CLIMATE/TERRAIN

: Outer Planes When it appears, the aleax utters a few brief words
FREQUENCY: Very rare in the language of its deity (which may or may not be
ORGANIZATION: Solitaly understandable to the victim), stating that the mortal has
CYCLE:
ACTIVITY Any offended the god, outlining the nature of the crime, and
DIET: None insisting that he or she must now submit to punishment.
INTELLIGENCE: Genius (17- 18) After this decree is spoken, the aleax attacks without
TREASURE: Nil quarter or mercy. No discussion or plea is heeded.
ALIGNMENT: Any
COMBAT:Characters who attempt to rationalize with the
No. APPEARING: 1 aleax forfeit their claim to an initiative roll, because the
ARMOR CLASS: See below being moves in to attack while the PC gibbers away. In
MOVEMENT: 12, F1 12(A battle it will use the same weapons and spells as the
HIT DICE: See below character, along with tactics similar to its target. The
THACO: See below aleax has 1000/0 magic resistance to any magical effect
NO. OF AITACKS: See below that does not originate from its victim. Likewise, it is
DAMAGE/AITACK: See below immune to all damage from sources other than its tar-
SPECIAL AITACKS: See below get; only the weapons and magic of its target can harm
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration it. If a wizard casts a fireball at an aleax attacking a
MAGICRESISTANCE. See below priest, the creature is unharmed (although the priest is
SIZE : M still subject to damage), but if the wizard cast the same
MORALE: Fearless (20) spell at an aleax attacking him, the spell would cause
XP VALUE: See below damage normally. Of course, the aleax enjoys any magic
resistance that the target character has. Further, the
The aleax is a pnysical manirestation of the vengeance aleax naturally regenerates hit points when wounded, at
enacted by a power. There is but one aleax for each the rate of 8 hit points per round.
deity; it is sent forth to punish and redeem those who An aleax is also immune to any magical effect that
stray from the dictates of their alignments, who fail to taps its life source, including magic jar, possession, lijie-
sacrifice sufficient treasure, or who otherwise anger the draining, or vampiric regeneration. It automatically
god. These creatures are created specifically to fulfill saves vs. spell when confronted by illusions, and it can
that stated purpose, so an aleax will never be met by attempt to break a charm spell once per round.
chance. Despite its numerous tactical advantages, an aleax
The aleax usually appears in human or humanoid has a special vulnerability to physical attack. Any hit
form and quite closely resembles its intended victim. In with a physical weapon (not a magical effect) that
fact, the being is in all respects (except as noted else- scores on a natural roll of 19 inflicts double damage,
where) a n exact duplicate. The aleax has the same and a natural roll of 20 causes quadruple damage. How-
attribute scores, hit points, armor and Armor Class, ever, damage inflicted by the aleax is always normal,
weapons, magical items, spells, and so on. To the regardless of the result of its attack roll.
intended recipient of the deitys punishment, the aleax Although they are ferocious fighters, aleaxi never
appears to be bathed in shimmering light that varies in actually kill their victims. One who is slain by an
color according to the gods specific alignment: golden aleax is simply suffering the judgment of his or her god.
for lawful-good aleaxi, vibrant green for lawful neutral, Although to onlookers it appears as though the charac-
deep purple for lawful evil, bright yellow for neutral ter has died, in truth his spirit is held in suspension
good, silver for true neutral, royal blue for neutral evil, between death and life. He is in commune with his deity
ever-changing rose-and-blue for chaotic good, kaleido- then, and he is given a last chance to barter for his life.
scopic colors of all shades for chaotic neutral, and shift- The spirit can be returned to the characters body, but
ing scarlet and indigo for chaotic evil. only by quickly paying the price demanded by the
Bystanders, however, see the aleax as a nondescript offended power. The deity can demand seniice, levels,
individual of the same race as the target. When the treasure, or magic. The choice is not open to negotiation
aleax attacks, it seems to onlookers that the character - either the character accepts or he dies. Those who
has been assaulted by (or has attacked) a complete choose death cannot be raised.
stranger. Those attempting to help the character quickly Service can be any one quest (unbreakable by even
discover they cannot aid the object of divine wrath. a wish spell) stipulated by the power. The deity can also
Companions of the punished character can do little but claim up to half a characters levels, while treasure and
stand helplessly by and wait for the outcome of the bat- magical-item forfeitures result in the loss of all the
tle (see below). characters property, no matter where it is hidden. If the

+2+
 If the character defeats the aleax in battle, some por-
of the aleaxs spirit merges with the character. The

nses may trigger retribution.

ing with the divine, so Intelligence increases by 1

ax-touched, effectively bestowing a + 1 bonus to

rol of the character. Whenever faced with a

appropriate manner), the spirit will attempt

ssert itself as a rightful avenger. At that
e, the character must successfully save vs.
lyzation or become possessed by the de-
to punish those who have offended the
axs god. The desire remains until the
nders are punished or the effect is broken
a dispel magic spell. Note that this does

only cancels the immediate effect.

. meaxi have no habitat or

ty - they are the creations of the
rs. They come into existence when a
ishes to punish a mortal, and they
to nonexistence immediately upon
etion of their duties. A power can

a deitys strength diminishes

y every time one of its special ser-
is defeated, the gods as a Thole do

pose a great threat to the stabili

: Aleaxi essentially do not exist

ey are called into being by the
. Some sages speculate that an aleax

created on the spot at the behest of

nded god. In any case, an aleax exists
other reason than to defeat its mortal
and return to its deity victorious.

I
 I

AScERAL, SBARCHIIER
CLIMATE/TERRAIN
: Outer Planes Plane, for their silver cords somehow act as a shield. On
FREQUENCY: Very rare the other hand, characters from the Inner and Oute
ORGANIZATION
: Solitary Planes (who lack silver cords on the Astral) are not pro
ACTMTY CYCLE: Any tected in this way.
DIET: None Astral searchers can be attacked either physical11
INTELLIGENCE
: Non or with spells that cause damage. Although weapons
TREASURE
: Nil seem to slice right through their ghostly forms, they
ALIGNMENT: Neutral actually cause harm. However, astral searchers are 50%
resistant to magic and can only be hit by weapons of + 1
No. APPEARING: 4d6 or greater enchantment. If reduced to 0 hit points, the
ARMOR CLASS: 10 creatures will to exist is finally broken and it dissipates
MOVEMENT: 12 into a cloud of harmless vapor.
HITDICE: 2 An astral searcher attacks the psyche of its in-
THACO: 19 tended victim, and all targets are treated as having
No. OF AITACKS: 1 Armor Class 5 for the purposes of this battle. Only rings
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Id of protection and bonuses for high Wisdom alter the
SPECIAL ATTACKS: All victims are AC 5 Armor Class of the target. The creature attacks with
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil ghostly claws, as it must touch its victim to be effec-
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50% tive. The attack is like a searing lash of psychic energy.
SIZE M Its assault can be blocked psionically in the same way
MORALE: Fearless (19) as id insinuation.
XP VALUE: 175 All damage inflicted by the astral searcher is purely
mental, although the victims mind creates feelings of
Astral searchers are the bane of planar travelers in the pain and injury, giving the impression of a physical
silvery void. They are mindless shells of nebulous attack. The mental agony heals quickly, though, at the
humanoid shape, created by concentrated or trauma- rate of Id8 points per turn. Nevertheless, the offensive is
tized thoughts of prime-material characters in the Astral real. If an astral searcher strikes a fatal blow (hits and
Plane. Violent death, destructive spells cast while on the reduces the victim to 0 hit points or fewer), the victim
Astral Plane, and astral combat often result in the cre- falls into a coma while the searcher enters the body and
ation of astral searchers. More often than not, the cre- destroys the victims psyche, effectively killing him.
ator or source of the astral searcher isnt even aware of Damage caused by an astral searcher can be combined
the results of his or her actions, and this creature comes with that from another source. If another creature actu-
into being without malice of forethought or other ally strikes the fatal blow, however, the astral searcher
intent. cannot take possession of the body.
Driven by their past connection with material If the astral searcher successfully takes possession
beings, astral searchers obsessively search for material of a body, the mind and personality of the victim are
bodies to possess. As they wander the Astral Plane, they destroyed. The searcher acquires the victims physical
seek weak points in the cosmic fabric that connects the abilities and total hit points (as all damage inflicted in
Astral to the other planes, and they cluster at those the attack now disappears), but not the characters for-
points, waiting for the stress lines to become collinear mer personality. Instead, the character is filled with the
so that they can pass into other worlds. Such rips in strong emotion that first led to the searchers creation:
the planar tapestry exist naturally, but they also may be rage, fear, determination, or whatever. The newly pos-
created at points where astral travelers enter and leave sessed body can make noise reflecting its emotional
the Astral Plane, in which case they exist only tem- state, but it cannot speak. All knowledge of spells and
porarily (ld6 rounds). Astral searchers also gather near skills is lost.
the color pools that lead to the Prime Material and Outer
Planes, but they are incapable of passing through them HABITAT/SOCIETY: Until they inhabit a body, astral search-
unless a planar being passes through before them. ers have no life. They are simply masses of emotion,
disconnected from all else. Once a body is secured, the
COMBAT:As soon as an astral searcher finds its way into creatures first concern is to recreate the atmosphere
another plane or encounters a planar character in the that led to its creation. Thus, an astral searcher born of a
Astral Plane, it seeks to attack. The creature is fussy mages dread of capture by the githyanki would contin-
about its targets - only living humanoids are consid- ually attempt to create an atmosphere of terror around
ered prey. Furthermore, characters from the Prime Mate- it. The searcher assumes the emotion is the true and nat-
rial Plane are immune to attacks while on the Astral ural state of the multiverse.

+4+
 - Astral Searchers are kuick
ers, however, since they reside
minds already once taught. Ski

relearning most other tasks t

life experiences are 10s

ing from permanent amnesia.

searcher/character will allow

in new levels of

physical substance
until such time
that they take
1
possession of
a body. They
can be exor-
cised, but the
original psyche
has been completely
destroyed, and the "character
cannot be raised or brought back by
means short of a wish spell. If the as
searcher is driven from its host, th
empty body remains bereft of any
essence and may pose an-open in
tation to fiends or other incorpore
~ creatures looking for,a physical fo
to dominate.
There are tales ofplanar&
returning home, alP knowiedg
their past gone; and still livin
among their family and
friends for many years as
mental invalids. It is

someone more I

town, that those

BA
Of the various monsters that inhabit the rifts of the
plane of Gehenna, the barghest is certainly the most
common and one of the most fearsome. The barghests
natural shape is very much the same as that of a large
goblin, and when dwelling among goblins, it generally
retains that form.
While it appears to be a large goblin when it is a
whelp, its skin darkens from yellow to a bluish-red as it
grows larger and stronger, and eventually its skin turns
an even blue at adulthood. The eyes of the monster
glow orange when it is excited, but otherwise they are
indistinguishable from those of a normal goblin.
A barghest is also able to assume at will the form
of a large war dog or a wild dog. Hence, the creature has
oftentimes been referred to as a devil-dog, but this is a
misnomer. The precise form taken can vary from crea-
ture to creature, but all forms are those of typical wild
or war dogs, and it is almost impossible (95010 unlikely)
to tell one from its natural counterpart. However, nat-
ural dogs instantly recognize, fear, and hate a barghest,
and they will attack it at any opportunity.
COMBAT: Barghests employ a clawlclaw attack in battle.
(In canine form, they only bite.) They may only be hit
by weapons of +1 or better enchantment. They are not
particularly vulnerable to any attack form, but in their
canine shape they risk the failure of a saving throw vs.
spell when subjected to afireba22,Jame strike, or meteor
swarm spell: If attacked by such a spell while in canine
form and a barghest fails its saving throw, it is instantly
hurled to Gehenna. Those returned to the Outer Plane
are most likely slain or enslaved by their full-grown fel-
lows, but even if they are not so treated they cannot
return to the Prime Material Plane without outside
assistance.
Barghests are able to perform the following spell-
like abilities, once per round, at will: shape change (into
either canine or goblinlike form), levitate, misdirection,
and project image. They are able to perform the follow-
ing abilities once per day: charm (person or monster),
dimension door, and emotion.
When in canine form, barghests are able to move
at double their normal movement rate (maximum of
30), pass without a trace (as the spell), and become 75%
unlikely to be noticed when motionless. If undetected,
they impose a -2 penalty on opponents surprise rolls.
HABITAT/SOCIETY:These beings are native to Gehenna and
tend to live in isolation on that plane. There, each
barghest has its own stronghold and force of servitors,
over which it rules despotically. Goblins readily recog-
nize and worship barghests (even in their goblinoid
form), but other races find them to be virtually indistin-
guishable from these common prime-material monsters.
The goblin hosts fear and serve the barghests, often
going to great lengths to bring them suitable gifts and
sacrifices, and the barghests respond by slaying power-
ful enemies of the goblins as well as generally enriching
the goblins treasure hoards.
Occasionally, a barghest on Gehenna will spawn i
litter of six young, which are immediately sent to the
Prime Material Plane to feed and grow. Those that sur-
vive eventually return to Gehenna, but while they are
away, they must feed upon humans and demihumans.
Barghest whelps are found either alone or in pairs or
the Prime Material Plane, generally living near isolatea
communities of humans or with bands of goblins.
When barghest whelps first come to the Prime
Material, they are relatively weak, having only 6 + 6 Hit
Dice. However, for every energy (experience) level of
human (or demihuman) life that they slay or devour,
1 hit point is added to their overall total. Once they
absorb eight levels, they gain another Hit Die, plus an
additional hit point per die. (Hence, a 6 + 6 HD barghest
who absorbs eight experience levels becomes a 7 + 7 HD
barghest.) Note that 0-level characters are worth only
one-half of an experience level to the barghest, so they
are considerably less attractive targets than high-level
heroes. In addition, each time a barghest gains a Hit Die,
its Armor Class decreases by 1 and its Strength score
increases from an initial 18/00 to a maximum of 24.
When the barghest finally achieves full growth and
power, it discovers the ability to plane shift to Gehenna,
where it seeks its own reeking valley rift to lord over.
What treasure barghests gather into their own
strongholds in Gehenna is unknown, although it is
rumored to be great. However, while they live upon the
Prime Material Plane, they accumulate no personal
treasure.
ECOLOGY: The barghest passes through different stages in
its life. As a whelp it is a hunter and tracker consigned
to the Prime Material Plane. There it grows in cunning
and wisdom until it is ready to enter into the next stage
of its life. At this phase it returns to Gehenna and
becomes a leader. It is still a hunter, though now its tac-
tics and attitudes are greater, to match the game - other
intelligent h-ings - that it hunt<
9-
CRANIUIII AACE

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Outer Planes A small, crawling form itched into the b

FREQUENCY: Uncommon t of my brain, and I dreamed of its words.
ORGANIZATION: Pack dreams had caught the secrets of one called
ACTMTY CYCLE: Darkness vishkar, and it said:
DIET: Scavenger Fear me. Fear my coming. What others know of me
INTELLIGENCE: Low to supragenius (5-20) is a mask that hides my true might. They think I
TREASURE: None am vermin, those rats whose brains pulsate with
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil bilious light. They do not know I see through the
thousand eyes of my body. My body lives among
No. APPEARING: 2d them, and they do not see m
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 15 Upon waking I had the image of the cranium
HITDICE: 1 rat, commonly seen in the dark corners of pestilent
THACO: 19 villages, locked into my mind. But my dream was
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 this creature, and yet it was not. Perhaps J will
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 dream it again.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below Indeed he did dream it again, but Bilfar hever lived t
MAGICRESISTANCE: Variable publish his stolen secrets. A month after he
SIZE: T (6long) these words, he was dead. Perhaps his dresms
MORALE : Unsteady (7)
XP VALUE: 65 XP each

The following passage is taken from the dreams of BiHar

the Diviner, who believed that secrets fled their sleepi
masters every night:
 Indeed, in the latter action the cranium rat shows a cun- The group mind also confers several defensive
ning skill.
Cranium rats usually move in packs of ten or
more. They hide in garbage or the crack of a wall until
a victim ventures close and then swarm out and strike,
but even then they wont fight for long. If the victim
cannot be slain or crippled in a just a few rounds, they
break off and scatter in all directions, making pursuit
almost impossible. Still, these actions are no different
than those of most other vermin, and they are not what
make the cranium rat truly dangerous. It is the slight
mental prowess of these creatures that makes them
truly menacing.
Individually, these creatures are little more than
clever vermin, but cranium rats are seldom encountered
singly. Theyre many creatures and one creature all at
once, as they possess a type of group mind. A cranium
rat is automatically in telepathic contact with every
other such creature within 10 feet, which allows them to
share not just thoughts, but also brain capacity - every
five rats in contact generate 1 point of Intelligence.
Thus, one to four rats have no more than animal intelli-
gence (1 point). Add another rat and the group becomes
semi-intelligent (2 points). Fifty rats in a single area
have the intelligence of an average person (lo), while
100 rats in close quarters would be frightening (20
Intelligence)! Theoretically there is no upper limit to the
group mind, but no packs have been found with an
Intelligence higher than 20 or so. Perhaps with overpop-
ulation comes metaphysical insight, such that these
creatures ascend to a higher level of existence. Or per-
haps overpopulation brings about a sudden decrease in
.e their humbers.
With increasing Intelligence comes increasing
powers, as shown on the table below. Entries in color
apply to that level and higher. Spells can be used daily.
For example, a pack with an Intelligence of 7 can use
gne 1st-level wizard spell each day.
kc.*
ABILITY
Standard
1 spell level of wizard spells
2 spell levels of wizard spells
Mind blast, 1/3 rounds
3 spell levels of wizard spells
11 4 spell levels of wizard spells
12 Mind blast, 1/2 rounds
13
cautions are necessary.
14
15 ~
Y: Cranium rats subsist on a diet only slightly
16 arnivorous than the normal rat. The extent and
n 17 purpose of their powers are held closely secret, lesl
18 Ilsensines instruments be exposed. Those who discovei
19 the true purpose of the cranium rats are under sentence
20 of swift and terrible death.

