A Stealth-based boss?


Advice


So, what i'm basically after here is a stealth based boss character to take on four level 8 players. I want it to be a pretty special fight, they've been chasing after him for a while now and have locked him down in his hideout(an old ruin).

I had the idea of having the entire hideout as the overall battle arena, with the boss enemy coming in and out of areas, setting traps and suddenly surprise attacking before disappearing just as quickly.

I also want her to be a master with traps and a bit of a sadist when it comes to playing with peoples minds. (Which probably says some worrying things about me) To this end the dungeon they'll encounter her in will be filled with not just fully lethal and dangerous traps, but lots of decoys and ways to set my players on edge. (an example: statues that give off the sounds of moving gears but are inanimate themselves)

Now, i'm aware this could end horribly with my players eventually just getting worn out by the one enemy they're trying to hunt so i considered placing construct enemies in the area to liven things up, but i feel like that might take away from the experience i want. Another way was that when they reached the final room, she would come out and actually fight them without running (but obviously being subtle and tricky)

Suggestions and ideas are greatly appreciated, i know it's a big ask.


It sounds like a shadow dancer might be pretty awesome. Builds from many base classes. The big things you want are: hide in plain sight, lots of shadow illusions (for the mind games) and the shadow minion. The shadow teleport would be pretty good for the in/out part.

They should only attack when the pcs are distracted by a trap, and vanish when the trap is handled.


That could work, the alternate would be an assassin class. While they'd probably do better at the actual direct attacking, they wouldn't be as good for creating an atmosphere.

My other main worries is how should they fight, weapon and equipment wise plus any items or any nasty ideas that she could use.

Being a sadistic character i also like they idea of when she is nearly defeated to do a sort of rage final stand and try to cause as much damage as she can on her opponents, so i was thinking a feat like Diehard could cover that but that doesn't really last.


Seconding Shadow Dancer.
UMD could be useful for the summons so he/she doesn't get overwhelmed and flaming sphere to mess up the battlefield.
If you really desire to mess with their minds have a wizard be pulling this bosses strings, and put enchantments and illusions around.
Kill off a favourite NPC or multiple before the battle and bring an illusion back instead.
The place should be full of traps with seemingly random activation points and twisty tight corridors where one person can face him/her at a time.
Anti magic sphere permanently on half of it.
Split them up.
Introduce doubles that think they are the real one.
Reveal to a player that they were a clone planted by the boss for the entire campaign that thinks they are the real one and due to bad magic they can be easily enchanted by the boss and the boss knows everything the know and if they fail to kill the boss in 24 hours of first starting the fight, the clone dies, but if they kill the boss they can recover the original.
The boss has to die 5-6 times and every time the body melts into shadows before disappearing, and returning a few minutes later.

I'll come up with more later.

Grand Lodge

If you want something really sneaky, and something kind of unique that will keep your players off balance...

Not sure how optimized this may be

Ninja with shadowdancer prestige class. Get Spring attack. Move and strike using spring attack with the hide in plain sight ability, having him fade away after each attack. Detect invisibility will not help them here. Using ninja ki, for stealth bonus / more movement / vanishing trick (which is invisibility) as needed. Also recommend pressure points to keep them more off balance with the ability damage and the fast stealth trick. Perhaps throw in some poison use.

if you decide to put 4 levels in shadow dancer, summoning the shadow could be pretty horrifying, especially having it attack from walls while this is all going on.

This probably wouldn't kill anyone overly quickly, but may instill a sense of terror and "what is going on here" reactions.

if you want something self destructive, Kamikaze ninja talent might work well.

ballparking stealth skill...
+12 skill ranks, +5 dex, +3 class skill, +5 for shadow armor / cloak = 25

adjust as needed

possible feats
dodge, mobility, shadow strike, spring attack, piranha strike, weapon focus

possible tricks
vanishing trick, pressure points, fast stealth, Kamikaze


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Sniper could work. Its a -20 to re-hide after firing a shot, but Perception checks are at -1 for every 10 feet. At 200', the penalties cancel each other out, and thats just the second range increment for a compound longbow.

Big stadium setting, PCs in the middle, boss moving around the outside stands taking snipe shots at them? Might seem like a slow method since its only one shot per round, but poison the arrows. The save DC for poison goes up with every dose you take, so while most PCs will likely make the first save no problem, by the 4th or 5th arrow they're going to be in a world of hurt.


I'd say bloodrager--> shadow dancer. You said you wanted raging final stand! They also have the CHA for the shadow dancer abilities and will pack a major wallop when they say boo.


Varent wrote:

That could work, the alternate would be an assassin class. While they'd probably do better at the actual direct attacking, they wouldn't be as good for creating an atmosphere.

My other main worries is how should they fight, weapon and equipment wise plus any items or any nasty ideas that she could use.

