| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 04 Jan 2013 : 08:05:01
[SIZE="3"]ULTROLOTH[/SIZE] (CR 20)
This faceless humanoid’s only discernible characteristics are its malevolent fire-opal eyes. Its slender frame is shrouded in a great cloak, revealing only its dark gray hands. Though it seems to be ignoring you, you have the uncanny feeling that it is quietly assessing you.
Always NE Medium Outsider (evil, extraplanar, yugoloth)
Init +14; Senses Listen +30, Search +30, Spot +30; darkvision 60ft, see in darkness
Aura evil; Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Common, Infernal, Yugoloth; telepathy 100ft
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AC 45 (+4 deflection, +9 profane, +10 Dex, +12 natural); touch 33, flat-footed 35
hp 207 (18d8 plus 126), fast healing 3; DR 15/good and silver
Immune acid, mind-affecting effects, poison
Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 32
Fort +31, Ref +34, Will +33
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Speed 30 ft
Melee +3 unholy longsword +25/+20/+15/+10 (1d8 + 7 plus 2d6 vs good/19-20/x2) or
Ranged ray +28
Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft
Base Atk +18; Grp +22;
Atk Options Corrupt Spell-like Ability (acid storm), Quicken Spell-like Ability (ray of exhaustion), Violate Spell-like Ability (scorching ray)
Special Actions deceive, fascination, summon yugoloth
Spell-like Abilities (+22 melee touch, +28 ranged touch; CL 18th)
Always active – detect chaos, detect good, detect evil, detect law, detect magic, detect poison, detect scrying, detect thoughts, discern lies, pass without trace, true seeing;
At will – air walk, animate dead, animate objects, alter self, binding (DC 27), blasphemy (DC 27), blur, call lightning storm (DC 24), control winds, deeper darkness, desecrate, dispel good (DC 24), energy drain (DC 28), fear (DC 23), greater dispel magic, greater scrying (DC 26), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects), passwall, nondetection, ray of enfeeblement, ray of exhaustion (DC 22), scorching ray, shout (DC 23), solid fog, unhallow, unholy blight (DC 23), wall of fire;
3/day – acid storm* (DC 27), feeblemind (DC 24), geas/quest, mass suggestion (DC 25), prismatic spray (DC 26), symbol of death (DC 27), symbol of fear (DC 25), symbol of insanity (DC 27), symbol of pain (DC 24), symbol of persuasion, symbol of stunning (DC 26), symbol of weakness (DC 26);
*as fire storm, but acid.
1/day – dominate monster (DC 28), finger of death (DC 26), horrid wilting (DC 27)
Combat Gear +3 unholy longsword
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Abilities Str 18, Dex 30, Con 24, Int 29, Wis 29, Cha 29
SQ profane grace
Feats Ability Focus (Deceive), Combat Expertise, Corrupt Spell-like Ability (acid storm), Dark Speech (B), Improved Initiative, Negotiator, Quicken Spell-like Ability (ray of exhaustion), Violate Spell-like Ability (scorching ray)
Skills Balance +16, Bluff +38, Concentration +28, Decipher Script +22, Diplomacy +44, Disguise +24 (+26 acting), Gather Information +24, Hide +24, Intimidate +40, Jump +6, Knowledge (arcana) +30, Knowledge (nature) +11, Knowledge (local) +19, Knowledge (the planes) +30, Knowledge (religion) +30, Listen +30, Move Silently +25, Search +30, Sense Motive +29, Spellcraft +30 (+32 scrolls), Spot +30, Survival +14 (+16 tracking and extraplanar), Tumble +24, Use Magic Device +30 (+35 scrolls)
Advancement 19-36 HD (Large), 36-64 HD (Huge)
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Aura of Evil (Su) An ultroloth is the dreadful shape of raw evil given form, and is shrouded with an unholy aura. The malignant presence of an ultroloth also inflicts all enemies within 20ft of it with a -4 penalty to saving throws.
Deceive (Su) When an ultroloth desires, it can allow itself to be seen as a person whom its victim loves and respects. When this effect is active, the victim suffers a 30% miss chance against the ultroloth, and additionally suffers a -6 penalty to Armor Class against all attacks made by the ultroloth. The ultroloth can deceive one person per point of its Charisma modifier (usually +9). A Will save (DC 30) negates the effect. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Fascination (Su) Anyone who meets the gaze of an ultroloth must make a Will save (DC 28) or be fascinated by the fiend’s multihued gaze, suffering the effects of a hold monster spell.