+9+
I
 Tall, slender, and looking like the riddles they
speak, the dabus are feared by some to be the true
masters of Sigil, the hidden genius of her being. For
others they are nothing but slaves that maintain Sigils
mighty engines. Their thoughts literally fill the air when
they pass, for the dabuss speech is illusion shaped into
pictures that mortals can then reshape into sounds - the
dabus communicate not by word, but by the compli-
cated structures of the rebus. These are the ultimate in
thought-pictures, where symbols are chosen for the
sounds made in a language, and the sounds are strung
together to form words.
COMBAT:The dabus are not combative creatures. They
seek no battle, as destruction is not their role and pur-
pose in life. Still, in a city like Sigil, avoiding combat is
not always possible and the dabus will fight if they must.
The dabus possess no special attacks. They can only fight
normally, with swords, hand axes, or hammers - the lat-
ter two being tools they often have at the ready.
The dabus never quite stand on the ground. They
neither fly nor walk, but exist on the boundary between
each, so theyre immune to spells that affect the surface
beneath them. A transmute rock to mud wont catch
them, nor will a grease spell make them slip. At the
same time, they are not really flying, either. Thus, spells
that might be effective against flying creatures, such as
gust of wind, will not send them spinning out of control.
Otherwise, they have no unusual immunities or special
resistances.
HABITAT/~OCIETY: Sigil is their sole habitat, which they
constantly build, cannibalizing one part to construct
another. It is known their homes are in substructures far
beneath the city, but few have seen them. They dont
care for visitors in their cramped workshops, and they
mislead those who try to follow them home without
permission.
The dabus claim to be organized into cells (if their
rebuses are read correctly). Each cell has a duty in the
city, though it is not tied to one place or skill. One day a
member of a cell gathers the trash that blows out of the
Great Bazaar. The next, it might be resetting cobbles
near the Hive. Whatever guides them in their tasks, the
dabus seem to always know what is expected of them.
Each cell has 2d6 members.
All dabus are of the same sex, for the race appears
to have no sex at all. There are no dabus young, yet they
do seem to be able to replace those lost to accident or
misadventure. No one is sure how they do so, but the
best guess is that a new member is constructed from the
merged illusions of the others, that the word-pictures
take on real form, that what is writtenlspoken has reality
fnr these creatures that translates into reality for others.
seem perfectly capable of speaking, but they never do.
Instead, should they desire to communicate with some
one not of their race, images of appear in the air. The
images are the picture equivalents of sounds that match
whatever language the onlooker speaks. When a dabus i:
excited, the rebuses can flicker by with dazzling speed.
Why do they not speak? Have they surrendered
speech, cutting away the abstractions that bind the flesh
to a false image of the world, or is language a mystery
to them, an art they havent learned? Are they a racc
unable to seize upon words and letters? Perhaps thej
are like some idiot savant, brilliant at their own chore!
but blind to the talents common to others.
ECOLOGY: There is no doubt the dabus have a role in
Sigil. They are its cells, constantly repairing the body of
the city. It is hard to imagine what would happen t o
Sigil without them, for no one really knows the full
extent and workings of Sigils streets and furnaces.
ROLE-PL How does one role-play a
that speaks in pictures? The easiest answer is to simplj
have the dabus not speak. They barely acknowledge thc
presence of others, anyway. This is fine for commor
encounters, where this strange race is part of the back.
ground, or when their presence is not important to thc
adventure. However, sooner or later, players and DMs arc
going to want to deal with these mysterious creatures,
The DM can take two approaches to the dabus!
rebuses: First, he or she can substitute some other non-
vocal means of communicating to simulate their strange-
ness. Pantomime is particularly effective for this, like i
game of Charades - the DM states that the dabus spews
forth a torrent of undecipherable symbols, then resorts
to pantomime to make itself understood. Thus, puzzling
out what the dabus is trying to say becomes a challenge
that involves the players right at the table. Pantomime
is handy for those times when the DM hasnt prepared
any rebuses and the player characters suddeply decide
to question the nearest dabus.
Second, if the DM is willing to prepare, he or she
can create an even greater sense of the races strange-
 CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Paraelemental Plane of Magma combustible magical items (scrolls, etc.) must make their
FREQUENCY: Very rare own successful saving throws or be destroyed. Again,
ORGANIZATION: Tribal the check is made once each round unless the item is
ACTIVITY
CYCLE: Any discarded.
DIET: Elemental Magmen arent fighters and, if attacked and actu-
INTELLIGENCE
: Low ally hurt, their first choice is to run away - not too far
TREASURE: Nil away, but far enough to be out of immediate danger.
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral Once safe, they are curious and foolish enough to
return. If cornered, magmen will defend themselves,
No. APPEARING: 2d12 striking with a molten fist and inflicting 3d8 points of
ARMOR CLASS: 6 damage upon a successful hit. Fire-resistant creatures,
MOVEMENT: 9 (6) including those protected by magic, suffer only half
HITDICE: 2 damage from such an attack.
THACO: 19 Magmen are not easy to hurt, however. A weapon
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 of +1 or better enchantment is required to hit them. In
DAMAGE/ATIACK: 3d8 addition, weapons of less than +2 enchantment must
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Combustion touch save vs. magical fire upon every successful hit. If the
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon needed to save is failed, the weapon melts into useless slag. Not
hit; immune to fire-based surprisingly, magmen are immune to all fire-based
attacks attacks. Conversely, cold-based attacks inflict double
Nil damage and prompt morale checks.
S (3tall)
Unsteady (7) Magmen are creatures of the Paraele-
X Y VALUE: 120 f Magma, and as such they have no
society on other planes. When they appear outside their
Magmen are creatures of the Paraelemental Plane of own fiery lands, their sole preoccupation seems to be
Magma. They stand 3 feet tall and are glowing, human- with having fun . . . by their standards. Magmen love
oid creatures, much like fire-cloaked gnomes or goblins. flame and are fascinated with burning things. Were it
Small puffs of flame constantly burst from their skin, as not for the damage their curiosity causes, their childlike
if they are perspiring kerosene that ignites when enough pleasure might almost be touching or amusing. Some-
accumulates. Magmen radiate heat like small bonfires, how, it never occurs to these creatures (or if it does,
rendering the area near them quite uncomfortable to they perversely ignore it) that other creatures might
most nonfire-loving creatures. Their faces are almost actually be hurt by their actions. Having come from an
always twisted with malicious glee. environment of fire, the panic-stricken reaction of
Prime Material creatures who are set afire seems merely
1 ~ (hm3AT: Magmen are not really interested in fighting,
but they are capricious little creatures who cause havoc
comical to them, almost slapstick. Perhaps this is
because the association of pain and fire is utterly for-
by their very natures. Whenever they encounter an eign to their kind.
unfamiliar creature, which - their being from the plane On their own plane, magmen live as hunter-gather-
of Magma - is almost anything else, they try to set it on ers. They band in small tribes, organized around a single
fire, just for fun. Perhaps they do not understand that extended colony. (Colony is the only apt word, for
others fear their flames, or perhaps they do and dont magmen have no sexes, reproducing by simple division
care. Any attempt to reason them out of this course of as they grow.) Each tribe is led by the eldest magman.
action is almost certainly doomed to fail. At best, a They scour the molten plain, looking for choice bits of
creature might bribe them off with another target or a flaming minerals or hunting other elemental creatures.
choice bit of burning food. Occasionally, magmen pass into other Inner Planes
In combat, they attack simply with a touch. Their or the Prime Material Plane through gaps created by the
flaming fingers ignite the flammable items (clothing, excessive heat and pressure of subterranean lava. These
hair, etc.) of any creature they hit, inflicting Id8 points portals have a strong lure to th e magmen, for the
of damage per round for l d 4 + 2 rounds. Note that molten stone of such gaps has a different taste than
extraordinarily flammable carried items - flasks of oil that of their home. Magmen enter into the vortex to
and the like - must successfully save vs. normal fire or sample the essence, and they are invariably drawn
they, too, will ignite and cause their own, additional through the portal and into the other plane. Some sages
damage. This check is made once per round until the speculate that the strange minerals of these portals may
flames are out or the victim discards the item. Also, have an intoxicating effect on the little creatures. This
 would certainly account for their frivolous behavio
outside of their plane.
Magmen can reach the Outer Planes only if they ar
summoned. Their mischievous and destructive nature

these fiends sometimes keep magmen captive in special

molten pools. Magmen are sometimes summoned inta
the midst of enemy ranks in the Gray Waste, Gehenna
and Carceri, providing diversionary attacks in the never-
ending Blood War. Militarily, they are good for little
more than this, since their flightiness and cowardice
make them unsuitable for pitched combat.
Magmen especially like to swim around in active
volcanoes, for when these erupt, the magmen are
released to engage in their favorite sport of igniting all

ore than two or three hours at a time,

LOGY: Most sages and travelers guess that

to fire a furnace for a magical p-rocedu

wizards return the little troublemakers

creatures and let them cool, since m

and more than a few city blocks have

destroyed in their dttemjted escapes.

c
FREQUENCY: Uncommon caused varies ac
ORGANIZATION: Hierarchy
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Carnivore
INTELLIGENCE: High
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful evil

NO. APPEARING: ld20

* A roll of 20
ARMOR CLASS: -2
MOVEMENT: 12
HITDICE: 6
THACO : 15
No. OF ATTACKS: 312 or by form
DAMAGE/ATTACK : ld12 (snake bite), by weapon

SPECIAL
DEFENSES: Saves as 10th-level fighter
MAGICRESISTANCE: loo/,
SIZE : M (66 tall)
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 1,400
Shadow Priest: 2,000

warriors wielding broad swords and dressed in black, tion of the Q

scaly plate mail armor. Sometimes they are mistaken for
adventurers, since these are people they most closely neve
resemble, yet they are far from human.

change into an animal. The second shape is most often save a

that of a giant snake, but a few are able to assume the ing th
forms of cave bears, giant crocodiles, giant hyenas, or tance
ransformation is complete, includ-
apons, leaving no traces of their

fulness to their deity is compro As humans, 25%~

of them use magical weapon ioned in Baator, of

the very next. The Armor Class of the mini

ticated strategies, who act as go-
betweens for Set and all other crea-
tures in the multiverse. They com-
during those time
n into the Blood
is petitioners, and
even carry out his will on the Prime
Material Plane.
They are also implacable
enemies. To defy the will of Set,
as defined by the priests, is to
embrace a death sentence unless
every minion with knowledge of
the defiance is destroyed. An of-
fended minion ofSet is tantamount

(ld4 + 5). The shgdow priests also

the ability to backstab like 3 thief (a
the same level as their spellcasting
abilities), and they are immuge $0
poisons and gases. Shadow pnests, g e
able to cornman$ undeFd if-a successfu1
attempt to turn is made. While on
Baator, all such command attempts
gain a +2 bonus.
As noted, the shadow
priests are Sets enforcers.
They punish any minion
headstrong enough to
oppose Set, and lead large
forces in battle against Sets
enemies. Shadow priests are
often sent to other planes to pun- -9
ish adventurers who have angered Set.
 MONODRONE DUODRONE TRIDRONE QUADRONE P E N T P ~ P ~DECATON
NE NONATON OCTON
FREQUENCY: Common Common Uncommon Uncommon Rare Rare Rare Rare
ORGANIZATION:Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarch Hierarchy
ACTIVITYCYCLE: Any Any Any Any Any Any h Y
DIET: Special Special Special Special Special Special Special Special
INTELLIGENCE: Semi Low Average very very High High Excep.
No. APPEARING: 12d12 ld12 1d4 1d4 1 1 (of 100) 1 (of 81) 1 (of 64:
ARMOR CLASS: 7 6 5 4 3 2 0 1
MOVEMENT: 6,F1 18(D) 9,F1 9(E) 12 15,F1 15(D) 18 15,F1 3(E) 18 9,F1 9(B
HIT DICE: 1+1 or 2t2 3+3 4+4 5+5 11+1. 12+12
1-1
THACO: 19 or 20 19 17 17 15 11 9 9
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or nil 2 3 4 or 2 5 10 9 3
DAMAG E/ATTACK: ld4 or ld4+1 (x2) ld4+2 (x3) ld4+3 (x4), ld4+4(x5) ld4x10 ld6xa ld8x8
weapon or weapon ld5+5 (x2),
or weapon
ATTACKS:Nil
SPECIAL Nil Nil Attacks as Paralysis gas Spells Spells See below
if 8-HD
MAGICRESISTANCE: Nil Nil Ni 1 Nil Nil 100/0 30%
SIZE : S S M M M L
XP VALUE: 1-1 HD: 35 175 270 650 2,oo 9,000 10,000
1+1 HD: 120

PRIMUS
FREQUENCY: Very rare Very ra Very rare Very rare Very ra Very rare Unique
ORGANIZATION: Hierarchy Hierarc Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarc Hierarchy Hierarchy
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any Any Any Any Any Any Any
DIET: Special Special Special Special Special Special Special
INTELLIGENCE:Excep. Genius Genius Supra Supra Godlike Godlike
No. APPEARING: 1 (of 49) 1 (of 36) 1 (of 25) 1 (Of 16) 1 ( O f 9) 1 (of 4) 1
ARMOR CLASS: -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 - 10
MOVEMENT: 9 12,F1 12(C) 6,F1 6(C) 12,F1 24(B) 12 18,F1 18(B) 24,F1 24(A)
HITDICE: 13t13 14+14 15+15 16t16 17+17 18+18 220 hp
THACO : 7 7 5 5 3 3
No. OF ATTACKS: 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
DAMAGEIATTACK:ldl0 (x7) ld12+1 (x6) 2d8+1 (x5) 2d12+2 (x4) 5d8 (x3) 6d12 (x2) 20d8 + specia
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below See below See below See below See below See below See below
MAGICRESISTANCE: 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 1000/0
SIZE: M L L L L L
XP VALUE: 13,000 14,000 15,000 16,000 19,000 36,000

CLIMATE~TERRAIN:
Mechanus
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral
DEFENSES:See below
SPECIAL
MORALE: Fearless (20)

Whats a mortal to make of the modrons, those strange
creatures of absolute order who whir and click on the
plane of Mechanus? Theirs are not like other lives -
even the infinitely subtle baatezu are more comprehen-
sible than these thronging drones. To a n outsider it
appears the modrons have no existence other than as a
whole. Indeed, there is a saying: To look at one modron
is to look at all of them.
It is only logical, as it is with all things modron,
that they are native to the orderly plane of Mechanus.
The two, plane and modrons, probably would not exist
without each other - modron society defines the plane,
j u s t a s th e plane shapes them. To understand t h e
modrons, a being must stop thinking like a person, like
an individual. Only then can anyone hope to compre-
hend the patterns of modron life.
 Modrons are strictly divided into fourteen castes.
Castes are hardly unique, but the modron approach to
them is. Not only does each rank have its own func-
tions, but each also has its own body shape, so the rank
of any modron can be readily identified by the crea-
tures appearance.
Ruling over the castes is Primus, the One and the
Prime. It and the plane are one in thought and deed; as
Primus turns, so do the wheels of Mechanus.
COMBAT, GENERAL:Regardless of rank, all modrons possess
certain abilities and immunities, but because of rank,
certain modrons - the hierarchs - possess additional
abilities. Whether any of these immunities and powers
exist as properties of their race or from association with
the plane of Mechanus, no one knows. Most scholars
think these powers are natural to the race, as none are
lost by modrons operating off the plane of Mechanus.
All modrons are unaffected by any illusions or
magic that affects the mind, such as beguilement, charm,
domination, hold, hypnosis, and sleep. Fear and other
emotion spells are similarly ineffective against a modron,
as are attacks drawing upon the Positive and Negative
Energy Planes (including life-draining powers). All
modrons save vs. cold, fire, and acid attacks with a +1
bonus, and they suffer damage from such attacks with a
-1 modifier per die.
Modron hierarchs are never surprised, and their
precision of order always allows them to determine their
specific place in the initiative sequence of all attack
rounds. Thus, they never roll for initiative, and the DM
chooses when they will act. Typically, this comes at the
most effective moment, just before the swordsmans
blade arcs through the air or the wizard utters the final
word of a spell, and so on. The elite modrons also can
perform the following spell-like abilities, once per
round, at will: clairaudience, clairvoyance, command,
dimension door, teleport without error, and wall of force.
They also are capable of traveling on the Astral and
Ethereal Planes, but will never do so unless ordered by
Primus.
All hierarchs can communicate telepathically, and
the range of this power is as follows:
RANK MILES
Decaton 44
Nonaton 63
Octon 80
Septon 190
Hexton 216
Quinton 238
Quarton 384
Tertian 405
Secundi 420
Primus All Mechanus
c
HABITATISOCIETY: To understand modron society, one
must abandon all understanding of the self. In such for-
getting comes knowledge, so with the surrender victory
is gained. Should the scholar retain the slightest glim-
mer of who he is, his words are tainted and his observa-
tions lies. It is said that those able to strip their souls so
bare become modrons, themselves, and their spirits
become different from their shells.
It is a fundamental property of the modrons that
each rank can only comprehend the existence of the
rank directly above and below it. For example, the mono-
drones obey the will of the duodrones, but they cannot
even conceive of the existence of the tridrones. When a
monodrone sees a tridrone, it does not see a modron,
and it could not even say what it sees. Some aphasia
apparently breaks the link between the sight of the
higher modron and what it actually is. This blindness
leads to an interesting conclusion, as each rank believes
that those immediately above it are the highest form of
life and the fountainhead of supreme logic. Thus,
Primuss lordship is secret from all modrons but the four
secundi, who pass his edicts on to the nine tertians, who
in turn pass these to the quartons (who have no knowl-
edge or understanding of either the secundi or Primus),
and so on.
There is an awareness of all ranks below a modrons
station, yet communication is exclusively limited to
adjacent ranks. It would seem that the monodrone is
almost as alien to the tridrone as the tridrone is to the
monodrone. This is not the result of elitism. Rather, the
strict order observed by the race completely negates the
slightest necessity for communication beyond immedi-
ate inferiors and superiors.
A modrons perception of its immediate superiors
should not be mistaken for deification, either. What
others might call a god, the modrons cannot imagine,
for they are unable to conceive of such an individual
existence. Instead, all life and direction spring from a
pool of logical action - all that is right happens be-
cause it must inescapably be, and all that is wrong is
that which must not be. These metal limitations make
dealings with modrons a challenge. Within each rank
there is no individuality, either in form or thought. All
modrons call themselves we, and a character has no
way of knowing if the pentadrone he spoke to today is
the same as the one who held the same post yesterday.
This would be minor if the modrons werent so bureau-
cratically driven, requiring strangers to appear and
reappear before clerks, courts, and boards. Some trav-
elers solve the problem with a brush and paint, mark-
ing modrons with runes simply to tell them apart.
Unless instructed to remove these marks, a modron
may wear a splash of color or a strange sigil for the
rest of its life, for they dont seem to notice the mark-
ings themselvr*-
+
 Even the size of modron society is rigidly fixed. In
each rank there are only a set number of modrons.
Should a modron of any rank die, an available candidate
from the next lowest rank is promoted, and then the gap
in the lower rank is filled by promoting from the still
lower rank. This continues until the rank of monodrone
is reached. With no lower ranks, the creatures at this
level reproduce by fission, as one of their members mys-
teriously divides into two. (Given this, the claim that all
modrons are one might be truer than it first seems.)
Promotion occurs seemingly by accident. As soon
as a vacancy occurs, the nearest modron of the next
lowest rank is recruited to ascend. Since they have no
individuality, theres no point in trying to promote the
best and the brightest; all modrons of a given rank are
deemed equal. Promotion is traumatic - not only does
the chosen modron undergo a wrenching change of
shape to the new ranks form, but it suddenly gains an
understanding of a world previously veiled to it: the
existence of a yet superior rank. Imagine the shock of a
duodrone, who knew only of monodrones, duodrones,
and tridrones, when it suddenly discovers those inex-
plicable creatures around it are quadrones and members
of its own race! On the other hand, the newly promoted
modron seems to adapt to its new form instantly, and it
is the humanoid observer who is often most shaken by
the experience.
From greatest to least, the castes of the modrons
are listed below. Numbers are not given for the modrons,
since no scholar has yet produced the definitive organi-
zation chart of these creatures. After each name is a
brief description of that ranks duties in their realm of
Mechanus.
to disturb the h
Primus: Absolute ruler of all modrons the time or res

