T HE BOOK
OF
Fiends
A Malefic Bestiary for Fifth edition
By Robert J . Schwalb
With Aaron Loeb, Erik Mona, and Chris Pramas
Return to the lower planes
with the Book of Fiends ! Remastered for 5 th Edition!
D
evils, demons, and daemons—these are the ultimate servants of evil. Learn all of their foul secrets in The Book of the Fiends, the definitive sourcebook on these fell creatures. This tome presents an assortment of horrific fiends hailing from Hell, the Abyss, and Gehenna. Drawing inspiration from the classic supplement of this same name, all the creatures, character options, and more have been reimagined for use with the world’s most popular roleplaying game. This book builds on the information found in the core rulebooks, by expanding and revealing all you could ever want to know about these evil planes. The Book of Fiends is jam-packed with evil for your campaign, including:
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Over 130 daemons, devils, demons, and other creatures of the Lower Planes.
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Info on the celestial choirs and the fallen angels.
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Monsters with challenge ratings from 0 to 31; there are foes for characters of all levels. Inspired illustrations by top artists like Mauro Alocci, Dmitri Bielak, Biagio D’alessandro, Stanioslav Dikolenko, Francesco Di Pastena, David Hueso, Katrina Ladon, Alexander Ngo, Mirco Paganessi, Svetoslav Petrov, Nicholas Phillips, Daniel Rubio, Levante Ruckert, Phill Simpson, and Andrey Vasilchenko. Details on the nine Lords of Hell, the seven Exarchs of Gehenna, and a plethora of Demon Princes. New options to tempt player characters to embrace evil.
A dozen sinister spells, a new background, new feats, and more!
The Book of Fiends provides profoundly evil foes your players will never forget.
Open The Book of fiends, and Unleash Hell on your world! Green Ronin P ublishing 3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100 #311 Seattle, WA 98118 www.greenronin.com
The Book of Fiends is ©2003, 2021 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Green Ronin and its associated logo are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC.
GRR3604e
T HE BOOK
OF
Fiends
A Malefic Bestiary for Fifth edition
5 t h E di t ion De sig n a nd De ve l o pme n t : Ro be r t J. Schwa l b A ddi t ion a l de sig n a n d De ve l o pme n t : C r yst a l F r a sie r, S t e ve K e nson, a n d Ma l col m She p pa r d O r ig in a l De sig n: A a ron L oe b, E r ik Mon a, C h r is P r a ma s, a n d Ro be r t J. Schwa l b, wi t h a ddi t ion a l de sig n by J im Bisho p, B r ia n K i r by, a n d J e ss e De c k e r O r ig in a l De ve l o pme n t : C h r is P r a ma s E di t ing: K a t he r ine Richa r ds
P roo f r e a ding: Sk yl a r Ma nne n
G r a phic De sig n a n d Ar t Di r e c t ion: H a l Ma ng ol d
Cove r Ar t : Sve t osl av Pe t rov
In t e r io r Ar t : Mau ro A l occi, Dmi t r i Bie l a k , Bia g io D’a l e ss a n d ro, S t a niosl av Dik ol e nk o, F r a nce sco Di Pa st e n a, David Hue so, K a t r in a L a don, A l e xa n de r Ng o, Mi rco Pa g a ne ssi, Sve t osl av Pe t rov, Nichol a s Phil l i ps, Da nie l Ru bio, L e va n t e Ruc k e r t, Phil l Sim pson, a n d An d r e y Va sil che nk o P ublisher: Chris Pramas
Team Ronin: Joseph Carriker, Crystal Frasier, Jaym Gates, Kara Hamilton, Troy Hewitt, Steve Kenson, Ian Lemke, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Malcolm Sheppard, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Dylan Templar The Book of Fiends is ©2003, 2021 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. References to other copyrighted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Green Ronin and its associated logo are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. The following material is designated as Open Game Content: the monster stat blocks in Chapter 2 and the rules material in Chapter 3.
Green Ronin P ublishing 3815 S. Othello St. Suite 100 #311 Seattle, WA 98118 www.greenronin.com
T A BL E O F CON T E N T S F ore wor d......................... 3
I: Pl ane s of P e r dit ion....... 4 The A byss.............................5 The Howling Threshold............ 5 The Lower Layers.................... 6 Those Who Rule....................... 6 Gehenna............................ 23 Creation of the Realm............. 23 The Lay of the Land............... 24 The Hateful Home................. 27 Hell................................... 28 The Pit of Hell....................... 28 The Infernal Hierarchy........... 30
II: The F ie nds................... 32 Daemons. ........................... 33 Daemons of Wrath.................. 34 Companions of Malice............ 34 Harbinger of Vengeance.......... 37 Stoker..................................... 39 Inciter.................................... 40 U’ulgan.................................. 41 Vecrose ................................... 43 Wrathful................................ 44 Daemons of Envy................... 45 Bearers of False Burdens......... 45 Bitter..................................... 46 Calumnite.............................. 46 Crausus.................................. 47 Fair One................................ 48 Mother Igwyre....................... 49 Ruin in Flesh......................... 52 Weeping Coils......................... 53 Daemons of Lust.................... 55 Aezidion................................. 55 Amorines................................ 56 Eunuchs................................. 58 Lustful................................... 60 Ograq..................................... 60 That Which Cannot Be.......... 61 Unc........................................ 63 Vlogars................................... 64 Daemons of Sloth.................... 65 Abandoned Dream................. 65 Indolent................................. 66 Languishing........................... 67 Shogarr, “Consumer of Souls”.....68 Slumbering Valor................... 69 Thieves of Dreams.................. 71 Umplebum............................. 72 Veezel..................................... 72 Daemons of Gluttony.............. 73
B
Feasting................................. 73 Flabule................................... 75 Hunger................................... 76 Hungry.................................. 77 Krobulon................................ 77 Paesod.................................... 78 Wugart................................... 79 Zovarik.................................. 81 Daemons of Greed.................. 83 Furtivin................................ 83 Hoarders................................ 84 Jageth..................................... 85 Maodon................................. 86 Miser..................................... 87 Mockery in Flame.................. 87 Remnant................................ 89 Spawn of Draqolath............... 90 Taker..................................... 91 Daemons of Pride................... 93 Enticer................................... 93 Faces of the Great................... 94 Glomerays.............................. 96 Kurgel.................................... 97 Proud..................................... 98 She ..................................... 98 Shining Ones........................ 100 Demons............................ 101 Alastors................................ 101 Alrunes................................. 102 Azalar.................................. 104 Borgeg.................................. 105 Crun.................................... 106 Darbas................................. 106 Entropus.............................. 107 Enveloper of the Innocent..... 108 Harlequins........................... 109 Horde Demon....................... 110 Inmai................................... 112 Jahi...................................... 113 Jilaiya.................................. 114 Mabaxa............................... 114 Mandragoras........................ 115 Mazareen..............................116 Orusula................................ 118 Paigoels................................ 118 Pertoblen.............................. 120 Rashedes.............................. 120 Sathreen............................... 121 Schir..................................... 122 Shissen................................. 123 Slothens................................ 124 Solesik.................................. 124 Soulkeepers........................... 126
Torthen................................ 127 Undelons.............................. 128 Xaiex................................... 129 Zallaxes............................... 130 Demon Lords....................... 131 Cresil the Impure.................. 132 Eurynomus the Corpse Eater....133 Malohin the Strangler.......... 134 Merihim.............................. 136 Philotanus the Seducer.......... 138 Rahu the Tormentor............. 139 Devils.............................. 141 Abigor.................................. 141 Antaia the Witch Queen....... 141 Asakkus................................ 144 Ashmede............................... 145 Balan................................... 146 Bulugons.............................. 148 Chamagons.......................... 149 Cranial Wretch..................... 150 Dagon.................................. 151 Distenders............................ 152 Enforcer of Dis..................... 154 The Faceless.......................... 154 Falstaff................................ 156 Felugons............................... 157 Flesh Sculptor....................... 157 Furcas.................................. 158 Gladiatrixes......................... 160 Hadriel................................ 160 Hellwardens......................... 163 Herlekins.............................. 163 Ice Stalker............................ 164 Ignagons............................... 165 Keres.....................................167 Knocker................................ 168 Lel....................................... 168 Magugons............................ 170 Malgrin................................171 Nergal.................................. 172 Pain Mistresses......................174 Selidim..................................175 Soulsniffers........................... 177 Spinder................................ 177 Spites................................... 179 Striga................................... 179 Taurgen............................... 180 Vierhaander......................... 180 Vuall.................................... 183 Whiptail............................... 183 Fallen A ngels. ................ 184 Named Fallen Angels........... 186 Ahrimanes............................ 186
Bune.................................... 187 Iblis...................................... 189 Naamah............................... 191 Qlippoth.......................... 193 Chernobue............................ 193 Hydraggon........................... 195 Nyogoths.............................. 196 Shiggarreb............................ 197 Shoggti................................. 199 Unspeakable Evil............. 200 Akop..................................... 200 Armageddon Beast................ 201 Bonedregs............................. 203 Dragon, Abyssal................... 204 Golem, Razorwire............... 206 Hell Horse............................ 207 Irecunda............................... 207 Jalie Squarefoot.................... 208 Kok-Lir............................... 211 Krotep.................................. 211 Necroripper.......................... 213 Nekhet.................................. 213 Oubliette.............................. 215 Painshrieker......................... 216 Phlogiston Monitors............. 217 Skullduggers......................... 218 Soul Taker............................ 219 Spawn of Marbas................. 220 Sphinx, Dark....................... 221 Spineseeker........................... 222 Stitchfaces............................. 223 Stygian Interloper................ 225 UrHydra.............................. 225 Vashtuk................................ 227 Vulcan Demolisher................ 228
III: In S e rvice t o EVil..... 230 Character Options......... 231 Barbarian............................ 231 Cleric................................... 233 Paladin................................ 236 Warlock................................ 238 Corruption...................... 241 Backgrounds. .................. 243 Cultist.................................. 243 F eats................................ 245 Spells............................... 247 Spell Descriptions................. 247
Bibliog raphy. ................. 251 Inde x.............................252
O pe n G ame L ice nse........254
T able of Contents
F O R E WO R D
T
his is no ordinary “ manual of monsters.” It ’s not just an update to an old book either . This book that
you hold in your sweaty palms is your portal to some of the worst evil in the multiverse. The Book of Fiends offers a tour through the Lower Planes, revealing a startling array of fiends and other creatures that dwell in these rotten places and toil on behalf of their masters to corrupt, destroy, and dominate the Material Plane and beyond. This book also gives players the rules they need to take up arms and spells on behalf of these dark masters, to fight in the name of all that is evil in the vain hope of earning pride of place when death finally comes to claim them. This book brings the darkness to your 5th edition games in ways few other books dare. If you’ve been around for a few editions of the world’s most popular roleplaying game, you probably recall the heady days of the early 2000s, when everyone and their uncle was producing content for the 3rd edition rules thanks to the Open Game License. This era launched the careers of many game designers, as publishers were always in need of writers to meet the incredible demand for supplements and sourcebooks. It was during this time that Green Ronin released two darkly alluring tomes—Legions of Hell by Chris Pramas and Armies of the Abyss by Erik Mona. These two books took the usual suspects found in Hell and the Abyss and made them come to life, offering hints about their long, perverse histories and the various powers jockeying for dominance in those planes. Together, the books transformed these realms into truly terrifying places populated with creatures nasty enough to give even the most jaded adventurer pause. Not long after, Green Ronin released Aaron Loeb’s The Book of the Righteous, a glorious tome loaded with lore and details of an entirely new pantheon of gods. With it, according to Pramas, was to be a third volume on the fiends, a book entitled Hordes of Gehenna, which would have offered an entirely new treatment of daemons for the game that worked work with the fiend books released so far and plugged directly into the cosmology introduced in The Book of the Righteous. While all this was going on, I was working hard to get my foot in the door of the gaming industry and sent in a pitch to write a book on antipaladins. Since the holy warrior received treatment in The Book of the Righteous, and since Chris Pramas is such a great guy, he gave me a shot. A year later, The Unholy Warrior’s Handbook hit the shelves. Now the appearance of the original Book of Fiends had a lot to do with the rules update known as the 3.5 edition. Although you could play with material published for 3rd edition using the 3.5 rules, there were differences enough that people started asking for updated copies of Legions of Hell and Armies of the Abyss. Rather than re-release these supplements, Green Ronin opted to bundle them with the Hordes of Gehenna book and chunks of the Unholy Warrior book, while updating all the material on demons and devils in one grand tome. To my delight and surprise, I was asked to come on board and help design the daemons for the Gehenna chapter and add a few demons and devils to their respective chapters. The Book of Fiends was a great success when it was released and won all sorts of acclaim for its sinister contents. In fact, it even went on to win an ENnie Award or two. The book’s success prompted us to start working on follow-up releases, which would have been called The Book of the Wicked and Lords of the Fiends. A variety of factors, however, conspired to put bullets into the heads of both of these titles, and the line more or less stopped here. Well, flash forward some fifteen years, and here I am revisiting work from the earliest days of my career and writing this happy introduction. After the success of The Book of the Righteous Kickstarter campaign for a 5th edition update to that beloved book, it seemed like a no-brainer to resurrect The Book of Fiends. Over a phone call, Chris and I hammered out the basics of this product, figuring out just what would be involved in bringing this book back to life. Once we sorted the details, I dove into the old manuscripts. Rather than divide this book along planar lines, I changed the structure so that readers would be able to enter the planes, examine their denizens, and then, if they wanted, serve them with new options for player characters. I rebuilt each monster from the ground up, drawing on my extensive experience as a designer of the 5th edition rules, and checked and double-checked everything to ensure the creatures presented would prove suitable foes for adventurers of all levels. With the aid of playtesters and the developer, this book came together, and here we are. It was weird as hell going back to my work from what feels like another lifetime, but it’s been a delight to get in the mud, blood, and filth to construct a menagerie of despicable critters to unleash upon the world. While I did loads of mechanical work, many of the original ideas remain, which just goes to show what a great design team was on the original. So, thanks to everyone, past and present, who helped pull this beast together, thanks to Chris and the Ronins for welcoming me back into the family for this project, and thanks to you for embracing your inner darkness. Hail! —Robert J. Schwalb July 2021
Introduction
3
I: Pl a ne s o f Pe r di t ion 4
C hapter I: Planes of P erdition
H
ow one conducts one’s life determines the fate earned when death finally comes to call . Those who
lived in the light, performed good deeds, and showed mercy, compassion, and charity might ascend to the Heavens and stand among the gods they worshipped in life, enjoying paradise for all time. Many are inspired by such a reward to live virtuous lives and show fear and adoration to the gods, knowing one day they will ascend with the angels and be reunited with lost loved ones in a place of infinite peace and beauty. With a reward like this in the offering, it’s a wonder anyone would do anything but give their life toward attaining the ultimate reward. Yet people do reject the gods all the time. They set aside their misgivings about what comes after to indulge their desires, vices, and wickedness. The greater their sins against the gods, the faster their descent into evil. And when death finally comes for them, these souls find the gates of Heaven closed to them and themselves slowly sinking to the Planes of Perdition, where they must make an account of their mortal misdeeds and suffer the consequences of their failings for all time. Three destinations await the damned, each one suited to the soul’s alignment. Those of chaotic evil alignment tumble into the endless depths of the Abyss, home of the demons. Lawful evil souls are drawn into Hell, where they must suffer torments from the devils who dwell there. Finally, those of neutral evil alignment find themselves trapped in the horrifying realm of Gehenna, where they must face the personifications of their mortal failures. Into these three planes this chapter goes, revealing the gory and often frightening details of each. Not only do their entries reveal the fate awaiting evil souls, but they also describe the planes’ purposes and atmospheres and the motivations of the fiends condemned to pass eternity in their darkness.
T H E A BYSS Some scholars believe everything in the material world is but a representation of some intrinsically pure concept found in the Outer Planes. A castle, for example, is an echo of a perfect archetypal castle that exists somewhere beyond the Astral Plane. The existence of the roiling Abyss lends credence to such theories. The seemingly infinite layers of this plane of chaos and evil house the perfect inspiration for countless acts of murder, betrayal, perversion, and decadence. Whole cities rise and fall at the whims of distant masters, in endless cycles that seem only to prove the inevitability of anarchy and decay. The aimless souls of mortals range from layer to layer, fearing capture from nigh-omnipotent lords eager to suck essence from their metaphysical marrow. Landscapes leach life, color, and nutrients from those who attempt to settle them, and wild beasts controlled only by hunger and lust haunt jungles infested with murderous plants and poisonous streams. Few foreigners survive long in the Abyss. The plane seems to be designed by a bickering assembly of insane, but nonetheless brilliant, architects for the sole purpose of punishing and destroying its inhabitants.
T he Howl ing T hr e shol d Visitors to the Abyss must survive the trials of the Howling Threshold before descending to the lower layers. It is here the souls of the damned first appear after death and find the fate awaiting them from spending a lifetime in service to chaos and evil. The uppermost layer of the Abyss, the Howling Threshold, is a blasted plane speckled with the ruins of demonic outposts, grim castles, and old battlefields marking clashes with the devils, celestials, and other would-be invaders of this hateful place. Hot
C hapter I: Planes of P erdition
winds blow across the pitted landscape, carrying rust-red dust tinged with the coppery taste of blood. Fires bloom in the smoke-filled skies to bathe the ground below with sickening light. The ground trembles, thunder booms, and, every now and then, black rains fall from the ebony clouds drifting across the burnt dome that covers this hideous place. Though soul forms make up the majority of the Howling Threshold’s populace, the place is rightly feared for its demonic inhabitants. Millions of demons fly its turbid skies and roam its vast plains. Most of these creatures serve no master, feasting upon souls simply because it gives them pleasure to do so. Countless demons live out near-immortal life spans with goals no more complicated than killing, eating, and fornicating. Thousands of demon lords live in vaunted fortresses spaced irregularly throughout the layer, commanding infernal armies in their quest to corrupt the mortal world or establish themselves as princes in the lower Abyss. These beings include the diseased Ahazu the Seizer, calculating Aldinach of the Thirty-Three Terrors, desiccated Baltazo the Pitiless, and the errant lord Laraie of the Unerring Bow. In addition to independent demon lords, unique, powerful nobles in service to demon princes roam the plains of the Howling Threshold, seeking captives for their dread masters. These beings, and the countless servitor creatures that aid them, gather huge groups of souls, prodding them toward the conduits leading to the realms below. These portals are heavily fortified for miles around and are known as Harvest Gates by demons and souls alike. Few captives thrust into these grim passages ever emerge to tell the tale of their travels. Some Harvest Gates lead to the personal domains of demon princes such as Demogorgon or Abraxas, but just as many open to vistas of indescribable 5
Con t e n t Wa r ning
The Book of Fiends is an exploration of evil beings, realms, and scenarios. This is evil ranging from the cosmic scale to the simple darkness of a macabre back-alley infernal shrine. Much of this volume is inspired by theological and mythological concepts hundreds, even thousands of years old. Consequently, they do not always follow modern standards of morality, though attempts have been made to moderate certain antiquated ideas with modern sensibilities. The GM should review the material herein and change what they like to ensure it conforms to the nature of evil in their campaigns. Furthermore, since both ancient and modern notions of evil are concerned with violence and sexuality, be warned that images and scenarios concerning such can be found throughout. Second, the existence of this explicit subject matter in no way condones the potentially disturbing and disgusting contents found herein. This book is about evil beings who deserve contempt and whose plots should be thwarted by good characters. Therefore, this is not a book to use straight from the shelf. To utilize this book’s explicit elements, you must receive consent from all players. If even one objects to their use, you should change or remove what bothers them. Furthermore, this consent can be withdrawn at any time. Players withdrawing their consent never need to defend or even explain their decision, and the GM should modify what they have presented without argument. Even if you use these and other safety tools, this does not remove the obligation to have a frank discussion, where all players feel safe expressing their opinions, about what they do and don’t want from The Book of Fiends. Consider this a rule that applies throughout, as firmly as any that invokes dice rolls and game statistics. For more info about safety tools, the TTRPG Safety Toolkit (@TTRPGSafetyKit on Twitter) is a good place to start.
horror untamable by even the fiercest demonic lord. Certain self-described scholars in the city of Amalrehtan claim to have cataloged the known Harvest Gates, but whether or not they can be trusted, and what they charge for such information, is a matter of rank speculation.
Amal r e h t an
The only significant, long-standing independent enclave offering some shelter to souls is the cyclopean city of Amalrehtan. Situated near the center of the layer, Amalrehtan sports hundreds of partially ruined towers, great bulbous domes, and mostly destroyed genetic foundries. The ancient city was built by the qlippoth—a terrible breed who claimed the Abyss prior to the arrival of the demons—but was abandoned at the height of the war against the celestials. Now, demons avoid the city and its extensive dungeons, which occasionally belch forth eonsold horrors that savage any foolish enough to let down their guards for even a moment. Because most Abyssal creatures shun it, Amalrehtan has become a haven for travelers from other planes, including the Material, and rumors tell of great marketplaces filled with transplanar lore and treasure unavailable anywhere else in the multiverse.
T he L owe r L aye rs Nowhere is it more apparent that evil has many forms than in the lower realms of the Abyss. Some layers present alien landscapes rife with malevolent vegetation and even more harmful inhabitants. Others contain no atmosphere or air crackling with poisonous fire that consumes all who breathe it. Certain layers seem to be sentient creatures in and of themselves. Simply choosing a gate at random and wandering to some unknown lower layer is as good a form of suicide as any available across the Outer Planes. Ironically, the safest layers are often those dominated by a particular demon prince, as these nobles must force their realms to be hospitable enough for their legions of demonic followers and soul-form chattel. 6
T hose Who Rul e Demon princes command at least one third of the 666 recorded layers of the infinite Abyss. Princes in the Machiavellian sense, they answer to no demonic ruler. Over the millennia, several have conquered enough Abyssal real estate or swayed the affections of enough of their kin to claim dominion over all of demonkind (the most recent being Demogorgon, who still holds his self-proclaimed title). The greatest and best-known demon princes command the respect of their peers through brute force, skillful negotiation, or the ability to unleash sheer, unimaginable terror. Such princes include the legendary Orcus, brooding Pazuzu, scheming Arachnadia, and the unnamable Lord of Many Forms. Students of the Abyssal arts know of resources in existing tomes or librams yet to come regarding these famous beings. The present volume concentrates on entities less well known but no less dangerous. The following entries detail twenty-one demon princes, each providing notes on their subject’s appearance, motivations, and Abyssal dominions. Each description opens with the name most commonly associated with the entity in question. This isn’t the being’s “true” secret name but rather its most commonly used moniker. (In nearly all cases, this is the name by which the being refers to itself.) Danger comes in speaking even the common name of a demon prince. At the GM’s discretion, speaking the name of a demon prince aloud elicits a cumulative 1 percent chance that the named demon prince will take notice of the speaker. This doesn’t mean it’ll act, or even act in the speaker’s best interest, but if not otherwise indisposed, the entity might take a peek into the Material Plane to see what’s going on. For this reason, most of the known demon princes have descriptive titles, such as Lord of the Bottomless Pit, Diabolus, and so on. It is considered an ill omen to speak or write the names of demon princes, and those who do not rely upon these titles when discussing them are seen as dangerous fools by the learned. All demon princes exemplify the ideals of chaos and evil (albeit in very different ways) and share the alignment of the Abyss itself. Attempts by lawful fiends to wrest an
C h a p t e r I: Plan e s o f P e r dition
Abyssal layer and claim it for themselves have invariably met with failure—the plane rejects would-be rulers who do not share its debased ideals. Likewise, no qlippoth demon has yet managed to conquer a layer of the Abyss. Each demon prince concentrates the bulk of his or her attention upon one or more ideals, known collectively as “areas of concern.” Haagenti, the so-called “Ultimate Alchemist,” delights in inspiring his subjects to mix dangerous chemicals and create artificial life, while the only chemicals that interest the sensual Nocticula are those that grant her followers access to unheralded hallucinogenic plateaus. The Great Crippling Gaze known as Shax,
Abaddon
Th e De str oy er , Mi ni ste r of De ath an d Ha vo c, Lo rd of th e Bo tto ml es s Pi t, Ki ng of Lo cu sts
One day soon, all existence will end in a great multiversal apocalypse. When the final angelic trumpets sound out the death knell of the mortal world, untold legions of locust demons will boil forth from the depths of the Abyss, ravaging everything in their path and laying ruin to the great works of humanity. Abaddon, demon prince of the apocalypse, will stand at the vanguard of this unthinkable army—laughing. Students of the occult arts know Abaddon as one of the oldest demons, a being of such incalculable power that even his demonic contemporaries work to ensure that he never leaves his home layer, a chilling void known simply as the Bottomless Pit. Abaddon is destruction personified, a completely amoral, unfeeling agent of calamity who has a hand in most of the great natural catastrophes of the mortal realm. While Anarazel gives violent life to the cold ground in the form of terrible earthquakes, and Vepar encourages great floods and waves, learned occultists see the grim smile of Abaddon in the corpses left after these tragedies. His handiwork reveals itself in the famines and blights following natural disasters. Though his insectoid legions thrum with demonic blood, few doubt Abaddon’s dominion over ordinary locusts and grasshoppers, who honor him by plaguing crops in a metaphorical mirror of the destruction that soon will be visited upon the world. In some lands, Abaddon is known as Apollyon. Abaddon has not been seen in the mortal realm since shortly after the demons defeated the celestials occupying the Abyss. The few remaining accounts describe a towering, hideous figure with scales like a fish, draconic
C hapter I: Planes of P erdition
on the other hand, cares only for those liquids that pour from the opened bellies of his still-squirming victims. Generally, those who follow a specific demon prince share its unholy interests. Immoral alchemists flock to Haagenti, hoping his great wisdom will guide their brazen experiments. Nocticula’s devotees gather under the light of the moon to celebrate erotic pleasures while indulging in the psychotropic bounty of the natural world. Erudite scholars of the macabre abduct, murder, and mutilate in the name of the Great Crippling Gaze, tracing intricate patterns in skin with surgical razors, hoping to discover the secret of life in the spaces between the flesh.
“hooked” wings, and paws like those of a bear. Segmented insectoid eyes dominate the demon prince’s cruel face, set just above a double set of razor-sharp mandibles. Fire peeks through the rotten holes in his belly, casting off acrid, cloying smoke. The Bottomless Pit forms a great maw nearly three miles wide near the geographic center of the Howling Threshold. Rumors suggest that the rent formed in the earliest days of the qlippoth-celestial conflict, when some unknowable horror unleashed by the plane’s original masters backfired and tore a hole in the Abyss. Eventually, the plane fused its own infernal energy with the nullspace in the void, in a sense “adopting” its own wound as a full-blown Abyssal layer. Shortly thereafter, Abaddon constructed the great palace of Gulthrax as an homage 7
to himself and cast the structure, himself, and his entire demonic entourage into the chasm. The lore of demons and angels alike claims that Gulthrax eventually will pass out of the pit to land upon the Material Plane, at which point the prophesied apocalypse will begin in earnest and Abaddon’s locust demons will flood the world. Gulthrax maintains its own gravity and sense of stability, though it constantly spins and bounces off the layer’s walls. The fortress contains a large variety of demons, most of whom look forward to the end-time with utter devotion to their liege. Locust demons dominate nearly every part of the shaft—seldom will a traveler falling or flying down the Bottomless Pit come across a spot where they cannot see at least a dozen of the creatures. Perhaps a hundred brave vrocks fly throughout the chasm,
Abraxas
The Supreme Unknown
Abraxas represents a rarity among demon princes in that his devotees are tolerated, if not altogether welcomed, in civilized lands throughout the mortal world. Commoners and nobles alike honor Abraxas for his ability to protect them from ill luck and magical curses and hexes. Followers of Abraxas fund their cult by selling medallions enchanted with the word “Abracadabra,” talismans that guard their wearers against all manner of calamities. Abraxans claim that the gods are evil beings who have trapped the souls of their mortal followers in all-too-fragile physical shells, isolating them from a world of absolute spirit (known as Pleroma), where joy is boundless and there are no limits to the pleasure and indulgence experienced by all. The concept of harm does not exist in such a world, and it is from this absolute, Abraxans claim, that their trinkets and amulets draw their protective powers. Whatever the source, the charms work. The word of power “Abracadabra” appears at the top and is written in an inverted triangle of eleven lines. Each line consists of one letter fewer than the one above it, until the word disappears completely. The shrinking of the word represents, in metaphysical terms, the fading of potential harm to the wearer. The wordplay is emblematic of most of the teachings of Abraxas, which consist of intense magical theory and complex numerological formulae meant to give the practitioner a greater understanding of the material world and how to manipulate it through arcane magic. Abraxas appears as a powerful, bare-chested humanoid man with the head of a rooster topped by an elaborate golden crown (which, according to his followers, represents the reward of Pleroma, in which everyone is king). He carries a shield in one hand and a long corded leather whip in the other. Below the waist, his body consists of several constantly writhing snakes. Abraxas’s Abyssal realm, Pleroma, is very much as advertised in his cult’s literature. There, souls are transformed into beings of light who experience nothing but pure pleasure and ecstasy. Boundless joy is theirs from 8
dining on the souls who fall or are thrown into the pit (the locust demons ignore such provender). Mortal followers of Abaddon generally believe that the apocalypse will occur within their lifetimes and go about fomenting anarchy and unrest in an attempt to speed along the decay of the world. End-time-obsessed nihilists, cultists, and especially thaumaturges of Abaddon believe by doing the work of the Minister of Death and Havoc, they will be spared the consuming fury of the coming locust legions. Not all who follow Abaddon do so with such calculation, however. Common among those who honor him is the competitive farmer who, coveting the harvest of their neighbor, sends a small sacrifice to Abaddon to befoul the greater crop.
the moment they enter the afterlife to the moment ten years later when they are completely consumed by bliss—their souls utterly annihilated and absorbed into the landscape of the Abyss. By the time souls enslaved to Pleromatic rapture realize the terminality of their situation, they’ve long since surrendered the ability to do anything about it in exchange for greater and greater feelings of euphoria. The transaction fuels Abraxas’s power, which appears to grow stronger with each passing year. Abraxans believe that the only way to achieve entry to Pleroma is to escape their mortal shells by living a life opposite to that which should have been theirs but for the duplicity of the gods. By denying themselves the pleasures of the flesh and leading austere, faultless lives, they hope to “trick” their containers (bodies) into releasing their spirit forms. Once free, their souls transcend the material world and enter the endless pleasures promised to them by the Supreme Unknown. Riddled with highly offensive condemnations of even the most apparently altruistic deities, the cult’s doctrine wins few allies among the clergy of the civilized world. However, followers of Abraxas don’t physically hurt anyone, are as chaste as the most devout nuns of the god of healing, and sell amulets of proven protective value, so most rulers view the cult as a strange but harmless sect more worthy of praise than prosecution. The plain lifestyle espoused by Abraxans appeals to commoners who disapprove of lewd behavior but secretly wish to debauch themselves in the obscenest manners imaginable. Lacking the courage to do so in life, they instead punish themselves with self-denial and self-abuse, withholding from themselves in life exactly the types of pleasures they hope to indulge in after death. Flagellation plays a significant role in the cult’s observances. Many pursue formal study of occult tomes to further explore arcane magic, which they interpret as the mortal world’s sole tie to the realm of Pleroma. Abraxans determine for themselves when they have finally tricked their body-prisons into releasing their spirit forms, in a journey of flesh-rending, ultimately fatal ascetic self-torment.
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Anarazel
Guardian of a
The earth below your feet holds wondrous treasures just waiting to be claimed by those with the courage to take them. Ancient, long-dead cultures tunneled beneath the ground when the world was young, scattering the riches of entire races in forlorn caves and mines. Natural veins of precious metals and countless gems and minerals line the world’s strata. But those caverns hold unthinkable terror as well, time-lost beings too dangerous for the world of light and unfathomable remnants of primordial cultures now sunken in morose insanity. Those who would gain the riches of the earth must also brave the evils of the world below, the servants of Anarazel who await explorers with gnashing teeth and terrible, clasping claws. Those who risk Anarazel’s wrath and escape with the plunder of the earth are rich indeed. Anarazel represents the duality of the unknowable horrors of the Underdark and those who face such terrors in search of excitement or material wealth. Devotees refer to the arrangement as “the thrill,” a constant tempting of the depths for just one more gem, for another frisson of terror that much more exciting than the one before. To Anarazel and his followers, the abandoned underground cities and cisterns and mineral-rich caverns of the Underdark represent a great game board where risks are measured against possible rewards, with the advantage always going to those who tempt fate a little further than their peers. Adventurers, unsurprisingly, make up the bulk of his clergy. The Guardian of a Thousand Terrors is a massive humanoid with diaphanous wings supported by bloodred cartilage that thrums with the natural heat of the subterranean world. His demonic armor of plates and scales melds so well with his natural form it’s difficult to determine which portions of his panoply are living parts of his body. Two impressive horns jut from his forehead; a mane of
Astaroth Knowledge separates humans from the animals, allowing them to reflect upon their status and, using the lessons of those who came before, improve upon it. Astaroth personifies the philosophy of knowledge gained at any cost. The demon prince known as Diabolus is the patron of revolutionary thinkers and those willing to push against the forces of propriety and the status quo to break into truly innovative paths of thought. He discounts the “hard” sciences as too rigid to accommodate original concepts. Astaroth also has become associated with prophecy, though his philosophy is more about consulting written lore and making a prediction based upon the past than peering into the unknowable future.
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Thousand Terr
ors
greasy black hair begins just above the horns and continues to the middle of his muscular back. Anarazel wears a veil of deep vermilion at all times, covering what is said to be the most horrific visage the Abyss has ever known. Anarazel’s lair, a sprawling underground complex of natural caverns and trap-filled corridors called the Caves of Chaos, is thought by many to comprise the most extensive dungeon works in the Lower Planes. Cult lore reports that a copy of every valuable ever sacrificed in the demon prince’s name can be found within Anarazel’s dungeons. Countless artifacts long thought destroyed are in fact secreted within the caves, protected by a host of grotesque creatures born in the most wretched bowels of the lightless Underdark. The most honored souls sworn to Anarazel—those who died while seeking treasure underground without an ounce of fear in their hearts— are transformed into such guardians. Unworthy souls or those captured on the Howling Threshold are brought to Anarazel himself, who dwells at the center of the layer. There the Guardian of a Thousand Terrors reveals his true face to them, drawing strength from their horror in a metaphysical transaction that leaves Anarazel more powerful and utterly destroys the souls. In the mortal world, Anarazel is served by the demon lords Gaziel and Fécor, who cause earthquakes, ring bells at midnight, cause specters to appear, and inspire countless terrors. Though he is honored by miners and prospectors, adventurers make up Anarazel’s greatest constituency. His philosophy of life as little more than a game appeals to those who seek vast rewards in exchange for great risk. Anarazelite adventurers tend toward brashness and favor spells or items that induce fear in others, partially to congratulate themselves on their own sense of bravery.
D ia b o lu s Like Abaddon , Astaroth’s purpose is tied to the coming multiversal apocalypse. Since the rise of the demons, he has collected all the written works of humanity; ritual burning of the accumulated lore will herald the beginning of the end-time. In the meantime, Astaroth has become extremely fond of his collection, priding himself on the completeness of his libraries and his ability to recall historical facts and human philosophies from memory. Though dedicated to the role he must eventually play, the great librarian is in no hurry to destroy his books—he’s even become so fond of some human scholars and philosophers that he tracked them down and brought them to his lair (willing or not) to engage in friendly 9
debate. Astaroth mourns the destruction of anyone of intellectual worth, necessary though it may be, and has a greater appreciation for mortal life than most of his demonic fellows. His natural form is that of a beautiful angel astride a terrible dragon. He carries a viper in his right hand and usually reads from an open book held in his left. The snake represents knowledge gained through forbidden means, which Astaroth considers the most valuable of all. Knowledge protected by religious taboos and strictures must, after all, be more worth knowing than what is sitting around for everyone to devour. The Terminal Archive, Astaroth’s sprawling library, forms the entirety of an always-expanding Abyssal layer. The place comprises countless wings, which contain a copy of every written work put to paper since the birth of mortals and are staffed by an army of wretched, undead librarians. Astaroth invites any and all to study within his halls, naming the Archive as neutral ground in any conflict between demons. Remarkably, he even allows devils access to his collection, though few brave the journey to get there.
A z az e l
Occasionally battles between rivals do break out, but these are quickly quelled by a cadre of nalfeshnee called the Ardent Archivists, who maintain order in the stacks. Given the relative peace offered by the Archive, many expect to find a given item easily. Unfortunately, Astaroth enforces no organization upon his collection at all, so finding a particular volume can be an adventure in itself. Followers of Astaroth fancy themselves revolutionary thinkers. Many do in fact push forward the liberal sciences by challenging conventions and daring to dream without worrying about such limits as morality. Even more, though, are best classified as lunatics, “visionaries” only in the sense that they believe their insane (albeit generally well-informed) babblings mean something to anyone other than themselves. Those who honor Diabolus will do anything to learn previously unknown lore. They’ll use anyone, even friends and relatives, to further their own knowledge, and they won’t hesitate to kill whoever stands in the way of some juicy bit of information. Astaroth demands that his followers sacrifice their firstborn child to him to prove their dedication to casting away even their most cherished possessions in the pursuit of learning.
Gu ar di an of th e Go at The doctrine of Azazel holds that every successful civilization is built upon the broken backs of the betrayed. Society itself is inherently corrupt: Some must suffer so that others can seat themselves upon the throne of propriety. To make things right, the high and mighty must be overthrown by those they have betrayed. Only when the lowly have tasted the blood of the powerful will the world be healed. Such words, spoken by Azazelite demagogues, are wickedly crafted to lure the downtrodden members of the lower classes, as well as to prisoners, exiles, or others who have unfairly felt the lash of the law, away from constructive revolutions and just reforms into scorched, hate-poisoned chaos. Ranging from violent rebels to quietly dissatisfied servants, followers of Azazel work to thwart the plans of the privileged classes through calculated campaigns of larceny, arson, and murder. His followers do not spare rival agitators and insurgencies, however. Azazelites are practiced entryists, skilled at joining virtuous movements and twisting them to evil ends that spawn not reform, but a new class of oppressors. Azazel, the so-called Guardian of the Goat, took his title to honor the scapegoat, an animal who in ancient times was saddled with the sins of a tribe and cast into the wild in a ritual of absolution. His servitor race, the schirim, carry out most of his plans on the Material Plane. The Guardian of the Goat possesses many forms. To some, he is a great avenging angel with smoldering eyes of dark crimson and seven seeping wounds
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upon his powerful back. Demonologists often describe Azazel as a mighty schir, a four-eyed, goat-headed, barechested monstrosity bearing the standard of the armies of the Abyss. His true form, which few have seen, boasts seven serpentine necks, fourteen hideous faces, and twelve looming wings. The forlorn desert of Maldinach howls with the keening of souls dedicated to Azazel. Chained upon immense, sharp rocks and left to bake in the unforgiving blaze of a sun that never sets, the tortured souls have an eternity to seethe over their final betrayal—at the hands of Azazel himself. Schirim and vrocks wander the desert in abundance, reveling in the suffering of their mortal charges. Their liege prefers the solitude of an isolated valley at the center of the layer, attended by his personal
Azidahaka
th e L ie The Dragon of
Eons ago, not long after the solar Iblis fell from the Seven Heavens for refusing to serve mortals (for more information, see Iblis on page 189), a fierce king named Zohak ruled one of the most prominent early human kingdoms. Once a powerful and chaste noble who served the Lords of Good as a paragon of truth, Zohak achieved his position after murdering his predecessor, Jamshid, who had become so corrupt with power he forced his subjects to worship him as a god. Despite his greatness, Zohak knew he would not be able to defeat the god-king alone. Instead, he employed the mighty Iblis, who granted him the service of an army of divs, fire-based outsiders who had inhabited the world prior to the rise of humanity but had been cast out by the Lords of Good for their arrogance. Zohak gained the throne and freed his people from the tyranny of Jamshid, but at a terrible cost. Iblis planted a seed of paranoia within his ally’s heart. Shortly after becoming king, Zohak came to believe that his subjects secretly schemed against him. Whereas the king had previously sworn himself to defend the truth, now he attempted to wrest it from the hearts of his assumed enemies by subjecting them to gruesome tortures. Unsurprisingly, these tortures brought more and more confessions, confirming Zohak’s fears and fueling more seizures of enemies and greater and more perverse means of getting the truth from them. Within two years, Zohak’s fears had manifested in the form of twin snakes growing from his shoulders. These terrible beasts kept Zohak alive through the singular means of devouring the brains of his victims. Finally beset by enemies on all sides (enemies he had created thanks to his vicious pogroms), Zohak realized he had been betrayed the moment he joined forces with Iblis. Shamed, broken, and alone, Zohak hung himself from his castle’s highest tower. His name went down in the lore of his people as a watchword for the corrupting influence of power. Moments after dying, Zohak emerged upon the Howling Threshold. Seeing his rebirth in the afterlife as a second
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servant, a powerful balor named Mullin. (See cover illustration for image.) Prior to passing on to the Abyss in death, few followers of Azazel know what awaits them in the afterlife. Most prefer to focus on the here and now, their blood boiling with thoughts of revenge for slights both real and imagined. Nobles and those who have dedicated their lives to preserving the law hate and fear the cult of Azazel, though the demon enjoys great popularity among vigilantes, who often see themselves as protectors of the downtrodden. Though Azazelites preach a doctrine many in the lower classes find attractive, their methods are so brutal, so unthinkably ruthless, only the most heartless stay with the cult for long.
chance, he took the name Azidahaka and vowed to create in the Abyss that which he could not maintain in the material world—a kingdom of subjects who honored him for his character and dedication to truth. Eventually, he became a demon. Centuries later, he wrested a layer of the Abyss for himself (Sraosha, a term meaning “obedience,” or “discipline”) and set his plans into motion. The Abyss being the Abyss, however, he came up somewhat short of his goal. Sraosha boasts as many traitors and schemers as his human kingdom ever did, but as Azidahaka’s current subjects are demons and the souls of the chaotic evil dead, the dangers posed by his enemies are a thousand times greater than they were on the Material Plane. To protect his rulership, he’s again turned to torture—indeed, the layer seems dedicated to perfecting that ancient art. Souls and demons alike hang on great metal hooks from the kingdom’s parapets. Body parts and unidentifiable fluids stain the cobblestones of great cities, and countless screams issue forth from innumerable chambers filled with racks, brazen bulls, iron maidens, and worse. Such perfection has brought with it the respect of mortal torturers the world over, as well as (ironically) pleas of guidance from those about to go under the torturer’s knife. Both tormentor and tormented are equally likely to pray to Azidahaka—one for the skill to extract the truth, and the other in hopes of easing inevitable pain. Azidahaka appears much as he did in life. A regal warrior of handsome (if worry-worn) features, the so-called Dragon of the Lie decks himself in the finest garments of royalty. Blood and ichor stain his vestments, however, revealing the means to which he must resort, to which he has always had to resort, to maintain his tenuous grasp on power and status. The only being Azidahaka truly trusts is his head torturer, the demon lord Rahu the Tormentor, who seems tailor-made for the nightmarish parody that is the kingdom of Sraosha. Azidahaka’s heart still burns for revenge against the traitorous liar Iblis, whom he has sworn to put to the blade in payment for his ancient betrayal. 11
B e h e m o th
The Great Beast
If the archdevil Leviathan (see Leviathan on page 29 for more information) represents the most powerful sea creature the multiverse has ever known, the imposing Behemoth stands as its land-dwelling double. A creature of immense proportions, Behemoth represents the worst qualities of the mortal creatures that walk upon the earth: ferocity, rage, sloth, and, most of all, insatiable hunger. Behemoth’s death has been preordained since the beginning of time, increasing its appeal as a patron of despair and lost causes. According to the oldest prophecies and scriptures (works that predate and predict the creation of Behemoth), when the mortal realm stands within days of utter destruction, Behemoth and Leviathan will meet in a final conflict to shake the foundation of the world. The two great beasts will kill each other in this dread battle, and righteous mortals will be allowed to dine on their flesh forever in paradise—a fitting end for exemplars of unrelenting gluttony. Behemoth stands more than a mile tall, appearing as a corpulent humanoid giant with the head of a four-tusked elephant, powerful arms, and trunk-like legs that end in clawed feet. Rot grubs the size of purple worms crawl in and out of vast tunnels bored throughout its distended belly, and it reeks of foul digestive juices and days-old rotting meat. The tip of its awesome trunk bears a terrible toothy maw, which the Great Beast uses to devour anything that fits within it (which is to say it devours nearly
Decarabia
en Airs
enty-Sev v e S e th f o n ig e r Sove
When a mortal prince fears spies in his court, there’s no telling how far he’ll go to protect his reign. As his oncetrusted advisors burn on pyres of suspicion and terror, the sovereign puffs up with self-admiration for completing his difficult task. He pays little attention to the flock of crows perched on the gallows crossbar or the gulls circling overhead waiting for the fires to die down so they might duck in for a quick meal. The birds, however, are more attentive. They see in the monarch a growing desperation. They know which of his advisors have been consumed by flame and which by fear, noting the survivors who might sell out their unstable leader in exchange for a return to sanity. The birds see all, and all that the birds see is seen by their patron, Decarabia, “Sovereign of the Seventy-Seven Airs.” Decarabia claims all the skies as her personal domain and sees the birds that inhabit the firmament as her subjects. To her, birds are not only spies and messengers but paragons of beauty, for Decarabia believes that nothing is more lovely than a living creature in natural flight. Served by paranoid cranks who wish to learn what birds see in flight 12
everything). Like its infernal relative, Behemoth’s favorite meal is the soul-stuff of the mortal dead. Behemoth’s personal Abyssal layer, the monstrous Duidan, consists of endless veld built to the proportions of the Great Beast. Fiendish dire animals of all varieties roam the plains, seeking souls and other animals to devour. Few edible plants grow on the veld, as such species were eaten into extinction millennia ago. Everything consumed on Duidan must be hunted—and given the girth and hunger of the layer’s prince, even the fiercest of hunters might become a meal at a moment’s notice. The lumbering master of the veld sleeps most of the time, wandering short distances in order to feed itself a few times a week. The ground shakes violently when Behemoth is on the hunt, allowing smarter inhabitants to flee well in advance of the Great Beast’s arrival. Its hunts can last for a whole day or more, as Behemoth never seems to tire of eating and never seems to reach its limit. Though many hunters make offerings to Behemoth as a patron of wild animals, the Great Beast enjoys relatively few followers. Those it does have tend to be slovenly hedonists who have turned to gluttony in a final bid for self-destruction. Behemoth’s cultists virtually sexualize the act of eating, playing up the erotic impact of food and bathing in grease and gristle as if anointing themselves with fragrant perfumes and massage oils.
and eccentric inventors attempting to establish a means by which a human could fly, she seems more meddlesome than dangerous. But by providing amoral political advisors with reconnaissance in the form of servitor birds, Decarabia presents as great a challenge to the mortal world as any of her peers at the top of the demonic echelon. In form, Decarabia seems more human than most demon princes, though a number of features reveal her as a creature of the Lower Planes. A cold, harshly beautiful face is marred by four unusually twisted horns that emerge from her forehead and just above her ears. Her alabaster skin is mirrored by milky white eyes bearing no pupils or color of any kind. Bloodred lips and luxurious long black hair contrast her complexion in an unwholesome manner. Unsettling jagged wings flare from her elbows, granting her far more graceful flight than their appearance might suggest. Decarabia uses her sexuality as a tool and comports herself in as little clothing as possible; she favors tight skirts and fetishized belts of black leather. She loves flight, spending her entire existence in the air. Years ago, she amputated her own legs to prove her dedication to the sky and its inhabitants.
