Well, I've started getting the final full color images from Vic Shane. With these in hand I'll be able to finally publish the Black Tokyo char-gen guide: Blackest of Heroes. Expect that one up sometime next week!Beyond that, I'm working on a fourth volume of the Nemesis Bestiary series, entitled Nemesis Unleashed. Like the other books in the series, this is a collection of new monsters built from random stock art I've purchased and liked. Right now, the tally stands at 43 new monsters, roughly 1/3 of which are above CR 10, including three epic-level threats. I thought I'd preview one of them today. You know how in Bestiary 4, Paizo statted up Godzilla, Cthullu and a few other traditional fantasy enemies? Well, here is the Otherverse Games' official knock-off of the Lord of the Rings' Sauron: the Emperor of the Burning Eye. The art that inspired him was taken from Shutterstock.com.
Take a look at this statblock, and expect both these books next week sometime. I'll likely have Nemesis Unleashed up this weekend or Monday, and some follow-up volumes are coming soon.
My next project after that: FURRIES.
Emperor of the Burning
Eye – CR 28
Huge LE Undead (elf, evil,
lawful)
XP 4,916,200
Init +3 Senses
Lowlight vision, Darkvision 120 ft, true
seeing, Perception +50
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Common,
Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Infernal, Orc, Undercommon
Aura Banner of the Burning Eye
Defense
AC 37 Touch 23 Flatfooted
35 (-2 size, +1 DEX, +1 dodge, +14 armor, +8 profane, +5 deflection)
HP 46d8+522 hp (729 HP)
Regeneration 20 (good and epic)
Resist Cold 30, Fire 30 Turn
Resistance +6
FORT +35 REF +29 WILL +42
Immune ballistic and piercing
damage, undead immunities
Offense
Spd
50 ft
Flight 100 ft (average)
Melee +45/+40/+35/+30 Warblack Glaive (2d10+8 slashing plus
2d10 fire plus 16 profane, plus slay
living, 20/x3, 20 ft reach)
Special Qualities Eternal Thronehold, Scrying
Name
Special Attacks Black Gaze of the Eye (10d10
fire/profane plus panicked for 1d6 rounds, 30 ft or 90 ft in dim
light/darkness, W-DC 40 half)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 40th
Concentration +50)
At Will
– Create
Undead
-
quickened Cloudkill (F-DC 24)
-
quickened Disintegrate (R-DC 26)
-
quickened Flame Strike (R-DC 25)
-
quickened Slay Living (F-DC 25)
-
Lesser Planar Ally
-
Scry
-
Summon Monster IX
3x/day – Summon (1 Lich or Graveknight plus 1 Adult Black
Dragon, 100%)
- Summon (1 Balor, 50%)
1x/day
(at moonrise only) – Limited Wish
(at midnight
only) – Gate
-
Plane Shift
1x/month (at the rise
of the full moon only) – Wish
Statistics
Str 28 Dex 17 Con – Int
22 Wis
Base Atk +34 CMB +45 (+47 sunder) CMD 58
Feats Cleave, Craft Magic Arms and
Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great
Cleave, Great Fortitude, Greater Feint, Greater Sunder, Intimidating Prowess,
Improved Feint, Improved Great FortitudeB, Improved Iron WillB,
Improved Lightning ReflexesB, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Lightning
Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Toughness, Whirlwind AttackB
Skills Appraise +29, Craft
(blacksmith, structural) both at +52, Bluff +56, Diplomacy +56, Fly +27,
Intimidate +64, Knowledge (arcana, dungoneering, history, nobility, the planes,
tactics) all at +29, Perception +50, Sense Motive +27, Spellcraft +29, Use
Magic Device +56
Gear Imperial War Plate (+5 deathless heavy plate of greater fire resistance), ring of turn resistance +6, ring of
protection +5, Warblack Glaive (+5 axiomatic, cruel, flaming burst vorpal
glaive-guisarme)
Ecology
Environment any (commands a vast empire
occupying a blasted hell-scape)
Organization commands endless legions of
Orcs, undead and worse things. Usually accompanied by an honor guard of nine
Liches B1 or Graveknights B3 riding Adult Black DragonsB1
or Adult Umbral DragonsB2. The Emperor does not enter battle alone under
any circumstance.
Treasure triple standard or greater
(including a plethora of near-epic and epic treasure, including combat gear)
Special Abilities
Banner of the Burning Eye
(SU)
The
Emperor of the Burning Eye is truly the tyrant his title implies- a dark
war-god at the head of a vast and savage nation. All allied creatures within
500 ft who can clearly see and hear the Emperor of the burning eye gain a +8
profane bonus to all skill checks, attack rolls and saving throws, as well as
damage inflicted on a successful attack and their armor class.
As
a swift action, the Emperor of the Burning Eye can fix his infernal gaze upon
up to 8 allied creatures within this range and further enhance their power.
These creatures contort with agony, as their bodies swell and ignite with black
internal flames.
Affected
creatures gain Regeneration 5 (good and epic), a +8 inherent bonus to their STR scores and a +4 natural armor bonus to their
armor class. The creature adds +1d8 fire damage to natural and melee weapon
attacks and gains Fire Resistance 20 as well as the Ferocity racial trait. Once
affected, a creature so transformed remains transformed for 2d10 rounds or
until slain. At the end of this time, if not slain sooner, the creature
explodes, inflicting 8d6 fire damage (REF
DC 15 half) to all creatures and objects within a 30 ft range.