Hierarch Modrons
Secundi: Viceroys of the four quarters
Tertians: Judges
Quartons: Rulers of the four regions of the four planes.
quarters
Quintons: Bureau chiefs and records keepers : Modrons fulfill many roles within Mechanus.
Hextons: Generals of the armies of modrons intain parts of the sphere and are maintained
Septons: Inspectors by it. They make war with their enemies and trade with
Octons: Governors of the four sectors of the their neighbors. Together, they are one living social
four regions of the four quarters entity. Those few that venture outside their plane (on
Nonatons: Police supervision orders from their superiors) will always attempt to bring
Decatons: Physical welfare of base modrons order out of chaos, sense out of nonsense.
Modrons are not completely without their uses to
Base Modrons the rest of the multiverse. Their single-minded pursuit
Pentadrones: Lesser police, law enforcement of order has a certain usefulness in some fields. On rare
Quadrones: Multiple complex tasks, supervision occasions, nonmodrons can hire members of this race
Tridrones: Multiple tasks, minor supervision for particular tasks. The process is never simple, since
Duodrones: Complex tasks the potential employee can never make the decision
Monodrones: General laborers e approved by its superiors.
 Usually the request has to pass through several ranks
before an answer is given.
If permission is granted, some wizards find modrons
to be amazingly useful as librarians, and merchants may
retain them as bookkeepers, although such modrons
must always be watched for overzealousness. Some-
times their understanding of order, far deeper than that
of most other beings, defies human understanding. In
one library, all the books might be arranged by subject,
in another by the first letter of the first word, and in yet
a third by the page where the last diagram appears. All
three might be vital keys in the overall order of the
modron universe. Order, after all, does not necessarily
need to be understandable.
The bodies of modrons slain anywhere immediately
disintegrate. It is suspected that whatever energies were
trapped within the creatures mortal form find their way
back to Mechanus and merge with the energy field of
the plane. This field is what sustains the modron race.
Although modrons eat physical food, it is not the sub-
stance that sustains them, but the energy essence con-
tained therein. So long as the modrons are able to draw
upon this essence, they can continue to split and perpet-
uate their kind. In fact, it is speculated that the only
means to truly crush this race is to cut it off from this
energy pool. Given the impossibility of this feat, it is the commands of their immediate superiors.
fortunate that modrons are not a particularly aggressive Capable of interpreting two commands at once,
race. Who, after all, could withstand a single-minded duodrones serve in the forces of the modron army as
army that constantly regenerated itself? corporals and sergeants, or as special shock troops
armed with thrusting and crushing weapons. Typical1
MONODRONE (Ba5~ RON): These creatures make up the they are given only a single command at a time, all0
bulk of Mechanu opulation. They are small spheres ing them the limited ability to react. If ordered
with a single eye, wings, and two armllegs. Monodrones attack, for example, they will do so until the enemy
are single-function modrons, assigned to simple labor slain and then seek out a new enemy, rather t h a
or service in the regiments of the modron army. Thou- attacking each other. Duodrones have limited conver
sands of the spherical monodrones, armed with spears, tional ability, but they can report their operations a
fouchards, and crossbows are impressive when mar- observations clearly and completely. Duodrones have
shaled against a foe with their unswerving, single- 90-foot infravision.
minded performance. They exist only for their work.
Monodrones are barely intelligent. They are unable TRIDRONE (BASEMODRON): Tridrones appear as three-sided
to speak or read, but can understand commands spoken pyramids with spidery arms and legs. They supervise
in the tongue of their race (although they will heed only squads of 12 duodrones, who in turn pass their orders to
a duodrone). Monodrones are capable of just one action the monodrones. Tridrones can carry out multiple-task
at a time. Tell them to attack and they do so until slain, projects on their own. Typically, they receive a general
even if that means attacking each other after the enemy order, which they divide into smaller tasks to be fulfilled
has been obliterated. Order them to guard and they by the duodrones. In the modron army, tridrones serve
guard without food or sleep. It is fortunate that they feed in special companies, equipped with three javelins per
on the very substance of air around them; otherwise, it being, which they hurl before entering melee.
r them to eat every day. Tridrones are capable of reporting actions and
observations and actually planning limited objectives
Duodrones are bifunctional on the battlefield. They speak their own language and
e 12 units of monodrones or per- the trade tongue of the multiverse.
form complex tasks beyond the abilities of the mono-
drones. They are blocky, rectangular creatures of great QUADR ASE * The cubic quadrones comprise
strength Like all modrons, they are absolutely loyal to the upper level r modrons. They serve as field
officers, and each battalion has a special dozen-unit,
containing nothing but quadrone warriors. With their
four arms, they are capable of wielding two bows at the
same time. Some quadrones are winged (the wings
replace one set of arms and negate the use of one bow)
which are used for special missions or for aerial combat.
As four-function creatures, quadrones can report actions
and observations, make plans, react to unexpected
occurrences, and act to remedy them.
All quadrones have senses equal to 150% of nor-
mal human standards. They enjoy 180-foot-range
infravision. Equipped with sensory organs on all six
sides of their cubic bodies, quadrones are never sur-
prised under normal circumstances.

PENTADRONE (BASEMODRON): The highest of base modrons,

pentadrones serve as the police of the base population
and as intermediaries between the base modrons and
the godlike (in their view) decaton hierarchs. The pen-
tadrones receive instructions passed down by the rules

As five-function beings, these creatures can com-

municate, operate, monitor, plan, and manage. They can
also react to unplanned situations. In the armies of the
modrons, a dozen of them are always assigned to each
regimental headquarters as an elite unit, while others
actually command the regiment.
These five-armed creatures resemble starfish on
thin, stiltlike legs. In addition to powerful arm attacks
and an effective 18/00 Strength score, pentadrones have
a paralysis gas which they emit in a stream 2 feet in
diameter and 5 feet in length. Any creature caught
within this stream must successfully save vs. paralysis
or remain immobile for five rounds. Pentadrones can
use this gas stream no more than once every five turns,
with a maximum of five uses per day. Alternately, the
pentadrones can use this gas to levitate (as 5th-level
wizards).
Pentadrones can survive virtually any environ-
ment, withstanding temperature extremes from 2 10
degrees to -100F without discomfort. Cold, fire, and
acid attacks receive a -2 modifier per die of damage.
They are immune to illusion and mind-affecting magic,
and only weapons of +1 or better enchantment will
harm them.
Pentadrones have double human senses and double
 name), haste, detect goodlevil, and telekinesis (3,500-
gp-weight maximum). They are immune to psionics.
Each octon has a personal staff of one nonaton,
who in turn commands one decaton, who controls five
pentadrones, then 16 quadrones, 81 tridrones, 256 duo-
drones, and 1,728 monodrones through the chain of
command. These forces maintain towers which are
smaller versions of the towers of the quartons, the
secundi, and Primus, although they do not understand
who built those structures.
SEPTON (HIERARCH IVIODRON) : Septons are officials who
maintain order and see that all regulations have been
obeyed. Seven of them serve each hexton assigned to
the quintons. The septons travel from place to place as
inspectors and examiners of work and records, and they
are charged with transferral of information from outly-
ing areas to the towers of the regions, quarters, and the
capitol tower itself.
Septons appear as humanoids with large bald
heads. They have shoulder collars similar to those of
octons, although they are smaller and, while insufficient
to propel them through the air, they provide excellent
transport underwater.
In order to assure the proper performance of their
duties, each septon has seven senses which operate con-
tinuously: hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch, ESP (30-
foot range), and detect magic. They also are powerful
spellcasters, having the abilities of a 13th-level priest
and a 12th-level wizard.
Septons, as with all hierarchs that do not have psi-
onic ability, are completely immune to psionic attacks
and combat.
HEXTON (HIERARCH NfO----.. The hextons fulfill several
roles in modron life. First, they are the generals of the
36 modron armies. Second, six are attached to each of
the wheels of the realm, where they maintain the chain
of command in modron life. Another six serve at the
tower of Primus, although they are not aware of his
existence. There are undoubtedly more hextons, although
no one has ever logged all their posts.
Hextons appear as humanoids with six arms - two
large human arms with six fingers and four tentacles
tipped with sharp claws below. They have thin, fanlike
folded wings, joined at the shoulders.
Hextons use spells as 14th-level priests, but they
have no special spell-like abilities other than those
noted for all hierarch modrons. They are immune to all
psionic attacks.
There is a 75% chance that any hexton will be
accompanied by its personal guard: a staff of one sep-
ton, two octons, three nonatons, five decatons, and 25
pentadrones, all fanatic i n their dedication to their
orders.
c
QUINTON (HIERARCH MODRON): Quintons are the major
bureau chiefs and records keepers of Mechanus. Each
has a sexton assistant, seven septons, and one octon as
its staff. There are bureaus in each of the sectors and
quarter towers, five main bureaus in Primuss tower at
the capitol, and each of these bureaus is headed by a
quinton.
Quintons look like tall, stocky humanoids with four
flexible arms jutting out from the shoulders. Prehensile
tails serve as the creatures fifth arms. They have fanlike
wings similar to those of the hextons. As a symbol of
rank, the quintons have a diamond inscribed in their
foreheads.
Quintons are capable of casting legend lore as if the
questioned object or person were at hand (ld4 rounds).
They may detect good/evil at will and may cast spells as
15th-level priests.
QUARTON (HiEwm MODRON): Quartons administer the 16
sectors of the modron realm and oversee the operation
of the bureau, sector governors, and army units attached
to their regions. Each quarton has a personal staff of
those hierarchs assigned to his command, plus 36 pen-
tadrones that act as a guard unit. (These pentadrones
can only be told to guard the object resembling the
quarton, without ever understanding its role or purpose
in their lives.)
Quartons are 12-foot-tall humanoids with four
jointed arms and fanlike wings. They cast spells as 16th-
KARCH MODRON): Trial, judgment, and sen-
tencing of all creatures in the modron realm is the
province of the nine tertians. They supervise the quar-
tons and hear all crimes brought against the rigid ortho-
doxy of the realm. For the bulk of the modron popula-
tion, the tertians are alien and unfamiliar, the ultimate
impartial judges. If presented with a case against a duo-
drone, the base modron can only imagine (if it can
imagine at all) the tertian to be some incomprehensible
manifestation of the supreme logic - a super-tridrone
so to speak.
Most judgments deal with modron rogues, i.e., any
modron who strays from the proper order. In addition,
the tertians pass on the orders of the secundi, to whom
they all report.
Tertians look fairly human, except for their 12-foot
height, the horns jutting from the sides of their bald
heads, and their long prehensile tails that end in a
macelike ball. Anyone struck by this ball must success-
fully save vs. paralysis with a -4 penalty to the roll or
fall paralyzed until the tertian releases them. In addi-
tion, tertians may cast spells as 17th-level priests and
20th-level wizards. As with other hierarchs, they cannot
use psionics, b e also immune to them.
SECUNDUS (HIERARCH MODRON) : The four secundi, viceroys
of the quarters, are the virtual rulers of Mechanus,
reporting only to Primus. Each secundus has a staff of
two tertians, who in turn command other heirarchs.
The secundi appear as incredibly thin and tall
humanoids with long, narrow faces and deep-set eyes.
They cast spells as 18th-level priests and 20th-level
wizards. If a secunduss attack roll exceeds the number
needed to hit by 5 or more, the victim is stunned until
the secundus releases him, unless the victim is of
demigod or higher status.
The secundi live in great towered cities near the
centers of their quarters. They always live in harmony
with one another, except during those extremely rare
times when a new Primus must be chosen (see below).

PRIMUS (THEONE AND THE PRIME): Primus is the ruler of all

the modron realm. It and it alone understands the whole
structure of the modron race, since it sits at its pinnacle.
From there it decrees what is order, writes the laws, and
establishes the rules and regulations. All other modrons
exist to carry out the plans and obey the rules of
Primus. Failure to meet this powerful creatures stan-
dards will result in a modron being declared rogue and
sentenced accordingly.
Primus is a huge being who rises from an energy
pool in the central part of its great tower at the center of
the plane (although Primus also may appear as a normal
androgynous human). In giant form Primuss hands are
unseen, for the right one is swathed in bright rainbow
hues and the left is covered with inky dark clouds.
Within Mechanus, Primus has the status of a
greater power, except it is possible for Primus to die,
albeit only under near-impossible conditions. Its sole
concern is for the modrons. It does not send avatars to
other planes or even take part in the normal bickering
and wars of the planar powers. All modrons with
priestly powers gain their spells directly from it.
The death of Primus does not break the link in
modron society, for like all gaps, the vacancy is filled by
promotion of the one of the secundi. However, the
process usually creates turmoil since, without a Primus,
chaos is allowed to enter into the perfection of modron
society. Some scholars have mistakenly interpreted this
chaos as civil war within this orderly race. The first act
of the new Primus is to return order to its race, a process
which can take some time.

