Planescape: Center-of-All - the Bestiary

[kinem]

In this thread I'll put the stats for the homebrew or modified monsters used in the recently completed PBP game. Posts will slowly be added for the various encounters as I get around to it.

For reference:
Recruitment thread
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?630639-3-5-Planescape-Center-of-All-closed-to-new-interest

OOC 1
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?631206-Planescape-Center-of-All-OOC

OOC 2
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?654771-Planescape-Center-of-All-OOC2

IC 1
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?631306-Planescape-Center-of-All-IC

IC 2
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?656798-Planescape-Center-of-All-IC-Part-2

[kinem]

Pandemonium: Guarding the Door

Bloodhulk Crusher (x 2)
animated by a Dread Necromancer with a Deadwalker's Ring
with Corpsecrafter, Destruction Retribution, Deadly Chill, Nimble Bones, Hardened Flesh, Bolster Resistance

Huge Undead; Alignment: neutral evil
Initiative: +2; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Listen +0, and Spot +0
Languages: understands creator's orders
AC: 18 (-2 size, +10 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 18
Hit Dice: 20d12+160; hp 400
Saves Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +12
Speed: 40 ft.; Space: 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Base Attack +10; Grapple +36
Attack: Melee: slam +26 (3d6+27 + 1d6 cold)
Abilities: Str 43 (47), Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Special Abilities: Immune: undead immunities; Weakness: fragile (slashing/piercing +1d6 damage); Destruction Retribution (11d6 negative energy, 10', Reflex half DC 15)
Special Qualities: blood bloated, undead traits, turn resistance 4
Feats: None; CR 10

Blackbeast of Bedlam Developed Outsider (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638842-Under-the-hood-Developed-Outsiders) 2 (CR 16)
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, and Extraplanar)
Alignment: Always Chaotic evil
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, scent, tremorsense 120 ft., and Listen +25
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Slaadi
AC: 28 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +16 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 25
Hit Dice: 17d8+85 (161 hp); DR: 15/(good and cold iron) or (lawful and cold iron)
Saves Fort +17, Ref +15, Will +17
Speed: 60 ft., climb 60 ft.; freedom of movement
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +17; Grapple +28
Attack: 2 claws +24 melee and bite +21 melee
Damage: Claws 2d6+7 plus corporeal instability, bite 2d8+3 plus corporeal instability
Special Attacks/Actions: Breath weapon, damning darkness, screeching skull
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 16

Spell-like Abilities (CL 17th, melee touch +22, ranged touch +19):
1/day - bestow curse (DC 17), enervation, insanity (DC 20), nightmare (DC 20), phantasmal killer (DC 19), project image (DC 22), shout (DC 17)
3/day - confusion (DC 17), deeper darkness, desecrate, detect good, detect law, major image (DC 18), shatter (DC 15), tongues, unhallow (DC 18)
At will - diguise self (humanoid only)
1/day - superior invisibility (17 min)
5/day - haste

Special Qualities: fast healing 5, Immune: critical hits, electricity, flanking, light-effects, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, petrification, poison, polymorph, sleep, sonic, stunning, Resist acid 10, fire 10, cold 10; SR 29, malleability, mockery

Feats: Blind Fight (B), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Greater Spell Focus (illusion), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Multiattack(B), Spell Focus (illusion), Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (claw)

Skills: Balance +5, Bluff +23 (+31 to imitate another)*, Climb +25, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +23 (+25 to act in character)*, Escape Artist +11, Hide +19, Intimidate +24, Jump +28, Knowledge (religion) +23, Listen +27, Move Silently +23, Search +25, Sense Motive +23, Spot +27, Survival +3 (+5 when following tracks), and Tumble +31

Freedom of Movement (Su): A black beast of bedlam gains the benefit of a continuous freedom of movement effect, as the spell cast by a 15th-level cleric. If this effect is dispelled, the black beast can reactivate it as a free action.

Corporeal Instability (Su): A black beast of bedlam's natural attacks can trigger a terrible transformation in its targets. A living creature so struck must succeed on a DC 23 Fortitude save or become a spongy amorphous mass. Unless the victim manages to control the effect, its shape melts, flows, writhes, and boils. The save DC is Constitution-based.
An affected creature is unable to hold or use any item. Clothing, armor, rings, and helmets become useless. Large items worn or carried - armor, backpacks, and large shields, for example hamper more than help, reducing the victim's Dexterity score by 4 and applying double their normal armor check penalty. The target's base speed is reduced 10 feet or to one-quarter normal (whichever is worse), it cannot burrow or fly, and its climb and swim speeds are reduced by half. The victim cannot cast spells or use magic items. It attacks in a pain-induced and uncontrollable rage until no other creature it can see is left standing. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, it attack available targets at random, but in its blind rage it takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls and every attack has a 50% miss chance.
Each round the victim spends in an amorphous state, it takes 1 point of Wisdom drain from mental shock. If the victim's Wisdom score falls to 0, it becomes a chaos beast. A victim can regain its own shape by taking a standard action to attempt a DC 15 Charisma check (this check DC does not vary for bedlam beats with different Hit Dice or ability scores.) A success reestablishes the creature's normal form for 1 minute. On a failure, the victim can still repeat this check each round until successful.
Corporeal instability is not a disease or a curse and so is hard to remove. A shapechange or stoneskin spell does not cure an afflicted creature but fixes its form for the duration of the spell. A greater restoration, heal, or restoration spell removes the affliction (a separate restoration is necessary to restore any drained points of Wisdom).

Breath Weapon (Su): A black beast of bedlam has one kind of breath weapon: a 20 foot-radius cloud of poisonous vapor, as the cloudkill spell (DC 23). Once a black beast breathes, it can't breathe again until 1d4 rounds later. The save DC is Constitution based.

Damning Darkness(Sp): Once per day, as a standard action, a black beast of bedlam can create darkness, as the spell, except that those within the area of darkness also take unholy damage. Creatures of good alignment take 2d6 points of damage per round they remain in the darkness and creatures neither good or evil take 1d6 points of damage while in the darkness. Creatures get no saving throw, nor does spell resistance apply. Damning darkness counts as a 4th-level spell effect and counters or dispels any light spell of 4th or lower level. The black beast uses this ability as a 17th-level sorcerer.

Screeching Skull (Ex): A black beast of bedlam retains the skull of its most recent victim as a grim trophy that floats around its shifting form. As a standard action, a black beast of bedlam can unleash a terrible screech through this skull that affects all living creatures other than outsiders within 60 feet. An affected creature must succeed on a DC 21 Will save or become panicked for 1d6 rounds and take 2 points of Wisdom damage. Once the black beast screeches, it cannot screech again for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. This is a sonic, mind-affecting fear effect.

Malleability (Ex): No mortal magic can forcibly or permanently affect or fix a black beast of bedlam's form. A black beast has immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, petrification, polymorph, and stunning effects. It is not subject to critical hits and, having no true front or back (even when it appears to have them), cannot be flanked.

Mockery (Ex): A black beast of bedlam can mimic animal cries and voices in any language and can make its voice to sound from anywhere within 30 feet. A black beast gains a +8 racial bonus on Bluff checks made to imitate another creature's voice.

Skills: Black beasts of bedlam receive a +4 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, and Tumble checks.

Spawned from the madness of deities, black beasts of bedlam are creatures of betrayal, deceit, paranoia, slaughter, and treachery. They are often found wandering the planes of chaos, seeking to sow madness wherever they can.

In Play:
As expected, these monsters posed little challenge to the Level 21 party. As the first encounter, it allowed me to see a bit of what they were capable of. The undead had enough hp to last a few rounds, but lacked much in the way of offense. They would also prove to be a clue to further the plot.

[Archmage1]

And I'll follow up by adding player commentary on the encounters. :smallsmile:

As suspected, we figured out pretty quickly that the bloodhulks were giant bags of meat. They went down fairly quickly, if not bloodlessly(We did take some damage, and those death explosions were a nasty surprise).

The encounter was a good way to get an idea of what our characters could do, which was quite handy.

The Black Beast, however, was more of a challenge. It was the greatest threat, but Superior Invisibility is quite the leveler. If we hadn't had someone with mindsight, that would have been a serious issue. Luckily, we were able to dispel the invisibility, and afterwards, our melee characters were able to kill it off in fairly short order. It spent most of the time casting spells, which ultimately didn't accomplish much. It has some scary abilities(Corporeal Instability), and a lot of spells, but it didn't have enough time or warning to really take advantage of them, and with the superior invisibility stripped from it, it couldn't do what it seems to have been designed to(Act as a harasser, and drop debuffs over time.).
That said, nothing we saw was really all that dangerous.

All in all, it really went to show: For all that the internet claims that casters are superior to martials in all ways...
When it actually comes to winning fights? Martials are the ones who actually bring the damage.

[kinem]

Thanks AM1.

Also coming into play in the first encounter was Center-of-All, who turned into a DMPC throughout the game. With his healing powers, limited wish, fairly weak offense for this level, and soft-spoken personality, this seemed to work out quite well.

Center-of-All
Aurumach (Rilmani) Developed Outsider 2 (CR 19)
Large Outsider (Extraplanar)
Alignment: Neutral
Initiative: +6; Senses: Listen +27 and Spot +27, Darkvision 60'
AC: 39 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +12 armor, +16 natural, +1 dodge), touch 11, flat-footed 37; DR: 15/good or evil or lawful or chaotic

Hit Dice: 18d8+160; hp 233

Saves Fort +22, Ref +19, Will +21
Speed: 50 ft.; Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.; Base Attack +18; Grapple +28
Attack: Huge +3 halberd +27 melee
Full Attack: Huge +3 halberd +27/+22/+17/+12 melee
Damage: Huge +3 halberd 2d6+12 plus antithesis
Special Attacks/Actions: Antithesis, spell-like abilities, summon rilmani
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 23, Con 28, Int 21, Wis 26, Cha 26
Special Qualities: fast healing 5, outsider traits, rilmani traits, SR 32, summon armor, summon weapon
Feats: Cleave; Great Cleave; Combat Expertise; Improved Trip; Power Attack; Weapon Focus (halberd); Dodge
Skills: Concentration +28, Knowledge (Arcana, Planes, Religion, Local, History) +24, Diplomacy +29, Listen +27, Perform (song) +27, Profession (Farmer) +19, Search +24, Sense Motive +27, Spellcraft +25, Spot +27, and Survival +19 (+21 following tracks)

Outsider Traits: Rilmani have darkvision (60-foot range), and they cannot be raised or resurrected (though a wish or miracle spell can restore life).

Rilmani Traits: Rilmani are immune to electricity and poison, and they have acid and sonic resistance 20.

Spell-like Abilities: At will - comprehend languages, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic, detect thoughts, feather fall, sanctuary, tongues, charm monster, cone of cold, greater dispel magic, magic circle against chaos, magic circle against evil, magic circle against good, magic circle against law, magic missile, mass suggestion, teleport without error (self plus maximum load of objects only); 3/day - dismissal, fly, forbiddance, heal, mind blank, prismatic spray, true seeing. Caster level 19th; save DC 18 + spell level.

DO SLA: Limited Wish 1/day (CL 18)

Summon Rilmani (Sp): Rilmani can summon other rilmani as though casting a summon monster spell. Once per day, an aurumach can automatically summon 2d4 ferrumachs or 1d2 cuprilachs (aurumach's choice). Summoned creatures automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A summoned rilmani cannot use its own summon ability.
DO: The creatures have a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution.

An aurumach rarely initiates combat, since it prefers to use physical confrontation as a last resort. When it does enter melee, it is a formidable foe that is capable of dealing great damage with each deadly swing of its halberd. An aurumach often flies above a foe and makes trip attempts, and it withholds the use of its antithesis ability and the full fury of its attacks until it becomes clear the foe won't relent.

Antithesis (Su): Any creature that is hit by the aurumachs melee attack or that touches it with a natural weapon or unarmed attack takes a certain kind of damage depending on how its alignment varies from neutral. Chaotic creatures take 2d6 points of lawful damage. Lawful creatures take 2d6 points of chaotic damage. Evil creatures take 2d6 points of holy damage. Good creatures take 2d6 points of unholy damage. Thus, a creature of chaotic good alignment would take an extra 4d6 points of damage (2d6 lawful, 2d6 unholy) each time it was struck by the aurumach. An aurumach can suppress or resume the use of this ability as a free action.

Change Shape (Su): A rilmani can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.

Fast Healing (Ex): An aurumach regains lost hit points at the rate of 5 per round as long as it has at least 1 hit point. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow an aurumach to regrow or reattach lost body parts.

Summon Armor (Su): An aurumach rilmani wears no armor, but when threatened by any attack, a semitranslucent suit of golden +4 full plate appears on its body just in time to help defend against the attack and then vanishes immediately after. The appearance of this armor cannot be prevented, but it can be suppressed in an antimagic field. The armor never affects an aurumach's speed, weight carried, or skill checks.

Summon Weapon (Su): An aurumach can be armed in an instant by magically summoning a golden Huge +3 halberd. When separated from the aurumach, the weapon vanishes. An aurumach can summon or dispel its own weapon as a free action.

[Archmage1]

From a player perspective, Center was... interesting.

He had a lot of useful spells(Notably heal, mind blank, and limited wish), which were invaluable in multiple instances(As in, we were pretty close to a TPK and that heal saved us...).

On the other hand, he kept trying to actually fight, and he just couldn't survive in that situation. Which made life challenging.

