# The Explicatae Incompositae - Being A Bestairy of the Sometime Lords of Chaos



## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

Part the First: Introduction

I will now undertake to do something which I know to be foolish – provide for the reader a summary and overview of the race which is most commonly called ‘Slaad’ amongst the learned.  There is much that is said regarding this race which is sheer poppycock and nonsense.  This is hardly surprising, because in many ways the Slaad are the most nonsensical of all races of beings.  The Slaad are truly random functions.  Therefore any attempt to explain trends, to categorize, to generalize, or to make blanket statements is foredoomed to failure – including this one.  

	Nonetheless, since even saying that a function is random tells us something about its behavior which is predictable – namely that it is unpredictable – that we did not know before, I will risk joining my name to those illustrious scholars that have tread on these foolish paths before.

	When reading any description of the Slaad one must first realize that any observation of Slaad behavior is immediately wrong.  Slaad are not modrons.  If you observe a Slaad doing something in a situation, there is simply no knowing whether a different Slaad in a different situation will do the same thing and in fact your best bet is to assume that in fact that every observation you have made is meaningless.  If you don’t, you run the risk of making really foolish assumptions, for example, that the Slaad have a strict hierarchy.  In fact, the Slaad have many strict hierarchies which they interchange and discard at random, which – as in so many other things regarding the Slaad – calls into question the definition of the word ‘strict’ or any other word that we might apply to them.  For example, while I’ve said that the Slaad are random and this is strictly true, it is also true that they observe from time to time consistent patterns of behavior.  It’s just that they engage in and discard these patterns of behavior randomly and unpredictably for no more reason than what might be called a whim.  For example, there is no doubt in my mind that on occasion some scholar has observed the Slaad lining up one after the other to engage a foe in single combat.  However, readers would be best advised not to expect this to occur.  It might.  Then in again, it might not.

	To understand the slaad, it is best to understand what they are not and in understanding what they are not come to understand what little constancy we may observe in them.  To begin with, slaad are not mindless engines of destruction.  While it’s true that they arise out of mindlessness, the Slaad are not themselves mindless by necessity.  They are agents of chaos, and as agents of chaos they are both creative and destructive just as chaos is both creative and destructive.  The slaad are the embodiment of the destructive aspect of chaos but they are not mindless in their destructiveness.  If they were, they would be agents of pure evil delighting in destruction for destructiveness’ sake.  But the Slaad are not purveyors of nihilism however much meaninglessness they find in all things, but rather artists of destruction which use destruction as the means toward renewal and creativity.  To the slaad way of thinking, if we may use such a phrase, destruction is beautiful not because it creates a void or pain or an absence, but because it is the harbinger of change and the enemy of stasis.  A slaad delights in the rebirth as much as the destruction.  In fact, in their own fashion, the slaad are beings of pure joy and if they could understand that they caused pain would be quite bewildered and perhaps unhappy to discover it.  It is ultimately stasis, and perhaps only stasis, which is antithetical and hateful to the slaad, and it is the destruction of stasis that is their one true and universal motivation.  It is impossible for a slaad to understand why anyone or thing should oppose such a great, and to a slaad, self-evidently good goal.  

Then again, it’s impossible for a slaad to understand that anyone but that individual slaad actually exists and is not in fact a figment of their abundant imagination.

With this in mind it ought to be easy to understand that the Slaad are not the demonic fiends they are so often confused with.  True, to someone who is in their way, the differences may seem to be putting too fine a point on it, as they are every bit as destructive as any force in the universe when they put their minds to it.  But, the relative lack of influence the slaad have in mortal affairs compared to say demons or devils can be easily understood as the outcome of the slaad’s different motivations. Unlike either demons or devils, the Slaad have no desire to conquer or rule over anything, nor do they have any particular interest in being served or worshiped.  As soon as something is thrown into disarray, they lose any interest in destroying it and disappear from its domain as quickly and mysteriously as they entered it.  Unlike the demons, who never take real joy in anything but are rather beings of pain and rage whose only motivation is to extend that pain and rage to others, the Slaad have little real interest in other beings at all.  In fact, the Slaad are generally amused by living things and find that above all other things in the universe, the ever changing and growing part of the universe we call alive deserves to continue existing.  Many people are surprised to discover that the Slaad bear nearly as great an enmity to undead as the most devout Paladin – though perhaps for quite different reasons.  It is only when living things try to hinder the universe from changing and grow so powerful as to be effectual in this desire that Slaad are truly put off.

For this reason, a slaad would never trample a flower, but rather would be inspired by its beauty.  Not because of any loveliness of form, but rather because it is such a transitory and ephemeral thing.  With so many rocks to crush in the world, a slaad would see someone that went out of his way to trample flowers as being as deranged as you or I would.  But lest we grow too fond of these creatures remember that if the thought occurs to them, the average red slaad will set fire to an orphanage simply because they find the leaping ever changing flames more beautiful than anything that’s within the walls and it would be quite outside their ability to notice that they were destroying other beings, or if noticing to care.  Fortunately, the brighter slaad tend to recognize that living creatures are more interesting alive than dead.

So on the whole, we may say that a traveler in the outer planes need not fear the Slaad any more than he fears a modron, and perhaps less, because there are no rules to break and thereby give offense.  The slaad are not immoral beings and are no more likely to be an inconvenience to a traveler when approached on their terms than any other incarnate idea.  Indeed, on rare occasions the slaad can even be said to be quite helpful, especially to a like minded being that amuses them.  That being said, no traveler should devise a plan of action that depends on slaad behavior, for they seem to have a powerful sixth sense which enables them to know when someone expects them to act in a particular way and therefore they are sure to perversely act in the opposite fashion.

	The origins of the slaad are lost in the depths of time, and unlike some of the other races they make no stories or histories so it is probably forever hidden from mortal understanding just how they came about.  Those races inclined to make records prefer not to even think about the slaad.  The following should therefore be considered shear wild speculation and guesses on the part of a learned fool.  I think therefore it is probably more likely to be correct than any thing else except perhaps the babblings of a mad man.  (Unfortunately, the best educated mad man I could find who might have known something on the subject must have known my intentions, because he shut up as soon as I began to scribble his rantings down.)  It is my belief that in the early primal formlessness of Limbo, as the chaotic soup first began to eject from its substanceless expanse shadowy dreamlike things which were its first acts of creation, that there were (inevitably) impulses within these which by virtue of having form lost a certain degree of pure chaos, and which could be categorized therefore as being like or unlike to this other thing or the other.  These first impulses, while still very chaotic indeed being just one step removed from pure chaos itself, nonetheless had in their substance certain trends and commonalities between them.  They had as it were a purpose.  Some of these purposes were largely creative in nature, for example, the impulse to create new and wonderful things.  But since a purely creative impulse would not be chaotic, they were balanced by impulses which were largely destructive in nature which would ensure that the universe would have in it always room for new things, new experiences, and new acts of creation.

	At least some of the more destructive of these early primal impulses became embodied as the first Slaad Lords.  They are in fact something less than a being and something more than a force of nature.  For reasons which I’m about to describe, it is not known and probably never will be known for certain how many of these Slaad lords exist.  For one thing, the number is I have little doubt always in a state of flux as old Slaad Lords disappear and new ones appear, or as existing Slaad Lords merge or divide as suits them (or more precisely, as suits the chaotic impulse which drives and existantiates them).  Although they seldom are recorded in mortal histories, the number of Slaad lords is – going by the names which are recorded – in fact very great: far greater than is commonly believed.  Those Slaad Lords that are most commonly described in learned tomes on the matter – Ygorl, Ssendam, and a few others - are probably only those few Slaad Lords whose existence may be described as enduring on a mortal scale and which have dabbled in mortal affairs.  But even in these cases we cannot be completely certain whether or not we are discussing the same entity, or whether we are describing a succession of entities each of which has born for reasons of its own the same name.

	It is in fact the matter of names which makes the discussion of Slaad Lords so fraught with difficulty.  As best as I or anyone else has been able to tell, slaad are unique among sentient free-willed beings in that they have no discoverable True Name – not even the seemingly unique and individual ones.  It is therefore impossible to know with certainty whether any two beings are the same one in different forms, or whether any creature with the same form encountered twice is not in fact two different beings.  The slaad give no permanent names to themselves; identifying themselves on one occasion by one name and then shedding the name like used clothing and using a wholly different one on a new occasion.  Even names such as Ygorl or Ssendam are merely names given to the beings in question (if but one being they are) by history or scholars which have continued in use for a long period.  This confusion exceeds the difficulty in enumerating the Gods, as not only any number of different names may be found which used to refer to the same being, or which at least appears to be the same being, but the Slaad have no real unease with being misidentified and come and go from history with far greater frequency.  Despite the seemingly infinite variation, all names which Slaad give to themselves mean in fact the same thing - ‘me’. And likewise, all names which they give to other Slaad are singularly unhelpful variations on the theme of ‘it’.

	It is my contention though that there are a finite number of these animating impulses from which the Slaad race is derived, and that these impulses are eternal even if the individual beings they give rise to are not.  Therefore, despite the difficulties created by the Slaad Lords lack of actually useful names and consequent or attendant lack of true permanent forms, it is possible to roughly enumerate the major Slaad Lords by paying careful attention to the particular impulses which they incarnate.  

	The attentive reader may have surmised from my description thus far that the Slaad lords, while by no means immortal, are nonetheless in their own fashion indestructible or at least as indestructible as the chaotic impulses which animate them.  There is some evidence in the texts that whenever the physical form of a Slaad lord is destroyed, one of the greater Slaad begins to transform into a new Slaad lord embodying the newly liberated impulse and often one which is similar to if not quite identical to the newly destroyed Slaad Lord.  This is without question what happens in the case of a lesser Slaad slaying a Slaad Lord.  There is even some indication in the texts that any being so rash and so potent as to destroy a Slaad Lord risks being caught up in this strange transformation process and, losing much of his former identity, ultimately turns into the destroyed Slaad Lord or at least a being quite like it.

	This fact, if fact it is, gives us one further key to unlocking the mysteries of the Slaad Lords.  For it is hardly surprising that the Slaad Lords should have such a great proliferation of names and forms if in fact they are, or at least many of them are, an endless procession beings arising to perform the same general function while still retaining some measure of individuality in the performance of the role.  Similarly, this procession of identities is to the traveler which enjoys good relations with the Slaad yet another fact which should promote caution.  For there is no knowing not just whether a given Slaad Lords mood and demeanor toward the traveler will change from moment to moment, but whether any given Slaad Lord which is encountered again at a latter point is even in fact the same individual at all and which might possess a character totally foreign to ones prior experience with the same apparent entity. 

	The Slaad Lords do not associate with each other, and never act in concert except in the face of a direct threat to the whole of Limbo or their race.  They form no alliances or special friendships with each other or any other being, but there is a particular animosity between certain of the lords which may be put down to competing impulses. Naturally, the mere existence of the slaad is held to be an abomination by the lawfully aligned, and they likewise hold in contempt lawful beings of every sort.  

	A great number of scholars become fixated on what slaad appear to be.  Correctly speaking, I can only describe what this slaad can be expected to appear like.  If you have been following along, you should already realize this is likely to be the most unreliable of guides.  The slaad as a race in the historical record have been described in many different ways.  There current ‘toad’ phase is likely only to be a passing fad, and it is possible to find many lesser Slaad in rebellion to this current racial archetype wearing daring suggestions and alternatives like salamander, parakeet, hippo, chimpanzee, jackal or some hybrid thing which isn’t quite any of the above.  This is true to an even greater extent of the Slaad Lords.  Some scholars have wasted a great deal of words arguing over whether this Slaad Lord or the other is male or female.  This greatly misses the point.  The Slaad Lords are either male or female or neither or both.  To them gender - and as often as not anything else about their bodies or minds - is something as impermanent and as artificially constructed as anything else in their existence.

	That is about enough to go on for now.  Should I continue with generalizing, I will be without a doubt misleading the reader further.  The Slaad Lords are best described as individuals, not as collections.  To this end, I will now endeavor to catalogue and describe the known Slaad Lords taking care to focus on the more obscure ones which are seldom mentioned elsewhere.  Of the eighteen Slaad Lords, four – Ygorl, Ssendam, Chourst, and Renbou - are described adequately elsewhere in well known compendiums and any reader reading this dusty tome will likely have knowledge of them from those works.  Of the other fourteen I plan to present, four of them I have directly observed and are to the best of my knowledge currently existing as of the writing of this tome.  (If you reading this tome more than a few decades hence you can assume that all the knowledge herein is already out of date.)  The remaining entries I have pieced together from bits of obscure lore and historical records.  While I’m more or less convinced that each of these ten existed in the form described at one time or another, I cannot say with any degree of certainty whether they still exist or if they do exist whether the description I’ve provided is anything like the truth.  This compendium, extensive as it may seem, is by necessity both incomplete and erroneous.  In fact, it may be that some of the beings which I left out as too improbable and whose existence is too unsubstantiated, for example Nurster the Lord of Error or Jelicol the Lord of Flowers, are real and the whole catalog I’ve compiled are mere madman’s fantasies.  Or perhaps they were real and are no more.  Only the madman knows for sure, and he’s not telling.  

I would advise the student of the planes to refrain from attempting to establish or contradict any of the facts herein because of the very real danger involved, but – should by chance the reader encounter any of the beings described herein – I would be obliged to hear of it.  

With no further ado, let us begin with the menagerie.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Second: Baseraxs Lord of Deviance*

*Baseraxs, Lord of Deviance*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 31d8 + 434 (682 hp)
*Initiative:* +9
*Speed: * 65 ft.
*AC: * 46 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +8 deflection, +24 natural) touch 17, flatfooted 41
Base Attack/Grapple: +25/+41
*Attack: * Claw +36 melee (2d8+12)
*Full Attack:* 2 claws +36 melee (2d8+12), bite +31 melee (2d10+6) 
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks: * Aura of unease, chaos spittle, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, fast healing 15, damage reduction 35/lawful and epic, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 33
*Saves: * Fort +35, Ref +22, Will +23
*Abilities: * Str 34, Dex 21, Con 38, Int 22, Wis 22, Chr 26 
*Skills: * Bluff +38, Climb +42, Concentration +46, Disguise +35, Escape Artist +35, Hide +35, Intimidate +38, Jump +42, Knowledge (Arcane) +33, Knowledge (Planes) +33, Listen +30, Move Silently +35, Search +36, Spot +36, Survival +35, Tumble +37
*Feats:* Acrobatic Strike, Cleave, Combat Tactician, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Epic Fortitude, Flay, Improved Initiative, Improved Feint, Mobility, Power Attack
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 24
*Treasure: * None
*Alignment: * Chaotic neutral

Baseraxs may be most easily identified by his upside down posture.  When he appears as a Slaad, the lord of deviance walks on his hands and uses his raised legs as arms.  His scales change color on a whim, but are always garish, outlandish and seemingly unnatural colors – purples, pinks, greens, and yellows which seem to glow from an internal light.  It is said that he eats which his anus and defecates with his face and does almost every other thing the reverse of expectations.

All Slaad lords break the rules as a natural course, but primarily because they are not really aware that they exist.  Baseraxs is acutely aware of the power of written law, traditions, and social mores and detests the ability of these things to bring stability to societies and the lives of individuals.  Baseraxs is among the most subtle of the Slaad lords, and one of only a handful that regularly interacts directly with mortals.  Baseraxs makes the breaking of laws and the overturning of natural order something of an artform.  Working in disguise, Baseraxs plays the part of a flamboyant and bizarre mortal who brazenly breaks society’s expectations.  Baseraxs loves fads and fashions, and anything which overturns long established traditions.  He loves perverting morals and destroying ethics.  He causes words to lose their established meaning and works to make communication difficult and imprecise.  He detests written law and works to obscure the meaning of documents in the minds of society so that no one remembers or can agree on what they mean.

Combat
Baseraxs prefers to flee combat rather than fight, and to confuse and humiliate opponents rather than flee.  When forced to defend himself or when attacked on Limbo, Baseraxs is a cunning opponent whose wild cartwheels and tumbling disguise the calculated advantage he is trying to obtain.  When not humiliating and distracting opponents with his powerful spell-like abilities, Baseraxs is well defended by his vicious clawed feat and obdurate hide.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – alter self, animate objects, chaos hammer (DC 22), cloak of chaos, control weather, deeper darkness, detect magic, dispel law (DC 23), emotion (DC 22), erase, fear (DC 22), fly, grease (extended duration, widened area, DC 19), greater dispelling, greater magic fang, identify, invisibility, magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 22), persistent image, reverse gravity, see invisibility, shatter (DC 20), stone shape, word of chaos (DC 24); 3/day limited wish, polymorph any object (DC 24), power word (any).  Caster level 25th.  The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Aura of Unease:* When not disguised, Baseraxs is truly disgusting and unsettling to behold.  Anyone within 60’ must make a will save (DC 22) or be nauseated.  Lawful creatures have a -4 penalty on this save, and even if the save is successful they suffer a -1 morale penalty on all actions due to the distraction.
*Change Shape (Su):* Baseraxs can assume any humanoid form as a standard action.  In humanoid form, Baseraxs cannot use his natural weapons.  Baseraxs may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one.  The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to the normal form if killed.  Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Baserax’s true form, only that Baseraxs is a disguised shapechanger.
*Chaos Spittle (Ex):* As a ranged touch attack, Baseraxs may spit or defecate primal chaos sludge on any target within 60’ which acts very much like acid.  Those struck take 10d4 damage immediately, plus 10d4 damage for three additional rounds.  Half of the damage from this attack is acidic and the other half is anarchic, so energy resistance or immunity will not completely protect a target.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):* Three times per day Baseraxs can attempt to summon 1-2 grey slaad with an 80% chance of success, or 1-6 green slaad with a 100% chance of success.  This ability is equivalent to an 8th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Third: Breasdfea, Lord of Anarchy*

*Breasdfea, Lord of Anarchy*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice: * 30d8 + 330 (570 hp)
*Initiative:* +10
*Speed:* 80 ft.
*AC: * 41 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +6 deflection, +20 natural) touch 21, flatfooted 35
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +25/+40
Attack: Claw +35 melee (2d6+11)
Full Attack: 5 claws +35 melee (2d6+11), bite +33 melee (2d6+5) 
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Aura of anarchy, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities: * At war with himself, blind sight (90’ radius), fast healing 20, damage reduction 30/lawful and epic, dark vision (120’), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 31
*Saves:* Fort +28, Ref +23, Will +23
*Abilities: * Str 33, Dex 22, Con 33, Int 24, Wis 23, Chr 23 
*Skills:* Bluff +36, Climb +38, Concentration +38, Disguise +35, Diplomacy +34, Escape Artist +33, Hide +33, Intimidate +36, Jump +36, Knowledge (History) +31, Knowledge (Planes) +34, Knowledge (Arcane) +34, Listen +34, Move Silently +37, Search +34, Spot +37, Survival +30, Tumble +31
*Feats: * Cleave, combat reflexes, crowd tactics, dodge, fleet-footed, frightful presence, improved initiative, mobility, multi-attack, opportunistic tactician, run 
*Environment: * Limbo
*Organization: * Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 23
*Treasure: * None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Breasdfea normally chooses to appear as a tall slender Slaad with five arms and legs equally spaced around his body in a radial fashion.  His body and head are grey, but the scales of his arms and legs are each of a different color – usually red, blue, green, grey, and black.  Breasdfea is heavily scarred across his whole body and is covered with severe tumerous growths.  Breasdfea normally constantly mutters and barks out angry obscenities in many tongues, his voice changing inflection every few moments as if arguing with himself.  His arms are likewise occupied with wrestling with their neighbors and acting as if each has a will of its own, and a violent one at that, and if he does not have something to occupy each of them with one of them is sure to strike his own body for lack of a better target.

Although Breasdfea’s head may swivel in any direction, when he travels he never looks in the direction that he is going.

Philosophically, Breasdfea has much in common with Baseraxs, but where Baseraxs takes especial offense at laws and traditions themselves, Breadfea is offended by the continuing existence of the institutions that they create – governments, families, and religious institutions all arouse in him a fury.  Breasdfea has no special interest in violence particularly, he is just as happy with subverting governments, peaceful revolutions and demonstrations, and internal collapses as he is with violent rebellion.  The trouble is that he’s just as happy with a bloody civil war followed by purges, terrors and democide as he is with a peaceful transition.

Breasdfea has been known to aid those who have been in captivity for a long period.  This seeming sense of compassion is unusual but is not unknown among the slaad, and likely stems from some other font than tender feelings.  Any being which has been in captivity for longer than five years, which calls on Breasdfea repeatedly has a small chance of being heard and aided in an escape.  Any creature that accepts this aid is however subject to a geas which compels him to rebel against and overthrow the institution which imprisoned him.  Ironicly, it is often this very geas which leads to repeat imprisonment.  Breasdfea seems to make no distinction over why a being has been imprisoned.  An unrepentant murder in chains garners as much or as little sympathy as one unjustly sentenced.  However, there does seem to be some direct relationship between the prowess of the supplicant and the chance of deliverance, perhaps because powerful individuals make better servants.

Combat
Breasdfea has little interest in combat but does not shirk it either.  If challenged, Breasdfea wades into the midst of his enemies and begins hewing all around.  Those he has a special distaste for, he causes to erupt with cancerous tumors (as the spell _implosion_).

*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – alter self, animate objects, chaos hammer (DC 20), cloak of chaos, deeper darkness, detect magic, dispel law (DC 21), emotion (DC 20), fear (DC 20), fly, geas, greater magic fang, identify, insanity (DC 23), invisibility, knock, magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 20), mirror image, misdirection, see invisibility, shatter (DC 18), word of chaos (DC 23); 3/day limited wish, implosion (DC 25) Caster level 25th.  The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*At War with Himself (Ex):* As an incarnation of the spirit of rebellion, Breasdfeas own body is likewise in rebellion against itself.  Not only does he sprout bizarre cancerous growths as bits of his body rebel and try to separate from or take over the parent body, but his mind and body are not entirely his own.  On any round that Breasdfeas is unable to use his full five claws against opponents, one of his claws make an attack on his own person.  This attack automatically hits and does the full normal damage.
	Approximately once every hour, Breasdfeas sheds a large tumerous mass that has got out of control.  This mass grows rapidly, and if not destroyed turns into either a red (50%) or blue slaad (50%) in 1d6 hours.
	Finally, for reasons known only to himself, if indeed he has any, Breasdfeas never looks where he is going.  He relies instead on his other senses to warn him of any immediate obstacles, but whenever he moves in a straight line beyond the range of his blindsight he is considered flat footed with respect to any attack which originates in the direction of his motion.
*Aura of Anarchy (Su): * Breasdfeas radiates an intense feeling of rebellion, resentment, and restlessness over a 300’ radius about him.  When Breasdfeas is at rest and contented, this aura manifests itself as a wave of emotion, as the spell _emotion_ when it generates hatred, with the exception that the effect only manifests itself when people interact with someone of a different social standing than themselves.  When Breasdfea is angry or exalting, this aura manifests itself as wave of uncontrollable anger, as the spell _emotion _ when set to rage, and anyone who has a hostile reaction to anyone in the immediate vicinity is forced to fight heedless of any danger for as long as they are within the aura’s effect.  A successful Will saving throw versus DC 20 is required to avoid any of the effects of this aura.
*Radial Form (Ex): * Breasdfeas is laid out with a radial symmetry.  Attackers receive only half the usual bonus for flanking him.  Breasdfeas can make up to five claw attacks with a full attack action, but may only use three claws against targets facing any one hemisphere of his body.
*Change Shape (Su): * Breasdfeas can assume any humanoid form as a standard action.  In humanoid form, Breasdfeas cannot use his natural weapons.  Breasdfeas may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one.  The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed.  Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Breasdfea’s natural form, only that Breasdfeas is a disguised shapechanger.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):*  Three times per day Breasdfeas can attempt to summon 2-12 red slaad or 2-12 blue slaad with an 80% chance of success. This ability is equivalent to an 8th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Fourth, Dixtolredi Lord of Cacophony*

*Dixtolredi, Lord of Cacophony *  
*Unique Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice: * 36d8 + 540 (828 hp)
*Initiative: * +8
*Speed:* 80 ft.
*AC:* 44 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +6 deflection, +26 natural) touch 18, flatfooted 40
*Base Attack/Grapple: * +28/+51
*Attack:* Claw +41 melee (2d10+15, 19-20/x2)
*Full Attack: * 2 claws +41 melee (2d10+15, 19-20/x2), 10 bite +39 melee (2d8+7)
*Space/Reach:* 10 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks: * Babble, cacophony, devour, many headed, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Fast healing 15, damage reduction 35/epic and lawful, dark vision (120’), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 34
*Saves:* Fort +35, Ref +24, Will +23
*Abilities: * Str 40, Dex 19, Con 41, Int 21, Wis 17, Chr 23 
*Skills: * Appraise +33, Bluff +34, Climb +43, Concentration +43, Diplomacy +34, Escape Artist +32, Intimidate +35, Jump +43, Knowledge (Arcana) +33, Knowledge (Geography) +33, Knowledge (History) +33, Knowledge (Planes) +33, Knowledge (Religion) +33, Listen +32, Search +37, Spot +36, Spellcraft +33, Survival +31
*Feats: * Awesome blow, cleave, combat reflexes, dodge, improved combat reflexes, improved critical (claw), improved initiative, large and in charge, leap attack, mobility, multi-attack, power attack, powerful charge 
*Environment: * Limbo
*Organization: * Solitary 
*Challenge Rating: * 26
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment: * Chaotic neutral

The dread lord Dixtolredi seldom leaves the safe and comforting environments of Limbo, for he finds any other environment too harmonious to endure.  On the rare occasions he finds himself anywhere else, he sets about to render his new environment a more pleasing state of strife, contention, and noise.  There is nothing Dixtolredi loves more than an argument, and the more pointless the point of contention, the better.  Anyone that calls for quiet near him provokes in him immediate fury.

Befitting his purpose, Dixtolredi is well-equipped with the means to quarrel, for his squat, corpulent ape-like body is surmounted by a veritable riot of heads all of which will bicker, shout, argue, sing, babble, screech, nag, croak, bark, squeal, roar, howl, laugh and scream at each other if they can find no more diverting employment.  Most of his heads are toad-like, but occasionally the heads of snakes, storks, dogs, giants, and others will emerge.  His body is toadlike and covered with scales, and his scales are drab brown and grays.  A shock of white hair like a horse’s mane graces his back.

Dixtolredi is actually a sage of extraordinary ability and breadth and freely trades knowledge with anyone who will endure him.  Unfortunately, the utility of this is somewhat questionable, as no matter what question he’s asked, his various heads are sure to have at least four usually contradictory answers and will soon fall to arguing over which is correct.

Combat
Befitting one of the greatest of the Slaad lords, Dixtolredi is a truly devastating opponent in combat, leaping up and smashing opponents to jelly with his great claws, grabbing helpless victims up and devouring opponents with his many mouths, while keeping up a constant stream of spell-like effects to keep his opponents off balance.

*Spell-Like Abilities: * At will – alter self, animate objects, bestow curse (DC 19), chaos hammer (DC 20), cloak of chaos (DC 24), control weather, detect magic, dispel law (DC 21), emotion (DC 20), fly, greater command (DC 21), greater magic fang, identify, insanity (DC 23), invisibility, magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 22), see invisibility, shatter (DC 18), shout (DC 20), sound burst (DC 18), ventriloquism, whispering wind, word of chaos (DC 27); 3/day earthquake, demand (DC 24), implosion (DC 25), limited wish, power word (any). Caster level 25th.  The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Babble (Su):* By touch, Dixtolredi can remove the power of intelligible speech from any sentient being (DC 34 will save to resist).  Any attempt at speech comes out as gibberish , and any heard speech sounds to the victim like nonsense.  Those so suffering cannot communicate by either voice or thought and are reduced to gesturing or writing to make themselves understood.  Spells with verbal components automatically fail.  Only a wish, miracle or similarly powerful magic can break this curse.
*Cacophony (Ex): * Dixtolredi simply cannot shut up – even if one mind thought of it, the others would shout it down - and is at full blast one of the loudest things in the multiverse. 

•           Dixtolredi has a -40 penalty on hide and -80 penalty on move silently checks.  Despite the bedlam, Dixtolredi has no problem hearing in his own noise.
•	Any creature within 60’ of Dixtolredi is treated as if they were deafened with no save and furthermore must make a DC 25 fortitude saving throw or be permanently deafened.  Even those that succeed in this saving throw remain deafened for as long as they are within range and for 2d12 minutes thereafter.  To many this may be considered a mercy.
•	When Dixtolredi is angered the cacophony reaches a scale that is truly blistering.  Each round, all targets within 120’ must make DC 16 fortitude save or be stunned for 1d3 rounds.  Being deaf only adds a +4 circumstance bonus to the save.  It’s just that loud.
•	Any magical _silence_ effect within 120’ is struck as by a _greater dispelling _ effect each round.  A magical silence spell actually centered on Dixtolredi or an item in his possession automatically fails, but Dixtoleri suffers 1d6 damage for every two levels of the spell caster.

*Devour (Ex): * If Dixtolredi successfully grapples an opponent; he may pull them up against his many mouths to devour them.  This inflicts a number of attacks equal to that he may direct against a target one size class larger than the victim and does not count against the ten bite attacks that Dixtolredi may normally make in a round.
*Many Headed (Ex): *  Dixtolredi has multiple minds and is able to focus his attention on more than one activity at once.  Fortunately for his enemies, most of his minds are too busy with their agenda to make the most efficient use of his brain power.  As a consequence of his multi-headed nature:

•	Dixtolredi may make an additional standard action in each round.
•	Dixtolredi is immune to death by beheading.  No matter how many heads are hewed off, more will always appear.
•	Dixtolredi may make up to 10 bite attacks in a single round, but the number of bite attacks made against a single target cannot exceed 1 for medium-sized or smaller target, 4 for a large target, or 10 for a huge or larger target.
•	In his natural form, Dixtolredi cannot be flanked.
•	In his natural form, Dixtolredi has a +4 racial bonus to spot and search checks, and he may take 20 on a spot or search check as a free action.
•	Dixtolredi’s multiple and rebellious minds make him particularly resistant to attacks on his will.  Whenever he is the target of an effect which allows a Will saving throw, he may make two saving throws and take the superior result.  Furthermore, if the there is a continuing effect he is allowed an additional saving throw for each round that passes.
•	Because he is in constant debate with himself, Dixtolredi may retry and take 20 on all knowledge checks.

