Drow Toxicant
Drow Toxicant (CR 16)
Of the teeming masses of male Drow, many of them are rugged sorts, able and willing to draw blades and battle to the death for their House and Matriarch without hesitation.
But those are not the only kinds of Drow males.
Drow Toxicants are the smart, studious, devout, slightly-built and fiercely intelligent sort of Drow males. They handle all the administration of the Great Houses, taking care of the clerical drudgery required to support the great armies of the Regents. But that does not make them incapable combatants! If anything, their fierce devotion, great intelligence, and unconventional attacks make them more dangerous than more martially inclined Drow.
Indeed, Toxicants are dangerous and capable enough that special care is expended to make utterly certain they are loyal as it is possible to be. As a result, Drow Toxicants treat their Houses with truly religious fervor and even draw Divine power from this worship! They use this power to even further extend their dangerous combat abilities while also providing succor and support for more martial Drow they may be partnered with.
GENERAL
CR 16 Hit Dice 24
XP 76,800
LE, Medium, Fey
Init +7; Senses Standard Darkvision 60 feet, Perception +24
DEFENSE
AC 39, touch 23, flat-footed 33 (+10 armor, +6 dex, +6 natural, +7 deflection)
hp 374
Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +19
Aura: Languishroot Vapor. Ten foot aura inflicts Languishroot Vapor upon all enemies who enter it or begin their turn in it. Special: In each round when the Toxicant does not use a move action for movement, they Aura increases in size by ten feet. If they use a move action to move, the aura resets to ten feet.
SR: -
Special Defenses: -
Immunities: -
Weaknesses: Vulnerable to Cold Iron
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Single Melee Censer Flail +26 (3d8+10/19-20x2) + Languishroot Vapor
Full Melee 2x Censer Flail +26 (3d8+10/19-20x2) + Languishroot Vapor
Ranged None, but see Bladestorm and Night Strike
Special Attacks Bladestorm, Languishroot Vapor, Night Strike
Action Points 0
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 24
Base Atk +16; CMB +26; CMD 34
Feats Selective Spell, EFFECT: Bladestorm and Night Strike may exclude up to three allies from their area of effect.
Skills Knowledge:Local +25, Sense Motive +25, Diplomacy +25
Languages Common, Undercommon, Awnsheghlien
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Bladestorm (Sp) Concentration Check +24 vs DC31, 7 needed on the die
As a standard action, a Drow Toxicant may evoke a terrible storm of whirling blades that fills a six by six square area within three hundred feet of their position. Creatures caught within or who enter the area of effect suffer 8d6+1 points of physical slashing damage unless they make a Reflex saving throw against a DC of 24. Making this save reduces the damage by half. Note that the Bladestorm persists until the end of the combat unless dispelled. Any creature which enters the are or begins it's turn in the area takes damage as above, with a saving throw allowed for half. While it persists, Bladestorm does not block line of sight but it does block line of effect: It is not possible to fire projectiles or cast spells through it.
- Nightstrike (Sp) Concentration Check +24 vs DC31, 7 needed on the die
As a standard action, a Drow Toxicant may draw upon their evil deific power and hurl down a blast of Negative energy. This effects a 30-foot radius (7x7 squares) within 100 feet of their position. All creatures caught in the area of effect must make a Will save against a DC of 23 or take 4d6+1 of Negative Energy Damage and are Sluggish until the end of their next turn. If the save is made, they take half damage and do not suffer the status effect. Special: If the Drow Toxicant does not exclude an ally creature from the area of effect of Nightstrike, they take damage as normal, but then all damage inflicted upon any enemies caught in the same blast is applied to the ally as healing. Note that Nightstrike can only heal one allied creature at a time.
- Languishroot Vapor (Ex)
poison (inhalation); Save Fortitude DC 24; Onset 1/round for 2 rounds; Effect 1d3 Dex damage and 4d6+1 points of non-lethal physical damage; Cure 1 save.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 23,750 gp
COMBAT TACTICS
Toxicants are deadly in mixed fights, where they will typically hang well back and allow their Languishroot Vapor Aura (spread constantly by the smoking thurible-flails they carry)to cover them. They will erect Bladestorms upon any enemies they can see, both to damage them and force them to move so their ranged attacks will work.
They have several nasty tricks they can use when allied with more martial types. Making an ally immune to Bladestorm and then casting it on them in the middle of melee is one, another is using Night Strike as a healing spell (risky, as they might kill their ally before the healing kicks in). Note it is possible for the healing effect of Night Strike to backfire, but those sorts of eventualities are why Drow are Evil.
Once battle is joined, Toxicants will strive to stay at a distance, but if forced into melee they will use their Censors effectively. Note that each swing forces a save versus Languishroot Vapor, hit or miss! (Inhalation poison.) Due to their nigh-religious fervor and utter devotion to their House, they will never withdraw from a fight unless ordered by a Drow female.