Need advice for creating CR 17-19 Nymph NPC

[Shin Okada]

I need some Greek mythology themed opponent in upcoming game and Nymph seems to be one of options.

Nymph casts spells as a druid. But frankly speaking I am not familiar with this class. While I can understand Druid is a strong class, I have been avoiding this because of great messes which Wild Shape class feature may cause.

So, I have turned my eyes on PHB 2 Druid alternative class feature Shapechange. It seems simple enough. But I have several questions.

1. Is this alternative feature good?

This class feature seems to be a little bit weak, as all the magic items stop working and druids cannot cast spells at all while changing there shape. PHB Druid can take Natural Spell feat for casting spells but there seem to be no such feat for this alternative class featue. Does this alternative feature actually work well on the gaming table? If so, how?

2. What kind of gears should I give them

As all the magic items stop functioning while they are using shapechange, I wonder what kind of magic items are good for them. Any Idea?

3. Are there some good alternative?

Say, multiclassing or prestige class which work better than just giving Druid class levels?

 

[Runestar]

1) It depends.

As a PC, I noticed that it was most useful at the very low lvs (lv1-6/7). This was when I had very limited slots, and so the ability to change into a semi-decent fighter at-will was very useful.

But as I leveled, and gained more slots, shapeshift became less useful, and the forms' powers failed to keep up.

So I suppose it is balanced in the sense that it is most useful at lower lvs when you need and appreciate it the most, and stinks at higher lvs, when you don't really need it.

Not sure how it fares in the hands of an npc though. I guess it might be interesting for a monster with already impressive physical stats like an anthropomorphic baleen whale, since it adds on to them, rather than replacing them altogether. Which means the nymph is out....

3) The next best alternative I can think of is to simply cast shapechange if your nymph is able to access 9th lv spells. Only problem is that it can be dispelled, unlike shapeshift.

Though personally, I think it might be thematically better to play a nymph as a nymph, not have it transform into something else (where you then lose the whole nymph feel).

In this case, you may simply wish to boost its spellcasting capabilities and have it hang back to cast spells and stun/blind, while giving it bodyguards to keep the PCs away.

Additional fey HD is a cheap way of boosting those DCs and caster lv by way of practiced spellcaster. As for class lvs, go either druid or some other prc with full spellcasting progression.

Maybe throw in a template of some sort, such as half-fiend?

 

[Ahnehnois]

First off, a nymph casts spells as a druid. This does not entitle the nymph to use druid class abilities (although the nymph coincidentally gets wild empathy). A standard nymph does not have abilities such as trackless step, resist nature's lure, an animal companion, or wild shape in the first place, nor does it gain wild shape if it advances by hit dice.

1. If you wanted to add druid class levels, or simply give the nymph this ability to make it more powerful, it could get wild shape/shapechange. I used the PHB II version for a daggerspell shaper a while back; I found it simple and effective. Loss of spellcasting is annoying, but changing is a free (swift?) action and has no use limit, so in most cases you can get a few spells in. In any case, it is much simpler than rooting through monster books to track polymorphing changes and such.

2. MIC has several good items, including at least one collection that functions in wild shape and a wilding clasp which makes other items work. Expensive, but within the price range for your CR I think. Wild armor (DMG) also works in wild shape. As to whether these things still work with shapechange is perhaps a judgment call but I'd say they do.

3. As noted above, I like daggerspell shaper (which, with a little interpretation still works with shapechange). It allows you to use your daggers essentially as the claws of your new form, which is very useful. Also, there are a few nice druid prestige classes spread about, including a good one in Complete Champion and several in CW that make shapesshifting better.

 

[Shin Okada]

Thank you two for your guidance.

Now I found one thing. Though Nymph casts spells as a Druid, alignment is CG. And I want to keep CG alignment due to the background of the adventure.

If so, I cannot give them Druid class levels.

