The Gates of Heaven: Giving Celestia the Dicefreaks Treatment

[The Tygre]

Remove mental conditions and negative effects.
Grant boon that gives target bonuses to Will and Fort saves when defending others.
Enter state where absorbing blows spreads healing aura at HP limit.
Final self-sacrifice to cast cure major wounds on allies.
Inflict geas on the untrustworthy.
Bonuses to stealth skills and ability to change shape for something unassuming like an insect.
Aura of courage.
Bonuses to constitution and dexterity.

And when all else fails, do what I do; roll something on random table and hammer it into working.

[Iamyourking]

What is and isn't useful is a matter of perspective, my right blood. This isn't an essay where we pass or fail you for how good it is. We've got a crew of homebrewers and nothing but time. All that matters is that the content gets posted, even if its just a skeleton. We'll put the blood and the bones and the veins in bit by bit. Believe in yourself! And if you can't do that, believe in the me who believes in you! YOURS IS THE ANGEL ARCHON THAT WILL PIERCE THROUGH TO HEAVEN!

Do you realize just what you have done?

Spiral Archon
Even when trapped by Karma's cycle, the dreams we left behind will open the door! Even if the Universe stands in our way, our seething blood will determine what will be! Mark my words! This drill will open a hole in the universe! And that hole will be a path for those behind us! The dreams of those who've fallen! The hopes of those who'll follow! Those two sets of dreams weave together in a double helix! Drilling a path towards tomorrow! My drill is the drill...THAT CREATES THE HEAVENS!!! Even when we are locked in an eternal cycle of renewal and defeat, spinning endlessly where we stand, we will drill our way out, for the sake of everything we went through to get here! No matter what stands before us, be it a humble stone or a towering mountain, we hold the power to drill our path through this wall! Mark my words! This drill will drill through the Earth itself! I am not a man, drilling to get to the surface! I am a drill, drilling this hole so people to come will be free to explore the other side! That is the nature of progress! Of evolution! Of DRILLING! THIS DRILL IS MY SOUL! This drill ensures the future for us all! It insures the past was not in vain! My drill, no, my soul, My unquellable raging spirit to break through this defiant mountain...this boiling in my veins...this soul... This DRILL IS THE DRILL THAT REVEALS THE HEAVENS! That is the nature of the Spiral! Those who have died died not in vain! Their deaths have fueled our fighting spirit, our raging desire to break through the walls that hold us in! In their deaths we have life anew! No matter what happens, no matter what destiny says we can or can't do, I can only move forward! And I have something that will pierce this mountain, destiny, and the UNIVERSE!
It's a SOUL, A SPIRAL, A DRILL! JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE!-A typical Spiral Archon speech

Spoiler

Show

Large Outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Good, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 11d8+55 (108 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 90 ft. (Good)
Armor Class: 27 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +14 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple: +11/+22
Attack: Armblade +20 melee (2d8+9+1d6 fire+2d6 against evil/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 Armblades +20 melee (2d8+9+1d6 fire+2d6 against evil/19-20)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Armblades, Drill Buster, Hotblooded Speech, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Aura of Menace, damage reduction 10/evil, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and petrification, low-light vision, magic circle against evil, Manly Fighting Spirit, outsider traits, spell resistance 33, teleport, tongues
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +17, Will +14
Abilities Str 25, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 24
Skills: 9 maxed out, one with 8 ranks
Feats: Cleave, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Environment: Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Team (3-10)
Challenge Rating: 12
Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items plus Shades of Charisma +4
Alignment: Always Lawful Good
Advancement: By class level (Favored class Warblade)
Level Adjustment: +9

This creature bears a remarkable resemblance to a Sword Archon, with its rugged physique and massive feathery wings, but there is an unmistakable difference to its bearing; cocky where a Sword would be humble and swaggering where they would be mild. Not to mention the fact that it is wearing an enormous pair of crimson sunglasses shaped like isosceles triangles.

