Running a game for a 6-person, 16th level party. They're in a city looking for a missing person and I want to throw someone at them who can maybe possess anyone at any time, and also control plenty of others so that the party doesn't know who to trust, and keeps getting attacked by civilians.
Any race, any class, lots of wealth.
This is my first foray into running a Pathfinder game at this level and don't know what tactics, spells, etc. would work best. Any help would be appreciated.
Being able to dominate/possess/etc. the party would work, but that takes the players out of the fight, so I think I'd rather focus on making an NPC who can hide out inside a civilian, control others, and avoid detection while sending encounter after encounter at the party.
Most optimized mind controller will probably be a Kitsune Sorcerer, using the favored class bonus to maximize enchantment DCs. But then, for actually taking possession, you'll want the Magic Jar spell.
Magic Jar can be blocked by Protection from Evil.
The Possession spell doesn't have this problem, and is the same level and school (necromancy).
One possibility if I go with a Magic Jar-based character would be to cast a quickened Dispel Magic to suppress the Protection from Evil before casting Magic Jar.
The Beast-Bonded Witch can use the Twin Soul power only "if the witch or her familiar is gravely injured or about to die." Or at least, that's how it would have to start. Once the Witch and the familiar were sharing a body, the Witch could Magic Jar into someone else, but would he or she then be able to Magic Jar into someone else?
Occult Adventures brought a lot of cool classes along with new ways to posses people that are more robust than magic jar, I recommend taking a look at that.
So far, it looks like a wizard is the way to go, mostly because the arcane discovery Infectious Charms seems so valuable:
Benefit: Anytime you target and successfully affect a single creature with a charm or compulsion spell and that creature is within 30 feet of another opponent, your spell has a chance of affecting the second creature as well. As a swift action immediately after affecting a creature with a charm or compulsion spell, you can cause the spell to carry over to the nearest creature within 30 feet. The spell behaves in all ways as though its new target were the original target of the spell.
I'll start the day by using the Possession spell to take over someone already held captive in a safe location, so the wizard's body can stay behind. Then use more Possession spells to bounce from person to person throughout the day. While a victim is possessed, the wizard can cast Geas on them to implant commands and Modify Memory to erase their memory of being possessed and geased, then can move on to the next victim. No need to boost enchantment saves for this trick.
Any other ideas for how to make this body-hopping, mind-controlling NPC better?
There was a 3.5 PrC for what you want, Fiend of Possession Handbook (off site).
As the GM I would mine that.
Magic Jar can be blocked by Protection from Evil.
The Possession spell doesn't have this problem, and is the same level and school (necromancy).
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Where are you getting this from?
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Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person). This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
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I fail to see how you could use possession to possess someone immune to being possessed.
So it seems like the whole idea of a mind-controller/possession specialist is pretty much dead in the water because of the availability of Protection from X spells.
Is there any way to work around these spells?
Andreww: This build looks awesome. Thank you so much for the help. What do you do about the Protection from X spells?
Snowblind: And this is why I post these ideas on the site before running the session. Thanks for picking up something I should have noticed.
Willingly accepting a brand from a lillitu is a CE act and makes an alignment change, mind you.
==Aelryinth
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Well first and foremost protection from evil does allow a will save so the targets to hit first would be those that generally get Protection spells cast on them as an after thought. So Iron will, would be helpful to resist the protection from evil spell after possession is in effect. Failure against the spell only temporarily suppresses the magic in that case, it doesn't negate it.
So it seems like the whole idea of a mind-controller/possession specialist is pretty much dead in the water because of the availability of Protection from X spells.
Is there any way to work around these spells?
Dispel them. Or don't be of the opposing alignment, no protection from X spells ever work against a true N caster.
Willingly accepting a brand from a lillitu is a CE act and makes an alignment change, mind you.
==Aelryinth
Well actually, accepting a Profane Pact causes no alignment change. You are thinking of the Profane Wishcraft ability, which causes a character that accepts a Wish from a Lilitu to become Chaotic Evil. However, the character gets a a DC 26 Will Save to avoid that so it's not likely to change their alignment if they are prepared for it.
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Any class and no one has yet to mention Psion? Definitely take a look at that if you like mind powers. It's by a third party company named Dreamscarred Press and can be found on the d20pfsrd.
Any class and no one has yet to mention Psion? Definitely take a look at that if you like mind powers. It's by a third party company named Dreamscarred Press and can be found on the d20pfsrd.
As this is their first time running a campaign of this level and they are unfamiliar with the core spells at this point.. Tossing in learning another rules set is probably not in their best interest or a helpful suggestion.
Yes it absolutely is an option and a good one, but as the OP mentioned the above, I know I didn't offer it because it would just complicate the situation.
Psychics are good mind control classes because of the Overpowering Mind phrenic amplification, which can give you up to +3 DC on mind affecting spells, plus any spell focus or other bonuses you might have.
At least three disciplines also have an ability that gives a +1 DC to all spells (Abomination, Mindtech) or +2 DC (Psychedelia). At higher levels you can also use the mimic metamagic phrenic amplifications to add stuff like Persistent Spell to maximize spell effectiveness without costing higher spell slots or increased casting time.
It can burn all of your phrenic pool on one or two spells, but an optimized, high level Psychic is better than any other class for landing save or lose mind affecting spells.