Help me out with the details of a demon encounter

[soggybag]

I'm working on a high level encounter with a demon. I want to have the demon appear in human form. This is easily done with a hand wave. But, I would like to cover it with the D&D 3.5 rules.

So far I'm figuring to use Polymorph to change to a human form followed by a misdirection.

How might this be foiled by players? Not that players should not be able to figure it out. But, I'd like to make it sufficiently difficult. I figure powerful demons are smarter than I am and might think of a better plan.

[freyar]

You'll probably get more of a response posting this in the 3e rules forum.

In any case, I think you've got a good plan to start. What kind of demon is it?

[kingius]

For something as dramatic as a demon, throw the rules out of the window my friend and go to town on making it dramatic. These are ultra powerful beings from other dimensions who bend reality on a whim... make the players aware of this. They are defeatable, but they have crazy weird powers that there are no rules in the books for. Your players will love that aspect... they are not from the prime material and they do not play by the same rules as other monsters.

[Nyeshet]

A powerful demon has likely had centuries if not thousands of years to consider creating this or that spell. I forget which level misdirect is, but if I were in your place, I would simply replace one of its spells known with a spell that combines polymorph (humanoid form only) with misdirect. It would seem to be quite a useful spell for such a creature, after all.

Remember also, demons are chaotic. Mix up its spells and spell like abilities a bit. Maybe this spell uses cold instead of fire, or acid instead of lightning. Perhaps this demon took an unwholesome interest in undead - replace one of its spells w/ 'animate dead' or 'create undead'. Maybe grant it a spell-like or supernatural ability to command / rebuke undead as a cleric of half or two-thirds its HD in level. Or perhaps continuing with the deception aspect, it has more spells based on illusion and enchantment - perhaps with a special that increases the DC for disbelieving or resisting such. Mind Shield is a bit of an issue at higher level, but perhaps it has a feat that allows it to potentially get through such some of the time (as with fortification and critical hits / sneak attacks).

High level outsiders - especially chaotic ones - can be fun to work with. Don't worry if it is not exactly core. Chaotic creatures *should* throw a few surprises at the party.