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Her personal layer, the Landless Aerie, reflects her interest in winged creatures and her disdain for solid earth. The layer’s “ground” is a flat, featureless plain of solid metal extending for leagues in all directions. Above, however, countless rock islands float upon the winds, ranging in size from a few dozen feet in diameter to several miles wide. They serve as landing points for the fiendish birds and flying demons that make their homes here, and many sport impressive castles or towns upon their surface. Should its inhabitants displease Decarabia,
Eligor
The Goodly Knig
In a world of chivalry, well-mannered knights enjoy the affections of fair maidens, the appreciation of kings, and the admiration of nobles and paupers alike. The life of a knight is exciting, exhilarating, and rewarding. Unfortunately, it’s also extremely dangerous. Eligor, demon prince of dishonor and survival, pledges that glory and honor need not always go together and that it is far better to leave the battlefield alive than to leave it a hero. But that’s not in and of itself reason enough to give up on being heroic—or rather, on giving the impression of great heroism. The doctrine of Eligor, known colloquially as the Widdershins Code, teaches that if knights leave no witnesses or survivors, they can tell the stories of their victories themselves, leaving out anything that would tarnish their reputations but was nonetheless required to remain alive. Rather than flee a battle, Eligor’s philosophy is to win by whatever dirty means necessary and leave the field with the appearance of honor and the admiration of one’s peers. Bedecked in viciously spiked, black full-plate armor, carrying a mighty shield, and armed with a horrifically barbed two-bladed sword, the Goodly Knight often wears a great batwing helmet that completely obscures his bestial face. He wears his hair in thick pleats gathered with tiny skull beads carved from human bone. Eligor’s hideous, mocking smile reveals sharpened teeth stained red with the blood of his enemies. The demon prince’s ghastly realm is a parody of chivalric ideals, a blood-soaked fantasy in which every day is cause for a great festival and knightly tournament. Demons and souls combat one another in shows of gruesome violence without even a pretense of honor, much to the delight of legions of howling fans. Abyssal ladies give their scarves to the most treacherous knights, and great gifts of fine foods and enslaved mortals are granted to those with the highest body counts, regardless of how much they cheat to win (or perhaps to honor that cheating). Eligor’s followers know that discretion is often the better part of valor. Usually junior knights in the shadow of truly great warriors, Eligorans have seen the ugly side of armed conflict and refuse to fall to their enemies for any reason other than being outmatched in weapon play. While they pay lip service to codes of chivalrous conduct and honorable warfare, they more often use their enemies’
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though, she can cause an island to hurtle downward and smash upon the floor of the Aerie with crushing finality. Decarabia’s cult remains small, as she prefers to associate with flying creatures, such as birds, that have no real culture of their own. Still, she is a patron to spies and interlopers who employ birds in their subterfuges, and those hoping to create vehicles or items that bestow flight might offer an incantation to Decarabia before beginning their work. Decarabia’s mortal servants often act as brokers to the rich and powerful, offering them the chance to eavesdrop on rivals using specially trained avian agents.
ht
dedication to such strictures against them. An Eligoran knight might, for instance, challenge an enemy to one-on-one combat using only nonmagical weapons, luring them to fight in a secluded spot where allies hide with poisoned crossbow bolts at the ready. If none see the treachery, they’ll simply assume the best, granting the knight notoriety and fame they don’t really deserve but enjoy all the same. Most gods of war, regardless of culture or alignment, loathe Eligor and his followers, and admitting to following the Goodly Knight at a knightly conclave is grounds for an instant challenge from the entire assembly. Wise Eligorans tend to keep their demonic affiliation a well-guarded secret.
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F la u r o s
The Son of Suns
The world of mortals is but a shadowy reflection of pure potential. Everything that exists, from the smith’s anvil to the flesh of a newborn babe, takes its shape from corruption. That which has form betrays the perfect element from which all matter gains its animating force—fire. To set something (or someone) ablaze is to bless it, returning it to its ideal state in an act of compassionate emancipation. So preaches the burgeoning cult of Flauros, which holds that the secrets of the multiverse can be found through the deconstruction of fire and light. Such a heady philosophy attracts truth-seeking ascetic contemplatives who see wisdom in a doctrine riddled with references to the purifying aspect of fire. The litany of the Son of Suns also encourages spreading fire as a reward for both people and objects; the more important or valuable, the greater the service provided. This celebration of fire’s awesome capability for destruction attracts more than a few arsonists and rank psychopaths. Flauros’s many forms shift like the flames of a raging inferno. His very philosophy decries physical solidity as an insult to the natural order of things, so the Son of Suns prefers to change his image constantly. One shape, however, seems to predominate in his few appearances in the mortal realm and may in fact be his natural one. In this form, Flauros appears as an incredibly muscular giant having a skeletal bull’s head with sharp teeth and impressive horns. Crackling fire surrounds the figure’s head and shoulders, casting off voluminous clouds of malodorous smoke.
Ga mi gin
The Soulcounter
Few cynical students of the occult are surprised upon learning of Gamigin, demonic patron to the power of universal constants death and taxes. When a chaotic evil creature dies, its soul manifests in the Abyss, where it either quickly learns to protect itself or is consumed by ravenous hordes of demons. From the moment it arrives to the moment of its destruction, the soul’s activities and whereabouts are monitored by Gamigin, the calculating demon prince known as the Soulcounter. Gamigin weighs the value of each soul against archaic formulae, occasionally announcing an “imbalance” and dispatching a cadre of skullduggers (for more information see Skullduggers, page 218) to collect the debt owed to the Abyss. These servitors retrieve the soul and bring it to Gamigin’s lair on the Jagged Tor of Final Reckoning, where it is fed into a boiling pit of magical tar known as the Last Morass. The process completely destroys the soul. While Gamigin seems to derive some satisfaction from the power transfer, the true beneficiary is the Abyss itself, which grows stronger with each consumed soul. Some claim that Gamigin is not truly a demon prince but rather 14
Instead of legs, Flauros’s body ends at the waist in six jagged claws surrounding a toothy sphincter for ingesting flesh and souls (Flauros prefers both extremely well done). Smoke and heat dominate the Bloodpyre Fields, Flauros’s personal Abyssal domain. Volcanoes, lakes of fire, and rivers of magma pose numerous natural dangers here, giving the place a hellish cast common in many of the most basic images of a tormented afterlife. Searing-hot winds blast the entire layer, crisping flesh from bone. Breathing there is impossible for mortals without the assistance of magic or technology—even many demons find the place distasteful. Flauros himself wanders the plains, granting release from the confines of physical form to visitors and inhabitants alike, burning them with a fire so intense it leaves behind naught but a shadow of its target. Something about fire attracts the most depraved, destructive members of society. Despite the seemingly altruistic goal of “freedom from form” that drives the leaders of Flauros’s cult, the fact remains that most of his followers are absolute loons who get an indescribable thrill from lighting things on fire, philosophy be damned. Flaurans set fire to buildings, hoping that sparks will ignite neighboring structures in a kind of natural evangelism. They burn helpless victims (often children) because they like the smell of cooked flesh. Above all, their obsession is as much about power as it is about fire. Whoever sets things aflame has power over them, changing their form to ash in an act of almost divine transformation.
a puppet—the Soulcounter doesn’t dominate a layer of the Abyss so much as the Abyss dominates him. The studious Gamigin wears the robes of a scholar and bears a volume known as the Spirit Ledger at all times. His sole weapon is an oversized brush, which he employs to paint disastrous symbols upon the air in front of him when threatened by enemies. At his command, the brush can transform into a scythe. Gamigin has the head of a horse crowned by an impressive array of antlers. The Jagged Tor of Final Reckoning is little more than a massive stone citadel situated upon a mile-tall mesa formed of knotty mutant flesh. Noxious clouds, poisonous even to demons, hug the layer’s floor far below. Rumors of qlippoth infesting this occluded realm have never been substantiated. Gamigin’s citadel features endless hallways open for several stories. Huge, meticulously arranged bookcases line the walls. Records of every soul ever to pass into the Abyss, as well as the fate of those souls, can be found within these cases, but Gamigin seldom allows strangers to peruse his records. His books show the current location of every
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creature in the Abyss, and he is well aware of the value of that information. Seventeen chambers contain treasure and material wealth granted to Gamigin in exchange for information on countless demons and mortal souls. He does not revel in this wealth, but he does take enormous pride in it and would prefer to see its growth continue. Gamigin’s followers on the Material Plane consist largely of liches or spellcasters well on the path to lichdom. Such beings have little use for the type of deals demon princes tend to offer. As undead creatures, their souls remain locked between the mortal world and the afterlife—safe, in a sense, from the attentions of demons. They approach Gamigin as equals, for he knows more about how to protect one’s soul than perhaps anyone in the multiverse. The Soulcounter’s cult is much more refined than the vile religion of Orcus, one of the most powerful demon princes in the Abyss. The rivalry between Gamigin and Orcus goes back to the rise of the demons, when each battled for greater influence over undeath. Gamigin lost that fight, ceding (for the most part) the administration of undeath on the Material Plane to his hated foe. Should Orcus show signs of weakness, however, Gamigin is more than willing to assume that coveted role.
Haagenti
The Ultimate Alchemist
To transmute lead to gold or mold flesh like clay is to achieve the divine. The modern alchemist is the inheritor of a proud, ancient tradition that seeks ultimately to elevate mortals to the station of divinity by giving them power over the earth and over life itself. When base metals become precious by the application of sacred chemicals or when weird liquids and complex gestures ignite the spark of life in an artificial being, the alchemist has transcended mortality and become a god of his own creation. Nothing must stand in the way of the alchemist’s pursuit—not morality, family, love, friendship, or boundaries of propriety. Scientific advancement directs the alchemist’s every move. Consequences are irrelevant to the forward march of progress. So holds the lore of Haagenti, and his teachings have great allure for arrogant scientists who would crown themselves enlightened victors over the bloodied corpse of traditional, repressive religion. The Ultimate Alchemist appears as a great amber bull with smoldering red eyes that seem to pulsate with the beating heart of the natural world. His raspy voice echoes like wind through abandoned mines, recollecting the toil the uneducated must endure to achieve material wealth. Two great feathered wings, similar to those of a griffon, emerge from Haagenti’s powerful back, representing the limitless bounds to which an alchemist might ascend if he successfully navigates the path to godhead. Haagenti’s personal Abyssal layer, Cerebulim, teems with the fruits of his followers’ labors. Evidence of scientific progress abounds in the form of cyclopean metal buildings, fantastic vehicles of transport that convey demons and souls
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alike at frightening speeds, and weapons of unthinkable power that project alchemical bullets with the force of a hundred crossbows. All such technology, however, bears some sign of its terrible cost. Wailing mortals perch like gargoyles atop awe-inspiring skyscrapers and mourn as they consider their own intestines and vertebrae, hardened through arcane procedures and used as cable and mortar to strengthen the structural integrity of the towers upon which they sit. Putrid, cloying smoke plagues the air, blotting out natural light and giving the layer an acidic smell. Vast herds of mortals abducted from the Material Plane clog sanitariums and hospitals, where they are sliced apart by workmanlike, analytical doctors and scientists searching for the means to prolong life, no matter the cost of the research. Termed the Hermetic Horizon, Cerebulim gives a glimpse of a technological future unfettered by moral or ethical limitations upon progress.
Ip o s
Lord of Masques
Throughout the mortal realm, certain sovereigns ban actors from entering their cities or performing in their lands. Men and women of loose morals and even looser reputations, actors receive treatment similar to that given lepers or heretics in some quarters. The craftiest find secret patronage from members of the effete nobility; the unlucky end up in stocks or worse. If more rulers knew about the decadent cult of Ipos and its pervasive popularity among performers, the actors’ lot might be even harder. Instead of scrounging to find an appreciative audience, they might find themselves before a much more hostile group of spectators—a mob of torch-bearing zealots just itching to cast them into the flames of redemption. The cunning Ipos whispers knowingly to his enraptured audience of performers that life is but a grand production, that identity is nothing more than a role to be cast away at a moment’s notice when necessary for the plot of life to proceed to another act. While this philosophy encourages useful lessons of reinvention and discourages mulling over failure, it also teaches a disdain for morality: if nothing is truly real, there can be no consequences for one’s actions. To ensure that their performances are memorable (for to make no impression at all is the greatest of mortal failings), followers of the Lord of Masques will cross any line. No sin is too perverse, no risk too great that it can’t be endured for the sake of the show. As befits his title, Ipos can assume numerous forms, ranging from a terrible draconic beast to a simple dung-covered pauper. He seems to favor one guise in particular, however—that of a tall, well-dressed rake with a lion’s head, the feet of a goose, and the tail of a hare. Actors often paint such a figure onto their tents and stage works, waving their demonic affiliation under the noses of appreciative fans who see the animalistic image as a simple caricature meant to please children and the simpleminded. The Festive Everlasting, Ipos’s bizarre Abyssal realm, resembles an immense outdoor theatrical festival held in a beautiful vale lit by an early afternoon sun. Eager souls 16
Followers of Haagenti generally pursue tripartite goals: discover a process of transforming any metal to silver or gold, uncover an elixir to extend life indefinitely, and create artificial life in the form of constructed beings. The very concept of change fascinates them, as any transformation from one form to another might hold the key to attaining their sacred alchemical goals. Their stated ambition—to become divine through transformative power—predictably outrages members of more conservative religions, who hold that certain practices, by their nature, fall outside the realm of mortals. True practitioners of the faith exhibit a great deal of medical and alchemical skill, however, and can be of great assistance to those who don’t know or care to know exactly how they gained their helpful knowledge. Haagentian alchemists view charlatans as a serious threat to their respectability and persecute them to the best of their ability whenever possible.
play the part of groundlings near the plane’s thirty-three connected stages, while a host of demonic nobility flock to the bleachers and private boxes. The entertainers themselves are recently deceased actors, sworn to Ipos during mortal life, who revel in the chance to perform for all eternity. Hawkers of pleasures both simple and sublime roam the crowds, ensuring that all present sate themselves upon some sort of mind-enhancing (or occasionally mind-numbing) concoction. The Festive Everlasting possesses an air of idyll, but a competitive desperation permeates the theatrical atmosphere, noticeable to all who know to look for it. At the end of each three-hour performance, the crowd displays, by show of applause, its appreciation for each actor in turn. The five entertainers (out of about seven hundred) adjudged to have engaged in the worst or least memorable performance are erased from existence, their souls totally consumed by the Abyssal stage upon which they stood only moments before. Those actors who survive a year on the stage join the jeering crowd as demons, only slightly more sympathetic to the plight of the actors than the catty, demanding drama critics sitting next to them. Ipos’s decadent doctrine appeals to sensualist performers who live for the false existence they portray upon the stage. Boiling down the whole of mortal experience to the familiar rules of performance makes sense to such bons vivants, who generally don’t think far beyond making an impression upon the ever-present crowd. Ironically, such performers eventually disdain their audiences, seeing them as constantly demanding “mundanes” whose rigid ways allow them to live only through observing those willing to assume roles that they cannot. Performers sworn to Ipos pity those who have but one face, but one voice, but one role to offer the world. Theirs is a much more vibrant experience, leading to much more fulfilling applause in the afterlife. Amoral bards adore the Lord of Masques.
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M ar b as
Master of Fetid Change
Strip away the artificial strictures of civilization, challenge the laws of nature, cast off the limitations of mortal imagination that force all things into easily understood categories, and you reveal glorious chaos. The only true universal constant, chaos gives animating force to life, determines the fates of all living things, and guides the progression of time. According to the teachings of Marbas, “Master of Fetid Change,” that which openly proclaims its allegiance to chaos is closer to universal truth, unfettered by restrictions and free to float effortlessly and painlessly upon the undulating surface of fate. The deformed, diseased, and ugly, being variations from the norm, are the ultimate mortal representatives of chaos and should be honored as the harbingers of a new era in which chaos reigns eternal. The Master of Fetid Change, in certain texts referred to as Barbas, appears as an ever-shifting mass of tumorous flesh covered in crooked horns and misshapen mouths. Foul odors spew from numerous sphincters positioned randomly about its body, and enormous orifices and powerful internal organs allow Marbas to process what it has eaten (usually enemies) in an instant, spewing the remains upon itself in a torrent of bile. Planar scholars know Marbas’s personal layer as the Soaking Canyon of Malignancy, a ghastly series of rifts and gulches composed of walls of constantly growing mutated tissue. Cancerous ichor seeps slowly from countless crevasses at which different types of flesh conjoin, pooling upon the canyon floor to form coagulating streams of reeking fluids. Oozes and molds dominate the layer’s moist corners, while ravenous chaos beasts roam on rare islands of solid ground. Marbas itself dwells in
N o c t ic u l a
Princess of Moonlight
According to Nocticula, the sensual “Princess of Moonlight,” only those graced with a womb possess the power to experience nature as it is meant to be experienced—a gloriously chaotic panorama so complete in its majesty it cannot be fully appreciated by the mortal mind. Nocticula’s earthy cult, the sisterhood of Sensates, believes the mind-altering properties of certain plants and fungi, coupled with "feminine" spiritual dispositions, can grant higher understanding of the limitless possibilities presented by nature’s hidden landscapes. Members gather in secluded vales under the cover of moonlight to revel in erotic frolics enriched by the liberal ingestion of psychedelic drugs. To most, they represent harmless would-be faeries obsessed with self-indulgent pleasures. In fact, they are members of a relentless, widespread cult whose deep perception of the natural world gives them a powerful advantage over their enemies.
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a confounding series of caverns known as the Dripping Darkness, a catacomb of oozing filth and digestive juices that can be harvested and used as the basis for potent magical elixirs. The odious demon lord Merihim (see Merihim in Chapter 2 for more information) stands guard at the gates of this unusual underworld, smothering would-be interlopers with his fleshy appendage tubes, which spew forth a multitude of disease-inducing vapors. It’s difficult to guess what exactly attracts adherents to the Cult of Putrid Virtue, as Marbas’s worship is known, but all who swear allegiance to the prince share an appreciation for the uglier things in life. Some are considered to have unattractive or even disturbing appearances, by the standards of the societies they belong to. These are targeted by cult missionaries, who tell them only Marbas will love and aid them. Others have been objectified for their beauty, and seek refuge in honest ugliness. All they require is a filth-slicked knife, a searing brand, and the will to inscribe their love for Marbas on their too-perfect skins. Regardless of their motives for joining, most cultists display a level of fervor best described as fanatical. They will go to any lengths to locate and obtain information on new diseases (the more grisly and disgusting the symptoms the better) and to "correct" the bodies of themselves and others they believe are blemished by symmetry, smoothless, and the other characteristics of conventional appeal. Devotees of Marbas view themselves as protectors of the defenseless ugly and diseased, celebrating the unsightly aspects of life others would see healed, fixed, or eradicated. They know well the resentment and fear felt toward them by those who do not share their afflictions and hope by spreading disease and mutation they will in turn spread a greater understanding of their own plight.
Nocticula frequently appears to her worshippers in hallucinogenic visions as a voluptuous wild woman with dried mud between her toes and a feral look in her deep brown eyes. The wry smile of her full lips reveals cunning intelligence and guile, and while she sometimes clothes herself in leather pants or a thick fur cloak, she prefers to travel as naked as the animals who inhabit her beloved wild spaces. She paints simple circles and lines upon her face, chest, and stomach, using natural dyes to accentuate her pale complexion. She resembles a mortal human more than nearly any other prince of the Abyss, but her form occasionally morphs slightly, without warning, and a dim, rapidly fading trail of light follows her every movement. Nocticula loathes the devil queen Antaia, who inhabits the Fourth Circle of Hell and passes herself off as a patron 17
of witches on the Material Plane (see Devils in Chapter 2 for more on Antaia). True, Antaia’s doctrine distances her followers from the gods and hence furthers the corruption of their souls, but the Princess of Moonlight finds the devil’s rigid teachings a betrayal of the primal, chaotic force of nature that motivates true witches. Her greatest ally is undoubtedly the demon prince Socothbenoth, who, as patron of prostitution and eroticism, shares her zest for sensual living. That he also happens to be her brother only serves to strengthen their powerful bond. A Sister Sensate in the full embrace of nature’s image-inducing powers sees a world in constant change. Such is the case with the Evershifting Vale, Nocticula’s enchanting personal layer of the Abyss. There, in clearings ringed by autumnal trees, feminine demons and female souls join in common adulation of nature, painting their naked bodies with mud and dining upon psychedelic fungi a hundred times more potent than the most powerful drugs of the material world. The layer itself warps, quivers, and shakes as if controlled by a mad narcotic dream. Succubi generally manage individual covens in the Vale, while the insidious alrunes (see the entry on alrunes in Chapter 4: Creatures of the Abyss) serve as Nocticula’s personal agents of vengeance, a service often taking them far from the Abyss. Nocticula’s cult is strongest in rural areas; corrupt or bitter village wisewomen secretly honor her, and
Raum
ypse
Harbinger of the Apocal
Raum was born a full-fledged demon prince in the future, a breath before the multiversal apocalypse eagerly awaited by followers of Abaddon and Astaroth. Since then, he’s aged in reverse—as time passes, Raum becomes more knowledgeable about the future that only he has experienced, while growing older and more decrepit as the years tick backwards. Always honored as a herald of the coming doom and a patron of hopelessness, Raum’s unique perspective on things to come has of late made him a paragon of prophecy. Soothsayers, prognosticators, and fortune-tellers turn to Raum for information about the future—which he’s willing to share, for a price. The Harbinger of the Apocalypse obscures himself in voluminous gray robes, which hide a deteriorating form that grows more decrepit with each passing year. Raum doesn’t understand why he’s aging, but he expects to fade from existence entirely within the decade, and the suspicion that he has not yet fulfilled the purpose of his creation now drives virtually all of his decisions and actions. After centuries of contemplation, he’s concluded that he was created by the Lords of Good to prevent the apocalypse, as a sort of sleeper agent within the Abyss. His preferred means of doing so, however, reveals his chaotic evil nature. Raum hopes to use his knowledge of future catastrophes to trigger an apocalypse in the present—a suicidal bid to prevent himself from ever having existed in the first 18
evil-aligned fey sometimes venerate the Princess of Moonlight over the queen of their own dark faerie court. Though the Sisterhood excludes those who cannot bear children, the cult is far from dedicated to misandry. Nocticulans believe that men serve important roles in the wholeness of the natural world but cannot achieve complete understanding, with or without the aid of hallucinogens. Most of the order’s more sensual ceremonies require the presence of at least one man, however, and several sympathetic males assist the cult whenever possible. Though her female thaumaturges vastly outnumber males, Nocticula welcomes members of both sexes to swear their eternal souls to her in exchange for thaumaturgic powers. Should a Nocticulan learn of a man who has abused a woman or girl, however, she enlists the aid of her sisters to rain down merciless retribution upon him, often inviting the victim to join the Sisterhood after the man who wronged her has been dealt with appropriately. What strikes a Nocticulan as “appropriate” —let alone the broad definition applied to "abuse"—often seems downright vicious to outsiders. The Sisterhood’s reliance on torture and mutilation tears a wide rift between it and other feminine nature cults, who view Nocticulans as drug-addled psychopaths whose propensity for whimsy makes them no less frightening and dangerous.
place. The multiverse would be destroyed somewhat earlier, but at least Raum would prevent the later annihilation of all that is. Further, by erasing himself from creation, he could be absolved of the sin of wiping out the multiverse. Already heavy with the guilt of being involved in any apocalypse at all, Raum views the absolution of nothingness as the only reward worth fighting for anymore. He long ago stopped active defense of Dizalakine, his personal layer of the Abyss. No demonic armies guard its gate and borders, and the prince exerts none of his energies fortifying the layer’s natural defenses. The place would be completely overrun by invaders if not for the fact that Dizalakine offers nothing to its occupier—no cities, no resources of great (or even modest) value, and no indigenous life worth stealing or enslaving. Forlorn, windswept, and ignored, the flat plains of the so-called Gate of Entropy stand awaiting a new lord, passed over time and again by would-be usurpers simply because the current tenant allowed things to get so bad the dregs are hardly worth bothering with. Raum himself occasionally strolls the darkened plains, crying softly to himself while engaging in sad conversations with remembered friends who have yet to be born. Among the mad are some who have not so much lost their minds as touched upon a piece of information or vision of truth that forever changes the way they view the world. Often the madness manifests as strange voices, hallucinations, or paranoia. Sometimes it instead produces
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visions: hazy, half-understood images of the future. Those lunatics whose predictions bear fruit are known as Children of Raum, in homage to the demon prince’s double patronage of the future and hopeless causes. The Children (those sane enough to function in society, at any rate) dominate Raum’s cult, which also teems with seers and
Sa bn ac h
The Wormworn Protector
Sabnach is unusual for a demon prince in that he is honored widely in an aspect that only touches on his true nature. At the most superficial level, masons and architects view him as embodying protection through edifice, a brilliant extraplanar strategist who urges the strengthening of walls and reinforcement of natural defenses as the best fortification. More canny practitioners of the masonic arts know Sabnach represents the duality of fortifications and the natural forces of decay that work against their permanence. Walls and redoubts are sworn to the Wormworn Protector in hopes of prolonging their longevity and protection while at the same time recognizing (and hopefully placating) those natural forces that might work against them. Walled cities, the most obvious symbols of Sabnach’s teachings, represent the apogee of mortal achievement in the masonic arts, and hence Sabnach has gained a role as a patron of civilization. Devotees of the most perverse, most genuine aspect of Sabnach’s cult, however, know that the demon prince urges the construction of walls and the development of cities because he also gains power from disease and laziness. The spread of civilization into wildlands brings with it a glorious propagation of diseases upon the virginal landscape. They believe the safety of cities breeds overconfidence and laxity of defense, which in turn results in more prayers to Sabnach, as the desperate hope to make up for their masters’ oversights by making ill-considered pacts with the underworld. Whether the city stands tall or is threatened by barbarians, Sabnach profits. Sabnach has three favored forms, using each to communicate with a distinct body of followers. Those who honor the Wormworn Protector as a guardian of fortifications see him as an elegantly aging, heavily mustached human gentleman in well-crafted but battle-worn armor. Those who praise his civilizing aspect see a similarly armored figure, but with a thickly maned feline head. Sabnach’s most devoted followers, who know his true agenda, see him as a gargantuan, corpulent rat sitting atop a mound
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fortune-tellers, including a fair number of charlatans. Few openly admire the Harbinger’s apocalyptic goals (naively viewing these as a minor aspect of his patronage), but all adore chaos and anarchy. They frequently spur on natural and political catastrophes, directly in service of Raum or because it’s simply their nature to do so.
of shattered columns. All three forms bear a simple iron crown on their heads. The whole of Sabnach’s small Abyssal layer is taken up by Restarion, doubtless one of the largest castles in the multiverse. For millennia, the Wormworn Protector and the souls and demons sworn to him have toiled upon the unthinkably huge fortress. The work has gone on so long that portions of the castle have fallen into utter disrepair while construction begins on brand-new levels and towers miles away. So much of Restarion has decayed that the castle has become known as the Rotting Palace. Tiny worms infest the entire fortress, tunneling their
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way through wood and stone and weakening the whole. Rats (normal, dire, and fiendish) roam Restarion with impunity, spreading so much disease throughout the fortification that the entire layer is harmful to those not immune to illness. Sabnach favors hezrou and nalfeshnee guardians, who protect the castle as best they can from the adventuring souls and mortals drawn by legends of fabulous treasure chambers secreted beneath Restarion’s ever-increasing bulk. To the average observer, Sabnach appears to have very few devoted followers, although incantations are often said to him, even by clerics of other faiths, to bestow protection upon a given locale or to bless a newly built redoubt, wall, or battlement. In fact, Sabnach’s cult thrives in the cities of the mortal world, spreading disease and sloth under the
Se er e
Patron of Portals
A common philosophy holds that the world is inherently lawful—all things are situated at a specific, set distance from one another, for order is the true nature of the Material Plane. The Patron of Portals and his followers specialize in bending those “absolute” distances, carving literal wounds in the world by traveling from one place to another via the most destructive means possible. The hand of Seere can be seen when a new road cuts through unspoiled wilderness; when a wealthy merchant installs teleportational portals in two cities, maximizing profit by cutting out dozens of middlemen; and when a native people are, through exploration and exploitation, absorbed into the common culture of the civilized world. Like his allies Sabnach and Socothbenoth, Seere bears a somewhat human appearance, perhaps to appeal to the civilized folk of the settled world. The Patron of Portals stands roughly seven feet tall, with short red hair and two twisting horns peeking from his angular forehead. He otherwise resembles a normal human and often is seen riding upon a pale horse. Seere prefers to dress in the most stylish fashions of high society, favoring tailored coats and elaborate capes that grant him the appearance of a wealthy merchant. He walks with a slight limp, supporting himself on a mighty traveler’s staff. Seere’s confounding layer of the Abyss, known colloquially as the Final Highway, is a void partially filled by a twisting path of hard-packed earth that winds throughout the layer and is visible from every point within Seere’s realm. At times the road stretches up a great distance, as if traversing a great hill. Such hills, however, don’t exist anywhere beyond the surface of the road itself. Those who fall from the path (or, as is often the case, are pushed from it) fall for eternity unless they slam into another part of the highway far below. Souls sworn to Seere or captured by his agents roaming the Howling Threshold believe that
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shadows of civilization. Those advocating the expansion of city walls or national borders to include substantial wildlands, those pressing for more construction and the accommodation of more serfs and refugees within the populace of the city, and those calling for innovation and industry at the expense of the natural world—all speak, intentionally or not, with the voice of the Wormworn Protector. Many cultists infest municipal government, often forming secret societies of tradesfolk to effect slothful city life and expand civilized borders through aggressive trade and exploration. Followers of Sabnach honor worms, vermin, and rats as the natural agents of their liege and do whatever they can to avoid harming such creatures. Those thaumaturges who summon a familiar generally choose a rat or some type of vermin.
the road has an end and those who reach it pass the test of the Patron of Portals to achieve enlightenment and pass on to some sort of Abyssal paradise. It’s a sham—the road extends for what seems an eternity before looping back upon its start (no one has ever made it so far), but Seere does nothing to disabuse his subjects of their lofty goals. Of course, the majority of these folk are chaotic evil, so the typical dangers of the road—highwaymen, corrupt checkpoint guards requiring fees for passage, and even wandering creatures (in the form of flying beasts who emerge from the void)—are even more dangerous on the Final Highway than their counterparts on the byways of the mortal world. Seerians believe the physical growth of civilization necessitates the absorption of native cultures into the greater body. Small elements of absorbed societies thus eventually come to be observed by the populace at large, infusing the common culture with disparate components in a cacophonous paean to chaos. By “infecting” civilization with a multiplicity of hard-dying philosophies and belief systems sprung from the corpses of conquered lands, progress weakens society’s overall reliance on law. And with the inevitable weakening of laws, crow Seerians, the groundwork is laid for the advancement of evil. Seerians do their part by organizing trade caravans and expeditions, hoping to turn up areas rich in resources for later exploitation. In the wild they act as guides, and in cities they often serve unscrupulous merchant companies, enhancing their ability to damage the world and displace native peoples simply for the joy of turning a buck. Whenever a thaumaturge in service to the Patron of Portals teleports (either via their own magic or a spell cast by another) they appear at the destination standing in a shallow pool of deep red blood—a wound torn into the sacred order of the natural world.
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Sh ax
The Great Crippling Gaze
Some demon princes concoct intricate philosophies to trick mortals into following them to eternal damnation. Shax, a ruthless Abyssal sovereign, makes no such claims of altruism. His liturgy holds that the body of a sentient creature is a microcosm, a living symbol of the greater universe. The secrets of the world are hidden in veins and subcutaneous tissue, and those who release those secrets by opening the flesh exert ultimate power upon that microcosm, in a sense attaining a sliver of the divine with the slash of a scalpel. Devotees refer to cutting up their victims as “achieving the demiurge,” deifying the moment at which they transcend mortality with their hands buried wrist deep in cooling organs. The philosophy’s utter lunacy appeals to the criminally insane, who are thankfully rare, but a more significant threat has developed within the last decade. After wallowing in obscurity for centuries among the wailing, mad souls consigned to his Abyssal home, Shax decided to raise his profile. His demonic servants ensured his philosophy made its way to disaffected young human nobles in various cities throughout the mortal realm. These men and women have brought Shaxan doctrine to their decadent friends and slake their overwhelming boredom by embracing the teachings of the demon prince. The nobles are lurid sensualists who fancy themselves as having discovered a great new philosophical frontier in the mutilation of flesh. They murder vagrants in the night, undermine local institutions of order, and get away with it in style. As their infamy spreads, so, too, does their influence. Shax, it would seem, has finally come into his own. Shax appears as a powerful humanoid with stork-like legs and the head of a dove. He seldom wears a shirt and prefers to be covered from head to toe in blood. He wields a number of prods, saws, and blades in combat, often favoring whatever will inflict the most gruesome wounds upon his enemies. When conversing, Shax speaks with a hoarse voice that makes a painful experience of listening to his depraved ravings. His completely black avian eyes reflect an insane vacancy—it’s impossible to read Shax’s emotions by looking into those stolid pools of darkness. Known as the Great Crippling Gaze for the unsettling nature of his eyes, the demon prince prefers screams over parley, the dead over the living. Rusted, filth-soaked gurneys trundle along the cramped hallways of the Charnelhome, Shax’s Abyssal domain. Pushed along by vacuous dretches, the gurneys hold the whimpering bodies of tortured souls who lie quivering in thin puddles of blood, bile, and festering guts. Floating balls of continual flame shed harsh illumination upon tile walls marred with the sticky leavings of life. There are no exits or windows in the Charnelhome, nor is there evidence that the layer exists beyond its grim interior. Hideously eviscerated and lobotomized souls aimlessly wander the
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endless hallways, absently looking for some sort of half-remembered life beyond the hellish sanitarium. Those souls who honored the Great Crippling Gaze in life serve the prince not as victims but as surgeon-philosophers who carve into their “patients” with academic zeal. Shax houses himself at the center of the structure, reading the reports of his inferiors and chuckling with raspy glee. Upper-class followers of Shax will do anything to anyone, simply to get off on something they’ve never seen before. They often gather in intimate social clubs to carefully plan their attacks, then retreat to sympathetic cafés where, bloodied, they lock themselves in private rooms, regaling each other with tales of their own horridness while inhaling narcotic smoke from imported hookahs. Ruthless and sociopathic in the extreme, this new breed of Shaxans uses political and familial connections to add an element of intrigue to their dark dealings. The old school carries on, regardless of the new attention from the gentry. With Shax’s wicked approval, these babbling, incoherent lunatics struggle are aroused by while gutting unfortunates with broken bottles and cast-off bits of sharp metal, confident in the efficacy of their old-fashioned philosophies. 21
S o c o th b e n o th
Patron of the Sighing Tents
Devotees of the demon prince Socothbenoth follow a philosophy where the exploitation of sexual taboos is the truest manifestation of natural law. According to their popular views, that which feels good is good, simply because nature wills it so—no sexual fetish can be wrong if it brings pleasure to the person indulging in it. Taboos, as strictly mortal inventions, are to be cast away as blights on the face of nature, which is an almighty force governing even the gods themselves. “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law,” according to Socothbenoth’s lurid litany. Yet boiled to its core, Socothbenoth’s teachings praise the ecstasy of his followers. Everyone else is just so much flesh to be used, and it is this which sets his cult apart from the factions of kinder libertines. Socothbenoth appears as a handsome, rakish human man with long brown hair and pure white skin. A pair of donkey ears (replete with piercings) jut straight up from the sides of his head, and his face seems perpetually marked by a knowing, seductive smirk. The demon prince prefers to dress lightly in riding boots and leather pants, eschewing shirts to show off the six immense barbells piercing his chest horizontally in a single vertical row. His long, rounded fingernails seem manicured specifically to tease, and an abnormally long tongue occasionally slips out from between his lips, giving him the appearance of a salacious snake. Socothbenoth is known by many names, including Succor-Beloth and Succorbenoth. Nocticula, the sultry Princess of Moonlight, spends a great deal of time at Socothbenoth’s side. The demon prince knows her both as a sister and a lover—together the two push the limits of ecstasy, surrendering their human mores bit by bit until they degenerate into beasts and fiends ruled by instinct alone. However, in the public realm, they present a unified, powerful alliance to their numerous enemies. A peaceful idyll of sparse forest makes up the bulk of Socothbenoth’s private Abyssal demesne. Mockingbirds
Vepar
Master of Angry Waters
To get anywhere worth going, you’ve got to cross water. When seasoned mariners encounter a storm on the open seas, they call upon the dread lord Vepar in hopes the demon prince will quell his wrath and calm the violent waters. Belowdecks, chained “savages” curse his name. They blame Vepar for allowing rapacious slavers to come across the ocean and cart them away from their homelands. Lower still, beneath the frightening waves, massive many-tentacled sea creatures keep pace with the ship, thanking the Master of Angry Waters for delivering them yet another tasty meal. Vepar appears as an immense humanoid figure with the lower body of a giant fish. His dull gray skin hangs loosely 22
trill innocuous songs as they flutter from tree to tree, stretching their colorful wings in the welcoming light of a warm sun. Small clearings mark the woodland here and there, their soft beds of flowers giving comfort to young lovers fumbling at each other’s clothes. No demons inhabit this outer landscape, and souls and the living alike dwell together in a handful of towns scattered throughout the layer. A towering edifice dominates the center of the forest, giving a name to the whole domain—the Cathedral Thelemic. Decked out with the iconography of dozens of good-aligned religions, the so-called “Church of Free Will” is home to thousands of entrapped souls whose attempts to unethically slake their sexual thirst in life consigned them to an eternity in the Abyss. Under the tutelage of a priesthood made up of succubi and incubi, and under the gaze of impassive stone angels, the souls spend every minute of every day indulging in the most prurient proclivities imaginable. The souls have until multiversal oblivion to work out their kinks, and in the eternity of the Cathedral Thelemic, everyone assumes every role eventually. Socothbenoth’s followers are difficult to classify. Most view their faith as an intensely personal matter, often because they first discovered hints of the demon prince’s agenda scribbled in the margins of surreptitiously purchased books of erotic poetry or collections of p*rnographic woodcuts. Enlightened followers spread the word of the Patron of the Sighing Tents, enticing new members to the movement with fetching pouts and nimble tongues. Nature, they claim, honors their indulgences, giving pleasure in return. Socothbenothans (sometimes for fear of reprisal after death) honor the infallibility of natural law above the decrees of the gods, disdaining any who would place morality in the way of sexual fulfillment.
from his powerful skeleton, seemingly awaiting the day when it will slough off as he swims through the depths of the sea. Vepar wears an irregular crown of coral atop his balding head. The headgear pulls and tears at his scalp, releasing thick amber blood of a pus-like consistency. The Master of Angry Waters rarely surfaces, preferring to dwell in the watery depths of his home layer, the Seething Passage, alongside the Slithy Brood, a school of seventy-two hezrou who serve him faultlessly. Immediately upon their arrival at his home layer, souls sworn to Vepar or those harvested in his name from the Howling Threshold find themselves packed into leaking vessels with torn rigging, adrift in a nightmare seascape
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of typhoon winds and hurricane waves. Worse, they usually manifest chained in sweaty, cramped holds, their only companions the screams of other damned souls and the slowly rising pool of water coming in through small holes in the deck. Most drown within an hour of arrival, fueling Vepar’s unthinkable demonic power. The strongest manage to fight their way on deck, wrestling the vessel to a semblance of safety by navigating into the relatively calm eye of the storm. Within the eye, which has a radius of more than ninety miles, those who survive the storm get the pleasure of fighting off ships crewed by other survivors, all in constant battle for the only food available on the entire Abyssal layer—soulflesh. Below, Vepar and his companions squeal with piscine laughter. Very few serve Vepar intentionally, though most who live on the open seas know of him and occasionally toss an offering into the waters in a half-hearted attempt to stave off his villainous attentions. But when gales tear the mainsail from its moorings and waves pound crew off the deck and into the inky waters, lip service often shifts to wholehearted prayers
and desperate promises. Vepar isn’t picky, however, and takes his followers wherever he can get them. He’s been known to manifest aboard a ship in the minutes before it goes under, proffering its crew safety in return for their cargo. Sometimes he tells them they must offer up three of their own to the Abyss before he will calm the waters—Vepar delights in watching formerly tight crews fall upon each other to save their own hides. Rarely, he even allows the three sacrifices to live, casting their betrayers into the seas as snacks for inhuman servitor creatures dwelling below the waves. Slavers honor Vepar as the patron of their cruel trade, praying to him to reveal the best naval routes to new lands rife with material and human riches. Vepar, in turn, thrives on the suffering of the slaves in disease-ridden, filthy cargo holds. He delights in the eradication of “primitive” societies, seeing this as necessary in order to spread cultures dependent upon sea travel for their sustenance. Once they dominate the world, the Master of Angry Waters intends to visit it personally, demanding tribute from all while holding the trade of every nation in his clawed, rubbery fingers.
