Gestalt Build Challenge VIII: Vulnerable Villains

[Duke of URL]

GESTALT BUILD CHALLENGE VIII: VULNERABLE VILLAINS

Mwuhahahahahaha!!! Um... oops.

"Gestalt Build Challenge" General Rules

Unless otherwise specified in the specific challenge, the following rules and guidelines are always in effect:

• Gestalt builds; 28-point buy; use any WOTC 3.5 product (including Dragon magazine) except where noted (only 3.0 products with an official upgrade to 3.5 are allowed)
• Make all builds to ECL 20. However, indicate the minimum ECL the build is playable at (the level at which all LA and/or racial HD, if applicable, are accounted for) and label any level that indicates a "power break" where the build has a significant jump in power level. Provide a detailed description of how the build operates.
• Any race with a listed level adjustment is allowed (no racial progressions from Savage Species, please). LA and HD each apply to one side of the gestalt; you may include LA and HD on the same side as each other, or on other sides. No LA buyoff. LA is applied before racial HD, which must be paid off before class levels on that side. Examples: LA X / RHD Y / class Z / ... // class A / ... -OR- LA X / class Y / ... // RHD A / class B / ...
• Multiclass at will, but see "voting".
• Up to two flaws are allowed, but see "voting".
• Templates are allowed, but see "voting".
• Voting: Upon the close of entries for each challenge, members of the forum may vote in-thread for the build that best represents the goals set out by the challenge. The voting criteria should consist of:
  • Functionality: How well does the build do in its primary role as specified in the challenge?
  • Weaknesses: Does the build have any glaring weaknesses that can be exploited?
  • Playability: How much of the 1-20 level range can the build be played at and be effective?
  • Creativity: Clever use of races, classes, and/or feats that may not be "typical" choices
  • Cheese: Minimizing the number of cheese points
    • Using flaws (1 point each)
    • Ignoring mutliclassing penalties -- some DMs actually do enforce this in gestalt (1 point each)
    • Single-level dips that would require several pages of justification to RP properly (1 point each)
    • Templates that would require several pages of justification to RP properly (1 point per +1 LA)
    • Attempting to use more than one PrC at any given level (1 point each)
    • Attempting to use "dual progression" PrCs (1,000,000 points each)
    • Over-dependence on items (1 point per indispensable item)
    • Over-dependence on Diplomacy or Use Magic Device skills (1,000,000 points each)

"Vulnerable Villains" Specific Rules

• Entries may be submitted and edited up until noon PST on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.
• Create a dangerous, memorable BBEG who is still beatable. Specifically, there should be an exploitable weakness that the "good guys" may be able to figure out.
• For this challenge, playable over all levels is not as significant a goal, however the villain should scale well against the PCs over a large level range in order to be a recurring thorn in their side. Figure that the BBEG will generally be 3-4 levels ahead of the PCs, and be a challenging opponent when played intelligently, but not a guaranteed TPK unless the party is playing extremely dumb.
• The BBEG should still be beatable, but only barely, if his/her/its weakness is undiscovered.
• Creative use of templates is encouraged, as long as they make some sort of sense.
• There will be a judging category for the best (most creative/clever) weakness.
• Please try to follow the format of the example (but also [hopefully] a legit entry) in the next post
• Entries:
  • Giron Golddigger AKA Grargh
  • Jak'thet The Lonely
  • Dak The Ancient Were-Dryadpire
  • Horlamin Whitestar <== WINNER!
  • The Limited Rabbit of Aaaaaaaaaarrgh
  • Average Joe
  • Clockwork Fagin
  • Elspeth Nightsbane
  • Melchior the Malfesiant
  • Kilthan's Bane

Upcoming Challenges

• Riders On The Storm -- combatants who focus on using mounts
• Magnificent Monsters -- only high LA and racial HD creatures allowed
• Skill-Monkey Business -- support specialists
• In-core-eligible -- builds that don't use "core" races, classes, or feats
• more to come... (I hope. Feel free to suggest some!)

Previous Challenges

• Melee Masters
• Great Gishes
• The Urge To Theurge
• Army Of One
• Invocation Vocation
• Double Dippers
• Home On The Range(d)

[Duke of URL]

Name:
Build:
Starting Ability Scores: STR x, DEX x, CON x, INT x, WIS x, CHA x
Cheese Points:
Minimum Playable Level:
Power Break:



Offense

Defense

Weaknesses

[Awetugiw]

Name: Giron Golddigger AKA Grargh
Build: Gnome Bard 20 // Sorcerer 11/Fatespinner 4/Archmage 5
Starting Ability Scores: Str 6, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 18
Cheese points: 0, I think.
Minimum Playable Level: 12
Offense: Casts as level 20 sorcerer, level 20 bard. By modifying spell selection this can be made about as dangerous or harmless as required. Also, Grargh will have near complete control over a group of ogres, due to his magic and social skills.
Defense: Pretty much the same as his offense, really. With a d6 hit die and 12 con his HP are on the low side without con-boosting items, but that can easily be arranged.
Weakness: Grapples. Grargh won't have FoM, nor a magic item to achieve anything like that. With low Str, mediocre BaB and small size his grapple check will be terrible.

Giron Golddigger grew up around humans. Since he was small, and aged much slower than the other children (thus staying even smaller) he was often ridiculed for his size and lack of strength. When one day he saw an ogre, he decided to become an ogre too, so he could be bigger and stronger than the other children. This proved to be easier thought than done.

Fueled by his determination, his muscles absolutely failed to grow even a little. His magical talent however grew larger than he could have imagined. After a while he became so powerful that he could assume the shape of an ogre almost permanently. By then, however, he had learnt that his charm and magic were much more powerful than any strength he could hope to gain, so he settled for the illusion of strength.

In the shape of an ogre he assumed control of an ogre tribe. However, he soon realised that if he wanted to be seen as an ogre, he would have to do what ogres always do: plunder, pillage, rob and kill. So he did. This is when the PC's learn of Grargh's existance, and set out to defeat him.


From level 12 onward, Grargh can cast veil, transforming him into an ogre for 12 hours per day. With a rod of extend he never has to look like a gnome.

The main problem is that it is rather difficult to keep Grargh from getting countermeasures against grappling. A ring of Freedom of Movement, or the spell would be a very logical choice. Even though he has no reason to assume people will try to grapple him while he is in Ogre form, he is smart enough to realise his weakness. Also, at high level he really should prefer magic that actually makes him an ogre (Polymorph-like spells) to an illusion of being an ogre, thus negating much of his grapple weakness. The relatively short duration opf such spells might help to keep Grarg weak though, since he won't be able to keep Shapenchange on 24/7.

[SamTheCleric]

"What do we have here? Another seeking to make fun of me, to take my treasures and lock me up! Dagos, go reset the traps! Let's see how far this one makes it!" Jak'thet commands while absently petting the aberration at his side with a tentacle from his back. "And if he makes it through the green slime, YOU WILL NOT!"

Jak'thet stands, smiling wickedly before instantly teleporting away with his beastial companions.