Long ago, there was an Authority named Simon who had proven himself dozens of times over in battle against the Tanar’ri as both an inspiring leader and skilled warrior. When a demonic plot to open a gate to the Far Realm in a powerful mortal civilization that had long been under the protection of Celestia was discovered, it was Simon and his group of elite Sword Archons that were sent to stop it; and although the portal was sealed and the Demons slain, Simon and his warriors were lost within it and left for dead. Their names were inscribed in the book of those who had died gloriously in the name of Celestia and life moved on. But then, in the not too distant past, Simon and his bedraggled force returned to the gates of Lunia; all wearing their giant red sunglasses and talking about some mysterious figure named Kamina who had freed them from the Far Realm, that is when they stopped constantly spouting hotblooded catchphrases and drill metaphors. They announced that they were launching a crusade to Mechanus, as they had apparently decided that Primus was actually something called “Gurren Lagann” and that they could get into his body and drive him into battle. For the sake of the relationship between the two planes, and the sanity of the survivors, they were institutionalized in an attempt to rehabilitate them. The only thing that could be gotten out of Simon before him and his followers broke free and vanished was that they intended to attach Primus to the entire plane of Mechanus using a giant drill and somehow in so doing turn it into a plane sized construct.
Neither Simon nor his Spiral Archons ever showed up in Mechanus, but they occasionally appear on battlefields, spout their catchphrases, and start mowing down foes before suddenly vanishing. Their exact motives remain uncertain.

Combat
Spiral Archons love fighting and will gleefully hurl themselves into the fray to build up Spiral Power before they break out their drills and start madly impaling things. Once in combat, they never retreat, considering it to be a coward’s stratagem, and have no qualms about assaulting anyone that they find to possess insufficient quantities of fighting spirit. They always start with a hot-blooded speech, regardless of how much longer combat will be, and then start carving up foes with their large curved armblades.

Armblades (Ex): Like the Sword Archons that they once were, Spiral Archons can create magic blades from their forearms as a Free Action. However, they count as Large +2 holy flaming bastard swords instead of the smaller ones used by Swords. Like Sword Archons, they can shift back as a free action and the blades cannot be disarmed or sundered.

Aura of Menace (Su): Save DC 24

Drill Buster (Ex): Upon swearing their allegiance to Simon, the Spiral Archons decided that Discorporating Dives just weren’t ‘awesome’ enough and instead opted to convert their arm blades into giant drills. Three times per day, when charging, a Spiral Archon can perform a Double-Drill Buster, changing each of their arms to a flaming drill, which do 3d6+10 damage and count as silver flaming holy weapons. Alternately, they can perform a Mega-Drill Buster and combine their arms into one drill, which does 5d8+15 damage and counts as an adamantine silver flaming burst holy weapon, this counts towards their usages per day. Finally, once per week, they can perform the titular Giga-Drill Buster; which does 6d20+24 damage, pierces all Damage Reduction, counts as a holy power, flaming power weapon, and deal octuple damage on a critical. These can only be done if they possess a suitably high quantity of Manly Fighting Spirit (see below).

Hot-Blooded Speech (Ex): Like their leader, Spiral Archons are prone to passionate speeches filled with drilling metaphors and talk of ‘piercing the heavens’. Given at least three rounds to speak, a Spiral Archon can provide a rallying speech that grants a +1 morale bonus to attacks and saves for any allies that can hear them. If the speaker flees for any reason, these become equivalent penalties. With a successful Perform (Oratory) check, the speaker grants further bonii and Spirit points equal to the check divided by 5.

