(The Outcast, the Lord Who Watches, the Tenth Lord of the Nine, the Lost Lord of the Pit, the Hidden Lord)
Demipower of the Prime Material Plane, LE
PORTFOLIO: Betrayal, cruelty, political corruption, ill council, self-serving advisers, political
puppetmasters, powerbrokers, powermongers
ALIASES: Gargoth, Astaroth
DOMAIN NAME: Toril/Faerûn
SUPERIOR: None
ALLIES: Beherit (dead), the Lords of the Nine
FOES: Bane (dead), Bhaal (dead), Cyric, Iyachtu Xvim, Loviatar, Shar, Siamorphe, Talona
SYMBOL: A broken animal horn
WOR. ALIGN.: LN, LE, NE
An evil power whose foul nature was too much even for others of his ilk, Gargauth (GAR-goth) was cast out of his palace in Baator and condemned to wander the Prime Material Plane. Gargauth embodies the inevitable decay and corruption that accompany all self-serving, greedy, and power-hungry leaders and groups. Few individuals worship Gargauth for fear that he will drop in for a visit, but a few foolish mortals with dreams of conquest and power turn to the Lord Who Watches for his assistance in exchange for a price—a price they later find too dear to pay.
Gargauth's malevolence and cruelty are made all the worse by the veneer of civility and compassion he wears when first encountered. Gargauth holds to the letter of any agreement, not the spirit, and relishes betraying anyone with whom he forges a pact by twisting the contract to serve his own ends. Gargauth is a master strategist, and his sense of humor moderates his temper. He can be erudite, charming, and genteel, but his true nature always reveals itself eventually. In truth, the Lord Who Watches is utterly depraved, the incarnation of evil most foul.
Gargauth is also known as the Outcast, and ancient texts imply that Gargoth (as he was then known) was once a member of the august body known as the Lords of the Nine who rule the Nine-Layered Pit that is the plane of Baator and the baatezu who inhabit it. The reason for Gargoth's exile has been lost in the mists of time. Some sages claim he challenged the Dark Lord of Nessus and was driven into exile; others say he left upon the destruction of his closest ally, Beherit, at the hands of the Dark Lord.
Regardless of the facts behind his banishment, Gargauth apparently bears little animosity for his former peers, maintaining his closest ties with the Dark Lord, and he seems to have served the Lords of the Nine as an ambassador plenipotentiary of sorts for eons. He has wandered all the planes freely, except for Baator (from which he is banned with the threat of permanent destruction should he ever return) and the Upper Planes, but he has expended much of his effort and time in the Prime Material Plane, particularly on the world of Abeir-Toril. At one point during his travels, Gargauth defeated Astaroth, a tanari'ri lord of great power, and the Outcast then appropriated the worship of that fiend's few surviving cultists in the Realms, giving Gargauth his first taste of godhood.
A complete chronicle of Gargauth's journeys as an emissary of the Lords of the Nine is known to exist in journal form. The original copy of Gargauth's journal resides in Oghma's library in the Outlands, but other copies may exist. Whether copies of Gargauth's journal bear any malignant enchantment is unknown, but enspelling them with a panoply of foul curses would be in character for the Outcast.
The contents of the travelogue are unknown but are believed to include numerous ancient magics of unspeakable evil and descriptions of creatures of incredible vileness. For example, while hunting for Kelemvor's soul, Cyric consulted the original copy in Oghma's possession for an enchantment to see through all divine barriers and godly deceptions. The required ritual inspired Cyric's mad plan that eventually destroyed Zhentil Keep.
Gargauth has appeared in the Realms on numerous occasions, often at the bequest of some powerful and evil individual or a cult of some dark power. For example, Gargoth was the "wild baatezu" who appeared at the bequest of the followers of Bane in Sembia to attack the Sign of the Silver Harp, an inn located west of the Bridge of Fallen Men on the edge of the Tunlands. The Silver Harp was the common destination of Harpers after the organization was refounded in the Year of the Wandering Wyvern (1022 DR). Gargoth fled the massive trap that Elminster had laid there, and the Banites were subsequently routed. (For more on this, see the discussion of the history of the Harpers in the Code of the Harpers.)
