Tanar'ri, Vrock

Strength 11x

Agility 6x

Intellect 5x

Willpower 8d

Hand Size: Edge:

5 (30) 3

Origin:

The countless vrocks are powerful demons of the air, hailing from the Abyss. These tanar'ri are the first 'true' members of their race, who are neither born nor spontaneously created in their treacherous home - no, vrocks only develop from weaker tanar'ri who gain power the hard way.

Powers:

Tanar'ri Physique: though they are the weakest of the true tanar'ri, vrocks are not to be trifled with. Having developed through countless eons of suffering and hatred, each vrock is a true planar entity, and possesses these dangerous tanar'ric powers:

* Darkness (a): all tanar'ri have the ability to share the inherent darkness of their very souls with the world at large. This rudimentary power functions only at intensity 4, but basically 'blacks out' everything within near missile distance of the vrock.

* Dimensional Transit (i): in addition to being able to teleport, tanar'ri can transition between planes of existence. They may do so with intensity 5 ability, though on a failed action dimensionally transiting tanar'ri may be subject to error, per a failed teleport. *

* Infravision (w): many of the Abyss' countless layers are dark beyond mortal ken, and have never seen the light (physically or otherwise). As such, all tanar'ri have evolved the ability to see by heat as well as by visible light, and can do so with intensity 5 skill.

* Invulnerability to Fire, Electricity, Heat, and Poison (s): the tanar'ri are hardy creatures - they have to be to survive at all in the endless, horrific wastes of the Abyss. Their forms have evolved over time to give them complete immunity to fire, electricity, heat, and poison.

* Portal Sense (w): planar beings all, vrocks have the ability to perceive the various rifts that dot the planescape of the multiverse. Most of these doorways are invisible to the naked eye, but all vrocks can spy them with ease, doing so with intensity 8 ability.

* Resistance to Cold and Physical Attack (s): while they're not immune to the effects of cold or physical attack, tanar'ri are considerably resistant to such. When subjected to such damage, a vrock may resist such as if their Strength were +2 higher (intensity 8).

* Resistance to Magic (s): furthermore, most tanar'ri possess some degree of resistance to magical attacks, whether they come in the form of environmental effects, spells, or even magic items. Vrocks possess intensity 21 (+5) protection against all forms of mystic assault.

* Telepathy (w): almost all tanar'ri are able to communicate directly from mind to mind - a vital skill when so few speak the same tongue. They can usually broadcast and receive thoughts with intensity 5 skill, enough to get their point across when necessary.

* Teleportation (i): chaotic creatures all, the tanar'ri can bend space itself to their will. All tanar'ri possess the power to teleport with intensity 10 ability, and can avoid teleportation's usual side effects while transporting themselves within the same plane of existence. *

Additional Limbs (a): the vrocks appear like oversized vultures, but are anatomically different. Tucked beneath their wings are a spare pair of humanoid arms, which they can use to manipulate objects or attack - these limbs offer one additional melee strike per turn.

Annulment (w): in addition to their considerable magic resistance, a vrock has the ability to completely dispel magic in its vicinity as well. Functioning at intensity 10, this spell-like power allows vrocks to easily counter weaker magic used against them.

Beak (s): though not their primary physical weapons, vrocks possess a large, vulture-like beak. They can wield this sharp implement to inflict +2 damage in melee, whether in a pecking maneuver or when attempting to rend a foe for sustenance.

Claws (s): vrocks have long talons at the ends of each digit, on both their hands and feet. These terrible implements allow a vrock to inflict its Strength +2 damage if it must, though it usually prefers to wield melee weaponry in battle when practical.

Crowd Control (w): impressive in mental strength, a vrock may impose its thoughts and desires upon others within its vicinity. This intensity 10 power allows it to control the minds of everyone within near missile distance, with either a simple command or a hypnotic suggestion.

Flight (a): as oversized, vulture-like beings, vrocks have the ability to fly like birds. They can soar at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, doing so with intensity 3 speed - though this flight cannot be maintained in an environment lacking air (such as a vacuum).

Imaginary Doubles (i): though they work well in groups, an oddity for tanar'ri, vrocks can also generate their own, pretend posse. Vrocks may wield this power at intensity 4, allowing them to generate four imaginary friends to befuddle foes in both melee and ranged combat.

Link (i): vrocks have the ability, when at least five of them are present, to join their power and perform a dance of ruin. This dance generates intensity 10 energy of an unknown type, which affects everyone within near missile distance who lacks the benefit of cover after three exchanges.

