>>15323216
He brought the most trusted of his circle to him, and he sent them out to many different lands on a secret mission: to bring back innocent children; a component in the ritual to create his phylactery. The children went missing, and some few investigators even discovered that they were brought to the castle of The Dancer in White, and were never heard from again. The true purpose of their departure was never known; naturally, people assumed the worst.

Then, he began experimenting. Agents in his employ gave up their bodies and souls to him, as his wizards, clerics, and sorcerers converted them into liches, trying many different methods to allow them to retain their former bodies or at lest their sensations. After several years, they found a workaround The Dancer in White was satisfied with. Combining the ritual to create a lich with the Project Image spell and an assortment of other illusions, liches created with his new ritual now had a magically-crafted projection of their former bodies around their bones at all times; one that could still see, hear, taste, smell, and feel like they could in life. He soon underwent the ritual himself.

He now heads a vast, expanding empire. His agents can still be found in other kingdoms, stealing secrets and artifacts that will aid The Dancer in his conquests. After years with his lich body, however, his self-image has shifted. He wears a white suit and a single white glove, and still performs in his kingdom. He still sees himself as the white Drow he was in life, but his face now takes on a distinctly skeletal look, especially evident in his nose. Those who are fortunate enough to meet The Dancer in White in person or see him perform describe his presence as enchanting, perhaps supernaturally so. To this day, he continues to accrue renown, even in the face of the evils he and his agents commit.

>>15323221
i say you he dead

Not gonna lie, I am tempted to use this.

I... wow. Bravo, monsignor. Well done!

Saved for posteriority.

oh god. hahaha.

that was awesome

Wow, I'm about to go to bed, but I'm glad I saw this. Well played, my good sir.

So how do a bunch of adventurers come to oppose the empire of The Dancer?

And this is why I love /tg/.

rolled 27 = 27

Wow. Nice one.

Obviously the other white glove is his phylactery. That's why he never wears it, he hides it somewhere.

ah so the white dancer got finalized since the last thread eh?

>>15323582
I wouldn't call him finalized. I just had the idea rolling around in my head all day at work today and came here to write down where I went with it. I am starting a new 3.5 campaign soon, and I actually think I am gonna use this guy. Of course, anyone else is welcome to as well.

So, /tg/, help me stat this guy?

>>15323564
>>15323564

>>15323610
well, it depends on the level you are rolling him for.

also bump for more awesome.

I would've preferred if his back story had him slowly turn pale white due to lich dom. creepier that way.

>>15324340
Oh damn, didn't think of it that way. You're right, that is way better.

This guy is probably the BBEG, so if not CR 20 then near that.

Also, I'm thinking he's got a trusted servant with him, and both of them have two different illusions on them. One is a DC 36 will save to see through, and true seeing doesn't work but does half the DC. The one on him looks like his servant, the one on his servant looks like a skeleton wearing his outfit. On top of that one, you've got another illusion that is DC 15 will save to see through, if you suspect him of not being who he says he is. The one on him looks like him and the one on his servant looks like his servant.

So, your average adventurers are gonna go in there, probably expect they're not really dealing with the real guy, and see through the outer illusion. They won't see through the inner illusion unless they're really lucky. They'll then think their suspicions are confirmed, and the servant is pretending to be him and he's pretending to be his servant, when actually, everything is exactly as it seemed to be. They attack the servant, The Dancer makes his getaway.

>>15324422
I think dabbling in the Virtuoso class from the complete adventurer might be a good fluffy thing.

the class is all about performance and using the bardic song ability. so having a fanatical mob that is being buffed up by a concert could be interesting.

hell I think even just going straight up bard would be good enough if a lich

11/10

Remember, he must be able to summon a legion of the undead by dancing.

>>15324601
he also needs to cast reverse gravity all the freaking time, so he can truly moonwalk

>>15324601
>>15324692
Holy shit I love you guys

>>15324601
The "Thriller" rule - any mention of controlling zombies must have at least one reference to the music video.

>>15324692
Gets +15 to tumble checks when Moonwalking

If the adventurers haven't figured out it's MJ by the first time they encounter him, he should just moonwalk past them all, toss his hat, grab his crotch, yell SHAMON and disappear is a puff of silver smoke.

>>15324801
greatest
somatic
component
ever

His ranged-attack dodging must involve the lean from the Smooth Criminal video.

A captain EO reference.

