I'm the DM for a new Steam Punk Campaign we'll be starting in a few weeks, where Thay has established itself as an economic power by discovering that the undead are a fuel source. Necrotic factories have formed to process zombies and other undead beings into a powder that's highly combustible. It's used for powering early guns, airships, and undead skin is used to for artificing implants to enhance people. Most any spell can be artificed onto a body with limited uses. e.g. Fireball could be artificed onto a barbarians body and with 2 uses. Can be used to fling a standard fireball into battle twice and then the rune is burnt out.
With limits.
My goal for a final boss around 15-17th level at the end of the campaign I'm thinking is time itself if it were a sentient being. (Or artificed to be manipulated to continue the cycle of undeath throughout the planet. So, a rogue unthinking enemy that would ultimately need to be destroyed to restore the balance of time.
I'm not sure what I would base this being on though for abilities? I was thinking of starting with Tiamat as a template for capabilities. But, instead of heads, it has time portals. One for future, present, and past. I'm not sure yet how it would function in terms of what what types of damage it would do. E.g. On hit, 1d4 con damage. For each point of con damage, the creature reduces in age the equivalent of 5 human years (adjusted for longer living races like elves. e.g. 20 years for elves or something like that.) For the past attack, for the future attack, the person is aged older based on con damage. and For the present, the attackers damage is reflected back at them. Once they exceed their life span either prior to birth or post death (upon reaching 0 con) they are killed.
I want it to be brutal but winnable. I'm not sure what the key would be to the PCs winning, and whether this concept would work. I want the enemy to be as abstract as time really is, but manifested as a force that can be fought and a balance restored, but ultimately can never be defeated. Any thoughts or suggestions on making father time be a fightable being?
No pun intended, but I've got some time, as we're just starting the campaign in a couple weeks I'm using the unearthed Arcana steam Punk compendium for 5th edition as a basis for the tech and classes. However, I wanted to tie what the necromancers have done to elevate Thay into a powerhouse to damaging time and causing father time to become a malevolent force (unthinking or thinking).
With limits.
My goal for a final boss around 15-17th level at the end of the campaign I'm thinking is time itself if it were a sentient being. (Or artificed to be manipulated to continue the cycle of undeath throughout the planet. So, a rogue unthinking enemy that would ultimately need to be destroyed to restore the balance of time.
I'm not sure what I would base this being on though for abilities? I was thinking of starting with Tiamat as a template for capabilities. But, instead of heads, it has time portals. One for future, present, and past. I'm not sure yet how it would function in terms of what what types of damage it would do. E.g. On hit, 1d4 con damage. For each point of con damage, the creature reduces in age the equivalent of 5 human years (adjusted for longer living races like elves. e.g. 20 years for elves or something like that.) For the past attack, for the future attack, the person is aged older based on con damage. and For the present, the attackers damage is reflected back at them. Once they exceed their life span either prior to birth or post death (upon reaching 0 con) they are killed.
I want it to be brutal but winnable. I'm not sure what the key would be to the PCs winning, and whether this concept would work. I want the enemy to be as abstract as time really is, but manifested as a force that can be fought and a balance restored, but ultimately can never be defeated. Any thoughts or suggestions on making father time be a fightable being?
No pun intended, but I've got some time, as we're just starting the campaign in a couple weeks I'm using the unearthed Arcana steam Punk compendium for 5th edition as a basis for the tech and classes. However, I wanted to tie what the necromancers have done to elevate Thay into a powerhouse to damaging time and causing father time to become a malevolent force (unthinking or thinking).