Also, he never seemed to know any information of value, which was occasionally entertaining, but also made sense, considering his background.

[kinem]

The next encounter, in the ancient cult library, involved a Dread Necromancer lich, and Wooden Soldiers (including a Wooden Avatar). The Wooden Soldiers will be detailed in my next post.

Ako Zarazee
Dread Necromancer 21 Lich (CR 22, ECL 25)
(Chief Necromancer of Bavia)

Medium Undead (augmented human)
Alignment: Neutral evil
Initiative: +10; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Languages:
AC: 40 (+4 Dex, +12 natural, +9 armor, +5 deflection), touch 19, flat-footed 36
Hit Dice: 21d12+147 (283 hp)
Saves Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +18
Speed: 40 ft.
Space: 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Attack +10; Grapple +13; Epic AB +1
Attack: Lich Touch +14 melee touch (1d8+5 negative energy +1d6 cold +paralysis(Fort DC 29)) or Charnel Touch (1d8+5 negative energy +1d6 cold)
Special Attacks/Actions: Spells, Negative energy burst 4/day (21d4 negative energy, 5' radius, Will half DC 29), Rebuke Undead, Scabrous Touch (swift, 3/day, Fort neg DC 29), Enervating Touch (swift, up to 2 negative levels w/Charnel Touch, max 21/day; DC 29 to remove)
Abilities: Str 12[16], Dex 14[18], Con -, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 22(28)
Special Qualities: undead traits, turn resistance 8, damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic, immune to cold, electricity, polymorph; Destruction Retribution (11d6 negative energy, 10', Reflex half DC 15)
Skills (ranks/total): Bluff 23/32, Concentration 23/32, Knowledge(arcana) 23/25, Knowledge(religion) 23/25, Spellcraft 23/25, Hide 0/12, Listen 0/5, Move Silently 0/5, Search 0/10, Sense Motive 0/9, Spot 0/9
Liches have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
Feats: Corpsecrafter, Destruction Retribution, Deadly Chill, Nimble Bones, Hardened Flesh, Bolster Resistance;
Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Silent Spell, Rapid Metamagic, Quicken Spell
Flaws: Haunted (noises; -4 to Listen & Move Silently), Solitary Paragon (-4 to hit instead of +2 when flanking)

NPC wealth: 20th 220,000, 21st 290,000, 22nd 370,000
Equipment:
Vest of resistance +5, cloak of charisma +6, chain shirt +5, ring of protection +5, +5 amulet of natural armor, Deadwalker's Ring (+2 hp/HD; doesn't stack w/Desecrate, 8k gp, wear 24 hr first), Scout's Headband, 100 gp black sapphires (x10), 50 gp onyx, 5,000 gp powdered diamond and opal
- ceremonial robe over chain shirt, spell component pouch, large iron key to the library (with gate key handle)

Fear Aura (Su): Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the lich must succeed on a Will save (DC 29) or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the lich’s level. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same lich’s aura for 24 hours.

Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature the lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 29) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description). The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.

Full Attack: A lich fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary attack).

Scabrous Touch (Su): Starting at 6th level, once per day a dread necromancer can use his charnel touch to inflict disease on a creature she touches. This ability works like the contagion spell, inflicting the disease of his choice immediately, with no incubation period, unless the target makes a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 his class level + his Cha modifier). The DC for subsequent saving throws to resist the effects of the disease depends on the disease inflicted; see Disease for details.
Activating this class feature is a swift action. The effect lasts until the dread necromancer makes a successful charnel touch attack. The spectral hand spell enables a dread necromancer to deliver a scabrous touch attack from a distance.
A dread necromancer can use this ability once per day at 6th level, twice per day at 11th level, and three times per day at 16th level.

Mental Bastion: Starting at 4th level, a dread necromancer gains a +2 bonus on saving throws made to resist sleep, stunning, paralysis, poison, or disease. This bonus increases to +4 at 14th level.

Undead Mastery: All undead creatures created by a dread necromancer who has reached 8th level or higher gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Dexterity and 2 additional hit points per Hit Die.
In addition, when a dread necromancer uses the animate dead spell to create undead, she can control 4 + his Charisma bonus HD worth of undead creatures per class level (rather than the 4 HD per level normally granted by the spell).
Similarly, when a dread necromancer casts the control undead spell, the spell targets up to (2 + his Cha bonus) HD/level of undead creatures, rather than the 2 HD/level normally granted by the spell.
Animated Dead: Max 273 HD total, bloodhulks count as 40 HD each;

Spells: cast lvl 1-9: 0/6+3, 1/6+2, 0/6+2, 0/6+2, 0/6+2, 0/6+1, 0/6+1, 0/6+1, 0/6+1; DC 19 + spell level
Advanced Learning: SL 2,4,6,8,7
2: Death Armor (50 gp onyx focus), 4: Horrid Sickness, 6: Fleshshiver, 8: Blackfire, 7: Symbol of Weakness (5,000 gp powdered diamond and opal MC)

Spells Cast: False Life (11 temp hp), Symbol of Weakness on Wooden Avatar's armor

Quasit familiar, Vuzu: Invisible currently
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil, Tanar'ri)
Hit Dice: 21d8 (141 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 28 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +13 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 25
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+1
Attack: Claw +15 melee (1d3–1 plus poison)
Full Attack: 2 claws +15 melee (1d3–1 plus poison) and bite +10 melee (1d4–1)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities; has Rod of Wonder
Special Qualities: Alternate form, damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, immunity to poison, resistance to fire 10, SR 26
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +13
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Bluff +6, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +0 (+2 acting), Hide +17, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (religion) +8, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Search +6, Spellcraft +8, Spot +6
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Alignment: chaotic evil

A tiny humanoid-shaped creature with spiky horns and bat wings hovers nearby. Its hands and feet are long and slender, with long, claw-tipped digits. Warts or pustules cover its greenish skin.

In its natural form, a quasit stands about 1-1/2 feet tall and weighs about 8 pounds.

Quasits speak Common and Abyssal.

Combat
Although quasits thirst for victory and power as other demons do, they are cowards at heart. They typically attack from ambush, using their alternate form ability and invisibility to get within reach, then try to scuttle away. When retreating, they use their cause fear ability to deter pursuit.

A quasit’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 22, initial damage 1d4 Dex, secondary damage 2d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.

Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 6th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
At will - detect good, detect magic, and invisibility (self only);
1/day - cause fear (as the spell, except that its area is a 30-foot radius from the quasit, save DC 11).
Once per week a quasit can use commune to ask six questions. The ability otherwise works as the spell (caster level 12th).

Alternate Form (Su): A quasit can assume another form at will as a standard action. Each quasit can assume one or two forms from the following list: bat, Small or Medium monstrous centipede, toad, and wolf.

A dread necromancer's familiar can use its ability to deliver touch spells such as its master's charnel touch, scabrous touch, or enervating touch attack. The master must use a standard action to imbue the touch attack into his familiar.

Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master's skill ranks, whichever are better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar's total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use.

In play: This didn’t have to be a combat encounter, but the party didn’t seem to have much trust in a lich encountered in the library of an evil cult.

Through clever use of Time Stop by AM1, the Symbol of Weakness ended up getting covered. The lich was trapped in a Maw of Chaos and didn’t get to do much. The real disappointment though was that the quasit was taken out before it could even use the Rod of Wonder. As a Dread Necromancer, the lich didn’t have the immediate actions or contingencies that would have kept a sorcerer or wizard in the game. I decided that if encountered again he would be sure to have a Third Eye Clarity to defend against dazing. As it happened though, for his Rejuvenation time of 1-10 days I rolled a 9, which took him out of play for the rest of the game.

Meanwhile, the Wooden Avatar had better luck against the party for a time …

[Archmage1]

Yeah... the lich got focused down fast. We figured that the lich was a wizard or sorcerer, and prioritized accordingly. I'll admit, I was sort of looking forwards to a rematch, where he maybe gets to cast some spells, but it never happened. Equally so, quasit with a rod seemed like another priority to take down.

This led to us mostly ignoring the Avatarist initially, which, well...

Also, we learned a valuable lesson on the utility of blankets while time was stopped.

[kinem]

DMing can be a lot of work, but one of the perks is that you can test out homebrew content. I did that with the Wooden Avatarist (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?624875-Wooden-Avatarist-PEACH) class for an NPC antagonist. I still would prefer an opportunity to play the class as a PC.

There were some lessons learned from the exercise. First, the Wooden Avatar (which the character spends a lot of time controlling instead of their normal body) really needs to be able to speak, for roleplaying reasons. Such an ability was not stated in my homebrew, so I ended up having the Avatar remain silent and let the lich do the talking.

Second, while the class allows an adventurer to avoid risk using the tele-presence of the Avatar on an adventure, that comes at a price - not having one's magic items present. The Avatar could be equipped with them, but then they would be at risk (and let's face it, that's often a bigger expense to replace than a mere life which can be True Resurrected by spending 25k or so, defeating the purpose of using the Avatar as a replaceable extension of the self). As a result, buffing SLAs are a good idea, but eat into action economy. I ended up not going with Owl's Insight - a mistake I would not make again - and as a result the Avatarist's spell-like abilities were largely ineffective, with a notable exception. That was especially true when the party - at a higher level - later encountered another Avatar of the same NPC. As for the Sudden Strength ability, it never really came into play since a quickened spell-like ability seemed better. The Wooden Soldiers' coolest ability, expansion from pocket size, never came into play either because it would have cost too much action economy.

Large Wooden Soldier, 20 HD (x2)
Hit Dice: 20d10+30; hp 140, 140
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30' (20' in armor)
Armor Class 30 (-1 size, +13 nat, +8 armor), touch 9, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+29
Attack: MW Greatsword +25/+20/+15 melee (2d8+15, crit 19/x2) or slam +24 (1d8+15)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Construct, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, self-repair, armor proficiency, damage reduction 5/adamantine, shrinkable
Saves: F +6, R +6, W +6
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1

Large Wooden Soldier, 20 HD, Mervi's Avatar
Hit Dice: 20d10+30; hp 140
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30' (20' in armor)
Armor Class 30 (-1 size, +13 nat, +8 armor), touch 9, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+29
Attack: MW Greatsword +26/+21/+16 melee (2d8+15, crit 19/x2) or slam +24 (1d8+15)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Symbol of Weakness on armor (CL 21, Fort DC 26); free action to activate by touch; Quasit is attuned to it
Special Qualities: Construct, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, self-repair, armor proficiency, damage reduction 5/adamantine, shrinkable
Saves: F +6, R +6, W +19
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 10, Con -, Int 13, Wis 20 (24), Cha 9

Sudden Strength: used 0/20/day, swift +12 Str 1 round
Repair Construct 6d6, used 0/20/day

SLAs: DC 15 (17) + SL, 3/day each
0: Detect Magic
0: Read Magic
1: Impeding Stones
1: Faerie Fire
2: Owl's Wisdom (cast)
2: Listening Lorecall (200 min; blindsense 30'; blindsight 15') (cast)
3: Haboob
3: Whispering Sand
4: Heart of Earth (cast)
4: Freedom of Movement
5: Blood Creepers (swift) cast 1/3
5: Choking Sands
6: Greater Dispel Magic
6: Antilife Shell (cast on Avatar)
7: Heal
7: Brilliant Aura
8: Stormrage
8: Frostfell cast 0/3
9: Cure Critical Wounds, Mass
9: Drown, Mass cast 1/3

In play:
The Soldiers, though weak for this level, served well enough to engage the party's martials while the Avatar cast Frostfell, a save-or-lose spell that AM1's PC failed a save against. This dramatic moment of victory for the bad guys was soon reversed though, IIRC via a Miracle spell.

The party never actually encountered the Avatarist herself. It might have been interesting to see how they would have reacted to meeting the motherly woman and then realizing that she was actually their old nemesis the Avatarist. As it happened, in the encounter later in the game, Mervi was in a back room and teleported away to gather reinforcements as soon as her Avatar was defeated in the main combat area.

Mervi Prill, female middle-aged human Wooden Avatarist 20, NE Bavian agent
Hit Dice: 20d8+40 (130 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class 17 (+2 Dex, +4 armor, +1 dodge), touch 13, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+15
Attack: greatsword +17/+12/+7 melee (2d6+1, crit 19/x2) or modern pistol +18/+13/+8 ranged touch (1d8+6/20/x4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: F +14, R +13, W +24
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 20, Cha 10
Feats: Skill Knowledge (Listen), Iron Will, Combat Casting, Craft Construct, Improved Toughness, Wooden Commander, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Dodge, Improved Initiative, Great Fortitude, Quicken SLA (Blood Creepers)
Skills (ranks/total): Listen 20/25, Spot 10/15, Concentration 23/24, Spellcraft 23/24, Knowledge (arcana, nature) 23/24, Sense Motive 3/8

Class Features:
Conjure Attuned Wooden Soldier (Sp)
Once per day as a standard action, the Wooden Avatarist can conjure a Small Wooden Soldier, which appears with no equipment. He can instead choose a Medium Wooden Soldier at 6th level, a Large one at 11th level, or a Huge one at 16th level. If the Wooden Avatarist's class level exceeds the Soldier's Hit Dice, increase the Hit Dice to equal the class level. For every 2 HD of advancement, add +1 to the construct's Natural Armor and Strength score. If the WA's class level increases, adjust these numbers to match his current class level.

He may have up to two Attuned Wooden Soldiers at a time, but loses the ability to Conjure another while he does. He can release an Attuned Wooden Soldier as a swift action, causing it to vanish.