If there is anyone that betrays the Dancer, it should be named Hooter.

"Hooter you have failed me for the last time"

Also if the party asks what he wants to do.
"We're on a mission
In the everlasting light that shines
A revelation
Of the truth in chapters of our minds

So long, bad times
We're gonna shake it up and break it up
We're sharing light brighter than the sun
Hello , good times
We're here to simulate, eliminate
An' congregate, illuminate

(We are here to change the world)
Gonna change the world, Hee
(We are here to change the world)
Gonna change the world, Ooo

So do surrender
'Cause the power's deep inside my soul
Sing it"

>>15324801
>>15324692
the floor should be greased too so he can spin like crazy.

Whirlwind attack anyone?

Aohhh!

I'm writing up an entry for him, but I am kinda stumped on what to equip him with. Mithril seems the way to go, since it's pretty white and will mostly count as light armor anyway. Mithril left glove of SHAMON (Teleport 1/day when activated by command word). Backwards shoes of walking forwards (Shoes of lunar footfall?) wearer tumbles at his move speed at +10. Hat of the Glib Scofflaw, +something reflex.

He should probably also wear some things that make him threatening too.

>>15324980
An enchanted fedora.

>>15324980
He's also physically strong enough to turn pool balls into dust with his bare hand.

>>15325016
>Hat of the Glib Scofflaw, +something reflex.
Though I guess I should just make that dex instead

is this archived yet?

>>15324980
ring of evasion is a must, so he can dodge all smooth criminal like.

>>15325016
the rims should be bladed and have the returning quality.

good lord this made me laugh, dont stop until you have him statted out. And when you do havehim statted, SHARE THAT SHIT.

Does The Dancer in White also give out a lot of money to charity?

I know this isn't specific to the MJ thing, but with any epic-level bard, one thing that is pretty cool is the now super-pimped-out bardic knowledge ability. I'd say give the guy an intelligence of 20 or so, plus the knowledge(history) +5 giving the +2 synergy bonus, making his bardic knowledge roll bonus +27. This means that odds are, unless the party has been spending all its time in caves and never entered a city in their entire career, by the time they're in his city, he can recognize them on sight, knows what all of them can do, knows they're either already opposing him or are likely to once they arrive, and he's probably known about that long enough to have some kind of contingency plan tailored to them for when they show up in his throne room.

I had an idea for MJ as a Galetaid Promethean who lost too much humanity. He's now a twisted mockery of his former self.

>>15325262
Keep on with the force don't stop
Don't stop 'til he's statted up

sorry part of the post threw that into my head. someone come up with a better first line.

>>15325338
"I totally knew you were coming and how you do things so I choreographed the entire fight. Check it out. (every action should be acted out as if it was planned from the beginning."

everytime someone fumbles or makes a critical hit, he should be like, no no no you are messing up the steps!

>>15325363
God, I'd love to see an all celebrity Promethean campaign.

>>15325426
Have the Governator as a Ferrum

>>15325411
That is a fantastic idea, and not too far-fetched.

Looking at the descriptions for bardic knowledge, I am beginning to wonder why more BBEGs aren't bards, or why people could ever consider them underpowered. The bonus for the roll is bard level + int bonus + 2 synergy bonus for 5 or more ranks in knowledge (history), and the DC for the highest rank on the table is 30, for knowledge that has been entirely forgotten except to people who don't know what it means. If a bard's got a +27 bonus, even if they roll a 1 they're probably gonna know the names, occupations, family history, secret fears, secret fetishes, and approximate wealth in the houses of every single person they pass by.