G E H E NN A The conflict between good and evil is the heart of most great games. Usually, evil is a force beyond common understanding. The forces of Hell and the Abyss are so evil the average mortal would go mad with just a glimpse of their far-reaching plans and all-encompassing wickedness. Indeed, mortals that tie themselves to these outside planes are thought by most to have sold their very souls, to have become so deeply malevolent they no longer bear any real similarity to other members of their race. But Hell and the Abyss are not the only Outer Planes, and not all fiendish powers are beyond the comprehension of the common person. When neutral evil mortals die, if they have been wholly dedicated to the path of their alignment, their souls are consigned to Gehenna. Unlike other fiendish domains, Gehenna is not overseen by malefic lords bent on conquest or hatching schemes to topple the gods and swallow up the multiverse. No, Gehenna’s evil is less showy than all that but, according to scholars like Goodfellow, far more insidious. In the Seven-Circle Realm, as its inhabitants call it, the home of pure, selfish evil is made. Here are the whisperers and watchers who sit over each person’s shoulder throughout the course of their lives, inviting them to take the wicked path, eschew what they know is right, embrace self-interest, and reject their charitable nature. Here are the mercenaries of the endless war between Hell and the Abyss, always switching sides whenever they receive a better offer—or so it would seem—though their fickle loyalty does nothing so much as prolong the war and ensure their eternal employment. Here are the seven exarchs, each watching over one of the circles, each maintaining the strength of the sin they foster in the mortal world. It is a land of contradictions, where steadfast alignments are the
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“How can any man defeat his greatest foe? We are each of us tempted by wickedness—some in quiet whispers, others in discordant cries. No blade can cut away at temptation; no strength can wrestle it from our breasts. It is the very evil of our souls.” —Davram Goodfellow, “I Will Not Yield”
law of one blasted acre and anarchy and madness reign in the land beside it. It is a realm of subtlety, of shadows and whispers. This is Gehenna, and here our worst angels reside.
C r e a t ion o f t he Re al m Some say Gehenna was the first land in the universe—the place where the first beings of any consciousness resided. Their selfishness brought evil and death into the world, resulting in the creation of Hell, the Abyss, and fiendish powers and the introduction of suffering in the multiverse. Others say Gehenna’s roots are less grandiose: an accursed battleground between the older realms of the Abyss and Hell, Gehenna was a sort of no-man’s-land, its inhabitants the deserters from both sides of the war (and the malevolent residents of other planes that were drawn to the conflict). Many believe Gehenna was not a plane at all until the gods of Heaven made it so. Fearing the potential power 23
of Hell or the Abyss unchecked by the other, the Lords of Good made an agreement with the outcasts of Gehenna. These sad creatures received their own plane, power, and a place in the universe. In return, they agreed to record the evil deeds done by mortal peoples and, most importantly, to keep the war between their neighbors burning hot for all eternity. A Hell and Abyss at war are safer for the multiverse, the Lords of Good reasoned, and thus far it has proven true. Regardless of the cause and true history of its creation, most agree that Gehenna is now the fiendish plane most tied to the Material Plane. Its lords aren’t just aware of mortal affairs—they watch and influence them. The inhabitants of Gehenna even include mortals who have made the Seven-Circle Realm their home, preferring the clarity of its raw evil to the Material Plane. Accessible by mortals, devils, demons, celestials, and creatures of negative energy alike, Gehenna is the hub of the fiendish planes, rendering it a place both deeply terrifying and profoundly useful for those seeking to make otherworldly alliances.
T he L ay o f t he L and Gehenna is a great flat plane in the form of a giant circle. The outer part of this circle is called the war zone, for the simple reason that all around this outer circle the war between Hell and the Abyss rages. The war zone forms an enclosure around six smaller circles that, in turn, encircle one central circle. They are the Circle of Wrath, Circle of Envy, Circle of Lust, Circle of Sloth, Circle of Gluttony, Circle of Greed, and the Circle of Pride. Each of the internal circles is ruled by one of the exarchs of Gehenna. These powerful daemons (mostly) are the lords of the Seven-Circle Realm, though they have neither supreme authority nor any firm laws. Indeed, each seeks only to further their own aims and strengthen the power of their circle. Whatever theory one ascribes to regarding the creation and purpose of Gehenna, one thing is clear: each of its circles directly connects to the sins of mortal kind. As mortals commit sinful deeds, petty or profound, they are observed in the appropriate circle, and the mere commission of the deed lends strength to the daemons of that land and its lord. How mortals are observed in these acts is a matter of debate. Most agree that through some property of Gehenna (perhaps its proximity to the Material Plane or perhaps through its agreements with the gods of Heaven), all people cast a dark shadow of themselves into the Seven-Circle Realm throughout their lives. As they do ill, their shadows wander into the appropriate circle, where their deeds are scrutinized and recorded by the residents, all of whom delight in wickedness. As the daemons observe these sins, they write them up in great dark ledgers. The purpose of these ledgers is the source of much debate. Some call the dark ledgers the Book of the Wicked. They say that at the end of a person’s life, they must answer for all of the sins recorded therein (though these are counterbalanced by a similar and opposite book, recorded on another plane, called the Book of the Righteous). Others say these books are kept in the central 24
circle of Gehenna, in a terrible place called the Library of Blasphemies. They are stored there for a purpose both secret and horrifying, for within are kept records of every sin committed by mortals since time began. Whatever their purpose, it cannot be good.
T he War Zone
Stretching out in all directions from the Seven-Circle Realm is a blasted wasteland worn down to craters and flaming pits over countless millennia of warfare. It is a place of blood, bile, and ichor, a place where suffering, pain, and fear are as palpable as a lover’s embrace. At all times, demons and devils fight their interminable war against each other, expending themselves in a desperate struggle for dominance in the planes. Goaded by the exarchs who rule the seven circles, opponents allow reason to play no part in the struggle. Each setback, each defeat, merely spurs the losing side to redouble its efforts and resume the struggle for dominance. No victory is ever complete, just as no defeat is final. The fallen soldiers lie where they fell, fodder for the gluttonous demons and ravenous scavengers who slither and skulk across the battlefields. What most find maddening about the war zone is that there is nothing to conquer, nothing to hold. Neither side sees value in the landscape across which they march. After all, the war zone was stripped of anything and everything of value long, long ago. Still, the demonic horde gathers its strength and throws itself against the bulwarks raised by its infernal enemies, sometimes breaking through and forcing the devils to retreat to some other squalid corner of the realm. And at other times, the devils chew up the attacking demons, breaking them on the points of their spears and sending them scurrying back into the darkness. Since demons and devils use this place as their eternal battlefield, only breaking through to invade the Abyss or Hell rarely, such fiends are the ones most likely to be encountered here. The daemons have keen interest in seeing the fighting continue, and thus mercenaries sold by the various exarchs can be found swelling the ranks of one side or the other. Undead drawn from the Negative Energy Plane tend to stumble into the raging battle as well, though such beings often find themselves slaughtered and trampled by the hardened veterans pressing whatever advantage they can. Outsiders who come to the war zone find the place uninviting and dangerous to the extreme. Visitors from the Material Plane might be conscripted to fight for the devils or assaulted and devoured by vicious demons. Only the most powerful travelers have a chance at driving off these fiends for any length of time, but even they discover the folly of exploring this realm when the number of enemies never seems to diminish and they, like many before them, find themselves victims to the unchecked violence that defines this horrifying place.
T he Circl e o f Wr a t h
A land of constant warfare and strife, the Circle of Wrath has stitched together hundreds of different battlefields, each populated by those who hate and desire the death
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of all they meet. The final destination for souls corrupted by their anger and viciousness, the Circle of Wrath is no place for the faint of heart, since random violence defines existence here. Bands of insane soul forms roam the fields and forests, attacking anyone not part of their tribes and butchering the bodies, hacking them into undifferentiated hunks and leaving the mutilated remains behind. Tyrexxus, the Black Horn, rules the circle as exarch. The fighting raging across his realm consumes his attention fully, much to the relief of his rivals, since his hatred for the other exarchs over historic slights, real and imagined, would otherwise lead him to wage war against them. A great towering giant clad in black spiked armor, Tyrexxus spends much of his time stomping across his realm, savaging daemons and soul forms alike with sweeps of his blade and spiked chain. His roars can be heard across the circle, and, rather than inspiring fear, they inflame the hatred burning in the hearts of those condemned to this place, driving them to commit even greater acts of appalling violence. Most daemons use the Circle of Wrath as a training ground before undertaking missions in the war zone. These daemons fight against each other so that only the strongest and toughest survive. The brutality with which they fight each other resembles somewhat the raw savagery of demons and might lead some to mistake these fiends for their chaotic evil kin. But instead of being controlled by their anger, they focus it with surprising effectiveness.
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Of all the realms of Gehenna, the Circle of Wrath stands closest to the gate leading to the Abyss. Chaotic influence bleeding from this realm contributes to the madness gripping the minds of those fighting here. Demons sometimes slip across the border to join in the fighting, which gives Tyrexxus’s daemons opportunities to test their mettle against some of the most dangerous fiends in the multiverse.
T he Circl e o f E nvy
The Circle of Envy stands atop Utter Darkness, a yawning portal to the Negative Energy Plane. Emanations from the Negative Energy Plane spill out into this dark place and permeate it, shrouding everything in gloom while slowly leaching life and vitality from its inhabitants. High towers thrust up from this dominion, their gray stones slick with the rain that perpetually falls from the sodden skies above. Slick streets wend their way between the tall buildings, each festooned with swiveling eyes that watch for any signs of intruders who might venture within the structures and make off with the treasures they contain. Ulasta, “the Great Skull,” rules over this gloomy place. An undead dragon of staggering power and size, she oversees the daemons in her dominion, all of whom worship her as a god, for she has what they cannot: death. Yet for all her might and majesty, Ulasta hides the envy she has for the living behind her cruel mask and plots endlessly to escape her prison of bone and sinew and become a living
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woman, able to feel the air fill her chest, to experience hunger, thirst, love, and want. All her efforts have thus far been thwarted by her very nature; being undead, only a final death can free her from this form, and she fears annihilation more than she covets life. Proximity to the void gives Ulasta the means to assemble her armies from the corpses littering the war zone and other locations in Gehenna. Stitching together the parts and pieces harvested from the bloody battlefield, her daemons create undead thralls that obey her every command. Many of the undead are the same as those found in the Material Plane, but plenty more and far worse examples are unique to the Great Skull’s dominion.
T he Circl e o f L ust
Few places rival the horror and beauty found in In’nassi’s Circle of Lust. A wondrous realm far removed from the violence of the other realms, it features perfumed gardens, palaces in which every pleasure can be sampled, and daemons of astonishing beauty and allure, all of whom conceal the hideous truth of their being behind comely masks. The seeming paradise encompassed by the circle’s high walls masks the debauched underbelly and perils that unchecked lust present to incautious visitors. Visitors to this place might find their every want met for a time, only to find themselves hunted amidst the sighing souls, from which they might notice secret, resentful gazes. The lust-chained, daemon and damned alike, are ever driven to seek satisfaction, but can never find it, and so envy they living, who have not yet cursed themselves by cheapening their own passions with greed, deception, and cruelty. In’nassi of the Red Petals and the Iron Rod rules the Circle of Lust from an enormous palace rising from the top of a high hill at the center of the realm. Carved from pink porphyry, reliefs decorating the exterior present the sexual organs of an untold number of creatures, punctuated with frescos and friezes depicting unlikely pairings of different creatures engaged in carnal acts. Although the carvings and statuary appear to be carved from stone, they feel warm and supple to the touch, almost as if alive. Few people have entered the exarch’s palace and emerged with their sanity intact, but legends claim that the expression of all desires, no matter how profane or disturbing, can be found in its corridors. The sighs and screams lifting up from the structure testify to the unspeakable atrocities that take place within its confines each day and night without end. Depictions of the exarch vary wildly, since In’nassi rarely dons the same form twice, able to freely move between kind and gender in accordance with the exarch’s whims. Generally, In’nassi assumes a striking form, possessed of both male and female organs. In any shape, a mere glimpse of the exarch inflames passions and stirs feelings of longing that demand release. In’nassi’s influence affects all creatures, and it’s thought that the exarch can even awaken passion in a corpse. In’nassi has at various times taken other exarchs as lovers, usually to manipulate them into protecting or furthering the daemon’s interests. 26
T he Circl e o f Sl ot h
Situated nearest to Hell’s gate, the daemons of the Circle of Sloth cannot be bothered to slow the advance of the infernal armies as they march forth to engage the demonic horde. Neglect has reduced the Circle of Sloth to a festering quagmire of rubble, filth, and rot. Structures that once rivaled the beauty found in the Circle of Lust have all but collapsed, and what still stands is draped with creepers, spotted with mold, and stained. The exarch who rules the circle is known as Viasta, “the Broken Promise,” but no one has seen the daemon in nearly a thousand years. Believed old and powerful, Viasta abandoned all responsibility for his dominion long ago and now spares no thought for the blighted place or the machinations and intrigues of his rivals. Most assume he reclines in some subterranean chamber, moldering away as he awaits the end of the universe. Heretical scholars claim he is not even a daemon but is, in fact, the most powerful being in all the multiverse, the Creator, who, having become exhausted by his work and disgusted by the shortcomings of his creations, has simply given up. Though it is within his power to fix every flaw in the world, to save those unjustly injured, to do and achieve boundless good, he cannot be bothered and instead lurks within his domain doing nothing at all. Many inhabitants of the Circle of Sloth fell from the Heavens. Once angels, the duties and service wore at them until they gave up. Their surrender resulted in their fall into the wretched filth of the Circle of Sloth, where they lie in a fugue state, heedless of what goes on around them. Even the daemons who dwell here find it difficult to stir themselves into action, and the only enticement that can budge them is the promise of the fresh souls of the lazy and indolent when they tumble into the daemons’ grasp.
T he Circl e o f Gl u t tony
The great daemon Yungo, known also as the Slavering Mouths, composes the whole of the Circle of Gluttony. The daemons there feast on his flesh, and he, in turn, feasts on theirs, making himself drunk on their intoxicating blood and pus. Of all the circles, this is the one most avoided by travelers, for to enter the Circle of Gluttony, often called the Mountain of Flesh, is to risk being torn to pieces and eaten by its inhabitants—or, worse, eaten whole by Yungo. All is flesh and filth in this place, littered with putrid leavings of meals abandoned or excreted. Souls condemned to this circle can be found perched atop the shuddering mounds of flesh, raking the excrement and other awful bits into their hands and stuffing them into their mouths, gorging themselves on the offal. Daemons take delight in their compulsive eating, eager to fit more into their forms until they finally burst apart, their grisly remains becoming food for the hungry daemons all around them. From a distance, one can spot Yungo’s great head pushing up from a calloused ridge of flesh that makes up his neck. Four slavering maws dribble and drip noxious fluids, while prehensile tongues reach out from the dark corridors of his mouths to guide food into his gullet. Every now and then,
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the whole circle shudders as Yungo voids his bowels to add to the moat of excrement marking the border to his realm. There are rumors, none of which have ever been confirmed, that a shining empire watched over by good celestials and inhabited by golden-skinned mortals lurks deep inside Yungo’s gullet. The story claims he consumed the place long ago and forgot about it; from this supposed land, the forces of good keep tabs on the war between Hell and the Abyss, going unnoticed.
T he Circl e o f G r e e d
Many entrances lead into the Circle of Greed, but once entered, almost none ever escape. Such is the greed of Mytaxx, “the Golden Miser,” who has constructed a vast labyrinth across the whole of his dominion. The twisting and turning passageways shift and move, while diabolical traps lie in wait to snatch and maim the unwary. Legend holds Mytaxx was once a mortal man who bought himself rulership of a circle of Gehenna, the Circle of Greed. Whether this is true or not, it is the case that the daemons of his circle hoard all manner of wealth—gold, gems, knowledge, magic, and power. Few have ever seen Mytaxx, for he fears that all covet the treasures he has accumulated. Mytaxx seeks to own everything there is. He would take the stars themselves, if he could, but he is kept occupied by his obsessive hoarding of that which he already holds. Paranoid, greedy, and obsessed with the wonders he has claimed so far, he always casts an eye outward, eager to snatch whatever he can to add to his impossible fortune. The Circle of Greed has many portals to the Material Plane, and through them the daemons venture to grow their own treasures and those of their master. Mortals who delve too deeply in search of plunder might stumble into Gehenna and, once there, find themselves trapped. Mytaxx lures mortals into his dominion with knowledge, wealth, and other assets, adding them to his treasures as he does anything else he covets.
every denizen of that seemingly perfect place is convinced of their own absolute authority and rectitude. Each does whatever they desire, with utmost certainty that it is the right thing to do because they wish it. This results in murder, theft, and a constant buzzing of betrayal. None is more convinced of their own perfection than Gravicarius; the horrors he has caused by doing what he believes to be “right” chill the very blood.
T he Ha t e f ul Home As a hub, Gehenna has become home to any number of creatures. Its native inhabitants are daemons. Their roots as a species are shrouded in mystery. Some say daemons were the first race, accursed by the gods for their pride and made into the horrid creatures they are today. Others believe they are the dross of demons and devils, transformed through some power (infernal, divine, or arcane) into a breed in their own right. Whatever the case, they are distinct from devils and demons. Because it is connected to many other planes—particularly Hell and the Abyss, which wage an eternal war across the outer circle of Gehenna—the Seven-Circle Realm is home to many other peoples. Fallen celestials, beings that were long ago of pure good, are sometimes found in Gehenna, having given over to depravity and spiritual decay. Powerful, evil mortals from the Material Plane, undead overlords from the Negative Energy Plane, and even a few demon and devil refugees from the war between their homelands can be found in the circles of the land. They have only one thing that unites them—hearts of pure evil.
T he Circl e o f P ride
The Circle of Pride is home to Gravicarius, “the Shining Star.” Exarch of the circle, he considers himself the equal of any demon prince, Lord of Hell, or celestial god—and in some ways, perhaps he is. It is his firm belief there is nothing he cannot do, but he is pleased by what he does now, which is to make sure that the dark ledgers of Gehenna are recorded and their purpose (whatever it might be) is fulfilled. If it is true that Gehenna is in league with the Lords of Heaven, prolonging the war between Hell and the Abyss and recording mortals’ sins so that they might be judged, then this agreement was surely brokered by Gravicarius. Though he is not king of Gehenna, he is unquestionably its greatest citizen. The Circle of Pride is not at first a place of obvious evil. Filled with the most perfect and beautiful daemons, the most stunning works of art and architecture, and the wisest scholars, the inner circle of Gehenna seems almost a paradise. But beneath the surface, wickedness lurks. For
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HE L L Long ago, the gods created Hell to serve as a prison for the demons they defeated in the Abyss and elsewhere in the multiverse. Its original purpose, however, was lost after the rebellion in Heaven that resulted in the fall of the angelic host. These fallen celestials tumbled into Hell, where they were transformed into devils by the evil nature of the place. Now ruled by Asmodeus, the King of Hell, Hell has become a place for the souls of mortals who embraced order for wicked ends, mortals who bargained with the devils, and anyone else who has come under infernal sway. There are few places in the multiverse worse than Hell.
T he Pi t o f He l l Hell looks like an inverted mountain, the cosmic opposite of the peak of Heaven. Known for both geographic and metaphorical reasons as the Pit, Hell is divided into nine circles ranging from raging infernos to churning seas to icy wastes. A powerful archdevil rules each circle, and all the devils in Hell pay homage to Asmodeus, the Lord of the Ninth Circle, King of Hell, and adversary of all that is good.
T he F irst Circl e
The uppermost circle of Hell stands as the first line of defense against invasion by the plane’s myriad enemies. Chief among Hell’s foes are the rapacious demons who seek to plunder Hell of its souls and lay waste to the arrogant lords and ladies who rule this realm. Thus, the First Circle features high walls punctuated with grim towers, while bulwarks and fortifications crisscross the blasted landscape to thwart the progress of any invading force. Hell’s armies are arrayed across this circle, drilling day and night in readiness for war. And when the war has need for fresh troops to drive back the demons in Gehenna, the battalions march from here through Hell’s gate to meet the foe without question or hesitation.
B a al Overseeing the First Circle’s defenses and commanding the many legions is the archdevil Baal. A fierce and bellicose fiend, he has little time for the politicking in Hell, since his attention seems forever fixed on destroying demons. Some claim Baal was once a mighty pit fiend, while others suggest he was an angel who fell from on high. Regardless, he is a terrible figure to behold, with scaly skin covered in plates of green iron forged in the flames of burning souls in Hell’s deepest pits.
T he Se cond Circl e
Descending from the First Circle, travelers find the vast fortified city of Dis, a sprawling metropolis that covers 28
nearly the entire layer. Several gates pierce the iron walls that rise several hundred feet into the air and on which hang those soul forms and devils who have displeased the city’s master. In accordance with the nature of the plane, everything in the city follows a rigid plan, with straight streets arranged in a grid and towers all of uniform height and size, with one exception—the palace of the circle’s lord and master Dispater, a great, terrifying stronghold whose grim walls have never once been breached. Despite being a city in Hell, Dis sees the most visitors of anywhere in the Pit. The city is home to countless soul forms, most of whom are herded by night hags to the auction blocks, where aristocratic devils bid on them to serve as slaves or sport. Devils of all kinds and breeds dwell here, each subject to the rigid laws that ensure order prevails in the city. In addition, mortal travelers, disgraced celestials, and other planar beings reside here, most of whom are every bit as evil as the plane itself.
D is p a t e r Dispater has ruled Dis since the plane’s earliest days, and he’s famed for his cunning and guarded nature. Paranoid to the extreme, he sees enemies everywhere. For these reasons, he rarely leaves the safety of his citadel, relying on his underlings to feed him intelligence and carry out his orders. While Dispater reacts slowly to threats and always hedges his bets, once he has decided on a course of action, he responds with overwhelming force.
T he T hir d Circl e
Thick clouds swirl over the Third Circle, and from them falls a foul, icy rain. All across the bleak landscape below, one finds slush befouled by excrement, blood, and other fluids, and writhing in the mess are the soul forms condemned here for their wickedness. Much of the Third Circle is barren and broken, the ground fissured , with jagged rocks stabbing up to pierce feet, and reeking of decay. It is a place of bitter suffering and one many avoid.
M a mm o n Never has Mammon, the Lord of the Third Circle, been content with what he has gained or his position as one of Hell’s most powerful lords. Ambitious and dissatisfied with his domain, he schemes constantly to conquer another circle of Hell. His armies have clashed with those of Belial, the ruler of the Fourth Circle, on many occasions, but neither lord has been able to gain the advantage. As is often the case with the greedy, Mammon’s reach exceeds his grasp, and he has suffered for it.
C hapter I: Planes of P erdition
T he F ourt h Circl e
A place of fire, smoke, and endless suffering, the Fourth Circle comes closest to what mortals imagine Hell is like. Here, soul forms shriek from pools of liquid fire, their efforts to escape thwarted by the devils who patrol the edges and shove them back in to cook forever. The fumes from these fiery lakes thicken the air with toxic smoke, making the layer inhospitable to visitors.
Be l ial Only Asmodeus is a better liar than Belial. Originally a powerful celestial, Belial fell from grace in the distant past. Lords like Dispater and the Eight Circle’s Mephistopheles still treat Belial as an upstart, since he was not born a devil. Belial’s armies are powerful , and he is as slippery as green slime, so the Lord of the Fourth Circle continues to stand strong.
T he F if t h Circl e
The Fourth Circle drops away to the water-covered Fifth. In the churning seas float the bodies of the damned, who drown in their sins when not being pulled apart by the devils of the deep who drag them under to be devoured. Here and there, islands rise from the dark waters, but these places offer no respite from the horror of this layer. Each island is ruled by powerful devils who owe fealty to the circle’s lord but greedily collect the living and the dead for their own excruciating torments.
C hapter I: Planes of P erdition
L e vi a t h a n In form, Leviathan is the most enormous sea monster the multiverse has ever known. Literally miles long, Leviathan needs a domain as large as the Fifth Circle to house his massive bulk. Some scholars say that Hell is Leviathan’s prison and countless worlds will perish if he ever escapes. His appetite for mortal souls is legendary.
T he Six t h Circl e
Woods blanket the Sixth Circle, but the trees making them up are unlike any known in the multiverse. Each tree has pale bark and gnarled branches from which grow sharp leaves that can lay open the flesh with the lightest touch. Some trees grow from the bodies of the damned, rooting them in place and stretching their forms out of recognition. Other bodies hang from the branches, necks broken, faces purpled, limbs thrashing.
L il i t h Once the bride of Asmodeus, Lilith broke from her husband to rule her own dominion. A devil of striking appearance and allure, beneath her comely exterior lies resolve as hard as steel; Lilith never flinches away from what she must do to get what she wants. Lilith dreams of power greater than the Pit can hold, but she is quite patient and has enacted schemes that will take centuries to unfold. 29
T he Se ve n t h Circl e
The forest of the damned covering the Sixth Circle drops away into the fetid swamps of the Seventh. In this bleak and unforgiving landscape, the damned wander, muttering curses, wailing, and weeping. Biting flies, leeches, and parasites torment them, ensuring their suffering never ends.
B e e l z e bu b Known as the Lord of Flies, Beelzebub is a fallen celestial like Belial. He and Mephistopheles hate each other deeply, and they have been at war on and off for millennia. While Mephistopheles claims that Beelzebub is no true devil, the truth is their feud isn’t about race but power. Asmodeus lets them fight because it keeps them too busy to plot against him.
T he E ig h t h Circl e
The Eighth Circle is a realm of stony ditches spanned by high bridges. At the bottom of these pits writhe the damned, which are often those souls who earned their place in Hell from fraud and treachery. Devils torment these souls by casting down boulders, filth, and fire onto the squirming bodies.
M e p his t o p h e l e s Mephistopheles views himself as the heir apparent of Hell. After all, who is closer to Asmodeus than he? Once he has dealt with Beelzebub (and he’s sure that he will deal with him), Mephistopheles will be ready to take the crown… whether Asmodeus will allow it or not. Although Mephistopheles believes himself to be very clever indeed, he is an open book to Asmodeus.
T he Nin t h Circl e
The bottommost layer of Hell is the Ninth. As far from the light of Heaven as one can be, it is a place of cold and darkness. Inside the ring of high mountains that climb to the circle above stretches a vast expanse of ice in which are trapped the worst traitors and tyrants, the utterly wicked, each positioned to face the throne of Asmodeus at the center. Souls condemned to this circle face the most excruciating torments, but they should not be pitied, for in life, they were among the worst of the worst.
A s m o d e us Uncounted volumes have been written about the King of Hell. Is he merely a devil, like the other lords, or is he a being of a higher order? He has been the Adversary for as long as anyone can remember (and out on the planes, there are those whose memories reach back to the dawn of time). Some whisper that he is a fallen god, more ancient and powerful than can possibly be imagined. Others say he is a devil true, but simply the cleverest of that despicable race. Whatever the truth, none can deny that he has defied Heaven from time immemorial and destroyed all pretenders to his throne. 30
T he In f e rnal Hie r archy The politics of Hell are complex and ill understood by mortals. The basic structure is feudal. Asmodeus is the King of Hell, and the eight other lords are his chief vassals. Each lord maintains a court populated by a bewildering array of dukes, counts, marquesses, barons, and so on. The lords rank these nobles in different ways, which, when combined with devils’ penchant for multiple names, makes keeping track of the hierarchy quite difficult. Beneath the infernal nobility are the common devils. These range from the pitiful lemures to the powerful pit fiends. These devils serve the various powers of Hell as tools, fodder, and occasionally food. Even the lowliest devil knows that their only hope is to climb up the hierarchy by any means. Murder, blackmail, and deception of every conceivable kind are used to ascend the infernal ladder. Once a devil becomes a noble, they can take a new form and become an individual for the first time. The most powerful nobles serve in the courts of the archdevils and command legions of lesser devils.
T he Fal l e n
What follows is an incomplete summary of the important fallen celestials residing in Hell.
S t e w a r ds
of t he
P r im og e ni t a l R e b e l l io n
Shortly after the Lords of Good achieved their position of prominence in the Upper Planes, they banded together in an act of creation that resulted in the birth of the archons, servitors made from the very stuff of goodness. These beings were arranged in a single great hierarchy shared even by contesting good deities and ruled by the most powerful of the new celestials. For eons, the archons served admirably and without fault. The Lords of Good, however, soon grew tired of their rigidity. The archons, they reasoned, worshipped them because they were created to worship them, and hence were not an accurate representation of the value of good over evil. To prove this, the gods proposed a creature with complete self-will, limited by a terminal lifespan. The lords presented this new creation to their servitor race and stated that henceforth the lawful celestials would serve these mortals as if they were gods. By this act, the Lords of Good introduced the sins of pride and envy to the archons. Iblis, a powerful seraph who had purged the Material Plane of a troublesome elder people known as the genies, felt betrayed in clearing the way for this new, flawed creation. He refused to serve the mortals and was cast from the Heavens to the depths of Hell. With Iblis fell one-third of the angelic host, thousands of celestials who, having lost the status of favored beings, turned their backs on the Lords of Good and succumbed to sin. This event, the Primogenital Rebellion, is seen by many as the birth of conflict in the Upper Planes. It certainly had repercussions in the lower realms.
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• A mitiel: The former archon of truth, he opposed the creation of mortality and now burns eternally for his rebellion. Amitiel serves Beelzebub. • Ariel: A great winged warrior with the head of a lion, Ariel once ruled the winds but now oversees the hideous tortures of the Fourth Hell under Belial’s command. • Beelzebub: The Lord of Flies, Beelzebub was one the most powerful of the Primogenital Stewards and has risen from the lower ranks of the Fallen to dominate an entire circle of Hell. • Belial: Formerly tasked with exacting the vengeance of the Lords of Good, Belial now exacts vengeance by his own whims. • Bune: A fallen celestial in service to Asmodeus, Bune convinced many archons to abandon the Heavens, and hence is roundly hated by most of the Fallen. • Carniveau: One of Moloch’s servants (see Moloch, below, for more information) and patron of witches, the ghastly Carniveau often manifests at Black Sabbaths, tempting attendees with lusty rites of animal indulgence. • Iblis: Once an archangel, he was the former ruler of the bene elim, who refused to serve the first mortal and brought a third of all archons into perdition. • Meresin: Once a grand prince of the power of air, Meresin now controls the violent lightning storms of the Seventh Circle of Hell under Beelzebub’s command. • Moloch: One of Beelzebub’s greatest servants, Moloch was once patron of children but now welcomes the little ones only as sacrifices. He was previously a great, diabolical leader but now wanders the Seventh Circle as a servant of its wicked lord. • Murmur: Souls arriving on the Seventh Circle face questions from Beelzebub’s vile servant Murmur that ensure the damned’s dedication to order and evil. Those found wanting are doomed to the Lake of Fire. • Paimon: Patron of science, Paimon grants transcendental secrets to those who appease her. She is served by her lovers, the diabolical Bebal and Abalan. She serves Asmodeus. • R ahbad: Lord of the Lightless Seas and allied with evil water creatures, Rahbad was thrown down when he refused to order the waters to recede to make way for the first mortals. He serves Leviathan.
T he Samyas an Host
Long ago, when humanity was in its earliest stages, the seraph Samyasa was tempted to bed with the sorceress Ishtahar, who wished the celestial to reveal to her the secret names of the Lords of Good. In the tumult that followed, Samyasa encouraged many of his fellows to abandon the Heavens for the earthly pleasures of the Material Plane. In so doing, some two hundred celestials fell victim to the sin of lust and were barred from returning forevermore. Many of the leaders of this divine revolt have been killed in the intervening years. What follows is a summary of those who still remain bound in Hell and barred from Heaven.
C hapter I: Planes of P erdition
• A mezyarak: In service to Samyasa, this fallen angel is the patron of conjurors and rules the Dolorous Aerie, a domain of dire, fiendish versions of otherwise extinct animals on the Seventh Circle. • A rmaros: This fallen angel teaches foul enchantments to wicked spellcasters. • A zibeel: With Jeqon (to learn more, see Jeqon, later in this section), Azibeel tempted the celestials with images of lustful humans. • Chnum : Samyasa’s second-in-command, Chnum was first to consort with Ishtahar, and he burns with desire for her and jealousy of his master to this day. • Danjal: Danjal exercises authority over lawyers. • Esdreel: A bull-headed fornicator, he is the archenemy of Bagdal. • Gadreel: After the fall, she remained on the Material Plane to instruct the children of the Samyasan Host in the arts of war. She is patron to the Order of the Seven Stars. • H akael: One of the seven leaders of the Host, the charismatic Hakael still holds the loyalty of many of those he led into damnation. • I adalbaoth: Known as the First Archon of Darkness, and arguably the most powerful of Samyasa’s converts, Iadalbaoth ruled the Order of Thrones at the time of his fall. • Jeqon: With Azibeel, he tempted the celestials with images of lustful humans. • K asdaye: Ashamed of what he had done by rebelling, Kasdaye attempted to murder the unborn sons of Samyasa. • Kochbiel: Exercising some dominion over the stars, Kochbiel is learned in the arts of astrology. • Penemue: Penemue is said to have taught mortals the art of writing in order to spread false wisdom denying the Lords of Good. • Samyasa: Samyasa became the leader of the revolt after being tempted by the human Ishtahar to reveal the secret names of the Lords of Good. He fathered the abominations Hiwa and Hiya, who still plague the earth, as fallen angels. • Sariel: Sariel is a great ram-headed warrior associated with worship of the moon, who teaches forbidden knowledge useful in war. • Tamiel: Also called the Angel of the Deep, Tamiel governs the great lakes of the Seventh Circle under the command of Beelzebub. • Urakbarameel: Urakbarameel, “the Chief of Thunders,” is one of the seven leaders under Samyasa. He denies he has fallen and marshals forces of likewise deluded Fallen in the First Circle to battle the forces of Beelzebub, Iblis, and Samyasa. The Apostate, as he is known by others of his kind, hopes this will restore him to the good graces of his former patrons, but as he is cruel and prone to violence, every day brings him further from the Heavens.
31
II: T he F ie n ds 32
C hapter II: T he F iends
T
he P lanes of P erdition belong to the most evil and hateful creatures in the multiverse . The planes
principally belong to the fiends, creatures of utter wickedness and depravity. These beings exist to spread suffering by leading mortal souls into darkness and, in death, tormenting them for eternity. Many different breeds of fiends exist. In the Abyss, demons run rampant throughout its infinite layers, warring with each other and devouring whatever souls they can catch. The devils in Hell hoard souls, treating them almost as currency, while the daemons in Gehenna collect the souls of mortals who have embraced deadly sin and been corrupted by it. Yet fiends are not the only inhabitants of the Planes of Perdition. Alongside them can be found the fallen angels, celestials who were cast out from the heavenly realms for their pride, treachery, and anger. Monsters gibber and shriek in the depths, while undead, spawned from proximity to the Negative Energy Plane, animate on their own without the need for mortal casters. In all cases, the creatures lurking in these planes reflect the nature of evil that they embody, being every bit as savage, diabolical, and cruel as the fiends who rule over them. Demons, devils, and other wicked creatures presented in the Monster Manual offer the foundation on which this chapter builds. Here, you will find details on a dazzling array of nightmarish creatures you can use as adversaries, allies, and servants for the protagonists. While many creatures stand against the adventurers’ efforts and might be encountered during forays into the Lower Planes, others might answer summons to the Material Plane to serve as willing or unwilling soldiers in the characters’ fight against darkness and evil. Many monsters described here might not be immediately hostile to the adventurers and may instead work to seduce them with promises of power, wealth, and glory, in exchange for a paltry offering of the soul. Monsters use the same stat block as those found in the Monster Manual, so if you need guidance on what the various entries mean or how to use them, be sure to check out that invaluable resource.
D A E MONS The daemons inhabit the seven-circled realm known as Gehenna. Some believe these fiends were offshoots of demons and devils, while others argue they are the embodiment of the various strains of evil emanating from that accursed plane. Whichever tale is true, daemons have a keen interest in the mortal world and delight in the wickedness they find there. Daemons have a strong connection to the exarchs they serve, and many adopt certain characteristics that set them apart from others, usually giving them some mastery over the sin or vice they embody. Thus, daemons from the Circle of Wrath are much different from those found in the Circle of Envy. Such differences do not make them any weaker or more vulnerable than the others; they merely frame the tactics the daemons employ. Aside from the variations by circle, daemons also carry out specific functions within and between their circles. Unlike Hell, where the roles are hierarchical, with devils climbing in levels of status by performing deeds of great evil, daemons and other residents of Gehenna gravitate toward their roles, choosing that which most satiates their wicked desires. No particular group will admit to being “lesser” than another, and fights often erupt between them. The roles include watchers, whisperers, mercenaries, and servitors, and they are all described in their respective sections in this chapter. Indeed, the inhabitants of Gehenna are more unified by their circles and stations than by their kind. It is more likely that a daemon watcher of the Circle of Greed will associate with a fallen celestial mercenary of the same circle than another daemon from the Circle
C hapter II: T he F iends
of Sloth. Within each circle, stations are considered the most important indicator of association. Watchers band together against whisperers, whisperers against servitors, and so on down the line. But when a circle is pitted against another circle or against invading outsiders, all inhabitants band together to overthrow their enemies.
I mm o r t a l N a t u r e A daemon doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Wa t che rs
More than any other plane, Gehenna has strong ties to the mortal world, largely because daemons revel in the wickedness and corruption they observe there. Such is this connection that mortals cast shadows upon Gehenna, dark stains resembling their general forms. The greater their wickedness, the darker the shadows become and the more watchers come to bear witness to the deeds and record them in their dark ledgers, until such time that the mortals have accrued corruption enough to be taken.
Whis pe r e rs
Where the watchers observe, the whisperers goad, urging souls to walk even deeper into darkness and commit graver and graver sins. Whisperers are the voices people hear in their hearts, urging them to embrace their self-interest and choose evil over good. They come to know what tempts mortals personally, what they respond to and what they desire; they grow skilled at steering people toward that which they know is worst for them. 33
Pl a n a r Inva de rs
Whisperers and watchers come to know their subjects over the years. On rare occasions, their hunger for these souls grows great enough to pull them from Gehenna into the Material Plane. Once freed, they become terrible threats to those they have observed and whispered to. They know every sin—great and small—and absolutely use this knowledge against their foes if they can. Unlike the fiends of Hell and the Abyss, these daemons of Gehenna are personal horrors and have been known to reduce the most perfect paladin to tears. They know what their targets have been thinking, what they have done in private, and what they are most ashamed of, for they have been with them their entire lives. The transition from Gehenna to the Material Plane is nothing the daemons can do willingly or under their own power. Instead, they transport themselves when the strength of their desire equals the depth of their subject’s wickedness. Daemons in the Material Plane remain there for as long as their subject lives or until they themselves are destroyed. Once they kill their subjects, they return to Gehenna, dragging the captive souls with them.
While on Gehenna, whispers can merely urge and coax mortals to give into the darkness burgeoning in their hearts, so mortals who realize the error in their ways can quiet these whispers by performing good acts, which cause their shadows to fade from Gehenna.
Me rce narie s
Gehenna has a keen interest in the fighting between demons and devils. So long as they wage war against each other, neither has time or attention for Gehenna. The exarchs welcome the armies of each rival plane to conduct their battles in the war zone and even offer up the services of their own warriors to lend aid, for a price. Mercenaries happily serve any employer able to pay them, though their prices are rarely easily paid with gold and are usually tied to the circle of their origin. When not selling themselves to some crazed demon lord or another ambitious infernal aristocrat, the mercenaries protect their circles—the only time they will fight for free.
Da e mo ns o f W r a t h Hatred and anger drive the daemons of wrath, and these daemons seek to awaken the same in mortals who capture their attention. Daemons of wrath can turn the slightest bitterness into unreasoning hate, turn a half-hearted slap into a closed fist. They revel when blood spills, lives are destroyed, and anger rules.
Co m pa ni on s o f Ma l icWe Me rc e n a rie s
of
rat h
Even Gehenna has its traditions. In the swirling madness of the war between Hell and the Abyss, the Companions of Malice are among the most feared and valued warriors. A mercenary company in the service of Tyrexxus that has fought on every side of the conflict over the millennia, the Companions of Malice obey one law and one law only: they faithfully serve their employer.
O n e M iss io n
at a
Tim e
The Companions accept commissions for their services for only one mission at a time. During particularly brutal 34
Se rvi tors
The loftiest of the Seven-Circle Realm’s inhabitants, the servitors are directly accountable to the exarchs of their circles. They make sure the exarch’s will is obeyed, the affairs of their circle are in order, and any desire of the lord they serve is fulfilled. Servitors are often used as messengers to other planes.
T hr al l s
Much as souls condemned to the Abyss become manes and those condemned to Hell become lemures, souls cast or dragged into Gehenna transform into wretched things called thralls, whose form and nature vary depending on the circle in which they become imprisoned. Thralls face a terrible existence in their realms, often trampled, beaten, tortured, or devoured by other daemons. Given the wickedness of sentient creatures in the Material Plane, however, there is no shortage of fresh replacements to fill the Seven-Circle Realm.
periods of the eternal war, they have engendered frenzied bidding wars between demons and devils, switching sides in the conflict with each new battle. However, once they have accepted a commission, they are unshakable.
S u mm o ning
t he
C o m p a nio ns
Over the eons, mortals have learned spells to summon members of the company to do their bidding. A captain, if summoned, will bring several of their underlings with them—once the hiring price has been agreed upon. As below in Gehenna, so it is on the Material Plane: the cost of hiring the Companions is prohibitive and never as simple as gold changing hands. They demand services, souls, blood, feasts of wicked pleasures, and worse. But once secured to a cause, there are few better ways for evil mortals to assure their victory than to hire the Companions of Malice.
