Will you build a NPC for me?

[fishyfishyfishy]

I need to have an encounter ready for one of my players, and I am hoping the Playground will help me with building something interesting.

The player has agreed to a duel to the death. The duel takes place on a bridge suspended over a pool of magma in the center of a volcano. There is a platform about 20 feet in diameter in the center of the bridge. A pedestal in the center of the platform has a box containing a key that will open either of the doors at the end of the bridge. The duelists have three minutes to fight over the key before the bridge rotates and drops them into the magma below. The opponent is a female Drow. I was thinking of making her a summoner to put Elementals are the like in the way of the player and disrupt movement. So some kind of Drow spellcaster with a CR of 12-14, preferably on the lower end of that spectrum. CR 13-ish is ideal.

System is D&d 3.5, only setting specific sources allowed are Eberron and we are using Gestalt rules from UA.

[Venger]

I need to have an encounter ready for one of my players, and I am hoping the Playground will help me with building something interesting.

The player has agreed to a duel to the death. The duel takes place on a bridge suspended over a pool of magma in the center of a volcano. There is a platform about 20 feet in diameter in the center of the bridge. A pedestal in the center of the platform has a box containing a key that will open either of the doors at the end of the bridge. The duelists have three minutes to fight over the key before the bridge rotates and drops them into the magma below. The opponent is a female Drow. I was thinking of making her a summoner to put Elementals are the like in the way of the player and disrupt movement. So some kind of Drow spellcaster with a CR of 12-14, preferably on the lower end of that spectrum. CR 13-ish is ideal.

System is D&d 3.5, only setting specific sources allowed are Eberron and we are using Gestalt rules from UA.

give this guy your specifications and he'll help you.

[fishyfishyfishy]

give this guy your specifications and he'll help you.

Thanks, I'll do that. Though if anyone else want to help I would gladly take the assistance.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

This is designed to be a smart character who specializes in knowing her enemies and debuffing/support.

Drow Archivist 11, CR 12, ECL 13

Base: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 12
Current: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 12, Cha 12

Signature Items: Circlet of Rapid Casting (MIC) with a +6 Enhancement to Intelligence added (MIC p234), Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance (MIC, must be LG, LN, LE, or NN), Necklace of Adaptation with a +4 Enhancement to Con added (MIC p234), Masterwork Breastplate, Darkwood Heavy Shield with a Least Crystal of Arrow Deflection (MIC), Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend, prayerbook, masterwork tool: Knowledge: Local (specifically picked up for this fight), costly spell components/focus.

Skill Focus: Knowledge: Local, Improved Initiative, Fell Frighten Spell, Craft Wondrous Item

Max ranks in Concentration, Spellcraft, Knowledge: Local (which is used for humanoids), and whatever else (other Knoweldge skills) you think she'll need. Include the Collector of Stories skill trick in Complete Scoundrel. Knowledge: Local skill check is currently +36, DC is 10+ target's HD.



Spells Prepared: 4/6/5/5/4/3/2
Caster level 11th, DC 17+spell level, ranged touch +8, melee touch +4
0th (4): four spells
1st (6): Longstrider (cast), Wall of Smoke x2, Grease x2, Sign (cast an hour prior to the fight, +4 initiative)
2nd (5): Kelpstrand (+17 grapple), Creeping Cold (use Lesser Rod of Extend), Hold Person, Dark Way (just in case), Invisibility (cast prior to combat)
3rd (5): Dispel Magic, Magic Vestment x2 (cast, armor and shield +3), Fly (cast, Lesser Rod of Extended), Sleet Storm
4th (4): Freedom of Movement (cast prior to combat), Fell Frighten Creeping Cold (use Lesser Rod of Extend), Fell Frighten Magic Missile, Dimension Door
5th (3): Call Avalanche, Teleport, Heal
6th (2): Energy Immunity (cast, Fire), Greater Dispel Magic

Tactics: Cast the noted buffs prior to combat.
1st round: (Greater) Dispel Magic on the opponent, use Circlet of Rapid Casting and Lesser Rod of Extend to cast Fell Frighten Creeping Cold, opponent is shaken 10 rounds from the last time he took damage from it. Move/fly toward the key.
2nd round: Circlet of Rapid Casting Fell Frighten Magic Missile (opponent is Frightened until all contributing fear effects wear off), use Dark Knowledge: Dread Secret. Move/fly toward the key.
3rd round: Sleet Storm or Call Avalanche to hinder the opponent's progress, Circlet of Rapid Casting Hold Person. Move/fly toward the key.
4th+ round: Continue using spells and Dark Knowledge: Dread Secret (even if they're invisible!) to hinder the opponents progress while she makes her way toward the key. She can even Dimension Door to it if needed.

