Phoenix
Climate/Terrain:
| Elysium |
|
Frequency:
| Very rare
|
Organization:
| Solitary
|
Activity Cycle:
| Any
|
Diet:
| Omnivore
|
Intelligence:
| Genius (17-18)
|
Treasure:
| O
|
Alignment:
| Neutral good
|
No. Appearing:
| 1-3
|
Armor Class:
| -3
|
Movement:
| 6, Fl 39 (D)
|
Hit Dice:
| 20
|
THAC0:
| 1
|
No. of Attacks:
| 1 or 2
|
Damage/Attack:
| 2-12 or 1-8/1-8
|
Special Attacks:
| Shriek
|
Special Defenses:
| +3 or better weapons to hit, never surprised
|
Magic Resistance:
| 50%
|
Size:
| L (40+' wing span)
|
Morale:
| Champion (15-16)
|
XP Value:
| 19,000
|
The phoenix is a great, extra-planar bird thought to represent the spirit of
freedom and rebirth. It is a mortal creature that displays the ultimate in
godlike detachment.
A phoenix appears as a large bird with a 40' wingspan and bright,
multi-colored feathers. The plumage includes bright violet, scarlet, crimson and flaming
orange. Its beak and claws are of blue-violet. A phoenix's eyes are a deep,
glowing ruby color.
In addition to its own language, a phoenix can speak with all avians. It
otherwise communicates with a limited telepathy or by empathy.
Combat: The phoenix is a free and benevolent spirit and does not derive pleasure from
attacking others. But if the need for combat arises, a phoenix is a swift and
powerful foe. It can attack in the air with two powerful claws inflicting 1-8
points of damage per strike. When on the ground it attacks with its great beak
for 2-12 points of damage per hit. The phoenix is an intelligent and magical
beast, however, so it usually opts for more effective measures of attack and
defense.
A phoenix will always open up each round of combat with a piercing shriek that
gives the creature an edge in the combat round. All opponents of 12 hit dice
or less within 30 feet of a shrieking phoenix receive a +3 penalty on their
initiative dice. The shriek does not affect the phoenix's combat roles in any way.
Every phoenix has the following spell-like powers, at 20th level of magic use,
usable once per round, one at a time, at will:
affect normal fires
audible glamer
blindness
blink
blur
call woodland beings, 1 time per day
color spray, 3 times per day
continual light
control temperature, 10' radius
dancing lights
detect charm, always active
detect evil, always active
detect magic, always active
duo-dimension, 1 time per day
find traps
find the path, 1 time per day
fire charm
fire seeds, 1 time per day
incendiary cloud, 1 time per week
invisibility
misdirection
neutralize poison, 1 time per day
polymorph self, 3 times per day
produce fire
protection from evil, 10' radius, always active
pyrotechnics
reincarnate, 1 time per day
remove fear, within a 10-foot radius
remove curse
snake charm
veil, 1 time per day
wall of fire, 1 time per day
Also, by spreading its wings and performing a ritual dance, the phoenix can
perform the following spell-like abilities at 40th level of magic use:
dismissal
dispel evil
dispel magic
Any of these three abilities can be used by a phoenix as many times as
desired, but can only be done one at a time and each takes a full round to complete.
No other activities -- such as a shriek -- can be done in conjunction with these
three powers.
A touch of its wing is equal to a
cure light wounds spell, with 2 touches possible per individual per day per phoenix. A touch of
the comb gives an effect equal to
cure disease, but only once per day per person.
When hard-pressed, the phoenix is able to cause spilled droplets of its own
blood to act as
fire seeds of the holly berry type, one being created for every five points of damage
taken by the phoenix.
In extreme situations, the phoenix can create a 40th-level combination of
fire storm (20' highx5' widex8' deep) and
incendiary cloud, even if it has already used these powers previously. This destroys the adult
phoenix but leaves behind a young phoenix with all the powers and abilities of
its predecessor.
The phoenix can travel astrally or ethereally at will. They are hit only by +3
or better magical weapons. The phoenix can never be surprised. It has
infravision to 120 feet.
Habitat/Society: Phoenixes are strange and enigmatic creatures. They are held in very high
regard in the legends of many tribes of barbarians and in other, primitive
cultures. It is said that the phoenix is the embodiment of rebirth. This is symbolized
in the classic imagery of the self-immolation of the phoenix from which a new
bird is formed. This is seen as the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of good and
thus the phoenix are considered noble creatures.
