{"name":"Black Ethergaunt","cr":"17","types":"Aberration","size":"Medium","languages":"Daelkyr, Khen-Zai","alignment":"Neutral Evil","description":"Black ethergaunts stand at the pinnacle of khen-zai society. Honored as near-divine philosopher-scientists, the black caste is credited with advancing ethergaunt society to its present state of perfection. No lesser khen-zai questions the will of a black ethergaunt, for to do so is to question the progress of the entire race. By far the thinnest and most emaciated of the ethergaunts, blacks lack the physical power of their underlings\u2014a deficiency balanced by a brain that allows them to outthink even the most intelligent opponent. Their black faceplates represent a complete void of emotion\u2014the khen-zai believe that the blacks have rid themselves of all emotion, thus allowing them to command the race without being clouded by weaknesses such as regret, compassion, and mercy. Despite pretensions to the contrary, however, most black ethergaunts possess an abundance of selfish emotions such as greed, ambition, and hubris.\r\n\r\nBlack ethergaunts are rarely found without a handful of powerful slaves that serve as bodyguards. If necessary, they sacrifice their thralls to protect themselves. Though they are able to use etherblades, black ethergaunts consider engaging in physical combat to be a sign of failure, preferring to rely on spells or technological items such as doubt bombs. They particularly hate clerics, viewing divine spellcasters as a threat to the khen-zai\u2019s atheist philosophy. Rather than change that philosophy, the black ethergaunts have decided to simply eliminate the divine spellcasters.","suggestedenvironment":"Ethereal Plane","ac":"19","hitpoints":"104 [roll:16d8+32]","strength":"12","dexterity":"18","constitution":"14","intelligence":"30","wisdom":"15","charisma":"15","movement":"30","fly":"","hover":"","burrow":"","swim":"","climb":"","senses":"darkvision 60 ft., total vision 40 ft., passive Perception 14","skills":"Arcana +12, History +12, Insight +4, Perception +4, Stealth +8","savingthrows":"CON +4, DEX +6, WIS +4","damagevulnerabilities":"","damageresistances":"","damageimmunities":"arcane spells (6th level or lower)","conditionimmunities":"","spellcasting":"A black ethergaunt can cast arcane spells as a 17th-level wizard (5\/4\/3\/3\/3\/3\/2\/2\/1\/1; save DC20 + spell level).\r\n\r\nA typical spell list:\r\n[ul]\r\n[li]0\u2014acid splash, chill touch, mage hand, ray of frost, true strike[\/li]\r\n[li]1st\u2014chromatic orb, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, shield, sleep[\/li]\r\n[li]2nd\u2014acid arrow, detect thoughts, hold person, mirror image, misty step, see invisibility[\/li]\r\n[li]3rd\u2014counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, haste, lightning bolt, vampiric touch[\/li]\r\n[li]4th\u2014banishment, confusion, ice storm, greater invisibility, resilient sphere, phantasmal killer[\/li]\r\n[li]5th\u2014cone of cold, dominate person, mislead, planar binding, wall of force[\/li]\r\n[li]6th\u2014disintegrate, globe of invulnerability, mass suggestion, programmed illusion, sunbeam[\/li]\r\n[li]7th\u2014finger of death, plane shift, prismatic spray[\/li]\r\n[li]8th\u2014feeblemind, mind blank, sunburst[\/li]\r\n[li]9th\u2014meteor swarm, power word kill[\/li]\r\n[\/ul]\r\n","atwill":"","onceperday":"","twiceperday":"","thriceperday":"[b]Enslave.[\/b] Three times per day, an ethergaunt can attempt to enslave any one living creature within 30 feet. This ability functions similarly to a [i]dominate monster[\/i] spell (caster level 16th; Wisdom save DC20). An enslaved creature obeys the ethergaunt\u2019s telepathic commands to the letter. The subject can attempt a new Wisdom save every day to break free. Otherwise, the ethergaunt\u2019s control is broken only by the death of either the ethergaunt or the enslaved creature, or by a [i]remove curse[\/i] or [i]dispel magic[\/i] effect, or if the ethergaunt travels more than 1 mile from the enslaved creature or travels to a different plane from the one its thrall is on. At any given time, an ethergaunt may have any number of slaves equal to its Charisma ability modifier.","specialabilities":"[b]Immunity to Spells.[\/b] Ethergaunts may choose to ignore the effects of arcane spells, just as if the spellcaster had failed to overcome spell resistance. They have no power over divine spells, having long ago rationalized divinity out of their racial philosophy. Though powerful, this ability is somewhat limited, it applies only to arcane spells of 6th level or lower.\r\n\r\n[b]Total Vision.[\/b] An ethergaunt\u2019s superdeveloped brain and countless facial sensory organs allow it to discern all objects within 40 feet, even through the mask that hides its face. An ethergaunt usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice creatures within range of its total vision. A [i]silence[\/i] spell has no bearing upon an ethergaunt\u2019s total vision.","actions":"[b]Stupefying Gaze.[\/b] An ethergaunt can open and close its vertically bisected mask as a free action, revealing a horrifically alien morass of facial organs and orifices. On its turn, the creature decides if it wants its mask open or closed. Anyone within 30 feet of an ethergaunt with an open mask who meets the creature\u2019s gaze must succeed on a Wisdom saving\r\nthrow DC20 or immediately take [roll:1d4] points of psychic damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same ethergaunt\u2019s stupefying gaze for one day. Ethergaunts are immune to their own gaze attacks and to those of others of their kind.\r\n\r\n[b]Material Jaunt.[\/b] Ethergaunts dwell on the Ethereal Plane. While in their natural state of etherealness, they can perceive but not affect creatures and objects on the Material\r\nPlane. However, an ethergaunt can transport itself from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane as a standard action. It can remain on the Material Plane for up to 1 round per Hit\r\nDie it possesses. At the end of this time, or when the ethergaunt chooses, it becomes ethereal again. An ethergaunt must remain on the Ethereal Plane for at least 1 hour after a\r\nmaterial jaunt before it can use the ability again. Ethergaunts who wish to remain on the Material Plane for a longer time must use [i]plane shift[\/i] or similar magic. Most white and black ethergaunts know the [i]plane shift[\/i] spell and use it for this purpose.","reactions":"","legendaryactions":"","lairdescription":"","lairactions":"","regionaleffects":"","image":"731236","tabledata":"","tags":"aberration,ethergaunt,Fiend Folio","templateId":"21","blockId":"289536","isShared":"on"}