Wheel of Pain (3.5e Creature)
The heart of Nerukath's wicked realm is before you - the dread Wheel of Pain. Even the most uneducated planar traveler has heard of the wicked contraption that is the masterpiece of Nerukath's: a torture device that can rip apart the three parts of a living creature - body, mind and soul - so completely that resurrection becomes nigh-impossible, even with deity-like powers. It is said that it can torture to death even a god. Those unlucky who have felt the endless blades of the Wheel of Pain become nothing more than unseen ghosts of pain. The machine, a perfect circle of mithral affixed to a mechanical frame with a crane-like device, houses thousands of blades, hooks, stings, syringes and claws. Gears grind and tracks roll as the device lies dormant - but only on the outside.
| LE Huge construct | |
| Init/Senses | +4/darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +9, Spot +9 |
| Languages | cannot speak; telepathy 60 ft.; tongues |
| AC | 40, touch 8, flat-footed 40 (-2 size, +32 natural) |
| hp | 236 (52 HD) |
| Fort/Ref/Will | +19/+19/+23 |
| Speed | 0 ft. |
| Melee | slam +52 (4d8+22) and 2 claws +52 (2d6+15 plus wounding) and bite +52 (3d8+15 plus 2d6 fire plus disease) and 4 stings +52 (3d4+15 plus 2d4 acid plus poison) or |
| Melee | wheel +54 touch (grab) |
| Ranged | spout of fire +39 touch (3d8 fire) and spray of acid +39 touch (3d8 acid) and screech +39 touch (4d4 sonic) |
| Base Atk/Grp | +39/+62 |
| Atk Options | Awesome Blow, Combat Expertise, Great Cleave, FlayPHB2, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, improved grab, rake 2d6+15 |
| Special Actions | wounding, disease, poison (DC 36, 3d4 Con/death), true torture, breath weapon |
| Spell-Like Abilities | (CL 52nd): 3/day—acid fog (DC 23), disintegrate (DC 23), mass hold person (DC 24) 1/day—incendiary cloud (DC 25), antipathy (DC 25), wish (DC 26, only to cause suffering) |
| Abilities | Str 41, Dex —, Con —, Int 25, Wis 28, Cha 25 |
| SQ | construct traits, damage reduction 20/+5 and adamantine, damage reduction 5/—, attuned blindsense, immunity to magic, acid, sonic and negative energy, resistance to fire, cold and electricity 20, vulnerability to positive energy, tongues |
| Feats | Ability Focus (breath weapon), Awesome Blow, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, FlayPHB2, Great Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus (wheel), Great Fortitude, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Improved Multiattack, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Weapon Focus (wheel) |
| Skills | Bluff +62, Concentration +55, Diplomacy +62, Intimidate +62, Knowledge (torture) +62, Profession (torturer) +64, Sense Motive +64, Spellcraft +62, Use Magic Device +62 |
| Advancement | — |
| Improved Grab (Ex) | To use this ability, the Wheel of Pain must hit with its wheel attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake. When grappling with its wheel, the Wheel of Pain can operate as normal with all of its other parts, taking a -10 penalty to its grapple check. |
| Rake (Ex) | Attack bonus +52 (+47 on full attack) melee, damage 2d6+15. |
| Wounding (Ex) | Damage resulting from the Wheel of Pain's claw attack is a wound that bleeds for an additional 5 points of damage every round thereafter. Multiple wounds result in cumulative blood loss (two successful claw attacks mean blood loss of 10 points per round, and so on). The bleeding can be stopped by a successful DC 20 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other healing spell. |
| Disease (Ex) | Standing ovation—ingested, Fortitude DC 36, incubation period 1 hour, damage 1d3 Con and 1d4 Cha. Unlike normal diseases, saving throws must be made every hour after incubation. Each time the victim takes 2 or more Charisma damage from the disease, they will be unable to stop screaming for an hour. If this happens twice in a row, the victim is permanently deafened. |
| Poison (Ex) | Injury, Fortitude DC 36, initial damage 3d4 Con, secondary damage death, Fortitude DC 36 negates. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| True Torture (Ex) | The Wheel of Pain can kill a grappled subject that fails a DC 51 Fortitude save with a successful grapple check. Subjects killed this way can only be resurrected through major divine intervention (several deities must attend resurrection); even spells like wish or miracle have no effect. The save DC is Strength-based. |
| Spout of Fire (Ex) | Subject hit by a spout of fire must succeed on a DC 36 Reflex save or catch fire. The fire burns for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| Screech (Ex) | Subject hit by a screech must succeed on a DC 36 Fortitude save or be permanently deafened. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| Breath Weapon (Ex) | 10-foot cube, cloud of poisonous gas lasting 1 round, move action once every 1d4+1 rounds; initial damage 3d4 Con, secondary damage death, Fortitude DC 38 negates. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| Attuned Blindsense (Ex) | The Wheel of Pain can pinpoint exactly where any creature in its room is at any given time. This ability is constant and cannot be shut off; however, the Wheel cannot see or understand anything outside of its room. |
| Immunity to Magic (Ex) | The Wheel of Pain is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below. A rusting grasp spell slows the Wheel of Pain (as the slow spell) for 1 round. |
| Vulnerability to Positive Energy (Ex) | The Wheel of Pain is hurt by positive energy exactly as an undead. Furthermore, it takes half as much damage from such attacks. |
| Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) | The Wheel can use any of its spell-like abilities as move actions. The save DCs are Intelligence-based. |
| Tongues (Su) | The Wheel of Pain can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level 52nd). This ability is always active. |
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| The Wheel's true form is hard to grasp from among the ever-turning, ever-pumping mass of pistons, gears and pipes. |
Nerukath and his Head Artificer Carmichael joined the arts of technology and dark magic to create the ultimate torture device: the Wheel of Pain. The horrifying machine lies in the deeps of Keepsake, intimidating the foes of Nerukath into submission. While there are many creatures more powerful than Nerukath, the threat that they could be taken by surprise and exposes to the indescribable tortures of the Wheel keep them from enroaching on the lich's territory. Those who truly draw Nerukath's ire will be forced to face the Wheel, with Nerukath and his entourage witnessing the event from behind walls of force.
Combat
The Wheel of Pain first and foremost tries to cause as much pain as possible. Against strong foes, it always tries to grab a character in order to torture it to death with its true torture ability. Using suggestion and wish, it beckons creatures close enough to attack with its wheel. Against slightly weaker foes, the Wheel prefers its breath weapon over spell-like abilities, but isn't shy of using spells like acid fog, incendiary cloud and mass hold person (especially if several fighter-types are close).
The Wheel fights cleverly, but is bored of sound and complicated tactics, preferring instead to make fights interesting: sometimes a round of ranged fire is more fun than battering foes with more effective melee attacks. Nerukath is in full control of the machine and can override its will, but if he dies, the machine goes haywire. Destroying the Wheel of Pain is a great act of good, leading to the positive attention of all good deities.
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