BBEG of a Different Color

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Chaos_Kitten - that's a great idea. I'm going to have to use it!

For Darksun, I think I'm going to make "Kalak's cat" the real sorceror king of Tyr... Kalak got so paranoid about assasination that he polymorphed himself into a cat and one of his followers into him, then permenantly dominated them. Shouldn't be beyond the grasp of an epic level wizard/psion/cerebromancer.

I think he'd probably have gone the egyptian(?) route and have cats declared sacred animals... This is going to be fun.

One possible snag, it could get really interesting if either one of them wanders into a Magic Circle vs X effect or, worse still, an antimagic field... It'd all get 'Scooby Doo' confusing.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Okay, ever cat I have ever known has psionics so I think you should have your BBEG cat to have a few. I swear my cats project images to me (mostly opening the door or feeding them) but I could see this as a "suggestion" that the players get, of course this would lead to trouble or something the cat wants.

 

[fredramsey]

I played in a campaign where the guy who hired us (who was either good or evil, depending on who you asked) ran around with us polymorphed as the cat familiar of our female wizard (his daughter, but she didn't even know it was him). We never figured it out, but it made sense after the DM told us.

Good idea.

Forgive me in advance if I have plopped this down in the wrong place. It's just that my question is so vague it might belong here.

I want the baddie in my campaign to be a cat. I know this sounds silly and a prank, but it's most certainly true. My idea is the feline is in fact a cursed wizard or sorcerer. He or she poses as the familiar of a puppet spellcaster. One that the party will initially think is their main threat.

The problem is I don't know where to go with this build. I was thinking of the cat caster to have complete control over the "puppet's" mind and be pulling the strings. Though that may be too difficult to feasibly pull off.

What are your ideas or suggestions? I would be very happy to hear them all.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I had an NPC psion mind switch (see magic jar) into the body of a rat. to escape as the BBEG killed is halfling body.
He was neutral and had great fun annoying the BBEG and the players equally.
Eventually a vampire was recruited to deal with him, as she was immune to his telepathy and could turn hordes of rats against him.

Psionics is an easier route to go because there is no need for materials or gestures. The power effects can be targeted on the caster or the target, the spells always show something, but the source is easy to disguise. If the BBEG is also a psion, there is no reason to keep a cat, but no psionics coming out of nowhere. Perhaps the chief thrall is a psion/mage/cerebremancer

Dominate from XPH is 4th level - although you have to cast it as a 5th lvl power to get a duration of 1/day per level (see errata)
The Thrallheard XPH -
requirements: 5th lvl manifester, 8 ranks kn(psionics) 4 rnks diplomacy, feat - inquistor, must know mindlink power(1st lvl telepath)
Thralls are recieved at 1st level - by using leadership table.
a thrallheards psionic leadership score = character lvl + chr mod + PCr level with no other modifiers.
It is a 10 level class with +8 manifester levels

 

[Chaos_Kitten]

Thanks for all the great suggestions guys. I am a little leery about using psionics. I've never dealt with them before, but I can get a copy of the book. I'm also willing to give it a try.

A little bit more info on my sorta grand idea. The BBEG was turned into a cat, instead of being utterly destroyed, due to a previous adventuring party's arrogance. He was a vicious wizard king that did the usual "crushing the masses under his heel". The band of adventurer's made their way through his castle and battled him. They were on the edge of defeating him when they chose this punishment for the man. The rest of his life woudl be lived out as simple housecat. What they didn't know was that he retained his intelligence and at least some of his power. Now perhaps he wants revenge on the children or proteges of this party. Well that and of course regaining his old form and ruling once more.

 

[Hand of Evil]

If you don't want to use psionics, just give the cat the Mind Flayer abilities.

 

[Dakkareth]

Not to forget the tentacles ... cathulhu ...