The Light From On High [Angels]

[Amiel]

Trumpet
Large Outsider (Angel, Extraplanar, Good)
Hit Dice: 14d8+84 (147 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 90 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 26 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +14 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+28
Attack: +4 greatsword +27 melee (3d6+19/19-20) or slam +23 melee (2d8+15)
Full Attack: +4 greatsword +27/+22/+17 melee (3d6+19/19-20) or 2 slams +23 melee (2d8+15)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Heavenly voice, spell-like abilities, trumpet
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/evil, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, immunity to acid, electricity and petrification, malakhim, protective aura, resistance to electricity 10 and fire 10, spell resistance 30, tongues
Saves: Fort +15 (+19 against poison), Ref +12, Will +15
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 17, Con 23, Int 22, Wis 23, Cha 22
Skills: Concentration +22, Craft (any two) +23, Diplomacy +27, Escape Artist +21, Knowledge (any two) +23, Hide +17, Intimidate +23, Listen +23, Move Silently +21, Perform (wind instruments or sing) +25, Sense Motive +27, Search +23, Spot +23, Use Rope +4 (+6 with bindings)
Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Negotiator, Nimbus of Light^B, Power Attack
Environment: The Heights Above
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 16
Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment: Always Good (any)
Advancement: 15-21 HD (Large); 22-42 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

The vision before you is that of a glorious angel; it's skin is moonstone held up to the dawn's rays, a radiant light emanates from the creature like a second sunrise. Wings, the colour of driven snow, unfurl across the holy creature's torso. It wears a toga, the colour of summer rain, and its feet are shod in unadorned sandals. In its hands it carries a radiant trumpet. It raises its voice in song to the heavens.

Into the care of the trumpet malakhim are given the most triumphant of messages, the most grave of missives, the most dire warnings. Theirs is the voice that ushers in a new age; theirs is the song that raises up from depths of despair, from deepest darkness; theirs is the clarion that calls forth heroes and brings about the triumph of good; theirs is the deafening note that breaks evil; theirs is the finality that seals up worlds ripe with iniquity.

A trumpet is limited by the stipulations of the Divine Corcordance; she is forbidden from clarifying any messages she imparts. It is also forbidden to directly interfere with any courses of action taken. Individualism and meaning, as ever, is determined by the individual.

Combat

Heavenly Voice (Su): A trumpet's voice is unsurpassed in its beatific beauty and rapturous melody, its songs as brilliant beacons in seas of darkest despair. Its voice alone can swing the tide of battle for the forces of weal. It can sing to produce the following effects.

Song of Triumph: 3/day, the trumpet can exult those around it to triumphant victory, its song bolsters allies against fear and improves their combat abilities. All allies within a 70 ft. radius receives a +4 morale bonus to saving throws against charm and immunity to fear affects, and a +4 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls, saves and skill checks. By concentrating on its song and holding a note for at least a round allows it to grant allies the effects of divine favour.

Song of Glory: 3/day, a trumpet can extol the virtues of those around it so that they may rejoice in themselves and others. All within a 70 ft. radius inspired with glory gain 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), and a +4 morale bonus to saves and skill checks. It is also healed of any ailments and negative effects upon it are broken as if break enchantment was cast and immediately reverses a crushing despair effect.

Song of Absolution: 3/day, the trumpet may sing for a creature's absolution. This song is of such piercing beauty that all who hear it within a 70 ft. radius cry with joy. The effect produced by this song is exactly as if atonement was cast. An appropriate penance is still required, though the 500 XP requirement to expunge a subject's burden for acts of knowing and willful nature and deliberate misdeeds is dropped.

Malakhim (Ex): Trumpets belong to the malakhim choir of angels, one of the seven heavenly choruses. As celestial messengers, the malakhim are free to travel wherever the messages it delivers are needed. It can cast planeshift, message and sending at will at its CL.
3/day, by foregoing use of its instrument and songs, the trumpet may imbue its spell-like abilities with additional sonic damage. Any direct damage dealing spell-like abilities deal half again as much (+50%) sonic damage as normal for the effect.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—continual flame, detect evil, dispel magic, holy smite, invisibility (self only), lesser restoration, message, planeshift, remove curse, remove disease, remove fear, sending; 3/day—blade barrier, flame strike, power word stun, waves of fatigue; 1/day—greater restoration, mass charm monster, waves of exhaustion. Caster level 16th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Trumpet (Su): These trumpets produces music of utter clarity, piercing beauty, and, if the trumpet wills it, paralyzing awe. All creatures except any angels within 100 feet of the blast must succeed on a DC 23 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. The trumpet can also command its instrument to become a +4 greatsword as a free action.

If a trumpet is ever stolen, it becomes a chunk of useless metal until the owner can recover it. Woe betide any thief caught with one.

The trumpet may also cause its instrument to produce the following effects.

Discordant Note: 3/day, a trumpet can blare a series of notes so discordant and agonising that it causes an enemies' very ears to bleed. This terminates as a combined shatter and shout effect. By focusing on a singular note and playing it for at least a round causes the very air around the angel to erupt as a symbol of pain.

Sealing Note: 3/day, the trumpet can play on its instrument to indelibly brand an evildoer with a mark of justice. The ears of those so marked perpetually ring with toiling bells, this forces the creature to become aurally sickened (as the condition). By focusing on a singular note and playing it for at least a round causes the creature to become deafened.

[Silverscale]

I would sing your exhaltations but I wouldn't want to step on the toes of any Trumpet Angel

[The Tygre]

Does this have anything to do with the Light From on High project on DiceFreaks?