Gargauth's exile may have been in fact somewhat voluntary; since his banishment from Baator he has striven to become a divine power and apparently views ascending into and within the Faerûnian pantheon as an avenue that will eventually enable him to surpass his former peers in power. Sometime after the battle at the Sign of the Silver Harp, Gargauth became a demipower in his own right. He accomplished this feat after centuries of effort in part by permanently destroying numerous baatezu whose essences were completely in the Realms (because they had been stranded after entering in person) and then absorbing their power, while at the same time accruing an increasing cult following.
Gargauth's cult blossomed in the Realms during the Harpstar Wars while the Harpers' attention was directed elsewhere, and his followers fought their way to power in numerous realms and cities. During this time, Gargauth nearly ascending in power to the ranks of a lesser power, but an alliance of the Dark Gods (Bane, Bhaal, Loviatar, and Talona) thwarted his plans and crushed his followers.
Gargauth has been attempting to rebuild his flock ever since his defeat by the Dark Gods, and he plots to eventually recover all his lost lands and followers. In particular, the Lord Who Watches seeks the method by which Toril was sealed from the other planes during the Time of Troubles, believing that he could seize a great deal of divine power if the other powers were cut off from the Realms. As part of his research, he has scoured many ancient ruins of the Imaskari Empire, whose wizards managed long ago to partially bar the Mulhorandi and Untheric pantheons from entering the Realms.
Gargauth's Avatar (Mage 23, Cleric 20, Rogue 20, Fighter 18)
Gargauth is said to appear as a charismatic, reasonable sage. He is reputedly handsome, 8 feet tall, and of indeterminate mature age. He has noble features, a soft, low voice, and a mustache. Gargauth has appeared in the guise of a variety of races, but the Outcast only rarely appears as a female. (The dwarves, for example, tell a tale entitled "The Legacy of Astaroth" in which the Outcast appeared as a dwarf.)
Gargauth typically wears swash-topped boots, jerkins with slit and puffed sleeves, velvet-lined cloaks and similar finery, and usually carries huge sparkling knuckle rings, pendants, buckle ornament, and cloak pins. Sometimes he adopts the guise of a nondescript trader or old pilgrim. Regardless of his original form, as Gargauth spends more time in one place, his true nature becomes apparent as his flesh and clothing rot and twist, horns and jagged shards erupt from his face and back, and he grows claws and fangs. By this time, though, those under his influence are usually enspelled so as to be unaware of his deadly nature.
Gargauth favors spells from the astral, charm, combat, divination, and law spheres and the schools of abjuration, alteration, enchantment/charm, and invocation/evocation, although he can cast spells from any sphere except summoning and any schools except conjuration/summoning.
AC -3; MV 15; HP 177, THAC0 3; #AT 5/1 (dagger) or 2/1
Dmg 1d4+13 (dagger +3, +8 STR, +2 spec. bonus in thrown daggers)
MR 65%; SZ M (6 feet) or L (8 feet)
STR 20, DEX 16, CON 19, INT 24, WIS 19, CON 20
Spells P: 12/11/11/9/7/5/2, W: 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/3
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4
Special Att/Def: In his voluminous sleeves, Gargauth carries an infinite number of throwing daggers +3, and he can juggle these with a showman's skill and flair if he wishes. He is specialized in hurling such daggers, which then vanish within seconds of striking. Gargauth is also proficient in the use of all melee weapons, and he has been known to employ a rapier on occasion.
