Oudyn
2014-12-06, 01:16 PM
So, my players are going to be facing off against Tharizdun in my Pathfinder campaign. (We run a custom setting with many D&D specific creatures). In this setting, Tharizdun takes a page from his 4e version. More specifically, in the days of old, Cthulhu and the Obiryths came to the world from a realm unknown. The great Dragon God Io viewed these chaotic beings as dangerous, and sought to destroy Cthulhu. Cthulhu lost an eye, but managed to escape. Furious for revenge, the Great Old One traveled alone, to lands even his kind dared not venture. He found a shard of created that resonated with pure power, and pure evil. He absorbed it, becoming one with both Evil and Chaos. Cthulhu became Tharizdun. Tharizdun took his revenge. He used the shard's power to turn his star spawn into the first demons. Tharizdun marched upon the gods with his newfound army, slaying countless numbers of them. Io himself was torn asunder. From the dragon's corpse rose Bahamut and Tiamat. The two new gods fought Tharizdun while the older ones conducted a ritual - a ritual to banish the Great Old One. They succeeded.
Until now. Tharizdun has awoken. The world was torn apart, with now only islands floating in the Astral Sea for mortals to live on. The might of the gods is not enough. They have held off Tharizdun for thousands of years since this event, but their power is waning. So Tharizdun shall soon roam free, unhindered by his ancient foes. The PC's have a chance, if a small one. My players are powergamers, so I whipped this up, based on the Cthulhu sat block in bestiary IV.
Any tips for running this beastie?
THARIZDUN CR 42
XP 9,830,400
CE Colossal aberration (chaotic, evil, outsider, Great Old One)
Init +15; Senses darkvision 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +53
Aura unspeakable presence (300 ft., DC 42)
DEFENSE
AC 51, touch 24, flat-footed 39 (+12 Dex, +10 insight, +27 natural, –8 size)
hp 1188 (36d8+900); fast healing 30
Fort +53, Ref +30, Will +46
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, immortality, insanity (DC 42), non-euclidean; DR 20/epic and good or lawful; Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, aging, cold, death effects, disease, electricity, energy drain, fire, mind-affecting effects, poison, paralysis, and petrification; Resist sonic 30; SR 41
DEFENSE
Speed 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (average), swim 60 ft.
Melee 4 claws +50 (4d6+31/19–20 plus grab), 4 tentacles +50 (2d10+45/19–20 plus grab), bite +50 (4d6+31)
Space 40 ft.; Reach 40 ft.
Special Attacks cleaving claws, constrict (3d6+45), dreams of madness, Mythic Power (10/day, Surge +1d12), powerful blows (tentacle), tentacles, trample (2d8+50, DC 53)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 30th; concentration +50)
Constant—freedom of movement, true seeing
At will—astral projection, control weatherM, dreamM, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, insanity (DC 36), nightmareM (DC 36), sendingM
3/day—antipathy (DC 36), demand (DC 30), quickened feeblemind, gate, weird (DC 37), Darkness, Poison, Unholy aura
1/day—implosion (DC 37), summon (level 9, 2d4 star-spawn of Tharizdun 100%), symbol of insanity, , (DC 36), Desecrate, Unholy blight, Contagion, Blasphemy, unhallow, Horrid wilting, Summon monster IX, Destruction, wish M
STATISTICS
Str 72, Dex 35, Con 61, Int 45, Wis 48, Cha 50
Base Atk +27; CMB +72 (+74 bull rush, +76 grapple or sunder); CMD 105 (107 vs. bull rush or sunder)
Feats Ability Focus (nightmare), Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Craft Wondrous Item, Critical Focus, Flyby Attack, Greater Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Hover, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Critical(tentacle), Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (feeblemind),Staggering Critical, Vital Strike
Skills Fly +42, Knowledge (arcana) +55, Knowledge (dungeoneering, engineering, geography, history, nature, planes, religion) +52, Perception +58, Sense Motive +55, Spellcraft +55, Swim +76, Use Magic Device +54
Languages Abyssal; telepathy 300 ft.