[Debihuman]

Is the greatsword Large sized since the creature wielding it is? If so, you should state it is a +4 Large greatsword just to clarify. It's one of those nit-picky details that can cause a lot of headaches if the PCs find one of these swords.

Debby

[Amiel]

I would sing your exhaltations but I wouldn't want to step on the toes of any Trumpet Angel

Well, if it's for a good cause, I'm sure the trumpets won't mind

Does this have anything to do with the Light From on High project on DiceFreaks?

Thanks for asking, this project actually has nothing to do with DF's ALFoH (which has been on hiatus for a considerable while now); these angels are merely what I envision warriors/agents/messengers of heaven to be.

I'm rather concerned that the trumpet in particular may be a tad excessive and overpowered, with distinct and distinctive SAs that may be out of place in such a "generic encounter". What are people's thoughts?

Is the greatsword Large sized since the creature wielding it is? If so, you should state it is a +4 Large greatsword just to clarify. It's one of those nit-picky details that can cause a lot of headaches if the PCs find one of these swords.

Debby

Thanks for asking, Debby; it would be (I was modeling greatsword damage off the planetar's entry), although you bring up a good point.
I'm actually unsure whether any PCs would be able to wield a trumpet's instrument, considering that it reverts to a lump of useless ore or metal if it is ever stolen. I would also imagine that in the event of the trumpet's demise its sword would also shatter along with it.

[Debihuman]

Thanks for asking, Debby; it would be (I was modeling greatsword damage off the planetar's entry), although you bring up a good point. I'm actually unsure whether any PCs would be able to wield a trumpet's instrument, considering that it reverts to a lump of useless ore or metal if it is ever stolen. I would also imagine that in the event of the trumpet's demise its sword would also shatter along with it.

I see your point with the trumpet, but the sword isn't nearly as valuable. The planetar's weapon doesn't say indicate that it is Large, but the damage (3d6) indicates that it is a Large weapon. Leaving out the size of the weapon may have been an oversight. Then again, a planetar can change shape from Small to Large so the weapon may change size too which would explain why the size was left off. It was left off the treasure too. If only we could get into the game designer's head...

I think it is a little disappointing to have weapons be destroyed when the creature is destroyed. However, I'm not saying that the trumpet should stick around as that would be too powerful a device in the hands of the PCs.

Then again, if you look at the planetar's entry, the treasure doesn't include the angel's weapon. However, the balor's weapon is included in the balor's entry. I'm not sure why the party can collect evil weapons but not good ones. I suppose they shouldn't be whacking angels for their weapons, but that's not necessarily how they'd be acquiring one. This is one of the frustrating things about the books, there are inconsistencies that aren't properly addressed. My opinion is that the angels' weapons should have been included in the treasure.

Debby

[Amiel]

Yes, I agree with you that little details were left out all over the place and there were/are inconsistencies galore; which really makes understanding what the designers intended or were intending rather difficult. This is a rather excellent point.

With the trumpet, on the other hand, an exception to inclusion in the treasure line can probably be made; the trumpet's instrument is its sword, as such it probably actually does not carry a sword per se. It can shift between the two as a free action. In absence of its sword, and since I agree with you, should its instrument be included in the treasure entry? Or do you think that the weapon should be included in its treasure anyway, considering that, like you say, the balor's weapon is included in the balor's entry? I would argue that the balor summons its weapons from either its body or invokes a bolt of lightning that transforms into its whip.

The only problem I can see with calling this treasure is that its trumpet (which it can allow its sword to change into) can be transformed as a free action; stealing its trumpet changes it into a lump of useless metal. Unfortunately, we have no idea if its greatsword would also change into anything.

[Debihuman]

The trumpet can also command its instrument to become a +4 greatsword as a free action.

I see, so the trumpet is the greatsword. I missed that earlier. However, my question still remains because the trumpet/sword only becomes a "chunk of useless metal." What happens if the sword is loaned to a PC or given to one? It's not stolen in that case.

Also, a chunk of metal isn't necessarily useless. Creative PCs will think of something to do with it, even if it means reforging it into a weapon. Now if you had said it became a "worthless lump of slag" (slag being a metal byproduct not the other definition of the word slag [nudge, nudge, wink, wink]), then it's not an issue.

Debby

[Amiel]

I see, so the trumpet is the greatsword. I missed that earlier. However, my question still remains because the trumpet/sword only becomes a "chunk of useless metal." What happens if the sword is loaned to a PC or given to one? It's not stolen in that case.

That's a really good question; I would imagine that since one must be willing to loan something out, the only stipulation (that may be) required by the angel may revolve around utilising the instrument only for goodly acts (violence necessitated where appropriate and applicable). Similarly, the instrument may burn or otherwise negatively affect evil or even neutral characters; however, this may push the instrument into artifact territory. What are your thoughts, Debby?

Also, a chunk of metal isn't necessarily useless. Creative PCs will think of something to do with it, even if it means reforging it into a weapon. Now if you had said it became a "worthless lump of slag" (slag being a metal byproduct not the other definition of the word slag [nudge, nudge, wink, wink]), then it's not an issue.

Angels being who they are may actively seek methods and magics to restrict access to their rather powerful armaments. The chunk of metal may carry some form of pseudo-geas-type effect that influences a character to do more good acts; similarly I was thinking of having the balor's weapons slowly corrupt the wielder.
I'll definitely include their instrument in a trumpet's treasure entry.