Manly Fighting Spirit (Ex): Somehow or another, the Spiral Archons have gained the ability to literally become more powerful as they are filled with fighting spirit, which they call Spiral Energy. They apply their Charisma bonus to saves and spell resistance, and can build up a pool of it through fighting. They gain 1 Spirit point through successfully damaging an enemy or killing a weaker enemy, 3 through landing a critical or charging something more powerful then them and 5 through killing an enemy of equal or greater power. When they take damage, they lose points equal to the damage divided by ten as the spirit is being beat out of them. Only one Spiral Power can be used per turn. Spirit points can be spent as follows:

1 point: Allow an ally to reroll a failed Will save; add +1 to damage for one attack; take another Swift Action
3 points: Reroll any failed save; add +2 to attack and damage for one round; take another move action; perform a Double Drill Breaker
5 points: Automatically pass a save; add +3 to attack, damage, and saves for one minute; take another standard action; perform a Mega Drill Breaker; don’t lose Spirit points from damage for one minute
10 points: Add +5 to attack, damage and saves for five minutes; take another full round action; perform a Giga-Drill Breaker; allow all allies within 60 ft. to charge a targeted enemy.

Spell-Like Abilities (Su): at will-continual flame, divination, locate creature, locate object, message; 3/day commune, dispel evil, wages of sin; 1/day touch of adamantine.

For the sake of productivity, have a partially completed Greyhound Archon.

Spoiler

Show

Greyhound Archon
Medium Outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Good, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 6d8+15 (43 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 80 ft. (16 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (+4 Dex, +8 natural, +1 dodge), touch 15, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+7
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+1) or short sword +7 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+1) and slam +2 melee (1d4) or short sword +7/+2 melee (1d6+1) and bite +2 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities: Aura of Menace, change shape, damage reduction 10/evil, darkvision 60 ft., evasion, immunity to electricity and petrification, magic circle against evil, scent, outsider traits, spell resistance 16, teleport, tongues
Saves: Fort +7 (+11 against poisons), Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills: 9 maxed skills
Feats:Dodge, Endurance, Mobility, Run_B
Environment: Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
Organization: Solitary, pair, or team (3-5)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment: Always Lawful Good
Advancement: 7-9 HD (Medium); 10-18 HD (Large) or by class level (Favored class Scout)
Level Adjustment: +4

Combat

Spell-Like Abilities (Su): At will-aid, continual flame, detect evil, message

[Eldan]

Sorry, but, that's an Eladrin. Or, perhaps even more, an Asura.

Anyway. What CR are we aiming for for Lantern Archons? I'm thinking of making them incorporeal, as corporeal balls of pure light never made much sense to me, and that should bump them up a little all by it's own.

[Iamyourking]

For one, it's a joke and for two they are still physically Sword Archons and are still essentially Lawful, just more than a little insane. In any event, an Archon cannot become an Eladrin just by turning chaotic (Which they aren't really). An Asura maybe, but only under the old definition; as the BoED describes Asuras as a specific type of outsider that serves deities and has a rivalry with angels (And I actually mean angels, not archons).

[Eldan]

Yeah, but the BoED definition is silly. Asuras are way cooler as fallen Archons. I mean, there has to be something for those falling to chaos instead of evil.

It also means that there are at least a few archons who had the common sense to turn their back on all that silly law stuff

[Iamyourking]

Would it be better if I elaborated it to point out that they still consider themselves Archons and servants of the Hebdomad, have the utmost respect for the hierarchy, and fully intend to deal with the Modrons in an orderly fashion so that they can borrow Primus? For all intents and purposes, they are regular, if rather crazy, Sword Archons; just with an obsession with drills.

As for the second part, do you enjoy trying to bait me into arguments? I'd imagine the major reason we are the top two posters in this thread is because of the constant Law vs. Chaos debates we keep getting into. It probably doesn't help that you have this annoying tendency to post right when I'm about to go to bed.

Finally, just out of curiosity, why did you even sign up for the project if you have so much disdain for Law?

[Eldan]

Honestly?

