Dark Kerman
2015-03-02, 06:44 PM
Hi all, I have long since loved the Fiend of Possession Prestige Class in Fiend Folio (Pg 204), but as many will point out, it was never meant for players, and as such has a number of issues. As such, I have developed a 10 level PrC developed for players, which uses the class, along with various other rules on possession to create a full PrC. Without further ado!
I made this class using the Fiend Folio class, but also combined it with elements from the Book of Vile Darkness (Pg 73), A Eberron Campaign Setting (Pg 100), and Fiendish Codex 1 (Pg 21).
The main problems I was looking to address with the FoP were:
1) The entry requirements. As it stands, the FoP was only really available if you were willing to munchkinise your character, or to suffer a huge hit due to LA/HD of picking the suitable races. As such, I have included a much more easy going entry, designed for first level.
2) Etherealness at will at first level. This was changed for Gaseous Form, which has much the same feel, without the sheer potency of etherealness. The ability to phase through objects combined with FoP makes for a really impossible encounter, especially combined with the following -
3) The fact that it is either to dominate an encounter via possession of discontinous objects. Whilst this is a really cool idea, it allows the Fiend to continually refresh itself, only being at risk for the one round it was ethereal, at which point it could merge beneath a surface, and gain a new host in the form of an animated object. I removed the ability to jump straight back into an object. As such, every FoP suffers what is effectively dump shock for 2-5 rounds, as it gets its bearings.
4) That once it was in the creature, it was otherwise impossible to remove. I've added ways that a person can oust a possessor in a battle of wills. This is an area that might need tweaking as I think it might still be too difficult to expunge the fiend.
5) If the enemies can deal with it, they are guaranteed to win. Due to having increased the potency of the class, I've kept this to a minimum, but I have included the ability to still possess suitably warded enemies, albeit at significant penalties. Once again, I'm considering altering the size of the penalty depending on opinion.
This is a first draft, with a google docs link provided below for the veiwing ease of any who would prefer. As such, any criticism is welcome. I especially suspect the Transformation may still be too strong, or too simple. I was aiming for a high 3, low 2 on the tier scale, roughly speaking, in terms of what it can do, though obviously given the nature of possession, Your Mileage May Vary.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q-_0s03kVkuPxC16CeNGlhi89-uzl-MzbmoXYrPppO0/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks again!
http://letxlovexfade.deviantart.com/art/Waking-the-demon-159267018
All credit of the image to letxlovexfade- http://letxlovexfade.deviantart.com/art/Waking-the-demon-159267018
FIEND OF POSSESSION
"Mother always said I had a way of winning people over" - Nocenn the Malefic, a Fiend of Possession
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special Abilities
1
0
0
0
2
Gaseous Form, Hide Presence, Possess Object
2
1
0
0
3
Magic Item, Watcher
3
2
1
1
3
Control Object, Curse
4
3
1
1
4
Animate Object, Possess Creature
5
3
1
1
4
Ally or Enemy, Mutterings (Suggestion) 1/day
6
4
2
2
5
Control Creature
7
5
2
2
5
Invisibility, Mutterings (Madness - Confusion)
8
6
2
2
6
Possess Noncontinuous Object, Mutterings (Suggestion) 2/day
9
6
3
3
6
Mutterings (Madness - Insanity), Possess Protected
10
7
3
3
7
Fiendish Apothesis, Transformation, Mutterings (Suggestion) 3/day
Requirements:
Race: Any outsider with the Evil subtype.
OR
Skills: Bluff 8 Ranks, Diplomacy 8 Ranks, Hide 8 Ranks
Base Save Bonuses: Will +4
Spells: Must be able to cast Gaseous Form as a spell, supernatural or spell-like ability.
Hit die: d6
CLASS SKILLS
The Fiend of Possession’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex or Int; see below), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
The following are class features of the fiend of possession prestige class. Saving throws against a fiend of possession’s supernatural abilities have a DC of 10 + the fiend of possession’s class level + its Charisma modifier, unless noted otherwise in the ability description.
Gaseous Form (Su):
At will, a Fiend of Possession can become gaseous, as though using Gaseous Form as cast by a sorcerer of the fiend's total Hit Dice or its sorcerer caster level (when using its spell-like abilities) plus its Fiend of Possession level, whichever is higher. Possessing an object or creature effectively ends a use of this ability, so time spent in another body or object does not count against the duration of this ability. In order to make use of any of the Possess Abilities, a Fiend of Possession must first be in Gaseous Form, as well as being next to the enemy.
