Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Thing in the Night 02-21-05, 02:31 PM	I'm currently planning an exalted campain for my group, centering around banishing Azmodeus back to hell (he decided the material plane world would make a lovely vacation home). The campain will continue well into epic levels. One of the higher level quests will revolve around destroying the Temple of Sin, a massive edifice divided into 7 fanes, each devoted to a high priest (or priestess) of one particular sin (using the 7 domains from Dragon). I would be grateful for some help designing these individuals, as I have never before run an epic game. Their target CR (not ECL) is to be 27. I already have some idea of what they will be like, as well. Avarice: An emphasis on "relieving" characters of posessions, spells, or other valuable commodities. Envy: Emphasises gaining the capabilities of other creatures, such as by polymorphing or shapechanging. Gluttony: Perhaps a Yuan Ti cleric, with Gape of the Serpent. Something that will devour the PCs Pride: No Ideas here. Most clerics are prideful enough anyway... Lust: The obvious-Domination, charms, etc. I was thinking of an Erinyes cleric... Sloth: The villain focuses on debilitating the charcters, incapacitating and killing later. Wrath: Something violent and warlike, perhaps with rage. Fiendish, devilish, or other colourful suggestions would be great as well.
Tempest Stormwind 02-21-05, 03:13 PM	Avarice: Isn't there some divine variant of the Arcane Trickster that will let you pull off that insane "I pickpocket everything as a free action" stunt? If so, enter it with a Spellthief base. Don't be afraid to make him flashy, like with anything with Splendour in the name, or a Rod of Lordly Might, even if they're not part of his strategy. If it looks expensive, use it. ("Why, yes, this full plate is solid diamond. Fresh daily.") Envy: Another good suggestion here is the Mirror Move spell from the WotC website. I forget if it's for clerics, but you can certainly fudge the rules enough to allow it here. You copy any physical feat you see another perform, provided you can meet the prerequisites to use it (example: Dex 11 character casts Mirror Move to gain Two Weapon Fighting. He's got the TWF feat now, for as long as the Mirror Move spell lasts, but can't use it properly until he Cat's Grace's himself or otherwise increases his dexterity). For added twistiness, have him read the minds of those he sees, so he can copy their tactics -- or, if he's THAT freakin' evil, Alter Self himself so he looks exactly like a party member's loved ones, or even other members of the party! "What's wrong, sir knight? Can't harm your own daughter?" (Editor's note: I adopted this latter tactic frequently with a nimblewright spymaster I had going. It's startlingly effective if both sides are up to roleplay. It won't last long, of course, but the emotional scarring is what you're going for here.) Gluttony: I can't think of much beyond your idea either, although if your group is desperately lacking for comedy here, throw a bread golem on them in this room -- I saw this in an adventure on the D&D website a while back, but can't seem to find it now. (Depending on feel. With this many sub-"boss" type characters, I'd usually reserve one of them to be... eccentric. To me Gluttony seems the natural choice, but maybe that's just my Full Metal Alchemist speaking.) Pride: Look for something that can rebuke or dominate, but not so much the characters -- I'm thinking minions. Charisma synergy is your friend, and image is everything. Leadership is a natural. Imagine if this guy showed up dressed in a pimped-out set of cleric's vestments, with four (or more!) succubi in tow who constantly praise him and extol his virtues. Now THAT'S proud. (I suggested this just a moment ago to a fellow player, and he started chuckling. Apparently, he thought the succubi were to be dressed in pimped-out nun's habits. This is certainly memorable, but not quite the same image I was originally aiming for.) Lust: An alternative here would be to introduce a vampire. They not only get the domination and hypnosis you're looking for, but vampires are automatically sexy, which further lets you play with the "lust" theme (hint: Lots of tight leather and innuendo; some exotic voice accent is also a good move). They may not embody lust as much as an incubus or an erinyes, but it's still an option. Another alternative is to include the multiple-succubi idea from Pride and throw it in here -- embodying the other side of lust, the indulgence rather than the object of said indulgence. I think that you might be able to find more things for this in the Book of Vile Darkness on this one, plus possibly the Vile section of the Player's Guide to Faerun. Sloth: Consider a ton of traps or illusions as well. Sloth doesn't like to move much, so he should let the room or the players' minds do the work for him. Wrath: Sadism is a natural spell for this one, as is the Vicious weapon enhancement (possibly with Masochism thrown in there anyway -- nothing more wrathful than an enraged guy who keeps getting stronger regardless of how much you hit him). For added sickness, the Wrathful Healing enchantment (Enemies and Allies, +3, heal half the damage you deal). Anything that causes pain to a large number of things at once is good. If you can depart a fair bit from the cleric idea, grab the King of Smack himself and smack him down here. THAT's a veritable ball of wrath-in-a-can, especially if his room's set up like some planar effects to have all of his powers Extended or Persistent. (Yes, there is no as-written Persistent Power outside of Hyperconcious, and I'm glad for it, but you're the DM, it's your rules). Hope that helps.