*Summon Slaad (Sp):* Three times per day, Dixtolredi may summon 1d4 grey slaad with 100% chance of success.  This ability is equivalent to a 9th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Fifth, Haskismet, Lord of Mischief*

*Haskismet, Lord of Mischief*
*Unique Small Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 30d8 + 270 (510 hp)
*Initiative:* +12
*Speed:* 40 ft./120 ft. flying (good)
*AC:* 45 (+1 size, +8 Dex, +10 deflection, +16 natural) touch 29, flat-footed 37
*Base Attack/Grapple: * +25/+26
*Attack: * Claw +31 melee (1d4+5) 
*Full Attack: * 2 claws +31 melee (1d4+5), 1 bite +26 melee (1d6+2)
*Space/Reach: * 5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Lord of chaos, sneak attack, spell-like abilities, summon aid,  wild shape
*Special Qualities:* Evasion, fast healing 5, damage reduction 20/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 35, uncanny dodge
*Saves: * Fort +26, Ref +25, Will +24
*Abilities: * Str 20, Dex 27, Con 28, Int 28, Wis 25, Chr 31 
*Skills: * Appraise +37, Bluff +44, Concentration +37, Diplomacy +38, Escape Artist +36, Hide +42, Knowledge (Arcana) +37, Knowledge (Geography) +33, Knowledge (History) +37, Knowledge (Planes) +37, Knowledge (Religion) +29, Listen +35, Move Silently +42, Search +37, Sense Motive +35, Sleight of Hand +42, Spot +35, Spellcraft +37, Survival +24, Tumble +40
*Feats: * Aerial reflexes, aerial superiority, close-quarters fighting, combat reflexes, dodge, elusive target, fast wild shape, giant slayer, improved initiative, mobility, power attack 
*Environment: * Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 24
*Treasure: * None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Haskismet has the head of a toad, the body, arms, and tail of a monkey, the wings of a parrot, the hind legs of a dog, a back covered with spines like a hedgehog, and voice most commonly described as that of a beautiful woman.  Of all the Slaad Lords, Haskismet is probably the most atypical of the atypical lot.  Haskismet is in its usual natural form is the smallest of the Slaad Lords – barely 4’ tall.  Haskismet is also perhaps the most intelligent and charismatic of the Slaad Lords, and the one which seems to most possess a genuine personality.  In behavior and philosophy, Haskismet often seems more like some of the more mischievous fey than the monstrous slaad, and it is possible that Haskismet represents the far end of the spectrum of slaad destructive tendencies – the nearest of the slaad to being a constructive and even good being.  On the other hand, Haskismet seems to be the only Slaad Lord that genuinely delights in tormenting other beings, perhaps because Haskismet seems to be the only Slaad Lord that genuinely understands the difference between another living thinking being and any other sort of object and between reality and illusion.  So perhaps Haskismet represents the far opposite end of the slaad spectrum, the closest a slaad lord comes to going beyond the monstrous to the truly demonic.  Or perhaps, it is something of both.

Although Haskismet is most commonly called ‘the Lord of Mischief’, perhaps the more fitting titles are the ones found in the most obscure lore – ‘the Lord of Comedy and Tragedy’ and also the ‘the Lord of Unexpected Consequences’.  She, if we can dare the pronoun, seems to see the world as her stage and all the other beings mere actors to amuse her, and what seems to amuse her most is that moment in which the outcome of a story hangs in the balance and on the merest chance the story will turn from comedy to tragedy or from tragedy to farce.  She delights in the upsetting of carefully laid plans, but rather than derailing them in the easiest and most direct fashion instead causes them to fall apart only at the last possible minute, only in the most labyrinthine fashion, and only in such an unexpected way that the outcome of the plan is something completed unanticipated by the original planner.  She is even known to help a plan she is derailing along if it runs into difficulty to early in the story for her taste just so she can pull the carpet out from under it to grander effect later.

Haskismet does not serve the other Slaad Lords, nor they her, but she does perform something of a function amongst them.  Haskismet is the only Slaad Lord which may freely converse with all the other Slaad Lords, perhaps because she is not feared by any of the others, and so seems to serve as something of a path of communication between them.  Likewise, she is one of the few Slaad Lords which is not bound to the plane it finds itself on, and is capable of transporting herself and companions to and from the plane of Limbo.  Thus she is also something of a conveyance for the Slaad Lords as well, and perhaps as she sees it this is only part of her role of conductor and director – arranging the other Slaad Lords like props on a stage.

Combat
Haskismet rarely stays in combat for long, especially if truly threatened.  The most common tactic is to summon some sort of unpleasantness and then to simply flee.  If pressed she is a mighty and subtle spell-caster, and employs her abilities with the utmost cunning.  If Haskismet flees, it is far from the end of the matter - a being which earns her ire will almost certainly find all of its careful plans coming apart just when they least expect it.

*Spell-Like Abilities: * At will – alter self, animate objects, bestow curse (DC 24), break enchantment, chaos hammer (DC 28), cloak of chaos (DC 30), confusion (DC 24), control weather, deeper darkness, detect magic, dispel law (DC 27), emotion (DC 24), enlarge, erase, ethereal jaunt, fireball (DC 23), freedom of movement, grease (DC 21), greater dispelling, greater magic fang, hideous laughter (DC 22), identify, invisibility, magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 26), mirror image, misdirection, mislead, persistent image, prying eyes, reduce, screen, see invisibility, shatter (DC 22), telekinesis, unseen servant, word of chaos (DC 29); 3/day limited wish, plane shift, polymorph any object (DC 28), power word (any), maze, time stop, wind walk. Caster level 25th.  The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Lord of Chaos (Su): * Any spell-like ability Haskismet employs gains the chaos descriptor.  If the spell-like ability already has the chaos descriptor, the DC of saves vs. this spell is increased by +2, and it is automatically widened (when appropriate) as the metamagic feat widen spell.  Three times per day as a free action, Haskismet may maximize any spell-like ability she casts as if the metamagic feat maximize spell had been applied.
*Sneak Attack (Ex):* Haskismet may employ sneak attack as a 10th level rogue (5d6 damage).
*Summon Aid (Sp): * Three times per day Haskismet may attempt to summon a 1d4 grey slaad with a 100% chance of success, or 1 death slaad with an 80% chance of success, or any other Slaad Lord with a 10% chance of success.  Haskismet enjoys good relations with all the fey.  If on the plane of Limbo, once per day Haskismet may summon 3-18 Quarks.  If on prime material plane, Haskismet may summon 3-18 pixies or 3-18 quicklings (50% chance of either), once per day.  Treat this ability as a sixth level spell.
*Wild Shape (Su): * Haskismet may employ the wild shape ability as a 20th level druid.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Sixth, Loarsraol, Lord of Paradox*

*Loarsraol, Lord of Paradox*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 37d8 + 518 (814 hp)
*Initiative:* +9
*Speed:* 60 ft.
*AC: * 46 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +6 deflection, +26 natural)
*Base Attack/Grapple: * +27/+43
*Attack:* Claw + 39 melee (2d6+12, 19-20/x2)
*Full Attack: * 8 Claws +39 melee (2d6+12, 19-20/x2) 2 bite +34 melee (2d8+6)
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Aura of chaos, open the mind, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Back to back, change shape, fast healing 15, damage reduction 35/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, of two minds, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 34
Saves: Fort +34, Ref +25, Will +28
*Abilities: * Str 35, Dex 21, Con 38, Int 28, Wis 26, Chr 22 
*Skills: * Appraise +45, Climb +47, Bluff +42, Concentration +50, Diplomacy +42, Escape Artist +41, Hide +37, Intimidate +41, Knowledge (Arcana) +50, Knowledge (Planes) +45, Knowledge (Religion) +45, Jump +47, Listen +44, Move Silently +41, Search +45, Sense Motive +44, Spot +44, Spellcraft +45, Survival +38 
*Feats: * Arcane mastery, cleave, combat reflexes, combat expertise, dodge, improved combat reflexes, epic spellcasting, improved critical (claw), improved initiative, improved sunder, mobility, power attack, tenacious magic (polymorph any object)
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 27
*Treasure: * None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Of all the Slaad Lords, Loarsraol Lord of Paradox is perhaps the most passive and the least interested in the affairs of mortals and he seldom considers them in his schemes.  Mere mortal institutions and laws do not concern him, but rather he spends his efforts seeking to undermine the natural laws of reality itself in an effort to ensure that the universe forever remains beyond the ability of rational thought to understand.  His impulse drives him to ensuring that systems of logic and mathematics are forever incomplete, that reasoned argument always leads to internal contradictions and that two mutually exclusive conjectures are nonetheless both observably true.  Loarsraol therefore spends most of his days in solitary thought, pacing idly about Limbo, debating with himself, and conjuring up ever more bizarre fantasies with which to imprint upon reality.

In appearance, Loarsraol appears to be two large slaad joined at the waist and sharing but a single barrel shaped torso.  One slaad is black on one side and red on the other, while the reverse slaad is white on one side and blue on the other.  When one walks forward, the other is compelled to walk backward.  When Loarsraol speaks, the other head always speaks at the exact same time and always says something with the exact opposite meaning of the first head.  When one head speaks the truth, the other lies, and when one head lies, the other speaks the truth.  Unfortunately, it’s quite impossible to tell at any given moment which head is lying and which is not, since there is no pattern to it.  Complicating matters further, Loarsraol is such a cunning speaker that often though both heads say apparently conflicting things, both heads are speaking the truth or both are lying, and the intention of Loarsraol’s thought can only be surmised by wedding the two disparate ideas.    

Loarsraol is usually a fairly affable companion as slaadi go.  Provided he does not feel he has been distracted at a key moment, he is easily diverted by puzzles, riddles, and questions of a metaphysical nature. He relishes puzzles and enigmas of all sorts – especially original ones that he has not heard before.  It is rumored in many tomes that Loarsraol may be challenged to a riddling game, and if the challenger wins that Loarsraol will grant them one wish and if the challenger loses, that Loarsraol will devour their soul.  Personally, I do not trust this rumor, for it seems entirely out of character for a slaad to devise a game with actual rules.  Besides which, it is far more in character for Loarsraol to eat the losers mind than to eat his soul.

Because they derive from competing impulses, there is great enmity between Loarsroal and Ssendam, and Loarsraol takes pains in his wanderings to avoid meeting the mad king.  When such encounters do occur, all of Limbo is said to reverberate with the clash.

Combat
Loarsraol has relatively little interest in physical combat.  He sees it as an annoyance and a distraction from his more diverting employments.  He is fond of disintegrating offending distractions, rendering them mindless, or turning them into mice, but if forced to behave in a more brutish fashion, he is quite capable of defending himself.  His arms are bladed like a blue slaad, allowing him to make two attacks with each of his four arms.

*Spell-Like Abilities: * At will – alter self, analyze dweomer, animate objects, astral projection, break enchantment, chaos hammer (DC 20), cloak of chaos (DC 24), control weather, demand (DC 24), detect magic, dimension door, disintegrate (DC 22), dispel law (DC 21), emotion (DC 20), feeblemind (DC 21), greater dispelling, greater magic fang, invisibility, insanity (DC 21), magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 22), mirage arcane, mirror image, misdirection, mislead, persistent image, reverse gravity, scrying, shatter (DC 18), shrink item, speak with the dead, true seeing, word of chaos (DC 27); 3/day disjunction,  polymorph any object (DC 24), power word (any), wish Caster level 25th.  The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Aura of Chaos (Su): * Loarsroal is permanently surrounded by an aura of powerful chaos which acts as a _magic circle against law_ with an 80’ radius, and any chaotically aligned ally (including Loarsroal) within this area is treated as if protected by _protection from law_ and a _globe of invulnerability_.  Meanwhile, any lawful being in this area is subject to a -1 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves.  Any spell with a lawful descriptor in that area is subject to a _greater dispel_ each round as a spell caster of Loarsraol’s caster level.  Any attempt to cast a spell with a lawful descriptor in that area is subject to a counterspell as by a _dispel magic_ of Loarsraol’s caster level.
*Back to Back (Ex): * Loarsroal faces in both directions.  He therefore cannot be flanked.  On the other hand, when making a full attack action, he may only direct 4 claw attacks and one bite into any single hemisphere, as the other half will always be facing the other way.
*Change Shape (Su): * Loarsroal can assume any humanoid form as a standard action.  In humanoid form, Loarsroal cannot use his natural weapons.  Loarsroal may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one.  The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed.  Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Breasdfea’s natural form, only that Loarsroal is a disguised shapechanger.
*Of Two Minds (Ex):* Loarsroal contains two independent beings within the same body.  This grants him the following advantages:

Loarsroal may make an extra standard action every round.
Whenever required to make a Will saving throw, Loarsroal may make two Will saves and keep the better one. 
On any intelligence or wisdom check, or any skill check dependent on intelligence or wisdom, Loarsroal may make two checks and keep the best result.
*Open the Mind (Su):* By touch, Loarsroal may force upon any sentient being a revelation which forces them to attempt to correlate all the contents of its mind and resolve the contradictions it finds there.  In many this is a terrible and mind shattering experience and they retreat from it into mindless insanity.  The effect is as the spell _feeblemind_ (DC 35) with the exception that no intelligent creature (not even deities) is immune even if otherwise immune to mind effecting spells.  Lawful outsiders are especially afflicted by this terrible power and suffer a penalty on the saving throw equal to their intelligence bonus.
*Quintessance (Su):* Loarsroal is an elemental and primal force of nature, deeply entwined with the very fabric of the multverse.  As such, he as effectively a pool of 20,000 XP per day which he can spend on spells and epic spellcasting at no cost to himself.  Being possibly as old as the universe and principally spending his time developing epic spells, Loarsroal may be presumed to know all epic spells with a spellcraft DC of 65 or less and which have a cost to develop of 20,000 XP or less and to have devised a great many unique effects which delight him.  His vast knowledge grants him 7 epic spell slots with which to prepare such spells.
*Summon Slaad (Sp): * Three times per day Loarsroal can attempt to summon 2-5 grey slaad or 2-8 green slaad with 100% chance of success.  This ability is equivalent to an 9th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Seventh, Kliugbul, Lord of Absurdity*

*Kliugbul, Lord of Absurdity*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 33d8 + 429 (693 hp)
*Initiative:* +10
*Speed:* 80 ft./80 ft. flying (perfect)
*AC: * 47 (-1 size, +7 Dex, +7 deflection, +24 natural)
*Base Attack/Grapple: * +26/+39
*Attack: * Claw +34 melee (2d6+9)
*Full Attack: * 2 claws +34 (2d6+9), 2 kick +32 melee (1d6+4), bite +32 melee (2d8+4), 
*Space/Reach: * 5 ft./15 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Perfect nonsense, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* change shape, fast healing 15, extended reach, damage reduction 30/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, perfect balance, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 33, trap finding 
*Saves:* Fort +31, Ref +25, Will +24
*Abilities:* Str 28, Dex 25, Con 36, Int 22, Wis 22, Chr 25 
*Skills: * Balance +44, Bluff +58, Climb +32, Concentration +36, Craft (Trapmaking) +38, Disable Device +30, Diplomacy +22, Escape Artist +31, Hide +31, Intimidate +22, Jump +32, Listen +37, Move Silently +30, Perform +40, Search +29, Sense Motive +21, Spot +29, Survival +21, Tumble +38 
*Feats:* Combat reflexes, combat expertise, dodge, elusive target, improved combat expertise, improved disarm, improved initiative, improved trip, mobility, multiattack, power attack, roof walker, spring attack
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 25
*Treasure: * None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

It is not possible to describe what the being known as Kluigbul looks like, since he changes form on a regular basis.  It is only possible to set the general scene.  Kluigbul prefers impossibly tall and slender legs, such as the legs of a flamingo, stork or harvestman – and not necessarily in the expected numbers.  Atop this Kluigbul prefers the body of some fat-bodied and contrasting torso, like a swan or hippo, and then atop that some equally long or impossible neck – cranes, swans, or giraffes are good here.  His arms are generally ape-like or draconian, and he completes the ensemble with some outrageous tail such as that of a lion or a crane fly and a mane of infant’s arms or dandelions or some other impossible thing.  His head is that of a toad with a single cyclopean eye, and he’s particularly found of garish face paint, particularly to accentuate the lips.  All of this will be balanced atop a large brightly colored spinning ball, and atop his head some colorful top hat with feathers atop of which will be balanced an arrow on its point, and atop that will be balanced an egg or a turnip, and atop that he’ll have balanced a terrified squealing pig.

Kluigbul is driven by the impulse of surrealism, and seeks to promote the experience that reality is but an absurd dream, a silly illusion, which must be accepted and if you have the strength mocked.  He does not seek to make war on law.  He seeks to destroy the belief in law, and thereby shift the balance of the universe in favor of chaos.  He frequently travels among mortals spending long sessions on the prime material plane, perhaps more so than any other Slaad Lord.  When among mortals he wears the disguise of a fool, a comic tramp, an outlandish bard, or a jester and in this guise he tells darkly humorous stories of the injustice of life, its basic unfairness, and its utter incomprehensibility and ridiculousness.  If Kluigbul is aware of the irony of this, he makes no sign of it.

Although few apart from the learned know Kluigbul by that name, he is well known in many cultures by many names as a great trickster spirit or cultural hero who humiliates the great and proud and who makes fools of tyrants.  Among the more common stories told include the tale of the duel between Kluigbul in the form of a simpleton and a great paladin champion, at the end of which the hapless and now naked Paladin is found by the villagers having spent a cold night helplessly balanced atop his upright great lance like some bizarre penent.  Many other stories of this mode exist, with Kluigbul besting in a similar fashion both devils and angels, wise and beloved kings and tyrants alike.  At least half of them are probably true.

In some fashion that is not understood, Kluigbul seems to play a large role in determining the current body fads and fashions among the slaad and it seems likely the he more so than any other single figure is responsible for the current fondness for toad-like forms.  Likewise, Kluigbul seems to have a rather large following amongst the lesser Slaad, and is the target of something akin to hero worship by the lesser slaad, and will generally be sited as a lesser slaad as the thing that they would most like to be in the universe if they were not their own magnificent (in their own estimation) self.  So, in truth it might well be Kluigbul which has the greatest sway over the slaad race as a whole and not one of the greater lords.

Not that that is necessarily saying much.

Combat  
Kluigbul seems genuinely unaware that anyone would consider trying to destroy him, even when any observer would mark that as their obvious intent.  Kluigbul therefore treats all combats as a sort of game, where the object is to demonstrate your greater sense of humor than your opponent.  That is to say, Kluigbul never passes up a chance to humiliate opponents if it presents itself, and seldom is interested in making the contest mortal if some funnier option is available.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – alter self, animate objects, bestow curse (DC 20), chaos hammer (DC 21), charm monster (DC 21), cloak of chaos (DC 24), detect law, detect magic, dimension door, dispel law (DC 22), dispel magic, featherfall, feeblemind (DC 22), grease (DC 18), greater magic fang, hideous laughter (DC 19), invisibility, insanity (DC 22), magic circle against law, major creation, mass suggestion (DC 23), mirror image, misdirection, mislead, persistent image, phantasmal killer (DC 21), shrink item, stinking cloud (DC 20), transmute rock to mud, true seeing, wind walk, word of chaos (DC 28); 3/day ethereal jaunt, limited wish, polymorph any object (DC 25), power word (stun); 1/day wierd (DC 26) Caster level 25th.  The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Change Shape (Su): * Kluigbul can assume any humanoid form as a standard action.  In humanoid form, Kluigbul cannot use his natural weapons.  Kluigbul may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one.  The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed.  Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Kluigbul’s natural form, only that Kluigbul is a disguised shapechanger.
*Extended Reach (Ex): * In any form medium-sized or larger, Kluigbul’s reach is 5’ longer than normal for his size class.
*Perfect Balance (Su): * Kluigbul has the ability to balance any object up to his maximum lift perfectly atop any other object regardless of the sizes of the objects or their ability to support weight in defiance of the normal laws of the universe.  While this power continues, the effect of this is as follows:

Kluigbul never fails a balance check, regardless of difficulty, unless he desires to (usually for comic effect).  He may literally balance himself atop a mile high stack of marbles only a single marble wide if he so chooses.  He may balance on air, and walk on a single floating bit of dust as stably as on solid ground.  His ability to fly perfectly in any direction is a result of this, and his flying ability is surpressed whenever his perfect balance is suppressed or in a vacuum. 
Kluigbul automatically avoids any trip attack and automatically succeeds in any check to avoid falling prone.
By touch, Kluigbul may extend this power to any object weighing up to his maximum lift whether animate or inanimate.  In the case of inanimate objects, the object remains balanced wherever he put it indefinitely, and may only be moved by a force sufficient to lift and move the object itself.  He may therefore balance a boulder atop an upright sword point, and no amount of pushing and shoving may move it unless the being is capable of lifting the boulder off its perch, unless the power of perfect balance is suppressed or the object receives the merest touch by an object or being which would radiate at least a strong aura of law (as the spell detect law).  Then the power is dispelled and the normal laws of the universe reexert themselves.
In the case of an animate object, if the being is chaotic in nature the power of perfect balance extends until the being touches firm footing and is not required to make a balance check – at which point it is dispelled.  If the being is not-chaotic, the power continues only so long as the being does not move from the position that they are perched in.  If a non-chaotic being attempts to move from that position, the power is immediately dispelled.  Kluigbul is fond of leaving enemies balanced helplessly in precarious places, such as on a cloud, atop a slender pole, in the tops of trees, or simply in midair.  Unwilling beings recieve no saving throw, nor is spell resistance of any help (of course, self-rescue may still be possible, if only by the expedient of falling).
Kluigbul’s power of perfect balance may not be dispelled by ordinary magic.  It is however immediately suppressed when within a _magic circle against chaos_ or an _anti-magic field_.  In such cases, Kluigbul must rely on his ordinary but still quite gifted skills at balance.
*Perfect Nonsense (Ex):* Kluigbul has the ability to make anything, no matter how absurd, unreasonable, and even self-destructive seem to be perfectly reasonable.  As a result, he receives a +20 insight bonus on bluff checks, and he may issue even suicidal instructions to those under his magical sway and they will seem perfectly reasonable _suggestions_.  However, when Kluigbul exercises this power, lawful victims recieve a +4 bonus to resist.
*Summon Slaad (Sp): * Three times per day Kluigbul can attempt to summon 2-20 red slaad or 2-16 blue slaad with 100% chance of success.  This ability is equivalent to an 9th level spell.
*Trapfinding (Ex):* Kluigbul possesses the ability to find traps with DC’s greater than 20, as the rogue ability of the same name


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Eighth, Ofingreshiritfik, Lord of Turmoil*

*Ofingreshiritfik, Lord of Turmoil*
*Unique Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Swarm of Tiny Creatures)*
*Hit Dice:* 39d8 + 293 (605 hp)
*Initiative: * +14
*Speed: * 40 ft./20 ft. burrowing/20 ft. climb
*AC:* 38 (-2 size, +10 Dex, +6 deflection, +16 natural)
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +29/+45
*Attack:* Swarm (8d6), throw debris +37 ranged (2d6+5)
*Full Attack: * Swarm (8d6), 9 throw debris +37 ranged (2d6+5), 
*Space/Reach:* 15’ ft.
*Special Attacks: * Distraction, independent agents, spell-like abilities, summon slaad, swarm, throw debris
*Special Qualities:* fast healing 20, damage reduction 10/epic and lawful, dark vision (60’), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic damage, mean little buggers, put it all back, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 35, survivors, swarm traits, trap finding
*Saves: * Fort +28, Ref +31, Will +25
*Abilities: * Str 26, Dex 31, Con 24, Int 16, Wis 19, Chr 22 
*Skills:* Climb +51, Concentration +42, Craft (Any) +7, Disable Device +52, Hide +45, Intimidate +41, Jump +43, Knowledge (Architecture & Engineering) +19, Listen +39, Move Silently +45, Open Locks +45, Search +38, Spot +39, Survival +24, Tumble +45  
*Feats:* Blinding speed (x2), dodge, epic toughness, ineluctable echo, improved initiative, improved spell resistance, extraordinary concentration, frightful presence, live my nightmare, mobility, mobile spellcasting, run, spell focus (chaos) 
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization: * Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 25
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

When people who have learned enough to know a little bit, and therefore think that they know everything, think of the slaad, they generally think of mindless engines of destruction leaving chaos and disaster in their wake.  It’s probably something like Ofingreshiritfik that they are thinking of, except that the actual Ofingreshiritfik is generally quite beyond their ability to imagine.

Ofingreshiritfik is frequently mistaken for a swarm.  This is a misnomer.  A swarm is a closely packed group of individuals.  Ofingreshiritfik is a single being with many bodies – actually, about 1000 1’ high bodies weighing about 10 lbs. each.  Each body typically looks like a minature slaad.  The best way to describe Ofingreshiritfik is that he is a force of nature with the personality of a precocious and very spoiled child.  As far as Ofingreshiritfik is concerned, the best things in life are taking things apart and strewing the pieces about.  He particularly likes to take apart complex things.  Living things are neat, but the pieces tend to be too small to really study.  What Ofingreshiritfik really likes to take apart are machines.  Once Ofingreshiritfik has taken something apart, he then likes to throw the pieces.  Watching things move, bounce, smash, and fly apart is the second best thing in the universe.  After that, if it was particularly interesting and satisfying to pull it apart, Ofingreshiritfik considers putting the thing back together again so that he can pull it apart again later, but often that would be simply too much trouble and he lacks the attention span for it.  So he usually moves on.

Ofingreshiritfik is not the most reflective Slaad Lord, and tends to be one of the most dangerous.  Plants, animals, and most sentient beings that get in his path are likely to be taken apart.  The only thing that Ofingreshiritfik considers reasonably entertaining about living creatures is their capacity to build amusing objects, and the way that they scurry about in an interesting and unpredictable fashion.  Individuals   that have a demonstrated ability to craft things – and Ofingreshiritfik by this point can recognize craftsman by garb, tools, and their shops – may be spared, if not necessarily their creations.  

Ofingreshiritfik spends a surprisingly large amount of time on the prime, where he’s depredations are frequently mistaken for natural phenomenon such as a earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or tsunami.  But, he’s also capable of much more subtle destructiveness when it amuses him.  For example, he’s been known to observe a settled community from some place of concealment and through his agents wreck and destroy various interesting items just for the opportunity to observe the turmoil that this creates in the inhabitants.  And in this fashion, Ofingreshiritfik may get the satisfication to wreck the same machine or object on many occasions, while its frantic guardians laboriously repair the damage for him.  

In fact, Ofingreshiritfik has upon occasion been so impressed – or at least entertained - by an engineer, artisan, or inventor as to become positively protective of them.

Combat

*Spell-Like Abilities (Sp):* At will – animate objects, blur, chaos hammer (DC 21), cloak of chaos (DC 25), control weather, detect law, detect magic, dimension door, dispel law (DC 22), fabricate, fireball (DC 19), fly, ice storm (DC 20), invisibility, greater invisibility, knock, magic circle against law, misdirection, mislead, shatter (heightened, DC 25), telekinesis (DC 21), word of chaos (DC 28); 3/day destruction (DC 23), earthquake, insect plague, limited wish, whirlwind (DC 24); 1/day meteor swarm (DC 25), teleport.  Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Distraction (Ex): * Any living creature that begins its turn in the same space as Ofingreshiritfik must succeed at a DC 36 Fort save or be nauseated for 1 round.  The save DC is Con based. 
*Independent Agents (Ex): * Ofingreshiritfik may temporarily imbue one of his many bodies with a larger fragment of his personality, empowering it to leave the safety of the swarm and travel and act somewhat independently of the rest of his bodies.  After a fashion, this agent may be considered an avatar or aspect of Ofrigreshiritfik – albeit one greatly reduced in might compared to avatars produced by divine beings.  Empowering a body in this way costs Ofingreshiritfik 4 hit points.  If Ofrigreshiritfik is damaged, he may temporarily recover his agents to restore 4 hit points each.  Ofingreshiritfik may maintain a number of such agents equal to his Intelligence.
	So long as an agent remains with 300’ of Ofingreshiritfik, Ofingreshiritfik is capable of perceiving everything that the agent perceives and exerting control over its actions.  
	For more details, see the entry on ‘Agent of Ofingreshiritfik’.  
*Mean Little Buggers (Su): * The claws and teeth of Ofingreshiritfik’s many little bodies are supernaturally sharp and capable of tearing through almost anything.  Versus any form of DR which can be overcome by some material or type of attack, reduce the effective DR by 30.  Likewise, Ofingreshiritfik may ignore the first 30 hardness when dealing damage to an inanimate object.
*Put it All Back (Ex): * On rare occasions, Ofingreshiritfik decides to build something, generally because he’s become insufferably bored and building something is the best way to ensure continued satisfactory tormoil.  While not a particularly skilled craftsman, he has had long experience with how things are put together and he has a very large number of fast moving bodies at his disposal.  In such cases, Ofingreshiritfik is treated as having 4 ranks in any craft skill of his choosing, and may take twenty on all craft checks.  Ofingreshiritfik may make up to 20 craft checks per round, and if he concentrates on a single task may complete it at 20 times the normal rate.  This ability is not limited by his access to tools, and he needs only the most meager raw materials to work with.
*Summon Slaad (Sp): * Three times per day Ofingreshiritfik can attempt to summon 2-8 red slaad or a with 100% chance of success, or 1 grey slaad with an 80% chance of success. This ability is equivalent to an 7th level spell.
*Survivors (Ex):* If Ofingreshiritfik is reduced to 0 points or less, it immediately as its final actions imbues its essence into the remaining bodies, of which 5-50 will always remain in fit condition.  These bodies immediately disperse and if they survive become (abandoned) independent agents, as per the entry on Agents of Ofingreshiritfik.  Unless the surivors are hunted down and destroyed there is a chance equal to 33%+2% per surviving independent agent that Ofingreshiritfik will successfully reform in some hidden place in 1d4 days.  When that happens, he rapidly regrows to his full size and power over a period of 1d4 minutes.
*Swarm (Ex): * At the end of Ofingreshiritfik’s turn, as a free action, any being within his space takes 8d6 damage.  During his movement, Ofingreshiritfik may as a free action overrun and engulf any being of between diminutive and large size.  Any being so engulfed must beat a DC 22 grapple check in order to avoid being swept along with Ofingreshiritfik’s motion.  Since more bodies are actually grabbing on to larger creatures than smaller ones, creatures receive no penalty or bonus on this check due to size.  Those not swept along by the overrun take half damage (4d6) for being overrun.  
	Anyone wishing to move within the Ofingreshiritfik swarm must beat a DC 22 grapple check in order to attempt to exit it (or enter it against Ofingreshiritfik’s will), and each square is considered difficult terrain. 
	Since the damage from the swarm attack actually comes from many dozens of small attacks, any DR that Ofingreshiritfik cannot overcome is tripled for the purposes of resisting swarm damage.
*Swarm Traits (Ex): * Because Ofingreshiritfik’s life essence is distributed over many bodies, many sorts of ordinary physical attacks do him little harm.  Any physical attack which targets a single being does only 1/2 damage to him.  (Calculate this damage after DR or energy resistance is applied.)  Ofingreshiritfik, receives a +10 bonus on his saving throws to resist any spell which targets only a single being, and against spells of his sort he does not fail to save even if he rolls a ‘1’.  
	On the other hand, Ofingreshiritfik is particularly vunerable to attacks which have an area of effect.  Against any spell or attack with an area of effect, Ofingreshiritfik has a -2 penalty on his saving throws, and any damage which overcomes his DR or energy resistance is increased by 50%.
Ofingreshiritfik’s multiple bodies give him a somewhat plastic form. Unlike other huge creatures, he may occupy any 9 continuous squares, and may alter his configuration once per round as a free action.  As a move equivalent action, Ofingreshiritfik can spread his body over a larger area – up to any 25 continuous squares.  When spread over this larger area, his swarm attack does only half damage, the grapple check necessary to avoid being engulfed or to move within the swarm is reduced to DC 16, and the saving throw to avoid distraction is reduced to DC 30.  Collecting himself and returning to his less diffuse form requires a move equivalent action.
*Throw Debris (Ex): * In addition to tearing up the environment, Ofingreshiritfik’s many bodies are particularly adept at hurling the pieces around.  Whenever he is in contact with solid ground, or at least at minimum in contact with a huge inanimate object with a hardness 8 or higher, Ofingreshiritfik may tear off pieces and hurl them at whatever pleases him to great effect.  Treat this as a hurled ranged attack with a 10’ range increment that does 2d6+str bonus damage.  As a full attack action, Ofingreshiritfik may make up to 9 separate attacks.
*Trap Finding (Ex): * Ofingreshiritfik possesses the ability to find traps with DC’s greater than 20, as the rogue ability of the same name.



