Boss too cruel?

[Major]

Alright, I'm trying to figure out if a boss I created for the party is too cruel.

The party consist of:
-Healer level 6 (Saint Template)
-A Jester with a throwing PrC, can't recall which. Master Thrower maybe? (level 8)
-factotum (level 8)
-Swordsage (unarmed) (level 8)

Anyways, the boss of the encounter is a Battledancer/Soul Eater (total level 11). Normally an 11 boss versus a level 8 party I wouldn't view as too bad. It's rough, but beatable. But my fear is that with the energy drain she might destroy them. Especially with the feats improved energy drain and life drinker.

The fear is with a single energy drain she would give them -2 negative levels and with the extra feats that means they would suffer:
-2 skill checks and ability checks.
-2 attack rolls and saving throws
-24 hit points (-5 per level, and -7 per level due to the charisma modifier she has WITHOUT items. Should I lower this?)
-2 ECL

Would negative levels also effect the swordsage's maneuvers btw?

------------

Anyways, I'm just worried that while the character is almost all touch attacks and has almost no ranged attacks it might be a bit rough on the party. ESPECIALLY since this character probably won't be running at the party like RAWR IM EVIL. And would probably try to get close to the party and weaken them little by little. (It's a seducer type)

Edit:

And this isn't even mentioning what the soul eater would gain buffwise for draining those levels...+24 temp hits points per drain, +2 skils, +2 ability checks, +2 attacks, +2 saving throws.

[vampire2948]

It is rather rough, especially with a healer that took LA pentalties. Losing caster levels with an already very weak class.. ouch.

Maybe if they had an item that let them remove negative levels, like some scrolls of Death Ward or similar, it'd be more managable.

[Flickerdart]

If they knew of the boss ahead of time, it would be a reasonable encounter - they could take advantage of terrain and such, and bring along some ranged weapons. Opening up with a Tanglefoot Bag, net or similar entangling ability (such as a web spell from the factotum) would cripple the thing's mobility, after which the thrower and factotum barrage it with ranged weapons until it's dead.

However, without being prepared, they're probably boned.

[Major]

I'm debating just saving the boss for a few more levels.

[SowZ]

If they knew of the boss ahead of time, it would be a reasonable encounter - they could take advantage of terrain and such, and bring along some ranged weapons. Opening up with a Tanglefoot Bag, net or similar entangling ability (such as a web spell from the factotum) would cripple the thing's mobility, after which the thrower and factotum barrage it with ranged weapons until it's dead.

However, without being prepared, they're probably boned.

Right idea, oddly, but wrong method. The villian is a villianess. If the party is getting too badly beaten, have her fall in love with whoevers levels she just drained and see if that player woos her. This makes all encounters against the opposite gender non-lethal, if need be.

Anyway, seeing a a level 11 character would reasonably have good gear and taking it away might seem odd, can't you just give her different feats that aren't very good? Weapon focus or something. A character like this with poor feats would still be a challenge but will be more manageable without rewriting her entire build.

[Major]

The fall in love is highly unlikely. Backstory tossed out she's part of the BBEG's group of special soldiers. I have a BBEG, the BBEG's right hand man, and the right hand man has seven people working for him as his special force.

She's one of them and her job is to kill the party as revenge for the death of a previous member of the group. She's been sent to kill them.

I suppose the lesser feats might be a better choice since without life drain its only -5 as opposed to -12 per level. Though -10 hit points and gaining 10 temp hit points per touch could still be a bit rough.

If she lost life drain and improved level drain it would still be pretty rough. But would it be a bit more balanced?

Especially since the goal of the person is for her to use the fact that the party doesn't know about her yet to "charm" the party little by little and try and get the party members close to her in order to let her touch them and drain them.

She's kinda like a succubus in actions, in that regard.

[Flickerdart]

Right idea, oddly, but wrong method. The villian is a villianess. If the party is getting too badly beaten, have her fall in love with whoevers levels she just drained and see if that player woos her. This makes all encounters against the opposite gender non-lethal, if need be.
Wait, what? "Man, this guy's soul tastes so good that now I've fallen in love with him despite wanting to kill him and his weakling friends?" That makes no sense. They're probably not even the same species (since Soul Eater requires non-Humanoid).

[SowZ]

The fall in love is highly unlikely. Backstory tossed out she's part of the BBEG's group of special soldiers. I have a BBEG, the BBEG's right hand man, and the right hand man has seven people working for him as his special force.

She's one of them and her job is to kill the party as revenge for the death of a previous member of the group. She's been sent to kill them.

I suppose the lesser feats might be a better choice since without life drain its only -5 as opposed to -12 per level. Though -10 hit points and gaining 10 temp hit points per touch could still be a bit rough.

If she lost life drain and improved level drain it would still be pretty rough. But would it be a bit more balanced?

Especially since the goal of the person is for her to use the fact that the party doesn't know about her yet to "charm" the party little by little and try and get the party members close to her in order to let her touch them and drain them.

She's kinda like a succubus in actions, in that regard.

The fall in love thing was kind of a way to make an OOTS reference as well as a phallic one. Pay it no mind.

Anyway, another way to help the party survive is to give the Healer a knowledge (religion) check after a little bit of dialogue with the succubus. With a good check, the Healer would know something is off right away. With a moderate one, he might sense something before anyone touches her and maybe he'll even give a dramatic, 'stop!' before anyone gets too close. Who knows. The possibilities are endless.

[Major]

Err she's not actually a succubus, I meant she's similar in that its charm, lure, weaken via touch.

[Greenish]

This makes all encounters against the opposite gender non-lethal, if need be.Who says the PCs are of the opposite gender?

Besides, high heel-face turn is an undead horse trope if there ever was one.

[SowZ]

Who says the PCs are of the opposite gender?

Besides, high heel-face turn is an undead horse trope if there ever was one.

Yeah, I didn't actually mean for the DM to do this. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here.


Err she's not actually a succubus, I meant she's similar in that its charm, lure, weaken via touch.

Ahh. I should have read that better.

[Major]

On the upside I think I got an idea. The current quest they are on in summary will have them try to clear out a mansion that used to belong to a Lord before he was killed.

I'm considering fitting in some love letters that were never sent hidden in the manor. If they find the love letters cool. A journal is also in another spot that will explain why he never sent the letters.

Because the group of the BBEG is currently trying to infiltrate high areas and gain political power to slowly start making moves to take over I could have the soul eater class character be the mayor. Her job is to both keep control of the region and use her powers to further the ends as well as deal with any threats.

The party members showing up makes it better.

Since the Lord was killed in his mansion outside the city, not only could the mayor request they go there and "kill the monsters" (thus closing up the loose ends of the people she sent to actually kill the paladin, but also to possibly cause them to die as well.) But it also gives the option of the journal revealing that the Lord had fallen in love with the beautiful mayor and had been getting ready to make his advances when he learned that something was off about her (perhaps a paladin with detect evil or just finding out). He was hoping to find out what the issue was but never found it.

It would give the party hints to the fact that something is off about her (if they find the journal), give the necessary reason the villain is there and fit the motives, as well as further the plot of trying to take over region by region through infiltration and give the party a heads up on what the plot is.

Thus a warning, another adventure to get XP and maybe level up some, more plot, revealing of more plot to the party, and a way to further BBEG goals.