Devil, Shax

Shax is a Great Duke of Hell, and has power over thirty legions of devils. He takes away the sight, hearing and understanding of any person under the conjurer’s request, and steals money out of kings’ houses, carrying it back in 1200 years. He also steals horses and everything the conjurer asks. Shax can also discover hidden things if they are not kept by evil spirits, and sometimes gives good familiars, but sometimes those familiars deceive the conjurer.

Shax is thought to be faithful and obedient, but is a great liar and will deceive the conjurer unless obliged to enter a magic triangle drawn on the floor. He will then speak marvellously and tell the truth.

He is depicted as a stork that speaks with a hoarse but subtle voice; his voice changes into a beautiful one once he entered the magic triangle.

The Gates of Hell (Dice Freaks)

Grimoire of Cosmic Entities Volume One By Eli Atkinson, William Church and Serge W. Desir, Jr.

Original Concept by Serge W. Desir, Jr.

Full netbook can be found on the following website

Dicefreaks d20 Community

SCAX, Duke of Riches
Duke of Hell
Large outsider (Devil, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Symbol	An Hourglass etched on a golden coin, set against a black, inverted triangle
Arcane Trickster 10/Rogue 3/sorcerer 7
Hit Dice	20d8 + 3d6 + 17d4 + 320 (566 hp)
Initiative	+10
Speed	50 ft., Fly 90 ft. (average)
Armor Class	51 (+10 Dexterity, +23 natural, +6 armor, +3 profane, -1 size), touch 22, flat-footed 41
Base Attack/Grapple	+30/+39
Attack	Ruin +43 melee (2d6+9 vile and poison) or slam (2d6+5)
Full Attack	Ruin +43/+38/+33/+28/ melee (2d6+9 vile and poison) or 2 slams +34 melee (2d6+5) and 2 wings +32 melee (1d8+2)
Space/ Reach	10 ft. /10 ft.
Special Attacks	Call devils, Impromptu Sneak attack 2/day, Infernal Presence, Ranged Legerdemain 3/day, Root of All Evil, sneak attack +7d6, spells, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities	Duke of Hell qualities, damage reduction 20/good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., evasion, immunity to fire and poison, regeneration 8, resistance to acid 20 and cold 20, see in darkness, Spell Resistance 46, telepathy 500 ft., trapfinding, trap sense +1
Saves	Fort +30, Ref +32, Will +33
Abilities	Strength 21, Dexterity 31, Constitution 27, Intelligence 29, Wisdom 30, Charisma 29
Skills	Appraise +45, Bluff +52, Concentration +51, Diplomacy +53 (+59 with evil beings), Disguise +45 (+49 acting), Escape Artist +50, Forgery +35, Gather Information +45, Hide +46, Intimidate +39 (+45 against evil beings), Knowledge (Arcana) +19, Knowledge (history) +29, Listen +23, Move Silently +46, Open Lock +46, Search +35, Sense Motive +46, Sleight of Hand +69, Spellcraft +52, Spot +23, Survival +10 ( +14 Tracking), Rope Use+12 (+16 with bindings)
Feats	Combat Expertise, Corrupt Spell-like Ability B , Deft Hands, Eschew Materials, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bladed Gauntlet, Extend spell, Heighten Spell, Multiattack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (greater teleport), Weapon Finesse
Epic Feats	Epic Evil Brand B , Epic Skill Focus ( Sleight of Hand)
Environment	Minauros, Third of the Nine Hells of Perdition
Organization	Solitary (Unique) or with guards (5 – 20 hamatulas)
Challenge Rating	31
Treasure	Triple standard plus Ruin
Alignment	Lawful Evil

The vile Duke Scax serves as Mammon‘s chief of investments. It is he who determines where the flow of Mammon’s wealth is directed, his aim always to do the most harm to the cause of good as efficiently as possible. Scax represents the distrust that is associated with wealth and power. He destroys reputations, lives and even empires with the calculated usage of money. He is also the patron of those who prey on good intentions and who use charity as a means to line their own pockets. Many foolish mortals perceive Scax as a vicious liar, which for a devil is not too far from the truth. While all devils twist the truth to their purpose, those who are duped by Scax are amazed at the lengths he has gone to warp the meaning of what they thought was a fairly simple agreement. He is entirely without shame however, and considers treachery merely a rude word for changing one’s mind.