			
				Special Section: Agents of Ofingreshiritfik said:
			
		

> *Agent of Ofingreshiritfik*
> *Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
> *Hit Dice:* 1d8-2 (2 hp)
> *Initiative: +4
> ...


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Ninth, Paisdi, Lord of Uncertainty*

*Paisdi, Lord of Uncertainty*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 34d8 + 408 (680 hp)
*Initiative:* +12
*Speed:* 80 ft.
*AC:* 45 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +7 deflection, +21 natural)
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +27/+42
*Attack:* tentacle slam +37 melee (1d8+11, chaos ichors) 
*Full Attack:* 1d4 tentacle slam +37 melee (1d8+11, chaos ichors, paralyzing touch), 2 claws +35 melee (2d8+5, chaos ichors, paralyzing touch), 1 bite +35 melee (2d8+5, chaos ichors, paralyzing touch)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/20’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Chaos ichors, chaos spittle, engulf, paralyzing touch, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Aura of uncertainty, damage reduction 30/epic and lawful, dark vision (120’), displacement, extended reach, fast healing 20, immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to acid, immune to sonic, ooze traits, quick change, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 34
*Saves:* Fort +31, Ref +27, Will +25
*Abilities:* Str 33, Dex 26, Con 35, Int 20, Wis 22, Chr 24  
*Skills:* Bluff +43, Climb +41, Concentration +42, Escape Artist +94, Hide +41, Intimidate +37, Jump +41, Knowledge (Arcana) +20, Knowledge (Planes) +25, Listen +38, Move Silently +46, Search +37, Spellcraft +35, Spot +38, Survival +26, Tumble +40  
*Feats:* Combat reflexes, dodge, elusive target, hold the line, improved combat reflexes, improved initiative, improved sunder, mobility, multiattack, occult opportunist, opportunistic tactician, power attack
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 26
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

In as much as Paisdi can be said to have a form, it is of a large glistening silver slaad which is continually growing and absorbing long liquid psuedopods.  But this is really only the form Paisdi returns to most often in this era.  In truth, Paisdi is an incarnation of formlessness itself, or more precisely the infinite possibilities of form which are inherent in formlessness.  He never appears quite the same way twice, here as an enormous sparrow with four wings, there as a dolphin headed moose with dragon's feat, or the next moment as a boar walking upright on bears paws.  Always though, whatever the shape, he glistens like quicksilver for he is made not of ordinary matter but the raw stuff of chaos itself.  

The strangest thing about Paisdi is that his position is indefinite.  He is not truly exactly anywhere, and at the same time he is also in several places at once.  To an observer he seems to shimmer and flit about in a most unsettling way, as if traveling along impossible angles in the universe which only he can see.

Paisdi rarely leaves the plane of Limbo, for he finds other environments too strange and alien to his nature.  

In the eldest tomes, one can find mention of of Saipid the Ever Vacillating, said to be ruler of Limbo.  While there is much in these tomes which can’t be entirely trusted, there is little doubt that in elder days Paisdi was the greatest of the Slaad before being overthrown in this role by Ssendam.  He therefore bears great enmity with the Mad King, and also against Chourst who seems to have played some large role in Paisdi’s reduction in status.  Paisdi is an ever angry being, but fortunately his anger is rarely directed at individual mortals.  Paisdi is ever scheming of some way to overthrow Chourst, and with the power thereby gained overthrowing Ssendam as the greatest of the Slaad.

Combat 
Although diminished from whatever terror he may have once been, Paisdi remains a foe of awesome aspect and power in combat.  His preferred tactics are something of hit and run, covering his foes in the dissolving slime of his chaotic ichors and then allowing them to do their work while he focuses his attentions elsewhere.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – alter self, animate objects, blink (quickened), break enchantment, chaos hammer (DC 21), cloak of chaos (DC 25), control weather, detect magic, dimension door, dispel law (DC 22), ethereal jaunt, fly, greater dispelling, greater magic fang, hold monster (DC 22), invisibility, insanity (DC 22), lightning bolt (empowered, DC 20), magic circle against law, mirage arcane, mirror image, misdirection, mislead, persistent image, polymorph (quickened), project image, reverse gravity, teleport, word of chaos (DC 28); 3/day chain lightning (DC 23), limited wish, maze, polymorph any object (DC 25), power word (any). Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Aura of Uncertainty (Su):* Paisdi has supernatural control over spatial reality.  This effect extends over a 300’ radius about him.  Within this area, Paisdi may alter any square to make it difficult terrain, including those which are in open space.  Any unattended object in this area requires a DC 23 slight of hand check to pick up, and any ally in this area gains the benefit of a _blur_ spell.
*Chaos Ichors (Su):* Paisdi is dripping with the raw material of chaos.  Any being struck by one of Paisdi’s attacks must make a DC 37 reflex save or be covered in chaotic fluids and take 5d4 damage immediately, plus 5d4 damage for three additional rounds.  Half of the damage from this attack is acidic, and the other half is anarchic so energy resistance and immunity may not fully protect.  The DC of this attack is constitution based.
Damage from multiple attacks is cumulative (and with Chaos spittle below), to a maximum of 20d4 damage per round.
*Chaos Spittle (Su):* As a standard action, Paisdi may spit a glob of primal chaos material as ranged touch attack on any target within 100’. This chaos material acts very much like acid. Those struck take 10d4 damage immediately, plus 10d4 damage for three additional rounds. Half of the damage from this attack is acidic, and the other half is anarchic so energy resistance and immunity may not fully protect.
Damage from multiple attacks is cumulative (and with chaos ichors above), to a maximum of 20d4 damage per round.
*Displacement (Ex):* Paisdi’s exact location in the universe is uncertain.  Paisdi is permanently displaced as the spell displacement, except that true seeing reveals the fact that Paisdi’s location is indeed actually uncertain and not merely apparently so.
*Engulf (Ex):* Any creature of huge size or smaller which Paisdi is grappled with or grappled by is automatically engulfed within Paisdi’s fluid body.  Beings so engulfed are automatically covered in raw chaotic material and take 20d4 damage per round, and for three rounds after leaving the grapple.  Half of the damage from this attack is acidic, and the other half is anarchic so energy resistance and immunity may not fully protect.
*Extended Reach (Ex):* Paisdi’s effective reach is always twice normal for a being of his size class.
*Ooze Traits (Ex):* Paisdi’s body is mutable and gelatinous.  As a consequence, in many ways Paisdi is treated as an ooze.  Paisdi is immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.  Paisdi cannot be flanked, and is not subject to critical hits.  Regardless of apparent form, Paisdi has a +50 racial bonus on escape artist skill checks.
*Paralyzing Touch (Su):*  By touch, Paisdi may implant in a living target such a degree of uncertainty that they are unable to take any action, effectively paralyzing them for 1d4 rounds unless they make a Will save versus DC 34.  This is a mind-effecting ability.  The DC of this ability is charisma based.
*Quick Change (Ex):*  As a free action, each round Paisdi may and must change his outward form in some fashion as the spell _polymorph_.  At a minimum, Paisdi grows and absorbs psuedopods and tentacles, but more commonly also glistens with many colors, grows or absorbs additional limbs, antenna, gills, wings, antlers, feathers, horns, or temporarily erupts with any number of other body parts.  It is impossible therefore for Paisdi to disguise the fact that he is anything other than a shapechanger, and Paisdi automatically fails any disguise skill check.
*Summon Aid (Sp): * Three times per day Paisdi may attempt to summon a 1d6 grey slaad with a 100% chance of success, or 1d2 death slaad with an 80% chance of success.  Threat this ability as a 9th level spell.  Once per day, Paisdi may summon 2d8 chaos beasts as a spell like ability.  Treat this ability as an 8th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Tenth, Paxcreeg, Lord of Dreams*

*Paxcreeg, Lord of Dreams*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Incorporeal)*
*Hit Dice:* 30d8 + 300 (540 hp)
*Initiative:* +13
*Speed:* Fly 150’ (perfect)
*AC:* 34 (-1 size, +9 Dex, +9 deflection, +7 insight) touch 34, flatfooted 25
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +25/+38
*Attack:* Claw +31 melee touch (2d6+7) 
*Full Attack:* 2 Claw +31 melee touch (2d6+7), 1 bite +26 melee touch (2d6+3)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Master of sleep, materialize, spell-like abilities, summon aid
*Special Qualities:* Being of though, change shape, fast healing 20, damage reduction 20/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), dream sight, dream walk, immune to ability drain, diseases, energy drain, mind effecting spells, poison, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, incorporeal, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 36
*Saves:* Fort +27, Ref +26, Will +24
*Abilities:* Str 25, Dex 29, Con 31, Int 26, Wis 25, Chr 29  
*Skills:* Appraise +42, Bluff +43, Concentration +44, Diplomacy +40, Hide +40, Intimidate +40, Knowledge (Arcana) +42, Knowledge (History) +42, Knowledge (Planes) +42, Listen +41, Perform +35, Search +41, Sense Motive +41, Sleight of Hand +43, Spellcraft +42, Spot +41  
*Feats:* Aerial superiority, dodge, elusive target, expeditious dodge, extraordinary concentration, improved initiative, improved spell resistance, mobility, mobile spellcasting, power attack, spell focus (illusion)
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 25
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Of all the Slaad Lords, Paxcreeg is probably the most maligned and the least understood.  Many strange rumors surround him.  Some say that he is himself only a sentient illusion, others that he is the dream of some unnamed deity, or that he was spawned by a nightmare of Ssendam.  Considered by many others to be a demon, in fact Paxcreeg may be the least offensive of the Slaad Lords.  The fear he provokes is far outsized of the damage he actually causes.  

Paxcreeg is a being of pure thought.  When manifest, he appears as a translucent amber colored Slaad filled with mirages and strange vistas of far off places, and whose skins glistening like the light of a distant sun on some fabled golden dome.  Orange, green, and blue lights flitter and revolve about his being.  Many tales are told of Paxcreeg using many different names in many different tongues.  He is said to be the fearsome ‘boogeyman’ that carries off children and make prudent women wanton and steals men’s minds and drives kings mad.  While these stories are probably based on real events, they are also likely to be exaggeration and misunderstanding.  Paxcreeg has little interest in destroying minds or ruling over them – no matter how well equipped he is in either regard.  Rather Paxcreeg’s destructive energies are devoted to something so fundamental to our understanding that we would be shocked if the universe worked in any other way.

Paxcreeg devotes the majority of his time and energy to ensuring that dreams are random and disorderly.  His impulse drives him to ensure that while men sleep, their minds cannot be depended on to act in an orderly fashion no matter how they order their waking lives.  PAxcreeg knows that orderly and proper dreams and ambitions would be a powerful tool to the forces of law.  So in eternal vigilance, he fills mortal minds with fanciful nonsense.

Stories about Paxcreeg focus on the unfairness and destructiveness of this activity.  That men’s minds should not be entirely their own while they sleep is a great source of terror to them.  Waking dreams of ambition are equally fearful.  The dreams of a king that thinks he is a donkey or a god or the dreams of a tyrant that imagines himself a conqueror are dreams that are a source of even greater terror and suffering.  The bravest warrior may be unmanned by the terrors that come in his sleep.  But this is only one side of the coin.  It may be a great source of terror to the mighty that they do not get the dreams that they deserve, but to those on the other side of life’s unjust coin, that they get dreams that they do not deserve is a great mercy.  The miller’s son has dreams of being a knight, and so performs deeds of daring whether they be only on the field of vanity or mighty works that become the stuff of legend and song.  The pauper leaves the field and dreams a dream of comfort that he finds not in the day.  The aged dream dreams of youth.  The loveless old maid dreams a dream of romance never found, and the abused child dreams dreams of safety and lives in castles unseen.  Paxcreeg’s works may be all madness and vanity or they may be not, but they are not simple diablerie.

In fact, Paxcreeg bears a deep enmity to anything that uses their powers over the dream world for anything other than what he considers to be his own noble purpose.  Night Hags bear his especial ire and greatly fear Paxcreeg, for he destroys or drives them off whenever he finds them.  There is a small chance that anyone suffering from a Night Hag or similar creature can attract Paxcreeg’s attention by burning an incense of camphor and sandalwood, and calling out aloud one of his many names.  

Paxcreeg never addresses another being by name, but instead always addresses them as ‘dream’.  He believes that the entire universe is his dream, and all other creatures in it merely fancies that have entered bidden or unbidden into his mind.

Combat 
Paxcreeg is not interested in physical combat.  If confronted, he typically flees into the astral plane or some other direction his opponent cannot follow.  If forced to fight, he is one of the mightiest illusionists in the multiverse, and relies on his powerful abilities to confuse, separate and even destroy his attackers.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – astral projection, alter self, chaos hammer (DC 23), cloak of chaos (DC 27), etherealness, deeper darkness, detect law, detect magic, detect thoughts, dispel law (DC 24), dispel magic, dream, emotion (DC 23), fabricate, greater magic fang, greater shadow evocation (DC 29), improved invisibility, magic circle against law, major creation, mass suggestion (DC 25), mirror image, misdirection, mislead, nightmare (DC 26), persistent image, phantasmal killer (DC 25), mirage arcane, modify memory (DC 23), screen, deep slumber (DC 22), shades (DC 30), true seeing, veil, word of chaos (DC 30); 3/day eyebite (DC 27), limited wish, weird (DC 30), power word (any), temporal stasis (DC 28); Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Being of Thought (Su):* Paxcreeg does not have nor need a body, and even the seeming of a body he may have is only an illusion.  Therefore, whenever he transports himself mentally somewhere, he transports the entirety of himself.  For example, when Paxcreeg travels via _astral projection_, he does not leave a body behind because he has no body to leave behind.  Paxcreeg’s body cannot be taken over by a _magic jar_ attack, because he has no body to occupy.
*Dream Sight (Su):* Paxcreeg is capable of viewing the dream of any sleeping creature that he can observe.  While observing the sleeper, Paxcreeg may learn the answer to any one question that the sleeper knows.  This power is hindered only by the application of a _mind blank_ spell.  Only one such question may be answered per night, regardless of the length of observation.
*Dream Walk (Su):* By touch, Paxcreeg can transport himself into the dreams of any intelligent unprotected sleeper.  A sleeper is considered protected only if they are protected by a _mind blank _ spell or any _protection_ spell (_protection from evil_, etc.)  Once occupying the dreams of a being, Paxcreeg may continue to reside in that beings mind until expelled, either by a successful _exorcism_, _dispel law_, or the pronouncement of a _dictum_.  In each case, the spell must overcome Paxcreeg’s spell resistance.  Once so expelled, Paxcreeg cannot attempt to reenter the same mind for a period of 111 days.  
While occupying the mind a being, Paxcreeg may use any mind-effecting spell against the mind he is occupying, or may cause the mind (but only that mind) to experience and perceive any illusion that Paxcreeg is capable of creating as if it were a figment. Ceatures immune to mind-effecting powers remain immune to these trespasses, though they can detect and observe them.  Beings so occupied must succeed in a DC 22 wisdom check to notice the presence of the alien mind.  Only one such check is allowed per day.  If the check fails, the occupied mind assumes that any strange thoughts it may have are a product of a deteriorating mental state or some external source.  A true seeing spell may reveal the presence of Paxcreeg riding within the mind, but only if a mind blank spell has not since been placed around the mind shielding it from observation.
From within the mind of a being, Paxcreeg has only a limited ability to effect the world outside.  Only the following spell-like abilities may be employed on targets outside of that mind: _detect law, detect magic, detect thoughts, dream, misdirection, nightmare, eyebite_, and _limited wish_.
	If Paxcreeg leaves the mind, either voluntarily or expelled, he has the option of exiting through the dreams of any unprotected sleeper within seven miles, entering the Astral Plane, entering the Ethereal Plane, or simply directly entering the mind’s physical vicinity.  He may otherwise traverse through the dreamscape at a rate of seven miles per minute of travel.
*Incorporeal (Su):* Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently.
*Master Of Sleep (Sp):* Paxcreeg may by word or touch put to sleep any number of living creatures which have a combined total of 200 hit points or less anywhere within 90’ of him.  No saving throw is allowed.  Only living creatures with an intelligence score and who need to sleep can be effected.  This is a mind-effecting ability.  This is normal sleep, and the targets may be awakened normally as per the sleep spell.  If not otherwise wakened, creatures effected by this ability will sleep for a normal interval, and will awaken feeling refreshed and having healed double the usual hit points.  Paxcreeg may use this spell-like effect once per round at will. 
*Materialize (Su):* Paxcreeg can choose to forgo the protection afforded by his incorporal form in order to more powerfully effect the physical world – such as when he needs to break or move something.  As a move-equivalent action, Paxcreeg may shift to a solid form.  In this form he loses the incorporeal subtype, but gains +10 STR and a +16 natural armor bonus to AC.  Paxcreeg can return to an incorporeal form as a move-equivalent action.
*Summon Aid (Sp):* Three times per day, Paxcreegs can attempt to summon 1d6 green slaad with an 80% chance of success.  Treat this ability as a 7th level spell.  Once per day, Paxcreegs can summon 2d4 Great Fihyr or 1d4 Nightmare Beasts for 25 rounds of service.  Treat this ability as a ninth level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Eleventh, Quipttiquib, Lord of Serendipity*

*Quipttiquib, Lord of Serendipity*
*Unique Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 34d8 + 442 (714 hp)
*Initiative:* +9
*Speed:* 80’
*AC:* 48 (-2 size, +5 Dex, +6 deflection, +5 luck, +24 natural armor) touch 24, flatfooted 43
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +27/+53
*Attack:* Claw +45 melee (2d8+6)
*Full Attack:* bite +47 melee (4d6+13), 2 claw +45 melee (2d8+6)
*Space/Reach:* 10’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Aura of serendipity, breath weapon, control fate, flickering tongue, spell-like abilities, summon slaad, swallow whole
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, damage reduction 30/epic and lawful, dark vision (120’), fast healing 15, favorable fate, immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 33
*Saves: * Fort +37, Ref +29, Will +31
*Abilities:* Str 37, Dex 20, Con 37, Int 20, Wis 24, Chr 23  
*Skills:* Bluff +34, Concentration +49, Diplomacy +42, Hide +29, Intimidate +38, Jump +30, Knowledge (Arcana) +37, Knowledge (History) +33, Knowledge (Nobility & Heraldry) +21, Listen +44, Move Silently +41, Search +39, Sense Motive +43, Spellcraft +41, Spot +39, Survival +23  
*Feats:* Blind-fight, canny opportunist, combat reflexes, dodge, epic prowess, expert tactician, exploit adjustment, improved combat reflexes, improved initiative, large and in charge, mobility, multi-attack, power attack, powerful charge
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 26
*Treasure:* Triple normal
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Quipttiquib normally appears as giant slaad with an orange hide, an enormously outsized head, and a pair of bandy legs.  He considers it his role in the universe to see to it that the way things ought to happen is not in fact the way that they occur.  He is the author of many a strange misfortune.  If the ruler is destined to conquer the world, then he dies of food poisoning on the eve of his inevitable triumph.  If the battle is certain, then it rains, the captain’s horse throws a shoe, the champions visor falls down and will not be lifted, or the master swordsmen steps unexpectedly on an uncommonly round pebble and what was sure to happen instead does not.  

Although it cannot be called a true alliance, Quipttiquib has uncommonly good relations with Haskismet and the two are perhaps the only Slaad Lords that regularly and willing spend any time in another’s company.  Each seems to believe that they own the other.  Since Quipttiquib refers to Haskismet as ‘my cat’, some mortals may be able to relate to the nature of the relationship.  Like many of the Slaad Lords, Quipttiquib has as very poor opinion of Ssendam, and the feeling is unequivocally mutual as probably no other Slaad Lord – not even Loarsraol – so enrages the Mad King.  

Quipttiquib seems to possess a certain sympathy for beings that feel they have been trapped by an inalterable destiny, or at least a certain distaste for the continuing existence of such things, and there is a small chance that any such being which cries out aloud to him for aid will be heard and will receive aid if it is with Quipttiquib’s power.  Those that accept this aid however must agree to accept whatever new “destiny” Quipttiquib chooses for them.

Combat
Quipttiquib is among the most formidable and terrible of the Slaad Lords in combat, and he does not shy away from a good fight.  He will flee only if the most dire necessity demands it, for he enjoys savoring new flavors.
*Spell-Like Abilities: * At will – alter self, animate objects, blink, bestow curse (heightened, DC 25), bestow moment of prescience (as moment of prescience, but range touch and target creature touched), break enchantment, chaos hammer (DC 20), cloak of chaos (DC 24), control weather, detect magic, dispel law (DC 23), entropic shield, find the path, fly, fog cloud, geas, greater dispelling, greater magic fang, invisibility, magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 22), misdirection, nondetection, see invisibility, telekinesis (DC 21), word of chaos (DC 27); 3/day foresight, limited wish, polymorph any object (DC 24), sympathy (DC 24). Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Aura of Serendipity (Su):* Quipttiquib has near complete control over the power of luck in his immediate vicinity.  At his whim any luck bonus effecting any creature or object within 300’ of Quipttiquib is subject to reversal, so that modifiers become penalties and penalties become modifiers.  For example, an item within 300’ which provides a +3 luck bonus to its bearer may if Quipttiquib so desires provide a -3 luck penalty instead.  This power is continuous and requires no action or concentration on Quipttiquib’s part.  Fate warps in Quipttiquib’s favor even if he is unconscious or inattentive.  Only creatures with the salient divine ability _Power of Luck_ are immune to this effect.
*Breath Weapon (Su):* Quipttiquib may spew forth anything he has previously swallowed – a very broad range to be sure - in a blast of whimsy.  Treat this effect as that of a _greater rod of wonder_, except that the area of effect of any effect so generated is always a 160’ cone, and any saving throw allowed by the effect is versus DC 33.  Once Quipttiquib uses his breath weapon, he may not employ it again for 1d4 rounds.
*Change Shape (Su):* Quipttiquib can assume any humanoid form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Quipttiquib cannot use his natural weapons. Quipttiquib may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even _true seeing _ does not reveal Quipttiquib’s natural form, only that Quipttiquib is a disguised shapechanger.
*Control Fate (Su):* By touch, Quipttiquib may bestow a good or bad fortune on any creature, so that it suffers either a -5 luck penalty to all attacks, saves, and checks or a +5 luck bonus on all attacks, saves, and checks for a 24 hour period.  A DC 33 Will save is required to avoid this effect.  Beings with the salient divine ability Power of Luck are immune.  Once the luck is bestowed, only a wish, miracle, or similarly effective magic can counteract the effects.
*Favorable Fate (Su):* Quipttiquib receives a +5 luck bonus to AC, attacks, and saving throws.
*Flickering Tongue (Ex):* As a standard action, Quipttiquib may flick out his long sticky tongue and attempt to grapple any beings within 30’.  This is a +45 melee touch attack.  The tongue does no damage, but any being of Large size or smaller so struck must win an opposed grapple check (Quippttiquib’s grapple bonus -8) or be drawn into Quippttiquib’s mouth to take automatic maximum bite damage.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):* Three times per day, Quipttiquib may attempt to summon 1d6 grey slaad with 100% chance of success, or the Slaad Lord Haskismet with 20% chance of success. This ability is equivalent to a 10th level spell.
*Swallow Whole (Ex/Su):* Quipttiquib is capable of swallowing almost anything that will fit into his enormous maw, including many things one would not think of as swallowable.  As a standard action, Quipttiquib may swallow any creature of large size or smaller he has grappled in his mouth by winning an opposed grapple check.  Quipttiquib may swallow creatures he has previously grappled as a free action if he takes -20 on the grapple check.  Swallowed creatures suffer one of two fates.  If Quipttiquib desires, he may attempt to store them away in some alien extradimensional space known only to him.  Treat this as the spell imprisonment (Will save DC 33).  Those that pass their saving throw or which Quipttiquib does not consider deserving of this fate pass into his gullet, where they take 4d6 crushing damage + 10d4 acid damage + 10d4 anarchic damage each round until utterly consumed.  Even those that escape from this fate by some means continue to suffer 10d4 acid damage and 10d4 anarchic damage for consecutive 3 rounds afterward.
	As a full round action, Quipttiquib may by spewing them up free any 1d4 beings he has previously imprisoned.
	Finally, whenever a spell fails to penetrate Quipttiquib’s spell resistance, he may swallow it.  If he does this, he may choose to cast the spell on the following round as a standard action.  If he does not choose to cast it the following round, it becomes mixed with the enumerable things he as swallowed over the centuries and is no longer readily accessible.  See Quipttiquib’s breath weapon for the results of a more general spewing.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Twelfth, Quag, Lord of Ignorance*

*Quag, Lord of Ignorance*
*Unique Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 38d8 + 628 (932 hp)
*Initiative:* +8
*Speed:* 80’ 
*AC:* 41 (-2 size, +4 Dex, +2 deflection, +27 natural armor) touch 14, flatfooted 37
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +29/+53
*Attack:* Slam +43 melee (2d10+16) or Rock + 31 missile (2d6+24)
*Full Attack:* 2 slam +43 melee (2d10+16), bite +41 2d10+8 or Rock +31 missile (2d6+24)
*Space/Reach:* 10’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* spell-like abilities, summon aid, throw boulder, touch of ignorance
*Special Qualities:* Book worm, change shape, fast healing 30, damage reduction 40/epic and lawful, dark vision (60’),immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 31
*Saves:* Fort +41, Ref +25, Will +28
*Abilities:* Str 42, Dex 19, Con 43, Int 3, Wis 16, Chr 14  
*Skills:* Climb +47, Concentration +27, Jump +47, Intimidate +25, Listen +25, Spot +25, Survival +15
*Feats:* Awesome blow, cleave, combat reflexes, dodge, epic fortitude, epic toughness, epic will, improved initiative, improved sunder, mobility, multi-attack, power attack, powerful charge
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 24
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

	Many of my readers no doubt think that I’m writing some sort of apology for the slaad, and are appalled at my attempt to treat with fairness a race of beings which are preeminent in unfairness.  But I am only writing what my trade and training as a sage demands of me – an impartial and truthful account of the slaad.  But there are limits to the impartiality that training can inculcate into someone, and here I reach mine.  As a sage, I can say with perfect truth that I find no redeeming value to the being here described under the heading Quag, Lord of Ignorance.  He is a bestial, stupid, destructive, intemperate, arrogant, self-absorbed, and callous lout absolutely lacking in any finer virtues.

It’s not just that Quag is a filthy brute that tramples over and destroys things he cannot fathom.  It’s that he’s at the point, proud of it and smugly confident that there is no finer thing than in the multiverse than Quag.  He doesn’t resent anyone for their superior knowledge.  He’s not even aware that such a thing exists.  He resents that people don’t recognize and acclaim him to be the finest and most knowledgable being in the multiverse.  And, no matter how he provokes or even injures someone or even pounds them flat while laughing at them, he’s always hurt - really deeply sincerely hurt – that they fought back and hurt him.  He’s a howling, babbling, blubbering, shrieking bit of infamy, and I for one think I could sooner put up with Dixtolredi.  

In appearance, Quag is one of the most consistent of the slaad, seldom bothering to change his natural form.  He almost always appears to be a great naked filthy, hairy, fat giant.  He is always covered in his own matted filth and feces.  Atop his massive frame is a tiny red toad’s head, which would seem disproportionately small even on a normal sized slaad and which manages to have an even blanker expression to it than even what one would expect of a toad.  In a middle of the beast’s pasty belly is a giant drooling fanged mouth which splits Quag seemingly almost in two.  Into this he is always stuffing whatever things are in his vicinity.  The reason that he seldom changes his form is that he is quite sure that he is the most handsome being in the multiverse.