Name: Jak'thet The Lonely
Build: Half Farspawn Kobold Warblade 6/Beast Heart Adept 10//Rogue 15/Dungeon Lord 5
Starting Ability Scores: STR 8 , DEX 17, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 10, CHA 10
Ability Scores After Template: STR 10 , DEX 19, CON 18, INT 14, WIS 14, CHA 12
Cheese Points: 1 for the level adjusted template (or is it 4 for all 4 LA levels?)
Minimum Playable Level: 5
Power Break:
5 - Half Farspawn kicks in for 60ft blindsight, Spell resistance, 2 tentacles, Spell like abilities, Change Shape into an amorphous mass.
6 - First Aberrant Monstrous Companion
11 - Leadership from Dungeon Lord, as well as all the dungeon boosting
abilities


Offense - 3 Aberrations as companions, one cohort and 6 tentacle attacks as secondary attacks make for a whole lot of danger... but it's even worse when you traverse his home turf. In his dungeon he can use Clairaudience/Clairvoyance at will, Dimension Door anywhere inside of his dungeon and open all doors as free actions. All of his minions get this ability as well. When he slinks out of the shadows at you he is going to sneak attack with all 6 tentacles for a nasty bit of kidney explosion. He also has various spell like abilities usuable once per day..

Spoiler

Show

Blur 3/Day, Touch of Idiocy, Stinking Cloud, Blink 3/day, Greater Invisibility, Telekinesis, Ethereal Jaunt 3/Day, Scintillating Pattern, Summon Monster IX, Implosion

Defense - +7 Natural Armor, Spell Resistance 25, Immunity to Flanks and complete mastery of his domain, an underground dungeon full of traps.

Weaknesses - Jak'thet has a very real weakness... he has been alone his whole life. He was abandoned by his mother who gave birth to such a terrible deformed monster. He has spent his entire life inside a dungeon that he found making "friends" with monsters that didn't find his very appearance repulsive. His cohort, a slave kept against his will, is his only contact with a humanoid... and he only speaks to Jak'thet out of abject fear. If only someone would just talk to him...get past the grotesque outward appearance and find his inner kobold: a lonesome, scared little dragonoid. His big weakness would be a Diplomancer who could get past all the traps and aberrations in his dungeon... and just talk to him.

{table]Level |Class 1 | Class 2 | Feats | Special Abilities
1 | LA | Rogue | Animal Affinity | Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding
2 | LA | Rogue | | Evasion
3 | LA | Rogue | Aberration Blood (Segmented Eyes) | SA +2d6, Trap Sense +1
4 | LA | Rogue | | Uncanny Dodge
5 | Warblade | Rogue | | SA +3d6, Battle Clarity (Reflex Saves), Weapon Aptitude
6 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | Bestial Hide | Monstrous Companion, Monster Empathy, Monster Handler, Trap Sense +2
7 | Warblade | Dungeon Lord | | Dungeon Mastery, Horde Lord +1
8 | Warblade | Dungeon Lord | | Dungeon Step, Trap Sense +1, Battle Ardor (Critical Confirmation)
9 | Warblade | Dungeon Lord | Inhuman Reach | Complete Awareness, Dugeon Minions
10 | Warblade | Dungeon Lord | | Animate Objects, Bonus Feat (Improved Initiative)
11 | Warblade | Dungeon Lord | | Dungeon Defender, Horde Lord +2, Leadership, Battle Cunning (Damage)
12 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | Durable Form | Monster Lore, SA +4d6
13 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | | Alternative monstrous Companion, Improved Uncanny Dodge
14 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | | Monstrous Flank, SA +5d6, Trap Sense +3
15 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | Warped Mind | Extra Monster Companion, Special Ability (Skill Mastery)
16 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | | SA +6d6
17 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | | Monstrous Tactics, Trap Sense +4
18 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | Deepspawn | Sneak Attack +7d6, Special Ability (Slippery Mind)
19 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | | Extra Monster Companion
20 | Beast Heart Adept | Rogue | | Monstrous Team-Up, Sneak Attack +8d6, Trap Sense +5
[/table]

[The Gilded Duke]

Dak The Ancient Were-Dryadpire
Race:
Githzarai, Vampire, Evolved Undead, Fire-Souled, Mineral Warrior, Voidmind, Woodling, Wearbare, Fleshvigor Undead
STR:18 Dex:16 Con:8 Int:8 Wis:8 Cha:10
Level: STR: 20
After After Templates and Race:
STR 68, Dex 30, Con 22, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 34
Cheese Points: 38 points from templates
1 point from multi-classing

Advantages:
Dak the Ancient is a full attack charger build with undead and other immunities and a good host of spell and psi like abilities. Dak the Ancient tries to first use his spells against his opponents, however if he takes damage he switches to a frenzy. In Frenzy he goes from one opponent to another, cleaving when he can trying to rip them apart with his eight attacks. Dak uses leap attack to power attack when he can, however he is limited by his ten BAB.

While in Frenzy Dak cannot be killed by hit point damage, and is immune to most other ways to kill or disable an opponent. Dak also heals back 35 damage a round, depending on how rules are interpreted he may not be able to go below 0 hit points. Dak can frenzy twice a day. While Dak does not currently have any means to reach flying creatures, none of his wealth by level has yet been spent and his leadership minions have not yet been picked out.

Weakness:

In his native plane of Limbo Dak does not have to worry about sunlight or running water. Against people using holy symbols Dak attempts to flee or use his spell like abilities.

Dak does have to worry about turn undead. Dak only has an effective 14 hit dice by the time he is level 20. Any 20th level cleric can turn Dak regardless of their charisma score. Some may be able to destroy him instantly. If a cleric facing Dak has a single turn undead attempt left they can force a frenzying Dak to free. An undead remains turned for a single minute, longer then Dak's two frenzies will last. While turned Dak is much easier to kill.

Backstory:

Spoiler

Show

Dak the Gith likes lions (Lion Totem Barbarian). From a young age Dak was a leader among the Githzarai, gaining much respect from his fears, and some suggested the gods themselves (Fire souled). Once Dak chased some level appropriate mindflayer minions in the Underdark before a drow wizard turned him partially into stone (Mineral Warrior). The mindflayer minions alerted their non-level appropriate mindflayer masters. These mindflayers wanted a spy amoung the Githzarai, and so remade Dak's body (Voidmind).

Fortunately for the Gitzharai one of their bards made his bardic knowledge check and recognized what Dak had become. Fortunatly the bard was also a Were-bear who was able to use his lycanthropy to corrupt Dak away from Illithid influence (Werebear).

The Githzarai werebear bard called upon his dryad cohort to further attempt to cure Dak from the Mindflayer's tampering. The dryad performed secret rituals to make Dak more plantlike, and immune to the mind flayers dominate powers.

The party of Dak, the werebear bard, and the dryad then had a random encounter with a group of vampires and vampire spawn. The bard and the dryad died. Dak got turned into a vampire (Vampire).

Dak really liked to eat things in addition to drinking blood (fleshvigor). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead). Time passed and Dak was still a vampire (Evolved Undead).