R e G U E UNILES
Even in the perfect modron world there is disorder, and
sometimes this disorder strikes at the very fabric of the
I NICgPeNA 1
her, a nic bpona may choose to deliver a powerful kick
with her hind legs. (However, this means the nicEpona
forgoes any other attack that round, as she spends the
round bracing and balancing herself for the delivery of
this mighty blow.) A nicEpona attacks as though her
entire body were a +2 weapon, allowing her to hit those
beings that take damage only from magic or silver. Note
that the nicEpona do not actually gain the +2 bonus to
hit or damage, but merely have the ability to hit crea-
tures immune to lesser weapons.
When in a herd of 20 or greater, the nicEpona can
also create a stampede to sweep over their enemies. The
stampede is 20 yards wide and at least two nicEpona
deep (one nicEpona every two yards). Each additional
group of 10 nicEpona widens the stampede by 20 yards
or adds another rank of the creatures - they spread out
according to the number of opponents arrayed against
them. The steeds charge without fear and never need to
check Morale in a stampede. They require 50 yards to
build up good speed, at which point anyone in their
path suffers 10d6 points of damage per round for a
number of rounds equal to the number of ranks of
nicEpona, divided by 4 (round up). For example, if
there are three ranks of nicEpona, anyone in their path
suffers 10d6 points of damage for a single round. If
there are eight ranks, opponents suffer 10d6 points for
two rounds. Victims are allowed a save vs. spell for half
damage.
The nicEpona also boast an impressive defense.
They can be hit only by weapons of +2 or greater power,
or by those whose innate abilities allow them to strike
as a +2 weapon, like themselves.
They are also completely immune to charm-related
spells, and theyre aware of it when someone attempts to
use magic to gain their trust. Even magical items that
charm animals have no effect on the nicEpona, for they
are not normal horses. However, since this immunity is
not widely known, the nicEpona delight in pretending to
fall under the sway of such magic, then abandoning the
caster on an unfriendlv dane. often in a bad situation.
_ I
The most striking feature of the nicEpona defense
ir ability to plane shift (as the spell) at will, requir-
ing but a few steps in which to work the magic. They
can travel to any point in any of the Outer Planes that
they have seen, although realms of unfriendly powers
are closed to them unless theyre specifically invited. If
combat is not going her way, a nicEpona takes a few
steps back, charges at her foe, and plane shifts just
before contact, leaving a rainbow silhouette that fades
after a few moments. Her hooves glow with a faint pur-
ple fire when she activates this power.
Finally, nicEpona are able to keep their footing on
any surface, from water t o quicksand to air. Their
hooves create an momentary causeway upon which
ey gallop, giving the impression that they are flying,
running across water, or performing some other appar-
ently impossible feat. They can even run up vertical sur-
faces, treating the transition from horizontal to vertical
as just another step. (This can be a bit jarring for riders
who are unused to it.) The nicEpona can activate this
fleeting causeway for one tumlhour; when they do so,
their hooves flare with a bright blue flame. No creature
other than the nicEpona can use the causeway (except a
rider).
HABITAT/SOCIETY: Though they appear to be solitary crea-
tures, nicEpona gather in great herds in the realm of Tir
na Og, on the Outlands. Though they have free rein
through the planes, they call Tir na O g home because it
is the home of their patron power, Epona. When they
are at home, they have little to do with the planars,
primes, and petitioners who come to them for favors or
transport through the planes. Since they have the com-
pany of their own kind in Tir na Og, they do not need
that of ordinary mortals. They break this rule only for
those they call friends, or for those whom they owe a
debt of honor.
ECOLOGY: NicEpona are all female, despite persistent
rumors of male nicEpona. They are produced by the
union of a nicEpona with a male equine (a horse, pega-
sus, or unicorn). The offspring of such a union are
nicEpona if female, but take after the father if they are
male. The herd is extremely protective of its foals and
will turn en masse on anyone who attempts the theft of
one, harrying the thief through the planes if necessary.
Eponas daughters are gregarious, enjoying the
company and attentions of other beings. Occasionally
they will come into contact with adventurer-types,
engaging them in conversation in an attempt to learn
interesting gossip and places to travel. If treated well
and entertained, each nicEpona may offer to carry a
person from one plane to another.
Those who would ride one of Eponas daughters
should have fine gifts and flattering words to court her
affections. They must first win her trust, for if she has
faith in the rider, she will provide transport - one time
and one time only - to the destination of the riders
choice. If the rider does something to betray this trust,
the nicEpona can easily deposit the rider i n some
inhospitable plane. Baator is a favorite stopping point
for nicEpona burdened with irksome riders.
If the nicEpona is particularly well-treated, or
learns devotion for a being, she will allow that being to
name her. Thereafter, she will respond to the name,
treating it as a summons up to three times (more at the
DMs discretion, though DMs should be advised that
even three times is an exceptional number). She will
arrive within ldlO rounds, galloping across the planes
Lobear her friend away from whatever danger menaces.
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Their greatest combat advantage is in their maneu-
FREQUENCY: Very rare verability. They live in the air, constantly and forever
ORGANIZATION: Pack Even when they fight their feet never touch ground
ACTIVITY
CYCLE: Any When battling landlings, spirits of the air enjoy a -;
DIET: Special modifier on all initiative rolls. When fighting flying
INTELLIGENCE
: Average creatures of maneuverability class B or less, they have P
TREASURE: Nil -1 initiative modifier. It is only when faced with a crea.
ALIGNMENT: Neutral ture as maneuverable as themselves that the spirits of
the air lose their combat advantage.
No. APPEARING: Every spirit of the air radiates a 30-yard-radius
ARMOR CLASS: magical aura in which the spirit can control winds at
MOVEMENT: 12, F1 24(C) will, provided its attention is not occupied by combat
HITDICE: 11 (50 hp) Beyond this restriction, the spirit of the air can control
THACO: 9 winds while performing virtually any other activity.
No. OF ATTACKS: 2 Spirits of the air can be struck only by weapons o1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d10 (x2) + 1 or greater enchantment.
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Initiative bonus, control winds
SPECIAL DEFENSES:+ 1 or better weapon needed to HABITATISOCIETY: Spirits of the air are not aggressive
hit beings. Unshackled by their own pleasures, they would
MAGICRESISTANCE: Nil ignore the world to revel in the sheer joy of flight, for
SIZE: L (8tall) they have no need of anything else. They are, however
MORALE: Fearless (19) not so free. The spirits of the air serve the powers
XP VALUE: 4,000 good, evil, lawful, chaotic, or neutral - without ques
tion. It is their duty, bound upon them by forces lon
Spirits of the air are minions of powers associated with forgotten.
wind and air - most of these deities are elemental in An ancient legend describes their lot in life:
nature, but any god who can create and control the
wind can create and control a spirit of the air. These When the powers made the multi
creatures are fierce in their desires to obey and serve. looked at all the work they had done
They may be mere messengers or full-fledged proxies. that it was complete, except for its final
Spirits of the air appear to be large batlike crea- tion. The annihilation of their work wa
tures with black skin, large wings, clawed feet, and remained to be done in eternity, the last t
tusked monkey heads. They dress in resplendent, shim- to create. This eventuality was a
mering fabric that would put the finest silk or spider them, and yet it made them happy, a
thread to shame. Their clothes are more colorful than Truly we are omniscient, for we can vi
the rainbow, in ever-shifting hues that are impossible to end of all we have made. Since we have fore
name. Their voices are melodiously sweet or gratingly this end, we do not need to create it, and our
h, but never are the same at once. ation will live incomplete forever.
Spirits of the air are born white as the chills of But the powers were not truly omnisc
winter, but each endless day under the sun loads their they had never seen the source of their o
essences with the colors of the world. At night their col- ation. This error hid many others from thei
ors wash away in the silver of the moon. The cleansing yet it soon grew plain to them that they
tickles their spirits until their laughter is heard wafting for after they spoke, they realized the v
through the night. With the dawn their burdensome col- of their words had given life to the air arou
ors return like the sighs of the morning breeze. them. Before they could stop them, the creat
words took shape and flight, becoming silvery 1
COMBAT: Spirits of the air fight as 11-HD creatures. Their beings who mocked their parents hubris.
range of weaponry is broad, but a typical choice is a Such disrespect by their children angered the
longbow or darts for missile attacks and a two-handed powers who, still being powerful, (but not omni-
sword or footmans mace for melee combat. Although scient) drew in their breaths, stealing back some
these weapons have no magical bonuses, they are the life they had given. Thus, the spirits of the air
imbued with the might of their patron and can strike were bound by the will of the powers. Hence, the
creatures requiring +3 weapons or better to hit. This wispy children forever hear within themselves the
property is inherent, so no such power is gained by breathing of the gods, whose rhythmic sighs cany
other creatures who would wield their weapons. secret messages to their aerial messengers.

I
air fin& its own ti

It is said that in the

hand can follow the eye, the

their parents, forming thoug
preparing deeds, thought by thou
break free. It is said that in this
hidden from each other - slave

which is the fie?

It is in the midst

them in a bittersweet and s

ECOLOGY:Cr'eatures of the gods, the spin

feed upon the-happiness of others, shari

bread freely broken at the meal, and they
amongst the sunbeams. When they die, their
release the burdensome colors trapped with
out rainbows to paint all things around. The
forth bright implings full of play and mirth,
more than a hour or two. These can't be
charmed, nor can glass contain them. B
knowledge of the world, they have no i
They merely play parts in the spirits' dreams of another
life or whirl about adventurers' heads, gibbering and I

laughing in high-pitched, high-speed voices.

 SkylPlane of Air
Very rare
Solitary
Any
Unknown
Non
TREA~URE
: Nil

0
15
2+
THACO: ,
No. OF ArrAc~
See below
Nil
Nil
Nil
Variable
C
2

Those few who have seen them usually think vorte

are miniature whirlwinds,. little dust devils about
size of a m a l l jug, but what they see is not the v
itself."Rather, it's the air wrapped like a secon
around the being within. Peel the airy element
mad motion, and underneath is a small roun
sphere the size Of child's ball, which is the colo
 Is it alive? The answer is: who knows? It has no
eyes, no mouth, no features that reveal a spirit. It shows
few signs of intelligence or consciousness. The vortex
only spins, bobbles, and weaves like a sublime dervish.
Perhaps it dreams only of the endless gyrations of the engulfs (if possible) the new tar
worlds. and speed of movement make
COMBAT
small size would portend. It is far from malevolent -
indeed, it seems blind to the presence of others - but in
that blindness it is dangerous. Not surprisingly, straight
lines are foreign to the creature, and when it moves, it
changes directions quickly and without any discernable carrying in them all the energy of their plane. After all,
pattern. Spinning so randomly, there is a chance the they do not eat anything that can be seen, nor do they
vortex will hit any one creature within 5 feet of it. If reproduce and spread their numbers.
there are multiple targets, the DM should randomly Not so, claim others, who believe that the vortexes
letermine which one will be struck. are the spawn of the plane itself, cast out to create a
A vortex spins into a target by making an attack
roll, ignoring the armor worn by the target. Only nat-
ural Armor Class and Dexterity bonuses are applied. If
the hit is successful and the target is man-sized or
smaller, the vortex engulfs the victim. Creatures larger
than man sized are not enveloped, although the winds
still swirl partially around them. If a character is
engulfed by a vortex, he or she suffers no immediate
damage, but is caught in the whirling cone of air and
begins to spin with it.
The victim usually remains trapped until the vortex
is killed. After the first round, the victim suffers l d 3
points of damage per round. There is also a 5% cumula-
tive chance per round that the spinning victim will be
instantly killed by a particularly violent current or by
crashing into a solid object.
If the target too large and is struck but not en-
gulfed, the vortex causes no damage. However, the
whirling winds effectively prevent action for ld4 rounds,
as all effort is spent staying balanced and upright
against the mini-cyclone. Creatures of huge size or
greater are completely unaffected by the vortexs attack.
A victim trapped inside the whirlwind cannot
meak free of the winds without some form of outside
anchor, like the hand of a companion or a tree limb.
Securing a grip requires a successful attack roll with a
-4 penalty, and once the anchor is seized, a bend
barsllift gates roll must be successfully rolled to break
e of the vortex.
Alternatively, the victim can attempt to slay the
x, thus ending the whirlwind. Only small weapons
as a dagger can be used. Using spells, scrolls,
Ions, and most magical items is impossible. All
pts by the trapped person to hit the vortex suffer a
nalty on the attack roll. Those outside the whirl-
can also attack (without the penalty), but if any
ow misses, a second attack roll must be made against

I
the trapped characte
 CLIMATE~TERRAIN: Lower Planes
1.. FREQUENCY:. Rare
ORGANIZATION: SoIitary
ACTIVITYCYCLE: Any
DIET: I - Any .
i INTELLIGENCE: Exceptional
TREASURE: I
ALIGNMENT: Neutral evil

1 No. APPEARING:1
P
ARMOR CLASS: -1
p MOVEMENT: 18
DI'cE: 10 +.20 hp
I

1.1
1
2 d4
Gaze inspires fear
SPECIAL
DEFENSES: Nil
MAGICRESISTANCE: 80% to 1st-level spells
SIZE: M (5' tall)
MORALE: Champion (15)
xp VALUE: 7,000

The marraenoloths are a special type of yugoloth. The

thin, gray, pale-eyed humanoids are easily identified by
their skeletal faces, somber hooded robes, and eyes that
glow ied when they are angry. They are a cold species,
mercenary at heart, like all yugoloths. They are tele-
pathic and, in addition to speaking all languages, main-
tain mental contact with others of their race at all times.

. COMBAT: Marraenoloths have all the standard powers of

tho yugoloths, but also use the following powers at will:
alter seK animate dead, cause disease, charm person,
improved phantasmal force, produce flame, and teleport
. ' without error. In addition, marraenoloths can gate in
ld6 hydroloths (75% chance), should the need arise.
*
These yugololhs are not great warriors, attacking
only with tiheir bony fangs. When angered, a mar-
raenoloth's eyes glow fiery red, and anyone confronted
by this horrifying gaze must successfully save vs. spell
or be affected as by a fear spel1:The marraenoloth will
then summon hydroloths to fight for it.
Marraenoloths have 80% magic resistance to 1st-
. . level spells. This resistance decreases by 5% for each
higher level of spell. (Thus, a marraenoloth's resistance
to 7th-level spells is only 5OVo.) They are immune to
acid, fire, and poison, and they suffer only half damage
from gases. Their greatest weakness is cold-based
, attacks, which inflict double damage upon them.
 Marraenoloths are unique among the
HABITAAT/SOCIETY: of each other, all

in the minds of others. They are ferrymen and

only. Other fiends would love to subvert
raenoloths to spy on their Blood War en
creatures are only concerned with
Marraenoloths have an innat
twists and bends of the River S
never get lost (unless it
creatures also can pilot

J

-1 legs; 8 hnrlv
you don't mind." [testily]
"Why is that?" [calmly, hint ofsmugness]
[pause]"There isn't much to tell." [reiuc-
tan tly]
"Why?" [ p e nis tm tiy]
"Because there isn't, there just !
&
s
j Can't
you get that through your finned head?" [voice
rises]
"No. Tell me. Tell me about them."
[smoothiy]
"They're foul fowl, foul fowl, FOUL FOWL,
that's why! Just look out the window! Or can't
you see through those slitted eyes of
yours?!"
"Calm down. There's nothing there.
You're safe here." [pause]"Now, unburden
yourself - it'll he better for-"
[interjecting]"-oh, my gods!" [points
out window] "They're coming! Now! For
me!"
"Well, it's about time." [re-
lieiied tone: gestures to nearby
technicians] "Restrain her."
I
C. Emmet Runn, the ab0
classic - at least on the p
cheron. The play is based on t
verbane, who had appointed herself t
task of cataloguing all the lawful bird1
in the multiverse. Begun when she was
only 400 years old, her travels led her
the iron cubes that comprise much
Shaped like round, plump quail, th
had four legs and tiny,atrophied
Their legs and beak shone with metall'
glimmers. The birds' feathers were
came in glorious, yet curiously
Then one day Fionara came across a
achaierai recently deceased. Eager to
form a closer examination, she began
secting the bird. She had just ope
up the breast cavity and was
checking the birds internal
organs when two
achaierai came through a
tunnel toward her.
 ? The achaierais metallic legs are AC -1, whereas its
Unbeknownst (then) to Fionara, achaierai are extra-
ordinarily intelligent and highly organized. These two
had arrived to cremate their flockmate. The achaierai
were revolted beyond measure at the sight of someone
dissecting one of their own. They captured Fionara and
presented her crime to the rest of the flock. To a bird,
all demanded reparation: They condemned her to feel
the same overwhelming revulsion they had felt. But
Fionara was a scientist and steeled herself well. During
the first few centuries of her captivity, she withstood
whatever torments the birds devised.
Curiously, the achaierai let Fionara keep her jour-
nals. She wrote in them daily, recording minute details
about her captors. An entire century was devoted to the
relationship between the achaierai and rust dragons. The
birds had long domesticated some of these large, insec-
toid creatures, using them to burrow tunnels through the
iron cubes of Acberon. The dragons were far more than
mere work animals, however. A single remark from
Fionaras journals sums up the link between these two
disparate species: I have never seen such . . . devotion
between master and animal; it rivals that between Ayla,
my cooshee [elven dog], and me.
As the years progressed and the achaierai devel-
oped more and more ingenious methods of torture,
there developed a contest of wills between the lone
gray elf and the achaierai flock. She would not submit
- and ultimately she won, though in the end thats
what broke her.
Fionara escaped to Sigil and delivered her journals
to the grandson of a long-ago friend, and then promptly
succumbed to madness. She was convinced the birds
were after her, that this was all some truly elaborate plot
to break her. She spent her remaining decades in an in-
sane asylum, where the mindsmith C. Emmet Runn in-
terviewed Fionara, decided to become a playwright, and
subsequently wrote an award-winning play about her
(the first of many such plays for him).
Co : Achaierai are skilled opponents, using two of
their four legs to attack per round. Each successful hit
causes 2d8 points of damage. If an opponent is 10 feet or
taller (or is raised to that height), the achaierai can also
bite with its exceedingly wicked beak, inflicting 3d12
points of damage.
soft body is AC 8. In melee combat, however, the legs are
the birds weak point. Should a leg sustain 15 or more
points of damage, the leg will break and the bird will try
to flee. Its movement rate is unaffected until it loses two
legs, at which point the rate is halved.
If a bird loses three legs or is otherwise seriously
wounded, it will release a stink cloud of black toxic
smoke, filling a cubic area approximately 10 feet square.
Those opponents caught within the cloud take 2d6
points of damage automatically and must save versus
poison or suffer from insanity for 3 hours. In the confu-
sion that follows, the bird drags itself away to safety at
a movement rate of 6 , using its pitifully short wings to
help it scramble.
As the absolutely last resort, achaierai use their
domesticated rust dragons to defend their lairs. This is
often a sacrificial gesture, however. The dragons create
a diversion, allowing whatever remains of the flock to
escape.
HABIT> f: Achaierai are gregarious birds, forming
small flocks of Id8 members. These smaller flocks fre-
quently congregate, particularly during their sporadic
migrations. As Fionara Silverbane noted in her stndies,
achaierai have no set pattern for migration. They simply
gather together, attach harnesses to many of their rust
dragons, and fly to another cube in Avalas. In her long
sojourn with the birds, Fionara recorded only 14 such
migrations.
Achaierai mate for life, living some 30 years. Every
year a mated pair produces a clutch of two eggs. The
mortality rate among young achaierai is high - most
notably because of their clutchmates. Achaierai reach
adulthood at age three and can speak all bird languages
and Planespeak (the planar equivalent of common).
These birds have an interesting symbiosis with the
rust dragons inhabiting Acheron. Achaierai periodically
gather rust cocoons and care for the metamorphosing
creatures inside until they hatch into mst dragons.
Fionara Silverbane noted considerable affection between
the two species, much like dogs and humans. The
dragons help create tunnels in the metal cubes for the
achaierai to make their lairs. What the rust dragons re-
ceive in return - beside affection - not even Fionara
could determine.
ECOLOGY:Found almost exclusively in the layers of
Avalas and Thuldanin on the plane of Acheron, achaierai
have been spotted on the Prime Material Plane, loitering
in dark caverns and tunnels. They are carnivorous birds,
though they supplement their diet with a considerable
amount of iron, which exudes out of their exposed flesh
and accounts for the high Armor Class of their legs.
 LE ? HOUN i swo THRONE n
c L I m T E m : Mount Celestia __
FREQUENCY: Common Common Uncommon Rare Very rare Very rare Very rare
OROANIZATION: Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy Hierarchy
AnrvrnDIcLE: Any Any h Y h Y Any h Y b Y
Dm: Nil Omnivore Herbivore Nil Mead Nectar Amhrosia
INlTLLIGENCE: LOW ( 6 ) Average (91 Very (11) High (13) Except. (15) Genius (17) Supra (19)
TREASURE: Nil Nil Nil lil N Nil
ALIGNMENT: -Lawful good -
No.&PWG: 3d6 1d6 1d3 1 1
ARMoff a s s : 5 -1 -5 -3 -7 -5
MOVEMENT: F1 24 (A, 15 15, F1 18 (C) 12, F1 21 (B) 15, F1 36 @ ) I 15, FI 18 (C)
Hrr DICE: - 8 10 11 12 20
mco: 20 13 11 11 7 9
No.o~Amc~s:2 3 or 1 3 4 2 2 2
DAMAGE/AT~ACX:
ld611d6 ld4/ld4/ ld8/ld8/ 2d4/2d4/ ldlO/ldlO 101~/1dl2 ldlO/ldlO
ld8orby 2d6 2d4/2d4
weapon
SPEW Amms: Light rays Shape Bear hug, Dive, Trumpet, Vorpal sword, Light rays,
change spell use spell use spell use spell use spell use
SPECIALDESNSES: +1 or better +1 or better +2 or better +2 or better +3 or better +3 or better +3 or better
weapon weapon weapon weapon weapon weapon weapon
to hit to hit to hit to hit to hit to hit to hit
MnGrc REstsTANcE: Nil 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
sm: S M L L L L L
(3 feet tall) (6 feet tall) (8 feet tall) (8 feet tall) (7 feet tall) (10 feet tall) (8 feet tall)
bi0UM.E: Fanatic (18) Fanatic 118) Fanatic 1181 Fanatic 118) Fanatic (18) Fanatic (18) Fanatic 118)
m VALUE: 975 2,000 7,000 14,000 15.000 16,000 23,000