Profane Grace (Ex) Ultroloths typically have enormous presence, shrewdness, and force of will, qualities that often overshadow the most powerful enchantments. Ultroloths are immune to all mind-affecting effects. In addition, they receive their Charisma modifier as a profane bonus to their Armor Class and saving throws.
Summon Yugoloth (Sp) Twice per day, an ultroloth can automatically summon 1d6 lesser yugoloths or one nycaloth. This ability is the equivalent of a 9th level spell.
Skills Ultroloths have a +8 racial bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
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Ultroloths are the masterminds of the Blood War, and the leaders of the yugoloth race.
ULTROLOTH LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about ultroloths. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC
28 – This yugoloth is an ultroloth, one of the leaders of that fiendish race. An ultroloth can stop a creature in its tracks with but a glance.
33 – Ultroloths have a vast array of spell-like abilities which they use to harry their enemies. They are resistant to magic, but good-aligned silver weapons can pierce their hides.
38 – An ultroloth’s enormous force of will manifests as a potent defense against blade and spell. It can sow discord by appearing as a victim’s loved one or a cherished figure.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
An ultroloth often uses its greater scrying ability to study its enemies long before revealing itself. Ultroloths prefer sowing discord among their foes and turning them against one another; revelling in psychological warfare. If an ultroloth is discovered, it immediately attempts to stay at range from behind walls of summoned fiends while hassling enemies with its potent spell-like abilities. Ultroloths, as a rule of thumb, disdain melee combat.
ECOLOGY
Ultroloths are solitary creatures, although two or more of the creatures can often be found collaborating on deadly plans. Some observe the Blood War the way chess grandmasters see their boards, while others scheme from within dark citadels and bastions. Cruel, intelligent and patient, ultroloths plan for the long-term.
Environment: Ultroloths are commonly considered to be native to the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, where they watch and manipulate the Blood War. They can be found in almost any Lower Plane, but a substantial number serve the reclusive ultroloth prince Mydianchlarus, the new Oinoloth, in Khin-Oin, Oinos. Many dwell in the Crawling City, and others pay homage to the many lords of their race, including Bubonix and Diptherius. A few still serve Anthraxus the Decayed, altraloth and former Oinoloth, and even the gods fear what he may do or what he may yet become.
In truth, the ultroloths, like most of their kind, are native to the Gray Waste of Hades. Like viruses, they spread from the Waste to infect the Lower Planes with their cold, faceless evil, to the point where they've inserted themselves into Gehenna like a contagion.
Physical Characteristics: Physically, an ultroloth is a very tall, slender humanoid with an elongated head lacking any sort of facial characteristic, save for a pair of fire-opal eyes. An ultroloth is generally clad in a sombre cloak or robe and moves with a silent, patient grace. A typical ultroloth stands at 7 feet and weighs 190 pounds.
Alignment: Ultroloths are lords among the yugoloths; evil tempered by a perfect balance of law and chaos. They are always neutral evil.
TYPICAL TREASURE
Ultroloths almost always wield magical weaponry of some sort and have a manifested preference for longswords and polearms. Ultroloth weapons tend to have unique properties; no two ultroloths have the same weapon. Some ultroloths wield unique weapons of near-artifact power. Apart from weaponry, ultroloths favour rings and wondrous items which improve their already potent defenses, improve their combat abilities or expand their repertoire of combat options. With their expertise in Use Magic Device, ultroloths can read scrolls and employ magical items with ease. Ultroloths have double standard treasure for their Challenge Rating.
ARCANALOTH (CR 18)
Wreathed in elaborate wizard’s robes, this fox-headed humanoid studies you with a disinterested eye. The creature’s fur is well-groomed and its smile is polite, but you sense an almost palpable menace surrounding it.
