Astral Dreadnought

A ravenous predator of the silver void, the astral dreadnought glides silently through the infinite Astral Plane in search of prey.

A monstrosity more than thirty feet in height, the astral dreadnought has a huge body with muscular arms ending in gigantic pincers. Its spike-crowned head has a gaping, fang-filled maw, and its single staring eye seems filled with countless stars. Its serpentine lower body trails away into a translucent cord that seems to trail away into infinity, leading some to wonder if the creature is merely projecting its form onto the Astral Plane from some other dimension.

Where astral dreadnoughts come from is unknown. They may be fiends or celestials fallen into feral madness, creations of the Outer Gods, or even parasites sloughed from the body of Rovagug before his imprisonment. Since they are always encountered alone, some say that only one astral dreadnought can exist at a time. Denizens of the Astral Plane (shulsagas, buomanns, githyanki, and so on) and travelers from other planes (mortal mystics, angels shepherding souls, and daemonic soul-stealers) all fear the dreadnought’s rampages. The creature will even devour the souls of the dead, denying them their eternal rest. Legends tell of githyanki sailors hunting the great beasts in their astral galleons like the whales of the Material Plane. For its part, the astral dreadnought’s only concern is sating the gnawing hunger with which it is always consumed.

ASTRAL DREADNOUGHT

CR: 17

XP: 102,400

CN Gargantuan outsider (extraplanar)

Init: +2; Senses: Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +23

Aura: Frightful presence (200 ft., DC 23)

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AC: 20, touch 4, flat-footed 20 (-2 Dex, +16 natural, -4 size)

hp: 333 (18 HD)

Fort +19, Ref +11, Will +13

SR 28

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Speed: Fly 180 ft. (poor)

Melee: Bite +30 (2d8+16/19-20 plus grab), 2 claws +30 (2d6+16/19-20)

Space: 20 ft.; Reach: 20 ft.

Special Attacks: Rend (2 claws, 4d6+24), sever silver cord, swallow whole (2d8+16 bludgeoning plus 2d8 acid, AC 18, 33 hp)

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Str 42, Dex 7, Con 37, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 18

Base Atk: +18; CMB: +38 (+42 grab, sunder); CMD: 46 (can’t be tripped)

Feats: Critical Focus, Greater Sunder, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Lightning ReflexesB, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical

Skills: Fly +9, Perception +23, Survival +23

Languages: Celestial (cannot speak)

SQ: Antimagic cone

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Environment: Any (Astral Plane)

Organization: Solitary

Treasure: None

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Antimagic Cone (Su): An astral dreadnought’s central eye continually produces a 150-foot cone of antimagic. This functions just like antimagic field (CL 20th). All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed. Once each round, during its turn, the astral dreadnought decides which way its eye faces. The astral dreadnought can only make bite attacks against creatures to its front.

All magical, spell-like, and supernatural effects within the cone are suppressed, except for those that brought the subjects to the Astral Plane in the first place (such as the astral projection spell). Those effects are locked in place while the subjects are in the cone and cannot be dismissed, trapping the subjects on the Astral Plane while under its effect.

Sever Silver Cord (Ex): If the astral dreadnought can attack an astral traveler’s back (by flanking it, catching it flat-footed, or pursuing it while panicked and fleeing), it can attack the silver cord (see the astral projection spell, Core Rulebook, pg. 244) that connects the astral form to its material counterpart by making a sunder attempt. The normally insubstantial cord is treated as a tangible object with the owner’s AC, hardness 10, and 20 hit points. A silver cord visibly trails 5 feet behind an astral traveler before fading into the astral medium. Attacking it draws an attack of opportunity from the astral traveler.

When the cord is damaged, the astral traveler must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 13) or be immediately forced to return to its body. Severing the silver cord destroys both the astral form and the body on the Material Plane.

Yes, the picture above was cribbed for the original cacodemon from Doom.