SQ compression, greater starflight, otherworldly insight
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Cleaving Claws (Ex)
A single attack from one of Tharizdun's claws can target all creatures in a 10-foot square. Make one attack roll; any creature in the area whose AC is equal to or lower than the result takes damage from the claw.
Dreams of Madness (Su)
When Tharizdun uses his nightmare spell-like ability on a creature with one or more ranks in a Craft or Perform skill, he also afflicts the creature with maddening dreams. In addition to the effect of nightmare, the target must succeed at a DC 48 Will save or contract a random insanity. This is a mind-affecting effect. A creature that already has an insanity is immune to this ability. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Greater Starflight (Su)
Tharizdun can survive in the void of outer space, and flies through outer space at incredible speeds. Although the exact travel time will vary from one trip to the next, a trip within a solar system normally takes Tharizdun 2d6 hours, and a trip beyond normally takes 2d6 days (or more, at the GM's discretion).
Immortality (Ex)
If Tharizdun is killed, his body immediately fades away into a noxious cloud of otherworldly vapor that fills an area out to his reach. This cloud blocks vision as obscuring mist, but can't be dispersed by any amount of wind. Any creature in this area must succeed at a DC 47 Fortitude save or be nauseated for as long as it remains in the cloud and for an additional 1d10 rounds after it leaves the area. Tharizdun returns to life after 2d6 rounds, manifesting from the cloud and restored to life via true resurrection, but is staggered for 2d6 rounds (nothing can remove this staggered effect). If slain again while he is staggered from this effect, Tharizdun reverts to vapor form again and his essence fades away after 2d6 rounds, returning to his prison until he is released again. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Non-Euclidean (Ex)
Tharizdun does not exist wholly in the physical world, and space and time strain against his presence. His apparent and actual position are never quite the same, granting him a 50% miss chance against all attacks. True seeing can defeat this miss chance, but any creature that looks upon Tharizdun while under the effects of true seeing must succeed at a DC 42 Will save or be afflicted by a random insanity (this is a mind-affecting effect). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Tentacles (Ex)
Tharizdun's tentacles are a primary attack.
Unspeakable Presence (Su)
Failing a DC 42 Will save against Tharizdun's unspeakable presence causes the victim to immediately die of fright. This is a death and fear effect. A creature immune to fear that fails its save against Tharizdun's unspeakable presence isstaggered for 1d6 rounds instead of killed. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Flames of the Apocalypse (Su)
Any creature dealt melee damage by Tharizdun is instantly dealt an equal amount of fire damage. In addition, any creature within Tharizdun’s Unspeakable Presence Aura is instantly dealt 6d12 fire damage at the start of its turn due to extreme heat. A successful fortitude save (DC 42) halves this damage.
Destructive Conversion (Su)
Tharizdun may expend any spell like ability use he has to instead cast an equal or lower levelled cleric domain spell from any of the domains he can grant: Chaos, Evil, Madness, Void and Fire, as well as from the subdomains Arson, Dark Tapestry, Insanity, Nightmare, and Stars.
Essence of Annihilation (Ex)
Tharizdun ignores all damage reduction, resistances and immunities when he deals slashing, bludgeoning or piercing damage with a natural weapon (The fire damage from Flames of the Apocalypse can still be resisted). In addition, whenever Tharizdun kills a creature, he gains 12d8 temporary HP. These temporary HP last until he rests.
Beyond Eternity (Ex)
Tharizdun is a being older than the oldest god’s imagining. His link to eternity is unknowably strong. Any attempts to displace him in time automatically fail. If Tharizdun is caught within a Time Stop spell, he may act as normal for the duration of the spell.
Wrath of the Stars (Ex)
Once per day, Tharizdun can cast a quickened, maximized, empowered, intensified, burning, flaring, widened Flamestrike spell. This Flamestrike deals 10d6 + 120 damage to a 20 ft radius and applies the burning and flaring effects.
