Herald, The First BladeHarsh flourishes decorate the armor of this ironclad giant, as though it were the war regalia of some merciless warlord.The First Blade CR 15Source Inner Sea Gods pg. 288, Pathfinder #35: War of the River Kings pg. 82
XP 51,200
CN Large outsider (chaotic, extraplanar, herald)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., ironsense 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +23
Aura rage (100 ft.)DefenseAC 30, touch 10, flat-footed 29 (+20 armor, +1 Dex, –1 size)
hp 261 (18d10+162); regeneration 5 (adamantine)
Fort +20, Ref +12, Will +8
Defensive Abilities fortification (75%)B4; DR 15/adamantine and law; Immune magic, poison; Resist cold 10, sonic 10OffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +29 (2d10+16/19–20 plus bleed)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks bladed slam, bleed (1d10), powerful blows
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +19)
At will—instant summons (any nonmagical weapon)
3/day—chill metal (DC 13), heat metal (DC 13), repel metal or stone, wall of iron
1/day—blade barrier (DC 17)StatisticsStr 32, Dex 13, Con 28, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 13
Base Atk +18; CMB +30 (+32 bull rush or overrun); CMD 41 (43 vs. bull rush or overrun)
Feats Blind-Fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)
Skills Acrobatics +22, Climb +32, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (history) +21, Perception +23, Sense Motive +23
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal, Protean
SQ change shape (swarm form; see below), lord of battle, no breathEcologyEnvironment any (Elysium)
Organization solitary
Treasure standardSpecial AbilitiesBladed Slam (Ex) The First Blade’s slam attacks deal bludgeoning and slashing damage. Its slams count as natural weapons or manufactured weapons (whichever is most beneficial to it) for the purpose of spells that enhance attacks, and as adamantine, chaotic, and magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
Ironsense (Ex) The First Blade automatically detects iron objects within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability.
Immunity to Magic (Su) The First Blade has the same immunity to magic as an iron golem. It can lower this resistance for 1 round as a standard action.
Lord of Battle (Ex) The First Blade is proficient in all weapons, and counts as an 18th-level barbarian and fighter for the purposes of all prerequisites.
Rage Aura (Su) Willing creatures within 100 feet of the First Blade gain the effects of rage automatically, whether they are allies or enemies of the herald. Those who choose not to be affected are immune to the aura until they leave the area and return.
Swarm Form (Su) The herald can transform into a floating swarm of Tiny sharp metal fragments. In this form it has the swarm subtype, cannot make slam attacks, gains the distraction ability (DC 28), and can make a swarm attack that deals 4d6 points of slashing damage to its targets.DescriptionSaid to have been formed from an unthinking sliver of steel dashed from Gorum’s blade during one of his violent clashes with a god-beast felled long ago, the First Blade is a living tool of war. Inspired by Gorum’s divine bloodlust, the First Blade continues to do battle in the service of its divine master. It has been reforged through the eons into a manifestation of Gorum’s perfect warrior, and now serves as the war god’s herald, traveling where its master desires. The herald answers only the calls of those who please Gorum in battle—weakling priests who beg for salvation from deadly foes never have their entreaties answered. Tales tell of the herald appearing amid lesser battles and, upon finding them to be mere skirmishes or clashes among weaklings, slaughtering all involved in disgust.
The appearance of the First Blade transforms to match a style of armor that’s impressive to those it will be facing in battle. Regardless of its form, it typically stands about 15 feet tall and weighs nearly 5 tons.Creatures in "Herald" CategorySource Inner Sea Gods pg. 274
Heralds are a special class of unique, godly servants. With few exceptions, each of Golarion’s deities has its own herald, a favored minion that serves as a messenger and emissary throughout the planes. Creatures of myth, the heralds’ interventions on the Material Plane mark lives and are events of legend.
Heralds are unique outsiders of approximately CR 15 with 18 or fewer Hit Dice, making them available for summons via greater planar ally. Only a deity’s worshipers can summon its herald; thus, even the most powerful worshiper of Sarenrae can never summon the herald of Iomedae. In addition, only divine spellcasters can summon heralds, preventing arcane casters and spells like planar binding from effectively calling upon such beings. Even if a character proves powerful enough to call out to a herald, a deity has the final say in whether or not its emissary answers a worshiper’s summons, granting its herald’s service only to followers in the most extreme need or whose acts directly further its will.
Herald Subtype: Heralds are unique representatives of their respective gods and sometimes have a specific outsider subtype such as “devil” or “psychopomp” that grants it additional abilities. A herald has the following traits. - Always Armed (Su) Heralds can summon their signature weapon as a standard action. If its herald doesn’t have a signature weapon, it can summon any nonmagical weapon as a standard action (including adamantine, etc.); the weapon disappears if it leaves the herald’s grasp.
- Emissary (Ex) Heralds can always be summoned by the faithful using greater planar ally or gate, regardless of limitations of that spell, even if it’s not an outsider.
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