Glass cannons and Turtles and Turtles and Turtles

[DavidWL]

There are a quite a few monsters that can add amazing defensive abilities,
* very high miss chances (Will'O'the'Wisp, Displacer Beast)
* swarm type (swarmshifter, Were murder of crows/pity of doves, hellwasp swarm)
* great DR/SR/Spell Immunities (Force Golem, Iron Golem, god, ...)
* incoporeal type (ghost, Son/Daughter of Silence, Unbodied, ...)
* many are hard to kill permanently and get 2nd chances (lich, dvati, paragon, ...)

What I think is especially interesting is that usually this costs you some casting ability (Unless you do something like monster of legend, but the type limits keep most classes from doing this).  So, it becomes easy to add toughness to non-casters.  (Swarmshifter, Force Golem).

There are also some cases of adding it to casters ... (Will o the wisp, son/daughter of silence, unbodied), although this is mostly miss chance / incorporeality.

Thoughts?

Best,
David

[DavidWL]

My current favorite approach for "tough":

Swarmshifter
* Costs 4 levels, 1 feat, "Single Action Only":

Awakened Zombie 1   - undead immunities
Swarmshifter 1       - immune to physical attacks, targeted effects
-    Feat:  Hoard (use equipment while in swarm form!)
Living Zombie 1      - immune to things that effect undead, regains Con
Shadow creature 1   - stackable Evasion + more stealth
   Equipment: Ring of Evasion --> Improved Evasion

* undead immunities
* no undead vulnerabilities
* immune to physical attacks
* immune to single target effects
* improved evasion
* massive will save
* 7D12+CON HP + Illogical Resiliance + Fast healing 3

_very_ hard to effect, although also a turtle ... not that offensively dangerous

Force Golem 4
Cost 4 levels

Amazingly tough and! it gives feats back.
DR = HD/2 Adamantine
SR = HD + 15
Immune spells <= (HD+2)/2
Construct immunities
a couple of bonus feats, +4 str +4 Cha/Int, other perks

Not as tough, but still quite hardy, and has some offensive punch

Will-o'-Wisps

All by itself ... Will-o'-Wisps 6/Archivist 14. 
90% miss chance + unbeatable invisibility

I'd be tempted to throw a few levels of monster of legend in there too ...

Thoughts?

Best,
David

[DavidWL]

In particular, what can effect the swarmshifter 4-level stub?  It seems like only area attacks, and with evasion from a ring and improved evasion from Shadow Creature, those would be 1/2 damage (vs masssive HP and fast healing).

Best,
David