Punxizu

CR 12 (19,200 xp)

LE Large Outsider Init +2, Senses Darkvision 60ft., True Seeing At Will, Perception +20 DEFENSE AC 21 touch 11, flat-footed 19 (-1 Size, +10 Natural, +2 Dex) hp 140 (10d10+70) Fort +16, Ref +9, Will +12 DR 10/Good Immune: Fire, Poison, Bleed Resist: Acid 10, Cold 10, SR 23 OFFENSE Speed 20 ft. Melee Needle jab +14/+9 (1d3+5 plus poison) or Slam +14/+9 (1d6+5 each) or Gore +14/+9 (1d8+5) (or any combination of two attacks) Space 10ft. Reach 5ft. Spell-like Abilities (CL 10th) At will - Arcane Mark, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Identify, True Seeing, Greater Teleport (self plus 50lbs of objects only) 3/day - Greater Prying Eyes, Greater Scrying, Legend Lore, Wall of Thorns 1/day - Summon Monster VI (2 Barbazu, 50%)

Str 20, Dex 15, Con 24, Int 22, Wis 20, Cha 16
Base Atk +10, CMB +16, CMD 28
Feats Skill Focus (Profession Tattoo Artist,) Skill Focus (Knowledge History,) Skill Focus (Knowledge Planes,) Alertness, Great Fortitude, Toughness
Skills Diplomacy 16 Knowledge (arcana) 24 Knowledge (geography) 24 Knowledge (history) 30 Knowledge (local) 24 Knowledge (nobility) 24 Knowledge (planes) 30 Linguistics 19 Perception 20 Profession (tattoo artist) 21 Sense Motive 20 Spellcraft 19
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Goblin, Ignan, Infernal, Sylvan, Terran (Telepathy 100ft.)

Environment Any (Hell)
Organization Solitary
Treasure Standard

Infernal Lore (Ex): A punxizu adds half its Hit Dice to any Knowledge check it makes and may make any Knowledge check untrained. Furthermore, a Punxizu may take 10 on any Knowledge check to answer a question pertaining to Hell. Twice per day, the devil may take 20 on any Knowledge check to answer a question pertaining to Hell.

Epidermal Shift (Ex): Punxizu are capable of rearranging the placement of their skin allowing them to tattoo hard-to-reach areas of their body. This grants the devil immunity to bleed damage as its skin moves to seal wounded areas of its body. This is a purely reflexive action and requires no effort from the devil.

Poison (Ex): The ink a punxizu uses for its tattoos is highly toxic and the creature may opt to use its tattoo needle as a weapon in order to poison an opponent. The needle counts as an evil weapon for purposes of overcoming damage reduction. A typical needle has Hardness 10 and 5 hit points. Injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/rd for 6 rds; effect 1d3 Con and 1 Str; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Constitution based.


An obese monstrosity, the punxizu stands over 9 feet tall and weighs more than 1000lbs. The creature's sickly yellow skin is thick and covered in a mosaic of intricate symbols and images carefully rendered by the deceptively nimble claws at the ends of its ham-like fists. Though massive in girth, the devils are graceful in movement and quite strong. Their legs end in wide hooves, and two long, slightly curved and twisted tapered horns grow from their brow.

Punxizu are the historians of Hell. The tattoos that decorate their bodies are a record of all that has transpired in the creature's territory, and it is a grievous offense to remove or attempt to alter a punxizu's tattoo once the creature has drawn the image. This affords the creatures some protection, as few devils will harm them for fear of ruining an image. However, this protection cannot last forever. A punxizu who illustrates its final inch of flesh is doomed. At that point, the creature is skinned alive so that its knowledge can be preserved in a book made from its own flesh. What remains of the devil is then fed to a captive or lawbreaker who then becomes the new punxizu for that territory.

Punxizu are typically attended to by guardian devils such as barbazu, imps and lemures, which do everything in their power to keep the punxizu from coming to harm. Failure to protect one of the historians could result in the guardians being put on the short list for becoming punxizu themselves.

Punxizu are forbidden to enter combat but may defend themselves if necessary. Their teleportation and wall of thorns abilities are often enough to protect them until help arrives, but there are harsh penalties for a creature that risks the loss of history it has recorded. Punxizu tattooing needles are often constructed from the bones, spines and claws of other outsiders and many mortal spellcasters would pay handsomely for a needle that has transcribed the annals of Hell. Some believe these tools could be used to create enchanted tattoos that grant their wearers infernal powers. Others say the poisonous ink of a punxizu's needle never runs dry making the device an ideal weapon of assassination. Suffice it to say those who believe the former should pray the latter is incorrect.

Due to their duties and cultural significance in Hell, punxizu are very difficult to summon. A spellcaster wishing to summon a punxizu often needs to work out a deal with whatever devil is in charge of the creature's territory. A common bargain involves swapping the punxizu's time for the temporary loan of an apprentice to fill the devil's position.

Author's Note: The name comes from the Latin "punxi," which means "to tattoo."

The image of the punxizu is a miniature I created using a Heroclix Blob figure, horns from a GW Albion Truthsayer and a square piece of aluminum as a base. The tattoos were applied with a thin Sharpie marker.

Game Masters should feel free to determine their own magical effects for a punxizu tattooing needle (if any) should your players get their hands on one. They may be nothing more than ordinary spikes dipped in poisonous ink or they could have any of the properties I described.

Additional Ratings
Balance:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 6 Votes )
Utility:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 8 Votes )
Clarity:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 8 Votes )