I'm statting up a BBEG that will serve a role not unlike the Ghostlord from Red Hand of Doom. My PC's are currently 7th level, and this guy is supposed to be way too hard for them to fight.
A few notes: This is a homebrew gestalt setting with a Norse theme. Though I am using the Tolontar Blightlord prestige class from Unapproachable East, I'm altering it to be a cult of Hel, thus the alterations to function for Longswords rather than Glaives. I know this precludes me from using Spikes and Greater Mighty Whallop - that's okay, he'll still be a challenge if my players decide they want a showdown with him.
More than anything, I need help with his spell selection, especially that on his Favored Soul side. I generally want to stick with spells that he can't get via his Spirit Shaman side (with the exception of a few spells that are level-advantaged for the cleric spell list).
Although I have actually played a druid before (as opposed to playing something with the Cleric spell list, which I've never done), any recommendations people have for a good list of spells retrieved for different situations would be appreciated (general adventuring or general "going about my day" vs knowing there are people planning to attack your encampment).
I've made a preliminary list of Favored Soul spells, but only went through core and the spell compendium. And I don't claim to be an expert on what a "good" cleric spell looks like.
Also, any suggestions for magic items that would especially benefit a character such as this, as well as feats, would be appreciated. I'll probably give him scribe scroll, so he can load himself out with lots of extra druid spell options, regardless of what he might have retrieved that day.
The Rotting Man
Spirit Shaman 15//Favored Soul 7/Talontar Blightlord 8
Elite Medium Humanoid [Human]
Hit Dice: 15d8+30 (150 hp) [Cold Resistance 10][Protection from Fire (120)]
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (+2 Dex, +6 Chain Shirt, +3 Hvy Shield, +2 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 21
Barkskin: 26 (+2 Dex, +6 Chain Shirt, +3 Hvy Shield, +5 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 24
Bark & Shield of Faith: 30 (+2 Dex, +6 Chain Shirt, +3 Hvy Shield, +5 Natural, +4 Deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 28
Magic Vestment & Shield o Fa & BS: 32 (+2 Dex, +6 Chain Shirt, +5 Hvy Shield, +5 Natural, +4 Deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 30
Incorporeal: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 Deflection), touch 16, flat-footed 14 – 50% miss chance from magic only
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+11
Attack: Icy Burst Ghost Touch Wounding* +2 Vampiric Longsword +14 (1d8+2 +1d6 cold +1d6 vampiric [19-20/x2 (+2d10 cold)]) plus bleeding 1 point per round or MW Shortbow +14 (1d6 [x3]) or Melee Touch Spell +11 or Ranged Touch Spell +13
Full Attack: Icy Burst Ghost Touch Wounding* +2 Vampiric Longsword +14/+9/+4 (1d8 +2 +1d6 cold +1d6 vampiric [19-20/x2
(+2d10 cold)]) plus bleeding 1 point per round or MW Shortbow +14/+9/+3 (1d6 [x3])
Incorporeal Attack: Icy Burst Ghost Touch Wounding* +2 Vampiric Longsword +16/+11/+6 (1d8 +2 +1d6 cold +1d6 vampiric
[19-20/x2 (+2d10 cold)]) plus bleeding 1 point per round
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Chastise Spirits, Blessing of the Spirits, Ghost Warrior, Warding of the Spirits, Exorcism; Blight Touch 3/day, Blightmind, Black Glaive (Longsword), Corrupting Blows
Special Qualities: Spirit Guide, Wild Empathy, Detect Spirits, Follow the Guide (reattempt save vs enchantment), Spirit Form 2/day, Guide Magic, Recall Spirit; Deity’s Weap Focus, Cold Resistance 10; Blightbringer prestige domain (Fav Sol), Blightblood, Illmaster
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +15 (Follow the Guide: save again vs enchantment effect)