Gargauth has numerous spell-like abilities he can employ at will, once per round, in lieu of spellcasting. In addition to those powers common to all baatezu (advanced illusion, animate dead, charm person, infravision, know alignment [always active], suggestion, and teleport without error), Gargauth's abilities include comprehend languages, dispel magic, detect lie, detect magic, detect invisibility, ESP, eyebite, fireball, geas, ice storm, know alignment, read magic, tongues, identify, charm monster, pyrotechnics, produce flame, raise dead, shape change, wall of fire, and (fulfill another's) limited wish (each usable up to once per round except fulfill another's limited wish, which is usable once a turn). The Lord Who Watches can create a symbol of insanity or pain once per day. He can also transmute metal to gold once per day by touch. By means of this power, he can trasnform up to 600 gp worth of any metal except silver into gold. Gold created by this power is very pure, but also very soft. Artifacts and relics are unaffected by this power, but magical metal items lose their dweomers upon transformation if they fail their saving throw vs. spell.
Tyranny, Betrayal, and Death in the Year of the Dracorage
Sammaster, fallen Chosen of Mystra, taught "[D]ead dragons shall rule the world entire.... The Followers of the Scaly Way created their first dracoliches in the Year of the Queen's Tears (902 DR), but it was a slow process and the prophesied time of the Night Dragons seemed but a far-off dream.
In the Year of the Awakening (1001 DR), Tuelhalva Drakewings, Keeper of the Secret Hoard and Member of the Purple, was sent south to Peleveran to investigate reports of an ancient undead dragon that lurked in the catacombs of the capital city, Peleveria. While Tuelhalva found no sign of an undying wyrm, he did discover a gathering evil in the deepest caverns. From the depths of an endless pit, a reptilian voice whispered promises of absolute power if only the ancient wards that prevented his entry into the world were sundered.
For nearly two decades Tuelhalva labored with ancient magics until finally he could cast the mighty incantations that the voice revealed to him. With the casting of his last spell, a great fiend arose from the pit. In exchange for his release, the diabolical lord summoned forth an army of fiends to serve the archmage's whim. Tuelhalva and the horde of hellspawn marched forth and the throne of Peleveran was his within a fortnight.
As Peleveran fell to the armies of baatezu, the great fiend of the piet flew north. The whispering voice told the leaders of the Cult of Tuelhalva's fate and how the archmage had destroyed an ancient undead dragon king he had found. Enraged, 21 mages of the cult summoned a flight of dragons and dracoliches. Within a month of Tuelhalva's coronation, a Rage of Dragons descended on Peleveran, and when it had passed not a trace of that nation nor Tuelhalva remained.
And in a distant city, the exiled baatezu lord known as Gargauth—he who had been trapped in the pit—laughed evilly at foolishness of power-hungry humans.
Gargauth is a loner. His few servants are undead and other creatures he can control with his charm monster ability, such as snakes and blue dragons. He is often encountered astride Rathguul, a great blue wyrm with maximum hit points who serves as his steed as part of an ancient contract, and bearing one or more poisonous snakes wrapped around his arms that he hurls at opponents.
Gargauth is immune to all enchantments from the school of enchantment/charm or the sphere of charm. He can breathe underwater, is immune to all poisons, is immune to fire and magical fire, and takes only half damage from cold attacks and from gas attacks. He regenerates 2 hp/round. His one vulnerability is to silver—mere contact with silver does him 1d3 points of damage, and he now often protects himself with a protection from normal missiles spell, if at all possible, before entering combat.
Gargauth radiates a permanent mass charm effect. This powerful enchantment quickly enspells all who come into contact with the Outcast to believe he is the most charismatic, witty, wise, and intelligent being they have ever met. This enchantment is not affected by dispel magic or similar spells, nor is it affected as Gargauth's appearance begins to twist into a horrid apparition of evil (a process that takes about one to four months after Gargauth arrives in a region). Only someone who enters a region (such as a town or valley) in which Gargauth is visiting after Gargauth's transformation has become visible recognizes the Outcast for the creature of evil he is.
Finally, Gargauth has a unique power he keeps absolutely secret. The Lord Who Watches can fully absorb the power of any baatezu he utterly destroys while in the Realms. Hence if Gargauth slays a baatezu who has been summoned to the Realms, he gains no benefit, but if the fiend is physically present on the plane (perhaps having entered via a magical gate), he can absorb its power. It is through this ability that Gargauth has become a demipower and eventually hopes to become even more powerful. If the Lords of the Nine found out about this power, they would be forced to ally against Gargauth and destroy him before he could destroy them.
