Baphomet (3.5e Monster)

Information About Baphomet
Alternative Names and Titles: Prince of Beasts, The Crown Bull, Master of the Hedges

Symbol: A bull’s head with flaming red eyes.

Portfolio: Animals (particularly large beasts), brute force, minotaurs, and the desire for complete, utter control over another‘s fate.

Domains Granted: Chaos, Corrupt, Evil, Strength, Tyranny

Favored Weapon: Spiked hammer.

Baphomet's Statistics Block


''The great tyrant known as Baphomet, one of the most powerful demons in the Abyss, towers over you at approximately 20 feet in height. He resembles a minotaur with eyes of fire and fur the color of charcoal, massive horns burning with Abyssal flames, which spread to the massive hammer that he clutches in both gigantic hands. So awestruck are you by his frightening presence that you scarcely even notice the tall walls of iron growing from the ground behind you, cutting off your avenue of escape.''

The patron of the minotaur race, the Crown Bull Baphomet (a title for which he is as much derided by rivals as praised by supporters) is one of the weakest of all the unique demon lords. But don’t say that to his face. He inhabits the same layer of the Abyss as Pale Night and is her de facto front man, which has resulted in a mutually beneficial alliance due to the favor of the Mother of Demons. With this backing, even his relatively small amount of power is respected by most demons.

Baphomet’s origins are the subject of great speculation; unlike Yeenoghu, who is generally considered his parallel and was once a mortal, Baphomet has actually modeled his own form after the minotaur race. During the Great War against the obyrith, the demon that would become Baphomet was a grunt on the side of the tanar’ri, a particularly powerful and brutish specimen used to single-handedly besiege enemy-held positions. His tremendous strength and amazing regenerative capabilities allowed him to survive numerous suicidal maneuvers, and he soon attracted the attention of the higher-level demons who saw him rise through the ranks with great speed. But in the final confrontation between the obyrith and the tanar‘ri, Baphomet was thought to have met his end in a confrontation with a klurichir that ended with it banishing him to another plane.

As fortune would have it, he found his way to the Prime Material Plane, where he was discovered by a tribe of minotaurs. Now separated from the Abyss, the source of all his strength, he quickly took on their form and assimilated himself into their culture, becoming quickly impressed with their martial abilities and raw strength. For uncounted years he stayed with this tribe, even feigning death in order to avoid the suspicions of his demonic nature. So dedicated was he to remaining amongst the tribe that he eventually sought to usurp its leader in the hopes of establishing a permanent position for himself.

When faced with an opponent as strong as a minotaur chieftain, Baphomet quickly recognized the fiendish powers that had recuperated for years in his body. After initially struggling in the duel, he spontaneously regained his abilities, tempered by years of trials and combat on the Prime, and was so intoxicated by the rush of energy that he inadvertently slaughtered not only the chieftain but all the other tribe members as well. The blood of those he had come to view as an inspirational race--so headstrong and capable despite their short life spans and lack of magical abilities--still on his hands, he wandered aimlessly with the chieftain’s war hammer still fast in his grip.

Days and dozens of miles later, Baphomet felt a terrible sensation in his gut, as if an iron spike was being pulled through his stomach by a magnet. Each time he released a bit of his demonic power, however, the pain was alleviated; as his surroundings became surrounded by Abyssal energy, he began to feel more comfortable.

He was being called home.

With his abilities greatly enhanced by his long recuperation in the Prime, Baphomet managed to travel back to the Abyss and was instinctively tugged to appear before Pale Night. Weakened as she was and trapped by her usurpers inside her lair, the former Queen of Chaos required a vassal to act on her behalf throughout the Abyss. In return for his service, she offered him power beyond his wildest dreams, enough to even pose a challenge to his former commanders. He accepted without hesitation, and became the newest demon lord in many hundreds of years, his form still the shape of the minotaurs whom he admires to this day.

Baphomet is not just Pale Night’s guardian; he is also the warden of her prison. This is because as tempting as the Queen’s offer was, he retained some small measure of loyalty to the tanar’ri (and is curiously the only demon lord that remains a full-blooded member of the tanar‘ri race). A conflict of interests has never arisen since no high-level demon has any particular inclination to approach, so he is content with his current task of preying on those who enter his labyrinth and keeping anyone from entering or leaving the Citadel of Gloom.

Combat
Baphomet’s typically witnessed size is only a fraction of his total mass, which he suppresses in order to allow him to maneuver in the limiting confines of his lair. When encountered in the open, however, he is allowed to release his seal and expand to become a truly frightening monster.

The Prince of Beasts delights in toying with his opponents, taking advantage of his ability to bring them to their weakest point though spell-like abilities before closing in to melee.

