Amduscias
Amduscias
Large Outsider (baatezu, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
Hit Dice: 26d8+208 (325 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 41 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +22 natural, +7 insight), touch 19, flat- footed 38
Base Attack/Grapple: +26/+40
Attack: Slam +35 melee (1d6+10); +2 wounding dagger +33 melee (1d4+12/19-20 plus wounding); or gore +35 melee (1d8+10 plus bleeding wounds plus 1 vile); or bite +35 melee (1d8+10/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 slams +35 melee (1d6+10) and bite +37 melee (1d8+5/19-20); or +2 wounding dagger +33 melee (1d4+12/19-20 plus wounding) and +2 unholy short sword +28 melee (1d6+7/19-20 plus 2d6 vs. good foes) and bite +31 melee (1d8+5/19-20); or gore +35 melee (1d8+10 plus bleeding wounds plus 1 vile) and 2 hooves +33 melee (1d6+5); or bite +35 melee (1d8+10/19-20) and 2 claws +33 melee (1d6+5) and tail +33 melee (1d8+5 plus constrict)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Bleeding wounds, constrict 1d8+15, fear, improved grab, rake, spell-like abilities, summon baatezu
Special Qualities: Alternate form, damage reduction 20/good and silver, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to fire and poison, regeneration 5, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, see in darkness, SR 34, telepathy 100 ft, tongues, unnatural aura
Saves: Fort +24, Ref +19, Will +23
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 17, Con 26, Int 24, Wis 25, Cha 37
Skills: Appraise +17, Bluff +42, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +50, Disguise +42 (+44 acting), Escape Artist +8, Gather Information +33, Hide +13, Intimidate +44, Jump +25, Knowledge (arcana) +36, Knowledge (history) +27, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +31, Knowledge (religion) +36, Knowledge (the planes) +36, Listen +20, Move Silently +13, Perform (acting) +42, Search +17, Sense Motive +38, Spellcraft +19, Spot +20, Survival +7 (+9 other planes, +9 following tracks), Use Rope +3 (+5 bindings)
Feats: Combat Expertise, Dark Speech, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Negotiator, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (fire shield), Two-Weapon Fighting, Vile Natural Attack (gore)
Environment: The Nine Hells of Baator
Organization: Solitary (plus 1d6 abishai of assorted colors)
Challenge Rating: 21
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Lawful evil
Advancement: ---
Level Adjustment: ---
This otherwise handsome, dark-robed humanoid figure has the head of a fearsome bird of prey where a human head should be. His beak is long and curved somewhat, like that of a hummingbird’s, and his sickly green eyes stare out with confidence and malice. He deftly wields a weapon in each hand.
Amduscias is a duke in the service of Tiamat, and leads 29 companies of abishai. He is famous for his long memory, and almost as well known for his cunning strategies. He has also earned the moniker “Reconciliator of Foes,” by being a skillful actor and negotiator. Tiamat often employs him to mediate disputes between devils and dragons.
Amduscias usually appears as a 9-foot tall hawk-headed man wearing dark red or black robes, and never wears armor. He can also change into two distinct forms. He can resemble a dirty-yellow unicorn with eyes of flame, and a purple horn that causes terrible bleeding. He can bolt from a standing start, and some say that whenever horses spook or gallop uncontrollably, Amduscias has affected them. He also likes to take the form of a dire wolf with a prehensile tail like that of a serpent.
Amduscias speaks Celestial, Common, Draconic, and Infernal.
COMBAT
Amduscias prefers to fight in his wolf form. He can use all of his attacks on as many targets as he wishes. One favorite tactic is to constrict a foe with his tail and immerse the victim in water to drown, batter the victim against a rock, or use whatever advantage he can gain with the tail. In human form, he dual-wields two small weapons of his choice (such as daggers or darts), and likes to point at a victim to affect with his fear ability. One of his favored weapons is a wounding dagger that resembles the horn from his unicorn form.
An opponent can attack Amduscias’s tail with a sunder attempt as if it were a weapon. Amduscias’s tail has 15 hit points. If Amduscias is currently grappling a target with the tail, he usually uses another limb to make his attack of opportunity against the opponent making the sunder attempt. Severing Amduscias’s tail deals 7 points of damage to Amduscias.
Amduscias's natural weapons, as well as any weapons he wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Bleeding Wounds (Ex): A wound from Amduscias's gore attack continues to bleed after the injury was inflicted. Each wound bleeds for 1 point of damage per round thereafter. Multiple gore wounds result in cumulative bleeding loss (two wounds deal 2 points of damage per round, and so on). The bleeding can be stopped only by a successful DC 15 Heal check or the application of any cure spell or other healing spell (heal, mass heal, and so on).
Constrict (Ex): Amduscias deals 1d8+15 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Fear (Su): As a swift action, Amduscias can frighten a creature within 30 feet. The affected creature must succeed on a DC 36 Will save or be frightened for 2d6 rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Amduscias must hit with his tail attack. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold and can constrict.
Rake (Ex): Wolf form only; attack bonus +33 melee, damage 1d6+5.
Spell-Like Abilities: (Caster level 20th)
At will - charm monster (DC 27), discern lies, dispel magic, faerie fire, fire shield (either version), greater teleport, locate object, produce flame, pyrotechnics, read magic, see invisibility, suggestion (DC 26), telekinesis (DC 28);
3/day - quickened fire shield (either version);
1/day - dominate monster (DC 32), symbol of stunning (DC 30).
Summon Baatezu (Sp): Twice per day, Amduscias can summon 4d6 abishai (of any color) or 2d6 erinyes automatically, or one aspect of Tiamat (see Dragon Magic page 110) with a 70% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of an 8th-level spell (CL 20th).
Alternate Form (Su): Amduscias can shift between his humanoid, unicorn, and wolf forms as a standard action. In humanoid form, he cannot use his bleeding wounds, constrict, improved grab, or rake abilities, but he can use his slams and bite attack and can use weapons.
In unicorn form, he cannot use his constrict, improved grab, or rake abilities or make slam, bite, or weapon attacks, but he can use his horn and hoof attacks, his speed is 60 feet (12 squares), and he can use his bolt ability.
In wolf form he cannot use his bleeding wounds ability, make slam attacks or use weapons, but he can use his constrict, improved grab, and rake abilities, his speed is 50 feet (10 squares), and he gains low-light vision, scent, and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.
Amduscias remains in one form until he chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does Amduscias revert to any particular form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals all forms simultaneously.
Bolt (Ex): When in his unicorn form, Amduscias can run as a move action, rather than a full-round action.
Regeneration (Ex): Good weapons, and spells and effects with the good descriptor, deal normal damage to Amduscias. If Amduscias loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 1d6 minutes. Amduscias can reaattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.
See in Darkness (Su): All baatezu can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
Tongues (Su): Amduscias can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.
Unnatural Aura (Su): Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of Amduscias at a distance of 30 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so; they remain panicked as long as they are within that range.
Originally found in Dragon Magazine #75 ("The Nine Hells Part I," July 1983, Ed Greenwood).
