Help building a rapier-wielding NPC

[Master of the Game]

Okay, so I have a problem. This weekend my group will be fighting the mastermind who has been making their lives hell for the last year and a half. Thus far they have only fought his minions, and while they have talked to him, and know who he is, they have never confronted him directly.

Being the lazy DM that I am, I never bothered to write him up.

So, now I have a couple days to come up with a really kick ass enemy that will be fun and challenging for the whole group. I want them to really feel like they accomplished something when they finally finish him off.

The problem is, I have no good idea where to start. He is your typically swashbuckly type, and he will be a 14th level human. He uses two rapiers, both of which are minor artifacts. That's about it. I don't know what class he is, or what feats he has.

I was going to do it myself, and will if I have to, but I would really appriciate so help, because I can't think of any way to make it properly challenging. He will have a few lower level henchmen with him, but they're all done. I just need help with the one big bad.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Tsillanabor]

Well, you'll want Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Fighting Feats, Weapon Finesse, and Improved Critical. I'd probably go Fighter/Ninja/Duellist. If you go that route take Telling Blow from PHB2 to add Sudden Strike damage to each critical hit, which you will get a LOT of with Improved Critical. Ninja will give you Tumble skill, Sudden Strike damage, and Wis bonus to AC. Fighter gives you the extra feats, a good BAB, and Weapon Specialization.

 

[wayne62682]

If his INT is high, might want to have three levels of Swashbuckler to get Insightful Strike (add INT to damage as well as STR), but other than that I am not sure.. never had to make a character (NPC or otherwise) higher than 7th level.

 

[Festivus]

Since you didn't say what books were available I went with core books. Human Ftr7/Rog7

Stats: str 12, dex 19, con 10, int 14, wis 10, cha 12

Saves: Fortitude +7, Reflex +12, Will +4

BAB: +12/+7/+2 Grapple: +13

Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (Rapier), Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, Greater Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Rapier), Weapon Specialization (Rapier)

Class Abilities: Proficient in all armor and shields
Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with hand crossbow.
Uncanny Dodge
Improved Uncanny Dodge
Trap Sense (EX)
Evasion (EX)
Sneak Attack - extra 4d6 damage
Trapfinding (EX)

Skill points: Max out Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Jump and Tumble

Tactics: Use improved feint to draw opponent off guard and sneak attack when in a position that you won't have a flanker (only one attack I think if you go this way).

Use tumble to get into positions of advantage. His attacks should be +13/+8/+3 primary and +13/+8/+3 offhand. Six total attacks with rapiers that have a crit range of 15-20 with a flanker could be serious trouble for someone.

Edit: Whoops, those are for +1 rapiers, I didn't know what the bonus you had on them was.

 

[pawsplay]

What level's the party?

Okay, swashbuckler type. I almost start off with Fighter 4/Rogue 2, which nets you a +5 BAB, weapon specialization, evasion, and Tumble. Let's give him some stats. While it's perfectly fair to use "good rolls" for main bad guy stats, I tend to go with the standard elite array. If the PCs used more points, he should get more points, too. He's supposed to be a mastermind and a swordsman, which makes things trickier.

Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 to start. He gets three advancements; as befitting his mastermind role, he takes two Cha increases, and one point of Dex. I find it easier to set bad guy Int where it's going to be to start, rather than messing with Int increases later.

For classes:
Fig 4/Rogue 3/Duelist 3/Tempest 4.

Tempest should solve your TWF problems. He has +2d6 sneak attack in case it comes up, which it won't. Duelist 3 gets him at least +1 AC, 3rd level gets him enhanced mobility (so he can gank the casters). Like any good master villain, he needs Iron Will and Great Fortitude, and Lightning Reflexes never hurts. If you can swing it, take Improved Toughness.

His AC needs to be pretty good. I'm going to forego the animated shield for stylistic reasons. To get his AC up there, you need to layer a number of lesser effects. Obviously, he needs bracers of armor, but you want to add on an amulet of natural armor and a ring of protection as well. Even with a modest budget, that will get the AC up there. With Two Weapon Defense and Tumble of 5 ranks, he can fight defensively for large bonuses, so he should. He definitely needs another ring, something that will provide a certain level of defense. He also needs the mandatory cloak of resistance, and since he has canny defense, a headband of intellect +2. Gloves of dexterity. Boots of speed.