Hide Presence (Ex):
A fiend in possession of an object or creature can attempt to hide its presence by making a special Hide check. This "mental" Hide check uses the fiend's highest mental stat as a modifier instead of its Dexterity modifier. A successful check allows a Fiend of Possession to avoid virtually anything that would betray its presence in the possessed creature or object: it can pass through a magic circle against evil, enter a temple warded by forbiddance, or escape detection via detect evil. The DC for this Hide check is the same as the saving throw DC for the spell the fiend is trying to avoid. The fiend gains a +4 circumstance bonus on this check if it is not controlling the possessed creature or object at the time of the check.
When possessing a creature, a Fiend of Possession can make this Hide check to protect the possessed creature from the full effects of alignment-based spells such as holy smite. If the fiend makes a successful Hide check (against the save DC of the spell), the possessed creature takes damage appropriate to its actual alignment, but if the fiend fails the Hide check, the possessed creature is affected as if it were the fiend.
Making this check is not an action; the fiend can do it in response to another creature's action (such as casting detect evil).
Possess Object (Su):
A Fiend of Possession in gaseous form can possess an object on the Material Plane. The object must be at least Tiny and no larger than Huge. Magic items and attended items receive Will saving throws. Unattended nonmagical items are automatically possessed. A Fiend of Possession becomes part of the object it possesses, so it is no longer gaseous. The fiend is aware of what is going on around the object: It can see and hear up to 60 feet away as if using its normal senses (it does not gain blindsight).
The fiend is vulnerable to spells that specifically affect outsiders or creatures of the fiend's alignment (such as holy word and holy smite, as well as chaos hammer or order's wrath) and mind-affecting spells or effects, but it is unaffected by physical attacks or standard magical effects (such as fireball). Harming the object does not harm the fiend, although if the object is destroyed, the fiend is forced back into its gaseous form.
While possessing an object, a Fiend of Possession can use any ability it has that requires no physical action, such as using a spell-like ability or telepathy. It cannot cast spells (since it can neither speak nor move), attack physically, or perform any other physical action, until it reaches a high enough level to make the possessed object perform these tasks for it.
Whilst possessing an object, the creature does not need to sleep, eat or age, though its host will still require this to do so, and spellcasters may have to sleep as part of gaining there spells.
Watcher (Su):
At 3rd Level, upon possessing an object, a Fiend of Possession may increase the range to which it can sense (up to 120 feet), as long as the object remains stationary.
Magic Item (Su):
A Fiend of Possession can possess weapons or armour and enhance it as if it were a magic item. The fiend can duplicate magic item powers worth up to 2,000 gp per level of Fiend of Possession. A fiend that possesses magic armor or a magic weapon can increase its power by the same amount. The Dungeon Master’s Guide give prices for various enhancements. The fiend is in control of the powers it bestows upon the item. It can take them away as a free action at a moment’s notice if the creature using the item does not act in a manner that the fiend wishes. These powers can be added to existing enchantments within a weapon.
If the fiend leaves the items, it loses all powers bestowed by the possession.
Despite the fiend’s duplication of magic item abilities, a non-magical possessed item doesn’t become actually magical. Detect magic will not sense an aura; detect evil will, however (unless the Fiend successfully hides their presence). Smart characters might notice that the possessed item behaves strangely or has an unusual appearance (a magic weapon that isn’t masterwork quality, for example, is a tipoff that something is awry). A character who succeeds at a Search check (DC 25) notes that there is “something strange” about the item.
Curse (Su):
At 3rd level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to make a possessed item radiate a corrupt and befouling nature. Anyone touching the object must make a Will save or fall under the effect of a bestow curse spell. the affected creature does not know that the curse came from the item, and in fact might not know right away that he or she is affected by the curse. Nothing about the object's appearance suggests that it is possessed. The curse lasts until it is removed, even if the fiend vacates the object it possessed.
Control Object (Su): When possessing an object with some inherent mobility, a Fiend of Possession of at least 3rd level can control the object's movement. The fiend can cause a vehicle or similar object to move at a speed up to the fiend's own land speed in its corporeal form. Other moving parts-such as a clock's hands or a crossbow's firing mechanism-are under the fiend's control. Thus, a fiend could make a wagon steer toward a pedestrian, or roll out of a stable without a horse to pull it. It could make a crossbow **** and fire (but not aim or load itself). Exerting control is itself a free action, though actually moving an object requires a move action.
Animate Object (Su):
At 4th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to force an object with no inherent moving parts to animate, effectively animating it as with the animate objects spell. See the description of animated objects in the Monster Manual. At this level, a Fiend of Possession can also possess (and animate) Gargantuan objects.
Possess Creature (Su):
At 4th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to possess creatures as well as objects. The fiend must be in gaseous form and adjacent to its target, and must use a standard action to attempt possession. A protection from evil spell or similar magic wards a creature against being possessed in this manner.
