Working out a few basics on an advanced Glabrezu Overlord

[ksbsnowowl]

I recently acquired Pathfinder's rockin' new Glabrezu mini (titled "Treachery Demon"), and it makes me want to use it.

For in-game reasons, he must have 32 Hit Dice, but I don't want him to have any more than 18 Racial HD, because I want him to stay in the Huge size category.

I'd like his CR to be somewhere above 20, but I'm not sure how far to go.

I started thinking of good classes to put on him, and Fiend of Blasphemy from the Fiend Folio came to mind.  It has one really cool ability to imbue its own SLA's onto its followers.  This will be quite advantageous, as he won't have use for some of them (he's trapped in a Forbiddance effect by a Binding: Hedged Prison), so he can bestow the use of Greater Teleport on some of his troll minions, for example.

Fiend of Blasphemy also gains spellcasting, much like cleric, but with a smaller list.  It gets up to 5th level spells over 6 levels of the PrC (5th by 5th, but an extra 5th level spell at 6th), as well as two domains.

My immediate thought was "darn, too bad it doesn't keep progressing in its spellcasting."  This immediately made me think of Ur-Priest.  So, two levels of FoB for the imbuing of SLA's, then 10 levels of Ur-Priest.  This is shaping up nicely.

Then I had a wonky random thought of giving him Nar Demonbinder levels.  Not sure why, I just did.  The feat prerequisites of Ur-Priest get me half-way there, but at the same time, half the spells a Demonbinder gets would be a waste, being trapped inside a Forbiddance effect.  So, I'll probably drop that idea.

I suppose I could drop three levels into Wizard, then advance that and Ur-Priest via Mystic Theurge.  Anyway, here were some initial scribblings about CR and HD.  This does make use of Non-Associated class levels, with his first twelve spellcasting class levels counting as only +6 to CR:

Glabrezu, 12 HD, CR 13
Advanced Glabrezu, 18 HD, CR 16

Glabrezu Fiend of Blasphemy 2/Ur-Priest 10, 24 HD, CR 19
Advanced Glabrezu FoB 2/Ur-Priest 10, 30 HD, CR 22
Advanced Glabrezu FoB 4/Ur-Priest 10, 32 HD, CR 24

Glabrezu Fiend of Blasphemy 2/Ur-Priest 10/Nar Demonbinder 7, 31 HD, CR 26
Glabrezu Fiend of Blasphemy 4/Ur-Priest 10/Nar Demonbinder 7, 33 HD, CR 28

Advanced Glabrezu FoB 2/Ur-Priest 10/Nar Demonbinder 7, 37 HD, CR 29
Advanced Glabrezu FoB 4/Ur-Priest 10/Nar Demonbinder 7. 39 HD, CR 31

Advanced Glabrezu FoB 2/Ur-Priest 2/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 8, 33 HD, CR 25

Two big questions I have at this point:
1) Would a creature such as this qualify for epic feats (for Improved Spell Capacity for Ur-Priest - I don't utilize "epic spellcasting")?  I know True Dragons of Old age or older can take Epic feats, but I'm pretty sure the only others who qualify are those with 21 levels in character classes, though I could be completely wrong on this.  Does my Demon 18/Class levels 15 monster qualify for epic feats for HD 21 and up?

2) Is the advancement of Spell Resistance actually codified as a generic rule anywhere?  Specific monsters that are listed as possible player races (Tanarukk, Drow, Hound Archons) specify that their SR is equal to "X+class levels," but does that apply to other creatures such as a Glabrezu?  If so, does it only apply for its "class levels," or would it apply to its advanced racial HD as well?

Lastly, any suggestions for other ways to make this 32 HD locked-up demon mastermind?

NB -

(click to show/hide)

Though locked up, he would have lots of troll minions (and fiendish and half-fiend trolls, and Half-troll Draegloth), and aside from the Half-Fiends, the others would be his "mortal followers" who could benefit from his imbued SLA's.

The Binding (and Forbiddance) effect imprisoning him was put in place by Hathran Circle Magic, and thus is effectively not dispellable.  I suppose there is a bit of a logic breach, in that the Ur-Priest Casting should allow him to escape via Antimagic Field, but it can be reined in by the fact that he is Huge, and the antimagic field doesn't encompass the entirety of his body.  The danger of escape would still exist, were he able to take Improved Spell Capacity two times (gaining 11th level spell slots), and making use of the Widen Spell metamagic feat.  That will probably be how he comes to the attention of the epic PC's (currently only 13th level), he will finally gain all the feats needed to free himself.

Or maybe I should stay away from Ur-Priest, and just go Fiend of Blasphemy and Nar Demonbinder for these very reasons...

[Empirate]

Is the Fiend of Blasphemy spellcasting divine? If it is, it disqualifies you from taking Ur-Priest...

[ksbsnowowl]

So another crazy idea hit me this morning.

Fiend of Blasphemy 2 = 2nd level divine spells
Wizard 1 -> Abjurant Champion 2 = 2nd level divine spells
Mystic Theurge 2 = 3rd level arcane and divine spells
Bard 1 (for Bardic Music) (plus versatile spellcaster and Heighten Spell; or Eldritch Corruption* = 1st level spontaneous spells)
Sublime Chord 1 (or 2)

into...