While that time passed Dak decided to become a warblade. Dak couldn't find a Warblade trainer and so learned from some fighter trainer instead (Fighter). Dak didn't like being a fighter, and found out his family was dead and got angry (barbarian). Dak drank from a slaadi and went even crazier (Frenzied Berserker).

Dak The Ancient
Medium Undead (Fire)
10d12 HD (66 hp)
Initiative: +14
Speed: 30 Feet
AC: 51 AC (10 Dex + 39 Natural. -4 Frenzy, -2 Rage, -2 Charge)
BAB: +10 / +46
Attack: +46 Greatsword (2d6 + 52)
Full Attack Charge: +48 Greatsword (2d6+52), +48 Greatsword (2d6+52), +43 Greatsword (2d6+52), +43 Slam (1d6 + 23 Energy Drain), +43 Claw (1d6+23 Improved Grab), +43 Claw (1d6+23 Improved Grab), +43 Bite (1d8 +23 Lycanthropy), +43 Tentacle (1d6+23 Improved Grab, Constrict)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Pounce, Improved Grab, Constrict, Curse of Lycanthropy, Energy Drain, Cone of Slime, Blood Drain, Dominate, Supreme Cleave, Constrict, Spell Like Abilities, Psi-Like Abilities
Special Qualities: Immunity to Fire, Immunity to Acid, Vulnerability to Cold, Undead Immunities, Immunity to Polymorph, Children of the Night, Resistance to Cold 10, Resistance to Electricity 10, Dr 5/Slashing, DR 10/Silver Magic, Spider Climb, Fast Healing 35, Deathless Frenzy, Alternate Form, Cannabalistic Healing, Turn Resistance +4, Uncanny Dodge, Diehard, Power Resistance 15, Spell Resistance 20
Saves:Fort +13, Ref +15, Will +5
Racial Feats:Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Leadership
Feats:Destructive Rage, Power Attack, Intimidating Rage, Cleave, Extend Rage, Leap Attack
Abilities: STR 68, Dex 30, Con 22, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 34
Environment: Limbo

Humanoid (Fire)
Land 30
Darkvision 60, Low Light Vision
2 PP
Psi Like Abilities: 3/day Inertial Armor, Psionic Daze, Catfall, Concussion
Summon Nature's Ally 4 1/day, Speak with Plants 3/day, Summon Nature's Ally 2 1/day, Entangle 1/day
1/day: Cloudkill, Confusion, Contagion, Creeping Doom, Greater Dispel Magic, Greater Invisibility, Haste, Hold Monster, See Invisibility, Unholy Blight
PR: 15
SR 20
Resistance Cold 10, Electricity 10
Immune to Stunning and Daze
+39 Natural Armor
DR 5/ Silver Magic Slashing
DR 10/ Silver Magic
Immunity to Acid, Poison, Magical Sleep, Paralysis, Polymorph, Mind-Effecting, Critical Hits, Mind Effecting, Ability Damage, Ability Drain, Energy Drain

Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Leadership

+8 Bluff, +8 Hide, +8 Move Silently, +8 Search, +8 Sense Motive, +8 Spot, +4 Escape Artist, +4 Intimidate, +4 Swim
Tentacle 1d6 (Improved Grab, Constrict 1d6, Independent)
Slam 1d6
Cone of Slime 10d6 Acid, reflex half, -2 will, stun 1d4 round+1 rounds, fort neg
Curse of Lycanthropy
Improved Grab

Blood Drain, Children of the Night, Dominate, Create Spawn, Energy Drain, Alternate Form, Fast Healing 35, Spider Climb, Turn Resistance +4, Cannabalistic Healing


1. Githzarai LA // Lion Totem Barbarian
2. Githzarai LA // Fire-Souled LA
3. Vampire LA // Mineral Warrior LA
4. Vampire LA // Void mind LA
5. Vampire LA // Werebear LA
6. Vampire LA // Werebear LA
7. Vampire LA // Werebear LA
8. Vampire LA // Woodling LA
9. Vampire LA // Woodling LA
10.Vampire LA // Woodling LA
11.Evolved LA // Fleshvigor LA
12.Evolved LA // Fighter
13.Evolved LA // Fighter
14.Evolved LA // Barbarian
15.Evolved LA // Barbarian
16.Evolved LA // Barbarian
17.Evolved LA // Frenzied Berserker
18.Evolved LA // Frenzied Berserker
19.Evolved LA // Frenzied Berserker
20.Evolved LA // Frenzied Berserker

Feats:
1. Destructive Rage
2 Fighter. Power Attack
3 and Fighter Cleave and Intimidating Rage
6. Extend Rage
9. Leap Attack

BAB +10, Fort +11, Ref +3, Will +3,
Pounce, Illiteracy, Rage/2 Day, Uncanny Dodge, Trap-Sense +1,
Frenzy 2/day, Diehard, Supreme Cleave, Deathless Frenzy

Frenzy +6 Strength, One Extra Attack, -4 AC

[Chronos]

Isn't there an alignment conflict between Werebear (always LG), Vampire (always evil) and Barbarian (never lawful)?

[SamTheCleric]

Jak'thet is complete! Well... he may take a few tweaks here and there... but he'd make for an interesting villain in any campaign. :)

[Squash Monster]

"Name": Horlamin Whitestar

The Idea: A backwards BBEG: Horlamin Whitestar will attempt to kill the party through overhealing.

Story: Although he started his career as a simple and dedicated healer, Horlamin Whitestar never could accept the fact that there will always be people in need of healing that he cannot reach. Knowing that no matter how great he becomes at the healing arts he would never be able to save everyone, he branched out in search of a solution. Whitestar starts to study the positive energy plane: the power of which he hoped to channel to heal the world. This effort proves fruitful, as Whitestar eventually learned how to open a rift to the positive energy plane.

The players should encounter Whitestar early in the campaign. Early on he's a person of outstanding character and quite possibly somebody to look up to. However, Whitestar slowly starts slipping out of touch with his ideals, and by the end of level 5 there's obviously something different about him. Whitestar is enthusiastic about his new studies, and probably will be able to convince the party that his research will eventually help the world. While he seems a bit off, he does not seem too threatening until he starts to form a plan to open a rift to the positive energy plane. Although a little research on the player's part will reveal that this is clearly a very bad idea, Whitestar cannot be convinced.

Whitestar's level 10 makes a great breakoff point: the players confront him only to find that he's just starting to open the rift to the positive energy plane. The fight occurs within the rift, which is represented using Whitestar's Planar Bubble class feature.

If the DM wants a longer campaign, Whitestar's initial attempt to open a rift fails: he only can create a 20-foot radius area of rift. He'll continue his research more, and attempt to heal people using his planar bubble. Sometimes he'll be successful, which leads to him having a sizable following. Other times the bubble will cause people to explode. When confronted about these incidents Whitestar denies everything, and he shouts down detractors.

Whitestar's level 15 makes a decent breakoff point: plot-wise this works the same way as the level 10 breakoff, but his tactics change to make him a much more formidable foe. If the player characters have been a thorn in his side, he may make the first move and lure them into a trap: he invites the characters to help him with his last ditch effort, promising to give up his plans if it doesn't work. For this, he asks the characters to join hands with him in a circle. Once they do this, he activates Plane Shift and brings them to the positive energy plane, then breaks free and shifts away in an attempt to strand them.