Always NE Medium Outsider (evil, extraplanar, yugoloth)
Init +7; Senses Listen +18, Search +27, Spot +27; darkvision 60ft
Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Common, Infernal, Yugoloth; telepathy 100ft
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AC 38 (+3 deflection, +6 armor, +7 Dex, +12 natural); touch 20, flat-footed 31
hp 184 (16d8 plus 112); DR 15/good and silver
Immune acid, mind-affecting effects, poison
Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10;
Fort +17, Ref +17, Will +18
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Speed 30 ft; fly 60 ft (good)
Base Atk +16; Grp +19;
Melee 2 claws +19/+14/+9 (1d4 + 3 plus poison [Fort DC 25])
Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft
Special Actions gift of the Tower Arcane, summon yugoloth
Spell-like Abilities (CL 16th)
Always active – comprehend languages, greater arcane sight, true seeing;
At will – alter self, chill metal (DC 20), deeper darkness, fear (DC 22), greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects), heat metal (DC 20), invisibility, magic missile, mirage arcana (DC 23), telekinesis, warp wood;
1/day – shapechange (humanoid and monstrous humanoid forms only)
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 16th; +19 melee touch, +23 ranged touch)
8th – avascular mass (DC 26), twinned enervation, quickened greater mirror image;
7th – finger of death (DC 25), mass hold person (DC 25), empowered night’s caress (DC 23), spell turning;
6th – acid fog, fleshshiver (DC 24), mass suggestion (DC 24), mislead (DC 24), storm of fire and ice (DC 24);
5th – feeblemind (DC 23), fire and brimstone (DC 23), mind fog (DC 23), quickened nerveskitter, maximized scorching ray;
4th – celerity, evard’s black tentacles, mystic surge, scrying (DC 22), slashing dispel, wall of force;
3rd – anticipate teleportation (already cast), lightning bolt (DC 21), greater mage armor (already cast), haste, ray of exhaustion (DC 21), repelling shield;
2nd – arcane turmoil (DC 20), blur, crystalline memories (DC 20), kelgore’s grave mist, resist energy, web;
1st – disguise self, ectoplasmic armor, lesser orb of acid, nystul’s magic aura, ray of enfeeblement, unseen servant;
Cantrips – amanuensis, arcane mark, message, presdigitation
Combat Gear metamagic rod of chaining, metamagic rod of maximizing, wand of spectral hand (25 charges), scrolls of stoneskin and foresight
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Abilities Str 16, Dex 24, Con 24, Int 27, Wis 26, Cha 26
SQ dark magic, lore +26, swift magus
Feats Dark Speech (B), Empower Spell, Maximize Spell, Negotiator, Quicken Spell, Repeat Spell, Scribe Scroll (B), Twin Spell
Skills Appraise +10 (scrolls), Bluff +27, Concentration +26, Craft (calligraphy) +17, Decipher Script +27, Diplomacy +33, Forgery +27, Intimidate +29, Knowledge (arcana) +35, Knowledge (history) +22, Knowledge (religion) +22, Knowledge (the planes) +27, Listen +18, Profession (scribe) +18, Search +27, Sense Motive +29, Spellcraft +37 (+39 scrolls), Spot +27, Survival +12 (tracking and extraplanar), Use Magic Device +27 (+31 scrolls)
Advancement by character class; Favored Class wizard
Possessions combat gear plus ring of enduring arcana, ring of protection +3
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Dark Magic (Su) Arcanaloths are masters of the arcane. They prepare and cast spells as a wizard of their level. They do not pay the cost of [corrupt] spells, and they add spells from the Corruption and Evil domains to their spell list.
Flight (Su) An arcanaloth is constantly under the effects of a fly spell. If dispelled, the ability is only suppressed for 1d4 rounds.
Gift of the Tower Arcane (Ex) Arcanaloths maintain a potent link to the Tower Arcane on Gehenna; where the collected lore and history of the Lower Planes is maintained. Three times per day, an arcanaloth may draw upon its link to the Tower to grant one of the following benefits:
Arcane Enhancement: +1 to the DC of the next spell it casts.
Arcane Prowess: +2 to the caster level check of its next spell.
Arcane Recall: Recall an expended spell or fill an expended spell slot with any spell in its spell list.
Poison (Ex) Injury, Fort DC 25, initial damage 1d6 Str damage, secondary 1d6 Str drain. Save DC is Constitution-based.
Summon Yugoloth (Sp) Once per day an arcanaloth may automatically summon 1d4 lesser yugoloths or a nycaloth. This is the equivalent of an 8th level spell.
Swift Magus (Ex) Arcanaloths are particularly adept at spellcasting. Once every 1d4 rounds, an arcanaloth can cast any spell it has prepared as a free action, as though it was a quickened spell.
Skills Arcanaloths have a +8 racial bonus to Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks.