Magic Sense (w): all vrocks have the ability to sense ambient magic in their environment. They may do so with intensity 10 skill, which lets them spot magical items, beings, and other phenomena within near missile distance of their 'person'.

Nonapparent Vision (w): vrocks have a limited form of this power, which allows them to perceive items that have been rendered invisible to conventional light spectra. This power works at intensity 10, complementing their infravision quite nicely.

Plant Control (i): a strange power the vrocks possess is the ability to emit a cloud of spores, once every three exchanges. Anything within close combat distance of this intensity 10 power will suffer like damage, as the plant-like things the spores hatch literally grow out of their victims.

Revival (s): as true tanar'ri, vrocks can sometimes give death the laugh. Unless killed inside the Abyss or eaten, vrocks may attempt to reconstitute themselves on their home plane with this intensity 5 power. The difficulty involved, of course, depends on how they died.

Sound Generation (i): vrocks may generate a loud screech once per day. They may do this to incapacitate a foe, doing so with intensity 10 ability. Passing an easy difficulty action against their targets' Strength will stun said foes for an aura duration.

Summoning (i): once a day, a vrock may attempt to summon forth tanar'ri to aid it, doing so with intensity 5 skill. An average action brings forth two to twenty manes, challenging actions summons forth one to six bar-lgura, and daunting actions will make manifest one nalfeshnee.

Telekinesis (i): vrocks may impose their desires upon objects in their vicinity, a true example of mind over matter. They may only do so with intensity 10 ability, but this allows the creatures to move 800 lbs of matter just by thinking about it!

Hindrances / Augmentations:

Monstrous: it should go without saying, but vrocks are monstrous entities - just look at them! A vrock is at Willpower 0 to prevent Edge 0 humans from fleeing at the mere sight of them - not that they would ever really bother, as vrocks like to instill terror within others.

Susceptibility: like all tanar'ri, vrocks are weak against the use of cold-wrought iron weapons, as well as holy water and weapons. Their supernatural defenses are ineffective against such assaults, which inflict at least a quarter of their maximum Health in damage.

Equipment:

Spears (s): on occasion, vrocks carry a spear with them into battle. They may use these implements to inflict their Strength +4 in melee combat or their Strength +3 when thrown, depending on just how attached to the weapon they may be (thrown spears are hard to recover in flight).

Skills:

Tactics (w): a rarity amongst the chaotic tanar'ri, vrocks have the ability to work together - and can effectively plan strategies on the fly. If others follow a plan of their concoction to the letter, they will receive a +1 to related actions attempted while doing so.

Calling:

Demolisher: despite their seemingly social nature, at least where other vrocks are concerned, these demonic monsters are tanar'ri - and true tanar'ri, at that. They live to murder, destroy and corrupt anything that crosses their path, at the slightest provocation.

Characteristics:

Vrocks are strangely social beings. They work well with others of their own kind, and are loyal to other vrocks above all else - even their true tanar'ri superiors. They're elite fighters amongst demon kind, and are known to eat their foes whole.

Appearance:

Vrocks look like oversized vultures, standing eight feet tall. They possess humanoid arms they can tuck beneath their large wings however, which allows them to grasp objects or victims when necessary. Their plumage, which covers their entire body, is primarily gray and black in hue.

Ecological Niche:

Vrocks are the first form of true tanar'ri. They are not born, and they do not spring forth whole from the very Abyss itself. No, a vrock must develop from previous, lesser tanar'ri. The curious thing about this though is that vrock breed - and even lay eggs.

When this is done, a lesser tanar'ri who is ready to evolve to the point of true tanar'ri status will manifest within the egg once laid, and will transform into a freshly created vrock. The tanar'ri see this as a symbolic 'birth' of a true member of their race.

Assuming they bother to let the egg hatch, that is.

Vrocks are used as elite shock troops in the Blood War, bringing death from above to those who oppose the tanar'ri. They are often found in groups of eight or more, as they work together extremely well for tanar'ri - sometimes too well, for they are only truly loyal to each other.

While they can scavenge for meat, they prefer the freshly dead created by their own hand when seeking sustenance. Thus vrocks will often gang up on and murder victims they can easily defeat in the Abyss, sharing the spoils of their violence amongst themselves.

Notes:

* Depending on which version of the Planescape lore you wish to use, vrocks (along with the rest of the tanar'ri) may not have access to these powers any longer, having lost them due to yugoloth meddling. Their presence is at the discretion of the individual Narrator.

Extra Goodies:

Return to the Bestiary main page!

Interested in using Technoholic content in your own project? Please read this beforehand!