Nocticula (Pathfinder)

Nocticula

The Demon Lord Nocticula as illustrated by Eva Widermann
Game background
Title(s)	The Undeniable Our Lady in Shadow
Home plane	The Abyss - Midnight Isles Darklight
Power level	Demon Lord
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Portfolio	Night, Darkness, Lust
Domains	Chaos, Evil, Healing, Luck, Plant
Alias(es)	Demon Lord of Darkness and Lust
Superior	None
Design details
First appearance	Monster Manual II Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss
Settings	Dungeons and Dragons
Mythological	Succubus

For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).

Nocticula is known as The Lady in Shadow, The Undeniable and the Demon Lord of Darkness and Lust in the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game. Her realm, Darklight, is cataloged as the 72nd layer of the Abyss. In Darklight, the shadows of good beings glow with a brilliant light, while the shadows of evil beings are patches of uttermost darkness. Her main focus is with the metaphysical qualities of darkness and lust.

Nocticula also appears in a different role as one of the Tanar'ri who call themselves Queen of Succubi. While this title and role are not cannon in Dungeons and Dragons, she is an option as a possible contender to the throne of the Succubi which is held by Malcanthet.

Description

“	This frighteningly majestic creature spreads wide her rune-adorned wings. Molten iron weeps from her hooves, and her three tails are studded with barbs.	”

Nocticula is described in the apocryphal text Armies of the Abyss as often appearing as a voluptuous wild woman with dried mud between her toes and a feral look in her deep brown eyes. She prefers to travel naked or with minimal clothing, and paints simple circles and lines on her pale skin. Her form occasionally changes without warning, and a dim trail of light like that of the moon follows every movement she makes.

She has also been described as appearing in her true form as a Succubus, wearing her dark hair in a complex style. Her eyes are devoid of pupils, her fingers are tipped with talons, and her feet end in stony hooves. Her bat-like wings are covered with glowing runes and three stinger-tipped tails complete her demonic visage. Like her brother Socothbenoth, however, she often shifts her form to meet the deepest, darkest desires of those observing her.

Nocticula’s favored weapon is Shadowkiss, a +5 unholy hand crossbow that magically creates ammunition as it fires. Once a target is damaged by a bolt fired from Shadowkiss, the hand crossbow gains the bane weapon special ability against that target’s creature type on all further attacks. Shadowkiss may only have one bane effect in place at one time. Bolts fired from Shadowkiss gain the ghost touch ability (an effect not normally available to ranged weapons).

Relationships

Nocticula is a master of seduction, so much so that even the other mighty demon lords are not immune to her persuasive charms. Her greatest triumph was the seduction and murder of Vyriavaxus, the former demon lord of shadows. As a result, most demon lords treat her with extreme caution. Despite their stern forbearance, her unearthly beauty also inspires lust and obsession, which tempers their fears. The only exception to Nocticula's distrustful relationship with the other demon lords is her brother Socothbenoth, with whom she maintains a relatively friendly and, more disturbingly, frequently incestuous relationship. Nocticula dwells in the Abyssal domain known as the Midnight Isles, an island realm shrouded in sensual immorality and eternal darkness.

Cult and Worshipers

A cruel sadist on one hand and a seductive beauty on the other, she is patron to assassins and succubi (both literal and figurative). Assassin's guilds in her service are constantly at odds with other guilds, especially the feared Red Mantis, often leading to protracted shadow wars. She is particularly popular amongst the drow of Golarion, and has been taken on as the patron of House Misraria. She is also worshiped in places of decadence such as Katapesh, Geb, and certain River Kingdoms. Nocticula is also venerated among the Lamyros, a group of Pharasma-cursed creatures that loathe all the gods, and take pleasure in confounding and destroying their mortal servants.

Statistics

Summary

Name	Nocticula
Title	Our Lady in Shadow, Demon Lord of Darkness and Lust
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Portfolio	Darkness and Lust
Worshipers	Whores, Assassins, Sexual Criminals
Cleric Alignments	Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Evil
Domains	Chaos, Charm, Darkness, Evil
Weapon	Hand Crossbow