An unprotected target must make a Will saving throw. If the saving throw is successful, that creature is immune to that fiend's possession attempts for one day. If the saving throw is failed, the creature is possessed, though it is not necessarily aware of this fact.
A fiend possessing a creature becomes a part of the victim, so it is no longer gaseous. It cannot be targeted by spells or attacks separately from the victim. Damage taken by the possessed creature has no effect on the fiend. If the victim dies, the fiend is forced back into its gaseous form.
The fiend can sense anything the victim can, even including the benefits of blindsight or other exceptional senses the victim may have. At any time, the Fiend of Possession can communicate with the victim telepathically, projecting words in any language the victim understands directly into the victim's thoughts. The fiend is constantly aware of the victim's current thoughts. It can also choose to probe the creature's memories as well, but the victim is allowed a Will save. If this saving throw is successful, the fiend cannot probe that creature's thoughts for one day.
Whilst possessing an object, the fiend does not need to sleep, eat or age.
Ally or Enemy (Su):
At 5th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to reward or punish a creature it is possessing. If the possessed creature is aware of the fiend's presence and willing to host the fiend, the fiend can bestow up to a +4 profane bonus on any one of the creature's ability scores. This bonus lasts as long as the fiend wants it to: The fiend can retract it as a free action at any time, particularly if the possessed creature starts acting contrary to the fiend's wishes.
Similarly, a Fiend of Possession can instead bestow up to a -4 profane penalty on any one of the possessed creature's ability scores, usually when attempts to control the creature have failed or the creature contradicts the fiend's wishes. As with the bonus, the fiend can remove this penalty at any time, as a free action.
Bestowing either a bonus or a penalty is a free action for the possessing fiend. Whilst controlling the creature, the benefits and penalties are only applicable to the physical stats of the creature, not the mental stats. The host notices the change, though does not necessarily know the cause.
Mutterings (Su):
Mutterings of Suggestion: At 5th Level, a Fiend of Possession can influence the actions of a creature it possesses via magical insinuation once per day. In addition to any attempts to convince the victim via traditional means, the Fiend of Possession is able to implant a suggestion in the mind of a host, as per the Suggestion spell cast by a Sorcerer of the Fiends level. The Fiend is able to do this an additional time per day at 8th and 10th level.
Mutterings of Madness: In addition to nonmagical attempts to harm its sanity, a Fiend may confuse a host once per day as per the Confusion spell cast by a Sorceror of the Fiend of Possessions level at 7th level. At 9th level, this can be upgraded to Insanity as cast by a Sorcerer of the fiends level, at the Fiends discretion, though each application uses up the Fiends Muttering of Insanity for the day
Spells such as Protection from Evil are unable to prevent Mutterings from effecting a creature's mind, though mindless creatures (such as vermin) or those protected by Mind Blank or similar are immune. In the case of Mind Blanked creatures however, the Fiend may still attempt to corrode their sanity via non-magical means.
Control Creature (Su):
At 6th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to exert direct control over a creature it is possessing. Attempting to establish control is a standard action for the fiend. The victim must make a Will saving throw each round until the fiend abandons the attempt, or the victim fails a saving throw and the fiend gains control. If the victim makes three consecutive saves against possession, it is able to eject the fiend as per possess creature. This is in addition to any attempts made by the victim to remove the possessor. Each round of struggle, the victim can take only a single move or attack action. Once the fiend gains control, it automatically maintains it for a number of rounds equal to its class level (6) + its Charisma modifier, + 1 for each previous occasion on which it has controlled this host. When this time elapses, the fiend can attempt to reassert control or not, as it chooses.
While in control of a victim, the Fiend of Possession has access to the creature's abilities, base attack bonus, feats, languages and spell knowledge, with the following caveats:
In the case of base attack bonus, the creature is able to use its own or the creatures, whichever is better. In regards to skills, the fiend is only able to access the skills keyed to a physical stat, with any mental skills being its own.
In regards to the spell knowledge of the creature, the fiend is only able to cast and prepare spells for which is has the minimum mental stats. For example a fiend with a wisdom of 12, would be unable to cast Heal upon possessing a 10th level cleric, whilst one with a wisdom of 15 would be able to.
For feats, the fiend is able to take access the feat so long as it makes the prerequisites. For example, a fiend with an intelligence of 12 would be unable to use the feat Expertise, but would be able to use it if it had an intelligence of 15.
The fiend now acts as though it is the creature in all other respects, until it loses or relinquishes control.
It can make use of its own spell-like abilities and spells as well. The fiend retains the creature's type, and is affected by spells and other effects as if it were the possessed creature except in regard to its alignment. For instance, a cornugon possessing the body of a wolf is subject to spells that affect animals, even though it is far more intelligent than a normal wolf. A balor possessing the body of a paladin is not subject to unholy blight, however, but is fully affected by holy smite.
