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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardShield Archon

Shield archons defend the fortresses of Heaven against fiendish incursions. They wield their spears and shields in massive formations capable of withstanding any onslaught. Beneath their armor, they are sheathed in skin of steel. Given their tremendous strength and imposing stature, shield archons are ideal guardians of the meek and are sometimes summoned to the Material Plane to ward off the attacks of great numbers of evildoers.

Recall Knowledge - Celestial (Religion): DC 27
Unspecific Lore: DC 25
Specific Lore: DC 22

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak Shield ArchonCreature 9

Legacy Content

LG Large Archon Celestial 
Source Bestiary pg. 29
Perception +19; darkvision
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; tongues
Skills Athletics +19, Diplomacy +17, Intimidation +17, Religion +17, Survival +15
Str +5, Dex +1, Con +7, Int +2, Wis +3, Cha +3
Morphic Hands [one-action] (divine, transmutation) A shield archon's hands can change into a +1 holy striking spear and a lesser sturdy shield or back into hands. Transforming does not restore any HP to the items, and if either the weapon or shield is fully destroyed, the archon loses that hand until it receives a regenerate spell or similar magic. If a shield archon is slain, its weapon and shield can be taken, but they fade into nothingness after 24 hours.
Items +1 full plate
AC 29 (23 with shield raised); Fort +21, Ref +13, Will +17; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 105; Weaknesses evil 10
Living Shield A shield archon’s shield is the focal point of its courage and soul. It always has its shield raised without needing to Raise a Shield, and it can use Shield Block as a free action instead of a reaction (Hardness 10, HP 80). A shield archon can trigger its Shield Block free action when an ally within 10 feet is the target of an attack, reducing damage to that ally instead of itself but otherwise following the normal rules of Shield Block.
Menacing Guardian (aura, divine, enchantment) 30 feet. Enemies that start their turn in the area or enter it must attempt a DC 25 Will save. On a failure, they take a –1 status penalty to attack rolls, spell rolls, and damage rolls against any other target while in the aura for 24 hours or until they damage the archon, whichever comes first. On a critical failure, they can’t use hostile actions against any other target while in the area for 24 hours or until they damage the archon, whichever comes first. Regardless of the result, a creature is then temporarily immune to further menacing guardian auras for 24 hours.
Retributive Strike [reaction]
Speed 30 feet, fly 60 feet
Melee [one-action] holy striking spear +20 [+15/+10] (magical, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d6-2+10 piercing plus 1d6 goodDivine Innate Spells DC 25 (-4 dmg); 4th dimension door (at will); 2nd shield other (x3); 1st true strike (x3); Cantrips (5th) message; Constant (5th) tongues
Archon's Door Once per day, if an archon sees another creature cast dimension door, it can cast an innate dimension door (heightened to 5th level) within 1 round to attempt to follow that creature to the maximum distance of the archon’s dimension door. If the archon’s dimension door has enough distance, the archon appears the same distance and direction from the creature as before either used dimension door.Courageous Switch When a shield archon uses its dimension door innate spell, it can choose to move into the space of a willing ally it can see within range. If it does so, the ally switches places with the archon, appearing in the space the archon just vacated, as if it too had cast dimension door.

All Monsters in "Archon"

NameLevel
Bastion Archon20
Horned Archon4
Hound Archon4
Lantern Archon1
Legion Archon7
Shield Archon10
Star Archon19
Trumpet Archon14
Archon, Wheel16
Zoaem (Ring Archon)1

Archon

Source Bestiary pg. 26
Archons are guardians of Heaven and enemies of chaos and evil. They openly fight back the spread of fiends but also quietly nurture the seeds of virtue within mortals, teaching the denizens of the Material Plane how to act with honor and integrity, enact just laws, and cast off sin and temptation.

Archons live in the immense seven-tiered mountain of Heaven. They manifest in the Garden at the mountain’s peak from mortal souls who answer a mysterious voice. There they swear to forever serve the cause of justice and transform into their new archon forms. Intensely orderly in their metamorphosis, new archons begin as lantern archons or other lesser forms, transforming into ever-greater archons as their virtue and achievements grow. Each archon represents a particular virtue, such as hope, charity, justice, or courage, and they gain strength in the presence of mortals who exemplify this virtue. Due to their extremely lawful nature, archons sometimes find themselves at odds with azatas.

Sidebar - Treasure and Rewards Archon Aesthetics

While archons do not seek to gather or maintain wealth, they do appreciate beauty and art, and their domains are often decorated with valuable crafts and creative works. Their armor and weapons are similarly ornate, and they always clean and polish their gear after battle. Archons value order—and thus tidiness—in all things.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Archon Divinities

As with angels and azatas, the most powerful of archons are a caste of demigods known collectively as empyreal lords. Each archon empyreal lord is a unique and powerful creature that keeps a domain somewhere in Heaven and is worshipped on Material Plane worlds. Archon divinities serve a variety of goals and focus on different aspects of righteousness. Some, such as Zohls, hold influence over the pursuit of truth and determined investigations, while others, like Damerrich, the demigod of executions, emphasize the punishment of unrepentant wrongdoers and seek to obliterate evil in all its forms.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Archon Evolutions

When a spirit becomes an archon, they usually start as a lantern archon, the lowliest of archonkind. As they perform noble deeds and bolster their pureness of heart, an archon evolves into greater forms, possibly skipping stages or remaining in others for long spans of time, depending on their particular strengths and personality.

Sidebar - Locations Archon Locations

While commonly found in Heaven, archons can also be encountered on the fiendish planes in their endless crusade against evil. On the Material Plane they are usually encountered as advisors or saviors to those in need.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Armored Archons

Always ready to defend others, most archons are never encountered out of their suits of armor. Even those who eschew armor, such as the bastion archon, tend to still appear as if they are wearing heavy protection against the scourge of battle.

Sidebar - Locations Heavenly Mountain

Archons reside in Heaven, a plane that appears as a single massive mountain. Heaven is broken into seven tiers, with most archons occupying the second level and base of army operations, Proelera, or the sixth level, Iudica, the administrative heart of Heaven.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Other Archons

Many other archons than those presented here patrol Heaven or crusade in the fiendish planes, including the resolute hound archon soldiers and sentinels, and the supreme bastion archons, who rank among Heaven’s most powerful defenders.