Quag is oblivious to most anything around him.  When he is destructive it is generally purely out of ignorance, not that this is any solace to anyone.  A few fools who believe that they are cursed with a surfeit of knowledge seek Quag out as the answer to their troubles, but in this they are sorely disappointed for Quag doesn’t bring forgetfulness, only ignorance, which is not the same thing they find out to their loss.

Combat 
Quag typically gets in combat by accident.  When his victim fights back, he howls with rage and surprise and then proceeds to pound them flat with simple direct attacks.      
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – chaos hammer (DC 16), cloak of chaos (DC 20),  deeper darkness, detect law, dispel law (DC 17), dispel magic, erase, expeditious retreat, fireball (DC 15), greater magic fang, invisibility, feeblemind (DC 17), magic circle against law, misdirection, modify memory (DC 16), nondetection, stinking cloud (DC 14), word of chaos (DC 23); 3/day disjunction, limited wish, maze, veil; Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based
*Book Worm (Su):* Quag presence is highly disruptive to any form of written knowledge.  Any writing within 60’ is subject to erase at Quag’s caster level, just as if he had touched it.  Anything engraved with writing of any sort is subject to shatter (DC 14) at Quag’s caster level.  Wizards that think that they have driven away Quag at no great loss are often dumbfounded when they next open their spell books.
*Change Shape (Su):* Quag can assume any humanoid or giant form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Quag cannot use his natural weapons. Quag may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Quag’s natural form, only that Quag is a disguised shapechanger.
*Throw Boulder (Ex):* Although Quag is too stupid to think of carrying any rocks with him, if he is close enough to anything heavy that he can rip apart, he’s an accomplished rubble thrower capable of throwing rocks of up to 80 lbs with a 140’ range increment as a standard action. 
*Touch of Ignorance (Su):* Quag’s most dread power is his ability to strip a being of its knowledge and experience by touch.  In many ways this power resembles energy drain, but it differs in several important ways.  Quag is not actually stripping the life force of a creature and so ordinary protection or even immunity to energy drain is of no protection whatsoever against this dread power.  Any intelligent being touched by Quag in anger takes 1d4 negative energy levels, even if they are normally immune to such an attack (such as intelligent undead).  On a successful will save (DC 31), the number of negative levels is halved (round fractions down).  These negative knowledge levels are in most fashions treated as negative energy levels, except that no being may even be slain by having accumulated any number these negative levels alone and no being is ever reduced below 0 xp as a result of this attack.  Quag gains no temporary hit points through this attack.  As with other negative levels, they remain until 24 hours have passed or until removed by an effect, such as _restoration_.  If not removed after 24 hours, the effected creature must succeed in a separate fort save (DC 31) for each negative level or lose one hit die.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Thirteenth, Tretfivor, Lord of Disharmony*

*Tretfivor, Lord of Disharmony*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 32d8 + 320 (576 hp)
*Initiative:* +10
*Speed:* 80’ 
*AC:* 50 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +5 deflection, +22 natural armor, +8 armor) touch 20,  flatfooted 44
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +26/+43
*Attack:* +3 Anarchic Large Mace of Wounding +41 melee (2d6+15,x3) 
*Full Attack:* +3 Anarchic Large Morningstar of Wounding +37/+32/+27/+22 melee (2d6+15,x3), +3 Anarchic Shocking Keen Large Scimitar +37/+32/+27/+22 melee (2d6+10 + 1d6 electricity, 15-20/x2), bite +37 melee (2d8+6 + poison) or 3 claws +41 melee (2d8+12), bite +39 melee (2d8+6 + poison)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/10’ ft
*Special Attacks:* Poison, snake-tongued, spell-like abilities, summon aid
*Special Qualities:* Aura of antagonism, fast healing 15, damage reduction 30/epic and lawful, dark vision (120’), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 31
*Saves:* Fort +28, Ref +24, Will +23
*Abilities:* Str 35, Dex 23, Con 30, Int 23, Wis 21, Chr 21
*Skills:* Bluff +40, Climb +42, Concentration +40, Disguise +40, Escape Artist +36, Jump +40, Hide +37, Innuendo +40, Intimidate +30, Listen +35, Move Silently +36, Search +35, Sense Motive +30, Spot +36, Survival +36, Tumble +36
*Feats:* Cleave, combat reflexes, epic prowess, dodge, improved initiative, improved multi-weapon fighting, greater multi-weapon fighting, mobility, multi-weapon fighting, perfect multi-weapon fighting, power attack 
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 24
*Treasure:* Double Normal
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Tretfivor is best explained as the embodiment of the phrase, “Let’s you and him fight.”  For all of his bluster, bragging, and martial trappings, Tretfivor is a consummate coward who is far more interested in creating conflict that participating in it.  Tretfivor delights in arguments and rivalries, and excels at provoking, heightening and prolonging them and then leaving the participants to deal with the results.  He is a masterful and cunning liar, but he is best known for his creative curses which seem almost innocuous at first but slowly unfold to reveal their truly damning nature.

In appearance Tretfivor appears to be a most unhappy wedding of a red slaad with a blue slaad.  He is a grotesque creature in which no body part seems quite suited to him.  One side of his body is that of a red slaad, and the other a blue.  However, his feet are on backwards, there is a great hump on one side of his back, his spine is crooked, and one eye is at least ten times larger than the other.  From one side of his mouth protrudes upward a 12” tusk, while one of his arms is so long and out-sized that its knuckles drag the ground when he walks.  His skin is folded and loose like a pachyderms as if it did not quite fit his frame.  Alone of the Slaad Lords Tretfivor favors clothing, and often wears tattered robes that were once of a rich material before being ill-used.  

Tretfivor is among the most monstrous of the slaad, but if he has one somewhat redeeming quality it is that he seems relatively little interested in breaking the peace.  Peaceful, tranquil, and calm beings and situations seem not to interest or attract him, and rather than taking the effort to arouse conflict where none exists, he seems to prefer to heighten conflicts were it already exists and to pit the violent and bloodthirsty against the naturally violent and ill-tempered.  Certainly he has derailed many opportunities for peace and brought about much suffering, but by acting in this fashion he serves wittingly or unwittingly to cull away many that would otherwise represent a great danger by pitting them against each other.  In fact, many of his favorite targets for this trickery seem to be the very fiends that he sometimes associates with.

Combat
Tretfivor is not found in combat if he can help it, as he far prefers to rely on his powers of disguise and spell abilities to cajole, trick, and wheedle others into fighting for his amusement.  But if pressed or if he clearly outmatches his foe, he will fight fiercely.  He typically wears an ogre sized suit of _chain mail +3_, and wields a pair of mighty weapons in either hand – a _+3 Anarchic Large Morningstar of Wounding_ in the larger sinister hand, and a _+3 Anarchic Shocking Keen Large Scimitar_ in the dexterous hand.  
*Spell-Like Abilities: * At will – bestow curse (heightened, DC 24), chaos hammer (DC 19), cloak of chaos (DC 23), detect law, dispel law (DC 20), dispel magic, emotion (DC 19), fireball (DC 18), fly, forceful hand, greater magic fang, invisibility, lightning bolt (DC 18), magic circle against law, mass suggestion (DC 21), misdirection, nondetection, persistant image, spell turning, word of chaos (DC 26), wall of fire; 3/day antipathy (DC 24), demand (DC 24), fire shield, limited wish, power word (any). Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based
*Aura of Antagonism (Su):* All diplomacy checks within 300’ of Tretfivor have a -11 penalty.
*Poison (Ex):* Tretfivor’s bite inflict a horrid poison on the victim, which causes the victims skin to bubble and flow as if it were hot wax. (Injury, Fortitude DC 36, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Chr + 1 permanent Chr loss.)  The save DC is Constitution-based
*Snake Tongued (Su):* Tretfivor is venom tongued in more ways than the physical.  Tretfivor is a most cunning liar, and gains a +5 insight bonus on all bluff checks involving the spoken word.  Any curse he bestows via _bestow curse_ is heightened as a 9th level spell, and when Tretfivor’s effective caster level is increased by 5 for the purpose of caster level checks involving _bestow curse_.
*Summon Aid (Sp): * Three times per day Tretfivor may attempt to summon 3d6 red slaad with a 90% chance of success or 2d8 blue slaad with an 80% chance of success, or 1-3 death slaad with a 70% chance of success. Treat this as ability as a 9th level spell. Tretfivor enjoys good relations with the Tanari. Once per day he may attempt to summon 2d6 Tanari (50% will be Dretch, 30% Babau, and 20% Hezrou) with an 80% chance of success. Summoned Tanari will not further a good cause, but will otherwise serve at any task for 25 rounds. Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Fourteenth, Werajt, Lord of Confusion*

*Werajt, Lord of Confusion**
Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 35d8 + 490 (770 hp)
*Initiative:* +10
*Speed:* 80’ 
*AC:* 43 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +6 deflection, +22 natural armor) touch 21, flatfooted 37 
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +27/+44
*Attack:* Claw +39 melee (2d8+13) 
*Full Attack:* 3 claws +39 melee (2d8+13), 2 kicks +37 melee (2d6+6), 1 slam +37 melee (1d12+6), bite +37 melee (2d8+6)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/10’ ft
*Special Attacks:* Aura of confusion, spell-like abilities, summon aid, touch of madness
*Special Qualities:* Bewildered, bewildering form, fast healing 20, damage reduction 30/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, resistance acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 33
*Saves:* Fort +37, Ref +25, Will +23
*Abilities:* Str 36, Dex 22, Con 38, Int 22, Wis 18, Chr 23
*Skills:* Bluff +44, Climb +51, Concentration +52, Disguise +44, Escape Artist +44, Jump +51, Hide +44, Intimidate +44, Innuendo +44, Listen +41, Move Silently +44, Search +44, Spot +41, Tumble +49
*Feats:* Combat reflexes, combat expertise, defensive opportunist, dodge, epic fortitude, frightful presence, improved initiative, improved overrun, karmic strike, mobility, multiattack, power attack 
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization: * Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 25
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Werajt is in many ways a piteous creature, utterly befuddled and bewildered by the universe and even often its own body.  Of course, its one understandable goal seems to be to share and spread this confusion to others, so this may check the sympathy which we may have for the creature.

In appearance, Werajt is almost indescribable.  Perhaps it would suffice to say that he seems a ball of disparate limbs with arms and legs sticking out in every direction higgly-piggly.  But to this picture of confusion we must add a riot of color and that the entire surface of this ball of waving extremities is covered with eyes of various sizes, ears, mouths, and other sorts of things which one would not expect to find on a creatures extremities.

Werajt’s behavior is equally inexplicable.  He staggers (and sometimes rolls) about as if not entirely certain what to do with his own haphazardly constructed body.  He never says anything which is intelligible or appropriate, but instead makes utterly nonsensical replies to any query that are punctuated by hoots, beeps, and honks from his various mouths.  He spends his days fighting with and destroying harmless inanimate objects, running in terror from tiny things like small beetles, trying to start up conversations with flowers and streams, and otherwise apparently trying and failing to make sense of the world around him.  Rumor has it that Werajt possesses an uncanny knowledge of the future, but his utility as an oracle is called into question by the fact that his oracles, if that is what they are, are so cryptic and embedded in nonsense that no one is ever certain that they’ve been given one or what it might mean.

Combat
Werajt is more likely to initiate combat with a tree than with any actual foe, but despite the bedlam and the fact he’ll probably never understand why he was attacked, he is capable of protecting himself.  Werajt likes to fight on the defensive, and to fill a battle field with fog, illusions and other obstacles until his confusion effect renders his foes a greater threat to each other than to Werajt.  At this point, he’s likely to simply move on.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Alter self, chaos hammer (DC 20), cloak of chaos (DC 24), control weather, deeper darkness (widened), detect law, detect magic, dispel law (DC 21), divination, false vision, fly, greater magic fang, insanity (DC 21), invisibility, magic circle against law, mirror image, misdirection, mislead, modify memory (DC 20), obscuring mist (widened), persistent image, see invisibility, veil, word of chaos (DC 27); 3/day acid fog (widened), limited wish, maze, mind fog (DC 21), power word (any); Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based
*Aura of Confusion (Su):* Any intelligent being within 120’ of Werajt must make a will save (DC 33) or suffer from _confusion_ (as the spell).  All knowledge checks made within this area suffer from a -13 insight penalty.  Finally, all arcane spells cast within this area or at a target within this area except by Werajt have an additional 10% chance of spell failure. 
*Bewildered (Ex):* Werajt automatically fails sense motive checks.
*Bewildering Form (Ex):* Werajt cannot be flanked, and is 50% likely to avoid additional damage from a critical hit.  Because he’s neither quite upside down or right side up (or anything else), Werajt cannot be knocked or fall prone and Werajt gets a +5 racial bonus on all tumble checks.
*Change Shape (Su):* Werajt can assume any humanoid form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Werajt cannot use his natural weapons. Werajt may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Werajt’s natural form, only that Werajt is a disguised shapechanger.
*Summon Aid (Sp):* Three times per day Werajt may attempt to summon 3d6 red slaad with a 90% chance of success or 2d8 blue slaad with an 80% chance of success, or 1-6 green slaad with a 75% chance of success. Treat this as ability as a 9th level spell.  Once per day, Werajt may summon 2d6 gibbering mouthers of the largest size (12HD). Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.
*Touch of Insanity (Su):* By touch, Werajt inflicts _insanity_ on his victims as the spell (Will save DC 33 to avoid).


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Fifthteenth, Zazashaf, Lord of Motion*

*Zazashaf, Lord of Motion*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 37d8 + 370  (666 hp)
*Initiative:* +16
*Speed: * 100’ 
*AC:* 49 (-1 size, +9 Dex, +8 deflection, +23 natural armor) touch 26, flatfooted 40
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +28/+44
*Attack:* Claw +43 melee (2d6+12)
*Full Attack:* 7 claw +43 melee (2d6+12), bite +41 melee (2d8+6)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Spell-like abilities, summon aid
*Special Qualities:* Blazing fast, change shape, fast healing 20, damage reduction 25/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, improved evasion, perpetual motion, resistance to acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire 20, spell resistance 36
*Saves:* Fort +30, Ref +33, Will +28
*Abilities:* Str 35, Dex 28, Con 31, Int 25, Wis 21, Chr 27 
*Skills:* Bluff +48, Climb +49, Concentration +50, Diplomacy +45, Jump +52, Knowledge (Arcana) +44, Knowledge (Planes) +47, Intimidate +45, Listen +45, Move Silently +48, Perform (Dance) +29, Search +44, Spellcraft +44, Spot +45, Survival +42, Tumble +49
*Feats:* Astral tracking, combat reflexes, epic reflexes, dodge, improved combat reflexes, improved initiative, mobile spellcaster, mobility, multi-attack, power attack, spring attack, run, track
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 25
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Zazashaf the Traveler is one of the oldest attested Slaad Lords, and also one of the mightiest.  He goes by many names, but his appearance has remained unchanged in the texts for many thousands of years.  He appears as a great toad bodied creature with 3 arms on his right side, and 4 to his left, and 4 legs to his right side and 3 on his left.  His head and tail are canine in form - usually that of a golden jackal - and one leg to either side is canine and one arm to either side is ape-like.  The scales of his torso are mottled white, brown, and green, and his eyes have the appearance of onyx.  Zazashaf loves things that change and move and is fascinated by living things more than any other Slaad, especially those that live quick, eventful and dramatic lives.  Plants move with painful slowness to him, but insects are a special pleasure to him and he takes umbrage when they are destroyed unthinkingly in his presence.  While Zazashaf can be pleasant if rapid conversationalist when entertained, but anything that moves or speaks slowly will annoy and a would be road companion must be able to keep up with the great pace that he sets.

Zazashaf is the great enemy of Ygorl.  Each mutually believes the other to be an abomination and a traitor tainted by alien and unnatural philosophies, and each will attack the other without hesitation. 

Combat
Zazashaf generally is annoyed by combat and uses his incredible speed to simply run away from it.  However, if thwarted or checked by persistant attackers, he is a terrifying foe that uses his incredible mobility to his best advantage, running circles around his foes, striking at opponents with a cyclone of claws, and then darting away before they can make a reply.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – astral projection, alter self, animate objects, blur, break enchantment, chaos hammer (DC 22), cloak of chaos (DC 26), confusion (DC 23), control weather, control winds, detect law, detect magic, dispel law (DC 24), fabricate, freedom of movement, grease (DC 21), greater dispelling, greater magic fang, gust of wind, haste, heat metal, identify, invisibility, magic circle against law, magic missile, mirror image, misdirection, mislead, passwall, see invisibility, shatter (DC 20), telekinesis, unseen servant, word of chaos (DC 29), whispering wind, wind walk, wind wall; 3/day cyclone, limited wish, power word (any), teleport, time stop, wall of force.  Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Blazing Fast (Ex):* Zazashaf is always protected as by the _blur_ and _freedom of motion_ spells.  Additionally, for each 20’ that Zazashaf moves in a round, he receives a +1 dodge bonus against missile attacks until the beginning of his next turn.  Zazashaf has a +4 enhancement bonus on all initiative checks.  Three times per day, Zazashaf can quicken any spell-like ability of 6th level or less.
*Change Shape (Su):* Zazashaf can assume any humanoid form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Zazashaf cannot use his natural weapons. Zazashaf may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even true seeing does not reveal Zazashaf’s natural form, only that Zazashaf is a disguised shapechanger.
*Improved Evasion (Ex):* If Zazashaf makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage.  Even on a failed save, Zazashaf only takes half damage.
*Perpetual Motion (Ex):* As befitting an embodiment of motion, Zazashaf is always moving.  Zazashaf receives an extra move action in each round and must move at least 10’ in a round.  If for some reason Zazashaf is unable to move in a round, Zazashaf takes 2d6 damage at the end of the round.
*Summon Aid (Sp): * Three times per day Zazashaf may attempt to summon 1d8 green slaad with a 90% chance of success or 1d4 grey slaad with an 80% chance of success. Treat this as ability as an 8th level spell.  Zazashaf enjoys good relations with the Eladrin.  Once per day he may attempt to summon 2d6 Eldarin (50% will be Courre, 30% Bralani, and 20% Shiradi) with an 80% chance of success.  Summoned Eldarin will not further an evil cause, but will otherwise serve at any task for 25 rounds. Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 13, 2007)

*Part the Sixteenth, Ecology of the Slaad Lords*

Whew.


----------



## Imruphel (Feb 13, 2007)

Very impressive! Thanks for posting. I look forward to the next ones.


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## Piratecat (Feb 13, 2007)

Superb.


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## paradox42 (Feb 13, 2007)

Consider these names immediately adopted into my game, at least!  The beings themselves too, once you find the time to post them. I always felt that there were too few Slaad Lords, and meant to make some of my own (even had a few ideas for some, but you've already supplanted those in your own list).

The Lord of Absurdity should be particularly entertaining to see!


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## Kafkonia (Feb 13, 2007)

More! More!

Although I don't think they should be done in order, personally.


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## Celebrim (Feb 14, 2007)

Kafkonia said:
			
		

> More! More!




What, fourteen isn't enough for you? 

Seriously, I'm not so good at estimating CR's of anything this potent.  Any pointers in that from any readers would be welcome.


----------



## Kafkonia (Feb 14, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> What, fourteen isn't enough for you?




What can I say? I'm insatiable. 



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> Seriously, I'm not so good at estimating CR's of anything this potent.  Any pointers in that from any readers would be welcome.




In all honesty, I haven't even looked at the mechanics yet; the flavour alone is magnificent.


----------



## paradox42 (Feb 14, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> Seriously, I'm not so good at estimating CR's of anything this potent.  Any pointers in that from any readers would be welcome.



Combing through massive statistics blocks takes time, as you've no doubt noticed in converting these to 3.X for posting.  That said, I've done a lot of it for my Epic game, and I have the handy-dandy IH "Challenging Challenge Ratings version 5" document to help if I want to be really precise.

I checked out Baseraxs today, and with an "eyeball" look over the details I'd say that as written, he's more like a CR 22 than a 24. He has a lot of hit points, true, and AC 46 is nothing to sneeze at even for 24th-level PCs. It's worth noting in this analysis, though, that most serious fighter-type builds I've seen at or around 20th level are capable of hitting AC 46 better than half the time, at least with the first attack, and dealing over 50 points of damage per hit. SR 28 is laughable to any spellcaster of 24th level, and the DR he has- 35/Lawful- should probably be /Lawful and Epic to really make him an Epic challenge. The 35 is a little iffy, it's higher than is normal for monsters in 3.5, but it's certainly substantial enough to warrant a high CR! Finally, the save DCs for his abilities are a bit low for CR 24; compare him for example to Demogorgon in FC1 (if you have it) who is only rated CR 23.

The only potential mistake I found in his stats during my initial read-through is that he has _Emotion_ as a spell-like ability; unfortunately, that spell was split up into its constituent parts for 3.5. I've found that most annoying in converting creatures myself, and recently got caught with it by a player who noticed it was still listed as a requirement for a magic item in my setting; obviously this means my mind is primed to notice it now. 

I'll check over the others later, as I have more time, but hopefully this will help you out for now.


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## Celebrim (Feb 15, 2007)

paradox42 said:
			
		

> That said, I've done a lot of it for my Epic game, and I have the handy-dandy IH "Challenging Challenge Ratings version 5" document to help if I want to be really precise.




Now that's what I'm talking about.  Thanks.  More than a few levels over 20 offend my 1st edition sensibilities, and as I get older I find it harder and harder to find games - especially long running ones - so I've little experience with 3rd edition high level play.  



> I checked out Baseraxs today, and with an "eyeball" look over the details I'd say that as written, he's more like a CR 22 than a 24.




That's perfectly fine with me.  The idea is to target a CR which makes for a reasonable 'big bad' for a party at or just above 20th level.  My design goal is an average of 6 rounds of combat with a CR equivalent party.  Thus the high hit points, high AC, and hopefully decent saves and immunities.



> The only potential mistake I found in his stats during my initial read-through is that he has _Emotion_ as a spell-like ability; unfortunately, that spell was split up into its constituent parts for 3.5.




You will find that if I think that the change in 3.5 is a mistake, that I'll just ignore it.  Emotion is just one example of that.  So, yes, not official, but not a mistake either.  Or rather, it is a mistake, but its thier mistake and not mine.



> He has a lot of hit points, true, and AC 46 is nothing to sneeze at even for 24th-level PCs. It's worth noting in this analysis, though, that most serious fighter-type builds I've seen at or around 20th level are capable of hitting AC 46 better than half the time, at least with the first attack, and dealing over 50 points of damage per hit. SR 28 is laughable to any spellcaster of 24th level, and the DR he has- 35/Lawful- should probably be /Lawful and Epic to really make him an Epic challenge. The 35 is a little iffy, it's higher than is normal for monsters in 3.5, but it's certainly substantial enough to warrant a high CR! Finally, the save DCs for his abilities are a bit low for CR 24; compare him for example to Demogorgon in FC1 (if you have it) who is only rated CR 23.




That's a bit more damage than I would have expected at fighter to do on one hit, but I'm gratified to hear that the AC is spot on the design goal.

The reason that the DR is not lawful and epic is that I didn't want to rule out a non-epic party taking on this challenge.  A mistake added to the game in 3.5 edition however makes that somewhat problimatic.  

The reason the save DC's are low is the design goal is that a character with poor saves in that category will still make the save about 2/3rds of the time (if they've paid attention to thier weakness), and with good saves should probably not fail.  That's about as high as I feel comfortable with.  I dislike how much high level play depends on single die roles, especially the way many existing monsters are built (low AC's, high DC 'save or die' attacks, high attack bonus relative to thier own AC, etc.).  If I'm failing to meet this design goal, I'll think about fixes.

I don't have FC1, and it sounds like that they have slightly different design goals than I do.  If they have Demogorgon stated out at CR 23, then they are targeting primarily a non-Epic audience.  For my part, if the outer planar lords aren't significantly more powerful than ordinary mortal heroes, I think that creates an internal consistancy issue.  On the other hand, if they are too much above mortal heroes, then there is no point stating them out at all because they can't interact with the PC's in any meaningful way.  I would have targeted about CR 29 for Demogorgon, Ssendam, ect.  

For reasons that will come out as I get more of them stated up, Baseraxs is intended to be near the low end of Slaad Lord power, so a CR around 22-25 is ideal AFAIC.  

Still, I'm not sure I buy it is as low as 22.  Somethings you didn't mention:

He's got several abilities that don't even allow a save: reverse gravity at will, power word (kill) three times a day, and word of chaos at will (in 3.5, this could TPK a 15th or even 20th level party, which is just dumb).  

His real AC is effectively much higher than that.  Against lawfuls, you are dealing with someone who will have Cloak of Chaos up (+4 to AC) [Edit: nm, just noticed that its a deflection bonus] and has an effective +1 bonus to AC due to his aura.  And he's somewhat built to fight defensively if he has the AC advantage and isn't under time pressure, which take that 24th level fighter whom you mention up to the point where he needs a 20 to hit if he's lawful and would seriously cramp anyone else.

As for spell casters, he has a brutal grapple, strong resistances, a strong Fort save, and a few immunities.  The spell resistance isn't going to knock out many spells against a spell caster that cares about his penetration, but its not intended to.  It's intended to block the occasional spell from a spell caster that didn't work on penetration, and provide a significant defence against wands, staves and the like.  If you think it needs to be more important, I'll bump it up by 5 points.

He has greater dispelling at will, which is likely to seriously debuff a high level party depending on buffs.  



> I'll check over the others later, as I have more time, but hopefully this will help you out for now.




Indeed it does.


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## paradox42 (Feb 17, 2007)

Finally I have some time to respond to this!



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> Now that's what I'm talking about.  Thanks.  More than a few levels over 20 offend my 1st edition sensibilities, and as I get older I find it harder and harder to find games - especially long running ones - so I've little experience with 3rd edition high level play.



Few do, as evidenced (though partly precipitated by) the large number of products geared towards the so-called "sweet spot" of 6th-12th level. For my part, I've always preferred the rarified heights above 16th, in every edition of the game. I think it's more fun when the DM can throw out world-shaking and cosmos-shaking plots at the drop of a hat and the PCs can (A) handle it, and (B) take it seriously since they've seen stuff like it before. The epic drama available at these levels allows storytelling like nothing else.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> That's perfectly fine with me.  The idea is to target a CR which makes for a reasonable 'big bad' for a party at or just above 20th level.  My design goal is an average of 6 rounds of combat with a CR equivalent party.  Thus the high hit points, high AC, and hopefully decent saves and immunities.



Here's your lack of experience showing, sorry to say.  High-level combat in D&D 3.x just about *never* lasts as long as 6 rounds unless multiple combatants are engaged on each side. Before then, one side or the other will be taken out by some super-instant-death-type effect, or retreat to regroup. Either way, the combat is over. Most combats, IME, last one or two rounds.

Also, CR 22 is *not* a "big bad" for a 20th-level party- it would be for 18th, but for 20th you need to go at least to 24 or 25 to have a really credible "big bad" enemy that's scary. CR 22 is diffcult to a 20th-level party, but not really scary. The Adventure Paths in Dungeon have done a good job of showing what "big bads" and "mooks" and "lieutenants" look like at and around 20th level- in _Dawn of a New Age_, for example, the last module in the Age of Worms, several opponents are CR 22 or 23, most ELs are 21 (made up of multiple creatures), and the real "big bad" is so powerful that his CR isn't actually rated (though to be fair, it *is* supposed to be the end of a campaign).

600-odd hit points may seem high, but look at it this way: expect the party tank to come in and deal on the order of 20 hit points per successful hit, and you can expect one or two hits per round. But the tank's not alone: throw a Rogue into the mix and suddenly those 10d6 Sneak Attacks from flanking come into play. Then the party blaster mage is throwing around _Maximized Disintegrates_ (a Sorcerer could potentially do this 5 times) for *240 damage each*, and as I noted in my last "comment" post the entity's SR is a joke to many casters of that level. Throw in the Metamagic Rods that high-level spellcasters love, and you can get _Maximized Empowered Disintegrates_ and even more fun things. Admittedly his Fort save is high, but even so- _Maximized Disintegrates_ are only one of the many options for massive damage that a 20th-level spellcaster has available.

In other words, 600 hit points won't last 6 rounds.  If you want 6 rounds, you'll need to go up to 1000 at least- and even then you can expect the party to run away when the "invincible monster *just won't die!!!*"



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> You will find that if I think that the change in 3.5 is a mistake, that I'll just ignore it.  Emotion is just one example of that.  So, yes, not official, but not a mistake either.  Or rather, it is a mistake, but its thier mistake and not mine.



Fair enough! I agree on this spell, actually, though I did go with the official rules for my own game even though I disagreed with the change. It's worth noting, though, in the monster statblock, that you're using the 3.0 version of _Emotion_ and some DMs running 3.5 may want to change it to the list of sub-spells instead.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> That's a bit more damage than I would have expected at fighter to do on one hit, but I'm gratified to hear that the AC is spot on the design goal.
> 
> The reason that the DR is not lawful and epic is that I didn't want to rule out a non-epic party taking on this challenge.  A mistake added to the game in 3.5 edition however makes that somewhat problimatic.



Believe me when I say, Epic DR will *not* prevent a sub-Epic party (at 19th or 20th level) from taking on a beast with Epic DR and winning.  At least, in the CR range we're talking about- 22 or so.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> The reason the save DC's are low is the design goal is that a character with poor saves in that category will still make the save about 2/3rds of the time (if they've paid attention to thier weakness), and with good saves should probably not fail.  That's about as high as I feel comfortable with.  I dislike how much high level play depends on single die roles, especially the way many existing monsters are built (low AC's, high DC 'save or die' attacks, high attack bonus relative to thier own AC, etc.).  If I'm failing to meet this design goal, I'll think about fixes.



Fine design goal, but note that this renders most of his SLAs useless against a party of the level he could be expected to face according to your posts. Most on the list are "save to negate" effects, which means by using the SLA you waste his action. In high-level play, actions are by far the most precious commodity- whoever gets the most, wins.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> I don't have FC1, and it sounds like that they have slightly different design goals than I do.  If they have Demogorgon stated out at CR 23, then they are targeting primarily a non-Epic audience.  For my part, if the outer planar lords aren't significantly more powerful than ordinary mortal heroes, I think that creates an internal consistancy issue.  On the other hand, if they are too much above mortal heroes, then there is no point stating them out at all because they can't interact with the PC's in any meaningful way.  I would have targeted about CR 29 for Demogorgon, Ssendam, ect.



