Graz'zt (3.5e Monster)

Information About Graz'zt
Alternative Names and Titles: Adam, Azis, Prince of Shadows, Prince of Lovers, Prince of Secrets, The Dark Prince

Symbol: A black hand with six fingers

Portfolio: Sex, shadows, secrets, charm

Domains Granted: Chaos, Corrupt, Evil, Magic, Shadow

Favoured Weapon: Dagger

Graz'zt's Statistics Block
''The writhing mass of swooning succubi part to reveal a black-skinned, muscular adonis, seven feet in height and boasting an elaborate sash around his waist to secure his armored greaves. Resting comfortably in the crimson sash is a twisted, black dagger that seems to ooze oily black liquid from its tip. He extends his hands to greet you and frame his sculpted form, each long-fingered appendange boasting six digits. Aside from the fangs and the red eyes and the horns, his face is just perfect, perfectly proportioned and without an ounce of fat. And despite his fearsome appearance, you are drawn in by his undeniable...sexiness. But as you shake your head of impure thoughts, you realize that these sensations are not freely conceived; the winning smile and piles of spent concubines are but a ruse to conceal a horribly vile demon as wicked and despicable as the rest.''

Graz'zt is a remarkable Abyssal success story, despite his humble beginnings as a mortal. Having initially been the victim of some unusual circumstances, his desire to climb, as well as his ability to use a bad situation to his advantage, have transformed him from an insignificant mortal to one of the biggest power-brokers in the Abyss. Few who know Graz'zt now could have suspected that his life began as a mortal named Adam.

Adam from birth was a mortal not content with his lot in life. Although he felt like he deserved far more than his station allowed for, he always felt superior to those around him, to the point of being unpleasant to many around him. Lacking much of a family or siblings, and shunned by those repelled by his constant belief in his own superiority, Adam was a loner from an early age. This led him to believe that none actually wanted him around, and this led to his development of an endless quest to prove himself to the world around him. What had initially been a coldness toward others was fed by his combination of isolation and endless need for others to prove to him that he was as great as he claimed into a contempt for almost everyone else, and a belief that others would never help him or do what he said without him deceiving or forcing them to do so. This created even greater isolation in him, and eventually, he became a total manipulator, with little understanding of kindness or altruism. Although he wanted for little, thanks to the tireless work of the angels during the Time of Mercy, he still dreamed of being more. Adam wanted control over others, to be desired, successful, and powerful. Although he doubted that he could ever rise to the occasion, he still dreamed of it, and those dreams were powerful and near-constant, making him even more detached from his existence, which he now looked upon as boring and not worth his time.

Were it not for the schemes of Pale Night, Adam may well have stayed a cynical dreamer for his entire life. However, seeing the weakness of Astara (the angel who was to later become Malcanthet), Pale Night decided that bending an angel to the Abyss would allow them to return the Material Plane back to the Abyss from which it had been 'uplifted'. To do this, she designed a love-venom - a power fuelled by the soul, so powerful that it would cause its bearer to become irresistible sexually, for nothing less could possibly motivate an angel to engage in something like sex. The love-venom also gave its bearer a mighty fortitude, giving them endless energy and strength, for surviving a romp with an angel was needed for this. Lastly, Pale Night dissolved the essence of an incubus into this heady brew, giving it a limited intelligence, allowing it to direct those infected by it. All she needed now was a host.

Pale Night could have simply invested this venom into one of her more beautiful children, but she knew that this wouldn't help - Astara would have simply been destroyed without allowing the poison of her mind and soul to spread for such a coupling. Instead, she needed a mortal - the very beings that the angels had sworn to protect. However, not just any mortal would do - the love-venom, although powerful, could be resisted by those of the right mentality. She needed a creature that would willingly yield to its effects, and follow through on it - possibly to his own death. Despite the separation of the Material Plane from the Abyss, the Time of Mercy was still a time of close connections between the two, and Pale Night could still view those areas remotely with relative ease. Without involving any of her meddling children, Pale Night began to search the Material Plane for any human that would be willing to take the power she was offering.