If the DM wants a longer campaign, Whitestar makes a lot of progress at his 15th level, but is not yet successful. Having completed his studies in planar cosmology, Whitestar attempts to learn a way to make his planar bubble spread over a wider area. He may attempt to trick the players into thinking he's given up his goal: what he's learning at this point in his career looks very much benign: he's taken up plain healing again, and is studying ways to effect multiple people with a single spell.

Whitestar's level 20 makes for an epic battle. Having completed his studies on spreading a spell across multiple targets, he looks to find a way to do this with his planar bubble. Thinking that the player's meddling has been what's stopped him so far, he attempts to get them to help him test another magical experiment. He gets as many of them as possible to agree to being in his weave before initiating the fight: he uses his healing magic to heal all of them and soften them up for the positive energy plane's powers.

Race: Human

Base Stats:
STR: 8
DEX: 12
CON: 12
WIS: 16
INT: 16
CHA: 10
Put one point in Dex then split evenly between Int and wis

{table=header]ECL | Class 1 | Class 2 | BAB | HD | Class Features
1 | Druid | Cleric | 0 | d8 | Animal companion, nature sense, wild empathy, Turn undead
2 | Druid | Cleric | 1 | d8 | Woodland stride
3 | Druid | Cleric | 2 | d8 | Trackless step
4 | Druid | Cleric | 3 | d8 | Resist nature's lure
5 | Druid | Cleric | 3 | d8 | Wild Shape (1/day)
6 | Planar Shepherd (Cleric) | Wizard | 4 | d8 | Wild shape (2/day), Focused Specialist Conjurer, Abrupt Jaunt, Scribe Scroll, Planar attunement
7 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 5 | d8 | Wild shape (3/day), Detect manifest zone
8 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 6/1 | d8 | Wild shape (large), Wild shape (magical beast)
9 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 6/1 | d8 | Plane shift 1/day
10 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 7/2 | d8 | Wild shape (tiny), Bonus Wizard Feat, Planar Bubble 1/day
11 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 8/3 | d8 |
12 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 9/4 | d8 | Intensify manifest zone
13 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 9/4 | d8 | Wild shape (5/day), Plane shift 2/day
14 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 10/5 | d8 | Wild shape (huge), Wild shape (elemental or outsider)
15 | Planar Shepherd (Druid) | Wizard | 11/6/1 | d8 | Bonus Wizard Feat, Planar bubble 3/day, Planar Self
16 | Cleric | War Weaver | 12/7/2 | d8 | Eldritch tapestry
17 | Cleric | War Weaver | 12/7/2 | d8 | Quiescent weaving 1
18 | Cleric | War Weaver | 13/8/3 | d8 | Quiescent weaving 2
19 | Cleric | War Weaver | 14/9/4 | d8 | Quiescent weaving 3
20 | Cleric | War Weaver | 15/10/5 | d8 | Enlarged tapestry, Quiescent weaving 4
[/table]

Expected HP:
20d8 + 20 = 110 HP

Casts as:
14th level Druid
11th level Cleric (Healing and Travel domains)
14th level Wizard (Focused specialist Conjurer drops abjuration, evocation, enchantment)

Feats:
1st: Imbued Healing
1st: Spell focus: Conjuration
3rd: Greensinger Initiate
6th: Natural spell
9th: Augment Summoning
10th wizard: Reach spell
12th: Metamagic School Focus: Conjuration
15th: Chain spell
15th wizard: Enlarge spell
18th: Greater spell focus: Conjuration

Strengths:
Planar Bubble: Whitestar's chosen plane heals 5 damage per round until a target's HP are double their max: then they have to succeed fort saves or explode.

Healing: Whitestar is a strong healer, with enough levels in Cleric and Druid to cast Heal and Greater Vigor and 5 levels in War Weaver. Once the party figures out to keep their HP down he'll do his best to push it back up.

Spell casting: Whitestar uses spells as a 14th level wizard (focused conjurer), 14th level Druid, and 11th level Cleric. As such, he has some extremely powerful spells, and can do a lot to stop his opponents from moving.

Summons: as a druid, Whitestar is a competent summoner. At later levels, his War Weaver abilities allow him to easily buff summons. These will typically be grappling monsters who hold targets down to let the planar bubble do its thing

Weaknesses:
Whitestar's strategy is scary and unconventional, and the best way to counter him follows suite. The best counter is keep the party's HP down. The party's wizard should cast a spell like Wall of Fire on the party, to keep them hurt so they can't explode from energy. Somebody with the ability to cast restoration will also be needed, as Whitestar also heavily favors con damage.

The fight:
Level 10:
Whitestar activates Planar Bubble and starts casting spells. A few choice spells:
- Cure Wounds - the entire Cure Whatever Wounds line can be used to heal players so they'll burst sooner
- Vigor - same as the Cure line
- Summon Nature's Ally - summon big grappling monsters to hold the party down
- Stinking Cloud - attempt to stop the party from resisting

Level 15:
As level 10, but Whitestar's spell list has gotten a lot scarier. A few major additions to the spell list:
- White Tentacles (custom version of Black Tentacles that does not do damage) - holds the party down for a beating
- Solid Fog - once again, holds the party down for a beating
- Cloudkill - the con damage on this makes the burst happen a lot faster - it lowers the HP needed and their fort save
- Blood Star - fort save vs con damage every time the party takes damage. This is a major counter to his weakness, and should only be used if the party really has their act together.
- Reverse Gravity - from his Druid list, another way of holding the party at bay

There's also a substantial chance that Whitestar will drop the party off in he positive energy plane instead of fighting. If nobody has Planeshift prepared, they'll have to find one of the low-intensity islands in the plane and camp there until they find a way out.

Level 20:
As level 15, but Whitestar might now be forcing some spells on the players through War weaver: give the party wizard opposed concentration checks against him to undo the weave, to make up for the fact that the weave doesn't really work that way. He has also gained Heal, which makes his ability to undo any damage the party has done to themselves a lot more substantial.

Playability:
Although Whitestar should be a part of a campaign for the campaign's entire course, he is meant to be a friend of the party until level 5, and is only an effective enemy starting at level 10. Thus, Whitestar is not viable for a campaign that will end before level 7 or 8 (E6 characters could probably handle him, but level 6 characters would be toast).

[The Gilded Duke]

Isn't there an alignment conflict between Werebear (always LG), Vampire (always evil) and Barbarian (never lawful)?

The Werebear and Vampire Templates change alignment, not require it. When he gets afflicted as a Wearbare he changes to Lawful Good. I was assuming that once he later becomes a vampire he changes to Evil with either neutral chaotic or lawful as an option.

If that isn't the case, I can always just make him a werewolf vampire.

[Chronos]

I like it... As an added bonus, he's probably not evil, so a lot of the party's attacks won't work on him. No Holy Word cheese here!

