Creating a boss. I want to add spells and maybe an innate ability.

Greetings Forum folks.

I am having a wonderful time building in the custom campaign.

I want to create an 'npc' enemy leader. I was hoping to have this enemy re appear at least twice higher in strength each time.

My first choice was to take the Tiefling Adept in the Bestiary and add abilities/spells.

Let me lay out where I wanted to begin and perhaps some folks here can give a bit of guidance.

She starts at lvl 3 but I wanted her to be lvl 5 and add lightning bolt to her spell list.

Over all she comes exactly how Id like.

Is there a formula on how to adjust her stats/ac/hps for this? I was thinking of just using the 'elite' adjustments but didn't know if i would add these adjustments (for each level going up).

I also wanted her to have invisibility as an innate power (1 action, 3x day)

Also would I need to add these spells of hers to her 'spells tab'? I would normally drop SR's spells to this tab.

Thanks again!

The CRB+ spells should be easily droppable now for NPC building, too, so I would go that route.

First question, is this a creature the characters should or could encounter in combat? If not, I wouldn't stress too much about it. Even a couple of elite adjustments are fine. However, if not....

As for creating a higher level version.. honestly, I'd consider just creating that 3rd level version that you feel comfortable with (giving her the spells and abilities you'd like her to have), then adjusting up as would make sense as a creature advances. The Elite (and Weak) adjustment is great for quick/dirty little builds, very handy, but for a creature you might want to evolve, I'd consider thinking it completely through. If she *needs* to survive to 5th level (but will be confronted before then), you also might want to make sure she has some solid protection at 3rd level, because a Tiefling Adept won't survive long against even a low level group.

With that in mind, it's not so much about a "Logical" approach but an "End Result" approach. Where should she be by 5th level? If you have Abomination Vaults #1, there's a character in there named Wrin Sivinxi. She's a Tiefling Caster with some special abilities, etc., you'll want to drop but would be a good baseline of what a 5th level boss/leader might look like. The AC, HPs, Saves, etc. If you don't have that, Dero Magister is a good example from the Bestiary. The idea is to get a baseline to work from. How you then approach giving special abilities, etc., is up to you, but you have something to work from. Creating these creatures is as much artform as technical.

Referring to the "Building Creatures" section of the Gamemastery Guide might give you some pointers/ideas: https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=995

All very helpful, thank you. I forgot about Wrin.

I was going to create the boss at lvl 5 and have the party encounter her at lvl 3 or 4.

She would have minions 'blocking/melee at first and she would disengage and flee for a later date. Trenloe, you nailed it. I have that very guide in hardcopy and I really need to read it cover to cover before I come here.