Hello folks,
a few questions concerning the Duergar Tyrant. I'm designing an antagonist for my 12th-Level LARGE group (6 PCs + 3 1/2 cohorts), so I will have to power him up, still. That aside, I have some ruling issues:
1) Level Adjustment. Drow Noble is far overpowerd, Duergar Tyrant is, too. Both at the same level? So, +1 LA for Duergar Tyrant?
2) The Tyrant gets some Kineticist abilities, but no other class features - including the ability to accept Burn. BUT he gets one ability that always has burn (Kinetic Form: 1 Burn). So, is he able to accept burn for his other abilities, too, or not?
Thanks,
Thali
1) I do not think this was intended for PC use. When it comes to NPCs, the exact level isn't critical; especially with such a large PC group, it's really a lot easier to make him stronger, then dumb him down mid-fight if the party is getting crushed, than it is for him to turn out too weak to be a meaningful antagonist.
2) He has the class feature ability to accept burn. He is, according to the SRD, a third level kineticist, who possesses the ability. It's just not listed along his monster entry for the sake of brevity.
EDIT: Nix that, it IS listed in his SRD entry, as a special quality.
1) LA? I didn't think that was an applicable turn under Pathfinder. Their CR, on the otherhand, equals their class level.
2) I would say he is capable of accepting burn.
...three and a half?
1. LA isn't a thing in pathfinder, it was removed in the transition from 3.5. And on a related note, Mr. Tyrant is better off getting underlings to help him stand up to a large party.
2. Sounds like Saethori is correct here. Burn is a-go.
It's not LA per se, but I think OP is referring to the rules in the race builder that suggest particularly powerful races should get extra CR at certain level brackets. Like, say, using those guidelines a Centaur (the player race version) Druid 3 would have be treated as a 5th level character, a centaur druid 8 would be treated as a 9th level character and centaur druid 13 would be treated as a 13th level character.
Thanks folks, that clears it up!
@Saethori: I stumbled across the Tyrant on the Duergar Race entry, didn't go to the Bestiary entry up 'til now. Thanks!
@all: we houseruled LA back in, since we do not have race restrictions - what's found on SRD race section is applicable (so yes, Tyrant would be a character option for now, too). But we have a harsher rule: Racepoints divided by 20. So Drow Noble is LA 2 in our group. There's a reason we don't have a party of noble dark elves running around.
@Green Smashomancer: Of course he will. It's a Sorcerer (crossblooded) 1 / Arcanist X multiclass and that short on spells that he has made himself kind of an construct army. Small but deadly. Oh, and a corresponding dungeon full of mechanical gear. Yes, our rogue just blinks at traps or locks to disable them, buuut with proper use of party splitups he won't be able to save all... *gniarrharr*