(Cydra Rogues' Gallery-My Players STAY OUT)

[the Jester]

Red Gash, General of Evil

Red Gash, Nycaloth fighter 12:
Large Outsider (evil, extraplanar, nycaloth)
Hit Dice: 14d8 + 12d10 + 252 (381 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40’, fly 90’ (good)
Armor Class: 37 (-1 size, +3 dex, +13 natural, +10 armor, +2 deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 34
Base Attack/Grapple: +26/+39
Attack*: Claw +22 melee (1d6+21 plus bleeding wounds) or Eviscerator +30 melee (3d6+43/19-20x3+2d4)
Full Attack*: Eviscerator +35/30/25/20 melee (3d6+35/19-20x3+2d4) melee and 2 claws +29 melee or 4 claws +25 melee (1d6+16 plus bleeding wounds)
Space/Reach: 10’/10’
Special Attacks: Bleeding wounds, rake +32 (1d6+13), improved grab, liftoff, spell-like abilities, summon yugoloth
Special Qualities: DR 10/good, immunity to acid and poison, resistance to cold 10, fire 10 and electricity 10, SR 24, telepathy
Saves: Fort +26, Ref +17, Will +16
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 16, Con 28, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +15, Concentration +22, Diplomacy +15, Hide +9, Intimidate +35, Jump +23, Knowledge (arcana, the planes) +11, Listen +19, Move Silently +13, Search +11, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +11, Spot +19, Swim +15
Feats: Alertness, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dire Charge, Epic Weapon Focus (greataxe), Flyby Attack, Greater Weapon Focus (greataxe), Greater Weapon Specialization (greataxe), Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Toughness, Iron Will, Mobility*, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greataxe), Weapon Specialization (greataxe)
Challenge Rating: 22
Treasure: Eviscerator (+4 keen deadly (+2d4) greataxe), mithral breastplate +4, ring of protection +2, amulet of natural armor +1, rod of resizing
Alignment: Neutral Evil

Combat: Red Gash’s spell-like abilities have a save DC one lower than listed in the MM3. He vastly prefers to melee.

His ‘typical’ power attack on a single attack is -12; on a full attack, it is -7.

 

[the Jester]

This is the umber hulk mutant the pcs are about to face.

Truly Horrid Powerful Mutant Umber Hulk (CR 19):Huge aberration; HD 20d8+300; hp 400; Init +0; Spd 30’, burrow 20’; AC 28 (-2 size, +2 dex, +18 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 26; BAB/Grapple +15/39; FA 2 claws +29 melee (3d6+16) and bite +27 melee (4d6+8); Space/Reach 15’/15’; SA Cloudkill 2/day (DC 20), confusing gaze (Will DC 23); SQ Darkvision 60’, fortification (75%), immunity to radiation, disease and poison, tremorsense 60’; Fort +29, Ref +8, Will +16; Str 42, Dex 14, Con 41, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 21;

Skills & Feats: Climb +26, Jump +18, Listen +22, Move Silently +7; Epic Fortitude, Great Fortitude, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Improved Natural Armor x3, Iron Will, Mutliattack.

I'll save Hashrek's stats for after his true nature is revealed.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

Very evil Jester, I like Can't way to see its master's stats.

Interesting dungeon btw, looks like it has a strange, sci-fi-ish feel while being rooted very deeply in the campaign's history at the same time. Can't wait to see what those radiation-crystal machines do.

 

[the Jester]

Thanks Sollir!

Here's Hashrek the Cruel, an ancient and powerful ogre mage who had been held is stasis (in polymorphed disguise) for many many centuries. (That's why his story was fishy- he'd never expected to have to know his history!)