Other Manifestations
Gargauth manifests as an amber radiance around anyone who calls upon his aid. This wavering nimbus is tainted with an aura of incredible evil; it serves to seal the unholy bargain between the mortal and Gargauth and also has the effect of a spiritual corruption spell.
Gargauth sometimes manifests as a solitary horn that grows from the head of an animal. The curved, bony protrusion can be used as a weapon if the animal charges, inflicting 1d6 points of damage on a successful hit. Any animal tainted by Gargauth's touch becomes increasingly foul-tempered and malicious. After about 10 days, the horn falls off and breaks into two pieces, and the animal sickens and dies shortly thereafter. If both pieces of the broken horn are treated with a bless spell, Gargauth and his minions are barred from entering the vicinity (approximately a 10-mile radius from the casting of the bless spel) for one year. If, however, a priset of Gargauth retrieves the broken horn first, it can be used as the major component of a call upon Gargauth or mask of Gargauth spell with all the attendant horrific results.
Gargauth rarely works through servant creatures, although it is believed that flocks of simpathetics or thick carpets of thousands of serpents or poisonous insects passing through a region herald his imminent arrival.
The Church
CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LN, LE, NE
TURN UNDEAD: C: No, SP: Yes
CMND. UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: Yes
All clerics and specialty priests of Gargauth receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.
Few beings in the Realms known of Gargauth's existence, but those who do dare not speak his name for fear he may come for a visit. However, Gargauth's name (or one of his aliases) appears in a few cautionary tales of overweening pride, insatiable greed, or overwhelming lust for power among every race of the Realms. For example, the dwarves tell a tale entitled "The Legacy of Astaroth." In that legend, a dwarf minstrel by the name of Astaroth arrived one day at the gates of a dwarven hall built above a rich vein of iron. He began to perform a variety of showman's tricks and thoroughly enchanted the dour dwarves. The normally suspicious dwarves invited him in for the evening meal, which Astaroth graciously accepted. As their guest ate, the dwarf king and his retainers noticed that every piece of metal Astaroth came into contact with (his plate, his utensils, a door knob, etc.) turned to gold. However, Astaroth seemed completely unaware of this effect. After the meal, the dwarf king slying invited Astaroth on a tour of the subterranean city. The dashing minstrel was encouraged to pick up and examine every piece of metal the dwarves could find, even touching the veins of iron not yet mined from the earth. When the minstrel finally left, the dwarves were incredibly rich—so much so, the king promptly renamed the city the Hall of Pure Gold. Within 24 hours of Astaroth's departure, a horde of orcs and giants attacked the dwarven hold. The dwarves who had held their relatively poor hold for centuries with steel found their armor, their weapons, and their defensive structures had all been transformed into very pure, soft gold. The Hall of Pure Gold fell within a fortnight, and the dwarves of that hall were completely eradicated save for one who survived to tell the tale. It is from this tale that the dwarven expression "Gold makes one rich, but steel makes one richer" is derived.
Gargauth has very few temples dedicated to his name, but those few he does have are typically located beneath large cities and are accessed by a deep pit. Within the temples, scenes of Baator line the walls and the priests wear masks carved to resemble various types of baatezu. Sulfurous incense and flaming braziers and fire pits burn throughout such complexes, and huge brazen altars form the focal points of their sanctuary chambers. Temples of Gargauth are located beneath the streets of Baldur's Gate, Bezantur, Laothkund, Myratma, Sheirtalar, Teziir, and Waterdeep, and several dozen others are rumored to be scattered throughout Faerûn.
