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So I've come up with an idea for a recurring villain that my players will encounter and become the main antagonist they'll have face for a while. The thing is he is not a combatant nor can her fight at all. This hobgoblin is a brilliant strategist and cunning diplomat. I was wondering how to make such a character? Stat wise
Sounds like an expert to me. I also toyed around with an idea of a Hobgoblin Fighter (Tactician). The archetype gives the cavalier tactician ability and they get extra class skills and ranks. Ultimate Campaign has mass combat rules that could be interesting. Of course, you can also go with Investigator (Empiricist). Plus the orator feat (use linguistics for diplomacy, bluff, and intimidate) you can do some nasty min-maxing. A lot of people consider the investigator the perfect out of combat class. Hobgoblins also get racial feats like Warmonger, which gives social bonuses to start wars.
P.S. my profile is a sample Hobgoblin Build. Not for the leader but possibly a servant. I'm fine with people using it. It's an Inquisitor.
So I've come up with an idea for a recurring villain that my players will encounter and become the main antagonist they'll have face for a while. The thing is he is not a combatant nor can her fight at all. This hobgoblin is a brilliant strategist and cunning diplomat. I was wondering how to make such a character? Stat wise
While I see where you want to go with this, can I ask why your making him a Hobgoblin? Given the races militaristic leanings would not a non combat cable Hobgoblin be very out of the norm?
If you want as non combat as possible go NPC Noble and put skills into History, Nobility, Lore:Tactics and such.
The game needs more non-combat capable classes. A diplomat and strategist should be perfectly viable.
That said you are probably better off using one of the strategic archetypes for Chavelier or another martial class and simply invest all of of your feats into diplomatic and strategic abilities. Combined with an Ability spread that is poor for combat you should have a character that isn't an effective combatant.
You may also want to consider third-party classes as well.
Certainly I would look at something with a good amount of skill points.
If you do not want to go with the NPC classes, I would use a rogue. You have to work hard to make them match other classes, so making one a non combatant should be easy
Hannibal the general who attacked Rome, or Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal the Cannibal?
Anyway a very skilled character with limited fighting ability might be a rogue with the phantom thief archetype.
Well the Investigator could come really close to the concept. Throw in the Mastermind Archetype and you have the cunning diplomat perfected.
Mesmerist with terrible melee stats seems like it could work. Enough skill points, and it is FANTASTIC at subtly manipulating people with magic (since they are psychic casters, which means they can use the cunning caster feat with absolutely no problem at all, since they are basically always silenced and stilled). You can have him do all sorts of things, and have it happen right in front of the party without them suspecting a thing (GREAT for plausible get aways, since he was already half way across town by the time his illusion's monologue was over; useful when you want someone 'reoccurring' rather than 'dead')
Mesmerist provides plenty of methods of allowing him to just sit back and let other people fight for him. Painful stare works with other people hitting (oh, didn't half orcs have an option that boosts this? Just GM up something similar for your hobgoblin), and mesmerist tricks can be applied long before the fight even starts.
"Oh, you have me right in your clutches? Are you sure you don't have....POOF- MY ENLARGED BARBARIAN FRIEND HERE? Why did you walk up to him instead of me?"
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So I've come up with an idea for a recurring villain that my players will encounter and become the main antagonist they'll have face for a while. The thing is he is not a combatant nor can her fight at all. This hobgoblin is a brilliant strategist and cunning diplomat. I was wondering how to make such a character? Stat wiseWhile I see where you want to go with this, can I ask why your making him a Hobgoblin? Given the races militaristic leanings would not a non combat cable Hobgoblin be very out of the norm?
If you want as non combat as possible go NPC Noble and put skills into History, Nobility, Lore:Tactics and such.
Because out of the norm is exactly what I'm gonna for. He is brilliant and his mind sets him apart from his fellow hobgoblin kin. He's not the typical hobgoblin.
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Hannibal the general who attacked Rome, or Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal the Cannibal?
Anyway a very skilled character with limited fighting ability might be a rogue with the phantom thief archetype.
Hannibal the general.
If you're interested in emulating the historical Hannibal, one facet is that his reputation was grossly exaggerated by the Romans for political purposes. The defeats he handed Rome were embarrassing, and in many cases this was as much incompetence on the part of his Roman counterparts as it was his own skill as a general. Hannibal's military genius was played up by the Romans as a face-saving measure, sort of a "yes, we lost some battles, but only because the other guy was an unmatched military genius". That's not to say that Hannibal was a bad general, but he made his fair share of mistakes and would never have gotten as far as he did if his opponents were competent.
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If you're interested in emulating the historical Hannibal, one facet is that his reputation was grossly exaggerated by the Romans for political purposes. The defeats he handed Rome were embarrassing, and in many cases this was as much incompetence on the part of his Roman counterparts as it was his own skill as a general. Hannibal's military genius was played up by the Romans as a face-saving measure, sort of a "yes, we lost some battles, but only because the other guy was an unmatched military genius". That's not to say that Hannibal was a bad general, but he made his fair share of mistakes and would never have gotten as far as he did if his opponents were competent.
Well, if he had some form of mind control, then he could be responsible for the romans being idiots...
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If you're interested in emulating the historical Hannibal, one facet is that his reputation was grossly exaggerated by the Romans for political purposes. The defeats he handed Rome were embarrassing, and in many cases this was as much incompetence on the part of his Roman counterparts as it was his own skill as a general. Hannibal's military genius was played up by the Romans as a face-saving measure, sort of a "yes, we lost some battles, but only because the other guy was an unmatched military genius". That's not to say that Hannibal was a bad general, but he made his fair share of mistakes and would never have gotten as far as he did if his opponents were competent.
I agree that his reputation was played up by the Romans but he had done things that no military could achieve to this day. His tactics were ahead of its time and was only defeated because he was the Romans greatest teacher. They used his tactics against him.
Hannibal lead a barbarian army to Rome And nearly ended the Roman empire. Hobgoblin Hannibal is basically what I'm going for. On a smaller scale.
Well, if he had some form of mind control, then he could be responsible for the romans being idiots...
Whoa. This is a great alternate history idea. Or conspiracy theory... :)
Well, if he had some form of mind control, then he could be responsible for the romans being idiots...Whoa. This is a great alternate history idea. Or conspiracy theory... :)
Well, it is a tact you have to consider in a world with magic. It is right up there with poisoning the generals just to remove the chain of command entirely.
Anyway, going to the trouble of making the enemy seem like idiots and to not reveal your own power is an important part of foreign relations. Have the guy next door think "even we can take those jerks" towards the romans, and have them think "eh, he is nice, but not GREAT. He just got lucky. We could take him too" for Carthage.
Because if you are not a threat, then they aren't going to take as many measures to restrain you. And if they think your enemy is weak, they might 'volunteer their assistance' for the chance to get some easy spoils of war. Later, you can get that all back with interest when you attack the neighbor who underestimated you.
And this kind of manipulation is exactly a backseat mesmerist thing to do.
Is there some way to get a war elephant as an animal companion?
Is it really worth the effort with the obvious lack of ranks placed into Knowledge: Nature and Survival?
Is there some way to get a war elephant as an animal companion?
Be a half orc and take a single feat at level 7. That gives you a couple of the spikey dinosaurs, pterodactyls, rhinos, and elephants.
Again- I would personally feel free as a GM to grab half orc stuff since hobgoblins don't have much support.