Immortal BBEG

[Necrosnoop110]

Game: D&D 3.5
Average Party Level: 17
Me: DM
Sources: Anything could work

Looking for an immortal big bad evil guy to wrap my campaign up with. I'm all Liched out so I don't want a Lich. Looking for something cool, immortal, evil, and intelligent. Bonus points for something that is seldom used as the BBEG (but not too goofy). 

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Necro

[ariasderros]

Party Level?

Sources allowed / banned?

Homebrew?

[Necrosnoop110]

Party Level?

Sources allowed / banned?

Homebrew?

Original post updated with info.

[nijineko]

a leshay, possibly reflavored slightly? or maybe the one who was personally responsible for the disaster in their backstory, possibly because s/he was just bored with the old universe and is looking for some sort of diabolical entertainment?

[Necrosnoop110]

a leshay, possibly reflavored slightly? or maybe the one who was personally responsible for the disaster in their backstory, possibly because s/he was just bored with the old universe and is looking for some sort of diabolical entertainment?

Interesting. Would a Leshay be too strong for a 6 or 7 member group of 17th to 19th level PCs?

[kitep]

So many choices.  Pit Fiend.  Fallen Celestial.  Ghost.  Some kind of fey.

If "big" is flexible, there's a thread about an awakened housecat ...

Do you mean "immortal" as "won't die of old age" or "can't be killed"?

I think there's also a spell that grants intelligence to skeletons and zombies.

Intelligent magic item.  Sword finally wins battle of egos.  Extra points if party takes sword as loot and sells it to a new pawn

Efreeti (one who got gated in against his will once too often, and is now taking it out on everybody)

[Necrosnoop110]

So many choices.  Pit Fiend.  Fallen Celestial.  Ghost.  Some kind of fey.

If "big" is flexible, there's a thread about an awakened housecat ...

Do you mean "immortal" as "won't die of old age" or "can't be killed"?

I think there's also a spell that grants intelligence to skeletons and zombies.

Intelligent magic item.  Sword finally wins battle of egos.  Extra points if party takes sword as loot and sells it to a new pawn

Efreeti (one who got gated in against his will once too often, and is now taking it out on everybody)

I mean immortal as in won't die of old age. I have the entire backstory already worked out just looking for the crunchy bits for what the BBEG can do mechanically. Fallen Celestial sounds interesting, what and where is that from?

Thanks,
Necro

[phaedrusxy]

Maybe sharing (some of) the backstory would help someone come up with something that seems appropriate?

You could also go with some of the tricks available via magic/psionics to make yourself immortal, like True Mindswitch (or Astral Seed + Mindswitch), Magic Jar plus Imprison Possessor (on your new "self"), that spell in the BoVD that lets you extend your life by sacrificing others (forget the name or how it works), etc. Then the BBEG could just be someone willing to sacrifice everything to gain their immortality (much like liches are supposed to be).

There is also a spell that imprints your psyche (or that of another creature) onto an intelligent magic item.

Also, Elan (the psionic race) are immortal. So are warforged.

[Necrosnoop110]

Maybe sharing (some of) the backstory would help someone come up with something that seems appropriate?

BBEG has been foiling the PCs since the beginning of the campaign. So the PCs definitely want to take him out so PC motivation is already there. The BBEG was once a holy slayer of vampires. He has dedicated his life to ridding the world of vampires even if he has to take down the entire universe to do so. So far the PCs have seen him as a lich. But the Lich has had multiple avatars that appear lich-like but are in fact just shells that the BBEG controls remotely so he never has to leave his demi-plane.

Was considering having him be a demi-lich? But there is so many Lich-es in this campaign I wanted to mix it up and maybe have the BBEG not be what he appears to be and end up being something altogether unsuspected. Not sure though.

I like the LeShay or Demi-lich as per the Epic Level Handbook but wonder if they are too strong for my PCs? By the time they reach him they will be 18-20th level and about 8 PCs strong. No one is truly optimized but the group works very well together.

Thanks,
Necro 

[ariasderros]

The Immortality Handbook

Have it be a dragon that drank the Elixir of Immortality.
Lich this, Lich that, everywhere you look... LICH! Then, out of nowhere, DRAGON!

[Necrosnoop110]

Love the idea. But how does a normal humanoid vampire slayer become a dragon?

Peace,
Necro

[ariasderros]

Love the idea. But how does a normal humanoid vampire slayer become a dragon?

Peace,
Necro

It could have been a dragon the whole time, just using Alternate Form.

Otherwise, Savage Species has rituals. One of them does cause you to change what you are whole-cloth. That is also one of the ones that can be used as an option for Wish.

[Necrosnoop110]

Love the idea. But how does a normal humanoid vampire slayer become a dragon?

Peace,
Necro

It could have been a dragon the whole time, just using Alternate Form.

Otherwise, Savage Species has rituals. One of them does cause you to change what you are whole-cloth. That is also one of the ones that can be used as an option for Wish.

Any suggestions for a dragon species/type that would be a good fit for a vampire slaying obsessed ego-maniac? 

[nijineko]

Love the idea. But how does a normal humanoid vampire slayer become a dragon?

Peace,
Necro

It could have been a dragon the whole time, just using Alternate Form.

Otherwise, Savage Species has rituals. One of them does cause you to change what you are whole-cloth. That is also one of the ones that can be used as an option for Wish.

Any suggestions for a dragon species/type that would be a good fit for a vampire slaying obsessed ego-maniac?

any dragon that has been preyed upon or lost loved ones to a monstrous vampire templated dragon. or even just lost servants or playthings, if it is such an ego-maniac.

also, you don't have to have the elixir. just have someone cast that one "kissed by the ages" spell on you. presto - undying.

[ksbsnowowl]

Other options include Killoren and Elan.

Oddball suggestion that actually won't work w/ what you've described: Cloud Anchorite (Frostburn)

[phaedrusxy]

Elans look pretty much exactly human, and in fact started out as human and then "remade" themselves into something more via some kind of psychic ritual. Psions can make their own demiplanes via the Genesis power, and thrallherds make awesome BBEGs...

Killorens could be interesting, also, since they are fey, and I know some fey hate the undead.

[Braininthejar]

A wizard operating from a base in the astral, projecting himself to the prime material.

His real body doesn't age and he keeps coming back if destroyed, but he is forever trapped in the astral, because if he ever leaves, the time will catch up with him Tangled-style.

[ariasderros]

Well, considering it has had Lich "avatars", I would suggest one with both Sorcerer and Cleric spells.

Aside from the possibility of being personally affected by Vampires, any sufficiently Good alignment Dragon might well have made that its goal after having witnessed the aftermath of a major tragedy caused by Vampires, or even just having heard of such.

Silver & Steel are my favorites, but feel free to use whatever you think the players would expect least.