One point, though, on his weakness: Heal et al will only work up to the target's normal maximum, and Death by Awesome doesn't kick in until twice the target's max. So the party will have a lot of room for damaging themselves that can't be undone by a Mass Heal.

You'll also want to clearly resolve the question that came up with my build last thread, on whether the planar shepherd benefits from the fast healing or not. If he does, and if he keeps his bubble active for a significant time, he's going to be essentially unkillable via hit point damage. He's still vulnerable to save-or-sucks, but as an 11th-level cleric, he'll almost certainly have Death Ward (which even fits well with his fluff).

[Squash Monster]

I like it... As an added bonus, he's probably not evil, so a lot of the party's attacks won't work on him. No Holy Word cheese here!

One point, though, on his weakness: Heal et al will only work up to the target's normal maximum, and Death by Awesome doesn't kick in until twice the target's max. So the party will have a lot of room for damaging themselves that can't be undone by a Mass Heal.

You'll also want to clearly resolve the question that came up with my build last thread, on whether the planar shepherd benefits from the fast healing or not. If he does, and if he keeps his bubble active for a significant time, he's going to be essentially unkillable via hit point damage. He's still vulnerable to save-or-sucks, but as an 11th-level cleric, he'll almost certainly have Death Ward (which even fits well with his fluff).

I'm working under the assumption that the planar shepherd's temporary HP caps at being equal to his HP, without risk of explosion. There's no good reason to, but it's a nice even way to do it that makes it playable.

And yes, healing spells won't push a target farther towards Death By Awesome. However, he does have Imbued Healing: Healing, which makes each one add a temporary HP, and more importantly he'll pretty much always use Blood Star and Cloudkill to lower the target's con scores.

[SamTheCleric]

hmm... does my little kobold's weakness work? Does it need to be some kind of weakness exploitable in the mechanics or can it be a role-play weakness?

[MorkaisChosen]

Erm... Would it be cheating to recycle FlayerMan? He has an obvious vulnerability (immune to mind-affecting means his Enchanter, Master Specialist and racial abilities are useless) but he'll still have some Duelist killy tricks and Charmed or Suggested minions, making it a reasonable fight.

[dspeyer]

Name: The Limited Rabbit of Aaaaaaaaaarrgh
Build: Ninja 5 / Assassin 10 / Blackguard 5 // druid 7 / Master of Many Forms 10 / druid 3
Stats: STR: 8 DEX: 8 CON: 12 INT: 18 WIS: 14 CHA: 10
Playable from: 5
Anti-power-break: once the prestige classes run out, the capstones don't make a whole lot of sense. Consider houseruling another few levels for each, or just running the villain at level 15 or below.
Skills: Take only enough ranks in hide and move silently to qualify for assasin, then stop. Instead max out your bluff and knowledge(nature) so you can convincingly imitate the species whose form you've taken.
Feats: Anything that boosts death attack. Endurance and Alertness for MomF, Silent Spell, Natural Spell, then anything that boosts death attack, then anything that boosts wildshape.
Spell selection: Make sure to prepare lots of silenced druid spells, because ribbeting out cat's grace could reveal you to a listener with a high spellcraft check. On the assassin side, focus on things you can't get unlimited use with the right form (eg darkness is useful, but invisibility is inferior to pixie wildshape).

Strategy:
Wild shape into something inconspicuous (either with a high hide mod or which no one will pay attention to), study your victim for 18 seconds and then strike with your full sudden-strike/sneak-attack/death-attack. It doesn't matter if your natural weapon does d2-1 damage, the precision damage and the high dc death attack will be devastating.
If your first strike doesn't succeed, try to leave unobserved (possibly in a different form), then come back when they've let their guard down.
If you're forced into melee, turn into something big and tough (your ninja AC bonus will stack nicely -- it forbids armor and load, nothing about being a bear), then summon lots of creatures to provide flanks and sneak-attack away.

Grand strategy:
Never meet with anyone in your native form. Never let anyone learn your name, your home, or your race.

Weakness:
Wild shape is 3/day. Once that's gone, you're left with:

• a death attack and sudden strike you can't use (because your hide is +7)
• a flanking-dependent sneak attack that's weaker than a comparable rogue, lacks the levels to overcome anyone's improve uncanny dodge, and depends on your connecting anyway (with -1str, 3/4 bab and no weapon bonuses).
• suboptimal assassin spells (since all the best ones duplicated racial abilities)
• insufficient druid spells: only 3 slots are over level 2, and at least one of those is probably wasted on a silenced level 2 spell. Also, their save DCs suck, since wisdom isn't your power-stat.

This doesn't leave you as a complete pushover, but a party a few levels below you should be able to defeat you.

Of course, first they have to find you, but secrets are brittle things. That can be the plot of the campaign.

Alternative weakness:
If the party can drive you into embracing either law or chaos, you lose all your druid powers -- permanently.

[Chronos]

Weakness:
Wild shape is 3/day. Once that's gone, you're left with:

4/day, once you hit Druid 10. And doesn't MoMF increase that further? Plus, there's no real reason for it to run out, since each use lasts for an hour per level.

[koldstare]

4/day, once you hit Druid 10. And doesn't MoMF increase that further? Plus, there's no real reason for it to run out, since each use lasts for an hour per level.

Yeah, MoMF gives you + 1 per level so thats 14/day towards the end there.

[dspeyer]

Yeah, MoMF gives you + 1 per level so thats 14/day towards the end there.

Ouch. I missed that when I read the class description.

Dropping MoMF for pure Druid drops the ws/day, but it makes a lot more spells available (or would with decent wisdom, and a high-level druid without high wisdom just doesn't make sense).

I think the best way to patch the character is to be overconfident with the shaping. Routinely study a victim as a beetle, then fast wild-shape to a leopard for the attack, then to an earth elemental to escape.... It's pretty easy to use up 14 wild shapes if you're careless with them, especially if the PCs tempt you into fighting multiple separate battles in one day.

[koldstare]

Ouch. I missed that when I read the class description.

Dropping MoMF for pure Druid drops the ws/day, but it makes a lot more spells available (or would with decent wisdom, and a high-level druid without high wisdom just doesn't make sense).

I think the best way to patch the character is to be overconfident with the shaping. Routinely study a victim as a beetle, then fast wild-shape to a leopard for the attack, then to an earth elemental to escape.... It's pretty easy to use up 14 wild shapes if you're careless with them, especially if the PCs tempt you into fighting multiple separate battles in one day.

That is better, however, WS lasts 1 hour/lvl not just 1 hour. He could spend his life as a beetle (or some other small inconspicuous from) by only using two of his WS daily.You have the INT of your baddie at 18, so i think he would make great use of the other 4/day. Not counting your elemental WS forms.
assuming pure druid...

edit: he would need 3/day to maintain his beetle form if you had MoMF but that would still leave 11/day to change into an Ancient Red Dragon or such.

[dspeyer]

It's not about duration, it's about flexibility. The trap goes something like this:

A high level wizard on The Rabbit's hit list (henceforth known as "the bait") enters the woods apparently on a journey.

The Rabbit learns of this by whatever means and sets out to intercept him. He does this as a hawk, wanting speed, flight, keen vision and inconspicuousness.

