Request: Advanced CR 18 Incubi

[Canaan]

Hey peeps. I'm in a bind. I have a big battle royale tomorrow between the PCs and this uber HOT sexy demonologist/sorceress (think Glory from Buffy). She has 3 Incubus slaves/seduction machines that are always in her presence (think 3 sisters from Dracula).

I need to advance 3 Incubi to CR 18 and need some help! The sorceress is CR23. The party is made up of 8 CR20s and a CR23 NPC. It's a pretty balanced group. Lots of protections and SR.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

HEART RENDER, Advanced Incubus Blackguard 8

Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)	   
[b]Hit Dice:[/b] 12d8+8d10+100 (198 hp)	   
[b]Initiative:[/b]  +1	   
[b]Speed: [/b]20 ft. (6 squares), fly 40 ft. (poor)	   
[b]Armor Class:[/b]  33 (+1 Dex, +9 natural, +11 Armor, +3 Deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 32	
[b]Base Attack/Grapple:[/b]  +20/+24	   
[b]Normal Attack:[/b] Bastard Sword +28 melee (1d10+10, 17-20/x2, +1d6 Fire)	   
[b]Special Attack (PA 9, Smite Good):[/b] Bastard Sword +32 (1d10+36, 17-20/x2, +1d6 Fire),
Potential +2 attack and +2d6 damage if flanking.	   
[b]Space/Reach:[/b] 5 ft./5 ft.	   
[b]Special Attacks:[/b] Aura of despair, energy drain, smite good 2/day, sneak attack +2d6, 
Spell-like abilities, summon demon	   
[b]Special Qualities:[/b] Damage reduction 10/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., detect good,
immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, spell 
resistance 24, telepathy 100 ft., tongues	  
[b]Saves:[/b] Fort +30, Ref +24, Will +25	   
[b]Abilities:[/b] Str 15 (19), Dex 13, Con 17 (21), Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 32 (36)	   
[b]Skills:[/b] Bluff +36, Concentration +25, Diplomacy +36, Disguise +28* (+30 acting), Escape 
Artist +17, Hide +21, Intimidate +32, Listen +30, Move Silently +31, Search +22, Spot +30	
[b]Feats:[/b] Cleave, Greater Spell Focus (Enchantment), Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Quicken
Spell-like Ability (Charm Monster), Quicken Spell-like Ability (Teleport Without Error), Spell 
Focus (Enchantment)
[b]Environment:[/b] A chaotic evil-aligned plane	   
[b]Organization:[/b] Trio	   
[b]Challenge Rating:[/b] 18	   
[b]Treasure*:[/b] +4 Flaming, Keen Bastard Sword, +3 Slick Full Plate of Glamour and Calling**, 
Amulet of Charisma +4, Belt of Giant Strength and Constitution +4, Ring of Protection +3
[b]Alignment:[/b] Always chaotic evil	   
[b]Advancement:[/b] ---	   
[b]Level Adjustment:[/b] +6

*I just gave them equipment I felt appropriate for a CR 18, I'm not sure what the treasure value actually is or if it fits them.
**Calling just means they can summon their armor from a distance w/ a special command word, donning it as a free action.

Energy Drain (Su): An incubus drains energy from a mortal it lures into some act of passion, or by simply planting a kiss on the victim. If the target is not willing to be kissed, the succubus must start a grapple, which provokes an attack of opportunity. The incubus’s kiss or embrace bestows one negative level. The kiss also has the effect of a suggestion spell, asking the victim to accept another kiss from the incubus. The victim must succeed on a DC 26 Will save to negate the effect of the suggestion. The DC is 26 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. These save DCs are Charisma-based.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—charm monster (DC 29), detect good, detect thoughts (DC 25), ethereal jaunt (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), polymorph (humanoid form only, no limit on duration), suggestion (DC 28), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only). Caster level 18th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a incubus can attempt to summon 1 vrock with a 30% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.
Tongues (Su): A incubus has a permanent tongues ability (as the spell, caster level 12th). Incubi usually use verbal communication with mortals.
Skills: Incubi have a +8 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
*While using her polymorph ability, a incubus gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.

