Chromatic Demon

Chromatic Demon
Record
Type	Monster
Gender	Neither Male Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2001) This icon indicates content from the original Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal campaign.
Race	Demonic
Class	Tanar'ri
Alignment	LG NG CG LN TN CN LE NE CE
Involvement
Allegiance	Neutral
Area	Watcher's Keep Elemental Level
Ability scores
Level	25
Hit points	140
XP value	55000
Str	19
Str	19
Dex	18
Dex	18
Con	20
Con	20
Int	14
Int	14
Wis	9
Wis	9
Cha	9
Cha	9
Total scores	89
Combat basics
Proficiency	+++++ All Weapons
Full damage	Melee Attack: 3d6 (crushing) +7 Strength
AC	-9
THAC0	-8
Base APR	4
Saving throws
Dth	2
Wand	2
Poly	2
Brth	2
Spell	2
Damage resistances [%]
Acid	100 Exception: Air Elemental form
Acid	100 Exception: Air Elemental form
Cold	100 Exception: Tanar'ri form
Cold	100 Exception: Tanar'ri form
Elec.	100 Exception: Shambler form
Elec.	100 Exception: Shambler form
Fire	100 Exception: Ice Golem form
Fire	100 Exception: Ice Golem form
Poison	100 Exception: Air Elemental form
Poison	100 Exception: Air Elemental form
Crush	95
Miss.	95
Pierce	95
Slash	95
Special
Effects	Immune to backstab See through invisibility by script Immunity to Magic Missile projectile Passwall effect
AI scripts
Override	GORCHR
Default	WTASIGHT
Inventory
Items	Portal Key Ixil's Spike (dagger) Circlet of Netheril
Exclusive equipment	Undroppable item This icon indicates an item that cannot be dropped or stolen. Helmet Undroppable item This icon indicates an item that cannot be dropped or stolen. Ring Undroppable item This icon indicates an item that cannot be dropped or stolen. Ring Undroppable item This icon indicates an item that cannot be dropped or stolen.Amulet Undroppable item This icon indicates an item that cannot be dropped or stolen. Belt Undroppable item This icon indicates an item that cannot be dropped or stolen. Weapon
Technical information
Voice Actor	Jim Cummings
Creature codes	GORCHR

The Chromatic Demon is a tanar'ri fiend held captive in a magical cage on the Watcher's Keep Elemental Level.

“

More suicidal fanatics willing to die in the service of Helm, I see. Or have you been forced into service, as I once was a millennium ago?

”

The party encounters the demon on the second level of Watcher's Keep. The player will be able to learn a few facts and some history from the demon, as long as the party isn't obstinate and asks questions and doesn't shut down the dialogue. If the player does refuse to talk - the demon will just remark that the party is stupid and stubborn, and to return later when reasonable.

Assuming the party agrees to learn that the demon's history is, eventually you'll realize that the only way to enter the portal (or "gate" as the demon calls it) to the next lower level of the keep is by negotiating with the demon.

The fiend will explain what needs to be done so that the demon can ensure the portal is opened - this will introduce a Journal entry for the Gather the four scepter keys questline.

The party must obtain the four scepters to unlock its magical cage, and the demon says the party will then be free to use the portal.

Demon forms

The party will notice that the creature is constantly changing form, even in its cage.

The demon will periodically polymorph into one of four forms, continuously. Each form has a weakness to a specific Elemental damage type(s), and clues about this are given in texts on this dungeon, as well as statements made by the Imp:

Form	Weakness	Pulsating color
Air Elemental	Acid damage Poison damage	Yellow
Ice Golem	Fire damage	White
Shambling Mound	Electricity damage	Green
Tanar'ri	Cold damage	Red

Demon forms screenshot gallery

Shambling Mound form - attack with Electricity.

Ice Golem form - attack with Fire.

Air Elemental form - attack with Acid or Poison damage.

Tanar'ri form - attack with Cold.

Gameplay

The demon while in its cage is invulnerable to targeting and all status effects and damage that a player can deliver in normal gameplay.

When the party interacts with the demon's cage while in possession of the four elemental scepters, the cage is unlocked via the fiend's dialogue, and it is released and will turn hostile. At this time scripted actions take place that remove three undroppable items from the demon, including the INVULNER.ITM, RIDRING.ITM, and GORCHR.ITM. These items were mostly responsible for making the creature immortal and immune.

Once the battle begins, the demon will attempt to move towards and harm any creature in range via melee attacks. It uses no spell casting or special elemental attack powers. Approximately every three rounds, the demon will change form, cycling through them, one after another, and repeating the cycle until destroyed.

The problem with this creature is its very high physical resistances. As shown on the InfoBox, it limits the player to specific Elemental damage type(s) that can affect the particular form the demon assumes.

On the other hand, Magical damage will hurt the demon no matter which form the fiend has taken. However, the demon is immune to Magic Missile projectiles. The creature is not protected against Skull Trap, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting or the High-level class ability Set Spike Trap. A powerful party could blow up this demon with a few well-placed spells or seriously damage it.

The demon has no magic resistance either. Other than certain status effect immunities, many different spells can affect the demon.

In the Enhanced Edition, Vorpal weapons such as the Silver Sword or a Planetar's attack can potentially decapitate the fiend in a single blow.

A balanced party should be able to overwhelm the demon using magical and elemental damage, inflicting more damage than the demon can return in the same span of time. A solo play through will complicate this battle.

When defeated, the fiend 's corpse remains. There is a pile of loot that can be collected, including the Portal Key, a magical dagger, and an unusual circlet.