The Rabbit finds him, goes to ground somewhere ahead of him, and waits as a beetle (a hawk in a tree might escape notice, but a hawk on the ground would be suspicious, and lions don't pounce well out of trees, whereas no one notices a beetle).

Eighteen seconds after The Bait enters close study range, The Rabbit switches to a lion and pounces.

But The Bait's contingency teleport activates, and The Rabbit's claws strike air!

The Rabbit roars his frustration, while The Bait (safely at home) casts invisibility and prestidigitation(change scent) on himself, and calls for his mercenaries.

The Bait teleports back, with the mercenaries (mid-level barbarians with decent archery)

The Rabbit may or may not expend more shapes fighting the mercenaries. Their hit points and fort saves are such that they don't go down easily. It's not his sort of fight, and they're not his primary targets. Nevertheless, he might spend another round of beetle/lion discovering their high saves, or he might shift to something better suited to combat against several enemies.

Eventually The Rabbit has had enough. He could probably win this, but he'd get hit a lot, and even though he can heal it, it still hurts, and none of this is getting that accursed wizard any deader. To escape without massive AoO damage followed by pincushioning, he goes beetle again, and slowly crawls away from his enemies.

Once he's lost them, and is several range increments away, he shifts hawk and goes home. It's too far to crawl, and his lair is inaccessible to humanoids as a security measure.

When he gets home, frustrated and humiliated, he learns that the obnoxious cleric whose caused him so much trouble (named Bait the II) is also starting a journey. 'This time will be different!' he decalers....

That's five shapes, maybe more, in one brief encounter, and another lined up (though after the second, he'll be suspicious).

It's the PCs' job to keep changing the tactical situation so that whatever The Rabbit chose last round is wrong. He's huge? Go into a small cave. He has really sensitive vision? Set off a daylight spell.

The Rabbit isn't stupid (in fact, he's very smart when he's thinking clearly), but if you lead him by his wrath and pride, he makes foolish mistakes. Besides, his wildshaping is such a good hammer that everything's started to look like a nail to him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alternatively, The Rabbit can be weakened by the plot hook. He isn't just the deadliest for-hire assassin in the world, he's uniting all the monstrous races into an army to destroy civilization. Of course, no monstrous clan will be led by one of a different race, so they all follow him (in many cases, the top spot became mysteriously vacant around when he turned up) in various identities, and he's promised them that the other races will be their support. Running back and forth adjudicating internal quarrels in both the goblin and ogre camps can wear down wild shapes real fast.

Of course, this means that when he runs out of wild shapes, he'll still have his armies. The PCs will either need to catch him away from them or turn them against eachother so they become useless.

[Duke of URL]

hmm... does my little kobold's weakness work? Does it need to be some kind of weakness exploitable in the mechanics or can it be a role-play weakness?

I am explicitly not answering this under my policy of "if I didn't make a specific rule for it, it's your job to convince the people voting that your interpretation is correct".

[lumberofdabeast]

What's a dual progression PrC? Something like, say, Mystic Theurge or Jade Phoenix Mage?

[SamTheCleric]

What's a dual progression PrC? Something like, say, Mystic Theurge or Jade Phoenix Mage?

Yeah. Mystic Theurge, Ultimate Magus etc...

[Ascension]

I love Jak'Thet and Whitestar... not only are they great villains, they're great characters.

Grargh is eerily similar to something I've been planning... a gnome BBEG who uses a large doom strider (basically power armor) disguised as an ogre mage to control a group of ogres. Alternatively I could give him a huge doom strider, disguise him as a cloud giant, and have him lead a group of hill giants.

Mine doesn't have the same easily exploited weakness, though.

Kudos to everyone! This is the most fun gestalt challenge to read yet.

[Beren One-Hand]

Name: Average Joe
Build: Doppleganger Fighter / Reaping Mauler / Chameleon // Spellthief
Starting Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 14, WIS 14, CHA 16
Cheese Points: 0
Minimum Playable Level: 4 (But shouldn't before level 6)
Power Break: 6 (Leadership), 10 (Floating Feat), 16 (Rapid Refocus)

{table=head]ECL | Left Class | Right Class | Feats | Spellpool | Chameleon CL | Special Abilities
1 | Monstrous Humanoid 1 HD | +1 LA | Able Learning | - | - | -
2 | Monstrous Humanoid 2 HD | +2 LA | - | - | - | -
3 | Monstrous Humanoid 3 HD | +3 LA | Improved Unarmed Strike | - | - | -
4 | Monstrous Humanoid 4 HD | +4 LA | - | - | - | Doppleganger Traits
5 | Fighter | Spellthief | Cleaver Wrestling | 1 | - | Sneak Attack +1d6, Steal Spell (<= 1st-lvl), Trapfinding
6 | Reaping Mauler | Spellthief | Improved Grapple, Mobility, Leadership | 2 | - | Detect Magic, Spellgrace +1, Steal Spell Effect
7 | Reaping Mauler | Spellthief | - | 3 | - | Adept Wrestling +1, Steal Energy Resistance 10
8 | Reaping Mauler | Spellthief | - | 4 | - | Counter Grapple, Sleeper Lock, Steal Spell (<= 2nd-lvl)
9 | Chameleon | Spellthief | Mage Slayer | 5 | - | Aptitude Focus 1/day (+2), Sneak Attack +2d6, Steal Spell-like Ability
10 | Chameleon | Spellthief | - | 6 | 0 | Floating Feat, Steal Spell (<= 3rd-lvl)
11 | Chameleon | Spellthief | - | 7 | 2 | Mimic Class Feature 1/day, Absorb Spell
12 | Chameleon | Spellthief | Pierce Magical Protection | 8 | 0 | Ability Boon +2, Steal Spell(<= 4th-lvl)
13 | Chameleon | Spellthief | - | 9 | 2 | Aptitude Focus 2/day (+4), Arcane Sight, Sneak Attack +3d6
14 | Chameleon | Spellthief | - | 10 | 4 | Mimic Class Feature 2/day, Steal Spell (<= 5th-lvl)
15 | Chameleon | Spellthief | Blind Fight | 11 | 6 | Ability Boon +4, Double Aptitude, Spellgrace +2, Steal Energy Resistance 20
16 | Chameleon | Spellthief | - | 12 | 8 | Rapid Refocus, Steal Spell (<= 6th-lvl)
17 | Chameleon | Spellthief | - | 13 | 10 | Mimic Class Feature 3/day, Discover Spells, Sneak Attack +4d6
18 | Chameleon | Spellthief | Pierce Magical Concealment | 14 | 8 | Ability Boon +6, Aptitude Focus 3/day (+4), Steal Spell (<= 7th-lvl)
19 | Reaping Mauler | Spellthief | - | 15 | 8 | Adept Wrestling +2, Steal Spell Resistance
20 | Reaping Mauler | Spellthief | - | 16 | 8 | Devestating Grapple, Steal Spell (<= 8th-lvl)
[/table]

How it Works
Average Joe is the master of a spreading thieve's / assassin's / spy guild. Using his power to mimic a multitude of classes along with his perfect disguise ability he infiltraits his target's organization and plots the perfect strike. His group is particularly feared by spellcasters who find their magic less than adaquite protection, due to his ability to cut through their magical barriers and distortions.