U nc h e c k e d V iol e nc e Given the nature of these creatures, Companions are violent forces of death and destruction. They meet their opponents directly or indirectly, depending on the nature
C hapter II: T he F iends
of their opponent. Machiavellian in every way, to the Companions, the ends justify the means. However, if a new threat to their employer arises along the way to achieving their goals, they refuse any effort to renegotiate or expand the details of the contract.
M a l ic io us H i e r a r c h y Scholars cannot determine just how vast the ranks of the Companions of Malice are, though most agree it is at least 20,000 soldiers strong. The basic soldier of this mercenary army is the footman. Footmen comprise two kinds of daemons: long-time inhabitants of Gehenna recently indoctrinated in the company and newly arrived souls of neutral evil mortals who, for reasons known only to Tyrexxus, are sent to the company. When a footman has served long enough, they might challenge their commander, a lieutenant, in an effort to achieve higher rank. This challenge, always martial, continues until one of the daemons surrenders. For the lieutenant, surrender is without consequence—the company does not call for the death of its valued commanders unless they fail in their duty. For the footman, surrender is usually punished by becoming that unit’s “banner” for a time: the footman is impaled on the banner pole, run through from stem to sternum. Every day, the lieutenant cuts the footman’s belly open and its fellow footmen feed upon its intestines, which lends them the strength of its essence. The lieutenants are made into captains at the pleasure of the lord commander of the Companions. Captains, who command masses of footmen and lieutenants, are chosen for their cunning, tactical genius, and love of carnage. Most captains serve in this capacity for the remainder of their existence, though some are selected to serve the lord commander personally or even to become a part of Tyrexxus’s honor guard. Overseeing the Companions of Malice is Lord Commander U’ulgan. A trusted companion to Tyrexxus and one of the fiercest warriors in the Seven-Circle Realm, U’ulgan is the one the powers of Hell and the Abyss parley with in their efforts to secure the Companions’ services.
F oo t m an
of
M a l ic e
Often gathered into units of ten fiends, each led by a commanding officer called a lieutenant of the company, the malicious footmen serve their lieutenants, going where they are commanded to go and killing whomever their masters require them to kill. The footmen are fierce and tireless warriors, corrupted over the years of their service
into horrid creatures with wicked claws and the poisoned, barbed tongues that identify all Companions.
L ie u t e n an t
of
M a l ic e
Highly protective of their positions, arrogant in their power, hungry for the glory of battle and for greater status within the company, the lieutenants of the Companions evidence cunning and ferocity. Perhaps it is the dark enchantment of the company, or perhaps it is simply their nature, but when the Companions take on a new foe, the lieutenants develop a supreme hatred for that enemy. While most mercenaries seek only to do their jobs and
“When some luck y worm finally ends my days on this wretched earth, I pray to you dark masters—make my blood run hot in the foul places. Give me strength immortal. Grant me a place among the Companions of Malice that I may feast on the blood of my foes for all eternity.” C hapter II: T he F iends
35
Mal icious F oot man
Mal icious L ie u t e nan t
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8) Speed 40 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 6 (−2) 12 (+1)
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42) Speed 40 ft. Cha 8 (−1)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the malicious footman can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Martial Advantage. Once per turn, a malicious footman can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the footman that isn’t incapacitated. Stability. The malicious footman has advantage on contests made to avoid being shoved and on saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. Wrathful Frenzy (1/Day). Whenever the malicious footman takes damage, roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the malicious footman becomes subject to wrathful frenzy for 1 minute. While subject to wrathful frenzy, the footman has the following benefits and drawbacks: • • • •
The footman’s size increases to Large. The footman gains 10 temporary hit points. The footman’s claws attack deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage. The footman loses the martial advantage trait.
A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage. Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage. The creature must also succeed on DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. At the end of each of the creature’s turns that it remains poisoned, it must repeat the saving throw. The creature takes 3 (1d6) poison damage on a failed save or ends the poisoned condition on itself on a successful save.
survive, the lieutenants take it upon themselves to destroy their opponents utterly. To this end, the lieutenants command their footmen into battle. Each lieutenant oversees a unit of ten footmen. Bearing aloft their shining, black halberds—the symbol of their office—the lieutenants loose hideous battle cries that move their soldiers to frenzied heights of destruction and strike terror in the hearts of their foes.
C a p t ain
of
M a l ic e
The captains are the masters of the company and tireless foes. Unlike the lieutenants, they do not give over to pure hatred of their for-hire enemies. Rather, they plot the 36
Str 19 (+4)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
Cha 14 (+2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the malicious lieutenant can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature it can see. Martial Advantage. Once per turn, a malicious lieutenant can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the lieutenant that isn’t incapacitated. Stability. The malicious lieutenant has advantage on contests made to avoid being shoved and on saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. Wrathful Command (Recharge 6). The malicious lieutenant can take a bonus action to cause each malicious footman friendly to it and within 60 feet of it to either end the wrathful frenzy effect on itself or use it if it has uses remaining. A c t ions Multiattack. The malicious lieutenant makes three attacks: two with its halberd and one with its tongue. Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage. Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage, and the creature becomes poisoned for 1 minute. At the end of the poisoned creature’s turns, it can make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw and end the effect on itself on a success. Daemonic Shriek. The malicious lieutenant throws back its head and shrieks. Each fiend friendly to the lieutenant that is within 30 feet of it and can hear the shriek rolls a d6 whenever it makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw and adds the number rolled on the d6 to its result. The effect lasts 1 minute. Each other creature within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to any malicious lieutenant’s Daemonic Shriek for the next 24 hours.
unraveling of their opponents’ plans with an accomplished ease. When the Companions have taken a job, the captains meet and discuss their new assignment, mulling over their foe’s every weakness and taking the deepest pleasure in determining the path the company will take in fulfilling the bargain. They would much rather humiliate their enemies than merely defeat them.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Mal icious Capt ain Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil
within 60 feet of it to either end the wrathful frenzy effect on itself or use it if it has uses remaining.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 189 (18d10 + 90) Speed 50 ft. Str 26 (+8)
Dex 13 (+1)
A c t ions
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 14 (+2) 14 (+2)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +11, Wis +8 Skills Intimidation +10, Perception +8, Persuasion +10 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the malicious captain can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the malicious captain fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Martial Advantage. Once per turn, a malicious captain can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature it hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of the captain that isn’t incapacitated. Stability. The malicious captain has advantage on contests made to avoid being shoved and on saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. Strength in Numbers. While the malicious captain is within 30 feet of at least one of its allies and the ally isn’t incapacitated, the captain makes saving throws with advantage. Wrathful Command (Recharge 6). The malicious captain can take a bonus action to cause each malicious footman friendly to it and
H ar bing e r o f V e ng e an ce
W his p e r e r o f Wra t h
When mortals thirst for violent revenge as a way to resolve some profound wrong—the murder of a loved one or a deep, personal humiliation—the harbingers of vengeance take note. They can see the fire that burns in mortals’ bellies for revenge, and they stoke that flame, whispering revenge is not only a right but also an imperative that must be fulfilled. The harbingers move men to kill the children of those who killed their own children. If a member of a northern tribe hurts a member of a southern tribe, the harbingers are there, telling the southerner that all northerners must pay. When mortals finally lay hands on their enemies, when the urge to kill grows strongest, when the need for resolution chases all other thoughts from their heads, the harbingers shout at the mortals to strike—to maim or kill in payment for the pain and suffering they have had to endure. Usually, they are heeded; mortal souls are weak,
C hapter II: T he F iends
Multiattack. The malicious captain makes three attacks: one with its impalers, one with its claws, and one with its tongue. Impalers. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is also grappled (escape DC 22). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw at the start of each of its turns or take 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage. The malicious captain can grapple one target at a time. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (2d10 + 8) slashing damage. Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (1d12 + 8) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage, and the target becomes poisoned for 1 minute. Until the poisoned effect ends, the target deals half damage with melee attacks. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw and end the poisoned effect on itself on a success. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The malicious captain can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the listed options. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The captain regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Snapping Tongue. The malicious captain makes a tongue attack. Move. The malicious captain moves up to its speed. Attack Command (Costs 2 Actions). The malicious captain issues a command to one daemon friendly to it that is within 60 feet and can hear the command. The target daemon can use a reaction to take the Attack action.
and revenge is their most easily and commonly committed sin. Harbingers are happy in their duty and richly successful, the envy of the seven circles for the ease of their task. Yet one thing moves them to an unspeakable fury and a desire for revenge of their own: mercy. When mortals find themselves in that moment of revenge, their shadows goaded by the harbingers, and they decide not to strike but to forgive, it so infuriates the harbingers that they are sometimes known to journey into the Material Plane to take revenge themselves. They hunt down the criminal who was forgiven and commit unspeakable acts to exact the vengeance that was improperly denied. Then they seek the merciful mortal out to pull the weakness of mercy from the mortal’s soul with their hands. They never rest until they have succeeded in destroying both victim and criminal or until they themselves are destroyed.
“Venegeance shall be yours, mortal...” 37
Har bing e r o f Ve ng e ance Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) Speed 30 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 8 (−1) 11 (+0)
Magic Weapons. The harbinger of vengeance’s weapon attacks are magical. Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +5 Skills Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the harbinger of vengeance can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature it can see. Decapitate. The harbinger of vengeance can take a bonus action to tear the head from an incapacitated creature within 5 feet of it and add the head to its collection. The creature dies immediately. If the creature is later restored to life by magic, it gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information). Innate Spellcasting. The harbinger of vengeance’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The harbinger of vengeance can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 1/day each: confusion, hold monster, plane shift (self only)
Severed-Head Collection. The harbinger of vengeance has 3 (1d4 + 1) severed heads harvested from its victims. It can replace them using decapitate. Whispers of Wrath (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the harbinger telepathically whispers to one creature it can see that is within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I destroy anyone who crosses me.” In addition, for 1 minute after the target becomes charmed, it is consumed by a need for vengeance against a creature the harbinger chooses that is within 120 feet of the target and that the target can see. On each of the target’s turns, it must take the Attack action against the chosen creature, moving toward it if necessary, or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage. At the end of each of the charmed target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself with a success. A target becomes immune to this harbinger’s Whispers of Wrath for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or the effect ends. A c t ions Multiattack. The harbinger makes two claws attacks and one bite attack. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. Severed Head. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, and the severed head explodes in a 15-foot radius, showering everything in the area with bits of bone and brains.
“Your family is dead, murdered by that villainous cur. They will breathe no more! Yet his family still walks, still laughs and sings. Blood demands blood. The debt must be paid.” 38
C hapter II: T he F iends
to k e r S
W his p e r e r
of
Wra t h
Life presents many stresses, situations any would find frustrating. When something you need breaks, when a friend fails to follow through or a job on which you were depending goes up in smoke, frustration and anger are completely understandable. Yet for some, these disappointments and setbacks merely stoke the fires of anger, building the flames up until the fires roar inside them. And when the pressure grows too great, they snap, usually with tragic results. Stokers are fiery daemons who gather around the shadows of mortals who have time and time again overreacted to the difficulties of life. They whisper to these shadows, mocking their upset over these challenges in hopes of driving them to wild and reckless action. They chortle with glee when the objects of their attention lash out with violence over the most trivial matters and sigh with pleasure when lives break, relationships fall apart, and ruin follows. Stokers react quite strongly when denied the pleasure they take from observing violent action and rage about if their subject somehow ignores their prodding and keeps control. If the individual is one who has often given in to rage and yet holds back, the stokers might slip into the Material Plane and do the violence themselves, murdering loved ones, destroying property, and generally ruining everything before they return to their shadows and dark ledgers.
Fire wreathes the stokers’ bodies, growing in intensity when they witness acts of anger. The more violence they cause, the greater the flames. After witnessing the most terrible acts of anger, stokers have been known to send flames shooting up hundreds of feet from their bodies, throwing them to skitter down the broken streets of their wicked realm.
S tok e r
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 97 (15d8 + 30) Speed 30 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 19 (+4) 8 (−1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +6, Int +8, Wis +3 Skills Perception +3, Persuasion +7 Damage Resistances cold, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Fire Aura. At the start of each of the stoker’s turns, each creature within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage, and flammable objects in the aura that aren’t being worn or carried ignite. A creature that touches the stoker or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage. Innate Spellcasting. The stoker’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The stoker can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: burning hands (as a 3rd-level spell), suggestion 3/day each: fireball Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Stoke the Flames. Whenever a creature within 30 feet of the stoker takes damage from an attack made by a creature other than the stoker, the range of the stoker’s Fire Aura increases by 5 feet until the end of the stoker’s next turn. Whispers of Wrath (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the stoker telepathically whispers to one creature it can see that is within 120 feet, forcing the creature to make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I am angry all the time and the slightest offense sets me off.” In addition, until this effect ends, all creatures, both allies and enemies, trigger opportunity attacks when they move out of the affected creature’s reach, and the affected creature must make the opportunity attack whenever it can do so. A target becomes immune to this creature’s Whispers of Wrath for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or the effect ends. A c t ions Fiery Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) fire damage.
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Inc i t e r
Wa t che r
of
Wra t h
Wrath is the most spectacular of mortal sins, for it is easily the most demonstrative and has the most profound results. Anger is common, something almost every person with a personality is bound to experience. But when anger leads to the harm of an innocent—someone undeserving of the attack—simple anger becomes a mortal sin. Through cutting words or physical violence, the mortal’s shadow grows a little darker and a little longer in Gehenna. Inciters watch over the shadows of the wrathful, cataloging each sin born from anger in Tyrexxus’s Circle of Wrath. Each time a mortal gives in to the hate burning in their heart, the inciters raucously applaud and celebrate while quickly recording the misdeed. Their favorite failings are those when an innocent is harmed through unchecked emotions and raw violence, and they feed on the hatred of this mortal servant. As more and more misdeeds occur, the inciters grow more excited, until they reach the apex of their stimulation, when they travel to the Material Plane to snatch the angry mortal and bring them back to Gehenna, where the inciters each take a turn brutally torturing the mortal until the evil energies
of the plane transform the victim into another inciter. If a particularly exciting mortal repents their ways, gaining control over their emotions, the inciters grow frustrated, shrieking so loud the echoes of their cries travel throughout Tyrexxus’s realm. In their frustration, they turn on one another, which, if nothing else, keeps the number of inciters from growing out of control. Once they cool off, the inciters journey to the Material Plane to disrupt the mortal’s life, ruining their target’s work, planting false evidence of a spouse’s infidelity, and doing anything else that might provoke their victim to acts of fearsome violence. If the mortal continues to resist the daemons’ manipulations, the inciters take a more direct role and start killing the mortal’s family and friends, utterly ruining their victim’s life in their revenge.
Inci t e r
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 127 (15d8 + 60) Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 8 (−1) 10 (+0)
Cha 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6, Cha +5 Skills Insight +4, Perception +4, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Rampage. When the inciter reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the inciter can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack. A c t ions Multiattack. The inciter makes three attacks: one with its claws, one with its bite, and one with its tail. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
“Curse you to hell! I can’t believe you did this. This is all wrong. Do you see what you did? Why are you crying? Don’t you run away… I’m not done with you yet.” 40
C hapter II: T he F iends
U’ul g a n S
e r vi t o r o f
Wra t h
When Gehenna was new, several demon lords came to the Circle of Wrath, demanding that Tyrexxus surrender all his lands to them. One of these lords, Zhar’Ub-Luur, greatest liar among all demonkind, told Tyrexxus’s servants they would be taken to the Abyss and forced for eternity to consume the excrement of Demogorgon if they continued to support their exarch—and so great was his skill in trickery that nearly all believed him. The entire circle prepared to revolt against the master of wrath, save one. U’ulgan, a creature of seemingly boundless rage, was discovered to have one other trait: loyalty. So fierce was his loyalty to his exarch that before the rebellion could begin, as Zhar’Ub-Luur spoke to the servants of the circle, U’ulgan leapt upon him for daring to threaten his master. Zhar’Ub-Luur, a lord of trickery, was not prepared for the force of this lesser creature’s onslaught and was caught at a disadvantage. Before the entire Circle of Wrath, U’ulgan pinned the interloper from the Abyss, splitting open his belly and pulling out his liver. “This is what happens to those who oppose
Tyrexxus!” he cried and ate the quivering brown organ. Not content with this lesson, he further shamed Zhar’Ub-Luur by forcing open his mouth and defecating into it, all the while yelling, “Tell Demogorgon how mine compares.” After this, there was no talk of rebellion in the Circle of Wrath. When Tyrexxus learned of what transpired, U’ulgan was rewarded well. He was placed in command of the newly formed Companions of Malice, which was promptly hired out to join a campaign of the infernal lord Baal’s against the forces of the Abyss. U’ulgan has grown no less fierce over the millennia. He has, however, grown more powerful. He has gained many abilities that most use to avoid fights, all of which he uses to make sure he can force his foes to face him. He leads the Companions into battle, usually deciding on tactics that are most likely to result in the utter humiliation of his foes. As a creature of wrath, he is consumed with hatred for his enemies, seeking to break not just their bodies but their spirits as well.
L o r d C o mm a n d e r When one wishes to hire the Companions of Malice, it is U’ulgan that must be dealt with. He sets prices in souls, favors, and evil deeds. He is particularly happy to take on tasks that pertain to revenge, which he has always savored.
D r e a d f ul W e a p o n U’ulgan wields a weapon of dread power known as Gyvast, the Foe’s Bane. Gyvast was owned by powerful daemon of unknown origin that used the blade to cut off the manhood of his victims. U’ulgan, hired to slay this demented daemon, took the opportunity to use the blade to castrate the fiend with this sword before killing him with it. Gyvast, never before wielded by a being of such power, agreed to serve U’ulgan in his efforts to lead the Companions of Malice to victory in every confrontation. Statistics for this magic item follow U’ulgan’s stat block.
“After they killed our king, my master was consumed with hatred and a lust for vengeance. He sought to hire an army to bring down the infidels who had toppled the golden spires of our homeland. Late one night, bringing him something to eat after a day full of work in his study, I discovered with horror the source of this army. May the gods forgive him the bargain he made that night. May they forgive us all…” C hapter II: T he F iends
41
U’ul g an
Huge fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Body Blades. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d6 + 9) slashing damage.
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 310 (23d12 + 161) Speed 60 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 19 (+4) 20 (+5)
Cha 29 (+9)
Saving Throws Str +17, Con +15, Wis +12 Skills Intimidation +17, Perception +12 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, U’ulgan can move up to his speed toward a hostile creature that he can see.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If U’ulgan fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. U’ulgan has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. U’ulgan’s weapon attacks are magical.
Martial Advantage. Once per turn, U’ulgan can deal an extra 7 (2d6) damage to a creature he hits with a weapon attack if that creature is within 5 feet of an ally of U’ulgan that isn’t incapacitated. Stability. U’ulgan has advantage on contests made to avoid being shoved and on saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. A c t ions Multiattack. U’ulgan makes four attacks: two with Gyvast the Foe’s Bane, one with his body blades, and one with his tongue or stomp.
Gyvast the Foe’s Bane. Melee Weapon Attack: +20 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) slashing damage plus 16 (3d10) necrotic damage. A humanoid target takes an additional 16 (3d10) psychic damage. If U’ulgan scores a critical hit, he rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice. (See Gyvast the Foe’s Bane later in this chapter for details on this magic item.)
G yv as t
t he
F o e ’s B a n e
Weapon (longsword), legendary (requires attunement, cannot be attuned by a creature of good alignment) Palpable evil radiates from Gyvast the Foe’s Bane, as it should from a weapon forged in the fires of Gehenna and prized by some of the mightiest and most dangerous daemons in the plane. More cleaver than sword, the single-edged blade widens as it extends away from the handle, the blood of countless victims staining the steel black. The weapon is sized for a Huge creature and does not change size to accommodate its wielder. Attack rolls made with this weapon gain a +3 bonus. Attacks with the weapon deal an additional 3d10 necrotic damage. Against humanoid targets, the weapon deals 42
Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 20 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (2d12 + 9) piercing damage plus 28 (8d6) poison damage, and the target becomes poisoned for 1 minute. Until the poisoned effect ends, the target deals half damage with melee attacks. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw and ends the poisoned effect on itself on a success. Stomp. U’ulgan slams his foot on the ground, sending a shock wave out in a 30-foot radius centered on a point he can reach. Each creature on the ground in the area other than U’ulgan must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 21 (6d6) thunder damage and is knocked prone on a failed save or just takes half the damage on a successful one.
Open the Gates (1/Day). U’ulgan opens a black portal with a 30-foot radius centered on a point within 300 feet of him that remains for as long as U’ulgan concentrates, up to 1 minute. The portal has a front and a back, but is invisible from the side. A creature moving through the portal travels from the plane on which the portal was opened to a place of the GM’s choice within the Circle of Wrath on Gehenna. At the end of each of U’ulgan’s turns, while the portal remains open, 3d6 malicious footmen move out from the portal. For every 20 malicious footmen to emerge from the portal, 1 malicious lieutenant moves out from the portal. For every 4 malicious lieutenants that appear, a malicious captain moves out from the portal. Daemons that come through the portal are friendly to U’ulgan, obey his commands, and remain until destroyed. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions U’ulgan can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options that follow. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. U’ulgan regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Darting Tongue. U’ulgan makes a tongue attack.
Teleport. U’ulgan magically teleports to an unoccupied space that he can see within 120 feet of him.
Attack Command (Costs 2 Actions). U’ulgan issues a command to one daemon friendly to him that is within 60 feet and can hear the command. The target daemon can use a reaction to take the Attack action. Hack and Hew (Costs 2 Actions). U’ulgan makes a Gyvast the Foe Bane attack.
an additional 3d10 psychic damage. It has the following additional properties:
Slay Living When a humanoid target is hit with an attack made using this weapon, the wielder can force the target to make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. A target takes 10d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half the damage on a successful one. Once used, this property can’t be used again for 24 hours.
Dark M agic
While holding this weapon, the wielder can use an action to cast darkness or cure wounds (as a 4th-level spell, self only). Once either spell is cast, it cannot be cast from the weapon again for 24 hours.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Sentience Gyvast is a sentient neutral evil weapon with an Intelligence of 10, a Wisdom of 17, and a Charisma of 17. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 ft. The weapon communicates telepathically with its wielder and can speak, read, and write Abyssal, Common, Draconic, and Infernal. It issues a booming laugh when used in combat.
Personality
Gyvast is just as bloodthirsty as its master, taking special delight when it takes the heads off of its foes, letting loose a sigh of ecstasy with every victim that falls to its might. The weapon strives to serve Tyrexxus’s interests, and so long as those interests accord with U’ulgan, the weapon is content to aid the powerful daemon.
V e cr os e
Wa t che r
of
Wra t h
It is said that wrath’s influence on the mortal world is best captured in the existence of lycanthropes, for they clearly represent the beast inside all. They are the monsters lurking in every man and woman and horrifying depictions of the classical struggle with human morality. When a mortal gives in to anger and violence, for a moment, something primal, something bestial, emerges in their features. And in this emergence is the horror of raw, unchecked violence born.
Ve crose
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
or until the creature drops to 0 hit points. While enraged, the creature gains all of the following benefits and drawbacks:
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 7 (−2) 14 (+2)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Str +9, Dex +7, Con +6 Skills Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the vecrose can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Daemonic Howl (Recharge 5–6). The vecrose howls. Each creature that is not a fiend and is within 60 feet of the daemon must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become enraged for 1 minute
C hapter II: T he F iends
• The creature is charmed by the vecrose and hostile to all other creatures. • The creature makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage. • The creature’s melee attacks deal an extra 2d6 damage. • The creature can only take the Attack action and must choose its targets randomly. If there is no target within the creature’s reach or range, the creature must move toward the nearest creature it can see. At the end of each of its turns, an enraged creature can repeat the Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on a saving throw against this effect becomes immune to this vecrose’s use of Daemonic Howl for 24 hours. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Wrathful Power. Whenever a creature within 60 feet of the vecrose becomes enraged, uses the Rage class feature, or benefits from a similar ability, the vecrose gains 10 temporary hit points. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage.
43
The vecrose watch mortals lapsing into anger and violence, cataloging every incident and triumphing as the mortals’ souls grow darker with the stain. Unlike the other watchers of wrath, these daemons are concerned with the prolonged release of anger, the extent of the duration and the effects on those around the offending mortal. Simple outbursts of violence are interesting, but the longer tirades are what excite the vecrose. The greater the destruction and the more lives ruined, the better. Mortals whose wrath is so capricious and misdirected as to alienate them from their societies are those most beloved by the vecrose. These mortals, driven to despair by their loneliness, touch a special chord with these monsters. The daemons take pity on the suffering and pay a special visit to their favored sinners. On the Material Plane, they search out the exile and give them a gift, transforming them into a particularly violent lycanthrope, such as a werewolf or wereboar. They then take the mortal back to civilization, preferably to where their family resides, on the night of a full moon and release the twisted monster among the unsuspecting victims. The vecrose watch and record the events, clapping each other on the back as the violence escalates, until the community finally rallies and kills the threat. The vecrose always hurry back to Gehenna to greet and congratulate the damned spirit before sending them off to their own eternal punishment.
Wr a t h f ul
Th r a l l
of
Wra t h
Consumed by anger in life, death speeds the damned to the Circle of Wrath, where their souls assume the forms of wild, murderous killers known as the wrathful. These daemons retain their mortal appearance, but their features have been wrenched into permanent sneers, eyes narrowed with hatred, bodies trembling from violence that needs only the barest excuse to break free. The wrathful gather into mobs and race about their prison, looking for people to kill.
M u r d e ro us I n v a d e r s Sometimes, the wrathful escape from their circle and spill out onto the battlefields surrounding the Seven-Circle Realm, where they throw themselves at demons and devils alike until their enemies cut them down. The wrathful also find ways into neighboring circles and there hunt other thralls for sport. Wrathful who have managed to survive for any period adorn their bodies with blood and trophies torn from their victims.
“Let the night eye awaken us. Let it bring forth the beast within and wash us with the blood of the weak. Let loose the howl of the wolf, the hunger of the inner monster. Let the chattel fear, for wrath walks the land.” Wr a t h f ul
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 11 Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12) Speed 40 ft. Str 15 (+2)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 8 (–1) 7 (−2)
Cha 11 (+0)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the wrathful can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Blood Frenzy. The wrathful has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has less than full hit points. A c t ions Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.
44
C hapter II: T he F iends
Da e mons o f E nvy Envy is misjudged by many to be a passive sin, the quiet yearning of the meek for the lives of the strong. And, indeed, this is often so. But the daemons of envy seek to make it even more so by fanning the already existing flames. They inspire in those who are jealous a driving, mad desire to destroy that which they cannot possess.
B e ar e r s o f F al se B u r de n s
Me rc e n a rie s o f E nvy
Spiteful daemons who lament their lots to serve their mistress as mercenaries, the bearers of false burdens pine for the lavish rewards they believe are heaped onto the watchers and whisperers. They mumble and grumble about their fates, casting bleary eyes at anyone who has enjoyed greater fortune than themselves, licking their wormy lips and wringing their hands, as they weigh the worth of making others pay for all the misery these daemons must
endure. Too often, the bearers of false burdens scramble forward, flailing with their fists, venting all their despair into each strike that lands. Bearers of false burdens appear as old men and women bent in half by heavy weights they carry on their backs. These weights, made from iron, are etched with all the wrongs afforded and opportunities denied to them during their time in Gehenna. Most bearers began their miserable existence as bitters and became even more wretched as years passed.
I nc e ss a n t C o m pl ain e r s The bearers of false burdens’ chief responsibility is to direct the bitters who come to the circle toward certain tasks and responsibilities, each of which is demeaning in some way that feeds the envy poisoning their hearts. Many bearers, though, find themselves cast out from their circle, picking their way across the battlefields encircling
Be ar e r o f Fal se Bur de ns Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 237 (25d8 + 125) Speed 20 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 14 (+2) 17 (+3)
Cha 8 (–1)
Saving Throws Str +10, Con +11, Int +8, Wis +9 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Litany of Complaints. The bearer of false burdens continuously complains about its lot, the sound of which magically assaults the minds of creatures who hear it. At the start of each of the bearer’s turns, each creature within 30 feet that can hear the complaints must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 14 (4d6) psychic damage. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The bearer makes two melee attacks. Weighty Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it reduces its speed by 10 feet. If the reduction drops the target’s speed to 0 feet, the target becomes petrified, turning into a block of iron. If the target does not become petrified, the reduction to its speed lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.
C hapter II: T he F iends
45
the plane, moaning and complaining the entire time. Even when they find choice treasures pried from the bodies of the dead, they lament the imperfections they perceive, whether those flaws are real or invented.
Bi t t e r
Th r a l l
of
E nvy
Gehenna transforms souls condemned to the Circle of Envy into warped, twisted things, draining away all that might be noble and virtuous until they are nothing more than skeletons with skin drawn tight over the bones, each breath taken labored and gasping. Their eyes, however, remain bright and attentive. These bitters notice every
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 10 Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4) Speed 30 ft. Cha 7 (–2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Covetous. When a creature the bitter can see hits on an attack roll, the bitter makes its next attack roll against the triggering creature with advantage. Undead Rebirth. When the bitter drops to 0 hit points, it dies. At the start of its next turn, the skin sloughs off its body, and it regains all its hit points, becomes undead, and stands up. It uses the same statistics that it had before the transformation, but it becomes vulnerable to bludgeoning damage and immune to exhaustion. A biter killed in this form is destroyed. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
“‘Tis an easy thing to hear that whisper within, telling you that which you envy and desire should be yours by right, and to call it the voice of evil, but harder to recognize when it truly is.” 46
U n d e a d A p o t h e o s is Proximity to the Negative Energy Plane causes the bitters who succumb to their injuries to rise up as undead skeletons not long after finding their death. These skeletons are pressed into service by the daemons of the circle, usually serving as mercenaries. Despite being nearly mindless, a spark of the original personality often remains, and one can find these sullen undead watching the living with obvious longing.
C a l umni t e
Bi t t e r
Str Dex Con Int Wis 9 (−1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 14 (+2)
detail, especially when someone profits from something that they don’t. Even when confronted by others in their predicament, they suspect their rivals of having a better fate and so plot terrible evil to get revenge on them and take from them whatever it is they think they have.
W his p e r e r
of
E nvy
Constantly prodding and whispering, the calumnites tell the envious that, for instance, they will never have what their neighbors have, and since their neighbors will always keep it from them, why not burn down their neighbors’ houses? And while most reject these quiet whispers in the back of their minds, some are drawn to them like moths to flame. So enraged are these mortals by the audacity of their neighbors or friends or employers for flaunting what they have, and so miserable are they at their perceived lack of worldly possessions, they give in to their maddest desires. They murder their neighbors in their sleep, steal their employers’ money, and ruin their friends’ lives.
D a e m o nic H a r v e s t Truly evil acts of envy give the calumnites strength, and they might find themselves able to journey to the Material Plane itself, continuing to work their mischief through more than mere whispers. And they will, of course, pursue this option, because the calumnites are themselves envious: envious of mortals with their lives on the Material Plane, envious of the sun and the moon and the stars, envious of death and life, hope and despair. They hate mortals for their mortality and want nothing more than to be mortal themselves.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Cal umni t e
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20) Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 13 (+1)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Dex +3, Wis +4 Skills Perception +4, Persuasion +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Magic Resistance. The calumnite has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The calumnite’s weapon attacks are magical. Nimble Escape. The calumnite can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns. Whispers of Envy (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the calumnite telepathically whispers to one creature within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target has a new flaw: “I covet everything I see.” In addition, for 1 minute after becoming charmed,
C r au su s
W his p e r e r
of
the target becomes hostile to all creatures. On each of the target’s turns, it must move up to its speed by the safest available route to one of its former allies. If the target moves to within 5 feet of one of its former allies, it must take an action to hinder the creature, which imposes disadvantage on the creature’s next attack roll, ability check, and saving throw made before the start of the target’s next turn. If the target cannot move to within 5 feet of one of its former allies, it becomes stunned until the start of its next turn. At the end of the target’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this calumnite’s Whispers of Envy for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. The calumnite makes two impaler attacks. The calumnite can substitute mouth tentacles in place of one impaler attack. Impaler. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and restrained until the grapple ends. The calumnite has two impalers, each of which can grab one target. Mouth Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The creature suffers Intelligence drain until it finishes a long rest. A creature suffering from Intelligence drain must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from every Intelligence attack roll, ability check, and saving throw it makes. Each time the creature suffers Intelligence drain again, the die it rolls increases to the next higher size, such that a d4 becomes a d6, and a d6 becomes a d8. If the die becomes a d20, the target becomes incapacitated until it is no longer suffering from Intelligence drain. A greater restoration spell cast on the drained creature ends the effect on it.
E nvy
Bitterness and jealousy drive mortals to commit obscene crimes of passion. A former lover who is now in the arms of another or a bitter rival who receives a promotion are just two examples of events that can result in violence committed in envy’s name. When mortals first feel anxiety over another’s successes, they immediately capture the attention of the craususes, daemons whose main purpose is to fuel the fires of resentment in the mortals’ hearts. Malleable mortals, those open to craususes, are beloved by these daemons. The daemons inculcate a deep paranoia in their victims, making tem believe everyone and everything owes them a favor and knows it. The more slights and insults they utter, the more deaths stain their hands, and the more corruption created in their area, the more the craususes help them, twisting events and using illusions to make the mortals hear what they want to hear. Craususes creep among the shadows cast by envious mortals, whispering conspiracies
C hapter II: T he F iends
47
C r ausus
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. Str 15 (+2)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 6 (−2) 13 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +6 Skills Insight +3, Perception +3, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities blinded, poisoned Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this distance), passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Barbed Body. At the start of its turn, the crausus deals 3 (1d6) piercing damage to any creature grappling it. Innate Spellcasting. The crausus’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The crausus can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: dimension door, suggestion Magic Weapons. The crausus’s weapon attacks are magical. Spider Climb. The crausus can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
and advising rash action. The constant attention these daemons give eventually drives mortals to act upon their dark impulses, urging them to commit terrible acts of evil. When mortals spread lies about the objects of their ire, the craususes weep with joy. When mortals confront their rivals with violence, the craususes gather around the shadow to offer encouragement. And when mortals kills their rivals, the craususes enjoy a great celebration, before manipulating events in such a way to ensure the object of their attention finds its way into the hands of the authorities for its terrible crime.
“Count Vloril decided if his wife would not remain faithful to him and refused to return his affections, she would have to be killed. We could all see he was maddened with envy. We tried to stop him, but his guards prevented us from interfering. He beat her to death. With each fall of the fist, her cries abated. Now, while this was awful, Adam swears he heard something else in the winds beyond the castle walls. A kind of hissing laughter… he’s never been the same since.” 48
Whispers of Envy (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the crausus telepathically whispers to one creature within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I spread lies about people I envy.” In addition, for 1 minute after becoming charmed, the target becomes hostile to one creature of the crausus’s choice. On each of the target’s turns, it must use its action to attack the chosen creature using the best methods available to it. If the target ends its turn without attacking the chosen creature, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage. At the end of the target’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this crausus’s Whispers of Envy for 24 hours. A c t ions
Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target suffers Wisdom drain until it finishes a long rest. A creature suffering from Wisdom drain must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from every Wisdom attack roll, ability check, and saving throw it makes. Each time the creature suffers Wisdom drain again, the die it rolls increases to the next higher size, such that a d4 becomes a d6, and a d6 becomes a d8. If the die becomes a d20, the target becomes incapacitated until it is no longer suffering from Wisdom drain. A greater restoration spell cast on the drained creature ends the effect on it.
Fair One
Wa t che r
of
E nvy
In the Circle of Envy, fair ones congregate around the dark shadows cast by mortals who envy their neighbors’ physical beauty. Whenever mortals curse the fine features of those more fortunate, they indulge the sin of envy.
E m b o dim e n t s
of
U g l in e ss
The fair ones appear to be made from the ugliest parts of the mortal world’s worst inhabitants, having the heads of vultures, the wings of bats, the legs of spiders, and the abdomens of wasps. Fair ones are delighted whenever mortals give into envy and express their pleasure with wails and cries at every envious utterance made by the mortal world’s hideous inhabitants, as they feel that envy themselves. But in their circle, raw envy is delight, and sometimes that joy becomes too great.
S k in T hi e v e s Fairs ones pay close attention to those hideous mortals who lament their lots and pine for the beauty of those fairer to them. If these mortals offer up prayers sped on wings of resentment and hate, the watchers listen,
C hapter II: T he F iends
Fair One
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 Hit Points 45 (10d8) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 13 (+1)
Dex 21 (+5)
Con Int Wis 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 8 (−1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +7 Skills Insight +1, Perception +1, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Ambusher. In the first round of combat, the fair one has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised. Innate Spellcasting. The fair one’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The fair one can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, hold person, poison spray, sleep 1/day each: confusion, plane shift (self only), scrying Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the fair one can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Spider Climb. The fair one can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. A c t ions Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned by this effect, the target is also paralyzed. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A target that saves against the poison or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this fair one’s poison for 24 hours. Flense. The fair one strips the skin from one paralyzed creature within 5 feet of it. Constructs, plants, and undead are immune. The target takes 10 (3d6) slashing damage. If the target drops to 0 hit points, it loses all the skin from its body. The loss of its skin imposes disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws the target makes. The target also becomes vulnerable to acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, piercing, radiant, slashing, and thunder damage. A greater restoration spell or more powerful magic ends the effect and restores the target’s skin to its body.
and sometimes a fair one will answer by escaping from Gehenna to track down the object of the mortal’s desire. When its quarry is most vulnerable, the fair one strikes with the intent of skinning its victim alive. If the fair one manages this grisly task, the daemon brings the skin to the mortal whose prayers it answered and then horrifically swaps the skins of each. Its task complete, the fair one returns to Gehenna to further observe the ways of mortal desire.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Mot he r Igwyr e
S e r vi t o r o f E nvy
One does well to ignore the sweet blandishments, the enticing offers heard from the shifting shadows on the road to the Circle of Envy, for they invariably come from one of Ulasta’s greatest servants, Mother Igwyre, the Servitor of Envy. A spiderlike being with the head of a nasty old woman, the daemon has bloated to incredible size and lures her victims into her webs through whispered temptations that flit through the air on wings of her hatred. To succumb to them, to set foot into her tangled lair, is to find a horrid end.
P io us O r ig ins Long ago, a pious midwife named Igwyre prayed to the gods to grant her many children. And because she had always been faithful and good, they did. She was mother to seven boys and seven girls, and each of her children bore the grace of the gods. They were mighty, wise, and fair. As her children grew, they were drawn into the service of the Lords of Good, for their temperaments were, from birth, 49
caring and kind. Over the years, Igwyre’s fourteen children became famous heroes, wellsprings of legends, and agents of the greatest good. But with such lives come perils. When Igwyre’s eldest son and daughter were killed opposing the forces of evil, the family wept, but none were dissuaded from the path of righteousness. With each passing year, more of Igwyre’s children were killed, until, at the end of a decade of tragedy, all of her progeny were dead and gone. At the death of her youngest and last living child, Igwyre climbed atop the funereal mound and cursed the gods. They had granted her fourteen glorious children and then chosen to strip that glory from her. And though it is a terrible sin to curse the gods, the hearts of Heaven were moved. The Lords of Good sent the archangel Rafaiil to earth to comfort Igwyre, saying “Know thee, Igwyre, that each of your children sits upon a golden throne in Heaven this hour. There is a place for thee at their table.” But Igwyre only wept—and her weeping never ceased in her mortal life.
Her refusal of the comfort of Heaven saddened the gods, but still they forgave her. They never foresaw the path she would choose in the depths of her despair and so ceased to be concerned with her, believing she would find joy when death came to her and she was reunited with her kin. Igwyre was not only consumed by despair, though. She began to feel a burning hatred in her heart for all those women she had aided in the birthing of their children—a deep and unshakable envy. She believed their children, who were not so blessed by the gods, would not be drawn into lives of great deeds and so would not die so young. The daemons of envy observed the shadow of this kind woman now falling faster and faster into the depths of sin. They whispered to her in her sleep and in her waking hours, telling her she was right to hate those women whose babies lived and that she should teach them a lesson. And so Igwyre, who wept morning, noon, and night, began to secretly skulk about her village at night, watching the children and recording the patterns of their daily lives. Over the course of a month, she laid traps and other horrors for these children, such as a poisonous viper in a favorite place of play or a jutting and filthy spike in the waters where they jumped and swam. To the villagers it seemed a horrible curse had befallen them as their children were suddenly crippled and killed at an alarming rate. No one suspected the weeping midwife of the crimes, and they began to pray to the Lords of Good to forgive them whatever they had done to receive such an awful punishment.
S e r vi t o r
of
E nvy
The gods saw more clearly than the villagers, however, and they knew at once what had happened. They were horrified to discover that Igwyre’s heart had turned so dark and were furious with one another for having allowed this to happen by trusting in her innate goodness. They at once sent the archangel Raguel, the vengeance of Heaven, to put an end to this wicked woman. Raguel transformed Igwyre into a spider, a creature that stalks in the shadows and kills anything foolish enough to trust it. But he left her face intact so that she might weep for her sins for all eternity. This done, he cast her into Gehenna, where she serves, to this day, as one of the chief lieutenants to Ulasta. Her realm is directly on the border with the Negative Material Plane, and so anyone or anything wishing to cross into Gehenna from that route must pass her first.
M o t h e r Ig w y r e ’s L ai r
“Sniff… a piece of candy, child? Perhaps a nice glass of milk with your cookies?… Sniffle.” 50
As the forlorn road wending through a thin forest of bare trees, their white bark split and weeping, draws closer to the edges of the Circle of Envy, there lies the lair of Mother Igwyre. Webs as strong as iron chains reach across the canopy, hidden by the curls of mist that drift up from the sodden floor, and there, scuttling
C hapter II: T he F iends
Mot he r Igwyr e
Gargantuan fiend (daemon), neutral evil A c t ions
Armor Class 22 (natural armor) Hit Points 333 (18d20 + 144) Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 21 (+5) 18 (+4)
Multiattack. Mother Igwyre makes two slam attacks and a bite attack. She can substitute a Web attack for one of her slams. Cha 25 (+7)
Saving Throws Con +16, Wis +12, Cha +15 Skills Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Stealth +12 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 26 (90,000 XP) Accursed Form. Mother Igwyre is immune to any effect that would change her form. Ambusher. In the first round of combat, Mother Igwyre has advantage on attack rolls against any creature she has surprised. Corrosive Tears. When a creature moves to within 5 feet of Mother Igwyre or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) acid damage. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Mother Igwyre fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Mother Igwyre’s weapon attacks are magical. Nimble Escape. Mother Igwyre can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of her turns. Piteous Weeping. Mother Igwyre weeps constantly, and the sound of her suffering erodes the mind. At the end of Mother Igwyre’s turn, each creature within 60 feet of her that can hear her must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or take 18 (4d8) psychic damage. If this damage drops a creature to 0 hit points, it gains an indefinite madness. Spider Climb. Mother Igwyre can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Sense. While in contact with a web, Mother Igwyre knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. Web Walker. Mother Igwyre ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
across the thick strands, dwells the foul daemon, chief of Ulasta’s many servants. Encountered in her lair, Mother Igwyre has a challenge rating of 27 (105,000 XP).
