Manual of the Planes

CHAPTER 9:MONSTERSIllus. by D. Riche180COMBATMercanes leave the fighting totheir minions and bodyguards—they know that their advantageslie at the negotiating table, noton the battlefield. Whenpressed, they attempt todisarm their opponentsor use invisibility ordimension door toescape. A mercanealmost always has aLeomund’s secret chestfull of treasure andmagic ready, and itwon’t hesitate torecall the chest tograb a potent wand—or simply bribe aworrisome foe.Spell-Like Abilities:3/day—dimensiondoor, invisibility; 1/day—Leomund’s secret chest, planeshift. These abilities are asthe spells cast by a 14thlevelsorcerer.Telepathy (Su): Mercanescan communicatetelepathically with any creaturewithin 100 feet that hasa language.Skills: Because they grow upin a mercantile culture, mercanesreceive a +4 racial bonus onAppraise checks.MERCANE SOCIETYNomadic by nature, mercanestravel widely, buying and sellingtheir wares. They favoropulence, so they oftenrent or borrow villas orpalaces when they’ll besettling down for a while.Because they’re known as richmerchants, mercanes always have a squad of bodyguardsnearby. They attract bandits and thieves, so mercanestend to be cautious about any strangers theycome into contact with.Mercanes present a demeanor of patience and eleganceas they ply their trade. They never quarrel among themselves,and a rival who insults one mercane often findsthat others also bear a grudge. Their family structure andmating habits are unknown, since juveniles and the elderlyare never seen by those not of their race.A squad of 5th-level fighters is a typical bodyguard fora mercane, but it may hire bodyguards for each specificjob, tailoring them to the task. If a company of mercaneshas business in the Abyss, for example, they’llprobably be accompanied by tieflings or demons.Unusually dangerous trade missions requireextra help, of course, and a company of mercanessometimes has reason to hire theservices of adventurers.The patron deity of mercanes isBoccob.MERCANE CHARACTERSA mercane’s favored class is wizard; thesenior mercane in any company is usuallya wizard. Mercanes who are clericsworship Boccob.PARAELEMENTALA paraelemental is a synthesis of two elementalforces within a single elementalcreature. Because they are composed of twoprimal forces of nature, paraelementals areunpredictable and dangerous.COMBATParaelementals have varied tactics and abilities,but all gain the benefits of their elementalnature.Elemental: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis,and stunning. Not subject to critical hits.ICE PARAELEMENTALThese icy monoliths seek to drape the planes in acurtain of cold. They dwell on the Elemental Planeof Air and the Elemental Plane of Water but findneither place frigid enough for their tastes.An ice paraelemental looks like a roughlyhewn, translucent statue of ice, covered head totoe in sharpened icicles. The glint of reflectedlight gives the appearance of capricious,winking eyes.Ice paraelementals speak Aquanand Auran. Their voices have aserene, tinkling quality at oddswith their fearsome appearance.Ice Paraelemental SizesChill TouchParaelemental Height Weight Save DC RadiusSmall 4 ft. 32 lb. 11 5 ft.Medium 8 ft. 260 lb. 12 10 ft.Large 16 ft. 2,100 lb. 14 15 ft.Huge 32 ft. 17,000 lb. 18 20 ft.Greater 36 ft. 20,000 lb. 20 25 ft.Elder 40 ft. 22,000 lb. 22 30 ft.CombatIce paraelementals are patient combatants, often waitingfor foes to come to them. Larger individuals may