rferries
2017-07-29, 08:10 PM
Plenty of fallen angels around, but here's the reverse. Inspired by an old Dicefreaks post.
Ascendant
https://i.imgur.com/VDUaeXX.jpg
"I say to you all, lo these many eons of cruelty and depravity have brought us naught but empty regret. It would have been better that we had been slain in the Fall."
"Traitor! Weakling! Get thee hence from this place. Be thou now exiled from the depths, forevermore."
-Asphodel the Penitent, at his excommunication from the Pit.
An ascendant fiend is an outsider from the Lower Planes that has rejoined the cause of Good. Although still monstrous in appearance, they show some signs of their moral change - an ascendant pit fiend might have gleaming golden scales, be wreathed in white flames, and have a strangely gentle sadness to its fanged visage.
Creating An Ascendant Fiend
"Ascendant" is an inherited template that can be added to any outsider with the [Evil] and [Extraplanar] subtypes (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
An ascendant fiend uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
The base creature loses the [Evil] subtype and gains the [Good] subtype. Otherwise unchanged.
Speed
An ascendant fiend gains wings (feathered unless it already possessed other wings) and can fly at twice the base creature’s base land speed (good maneuverability). If the base creature has a better fly speed, use that instead.
Special Attacks
An ascendant fiend retains all the special attacks of the base creature, with the following modifications.
Discerning Attacks (Su)
Any special attacks possessed by the base creature that do not harm evil outsiders of its original kind (e.g. a nalfeshnee's smite or a vrock's dance of ruin) now affects those outsiders, but not [Good] outsiders (including ascendant ones).
Disease (Su)
Any disease spread by the base creature (including through a barbazu's beard attack and the like) is replaced with Celestial Serenity (incubation 1d4 days, DC 18, damage 1d6 Charisma). A creature reduced to 0 Charisma by Celestial Serenity becomes good-aligned and regains all their lost Charisma. It takes three, not two, successful saves in a row to recover from Celestial Serenity. Good-aligned creatures are immune to Celestial Serenity.
Dream Haunting (Su)
Any dream haunting ability possessed by the base creature may only be used to torment evil-aligned creatures. Furthermore, the base creature may use dream as a supernatural ability at will (caster level = base creature's HD).
Infernal Wound (Su)
Any infernal wound attack possessed by the base creature is now Celestial Wound instead (no practical change).
Smite Good (Su)
Any smite good attack possessed by the base creature becomes smite evil instead.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)
Any spell-like ability possessed by the base creature that duplicates a spell with the [Evil] descriptor is replaced by a spell of equivalent level with the [Good] descriptor or from the Glory or Good domains.
Summon (Sp)
Ascendant demons and devils retain their ability to summon outsiders for contractual service. In place of whatever creatures they would normally summon, they instead duplicate any conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (calling) spell of equivalent or lower level to the spell level of their original summoning ability (e.g. 4th level for a bearded devil). This ability always has a 100% chance of success and summoned creatures serve for 1 hour. Ascendant fiends are loathe to use this ability for fear of endangering their fellow outsiders.
Special Qualities
An ascendant fiend retains all the special qualities of the base creature, with the following modifications.
Damage Reduction (Su)
Any damage reduction possessed by the base creature that is overcome by good-aligned weapons is overcome by evil-aligned weapons instead. An ascendant fiend's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as good-aligned instead of evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Regeneration (Su)
Any regeneration possessed by the base creature that is overcome by good-aligned weapons or spells or effects with the [Good] descriptor is instead overcome by evil-aligned weapons and spells or effects with the [Evil] descriptor.
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Cha +2, Wis +2.
Environment
A good-aligned (and lawful- or chaos-aligned, as appropriate) plane.
Organisation
Typically solitary (shunned by their former fiends, and too humbled to feel fully comfortable amongst celestials just yet).
Challenge Rating
Same as base creature.
Alignment
Always good. The base creature retains its original alignment on the ethical (Chaos vs. Law) axis.
