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I converted Graz'zt as a nascent demon lord due to his low (for a demon lord anyhow) CR in 3.5, plus in my campaign I am using him as a nascent demon lord since the PCs may have a chance to stop him from killing Socothbenoth and becoming a full demon lord. I even changed his weapon from a simple +5 acidic burst bastard sword (I used the version from Fiendish Codex II) to an actual artifact.
Let me know what you think!
Graz’zt, The Dark Prince CR 23
CE Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Demon)
Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect good, detect law, true seeing; Perception +35
Aura unholy aura (DC 32)
Defense
AC 47, touch 32, flat-footed 37 (-1 size, +4 deflection, +9 Dex, +14 natural, +10 profane)
Hp 472 (27d10+324); regeneration 15 (good and epic)
Fort +27, Ref +24, Will +22
Defensive Abilities Displacement, freedom of movement; DR 15/cold iron and good and epic; Immune charm and compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, and poison; Resist acid 30, cold 30, fire 30; SR 34
Offense
Speed 40 ft.
Melee Rapture of Ecstasy +41/+36/+31/+26 (2d8+13/17-20 plus 1d6 acid [plus 1d10 acid on a critical hit])
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks fear
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th); Concentration +47
Constant – detect good, detect law, true seeing, unholy aura (DC 32), freedom of movement, vitriolic mist
At will – astral projection, charm monster (DC 28), desecrate, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, telekinesis (DC 29), unhallow, unholy blight (DC 28), unnatural lust (DC 26)
3/day – dominate person (DC 29), empowered unholy blight (DC 28), acidic spray (DC 29), black tentacles
1/day – caustic eruption (DC 31), waves of ecstasy (DC 31), summon demons
Statistics
Str 27, Dex 28, Con 35, Int 33, Wis 25, Cha 38
Base Atk +27; CMB +36; CMD 69
Feats Power Attack, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Empower Spell-Like Ability (unholy blight), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Improved Critical (bastard sword), Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (bastard sword), Mobility, Spring Attack, Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, Greater Vital Strike
Skills Acrobatics +39, Appraise +41, Bluff +52, Climb +38, Diplomacy +44, Disguise +44, Intimidate +44, Knowledge (arcana) +41, Knowledge (history) +41, Knowledge (religion) +41, Knowledge (the planes) +41, Linguistics +41, Perception +45, Sense Motive +37, Sleight of Hand +39, Spellcraft +41, Stealth +38; Racial Modifiers +8 Bluff, +8 Perception
Languages Common, Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Gnoll, Halfling, Ignan, Infernal, Orc, Sylvan, Terran, Undercommon; telepathy 300 ft.
SQ change shape (any humanoid; alter self), nascent demon lord traits, item master
Combat Gear Rapture of Ecstasy, major cloak of displacement
Fear (Su) As a free action, Graz’zt can inspire fear (as the spell of the same name) by sneer and word once per round in any target creature within 60 feet. This effect can be resisted with a DC 28 Will save. Even creatures immune to fear can be affected but they gain a +4 bonus to their save while mythic creatures immune to fear gain a +8 bonus to their save. This is a mind-affecting fear ability. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +4 bonus.
Item Master (Ex) Although not an actual spellcaster, Graz’zt can use any magic item, even spell completion items such as wands and scrolls. He does not create items.
Nascent Demon Lord Traits In addition to many of the defenses and abilities incorporated into Graz’zt’s statistics above, his weapons (natural and manufactured) are treated as chaotic, epic, and evil for the purpose of resolving damage reduction. Also he can grant spells to her worshipers—he grants access to the domains of Chaos, Charm, Evil, and Trickery and the subdomains of Demon, Deception, Fear, and Lust.
Summon Demons (Sp) As a nascent demon lord, Graz’zt can summon any demon or combination of demons whose total combined CR is 20 or lower. This ability always works, and is equivalent to a 9th-level spell.
RAPTURE OF ECSTASY MAJOR ARTIFACT
SLOT weapon CL 20th WEIGHT 12 lbs.
AURA strong evocation and necromancy
This wavy bladed bastard sword drips with earth blackening acid and no one knows if Graz’zt created this powerful weapon or found it but it is Graz’zt’s most prized possession.
This +5 Corrosive Burst Cruel Heartseeker bastard sword on a critical hit causes the target to make a DC 29 Fort save or be stunned for 1 round by immeasurable amounts of both pleasure and pain, if the target is already stunned the duration of the stun increases by +1d6 rounds.