Pages upon pages of threads about FC1 were on this very topic.  No need to rehash all that, but know that the vast majority of DMs who run Epic games agree with you. The one bright spot of the FC1 stats is that they gave a nice procedure for advancing the Demon Lords right there in the same chapter, and it does help make them more appropriate challenges when correctly used. I did a Demogorgon advanced to 40 HD (and CR 36) for my own Epic game, and was satisfied with the results even though he only lasted 2 rounds once my PCs unleashed their full fury at him.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> For reasons that will come out as I get more of them stated up, Baseraxs is intended to be near the low end of Slaad Lord power, so a CR around 22-25 is ideal AFAIC.
> 
> Still, I'm not sure I buy it is as low as 22.  Somethings you didn't mention:



The above secondary comments may help, but I'll see you point for point below.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> He's got several abilities that don't even allow a save: reverse gravity at will, power word (kill) three times a day, and word of chaos at will (in 3.5, this could TPK a 15th or even 20th level party, which is just dumb).



_Reverse Gravity_ is a cute trick at the sorts of levels you're talking about, and nothing more really. Most PCs I've seen or read about at 20th level either have magic items that let them fly more or less at will, or can _Teleport_ and thus bypass the region of reversed gravity painlessly. _Reverse Gravity_ is only good for tactical carving-up of the battlefield, really, and not all that good even at that once the enemy knows it's there.

_Power Word, Kill_ is nasty to people without 150 hit points- but at 20th level, that will usually mean the Sorcerer or Wizard and that's it. CON-boosting items and spells are used as a matter of course at this level, and tanks should be expected to have on the order of 400 hit points or more when at full health. In my own Epic game, both of the current party blaster-magi had over 200 hit points at 20th level, though both of them started with high CON scores and were using stat-boosting items to the hilt at the time (so my situation is by no means standard). Also, and far mroe importantly, _Power Word Kill_ is an Enchantment spell. And Mind-Affecting besides. At 20th level, the party that goes around without _Mind Blanks_ protecting at least their low-hp members is just *asking* the DM to drop a Ninja Demon Death Squad on them. _Mind Blank_, of course, renders the recipient immune to Mind-Affecting effects- and thus all three _Power Words_ are useless against somebody under its effect. And beyond _Mind Blank_, _Power Word Kill_ is also a Death effect, which means that _Death Ward_ renders its recipient immune. _Death Ward_ is a mere 4th-level spell, so at 20th level you can expect a prepared party to be protecting *every* member with it- and possibly some helpful NPCs as well who just came along for the ride.

_Word of Chaos_ is indeed a show-stopper, and very difficult to get around. This is his ace in the hole, but of course- there are ways around it. Sage Advice columns have noted (IIRC) that a _Silence_ cuts off the effect of all four alignment _Words_, except for the Banishment, and I also believe _Spell Turning_ and similar effects can stop it.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> His real AC is effectively much higher than that.  Against lawfuls, you are dealing with someone who will have Cloak of Chaos up (+4 to AC) [Edit: nm, just noticed that its a deflection bonus] and has an effective +1 bonus to AC due to his aura.  And he's somewhat built to fight defensively if he has the AC advantage and isn't under time pressure, which take that 24th level fighter whom you mention up to the point where he needs a 20 to hit if he's lawful and would seriously cramp anyone else.



Never assume the party will contain solely members of the opposed alignment, when designing a monster. If you do, you're just nerfing the monster against enemies you didn't consider (in this case, non-Lawfuls). Also, a *24th* level Fighter worth his salt will have a lot more going for him than the measly +2 from his Epic Attack Bonus, compared with 20th level. There's Epic Weapon Focus to take into account, bigger STR boosts from items, _Manuals of Gainful Exercise_ and/or _Wishes_, and of course the ability increase from levelling up, and last but certainly not least- increased weapon enhancement bonuses. I did say that a "serious build" 20th level Fighter could hit AC 46 "better than half the time" with the first attack; this means that even if we do take into account the +4 AC from _Cloak_ (which, as you noticed, you shouldn't anyway since it's Deflection), you've only reduced the 20th-level Fighter's chance to hit to about 1/4 the time instead of 1/2. The 24th-level Fighter is going to have an attack bonus considerably higher, swinging the chance back in his favor again.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> As for spell casters, he has a brutal grapple,



How's he planning to get past the party tank to grab those casters? Also, Arcane casters at this level can nearly always _Teleport_- which is an insta-escape to any grappling situation. Even Swallow Whole. Finally, once again a mid-level spell puts a rain on this parade; _Freedom of Movement_ is only 4th level but renders the recipient utterly immune to all Grapple attempts.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> ...strong resistances, a strong Fort save, and a few immunities.  The spell resistance isn't going to knock out many spells against a spell caster that cares about his penetration, but its not intended to.  It's intended to block the occasional spell from a spell caster that didn't work on penetration, and provide a significant defence against wands, staves and the like.  If you think it needs to be more important, I'll bump it up by 5 points.



As a general monster-design rule, most monsters should have SR equal to CR + 10 to have it be credible. If you look at most high-CR monster stats you'll find that to be the case.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> He has greater dispelling at will, which is likely to seriously debuff a high level party depending on buffs.



Here's where the point I made above about actions comes into play. If he uses his action to _Greater Dispel_- and note that he has to do the targeted version to be able to get more than one spell with it, which would mean he has to pick one out of the four assailants (monsters are typically designed assuming a party of four PCs as you may know)- that's an action he *didn't* use to attack the tank who's barrelling down on his toady butt, grapple that sorcerer who was all set to _Horrid Wilting_ him into next week, or some other offensive action. This gives the party a whole round to set up their strike against him, or replace the buffs he just got rid of if they're that critical. One _Time Stop_ is all the 20th-level Arcanist (or even Cleric with the Trickery Domain) needs to get a lot of the lost buffs, if not all of them, back. His caster level 25th doesn't help his _Dispel_ here, because it caps at +20 on the check- and that means he still only has about a 50% chance to get rid of any spell cast by a 20th-level caster.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> Indeed it does.



Glad to help- hope you don't take the above as aggressive argumentation.  I'm just showing you some of the things I've seen used, either by my own Epic party or somebody else's, which can really ruin a DM's day and throw those nice spiffy high-level powers you were *sure* were going to rain on their parade out the window.

So, now I guess I need to find the time to do a detailed check on the others.  Perhaps tomorrow.


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## green slime (Feb 17, 2007)

Shouldn't this be over in the Monster/Creature Catalogue forum?


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## Celebrim (Feb 17, 2007)

paradox42 said:
			
		

> Finally I have some time to respond to this!




Thanks again.



> Glad to help- hope you don't take the above as aggressive argumentation.




I wouldn't worry about it.  You should see me in aggressive argumentation mode.  I'm flame proof, and I consider your criticism helpful and more gratifying even than much of the praise.  I could quibble with alot of what you say, but since I'm not wanting an argument here I'll try to minimize the quibbling.



> Here's your lack of experience showing, sorry to say.  High-level combat in D&D 3.x just about *never* lasts as long as 6 rounds unless multiple combatants are engaged on each side. Before then, one side or the other will be taken out by some super-instant-death-type effect, or retreat to regroup. Either way, the combat is over. Most combats, IME, last one or two rounds.




Which I think is highly ungratifying and which I will do my best to avoid. Nonetheless, I tend to agree with you that while I've given them alot of defense, I've not given them enough offensive ability and I've probably neglected a few key areas.



> and the real "big bad" is so powerful that his CR isn't actually rated (though to be fair, it *is* supposed to be the end of a campaign).




Well, as presented the CR of the final baddy is in the low 30's and probably can't be defeated by a party of say 22nd level without considerable help - which is basically what the text says.



> 600-odd hit points may seem high, but look at it this way: expect the party tank to come in and deal on the order of 20 hit points per successful hit, and you can expect one or two hits per round.




I was expecting 120-200 damage per round.



> Then the party blaster mage is throwing around _Maximized Disintegrates_ (a Sorcerer could potentially do this 5 times) for *240 damage each*, and as I noted in my last "comment" post the entity's SR is a joke to many casters of that level. Throw in the Metamagic Rods that high-level spellcasters love, and you can get _Maximized Empowered Disintegrates_ and even more fun things. Admittedly his Fort save is high, but even so- _Maximized Disintegrates_ are only one of the many options for massive damage that a 20th-level spellcaster has available.




By my estimate, a maximized empowered disentigrate would do on average about 57 damage to Baseraxs + about 16 damage for each DC of the save was above 36.



> In other words, 600 hit points won't last 6 rounds.  If you want 6 rounds, you'll need to go up to 1000 at least- and even then you can expect the party to run away when the "invincible monster *just won't die!!!*"




200 damage per round would require 4 full rounds take down Baseraxs.



> Fair enough! I agree on this spell, actually, though I did go with the official rules for my own game even though I disagreed with the change. It's worth noting, though, in the monster statblock, that you're using the 3.0 version of _Emotion_ and some DMs running 3.5 may want to change it to the list of sub-spells instead.




Fair enough.  I'll make a note of the rules assumptions when I do section #16, which is supposed to contain alot of the crunch that goes along with section #1's flavor.



> Believe me when I say, Epic DR will *not* prevent a sub-Epic party (at 19th or 20th level) from taking on a beast with Epic DR and winning.  At least, in the CR range we're talking about- 22 or so.




I'll take it under consideration.



> Fine design goal, but note that this renders most of his SLAs useless against a party of the level he could be expected to face according to your posts. Most on the list are "save to negate" effects, which means by using the SLA you waste his action.




I'm having a hard time envisioning what saving throws bonuses are like at this level of play.  I'm presuming something like +3-4 above the sample characters in the DMG to be pretty typical, which still makes DC's around 25 pretty rough.  Nevertheless, I agree with you that I'm not putting enough pressure on the party - I'm not 'stealing' enough of thier actions - especially since for most of the Lords I've deliberately steered away from instant death effects.  However, I want to avoid putting the sort of pressure on the party that they feel the need to cut and run if the fight goes over 2 rounds.   That tactic is perfectly reasonable given that most published opponents at this CR have alot of save or die effects and/or dish out average 200+ damage on a full attack.  I'm trying to avoid putting that much pressure on the party that it forces those kind of tactics, and I'm trying to avoid luck dependency.  I want, for lack of a better word, the 'drama' that seems to be missing from so much high level play (or at least high level combat).

So, let's talk about fixes.  Any or all of the following is under consideration.

1) DC and SR boosts - I could cheese the SL's (Slaad Lord's) SLA' and SR's out by an across the board +5 increase to the DC and SR.  This would put the SR close to the CR+10 rule of thumb, and would make the DC's certainly threatening to parties a couple CL's below CR.
2) Go the full divine rank 0 route - As it is, the SL's are almost fully divine rank 0 creatures, and by the time I get to listing the mechanics general to SL's we are going to be practically there anyway.  The relevant additional immunities by going this route would be form change immunity (already not a large problem, since most are shape changers), mind effecting spells, energy drain, and ability drain.
3) Attack boosting - The SL's are being seriously hurt by the fact that they depend on natural attacks and not items.  So they are missing iterative attacks, x1.5 strength modifers, magical enhancements, etc.  They idea here would be to boost thier natural attacks up a bit in hopefully a believable non-cheesy way to make up for this flavor constraint.  I could break the flavor constraint, and plan to in at least one case, but I don't want to go there just because of system mechanics.
4) Stat Boosting - I could increase the ability scores of the SLs across the board by say 10% (20 would become 22, 30 would become 33, etc.).  This would further boost the DC of SLA's for those SL's that depend on them, make the damage from combat brutes more threatening, further boost the hp's by 30 or so, possibly add a point or two to AC and generally all around buff the SL.  
5) Add epic DR - The problem I have with epic DR is the same problem I have with magic DR at this level.  It's either just irrelevant because everything can overcome it, or else its overwhelming because the party just doesn't have epic weapons.  Nonetheless, I want the SL's to overcome epic DR, and giving them epic DR just makes that easier without making a special exception.

I'm leaning toward #1 and #2, feel pretty good about #3, and will take step #4 if you think its necessary.  I don't feel good about #5, but I'm leaning that way just because I dislike more fiddly rule exceptions than I'm already making.

As a final note, I don't own 'Book of Vile Darkness' to check this, but from what I remember of it and glancing at the web enhancement I would say that my SL's as presented aren't far off the power scale of the archfiends in that book.  Are the BoVD's epic challenges way overrated, or has 3.5 had that much power inflation?   I don't want to cheese out the monsters so that the 'new' CR 24 is that much more potent than the 'old' CR 24.  That way really lies madness.  

Anyway, strange new SL latter today.


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## paradox42 (Feb 18, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> I was expecting 120-200 damage per round.



If raw damage is being dealt, and taking his DR into account (which I was, in saying a tank would be dealing a measly 20 damage per hit- without the DR it would be much higher), this seems a reasonable estimate to me. However, a party using optimized tactics could wipe the floor with 600 hit points. As an example, one tactic the sub-20th-level PCs in JollyDoc's Age of Worms storyhour (over on that forum) were known to use on most big bads was,

*(1)* Cast _Time Stop_ to get extra, uninterruptable actions.
*(2)* Enclose enemy in _Forcecage_ (specifically the barred version so spells could get through it).
*(3)* Enclose enemy in _Dimensional Lock_ or _Dimensional Anchor_ to prevent escape.
*(4)* Assuming you have rounds 3, 4, or 5, create one or more _Walls of Fire_ or similarly damaging location-based effects which intersect inside the _Forcecage_ such that the enclosed big bad is unable to avoid them in any way.
*(Phase 3)* Profit!

This tactic was especially effective for them because their party included a Warlock, whose _Walls of Perilous Flame_ deal half Fire damage, half nontyped damage- so Energy Resistance/Immunity doesn't fully negate it. Also, it's especially hurtful to Undead, per _Wall of Fire's_ description, which means it was brutally effective in the Age of Worms AP in general. Using this tactic, I believe they took out Dragotha in two or three rounds.

Now, their case was atypical in that (a) every PC was min-maxed to the gills, and (b) the players are great tactical thinkers who very rarely use suboptimal tactics in any given combat situation (in fact, their group- or at least several regulars from it- won the D&D Open at Gen Con in 2006 IIRC). But they're also characters below 20th level, and it shows you what can be done by serious powergamers out to exploit every rule they can.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> Fair enough.  I'll make a note of the rules assumptions when I do section #16, which is supposed to contain alot of the crunch that goes along with section #1's flavor.



That would be wise. And, not a bad way to do it, since this is being written essentially like a book. If this were a monster manual on the market, I could see the publisher doing it that way.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> I'm having a hard time envisioning what saving throws bonuses are like at this level of play.  I'm presuming something like +3-4 above the sample characters in the DMG to be pretty typical, which still makes DC's around 25 pretty rough.



The DMG NPCs don't take into account the most important thing at these levels: buff spells. If the party is stuck using magic items alone, your estimates may be reasonable (though don't forget cheap items like Cloaks of Resistance +5 and Stones of Luck- my players certainly never do), but buff spells and effects like Bardic Music open up whole new areas of bonuses for the powergamers in your party to use. I'm used to the powergamer players in my games (one of which is currently sitting at 20th level) having *every* save bonus above +20; the less-obsessive-about-rules characters are more around your suggested design parameters in that group- at least for their bad saves.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> Nevertheless, I agree with you that I'm not putting enough pressure on the party - I'm not 'stealing' enough of thier actions - especially since for most of the Lords I've deliberately steered away from instant death effects.  However, I want to avoid putting the sort of pressure on the party that they feel the need to cut and run if the fight goes over 2 rounds.   That tactic is perfectly reasonable given that most published opponents at this CR have alot of save or die effects and/or dish out average 200+ damage on a full attack.  I'm trying to avoid putting that much pressure on the party that it forces those kind of tactics, and I'm trying to avoid luck dependency.  I want, for lack of a better word, the 'drama' that seems to be missing from so much high level play (or at least high level combat).



Drama does not require a long fight in terms of game time, actually- in fact, some of my most dramatic combats only ran one round. The drama is in what happens, what the combat means, and particularly in the buildup to the actual fight. Good, flavorful descriptions of things like that massive critical hit that took the beast down for half its hit points can go a long way here. But, I can sympathize with your motive here, certainly. The entire reason to keep playing the game at high levels is for the massive, epic drama and scope that becomes possible there.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> 1) DC and SR boosts - I could cheese the SL's (Slaad Lord's) SLA' and SR's out by an across the board +5 increase to the DC and SR.  This would put the SR close to the CR+10 rule of thumb, and would make the DC's certainly threatening to parties a couple CL's below CR.



If the SR is not *above* the +10 rule, chances are the party won't really care much about it in the case of a Big Bad. Remember, the SR = CR + 10 means that on average, a spellcaster of level = CR needs a 10 or higher on the caster level check to beat the SR. That's a 55% chance of success, since equalling the SR means success. But here, you also need to take buffs into account again. There are several magic items which can increase caster level for the purpose of SR checks, and even some actual spells like _Assay Resistance_ (in the Spell Compendium). That one in particular is a favorite in my player groups.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> 2) Go the full divine rank 0 route - As it is, the SL's are almost fully divine rank 0 creatures, and by the time I get to listing the mechanics general to SL's we are going to be practically there anyway.  The relevant additional immunities by going this route would be form change immunity (already not a large problem, since most are shape changers), mind effecting spells, energy drain, and ability drain.



Not a bad idea. It both fits the flavor of the Lords, and makes them immune to things such as _Power Words_ and _Enervates_. (The latter is particularly important since it doesn't allow a saving throw.)



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> 3) Attack boosting - The SL's are being seriously hurt by the fact that they depend on natural attacks and not items.  So they are missing iterative attacks, x1.5 strength modifers, magical enhancements, etc.  They idea here would be to boost thier natural attacks up a bit in hopefully a believable non-cheesy way to make up for this flavor constraint.  I could break the flavor constraint, and plan to in at least one case, but I don't want to go there just because of system mechanics.



_Greater Magic Fang_ is your friend. Giving them a means to buff themselves can work wonders. Also, you could get away with a few Cleric-type buffs I think, particularly if you go the DR 0 route, and this would help all of them become more threatening. It might also work to your advantage to give some of them powers like, say, having a constant stream of music fill the air near the Lord, providing a Bardic Music-type bonus that's relatively permanent and doesn't require the Lord to actually concentrate on it or even think about it. That can only work for appropriately-flavored Lords, obviously, but it's a possibility you might consider. You've already made similar "off the wall" powers for several of them, which are both very cool and mechanically helpful. But I'll get to those as I get to each Lord.

One thing you might consider using at least once is providing the Slaad Lord with a Luck bonus to saves, AC, or other rolls. Luck is associated with Chaos, so it would not be out of flavor for most of them- though it may be best to use this idea sparingly to avoid a strong whiff of limburger.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> 4) Stat Boosting - I could increase the ability scores of the SLs across the board by say 10% (20 would become 22, 30 would become 33, etc.).  This would further boost the DC of SLA's for those SL's that depend on them, make the damage from combat brutes more threatening, further boost the hp's by 30 or so, possibly add a point or two to AC and generally all around buff the SL.



This is also a possibility. It's better used for the stronger ones of course, but you knew that. Honestly, the scores you gave them are fairly on-target IMO.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> 5) Add epic DR - The problem I have with epic DR is the same problem I have with magic DR at this level.  It's either just irrelevant because everything can overcome it, or else its overwhelming because the party just doesn't have epic weapons.  Nonetheless, I want the SL's to overcome epic DR, and giving them epic DR just makes that easier without making a special exception.



Most unique Outsiders- the sort called "Lords" by planar scholars- should have Epic DR, IMO. They're supposed to be legendary beings nearly impossible to hurt, and Epic DR is precisely tailored for that sort of flavor. But, that's me.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> As a final note, I don't own 'Book of Vile Darkness' to check this, but from what I remember of it and glancing at the web enhancement I would say that my SL's as presented aren't far off the power scale of the archfiends in that book.



They aren't, though I think your Slaad Lords could use more buffs as I said above.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> Are the BoVD's epic challenges way overrated, or has 3.5 had that much power inflation?



A little bit of both. They creatures were overrated- high-level characters aren't nearly as fragile as WotC was assuming when setting CRs back in the days of 3.0- but 3.5 has seen power creep that can be significant when powergamers grab at the new suite of options. Spells like _Assay Resistance_ are a perfect example. That existed in 3.0, too, but I'll bet it's a lot more commonly used now that it's in the Spell Compendium.



			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> I don't want to cheese out the monsters so that the 'new' CR 24 is that much more potent than the 'old' CR 24.  That way really lies madness.



But... you're dealing with *Slaad Lords* here! Would that really be a bad thing? 

Cheesing shouldn't be necessary- minor tweaks can make them much more flexible and dangerous without breaking the flavor. Your ideas above are good ones; going with them should do the trick. Plus, we've been talking about arguably the weakest one you posted, all this time- the others aren't necessarily affected by his issues.


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## paradox42 (Feb 18, 2007)

*Loarsraol!*

Since these are Slaad Lords, I refuse to go in order when talking about them!  And you can't make me!

But to the point...

This monster is brilliant. Truly, astoundingly a work of art. Two thumbs up, 5 stars. Bravo!

A quick tally shows that he has several abilities usable *at will* which can tie parties up in knots even outside of combat. _Demand_, I'm looking squarely at you, and _Mirage Arcana_ and _Persistent Image_ can make any potential battlefield into a nightmare for any party not equipped with _True Seeing_ all-around. If the Lord of Paradox can somehow manage to time his use of his mind effects (like the aforementioned _Demand_) during the one time of day when the party is not protected by the constant _Mind Blanks_ they'd be fools not to use against him, then so much the better! One failed save against "You don't need that _Mind Blank_ today. Really. Pretend you have it and just move on." and That's All Folks.  Then there's his Tenacious _Polymorph Any Object_ SLA. That's not a commonly-used combat spell, but it can have truly nasty uses if done correctly- one of my now-Epic PCs used it on several occasions to turn enemies into dolls or other innocuous objects, and in Loarsraol's case the effect isn't even dispellable once in place (well, technically it is for a few rounds, but it comes back so the dispel is effectively wasted). I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that by the rules as written, this would allow him to duplicate the effects of the infamous Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity, which would be a Permanent duration effect and by also being Tenacious, non-dispellable. 

Perhaps more importantly, he has _Disjunction_- one of the famous "nuclear options" of D&D- which means that no buff is safe from him, nor are many magic items. With his _Wishes_ (and note that since it's an SLA he doesn't need to pay XP for it), he can potentially get anything the DM wants him to have- personally I'd let him use this to mimic the automatic-buff-removal effect of _Disjunction_ on one target, no questions asked, but that's me.

More important still- he has powers that make him a threat comparable to truly Epic parties. For starters, *he's immune to flanking.* This immediately cuts off the most common source of Sneak Attacks, and the other most common source at high levels- invisibility- is easily solved by using his at-will _True Seeing_ buff. More interestingly, he's got an ability to _Feeblemind_ a victim by touch that *gets around Mind Blank*. This alone is a *killer* for low-Will-save members of the PC party, a category which typically includes exactly the sort of characters who'd be up in melee with Loarsraol anyway.

Finally, and by far the most important, Loarsraol gets to take *two actions in every single round* thanks to having two heads. His ability to make extra skill checks and Will saves is really just gravy, compared to this. I said it before, and I'll say it again: in high-level and Epic games, actions are the most important commodity. Loarsraol has a surplus. 

Best of all, every single one of these powers is in keeping with his concept as an entity, and the way his body is structured. They are powerful, but not the least bit cheesy in the sense of "Obviously the DM threw these in just to screw the party."

That said, there are three problems I can see with his design. First, his AC is probably too low- certainly it's low for a CR 27 creature (even FC1 Demogorgon, at a mere CR 23, has AC 43), and it's actually the exact same number given to Baseraxs, who is of significantly lower CR than Loarsraol even by your own original estimates. Second- SR *26*?!? For a CR 27 monster? I admit that a monster having lower SR than his own CR- which would mean that even casters below his CR could never fail SR checks against him- is paradoxical, but please can we raise this?  At least get it as high as 40! Give the poor Slaad Lord a break from the enemy spellcasters. And third, he has that great Quintessence ability- as well as the Epic Spellcasting feat- _but he has no actual caster levels or Epic spells to use it with._ As I pointed out above, per the rules his _Wish_ SLA does not require him to use XP to power it, so the Quintessence is useless for that- and since he doesn't have integrated Sorcerer or Wizard levels, he doesn't get to cast it as an actual spell either. This means that it would normally be used to power Epic spells, but since he hasn't got any Epic spells to use, that sort of makes it useless. 

Other things I didn't mention: the Aura of Chaos is a great effect for him, very much in keeping with what the entity represents. I consider it largely combat-neutral, unless he gets something like an Epic spell to call up an army of non-unique slaadi; certainly the _Globe of Invulnerability_ effect is nice, but by the low-Epic levels most casters don't rely on hitting the enemy with low-level effects anyway (particularly not "big bads" like Loarsraol would be) so it's not likely to be much of a factor. The slaads he's capable of summoning with his Summon Slaadi ability should be pushovers to any party of a level capable of fighting Loarsraol credibly, so whether or not they're protected by the Aura of Chaos they won't be a huge factor in the fight.

All in all, this is definitely a credible CR 27 creature, and a very very cool one besides. This beastie, or something very much like him, is almost certain to make a showing in one or both of my games in the future.


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## Celebrim (Feb 18, 2007)

paradox42 said:
			
		

> Now, their case was atypical in that (a) every PC was min-maxed to the gills, and (b) the players are great tactical thinkers who very rarely use suboptimal tactics in any given combat situation (in fact, their group- or at least several regulars from it- won the D&D Open at Gen Con in 2006 IIRC). But they're also characters below 20th level, and it shows you what can be done by serious powergamers out to exploit every rule they can.




Back in 1st edition, I used to play with a group like that (and who where great RPers to boot).  I've found that it seriously skews my impression of what a PC party can be expected to handle.



> If the SR is not *above* the +10 rule, chances are the party won't really care much about it in the case of a Big Bad. Remember, the SR = CR + 10 means that on average, a spellcaster of level = CR needs a 10 or higher on the caster level check to beat the SR. That's a 55% chance of success, since equalling the SR means success. But here, you also need to take buffs into account again. There are several magic items which can increase caster level for the purpose of SR checks, and even some actual spells like _Assay Resistance_ (in the Spell Compendium). That one in particular is a favorite in my player groups.




SR is a really harsh tool though, which is why I'm hesitant to employ it too much.  And I would expect, especially a really min/maxed party, to wipe the floor with a CR equivalent challenge.

But, that said, I'm going to go through an up the SR's.  I may be upping the DC's of the saving throws vs. the SLA's too, but I'm certainly upping the SR's.  Probably not as much as you are going to be happy with, but up around the DR 0 = 32 SR standard.



> Not a bad idea. It both fits the flavor of the Lords, and makes them immune to things such as _Power Words_ and _Enervates_. (The latter is particularly important since it doesn't allow a saving throw.)




I think so too.  Immunities are another really harsh tool, but these are supposed to be examples of some of the most powerful things in the multiverse that aren't gods.



> _Greater Magic Fang_ is your friend. Giving them a means to buff themselves can work wonders.




Adding greater magic fang to the SL's standard SLA list that they all get (along with cloak of chaos, word of chaos, etc.) is one direction I'm leaning.  The other option is to give them all a standard 'magic fang' package, that makes all of thier natural attacks +5 or even +6 enhancement equivalent weapons.



> One thing you might consider using at least once is providing the Slaad Lord with a Luck bonus to saves, AC, or other rolls. Luck is associated with Chaos, so it would not be out of flavor for most of them- though it may be best to use this idea sparingly to avoid a strong whiff of limburger.




Wait until you see the Lord of Serendipity.



> Most unique Outsiders- the sort called "Lords" by planar scholars- should have Epic DR, IMO. They're supposed to be legendary beings nearly impossible to hurt, and Epic DR is precisely tailored for that sort of flavor. But, that's me.




Ok, SR, full DR 0 immunity suite, and Epic DR are all 'in'.  I think I'll leave the ability scores where they are at, and if I can't think of something better, I'll give them all _greater magic fang_.

Now, if I go full Epic DR, do you think I should pull back some of the higher DR's by 5 or 10 points?  DR 35/Epic and Lawful can be pretty rough to have on hand, and I don't want the tanks feeling like they've nothing to do.


----------



## Celebrim (Feb 18, 2007)

paradox42 said:
			
		

> This monster is brilliant. Truly, astoundingly a work of art. Two thumbs up, 5 stars. Bravo!




Thanks.  Loarsraol is one of my personal favorites too.  The biggest problem with him is that he is a VERY challenging NPC to run.  If you use him, let me know how it goes.  



> Then there's his Tenacious _Polymorph Any Object_ SLA. That's not a commonly-used combat spell, but it can have truly nasty uses if done correctly- one of my now-Epic PCs used it on several occasions to turn enemies into dolls or other innocuous objects, and in Loarsraol's case the effect isn't even dispellable once in place (well, technically it is for a few rounds, but it comes back so the dispel is effectively wasted).




 This is completely an artifact of 3rd edition mechanics as I was trying to figure out what feats to give him, and the idea just crept in.  I'm happy with how it came out.  In each of the SL's cases, there SLA are supposed to be not so much magic but something that they can do as a result of the aspect of the natural world they represent.  For example, most of Dixtolredi's SLA's are supposed to be the literally the side effect of the noise he can create.  In this case, the idea is that when Loarsraol turns something into something else he is giving it a new natural form, as if the character has really been a poodle the whole time and something else had given it the illusion of being a powerful Paladin or Wizard and he's just restoring the natural order.



> Perhaps more importantly, he has _Disjunction_- one of the famous "nuclear options" of D&D- which means that no buff is safe from him, nor are many magic items. With his _Wishes_ (and note that since it's an SLA he doesn't need to pay XP for it), he can potentially get anything the DM wants him to have- personally I'd let him use this to mimic the automatic-buff-removal effect of _Disjunction_ on one target, no questions asked, but that's me.