Gargauth's clergy is split evenly between clerics and specialty priests, but the balance is slowly shifting toward the latter, known as malefactors. The Lord Who Watches believes that he gains more benefit from specialty priests than clerics. All clergy are regimented in a strict hierarchy with corresponding titles. Novices are known as Supplicants. In ascending order, Gargauth's clergy are titled Lord of the First Pit, Lord of the Second Pit, etc. Priests of 9th and higher level are known as Lords of the Ninth Pit. Higher-ranking priests often have individual titles as well. Such titles typically include a variant of the true name of at least one baatezu that Gargauth has destroyed in the past.
Dogma: Life is all about the accumulation of power. Civilization is a thin veneer over the base desires that make up the core of every living being. Those who wish to survive and prosper must recognize this truth and concentrate all their resources on the pursuit of power.
High moral principles are complete hypocrisy. All beings act in their own self-interest at all times; some just prefer to cloak their actions in sanctimonious philosophies. To achieve power one should use one's charms and honeyed words or a barbed and bloody dagger as appropriate for the situation. When in doubt, the ruthless exercise of power is the safest route to the further accumulation of power and the maintenance of one's position. It is more important to rule than to sit on the throne; often the being behind the king has the true power.
All beings are regimented in a strict hierarchy governed by the politics of power. Those who try to avoid the rules of the game are destined for powerlessness, to be cast in the dust of history and ground beneath the heels of the powerful. Keep to the letter of any agreement and the rules established by those more powerful, but be prepared to twist any contract or stricture so as to maximize the benefit you receive.
Day-to-Day Activities: The clergy of Gargauth tend to keep their faith secret, although there are significant exceptions. Priests work to increase their personal power, the power of the church, and by extension, the power of Gargauth. Priests of the Lord Who Watches are expected to be Gargauth's eyes and ears throughout the Realms. They are to entice and corrupt (particularly through the careful application of spiritual corruption spells) powerful individuals and leaders in communities throughout Faerûn and bind them into strict contracts favorable to Gargauth's goals.
Gargauth's clergy seek to seize positions of power for themselves whenever possible and integrate their positions into the secretive hierarchy of the faith. Gargauth has decreed that for the time being his priests should work to undermine rival powers and faiths to gain more likeminded converts to Gargauth's church before attacking diametrically opposed factions. Hence, Gargauth's clergy are more concerned with undermining the faiths of Iyachtu Xvim, Cyric, Shar, and Loviatar than with expending valuable energy in conflict with the priests of Lathander and Tyr.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Gargauth's clergy celebrate the Unveiling every Midwinter night. This horrific ceremony, believed to involve many gruesome sacrifices, heralds the imminent unveiling of the Lord Who Watches as the Lord of All. The church believes this long-anticipated time will begin when Gargauth seizes the Realms as his unholy kingdom and transports all of Faerûn to Baator to form the basis of a new layer.
The Binding is celebrated on the eve of the Feast of the Moon. It is a personal ritual in which each priest renews his eternal contract with Gargauth, trading absolute fealty for increased power. This unholy ritual is believed to involve personal sacrifices of money, magic, and hoarded knowledge and the casting of variant spiritual corruption and mask of Gargauth spells.
Gargauth's clergy mark all agreements with signed contracts consecrated in the name of the Lord Who Watches. Priests of Gargauth believe that their lord enforces the letter of any agreement and his divine wrath will be visited on any who betray it. On the other hand, breaking the spirit of any agrement is acceptable and encouraged if it benefits the priest and the Hidden Lord.
Major Centers of Worship: Gargauth is venerated in a vast subterranean temple built beneath the long-forgotten ruins of the capital of Peleveran. Peleveran was located in the triangle formed between present-day Torsch and Hardcastle and the Great Rift. Its capital, Peleveria, was built into the side of the Landrise. The kingdom was destroyed in the first great schism of the Cult of the Dragon. The archmage Tuelhalva Drakewings broke from the Cult, possibly at Gargauth's suggestion, and seized the throne in 1018 DR, the Year of the Dracorage. His rule lasted barely a month before 21 mages of the Cult called down a flight of dracoliches and dragons on the beleaguered land. Only a handful of ruins survive of that long-forgotten kingdom. What was once a tree-cloaked, fertile land is now barren, open, stony country.