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Mother Igwyre takes a lair action to cause one of the listed effects. Mother Igwyre can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row. • Mother Igwyre casts hallucinatory terrain.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 53 (8d10 + 9) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion and become poisoned for 1 hour. While poisoned in this way, the creature is charmed. Whenever the creature takes damage, it can make a DC 23 Charisma saving throw. On a success, the creature suppresses the charmed condition for 1 minute. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 24 hours, even after regaining hit points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d10 + 9) piercing damage. Web. Ranged Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 24 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 30; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage). Frightful Presence. Each creature of Mother Igwyre’s choice that is within 120 feet of Mother Igwyre and is aware of her must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Mother Igwyre’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Mother Igwyre can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options that follow. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Mother Igwyre regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Slam. Mother Igwyre makes a slam attack. Web. Mother Igwyre makes a Web attack. Scuttle. Mother Igwyre moves up to her speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. Horrid Wailing (Costs 3 Actions). Mother Igwyre releases a horrid wail. Each creature within 120 feet of her that can hear the wail and is not a fiend must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. A creature takes 35 (10d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
• A strand of webbing falls on one creature Mother Igwyre chooses within 60 feet of her. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 22 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 30; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage). • Mother Igwyre targets one creature she can see within 120 feet of her and floods its mind with
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overwhelming grief. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s Mother Igwyre’s foul nature and blessings bestowed on her by Ulasta have warped the landscape around her lair, creating one or more of the following effects: • Creatures within 5 miles of the lair can hear faint sobbing coming from all around them. Every now and then they hear, “My children, my poor, poor children.”
• A light rain falls from the sky within 5 miles of the lair. The rain has the salty taste of tears.
• Each creature that uses a holy symbol as a spellcasting focus experiences discomfort and anxiety, almost as if people were whispering foul things about them. • Creatures moving away from Mother Igwyre’s lair treat the terrain as if it were difficult terrain as roots rise to trip, vines stretch out to snare, and webs spread between the dead trees to catch and pull at creatures trying to escape.
If Mother Igwyre dies, these regional effects immediately end.
Ru in in F l e sh
Me rc e n a ry o f E nvy
When envy takes root in hearts, it consumes the individuals, gradually eroding their resolve until they can shoulder it no longer. Such mortals are in jeopardy of becoming ruins in flesh. What begins as a hastily constructed smile when faced with the object of their covetousness, soon turns to sharp, cutting words spoken under the breath. If the individuals cannot contain the feelings of envy, these feelings can eventually lead to completely irrational behavior that undermines the individuals’ efforts for a normal life. These broken people are so consumed with hate and frustration they live their days obsessed with what others have and they lack. In some ways, ruins in flesh appear almost as giant snails, for they carry upon their backs the mismatched bones stolen from their victims, which form a strange shell of sorts. The glistening, flaccid bodies that creep across the ground offer few clues about the person doomed to this fate, though more recent creations might show a familiar face or some other sign of who the horror once was.
F odde r
for
E nvy
Truly wicked mortals who commit ghastly crimes fueled by their envy are guaranteed to find Gehenna, with many ending up in Ulasta’s realm after death. However, daemons bring exceptional specimens to the plane early, 52
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Ruin in Fl e sh
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 92 (8d12 + 40) Speed 20 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 11 (+0)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 7 (−2) 8 (−1)
Cha 5 (−3)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Heap of Bones. A ruin in flesh carries a heap of bones on its back, made up from bodies it has absorbed. Whenever the ruin in flesh takes bludgeoning damage, the bones splinter and fly in all directions, forcing each creature within 10 feet of the ruin to make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) piercing damage on a failed save. If the ruin in flesh takes 20 bludgeoning damage or more from a single attack, it loses its Heap of Bones trait and its Armor Class drops to 10 until it has killed at least three creatures with Absorb Flesh. Horrifying Appearance. When a creature that can see the ruin in flesh starts its turn within 60 feet of the ruin, the ruin’s horrifying appearance forces the creature to make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw if the ruin is not incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature takes 14 (4d6) psychic damage and becomes frightened for 1 minute. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature also suffers short-term
where they receive special attention. Upon falling into Gehenna, mortals are herded by the daemons toward the circle of the Great Skull, where they receive the tender ministrations of undead torturers who pierce their victims’ bodies with hooks and claws so they can extract the souls from the meat intact. Once they’ve freed the souls from the bodies, the undead offer up the souls to Ulasta, who devours them in her vain effort to transform herself into a living woman. The daemons sculpt the living remains into something artful, to beautify their realm, and so the resultant mass of tissue assumes the appearance of some grotesque body of muscle and scaly skin known as a ruin in flesh. The ruins in flesh hunger for souls and prowl the circle in search of victims to consume. Sadly, they can never regain the spirit lost to the exarch, and, at best, they can only absorb the flesh and bones of their victims. When feeding, this creature consumes the flesh of its victims but lacks the means to pass the bones, collecting them in a translucent cyst on its back. Old ruins have immense towers of bones heaped upon their shoulders, appearing as bizarre amalgamations of the living and the dead. Ruins in flesh, in their endless search, sometimes find themselves outside the circle of their creation and pressed into service by demons, devils, or some other foul beings wanting them to fight. Since ruins have little in the way
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madness (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more details). At the end of the frightened creature’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw and ends the frightened effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw to resist or end the frightened effect becomes immune to this ruin in flesh’s horrifying appearance for 24 hours.
A c t ions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Absorb Flesh. The ruin moves up to its speed. While doing so, it can enter Large or smaller creatures’ spaces. Whenever the ruin enters a creature’s space, the creature must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can choose to be pushed 5 feet back or to the side of the ruin. A creature that chooses not to be pushed or can’t be pushed suffers the consequences of a failed saving throw. On a failed save, the ruin enters the creature’s space, and the creature takes 16 (3d10) bludgeoning damage and is partially absorbed. A partially absorbed creature is restrained and takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage plus 16 (3d10) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the ruin’s turns. When the ruin moves, the absorbed creature moves with it. An absorbed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC 18 Strength check. On a success, the creature takes 7 (2d6) slashing damage, escapes, and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of the ruin. An absorbed creature that drops to 0 hit points dies immediately, and its soul is consumed by the ruin in flesh, which prevents the creature from being restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. The ruin in flesh regains 18 (4d8) hit points after consuming a soul.
“I just can’t believe he’s getting married before me. Aren’t girls supposed to get married first? Sure, I have four children, but it’s still not fair.”
of intellect or cunning, they gladly go where directed, attacking whatever they can if it means fishing out a soul to ensconce in their bodies.
We e ping Coil s
Wa t ch e rs o f E nvy
The darkest shadows cast into the Circle of Envy attract the attention of the weeping coils. Daemons made powerful from their advanced age but doomed to live vicariously through the mortals they observe, the weeping coils are immense serpents with the heads of grief-stricken men and women. Their obsession with their subjects keeps them close to the shadows they watch, and they use the tears dripping from their eyes to record the mortal deeds in their terrible ledgers. 53
“Such denizens of Gehanna recline upon their own coils and weep, for all they have done and lost, but meet not their gaze, lest ye perish, consumed by their misery.” — from The Book of the Fallen
We e ping Coil s
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 123 (13d10 + 52) Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft. Str 23 (+6)
F al l e n G r e a t On e s Prior to their existence as weeping coils, these daemons were once mortals, who, through their dissatisfaction and envy of others, destroyed themselves with sin. These individuals stand apart from others condemned to the Circle of Envy in that the results of their wickedness cost not only their own lives but those of countless innocents. Some were the offspring of regents, who murdered their way to the throne only to find they had plunged their nations into chaos. Others were powerful students of magic, who, desperate to overtake their rivals, destroyed themselves and innumerable lives in magical conflagrations. Gehenna rewards such fools with even greater suffering and transformed them into abominations condemned to watch others find the same fate.
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 21 (+5) 16 (+3)
Cha 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Str +11, Con +9, Int +10, Wis +8 Skills Insight +8, Perception +8 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 15 (13,000 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The weeping coils’ innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18). The weeping coils can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: bestow curse, dimension door, nondetection Killing Gaze. If a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the weeping coils and the two of them can see each other, the weeping coils can force the creature to make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw if the weeping coils isn’t incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature takes 28 (8d6) psychic damage and becomes stunned until the end of its next turn. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the stunned effect on itself becomes immune to this weeping coils’ Killing Gaze for 24 hours. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The weeping coils makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its constrict. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d12 + 6) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take 21 (6d6) poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. A creature poisoned in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained and the weeping coils can’t constrict another creature. R e a c t ions Harvest Success. When a creature within 30 feet of the weeping coils hits with an attack roll or succeeds on an ability check or saving throw, the weeping coils can harvest the creature’s success. Until the end of the creature’s next turn, the next time it makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it makes the roll with disadvantage.
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Da e mons o f L ust Many mortals seek to fill the hollow sense of loneliness that haunts them with the body of another. When these acts of physical indulgence are pursued obsessively, without regard for anything beyond selfish satisfaction, and their partners become nothing but objects to be used, the natural beauty of pleasure and sex twists into the sin of lust. In Gehenna, these pure acts of lust are observed with great interest. The watchers come to know the faces of these dark shadows, the lustful, and they remember them. They record in the ledgers the names of those who commit acts particularly lascivious and shameful.
A e zidion
S e rvi t o r
of
L us t
Far beneath the tawdry streets of the Circle of Lust stretches a range of tunnels that plunge into the fetid depths of Gehenna. In these slick caverns, down which drain the foul excretions spilled by those enslaved to their carnal lusts and condemned to spend eternity among the riotous mob of hedonists sworn to serve their vile exarch, can be found the most debased of daemons and souls alike. Their interests go far beyond the realm of pleasure and pain. Their cravings exceed the imaginations of the most diabolical minds, and witnessing the acts performed in these gloomy passages invites incurable madness. Even if the denizens knew limits to their hideous cravings, they would push past them; such is the influence of In’nassi’s terrible servitor Aezidion, known as the Desire Made Flesh. Few have ever spied Aezidion in its true form, since the daemon forms its flesh into whatever shape visitors desire most, but behind these enticing facades lies a monstrosity of staggering proportion, a veritable sea of undulating flesh, pocked with glistening orifices that pucker and yawn to release plumes of stupefying mist. Between the treacherous pits dimpling the fleshy expanse bulge great, shuddering eyes that roll about in a mockery of ecstasy.
S t ain
of
all the forms of pleasure ever imagined, as well as those beyond imagining. In’nassi named her creation Aezidion and introduced the choicest lust-damned souls to share in its horrid experiments. And from its myriad couplings, In’nassi discovered acts that even made the exarch recoil in fear. For now, In’nassi remains content to leave this thing where it lies, but if Aezidion ever sought to leave its domain, the exarch would move swiftly to abort the despicable thing and cleanse her circle of its vile influence.
“As the angler of the deep does lure prey into its maw, so does Aezidion, the Desire Made Flesh, dangle the Heart’s Desire before the unwary, luring them into its horrid embrace, from which none return.” — from The Book of the Fallen
D e si r e
Eons ago, In’nassi assumed a form pleasing to one of the Lords of Good and seduced the deity. The fruit of their union quickened in In’nassi’s womb, and not long after, she gave birth to a tide of horrors that would become the daemons dwelling in her circle. After the final fiend pulled itself free, she gave one final heave, pushing out a noxious slick of slime and fluid, in which swam misshapen bits. The effluvia drained into the passages below her palace, where they gathered in a deep cave. Such was the divine nature of this afterbirth that it soon after gained awareness, identity, and purpose, which was to sample
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A e zidion
Gargantuan fiend (daemon), neutral evil A c t ions
Armor Class 9 Hit Points 555 (30d20 + 240) Speed 5 ft. Str 29 (+9)
Dex 8 (–1)
Multiattack. Aezidion makes one pseudopod attack and uses its Horrid Embrace? attack for each object of desire it has created.
Con Int Wis 27 (+8) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)
Cha 30 (+10)
Saving Throws Str +17, Con +16, Wis +9, Cha +18 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, stunned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) Amorphous. Aezidion can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Aura of Sensation. At the start of each of Aezidion’s turns, each creature within 60 feet of it must make a DC 26 Charisma saving throw. Constructs, elementals, plants, and undead are immune to this effect. A creature that fails the saving throw becomes incapacitated from experiencing an overwhelming mixture of pleasure and pain. A creature incapacitated in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to Aezidion’s Aura of Sensation for 24 hours. Innate Spellcasting. Aezidion’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 26). Aezidion can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (4d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) psychic damage. Desire Revealed. Aezidion targets up to three creatures within range of its telepathy. Constructs, elementals, plants, and undead are immune to this effect. Each target must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or take 18 (4d8) psychic damage. For each creature that takes this damage, Aezidion creates from its own flesh a creature that perfectly matches whatever being the damaged creature desires most. The creation remains until Aezidion uses Desire Revealed again. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes immune to Desire Revealed for 24 hours. While a creature can see the object of its desire, it has disadvantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. An object of desire created by this effect remains part of Aezidion, though it looks, feels, and sounds exactly like what the target imagines. The object of desire cannot move more than 120 feet away from Aezidion, as several strands of flesh connect it to the daemon’s body. These strands are immune to damage but break if there is not a 1-inch-wide opening between the object of desire and Aezidion. Horrid Embrace. Each object of desire created by Aezidion’s Desire Revealed tries to embrace the target from whose imagination it was created, provided the target is within 20 feet of Aezidion. The target must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or become grappled. Until the grapple ends (escape DC 25), the target is restrained and takes 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage at the end of each turn. If this damage drops a target to 0 or fewer hit points, the target dies, its body is absorbed by the daemon, and the object of desire disappears. A creature killed in this way cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
3/day each: charm person, clairvoyance, fear, major image, suggestion 1/day each: confusion, dominate monster, dominate person, hallucinatory terrain, hold monster
Aezidion can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Aezidion regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Aezidion fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Attack. Aezidion makes one pseudopod attack.
Magic Resistance. Aezidion has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Lure (Costs 2 Actions). Aezidion targets one creature within range of its telepathy. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Charisma saving throw or Aezidion decides how the target moves during its next turn.
Magic Weapons. Aezidion’s weapon attacks are magical.
Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Aezidion casts a spell.
Am or in e s
Wa t c h e rs
of
L us t
In Gehenna, the amorines gather themselves into towering humanoid-shaped masses of writhing worms. They creep about the Circle of Lust, inspecting the shadows cast by lustful mortals on the Material Plane and recording their deeds on the pages of the dark ledgers carried on the backs of the damned souls condemned to this place. With each depraved act, each debauched performance, the heap of worms shudders in delight, the worms’ filthy excretions falling from it like rain. 56
M o r ning ’s P l a g u e The pleasure amorines take from bearing witness to lustful acts whips them into a frenzy of desire, and an individual worm slithers free from the mass, using the mortal’s sin as a gateway for its intrusion into the Material Plane. Venturing from Gehenna, the worm incubates within the sinner’s body. Each time the mortal gives in to temptation, committing an act of lust, the amorine grows a little larger, until, when fully grown—about three feet long—it emerges from its host, which is always an extremely painful event that leaves its host gasping. The daemon’s first act upon escaping the flesh is to devour its host while they are most vulnerable.
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D a e m o nic P a r a s i t e An amorine can leave Gehenna to enter the body of any mortal who has gained corruption by indulging in lustful behavior. Constructs, fiends, and undead are immune to this effect. While inside the host body, the amorine can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, other than those that would drive it from the host’s body, such as the dispel evil and good spell. Each time the amorine’s host finishes a long rest, the amorine wriggles inside the body, forcing the host to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the host gains a new flaw: “I am a slave to my lust and perform any lustful act that I can.” The host retains this flaw until they finish a long rest. If the host succeeds on three consecutive Wisdom saving throws, the amorine starves and slides free from the host’s body. If the host fails three saving throws, the parasite emerges from the target, causing the host to take 2d6 slashing damage and forcing them to make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the host becomes stunned for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and ends the effect on itself with a success. Regardless, the amorine rolls initiative with advantage and takes the next available turn to attack its host. Two stat blocks follow for the amorine. The first describes a full-grown amorine that has emerged from a host, while the second is for a swarm of amorines, which is only encountered on Gehenna.
Amorine
Amorine Mound
Tiny fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Medium swarm of Tiny fiends (daemons), neutral evil
Armor Class 15 Hit Points 16 (3d4 + 9) Speed 5 ft. Str 11 (+0)
Dex 20 (+5)
Armor Class 15 Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) Speed 30 ft. Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 4 (−3) 11 (+0)
Cha 6 (−2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities blinded, poisoned Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Host Attached. The amorine emerges from the host, where it remains until it or the host dies. The amorine moves with the host. A creature that has the amorine grappled can attempt to rip it from the host’s body, contesting a Strength check against the amorine’s Dexterity check. On a success, the amorine is pulled out of the host’s body and it loses this trait. Upon losing this trait, the amorine’s speed increases by 20 feet. On a successful save or a failed one, the host takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage and 3 (1d6) psychic damage. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Str 13 (+1)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)
Cha 16 (+3)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, piercing, slashing Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities blinded, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny worm. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. A c t ions Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, or 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.
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E un uc hs
Bo rn
Me rc e n a rie s
of
L us t
The fickle exarch of Lust In’nassi switches sides in the war between Hell and the Abyss regularly, based on whomever she happens to be bedding. When she has a dalliance with a demon lord, her minions fight the forces of Hell. When an infernal lord graces her chambers, her minions must oppose the demonic armies. The eunuchs are In’nassi’s soldiers in the war, sent to die as they aid the campaigns of her lovers. As a result, their lives are brutish and short in every way.
to
Di e
Determining that many creatures dwelling on the Circle of Lust were not as well suited to battle as those of the Circle of Wrath, In’nassi created the eunuchs to reverse that disadvantage. Like all daemons of their circle, they crave physical satisfaction. But they have no sexual organs with which to achieve this gratification. These are devoured, and the nerves that provide pleasure are
E unuch
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 123 (11d8 + 33) Speed 30 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 5 (−3) 11 (+0)
Cha 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6, Cha +5 Skills Athletics +7, Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the eunuch can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Magic Weapons. The eunuch’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The eunuch makes a gore attack and a tentacles attack. The eunuch can substitute a gut tendril attack in place of its gore attack. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) piercing damage, and the eunuch makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with advantage until the end of its next turn. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grabbed (escape DC 15) and restrained until the grapple ends. The eunuch can grapple one creature at a time. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage. Gut Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature the eunuch has grappled. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage, and the target becomes infested by maggots. Constructs are immune to this effect. A target infested by maggots has its hit point maximum reduced by 7 (2d6) when it becomes infested and again at the start of each of its turns until the effect ends. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw and ends the effect on itself with a successful save. The reduction to the target’s hit point maximum lasts until it finishes a long rest. A greater restoration spell ends the infested by maggots effect and also ends the hit point maximum reduction on the target.
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similarly gnawed away, ending by ending, by the daemonic maggots that infest its body, leaving a creature enraged by its inability to feel, and eager to release its anger upon anyone nearby. Eunuchs gain hollow satisfaction by piercing their victims’ bodies with their razor-sharp horns. Each time these daemons rupture a soft belly and intestines, they snarl with malice. Pain is the only sensation left to them, and they are eager to share it. Each eunuch possesses a diseased, biting tentacle that bursts from its abdomen to strike foes in the belly, where the tentacle disgorges writhin maggots into its prey. The vermin’s eating softens the victim’s flesh, easing the penetration of the eunuch’s horns. As this horrific and malicious act allows eunuchs to share a fraction of the agony of their own creation, providing an intellectual pleasure in place of the lusts they are forever denied, they are always eager for battle.
E u n uc h P a t r i a r c h s In’nassi is not usually present as her servants aid her lovers. To make sure they do her bidding, she sends one of her trusted eunuch patriarchs. Creatures of pure devotion, they are the sometimes promised new flesh capable of pleasure, and for that reason, would gladly die to please the exarch.
“It is our common arrogance that we assume all creatures in the universe that desire to touch, that desire fulfillment, do so in ways that we might comprehend. If only it were so simple.” — Edgyll Marigand
E unuch Pa t riarch Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage.
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 168 (16d10 + 80) Speed 40 ft. Str 26 (+8)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 9 (−1) 13 (+1)
Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Str +14, Dex +8, Con +11, Wis +7, Cha +9 Skills Athletics +14, Perception +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the eunuch patriarch can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the eunuch patriarch fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The eunuch patriarch’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The eunuch patriarch makes a falchion attack, a gore attack, and a tentacles attack. The eunuch can substitute Awaken Lust for its falchion attack and substitute a gut tendrils attack in place of its gore attack. Falchion. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) psychic damage. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (3d12 + 8) piercing damage, and the eunuch makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with advantage until the end of its next turn. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 22) and restrained until the grapple ends. The eunuch can grapple one creature at a time.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Gut Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature the eunuch patriarch has grappled. Hit: 24 (3d10 + 8) piercing damage, and the target becomes infested by maggots. Constructs are immune to this effect. A target infested by maggots has its hit point maximum reduced by 14 (4d6) when it becomes infested and again at the start of each of its turns until the effect ends. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw and ends the effect on itself with a successful save. The reduction to the target’s hit point maximum lasts until it finishes a long rest. A greater restoration spell ends the infested by maggots effect and also ends the hit point maximum reduction on the target. Lust-Gnawing Trance. The eunuch patriarch attempts to sap the animus—the “lust for life”—from one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. Constructs and undead are immune to this effect. The target creature must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or become charmed by the eunuch patriarch for 1 hour. While charmed in this way, the creature’s speed drops to 0 and it grants advantage to the eunuch patriarch’s attack rolls made against it. At the end of each of the charmed creature’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, but with disadvantage, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to this eunuch patriarch’s Lust-Gnawing Trance for 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The eunuch patriarch can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The eunuch patriarch regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Move. The eunuch patriarch moves up to its speed. Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The eunuch patriarch makes a falchion attack. Disrobe (Costs 3 Actions). The eunuch patriarch chooses one creature it has charmed. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or, consumed with discomfort take an action each round to doff any armor and clothing it is wearing until it is no longer clothed. If the target takes any damage, it can repeat the Charisma saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success.
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“Yeeeeees, that’s it, my lovely, oh just like that, yes. Soon. Soon you will be mine and mine alone, forever. Oh, yes.”
L ust f ul
Th r a l l
of
L us t
The fate awaiting those who choose only carnal desires over compassion and respect in life is to be cast to the realm of daemons in death. The lustful are made from souls condemned to the Circle of Lust, where the souls become transformed into bizarre distortions of their former selves. Their attractive and repellent qualities manifest in their forms to broadcast those desires that led them to their dooms. Their desire for sexual satisfaction magnifies into an unquenchable thirst that drives them to misery and wanton acts in an attempt to slake their gnawing withdrawal—but they cannot take what they want, only beg for release.
W il l ing P r is o n e r s Daemons join the lustful in an array of carnal and other sense-shredding acts that are unequaled in their extremity and diversity. As extreme as these indulgences are, they remain cursed to forever deny true pleasure to their participants. Yet these mechanical sensations have a certain familiarity, a supposed potential to reignite the flame of pleasure, so these acts only inspire further desperate seeking, driving the lustful to even more humiliating and despicable acts. The lustful might plead with travelers, begging for escape, and yet go willingly with a “lover” who comes to call.
L ust f ul
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 11 Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9) Speed 40 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 9 (–1) 8 (−1)
Cha 18 (+4)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) A c t ions Decadent Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d6) psychic damage. If the target is charmed by the lustful, it takes 7 (2d6) extra damage. Enticing Invitation (1/Day). The lustful targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it that can see it, forcing the target to make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the target becomes charmed by the lustful. While charmed in this way, the target experiences a whisper of the daemon’s distorted psyche, and grants advantage on all attack rolls made by the lustful against it. At the end of each of the affected creature’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to all lustfuls’ Enticing Invitation for 24 hours.
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Og r aq
W his p e r e r
of
L us t
In Gehenna, the ograq is assumed to lair in obscure corners of the Circle of Lust, but in truth, it is cursed with intangibility, manifesting as nothing more than a ripple in a humid wind unless a daemon commands it to manifest, or a sinner draws it to the Material Plane. Only then can it appear, a creature composed of violent tentacles and dark, slavering maws. A visit from an ograq is the ultimate punishment for those mortals who have given themselves wholly to the fulfillment of their carnal physical desires, and the ultimate reward for the ograq, who enjoys a fleeting moment to explore the mysteries of the flesh. These hideous daemons frequently visit the Material Plane, drawn there by mortals who care only for their own gratification. Such mortals may be asleep in a safe and comfortable bed only to find suddenly an ograq crawling to them, ready to experiment on its subject. With the clinical relentlessness of a scientist, it uses its teeth and spined
C hapter II: T he F iends
“What property of your body caused you to sin? What troublesome organ? Which inch of brain matter? We will discover the answer together.” Og r aq
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 97 (15d8 + 30) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 8 (−1) 13 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Str +6, Dex +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Daemonic Pheromones. An ograq gives off a weird stink that stimulates perverse curiosity. When a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of an ograq, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the creature’s mind is overwhelmed with images of vivisection and gore, but feels entranced, rather than disgusted. A creature poisoned in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends it on itself becomes immune to all Daemonic Pheromones for 24 hours. Constructs and undead are immune to Daemonic Pheromones. Magic Weapons. The ograq’s weapon attacks are magical. Relentless (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the ograq takes 14 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. A c t ions Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14) and restrained until the grapple ends. The ograq can grapple just one creature at a time. Horrid Vivisection. The ograq plunges its stiffened tentacles into the body of one creature grappled by it. The creature takes 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage, and the ograq gains 7 (2d6) temporary hit points.
tentacles to stimulate and vivisect every nerve, inspect flensed muscles and tendons, cord by cord, and dismantle bones, in search of the secrets of bodily sensation. At the end of such a night, the mortal is left a bloody pulp, and the ograq usually returns to Gehenna, eager to explore the nature of bodies soon, even as it returned to intangibility. Sometimes the ograq retains certain urgent questions about the nature of flesh, especially if the victim it vivisected died too soon. When this happens, the ograq turns its attention to nearby innocents. On such occasions, the ograq can spend days or even weeks in the Material Plane, torturing and killing innocent mortals with its horrors.
C hapter II: T he F iends
T ha t Wh ic h Wa t che r Ca nn ot Be
of
L us t
Certain people who crave carnal pleasures find themselves denied the fulfillment they need and their cravings left unfulfilled. The reasons run the gamut. A scant few suffer some hideous malformation of their features; some find they cannot conceal their desires, their lust naked on their faces; but most simply maintain traits and habits odious to those around them Such individuals, prevented as they are from finding the physical comforts to which they feel entitled, must instead watch, gazing on in abject lust, those about them and turn to themselves for some release. In the end, these souls, consumed by desire, turn to other darker methods to earn their relief. They might watch from afar, follow through the shadows, and even make some effort to cajole. But in many cases, they have already fallen; the ones they desire are no longer people to them, but symbols of self-gratification. Once they have truly degenerated into stalkers, they attract the attention of the most terrible variety of daemon. Watching the descent of these sinners are unnamed beings, so terrible in form and nature that they have been 61
labeled ille quod fieri non: that which cannot be. There is one such creature for each mortal who becomes the most deliberate form of stalker. The segmented rings of the daemon’s body catalog the sins of the offending mortal, and with each depraved act, the daemon grows more powerful. Never content to just watch the mortal destroy itself, ille quod fieri non complicate matters, actively taking a role in
seeing that the sinful actions continue unabated, such as devouring those who’d turn the sinner from a dark path, or even just drive them away from their “prey.” Once the mortals die, they descend to In’nassi’s realm, where they are each painfully devoured by their personal daemon, their essence absorbed by the fiend, which then turns its attention on a new mortal to corrupt.
T ha t Which Cannot Be Huge fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Armor Class 22 (natural armor) Hit Points 391 (29d12 + 203) Speed 50 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 8 (−1) 17 (+3)
Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Wis +10, Cha +12 Skills Deception +12, Perception +10, Persuasion +12 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 24 (62,000 XP)
Inflame Passions. At the start of each of the daemon’s turns, each creature of its choice within 30 feet of it must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is overcome with a chaotic stream of emotions, which cause it to act unpredictably, as if under the effects of the confusion spell, for 1 minute. A creature confused in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this daemon’s Inflame Passions trait for 24 hours. Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The daemon’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The daemon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: ray of sickness (as a 4th-level spell) 3/day each: bestow curse, contagion, ray of enfeeblement Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Spread the Plague. Whenever a creature that isn’t a construct or undead starts its turn within 60 feet of the daemon, the creature must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 14 (4d6) poison damage and becomes poisoned for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature ends the poisoned effect on itself and becomes immune to this daemon’s Spread the Plague for 24 hours. Two Heads. The daemon has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. A c t ions Multiattack. The daemon makes two bite attacks. It can cast a spell in place of one of these attacks. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 35 (8d6 + 9) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the daemon. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained; it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the daemon, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the daemon’s turns. If the daemon takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the daemon must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all the creatures it has swallowed, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the daemon. If the daemon dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.
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C hapter II: T he F iends
Un c
Me rc e n a r y
of
L us t
The Circle of Lust is an orgy of perversity, debauchery, and wickedness. The creatures there fornicate in desperation, never gaining satisfaction from their appetites. Fueling their wanton behavior is the exarch who lords over this realm, exuding the same degree of sick desires as her minions. Of all the creatures here, it is In’nassi who is the most fecund, coupling some thirty times in a day. The petty offspring of In’nassi’s unions are called uncs. These disturbing creatures fly through the plane, possessing an alien purpose. Most clump together, working for similar goals, and are likely to infest some hapless traveler. Rarely, a school of these creatures slips free from Gehenna to work their dark corruption on an unsuspecting populace.
Proud of her spawn, In’nassi uses these creatures to torture new lovers brought to her palace of infinite delights and woes. The exarch exposes exceptional lovers—those that live through the experience—to a profusion of these daemons, where the daemons take root and develop into new horrors, born from the wasted shell of their victims. Enemies have learned to use caution when invading In’nassi’s realm, for clouds of these things descend and parasitize their forces, creating more enemies in the wake of their passage.
Swarm o f Uncs
Medium swarm of Tiny fiends (daemons), neutral evil Armor Class 15 Hit Points 27 (6d8) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 6 (−2)
Dex 21 (+5)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 3 (−4) 10 (+0)
Cha 4 (−3)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, piercing, slashing Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 3 (700 XP) Flyby. The unc doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach. Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny daemon. The swarm cannot regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. A c t ions Stingers. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 7 (2d6) piercing damage, or 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. In addition, a creature must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 10 (3d6) poison damage. If the poison damage drops the creature to 0 hit points, the creature automatically becomes stabilized and paralyzed for 1d4 hours. A lesser restoration spell ends this effect on an affected creature. If the creature is paralyzed the full time, the creature takes 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage and gives birth to a vlogar (see Vlogar, later in this section). The vlogar immediately grows from small to medium size and stands up in the creature’s space, rolls initiative, and typically attacks its host when it takes its turn.
C hapter II: T he F iends
“Great colonies of uncs swarm the fields of Gehenna. They seem to be a natural extension of the circles, reflecting the physical qualities of the place. How they fit into Gehenna’s ultimate hierarchy, we do not know, but despite their alien beauty, they are quite malevolent, like everything else in that fell place… oh, and the venom in their tails is quite deadly.” 63
Vl og ar
Vl og ar s
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0)
Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +2, Cha +4 Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Chameleon Hide. The vlogar has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide. Innate Spellcasting. The vlogar’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). The vlogar can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: command, fog cloud, suggestion Insidious Invisibility. As a bonus action, the vlogar can magically turn invisible, along with anything it wears and carries, until its concentration ends. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Whispers of Lust (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the vlogar telepathically whispers to one creature within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I must find glory through lust.” In addition, for 1 hour after becoming charmed, whenever the target sees a creature to which it would ordinarily be sexually attracted, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or become charmed by that creature until this effect ends. At the end of the target’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this vlogar’s Whispers of Lust for 24 hours.
W his p e r e r s
of
L us t
Some mortals cannot be satisfied with the spiritless couplings of the lustful. They must exert further egotsical satisfaction and a sense of control over those they desire. These sinners are not only voyeurs, but braggarts. They spread rumors of their own assignations and those of others. They portray their own acts as conquests, and their partners as dupes and prey when speaking of encounters both real and imagined. These acts draw the attention of volgars, who encourage the sinner to become the vilest sorts of slanderers and narcissists. The vlogars consider it a great victory when their whispers drive mortals to such behaviors. Every night that mortals partake in these actions, the vlogars grow stronger. But sometimes a vlogar’s accomplishment is upended. If the mortal in question is rebuked and humiliated for their sins, or otherwise ceases to engage in this loathsome behavior, the vlogar becomes infuriated, having grown accustomed to the power given it by the sin of its charge. In these times, the vlogar might come to the Material Plane and do whatever it must to ensure that the behavior continues. If the mortal in question has simply stopped behaving in this manner, the vlogar will force them to resume. If the mortal has been imprisoned, banished, or otherwise prevented from indulging in their sins, the vlogar might slaughter all interlopers to ensure their favored subjects can resume their vile hobbies.
A c t ions Multiattack. The vlogar makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with its bite. It can substitute a tongue attack for its bite attack. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + slashing damage.
3)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 15 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and cannot speak.
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“Look in the window. Their worthless writhing is nothing compared to what you’ve done. Tell the rest.” C hapter II: T he F iends
Da e mons o f Sl ot h Preying upon the lazy and overcome, mortals whose grief and bitterness sap away all motivation to do anything more than exist, the daemons of sloth work to lure these indolent beings deeper and deeper into a life of utter inaction until they become so helpless the daemons can spirit them to Gehenna with ease.
A b andone d Dr e am
W his p e r e r
Sl o t h
of
In the Circle of Sloth, broken promises and wasted potential are the daily currency, but precious dreams cast aside—those are the treasures the daemons covet most. The watchers eagerly wait for the moment when a mortal turns their back on their dreams. When a person chooses the path of practicality over idealism—hardened realism over optimism—a great cheer goes up in Gehenna. Quite
A b andone d Dr e am Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 21 (6d8 − 6) Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 21 (+5)
Con Int Wis 8 (−1) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)
Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +6, Cha +5 Skills Deception +5, Intimidation +5, Perception +6, Persuasion +5, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The abandoned dream’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14). The abandoned dream can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: charm person, clairvoyance, expeditious retreat, suggestion Magic Resistance. The abandoned dream has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The abandoned dream’s weapon attacks are magical. Whispers of Sloth (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the abandoned dream telepathically whispers to one creature within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects
C hapter II: T he F iends
Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I do not take risks and am loathe to do anything.” In addition, for 1 hour after becoming charmed, the target’s walking speed drops to 10 feet, if it’s not already less than 10 feet, and the target makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this abandoned dream’s Whispers of Sloth for 24 hours. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15) if the daemon isn’t already grappling a creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, takes 5 (1d10) psychic damage, and suffers Wisdom drain until it finishes a long rest. A target suffering Wisdom drain must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from every Wisdom attack roll, ability check, and saving throw it makes. Each time a target suffers Wisdom drain, the die it uses increases to the next higher size, such that a d4 becomes a d6, and a d6 becomes a d8. If the die becomes a d20, the target is afflicted with indefinite madness (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide for details). Change Shape. The abandoned dream magically polymorphs into a Large or smaller humanoid that has a challenge rating equal to or less than its own or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the daemon’s choice). In a new form, the abandoned dream retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and special senses are replaced by those of the new form, and it gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but the abandoned dream lacks.
65
“You could never do that, not you. You were never good enough; were you? Everyone you know is better than you. Set it aside. It was a foolish idea. You don’t even want to.”
often, that moment is incited and inseminated by the elite whisperers of the circle called the abandoned dreams.
W his p e r e r
of
Sl o t h
Gifted with unholy acuity of insight, abandoned dreams recognize weaknesses in mortals that few others can see. They see when people forget their cherished hopes for a better tomorrow, and then they pounce, whispering to their victims’ shadows day and night to help foster this depression. When a particularly cherished dream is forgotten by one of its subjects, sometimes the abandoned dream finds its way to the Material Plane by the power of that loss. There it becomes the embodiment of the dream, haunting and tormenting the dreamer with regret. Perhaps the dreamer is a poor mother who gave up on a better life for her child. In such a case, the abandoned dream will come to her at her lowest and offer her a hand up for her child— an apprenticeship, schooling, and future riches—only to withdraw the offer at the eleventh hour. This sort of
torment continues until the abandoned dream is somehow sent back to Gehenna (which happens if the tormented dreamer finds or is aided in finding the will to not give up hope) or its subject dies.
In do l e n t
Th r a l l s
of
Sl o t h
Much as they did before being condemned to Gehenna, indolents find it difficult to care about or do much of anything, preferring to pass their time doing nothing, slipping in and out of a sleep they can never quite shake off. Indolents litter the Circle of Sloth, their bodies lying wherever they appeared. If disturbed, they can rouse themselves with great effort, but they do so for short periods, until the need for rest overtakes them once more.
P a ss i v e T h r e a t Indolents pose little danger to other creatures, provided they are left alone. If approached, though, their lethargy radiates from them in a palpable aura that drains away all intent and leaves the creature in desperate need of rest. Indolents caress creatures they put to sleep, each touch building the creatures’ exhaustion until they slip into comas from which they can never awaken.
Indol e n t
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 5 Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6) Speed 10 ft. Str 6 (−2)
Dex 5 (–3)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 6 (−2)
Cha 8 (–1)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Soporific Aura. At the start of each of the indolent’s turns, each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. If the creature is within 10 feet of two or more indolents, the creature makes the saving throw with disadvantage. A creature falls prone and becomes unconscious on a failed save, or becomes immune to all indolents’ Soporific Auras for 24 hours on a successful one. An affected creature remains unconscious until another creature uses an action to shake it awake. Lethargy. When the indolent takes a turn, it can either move or take an action. The indolent cannot take reactions. A c t ions Exhausting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The creature gains one level of exhaustion.
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C hapter II: T he F iends
L an g ui sh in g
Wa t che r
of
Sl o t h
Mortal life is so filled with tragedy it is a wonder the poor folk who must endure it do not spend their every hour weeping. But they do not, for it is considered a sinful indulgence to whittle away the precious gift of life in mourning, no matter how terrible the events that have befallen you. When mortals do so indulge, actively choosing to give up on life and instead waste their days weeping and wailing, the languishing take notice. The languishing pay heed to the sounds of mourning— the sobs, the gnashing of teeth, the piteous moans, and the prayers for the terrible pall of sorrow to be lifted. They gather around and watch the shadows of these miserable mortals, listening to their cries and mutilating themselves out of “sympathy” for the mortals’ pain. Sometimes they are so enamored with particular mourners that they come for them. From Gehenna, they make their way toward the sounds of the lamenter in the Material Plane, and once they find them, they take them bodily back to Gehenna. Usually this final tragedy is too much for the mortals so absconded—most die of broken hearts upon reaching
L anguishing
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28) Speed 20 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 9 (−1) 14 (+2)
Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Con +5, Wis +5, Cha +5 Skills Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The languishing’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The languishing can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: fog cloud, ray of sickness 3/day each: ray of enfeeblement, sleep (as a 5th-level spell) Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The languishing’s weapon attacks are magical.
A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 16) and restrained until the grapple ends. The languishing can grapple one target at a time.
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Steal Head. The languishing attempts to steal the head from one humanoid creature it has grappled. The languishing contests a Strength check against the target’s Strength check. On a success, the languishing pops the creature’s head from its body and devours its jaw. A target that loses its head in this way remains alive, but its body is blinded and deafened, though the target can still see and hear in regard to its head’s position. Lacking a head prevents the target from speaking, which makes it impossible for the target to speak the verbal components of spells or command words for magic items it might possess. Furthermore, lacking orifices with which to eat or drink could result in the death of the body. Whether or not the body dies, the head lives on in a state of continually deepening horror up to its normal life expectancy and without needing to eat or drink. A detached head has an AC 0 and 5 hit points. The head knows everything it knew before its separation, though its options, including those related to the lack of a jaw, are quite limited in this new divided state. A detached head can be rejoined to the body by placing it on the neck stump and casting a heal spell and a regenerate spell on the target. If the body or head dies, the divided creature cannot be restored to life and wholeness until both parts have died. Lamenting Chorus (Recharge 5–6). The languishing’s spider-leg-filled maw undulates in a frenzy, the gestures moving like a conductor overseeing a symphony. From the daemon’s abdomen comes a wailing noise, the sound from all the damned souls it has swallowed. Each creature in a 60-foot-radius sphere centered on the languishing that can hear the sound must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. A creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and gains one level of exhaustion on a failed save, or just takes half the damage on a successful one.
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“They say he did nothing each day but weep for the loss of his young bride. His sorrow was so deep it choked anyone who came near him, so that eventually even his own family abandoned him. It was expected he would eventually waste away and die in his home, but instead he simply disappeared. To this day, no one knows what happened to him.” —The Impossible and the Possible,Violetta Cannonberry Gehenna. But those who do not and continue to weep and moan, understanding this as yet more evidence that life has failed them, are fed upon by the languishing.
He ad E
a t e rs
The languishing can detach the heads of mortals without killing them. They then consume the mortals’ jaws, which continue to make sounds of mourning within their gullets. The remaining parts of the heads are heaped in mounds around the lamenter, still living and watching the mourning shadows of other mortals for all eternity. These heads try to scream out at these newly observed mortals, attempting to say, “Move past it! Life is too precious to waste away in misery!” in an effort to save them from a similar fate, but the heads cannot make a sound, for they have no jaws.
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Sh og ar r,
Con sum e r o f Sou l s
S e rvi t o r o f Sl o t h
Many say Shogarr does not even exist. Those legends that speak of him claim he was once the Lord of the Fourth Circle of Hell, called the Consumer of Souls. Shogarr was known to be the cruelest of the Lords of Hell, a difficult title to achieve. He was said to be so cruel his own devils rose up against him, enabling Belial to displace him. This occurred so long ago it has been forgotten by the world, so the legends say, but these legends also maintain he died in the struggle for dominion. Secret writings, dark texts not even whispered of, kept hidden by a cult known as the Shogarrites, say Shogarr is not dead but now lies in eternal slumber at the foot of Viasta, the exarch of Sloth. So profoundly was he wounded in the loss of his domain, the blasphemous texts explain, he was forced to retreat to Gehenna for refuge, and there he has stayed. The Shogarrites maintain that if something called “the great horn” can be constructed and sounded at the time of a particular aligning of the stars, the call will carry to Gehenna and awaken their lord. They believe his awakening will
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Shog arr
Gargantuan fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 22 (natural armor) Hit Points 390 (20d20 + 180) Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft. Str 30 (+10)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 28 (+9) 27 (+8) 28 (+9)
Cha 29 (+9)
Saving Throws Str +19, Dex +14, Con +18, Int +17, Wis +18, Cha +18 Skills Insight +18, Perception +18 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 90 ft., passive Perception 28 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 30 (155,000 XP) Blood Frenzy. Shogarr has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede Shogarr’s darkvision. Infernal Weapons. Shogarr’s weapon attacks are magical. When Shogarr hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 10d8 fire damage (included in the attack). Innate Spellcasting. Shogarr’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 26). Shogarr can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: chain lightning (as a 9th-level spell), hold monster 1/day each: meteor swarm, power word kill Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Shogarr fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
“He will awaken. He will awaken, and with him will come fire and the undoing of the world. He will awaken, and they will tremble in Heaven and quake in Hell. He will awaken, and it is we who will sound the horn.”
signal the end of the eternal war between Hell and the Abyss and that he will rise and unite those who cannot be united, leading them in war against Heaven. And, like all cultists, they believe they will be at their lord’s side in that hour and made kings of the world. If all this turns out to be true, Shogarr would indeed be powerful. Though he might not end the eternal war, the sounding of such a horn would bring him to the Material Plane, possessed of the power of a former Lord of Hell. And he would be intent on recapturing his throne. Such an eventuality would indeed be grim for the world.