Blackguard Spells (3/2/1/1)
1-Cause Fear, Cute Light Wounds, Doom.
2-Cure Moderate Wounds (x2)
3-Cure Serious Wounds
4-Freedom of Movement

Strategy:
These Incubi are tremendously effective when working as a team. First off, they are very hard to kill, having a good amount of HP, AC, and Saves. A Blackguard's Aura of Despair is not a typed penalty, and by the RAW all three of their Auras of Despair stack. A typical strategy for them would be to all Greater Teleport around a particularly dangerous enemy, giving them a -6 penalty to saves allowing the Sorceress to affect them more easily, as well as the Incubi to cast a slew of Quickened Charm Monster spells (Fairly high DC 29 along with a -6 penalty to save!). The glamour property of their armor makes it appear that they are scantily clad (befitting most incubi), with the Slick property assuring that little movement of their full plate is detected-to a warrior without the ability to see past illusions, this makes them look like a fragile target, perhaps redirecting attacks meant for the sorceress towards them. Finally, if they aren't taken seriously, they can pull off a few dangerous physical attacks, generally saved for enemy spellcasters (making sure they flank so they can get their sneak attack in).

A potential problem with your current encounter would be the Sorceress' vulnerability. There are so many PCs compared to her limited amount of actions meaning if the PCs win initiative there is a good chance you have a dead Sorceress on your hands. One idea to offset her vulnerability includes making the 'Sorceress' the PCs see a Succubi polymorphed in disguise (easy for PCs to see through), adding another 'Succubi' who is really the 'Sorceress' (actually a simulacrum of the sorceress using the polymorph spell-a True Seeing would see through polymorph but not necessarily the nature of the simulacrum) for double misdirection. Finally the Sorceress herself 'magic jar'd' into some other unassuming creature or waiting in a different room to appear.

Also, if you want this to be a more even-sided battle (8 CR 20s 1 CR 23 vs. 3 CR 18 and 1 CR 23 is sure to go on the side of the PCs), be sure to add lots more fun demons, perhaps a balor or two

 

[Canaan]

Thank you Sooooo much Sollir!

That was great. I'm gonna use them. You will see them in the story hour in a few months when its all caught up

No need to worry about the sorceress's vulnerability....

She's not what she seems......

Much tougher than an Incubus or a Succubus......WAY tougher.

 

[Quartz]

You say your PCs are CR 20. Do you mean that they're 20th level? What's the highest level of spell to which they have access?

 

[hong]

Coincidentally, Jasin was just talking about his super-Charisma succubus blackguard build on CM:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=108698

Not sure what the EL/CR is on that monster, but it may be useful for ideas/further tweaking regardless.

 

[Canaan]

Quartz, they have access to 9th level spells. They didn't get to this encounter yesterday. I thought they would, but they got held up by a Pit Fiend.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

Canaan, I'm glad you like the incubi and hope you get good use out of them I understand that preppin' a high level party's encounters can be time consuming, as my PCs are of similar level to yours (though not nearly as plentiful!) so I'm glad to help.

I'm also a fan of the Buffy series so I'm curious to see what your sorceress villain's stats look like, if you can give a quick summary of them I'd be appreciative. The great "Glorificus" made a quick mini-villain cameo in my game, as a mean night hag barbarian on Acheron with delusions of grandeur.

A short summary of how the battle went would be awesome when you get around to it

 

[Canaan]

Sollir, since you too are a fan of the Buffy series, let me relate an anecdote.....

I live in Los Angeles.

Last Tuesday evening after work and on the way to a session with my personal trainer, I stopped at a place called The Power Zone in West Hollywood to get a protein drink. The Power Zone is a place to get dietary supplements to "pump you up."

Lo and behold, I'm standing at the counter ordering my drink and the guy behind the counter, who knows I'm a HUGE Buffy fan (I'm a regular there) is making urgent eyes at me, indicating to the blond woman next to me who is engaged in a conversation with her boyfriend.

I look at her......

And......


It was HER.......


The Scrumptious Death Goddess herself......


In the FLESH.......


getting her protein on.....


OMG, I nearly died......


I called everyone I knew and told them I basked in the presence of The Great Glorificus.


They were as surprised as I was to know that even Death Goddesses drink protein drinks.



Anyway, I didn't ask for an autograph or talk to her because I was embarrassed of being too much of a fanboi, plus she was pretty engaged in her conversation and I didn't want to be rude. But just standing there was plenty


I'll give you the stats for the sorceress in a few weeks. Some of my players might peruse this board and they haven't met her yet. They meet her in 2 weeks.

They know, however, that she is a vampiric silver dragon (very old) with levels! I'll give the rest of her stats after they fight her!

 

[Quartz]

The obvious would be for one of the Incubi to be a fighter / Blackguard, one an evil Ranger, and one a Barbarian. Incubi are 6HD, so just add 12 levels of the relevant class.

 

[Nephtys]

The Marshal class is pretty powerful for a charisma-monster, but it's perhaps not appropriate for a mook NPC to have.