Because there is nothing, as far as I know, that's both cool (to me) and lawful good in 3.5. I don't remember anything in Planescape either, at the top of my hat. I like devils as antagonists, and modrons for Law because they are scientists, and I can respect that, but Celestia, to me, was never an interesting plane, for pro- or antagonists.

So, I'm here to see if anything good can actually come from it. I dislike that an entire segment of the alignment spectrum just leaves me cold.

[The Tygre]

So help me ever-loving powers, if you two don't drop the law/chaos thing, again, I will slap you both with an aasimon stick so hard you'll clear the top of Celestia, shoot through the Cage, and land in Abysm...

Now, down to business.

King: ...It's glorious.

Eldan: I've got to agree with you on the incorporeal thing about lanterns. We should really put it to a vote, though, since it might be seen as changing a big aspect of their flavor to some. As for CR... Hmm. The average lantern is a CR 2. That doesn't leave a lot of room to work with ability-wise, and the way I see it, Virtue-Lanterns are more elite or specialized than your run of the mill petitioner (though I'd have to ask Dice). I'd shoot for 3-5. Gut instinct says 5, but I've always liked my beasties big and loud, so I'm not the best judge on that.

[Eldan]

Fair enough.

As a general note:
I wrote it up in my Lunia entry, but I think it bears mentioning again, and I will probably write it up again when I write up the Humility lantern later:

I added humanoid petitioners to Lunia. I know it's not entirely canon, but it made sense to me.

The lantern archon, as we write him, embodies in his deepest core a virtue and is therefore already a virtuous being, even as the lowest rank of archon. Not every soul has reached that level yet.

And so, I have added to Lunia The Content, those souls of goodness and law who do not, so far, strive for higher enlightenment, but are happy to live in Lunia in what is, perhaps, almost a mild purgatory instead of a true paradise, an eternally calm place of rest and serenity, at the shores of Mount Celestia instead of on it's slopes, in the gentle purple twilight instead of the brilliant light of Chronias.

Only by finding deep within themselves that tiny core of higher virtue and striving to make that spark consume their very being can they become the bright, new flame that is a lantern.

A lantern is grand, and bright, and virtuous, even if it is at the same time meek and tiny, a little light in the dark place that is the multiverse. It is not common, even if there are uncountable infinite amounts of them. It is special, not a run of the mill petitioner.

Edit: furthermore let me then, if I may, add the following statement to this post:

It is said that a man can find glory in battle. Let me counter this point by stating that man finds glory in and struggle and endeavour, if he just prevails and sees whatever his chosen challenge in life may be brought to a conclusion, overcome, defeated, left in the dust, and making himself, thereby, a greater being.
Is it, therefore, not more glorious and in the spirit of this project, to continue our debate on law and chaos, so that not only may we sharpen our wits, but also gain deeper insights into this very matter that lies at the heart of celestia? is it not the case, that in D&D the trappings of good and evil have been thoroughly explored but that, for this project, we have to put equal weight on the scales of law and chaos? We are not free to leave this axis unnoticed, for the alignment system is a grid, and not a line.

I say, therefore: let there be debate! Let there be arguments, and measured words, and quotes most philosophical! Throw down the shackles of restraint and practice heated discourse!

Too long has this thread simmered slowly in a forsaken corner of the forum! No more! Let us undertake this endeavor, and with our words, move the Heavens!

[Iamyourking]

So help me ever-loving powers, if you two don't drop the law/chaos thing, again, I will slap you both with an aasimon stick so hard you'll clear the top of Celestia, shoot through the Cage, and land in Abysm...

Of course, note that no argument actually took place. Perhaps we can find some mutual ground by calling the guardinals wishy-washy furries?

Anyway, thoughts on the Greyhound so far? It's fairly simple since Hounds don't have a ton of special powers or the like and are kept at a low power level, but I think that it works well enough.

[Eldan]

Consider giving it trip, maybe, so it can actually do something with all that speed? I.e. trip fleeing enemies, so that it's friends can catch up?