Non-Necro (Ex)
A Wooden Avatarist can't operate as such and also magically command or control the undead via necromancy, as that interferes with his powers. If he does control undead, he loses all Wooden Avatarist magical abilities until such control is relinquished.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)
At each level from 1 through 20, the Wooden Avatarist gains a new spell-like ability which can be used up to 3 times per day. The Wooden Avatarist may choose any Druid spell of the indicated level or lower as the spell-like ability (caster level = class level, save DC = 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier). Once chosen, a spell-like ability can not be changed.

Wooden Avatar (Ex)
At 2nd level, as a full-round action, the Wooden Avatarist may transfer part of his consciousness into an Attuned Wooden Soldier, inhabiting it to control it directly. He must touch the Soldier to use this ability. The ability can be used for up to 1 hour per day per class level; these must be spent in 1 hour increments but they need not be consecutive.

Treat this similarly to a magic jar effect with exceptions given below. Thus, the Avatarist keeps his Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities. The Soldier retains its Strength, Dexterity, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. Protection From Evil and similar effects do not interfere with the Avatarist's control of the Avatar.

The effect does not require a receptacle. The Avatarist's consciousness is split between the two bodies and he can use his spell-like abilities and Wooden Avatarist class supernatural abilities. These originate at the inhabited Avatar, as do spells, SLAs, and psionic powers cast by the inhabited Avatar if applicable.

The Avatarist retains control of his own body (in addition to the chosen skeleton) and its senses, but cannot use it to take any actions other than speaking and move actions. His body loses any Dex bonus to AC.

The Avatarist can transfer his full consciousness back into his own body as a standard action. If the Avatarist is ever separated from his body by more than 300 feet or ever on different planes his consciousness instantly returns to his own body. If the Avatar is destroyed it vanishes and the Avatarist must make a DC 5 Will save to return his consciousness to his own body; if this fails he dies. The Will save is made without benefit of spells or effects that target either the Avatar or his own body, so is normally just his base Will save + unadjusted Wisdom bonus + any effects of feats such as Iron Will.

If his own body is slain while he inhabits an Avatar, the Avatarist continues to inhabit it (and can potentially wait for his body to be raised or resurrected before returning to it, with no level or Constitution loss). If the time limit expires while he is waiting in this way, he dies.

Sudden Strength (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, as a swift action the Wooden Avatarist can grant a +2 bonus to Strength that lasts for one round either to his Avatar or to any wooden soldier (even if he does not control it) within his Wooden Soldier Telepathy range. This bonus increases by +2 every three class levels thereafter. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the Avatarist's class level.

Repair Construct (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, the Wooden Avatarist can repair a damaged construct by touch as a standard action. The damage repaired is 1d6 at 3rd level and increases by +1d6 every three class levels. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the Avatarist's class level.

Wooden Soldier Telepathy (Su)
Starting at 4th level, the Avatarist can issue telepathic commands to any Wooden Soldiers he controls. Treat this as the telepathy special quality (range 20 feet per class level from both the Avatarist and an inhabited Avatar if any), save that it may be used only to give orders to Wooden Soldiers he commands.

Eyes Of Wood (Su) Starting at 5th level, at will the Avatarist can see for one round through the eyes of one of the Wooden Soldiers he controls as a move action. He must be within Wooden Telepathy range but does not need of sight to the Soldier. Unlike inhabiting an Avatar, this does not daze him.

Usurp Wooden Soldier (Sp):
Starting at 7th level, the WA can attempt to take control of a mindless Wooden Soldier within 60’ as a standard action. If the Soldier has HD less than or equal to the SA’s level, and it fails a Will save (DC 10 + ½ WA level + Wisdom modifier) than he takes control of it as if he had Conjured and Attuned it. This has no effect on other types of construct, such as wood golems or animated objects. If he already has two Attuned Soldiers, he must choose which one will vanish, which can be the new one.

Distant Avatar (Ex)
At 8th level the Avatarist may continue to inhabit an Avatar regardless of the distance from his body. If the Avatar is destroyed while more than 300' from his body, he must make a DC 5 Will save and a DC 10 Will save to return his consciousness to his own body; if either fails he dies.

Equpiment: Vest of resistance +5, Cube of Force, +1 greatsword, potion of gaseous form, +1 collision modern pistol, 20 bullets, horn of plenty, Rod of Minions (wooden) wallet (ID, and 500 gp eqvivalent in Bavia); 20 gp, Ring of Sustenance, Ring of Spell Storing (Teleport), Third Eye Dampening (immediate 1/day, minimize variable effects of 1 spell or SLA on self for 1 round), Gargantuan Wooden Soldier 40 HD (shrunken)

[Archmage1]

Yeah... As kinem said, my PC did indeed fail that save vs Frostfell. Afterwards, it became a bit of a driving goal to enhance her ability to make fortitude saves. See, she did a fair amount of multiclassing with various wizard classes, and we didn't use partial saves, so her fort save ended up with a base of +5. In a world where you need to make saves vs DC 30-40 or die, that is just not enough.

As for the avatarist... I do have to agree with kinem's assessment. For at that the class itself(Yes, I did look at the class) seemed like it was going for a hybrid class, like many things in D&D, the physical attacks were irrelevant. The spells, on the other hand? Were a problem. It was quite sad when the dismissed enemy killed my character. :(

For the actual class... I think not using magic items is a major problem, especially when used by NPC's. If the intention is for the player themselves to be sitting safe at home, while the avatars explore, then either they should need to deploy magic items on the avatars(And thus need to recover them should their avatar die), or they should be effectively unable to use magic items at all(Whether by the sheer cost of the avatars, or some other reason), but get a better line of buffs for the wooden soldiers(I'd think something like Vow of Poverty?)

[kinem]

The nearby portal introduced another homebrew monster: a swarm. The amount of party resources drained by a swarm varies a lot based on the party’s abilities because they are immune to weapon damage and vulnerable to area attacks. The swarm threat was taken seriously by the party, but it was ultimately not a major encounter.

Edit: Looks like a listed feat was a holdover from a previous version of the monster. Ability Focus should be changed to Distraction, bumping the DC to 25. However, I won’t make that change here as this was the stat block used in play I believe.

Abyssal Spider Swarm
Diminutive Aberration (Extraplanar, Chaotic, Evil)
Hit Dice: 20d8+80 (170 hp)
Speed: 30 ft., fly 30 ft.; Initiative: +5
AC: 21 (+1 Dex, +6 natural, +4 size), touch 15, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/—
Attack: Swarm 8d6 plus dispel
Full Attack: Swarm 8d6 plus dispel
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Extra damage, distraction (DC 23), dispel
Special Qualities: Acid resistance 10, cold resistance 10, darkvision 60 ft., electricity resistance 10, fire resistance 10, poison immunity, SR 22, swarm traits (immune to weapon damage), lifesense
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +15
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 13
Skills: Listen +14, Spot +15
Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Ability Focus (confusion), Improved Toughness
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground (Abyss)
Organization: Solitary or army (2–7 swarms)
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: —
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: —

Abyssal spiders have 6-inch-long bodies of all colors bearing a superficial resemblance to spiders. They exude an aura of chaotic energy, and attack most creatures on sight. They are drawn to sites of great magical power, and may be able to feed from that in the absense of other food.

Combat

Abyssal spiders exhibit little interest in tactics.

Extra damage (Ex): Abyssal spiders do more damage than a typical swarm.

Dispel (Sp): The space occupied by the swarm at the beginning of its turn is subject to an area dispel effect as per greater dispel magic (CL 15).

Lifesense (Su): Abyssal spiders can sense living or undead creatures within 30'. They will not attack constructs or undead, unless attacked first.

Distraction (Ex): Any nonmindless creature vulnerable to the swarm’s damage that begins its turn with the swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 23, Con-based) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills requiring patience and concentration requires a Concentration check (DC 20).

[Archmage1]

Yeah... those swarms.
They didn't really do all that much. Except for drain a lot of our Psi-Warrior's psi points, as the rest of us didn't really have much in the way of blast spells. Between that, and Center of All's cone of cold, we managed, and learned a lesson.

Energy resistance on swarms that can only be damaged by energy attacks is a great way to make fighters feel sad.

[kinem]

The Astral Temple: The Cult of Tharizdun was basically a red herring in this adventure as the main bad guys weren't actually cultists, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include a ruin of an actual Cult temple. There the party encountered the Harbinger and the Addle-Pate, and then some non-homebrew monsters.

The Harbinger: A translucent bald big-headed being (seen and heard only by those wearing the black robes). True Seeing shows nothing there. He can't attack physically or be attacked, but enemies within 10' of him take a -5 penalty on all d20 rolls. Fly 30' (perfect).

"The Addle-Pate": Chained up in a cell. No equipment. No hair. With a dire rat. (No food needed on the Astral Plane and no aging.)

Real name: Antis Alaran

Antis started as an enemy of the cult. He was captured and became insane, and was driven CE by Pilo Malik's demonstone. He stayed evil by choice. The cult experimented on him, using the Gate's power to infuse him with strange abilities. Most such experiments ended in the subject's death, even after Antis became an exception. The cult tried to use him as a weapon, but he stole things from them and attacked people randomly.

Many drew power from the Gates, but in his case, it actually worked as the Cult intended: If the artifact known as the Key were used to behead him in the proper ceremony, it would release Tharizdun and basically cause the end of the world. That is also the only way he can actually be killed.

Insane CE human Monk 6 / Fighter (kensai) 8 / Barbarian 6; has regeneration 20 (1 hp/HD) (no attack does normal damage)
Init +7; Saves Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +11 (+13 vs Enchantment); Move: 60'
AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +3 Monk, +1 Dodge); HD 6d8+8d10+6d12+20; hp 130; nonlethal damage 0
Attack Unarmed Strike +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d8+9, 19-20/x2) or Flurry of blows +26/+26/+21/+16/+11 (1d8+9, 19-20/x2)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.; Ki Strike (Magic) Fists are magic weapons
STATISTICS Str 16, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 14 (7), Cha 9
Base Attack +18, Grapple +25
Feats: Improved Grapple (+4, no AOO), Dodge: +1 AC, Stunning Fist: Stun 1 round Fort neg (DC 22 = 10 + 1/2 HD + Wis mod) used 0/6/day, Deflect Arrows, Improved Disarm (+4, no AOO), Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike), Improved Unarmed Strike: Considered armed even when unarmed; Stealthy (+2 Hide +2 Move Silently), Greater Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Improved Critical (Unarmed Strike), Melee Weapon Mastery (bludgeoning); Improved Initiative, Weapon Specialization, Mobility, Spring Attack
Skills: Balance 7, Climb 1, Diplomacy -1, Escape Artist 12, Hide 17, Jump 20, Knowledge (Planes) +3, Knowledge (Religion) +3, Listen 14, Move Silently 13, Sense Motive 4, Spot 11, Swim 17, Tumble 18
SA Evasion Reflex save no damage instead of 1/2; Purity of Body Immune to Natural Diseases; Slow Fall up to 30'; Still Mind +2 vs enchantment;
Kensai: +2 to attack and damage with Unarmed Strike; Rage used 0 / 2 / day (+4 Str, +4 Con, +2 Will saves, -2 AC; 6 rounds; fatigued after ((–2 penalty to Strength, –2 penalty to Dexterity, can't charge or run) for the duration of the current encounter; Trap Sense +2 (Reflex & AC vs traps)
[Immune to poison, ability damage, ability drain, aging, polymorph. Does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe]
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, a barbarian retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level and higher, a barbarian can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has barbarian levels.
Languages Common, Abyssal, Infernal

Regeneration 20 (Ex): No form of attack deals lethal damage to him. He regenerates even if he fails a saving throw against a disintegrate spell or a death effect. If he fails his save against a spell or effect that would kill him instantly, the spell or effect instead deals nonlethal damage equal to his full normal hit points +10. He is immune to effects that produce incurable or bleeding wounds, such as mummy rot, a sword with the wounding special ability, or a clay golem’s cursed wound ability. If he loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 1d6 minutes (the detached piece dies and decays normally). He can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump. He's not immune to energy drain, but he does not die from negative levels, and they never last more than one hour.

Madness: His wisdom is unaffected for mechanical purposes, but half normal as far as his behavior.

He knows where a Rod of Force is hidden in a statue (Search DC 30).

In play: So the plan was that the Addle-Pate would enter the next room with the party and then turn against them once combat started. However, there was also a Mirror of Life Trapping in the next room, and he ended up getting trapped in it. As a result the party never had to deal with, or even noticed, the fact that he was unkillable.

They did release some other monsters - a Black Cyst, a Black Rock Triskelion, and a Pseudonatural Troll. This encounter was a bit more challenging due to the Harbinger's malign influence, but the party prevailed. The Black Cyst could have been a problem due to its regeneration, except that one of the PCs at the time could dish out a lot of negative levels, which it could not counter.

[Archmage1]

The Harbinger was annoying(-5 is not great), and I think we all smelled the rat of Antis from a mile away. But it was very kind of him to reveal the mirror of life trapping.

The sword of Energy Drain. An incredibly potent sword, perfect for all dual wielders to dual wield when they realize that they get a whole lot of attacks, and not much else.

The actual fight was an encounter? To be honest, I don't really remember thinking anything about it was unexpected. With the robes to let us see, we just sort of smashed our way through.

[kinem]

The Fearsome Foursome: The next Gate was being used by some fiends to draw power from, allowing them to gain levels in the Developed Outsider (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?638842-Under-the-hood-Developed-Outsiders) PrC.