Level Adjustment
Same as base creature +1.
Ascendant
https://i.imgur.com/VDUaeXX.jpg
"I say to you all, lo these many eons of cruelty and depravity have brought us naught but empty regret. It would have been better that we had been slain in the Fall."
"Traitor! Weakling! Get thee hence from this place. Be thou now exiled from the depths, forevermore."
-Asphodel the Penitent, at his excommunication from the Pit.
An ascendant fiend is an outsider from the Lower Planes that has rejoined the cause of Good. Although still monstrous in appearance, they show some signs of their moral change - an ascendant pit fiend might have gleaming golden scales, be wreathed in white flames, and have a strangely gentle sadness to its fanged visage.
Creating An Ascendant Fiend
"Ascendant" is an inherited template that can be added to any outsider with the [Evil] and [Extraplanar] subtypes (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
An ascendant fiend uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type
The base creature loses the [Evil] subtype and gains the [Good] subtype. Otherwise unchanged.
Speed
An ascendant fiend gains wings (feathered unless it already possessed other wings) and can fly at twice the base creature’s base land speed (good maneuverability). If the base creature has a better fly speed, use that instead.
Special Attacks
An ascendant fiend retains all the special attacks of the base creature, with the following modifications.
Discerning Attacks (Su)
Any special attacks possessed by the base creature that do not harm evil outsiders of its original kind (e.g. a nalfeshnee's smite or a vrock's dance of ruin) now affects those outsiders, but not [Good] outsiders (including ascendant ones).
Disease (Su)
Any disease spread by the base creature (including through a barbazu's beard attack and the like) is replaced with Celestial Serenity (incubation 1d4 days, DC 18, damage 1d6 Charisma). A creature reduced to 0 Charisma by Celestial Serenity becomes good-aligned and regains all their lost Charisma. It takes three, not two, successful saves in a row to recover from Celestial Serenity. Good-aligned creatures are immune to Celestial Serenity.
Dream Haunting (Su)
Any dream haunting ability possessed by the base creature may only be used to torment evil-aligned creatures. Furthermore, the base creature may use dream as a supernatural ability at will (caster level = base creature's HD).
Infernal Wound (Su)
Any infernal wound attack possessed by the base creature is now Celestial Wound instead (no practical change).
Smite Good (Su)
Any smite good attack possessed by the base creature becomes smite evil instead.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)
Any spell-like ability possessed by the base creature that duplicates a spell with the [Evil] descriptor is replaced by a spell of equivalent level with the [Good] descriptor or from the Glory or Good domains.
Summon (Sp)
Ascendant demons and devils retain their ability to summon outsiders for contractual service. In place of whatever creatures they would normally summon, they instead duplicate any conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (calling) spell of equivalent or lower level to the spell level of their original summoning ability (e.g. 4th level for a bearded devil). This ability always has a 100% chance of success and summoned creatures serve for 1 hour. Ascendant fiends are loathe to use this ability for fear of endangering their fellow outsiders.
Special Qualities
An ascendant fiend retains all the special qualities of the base creature, with the following modifications.
Damage Reduction (Su)
Any damage reduction possessed by the base creature that is overcome by good-aligned weapons is overcome by evil-aligned weapons instead. An ascendant fiend's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as good-aligned instead of evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Regeneration (Su)
Any regeneration possessed by the base creature that is overcome by good-aligned weapons or spells or effects with the [Good] descriptor is instead overcome by evil-aligned weapons and spells or effects with the [Evil] descriptor.
Abilities
Increase from the base creature as follows: Cha +2, Wis +2.
Environment
A good-aligned (and lawful- or chaos-aligned, as appropriate) plane.
Organisation
Typically solitary (shunned by their former fiends, and too humbled to feel fully comfortable amongst celestials just yet).
Challenge Rating
Same as base creature.
Alignment
Always good. The base creature retains its original alignment on the ethical (Chaos vs. Law) axis.
Level Adjustment
Same as base creature +1.