Drow Party

[MorganKiller]

Hi!
I am looking for suggestions... I need to build a drow party as final encounter for an adventure. It should be a match for a 9th level party of six characters and it must have a cleric.
Before this encounter the party has to face an half fiendish hydra so they won't be in full condition.

Since I'm short of ideas I would appreciate any suggestions about the classes/levels/numbers of this enemy party...

Thanks

 

[Wolf72]

a drow ranger (not drizzt) would be a good idea ... the underground bounty hunter.

maybe 2 MC wiz/warriors ...

go ahead and be stereotypical: Drow Female cleric in charge!

(maybe some 3.5 adamantine ... ohh, make it semi-magical ... throw that drawback from the DMG on it, the one that lets items only work underground (don't worry about reasons, it'll just make it work that way).

some grunts: either drow warriors, goblins, orcs, bugbears ... etc

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

A possible group structure:
1 or 2 powerful characters. Leader or Leader + Bodyguard.
Several distinctive minor characters.
Some cannon fodder.

Ramblings ideas:

Put the cleric in charge. Give them a devoted defender sidekick who can fight up close and at range. Tough to kill.

Rogue/Wizard is an odd combination that is very 'drow'. Can be nasty, but not tough.

I like repeating Xbows for Drow. They look cool and seem to 'fit'.

Drow underdark druid - it's a fun suprise

Very strong Drow 'power fighter' with a 2 handed weapon - another fun suprise.

Contingent of bolstered undead the cleric has made as cannon fodder.

 

[MorganKiller]

Ok, for the cleric and the devoted defender...

I was thinking about a rogue wizard too... Maybe combined with a druid grappler.

The missing part is about the cannon fodder... The mission goal is to destroy a portal to Baator in a Dwarven settlement to let the dwarven clans come back home. I think that would be better to have outsider cannon fodder (lemures, nupperibos and the like) rather than undead... is it possible?
I mean... is it possible without breaking any major rule?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Ok, for the cleric and the devoted defender...

I was thinking about a rogue wizard too... Maybe combined with a druid grappler.

The missing part is about the cannon fodder... The mission goal is to destroy a portal to Baator in a Dwarven settlement to let the dwarven clans come back home. I think that would be better to have outsider cannon fodder (lemures, nupperibos and the like) rather than undead... is it possible?
I mean... is it possible without breaking any major rule?

Druid grappler - that's just mean.

Whatever works for cannon fodder. Outsiders sound excellent! Can't think of a good reason why they couldn't have them.

Perhaps make one or more of the Drow slightly fiendish - doesn't need templates or anything - could work as a description... might add to it?

 

[Darklone]

Have a look at the various Planar binding and planar ally spells... there are some nice HD 2 and 3 outsiders in the Monster manuals which might not be too strong.

Arcane Trickster would be nice for the drows... Blink & Ray of frost sneak attacks (or Scorching Rays).

Don't forget poison for the Repeating Xbow dudes (level 6 fighters or ftr4/rog3 with sneak attacks, three shots per round with poison... like it). As soon as the druid grapples, let them join melee

Aren't there some nice spiderdemons out there?

 

[Douane]

Steal some ideas from Sean K. Reynolds himself:

Drow NPC's

(Given, many of them are level 6 and 3.0, but a class level here and a template there never hurt! )


Hope this helps!

Folkert

 

[Dr_Rictus]

One word: Werespider.

(Yeah, I know that lycanthropes can technically only have animals as their alternate forms, not vermin, but that shouldn't be allowed to put the damper on it)

 

[MorganKiller]

Well, I'd love to put some poisoned bolt here and there, but my players are some kind of Fortitude-Fortresses (2 dwarves, one paladin/cleric, one cleric... some of them got +16 Fort). So that would be almost useless... a real pity.

I'll make either the devoted defender or the cleric fiendish-looking (I thought about a couple of small horns...), but not actually an half-fiend.

Ok, for one arcane trickster and a fighter/rog.

I need to plan the cannon fodder... Some Planar Ally spell to call here creatures who can summon more devils. So I have 16 HD of devils to call and these guys should be able to bring some friends with them... What do you suggest?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Put the cleric in charge. Give them a devoted defender sidekick who can fight up close and at range. Tough to kill.

Could be a priestess and a weapon master

Drow underdark druid - it's a fun suprise

Go for oozemaster - That's drow druids of Ghaunadaur, god of oozes.

Contingent of bolstered undead the cleric has made as cannon fodder.

You could, of course, make all but the cleric (and maybe a male necromancer wizard) undead. Works well for a priestess of Kiaransalee, the drow goddess of undead and revenge. Have death knights, vampires, some zombies/skeletons. Have a good time!