Vicious Phaethon
Phaethon, Vicious (Threat Role; CR 34)
The Phaethon is a being from a higher energy state of existence, an Outer Plane which is closer to the Plane of Power than our own. Phaethons do not like being summoned to the Prime Material, a place they consider to be cold and dull. Given the gigantic power of the Phaethon, they usually break free of their summoners quickly and begin to amuse themselves by burning everything they can reach. Phaethons normally travel by turning gaseous and burning their way through the earth, leaving behind either smooth tunnels roughly ten feet in diameter or a myriad of tiny channels a few inches across, as the whim takes them.
Phaethons usually look like roiling masses of brilliant hot flames, but they are actually composed of a rare eldritch material called phlogiston. They can be solid or gaseous, transparent, translucent, or opaque, hot or room temperature, and they can vary their shape at will. Phaethons normally look like ragged masses of gas, and may or may not emit incredible amounts of heat. They can also turn solid, and when they do their strength is unwordly. Phlogiston is extremely rare and valuable, because the main way to get it is to confront a Phaethon, and nobody wants to do that.
They may, if they wish, exactly mimic flames. Unlike normal flames, they do not need to burn red and orange unless they are seeking to 'blend in' to their surroundings. Phaethons can burn green, blue, purple, yellow, orange or red if they wish, and indeed, they frequently use color changes to punctuate their moods.
Unlike normal flames, Phaethons are self-sustaining and do not need fuel to burn. Phaethons are not extinguished or even harmed by water, and have a great time boiling lakes and rivers when they come across such things. A Phaethon's un-natural flame is composed of both fire and positive energy, which is what gives it its eternal nature.
Phaethons are intelligent enough to recognize that being summoned to the Prime Material is bad for their health. Phaethons are smart enough to seek a way to escape back to their native realms, but this is balanced out by their utter evil and giggling joy in murder and destruction. A Phaethon may seek out a wizard to get itself off the Material, but it will be a real test of attention span as to whether the Phaethon will burn the wizard before or after the portal is arranged.
Phaethons are deeply, utterly, Chaotic Evil. Nothing else matters except as a source of amusement, and Phaethons love burning things more than any other activity.
GENERAL
CR 34 Hit Dice 70
XP 39,360,000
CE, Gargantuan, Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Fire)
Init +14; Senses Blind, Blindsense 90', Perception +51
DEFENSE
AC 60, touch 39, flat-footed 56 (+13 armor, +4 dex, +8 natural, +25 deflection)
hp 2,290
Fort +34, Ref +29, Will +29
Aura: -
SR: 44
Special Defenses Regeneration 25, fast healing 25, DR 15/good and lawful.
Immunities
- gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight
- poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, polymorph, petrification, and other form-altering attacks.
- mind-affecting effects
- critical hits, flanking and precision damage
- energy drain, ability drain, or ability damage
- fire and positive energy
Weaknesses Vulnerability to cold
OFFENSE
Speed 120 ft., Burrow 120 ft, also see Firewalk
Space 20 ft., variable Reach 20 ft.
Single Melee Bite +54 (5d8+73/x2) plus Fiery Touch
Full Melee Bite +54 (5d8+73/x2), 5x Pseudopods +54 (5d6+30/x2) plus Fiery Touch and Engulfing Flames
Ranged None, but see Firestorm and Pseudopods
Special Attacks Engulfing Flames, Firestorm, Firewalk, Fiery Touch, Pseudopods
Action Points 2
A phaethon’s natural weapons are treated as chaotic and evil for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
STATISTICS
Str 58, Dex 25, Con 36, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 36
Base Atk +34; CMB +55; CMD 55
Feats <pick one or two thematically relevant feats; avoid complicated ones.>
Skills <choose only if relevant, values around 1.5 x creature’s CR>
Languages <copy from source>
SPECIAL ABILITIES
<special abilities should have a save DC 45>
<special attack damage (standard action): 10d6+44>
<special attack damage (aoe’s, swift actions or inflicting status effects): 10d6+4>
- Engulfing Flames
As a move action, the phaethon may arrange it's 16 squares of space in any way it likes. If it arranges them to completely surround a creature's space, that creature is considered swallowed and is removed from the board to the inside of the phaethon until they escape or die. These spaces must be contiguous, though diagonals are allowed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
- Firestorm
Once per round as a standard action, the phaethon may use firestorm. This attack has a range of 1000 feet, a 100 ft. radius (40 squares x 40 squares), and inflicts 10d6+44 of fire and positive energy damage to all caught in it. Affected creatures may make a Reflex save (DC 45) for half damage. Areas subjected to the Firestorm catch on fire and remain burning for 5 minutes. This is natural fire (not magical), and deals 10 points of fire damage to any creature that begins its turn in the affected radius.
Note that the Phaethon may use the burning area of this spell to utilize its Firewalk and Engulfing Flames abilities.
- Firewalk
Any time the Phaethon takes a move action to move (including when it uses its Engulfing Flames ability), it can immediately teleport to any space it can perceive which is on fire as a free action just prior to executing the move action. Note that any fire large enough to fill at least one square (such as a campfire) is adequate for the Phaethon to use this ability.
Furthermore, the Phaethon is permanently under the effects of a Feather Fall spell, though it can dismiss it and reactivate it as a swift action any time it wishes. Unless otherwise noted, this ability is always on.
- Fiery Touch
Anyone who makes a melee or touch attack against the Phaethon suffers 35 points of fire and positive energy damage each time they do so.
- Pseudopods
As a move action the phaethon may attack up to five times with it's pseudopods, which can reach up to 20 feet away from any square the phaethon is occupying.
- Spawn Fire Elementals
Once per round as a swift action, the Phaethon may spawn an Elder Fire Elemental out of it's own flesh. The elemental attacks as commanded and is utterly loyal.
TREASURE
sell value of approximately 32,000,000 gp