Dreadwail, Cataboligne Corruptor (my players stay out!!!)

Hi all...

This is a NPC for my campaign, a cataboligne demon (updated to 3.0 in Dragon 295, updated to 3.5 by me here, with 2 levels of the Fiend of Corruption PrC from the Fiend Folio.
Dreadwail deligts most of all in bringing humanoid races into conflict with each other, especially humans and elves. She is currently bound in a cave deep within the Hogara Mountains, but was found recently by an evil elven ranger who she has convinced to start a group designed to drive humans out of the area. The ranger doesn't know she's a demon, as she appeared to him in an alternate form, but he does know she is bound and wishs to help her escape - something that cannot be achieved while humans live among the elves.

The PCs encounted her last night far ahead of when I planned for them to do so), but she appeared to them as an elderly but beutiful elven woman, and told them that the wizard who bound her did so to convince her to marry him. They have no idea what is going on.

Anyway, let me know what you think of Dreadwail. I'd like to give her some kind of sonic attack, but I don't want to bump the CR up really, as the PCs are still only 7th level, so I want them to be about 10th, or at least 9th when they face her. I was thinking of making the name ironic ang giving her a siren's song (from the MM2that she can use to make extra suggestions. Any feedback would be much appreciated!
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Dreadwail, Cataboligne Corruptor
Female Cataboligne Fiend of Corruption 2; CR 14; Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar); 12d8+72 plus 2d6+12; HP 139; Init +8; Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft. (average); AC: 30 (-1 size, +4 dex, +14 natural, +3 deflection), touch 13, flat-footed 26; Attack: +21 melee (2d6+7 +1 cursespewing, human band large longsword); Grapple: +20; Full attack: +21/+16/+11 melee (2d6+7 +1 cursespewing, human band large longsword); Face/Reach 10ft. x10ft./10ft.; SA Spell-like abilities, suggestion; SQ Blindsight 60 ft., damage reduction 10/good or cold iron, immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, regeneration 5, spell resistance 23, alternate form, fiend’s favour, mind shielding; AL CE; SV Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +13; Str 22, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 18, Wis 16, Cha 22.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +23, Climb +21, Concentration +21, Disguise +23, Hide +15, Jump +21, Listen +22, Search +21, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +19, Spot +22, Tumble +21; Combat reflexes, Improved initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Alertness.

Spell-like Abilities (Sp): At will – cause fear (DC 17), charm person (DC 17), darkness, disguise self, dispel magic, hallucinatory terrain (DC 20), hold person (DC 19), levitate, mage armour, magic missile, minor image (DC 18). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Regeneration (Ex): Cataboligne demons take normal damage from cold iron weapons, good-aligned weapons, and spells or effects with the good descriptor.

Alternate form (Su): Dreadwail has the ability to assume any humanoid form of small to large as a standard action. This ability is similar to the polymorph spell but only allows humanoid forms. While using this ability Dreadwail gains +10 on disguise checks.

Fiend’s favour (Su): Once per day, Dreadwail can grant a touched creature a +3 bonus to one of the creature’s ability scores. This bonus stacks with any other bonus the creature may already have, and lasts for one day. When the effect expires, the creature takes a –3 penalty to the same ability score for the next day. Another application not only negates the penalty, but restores the full bonus.

Suggestion (Sp): Dreadwail has the ability to use suggestion three times per day. The saving throw DC is 20, as if Dreadwail had Spell Focus (Enchantment). This spell-like ability is at caster level 2nd. If the target of this ability is under the influence of a charm person cast by the fiend, she takes a –2 penalty on her saving throw.

Mind shielding (Su): Dreadwail has complete immunity to detect thoughts, discern lies and any attempt to magically discern her alignment.

Possessions: +2cursespewing human bane large longsword, ring of protection +3, broach of shielding, vacuous grimore.

Olive said:

Hi all...

This is a NPC for my campaign, a cataboligne demon (updated to 3.0 in Dragon 295, updated to 3.5 by me here, with 2 levels of the Fiend of Corruption PrC from the Fiend Folio.

Click to expand...

Cataboligne, huh? I hadn't realized that this monster had been "officially" updated to 3.0. Very cool. IIRC, the cataboligne first appears in Gary Gygax's novel Saga of Old City, but I believe he left TSR before the AD&D stats were ever published. The demon (or a pretty close likeness) then pops up as a "Blue Demon" in the Necropolis adventure for Gygax's Dangerous Journeys RPG. The blue demon then got converted to 3.0 in Necromancer's version of Necropolis.

So I'm already sold and I've just read the monster type. As far as adding a song of suggestions ability, it seems like it would work well with her concept, and I don't think it would affect the CR significantly. Let's look at the numbers.

The Monster Handbook would peg the ability to use suggestion (3rd level spell) as a spell-like ability as the equivalent to adding a CR 2 monster to an encounter with Dreadwail. This alone isn't enough to move her CR up to 15. Making the ability a song (supernatural ability) adds another +1, as would making the ability usable at will, for a total ability CR of 4 -- still not enough to move her CR to 15. That seems a little too cheap for an at-will ability, but then again, how many times is she going to get a chance to use this in an average encounter?

That said, I think she'll be very dangerous even for a bunch of 10th level PCs, much less anything lower. The good thing about this monster concept (as I just found out in my own game), at least, is that even if the PCs do meet her ahead of schedule, she's got enough non-lethal tricks that give you an out to avoid a total party kill.

Garnfellow said:

Cataboligne, huh? I hadn't realized that this monster had been "officially" updated to 3.0. Very cool. IIRC, the cataboligne first appears in Gary Gygax's novel Saga of Old City, but I believe he left TSR before the AD&D stats were ever published. The demon (or a pretty close likeness) then pops up as a "Blue Demon" in the Necropolis adventure for Gygax's Dangerous Journeys RPG. The blue demon then got converted to 3.0 in Necromancer's version of Necropolis.

Click to expand...

That was a Gord the Rogue novel right? Cos I read one of those when I was 7 and remember this demon very well. My 3.5ed version is linked to obviously. I beefed up HD, soem stats and lowered resistances as per other 3.5ing of monsters.

The Monster Handbook would peg the ability to use suggestion (3rd level spell) as a spell-like ability as the equivalent to adding a CR 2 monster to an encounter with Dreadwail. This alone isn't enough to move her CR up to 15. Making the ability a song (supernatural ability) adds another +1, as would making the ability usable at will, for a total ability CR of 4 -- still not enough to move her CR to 15. That seems a little too cheap for an at-will ability, but then again, how many times is she going to get a chance to use this in an average encounter?

Click to expand...

Fair enough. I guess I'll add that in then.

That said, I think she'll be very dangerous even for a bunch of 10th level PCs, much less anything lower. The good thing about this monster concept (as I just found out in my own game), at least, is that even if the PCs do meet her ahead of schedule, she's got enough non-lethal tricks that give you an out to avoid a total party kill.

Click to expand...

Indeed. The PCs did actually meet her, and their only 7th level right now. Stupid scry. Anyway, currently they are just confused as hell, as they have no idea what she is, and she didn't detect as evil So hopefully I can string them along for another month or two while they gain levels, then hand them their asses but let them get away (she's bound to a hedged prision after all) so they know to wait a while longer again.