Planar Bestiary
Fiendish creations of the Lower Planes, thanatops are one-eyed terrors of undead might and magic.
A thanatops is built on the foundation of a reanimated cyclops corpse. Normally the point of weakness in a living cyclops, the thanatops's single eye is a reservoir of arcane power able to blast foes with hellish rays of fear, weakness, destruction, and death.
Thanatops wander from dark caves at night, leaving a trail of destruction before returning or disappearing entirely.
Motive: Spread terror and destruction
Environment: The Lower Planes, worlds of the Material Plane, alone or accompanying other fiends
Health: 30
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (7 points)
Armor: 1
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to huge size; perception as level 4; resists mental influence as level 8
Combat: A thanatops attacks with their greataxe.
A thanatops can target a foe within short range each round with an eye ray during the same round they make a greataxe attack. The eye ray has a random, deleterious effect on a target. Roll a d6 to determine the nature of the ray afflicting a particular target.
A thanatops is immune to necrotic attacks.
| d6 | Eye Ray Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 Paralyzing Ray. On a failed Intellect defense task, a mental command paralyzes the target for one minute, or until they succeed on an Intellect defense task on a later turn, ending the effect early. | |
| 2
Fear Ray. On a failed Intellect defense task, fear hinders the target's tasks (including attacks and defenses) for one minute, or until they succeed on an Intellect defense task on a later turn, ending the effect early. | |
| 3
Enervation Ray. On a failed Might defense task, necrotic energy inflicts 7 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor), or 3 points even if successful. | |
| 4
Petrification Ray. On a failed Speed defense task, hardening flesh hinders all the target's physical tasks on their next turn. At the end of their next turn, if they fail a Might defense task they transform to lifeless stone, or regain normal movement on a success. Petrified targets may be returned to flesh with magic. | |
| 5
Disintegration Ray. On a failed Speed defense task, dissolving magic force inflicts 7 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor). If this kills the target, their body becomes a pile of grey dust. | |
| 6
Death Ray. On a failed Might defense task, necrotic energy inflicts 7 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) and the creature descends one step on the damage track. |
Interaction: A thanatops speaks only to issue threats in a mishmash of languages. They don't fear for their own existence because every moment is pain. Their only release will be to perish amid the terror and destruction they cause.
Use: The city guard have some kind of horrible monster trapped in a deep dungeon. Sometimes they feed prisoners to it.
GM Intrusion: The thanatops targets a character with an eye ray immediately, even though it's not the thanatops's turn.