Fiend Factory 5E. White Dwarf 39: Phraarkilloorm (Inhuman Gods Part I)

 Issue 39 Phraarkilloorm (Inhuman Gods Part 1)

 

This is a something of a departure for the Fiend Factory, as over the next four issues it is given over entirely to Phil Masters and his Deities and Demigods style entries for the gods of the various non-human races published in the Fiend Factory and the Fiend Folio. One thing about Phil Masters is that his flavour text is always worth the price of entry, and so he’s a good choice for this particular column.

It isn’t the first time that one author has had a whole Fiend Factory to himself. The very first monster listing, before the Fiend Factory was a thing, was entirely Ian Livingstone, but since then we’ve had Daniel Collerton’s Flymen, Allan E Paul’s Fey creatures, and Eric Hall’s Loculi. But until now, never a multi-part series.

The entries are in alphabetical order for the creatures that worship the entities, and so it begins with the Aarakocra.

 Although the current version of the Aarakocra are followers of the Wind Dukes of Aqaa, originally they had no particular role, and so Phil gives them K’oorial the Skylord. As with many of the gods in this series, it’s a kind of idealised form of that particular race, served by giant eagles, commanding air elementals of all kinds, and with “probably the best eyesight of any being in the universe”, capable of true seeing up to five miles. K’ooriall tends to leave the aarakocra to their own devices unless they are threatened by tyranny.

 

The Bodachs (of issue 17, the creature that I statted for that issue) get Dar-Marn-Camac, which is a pleasingly pseudo-Celtic sounding kind of name.

“The Striding God” is believed to have been the first of his race, who slew the Demonwolf with his magic spear, Dawnshaft (great simple yet evocative names there). A tireless hunter, Dar-Marn-Camac is a mysterious and taciturn god.

 

The Bullywugs buck the trend of having gods that are exemplars of the race. The god that Phil gives them, Ggorulluzg, is a strange Cthulhoid creature, more octopus than frog (sadly John Blanche makes a very comical image with this).

Ggorulluzg seems to exist mainly to destroy things and there’s little sophistication to its portfolio or cult, leastways that Phil tells us. Again, quite a Lovecraftian kind of entity. It has an enmity for Swulljagoor, god of the Frog Folk, whom we will meet next issue.

 

The Crab-men, of the Fiend Folio, are given a master of the Fantasy Apostrophe, T’Ka-Bookk’na.

T’Ka is believed to have created crabs and crabmen from pebbles, and will occasionally reward followers if pleased with their sacrifices, of which the best kind are humans thrown off a cliff. Good set-up for an adventure, there.

 

If you remember the “Desert Raiders”, those thinly disguised Fremen rip-offs, Phil gives them the god Muadaar Ul-Shaha, which skirts amusingly close to both “Maud’dib” and “Shai Hulud”, important figures in Fremen religion, with that Arabic feel that Frank Herbert liked to sprinkle into his work.

Neither a prophet nor a giant sandworm, however, Muadaar is a spirit of the desert, bringer of mirages and oases, able to take the form of a giant sandstorm (and also summon sandworms). This one, I think, would have the most utility so far.

 

In the end, though, I picked the god of the Dire Corbies, Phraarkilloorm, The Most Dire.

Partly because I’ve always had a soft-spot for Dire Corbies, partly because I was amused by the idea of a “Deep Crow” god, and partly because again it has some general utility as an alternative to a demon-lord or arch-devil. It’s tough, but defeatable by a powerful party.

I sort of kept the original stats, but made it stronger, and swapped Intelligence and Wisdom around (it seemed, and the dire corbies seem, more creatures of instinct than of intellect). I didn’t really give it any spellcasting powers even though, as per the Deities and Demigods style entry, it does seem to have some; to be honest it didn’t really fit, but feel free to add in some spellcasting ability if you feel it needs a boost.

It causes fear (i.e. Frightful Presence like a dragon), has immunity to nonmagical weapons and magic resistance. I changed the rather specific set of spell immunities into something like those of a golem plus condition immunities, added the Faultless Tracker ability and gave it a few things common to legendary creatures.

I figured that this thing is not actually a “god” as such, but a powerful outsider that is happy to take homage from the dire corbies, and so although it’s tough, it’s of a level that can be beaten by adventurers.

 

Phraarkilloorm, The Most Dire

Large fiend, neutral evil

Armour Class 20 (natural armour) Hit Points 190 (20d10 + 80) Speed 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 24 (+7) 22 (+6) 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 14 (+2)

Proficiency Bonus +5 Saving Throws Str +12, Con +9, Wis +9 Skills Perception +14, Stealth +16, Survival +14 Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, frightened Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 24

Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

Faultless Tracker. Phraarkilloorm can follow the tracks of a creature up to a week old, even if the tracks are obscured by magic.. Frightful Presence. Each creature  within 60 feet of Phraarkilloorm, is aware of it, and is not a dire corby, must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature is successful, or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Phraarkilloorm’s Frightful Presence for 24 hours. Immutable Form. Phraarkilloorm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Phraarkilloorm fails a saving throw it can elect instead to succeed. Magic Resistance. Phraarkilloorm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Phraarkilloorm’s weapon attacks are magical. ACTIONS

Multiattack. Phraarkilloorm makes two claw attacks. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage. LEGENDARY ACTIONS

Phraarkilloorm can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Phrarrkilloorm regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Inspire Corbies. Phraarkilloorm grants inspiration to one dire corby within 100 feet. That dire corby has a d12 inspiration die that it can add to any ability check, attack, or saving throw that it makes in the next 10 minutes. Kick. Phrarrkilloorm makes one claw attack. Sprint. Phraarkilloorm can move up to 60 feet. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity.