Pathfinder 2E to 1E Conversion: Demon, Eshmok
Hello there! I'm glad to be back here with my conversion... and this time, I'm going to be inflicting a new demon upon you!
With the coming of the Remastered version of Pathfinder, Paizo found themselves having to drop whatever scant references to D&D still lingered in 2E. While I understand the reason for it, I wasn't exactly thrilled by that. The Eshmok here is basically a stand-in for the Vrock, occupying a similar niche and even having the same Challenge Rating. So I got an idea - what if the new demons from the Remastered version were new forms that the Abyss is "trying out" for its denizens? This conversion takes this idea and tries to do something vaguely original with it. I hope you will enjoy my idea!
DEMON, ESHMOK
This horror looks like a towering wasp-like humanoid, its body bound in fibrous fungal growths.
ESHMOK CR 9
XP 6’400
CE Large Outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22
DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+4 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)
hp 115 (10d10+60)
Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +6
Damage Reduction 10/ good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
Spell Resistance 20
Weakness fungus form
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (average, in wasp form only)
Melee stinger +15 (1d6+6 plus poison), bite +15 (1d8+6); or 2 slams +15 (1d6+6 plus fungoid infection), bite +15 (1d8+6) in fungus form
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tendrils in fungus form)
Special Attacks breath weapon (30 ft. cone, 4d8 piercing plus fungoid infection, Reflex DC 21 half)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th, concentration +13)
At will – greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), telekinesis (DC 17), wrath
3/day – fear (DC 17), fungal infestation (DC 16)
1/day – insect plague, rage, summon (level 3, 1 eshmok, 35% or 1d4 schir, 50%), wall of thorns
STATISTICS
Str 22, Dex 18, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 17
Base Atk +10; CMB +17; CMD 31
Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +16, Fly +16, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (planes) +10, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +22, Sense Motive +13, Stealth +12, Survival +13; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic; telepathy 100 ft.
Special Qualities fungus form
ECOLOGY
Environment any (Abyss)
Organization solitary, pair or swarm (3-10)
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Ex): Once every 1d4 rounds, an eshmok can breathe a swarm of stinging, fungus-infected wasps in a 30-ft. cone. An eshmok’s breath weapon inflicts 4d8 points of piercing damage and subjects the victims to the eshmok’s fungoid infection (see below). A successful Reflex saving throw (DC 21) halves the damage and negates the infection. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fungoid Infection (Su): Any living creature taking damage from an eshmok’s slam attack (while in fungus form) or failing their saving throw against the eshmok’s breath weapon must make a Fortitude save (CD 21). On a failure, the creature’s body is penetrated by fine fiendish spores that affect the victim’s nervous system, turning them blind with rage. For the next 1d4+1 rounds, the victim functions as under the effects of both a haste spell and a confusion spell, and suffers 1d8 points of typeless damage as the spores dig into their flesh. A creature that’s confused by this effect never considers the eshmok as a target. A remove disease spell removes the spores and ends the effect, as does pouring a vial of holy water on the victim. A creature with a natural armor bonus of +4 or more is also immune to this effect, as the spores cannot burrow into their flesh. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fungus Form (Su): An eshmok can shift from its natural form to that of a humanoid-shaped tangle of fungal growths as a standard action. In fungus form, an eshmok loses its stinger attack and its fly speed, but gains two slam attacks and can inflict fungoid infection with a successful slam attack. While in fungus form, an eshmok is considered both a plant and its actual type for the purposes of effects that rely on type. An eshmok can shift back to its natural form as a standard action.
Poison (Ex): Stinger — injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save.
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Eshmoks are among the Abyss’s more recent blasphemies — an experiment born of the plane’s endless hunger to refine sin into ever more grotesque weapons. Where many demons are expressions of fury turned outward, the eshmok embodies wrath that festers, curdles, and turns inward, feeding upon itself until nothing remains but agony and spite. These creatures arise from chaotic evil mortal souls who pursued vengeance beyond justice and beyond reason, until hatred became their sole animating force.
The fungal tendrils that lace an eshmok’s body form crude nests and lattices, within which writhe countless wasplike parasites. These swarms are not companions nor servants; they are punishment. Each insect is a living fragment of wrath given form, gnawing at the demon’s flesh and mind without respite. The eshmok cannot escape the torment, its own anger eternally turned against itself.
Scholars of the Lower Planes note that eshmoks share an unusually bitter rivalry with vrocks. Where vrocks embody a violent but still coherent rage, eshmoks represent rage shackled to obsession. Vrocks mock eshmoks as failures — creatures too consumed by their grudges – and the eshmoks, in turn, despise the vrocks. When the two meet, their clashes are especially savage, fueled by mutual contempt as much as by Abyssal bloodlust.
Among mortal faiths, none loathe eshmoks more than the worshipers of Calistria. Some outsiders whisper that the wasps infesting these demons are fragments of the Savored Sting’s vengeance twisted by the Abyss, but her clergy vehemently deny this claim. They teach that eshmoks are cautionary horrors: proof of what vengeance becomes when stripped of purpose, reason and restraint.
An eshmok is about 9 feet tall and weighs as much as 450 pounds.