The Dancer in White
Male drow lich bard 20
NE Medium undead humanoid (elf)
Init/Senses: +4/ darkvision 60 ft., Listen +25, Spot +10
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan, Undercommon
AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 19
HP: 138
Immune: cold, electricity, polymorph, magical sleep, mind-affecting attacks, poison, paralysis, stunning, disease, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, ability damage to physical ability scores, fatigue, exhaustion, polymorph, death effects, death from massive damamge, any effect requiring a fort save that is not harmless or does not also affect objects.
SR: 31
DR: 15/bludgeoning and magic
Fort/Ref/Will: +6/+16/+14 (+20 against enchantment, spells, and spell-like abilities)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Base Atk/Grp: +15/+10/+5
Special attacks: Fear aura, Paralyzing touch
Special Qualities: Bardic knowledge (+27), Bardic Music,
Abilities: Str 12, Con -, Dex 16 (11, +2 drow, +3 Backwards Shoes of Forwards-Walking), Int 20 (16, +2 drow, +2 lich) , Wis 15 (13 +2 lich), Cha 31 (18, +2 drow, +2 lich, +5 Tome of Leadership and Influence, +4 Rod of Splendor)
Spell-like abilities: 1/day:dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
Feats: Exotic weapon Proficiency (Hat)
Spells: 0th-level (6); 1st-level (8); 2nd-level (8); 3rd-level (7); 4th-level (7); 5th-level (7); 6th-level (6)
Skills: Appraise +18, Bluff +33, Diplomacy +38, Disguise +23, Gather Information +38, Hide +8, Knowlege (History) +5, Listen +25, Move Silently +8, Perform (Dance) +38, Perform (Sing) +23, Search +10, Sense Motive +31, Spellcraft +20, Spot +10, Tumble +15, Use Magic Device +10
Equipment: Mithril Left Glove of SHAMON, +3 Returning Hat of Wounding, Backwards Shoes of Forwards-Walking, Rod of Splendor, Ring of Evasion, Mithril Breastplate (?)

Sorry, I got distracted, and now I gotta go to work. Someone finish this please.

Pff, I liked BiW when he was still underground.

>>15325579
AWESOME!!!

>>15325596
>underground
>drow lich

What you did there, he sees it.

>>15325579
This guy's got something going on so he can still feel, and he doesn't look like a skeleton, right? I don't think he should have frightful presence. Also, only 16 dex seems a little low, and it looks like his initiative was based on that value so it was probably changed from 18. Maybe trade the frightful presence for +2 dex, with the rationality that he's now lighter, and has the same ability to feel how his body moves as he had before, and usually someone on either side of the transformation into a lich only has one or the other of those two things.

He's got no light weakness, and his darkvision should be 120 ft. Actually, I guess you could rationalize that as "he's using the lich's eyes now, so he's not dazzled by light but can't see as far in the dark" and it evens out, so nevermind. Hard to picture MJ getting dazzled by sunlight, anyway.

requested an archive.

>>15325579

>Backwards Shoes of Forwards-Walking

>>15325579
Damn this is a good set to go by. I'd like to point out a few PrC's, but pure Bard should do fine.

Sublime Chord for spells up to 9th level, maybe house rule that he uses only Somatic compoents instead of the usual only Verbal components for bardic spells. This would allow him to summon up a horde of undead Just By Dancing.

Dirgesinger from Libris Mortis, more of an undeath feel to it, and would be better for boosting his minions. Perhaps this could be used if the DM decides that the experiemtns failed, and the Dancer now laments his loss of life.

Virtuoso sounds good as well.

>>15325654
improved initiative as a feat wouldn't hurt either.

dodge, mobility, spring attack seems to be a feat selection worthy too.

>>15325654
Even if he's beautiful, even if he's charming, even if he looks downright divine,

there's still something terrifying about something so seemingly perfect. This BBEG is based off of a man that walked onto a stage before thousands of people and prompted them all to ecstatic cheers by Putting A Single Glove on his hand.

Well done OP

>>15325579
I was hesitant about the rod of splendor, until I realized it could also double as a microphone.

Saves look a little off, and what >>15325654 said about the dexterity, and needs a couple more feats and a spell list. He could probably do with a belt and an amulet.

Also, I almost hate to ask, but what should he have as a phylactery?

>>15325854
Nobody knows. It's a single item among his thousands of treasures.

>>15325854
>what should he have as a phylactery?
Nose of Vecna.
Or maybe his preserved nose from before he became lich. When he became lich, he severed the nose, made it into a phylactery, and petrified it.
He used to wear it in the place of his nose, but after the Nosedrop Incident he decided to store it and use an illusion spell for his nose.

>>15325854
His original nose...

>>15325854
bodyless ao implanted his phylactery inside the heart of a little kid, just saying

base stats for the hat, without any enchantments figured in

2d6 thrown, range increment 20, crit 19-20 x3

Every BBEG needs a lair.

>>15325981
2d6 seems high, that's the same as a greatsword. If you imagine it like one of those ring frisbees with a razor edge and a hat in the hole in the center, I could see it being maybe d8, but that's still puching it. On the other hand, you can throw a frisbee much farther than 20 feet, and I imagine someone versed in the arts of frisbee combat could, likewise, so I'd say make it 60 ft. and also able to curve around corners based on the way it's thrown, like a frisbee can. I could see you being able to justify the higher crit range, sure.

d8, flies 60 feet, does not have to follow a straight line but may not change directions more than twice, crit range 19-20 x3.

