"Predator" build

I was tinkering with the idea of a Predator type NPC in my D&D game, and here's some ideas I had:

Bugbear with the Reptilian template.
Fighter/ranger or Fighter/Scout combo.
Magic items to mimic Predator abilities: Helm of Blindsight, Circlet of Blasting, Cloak of Elvenkind etc.

Just looking for ideas and suggestions.

Something around CR 10-12 would be cool.

Cheers - T

It has been a while since I've seen the movies, but I remember he had a spear and throwing weapon along with the standard wrist blades. A shortspear, chakram(A&E), and Claw Bracer (A&E) would be good representations of those weapons. I would make them out of adamantine since they seemed to cut through standard objects with ease. Another thing you might give your npc is a Net. Though you have to spend a feat to use it well, it would really limit the mobility of some characters. I recall seeing a hooked net as well somewhere. Vials of acid for cleaning a kill down to the bones as well.

A ring of invisibility (a bit pricey for that level) or a cranked hide skill would work. A circlet of blasting is good, but limited to once a day. Maybe you could create a custom magic item that does magic missile or something similar from the spell compendium a few times a day.

SelcSilverhand said:

It has been a while since I've seen the movies, but I remember he had a spear and throwing weapon along with the standard wrist blades. A shortspear, chakram(A&E), and Claw Bracer (A&E) would be good representations of those weapons. I would make them out of adamantine since they seemed to cut through standard objects with ease. Another thing you might give your npc is a Net. Though you have to spend a feat to use it well, it would really limit the mobility of some characters. I recall seeing a hooked net as well somewhere. Vials of acid for cleaning a kill down to the bones as well.

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Add the returning property to the chakram, since it always came back to him.
His camouflage ability would translate as greater invisibility I think. At will most likely.
Maybe a climb speed, since he was in trees and/or on building alot of the time.
The net automatically contracted IIRC, I'd say give him a one-use item that does something like that, deals constricting dmg for 3 rounds(maybe 1d10 per round). Wouldnt probably require a feat.

The gun on his shoulders would translate well as lesser orb of fire, I think. Maybe the 2d8 level of dmg, since it seems to drop most "commoners" in one hit. And it was usable constantly, not just once a day. Maybe make it restricted to usable by bugbears only, if you're worried about giving something like that to your players.

Definitely some potions of cure X wounds, as he was able to heal himself when injured.

Also, some death throes explosion. And some trophies of previous kills, maybe a mind flayers skull and spine, something that'll intimidate your players.

Not greater invisibility. You could always see where the predator was--even if only as a shifting outline.

Probably something like blur or displacement (mixed with a healthy bonus to hide--say a +10 circumstance bonus).

His spear/javelin might want to have the Wounding Characteristic--I remember it looking wickedly barbed. Since it's not a returning weapon, you may want to pass on it though, since it will likely get thrown away for another weapon relatively early on.

For the net, I'd just file the serial numbers off a Rope of Entangling. For the shoulder mounted plasma gun, just make it a wand of fire orb. It's not like the gun fired when the Predator wasn't paying attention. It seemed like something that required a standard action to use.

For the Chakram and the Claw Bracers, I'd go with keen, adamantine and +1. Of course, we're looking at a lot of treasure for a CL 10-12 monster. You may want to arrange it so that the self-destruct ability will take out some of these items.

My gut says limit the gear to Wand of Fire Orb, Chakram, Bracers, Net, and Cloak of Displacement. You're still looking at an awful lot of equipment for an NPC opponent.

--G

Goobermunch said:

Probably something like blur or displacement (mixed with a healthy bonus to hide--say a +10 circumstance bonus).

His spear/javelin might want to have the Wounding Characteristic--I remember it looking wickedly barbed. Since it's not a returning weapon, you may want to pass on it though, since it will likely get thrown away for another weapon relatively early on.

For the Chakram and the Claw Bracers, I'd go with keen, adamantine and +1. Of course, we're looking at a lot of treasure for a CL 10-12 monster. You may want to arrange it so that the self-destruct ability will take out some of these items.

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Blur would be a good effect, true, you could see him just a little bit. Maybe give him hide in plain sight ?

In AvP he used the short spear as a melee weapon, so might still be worth having.

Are you going for hit and run or one big right ?

Goobermunch said:

You may want to arrange it so that the self-destruct ability will take out some of these items.

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This is a lot like the drow-items-turn-to-dust-in-the-sun business. They make the encounter much more deadly and reduce the reward for overcoming him; I, and SKR, recommend against it.

It may be a defining characteristic of the Predator, but I'd get rid of any Death Throes/Circlet of Blasting business you may throw at the PCs.

I'd make the class a straight Ranger, or Ranger/Barbarian. At least 5 levels of Ranger so he can get that second Favored Enemy. Maybe make one of them esoteric like FE: (Aberrations), so he can have Nagas and Mind Flayer sculls around and about.

Brachiation feat from Complete Adventurer, so he can jump from tree to tree.

Track feat, if you don't go Ranger.

Maybe the Run or the Dash feat, since his size belied his quickness.

Focus on the physical skills: Hiding, Move Silently, Survival, Spot, Listen, Climb, Jump, Heal, and probably Profession: Taxidermist, or Craft: Scrimshaw.

For weapons: Adamantine Net, Returning Chakram, Wounding Shortspear, Adamantine Claw Bracers. (Yeah, I know the net can't be adamantine because it's made of rope, but you might could bend the rule a bit here for the predator.)

Other gear: Healer's Kit, Chrugeon Artisan Kit, Acid vials, Fishnet Stockings of Awesome.

Why not give him a Spelljammer ship while you're at it? Make it something that the PCs would be able to use after a lot of downtime research (like maybe when the arcanist of the group reaches level 15 or so). That won't unbalance the party since they'd be able to Teleport anywhere they want by that point. But it would still be cool, eh?

My favourite Predator was a 1e Githyanki with dreadlocks, loads of psionics, invisibility, astral travel, as well as the status of being a known and feared creature from a distant world.

Yeah. Githyanki would work.

Psychic Warrior? I think you could get most/all of the Predator effects that way: Concealing Amorpha, Wall Walker, Ubiquitous Vision, etc.

-Stuart

Some Warlock levels could get Invocations to mimic powers/ items w/o the possibility of them falling into the hands of the PCs. And the Eld Blast as the shoulder blaster it had...

... Githyanki Warlock?

szilard said:

Yeah. Githyanki would work.

Psychic Warrior? I think you could get most/all of the Predator effects that way: Concealing Amorpha, Wall Walker, Ubiquitous Vision, etc.

-Stuart

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Yeah, that seems appropriate. He can have a bow instead of a blaster thing, that's more in keeping with the campaign tech level.

And if you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY MUST have the "hah, screw you players for beating my opponent!" on the NPC, give him an elemental subtype and then Final Strike from Savage Species.

I personally think that feat's really not cool at all, but then again, my DMs have used it on us a lot. Someone on here had an Azer cleric with that feat, which I did find suitably hardcore enough to be amusing, but EVERY SINGLE THING with that isn't cool.

Brad