Help with a NPC (Simon STAY OUT!!!)

Olive · Dec 29, 2002

Ok, I'm creating a npc for my next adventure. I want a CR7 creature as the head jailer/torturer for a thieves guild. For various reasons I was going to make this creature a demon, but couldn't find one that was appropriate that wouldn't wipe out the party. So i've kinda decided on a half-fiend human ftr3/rog2, but then remembered that the intimidate skill is cross class for fighters... so feel free to suggest another oprion.

so first i have specific questions: never having used a templated creature before, how do the claw bite attacks work. in the MM example, why does the halffirend medusa have +10 for the claws and +8/+2 for the dagger?

Secondly: any advice on how to make a half fiend ftr/rog smackdown? i'm sick of my npcs getting demolished in 2 rounds...

Onysablet · Dec 30, 2002

Why not substitute the fighter levels by barbarian levels? Barbarians have Intimidate as a class skill, so you wouldn't have to worry about having poor ranks on it.
But for the other part I don't know if this is logical to have a barbarian in a jail, but well, why not... dunno.

Claw and bite attacks, well, if the other part is a humanoid than didn't have bite and claw attacks add them by the table, suppossig it's a 5th level character (or has 5 HD). They means that if they don't wield a weapon they can use them instead for 1d6 and 1d4 damage. BTW, he can use two claws and bite or wield a weapon and bite (but anyone will be considered a full-round action, I think)

The medusa BAB is +6 (Monstruous Humanoids have BAB according to their HD; the medusa's HD is 6 so that's her BAB, as a fighter). Assuming the half-fiend medusa has a STR score of 14, her melee modifier is +2, so we have a melee BAB of +8, and a +8 means she gets a second attack with a +3 modifier (just looking at any class BAB table). +10 to both claw attacks... it seems they are considered it to have the DEX mod instead of STR mod. Must not that be a +8??? The bite attack is +3, good, +8 melee+(-5) secondary weapon/attack.

Secondly: any advice on how to make a half fiend ftr/rog smackdown? i'm sick of my npcs getting demolished in 2 rounds...

Oh! You too!

Well, I would take the blindfight feat (maybe even the Blindsight from S&F if you can) and make use of the darkness spell-like ability for being a half-fiend... The other spell-like abilities I don't know how to use them w/o having some undead by there...
If he has wings maybe take yhe Flyback attack feat would be good, but that depends on where they will fight him, because if it's underground there is no point...
But, as I've said before... I lack a of good strategy sense, really...

Hope that helps!

Bye!

Limper · Dec 30, 2002

The Big Realms book had a nifty feat which would solve your dilima... Cosmopolitan (insert skill).

Cosmop. makes a non restricted skill a class skill for you and gives you a +2 when using it.... thus your villian would have Intimidate as a class skill and a +2 to it.

thegreatbuddha · Dec 30, 2002

Fury in the Wastelands: Orcs of Tellene has a new quasi-Orc specific PrC called the Expert Tormenter. Apart from the PrC, it's probably one of the best race books I've ever seen. I hate to throw a plug at you like that, but that's all I can think of off of the top of my head that would fit your needs, PrC-wise.

As for the smackdown....

Half-Fiend (Human) Fighter2/Barbarian1/Rogue2

Important Stats: STR & DEX; Int 12+
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Movement Check (Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide), Pressing Attack (Path of the Sword), Skill Prodigy (Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide)

Equipment: Glaive, Potions of Endurance, Bull's Strength, Blur, & Invisibility.

With a good starting score in strength, you should be able to get a strength of 22 while raging, which amounts to 1d10+9 damage with your glaive, plus any magical enhancements it may have.

Tactics: Assuming you have a round or so of prep time, Drink potions, starting with invisibility. After drinking the potions, position yourself so that you threaten the party cleric and lay down an Unholy Blight.

If you win initiative, rage attack the cleric. If he attempts to 5ft step back and cast, you can follow him with Pressing Attack.

