Levistus, Lord Of The Fifth (CR 25)
Medium Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, and Lawful)
Alignment: Lawful evil
Initiative: +12 (+8 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: Listen +45
Languages: Telepathy 100 ft.
AC: 40 (+8 Dex, +7 insight, +15 natural), touch 25, flat-footed 32
Hit Dice: 33d8+330 (478 hp); DR: DR 15/epic good
Fort +28, Ref +26, Will +30
Speed: 40 ft. (currently 0 ft.)
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +33; Grapple +29
Attack: +4 rapier +46 melee
Full Attack: +4 rapier +46 melee
Damage: +4 rapier 1d6+16 plus 2d6 precise strike/15-20
Special Attacks: Amnesia touch, spell-like abilities
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 26, Con 31, Int 27, Wis 34, Cha 29
Special Qualities: Acrobatic attack, baatezu traits, elaborate parry, evasion, outsider traits, precise strike, regeneration 5, spell parry, SR 37, summon baatezu
Feats: Dark Speech; Dodge; Combat Expertise; Improved Critical (rapier); Improved Disarm; Improved Initiative; Mobility; Spring Attack; Weapon Focus (rapier)
Skills: Balance +45, Bluff +42, Concentration +43, Diplomacy +46, Disguise +42, Hide +41, Intimidate +46, Jump +45, Knowledge (arcana) +41, Knowledge (the planes) +41, Listen +45, Move Silently +41, Perform +42, Spellcraft +41, and Tumble +45
Advancement: -
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary
Treasure/Possessions: Quadruple standard
Source:
Book of Vile Darkness
Prince Levistus (as he calls himself) is an ancient being. He ruled the fifth layer of hell, Stygia, for eons. He was known throughout many planes as a swordsman of great prowess. He ended many conflicts with a personal duel, always resulting in the death of his opponent. Levistus was a schemer and betrayer as well -- the rogue archdevil, as he was sometimes called, had no allies. Yet still his power was great.
In the dim recesses of the past, Levistus attempted to turn the consort of Asmodeus, a devil named Bensozia, against her lover. When she refused, Levistus slew her.
Not surprisingly, when Asmodeus discovered what Levistus had done, he was enraged. He imprisoned Levistus in the ice of Stygia. Most thought that they would never see the prince again. A devil named Geryon took his place in Stygia and ruled there for centuries.
Eventually, Geryon was deposed during the Reckoning and Asmodeus put Levistus back in control of Stygia. He did not, however, free Levistus from his icy prison. Now Levistus rules from within the ice, held motionless, an ironic end for one who prided himself on his dexterity and grace.
Though he is not visible beneath the massive glacier that imprisons him, Levistus appears as a 6-foot-tall humanoid with extremely pale skin, dark hair, and a goatee. He could almost pass for a human except for his all-black eyes and pointed teeth. Back in his day, Levistus wore loose, silky finery and carried a glistening rapier.
Though it was different once, today Levistus's symbol is a thin sword thrust into a block of ice.
Combat
To fight Levistus, at least in the standard way, foes must somehow get to him. Presumably, this would mean freeing him from his imprisonment. While he is trapped in the ice, the only abilities that Levistus can use are summon baatezu, clairvoyance/clairaudience, demand, major image, scrying, unholy aura, and wish. He cannot move or make physical attacks of any kind while trapped in the ice. He effectively has no Strength or Dexterity score while trapped.
Amnesia Touch (Su): If Levistus makes a successful touch attack against a foe, the foe must make a Will save (DC 35) or forget all details of her past (skills are not lost, just memories). Furthermore, the target is stunned for 1d4+1 rounds. If the save succeeds, only the last year's worth of memories are erased and the target is stunned for 1 round. A greater restoration spell will restore memories lost in this way.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will -- blasphemy, charm monster, clairvoyance/clairaudience, demand, desecrate, detect good, detect magic, dispel magic, enthrall, ice storm, hold person, locate creature, locate object, magic circle against good, major image, scrying, see invisibility, suggestion, teleport without error, unholy aura, unhallow , wall of ice; 1/day -- symbol (pain), wish. Caster level 20th; save DC 19 + spell level.
Acrobatic Attack (Ex): If Levistus attacks by jumping at least 5 feet into his opponent, jumps down at least 5 feet onto his opponent, or swings on a rope or similar object into his opponent, he gains a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls.
Baatezu Traits: Levistus can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. In addition, he can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell. Levistus is immune to fire and poison, and he has acid resistance 20 and cold resistance 20.
Elaborate Parry (Ex): If Levistus chooses to fight defensively or take a full defense action in combat, he gains a +8 dodge bonus to his Armor Class beyond the bonuses granted by those actions.
Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows Levistus to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage (such as a fireball), he takes no damage with a successful saving throw.
Precise Strike (Ex): Levistus has the ability to strike precisely with a light, one-handed piercing weapon, adding +2d6 to his normal damage roll. When making a precise strike, Levistus cannot attack with a weapon in his other hand.
Regeneration (Ex): Levistus takes normal damage from holy and blessed weapons of at least +4 enhancement.
Spell Parry (Su): This ability functions as the spell turning spell (caster level 10th). Levistus can use this ability once per day.
Summon Baatezu (Sp): Twice per day Levistus can automatically summon 2 gelugons, or he can attempt to summon 1 pit fiend with an 85% chance of success. Levistus can force the summoned devils to appear anywhere he can see, including places he sees through scrying or clairvoyance.
Possessions: Levistus had a +4 rapier when he was imprisoned. if he escapes, he'll undoubtedly seek a more potent blade.
The Goals of Levistus
Levistus wants more than anything else to be free of his frozen prison. The mountain of ice that he is trapped within is almost a half-mile across. From the outside, he is simply a black spot within the ice. The ice trapping Levistus cannot be affected by a wish or miracle. Levistus cannot teleport or be summoned out of the ice in any way. The ice must be destroyed, either by physically chipping and smashing at it or by melting it with fire (including magical fire).
Levistus hates all the other lords of hell, and they hate him. Were he ever to gain his freedom, Levistus would most likely work toward some scheme that would be detrimental to all -- particularly Asmodeus. Levistus is not particularly grateful to Asmodeus for giving him back control of Stygia. He cannot see beyond his need for revenge over being imprisoned in the first place.
The Cult of Levistus
Levistus's cult of thugs and rogues has always been fairly small. He is a patron of vengeance and betrayal. His followers rarely gather together, and thus there are few temples. Most clerics actually carry materials with them to serve as a portable shrine. These materials always include a small iron cauldron in which they boil water and drop chunks of ice as part of the ceremony.
Clerics who favor Levistus, also called bladeravers, rarely look like priests. They wear flamboyant, silky garb and carry the archdevils favored weapon, a rapier. They look more like swashbucklers than religious zealots. The Evil, Diabolic, and Trickery domains are common among clerics who have Levistus as their patron.
The Servants of Levistus
Erridon Alaka is a gelugon sorcerer. He and Zanrh, a half-fiend rogue, along with a hellcat named Trinity, serve as Levistus's hands and voice beyond the solid ice he is trapped within. Through an arcane ritual, Erridon and Levistus are linked telepathically at all times. Erridon tells Zanth what Levistus wants, and they interact with others on the archdevil's behalf.
Zanth eats only the flesh of good-aligned children, a rare commodity in hell. Thus, his one weakness is the minor devils that capture and kill children for him to eat -- they work for Mephistopheles and frequently influence his actions to subtly serve their master.