Between the Fly spell and Dark Way there's not much risk of her falling into the lava, even if she does, she's immune to fire. She can always Teleport away if she feels like she's about to lose. Her no-save Dark Knowledge abilities plus Fell Frighten automatically making the opponent shaken/frightened, along with the extremely powerful Call Avalanche spell in Frostburn, this should be one of the hardest fights he's ever had. She may bargain with him for an item or more preferably some kind of information or knowledge of certain opponents instead of killing him or letting him die.

[Uncle Pine]

Don't forget that your drow can cast Dark Way so that the bridge is oriented vertically (essentially making a wall) and position it between the key and her opponent. Unless the player in question has a way to fly around it, that should give the drow enough time to just get the key and walk away.

By the way, are you dead set on making her a spellcaster? This seems like one if those situations that just scream "Setting Sun: I throw my opponent into the lava". Alternatively, an Evil Jade Phoenix Mage (I think the variant was called Ebon Phoenix Mage?) could also work.

[fishyfishyfishy]

This is designed to be a smart character who specializes in knowing her enemies and debuffing/support.

Drow Archivist 11, CR 12, ECL 13

Base: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 12
Current: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 12, Cha 12

Signature Items: Circlet of Rapid Casting (MIC) with a +6 Enhancement to Intelligence added (MIC p234), Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance (MIC, must be LG, LN, LE, or NN), Necklace of Adaptation with a +4 Enhancement to Con added (MIC p234), Masterwork Breastplate, Darkwood Heavy Shield with a Least Crystal of Arrow Deflection (MIC), Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend, prayerbook, masterwork tool: Knowledge: Local (specifically picked up for this fight), costly spell components/focus.

Skill Focus: Knowledge: Local, Improved Initiative, Fell Frighten Spell, Craft Wondrous Item

Max ranks in Concentration, Spellcraft, Knowledge: Local (which is used for humanoids), and whatever else (other Knoweldge skills) you think she'll need. Include the Collector of Stories skill trick in Complete Scoundrel. Knowledge: Local skill check is currently +36, DC is 10+ target's HD.



Spells Prepared: 4/6/5/5/4/3/2
Caster level 11th, DC 17+spell level, ranged touch +8, melee touch +4
0th (4): four spells
1st (6): Longstrider (cast), Wall of Smoke x2, Grease x2, Sign (cast an hour prior to the fight, +4 initiative)
2nd (5): Kelpstrand (+17 grapple), Creeping Cold (use Lesser Rod of Extend), Hold Person, Dark Way (just in case), Invisibility (cast prior to combat)
3rd (5): Dispel Magic, Magic Vestment x2 (cast, armor and shield +3), Fly (cast, Lesser Rod of Extended), Sleet Storm
4th (4): Freedom of Movement (cast prior to combat), Fell Frighten Creeping Cold (use Lesser Rod of Extend), Fell Frighten Magic Missile, Dimension Door
5th (3): Call Avalanche, Teleport, Heal
6th (2): Energy Immunity (cast, Fire), Greater Dispel Magic

Tactics: Cast the noted buffs prior to combat.
1st round: (Greater) Dispel Magic on the opponent, use Circlet of Rapid Casting and Lesser Rod of Extend to cast Fell Frighten Creeping Cold, opponent is shaken 10 rounds from the last time he took damage from it. Move/fly toward the key.
2nd round: Circlet of Rapid Casting Fell Frighten Magic Missile (opponent is Frightened until all contributing fear effects wear off), use Dark Knowledge: Dread Secret. Move/fly toward the key.
3rd round: Sleet Storm or Call Avalanche to hinder the opponent's progress, Circlet of Rapid Casting Hold Person. Move/fly toward the key.
4th+ round: Continue using spells and Dark Knowledge: Dread Secret (even if they're invisible!) to hinder the opponents progress while she makes her way toward the key. She can even Dimension Door to it if needed.

Between the Fly spell and Dark Way there's not much risk of her falling into the lava, even if she does, she's immune to fire. She can always Teleport away if she feels like she's about to lose. Her no-save Dark Knowledge abilities plus Fell Frighten automatically making the opponent shaken/frightened, along with the extremely powerful Call Avalanche spell in Frostburn, this should be one of the hardest fights he's ever had. She may bargain with him for an item or more preferably some kind of information or knowledge of certain opponents instead of killing him or letting him die.

This, I think, is exactly the type of thing I needed. Thanks!

By the way, are you dead set on making her a spellcaster? This seems like one if those situations that just scream "Setting Sun: I throw my opponent into the lava". Alternatively, an Evil Jade Phoenix Mage (I think the variant was called Ebon Phoenix Mage?) could also work.

I'd do that if this was for one of the other players, but this particular player would have trouble with that and I think she'd not be challenged so much as just end up dying.

[fishyfishyfishy]

The encounter worked out great by the way. Thanks for that. The player had fun with it.

[Venger]

That's super. Glad it worked out.