Night Shield: Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +18 (immune to magic missile)
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 16 (18)
Skills: Concentration +20 [18 ranks], Diplomacy +14 [8 ranks], Hide +0 [0 ranks, -2 ACP], Know (Arcana) +5 [5 ranks], Know (History) +5 [5 ranks], Know (Local) +5 [5 ranks], Know (Nature) +7 [5 ranks], Listen +13 [9 ranks], Move Silently +0 [0 ranks, -2 ACP], Sense Motive +14 [10 ranks], Spellcraft +10 [8 ranks], Spot +13 [9 ranks], Survival +12 [8 ranks], Survival (above ground) +14; Wild Empathy +19
Feats: Great Fortitude, Extend Spell, Scribe Scroll, Craft Wondrous Item, Improved Initiative, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, 15
Environment: Western Geat Dale
Organization: Solitary or warband (3-12 Blightlords)
Challenge Rating: 16 [GCR 15] (150% XP)
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +0
The Rotting Man speaks Common (Geat)
Possessions: +2 Vampiric Longsword (32,315), Cloak of Charisma +2 (4,000), Amulet of Natural Armor +2 (8,000), +2 Chain Shirt (4,250), +1 Hvy Wooden Shield (1,157), Scroll of Unholy Beast (CL 10) (1000), Scroll of Necrotic Skull Bomb (CL 9) (1,125), Scroll of Restoration (800) 59k in NPC wealth (6,353 to spend)
Favored Soul spells per day: [CL 14th] [DC 14+level] (6/7/7/7/7/6/5/3)
Favored Soul spells known: (9/6/6/6/6/5/4/3)
Spirit Shaman spells per day: [CL 15th] [DC 14+level] (6/7/7/7/7/6/6/4/2)
Spirit Shaman spells retrieved: (3/3/3/3/3/3/2/1/1)
Favored Soul Spells Known: (9/6/6/6/6/5/4/3)
0 (6) - Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance, Inflict Minor Wounds, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue
1 (7) - Bless, Ebon Eyes, Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Faith Healing, Nightshield
2 (7) - Align Weapon, Silence, Hold Person, Infernal Wound, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Status
3 (7) - Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Magic Vestment, True Darkness
4 (7) - Divine Power, Greater Magic Weapon, Restoration, Freedom of Movement, Air Walk, Neutralize Poison
5 (6) - Righteous Might, Slay Living, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, Mass Contagion, Cone of Cold
6 (5) - Forbiddance, Harm, Word of Recall, Finger of Death
7 (3) - Blasphemy, Destruction, Greater Consumptive Field
Typical Spirit Shaman Spells Retrieved: (3/3/3/3/3/3/2/1/1)
0 (6) - Create Water, Light, Mending
1 (7) - Lesser Vigor, Entangle, Faerie Fire
2 (7) - Barkskin, Delay Poison, Resist Energy
3 (7) - Contagion, Poison, Protection from Energy
4 (7) - Contagious Touch, Flame Strike, Spike Stones
5 (6) - Tree Stride, Wall of Thorns, Call Lightning Storm
6 (6) - Summon Nature's Ally 6, Summon Greater Elemental (Guide Magic = free concentration)
7 (4) - Fire Storm, (Heal) - in Spellstaff
8 (2) - Repel Metal or Stone
Spells: To cast a spell, a favored soul must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a favored soul’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the favored soul’s Wisdom modifier. In addition, she receives bonus spells for a high Charisma.
To retrieve or cast a spell, a spirit shaman must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell level (Wisdom 10 for 0-level spells, Wisdom 11 for 1st-level spells, and so on). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a spirit shaman’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the spirit shaman’s Charisma modifier. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
Chastise Spirits (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a spirit shaman can use divine energy granted by her patrons in the spirit world to damage hostile spirits (see the What is a Spirit? sidebar).
Chastising spirits is a standard action that deals 1d6 damage/shaman level to all spirits within 30 feet of the shaman. The affected spirits get a Will save (DC 10+ shaman level + Cha modifier) for half damage.
