Hello Fellow Pathfinders, Im currently preparing a 1-60(yes i said it) game for 6 players. I've spent a few months working out the specifics of the story and characters and ive finally finished the villain concepts for it.
There are the four minions and then the Dark Lord type character, they all have a unique ability that i will stat out later but i just wanted some feedback on the concepts.
First is Narciso the Countless, a half-elf summoner obssessed with being of Noble Heritage, He's a fake aristocrat who spends the time in fancy garments and acting cultured while his eidolon resembles the balrog and he tends to gather more ugly brutish minions. His unique ability is to sacrifice his own health to open up gates to let in more creatures to bolster his forces.
Second is Taft' the Never Was, an Orcish assasin who balances one hit kill techniques with more Barbaric fighting tactics, he hunts the PCs after they've become a threat to the Main villain. His unique ability is to become fully or partially etheral.
Third is Dallen the Martyr, a human Healing Hand Monk, saved from death by the main villain he fights to repay the life debt owed by him, he seeks to one day sacrifice himself for a worthy soul or cause. His Unique Ability is that his head is now a black skull that makes him almost unkillable, only through final sacrifice or shattering the skull can he be killed.
Forth is Garland the Cursed(FF1 referance), Human Cavalier, once a great human leader he died defeating the main villain long ago, but when the main villain rose up again his first move was to hit the morale of the free peoples first, raising the dead leader from the grave and making a living suit of armor, bound to serve him till death. His unique ability is that he cannot be slain unless faced in a one on one knights duel.
And the Main Villain is Mannimarco the Worm that Walks(Oblivion Referance) He is a Human wizard whose goal is constant self-improvement, he first became a worm to eliminate aging, now he seeks all forms of further increases to his power untill he finally becomes the universe itself. He has no unique ability, being built with the 48 point buy was good enough for me.
What do you guys think of them? and sorry this message is as long as a Frost Worm.
Forth is Garland the Cursed(FF1 referance), Human Cavalier, once a great human leader he died defeating the main villain long ago, but when the main villain rose up again his first move was to hit the morale of the free peoples first, raising the dead leader from the grave and making a living suit of armor,
sounds like one of the Knight Kings from Fantasy Flight's Midnight setting.
Ah, good old Garland. I've always pictured him as being more of an Antipaladin, since it fits with his "good guy turning evil" theme. Cavalier could work nicely as well I suppose, though I presume that Order of the Cockatrice would be your only real option.
Your ideas sound pretty cool, though I find the Monk one pretty strange (so you have to reduce his hit points to 0 then sunder his head?). All together, they have a 4 fiends kind of feel. My only advice is to be careful not to railroad the PCs into these guys, lest it really does turn out to be like the original Final Fantasy (SPOILER: It had like, no real plot until the very end; it was just "kill these guys" and that happened to screw everybody over).
Sounds like an epic campaign to me. Can't wait to see the stats.
|
Third is Dallen the Martyr, a human Healing Hand Monk, saved from death by the main villain he fights to repay the life debt owed by him, he seeks to one day sacrifice himself for a worthy soul or cause. His Unique Ability is that his head is now a black skull that makes him almost unkillable, only through final sacrifice or shattering the skull can he be killed.
This is my favorite. Make sure to sprinkle hints to your party so they have a chance to figure out how to kill the unkillable. His motivation is a bit weak though. I think you need to flush out the sacrifice that the main villain did to turn this Healing Hand Monk to his side.
And the Main Villain is Mannimarco the Worm that Walks(Oblivion Referance) He is a Human wizard whose goal is constant self-improvement, he first became a worm to eliminate aging, now he seeks all forms of further increases to his power untill he finally becomes the universe itself. He has no unique ability, being built with the 48 point buy was good enough for me.
I've always liked the idea of the Worm that Walks for a character. Though for flavors sake making him a Abberant sorcerer could be cool.
So, basically, the minions of your BBEG are a sycophant who wants a noble title, a mercenary assassin, a monk who owes a life debt, and the enslaved soul of a former hero.
First thing I'd do is to have the BBEG declare himself ruler so that he can actually give a patent to the nobility to the first guy. It makes the summoner more interesting to be recently ennobled (and gaga over that) than to be a poseur.
The assassin is doing it for money, so there's no motivational problem there. He's relatively good to go.
The monk? The life debt better not be for himself, because bringing someone back with a black skull head doesn't seem anything to be that grateful for unless the monk is seriously kinky. My suggestion is that the life debt is something more serious. Let's say the healer monk was trying to save his village from a plague and failing miserably. The BBEG had the cure, and said he could have it if he served him afterward. Would a BBEG do this? Sure. He's a wizard. He knows the value of loyal servants, and it's not like the villagers would have been able to pay him otherwise.
The cursed undead guy.... This is always a bit of a problematic trope, due to trying to figure out motivation and dialogue. Does he have any free will left, or is he an automaton?
As for the worm that walks, he makes a reasonable villain, except in that I'm unclear on his motivation. Is he trying to forge an empire? Why? Why does a wizard want to administrate something like that? I'd give him some important knowledge and/or artifact he's looking for instead, and all the conquest and such is just incidental.
Well Narciso is sort of the First guy up, he kinda gets the PCs involved with the rest of the villains as they stop his plots. Only once they've become a real threat to the Groups plots do they send Dallen and Taf't, Taf't being a secondary threat to help Narciso and Dallen being a Sympathetic Villain that the PCs will have to choose later whether or not to spare him or not when he is defeated, Garland is to Honorable to make an Antipaladin, hes made in mind to provide a Large Scale Battle towards the end before the first Confrontaion with Mannimarco. Mannimarco isnt so much trying to gain land or items as he is trying to reach higher and higher levels of power until he is all the universe itself.
Why are they all male? I think the Half-elf would make a good female character. Just some variety.
Why are they all male?
It's a guy thing.... :P