Let's make the razor edge out of adamantium too, just for shits/giggles

>>15325338
>>15325411

Probably the most epic idea I've seen on /tg/ since I started lurking five years ago.

>This entire thread

/tg/, have I mentioned lately that I love you?

Achieving goals not attainable in a drow lifetime? What the fucknigger, they live for thousands of years if not killed by someone

>>15326209
No, but you never mentioned you were a fag either.

You could treat the fedora like a Halfling Skiprock. Halfling or other people profcient with it could do some cool stunts with them. I'm not sure what book it was from though.

And now I can't stop listening to Smooth Criminal!

>>15323564
>>15325854
I thought the white glove was going to be the phylactery?

Bump for finished stats. I'm working on them again, and I don't want the thread to die in the meantime.

Okay, here goes. I'm almost positive I fudged something somewhere, let me know if you see anythign out of place or you think something else would work better.

The Dancer in White
Male drow lich bard 20
NE Medium undead humanoid (elf)
Init/Senses: +8/ darkvision 60 ft., Listen +25, Spot +10
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, Sylvan, Undercommon
AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 19
HP: 138
Immune: cold, electricity, polymorph, magical sleep, mind-affecting attacks, poison, paralysis, stunning, disease, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain, ability damage to physical ability scores, fatigue, exhaustion, polymorph, death effects, death from massive damamge, any effect requiring a fort save that is not harmless or does not also affect objects.
SR: 31
DR: 15/bludgeoning and magic + 15/magic
Fort/Ref/Will: +6/+16/+16 (+16 against enchantment, spells, and spell-like abilities)
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Base Atk/Grp: +15/+10/+5
Special attacks: Fear Aura, Paralyzing touch
Special Qualities: Bardic knowledge (+27), Bardic Music, Veil of life
Abilities: Str 12, Con -, Dex 18 (11, +2 drow, +5 Backwards Shoes of Forwards-Walking), Int 20 (16, +2 drow, +2 lich) , Wis 15 (13 +2 lich), Cha 34 (18, +2 drow, +2 lich, +12 Cloak of Epic Charisma)
Spell-like abilities: 1/day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
Feats: Ability Focus (Bardic Music), Cloak Dance, Exotic weapon Proficiency (Hat), Extra Music, Improved Initiative, Improved Will, Jack of all Trades

continued...

>>15330820

Spells:
0th-level: Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Message, Prestidigitation, Resistance
1st-level: Comprehend Languages, Disguise Self, Expeditious Retreat, Hideous Laughter, Silent Image, Undetectable Alignment, Unseen Servant, Ventriloquism
2nd-level: Alter Self, Detect Thoughts, Enthrall, Hold Person, Invisibility, Minor Image, Mirror Image, Tongues
3rd-level: Charm Monster, Clairvoyance, Crushing Despair, Dispel Magic, Glibness, Major Image, Sculpt Sound, See Invisibility
4th-level: Break Enchantment, Detect Scrying, Dominate Person, Hold Monster, Greater Invisibility, Modify Memory, Shadow Conjuration, Zone of Silence
5th-level: Greater Dispel Magic, Mind Fog, Mislead, Persistent Image, Seeming, Song of Discord, Mass Suggestion
6th-level: Mass Charm Monster, Irresistible Dance, Permanent Image, Project Image, Programmed Image, Veil
Skills: Appraise +18, Bluff +23, Diplomacy +23, Disguise +23, Gather Information +23, Hide +16, Knowlege (History) +5, Listen +25, Move Silently +8, Perform (Dance) +23, Perform (Sing) +23, Search +10, Sense Motive +31, Spellcraft +20, Spot +10, Tumble +15, Use Magic Device +10
Equipment: Left Glove of SHAMON, +3 Returning Hat of Wounding (1d8, can be thrown 60 ft. and change direction no more than twice during flight, thrown crit range 20 x2, when used as melee weapon, crit range 19-20 x3), Backwards Shoes of Forwards-Walking, Ring of Evasion, Cloak of Epic Charisma (+12), +3 Mithril Breastplate of Great Invulnerability (DR 15/magic)

Can you work a cloaker named Blanket in there somewhere?