Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aberlonian 11-16-06, 02:18 PM	My current campaign has two cohorts trying to subtley destroy the elven race. They are dopplegangers in service of some larger, unkown evil. The party has only encountered one of the dopplegangers (didn't realize what it was) and assumed that is the BBEG. The other doppleganger helped him to escape. So far they have been seen creating an army of undead, and using mind control on some influential NPCs. I need an idea for a the ringleader. I was thinking about a mindflayer, but am open to any ideas. FYI The party is a human fighter, elven rogue, elven sorceror and a halfling rogue, and a NPC kobold cleric who was affected by a helm of opposite alignment (changed to CG), all between levels 1-2, but I figure the big standoff will take place around level 5ish.
kliate 11-16-06, 02:42 PM	Mindflayers have been grouped with Dopplegangers before (Wasn't that a feat in Champions of Valor?) but I can see them as making an interesting mix. What you need, IMO, is something that has reason to target the elves. Here are a few thoughts: High/Epic Powered A demon lord, who either hates the elves or has a score to settle with one of their deities (Correlon Larethian, etc) An Ancient or older dragon who was once badly injured at the hands of elven adventurers, and is seeking revenge. A powerful being that has taken on the cause of the orcs in the hopes of attaining godhood. An Elder Brain that has concluded the elves are the greatest standing threat to the Mind Flayer agenda. Mid Powered A Mind Flayer with a personal vendetta against a particular elf (perhaps long dead). Just as it's hard for us to tell two mind flayers apart, it's hard for this mind flayer to tell two elves apart. The Drow, with some manner of Drow Priestess behind the attacks An anti-drow faction that wants to pin the whole thing on the drow, and is ultimately seeking wide-scale reprisal when his/her/its attacks on the elves come to light
willder 11-16-06, 02:42 PM	Why not try a fallen paladin like a 7th level blackguard and make it have some personal purpose to kill all of the elves and give it a prophet reason to do it, like power, so that his henchmen have a reason to go along
Orchomenos 11-16-06, 03:00 PM	I know. Baker! (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060908a) Or perhaps some foe from the future, whose plan has been spoiled by elves, and as a result, searches to destroy the elves before they could spoil his plan...
RK)13 11-16-06, 03:20 PM	Hmm, there are a couple ways to go about this... Depending on your play style, the BrBEG could be an extremely wealthy merchant who wants to blaze a trail through Elven lands in order to get his goods to market weeks faster than his competition. The Elves said no, so now he is trying to get rid of them. He has hired the Dop's to start destabilizing them. Basicall, you get a villain who, while not personally powerful in the conventional sense, has almost unlimited resources. Eventually, he plans to work with a high level Eye of Grummsh (CW) or an Avatar of the Horde (DMG2) to completely wipe out the elven civilization via mass humanoid attack. To make things more convoluted, you could have the merchant be a thrall of a mind flayer or aboleth who's ultimate goal is to use the power and money of the merchant to overthrow the king of the land. This done, the merchant would take control of the kingdom, making the abberation effectively king. Or, if you have access to Races of Destiny, you could make the "BrBEG" an illumian cabal who are trying to destabilize the elves in order to discredit another cabal. The other cabal responds by backing the heros. I find that providing layers of intrigue and power gives a richer experience, as there is always another BBEG waiting in the wings once a party dispatches one. Eventually, they PCs either overthrow the organization, or climb so high up the ladder that their actions are shaking kingdoms.