Marsulo the Mad (3.5e Monster)

Author: Eiji-kun (talk) Date Created: 2-12-18 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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	Marsulo the Mad
Size/Type:	Medium Outsider (Augmented Humanoid, Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Gnoll)
Hit Dice:	12d8+131 (227 hp)
Initiative:	+2
Speed:	30 ft
Armor Class:	25 (+2 dex, +12 natural, +1 rags of rot), touch 12, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple:	+9/+14
Attack:	+3 Flindbar +17 melee (2d4+8 plus afflict, 19-20/x2)
Full Attack:	+3 Flindbar +17/+12 melee (2d4+8 plus afflict, 19-20/x2)
Space/Reach:	5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:	Afflict, Breath Weapon, Command Afflicted, Plague Conversion, Spells
Special Qualities:	Aura of Immunodeficiency, Darkvision 60 ft, Death Throes, Despoil, Extraordinary Health, Immunities, Impure Body, Regeneration 10, Resist Cold/Fire 10, Swarmfriend
Saves:	Fort +15, Ref +10, Will +11
Abilities:	Str 21, Dex 14, Con 24, Int 29, Wis 25, Cha 21
Skills:	Autohypnosis +22, Concentration +22, Craft Alchemy +24, Craft Poison +24, Heal +22, Knowledge Geography +24, Knowledge Nature +24, Listen +22, Sense Motive +22, Survival +22, Use Magic Device +20
Feats:	Why Won't You DieB, Born Tough, Raw Toughness, Toxic Combustion, Lunatic Spell, Spreadfire Spell
Environment:	The Abyss
Organization:	Unique (plus hellwasp swarm and/or various plaguehive servents)
Challenge Rating:	11
Treasure:	Double Standard (plus +3 Plagueridden Flindbar and rags of rot)
Alignment:	Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement:	By character class
Level Adjustment:	—

Mercifully hidden underneath a lumbering heap of blood soaked filthy rags and endless years of matted fur, knotted and gnarled, you almost cannot make out the gnoll-shaped muzzle projecting from this fetid hunchback. Behind its every step it leaves undefined sludge that stains the land and destroys all he passes over.

Deep within the uncountable layers of the Abyss lies a layer known as Eternal Escape which has been overtaken by poison, rot, and chemical fumes. Once perhaps a viable place for life it has since been transformed into a hellscape of choking gases and toxic fluids boiling upon the living landscape itself, at least ever since it came under the management of Marsulo the Mad. Not even a proper demon, this flind yet found itself in an state ascended to outsiderhood and in control of his own layer. An alchemist in life who performed unethical drug testing and surgeries on his own kind, in his afterlife he now torments the very layer he lives on and uses its vital fluids to produce all manner of unimaginable drugs and chemicals. He does it for the sake of knowledge and the sake of hedonism, constantly enraptured by hallucinogenic clouds yet lucid enough to keep studying the macabre effects of mustard gas on the living. He considers himself to be the demon lord of drugs, disease, poison, rot, knowledge, visions, and hallucinations.

Marsulo speaks Common, Gnoll, Abyssal, and Infernal, as well as several other languages due to high intelligence. He is nearly 8 ft tall but always hunched over, appearing only about 6 ft 6 inches, hump included. He weighs about 400 lbs, much of it in dead cells and rotten molting flesh.

Combat

When possible, Marsulo actually prefers talking over fighting. Though hardly a diplomat, he considers himself to be a merchant and a scientist. It is possible to establish trade with him with the price often being subject to being his research pet, or requiring the sacrifice of another valuable individual to his testing. In this respect Marsulo is surprisingly well mannered for a being of the abyss.

Marsulo never fights alone if he can help it, letting his shambling diseased minions do the heavy work while he layers the area in debuff after debuff. Even in the thick of battle he considers this all to be valuable research as he can finally see for himself the way the blood clots, the way the pus flows, the way the skin bubbles and bursts through violence and decay. When fighting directly he is primarily a spellcaster, and he is not shy on retreating if the situation is dire.

Afflict (Su): Once per round as a free action, Marsulo can apply any poison he has on his person to his weapon as part of an attack. He may also treat any weapon he wields as a Spell Storing weapon up to 6th level spells, but only for spells and effects which cause disease or poison. The spell imbued is lost if he drops the weapon for longer than 1 round.