[Iamyourking]

Good idea, I'll do that. I think I'll also give it a ranged attack so it can do harrassment strikes.

What I had in mind was sort of a light cavalry role, they are quick and mobile and can be used for flanking attacks or attacks on enemy artillery assets (The devils consider archers to be light artillery).

[LOTRfan]

Hey, I haven't commented on this before, but I've been reading through some of it, and it looks pretty cool.

Any chance of you guys expanding upon the Fortress Eternal and Everlasting?

[PairO'Dice Lost]

That doesn't leave a lot of room to work with ability-wise, and the way I see it, Virtue-Lanterns are more elite or specialized than your run of the mill petitioner (though I'd have to ask Dice).

The archons have the numbers they do for metaphysically significant reasons (the 7 and 7x7 theme, plus the 7 virtues for the lantern archons), so if the Virtue lanterns are going to be separate from the petitioners, I think making the petitioner something other than a lantern archon would be best, since having 8 lantern archons which are 7 Virtues and 1 "other" just completely ruins the symmetry.

Regarding incorporeality: I'd vote nay on that one. First, lantern archons are already pretty damn good as it is (no pun intended), as they have at-will teleportation, constant magic circle against evil, and all the other archon traits, plus DR-ignoring touch attack light rays, all at CR 2. Second, a ball of light isn't really incorporeal--visible light can't go through walls, you can still interact with it with weapons, etc.

Hey, I haven't commented on this before, but I've been reading through some of it, and it looks pretty cool.

Any chance of you guys expanding upon the Fortress Eternal and Everlasting?

Possibly, though right now the major effort is going towards finishing off the lesser archons. Once we get to the Celestia geography and famous features part we can take a look at those...and of course, you can always write something up on those yourself.

[LOTRfan]

Possibly, though right now the major effort is going towards finishing off the lesser archons. Once we get to the Celestia geography and famous features part we can take a look at those...and of course, you can always write something up on those yourself.

Okay, I thought I recalled Eldan posting a thread about Lunia, and I don't recall if the Fortress Eternal and Everlasting was mentioned. I've been looking through the archives, but I thought I'd ask here, anyway.

I like the lesser archons so far.

[The Tygre]

All right, I'll talk to Eldan about the Incorporeal deal. Personally I always thought it made sense, but that's just me. As long as we're fine on everything else, should be smooth sailing.

[Eldan]

Well, as you can see on the virtue I posted, I did push them up to CR 5. Though I must admit, they still seem stronger than wraiths to me. They have useful spells, a magic circle, better AC, better flight and the very useful rays. But let's take that over to the virtue discussion.

As for the Fortress Eternal and Everlasting: I had, before starting this, pretty much nothing other than the name which was mentioned in one of the books. I made up what I could think of, since I liked the name. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll write something up.

I would have written more about Lunia, but I was really stuck on the three gate towns in an attempt to make them each unique.

[LOTRfan]

As for the Fortress Eternal and Everlasting: I had, before starting this, pretty much nothing other than the name which was mentioned in one of the books. I made up what I could think of, since I liked the name. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll write something up.

I would have written more about Lunia, but I was really stuck on the three gate towns in an attempt to make them each unique.

I just found the thread a while ago. I like what you did with it.

Well, once you guys get up to the geography of Celestia, I'd be glad to help.

[Eldan]

Well, I am supposed to be working on the geography of Lunia, but I'm honestly a bit out of ideas for it.

What I currently need most are ideas for the three gate towns, the towns on the borders to the Outlands, Arcadia and Bytopia.

As Marduk resides on Arcadia, the people at Planewalker suggested giving the town leading there a mesopotamian flavour, but that, and the names, are pretty much all I have.

[LOTRfan]

Well, I am supposed to be working on the geography of Lunia, but I'm honestly a bit out of ideas for it.

What I currently need most are ideas for the three gate towns, the towns on the borders to the Outlands, Arcadia and Bytopia.

