Ways to boost HPs on an BBEG

[Infiniti2000]

False Life or Potions of False life or some other magic item of false life.

False Life is personal and thus cannot be made into a potion. But, with sufficient ranks in UMD and a scroll would work.

But, that's not a Feat.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Multiple Improved Toughness feats do stack.

No they don't.

Anyway, I greatly, greatly, GREATLY advise AGAINST giving him magic items that boost his HP. Remember, of course, that any and all gear you give your NPCs WILL end up in the hands of the PCs. So unless you want your next BBEG to be even more of a pushover because now your PCs have all these awesome HP-boosting items, don't give him any HP-boosting items in the first place.

Seriously. You're the DM, just give him extra HP. No player is going to dispute it if he has max HP for his Hit Dice. Go ahead and give him twenty bonus feats, all of them various forms of Toughness. (Heck, let Improved Toughness stack, and give it to him ten times.) Or, if you're just trying to build dramatic tension, do what I did when I had my players fight Kyuss in the Age of Worms adventure path- don't give him HP. He'll die when you feel the players have had a good enough fight.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Heartening Shield (psi hb/Magic Item Compendium)

 

[Darklone]

Wasnt there a Dravconic Toughness feat that gives 2 hp per Draconic Feat you have?

Same for a Psywarrior... Psionic Body itś called.

Then add that vampiric weapon, False Life stuff plus Vigor... temp hitpoints from different sources stack.

 

[Meeki]

Isn't there a vest of false life or something of this nature?

Anyways, if you want to you can have someone buff him up (if he has time) or have shield other on him.

Personally I like the max HP idea. That is what I do if I want to beef up an NPC without increasing HD. I guess alternatively you can dig through 3.0 sword and fist and use the toughness line - dwarf's, giant's, dragons toughness. I forget what hp each one gives but I think its something in the lines of 10 20 30 and you need the previous feat to obtain one after it. The prereqs I believe are a certain con score, but you're the dm you can just give him the feats.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In Magic of Incarnum, there is a feat- Incarnum Reinforced Body or some such- that grants bonus HP for each Incarnum feat the PC has.

BTW, there is also a Psionic version of the same feat, if that is more your style.

 

[Slaved]

BTW, there is also a Psionic version of the same feat, if that is more your style.

There are 3 feats which are both incarnum and psionic. If a dungeon master was so inclined he could create several more which might make for a very interesting character.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What I meant is that, much like Incarnum Fortified Body, there is a Psionic feat- Psionic Body- that gives bonus HP for each Psionic Feat you take.

 

[Technik4]

How I handle enemies:

Un-named Mooks: Roll for hp if I have time, if not use average.
Named Mooks: Max hp for a couple levels, then average or roll.
Villains: Max hp for all HD

Seems to work pretty well, and is definitely part of the rules (no adding unnecessary feats).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

if it is really that important, you could just give him more hit points than he should and hand out more XP to the players afterward. (maybe +50 % XP for double the HP)