Destruction
The Rapture of Ecstasy must be brought before and kissed by the demon lord Nocticula, the Empyreal Lord Arshea, and the Whore Queen Ardad Lili (in that order) before finally being brought before Calistria who must be convinced to kiss the blade then she can simply snap it, destroying it forever.
Was Graz'zt at CR 32 too weak?!?
I'm referring the the final 3.5 update made to him as per the last installment of James Jacobs' Demonomicon of Iggwilv series. It can be found in Dragon magazine number 360 (one of the web-only issues from WotC before it folded altogether).
Of course, having seen the few demon lords presented in B4 (I didn't get the Wrath of the Righteous AP), maybe he still needs an upgrade ... ?
I never knew about the update actually, I was going off of the Fiendish Codex 1 entry with a bit of his Book of Vile Darkness version mixed in. But seeing as he has a CR 32 version I may have to make a CR 30 version based off the Demonomicon version (will have to find it) to use for the end of my campaign.
The way I explained it in 3.5 was that the demon (or obyrith) lords/archdevils could have several CR 11 +/- Lesser Aspects running about (but no more than one on the same plane), one CR 22 +/- Greater Aspect for heavy hitting (again, not on the same plane as another aspect), and then the real deal version was at CR 32 +/- (who rarely left his/her/its home plane/layer).
Killing a Lesser Aspect would banish the original's influence on that plane for 10 years (no appearances, possibly no spells granted to cultists). Killing a Greater Aspect would banish it for 100 years. Killing the real thing would be permanent if done on its home plane/layer (unless resurrected by some forces), otherwise it too would be temporarily de-powered and banished from a specific plane. I did consider changing the numbers to 100 years and 1,000 years, though.
This was my explanation for all the different aspect CRs found in the various sourcebooks (Miniatures Handbook, Book of Vile Darkness, the Fiendish Codices, Dragon magazine's Demonomicon of Iggwilv articles, and various web supplements).
Now I just have to figure out how to apply Pathfinder's take on demons lords, including some of the nastier individual-specific abilities ...
He might be a hare low for demonlords But its a cool conversion anyway. I would peg him from a pathfinder standard of atleast cr 26.
Bellona I like your explanation of the CRs it works quite well for campaign plot line and planning.
yeah I was working him to be a nascent for my campaign, he's not meant to be a full demon lord...yet. I think the highest nascent's go is CR 25 according to Book of the Damned II.
Dot. I think I have a use for this. Very nice.
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I don't know....
Graz'zt was a full blown demon lord in 3.5 who ruled 3 whole planes in the Abyss. He was a rival of Demogorgon and Orcus.
There's two versions of Graz'zt for 3E - a CR 20sih version that's from the Fiendish Codex rule that doesn't use the epic level handbook rules, and then the CR 30ish Dragon magazine version that uses Epic Level Handbook rules.
There's a number of 3.X demon lords that have non-epic and epic versions (including Malcanthet, Dagon, and Demogorgon) because of that.
I'd make Graz'zt a CR 29 for Pathfinder, in keeping with his status alongside Orcus as only a step below Demogorgon, Prince of All Demons.
But yeah, that's a nice little conversion. I like the sword.
Yeah he is arguably among the top three of the demons lords but I'm going for a before he got to rule three planes. Plus Orcus in Book of the Damned II is even mentioned as being bigger on other worlds and taking his time with Golarion so trying to go for a similar angle.
Glad you guys like the conversion, still working on his CR 30 version, also working on Socothbenoth since he's a possible final boss if the PCs help Graz'zt dethrone him (lesser or greater of two evils depending on your point of view).
Did you ever make a CR 30 of Graz’zt, The Dark Prince?
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He is one of my favorite demon lords in Greyhawk.
I'm partial to the dark prince because we played the 3rd ed campaign up to 18th level where we served him.
I'm actually not a proponent of demon CRs being all over the place. It only leads to pointless arguments over who is more powerful than who. I would prefer a tier system. Some are CR 20, some 25, some 30, some 35 (or whatever) Trying to decide if orcus has more HD that graz'zt seems pointless. Who has an edge at a given time should depend on their plots, intrigue, and machinations, not how many spell-like abilities they have or how much damage a melee attack deals.