When using this ability against incorporeal creatures, a spirit shaman does not have to roll the normal 50% miss chance—the effect hits the spirits automatically. A spirit shaman can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier.
Detect Spirits (Sp): The spirit shaman’s spirit guide perceives nearby spirits. At will, the spirit shaman can use detect spirits as a spell-like ability. It functions just like detect undead, except it detects creatures that are considered spirits.
Blessing of the Spirits (Sp): Starting at 4th level, a spirit shaman can perform a special rite to gain a special blessing. The shaman goes into a meditative state in which she travels to the spirit world. Performing the rite requires 10 minutes; the spirit shaman can only ward herself with this ability and cannot perform the rite for anyone else. The blessing functions just like protection from evil, except it protects against spirits and lasts until it is dismissed or dispelled. If this ability is dispelled, the spirit shaman can recreate it simply by taking 10 minutes to do so.
Follow the Guide (Su): At 5th level and higher, a spirit shaman’s spirit guide helps her maintain control of her mind. If a spirit shaman is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She only gets this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw.
Ghost Warrior (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a spirit shaman confers the ghost touch special ability (see Magic Weapon Special Ability Descriptions, page 223 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide) to any weapon she holds for as long as she holds it. She also becomes resistant to the touch attacks of incorporeal creatures, and may use her normal Armor Class (not her touch AC) against any touch attack delivered by an incorporeal creature.
Warding of the Spirits (Sp): Starting at 7th level, a spirit shaman can perform a special rite once per day to ward herself and her companions against hostile spirits. Performing the rite requires 1 minute. The warding lasts for 10 minutes per level and otherwise functions like magic circle against evil, except it protects against spirits.
Spirit Form (Su): At 9th level and higher, a spirit shaman learns how to temporarily transform herself into a spirit. Once per day, as a standard action, she can make herself incorporeal for up to 1 minute.
While incorporeal, a spirit shaman gains all the advantages of the incorporeal subtype (see the Glossary of the Monster Manual), including immunity to all nonmagical attack forms, a 50% chance to ignore damage from any corporeal source, and the ability to enter or pass through solid objects. The spirit shaman loses any armor or natural armor bonus to AC, but gains a deflection bonus equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum +1).
She has no Strength score against corporeal creatures or objects and cannot make physical attacks against them, but she gains the ability to make a melee touch attack (add the spirit shaman’s Dexterity modifi er to her attack roll) that deals 1d6 points of damage to a corporeal target. This effect is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
At 15th level and higher, a spirit shaman can use her spirit form twice per day. At 20th level, she can use this ability three times per day.
Guide Magic (Su): Starting at 10th level, as a free action, a spirit shaman can assign her spirit guide the task of concentrating on a spell or spell-like ability that is maintained through concentration. The spirit shaman can act normally while her spirit guide concentrates on the spell. A spirit guide can concentrate on only one spell at a time. If necessary to maintain the spell, the spirit guide makes Concentration checks for the spirit shaman, using the spirit shaman’s normal Concentration modifier. A spirit guide does not have to make Concentration checks for circumstances such as the spirit shaman taking damage. The spirit itself is not present for anyone to interrupt or otherwise interact with.
Recall Spirit (Sp): At 11th level, a spirit shaman gains the ability to call back the spirit of a dead creature before the spirit of the deceased has completely left the body. Once per week, she can reconnect a spirit to its body, restoring life to a recently deceased creature. The ability must be used within 1 round of the victim’s death. This ability functions like raise dead, except that the raised creature receives no level loss, no Constitution loss, and no loss of spells. The creature is only restored to –1 hit points (but is stabilized).
Exorcism (Su): Starting at 13th level, as a full-round action, a spirit shaman can force a possessing creature or spirit out of the body it inhabits (for example, a ghost with the malevolence ability). To exorcise a possessing creature, she makes a class level check (also adding her Charisma modifier, if any), against a DC of 10 + the possessing creature’s HD + its Charisma modifier (if any). If her result equals or exceeds the DC, she succeeds in forcing the possessor from the body, with the normal results based on its method of possession. A spirit so exorcised cannot attempt to possess the same victim for 24 hours.