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Arcanaloths are the scribes and record-keepers of the yugoloths. They are among the mightiest spellcasters of the fiendish races.
ARCANALOTH LORE
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about arcanaloth. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.
DC
26 – This yugoloth is an arcanaloth, the fiendish wizards of the Lower Planes. Their claws deal a debilitating poison.
31 – Arcanaloths are potent wizards, and even the least of that race boasts an impressive mastery of magic.
36 – Arcanaloths have a link to the Tower Arcane on Gehenna, which allows a certain amount of extra firepower and flexibility.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Arcanaloth tactics depend on the individual. Being potent spellcasters, arcanaloths will generally stack the odds in their favour before battle; making good use of divination spells to scout out their enemies before engaging them. They keep themselves at range, using greater dispel magic to bring down enemy defenses before casting spells such as finger of death to end combat quickly. Much like mortal wizards, an arcanaloth’s spell selection depends on the individual fiend.
ECOLOGY
Arcanaloths are quiet, patient schemers renowned for their potent intellects. They serve as counsellors and advisors to the ultroloths
Environment: Arcanaloths dwell in the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna. The single largest repository of fiendish lore and history, the Tower Arcane, towers over the lava rivers of Chamada, and this dread realm is the seat of the arcanaloths’ power. While the yugoloths view deities with a degree of antipathy, arcanaloths are sometimes seen in the realms of the evil powers of magic native to Gehenna, notably Mellifleur and Velsharoon, where they discuss dark magics with the liches and evil mages there.
Physical Characteristics: A typical arcanaloth stands at about 6 feet and weighs around 150 pounds. They have the faces of war dogs or foxes, and their fur can be of any shade of brown, black or silver.
Alignment: Arcanaloths play both baatezu and tanar’ri against one another in all sorts of ‘diplomatic’ negotiations. They are always Neutral Evil.
TYPICAL TREASURE
Arcanaloths prize magical equipment which aid or enhance their already potent spellcasting capabilities, protective raiment, scrolls and spellbooks containing rare spells and particularly useful magical trinkets. As befitting powerful spellcasters, arcanaloths often carry potent staves or rods, and their robes are generally magical. The sample arcanaloth is free to be outfitted with the appropriate magical items. Arcanaloths have double standard treasure for their Challenge Rating.
An arcanaloth’s spellbook contains spells focused on disabling or otherwise outright removing foes from the battlefield, although the fiends are well-aware of the uses of war magic as well.
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I did borrow Swift Magus (or adapted it, rather) from Dungeon 143. |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 31 Jan 2013 : 19:51:43
My Planescape headcanon is that the fiendish powers who were gods in 2e are still gods, and that divinity is just the cherry on top of the proverbial cake for beings like Alzrius, Graz'zt and so on. |
| Marc |
Posted - 31 Jan 2013 : 07:45:32
He appears in a FR adventure where a yugoloth wants to attack Khin Oin with the ''infinity train''.
Really powerful stats - I guess that comparing to Forgotten Realms NPC's he has to be. In Planescape I'd lower the CR, a little less powerful than Demogorgon in Savage Tide. |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 30 Jan 2013 : 04:48:38
Thanks!
I've got a few ideas regarding Mydianchlarus, who I'm making more cerebral than Anthraxus. |
| The Arcanamach |
Posted - 28 Jan 2013 : 03:23:01
This is really excellent work LoB. Hope to see more from you soon. |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 25 Jan 2013 : 19:17:37
Design notes: Archfiend and divine avatars and aspects get one feat per two HD in addition to any bonus feats they get from class levels, if any. Ability scores increase by a blanket +2 per four HD over the base creature, before ability score increases as a result from levels, size increases and inherent bonuses are applied.
I tend to treat statistics for archfiends and gods as approximations of how their avatars or aspects would look like. The Anthraxus presented below, in my view, is a manifestation of the real Anthraxus's will when forced to deal with powerful emissaries, divine minions, aspects of his fellow archfiends and so on. Greater and lesser aspects certainly exist as well.
ANTHRAXUS THE DECAYED (CR 41)
Clad in a rotting gray robe and cape, his horrific creature towers over you like a plague-ridden giant. The fiend’s skin and flesh are similarly pallid, but what frightens you the most is its face. Almost like the head of a horribly scarred, diseased ram with curling horns, you recoil as you realize the horns are threaded with flesh and black iron wires, and the horrible yellow eyes are nuggets of gold. The creature’s face had been sculpted, you realize, for even as that horrible voice sears itself into your mind the creature’s maw does not move.
