YUGOLOTH, ARCANALOTH

This jackal-headed creature is garbed in long, flowing robes and that stretch down to its feet. It eerily floats an inch or two off of the ground, while its inhuman eyes glitter coldly with an unnatural intelligence.
Yugoloth, Arcanaloth Always NE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar, yugoloth) Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., true seeing; Listen +24, Spot +24 Languages tongues, telepathy 100 ft. DEFENSE AC 35, touch 17, flat-footed 28 (+7 Dex, +14 natural, +4 armor, +2 deflection) hp 142 (15 HD); fast healing 2; DR 10/silver and good Immune acid, mind-affecting spells and effects, poison Fort +19, Ref +19, Will +18 OFFENSE Spd 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (good) Melee 2 claws +22 melee (1d6+2 plus poison) Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft Base Atk +15; Grp +17 Atk Options aligned strike (evil), poison (DC 22, 1d6 Str/2d6 Str) Special Actions summon yugoloths Combat Gear metamagic rod of extend, scroll of limited wish, wand of cure critical wounds (22 charges, worth 9,240 gp) Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 15th, ranged touch +22, touch +17): 8thhorrid wilting (DC 26), power word insanity 7thforecage, quickened suggestion (DC 21), spell turning 6thacid fog, disintegrate (DC 24), greater dispel magic, mislead 5thbaleful polymorph (DC 23), cloudkill (DC 23), empowered lightning bolt (DC 21), hold monster (DC 23), wall of force 4thconfusion (DC 22), dimensional anchor, greater invisibility, maximized magic missile, phantasmal killer (DC 22), wall of fire 3rddispel magic, displacement, magic circle against good, protection from energy, slow (DC 21), stinking cloud (DC 21) 2ndbear's endurance, melf's acid arrow, protection from arrows, scorching ray, tasha's hideous laughter (DC 20), web (DC 20) 1stexpeditious retreat, mage armor,* protection from good, ray of enfeeblement (2), shield (2) 0acid splash, detect magic, ray of frost, read magic *Already cast using the metamagic rod of extend Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th): 1/dayshapechange At willdarkness, desecrate, detect good, fear (DC 20), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), magic missile, major image (DC 19), polymorph (self only), telekinesis (DC 21), unholy blight (DC 20)

CR 18
STATISTICS Abilities Str 15, Dex 25, Con 21, Int 26, Wis 22, Cha 22 SQ flight, item mastery, partial immunity to spells, tongues Feats Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell Skills Appraise +26, Bluff +24, Concentration +23, Decipher Script +26, Diplomacy +28, Forgery +26, Hide +16, Listen +24, Knowledge (arcana) +26, Knowledge (history) +26, Knowledge (the planes) +26, Knowledge (religion) +26, Move Silently +16, Sense Motive +24, Search +26, Spellcraft +28, Spot +24 Advancement by character class; Favored Class: wizard Possessions combat gear plus spellbook, cloak of resistance +3, ring of protection +2, vile spell ring,* 3 platinum rings (250 gp each), 1 large blue sapphire (1,000 gp) *Book of Vile Darkness page 113 SPECIAL ABILITIES Flight (Su) An arcanaloth can magically fly at a speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability. This is in all other respects similar to a fly spell cast by an 18th-level caster. If dispelled, the arcanaloth can resume this effect as free action on its next turn. Item Mastery (Ex) Arcanaloths are masters of magical items and can use any spell completion item as if it had that spell on his spell list. Partial Immunity to Spells (Ex) Arcanaloths are completely immune to mind-affecting spells and effects. Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 22, initial damage 1d6 Strength, secondary damage 2d6 Strength. The save DC is Constitution-based. Summon Yugoloths (Sp) Once per day an arcanaloth can attempt to summon 1-2 nycaloths or 1 shadoloth with a 70% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of an 8th-level spell. Tongues (Su) Arcanaloths are under the continuous effect of a tongues spell (caster level 18th). True Seeing (Su) Arcanaloths have a continuous true seeing ability, as the spell (caster level 18th). Arcanaloths are the arcane masters of yugoloth society, possessing powers rivaling that of any mortal wizard and, sometimes, even those of the Archfiends.

