Build an NPC for cloned vendetta


Advice


If you play in the Dayton Ohio area please stop reading this.
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Ok this is a more detailed look to flesh out a NPC from a class I’m not real familiar with. This concept is by suggestions from the other thread.
Requesting Help for Creating a Long Term Nemesis

This is an NPC that the party seems heck bent on turning into an enemy. So I want him to be a vindictive bastige. He will be doing some spreading rumors about the party trying to ruin their reputations. But mostly he will be following the party to occasionally show up when they are in the middle of something important and/or difficult to fire off some spells or attacks then run away. His goal is to make life difficult for them (like they did to him) not just kill them.

The party is large at 6 PC’s with 2 major melee damage dealers and 4 caster types. They are pretty good at stopping enemies from escaping. So defenses will have to be the major focus. Great saves and not to fragile. I do not like to fudge die rolls.

One of the build ideas I like is an alchemist clone master. He would defensively buff himself to the max to make sure he can get away. Then fire off a couple of bombs or other attacks before trying to run away. If he gets killed, then next clone activates and comes after them again. I am not very familiar with this class and could use some help building it.

~15 point buy (PC’s use 20 pt)
Level 8 (but I want this to last for at least a couple of levels, so list what would you do with the next 2 or 3)
This guy was rich and powerful before the PC’s started messing with him, so ~50k wealth and equipment. That way he could have around 15k in reserve for clones.
1 trait (PC’s have 2)
1 hero point (most of the PC’s have 2 by now)
Write up kinda implies human but doesn’t state that (elf and halfling won’t work)


chirp


The problem seems to be getting out without getting caught/captured/killed. That being the case, I'd suggest using a wizard for this - consider some of the following school abilities:

  • Conjuration/Teleportation: "Shift" gives you limited teleport as a swift action. Dimensional Steps gives you further movement/escape ability as a standard action.
  • Illusion: "Invisibility Field" gives you Greater Invisibility as a swift action for rounds per day equal to the wizard level.
  • Illusion/Shadow: "Shadow Step" gives you another limited teleportation, but with a flavor that the PCs could eventually overcome. Still 240' of movement isn't shabby. Downside is that it's a standard action.
  • Transmutation: "Change Shape" lets you take elemental form as if using Elemental Body I - Earth Glide, anyone?

With access to 4th level spells, I'd rock the following buffs:

  • Protection from {most common alignment in the party}
  • Mage Armor
  • Shield (Protection from Magic Missiles)
  • Expeditious Retreat
  • Protection from Arrows (if you've got ranged opponents)
  • Resist Energy {Whatever the casters prefer}

Combined with the Invisibility to get your villain there to begin with, that's 3 1st level and 3 2nd level spells. That leaves 1 1st level, 3 3rd level, and 2 4th level spells to select from, when planning contingencies and how you want to mess with the party. If you're only planning on throwing out one or two effects, then escaping, then add in "Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser".

Use the terrain and situations to the villain's advantage - put him in a place where melee types can't get to, during a fight where hordes of goblins have flooded the casters, etc.

Now it's a matter of deciding just HOW you want to mess with the party. Lots of spells = lots of versatility. I also didn't include any magical items... WBL says an 8th level PC character should have 33k of equipment, whereas an 8th level NPC should have 7,800 GP. 50k is a LOT of money to throw at a single 8th level character... but with the right gear, this guy could be pretty indestructible for quite a while.


Well, this one doesn't have to worry as much about getting killed since it is the clone master. If he gets killed a clone activates.

The problem with the wizard and buff spells is that he is extrememly likely to fail a save. With the party he is opposing (see the root thread above) he is likely to have upto 4 SoS spells incoming every round. At least by the 2nd or 3rd time they encounter him.

Although the lesser globe should stop most of those at least the first time. After that they will be planning to take it down or get around it.


Gruingar de'Morcaine wrote:
The problem with the wizard and buff spells is that he is extrememly likely to fail a save. With the party he is opposing (see the root thread above) he is likely to have upto 4 SoS spells incoming every round. At least by the 2nd or 3rd time they encounter him.

How many rounds do you plan on him hanging around for? Get in, cause some chaos, get out. Especially if they start to show that they're going to have stuff that can get through his lesser globe, then he needs to be that much smarter about how and when he hits... wait until they're in combat with something else, where they can't all turn on him at once.

Additionally, 7th level characters are only going to have one or two spells that won't be negated by the lesser globe. Depending on what they tend to memorize, that might not even be an issue.

A cloak of resistance +5 is 12,500gp. That would give this guy a FORT/REF of +7, and a Will of +11, before attribute bonuses. Given that the DCs on the spells are going to be 15-18 or so, that would give you weak saves at about 8-11. Other feats/traits can further shore up these defenses, if you're still worried about it, not to mention Cat's Grace and Bear's Endurance. Ablative sphere grants improved cover, which will boost the REF saves by another +4.

Leading the attack with Distracting Cacophony can make the spellcasters use concentration checks to be able to cast spells,

Emergency Force Sphere is an Immediate action, which can block line of effect for the SOD/SOS spells.

Play this NPC smart - have him figure out what spells the casters normally use, and prepare his defenses against those eventualities. Have him scry on days that he's not attacking, keeping up on what kinds of tactics and spells they use... and adjust accordingly.


Well even if he flees immediately upon being attacked. That is probably at least 3 spells. Even if he has a +15 on saves that is still around a 25% chance to fail one of them. After the 2nd or 3rd time he attacks he is almost guaranteed to fail at least once.

I didn't remember Distracting Cacophony or Emergency Force Sphere. I will go look them up, thx.

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