What do you think of this villian

[AuraSeer]

it'll be up to the PCs if they fight or run away.

Problem: do the PCs even have a chance to escape from such a fight? A 3rd-level party has no transport magic, so they're reduced to taking off on foot.

Assuming the party is made up of unarmored humans, and they all sprint flat out, and the bad guy stays put, it will take 6 rounds for them to reach the edge of his long range, 720' away. A character with Evasion might survive, but the rest of the party will be crisped by the fireballs before they can escape.

Note that there's no reason for the villain to avoid pursuing them, since he has very strong defenses, plus the maneuverability to easily escape if things go bad. Once again, if the NPC is played intelligently, you're looking at a near-certain TPK.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Any creature that can normally FLY, should be doing so anytime its encountered, especially in combat!

That's like saying all orcs are evil.

A fey'ri has another interest: don't let Faerûn find out we're here. There are only around 60 of them (and maybe 20 demonfey half-demon elves on top of that) - nearly not enough to withstand a massive elven assault. And assault they will if they find out that the Dlardrageth are alive and kicking (and trying to bring the continent under their clawed clutches).
As I said, I play a fey'ri rogue, and in all the time I play him, only on one occasion did anyone see he real form - and that was the party, and only I *had* to fly, and even then I told them that was a freakish form that my ring (the *magic item* I blame my shapeshifting on) can do. For if auntie Sarya finds out I'm showing myself openly - and she usually finds out - I'll be much worse off then if I got a scratch on the arm for not flying away.

I strongly advise that this fey'ri will only travel in disguise - a gold elf form (his true form minus demon) should do. Maybe the party can even start investigating those winged elves that aren't avariel and aren't half-demons (or they think it's a regular half-demon with disguise self on the spells known list and leave it at that).

should get a lesson in [...] knowing when the hell NOT to fight.

That's a lesson you only learn in the School of Live, and if you're unlucky, your teacher is Death. (*shudder* imagine that: "SO WHEN THE ENEMY YOU FACE HAS.... ARE YOU LISTENING, MISTER MILLER?" "Uhm, wha... yes, yes!" "THEN PLEASE REPEAT WHAT I WAS JUST SAYING" "uhm....ah....er..." "SURE, TAKE YOUR TIME. I HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. BELIEVE ME THAT, IF NOTHING ELSE".)

 

[Hejdun]

I call DM Metagaming.

Spells
(...)
4
Stoneskin

Stoneskin is 250gp per casting. At a possible 3 castings per day, that's 750gp a day. Even if he only casts it once per day for two weeks, that's the cost of a minor magic item. Unless he's got cash hoarded away with nothing to do with it, he'll cast himself poor in no time.

Also, keep in mind that this is his ONLY 4th level spell. Due to the respectable cost of Stoneskin, he won't want to cast it a whole lot (3 castings a day for two weeks = 10,500gp. That's not exactly pocket change) since he'll be sucking up his gold. So why did he take a spell that he won't bother casting unless in dire circumstances? He's effectively wasting his 3 spell slots per day. Why would anyone voluntarily do this?

Think of it from the character's perspective. He knows that he won't be able to cast it a whole lot, and certainly not his 3 allowed castings a day, every day. That means he's flushing away all of his best spell slots. If you were playing this character, would you do this? I would certainly hope not, and that means that this sorceror taking Stoneskin is a pretty blatant attempt to screw your PCs. It's a good spell, yeah, and the sorceror should have a few scrolls of it in his possession, but having the sorceror actually take the spell? That's more than a little munchkiny.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

That's like saying all orcs are evil.

Isn't it more like saying all clerics with the Travel Domain should use their domain power to foil Hold Person? I mean, sure there are reasons they might want to pretend like they can't move when hit with Hold Person, but on the whole, it's always a good idea to just move over and smack the sorcerer who cast it.

Flight is an extreme tactical advantage. If in a dungeon situation, or in a forest glade, there's little to no reason that a Fey'ri wouldn't use it to help him crush the PCs. After all, dead PCs won't be alerting the elves to much of anything.