The fiend can choose whether the possessed creature retains awareness of its body's senses and actions, in which case it can mentally communicate with the fiend, or simply blacks out for the duration of the control. Whilst possessing a creature, the fiend does not need to sleep, eat or age, though its host will still require this to do so, and spellcasters may have to sleep as part of gaining there spells.
Invisibility (Su):
At 7th Level, Whilst in Gaseous Form, a Fiend of Possession is treated as being Invisible, as if cast by a sorcerer of the Fiend of Possessions level. This is suppressible, and if the Fiend has Dispel Magic or similar cast on it, the invisibility is suppressed for 1 round per caster level of the spell.
Possess Noncontinuous Object (Su):
At 8th level, a Fiend of Possession can use its possess object ability to take control of an "object" more loosely defined: a pool of water, a cloud of dust, or a section of wall or floor, to a maximum of 30 foot in any direction. At this level, a Fiend of Possession can also possess (and animate) Colossal objects.
Possess Protected:
At 9th level, a Fiend is able to attempt to possess a creature under the effect of Protection from Evil or similar, though the DC is reduced by -10, and the Fiend takes 1d6 damage per hit dice of the target creature, should the creature succeed its save.
Transformation (Su):
At 10th level, upon possessing a creature, a Fiend of Possession may elect to take full control of the host. This is a long process, spanning many days, where the Fiend attempts to alter and co-opt the body of the host. Once per day, the Fiend may force the creature to make a will save over the course of three days, as the fiend attempts to meld its body and mind with the victim. The victim begins to take on features of the fiend, usually starting in places less obvious, such as on the chest and legs, and making its way out to the more visible portions of the body and hands as the control spreads. This process takes at three days to complete, assuming each attempt to resist fails. If the host succeeds in resisting the Fiend, the fiend is unable to attempt to take control of the host for the next 24 hours. In addition, the successful save counts towards any attempt that the host wishes to make to rid itself of the Fiend.
If the Transformation completes, the Fiend is able to take control of the host permanently as per the Control Creature ability. In the process, it subsumes its consciousness, rendering it unthinking and insensate, though the fiend is still able to probe its memories as per usual. Furthermore the host is able to shift between its original form and the hosts form, as per Alter Self, with the original form being treated as the new form. Whilst the host form is visible by True Seeing, this is still subject to the hide presence ability.
Should the Fiend wish to leave the host, it may do so as a standard action, though should the fiend wish to reclaim the host, it will have to do so as before. Once it has transformed the host, the Fiend is unable to be banished once it has fully transformed the host, though it may still be exorcised. If the Fiend is forcibly expelled from the host via magic or class abilities, the victim must make a fortitude save equivalent to DC 10 + ½ fiends level + fiends Cha), or take 1d6 points of damage per hit dice of the Fiend. Conversely, the Fiend must take 1d6 points of damage per hit dice of the host, should it be expelled, with no save as it is ripped from the host.
Use of this ability always makes the host aware of the fiends presence, though the fiend may attempt to prevent the host informing others, by forcing them to make a will save after each transformation, or to convince it not to via its Mutterings of Suggestion. If the victim resists this, it is able to inform others of its condition, otherwise it will hide the evidence of its transformation for the next 24 hours.
Fiendish Apothesis: Upon reaching 10th level, a Fiend of Possessions type changes to Outsider (Evil, Native) if it was not already an Outsider before. In addition, the Fiend of Possession no longer ages as the Fiend has given up its mortality. They do however retain any existing bonuses or penalties due to ageing.
Ending Possession:
Spells such as dismissal and banishment are among the only effects that can target a Fiend of Possession separately from the object or creature it inhabits. When these spells are directed against a Fiend of Possession, the spell effect is resolved as if the fiend were in its normal, corporeal form, using its own Hit Dice, saving throws, ability scores, and so on. If successful, these spells drive the fiend out of the victim and back to its home plane. Holy word and similar spells can also drive out a possessing fiend and send it back to its home plane, but a fiend can hide its presence to escape the effects of such spells. Certain other special abilities (such as the granted power of the Exorcism prestige domain described in Defenders of the Faith) can force a Fiend of Possession out of a victim and back into its gaseous form.
If the Fiend of Possession is ejected from the item it is possessing, or decides to leave, it must wait 1d4 + 1 rounds before it can possess an object or creature again, due to the dump shock of the process.
If the victim is aware that it is being possessed, once per day it is allowed to make a series of will saves in order to eject the Fiend from its body. If it is able to make three Will Saves in a row against the Fiends Possession DC, it ejects the Fiend into an adjacent square, in gaseous form. Once this has occurred, the Fiend is no longer able to possess the creature for the rest of the day. Should the Fiend seek to repossess the creature, it loses any accrued bonuses to the save DC (such as by Magic Item or previous Controlling), with the creature getting an additional +2 to there will save, having ejected the Fiend previously.
