I have lots of scattered notes and ideas regarding the celestial host, and I'm starting to collate them into some kind of coherent form. I'll start in the middle, as usual.
Flames
The esoteric celestial order of Flames represents the divine agency of Oronthon as transmitted to mortals and celestials alike. They 'ignite' mortals and celestials with divine faculties, but do not otherwise intervene in earthly affairs; their incorporeality and invisibility means that they are only ever indirectly perceived.
Flames are the phenomenal sparks of the Empyrean medium, and are fundamentally divine in nature. They represent a more abstract, 'higher' order of vibrational energy than Orthodox celestials: in many ways, they are best understood as aspects of Oronthon himself; Flames are formless, and always act in perfect accordance with Oronthon's will. Their numbers cannot be counted. A Flame is primarily benign, and does not gravitate toward structure or concepts of order.
Most divinities have 20 outsider Hit Dice: a kernel of native godhood. Proxies, magnified representatives of deities, and ascended mortals do not benefit from these outsider levels. If still larger sparks of divine energy exist, then perhaps Flames also represent these.
An (advanced, exalted, divine array, incorporeal, perfect) throne archon serves very loosely as the basis upon which the Flame is built.
Flame
NG Huge Outsider (Extraplanar, Fire, Good, Incorporeal)
DvR 1+
Hit Dice: 40d8+1000 (1320hp)
Initiative: +32
Speed: Fly 600 ft. (perfect); rapid translocation
Armor Class: 121 (-2 size, +33 deflection, +24 Dex, +1 Divine, +35 insight, +20 sacred); touch 121, flat-footed 97
Base Attack/Grapple: +40/-
Attack: +101 melee (4d6+59/19-20,
+10 brilliant energy fiery blast ghost touch greatsword)
Full Attack: +101/+96/+91/+86 melee (4d6+69/19-20,
+10 brilliant energy fiery blast ghost touch greatsword)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Alter Reality, Shadow of Oronthon
Special Qualities: Attunement, blindsight, darkvision, DR 30/epic and evil, fast healing 20, flaming brand, immunities (ability damage, ability drain, acid,
blasphemy, cold, death effects, disintegration, electricity, energy drain, fear, fire, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, petrification, poison, polymorph, sleep, sonic effects, stunning,
word of chaos), inscrutability, low-light vision, sacred perfection, salient divine abilities, SR 85
Saves: Fort +74, Ref +73, Will +84
Abilities: Str -, Dex 58, Con 61, Int 64, Wis 81, Cha 77
Skills: Appraise +91 (+95 related craft skills), Balance +91, Concentration +89, Craft (any 9) +91, Decipher Script +91, Diplomacy +107, Gather Information +97, Handle Animal +97, Heal +99, Intimidate +107, Knowledge (arcana) +91, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +91, Knowledge (geography) +91, Knowledge (history) +91, Knowledge (nature) +95, Knowledge (nobility) +91, Knowledge (religion) +91, Knowledge (the planes) +91, Listen +101, Perform (oratory) +97, Perform (sing) +97, Search +91, Sense Motive +122, Spellcraft +95, Spot +101, Survival +99 (+108 on other planes), Tumble +87
Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Epic Fortitude, Epic Reflexes, Epic Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Epic Will, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Superior Initiative
Challenge Rating: 60
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral Good
Advancement: 41-150HD; a Flame gains 1 additional divine rank for every 10 Hit Dice it advances.
Alter Reality (SDA): A Flame may replicate any spell of 9th-level or lower, or any spell with metamagic enhancements with an adjusted level of 9th-level or lower. This ability is similar to the
wish spell. The Flame merely thinks of something and then makes it so. Doing this requires at least a standard action. The duplicated spell has no components, and the DC of its saving throw (if one is allowed) is 54. Caster Level 41st, where appropriate.
Amorphous (Ex): A Flame has no discernable anatomy and is not subject to critical hits or flanking.
Attunement (Sp): A Flame may
commune at will as a swift action. Caster Level 41st.