The melee types will find it very difficult to close with you, since their movement is stopped if your AoO succeeds against them (Thanks to Movement Check). As long as you can 5ft step away from them, they can't effectively close with you. Any archers/wizards/etc., can be brought low with Darkness. Wizards aren't much of a threat anyway thanks to your resistances.

Darkness can also help cover your retreat if you find yourself in dire straits.

BTW: Skill Prodigy will allow you to take Intimidate as a class skill (Actually, you can do this with a total number of skills equal to your Int mod).

Hope that helped a little bit.

Limper · Dec 30, 2002

Ohh and if you want your Fiend to live long enough to met out some punishment... give him some friends.

Lone baddies dont survive against a party...

thegreatbuddha · Dec 30, 2002

*Echoes what Limper said*

I forgot to mention it earlier, but Sunder & improved Sunder are your worst nightmares. Without a reach weapon, most of your feats quickly become worthless.

The paladin I play uses Reach Weapon + Combat reflexes + Movement Check. My Glaive got sundered last night, and my average kill count per encounter went from 8 to 1.

Destil · Dec 30, 2002

There's nothing that prevents you from 'catching up' on class skills when you start taking levels of a class again. As long as you have the skill points for it when you do advance. If you had a Fighter / Rogue who did this:
1 - Rogue 1, +4 ranks Intimidate
2 - Fighter 1
3 - Fighter 2
4 - Fighter 3
5 - Rogue 2, +4 ranks Intimidate

Any Fighter / Rogue without an Int penelity at thoes levels could have maxed intimidate and still have at least 4 points for other rogue skills.

Olive · Dec 30, 2002

Limper said:
Ohh and if you want your Fiend to live long enough to met out some punishment... give him some friends.

Lone baddies dont survive against a party...

true... maybe i'll make it two half fiends... one ftr3 on rog3, the rog can be the torturer...

thanks for the smackdown greatbuddha, but no kalamar books or path of the sword in this DMs house. i've got all the splats, some FR stuff... and random monster books mostly. almost all of the WotC stuff.

wujenta · Dec 30, 2002

You can try this:

fighter 4/rogue 1 with the half fiend template.

Stats: with a 28 point buy. str 15 dex 14, con 14, int 10, wis 12, cha 10 (add 1 to str in level 4)

Add the Half fiend template: str 20, dex 18, con 16, int 14, wis 12, car 12

feats: Exotic weapon Spiked chain, weapon focus spiked chain, weapon spec spiked chain, combat reflexes, improved initiative and blindfight.

Attack bonus: 4 base + 5 str + 1 weapon focus spiked chain total 10 (without magic weapon)
base damage: 2d4 + 9 (without magic weapon)

Make the character invoke darkness and with the reach weapon, combat reflexes, the sneak attack (if you gain initiative) and blindfight you can survive the encounter and perharps make them suffer... or kill one or two of them...

Olive · Dec 31, 2002

wujenta said:
You can try this:

fighter 4/rogue 1 with the half fiend template.

Stats: with a 28 point buy. str 15 dex 14, con 14, int 10, wis 12, cha 10 (add 1 to str in level 4)

Add the Half fiend template: str 20, dex 18, con 16, int 14, wis 12, car 12

feats: Exotic weapon Spiked chain, weapon focus spiked chain, weapon spec spiked chain, combat reflexes, improved initiative and blindfight.

Attack bonus: 4 base + 5 str + 1 weapon focus spiked chain total 10 (without magic weapon)
base damage: 2d4 + 9 (without magic weapon)

Make the character invoke darkness and with the reach weapon, combat reflexes, the sneak attack (if you gain initiative) and blindfight you can survive the encounter and perharps make them suffer... or kill one or two of them...

ouch... maybe i'll do that. definitely a reach weapon, as the monk has the flying kick feat, and is deadly in a charge. spiked chains seem so... munchkin, but strangely appropriate for a half fiend torturer