NE Large Outsider (evil, extraplanar, yugoloth)
Init +18; Senses Listen +55, Search +57, Spot +55; see in darkness
Aura rot; Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Common, Infernal, Yugoloth; telepathy 380 ft
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AC 81 (-1 size, +4 deflection, +14 Dex, +16 profane, +39 natural); touch 43, flat-footed 67
hp 912 (38d8 plus 608), regeneration 16; DR 30/epic, good and silver
Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, energy drain, exhaustion, mind-affecting effects, poison, polymorph effects
Resist cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30; SR 52
Fort +55, Ref +53, Will +53
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Speed 40 ft
Melee staff of the lower planes +59/+54/+49/+44 (3d6 + 30 plus 3d6 vs good and one negative level/20/x2 plus 6d6 vs good and 2 negative levels) or
Melee 2 slams +52 (2d8 + 15 and disease [Fort DC 46]) and
Melee touch +47 (3d6 drain)
Space 10 ft; Reach 10 ft
Base Atk +53; Grp +72;
Atk Options Arcane Strike, Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack; breath of contagion (cloud of gas, 38d6 acid damage [half vile] and 2 random diseases), disease (slam)
Special Actions call yugoloth, fascination (DC 46 or be held)
Spell-like Abilities (+53 melee touch, +52 ranged touch; CL 38th)
Always active – detect chaos, detect good, detect evil, detect law, detect magic, detect poison, detect scrying, detect thoughts, discern lies, true seeing, unholy aura;
At will – acid storm (DC 36), acid fog, astral projection, befoul, blasphemy (DC 36), chain lightning (DC 34), contagion (DC 32), curse of the putrid husk (DC 31), deeper darkness, desecrate, despoil (DC 37), dispel good (DC 32), energy drain (DC 36), fear (DC 31), flesh ripper, fly, greater dispel magic, greater scrying (DC 34), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects), mass inflict moderate wounds (DC 34), ravage (DC 35), ray of enfeeblement, ray of exhaustion (DC 30), rotting curse of ur-festra (DC 31), unhallow, wall of deadly chains (DC 32), wall of fire, wither limb (DC 30), wretched blight (DC 35);
6/day – chain of sorrow (DC 35), geas/quest, mass suggestion (DC 33), symbol of death (DC 35), symbol of fear (DC 33), symbol of insanity (DC 35), symbol of pain (DC 32), symbol of stunning (DC 34), symbol of weakness (DC 34), wrack (DC 32);
3/day – bestow greater curse (DC 36), death by thorns (DC 35), eternity of torture (DC 37), imprison soul (DC 35), mass harm (DC 37), pox (DC 35);
1/day – pestilence (DC 38)
Typical Necromancer Spells Prepared (CL 38th; +53 melee touch, +52 ranged touch)
16th – heightened avascular mass (DC 45), chained heightened gutwrench (DC 42), intensified tainted horrid wilting (DC 37);
15th – chained maximized blackfire (DC 37), chained empowered repeating orb of acid (DC 30), intensified polar ray;
14th – quickened violated maw of chaos (DC 35), intensified energy ebb (DC 36), empowered quickened mass inflict critical wounds (DC 37);
13th – quickened repeating mass contagion (DC 35), chained repeating fleshshiver (x2; DC 35);
12th – intensified night’s caress (x2; DC 34), corrupt maximized polar ray, empowered maximized whirlwind of teeth (DC 33);
11th – heightened quickened heartfreeze (DC 36), empowered violated lightning ring (DC 37), chained tainted violated reciprocal gyre (DC 31), quickened retributive enervation;
10th – heightened evil glare (DC 39), quickened eyebite (DC 35), quickened superior resistance, corrupt tainted zajimarn’s field of icy razors (DC 34);
9th – black blade of disaster, greater dimension jumper, lash of force (DC 35), plague of undead, soul bind, quickened touch of vecna (DC 34), utterdark;
8th – create greater undead, quickened finger of agony (DC 33), flensing (x2; DC 34), power word stun, tainted violated storm of fire and ice (DC 32), touch of the graveborn (x2; DC 35);
7th – antimagic ray (DC 33), avasculate (DC 36), finger of death (x2; DC 36), greater seed of undeath, necrotic curse, empowered night’s caress (DC 34), violated otiluke’s freezing sphere (DC 31);
