The last of the neogi deities, P’kk the Dominator is the god of neogi captains, who control their crew and captives through tyrannical fear. It is the only member of the neogi pantheon to live in Baator, the Nine Hells, but it keeps a close eye on its brethren, watching for any weaknesses it can exploit. It is also the only member of the pantheon to have a form other than that of most neogi, as it favors a form that merges the head of a neogi with the body of an umber hulk.
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P’kk (PDF Version)
(The Dominator, the Tyrant, the Fear-Monger, the Power-Mad)
Lesser Power of Baator, LE
Portfolio:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Fear, tyranny, power
Aliases:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â None
Domain Name:          Avernus/Ki’pik
Superior:                  Ka’jik’zxi (Dead)
Allies:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â None
Foes:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Every other power
Symbol:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Umber hulk claw
Wor. Align.:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â LE, NE, CE
Leadership through fear is one of the core principles of neogi life, and this is represented in their pantheon by P’kk (PICK) the Dominator. This tyrannical being thirsts for power and domination, not just of the pantheon, but of the multiverse. It is cunning and intelligent, and delights in bullying and manipulating others into doing its bidding.
As with the other members of the pantheon, neogi myth portrays P’kk as participating in the plot to overthrow their creator-deity. Even though it wasn’t the instigator of the plot, the Dominator ended up planning and leading it. It organized what needed to be done, directed the others to their specific tasks, and lead them all in the attack that ultimately killed Ka’jik’zxi. When this was complete, the five deities turned on each other; each either believing they should dominate or desiring the other deities’ power for themselves. In P’kk’s case, an overriding sense of superiority and a belief in its own right to rule caused it to demand the others to submit; unsurprisingly, it was unsuccessful in convincing or cowing its brethren.
Whereas Kil’lix, Thrig’ki, and T’zen’kil chose a home in the Abyss and Kr’tx made its home in the Gray Waste, P’kk makes its home in an enormous Mindspider high above the plains of Avernus in Baator. Its constant movement and height make it difficult to spot, so even most residents of the plane are unaware of its existence; from this location, P’kk sends its minions and mercenaries to make sorties against the other members of the pantheon. Currently, Kr’tx is the target of most of its attacks, but it has not been above raiding the realms of the other three to take slaves and servants. Those the Dominator captures are brought before it where it cajoles or terrifies them into service if they have skills it can use. Any creature P’kk deems worthless or a failure is made into an example of what it does to those it finds lacking, in order to instill fear in its other servants.
P’kk is itself not particularly active on the Prime Material Plane, but it often dispatches servants on various missions; most such missions are to capture certain types of creatures the Dominator believes will be useful to in its wars against the other neogi deities. When P’kk sends its avatars to the Prime Material Plane, it is often for tasks it feels cannot be handled by its minions, such as negotiating for service with powerful entities or in order to instill great fear into a whole group of powerful beings.
P’kk’s Avatar (Mage 27, Cleric 25, Fighter 14)
P’kk appears as a massive black umber hulk with the head of a neogi. Its body bears no tattoos at all, believing that only creatures that are owned by or serve others should bear them. Its eyes are normally purple, but when angered or excited, they glow bright red. The Dominator draws its spells from all schools and spheres.
AC −1; MV 12; HP 154; THAC0 4; #AT 3
Dmg 3d6/3d6/2d4 (claw/claw/bite)
MR 25%; SZ H (12 feet tall, 7 feet wide)
Str 19, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 16
Spells P: 11/11/10/9/9/8/4, W: 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5/5
Saves PPDM 2; RSW 3; PP 5; BW 5; Sp 4
Special Att/Def: P’kk enjoys melee, but it always tries to intimidate or frighten potential opponents into surrendering. If that fails it attempts to instill fear with its magical skills, and only if that too fails does it use its powerful claws. It is always accompanied by J’krekt (7 HD, 56 hp, immune to fear), a small neogi-like creature with the head of an umber hulk. J’krekt always rides on P’kk’s shoulders and can cast spells (but not special powers) from the Dominator’s repertoire, meaning it can effectively cast two spells per round in addition to melee attacks. J’krekt has no physical attacks save a weak bite (1d4 points of damage) that it only uses in dire situations; it does however have the gaze abilities of a normal umber hulk. While riding on P’kk’s shoulders, it shares the Dominator’s magic resistance and saving throws.
