Yeah, the buffed out dragon is a great idea! Thanks! I remember an old Dragon magazine (very old... AD&D) that described an intelligently designed and played dragon (and his lair and minions). I can't find the issue, though. The game we're getting together for this holiday is level 11+. My design so far is very undead- and evil outsider-centric. I'm considering statting out some sort of undead dragon. Dragotha perhaps? Love the iron golem idea, too.
Here is an old NPC of mine that you might use/modify. This was the ECL 20 version from a CO contest. I also had an ECL 15 or 16 version that I actually used, but it was basically the same.
Rhea of the Coos [spoiler]Race: Human
Classes: Cleric3/Wizard(Necromancer)3/TrueNecromancer14
Description: Rhea commands a fearless, tireless army that will obey any command from her, even if it means their certain destruction. What else could a commander wish for? (up to 3858 hit dice of Undead, not counting followers and her cohort)
Character Sheet: (note: her physical stats shouldn't matter most of the time, as she will be possessing one of her undead via Magic Jar at all times if possible. See the Tactics section for details.)
Hit Dice: HD 3d8+3d4+14d6+60, Hit Points 133 (Avg)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: AC 15 w/o buffs
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+8
Attack:
Full Attack:
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Horrid Wilting, Energy Drain, and Wail of the Banshee each 1xday at Caster Level 24
Caster Levels: wiz19, clr19, +4 Necromancy and +4 with Karma Bead. Save DCs are 20+level Arcane, 19+level Divine, and +1 for Necromancy
Saves: Fort +16, Refl +9, Will +24
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 18
Skills: I'm not going to bother. She has plenty of skill points, as Int is her main stat.
Feats: Necromantic Presence, Necromantic Might, Practiced Spellcaster: Cleric, Corpsecrafter, Practiced Spellcaster: Wizard, Spell Focus: Necromancy, Destruction Retribution, Undead Leadership
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Starting Ability Scores: Str 8, Con 12, Dex 8, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 16
Final Ability Scores: Str 8, Con 16 (12+1Leveling+2Gutworm+2Amulet-1SoulTick), Dex 8, Int 30 (16+6item+5tome+3Leveling), Wis 28 (16+6item+5tome+1Leveling), Cha 22 (16+6item)
Progression:
1 Cleric 1; Spell Focus: Necromancy, Practiced Spellcaster: Cleric (h)
3: Cleric 3; Corpsecrafter
4 Wizard 1; Scribe Scroll (b)
6 Wiz 3; Practiced Spellcaster: Wizard
7 True Necro 1
9 TN 3; Necromantic Presence
12 TN 6; Necromantic Might
15 TN 9; Destruction Retribution
18 TN 12 Undead Leadership
20 TN 14
Fiendish Symbionts: Fiendish Familiar, Soul Tick, Gutworm
Magic Items:
The Lich King's Scepter is a piece of obsidian, crafted to look like a skeletal forearm which is grasping a skull with rubies for eyes. It functions as a Rod of Undead Mastery (doubles HD of controlled undead (via spells, not rebuked), 10000) with abilities of a Scepter of the Netherworld (+3 to level for Rebuking, +13500 gold) and Night Stick (+4 rebuke attempts per day, +11250 gold) added. It is rumored that if it is combined with other artifacts of similiar name, more properties will be unlocked. (34750 total)
Strand of Prayer Beads (Karma, Smiting, Healing) (25k); Monk's Belt (13000), Amulet of Health +2 (4000). Belt, Scepter, and Prayer Beads have Dramij's Instant Summons and Nystal's Magic Aura cast on them. Portable Hole (20000)(can hold about 20 medium sized bodies, if they're stacked like cordwood
).
Permanent Magic Effects: Major Resistance (+4 saves, 1000XP), Blindsight (30ft., 1500XP), Symbol of Weakness on one skeletal giant's armor (3500XP). She either paid someone to cast Permanency for these, or had her cohort to do it (whichever is legal. I don't feel like doing the math to reduce her by one level)
Money: I may go back and figure out her expenses in detail, but then again... I might not. I didn't come close to spending all of the 760,000 on her. So for now I'll just say the rest was used for onyx to animate all these undead.
She was originally designed as an NPC, anyway, and so wouldn't have that much direct wealth.
Special abilities:
-Max HD of Animated Undead controlled: Directly: 414 cleric, 184 Wizard (598 combined). This is including using General of Undeath to add 10HD/level for cleric, and the Rod of Undead Mastery for both Wizard and Cleric levels. Indirectly: 3260 (see followers section)
-Rebuking: 12 times per day, level for rebuking purposes is 24
-Horrid Wilting 1xday at CL 24 (Save DC 23?)