Loarsraol is supposed to be about the second most powerful Slaad Lord in the pantheon, behind only the current top dog Ssendam.  As one of Ssendam's biggest rivals, he has to be able of being a credible foe.  You'll note he's the only one on the list that gets real wishes and not limited wishes. 



> More interestingly, he's got an ability to _Feeblemind_ a victim by touch that *gets around Mind Blank*. This alone is a *killer* for low-Will-save members of the PC party, a category which typically includes exactly the sort of characters who'd be up in melee with Loarsraol anyway.




It's a bit of cheese, but Laorsraol is supposed to be a credible threat to minor dieties so he has to have some credible fearsome ability.  Consider what this ability looks like to Modron, Archon, or Devil.  Loarsraol is a credible, even terrifying, threat to almost any being on the other side of the wheel, and that was the idea.  Primus or Asmodeus takes Loarsraol seriously.



> That said, there are three problems I can see with his design. First, his AC is probably too low- certainly it's low for a CR 27 creature (even FC1 Demogorgon, at a mere CR 23, has AC 43), and it's actually the exact same number given to Baseraxs, who is of significantly lower CR than Loarsraol even by your own original estimates.




I don't see a reason to up his AC.  At most, the difference in AC between CR 24 and CR 27 should be 2-3 points.  He's got plenty of abilities superior to Baserax, whose AC you noted as being significant for his CR, and IMO he doesn't need to be superior in every way.  The main reason his AC is low is I consider it thematic for a Paradox to be clumsy and unappealing by comparison to some other impulses.  Nobody really feels comfortable with paradoxes, so the being that incarnates them is somewhat less appealing than some of his other incarnate ideas.



> Second- SR *26*?!? For a CR 27 monster? I admit that a monster having lower SR than his own CR- which would mean that even casters below his CR could never fail SR checks against him- is paradoxical, but please can we raise this?




You'll be happy to know that in his next iteration, it will be going up to 34.  That's two above the DR 0 template.  That's as high as I'm going, so deal with it (you can always cheese him up to fit your needs). 



> Give the poor Slaad Lord a break from the enemy spellcasters. And third, he has that great Quintessence ability- as well as the Epic Spellcasting feat- _but he has no actual caster levels or Epic spells to use it with._ As I pointed out above, per the rules his _Wish_ SLA does not require him to use XP to power it, so the Quintessence is useless for that- and since he doesn't have integrated Sorcerer or Wizard levels, he doesn't get to cast it as an actual spell either. This means that it would normally be used to power Epic spells, but since he hasn't got any Epic spells to use, that sort of makes it useless.




I'll look into it.  I could be missing something, but as I read the Epic Spell rules, he neither needs a caster level nor does he need a spell list.  He's intended to be able to cast any Epic Spell he could theoretically devise with his +45 bonus to spellcraft (and ability to 'reroll' spellcraft checks) remembering that he's probably 1000's of years old, doesn't sleep, and spends most of his time devising Epic spells.  His caster level, when it even matters for an Epic Spell since they don't normally have a caster level as far as I can tell, is intended to be 25.  I kinda was leaving the spells he'd use up to the DM since especially as written, the best you can say about Epic Spells is that they can serve as a plot device, but I can look into including a suggested list of spells if you think it would help.



> Other things I didn't mention: the Aura of Chaos is a great effect for him, very much in keeping with what the entity represents. I consider it largely combat-neutral, unless he gets something like an Epic spell to call up an army of non-unique slaadi;




Absolutely no reason why he couldn't except that the Epic spell casting rules are notoriously conservative and probably need a second look (its so bad that from a player's perspective, I see no reason to burn the feat on it).  But, I personally as a rough guide to what would be reasonable I would think that an epic spell that burns 10,000 XP and summons 30 red slaad for a day of service as a standard action would be just fine.


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## Kafkonia (Feb 23, 2007)

*bump*

Because the lords have all been edited-in, this thread never shows as updated when new things are added.


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## Quartz (Feb 24, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> *Open the Mind (Su):* By touch, Loarsroal may force upon any sentient being a revelation which forces them to attempt to correlate all the contents of its mind and resolve the contradictions it finds there.  In many this is a terrible and mind shattering experience and they retreat from it into mindless insanity.  The effect is as the spell _feeblemind_ (DC 35) with the exception that no intelligent creature (not even deities) is immune even if otherwise immune to mind effecting spells.  Lawful outsiders are especially afflicted by this terrible power and suffer a penalty on the saving throw equal to their intelligence bonus.



This is tres cool, but I've a couple of suggestions:

Firstly, I don't really like the way it's written: it's an absolute effect - what happens when it meets someone with an opposite absolute defence? Could you write it up as an Epic effect? As such, an Epic spell should be able to block it. Thus your lesser deity, without Epic magic would be affected, but a more knowledgeable one, with Epic magic, can take precautions.

Secondly, if the save is made, then there should be a significant beneft - say a +4 Insight bonus to all skill checks. Or maybe if the save is failed and then the character restored to health?

Thirdly, perhaps lawful mortals have to make a second save or be turned into Allips?


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## Celebrim (Feb 24, 2007)

Quartz said:
			
		

> This is tres cool, but I've a couple of suggestions:
> 
> Firstly, I don't really like the way it's written: it's an absolute effect - what happens when it meets someone with an opposite absolute defence?




I'm not completely happy with it either, since it doesn't completely capture the flavor I want.  I don't like that it is a touch attack, but I haven't quite hit on what I like better.  But it's an absolute power by design, and because it fits my influences on the design (HP Lovecraft and 'Red Son') it will probably stay that way.  Part of the problem I have with the current write up is that it suggests its a magical effect.  It's not really supposed to be.  The only absolute defense is either to have no sensory contact with the universe or to live in a multiverse in which paradox does not exist.  Since paradox does exist even in the most orderly systems, there is no defense except to not think about it, not understand it, or to not care.  



> Secondly, if the save is made, then there should be a significant beneft - say a +4 Insight bonus to all skill checks.




It's a good thought, but I think it would be more trouble than its worth.  Alot of the writeups are already more complex than I'm comfortable with.  You are right though, it would seem that surviving the power could be beneficial in some way, but it could also just mean that the being managed to force themselves to not think about it.



> Thirdly, perhaps lawful mortals have to make a second save or be turned into Allips?




That would be a 'save or die' effect, and I've tried to avoid those in my design.


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## the Jester (Feb 24, 2007)

Oh, most excellent work, sir!  Well done!!!


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## Celebrim (Feb 24, 2007)

I have decided on reflection, that in order to tell the full story I want to tell, it will be necessary to stat out the four canonical Slaad lords according to the same standards as the 14 I created here.  In particular, Ygorl and Ssendam, are far too important to who the Slaad are right now to avoid descibing in detail.  So, while I have great respect for Mr. Stross, I'm going to have to reimagine Ygorl and Ssendam for you in order to first really make the slaad into the incarnated chaos they've evolved into, and secondly to make all the disparate texts and imaginings of the slaad over the years fit together somewhat and yet also still be fully chaotic.

Next up, Ygorl.


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## Celebrim (Feb 24, 2007)

*Ygorl, the Lord of Entropy*

*Ygorl, Lord of Entropy*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 35d8 + 420 (700 hp)
*Initiative:* +10
*Speed:* 60’/fly 120’ (poor)
*AC:* 47 (-1 size, +6 Dex, +8 deflection, +24 natural armor) touch 23, flatfooted 41
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +27/+43
*Attack:* _+5 Large Scythe_ +44 melee (2d6+25 + destruction, 19-20/x4) or claw +38 melee (2d8+12)
*Full Attack:* _+5 Large Scythe_ +44/+39/+34/+29 (2d6+25 + destruction, 19-20/x4) or 2 claw +38 melee (2d8+12), bite +33 melee (2d8+6)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Death scythe, lord of chaos, slowing touch, rebuke undead, spell-like abilities, summon aid
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, fast healing 15, damage reduction 35/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, death magic, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, resistance acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire resistance 20, spell resistance 35
*Saves:* Fort +31, Ref +26, Will +31
*Abilities:* Str 34, Dex 23, Con 34, Int 27, Wis 26, Chr 26 
*Skills:* Bluff +46, Concentration +50, Diplomacy +46, Jump +50, Knowledge (Arcana) +46, Knowledge (Planes) +46, Knowledge (Religion) +46, Hide +44, Intimidate +46, Listen +46, Move Silently +44, Search +46, Spellcraft +46, Spot +46, Survival +46, Tumble +44
*Feats:* Cleave, combat reflexes, dodge, great cleave, epic spellcasting, epic will, improved critical (scythe), improved initiative, mobility, power attack, weapon focus (scythe), weapon specialization (scythe)
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 27
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Few if any slaad are more famous than Ygorl the Lord of Entropy.  Students or the arcane will know of the Lord Ygorl if they no nothing else about the slaad and can name no other their Lords.  There are doubtless several reasons for this.  First, Ygorl is among the most ancient and potent of all Slaad Lords.  Secondly, Ygorl is one of the few Slaad Lords of the first rank which is regularly found outside of the plane of Limbo, and has any interest at all in mortal affairs.  And lastly, of all the Slaad Lords none have been more influential over the history of the slaad than Ygorl the Ender.  For all his familiarity to the average student of the planes, no Slaad Lord is more enigmatic and difficult to understand.  His motives beyond those of mere self-preservation remain inscrutable.  He is rivaled only by Haskismet in being atypical for a Slaad Lord for he is on examination quite exceptional in many ways for a Slaad Lord, and not only in power alone.

In appearance Ygorl always presents himself as a very tall black skeletal being, having the bones of perhaps a toad like slaad, with small black leathery wings upon his back.  Some sages have suggested that Ygorl is flightless, but the truth is that he's simply a poor flier and seldom takes to the air.  His natural form is said to be that of a huge black slaad, but if this is true no one has ever lived to bring the report so you must make of this rumor what you would.

Ygorl is most famous for his great and deadly scythe, upon which it is said is written the word ‘Death’ in the language of the slaad.  But this is in fact a mistranslation.  The slaad language has no word for ‘death’, for to have a word for death implies that you are able to imagine a universe which continues without you or at least that there are other beings beside yourself in the universe.  The slaad are however in their self-centeredness unable to imagine either of these things.  In fact, the runes written on the blade of Ygorl’s deadly scythe read ‘Stop’ – which is the closest thing that the slaad know to death.  While there are other Slaad Lords which bear weapons, no other Slaad Lord is so closely associated with an artifact as Ygorl.  The reason for this remains unknown.

Ygorl is also famous for his great steed and companion, the rouge brass dragon known as Shkiv.  The origin of this relationship and the reasons for it remain unknown to mortal lore, for it is strange and unique indeed that a slaad Lord – those very incarnations of individuality - should have a companion, or that a brass dragon should willingly serve and submit itself to such a strange and destructive being as Ygorl.

Likewise, alone of the Slaad Lords, Ygorl is associated with and does not destroy undead.  And further, alone of the Slaad Lords, Ygorl never appears in his natural form, nor does he ever give audience to any mortal on the plane of Limbo.

All these exceptions and mysteries have led some scholars to speculate that Ygorl is not a slaad at all, but some other sort of being disguised as a slaad lord.  For example, they frequently site the famous case of Orcus-Tenebrous as evidence of this hypothesis, but I think it rather not evidence but mere inspiration.  Other learned sages have suggested that Ygorl is in the midst of a decent toward the demonic, as is said to have happened with other Slaad Lords.  For my part though, while I doubt not that Ygorl is driven by and incarnates one of the more destructive impulses of chaos, I think this explanation for his behavior is far too simple and answers nothing.

Ygorl’s influence over the slaad, at least in this current epoche is singular and profound.  It is he that conceived of the spawning stone.  It is Ygorl who has set the toad fashion in body type which prevails over almost the whole of the race.  It is Ygorl that invented the Cult of the Death Slaad and taught them the rituals by which they invest themselves with power.  (Now that you know something of their language, you should recognize the same mistranslation, but I will persist in it simply because the phrase has such a wide use.)  The reasons for all of these things can only be guessed at, and the most common explanations are I’m sure only half truths.

Like all the Slaad Lords, Ygorl’s power has waxed and waned over the centuries.  At one point, he was without doubt the greatest and most powerful of the Slaad and effectively ruler over Limbo if any being could claim that title.  He remains great, but is no longer accounted the greatest at least in these past few centuries - that title having returned to Ssendam his sometimes ally and sometime enemy.  Perhaps, Ygorl has become too unchanging in nature to maintain his status among a changeable race.  Ygorl greatly loathes Zazashaf more than any other being, and their enmity is legendary though neither seems able to obtain a permanent advantage over the other.  Ygorl is also particularly ill-disposed to Renbou for reasons that are not easily understood, but perhaps relates to Ygorl’s rumored destruction of what may have been Renbou’s predecessor – Jelicol the Lord of Flowers.

Ygorl is greatly feared by all the lesser slaad and, as much as they loathe it, none dare disobey his commands.

Of all the Slaad Lords, it is Ygorl which I must most advise caution in dealing with.  He is not the most unpredictable, most impulsive, or most destructive of the Slaad Lords, but he is the most secretive and most desirous to protect his privacy.  Let the trespasser beware!!  For now, let us turn to other matters.  The great secrets of Ygorl the Ender we will return to in their proper place, as we investigate further the nature of and enigma’s of the Slaad Lords. 

Combat
Any being so foolish as to try to thwart the will of the Lord of Enthropy is dispatched without a second thought.  Ygorl is a pitiless creature, and many a being has been made as nothing by the blade of his scythe.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Analyze dweomer, astral projection, alter self, blink, break enchantment, chaos hammer (DC 24), chill metal, circle of death (DC 24), cloak of chaos (DC 28), cone of cold (empowered, DC 23), detect law, detect magic, dimensional anchor, dispel law (DC 25), deeper darkness, detect thoughts, ethereal jaunt, greater dispelling, greater magic fang, hold monster (DC 23), invisibility, magic circle against law, misdirection, persistent image, phantasmal killer (DC 22), planeshift, shatter (DC 20), slow (heightened, DC 27), true seeing, word of chaos (DC 29) 3/day disintegrate (DC 24), implosion (DC 27), limited wish, power word (any), symbol (any); 1/day epic counterspell, peripety, ruin (DC 28), spell worm (DC 28). Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Change Shape (Su):* Ygorl can assume any humanoid form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Ygorl cannot use his natural weapons. Ygorl may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even true seeing does not reveal Ygorl’s natural form, only that Ygorl is a disguised shapechanger.
*Death Scythe (Su):* Ygorl wields the great scythe ‘Stop’.  ‘Stop’ strikes as a +5 large scythe, and is considered epic, chaotic, and cold iron for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance.  Any being other than Ygorl which touches or is struck by this weapon is struck as by the spell _destruction_ (DC 31) cast at 25th level of ability.  ‘Stop’ is a major artifact and may be harmed only by such things as are capable of effecting major artifacts.
*Lord of Chaos (Su):* Any spell-like ability Ygorl employs gains the chaos descriptor. If the spell-like ability already has the chaos descriptor, the DC of saves vs. this spell is increased by +2, and it is automatically widened (when appropriate) as the metamagic feat widen spell. Three times per day as a free action, Ygorl may maximize any spell-like ability he casts as if the metamagic feat maximize spell had been applied.
*Rebuke Undead (Su):* Ygorl may channel negative energy to rebuke undead as a 20th level cleric.
*Slowing Touch (Su):* In the rare case that Ygorl forgoes his mighty scythe, the strike of Ygorl’s natural weapons _slows_ any being so struck, as the spell (save DC 39). The save DC is Constitution based.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):*  Ygorl may summon any lesser slaad (mud, red, blue, green, grey, or death) once per round at will.  Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.  Three times per day, Ygorl may attempt to summon a white slaad with a 30% chance of success.  Treat this ability as a 10th level spell.


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## Elephant (Feb 24, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> All Slaad lords break the rules as a natural course, but primarily because they are not really aware that they exist.  Baseraxs is acutely aware of the power of written law, traditions, and social mores and detests the ability of these things *to bring stability societies* and the lives of individuals.  Baseraxs is among the most subtle of the Slaad lords, and one of only a handful that regularly interacts directly with mortals.  Baseraxs makes the breaking of laws and the overturning of natural order something of an artform.  Working in disguise, Baseraxs plays the part of a flamboyant and bizarre mortal who brazenly breaks society’s expectations.  Baseraxs loves fads and fashions, and anything which overturns long established traditions.  He loves perverting morals and destroying ethics.  He causes words to *loose* their established meaning and works to make communication difficult and imprecise.  He detests written law and works to obscure the meaning of documents in the minds of society so that no one remembers or can agree on what they mean.




I suggest 'to bring stability to societies' for the first bolded part...and 'loose' should be 'lose'.

Beyond that, interesting thread.  I'm bookmarking it, and I wish you luck in this endeavor 

Edit:  There's another misuse of 'loose' in Post 8, as well.


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## Celebrim (Feb 25, 2007)

Elephant said:
			
		

> I suggest 'to bring stability to societies' for the first bolded part...and 'loose' should be 'lose'.
> 
> Beyond that, interesting thread.  I'm bookmarking it, and I wish you luck in this endeavor
> 
> Edit:  There's another misuse of 'loose' in Post 8, as well.




Thanks for the feedback.


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## Celebrim (Feb 25, 2007)

*Rennbuu, Lord of Colors*

*Rennbuu, Lord of Colors*
*Unique Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 30d8 + 300 (540 hp)
*Initiative:* +12
*Speed:* 90’
*AC:* 48 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +9 deflection, +22 natural armor) touch 26, flatfooted 40
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +25/+
*Attack:* claw +33 melee (2d8+9)
*Full Attack:* 2 claw +33 melee (2d8+9), bite +31 melee (2d8+4)
*Space/Reach:* 5’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Coruscating touch, spell-like abilities, summon slaad, transmutation
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, fast healing 20, damage reduction 25/epic and lawful, dark vision (120’), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, perfect chameleon, resistance acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire resistance 20, spell resistance 34
*Saves:* Fort +27, Ref +25, Will +25
*Abilities:* Str 28, Dex 26, Con 30, Int 26, Wis 25, Chr 28
*Skills:* Bluff +38, Climb +33, Craft (Painting) +42, Concentration +34, Diplomacy +33, Disguise +33, Escape Artist +33, Forgery +33, Jump +32, Knowledge (Arcana) +31, Knowledge (Planes) +31, Hide +88, Intimidate +33, Listen +31, Move Silently +37, Search +24, Sleight of Hand +32, Spellcraft +31, Spot +31, Survival +31, Tumble +32
*Feats:* Combat expertise, combat reflexes, daunting presence, defensive oppurtunist, dodge, hold the line, improved initiative, mobility, multiattack, power attack, spring attack 
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 24
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Along with Breasdfea, Rennbuu is the newest and youngest of the greater Lords having been elevated to this position only within the past century.  The assumed moment of this ascension is the destruction of the greater Lord known as Jelicol the Lord of Flowers by the Lord Ygorl.  Before assimilating the impulse of that greater being, Rennbuu was one of the many obscure Lesser Masters which reside uncomfortably in the space between the lesser slaad and the true Lords of Chaos.  

Rennbuu is by all accounts reveling in his new found power, and roams the planes using his power to alter color to sadistically torture beings and create mischief of every sort.  In appearance, he is a tall, gaunt slaad with a shimmering hide of numerous incandescent hues.  He sports a mane of long silver white hair, much like a lions.  When he assumes a humanoid form in his travels, it is that of a venerable archmage in shimmering robes.

Rennbuu is frequently surrounded by an entourage of fawning lesser slaad who hope that they will find sufficient favor to be transformed into a more powerful slaad by Rennbuu’s power of transmutation.  Conversely, lesser slaad greatly fear Rennbuu for his ability to transform them into lowly mud or red slaad.

It is not known as of this writing whether the being known as Rennbuu will be long in his title.  While he has considerable influence over the lesser slaad, for this or some other more inscrutable reason, he seems to have already annoyed all the other Lords of Chaos - most especially and notably Ygorl.

Combat
Rennbuu prefers to avoid combat whenever it is possible.  If his spell abilities do not deter any would be opponents, he generally flees - if possible after turning his foe some ridiculous color.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Alter self, blink, chaos hammer (DC 23), cloak of chaos (DC 27), color spray (quickened, DC 21), daylight, detect law, detect magic, dimensional anchor, dispel law (DC 24), detect thoughts, greater dispelling, greater magic fang, improved invisibility, magic circle against law, misdirection, mislead, persistent image,  rainbow pattern (quickened, DC 23), see invisibility, wind walk, word of chaos (DC 30) 3/day limited wish, planeshift, polymorph any object (DC 26), prismatic sphere (DC 28), prismatic spray (DC 26).  Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Change Shape (Su):* Rennbuu can assume any humanoid form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Rennbuu cannot use his natural weapons. Rennbuu may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even true seeing does not reveal Rennbuu’s natural form, only that Rennbuu is a disguised shapechanger.
*Coruscating touch (Su):* Rennbuu may alter the color of any object by touch.  The duration of this change may be either permanent or it may be timed to expire at Rennbuu’s choosing.  Rennbuu may choose any combination of colors he desires and in a pattern of any complexity to be the new natural color of the object.  Typically, Rennbuu chooses a color or pattern which is unnatural as possible, and in intelligent beings which offend him it is generally one designed to embarrass offend and enrage.  Only a wish, miracle, or similarly powerful magic can restore the color of an object once Rennbuu has altered it.
	Generally, these changes are only cosmetic, though they can be emotionally devastating to beings that take great pride in their appearance, and they can enhance or detract from the value of things which are valued according to their color (such as gem stones).  However, if Rennbuu assigns an unnatural color to a being, the initial attitude of intelligent non-chaotic beings toward the being so cursed will be one step more negative.
*Transmutation (Su):* While the color changes Rennbuu performs are normally only skin deep, in objects or beings defined by their color the color change can have dramatic and more permanent effects as a polymorph any object.  For example, a plant so altered passes the change in the color of its flowers onto its seeds.  A chromatic dragon so touched may alter to the new form appropriate to the color it has assumed.  Most notably and commonly, a lesser slaad which has its color changed becomes a slaad of the new type.  Unwilling victims of the change which are eligible for a saving throw may make a DC 35 fortitude save to avoid the effect.  If they succeed, the color change remains only skin deep.  Slaad with less than 20HD are not allowed a saving throw against this effect.
	Normally, this transformation is subject to the same restrictions as polymorph any object, however in the case of transmuting red, blue, green, or grey slaad the transformation is total and immediate.  The slaad gains the intelligence, wisdom, charisma and supernatural abilities of the new type.  When transmuting a red,blue,green, or grey slaad to a white or black slaad, the transformation requires longer.  Initially, the effect is the same as a polymorph any object, but in 1d4 days per hit dice gained, the transformation becomes complete and the slaad gains the full abilities of its form new and color.
*Perfect Chameleon (Su):* Rennbuu has near perfect control over his own color, allowing him to blend in perfectly with his environment.  This ability gives Rennbuu a +50 racial bonus to hide.  Furthermore, Rennbuu can use the hide skill even while being observed.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):*  Three times per day, Rennbuu may summon 3-18 red slaad or 2-16 blue slaad.  Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 25, 2007)

*Chroust, Lord of Randomness*
*Unique Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 39d8 + 429 (741 hp)
*Initiative:* +10
*Speed:* 90’
*AC:* 48 (-2 size, +7 Dex, +6 deflection, +27 natural armor) touch 22, flatfooted 41
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +29/+50
*Attack:* claw +41 melee (3d8+13)
*Full Attack:* 2 claw +41 melee (3d8+13), bite +39 melee (2d12+6)
*Space/Reach:* 10’/10’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Chaotic radiation, corporeal instability, spell-like abilities, summon aid 
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, fast healing 20, damage reduction 35/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, immune to sonic, resistance acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire resistance 20, spell resistance 35
*Saves:* Fort +37, Ref +28, Will +32
*Abilities:* Str 36, Dex 25, Con 32, Int 24, Wis 25, Chr 23
*Skills:* Bluff +43, Climb +50, Concentration +48, Disguise +44, Escape Artist +43, Jump +50, Knowledge (Arcana) +44, Knowledge (Planes) +44, Hide +44, Intimidate +43, Listen +44, Move Silently +43, Search +44, Spellcraft +44, Spot +44, Survival +44, Tumble +43
*Feats:* Combat reflexes, dodge, epic fortitude, epic prowess, epic will, expeditious dodge, improved initiative, improved bull rush, improved overrun, large and in charge, knockback, mobility, multiattack, power attack 
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary 
*Challenge Rating:* 27
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Chourst is a living embodiment of the power of chaos, and one of the most ancient of the slaad lords.  He always takes care to appear in the form of a 20’ tall slaad with a chalky white hide.  It is not known if he takes any other form, though he is likely capable of doing so.

Chourst is certainly as powerful as any Slaad Lord, but has no apparent motives or goals, and takes seemingly no interest in the affairs of the slaad.  By all appearances, the other slaad ignore Chourst and he in turn ignores them.  Chourst's actions appear completely random, even by the standards of the slaad.  He is capable of great deeds of goodness in one moment, and then great acts of evil in the next.  While he spends most of his time in Limbo, for no dicernable reason he will occasionally embark on great journeys which seem to be nothing more that sight seeing tours.  Chourst’s attention never fixes on anything for long, but wherever it goes it leaves a trail of destruction in its wake.

Chourst is most famous for his single handed invasion of the plane of Mechanus, the exact details of which the Modrons still regard as a matter of the highest planar security and do not speak of; but, the evidence available suggests that at a minimum it was extremely destructive.  Whatever actually occurred, it is certain that Chourst has made a bitter and eternal enemy of Primus.  Amongst the Slaad, Chourst’s greatest rival is Paisdi the Lord of Uncertainty.  But if Chourst takes notice of either enemy’s attentions it is impossible to say.

Combat
Combat quickly bores Chourst.  Chourst prefers to run away from a fight, and over an opponent if necessary.  If pressed or cornered, he fights defensively, creates obstacles, and relies heavily on his great size and his power to create corporeal instability, knowing that sooner or latter this power will render his enemy helpless.  
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Alter self, animate objects, blink, chaos hammer (DC 22), charm monster (DC 21), cloak of chaos (DC 26), cloudkill (DC 21), confusion (widened, DC 20), control weather, daylight, deeper darkness, detect law, detect magic, dimensional anchor, dispel law (DC 23), detect thoughts, entropic shield, flamestrike (DC 21), fly, greater dispelling, greater magic fang, insanity (DC 21), invisibility, magic circle against law, major creation, misdirection, persistent image, reverse gravity, rusting grasp, see invisibility, solid fog, spell turning, transmute rock to mud, warp wood, wind walk, word of chaos (DC 27) 3/day limited wish, planeshift, polymorph any object (DC 23), power word (any), symbol (any).  Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Change Shape (Su):* Chourst can assume any humanoid form as a standard action. In humanoid form, Chourst cannot use his natural weapons. Chourst may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to his natural form if killed. Even true seeing does not reveal Chourst’s natural form, only that Chourst is a disguised shapechanger.
*Chaos Incarnate (Su):* Any spell-like ability Chourst employs gains the chaos descriptor. If the spell-like ability already has the chaos descriptor, the DC of saves vs. this spell is increased by +2, and it is automatically widened (when appropriate) as the metamagic feat widen spell. Three times per day as a free action, Chourst may maximize any spell-like ability she casts as if the metamagic feat maximize spell had been applied.  
Furthermore, the presence of Chourst in an area is almost like an intrusion of the plane of Limbo into that plane.  If a plane is mildly aligned with chaos, within 60’ of Chourst it is treated as strongly aligned.  If the plane is neutrally aligned with respect to law and chaos, within 60’ of Chourst it is treated as mildly aligned, and it the plane is lawfully aligned within 60’ of Chourst it is treated a neutrally aligned with respect to law and chaos.  If spells with the chaos descriptor are impeded on a plane, they are not provided that the target or area of effect is entirely within 60’ of Chourst 
*Chaotic Radiation (Su):* Chourst is an embodiment of the chaos of the plane of Limbo, and as such constantly radiates a field of chaotic energy.  His very presence dissolves anything in Limbo that is a result of controlling areas of Limbo.  This ability affects all land within a 60 foot radius of Chourst, dissolving it into its primal form.  Additionally, any spells or magic items used within 300 feet of Chourst are always affected by wild magic, even when used outside of Limbo.  Such magic is still subject to Chourst's spell resistance.
*Corporeal Instability (Su):* A blow from Chourst against a living creature can cause a terrible transformation. The creature must succeed on a DC 40 Fortitude save or become a spongy, amorphous mass. Unless the victim manages to control the effect (see below), its shape melts, flows, writhes, and boils. The save DC is Constitution-based.  An affected creature is unable to hold or use any item. Clothing, armor, rings, and helmets become useless. Large items worn or carried—armor, backpacks, even shirts—hamper more than help, reducing the victim’s Dexterity score by 4. Soft or misshapen feet and legs reduce speed to 10 feet or one-quarter normal, whichever is less. Searing pain courses along the nerves, so strong that the victim cannot act coherently. The victim cannot cast spells or use magic items, and it attacks blindly, unable to distinguish friend from foe (-4 penalty on attack rolls and a 50% miss chance, regardless of the attack roll). 
Each round the victim spends in an amorphous state causes 1 point of Wisdom drain from mental shock.  If the victim’s Wisdom score falls to 0, it becomes a chaos beast. 
A victim can regain its own shape by taking a standard action to attempt a DC 15 Charisma check.  A success reestablishes the creature’s normal form for 1 minute. On a failure, the victim can still repeat this check each round until successful. 
Corporeal instability is not a disease or a curse and so is hard to remove. A _shapechange_ or _stoneskin_ spell does not cure an afflicted creature but fixes its form for the duration of the spell.  A restoration, heal, or greater restoration spell removes the affliction (a separate restoration is necessary to restore any drained points of Wisdom). 
*Summon Aid (Sp):*  Three times per day, Chourt may summon 1-6 green slaad with a 100% chance of success or 1-4 grey slaad with an 80% chance of success.  Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.  Over the course of a day, Chourst may summon 2-12 chaos beasts of the largest size (24 HD).  Choust may choose to summon all the beasts together, or divide the total number of beasts available that day into a number of smaller summonings each requiring a standard action.  Treat this ability as a 10th level spell.


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## Kafkonia (Feb 27, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> Few if any slaad are more famous than Ygorl the Lord of *Enthropy*.




Should be Entropy.


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## Celebrim (Feb 28, 2007)

*Ssendam, Lord of Madness*

*Ssendam, Lord of Madness*
*Unique Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 42d8 + 630 (966 hp)
*Initiative:* + 11
*Speed:* 90’
*AC:* 50 (-2 size, +7 Dex, +9 deflection, +26 natural armor) touch 23, flatfooted 42 
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +31/+54
*Attack:* psuedopod +44 melee (2d8+15)
*Full Attack:* 3 psuedopod +44 melee (2d8+15, 19-20/x2) 
*Space/Reach:* 10’/20’ ft.
*Special Attacks:* Body weaponry, energy drain, engulf, extended reach, improved grab, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, completely insane, fast healing 20, damage reduction 35/epic and lawful, dark vision (infinite), immune to ability drain, energy drain, mind effecting spells, polymorph, and petrification, lord of chaos, immune to sonic, resistance acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, and fire resistance 20, spell resistance 40
*Saves:* Fort +41, Ref +30, Will +35
*Abilities:* Str 40, Dex 25, Con 41, Int 24, Wis 26, Chr 29 
*Skills:* Bluff +51, Climb +57, Concentration +60, Disguise +51, Escape Artist +49, Knowledge (Arcana) +49, Knowledge (Planes) +49, Hide +49, Intimidate +51, Listen +50, Move Silently +49, Search +50, Spellcraft +49, Spot +50, Survival +50, Tumble +49
*Feats:* Blind-fight, combat reflexes, daunting presence, dodge, epic fortitude, epic will, frightful presence, improved combat reflexes, improved critical (pseudopod), improved initiative, improved sunder, large and in charge, mobility, opportunistic tactician, power attack
*Environment:* Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary or court (Ssendam + 3-18 of each sort of lesser slaad)
*Challenge Rating:* 29
*Treasure:* None
*Alignment:* Chaotic neutral

Ssendam is in many accounts the eldest of the slaad, the progenitor of the race, and the mightiest of the slaad.  The truth is that I do not know for a fact whether any of these things are true.  The vast majority of the things which have been written about this being are plain bunkum.  I place as much trust in them as I place in stories about little blond children encountering three talking bears, indeed less, for such a story is far less fanciful than many of the things written about Ssendam.  

Ssendam is called ‘the Mad King’, ‘the Mad Queen’, ‘the Lord of Madmen’, and said to be the Lord of Madness.  What does this mean?  Ssendam is also called the Lord of Meaninglessness, and also the Lord of Joy and Despair.  The impulse of Ssendam drives it to deprive everything of meaning, and to take away the power to determine the value of anything or indeed for anything to have value.  In this way, one can say that Ssendam partakes at least in part in all the other impulses we see embodied in the Slaad.

So what can we say that is meaningful about this veritable incarnation of meaninglessness?  To begin with, what does at least seem to be true is that Ssendam does occupy some special role amongst the slaad, and that at least at present Ssendam is the most feared of its race.  Amongst the lesser slaad, I have noticed that while they refer to all other things as ‘it, they refer to Ssendam as ‘IT’ - where the capitalization refers to a particularly reverential and indeed terrified reference.  I conclude from the unique distress and awe with which the lesser slaad hold Ssendam, that alone of all the other beings in the universe there is something about Ssendam which impresses upon the lesser slaad that this thing is a thing of true being apart from anything else.

The situation is not much better among the other Slaad Lords.  All of them seem to despise Ssendam to one extent or another.  If Ssendam is a ruler of the slaad, then there must hardly be a more despised ruler in the multiverse.  But of course, like any slaad ruling over any other slaad, Ssendam is a ruler only in so far as it can bully, inspire, and manipulate other slaad.  No slaad outside of reach is truly governed by anything else.  

What is it like to come face to face with Ssendam?  Well, first, you are stuck by the fact that you are dealing with a being without a face.  You are facing an amorphous boiling chaos.  This chaos does not speak.  Ssendam never uses any words to communicate.  Indeed, it is impossible to know for certain if Ssendam does communicate.  Instead of communication, watching Ssendam you are struck by certain feelings; you have seemingly revelatory moments of insight.  You cannot be quite certain however whether the origin of these feelings is some internal delusion, or whether they are projections from Ssendam.  I’m inclined to believe that perhaps both are true, and that at a certain level it doesn’t matter.  Only those of the strongest wills and the most powerful magical protections can avoid going insane in Ssendam’s presence.  The strongest of the many delusions one experiences is the sense that until this moment, you have never seen anything that was real and that all your former existence and everything else you know are merely the tormenting phantasms of your own mind.

Ssendam is said to reside on its throne in the heart of Limbo, coming forth occasionally to visit the prime on mad and seemingly pointless quests or when called.  While he almost always has the form of a huge golden ameba with the brain in the place it nucleus, he has been known to take the form of a naked long haired berserker bearing a golden two-handed sword or of a grotesquely obese hag.  It is said that Ssendam takes upon occasion the form of a huge golden slaad, but if this is true there is no reliable report of it.  In no form does he ever use verbal communication.

Ssendam has a small cult of mortal followers, which is almost unique among the Slaad lords.  Whether the followers of this cult recieve thier powers from Ssendam or from some other being is not known.  There is no evidence that Ssendam pays his cult much attention at all.  Ssendam is said to be worshiped by the Gibberlings, but this may be simply a myth.

Combat
Ssendam is likely to lash out at anything that annoys, and does not hesitate to destroy and utterly consume a foe with its lethal psuedopods.  It prefers to let the foe come to it so that it can use its great reach to its best effect, but it will simply charge up and engulf a foe that tries to avoid its grasp.  Ssendam strikes with repeated empowered flamestrikes or employs its powers of mass suggestion and mass charm to subdue foes.  Weakened foes are subject to Ssendam’s power words and symbols.  If a foe is subdued or rendered insane, Ssendam has been known to avenge insults against him by inflicting a geas on his hapless victims that forces them to do the thing which they would least desire to do if they were in their right minds.    
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Analyze dweomer, alter self, animate objects, astral projection, black tentacles, chaos hammer (widened, DC 25), charm monster (DC 24), cloak of chaos (DC 29), confusion (DC 23), control weather, deeper darkness, detect law, detect magic, detect thoughts, destruction (DC 26), dimensional anchor, dispel law (DC 26), divination, entropic shield, emotion (widened, DC 23), fear (widened, DC 23), flamestrike (empowered, DC 24), fly, greater dispelling, geas, greater magic fang, hideous laughter (DC 21), insanity (heightened, DC 28), invisibility, magic circle against law, mass charm (DC 27), mass suggestion (DC 25), mirage arcane, misdirection, modify memory (DC 23), permanent image, phantasmal killer (DC 23), programmed image, reverse gravity, see invisibility, shatter (DC 21), symbol (insanity), word of chaos (widened, DC 30); 3/day limited wish, planeshift, polymorph any object (DC 26), power word (any), symbol (any); 1/day epic counterspell, full another’s wish, peripety, ruin (DC 29), spell worm (DC 28). Caster level 25th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.
*Body Weaponry (Ex):* Ssendam’s psuedopods may inflict bashing, slashing, or piercing damage as Ssendam desires.  All of Ssendam’s natural weapons are considered anarchic weapons, as the weapon property, and do an additional 2d6 damage to lawful opponents.
*Completely Insane (Ex):*  Ssendam mind is so alien, that for many purposes it can be considered mindless.  Ssendam is unaffected by any ability which only effects intelligent creatures.
*Energy Drain (Su): * Living creatures hit by a Ssendam’s attack gain 1d4 negative levels (Fortitude save DC 46 half, round fractions down).  For each negative level bestowed, Ssendam gains 5 temporary hit points.
*Engulf (Ex):* By winning a grapple check against an opponent that Ssendam has already grappled, or by taking a standard action to move into an opponent’s space, Ssendam may engulf opponents of large size or smaller within his gelatinous form.  Engulfed opponents are stilled considered grappled, however Ssendam is not.   Engulfed opponents take 4-32 damage per round and lose 2-8 energy levels (Fortitude save DC 46 half, round fractions down).  Each negative level bestowed gains Ssendam 5 temporary hit points.  Furthermore, Ssendam will begin digesting engulfed opponents dealing 10d4 acid damage and 10d4 anarchic damage each round.  A creature which is reduced to -10 hit points or less when engulfed is permanently destroyed – not even true resurrection may recover them.
*Extended Reach (Ex):* Ssendam’s psuedopods have twice the normal reach for a creature of its size.
*Change Shape (Su):* Ssendam can assume any humanoid form as a free action. In humanoid form, Ssendam cannot use his natural weapons. Ssendam may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one. The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to its natural form if killed. Even true seeing does not reveal Ssendam’s natural form, only that Ssendam is a disguised shapechanger.
*Improved Grab (Ex):* If Ssendam hits with a melee attack, it deals normal damage and may attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
A psuedopod may be severed by a single hit that does 30 or more damage.  While this does no additional harm to Ssendam other than the normal damage (Ssendam may grow new psuedopods as a free action), it does break any grapple initiated by that psuedopod.
*Lord of Chaos (Su): * Any spell-like ability Ssendam employs gains the chaos descriptor. If the spell-like ability already has the chaos descriptor, the DC of saves vs. this spell is increased by +2, and it is automatically widened (when appropriate) as the metamagic feat widen spell. Three times per day as a free action, Ssendam may maximize any spell-like ability it casts as if the metamagic feat maximize spell had been applied.
*Protean Form (Ex): *  Regardless of apparent form taken by Ssendam, Ssendam’s fundamental nature is ooze-like.  Ssendam is immune to critical hits, death by beheading, and death by massive damage.  In the Amoeba form, Ssendam also cannot be flanked. 
*Summon Slaad (Sp):*  Ygorl may summon 1d6 of lesser slaad (mud, red, blue, green, or grey) or 1 death slaad once per round at will.  Treat this ability as a 9th level spell.  Three times per day, Ygorl may attempt to summon a white slaad with a 30% chance of success.  Treat this ability as a 10th level spell.


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## Celebrim (Feb 28, 2007)

Whew!  Finally.  Ok, updates may slow down for a while, but while working on this project all sorts of things occurred to me that I'd like to write down.  Things to look for in the future:

1) General traits and mechanics common to all Slaad Lords, including how to call a Slaad Lord, what happens when a Slaad Lord is killed, how to permenently destroy a Slaad Lord, how to become a Slaad Lord, and the effects of not having a True Name.
2) Give an overview of the Lesser Masters.
3) Explain Slaad Lord cults, and explain who the Executioners are and who leads them.
4) Answer the question of whether slaad really do have tokens in thier foreheads, and if so how do you get one and how can you control a slaad at least for a time.
5) The deep dark of slaad lore, including the origin of the slaad, what the Slaad Lords are really afraid of, why Slaad Lords try to kill black Slaad on sight, why Ygorl founded the Death Slaad cult, why Chourst invaded Mechanus, why even the gods don't mess with the Slaad, and why if the Slaad ever worked together the multiverse would come to an end.
6) A table showing what a character would have to roll on a Knowledge (Planes) or Knowledge (Arcane) check to know the secrets of the slaad.
7) Five new slaad subraces that are part of different cults other than the 'Stop Cult'.  
8) Information about Ssendam's mortal cult.
9) The humanoid guises most frequently employed by each of the 18 slaad lords and what equipment that they can be expected to possess in those forms.
10) Dozens of adventure ideas involving the Slaad Lords for characters of 1st to 30th level.
11) Information about the slaad controlled regions of Limbo and why the slaad have more petitioners than worshipers.

All this and much more twaddle when I get the chance.


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## Elephant (Mar 1, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> *Tretfivor, Lord of Disharmony*
> <snip>
> 
> In appearance Tretfivor appears to be a most unhappy wedding of a red slaad with a blue slaad.  He is a grotesque creature in which no body part seems quite suited to him.  One side of his body is that of a red slaad, and the other a blue.  However, his feet are on backwards, there is a great hump on one side of his back, his spine is crooked, and one eye is at least ten times larger than the other.  From one side of his mouth protrudes upward a 12” tusk, while one of his arms is so long and out-sized that its knuckles drag the ground when he walks.  His skin is folded and loose like a *paciderms* as if it did not quite fit his frame.  Alone of the Slaad Lords Tretfivor favors clothing, and often wears tattered robes that were once of a rich material before being ill-used.
> ...




Oh, and this should be *pachyderm*


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## Celebrim (Mar 1, 2007)

Elephant said:
			
		

> Oh, and this should be *pachyderm*




Thanks.  And I mean it.  And in case you are wondering, the reason why I prefer criticism to praise, is it tells me that someone actually read and paid attention.  This is higher flattery than all the "I wanna be like Celebrim!" and "Hip hip hoozah!"s I could recieve because I never know whether (and sometimes suspect that) the ones that do that weren't reading.  In this case, its not even an error in the first or second submission, but right near the bottom.

Thanks indeed.


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## Elephant (Mar 2, 2007)

Celebrim said:
			
		

> Thanks. And I mean it. And in case you are wondering, the reason why I prefer criticism to praise,
> <snip>





Don't mention it; I'm glad I can help.  This project that you've started is both ambitious -- there's a lot to cover! -- and really, really cool.  Props and hip hip hoozahs!

That said, I noticed another couple of things today:




			
				Celebrim said:
			
		

> *Baseraxs, Lord of Deviance*
> <snip>
> *Aura of Unease:* When not disguised, Baseraxs is truly disgusting and unsettling to behold.  Anyone within 60’ must make a will save (DC 22) or be nauseated.  Lawful creatures have a -4 penalty on this save, and even if the save is successful they suffer a -1 morale penalty on all actions *do* to the distraction.
> *Change Shape (Su):* Baseraxs can assume any humanoid form as a standard action.  In humanoid form, Baseraxs cannot use his natural weapons.  Baseraxs may remain in this form until he chooses to assume a new one.  The change in form may not be dispelled, but the Slaad Lord will revert to the normal form if killed.  Even a true seeing spell does not reveal Baserax’s true form, only that Baseraxs is a disguised shapechanger.
> ...





Aura of Unease should probably read "...due to the distraction." 

The explanatory text at the end of Chaos Spittle is worded in a slightly confusing manner.  Perhaps you could switch it to "...anarchic, so energy resistance or immunity will not completely protect a target."
...or something similar.

Finally, is the plural of 'slaad' supposed to be 'slaad' or 'slaadi'?  I seem to recall seeing 'slaadi' somewhere, but I don't know if that's actually correct.  Anyway, if it is, you might want to adjust the Summon Slaad section


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## Celebrim (Mar 14, 2007)

*Slaad Cults*

Slaad Cults

The slaad have little in the way of organization.  They have no government.  They have no family ties.  They have no laws.  They have no social strictures, no ethics and no mores.  Generally speaking, the closest the slaad come to organization is that the strong rule over the weak within the distance of their claws.  But the slaad are not all about muscle only.  An equally powerful force in swaying a slaad is the force of personality.  A slaad can be attracted to a charismatic leader or to an intriguing idea like a moth to a glowing light.  This is not to say that they actually obey or take direction.  It is difficult to compel a slaad to do anything.  But they can be induced to imitate and be led by example.

The most obvious manifestation of this is the existence of the slaad cults.  A slaad cult is the closest a slaad ever comes to having a society or belonging to a community.  The most famous of these is the ‘Death’ or ‘Stop Cult’ to which all death slaad belong.  Only slightly less famous is the Cult of the Executioners.  But there are any number of lesser cults of varying membership and duration.  Most of these only last a few days at the longest, and have no more than a half dozen members and disappear without leaving any trace in history.  But a few gather enough adherers to become a sort of self-sustaining force, like a fire grown large enough to generate its own wind.

Each slaad cult has at its heart a particularly large or charismatic slaad which has managed to convince some of his peers that existence is just more fun if you act in the way he does.  Each cult is somewhere between a youth gang, a bizarre religious sect, and a revolutionary cell.  Slaad cults are marked mostly by two things.  First, they spontaneously engage in what superficially appears to be bizarre religious rituals in which every member present does almost exactly the same inexplicable thing.  But these are not true rituals in any ordinary sense of the word, since there is a fair chance that a particular ritual will never be repeated.  In truth, these apparent rituals are more like the children’s game ‘Follow the Leader’ or ‘Simon Says’, and the actual degree of compulsion in these rituals is about comparable to the level of compulsion one child may have over another.  Despite the whim like nature of these events, and often – to an outside observer – their silliness, to the participants, the completion of each ritual is the most important and meaningful thing in existence.  And in fact, in most cases, the completion of the ritual is elevated in the minds of the participants to being the only meaningful thing in existence – the only thing that gives life meaning.  Never mind that they may never do it again, at least for the duration of the fad, doing whatever bit of nonsense that they are doing overrides every other consideration.  Slaad participating in the ritual will consider anyone that doesn’t understand this to be absolutely foolish and ignorant for not understanding why, or for not understanding if it is offered the equally nonsensical explanation that goes with the behavior.

The second thing that marks a true slaad cult is that if it lasts for any length of time, its members undergo some sort physical metamorphosis which transforms them into something else.  This is a real change in form and not merely an adopted form such as from a polymorph or shapechange spell, and to the extent that a slaad can be said to have a true form, the natural form of a slaad is the form it adopted in the last cult it was a member of.  Slaad that are capable of changing shape adopt this form spontaneously after favoring it for a certain random period of time (usually 1d4 days).  Slaad that are not normally capable of changing shape usually undergo the metamorphosis by entering into a pupa stage which involves incasing themselves in cocoon of dried vomit and chaos stuff and becoming torpid for a period that varies according to the cult (generally 2d6 days).  Such transformations may only be attempted when on the plane of Limbo.  However, some long established cults possess artifacts, incantations, or other means which bring about the transformation rapidly through arcane means.  In fact, the ordinary common varieties of slaad can themselves be thought of as belonging to a single large and enduring cult – the Cult of the Spawning Stone.

Although there is nothing like consistency between groups, membership into a slaad cult is generally by consent of the existing members.  Generally, this is not hard to obtain, and essentially any slaad that can complete the transformation may gain acceptance.   However, a slaad may truly complete a transformation only if it possesses at least as many hit dice as the final form which will adopt.  This effectively limits membership in some cults to only slaad drawn from the more powerful ranks of slaad.

The 'Stop Cult' from which come the death slaad, and the 'Executioners' are more or less officially sanctioned organizations in the sense that the Slaad Lords do not actively hunt down and kill members of these cults and even appear to rely on or at least tolerate them.  The same cannot be said for most cults.  At least one percent of all slaad belong to dissident cults which the Slaad Lords do not tolerate.  At seemingly random intervals one or more Slaad Lords will engage in a pogrom to erradicate the members of a particular cult.  These are one of the few instances that Slaad Lords are known to work together.  Rogue cults are therefore quite secretive, and often attempt to hide from the Lords and usually all other slaad as well.  On occasion some rogues find shelter with one of the Lesser Masters willing to risk the rage of the Lords of Chaos, and some have been even known to associate with one of the more apathetic (or ambitious) Slaad Lords but these always prove temporary arrangements as no slaad of any rank long risks the wrath of such entities as Ygorl or Ssendam if they can avoid it.  

Ironically, while such persecutions are generally effective at wiping out a particular cult, they seem to have exactly the opposite effect in quelling general rebellion amongst the slaad.  If one cult is destroyed, it only seems to drive more of the irascible slaad into one or more new and bizarre cults.

Canis Slaad
*Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 7d8+21 (48 hp)
*Initiative:* +3
*Speed:* 40 ft
*Armor Class:* 19 (+3 Dex, +6 Natural) Touch 13, Flatfooted 16
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +7/+11
*Attack:* Bite +11 Melee (1d8+6, 19-20/x2) or Dart +10 missile (1d4+4)
*Full Attack:* Bite +11 Melee (1d8+6, 19-20/x2) or Dart +10/+5 missile (1d4+4)
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Cackle, diseased, spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Darkvision (120’), fast healing 5, keen senses, immunity to sonic, resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire resistance 5, scent, spell resistance 17
*Saves:* Fort, Reflex, Will
*Abilities:* Str 19, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 9, Wis 6, Cha 12
*Skills:* Climb +14, Hide +13, Jump +14, Listen +16,  Move Silently +13, Spot +8, Survival +8
*Feats:* Dodge, Improved Critical (Bite), Mobility, Spring Attack, Track
*Environment:* Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary, Pair, Gang (3-5), Pack (6-10)
*Challenge Rating:* 7
*Treasure:* Standard
*Alignment:* Always Chaotic Neutral
*Advancement:* 7-9 (Medium), 10-14 (Large)
*Level Adjustment:* +7

The most common of the rogue cults, the Canis Slaad believe that the other slaad just take existence far too seriously.  They believe that a pure chaotic existence is one devoted entirely to living in the now and enjoying the moment.  The canis slaad have a low degree of organization even for a slaad cult.  There is no overall leader of the cult, nor is their any sort of ritual which binds the group together.  Individuals join the cult generally by the expedient of unwillingly transforming into canis slaad.

Canis slaad are quite varied in appearance.  As the name suggests, they prefer semi-humanoid dog-like forms, most often jackals, coyotes, and hyenas, but some have been known to take a form reminiscent of domestic dogs – such as wolfhounds, poodles, schnauzers, and even Chihuahuas.  There fur is generally yellow or yellow-orange and is often spotted, speckled, or stripped with lighter or darker fur.  Some individuals sport manes or long tassels of hair.  They are among the smallest of the slaad, barely 5’ tall on average, and are quite quick and agile.  They lope on either two legs or four with equal comfort.  The jaws of a canis slaad are generally large and slavering, and feature wickedly sharp metallic teeth.

Canis slaadi are with few exceptions crude obscene pranksters and eager bullies of anything weaker than themselves. 

While canis slaad can sometimes be found with groups of other slaad, it is more common to find them banded together in small groups for mutual protection.  Each group of five or more will have a larger leader which holds the band together through bullying and force of personality.  Canis slaadi’s favored class is rogue, and it’s not unusual to find a canis slaad – particularly leader types - with several levels in this class.

Combat
Canis slaad use their exceptional mobility to control the pace and range of combat.  Their favored weapon is their fearsome slavering jaws, which they use to nip and slash at foes, while deftly dodging back to avoid return attacks.  At range, they throw short needle like darts with deadly accuracy and force.  On Limbo these darts are often forged of chaos stuff.  In some cases, these darts may be infected with cackling fever which is transmitted to the victim.  It is even said that some canis slaad know the means to forge a dart which may transmit corporeal instability to whatever it strikes.  Each canis slaad will carry a quiver of 3-10 darts.
Canis slaad do not engage in pitched combat if they can avoid it.  One of their preferred tactics is to make ‘nip and run’ attacks in which they fight only so long as to infect their victims with cackling fever, then retreat – only to return after the disease has run its course.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 13), ghost sound (DC 11), locate object.  Caster level 3rd.  The save DC’s are charisma based.
*Cackle (Sp):* Once per day a canis slaad can cackle in a particularly ridiculous manner.  Every creature except another canis slaad within 20’ must succeed in a DC 14 Will save or be overcome with _hideous laughter_ as the spell.  The save DC is charisma based.
*Diseased (Ex):* Any creature bitten by a canis slaad must make a DC 16 Fortitude save or be infected with a particularly virulent from of cackle fever.  Incubation time is only 6 hours, and saving throws must be attempted every 6 hour interval afterwards.  Those drained to 0 wisdom by this disease are transformed in a fit of particularly hideous laughter lasting 2-5 rounds into canis slaad.  After this transformation is complete, it can only be undone by a wish or similarly potent magic.  Slaad so transformed retain their hit dice, but lose all other abilities in the transformation.
*Keen senses (Ex):* Canis slaad have particularly keen senses.  In addition to darkvision with a range of 120’ and the scent ability, canis slaad gain track as a bonus feat and have a +8 racial bonus to listen checks and a +8 bonus to survival checks when tracking something using their scent ability.  Further more, canis slaad can track opponents by scent without penalty even in environments where scent would not otherwise function – such as in water, on the astral plane, or even the ever changing chaos of Limbo.
*Scent (Ex):* Canis slaad can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges. The creature detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the creature can pinpoint that source. A canis slaad can follow tracks by smell, making a Survival check to find or follow a track. 
_*Summon Slaad (Sp):*_ Once per day a canis slaad can attempt to summon another canis slaad with a 30% chance of success.  This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.


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## paradox42 (Mar 14, 2007)

I've been away from this thread for a while, but I see it did well without me so I don't feel too bad.  Wow! Not only do we get the 14 new Lords, we get the originals from Planescape too! Great work Celebrim. And the concept of Slaad Cults is a very interesting one with great potential for development in any DM's campaign.

Are those notes in the post after Ssendam meant to be detailed in "Part the Sixteenth," after Zazashaf? Presumably that would be the post detailing #1 on your post-Ssendam list, but what about the details of, say, #5- why *do* Slaad Lords kill Black Slaad on sight?


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## Celebrim (Mar 14, 2007)

paradox42 said:
			
		

> Are those notes in the post after Ssendam meant to be detailed in "Part the Sixteenth," after Zazashaf?




I'm working on that part separately.  There are alot of mechanics issues that I'm working through.  I just decided to take a break from it and put something else out since I'd not updated the thread in a while.



> Presumably that would be the post detailing #1 on your post-Ssendam list, but what about the details of, say, #5- why *do* Slaad Lords kill Black Slaad on sight?




In brief, because the Slaad Lords know where the light in a black Slaad's eyes goes to.


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## Celebrim (Mar 15, 2007)

*Floral Slaad*

*Floral Slaad*
*Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 12d8+108 (162 hp)
*Initiative:* +3 (-1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
*Speed:* 30 ft
*Armor Class:* 22 (-1 Dex, -2 Size, +15 Natural) Touch 7, Flatfooted 22
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +12/+26
*Attack:* 1 Claw +16 Melee (2d8+6)
*Full Attack:* 2 Claw +16 Melee (2d8+6)
*Space/Reach:* 10 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Constrict (2d8+6), improved grab, pollen spray, spore spray
*Special Qualities:* Damage reduction 5/-, fast healing 5, immunity to sonic, plant traits, remain motionless, resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire resistance 5, spell resistance 21, take root, tremorsense
*Saves:* Fort +22, Reflex +7, Will +11
*Abilities:* Str 23, Dex 9, Con 29, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 14
*Skills:* Appraise +9, Climb +21, Concentration +21, Craft (Any One) +9, Hide +6 (+14)*, Jump +13, Knowledge (Any one) +16, Listen +18, Search +8, Move Silently +14, Spot +18, Survival +9
*Feats:* Cleave, improved bullrush, improved initiative, item creation feat (any one), power attack 
*Environment:* Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary, Pair, Circle (3-5), Grove (6-10)
*Challenge Rating:* 11
*Treasure:* Standard
*Alignment:* Usually Chaotic Neutral
*Advancement:* 13-24 (Huge) 

When most travelers first encounter a floral slaad, they are generally unaware that they are in fact in the presence of a slaad.  In its natural state, a floral slaad is barely recognizable as a single organism, much less an animated and sentient one.  A floral slaad resembles little more than an animated overgrown compost heap – that is were a compost heap to be densely overgrown with 3’ diameter flowers, purple vines, giant puffballs, 4’ wide toadstools and so forth.  When addressing another being, a floral slaad thoughtfully arranges its leaves, flowers, vines, thorns, and fungal growths into something loosely resembling a shambling humanoid with a giant expressive face.

Floral slaad believe that the other slaad do not express enough of the creative side of chaos, and have in fact become far too destructive in their natures.  Floral slaad seek outlets of expression besides destruction and to promote growth and change in the world around them and in themselves.  Superficially, this may sound warm and fuzzy, but one must remember that this is a slaad we are talking about all the same.  All floral slaad make an attempt to engage in artistic pursuits of some form, but what each floral slaad most wants to do is bring about the existence of some other real and sentient being in the universe other than itself.  Any evidence of something in the universe being real or sentient other than themselves is perceived as being a very good effort on their part, and a sign that they are clearly on the right path.  They call their pursuit, ‘the quest for enlightenment’, and they will not be deterred in it. 

Each floral slaad believes all other floral slaad as its own best efforts in the attempt to bring about true living beings into the world.  This is self-evident because other floral slaad are the closest copies to the one truly important thing in the universe – itself.  When a floral slaad is not trying to coax intelligence from earthworms, ruined buildings, and petunias, a floral slaad spend much of its time engaging in bizarre quasi-religious rituals and lengthy debates with its fellows.  Each floral slaad believes that he is the leader of these small groups, and all the other floral slaad present are figments or at best unintelligent lumps of matter that some portion of him is animating for his own amusement and that, if only he could manage to imprint enough wisdom on these things, he would not be alone in the universe.  

Most floral slaad are drawn from the ranks of the green slaad, a small percentage of which are attracted to the cult during the process of evolving into grey slaad and detour down this rather strange garden path.  It is almost certain that some green slaad was the first to found this strange cult, but it is know impossible to tell which it was, since all floral slaad will insist they are the first.