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Ruinous Aura. At the start of each of Shogarr’s turns, each creature hostile to Shogarr and within 60 feet of him must succeed on a DC 26 Charisma saving throw or take 16 (3d10) psychic damage and become frightened until the end of its next turn. A creature that succeeds on this save becomes immune to Shogarr’s Ruinous Aura for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. Shogarr makes three attacks with his Harrowing Blade. Shogarr can cast a spell in place of one of these attacks.
Harrowing Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (2d20 + 10) slashing damage plus 45 (10d8) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 27 Strength saving throw or be thrown 5d6 [ts] 10 feet and fall prone at the end of this movement. If the thrown creature cannot move the full distance because it strikes an obstacle, the creature takes 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it didn’t move. R e a c t ions Deafening Roar (Recharge 5–6). When Shogarr takes 20 damage or more from a single attack, he emits a thunderous roar that spreads out from a point inside his space to a 100-foot-radius sphere. Each creature hostile to Shogarr in the area must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 26 (4d12) thunder damage and becomes deafened forever on a failed save, or takes half the damage on a successful one. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Shogarr can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Shogarr regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Shogarr makes an attack with his Harrowing Blade. Move. Shogarr moves up to his speed. Bellow (Costs 3 Actions). Shogarr howls his hatred into a 120-footlong cone originating from a point in his space. Each creature in the area that’s hostile to him must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or take 26 (4d12) thunder damage.
Sl um be ring Va l or
W his p e r e r o f Sl o t h
Whenever good heroes of considerable ability contemplate abandoning years of work helping others to help only themselves, they cast deep shadows in the Circle of Sloth. There they are observed by the daemons of slumbering valor, who whisper to the shadows, encouraging the erstwhile heroes to set aside their burdens. Those heroes who listen and pursue paths of selfishness become tied to the daemons of slumbering valor that whispered to them. The daemons continue to observe the mortals’ descent into sloth, delighting at their every act of brazen self-interest. Most often, this goes on unnoticed until the heroes’ deaths, but occasionally the tie becomes all too obvious. Sometimes, when a hero who has fallen to slothful pursuits dies, their soul is caught by the daemon of 69
Sl um be ring Val or Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Insidious Invisibility. As a bonus action, the slumbering valor can magically turn invisible, along with anything it wears and carries, until its concentration ends.
Armor Class 12 Hit Points 54 (12d8) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 7 (−2)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2)
Cha 18 (+4)
Skills Perception +5, Persuasion +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The daemon of slumbering valor can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Innate Spellcasting. The slumbering valor’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The slumbering valor can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: bane, suggestion
Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Corrupting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 29 (6d8 + 2) psychic damage. Daemonic Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the daemon of slumbering valor can see within 5 feet of it and is charmed by the daemon must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become possessed by the daemon; the daemon then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. A second horrifying face appears on the back of the target’s body. The daemon now controls the body but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness. The daemon can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma, and its damage resistances, damage immunities, condition immunities, and senses. It otherwise uses the possessed target’s statistics, gaining access to the target’s knowledge, class features, and proficiencies. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, at which point the body dies and the daemon and the target’s soul disappear into Gehenna; the daemon ends it as a bonus action; or the daemon is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends in any way other than the death of the target’s body, the daemon reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this daemon’s Daemonic Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends. Whispers of Sloth (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the slumbering valor telepathically whispers to one creature within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I have helped others enough. It’s time I start looking after myself.” In addition, for 1 hour after becoming charmed, the target’s walking speed drops to 10 feet, if it’s not less than 10 feet already, and the target makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage. At the end of the target’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this slumbering valor’s Whispers of Sloth for 24 hours.
“Why should I risk my life for these people? I have lost friends, wealth, lands, and mighty magic for the good of these peasants, and I have little thanks to show for it. Henceforth, my strength is mine and mine alone.” 70
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slumbering valor to which they are tied. They become one creature. The fallen hero may end up spending eternity in the Circle of Sloth, contemplating the error of their ways. But should they ever be raised from the dead, those seeking to bring them back are in for a terrible shock. In such cases, it is the daemon of slumbering valor that determines whether the raised hero desires to return to life. When the hero is returned, both the daemon and the hero’s soul enter the body. The daemon, however, is in control. It can, and will, pretend to be the hero for as long as it can, seeking to lead other heroes down the path of slothfulness. If the slumbering valor is discovered, it transforms itself into a two-faced creature, the head of the hero on one end and its true face on the other. In this form it will fight with all the skill of the hero it has possessed and the further abilities of its daemon form.
T hie f o f Dr e ams
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 6 (−2)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
T hi e ve s o f Dr e am s
Me rc e n a rie s o f Sl o t h
The thieves of dreams flit through the sleeping Circle of Sloth, scouring the realm for anything that stirs. Hungry for vitality, they rush out of the shadows and swirl around intruders, sapping away their strength and life until they collapse under the weight of their exhaustion. No matter how much life they consume, the thieves of dreams crave more and pass their days always searching for any sign of life whose flame they can extinguish.
D r e a m S p awn e d Viasta’s dreams sometimes take shape, emerging from the slumbering bulk to become thieves of dreams, spectral daemons that act on their master’s behalf. Viasta cares nothing for his realm, but the responsibilities of his station cause the exarch to release these vestiges to preserve the realm’s integrity and ensure all succumb to the sin of sloth.
Cha 19 (+4)
Skills Investigation +6, Perception +7, Stealth +8 Damage Vulnerabilities force Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The thief of dreams can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Steal Dreams. At the start of each of the thief of dreams’ turns, if the thief of dreams is not incapacitated, each unconscious creature within 60 feet of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or take 21 (6d6) psychic damage. A creature that takes this damage can derive no benefit from finishing a short or long rest for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. The thief of dreams makes two claws attacks. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage. Deep Slumber (Recharge 5–6). The thief of dreams drains vitality from each creature of its choice within 60 feet of it. A target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion, fall prone, and become unconscious until a creature uses an action to shake the target awake.
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Um pl e bum
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 112 (15d10 + 30) Speed 20 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 8 (–1)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 6 (–2) 11 (+0)
Cha 8 (–1)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison; bludgeoning from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) A c t ions Multiattack. The umplebum makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Smothering Embrace. The umplebum targets one Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of it, attempting to enfold the creature in its smothering embrace. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or become grappled (escape DC 14). Ability checks to escape the grapple are made with disadvantage. While the target is grappled, it is also restrained. At the start of each of the target’s turns while it remains grappled by the umplebum, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. An umplebum can grapple just one creature at a time.
Um pl e bum
Me rc e n a r y o f Sl o t h
Although the exarch of Sloth can hardly be bothered to look after his own realm, let alone the souls condemned to his care, the Circle of Sloth produces from the ancient souls a breed of mercenary sometimes found on the battlefields stretching away to all sides of Gehenna. Great, hulking masses of flesh, with folds drooping to obscure their features, umplebums move with a sluggish gait, almost as if reluctant to move at all. However, their grasping arms, from which hang curtains of swinging flab, tell a different tale, for when they grab ahold of their prey, they bring their victims in for a smothering embrace from which few ever escape.
I m p a r t i a l O pp o r t u nis t s Umplebums take no sides in the wars between the demons and devils. They simply exist and roam through the conflict, heedless of the wounds they suffer as they struggle to grip anyone and anything they can. They crave rest and hope to share the gift of respite with everyone. 72
Ve e z e l
W his p e r e r
of
Sl o t h
Viasta has little interest in anything happening in or around his domain. He lies in a torpid slumber, rarely shifting, never speaking, and offering no direction to the daemons that serve him. While he is oblivious to the world around him, small seedlings find purchase in his skin. In time, they root in his flesh and grow, feeding upon the nourishing daemonic blood, sweat, and flesh. These tiny plants gain some semblance of awareness, becoming veezels, but lack any motivation to move about on their own and so sprout all over the body of their daemonic master. Considering their poor roots and small frames, a light breeze is all that is needed to dislodge them from their host and blow them through the air, not unlike dandelion seeds. Occasionally a bored daemon gathers a handful from their master and tosses them into the air to blow about until they find new homes on the body of another daemon or on a hapless mortal. Daemons are watchful for these infestations and pluck them from their skin before the veezels can do them any harm. In fact, many daemons eat these creatures, seeing
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“Oh, just rest awhile. There’s nothing that needs to be done today that can’t be accomplished tomorrow. Relax…”
Ve e z e l
Tiny fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 Hit Points 2 (1d4) Speed 5 ft., fly 10 ft. Str 3 (−4)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 11 (+0) 4 (−3) 11 (+0)
Cha 10 (+0)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 0 (0 XP) A c t ions Root. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The veezel attaches to the target. While attached, the veezel doesn’tattack. Instead, at the start of each of the veezel’s turns, the target takes 3 (1d6) psychic damage. The veezel can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement, which it does once the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the veezel, provided it can find it.
them as a delicacy. However, when a mortal picks up one of these creatures in their hair or clothes, the daemon searches out a spot to nest and burrows into the skin. There, the daemon gradually poisons the victim, introducing soporific toxins into the blood, resulting in a comatose state.
Whispers of Sloth (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the veezel telepathically whispers to a creature to which it is attached, forcing the creature to make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I’ve done so much. I don’t know why I should do anything more than relax.” In addition, the target cannot use an action to remove the veezel. At the end of the target’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this veezel’s Whispers of Sloth for 24 hours.
Da e mons o f Gl u t tony The foul daemons capering and crawling across Yungo’s corpulence revel in their disgusting environment. They bathe in pools of glistening sweat, greedily suck down saliva and vomit dripping from their master’s mouth, and prowl widely for the choice bits that have somehow escaped Yungo’s maw.
F e as t ing
Me rc e n a r y o f G l u t t ony
The eternal war between Hell and the Abyss rarely reaches the Circle of Gluttony, which is taken up by the swollen body of Yungo, its exarch. Within his belly, and on his filth-caked body, slick with his secretions, the residents of
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the circle consume, regurgitate, and reconsume what they have regurgitated. But Yungo and his more powerful servants can no longer digest what they consume. For too many years they have feasted on their own dross, ruining themselves. For this reason, the feastings were brought to the circle. These parasites live within Yungo’s stomach and the endless miles of his intestines. There they eat the half-digested food (and the still-living unfortunate creatures) recently swallowed by their master. The feastings also reside in the bellies of Yungo’s greater servitors. When in battle, these daemons sometimes vomit up a horde of feastings all over their foe. The feastings exist to consume everything they can and are able to tear apart a Medium-sized creature in under a minute. It is for this reason that demons and devils steer clear of the Circle of Gluttony. 73
F e ast ing
F e ast ing Swarm
Tiny fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Medium swarm of Tiny fiends (daemons), neutral evil
Armor Class 13 Hit Points 7 (2d4 + 2) Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. Str 3 (−4)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 5 (−3) 14 (+2)
Armor Class 13 Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. Cha 6 (−2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages — Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the feasting can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature it can see. Magic Weapons. The feasting’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage. Feast. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the feasting attaches to the target. While attached, the feasting doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the feasting’s turns, the target loses 5 (1d4 + 3) hit points due to its body being devoured. The feasting can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the feasting.
Str 5 (−3)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 5 (−3) 14 (+2)
Cha 6 (−2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages — Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the feasting swarm can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature it can see. Blood Frenzy. The feasting swarm has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points. Magic Weapons. The feasting swarm’s weapon attacks are magical. Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny feasting. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. A c t ions Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage, or 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. Grisly Feast. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the feasting swarm attaches to the target. While attached, the feasting swarm doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the feasting swarm’s turns, the target loses 13 (3d8) hit points due to its body being devoured. A target that drops to 0 hit points from this attack dies, having been stripped to the bones. Any nonmagical object the target was wearing or carrying is also destroyed. The feasting swarm can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after the target dies. If the feasting swarm is reduced to half its hit points or fewer, a creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the feasting swarm.
“His blade split the hell-beast’s belly, aye, but from it burst forth a horde of such things—all legs and spines and teeth—that surged up the blade and over brave Jolan’s arm. His screams as they feasted haunt my dreams to this day.” — from the account of Sister Torra, fiend-hunter
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F l a bul e
Me rc e n a r y o f G l u t t ony
The Slavering Mouths are a bed of disease and rot, with bits of flesh cobbled together and writhing in insane torture. Despite Yungo’s and his daemonic minions’ endless feasting, these cast-off bits of flesh can be a nuisance. In answer to the growing detritus, Yungo awakened the fatty tumors growing in his own body and filled them with feastings. He spits out these awakened tumors, called flabules, and commands them to clean up his realm.
S h u d d e r ing G l u t
t o ns
Flabules roam the crannies and crevices of Yungo’s body, searching for hidden morsels—mortals and other creatures that have somehow managed to escape being a meal. On finding such creatures, the flabules move to feed, and the more they eat, the bigger they get, until such time that they cannot possibly fit anything else into their bloated bodies. The engorged flabules then return to their master’s maw, where his black prehensile tongue lolls out to scoop
Fl a bul e
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil A c t ions
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 170 (20d8 + 80) Speed 20 ft. Str 11 (+0)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 2 (−4) 11 (+0)
Multiattack. The flabule makes three attacks: one with its claws, one with its stinger, and one with its tentacles. Cha 2 (−4)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal (can’t speak), telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Death Throes. When the flabule dies, it explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Then, a feasting swarm appears inside of the space the flabule occupied before it exploded. The feasting swarm rolls initiative and takes the next available turn. Magic Weapons. The flabule’s weapon attacks are magical. Paralytic Aura. At the start of each of the flabule’s turns, each creature within 30 feet of it that is not a daemon must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this flabule’s Paralytic Aura for 24 hours.
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Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d12 + 1) slashing damage. Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage, and the target becomes poisoned until it finishes a long rest. While poisoned in this way, the target suffers Dexterity drain. A creature suffering from Dexterity drain must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from every Dexterity attack roll, ability check, and saving throw it makes. Each time the creature suffers Dexterity drain again, the die it rolls increases to the next higher size, such that a d4 becomes a d6, and a d6 becomes a d8. If the die becomes a d20, the target becomes unconscious until it is no longer suffering from Dexterity drain. A greater restoration spell cast on the drained creature ends the effect on it. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (4d6 + 1) slashing damage, and a creature the same size as the flabule or smaller is pulled 5 feet toward the flabule. Engorge. If the flabule is Huge or smaller, it swallows one paralyzed or unconscious creature of its size or smaller that is within 5 feet of it. The flabule’s size increases to the next higher category, and it gains 30 temporary hit points. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the flabule, and takes 13 (3d8) piercing damage at the start of each of the flabule’s turns. If the flabule takes 25 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the flabule must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the flabule. If the flabule dies, a swallowed creature is no longer swallowed and lands prone in a space occupied by the flabule.
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up the daemons and crush them between his rotted teeth to spill foul fluids and bits of the flabule down into the sea of digestion within him. Flabules have little in the way of independent will and actually enjoy their work of gathering up the missing meals for themselves, thanks to their inner hunger imprinted by Yungo. No flabule is aware of its fate, though when their day of reckoning does arrive, they deem it an honor to be devoured by their god. Occasionally, a flabule winds up in the Material Plane, where it feeds and feeds, growing larger and larger until it bursts, unable to make it back to its foul master.
Hu ng e r
Me rc e n a r y o f G l u t t ony
Like lice, the hunger crawl all over the molten mounds of flesh that are the Circle of Gluttony, in search of the loose bits of tissue that the exarch misses in his own constant search for food. They exist in the greatest concentrations near Yungo’s mouth. The slow ones are captured by Yungo’s tongue and dragged shrieking to the fetid depths of his gizzard to join the countless other swallowed creatures writhing in an eternity of feastings and slow-acting acids.
Bi r t h e d
f ro m
F il t h
Born from pustules that form in the giant, sweating folds of the exarch’s flesh, these creatures feed on one another, as well as anything else they can find. Occasionally, a
Hung e r
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) Speed 30 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 3 (−4) 10 (+0)
Cha 6 (−2)
Skills Perception +2 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the hunger can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Keen Smell. The hunger has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Magic Weapons. The hunger’s weapon attacks are magical. Slave to Hunger. When a creature within 5 feet drops to 0 hit points, the hunger must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the hunger must devour the creature until it takes damage, which ends this effect. It takes the hunger 1 round to devour a small creature. For Medium or larger creatures, it takes the hunger 2 rounds plus 2 rounds per size category above Medium. A creature devoured in this way dies and cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. A c t ions
“And then they just dropped down from above… everywhere. They ate it all. All the cattle, the grain, the house, the children, everything.” 76
Multiattack. The hunger makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.
C hapter II: T he F iends
plague of hunger breaks through to other planes, wiping out all it comes across in a mad and desperate attempt to feed before being fed upon. In the event of an invasion into the Circle of Gluttony, Yungo dispatches these fiends to devour his enemies, while his other forces rally together to repel the majority of the invaders. Once the conflict ends, surviving hungers and the captive attackers combine for a massive feast, their screams echoing throughout Gehenna.
Hu ng ry
Th r a l l
of
Gl ut
t ony
Death does nothing to lift the cravings that so afflicted the damned in life. When the Circle of Gluttony claims the souls of gluttonous mortals, those beings find they can think of nothing other than feeding their horrid hunger and thus gorge themselves on whatever they find. They eat the living and the dead, they slide offal into their gullets, and, if need be, they gobble up their excrement. Most hungry fight among themselves for the choicest bits, and their snarls and barks recall the sound of jackals fighting over their kills. Only when presented with fresh meat do they turn from their horrid squabbling and rush forward to be the first to claim their victims. The hungry appear much as they did in life, but are painfully thin, features pinched with hunger, bodies little more than skin and bones. A steady diet of filth leaves
them smeared with the stains from their last meal. The longer they go without eating, the more aggressive they become, with many flinging themselves at their foes, heedless of the danger to themselves.
K robul on
Wa t che r of G l u t t ony
All hunger in the Circle of Gluttony. Nothing consumed is ever enough; nothing devoured ever satiates the burning, wrenching feeling of emptiness that haunts the daemons of this realm. Although the task of all watchers is to observe mortals indulging in their sins, the krobulons do so with great frustration, for they feel the pangs of hunger more keenly than any other fiend in Yungo’s dominion. Deprived of orifices, the only relief they experience is when they observe mortals in the act of feeding themselves to excess, especially when doing so deprives others of the sustenance they need to survive. Normally, krobulons look like skeletons clothed in a leathery tarp, but as they observe, the darkness they absorb fills them, gradually expanding their leathery skin until they balloon outward, waddling around the shadows that darken in their midst. However, if they absorb too much evil, they explode, showering everything nearby with their hideous filth.
Hung ry
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 12 Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) Speed 30 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 8 (–1) 7 (−2)
Cha 6 (–2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the hungry can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Relentless (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the hungry takes 7 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage. If the creature drops to 0 or fewer hit points, the hungry gains 3 (1d6) temporary hit points.
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“What do you have there? I need it. Give it to me. I am so very hungry.” 77
“Like some hideous bladder, the creature bloated, gorged on shadows and second-hand indulgence, until it burst with the power of a detonation.” — from The Daemocon of Anduz K robul on
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42) Speed 30 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 21 (+3) 8 (–1) 11 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3, Cha +4 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
G ro t e s q u e A t
t e nd an t s
Krobulons rarely observe shadows alone and are rather forced to look on as the wugarts (see Wugart, later in this chapter, for more information) record the gluttonous deeds in their dark ledgers. Wugarts frequently become frustrated with these hangers-on and might eat them when piqued.
Pa e sod
W his p e r e r o f G l u t t ony
Not all sins of gluttony involve the gorging of oneself on food, ravenously devouring all there is. Most moral lapses simply involve minor sins, like sneaking into the larder to steal an extra bite of food, depriving another of their supplies, or stuffing oneself during an exquisite meal. But the idea of consumption itself has another aspect most mortals ignore. Consumption always involves the deprivation of the life of one in exchange for the survival of another. Plants, food, animals, and all sorts of life find their way to the gullets of more powerful creatures, but some inner compass restricts the types of food mortals consume. Some codify these forbidden foods in sacred texts. Others just 78
Hideous Growth. At the start of each of its turns, if it is not incapacitated, the krobulon bloats. The krobulon grants a bonus die to all creatures attacking it and also adds the roll of the bonus die to its own Strength attack rolls and damage rolls it makes with melee weapons. The die starts as a d8 and increases in size at the start of each subsequent turn, such that a d8 becomes a d10, a d10 becomes a d12, and so on. If the bonus die is a d20 and would increase again, the krobulon releases a pulse of energy, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The bonus die then disappears and returns at the start of the krobulon’s next turn as previously described. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
find the idea of eating exotic specimens revolting. In any event, cultural differences notwithstanding, there are social limits as to what can and cannot be eaten. Mortals who break these barriers, sampling forbidden delights without thought for what they eat, are certain to attract the attention of the paesods. These daemons search the Material Plane and offer quiet suggestions, implanting urges to consume more and more strange and unwholesome things. Such deviations may include eating forbidden flesh, such as scavenger animals or even worse. Later, at the urgings of the paesod, the mortal may start eating their neighbor’s pets, horrible insects, and other unsavory things. Finally, their true corruption takes hold when feasting upon the flesh of sentient creatures and undead, harvesting their bodies to fulfill an unholy hunger implanted by these daemons.
C hapter II: T he F iends
“Isn’t that just darling… why, the little halfling doesn’t want to be eaten… how adorable!”
Pa e sod
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 68 (8d8 + 32) Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 14 (+2)
Cha 21 (+5)
Saving Throws Con +7, Int +5, Wis +5 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +8 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Insidious Invisibility. As a bonus action, the paesod can magically turn invisible, along with anything it wears and carries, until its concentration ends. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The paesod’s weapon attacks are magical.
The more flesh the mortal consumes, the more attention they draw to themselves, gathering more whisperers to haunt their shadow in the evil plane. If the mortal breaks from their unsavory dietary habits, the paesod travels to the Material Plane to ensure the continuation of these sins. The paesods capture creatures, secretly preparing cutlets of humanoid flesh and tempting their mortal targets in a direct fashion. In some cases, the paesod has gone so far as to carve up the mortal’s family to guarantee that mortal’s damnation with just the first bite.
Wug ar t
Wa t che r of G l u t t ony
Gluttony is a sin that most mortals succumb to at some point, but usually only once in a while. In these cases, there is little for the servants of Yungo to do. The irony is that in a realm where sustenance is drawn from the sins of mortals, the Circle of Gluttony is the most famished, with few mortals regularly giving in to the deepest evils of their sin.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Whispers of Gluttony (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the paesod telepathically whispers to one creature it can see that is within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I crave the exotic and forbidden, eager to sample all that I can consume.” On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this paesod’s Whispers of Gluttony for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. The paesod makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (2d12 + 3) piercing damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the piercing damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The paesod fully devours the target if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The paesod defecates the remains of the creature it consumed 24 hours later, at which point the creature rises as a ghoul under the paesod’s control. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target is also incapacitated. A creature poisoned by this effect can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
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Wug art
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical.
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40) Speed 20 ft. Str 21 (+5)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 7 (−2) 8 (−1)
A c t ions
Cha 9 (−1)
Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +3, Cha +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Devour. The wugart can take a bonus action to gobble up one unconscious Medium or smaller creature that is not a construct and is within 10 feet of it. The creature dies, and its body remains inside the wugart for 24 hours or until the wugart takes the Excrement of Re-formation action.
Multiattack. The wugart makes two attacks: one with its tentacles and one with its bite. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 15 feet toward the wugart. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) piercing damage. On a critical hit, the target suffers a lingering injury from the attack (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more information). If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw against disease or become poisoned until the disease is cured. Every 24 hours that elapse, the poisoned target must repeat the saving throw, reducing its hit point maximum by 5 (1d10) on a failure. The disease is cured after three successes. The target dies if the disease reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This reduction to the target’s hit point maximum lasts until the disease is cured. While poisoned in this way, the target gives off a horrid stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the target’s stench for 24 hours. Excrement of Re-formation. The wugart expels from its nether regions one dead creature it has devoured into an unoccupied space within 10 feet of it. The creature returns to life with 1 hit point. The creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or gain a random long-term madness (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide to learn more). Disgorge Feasting (1/Day). The wugart cannot digest its meals without the aid of the feastings crawling around inside its gullet. The wugart can vomit a feasting swarm (see Feasting Swarm, earlier in this chapter, for more information) into a space within 10 feet of it. The feasting swarm is friendly to the wugart. It immediately rolls initiative and takes the next available turn to attack the wugart’s enemies. If there are no enemies to attack, the feasting swarm takes the Dash action and moves toward the wugart’s space on each of its turns until it enters the wugart’s space, at which point the swarm reenters the wugart’s body. R e a c t ions Snapping Jaws. When a creature moves to within 10 feet of the wugart, the wugart can make a bite attack against the triggering creature.
“I eat well, and why should I not? I have earned everything I have. Let the poor work if they desire a seat at my table.” 80
C hapter II: T he F iends
However, there are those mortals with plenty who not only overindulge but also do so willfully, refusing to share with those they can plainly see are starving. The fat landowner who takes all the grain from the impoverished farmers who work their land, letting the farmers starve while they surfeit is a prime example. These mortals are favorites of the Circle of Gluttony, and their sin is cultivated over many years. They are watched and whispered to every day, told they are justified in their refusal to share no matter what anyone says. And when the mortals die, they become the meals of the wugarts. The wugarts watch the shadows of these mortals in their lifetimes, growing hungrier and hungrier with each passing day, anticipating the day one of these mortals will pass and come to Gehenna. When that day comes, the wugart feasts. Every day, the mortal is torn apart slowly with silver cutlery or whatever finery was the symbol of the mortal’s overindulgence in life. The sinner is kept alive through the entire process, experiencing their kidneys being plucked from their bodies and watching as the kidneys are popped into the wugart’s maw and chewed with relish. When at last every bone, organ, and drop of blood is consumed, the wugart expels the parts, and the mortal is re-formed from the beast’s excrement. And so it goes for eternity. Wugarts are rarely seen in the Material Plane. However, if the mortal is raised from the dead while parts
of them are in the gullet of this beast, there is a chance that their soul will return to their earthly form and the wugart will appear next to them, intent on reclaiming its stolen meal.
Zo va r ik
S e rvi t o r
of
Gl ut
t ony
A favorite among summoners and those who would make bargains with the evil realms of the outer planes, Zovarik is a powerful servant of Yungo. Having resided in Gehenna for millennia, he has traded knowledge with creatures from nearly every plane. In his time, he has swallowed countless treasures, perhaps even a few artifacts, and they still reside in his gullet. Often, he is called to answer questions that cannot be answered by any other means. His price is very simple: he accepts only payment that he may eat, and it must come from the flesh or soul of his summoner. Nothing else will please his palate, which has grown jaded over the years. For knowledge, he requires a bite from the flesh of the summoner; usually he takes a hand or an entire arm, depending on the knowledge. This must be torn from the body by his teeth, not prepared beforehand—he is quite picky. For more powerful requests, he requires a sizable bite from a mortal’s soul, taking and consuming forever a part of the summoner’s essence. Zovarik is exceedingly clever and always hungry. While it is very difficult to trick him, he will accept all sorts of appetizers if offered in an effort to talk him out of his price. Only once in known history has he come unbound into the mortal world—not summoned—and the path of destruction he wrought was legendary. As he prefers to leave alive those he eats parts of, he left behind a path of half-eaten men, women, and children across a human nation.
“Let me taste your flesh, and I will grant you power. Let me taste your soul, and there is nothing I cannot offer you.” C hapter II: T he F iends
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Zovarik
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil
next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to Zovarik’s stench for 24 hours.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 199 (19d10 + 95) Speed 20 ft. Str 23 (+6)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 20 (+5) 19 (+4)
A c t ions Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Str +12, Con +11, Wis +10, Cha +10 Skills Arcana +17, Deception +12, History +17, Insight +10, Intimidation +12, Nature +17, Perception +10, Religion +17 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) Death Throes. When Zovarik dies, he explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of him must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The slime thrown from his body deals maximum damage to objects in the area that are not made from metal or stone. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zovarik fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. Slime Trail. Foul, glistening slime spills from Zovarik’s nether regions. Whenever Zovarik moves, the slime splashes onto the ground in the space he left. The slime remains until the start of Zovarik’s next turn. The slime is corrosive to everything except stone or metal, dealing 2d10 acid damage to anything not made from these materials that comes into contact with it. Stench. Zovarik gives off a horrid stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of Zovarik must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its
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Multiattack. Zovarik makes four attacks: two with his tentacle and two with his bite. Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 10 feet toward Zovarik. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage. If Zovarik scores a critical hit, he rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice. Disgorge Feasting (2/Day). Zovarik cannot digest his meals without the aid of the feastings crawling around inside his gullet. Zovarik can vomit a feasting swarm (see Feasting Swarm, earlier in this chapter, for more information) into a space within 15 feet of him. The feasting swarm is friendly to Zovarik. It immediately rolls initiative and takes the next available turn to attack Zovarik’s enemies. If there are no enemies to attack, the feasting swarm takes the Dash action and moves toward Zovarik’s space on each of its turns until it enters Zovarik’s space, at which point the swarm reenters his body. R e a c t ions Snapping Maw. When a creature within 5 feet of Zovarik moves or a creature moves to within 5 feet of Zovarik, Zovarik makes a bite attack against that creature. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Zovarik can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Zovarik regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Bite. Zovarik makes a bite attack. Move. Zovarik moves up to his speed. Corrosive Defecation (Costs 3 Actions). Zovarik forcibly sprays corrosive slime into a 30-foot cone originating from his anus. The slime deals 22 (4d10) acid damage to anything in the area that is not made from metal or stone. A creature in the area can make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw and takes half the damage on a success.
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Da e mons o f G r e e d Mytaxx claims ownership of everything inside his tangled circle, from the gold littering the labyrinth passages to the daemons who hunt for intruders. These daemons show the same avarice as their master and take whatever they can for themselves, at least until the exarch comes to claim it for himself.
Furt ivin
Small fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2) Speed 30 ft. Str 11 (+0)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 9 (−1)
Cha 8 (−1)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +1 Skills Perception +1, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
F u r t iv in
Me rc e n a r y of G re e d
Mytaxx, exarch of Greed, possesses a treasure hoard of such unsurpassed size and scope that it’s said any mortal who looks upon it goes blind from greed. For all the wealth he possesses, he always craves more, driven to add to the mountains of gold and gems littering his circle. Since he cannot bear to part with his riches, he relies on the furtivin to plunder the multiverse on his behalf. Furtivin hire themselves out to serve as spies, thieves, assassins, and saboteurs to anyone who can afford their steep price. Contracts they make with their employers are always complex and convoluted, riddled with loopholes that leave the daemons free to do what they want while in service to a demon lord, archdevil, or someone else. While competent in the roles they play, furtivin are always on the lookout for anything of value they might steal. They often get sidetracked in their missions, pausing to plunder a vault or pick over the dead for choice bits they can themselves hoard, at least until Mytaxx wrests them from their clutches.
Innate Spellcasting. The furtivin’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 11). The furtivin can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: mage hand 3/day each: invisibility, knock 1/day each: confusion, dimension door, fear Daemonic Swiftness. If the furtivin is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, the furtivin instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the furtivin can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the furtivin deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the furtivin that isn’t incapacitated and the furtivin doesn’t have disadvantage on the roll. A c t ions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage. R e a c t ions Fetch. When a creature the furtivin can see within 30 feet of it withdraws or stows an item from a container, draws or sheathes a weapon, or drops or picks up something, and the furtivin has at least one hand free, the furtivin can force the creature to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the item magically teleports to the furtivin’s hand.
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Ho ar de rs
Wa t c h e rs of G re e d
The hoarders observe the misers, the obscenely selfish, and the wealthy that refuse to give even a dented copper piece to charitable causes. They congregate in the Circle of Greed and whisper among themselves, furious at every outrageous act. For it is their belief that all of this wealth collected by mortals belongs to them. All the treasure in the world, the hoarders believe, was stolen from them in time immemorial. So it is that nothing angers the hoarders more thoroughly than mortals who take and take, hoarding their possessions with the belief that these things are theirs in the first place. The rage of the hoarders is generally impotent. They watch, muttering and spitting, banging their horns against one another in a cacophony of ineffectual indignation. There are treasures, however, that are tied to the hoarders,
ranging from small baubles to legendary artifacts. Perhaps these are the real treasures of their past, actually taken from them long ago. If one of the world’s greedier mortals seeks to take one of these treasures and keep it for themselves (as, perhaps, a rogue might slip a loose coin in their pocket, thinking no one will notice—but all such acts are noticed in Gehenna), the hoarders to whom the treasure is tied are free to enter the Material Plane. When this happens, quite often the person lifting the treasure is transformed into a hoarder. Often only a single hoarder comes. But the strength of the treasure’s tie to them will bring more. Curiously, this tie is not proportional to the value of the treasure. A great work of art stolen by a greedy thief may draw only one hoarder, whereas a beaten-up old coin lying on the road may draw a horde. Some speculate that it is not the strength of the tie between the treasure and the daemons that draws them—it is the profundity of the act of greed committed by the mortal.
Ho ar de r
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and restrained until the grapple ends. The hoarder has four tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) Speed 30 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 10 (+0)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +4, Int +7, Wis +3 Skills Insight +3, Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The hoarder’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The hoarder makes one slam attack and four tentacles attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Enervating Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the hoarder can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or become possessed by the daemon; the hoarder then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The daemon now controls the body but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness. The daemon can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. It otherwise uses the possessed target’s statistics but doesn’t gain access to the target’s knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or have its hit point maximum reduced by 10 (3d6). The reduction lasts until the creature is no longer possessed and finishes a long rest. If the reduction drops the creature’s hit point maximum to 0, the creature dies and disappears, along with the daemon, into Gehenna. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the daemon ends it as a bonus action, or the daemon is somehow forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the hoarder reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this daemon’s Enervating Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
“Before our eyes, Tevy began to stoop, her back cracking and creaking as though she were being bent forward by an invisible, mighty hand. Her skin grew hard, like stone, and from her face sprouted tusks and crude ornamentations of horn and tooth. Her hands shattered and re-formed as fleshy mitts, no more capable of grasping the coin she had been reaching for than of plucking forth a tune from a harp. Her greed had ruined her before our eyes.” —The recollections of Egwyr the Valiant, c. 612 84
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J ag e t h
Me rc e n a r y
of
G re e d
Although most jageth find gainful employment protecting their master, they have been known to sell their services across the planes, where they stand guard over whatever treasures their employers seek to make secure. Having a jageth in one’s employ has become a symbol of status and wealth, since these daemons never come cheaply. Mytaxx, “the Golden Miser,” has hidden away in the vaults of his circle the wealth of a thousand nations. Hoarded over millennia, Mytaxx’s riches are the stuff of legend. But they are not easily reached by even the mightiest. The servants of the miser, the jageth, protect the
Circle of Greed, and they yield for no being other than Mytaxx himself. The vaults themselves have fifty chambers, each guarded by an army of jageth. In the deeper vaults, where Mytaxx keeps his greater treasures, the daemonic guardians bear magical arms to better protect the priceless baubles and trinkets they have been charged with guarding.
J ag e t h
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 51 (6d10 + 18) Speed 30 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 7 (−2) 14 (+2)
Cha 9 (−1)
Saving Throws Str +8, Con +6, Wis +5 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the jageth hits with it (included in the attack). Defensive Stance. As a bonus action, the jageth can drop into a defensive stance and remain in that stance until it moves. Until the effect ends, the jageth imposes disadvantage on attack rolls made against it and makes all saving throws with advantage. While in this stance the jageth ignores any effect that would knock it prone or force it to move. Magic Weapons. The jageth’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The jageth makes one slam attack and one bite attack. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is also grappled (escape DC 16) and restrained until the grapple ends. The jageth has two arms, each of which can grapple one target. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage. R e a c t ions Body Block. The jageth adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit. To do so, the jageth must see the attacker and have at least one creature grappled. If the attack results in a miss, the attack instead hits the creature the jageth has grappled.
C hapter II: T he F iends
“If it is wealth unimaginable you seek, then nowhere in all the spheres will serve you better than the golden vaults of Mytaxx, the exarch of Greed. Yes, the vault doors do not yield and are guarded well, for before those impenetrable gates the jageth reside.” —Atlas of the Spheres by the great sage Turgon 85
Maodon
Ma od on
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 14 Hit Points 5 (1d8 + 1) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. Str 13 (+1)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 13 (+1)
Cha 10 (+0)
Skills Perception +6, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Insidious Invisibility. As a bonus action, the maodon can magically turn invisible, along with anything it wears and carries, until its concentration ends. Spider Climb. The maodon can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the maodon knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web. Web Walker. The maodon ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing. Whispers of Greed (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the maodon telepathically whispers to one creature it can see that is within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 11 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I hoard my possessions and never share with others anything that’s mine.” On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this maodon’s Whispers of Greed for 24 hours.
W his p e r e r
of
G re e d
Low-level functionaries of the Circle of Greed, the maodon are charged with whispering to the shadows of the greedy, encouraging them to hoard their belongings and not to share. They have the temperament of the spiders from which they were created; they prefer isolation, to hide what is theirs, and to keep it wrapped up and safely tucked away in their webs. This is the sort of mind-set they encourage in the mortals they observe. The maodon build massive webs in isolated areas and protect their webbing and the greatest treasures they hold: children. While there are magical swords and gold and platinum and jewels in Gehenna, there are no children, so maodon in the Material Plane particularly seek them out and put them in their webs, hoarding them away and drinking a dram of their blood each and every night until they expire.
D r awn
by
G re e d
It is not uncommon for a maodon to make its way into the Material Plane. Usually it happens because some greedy fool attempts to summon a kindred spirit, another greedy creature, to help them in their acquisitions. The maodon are nothing if not greedy. Other times they are summoned by more powerful daemons and never leave. In general, maodon prefer the Material Plane, where they have access to better treasures.
A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. Theft. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The maodon steals one item the target is wearing or carrying but not holding in its hand, provided the maodon can hold the item in one hand and has at least one hand free. Web (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 11 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can be attacked and destroyed (AC 10, hp 5, vulnerability to fire damage, immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).
“They’re lying to you. They will take your money and leave you for dead. You can trust no man but yourself.” 86
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“No! You cannot have it! It is mine… mine, do you hear? Thieves, beggars… keep away! I will kill you. I will kill you all!”
Mise r
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 10 Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) Speed 30 ft. Str 10 (+0)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 7 (−2)
Cha 8 (–1)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Nimble Escape. The miser can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the miser deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the miser that isn’t incapacitated and the miser doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. A c t ions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature and carrying or wearing an item that the miser can hold in one hand, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or the miser takes an object that it can hold in one hand from the target.
Moc k e ry in F l ame
Mi s e r
Th r a l l
of
G re e d
Misers wander the endless passages that form a labyrinth around Mytaxx’s vault. Once mortals who lived lives consumed by avarice, they tumbled into Gehenna in death, where they are condemned to covet what they cannot have. They cling to the worthless trinkets and baubles they find, stroking them and mewling to them. While much of what these wretched daemons have is worthless, sometimes a miser manages to find something of true value. Lack of self-care shows on the misers’ bodies. Most bear open sores, have haggard expressions, and walk as if in terrible pain. They clutch at their treasures, relinquishing them only in death.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Me rc e n a r y
of
G re e d
Many of Mytaxx’s most powerful servants are depraved and wicked undead, beings of pure spite and malevolence that desire nothing more than to consume the life of a mortal. Most of the horrors serve as commanders of her daemons who perform the majority of the fighting alongside the lesser undead. The most powerful of these daemons are the mockeries in flame—horrific daemons bred to hold the life-leeching power of the Negative Energy Plane. Ulasta employs mockeries to steal and capture the life energies of wicked and jealous mortals and return them to her so that one day she might attain her goal to become a living woman. The mockeries, who serve the commands of the watchers, stand ready to fight and drain away the energy of living things for their dark mistress.
“I did not mean it… I swear! All I did was look at him, really. Then this laughing thing came out of nowhere. No, I don’t know what happened to him. Sure, I guess it’s sad that he’s dead and all, but it’s not like he deserved all of those accolades and women. After all, I did all the work…” —Squire John, after his liege, Sir Gloril, met his death at the hands of some unknown beast. 87
Mock e ry in Fl ame Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 115 (11d10 + 55) Speed 40 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 17 (+3)
Cha 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +7, Cha +6 Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Fiery Body. A creature that touches the mockery or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 6 (1d12) fire damage. Fiery Weapons. When the mockery hits with a melee attack, it deals an extra 10 (3d6) fire damage (included in the attack). Illumination. The mockery in flame sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
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Mocking Laughter (Recharge 5–6). The mockery in flame can take a bonus action to erupt in mad, chilling laughter. Each creature within 60 feet of the daemon that can hear the laughter must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 18 (4d8) psychic damage and become frightened for 1 minute. A creature frightened in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on a saving throw to resist the effect or end it is immune to this daemon’s mocking laughter for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. The mockery in flame makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A creature killed in this way has its soul devoured and cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Re mnan t
Me rc e n a r y of G re e d
When a daemon’s physical body dies, so too do its loyalties and natures. The trapped essence within the daemon breaks free from the meat of its carcass to wander
Re mnan t
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 14 Hit Points 18 (4d8) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 5 (−3)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 11 (+0) 4 (−3) 11 (+0)
Cha 20 (+5)
Damage Resistances fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, cold, necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The remnant can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
mindlessly for a time in Gehenna. The exarchs absorb most of the loose essences, breathing the mists of these incorporeal forms into their own corrupt bodies, savoring the suffering of all. A few, however, escape ultimate consumption and exist in a quasi-real state, eventually developing a new personality and motivation. These ghostly daemons are the remnants. Two overriding interests drive remnants. First, these daemons yearn to be free from the inevitable consumption they face if they remain in Gehenna. Second, they desperately want a body to occupy. These ends often come together, for the remnants can occupy a host creature, which allows them the means to escape their doom. However, when the remnant seizes control over a host body, the body’s movements are slow, appearing as a zombie. For these reasons, exarchs command their mercenaries to hunt free-willed undead, tear them to pieces, and see if those vessels hide any surprises inside. One exarch, however, sees value in these detached daemons. Mytaxx, hording his own treasures and resources, would rather rely on humanoid servants to serve as his army. Mytaxx’s minions sometimes kidnap mortal vessels and expose them to remnants, who quickly take possession of the bodies. The newly possessed function as zombie servants, serving the whims of the Golden Miser. Remnants are generally amorphous, vapor-like creatures about five feet in diameter, although they can reduce their mass to three feet or even less. They communicate with one another through moans and wails.
Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. A remnant’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Maddening Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) psychic damage and the target must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. A creature becomes afflicted with a short-term madness on a failed saving throw, or becomes immune to the madness effect for 24 hours on a successful one. Daemonic Possession. One Large or Medium humanoid that the remnant can see within 5 feet of it makes a DC 16 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the remnant disappears and the target is possessed by the remnant. The possessed creature retains control over its body, but it makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage until the possession ends. While possessing the target, the remnant can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the remnant ends it as a bonus action, or the remnant is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the remnant reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this remnant’s possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends. Whenever a possessed target finishes a short or long rest, it must make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw, with a –2 penalty to the roll for each remnant inside its body beyond the first. On a failed save, the target loses control of its body for 1d6 hours, during which time the target becomes incapacitated. The remnant controls the target’s body, using the body’s statistics but retaining its own alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. If the target succeeds on this saving throw, one remnant possessing it leaves the target’s body as described previously.
