Looking to Beef Up Brain in A Jar NPC

[Muaythaidaddy]

These are all very good ideas. I especially like the idea of the brain being mounted onto a golem and the brain being that of a powerful psionic creature.

I do not have the Psionics Handbook, nor do I use them very often in my own campaign, but the Brain in a Jar is just too cool to pass up. I think it will make an excellent villain, but to sufficiently challenge the party I am DMing now (13th - 15th level), I need to beef it up a bit.

Minions are an excellent idea as well, but a bit of a no-brainer, given it's dominate power. I was hoping that the ENWorld sages might be able to cook something spectacular up, like a good template addition, or a good feat progression for an advanced specimen.

Please, keep the ideas coming!

 

[Muaythaidaddy]

Anything else? How about the fluid that the brain in a jar sits in acting as a potion that will have certain special effects. What about sorceror levels or giving it the still spell feat or a still spell ability, so that it can cast spells, like a demi-lich?

 

[darthkilmor]

These are all very good ideas. I especially like the idea of the brain being mounted onto a golem and the brain being that of a powerful psionic creature.

I do not have the Psionics Handbook, nor do I use them very often in my own campaign, but the Brain in a Jar is just too cool to pass up. I think it will make an excellent villain, but to sufficiently challenge the party I am DMing now (13th - 15th level), I need to beef it up a bit.

Minions are an excellent idea as well, but a bit of a no-brainer, given it's dominate power. I was hoping that the ENWorld sages might be able to cook something spectacular up, like a good template addition, or a good feat progression for an advanced specimen.

Please, keep the ideas coming!

isnt the CR on BiaJ like 3? i dont know how much you can give something with practically no body to make it a challenge for a party of that lvl. Maybe it would be more fitting for the BiaJ to be a minion of some other more powerful race like a mind flayer or aboleth colony. Maybe the biaj acts as a conduit or minion for some other more powerful creature. Or if going the mind flayer route, add a brain golem or 3 to the mix(these are around cr 10 i think?). Maybe a group of mind flayers have the biaj as a minor bud from the Elder Brain and use it to communicate back home. a group of 3-6 mind flayers and a biaj with say half the powers of an elder brain + minions for all + brain golem would be a good fight for that lvl group.

 

[Muaythaidaddy]

I was also thinking of housing the Brain in a Jar inside of a Brain Golem's body, or perhaps mounted atop it's shoulders. Could the brain inside the jar actually be that of a mind flayer, aboleth or other powerful psionic creature?

 

[Taloras]

Try levels of Psion then go for Thrallherd. He controls everyone around him. Would be a really nasty combo.

3 HD of BiaJ + Psion 3 should be a CR 7. Add in levels of Thrallherd to beef it up to whatever you need. Should be really nasty.

 

[Muaythaidaddy]

Thrallherd? Where is that from?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

XPH, and the SRD: http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/PsionicClasses.rtf