Great Old One Subtype
A Great Old One is a powerful, alien entity—a being from another world, from another dimension, or even from the distant past or future. All Great Old Ones are chaotic, and most of them are also evil. They can be any creature type, but most are aberrations or magical beasts. Great Old Ones have the following traits.
• A Great Old One's natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as chaotic, epic, and Mythic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Although Great Old Ones grant spells to their worshipers, they don't seem to be interested in their worshipers beyond their own inscrutable ends—a Great Old One is just as likely to destroy one of its cultists as it is to destroy a nonbeliever. A Great Old One grants access to four domains and four subdomains, and its cults have a favored weapon—the exact details vary for each Great Old One.
• Immortality (Ex) A Great Old One does not need to eat, drink, or breathe, nor does it age. A Great Old One that is slain does not truly die—rather, it is forced into an extended period of dormancy that can last years, centuries, or longer. Exact details of this vary and are described in individual creature entries. Methods to permanently slay a Great Old One might exist, but such methods have yet to be learned by mortals. Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, aging, cold, death effects, disease, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, and petrification.
• Insanity (Ex) Any creature that attempts to interact directly with a Great Old One's thoughts (such as via detect thoughts or telepathy) must succeed at a Will save or be driven permanently insane. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Great Old One's Hit Dice + the Great Old One's Charisma modifier. This duplicates the effect of the insanity spell, or the insanity rules (in which case the save DC is also the ongoing insanity DC). A Great Old One using its telepathy to communicate doesn't activate this ability unless it spends a standard action to focus its mind on one opponent. This is a mind-affecting effect.
• Mythic (Su) A Great Old One has Mythic Power (10/day, Surge +1d12) and counts as a 10th-rank Mythic creature. A Great Old One can use any of its spell-like abilities as the Mythic versions of those spells (if a Mythic version of that spell exists), expending Mythic Power as normal. It can also expend Mythic Power to use the augmented versions of these spell-like abilities.
• Otherworldly Insight (Ex) All Great Old Ones gain a +10 insight bonus on Initiative checks and to AC.
• Unspeakable Presence (Su) A Great Old One's aura inflicts intense mental anguish and torment upon all creatures within 300 feet who can see and hear the Great Old One. The exact effects caused by a Great Old One's unspeakable presence vary by type. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Great Old One's Hit Dice + the Great Old One's Charisma modifier) reduces or negates the effect. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Until now. Tharizdun has awoken. The world was torn apart, with now only islands floating in the Astral Sea for mortals to live on. The might of the gods is not enough. They have held off Tharizdun for thousands of years since this event, but their power is waning. So Tharizdun shall soon roam free, unhindered by his ancient foes. The PC's have a chance, if a small one. My players are powergamers, so I whipped this up, based on the Cthulhu sat block in bestiary IV.
Any tips for running this beastie?
THARIZDUN CR 42
XP 9,830,400
CE Colossal aberration (chaotic, evil, outsider, Great Old One)
Init +15; Senses darkvision 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +53
Aura unspeakable presence (300 ft., DC 42)
DEFENSE
AC 51, touch 24, flat-footed 39 (+12 Dex, +10 insight, +27 natural, –8 size)
hp 1188 (36d8+900); fast healing 30
Fort +53, Ref +30, Will +46
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, immortality, insanity (DC 42), non-euclidean; DR 20/epic and good or lawful; Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, aging, cold, death effects, disease, electricity, energy drain, fire, mind-affecting effects, poison, paralysis, and petrification; Resist sonic 30; SR 41
DEFENSE
Speed 60 ft., fly 200 ft. (average), swim 60 ft.
Melee 4 claws +50 (4d6+31/19–20 plus grab), 4 tentacles +50 (2d10+45/19–20 plus grab), bite +50 (4d6+31)
Space 40 ft.; Reach 40 ft.
