[Grim Tales] Creature design

[fuindordm]

I'm trying to make the nemesis encounter for my party, and ran into the following block:

Essentially it's a beefed-up quori (dream demon, for those of you not into Eberron) with the mental powers of a 9th level psion.

Normally class levels add 1 CR per level (DMG) or .8 per level without equipment (GT). But as I was statting it up, it occured to me that paying for 9 psion levels this way should include another 9 HD, 9 levels of skill points, 3 more feats, improved BAB, and so forth. My gut is telling me that throwing a creature with in excess of 20 HD at them is too much, even if it's the only opponent.

What I really want is to add only the class abilities of a 9th level psion, not all the extra baggage just mentioned. What do you all think the appropriate CR adjustment should be for this?

On a related question, what's the CR of a gestalt character?

Ben

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

There's a function in the Creature Creation for "casts spells as..."

I'd use Wizard/Sorceror as the closest analog. 9 Levels of Wiz/Sor adds +3.96 CR.

As for Gestalt, I have no idea. Don't use 'em. Never even read that section of UA.

 

[fuindordm]

Hmm, I missed that. I'll go look for it again in the GT book when I get home. Thanks, Wulf!

As for gestalts, it's really just a way of generalizing the question.

A gestalt character has the class abilities of two characters, but the HD, BAB, save progression, and skill points of a single-classed character (taking the more favorable choice from each class). So how much should class abilities cost in general when they're not bringing the HD, BAB, Saves, and skill points along with them? That's what I'm wondering.

Ben

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

A gestalt character has the class abilities of two characters, but the HD, BAB, save progression, and skill points of a single-classed character (taking the more favorable choice from each class). So how much should class abilities cost in general when they're not bringing the HD, BAB, Saves, and skill points along with them? That's what I'm wondering.

The answer to that is (I think) very easy to provide, but I'm not the one to provide it at the moment. Ask it of Upper_Krust in the House Rules forum!

I believe he already has all the class abilities/costs broken down to a very granular level.