I made this class using the Fiend Folio class, but also combined it with elements from the Book of Vile Darkness (Pg 73), A Eberron Campaign Setting (Pg 100), and Fiendish Codex 1 (Pg 21).
The main problems I was looking to address with the FoP were:
1) The entry requirements. As it stands, the FoP was only really available if you were willing to munchkinise your character, or to suffer a huge hit due to LA/HD of picking the suitable races. As such, I have included a much more easy going entry, designed for first level.
2) Etherealness at will at first level. This was changed for Gaseous Form, which has much the same feel, without the sheer potency of etherealness. The ability to phase through objects combined with FoP makes for a really impossible encounter, especially combined with the following -
3) The fact that it is either to dominate an encounter via possession of discontinous objects. Whilst this is a really cool idea, it allows the Fiend to continually refresh itself, only being at risk for the one round it was ethereal, at which point it could merge beneath a surface, and gain a new host in the form of an animated object. I removed the ability to jump straight back into an object. As such, every FoP suffers what is effectively dump shock for 2-5 rounds, as it gets its bearings.
4) That once it was in the creature, it was otherwise impossible to remove. I've added ways that a person can oust a possessor in a battle of wills. This is an area that might need tweaking as I think it might still be too difficult to expunge the fiend.
5) If the enemies can deal with it, they are guaranteed to win. Due to having increased the potency of the class, I've kept this to a minimum, but I have included the ability to still possess suitably warded enemies, albeit at significant penalties. Once again, I'm considering altering the size of the penalty depending on opinion.
This is a first draft, with a google docs link provided below for the veiwing ease of any who would prefer. As such, any criticism is welcome. I especially suspect the Transformation may still be too strong, or too simple. I was aiming for a high 3, low 2 on the tier scale, roughly speaking, in terms of what it can do, though obviously given the nature of possession, Your Mileage May Vary.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q-_0s03kVkuPxC16CeNGlhi89-uzl-MzbmoXYrPppO0/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks again!
http://letxlovexfade.deviantart.com/art/Waking-the-demon-159267018
All credit of the image to letxlovexfade- http://letxlovexfade.deviantart.com/art/Waking-the-demon-159267018
FIEND OF POSSESSION
"Mother always said I had a way of winning people over" - Nocenn the Malefic, a Fiend of Possession
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special Abilities
1
0
0
0
2
Gaseous Form, Hide Presence, Possess Object
2
1
0
0
3
Magic Item, Watcher
3
2
1
1
3
Control Object, Curse
4
3
1
1
4
Animate Object, Possess Creature
5
3
1
1
4
Ally or Enemy, Mutterings (Suggestion) 1/day
6
4
2
2
5
Control Creature
7
5
2
2
5
Invisibility, Mutterings (Madness - Confusion)
8
6
2
2
6
Possess Noncontinuous Object, Mutterings (Suggestion) 2/day
9
6
3
3
6
Mutterings (Madness - Insanity), Possess Protected
10
7
3
3
7
Fiendish Apothesis, Transformation, Mutterings (Suggestion) 3/day
Requirements:
Race: Any outsider with the Evil subtype.
OR
Skills: Bluff 8 Ranks, Diplomacy 8 Ranks, Hide 8 Ranks
Base Save Bonuses: Will +4
Spells: Must be able to cast Gaseous Form as a spell, supernatural or spell-like ability.
Hit die: d6
CLASS SKILLS
The Fiend of Possession’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex or Int; see below), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis). Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
The following are class features of the fiend of possession prestige class. Saving throws against a fiend of possession’s supernatural abilities have a DC of 10 + the fiend of possession’s class level + its Charisma modifier, unless noted otherwise in the ability description.
Gaseous Form (Su):
At will, a Fiend of Possession can become gaseous, as though using Gaseous Form as cast by a sorcerer of the fiend's total Hit Dice or its sorcerer caster level (when using its spell-like abilities) plus its Fiend of Possession level, whichever is higher. Possessing an object or creature effectively ends a use of this ability, so time spent in another body or object does not count against the duration of this ability. In order to make use of any of the Possess Abilities, a Fiend of Possession must first be in Gaseous Form, as well as being next to the enemy.
Hide Presence (Ex):
A fiend in possession of an object or creature can attempt to hide its presence by making a special Hide check. This "mental" Hide check uses the fiend's highest mental stat as a modifier instead of its Dexterity modifier. A successful check allows a Fiend of Possession to avoid virtually anything that would betray its presence in the possessed creature or object: it can pass through a magic circle against evil, enter a temple warded by forbiddance, or escape detection via detect evil. The DC for this Hide check is the same as the saving throw DC for the spell the fiend is trying to avoid. The fiend gains a +4 circumstance bonus on this check if it is not controlling the possessed creature or object at the time of the check.
