Cool add-ons for my minions?

[JohnnFour]

So, the PCs are now knee-deep in rank & file minions, and I'm looking for ways to spruce them up a bit (make them a bit tougher, and more importantly, add some fantastical flavour). I'd like to put together a list of potion and cheap item ideas to grab from during sessions. A potion of fire breathing, for example.

Anyone have ideas for items or tweaks to make minions interesting?

 

[Nifft]

Levels in Ranger, and Favored Enemy: PCs.

Cheers, -- N

 

[JohnnFour]

Levels in Ranger, and Favored Enemy: PCs.
Cheers, -- N

LOL.

 

[Goblyn]

In addition to potions, psionic tattoos serve about the same purpose, but with low-level psionic powers(if you have the XPH, anyway). A psionic tattoo of vigor, claws of the beast, biofeedback, or inertial armor would make a minion possibly a little more robust. Also, don't forget about the Aid another option if you've many minions to deal with those pesky heroes; but I'm sure you're down with that.

 

[Goblyn]

Oh, and for many many minions(sounds best when said really fast), there's the Mob template fromc DMGII pp59-60, and, if they're small creatures there's the Swarmfighting feat from Complete Warrior p105(though I can't recall right now whether CW is 3.0 or 3.5).

 

[warlord]

Give'em guns. Everyone loves minions with guns.

 

[HelloChristian]

Tasha's Hideous Laughing Venom

I was working on something for my zine, a magical poison with an unexpected tertiary effect. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Tasha’s Hideous Laughing Venom
This injury poison is created by enchanting the venom of a large scorpion. A single dose can coat the striking portion of any two small or any one medium or large slashing or piercing weapons. Any living creature injured by the coated weapon must make a Fort save (DC 18) or suffer 1d6 points of temporary Strength damage. Secondary damage is an additional 1d6 points of temporary Strength damage unless another DC 18 Fort save is made. Tertiary damage is equal to Tasha’s Hideous Laughter cast at the 3rd level of ability. A Will save (DC 12) negates the spell effect.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Brew Potion, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter; Cost to Create: 300 gp.

I still need to weight the game balance, but I think it'd be a funny twist on a familiar poison.

 

[Warren Okuma]

So, the PCs are now knee-deep in rank & file minions, and I'm looking for ways to spruce them up a bit (make them a bit tougher, and more importantly, add some fantastical flavour). I'd like to put together a list of potion and cheap item ideas to grab from during sessions. A potion of fire breathing, for example.

Anyone have ideas for items or tweaks to make minions interesting?

Potion of haste, and any potion that gives AC.

 

[Rechan]

See the other guy's topic on this.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

For minions, you want two things - something memorable, and something fairly easy to adjudicate. I like to pick one cool item/feat/power for my flunkies. That makes it so I remember to use it, and registers on the PC's tiny, reptile brains.

I found one feat recently that I immediately adopted as a "standard" feat for my evil cultist clerics. Its called Profane Lifeleech, from Complete Divine, and you spend two turn attempts to do 1d6 damage to every enemy in 30 feet, and healing that amount to the cleric. Its great, it spooks the PC's even though it doesn't really do that much, and its very flavorful.

For higher level Minion boosting, if you have a boss who can cast Unholy Aura, that will mess with your good PC's. Its an 8th level spell, though. Severla devils and demons can use it; I used it to great effect with a Marilith in 3.0 boosting up all the mooks defending her position.

In short, I look for one trick, and use it extensively in that encounter. The trick can come to identify the particular group of minions, making them distinct from other groups of minions, who have their own shticks.