User:MisterSinister/Monster Cage

Author: MisterSinister (talk) Contributors: ThunderGod Cid Date Created: December 7th, 2010 Status: Finished Editing: Clarity edits only please

Rating box not supported outside of the main namespace.

Rate this article Your rating for this article: Favor Like Neutral Dislike Oppose Submit | Cancel Discuss this article

Information About Graz'zt

Alternative Names and Titles: Adam, Prince of Shadows, Prince of Lovers, Prince of Secrets

Symbol: A black hand with six fingers

Portfolio: Sex, shadows, secrets, charm

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

Favoured Weapon: Dagger

Graz'zt's Statistics Block

	Malcanthet, Worlds' Ruin
Size/Type:	Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar)
Hit Dice:	23d8+230 (414 hp)
Initiative:	+13
Speed:	50ft, fly 150ft (perfect)
Armor Class:	50, touch 31, flat-footed 41 (+6 armour, +9 Dexterity, +19 natural, +6 deflection)
Base Attack/Grapple:	+23/+35
Attack:	Melee touch +43 melee (touch of dark ecstasy)
Full Attack:	Melee touch +43 melee (touch of dark ecstasy)
Space/Reach:	5ft/5ft
Special Attacks:	Alter reality, dispel good (see spell description), dispel law (see spell description), rapture of rupture (see spell description, ravage form, spell-like abilities, touch of dark ecstasy
Special Qualities:	Darkvision 60ft, cloak of chaos (see spell description), dark blessing, fallen angel, godlike, immune to acid, cold, electricity, petrification and poison, invisibility (see spell description), lord of the Abyss, low-light vision, nondetection (see spell description), protective aura, regeneration 25 (see the Bloodmare Stone), resistance to fire 25, sexual embrace, spell resistance 35, telepathy 1000ft, tongues, true mistress of temptation, unholy aura (see spell description),
Saves:	Fort +34, Ref +33, Will +35
Abilities:	Str 35, Dex 29, Con 30, Int 32, Wis 33, Cha 32
Skills:	Appraise +37, Bluff +38, Concentration +36, Diplomacy +37, Disguise +37, Gather Information +38, Intimidate +38, Knowledge (arcana) +37, Knowledge (history) +37, Knowledge (nature) +37, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +37, Knowledge (religion) +37, Knowledge (the planes) +37, Listen +38, Perform +37, Sense Motive +38, Spellcraft +37, Spot +38, Use Rope +35
Feats:	Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Craft Staff, Craft Wondrous Item,Flyby Attack, Goad, Gripping Vice, Improved Initiative
Environment:	A chaotic-evil aligned plane
Organization:	Solitary or orgy (Malcanthet plus any number creatures the GM deems suitable)
Challenge Rating:	23
Treasure:	The Bloodmare Stone, plus any treasure the GM deems acceptable
Alignment:	Always chaotic evil
Advancement:	-
Level Adjustment:	-

A description of Graz'zt goes here.

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, who only became what he became because of a significant cosmic coincidence.

When Graz'zt began his existence, he led a completely unremarkable, mortal life, as a man named Adam. Unusual and socially-inept, he felt himself to be superior to those around him, and was never satisfied with his lot, which led many individuals to shun him, which wasn't helped by his lack of social skills. Likewise, his successes with women were pretty much non-existent. 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 she needed to turn her to the power of the Abyss. 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. Instead, she needed a mortal - the very beings that the angels, as Children of the First Ones, were 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. Surprised at first, Adam found quickly that no matter what he did, they would still flock to him, and to his even-greater surprise, he could continuously have sex with them, feeling no tiredness or wanting no end. Adam found rapidly that, even when he travelled to other nearby villages, the women there, although slightly different in their own way, quickly began to bore him, as they followed him around and continued to want to have sex with him. Nothing made him tired anymore, and although he did not realise it, his soul was slowly being extinguished, burned up to power his near-endless orgy. Adam wanted more, however - mortal women (and men) were already starting to bore him.

Pale Night's plan could not have worked better if she had tried, as Astara was dispatched to investigate this unusual occurrence almost immediately. 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 after everything that had transpired. 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 of strong enough fortitude knew they could never go back to their lives now that they had been with (what they perceived) as the perfect lover, 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, as Astara was not the only planar being that was attracted to it. Adam had also 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 and failings that Adam the mortal 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, as only the Well of Souls had the power to create something like this. This new being was named Graz'zt by Baba Yaga, and as part of his creation, she had put a powerful sympathetic curse on him, forcing him to serve her for as long as he existed.

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, as he was one himself. He also proved to be intelligent and charming even without his power, and quickly became obsessed with learning as much about the world as he could. Despite his forced subservience to Baba Yaga, Graz'zt was seen as a valuable agent, and his power was put to great use by Baba Yaga to discover secrets that others would seek to hide. His sheer magnetism and ability to seduce women and men with a simple glance allowed him to discover information that would have taken wars or torture to get with little effort at all. While initially, the thrill of sex with a wide range of individuals kept Graz'zt occupied, he eventually became bored with the majority of those that loved him - only making them more eager to part with their secrets in a bid to win his shadowy heart.