Legend states that the phoenix has an extremely long lifespan. Some reports
claim they can live to be over 1,000 years old, while others suggest it to be as
high as 12,000 years. When it is time for the phoenix to die, it goes far into
the mountains away from civilization. At the very top of these peaks, the
phoenix builds a great nest made of straw and various herbs. The phoenix will lie in
the nest, taking its last look at the world it knows. Satisfied that its work
in the world is at an end, it then immolates itself in a flash of great flame
and light. When the flames die down, there in the nest, which remains untouched
by flames, is a young phoenix arrayed in bright colors like its parent before
it. Legend then suggests that the phoenix must fly away to the temple of the sun
and there bury the mummified corpse of its parent.
In general, phoenixes are reclusive creatures, tending to make their lairs
away from the worlds of humanoid beings. Though they have the ability to travel
through the Astral and Ethereal planes (and thus to any inner and outer plane),
they will generally tend to stay on Elysium or in a secluded place on the Prime
Material plane.
There are as many legends of the phoenix as there are cultures, each with its
own slightly differing viewpoint. Some believe the phoenix to be the benevolent
symbol of death, only appearing when someone's time is up among the living.
Other cultures -- primarily evil -- see the phoenix as the symbol of destruction
and rage, bringing fiery devastation in its wake. Still other cultures record
their phoenix to be a friend and benefactor of good beings.
Although a wealth of mystery surrounds the phoenix, still there are some
things that are known for sure. It is obvious that the phoenix is a champion of
good. Although is seems these creatures do not actively seek out evil to destroy,
they will rarely pass up such an opportunity when it presents itself. Also,
despite the vast differences in ideology, belief, and philosophy in the various
cultures that revere the phoenix, one thing remains constant: the phoenix is the
symbol of creation by destruction. Some cultures believe that fire is the one
great purifier, cleansing all that it touches. Others believe that fires merely
destroys. With the phoenix, both are true. In its own reproduction, fires
destroys the old bird, taking with it many centuries of life and wisdom, yet it
creates a new phoenix with a new mind, thus purifying the line.
Ecology: Of all magical or enchanted creatures, the phoenix is perhaps most sought
after by alchemists and sages alike. There is almost no part of a phoenix that
cannot be used in a magical potion or for research.
The feathers of the phoenix have a great many uses. They can be used to adorn
a
staff of healing, they can be used to make
potions of extra-healing, and have many other healing, magic uses. The eyes, beak, and talons of a
phoenix are very valuable in the open market, often commanding 5,000 gp and up. Of
course it is not always easy to find a buyer on the open market, because many
cultures consider it a bad omen or taboo violation to kill a phoenix.
The exact nature of the phoenix can only be guessed at by scholars. All
phoenixes are male and the reproduction cycle consists entirely of the
self-immolation. Whether this is a natural biological reproduction cycle or a magical birth
is unclear.
Call Phoenix (Conjuration/Summoning)
6th-level Priest Spell, Animal Sphere
Range:
| 0
|
Components:
| V, S, M
|
Duration:
| 1 round per level of caster
|
Casting Time:
| 2 rounds
|
Area of Effect:
| Special
|
Saving Throw:
| None
|
This potent priest spell enables the caster to actually summon a phoenix that
will come and aid him. The most stringent restriction to this is that the
caster must be of good alignment or a druid. Evil or nondruid neutral priests cannot
summon a phoenix.
When cast, a phoenix will
always come to aid. However, depending on how far away the nearest phoenix is, it
may take some time for it to appear. One of these powerful creatures will appear
in 1d8-1 rounds. A modified roll of `0' indicates that a phoenix will appear
right away in a huge burst of smoke and flame.
Because the caster must be good or be a druid, there is seldom a conflict of
interest between the phoenix and the summoner. However, a phoenix will never
attack beings of good alignment (unless there is an
extremely good reason for it). It will, however, risk its own life if the cause
mandates such action and will further the aims of good that the summoner has
undertaken.
When the spell has expired, the phoenix does not disappear, but it is then
free to do what it will. This may in fact be what the caster summoned it for, or
it may leave if it feels the reasons for its summoning were insufficient.
The material components for this spell are three diamonds of at least 500 gp
value (which are consumed by the energies of the spell) and a red hot coal.
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