The four fiends were as follows:


Medium-Size Outsider (Evil, Yugoloth)
Hit Dice: 21d8+147 (241 hp)
Initiative: +9m
Speed: 30 ft.
Space/Reach: 5'/5'
AC: 35 (+5 Dex, +11 natural, +9 chain shirt), touch 15, flat-footed 30
BAB/Grapple: +21/+28
Attack: Slam +28 melee (1d6+7) or Greatsword +30 melee (2d6+10/19-20) or bite +26 (1d4+3+poison)
Full Attack: 2 slams +28 melee (1d6+7) and 2 bites +26 melee (1d4+3+poison) or Greatsword +30/+25/+20/+15 melee (2d6+10/19-20) and 2 bites +26 melee (1d4+3+poison)
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities, hasten death, divine spells, quick hiss, double hiss
Special Qualities: DR 10/good, darkvision 60', SR 31, yugoloth traits (immune to poison and acid; cold, fire, and electricity resistance 10; telepathy 100'), scent, keen eyed
Saves: Fort +27, Ref +25, Will +28 (all include +6 from Superior Resistance)
Abilities: Str 22(24), Dex 20, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 22(26), Cha 22
Skills: Concentration +30, Heal +30, Intimidate +28, Sense Motive +30, Spellcraft +25, Spot +39, Listen +30, Knowledge (the planes) +25, Knowledge (religion) +25
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Power Attack, Improved Toughness, Improved Initiative, Eschew Materials [B], Spell Penetration [B], Practiced Spellcaster [B], Sudden Silent, Sudden Maximize, Quicken SLA (shield 3/day), Quicken SLA (heal 3/day)
Challenge Rating: 19
Treasure: Periapt of Wisdom +4, Mwk Greatsword, +5 chain shirt, 5000 gp diamond, gloves of strength +2, reliquary 500 gp (unholy aura focus)
Alignment: Neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +6

A colubriloth is scaly and dark green in color. Where the head and neck would be on a humanoid, it has two long snake-like heads. They function as medics for the more powerful yugoloths, doing so in exchange for being allowed to use their hasten death power on the battlefields even on lesser yugoloths. The colubriloths' ability to restore outsiders to life by preparing the proper spells is greatly important to many powerful fiends and earns them much respect from powerful yugoloths.

Because yugoloths fear the colubriloth's hasten death ability, it cannot summon other yugoloths.

Colubriloths don't worship a diety; instead, they draw power from the essense of the planes.

Colubriloths speak Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal.

Even if a colubriloth loses both of its heads (such as to vorpal attacks), it doesn't die; its brain is within its torso. However, such a colubriloth would be blind and deaf and would lose its scent ability unless a head were restored.

Combat:
Poison (Ex): An colubriloth’s bites can inject a poison (Fort negates DC 25, Con-based). Initial damage and secondary damage: 1d6 temporary Con damage.

Quick Hiss (Ex): The colubiloth can use one head to cast a spell in the same round that it makes an attack action or a full attack with only one bite attack. The spell can be cast either immediately before or immediately after the physical attacks, as desired, and is part of the same standard or full round action.

Double Hiss (Ex): It can use both heads to cast a spell as a standard action, gaining +2 to caster level and to the DC to resist the spell.

Hasten death (Su): As a swift action, it can target a living creature within 100'. The target takes 2d10 damage (no save). The colubriloth gains an equal number of temporary hit points (which don't stack, and last up to 24 hours). Once a target takes damage from this ability, that target is immune to the same colubriloth's Hasten Death ability for 24 hours.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only); 3/day — blade barrier (15d6, reflex half DC 20), greater dispel magic, heal (150 hp), lion's charge (SpC), mage's sword (+30 attack (CL + Cha + 3), 4d6+3/19-20), shield (+4 AC), true seeing, wraithstrike (swift action, SpC); 1/day - time stop. Caster level 21 (+23 vs SR); save DC 16 + spell level (Charisma-based).

Divine Spells: The colubriloth can prepare and cast spells as a 16th level cleric. (Caster level 21 with the Practiced Spellcaster feat.) Domains: Healing, Evil
Spells prepared: (DC 18 + Spell level); Spells/day 6 0th, 5+2+1 1st, 5+2+1 2nd, 5+1+1 3rd, 4+1+1 4th, 4+1+1 5th, 3+1+1 6th, 3+0+1 7th, 2+0+1 8th
0: Detect Magic (x3), Light, Mending, Read Magic
1: Vigor (lesser), Resurgence, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary, Conviction, Remove Fear, Divine Favor; + Protection From Good
2: Silence, Bear's Endurance, Death Knell, Spiritual Weapon, Resist Energy, Suppress Magic, Adept Spirit; + Cure Moderate Wounds
3: Crown of Might, Divine Retaliation, Haboob, Blindness/Deafness, Conviction (legion's), Invisibility Purge; + Magic Circle Agaist Good
4: Magic Weapon (Greater), Recitation, Shield of Faith (legion's), Divine Power, Dismissal; + Cure Critical Wounds
5: Streamers, Command (greater), Choking Sands, Investiture of the Orthon, Curse of Petty Failing (legion's); + Cure Light Wounds (Mass)
6: Superior Resistance (Cast), Cometfall, Heroes’ Feast (Cast), Harm; + Heal
7: Consumptive Field (greater), Harm (greater), Blasphemy; + Blasphemy
8: Brilliant Aura, Chain Dispel; + Unholy Aura

Keen Eyed (Ex): A colubriloth has a +10 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Advancement: Increase the caster level for the spell-like abilities and the 'loths' SR by 1 for every class level gained.

Yugoloth Traits: A yugoloth is immune to poison and acid. It has cold, fire, and electricity resistance 10. Yugoloths can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish).


Base creature:
Medium-Size Outsider (Evil, Yugoloth)
Hit Dice: 20d8+120 (210 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 30 ft.
Space/Reach: 5'/5'
AC: 33 (+4 Dex, +10 natural, +9 chain shirt), touch 14, flat-footed 29
BAB/Grapple: +20/+27
Attack: Slam +27 melee (1d6+7) or Greatsword +29 melee (2d6+10/19-20) or bite +25 (1d4+3+poison)
Full Attack: 2 slams +27 melee (1d6+7) and 2 bites +25 melee (1d4+3+poison) or Greatsword +29/+24/+19/+14 melee (2d6+10/19-20) and 2 bites +25 melee (1d4+3+poison)
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities, hasten death, divine spells, quick hiss, double hiss
Special Qualities: DR 10/good, darkvision 60', SR 30, yugoloth traits (immune to poison and acid; cold, fire, and electricity resistance 10; telepathy 100'), scent, keen eyed
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +16, Will +20
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 18(22), Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +28, Heal +29, Intimidate +27, Sense Motive +29, Spellcraft +24, Spot +39, Listen +29, Knowledge (the planes) +24, Knowledge (religion) +24
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Power Attack, Improved Toughness, Improved Initiative, Eschew Materials [B], Spell Penetration [B], Practiced Spellcaster [B], Sudden Silent, Sudden Maximize
Environment: Any (Gehenna)
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: Periapt of Wisdom +4, Mwk Greatsword, +5 chain shirt, 5000 gp diamond
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +6

A colubriloth is scaly and dark green in color. Where the head and neck would be on a humanoid, it has two long snake-like heads. They function as medics for the more powerful yugoloths, doing so in exchange for being allowed to use their hasten death power on the battlefields even on lesser yugoloths. The colubriloths' ability to restore outsiders to life by preparing the proper spells is greatly important to many powerful fiends and earns them much respect from powerful yugoloths.

Because yugoloths fear the colubriloth's hasten death ability, it cannot summon other yugoloths.

Colubriloths don't worship a diety; instead, they draw power from the essense of the planes.

Colubriloths speak Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal.

Even if a colubriloth loses both of its heads (such as to vorpal attacks), it doesn't die; its brain is within its torso. However, such a colubriloth would be blind and deaf and would lose its scent ability unless a head were restored.

Combat:
Poison (Ex): An colubriloth’s bites can inject a poison (Fort negates DC 25, Con-based). Initial damage and secondary damage: 1d6 temporary Con damage.

Quick Hiss (Ex): The colubiloth can use one head to cast a spell in the same round that it makes an attack action or a full attack with only one bite attack. The spell can be cast either immediately before or immediately after the physical attacks, as desired, and is part of the same standard or full round action.

Double Hiss (Ex): It can use both heads to cast a spell as a standard action, gaining +2 to caster level and to the DC to resist the spell.

Hasten death (Su): As a swift action, it can target a living creature within 100'. The target takes 2d10 damage (no save). The colubriloth gains an equal number of temporary hit points (which don't stack, and last up to 24 hours). Once a target takes damage from this ability, that target is immune to the same colubriloth's Hasten Death ability for 24 hours.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only); 3/day — blade barrier (15d6, reflex half DC 20), greater dispel magic, heal (150 hp), lion's charge (SpC), mage's sword (+27 attack (CL + Cha + 3), 4d6+3/19-20), shield (+4 AC), true seeing, wraithstrike (swift action, SpC); 1/day - time stop. Caster level 20 (+22 vs SR); save DC 14 + spell level (Charisma-based).

Divine Spells: The colubriloth can prepare and cast spells as a 16th level cleric. (Caster level 20 with the Practiced Spellcaster feat.) Domains: Healing, Evil
Typical spells prepared: (DC 16 + Spell level); Spells/day 6 0th, 5+2+1 1st, 5+2+1 2nd, 5+1+1 3rd, 4+1+1 4th, 4+1+1 5th, 3+1+1 6th, 3+0+1 7th, 2+0+1 8th
0: Detect Magic (x3), Light, Mending, Read Magic
1: Vigor (lesser), Resurgence, Shield of Faith, Sanctuary, Conviction, Remove Fear, Divine Favor; + Protection From Good
2: Silence, Bear's Endurance, Death Knell, Spiritual Weapon, Resist Energy, Suppress Magic, Adept Spirit; + Cure Moderate Wounds
3: Magic Vestment, Divine Retaliation, Haboob, Blindness/Deafness, Conviction (legion's), Invisibility Purge; + Magic Circle Agaist Good
4: Magic Weapon (Greater), Recitation, Shield of Faith (legion's), Divine Power, Dismissal; + Cure Critical Wounds
5: Streamers, Command (greater), Choking Sands, Investiture of the Orthon, Curse of Petty Failing (legion's); + Cure Light Wounds (Mass)
6: Revive Outsider (5k diamond), Cometfall, Heroes’ Feast, Eagle’s Splendor (Mass); + Heal
7: Consumptive Field (greater), Harm (greater), Plague; + Blasphemy
8: Brilliant Aura, Chain Dispel; + Unholy Aura

Keen Eyed (Ex): A colubriloth has a +10 racial bonus on Spot checks.

Advancement: Increase the caster level for the spell-like abilities and the 'loths' SR by 1 for every class level gained.

Yugoloth Traits: A yugoloth is immune to poison and acid. It has cold, fire, and electricity resistance 10. Yugoloths can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish).


Huge Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, and Yugoloth) CR 19
Alignment: Neutral evil
Initiative: +2 (Dex); Senses: Listen +26 and Spot +26
Languages: Telepathy 100 ft.
AC: 37 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +10 breastplate, +17 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 35
Hit Dice: 29d8+309 (449 hp); DR: 10/good
Saves Fort +33, Ref 25, Will +25
Speed: 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (good) (30 ft. in breastplate, fly 60 ft. [good])
Space: 15 ft./15 ft.
Base Attack +29; Grapple +44
Attack: Claw +34 melee or greataxe +40 melee
Full Attack: greataxe +40/+35/+30/+25 melee and 2 claws +29 melee or 4 claws +34 melee
Damage: greataxe 4d6+15/19-20/x3, 2 claws 1d8+3 plus bleeding wounds or 4 claws 1d8+3 plus bleeding wounds
Special Attacks/Actions: Bleeding wounds, rake +34 (1d8+3), improved grab, liftoff, spell-like abilities, summon yugoloth
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 14, Con 30, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18
Special Qualities: immunity to poison and acid, resistance to cold 10, fire 10, and electricity 10, SR 25
Feats: Alertness; Awesome Blow; Cleave; Flyby Attack; Improved Bull Rush; Improved Critical (greataxe); Improved Toughness; Mobility; Power Attack; Weapon Focus (greataxe); Quicken Spell-like Ability (greater teleport, 3/day); Quicken Spell-like Ability (mirror image, 3/day)
Skills: Bluff +23, Concentration +29, Diplomacy +23, Hide +9, Intimidate +34, Jump +24, Knowledge (arcana) +21, Knowledge (the planes) +21, Listen +31, Move Silently +17, Search +18, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +18, and Spot +31
Treasure/Possessions: +5 greataxe, +5 breastplate, +5 vest of resistance

Bleeding Wounds (Ex): A wound from a nycaloth's claw attack continues to bleed after the injury was inflicted. Each wound bleeds for 1 point of damage per round thereafter. Multiple claw wounds result in cumulative bleeding loss (two wounds deal 2 points of damage per round, and so on). The bleeding can be stopped only by a successful DC 15 Heal check or the application of any cure spell or other healing spell (heal, mass heal, and so on).

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a nycaloth must hit with both claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can attempt to either deal damage with its claws, rake the grappled target (see below), or use its liftoff ability (see below).

