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Cuprilach

Medium Celestial, Neutral

Deva Movanic Male-turnaround.gif

(from Planescape: Monstrous Compendium Appendix II - 1995):


Cuprilachs’re the spies, assassins, and secret soldiers of the rilmani. The argenachs act as advisers, and the ferrumachs stand bravely on the field of battle, but the cuprilachs strike from the shadows using stealth and speed to accomplish their goals. Cuprilachs believe that the only way the Balance’ll ever be safe is by neutralizing high-up creatures of extreme alignment. They’re easily the most dangerous rilmani, simply because they’re the ones who’re most likely to decide on the spot that a basher needs to be lost.


Cuprilachs appear as slight and wiry humans, with the easy grace and trim build of an elf or half-elf. Their features are human enough, except for the coppery sheen of their skins and their featureless, ruby-red eyes. There aren’t many bloods in the Outlands who’re as cocky or arrogant as a cuprilach, but their attitude stems from a professional pride — they’re some of the best assassins on the planes, and they know it.


While cuprilachs make no secret o their calling or beliefs in the rilmani strongholds of the Spire, they’re extremely capable and clever spies when they’re about their business. They’ll use their polymorph self ability to great effect, and consider no ruse, charade, or dirty trick to be beneath them when there’s work to be done. It’s said that no one’s ever spotted a cuprilach before he struck, but this is an exaggeration… probably.


Combat: Cuprilachs don’t fight fair. They’re killers, not warriors, and they do whatever it takes to silence the opposition quickly and efficiently. Cuprilachs’re fond of striking with two coppery short swords +2 in melee combat. The cuprilach’s native grace and speed confers quickness to his hand-to-hand attacks, and he always attacks first in a round. Cuprilachs have a Strength of 18/76 despite their slight build and agility. They also use special throwing stars +1 with a range of 50 feet. The stars return if they miss. A word of caution: Don’t assume that an unarmed cuprilach ain’t dangerous. They’re skilled martial artists and wrestlers who can strike twice per round for 1d8 points of damage even without their weapons.



Cuprilachs can perform all thief functions, including backstabbing, as if they were 12th-level thieves. They command the following spell-like abilities: charm person, delude, detect invisibility, enervation (2 levels), ESP, fog cloud, forget, improved invisibility, poison, and wraithform. Once per day a cuprilach can create a fan-shaped spray of acid 20 feet long and 10 feet wide that causes 5d4+5 points of damage to any creature who fails a saving throw versus spell.


Cuprilachs can be damaged only by +2 or better weapons. Once per day they may attempt to gate in 1d3 more cuprilachs with a 40% chance of success.


Habitat/Society: Cuprilachs rank below argenachs and above the ferrumachs and abiorachs in the society of the Spire. They’re hardly model citizens, though. Cuprilachs’re hot-tempered, violent, and rebellious at the best of times. Despite this, they never refuse a target and serve to the best of their ability when an aurumach tells ’em to put some cutter under.


When cuprilachs aren’t on the job, they’re often pursuing rigorous training and driving themselves at a brutal pace, or tearing up the Spire in wild celebration. Other rilmani stay out of their way when cuprilachs get together and “relax”.



(From Morte's Planar Parade - 2023):


Cuprilachs infiltrate places of power throughout the multiverse, serving as spies and assassins. They strike surgically, following the orders of aurumachs without question or emotion.


Cuprilachs have wiry copper frames, with torsos that float above their waists, separated by a hovering, polished sphere. Agile and armed with an arsenal of deceptive magic, cuprilachs do whatever they must to complete their missions.



(From 3.5e Fiend Folio - 2003):


Cuprilachs are the spies and assassins of the rilmani. When an imbalance can be corrected by the “removal” of a specific individual or small group, cuprilachs are sent in to take care of it. 


Hairless like an aurumach, a cuprilach in its natural form looks like a lithe and somewhat gaunt person with copper skin, but few creatures ever get to see this form. A cuprilach rarely travels without wearing layers of disguises. 


Cuprilachs spin webs of lies and deceit like master bards improvising great music. Confident and charismatic, cuprilachs use their skills to infiltrate foes’ forces and impersonate enemies. Individuals of unbalancing power are sometimes shocked to discover that their most trusted confidant or cherished loved one was replaced by a cuprilach years before the rilmani was given the order to strike. 


In addition to Rilmani, Common, and Undercommon, cuprilachs speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.


Combat: Cuprilachs vary what tactics they use depending upon the nature and urgency of their mission. Most cuprilachs prefer simple “seek and destroy” missions that allow them to use their magic to locate a target and get close before unleashing a deadly hail of arrows. At other times cuprilachs use their skills to infiltrate an organization or an individual’s life, and then they ply their victims with lies to lure the rilmani’s foes into a dangerous situation that eliminates them. 


A cuprilach can be summoned using a summon monster IX spell. 


Sneak Attack (Ex): Anytime a cuprilach’s target is denied a Dexterity bonus, or when a target is flanked by a cuprilach, the cuprilach deals an additional 3d6 points of damage on a successful melee attack. '


Spell-Like Abilities: At will—detect thoughts, knock, locate creature, Melf ’s acid arrow, misdirection, see invisibility; 3/day— dimension door, enervation, mislead, poison. Caster level 12th; save DC 16 + spell level. 


Summon Rilmani (Sp): Once per day, a cuprilach can summon 1d3 ferrumachs with a 75% chance of success (result of 26–100 on d%).

Alternate Versions

Size

Hero Forge: 8'8" (XL)
Lore: Medium (5 1/2 ft.)
Suggested: Medium

Other Monikers

Rilmani Assassin, Copper Rilmani

- Always first to attack in initiative
- Sneak attack
- Skilled in unarmed combat, short blades and throwing stars (all enchanted)
- Innate spellcasting
- Acid spray
- Immune to nonmagical weapons
- Summons more cuprilachs

Cuprilachs appears as slight and wiry humans, with the easy grace and trim build of an elf or half-elf. Their features are human enough, except for the coppery sheen of their skin and their featureless, ruby-red eyes.

Outlands

5th Edition:

- Morte's Planar Parade (2023)

- 5etools

- DndBeyond

2nd Edition:

- mojobob's website

- Mimir.net

- Forgotten Realms Wiki

- Morte's Planar Parade (2023)

- 3.5e Fiend Folio (2003)

- Planescape: Monstrous Compenedium Appendix II (1995)

- mojobob's website

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