Power (3.5e Monster)

''Clad in regal plate with scales in hand, these dutiful warrior celestials are the keepers of history in darkened halls, and oversee the distribution of power in the mortal world. In times of crisis, they come forth to judge the wicked and impure of faith, carrying them hence to eternal damnation.''

Powers, also known as potestates and Authorities, are administrators of mortality, and keepers of balance in the mortal realm. They relentlessly quash demonic presences that threaten to uproot the equilibrium and status quo, and document history as it unfolds. As unyielding bureaucrats, their utmost loyalty is purely to the Gods, and to their whims alone do they flit. Amongst the duties of a power are the regulation of power permitted to mortal beings, both good and evil, and the flows of fate and destination of mortal souls. If a mortal has been permitted the privilege of transcending into epic levels, it is a Power that has done the paperwork.

Combat
Powers are a fierce foe to any creature of evil. Using the voice of their Authoritas, any resistance breaks before them, and those who resist or deny its influence are swiftly vanquished through the violence of battle.

A Power is treated as a 27 HD creature when targeted by HD-dependent effects, and its natural weapons and any weapons it wields are treated as good-aligned and magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

 : A Power speaks with absolute authority over mortals. Any mortal that hears a Power when he speaks with the voice of his Authoritas is compelled to obey explicitly. For the purpose of this ability, a mortal is defined as a creature of level (or CR) 20 or less with a limited or non-indeterminate lifespan. Creatures that do not fall under this definition of mortality (such as true dragons), creatures that are immortal (elementals and outsiders) and creatures that are unliving (constructs and undead) are not subject to this ability. Epic-level creatures are entitled to a DC 36 Will save to resist the Authoritas, but non-epic creatures are not allowed a save.

Authoritas is normally projected in simplistic commands that can affect any mortal creature within earshot of the Power. The Power may choose freely which mortals in the range of his voice to target, and which to exempt from his Authoritas. The power can give any of these following short commands as a standard action:


 * "Stop!": Affected creatures immediately stop moving. For as long as they are under the Authoritas, they cannot leave the square they are in and cannot take actions except for those that are needed for the creature to maintain its position, such as maintaining flight. Epic-level mortals may attempt a save against this Authoritas every round to shake off the effect.


 * "Be Gone!": Affected creatures leave the area to the best of their ability, and continue to distance themselves from the Power until they are at least 1 mile away.


 * "Sleep...": Affected creatures fall asleep.


 * "Forget!":' Affected creatures forget all events that occurred in a specified time.


 * "Move!": Affected creatures move to a specified location. They will continue to travel no matter how long that location takes to reach. The creatures must be aware of the location to go there, and be capable of reaching it.


 * "Attack!": Affected creatures attack the specified target or targets. The creatures must be aware of the targets, and be capable of reaching them.


 * "Die!": Affected creatures die outright. Epic-level mortals cannot be affected by this particular Authoritas.

Furthermore, Authoritas can be used to give a single mortal a more intricate command. Authoritas can emulate a domination or geas/quest effect, as per the spell at will as a full-round action.

Authoritas is not subject to immunity to compulsion or mind-affecting effects, but those immune get a +4 circumstance bonus to any Will saves regarding this ability.

Only creatures that can hear are subject to a Power's Authoritas. Knowledgeable evil creatures that fear intervention by a Power are known to protect themselves from the Authoritas by deafening themselves.

Creatures imparted with the grace of a true celestial cannot be affected by this ability.

 : Once per day a Power can automatically call 2d6 archangels or 4d8 angels. This ability is the equivalent of an epic (10th-level) spell.

True Celestial (3.5e Subtype) : A Power's divine aura hedges out all spells and spell-like abilities of level 4 or lower.

True Celestial (3.5e Subtype) : A Power's divine presence extends out in a 50-foot emanation. Its frightful presence effect affects all non-good creatures, frightening those of 10 HD or less, and rendering others shaken. A DC 34 Will save negates the effects.

Maneuver-Like Abilities : A Power possesses several unique maneuver-like abilities. It may choose to spend one round to recover an expended maneuver. During this recovery round it may make only a single move action (with or without an attack action), or a full attack. It may use any of its special stances at will.


 * Inertial Steel Stance: When assuming this stance as a swift action, the Power sinks low to the ground, arrays his blade defensively and spreads his footing for optimal defense. It gains damage reduction 20/-, can expend one of its attacks of opportunity for the round to deflect a ranged attack with a successful opposed attack roll, and its martial defense increases by 10 points. This stance can only be used when the Power is on the ground, and moving more than 5 feet in one round will end the stance.


 * Retributive Steel Stance: When assuming this stance as a swift action, the power may declare a single attack at his highest base attack bonus every time a creature attacks it in melee, enters a square it threatens, or performs an action in a square it threatens that provokes an attack of opportunity. This ability stacks with attacks of opportunity, allowing the Power to attack the same provoking creature twice out of turn. This stance can only be used when the Power is on the ground, and moving more than 5 feet in one round, performing a full attack or using a maneuver-like ability will end the stance.