-Major Zone of Desecration (140 foot radius, factored into Undead bonuses below)
-Create Undead 2xday (CL 24), Create Greater Undead 2xday (CL 24)
-Caster level: wiz19, clr19, +4 Necromancy and +4 with Karma Bead. Save DCs are 20+level Arcane, 19+level Divine, and +1 for Necromancy
-Soul Tick: All Negative Energy spells are automatically Empowered, but she takes a -1 Con penalty. Also is constantly protected by Protection from Good (or Chaos) at CL 12. Must make Spellcraft check to cast Positive Energy spell (DC 15+lvl).
-Fiendish Familiar: Ability scores are 2 higher for bonus spells. Gains 1 spell known per level.
-Gutworm: +2 inherent Con, Rage at Will, Neutralize Poison 1/day
-Undead Created by her and in her presence gain: +3 hp/HD (4 at shrine), +4 Str, +3 attack and saves, +1 damage, +4 Turn Resistance, and Turning attempts take a -3 Profane penalty on the Cha check. They also blow up when they are destroyed, dealing 1d6 + 1d6/2HD negative energy in a 10' burst.
Raven Familiar- HP 61
Spells:
Wizard Spellbook (Enchantment and Abjuration prohibited): Prepared Underlined DC = 20+level (+1 Necromancy)
0- (4) Detect Magic, Read Magic, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, (and all others)
1-(7)+1 Mage Armor, Magic Missle*2, Chill Touch, Obscuring Mist, Identify, Detect Undead, Tenser's Floating Disk, Disguise Self, Negative Energy Ray, Nystal's Magic Aura, Silent Image, Ray of Enfeeblement, True Strike
2-(7)+1 Mirror Image, Command Undead, Ghoul Glyph, Lion's Charge, Invisibility, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility
3-(7)+1 Improved Mage Armor*2, Spirit Servant (custom), Fly, Haste, Displacement, Slow, Shrink Item
4-(6)+1 Evard's Black Tentacles, Superior Darkvision, Polymorph, Fear, Solid Fog, Enervation, Dimension Door
5-(6)+1 Cloudkill, Improved Blink, Kiss of the Vampire, Fabricate, Permanency, Magic Jar, Cone of Cold, Teleport
6-(5) Shadow Walk*2, Contingency, Disintegrate*2, Animate Dread Warrior, Ghoul Gauntlet, Wall of Iron
7-(4) Waves of Exhaustion, Reverse Gravity, Symbol of Weakness, Drawmij's Instant Summons, Forcecage, Mass Invisibility
8-(2) Polymorph Any Object, Clone, Horrid Wilting*2
Scrolls: Waves of Fatigue (using at attack), Teleport (familiar has), Magic Jar (using before attack), 2xSpirit Servant (custom, using before attack), Solid Fog (may use at attack), Superior Darkvision (using before attack). Shrink Item (using before attack)
Prepared Cleric spells: DC = 19+level (+1 Necromancy)
0-6 Detect Magic, Light, Read Magic, Mending, Cure Minor Woundsx2
1-8+1 Chill of the Grave (D, 63LM, 4d10 cold ray, close), Sanctuary, 3xShield of Faith, Deathwatch, Command, Cure Light Wounds
2-8+1 Death Knell (D) Make Whole, Prayer, Hold Personx2, Silence, Darkness, Sound Burst
3-7+1 Animate Dead (D) Invisibility Purge, Protection from Positive Energy, Meld into Stone, Protection from Energy, Blindness/Deafness, Summon Undead 3
4-6+1 Wither Limb (D) Dimensional Anchor, 2xSummon Undead 4, Freedom of Movement
5-6+1 Slay Living (D) 2xSpell Resistance, True Seeing
6-5+1 Revive Undead(D) Greater Dispel Magic, Antilife Shell, Harm*2, Blade Barrier
7-3+1 Avasculate (D), Greater Consumptive Field, Destruction, Greater Scrying
8-2+1 Avascular Mass (D), Unholy Aura, Discern Location
Tactics:
Pre-attack:
1) Use Shadow Walk to transport large amounts of undead to the Border Shadow at the location of the attack. She can take 19 other creatures with her and 20 ghouls will fit into her portable hole, along with the swarms. The dread warrior is carrying the portable hole.
2) When they get there, she will cast Meld with Stone on her familiar. She then casts Magic Jar, and possesses a ghoul. Next she casts Shrink Item on her lifeless body, which her familiar picks up. The familiar then melds into a 1 ft. diameter stone from one of the giant's packs. The zombie dragon takes this stone.
