Archon, Stag ArchonThis stag-headed humanoid has large, sweeping antlers and wields a finely-crafted longbow.Stag Archon CR 4Source Inner Sea Gods pg. 287
XP 1,200
LG Medium outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, lawful, shapechanger)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, low-light vision; Perception +11
Aura menace (20 ft., DC 15, 10 rounds)DefenseAC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 33 (6d10)
Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +7; +4 vs. poison
DR 10/evil; Immune electricity, petrification; SR 15OffenseSpeed 40 ft.
Melee gore +7 (1d6+1 plus push)
Ranged mwk longbow +9/+4 (1d8/×3)
Special Attacks push (gore, 10 ft.)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +6)
Constant—detect evil
At will—aid, animal messenger, dancing lights, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only)
3/day—charm animal, true strikeStatisticsStr 12, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10
Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 19
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot
Skills Acrobatics +11, Knowledge (nature) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Perception +11, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+14 when following tracks); Racial Modifiers +3 Survival when following tracks
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech
SQ favored terrain (forest +2), change shape (Large stag; beast shape II)EcologyEnvironment any (Heaven)
Organization solitary, pair, or band (3–5)
Treasure standard (mwk longbow, other treasure)DescriptionA stag archon looks like a well-muscled human with the head of a horned deer, typically an elk or stag. They prefer to use their bows in battle, though they are comfortable charging antlers-first into melee as well. Each was created from the spirit of a mortal hero of Erastil’s faith, hand-picked by the god to aid his followers in the world and defend some of the Outer Sphere’s least tamed wildernesses. Though none remember the specifics of their mortal lives, they retain the skills of trained woodland warriors. Most are more practical than hound archons, willing to kill evil mortals if doing so is necessary to protect the innocent.
Stag archons are experienced trackers and scouts. Occasionally Erastil sends one to look after a specific village or farmstead, particularly in a dangerous frontier area. They watch in animal form, luring lost children to safety and leading hungry hunters to easily-caught prey. They have a deep-seated hatred of cold riders and other evil fey, and they gather in great numbers to pursue and take down those defilers of the wilderness.
A stag archon typically stands about 6-1/2 feet tall (a foot or more taller than that with its horns) and weighs around 220 pounds.Creatures in "Archon" CategorySource Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 19
Archons are a race of outsiders from Heaven, creatures of fundamental law and good tasked with the protection of that plane as well as all who are innocent or free of evil. They are the natural enemies of devils, daemons, and demons, and most are veterans of many attacks against their home by fiends of the Lower Planes.
The natives of Heaven arise from amid the earth and clouds of that divine realm, inspired into creation by the sacred mountain's metaphysical processes, the faith of goodly mortals, and the transformation of virtuous spirits. Each archon begins life as a lantern archon or lesser servitor spirit, gaining in power and prestige through aiding the cause of good. Watched over by benevolent mentors and captains of the divine orders, each spirit is encouraged and aided in indulging its fundamental desire to see peace, honesty, and fairness spread across all lands, especially throughout the Material Plane. To this end, archons of all walks often take on the roles of questing knights, journeying throughout disparate worlds and realms aiding in good works and promoting courageous acts. These virtuous outsiders prefer to motivate mortals to act with honor and integrity rather than righting mortal wrongs themselves, believing the cause of righteousness is best served by enlightening creatures to make just choices and cast off their own shackles of evil. This makes future temptations easier to resist and plants the seeds of spiritual deliverance. Thus, most archons take a subtle hand in their interactions with mortals, taking special pleasure in bringing solace and reprieve to those who are wholly unaware of their presence.
The efforts of Heaven prove far less subtle when it comes to combating the hordes of the Lower Planes. Armies of archons stand in staunch opposition to the affronts of Hell, Abaddon, and the Abyss, confronting them upon both extraplanar battlefields and the Material Plane itself. These encounters might take the form of vast armies clashing over strange planar holdings, or solitary archons revealing themselves upon mortal worlds to push back the machinations of fiendish invaders. In such cases, archons generally prefer to meet foes head-on if it is prudent to do so, but if outmatched, they do what they can to even the odds (usually by employing hit-and-run tactics or standing off and engaging a foe with magic before moving into melee). Because they can teleport at will, it is easy for them to vanish only to reappear later, often with reinforcements, when their enemies are unprepared. These warriors of law act honorably, even to their foes, but are not foolish or without passion, and little in the multiverse dares stand against the rage of Heaven.
Although archons are champions of good, they have little patience for those who do not follow strict traditions and patterns of goodness. While a cruel dictatorship might be a legitimate enemy of the archon, rebellion and riot is not the proper way to address such an inequality. Justice and law must not be abandoned in the constant struggle for peace and good, for in such anarchic actions one often promotes further harm and mayhem, even if unintentionally. The laws of Heaven exist to minimize collateral damage and unwanted pain, and while adhering to these laws often results in longer campaigns, archons point out that their victories are lasting triumphs as a result. Because of this strong adherence to tradition and law, archons often find themselves the unwilling enemies of chaotic good creatures, particularly the azatas. To an archon, an azata's nature seems whimsical and impatient—in striking swiftly against an enemy without bothering to think through the implications of their sudden act, it's possible to do more harm than good. Still, while opposing the chaos of an azata is a necessary step, the archon takes no pleasure in such opposition, and does its best to minimize the length of such a conflict. Unfortunately, the capricious and emotional azatas are legendary among the archons for their ability to hold grudges, so for many archons the best policy when interacting with the azatas is to be brief, succinct, and firm.
Archons speak Celestial, Draconic, and Infernal, but can speak with almost any creature because of their truespeech ability. A full list of archon traits is presented in the archon subtype description. Many archons have additional abilities beyond these traits, as befits their particular role in the army of Heaven. Archon Subtype Archons are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to lawful good-aligned outer planes. An archon possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry). - Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
- Aura of Menace (Su) A righteous aura surrounds archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC varies with the type of archon, is Charisma-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon's aura for 24 hours.
- Immunity to electricity and petrification.
- +4 racial bonus on saves against poison.
- Teleport (Sp) Archons can use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of carried objects.
- Truespeech (Su) All archons can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 14th). This ability is always active.
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