| Sword of Cyric |
In the Savage Tidings article in Dragon Magazine Issue 358 it was suggested that the PCs might try to recruit the gnoll demigod Gorellik as an ally against Demogorgon.
Unfortunately this plot hook wasn't expanded any further in either Dungeon or Dragon.
So I made these stats for how Gorellik could look like in Savage Tide. To stay in line with the adventure path I oriented his stats on Kyuss and used only 30 HD and only MM, PHB, ELH and DDG (actually I only used the SRD instead of the actual books).
Gorellik
Divine Rank 1
Male hyena barbarian 20/ legendary dreadnought 8
CE Huge outsider (extraplanar, chaotic, evil)
Monster Manual, Epic Level Handbook 33
Init +12 Senses low-light vision 1 mile, scent 1 mile; Spot +23, Listen +48
Aura divinity (10 ft. radius)
Languages All; remote communication
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AC 38, touch 24, flat-footed 30 (-2 size, +8 Dex, +14 natural, +1 divine, +7 deflection)
hp 856 (30 HD); fast healing 21; DR 15/epic, 8/-
Immune ability drain/damage, acid, cold, death, disease, disintegration, electricity, energy drain, mind affecting, paralysis, petrifaction, poison, polymorph, sleep, stunning
Resist fire 6; SR 33
Fort +36, Ref +23, Will +19
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Spd 120 ft. (24 squares)
Melee* Bite +41 (2d6+25/19-20x2 plus Fort DC 27 or be stunned for 1d10 rounds [on critical hit, death (Fort DC 42 negates) plus 1d6]) and 2 claws +39 (1d8+8/x2)
*Gorellik's natural weapons are treated as chaotic, epic, and evil for purposes of bypassing damage reduction and hardness. His bite is also treated as adamantine and always resolved as a touch attack.
Ranged –
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Base Atk +24, Grp +
Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Irresistible Blows, Power Attack, Terrifying Rage, Trip
Special Actions Blinding Speed, Mighty Rage, Unmovable, Unstoppable
Deity Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11, CL 12 for [Evil] and [Chaos] spells, +31 ranged touch, DC 18+spell-level)
Animate Objects, Blade Barrier, Blasphemy, Chaos Hammer, Cloak of Chaos, Create Undead, Desecrate, Dispel Good, Dispel Law, Divine Power, Flame Strike, Magic Circle against Good, Magic Circle against Law, Magic Vestment, Magic Weapon, Power Word Blind, Power Word Kill, Power Word Stun, Protection from Good, Protection from Law, Shatter, Spiritual Weapon, Summon Monster IX (as [Evil] or [Chaos] spell only), Unholy Aura, Unholy Blight, Word of Chaos
Domains Chaos, Evil, War
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Abilities Str 44, Dex 26, Con 42, Int 24, Wis 24, Cha 24
SQ automatic actions, create magic items, low-light vision, improved uncanny dodge, portfolio sense, remote sensing, scent, teleportation
Feats Blinding Speed, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Devasting Critical (bite), Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Overwhelming Critical (bite), Power Attack, Terrifying Rage, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Climb +61, Handle Animal +13; Hide +24*, Intimidate +51, Jump +61, Listen +48, Spot +23, Survival +33, Swim +61
*Gorellik has a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth.
SDAs Divine Fast Healing, Irresistible Blows
Possessions -
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Automatic Actions (Su) Gorellik can make up to two skill checks per round as a free action, provided the skill checks are associated in some way with his dominion over the gnoll race or with hunting
Blinding Speed (Ex) Gorellik can act as if hasted for 5 rounds each day. The duration of the effect need not be consecutive rounds. Activating this power is a free action.
Create Magic Items (Su) Gorellik can create magical items related to his portfolio without any requisite item feat, provided he possesses all other prerequisites for the item. The item’s cost and creation time is unchanged, and cannot be worth more than 4,500 gp.
Divine Aura (Ex) Any non-divine creature within 10 feet of Gorellik must make a DC 18 Will save to resist his Divine Aura. Gorellik can reduce the radius of this emanation as a free action. He can choose any of the following effects to apply to his divine aura, and can change them as a free action. He can daze affected beings, cause them to become shaken (or frightened), or he can impart a +4 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and checks to his allies while his enemies receive a -4 penalty on the same. A character who makes his save is immune to Gorellik’s divine aura for one day. The save DC is Charisma based. This is a mind-affecting ability.
Divine Rank 1 Gorellik does not automatically fail on a natural attack roll of 1, or on a natural saving throw of 1. He gains a divine bonus equal to his divine rank on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and caster level for his divine spell-like abilities. All of Gorellik’s attacks are considered to be chaotic, evil, and epic for the purpose of damage reduction. Gorellik is not subject to death from massive damage, nor does he age, sleep, or breathe.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Gorellik retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. Gorellik can also no longer be flanked unless the flanker is at least a 24th level rogue.
Irresistible Blows (Su) When Gorellik makes a melee attack with his bite against a creature, resolve the attack as a melee touch attack (the weapon blow ignores armor and natural armor bonuses). If the weapon hits, the creature struck must make a Fortitude save (DC 27) or be stunned for 1d10 rounds. Gorellik’s bite is considered to be adamantine for purposes of bypassing damage reduction and hardness.
Mighty Rage (Ex): As a free action Gorellik can fly into a rage once per encounter. He gains a +8 bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +4 morale bonus on Will (+8 to resist enchantment spells). He takes a -2 penalty to his AC while raging. His rage lasts for 23 rounds and he does not become fatigued at the end of his rage. Gorellik can use this ability 6/day.
