Metal Elemental Monolith, Doom (3.5e Creature)

DOOM METAL MONOLITH

	Doom Metal Monolith
Size/Type:	Gargantuan Elemental (Extraplanar, Incorporeal)
Hit Dice:	36d8+288 (450 hp)
Initiative:	+20
Speed:	Fly 40' (perfect)
Armor Class:	35 (-4 size, +12 Dex, +17 deflection), touch 35, flat-footed 23
Base Attack/Grapple:	+27/+44
Attack:	Incorporeal touch +35 melee (1d8 charisma drain and 1d8 wisdom drain/19-20)
Full Attack:	2 incorporeal touches
Space/Reach:	20'/20'
Special Attacks:	Aura of despair, aura of pain, drone, ethereal jaunt, heavy (320' tornado+), malevolence, materialize, metal mastery +8
Special Qualities:	Damage reduction 20/adamantine (15/-), darkvision 180', elemental traits, immune to mind-affecting effects and sonic, lightning vulnerability
Saves:	Fort +20, Ref +24, Wis +27
Abilities:	Str -, Dex 34, Con 27, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 45
Skills:	Balance +17, Diplomacy +19, Escape Artist +22, Hide +24, Intimidate +35, Jump +28, Listen +28, Perform (keyboard, oratory, percussion, string, sing, wind) +53, Move Silently +28, Sense Motive +20, Spot +28, Tumble +24
Skill Tricks:	Acrobatic Backstab, Back on Your Feet, Clarity of Vision, Nimble Stand, Slipping Past, Spot the Weak Point, Twisted Charge
Feats:	Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Hold The Line, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Mage Slayer, Pierce Magical Concealment, Pierce Magical Protection, Power Attack, Quicken Breath, Weapon Finesse[b]
Epic Feats:	Blinding Speed, Epic Will[b], Superior Initiative
Environment:	Ethereal Plane, Paraelemental Plane of Metal
Organization:	Solitary
Challenge Rating:	19
Treasure:	None
Alignment:	Usually neutral evil
Advancement:	37-54 (Gargantuan)

	(against Ethereal Plane opponents or while corporeal)
Armor Class:	29 (-4 size, +12 Dex, +11 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 22
Attack:	Slam +35 melee (6d6+5/19-20)
Full Attack:	2 slams
Abilities:	Str 21

	(while corporeal only)
Speed:	50' (10 squares)
Skills:	Jump +33

You shudder from draining emotions while your body wracks with agony. Your mind is flooded with past failures and most depressing thoughts, alongside memories where you bled and your bones cracked. The source is unknown until out of thin air, floating dozens of feet up appears a gargantuan, headless humanoid monstrosity. Its surface is akin to a black-blue mercury or liquid steel, with a sparse cover of wine- and blood-red vericose veins. Its outer form reflects little light and wavers slowly, like a weak breeze on a pond under dismal cloud cover. It has a slouched yet menacing posture, and the area where a head should be is a depression with a sagging lip halfway down its chest. You feel a low thrum deep in your chest and your eyes vibrate, misting your vision further.

A doom metal monolith is formed from ambient, powerful emotions which have imprinted themselves into elemental metal (such as the suicide of a god of war's high priest with his own artifact, or Baatorian torture chambers housing the souls of a defeated tyrant's army). They desire only to spread their grafted essences of pain and suffering. Monoliths hunt from the ethereal plane to find joyful souls so that they can suffocate the life from them, leaving quivering husks in their place. They especially love tormenting powerful creatures such as dragons and ancient sorcerers who believe themselves beyond such petty concepts as pain and horror. The mercenary yugoloths appreciate their vile tastes, and may try to negotiate one into their service (as few but daemon lords can enslave them). Their behavior and appearance has cost the lives of many clerics who believed them to be enormous, bizarre wraiths (seeking to destroy or command them). Their speech is the same mix of Auran and Terran of lesser metal elementals, though slower and painful to listen to; unlike other elementals they also know Common or Undercommon, and learn as many other languages as they can (usually those of their chosen haunts). When their victims are near death or catatonia, doom metal monoliths never forget to ask how they feel.