Being a sadistic character i also like they idea of when she is nearly defeated to do a sort of rage final stand and try to cause as much damage as she can on her opponents, so i was thinking a feat like Diehard could cover that but that doesn't really last.

Shadow Dancer gunslinger can be really cool sometimes, revolvers, lots of revolvers hidden on her. Never waste actions loading unless the PCs are in the room especially as shadow dancers can teleport.

Turn the lights off. Deny any lights the PCs have, use shadow dancer skills to dodge never stay in the same place, keep them from seeing, shoot them from maximum distance, make sure to get you they have to move over trapped squares to get you.

After death reveal it was not the real one but only 1 level higher than the party. The real one is standing behind you and two levels higher than that.

Grand Lodge

Pickin Ogre Shadowdancer, with the NightStalker feat.


And this is why i've fallen in love with the community here already. You guys are awesome, and the ideas are amazing as well.

Can you combine guns with sniper? Because that could work quite well as an opening attack or to add more danger while they're confused by a trap.

What sort of levels and stats should i be looking at? I'd like it to be a damn good fight, i've already had my players swearing about previous encounters with her subordinates and they've got into following her story too.

Grand Lodge

You probably could combine guns with sniper. Are guns allowed in your setting?

Even if they are, guns work best when used at a closer range. Sniping works best at longer distances. I feel bows would fit the theme better if you decide to go ranged.

Of course i am obviously partial to my above ninja stealth guy :P

As for levels, I would think 10-12? It depends on your players optimization and how much of a challenge you want to throw at them, how hurt they would be when they reach this guy. Keep in mind, sometimes it is better to run away.

Grand Lodge

A Giant Ogre, that can hide in a Halfling's shadow, is pretty scary.


Guns are allowed, i feel like using a bow, while being more practical has less flair in a way. They could be lured, only to see a flash of light and hear a shot, basically the boss announcing "I'm here" before vanishing again just as quickly.

The ninja crossover idea is a pretty good one, but i've used a few ninja in ambushes and the like so i'd like to try a different class against them.


Varent wrote:
Can you combine guns with sniper? Because that could work quite well as an opening attack or to add more danger while they're confused by a trap.

Sniper as I was using it isn't a class/archetype/ability/etc, I mean it in it's basic language form, someone who makes a ranged attack while hiding.

You start out hidden, take a shot, and then can immediately try to re-stealth at -20 to keep from being seen. Anybody can attempt it as long as they have a ranged attack.


Yeah, i knew what the snipe was i just thought it might be tougher with a gun due to noise and light.

Shadow Lodge

blackbloodtroll wrote:
A Giant Ogre, that can hide in a Halfling's shadow, is pretty scary.

I wasn't aware that halflings created dim light.

Grand Lodge

Might consider "shot on the run" feat. Moving and hiding as he goes. Even if they perceive the location of where he WAS, he isn't there anymore.

Tengu gunslinger combined with shadow dancer could work well. Keeping the same idea of moving and attacking, with the party off balance.

Perhaps give him deflect arrows feat to dodge arrows/bullets fired at him, using his claws to qualify for unarmed strike.

a good way to keep the "sadist" factor is with a vicious enchant on his weapon


If this boss is truly a sadist, how about having her torture victims be here as well. Have your mechanical soldiers be that but the bodies of alive victims are inside. That would make it a challenge to avoid them and not kill the people inside.

For a last stand, you can always houserule it that she is impaled through the stomach and grips the player's hands and pushes herself further up the blade and does one finally swing vs flat-footed.

Another way to antagonizing the players is, if there are victims to be played with, you can have a trap triggering on a shackled prisoner forcing the players to rush and trigger more nasty surprises.

I don't know what the backstory is of this character so these ideas may not work.

The final boss room could have fall away floors so that a shadow dancer can teleport easily throughout while the characters have to find the places that are safe.

A lot of the other people's suggestions sound good, too.

Have fun!

Grand Lodge

Serum wrote:
blackbloodtroll wrote:
A Giant Ogre, that can hide in a Halfling's shadow, is pretty scary.
I wasn't aware that halflings created dim light.

That's what a shadow is.

It doesn't matter if it is a castle tower, or a Halfling, they both create areas of dim light, known as a shadow.

Besides, the Ogre can just take Hellcat Stealth, and hide in a bright sunny field, without cover, concealment, whilst being observed.


Just a quick background for her.

One of my pcs is one of twins an elf, but she was instead born as a drow. So while the pc was loved and cherished by his family, she was left outside and forced to fend for herself. Having to fight alone for her life without anyone caring about her drove her into the first stages of madness, doubled with the things she had to do to survive and her hatred of the sun she eventually cracked escaping into an old ruin to escape the sun (the same ruin they'll be fighting in)

Originally kobolds occupied the ruin and she managed to convince them to teach her what they knew and live alongside them, until she learned everything she needed and eliminated them. (This started her knowledge of traps)

Over time she found out more about her family, and through careful planning and trickery, managed to locate and kill her parents. (causing the pc to begin adventuring to find their killer.)