Liftoff (Ex): A nycaloth commander can lift large or smaller opponents. A medium load is between 936 and 2,132 pounds. A heavy load is between 2,133 and 2,800 pounds. A nycaloth commander can't carry a load of more than 2,800 pounds. When carrying a medium load, the nycaloth's fly speed drops to 60 feet and it takes a -3 penalty on Hide and Move Silently checks; these penalties worsen to -6 with a heavy load.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +33, damage 1d8+3. A nycaloth commander that gets a hold can make two rake attacks with its hind legs.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - deeper darkness, desecrate, fear (DC 18), invisibility, mirror image, see invisibility, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only). CL 15

Summon Yugoloth (Ex): Once per day, the nycaloth commander can attempt to summon a nycaloth or 1d3 mezzoloths with a 40% chance of success.

Immunities (Ex): Nycaloths are immune to poison and acid.

Telepathy (Su): Nycaloths can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.


Large Outsider (Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 21d8+147 (241 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor Class: 41 (-1 size, +2 dex, +26 natural, +4 mage armor), touch 11, flat-footed 39
Base Attack/Grapple: +21/+35
Attack: Claw +31 melee (2d6+8) plus energy drain
Full Attack: 2 claws +31 melee (2d6+8) plus energy drain
Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain, far claws, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron and magic; darkvision 60'; SR 33; resistance to acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10; immune to energy drain, poison, paralysis, and disease; telepathy 100'
Saves: Fort +26, Ref +21, Will +18
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16
Skills: Climb +32, Concentration +30, Intimidate +26, Sense Motive +24, Spot +24, Jump +32, Knowledge (the planes) +24, Listen +24
Feats: Mindsight[B], Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-like Ability (dimensional anchor 3/day), Quicken Spell-like Ability (dimension door 3/day), Quicken Spell-like Ability (heal 1/day), Quicken Spell-like Ability (greater dispel magic 3/day), Weapon Focus (claw), Blind-Fight, Quicken SLA (haste 1/day)
Challenge Rating: 19
Treasure: Amulet of Natural Armor +5, Vest of Resistance +5
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 21-40 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +7

These powerful fiends have dark green scaled skin and large claws, and otherwise resemble hairless humanoid giants. They are about 12' tall.

These fierce warriors are often recruited to fight in the blood war on either side. The species is related to the fiends known as currumpos, but they don't often associate with those kin.

Far Claws (Su): The tekinto can attack at a range of up to 300' with its claws. The claws themselves don't extend; instead, a magical effect appears at the spot it is trying to attack, slashing as the claws do and leaving the same damage and same kind of wounds. Attack rolls are made normally. Line of effect is not necessary. The tekinto does not need to see the creature it's attacking, but if it doesn't that creature has total concealment from it (50% miss chance). All modifiers to the attacks apply as they normally would to the claw attacks, including the effects of the Power Attack feat and the wraithstrike spell-like ability. The Far Claws can attack different creatures, but all of the attacks must be within a 30' diameter region. The Far Claws can strike incorporeal creatures as if a force effect.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a tekinto’s claw or Far Claws attack gain one negative level. The Charisma-based DC is 23 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. For each such negative level bestowed, the tekinto gains 5 temporary hit points; these last for up to 1 hour and don't stack.

Spell-like abilities: Caster level 21 (as HD); save DCs are Charisma-based.
At will - dimensional anchor, dimension door, greater dispel magic, mage armor, magic circle against good, true seeing, telekinesis, wraithstrike (SpC: swift action cast; attacks as touch attacks for 1 round)
1/day - dimensional lock, greater teleport, greater invisibility, haste, heal, mind blank, telekinetic sphere (Reflex DC 21), time stop, moment of prescience

Advancement: Increase SR by 1 for each class level and for every 2 racial HD over 20.

Base creature:
Large Outsider (Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 20d8+120 (210 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 40 ft.
Armor Class: 33 (-1 size, +20 natural, +4 mage armor), touch 9, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +20/+32
Attack: Claw +28 melee (2d6+8) plus energy drain
Full Attack: 2 claws +28 melee (2d6+8) plus energy drain
Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain, far claws, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron and magic; darkvision 60'; SR 32; resistance to acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10; immune to energy drain, poison, paralysis, and disease; telepathy 100'
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +12
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 10, Con 22, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14
Skills: Climb +31, Concentration +29, Intimidate +25, Sense Motive +23, Spot +23, Jump +31, Knowledge (the planes) +23, Listen +23
Feats: Mindsight[B], Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-like Ability (dimensional anchor 3/day), Quicken Spell-like Ability (dimension door 3/day), Quicken Spell-like Ability (heal 1/day), Quicken Spell-like Ability (greater dispel magic 3/day), Weapon Focus (claw)
Environment: Any (Lower Planes)
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 21-40 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: +7

These powerful fiends have dark green scaled skin and large claws, and otherwise resemble hairless humanoid giants. They are about 12' tall.

These fierce warriors are often recruited to fight in the blood war on either side. The species is related to the fiends known as currumpos, but they don't often associate with those kin.

Far Claws (Su): The tekinto can attack at a range of up to 300' with its claws. The claws themselves don't extend; instead, a magical effect appears at the spot it is trying to attack, slashing as the claws do and leaving the same damage and same kind of wounds. Attack rolls are made normally. Line of effect is not necessary. The tekinto does not need to see the creature it's attacking, but if it doesn't that creature has total concealment from it (50% miss chance). All modifiers to the attacks apply as they normally would to the claw attacks, including the effects of the Power Attack feat and the wraithstrike spell-like ability. The Far Claws can attack different creatures, but all of the attacks must be within a 30' diameter region. The Far Claws can strike incorporeal creatures as if a force effect.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a tekinto’s claw or Far Claws attack gain one negative level. The Charisma-based DC is 22 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. For each such negative level bestowed, the tekinto gains 5 temporary hit points; these last for up to 1 hour and don't stack.

Spell-like abilities: Caster level 20 (as HD); save DCs are Charisma-based.
At will - dimensional anchor, dimension door, greater dispel magic, mage armor, magic circle against good, true seeing, telekinesis, wraithstrike (SpC: swift action cast; attacks as touch attacks for 1 round)
1/day - dimensional lock, greater teleport, greater invisibility, haste, heal, mind blank, telekinetic sphere (Reflex DC 20), time stop, moment of prescience

Advancement: Increase SR by 1 for each class level and for every 2 racial HD over 20.


Medium Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Yugoloth)
Hit Dice: 18d8+90 (171 hp)
Initiative: +10
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 39 (+6 Dex, +8 natural, +11 insight, +4 Mage Armor from tekinto), touch 27, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+21
Attack: Claw +21 melee (1d8+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +21 melee (1d8+3) and bite +19 melee (2d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, dark fluency (swift Dark Speech), divine spark, heal wounds, reopen wounds
Special Qualities: AC bonus, damage reduction 10/epic and good, darkvision 60', immune to mind-affecting abilities, immune to daze or stun, immune to poison and acid, primal form, rejuvenation, resistance to cold 10, fire 10, and electricity 10, spell resistance 31, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +17, Will +20
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 18, Wis 28, Cha 28
Skills: Bluff +28, Concentration +25, Intimidate +28, Knowledge (arcana, history, the planes, religion) +20, Listen +27, Sense Motive +28, Spellcraft +26, Spot +28, Tumble +24
Feats: Combat Casting, Dark Speech (ElE), Dark Whispers (ElE), Filthy Outburst (ElE), Improved Initiative, Multiattack [B], Spell Penetration [B], Spell Focus (Abjuration) [B], Knowledge Devotion, Quicken SLA (Heal 3/day)
Challenge Rating: 18
Alignment: Neutral evil
Level Adjustment: +5

Long, gangly limbs covered by purulent gray flesh; an over-sized, horned head with an odd mouth comprising nothing but teeth and tongue; distant, glazed yellow eyes dripping fluid - all these things are a baernaloth, yet it is more. The essence of the creature is callous detatchment; an unending, insatiable need for misery and affliction; a monster that methodically hurts and hinders other creatures.

Baernaloths sometimes have nightmares or even night hags as companions. They like to lair in twisted, forbidding towers in areas desolate even by the standards of the Gray Waste.

They rarely associate with other yugoloths, and are always found on the Gray Waste, never on Gehenna, where so many of the others have migrated. It is said that the baernoloths were the first yugoloths, and created the other races. Certainly, they are afforded a great deal of respect from other yugoloths (on the rare occasions when they meet) – far more than their physical or magical power would seemingly warrant.

All baernaloths are quite ancient. Although the arcanaloths are the scholars and record-keepers of the yugoloth ranks, baernaloths are said to be in the possession of mysterious and varied (and dangerous) secrets. They certainly seem to know more about fiends of all types, and lower-planar creatures in general, than any other singular source. On the other hand, most baernaloths have forgotten much of the ancient knowledge they once knew. It is said that the baernaloths used to be much more powerful in ancient days, perhaps as powerful as gods, but sacrificed that power for reasons best left unknown. It is also generally believed that a few baernaloths remain extremely powerful as they were in ancient times, but are now well hidden; these are seldom spoken of, but when they are, they are referred to as the Darkest Baernaloths.

More than anything else, though, most baernaloths see their place in the scheme of things as bringers of misery and pain. They specialize in torture, not as a means of interrogation, but as agony for agony’s sake. Emotionlessly, coldly, they bring anguish upon others. Oftentimes they find means other than simple physical pain to accomplish this end. Baernaloths seem to relish foiling well-laid plans, spreading vicious lies, and revealing sinister secrets in order to cause dismay. All the while, these creatures of evil stare at their victims with a chillingly disturbing detachment. Baernaloths take no apparent pleasure in their work, yet certainly show no regret.

It is unusual, but not unknown, to see a baernaloth commanding a brigade of mixed fiends in a Blood War skirmish. Likewise, at least one baernaloth serves as advisor and confidant to the most prominent ultroloth masters. These non-hermitlike baernaloths are considered insane by others of their kind, but are the ones most often encounted by other creatures. These aberrant baernaloths are able to suppress their destructive urges well enough to work with and cooperate with others.

Baernaloths speak Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal.

Combat:

In hand-to-hand combat, the baernaloth rakes with its savage claws and rears at its foes with its huge mouth. A baernoloth's natural attacks are considered epic and evil for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Baernaloths almost never use weapons or equipment of any kind, even magical items. They are not proficient with any weapons or armor.

Baernaloths do not summon other yugoloths. If seriously threatened, a baernaloth will teleport away.

Reopen wounds (Su): Three times per day as a swift action, the creature can cause wounds created by his claws and mouth to worsen, tearing open painfully. With this attack, the baernaloth can wreak the same amount of damage that he has previously inflicted upon a foe in one round with his natural attacks sometime during the last 24 hours. For example, if a baernaloth uses his claws and bite to inflict 13 points of damage upon a foe and then casts him into a dungeon, the baernaloth can return anytime within the next day and instantly inflict 13 additional points of damage upon that particular foe. There is no saving throw against this ability, but the target must be within 30', and within sight. This ability could be used to inflict the same damage based on the same wounds all 3 times in a day.

Heal wounds (Su): Conversely, a baernaloth can instantly heal any or all damage that it inflicted with its claws and bite. This can be done at will as a free action with a range of 30'. It uses this ability to keep captives – and even foes in battle – alive so that the fiend can continue to inflict pain. Obviously, the baernaloth is intelligent enough to keep from using this ability in a way which puts itself in jeopardy (by healing its opponents too much, for example).

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the baernaloth adds its Wisdom bonus +2 to its AC as an insight bonus. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when the it is flat-footed. It loses this bonus when immobilized or helpless, when it wears any armor, when it carries a shield, or when it carries a medium or heavy load. This bonus does not stack with the monk ability, but its racial HD stack with monk levels to determine the total bonus as per monk levels.

Primal Form (Ex): Attempts by other creatures to assume the form of a baernaloth (such as via a shapechange spell) fail. A baernaloth is immune to polymorphing and shapechanging (even if it is willing) as well as to petrification, disintegrate, and similar transmutations of the body.

Divine Spark (Ex): A baernaloth's supernatural (but not spell-like) abilities function even in an antimagic field or dead magic zone. Also, it can be called with a gate or (greater) planar binding spell, but not controlled.

Spell-like abilities:
At will - blasphemy, charm monster (Will neg DC 23), contagion, deeper darkness, desecrate, displacement, discern lies, fear (Will partial DC 23), greater command (Will neg DC 24), insanity (Will neg DC 26), major image, mind blank (self only), suggestion (Will neg DC 22), teleport without error (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), true seeing, unholy aura;
1/day - antimagic field, imprisonment (+21 touch, Will neg DC 29), miracle (it must pay any XP cost and/or provide the material component, if any).
Caster level 18 (as HD); saves are Charisma-based. Caster level increases to 19 (as HD+1) when using Dark Speech Power, which it typically does.

3 DO SLAs: Heal 3/day, Moment of Prescience 1/day, Avasculate 2/day (+21 ranged touch, Fort partial DC 26)

Rejuvenation (Su): If a baernaloth is slain, it will re-appear 2d10 days later somewhere on the plane of Hades. However, a baernaloth with class levels permanently loses one level each time it rejuvenates. It can be ressurected in the same way as any other outsider before that happens.

Dark Fluency (Ex): Baernaloths may be the originators of Dark Speech, and are certainly among the most proficient in its use. A baernaloth does not take ability damage when using Dark Speech or related feats (Filthy Outburst, Vile Whispers), is immune to all negative effects from such feats used by others, and can use Dark Speech or Dark Whispers as a swift action if it chooses to.

