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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 1689143" data-attributes="member: 20741">The glass ball can itself be quite challenging without overpowering the characters.  To reply - very off the cuff with the immediate thoughts that leapt to mind:1 - The glass ball is not a ball at all but is a glass statue which resembles a beholder.  This need not influence its powers in the least, but could be a powerful misdirection in terms of its abilities.2 - The glass ball is completely dark and radiates a slight darkness. From a distance, it resembles, through its description given to the players -  a sphere of anihilation.  Getting near the glass ball will not be on top of the players to do list. Staying away from it will seem like a Very Good Idea.3 - The Unborn: See Glen Cook's Dread Empire series. The thing in that series' floaty transparent ball was a child possessed by a demon - ripped from Mommy's womb before it was born  - still in the placenta.  That hardened over time so you had this really creepy thing: a  monstrous fetus floating around in a bubble and lobbing serious power.  Maybe way off here, but would such a being's "soul" be so weak that said fiend could overcome it and possess it?Anyways...As to general powers, *never* underestimate the "I'm invisible and I'm flying" defence.  Without a way to detect it - the glass ball rises up and out of range and cannot be seen.  It's more or less safe.The trick would be - that the range of whatever power it's exerting requires it to be within a certain range to "do it's thing". Maybe it is exerting some control over one of the Lieutenants?  For fun, you might make one of the Lieutenants a Dread Guard - perhaps the main "thing" which the demon possesses to do his evil deeds.  The fact the Dread Guard is not alive would not be entirely obvious at all.  It's a 5HD CR2 critter - and whilst being possessed - it might have some of the demon's spell abilities together with the Dread Guard's immunities: it's an interesting critter without being overpowering.In that sense, the "Glass Ball" is just a sphere in disguise and its importance is not entirely obvious.  The demon will be acting mainly through the Dread Guard.PC's discover link - attack sphere - make it withdraw beyond possession range of Dread Guard - destroy Dread Guard or have Dread Guard go immobile and stop fighting...Scene as Dread Guard FallsDM: The being in the black demonic armor falls with a clang of finality to the ground, lying motionless. Something about that fall sounds odd to you though...PC1: I stab it. Coup de gras. Make sure it's deadPC2: Me  too. DIE!!!DM: As you slip your sword under the helm to slit it throat and make sure its dead, the helm and the gorget separate. DM: Roll Spot CheckPC1: 18!DM: It's empty. PC2: Empty?DM: Quite empty.  Not a trace of blood either.PC2: I'm looking around for it. Where is it? PC3: Uhmm guys? That's not him.PC1: What do you mean "that's not Him?"Run with it.  Give the demon few magical powers and perhaps switch it over to nearly all psionic abilities in its "sphere" form.</blockquote>

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