During her escape after the murder she was gravely wounded and realized she wasn't strong enough, eventually learning new ways of fighting to become stronger. (At this point she had broke down into insanity completely, becoming obsessed with power over people, the 'normal' ones that the same society that rejected her accepted)

Silver Crusade

I enjoy the ninja/shadowdancer. Give the ninja the scout archetype. (Iirc it works)

Have fun as he moves around arrogantly taking swings at people who have no idea where he is at. (Have darkvision. Room with dim-no light, cast darkness, decanter of endless smoke) whale of a time.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Without doing research, I assume the ShadowDancers shadow can be buffed? Have the BBEG use some scrolls/wands to buff up the shadow and send it against the party with some illusion spells to create even MORE copies of it. Make it look like they're fighting a veritable army of the villain but only one is even real and they are all fake in the sense of not being the real guy. The real one can be waiting in the shadows to pick off a weak party member or a spell-caster who gets left behind, and then vanishing back into the darkness while re-casting some illusion magic.


So, thanks to you lovely people i've come up with a pretty good idea for the fighting.

I want to use the Shadowdancer/Gunslinger combo and give her a bunch of pistols and ammo types, plus a two handed gun so she can snipe with it.

I saw pitted bullets, which lets you fire poison rounds so i was considering using that along with the snipe shots, maybe a poison that damages wisdom so that it'll be tougher for them to spot her and resist fear effects from the illusions and the like.

The entire location will be full of traps and tricks to keep them on edge throughout, i want them to be careful with pretty much everything.

The Shadow, i really underestimated just what i could do with this (But it seems a tad OP to me so it could have been nerfed and i haven't seen it.) A Shadow does damage by damaging a pcs strength, and when the amount of damage succeeds their strength stat then they die, creating a new weaker shadow.

Baring in mind that she did clear the place out of kobolds she should have several weaker shadows around, but i could be wrong on that.

For a final battle i'll be having her laughing, and all the while teleporting from location to location, taking shots and trying to kill any weaker pcs.


The shadow gained from the Shadow Dancer prestige class cannot create spawn. It can kill people, but no new shadows.

Dark Archive

You would want a halfing with the stealth alternate racial, where you reduce the sniping penalty by 10. your levels should be
1:Cave druid
2:Cave druid
3:Cave druid
4 Sniper rogue
5 Rogue
6 Rogue
7 Rogue
8 Rogue
9 Rogue
10Rogue
11Rogue
12Rogue
13Rogue

The normal rogue talents you take is completly up to you, but the greater rogue talant needs to be Stealthy Sniper.

(For a lvl 8 group, a lvl 13 boss is considered an epic encounter)

Feats:
1: Skill Focus(Stealth
3: Conceal Scent
5: Dampen Presence
7: Hellcat Stealth
9: Stealthy
11: Pointblank
13: Focused shot(or deadly aim)

If you are going for more of the stealty elemnt over the sniping element, some rogue levels can be replaced with shadow dancer ( along with stealthy, pointblank, and focused feats) for the hide in plain sight. which stacks with hellcat stealth. hide in normal, bright, low light, and darkness each while being observes.

Sovereign Court

Bugbears (Kardan alternate ones) are very stealthy.

Nightstalker Ogre, get stealth bonuses as well.

The end from MGS 3 snake eater was a nice stealth boss fight, you could use it for inspiration.


That was already a bit of inspiration for the fight, i loved that boss fight. I do want her to be more stealthy than snipery.

And i kinda figured that if a Shadowdancer could create spawn it would be a bit too much.


Advice for the room/setting:

1. Time limit too get there. Make them run and arrive fatigued.
2. NEVER let them see.
3. Make multiple illusions of favourite NPCs. And after they get used to watching him beg for them to save him from death because "I'm the real one please" the real one comes out. Make sure they cannot save any of them.
4. Make them enter the wrong building. Not kidding, but make them show up, get buffed, fight some traps, and realize she is attacking a village 1 mile away. You said they were 8th level. They should be able to travel that far quickly, but only to watch her retreat back to the hideout where they just were. Make them waste all of their buffs.
5. Especially if you have a paladin, fill the area with innocent NPCs. Kids especially. Have them get released by her from a cage, try to run, get in the way of the PCs, and block fireball usage and run into traps. They cannot save them all.

Thats all for now, I'll be back later.


I do have a paladin. *evil laugh*

Silver Crusade

Varent wrote:
I do have a paladin. *evil laugh*

before the fight, throw so many illusions at the paladin (of baddies disguised as kids/good guys etc) that he just starts attacking whatever he sees that isn't part of the party.... trust me, it'll happen.

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