Help me make a BBEG?

[Redchigh]

My party will be meeting with a misleading quest giver.

I haven't quite decided between a doppleganger, some other shifter, or just make her insane.

Though she will be referred to as 'the oracle', but she's probably not going to be an oracle (the class). Maybe a divination/trickery domain cleric.

I'm thinking level 8-10. The party is a group of five level threes, but are on the powerful side. (I usually pump crs up for them.

Does anyone like building villains?
I want her to be a manipulator and 'seer' much more than direct combat. She has an army of loyal fanatics for defense.

Any ideas for non-doppleganger shifters?

[pennywit]

This looks like a job for the Inquisitor (Infiltrator). Very good for leading a cult ... and ALSO very good for foiling those pesky paladins with their Detect Evil abilities.

[Guardianlord]

I might suggest a pure illusion specialist wizard, spell focus major image, ventriloquism, and prestigitation. Then your BBEG can appear as innocent (and undetectable) as you desire, at lvl 3 the party should have no real defense and you can make her anybody you really desire (great for escaping once revealed as she can just enter a crowd and they will have a hard time finding out who she is).
"Loyal followers" can include innocents that have been dominated to further confound combat.
Plus it will make the party really paranoid for future encounters =p

[pennywit]

If you're looking for shapeshifters, you can probably get some mileage out of a Skin Stealer or a Leanan Sidhe. I've thrown a couple Skin Stealers at my players. They got a serious case of Squick both times.

[Redchigh]

Great ideas. Anyone else?