Portfolio Sense (Su) Gorellik automatically senses any event related to the gnoll race or hunting that involves one thousand or more people. When he senses such events, he merely knows that the event is occurring and where it is; he receives no sensory information about the event until he uses his remote sensing to observe it.
Remote Communication (Su) As a standard action, Gorellik can speak to any of his worshippers or to any other creature within a mile of where he can use remote sensing. This can be a telepathic message only one creature can hear or a great booming voice. All characters who receive this communication experience an inner sense of unease that makes their neck hairs raise, just as if they somehow know that they’re watched by a terrible predator.
Remote Sensing (Su) As a standard action Gorellik can perceive everything within a radius of one mile around any of his worshippers, holy sites, or other objects or locales sacred to him. He may also center this supernatural effect on any place where someone speaks his name, for up to one hour after the name is spoken, and at any location when an event related to gnolls or hunting occurs. This ability can cross planes and penetrate any mortal barrier, but cannot penetrate areas blocked by more powerfull deities. Remote sensing is not fooled by misdirection, nondetection or similar spells, and does not create a magical sensor that other creatures can detect. Gorellik can still sense what's going on nearby when he uses this ability, and may observe up to two locations at once.
Shrug off Punishment (Ex): Gorellik gains 24 bonus hit points.
Teleportation (Sp) Gorellik can use greater teleport as a spell-like ability at will at caster level 20. He can transport up to 100 pounds of objects with him when he teleports.
Terrifying Rage (Ex) While Gorellik is raging, any enemy that views him must make a Will save opposed by Gorellik’s Intimidate check of become panicked (if it have less than 30 HD) or shaken (if it has 30-60 HD equal) for 4d6 rounds. An enemy with more than 60 Hit Dice is not affected.
Thick Skinned (Ex): Gorellik’s damage reduction improves by 3/-. This stacks with his barbarian damage reduction.
Trip (Ex) When Gorellik hits with his bite attack he can attempt to trip the opponent (+2 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip Gorellik.
Unmovable (Ex): Gorellik can concentrate his power, making him unmovable twice per day. This power grants the Gorellik a +20 bonus on any one of the following:
A grapple check made to avoid being grabbed with the improved grab ability.
A Strength check to avoid the effects of a bull rush, trip attempt, or similar effect.
A Strength check against any effect that would move the character either physically or magically.
Any one saving throw. If an effect that would move Gorellik either physically or magically does not normally allow a saving throw, he can use this ability to gain a Will saving throw. He still gains the +20 bonus on the saving throw in such a case.
Unstoppable (Ex): Gorellik can concentrate his power, gaining a +20 bonus on his Strength check to break or burst a door or item twice per day. As a special use of this ability, Gorellik can attempt to break a wall of force (Strength DC 32, and Gorellik applies his unstoppable bonus to this check as well). Alternatively, Gorellik can apply the +20 bonus to a single attack roll.
| Sword of Cyric |
Gorellik looks like an impossibly large hyena with jaws giving the impression they could bite through almost anything.
His eyes show a strange mix of power, cunning, madness and despair and all in all he looks like he has seen better days. His fur is dirty, shaggy and has fallen off in many places. None of this has any impact on his statistics or combat ability as written, but anyone looking at him gets the impression that this mighty entity has been in decline for quite some time.
Gorellik is initially hostile to anyone and attacks on sight to feed. If approached while just on the way to once again drink from the river styx to get short oblivion from his missery he's especially aggressive.
After he had his drink of styx water however he becomes indifferent for some time and can be reasoned with. At this point the PCs have their only real chance to recruit him for their assault on Demogorgon.
If Gorellik agress to partake, he sends and gnoll petitioner to attempt the final strategy meeting. If the PCs are ever present during a time when Orcus and Gorellik meet, the can note the strange desire that creeps into Orcus' face whenever he looks at the divine entity (a DC 35 sense motive check reveals how much Orcus hungers for divinity of his own)
| Delfedd |
how would one trick the Gnoll god into drinking of the water?
Additionally, how would one introduce this plot hook? And what aid would he send?
| KnightErrantJR |
I don't know about plot hooks, but I love good (er evil) old forgotten Gorellik, so its good to see him get some attention.
| Sword of Cyric |
how would one trick the Gnoll god into drinking of the water?
Additionally, how would one introduce this plot hook? And what aid would he send?
According to Dragon 358 Gorellik regualry drinks from the Styx out of his own will. The memory draining water makes him forget the missery he fels because of his lost dominion over the gnoll race and his fading divine power. Since he's still a divine being the water's effect never lasts long and the hunting memories return soon (so he drinks again and again).
Dragon 358 suggests that the PC can become aware of this fact with a DC 35 Knowledge (the planes or religion) check that he can often be found drinking from the Styx in Pandemonium.
It's suggested that the PCs should try to convince him that by slaying Demogorgon and becoming Prince of Demons he could become strong enough to punish Yeenoghu and take back his rightfull place as liege of the gnolls.
What kind of aid he can send is a little bit more tricky, because I don't believe that he has actually that many petitioners left. So his help wouldn't be annother great extra army, but more likely his primary aid would be he himself visiting Demogorgon's realm and tearing the defending armies to shreds with his teeth and claw.
He could also fill in for Orcus (if the PCs fail to recruit him) and fighting Demogorgon in his stead (which still means the PCs are missing Orcus' armies).