When wing'edflight doth catch my eye,
will itflit to yonder light -
or linger long on trumpetflare?
Che petitioners of Mount Celestia, archons have charged
hemselves with the protection of the plane and all those
who are innocent or free of evil within its breathtaking
ristas. When a lawful-good mortal dies, his spirit goes to
This plane (frequently called the Seven Heavens by
prime-material adventurers). There his essence is trans-
formed into the body of a lantern archon, the lowcst of
the celestial hierarchy. However, not all lawful-good
spirits are changed into archons. Some, like dwarves and
halflings, become petitioners in the realms of their pow-
ers, physically unaltered.
Seven types of archons populate the seven layers of
Mount Celestia. Each bas a radically different appear-
ance (as is evidenced by the illustrations in this entry),
though all radiate an aura of goodness, peace, and law.
Only when threatened or in baffle do archons lose this
calm aura.
As both petitioners and guardians of Mount Celes-
tia, archons are doubly vested in protecting their home
or Baator (two planes whose residents long to control the
orderly Mount). Archons abhor combat, but when they
must fight they do so with a vengeance. With ire glint-
ing in their eyes, archons willingly enter baffle against
those who would despoil their plane. Simply entering a
fray they are intimidating sights, hut they become even
more so when they send forth their aura of extreme
menace. Those who feel this aura must save versus spell
(at +1 for lantern, no modifier for hound, -1 for warden,
-2 for sword, -3 for trumpet, -4 for throne, -5 for tome)
or suffer a -2 penalty to each attack roll until they suc-
cessfully hit the archon, at which point the menacing
aura disappears.
In addition to creating this aura, all archons can use
one of the following abilities once per round at will (un-
less otherwise stated):
+ Continual light
+ Detect evil
+ Infravision
+ Protection from evil, 10-foot radius (alwaya
active)
+ Teleportation without error
+ Tongues (always active)
 Although a person can guess an archons station
merely by its appearance, theres an equally simple wa-7
to judge it: by which metal accoutrements adorn the ar
chon. This ornamentation serves a twofold purposc
First, the items worn indicate whether it is a hound, war
den, or whatever. The text on each type of archon indi-
cates if it wears a collar, bracers or greaves, breastplate,
helmet, or some combination thereof.
Second, the quality of the metal shows an archons
virtue within its station. From lowest to highest, the
order is lead, tin, brass, bronze, silver, gold, and plat-
inum. For example, platinum rather than brass accoutre-
ments on a warden archon signify its greater obedience
to the higher order - its virtue, if you will - and its
greater willingness to serve Law and Good. Once it
reaches a still higher stage of goodness, it will be trans-
formed into a sword archon wearing lead appointments;
it will start the process of advancement all over again in
its new station. A visitor to Mount Celestia is likely to
see any number of archons of a given station, each
wearing different metals.
When an archon reaches the next state of goodness,
it is not fitted with new metal accoutrements; rather, the
metal simply transmogrifies into the next state. Because
the metal is actually part of an archons body and can-
not be removed, its unaffected by anything that might
change normal metal - including metal-altering spells.
The purpose of the metal appointments isnt to confine
or hinder or even protect, but to remind the archon of its
station so that it might strive to its next level.
All archons of a given station are equal, regardless
of whether they have lead or gold accoutrements. The
especially virtuous (those with precious metals) com-
mand just as many lower archons as do the new or less
virtnous [those with base metals). Theres no difference
within a station except that a more virtuous member
rises to the next rank (or metal) faster. Theres also no
jealousy among archons, and theres almost never
been a recorded instance of one turning stag on its 1
brethren in order to advance. The one archon who
did turn stag decided he was better off in Baator,
where baatezu reward a being for manipulation and
scheming; rnmor has it hes clawed his way up to gelu-
gon status now. No, on Mount Celestia archons are re-
warded for good and virtuous behavior, and that means
theyre content to stay in their forms until they advanc-
Nevertheless, its a joyous day when either body or met
changes.
Given the archons absorption in the philosophy of
goodness and law, its not surprising that they dont
covet treasure. They are beyond accumulating worldly
goods, seeking only to gain treasures of another sort: ce-
lestial understanding, compassion, and so forth. They
dont accept money, nor do they bargain with it. Eve
extremely rare magical items hold no lure for archons.
ZlANeEERN A R C H e N S
Lanterns, lowest of archons, appear as floating ballsaf
light. They are the equivalent of the infantry in prime-
material armies. Newly amved to Mount Celestia, these
petitioners struggle to prove their worth in order to ad-
vance in station. However, their desire is not so much
advancement as a longing to help those in need. Alone
of archons, they bear no metal appointments.
COMBAT:In combat, lantern archons fire rays of
light twice a round at their foes. Those who are pure of
heart and intend no harm to an archon are unaffected by
the rays, while others suffer ld6 points of damage per
hit. The range is 30 feet, with no modifiers.
Because of their incorporeal nature, lantern archons
arent hurt by nonmagical weapons, and even magical
weapons cause only half damage. Lanterns are affected
by magic, however, though they are immune to para-
lyzation and charm spells. Likewise, spells that require a
corporeal body to cast a spell upon are ineffectke
against these archons.
HABITAT/SaCrETY: Lanterns are very friendly, often
helping neophyte adventurers. (Accordingly, theyre a
perfect introduction to Mount Celestia for prime-mater-
ial player characters.) As incorporeal beings, however,
they cant do much physically to help travelers. Instead,
they act as sources of information about Mount Celestia,
as guides to the plane, or as fonts of inspiration (often in
the form of parables and metaphors).
ECOLOGY:The most common archon, lanterns are
typically found only on the first layer of Mount Celestia.
There they absorb the light and essence of the plane,
needing nothing more to sustain them. Sometimes they
serve as messengers to the upper layers, and they can
teleport to wherever needed when summoned by a
hound archon. Their onlv
~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~ ~
.,- goal
is to reach the next sta-
tion of goodness - that
of the hounds.
Hound archons are powerfully muscled humans who Wardens are best described as hulking humans wit1
have canine heads. Their broad shoulders and large fists grizzly-bear heads. Their hands, though human-shaped
mark them as able hand-to-hand combatants; likewise, end in claws. Their eyes, tiny and bright like a bears, re-
their strong legs indicate that fleeing enemies might not flect extreme intelligence. They have the great strengtl
get very far before being brought down. The hounds are
the guardians of the first and second layers, and they
command the lantern archons in the defense of Mount
Celestia. They wear simple metal collars.
COMBKK: Like most other archons, hounds fight only
to defend Mount Celestia or themselves. If the cause is
just, or the defendant innocent of evil, hound archons
will also defend those who are unable to protect them-
selves against a mightier foe. Regardless of their
motivation for battle, hounds fight with a will.
When they attack, they can use weapons,
though they prefer their natural abilities. The
fists cause ld4 points of damage each, while
their fierce bite causes Id8 points.
Hounds can also shape change into any
type of dog or wolf, though they cant take
the form of a lycanthrope. While in their
animal form, they can use any of its natural
abilities, as well as all of their own. They are immune
to nonmagical weapons - regardless of which form
they are in.
Each hound archon has a telepathic link to 100
lantern archons. Whenever theres t
spread the message via its lanterns (which pass
word quickly indeed). If a hound everenters co
it can expect ldlO lanterns to amve each round u
all 100 are gathered.
HABITAT/SOCIETY: Guardians of the lanterns
the first and second layers of Mount Celestia,
also serve as planar hosts. Much like the
helpful lanterns, the hound archons wel-
come travelers to Mount Celestia. The
will gladly direct a planewalker to
where he wants to go - though ofte
with a watchful eye.
ECOLOGY: Hound archons can
eat anything set before them, as
long as its organic. They have no
oreference for meat or olant matter. and i
affects them adversely. Interestingly, they do
hunt for meat or harvest vegetation, prefer-
ring instead to subsist on gifts of food
offered by visitors. Hounds can live in-
definitely until the next offering, per-
haps subsisting on the remnants of
planar essence gleaned as lanterns.
They lose this ability once they have
metamomhosed to the next station of
goodness - that of warden.
 and acute senses of a grizzly bear, though not its unpre-
dictable nature. Wardens converse via telepathy, though
they can (and often do) communicate vocally with ur-
sine animals. They wear collars and arm bracers.
1 COrmAT: Warden archons are never surprised - at
least on Mount Celestia. Since they've never been en-
countered beyond that plane's borders, it's still dark as to
whether they can be surprised elsewhere. Furthermore,
they've been known to play stupid in order to draw an
enemy near, often confusing a clueless onlooker into
thinking the wardens might not be so smart (the enemy,
of course, quickly
discovers otherwise).
If said enemy is foolish enough to approach, think-
ing himself undetected, the warden archon attacks as if
it were a bear. Each hand delivers ld8 points of damage,
and its powerful bite causes 2d6 more. If both hands hit
in a single round, the warden grabs its enemy and wraps
him in a powerful hug. This hug delivers ldlO points of
additional damage, allowing the warden to make its bite
attack at +4. To break free, a victim must make a suc-
cessful bend barsllift gates roll. Until he breaks free, he
cannot use his arms or hands for combat - nor can he
cast any spells.
Wardens have access to the lesserlgreater divina-
'on schools of wizards as well as spells from the priestly
ivination sphere. A warden can cast any spell of 4th
eve1 or lower as if it were an 8th-level priest. Although
ny given spell can be cast only once per day, the
en can cast at will.
HnsITAT/SOCrETY: Wardens arc the guardians of the
portals between Mount Celestia's layers. These archons
prevent unworthy cutters and unauthorized
travelers from passing through. Like-
wise, they prevent lanterns from jour-
neying upward through the layers,
though they grant dispensation to
those lanterns relaying messages.
ECO~.OGY:Unlike grizzly bears,
which devour virtually any edible
foodstuffs, warden archons are
herbivores. They are prodigious
eaters, consuming any roots, veg-
etation, shrubbery, and even trees
found in their home. However,
they cat only for one hour at the
break of day, and they will forgo
this repast if need be. Some sages
speculate that the warden ar-
chons' tremendous consumption
is in preparation for their next
station, for sword archons con-
sume nothing.
. A _________ :
Sword archons auuear as mostlv"
ordinary humans - except most or-
dinary humans don't have wings in
place of arms. Their hair is silvery,
and their eyes glow with inner light.
They wear collars, leg greaves, and
breastplates.
COMBAT: Sword archons can at-
tack four times per round with their
powerful bite, inflicting 2d4 points of
ARCHQN
damage for each successhl hit. Swords can also dive to
attack, if they have 100 feet in which to move. This at-
tack causes 2d10 points of damage. While diving, its AC
is -8 because of its great speed. Swords can also cast
spells at will from any priest sphere as if they were 15th-
level priests.
HABIT&SOcmY: Swords carry messages from tome
archons (and sometimes from the powers themselves) to
all of Mount Celestia's layers. These missives proclaim
the word of the higher ranking archons - usually gems
of wisdom disseminated for the benefit of lower-level ar-
chons. Thus, the amval of a sword is always regarded
with some anticipation, even if the message is of im-
pending war.
ECOLOGY:Sword archons aren't known to consume
anything.
.. + They can also attack twice per round with their powerful
T R U IIIPE 1)1
ARCHeNS
Trumpet archons
look much like avariel,
1
+ able influence, both spiritual and temporal. Indeed, they
or winged elves, save that
trumpets are even more fair. Each
archon of this type wears a collar and breastplate. Each
also cames a single silver trumpet, which it blows to an-
nounce its arrival upon reaching any destination and
upon its return to Mount Celestia. The sound emitted
from this trumpet is one of utter clarity and piercing
beauty. Nonarchons who hear the trumpet must save
versus spell; failure means paralyzation for Id4 rounds.
COMBAT: Though they disdain combat, trumpet ar-
chons are highly capable warriors. Their trumpets in-
stantly change to silver swords +3, which they use to
attack twice per round for Id10 points of damage for
each successful hit. If an archon's trumpet is stolen (in
either trumpet or sword form), it transforms into a use-
less chunk o f lead - and woe betide the poor thief
should the archon discover him!
Trumpet archons can also cast spells from all priest
spheres as if they were 17th-level priests.
HABITAT/SOUEI'Y:Trumpet archons serve as the mes-
sengers of higher archons and the powers, but they also
have a far more dangerous duty: They escort the spirit of
a newly dead being hack to its body if it's resurrected or
raised. In performing this duty, the trumpets - alone of all
archons - are free to leave the confines of Mount Celes-
tia. Thus, they are held in some awe by their brethren.
Interestingly, trumpets are the only archon group in
"hich one rules over others of the same station. Israfel,
a trumpet, is known as the lord of heralds. He assigns the
Jther trumpets to their duties.
ECOLOGY:Trumpets consume only mead. Unlike the
mortal version, the mead trumpets drink is made from
the flowering plants of Mount Celestia. It is exception-
I
ally potent stuff. Legend has it that this mead enhances
longevity, though that may only he rumor.
I
A metal-clad human, with golden skin and fair hair, best
describes the appearance of a typical throne archon.
These archons wear helmets and carry swords, and they
are protected by breastplates that radiate light.
COMBAT: Throne archons avoid combat whenever
they can, instead sending their minions forth to fight
their battles. However, they can cast spells from all wiz-
ard schools and priest spheres as if they were 18th level.
vorpal swords +5, causing Id12 points of damage with
each successful attack.
HABITAT/SOCIET(: These archons rule the cities and
realms of Mount Celestia; as such, they've got consider-
are said to he the tme rulers of the archons, though the
tome archons technically rule over more area as each is
assigned to a single layer. However, the thrones are more
involved with the day-to-day cares of a lawful reign,
mediating disputes, resolving conflicts, and exemplify-
ing goodness. Thrones do not politically squabble, in-
stead gathering peacefully to negotiate differences. They
can command any archon who falls into their purview.
ECOLOGY:Throne archons rank only slightly below
the tomes. Thrones subsist entirely on nectar, which is
derived from combining the praise of lower archons with
the celestial fruits found in the Seventh Heaven. They
consume no other food.
+ TQIIIE ARCHtDNS +
Tome archons, the rulers of the seven layers, look like
winged humans with hawk heads. Their bodies are cov-
ered with armor - a point to remember, for their primary
duty is to defend. If necessary, however, they will take
the initiative and attack first in an effort to prevent fur-
ther warfare.
COMBAT: Like the throne archons, tome archons de-
spise fighting personally, though with the tomes it's also
a matter of global prudence, as opposed to purely per-
sonal. Since there are only seven known tomes, their
deaths would spell disaster for the archon hierarchy.
Therefore, whenever needed, a tome archon can summon
1,000 lanterns, 500 hounds, 250 wardens, or 125 swords
to its defense. If necessary, the tome can defend itself by
firing rays of light from its hands, twice per round, for
ldlO points of damage each. A tome can also cast spells
from any priest sphere as if it were a 20th-level priest.
 . HABITAT/SOCIETY: The seven tome archons are each
responsible for a single layer of Mount Celestia. These
archons oversee the layers with near-omniscience, ' ~

though they're unaware of what transpires in the realms

affairs of the plane, but of coume lesser creatures aren'

allowed in or near these meetings, so perhaps that's
conjecture.
ECOLOGY: Tomes subsist on ambrosia, the distilled
joy of aE petitioners on the Mount.