The Dark Pit of Maleficence was built by Gargauth's clergy more than 50 years after the destruction of Peleveran on the supposed site of Gargauth's first appearance in the Realms. The subterranean fortress is accessed via a large cavern tunneled into the Landrise that served Peleveria as a huge granary. The temple is constructed on the cavern floor and is intertwined with and between the vast stalactites and stalagmites that have grown since its founding. The temple is built on top of an incredibly deep pit rumored to connect with the plane of Baator. Over 250 lay worshipers and 100 priests tend the vast fungal farms and herds of deep rothe, some of which are tainted by Gargauth's touch, in the surrounding caverns. Many of the tribes of nomads in the vicinity have slowly fallen under the influence of the priests of the Dark Pit and serve as scouts and mercenaries for the priests of that fell place in the surrounding lands.
Affiliated Orders: Gargauth has no true knighthoods dedicated in his name, although he sponsors a handful of cults, secretive fellowships, and forgotten wizards' cabals throughout the Realms. The Lord Who Watches exerts little direct influence in the activities of these varied groups, and typically members (and even leaders) of the groups often do not know the identity of their divine patron.
The most prominent organization in which Gargauth has a hand in western Faerûn is the Knights of the Shield. This group of merchants, nobles, and other individuals is located throughout Amn, Tethyr, Calimshan, Baldur's Gate, and the trading cities of the Western Heartlands and the Dragon Coast. They seek to manipulate the politics and money of the Sword Coast to their advantage.
The group now attributes its name to a shield discovered in an ancient tomb in the Fields of the Dead. This artifact is of uncertain origin but it is incredibly old: No legends or bard's tales that survive in the modern era even hint of its existence. The Shield of the Hidden Lord, as it is known to the Knights, is inlaid with hundreds of tiny diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. The total worth of the gems would be equal to several small kingdoms if the jewels could be removed. The stones are arranged so as to form a snarling face.
The Knights of the Shield are secretly governed by the Shield Council. The Hidden Lord of the Shield is the true ruler of the Council, but he rarely speaks and then only through The Shield of the Hidden Lord. Lord Inslem Hhune of Tethyr has recently risen to the position of First Lord and leads the Shield Council. Ghantuz the Cloaked (a priest of Gargauth), serves as Second Lord. Ghantuz's allegiance to Gargauth is his secret, and he serves as the Outcast's day-to-day voice on the Council. Other members of the Shield Council include Lord Nadlok Bormul of Athkatla (formerly Crimmor), the adventurer Tuth of Baldur's Gate, and Helanna Darkstorm (who claims to be a mage from Chondath, seems to be more than she lets on, and used to be a consort of Astaroth), and at least two others. Perhaps but two people know for sure that the Hidden Lord is Gargauth: Lord Hhune and Ghantuz. Gargauth can cast any spell or manifest any power through the shield that he is capable of in avatar form, though he has not does so in recent memory.
Gargauth's plans for the Knights of the Shield in teh future are unknown, but they probably include elements of his long-term plan to conquer the Lands of Intrigue, the Western Heartlands, and eventually all of western Faerûn, and enslave them under his diabolical leadership. Recent activities of the Knights of the Shield have included an attempt to unmask some of the hidden Lords of Waterdeep in the Year of the Wave (1364 DR) and place one or more of their number on that secretive ruling council. Although this attempt was thwarted, primarily through the efforts of the Harper Danilo Thann, the Knights have continued to plot to gain an inroad to power in the City of Splandors. (Details of these activities are described in the novel Elfshadow and in City of Splendors.)
Priestly Vestments: During their formal ceremonies, priests of Gargauth wear blood-red robes lined with ermine. Junior clergy wear flesh-colored skullcaps studded with a broken horn over the brow. Senior clergy wear or hold before their faces distorted carnival masks or malefic masks carved to resemble various baatezu or gargoyled. These masks are enameled or painted with vibrant, gaudy pigments. All clergy bear daggers and the holy symbol of Gargauth, a necklace set with two halves of a broken animal horn or featuring a broken horn in its design.
