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Amiel
2009-07-27, 09:16 AM
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs48/f/2009/212/c/d/Ereshkigal_by_kometani.jpg
By kometani (http://kometani.deviantart.com)

Daemon, Irae
Mercenary of Wrath
Large Outsider (Daemon, Evil, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice: 13d8+130 (188 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 30 ft.
Armor Class: 29 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +19 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 28
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+27
Attack: +3 wounding glaive +25 melee (2d8+18 + 1 Con/19-20)
Full Attack: +3 wounding glaive +25/+20/+15 melee (2d8+18 + 1 Con/19-20) or 2 claws +22 melee (1d6+10 plus curse) and bite +20 melee (1d8+5 plus curse)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Rotting words, spell-like abilities, spells
Special Qualities: Consuming anger, damage reduction 10/good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to acid, cold, poison and petrification, resistance to electricity 10 and fire 10, see in darkness, spell resistance 26, telepathy
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +12
Abilities: Str 31, Dex 13, Con 31, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 16
Skills: Yes
Feats: Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Multiattack, Power Attack
Environment: The Wastes of Despair
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: No coins; no goods; no items
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 14-26 HD (Large); 27-39 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: —

The irae, the mercenaries of wrath, epitomise senseless hate and insatiable anger; the sin of wrath. They are the bubbling tar that poisons love and friendship. They are the intoxicating, cloying incense that festers contempt and boundless rage. Screams of torment are their fruit and the choking gasps of the dying are their wine.

Their very presence incites uncontrollable hate; there is nothing that exists that is not foe. To all, all are enemies; of vilest sort, the cruelest nature and must be extinguished.

The irae marshal across the Lower Realities, the Depths Below, for the eternal Blood Conflict, the planes-spanning war to determine and define Evil across Creation. Mercenaries through and through, loyalty is only to the highest bidder and even then, it is not unheard of for them to turn if offered a better price. To an irae, none are allies, all must be exterminated with excessive force.

Unfortunates accuse them of being traitors, the irae simply consider this as another method of renegotiation. Either way, others simply do not survive long enough to be anything other than a cursory and fleeting distraction.

The irae are also cannibals. Dismissing the idea that the consumption of the dead grants any beneficial effects, the irae consume to rob victims of any hope of resurrection or revival, to savor the sweet poison of lingering fear and pain, to consume the remaining vestiges of the opponent's soul. It is the ultimate act of defilement, the vilest act of hate.

An irae appears as a handsome humanoid of either gender; with ghostly pale skin criss-crossed with scars and fresh wounds. Their hair appears wind tossed and is an oily black; nauseating to smell. Their eyes are entirely blood-red with no pupils or irises, and when angered turn a complete black, unsettling and horrifying.
Their outermost front teeth end in fangs, eternally dripping blood and their tongues are as a serpents.
Increasingly, whispers and rumors assert this is not their true form, that what they look like are tremendous wingless serpents whose wounds bleed a choking bile, with slavering maws that drink in light, leaving only oblivion.

Consuming Anger (Su): A choking miasma of hateful rage envelops the irae. As long as this aura is in effect, an irae is always assumed to be raging (this has not be factored into the statistic block above) and is never fatigued. A remove curse or break enchantment is able to remove and dispel this rage but the irae may restore it as a free action on its next turn.
Additionally, the irae may project a magic circle against good centred on it out to a radius of 20 ft. The irae may change this to a magic circle against chaos or magic circle against law as a standard action if it so wishes.
Additionally, foes within 20 ft of the daemon must succeed on a DC Will 20 Will save or start violently attacking all within sight, their attitude changing to hostile. This attitude can only be changed with a successful DC 20 Diplomacy check at -3 penalty. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same irae's aura for 24 hours. The Save DC is Charisma-based.

Curse (Su): A creature struck by a irae's bite or claw attack must succeed on a DC 26 Fortitude save or be infected with a vile curse known as faceless hate. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rotting Words (Ex): An irae does not normally speak, preferring to resolutely remain mute. 3/day, however, it may pronounce such horrific words of spiteful hate that its words of wrath causes a creature to bleed from every orifice. A foe must be able to hear the irae speak though not necessary understand what is being said; it is the intent rather than the meaning that drives this power.
All within 30 feet of the irae hear a terrible chorus of whispered anguish that causes the very air to rot and stagnate, and must succeed on a DC 26 Fortitude save or permanently lose 1 Con score and 1 Wis score.

