Being that I don't get much of a chance to play these days, and will soon be moving to a larger campus where I will (strangly enough) have more money and possibly more time, I like to spend a few minutes here and there converting up older APs/adventures to PathfinderRPG, and generally changing things around and making them my own, in the hopes that I might...at some point...maybe...get to run a complete AP...
I'll put the campaign specific stuff in spoilers, just in case, but there shouldn't need to be much of that. Where I need the most help is finding holes in my NPCs that I over looked, and some advice on how to handle those holes (not always fill them in, just...handle them).
What I'm working on right now is an NPC from the Skinsaw Murders, the second installment of Rise of the Runelord...but don't worry, mechanically my guy is very different than the one presented in the book, so if you're playing in that campaign, don't look at the spoiler, and just comment on the build.
This is Justice Ironbriar. The concept of the character is the same. He is still a monster wearing the mask of a civilized being...and he is still under the sway of Xanesha. He is however quite a bit more powerful, and will be given a different area to be encountered in. His office will be a foreshadowing exercise rather than a fight. The party finds his collection of faces, and some notes to implicate some people and give back story...but they wont encounter Ironbriar himself until they go to his home.
So, the basis of the character is a murderer and cultist, who has wormed his way into an influencial position in society. The exact position isn't as important as the fact that no matter what changes are mmade to him, he needs to be "socialy presentable."
One of the things I like about this character is his age. Elves are normally a race seen as eternally youthful, and beautiful. With this guy I want to make an almost obscene gesture with him being a twisted and ugly old man. Think Emperor Palpatine...durring the day he's an aged but dignified, upstanding member of society...but when the sun goes down the black robes come on and he looks like someone who's more than willing to cut throats and do naughty-naughty things with small children.
I also like the fact that what age has taken away, class abilities and feats have not only replaced, but made more powerful. His physical stats are abismal...but with his Magus Arcana he can (for a limited time) still act as a melee terror. This coupled with the fact that he's very much in the genius level intelligence department (translating to he does not fight on anything less than his terms) is going to (hopefully) make for a nightmare encounter for the party
Now that I've bragged a bit, and talked him up...here are his game stats...
elf magus8/rogue1
Atributes
Str 5
Dex 14
Con 5
Int 22(24)
Wis 14
Cha 14
Defense
HP 21
AC 12
touch 12, flat-footed 10
Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +8
Feats
Combat Expertise, Dervish Dance (this is usable with any finessable weapon), Piranha Strike, Skill Focus (use magic device), Weapon Finesse
Gear
headband of vast intellect +2,
Spells
0th Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Prestidigitation, Spark; 1st Expeditious Retreat, Grease, Magic Missile, Obscuring Mist, Shield, shocking grasp; 2nd Blur, Cat’s Grace, Mirror Image, Pyrotechnics, Scorching Ray, Web; 3rd Cloak of Winds, Displacement, Fly, Vampiric Touch;
What I don't like about him are his saves. I need a way to make this guy not fold like a cheap suit to spell casting. Not looking to make him invincible, just to make him a little less of a glass cannon. There are two feats and three thousand eight hundred gold (I believe) left to spend. The only other piece of gear I know I'll get for him is a warrazor, as it fits with the concept, and with our houserules works with all his exsisting feats.
Round off, and get him a ring of counterspells. He should be able to make a solid guess as to what the players are most likely to use.
Plus, since he's well-connected, have him arrange for some pre-cast spells from a friendly local cleric.
Protection from Good, Mind Blank, Non-detection, whatever.
You could also use the idea that he's already mentally controlled to prevent mental control. It's not his will save that has to be beat, it's Xanesha's caster level.
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Ultimately, this hinges on that +1 fort save. Why not make him a little younger, and just LOOK old. Some people don't age well. But a 5 Con does not a long-lived BBEG make.
I might just have to do that (make him younger than I wanted). Problem with that though is then all of his mental attributes drop. What I'll probably do is just go through and give him the stats I want, the description I want, and give up trying to make it work by the rules.
I'm thinking of having a number of lower ranking cultists in the room with him to play interfearance for a round or two to let him buff up (beyond what buffs he has cast on him daily).
I'll throw his revised stats up at some point tonight, with some notes on tactics and what not...
Next up will either be a gunslinger or antipaladin.
Well, if he were higher level I'd suggest lichdom. Is Deathknight-hood an option? That would make the Con score irrelvant, as if would use your Cha score for undead. Maybe some kinda spell that lets him become temporarily undead for a time? Besides his saves, his hp are the things that bugs me the most. You're gonna need that mirror image and blur/displacement you got there. You might want to go for some rods of minor extend spell and maybe maximize/empower for your mirror images if you can afford it.
As for gear, buying up saves is relatively cheap- cloaks of resistance and potions/scrolls/belts that boost ability scores. Get a friendly cleric, more virile and hardy, to cast shield other on you, or get a pair of rings that do the same thing and have your Darth Vader suck up some hits for you.
Remember not to neglect the social skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, etc) as well, since your villain seems to be a social powerhouse as well. Circlet of Persuasion (uses a different slot from the headband) or Hat of Lesser/Greater Disguise or Robe of Blending to mask his monstrous appearance.
Going to stear clear of permenent undead...though a spell to make him so bears thinking about...
I didn't post up his skills, but yeah...he's pretty good in that department.
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong spot for NPC gold. What I have him at is 9 HD, which according to the chart is 7,800. This sound right? His headband is over half of that...
So replace the headband with two scrolls of fox's cunning, and use the rest of the money somewhere useful.
It'll make his stats one higher, btw.