Yeenoghu (3.5e Monster)

Information About Yeenoghu
Alternative Names and Titles: The King of Ghouls, The Gnoll Lord

Symbol: A three-headed flail.

Portfolio: War, conquest, and ambition.

Domains Granted: Chaos, Conquest, Corrupt, Evil, Gluttony

Favored Weapon: Heavy Flail (or the flindbar, if applicable)

Yeenoghu's Statistics Block


''Yeenoghu resembles a gnoll some 10 feet tall, but his form gives off an air of Abyssal energy that puts to rest any suggestions of his mortality. Huge wings unfurl to lift his form into the air, and he releases a series of barks to which all of the surrounding hyenas respond to with eager voracity. Adorned in a suit of armor fashioned presumably from the bones of demons, he raises a wicked flail on which each chain ends in an animate, screaming head: one of a balor, one of a gnoll, and one of a ghoul.''

Before recorded history chronicled the rise of the great empires of humans, a different race ruled over one of the largest empires that was ever not known to man. The gnolls, rallied under the banner of a general of fearsome reputation and power to match, swept across all who withstood their onslaught.

The tales of this legendary commander's greatness are still passed down amongst the gnolls. Yeenoghu was his name, and he made his mark as an inexpicably large specimen of his kind who personally challenged and killed the chieftain of each gnoll tribe that he later led into battle. Gnolls, like most other savage races, follow strength alone. Yeenoghu knew this well, and used it to his advantage to cow them to his will without bloodshed. Such was his power that a single display of his might caused his people to revere him as a god, and many still do to this day.

After the gnolls had knelt before him, Yeenoghu seemed initially content to preside over his relatively small and barren domain, which had become the only refuge for his people after years of persecution and defeat. But he soon picked up the sword and led his armies into battle against those who had long oppressed them, seething with insatiable bloodlust. Empire after empire fell before the iron fist of the gnolls, whose discipline had reached an unprecedented level due to Yeenoghu's tactics and exemplary leadership. After losing countless battles against the gnolls and their newly subjugated minions, the enemy began to quit and retreat. Yeenoghu's forces pressed them harder until they had driven them almost completely from the continent, leaving mountains upon mountains of skulls in their wake.

After decades of fighting, Yeenoghu encountered a problem: there were now too few enemies left on the Prime to challenge him. He and his troops had spent months growing fat on the returns of their triumph, with no further progress after all potential enemies had been forced into seclusion. The Great Conqueror was bored, and before long Yeenoghu decided he wanted more.

His power, he believed, was not yet sufficient for him to truly be the ruler of the world. If he could not root out all enemies, he could never be known as the greatest conqueror (a belief that ironically held true as evidenced by his few appearances in scholarly works). In order to get more strength, Yeenoghu reasoned, he had the transcend the Material Plane itself. So he found a portal to the Abyss, took up his flail, and left the Prime in search of a new battle to wage. Without his uniting influence, his once-vast empire quickly crumbled, and never again have the gnolls ever experienced such a period of victory and power.

His ferocity served him well in the Abyss, where his presence as a mortal was not well-tolerated by the realm’s native denizens. Finding himself constantly assaulted, he managed to fight his way to the realm of Pale Night, who recognized within him a fiendish heritage of which even he had not been cognizant. It was this bloodline that had called him to the Abyss, she explained, since he had garnered sufficient power to challenge for a place amongst the lords of demons. Being a plane of chaos, the Abyss demands change, and turnover of its most powerful denizens certainly represents change.

But the task was not so simple as an arbitrary reward of power; even the Mother of Demons cannot control the actions of the plane itself. In order to gain enough strength to hold his own against the tanar’ri who would eventually take over the Abyss, Yeenoghu would have to take his power by force. To this end, Pale Night tapped into the gnoll’s fiendish blood, bestowing upon him the unique ability to absorb the portfolios of slain opponents. With this power in hand, Yeenoghu embarked on his journey of battle once again, leading to his current place as a leader of his own layer.

It has been so long since his departure from the Prime that few civilized scholars who even know his name are aware of his origins, thus it is assumed by many that Yeenoghu is simply a demon who adopts the form of a gnoll. But the gnolls remember through thousands of years of legend, and the demons through millennia of hatred and battle against him.