Adventuring Garb: Gargauth's clergy garb themselves in a wide variety of costumes when adventuring. Priests of the faith may disguise themselves as scholarly sages, devout pilgrims, or swashbuckling dandies. Clothes are a weapon and a tool—careful selection of one's attire can allay an opponent's suspicions at a crucial moment or create a convincing costume for a deception. However, none of the clergy risk going completely unarmed or unprotected, and all are fond of hidden daggers, rings with poison needles or poison-holding compoartments, lightweight or easily concealed armor, and magical items that provide protection, such as bracers, amulets, brooches, and rings.
Specialty Priests (Malefactors)
REQUIREMENTS: Intelligence 16, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.: Intelligence, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: LE
WEAPONS: Any
ARMOR: Any
MAJOR SPHERES: All, astral, charm, combat, law, necromantic, protection, thought, travelers
MINOR SPHERES: Creation, divination, healing, numbers, sun, time
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS: Throwing dagger, etiquette, reading/writing (Common)
BONUS PROFS: Modern languages (pick any three), reading/writing (Thorass)
Gargauth is perfectly happy to grant three of the following unique spells to priests of other faiths foolish enough to call upon him: Astaroth's augmentation, mask of Gargauth, and Call Upon Gargauth. Few such individuals find themselves pleased with the results of employing such magics.
3rd Level
Astaroth's Augmentation (Pr 3; Alteration)
Sphere: All
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None
This spell enables spellcasters to draw upon Gargauth's divine power to permanently augment their abilities. In exchange for this beneficence, Gargauth extracts a dreadful price, and due to the price he requires, the casting of this spell is a patently evil act.
When cast, this spell permanently raises one ability score (or two subability scores if the optional rules from PLAYER'S OPTION: Skills & Powers are employed) by 1 point, to a maximum of 18. To maintain this augmentation, the spellcaster must corrupt one individual in a position of power or sacrifice one helpless sentient every quarter (three months) in Gargauth's name. If this diabolical contract is ever broken for any reason, the spellcaster immediately loses 3 points in the augmented ability (or subabilities), for a net loss of 2 points in the ability (or subability) score(s).
Multiple castings of Astaroth's augmentation can by used by the same spellcaster. Dispel magic and similar spells have no effect on the augmentation. No one short of a demipower and nothing short of a wish, artifact, or relic can end this spell's contract without causing the increased ability score loss above and beyond the spell-given gain. Users of Astaroth's augmentation often fall into a trap of casting this spell, failing to fulfill the contract, and then having to cast the spell twice again just to regain their original abilities. If any ability score falls below 3 due to the cumulative accumulation of this spell's penalties, the spellcaster is immediately transformed into a lemure (the lowest form of baatezu) and transported to Baator. The spellcaster is then irrevocably dead, short of a wish. All such victims' items are randomly teleported about the plane of their death upon their demise.
The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol (not necessarily one consecrated to Gargauth), three yellow feathers, and a ruby worth at least 25 gp.
Mask of Gargauth (Pr 3; Alteration, Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere: Charm
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 day/level
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: Special
This spell is a priestly variant of the 2nd-level wizard spell alter self with a significantly longer duration. When this spell is cast, spellcasters can alter their appearance and form—including their clothing and equipment—to appear taller or shorter; thin, fat, or in between; human, humanoid, or any other generally man-shaped bipedal creature. Casters' bodies can undergo limited physical alterations and their sizes can be changed up to 50%. If the forms they select have wings, the priests can actually fly, but only at one-third the speed of true creatures of that type and with the loss of two maneuverability classes (to a minimum of E). If the forms have gills, the casters can breathe under water as long as the spell lasts. However, casters do not gain any multiple attack routines or additional damage allowed to assumed forms.
Casting priests' attack rolls, Armoc Classes, and saving throws do not change. The spell does not confer special abilities, attack forms, or defenses. Once a new form is chosen, it remains for the duration of the spell. Casters can change back into their own forms at will; this ends the spell immediately. Casters who are slain automatically return to their normal forms.
