Help with a Rakshasa encounter

[Mushroom]

My group is going to run up on a group of Rakshasa that have been hired to kill them and I need some help getting the whole thing down.

I want at least 2 Rakshasa bumped up to CR 13 and likewise on 2 Nazarune Rashasa

Spell selection for them would be most appreciated as well as feats

Group consists of:
A custom race(No HD or LA under my rules, high CHA) Artificer
A Satyr Swordsage
A Nereid(stormwrack) Batledancer
A doppelganger daring outlaw

I play using the whole CR=ECl rules

[BowenSilverclaw]

CR = ECL means 3 class levels for the regular Rakshasa then, right?

I'm AFB right now, which one was the Nazarune again? The Rogue or the Fighter kitty?


How powerful do you want them (as in, how powerful is your party, what do you think they can handle, any stuff outright banned?)
Is it permissable to change the Rakshasa's stats using the Elite array + racial mods?

I've got some different ideas spinning around in my head, but some of them might be a bit nasty/too powerful for some parties.

[Mushroom]

CR = ECL means 3 class levels for the regular Rakshasa then, right?

I'm AFB right now, which one was the Nazarune again? The Rogue or the Fighter kitty?


How powerful do you want them (as in, how powerful is your party, what do you think they can handle, any stuff outright banned?)
Is it permissable to change the Rakshasa's stats using the Elite array + racial mods?

I've got some different ideas spinning around in my head, but some of them might be a bit nasty/too powerful for some parties.

Correct

The Rogue

Pretty damn strong would be nice. The party has proven they can kill encounters above their ECL(a CR 15 at level 11), not to mention the damn Artificer is using a starmantle cloak+amulet of retribution to make melee attacks pointless. He is also stocked full of various blasty and polymorph wands.

Do whatever you want to increase the challenge. If you feel they may need another power boost, I'll tell them to level up

[Ivory Knight]

Your Artificer begs for dispel or AMF, I suggest Abjurant Champion for one Rakshasa(gaining swift abjurations and a +3 AC-Boost from Shield).
Cast AMF on one of the Nazarune(make him something that only uses Ex-Abilities, maybe even Swordsage) and have him grapple(change it's feats to match and outfit it's armor with poisoned Netcutter Spikes, or Armor Blades).

A Halfdragon Rakshasa with Extra Breath and Entangling Breath also sounds funny, or just use Dragonfire Adept if you think the template is to weak.
Remember to take some of the Breath-Spells(Draconomicon or Spell Compendium), if you use the Sorcerer-Kitty for this.
1 Level of casting advancement(Sorc 8) can get you Dispelling Breath and leaves Dragonfire Adept 2, if you stick with 3 classlevels.

[BowenSilverclaw]

3 class levels on a normal Rakshasa for Barbarian 1 (note: you don't use the rage, obviously, you just care about Pounce via Lion Totem (CC))/Totemist 2 (Girallon Claws bound to Totem Chakra)

That's Pounce with 5 to 7 attacks on a full attack (depending on whether you let the Girallon Claw attacks stack or overlap with the Rakshasa's natural claws), or 6-8 with Haste.

Slap on (Extended) Wraithstrike, Power Attack and Leap Attack and have some simple blender-style fun.

Use the Elite Array for ability Scores to get a somewhat higher Strength as well.


With the Rakshasa's full BAB your looking at a Pounce/Charge with 6 to 8 attacks, all with +16 damage from PA & Leap Attack.

Artificer aside, that should put a nice dent in the other party members, and it's simple and light on bookkeeping (at least compared to a Rakshasa more focused on casting) as well.