Patience is Scax’s watchword. He especially loves long term plans that bring in rich rewards, in both souls and money. He particularly enjoys destroying entire generational lines. He is known to lay curses, bringing once rich families to rags. Watching spoiled brats eat their own vomit to survive brings a warm feeling to the cruel Duke, who possesses an odd sense of humor and justice.

Scax is the master of ruining a good name. Orphanages and other charity organizations are often assisted by his money, only to go under when the source of their funding is revealed. (A trail of murdered robbery victims leading to the door is a particular favorite.) Other times the organization will be headed by a particularly cruel and greedy individual, who takes others’ charity and turns it to his own gain. The children eat week old gruel while their master partakes of a feast every night. Even when such an organization is brought down, it serves Scax’s purpose, by increasing the doubt in the masses’ minds about the honesty and integrity of actual service groups.

Scax’s Lord treats his chief of investments with doubtfulness at every newly proposed venture. Mammon has a great deal of his own personal wealth invested in Scax’s operations, so Scax’s existence will become forfeit should he ever fail in his task. However, he is not overly concerned about his master, since his schemes and plans offer Mammon some small justification of the Lord’s usefulness to Hell at large. He is very good at his job, and in the end, it is his competence that both damns and saves him. Mammon will not destroy a valuable asset to his own operations, but neither will he suffer a threat to his own power. Scax walks that thin line with care, and so far he has yet to misplace a step.

Scax has a reasonably good working relationship with Melchom, his fellow Duke in Mammon‘s service. Although Melchom saves money, and Scax spends it, the two have forged an alliance based on mutual beneficence. Scax’s schemes tend to produce more money than they cost, and Melchom’s expertise with cutting costs and making the most out of every gold piece only improves that. Of course, neither of the Dukes is so foolish as to actually trust the other, but this matters little so long as the arrangement continues to aid them both.

The Duke of Riches possesses a humanoid head, although his nose is elongated like the beak of a stork. Two hateful eyes are set deep in his head. His torso is covered in golden feathers, all of which are razor sharp. His feet are hoofed like those of a goat, and a pair of tattered bird wings extends from his arms to the ground. His hands have abnormally long and spindly fingers on them, which the Duke constantly taps together while speaking. When he speaks, his voice has a metallic quality about it, almost like coins clinking together. Scax is fond of wearing expensive clothing, usually gaudy merchant outfits that showcase his incredible wealth. He is adorned with expensive jewelry, much of it magical in nature.

Combat

Scax avoids straightforward combat as much as possible. Typically he will call in barbazu or hamatulas, before teleporting away as quickly as possible. Should the mission at hand prove too important to abandon, Scax will immediately cast greater invisibility on himself and dispel magic, greater on his foes to eliminate any chance of them seeing him. He then summons reinforcements, typically cornugons in these situations, and teleports to a different location where he continues summoning real and illusionary reinforcements, supplemented with an occasional fireball. He uses feeblemind and baleful polymorph quickly against foes who distinguish themselves as formidable, and haste on his own person as well as that of his reinforcements. Unless his opponents possess the power to pierce his illusions and invisibility through his dispelling, he refuses to place himself in physical danger. Should it become unavoidable though, he attempts to flank whenever possible to utilize his devastating sneak attack, using Combat Expertise and displacement to keep himself from as much harm as possible. If reduced to 100 hp or less, Scax will immediately flee the battle, regardless of the cost. He bears long grudges though, and is not above harming members of that family, even several generations removed, after a humiliating defeat.

