[3.5] Fun with Gate!

[Dingoman]

I'm playing a human Archivist 5/Malconvoker 8 devoted to Mystra in a game that's slated to last until 15th level. In our most recent session we came across an abandoned trove of magical knowledge, which had some strategically placed magical items and some randomly rolled scrolls. My Archivist is greedy with knowledge, and will add most any scroll he can get his hands on into his prayerbook, but he found a real treasure - a Scroll of Gate. Since we won't get to a high enough level for him to use 9th level spells, I'm looking for fun ways to use the Gate spell to spice up combat!

I currently have a planar-bound Vrock bodyguard, but I've been on the search for an upgrade. The character's focus is on Demonic summons/binds, but he's not above using any type of summon to gather more knowledge (and help the party, to a lesser extent). I could call a Balor or a Klurichir, maybe a Solar, or an avatar of a god. Perhaps a Titan or an outsider type dragon.

What are some of your most fun uses of Gate (caster level 17)?

[Gildedragon]

Craft a pair of ring gates

[Zephonim]

Bottom of the Ocean.


Make a gate to the plane of fire.


Leave laughing all the way

[Âmesang]

When the thought of using gate came up my mind immediately turned towards abominations from the Epic Level Handbook, such as the infernal (though that would require a minimum caster level of 20 to call forth).

Granted, the default infernal's stats are kind of borked (I think it even had a non-bonus epic feat it couldn't qualify for) so I attempted to switch things around to make it more "appropriate."

SCHAETHRETH https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifhttps://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gif CR 26
Male Infernal
Chaotic Evil Large Outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, evil) (15' tall)
Initiative +7; Senses blindsight 500 ft., true seeing; Listen +51, Spot +51
DEFENSEArmor Class 50, touch 16, flat-footed 43 (+7 Dexterity, –1 size, +34 natural armor)
Hit Points 680 (40d8+360); regeneration 15 (good, lawful)
Fortitude +31, Reflex +29, Will +30
Damage Reduction 15/good and epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, death from massive damage, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, petrification, polymorphing, and other form-altering attacks; Resist cold 20, fire 20; Spell Resistance 38
OFFENSESpeed 80 ft. (16 squares), fly 240 ft. (perfect)
Melee 2 claws +55 (4d6+16), 1 bite +55 (4d8+8 plus spell suck), 2 wings +55 (2d6+8), 1 tail slam +55 (4d8+8)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks Improved grab, spell suck, learned spell immunity, summon fiend 1/day
Spell-Like Abilities (Caster Level 26th; +55 melee touch, +46 ranged touch)

Constant—nondetection, true seeing
At will—animate dead, blasphemy (DC 26), blur, charm person (DC 20), create undead, darkness, deeper darkness, desecrate, detect chaos, detect good, detect law, detect magic, fear (DC 23), fireball (DC 22), greater dispel magic, greater invisibility, greater teleport (self plus 1,000 pounds of objects only), hold person (DC 22), magic circle against good, major image (DC 22), produce flame, pyrotechnics (DC 21), read magic, scrying (DC 23), suggestion (DC 22), symbol of death (DC 27), telekinesis (DC 24), unhallow, unholy aura (DC 27), unholy blight (DC 23), wall of fire
3/day—quickened greater dispel magic, quickened greater teleport (self plus 1,000 pounds of objects only)
1/day—fire storm (DC 27), hellball (DC 29), implosion (DC 28), meteor swarm (DC 28)
STATISTICSSchaethreth is a mighty creature, and crafty. If possible, he seeks to neutralize spellcasting foes first, should any conflict arise. His bite sucks the spells and minds of any he can catch. Schaethreth casts blur and greater invisibility on himself as needed during combat.

His natural weapons are treated as epic, evil, and chaotic-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
STATISTICSStrength 43, Dexterity 25, Constitution 28, Intelligence 24, Wisdom 26, Charisma 29
Base Attack +40; Grapple +60
Feats Dark Speech FCI, Cleave, Great Cleave, Greater Sunder Poly, Improved Multiattack, Improved Sunder, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (greater dispel magic), Quicken Spell-Like Ability (greater teleport)
Epic Feats Blinding Speed (×2), Tenacious Magic (blur), Tenacious Magic (greater invisibility)
Skills Balance +54, Concentration +52, Diplomacy +56, Escape Artist +50, Hide +46, Intimidate +52, Jump +40, Knowledge (arcana) +50, Knowledge (the planes) +50, Listen +51, Move Silently +50, Search +50, Sense Motive +51, Spellcraft +54, Spot +51, Survival +8 (+12 on other planes, +12 when tracking), Tumble +50, Use Rope +7 (+11 with bindings)
Languages Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal, Terran; telepathy 1,000 ft.
SPECIAL ABILITIESImproved Grab (Ex) If Schaethreth hits with a claw, he deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free actoin without provoking an attack of opportunity. He can use this ability on Large and smaller creatures. Schaethreth Has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent. Each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals standard claw damage, in addition to automatic spell suck damage.

Spell Suck (Su) If Schaethreth bites a foe, the foe loses one of its highest-level prepared spells or one of the spell slots for this day that it has not used. The victim chooses the prepared spell to lose. If the victim has no prepared spells or unused spell slots (either because it has exhausted its spellcasting for the day or because the victim is not a spellcaster), the bite instead deals 2 points of temporary Intelligence damage.

Learned Spell Immunity (Su) If Schaethreth is affected by a spell cast by a particular spellcaster, he thereafter becomes immune to that spell when cast by that spellcaster.

Summon Fiend (Sp) Schaethreth can summon four balors per day.
ECOLOGYEnvironment Any
Organization Solitary or abyssal brigade (1 infernal and 1d4 balors)
Treasure Standard

Infernals are born of the ill-starred meeting of god and fiend.
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifEven gods are seduced, and from the union of heaven and hell are born fiendish abominations called infernals. Those born of god and baatezu are lawful, and infernals born of god and tanar'ri are chaotic. All are horrors of fiendish form, pitch-black scaled humanoids standing 15 or more feet tall. Vast dragonlike wings enfold each infernal, but are unable to hide the tearing claws, the hellish maw, or the eyes from which gleam the promise of eternal damnation.
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifUnlike many other abominations, infernals have more freedom to roam areas of their hells of origin, though they are proscribed by divine decree from moving farther afield. This suits the various princes of the Nine Hells and the Abyss, because many infernals are possessed of such might that they could challenge even a prince's supremacy. For this reason, most powers of the lower planes seek to further isolate infernals if possible, or even slaying them when they can. For their part, infernals plot and scheme with malice unlike any other, until the time is right to tear the multiverse to ribbons.


FCI = Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, p.85
Poly = "Incursion," POLYHEDRON Magazine #159 July 2003, p.23