Black Gaze of the Eye (SU)
The Emperor of the Burning Eye can kill even a hero with a single glance at his horrific eyes of flame hidden within shadow. Any creature who meets the Emperor’s gaze suffers 10d10 damage, half of which is fire, half of which is profane damage and is panicked for 1d6 rounds. A successful DC 40 WILL Save halves the damage and negates the panicked condition. The saving throw DC is CHA-based.
The Emperor of the Burning Eye can kill even a hero with a single glance at his horrific eyes of flame hidden within shadow. Any creature who meets the Emperor’s gaze suffers 10d10 damage, half of which is fire, half of which is profane damage and is panicked for 1d6 rounds. A successful DC 40 WILL Save halves the damage and negates the panicked condition. The saving throw DC is CHA-based.
The
Black Gaze has a range of 30 ft in bright illumination, which increases to 90
ft if the Emperor is in dim illumination or darkness.
Eternal Thronehold (SU)
The
Emperor of the Burning Eye rules his dark realm from a fortress of obsidian and
ebony steel, hewn with his own mighty hands. This vast palace is larger than
some tiny kingdoms, well guarded, warded mystically and protected by cunning
traps, both mystical and mundane. The Thronehold is an artifact-level
structure, protected by the most malign magic imaginable, and virtually
impossible to permanently destroy. Finding a way to destroy the Thronehold
should be the subject of an epic quest or quests possible only by the greatest
of heroes.
As
long as the Thronehold endures and remains under the control of the Emperor’s
legions, it functions identically to a lich’s phylactery. If the Emperor of the
Burning Eye is slain, his body reforms within a fortified, ceremonial tomb deep
within the Thronehold within 3d20 years, exactly as a lich would reform near
its phylactery, save that the duration of dormancy is longer.
Infernal Saves (SU)
The
Emperor of the Burning Eye adds his CHA modifier as a profane bonus to his
armor class and all saving throws. His Improved saving throw feats allow the
Emperor to re-roll any failed saving throw, once each category, per day.
However, if a living creature hostile to the Emperor fails a saving throw in a particular
category within a 100 ft radius of the Emperor, the Emperor gains an additional
daily re-roll of that saving throw.
Scrying Name (SU)
The Emperor of the Burning Eye is aware of any creature that speaks his true name or most common epithets, so long as the Emperor and the speaker are both on the same plane of existence. The Emperor can choose to begin to scry on any creature that speaks his name as a swift action.
The Emperor of the Burning Eye is aware of any creature that speaks his true name or most common epithets, so long as the Emperor and the speaker are both on the same plane of existence. The Emperor can choose to begin to scry on any creature that speaks his name as a swift action.
If
the creature scryed-upon is carrying,
touching or wielding any magic item created by the Emperor personally, the
Emperor can choose to affect the creature as if by his Black Gaze. Doing so
ends the scrying effect, and renders
the subject immune to future scrying
by the Emperor for 1d4+1 days.
Slaying Slash (SP)
The Emperor of the Burning Eye affects any creature struck with his glaive with his slay living spell-like ability.
The Emperor of the Burning Eye affects any creature struck with his glaive with his slay living spell-like ability.
Nature
The
Emperor of the Burning Eye is a cruel, paranoid tyrant whose hunger for power,
knowledge and eternal life burned away all traces of decency, humanity and
mercy. Once the Emperor was an Elf noble- proud, haughty and honorable, beloved
by his people and respected by the world outside his borders. Eventually
though, honorable rulership and the dance of diplomacy wearied the
future-Emperor. Over long decades, the Emperor of the Burning Eye became a
despot, and then a tyrant…and soon, a conqueror. Using his vast mastery of
magic and own fertile imagination, the Emperor transformed himself into
something like a deathless God, and transformed his subjects into foul
war-creatures.
The
Emperor’s first defeat was a near thing, only accomplished by a potent
coalition of every good hearted creature on the plane, and many of the nobler
monsters as well. That defeat cost the Emperor his beauty and the last remnants
of his fading Elven nature. However, the great spells the Emperor worked
preserved his existence as a ghost of flame and shadow, skulking the halls of
his black fortress. Over the centuries, the Emperor regained his power, and
marshaled his forces once again.
Now,
the forge fires burn in the Emperor’s Thronehold and dark drums are beaten. The
Emperor prepares to make war on the civilized races of the world once again…
The
Emperor of the Burning Eye is a colossal and imposing figure within gleaming
obsidian plate traced with silver. Regal horns rise from above the Emperor’s
furrowed brow. The Emperor is a shadow within armor, his war-helm lit only by
the twin fires that are the Emperor’s endlessly perceptive and cruel eyes. When
the Emperor speaks, his grim yet melodious voice echoes for miles- his whispers
can drive strong men to insanity and suicide.
The
Emperor of the Burning Eye is a skillful commander and daring general. He never
fights alone, and does not feel compelled to accept personal duels or rise to
provocation. The Emperor is usually accompanied by an honor guard of dark
undead knights mounted on dragon-back. He is canny enough to respect competence
and lavishly reward skillful and courageous followers. The Emperor retains a
genuine passion for creation- he has forged uncounted hundreds of magic items
wielded by his generals, from lethal vorpal
longswords to humble rings of
invisibility. The Emperor gives such gifts often, knowing that his power
over those accepting such largess grows.
No comments:
Post a Comment