Archon, Shield ArchonThis armored giant is sheathed in metal from head to toe. One arm ends in a spear-like blade, the other in a massive shield.
Shield Archon CR 10Source Bestiary 2 pg. 31
XP 9,600
LG Large outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, lawful)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15
Aura aura of menace (DC 18), magic circle against evil
DefenseAC 29, touch 10, flat-footed 28 (+9 armor, +1 Dex, +4 natural, +6 shield, –1 size) (+2 deflection vs. evil)
hp 112 (9d10+63)
Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +8; +4 vs. poison
DR 10/evil; Immune electricity, petrification; SR 21
OffenseSpeed 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (good); 30 ft., fly 60 ft. in armor
Melee +3 shortspear +16/+11 (1d8+10)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks transpose ally
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +11)
Constant—magic circle against evil
At will—aid, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), message
1/day—disrupting weapon, divine power, shield other
StatisticsStr 20, Dex 13, Con 25, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 15
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 26 (30 vs. bull rush and trip)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Shield Focus, Stand Still, Weapon Specialization (shortspear)B
Skills Diplomacy +14, Fly +0, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Perception +15, Sense Motive +15, Stealth -6, Survival +15
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech
SQ spear and shield, stability
EcologyEnvironment any (Heaven)
Organization solitary, pair, or squad (3–5)
Treasure standard (full plate, other treasure)
Special AbilitiesSpear and Shield (Su) At will as a free action, a shield archon can transform his hands into a +1 tower shield and a +3 shortspear, or either individually, or back to hands again. He cannot transform both hands into shields or both into shortspears. A shield archon never takes the typical –2 penalty on attack rolls while wielding a tower shield. A shield archon’s weapons cannot be disarmed, but they can be sundered. If a shield archon loses his spear or shield, he can manifest a new one as a full-round action. When a shield archon is slain, these two items fade away—they cannot be looted or wielded by any other creature.
Stability (Ex) Shield archons receive a +4 racial bonus to CMD when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt.
Transpose Ally (Su) Once per day as a standard action, a shield archon can teleport to the location of a willing (or unconscious) ally and immediately teleport that ally to the archon’s previous position, in effect switching places with the ally. The archon must have line of effect to the target.
DescriptionShield archons are the mighty rocks of celestial armies, withstanding waves of demons and devils without complaint. Though more than capable of tearing apart lesser demons and devils, their true strength lies in their ability to shrug off deadly attacks from superior opponents, giving their offense-oriented allies time to flank and overwhelm their mutual foes. Shield archons are 9 feet tall and weigh 800 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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