It just so happened that at this time, Adam was caught in a powerful daydream, while wandering the woods during twilight, when the shadows hung long around him. In this dream, he imagined that all of the women in his village wanted him, and the huge and public orgy that this would lead to. The dream was so vivid and powerful that Pale Night had to notice, and she knew then that this was her ideal candidate. She injected the love-venom in the ground around him, and it bubbled up from it, drawn to Adam's dreams of sexual conquest. As it touched his skin, it suddenly burned into him, sticking to his soul and drawing a scream from his throat. But once the pain settled, Adam was a new man - he knew, somehow, that he now had the power to make that dream come true. His appearance changed, too - he looked prouder and more certain of his actions, and his stature took on a dark regality, radiating the dark energy out from it.

When Adam returned to his village, women rushed to him, wanting nothing more than the pleasure of his touch. Finally receiving the respect that he always felt he deserved, Adam began to act out all of his fantasies, mostly to the degradation of those he would have sex with. However, no matter what he did, women (and even some men) would still flock to him. Additionally, Adam found that he could continuously have sex with them, feeling no tiredness or wanting no end. As Adam moved from place to place, he was followed by an ever-growing crowd of conquests, and he reveled in the adoration that they were heaping upon him for the pleasure of just a single word. Finally, he felt that he was being treated the way he had always deserved. At the same time, this rapidly began to bore him - even as his soul was being burnt up by his constant wakefulness, endless orgies and unending travel.

As Pale Night had foreseen, Astara was sent to investigate this strange phenomenon before too long. When she arrived, she found Adam in mid-orgy, and what came next is widely-known by scholars of the demonic. Astara became ruined, and Adam's body finally expired from all the effort required to keep him going. When the venom fled him, the remnants of his soul, no longer able to hold him in life, fled his body, and he died then and there.

While Astara grieved in her duties, Adam's other mortal followers were just as devastated. Many killed themselves then and there, and many others afterward. Those who did not still knew that they could never go back to their lives, and thus, they built Adam a marvelous tomb, embalmed his body with expensive silks and herbs, and placed him within it. Although the funeral was marvelous and filled with crying women (and even a few men), after days, weeks, months and eventually years, his former followers drifted away, returning as best as they could to their ordinary lives.

All, that is, except one.

Unknown to both Adam and Pale Night, the love-venom had worked a little too well. Adam had unwittingly ensnared Baba Yaga, who found that, unlike all of the men she had deceived, killed and eaten, she wanted him alive - and in her bed. However, Astara had arrived on the location sooner, and Baba Yaga did not dare attempt to interfere in the work of an angel. After Adam's death, Baba Yaga was among the crying women and men that buried him. However, unlike all of them, she had the means and the power to return Adam to life. While she didn't know about the love-venom or the destruction of his soul, she understood very well that his power was not mortal in origin, and her desire to understand (and perhaps even harness) this power was certainly part of her motivation to restore Adam's life.

However, Adam's soul had been so thoroughly rent apart by the love-venom and his subsequent actions that restoring it was impossible. Only the love-venom remained, and Baba Yaga fused the broken pieces of Adam's soul with it, created a compound entity that was both Adam and not Adam. It retained the hugely powerful magnetism that the love-venom had originally given Adam, but as it was the majority substance of his new soul, it would no longer cause him to self-destruct. Additionally, the weak mortal qualities that Adam had possessed no longer existed in this new entity that Baba Yaga had wrought. She had thought she had recreated him better than before, losing nothing. At the same time, what emerged was a shadow, or a reflection, of the soul that had originally been, rather than a true soul. While this shadow-like creation was powerful, infused with the magic of its components, it changed Adam into an altogether different being. His nature as a shadow of souls gave him power over shadows, and unlike the passionate concern Adam had displayed for how people thought of him and the desire for their adoration that he felt he deserved, this new being simply knew that he was better than all others, and understood fully the power this gave him. The destruction of the remaining mortality of Adam in this process also robbed him of all sympathy, guilt or concern for the welfare of others. This new being, named Graz'zt by Baba Yaga, held but one weakness, placed on him by his creator - he could serve only her alone, as long as he existed. As a final act of protection, Baba Yaga erased all of the memories of Adam from this new being.