Hashrek: Ogre mage sorcerer 16; CR 21; large giant; HD 5d8 + 16d4 + 147; hp 211; Init +4; Spd 40’, fly 40’ (good); AC 23 (-1 size, +7 natural, +7 armor), touch 9, ff 23; BAB/Grapple +11/+20; Atk Asheral +19/14/9 melee (3d6+10/19-20) or longbow +13/8/3 ranged (2d6+7/x3); Space/Reach 10’/10’; SA Spell-like abilities, spells; SQ DR 10/adamantine (absorbs 150 hp), darkvision 90’, low-light vision, mind blank, regeneration 5 (fire and acid), resistance to fire 20, soak first point of ability damage or drain, SR 19; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +11; Str 21, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 24;

Skills & Feats: Concentration +29, Knowledge (history- Miloxi) +10, Listen +14, Spellcraft +26, Spot +14; Arcane Strike, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Silent Spell, Spell Penetration, Superior Combat Expertise

Gear: Scarlet robes of the burning desert (grants fire resistance 20, no move or skill penalties from sand, leave no tracks in sand as per pass without trace), staff of defense (40 charges), Asheral, defending greatsword +3, mighty (+5) composite longbow +2, bracers of armor +7, potions of see invisibility, bull’s strength, haste, remove disease, protection from electricity, belt of mighty fortitude (grants +4 enhancement bonus to con, soaks first point of ability damage/drain from each attack), amulet of natural armor +2, wand of fireballs (10 charges, 10d6), component pouch, 2000 gp diamond dust.

Spell-like abilities: At will- darkness, invisibility; 1/day- charm person, cone of cold, gaseous form, polymorph, sleep; CL 9th. Save DCs are 17 + level.

Spells Per Day (includes slots burned for spells previously cast): 6 8 8 8 6 6 7 6 2. Spells Known (save DC 17 + spell level):

0 level- arcane mark, detect magic, disrupt undead, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic, resistance, unnerving gaze (BoVD), wizard glue

1st level- black bag, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, silent image, true strike

2nd level- darkbolt (BoVD), eagle’s splendor, Melf’s acid arrow, mirror image, see invisibility

3rd level- displacement, fireball, follow sorcery’s trail, hold person

4th level- charm monster, fear, phantasmal killer, stoneskin

5th level- break enchantment, cloudkill, contact other plane, wall of hate (Cydra)

6th level- chain lightning, mass suggestion, wall of iron

7th level- finger of death, greater teleport

8th level- mind blank.

***

Strategy: If it looks like the party is going to attack him, he will attempt to cut them off with a wall of iron while he buffs. He casts the following, in order, if he has time (and he is willing to use his greater teleport to get that time, so long as he has at least one remaining seventh or eighth level slot to use): displacement, mirror image, eagle’s splendor, see invisibility, shield from his staff. When possible, he’ll try to finger of death any likely wizard-types, charm and hold fighters, and generally blast everyone as best he can. He’ll try to use his flight ability and teleportation spells to stay relatively out of reach of the pcs. If forced into melee, he’ll try to cast true strike and then use his Arcane Strike feat to gain +28 to hit on a single attack (and +8 for the rest of the round!) and +8d4 damage per hit. Combining this tactic with some Combat Expertise isn’t a bad idea if tough fighters are on top of him.

If he is significantly challenged by the party and needs time to regenerate, he will shift all 11 points of BAB into defense via Combat Expertise and shifting Asheral’s +3 into defense as well, giving him an AC 37. If this isn’t enough, he will flee or parlay. If it looks like the party is going to incapacitate or destroy him, Hashrek will greater teleport away, vowing revenge, but he is arrogant and proud enough that he can easily be provoked into fighting to the death. He is especially vulnerable to accusations of cowardice.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

Sounds like a mean combatant, shame he seems to have went down fairly easily I'm curious though, are Raksashas in any way related to these cat people? I was guessing that Hashrek was one of those kinds, which would be why Veil's detect thoughts ability wouldn't have worked. Ah well, I suppose I can't guess right all the time

 

[the Jester]

It was that pesky mind blank- a definite must-have for a high level paranoid maniac!

You'd be amazed how much damage the party can dish out in a round. And until that round, nobody had touched him.

 

[Krafus]

Jester, how do you feel about the time it takes you to stat out evil NPCs, only to see them killed in a single round once the PCs get into melee range?

 

[the Jester]

Jester, how do you feel about the time it takes you to stat out evil NPCs, only to see them killed in a single round once the PCs get into melee range?

Hahahaha.... it's sometimes quite frustrating. However, half the fun of making the bad guys is the act of creation, so it's not too bad.

The best villainous run in a while was had by Fnogghi Chaos-Hand, who got to use all his tricks. That was extraordinarily satisfying.

 

[the Jester]

I actually posted this to get feedback in the homebrews forum before I used it, and I'm glad I did. My original 40 HD monstrosity with 840 hp would have been significantly tougher than I'd intended; as it was, the encounter was memorable and fun.

The Ur-Fish (CR 22): Gargantuan magical beast; HD 30d10+360; hp 525; Init -1; Spd Swim 50’; AC 36/50% (-4 size, -1 dex, +25 natural, +6 expertise), touch 11/50%, flat-footed 26/50%; BAB/Grapple +30/+61; FA Bite +23 melee (6d6+42/19-20) (includes adjustments for Combat Expertise and Power Attack); Space/Reach 20’/15’; SA Frightful presence, spell-like abilities, sweeping bite; SQ DR 10/epic, darkvision 120’, fast healing 10, immunity to negative energy, petrification, poison, positive energy and radiation, inky corona, resistance to electricity 15 and sonic 15, SR 32; SV Fort +29, Ref +16, Will +15; Str 40, Dex 8, Con 34, Int 17, Wis 16, Cha 13; Align NE.

Skills & Feats: Bluff +29, Concentration +21, Diplomacy +24, Listen +36, Search +16, Sense Motive +28, Spot +36; Cleave, Combat Expertise, Epic Reflexes, Great Constitution, Greater Weapon Focus (bite), Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Natural Attack (bite), Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite).

Frightful Presence (Su): Any creature within 100’ of the ur-fish that sees it attack, use its sweeping bite or charge must make a Will save, DC 26, or become shaken for as long as they can see the ur-fish and for one hour afterward. Regardless of whether it succeeds or fails, once a creature rolls this save they are immune to the ur-fish’s frightful presence for 24 hours. The save DC is charisma-based.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will- see invisibility, shatter; 1/day- bestow curse, blindness/deafness, darkness, greater dispel magic. Caster level 40th; save DCs 11 + spell level. The save DCs are charisma-based.

Sweeping Bite (Ex): As a standard action the ur-fish can bite all targets in a 10’ cube, rolling a single bite attack against all of them. Any creature that suffers damage must make an opposed grapple check or be swept into the ur-fish’s mouth. On its next turn, as an attack action, the ur-fish can attempt another opposed grapple check to swallow its victims whole. Swallowed victims suffer 2d6+15 points of bludgeoning damage plus 1d6 points of acid damage for each round within the monster’s belly. The belly is AC 30, and each victim must either succeed at two opposed grapple checks or else inflict 60 points of damage to the stomach with a slashing weapon in order to free themselves. Because of the immense size of the ur-fish’s gullet, characters swallowed can wield any weapon and can take any action. Unfortunately, within the creature’s gut they are constantly being thrown around by stomach motion, and are effectively staggered. Moreover, victims must make Concentration checks to cast a spell or manifest a power (DC 10 + last damage dealt).

Inky Corona (Su): The ur-fish is always surrounded by a corona of ink that gives it concealment (50% miss chance). The inky corona cannot be eliminated without a wish, limited wish, alter reality or miracle.

**Note that the ur-fish typically attacks with a -6 from Improved Combat Expertise and a -10 from Power Attack.

Here's the flava I used in my notes:

Here, lurking in contemplation, is a powerful and unique creature that began life as a simple fish. But then it became a kuo-toa wizard’s familiar; and then, both of them were exposed to strange Underdark radiations and planar energies; and to top it all off, the radiation from the reactor here have changed this thing into a terrible intellect and a magical entity of incredible malignancy. It is constantly surrounded by an inky corona, but it looks like some mad Jack Kirby fish-demon. The Ur-Fish speaks Kuo-toan, Undercommon, Drow and Dwarven. It is almost three centuries old and very potent in its power; it has never met anything else of comparable strength, and so it is very arrogant.

 

[the Jester]

Any requests?