True Celestial (3.5e Subtype)

Summary::This subtype pertains to celestials that make up the Coelesti Hierarchia and that inhabit the various celestial spheres that exist in this and any other cosmology (such as the hierarchy of angels, the devagati, and other such places).

True celestials all carry a sliver of divinity within them, as they are by nature divine tools and servants. The higher ranks of true celestials come perilously close to godlike power. This subtype is most useful in games were actual Gods do not have stats and cannot be fought or killed, never appear in the world, or are simply far too distant, and instead use these agents to do their bidding on the mortal world.

True celestials can be good, evil or neither. Some are trustworthy, yet others are as fickle as the four winds.

Traits
A true celestial is an outsider that possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry). Unless otherwise noted, every ability besides spells and spell like abiltiies that a true celestial has, including their aura, presence and smite, are divine in nature and thus effectively extraodinary, unaffected by mortal magic such as antimagic fields.


 * While true celestials can be of any alignment, they always embody a single alignment. They always have the subtype of the alignment they embody: Chaotic, Evil, Good or Lawful. Their true alignment does not need to match the embodied alignment, as that is the alignment of the God or pantheon that they serve. They however never have an alignment opposed to their embodied alignment. Any abilities described below depend on their embodied alignment wherever applicable.
 * d10 Hit Die. This overrides the outsider's usual d8, but does not supplant additional class HD. A true celestial has maximum hit points for each of its Hit Dice.
 * A base movement speed as per the following table.


 * {| class="zebra d20" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"

! class="left" | Size ! class="left" | Speed (Biped)1 ! class="left" | Speed (Quadruped)2
 * + Table: True Celestial Speeds
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Fine || class="left" | 15 ft. || class="left" | 20 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Diminutive || class="left" | 20 ft. || class="left" | 30 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Tiny || class="left" | 30 ft. || class="left" | 50 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Small || class="left" | 40 ft. || class="left" | 60 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Medium || class="left" | 50 ft. || class="left" | 80 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Large || class="left" | 60 ft. || class="left" | 100 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Huge || class="left" | 80 ft. || class="left" | 120 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Gargantuan || class="left" | 100 ft. || class="left" | 150 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | Colossal || class="left" | 120 ft. || class="left" | 180 ft.
 * - class=""
 * class="foot" colspan="3" |
 * 1) Or any form with two or fewer legs.
 * 2) Or any form with three or more legs.

Note: Use the Biped column for burrow and swim speeds for all celestials regardless of form. Use half the value in the Biped column for climb speeds for celestials who have them. Use three times the value in the Quadruped column for fly speeds for all celestials capable of flying.
 * }


 * Deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to their Charisma modifier.
 * : Every true celestial has a rank ranging from 1 to 9, where 1 is the lowest and 9 is the highest. This rank has similarities to, but must not to be confused with divine rank. A creature with a celestial rank cannot have a divine rank or vice versa. A celestial's rank gives it a multitude of bonuses.
 * A divine bonus to Armor Class equal to the celestial's rank.
 * A natural armor bonus equal to twice the celestial's rank + 7.
 * A divine bonus to all attack and damage rolls, caster level checks, initiative checks, saving throws and skill checks equal to the celestial's rank.
 * A divine bonus to the save DCs of any spells, spell-like abilities and special attacks they possess, equal to the celestial's rank.
 * A divine bonus to hit points per HD equal to the celestial's rank.
 * Spell resistance equal to 10 plus the celestial's Hit Dice plus the celestial's rank.
 * True Celestials count as having a number of extra HD equal to their rank extra for the purpose of HD-dependent spells or spell-like effects (such as or blasphemy).