Ultimate Magus, using it to advance Wizard and Sublime Chord casting.

Initially, the wizard casting would have a lower CL, and would get the appropriate CL boosts from UM (barring any Practiced Spellcaster shenanigans), though the wording for Sublime Chord is a little vague on if it is referring to another class' caster level stacking, or just levels of the class stacking (which is different).

A sublime chord’s caster level for both her sublime chord spells and the spells she gains from other arcane spellcasting classes is determined by adding her sublime chord level to her level in another arcane spellcasting class.

It's saying "level," and never actually says "caster level" for this stacking effect...  So how would it be calculated above?

I also like the idea of getting him the 5th level capstone ability of Abjurant Champion, which would pump his CL through the roof (18 outsider HD, plus his BAB from class levels).

If I just did a non-RHD-advanced Glabrezu (12 HD), Fiend of Blasphemy 2/Wizard 1/Abjurant Champ 2/Mystic Theurge 2/Bard 1/Sub Chord 1/Ultimate Magus 10, that is 19 levels, but only +13 CR.
He'd be a CR 26 creature with casting at least equal to Sublime Chord 9 and Wizard 13 (one would be one higher) unless I used Practiced Spellcaster to tilt it one way or another.

Even if I made use of Practiced Spellcaster so UM only gave +7 levels to Sub Chord (and all 10 to Wizard), he'd still get 8th level Sub Chord spells, which he could utilize with Versatile Spellcaster to make a 9th level spell slot for a Widened Antimagic Field, escaping from his prison...

I guess for my plot to not have a hole, he'll need a few less caster levels, and a few more RHD...
Bah! Antimagic Field creating plot holes!



*Eldritch Corruption poses two problems.  I'm not using the Taint rules, though I could hand-waive it as demons having taint, but there being no method for taint to be inflicted on PC's.  Second, it would allow the demon to get "free" Widen spell, exacerbating the problem of him getting a Widened Antimagic Field, and escaping from his Binding prison, which, for now at least, I am trying to avoid.

[ksbsnowowl]

Is the Fiend of Blasphemy spellcasting divine? If it is, it disqualifies you from taking Ur-Priest...

It is divine.  It does not disqualify you outright from taking levels in Ur-Priest; you just have to give up the Fiend of Blasphemy spellcasting.

Special: The character must have no ability to cast divine spells. If such spellcasting ability was previously possessed (as with an ex-cleric), that ability is forever forsaken.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

The base Glabrezu has CL 14, and Wish.
I'd say that's more than enough to go right
into NarD without a normal full caster class.
Bard 1 with some tricky skills/feats back-built
into the base Glab hd feats = Sub Chord.
Sub Chord + NarD = Ultimate Magus or MT

"I'll sing you your death, holding your hand,
caressing your face, and cutting your hair."

21hd monster = epic feats no problems.
Leadership = dippy cohort to start Wish loop.
So I mean you're gonna pull your punches.
"Hey cohort, wish me up a green tongue OK!"

[ksbsnowowl]

As low-OP as this is, I think I may just go Fiend of Blasphemy 6 -> Nar Demonbinder 2 -> Abjurant Champion 5 (increasing Nar Demonbinder casting).  There will also be a one-level dip into Wizard, just to open up use of wands, and to meet the letter of the rules in qualifying for Abjurant Champion, as well as the requirement to cast one summon monster spell for Nar Demonbinder.

Advanced Glabrezu, 18 HD, CR 16
Fiend of Blasphemy 6/Wizard 1/Nar Demonbinder 2/Abjurant Champion 5 = 32 HD, CR 24
Nar Demonbinder caster level = 28.

Drop Persuasive and Great Cleave for Leadership and Iron Will.
Level 15 feat - Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Level 18 feat - Combat Casting

Also, the racial HD progression and class levels could be jumbled up, allowing him to spread out his use of the sweet 8 skill points per level, interspersing them with his low skill point class levels.

Once you have Nar Demonbinder casting, pick up Versatile Spellcaster (the wording may allow it to affect his Fiend of Blasphemy spell slots...)

Also, if a creature such as this can start taking epic feats, improved spell capacity would always be useful, so long as he gets a few metamagic feats.

Thoughts?

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Or ... not quite as advanced Glab 13 / Adept 12 / Expert 1 / Warrior 1
and keep Glab>Adept, won't count any Associated levels on the CR .
Those 14 npc levels = CR of only +7.

I can understand (almost agree) that Wizard 1 is ~non-Associated,
but it's the base of a class stack, that is definitely Not non-Associated.

I guess it'd be a houserule, but not much of one, to say the Glab's
Summon Demon (sp) ability = a pre-req Summon Monster spell.

You don't need Versatile, just NarD max spells level, to get the
goodies from all those multiple Improved Spell Capacity feats.

[ksbsnowowl]

I'll mull it over for a few days and see if anything else pops out at me. 

Adept would be sort of interesting.

Needing to stay away from a Widened Antimagic Field for consistency reasons is a pain in the keister!