Description
(from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes - 2018):
Grim specters of death, oinoloths bring pestilence wherever they go. To armies who recognize their awful forms, their mere appearance causes soldiers to break ranks and flee, lest they succumb to one of the awful plagues that oinoloths let loose.
Oinoloths provide the ultimate solution to thorny problems, usually by killing everyone involved. They are hired as a last resort, when a siege has gone on too long or an army has proved too strong to overcome. Once summoned, oinoloths stalk the killing field, poisoning the ground and sickening creatures they encounter. Sometimes they might be hired to lift the very plagues they spread, but the price for such work is high, and the effort turns the creatures they save into debilitated wrecks.
(from Planescape: Faces of Evil: The Fiends - 1997):
The nominal leader of the yugoloth race, the Oinoloth commands all from Khin-Oin, the dreaded Wasting Tower of Oinos (the first layer of the Gray Waste). The status of Oinoloth isn't a new or horrifying shape; it's merely a position, and it can be held by only one yugoloth at a time - invariably, an ultroloth. Of course, the job is a precarious one. Most ultroloths wish to sit in the throne known as the Siege Malicious, and they lay their schemes to further their ambitions, not caring who's crushed under their wheels of power, deceit, and betrayal. Naturally, a few care nothing for gaining the seat of power - but only if they can control the reins of the one who does.
The current Oinoloth is an ultroloth named Mydianchlarus, a relatively recent arrival to the Siege. Already its enemies marshal their forces to topple the new ruler and take the mantle for themselves. However, Mydianchlarus is no easy mark; rumor says it single-handedly ousted the previous Oinoloth, an incredibly powerful ultroloth known as Anthraxus. But the battle wasn't a physical one. Mydianchlarus is said to have whispererd to Anthraxus a single secret of such profound and disturbing insight that the latter fiend was compelled to leave Khin-Oin and move on. Anthraxus is now trying to offer his services to various powers of the Lower Planes.
(from 1st Edition Monster Manual II - 1986):
There is but a single daemon master and lord of the Middle Planes. Known by the title oinodaemon, he is a unique individual of great power. The present oinodaemon is Anthraxus the Decayed, and it is to him that all daemons (in theory) pay homage.
Anthraxus has many great powers at his disposal. His very touch can cause disease in non-outer plane life, the disease preventing healing and being fatal in 1 week. His gaze can transfix 1 target per round, with the target unable to move until the daemordord permits. (A save vs. spell negates this effect.)
Anthraxus may use the following powers at will, once a melee round: pyrotechnics, flaming sphere , burning hands, shape change, detect magic, dispel magic, dispel illusion, delude, ESP, water breathing, teleport without error, and gate in 1-3 other daemons of his choice with an 85% chance of success. Once per day he may create walls of fire, ice, and force, erect a minor globe of invulnerability, cast a feeblemind spell, or use cancellation as the rod of the same name. He performs the abilities as a 25th-level magic-user.
As oinodaemon, Anthraxus bears the Staff of the Lower Planes, which may be wielded by another daemon only upon Anthraxus' death. The staff has the powers of mass charm. beguilement (as rod), geas, and grant another's wish. Note that Anthraxus will use the last only if it in some way leads to havoc and benefit to evil. The charm and beguilement powers will operate even on other daemons, automatically overcoming their magic resistances.
Anthraxus also possesses the psionic abilities of body equilibrium, detection of good/evil, expansion, domination, sensitivity to psychic impressions, and the major sciences of mind bar and molecular arrangement, the latter of which he uses to turn lead to platinum. All psionic disciplines are at the 20th level of mastery.
Anthraxus is the most powerful daemon on the Lower Planes, but his position is challenged by other unique daemonic beings, the chief of which are Bubonis, Cholerix, Typhus, and Diptherius, along with others unknown or unrecorded by scholars.
Anthraxus appears as a tail man in a rotting grey suit and cape. His head is that of a ram deformed by disease; his mouth foams and the wool pulls away from the skin in handfuls. There are boils and blisters over his exposed skin, and his flesh is pulled taut over his bones.
Alternate Versions
Size
Hero Forge: 9 ft. (XXL)
Lore: Medium
Suggested: Medium to Large
Other Monikers
Oinodaemon, Anthraxus
Abilities
- AOE poison/necrotic plague attack
- Corrupted healing
- Necrotic claw attacks are magical
- Transfixing gaze restrains victims
- Innate Spellcasting
- Immune to acid, poison
- Magic Resistance
- Resistant to Cold, Fire, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
- Teleport
- Blindsight, telepathy
Appearance
Anthraxus [the Oinoloth] appears as a tail man in a rotting grey suit and cape. His head is that of a ram deformed by disease; his mouth foams and the wool pulls away from the skin in handfuls. There are boils and blisters over his exposed skin, and his flesh is pulled taut over his bones.
Home Plane
Gray Waste & Gehenna
Stat Block
5th Edition:
- Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (2018)
- archive.org - 1st Edition Monster Manual II (1983)
Sources
- Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (2018)
- Planescape: Faces of Evil: The Fiends (1997)
- archive.org - 1st Edition Monster Manual II (1983)