The Dominator is surrounded by a permanent cloak of fear to a radius of 15 feet, and can issue a command every other round. When angered or excited, its red eyes can cause fear (as the wand) in a single target up to 60 feet away once per turn. Once per day it can cast domination, phantasmal killer, and mass charm.
P’kk is immune to enchantment/charm and illusion/phantasm magic, fear, poison, and all forms of mental domination and control. It can only be struck by weapons of +2 or better enchantment.
Other Manifestations
Like all neogi deities, P’kk never manifests its power to aid its followers. The neogi believe this is because of an oversight in the contract forged with their deities.
The neogi pantheon is served primarily by divine servitors in the form of umber hulks and normal spiders of all sorts, but the Dominator can call on baatezu (least and lesser types), hook spiders, imps, and incarnates of pride. It never displays its favor or displeasure through discoveries of any kind.
The Church
Clergy:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Clerics, specialty priests, shamans, wizards
Clergy’s Align.:     LE, NE, CE
Turn Undead:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â C: No, SP: No, Sha: No, W: No
Cmnd. Undead:        C: Yes, SP: Yes, at level −2, Sha: No, W: No
All clerics and specialty priests of P’kk receive religion (neogi) and reading/writing (neogi) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies.
The faith of P’kk the Dominator draws those who desire power for power’s sake, as well as those who already have power. It is the smallest of the neogi faiths in number, but at least equal to the others in power due to the high positions most faithful hold. Neogi ship and fleet captains, merchant fleet owners, and archmages all make up the bulk of P’kk’s clergy. Its faith also attracts those who are lower in the societal ranks but wish to ascend to the top; the key difference between the faiths of P’kk and Kil’lix is how patient members are in waiting for advancement. The Dominator’s faithful are perfectly happy to use assassination and murder to advance, but they also see the importance of making sure the time is right; there’s no point in gaining power if they cannot keep it. As such, many make sure they have contingencies or support in place before advancing. Once in power, however, they are ruthless in keeping it. Their slaves are brutal towards those who dissent, and they try to maintain a spy network to hear about and eliminate burgeoning plots against their authority.
While very rare, temples dedicated to P’kk are built by powerful members of the faith who own not only multiple ships, but a station or asteroid to maintain them. These temples vary considerably by the individual who constructs them, although most are carved from solid rock by umber hulks and decorated with dark purple and gold drapes, cushions, and other signs of decadent power. There is always an altar in the shape of an umber hulk holding a stone slab; it is even said that many of these altars are actual umber hulks that have been magically petrified. Ship captains and lesser priests always maintain a personal shrine with a stone umber hulk claw holding a golden bowl within a niche draped in dark purple.
Novices of P’kk are called Ascenders, while full priests of the Dominator are called Fear Lords. The church’s hierarchy is loose and informal; any time members of the clergy meet, a formalized set of threats is performed to determine each group’s personal power, and thus which faction is higher ranking than the other. This is often clear and rarely leads to violence, but if either side resists the determination, battle breaks out until one side surrenders and agrees to a junior power ranking. If neither side surrenders, the battle continues until one or the other is utterly defeated and absorbed by the victor. Any survivors are treated exceptionally badly in this case, creating a distinct incentive to not let the violence persist for that length of time. Only the most powerful member of a group of clergymembers has a formal title; such titles are grandiose and intended to be terrifying. Specialty priests are known as tyrantclaws. The priesthood consists of specialty priests (75%), clerics (15%), and wizards (10%); only umber hulks may be shamans and they are not seen as equals by the neogi clergy. Neogi (88%) are the largest portion of the clergy, with the tso (11%) and a small number of umber hulks (1%) forming the remainder.
Dogma: Power is control; those with power can control those who don’t. Threats and cajoling from a position of power is the easiest way to get what you want; judicious application of violence can break most resistance and convince your lessers to cooperate. Constantly instill fear; those weaker than you should fear your power and avoid feeling its bite. Inferiors have no rights; these are reserved to superiors, and neogi are superior to all others.