Aura of Immunodeficiency (Su): All creatures within 100 ft of Marsulo lose any bonuses they have on saves against disease and poison, while those who are immune lose their immunity but gain a +8 bonus against the respective effects. Those within 10 ft have that bonus reduced to +4, and even things which are naturally immune (such as constructs and undead) become susceptible to disease and poison. Curing a disease or poison is also impossible within 10 ft. A disease or poison picked up by these naturally immune creatures persists after they leave the area, but they regain their immunity against any further attempts.

plaguehive creatures are immune to his aura of immunodeficiency.

Breath Weapon (Su): The effect of contagion to all targets in a 60 ft cone once every 1d4 rounds, DC 23 Fortitude negates. The save DC is Constitution based.

Command Afflicted (Su): Marsulo has a special connection to creatures with the plaguehive template. He can use suggestion at will against any plaguehive creature within 100 ft (DC 23). He also has total control over any who have fallen to Broken Mind, and may use mind-affecting abilities against them even if they are mindless. The save DC is Wisdom based.

Death Throes (Su): When Marsulo dies, he detonates into a malificent poison effect centered on him, DC 23. The save DC is Constitution based, caster level 12th.

Despoil (Su): Any square of land Marsulo travels over becomes cursed and unable to host flora or fauna, and the ground grows rich in toxins. Plants wither and die, and animals naturally avoid the area. Animals also naturally avoid Marsulo himself and will refuse to approach closer than 30 ft unless forced. The curse can be lifted with either consecrate, remove curse, or watering the area with holy water 3 times over the course of 3 days. Marsulo can choose not to despoil the land as a non-action, but rarely chooses to.

Effects such as entangle automatically fail against Marsulo, as the plants wither on contact.

Extraordinary Health (Ex): Marsulo always receives maximum hit points per hit die.

Immunities: Marsulo is immune to acid and electricity, as well as compulsions, disease, nausea, petrification, poison, polymorphing, and sickness. If reduced to 50% hp or lower his organs begin to shut down and he gains immunity to critical hits, sneak attacks, and stunning until brought back above 50% hp.

Impure Body (Ex): Marsulo is able to consume all manner of materials no matter how toxic, even radioactive material. Eating is a move action which provokes attacks of opportunity. He can intentionally consume something harmful, and when next wounded in melee with a piercing or slashing weapon his blood carries the effect of the hazard, exposing any attacker within 5 ft to the effects. This expends the hazard and Marsulo must consume another hazard to have it work again. Typically Marsulo ingests a powerful poison to surprise and poison any would be attackers on their first blow.

Plague Conversion (Su): Marsulo knows the secret of creating plaguehive creatures, and can do so to any helpless creature over the course of 1 round which provokes attacks of opportunity. This is considered a coup de grace attempt, with a range of touch. The creature must be currently suffering from a disease or poison for the conversion to be successful. Rumor is he can also remove the template, but never has any reason to.

Regeneration (Ex): Bypassed by good or magic and silver attacks.

Spells: Marsulo can cast spells as a 12th level sorcerer, though he draws his spells from both the druid and sorcerer/wizard spell lists. The save DCs are Wisdom-based, and his spells are considered divine instead of arcane.

Typical Spells Prepared (6/8/8/8/7/6/4; save DC 17 + spell level): 0—acid splash, arcane mark, caltrops^SpC, detect disease, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, incubate, touch of fatigue; 1st—babau slime^SpC, breath of the jungle^SpC, increase susceptibility, magic mushroom dust, sting dart; 2nd—blinding spittle^SpC, decomposition^SpC, infernal wound^SpC, mass snake's swiftness^SpC, pizizzap's bothersome allergen; 3rd—create plague kansen, gnawing maggots, poison, stinking cloud; 4th—mass bio, reincarnate, swarm thermoball; 5th—cloudkill, waves of fatigue; 6th—poison storm.

Swarmfriend (Ex): Marsulo has the Swarmfriend ability of the plaguehive creature. Typically he stores a hellwasp swarm inside of him.

Plagueridden Flindbar

Marsulo wields a flindbar which he uses to stir his various alchemical horrors and biological hazards. As a result this masterwork flindbar has gotten the taint of magic upon it taken in the form of a constant greater magic weapon with the caster level of the wielder. However, it's also extremely and violently toxic to most living beings. Wielders are subject to taking 1d4 Con damage each round unless they are immune to both disease and poison, DC 20 Fortitude save to negate.

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