Combat
Floral slaad are exceptionally dangerous opponents when provoked.  A floral slaad can absorb so much punishment as to seem virtually indestructible, and they are both dangerous spell casters and powerful melee combatants.  
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Alter self, animate objects, chaos hammer (DC 16), daylight, detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 14), identify, lightning bolt (DC 15), locate object, magic circle against law, major image (DC 15), non-detection, shatter (DC 14), summon swarm; 2/day commune with nature, dispel law (DC 17), fabricate, insect plague, minor creation, wall of thorns.  Caster level 12th.  The save DC’s are charisma based.
*Camouflage (Ex):* Floral slaad receive a +8 racial bonus to hide when amongst vegetation.  
*Constrict (Ex):* A floral slaad deals 2d8+6 crushing and piercing damage on a successful grapple check.
*Improved Grab (Ex):* To use this ability, a floral slaad must hit a huge or smaller opponent with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
*Plant Traits (Ex):* A floral slaad bears more than a superficial resemblance to a plant.  A floral slaad is immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning and is not subject to critical hits.  However, a floral slaad is vulnerable to any effect that a plant is vulnerable to. 
*Pollen Spray (Ex):* As a standard action, a floral slaad can unleash a cloud of glittering hallucinogenic pollen which effects all creatures in a 10’ diameter spread centered 10’ from the slaad.  Those within the cloud must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 25) or hallucinate for as long as they remain in the cloud plus 1d4 rounds afterwards.  Hallucinating characters act as under a confusion spell.  Even those that succeed in their saves are still outlined with the pollen as by the spell glitterdust.  The DC for this ability is Constitution based.
*Remain Motionless (Ex):* A floral slaad can hold itself so still it appears to be nothing more than a collection of unusual plants. An observer must succeed on a DC 20 Spot check to become aware the slaad is an animated creature.  
*Spore Spray (Sp):* As a standard action, a floral slaad can unleash a 20’ jet of sticky flesh eating fungal spores which coat all targets in a 5’ wide path.  Corporeal creatures in the area of effect take 1d6 Con damage unless they make a successful Reflex save (DC 25), in which case they take half damage (round down).  Creatures reduced to 0 Con by this effect are transformed into patches of yellow mold.  The DC for this ability is Constitution based.
*Take Root (Ex):* As a move equivalent action, a floral slaad can sink its roots into any solid non-living surface it is in contact with.  This gives it a +10 circumstance bonus to resist bull rush and trip attacks, and does 8d8 damage to the surface it is in contact with.
*Tremorsense (Ex):* A floral slaad automatically senses the location of anything that is in contact with the ground and within 60’.


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## Kafkonia (Mar 20, 2007)

> At seemingly random intervals one or more Slaad Lords will engage in a pogrom to *irradiate* the members of a particular cult.




Do you mean eradicate (get rid of) or irradiate (expose to radiation)? My money's on the former, but with slaadi you never know.


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## Celebrim (Mar 21, 2007)

*Simian Slaad*
*Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 8d8+24 (60 hp)
*Initiative:* +3 (+3 Dex)
*Speed:* 30 ft/Climb 30 ft.
*Armor Class:* 21 (+3 Dex, +1 Luck, +7 Natural) Touch 14, Flatfooted 18
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +8/+12
*Attack:* 1 Claw +12 melee (2d4+4)
*Full Attack:* 2 Claw +12 melee (2d4+4), 1 bite +10 melee (2d4+2), 1 tail slam +10 melee (1d4+2)
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Rend (4d4+6), spell-like abilities, summon slaad
*Special Qualities:* Darkvision (60’), fast healing 5, fearless, immunity to sonic, resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire resistance 5, spell resistance 18
*Saves:* Fort +9, Reflex +9, Will +4
*Abilities:* Str 19, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 6, Cha 12
*Skills:* Climb +23, Concentration +8, Hide +14, Intimidate +7, Jump +45, Listen +9, Move Silently +14, Perform +6, Spot +9, Survival +4, Tumble +14
*Feats:* Dodge, mobility, multi-attack
*Environment:* Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary, Pair, Gang (3-5), Tribe (6-10)
*Challenge Rating:* 8
*Treasure:* Standard
*Alignment:* Always Chaotic Neutral
*Advancement:* 9-12 (Medium), 13-16 (Large), 17-24 (Huge)

Simian slaadi appear to be mostly made of misfitting monkey and ape parts - like a flesh golem made of dire ape parts.  A typical simian slaadi might have the face of a howler monkey, the body of a gorilla, the arms of an orangutan, the hindquarters of a mandrill, and the tail of a spider money – but any number of bizarre combinations is possible including those not found in nature.  Each simian slaad is unique in its exact appearance, but all have large fangs and claws.  

Most Slaad do not believe that anything but themselves is truly important or even truly real.  The simian slaadi take this one step further.  They are not convinced that they are  real either.  The simian slaadi notice their relative lack of ability to cause reality to conform to their wishes at times, and conclude from this that they are probably no more beings of real substance and free will than anything else in the universe.  Rather than concluding that everything is equally real, they conclude that everything is equally unreal, and that they and everything else are mere delusions which have unortunately been made believe that they are free willed, independent living beings, and now have been made to realize that it was all some sort of sick gag and in fact they were never anything more than something’s fever dream.  Simian slaadi are always curious what they will be made to do next.

Apparantly, what simian slaad believe that they are made to do next is spend a lot of time in meditation.  Simian slaadi do not have a goal per se – what is the point in a goal when you don’t have any free will anyway?  But most simian slaad spend a lot of time in meditation, hoping to obtain some understanding of why they were made and who - if anyone - invented them.  The most common theory they hold among themselves is that the universe is the dream of a being that they refer to as “The great slumbering syphilitic armadillo”, but there is also a common theory that the universe is the result of the fetid exhalations of a rotting pasta dish that somehow gained sentience, and another theory which suggests that it is the creation of “the great dice who randomizes all”.  Others simply suggest that since we can never really reason on our own, that it is simply impossible for us to ever know anything.  Most simian slaad are quite scornful of this creator being, whoever they believe him to be and assuming that they believe that it indeed exists, but nonetheless they tend to develop elaborate theologies and rituals reflecting their personal belief in the hope that perhaps this being will be amused enough by them to grant them a greater degree of reality.

It is a commonly held belief by the simian slaad that the founder of their cult, a being they call “the Great Monkey King”, obtained corporality in a realm outside of the multi-verse where things could be truly real.   

Simian slaadi are extremely scornful of any being that claims that the universe is real, or especially if they claim that they themselves are real.  They believe that it is self-evident that everything in the universe is fundamentally insane, irrational, and insubstantial.  They are also offended by any being that pretends to superiority over any other being, even in so much as claiming to be correct about anything or claiming another incorrect, since they believe that true equality is the obvious result of the fact that we are all but random illusions.  Simian slaadi are by the standards of slaadi comparatively social beings.  They form small, relatively close circles, with like minded beings to debate the nature of the universe.

*Combat*
Simian slaad are fearsome and agressive fighters that will fight to the death.  But, they are generally too apathetic to bother pursuing an opponent bent on fleeing.  
*Spell-like Abilities:* At will – detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 13), disguise self, enlarge person (DC 12), reduce person (DC 12), silent image (DC 12), locate object, magic fang; 2/day confusion (DC 16), ethereal jaunt, invisibility, suggestion (DC 14).  Caster level 8th.  The save DC’s are charisma based.
*Fearless (Ex):* A simian slaad's conviction that nothing is real makes it impossible to frighten.  They are immune to all magical fear effects and cannot be intimidated.
*Rend (Ex):* If a simian slaad hits with both claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional 4d4+6 points of damage. 
*Summon Slaad (Sp):* Once per day a simian slaad can attempt to summon another simian slaad with a 40% chance of success.  This is ability is the equivalent of a 4th level spell.
*Skills:* Simian slaad have a +30 racial bonus to jump checks and a +8 bonus to climb checks.


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## Celebrim (Mar 30, 2007)

*Pachyderm Slaad*
*Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 14d8+98 (161 hp)
*Initiative:* +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
*Speed:* 30 ft
*Armor Class:* 29 (Size -1, +4 Dex, +16 Natural) Touch 13, Flatfooted 25
*Base Attack/Grapple:* +14/+25
*Attack:* 1 Claw +20 melee (3d6+7)
*Full Attack:* 2 Claw +20 melee (3d6+7), 1 bite +18 melee (2d10+3), 1 gore +18 melee (2d10+3), 1 trunk slam +18 melee (1d10+3)
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Spell-like abilities, summon slaad, trumpet
*Special Qualities:* Damage Resistance 10/lawful, darkvision (60’), fast healing 5, immunity to sonic, resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire resistance 5, spell resistance 25
*Saves:* Fort +16, Reflex +13, Will +12
*Abilities:* Str 25, Dex 19, Con 25, Int 20, Wis 16, Cha 18
*Skills:* Bluff +21, Concentration +16, Diplomacy +14, Disguise +16, Hide +17, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (Planes) +22, Listen +20, Move Silently +21, Perform +14, Search +22, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +17, Spot +20, Tumble +21
*Feats:* Dodge, improved initiative, mobility, multi-attack, power attack
*Environment:* Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary, Pair, Gang (3-5), Council (6-10)
*Challenge Rating:* 14
*Treasure:* Standard
*Alignment:* Always Chaotic Neutral
*Advancement:* 15-20 (Large), 21-28 (Huge)

In appearance, Pachyderm slaad appear to be a humanoid that is the mostly ungainly and horrifying cross of an elephant, a hippo and a rhino.  The face of a Pachyderm slaad appears quite stuffed with huge oversized features.  A wide jutting jaw, massive overhanging nasal trunk, enormous ears, long tusks and great horns overshadow its deeply recessed eyes.  The body of a Pachyderm slaad is covered in a heavy layer of loose fitting hide which gives it the appearance almost of wearing armor plates.  Despite this appearance, a Pachyderm slaad is surprisingly light on its feat and quite graceful in a massive sort of way.   The skin color of a Pachyderm slaad is a dark purple that lightens to mauves and pinks on its front side.  They are fond of wearing long capes, flowing ropes, and incredibly wide brimmed hats in dark neutral colors.  A pachyderm slaad stands roughly 11’ tall and weighs just over 1700 lbs.  

The Pachyderm slaad cult draws from some of the eldest and most experienced grey slaad.  Pachyderm slaad believe that the slaad race and indeed all of Limbo is in the grip of a sinister conspiracy that is secretly in the service of the forces of law and order.  These so-called ‘Lords’ and ‘Masters’ must first be defeated before there can be any real freedom, growth, and individuality in the universe.  To this end, the pachyderm slaad are continually scheming as to how that they might overthrow the Slaad Lords – though in practice scheming is about as far as their schemes ever get.  Nonetheless, each pachyderm slaad styles itself a romantic and dashing figure heroically resisting the tyrannical Slaad Lords, and imagines that his every experience is somehow the result of personally directed machinations by the Slaad Lords to thwart his every move.  

Pachyderm slaad form small secret societies with names like ‘The People’s Revolutionary Anarcho-Cynicalist Front’, ‘The Proletariat Liberation Army’, and ‘Dancing Paper-Mache Clowns for Freedom’.  These secret societies are supposedly dedicated to motivating the slaad to over throw the Slaad Lords, but in practice they spend more time in sybaritic pursuit and bickering with one another over philosophical details than on any other activities. 

Combat
A pachyderm slaad will only fight a combat on its own terms.  If the odds are not heavily in its favor it flees, using its powers of obfuscation, disguise, and the ability to create a _wall of iron_ to ensure its escape.  When well prepared for battle with its vast array of potent defences, a pachyderm slaad is most fearsome foe.  A pachyderm slaad prefers to fight at close range and in somewhat of a confined space where it can use its great strength, iron body, and greater magic fang to their fullest effect.  At range, a pachyderm slaad is seriously disadvantaged and forced to rely only on its ability to cast chaos hammer and magic missile.  
*Spell-like Abilities:* At will – Alter self, animate objects, chaos hammer (DC 18), detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 16), dispel law, fly, fog cloud, greater magic fang, identify, invisibility, illusory script, magic circle against law, magic missile, persistent image (DC 18), locate object, see invisible, shatter (DC 16), whispering wind; 2/day cloak of chaos (DC 22), iron body, globe of invulnerability, greater dispelling, mass suggestion (DC 20), mirage arcane, wall of iron, word of chaos (DC 25).  Caster level 16th.  The save DC’s are charisma based.
*Change Shape (Su):* As a standard action, a pachyderm slaad can shapechange into the form of any humanoid or any other lesser or rogue slaad provided that the form assumed has no more hit dice than the pachyderm slaad.  
*Trumpet (Su):* As a standard action, a pachyderm slaad can let forth a great blast of sound from its great elephantine trunk.  The effect of this is as an empowered shout spell (DC 21).  After letting forth such a blast, the pachyderm slaad must wait 1d4 rounds before trumpeting again.  This is constitution based ability.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):* Twice per day a pachyderm slaad can attempt to summon 1-2 red or blue slaad with a 70% chance of success, or one pachyderm slaad with a 30% chance of success.  This ability is the equivalent of a 6th level spell.


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## demiurge1138 (Apr 2, 2007)

I really do like the non-batrachian slaadi species, but I have a question as to the floral slaad. Where did the DC for the spore ability come from? If it's Constitution based, the DC should be 10 + 6 for HD + 9 for Con, or 25. Instead, it's 30. Is there a racial bonus to the DC?

Demiurge out.


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## Celebrim (Apr 2, 2007)

demiurge1138 said:
			
		

> I really do like the non-batrachian slaadi species, but I have a question as to the floral slaad. Where did the DC for the spore ability come from? If it's Constitution based, the DC should be 10 + 6 for HD + 9 for Con, or 25. Instead, it's 30. Is there a racial bonus to the DC?
> 
> Demiurge out.




Good catch.  Thanks.  

The reason for the slow updates, is that I've been working about 60 hours a week and haven't had alot of time for anything else.  I consider the new monsters almost a cop out, because they are abit less work than some of the others areas I want get to, but I'm glad to hear that someone likes them.


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## Snafflehound (Apr 29, 2007)

This is such an interesting and creative thread that it has spurred me, a lurker who hasn't played an RPG for about 15 years, to register and post. Slaad are cool.  

One idea that I've had for a while that I offer up to you relates to the batarachian forms of the slaad. The way I see it this is not inherently random but is inherently philosophically linked to their chaotic nature. The life cycle of frogs and toads starts off with eggs which become tadpoles which then develop into the adult form which looks nothing like the tadpole. So there is a natural element of change and transformation in there. This would contrast with the modrons, which have forms that are based on the ideal platonic solids (sphere, cube, pyramid etc.) 

In my old 1e campaign I had the slaad originating as "slaadpoles" and then evolving into adult slaad. I understand that there is some "spawning stone" genesis now, though. I also had a Slaad Lord of Delusion that was based on Chuz from the Tanith Lee Flat Earth books.

If you are working on these variant slaad of other forms, in addition to these dog, pachyderm etc. slaad forms, you might want to consider other natural changers or transformers. The Floral Slaad is the one that makes the most sense to me out of the varieties presented so far. What about a butterfly slaad (starts off as a caterpillar and then pupates) or a slime mold slaad (real life slime molds have a life cycle that includes amoeba, mushroom and slug-type bodies)?   

Final comment - I've seen some comments abou slaad being corrupted to evil and about death slaad being chaotic evil. Shouldn't there also be some examples about slaad becoming chaotic good? You can see hints of this in the descriptions of some of the slaad lords presented here.


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## Celebrim (Apr 30, 2007)

Snafflehound said:
			
		

> This is such an interesting and creative thread that it has spurred me, a lurker who hasn't played an RPG for about 15 years, to register and post. Slaad are cool.




Thanks.  Life has gotten in the way of my regularly updated this thread, but I have some more in the works.



> One idea that I've had for a while that I offer up to you relates to the batarachian forms of the slaad. The way I see it this is not inherently random but is inherently philosophically linked to their chaotic nature.




I agree. 



> If you are working on these variant slaad of other forms, in addition to these dog, pachyderm etc. slaad forms, you might want to consider other natural changers or transformers. The Floral Slaad is the one that makes the most sense to me out of the varieties presented so far.




The slaad forms chosen have not been completely random.  Monkeys and wild dogs (jackals, coyote) are mythically linked to 'tricksters'.  The pachyderm slaad was chosen because of its appearance is supposed to comically contrast with its supposedly serious purpose - think the Tick meets the dancing hippos from Fantasia meets Guy Fawkes.  



> What about a butterfly slaad (starts off as a caterpillar and then pupates) or a slime mold slaad (real life slime molds have a life cycle that includes amoeba, mushroom and slug-type bodies)?




Those would be excellent choices.  The purpose of the slaad cults is to provide the oppurtunity to give the slaad the sort of diversity that we'd expect in a chaotic race, that is we would really expect incarnated chaos to be individually unique (like the 1st edition Hordlings), while still leaving an avenue for explaining why we mostly know them by thier batarachian form.  One area I hope to eventually go into is why the majority of the slaad have fixiated on the batarachian form.  The answer is part of the deep dark of Ygorl, the Death Slaad, and includes the answer to why noone has ever seen Ygorl in his 'other true form' of a black slaad.    



> Final comment - I've seen some comments abou slaad being corrupted to evil and about death slaad being chaotic evil. Shouldn't there also be some examples about slaad becoming chaotic good? You can see hints of this in the descriptions of some of the slaad lords presented here.




First of all, I'll be retconning the decision to make the Death Slaad choatic evil.  IMO, slaad which are not chaotic neutral should be as rare as celestials which are not good.  This is a planeborn race composed of elemental chaos.  While we might find a few rare individuals of differing alignments, we would never expect whole races of them - whole steps in thier evolutionary cycle in some conceptions of them - to be something other than chaotic.  This is my personal preference, but I don't like the idea of aligned outsiders becoming something other than what they are.  In my opinion, if you are made of evil the only way you can be anything but evil is if you change the thing you are made of, in which case not only are you no longer the thing you were and its an open philosophical question whether you are still yourself or whether you've been 'reborn'.  IMO, if a planeborn were to change its alignment, it would change into a different sort of planeborn.  So you'd never find any truly CE or CG good slaad - you'd find Eladrins or Tanar'ri that used to be slaad. 

To let loose another deep dark secret of my campaign, in my homebrew goblins and gnomes share this trait and are secretly of the same race.  If a goblin truly becomes good, it changes into a gnome and vica versa.  Of course, IMC this is so rare that gnomes are a mythic race and thier existance is not generally credited nor is thier origin known to 'science' (except by a few goblin loremasters and they aren't talking).

But as you noted from my description of the slaad lords, there is alot of territory to cover between CG and CE and we can have slaad that are almost CE (like Baseraxs, Quag and Tretfivor) and slaad that are almost CG (like Paxcreeg and Zazashaf) while still being distinct from those alignments.  The thing I like about the slaad is there ability to do both tremendous good or tremendous evil.  For example, how you respond to Breasdfea probably depends alot on whether the rule he is overthrowing is that of a benevolent and just paladin or a tyrannical 1000 year old lich king.  Breasdfea doesn't really care, and his role as celebrarted hero or despised villain depends on where he is standing at the moment.


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## Celebrim (May 4, 2007)

*Avian Slaad*
*Large Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar)*
*Hit Dice:* 9d8+27 (68 hp)
*Initiative:* +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
*Speed:* 40 ft/flying 80 ft. (poor)
*Armor Class:* 24 (Size -1, +4 Dex, +11 Natural) Touch 13, Flatfooted 20
*Base Attack/Grapple: * +9/+18
*Attack:* 1 Bite +13 melee (2d8+7)
*Full Attack:* 1Bite +13 melee (2d8+7) or by weapon
*Space/Reach:* 5 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks:* Portal magic, spell-like abilities, summon slaad, suspend causality
*Special Qualities:* Change shape, evasion, darkvision (60’), insight of madness, fast healing 5, immunity to sonic, resistance to acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, and fire resistance 5, spell resistance 20
*Saves:* Fort +9, Reflex +10, Will +3
*Abilities:* Str 20, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 4, Cha 16
*Skills:* Bluff +15, Concentration +15, Escape Artist +16, Hide +12, Jump +17, Listen +9, Move Silently +16, Perform +15, Search +17, Spot +9, Tumble +16
*Feats:* Combat reflexes, dodge, improved initiative, mobility
*Environment:* Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
*Organization:* Solitary, Pair, Gang (3-5), Council (6-10)
*Challenge Rating:* 9
*Treasure:* Standard
*Alignment:* Always Chaotic Neutral
*Advancement:* 10-15 (Large), 16-18 (Huge)

It is difficult to know just what exactly an avian slaad thinks, but perhaps the avian slaad cult attracts those slaad that think the rest of the slaad are too predictable and make far too much sense.  Avian slaad are extremely varied in appearance, often having little more in common than they all have feathers.  No two look much alike.  They are legless, or many-legged, with one wing or ten, thin or round like a ball, squat or tall, fringed, maned, crested, or bald.  Many combine elements of several different birds in one esoteric form, while others look nothing like any bird at all.  Other than feathers, the only other significant thing that they have in common is a wickedly sharp beak.

Avian slaad are rarely found anywhere but Limbo.  They find all other environments to be too restrictive and confining.  They are particularly fond of making dwellings in runaway fantasies and non-causality pocket planes, where the laws of reality are suspended.  They are particularly fond of satire, and enjoy making a mocking play of those traditions and rituals held most sacred by society.   

As far as anyone knows, no avian slaad has ever said anything that made any sense at all, and the majority of the time they content themselves with a chorus of irritating squawks and screeches.  However, while an avian slaad never seems to communicate directly, they do seem to understand when they are spoken too, for otherwise they would not be able to misunderstand so consistently.
The origin of the avian slaad cult is unknown and its unknown whether its founder still exists, though there are several extant Slaad Lords which seem likely candidates.  Entry into the avian slaad cult is by forming a caccoon of Slaad Stuff, which forms a sort of bumpy multicolored eggshell, and then undergoing metamorphosis.

Combat
An avian slaad engages in combat as if it were an amusing diversion to be gamely taken up when it is offered, and then pursued until one has at least proven that one has a far better sense of humor than ones opponent.  An avian slaad employs its array of spell-like abilities defensively and creatively, preferring an ironic twist or a humiliating insult to a direct attack.  An avian slaad rarely pursues combat to the death, and will even avoid finishing off an opponent in favor of humiliating the opponent at some latter point.  In a pinch, the avian slaad’s ability to suspend the normal laws of reality to disappear through any open portal keep the avian slaad safe from all but the most serious and determined sorts of trouble.  Those sorts of trouble which pursue even then are likely to find themselves suddenly winking out of existence, as the avian slaad disbelieves their existence and causes them to instantly disintegrate.
*Spell-Like Abilities:* At will – Alter self, bestow curse (DC 17), blur, chaos hammer (DC 17), detect law, detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 15), identify, knock, locate object, magic circle against law, minor image (DC 14), shatter (DC 15), unseen servant; 2/day break enchantment, dispel law (DC 18), dispel magic, freedom of movement, telekinesis (DC 18). Caster level 9th.  The save DC’s are charisma based.
*Change shape (Su): * An avian slaad can assume any medium or large sized humanoid or avian animal form as a standard action. An avian slaad remains in this form until it chooses to assume a new one. The chance in form cannot be dispelled, but an avian slaad will revert to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell will reveal the natural form.
*Evasion (Ex):* If an avian slaad makes a successful reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage.  A helpless avian slaad does not gain the benefit of evasion.
*Insight of Madness (Ex): * Three times per day an avian slaad may elect to receive a +6 insight bonus on any wisdom or wisdom based skill check.
*Portal Magic (Su):* Avian slaad have a special affinity for doorways and portals of every sort.  An avian slaad that steps through an open portal may step sideways through some strange dimension understood only by the slaad and choose to exit from any other open portal within 190’ feet.  An avian slaad may continue its motion after exercising this power just as if it had made normal motion.  An avian slaad may even execute a charge in this fashion, and continue its motion in any straight line after exiting the portal.  Any portal will work provided it is not blocked and it is large enough for the avian slaad to fit into, so for example the avian slaad may step into an archway and exit through an open barrel, or step into a large trunk and then out of a nearby doorway.  An avian slaad is automatically aware of any open portals within range.
	Likewise, an avian slaad that is within 5’ of a usable portal may attack and threatens any square within 5’ of another open portal within the avian slaad’s line of sight, simply by reaching through the nearer portal and attacking a target further away.
	Finally, as a standard action, an avian slaad may focus on an open portal and choose to scry through any open portal within range as if they were using a clairvoyance spell.
*Suspend Causality (Su):* An avian slaad may cause events to transpire in an illogical fashion.  Once per day as an immediate action, an avian slaad may cast a special _limited wish_.  In addition to the normal effects of a limited wish, this ability may also automatically counter any spell of 6th level or lower.  Whenever this power is activated in response to some action, the ability is assumed to resolve simultaneously with the action it is in response to; i.e., do not resolve the action until you have also resolved the suspension of causality.  For example, if this power is activated in response to a lethal attack on the avian slaad, and the chosen suspend causality effect is cure critical wounds; the avian slaad is not killed by the attack unless the effect of the cure critical wounds is insufficient to raise the avian slaad’s hit points up into a non-lethal range.
*Summon Slaad (Sp):* Twice per day an avian slaad can attempt to summon either 1-2 mud slaad with a 50% chance of success, or another avian slaad with a 30% chance of success.  This ability is equivalent to a 5th level spell.


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## Sigurd (May 4, 2007)

*Doc file by any chance?*

You don't by chance have a doc file with all this or an Open Office file??????


Its a lot of work to even take in! I'd love to see it all in one place. Kudos for putting it all together.


Sigurd


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## Celebrim (May 4, 2007)

Sigurd said:
			
		

> You don't by chance have a doc file with all this or an Open Office file??????
> 
> 
> Its a lot of work to even take in! I'd love to see it all in one place. Kudos for putting it all together.
> ...




I've toyed with the idea of once I get it all together to put it in a .pdf, but at this point my output has slowed down enough that I don't know when that would be.

But speaking of, if anyone wants to contribute to said pdf with graphics, it would be very appreciated and certainly increase the chance that I'd collect this into some other format.  Style-wise, I prefer the 1st edition fiend folio slaad and the planescape Di Terlizzi interpretations.  I'm not a big fan of the 3rd edition artwork for the slaad (in particular, the death and grey slaad are horrible), although the blue slaad looks suitably menacing.


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## Elephant (Jun 16, 2007)

Have you moved on to other projects, or are Slaad lords still percolating in the background?


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## Celebrim (Jun 17, 2007)

Elephant said:
			
		

> Have you moved on to other projects, or are Slaad lords still percolating in the background?




I've got a couple of pages of rough drafts on various subjects, but the truth is that I'm stuck on another, err... 'project'.  Real life continues to intervene.  I should be back to a less hectic schedule in the next few weeks and then I can devote a litte more time to hobbies.


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## Treebore (Jul 26, 2007)

Do you have this compiled as a PDF or .doc?


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## Waylander (Jan 5, 2008)

Treebore said:
			
		

> Do you have this compiled as a PDF or .doc?




If not now please post one when you do!


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## the Jester (Mar 22, 2011)

Just a bump cause this thread rules.

Hey [MENTION=4937]Celebrim[/MENTION], I hope you get back to this one of these days!


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## OtherworldRPG (May 1, 2014)

These Slaad write ups are great along with some of your other posts. I was curious if you have created your own worlds or if you have written professionally. I'm an art director looking for good RPG writers.


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## Celebrim (May 1, 2014)

I haven't seen this thread in a while.   Hello old friend.  Err... and hello OtherworldRPG, welcome to EnWorld.



OtherworldRPG said:


> These Slaad write ups are great...




Thanks.  I happen to think so too, but in the context of your question it is important to remember that the Slaad aren't actually my intellectual property.  The original concept is by Charles Stross, and the property is owned by WotC I would imagine in full.



> ...along with some of your other posts.




Also thanks.



> I was curious if you have created your own worlds or if you have written professionally.




Err... yes (though, haven't we all), and no.

So much of what I do is geared to running my own table.  As such, I freely 'steal' any intellectual property that I admire and incorporate it (often after some transformation) into my own ideas.  Nothing I have done has really been geared to publishing and so nothing I have is publishable.  I'd have to work out what I'm plagiarizing and what I came up with on my own and honestly, I don't remember in a lot of cases.

To the extent that I do have my own ideas and I know what they are, they aren't for sale even if someone would want to buy them.  I wouldn't want to see them outside of the larger setting that I consider my own.  I considering self-publishing some Pdfs for a while, but realized that the actual realized value of turning my ideas into professional products was highly negative - pennies per hour most likely.

I have never written professionally, although I imagine that I could if I really wanted to.  My actual job is a software development consultant and contractor.   So I just write software for money, not fiction.  In the context of that, if I ever wanted to jump off the deep end and actually publish something just to show I could, it would only be for an established gaming company and only in relationship with someone whose work I admire - say Eric Mona, Ari Marmel, Jonathan Tweet, Kevin Kulp, etc.  In that context I'd only be willing to help expand, fill out, and elaborate on their intellectual property - write an adventure for example.  My ideas as you typically see them presented at EnWorld aren't really relevant.

The reason for that is simple - I'm arrogant.  I want to keep my current job and it would really only be worth taking a second likely not very profitable job if it could really be something I was proud of having done.  That seems unlikely to happen.  Working my way up through the ranks of people they can trust is a lot of work to be doing on the side, and I've never really given much thought to doing it or how to do it.



> I'm an art director looking for good RPG writers.




I hope you find them.  Unfortunately, I think that there are probably only 12-15 actually good RPG writers in the business, and they are already busy.  So I feel for your situation.  But, if you are really interested because you know that most of what is out there is junk and the people who don't right junk already have jobs, pitch me in private exactly what you want me to write in terms of page count, subject matter, setting bible and so forth.   Chances are I'll say 'No', which is more of a reflection on me than you.   Good luck with your game.


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## Scrivener of Doom (May 3, 2014)

Celebrim said:


> (snip)The reason for that is simple - I'm arrogant.  I want to keep my current job and it would really only be worth taking a second likely not very profitable job if it could really be something I was proud of having done. (snip)




That's not arrogance: that's wanting for you and your family to be able to survive.

Salaries in the RPG world are abysmally low with very few exceptions. Bugger that.


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## Celebrim (May 3, 2014)

Scrivener of Doom said:


> That's not arrogance...




It is arrogance to the extent that I'm arrogant enough to think that I could produce something that wouldn't sit awkwardly alongside the works of such greats, particularly because I'm not willing to put in the mountains and mountains of blood, sweat, and tears that they put in to get where they are today.  It's not arrogance only in so much as I know I'm being unreasonable and its a silly way to think, and my admiration for those that have pursued that dream and put in that work is very very high indeed.  I'm willing to abide with doing artistically unrewarding but profitable work for fortune 500 companies.  They weren't.  That's amazing, and they have my gratitude.

But yeah, if I was going to do it, it wouldn't be for the salary.  On the other hand, what I was saying was that having decided that it isn't worth the salary, the intangible rewards of doing it would have to be very high indeed.


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