As Marduk resides on Arcadia, the people at Planewalker suggested giving the town leading there a mesopotamian flavour, but that, and the names, are pretty much all I have.

I see. Do these towns already have names?

EDIT: Nevermind, found 'em: "Heart's Faith (which contains a portal to the Outlands), Nemmiron (which has a portal to Arcadia in it), and Soul's Desire (which has a portal to Bytopia)."

[Iamyourking]

I would say that Heart's Faith would be rather cosmopolitan, but with a strict customs house-like setup around the actual portal to track who exactly is going into Celestia and how long they are going to stay and that Soul's Desire would probably be a sleepy little town, since I doubt that much traffic passes between the two planes; beyond perhaps Good people who would rather avoid the bureaucracy on the other portals.

Also, I'm pretty much done with the Wolfhound Archon and am unsure what I should do with it. The way I see it, we have three choices here as the amount of variants starts to build up (I rather doubt the Spiral Archon will actually see any use, so I may just freely post it).
A: We can just keep them in the main thread for now until we have a largish number stocked up then decide what to do with them
B: We can make one thread to hold all the variants in, which is probably the simplest course but could lead to trouble later.
C: We can make one thread for each type in the vein of Eldan's Lantern thread (Eg. one for Hounds, one for Swords, etc). This leads to a lot of threads, but it would be the best organized course.
Alternately, we can store them in text documents and then post them in a large chunk; but that deprives us of being able to get commentary on them.

Finally, has anyone heard anything from Sir_Chivalry or blackjack? Haven't seen much of them in the thread for a while, but they did actually provide some rather nice contributions.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

B: We can make one thread to hold all the variants in, which is probably the simplest course but could lead to trouble later.

This is what I was planning to do, with one post for each archon variety (one for the 7 lanterns and so forth). Give me a few days to finish my stuff and I'll get that thread up.

[Iamyourking]

Here's the finished Greyhound.

Spoiler

Show

Greyhound Archon
Medium Outsider (Archon, Extraplanar, Good, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 6d8+15 (43 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 80 ft. (16 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (+4 Dex, +8 natural, +1 dodge), touch 15, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+7
Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+1) or short sword +7 melee (1d6+1) or throwing axe +10 ranged (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Bite +7 melee (1d6+1) and slam +2 melee (1d4) or short sword +7/+2 melee (1d6+1) and bite +2 melee (1d6+1) or throwing axe +10 ranged (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like Abilities, trip
Special Qualities: Aura of menace, change shape, damage reduction 10/evil, darkvision 60 ft., evasion, immunity to electricity and petrification, magic circle against evil, scent, outsider traits, spell resistance 16, teleport, tongues
Saves: Fort +7 (+11 against poisons), Ref +9, Will +6
Abilities Str 12, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +12, Jump +9, Knowledge (Geography) +8, Knowledge (The Planes) +8, Listen +12, Move Silently +12, Spot +9, Survival +9
Feats:Dodge, Endurance, Mobility, Run_B
Environment: Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
Organization: Solitary, pair, or team (3-5)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: No coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment: Always Lawful Good
Advancement: 7-9 HD (Medium); 10-18 HD (Large) or by class level (Favored class Scout)
Level Adjustment: +4

This creature closely resembles a Hound Archon, but is thinner built and with longer legs. In the place of the traditional greatsword slung over its shoulder are a short bladed stabbing sword holstered on its waist and a bandoleer of throwing axes on its lean chest. It is obviously an extremely fast runner

Not all Hound Archons are the blocky, muscular fighters and trackers that are so often seen working as light infantry for the armies of Heaven. Rather, there are as many varieties of Hound Archon as there are of real hounds; all adapted for a different purpose. The Greyhound is one of these, built for speed and endurance to act as scouts, runners, and essentially light cavalry.

