Seeking Help with the Big Bad


Advice


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

In my current game the Big Bad is one of the characters brother. He is a mage of some sort, and is to quote almost every NPC who has met him, "a piece of work." lol

So far due to bounty hunters sent to kill the party, and the need to rescue the younger sister being sent off into an arrange marriage they haven't actually got to get face-to-face with the older brother. So I've had time to start fleshing him out, and now, statting him. Also, as they have thwarted his plans again and again, I think he's going to take a more active roll in trying to destroy the thing that stands between him inheriting the family fortune.

I've been thinking about him showing up in dreams, or maybe clones of him for the characters to fight, (a la Manshoon from old FR, or Doombots and Dr. Doom). I want him to be a reoccurring villain that they can really love to hate.

I'd also like to stat him as a PC, I think, current thought is lvl 10.

So, can you fine fold offer me any suggestions for build? Spells, etc?


Well, if your goal is for him to show up in the PC dreams, ‘Dream Message’ can both serve that, and act as long distance taunting/intimidation. ‘Nightmare’ can serve a similar purpose, and can serve to soften up a PC on days he is sending minions to attack them.

As for clones, I do not believe there is an option yet. However you could possibly have lifelike animated statues of him (through the ‘Animate Object’ ritual) If I remember correctly, there were a couple of times Dr. Doom turned out to be just a robot, with the real Dr.Doom miles away. At level 10, he could be able to cast ‘Shadow Walk’ allowing him to be a moving target for the PCs, quick transportation for his schemes/plans, and could allow him to transport a small contingent of minons near to the party. ‘

Suggestion’ may also be a good spell for him, as inheritance would most likely have some social aspects and the ability to magically influence those aspects would be to his advantage. Plus he can use that to magically influence important people against the party. ‘Outcasts Curse’ could also be an interesting tool for him, both to use against the brother whom could inherit everything (ie, no one is going to want to give it to him if no one likes him, though at this point the PC ‘s most likely have a way to deal with it), and against people close to the PC’s, harming there family and friends, isolating the PC’s from others under fear they will be harmed, while preventing said family/friends from helping them because they got there own problems.

Oh, and perhaps a cat familiar, for classic the ‘pet cat while scheming/doing evil things’ villainy.


I would recommend against stating him as a PC though. The math just isn't balanced for it. I don't recall what thread this discussion was in, (and I hope I am remembering it correctly) but NPCs/Monsters have higher to hit bonuses, and lower defenses compared to players. Having two people with player stats fighting means a lot of misses and passed saves because of that.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder Second Edition / Advice / Seeking Help with the Big Bad All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.