6th – ashen union (DC 35), ghoul gauntlet (DC 35), greater anticipate teleportation, tainted violated orb of sound, ray of entropy (x2), wave of pain (DC 35);
5th – acid sheath, channeled lifetheft (x2), cryptwarden’s grasp (x2), death throes, graymantle, vitriolic sphere (DC 31);
4th – burning blood (DC 33), caustic mire, corporeal instability (DC 30), entangling staff, evard’s black tentacles, heart ripper (DC 33), horrid sickness (x2; DC 33), summon undead IV;
3rd – blade of pain and fear (DC 29), contagious fog, dolorous blow, greater disrupt undead, icelance (DC 29), violated melf’s acid arrow, prickling torment (DC 32), corrupt ray of ice (DC 28), vampiric touch;
2nd – blindness/deafness (DC 31), burning blood (DC 28), cloud of bewilderment (DC 28), death armor, escalating enfeeblement (x2), ghoul touch (DC 31), incendiary slime, kelgore’s grave mist;
1st – backbiter, blade of blood (x2), blood wind, corrosive grasp, reaving aura, rime (DC 30), true strike, whelm (DC 27);
Cantrips – arcane mark, presdigitation, silent portal, touch of fatigue (DC 29)
Epic Spells per Day 3; Epic Spells Known many
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Abilities Str 41, Dex 38, Con 43, Int 42, Wis 39, Cha 47
SQ profane grace, yugoloth traits
Feats Arcane Strike, Awesome Blow, Chain Spell, Corpsecrafter, Corrupt Spell (B), Dark Speech (B), Empower Spell, Evil Brand (B), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Heighten Spell, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Power Attack, Repeat Spell, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Taint Spell, Violate Spell (B)
Epic Feats Epic Evil Brand (B), Epic Reputation, Epic Spellcasting, Epic Spell Focus (Necromancy), Improved Heighten Spell, Intensify Spell
Skills Balance +43, Bluff +63, Climb +30, Concentration +57, Decipher Script +57, Diplomacy +75 (+83 evil creatures), Disguise +42, Forgery +57, Gather Information +67, Hide +39, Intimidate +67 (+75 evil creatures), Jump +19, Knowledge (arcana, geography, history, local, nobility and royalty, religion, the planes) +58, Knowledge (nature) +18, Listen +55, Move Silently +34, Search +57, Sense Motive +55, Sleight of Hand +33, Spellcraft +61 (+65 scrolls), Spot +55, Survival +34 (+38 to avoid getting lost, extraplanar, tracking), Tumble +39, Use Magic Device +59 (+68 scrolls)
Possessions staff of the Lower Planes plus quintuple standard
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Aura of Rot (Su) Anthraxus’s presence stifles all forms of healing. He nullifies all form of fast healing and regeneration within 380 feet of him. Healing spells only heal half the usual amount, and unattended items and equipment have their hardness and hit points decrease by 3 each round they remain in the altraloth’s presence. Magical items gain a Fortitude save to negate the effect. Finally, his aura negates magical and natural protection against disease, ability damage and ability drain although creatures normally immune to ability drain treat it as ability damage instead.
Breath of Contagion (Su) Cone of putrid yellow-black mist 40 feet high, 45 feet wide and 100 feet long, once every 1d4 rounds, 38d6 acid damage (half of which is vile) plus two random diseases; Ref DC 44 half for the damage and Fort DC 44 for the disease.
Call Yugoloth (Su) At will, Anthraxus can call two ultroloths, three nycaloths or arcanaloths or eight of any other yugoloth.
Decay (Su) With a gesture, Anthraxus can force a victim to wither away under the weight of years. As a standard action, Anthraxus may designate a single victim as a target for decay. When this happens, the target must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC 47) or take 10d6 vile damage each round and lose 3 points of Strength, Dexterity and Constitution. If the victim’s ability scores drop to zero as a result of the ability score or takes damage beyond its current hit points, it dies and is reanimated as an angel of decay under Anthraxus’s control the following round. Anthraxus can alter the duration of the decay as he desires.
Creatures immune to aging effects still take damage.