When possessing a creature, a Fiend of Possession can make this Hide check to protect the possessed creature from the full effects of alignment-based spells such as holy smite. If the fiend makes a successful Hide check (against the save DC of the spell), the possessed creature takes damage appropriate to its actual alignment, but if the fiend fails the Hide check, the possessed creature is affected as if it were the fiend.
Making this check is not an action; the fiend can do it in response to another creature's action (such as casting detect evil).
Possess Object (Su):
A Fiend of Possession in gaseous form can possess an object on the Material Plane. The object must be at least Tiny and no larger than Huge. Magic items and attended items receive Will saving throws. Unattended nonmagical items are automatically possessed. A Fiend of Possession becomes part of the object it possesses, so it is no longer gaseous. The fiend is aware of what is going on around the object: It can see and hear up to 60 feet away as if using its normal senses (it does not gain blindsight).
The fiend is vulnerable to spells that specifically affect outsiders or creatures of the fiend's alignment (such as holy word and holy smite, as well as chaos hammer or order's wrath) and mind-affecting spells or effects, but it is unaffected by physical attacks or standard magical effects (such as fireball). Harming the object does not harm the fiend, although if the object is destroyed, the fiend is forced back into its gaseous form.
While possessing an object, a Fiend of Possession can use any ability it has that requires no physical action, such as using a spell-like ability or telepathy. It cannot cast spells (since it can neither speak nor move), attack physically, or perform any other physical action, until it reaches a high enough level to make the possessed object perform these tasks for it.
Whilst possessing an object, the creature does not need to sleep, eat or age, though its host will still require this to do so, and spellcasters may have to sleep as part of gaining there spells.
Watcher (Su):
At 3rd Level, upon possessing an object, a Fiend of Possession may increase the range to which it can sense (up to 120 feet), as long as the object remains stationary.
Magic Item (Su):
A Fiend of Possession can possess weapons or armour and enhance it as if it were a magic item. The fiend can duplicate magic item powers worth up to 2,000 gp per level of Fiend of Possession. A fiend that possesses magic armor or a magic weapon can increase its power by the same amount. The Dungeon Master’s Guide give prices for various enhancements. The fiend is in control of the powers it bestows upon the item. It can take them away as a free action at a moment’s notice if the creature using the item does not act in a manner that the fiend wishes. These powers can be added to existing enchantments within a weapon.
If the fiend leaves the items, it loses all powers bestowed by the possession.
Despite the fiend’s duplication of magic item abilities, a non-magical possessed item doesn’t become actually magical. Detect magic will not sense an aura; detect evil will, however (unless the Fiend successfully hides their presence). Smart characters might notice that the possessed item behaves strangely or has an unusual appearance (a magic weapon that isn’t masterwork quality, for example, is a tipoff that something is awry). A character who succeeds at a Search check (DC 25) notes that there is “something strange” about the item.
Curse (Su):
At 3rd level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to make a possessed item radiate a corrupt and befouling nature. Anyone touching the object must make a Will save or fall under the effect of a bestow curse spell. the affected creature does not know that the curse came from the item, and in fact might not know right away that he or she is affected by the curse. Nothing about the object's appearance suggests that it is possessed. The curse lasts until it is removed, even if the fiend vacates the object it possessed.
Control Object (Su): When possessing an object with some inherent mobility, a Fiend of Possession of at least 3rd level can control the object's movement. The fiend can cause a vehicle or similar object to move at a speed up to the fiend's own land speed in its corporeal form. Other moving parts-such as a clock's hands or a crossbow's firing mechanism-are under the fiend's control. Thus, a fiend could make a wagon steer toward a pedestrian, or roll out of a stable without a horse to pull it. It could make a crossbow **** and fire (but not aim or load itself). Exerting control is itself a free action, though actually moving an object requires a move action.
Animate Object (Su):
At 4th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to force an object with no inherent moving parts to animate, effectively animating it as with the animate objects spell. See the description of animated objects in the Monster Manual. At this level, a Fiend of Possession can also possess (and animate) Gargantuan objects.
Possess Creature (Su):
At 4th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to possess creatures as well as objects. The fiend must be in gaseous form and adjacent to its target, and must use a standard action to attempt possession. A protection from evil spell or similar magic wards a creature against being possessed in this manner.
An unprotected target must make a Will saving throw. If the saving throw is successful, that creature is immune to that fiend's possession attempts for one day. If the saving throw is failed, the creature is possessed, though it is not necessarily aware of this fact.
