Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rekko 11-17-07, 01:58 PM	Hi I need help building a NPC villain for a game. The story short: the PC's patron who is an Artificer traveling with him has just been kidnapped and a Changeling Vampire Rogue/Artificer of the Blood of Vol took his place disguised as the patron. This Changeling is working for the Emerald Claw and thus Vol. He is a master in disguise with his shapechanging abilities and the many disguise-friendly magic items he has. He also has a pair of shade glasses that permits him to be in the sunlight. His job, for now, is to manipulate the PC to do stuff for the Emerald Claw or Blood of Vol without him knowing. The cool thing is that the PC is a Deneith Seeker, though he works with a Kundarak Dol Arrah Paladin. So basically, I want the Changeling Vampire to have 6 class levels. I thought of Rogue3/Artificer3, but I was wandering what the boards had to suggest. Also, Which feats, skills, items? Thanks Rekko
Alex_ 11-17-07, 07:36 PM	Hi I need help building a NPC villain for a game. The story short: the PC's patron who is an Artificer traveling with him has just been kidnapped and a Changeling Vampire Rogue/Artificer of the Blood of Vol took his place disguised as the patron. This Changeling is working for the Emerald Claw and thus Vol. He is a master in disguise with his shapechanging abilities and the many disguise-friendly magic items he has. He also has a pair of shade glasses that permits him to be in the sunlight. His job, for now, is to manipulate the PC to do stuff for the Emerald Claw or Blood of Vol without him knowing. The cool thing is that the PC is a Deneith Seeker, though he works with a Kundarak Dol Arrah Paladin. So basically, I want the Changeling Vampire to have 6 class levels. I thought of Rogue3/Artificer3, but I was wandering what the boards had to suggest. Also, Which feats, skills, items? Thanks Rekko Depends on what you want him to be capable of. Go with more levels in Rogue if you want the Evasion abilities, a higher sneak attack, and just use the Artificer for access to Artificer items, Knowledge, and Scribe Scroll. Or give more levels of Artificer if you want to focus more on the character's ability to use infusions and craft themselves lots of useful items, and only take a level of Rogue for the skill points, sneak attack (nice for any combatant) and the fact that both classes have UMD. Whatever you choose, I'd say you should go with Charisma and Social/UMD related feats and stock up on items that help conceal the Changeling's undead-ness by making them a master of mundane and magical BS. The villain doesn't win fights through simply being more powerful, but by making the enemy think they're something other than a Vampire, so they waste time using sub-optimal options like poison, drain energy, etc, and will never think to try holy water or Turn Undead. Also, every semi-experienced Eberron player I've had seems to expect the "Our Patron betrayed us" twist. However, since had the (I assume) well meaning patron kidnapped, you might still be able to surprise them. After the Changeling turns on them, and they feel their paranoia was justified, have them run across the original Patron, who will then get the punishment they were going to dish out to the villain.
wolffman007 11-18-07, 02:19 PM	i was playing a changeling rogue 1/art 6 that was a half-vampire in a game he was alot of fun i took the 1st lvl changeling racial substition from ROE more skill points, quicker gather info & i lost the trap finding ability, but disable device can help offset that lose thou. i had racial emulation, master linguist at 1st lvl (more languages that way) the racial emulation went nicely w/ being an artificer, as some items u have to be a certain race to make them, so i didnt have to worry about faking it i hope that helps some
Just_some_Evil_Wizard 11-18-07, 04:17 PM	Gives him something - most probably a magic item - which hides the aura of his shapeshift ability. An unexplained magic aura (depending on your interpretation of Detect Magic even a transformation/illusion aura) will make the PCs suspicious, and you never know when somebody suddenly has the idea to use Detect Magic on somebody. Same goes for Detect Undead, Detect Evil etc.