3) She casts all the buffs listed below and they all exit Shadow Plane. The Undead all attack immediately, with the Fomorians trying to smash down the any pallidades or keep doors. The dragon drops the stone with her familiar and body in it at the edge of the battlefield, and he and the Dread Knight fly up into the air. The Dread Knight fires his bow and watches for anyone flying out of the keep.
3) All of the undead will have spell component pouches and cheap holy symbols, and will be instructed not to resist her if she tries to possess them.
Attack:
1) She plans to open up with Evard's Black Tentacles (grapple check 23, 1d6+4dmg, 1/2 movement) and Waves of Fatigue (-6Str&Dex, 1/2 movement). Then hit them with a Slow spell (Will DC 18 or partial actions, 1/2 movement, -1att, AC, Ref). The huge undead Snatch enemies and throw them into the Evard's area and use their Snatch feat on attacks of opportunity to keep them from leaving. They should be able to beat the Evard's grapple checks if they get caught in it. The undead swarms also move in to feast upon those trapped by the tentacles.
2) Next she and her cohort start dumping Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, and Horrid Wilting (Sp) around/on the trapped enemies. The skeletons are immune to Cone of Cold and Cloudkill. The ghouls are cannon fodder, and their deaths will serve to heal the greater undead via Destruction Retribution.
3) Use Ray of Enfeeblement to try and incapacitate any spellcasters (hopefully they already lost 6 str from Waves of Fatigue). Hit them with an Enervation, too, to drain off spells and weaken saves. Then follow up with a Disintegrate once their saves are weakened.
4) The ghouls will be spread out, attacking anyone who manages to get out of or avoid the Evard's death trap.
5) The dread warrior will be riding the zombie dragon, and they will attack anyone who flies up out of the combat area, and will especially go after spellcasters, as the dread warrior has Silence cast on him.
6) If she feels like she needs cover, she'll cast Silent Image and create an image of a Prismatic Sphere around her.
Buffs cast before exiting shadow: Shield of Faith on hydra, dragon, and dread warrior. Improved Mage Armor on hydra, Mage Armor on dragon. Silence, Freedom of Movement, and Spell Resistance on dread warrior. Mass Invisibility on all of them.
On "her": Contingency (if someone begins to cast a Greater Dispel Magic at her, she Dimension Doors straight up to max range), Deathwatch, Protection from Positive Energy, Spell Resistance, True Seeing, Mirror Image, Fly. She has paid to have a Contingent Spell placed on her, also. It is the same as her own Contingency, but the trigger is for Mordenkainen's Disjunction instead of Greater Dispel Magic.
Last ones to cast: Antilife Shell, Displacement, Improved Blink, and Haste.
Cohort, Followers, and Other Undead:
All 163 of her Followers are Necropolitan Wizards, and they all can cast Control Undead. The 1st level ones have the Precocious Apprentice feat, which allows them to cast one second level spell per day. This greatly expands the amount of Hit Dice of undead under her indirect control. Non-intelligent undead get no save, and the spell lasts 1day per level and has no hit die cap on what it can affect. So she can create large amounts of uncontrolled undead via Animate Dead, and her followers can take control of them for her.
Since the Animate Dead spell seems to be limited to creating creatures with 20 HD or less (see the zombie and skeleton templates), that means that in total her followers can theoretically add 3260 HD of undead to her indirect control. Of course, due to many factors, the number actually controlled in this manner at a given time will be signifigantly less than this. But even half that amount is a fairly impressive army of undead.
Her cohort is a Necropolitan Incantatrix with the following feats: Chain Spell, Lord of the Uttercold, and Black Lore of Moil. Both he and his master also have Soul Ticks, which automatically Empowers any Negative Energy spells they cast. So if he casts a Maximized Cone of Cold, it will do half Negative Energy damage via Lord of the Uttercold, and do 4d6 more Negative Energy damage via Black Lore of Moil, and all of the damage will be Empowered via the Soul Tick. Most of her undead will be skeletons, which are immune to cold and healed by negative energy.
Her army of undead definitely should be mostly made up of skeletal hydras and giants. Hulking Corpses would make the best undead for her followers to take control of via Command Undead, but I don't know how she could create them. High hit die skeletons would also work almost as well. She would have at least one zombie dragon for a mount for her cohort. All of these undead would be awakened via Awaken Undead, which should give them feats and skills appropriate for their hit dice.
Books Used: Libris Mortis, Fiend Folio, Complete Arcane, Player's Guide to Faerun. [/spoiler]
Here is an ECL 11 Ur-Priest that should be pretty horrible, and make a good villain.
This post contains a version with a really awesome PrC from Frank and K.
You might find a few more useful things in
here.