dispel-y stuff.

I don't know what's on that template, but just in case it mirrors what I'm about to suggest, I wanted to reply and say "Me too".

Since it is a part of the Weave, it should have the ability to (em)power or disempower magic, particularly spells. Maybe things like

• Cast any spell with 1d3 metamagic effects once per round;
• Overcharge party spells or magic items to deleterious effect (enlarge areas of effect to catch party members);
• Turn spells back on the party;
• Use ancient spells (from early editions) that no longer exist?

Basically thinking of it as part of the fuel source for magic...what could be done by altering the flow of fuel to spells or items.

It may force the party to be martial to defeat it, turning the high-level paradigm on its head.

Good luck!
- M

[Zombimode]

Uhh... maybe base it off the Living Spell template, but with a wide variety of potential spell effects? Plus some dispel-y stuff.

Well, how about a Living (Minor) Wish?

Just a random idea, I'm away from books and don't know if it is actually possible to apply the template to Wish.

[Bohandas]

Wasn't one of the entities from the Elder Evils sourcebook a disembodied consciousness?

[fire_insideout]

If it is part of the weave, perhaps have it be healed by arcane magic? Instead of actually taking damage from a fireball it is healed for 1 HP per spell level affecting it?

In a similar sense, you could give it a touch attack that lets it eat buffs, illusions etc. for HP, dispelling the effect in the process.

[Mastikator]

Cast at will any spell below a certain level with no bonuses. He can not enter anti magic zones and dispel magic instantly kills him without save. But killing his body only banishes him temporarily back to the weave.

The astral plane or the ethereal plane should be on the short list of where he puts his headquarters.

He should have a backup body in case anyone destroys his body.

His body is basically just a tool to him, he should not be afraid to die, in fact, being a part of the weave the concept of mortality should escape him. He should view mortals as immortals too (since they have souls) and the material plane as their prison.

He should have a cult of mortals following him that he has convinced he's trying to set free. (actually he's not doing it for them but he does think it will benefit them)

[Squiddish]

Combining two of the above ideas, magic is its health. It can consume spells targeting it or within its reach to regain health, and it can burn health to cast more spells than it normally would. Dispel magic can damage it. Counterspelling blocks its attacks. It can't enter dead magic zones or antimagic fields, and if forced into one would be heavily damaged.

[Bohandas]

Perhaps mythal effect with intelligent item abilities slapped on top