Campaign help - Star Spawns, dealing with DR and Ghosts

[Silus]

Ok, so the campaign I'm running is getting towards the end and I feel that I am not appropriately prepped for what the PCs have in store (also partially my fault for how much power I let them get).

Problems are as follows:

1) Due to my own ineptitude as a DM, I allowed the PCs to gain some templates (specifically the werewolf and vampire templates, and one is looking at buying a construct augmentation one), almost all have DR (at most, I think, of 10). Barring things that will explicitly bypass DR (and maybe come off as sorta "i'm gunnin' for you" ), what are good ways to deal with players with DR?

2) Compounded with issue 1, the PCs will be going to a Darklands-type ruined city on the coast of an underground sea. The city has been nicknamed "The City of Ghosts" and I wanna throw in some appropriately incorporeal undead, but at the same time I'm hesitant about A) Throwing in overpowered creatures (they're lvl 8s) and B) throwing too much at the PCs. But at the same time, I feel that I'm not doing my job as a DM (They've gone 8 levels with out a PC death). I was thinking Shadows honestly (Love those little buggers), but I'm also seeking something that will take out a vampire as well.

3) So, near endgame thing. Barrier between worlds that is keeping out the things between spaces has busted and the BBEG has shown up, an exiled former goddess of the night that has been corrupted and turned evil and bitter. Anyway, she's got heralds/minions. Way I described them was vaguely humanoid (two arms, two legs, torso, head, flowing hair) and seemingly composed of space (stars, galaxies, nebulas) and that they are, at least compared to the PCs, obscenely powerful (Rule 0'ed the one they found to destroy a CR 12 construct). I'm basically using refluffed Shining Childs, but I was wondering if there was a better alternative to represent, fluff and stat-wise, a herald/minion of the above goddess without going full Cthulhu (the PCs are convinced that the BBEG is Cthulhu or something Lovecraftian).

4) So I've decided to use this stuff from a fanfiction (Fallout Equestria) called the Pink Cloud. So far, I've had the concentrated stuff do at least 2d12 in damage as the cloud rapidly begins shutting down vital organs and whatnot. Anyway, I'm thinking of having some creatures being able to breathe the stuff (Refluffed Adherers + breath weapon + fast healing + some DR to represent the necrotic, transformative properties) and was wondering if 1) this would be considered a tad unfair/overpowered, and 2) what I ought to do to make the Pink Cloud more...true to source. Was thinking 2d12 for the concentrated blast +1d6(maybe 2d6) bleed (internal bleeding) and their armor and weapons have to make fort saves. Failure results in a high/low percentage. High and the weapon/armor takes corrosion damage, low and it beings to painfully adhere to the skin. It's only stupid dangerous when in concentrated quantities (Immediate 2d12 with an additional 1d12 per round you're in it + Bleed), though that's like London fog densities. Lighter stuff, the damage kicks in after a few rounds at only 1d6 with no bleed. The "source" of the Pink Cloud has already been passed (the munitions room of a crashed and buried space craft). The Cloud may have extended beyond, but not far enough to cause damage or expand further. The Adherers I mentioned in the OP would just be creatures that had the misfortune to be exposed to so much of it that they began exuding it.

[Silus]

Also, dealing with killing off vampire players, that does NOT include specially designed vampire-hunter encounters, is also something I seem to be struggling with.

[Rerednaw]

You (GM) are never gunning after the players. The monster's and npcs are gunning after the characters.

They are 8th level? Haven't they made any enemies by now? What about the friends/relatives/guildmates of the monsters they have slain?

It really no one is holding a grudge and wouldn't hire a 'Troubleshooter' to help balance the scales?

Anyone that has been defeated or for that matter anyone they have saved have a basic idea of the party's makeup and abilities.

If you were a bounty hunter it would be silly for you not to research your mark.

Of if you are a new BBEG...PCs can make monster lore checks, have BBEG's and their minions make PC lore checks.

By requesting customization for your campaign and wanting to have a challenge for these PCs you are gunning after them no matter what.

Unless you want it to be all rainbows and ponies (instead of pwnies) in which I would throw endless waves of Evard Cotton Candy Tentacles and Rain of Skittles. :)

Without knowing the specifics of the templates they have, the PCs may very well be unkillable. Vampires are notoriously difficult to inflict true death on as are lycanthropes. Also are the PCs evil/good? They cannot always be acting in everyone's best interest. The local lords may start to worry about potential upstarts who show a great deal of power and may one day meddle in their affairs.

On the other hand if they are regular vampires and lycans...

Isn't the sun out half the day? Disintegrate the Vampire PCs clothes and leave him exposed to the sun. *poof* And as for lycans...silvered weapons are common enough, or for that matter no DR stops damage from a good old fireball.

Or make a not so evil BBEG who's family was slaughtered by vampire/lycans...so he/she spends their life hunting them. Or perhaps an entire secret guild who has sworn to make the world safe for "normals"

Or have the party discover a powerful item...dedicated to "X" race. So anyone with a template wouldn't be able to use or wield it. For added laughs, make the item sentient and a wise-cracking one at that. Like Bob from the Dresden Files.

It's your world, do with it as you will.

[Silus]

Well I don't figure that I'll be able to "deal with" the PCs (as in make them worry that they're gonna get killed by some big nasty so-and-so) in the next session or so. But...maybe that's a good thing?

Plan:
PCs storm through the ruined, undead filled city, beat down the BBEG they've been looking for, get back to the surface, feeling like heroes then temporarily go their separate ways. Enter the Star Spawn things above. They start showing up and start muscling in on the PC's turf (the planet). They go out to face the one/s that just plowed down to earth in front of their inn or wherever and the fight starts. Surprise, it's powers and whatnot have been augmented to 1) pass through Silver and Magic DR and 2) suppress Fast Healing.

"We know of you and your exploits. We have studied you. We have learned your strengths. And your weaknesses."

Alternatively, the Vampire character has been hinted to have some ties to the mystery BBEG (the players think it's some Lovecraftian horror) who may or may not appreciate their "champion" to have sold all their soul (from a technical standpoint) to become undead. Star Spawn capture/incapacitate the Vampire character and force a True Resurrection upon them with a sort of "The Master does not tolerate abominations in her ranks. You must be cleansed" sort of thing.