Agathion, ReptialThis iguana-headed scholar wears a robe of frills and scales covered in baubles and trinkets.Reptial CR 4Source Bestiary 5 pg. 13
XP 1,200
NG Small outsider (agathion, extraplanar, good)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +11DefenseAC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 37 (5d10+10)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +7; +4 vs. poison
DR 5/evil or silver; Immune electricity, petrification; Resist cold 10, sonic 10; SR 15OffenseSpeed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +9 (1d4+1), 2 claws +9 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks imposing presence
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +9)
Constant—speak with animals
At will—faerie fire
3/day—color spray (DC 15), hypnotism (DC 15), protection from evil (DC 15), object reading
1/day—hideous laughter (DC 16)StatisticsStr 12, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 19, Wis 16, Cha 19
Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 19
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +9, Diplomacy +9, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (geography, history, nature, nobility, religion) +6, Knowledge (planes) +12, Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +12, Stealth +15
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; speak with animals, truespeech
SQ lay on hands (2d6, 6/day, as a 5th-level paladin), relic collectorEcologyEnvironment any land (Nirvana)
Organization solitary, pair, or mess (3-10)
Treasure standardSpecial AbilitiesImposing Presence (Ex) As a standard action, a reptial can expand the frills on its robes and body dramatically, making it appear larger until the beginning of its next turn. All creatures within 30 feet who witness this transformation must succeed at a DC 16 Will save or be shaken for 1d6 rounds. A creature who succeeds on this saving throw is immune to this reptial’s imposing presence for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Relic Collector (Ex) Reptials are fond of collecting items with even tangential connections to significant celestial events. A reptial has a mental focus pool which it can choose to store in a relic. The pool contains a number of points equal to 5 + the reptial’s Intelligence modifier (9 points for a typical reptial). Each day, it can choose one school of magic that is tied to one of its relics. It gains the resonant power for that school of magic as if it were a 5th-level occultist storing all its points of mental focus in that relic. A reptial can only store focus in one relic at a time. As a free action, a reptial can expend 1 point of mental focus from the relic to add 1d6 to the result of a skill or ability check. This choice is made after the check is rolled and before the results are revealed. A reptial can only use 1 point of mental focus per check. A reptial can use this ability to add a bonus on any Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft skill check without expending a point of mental focus.DescriptionReptials are curious and benevolent scholars of Nirvana. They spend their time collecting holy relics, no matter how minor, and can store some of their knowledge within a chosen relic. They keep most of these relics for themselves, but individual reptials have been known to distribute particularly useful pieces to good-aligned individuals and temples that are enduring difficult trials. Such relics often appear mysteriously within a temple or home, placed carefully among other objects. Reptials prefer to avoid combat if possible, using their abilities to escape instead and find heroes or more warlike agathions to combat evil directly. A reptial stands 3 feet tall and weighs about 40 pounds, not counting the weight of its many relics.Creatures in "Agathion" CategorySource Bestiary 2 pg. 15
Agathions are a race of beast-aspect outsiders native to the plane of Nirvana, a realm of pure good unconcerned with the dogma of law (represented by Heaven) or chaos (represented by Elysium). Though Nirvana is a place of rest where blessed souls seek enlightenment, agathions are aggressive and interventionist in the mortal world when it comes to dealing with evil. Created from the souls of good mortals who have managed to achieve the enlightenment they sought in life (or in some cases, after death), agathions embody the principles of a peaceable kingdom while marshaling their strength to defend that kingdom from any who would despoil it. Because they strike an ethical balance between the chaotic, fey-like azatas and the lawful, rigid process of the archons, agathions are often liaisons between the celestial races, soothing hot tempers and working toward mutual goals of vanquishing evil and protecting good.
All agathions have an animal-like aspect. Some are more humanoid in appearance, while others spend their entire existence in a form nearly identical to that of a true animal. Each type of agathion serves a particular role in Nirvana, and their duties on other planes echo these responsibilities: leonals watch over Nirvana's portals and have a guardian-like aspect in other worlds, draconals carry the wisdom of the ages and observe and guide exceptional mortals, vulpinals are bards and messengers and bear important news to celestial generals and mortal heroes, and so on. Agathions are proud of their feral aspects and don't take kindly to the suggestion that they are cursed folk like lycanthropes or nothing more than magical talking beasts. Every agathion was once a mortal who aspired to goodness and was rewarded in the afterlife with a form suiting her talents and personality; suggesting that an agathion's form is a kind of punishment is a terrible insult.
The following pages describe only a few of the best-known kinds of agathions, but other types exist, corresponding to other conventional animals (bears, dinosaurs, fish, wolves, and so on), with a few having shapes that resemble insects (particularly beetles, butterflies, and mantises); a handful resemble stranger creatures (such as basilisks and owlbears) or unique “animals” native to extreme environments on distant worlds. Certain animals, particularly those associated with scavenging activities (such as hyenas, buzzards, or jackals) or parasitism (like lampreys or ticks) specifically do not have agathions associated with them—these animals are not intrinsically evil, but their habits and ecological niches are far from the noble and proud traditions that most of the souls who seek enlightenment upon Nirvana would associate with themselves.
Individual agathions may be male or female, but they do not reproduce among their own kind—every agathion is a unique individual made from the soul of a good mortal. This does not prevent them from falling in love or having affairs with mortals, and a few aasimar and celestial sorcerer bloodlines derive from past contact with agathions, particularly among communities not averse to anthropomorphic humanoids. Indeed, many mythologies tie numerous races of this kind to the inevitable result of human tribes forming strong emotional attachments to visiting agathions.
Agathions speak Celestial, Draconic, and Infernal, though they can communicate with any intelligent creature because of their truespeech ability. They can also communicate with animals using a similar, silent ability. Even the weakest agathion is able to heal itself or others using a power similar to a paladin's ability to lay on hands. All agathions have a number of similar traits, as detailed in Appendix 3 of this book.
Agathions serving a particular deity or empyreal lord may have additional abilities depending on the role their deity assigns them. For example, a cetaceal serving a goddess of volcanic islands may be able to change shape into a more human-like form to walk on land, and may be immune to fire to tolerate and tend to the life-rich thermal vents at the ocean floor.
Agathion Leaders
Though agathions lack an organized hierarchy, each type of agathion has a few individuals invested with power by the gods of Nirvana or the plane itself. Common agathions look to these exceptional examples for leadership, wisdom, and inspiration; these enlightened folk do not openly claim any responsibilities or rank over their fellows, but welcome the obligations this added power places upon them and do not deny their status or shirk their duties. Part of a category of powerful outsiders known collectively as empyreal lords, these leaders are often significantly larger than common agathions (up to double the normal size, in some cases), and have unusual coloration (such as iron-gray fur) or unique sensory manifestations associated with their presence (such as illusory birds, a constant melody, the scent of oranges, or a calming aura). No agathion fails to recognize their presence when not disguised. Agathion leaders can serve as heralds for deities, although they tend not to encourage religions based on their teachings. The following is but a selection of notable agathion leaders.
Chavod Broken-Spear (cetaceal)
Kelumarion the King Over the Mountain (leonal)
Korada of the Dream Lotus (avoral)
Lady Taramyth the Singing Flame (vulpinal)
Sixlife the Violet Fury (silvanshee)
Walks with Golden Stars (draconal)
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