 *  (Ex): A true celestial has an aura with a radius of 20 feet that functions like a globe of invulnerability against spells of a level lesser than or equal to their rank. Their spell resistance still applies to spells of higher levels. This aura does not affect the true celestial's own spells, and a true celestial may voluntarily lower its aura to accept beneficial spells, as well as raise it again afterwards, as a free action.
 *  (Ex): Any creature sharing the true celestial's alignment, within a distance of 10 feet plus an additional 10 feet per its rank, is protected as per a holy aura (or its chaotic, evil or lawful counterpart). Otherwise, the divine presence functions as a magic circle against alignment effect with regards to the celestial's opposed alignment. These effects are emanations that extend out up to 10 feet plus an additional 10 feet per the celestial's rank. Any creature that doesn't share the true celestial's alignment is also affected by a frightful presence effect, that frightens any creature with HD less than or equal to 2 plus 2 times the true celestial's divine rank, and randers more powerful creature's shaken, if they fail a Will save. The DC is Charisma based, and modified by rank.
 *  (Ex): A true celestial can smite its foes. Every time a creature of opposite alignment is hit by one of a true celestial's attacks, they are dealt extra damage as per a holy smite spell with a caster level of 1 + the true celestial's rank. There is no save for half damage. In this case, the damage listing of the spell pertains to creatures of alignments opposed to that of the celestial (not necessarily evil). For example, the smite ability of a chaotic celestial affects creatures that are lawful on the ethical alignment axis. A true celestial may use its smite ability at will, generally applying it to all of its attacks.
 *  (Ex): A true celestial can impart a portion of their grace upon mortal champions of similar alignment. They may bestow a number of ranks up to their total true celestial rank upon one or more deservant mortals. These mortals gain the divine bonuses (Armor Class, attack and damage, initiative, saves and checks, and ability DCs, listed above), immunities, damage type, and the smite ability of a true celestial of a rank equal to the number of ranks they have been given. Doing so weakens the celestial by half the amount of ranks he has given (rounded down), except for rank 9 celestials, who never lose ranks due to bestowing grace. Most true celestials, especially those of chaotic or evil alignment, rarely exercise this power for fear of weakening themselves to their enemies. Grace must normally be given by free will, and usually cannot be forced with binding spells, callings, pacts or compulsion spells. Certain rare exceptions may occur depending on the setting or DM fiat. Grace can be given remotely; the true celestial needs not be physically present, and it can be taken away as a free action whenever the celestial wishes, such as when a contract ends, terms of the transfer were violated, or the divine quest the grace was bestowed for has been completed.
 * Immunity to two energy types, and resistance to a third and fourth equal to 10 points plus 5 points for every 2 ranks the celestial has. A rank 9 celestial is immune to damage of all energy types.
 * True Celestial (Ex): Cumulative for each rank.
 * All true celestials are immune to ability damage and ability drain, disease, poison and death from massive damage
 * True celestials of rank 3 and over are immune to energy drain, death effects and petrification.
 * True celestials of rank 5 and over are immune to all non-magical and non-psionic forms of damage, including mundane weapons, blunt force trauma, environmental effects, etcetera.
 * True celestials of rank 7 and over are immune to force damage, and polymorphing and form altering effects.
 * True celestials of rank 9 are immune to all damage from non-epic sources, including mundane or magical weapons of +5 or less and non-epic spells and psionics.


 * Regeneration (see table below). Weapons of opposite alignment to the true celestial, as well as spells with the descriptor of that alignment deal normal damage to a true celestial.


 * {| class="zebra d20" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"

! class="left" | Rank ! Regeneration
 * + Table: True Celestial Regeneration
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 1-2 || 10
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 3-4 || 20
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 5-6 || 30
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 7-8 || 50
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 9 || 1001
 * - class=""
 * class="foot" colspan="2" |
 * 1) A rank 9 true celestial's regeneration can only be bypassed by weapons and effects that deal cosmic damage.
 * }


 * Damage reduction (see table below). A true celestial's damage reduction is overcome only by magic or higher-tier weapons tempered with the alignment opposed to their own (good true celestials have DR/evil, etc.).


 * {| class="zebra d20" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"

! class="left" | Rank ! class="left" | Damage Reduction
 * + Table: True Celestial Damage Reduction
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 1-2 || class="left" | 10/magic and alignment
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 3-4 || class="left" | 20/magic and alignment
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 5-6 || class="left" | 30/epic and alignment
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 7-8 || class="left" | 50/epic and alignment
 * - class=""
 * class="left" | 9 || class="left" | 100/cosmic and alignment


 * - class=""
 * }


 * Spells: True celestials cast spells as a cleric of an effective level equal to 3 + (true celestial rank × 3) and have access to all domains that are offered by their deity. True celestials with a caster level of 21 or higher generally have epic spellcasting, with at least one epic level spell unique to them, and get a bonus equal to five times their celestial rank to Spellcraft checks made to cast epic spells that stacks with a true celestial's regular divine bonus to skill checks. In the case that a true celestial has or gains level in an arcane spellcasting class, the spells they cast are themselves divine in nature, and as such not subject to arcane spell failure.
 * Spell-Like Abilities: True celestials usually have their own spell-like abilities, but next to these all true celestials have detect alignment in regards to their opposed alignment, detect thoughts, true seeing and tongues constantly active. Due to their divine origins, a true celestial's spell-like abilities are always divine in nature.
 * Turn or Rebuke Undead (Su): All true celestials can turn or rebuke undead, gaining their rank as a bonus to their effective cleric level for the purpose of turning undead. Good true celectials turn undead, whereas evil true celestials rebuke undead. True celestials of lawful or chaotic alignment may do one or the other, as stipulated in their creature listing.

Projected Challenge Rating
True celestials span a huge spectrum of challenge ratings and are appropriate for almost any level campaign, as opponents, guides, or otherwise. However, the higher the rank, the more exceedingly rare they are, and the higher (usually) their CR will be. Some of the defenses listed above simply require a being of power to maintain overall game balance. The first two ranks and, by extension, the third and fourth, are most suited for regular, non-epic campaigns. True celestials of higher rank are rarely seen, except in epic campaigns or during times of extreme peril. For a rank 9 true celestial to appear in the flesh is something that may not happen in millions of years, or ever. Creatures of such power usually exist in dimensions that mortals cannot comprehend, and will usually only ever be seen in the remotest of higher planes, or be communicated with remotely. If they need to interact with mortals at all, they will almost always do it by proxy or through an avatar.

The projected CR ranges of true celestials is given in the table below.