In addition to the normal uses of Dark Speech, as a free action it can use the Power component of Dark Speech to increase by 1 the caster level of a spell-like ability it casts.

As a swift action, it can use Filthy Outburst to insult living creatures within 60', causing them to make Will saves (DC 28, Cha-based) or be deafened for 12 rounds (as HD). Affected creatures take a -4 profane penalty on saves against evil spells or spell-like abilities.

Dark Whispers cause disturbing visions in the minds of living creatures within 30' who hear them. Such a creature must make a Will save (DC 28, Cha based) or, if it has fewer Hit Dice than the baernaloth, it is staggered for 1d10 rounds; if it has at least as many Hit Dice, it is confused for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting supernatural effect.

Base creature: Baernaloth (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?364664-Baernaloth-PEACH)

In Play: This was the toughest encounter the party had yet faced. Center-of-All was killed during the battle but quickly brought back to life by the party.

They suspected that the Baernaloth might be one of the Darkest (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?364952-Baernaloth-Darkest-PEACH), and they targeted it first, killing it before it could do anything.

As a caster, the Colubriloth was dangerous but lacked the stamina to really stand against the party.

The Tekinto performed well enough in its first ever appearance outside my personal files. Its Far Claws were a good ranged attack. It ended up grabbing the body of the Colubriloth and teleporting away with it, either to get the loot or to resurrect an ally.

The Nycaloth Commander, with a pile of hp but not as much in the way of magic, was the last fiend standing. It tried to run for it but was captured and interrogated. It didn’t know much though as it wasn’t a ringleader.

[Archmage1]

The fight against the Yugoloth collective was definitely the most challenging fight up to this point.

Between their high SR(Or, perhaps more accurately, our inability to roll over a 10(We had spell penetration modifiers of +25ish) on our SR checks), high saves, and our party composition(We had a swiftblade without power attack(Which means that she was really good at hitting things, but not so much at dealing damage, which mattered when you were fighting things with DR), we struggled here.
(Basically, our casters couldn't get through both the enemy SR and their saves. Looking at the stats now, we were targeting the wrong enemies with spells, and also our DM did not provide enough detail for us to distinguish between SR and saves, which led to us overestimating the enemy SR(The one spell that we knew got through the SR was on a roll of a 40). I may have gotten rather frustrated with this OOC.

It didn't help that in the initial round, one character tried talking, and the others immediately attacked. Party cohesion: Pretty important.

Also, Center was a consistent problem this fight, as he simply wasn't up to fighting at this level.

[kinem]

The next battle was on a Prime Material Plane in the land of Bavia, where technology was about as advanced as in the mid 20th century on Earth - including firearms. I used the Pathfinder rules for advanced firearms, but with no misfire chance, and the weapons only work on that particular Prime plane.

The entrance to the gate complex was hidden by an illusion (divinations were blocked) and guarded by a group of war trolls armed with huge rifles.

Troll, War (CR 12)
Large Monstrous Humanoid
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Initiative: +7; Senses: darkvision 90 ft., low-light vision, scent, Listen +11, and Spot +12

AC: 31 (-1 size, +14 natural armor, +5 breastplate, +3 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 28
Hit Dice: 12d8+108 (162 hp); DR: 5/adamantine
Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +12
Speed: 40 ft. (30 ft. in breastplate)
Space: 10 ft./10 ft.
Base Attack +12; Grapple +26
Attack: Masterwork greatsword +23 melee or bite +21 melee or masterwork rifle +13 ranged touch
Full Attack: Masterwork greatsword +23/+18/+13 melee and bite +19 melee; or 2 claws +21 melee and bite +19 melee;
or masterwork rifle +13/+8/+3 ranged touch
Damage: Masterwork greatsword 3d6+15/19-20, bite 1d6+5, claws 1d8+10, rifle 3d8/x4
Special Attacks/Actions: Dazing blow
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 16, Con 29, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 10
Special Qualities: regeneration 9, SR 20
Feats: Alertness; Improved Initiative; Iron Will; Multiattack; Weapon Focus (greatsword)
Skills: Listen +11 and Spot +12
Equipment: large breastplate, Mwk large greatsword, Mwk huge rifle (5 bullets), 5 huge rifle clips (5 bullets each), 100 gp, potion of resist energy (acid 20) (x2), ring of sustenance

Dazing Blow (Ex): The force of a war troll's blow can be overwhelming. If a war troll hits with a melee weapon or claw attack, the opponent must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or be dazed for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Regeneration (Ex): Unlike with their lesser cousins, acid (not fire) deals normal damage to a war troll. If a war troll loses a limb or a body part, the lost portion regrows in 2d4 minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Unlike their troll kindred, war trolls are precise and methodical in combat. They trust their regenerative abilities to see them through a fight against even powerful warriors, so they focus their attention on spellcasters early in any skirmish.

----------

Rifle, Huge Mwk 2,300 gp 3d8/x4 RI 80 ft. 5 bullets 18 lbs. B and P

Each troll has 5 spare 5 round clips. Reloading is a move action.

In Play: War trolls are tough, and since the rifles make touch attacks they might actually have a decent chance to hit high level characters. However, after an initial volley, AM used a wall of stone to block their ranged attacks and disintegrated a hole for the party to enter. In melee, the trolls were no match for epic level PCs.

[Archmage1]

This battle was rather sad. That rather nasty illusion, and the perfect setup for the firing line of a bunch of war trolls. It showed the preparedness of Bavia quite well.

The initial round was most depressing. All the trolls got off a shot, and did quite a bit of damage, because those touch attacks are nasty.

They had a solid looking wall, with firing ports, so they could pretty much shoot us with impunity.

But, well... wall of stone, then creating our own door solved that problem.
Using disintegrate instead of knocking was basically our standard approach to doors by this point, as traps might exist, as might locks.
So there was only one way to be sure.

[kinem]

The final Gate was guarded by an elite force of the Bavian military, who basically saw the threat of releasing Tharizdun as their "nuclear option" for the war they were losing.

This was the most complex encounter of the game and included the following:

A number of human riflemen were stationed around the outer perimeter of the room, protected by arrow slits in the walls. These used the Pathfinder (Trench) Fighter class. (PF classes were also an option for PCs, but at the cost of not being able to take prestige classes; none chose to take them.)

Rifle Soldier, CR 5
Human fighter (trench fighter) 6
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 57 (6d10+24)
Saves Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3 (Will +5 vs. fear)
Defensive Abilities bravery (+2 vs fear)
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee socket bayonet +7/+2 (1d6+1)
Ranged touch rifle +11/+6 (1d10+6/x4) or Rapid Shot rifle +9/+9/+4 (1d10+6/x4)
Special Attacks trench warfare (rifle), weapon training (firearms +1)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +6; Grapple +7
Feats Deadly Aim, Dodge, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (rifle), Weapon Specialization (rifle)
Skills Climb +5, Craft (firearms) +4, Knowledge (engineering) +4, Spot +7, Profession (soldier) +5, Ride +7, Hide +9, Survival +5
Language: Bavian Common
Gear rifle (5 bullets/clip, 80 ft. range increment), additional 4 clips, socket bayonet; wallet (ID, and 50 gp eqvivalent in Bavia), ring of sustenance

Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms resolve their attacks against touch AC when the target is within the first five range increments, but this type of attack is not considered a touch attack for the purposes of feats such as Deadly Aim. At higher range increments, the attack resolves normally, including taking the normal cumulative –2 penalty for each full-range increment. Advanced firearms have a maximum range of 10 range increments.

Within the large room were Mervi's Wooden Avatar (see Post #8 above (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25916005&postcount=8)) and a couple of the wooden soldiers, four more of the rifle-armed war trolls, and some giants.

There were a pair of (revised) Mountain Giant (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?649410-Mountain-Giant-revised-PEACH) guards:
Mountain Giant, revised, guards "Gee-meeg" and "Gro-meeg"

Gargantuan Giant (Earth)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Initiative: +0; Senses: darkvision 60 ft., scent, Listen +17, and Spot +17
AC: 44 (-4 size, +29 natural, +1 dex, +8 armor), touch 7, flat-footed 43
Hit Dice: 30d8+480 (615 hp)
Saves Fort +32, Ref +11, Will +23
Speed: 80 ft.
Space / Reach: 20 ft./20 ft.
Base Attack +22; Grapple +59
Attack: Colossal greatclub +40 melee, or slam +39 melee, or rock +39 ranged
Full Attack: Colossal greatclub +40/+35/+30/+25 melee, or 2 slams +39 melee, or rock +40 ranged
Damage: Colossal greatclub 6d8+31/19-20, slam 4d6+21, rock 4d8+21
Special Attacks/Actions: Crush 6d6+31, fling, grapple, rock throwing, trample 6d6+31, summon giants
Abilities: Str 47 (53), Dex 13, Con 40, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 4
Special Qualities: rock catching, stubborn mind, powerful build, acclimated, cold resistance 10
Feats: Awesome Blow; Brutal Throw; Iron Will; Improved Bull Rush; Improved Critical (greatclub); Power Attack; Improved Toughness; Improved Initiative
Epic Feats: Epic Will; Dire Charge; Fast Healing (FH3)
Skills: Jump +44, Listen +15, and Spot +15
Challenge Rating: 20
Level Adjustment: +0
Equipment: Mwk Colossal greatclub, +5 Gargantuan Studded Leather Armor, Gargantuan Belt of Strength +6, Ring of Sustenance, Boots of Speed

Geh-meeg and Grow-meeg are stronger than usual mountain giants who have been recruited to help guard the Gate in Bavia.

Among the largest giants in existence (though legends speak of even larger giants in ancient times), mountain giants are primitive creatures sometimes given to cruelty and capriciousness, though not all are evil. They take great pleasure in flinging boulders down upon foes, trying to hit them as they flee. Mountain giants often live to be 100 years old. Most are reclusive, especially those with young, and these defend their territory but keep to it. A notorious few attempt to become leaders of smaller giants or even humanoids.

A mountain giant resembles a titanic hill giant, standing more than 40 feet tall and weighing nearly 50,000 pounds. Greasy, jet-black hair frames a face with bulbous features and a skin tone that can be any shade from tan to reddish brown. The typical mountain giant wears only minimal clothing—usually a breechcloth and a shirt made of rough animal hide that barely covers a large pot belly.

A mountain giant’s bag contains 3d4 rocks suitable for throwing, 1d4+2 mundane items, and the giant’s personal wealth. These items tend to be humanoid-made artifacts that the mountain giant considers playthings, such as broken wagons, small huts, and furniture, including tables and beds.

Mountain giants attack in a straightforward manner, stepping forth to overrun opponents whenever possible. They also enjoy picking up foes and hurling them against a mountainside. Many an armed foe has foiled a mountain giant’s initial grab attempt only to be scooped up by the monster’s other hand. In melee, mountain giants use their height to smash their clubs down on the heads of their foes. A mountain giant that feels seriously threatened often uses the summon giants ability to engage its foes with other opponents, then steps back to hurl boulders. Against groups of smaller foes, mountain giants prefer their trample or crush attacks.

Crush (Ex): A mountain giant that jumps at least 20 feet into the air (or jumps down from a height of at least 20 feet) can land on opponents two or more size categories smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the giant's body. (This is normally a 20-foot square, but the giant can instead opt to come down on its seat and cover a 20-foot by 40-foot area, although it then becomes prone.) Each creature in the affected area must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 40) or be pinned, automatically taking 6d6+31 points of bludgeoning damage. Thereafter, if the giant chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack. While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.

Fling (Ex): A mountain giant that successfully grapples a foe two or more size categories smaller than itself can hurl the creature as a standard action. A flung creature travels up to 120 feet and takes 12d6 points of damage. A creature that is flung off a mountain takes this amount of damage or the appropriate falling damage, whichever is greater. The giant also can throw the flung creature as though it were a boulder. In this case, the flung creature takes 12d6+21 points of damage, and any opponent it strikes takes 4d8+21 points of damage.

Grapple (Ex): If a mountain giant hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a slam, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple (grapple bonus +59). If it gets a hold, it can fling the opponent in the next round. Alternatively, the mountain giant has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use one hand to hold the opponent (-20 penalty on grapple check, but the mountain giant is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals slam damage.

Trample (Ex): As a standard action during its turn each round, a mountain giant can trample opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. This attack deals 6d6+31 points of bludgeoning damage. A trampled opponent can attempt either an attack of opportunity at a -4 penalty or a Reflex save (DC 46) for half damage.

Rock Throwing (Ex): An adult giant is an accomplished rock thrower and receives a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls when throwing rocks. A mountain giant can hurl rocks weighing 160 to 200 pounds (Huge objects) with a range increment of 200'.

Rock catching (Ex): A mountain giant can catch rocks of up to Colossal size. Once per round, a giant that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to catch it as a free action. The DC to catch a rock is based on the rock's size (DC 20 + 5 per size category above Medium). If the projectile has a bonus on attack rolls because of magic, the DC increases by that amount. The giant must be ready for and aware of the attack.

Scent (Ex): A mountain giant can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.

Summon Giants (Sp): Once per day, a mountain giant can summon 1d4+1 hill giants.

Stubborn Mind (Ex): Mountain giants use the good progression for Will saves.

Powerful Build (Ex): The physical stature of a mountain giant lets him function in many ways as if he were one size category larger. Whenever one is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the giant is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A mountain giant is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A mountain giant can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty.