+ FALLEN ,RCH@NS +
Of course, not every archon is perfect. Sometimes they
stumble and fall from the path they've chosen; some-
times they choose to reject the ways of archons; and
sometimes they are ejected from the celestial ranks by
their brethren. It all depends on the magnitude of the

creatures, it takes some incredible foolishness for an a

chon to fall completely from the grace of Mount Cele
tia, never to return.
Those who do fall retain their forms and
capabilities, but they do not keep the mystical
ers afforded them by the plane.
Thus, a hound archon would
keep its fists and its ap-
pearance, but would
lose the ability
to summon lantern arch

to remain in its humanoid form, never

again to change shape.
Naturally, the higher levels of archons
less frequently, hut it's
known to happen. Tho

ridding themselves
chaos are given ov

ers to become
asuras, while thos
-
CLIMATE/-:
FREQUENCY:
Baator
Uncommon
: The kocrachon would far rather flee than fight,
for its job is to cause pain and extract information rather
ORGANIZATION: Pack than to serve as militia. However, when backed into a
Acmmr CYCLE: Any corner, this baatezu is just as deadly as any of its
DlEC: Carnivore brethren.
INIZLLIGENCE: High (1 3) The kocrachon is able to attack with only two of its
TREASURE: Nil four arms; this pair of claws causes Id6 points of dam-
A L I G m : Lawful evil age each. The other two claws, being considerably
smaller, aren't strong enough to clamp on an enemy and
No. APPWG: 3d6 cause damage. However, these claws are highly manipu-
ARMOR CLASS: 2 (0 if attacked from behind) lative, and the attached arms are strong enough for the
MOVEMENT:
HIT DICE:
12, F1 12 (D)
6+6
kocrachon to wield small weapons such as scalpels and
knives. The haatezu never uses these arms in combat if it I
THACO: 13 is weaponless, hut if it has some cutting instrument it
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or 2 causes Id8 points of damage for each blade because of
DAMAGE/ATCA~ : ld6/1d6/2d6 or skill. Half of that damage is automatically healed in 4
ld8/ld8 (weapons) hours.
SPECIALATTACKS: Cause disease, pain Kocrachons typically make three attacks per round
SPEWDE~SES: + I or better weapon to hit; their two primary claws and a bite, which causes 2d6
immune to normal cold points of damage. If they choose to forgo this routine,
and heat they can attempt to cause pain with a special attack
MAW RESI~TANCE: 30% using their scalpels. By making only one attack in the
SIZE: ha ( 5 feet tall) round, they can lay an opponent open to the bone or
MORALE: Elite (14) find the sensitive point in the exoskeleton, depending on
XP VALUE: 5,000 the race of the creature. Any being hit when a kocrachon
uses this attack must save versus spell at -6 or suffer a
penalty of -4 to all attack and damage rolls. In addition,
The kocrachon is a loathsome, beetlelike fiend, with the victim's AC value is reduced by 2 places, and move-
heady eyes staring out from beneath its enameled cara- ment by 3. These effects last for 2d6 rounds. Note that
pace. Its three antennae wave above its head, discerning the kocrachon can only use this attack after it has stud-
subtle changes of atmosphere, sound, and smell in its ied its opponent for 3 rounds to determine where the in-
environment. It has four arms and two legs; the a r m cision would he most effective.
end in opposable pincer-claws. A proboscis juts out from The kocrachon is also able to cause disease as per
the creature's forehead, located just above its eyes. The the spell. If it can bite a victim and hold on to it (a suc-
kocrachon's wings are located underneath its shell, cessful bend bars/lift gates roll detaches the creature) for
which parts when the fiend is ready to fly away to safety 3 rounds, it transmits a disease to its victim; it can-
or to a new victim. not attack while infecting its victim. This dis-
I
E-- 4

I
 =
ease is fatal within 1-3 weeks after transmission. Oddly,
the kocrachon can instead opt to transmit a healing fluid
through its bite, healing ld12 points o f damage. This
baatezu can use both bites three times per day.
Kocrachons have all the standard abilities of
baatezu of their rank; that is, they have the spell-like
abilities advanced illusion, animate dead, charm person,
infravision, know alignment (always active), sugges-
~

tion, and teleport without error. They also have

the standard baatezu immunities, as out-
lined in the PLANESCAPF MONSTROUS
COMPENDIUM Appendix. However, they
delight in pretending to suffer from
an attack that causes no damage in

c-8A..,L,ouL,c~: The kocrachon

is a baatezu designed primar-
ily to inflict pain. Upon cre-
ation, however, it isnt imme-
diately aware of this mission.
Whether it is promoted or demoted to kocrachon
status, the haatezu must study at the School of
Pain, which is hidden underneath the Knoll of
Blades in Dis, the second layer of Baator. Here,
the kocrachons study the physiology of known
mortal and immortal creatures - as well as the
psychology of those minds. Thus, kocrachons
learn how to inflict tortures both
mental and physical on those
unfortunate enough to fall into
their clutches. Only rarely do .-
they actually kill their victims,
prefemng instead to inflict pain
and still more pain.
Kocrachons that capture archons, devas, or other such exquisite pain. Hatred for their captors n.,
bum in their breasts, but that emotion recedes before the
_____
aasimons are accorded respect and high honors; these
creatures withstand incredible amounts of ahuse, which craving for more pain. Some even experience a twisted
reflects well upon their torturers. The baatezu experi- devotion to their torturers and may willingly do as the
ment on these and other good creatures until therer rocrachons suggest.
nothing left but a shivering, screaming wreck of a celes-
tial being. Naturally, the fiends love to sink their claw: ICOLOGY: A kocrachon can freely pass from layer to
and knives into goodness. Sometimes, however, they layer in Baator, though it prefers to remain in one place
also work on tanarri, hut their performance isnt as to concentrate on a particular set of victims. Still, it
highly lauded as those who learn their work on the in- goes where its told - and usually without question.
sufferable good. When it has served its time (around 223 years) faith-
Kocrachons are almost never sent to the forefront fully and well, it can be promoted to the status of
o f the Blood War, for their services are too valuable be- erinyes. From there, only its own imagination and abil-
hind the lines. Some sages speculate that kocrachons ity limit it. Becoming an erinyes is a vital steppingstone
torture petitioners and prisoners as preparation for for an ambitious baatezu; thus, other baatezu often seek
molding them into various types o f baatezu. The peti- to become kocrachon, viewing the position as a key
tioners of Baator learn that only the powerful and strong step toward climbing the hierarchical ladder. Kocra-
can inflict pain, and this goads them into striving for chons themselves are eager to serve and torture, antici-
higher status among the baatezu. Strangely,
I, I - some uris- pating what lies ahead for them in the service of the
nners devrlno a sort of kinshio for thosc who eive thrin h r k iight. .,.. ...:. .
. .. . .
+ ll+ .~~ . . l ~
 1: Baator vocal, preferring instead to communicate via a telepatk
Rare that extends 9 yards.
ION: Solitary One of the worst things about the hellcat is that it
YCLE: Any damned near invisible in any kind of light. Though it cai
Carnivore be seen by those beings who can ordinarily see invisiblt
E: Average (91 creatures, all others are at a serious disadvantage. How
Nil ever, if a bodys smart enough to douse the light when,
Lawful evil hellcats suspected nearby, shell see a glowing outline o
- a cat the size of a tiger. Shell also see the things malev
ZlNING: 1 olently glowing red eyes - course, that might be the las
LSS: 6 thina -he sees.
MENT: 15
7+2 _Vi.l_..:A bezekira attacks with a rather mundane form
13 two claw attacks and a vicious bite. However, its not it
ACKS: 3 attacks that make this creature a danger to be around
ld4+1/1d4+1/2d6 its its defense. First, the hellcats resistant to magic b:
-.-.,-.
ITACK:
Nil 20%. Second, its completely immune to any sort o
S: See below mind-controlling spells; its catlike mentality makes i
LSLANSE: 20% too independent to be open to such suggestion. Thin
L (7 feet long) (and most dangerous), a hellcat can only be hit by i
LE: Elite (13) magical weapon. Even then, the weapons bonus doesn
ALIJE: 5,000 apply to the damage (that is, a long sword +4 used on i
hellcat does only ld12 points of damage, not ld12 + 4)
Holy water and bless spells cause ld8 points o
The bezekira (or hellcat, to those who dont know its damage to a hellcat, and holy items firmly presentec
proper name) is a catlike beast native to Baator. How- keep them at hay.
ever, its got none of the charms associated with a feline:
Its got all the obnoxiousness - and then some! It pads Sornn:Eezekiras are the associates and famil
about on feet quieter than velvet sliding across skin.Un- iars of haatezu and are found primarily on the Nine Lay
like a cat, however, the bezekira tends not to be very e n of Baator. Only if summoned forth by a prime wizarc
(or some other fool who doesnt know any better) will i
hellcat leave Baator. Typically it is turned loose on thi
Prime Material Plane. There, it may wander for a yea
and a day before it must return to its dismal lair, hut dur
ing that time it can wreak considerable havoc.
The hellcats nature is fickle and capricious. It wil
seek the one master who can bring it the most powe
and food - often changing masters a number o
times, as outlined below. A bezekira has somi
standards, however, for it wont accept just an]
master. Life in Baator pounds home cer
tain doctrines, and a hellcat wil
only take on a master who is botl
lawful evil and intelligent.
This monster has developed i
unique sense that lets it determine how powerful a law
ful-evil body is. Thus, a bezekira can gauge a being,
might and then decide whether it wants to attach itself
If it so chooses, it serves that person to the best of it:
ability, communicating via telepathy only with him an(
protecting him while he commits his evil deeds. If it en
counters two lawful-evil beings who are of the sami
level, the hellcat chooses to ally itself to a priest first
then a cleric. Its third choice would be a mage, then :
saecialist. Its fifth choice would be a fighter. then i
rogue. If the two most powerhl are of the same class, the
cat attaches itself to one randomly. However, the hellcat
will automatically choose a baatezu (of any power) over
a mortal, no matter how powerful.
If a bezekira has a master and then encounters a
more desirable (read: powerful) lawful-evil person, it has
no compunction about abandoning its former master to
the dusty wayside. Before actually severing ties, how-
ever, the hellcat uses its telepathy to confirm whether the
prospective new master might accept it. If he or she will,
the bezekira abandons its old master immediately, ex-
cited by the prospect of spreading greater evil with its
new cohort. The hellcat will readily turn on its former
master if its new lord makes such a request.
In Baator, its not clear just where the animals
position falls in the hierarchy. The chant is that hell-
cats serve the fiends, but in what capacity? Even the
Guvners arent sure, and if theyve got guesses, they
aint sharing em.
L L Y Bezekiras reproduce as do normal animals, hut
~ ~ ~ ~ :
their numbers are occasionally augmented in two ways.
The first occurs when a baatezu is punished - a
frequent event in Baator, though not all
those punished are turned into hellcats. The second
method occurs far less often. If a petitioner performs a
deed of monstrous evil and that deed is witnessed by a
lesser or greater baatezu, he is rewarded by being
turned into a hezekira. The time either of these cutters
spends in hellcat form depends on how well each per-
forms. A petitioner who does a good job is usually kept
in that place, which is certainly a step up from being a
lemure or nupperibo. A fiend, on the other hand, has
two options to consider while its a bezekira: I1 If it per-
forms badly, itll be forced to stay in hellcat form until it
learns how to use its new shape properly. 2) If it per-
forms well, odds are it will be forced to remain in hell-
cat form. . . . Punishment lasts a long time in Baator.
Hellcats are carnivorous, requiring a live human or
demihuman victim from their masters once per week. If
the master is unable to provide a meal, he or she may
very well become the next. Bezekiras entirely devour
their victims, though first they terrorize their prey so
that the taste of fear permeates the flesh.
 TG
2
4ss: 2 COMBAT:When entering combat, a bladeling wades i
12
)ICE: 2-11
ro. 19-9
IACKS: 2 or 1
ld611d6 or by weapon
3. Razor storm
See below
8ISTANCE: 10%
M (6 feet tall)
\LE: Elite (13)
lA1 UF: Vanes (120-3,000)
Bladelings, though not originally from Acheron, have
established themselves on the plane and are now consid-
ered native. These beings were once rumored to be
tieflings, which are the spawn of fiends and humanoids.
Unlike the other castoffs of the Lower Planes, however,
bladelings are a distinct race unto themselves.
These creatures live in Ocanthus, the fourth layer of
Acheron, amidst the whirling blades of ice and iron.
Their city, Zoronor, lies in the Blood Forest. This pulpy
mass of wood (and other less savory, unidentifiable ma-
terial) protects the residents from the whirling blades
that are the main feature of this layer.
Human-shaped, the average bladeling stands about
6 feet tall. The resemblance to humankind ends there.
Bladeling eyes glow like translucent chips of glacial ice
tinged with purple. Skin and bones protrude in the form
of sharp blades of wood and ice and steel, jutting out at
all angles. They have blood the color and consistency of
oil.
The bladelings were nearly wiped out in the first
years after their arrival on Acheron. Rust dragons in-
habit the plane, and they destroyed large numbers of
bladelings with their corrosive breath weapon. Through
magical experimentation, however, bladelings developed
a resistance to rust of any sort. Spells that corrode metal
fail completely against them. Furthermore, bladelings
are magical beings, drawing much of their power from
Acheron. Their bodies - composed as they are of ele-
ments stronger than mere flesh - are resistant to some
twes of magic. They take only half damage from cold-
4
and fire-based spells, though they take full damage fro1
electrical spells. Spells affecting metal (unless tbeyI
corrosive - see above) work normally on a bladeling
the heat metal spell, for example, does double damagi
Other heating spells, unless specifically designed to wor
on metal, do nothing.
Certain bladelings have the ability to call on the
unknown gods. These bladelings, usually (hut not always)
female, can achieve 10th level as priestesses. They are the
rulers of bladeling society, guiding it as they see fit.
hands first. Striking twice with its metal-encrusted fist!
it can inflict ld6 points of damage per attack. Or it ma
opt to wield any weapon.
Bladelings are quick to leap into a fray, and theres
reason why: Theyre entirely immune to acid, normi
piercing missiles, and bladed weapons. In other word:
theres not a whole lot that can hurt them - and the
press that advantage. Course, this immunity doesnt rul
out magical or bludgeoning weapons; these inflict fu
damage against bladelings. Other bladelings also go im
mediately on the offense for another reason: Theyre trul
brave. These bladelings attack the wielders of dangerou
weapons first, trying to get a measure of their enemy.
Once per week, a bladeling can perform an attac
called razor storm. This allows the creature to explod
a piece of its outer skin, sending shrapnel up to 15 fec
forward in a hail of blades. The attack does 3d12 point
of damage to any within the blast area, though the vic
tims can save versus breath weapon for half damagc
The drawback to the razor storm is that it weakens th
bladelings natural armor, reducing it from 2 to 6 in th
frontal torso. Any attacks striking this area do doubl
damage to the bladeling; spells of fire, cold, and elec-
tricity do normal damage if directed at this weak spot. In
addition, a bladelings magic resistance falls to 5% unt
the bladeling has regenerated the lost blades (typicall,
ld4 days later). This weakness has led researchers to be
lieve that bladelings arent inherently magical. Insteac,
they think that the magic of the creatures is derived from
the material of which their skins are made.
Bladelings are highly superstitious, ann
HASITAT~SOCIETY:
most are exceedingly xenophobic. Though they are
courteous to strangers encountered outside their home,
they are given to administering swift death to those who
invade their territory. Bladelings can become conjurerc
priests, or fighters. Female bladelings may becom
fighterlpriestesses, while males may become fighterlwiz
ard (conjurer) specialists.
The only known bladeling city is Zoronor. Blade
lings obey their priest-king fanatically, having followe
his tenets and gained some measure of security, whic
they will defend with their lives.
 BUSBN

Arcadia (any)
Very rare
Mostly solitary
Any
Special (see below]
Exceptional (16)
Nil
Lawful neutral (gOOOJ

1-3
0
18
8
13
2
ldlO/ldlO
Shape change, whirlwind
See below
2 5%
M (6feet tall)
Fearless (20)
4,000

Buseni come in different forms, but they all have shiny

black skin, reflecting light as a puddle of oil reflects a
torch. Their true form has no visible features - no eyes,
no noses, no ears, no mouths. And where ordinary crea-
tures have bones, buseni have odd ridges just barely re-
strained from protruding through their skin. The
communicate via telepathy.
The shape of a busen depends on its environm
and the form it requires to Mfill its function. When
rest, however, its basic shape is that of a sleek humanoid
with shiny, seamless skin of jet. Though its a lawful
creature, it must be flexible enough to adapt to its mis-
sion. Thus, one busen in a cave might be a n ebon-
skinned humanoid, while another in a high mountain
pass might be a slavering wolf-thing. It takes 5 rounds
for a busen IO fully change its shapr - a mcric obviously
00 daiigerous to implement in baiile. .. .x

Buseni arc invisiblr iii darkness until they will

themselves to be seen. Furthermore, they cannot he sur-
prised in the darkness of Arcadias tunnels if they remain
still. Their skin loses its sheen while buseni are in hiding,
but picks up stray light as soon as they move.
C0hw1: In combat, buseni can attack with weaponlike
protrusions that suddenly jut outward from their body.
These protrusions, neither bone nor metal, take the shape
of whatever weapon is most appropriate to the form a
busen is in. Thus, the humanoid busen might wield a 4-
foot sword that an enemy could not disarm, while the
feet and
e the protru-
+ 16+
sions take, a busen can attack twice per round and inflict
ldlO points of damage with each successful hit.
If a busen is particularly pressed in battle, it can re-
sort to its dreaded whirlwind attack. The busen sprouts
weapons all over its body and spins at a blinding speed
for ld6 rounds. (So fast is the busen that opponents suf-
fer a -2 penalty on attack rolls.) During each of these
rounds, the busen can attack four times, inflicting 2d8
points of damage for every successful hit. If it doesnt
take its enemy down during those few rounds, however,
its opponent will likely finish it off - the busen must rest
for as many hours as it spent rounds in the whirlwind.
~

I
~

Buseni axe immune to all charm-, sleep-, and pa
lyzation-based spells. They suffer only half damage fr
cold-based spells, but take double damage from fi
Lightning has no effect on them. Buseni also have
ability to detect magic and know alignment at will.
HABITATK~OCIETY: Buseni serve as the guardians to the
second layer of Arcadia. There they walk the passage
ways linking the caverns of Ahellio and Buxenus, paus
ing now and then to hide in the shadows and wait fop
some foolish herk to challenge their authority. Other
buseni patrol the misty heights of Arcadia, their inner
senses alert for any intrusion. Buseni always hover near
the portal they're assigned to guard, ready to question
those who'd pass without permission.
If a person or persons unknown approach the gates
to Buxenus, buseni step out of their hiding places at a
time calculated to shock the travelers. Communicating
nothing, their bodies suddenly form weaponlike protn-
sions - a warning display. If the approaching party
chooses to attack at this little provocation, the buseni
will do their best to kill them. The buseni reason that
such lawless creatures would he better dead. If the group
parleys with the buseni, however, they will respond,
using telepathy to establish contact. Buseni will question
the group about their reasons for wanting to reach the
second layer of Arcadia. If the answers are satisfactory,
the group must then remove all clothing, jewelry, and
weapons so that the buseni can determine the align-
ments of the group's members. As with the rest of the in-
habitants of Arcadia, the buseni have no tolerance for
evil. If the group is free of such malice, only then may
they pass on to the second layer.
Just who gives the buseni their orders is unknown,
and it's similarly dark as to what sort of a society the
creatures have. All anyone can attest to is that three is
the largest number of them ever seen together, and that
those three worked together like a Mechanus-built ma-
chine. In short, there's not much known about the buseni
at all.
': There's no natural reason why buseni look the
way tney do, or why they are at all. It's thought that they
were spawned by the plane itself. Others think that bnseni
were created by some power eager to show that - despite
a fearsome appearance - a creature need not necessarily
be evil. Some sages therefore finger Meriadar for the
buseni's creation, while still others argue it's more com-
licated than that. Whatever the reason, the buseni's ap-
earance seems to indicate its suitability to the Lower
lanes. However, appearance notwithstanding, the
useni's beliefs clearly place them in the Upper Planes.
Busen skins are prized in Acheron and Baator, often
fetching ridiculously high prices in open bidding.
The skin stretches and doesn't tear, and it's excellent
clothing material for those who find stealth a necessity.
A busen skin, if properly crafted, adds 25% to a rogue's
chance to hide in shadows. Of course, any creature
caught wearing one of these skins in Arcadia - or spied
wearing one by a native of Arcadia (even if said native
is traveling elsewhere] - is usually immediately at-
,tacked. Some sort of reparation is always demanded,
.even if it might lead to the death of the creature de-
Buseni apparently receive nourishment simply by
obeying their orders. They have no need to eat or kill, as
long as they make sure their missions are successful.
 CLIMATERERRW
:
FREQUENCY:
Arca ia woT
Rare
k4RRIOR
cadia
Very rare
MYR~RCH
Arcahia
Very rare
ORGANIZATION: Hive Hive Hive
AcnVrrr CYCLE: Any Any Any
DlET: Omnivore Carnivore Omnivore
~NTELLIGENCCE: Low (6) Average (IO) Exceptional ( 16) Supra (20)
TREASURE: Nil Nil
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral Lawful neutral Lawful neutral