Combat

Greyhound are not as strong as their cousins and will try to avoid a straight out fight if possible, preferring to perform hit and run attacks with their throwing axes. If they do enter close combat, they use their shortswords in conjunction with their strong bite; but will generally only do so if they have outflanked the enemy or are attacking lightly armored artillery.

Aura of Menace (Su): Will DC 16 negates

Change Shape (Su): A Greyhound Archon can assume any canine form of Small to Large size. While in canine form, the Greyhound loses its bite, slam, throwing axe, and shortsword attacks, but gains the bite attack of the form it chooses. For the purposes of this ability, canines include any doglike or wolflike animal of the animal type.

Spell-Like Abilities (Su): At will-aid, continual flame, detect evil, message

Trip (Ex): A greyhound archon that hits with its short sword can attempt to trip the opponent (+1 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the greyhound.

Also, nobody minds if I save their work as a text document so that we don't have to go digging through the forums to find it; right?

[Eldan]

Currently, that's a lower CR than my lanterns... sure you don't want to bump them a bit?

[Iamyourking]

It's the same as a regular Hound, and your Lanterns are much more powerful than a regular one. I might make a Wolfhound or something that is stronger, but I figure this is probably fine.

[Silverscale]

It took me a couple of days but I finally made it through the whole thread...generally I like what I see so far.

I am especially fond of the Spiral Archon and would suggest that if you don't want to use it as a variant type of Sword Archon then simply say that it is a small group of elites who all Took a Level in Badass

Also, have you taken a look at the Celestial Dragons that Zaydos came up with....if no they can be found here, along with about 75 other dragons. I only ask because I know he made them with this project in mind. Also some of their fluff might help give you guys some ideas about what to do with the rest of Celestia.

[Iamyourking]

The Spiral Archon was a joke brought on by that TTGL paraphrase provided by Tygre. It will absolutely not be in the finished project. As for the Celestial dragons, we'll see. I do make a mention of dragons in the Authority's entry, but having a lot of dragons hanging around might be troublesome; especially when they aren't official.

[Silverscale]

The Spiral Archon was a joke brought on by that TTGL paraphrase provided by Tygre. It will absolutely not be in the finished project.

Oh well...I still think they're cool. And I know the reference. That's what makes them cool.

As for the Celestial dragons, we'll see. I do make a mention of dragons in the Authority's entry, but having a lot of dragons hanging around might be troublesome; especially when they aren't official.

Seeing as how this is all Homebrew anyway, "official" is only a matter of degree. I just think it would be a shame to not use Dragons that were specifically designed to go with this project.

[Eldan]

I never liked the idea of planar dragons. Planescape explicitly spelt out that on the planes, dragons are so rare, most people have only heard vague rumours about them. Their magic is tied to the prime material, and they never venture out. I like them that way, makes them, and the planes, more special.

[Iamyourking]

This project is about Archons, not dragons, and I'm not going to use homebrewed material that isn't being used to support Archons. Age of Warriors and Libram of Battle stuff is fine, since I can use small parts of it to make my warrior Archons more interesting. I have no intention of adding six dragons to a project that is about Archons; especially since at no point was I informed that they were intended for the Gates of Heaven. I don't entirely agree with Eldan about keeping dragons out of the planes, and have no qualms with the planar dragons in the Draconomicon, but if dragons are to be involved at all it will most likely be Gold, Silver, and Bronze ones. If you want to see what will most likely be the most involved dragons will ever be, read my Authority.

As for the Spiral Archon, this is a serious project and I am not going to include an archon that I made as a joke. The fact that you get the reference makes the suggestion even more absurd; since it shows that you are willfully and knowingly asking me to include, among all my serious variants, something that is an extended reference to an anime. Cool or not, it was never intended to be anything other than a gag brought on by one of my flashes of inspiration. The "Taking a level in badass" is already handled quite admirably though either advancing their Hit Dice or giving them class levels; and I am not going to turn this project into a farce to appease you.