Self-explanatory title.
The BBEG that I want to make is a character that has mastery over all styles and techniques of all kinds of weaponry (yes, even improvised weaponry). To this end, I plan to make the BBEG have character levels, but there is a twist to this...
While I understand that adventurers obtain gear (and have some created for themselves), and they use all kinds of things across their adventures, they have mixed proficiency levels with each piece of equipment; obviously, this is meant for balance purposes, and that is fine. But for the BBEG I plan to make, it would go against his flavor.
Thusly, I have come to the concept of removing such limitations. But this "limitation" comes from a player's selection of archetypes; regardless of what archetype they pick (or if they stay the same), they are still only capable of using one weapon to the best of their ability, which is something that I wouldn't want my BBEG to be restricted to in regards to both flavor and mechanics.
His race that I made up, while I do not know the specific name of it, I will say would allow him such a capability, but this hasn't been elaborated; how am I going to adjust this limitation?
It is fairly simple: I plan for him to be all kinds of melee (with some ranged), including all improvised weapons. The character finds weapons such as bows, crossbows, guns, etc. to not fit a true warrior; however, weapons that can make ranged attacks, whether through normal or magical means, that can also be used in melee, are fair game for him to utilize. I also want to make him have special mastery over these weapons through utilizing archetypes, but with the race power that I plan to give him allows him to instead "accumulate" archetype abilities (to simulate the flavor and mechanics behind his outrageous proficiency prowess); however, the rules for stacking buffs and such in regards to these archetypes would apply, meaning that an Archetype that has Armor Training Rank 1 and 2 and an Archetype that has Armor Training Rank 1, 2, and 3, he would only get the benefit of the second Armor Training Archetype, since the Armor Training of the latter Archetype already covers the Armor Training of the former Archetype; however, a Bonus Feat would stack since it does not proceed in ranks.
I believe this can very well overwhelm PCs that plan to fight him, and while such a character concept would be awesome to implement, it is also very fragile to balance in attempts to make him a worthy adversary, compared to a character that would be classified as 10 levels above them and outright kill them altogether.
Any opinions on such a concept?
Bump
So he's basically Berserker from Fate Zero?
If the final battle is the BBEG and his two bodyguards (or just one) versus all four party members, I'd say he wouldn't be too overpowered unless you beef his stats to absurd levels.
So he's basically Berserker from Fate Zero?
If the final battle is the BBEG and his two bodyguards (or just one) versus all four party members, I'd say he wouldn't be too overpowered unless you beef his stats to absurd levels.
Not that guy; nice guess, though.
Well, it's a character I plan to have appear 3 different times; once for every time the party reaches a certain level (because I plan to make a campaign that ranges from levels 1-20).
The issue that may come up is the different abilities and such that I plan to give him, and how they would coordinate with his other abilities: I plan to give him a "regenerating" haste resource, based upon how often he damages his enemies (though this resource does have a cap limit), and it can be utilized for other abilities which I would list within the description.
Another is an ability as a free action to "teleport" up to his movement speed from, but cannot be done before, during, or after an attack/full attack option.
With his "class," it would be a unique one that is allotted due to his race benefits, and is something that I would regulate with the method I described previously (in that an ability that has "ranks," such as Armor Training or Bravery, does not stack with itself, but a stand-alone feature such as a Bonus Feat acquired from every even level or so, does).
Maybe he took some sort of vow, that he cannot use any projectile weapon, but every thrown weapon is treated as a class weapon?
As a member of a scavenger race, improvised weapons are treated as a racial proficiency.
These ideas may need some work as they would be rooted in a campaign world I am unfamiliar with.
Maybe he took some sort of vow, that he cannot use any projectile weapon, but every thrown weapon is treated as a class weapon?
As a member of a scavenger race, improvised weapons are treated as a racial proficiency.
These ideas may need some work as they would be rooted in a campaign world I am unfamiliar with.
Well; the basic character concept that I want to utilize with this BBEG is that he finds weapons such as Bows, Crossbows, and Firearms "beneath him," since as I have said before, he finds that such weapons aren't fit for those who are truly warriors. I wouldn't go as far to say that it is a vow, though for all intent purposes, it very well could be interpreted as such by the players. (Obviously, the BBEG won't go out and say this, though he may taunt one of the PC's for disgracing the art of combat by using a coward's tool to fight with.)
One of his abilities that I plan on giving him (from his signature weapon) is a supernatural power that allows him to spawn a ring of up to 6 Force swords at the cost of 1 point from his resource pool (I actually have this work as fractions in regards to "regaining" this resource during combat, which will happen frequently and is something that the PCs will need to watch out for, or notice); doing it in this method is a standard action, whereas he can spend 2 points instead, and summon them as a free action, without requiring an "incantation." Using either summoning method does not provoke AOO's. These force swords deal damage to adjacent foes, or foes that attack him with natural reach. However, attacks and hostile effects from above can bypass the swords, as they turn like a wheel. Any foe that would intersect or walk into a square that is occupied by a force sword would have to make a (modified) reflex save to avoid taking damage; the character need only make one save against the amount of swords that remain, which is a factor that adjusts the DC, but for each amount that they fail by is how many swords assault that target, limited to the number of swords that are currently active within that plane of existence. The force swords can deal damage twice before they shatter and are sent back to the plane from which they were called from.
As a movement action, instead of twirling the force swords in a defensive manner, he can place the force swords atop his shoulder, aimed at a specific target. At the end of his turn, the force swords launch toward the target, each sword making a touch attack and deal a certain amount of damage upon a successful hit. Once a sword deals damage in this manner, it shatters and is sent back to the plane from which it was called from.
Anyway...Weapon proficiency regarding improvised weapons (or even the one he deems unfit for a warrior) will not be an issue; regardless of what weapon he utilizes, he will always be proficient with it, and not suffer penalties regarding proficiency (or lack thereof). This does not remove penalties from sources such as inappropriate-sized weapons and the like.
Honestly; just think of this BBEG as the epiphany of Gestalt gameplay, except instead of multiple "classes," it would be multiple archetypes (that can stack with each other, regardless of what each archetype's abilities replace), as well as other modifiers which I already stated in my previous posts.
Well, pitching in my own two cents...
This sounds like something that is best accomplished by simply coming up with a unique class for him. You know how in some video games with a class-system, like Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea, named characters will often have a unique class with special abilities? That's something that I think would work for this guy.
Well, pitching in my own two cents...
This sounds like something that is best accomplished by simply coming up with a unique class for him. You know how in some video games with a class-system, like Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea, named characters will often have a unique class with special abilities? That's something that I think would work for this guy.
It would and it wouldn't. It would work in saying that he is a whole 'nother class of a martial character, and is something that is otherwise impossible to reach. It wouldn't work in that outside GM FIAT (which is something that I am attempting to avoid) I wouldn't be able to balance his powers the same as the archetypes do, which is what I would like to do with this concept instead. Hence why I listed the "stacking conditions" regarding the archetypes I am allowing.
And yes, it will only be the BBEG. Chances are, he will be LE/NE.
As a player, I would buy a LE class, a vow, or maybe a "Pact with a devil". Calling it an archtype, confuses me. Maybe if he was the favored of an evil god of battle, that would work.
I made you a ritual, that it would be madness for a PC to try it. :)
http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz6f3n?New-ritual-system-Suggestions-welcome