Graz'zt's extraordinary magnetism proved very rapidly to be the least of his abilities. With training from Iggwilv, one of the most capable disciples of Baba Yaga, and rumoured to be the first witch in existence, Graz'zt rapidly learned to harness his affinity for shadows. He also learned that others were quite willing to divulge secrets to him in return for his touch, a (faked) kind word or the ultimate joy of experiencing him in their beds. Graz'zt of course, did not care for those that he convinced to hand over this information - he did it purely for the power it would give him, first over them, and then over others. Baba Yaga didn't miss this capability either - Graz'zt's ability to steal away the daughters, wives and mothers of various heroes allowed her to lure these powerful men into her grasp, with fatal consequences for them. And, of course, she could have Graz'zt grace her bedchamber as often as she wished - and this quickly led to her becoming obsessed with him alone.

As Graz'zt discovered more secrets, and taught himself greater arts in magic, combat and seduction, he began to chafe at the restrictive nature of the curse of service Baba Yaga had placed on him. Her frequent romps with him, growing to several times a day at their height, left her weakened, ugly and aged, quite unlike the beautiful First Witch she had once been. Although Graz'zt found it far beneath his dignity as a conqueror of the greatest beauties in the universe to have to repeatedly service the overdriven libido of a wizened hag, he could not refuse a direct order - although he could interpret them creatively. Despite this, every time Graz'zt's intellect outmaneuvered Baba Yaga, she only wanted him more - and with clearer orders - next time. Chafing under these restrictions, Graz'zt decided to play a dangerous game - he would seduce Baba Yaga's greatest disciple, and use her to escape this prison of his existence.

Iggwilv did not prove an easy conquest, as she was mysteriously immune to Graz'zt's charms and magnetism both. She and Graz'zt were very much alike, as they would only part with anything in return for much, much greater offerings from the other side. Very soon, Graz'zt began to have to run errands for both Baba Yaga and Iggwilv, but instead of sexual favours, Iggwilv sought Graz'zt's ability to discover secrets instead. Eventually, after many years, Iggwilv had been bribed, coerced and generally convinced to assist Graz'zt in breaking free from Baba Yaga's control. However, in return, he had to promise her something that he would later come to regret - thirteen years' total service, to be claimed whenever Iggwilv thought it best.

Iggwilv did not waste time in delivering her end, and hit upon an unconventional, but powerful solution. The theory was simple - if Graz'zt were to combine his soul with some other creature of a similar nature, and then the two souls were to be divided and redistributed equally, Baba Yaga would have control over both of these individuals, but to a lesser degree. Repeated sufficient times, this would result in the influence over Graz'zt becoming so minor as to be ineffectual. While this principle itself was nothing at all complex, it carried with it a difficulty - very few beings indeed were 'like' Graz'zt on the level of the soul in any meaningful way. He was a shadow of a man fused with an Abyssal love-venom - a fact as-yet unknown to either him or Iggwilv. This caused all of their attempts at this experiment to fail - sometimes quite spectacularly. Both of them were stumped after a half-dozen spectacular failures, and many more non-spectacular ones. There seemed to be absolutely no solution in sight, and Baba Yaga's control would remain total for as long as both of them existed. Graz'zt already began to make plans for Baba Yaga's destruction through his indirect hand, but even he thought it futile to try.

But then, a solution appeared, as if out of nowhere. While Graz'zt and Iggwilv were studying several ghosts that were haunting a certain location which felt oddly familiar to Graz'zt, they discovered that one of these ghosts (of a young woman) was hopelessly drawn to Graz'zt, attempting to feverishly touch him and be near him, for a reason neither the ghost nor Graz'zt could understand. After extensively gazing into their respective souls, Iggwilv found a common link - and thus, knew that they could perform the experiment on at least one other. Using this link as a tracer, Graz'zt and Iggwilv found many other such ghosts, which, unknowingly to both of them, were all women (and men) affected by Adam and the love-venom that had taken their own lives in despair at his death. After having found several dozen in their various resting places, Iggwilv used the connections between them to fuse their souls inside Graz'zt's body, before re-splitting them.

However, this massive infusion of negative energy into Graz'zt's being changed him even further into a creature of shadow. Although much more than a man, this time, his whole appearance changed. His skin turned black, his feet grew cloven, like those of a goat, and his fingers grew long and clawed. Graz'zt's emotional nature, previously burning hot with all the fires of the Abyss, was cooled by the calm and icy touch of death, allowing him to be calm and dispassionate. He also gained even greater mastery of the shadows, and above all, he began to hungrily seek more knowledge, and through it, even greater power and domination. Lastly, the memories of all of these ghosts finally taught Graz'zt how he came to be - and who was responsible for his current state. This led Graz'zt to swear that he would never be commanded again - by anything or anyone, ever.