[awaken DM golem]

The 3.0 Rak should do the trick.
It's almost the same as the 3.5 Rak, and is easily convertible.
The most important line, is the spell immunity up to 8th level spells.
Really.
That ganks the casters.
Here's a 3.0 SRD link, scroll down to Monsters (R), and pdf gets sent.
http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html

Even more, they can be dressed up some more by advancing Sorc,
or adding Ur-priest, and then going dual advancement.
Or add el cheapo associated levels via Monster Advancement.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#advancedMonsterChallengeRating

[BowenSilverclaw]

The 3.0 Rak should do the trick.
It's almost the same as the 3.5 Rak, and is easily convertible.
The most important line, is the spell immunity up to 8th level spells.
Really.
That ganks the casters.
Here's a 3.0 SRD link, scroll down to Monsters (R), and pdf gets sent.
http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html

Even more, they can be dressed up some more by advancing Sorc,
or adding Ur-priest, and then going dual advancement.
Or add el cheapo associated levels via Monster Advancement.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#advancedMonsterChallengeRating

And they can only be killed by a Blessed/Holy Crossbow Bolt IIRC. That's pretty nasty as well.

[Mushroom]

The 3.0 Rak should do the trick.
It's almost the same as the 3.5 Rak, and is easily convertible.
The most important line, is the spell immunity up to 8th level spells.
Really.
That ganks the casters.
Here's a 3.0 SRD link, scroll down to Monsters (R), and pdf gets sent.
http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html

That is fucking wicked!

3 class levels on a normal Rakshasa for Barbarian 1 (note: you don't use the rage, obviously, you just care about Pounce via Lion Totem (CC))/Totemist 2 (Girallon Claws bound to Totem Chakra)

That's Pounce with 5 to 7 attacks on a full attack (depending on whether you let the Girallon Claw attacks stack or overlap with the Rakshasa's natural claws), or 6-8 with Haste.

Slap on (Extended) Wraithstrike, Power Attack and Leap Attack and have some simple blender-style fun.

Use the Elite Array for ability Scores to get a somewhat higher Strength as well.


With the Rakshasa's full BAB your looking at a Pounce/Charge with 6 to 8 attacks, all with +16 damage from PA & Leap Attack.

Artificer aside, that should put a nice dent in the other party members, and it's simple and light on bookkeeping (at least compared to a Rakshasa more focused on casting) as well.

Cool enough, I just recently purchased Incarnum and I've been itching to use it. This sounds like a great idea as well! Although, each party member has an AC of 30+(some of them even have that as their touch AC) and the Nereid has constant displacement.

Thanks guys

[BowenSilverclaw]

Although, each party member has an AC of 30+(some of them even have that as their touch AC)

Detect Magic/Spellcraft/whatever to determine the ones with Touch AC buffs and items. Go for the ones without buffs/with the lowest Touch AC while using Wraithstrike.

[awaken DM golem]

And Bowen's point.

How in the world would the PCs know they were up against a "special" Rak, from 3.0 in what they think is a 3.5 campaign?
That's a little tricky. They might be ticked.
Still, it is fun.
Personally, I'd houserule the 3.0 monsters in 3.5, can have the same Knowledge Checks applied to them, as regular 3.5 monsters.
And, I'd allow an additional Knowledge Ancient check.
If they don't have the crossbow bolt, it'll be a slug fest.

[Mushroom]

And Bowen's point.

How in the world would the PCs know they were up against a "special" Rak, from 3.0 in what they think is a 3.5 campaign?
That's a little tricky. They might be ticked.
Still, it is fun.
Personally, I'd houserule the 3.0 monsters in 3.5, can have the same Knowledge Checks applied to them, as regular 3.5 monsters.
And, I'd allow an additional Knowledge Ancient check.
If they don't have the crossbow bolt, it'll be a slug fest.

Indeed, I'll probably turn each of them into the 3.0 version and add some initiator/incarnum levels as per Bowen's suggestion

Teach that Artificer bastard to not betray our gentlemen's agreement

[gorfnad]

Nazarune Rashasa / Telfammar Shadowlord X. A shadow pouncing rakshasa would be fairly scary, qualifies for TFSL pretty much right out of the box if you change the feats around.  5 levels of TFSL means that they come back again and again and again unless your party manages to fight them in daylight or the thing fails its reflex save.