Day-to-Day Activities: Members of P’kk’s faith are always in positions of personal power or strive for such. Even when under other neogi, they seek to concentrate power to themselves by gaining top ranking positions such as first mate of a ship, a position of chief negotiator, or the neogi equivalent of a chief magistrate. They are ambitious, but not as aggressively so as the faithful of Kil’lix, willing to bide their time when necessary or take lateral positions that have more personal power, rather than always aiming for the top. When they have underlings of their own, they use bullying tactics or flattery to get what they want, and those who are adept at determining the right applications of these skills are more likely to advance. They also encourage the most powerful umber hulks to embrace the faith of the Dominator, but instill the idea that only the best are worthy. They use the faith as a means to exert greater control over their other slaves by having the strongest umber hulks bully the other slaves into submission. Many members of the faith use their skills to convince groundlings to passively give up members of their community as slaves at regular intervals or face raids or extermination. They are willing to unleash violence upon such beings, but if they can get what they want without resorting to outright violence, so much the better, they feel.
Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: The Bargain of Fear is the holy ceremony dedicated to P’kk the Dominator. Like all neogi holidays, it falls on an intercalary day spaced 72 days apart from the other holy days, and is the first such day on the calendar.
While simple, the Bargain of Fear is an important day on a neogi vessel. It is an opportunity for a captain to instill fear both in its crew and its slaves, in order to ensure their obedience. After ritually extolling the importance of obedience, the captain brings forth a slave or (more rarely) a member of the crew that has failed to follow orders or actively defied those in power. The creature is tied up so all can see, and then ritualistically disemboweled by the head umber hulk slave; a swift but painful death is seen as a crucial element of the sacrifice. The captain then speaks for a short period how only such disobedient creatures are sent up to the larders of P’kk as dictated by the contract the neogi signed with their god.
When a neogi captain has so cowed its crew that there are no disobedient or rebellious members to sacrifice, they will often stage a quick raid to get some prisoners from another ship or planet to sacrifice. This is also sometimes done if the existing crew are too valuable or skilled to eliminate, although this requires care lest they think the threat of being sacrificed are hollow. Finally, in cases where the neogi constitute more than a single ship’s crew, such as in an asteroid enclave or a fleet, a designated neogi who acts as something akin to a magistrate will recommend an individual who has committed a serious crime be sacrificed instead.
Major Centers of Worship: No significant temples or sites holy to the Dominator’s faith are believed to exist within the Known Spheres.
Affiliated Orders: The church of P’kk sponsors no martial or monastic orders.
Priestly Vestments: The ceremonial garb worn by the Dominator’s priesthood consists of rich purple robes fringed with gold. Expensive jewelry and piercings are common as a sign of status within the faith, and all members tattoo themselves prominently with a stylized umber hulk claw, which serves as the holy symbol of the faith.
Adventuring Garb: Members of the Dominator’s clergy always wear expensive garb to show off their status, but in this way, they are little different from neogi captains who are not members of the faith. They do not use weapons or armor, as normal for neogi, and usually only the tattoo of the faith is what sets them apart from other wealthy neogi.
Specialty Priests (Tyrantclaws)
Requirements:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Strength 9, Wisdom 9, Charisma 12
Prime Req.:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wisdom, Charisma
Alignment:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â LE
Weapons:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â None (Any)
Armor:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â None (Any)
Major Spheres:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â All, astral, charm, combat, elemental, healing (reversed only), law, necromantic, thought, war
Minor Spheres:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Divination, protection, summoning
Magical Items:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Same as clerics
Req. Profs:               Etiquette, intimidation (Complete Thief’s Handbook)
Bonus Profs:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Modern languages (common and one other from local wildspace races)
- Tyrantclaws must be neogi or tso.
- Tyrantclaws are not allowed to multiclass.
- Tyrantclaws may select nonweapon proficiencies from the warrior group with no crossover penalty.
- Tyrantclaws are immune to the command spell and all fear-related spells and magic except the natural fear auras created by powerful dragons and creatures with 12 or more hit dice. They are still immune to fear spells and spell-like effects such creatures may cast.
- In the hands of a tyrantclaw, rods of terror, rods of rulership and wands of fear work to increased effect. When a tyrantclaw expends a charge from a rod of terror, she or he is enveloped by an illusion of darkest horror affecting all within 60 feet; those who successfully save against the effects of the terror suffer a −2 penalty to their morale; and the tyrantclaw never loses any Charisma from the use of the rod. In the hands of a tyrantclaw, a rod of rulership works on 2d4+2×100 Hit Dice of creatures within 240 yards per charge, and a charge lasts for three turns. Saving throws vs. the rod of rulership’s effects (when applicable) are at a −2 penalty. Finally, when a tyrantclaw expends a charge from a wand of fear, saving throws vs. the effect of the wand are at a −2 penalty and those who fail their saving throws are affected for 12 rounds.