Acclimated (Ex): Mountain giants are automatically acclimated to life at high altitude. They don't take the penalties for altitude described in the Mountain Travel section. Unlike other denizens of the mountains, they don't lose their acclimation to high altitude even if they spend a long time at a lower elevation.

There was also an Eldritch Giant Confessor, slightly modified with better than average equipment:
Giant, Eldritch, Confessor (CR 20)
Huge Giant
Alignment: Usually neutral evil
Initiative: +1 (Dex); Senses: low-light vision, Listen +24, and Spot +30
AC: 41 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +13 natural, +13 full plate, +6 light steel shield), touch 9, flat-footed 40
Hit Dice: 25d8+275 plus 11d8+122 (558 hp)
Saves Fort +37, Ref +17, Will +35
Speed: 50 ft. (35 ft. in full plate armor)
Space: 15 ft./15 ft.
Base Attack +26; Grapple +51
Attack: Bastard sword +47 melee
Full Attack: Bastard sword +47/+42/+37/+32 melee
Damage: Bastard Sword 3d8+22/17-20
Special Attacks/Actions: Rebuke undead 5/day (+4, 2d6+13, 11th), spells, spell-like abilities
Abilities: Str 44, Dex 12, Con 32, Int 18, Wis 24, Cha 15
Special Qualities: Eldritch mastery, natural willpower

Feats: Cleave; Empower Spell-like Ability (magic missile); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword); Weapon Focus (bastard sword); Improved Bull Rush; Improved Critical (bastard sword); Improved Overrun; Iron Will; Power Attack; Quicken Spell; Quicken Spell-Like Ability (greater dispel magic); Quicken Spell-Like Ability (dimension door); Practiced Spellcaster

Skills: Concentration +49, Diplomacy +4, Knowledge (arcana) +42, Knowledge (religion) +24, Knowledge (the planes) +24, Listen +24, Sense Motive +45, Spellcraft +44, and Spot +30

Treasure/Possessions: +5 full plate, +5 light steel shield, +5 bastard sword, +5 vest of resistance, ring of sustenance

Eldritch giant confessors herd lesser giants before them into battle. Although these cruel creatures have great confidence in their physical and magical abilities, they place little value in the lives of lesser creatures, even other eldritch giants. Eldritch giant confessors carefully enhance their own abilities with spells before and during a fight, especially favoring the use of quickened spells such as divine favor that enhance their physical combat abilities. They gain a +2 bonus on all turn/rebuke undead attempts due to their Knowledge (religion) skill.

Typical Cleric Spells Prepared (6/8/7/7/5/4/3) (CL 15, DC 17+SL): 0 - detect poison (2), light (2), read magic (2); 1st - bless, cure light wounds (4), divine favor, inflict light wounds* (+41 melee touch; DC 18), shield of faith; 2nd - bear's endurance, bull's strength, cure moderate wounds (2), hold person (2), shatter* (DC 19); 3rd - cure serious wounds (DC 20), Channeled Divine Shield, mass conviction, contagion*, blindsight, protection from energy; 4th - cure critical wounds, mass shield of faith, death ward, divine power, inflict critical wounds* (+32 melee touch; DC 21); 5th - Quickened divine favor, flame strike (DC 22), Curse of Petty Failing (Legion's), mass inflict light wounds* (DC 22); 6th - heal (2), harm* (DC 23).

*Domain spell. Domains: Destruction (smite 1/day, +4 melee attack, +11 damage), Magic (use spell completion and spell trigger items as 5th-level wizard).

Spell-like Abilities: At will - detect magic, greater dispel magic, magic missile; 3/day - dimension door, globe of invulnerability. Caster level 20th.

Eldritch Mastery (Su): An eldritch giant has an extensive familiarity with and an intuitive grasp of arcane magic. It can use spell completion items (such as scrolls) as if it had the wizard's class spell list and were of the appropriate level to cast the spell. It can use spell trigger items (such as wands and staffs) as if it had the wizard's class spell list.

Natural Willpower (Ex): Unlike most giants, eldritch giants have a strong innate resistance to mental compulsion, illusion magic, and the like. Eldritch giants have a +6 racial bonus on Will saves.

An eldritch giant uses its spell-like abilities to strip opponents of their magical enhancements before entering melee combat. Although its size forces it to fight in relatively open environments, an eldritch giant's ability to use dimension door makes it capable of devastating hit-and-run tactics.

There was the Gate itself too; at one point a slightly advanced Shadow of the Void came through it (the area counted as Desecrated too):
Shadow Of The Void, advanced 36 HD
Size/Type: Large Undead (Cold, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice: 36d12+108 (341 hp)
Initiative: +17 (+9 Dex, +8 Superior Initiative)
Speed: Fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 48 (-1 size, +9 Dex, +10 deflection, +20 insight)
Base Attack/Grapple: +17/-
Attack: Incorporeal touch +26 melee (2d6 plus blightfire)
Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +26 melee (2d6 plus blightfire)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Blightfire, create spawn, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Undead traits, incorporeal traits, turn resistance +6, cold subtype, cold aura, SR 38, DR 10/epic
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +21, Will +27
Abilities: Str Ø, Dex 29, Con Ø, Int 17, Wis 25, Cha 31
Skills: Diplomacy +48, Hide +48, Intimidate +48, Listen +44, Search +42, Sense Motive +46, Spot +44
Feats: Improved Toughness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Combat Expertise, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Epic Feats: Blinding Speed, Spellcasting Harrier, Superior Initiative, Epic Fortitude, Improved SR

Challenge Rating: 26
Alignment: Lawful evil

A shadow of the void’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Combat
Blightfire (Su)
Living creatures taking damage from a shadow of the void’s incorporeal touch attack find themselves ignited with blightfire; cold, black flames cascade over their bodies, and they must succeed at a Fort save (DC 37) or permanently lose 6 points of Constitution. The opponent must continue to save every round for the next 6 rounds (7 rounds total) to avoid being permanently drained of 6 more Con points. The creature heals 30 points of damage whenever it drains 6 points of Constitution, gaining any excess as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last a maximum of 1 hour. If the opponent is slain by blight-fire, only icy fragments of the victim remain, until they reform as a winterwight. The save DC is Charisma-dased.

Create Spawn (Su)
Any humanoid slain by a shadow of the void becomes a winterwight in 1d4 rounds. Winterwights are under the command of the shadow of the void that created them and remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life, though they do possess general knowledge of the slain creature. This knowledge is used for evil purposes, if possible.

Spell-Like Abilities
3/day—deeper darkness, freezing sphere. Caster level 24th; save DC 20 + spell level. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Incorporeal Traits
Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently.

Undead Traits
Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, mind-affecting effects, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Negative energy heals. Not at risk of death from massive damage, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less. Darkvision 60 ft. Cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature is willing.

Cold Subtype
Immunity to cold. Vulnerability to fire, (takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure).

Cold Aura (Su)
A 10-foot-radius spread cold aura surrounds a shadow of the void. All creatures of the cold sub-type in the area (including the shadow of the void) are treated as if having turn resistance +6 (if undead) and fast healing 10. Creatures subject to cold damage take 2d10 points of cold damage each round they remain within the cold aura.

Finally, the commander of the base also was behind an arrow slit, hidden by an illusion, and firing into the melee. I'll put his stats in my next post.

In Play: Clearly this was a high-ECL encounter, and could have been very difficult. The party was well buffed though and used good tactics. A freezing fog basically neutralized the mountain giant guards, webs and walls of stone blocked some shooters, and one PC used Miracle to assume giant size and got huge bonuses and reach. Center used his Limited Wish to protect that PC from the touch attacks via Scintillating Scales. The Eldritch Giant and Avatarist tried but failed to dispel IIRC. The Shadow caused some trouble. (The ward that had blocked it came down just after the defeat of the Avatar, though I don't think the PCs made that connection. The Avatarist herself was in a back room and teleported away, sight unseen.) AM's PC took out the commander, though he survived and was questioned ...

[Archmage1]

This fight was, I think, the most fun encounter of the game. We had a couple of meat-sacks(The mountain giants), we had the cleric(The eldritch giant), we had a bunch of distractions(Touch attack humans), we had a line of war trolls, and we had the base commander, as well as the avatarist.

A smorgasboard of different enemies to defeat in different ways.

Crowd control spells got to shine, as did punching. There were surprises(Like the fire coming from the commander, and the human soldiers), twists(The Shadow of the Void), but it all went fairly well. Mostly. If we hadn't been able to break them up into manageable chunks, things would have gotten quite tricky.
We went in with most buffs up, quickly learned that yes, touch attacks suck.

Predictably, we started with freezing fog on the giants(When you want to knock a non-caster out of the fight, accept no substitutes), to keep them distracted for a few turns, while we went for the enemy cleric(Via prismatic sphere) and the avatarist. When the commander and shooters revealed, panic buttons were hit, and crowd control via time stop was deployed. At that point, with the casters down, and the enemy shooters disabled, we were able to mop up the giants, and compel a surrender.

[kinem]

"Captain Roger Kozen"
Human Ftr30/Union Sentinel1; "CR 30"; Medium-size humanoid
HD 31d10+186; hp 356;
Init +12; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 42, touch 21, flat-footed 38;
Atk +36/+31/+26/+21 melee (1d8+13, heavy mace);
or +35/+30/+25/+20 ranged touch (1d8+12/20/x4, modern pistol);
SQ Spell-like abilities; AL LN;
SV Fort +29, Ref +22, Will +20;
Str 21, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 17.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +37, Climb +35, Diplomacy +25, Jump +26, Knowledge (history) +16, Knowledge (local) +13, Listen +4, Ride (horse) +37, Spot +4;

Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Expertise, Great Fortitude, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Skill Focus (Knowledge [history]), Improved Toughness, Weapon Focus (heavy mace), Weapon Focus (pistol), Weapon Specialization (heavy mace), Weapon Specialization (pistol).

Epic Feats: Armor Skin (×2), Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus (heavy mace), Epic Weapon Focus (pistol), Epic Weapon Specialization (heavy mace), Epic Weapon Specialization (pistol), Superior Initiative.

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day—sending, shield of law.
Caster level 15th; save DC 21 for shield of law.

Possessions: +5 adamantine breastplate, +5 large steel shield, +5 ring of protection, vest of resistance +5, +2 heavy mace, +1 collision modern pistol, 20 bullets, Rod of Minions (steel), Torc of Heroic Sacrifice (take damage instead of ally within 30' 1/day), ring of sustenance, wallet (ID, and 500 gp eqvivalent in Bavia); 20 gp

Modern pistol: cost 800 gp, damage 1d8/20/x4 (B and P), range increment 80 ft., weight 5 lbs, capacity 20 bullets

The "base creature" for the base commander was actually one of the "more doughty warriors" of the Union Sentinels - basically a 31st level fighter with subpar equipment for that level, with rifle training instead of the crossbow, and with excellent social skills. Looking at the actual stats, I'd put his CR around 17.

In Play:
After a nice initial rifle volley from the concealed Captain, AM's PC, making good use of Timestop and Shapechange, infiltrated the area where the Captain was and trapped him in a Maw of Chaos surrounded by a Resilient Sphere. He had no way to escape that, but he did use his Sending SLA to call for backup. (The Bavians were in no hurry to send additional forces once they saw what the PCs could do, but if the party had stayed in this area, they might have tried to reclaim the Gate.) He then tried to surrender and this was accepted, so he survived after all. I at first thought he would go down fighting.

The party questioned him extensively, but he was fanatically loyal to his government (which is part of why he was put in command of the base) and could Bluff all day long, so that only yielded frustration. If they had taken aside any other person on the base for questioning they might have been able to get somewhere, but they stayed focused on him. In the end they explored and found a document pointing to the next area. In retrospect perhaps I should have been more flexible and let their questioning pay off although that wasn't my initial view of him.

I should mention that the party was ECL 22 by the time of the base encounter. They decided not to loot the Bavians in order to leave diplomatic options open. That decision might have been a good one, but I was already finding it hard to provide enough loot for the rate they were going. It was a bit moot though since the endgame was approaching.

[Archmage1]

All I really have to say on this front is, well...

Linear fighters, Quadratic casters? I knew he was an archer of some sort, and with the wardstone in place to prevent teleportation, he couldn't escape a bubble with a maw of chaos inside.

Questioning was quite frustrating, I will agree. A party of a Wizard, a Cleric, and a Monk does not lend itself to skill in interrogations, so I was leaning on the "Let's not just roll for this" side of things pretty hard, which didn't go well. I did consider trying to interrogate others on the base, however at this point we knew that kinem was looking to end the game, so he'd find a way to get the information we needed into our hands regardless. :smallbiggrin:

As kinem mentioned, we were behind on the loot front, which I found rather sad(20k would have gone a long way towards shoring up my character's weaknesses.), but at the same time we knew there wasn't going to be a real chance at a shopping montage, so loot was pretty irrelevant. The problem with epic loot: It is either incredibly expensive, or the players already have it.
Incidentally, one of the things I wanted for my character was the cheapest bag of tricks. Pull out the creature in time stop, then either cast the bubble on it directly, or ready to bubble. Letting enemies have saves is so passee. :P

[kinem]

The next area was guarded by a trio of Winterwights (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/winterwight.htm) who had the benefits of Desecrate (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/desecrate.htm) including extra hp, along with a few of my homebrew "Minion" constructs: 5 Spectral Minions (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?650490-Spectral-Minion-PEACH) and a Steel Wire Minion (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?634978-Stick-Minions-revised-PEACH). In another small room was a Mirror of Opposing Minions, which produced a Mirror Minion (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?650313-Mirror-Minion-PEACH). There was some treasure there: Rods of Spectral Minions, of Steel Minions (25 chg), & of Restless Death (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/magicItems/rods.htm#restlessDeath).