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

 (Su): As a full-round action, Baphomet can force any creature with a Challenge Rating of 20 or less to make a Fortitude save (DC 32) or transform into an animal or magical beast of the same CR or lower. This transformation is identical to polymorph other, but also turns the subject’s alignment to chaotic evil as though they were affected by a turn to the abyss spell and instantly transfers their allegiances to Baphomet.

 (Ex): Baphomet adds three times his Strength modifier to damage rolls with two-handed weapon attacks (and his gore attack) and twice his Strength modifier to one-handed weapon attacks (including claw attacks). In addition, he may choose to grow up to two size categories (gaining all benefits and drawbacks of such) as a swift action; dismissing this ability is a free action.

He can grant spells to clerics, and gives access to the Chaos, Corrupt, Evil, Strength, and Tyranny domains. His favoured weapon is the spiked hammer and his portfolio is animals, brute force, the minotaur race, and the desire for complete, utter control over another‘s fate. .

Additionally, Baphomet 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, Baphomet 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, Baphomet can lose 50 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): Baphomet’s power is capable of matching all but the strongest of his peers. 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. Baphomet also has maximum hit points per hit die.

Additionally, the Abyss itself protects Baphomet from any attempt to scry on him. Anyone that uses a divination effect on Baphomet or the area within 1 mile of him must make a DC 32 Will save or become dazed for 1 round, and ending the effect automatically. Additionally, if the save is failed and Baphomet 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.

 (Ex): Baphomet’s tremendous size allows him to catch rocks as a giant of his current size. In addition, any rock that Baphomet throws automatically gains the same benefits accorded to a minute meteors spell. A successful Reflex save halves the damage dealt to those caught within the area effect.

 (Ex): Like the minotaurs that give him homage, Baphomet is guided by a feral instinct that never drives him wrong. He is immune to maze effects, gains the benefits of a find the path spell whenever he makes a tracking check (with the subject of the check as the target destination), and cannot be flanked or caught flat-footed.

 (Ex): Baphomet adds 40 damage per size category (normally 280 when Huge or 360 when Colossal) to a successful gore attack. This damage is not multiplied by a critical hit, but rather added on after normal damage is resolved.

Baphomet’s charge attack is also different than a normal charge; instead of targeting a single opponent, he moves through his normal space and attacks every creature within.

 (Ex): Baphomet is a perfect member of his species. This gives him immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid and cold 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. Baphomet 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 for his aura is DC 32.

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

 (Su): When slain, Baphomet’s collected animal instincts spill over into the surrounding area in an earsplitting roar, causing those within to lose all sense of their being and be consumed by his savagery, becoming feral and vicious. All within 1 mile of Baphomet at the moment of his death are forced to make saving throws against his awaken the beast ability. In addition, any animal or magical beast within 20 miles of Baphomet is instantly put under a permanent rage effect. Any creatures other than animals or magical beasts are repelled as though by a repulsion spell, and those who successfully enter must make Fortitude saves each hour they remain or permanently, irreversibly contract lycanthropy, instantly transforming when doing so. All of these effects have a caster level of 22nd, and a save DC of 32.

Holt's interposing hand (can be used as a swift action), Lesser confusion (can be used as a swift action), limited wish, Magic Circle against Good (can be used as a swift action), magic circle against law (can be used as a swift action), maze, protection from good (can be used as a swift action), protection from law (can be used as a swift action), rapture of rupture (can be used as a swift action), scare (can be used as a swift action), Shatter (can be used as a swift action), spell turning, stoneskin (can be used as a swift action), symbol of insanity, telekinetic sphere, torn from within, trap the soul, turn to the abyss, unholy auraF, unholy blight (can be used as a swift action), wall of iron, word of chaos, 2/day - summon monster IX (once as a chaos spell and once as an evil spell), 1/day - apocalypse from the sky, astral projection, Holt's crushing hand, imprisonment. Caster level 22nd, DCs are Charisma-based (default 32).

 (Ex): Baphomet sees naturally as though under the effect of a true seeing spell.

Worldcrusher
This +6 Huge spiked hammer always deals damage as though it were two sizes larger than it actually is. In addition, the hammer explodes on contact with its target, dealing the same damage to all creatures within 10 feet of the target (except Baphomet) unless they succeed on a Reflex save (DC 39). This save DC is Strength-based.

Evasion does not apply normally against the effect of this hammer; it instead only grants the character a +4 bonus on their Reflex save. Improved Evasion has the effect of normal evasion, but not the additional effects that it normally grants.

Baphomet's Worshipers
Baphomet holds a small cult following on other planes, a group of wild zealots who attempt to emulate their lord by ramming each other with helmeted, horned heads. These few followers run the gamut of races and dispositions, and Baphomet values them all.

Inside his Labyrinth, Baphomet relies largely on the services of the bar-lgura to get things done. He also maintains contact with Pale Night through the ghosts that are allowed to pass unimpeded between her castle and the rest of the lair.