Kocrachon

Description

(From Faces of Evil: the Fiends - 1997):

Kocrachons, the elite torturers of Baator, are creatures of horror and nightmare. Where the barbazu are noted for their ferocity in the field of battle, the kocrochons are known for their skill and subtety with the instruments of cruelty - the very antithesis of the dull and brutal warriors. They extract battle plans and information about spies from tanar'ri and celestial prisoners of war, and from mortals unwise enough to fall into fiendish hands. 

Masters of their trades, kocrachons are respected by every other kind of baatezu for their ability to wring a confession from even the most unwilling throat. (Interestingly, the most skilled kocrachons earn the respect of their victims as well, who learn to equate exquisite pain with love; the mortals and celestials among them are especially dangerous when - or if - released.) But no matter how successful their methods, kocrachons can be promoted only to the station of erinyes.

The lesson of the kocrachon: Take pains to induce in others respect for a being of obvious skill.

(From the Book of Vile Darkness - 2002):

Kocrachons are diabolic torturers. When the damned are sent to hell to face torment, it is often the insectoid kocrachons that perform the sick and terrible durties - and they relish the task. These devils are likely to be found in terrible hellish citadels, working for some greater baatezu. Dispater alone employs more than a thousand kocrachons in Dis.

They have a dark bluish-purple carapace like an insect's, with long, serrated proboscises. Their heads are small; their legs are long and thin, ending in claws that are quite adept at wielding scalpels and other terrible instruments of torture. Kochrachons speak infernal, Celestial, Common, and draconic.

Combat: Kocrachons hate straightforward combat, but they like to inflict pain on helpless victims, slowly and precisely. If they must fight, kocrachons use their spell-like abilities as often as they can.

Disease (Ex): Any creature hit by the kochracon's bite attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 14) or contract devil chills. The incubation period is 1d4 days, and the disease deals 1d6 points of strength damage. The victim must make three successful Fortitude saving throws in a row to recover.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - animate dead, cure moderate wounds, desecrate, detect good, detect magic, dispel magic, magic circle against good, liquid pain, major image, sorry, suggestion, teleport without error (self plus 50 pounds of gear only), wave of grief, wither limb, wrack; 1/day - blasphemy. Caster level 12th; save DC 13 + spell level.

Baatezu traits: A kocrachon can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language. In addition, it can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell. A kocrachon is immune to fire and poison, and it has acid resistance 20 and cold resistance 20.

Sadism: For every 10 points of damage a kochrachon deals in a round, it gains a +1 luck bonus on attakc rolls, saving throws, and skill checks during the next round.

Summon Baatezu (Sp): Twice per day a kocrachon can attempt to summon 1 kocrachon, with a 40% chance of success. 

(From Planescape: Planes of Law Monstrous Supplement - 1995):

The kocrachon is a loathsome, beetlelike fiend, with beady eyes staring out from beneath its enameled carapace. Its three antennae wave above its head, discerning subtle changes of atmosphere, sound, and smell in its environment. It has four arms and two legs; the arm end in opposable pincer-claws. A proboscis juts out from the creature’s forehead, located just above its eyes. The kocrachon’s wings are located underneath its shell, which parts when the fiend is ready to fly away to safety or to a new victim.

The kocrachon is a baatezu designed primarily to inflict pain. Upon creation, however, it isn’t immediately aware of this mission. Whether it is promoted or demoted to kocrachon status, the baatezu must study at the School of Pain, which is hidden underneath the Knoll of Blades in Dis, the second layer of Baator. Here, the kocrachons study the physiology of known mortal and immortal creatures — as well as the psychology of those minds. Thus, kocrachons learn how to inflict tortures both mental and physical on those unfortunate enough to fall into their clutches. Only rarely do they actually kill their victims, prefereng instead to inflict pain and still more pain.

Kocrachons that capture archons, devas, or other aasimons are accorded respect and high honors; these creatures withstand incredible amounts of ahuse, which reflects well upon their torturers. The baatezu experiment on these and other good creatures until there’s nothing left but a shivering, screaming wreck of a celestial being. Naturally, the fiends love to sink their claws and knives into goodness. Sometimes, however, they also work on tanar’ri, but their performance isn’t as highly lauded as those who learn their work on the insufferable good.

Kocrachons are almost never sent to the forefront of the Blood War, for their services are too valuable behind the lines. Some sages speculate that kocrachons torture petitioners and prisoners as preparation for molding them into various types of baatezu. The petitioners of Baator learn that only the powerful and strong can inflict pain, and this goads them into striving for higher status among the baatezu. Strangely, some prisoners develop a sort of kinship for thosc who give them such exquisite pain. Hatred for their captors may still burn in their breasts, but that emotion recedes before the craving for more pain. Some even experience a twisted devotion to their torturers and may willingly do as the kocrachons suggest.

A kocrachon can freely pass from layer to layer in Baator, though it prefers to remain in one place to concentrate on a particular set of victims. Still, it goes where it’s told — and usually without question. When it has served its time (around 223 years) faithfully and well, it can be promoted to the status of erinyes. From there, only its own imagination and ability limit it. Becoming an erinyes is a vital steppingstone for an ambitious baatezu; thus, other baatezu often seek to become kocrachon, viewing the position as a key step toward climbing the hierarchical ladder. Kocrachons themselves are eager to serve and torture, anticipating what lies ahead for them in the service of the Dark Eight.

Combat: The kocrachon would far rather flee than fight, for its job is to cause pain and extract information rather than to serve as militia. However, when backed into a corner, this baatezu is just as deadly as any of its brethren.

The kocrachon is able to attack with only two of its four arms; this pair of claws causes 1d6 points of damage each. The other two claws, being considerably smaller, aren’t strong enough to clamp on an enemy and cause damage. However, these claws are highly manipulative, and the attached arms are strong enough for the kocrachon to wield small weapons such as scalpels and knives. The baatezu never uses these arms in combat if it is weaponless, but if it has some cutting instrument it causes 1d8 points of damage for each blade because of skill. Half of that damage is automatically healed in 4 hours.

Kocrachons typically make three attacks per round: their two primary claws and a bite, which causes 2d6 points of damage. If they choose to forgo this routine, they can attempt to cause pain with a special attack using their scalpels. By making only one attack in the round, they can lay an opponent open to the bone or find the sensitive point in the exoskeleton, depending on the race of the creature. Any being hit when a kocrachon uses this attack must save versus spell at -6 or suffer a penalty of -4 to all attack and damage rolls. In addition, the victim’s AC value is reduced by 2 places, and movement by 3. These effects last for 2d6 rounds. Note that the kocrachon can only use this attack after it has studied its opponent for 3 rounds to determine where the incision would he most effective.

The kocrachon is also able to cause disease as per the spell. If it can bite a victim and hold on to it (a successful bend bars/lift gates roll detaches the creature) for 3 rounds, it transmits a disease to its victim; it cannot attack while infecting its victim. This disease is fatal within 1-3 weeks after transmission. Oddly, the kocrachon can instead opt to transmit a healing fluid through its bite, healing 1d12 points of damage. This baatezu can use both bites three times per day.

Kocrachons have all the standard abilities of baatezu of their rank; that is, they have the spell-like abilities advanced illusion, animate dead, charm person, infravision, know alignment (always active), suggestion, and teleport without error. They also have the standard baatezu immunities. However, they delight in pretending to suffer from an attack that causes no damage in order to lure their enemies closer.