Very little should be known about his group, other than it is headed by a wizard, which is something he encourages. In reality most of his arcane and divine spells are used early on to buff himself and his allies, then he switches his focus to combat or stealth for the rest of the day. (If he uses his floating feat for Practiced Caster on his Chameleon levels he can use Extend Rods to have hour/level spells last all day.) Once he is engaged he keeps the appearance by relying on spells he has "stolen" from his underlings, which he casts at their level. When the party tries to shut him down via standard anti-spellcaster tactics they find he is more than able to best their hulk in a grapple, and he can ignore and remove most of their magical protections. In addition he can take the very spells prepared to use against him and return them violently.

Ironically, the party that would fare the best against him is one without magical aid, as he draws almost all of his power from the magic present in his enemies.

[Chronos]

Ironically, the party that would fare the best against him is one without magical aid, as he draws almost all of his power from the magic present in his enemies.

While this is a vulnerability, it's not really one that can be exploited, since the party can't just decide not to have any spellcasters any more. If they spend all of their spell slots on buffs before the fight, then he'll just steal the active spell effects, and if they spend them on anything else, they'll be dead weight during the fight.

His bigger vulnerability is going to be getting enough Sneak Attacks to power his spellthieving. You could give him a Ring of Blinking, I suppose, if you use that interpretation for Pierce Magical Concealment.

And it's good to see another entry... Apparently, this challenge was tougher than the other ones.

[Beren One-Hand]

And it's good to see another entry... Apparently, this challenge was tougher than the other ones.

It was a tough challenge, particularly because I usually don't take LA into account when creating my villians.

[The Gilded Duke]

Finding thirty levels of templates using level adjustment that all actually work together was incredibly tough.

[avr]

A late entry and a bump

Name: Clockwork Fagin
Classes: Rogue 1 / Cloistered Cleric (Boldrei) 19 // Artificer 20, racial sub level on Rogue
Starting Ability Scores: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 14, CHA 14
Cheese Points: Zero, though I think some see any use of Artificers as cheesy.
Minimum Playable Level: Technically 1, needs to be 4th level to create homunculi.
Power Breaks: 4 - create homunculi, 6 - improved homunculi, 8 - Staus, Greater spell (via Community domain) allows remote buffing.

Changeling (Favoured class Rogue, minor shape change etc.)
{table]Level|Side 1|Side 2|Class features
1|Rogue 1|Artificer 1|Sneak atk +1d6, disable traps, artisan bonus, item creation
2|C.Cleric 1|Artificer 2|Domains (Knowledge, Community, Protection)
3|C.Cleric 2|Artificer 3|
4|C.Cleric 3|Artificer 4|Craft homunculus
5|C.Cleric 4|Artificer 5|Retain essence
6|C.Cleric 5|Artificer 6|
7|C.Cleric 6|Artificer 7|Metamagic spell trigger
...
20|C.Cleric 19|Artificer 20|[/table]

Feats
1: Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell
2: Brew Potion
3: Craft Wondrous Item, Still Spell
4: Enlarge Spell
5: Craft Magic Arms & Armour
6: Improved Homunculus
8: Quicken Spell
9: Rapid Infusion, Craft Rod
12: Craft Staff, Exceptional Artisan, Racial Emulation
14: Forge Ring
15: Empower Spell
16: Craft Construct
18:
20: Extra Rings

Background:
She maintains multiple identities as some changelings do, including as a master of a pack of thieves - assisted by her Furtive Filcher homunculi. The other identities should be respected or liked members of the community.

Offense:
Her primary offense is either allies or homunculi - she hides in the background and coordinates via spells and her homunculi (remember, you can see & hear thru your homunculus's senses). The Status, Greater spell helps this a lot too. She probably has more homunculi than an NPCs standard wealth will allow, so you'll need to count them as allies with separate CR. Even Furtive Filcher homunculi can steal a mages' spell component pouch at a dangerous moment.
She may well try to befriend the PCs in some role, e.g as a roving reporter for the Sharn Inquisitive, to gain intelligence on their combat tactics.

Defense:
Not being seen as a threat. One level of rogue allows her to max out Disguise and Bluff thereafter, and she shouldn't ever visibly take an action against the PCs. Even if true seeing spots her as a changeling - so what? Not all changelings are a threat, and she's probably not evil.

Weaknesses:
When a homunculus of any kind is destroyed, its creator takes 2d10 damage. Individually she can probably handle this, but if the PCs wise up and set up an attack which takes out many in one round she's in trouble.
If they make her as an enemy she'll probably go down hard as she won't have buffed herself, just everyone else.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Just a late entry. If the contest is closed, just disregard my entry, notify me and I'll remove it.

Name: Elspeth Nightsbane
Build: Elf Sorceress 10 / Incantatrix 10 // Savage, Unholy, Evolved XI Vampire
Starting Ability Scores: STR 15, DEX 16, CON 8, INT 12, WIS 8, CHA 16
Cheese Points: 12 (I count all templates except base vampire as cheese even though they are directly supported by flavor)
Minimum Playable Level: 9 (Savage Unholy Vampire, Sorceress 6/Incantatrix 3)
Power Break: none-power progresses steadily after lvl 9

{table=head]ECL | Class 1 | Class 2 | Feats | Class Abilities | Special Abilities
1 | sorceress | vampire | iron will | - | -
2 | sorceress | vampire | - | - | -
3 | sorceress | vampire | still spell | - | -
4 | sorceress | vampire | - | CHA +1 | -
5 | sorceress | vampire | - | - | -
6 | sorceress | vampire | energize spell | - | -
7 | incantatrix | vampire | - | no necromancy, sculpt spell | vampirism
8 | incantatrix | savage vampire | cooperative metamagic | CHA +1 | +10 STR, +4 DEX, -2 INT, +2 WIS, no dominate, +8 to vamp skills
9 | incantatrix | unholy vampire | lifedrain | metamagic effect | unholy toughness
10 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | - | chain spell | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
11 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | - | metamagic spell trigger | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
12 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | spelldrain | CHA +1, seize concentration | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
13 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | - | instant metamagic 1, twin spell | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
14 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | - | snatch spell | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
15 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | extend spell | instant metamagic 2 | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
16 | incantatrix | evolved vampire | - | CHA +1, improved metamagic, persistent spell | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
17 | sorceress | evolved vampire | - | - | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
18 | sorceress | evolved vampire | endure sunlight | - | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
19 | sorceress | evolved vampire | - | - | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
20 | sorceress | evolved vampire | - | STR +1 | +2 STR/CHA, +1 NA, Fast Heal 3, creeping doom
[/table]
Final Ability Scores: STR 54, DEX 24, CON -, INT 12, WIS 12, CHA 46

Backstory:
Elspeth was once an acolyte of the sky-god Anu. Learning the mysteries of magic and employing them against the forces of darkness was her calling. In the ancient times of her world, her race was threatened by exctinction at the hands of the undead whose increasing numbers would eventually turn them into masters of the world. When the opportunity for destroying a powerful vampire leader arose, Elspeth readily took it and added her growing magical powers to the small army sent against the abomination. Unfortunately, the attack failed catastrophically (later scholars suggest that the attack was orchestrated by the vampire so she could have an excuse to withdraw from the world and fade into obscurity). Jilah, a powerful vampire lady and mystic of blood sorcery, cursed every one of her surviving attackers to suffer the worst fate they could possibly imagine. The curse turned Elspeth herself into a vampire doomed to wander for all eternity, slaying her people and desecrating what she perceived as holy.