This spell has a particular curse associated with it as well. For every day this spell is employed without recasting it, the spellcaster's true appearance becomes more and more diabolical in appearance. Although this transformation provides no new abilities or defenses, for every three days this spell is in effect without being recast, the spellcaster's Charisma permanently drops by 1 (except with respect to other worshipers of Gargauth) to a minimum of 3. This drop in Charisma is note noticeable until the spell expires. Further applications of the mask of Gargauth spell cloak any drop in Charisma attributable to this spell but do not stop further decreases from occurring.
The material components of this spell are an unblessed broken horn manifested by Gargauth (as described above in Other Manifestations) and the priest's holy symbol.
6th Level
Spiritual Corruption (Pr 6; Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere: Charm
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 8
Area of Effect: One living creature
Saving Throw: Special
This spell is an insidious enchantment that tempts the heart and soul of any victim subject to its degenerative effects. The effects of a spiritual corruption spell can only be ended by a limited wish or wish spells or the actions of a deity, artifact, or relic. Dispel magic and similar spells have no effect. The casting of this spell is an evil act.
The target of the spell is entitled to an initial saving throw vs. spell to avoid the effects of spiritual corruption entirely. Good-aligned beings receive a +4 bonus to their initial saving throw, entural-aligned beings (with respect to good and evil) receive no bonus or penalty, and evil-aligned creatures are unaffected by this spell.
Once under the effects of a spiritual corruption spell, a victim's moral fiber is severely tested. Within one day of the casting of this spell, a victim is tested by a minor moral dilemma, selected by the DM. If the victim fails a saving throw vs. spell (secretly rolled by the DM, and the above-mentioned modifiers do not apply), she or he chooses the morally suspect option. If the victim succeeds at the saving throw, the victim is no longer under the effect of the spiritual corruption spell. Saving throws can, of cousre, be voluntarily forgone.
If the saving throw is failed on the first day, the victim is tested again by a more significant moral dilemma on the second day. Again a saving throw is required, this time with a -1 penalty. If the saving throw succeeds, the victim is tested again the following day by a less significant moral dilemma, but with no penalty to his or her saving throw. If the saving throw fails, the temptations increase, and a third test occurs on the third day, with a -2 penalty.
This series of temptations fluctuates in degree and penalty indefinitely until the victim either makes his or her saving throw on a day with no penalty or until the victim fails a saving throw with a -7 penalty. In the former case, victims are no longer under the effect of the spiritual corruption spell, but they still have to deal with the consequences of their moral failures and may need an atonement spell. In the latter case, the spell also ends, but the victim's alignment irrevocably shifts to evil (their alignment with respect to law and chaos remains unchanged), and they feel strongly drawn to the worship of Gargauth.
The material component of this spell is a piece of fruit that looks delicious on the outside, but which is completely rotten within.
7th Level
Call Upon Gargauth (Pr 7; Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere: Summoning
Range: Special
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 1 hour
Area of Effect: The spellcaster
Saving Throw: None
This spell enables the spellcaster to contact Gargauth, wherever he is on Toril, in Realmspace, or on the Outer Planes, and request his assistance. Gargauth is by no means obligated to respond to the request, and he is not under the command of the spellcaster, but if the situation catches his interest or the bribe offered is enticing, the Outcast commonly appears on the scene in avatar form and acts as he wishes. Gargauth sticks to the letter of any agreement reached, but he violates the spirit of any agreement to his own advantage whenever possible. Gargauth delights in disseminating disinformation about this spell by inaccurately describing the situation of the caster as somehow being in control of Gargauth. He often deliberately deludes casters into obtaining particular items that he desires by spreading word that possessing them and casting this spell will place him at the caster's beck and call, and then seizes the items when a spellcaster calls.
The material components of this spell are an unblessed broken horn manifested by Gargauth (as described above in Other Manifestations) and the priest's holy symbol.