Then, which prestige class is good for them? There seem to be not so many prestige classes which advances druid spellcasting ability in good rate. I found Stormlord in Complete Divine but are there better options?

 

[Ahnehnois]

Frankly, I could see writing off the alignment issue and just allowing the creature to gain levels as a druid. If it already has druid spells, why shouldn't it be able to forge such a connection with nature. Perhaps just eliminate the idea of the druidic organization/culture in this case.

As far as other ways of advancing spellcasting besides HD and druid, I think there are a few BoED classes a nymph could qualify for, esp swanmay, which might work. Also Ruathar (RotW), Divine Oracle (CD) and perhaps a few from the environment books. If you were willing to get some arcane class levels, you could do Arcane Hierophant (RotW) or Geomancer (CD). Fundamentally, with 7th caster level built in, a nymph can qualify for many prestige classes as is and of course there are a million of them out there.

 

[Alzrius]

Class levels might not be the way to go here. Instead, what about increasing the nymph's natural Hit Dice?

If we ignore the normal cap of 12 Hit Dice (which, in all honesty, is very strange in and of itself, since Advancement usually allows triple the standard Hit Dice for a creature, rather than double), you could advance the nymph to 18 Hit Dice, and presume that her spellcasting ability increases at a 1:1 ratio to her HD. As such, then you have an 18 HD nymph who casts spells as a 19th-level druid, without worrying about the class features.

Now, that still would add only +3 to her CR, bringing it up to 10. In order to get to CR 17-19, I suggest adding templates, or maybe a class level or two to round your NPC out in areas where you feel she's weak (e.g. two levels of Fighter to bump up her BAB and feat selection).

Some good template ideas to bump up her CR are Celestial (+2 CR since she's 18 HD) or Half-Celestial (+3 CR since she's 18 HD; add some flavor changes like making her wings have leaves instead of feathers), Superior (+1 CR; from Knowledge (current events) #14 - this template just adds +2 to all ability scores), and Chosen (+2 CR [the CR increase isn't listed, but it can be calculated from the +3 LA]; from Infinite: Epic Modern by EN Publishing - this just adds +4 to all ability scores, and lets you take epic feats at sub-epic levels if you meet the prerequisites of the feat itself).

 

[frankthedm]

MMIV or MMV had a Fey called a Verdant Prince that was a high CR fey ruler-type. Change the gender and add a few levels you should have a solid challenge for your party

 

[Runestar]

I don't think racial HD advancement improves the nymph's spellcasting capabilities. It would be a cheap way of improving their hp and saves though.

So the most straightforward route, IMO, would be to tack 10 druid lvs onto your existing nymph. This gives it druid17 spellcasting at cr17. Alternatively, give it extra 4 fey HD for cr18 (and practiced spellcaster bumps your caster up to 20).

 

[Alzrius]

I don't think racial HD advancement improves the nymph's spellcasting capabilities.

By the RAW, it doesn't. Hence why I said to "presume" that it does. Doing so isn't that much of a stretch, and has comparatively little impact on their CR.

It's worth noting that more about this is laid down in the Book of Templates - Deluxe Edition 3.5.

 

[Shin Okada]

If we ignore the normal cap of 12 Hit Dice (which, in all honesty, is very strange in and of itself, since Advancement usually allows triple the standard Hit Dice for a creature, rather than double), you could advance the nymph to 18 Hit Dice, and presume that her spellcasting ability increases at a 1:1 ratio to her HD. As such, then you have an 18 HD nymph who casts spells as a 19th-level druid, without worrying about the class features.

Increasing HDs could be an option. But IMHO a creature who casts spells as a 19th-level druid should never be a CR 10 creature.

Now I am leaning toward giving some prestige class levels. I checked Arcane Hierophant but unfortunately Nymph does not have Trackless Step class feature to qualify for it. Mystic Theurge could be another option but I am not sure if double caster work well as an opponent. Geomancer seems interesting but it changes the appearance a lot.