See in Darkness (Su): The irae can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - blasphemy, confusion, desecrate, dispel good, dispel magic, greater teleport, invisibility (self only), mirror image, plane shift, reverse gravity, unholy aura, unholy blight, unhallow; 3/day - blade barrier, flame strike, power word stun, waves of fatigue, waves of hate; 1/day - destruction, implosion, waves of exhaustion. Caster level 13th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Spells: Irae can cast divine spells as 13th-level clerics. An irae has access to two of the following domains: Evil, Destruction, Hate, War or Wrath. The save DCs are Wisdom-based.

Typical Cleric Spells per Day: 6/7/7/6/6/4/3/2; save DC = 14 + spell level.
0 - cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, inflict minor wounds (x3); 1st - bane, cause fear, entropic shield, doom, inflict light wounds, protection from good; 2nd - align weapon, bull's strength, death knell, inflict moderate wounds, shatter, silence, undetectable alignment; 3rd - animate dead, bestow curse, contagion, deeper darkness, inflict serious wounds, invisibility purge; 4th - dismissal, divine power, freedom of movement, poison, inflict critical wounds, spell immunity; 5th - insect plague, mass inflict light wounds, slay living, symbol of pain; 6th - create undead, harm, mass inflict moderate wounds; 7th - destruction, mass inflict serious wounds.

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-07-27, 10:18 AM
It's good to see the NE fiends getting some love. The only thing I'd add is that Rotting Words should also probably cause deafness and/or blindness in some fashion as the targets' eyes and ears bleed; otherwise, it's very well-done.

Debihuman
2009-07-27, 11:19 AM
Where could I find more information about the Faceless Hate curse? A book and page cite is always helpful when using non-core books.

I agree that Rotting Curse needs to have a mechanic for the bleeding you describe but is otherwise very well done. Otherwise, you could reword it a bit so that the description fits a more rotting motiff: victims contract leprosy rather than bleed from eyes and ears.

You forgot the -1 size penalty to its bite and claw attacks. BAB + Str Modifier + size = melee attack. If its claws are its primary weapons they should have a + 22 melee and bite should be at +20.

Very nice.

Debby

Amiel
2009-08-02, 09:14 AM
It's good to see the NE fiends getting some love. The only thing I'd add is that Rotting Words should also probably cause deafness and/or blindness in some fashion as the targets' eyes and ears bleed; otherwise, it's very well-done.

Thank you kindly, Dice! :)

Heh, yeah, Wizards, it seems, has a long history of gimping the NE fiends (3e). Poor, poor NE fiends...

Thank you for your suggestion! I was actually thinking along those lines as well, although with a probable a transitory blindness and deafness effect rather than one that is permanent.
Although...I also didn't want to make the irae too powerful, the dread words it pronounces only causes horrific bleeding, from all orifices (but not so much as to cause blindness and deafness, not yet...), and greatly damages the psyche but leads to no other detrimental effects. The more powerful daemon of wrath that sits on a higher CR will definitely have 'cause blindness and deafness' quality.


Where could I find more information about the Faceless Hate curse? A book and page cite is always helpful when using non-core books.

Sorry, Debby.
Faceless hate is actually a disease rather than curse, and it's found within the BoVD on page...30.


I agree that Rotting Curse needs to have a mechanic for the bleeding you describe but is otherwise very well done. Otherwise, you could reword it a bit so that the description fits a more rotting motiff: victims contract leprosy rather than bleed from eyes and ears.

Thank you!
With regards to Rotting Words, I actually wanted something evocative yet still remained within the CR of the creature; the horrific bleeding its hateful words cause does greatly damage the body and mind. Its power probably hasn't developed to the the extent that it can cause blindness and deafness.

And thanks for the idea!
I was thinking of actually causing the very air around the irae to rot and inflict a sickening stench upon the victims, with the very air becoming so stale as to become unbreatheable...for a limited time at least.


