Buy me a coffeeDaemon, Thanadaemon
Rattling with each stride, this looming, horned, skeletal figure clutches a wicked staff. A seething glow burns in its eye sockets.
While all daemons represent death in some fashion, thanadaemons, the Deacons of Death, represent the inevitable death through old age. Thanadaemons effortlessly work eerie skiffs along every pus- and bile-choked river in Abaddon, including the legendary River Styx.
For the right price (typically 50 pp or 2 gems worth at least 300 gp each), a thanadaemon will even carry passengers on its skiff, yet those who travel with these fiends should beware – they frequently renegotiate the terms once they’ve got their passengers in dangerous realms.
Resembling their master, Charon, these are often mistaken for him. They seek to carry souls across the River Styx and to murder or steal from those that request passage.
Daemon, Thanadaemon
Family: Daemons
Faces of races long dead swim in the regal red cloak of this black-and-blue skeleton, its armor as fiendish as the diabolically twisting energy vortex in its right eye socket.
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 57 (6d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 20 (+5) | 17 (+3) | 17 (+3) | 18 (+4) |
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Intelligence +6, Wisdom +6
Skills Deception +7, Insight +6, Perception +6
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from attacks that aren’t cold iron or silvered
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned; Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Abyssal, Common, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Special Traits
- Magic Resistance. The thanadaemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
- Multiattack. The thanadaemon uses its paralyzing gaze then makes two evil staff attacks or two claw attacks.
- Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage plus 5 (1d10) necrotic damage.
- Evil Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (1d10) necrotic damage.
- Paralyzing Gaze. The thanadaemon fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The paralyzed target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the thanadaemon‘s gaze for the next 24 hours.
These potent fiends run ferries across the dark waters of the River Styx, transporting the newly dead to the Abyss or Hell on vessels made from bones stripped clean of flesh by cacodaemons or carved out of the aged wood from the first trees in all of creation.
When a conflicted sinner fails to redeem themselves before they die but do not merit an eternity of torment by demons or devils, they are instead made to serve eternal as thanadaemons, the vestiges of their flesh gradually sloughing from their skeletons until only their bones remain. of all the underworld’s natives only thanadaemons are willing to speak to the recently deceased though any that try to best be wary. Attempts to negotiate with these fiends are a dangerous venture-those that have tried and failed are locked away within a thanadaemon’s garments, their souls empowering fiendish abilities until utterly expended.
Section 15: Copyright Notice
Book of True Evil. © 2018 Mike Myler, published under license by Legendary Games.
Thanadaemon
| Thanadaemon CR 13 |
| XP 25,600 NE Medium outsider (daemon, evil, extraplanar) Init +7; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +25 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 23 (+3 Dexterity, +1 Dodge, +13 natural) hp 172 (15d10+90) Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +14 DR 10/good; Immune acid, death effects, disease, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 24 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 30 ft. Melee +2 quarterstaff +22/+17/+12 (1d6+9 plus energy drain) or 2 claws +20 (1d4+5 plus energy drain) Special Attacks draining weapon, energy drain (1 level, DC 21), fear gaze, soul crush Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; Concentration +19) Constant – air walk, true seeing At will – greater teleport (self plus skiff and passengers only), plane shift (self plus skiff and passengers only, Astral, Ethereal, and evil-aligned planes only) 3/day – animate dead, desecrate, enervation 1/day – summon (level 4, 1d4 hydrodaemons 80% or 1 thanadaemon 35%) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 21, Dexterity 16, Constitution 23, Intelligence 17, Wisdom 17, Charisma 18 Base Atk +15; CMB +20; CMD 34 Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lunge, Mobility, Power Attack Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +22, Diplomacy +22, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (planes) +21, Knowledge (religion) +21, Perception +25, Sense Motive +25, Stealth +14, Survival +10 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment any (Abaddon) Organization solitary, pair, or council (3-11) with Bone Skiffs Treasure standard (+2 quarterstaff, other treasure) |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Draining Weapon (Su) A thanadaemon’s energy drain attack functions through any melee weapon it wields. Fear Gaze (Su) Cower in fear for 1d6 rounds, 30 feet, Will DC 21 negates. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Soul Crush (Su) A thanadaemon can crush a soul gem (see cacodaemon) as a standard action to gain fast healing 15 for 15 rounds (this is a standard action). This action condemns the crushed soul to Abaddon – resurrecting this victim requires a DC 28 caster level check. |
About this Daemon Type
The boatmen of the Styx serve Charon, as manifestations of the inevitability of death by old age. Black-robed, skeletal figures with eyes like burning coals, thanadaemons ply the Styx on Abaddon and beyond with a familiarity few can match.
Thanadaemons prove supremely patient, and unlike the majority of their kindred, are willing to deal with other beings, even mortals, should such clients pay their desired price. These daemons ability to teleport and even plane shift themselves, their skiffs, and passengers to any of the evil-aligned planes, the Ethereal Plane, and the Astral Plane makes for an enticing service. Should their price be met, they transport their fares, but should circumstances change or they feel they have the upper hand, they often demand more or abandon their fares upon a grim shore. Though dangerous combatants, thanadaemons are typically summoned to transport their conjurer.
Personification of Death: Old age.
Preferred Sacrifice: Objects worth at least 2,000 gp stolen from a crypt, or a lich’s phylactery.
Source Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Book of the Damned, Vol. 3 © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Todd Stewart.