Malkizid, the Branded King

Large Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful) Hit Dice: 33d8+363 (511 hp) Initiative: +9 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 120 ft. (good) AC: 48 (1 size, +5 Dex, +7 mithril shirt, +6 insight, +21 natural) touch 20, flat-footed 43 Base Attack/Grapple: +33/+47 Attack: +45 melee (2d8+12/1720 plus 2d6 unholy, +2 silver unholy avenger bastard sword) or +42 melee (2d6+10, tail) Full Attack: +51/+46/+41/+36 melee (2d8+12/1720 plus 2d6 unholy,+2 silver unholy aavenger bastard sword) and +43 melee (2d6+5, claw), or +48 melee (2d6+10, tail) and +47 melee (1d8+5, 2 claws) Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Attacks: Brand, fear aura, prismatic disruption, spell-like abilities, spells Special Qualities: Baatezu traits, damage reduction 15/good and silver, immune to fire, immunity to poison, regeneration 8,resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, spell resistance 38 Saves: Fort +29, Ref +23, Will +27 Abilities: Str 30, Dex 21, Con 32, Int 31, Wis 28, Cha 31 Skills: Balance +23, Bluff +46, Concentration +47, Diplomacy +46, Gather Information +46, Hide +37, intimidate +46, Knowledge (arcana) +46, Knowledge (history) +46, Knowledge (nature) +28, Knowledge (the planes) +46, Knowledge (religion) +46, Listen +45, Move Silently +41, Search +46, Sense Motive +45, Spellcraft +46, Spot +45, Survival +27, Tumble +23 Feats: Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (bastard sword), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword) Climate/Terrain: The Barrens of Doom and Despair Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 27 Treasure: Quadruple standard, plus +3 mithril shirt and +2 silver unholy bastard sword Alignment: Lawful evil Advancement: This mighty fiend stands nearly 10 feet tall. Its skin is marblewhite and it has two huge wings that shed shabby-looking gray feathers. Its hands and feet are gray with scaly, birdlike talons; a long, serpentine tail writhes behind it. Small black horns curl from the sides of its head, and a long mane of disheveled hair cascades down its back. The creatures humanoid-shaped face would be noble and handsome, but the eyes are cold black pits, and a large, complex sigil or mark has been branded across its face. The raw brand weeps trickles of foul blood.Lord of the fiends of Myth Drannor and an outcast archduke of Hell, Malkizid was once a solar who stood high in the service of the Seldarine. Long ago he was seduced into betraying Corellon Larethian by Araushnee (the goddess who became Lolth, Queen of Spiders) and fell. When Araushnees rebellion failed, Malkizid was branded for his treachery and cast down into the Hells. He arose as a devil prince, and quickly carved out his own kingom. However, Malkizid earned the disfavor of Asmodeus thousands of years ago and was exiled from the Nine Hells, along with a small host of devils who followed him. The Branded King settled for building his infernal realm in the nameless pits of the yugoloths. Malkizid is therefore both a yugoloth lord and an archdevil in exile, and his servants include the devils who followed him into exile as well as the yugoloths of the pits. Malkizid is a clever, hateful, and patient devil of surpassing power. He absolutely despises Lolth and her drow, blaming Araushnee for his fall from grace. Likewise, he hates and fears Corellon, since he feels that Corellon might have shown him mercy, but instead cast him down from Arvandor into the Hells. Since Lolth and Corellon Larethian are both above his reach, Malkizid exercises his enmity against their mortal followersthe surface elves and the drow.Over thousands of years, Malkizid has played a subtle role in many of the troubles of the elves. He was a secret patron of the Vyshaanti overlords of Aryvandaar, teaching them many secrets of powerful magic and encouraging their aggression against the other elven realms of the First Flowering.

Later, he sought to ensnare the sun-elf realm of Siluvanede in his plots. Malkizids greatest success came in The Weeping War of 711714 DR, when three of his servantspowerful nycaloths he dispatched to Faern long beforebrought about the destruction of Myth Drannor. Malkizid returned to Faern in 1355 DR, positioning himself as the hidden lord of the devils of Myth Drannor while pursuing his dark schemes.