You forgot the -1 size penalty to its bite and claw attacks. BAB + Str Modifier + size = melee attack. If its claws are its primary weapons they should have a + 22 melee and bite should be at +20.

Oops, always forgetting something. I blame the late, ungodly hour, yeah, that's it...:p


Very nice.

Thank you kindly, Debby :)


With your suggestions that it should cause blindness and deafness (great minds), how about this?

1/day, the irae may focus its hateful wrath and pronounce it with such singular clarity, that its horrific spiteful words inflict tremendous spiritual pain and such copious bleeding that it blinds and deafens the opponents...or something to that effect.

The Tygre
2009-08-02, 02:20 PM
Heh, seems I'm not the only one here familiar with the Book of Fiends. :smallcool:

Debihuman
2009-08-05, 08:28 AM
1/day, the irae may focus its hateful wrath and pronounce it with such singular clarity, that its horrific spiteful words inflict tremendous spiritual pain and such copious bleeding that it blinds and deafens the opponents...or something to that effect.

It's okay, just a little abrupt. Your writing tends to have more of flourish so I think this is a bit of a throw-away. Why are rotting words also spiteful or wrathful? Withering is better. I like the rotting metaphor. Unfortunately, you start changing it almost immediately. You could even lose the "bleeding from every orafice" effect. It reminds me too much of ebola and it doesn't really fit he mechanics. Rather, I think simplifying your text is better.

Rotting Words (Ex):: An irae does not normally speak, preferring to resolutely remain mute. 3/day, however, it may pronounce such horrific words of withering hate that it causes any creature who hears it to suffer permanent damage. A foe must be able to hear the irae speak though not necessary understand what is being said; it is the intent rather than the meaning that drives this power.

All within 30 feet of the irae hear a terrible chorus of whispered anguish that causes the very air to rot and stagnate, and must succeed on a DC 26 Fortitude save or permanently lose 1 Con score and 1 Wis score.

What do you think?

Debby

Yora
2009-08-05, 03:55 PM
http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs48/f/2009/212/c/d/Ereshkigal_by_kometani.jpg
I have no idea what I'm seeing, but it's certainly freaking me out.

My homebrew world totaly needs NE outsiders. :D

Dixieboy
2009-08-05, 03:57 PM
That thing has huge wings, why can't it fly?

(Not dismissing your work, it's pretty good, just curios here)

Eldrys
2009-08-05, 04:00 PM
That thing has huge wings, why can't it fly?

(Not dismissing your work, it's pretty good, just curios here)

I think thats, like, her hair:smalleek:

Dixieboy
2009-08-05, 04:09 PM
I think thats, like, her hair:smalleek:Are you sure?

...
it is...
wow...

That is a dex penalty right there :smalleek:

Amiel
2009-08-23, 07:32 AM
Heh, seems I'm not the only one here familiar with the Book of Fiends. :smallcool:

Unfortunately, I am only familiar with the Book of Fiends in passing. How similar is this to a similarly themed creature in the Book of Fiends?
I only know there is a mercernary of wrath within that tome, and I chose the appellation due to the tradition of daemons in D&D being associated with mercenaries, betrayal, and the spread and pontification of lies.


It's okay, just a little abrupt. Your writing tends to have more of flourish so I think this is a bit of a throw-away. Why are rotting words also spiteful or wrathful? Withering is better. I like the rotting metaphor. Unfortunately, you start changing it almost immediately. You could even lose the "bleeding from every orafice" effect. It reminds me too much of ebola and it doesn't really fit he mechanics. Rather, I think simplifying your text is better.

Thanks for the kind words, Debby.

Well, the rotting metaphor was supposed to be the product of the ineffable hate and horrible wrath of the creature. So much so that it cannot pronounce words of decency at all, what utterances that come out have become so twisted by its hate that it rots the very air and causes immense pain, in the form of bleeding wounds. It is akin to a supernatural curse that causes blood to vomit from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth of the victim.

Was wondering, what do you and others think of Ruinous Words or Words of Ruin? Does it fit better with the metaphor?


What do you think?

