Saturday, October 28, 2017

Frightful Fridays! Monster Mayhem! Ashen Goliath

Hello and welcome back for more frightful monsters! Today's monster, the ashen goliath, is the first undead monster to make an appearance for the anniversary, but I had to save this one for a very high CR slot. It's awful and it will neutralize healers in a party, making it more awful.

I hope you enjoy the ashen goliath. See you tomorrow with the next horrific thing!



This skeletal creature seemingly composed entirely of ash towers over everything around it. A hateful glowing orb takes up most of its head.
Ashen Goliath      CR 27
XP 3,276,800
NE Colossal undead
Init +6; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +43
Aura frightful presence (60 ft., DC 40)
DEFENSE
AC 46, touch 26, flat-footed 44 (+2 Dex, +20 natural, +22 profane, –8 size)
hp 647 (35d8+490); fast healing 20
Fort +24, Ref +26, Will +24
Defensive Abilities choking cloud, hateful deflection; DR 20/holy (or undead bane) and silver; Immune cold, electricity, fire, positive energy, undead traits
OFFENSE
Speed 90 ft.
Melee 2 slams +37 (4d6+18/19–20 plus 4d8 negative energy damage, ashen remains, energy drain)
Ranged hate-fueled cannon +21 touch (12d8+13)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Special Attacks absorb positive energy, devastation at ground zero, energy drain (1d4+1 levels, DC 40), hate-fueled cannon
STATISTICS
Str 47, Dex 15, Con —, Int 8, Wis 20, Cha 37
Base Atk +26; CMB +52 (+54 bull rush, +56 sunder); CMD 86 (88 vs. bull rush or sunder)
Feats Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Dazzling Display, Deadly Finish[UC], Greater Sunder, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, Sundering Strike[APG], Toughness, Weapon Focus (hate-fueled cannon, slam)
Skills Acrobatics +2 (+26 to jump), Intimidate +69, Knowledge (religion) +37, Perception +43
ECOLOGY
Environment any land
Organization solitary or night’s army (1 ashen goliath plus 1 lich with caster level 20, 2–8 vampires of 20th level, and 10–100 undead of CR 15 or higher)
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Absorb Positive Energy (Su) When positive energy is used to harm undead, an ashen goliath automatically absorbs the positive energy and adds the damage to the next use of its hate-fueled cannon. When positive energy is used to heal living creatures, an ashen goliath can take an immediate action to attempt to absorb it by succeeding at an opposed Charisma check against the creature casting the spell or using an ability. If the ashen goliath is successful, it absorbs the positive energy as above.
Ashen Remains (Su) On a successful hit with its slam attack, an ashen goliath leaves a layer of ash on its opponent. This ash deals 2d8 points of negative energy at the beginning of the target’s turn until it is removed. A full-round action or exposure to strong winds removes the ash.
Choking Cloud (Su) When an ashen goliath is struck by a bludgeoning or slashing weapon, it releases a cloud of ash toward the creature that struck it, out to a distance of 15 feet. If the creature is caught in this cloud, it must attempt a DC 40 Reflex save or take 2d8 points of negative energy damage, and become nauseated for 1d4 rounds and then sickened for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature is only sickened for 1 round and takes no damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Damage Reduction Only silver weapons with the holy or undead bane weapons special abilities can bypass an ashen goliath’s damage reduction.
Devastation at Ground Zero (Su) When an ashen goliath is destroyed it detonates in a blast of pure hatred, dealing 24d8 points of damage to all creatures within 30 feet of the goliath, 16d8 points of damage to all creatures between 30 and 60 feet from the goliath, and 8d8 points of damage to all creatures between 60 and 120 feet from the giant. A DC 40 Reflex save halves this damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Hate-Fueled Cannon (Su) An ashen goliath can attack with its hate-fueled cannon as part of a full-attack action or when it uses two move actions to move. The cannon has a range increment of 120 feet and deals untyped damage, which includes the goliath’s Charisma modifier (rather than its Strength modifier).
Alternatively, an ashen goliath can take a standard action to fire its cannon in a 15-foot-wide, 120-foot-long line, inflicting the listed damage to all creatures caught in the line (DC 40 Reflex halves). It must wait 1d4 rounds before it can use this version of its ability again; this does not prevent it from otherwise making attacks with its hate-fueled cannon. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Creatures that die as a result of damage from the goliath’s hate-fueled cannon are reduced to ash.
Hateful Deflection (Su) An ashen goliath adds its Charisma-modifier to its Reflex saves.

When an entire settlement falls in a violent attack, usually involving fire or some other overwhelming release of energy, and healers refused to come to the settlement’s aid allowing the few remaining survivors to die a linger death, an ashen goliath forms from the remains. The resulting creature is a revenge-driven machine of destruction which seeks to inflict its pain one hundred-fold. When it fights multiple foes, it scans for any opponents with holy symbols of deities that potentially lend healing powers to the opponents. It slaughters all creatures but the opponents it identified and grimly enjoys the futility of the healers attempting to restore health and life as it absorbs life-giving energy. It uses this energy to fuel its core of anger, which it unleashes on its foes in single bursts or in a destructive line. Its sheer power and malice is like a beacon to other undead creatures, which flock to the goliath. The most powerful undead attempt to manipulate the goliath for their own purposes, which suits the creature as long as it can continue unleashing its devastation. However, when an ashen goliath meets its ultimate end, not even undead creatures are safe from the apocalyptic energies it releases.


An ashen goliath is nearly 40 feet tall and weighs 25 tons.