Blightbringer Prestige Domain: At 1st level, a Talontar blightlord gains access to the Blightbringer prestige domain, described in the sidebar. The domain must be assigned to the character’s spell progression in an existing divine spellcasting class.
Blightblood (Ex): A Talontar blightlord is completely immune to all disease, magical or otherwise. Blightspawned creatures (see Chapter 6: Monsters of the East) do not attack her unless she attacks them, although they may attack other creatures in her company.
Illmaster: Any animal companions a blightlord possesses gain the blightspawned template (see Chapter 6: Monsters of the East). This does not affect the number of animal companions she may have at any given time.
Blight Touch (Su): Starting at 3rd level, once per day as a standard action, a Talontar blightlord may attempt a melee touch attack to infect a victim with Talona’s blight.
Talona’s Blight: Supernatural disease—by spell, Fortitude save (DC 10 + Talontar blightlord class level + Talontar blightlord’s Wisdom modifier), incubation period 1d6 days; damage 1d4 Constitution and 1d4 Charisma. Unlike normal diseases, Talona’s blight continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies), Charisma 0 (possibly becoming a blightspawned creature, if it is a valid type), or receives a remove disease spell or similar magic.
At 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Talontar blightlord gains one more use of this power per day.
Blightmind (Su): On reaching 4th level, once per day as a standard action, a Talontar blightlord may establish a mental link with and dominate (as dominate monster) a single blightspawned creature within 60 feet. The mental link lasts for up to 1 minute per blightlord level and has a range of up to one mile. While the link is in effect, the blightlord may concentrate to receive sensory input from the linked creature or issue it instructions. (The creature obeys any orders to the best of its ability and need not be continuously directed in its assigned tasks.)
The blightspawned creature receives a Will saving throw (DC 10 + Talontar blightlord’s class level + Talontar blightlord’s Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect.
Black Glaive (Su): Starting at 6th level, any longsword wielded by a Talontar blightlord gains the icy burst ability, dealing +1d6 points of bonus cold damage on a successful hit (and +1d10 points on a successful critical hit). In addition, the blightlord can make a normal melee attack with the glaive to deliver her blight touch attacks.
Corrupting Blows (Su): An 8th-level Talontar blightlord’s black glaive gains the wounding ability. A creature struck by the black glaive loses 1 hit point per round on the blightlord’s action. Multiple hits by the blightlord have no additional effect and deal no additional wounding damage—a creature is either wounded or it is not. The wounding damage continues until the victim is treated with a successful Heal check (DC20) or receives magical healing.
The Talontar blightlord gains access to the Blightbringer prestige domain. A prestige domain functions just like a normal cleric domain—the character gains a granted power associated with the domain and access to a special spell list. A character with cleric spellcasting ability may choose to prepare a spell from the Blightbringer prestige domain as her domain spell at any given level when she prepares spells.
Characters with druid or ranger spellcasting ability who acquire a prestige domain gain an extra domain spell per day at each spell level. In effect, they are like clerics with only one domain. The character only gains an additional domain spell for each spell level she can cast normally—so a ranger, whose spell capability reaches its maximum at 4th-level spells, does not gain domain spells for 5th through 9th level.
BLIGHTBRINGER PRESTIGE DOMAIN
Deity: Hel.
Granted Power: Rebuke or command blightspawned creatures and evil-aligned animals or plants as an evil cleric rebukes undead. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. This is a supernatural ability.
Blightbringer Prestige Domain Spells
1 Hold animal
2 Snilloc’s snowball swarm (FRCS)
3 Contagion
4 Fear
5 Cone of cold
6 Finger of death
7 Command plants
8 Horrid Wilting
9 Energy Drain
