Boss (3.5e NPC Class)

Author: Teh Storm (talk) Date Created: October 7th Status: Complete Editing: Constructively, please

Unquantifiable

Ratings for this homebrew: Average: 2.2 / 4  5 users favored it (4/4).  0 users liked it (3/4).  0 were neutral on it (2/4).  0 users disliked it (1/4).  4 users opposed it (0/4).

Rate this article Your rating for this article: Favor Like Neutral Dislike Oppose Submit | Cancel Discuss this article

Boss

“	None of you can ever hope to defeat me, for I am power itself!	”
—Lord Balwark, human wizard boss

Sometimes there comes a being who, by virtue of those apposed to him, have become so powerful they can be said to have many lives. While most die just as many deaths, some grow to just power they become legends, and those legends become known throughout the adventuring community as Bosses.

Becoming a Boss

While anyone can theoretically become a Boss, few ever reach the level of infamy that makes a Boss. While it is mostly powerful and evil humaniods that become Bosses, dragons, demons, and even angels have been Bosses in the past.

Entry Requirements

Special:	Character level or Hit Dice 10 or over
Special:	Must feature as a major villain in an ongoing campaign

Table: The Boss

Hit Die: special, see below

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting or Manifesting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+2	Boss Health, Seal Area	as per previous spell casting class
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+3	Boss Health	as per previous spell casting class
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+3	Boss Health, Rage Form	as per previous spell casting class
4th	+4	+4	+4	+4	Boss Health	as per previous spell casting class
5th	+5	+4	+4	+4	Boss Health, Death Throes	as per previous spell casting class
Class Skills (As previous class "As previous class" is not a number. + Int modifier per level. As per previous class.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Boss.

Spellcasting: At each level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Boss, you increase all your spell casting abilities

Boss Health: As opposed to gaining in traditional hit die, at each level a Boss gains their health total again as a secondary health listing. Thus, a third level Boss, would have four health ratings from top to bottom. When one health is depleted, the next set of health is activated and takes any of the remainder of damage. All death effects completely drain a set of health, but otherwise have no ill effects. Petrification drains one health set and stops a Boss for a number of rounds equal to the DC of the effects, during which any damage is dealt to his next health set. If a Bosses last health set is depleted, then the Boss starts dying as per normal. Cure spells can only restore a current health set, but a Heal or Restoration spell brings back a single lost health se to full strength. This is an extraordinary ability.

Seal Area: Even the least of Bosses can trap unfortunate heros into a death duel. Once per day this spell-like ability acts as a wall of force that cuts off all escape routes to an enclosed area. In an open area, it manifests as a sphere or hemisphere of force that seal an area with a radius of the Bosses choosing up to 100 feet. Antimagic cannot dispel it, but a Morkidens Disjunction targeting the sphere has a percent chance equal to 50 minus the Bosses Boss levels to to create an opening for the caster to get through. This effect can be dismissed by the Boss at any time, but it is also automatically dismissed upon the Bosses death.

Rage Form: A Boss that loses three health sets takes on a desperate, wrathful war form. Choose one of the following templates: Half Fiend, Half Celestial, Half Dragon, Lich. The Boss immediately apply this template upon expending its third health set. This is an extraordinary ability that ends when a health set is regained, regardless of how or what state of health the Boss is in at the time.

Important Note- if the Lich is chosen, you do not gain a phylactery.

Death Throes: At 5th level a Bosses death becomes spectacular. The Boss dies at zero hit points as opposed to -10, but unleashes a powerful burst of energy dealing 10d6 points of damage in a 100 foot radius. A DC (10+constitution modifier+hit dice) Reflex save halves the damage, the type of which is determined by the Rage Form: Dragon deals the breath weapon type, Lich deals negative energy, Fiend deals profane, Celestial deals holy.

Campaign Information

The Boss is a template intended for longer and more dangerous fights with major villains. While a player character could qualify for this class, it would require a campaign of villainy and challenges from other adventuring companies as opposed to the traditional adventuring career. For this reason I recommend that GMs only allow player character who are planning to retire anyway to take this class.

Playing a Boss

If you are playing a Boss, you have admitted you are evil. It doesn't matter what you or your character sheet says, for the very requirements for becoming a boss would make the one who meets them makes that individual not only a villain, but one who has cut a bloody enough swath through a world to bring the real heros in to try and stop them. If you take this class, congratufuckinglations: you are evil and have the annoying powers to show for it.

Combat: The Boss excels in what ever they excelled at previously, with a few added twists. Your various lives make it more likely that you will live long enough to kill all who oppose you, making it highly unlikely that being the center of a mass combat is a problem for you. When you have access to Rage Form, keep in mind it only kicks in when you are royally fucked, and goes away if you have a health set replenished. I highly recommend going ballistic at this point. Screw healing and conserving strength, deal as much damage as possible and don't stop until you die or run out of spells.

Advancement: Only very powerful organizations can support multiple Bosses, and they vary widely in resources. Thus, the best help you can get is a following of minions. Thus, it is wise to invest in Leadership if you haven't already. Otherwise, you are at your most powerful if you continue on as if you never became a Boss in the first place.

Resources: If you skipped over advancement, see that.

Bosses in the World

“

Damn you, Lord BalwaaaRRRRGH!

”

Bosses are the major villains of any world, period.

NPC Reactions: Bosses are feared by all lesser men, and dare not challenge them. Only the bravest or most idiotic of heros even dare confront a Boss, let alone act against one.

Boss Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (History) can research a Boss to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge History

DC	Result
11	Every now and then a being so evil appears that seems unbeatable.
16	Referred to as Bosses, these beings are difficult to defeat and are paragons of what evil can do.
21	Very powerful Bosses are dangerous to fight, becoming more powerful as they become injured.
26	A Boss, once he has achieved the pinnacle of power, will surely die some day, but I pity the fool to is around to witness it.

Bosses in the Game

A Boss serves a a major villain only, and performs very poorly in any other role. To include a Boss in a campaign is to sign its death warrant.

Adaptation: For very unrealistic campaigns only.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Prestige Classes