Divine Aura (Ex): A Flame can emanate a divine aura with a radius of 10 feet which bestows
daze, fright or
resolve upon mortals (Will DC 64 negates). This is a mind-affecting effect. The Save DC is Charisma-based
Divine Senses (Ex): A Flame can see, hear, touch and smell at a distance of 1 mile; its low-light vision, darkvision, blindsight and
true seeing ability also extend to this range. As a standard action it can perceive anything within 1 mile of any worshipper of Oronthon, or any holy sites, objects or any locations where Oronthon's name was spoken in the last hour. It can extend its senses to up to two locations at once. It can block the sensing power of entities of its divine rank or lower at up to two remote locations at once for 1 hour. It can speak directly to creatures within one mile.
Flaming Brand (Su): For the purpose of attacks, a Flame typically manifests a
+10 brilliant energy fiery blast ghost touch greatsword. Manifesting the weapon is a free action. The flaming brand is a purely metaphysical extension of the Flame itself: the Flame uses its Charisma modifier in place of its Strength modifier for the purpose of determining its attacks and damage. The brand cannot be dispelled or separated from the Flame; if somehow suppressed or destroyed, the Flame can manifest the weapon again as a free action on its turn.
Invest Mortal (SDA): As a standard action, a Flame may temporarily surrender its divine rank to bestow any of the following conditions upon a willing mortal it can sense: one divine rank, sainthood, quasi-deific status, or the half-celestial template. A Flame may only invest one mortal at any given time, but a Flame with more than 1 divine rank may bestow multiple conditions and divine ranks, provided it possesses enough divine ranks itself. A Flame which has surrendered itself in this way essentially sublimates itself in the host and cannot use its abilities: if the mortal is slain, the Flame is automatically liberated. The Flame may end the investiture at any time as a free acton.
Incorporeal Subtype (Ex): A Flame gains the usual benefits associated with the incorporeal subtype. It has a 50% chance of ignoring damage from any corporeal source (except for
ghost touch weapons, positive or negative energy or force effects). It moves silently and cannot be heard with Listen checks.
Inscrutability (Ex): Flames are truly invisible in their natural form, and their presence cannot be detected or inferred with spells or effects which reveal invisible creatures, such as
see invisibility, invisibility purge or
true seeing. Moreover, no other divination spell reveals any information regarding the Flame except
detect good, which reads an overwhelming aura consistent with a powerful good outsider.
Limitless Reservoir (Ex): For the purposes of its Alter Reality SDA, a Flame has an unlimited XP cushion.
Rapid Translocation (Su): A Flame may move between any two points (even across planes) as a move action, regardless of their separation or the Flame's familiarity with its destination.
Sacred Perfection (Ex): A Flame gains a +20 sacred bonus to its armor class, attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks.
Selfless Divinity (Ex): A Flame has 1 or more divine ranks and gains most typical attendant benefits except for the following: a Flame has no portfolio or domains, has no portfolio sense or automatic action ability, cannot create magic items without the requisite item feat. and cannot use domain powers or domain spells as spell-like abilities. A Flame has no godly realm, no worshippers, and does not bestow spells.
Shadow of Oronthon (Su): A Flame may make its presence known by emanating one or more of the following effects. Each emanation has a radius of between 5ft. and 100ft. centered on the celestial: the flame chooses the size of the effect. The Flame may activate or suppress as few or as many emanations as it chooses a free action:
- Brilliance: A Flame can radiate light equal to full daylight; this effect automatically counters and dispels all darkness and illusion effects of 9th-level or lower. Evil creatures within the area of the briliance suffer a –4 morale penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks and saving throws; good creatures within the aura are immune to fear effects and gain Fast Healing 20. Undead and other creatures who are normally vulnerable to sunlight suffer its full effects whilst in the celestial's light.
- Divine Fire: A Flame may shroud itself in an inferno which deals 30d6 points of fire damage and 30d6 points of divine damage per round (Ref half, DC 64); the divine energy is not subject to resistances or immunities. The Save DC is Charisma-based.
- Divine Sonority: The extreme holiness of the flame may be apprehended as a palpable sound. Each round, on the Flame's turn, nongood creatures within the radius are subject to a power equivalent to a holy word (Will DC 64). Caster Level 41. The Save DC is Charisma-based. This is a sonic effect.
True Seeing (Su): This ability is always active to the limit of the Flame's vision.
Skills: A Flame receives a +8 racial bonus to Sense Motive and Intimidate checks.