His parting gift to Iggwilv was her transportation to the Plane of Shadow. Through his mastery of shadows, now-amplified by the mass infusion of negative energy into his being, he buried her location so deeply that even Baba Yaga would have difficulty finding her. Before he left Baba Yaga's service forever, Graz'zt wanted to show her that he could no longer be commanded so simply, coming to her after one of her frequent calls, but then refusing her to her face, telling her what he had done and how she no longer held any power over him. This threw Baba Yaga into a fit of rage, as she prepared to strike him down. However, Graz'zt was no fool, and had prepared for this eventuality. Using his new knowledge of his semi-demonic nature, he sent a powerful call to Pale Night, using his own soul as a resonator. He was her child, and as her child, was entitled to her protection as any other. Additionally, his nature was closest to Pale Night, being both a demon and quasi-ghost in nature. Just before Baba Yaga's powers came down on Graz'zt, Pale Night whisked him away, bringing him to the Abyss.

Since this time, Graz'zt has used his knowledge and ability to seduce almost anyone to acquire followers and power in the Abyss, quickly becoming as powerful as the greatest lords of that plane. He is still seen as an upstart and a former mortal, though ruling three layers of the Abyss, very few would argue his power any longer. He remains a close favourite of Pale Night, who has shared his bed on more than one occasion. Additionally, his cool-headed nature and incredible magnetism make him a being quite unlike any other in the Abyss - a fact that he never seems to tire of reminding others of. In his mind, it is only a matter of time before he becomes the greatest being in the Abyss - and then, in the universe.

Combat
Graz'zt is a fearsome opponent, stealing the souls of foes with his blade. But few ever get him to that point, for they are too enthralled by his supernatural looks to put up any resistance. He enjoys nothing more than toying with the emotions of others, preying on the fear, lust, and envy he finds so embedded into the psyche of living beings.

Graz'zt may sprout wings as he pleases and is considered to be using them in his combat statistics, although he typically refrains from doing so if possible due to the limited aesthetic of such a change.

 (Sp): Graz'zt 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 Graz'zt's portfolio or goals. Graz'zt may only use this ability once per minute.

He can grant spells to clerics, and gives access to the Chaos, Corrupt, Evil, Magic and Shadow domains. His favoured weapon is the dagger and his portfolio is sex, shadows, secrets and charm.

Additionally, Graz'zt 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, Graz'zt 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, Graz'zt can lose [10%] 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): Graz'zt is an ancient evil, and one of the greatest of his kind. As a result, 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. Graz'zt also has maximum hit points per hit die.

Additionally, the Abyss itself protects Graz'zt from any attempt to scry on him. Anyone that uses a divination effect on Graz'zt or the area within 1 mile of him must make a DC X Will save or become dazed for 1 round, and ending the effect automatically. Additionally, if the save is failed and Graz'zt 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, Graz'zt'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 24th.

 (Ex): Graz'zt is a perfect member of his species. This gives him immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 20, cold 20 and electricity 20 and telepathy out to 1000ft. Additionally, his aura of primal emotion is so powerful that it affects creatures in Long range, and is of any of the three given types. Graz'zt can alter his aura of primal emotion at will as a swift action to project a different kind of emotion of his choice. The save DC for his aura is 37.

 (Su): Graz'zt is the master of darkness and shadows. Any darkness effect he creates also hinders movement as a solid fog spell for any non-demons within it. In addition, he may fire bolts of Abyssal darkness as an attack action out to Long range, each dealing 24d6 points of vile damage to a single target on a successful ranged touch attack. Half of this damage is also added to any successful melee attack that he makes with his sword, Love's Pain.

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

If Graz'zt wishes, he can attempt to share the senses of a creature that has at least one level in ravaged by Graz'zt. This works identically to a scrying spell, except it must be centred on the creature in question. The creature doesn't get any say in the matter. Graz'zt may use this ability at will. This has a caster level of 24th.

