Nabassu, Mature (CR 15)

Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, and Tanar'ri)
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Initiative: +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Listen +23, and Spot +23
Languages: Abyssal, Common; Telepathy 100 ft.

AC: 31 (+5 Dex, +16 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 26
Hit Dice: 15d8+135 (202 hp); DR: 10/cold iron and good
Fort +20, Ref +14, Will +16
Speed: 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (good)
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +15; Grapple +24
Attack: Bite +24 melee
Full Attack: Bite +24 melee (2d8+9/19-20) and 2 claws +19 melee (1d8+4)
Damage: Bite 2d8+9/19-20, claws 1d8+4
Special Attacks/Actions: Feed,death-stealing gaze, summon Tanarri, vampiric link
Attack Options: sneak attack +6d6
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 20, Con 28, Int 20, Wis 21, Cha 23
Special Qualities: Camouflage, immune to electricity and poison, regeneration 5, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, SR 26
Feats: Ability Focus (gaze weapon); Combat Casting; Great Fortitude; Improved Critical (bite); Improved Initiative; Iron Will
Skills: Balance +7, Bluff +24, Concentration +27, Diplomacy +8, Gather Information +8, Hide +23, Intimidate +26, Jump +15, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (local) +23, Knowledge (religion) +23, Knowledge (the planes) +23, Listen +23, Move Silently +23, Spot +23, Tumble +25, and Use Magic Device +24
Advancement: 16-19 HD (Medium), 20-29 HD (Large), 30-45 HD (Huge)
Climate/Terrain: Infinite Layers of the Abyss
Organization: Solitary, pair, or gang (3-6)
Treasure/Possessions: Double standard

Source: Dungeon #112
Fiendish Codex I

Feed (Su): A mature nabassu can feed on the body of a helpless humanoid, but when it does so it merely gains the effects of a death knell spell (caster level 20). It does not advance in Hit Dice in this manner.

Gaze Weapons (Su): The mature nabassu's death-stealing gaze functions continuously to a range of 20 feet, and inflicts 1d4 negative levels unless a successful Fortitude save (DC 25) is made.

As a standard action, a mature nabassu can reverse its gaze, and instead of stealing death, can bestow death upon one creature per round. The range for the nabassus gaze drops to only 10 feet, but it now affects all creatures (not just humanoids). Any creature that fails a Fortitude save (DC 25) against this gaze weapon is immediately slain.

The save DC for both gaze weapons is Charisma-based.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will - enervation, ethereal jaunt, greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), hold monster (DC 20), silence, true seeing, unholy aura (DC 24), unholy blight (DC 20). 3/day - blasphemy (DC 23), energy drain (DC 25). Caster level 15. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Summon Tanar'ri (Sp): Once per day a nabassu can attempt to summon 2d4 babaus or 1d4 hezrous with a 70% chance of success, or one glabrezu with a 30% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 5th level spell.

Summon Undead (Sp): A nabassu may summon undead up to three times per day. Each time it does so, it can choose to summon 2d4 bodaks, 1d4 abyssal ghouls, or a blood fiend. Summoned undead appear one round after this ability is activated, follow the nabassus orders explicitly, and remain for a number of rounds equal to the nabassu's Hit Dice. This ability is the equivalent of a 9th-level spell, and the caster level of the spell equals the nabassu's Hit Dice.

Vampiric Link (Su): As a standard action a nabassu can establish a vampiric link between itself and any creature within 30 feet. The targeted creature can resist the link with a successful Will save (DC 23), otherwise the link remains in place until the target moves out of range or the nabassu targets a different creature with its vampiric link. The save DC is Charisma-based. A creature under the effects of a vampiric link finds that whenever he damages the nabassu, be it with spell or weapon, he suffers the same amount of damage.

Additionally, if the creature targets the nabassu with a spell, the effects of that spell are duplicated and affect the caster as well, even if the spell fails to penetrate the nabassu's spell resistance or the nabassu makes its saving throw.

Regeneration (Ex): Damage caused by good weapons causes lethal damage to a nabassu.

