Finally started my campaign.

[dragonis111]

As of last week I finally started my campaign with my 2 friends, they play a sorcerer and a monk, and I also play a ninja, we meet on Fridays, last week we just did character creation (we are all starting out at level 3) and yesterday I ran the first adventure, I forgot to prepare an adventure, so I just used the we be goblins module and modified it so a party of 3rd level non goblins can play it, also My books came in the mail today, the Core, APG, and Bestiary 1. But I have a couple questions.

First off the main villain npc in this campaign will be a drow summoner(using the master summoner archetype from Ultimate magic) will it be better to start him out at around the same level of the party and scale him up as the campaign goes on? Or should I just make him at his end level and he just toys around with the party not perceiving them as a threat until late in the campaign like a stereotypical villain?

My second question, even though I don't like the 4E system, there some really cool monsters in it that I would love to convert to pathfinder, such as the orium dragon and the rage drake, what would be the best way to do that?

Thanks in advance, Dylan!

 

[Xorial]

Monsters

I would suggest first looking up if those monster were based on 3e versions. If so, find & convert those. If you have to convert from scratch, find a similar creature, then build your conversion based on creature abilities that best fit the overall theme of your monster.

 

[KiloGex]

As for the big bad, I'd just make him as the level that you intend on him being when the party finally encounters him. Until then, have him simply treat them as insignificant creatures - toying with them every once in a while until he feels that they have become too bothersome and are taking up too much of his time.

 

[KiloGex]

I would suggest first looking up if those monster were based on 3e versions. If so, find & convert those. If you have to convert from scratch, find a similar creature, then build your conversion based on creature abilities that best fit the overall theme of your monster.

Oh, and this.

 

[Qik]

Personally, I like the idea of the BBEG leveling with the PCs - I think it adds that extra level of immersion when the players can see that he's growing as they do. Of course, you have to be careful not to get him killed prematurely.

 

[paradox42]

For the monsters, you've already gotten good advice- though I'll mention that since I got most of the WotC 3.X books, and don't recognize the Orium Dragon offhand, it's unlikely that a 3.X version exists. Rage Drake I do recognize, vaguely, though I can't honestly say where I saw it last- so a 3.X version of it may or may not exist (maybe check Draconomicon).

Regarding the villain, it's best to answer the question of leveling with a different question: will this Summoner show up "on screen" and interact with the party directly, before the intended Big Fight To Save The World?

If yes, then you can consider giving him levels as the party does, just to keep those earlier fights interesting (though I'd advise that he be at least 3 or 4 levels ahead of them, before the end, to enhance his survival capability- as others have noted, it'll derail your plot to lose him early).

If not, then as a practical matter there's no reason not to stat him out at his full, final level right now- because giving him levels as the campaign progresses will be extra work that does nothing the players will ever see. Running a long campaign usually takes a lot of time and energy, and you don't need an extra drain on your mental resources that never matters in actual play.

 

[KiloGex]

Personally, I like the idea of the BBEG leveling with the PCs - I think it adds that extra level of immersion when the players can see that he's growing as they do. Of course, you have to be careful not to get him killed prematurely.

See, I guess I'm just not thinking of them having actual encounters with him during the leveling process. In my mind it's more that he'd pop in, say "foolish mortals", summon a bunch of uglies and then disappear. I think that it'd be much more fun for the players if they were able to see an enemy that it was impossible for them to beat in the beginning, but then by the end be able to vanquish him. For me as a player, that would give me a sense of accomplishment of leveling beyond gaining skills and abilities.

 

[Qik]

That makes sense - it's all in how you approach it, and what works best for your players (something you'd know better than any of us). If that's how you want to do it, then I say go for it. I like the idea of this evil dude popping in, wreaking havoc, and then disappearing.

 

[dragonis111]

Thanks!!

First of all thanks to everyone for all the advice!!!

My main plan for the villain was what KiloGex said, basically the summoner is the commanding officer of a whole bunch of minions, who are all part of a bigger plan which is an upcoming invasion by a drow/goblin army. and just summons monsters to to distract the party while giving his minions time to complete their task, but this is just in the early levels, later on my party will be strong enough to start seriously messing with the summoner himself causing him to have to spend more effort on dealing with the party.

As for the monster conversions, Thanks Xorial for the help!
(Thanks to everyone else too!!!)