Obox-ob, Prince of Vermin (CR 22)

Huge Outsider (Obyrith)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Initiative: 7(+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., true seeing, Listen +36, and Spot +36
Languages: Abyssal; telepathy 100 ft.

AC: 41 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +30 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 38
Hit Dice: 26d8+338 (455 hp); DR: DR 20/cold iron and lawful
Fort +28, Ref +18, Will +22
Speed: 40 ft., Fly 60 ft. (good), and Climb 40 ft.
Space: 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Base Attack +26; Grapple +46
Attack: Melee: 3 stings +36 and bite +34 and tongue +34
Damage: Sting 3d6+12/19—20 plus poison, bite 2d6+6, tongue 1d8+6 plus implant chaos
Special Attacks:
Attack Options: Cleave, Flyby Attack, Power Attack
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 17, Con 36, Int 23, Wis 24, Cha 27
Special Qualities: Aura: discordant drone (40-ft. radius, Will DC 31), form of madness (120-ft. radius, Will DC 31); obyrith traits; fast healing 15; Immunities: disease, mind-affecting spells and abilities, poison Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 33
Feats: Cleave, Dark Speech, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Improved Critical (sting), Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (giant vermin, telekinesis),
Skills: Climb +41, Concentration +42, Diplomacy +10, Hide +24, Intimidate +37, Jump +43, Knowledge (arcana) +35, Knowledge (religion) +35, Knowledge (the planes) +35, Listen +36, Move Silently +32, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft +37, Spot +36, and Tumble +34
Advancement: -
Climate/Terrain: The Abyss (Zionym)
Organization:
Treasure/Possessions:

Source: Fiendish Codex I

The huge demon's body is an insane thicket of spidery limbs, scrabbling for purchase with razor-sharp talons arrayed around a scorpion-shaped body. Where a face should be writhe three immense tails, each tipped with a jagged stinger that seeps black venom. Where a tail should be is a thick neck surmounted by a horrific face, complete with a vertically aligned mouth and three pairs of leering red eyes that seem horrifically human in shape. From its murderous maw extends a glistening red tongue, itself tipped with a hollow spike shaped like a corkscrew.

Primeval and ruinous, the obyrith prince Obox-ob was once the Prince of Demons in an ancient age. His power is much diminished today, yet his lust for its return grows with every passing second. He is the lord of vermin and patron of those who see divinity in their repugnant frames.

Discordant Drone (Su): The cacophony of Obox-ob's armored body shrieking and wailing creates a zone of discordant noise whenever he moves at least 5 feet. All creatures within 40 feet when this drone is in effect must succeed on a DC 31 Will save or be deafened and confused for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting ability. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Form of Madness (Su): Any creature within 120 feet that observes Obox-ob must attempt a DC 31 Will save. Failure indicates the creature's mind is forevermore haunted by Obox-ob's unholy shape. Each time it tries to rest for the night, it is subject to the effect of a nightmare spell (no save; CL 20th). The victim automatically becomes shaken whenever he is within 30 feet of a vermin creature of which he is aware. This form of madness is permanent and especially difficult to cure with magic. A heal or greater restoration can cure the effects if the caster makes a DC 30 caster level check. Miracle or wish automatically cures the condition.

A creature that makes this save is immune to Obox-ob's form of madness for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting ability that does not affect chaotic evil outsiders. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Poison (Su): Sting - Injury, Fortitude DC 36, 2d8 Int drain/2d8 Int drain. A creature drained to 0 Intelligence by Obox-ob's sting is immediately transformed into a fiendish monstrous scorpion of the same size as its previous form; the victim retains none of its previous abilities, intelligence, or memories. Only a miracle or wish restores the victim to its original form and raises its Intelligence to 1. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Implant Chaos (Su): A creature that takes damage from Obox-ob's tongue attack must attempt a DC 31 Fortitude save. Failure indicates the tongue implants the victim with the raw stuff of chaos. The victim gains 1d4 negative levels per round as the chaos transforms his body and soul. Once the victim has a number of negative levels equal to his Hit Dice, the chaos consumes him utterly, leaving behind only his gear. A creature destroyed in this manner can only be brought back to life with a miracle, true resurrection, or wish spell, and even then the caster must succeed on a DC 30 caster level check or the implanted chaos immediately begins to destroy the victim again as soon as he is restored to life. Dispel chaos halts the deterioration caused by the implantation but does not restore lost levels. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th): At will - astral projection, desecrate, detect good, detect law, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, giant vermin, telekinesis (DC 23), summon swarm, unhallow, unholy blight (DC 22); 3/day - creeping doom, quickened giant vermin, quickened telekinesis (DC 23), symbol of insanity (DC 25); 1/day - polymorph any object (DC 26, into vermin shape only)

Strategy and Tactics

Obox-ob's response to attack is to lash out with his stingers, bite, and tongue. He uses his quickened giant vermin ability in the early rounds of combat to create Colossal monstrous scorpions. He then uses quickened telekinesis to bull rush enemies off cliffs or into solid objects. The Prince of Vermin greatly enjoys melee combat and generally resorts to non-quickened spell-like abilities only against targets he can't reach with these attacks.

Servants, Enemies, and Goals

Obox-ob once held the title Prince of Demons during the Age before Ages, when the Abyss was ruled by the obyriths. He had this title stolen from him by the Queen of Chaos, who killed him and granted his title to Miska the Wolf-Spider. Although Obox-ob was slain, his most powerful aspect survived and went into hiding on a deep layer of the Abyss called Zionyn (layer 663). For many eons, Obox-ob lurked here, a shadow without a true form. In time, he grew bold and emerged from hiding, only to find the Abyss had moved on in his absence. The tanar'ri now ruled, and Obox-ob had been forgotten.

Obox-ob is not content to rule Zionyn and constantly rages across the face of this layer, bringing destruction and ruin to the ekolids who dwell there and worship his fury. Reduced to the Prince of Vermin, Obox-ob wants nothing less than to murder Demogorgon, claim his title, and then cleanse the Abyss of the taint of tanar'ri and return it to obyrith rule. But before he launches this plan, he first seeks to reclaim the true power he held so long ago.

Obox-ob's search for power extends to the Material Plane. On some Material Plane worlds, his cult is quite powerful - he recently almost managed to draw an entire world into the Abyss to fuel his ascension, but failed at his task when heroes of that realm opposed him by engineering a devastating disruption of the flow of magic at a crucial moment during the ritual. Since this humiliating defeat, Obox-ob has quietly observed his remaining cults, waiting for one to achieve similar chances at success in the future. Until then, these cults maintain a low profile, often basing their activities in ruined cities lost in vast deserts, where they can be close to the scorpions so sacred to his faith.

Clerics of Obox-ob have access to the domains of Chaos, Destruction, Entropy, and Evil. His symbol is a scorpion dangling by its tail from a jawless human skull covered with twisted runes (the scorpion's tail is threaded through the skull's eye sockets).

Obox-ob Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about Obox-ob. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.