Does Nezzarin know what lurks in room 4. Hall of Corruption? If so maybe he would retreat back there if hurt pretty bad to get next t o a wormswarm and heal up. This might be real interesting as the PCs pursue him thinking he's hurt badly and going to retreat or warn others, and they will liekly pursue. This would lead them right into another nasty fight with the corrupted.
I know he is the guardian of the exterior, but does he know what's inside you think or does he just sit there and watch waiting for Kyuss to return with a one-track mind? Would having him flee be to mean as a DM, what do you guys think I'm just looking for idea here as to how I might let things unfold.
~Thanks,
MB
He would almost certainly be aware of the other guardians. The PCs can always retreat outside the obsidian ring so theres no need to go easy on them.
I thought Nezzarin was one of the more flexible encounters in SoLS. Personally, I had intended for him to burst through one of the east or west doors in Room 3, depending on which side the PCs entered from. The beetles would then approach the staircase from outside, thus putting the PCs in a pincer attack.
However, the best laid plans of mice and men...Instead, courtesy of the party diviner (I should've seen this coming) casting both prying eyes and arcane eye (in succession), the group was able to discern that I put Nezzarin in Room 3 to ambush the party. So, I modified it slightly, in that the party became aware of the "ambush" so when Nezzarin leapt from room 3 into room 1, as the case was, the surprise was less significant.
Long story short, use Nezzarin how you are most comfortable. I prefered to keep him out of the open, and aimed to decrease the distance he would have to traverse, given his lack of SR and lack of ranged attacks. Thus, consider putting him inside the monolith for the greatest challenge for your PCs.
I actually used Nezzarin as a way to mess with my players and show them what it means to finally be a high-level party. Basically, once he knew what side they were probably gonna be coming from, he just waited for them there. He got into the western entrance, with two eviscerator beetles, and just stood there. Completely motionless. He commanded the beetles to do the same. When the party walked in, they saw this spawn of kyuss-looking guy in armor, just standing there. To them, it looked like he hadn't even noticed them. So, they just kinda walked up to attack... and as soon as the party's main fighter got within five feet, Nezzarin tripped him and followed up with one heck of an attack (I gave him Improved Trip when I originally thought of this idea). At that point, the two beetles also attacked the fighter, dropping him to half his hit points. With held actions alone.
Needless to say, the battle went on from there, and got to be kinda rough.
One more thing. With Nezzarin's obscene bonus on Listen, Spot, and Initiative (+20!), and the evicerator beetles Obey the Wormtouched quality, there's no reason Nezzarin shouldn't have total--or at least a majority of--control of the battlefield. Some players who aren't used to having the enemy get the drop on them may call foul at your seemingly unquenchable need to get in first licks. But, Nezzarin's--effectively--an uber-watchdog.
Oh, regarding Improved Trip, that's a good idea, considering I'm a little to nice on my PCs equipment (I swapped Improved Sunder for Improved Toughness, myself.) If you'd really like to push your PCs, give the Kyuss Knights the evolved template from Libris Mortis. It attaches beautifully to all of them, and offers a surprising increase in challenge and versatility in spell-like abilities.