I suppose the Fey'ri might want to avoid flight if the fight were in the middle of a crowded city street. But then again, if he's fighting in the middle of a crowded city street, he's got other problems.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

He's effectively wasting his 3 spell slots per day. Why would anyone voluntarily do this?

[Devil's Advocate]
Of course, as a sorcerer he can easily use his higher-level spell slots to cast lower-level spells, if he so desires. So his fourth-level slots could power more castings of Fireball and Scorching Ray...unless he needs the occasional Stoneskin.
[/Devil's Advocate]

 

[AuraSeer]

Flight is an extreme tactical advantage. If in a dungeon situation, or in a forest glade, there's little to no reason that a Fey'ri wouldn't use it to help him crush the PCs. After all, dead PCs won't be alerting the elves to much of anything.

There is one reason I just noticed: the fey'ri has Poor maneuverability. He cannot hover, must always be moving forward at a minimum of half speed, and can only turn 45º each ten feet. That makes it difficult for him to stay in the air if the space is at all enclosed.

If he's in an open area, then sure, he has the option of just making big circles and shooting spells downward. But in an area like a dungeon, he'll probably have to land somewhere. Unless he can find a high inaccessible perch, he may end up stuck on the ground with everyone else. ('Course, he still has dimension door to fall back on.)

 

[DM_Matt]

This guy does indeed seem too powerful, but the CR is not impossible if the creature lacks and deal-breaker abilities. these would be stuff like spells that are too high level or too high DC, or AC/DR/SR or mobility that the players cannot deal with. If you make him a swashbuckler that can cast a few low-level spells, they can use their numerical advantage and win.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Isn't it more like saying all clerics with the Travel Domain should use their domain power to foil Hold Person?

I mean that you want to use them wings most of the time, you don't want to use them *all the time*.

If you make him a swashbuckler that can cast a few low-level spells, they can use their numerical advantage and win.

I say an enemy of this caliber should not be beaten at all. Such a thing should only happen if the DM is severly pulling his punches (I play a game where the DM does that - it's annoying as hell!).

There is one reason I just noticed: the fey'ri has Poor maneuverability. He cannot hover, must always be moving forward at a minimum of half speed, and can only turn 45º each ten feet. That makes it difficult for him to stay in the air if the space is at all enclosed.

True. But the best thing is: they could use their alter self to turn into an avariel, therewith both avoiding their poor maneuverability and exposing themselves in public!

 

[jarlaxlecq]

I think the general consensus is that hes too badass for this group at least in his current form. I think i'll still have him give the PCs the chance to "join the Dark side" assuming no one bites i'll have him feed them to his underling, someone lower level that would be a more fair fight. Who do you think would make a cool underling. To keep with the demon theme (Fay'ri and tiefling) i was thinking a half/demon half orc/ tur...something or another, i'm at work and i can't think of the name. only thing is i don't like is the idea of orcs and elves working together even if they are infernal versions of each other. Any suggestions guys?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I think the general consensus is that hes too badass for this group at least in his current form. I think i'll still have him give the PCs the chance to "join the Dark side" assuming no one bites i'll have him feed them to his underling, someone lower level that would be a more fair fight. Who do you think would make a cool underling. To keep with the demon theme (Fay'ri and tiefling) i was thinking a half/demon half orc/ tur...something or another, i'm at work and i can't think of the name. only thing is i don't like is the idea of orcs and elves working together even if they are infernal versions of each other. Any suggestions guys?

You mean Tanarukk.

To the question on whether they work together: The fey'ri share their arrogant outlook towards other races with their gold elf relatives, so they might not want orks. But they bred with demons, and are worshipping a drow deity (which is something normal gold elves wouldn't consider, either), so they might endure tanarukk, but only as servants.

Of course, your villain could be an opportunistic bastard (like my fey'ri character is) who works with everyone if he thinks that it will prove useful.