All That Glitters (Su): Scax is a master at disguising his foul, soul stained money as humble, well-intentioned charity. 3/day, when offering monetary goods to an organization, Scax may invoke All That Glitters. The intended recipient of the offering must make a Will save (DC 29 + 1 per 10,000 gp of offering) or be forced to accept it. Should the recipient fail the save, Scax may make one suggestion per ten thousand gold pieces offered. There is no save against the suggestions offered, but Scax must make them within 9 days of his temptation. Scax normally uses this power to corrupt noble organizations or charities into using their influence in ways that benefit him… and Hell of course.

Call Devils (Sp): Once per day, Scax can automatically call 12 lemures, 8 barbazu or erinyes, 6 hamatulas or osyluths, 4 cornugons or gelugons, or 2 pit fiends. Since these devils are called rather than summoned, they have the ability to summon their own reinforcements if so ordered. Conversely, 3/day Scax may summon 12 lemures, 8 barbazu or erinyes, 6 hamatulas or osyluths, 4 cornugons or gelugons, or 2 pit
fiends. Scax may either call or summon in a day; he may not do both.

Scax prefers to summon osyluths, as their sneaky nature reflects his own, although if physical combat prowess is needed, he generally summons hamatulas.

Infernal Presence (Su): Scax’s Infernal Presence has a Will save DC of 29. His caster level is 37 th .

Root of All Evil (Su): Scax takes pleasure in tainting wealth. Those who obtain money from
him in any manner, whether it was freely offered or taken by force, suffer a
vicious disease. (Incubation 1d3 days, damage 1d6 Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma, Fortitude
save DC 28) Those who would attempt to remove this disease with magic must succeed
at a caster level check against Scax’s own Spell
Resistance to affect the victim.
However, the ravages of this malady can be abated for one day by offering Scax
100gp per point of ability damage suffered. The victim intuitively knows that
he must sacrifice this gold, and often is turned to vile and depraved acts to
ease his suffering. The offering is left in a small box in a certain place,
and an imp comes daily to bring the gold back to the Duke of Riches.

Sins of the Father (Su):
Scax has a unique method of gathering entire generational lines of
souls. When one entreats Scax, they must sign a contract, as normal for infernal
dealings. This contract is binding for 1200 years, and concerns not only the
original signer, (hereafter referred to as the “client”) but all
of his or her descendants as well. The client, in exchange for his soul, receives
financial wealth beyond his wildest dreams. The client receives his HD x 500
in platinum, gold, and silver pieces up front. Every year, he receives an additional
amount of platinum, gold and silver coins equal to his HD x 100. As a side effect,
the client is extremely fertile after dealing with Scax. If male, there is a
75% chance any female he sleeps with becomes pregnant. If female, there is a
90% chance that she becomes pregnant after any sexual encounter. (Roll 1d4 to
see how many children are conceived.) This is to ensure Scax reaps a harvest
of souls. After the client dies, whether by Scax’s hand or not, everything
monetary that the family of the client lies their hands on ends in ruin. All
skill checks related to work or earning money suffer a -10 penalty, and only
produce half the earned result. Any savings they may have are reduced by one
half every month, with this money going into Scax’s coffers. This includes
trade goods or other material wealth. The result is a family forever crushed
by poverty. Those who attempt to help the cursed must make a Will save DC 29 or suffer a -5 penalty to skill checks involving work, similar to that of the cursed themselves. Those who suspect a curse are usually handled by hamatulas should they be too eager in voicing their opinions.

All of the client’s descendants’ souls are laid claim to by Scax. He holds these souls in stasis, for they are not truly his until the contract is complete. After 1200 years pass, Scax comes to tempt the youngest living descendant of the client, who is usually more than willing to “get rid of his family curse”. Should the descendant sign a contract with Scax, the circle is completed and all souls between the original client and the new client are Scax’s. Should he refuse to sign, upon his death the souls of his family are released to their proper destinations. Scax’s curse may be lifted by a remove curse cast by a 31 st level cleric after completing a quest set by the same. However, Scax is allowed to tempt the person who is attempting to lift the curse in the same manner as the youngest descendant. Should this person fail, the consequences are the same. Should he succeed however, only he and his descendants escape the curse. The other members of the cursed family however must find their

own means to remove it, or wait for the 1200 years to expire.