Special Attacks cleaving claws, constrict (3d6+45), dreams of madness, Mythic Power (10/day, Surge +1d12), powerful blows (tentacle), tentacles, trample (2d8+50, DC 53)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 30th; concentration +50)
Constant—freedom of movement, true seeing
At will—astral projection, control weatherM, dreamM, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, insanity (DC 36), nightmareM (DC 36), sendingM
3/day—antipathy (DC 36), demand (DC 30), quickened feeblemind, gate, weird (DC 37), Darkness, Poison, Unholy aura
1/day—implosion (DC 37), summon (level 9, 2d4 star-spawn of Tharizdun 100%), symbol of insanity, , (DC 36), Desecrate, Unholy blight, Contagion, Blasphemy, unhallow, Horrid wilting, Summon monster IX, Destruction, wish M
STATISTICS
Str 72, Dex 35, Con 61, Int 45, Wis 48, Cha 50
Base Atk +27; CMB +72 (+74 bull rush, +76 grapple or sunder); CMD 105 (107 vs. bull rush or sunder)
Feats Ability Focus (nightmare), Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Craft Wondrous Item, Critical Focus, Flyby Attack, Greater Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Hover, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Critical(tentacle), Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (feeblemind),Staggering Critical, Vital Strike
Skills Fly +42, Knowledge (arcana) +55, Knowledge (dungeoneering, engineering, geography, history, nature, planes, religion) +52, Perception +58, Sense Motive +55, Spellcraft +55, Swim +76, Use Magic Device +54
Languages Abyssal; telepathy 300 ft.
SQ compression, greater starflight, otherworldly insight
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Cleaving Claws (Ex)
A single attack from one of Tharizdun's claws can target all creatures in a 10-foot square. Make one attack roll; any creature in the area whose AC is equal to or lower than the result takes damage from the claw.
Dreams of Madness (Su)
When Tharizdun uses his nightmare spell-like ability on a creature with one or more ranks in a Craft or Perform skill, he also afflicts the creature with maddening dreams. In addition to the effect of nightmare, the target must succeed at a DC 48 Will save or contract a random insanity. This is a mind-affecting effect. A creature that already has an insanity is immune to this ability. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Greater Starflight (Su)
Tharizdun can survive in the void of outer space, and flies through outer space at incredible speeds. Although the exact travel time will vary from one trip to the next, a trip within a solar system normally takes Tharizdun 2d6 hours, and a trip beyond normally takes 2d6 days (or more, at the GM's discretion).
Immortality (Ex)
If Tharizdun is killed, his body immediately fades away into a noxious cloud of otherworldly vapor that fills an area out to his reach. This cloud blocks vision as obscuring mist, but can't be dispersed by any amount of wind. Any creature in this area must succeed at a DC 47 Fortitude save or be nauseated for as long as it remains in the cloud and for an additional 1d10 rounds after it leaves the area. Tharizdun returns to life after 2d6 rounds, manifesting from the cloud and restored to life via true resurrection, but is staggered for 2d6 rounds (nothing can remove this staggered effect). If slain again while he is staggered from this effect, Tharizdun reverts to vapor form again and his essence fades away after 2d6 rounds, returning to his prison until he is released again. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Non-Euclidean (Ex)
Tharizdun does not exist wholly in the physical world, and space and time strain against his presence. His apparent and actual position are never quite the same, granting him a 50% miss chance against all attacks. True seeing can defeat this miss chance, but any creature that looks upon Tharizdun while under the effects of true seeing must succeed at a DC 42 Will save or be afflicted by a random insanity (this is a mind-affecting effect). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Tentacles (Ex)
Tharizdun's tentacles are a primary attack.