In Play: This was theoretically an ECL 27 encounter, but the 3-PC (& center) level 22 party had already proven in the previous encounter that they could handle worse. For the most part, other than the obvious casting of Sleet Storm, these Winterwights just stood and fought in melee. Part of that was the already close range, but also the fact that teleportation was blocked in the area, probably making them rather less effective as they couldn't use Dimension Door to hit and run.

It may have been obvious that at this point, near the end of the game, I was taking advantage of the last chances to throw in homebrew. I would have liked to introduce the Minions at an earlier point in the game but it never came up.

The Minions were low in CR but still made their presence felt. At one point a Sunburst was cast. The Minions' Energy Resistance didn't apply as written, but I chose to treat these Minions as having a universal Energy Resistance; after all this was an Epic encounter and these Minions could reasonably be deluxe models. Maybe I should upgrade them all that way, as it made the encounter more interesting. They lacked much in the way of offense for this level and were never a real threat, but it was still nice to see that they weren't just a joke as 1 hp monsters.

One of the Winterwights mysteriously vanished after taking damage that was not enough to kill it. The creature was to be seen again in the final encounter ...

[Archmage1]

Winterwights: Blightfire is nasty.

So is sleetstorm.

Also, the minions were annoying, but mostly in that we struggled to actually do damage to them.

[kinem]

The final encounter of the game took place in the lair and prison of Vayyel, a former Duke in the armies of Hell. Though not quite a true fiendish overlord, he was close enough that I wanted to take the gloves off a bit when designing this unique fiend, giving him a few almost-top-tier abilities but also not quite up to the standard of what a real overlord would have. In terms of spell-like abilities, that meant that some of the better level 8 spells were fair game, but I steered clear of 9th level spells for him.

Because the party ended up with just 3 PCs (and actually just 2 active players) along with Center-of-All, I actually nerfed him a bit. The main changes were limiting Limited Wish to just 1/day instead of 3/day, and removing the Unholy Aura 3/day spell-like ability. If you want a somewhat tougher encounter, or perhaps to reflect a boost if he were to somehow regain his former position, those nerfs could be reversed.

The Winterwight from the previous encounter was also present in the lair, courtesy of a series of Limited Wishes from Vayyel that arranged its contingent transportation.

Vayyel, Former Duke of Hell / Outcast

Large Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 25d8+325 (437 hp)
Initiative: +13/+13
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), fly 50 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 50 (–1 size, +9 Dex, +19(24) natural, +8 belt) touch 26, flat-footed 41
Base Attack/Grapple: +25/+41

Attack: Key +42 melee (3d6+24 plus stun plus vorpal, 19-20/x2) or claw +36 melee (2d6+12 plus stun) or tail +36 melee (2d6+12 plus 1d4 Con plus infernal wound) or spiked chain +41 melee (2d6+23 plus stun + 2d6 vs Evil)

Full Attack: Key +42/+37/+32/+27 melee (3d6+24 plus stun plus vorpal, 19-20/x2) and 2 bites +34 melee (2d8+6) and tail +34 melee (2d6+6 plus 1d4 Con plus infernal wound);
or 2 claws +36 melee (2d6+12 plus stun) and 2 bites +34 melee (2d8+6) and tail +34 melee (2d6+6 plus 1d4 Con plus infernal wound);
or unarmed strike +36/+31/+26/+21 melee (2d6+12) and 2 claws +34 melee (2d6+12 plus stun) and 2 bites +34 melee (2d8+6) and tail +34 melee (2d6+6 plus 1d4 Con plus infernal wound);
or spiked chain +41/+36/+31/+26 melee (2d6+24 plus stun + 2d6 vs Evil) and 2 bites +34 melee (2d8+6) and tail +34 melee (2d6+6 plus 1d4 Con plus infernal wound);

Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft. (20' with spiked chain)
Special Attacks: Fear aura, hex aura, infernal wound, spell-like abilities, stun, Sphere of Infernal Destruction
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 15/good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 15, regeneration 5, fast healing 5, see in darkness, spell resistance 35, telepathy 100 ft., two heads better than one, extra action, mettle, Blindsight 60'
Saves: Fort +27, Ref +23, Will +23 (rerolls Will saves)
Abilities: Str 35, Dex 29, Con 31 (37), Int 20, Wis 24, Cha 28 (34)
Skills: Bluff +40, Climb +40, Concentration +41, Diplomacy +40, Knowledge (planes) +33, Hide +33, Intimidate +40, Listen +35, Move Silently +37, Search +33, Sense Motive +35, Spot +35, Survival +35 (+37 following tracks)
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (Chain Dispel 3/day), Quicken SLA (Greater Teleport 3/day), Quicken SLA (Whirling Blade, 3/day), Improved Initiative, Dire Charge [Epic]
Environment: Nine Hells of Baator
Challenge Rating: 25
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Equipment: Monk's belt, the Key (artifact; +6 vorpal adamantine large greatsword), headband of charisma +6, amulet of natural armor +5, amulet of constitution +6, Ring of Freedom of Movement, +5 cold iron hypocritical holy large spiked chain (useful in the Blood War), Boots of Speed

This two-headed creature is as big as an ogre, with a vaguely humanoid shape. Hideous scales sheathe his body. Huge wings and a snaking, prehensile tail add to his intimidating appearance.

Vayyel was once a leader of the horned devils, also called cornugons, who serve as elite defense forces of the Nine Hells in the Blood War. Like them, he is 9 feet tall and weighs about 600 pounds.

Combat
Vayyel is a bold fighter and rarely retreats, even against overwhelming odds. He loves to fight, usually singling out the most powerful foes to stun and eliminate quickly.

His natural weapons, as well as any weapons he wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Spell-Like Abilities: Caster level 25th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

At will - Magic Circle Against Chaos/Good, Dispel Chaos/Good (Will DC 27), Hellfire Storm (20' radius, 10d8, no save or SR), Greater Teleport, Whirling Blade (can use with blade or spiked chain);

3/day - Chain Dispel (+25 dispel check), Bestow Greater Curse (Will DC 30), Mind Blank, Greater Invisibility (24 hour duration);

1/day - Limited Wish, Lion's Roar (10d8 sonic + stun; Fort half DC 30; allies get 1d8+20 temp hp, +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves against fear effects).

Two heads better than one (Ex): He rolls twice and takes the better result for Initiative, Will saving throws, and skill checks. He is immune to being dazed or stunned. This requires that he has both heads. Both heads and necks can use appropriate magical items.

Extra Action (Ex): Vayyel can take an extra standard or move action each round in addition to his normal actions. This requires that he has both heads.

Fear Aura (Su): He can radiate a 30-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. A creature in the area must succeed on a DC 34 Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell (caster level 25th). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by his aura for 24 hours. Devils are immune to the aura. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Hex Aura (Su): He can radiate a 30-foot-radius aura of bad luck as a free action; it lasts one round. All other creatures in the area take a -4 penalty on AC, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Allies are not immune to this.

Stun (Su): Whenever Vayyel hits with a claw, two-handed melee weapon, or spiked chain attack, the opponent must succeed on a DC 34 Fortitude save (Str-based) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Infernal Wound (Ex): The damage he deals with a tail attack causes a persistent wound. An injured creature loses 2 additional hit points each round. The wound does not heal naturally and resists healing spells. The continuing hit point loss can be stopped by a DC 32 Heal check, a cure spell, or a heal spell. However, a character attempting to cast a cure spell or a heal spell on a creature damaged by his tail must succeed on a DC 32 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured character. A successful Heal check automatically stops the continuing hit point loss as well as restoring hit points. The check DC is Constitution-based.

Sphere of Infernal Destruction (Su): As a standard action he can create a terrible red sphere that destroys anything it touches. The sphere appears up to 350' away and flies up to 30 feet per round. The sphere stops moving when it enters a space containing a creature, automatically striking it. He must actively direct it to a new target as a move action.

When struck by the sphere, a subject takes 25d6 points of damage (Fort half DC 34, Cha-based). Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell is disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust (though its equipment is unaffected). This damage counts as Lawful and Evil. When used against an object, the sphere disintegrates as much as one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter.

The effects of the sphere count as a disintegrate spell for the purpose of destroying a wall of force or any other spell or effect specifically affected by disintegrate. If the sphere moves beyond the 350' range, it winks out. It otherwise persists for up to 25 rounds or until he conjures another such sphere.

Summon Baatezu (Sp): As an Outcast, Vayyel cannot summon other devils. He used to be able to summon up to 4 cornugons or 1 pit fiend once per day. If he ever regains his rank, he would regain this ability.

Regeneration (Ex): He takes normal damage from good-aligned silvered weapons, and from spells or effects with the good descriptor. If he loses one of his heads, it regrows in 10 minutes. If he loses both, he dies.

Mettle (Ex): If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. If unconscious he does not gain the benefit of mettle.

Vayyel's cavern lair in Baator has a portal, and now, a Winterwight. He has been imprisoned by the archfiends, and a cage of red translucent bars blocks (only) him, including teleportaion. He hopes to use the Key and knowledge of the ritual to escape.

The Bavians have contacted him and are trying to bargain for the Key, which they sold to him for the knowledge of how to use the Gate to release Tharizdun.

Hypocritical Weapon
This property can only be applied to an anarchic, axiomatic, holy, or unholy weapon. The weapon does not bestow a negative level on its wielder, regardless of alignment. Fiends who are devoted to fighting other fiends (such as in the Blood War) favor hypocritical holy weapons. CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, undetectable alignment; Price +1 bonus.

In Play: The Winterwight held its own here, using Sleet Storm and other SLAs to good effect, and was the first to draw the ire of the PCs as Vayyel was up on a ledge.

Between the Winterwight and the Sphere, one PC was slain, but Center's Limited Wish and a then a PC Miracle soon reversed that. Center's Heals also came in handy here.

The Fear Aura didn't come into play as all PCs and Center had Mind Blank and a high level Heroes' Feast effect. To reflect the Hex Aura's effects, since the PCs didn't know it was there I just adjusted the DCs I reported.

Vayyel's Stun attack was quite effective. The players took what I believe was the wrong lesson from that: Always make your PC immune to Stun. In a real world situation finding a defense would make sense but this is a game and that means there has to be some challenge to it. Fear and Poison are already a joke at high level because of Heroes' Feast; Mind Blank blocks a lot of interesting abilities too. Monsters have special attacks and if they can't ever come into play the game becomes boring. As a DM, the fact is that if every PC had been immune to Stun, then I would have made sure this encounter would have included some other danger for them and not just hp damage.

AM used clever tactics to take the Key, the real objective after all. In the end the PCs left without defeating the monsters, but still winning the game.

[Archmage1]

The Winterwight was definitely an annoyance here, and we were really hoping to eliminate it right away, but while I think we came close, we didn't quite manage it.

What really wrecked us was that chain dispel(Turns out Dispel on +25 is great against a party that relies on large numbers of buffs, who knew? :smalltongue: ). Luckily, we were able to recover all of our spells before entering, so we were able to use time stops to renew our buffs, and once we were out of the cloud, we were able to avoid it.

The sphere of disintegrate was an unpleasant surprise, but that stun...

DC 38 fort saves are a major problem when you have a fort save of +17. Even if you can make one immediate action to pass it... that does you no good at all against the followup attacks.

I know kinem believed that the stun was fair game, but... He needed to hit any of us twice, with his potentially five attacks(Which he could do fairly easily), and we would be stunlocked. If the winterwight wasn't there, and if it hadn't sleet stormed the center of the arena, we could maybe have played keep away, but as it was? We could not make the saves, and due to the range of the attack combined with our heavy melee focus, we could not fight it effectively.

Either that DC needs to be scaled to the players saves better, or it needs to give temporary immunity after recovering from the stun. Otherwise, unless you have a really, really high fort save, or have a group of range capable characters, they are going to be easily locked down by Vayyel.

We came extremely close to a TPK here because of chain stunning. If Center hadn't been there, we would have lost. As it was, his heal and his limited wish saved us.

With a full party, I think this would have been a much more fun encounter. As it was, it was an excellent example of rocket tag.

I will say that I had an absolute blast stealing the key, rather than killing Vayyel. 10/10, would steal again.

[kinem]

AM, thanks for the insightful comments. I learned some things about DMing and homebrew design, and it was interesting to see a player's perspective.

[Archmage1]

It's always fun to get to see behind the curtain, and to see how well/poorly we were judging enemy stats, as well as see what the DM was working with. Thank you for the opportunity. :smallsmile:

In all seriousness, I will say that one thing I really liked about Pillars of Eternity 2's totally not D&D magic system was how they handled buffs/debuffs. Rather than them being effectively an instant game over, they had three tiers of buffs and debuffs for each stat. And you could counter debuffs with a corresponding buff.

So, say, the dex 3 debuff was paralyzed, the 2 was no movement, and 1 was no running. It resulted in a very dynamic system as far as buffing/debuffing went, which I thought was interesting.(Yes, there were saves as well. Most spells inflicted 1 or 2 levels of buff/debuff, not 3, with a few exceptions.

In comparison D&D tends to be the realm of absolutes, which is less fun, because most of the absolutes are basically "You lose", which is not really great.