Marilith (3.5e Monster)

''This is a monster from Liber Demonica. You might be looking for the marilith.



''Out of the host of clawing, screeching demons comes a single imperious figure with the lower body of a massive snake and the torso of a six-armed, heavily muscled female human. Her head is topped with a pair of fearsome ram-like horns, which shake in fury as she brandishes a wicked scimitar in each hand and charges towards you.''

Despite their undeniable powers, demon lords and their balor lieutenants rarely entangle themselves in the affairs of either the Blood War or the countless other conflicts they stage between themselves and others. They leave these duties to the powerful and bloodthirsty mariliths.

If the balors are the grand strategists of a demonic horde, the mariliths are the front-line commanders; they revel in melee combat more anything else and never pass up the opportunity to lead an army into battle. They care little for motive or subtlety (they are demons, after all) and only concentrate on delivering as much force to their foes as possible. It should be duly noted that they do that very, very well.

Combat
With its tremendous plethora of melee attacks and its ability to close on foes quickly, a marilith is a deadly foe. Most of its abilities are centered around its multiple limbs and the swords it is so fond of. A marilith is also capable of wearing a tremendous amount of jewelry, which it uses to greatly increase its abilities in place of cumbersome armor.

Despite their de facto status as commanders, mariliths have very few abilities that increase the effectiveness of their subordinates. The hierarchy of demons is only based on personal power, not the ability to create competence in others.

 (Sp): As an immediate action, a marilith can teleport up to Close range (65 feet by default). It cannot bring any other creatures with it.

 (Ex): Mariliths project an aura of awe. This special aura has the same effect as a command spell, with the command to fall prone for all mortals in the area. The save DC for this aura is 22.

 (Ex): A marilith may move five feet as a free action after every attack that it makes; if it makes attacks out of turn, it may do so as an immediate action.

 (Sp): Once per day, a marilith can attempt to bring the armies of the Abyss to her side. This acts as a greater planar binding spell, with the following exceptions: the marilith can summon any number of creatures, as long as their single-encounter CR doesn't exceed 15 (i.e. one CR 15 creature, two CR 13 creatures, four CR 11 creatures, and so on), the creatures summoned must be chaotic evil outsiders, the marilith does not need a magic circle, and the demons automatically serve her for 13 days before returning. Additionally, the marilith knows of (and thus, can call) any demon whose CR is 15 or less with this ability.

 (Ex): As a standard action, the marilith may make a single melee attack with each melee weapon it is carrying. With every attack of opportunity it makes, it may also attack in this fashion.

 (Su): A marilith may fly at its base speed, with perfect maneuverability.

 (Ex): A marilith is the ultimately coordinated creature, able to make as many attacks with each off hand as it does with its main hand with no penalties to its attack bonus. Additionally, mariliths may wear six rings instead of the usual two, on account of their additional arms.

 (Ex): A marilith may make a full attack on a charge.

 (Ex): For each pair of consecutive hits the marilith lands on an opponent, it automatically deals 1d8+22 points of bonus damage.

 (Sp): At will - bladeweave (SpC), blade barrier, field of blades, greater teleport (self plus objects carried only), rhino’s rush (SpC); 3/day - limited wish

The marilith also gains a shield bonus to AC equal to the number of weapons it is currently holding (normally +6 as shown in the stat block). It may also throw these weapons (at the same rate as it may make a normal full attack) as though they have a base range increment of 30 feet. These weapons disappear when the marilith is killed and can be dismissed just as quickly as they are summoned.

The weapons are summoned through means that are beyond the ken of mortal magic, and their summoning cannot be halted or reversed by antimagic effects. Their enchantment effects, however, can be suppressed normally.

Lastly, any creature the marilith strikes with a melee attack is subjected to the dispelling effects of a targeted greater dispel magic spell, with its attack roll taking the place of its caster level check.  (Ex): A marilith sees naturally as though it were under the effect of a true seeing spell.

 (Ex): When a marilith grapples an opponent, it uses its tail to hold the opponent at bay and maximize its advantage. On any turn in which the marilith wins a grapple check, it may make a full attack against the opponent it is grappling in addition to normal tail damage.