| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Does anyone else remember Bargle from the old Red Box Basic Set?
I want to use him in my 5th Edition homebrew campaign as a cult leader.
I'm thinking of going either straight-up wizard (maybe Enchanter?) or a warlock/sorcerer.
Any thoughts or ideas?
The PCs are starting out at 1st level. I kind of want him to be a recurring villain, so I really need to build him to be really really good at escaping.
I want him to be a threat, I want the PCs to hate him and love hating him, but I don't want him to kill all of the PCs. I'm kind of concerned that even 1st level spells can one-shot 1st or 2nd or even 3rd level PCs.
Well he charms you in Red Box and that spell is on everyone's spell list so that doesn't narrow it down. He kills the cleric with a magic missile which is wizard and sorcerer only.
From "Red Arrow, Black Shield" he is listed as below as a level 15 Magic User. I always have pictured him as a Wizard myself with the robes.
"In addition, the Baron is accompanied by his personal Court Sorcerer, Bargle the Infamous (familiar to all who completed the first adventure in the D&D Basic Set).
Bargle the Infamous: AC 0; M 15; hp 30; MV 120' (40'); #AT1 dagger +2, +3 vs. spell-casters; D 1-4 +2 or +3; Save M15; ML 12; AL C; S 9; I 18; W 9; D 17; Co 12; Ch 15; XP 3,200
Spells:
Level 1: charm person, magic missile (x2), shield, sleep
Level 2: detect invisible, invisibility, levitate, phantasmal force
Level 3: dispel magic, fire ball (x2), protection from normal missiles
Level 4: hallucinatory terrain, ice storm/wall, massmorph, wall of fire
Level 5: cloudkill, conjure elemental, wall of stone
Level 6: anti-magic shell, disintegrate
Level 7: power word stun
Magic Items:
Bracers of defense AC 2, dagger +2 (+3 vs. spell-casters), scroll of protection from magic, ring of regeneration, drums of panic"
As for escape, Cape of the Montebank is always useful.
I did a quick sketch of him at 6th level (this will probably be for a 2nd or 3rd level party):
CE Human Charlatan Wizard (Enchantment Magical Tradition) 6
AC: 13
HP: 48
Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 12
Saves: Str +0, Dex +3, Con +3, Int +8, Wis +4, Cha +2
Skills: Arcana +7, Deception +4, Religion +7, Stealth +5
Speed: 30 ft.
Spell Attacks: +7
Spell DCs: 15
Caster Level: 6
0: fire bolt, friends, shocking grasp, prestidigitation
1: charm person, magic missile, shield, sleep
2: blur, crown of madness, invisiblity, misty step
3: counterspell, stinking cloud
Ring of Protection +1, Pearl of Power, Potion of Expeditious Retreat.
Lucky Feat
Enchantment Tradition features: 2 and 6
The goal isn't to beat the PCs, but to challenge them, then run away. I want him to be a recurring villain. A lot of his spells can be used to make the PCs fight amongst themselves, particularly crown of madness and the 6th level Enchantment Magical Tradition class feature.
He will probably be encountered with several cultists as fodder.
EDIT:
I will probably alter him a little to make the encounter more dynamic. For example, I might swap out the 2nd level Enchantment feature for something else. I keep forgetting that NPCs can break the rules! Which can lead to some surprising abilities for the PCs to encounter.