Converting the Dukes of Hell

[Aspect of BOZ]

would Dex 17 (taking 2 from Con) be too much?

 

[Shade]

Looks good. I would Disagree with the higher Dex. A higher Dex goes against the "average Dexterity" line in the original writeup. 15 is high enough for TWF, and he probably doesn't need improved or greater. If he does, we can give them as bonus feats. Remember, he prefers to fight in wolf form, and TWF is not useful in that form.

I'm fine with that.

My feat suggestions: Combat Expertise, Dark Speech, Improved Initiative, Negotiator, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (fire shield), Two-Weapon Fighting, Vile Natural Attack (Unicorn Horn), and Weapon Focus (Wolf Bite)

Leaves one more feat slot open.

That looks pretty good. I'd add Multiattack and replace Weapon Focus with Improved Critical (bite). Speaking of which, is there a precedence on taking feats that focus on bite, when more than one unique bite attack is possessed by the creature? I'm wondering whether we need to specify "wolf bite", or if such feats would carry over into his "bird bite".

 

[Shade]

would Dex 17 (taking 2 from Con) be too much?

Probably not. It's still "average" by devil standards.

 

[Shade]

Amduscias prefers to fight in wolf form; his movement rate is 18”, and he attacks with two raking foreclaws and his jaws, or his hind claws and tail. If in a position to do so, he can use all six of these attacks in a round, against as many targets. The claws do 3-12 damage each, the jaws 1-20, and the tail 1-10 constriction damage per round plus additional damage if Amduscias uses it to immerse a held victim in water, batter a victim against a rock, etc. The tail will loosen its grip if it is severed, or if it is dealt 17 points of damage in any single round or 26 points of damage over a succession of rounds.

Large
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Attack: Bite +11 melee (1d8+10)
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 15, Con 17
Trip (Ex): A dire wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+11 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf.
Skills: A dire wolf has a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
*It also has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent.

Comparing the two, I think we can probably drop the trip ability and replace it with improved grab and constrict for the tail. I think a rake ability makes more sense than having hindclaw attacks.

Do we want to keep the severing bit? We could work it like the kraken's tentacles. He does have regeneration, so he can simply hold his severed tail to the stump for instant reattachment.

 

[Shade]

Which of the common spell-like abilities should we add?

All have...
At will—dispel magic/greater dispel magic, greater teleport;

Most have:
At will—charm monster, major image, see invisibility/true seeing, suggestion, wall of fire;

Many have:
At will—fireball, wall of fire;
Unholy aura (3/day or 1/day)

Others used more than once: dominate person, dominate monster, fire storm, geas/quest, hellfire storm, hold monster, locate creature, locate object, meteor swarm, polymorph, scrying/greater scrying, unholy blight

He's got dispel magic and see invisibility covered.

He definitely needs greater teleport.

As a great negotiator, he could use charm monster and suggestion.

Some others that seem appropriate: dominate person, dominate monster, geas/quest, locate creature, scrying/greater scrying

 

[Shade]

Suggested skills based on the common list we generated earlier:

Appraise = mid ranks
Bluff = max ranks
Concentration = mid to high ranks
Diplomacy = max ranks
Disguise = high ranks
Escape Artist = few ranks
Gather Information = mid to high ranks
Hide = mid ranks
Intimidate = high to max ranks
Jump = mid to high ranks
Knowledge (arcana) = high ranks
Knowledge (history) = high to max ranks
Knowledge (nobility and royalty) = max ranks
Knowledge (religion) = max ranks (he does serve Tiamat, after all )
Knowledge (the planes) = max ranks
Listen = high to max ranks
Move Silently = mid ranks
Search = mid to high ranks
Sense Motive = max ranks
Spellcraft = high ranks
Spot = high to max ranks
Survival = synergy only
Use Rope = synergy only

 

[Gothenem]

Hmmm, skills look good. A 17 Dex isn't too far out there for This guy, that seems ok.

I think Improved crit (bite) would work for all bite attacks, regardless of whether it is "wolf bite" or "bird bite"

I agree Multiattack and change Focus to Improved Crit.

As for SLA's, Maybe improve Dispel to Greater Dispel

Add Greater Teleport, Charm Monster, Major Image, Suggestion

3/day Dominate Monster and Unholy Aura

??

 

[Gothenem]

For skills, Seems ok to me. I agree with the Knowledge (religion)...

For Summon Devils though ... 1d3 abishai (any color) seems a bit weak for an Archduke of hell.

Maybe 1d6 abishai (any color) or 1 ((Possibly Spawn of Tiamat or some other Tiamat-friendly devil))

 

[Shade]

I think Improved crit (bite) would work for all bite attacks, regardless of whether it is "wolf bite" or "bird bite"

I kinda thought (and hoped) it worked that way.

As for SLA's, Maybe improve Dispel to Greater Dispel

Add Greater Teleport, Charm Monster, Major Image, Suggestion

3/day Dominate Monster and Unholy Aura

Those look good to me.

For Summon Devils though ... 1d3 abishai (any color) seems a bit weak for an Archduke of hell.

Maybe 1d6 abishai (any color) or 1 ((Possibly Spawn of Tiamat or some other Tiamat-friendly devil))

It's not too bad...according to FCII, a blue abishai is summon monster VII, and a red can only be called with planar ally. Still, I think bumping it to 1d6 is fine (even the CR 8 red abishai can get 3 blues).

Technically, we can't use the spawn of Tiamat for summoning purposes since they aren't extraplanar. Besides, they kinda suck.

Summoning a lesser aspect of Tiamat with a slim percentage might work, though.

 

[Shroomy]

I think that both dukes that serve Tiamat should be able to summon fiendish chromatic dragons.