I am going to running a level 1 adventure featuring an intelligent, talking rat (like a worg) as the BBEG. I'm just wondering if anyone's statted this already. If not I'll make my own (unless, as the forum type says, anyone has any suggestions...)
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An awakened rat could make a really cool (if somewhat comical) BBEG. I could see it being a rogue (naturally stealthy as all get out) or some kind of caster (imagine the PCs trying to find who's blasting them with stilled, silent magic missiles)!
I think this is a really cool idea. What led you to it?
It could be a Ratling Druid.
@ Men without Elaus: this is to be a side quest available to the PCs after they return from their first full adventure. It's set in my homebrew world of Karnoss, in Inderwick; a Large City. There are a couple built-in hooks to Inderwick, not the least of which is an extensive network of old dwarven sewers which in turn open up into ancient chambers of those who dwelled on this site AGES ago.
Long story boring, the PCs will have an NPC member of the Ratcatcher's Guild as one of their contacts. Master Goyle will ask the PCs if they want to help him in the sewer clearing a particularly nasty nest of rats. Should they accept this is one way of getting the party on the trail of Shara Mooncrazed; an NPC I had help creating on these boards over a year ago and may finally get to play. She's a NE female human (wererat)Adept 4 who is very nearly a witch but low enough in personal power that the party has a chance of defeating her.
Anyway, the adventure breaks down into a "5 room dungeon" type scenario. Room 1 is a nest of rats in the sewer; Goyle will help the party deal w/it and then teach them how to recognize one forming and stop it before it does (a handy tip for later).
Room 2 happens when the party (or Goyle's adolescent apprentice Vanja) spots the discolored wall which is actually a concealed portal leading into some burrows between layers of stone and earth used as filler in one of these ancient chambers. The tunnels are Small sized and fork in many directions in this area; complications here will be a pit trap and a nest of rats which MAY form a swarm if the party doesn't stop it from happening (see above) using fire, Handle Animal or Intimidate skills, etc.
Room 3 is the party breaking through another concealed portal, this time entering into a partially flooded great hall. The hall will have rubble and debris breaking the surface of the water like a stone path (Acrobatics DC 15 to cross) and be infested with a pair of reefclaws. This is meant to simply present a final obstacle before the party reaches the main villain.
Room 4 is actually a series of Small sized chambers burrowed into the loose earth in the foundations of a brothel above. The "rat king" here takes some orders from Shara, including marking the prettiest Pro for Shara's curse; once so marked Shara makes them a deal for the cure where the victims trade beauty (Charisma) for health. Anyway, the party fights some dire rats I am calling "carrier rats"; rats that have a bit of dexterity so they can carry small loads of loot on their back and report to their "king" on the upper world.
Room 5 is the "king's" lair where the nest is made from paper. The paper in turn is portraits of the current selection at the brothel plus a map of the area drawn by Shara. Finally if they catch the guy he spills the beans; otherwise I have to come up with a 3rd clue to link Shara to the rat king and seal the deal so the party goes after her.
So the rat king is going to be a unique kind of sentient rat that Shara can still control but has his own free will. This justifies him stealing from all the businesses above him and sitting on a pile of loot. What's he hording the cash for? I don't know; maybe magic hands, maybe just protection money.