Building a pair of ghost assassins

[Imp]

I'm creating a pair of ghost assassins for use in a Nemesis-type role in my campaign setting, and I'd like them to be as scary as possible within a few limits. Difficulty: 12 levels in character classes; human base; and the actual Assassin prestige class would not have been available to the characters in life. Neither can they be warlocks, warmages, duskblades, any of the ToB classes, or psionic classes for setting-related reasons. They are also unlikely to be divine casters but I'll consider it. They do not have to be evilly aligned.

The setting is lowish-magic, but the era the ghosts hail from is not, so DMG-standard equipment is ok, and whatever's good from splatbooks. They are supposed to be figures of legend and terror so it is fine if they are powerful for their CR. I would like them to be very able to carve up 12th and 13th level characters. Not infallibly able, necessarily, there are other powers behind them that can back them up, but they ought to be very capable.

So far I've got a wizard ghost, but I'm stuck. Two wizard ghosts? Eh, maybe.

 

[javcs]

A spring-attacking scout, start in walls/floor, move out (at least 10 ft), hit, back into walls.

Or, depending on flavor, the Avenger PRC from the WotC site, found here. Admittedly it was for April Fools. As long as you ignore the 21 spells known the first time they get a spell level (which then drops to 3 the very next level), it's essentially balanced (assuming you are of the opinion the Assassin PRC is balanced). Note that even if the death attack misses, you can keep trying (within the time limit), so full-attacking from the walls/floor (denied Dex, but a 50% miss chance), you're good.

 

[Imp]

Scout, that's not bad. Feat advice? I mean, the ghost wouldn't have planned all his feats in anticipation of impending incorporeal undeadness, but, I suppose, concentrating on straight skirmish buffs like Improved Skirmish and, uh... Improved Skirmish, and the Spring Attack of course.

The avenger is cute. I dunno. I like the assassin just fine, they're just restricted to a particular organization in the campaign setting.

Now, a straight rogue or a rogue/swashbuckler w/ Daring Outlaw can just sneak up on the mark at night and unload a full attack, bug out, and if necessary repeat.

A sorcerer ghost that jacks up his Charisma, pulls a prep spell like Enervation, maybe has its scout friend help the preparation with draining touches, and finishes with Malevolence + suicide seems like a workable tactic, because the ghost can keep doing it. Additionally it is a somewhat Nemesis-like fate for a character. Hmm...

 

[Quez The Lame]

Ghost-faced Killer from Complete Adventurer might be interesting for you. Power attacking assassins who scare their victims to death...

 

[Imp]

Well, I'm aiming for pwnage first. I'm not sure I can work more than 6 levels of ghost-faced killer in there, which is going to give me DC 16+Charisma slaying power that (reads fully)... only works on 12th-level targets and below. That aren't immune to fear. Guh! Not gonna work. Ghost step is unnecessary for an actual ghost and sudden strike is not that hot. Immune to fear is too easy even in lowish-magic world. These guys need to make paladins think twice too.

In any case the Malevolence-using sorceror would have outstripped it by the numbers. DC 15 + Cha bonus + Eagle's Splendor + debuffs ought to have a chance even vs. strong Will saves. They could make an okay team, I suppose.

 

[avr]

If your players wouldn't be too pissed by this, a barbarian or fighter ghost with improved sunder (& a ghost touch adamantine weapon) can break the biggest dangers to him then chase the spellcasters around the battlefield. You said the setting was lowish magic?

 

[szilard]

A Ghost Bard could be really nasty, actually.

Fascinate makes a great precursor to an attack by a partner or summoned creature.

-Stuart

 

[Imp]

There's an emphasis on limited-use items like potions and wands, so for example the standard path to magical weaponry is to buff your (masterwork, unusual material) weapon rather than tool around with permanent magical weaponry. Also, you have to have special materials to make magic weapons, but those materials can be relatively easily gleaned and reforged from broken weapons – so sundering is not a horrible horrible thing... a bit of a ding on cash and time, but you don't have to go through the hassle and unknowns of procuring a new magic weapon from mages that may not be working in your best interest.

(A good thing too, as the force behind these two ghosts is a cabal of archmages that are the way to go if you want a real honest-to-goodness-magical weapon; they definitely won't be working in your interest if these two ghosts are after you )

Bard ghost. Ok, so we'd have bard ghost fascinates, leaving wizard ghost the time to summon/buff a bunch of terrors around a corner and have them descend upon the enraptured character(s), at which point bard switches to inspire courage, and beatings commence to the sound of scary music. I like this tactic, it also fits real well with the Nemesis theme, plus bard ghost ought to be just as capable as sorceror ghost at the Malevolence tactic.