- Tyrantclaws can cast cause fear (as the reverse of the 1st-level priest spell remove fear) or command (as the 1st-level priest spell) once per day.
- At 3rd level, tyrantclaws can cast draw upon holy might (as the 2nd-level priest spell) or strength (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) once per day.
- At 5th level, tyrantclaws can cast cloak of fear (as the reverse of the 4th-level priest spell cloak of bravery) or suggestion (as the 3rd-level wizard spell) once per day.
- At 7th level, tyrantclaws can cast fear or phantasmal killer (as the 4th-level wizard spells) once per day.
- At 10th level, tyrantclaws can cast tyranny of the dominator (as the 6th-level priest spell) once per week.
- At 15th level, tyrantclaws can cast umber hulk form (as the 4th-level priest spell) twice per day.
P’kkite Spells
2nd Level
Fear of the Tyrant (Pr 2; Illusion/Phantasm)
Sphere:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Charm
Range:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0
Components:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â V, S
Duration:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Special
Casting Time:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 5
Area of Effect:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30-ft. rad.
Saving Throw:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Neg.
With this spell, the caster causes an intense aura of bone-chilling fear to afflict all foes within the area of effect. Those who fail a saving throw versus spell find themselves quaking with fear at the sight of the caster, suffering a −1 penalty to all attack and damage rolls, as well as a −2 penalty to their morale checks. A successful save indicates a creature has steeled itself against the fearful nature of the caster.
The fear of the tyrant spell is instantaneous, but the effects persist as long as a creature remains within visual range of the caster, plus 2d4 rounds. Creatures that are blind, do not use sight, or otherwise cannot see the caster are unaffected by this spell. Simply averting one’s gaze offers no protection, however.
4th Level
Umber Hulk Form (Pr 4; Alteration)
Sphere:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Combat, Elemental Earth
Range:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0
Components:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â V, S, M
Duration:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2 turns/level
Casting Time:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 7
Area of Effect:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The caster
Saving Throw:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â None
When this spell is cast, the priest is able to assume the form of an umber hulk. The priest gains an umber hulk’s physical mode of locomotion, breathing, armor class, and physical attacks. Furthermore, they also gain the ability to confuse those who look into their eyes, just as a normal umber hulk. No System Shock roll is required nor does the priest run the risk of changing personality and mentality.
When the new form is assumed, the caster’s equipment, if any, melds into the new form (in particularly challenging campaigns, the DM may allow protective devices, such as a ring of protection, to continue operating effectively). The caster retains all mental abilities, including spell use, assuming the material components are available. A caster not used to the umber hulk form might be penalized at the DM’s option (for example, a –2 penalty to attack rolls) until he or she practices sufficiently to master it.
The strength of the new form is sufficient to enable movement. The priest retains his or her own hit points, attack rolls, and saving throws. The priest can revert to his or her normal form at any time, immediately ending the spell. A priest voluntarily returning to original form and ending the spell regains 1dl2 hit points. The priest also returns to the original form when slain or when the effect is dispelled, but no hit points are restored in these cases.
The material component is the priest’s holy symbol.
6th Level
Tyranny of the Dominator (Pr 6; Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Charm
Range:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0
Components:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â V, S, M
Duration:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1 rd./level
Casting Time:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9
Area of Effect:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 60-ft. rad.
Saving Throw:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Special
Similar in effect to a rod of rulership, this spell enables the priest to command obedience and fealty within the area of effect when cast. From 100 to 200 Hit Dice (or levels of experience) can be ruled, but creatures with 15 or greater Intelligence and 12 or more Hit Dice or levels are allowed a saving throw vs. spell. Ruled creatures obey the priest as if he or she were their absolute sovereign. Still, if the priest gives a command that is absolutely contrary to the nature of the creatures commanded, the magic is broken.
Priests who employ this spell contrary to the wishes of P’kk find their god’s displeasure forcefully expressed in the immediate future, as adjudicated by the DM.
The material components are the priest’s holy symbol and a small golden circlet worth at least 250 gp. The latter is placed on the priest’s head prior to the casting of the spell and vanishes at the spell’s conclusion.