Disease (Su) Anthraxus’s natural attacks inflict a cruel, debilitating disease (1d4 Con and 1d4 Cha drain, incubation one round, Fort DC 44). This pox is contagious; anyone in contact with the affected victim suffers the same fate. Healing spells must succeed at a DC 48 caster level check to cure the victim; even so the healer must make the save as well to avoid being infected. Hit point loss from the disease’s effects is permanent unless a greater restoration, miracle or wish is cast after the disease is removed.
Regeneration (Ex) Weapons capable of bypassing Anthraxus’s damage reduction as well as good spells and effects deal normal damage to him.
Remake (Ex) Before his ascendancy to the throne of Khin-Oin, Anthraxus was a necromancer specialized in the creative use of corpses. He is capable of tormenting living beings as well; when he so desires he can remake creatures into grotesque parodies of their former selves. Anthraxus can remake any creature that has an ability score reduced to 1 by his natural attacks, spells or spell-like abilities.
Hereafter, Anthraxus can mutate his victims, providing cruel, unwanted monkey paw-esque boons. He is capable of remaking and reshaping his victims, restoring their ruined ability scores along with augmenting them. The altraloth has a pool of 100 ability points to “bless” his target with; he does not need to use all of them at once. He can bestow a profane bonus to an ability score of his choice (maximum +20) to his victims. He can shift and remove these augmentations at will.
Gifting his victims with these augmentations is horribly traumatizing. He can impart any of his prepared spells or spell-like abilities to his victims, to be triggered when certain conditions are met. Gifting his victim a boon of Strength, for example, might result in one arm withering away into a desiccated limb (as the spell wither limb), while the other arm becomes a grotesque, veined mass of muscle. When he grants a boon of Intelligence, the victim’s head elongates and swells; the veins clearly visible. Hereafter, casting a spell becomes extremely painful and the victim must make a Fortitude save (DC as the spell being cast) whenever he casts a spell or suffer the effects of a wrack spell for one minute per spell level, or casting a spell triggers a wail of the banshee on the caster and his allies. Anthraxus is fond of irony; which is taken into account when he grants a boon. Creatures normally immune to the adverse effects are affected as though they were unprotected.
Anthraxus can also allow the victim’s scores to reach zero, at which point the victim dies. He can then reshape the corpse into any form he wishes – in more sadistic cases, the altraloth turns the victim into a chair or a table, or just a mass of rotting flesh, before granting the tortured victim life again.
Scarring Touch (Su) Anthraxus’s face bears horrific marks of experimental surgeries and self-inflicted scars. His touch similarly warps his victims, scarring them horribly physically and mentally. Anthraxus’s touch deals 3d6 drain to an ability score of his choice; he generally chooses Charisma to scar his victims in imitation of his own horrible scars. A Fortitude save (DC 47) halves the drain.
Spells Anthraxus casts spells as a 38th level wizard specialized in Necromancy with access to all arcane spell lists. Anthraxus prefers offensive magic to defensive magic. As a Lord of the Lower Planes the Diseased One does not suffer the cost of corrupt spells, nor does he need to meet material or racial component prerequisites.
Vile (Ex) Anthraxus’s natural attacks always deal vile damage. He treats Corrupt Spell, Evil Brand, Epic Evil Brand and Violate Spell as bonus feats.
STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
Anthraxus is brutal in melee combat. The disgraced altraloth prefers to wade in confidently; the fury of his assault stoked by the memory of his dethronement. He makes good use of his scarring touch against foes within range, and savors the agony of those who suffer from Decay. He is just as fond of hurling spells into the fray as he is of melee combat; softening up foes with judicious use of corrupt and damaging spells before finishing them with death magics. He often marries Arcane Strike and entangling staff with the Staff of the Lower Planes, combining this deadly combination with Power Attack for the best results.
Anthraxus is cruel, and will often teleport away with a drained enemy to better employ his Remake ability with no interruptions. When feeling particularly sadistic, he Remakes an opponent in the heat of battle – the sight alone is enough to make even the most hardened veterans sick with horror.
SERVANTS, MOTIVATIONS AND GOALS
Anthraxus was the most warlike of the Oinoloths. The only one known to have ever successfully breached the defenses of Khin-Oin in an open assault, he was originally an ultroloth necromancer specializing in the creative use of corpses. The hags responsible for his transformation into an altraloth did so in return for the archfiend’s aid in repelling plane-wide crusades of the paladins of the Order of the Knights Militant. For centuries, Anthraxus the Decayed ruled the Wasting Tower and all its secrets from the throne of the Siege Malicious.