The performances of a doom metal monolith are dreadful, but not in the manner of being poor. No, their work chills the spirit. Many lean more towards the depressive and sorrowful, which can drive to suicide even the stalwart, while others craft epics of torment and terror, staining the air as blood and tears stain the land.

Doom metal monoliths are 64' tall and when materialized weigh about 92 tons (184,320 lbs).

Combat

Doom metal monoliths make great use of their auras of pain and despair while injuring the minds and souls of its victims. They typically open battle with a droning scream, then turn ethereal and attempt to possess the strongest-looking enemy (who is likely weak-willed). They leave those who appear to be clerics or paladins alive just long enough to try an anti-undead spell; monoliths enjoy their realization of futility. When all foes are helpless from ability drain or unconsciousness, they materialize to coup de grace one foe after another, savoring every last breath.

A doom metal monolith's natural attacks are treated as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

If you wish to use the house rule that multiplies a creature's maximum hit points by one-tenth its CR once it reaches CR 11, a doom metal monolith would instead have 855 maximum hit points.

Attacks

Aura of Despair (Su): A doom metal monolith emanates an aura of melancholy and apathy. Creatures (aside from other doom metal monoliths) in 300' take a -3 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls, (no save), though this is not itself a fear effect. This affects foes on both the Ethereal Plane and the Material, regardless of if it's on either. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect. This ability cannot be used while possessing a creature (see Malevolence).

Aura of Pain (Su): A doom metal monolith emanates another aura of agony and dread. Creatures (aside from other doom metal monoliths) in 300' take a -3 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, weapon damage rolls, and are treated as shaken for the purpose of escalating fear effects (no save), though this is not itself a fear effect. This affects foes on both the Ethereal Plane and the Material, regardless of if it's on either. This ability cannot be used while possessing a creature (see Malevolence).

Drone (Su): Once per 1d3 rounds as a standard action, a doom metal monolith aims its missing head and emits as 120'-cone breath weapon of a heavy yet nearly silent moan, and creatures in the area are slowed for 3d6 rounds (1d4 rounds if they make a DC 36 Will save). If they fail by 15 or more, they fall unconscious. If a creature is immune to sleep effects, it's still slowed if it fails the save. DC's are Cha-based. It cannot use this on nonethereal opponents if it's ethereal, and vice versa.

Ethereal Jaunt (Su): A doom metal monolith may use this effect as the spell (CL 36) as a swift action, and it remains active until it uses another swift action to re-enter the Material Plane. It can only use this ability while incorporeal or ethereal.

Malevolence (Su): Once per round, an ethereal doom metal monolith can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane (even if it is much smaller than the monolith), or can merge its body with creatures on other planes while incorporeal. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (CL 36), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the doom metal monolith must be incorporeal and it try move into the target's space (does not provoke an attack of opportunity). The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 32). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same doom metal monolith's malevolence for 1 hour, and it cannot enter the target's space. If the save fails, the monolith vanishes into the target's body. Its aura of despair and aura of agony deactivate while possessing a target.

Materialize (Su): As a swift action, a doom metal monolith becomes wholly corporeal (it loses its incorporeal subtype), and remains that way until it uses another swift action to dematerialize (gains back its incorporeal subtype). The monolith looks exactly the same whether material or incorporeal, and until it attacks, foes may believe they're simply capable of magical flight. It cannot use this ability while ethereal. If hit with an antimagic effect, it automatically turns corporeal.

Metal Mastery (Ex): Gains a +8 to attack rolls against foes with metal armor or are made of metal, and foes take a -8 penalty on attack rolls with a metal weapon or appendage.

Other

Feats: Explained on the main metal elemental page if not in the SRD.

Skills: Doom metal monoliths have a +8 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks, a +16 racial bonus on Move Silently checks, and a +24 racial bonus on Hide checks.

Skill Tricks: Explained on the main metal elemental page.

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