Balor BBEG help

[Quxelopqr]

Alright, so I'm thinking of my bad guys for my new campaign, and I think I'm going to use a Balor as the main BBEG. The monster manual says that they're 'masterminds of schemes to seize power' and I'd like to use that idea since the party (who have access to their metagame knowledge due to the unique nature of the campaign) would think that they're dealing with devils instead of demons (especially since one of our earlier campaigns involved an amazing pit fiend bbeg). His motivation is that he learns the party is from a different plane (one lacking in any real way to defend against a demon assault) and he naturally wants to take it over to gain more power. He'll use his dominate person ability on the wizard npc the players will meet at the beginning of the campaign after the players have already befriended him and have reason to trust him, so the paladin won't be as likely to detect the evil that is now on the wizard. Then he'll use the wizard to help the pc's get home, where the balor will attack in an awesome battle in the pc's hometown.

Question is, how can I further play up this aspect and allow the players to learn about this puppet master balor? I'm trying to come up with stuff the party can slowly find as they level up and I'm drawing a blank. I'd like to not use a pit fiend even though it fits the mold better, mostly because my friend used one so well I'll never be able to top it. If I left something important out or you guys need more info feel free to ask.

[hamishspence]

balor: hmm. Drizzt books had Errtu, a powerful balor, as a major villain in Passage to Dawn, with an appearance in Siege of Darkness.

Fiendish Codex 1 discussed various demonic styles, including Overlord and general scheming demons.

[F.L.]

Hmm, for one, think up a reason the balor can't easily enter the player's home plane? From there, the balor will use manipulation and so forth. You could drop hints that the wizard has been corrupted by having him take a sudden interest in ancient and strange artifacts (not that that's out of the question for wizards) and strange rituals. You could also send in some of the balor's lieutenants (mariliths, glabrezu, nalfenshees, etc) earlier on, with their respective demonic hordes. I honestly like mariliths better as enemies, on account of them being tacticians. Another possible avenue of foreshadowing is having a smaller or enemy kingdom far away fall under the balor's influence, reports of horrible things going on from the new leadership may work.

Secretive cults of demonologists performing profane rituals and mutilating cattle can always work too.

[CASTLEMIKE]

I like the Fiend Folio PRCs for Fiends. I tweak the Fiend of Blasphemy with the Fiend of Corruption for a Cultmaster PRC with a prime or other plane based cult. I have been toying with Binder Cultmasters for a slight power up similar to the Anima Mage PRC.

Achieving 3 levels when they can sponsor worshippers makes them DR0 Einherjer (Dieties and Demi Powers).

It brings underlings into play along with planar symbiotes. Sponsoring worshipper grants a NPC a psychic reformation for a level with an Adept level or two (familiars like Ravens for couriers with a cult network) or even a Binder level.

[Quxelopqr]

Thanks for the suggestions. Castlemike, I don't have the fiend folio otherwise that sounds pretty cool. F.L., I agree on having it take over the neighboring kingdom, and using the lieutenants to send the team some clues. We just made the characters today and the whole group's pumped for it, so I'm hoping I can make this campaign worth it to them.