Greater Balrog

Description

The balrog is the ultimate chaotic killing machine. It is derived from the existing souls of the plane of Concordant Opposition; fuelling its constant battle rage from the entities of deceased fighters.

A greater balrog is around eight feet tall, humanoid in shape, while having a very broad chest. It has a wingspread of twenty feet that will function to lift the creature only when it is in an environment that allows magic to function. When it is an area that does not promote magic, the wings are not large enough to lift the creature, since it is so very dense; weighing over five tons. With grey-black skin, and huge claws and fangs it is definitely lethal to mortal.

The creature is immune to any mind influencing attack (charms, hold spells, sleep, etc) since it technically has no mind; only a basic drive to kill, similar to undead. It has a 95% magic resistance against any spell below tenth, and no magic resistance against any spell of legend. If the magic resistance fails, the creature takes half damage from heat attacks, and half damage from cold attacks. It does take full damage from acid and lightning.

The creature has three eyes, all of which allow it to see as humans do. However, its left eye gives it infravision to 90 feet, and its right gives it ultravision to 60 feet. The middle eye gives the balrog the ability to see things in the ethereal, or border ethereal. Furthermore, the middle eye allows it to see things out of phase, and things that are invisible. Needless to say, it has an excellent perception, only being surprised on a 1 in 10.

The creature has a natural 19 Strength, giving it bonuses to damage for its claw attacks. If there is space available, and it is fighting on soil or sand, it will attempt to buffet its wings. This causes no damage to its opponents, but will fan the loose soil or sand into the air. All opponents within 15 feet of the creature must make a Dexterity check every round or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. The balrog has transparent eye lids that prevent it from being affected by the churned dust.

The balrog will attack anything that is in its vicinity that is larger than a squirrel. If it has been engaged in melee by more than one opponent, it will attack the largest threat first. However, it cannot distinguish precise inches in height. Therefore if three humans attacked it, the recipient of the creature’s attacks would be randomly determined.

When the spell is cast the wizard draws a pentagram and stands within it. If the spell is successful and the balrog appears, the wizard will have no control over the creature; it will attack anything and everything. However, the wizard, and anyone standing within the drawn pentagram, will be undetectable by the creature and therefore are safe. Once any individual leaves the pentagram, that person then becomes visible to the menace. So usually its a good policy to wait until the creature has left the area before breaking out the Old Mill.

The material components for the spell are a sanctified holy symbol from the major Chaotic Neutral god, and any "cursed berserker" weapon. Both of which are lost when the spell is cast.

Also in this section of the source

Time Transposition (Alteration, Summoning)

• Range: 10 yards per level
• Components: V, S, M
• Duration: Special
• Casting Time: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1-foot per level radius
• Saving Throw: None
• Author: John Nethery and Christopher Solberg

This spell takes a spherical area, and everything in it, forward or backward in time. The spell will move the caster as well, if he is within the sphere.

The spell will only move those affected through time, not through space. Therefore, a group of individuals will be moved to the same spot in another time. Note that this may cause problems for the recipients if those affected are moved to a time where a certain spot was, for example, an erupting volcano.

The spell will move those affected either forward in time up to 10 years per level of the caster, or backward in time up to 100 years per level. When casting the spell, the wizard will designate the number of years that he wishes to move those involved; but month, day, and hour are to be randomly determined within that year.

Note that if the caster uses this spell offensively against opponents, by moving those affected in time to get rid of them, they are not entitled a saving throw and magic resistance seldom affects 10th-level spells.

Also, anyone or anything that is only partially within the sphere of effect will not be transported to another time. Instead they will be violently thrown from the sphere causing possible damage.

This spell can also be used to destroy time elementals. The spell will permanently disrupt them, without any kind of saving throw.

In addition, those that are transported, willingly or not, will automatically lose one point of Constitution, permanently. Therefore, it is not a good idea to make various "merchant" runs back in time, where certain current technologies might fetch a high profit.

Lastly, it is up to the DM’s philosophy on time travel as to whether or not changing the events in the past will alter the future. In other words, the DM must decide the outcome of the "If I go back and kill my grandfather, before he fathered my father, will I cease to exist" dilemma. It may be the DM’s opinion that the person who kills his grandfather will cease to exist, or possibly it may be that a person attempting to kill his ancestor will be prevented from doing so by other circumstances. Again, the decision is up to the DM; just be ready for any character’s experimentation.

The material components for the spell include a sanctified holy symbol from the head druidic god, an empty hourglass made from glass and mithril (value 500 gp), and a pinch of the essence of a slain time elemental.

Void Form (Alteration)

• Range: 0
• Components: V, S, M
• Duration: 1 round per 5 levels
• Casting Time: 1 round
• Area of Effect: The caster
• Saving Throw: Special
• Author: Alexande Shternshain

By the means of this spell, the wizard causes his body and equipment to become effectively a sphere of annihilation. Anything that comes in contact with his body, will be utterly and irrevocably destroyed. Anyone foolish enough to attack the caster, will lose his weapon on a successful hit (the caster takes no damage). If the weapon is a claw, it means the loss of an arm, if it’s a bite — loss of a head. The one drawback of the spell is, however, that the caster becomes himself totally "wrapped" in the darkness of the void — he cannot see or feel anything (not even by clairvoyance). He can still walk, jump, run, etc., but he would know the results of his actions only when the spell ends. The caster is aware of the passage of time. While in void form, the caster takes no physical damage, not from weapons and not damaging spells.

The caster does not make a saving throw, but any magical object makes a saving throw versus crushing blow. Living creatures are not affected.

The material component of the spell is any object brought from the Abyss.

Vorpal Blade (Alteration)

• Range: 0
• Components: V, S, M
• Duration: 1 round per 3 levels, upon use
• Casting Time: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: Edged weapon touched
• Saving Throw: None
• Author: Max Becherer

When cast on an edged weapon, the weapon will become vorpal upon its next use, and will remain that way for 1 round per 3 levels of the wizard. The weapon may not be magical, except if subject to an enchantment spell.

The spell adds no plusses to the weapon, but plusses due to quality or an enchantment spell do apply. The material component is a mithril razor enchanted to +6 with an enchantment spell and a sharpness spell costing 1000 gp. The spell can be made permanent, but to do so requires a specially forged weapon, and a miniature version of the weapon forged from the same metals in lieu of the razor. The total cost starts at 50,000 gp.

Youth (Alteration)

• Range: 0
• Components: V, S, M
• Duration: Permanent
• Casting Time: 10 turns
• Area of Effect: One creature
• Saving Throw: Special
• Author: Max Becherer

This spell reduces the physiological age of the recipient by 2d6+6 years. The recipient must make a saving throw versus death magic for the spell to succeed. If the saving throw is failed, the spell is ruined. A fumbled saving throw (a natural roll of 1) results in the recipient being aged 2d6+6 years. Only the recipient’s natural saving throw is used in this roll.

The material component is a quarter pint of dragon blood, and 1000 gold pieces worth of gems per year of time the recipient has lived (his chronological age). The recipient must be willing for the spell to work.

The Great Net Prayerbook (Alphabetical Spell Index)