zivpeled 02-21-05, 03:29 PM	ill add on sloth : it can also be the deprivation of the players. the relm of the sloth is the most inviting and comferteble rest spot there is. he will not atack them but rather dine them the twist is that the food and dring is the oposit of heroes feast eating it will make them fill full and tiared he will keep them in his domai and make them forget about the world consider the rest here will slowly drain there strength but will be so compeling they wont want to leave. remember for true evil just being the apitome of what you are is not enaf you want to get ther souls !
warpdragon 02-21-05, 05:22 PM	Envy: Illithid Savant Always remember at CR27 you can make epic spells to do anything. Edit: Pride- Paragon template
jstorrie 02-21-05, 05:38 PM	Pride: Human Ex-Paladin 2 / Sorceror 1 /Ur-Priest 10 / Blackguard 3 /Disciple of Asmodeus 10? (BoVD) Gluttony: Fallen Celestial Soul Eater!
Furry Rodent 02-21-05, 05:41 PM	I like the idea and am looking at stealing it. :-D I'd say go Half-Fiend Vampire Illithid Soul Eater; That's a lot of eating, none of it good for the player's health. :)
The Thing in the Night 02-21-05, 06:39 PM	Thanks for all the suggestions. However, they all need to be clerics, or at least get domains, as they need to use the domain of their respective sin. So far I have: Avarice: Dark Stalker Spellthief20/Cleric5 Envy: Vampiric Human Cleric1/Monk5/Sacred Fist10/Lifedrinker10 Gluttony: Yuan-Ti halfblood Cleric15/Soul Eater9 Pride: Paragon Human Ex-Paladin4/Sorceror1/Ur-Priest2/Blackguard3/Contemplative2/Disciple of Azmodeus10/Mystic Theurge4 Lust: Erinyes Cleric5/NightCloak10/Fiend of Corruption (or was it perversion?)5 Sloth:Awakened Gelatinous Cube Cleric20/Heirophant5 Wrath: Barbarian1/Bard4/Rage Mage10/Ur-Priest2/Mystic Theurge8/Contemplative2 No Wrathful healing. I have yet to meet a DM who actually allows it. I mean, really, you could just go around killing rats to heal yourself in between every fight...or worse yet, be a bag'o'rats fighter.
Tempest Stormwind 02-21-05, 11:20 PM	Thanks for all the suggestions. However, they all need to be clerics, or at least get domains, as they need to use the domain of their respective sin. So far I have: Avarice: Dark Stalker Spellthief20/Cleric5 Envy: Nothing Yet Gluttony: Vampiric Yuan-Ti halfblood Cleric15/Soul Eater7 Pride: Paragon Human Oppressor4/Sorceror1/Ur-Priest2/Blackguard3/Contemplative2/Disciple of Azmodeus10/Mystic Theurge4 Lust: Erinyes Cleric5/NightCloak10/Fiend of Corruption (or was it perversion?)5 Sloth:Nothing Yet Wrath: Barbarian8/Cleric10/Warpriest10 No Wrathful healing. I have yet to meet a DM who actually allows it. I mean, really, you could just go around killing rats to heal yourself in between every fight...or worse yet, be a bag'o'rats fighter. 1) Any way to get domains as a druid? Wild Shape + the right feats + Polymorph + Thousand Faces = pretty interesting I-see-it-I-AM-it Envy. (Another possibliity is Master of Many forms, focusing mostly on the combat aspect of things. Use spells to supplement yourself, including this spell (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20000901a) to supplement it. (not a druid or cleric spell, but you can fudge it.) Just look at any of the Divine Minion builds running around now and you won't even have to worry about a prefix. Try Divine Minion Master of Many Forms 10 / Warshaper 5 / Cleric 5 / Nature's Warrior 5 for level 25ish.) 2) Sloth: I like the idea of the host -- the one who convinces the adventurers to just rest, and do nothing -- the DeMotivator, so to speak, without being depressing. Perhaps his Heroes Feast-prep spell doesn't imbue Heroism, but instead fatigues or exhausts those who eat it. If the people attack Sloth, he's not doing his job right (or rather, he's ceasing to NOT do his job in the right way... but you get the idea) 3) Wrathful Healing is likely limited by the HP of the target. Rats aren't so common that they're unlimited (certainly not sticking around after a few others die), and at only a few HP a pop, you're better off whacking a sangehirn. (I love that image. "Here, hit me. Let me heal us both." *WHACK!*)
catharz 02-22-05, 12:25 AM	Have the Lust one either take feats to be able to turn everything or Divine metamagic. Gotta find something to do with that possible +20 to Cha.
jstorrie 02-22-05, 01:23 AM	Envy: Vampire Cler 1 / Mnk 5 / Sacred Fist (CD) 9 / Lifedrinker 10 The cleric of envy was, in his prime, the Cler1/Mnk5/SF 9, and went after {villain}, killing the prior cleric of envy on the way but losing to {villain} himself. Not content just to punish the upstart monk with death, and in need of a new cleric of envy, {villain} reanimated the sacred fist as a vampire. The cleric of envy lives a tortured existence, denied the life he once cherished and forced to commit depraved acts at {villain}'s bidding. While he isn't doing {villain}'s bidding, Envy spends his time draining the life out of captured mortals, insatiably thirsting for the life he can never have again. Envy, upon encountering opponents, will generally drop a buff or two on himself while the party deals with his cannon fodder, and then wade into combat. Envy will always have a full lifewell when combat starts, but is voracious and will still attempt to drain the blood of any victims anyway: doing so will throw him into a blood revel (Lifedrinker 10 ability), and between his buffs, his lifewell support powers, his vampire abilities, his monk abilities and the insane power of the blood revel, he could be quite a challenge for the party.
PhaedrusXY 02-22-05, 02:15 AM	An updated version of my Possessor (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=150894) build could work for Envy. It would work along the lines of "I like your body better than mine. I think I'll steal it." You could do the same thing better using psionics, but you want divine magic. Really, the build isn't as important as having the Magic Jar spell and high save DCs against it, and using tactics to make it hard to find and destroy the cleric's real body. I had an NPC True Necromancer using Magic Jar in a game I DMed not too long ago. Here is what I had her do to hide hers: 1) Cast Magic Jar, and possess one of her undead. 2) Cast Shrink Object on her lifeless real body (it's essentially a corpse, and a corpse is an object). 3) Cast Meld with Stone on her familiar via Share Spells. 4) Have the familiar take the corpse, and meld into a rock about the size of a human head. 5) Drop the rock on the battlefield when you arrive. Make sure to do this in a way so that the enemy doesn't take notice of it. This way, if you get hit with a Dispel (or Greater Dispel, or MDJ), you are within range of your real body. I also had a contingency on her as follows: "If I percieve someone beginning to cast Greater Dispel Magic, I Dimension Door 1000 feet straight up."
RadicalTaoist 02-22-05, 02:41 AM	One idea for Envy is to do an Entropomancer, from Complete Divine. Immune to Spheres of Destruction. Nuff said. Another idea, this for a servant of Sloth or Envy depending, would be a Psion (Telepath, of course) X/Thrallherd 10/Body Leech 5 (Body Leech is from the Mind's Eye). Stay put while I encase you in an ectoplasmic cocoon, and drain your mind and life force of anything dynamic.
prawn 02-22-05, 11:54 AM	How about a doppelganger for envy? How about a mirror of opposition for pride, then they'd have to fight themselves!
