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I decided to explore my dungeon of homemade 3.5 monsters and set one of them loose on Pathfinder. Click the appearance description to see a mini I Frankensteined to represent the guy, and then tell me what you think.
CR 12
XP: 19200
LE Large Outsider
Initiative: +2 Senses: darkvision 60ft., see in darkness, true seeing at will Perception 20
Defense:
Armor Class: 21 touch 11, flat-footed 19 (-1 Size, +10 Natural, +2 Dex)
Hit Dice: 10d10+70hp (140hp)
Fort +16 Ref +9 Will +12
Defensive Abilities: DR 10/Good Immune: Fire, Poison, Bleed Resist: Acid 10, Cold 10 SR 23
Offense:
Speed: 20ft.
Melee: Needle jab +14/+9 (1d3+5 plus poison) or 2 Slams +14 (1d6+3 each) or Gore +14 (1d8+3)
Space: 10ft. Reach: 5ft.
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+16
Spell-Like Abilities: (CL 10th)
At will – Arcane Mark, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Identify, True Seeing, Greater Teleport (self plus 50lbs of objects only)
3/day – Greater Prying Eyes, Greater Scrying, Legend Lore, Wall of Thorns
1/day – Summon (level 6, 2 Barbazu, 50%)
Statisitics
Str 20 Dex 15 Con 24 Int 22 Wis 20 Cha 16
Base Atk +10 CMB +16 CMD 28
Feats: Skill Focus (Profession Tattoo Artist,) Skill Focus (Knowledge History,) Skill Focus (Knowledge Planes,) Alertness, Great Fortitude, Toughness
Skills: Diplomacy 16 Knowledge (arcana) 24 Knowledge (geography) 24 Knowledge (history) 30 Knowledge (local) 24 Knowledge (nobility) 24 Knowledge (planes) 30 Linguistics 19 Perception 20 Profession (tattoo artist) 21 Sense Motive 20 Spellcraft 19
Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Goblin, Ignan, Infernal, Sylvan, Terran, telepathy 100ft.
Ecology:
Environment: any (Hell)
Organization: Solitary
Treasure: Standard
Special Abilities:
Infernal Lore (Ex) A punxizu adds half its Hit Dice to any Knowledge check it makes and may make any Knowledge check untrained. Furthermore, a Punxizu may take 10 on any Knowledge check to answer a question pertaining to Hell. Twice per day, the devil may take 20 on any Knowledge check to answer a question pertaining to Hell.
Epidermal Shift (Ex) Punxizu are capable of rearranging the placement of their skin allowing them to tattoo hard-to-reach areas of their body. This grants the devil immunity to bleed damage as its skin moves to seal wounded areas of its body. This is a purely reflexive action and requires no effort from the devil.
Poison (Ex) The ink a punxizu uses for its tattoos is highly toxic and the creature may opt to use its tattoo needle as a weapon in order to poison an opponent. The needle counts as an evil weapon for purposes of overcoming damage reduction. A typical needle has Hardness 10 and 5 hit points. Injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/rd for 6 rds; effect 1d3 Con and 1 Str; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based.
Punxizus are the historians of Hell. The tattoos that decorate their bodies are a record of all that has transpired in the creature’s territory, and it is a grievous offense to remove or attempt to alter a punxizu’s tattoo once the creature has drawn the image. This affords the creatures some protection, as few devils will harm them for fear of ruining an image. However, this protection cannot last forever. A punxizu who illustrates its final inch of flesh is doomed. At that point, the creature is skinned alive so that its knowledge can be preserved in a book made from its own flesh. What remains of the devil is then fed to a captive or lawbreaker who then becomes the new punxizu for that territory.
Punxizus are typically attended to by guardian devils such as barbazu, imps and lemures, which do everything in their power to keep the punxizu from coming to harm. Failure to protect one of the historians could result in the guardians being put on the short list for becoming punxizus themselves.
Punxizus are forbidden to enter combat but may defend themselves if necessary. Their teleportation and wall of thorns abilities are often enough to protect them until help arrives, but there are harsh penalties for a creature that risks the loss of history it has recorded. Punxizu tattooing needles are often constructed from the bones, spines and claws of other outsiders and many mortal spellcasters would pay handsomely for a needle that has transcribed the annals of Hell. Some believe these tools could be used to create enchanted tattoos that grant their wearers infernal powers. Others say the poisonous ink of a punxizu’s needle never runs dry making the device an ideal weapon of assassination. Suffice it to say those who believe the former should pray the latter is incorrect.
Due to their duties and cultural significance in Hell, punxizu are very difficult to summon. A spellcaster wishing to summon a punxizu often needs to work out a deal with whatever devil is in charge of the creature's territory. A common bargain involves swapping the punxizu's time for the temporary loan of an apprentice to fill the devil's position.
WTB Pronunciation guide :)
How do you say it?
Pikachu?
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Punk-zee-zoo
From the Latin "Punxi," meaning "to tattoo."
"Zu" used to be a fairly common suffix for devil names. I couldn't find any other sort of etymology for it. I almost went with "gon" but I noticed only the greater devils use "gon" in their names and this guy isn't a greater devil. He'd be lumped in with the lesser devils somewhere between the Erinyes and Hamatula.
Also, that "Base Attack/Grapple" line in the stat block is a typo. I forgot to take that out when I was converting it over.
Well, Falxugons are harvester devils and they're only CR 7 :P
I love the idea of these devils and their eventual fates if not promoted!
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I like this devil, it fits the concept of a hierarchical bureaucratic hell, which i don't feel that the current staff of infernals are fulfilling. (that's right i feel; Hell is Just Not Being LE Enough!). I cant help but think of these creatures of having spectacles and a Fez... I may want to use this devil in my Imperial China Based Campaign... It could be interesting.
I'll be using them eventually I suppose.
Truly good work though.
Falxugons are harvester devils (responsible for collecting and contracting souls) and are listed in WotC's Tyrants of the Nine Hells. I have to say that I do love the name though :)
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I forgot to mention these guys are almost never promoted or demoted to another form of devil since their records are so important to Hell's libraries. In the rare instance when a punxizu is given a new form, it still has to be skinned so that its tattoos can be bound. Because there must always be a punxizu for any given region, a new creature may spontaneously form from Hell itself or the old punxizu's essence is merely swapped with another devil who has grievously offended the hierarchy (perhaps a devil who has attempted to alter a punxizu's markings.)
Falxugons are harvester devils (responsible for collecting and contracting souls) and are listed in WotC's Tyrants of the Nine Hells. I have to say that I do love the name though :)
I do have that. It's just been so long since I looked in there. I used the Pathfinder Bestiary as a reference when deciding on this version's name. The 3.5 version I made years ago is called a Punxigon.
I cant help but think of these creatures of having spectacles and a Fez
I could see that. The one I used in a game I once ran was sort of a pastiche of Heimlich the Caterpillar from "A Bug's Life."
I would have said "Punks-izu" personally, but then my knowledge of Latin literally comes out of a book :) I agree, it's a better name than "punxigon".
Just out of random interest, Arakhor (my avatar) is a falxugon :)