Combat
Malkizid was formerly a solar of unusual power, and he retains many of the abilities and characteristics of his original form. He is an awesome foe, capable of besting all but the most powerful archdevils or demon princes in personal combat, but Malkizids favorite weapons are honeyed words and seductive promises. Hedelights in using gifts of power to ensnare those whom he wishes to defeat, leading his enemies down the paths of their own destruction. He resorts to open battle only when directly threatened by a foe who refuses to be caught in his snares. Malkizids natural weapons, as well as any weapon he wields, are treated as lawful-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. He also receives a +6 insight bonus on any attacks (this bonus is factored into the statistics above). Baatezu Traits: Malkizid can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. In addition, he can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell. Brand (Su): Malkizids face is marked by a horrible, weeping brand. Any creature within 30 feet that meets Malkizids gaze is paralyzed for 1 hour and takes 2d6 points of Wisdom damage (Will DC 36 negates the paralysis and reduces the Wisdom damage to 1 point). Baatezu and yugoloths are affected only if Malkizid uses his brand as a gaze attack. The save DC is Charisma-based. Fear Aura (Su): As a free action, Malkizid can create an aura of fear in a 20-foot radius. It otherwise functions as a fear spell (caster level 15th, save DC 36). If the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the aura for 24 hours. Baatezu and yugoloths are immune to the aura. Prismatic Disruption (Sp): Three times per day, Malkizid can create a prismatic disruption that affects all creatures within 30 feet currently under the effect of a spell or spell-like ability. Malkizid makes a dispel check against each spell or effect on each creature in the area as if casting greater dispelling; Malkizids dispel check modifier is +24 for these checks, and includes a racial +4 bonus. Creatures using magic items that grant constant bonuses are not affected, but magic items that replicate or grant spell effects and are actively doing so when Malkizid uses this ability are subject to the disruption. For each spell or effect that is dispelled, one randomly determined ray of a prismatic spray spell strikes the target creature (save DC 29). The save DC is Charisma-based. This ability is the equivalent of a 9th-level spell. Regeneration (Ex): Malkizid takes normal damage from good-aligned silver weapons, and spells or effects with the good descriptor. Spell-Like Abilities: At willaid, animate objects, bestow curse (DC 23), contagion (DC 24), continual flame, dimensional anchor (+37 ranged touch), greater dispel magic, unholy blight (DC 24), imprisonment (DC 29), invisibility (self only), lesser restoration, polymorph (self only), power word stun, resist energy, summon monster VII, teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), waves of fatigue; 3/dayblade barrier (DC 26), earthquake (DC 27), heal, mass charm monster (DC 28), permanency, resurrection, waves of exhaustion; 1/daygreater restoration, power word blind, power word kill, prismatic spray (DC 27), wish. Caster level 25th. Spells: Malkizid casts divine spells as a 20th-level cleric with access to the domains of Destruction and Evil. While Malkizid no longer serves a deity, he is a servant of the universal forces of evil and woe. Typical Cleric Spells Prepared (caster level 20th): 0detect magic (3), light, mending, read magic; 1st comprehend languages, deathwatchE, divine favor (2), doom (DC 20), obscuring mist, protection from goodD,E, protection from chaos, shield of faith; 2ndalign weapon (2), bulls strength, darkness, desecrateD,E, hold person (DC 21), undetectable alignment, zone of truth; 3rdanimate deadE, create food and water, deeper darkness, invisibility purge, locate object, magic circle against goodD,E, speak with dead, wind wall; 4thcure critical wounds, death ward, dismissal (DC 23), giant vermin, inflict critical woundsD, sending, spell immunity, summon monster IV; 5thdispel good (+42 melee touch, DC 24), greater command (DC 24), mass inflict light woundsD (DC 24), plane shift, scrying, slay living (+42 melee touch, DC 24), true seeing, wall of stone; 6thbanishment (2) (DC 25), create undeadD,E, geas/quest, mass cure moderate wounds, symbol of fear (DC 25); 7thblasphemyE (DC 26), destruction (DC 26), disintegrateD (+37 ranged touch, DC 26), greater scrying, mass cure serious wounds, repulsion (DC 26); 8thantimagic field, discern location, fire storm (DC 27), shield of law, summon monster VIII,

unholy auraD,E; 9thenergy drain (+37 ranged touch), gate, implosionD (DC 28), mass heal, soul bind (DC 28), summon monster IX. D: Domain spell. Domains: Destruction (smite good 1/day,+4 on attack, extra 20 damage); Evil (cast evil spells [E] at +1 caster level).