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S paw n o f Dr aqo l a t h Me rc e n a ry
of
G re e d
Nothing personifies greed more than dragons. Certainly, many mortals confuse the virtue of frugality with miserliness, and dwarves have a nearly unwholesome lust for bright veins of ore imprisoned beneath the bones of the earth. But dragons hoard whatever they can, gathering coin, gems, magical relics, and anything else they deem of value in their lairs. This penchant for greed is not exclusive to just the chromatic dragons, for, in fact, it extends to dragons of all types and colors. One such dragon, famous for her corruption, was Draqolath the Gold. Draqolath’s greed began as any other dragon’s instinctual need to accumulate wealth and hide it away in a deep and well-protected lair. She, like her kin, sacked the lairs of other dragons, preying upon the evil types exclusively. Her zeal in combating the sons and daughters of evil dragons was greater than that of her kin, though, and
her mercilessness rivaled the coldest hearted of the evil varieties. She crusaded for hundreds of years, collecting vast sums of treasure, and with each cache, her shadow extended deeper into Gehenna. Mytaxx, exarch of the Circle of Greed, took special interest in this dragon. He was attracted to her incalculable avarice, all committed in the name of good. Forbidding any of his minions from touching her, he personally whispered to the dragon, urging her to weed out the corrupt from within the ranks of her own kind, convincing her that their wealth would add nicely to her own and she was preventing its taint from ever touching mortal hands. In time, the seductive voice of greed wormed into her heart, and, in secret, she ambushed her brothers and sisters, betraying them for their treasure. The murder of her brothers and sisters would have been enough to condemn this spirit to the lowest reaches of Hell, but her hubris damned her to Gehenna. Mytaxx, sensing a powerful servant that he desired for his very own, urged Draqolath to collect mortals to worship her, to
S pawn o f Dr aqol a t h Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 34 (4d8 + 16) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 7 (−2) 10 (+0)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Acrid Smoke (1/Day). When the spawn takes damage, smoke pours from all of its orifices for 1 minute. The smoke moves with the spawn, remaining in its space and causing the spawn to become partially obscured, and imposes disadvantage on attack rolls made against it. A strong wind disperses the smoke until the end of the spawn’s next turn. Keen Senses. The spawn of Draqolath has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, hearing, or smell. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The spawn makes a gore attack and a bite attack. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) piercing damage.
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“Over the millennia, I realized that neither gold, nor gems, nor items of raw power could appease me. What I craved… what I needed, and perhaps demanded… was flesh, mortal flesh to worship me. And so I gathered these followers, hundreds of men, women, and children, and I let them dwell in my caves. Of course, they were unwilling at first, but in time, they realized what treasures they were to me.” —Draqolath the Gold
bask in their inspired attentions and hoard them like her many other treasures. Sensing the value of living treasure, Draqolath kidnapped a mortal village and forced them to occupy her caves. In her madness, she saw these mortals as objects of utility and pleasure, not recognizing their essential needs, such as food and water. Over time, the torment of the captives drove most to madness and cannibalism. They set upon one another like wild beasts. Draqolath, believing their acts an homage to her nigh divinity, encouraged such activities, pitting one faction against another in her massive network of treasure-filled caves. Eventually, the last tortured victim of her greed died of starvation, and with so many murders staining the once-good dragon’s soul, Mytaxx fetched her himself, dragging her bloated form screaming to the wastes of his personal circle. Draqolath lives to this day, but only as the object of Mytaxx’s own limitless greed. She is so ancient now she can do nothing else but lie there and birth her warped and twisted brood, fathered by Mytaxx. These pathetic, mewling creatures are stunted and lack the true power expected from a dragon-daemon crossbreed. In contempt, Mytaxx named these creatures the spawn of Draqolath, keeping their true names for himself. Serving him as soldiers to launch counteroffensives against those that would invade the exarch’s realm, these creatures have no sense of identity and exist merely to serve.
T ak er
S e rvi t o r of G re e d
If the taker ever had a proper name, it is long forgotten. This highly placed servant of Mytaxx, the exarch of Greed, is the guardian of the circle’s gates to the Material Plane. Any mortal seeking entry to Gehenna must parlay with the taker. His duty is clear: to excise a price from all who would pass. He has served as the guardian of the gates since before Mytaxx was exarch—some say since before there even was a Gehenna, when the gates were the only way to reach both Hell and the Abyss. The taker demands three payments from all who pass—a price in knowledge, a price in power, and a price in possessions. Aiding him in determining what those
C hapter II: T he F iends
who come before him might have to offer is his tail, which ends in the head of Oberius, the renowned mortal miser of legend. Oberius can sniff out everything a person has of value and screams it out to the taker, who then demands his three payments. People who refuse to pay find the gates closed to them. People foolish enough to fight the taker while he guards the gates are likely to end up destroyed. If, however, petitioners can satisfy his three prices, giving him a valuable piece of information, some of their power (continue reading to see how this works), and a valued possession, they may pass into Gehenna unhindered. 91
O b e r ius Mounted on the end of the taker’s tail is the head of the great miser Oberius, who, despite his lack of a body, retains his wits. Oberius functions as a neutral evil intelligent items with the following statistics: Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 10. Oberius is capable of speaking, reading, and understanding all languages and can communicate telepathically out to a range of 120 feet. Oberius can hear and has darkvision out to 120 feet. The miser confers a number of innate spells to the taker, as noted in the taker’s stats.
Oberius was a terrible person in life. His greed was legendary and revered by the daemons of Gehenna, who seized his soul before he died. Sensing an even greater use for this corrupt mortal, they attached his head to the tail of the taker, allowing him to assist the daemon in collecting payment for entry. Oberius takes the three payments. The information he simply absorbs. Prices of power include a permanent 2d6 reduction of a creature’s hit point maximum (a wish spell ends this reduction), and monetary or an item payment must be made—either 50,000 gp or a legendary magic item.
T ak er
Large fiend (daemon), neutral evil
smaller, it becomes grappled (escape DC 20). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained.
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 212 (17d10 + 119) Speed 30 ft. Str 23 (+6)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 25 (+7) 17 (+3) 27 (+8)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Con +13, Int +9, Wis +14, Cha +12 Skills Insight +14, Perception +14 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 24 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) Innate Spellcasting (Oberius). Oberius’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). Oberius can innately cast the following spells, requiring no somatic or material components: At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, ray of enfeeblement, zone of truth 3/day each: hold monster Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The daemon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The taker makes four attacks: one with its miser’s bite, two with its arm blades, and one with its tongue. The taker can cast an innate spell in place of its miser’s bite attack and hurl lightning in place of one of its arm blade attacks. Miser’s Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. A creature charmed in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. Arm Blades. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) slashing damage. Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 19 (2d12 + 6) piercing damage, and if the target is Large or
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Hurl Lightning. The taker targets one creature it can see within 400 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (5d8) lightning damage. A creature that takes this damage must also succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned for 1 minute. A stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. R e a c t ions Parry. The taker adds +5 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the taker must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The taker can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The taker regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Teleport. The taker magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, to an unoccupied space it can see. Killing Field (Costs 2 Actions). The taker releases a pulse of magical daemonic energy. Each creature of its choice in a 10-foot radius must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) necrotic damage and 22 (5d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Enervating Gaze (Costs 3 Actions). The taker targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see it, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion and reduce its hit point maximum by 27 (6d8) until magic, such as the greater restoration spell, ends the reduction.
“Go ye not to Heaven, save ye who hold the keys. Go ye not to Hell, save ye who have abandoned hope. Go ye not to Gehenna, save ye who need nothing, for the taker will take all ye possess and more.” —The Book of Regrets C hapter II: T he F iends
Da e mons o f P ride All mortals are guilty of sin. This is a truth as old as the mortal races. Yet there are those among the mortal races who believe they have cleansed themselves of all wickedness and made themselves into pure beings who are beyond evil. Perhaps some of them are right, but most are fools. For even believing such a thing is nearly always a grave act of pride, one observed and cheered in the Circle of Pride.
E n t ice r
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When great mortals, celebrated as champions of righteousness by their peers, begin to believe themselves beyond evil, the forces of pride converge on them, encouraging thoughts of purity, telling them that they have rid themselves of the last vestiges of temptation. And the more strongly the mortals believe these whispers, the greater Gehenna’s hold on their souls becomes.
E n t ice r
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 11 Hit Points 77 (14d8 + 14) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 10 (+0)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 16 (+3)
Cha 19 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +4, Wis +6, Cha +7 Damage Resistances fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, cold, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The enticer can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Insidious Invisibility. As a bonus action, the enticer can magically turn invisible, along with anything it wears and carries, until its concentration ends. Magic Weapons. The enticer’s weapon attacks are magical. Spawn Evil Twin. If the enticer starts its turn inside the body of a creature it has possessed and that creature has 3 corruption or more, the enticer can take a bonus action to spawn an evil twin. The target host’s corruption drops to 0 and then the host falls prone and
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becomes incapacitated until the start of its next turn, as its body divides to create an evil twin of the original creature. T he evil twin has all the memories and knowledge of its duplicate and uses all of its duplicate’s statistics except for alignment, which is neutral evil. The evil twin also has nonmagical copies of anything the original creature was wearing and carrying. The evil twin immediately stands up in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the original creature and moves up to its speed. It then rolls initiative and takes the next available turn. The evil twin is hostile to the original creature and works to destroy its life. Whispers of Pride (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the enticer telepathically whispers to one creature within 5 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes possessed by the enticer; the enticer then disappears. While possessing a creature, the enticer can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect. While possessed, the target can act freely and, once per round, make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw with advantage. Each time the target makes a roll with advantage granted by the daemon, the target gains 1 corruption. The possession lasts until the target drops to 0 hit points, the enticer ends it as a bonus action, or the enticer is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the enticer reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this enticer’s Whispers of Pride for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends. A c t ions
Corrupting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) psychic damage.
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“I have stood at the greatest heights and gazed down upon the world, knowing my place within it. I have bathed myself in the purest waters, and I have come out clean.” —The Journal of Dame Isoe Madrigar
In these cases, mortals might become so convinced of their purity that they grow completely blind to their sins, no matter how obvious they are to others. These individuals become beacons of pride and are often inhabited by one of the whispering daemons of Gehenna. When this happens, the daemon resides within the mortal, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal itself. When the mortal makes some invocation of purity or commits some particularly obvious act of sin without heeding it or feeling the slightest remorse for it, the daemon bursts forth, granting the mortal exactly what they wish.
E vil T win Having lodged themselves inside their victims’ bodies, enticers can actually split their mortal hosts in half, one of which becomes the living embodiment of all their victim’s
sins and the other being without sin. To anyone observing, the mortal falls over in agony and rips in half, an exact duplicate of the mortal growing from the side of the body until it splits off to become an evil twin. When this happens, the evil twin and the mortal share their former abilities and power. The evil twin, if it can, flees the scene at once. It possesses all of the mortal’s knowledge and takes it upon itself to ruin the mortal from whom it was born. This often takes the form of killing or maiming their loved ones, ruining their reputation, and otherwise wreaking havoc in the mortal’s life.
Face s o f t he G r e a t
Me rc e n a r y
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Mortals seek power—this is their ancient failing. Once they have it, they do not let it go and, more often than not, they abuse it, believing they have their power by divine will or because they are indeed greater than all other mortals and more deserving of power than anyone else. Nowhere is this axiom more evident than in the decrees and laws of kings, lords, and rulers who have come to believe, through their pride, that they are more than mere mortals. When a lord behaves as though their subjects are mere agents of their will, when they forget that all mortals, even his basest vassals, are possessed of unbreakable rights granted by the gods, they have descended into the worst sort of pride. These lords and great personages are observed by the watchers of the Circle of Pride and marked as their own. Upon the deaths of these men and women, many are consigned for their sins of pride to the central circle of Gehenna. There they are punished and made useful servants all at once. Gravicarius holds their souls and collects them until he has enough to construct one of the faces of the great. Made from the limbs and heads of at least three such mighty lords, these daemons are eternally doomed to struggle with themselves, impotently commanding themselves to perform the most basic of functions.
P r i d e f ul B ic k e r ing The lords making up one of the faces of the great believe themselves to be greater than the others. But they can do nothing unless all agree. So the many heads of the daemon spend their days issuing proclamations to the other heads, which are ignored or responded to with equally imperious decrees. 94
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“By our proclamation, you live. By our proclamation, you die. It is by our will and by our grace that you wake and rest. All that you have is ours, kept by you only so long as it pleases us.” —The Laws of King Neborn VIII Face s o f t he G r e a t Huge fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Spider Climb. The faces of the great can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 115 (10d12 + 50) Speed 40 ft. Str 25 (+7)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 26 (+8) 20 (+5)
Cha 24 (+7)
Saving Throws Con +11, Wis +11, Cha +13 Skills History +14, Intimidation +13, Perception +17 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 27 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) Arcane Spellcasting. One of the faces is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). The face of the great has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, fire bolt, minor illusion, poison spray 1st level (4 slots): charm person, mage armor, magic missile, witch bolt 2nd level (3 slots): blur, crown of madness, invisibility, scorching ray 3rd level (3 slots): fear, fireball, lightning bolt 4th level (3 slots): black tentacles, greater invisibility, ice storm 5th level (1 slot): cone of cold Divine Spellcasting. Another of the faces of the great is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). The face of the great has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): guidance, light, resistance, sacred flame 1st level (4 slots): bane, cure wounds, inflict wounds, shield of faith 2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, enhance ability, hold person, silence 3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, dispel magic, protection from energy 4th level (3 slots): divination, freedom of movement, locate creature 5th level (1 slot): contagion, scrying
Three Heads. The faces of the great have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Three Personalities. The faces of the great have three distinct minds and personalities individuated as follows: arcane, divine, and warrior. The faces of the great can use up to three actions on its turn (see Undisciplined Minds). The arcane mind can take an action to cast a spell from its arcane spellcasting or attack with its slam. The divine mind can cast a spell from its divine spellcasting or attack with its slam. And the warrior can use multiattack. Undisciplined Minds. At the start of each of the faces of the great’s turns, roll a d10 and consult the following table to see what the faces of the great do. Some results allow one or more random faces to take turns. If this happens, roll a d6 to determine which face can act or cannot act: 1–2, arcane; 3–4, divine; 5–6, warrior. 1–3 4 5 6–10
The faces of the great spend their turn arguing and bickering with one another. They cannot take actions or reactions until the start of their next turn.
Two faces spend their turn pouting and doing nothing. A randomly determined face can use one action. One face spends its turn pouting and doing nothing. Determine which face sits out this turn. The other two faces can each use an action. All three faces can use actions during this turn.
A c t ions Multiattack. The faces of the great make three slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The faces of the great can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The faces of the great regain spent legendary actions at the start of their turn.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the faces of the great fail a saving throw, they can choose to succeed instead.
Cantrip. The faces of the great cast a cantrip.
Magic Weapons. The faces of the great’s weapon attacks are magical.
Slam (Costs 2 Actions). The faces of the great make a slam attack.
Swo rn
to
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At Gravicarius’s command, the faces of the great must obey. When all of the daemon’s parts work in concert, they are indeed formidable. Made up as they are of the strength and minds of mortals who ascended to the heights of power in life, one of these daemons is able to
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Move. The faces of the great move up to their speed.
bring to bear the mystical and physical might of three powerful mortals. Sometimes Gravicarius sends them to the Material Plane to perform his bidding, but most often they are reserved to fend off invaders from other circles or as agents in endless infernal wars.
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Gl ome r ays
W his p e r e r s o f P ride
Braggarts are common. Many see themselves as the best their culture can create, fully versed in a number of languages or skills, or the best at a particular profession or some other role. Some mortals can be gratuitous in their display of wealth and privilege, while others wear scandalous clothing to reveal the perfection of their bodies. Regardless of how pride manifests, glomerays love these mortals best, and their whispers drive the prideful to their destruction. Glomerays encourage bad behavior by clustering around the shadows cast in their circle. They urge their targets to be proud of their accomplishments, to bask in their achievements, and to take their rightful place in their societies. Simple pride in one’s work is nothing if no one knows how good you really are. Of course, boasts and brags tend to isolate these individuals, as other mortals rarely suffer such behavior for long. With their targets isolated, the glomerays seize more control over these mortals, further alienating them from others, until such time that despair sets in. The glomerays feel they have done their jobs well when the mortals commit suicide.
Distant Whispers
Glomerays rarely venture to the Material Plane, for they believe their beauty would undermine their purpose and overshadow the minor successes of their chosen sinners. So, they content themselves with watching from afar. If summoned, they are arrogant and petty, epitomizing the corruption of excessive pride.
Gl ome r ay
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8) Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft. Str 13 (+1)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 13 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +6, Wis +3 Skills Deception +5, Insight +3, Persuasion +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The glomeray’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14). The glomeray can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: dancing lights 3/day each: color spray, hypnotic pattern Whispers of Pride (Recharge 4–6). As a bonus action, the glomeray telepathically whispers to one creature it can see within 120 feet of it, forcing the creature to make a DC 14 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and becomes charmed for 24 hours. While charmed in this way, the target gains a new flaw: “I am the greatest, and everyone should know it.” In addition, for 1 minute after becoming charmed, the target makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage while within 5 feet of another creature. Each time the target finishes a short rest or a long rest, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself with a success. The target becomes immune to this glomeray’s Whispers of Pride for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or the effect ends. A c t ions Multiattack. The glomeray makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage.
“We should be proud of our achievements, our status, and our wealth. Without pride, there is nothing else. So, to preserve our accustomed way of life, we must destroy any nation that stands in the way of our deserved glory.” —King Walgdon 96
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K ur g e l
Wa t che r o f P ride
In the refined Circle of Pride, the kurgel gather in the Library of Blasphemies. Surrounded there by the records of all the world’s sins, they never tire of one sin in particular—pride in intellect. When mortals consider themselves above others due to intelligence or cunning, the sin of their pride casts shadows among the kurgel. There, in their dark ledgers, the kurgel record the sins, convinced that they themselves are the wisest, most brilliant beings in all the multiverse. The kurgel rarely leave the safe harbor of the Circle of Pride. Once in a great while, though, a kurgel will become so offended by a sin it observes that it (and perhaps its companions) will feel compelled to teach the offending mortal a lesson. If a mortal comes to believe, even for a moment, that theirs is the greatest mind anywhere in the multiverse, the kurgel start plotting how to teach them a lesson. This may be as simple as arranging their downfall through machinations and schemes, in which the mortal is shown that they are not so clever after all, but it sometimes involves traveling to the Material Plane to teach the mortal a lesson personally.
“I’d never seen anything like it. The dragon had just fallen, and we were standing in awe of our accomplishment. Dovarr yelled something about being the greatest wizard that has ever lived; when, next thing I knew… they were everywhere.” —Reminiscences of Gumblar Ironaxe K urg e l
Small fiend (daemon), neutral evil
Avoidance. If the kurgel is subject to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 31 (9d6) Speed 15 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 8 (−1)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 24 (+7) 15 (+2)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +10, Cha +7 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Accelerated (1/Day). As a bonus action, the kurgel can accelerate itself for 1 minute. When it does so, it rolls initiative and can take an additional turn during the round on this initiative count.
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Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The kurgel’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18). The kurgel can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: burning hands (as a 6th-level spell), fire bolt (as an 11thlevel caster), minor illusion, shield 3/day each: dimension door, dispel magic 1/day each: dominate person, hold monster, telekinesis Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The kurgel’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.
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P roud
P rou d
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 9 (2d8) Speed 30 ft. Str 9 (−1)
Dex 8 (–1)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 9 (−1)
Cha 7 (–2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Excessive Pride. Whenever the proud scores a hit on an attack roll or succeeds on an ability check or saving throw, the proud makes all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with advantage for 1 minute. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d10—1) slashing damage.
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Towering arrogance and excessive pride earn mortals a place in Gehenna, where they become wretched daemons, reduced to mewling, simpering things, desperate for recognition and escape from their fates. They mutter and whine about how they don’t belong in Gehenna, that they were great people, and that there must be some mistake, for how else could they be so reduced. Given the chance, they drone on and on about their mortal achievements, eager to bask in the admiration they once enjoyed. The proud retain their mortal appearance but whatever finery they once had and whatever assets in which they took pride have all been stripped from them. Proud who were once paragons of health now suffer from myriad diseases. Those of great combat ability exist in a weakened state, languishing in their impotence. Great scholars are idiots, and the self-righteous wail in disbelief at what has been done to them.
She
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Gravicarius, the exarch of Pride, has the best of everything— or so it is said. In his collection one might find the swiftest horse in the multiverse, the sharpest blade, the most impregnable armor. But his collection also includes his companions, talking and breathing creatures that are the greatest at their pursuits, or so they believe. Of these companions are He and She, a male and a female, their genders selected to emulate the sibling monarchs of fallen dynasties, who were corrupted by an obsession with the purity of their bloodlines. But Gravicarius is the Lord of Pride, and pride does not seek to share. It is the central sin of the seven and is, therefore, all of them, including lust and greed. He and She are hidden from view, kept in Gravicarius’s parlors, where they please him with their perfect company. The scholars say, however, that He and She are themselves creatures of pride and cannot abide this incarceration. They seek to be adored. They each seek to have throngs bow before them. They are, after all, perfection personified, and deserve no less. Somehow it will pass, the prophets say, that She and He will journey to the world and there conquer, for the weak hearts of mortals will break to behold them. She,
“You are not worthy to know her name. You are not worthy to gaze upon her. You are not worthy to even know She is, and, therefore, you shall be no more.” 98
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She
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil
saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success. A creature that saves against this effect becomes immune to the charmed portion of this attack for 24 hours.
Armor Class 17 Hit Points 204 (24d8 + 96) Speed 40 ft. Str 21 (+5)
Dex 24 (+7)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 22 (+6) 17 (+3)
Cha 28 (+9)
Saving Throws Dex +14, Con +11, Int +13, Cha +16 Skills Intimidation +16, Perception +10, Persuasion +16 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, psychic Damage Immunities acid, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) Infatuating Gaze. When a creature that can see She starts its turn within 30 feet of her, She can force the creature to make a DC 24 Charisma saving throw if She isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature falls completely under her power as if under the effects of the dominate monster spell, except the effect lasts 24 hours. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save becomes charmed for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds on this save or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to She’s Infatuating Gaze for 24 hours. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can’t see She until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at She in the meantime, it must immediately make the save. She is immune to her own Infatuating Gaze.
Charm. She targets one humanoid She can see within 60 feet of her. If the target can see She, the target must succeed on a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become charmed by She. The charmed target regards She as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under She’s control, it takes She’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can. Worship Me. Each creature of She’s choice that is within 120 feet of She and can see her must succeed on a DC 24 Charisma saving throw or fall prone and become charmed for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, the target is also incapacitated. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to She’s Worship Me for the next 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions She can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. She regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Cantrip. She casts a cantrip. Teleport. She magically teleports to an unoccupied space She can see within 120 feet of her. Serve Me (Costs 2 Actions). She causes one creature charmed by her to move up to its speed in a direction She chooses and then make an attack with a weapon against a target she chooses. The creature makes the attack roll with advantage.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If She fails a saving throw, She can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The daemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. She’s weapon attacks are magical.
Spellcasting. She is a 15th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, fire bolt, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): charm person, color spray, magic missile, protection from evil and good, sleep 2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, hold person, scorching ray, suggestion 3rd level (3 slots): blink, counterspell, dispel magic, fly 4th level (3 slots): confusion, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer, polymorph, wall of fire 5th level (2 slots): dominate person, dream, hold monster 6th level (1 slot): eyebite, mass suggestion 7th level (1 slot): finger of death 8th level (1 slot): feeblemind A c t ions Multiattack. She attacks twice with her Beguiling Touch. She can cast a spell or use Charm in place of one of these attacks.
Beguiling Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (4d8) psychic damage, and the creature must succeed on a DC 24 Charisma saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. At the end of each of the creature’s turns, it can repeat the
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they say, will come with the moon, riding upon a pale horse and winning empires with honeyed words that hide poison. He, it is written, will arrive with the sun, leading an army of mortals to conquest, burning across the earth. And when the world is split between the two—the most perfect man and the most perfect woman—they will turn on one another and the world will end. But what do scholars know? He and She wander the halls of Gravicarius’s glorious palace, far from the prying eyes of others. Their master will not allow it to be otherwise. She is presented herein; He is equally enthralling and fearsome.
“To kill a foe is nothing. It takes no great skill to drive a blade through flesh. To truly defeat your enemy is to tear them down, reduce them to nothing, and force them to acknowledge it to you. No victory is sweeter.”
Sh in in g On e s
Me rc e n a rie s o f P ride
The Circle of Wrath might be infamous for its violence, but the fiends dwelling there strike from anger, hatred, and a craving for killing. In the Circle of Pride, the shining ones prove themselves equal to the wrathful daemons, but theirs is a style that favors excellence at arms, precision, and an unflagging commitment to not only defeat their enemies but to humiliate them. Only by demonstrating their enemies’ failures can they truly defeat their foes. Shining ones take their name for the gleaming plate armor encasing their bodies. Beneath the panoply lurks a shapeless mass, pale white and bristling with black hairs. If stripped of their armor, the shining ones collapse into puddles of flesh, mewling and utterly helpless.
Shining One
Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil Armor Class 20 (plate, shield) Hit Points 42 (5d8 + 20) Speed 30 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
Cha 17 (+3)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Reactive. The shining one can take one reaction on every turn in combat. A c t ions Multiattack. The shining one makes two longsword attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn is made with disadvantage. Teleport. The shining one magically teleports, along with whatever it is wearing and carrying, to an unoccupied space that it can see within 120 feet of it. R e a c t ions Parry. The shining one adds 5 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the shining one must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
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D E MONS As hostile and nasty as the Abyss can be, certain creatures do manage to eke out an existence here, as their natures parallel that of the Abyss itself. These beings, commonly known as demons on the Material Plane, divide themselves into countless races, subraces, and breeds. The greatest demons bend the spirit of the plane itself to their will, becoming self-styled princes of certain layers, dominating hordes of demonic subjects just as human sovereigns command their vassals. Notoriously disloyal, demons hold true allegiance only to their own chaotic, unpredictable nature. They war against one another, against the devils of the Nine Hells, and against the angelic choirs of the Upper Planes, sacrificing themselves without regard for their own well-being as if honoring the very concept of destruction, whether of themselves or their enemies. Despite their propensity to die in huge numbers when facing better-organized foes, the uncountable horde propels the armies of the Abyss to victory as often as not. An infinite plane, after all, can produce an infinite number of demonic soldiers. Yet not all demons prefer the cosmic battlefields of the Outer Planes. Some delight in tempting mortals to acts of chaos and evil, increasing the number of souls entering the Abyss with every foul corruption. Demon princes require mortal souls to maintain their hold on their personal layers, and their agents roam the physical world in search of converts for their infernal masters. Some demons come to the Material Plane at the behest of amoral wizards, clerics, or sorcerers, who summon them from the Abyss to do their bidding. When under the command of a summoner, demons make powerful shock troops, cunning confidants, and skillful assassins. Certain magical practitioners, warlocks and wizards alike, have developed the practice of manipulating demonic forces and magic to a science. Just as the world has much to offer demons, demons have much to offer it. Even an adherence to chaos and evil, however, allows room for differences. Not all demons exist merely to frighten or eat mortals. Some can make for powerful (albeit very dangerous) allies, approaching an adventuring party with offers of mutual assistance. Some portray themselves as misunderstood victims of creation, benevolent advocates of philosophies not intrinsically “bad,” but simply frowned upon by society at large. In the magical world of a fantasy roleplaying campaign, knowing the difference between a silk-voiced demon who legitimately offers unknown pleasures and one who merely wants to feast on your innards is a valuable skill indeed.
T he Ma t e rial Pl ane
Demons haunt the dark corners of the Material Plane. They are often tasked to guard a site of great power or summoned via a gate, planar ally, or planar binding spell
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and left to wander after their original purpose has been fulfilled. Most demons have a love-hate relationship with the mortal realm. They delight in scaring, torturing, and corrupting mortals, but many have a difficult time adapting to its social mores and inherent lawfulness (from their decidedly relative point of view). Rare is the demon who can live in seclusion in a mortal city for any length of time without giving in to its base desires. Only the most disciplined, on a specific task for a demon lord or prince, or those specifically created to tempt mortals to wickedness (such as succubi and incubi) can remain on the Material Plane without great psychological strain. Happily for them, most demons visit the mortal world but briefly. They respond to a summoning spell, kill the enemies of their summoner, and return home to the welcome chaos of the treacherous Abyss.
Al ast or s Eager executioners sent forth by the nalfeshnee to pass judgment on their enemies or others whom they decide deserve death, alastors roam the Abyss, evoking fear wherever they go, for most know them as merciless killers armed with the support and favor of a conspiracy of wicked demons. Whether sent to track down and kill a demon who angered their masters or simply for their own amusem*nt, alastors go where they wish, having free access to all places in the Abyss outside those dominions controlled by the demon lords and princes. When they find their victims, they single out their prey, pronounce their victims’ guilt, and end their victims’ existence with a single swipe of their keen scythes. Alastors stand as tall as ogres, but have lithe, muscular frames. Spiky bone ridges cluster at their elbows, their shoulders, and the backs of their heads, erupting from their mustard-yellow skin. Their heads appear lizard-like, with bright, shining red eyes. All alastors carry enormous scythes, with which they complete their grisly work. Some also deck themselves in voluminous robes and carry hourglasses, gavels, and other symbols of judgment.
M a g is t r a t e C a b a l Many planar travelers make the mistake of assuming that, because the Abyss is chaotic, the demons who dwell within it have no laws. A consortium of nalfeshnee known as the Magistrate Cabal give the lie to such mistaken impressions, and alastors are their servants. From a layer called Black Regulus, these thirteen masked nalfeshnee debate and draft laws that govern the 101
Va r ia n t : De mon Summoning
Al astor
If you’re using the variant rules for demon summoning, the alastor has a 35 percent chance to summon 1 alastor or 1 nalfeshnee.
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 104 (11d10 + 44) Speed 40 ft. Str 21 (+5)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)
Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Con +7, Int +4, Wis +5 Skills Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Magic Resistance. The alastor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The alastor’s weapon attacks are magical. Slayers of Demons. An alastor’s weapon attacks deal an additional 18 (4d8) necrotic damage to demons (included in the attack). A c t ions Multiattack. The alastor makes two attacks with its scythe. Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage or 18 (4d8) necrotic damage if the target is a demon. If the alastor scores a critical hit, it rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice. Pronounce Sentence (Recharge 5–6). The alastor magically pronounces guilty one creature of its choice within 60 feet of it. The target creature must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or fall prone and become stunned for 1 minute. While stunned, the target presents its neck to the demon for a killing blow. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Teleport. The alastor magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
behavior of demons, souls, and visitors from the Material Plane alike. They then sit in judgment of violators (who most often are tried in absentia), sentencing many to horrific tortures or gruesome death. To the casual observer (and even some dedicated scholars), the body of law created by the Magistrate Cabal is contradictory at best, changing on what appears to be the whim of the nalfeshnee. The laws defer to the demon princes, never seeking to limit their power or influence. Everyone else would ignore the cabal’s rulings like the mad ramblings they are save for one factor: the alastors. If the nalfeshnee serve as the legislators and judges in this bizarre legal charade, alastors serve as their executioners. The cabal dispatches alastors from their lair, entrusting the creatures with carrying out whatever sentence it has decreed (almost always that of death). After an alastor has pronounced sentence, its chosen victim can either fight or run away. In the court of the Abyss, there are no appeals. 102
Al rune s Few ever see alrunes in their true forms, as they mask their hideous appearance behind magical disguises that give them the appearance of comely youths. In their true forms, they have the upper bodies of beautiful humans, but with stunted bat wings, horns, and deformed woody arms that end in sharp claws. Their lower bodies are distended bellies split by prehensile tentacles. Its navel is yawning maw ringed by sharp teeth. Two sets of half-formed appendages grow from the belly, as does a snaking rubbery tail. An alrune prefers to charm (magically or otherwise) its chosen enemy, luring its target to a private place. It thereafter attempts to bite with its lower mouth, hopefully weakening its victim with thoughts of contrition. As its victim is usually without any means of defending
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themselves, it’s only a matter of time before an alrune kills and mutilates its quarry.
D e m o ns
of
V e ng e a nc e
In rural lands in the Material Plane, some superstitious individuals create small statuettes of beautiful beings known as alrunes. They pray to these figurines, asking them for guidance and protection and sometimes hints regarding the future in exchange for clothing the statuettes and giving them small offerings of food and drink. Most of the time the dolls do nothing, eventually ending up in some drawer or refuse pile. But when the individual’s life is threatened by a spouse, lover, or relative, the dolls sometimes send a signal to the Abyss, warning servants of the demon princess Nocticula that something is amiss on the Material Plane. Many alrunes manifest as women, serving the Princess of Moonlight as agents of vengeance against powerful men on the Material Plane and against any who would exploit their familial and political power to bring misery to the lives of women, but alrunes can manifest as other genders, and respond to pleas from individuals of any gender when the abuse they suffer is symptomatic not only of their own situation, but that of the heartless society
Al rune
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Wis +3, Cha +6 Skills Deception +6, Insight +3, Persuasion +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Magic Resistance. The alrune has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
A c t ions Multiattack. The alrune makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature frightened by this attack is overcome by feelings of sorrow and contrition. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage. Charm. One humanoid the alrune can see within 30 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become magically
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charmed for 1 hour. The charmed target obeys the alrune’s verbal or telepathic commands. If the target suffers any harm or receives a suicidal command, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the target successfully saves, it is immune to this alrune’s Charm for the next 24 hours. The alrune can have only one target charmed at a time. If it charms another, the effect on the previous target ends.
Change Shape. The alrune magically polymorphs into a humanoid that has a challenge rating no higher than its own, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the demon’s choice). In a new form, the alrune retains its alignment, hit points, Hit Dice, ability to speak, proficiencies, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as this action. Its statistics and capabilities are otherwise replaced by those of the new form, except any class features or legendary actions of that form. Invisibility. The alrune magically turns invisible until it attacks or uses Charm or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the alrune wears or carries is invisible with it. Dark Ligature (1/Day). The alrune ties a small string into a knot and throws it and a coin onto the ground while pointing at one creature it can see within 300 feet of it. The coin disappears and reappears inside a treasure chamber within Nocticula’s realm in the Evershifting Vale. The target creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or suffer debilitating pain, taking 8d6 psychic damage and becoming unable to manifest physical signs of sexual arousal until the coin is destroyed.
Va r ia n t : De mon Summoning
If you’re using the variant rules for demon summoning, the alrune has a 35 percent chance to summon 1 alrune.
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that condones it. When called, an alrune most often appears as a fetching member of the same culture as the chosen victim. It thereafter insinuates itself into the life of the individual, attempting to seduce them and, ultimately, to mutilate and kill them as a message to others. Once it has exacted vengeance, the alrune presents itself to the person who (sometimes unwittingly) called it. It explains that the tormentor has been dealt with and attempts to bring them into the Nocticulan fold (assuming she does not already belong to the cult). Sometimes, the alrune will remain on the Material Plane to help the summoner form a new cult of Nocticula, serving as both advisor and dark disciple.
S t ol e n D e s i r e The most vicious of the alrune’s attacks is its ability to steal its victim’s sexual vigor, binding it to the alrune for all time. It accomplishes this effort by tying a knot in a small cord and throwing it and a coin to the ground, at which point both disappear. The coin carries the individual’s sexual response to the Abyss, where it joins the countless others the alrunes have stolen. Rarely, Nocticula allows victims to engage in some dangerous quest in return for release. When melted and cast into a natural body of fresh water under the light of the moon, the coin gives up its hold on the individual, who regains sexual ability. The alrune has no equivalent power over asexual individuals, but it is rarely called on to torment them.
A z al ar Few people can explore the Abyss with their minds intact. Confronting horror after horror, abomination after abomination, exacts a terrible price, one that drains away all joy and hope for something better, leaving people overcome with sorrow and despair. Planar travelers, however, warn against succumbing to these feelings, for they attract the azalar, demons who feed on hopelessness. Azalar appear somewhat human, but pale and gaunt, with chalk-white skin. Their glossy black eyes, tearstreaked faces, and open mouths give away their demonic
A z al ar
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60) Speed 30 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 9 (–1) 20 (+5)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +11, Cha +12 Skills Insight +11, Perception +11 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 21 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Aura of Despair. When a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the azalar, the creature must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw. Fiends are immune to this effect. A creature takes 35 (10d6) psychic damage and becomes frightened until the start of its next turn on a failed save, or takes half the damage and becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours on a success. Feed on Despair. Once per round, when a creature with 30 feet of the azalar takes damage, becomes frightened, or gains a level of exhaustion, the azalar gains 10 (3d6) temporary hit points. If the azalar gains these temporary hit points, each creature within 30 feet of the azalar becomes deafened until the start of the azalar’s next turn. Magic Resistance. The azalar has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The azalar’s weapon attacks are magical. Sorrowful Moan (Recharge 5–6). As a bonus action, the azalar moans, forcing each creature inside a 60-foot radius to make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature gains one level of exhaustion. A c t ions Multiattack. The azalar makes two Grieving Touch attacks. Grieving Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (6d6) psychic damage, and the creature must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature gains one level of exhaustion.
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nature. And when they converge on their victims, the wail of their sorrowful moans grows and grows, until it drowns out all other sounds. Azalar crave sadness and grief and can detect these emotions in creatures from miles away. People overwhelmed by their horror and who give in to despair attract the azalar. As they draw closer, they amplify these feelings to enrich their feast on their victims’ life force. When the azalar finish feeding, they leave their victims withered corpses, faces contorted into expressions of unfathomable suffering.
Bo rg e g All foulness has a place in the Abyss, and every dark deed imagined can be reflected in the demonic denizens and in the plane itself. The great, lumbering forms of the borgeg embody the plane’s hunger, for it seems nothing can satisfy their hunger, no matter how much or what they consume. Their dread appetites draw them ever onward, and their grasping hands clutch at anything they can reach and shove their victims screaming into their mouths.
Borg e g
Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 216 (16d12 + 112) Speed 40 ft. Str 23 (+6)
Dex 9 (–1)
Con Int Wis 25 (+7) 7 (–2) 11 (+0)
Cha 9 (–1)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the borgeg can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Magic Resistance. The borgeg has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The borgeg’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The borgeg makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Gobble. The borgeg targets one unconscious creature of Medium or smaller size that is within 10 feet of it. The borgeg grabs the creature and stuffs it into its mouth and swallows it down. The creature dies, and the borgeg regains 10 (3d6) hit points. R e a c t ions Horrid Vomit (1/Day). When the borgeg has half its hit points or fewer, it empties the contents of its gullet from its mouth into a 60-foot-long cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 65 (10d12) acid damage on a failed save, or half the damage on a successful one. In addition, 1d6 skeletons (see Skeletons under Creature Statistics in the Player’s Handbook for more information) land in the area and stand up. The skeletons are hostile to all creatures other than skeletons. They roll initiative as a group and attack on each of their turns.
“Beware the borgeg’s bottomless hunger, for there is no escaping its maw.” — from The Book of the Fallen
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Borgeg tower over most other demons, despite being hunched over, bodies dragged down by the weight of their pendulous guts. Thick arms end in small hands, fingers stained from the unspeakable things they’ve devoured, while their slablike legs gradually taper down to black spikes. A rumbling sound always emanates from their bellies, and when agitated, they release reeking clouds from their nether regions.
C ru n C run
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 10 Hit Points 73 (7d10 + 35) Speed 20 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 7 (–2) 10 (+0)
Cha 5 (–3)
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning and piercing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, slashing Condition Immunities deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. (works only on creatures that speak Abyssal) Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Amorphous. The crun can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. Corrosive Body. A creature that touches the crun or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) acid damage. False Appearance. While the crun remains motionless in water, it is indistinguishable from normal water. Magic Resistance. The crun has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The crun’s weapon attacks are magical. Slime Trail. For each foot the crun moves, it leaves behind a streak of slippery, corrosive slime that lasts until the start of its next turn. Any creature moving across a surface covered in the slime must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the crun must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the crun’s stench for 24 hours. A c t ions Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 26 (4d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) acid damage. If the creature is Medium or smaller, it is also grappled (escape DC 15). While grappled by the crun, the creature can’t breathe, is restrained, and takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the crun’s turns. When the crun moves, the grappled creature moves with it. The crun can have one creature grappled at a time.
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The Feculent Fen forms an entire layer of the Abyss, a vast, reeking swamp that simmers beneath a garish red sun that never sets. Stunted trees, bark blackened and spotted with toxic growths, break from the waters, their gnarled roots writhing in the filth, and held in the twisted branches are quasits and other minor fiends, watchful for signs of life. As bleak and foreboding as the Feculent Fen appears, many terrible demons make their homes in the filth, and foremost among these are the crun. The dissolved remains of dretches who have had the misfortune of finding themselves trapped on this layer, the crun’s former shape, as melted as it was, has been stripped, reducing them to glistening mounds of slime in which float a pair of rolling eyeballs. These demons have grown fat and powerful on the pestilential nature of their layer and hunger for fresher fare on which to feed. When disturbed, they gather themselves up into shuddering gooey pillars and crash down on their foes, enveloping their victims in their horrifying bodies.
D ar b a s Darbas spend little time in the Abyss. With their shapechanging powers and taste for mayhem, darbas just can’t stay away from the mortal world. Each pursues its own evil schemes, from slave running to the defilement of holy places to the corruption of innocent mortals to mass murder. Since darbas have no real agenda other than self-gratification, their actions are difficult to predict. Paladins and good clerics know darbas well and curse their iniquities. Darbas are cousins to the dreaded rakshasas, but unlike their kin, they are creatures of chaos. While rakshasas serve their king, Ravana, and live under a code of laws (albeit one that allows them to vex the mortal races with impunity), darbas are fierce individualists. They rarely gather in any numbers, preferring to spend their time causing untold misery on the Material Plane. In their natural forms, they appear as four-armed humanoids, whose grotesque faces are plastered with permanent grins. Instead of hands they have long, wicked blades called fleshtearers. These living weapons inflict terrible wounds and are rightly feared.
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Dar b a
Medium fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 11 (+0)
Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +3 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Magic Weapons. The darba’s weapon attacks are magical. Innate Spellcasting. The darba’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The darba can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: hideous laughter, suggestion Shapechanger. The darba can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. While in its humanoid form, it loses its fleshtearers. Other than its weapons, its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. The darba reverts to its true form if it dies. A c t ions Multiattack. The darba makes four fleshtearer attacks or two longsword attacks.
Fleshtearer. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by 3 (1d6). This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
E n t r o pu s The Abyss embodies entropy, and it, along with everything inside the plane, works to utterly eradicate all that it can. Most demons work as rampaging destroyers and use their claws and teeth to tear apart all they can. But the entropi embrace the Abyss’s destructive nature and become living engines of ruin, their mere presence sufficient to cause rocks to crumble, flesh to rot, and reality to unravel. The towering entropi appear incomplete, almost as if whatever made them gave up halfway through. For one, fissures divide their blackened skin and reveal them to be hollow entities. They drink in the light, plunging their environments into gloom, which conceals the extent to which they ravage their surroundings.