A fiend possessing a creature becomes a part of the victim, so it is no longer gaseous. It cannot be targeted by spells or attacks separately from the victim. Damage taken by the possessed creature has no effect on the fiend. If the victim dies, the fiend is forced back into its gaseous form.
The fiend can sense anything the victim can, even including the benefits of blindsight or other exceptional senses the victim may have. At any time, the Fiend of Possession can communicate with the victim telepathically, projecting words in any language the victim understands directly into the victim's thoughts. The fiend is constantly aware of the victim's current thoughts. It can also choose to probe the creature's memories as well, but the victim is allowed a Will save. If this saving throw is successful, the fiend cannot probe that creature's thoughts for one day.
Whilst possessing an object, the fiend does not need to sleep, eat or age.
Ally or Enemy (Su):
At 5th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to reward or punish a creature it is possessing. If the possessed creature is aware of the fiend's presence and willing to host the fiend, the fiend can bestow up to a +4 profane bonus on any one of the creature's ability scores. This bonus lasts as long as the fiend wants it to: The fiend can retract it as a free action at any time, particularly if the possessed creature starts acting contrary to the fiend's wishes.
Similarly, a Fiend of Possession can instead bestow up to a -4 profane penalty on any one of the possessed creature's ability scores, usually when attempts to control the creature have failed or the creature contradicts the fiend's wishes. As with the bonus, the fiend can remove this penalty at any time, as a free action.
Bestowing either a bonus or a penalty is a free action for the possessing fiend. Whilst controlling the creature, the benefits and penalties are only applicable to the physical stats of the creature, not the mental stats. The host notices the change, though does not necessarily know the cause.
Mutterings (Su):
Mutterings of Suggestion: At 5th Level, a Fiend of Possession can influence the actions of a creature it possesses via magical insinuation once per day. In addition to any attempts to convince the victim via traditional means, the Fiend of Possession is able to implant a suggestion in the mind of a host, as per the Suggestion spell cast by a Sorcerer of the Fiends level. The Fiend is able to do this an additional time per day at 8th and 10th level.
Mutterings of Madness: In addition to nonmagical attempts to harm its sanity, a Fiend may confuse a host once per day as per the Confusion spell cast by a Sorceror of the Fiend of Possessions level at 7th level. At 9th level, this can be upgraded to Insanity as cast by a Sorcerer of the fiends level, at the Fiends discretion, though each application uses up the Fiends Muttering of Insanity for the day
Spells such as Protection from Evil are unable to prevent Mutterings from effecting a creature's mind, though mindless creatures (such as vermin) or those protected by Mind Blank or similar are immune. In the case of Mind Blanked creatures however, the Fiend may still attempt to corrode their sanity via non-magical means.
Control Creature (Su):
At 6th level, a Fiend of Possession gains the ability to exert direct control over a creature it is possessing. Attempting to establish control is a standard action for the fiend. The victim must make a Will saving throw each round until the fiend abandons the attempt, or the victim fails a saving throw and the fiend gains control. If the victim makes three consecutive saves against possession, it is able to eject the fiend as per possess creature. This is in addition to any attempts made by the victim to remove the possessor. Each round of struggle, the victim can take only a single move or attack action. Once the fiend gains control, it automatically maintains it for a number of rounds equal to its class level (6) + its Charisma modifier, + 1 for each previous occasion on which it has controlled this host. When this time elapses, the fiend can attempt to reassert control or not, as it chooses.
While in control of a victim, the Fiend of Possession has access to the creature's abilities, base attack bonus, feats, languages and spell knowledge, with the following caveats:
In the case of base attack bonus, the creature is able to use its own or the creatures, whichever is better. In regards to skills, the fiend is only able to access the skills keyed to a physical stat, with any mental skills being its own.
In regards to the spell knowledge of the creature, the fiend is only able to cast and prepare spells for which is has the minimum mental stats. For example a fiend with a wisdom of 12, would be unable to cast Heal upon possessing a 10th level cleric, whilst one with a wisdom of 15 would be able to.
For feats, the fiend is able to take access the feat so long as it makes the prerequisites. For example, a fiend with an intelligence of 12 would be unable to use the feat Expertise, but would be able to use it if it had an intelligence of 15.
The fiend now acts as though it is the creature in all other respects, until it loses or relinquishes control.
It can make use of its own spell-like abilities and spells as well. The fiend retains the creature's type, and is affected by spells and other effects as if it were the possessed creature except in regard to its alignment. For instance, a cornugon possessing the body of a wolf is subject to spells that affect animals, even though it is far more intelligent than a normal wolf. A balor possessing the body of a paladin is not subject to unholy blight, however, but is fully affected by holy smite.