Solo play note

For solo non-spellcasters - If you try to kill the demon with melee attacks, it will strike back and be able to overcome a good AC rating. Keeping your health up will prove a challenge. You can use the Sling of Everard +5 as a "Kiting" weapon (or other infinite ammo source), and especially Foebane, or the Flail of Ages are good weapon choices. Standard physical damage will typically only produce 1 to 2 HP loss per hit upon the demon. Scores of successful hits will be needed to kill this fiend.

Immunities and special characteristics

• The Chromatic Demon has the standard immunities shared by most demons:

Main article: RINGDEMN.ITM

• 100% resistance to Poison damage
• Immunity to non-magical weapons
• Immunity to effects:
• Charm Creature
• Confusion
• Feeblemindedness
• Panic
• Poison
• Polymorphed
• Morale breakBaldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Shadows of Amn (2013)
  This icon indicates content from the Shadows of Amn campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition.
• Reset MoraleBaldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Shadows of Amn (2013)
  This icon indicates content from the Shadows of Amn campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition.

• Protection from spell Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Shadows of Amn (2013)
  This icon indicates content from the Shadows of Amn campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition.:
• Polymorph Other
• Sphere of Chaos
• Wild surges #13 and 47 “Polymorphed”

• In addition, it has:

• An innate ability to See the invisible
• Immunity to Magic Missile projectiles
• Immune to backstab

Note: It will lose immunity to poison and poison damage while assuming the form of an Air Elemental. Mechanically, this is done by the script when the form changes to the Air Elemental form - the RINGDEMN.ITM is swapped to the CDRNGCHR.ITM, which provides no immunity to Poison or Poison damage, otherwise they are the same. When the Air Elemental form changes to another, the process is reversed.

Game edition differences

In the original Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal only, the Chromatic Demon has the following characteristics in addition to everything else: 

• Regenerate 1 HP / s

• Immune to effect:
• Slay
• Level drain
• Kill target
• Slow
• Teleport Field
• Web effect
• Wing buffet

• Protection from spell:
• Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting
• Aura of Flaming Death
• Bigby's Clenched Fist
• Bigby's Crushing Hand
• Bolt of Glory
• Creeping Doom
• Earthquake
• False Dawn
• Fireshield (Blue)
• Fireshield (Red)
• Ghoul Touch
• Holy Smite
• Holy Word
• Imprisonment
• Insect Plague
• Silence, 15' Radius
• Summon Insects
• Sunray
• Unholy Blight
• Unholy Word
• Vampiric Touch
• Wail of the Banshee

Gallery

The demon is freed from the cage, teleporting adjacent to the party. Looks like it isn't going to honor the bargain, which is unsurprising.

After killing the fiend, it's body slumps to the floor. Seen is some loot that can be retrieved.

Mod content

This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.

Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere

Chromatic Demon - "Listen, friend. We can help each other. The fact of the matter is, you cannot get through the gate to the next level unless I open it for you."

Installation of the Sword Coast Stratagems Mod, and especially the "Improved Fiends" component will revise the Chromatic Demon. it has all the immunities of the unmodded game, plus as follows:

Chromatic Demon (cast at 28th level):
Its melee attack deals 3d6 +7 crushing damage and is a +3 enchanted weapon, with a 0-speed factor
170 Hit Points.
100% resistant to all Physical damage.
100% resistant to all magical energy damage.
Immune to poisoning and poison damage (The mod gets rid of the ring swapping mechanic).
Immune to instant death, Slay and Kill target.
Immune to Stun and Power Word, Stun.
50% resistant to fire and cold damage, even in its vulnerable form.
Remove Magic and Teleport without Error, at will.

In addition to melee strikes it will also use a revised Chain Lightning, Unholy Fireball, a modified 30d4 Cone of Cold, an acidic blob attack based on the acid blob trap, and an airburst attack based on the dragon's Wing Buffet, at will, when in the appropriate form. Some of these innate spells bypass magic resistance and have other modifications.

The creature's AI is much improved and will recognize opponents who are protected against its attacks and try to teleport to a vulnerable target. Will change form about every two rounds or so. The Air form can only be harmed by acid. In the slime form (looks like a shambling mound) it can only be hurt by electricity. In the Ice golem form can only be harmed by fire. In the Demon form can only be harmed by cold.

Poison, physical damage, and magical damage will not work on any of this demon's forms.

Obviously, most all of the gameplay and suggested methods to destroy this demon in the basic game are now rendered less or ineffective with SCS. The creature is also more difficult to hide from (weaker party members will be chased down via teleport movement). Soloing will be tougher as well. Concentrate on delivering the appropriate damage type to the vulnerable form, and it can be defeated.

Note that SCS has added changes, so the demon is less likely to get "stuck" or be barred from moving in tight spaces. It can now move normally behind its cage and will bump through other creatures who attempt to block it/surround it, and of course it can teleport without error as well, at will.

Mod gallery screenshots

The demon's Air elemental form radiates a Wing buffet effect, dealing crushing damage and will knock party members backwards.

The same attack scatters the party and pushes some all the way to the room's perimeter. Two members are temporarily Unconscious.

A Cone of Cold blasts from the demon's Ice form at a party member, whose Magic resistance prevents Cold damage.

The demon uses its Teleport Without Error ability to jump to another party member.

The "Unholy Fireball" explodes over a target, dealing potential Fire damage and Magical damage.

External links

• Chromatic Demon on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.