Rekko 11-18-07, 08:34 PM	His big goal is to pass unnoticed, to hide his vampire nature and to hide his changeling nature. In this way, he can be the closest to his victims or the target of his influence. He is a manipulator that bites if he fails to control his preys. So let me roll now for his abilities...freaking good scores...Here's what it looks like after applying the vampire template and the +1 at 4th level. Str 19, Dex 18, Con -, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 22 Hope the abilities help you to help me ;) Rekko
Rekko 12-05-07, 11:03 AM	Ok, so I've been doing my homework and looked at the many options that I had. I narrowed it down to this build. A diplo-ficer, which is an artificer who specialize in Diplomacy. Key skills are social skills and UMD. Being in the service of Vol, this villain can use his own abilities to craft magic items, but can also be given some equipment. Thus, I don't see the need for the Artisan feats. My problem with this build is the fact that Diplomacy and Disguise and social skills are cross-class skills to the Artificer. Thanks to my Rogue and Marshall I can focus on these skills in early level, and I can focus on knowledge skill with Artificer levels, but it would be nice to figure out a way to boost those skill ranks in social skills. I thought of one monk level for either improved grapple or stunning fist and more social skill ranks, but I think it might be a downfall for the Artificer's abilities. Changeling Vampire Str 19, Dex 18, Con -, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 21 1. Changeling Rogue 1: sneak attack +1d6, social intuitions, feat 2. Marshal 1: Minor Aura (Motivate CHA) 3. Artificer 1: Scribe Scroll, feat 4. Artificer 2: Brew Potion, +1 CHA 5. Artificer 3: Craft Wondrous Item 6. Artificer 4: Craft Homonculus, bonus feat, feat 7. Artificer 5: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Retain Essence 8. Artificer 6:, Craft Wand +1 CHA 9. Artificer 7:, Metamagic Spell Trigger, feat 10. Artificer 8: bonus feat 11. Artificer 9: Craft Rod 12. Artificer 10: feat, +1 CHA 13. Artificer 11: Metamagic Spell Completion 14. Artificer 12: Craft Staff, bonus feat 15. Artificer 13: Skill Mastery, feat 16. Artificer 14: Forge Ring, +1 CHA 17. Artificer 15 18. Artificer 16: Bonus Feat, feat 19. Artificer 17 20. Artificer 18: Here are some feats that interest me. Nymph’s kiss (flaw: I'd make it either a general feat or an Evil feat) Extend Spell Persistent Spell Reach Spell Quicken Spell Wand Mastery Chain Spell Twin Spell Maximize Spell Extra Ring Retributive spell Persona Imersion Quick Change Racial Emulation Disturbing Visage Master Linguist Mutable Body Able Learner Improved Grapple Skill focus (Diplomacy, UMD) ??? As you see, I still need some help. Rekko
Vharuck 12-05-07, 12:52 PM	I always thought that the best class for any impersonator is the bard. Think about it. They can do a little of everything, so they could fill most any role or (more sinisterly) replace most anyone. The bard can fight a little, heal a little, sneak a little, schmooze a lot, spellsling a little. And to top it off, Perform (acting) is directly useful to a bard for more than just assuming roles. A lot of the bard's spells are also pretty subtle, and even the bardic music abilities can be used without raising suspicion if the bard has Perform (oratory).
Rekko 12-05-07, 03:09 PM	I agree with you that the bard is a good impersonator, actor and would be a pretty good choice here. However, keep in mind that this build is to impersonate an Artificer. Moreover, this is a Vampire and a backstabbing villain we are talking about. As a vampire, he already has Dominate, so why go 6 levels in bard to get suggestion while a good diplomacy check and some charming spells could do the trick? The artificer is a versatile class like the bard and has access to a lot of spells with scrolls, wands and staffs. Moreover, a level dip in cleric with the magic domain gives him quite an amazing spell list, and considering the character, I might dip into cleric for some rebuke undead, but that's not his priority. The way this character works is subtle. He takes the form of someone with his minor shape change, illusion and transmutation spells and a Disguise, Bluff or Acting check impersonate said person. He tries to learn potent information for Vol, and manipulate the people with whom he talks with Diplomacy checks or in more difficult cases with Charming spells and suggestions. Usually, the person he impersonates is locked away and he feeds on her to survive. Sometimes, if the manipulated person is resistant, he might turn her into a vampire, but that is rarely the case. As for combat, he usually attacks by surprise with both weapons and spells. If his goal in combat is to turn his foe into a vampire, he'll try to paralyze his victim and pin her very fast. If his goal is to defend himself, he'll probably turn into someone else and flee into a crowd changing himself a few times. Other purpose of combat generally ends with a dominate. This character is combat evasive, in a sense that he needs puppet to act for him instead of acting himself. Rekko
cloud413 12-05-07, 03:13 PM	What would a changeling vampire look like?
Just_some_Evil_Wizard 12-06-07, 01:49 PM	Would a vampire changeling look like a normal changeling? Does a flower have the same color in total darkness? Do falling trees make noise when nobody's there to hear it? Life is full of mysteries.
ArcTan 12-10-07, 02:12 AM	Vampire Changelings can change shape, same as regular Changelings, and would thus be particularly good at hiding their nature. Assuming he chose to reveal his normal shape (or you could see it through something like true seeing), he'd appear like a regular Changeling but paler and more feral.