ARMOR CLkSS: 3 2 1 7
VfOVEIVLENT: 18 15 15 1
frr DICE: 1+1 3+3 6+6 9+9
mco: 19 17 13 Nil
$0. OFAITpmS: 1 4 2 Nil
DAMAGEIATMCK: 1d4 ld4/1d6/ ld6/2d4 2d4/3d12 Nil
SPECIAL AlT~ms: Nil Poison Poison Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil Nil Nil 20 myrmarches
MAGICRESISTANCE: Nil Nil Nil 20%
SIZE: S (4 feet tall) M ( 5 feet tall) L (7 feet tall) L (10 feet tall)
MORALE:
XP VALUE:
Fearless (19)
35
Fanatic (17)
420
Champion (15)
2,000
Fearles (2 )
5,000 f 7
ad
bility to defend th hi . The
myrmarch is the size of a horse. Its
claws are capable of finer manipulation
than that of human hands. Lastly, the
Y -
aueen is half again as large as a mvrmarch. She is in
charge of administering the city and never leaves the
Native to Arcadia, formians are also called centaur ants. central hive, and therefore her legs have atrophied.
As their moniker indicates, they appear to he upright- Formians of warrior level and higher can communi-
walking ants, but their sentience is that of warm- cate with humans, though their version of common
blooded creatures as opposed to insects. Theyve always sounds more like eerie chittering. They communicate
inhabited Arcadia, and sages say they always will. with one another in their own speech, which is incom-
Though formians found on the Prime make war on each prehensible to most other beings.
other, Arcadian formians of different hives have learned
to live together peaceably. COMBAT: When workers attack (a rare occurrence, for
Similar to true ants, there are three basic types of theyre used only if a citys under siege), they use their
formians: the worker, the wamor, and the myrmarch. (A small mandibles to bite for ld4 points of damage. War-
fourth type, the queen, is extremely rare.) Unlike ants, riors attack with their mandibles, two forelegs, and a
formians waists are flexible; thus, they often move with stinger that injects poison, causing 2d4 points of damage
only four legs, their heads and thoraces raised. Their (save versus poison or suffer -2 to attack rolls for ld6
forelegs are jointed at the wrist and have three opposing turns). Myrmarches attack with their mandibles and a
claws, which they can use to manipulate objects and to poisoned sting. The poison causes 3d12 points of dam-
attack. Formians come in various subdued colors, which age and paralyzes opponents for ld4 turns (save versus
serve no function other than to indicate their cities of poison to take half damage and avoid paralyzation).
rigin. Queens cannot attack.
! The worker, the smallest of the four formian types, is
also the most commonly encountered. Its about the size HABTAT/SOCEN: Unlike hue ants, formians do not have
of a large dog. Its claws are somewhat clumsy, though a hive mind. Though they can receive messages from the
they make efficient tools for manual labor. The warrior is hive queen (and can even he commanded and directly
the size of a pony, and its claws are indicative of its capa- controlled by her), they are capable of acting indepen-
+ 18 +
 .!

.. .
dently of the queen if need he. However, formians of
lower levels automatically respond to the direct
commands of their superiors. Thus, a worker
responds to the wamor, the myrmarch, and
the queen, while a myrmarch can only he I
commanded by the queen.
A formian queen is protected at all times
by 20 mymmrches, who will gladly sacrifice themselves
for her, since she cannot move on her own. Her intelli- F .-
gence is at the supragenius level, and she can control an
entire hive at any time if she needs to. However, most
queens allow their subjects some measure of free will.
Formians are born into their station, and that sti
tion never changes. There's never been a revolution in
the annals of formian history. It seems the formians, like
the modrons, have no conception of aspiring to higher
stations. They simply are the way they are.

. ..

ECOLOGY:Some of the most

magnificent cities in Arcadia are
the constructions of the
centaur ants. Many of these
metropolises can house more
than 10,000 formians.
Though they appear to he
normal (that is, "human")
cities with structures and
walls above ground, they
extend far underground
for many miles. The
architecture underneath
the sands is truly
extraordinary - the
formian buildings are said
to rival that of Sigil. This is
perhaps all the more
extraordinary knowing
that formians do not

to people. 9

+ 19 +
CLlMAlE/TFWCAIN:
FUEQUENCY:
Mechanus
Very rare
i
ORGANIZAIIOY: Solitary
A m CYCLE: Any
DIFF: Special (metal)
ImmGmcE: Average (8-10)
TREASURE: Nil
AUGMyIENI: Lawful neutral

No. AP&G: 1
ARMOR dnss: 4
MOVEMENT: 6, Br 6
m DIE:, 1+3
mco: 19
No. OF -KS: 1
DAMAGEIATT~: ld6 or by weapon
SPECIAL ATIAL(gs: Command machinery,
reduce armor
S P E W DEFENSES: Meld with metal
MAGIC REs1sTAtdcE: 5@/0
SIZE: S (4 feet tall)
MORALE: Steady (11)
XP VALUE: 975

Gear spirits come in many different forms, but their

function remains the same: to tend the great gears of
Mechanus and to ensure that they run smoothly. Unlike
modrons, gear spirits are individuals who have
tasks and specific gears assigned to them. Be
this, their shapes vary widely.
Though their name might indicate an incorporeal
nature, gear spirits are actually pieces of living metal -
machines who have free will. They are usually small,
taking the form of a common mechanical device or tool.
They have eyes, ears, noses, and so forth, hut the place-
ment of these is highly irregular. Individual spirits usu-
ally take a name based on their appearance. Some
common names include Ball-and-Chain, Chair, Axle,
and Padlock.

COMBA~:Though it isnt exactly a fearsome fighter, a

gear spirit does have some abilities that give pause to
those who face it in battle. For one thing, a gear spirit
can change its arms to any tool it desires, including
weaponry. It can even make a crossbow from itself, with I
unlimited bolts to fire.
Another, more dangerous, quality is the spirits
ibility to meld with metal. As with a meld with stone
spell, the gear spirit can merge with any kind of manu-
factured metal or machinery. Once its blended with a
machine, it can command the mechanical device to obey
its will. but only within the functions of the device. For
 c

passerby - though it could make a wheel roll someone
over.
Lastly, a gear spirit has the ability to reduce amor.
Every time a spirit strikes someone in melee combat who
is wearing metal armor, the AC value of that armor is re-
duced by one place. (The ability is inactive in ranged
mind simply to wander off. In either case, it might take
years to find the hiding or lost spirit, but the modronsll
continue looking for it until it is brought back to
Mechanus - for its only then that a new gear spirit can
be formed. While a spirits gone, the modrons do their
best to keep the gear from malfunctioning, hut they sim-

r
combat.) Magic bonuses are the last to be destroyed, and ply dont have the innate ties to it that a gear spirit does.
Dexterity bonuses are unaffected. When armor loses its
last point of AC, the armor is considered completely de- ECOLOGY:A gear spirit is inextricably tied to a gear, much
stroyed. like a nature spirit (such as a dryad) is tied to a specific
Gear spirits are immune to mind-affecting spells tree or place. The gear spirit, unlike these other spirits,
d any spells that affect emotion. Like modrons, spells can leave its place by taking a piece of the gear with it.
that drain life energy are also ineffective against these This portion holds the essence of the gear: if the gear
creatures. Furthermore, any attacks against these spirits spirit loses or misplaces the piece, the spirit sickens and
involving fire, cold, or acid suffer a - 1 penalty on all at- dies within a month. Likewise, if the spirits kept away
tack rolls; the creatures also gain a + 1 bonus on saving from manufactured metals or machinery for a mont-
throws versus these attack forms. However, gear spirits dies. It simply cant abide being away from metal.
are highly vulnerable to rust, for their exterior decays at A few centuries ago it was reported that there was
twice the rate of normal metal. There is no more homfy- one gear spirit for every gear in Mechanus. If thats the
ing fate for gear spirits than being shackled in a dank, case, then theres an awful lot of really small gears hid-
wet cell and doomed to death by oxidization - except, den away on that plane, because the population of gear
perhaps, confronting a rust dragon. spirits has grown considerably over the decades. The lat-
est popular theory states that theres several gear spirits
A gear spirit is unique to Mechanus,
HA&~TA~/SO~IEIY: to a gear, but that they all share part of the gears
and its work on that plane is nimored to be essential for essence. This seems more likely than the one-to-one
the smooth running of the gears. Thus, the modrons ratio hypothesis.
have, over the centuries, learned to dominate the gear
spirits for the good of the gears. This means that the gear
spirits are officially secured to their gears by the mo-
drons - a fact that rankles the spirits just a little, even if
what they are tied to is their beloved gears. Though
theyre lawful, gear spirits have more personality than
modrons, and they resent the feeling of being underlinp
to the modrons.
Theres some spirits whove found that such serv.
tude rankles more than just a little. These creatures slip
away from their duties, leaving the cog to spin unsuper-
vised. Though theres only a small possibility that the
gears motion may be disrupted, theres certainly enough
of a chance to warrant a modron task force to be sent
after the errant spirit. Likewise, occasionally some gear c
spirits are affected by an urge very similar to the aborig-
.
e walkabout; that is, the gear spirits take it into their
Kytons are a race of creatures in-
habiting the city of Jangling Hiter
on the third layer of Baator. They
are the citys constabulaly, ferreting
out transgressors. A soul knows
when hes being stalked by one of
these monstrosities if he hears
tinkling chains and an accompany-
ing malicious titter.
After receiving a description of
kytons, the aspiring poet Keera Nog
(reviled across the multiverse) wrote:
The clash of steel on steel
sprays from chain-wrapt face;
the might of bloodlet metals
keeps unworthy in their place.
Nog later traveled to Jangling Hiter
for a firsthand impression of kytons,
but never returned. And no one was
particularly anxious to look for Nog.
Kytons are humanoid, though
its hard to tell if theyre human.
They wear chains in lieu of clothing,
and armor, using this apparel as
weapons. The body, arms, and legs
are all tightly wrapped with smaller
chains. When a kyton raises its arms, a
-utter can see dangling ropes of metal - chains JLuu-
led with barbs, welded scraps of iron, and other
small sharp implements.
 The kytons head is also wrapped with chains, cov-
ering where the hair, eyes, ears, and nose would be on a
, normal humanoid. The only visible features on a kyton
are its throat, its grimacing mouth, and occasionally one
gleaming eye. Some people might wish they hadnt seep
even that much. See, the kyton has a nasty hahit of as
suming the feature of a departed loved one or friend -
or sometimes that of much-feared enemy. Though all a
berk can see is the lower part of the face, he can often re-
construct the rest of it. No ones really sure whether this
is an illusion the creatures create, or if its
actually the dead person come to horrible
j
lifein the city of chains. Regardless, anyone
viewing a kytons features must make a success-
ful Wisdom check or suffer a -1 penalty to initia-
.:
tive for 1-3 rounds from the shock.
:Kytons are, above all, bmtal and cruel. They at-
tack in ways calculated to induce as much terror as posi.
sihle in their victims. If this means a cold, direct stalkin&
through the chain-hung streets of Jangling Hiter, thats
what theyll do. If it means fleeting shadows and the
faint music of chains clashing, then thats their method.
How do they know what the most temwing method of
stalking their victim is? Perhaps theyve got some sort of
telepathy, or perhaps they can detect fear through their
keen senses? Whatever the truth, kytons hunt for maxi-
mum terror from their victims.
A kytons typical attack is to swing both chain-cov-
ered arms at its victim per round, using the barbs to lash
the target into submission. However, a kyton has a far
more frightening ability, one it uses in times of great
need or to inspire great fear. Its called the gift o
chains, and it means mastery to some - and death tc
others.
Within a 20-foot area, kytons can control any
chains near them. (Interestingly, if two kytons attempt
to control the same chain, nothing happens until one
kyton establishes dominance over the other; this takes
l d 4 rounds.) Further, kytons can move along these
chains like a spider tripping across its web. Their domi-
nation includes shaking chains, rattling them, and mak-
ing them dance like snakes before a charmer. Kytons can
also make chains grow 15 feet and sprout barbs and
honed blades. If kytons attack with these chains, they get
two attacks per round, just as if they were attacking
hand-to-hand. A few cutters whove escaped Jangling
Hiter talk ahout chains lunging out of nowhere and en-
tangling their comrades. They speak of sprouted blades
and the quivering masses of blood and flayed skin
thatre left behind.
Kytons cannot be harmed by weapons of less than
+2 enchantment, and they are immune to cold. They
dont bleed, and if a limb is severed with a nonmagical
Ids. Kytons
CHAIN:
r.
1
LE
.___ . ,RB
regenerate lost hit points at a rate of 1 hit point per
round. The only way to permanently damage kytons is
to strike them with blessed or magical weapons. Kytons
recover from blessed wounds half as quickly as an or-
dinary person (that is, at a rate of 1 hit point every 2
days); they recover from damage caused by magical
weapons as would an ordinary wounded person. Ky-
tons will always seek to flee from blessed weapons,
though they will fight against magical weapons. Note
that w e n if the bless spell is cast on a plane opposite
the Great Ring from Baator, it is still effective against
+hese creatures.
~ABITAT/SOCIETY:m~ Kytons are equal in Jangling Hiter.
They dont disagree over standing, though they do
squabble over choice scraps of unlucky berks. These
fights are short-lived and usually end with the victor
claiming the morsel. The loser fades (flees, really) into
the metal jungle of the city.
The only treasure a kyton has is that of its victims.
That hoard can valy widely, depending on the kytons
power and the resources of its quany.
EroLocy: Kytons are the police force of the city, enforc-
ing its edicts and trampling those who dont live by
them. Its rumored that they eat their victims, though its
been put forth that what the kytons really consume are
the spirits of those they hunt. These sages speculate that
kytons survive on the anguish of the screaming spirits
they catch.
This is conjecture, for kytons have never been stud-
ied in depth. Bloods know a captured kyton can kill it-
self simply by willing it. And a dead kyton dissolves,
leaving behind an acrid stench and a greasy puddle of
chains and ichor -?thing much there to study.
 Mechanus Moignos perform these highly necessary duties with
Rare a methodical plodding that could be construed as resent-
ON: Patrol ment. Indeed, theres often a palpable annoyance emanat-
YCLE: Any ing from the moignos small bodies. Though they perforn
Nil their problem-solving with efficient speed, their very he-
:E: See below ings quiver with the desire to perform their true function
Nil to find the finite value of pi, a transcendental numbe.
Lawful neutral with presumably no ultimate value. Of all the bvisms in
- the multiverse, there is none more solidly grounded than
?.JNG: 1d4 this one: Moignos are obsessed with finding pi.
iSS: 0 Moignos are two-dimensional except when reachint~
See below out to communicate, which they do with a string of sym-
2+2 bols, mostly mathematical. Although modrons and gea:
10: Automatic spirits communicate with moignos intuitively, few other
1 are capable of carrying on a conversation with a moigno
TTACK: ld20 Gorad Drummerhaven, a sage noted for his rather inaccu-
Paradox attack rate observations on wildlife, once attempted contac
s: Immune to physical attacks; with a moigno. He used the telepathic science mindlinl
reconstruction and actually did make connection with the moigno. Un
:E: Nil fortunately, Drummerhaven couldnt handle the image!
T (1 foot tall) he received and was in shock for two weeks.
Fearless (20)
2,000 COMBAT:Moignos dont engage in combat in the typical
physical sense, partly because they are capable of instan
teleportation. They are also entirely immune to physica
uR2B2, 4uRt [not equal to] or [integral] 2m [infinity]. attacks, for hitting their visible form simply disruptl
~ B r f[function]; nBw [logical sum and union]. their equations for a nanosecond before they reform intc
uR<m, .: [therefore] uR+ [not identical with] x. a new routine. Although they can he injured, they arr
uR2B : [because] uR<n. rarely ever destroyed, for injured moignos will mergr
with another to reconstruct a single new, stronge
Translateddfrom the Moignese: moigno that then divides into numerous subroutines
each forming new moignos. All this takes place instan-
You are to he squared [Moignese slang for killed], for taneously to the typical human.
you are not equal to or integral to infinity. p i he our Psionic attacks and spells that disrupt though,
function: pi he our logical sum and union. You are less processes (such as the telepathic devotion mind thrust
than infinity, therefore you are not identical with pi. You andfeeblemind) can damage moignos, slowing them to ?
are to be squared because you are less than pi. movement rate of 12 and preventing them from recon-
structing. Interestingly, moignos are extremely suscepti.
Moignos are bizarre, two-dimensional creatures that ble to the psychokinetic devotion molecular manipula-
roam Mechanus. Their tiny bodies are nothing more than tion; should they encounter a psionicist using such an
strings of equations given form and shape by the plane effect, all moignos within the area will instantly vanish
itself. They have no visible sensory organs, and a herk for ld4 turns. Moignos can slip from the third dimension
can see through all but the oldest moignos (the older to the second at will.
they get, the more their equations create if then syllo- Moignos do have the capability of attack. In theii
gisms and loop hack on themselves). search for pi they have been forcibly confronted wit1
These mathematical constructions work in conjunc- living beings. Some of these have sought to harm thi
tion with modrons and gear spirits. While modrons over- moignos, and the formulas retaliated [being somewha
see activity on the plane and gear spirits perform the aggressive little creatures) by developing their parado;
actual work on the cogs and wheels, it is the moignos attack.
who execute all the necessary calculations on gear rota- Once per round, a moigno can automatically invadc
tion rates, interaction intervals, acceleration and deceler- any creature and create a paradox within its interna
ation frequencies, and the like. Without the moignos system. This attack effectively shorts out the body, i n
split-second calculations, the modrons could not easily flicting Id20 points of damage. A character who make!
create any additional cogs or wheels to expand Mechanus a successful saving throw versus petrification suffer:
or even keep such a gargantuan structure moving. only half damage.
+ 24 Q
 Intelligence in moignos is a difficult thing to gauge. cian Moigno, for all his brilliance, had been unaware
In game terms, their rating is an overall 6 (low) because the existence of pi. By introducing the mathematical co-
of their lack of understanding of this dimension. (This nundrum pi to the moignos, the modrons were able to
rating also explains how the modrons have been able to focus the equations impulses. The moignos are now ob-
dominate the moignos.) However, in terms of mathemat- sessed with pi, determined to find its ultimate value. Of
ical application, the moignos are beyond 21+ (godlike). course, its entirely possible the moignos may actually
find pi. . . . After all, a millenniums worth of work per-
&NTAT/SOUETY: Moignos were created less than a mil- formed by an infinite number of moignos at instanta-
lennium ago (which is a relatively shoe time in the mul- neous calculations . . . The mind boggles.
tiverse) by a brilliant mathematical theorist named Moignos have no particular hierarchy or soci-
Moigno. Unfortunately, his conception of
multidimensional, functioning math-
ematics proved too much for him; discernible to humans and
Moigno collapsed in a bab- e like, though moignos do
bling heap. His idea fled give themselves names
across the multiverse ant based on the value to
found refuge in the pi they have calcn-
plane of Mechanus. The lated. Of course,
modrons were strug-
gling to maintain
and expand their
plane, and the now- their names
sentient
thought -
change.
saw an
opportunity to
function there. It ,3
strung together a
stream of parameters
and crossed into the
three-dimensional world ,
with a two-dimensional ,..!
id and body.
The modrons, of course, , il