So basically, he yells, "Attack, my minions!" and goes on the defensive. Then the next round, he uses the boots, closes with a spellcaster, and makes shredded carrots.

How's that?

 

[Festivus]

Wouldn't they be skewered carrots?

 

[Matafuego]

I'll second the opinion of Swashbuckler, Fighter and Duelist.

Since he's level 14 he'll be having 5 feats plus the Fighter feats.
Swashbuckler gives you Finesse for free, Improved Critical is essential, as well as the Two Weapon Fighting Feats (with Oversized TWF).

If he doesn't have a high Int (which he SHOULD, int to attacks from sw, int to ac from duelist!) drop the 3 levels of Swashbuckler and go straight Fighter.

Something to remember. If he's high enough duelist (7th level) he gets Elaborate Parry:

Elaborate Parry (Ex) :At 7th level and higher, if a duelist chooses to fight defensively or use total defense in melee combat, she gains an additional +1 dodge bonus to AC for each level of duelist she has.

And fighting defensively has LOTS of opportunity fro great RP and great final battle (since his AC should be in the sky and with his rapiers he should hit, and crit, fairly often).

Hope that helped!

 

[Master of the Game]

Thanks all for so many replies, so quickly. I really appriciate the help.

I should have meantioned that anything that is 3.5 DnD will work, as we use all of the major splats. I will also likely be using a 32 point buy, since that's what the players used, and I'd at least like him to be their equal.

What level's the party?

The party is quite tough, and high level. This is basically the end of our campaign. If it helps, here is a rundown of the players:
6 Fighter / 5 Wizard / 3 Eldrich Knight
14 Warlock with a great love for using Greater Dispel at every opportunity.
12 Psychic Warrior who uses a combination of abilities to grow to huge, graft a waraxe, and then Emapthic Transfer, Hostile any damage he has received.
Scout/Order of the Bow 13 not sure the exact level spread.
Rogue 11 / Bard 1 sneak attacker.
Rogue/Cleric/pretige class I can't remember 13.
Mindblade 13. Uses Deep Impact + Power Attack for devistating initial hits.
Rogue 12. Ranged sneak attacker.

The NPCs will be:
Said Mastermind 14.
Warmage 14
Ninja 13
Fighter 4 / Rogue 3 / Dervish 6
Fighter 12
Fighter 12
Fighter 12

So, the fight will be 8 on 7. With one PC probably missing, the fight will be even, but I'm unsure if the Rogue/Bard will bring his cohort or not, which would give the group a 9th level cleric as well.

It'll be darn tough, since the levels are about even, but the group will be ambushing, so they'll be prepared and buffed, and the bad guys won't have anything time-sensitive up.

My worry is that the PCs will slaughter a significant portion of the bad guys so fast that the fight isn't as fun as the climax should be.

 

[Conaill]

Hmmm... two rapiers... have you considered making him a Nimblewright? They're intelligent constructs for MM2 who disguise themselves as humanoids and wield two rapiers. They're only CR 7, so you can add a decent amount of class levels.

Sure, this may be quite far outside your original concept of the mastermind, but you do have to admit that it fits nicely. Plus, it's pretty sure your player won't be expecting this either!

By the way, i would shy away from maximizing crit damage for this guy. In a BBEG, that is bound to lead to sudden PC deaths. Those are great abilities for a PC, but a BBEG fight will probably be more enjoyable for the PCs if you spread the damage out a bit more. If your final encounter is supposed to use up 50% of the party's resources, there's a big difference between having all the PCs being down about half their hitpoints on average, or having half the PCs dead and the other half unharmed...

 

[pawsplay]

I actually advocate high crits in boss fights. The idea is for the bad guy to hit really hard, but miss a lot. And if there are PC deaths... well, it's the end of the campaign, right? Anyway, this guy is close enough in level he could be in trouble anyway.