All nabassus, be they larval or mature, have several features in common. As a nabassu matures, it grows taller and more muscular, and the intensity of its glowing eyes increases. Larval nabassu eyes glow with the equivalent of a candle, while those of a mature nabassu glow with the equivalent of torchlight.

In either form, a nabassu prefers to use its physical attacks (particularly its feed attack) and gaze weapons against humanoids. Against other foes, it relies mostly on spell-like abilities, closing to melee only as a last resort.

Sneak Attack (Ex): A nabassu can make a sneak attack like a rogue, dealing extra damage whenever its opponent is denied his or her Dexterity bonus, or when the nabassu is flanking. The amount of sneak attack damage the nabassu deals depends on its maturity.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): At will - darkness, obscuring mist.

Camouflage (Ex): A nabassu has the ability to change the coloration of its flesh between various shades of black, gray, and brown. As a result, it gains a +8 circumstance bonus on all Ride checks made in underground or barren terrain.

Feed (Su): A mature nabassu can feed on the body of a helpless living humanoid, devouring both its flesh and life force. To do so, the nabassu makes a coup de grace attack against the humanoid creature; this provokes an attack of opportunity from any creatures that threaten it. If the victim is slain by the coup de grace, a significant physical portion of its body is eaten by the nabassu while the remaining portions quickly rot away to a foul-smelling paste. This prevents any form of raising or resurrection that requires part of the corpse. A wish, miracle, or true resurrection can restore a devoured victim to life. A mature nabassu that devours a humanoid in this fashion gains the effects of a death knell spell (CL 20th).

Regeneration (Ex): Damage caused by good-aligned weapons deal lethal damage to a mature nabassu.

Sneak Attack (Ex): A mature nabassu can make a sneak attack as a rogue, dealing an extra 6d6 points of damage whenever a foe is denied his or her Dexterity bonus, or when the mature nabassu is flanking.

Summon Tanar'ri (Sp): Once per day, a mature nabassu can summon 2d4 babaus or 1d4 hezrous with a 70% chance of success, or one glabrezu with a 30% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 7th-level spell (CL 15th).

Vampiric Link (Su): As a standard action, a mature nabassu can establish a vampiric link between itself and any living creature within 30 feet that it can see. The targeted creature can resist the link with a DC 23 Will save; otherwise the link remains in place until the target moves out of range or the nabassu targets a different creature. A creature affected by a vampiric link finds that whenever he damages the nabassu, be it with spell or weapon, he takes the same amount of damage. Additionally, if the creature targets the nabassu with a spell, the effects of that spell are duplicated and affect the caster as well, even if the spell fails to penetrate the nabassus spell resistance or the nabassu makes its saving throw. This is a necromancy effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

The Nabassu first appeared in the Monster Manual II (Gary Gygax, 1983).

Chaotic Subtype

A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the chaotic-aligned Outer Planes. Most creatures that have this subtype also have chaotic alignments; however, if their alignments change they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has a chaotic alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the chaotic subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were chaotic-aligned (see Damage Reduction).

Evil Subtype

A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the evil-aligned Outer Planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. Most creatures that have this subtype also have evil alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the evil subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were evil-aligned (see Damage Reduction).

Extraplanar Subtype

A subtype applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. This book assumes that encounters with creatures take place on the Material Plane, and every creature whose native plane is not the Material Plane has the extraplanar subtype (but would not have when on its home plane). An extraplanar creatures usually has a home plane mentioned in its description. These home planes are taken from the Great Wheel cosmology of the D&D game (see Chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). If your campaign uses a different cosmology, you will need to assign different home planes to extraplanar creatures.

Creatures not labeled as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane; the transitive planes in the D&D cosmology are the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, and the Plane of Shadow.

Tanarri Subtype

Most demons encountered outside of the Abyss are tanar'ri. The most populous of the demon subtypes, the tanar'ri form the largest and most diverse group of demons. They are the unchallenged masters of the Abyss at this time. The first tanar'ri were forged from the souls of the first humanoids drawn to the Abyss. Most tanar'ri incorporate humanoid features into their forms as a result of their close ties to the mortal realm.

Traits: A tanar'ri possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).