Overseer

The Overseer commands swarms of Minions, using its powers to whip its underlings into a frenzy. A ruthless taskmaster, it may also leech strength from its Minions to bolster its own power. Wherever minions are found, an Overseer may lead them - whether as a summoner commanding hordes of undead, or as the leader of a Goblin warband.

"Overseer" is a template that can be added to any intelligent creature within reason. The template may be more effective when added to creatures that already have the Leader subtype.

_{Prerequisite: Intelligence 10}
Overseer     -     Elite Brute (Leader), Elite Controller (Leader), or Elite Soldier (Leader)   -   XP Elite

^{Defenses +2 All
Saving Throws +2
Action Point 1
Hit Points +10 per level + Constitution score (brute) or +8 per level + Constitution score (controller or soldier)}

POWERS

Bolstering Aura - aura 5 
_{Minions within the aura gain a +2 power bonus to damage.}

Battle Orders (minor, at will, once per turn)
_{A Minion within Bolstering Aura either moves a number of spaces equal to the Overseer's speed, or makes a basic attack.}

Life Trade (minor, at will, once per turn) - Healing
_{Revive up to 4 Minions within Bolstering Aura. The Overseer takes damage equal to its level.}

Sacrifice (immediate reaction, when struck by an attack; recharge 456, usable when Bloodied)
_{Kill up to 4 Minions within Bolstering Aura. Overseer gains a +1 power bonus to defenses against the triggering attack for each Minion killed in this way.}

Notes

The Overseer template can be used whenever you want to pit the party against a "goonswarm" style of encounter. Either pair a single Elite Overseer with a massive swarm of Minions, or double up templates for a BBEG whose henchmen aid him in battle (note the synergy between the Overseer and Death Knight templates, for example).

Some important things to consider:

-The number of player turns between the Overseer's turn and its Minions' can have a dramatic impact on the difficulty of the encounter. If you want a really crazy fight, consider having the Minions delay their initiative to act immediately after the Overseer.

-A well-optimized party may tear a single Elite creature down too quickly for an Elite Overseer to pose a challenge. Against a party of munchkins, consider going with a Solo.

-Don't remove killed minions from the map, as the Overseer can revive them. You can use flat markers (such as pennies) to keep track of corpses without cluttering the battlefield.

-More experienced DMs may be better able to run an Overseer encounter smoothly. In particular, you need to get through the Minions' turn quickly in order for the encounter not to drag. Knowing your PCs' defenses can help speed your turn up - just make sure not to forget if they have buffs to their AC.

-The challenge posed by a fight with an Overseer can have more to do with the abilities of the Minions than with those of the base creature to which the template is applied. Get creative, but use your best judgment.

Sample Encounters

Level 10; 2200xp
Difficulty: Normal
-2 Succubus Overseers - lvl 9 Elite Controller (Leader) - MM67
-8 Human Lackeys - lvl 7 Minion - MM162

Each Succubus can prevent a PC from attacking her, while the Lackeys benefit from a defense bonus as long as they're massed up.

Level 14; 5000xp
Difficulty: Hard
-1 Mummy Lord (Human Cleric) Overseer - lvl 13 Solo Controller (Leader) - MM192
-4 Cyclops Guards - lvl 14 Minion - MM46

Large-sized Minions! The Mummy grants allies in its aura a bonus to defenses, while the Minions get to strike when an attack misses them. The Mummy also gets to recover instantly from negative effects, which is nice for a solo. Even against a tougher party, this could be a nasty encounter.

Level 18; 9000xp
Difficulty: Very Hard
-1 Slaughter Wight Overseer - Lvl 18 Elite Brute (Leader) - MM263
-10 Abyssal Ghoul Hungerers - Lvl 18 Minion - MM119

The Ghouls explode on death, dealing automatic damage to nearby PCs. The Wight can revive them to do it again next turn, and can recover the HP spent in so doing while stealing Healing Surges. When the Wight dies, every Minion in his aura gets a free basic attack. Brutal!

Optional Elements

Bloody: The "Sacrifice" power becomes available once the Overseer is bloodied, allowing it to stretch out its own survival at the cost of its Minions.

Minion Leader: 'Nuff said.

Nimbused: "Bolstering Aura" buffs the Overseer's Minions, and all of the Overseer's powers act on Minions within the aura.