Additionally, if any creature with at least one level in ravaged by Graz'zt attempts to affect Graz'zt or the area within 20 miles of him with any ability, Graz'zt may choose to use dominate monster on that creature as a free action that he can use even outside of her turn. The creature receives a DC X save as normal. This has a caster level of 24th, and the DC is Charisma-based.

Graz'zt can also create retrievers. The process is identical to applying his normal ravage, but is subject to the usual restrictions of becoming a retriever.

 (Ex): Graz'zt’s love-venom spreads to all who look upon him, infecting them with its euphoric sensations and filling their heads with erotic, shameful, and irrepressible fantasies. Any creature that looks upon Graz'zt must make a Will save (DC 37) or immediately drop all of their worn or carried possessions, becoming stunned for 1 round as they can do nothing but gawk at his awesomeness. Even when this effect wears off, the victim of this effect is permanently charmed by Graz'zt, an infatuation that can never be cured except by a wish spell.

In addition, Graz'zt can take an immediate action to make the love-venom strengthen in potency with an infusion of his power, causing a charmed foe of CR 20 or under to make another save (at the same DC) be permanently dominated. This save DC is Charisma-based, and anyone who succeeds against either one of them is immune to all of the effects of this ability for 1 hour.

 (Ex): Graz'zt is permanently cloaked in a veil of shadows, a memento of his numerous encounters with Pale Night as well as his own power over the darkness. His normal corporeal form incurs a 20% miss chance against any and all effects that require an attack roll, and cannot be negated by any means by any creature with a Challenge Rating of 20 or less.

As a swift action useable at will, Graz'zt may turn into a ghost-like form very reminiscent of Pale Night, gaining total immunity to any non-force effect (even ghost touch weapons) until the beginning of his next turn, at which point he returns to normal. In this form, however, he loses his melee attacks, bolts of darkness, spell-like abilities, and the ability to bestow his ravage.

Caster level 24th. Save DCs are Charisma-based (37 by default).

Graz'zt's Equipment
Love’s Pain

This artifact sword has been used by angels to smite countless beings of evil throughout the eons, trapping their essence within the blade as a receptacle of purification. With each fiend slain, however, further malice and ambition seeped into the blade, until the weapon itself had been consumed by evil intentions and began to corrupt the pure beings who wielded it. So strong was the desire of the fiends to continue existing in some fashion that the blade resisted all attempts to destroy it, and so the powers that be decided that it would remain sealed in the Heavenly Registry.

In the midst of his epic romp with the angel that would come to be the demoness Malcanthet, Grazz’t discovered the location of the sword. Ages later, with the aid of Iggwilv, he stole the blade from its resting place, and his touch infected it with his infamous love-venom. The combination of the two forces created a physical manifestation of some of the venom’s more nasty properties in the form of a dark ichor that coats the blade.

Love’s Pain is typically a dagger carried on Grazz’t’s belt, but as a free action he may transform it into its true combat-ready state, in which it is considered a +6 greatsword. On a successful attack, the opponent struck is infected by the ichor on the blade, causing them to take 12d6 points of unholy damage. Each round thereafter, the bonus damage is halved until it reaches zero. Another successful attack refreshes this effect.

As a full-round action, the sword’s wielder can command the blade to dissipate into an amorphous mess of black tentacles, spreading to all enemies within Close range. All targets affected must make a Reflex save or be entrapped by the grasping tentacles, taking damage from the blade’s ichor effect (see above) and becoming entangled for the duration. Each target is entitled to another saving throw using the same DC each round. Using the sword in this fashion prevents it from being used as a normal weapon but in no other way inhibits the wielder’s actions after the initial activation.

Graz'zt's Worshippers
The cult of Graz’zt exists to propogate the things that he holds most dear: hedonism, carnal pleasures, and all the associated spicy drama. His so-called “pleasure temples” are often fronts for brothels and even more nefarious drug and sex trade operations; in addition to the obvious monetary gains, lulling mortals into a drug-addled state makes them more susceptible to the temptations of the soul.

Against Malcanthet’s wishes, Graz’zt has stolen and maintained control over a large number of succubi, whom he keeps as his own personal toys. Completely under his submission, they are obedient to the death and absolutely convinced that he is a deity, as are any other victims of his insidious love-venom.