STRATEGIES AND TACTICS

Arcanaloths are supremely intelligent. They always have several backup plans incase their current one fails. They display a general disdain for melee combat and they prefer to stand back and destroy their enemies with potent ranged spells. This disdain carries over even to spells that require them to get into melee range to use. Arcanaloths are rarely encountered alone, they are usually encountered with a troupe of lackies (mezzoloths, canoloths, skereloths, and sometimes a piscoloth or two) that they use to keep their foes busy while they sit back and casually unleash their destructive arcane armament.

SAMPLE ENCOUNTER
An arcanaloth is usually encountered with a group of flunkies, usually mezzoloths, canoloths, and piscoloths, although sometimes they bring along a shadoloth for added protection, though not even the arcanaloths fully trust those duplicitous fiends. Maasimilor the Mad (EL 21): An arcanaloth known as Maasimilor the Mad (arcanaloth wizard 2) has been sighted doing excavations in Phlegethon, the third layer of Pandemonium. Called 'the Mad' because of his violent swings between raging anger and a cold, emotionless faade, Maasimilor is searching for some unknown power sealed deep within the rock of Pandemonium. His entourage, which includes a piscoloth, 4 mezzoloths, a shadoloth and a dozen dominated slaves, is anxious to rid themselves of the raging arcanaloth, who they assume has been driven mad due to his prolonged absence from their home plane of Gehenna. They wish to return to Gehenna but they cannot until Maasimilor succeeds on his mission of finding whatever it is he is searching for, unless a group of hapless PC's manage to murder him. In this case, the shadoloth approaches the PC's under the guise of an escaped worker. The yugoloths stay out of the fight until Maasimilor falls, at which point they attempt to slaughter the weakened PC's

Arcanaloths dwell within the Tower of the Arcanaloths which rises from the ash-covered slopes of Chamada, one of the mountainous, volcanic layers of Gehenna There the arcanaloths studiously record the history of their race upon the hanging, flayed skins of petitioners, broker deals, and participate in daily sessions of betrayal, manipulation, and general maliciousness.

TYPICAL TREASURE
Arcanaloths prefer treasure that helps to grant them power or wealth. Magical trinkets, obscure spell scrolls, and any items that help protect them are treasured above all others. Arcanaloths usually scribe their spells into large tomes fashioned from a combination of mortal, demonic, and infernal flesh fused together into one gruesome whole. The spellbooks are written in such obtuse and confusing manners that deciphering them is even more difficult than normal. Add 5 to the DC to decipher an arcanaloth's spellbook. An arcanaloth's spellbook could have access to any spell within the Player's Handbook, though arcanaloths prefer spells that control, hinder, or otherwise obfuscate over flashier, boom-boom spells (though arcanaloths understand that these spells are very important too).

YUGOLOTH QUALITIES
Immunity to acid and poison. Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10. Summon Yugoloths (Sp): Yugoloths share the ability to summon others of their kind (the success chance and type of yugoloth summoned are noted in each monster description). Telepathy Except where otherwise noted, yugoloths speak Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, and their own secret tongue.

ECOLOGY
Arcanaloths can be either male or female (whichever suits their fancy), though how they reproduce is unknown. Some tieflings and half-fiends trace their lineages back to arcanaloth ancestors, but most arcanaloths chuckle at the idea. Sinful perversions of the flesh are considered a waste of time and recourses to most arcanaloths and many simply refuse to accept the idea that one of their order would couple with something so 'base' as a mortal. Environment: Arcanaloths are native to the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna. They draw their power from the fiendish furnaces that blaze within the hearts of the volcanoes and thus rarely leave the plane unless they are on explicit orders from a superior. Typical Physical Characteristics: Arcanaloths typically stand about 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh about 140 to 170 pounds. Their fur is usually brown, black, or silvery white. Alignment: Arcanaloths are steeped in lies and betrayal. They are always neutral evil.

SOCIETY
Arcanaloths are the brokers and dealers of the yugoloth race. They bargain with both the baatezu and tanar'ri, hoping to play them against each other or, at the very least, force them to one up the others offer. They are very receptive to bribes that help improve their own personal wealth and power.