Combat
Yeenoghu is a ferocious melee combatant who fights with a reckless abandon that most demons attribute to his once being mortal, as true demons are aware of their weaknesses and far more self-preserving than he. His tremendous effectiveness in melee is enhanced both by his hyena-like traits (which allow him to attack more effectively as part of a group) and his demonic traits, the powers of which cause him to move swiftly across the battlefield. While his spell-like abilities may be less numerous or powerful than those of other demon lords, they serve their purpose in allowing him to utilize his melee abilities to the fullest extent possible.

Yeenoghu also represents a trait rarely found in the Abyss: teamwork. While he is a formidable foe alone, he functions much more effectively in a group.

 (Ex): Yeenoghu absorbs the vitality of his opponent with each successful melee attack. He is healed a number of hit points equal to half the damage he deals on a successful melee attack. Any extra hit points are added on as temporary hit points that last for the duration of the encounter. Yeenoghu can have up to have to half his normal hit point total worth of temporary hit points.

 (Ex): Yeenoghu has the ability to advance his portfolio. This is considered identical to the wish spell, but may only be used to produce effects appropriate to Yeenoghu's portfolio or goals. Yeenoghu may only use this ability once per minute.

 (Ex): The area out to Yeenoghu's melee reach is considered under the effect of an antimagic field. He (and any other creatures within that he designates) is not affected by this effect.

He can grant spells to clerics, and gives access to the Chaos, Corrupt, Conquest, Evil, and Gluttony domains. His favored weapon is the heavy flail (or the flindbar) and his portfolio is ambition, conquest, cooperation, and war.

Additionally, Yeenoghu is immune to any attack that changes his form, mind-affecting effects, ability damage, ability drain and energy drain, unless such an effect comes from a creature that has a caster level or character level (or CR, for monsters) over 20.

Lastly, Yeenoghu can burn off some of his essence to stop magic dead in its tracks. As a free action that can be used outside of his turn, Yeenoghu can lose 44 hit points to counter any spell, supernatural ability, or spell-like ability in Medium range, as if by greater dispel magic (although it can counter supernatural and spell-like abilities as if they were spells). This ignores temporary hit points, and can be used any number of times. For any ability with an ongoing or permanent duration, this merely suppresses it for 6 rounds.

 (Su): His own personal power, and the spoils of his victories over others, have made Yeenoghu a terror of the Abyssal realm. He receives a +8 enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls, a +8 resistance bonus to all saves, and a +6 deflection bonus to AC. Yeenoghu also has maximum hit points per hit die.

Additionally, the Abyss itself protects Yeenoghu from any attempt to scry on him. Anyone that uses a divination effect on Yeenoghu or the area within 1 mile of him must make a DC 32 Will save or become dazed for 1 round, ending the effect automatically. Additionally, if the save is failed and Yeenoghu wishes it, he can use an immediate action to transport himself over to the location of the user of the divination effect, even if it is on a different plane.

Lastly, Yeenoghu's very presence is a blight on the surrounding area. He radiates a desecrate spell effect to a radius of twenty miles, and the innermost mile of this is subject to an unhallow effect instead, both at caster level 22nd.

 (Ex): As an free action useable out of turn, Yeenoghu can make a single melee attack against an opponent that has just been struck by one of his allies in melee, so long as he also threatens the target in melee. Furthermore, Yeenoghu is able to use summon monster as an at-will spell-like ability.

 (Sp): As a full-round action, Yeenoghu may bestow his ravage on a creature eligible to gain a level. That creature gains its first level in the Ravaged by Yeenoghu racial paragon class. If Yeenoghu attempts to ravage an unwilling creature, it receives a DC 32 Will save to resist (Cha-based).

If Yeenoghu wishes, he can attempt to share the senses of a creature that has at least one level in ravaged by Yeenoghu. This works identically to a scrying spell, except it must be centered on the creature in question. The creature doesn't get any say in the matter. Yeenoghu may use this ability at will. This has a caster level of 22nd.