Helmed Horror 02-22-05, 07:32 PM	umm for glutony... why not the glutton??? glutton is in the gomish pantheon. He has been transformed into something along the lines of a ravenous badger or wolverine.. so perhaps his avatar could be a feral, half-fiendish dire wolverine advanced to large or bigger size???
Vecna 02-22-05, 08:10 PM	Make the Pride cleric an ur-priest instead (he feels himself above deities) . He uses the other 6 clerics for his own agenda, so he's the BBEG... :devil: The Wrath cleric is infected with Festering Anger, so he's quite angry and very strong Gluttony is a cleric of Turaglas (Hunger Eternal, Devourer, Insatiable) the Ebon Maw (from Dragon 312: new domains, spells, demons...) Lust: Succubus and many Tauric creatures (humanoid/beast crossover) as followers Envy is a hunefer (demigod mummy) cleric (he envies anyone not "discarded" as he is) Avarice: a Fiend of Possession (FF) animating treasures, possessing PC, animating (stealing) their treasures Sloth... I'm too lazy to think something... :D
Tempest Stormwind 02-22-05, 08:47 PM	Greed/Avarice: Got the link I mentioned (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=297776). Basically, find ANY way to reliably make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check with a -20 penalty, and the ability to do this from relative safety (you can ignore Snow's Spring Attack suggestion, it won't matter since you won't attack). Leave the hapless PC with naught but his pants, and that's if you're feeling generous. Spellthief should be able to do this just fine.
Helmed Horror 02-22-05, 09:09 PM	sloth could be a bone ooze thing from the FF just a giant glob.
The Thing in the Night 02-22-05, 10:53 PM	Vecna: My pride character is an Ur-Priest. I'll try the festering anger idea, but Turaglas is out of the picture (see next point). Besides, I'm using him for my player's CURRENT campain (they're all vile). Helmed Horror: No can do, they all must either worship Azmodeus, or their respective sin. Besides, I just love the idea of eating the PC's whole. As for the bone ooze, I'm just gonna go with an Awakened (via awaken ooze, Dragon 304) gelatinous cube (perhaps with the cleric of guttony inside...Mmmm, jello ;) ) Tempest: Thank you so much, spellthief/cleric it is. Prawn: Mirror of opposition is a go :D . Jstorrie: Love the idea. I always love a good backstory and motivation. I'll just add Phaerus' body switching strategy into his tactics. I edited my list to reflect your ideas.
Zzasrix 02-22-05, 11:19 PM	A couple suggestions on Sloth: In an Avengeline Comic she fought the seven sins (Yea ill just put the geek hat on and sit in the corner). Sloth was a spider-like creature that never actually moved a muscle. He used webs extensivly and had those move him around. He let his prey come to him and get caught inside his web where he could lazily finish them off. If you use this idea just slow the players down. Hinder their movement, slow their actions... ect. -OR- Dragons are often the embodiment of sloth. Perhaps you could have a half-dragon or a full dragon with levels in cleric (wealth domain).
The Thing in the Night 02-22-05, 11:29 PM	Ah, but Wealth is Avarice, no? And noone cares about the geek hat here, or we'd all be wearing it. We'd need to find a bigger corner... But seriously, I like the spider idea, any thoughts on how to combine it with Ooze? Anthropomorphic arenia, perhaps?
PhaedrusXY 02-23-05, 12:13 AM	I think Dragons are the very embodiment of Avarice. (At least European dragons). Here is a definition from an online Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02148b.htm): Avarice (from Lat. avarus, "greedy"; "to crave") is the inordinate love for riches. Its special malice, broadly speaking, lies in that it makes the getting and keeping of money, possessions, and the like, a purpose in itself to live for. It does not see that these things are valuable only as instruments for the conduct of a rational and harmonious life, due regard being paid of course to the special social condition in which one is placed. There's more on the site. Some kind of draconic being should definitely be Avarice. Dragons get spells from cleric domains, or does it have to specifically be a cleric?
FilthySanchez 02-23-05, 11:04 AM	A Famine Spirit with a couple levels in cleric would make for an interesting glutton.
Blade2718 02-23-05, 01:59 PM	Nothing says Gluttony like a barghest. They devour you body AND soul.
The Thing in the Night 02-23-05, 08:23 PM	Edited prior posts to reflect input. Thanks