“Three Faces of Evil Splash Page” by Joachim Barrum, © Paizo Publishing. Accessed at the Dungeon 125 Map and Handout Supplement here

[The original Ebon Aspect is super broken. I ran this adventure from Age of Worms twice for two different groups, and both times nearly ended up with a TPK. Its original abilities were way too strong even for a “boss monster”, so I had to figure out how to tone it down while still retaining the flavor. The original abilities are also strongly tied to Greyhawk gods, and I want this version to be setting-neutral.]

Ebon Aspect CR 6 NE Outsider This grey-skinned, fiendish humanoid stands nearly twice as tall as a man. It has six muscular arms, but only three of them end in clawed hands—the rest appear as bloody stumps. Its face is gaunt and skull-like.

The Ebon Triad is a secret society that creates syncretic cults devoted to combining aspects of the faiths of three different gods. The architects of the Ebon Triad know, however, that they truly draw divine power from Kyuss. Those who worship him unknowingly are turned into fuel in the afterlife to create broodfiends and empower the Wormgod in his attempts to destroy entire planets. Ebon aspects are signs of their “true devotion” and act as guardians and vessels of worship. These creatures are monstrous in shape and cruel in character, and the Ebon Triad typically targets worshipers of evil gods, from tiny cults to state-sanctioned religions.

No two ebon aspects look entirely alike; they have features common to the three gods they are supposedly connected to. All bear six arms, three of which are maimed, which the aspects explain away as being a sign that their power is curtailed by the “false faith” of “heretics”. Despite this seeming weakness, they are brutal melee combatants. They also function in a support role well, bestowing their blessings on members of their cults to improve their ability to strike down non-believers.

The more powerful the cult of the Ebon Triad, the more powerful the ebon aspect created by their devotion is. The strongest known of these creatures, the so-called Ebon Overgod, is an ebon aspect with the giant simple template and 13 levels in cleric (Death and Destruction domains and blessings). The Ebon Overgod is a CR 17 creature.