Help me brainstorm a 16th level Enchanter.

[RangerWickett]

So, for a one-shot I'm going to have the PCs chase down a powerful enchanter who has a bounty on his head because the rulers of all the nations know that it's too dangerous having someone around who can charm them.

The enchanter is a little silly. His name is Diogenes, though most people he has met call him The Great Diogenes. He's a human wizard, 16th level, currently in the process of managing basically a charm-controlled slave labor project.

There is an artifact that grants immortality, and the last time people tried to get it, the antimagic cavern it was in collapsed. So Diogenes has charmed people, convinced them to come work at his little town mining, and made sure to befriend them enough so that even if they get into an antimagic area, they won't be particularly put off when the charm fades. They'll just remember they're doing a job for a guy who has been nice to them before.

Diogenes has been at this for five years, and he's getting close to unearthing the artifact.

I basically need to come up with a short adventure from scratch, and I'd like help. I need:

• Diogenes's Compound: Who works for him, and how the place is laid out. The terrain where the cave was is craggy and open, mostly lifeless, though there is a large forest about thirty miles to the south.
• The Lead-Up: How to make an adventure for 10th level characters fun as they try to track down this mage, whose location they're unsure of. The Great Diogenes, of course, knows Mind Blank, so no scrying.
• Tactics: When a bunch of upstart heroes come to ruin your fun, if you're a 16th level enchanter, what do you do? Obviously you've got charmed allies, but the antimagic stones in the area are a liability. One drawback of the area is that you can't teleport very far, because the stones act as a teleportation beacon.
• Miscellany: What else do you think would be fun to toss into this adventure? Any ideas for other things Diogenes could be up to aside from just trying to become immortal? Ideas of how to maybe tie in the party's employers?

I know you guys here come up with all sorts of great ideas. Let's hear some.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

A good starting point - what alignment is Diogenes? From what you've written he comes off as not evil? I'd say this heavily effects the kinds of tactics he's likely to employ?


The party's employers could have hidden motives. Having said that, I'm not a fan of plots where they totally screw over the PCs. That gets used a lot. I think it can feel very unsatisfactory, especially if your characters don't have any history with the employer.

Maybe it's something personal against Diogenes - accademic rivalries, think he mindwarped their family members against them? Is he guilty or not?

Perhaps they want the immortality gizmo for themselves?

Possibly the gizmo has other uses/side effects than 'just' granting immortality?

 

[Plane Sailing]

While 16th level he has to have contingency plans for tackling people equipped with Mind Blank which takes out all of his primary spells.

I think a useful secondary spell selection for him would be illusion - so he uses enchantment to misdirect their mind and illusions to misdirect their senses.

I'd certainly use a combination of simulacra and/or charmed slaves in appropriate clothes under a "suggestion" that they are the real enchanter.

Liberal use of sending or demand can be useful too. Symbols of insanity and stunning and antipathy in strategic locations would be very useful too.

 

[VirgilCaine]

Charmed monsters. This 16th level wizard wouldn't do something so wasteful as kill something he could charm into doing what he needed--like guard the area he has set up.
Charmed animals and a tribe of humanoids (kobolds, gnolls) would work.

Have apprentices or commoners or whatnot set up as "The Great Diogenes"--of course, the real one is there at all the meetings, just invisible and levitating.

 

[jmucchiello]

Have apprentices or commoners or whatnot set up as "The Great Diogenes"--of course, the real one is there at all the meetings, just invisible and levitating.

Actually, this also works reverse. The great diogenes is the thrall of some other creature and while he thinks he's digging up an immortality artifact it's actually some other artifact that the other needs.

I'd also recommend the spell charm contagion from my own enchantment book, if you have it. That spell would explain how he charmed so many people.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I'd also recommend the spell charm contagion from my own enchantment book, if you have it. That spell would explain how he charmed so many people.

Yum, a charm that spreads like a disease.

 

[RangerWickett]

Diogenes is pretty much neutral. And he isn't being mind controlled himself.

I like the decoys, and illusion sounds good as a back-up. Also, he'll use illusionary monsters, plus summoned monsters, so the party will have a hard time keeping track of what to ignore and what to fight.

 

[Nightfall]

I'd make darn sure Diognese has small contingent of Infernal Sentinels at his command. *CC3*. Trust me, just three of those are nice way to keep the riff raff in line.

 

[RangerWickett]

Y'know Nightfall, much as it may surprise and disgust you, not everyone owns all of the Scarred Lands books. Care to give me a bit more insight?

 

[Nightfall]

Uhm not sure I understand the need for insight...but okay.

Infernal Sentinels are kind of the ultimate bodyguard as well as enforcer deal.

They generally only take orders from high ranking Chardunite clerics (generally 12th level or higher) or from devils with equal or greater HD. (I believe I wrote it at 10 HD...*checks* Yep 10 HD)

They can cast spells as 10th level clerics with access (prefered) to War, Law, and Strength. They use warscepters as one size larger than it actually is...(normally Warscepters I believe deal 2d8 damage...they do 3d6) Plus they have a paladin's "divine grace" ability along with being able to smite any chaotic and/or good being once per day. This is also with spell-like abilities, summoning devils and being complete bad asses.

(I should know. I wrote them! )

And yes I'm not surprised nor am I disgusted. I just think D&D benefits more with Scarred Lands stuff included!