Throughout many centuries of service, Graz'zt did not see any way out from the trap that Baba Yaga had constructed. As long as the sympathetic link between their souls existed, Graz'zt could not disobey her - creatively interpret her orders, perhaps, but not go against them directly. Iggwilv too wanted more secrets than Baba Yaga was willing to share, and soon, Graz'zt and her were finding conveniently roundabout ways to achieve Baba Yaga's orders while acquiring as much information on souls, the Well of Life, and sympathetic connections as possible. Very soon, both Graz'zt and Iggwilv became veritable experts on such matters, but came to the conclusion that unless Baba Yaga voluntarily relinquished her connection, or either her or Graz'zt ended up losing their souls, nothing could be done about it.

Perhaps it was a small, remaining part of Adam that made Graz'zt once again seek something greater. Both Baba Yaga (through design) and Iggwilv (through ignorance of her own) kept Graz'zt ignorant of the true nature of his being, but he quickly discovered that he simply did not see things the same way that Baba Yaga did. He still desired more - despite potentially world-shaking power being at his disposal, Graz'zt wanted to be free of Baba Yaga and her influence on his soul. Eventually, he and Iggwilv hit upon an unconventional, but powerful solution, that would require both of them to do something almost impossible to imagine - co-mingle souls.

Iggwilv's 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 soul level 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 an 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 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. Although much more than a man, this time, his whole appearance changed. His skin turned black, his feet grew cloven, and his fingers grew long and clawed. He also gained even greater mastery of the shadows, and above all, he began to hungrily seek something - although warmth and life were too crude a taste for such a creature. Instead, he hungered for more knowledge, and through it, even greater power and domination. He became an even greater creature back then, and with the memories of the ghosts he had absorbed, he first realised what he was - and what Baba Yaga had done. This filled Graz'zt with the fury Adam once had at the world and his place in it, and he vowed that he would never be in a position to be commanded by anyone - ever again.

His parting gift to Iggwilv was the promise of thirteen years of service whenever she would seek it. Graz'zt also used his new-found power over shadows to transport Iggwilv to the Plane of Shadow, and bury her location so deeply that even Baba Yaga would have difficulty finding her. After this, he left the service of Baba Yaga forever, and began to seek his knowledge and secrets by means of the beds of the most famous sages, loremasters and magical researchers. He also seduced many adventurers and learned of many secrets and places of power. He refined his powers over shadows, and seduced sufficient secrets to understand more fully how to finally obtain the power that he sought.

In order to finally become the power that he wished to be, Graz'zt assaulted the Heavenly Register, destroying many angels in the process. From his brief time there, he discovered one of the best-kept secrets of the cosmos - the true name of Pale Night. So powerful was this secret that even its knowledge began to warp Graz'zt towards the demonic, and began his transformation into the demon lord that he is today. With this knowledge, Graz'zt broke through Pale Night's mental defences using the power of her true name to send her a message: either she gives him the power that he deserves as her creation, or the knowledge of her true name would spread to those who would destroy her. Pale Night agreed to elevate him to becoming a tanar'ri, but only if the knowledge would be removed from his mind forever. Graz'zt agreed, and his transformation was complete.

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.

Combat

Stuff about how Graz'zt fights goes here.

Alter Reality (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.

Godlike: Although Graz'zt is not a true deity, he has many of the powers of such. He can grant spells to clerics, and gives access to the Chaos, Corrupt, Evil, Seduction 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.

Lord of the Abyss (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.

Perfect Tanar'ri (Ex): Graz'zt is a perfect member of his species. This gives him immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 20, cold 20 and fire 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 for his aura is DC X.

Ravage Form (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.

Spell-Like Abilities: At-will - animate objects, black tentacles (can be used as a swift action), blasphemy, blindness/deafness (can be used as a swift action), chaos hammer (can be used as a swift action), charm monster, cloak of chaos, create undead, deeper darkness (can be used as a swift action), desecrate, dispel good, dispel law, dominate monster, dream, Elush's elemental extraction, Elush's epiphyseal erosion, Elush's explosive exsanguination, Elush's eye-blasting explosion (can be used as a swift action), Erzebet's skull bomb (can be used as a swift action), greater dispel magic (can be used as a free action 3/round), greater shadow conjuration, greater shadow evocation, greater teleport, Ishara's enticing directive (affects up to one creature per caster level, can be used as a swift action), magic circle against good, magic circle against law, mass hold monster, mass suggestion, power word blind, protection from good, protection from law, rapture of rupture, screen, shatter (can be used as a swift action), suggestion (can be used as a swift action), summon monster IX (chaotic or evil creatures only), symbol of persuasion, unholy aura, true darkness (can be used as a swift action), turn to the Abyss (can be used as a swift action), unholy blight (can be used as a swift action), word of chaos; 1/day - apocalypse from the sky, demise unseen, gate, mage's disjunction, shades. Caster level 24th. Save DCs are Charisma-based (32 by default)

Graz'zt's Equipment

Name of Gear

Descriptions go here.

Graz'zt's Worshippers

Stuff about mortal worshippers.

Stuff about Abyssal servants.

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Sourcebooks → Liber Demonica
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters