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Continuing with the Melnibonéan Mythos, the next figure is ARIOCH.


Arioch is a Lord of Chaos in Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion series. He is the patron god of Elric of Melnibone, and his kingdom.

Arioch is very intelligent and manipulative. He has taken a special interest in Elric , and constantly urges him toward serving chaos. He usually appears as beautiful androgynous man, naked and surrounded by fire. Sometimes, though, due to magical distortions, one may catch a glimpse of his true appearance, too horrible and deformed for words.

Arioch has been encountered by another Eternal Champion, Corum Jhaelen Irsei. Arioch was known here as the Knight of the Swords, one of three gods who ruled over Corum’s world. The Knight of the Swords was the creator of the humans, or Mabden, as they were known in this world. When Corum first saw Arioch, he was a massive, filthy creature, with Mabden servants all over his body. Later, he appeared to Corum in the more familiar form of an attractive man.

Arioch is named after a legendary demon created during the era of demonology.

So here is the build I did for Arioch. A lot of information was available from AD&D’s Deities & Demigods. He’s very powerful so use him cautiously.

Duke Arioch (God of Chaos)

Greater God, Chaotic evil

Armor Class 22 (natural armor)
Hit Points 465 (30d10 + 300)
Speed 60 ft, fly 60 ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
30 (+10) 30(+10) 30 (+10) 30 (+10) 23 (+6) 30 (+10)
Saving Throws Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence: +19
Skills Arcana +12, History +12, Insight +19, Investigation +12, Perception +13
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical weapon
Damage Immunities fire, radiant
Damage Reduction Arioch has 40 HP of damage reduction for any type of damage.
Spell resistance. Arioch has advantage on all saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and is never affected by any type of illusion.
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 26
Languages All, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)
 Polymorph Self. Arioch can take on a form that is either pleasing or horrifying to the person that has summoned him.
Innate Spellcasting. Arioch can innately cast the following spells with his spellcasting ability as Charisma (spell save DC 27), requiring only verbal components:
At will:  Animal friendship, command, create food & water, detect evil and good, dispel magic, gate, geas, invisibility (self only), teleport, true seeing
3/ day each: Conjure Animals, Conjure Minor Elemental, Conjure Woodland Beings
2 /day each: Conjure Celestial, Conjure Elemental, Conjure Fey, Contact Other Plane, Demiplane, Gate, Planar Ally, Weird

Actions

Multiattack. Arioch can attack five times with his sword.

Arioch’s Sword. Melee Attack: +22 to hit, reach 5 ft ., one target.  hit: 2d6 +13 slashing plus 2d10 force damage

Cast a Spell. Arioch casts a spell from his list of spells. See innate spell casting ability above.

Command Demon. Arioch instructs a summoned demon to act.

Legendary Actions

Arioch can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. He regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Planewalk (1 actions) Arioch can move to any plane and bring up to 10 targets with him.

Reality Alteration (3 actions) Arioch merely thinks of something and then makes it so.

Summon Demon (2 actions) Arioch can summon any demon.

Arioch’s Sword. A +3 greatsword that causes 2d6 slashing damage and 2d10 force damage.

Also the sword can temporarily cancel an item of all magical properties. The wielder of the sword can attempt to drain an item by touching the item with the sword. The DM decides if an item is successfully touched and if a saving throw needs to be made. The magic item touched then gets a saving throw (DC 19) plus a bonus based on rarity.

If a creature is holding the magic item at the time of cancellation, then the item can add the holder’s Wisdom save bonus in place of its own bonus if the holder’s is better.

If the saving throw is made, it is immune until after a long rest, otherwise on a failure, the item becomes temporarily non-magical.


So that’s two heroes and two gods from two different mythos. I will continue next week with a third mythos from the 8 realms of the current campaign that I am building. Thank you for reading, and I hope you can use these builds.

Please share this post: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pintrest, StumbleUpon, wherever. It helps get the word out, and lets me know people are out there.

I’m always up for critiques, and look forward to your comments. Thank you. -Michael

 

References

[1E] Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Deities & Demigods: Cyclopedia of Gods and Heroes from Myth and LegendHardcover – January 1, 1980 by Rob Kuntz (Author), James M. Ward (Author), Lawrence Schick (Editor), Jeff Dee (Illustrator), Erol Otus (Illustrator), Eymoth (Illustrator), Paul Jaquays (Illustrator), David S. LaForce (Illustrator), Jeff Lanners (Illustrator), Darlene Pekul (Illustrator)

[2E] Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Legends and Lore Hardcover – November, 1984 by James Ward (Author), Robert Kuntz (Author)

[2E] Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Legends and Lore Hardcover – August 1, 1990 by James M. Ward (Author), Troy Denning (Author)

[3E] Dungeons & Dragons 3.0: Deities and Demigods Hardcover – February 1, 2002 by Rich Redman (Author), James Wyatt (Author), Skip Williams (Author)

[5E] Monster Manual (D&D Core Rulebook) Hardcover – September 30, 2014

[d20] Dragon Lords of Melnibone: Adventuring in a Dark World of Law & Chaos Paperback – August 15, 2001 by et al Charlie Krank (Author)

Elric Saga part 1 Elric of Melnibone (1972), The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (1976), The Weird of the White Wolf (1977)

Elric Saga part 2 The Vanishing Tower (1972), The Bane of the Black Sword (1977), Stormbringer (1965)

Elric Saga Part 3 Fortress of the Pearl (1989), Revenge of the Rose (1991)

Elric Sage Part 4 The Dreamthief’s Daughter (2001), The Skrayling Tree (2003), The White Wolf’s Son (2005)