Debby

Pretty good.
I was thinking though, the entry may need some overhauling, both like you said in terms of simplifying the text and consolidating it within the same overall theme.


I have no idea what I'm seeing, but it's certainly freaking me out.

:smallbiggrin:
I mean, sorry to hear that


My homebrew world totaly needs NE outsiders. :D

Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Stay tuned, for more will coming this way. Something definitely wicked this way comes!
Probably a pride-themed daemon or something else will be next.
Or a despair or apathy daemon. Or one that is and feeds upon fear. They mostly come out at night, mostly.


That thing has huge wings, why can't it fly?
I think thats, like, her hair:smalleek:

Yeah, mate, that's its hair. Be prepared to totally freak out.


(Not dismissing your work, it's pretty good, just curios here)

Thanks, mate!
That is actually its hair. Must be a pain to wash and brush in the morning.

deuxhero
2009-08-23, 11:10 AM
Shouldn't CR:13 be the minimum for something that casts as though it was a level 13 cleric and has 13 hit die? I would think that high ability scores, a bunch of racial abilitys and such would make it somewhat higher.

But otherwise, I like the flavor.

Amiel
2009-09-13, 03:26 AM
Shouldn't CR:13 be the minimum for something that casts as though it was a level 13 cleric and has 13 hit die? I would think that high ability scores, a bunch of racial abilitys and such would make it somewhat higher.

But otherwise, I like the flavor.

Usually, for a higher CR adjustment, the caster level would be higher, the ability scores would on average be better, and the SAs and SQs would be stronger; this is why the balor is clocked in at CR 20, despite being HD 20 and caster level 20.

For outsiders, the CR is dependent on a variety of factors, and usually a higher caster level, not to mention a slew of special abilities, would mean a higher CR; take the pit fiend for example.

Thanks, mate! :)

Mulletmanalive
2009-09-13, 05:28 AM
If the creature is constantly under the effects of rage, you should at least include the details of this in parenthases beside the core entries. This would change the following entries thusly:


Hit Dice: 13d8+130 (188 hp) [13d8+156 (214 hp)]

Armor Class: 29 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +19 natural) [27, -2 Rage], touch 10 [8, -2 Rage], flat-footed 28 [26, -2 Rage]

Attack: +3 wounding glaive +25 [+27] melee (2d8+18 + 1 Con/19-20, [2d8+21+1 Con/19-20])

Full Attack: +3 wounding glaive +25/+20/+15 [+27/+22/+17] melee (2d8+18 + 1 Con/19-20, [2d8+21+1 Con/19-20]) or 2 claws +22 [+24] melee (1d6+10 plus curse, [1d6+12 plus curse]) and bite +20 [+22] melee (1d8+5 plus curse, [1d8+6 plus curse])

I personally would go for the wizards approach and put your current working in a section at the bottom of the character description and use the rage entries as the primary stats.

Amiel
2009-10-25, 08:10 AM
If the creature is constantly under the effects of rage, you should at least include the details of this in parenthases beside the core entries. This would change the following entries thusly:

I personally would go for the wizards approach and put your current working in a section at the bottom of the character description and use the rage entries as the primary stats.

Thanks, mate. After deliberation, I was thinking of editing the entry somewhat to read as X per day rather than having the creature being constantly under the effects of rage; the latter would be rather unbalancing, although the fact that the rage effect can be dispelled relatively easily is a positive aspect in its favor.

What do you think of, say, 4 times per day? 4 being the number of the Horseman of the Apocalypse, it is a homonym for Death in the Chinese, Korean and Japanese cultures, it is linked to the cross and the square, all that which is solid and universal.

deuxhero
2009-10-25, 08:24 AM
Needs an exception on the "always considered raging" bit that ignores the line "nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function." in rage and allows for spell casting while raging, otherwise the casting does nothing.

Amiel
2009-10-25, 08:45 AM
Hmm, were the irae able to cast spells, activate magic items and fling spell-likes while raging, would this make his raging too powerful? This'll mean he could benefit from a divine power while raging, which may even bump up his CR some. That or he could detonate a flame strike on an offender, while at the same time hitting rather heavily and solidly at the same opponent.