 * Flash of Steel Void: This boost-type maneuver gives all the Power's attacks made in the round the brilliant energy quality.


 * Meteoric Dash: The Power charges in a straight line and performs a single attack at the end of that movement. He deals 2d6 points of extra damage for every 10 feet traveled. Can only be used on land.


 * Split the Land: A Power can decimate entire armies with the swing of its sword. As a standard action, he may put divine power behind his swing, cutting through everything within a 200-ft. line. The Power makes an individual attack roll at his highest base attack bonus against every creature within the line, and in the wake of his slash, the ground is split as per an earthquake spell (DC 24). Objects within the path of the slash take double damage.


 * Vade Retro: The Power sweeps its greatsword in a wide arc that blasts away any creature in front of him. As a standard action, it makes an attack roll against every enemy in a 15-foot cone. Creatures hit are struck with the flat of the blade, taking its weapon damage in bludgeoning damage and being effectively bull rushed at a check modifier of +23. If the Power uses the Power Attack feat in combination with this maneuver, it gains the penalty to attack it took as a bonus to all bull rushing checks. Any creature so moved is blasted back 5 feet for every 5 points by which the Power's check result beats the defender's check result, and dealt an additional 2d6 points of damage for every 5 feet traveled.


 * Vengeful Rebuke: This counter allows the Power to defend against an incoming melee attack as an immediate action. The Power takes no damage from the attack, and makes an immediate attack roll against the attacker. If the attack roll succeeds, the Power also rebounds the damage upon the attacker, dealing damage equal to its weapon damage plus the amount of damage negated to the attacker.

Regeneration : Evil-aligned magical weapons and spells with the Evil descriptor deal normal damage to a Power. If a Power loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The Power can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.

 : Each Power carries a set of silvered scales on its person in which its authority over the mortal world resides. It uses these scales in order to master the material plane, judge and convict an accused mortal, and confront a creature with the weight of its mortal sins. The scales of a Power are treated as minor artifacts, and its abilities are unaffected by dispelling or antimagic fields. Save DCs of abilities tied to the scales are Charisma based and employ a +4 sacred bonus.

A Power can use its scales to create the following spell-like effects at will, with a casting time of 1 round: animate objects, atonement, control water, control weather, fabricate, knock, major creation, make whole, stone shape, wood shape. Caster level 23rd. Furthermore, the scales allow the Power the following special abilities.


 * Judge: Holding the scales aloft in front of a creature, the Power confronts it with its own actions as a standard action, crushing evil creatures under the weight of their mortal sins, or uplifting and lightening the being of good creatures. Evil creatures become affected by a burden effect, and take 2d6 points of damage per character level or HD they possess (DC 38 Will half). Good creatures gain 1d10 temporary hit points per character level or HD they possess, and furthermore gain the benefits of a haste effect. Neutral-aligned creatures (with respect to the moral alignment axis) are neither uplifted nor burdened. The temporary hit points last for one hour.

True Celestial (3.5e Subtype) : A Power's attacks deal extra damage to evil creatures as per the holy smite spell, caster level 5th.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will&mdash;abolishing flames (DC 30), blade barrier (DC 29), break enchantment, disintegrate (DC 29), greater dispel magic, greater heroism, holy aura, holy word, plane shift, repulsion (DC 26), summon monster VIII, undeath to death (DC 29); 3/day&mdash;imprisonment (DC 32), gate, mage's sword, resurrection, wall of force; 1/day&mdash;divine retribution (DC 32), mass heal (DC 32), wish (DC 32). Caster level 15th. Save DCs are Charisma-based.

The following abilities are always active on a Power's person, as the spells (caster level 15th) detect evil, detect thoughts (DC 16), legend lore (DC 29; at will without casting time), true seeing, tongues.

Spells: Powers can cast divine spells as 15h-level clerics. A Power has access to two of the following domains: Law, Knowledge, Strength and War (plus any others from its deity). The save DCs are Wisdom-based.

Typical Cleric Spells Prepared (6/8/7/7/6/6/4/3/2 plus domain spells; save DC 23 + spell level) 0&mdash;amanuensisSpC (&times;2), detect magic, detect secret doors*, light, read magic (&times;2); 1st&mdash;bless, command, comprehend languages, detect chaos, obscuring mist, protection from chaos, remove fear, sanctuary; 2nd&mdash;align weapon (&times;2), bull's strength, consecrate, detect thoughts*, remove paralysis, shield other, silence; 3rd&mdash;blindness/deafness, clairaudience/clairvoyance*, continual flame, daylight, glyph of warding, invisibility purge, magic circle against chaos, remove blindness/deafness; 4th&mdash;air walk, death ward, discern lies, divine power*, freedom of movement, restoration, sending; 5th&mdash;break enchantment, dispel chaos, greater command, hallow, mark of justice, righteous might, true seeing*; 6th&mdash;banishment, find the path*, greater glyph of warding, heal, mass bull's strength; 7th&mdash;dictum, greater restoration, power word blind*, repulsion; 8th&mdash;dimensional lock, power word stun*, symbol of death.

* Domain spell. Domains: Knowledge and War.