were ecstatic fer. well, as ec-

static as their.orderly selves could
he) with the moignos help. For per-
haps two minutes, while the first moign
struggled into existence and calculated its
and the subsequent needs of the plane
ship between the two creatures was harmonious.
Then the moigno spun off its f t h e n parameters, cre-
ated the necessary subsets (additional moignos), and
promptly proceeded to rework the plane.
The modrons nearly lost control of Mechanus
then, and might have done so had they not stumbled
upon one exceedingly important fact: The mathemati-
ly done on subroutines,
energ, to findinipi.
nos consume nothing, nor do th-,
oduce ;in the typical sense. Since the in-
f pi, no moigno has ceased to func-
some have faded and disappeared. As
moignos age, they gain more subtle nuances of
mathematics and often set up subroutines to deal
with mundane work. These subroutines frequen--
spin off to form new, individual moignos.

..- -...-re
 ... 9 ,

PARA1
Mechanus
I Rare
Patrol
h Y
Special
High ( 14)
Nil
Lawful neutral

5
0
9 in any terrain
5+5
15
XKS: 2 or 1
ld6/1d6 (fists) or ld8 (gaze
..,. Meld
FEMES: Regeneratio
,ISTAMCE: Nil
M (6 feet tall)
Fearless 1191
. .
2,000

Native to Mechanus, this creature weals a flo

black leather dress, the top of which molds
curve of its body. The black clothing contrasts
with the chalky whiteness of the parai's,skin
visible only on its head and smooth hands. The
hollow porcelain mask, and much of the bar
is missing. Looking into this hole, one can see
ness. The impression is that the entire creatur
The strangest feature of a parai is the
or pale yellow light that hovers in the h
steel-haired head. This ball sheds light thro
and mouth, as well as illuminating the area
parai. Sages speculate that the light is the s
of the parai, that this ball contains the par
intelligence.
If a parai is killed, inquisitive people
that the creature is entirely hollow; the bla
tains only air. Once the life force is gone fro
ture, the porcelain-white hands and face crum
into fine powder.

~ $ 1A
~ : parai typically wades into comba
powerful fists or using its fearsome gaze to
from its foes. While the light hovers in its m
are as hard as steel, and any item that hlo
from a parai's fist must save versus crushing
destroyed. The gaze is not as outwardly frighten1
it saps the life force of a creature as surely as a
attack would. A parai regenerates half the d
causes to victims whose life is thus sapped.
 ~ .__
_ _ _ _ ~ .

The most fearsome attack paraii employ is the meld,
ch is also the only known method by which the parai
race reproduces. When a parai finds a victim who has
exceptional beauty, strength, or
intelligence, it begins a
ceaseless hunt to incorporate
this person into its race. It
has chosen this victim with
care, believing his or her
i3dl
qualities to be desirable
additions to the 1
parai race.
The method
' by which this
assimilation is
accomplished is as
follows: First, the
parai comers its
prey. The ligh-
spirit rises from
behind its porcelain
mask, leaving the body an
empty husk. This husk is still
unde; the guidance of the light, however,
which sends the body marching after its chosen
victim. The husk then attempts to embrace the prey.
Without the light perched inside the mask, the porcelain
of the face and hands becomes malleable and exceed-
ingly sticky. If the target is struck by the grasping fists,
the victim must save versus spells or be stuck to its at-
tacker. Thereafter, the victim is treated as if he or she
were under the effects of a web spell. If he cannot fight
free within one turn, the dress and mask surround him
completely, and he begins to transform into a parai.
If the intended quarry has companions and they
kill the parai before it has ensnared its chosen victim,
the parai dies. If the comrades don't come to their
friend's aid until after it has been caught by the parai,
then they have three days to cure their friend before he
is forever changed into a parai. (The only known cures
for this transformation are wishes, limited wishes, or,
oddly, the priest spellfree action.) If the husk does snare
its prey but he or she somehow escapes, the parai has
still gleaned a small portion of the person. Regardless of
what is done to its husk, the parai's light forms a new
body around itself after one day. Some small remnants
of the victim's former image remain visible in the newly
formed parai, but they're usually only faint hints.
fhBlTAT/SOClEIY:Paraii are organized into patrols of five,
though occasionally a single parai can be found on its
own, investigating some matter or another. Parai society
is nonexistent; all paraii are equal, and when they con-
gregate, all act as though controlled by a single mind.
It is not known where the central parai intelli-
gence resides, or even if there is such a thing. Perhaps
there is simply a hive mind, an indefinable
collection of consciousness that links
paraii together. Regardless, all of
them are somehow connected
to the others, and no one has
yet discovered a way to ma-
nipulate or destroy that
link.
3GY: A parai,
found only on Mechanus,
seeks to make everything per-
fect (that is, lawful and orga-
nized) like itself. It does this
to ensure that the
multiverse func-
tions in a
perfect man-
ner. In order
to accomplish
the feat of perfecting
evervthing.
< each oarai hunts for
potentially Like-minded individuals
to transform them into beings like its
There is no reasoning with a parai; it will not be
terred in its quest for perfection. It rarely speaks, re
ing as it does to clutter the air with chaotic noise. Ind
it usually makes no sounds at all, except for the whisper
and creak of its leather dress and the whistle of its fists
through the air.
A parai's natural enemies include the modrons, w
have their own agenda for perfection and resent t
paraii intrusion. In addition, paraii leech away the 1
force of the modrons. Modrons above the quadrone level
destroy paraii on sight, and they order their inferiors to
attack immediately as well. The paraii, in turn, kidnap
modrons and make them paraii whenever possible. This
is one of the few known ways the modron populati
loses its members.
All who travel Mechanus are herebv advised to
keep a close watch for the paraii, for they know no
mercy and their dedication is tireless. The only I
certain way to escape from the paraii is to
leave the plane itself, for they have never left
the cold heart of order that is Mechanus.
Until the paraii succeed in making
Mechanus perfect, the rest of the
planes are safe from their
depredations. Of course, they
may choose to follow a
particularly attractive
traveler. . ..
 Acheron
Rare
Solitary
Any
Special (metal and magic)
Low (6)
Nil
.awful neutral (evil)
1 become tarnished and discolored; and those similar to
0 (base)
15, F1 30 (C), Br 12
12 (base)
9 (base)
3 + special
ld8/1d8/2d10
See below
Variable
lariable
j (30-foot base)
fianatic (17)
Variable
Its said by some that the rusting metal cubes of Acheron
are transient, that theyre another stage of something yet
to come. Others (most notably the Doomguard) say that
the cubesre in their final millennium, that they are
falling prey to the entropy thats consuming the multi-
verse. To justify this theory, the Doomguard point to the
rust dragons of Acheron.
Rust dragons are very similar in appearance to nor-
mal dragons, though the latter group is reptilian and the
former bears subtle insectoid features. The difference is
apparent in only a few areas: The rust dragons wings re-
semble those of a butterfly, and most normal dragons
dont have the antennae of the rust dragon. Also, the
rust dragons teeth are jagged parts of its exoskeleton,
rather than separate pieces of the creatures body.
The rust dragon looks much like a metallic dragon,
hut its skin is pitted and corroded-looking (woe to any
berk who interprets this as a chink in the creatures
armor!), splotched with orange, brown, and blood-red
highlights. Theres as many different appearances to a
rust dragon as there are varieties of actual dragon, but
there is only one true type of rust dragon. Those thatre
similar to silver dragons develop a skin that looks like a
film of blackened silver; those similar to brass dragons
copper become green-tinted as if they had a finish of
verdigris. This pattern is the same for all rust dragons;
whatever their metal base, these dragons h7ve e skin
of that metal oxidized.
I th
: Rust dragons have all the combat abilities of
ILVLIUU dragons, with the instinct to use them, too. (See
the MONSTROUS MANUAL% for more information.) Unlike
those dragons, however, rusts never gain the knowledge
of spellcasting. Their abilities are as follows:
4 BRFATHWEAPON/SPECIAL ABIIITIES. As with the
metallic dragons, rust dragons have two sorts of breath
weapons. The first is a somewhat standard breath
weapon, a spray of acid that spews forth in a stream 5
feet wide and extending 75 feet in a straight line. Those
unlucky enough to be caught in this stream may save for
half damage. The second type of breath weapon is more
insidious, but no less damaging..It is a cone spray of ox-
idants and reddish-brown liquid that instantly rusts any
material it touches. The cone is 5 feet wide, extends 75
feet, and is 30 feet wide at the base. Anything metal
caught in it must save versus disintegration or immedi-
ately disappear into a cloud of rusty brown dust motes.
+ AGEh I L l T I E S . Rust dragons, unlike t e ragons,
id
receive no age abilities.
r/Soc : As solitaly creatures, rust dragons do
vLien ir,,,;act. When they do, or when they are
forced together, they immediately become involved in a

r . H
n.._____

NWE7 AC SlSlAE 1 E
I 3-7 2-5 3 Lab + I Nil Y,UUU
2 8-18 3-6 2 4d6 + 2 Nil 6,000
3 19-29 6-8 1 6d6 + 3 Nil 8,000
4 30-40 10-16 0 8d6 + 4 Nil 10,000
5 41-51 15-20 -1 10d6 + 5 15% 13,000
6 52-62 17-25 -2 12d6 + 6 20% 14,000
7 63-73 21-30 -3 14d6 + 7 25% 15.000
8 74-84 25-35 -4 16d6 + 8 30Vo 16,000
9 85-95 30-40 -5 18d6 + 9 3 5% 18,000
10 96-106 35-45 -6 20d6 + 10 400/0 20,000
11 107- 117 40-50 -7 22d6 + 11 45% 21,000
12 118-128 45-55 -8 24d6 + 12 50Vo 22,000
 nonfatal struggle for dominar.--. -.._ I_.Ll.cone
who places its jaws around the others head.
Rust dragons do not keep a hoard, preferring to
roam as they will. A great wyrm might elect to keep a
few choice gems, but most rust dragons have none of the
draconic interest in keeping money. Instead they con-
centrate on gathering steel, iron, and occasionally spells
for food and defense.

Theres a relation between rust dragons an

1 1
rust monsters, the sages say, and
theyre not far off. Its been
determined that rust mon-
sters are insectoid in origin,
that they hatch in great
~
droves of eggs, and are
then left to fend for them-
selves.
Many rust monsters
dont survive to adulthood,
and fewer still to old age.
Those that do survive some-
how make their way to
Avalas on Acheron. There
they find an isolated tunnel in one of the rusty cu
and begin a feeding frenzy. After a year of
themselves, they make cocoons of spun me
around themselves and enter into a three-
hibernation. when this time has expired
they burst forth from the hardened coco
as hatchling rust dragons.
Its not known if rust monsters are n
tive to Acheron, or if they originally cam
from the Prime and were somehow mu-
tated into dragons hy the magical nature
Acheron. Regardless, theyre here now,a
here they stay. Theres nwer been a docu-
mented case of a rust dragon leaving the
plane, and its not entirely clear what pur-
pose they serve, save to roam the metal cu
Achaierai sometimes gather the
rust cocoons and raise rust dragon
as pets. Perhaps the long hiberna-
tion under the watchful care of
these strange birds has an effect
on the metamorphosing crea-
tures, for the rust dragons tol-
erate the presence of others of
their kind and seem to view
the achaierai with affection.
The birds use the dragons to
make tunnels in the iron cubes
of Avalas, but what the rust
dragons receive in return from
the achaierai remains a mystery.
 High (13-14)
Nil
1 awful good

5
SW 15 (stc
below)
7

beings who've taken up resi-

dence in Lunia, the first layer
Mount Celestia. They are unre
servedly friendly to any creatu
that amves in the great ocean
the base of the Mount, even if
that creatnre is depraved and
evil.
The zoveri are best descriku ds cen-
taurs of the sea, their lower part being the teni
cles of an octopus. Their upper body is that of
incredibly beautiful man or woman - slim lik
an elf, hut also finely muscled like a human.
They're unrelated to centaurs, bariaurs, mer-
men, tritons, or the like.
Zoveri can speak any language good
creatures speak, and their voices carry un-
derwater across distances of up to 500 yards
(twice that above water).

COMBAT:Zoveri love all life and hate combat

for fear of damaging another life. Even
though they are creatures of law and good,
they bear no malice toward evil creatures, and
they will aid an evil being found in their ocean.
If severely pressed, however, the zoveri will
fight back, using long metal spears. Underwater, these
I weapons are used to thrust for 1 A C points of d a m a p -

lgh to seriously harm most creatures, hut
enough to let them know the zoveri are not going to take
abuse. Above the surface, the spears are used as javelins.
Since zoveri SO rarely fight, they make all their at-
tack rolls at - 1 (hence their THACO of 14). Further, they
rarely cany their spears unless theyre expecting trouble.
But because zoveri are so common, theres often a group
of them nearby who can come to the aid of a companion
whos in trouble.
Zoveri can make a darting escape from an enemy if
need be. If theres a way to escape from a combat situa-
tion, the zoverill take this route. They drop evelything
they are carrying and jet off at a speed of 36 for two
melee rounds. If their enemy pursues, theres a 7OVo
chance the zoveri can find a hiding place while darting.
All zoveri have several spell-like powers, usable at
will though only one at a time; the abilities are usable
once per round except as noted. Zoveri can use these
powers as if they were 10th-level spellcasters. The abili-
ties are as follows:
+ Bless
+ Create food and water
+ Cure disease (once per day)
+ Cure serious wounds (once per day per pe
+ Detect evil
+ Dispel evil (once per day)
+ Forget
+ Fumble
+ Know alignment
+ Neutralize poison [once per day per person)
+ Resist cold
athing (at 20th-level spell use, three
lk (thre? times per day)
In addition, zoveri
can change into elf form
twice per day. Since they
ve to walk on land, they go
and mingle with the peti-
tioners and p l a n a there. How-
ever, they always return to the sea.
* 71
Four zoveri together can do something extraord
nary: They can conjure water elemental, summoning
16-HD water elemental to them. To do this, they mu
swim an intricate dance until the elemental arrive
Theres a 10% chance, cumulative for each round ,
swimming, that the water elemental will arrive. Hov
ever, water elemeqtals will almost always c o r - *-
zoveris aid because of a pact made aeons past.
Once per day, zoveri can spray a cloud of IIIK
their opponents. This cloud is equal to a darkness, I!
foot radius spell. They use this as a diversionary tactic :
that they may escape under cover of the black ink.
HASIT.&T/SOCEIY: The zoveri are renowned for their kin1
ness. Living so happily beneath the waves of Lunia
ocean, they cannot bear to think of death occurring :
their oceans. Their code of ethics dictates that they off
aid to anyone who needs it.
Since Lunias the only doorway into Mount Celesti
there are literally thousands who pass through a portal ar
drop unaware into the ocean. If a beings struggling in tl
waters, the zoveri will amve in 1-3 rounds to drag th
creature back to the surface. If the being is good, the zovt
take it to the shore. If its evil, the zoveri give it whatw
aid it requires, then shove it back through the doorway.
If a creatures not allowing the zoveri near if, tl
zoveri wait until it succumbs to the.waters and then dr:
the unconscious form to the shore and administer ai
Even if the creature attacks them, the zoveri will aid
Some bashers claim the zoveri are abusing and ns
aiding these hapless trespassers, but if these berks ev
make it to Lunia, theyll be grateful of the zoveris help.
OGY: The ocean of Lunia is a dangerous place for &
repared. Without the courageous zoveri there to sal
unfortunates who dont come ready, there wou
tless be many lives lost in Lunias ocean.
Zoveri live in schools, much like fish, although
cords from several centuries ago indicate they used to
ad more solitary existences. Some sages speculate this
recent development was adopted by the zoveri in order
to defend themselves against encroaching predators. TI
scholars point out that the zoveris primary attributes
elf and octopus - are both far less gregarious species
than what their sum might suggest. Zoveri constantly
move, even when technically at rest. They consun
mostly fish, mollusks, and certain seaweeds.
In the fall zoveri migrate to warmer waters, where
the females release thousands of eggs into the crystal
ocean. Males exude sperm to fertilize the tiny eggs. The
adult zoveri then return to more familiar territories. The
eggs are left unguarded to the ravages of the sea; some
sages speculate that only one in 10,000 zoveri reach-.
adulthood. Survivors return to the waters of their pa
ents, ready to be incorporated in
A