After many failed attempts to end her own existence, the now undead mystic withdrew into the wildest corners of the world, surviving on the blood of animals and dressing with nothing more than mud and dry leaves, so as not to unwillingly slay intelligent beings. After many decades she buried herself in a deep cave, hiding from the world and falling into a long sleep for millenia. In time-roughly twenty centuries later-Elspeth's growing hunger and power drove her out into the world again. The damned mystic discovered that all she did by burying herself was giving her own cursed body centuries of time to grow stronger and where a large group of human hunters could once destroy her and put her out of her misery, now her strength made her a horror of much greater proportions that armies of men could not hope to destroy without the use of powerful sorcery. Wishing to save the people of her world from harm, Elspeth returned to her studies of the arcane both for a way to travel to other worlds and for the strength to unravel her curse.

Five hundred years after her awakening-and two and a half millenia after her rebirth in darkness-Elspeth has travelled in other worlds, always seeking places where mages existed in number seeking either to find a way to unravel her curse or draw the attention of those that would destroy her. She knows though that while the passage of centuries puts the goal of her destruction farther away, her growing power is always getting closer to the strength her creator had when she cursed her.

Appearance:
An elven sorceress of times past, Elspeth stands six feet six inches tall with long ebony hair falling to the small of her back and black leather clothing of an ancient cut and worn with age clashing with her ivory complexion. Blood-red eyes, larger than average vampire fangs and elogated claws immediately reveal her vampiric nature. Her feral appearance adds to her impressive physique-she wass tall, athletic and strikingly beautiful even for an elf-but the weight of her unholy aura immediately terrifies animals and small children and seriously unsettles common men-those stupid enough not to run screaming when coming face-to-face with a two-and-a-half-thousand-year-old vampire.

Personality:
Once quick to act and quick to anger, Elspeth is now cold and patient. Two and a half millenia of existence under an unbreakable curse that compells her to survive, she will always seek to gain power and wealth slowly not intruding upon civilised places and always hiding while doing so.
She rarely speaks-as explaining her aim to destroy herself is prohibited by the curse-and when she does she usually attacks the beliefs and hopes of others both to cause them to think and protect them from her own mistake of blind faith that caused her downfall and to taunt them into attacking her.
Secretive and aloof-she is prohibited from knowingly drawing the attention of anyone she knows can destroy her-she covertly attacks isolated communities in the hope that heroes unknown to her will cross her path and manage to overcome her.
While her plans are almost always seen as evil by others, she tries not to harm anyone, if possible. She usually prefers to enslave people and use them as bloodbags for herself rather than kill them-that way she does no lasting harm and draws more attention to herself eventually. She never creates more vampires or other intelligent undead though she has created zombie and skeleton workers and warriors in the past out of the corpses of the long-dead.

Curse of Jilah: Elspeth was cursed by the vampire Jilah when she helped in an attempt at her destruction. Jilah's curse prevents Elspeth from seeking her own end through action or inaction, directly or indirectly. No matter how much the former acolyte of the sky-god Anu may want it, she may never walk into the sun or seek to drown herself nor may she ask another to destroy her. She always has to defend herself or flee and she may not intentionally put herself in a situation that, to her knowledge, will result in her destruction. After nearly three millenia and several travels to other worlds, Elspeth still has not found a way to end the curse that compells her to exist.



Offense
Elspeth is a powerful sorceress whose natural talent is enhanced by vampiric might, capable of slaying a dragon with a single spell or putting an entire village to the torch with a storm of fire. Two and a half millenia of undead existence have increased her innate power to twice than of an ordinary mortal with the same magical knowledge as her.
Physically, she is capable of tearing off a man's head one-handed, punching through a three-inch iron wall with a single blow and lifting more than thirty tons without any magical aid.
Offence Mechanics:

Spoiler

Show

Casting as a 20th level sorceress with some metamagic backup from incantatrix plus the huge charisma should be enough to TPK if cheese spells are employed such as celerity/timestop combos, save-or-lose and the like. Damage-oriented spells and abjurations (that Elspeth favors flavor-wise since she's not into necromancy and enchantment/transmutation did not help her with her undead slaying) are good for a very tough encounter that is, in the end, beatable.
If you want to play her meele, ner natural attacks deal 1d6+22+1 negative level OR touch attack for just 2 negative levels. When draining 2 negative levels the victim gains 46 negative HP instead of 10 and Elspeth gains 46 temporary HP instead of 10. In addition, not only the victim loses the 2 highest level spell slots but she actually steals the victim's 2 highest spell slots and can cast them herself.

Defense
Elspeth is a methuselah vampire. Without any magical aid she can resist man-wielded, nonmagical weapons indefinitely and survive submerged in magma for more than a minute and she can regenerate fully from near-destruction in less than that. Even if her physical form is dispersed, she will assume gaseous form and return to her nearest place of rest then regenerate in less than an hour. She is not subject to any effects that control or alter her mind, death effects, most form-altering attacks, diseases or poisons, debilitating blows from a lucky or precise blow and generally most mundane dangers to mortal creatures. Unlike most vampires, due to her age and power she can survive sunlight for two whole minutes at a time without facing destruction
With magical aid she can shield herself with magic from nearly any attack as she is a powerful sorceress and teleport herself away when she cannot.
Defence mechanics:

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She has nearly 500 HP when totally unbuffed and undead immunities plus slightly better will/reflex saves than a 20th level character plus she heals 38 HP per round and has a naked AC of 34. She's probably tougher than a dragon at her level without additional defences. Add energy immunity/resistance spells, some AC increasing spells and she's good to go. Darkness (or nolight) is the spell she uses to avoid sunlight and ghostform helps against water.

Weaknesses
Like most vampires, Elspeth is repelled by holy symbols, wastes away in running water and is burned by sunlight. She can be immobilised by a stake through her heart.
Unlike most vampires, she can stand sunlight for two minutes and, due to her magic, she can shield herself with darkness to avoid being burned, become incorporeal and thus untouchable by running water and simply shatter a holy symbol employed against her.
Any group facing her will almost immediately know she is a vampire upon meeting her as she does not bother to conceal the fact when in isolated or private places (in the hope someone will see her without her knowing and actually destroy her) and, assuming they survive the encounter, they can prepare with sunlight-based spells to defeat her. While she takes great damage from sunlight spells though, she is not immediately destroyed.

[SadisticFishing]

Wow, Whitestar is one of the coolest characters I've met so far in D&D. Nicely done.