Unspeakable Presence (Su)
Failing a DC 42 Will save against Tharizdun's unspeakable presence causes the victim to immediately die of fright. This is a death and fear effect. A creature immune to fear that fails its save against Tharizdun's unspeakable presence isstaggered for 1d6 rounds instead of killed. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Flames of the Apocalypse (Su)
Any creature dealt melee damage by Tharizdun is instantly dealt an equal amount of fire damage. In addition, any creature within Tharizdun’s Unspeakable Presence Aura is instantly dealt 6d12 fire damage at the start of its turn due to extreme heat. A successful fortitude save (DC 42) halves this damage.
Destructive Conversion (Su)
Tharizdun may expend any spell like ability use he has to instead cast an equal or lower levelled cleric domain spell from any of the domains he can grant: Chaos, Evil, Madness, Void and Fire, as well as from the subdomains Arson, Dark Tapestry, Insanity, Nightmare, and Stars.
Essence of Annihilation (Ex)
Tharizdun ignores all damage reduction, resistances and immunities when he deals slashing, bludgeoning or piercing damage with a natural weapon (The fire damage from Flames of the Apocalypse can still be resisted). In addition, whenever Tharizdun kills a creature, he gains 12d8 temporary HP. These temporary HP last until he rests.
Beyond Eternity (Ex)
Tharizdun is a being older than the oldest god’s imagining. His link to eternity is unknowably strong. Any attempts to displace him in time automatically fail. If Tharizdun is caught within a Time Stop spell, he may act as normal for the duration of the spell.
Wrath of the Stars (Ex)
Once per day, Tharizdun can cast a quickened, maximized, empowered, intensified, burning, flaring, widened Flamestrike spell. This Flamestrike deals 10d6 + 120 damage to a 20 ft radius and applies the burning and flaring effects.
Great Old One Subtype
A Great Old One is a powerful, alien entity—a being from another world, from another dimension, or even from the distant past or future. All Great Old Ones are chaotic, and most of them are also evil. They can be any creature type, but most are aberrations or magical beasts. Great Old Ones have the following traits.
• A Great Old One's natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as chaotic, epic, and Mythic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Although Great Old Ones grant spells to their worshipers, they don't seem to be interested in their worshipers beyond their own inscrutable ends—a Great Old One is just as likely to destroy one of its cultists as it is to destroy a nonbeliever. A Great Old One grants access to four domains and four subdomains, and its cults have a favored weapon—the exact details vary for each Great Old One.
• Immortality (Ex) A Great Old One does not need to eat, drink, or breathe, nor does it age. A Great Old One that is slain does not truly die—rather, it is forced into an extended period of dormancy that can last years, centuries, or longer. Exact details of this vary and are described in individual creature entries. Methods to permanently slay a Great Old One might exist, but such methods have yet to be learned by mortals. Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, aging, cold, death effects, disease, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, and petrification.
• Insanity (Ex) Any creature that attempts to interact directly with a Great Old One's thoughts (such as via detect thoughts or telepathy) must succeed at a Will save or be driven permanently insane. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Great Old One's Hit Dice + the Great Old One's Charisma modifier. This duplicates the effect of the insanity spell, or the insanity rules (in which case the save DC is also the ongoing insanity DC). A Great Old One using its telepathy to communicate doesn't activate this ability unless it spends a standard action to focus its mind on one opponent. This is a mind-affecting effect.
• Mythic (Su) A Great Old One has Mythic Power (10/day, Surge +1d12) and counts as a 10th-rank Mythic creature. A Great Old One can use any of its spell-like abilities as the Mythic versions of those spells (if a Mythic version of that spell exists), expending Mythic Power as normal. It can also expend Mythic Power to use the augmented versions of these spell-like abilities.
• Otherworldly Insight (Ex) All Great Old Ones gain a +10 insight bonus on Initiative checks and to AC.
• Unspeakable Presence (Su) A Great Old One's aura inflicts intense mental anguish and torment upon all creatures within 300 feet who can see and hear the Great Old One. The exact effects caused by a Great Old One's unspeakable presence vary by type. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Great Old One's Hit Dice + the Great Old One's Charisma modifier) reduces or negates the effect. This is a mind-affecting effect.