Until Mydianchlarus.
Mydianchlarus, who glided into the throne-room of the Khin-Oin unchallenged and whispered into Anthraxus’s tattered ear something so disturbing it broke the Oinoloth’s will. Even now, the secret torments the disgraced fiend, compelling him to seek the truth from any source willing to hear him out.
Anthraxus prefers not to have followers. Most of his yugoloth servants deserted him, except for the broken arcanaloth Nivsiim (NE arcanaloth wizard 12) who was bound into the archfiend’s service when Anthraxus was an ultroloth. Still, when he was Oinoloth he ordered the construction of numerous safehouses throughout the Lower Planes filled with money and magical items, and he uses these to finance schemes to regain control over the Wasting Tower.
Anthraxus hates Mydianchlarus with a burning passion, but there is still some uncertainty about having to confront the ultroloth prince once more. He bears a special loathing for the god Vhaeraun, and even a whisper of the fallen Oinoloth’s name makes the god pale dramatically – to the point where Anthraxus can enter and leave the power’s realm in Carceri with no ill-effect. Rumor is he maintains a palace made of flayed and blighted drow petitioners there.
Anthraxus currently wanders the Lower Planes, his ambition ever-burning; some say he sought to challenge the General of Gehenna himself. Perhaps that was why Mydianchlarus was sent, armed with something Anthraxus had no hope of defending against, to send him on his way; and even the gods fear what he may do and what he may yet become.
Staff of the Lower Planes (Major Artifact)
Jealously guarded and hoarded by Anthraxus the Decayed, the Staff of the Lower Planes was the only item he carried from Khin-Oin after Mydianchlarus dethroned him.
Lore: The Staff of the Lower Planes is the symbol and standard of Anthraxus the Decayed. Scholars say the price of the staff’s creation could have bought entire Prime worlds. (Knowledge [arcana, the planes]) DC 30)
It was bestowed on him by the same night hags responsible for his apotheosis, and resembles nothing less than an imitation of the Wasting Tower itself. (Knowledge [arcana, the planes] DC 40)
Description: This staff stands at almost ten feet high, and seems to made of interlocking bone segments. Closer inspection reveals that that the fragments are really the defiled bones of a pit fiend and balor, knit with tough sinew and threads of black iron. The staff is crowned by a grisly melding of the skulls of both fiends; the backs of each skull flawlessly fused together to form one dual-faced bone. The staff constantly writhes in Anthraxus’s grasp; perhaps the forces of law and chaos cannot abide cohabitation in one vessel.
Powers: The Staff of the Lower Planes is a +7 quarterstaff of unholy power with a base damage of 2d8 and all the powers of a staff of domination and a staff of epic necromancy. Any fiend struck by the staff must make a Fortitude save (DC 54) or be transformed into the lowest ranked creature of their respective types (i.e. a balor would become a mane). The bearer of the Staff of the Lower Planes is immune to all negative planar effects of the Lower Planes. In addition, it allows use of the following spells 6 times per day:
• Violated intensified deadly lahar
• Gate
• Chained greater harm (DC 43)
• Reaching imprisonment (DC 43)
• Wave of pain (DC 42)
One per day, the wielder of the Staff can cast the following spells:
• Chained true dominate (DC 41)
• Heightened (to 15th) wish (DC 48, 51 for Necromancy effects)
Anyone that touches the staff without Anthraxus’s permission – which is seldom forthcoming – must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 54) or be permanently transformed into a larva. A wish spell and a caster level check against Anthraxus’s SR can reverse the effect.
Aura/Caster Level: Overwhelming conjuration, enchantment and necromancy, overwhelming evil; CL 35th.
Parts of Anthraxus's flavor text comes from the old Realms of Evil forums, courtesy of ripvanwormer. The post has been lost for years now; I just posted it from memory. His description is based on a Planewalker story by sciborg. |
| LordofBones |
Posted - 04 Jan 2013 : 12:11:53
Dungeon 143; 17 HD, 12th level sorcerer casting. |
| Razz |
Posted - 04 Jan 2013 : 11:58:42
There actually was a revised Arcanaloth in one of the Dungeon Magazines written close to the end of the 3E era. I'll try and find out which issue. |
| Quale |
Posted - 04 Jan 2013 : 09:19:22
Nice work, agreed that it should be wizard, not sorcerer, most of the time (I give them spontaneous evil spells). |
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