Sorcerer spells known: 6/9/8/8/8/8/7/7/5 Caster level 37 th , DC 19+spell level.

0 – acid splash, flare, ghost sound, mage hand, No Light*, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic, Slash Tongue*;

1st – Disguise Self, identify, magic aura, mount, Nether Trail*;

2nd – Addiction*, blindness/deafness,
Entice Gift*, Misdirection, Resist Energy;

3rd – displacement,
haste, phantom steed, ray of exhaustion,

4th – bestow
curse, dimensional anchor,
solid fog,

5th – baleful
polymorph,
Call
Nightmare*, feeblemind, major
creation;

6th – False Sending*, repulsion,
wall of gold (as wall of iron);

7th – insanity, power word blind, project image;

8th – Bestow Greater Curse*,
moment of prescience.

Spell-like Abilities:
At will – animate dead, blasphemy,
charm monster, create
undead, deeper darkness, desecrate,
detect good, Detect
Magic, fireball, flame
strike, greater
dispel magic, greater
invisibility, greater teleport
(self plus 1,000 pounds), magic
circle against good, mass
hold monster, mirage
arcana, persistent image, polymorph,
power word stun, produce flame,
pyrotechnics, suggestion,
unholy aura, unhallow,
wall of fire;

3/day – destruction;

1/day – meteor
swarm, symbol of pain;

1/week – wish. Caster level
37 th ; DC 19 + spell level.

Possessions:
Ruin, a +4 vile wrist dagger (treat as a bladed gauntlet). The weapon
is connected to a bracer of armor +6 and coated in pit fiend venom. (DC 28)
The Dagger also functions similarly to a staff,
although the 50 charges renew themselves every month. The Dagger
can be used to cast the following spells, all at 37 th caster level. The DCs
are based off Scax’s Charisma, just as any caster using a staff (currently 19
+ spell level).

•Slash
Tongue (1
charge)

•Addiction (1 charge)

•Sap Strength (1 charge)

•Vanish (3 charges)

•Soul’s treasure lost (4 charges)

Those who touch Ruin without
Scax’s permission must immediately make a save against Root of All Evil at a
-3 penalty. The price to abate the disease’s effects is tripled for those who
would affront the Duke of Riches so.

Summoning Scax

Scax accepts gold and platinum
coins of at least 2,500 gp in value as a sacrifice. Such treasure must have
been embezzled, misappropriated, or otherwise taken illegally from an organization
dedicated to doing good work. This may be a good or neutral aligned church,
an orphanage, or any charitable organization.

When Scax is successfully
summoned, the floor within the summoning area takes on a gilded appearance and
gold coins begin spraying from around the center, as if flipped from the ground itself. As the coins pile up, they form a rough image of Scax. Once complete, the coins seem to melt into a perfectly formed statue of the Duke. The gold then vanishes from the head to the feet, and Scax is revealed.

Scax will frequently attempt to verbally mislead the summoner, promising them anything they ask for while in actuality offering absolutely nothing or as close to nothing as possible. He will bargain for their soul via Sins of the Father, swearing to turn their small investment into wealth that will stretch for generations. Multiple Sense Motive checks will be required. He does not anger or attempt to break through the wards unless his personal Infernal honor is affronted (which typically can only happen if another devil is present and/or Scax is deliberately insulted). Scax will typically bear any number of indignities, although he is always intent on having his vengeance served cold in the future.

Upon departing, Scax strikes an impressive pose. Gold rises up from his feet to his head, creating the statue once more. It then reforms into the pile of gold coins, which explodes harmlessly, sending gold everywhere. Although most of it disappears, 10d10 gold coins are left behind. These carry with them the power of Scax’s own All That Glitters power, but the DC is a base 19, with no possible enhancement. The coins retain
this power for one week, after which they will become lead.