The Prince in Azure (Lesser Epic Boss)
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By Mailanka

The king and prophet of the Dark Ones, the Prince of Azure has walked among the Elder Things and returned, his true heritage finally realized. He lives among his people now, an elder god barely constrained in the flesh of a mortal, which writhes beneath his handsome, dark, dark blue skin. He wears snow-white robes, matching his pallid hair, and carries a sacrificial dagger. His hunger for death and the madness of the stars are in his black eyes, and his very approach weighs down those around him with fear.

The Prince in Azure is a classic example of how an Epic Boss can be created from a non-epic template. Simply piling heavy, powerful templates on a simple Dark One is sufficient to create an imposing villain to face.

ST: 11 HP: 11 Speed: 5.25
DX: 11 Will: 15 Move: 5
IQ: 12 Per: 12
HT: 10 FP: 10 SM: 0
Dodge: 9 Parry: 11 DR: 0

Sacrificial Knife (14): 1d-2 impaling. Reach C.
Flaying Touch (15): 3d impaling, plus side-effect (Terrible Pain), 3/day. Reach C.

Traits: Appearance (Attractive +1); Bloodlust (6); Combat Reflexes; Elder Gift 2; High Manual Dexterity 2; Impulsiveness (12); Magery 1; Night Vision 1; Overconfidence; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards (+3); Terror (-1 to Fright Check).
Special Powers: Dark Reincarnation; Flaying Touch (Unholy); Path Breaking.
Skills: Brawling-15; Fast-Talk-14; Intimidation-16; Knife-14.
Class: Elder Thing.
Combat Effectiveness Rating: 58 (OR 45 and PR 13).
Notes: The Prince in Azure will use Path Breaking to divide a party up, and then stalk them down one by one while the delvers struggle to figure out how to help their comrades. Note that his Bloodlust has a resistance score of 6, rather than 12. The Prince in Azure isn't terribly tough, but he doesn't want to be. Once he's been killed or knocked unconscious, he instantly changes into an Elder God. He uses the Elder God base template, but keeps his skills (his mental skills increase by 1 and his physical skills increase by 3), Flaying Touch and Path Breaking, and increases ST to 25, DR to 1 and SM to 4. He fully regenerates. Willing to negotiate (very skilled at it too). Truly Evil.

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Adventure Ideas