Detailed Statistics

Nocticula - Demon Lord of Darkness and Lust

Name	Nocticula
Type	Succubus
Sub-Type	Medium Outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Challenge Rating	30
XP	9,830,400
Init	+13
Senses	Darkvision 60 ft., Detect /good, Detect Law, See in Darkness, True Seeing Perception +58
Aura	Seductive presence (180 ft., DC 43), Unholy aura (DC 33)
Defense	AC 48 Touch 41, Flat-footed 35 (+4 deflection +13 Dex, +7 natural, +14 profane) hp 774 (36d10+576) Regeneration 30 (deific or mythic) Fort +32, Ref +37, Will +35
Defensive Abilities	Abyssal resurrection, freedom of movement
DR	20/cold iron, epic, and lawful
Immune	Damage and drain, charm and compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, energy drain, fire, petrification, poison
Resist	acid 30, cold 30
SR	41
Speed	60 ft., fly 90 ft. (good)
Melee	2 claws +48 (1d8+12 plus 1d4 Cha drain) 3 stings +48 (2d6+12/19–20 plus poison) 2 hooves +43 (1d4+6 plus 1d6 fire and burn) 2 wings +43 (1d4+6)
Ranged	Shadowkiss +54/+49/+44/+39 (1d4+20/17–20 plus poison)
Special Attacks	burn (3d6 fire, DC 44), cruel shot, domination, energy drain, poison, profane ascension, sneak attack +4d6
Abilities	Str 34, Dex 36, Con 42, Int 35, Wis 32, Cha 40
Base Atk	+36 CMB +48 CMD 89
Feats	Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Critical Focus, Deadly Aim, Flyby Attack, Greater Feint, Improved Critical (hand crossbow), Improved Critical (sting), Improved Feint, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (mass suggestion), Rapid Reload (hand crossbow), Rapid Shot, Staggering Critical
Skills	Acrobatics +52, Bluff +62, Diplomacy +54, Disguise +51, Fly +56, Intimidate +51, Knowledge (arcana, local, nobility) +48, Knowledge (planes, religion) +51, Perception +58, Perform (dance) +51, Sense Motive +50, Sleight of Hand +49, Spellcraft +48, Stealth +52, Use Magic Device +54; Racial Modifiers +8 Bluff, +8 Perception
Racial Modifiers	+8 Bluff, +8 Perception
Languages	Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Undercommon telepathy 300 ft., tongues
Special Qualities	Change shape (any humanoid; alter self), swift transformation
Unique Item	Shadowkiss
Environment	Any (Abyss)
Organization	Solitary (unique)
Treasure	Triple (Shadowkiss, 100,000 gp in various jewelry, other treasure)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 30th)

Constant	Detect good, detect law, freedom of movement, tongues, true seeing, unholy aura (DC 33)
At Will	Astral projection, blasphemy (DC 32), chaos hammer (DC 29), deeper darkness, desecrate, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, power word blind, telekinesis (DC 30), shapechange, unhallow
3/day	Finger of death (DC 32), quickened mass suggestion (DC 31), summon demons, symbol of death (DC 33)
1/day	Soul bind (DC 34), time stop, wail of the banshee (DC 34)

• Cruel Shot (Ex): Nocticula is adept at making ranged attacks to strike cruel shots that deal significant and humiliating damage. She adds her Charisma bonus to all damage dealt by ranged weapons.

• Domination (Su): As a standard action, Nocticula can crush a foe’s will. The target must be visible to Nocticula and within 120 feet. It must succeed at a DC 43 Will save or fall instantly under Nocticula’s influence as dominate monster (CL 30th). If she uses domination against a humanoid creature, she may instead choose to use the ability as a swift action, and it functions as dominate person. As long as the target is under this effect, it gains a +4 profane bonus on all saving throws against targets other than Nocticula.

• Energy Drain (Su): Nocticula’s energy drain functions identically to that of a succubus, except that she drains 2 levels when she uses this ability against mythic creatures, or 1d6+4 levels against non-mythic creatures.

• Poison (Ex): Sting or hand crossbow—injury; save Fort DC 44; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Wisdom drain plus paralysis for 1 round. Anyone who fails two consecutive saves against this poison is permanently blinded. The save DC is Constitution-based.

• Profane Ascension (Su): As a swift action while in an act of passion with a willing mortal, Nocticula may grant a profane ascension. The target’s name appears in glowing Abyssal runes on Nocticula’s wings, and a crimson mark manifests somewhere on the target’s body. The target immediately gains a +6 profane bonus to any one ability score of its choice, a +4 profane bonus to any other ability score of its choice, and the see in darkness ability. A single creature may have only one profane ascension in effect at any one time. As long as the effect persists, Nocticula can communicate telepathically with the target across any distance and may use any of her spell-like abilities through the target, manifesting them as if the target were using them. A profane ascension may be removed by a miracle or wish. Nocticula can remove it as a free action, dealing 4d6 points of Charisma drain and imparting 1d10+10 permanent negative levels to the victim.

• Seductive Presence (Su): Unlike most demon lords, Nocticula does not possess a frightful presence ability. Rather, she has a seductive presence that she can activate as a free action whenever she speaks or uses a spell-like ability. Anyone within 180 feet who fails a DC 43 Fortitude save loses any immunity to mind-affecting effects, charm effects, and compulsion effects, and becomes fascinated by Nocticula for 5d4 rounds. A creature affected by a mind-affecting effect while within this aura remains affected even after leaving Nocticula’s seductive presence. Creatures that succeed at this saving throw are immune to this ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

• Swift Transformation (Ex): Nocticula can use her change shape ability as a free action.

Publication History

Nocticula was one of many demon lords that was mentioned only by name in a list in the original Monster Manual II (1983).

Nocticula received further details for the third edition of Dungeons and Dragons in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (2006).

Other Publishers

Nocticula appeared in Paizo Publishing's book Book of the Damned, Vol. 2: Lords of Chaos (2010), on page 21.

Additional Reading

• Baur, Wolfgang, and Lester W. Smith. Planes of Chaos. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1994.
• Mona, Erik. Armies of the Abyss. Green Ronin Publishing, 2002.
• Jacobs, James and Greg A. Vaughan. Pathfinder Adventure Path #76: The Midnight Isles. Paizo Publishing, LLC, 2013.

External Links

• Nocticula at Wikipedia
• The original source of some of this article at the Pathfinder Wikia.com
• Nocticula at the D20PFSRD site
• Nocticula at the Archives of Nethys site