Hellfire Creature (CR +2)[3pp]

The lords of hell sometimes grant their champions special powers or seek to corrupt a hated foe, infusing them with the essence of damnation’s inferno. These fell powers grant this gift only rarely, since its strength can remain in a bloodline for many generations. In fact, hellfire creatures occasionally become races unto themselves. Some sages argue hellfire dragons owe their origins to hellfire-infused red dragons. A hellfire creature may be enshrouded by fire, have red or orange skin, hair, or scales, while some radiate bright blue, sickly green, deep red, or even black flame.

Creating a Hellfire Creature

“Hellfire” is an acquired template that can be added to any creature.

An hellfire creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

CR: +2

Alignment: Changes to Lawful evil.

Immunities fire; SR 12 + hellfire creature’s CR

Hell’s Purity

Reduce alignment based damage by an amount equal to the base creature’s Hit Dice.

Hellfire Body (Ex)

Hellfire creatures’ bodies gain some of the qualities of elementals. Each time a hellfire creature is exposed to a bleed, poison, paralysis, sleep, or stunning effect, it has a 25% chance to avoid it.

In addition, there is a 25% chance that a sneak attack or critical hit deals no extra damage.

Special Abilities: A hellfire creature retains all the special abilities of the base creature, plus the special abilities as described below:

Breath Weapon (Su)

A hellfire creature can breathe a 30-foot-long cone of hellfire once every 1d4 rounds. Every creature in the area must succeed on a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the base creature’s HD + its Constitution modifier) or take 1d6 points of hellfire damage per 2 Hit Dice the fire-infused creature possesses (minimum 1d6 points). A successful Reflex save halves this hellfire damage.

Damnation’s Burn (Ex)

A hellfire creature deals +2d6 hellfire damage in addition to the normal damage it deals on a successful hit in melee. Those affected by the damnation’s burn ability must also succeed on a Will save (DC 10 +1/2 the base creature’s HD + its Charisma modifier) or catch fire (though this is hellfire not normal fire), taking 2d6 points of hellfire damage for an additional 1d4 rounds at the start of its turn. A burning creature can attempt a new save as a full-round action. Dropping and rolling on the ground grants a +2 bonus on this save. Creatures that hit a hellfire creature or a burning with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take 2d6 points of hellfire damage and must make a Will save (same DC) to avoid catching on fire (again this is hellfire not normal fire).

Gaze of Damnation (Su)

The gaze attack of a hellfire creature can cause pain and damage to any non-lawful evil living creature within 30 ft. Your opponent must make a successful Will save (DC 10 +1/2 the base creature’s HD + its Charisma modifier) or suffer wracking pains that inflict a circumstance penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks equal to the hellfire creature’s Charisma bonus (minimum -1) and also suffer 2d6 points of hellfire damage each round for 1 rounds per CR of the hellfire creature. The flames can be put out as per damnation’s burn but the penalty due to racking pains remains for the duration.

Hellfire Substitution (Su)

A hellfire creature can modify any spell, magic item, or effect with an energy descriptor to use hellfire instead as a free action. The effect’s descriptor changes to evil, fire, and lawful — for example, a cone of cold composed of hellfire energy is an evocation [evil, lawful, fire] spell.

Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str+4 (+2 to attack and damage, +2 to Climb and Swim skill checks, +2 to Strength, and CMB checks, +2 to CMD), Dex +4 ( +2 to Ranged attack rolls; AC and touch AC, Initiative, and Ref saves. +2 to Acrobatics, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Fly, Ride, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks, add +5 to any of the base creature’s Dexterity-based DCs), Con +4 (+2 hp per HD, +2 to Fortitude saves, and any of the base creature’s Constitution-based DCs), +4 Cha (+2 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Use Magic Device; attempts to influence others, and Channel Energy DCs, +2 to any of the base creature’s Charisma-based DCs).

Skills: Hellfire creatures gain a +8 racial bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks; both of these skills are always considered class skills for hellfire creatures.

Hellfire

Half the damage dealt by hellfire is fire damage, but the other half results directly from unholy power and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks.

Any creature killed by a hellfire damage must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 +1/2 your CR + your Charisma modifier); failure means the creature’s soul is damned to Hell as a burst of brimstone appears around its corpse. A non-lawful evil spellcaster attempting to bring the character back from the dead must make a caster level check (DC equal to 10 plus the slain creature’s CR) to succeed; failure means the spellcaster cannot try again for 1 day.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathways Bestiary (c) 2017, Rite Publishing LLC.; Author: Steven D. Russell.

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