Tanar'ri, Glabrezu

Strength
8x		 Agility
5x		 Intellect
8x		 Willpower
8d

Hand Size:
Edge:		 5 (30)
3

Origin:

The solitary glabrezu are powerful demons of the Abyss. Considered 'true' members of their race, they possess a startling array of supernatural powers with which to tempt and slay mortal fools, and are partially immortal in that even death outside the Abyss may not stop them for long!

Powers:

Tanar'ri Physique: powerful true tanar'ri, glabrezu are incredibly dangerous demonic entities. They possess a large array of physical and supernatural powers, an inherent psionic potential, and even the ability to shrug off death! Their considerable powers include the following:

* Darkness (i): 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 glabrezu.

* 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 Corrosion, 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. Glabrezu in particular possess immunity to corrosion, fire, electricity, heat, and poison.

* Portal Sense (w): planar beings all, glabrezu 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 glabrezu can spy these with ease, doing so with intensity 8 ability.

* Resistance to Cold, Magic and Physical Attack (s): while they're not immune to the effects of these attack forms, tanar'ri are considerably resistant to such. When exposed to any form of cold or gas, a glabrezu may resist such as if their Strength were +5 higher.

* Telepathy (w): almost all tanar'ri are able to communicate directly from mind to mind - a vital skill when so many rarely 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 / Arms (a): glabrezu all possess four arms. Their front arms are seemingly normal (save for the claws) while the rear arms terminate in large, insect-like pincers. These superfluous limbs allow glabrezu to make one additional melee attack each exchange.

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

Anti-gravity (i): entities of chaos, glabrezu can momentarily interrupt the laws of physics themselves! They may do this by negating gravity in their current area, and then reversing it with intensity 10 ability. This most often causes unanchored objects to fly into the air!

Charm (w): glabrezu possess the ability to charm a single target, per the spell of the same name. This intensity 10 skill lets them make temporary 'friends' of those they can pass an easy difficulty Charm (willpower) action against, until it attacks or the target can break free of it.

Claws (s): on their front arms, glabrezu all possess long, razor-like claws. They may use these terrible implements to inflict +2 damage in melee if they desire, though (should they feel the need) they can still strike a foe without wielding them if they wish.

Confusion (w): the chaotic glabrezu can douse an area in energies of that stripe, radiation which will affect the minds of those present. If the glabrezu can pass an easy difficulty Confusion (willpower) action against those present, their targets suffer one of these effects (draw a card):

  1. The target has a seat, and contemplates his current existence.
  2. The target has an extreme emotional response. Uncontrollable laughter, inconsolable tears, etc.
  3. The target is seemingly lost. He wanders about, not knowing how he got there, or why.
  4. The target becomes obsessed with one action or item, which consumes him for the duration.
  5. The target attacks the nearest person - whoever it is.
  6. The target attacks everyone - one different person per exchange.
  7. The target attacks the nearest object. Whether a car or building, he'll try to destroy it utterly.
  8. The target becomes enamored with the nearest entity, and can't help but go on about how great him/her/it is.
  9. The target is disoriented; he can act as he wishes, but suffers a -2 penalty.
  10. The target's mind is overloaded, and he falls asleep.

Dimensional Transit (i): in addition to the above ability to shift planes, glabrezu have the ability to cross the planes on their own, without the benefit of outside aid. They may do this at the same rank as is listed above, doing so to form dark pacts with foolish mortals.

Eldritch Palm (s): instead of slashing a foe with their claws, a glabrezu can instead deliver a gout of deathly, fiery energy on touch. These flames inflict only intensity 5 energy damage, but also carry an insidious SD effect until it burns itself out.

Growth (a): the glabrezu are rather tall entities. They average out at around fifteen feet tall, which gives them this ability, as a general matter of course, at intensity 3. This gives them a +3 to their Strength against normal-sized foes, while applying a -3 to their Agility versus such.

Mind you, this is just the glabrezu in its 'natural' state. Using its supernatural power, a glabrezu can grow even further, doubling its size to thirty feet tall. This intensity 7 ability increases their size factor to +7, modifying their Strength and Agility against normal-sized foes more dramatically.

Imaginary Doubles (i): a way for them to easily counter a larger number of foes, glabrezu can generate their own, pretend posse. Glabrezu may wield this power at intensity 4, allowing them to generate four imaginary friends to befuddle foes in both melee and ranged combat.

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

Nonapparent Vision (w): at will, a glabrezu can activate this sensory capacity in order to see something as it truly is. This intensity 10 ability easily allows them to pierce the veil of disguise, whether physical, mental, spiritual or otherwise.

Paralysis (w): complementing their other mental powers, glabrezu can also paralyze a single foe with intensity 10 ability, per the spell of the same name. They may wield this power upon any one target within near missile distance of their person.