The fiend can choose whether the possessed creature retains awareness of its body's senses and actions, in which case it can mentally communicate with the fiend, or simply blacks out for the duration of the control. Whilst possessing a creature, the fiend does not need to sleep, eat or age, though its host will still require this to do so, and spellcasters may have to sleep as part of gaining there spells.
Invisibility (Su):
At 7th Level, Whilst in Gaseous Form, a Fiend of Possession is treated as being Invisible, as if cast by a sorcerer of the Fiend of Possessions level. This is suppressible, and if the Fiend has Dispel Magic or similar cast on it, the invisibility is suppressed for 1 round per caster level of the spell.
Possess Noncontinuous Object (Su):
At 8th level, a Fiend of Possession can use its possess object ability to take control of an "object" more loosely defined: a pool of water, a cloud of dust, or a section of wall or floor, to a maximum of 30 foot in any direction. At this level, a Fiend of Possession can also possess (and animate) Colossal objects.
Possess Protected:
At 9th level, a Fiend is able to attempt to possess a creature under the effect of Protection from Evil or similar, though the DC is reduced by -10, and the Fiend takes 1d6 damage per hit dice of the target creature, should the creature succeed its save.
Transformation (Su):
At 10th level, upon possessing a creature, a Fiend of Possession may elect to take full control of the host. This is a long process, spanning many days, where the Fiend attempts to alter and co-opt the body of the host. Once per day, the Fiend may force the creature to make a will save over the course of three days, as the fiend attempts to meld its body and mind with the victim. The victim begins to take on features of the fiend, usually starting in places less obvious, such as on the chest and legs, and making its way out to the more visible portions of the body and hands as the control spreads. This process takes at three days to complete, assuming each attempt to resist fails. If the host succeeds in resisting the Fiend, the fiend is unable to attempt to take control of the host for the next 24 hours. In addition, the successful save counts towards any attempt that the host wishes to make to rid itself of the Fiend.
If the Transformation completes, the Fiend is able to take control of the host permanently as per the Control Creature ability. In the process, it subsumes its consciousness, rendering it unthinking and insensate, though the fiend is still able to probe its memories as per usual. Furthermore the host is able to shift between its original form and the hosts form, as per Alter Self, with the original form being treated as the new form. Whilst the host form is visible by True Seeing, this is still subject to the hide presence ability.
Should the Fiend wish to leave the host, it may do so as a standard action, though should the fiend wish to reclaim the host, it will have to do so as before. Once it has transformed the host, the Fiend is unable to be banished once it has fully transformed the host, though it may still be exorcised. If the Fiend is forcibly expelled from the host via magic or class abilities, the victim must make a fortitude save equivalent to DC 10 + ½ fiends level + fiends Cha), or take 1d6 points of damage per hit dice of the Fiend. Conversely, the Fiend must take 1d6 points of damage per hit dice of the host, should it be expelled, with no save as it is ripped from the host.
Use of this ability always makes the host aware of the fiends presence, though the fiend may attempt to prevent the host informing others, by forcing them to make a will save after each transformation, or to convince it not to via its Mutterings of Suggestion. If the victim resists this, it is able to inform others of its condition, otherwise it will hide the evidence of its transformation for the next 24 hours.
Fiendish Apothesis: Upon reaching 10th level, a Fiend of Possessions type changes to Outsider (Evil, Native) if it was not already an Outsider before. In addition, the Fiend of Possession no longer ages as the Fiend has given up its mortality. They do however retain any existing bonuses or penalties due to ageing.
Ending Possession:
Spells such as dismissal and banishment are among the only effects that can target a Fiend of Possession separately from the object or creature it inhabits. When these spells are directed against a Fiend of Possession, the spell effect is resolved as if the fiend were in its normal, corporeal form, using its own Hit Dice, saving throws, ability scores, and so on. If successful, these spells drive the fiend out of the victim and back to its home plane. Holy word and similar spells can also drive out a possessing fiend and send it back to its home plane, but a fiend can hide its presence to escape the effects of such spells. Certain other special abilities (such as the granted power of the Exorcism prestige domain described in Defenders of the Faith) can force a Fiend of Possession out of a victim and back into its gaseous form.
If the Fiend of Possession is ejected from the item it is possessing, or decides to leave, it must wait 1d4 + 1 rounds before it can possess an object or creature again, due to the dump shock of the process.
If the victim is aware that it is being possessed, once per day it is allowed to make a series of will saves in order to eject the Fiend from its body. If it is able to make three Will Saves in a row against the Fiends Possession DC, it ejects the Fiend into an adjacent square, in gaseous form. Once this has occurred, the Fiend is no longer able to possess the creature for the rest of the day. Should the Fiend seek to repossess the creature, it loses any accrued bonuses to the save DC (such as by Magic Item or previous Controlling), with the creature getting an additional +2 to there will save, having ejected the Fiend previously.