Additionally, if any creature with at least one level in ravaged by Yeenoghu attempts to affect Yeenoghu or the area within 20 miles of him with any ability, Abaddon may choose to use dominate monster on that creature as a free action that he can use even outside of his turn. The creature receives a DC 32 save as normal. This has a caster level of 22nd, and the DC is Charisma-based.

Caster level 22nd, DCs are Charisma-based (default 32).  (Ex): Yeenoghu sees naturally as though under the effect of a true seeing spell.

Flail of the Conqueror
Yeenoghu’s Large +6 triple flail of speed is a uniquely fearsome weapon literally made of the heads of his most powerful defeated foes, which are magically animated to bite at foes that he strikes. Each of the heads babble incoherently, automatically creating the effect of a maddening whispers spell (DC 35) to all enemies of Yeenoghu within 75 feet. If the opponent saves against the effect, they are immune for the rest of the current encounter. Yeenoghu may freely choose which effect of the spell to instill upon those affected. This save is Constitution-based.

The enhancement bonus of the flail is overridden by that of Yeenoghu's lord of the Abyss ability. The chains on the flail automatically extend and contract as appropriate, giving the wielder double their normal reach when using it. Each time Yeenoghu makes a successful melee attack roll, roll 1d6 to determine which heads strike successfully (based on the table below). Each head deals an identical amount of base damage (10d12) and can deal piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning damage at Yeenohgu’s whim. They also each have a unique effect as described below. All save DC’s from the heads are Strength-based and have a save DC of 35.


 * The Balor‘s Head: Though Yeenoghu has fought and destroyed countless demons, few possessed sufficient power to be worth adding to his flail. This was not the case for the balor who previously claimed lordship over what is now Yeenoghu’s layer, marking his final significant test on his way to becoming a demon prince. Upon striking an opponent, The Balor's Head releases a blast of elemental energy that deals an amount of damage equal to The Balor's Head's base damage. This extra damage can either be acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage (chosen by Yeenoghu at the moment the damage is dealt), but regardless of the type a successful Reflex save halves the bonus damage dealt.
 * The Chieftain’s Head: This head is from the first gnoll chieftain that Yeenoghu ever slew in his subjugation of the entire species. Its eyes appear frenzied and rabid, its jaws foaming over with saliva. A creature struck by this head must make a Will save or become unable to distinguish friend from foe, immediately attacking the closest creature to it in melee for the duration of the encounter. The affected creature also fails to register the presence of any gnoll (including Yeenoghu and any of his summoned minions) around it, and will not attack them.
 * The Ghoul King‘s Head: The head of Doresain--the demon lord formerly known as the King of Ghouls--comprises the middle head of Yeenoghu’s flail. A creature struck with this head must make a Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1 minute.

A critical hit with the flail automatically results in all three heads connecting at once.

Spoils of War
This suit of armor, created from the bones of Yeenoghu's greatest enemies, functions as a suit of +5 full plate but has its enhancement bonus overruled by his Lord of the Abyss ability. In addition, it is flexible enough to grant him his full Dexterity bonus to AC and light enough to not hinder his movement speed in the slightest. While wearing it, Yeenoghu also gains immunity to any spell or condition that would not affect an undead creature. In addition, any undead creature that sees Yeenoghu or is ordered to attack Yeenoghu must immediately make a Will save or be placed under his control permanently.

Yeenoghu's Worshipers
Yeenoghu's primary base of devotees is amongst his native people; gnoll lore has immortalized Yeenoghu as one of its greatest figures, and the fact that his tale of triumph continues to this day spurs them to emulate his deeds and attempt time and again to rebuild the empire he created. Other would-be conquerors, particularly those well-versed in their historical studies, also pay respects to Yeenoghu for his exploits.

In the Abyss, Yeenoghu maintains good relations with the molydei, but has attracted the ire of Baphomet due to what has been perceived as an attempt to steal followers. He also surrounds himself with fiendish gnolls upon whom he commonly bestows his ravage, who serve as his new force in battle and frequent the vast expanse of his realm, which has become a hive of activity with the introduction of several gnoll armies into its borders, one of the key pieces in his bid to acquire more territory.