Pincers (s): on their back arms, glabrezu are equipped with large, insect-like pincers. They can't really use these limbs to hold or manipulate items, but can inflict +3 damage with them - and can clamp onto a foe to hold him in place (inflicting like damage if he pulls away).

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

Summoning (i): while their prowess is less than other true tanar'ri, glabrezu can also summon their fellows in a pinch. At intensity 5, a glabrezu can attempt to call forth a greater tanar'ri once per day to do its bidding - not the best odds, but when one is in need...

Teeth (s): like almost all tanar'ri, glabrezu possess sharp fangs in addition to their lethal claws. They can wield these needle-like objects to inflict +2 damage, most likely done when attempting to rend their opponents - or even eat them alive!

Natural Psi-Powers:

In addition to the above, considerable array of supernatural powers, glabrezu are also equipped with natural psionic abilities. These capabilities will vary from glabrezu to glabrezu, but will usually be of either a metapsi, psikinetic or psipathic bent, most often being destructive in nature.

Equipment:

(none)

Hindrances:

Monstrous: it should go without saying, but glabrezu are monstrous entities - just look at them! A glabrezu is at Willpower 0 to prevent Edge 0 humans from fleeing at the mere sight of them - not that they would ever really bother, for such creatures see humans as playthings.

Susceptibility: like all tanar'ri, glabrezu are weak against the use of weapons of cold-wrought iron, as well as holy water and weapons. Their supernatural defenses are ineffective against such assaults, and they possess a 0 in the applicable score to resist them.

Skills:

Manipulation (w): while incredibly powerful, glabrezu excel at convincing others to do the tanar'ri's bidding of their own accord. All glabrezu, when not killing others outright, should receive a reduced difficult on efforts intended to manipulate others without their realizing it.

Calling:

Greed, with a secondary calling of World Domination: the never-ending stream of glabrezu who haunt the Abyss and beyond have a lust for power and material things, using the latter to better acquire the former. This is all, of course, to hasten the tanar'ri's conquest of all causality!

Characteristics:

The countless glabrezu scattered throughout the Abyss tend to keep to themselves, holed up in solitary towers or fortifications while waiting for foolish mortals to summon them to the 'real' planes. This is because that is how glabrezu empower the Abyss - and thus, themselves.

While the mariliths engage in open combat to seize lands for the tanar'ri, the glabrezu instead corrupt mortals, insinuating themselves into civilized societies. They do this to foment the belief that the Abyss is all-powerful, and are incredibly successful at doing just that.

Appearance:

Glabrezu are rather monstrous in aspect! They stand fifteen feet tall, have a dog-like head, and four arms - basically two growing out of the same spot a normal human would. The front arms end in clawed digits, while the rear arms terminate in insectoid pincers.

The coloration of a glabrezu can vary, from a dull russet tone to pitch black. They possess piercing violet eyes and inexplicably bat-wing shaped ears. They attempt to look less menacing when attempting to fleece mortal summoners, but their inherent appearance stymies this.

Ecological Niche:

Glabrezu are one of the forms of tanar'ri that frequents the mortal planes. While maurezhi may wind up there on an eating binge, and nabassu journey there to wreak untold havoc, the glabrezu practice their silver tongues upon foolish and presumptuous mortals, turning their hearts towards evil.

They have the ability to travel there directly, but prefer to be summoned, such that foolish mages assume they have the upper hand in tanar'ric dealings. They prefer to win over the minds of others with guile, but if a deal goes sour a glabrezu has no problem slaying their trading partners.

In this capacity, glabrezu act to extend the influence and power of the Abyss - and by extension, their own. They are diametrically opposed to the mariliths, both in their actions and in their strategies, and these true tanar'ri despise each other almost as much as they do the baatezu.

Almost.

In the Abyss proper, glabrezu are unnatural beings. They are not a process of natural selection. They do not come about as the result of breeding or even spontaneously, as can happen with lesser tanar'ri in the Abyss. No, glabrezu are instead a product of the suffering in their environment.

A glabrezu can only form as a result of countless eons violence and misery, inflicted upon and received by lesser tanar'ri over the ages. When one of the endless, lesser demons gain enough power, they might ultimately transform their minds and bodies into the form of a glabrezu.

Notes:

* Depending on which version of the Planescape lore you wish to use, glabrezu (along with the rest of the tanar'ri) may not have access to teleportation any longer, having lost that power due to yugoloth meddling. Its presence is at the discretion of the individual game Narrator.

Mind you, glabrezu have the ability to dimensionally transit regardless of which version of lore you accept.

Extra Goodies:

Tanar'ri, Glabrezu Saga Text File Download

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