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Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage. Teleport (1/Day). The darba magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing and carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
“Once the demon disposed of the majordomo, it assumed his form. Fortunately darbas are creatures of chaos. If it truly had patience, it could have undermined the whole realm, rather than simply committing a string of grisly murders.” — from the account of Lord Arkenwold 107
E n t ro pus
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 105 (10d10 + 50) Speed 40 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 8 (–1) 15 (+2)
Cha 8 (–1)
Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +4 Skills Perception +7, Stealth +9 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) Entropic Darkness. Magical shadows spread out from the entropus in a 15-foot diameter, causing bright light in the area to become dim light. Each creature that starts its turn in the area of shadows must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 13 (3d8) necrotic damage. Objects that are neither worn nor carried in the area take 24 force damage. Instability. At the end of each of the entropus’s turns, roll a d6. On an odd number, the entropus is removed from existence until the start of its next turn. While removed from existence, the entropus ceases to exist, cannot be targeted by attacks or effects, is insensate, and cannot take actions or reactions. When the entropus returns to existence, it does so in an unoccupied space of its choice within 30 feet of the space it left. Magic Resistance. The entropus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
T ain t e d
by
N e g a t i v e E n e rg y
Wherever negative energy spills into the Abyss, entropi take shape from the matter infused with this dark force, becoming a breed of demon apart from the many strains found throughout the Abyss. The negative energy suffusing their being makes them highly unstable, and they frequently fly apart before reassembling some distance away.
E nve l o pe r o f t he Inno ce n t The result of ancient experiments by the demon princes Marbas and the unnamable Lord of Many Forms, envelopers of the innocent are agents of the Abyss that work on the Material Plane to spread horror and confusion in lands aligned against demonic hordes. Mindless beasts created only to kill, envelopers of the innocent spend their lives eating or hunting for a new meal. Demonic generals battling good foes often stack their first ranks with envelopers, knowing that the amorphous creatures’ ability to swallow and surround 108
Magic Weapons. The entropus’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Entropic Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) necrotic damage, and the target reduces its hit point maximum by the amount of necrotic damage it took. If the reduction drops the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies or is destroyed and cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. The reduction lasts for 24 hours. Wave of Entropy (Recharge 5–6). The entropus releases a wave of negative energy from its space across a 30-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in the area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 45 (10d8) necrotic damage and gains a level of exhaustion on a failed save, or takes half this damage on a successful one.
still-living foes has a demoralizing effect upon their opponents’ allies. A tumorous blob of dark, undulating flesh spouting dozens of pseudopods, the enveloper of the innocent lacks a constant form, always shifting, bubbling, and remaking itself. An enveloper of the innocent’s pseudopods writhe in what appears to be a jumble of muscle surrounding a hollow depression at the creature’s center. More often than not, the depression is filled with the body of an engulfed creature. The enveloper draws
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E nve l o pe r o f t he Innoce n t Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil A c t ions
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48) Speed 20 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 1 (−5) 12 (+1)
Cha 1 (−5)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, poison Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11 Languages — Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amorphous. The enveloper can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. Damage Transfer. While the enveloper has a creature engulfed, the enveloper takes only half the damage dealt to it (round down), and that creature takes the other half. Magic Resistance. The enveloper has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or fall prone and become paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. Engulf. The enveloper moves up to its speed. While doing so, it can enter Large or smaller creature’s spaces. Whenever the enveloper enters a creature’s space, the creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can choose to be pushed back 5 feet or to the side of the enveloper. A creature that chooses not to be pushed suffers the consequences of a failed saving throw. On a failed save, the enveloper enters the creature’s space, and the creature takes 13 (3d8) acid damage and is engulfed. The engulfed creature can’t breathe, is restrained, and takes 26 (8d8) acid damage at the start of each of the enveloper’s turns. When the enveloper moves, the engulfed creature moves with it. In addition, the engulfed creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or have its alignment shift one step toward chaotic evil. Each time the target’s alignment shifts in this way, the enveloper gains 21 (2d20) temporary hit points that last for 24 hours. The change to the creature’s alignment lasts until it finishes a long rest, though the creature can choose to make the alignment change permanent. An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC 16 Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of the enveloper.
nutrients from its captive, metabolizing altruism and righteousness into the energy it needs to survive. Envelopers of the innocent leak acid from pores positioned around their bodies, sometimes leaving trails of corrosion in their terrible wake.
Harl e quins The insane spawn of Kobal, demon prince of comedians, harlequins attend their master in his court, using antics to cause him to erupt in gales of laughter. Experts in their craft, they fall, dance, mock, and clown, feeding on the laughter of their audience, all while slowly driving their victims insane. Harlequins have managed to insinuate themselves into the company of most of the great powers in the Abyss, where they work as spies and assassins, all to advance the cause of their dread maker. Most harlequins can pass for human, at least at first. They have humanoid shapes, and their bodies appear covered in paint and costumes showing red and black diamonds in the manner of jesters, clowns, and similar performers. Yet, any inspection reveals their horrifying nature, for pools of darkness serve for their eyes and black filth carves runnels down their cheeks.
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Harl e quin
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) Speed 50 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 24 (+7)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 11 (+0)
Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +11, Wis +4 Skills Acrobatics +11, Perception +4, Stealth +11 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Abyssal, Common Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Avoidance. If the harlequin is subject to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. Maddening Laughter. At the end of each of the harlequin’s turns, each creature within 60 feet of it and charmed by it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 7 (2d6) psychic damage. Magic Resistance. The harlequin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The harlequin’s weapon attacks are magical. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the harlequin deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the harlequin that isn’t incapacitated and the harlequin doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. Spellcasting. The harlequin is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The harlequin knows the following spells: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, minor illusion, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): charm person, color spray, shield 2nd level (3 slots): blur, invisibility 3rd level (3 slots): haste, hypnotic pattern 4th level (3 slots): confusion, phantasmal killer 5th level (1 slot): hold monster A c t ions Multiattack. The harlequin makes two weapon attacks. It can cast a spell in place of one of the attacks. Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d4 + 7) piercing damage plus 16 (3d10) psychic damage. If the target is a creature and is not a construct or undead, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A target that succeeds on the saving throw becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Va r ia n t : De mon Summoning
If you’re using the variant rules for demon summoning, the harlequin has a 50 percent chance to summon 1d6 schirim or 1 glabrezu.
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Hor de De mon Although a number of specific breeds of demons populate the Abyss, they represent but a fraction of what the chaotic evil plane creates. Many demons—some would argue most, in fact—pull themselves free of the muck, displaying a wide range of bizarre physical traits. Some possess animal features in unlikely combinations and positions across their misshapen bodies. Others might have bizarre characteristics and shapes, with some having enormous heads they must drag along the ground and others being heaps of slippery tentacles crowded around a slavering maw. Others still might look almost human but have some foul sign that gives away the truth about their wicked natures. Rather than compartmentalizing these differing breeds into their own strains, most demonologists just refer to them as horde demons, since they gather up in large mobs and crash about the Abyss to feed their appetite for chaos and destruction. Within the ranks of horde demons, there are three basic types differentiated by size: least horde demons, lesser horde demons, and horde demons.
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“Now such creatures as sin has made, rise to the blasphemous calls in the night, to feast upon the flesh and blood that is your due.” — from The Book of the Fallen Hor de De mon
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24) Speed 40 ft. Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 7 (−2) 13 (+1)
Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 33 (6d6 + 12) Speed 40 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Str 16 (+3)
L e sse r Hor de De mon
Cha 6 (−2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal Challenge 3 (700 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the horde demon can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 7 (−2) 11 (+0)
Cha 6 (−2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal Challenge 1 (200 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the lesser horde demon can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Pack Tactics. The lesser horde demon has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the horde demon’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. A c t ions Claws and Teeth. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Pack Tactics. The horde demon has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the horde demon’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
L e ast Hor de De mon Tiny fiend (demon), chaotic evil
A c t ions Claws and Teeth. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage.
Dex 13 (+1)
Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 14 (4d4 + 4) Speed 40 ft. Str 11 (+0)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 7 (−2) 10 (+0)
Cha 6 (−2)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the least horde demon can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Pack Tactics. The least horde demon has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the horde demon’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. A c t ions Claws and Teeth. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) slashing damage.
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Inmai In the Abyss, inmai prowl the blasted landscape, preferring to gather in gangs in urban areas. Considered little more than vermin by other demons, their lives are filled with fear and pain. Despite their minor status, they remain vicious little monsters and in large numbers prove a considerable threat. Inmai crave escape from the Abyss and readily take up service with witches, warlocks, and other servants of the Abyss. Once loosed in the Material Plane, they hide themselves inside wooden structures, providing additional security and ensuring none disrupt their masters’ plans. Once freed from the Abyss, an inmai becomes a
conduit through which others can escape. These loosed demons have no obligation to serve and, once they grow their numbers, destroy the mortal who bound the first inmai and then spread out to work wickedness in the world. Inmai appear as small figures with cruel, youthful features, swept back horns and needle-sharp teeth. Their eyes gleam with yellow light. When startled, upset, or excited, thorns pop up from their skin.
Inmai
Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 13 (3d8) Speed 30 ft., climb 40 ft. Str 8 (−1)
Va r ia n t : De mon Summoning
If you’re using the variant rules for demon summoning, the inmai has a 25 percent chance to summon 1 balor and 2d20 dretches.
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 7 (−2) 15 (+2)
Cha 11 (+0)
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Abyssal Conduit. At the end of each week an inmai remains on the Material Plane, there’s a 10 percent chance that another inmai appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of the inmai. The new inmai remains until it’s destroyed. Keen Senses. The inmai makes all Wisdom (Perception) checks with advantage. A c t ions Multiattack. The inmai makes four thorn attacks. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. Thorn. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or make all Dexterity attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage for as long as the thorn remains embedded . A creature can use an action to rip the thorn free, which causes it to take 2 (1d4) piercing damage. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check negates this damage. Meld into Wood. The inmai magically steps into a wooden object or surface large enough to fully contain its body within 5 feet of it, melding itself and everything it wears and carries with the wood for as long as it wishes. Nothing of its presence remains visible or otherwise detectable by nonmagical senses. The effect is otherwise identical to the meld into stone spell, replacing stone with wood. R e a c t ions Thorn Burst (Recharge 6). When the inmai takes damage, it releases a burst of thorns from its body out to a 60-foot radius. The flying thorns deal 1d4 damage to creatures and objects in the area. A creature in the area can make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw and takes no damage on a success.
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J ahi Despite the best efforts of the courtesans and whor*s who worship him, the demon prince Socothbenoth knows resilient spirits and moral fortitude allows some mortals to resist the carnal temptations that can lead to an afterlife of servitude in the Abyss. In response to such frustrations, he created the jahi, beautiful demons who captivate mortals with erotic dances before swallowing their souls. Jahi resemble human women, allowing them to blend easily into mortal settlements. Jahi have exotic physical characteristics that make a specific human heritage
difficult to determine. Most folk assume them to be from some unknown foreign land and leave it at that. A jahi’s seductive glances and persuasive bluffs generally get it out of trouble with more persistent inquisitors. Despite their creation by the Patron of the Tents and Tabernacles of the Daughters, jahi have come to serve many other demon princes as spies and kidnappers. Unsuited to the hostile climes of most Abyssal layers, most jahi spend their whole lives on the Material Plane and visit the Abyss only to deliver a captured prize to their sovereign, usually in exchange for a sizable reward.
“Come, and give us a kiss.”
J ahi
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) Speed 30 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Wis +4 Skills Deception +6, Performance +6, Persuasion +6 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The jahi’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The jahi can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: alter self, blur, charm person Magic Resistance. The jahi has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The jahi’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. Beguiling Dance. The jahi performs a magical dance. Every humanoid and giant within 60 feet of the jahi that can see it dance must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for as long as the jahi dances and for 1d6 rounds thereafter. The jahi must take a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue dancing. It can stop dancing at any time. The dance ends if the jahi is incapacitated. While charmed by the jahi, the target is stunned. The target can repeat the saving throw whenever it takes damage and at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the effect ends. A target that successfully saves is immune to this jahi’s dance for the next 24 hours. Swallow Soul. The jahi makes a magical attack against one creature within 30 feet by sucking in a great quantity of air. The target must
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succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or have its soul forcibly torn from its body and drawn into the jahi’s mouth, where it is imprisoned. The soul appears as a wispy, translucent manifestation of the creature and issues a terrible keen as it disappears into the jahi’s mouth. The target must then succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned for 2d4 rounds. A target stunned in this way can repeat the Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A target that has lost its soul in this way and dies cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. A jahi can hold a single soul at any one time. Once it has done so, it becomes significantly more difficult for it to operate in normal society. As the soul struggles fruitlessly to escape, it reaches for freedom so that impressions of its hands and face sometimes appear upon the jahi’s belly. A jahi can disgorge the soul from its body as an action. Doing so returns the soul to its rightful place after 2d4 rounds (no matter the distance between body and soul). Those demon princes who employ jahi as kidnappers generally have some means of trapping captured souls in small cages or gems so that they might bargain with the mortals for services. Though they could doubtless destroy the captured souls, they gain no sustenance from doing so as they do from the annihilated souls of the chaotic evil dead. Creatures that lack souls, naturally, are immune to a jahi’s Swallow Soul attack.
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J il aiya
“What we had first taken to be harpies nesting in the crown of the wizard’s tower were in fact something far worse.” — from the account of Brother Maxwell
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 14 Hit Points 44 (8d8 + 8) Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 7 (−2) 13 (+1)
Cha 15 (+2)
Skills Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Keen Sight. The jilaiya has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw and removes the effect from itself on a success. A target that succeeds on the saving throw becomes immune to this effect from this jilaiya for 24 hours. Essence Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one incapacitated creature. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage, and the jilaiya sucks essence from the target. The target gains one level of exhaustion and reduces its hit point maximum by the damage dealt by this attack. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.
J il aiya Bodies drained, husks withered, skin stretched tight to the bones, faces drawn back to capture the horror of their final moments in life as fodder for the jilaiya, these corpses litter the grounds of the Abyss, just more detritus to add to the debris found cluttering this hateful plane. Spawned from the discarded feathers of Pazuzu, the jilaiya fly far from their maker’s dominion and spread across the Abyss, drawn deeper and deeper by their insatiable thirst for essence. Jilaiya delight in tormenting their victims, cackling as they rend their victims’ flesh with wicked, sharp claws and cooing as they fit their mouths over their victims’ sexual organs to draw forth life and vitality from their prey. Jilaiya have hateful, distorted feminine faces with sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. Their black, feathery hair is matted with filth and blood, as are their broad wings. Their muscular arms end in clawed hands, coated with a painful venom. Once victims succumb, the jilaiya settle over the body to feast, drawing forth their prey’s very life essence and consuming it with abandon.
Ma b axa Legend holds sparrows whisk the souls of the dead to the afterlife, and the origins of this myth might source from the mabaxa. These sparrow-headed demons slip into the Material Plane from the Abyss to steal souls from the dead and dying and bring them as offerings to their horrid masters. Their normal forms are too conspicuous for their work, so they use their magic to assume the innocuous forms of sparrows. In this form, they can move about undetected, looking just like an ordinary bird. When they spot a suitable victim, they return to their normal form, grab their target, and teleport away, leaving behind a single feather to mark their passage.
“No, you don’t understand! They’re here! They’re always watching… from the trees!” The poor man’s ravings seemed like those of a grief-stricken father, but I eyed the tiny sparrows perched in the trees nonetheless. — from the account of Sister Torra, fiend-hunter 114
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“The old man assured me that sparrows are good omens, milord...would you have it known that fear of a flock of birds dissuaded the King from his morning walk?.” Ma b axa
Small fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 54 (12d6 + 12) Speed 30 ft. Str 8 (−1)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 16 (+3)
Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +4, Wis +5 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5, Stealth +4 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The mabaxa’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The mabaxa can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: comprehend languages, vicious mockery 3/day each: dissonant whispers, silent image 1/day each: hold person, knock, plane shift (self only)
Mandr ag or as Thaumaturges and other traffickers of demonic knowledge and magic have inadvertently saved the mandragoras from extinction. A weak and feeble breed of demon, they would surely have died out had they not proven so useful as familiars. Plucked from the chaotic depths of the Abyss and bound to mortal masters, they toil as helpers, spies, and, sometimes, confidants. Their morose demeanor differentiates mandragoras from the capricious and conniving quasits with whom they compete, along with the mandragoras’ boundless curiosity about the world and their environs. Their naturally inquisitive nature tends to land them in trouble, whether they court it or not. Barely a foot tall, mandragoras appear as long-limbed manikins. Mustard-colored scales cover their delicate bodies, and they boast three small horns on the tops of their heads, the central horn being a crooked protrusion of the skull itself. Each has two whiplike tails that end in barbs.
H i d d e n E vil Perhaps due to its elfin appearance, many mortals have underestimated a mandragoras—to their detriment.
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Isolator. The mabaxa has advantage on any attack roll it makes against a creature that is not within 30 feet or less of another creature friendly to it. Magic Resistance. The mabaxa has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The mabaxa’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. The mabaxa can use its action to polymorph into a sparrow (treat this as a Raven without mimicry, as found in the Creature Statistics in the Player’s Handbook) or back into its true form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is also grappled (escape DC 12). Soul Steal. The mabaxa targets one creature that it has grappled, forcing the target to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. A creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or just half this damage on a successful one. If the damage reduces the target to 0 or fewer hit points, the target dies and the mabaxa steals its soul and carries it to the Abyss. A creature whose soul has been stolen cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. R e a c t ions Kidnap (Recharge 5–6). If the mabaxa has a creature grappled, the mabaxa magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing and carrying and any creature it has grappled, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space.
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Mandr ag or as
Tiny fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 7 (3d4) Speed 20 ft. Str 6 (−2)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)
Cha 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Dex +5 Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Magic Resistance. The mandragoras has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The mandragoras’s weapon attacks are magical. Innate Spellcasting. The mandragoras’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 11). The mandragoras can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect thoughts, minor illusion A c t ions Multiattack. The mandragoras makes a tail attack and casts shocking grasp. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Doll Form. The mandragoras magically assumes the form of a stone statue of its size or changes back into its true form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is similarly transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. In its new form, the mandragoras’s speed drops to 0 and the only action it can take is to use Doll Form to revert to its normal form. A mandragoras in this form is immune to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks, as well as cold, fire, and lightning damage. The mandragoras perceives its surroundings as normal.
A mandragoras’s tail bears a potent poison, and few have any compunctions against using it. A particularly devious mandragoras sometimes pretends to befriend a mortal, asking to hop upon its shoulder for a quick ride to a nearby destination. Once in transit, the mandragoras swiftly jabs its tails into its host’s neck, cackling in a high-pitched voice as the mortal pitches to the ground, poisoned. Some mandragoras enjoy assuming doll forms when positioned in a treasure hoard, animating in a pack to rummage around and perhaps steal their kidnapper’s possessions. They always cut through the sack on their way out, hoping against hope that they’ve been placed in a bag of holding and that their tear will spill the bag’s contents (including the mandragoras) into the Astral Plane. 116
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Most demons hate mandragoras, whom they consider no better than vermin. Many loudly proclaim that the diminutive creatures are some sort of natural by-product exuded by the Abyss itself. A mandragoras enjoys the same respect granted to a rat in a human city. If it’s lucky, it’ll survive because it is beneath the notice of those who could easily destroy it.
Ma z ar e e n Even a short visit to the Abyss strains sanity, such is the madness and chaos found in this vicious plane. Between vistas that defy imagination and the hideous hordes of demons that caper and gambol across the tortured landscape, even if travelers manage to escape with their lives intact, most do so haunted by the memories of their time in the Bottomless Pit. As maddening as the plane can be, however, there are things dwelling in the Abyss that prey on the frightened and horrified, demons that profit when they shatter the minds of their victims. The mazareen are such demons, and they have no compunction against using their methods against fiends and outsiders alike.
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Ma z ar e e n
Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 93 (17d6 + 34) Speed 0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover) Str 8 (−2)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 21 (+5) 12 (+1)
Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Int +9, Cha +6 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities blinded, poisoned Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this distance), passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Magic Resistance. The mazareen has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The mazareen’s weapon attacks are magical. Awaken Madness. The mazareen can take a bonus action to target one creature within 60 feet of it that has at least 1 madness token (see Mental Assault for more information). The mazareen can remove 1, 6, or 12 madness tokens from the creature and force it to make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature suffers a random short-term madness if the demon removed 1 token, a long-term madness if the demon removed 6 tokens, or indefinite madness if the demon removed 12 tokens.
1d6 madness tokens. The madness tokens remain until expended or until the target finishes a long rest. If the target has madness tokens equal to or greater than its Wisdom score, the target’s alignment changes to chaotic evil, and on each of its turns, it must use an action to cause harm to itself in some way. A greater restoration spell or more powerful magic restores the target’s alignment to normal and ends this effect. A c t ions Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (6d6 + 5) psychic damage. Mental Blast (Recharge 5–6). The mazareen releases a blast of psychic energy that spreads out from its space in a 30-foot radius. Each creature in the area that is not a construct or fiend must make a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw. A creature takes 45 (10d8) psychic damage and becomes stunned for 1 minute on a failed save, or just takes half this damage on a successful one. A creature stunned by this effect can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. The creature gains 1 madness token on a failed save, or ends the effect on itself with a successful save. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself makes further saving throws against the Mental Blasts of all mazareen with advantage for 24 hours. R e a c t ions Drift. When a creature attacks the mazareen with a weapon and misses, the mazareen can move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Mental Assault. The mazareen targets one stunned creature within 60 feet of it, forcing the target to make a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains
Mazareen appear as floating cysts draped in a web of crimson arteries and trailing nerve endings behind them like nets. Inscrutable beings that pass their time drifting through the Abyss, they take notice when sentient creatures draw near. At once, the demons alter their course, drifting close so that they can attack their victims’ minds with pulses of raw psychic energy.
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Creatures overwhelmed by the mazareen’s mental assaults find themselves consumed by a need to end their pain by destroying themselves. They use whatever means they have available. Some stab themselves repeatedly with their knives, while others blow themselves up with their most destructive spells. Demonologists say the haunting pain warps their souls, hardening them to the suffering of others, so that when death finally comes, the souls are doomed to spend eternity in the Abyss. No one has yet tracked down such a soul to verify this.
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Orusul a A menace in the Abyss, the orusula roam the toxic wastes, rooting up the ground and hurling themselves at anyone, fiend or otherwise, they happen upon. Resembling enormous swine armored in iron plates and sharp iron bristles, they eat anything and everything. When agitated, yellowish foam spills out from between the six tusks of random size that jut out from the sides of their snouts. Orusula gather in large packs and tear up the landscape wherever they go. While they look and behave like wild animals, their demonic nature reveals itself in the pleasure they take in eating their prey alive. Some demons enslave these bestial fiends for use as steeds.
“As if the iron teeth and tusks of these demon-pigs were not enough, their foul spittle is riddled with disease and contagion. Beware the festering infection that follows the wounds they inflict—even contact with their maddened foam can be deadly.” — from the account of the knight Lord Masker
Paig oe l s The personal layer of Anarazel, “the Guardian of a Thousand Terrors,” is known as the Anarchic Maze. Within endless miles of corridors and galleries, Anarazel has secreted treasures beyond mortal comprehension and set deadly traps and monstrous creatures to guard them. Among his favorite guardians are the fierce fiends known as paigoels.
Orusul a
Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 216 (16d12 + 112) Speed 50 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 3 (−4) 13 (+1)
Cha 9 (−1)
Saving Throws Str +12, Con +12, Wis +6 Skills Perception +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages understands Abyssal but can’t speak Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) Blood Frenzy. The orusula has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points. Charge. If the orusula moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a tusk attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 6 (1d12) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Magic Resistance. The orusula has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The orusula’s weapon attacks are magical. Relentless (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the orusula takes 14 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead. Toxic Foam (Recharge 5–6). The orusula can take a bonus action to shake the accumulated foam from its snout. Each creature within 5 feet of the orusula must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) poison damage. A c t ions Tusks. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 33 (4d12 + 7) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or contract a disease. Until the disease is cured, the target is poisoned and takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage whenever it fails an ability check or saving throw, and the target’s hit point maximum decreases by 10 (3d6) every 24 hours. If the target’s hit point maximum drops to 0 as a result of this disease, the target dies. A target that successfully saves against this effect becomes immune to this orusula’s disease for 24 hours.
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Near and dear to Anarazel’s avaricious heart, paigoels are made from the souls of Anarazel’s most dedicated worshippers. Those who give praise to the Guardian of a Thousand Terrors know that if they die seeking treasure in the deep dark of a dungeon, they’ll be given a new demonic shape when their souls arrive in the Anarchic Maze. What very few know, however, is that when an entire adventuring party is wiped out in some tomb of horror, the souls of the slain are fused together to create a paigoel. With eyes facing in every direction, paigoels cannot be surprised. Anarazel uses paigoels to guard precious artifacts in the Maze, and he sometimes sends them to haunt the deepest levels of famous dungeons in the Material Plane.
“The twins sought to avenge their mother’s death, never expecting the foul demon to speak in her voice, mixed with the voices of her fallen companions.” Paigoels used to be adventurers, so they know many of the classic dungeoneering tricks and how to counter them. They don’t let on that they can see invisible creatures, for instance, allowing sneaky adventurers to get close before lashing out. Some paigoels even pick the pockets of enemy rogues to prove that they’ve still got it. When combat gets down and dirty, paigoels use their hail of darts in corridors where possible and then close to let their ten arms finish the opposition.
Paig oe l
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42) Speed 40 ft. Str 21 (+5)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +7, Wis +5 Skills Athletics +9, Insight +5, Perception +9 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages Abyssal Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
The paigoel can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The paigoel regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Dual Strike. The paigoel makes two melee weapon attacks. Move. The paigoel moves up to its speed. Spring and Strike. The paigoel flies up to its speed and must land at the end of this movement or fall. At any one point during this movement, the paigoel can make a melee attack against one creature it can reach.
Aggressive. As a bonus action, the paigoel can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Magic Resistance. A paigoel has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. A paigoel’s weapon attacks are magical. Uncanny Awareness. The paigoel cannot be surprised while it is conscious, and it makes all Wisdom (Perception) checks with advantage. A c t ions Multiattack. The paigoel makes four longsword attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. Storm of Swords. The paigoel sweeps its weapons around its body in a deadly arc. Each creature within 10 feet of the paigoel must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 27 (6d8) damage on a failed save, or half this damage on a successful one. Hail of Darts. The paigoel flings a fusillade of darts from its hand into a 30-foot-long cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 35 (10d6) damage on a failed save, or half the damage on a successful one. R e a c t ions Parry. The paigoel adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the paigoel must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
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“How can you say anything reliable or certain about an embodiment of chaos itself? All that is predictable about the pertoblen is their unpredictability and their evil and destructive nature. Beware them and those who believe themselves their masters.” — from The Daemocon of Anduz
Pe rtobl e n Sometimes known as warped ones, pertoblen take shape in places where the raw stuff of chaos bleeds into the Abyss. Pertoblen embody chaos and violence, their bodies humming with threat. With unfixed forms, their uncertain bodies constantly shift and writhe, adopting characteristics from countless different creatures, only to see them absorbed into their meat to grow something new. Pertoblen recognize no masters in the Abyss, and they come boiling up out of the depths to wreak havoc wherever they go.
R as h e de s Evil begets evil, and in no demon is this truer than it is with the rashedes. Mad, violent, and aggressive, the rashedes range throughout the Abyss, unafraid since they can call upon reinforcements by simply dividing themselves. Just when their opponents think they’ll face off against a single demon, they discover a multitude of identical copies, each just as vicious and hateful as the one that made them.
Pe rtobl e n
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 45 (10d8) Speed 30 ft. Str 10 (+0)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Cha 10 (+0)
Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Chaotic Development. The pertoblen constantly shifts and transforms. Whenever it makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it rolls a die and adds the number to the total of its roll. The first time it rolls this extra die, it rolls a d4. Each time after, the die increases by one size, from a d4 to a d6, a d6 to a d8, and so on. Once it rolls a d20, the die drops back to a d4 and the cycle begins again. Chaos Field. The pertoblen emits a field of chaos that spreads out from it in a 30-foot radius. Any creature other than a pertoblen that starts its turn in the area must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become subject to the effects of the confusion spell until the start of its next turn. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes immune to this pertoblen’s Chaos Field for 24 hours. Instability. A pertoblen is immune to any effect that would change its shape. Shifting Form. The pertoblen imposes disadvantage on attack rolls made against it by creatures that can see it. A c t ions Multiattack. The pertoblen makes four melee attacks. Appendage. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d20) damage. Roll a d6 to determine the attack’s damage type: 1–2, bludgeoning; 3–4, piercing; 5–6, slashing. R e a c t ions Reactive Resistance. When the pertoblen takes damage of a type other than poison or psychic, it gains resistance to that damage until it uses Reactive Resistance again.
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Rashedes have human-sized bodies with numerous arms, but lack necks and heads. Instead, their monstrous faces protrude from the centers of their chests. Each time they duplicate, they lose a pair of arms. When they reassemble, the arms return.
S p awn
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D e m og o rg o n
Sages believe the rashedes were sired by Demogorgon in a rare act of cooperation between the demon prince’s two heads. The intent, according to the dark, mad ravings of the Abyssal scholars, was to create armies of one single demon who could replicate itself when faced with a significant threat. As with most creations in the Abyss, however, Demogorgon set his monsters loose, and the heads resumed their incessant bickering and plotting against each other.
Sa t hr e e n One of the most infamous denizens of the Abyss is the Queen of Spiders, a figure of dread and loathing who has managed to subvert and corrupt an entire people in the Material Plane. The dark elves might be favored of their queen, but few receive special attention from her when their souls find themselves drawn inexorably to her wicked dominion and transformed into the dretches, condemned to an existence of suffering. Some, however, earn the queen’s favor and are spared from becoming dretches and instead become sathreen. The queen’s blessing does nothing to alleviate the suffering her faithful have earned. She snips off their heads and discards them. The heads sprout eight spider legs
Rashe de
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 119 (14d8 + 56) Speed 40 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 11 (+0) 16 (+3)
Cha 10 (+0)
Skills Perception +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Division. If the rashede has at least 11 hit points remaining, it can take a bonus action to reduce its hit point total by 10 and create a duplicate of itself in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of itself. The duplicate uses the rashede’s statistics, but it has just 10 (3d6) hit points. It remains until it drops to 0 hit points, at which point it disappears. Magic Resistance. The rashede has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The rashede’s weapon attacks are magical. Pack Tactics. The rashede has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the rashede’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. A c t ions Multiattack. The rashede makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. R e a c t ions Absorb Duplicate. If the rashede is within 30 feet of one of its duplicates, it causes the duplicate to disappear, and it regains 10 (3d6) hit points.
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and skitter into the darkness, where they vie against each other for dominance, much as they did in life. Hatred boils in their hearts, and they are every bit as treacherous to each other in their new form as they were in life. Each hopes, however, to earn their queen’s favor and escape their lowly existence to continue in a stronger and more durable form.
Schir Looking like the bastard offspring of a human and a goat, a schir has a long, muscular neck that supports a bestial head topped with two backward-curving horns. The creature’s nauseating yellowed teeth reek of decayed meat and human waste, and its beady eyes burn with an amber rage. Many schirim carve or brand mystical symbols upon their chests. These markings represent clan affiliations, and some schirim refuse to work with members of other
Sa t hr e e n
Small fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. Str 10 (+0)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 13 (+1) 9 (–1) 12 (+1)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +3 Skills Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the sathreen can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. Feast on Fear. The sathreen makes attack rolls with advantage when it attacks a frightened creature. Magic Weapons. The sathreen’s weapon attacks are magical. Spider Climb. The sathreen can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Web Walker. The sathreen ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw against poison or take an additional 7 (2d6) poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Cry of the Damned. The sathreen emits a terrible cry. Each creature that is not a fiend and is within 30 feet of the sathreen must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. If the creature is within 30 feet of two or more sathreen, it makes the saving throw with disadvantage. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to all sathreen’s Cries of the Damned for 24 hours.
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clans; such refusals occasionally break out into open battle between the schirim serving allied demon lords. To a schir, clan allegiance is paramount to all other concerns, and no task is too important to get in the way of eons-old internecine struggle. The goat-headed schirim pervade the Material Plane, primarily because they can be summoned by magic easily accessible to spellcasters with very little skill. Clumsy covens fumbling with half-understood scrolls frequently bring a schir from the Abyss, and many credulous cultists believe all demons look like the bestial schirim. The goat demons revel in their reception on the Material Plane, seldom speaking of their station at home. In the Abyss, schirim are little more than soldiers or guardians, expected to follow the orders of their betters at all times. Dull-witted and slow to learn, they nonetheless make superlative sentries, thanks to their spell-like abilities and otherworldly sense of focus.
Schir
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12) Speed 40 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 8 (−1) 6 (−2)
Cha 6 (−2)
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +0 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Charge. If the schir moves at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a horns attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) piercing damage.
Va r ia n t : De mon Summoning
If you’re using the variant rules for demon summoning, the schir has a 20 percent chance to summon 1d4 schirim.
Though all schirim pay lip service to their creator, the demon prince Azazel, not all serve the progenitor of their race. Perhaps due to their incredible fecundity, schirim have spread to nearly every inhabitable layer of the Abyss, and rare is the demon noble who does not employ at least a pack of the creatures somewhere in its vast retinue.
Shiss e n Abaddon, “the Lord of the Bottomless Pit,” roams the corridors of his fortress that tumbles through the void, falling, falling, until that appointed time when the fortress spills out from the other side of the Abyss and lands upon the Material Plane to herald the apocalypse foretold. Scuttling across the tangled towers jutting out in all directions from a ramshackle structure of bone, iron, stone, and other salvaged materials are the shissen, sometimes called locust demons for their eerie similarities to those insects. The screeching whine of their song surrounds the plummeting stronghold, its din reaching ahead to announce the coming of their dark master. Shissen resemble gigantic locusts, about the size of warhorses, but they have humanlike faces, all twisted up into maddening grins, and long, segmented tails that end in barbed stingers. Most shissen cling to the surface of Abaddon’s fortress, but some locust demons manage to escape the Bottomless Pit to spread their vile influence across the Abyss. These
Magic Resistance. A schir has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. A schir’s weapon attacks are magical. Standing Leap. The schir’s long jump is 20 feet, and its high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start. A c t ions Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or contract a disease. Until the disease is cured, the target makes Constitution saving throws with disadvantage and can’t regain hit points except by magical means, and the target’s hit point maximum decreases by 6 (1d12) every 24 hours. If the target’s hit point maximum drops to 0 as a result of this disease, the target dies. Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
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Shisse n
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil A c t ions
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 138 (12d10 + 72) Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 8 (−1) 14 (+2)
Mutiattack. The shissen makes three attacks: two with its claws and one with its sting. Cha 6 (−2)
Saving Throws Int +3, Wis +6 Skills Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages understands Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Magic Weapons. The shissen’s weapon attacks are magical.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 39 (6d12) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Confounding Song. The shissen vibrates its wings to create a disturbing song. Each humanoid and giant within 30 feet of the shissen that can hear the song must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed until the song ends. The shissen must take a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue the song. It can stop at any time. The song ends if the shissen becomes incapacitated. While charmed by the shissen, a target is subject to the effects of the confusion spell. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the effect ends. A target that successfully saves is immune to this shissen’s song for the next 24 hours.
demons rarely venture into the mortal world, though potent spellcasters might conjure one or two up to serve as messengers or guardians.
Sl ot he ns Such is the hostility inherent in the Abyss even the landscape works against the creatures dwelling here. On certain layers, great pools of boiling tar spread out for miles around. Falling into one of these pools is as deadly as being dunked in lava, an event that snuffs out the life of most creatures. However, certain demons, like the slothens, have acclimated to the toxic stuff and lurk just below the surface, waiting for fools to come close so they can rise up, snatch their prey, and drag them under. Steaming black tar covers much of the slothens’ bodies. Between the thick drops one can spy red, blistered flesh. Slothen have humanoid shapes and move slowly due to the weight of all the ooze coating their flesh.
Sol e sik Solesiks are the bane of wizards and sages and the doom of many a learned adventurer. These wormlike demons feed on language, whether in written or spoken form, and can drain the mother tongue straight from a victim’s brain. A solesik is about seven feet in length. Its hornlike nubs help it move along the ground. 124
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Sl ot he n
Sol e sik
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64) Speed 20 ft. Str 21 (+5)
Dex 8 (–1)
Con Int Wis 19 (+4) 8 (–1) 13 (+1)
Cha 7 (–2)
Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8, Wis +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Burning Body. While the slothen is burning, any creature that touches it or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. Flammable. If the slothen takes fire or lightning damage, the tar covering its body catches fire, causing it to take 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns until it or another creature douses the flames. Illumination. While burning, the slothen sheds bright light in a 10foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. Magic Resistance. The slothen has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The slothen’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The slothen makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 11 (2d10) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or reduce its speed by 5 feet. The reduction lasts until a creature uses an action to scrape off the tar. In addition, while the creature has this reduction, it is vulnerable to fire damage. Fling Tar. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or reduce its speed by 5 feet. The reduction lasts until a creature uses an action to scrape off the tar. In addition, while the creature has this reduction, it is vulnerable to fire damage.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 45 (7d8 + 14) Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. Str 10 (+0)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 19 (+4) 15 (+2)
Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +5, Wis +5 Skills Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Garble Field. The solesik emits an aura of linguistic instability in a 60-foot radius. Each creature in the area becomes subject to the following effects for as long as it remains in the area: • A creature makes all Intelligence checks and saving throws with disadvantage. • If the creature speaks, other creatures that can hear it and know the language the creature speaks must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence check in order to understand what the speaking creature says. • A creature must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to cast a spell with a verbal component. On a failed check, the slot is not expended, but the action used to cast the spell is wasted. Innate Spellcasting. The solesik’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15). The solesik can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: dimension door, suggestion 1/day each: power word stun, word of recall Magic Resistance. A solesik has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The solesik’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions
a
Multiattack. The solesik makes four attacks: three with its tentacles and one with its bite. The solesik can cast spell in place of its bite attack. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14) and restrained until the grapple ends. The solesik has three tentacles, each of which can grab one target. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw or lose one language it knows how to speak for 1 hour. Until this effect ends on the target, the solesik makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with advantage.
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Soul k e e pe rs Mortal souls that have passed on to an Abyssal afterlife form an important currency in the Abyss, as demon princes covet the energy they contain. Demons in service to these princes scour the Howling Threshold, the layer upon which souls manifest themselves after making the transition from life, gathering up souls for their wicked masters. The demons herd the souls together and force them through so-called Harvest Gates to the personal layers of princes, never to be seen again. The lumbering, gigantic demons known as soulkeepers play an integral role in this process, guarding the herds by preventing the escape of captured souls and fending off attacks from rival demons. Soulkeepers are highly sought after by demon princes, who reward them handsomely for their important service. Over the millennia, several princes have tried to unify the soulkeepers under a single banner to win a greater percentage of the souls harvested on the Howling Threshold, but these attempts have uniformly failed. Like all demons, soulkeepers are chaotic by nature, so they have resisted every attempt to bring them together under one master. Soulkeepers prefer to operate alone or, rarely, in pairs. With great physical strength and an impressive array of magical abilities, a soulkeeper can control hundreds of souls with ease. It can also fight off dozens of opponents at once, a fact it must prove on a neardaily basis.
Soul k e e pe r
Gargantuan fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Magic Resistance. A soulkeeper has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 333 (18d20 + 144) Speed 40 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 6 (−2)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 13 (+1) 17 (+3)
Magic Weapons. The soulkeeper’s weapon attacks are magical. Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Str +16, Wis +10, Cha +9 Skills Perception +10 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 21 (33,000 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The soulkeeper’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 18). The soulkeeper can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: hold monster, sending, teleport 1/day each: chain lightning, forcecage, globe of invulnerability 1/month: imprisonment
Sense Corruption. The soulkeeper knows the exact location of each chaotic evil creature within 1,000 feet of itself. Such creatures cannot hide from the soulkeeper. Siege Monster. The soulkeeper deals double damage to objects and structures. Tremorstomp (Recharge 6). The soulkeeper can take a bonus action to leap into the air and land with tremendous force, sending a shock wave that spreads out through the ground in a 100-foot radius centered on a point in the soulkeeper’s space, turning the ground in the area into difficult terrain. Each Huge or smaller creature on the ground in the area must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. A c t ions Multiattack. The soulkeeper makes three melee attacks. Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8 + 9) bludgeoning damage. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the soulkeeper fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
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Tor t he n The torthen’s small size belies the true threat it poses to other creatures. Wild and aggressive, the torthen craves battle and feeds on the pain, fear, and anticipation experienced by creatures it combats. Each time the torthen strikes a creature, it grows bigger and nastier, which simply provokes it to acts of greater violence. Only after it has destroyed its enemies does it snap back to its normal diminutive size. Torthens stand about a foot tall, their bodies bent nearly in half. Three bulging, crazed eyes peer out from their monstrous faces, and stinking saliva dribbles from their wide grinning mouths. Most sport barnacle-like growths on their skin. A new strain of demon, the torthens have been put to good use by demon lords in their war against the devils. They load up vrocks with these miniscule fiends who then fly overhead the enemy legions, dropping their cargo into their enemies’ midst. In moments, the torthens balloon, tossing their foes to all sides as they brutalize them with their claws and teeth.
Tort he n Tiny fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 429 (26d20 + 156) Speed 40 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 7 (–2) 18 (+4)
Cha 8 (–1)
Saving Throws Str +13, Con +12, Wis +10 Skills Perception +10 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities exhaustion, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 19 (22,000 XP) Battle Growth. Each time the torthen deals damage to a creature, its size increases by one category, such that a Tiny torthen becomes Small and a Small torthen becomes Medium. It remains at this new size for 1 hour, at which point it returns to its normal size. If the torthen’s new size increases the amount of space it takes up, it pushes creatures occupying those spaces 5 feet to accommodate its new size. If there is not space to accommodate the torthen’s new size, it takes 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and its size does not change. The torthen gains benefits based on its current size, as listed: • At Medium size, the torthen’s melee attacks deal an extra 3 (1d6) damage. • At Large size, the torthen’s speed becomes 50 feet, its reach becomes 10 feet, and its melee attacks deal an extra 9 (2d8) damage.
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• At Huge size, the torthen’s speed becomes 60 feet, its reach becomes 15 feet, and its melee attacks deal an extra 22 (4d10) damage. • At Gargantuan size, the torthen’s speed becomes 70 feet, its reach becomes 20 feet, and its melee attacks deal an extra 52 (8d12) damage.
Magic Resistance. The torthen has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The torthen’s weapon attacks are magical. Rampage. When the torthen reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the torthen can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack. A c t ions Multiattack. The torthen makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8 + 7) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) slashing damage.
“While you should never underestimate any creature of the Abyss based on its size, that goes doubly so for the tiny torthen, able to feed on the violence it sows to become a titanic juggernaut on the battlefield.” 127
Unde l ons The destructive impulses found in all demons take many different forms, and while most demons embody the chaos and wrath that define the Abyss, a few manage to direct their hatred in more constructive ways. The undelons, for example, rival other demons in their viciousness and cruelty, but they control their yearnings and direct them in ways that will bring utter ruin to their enemies. Undelons stand over twelve feet tall and weigh hundreds of pounds. They have humanoid forms, with pale skin that turns pink around the chains threaded through their flesh and the numerous scars left from the callous blows they endure when in the presence of their masters. Horns curl out from the sides of their heads to frame faces pleasing by human standards. Most undelons clothe themselves in long cloaks that wind around their naked bodies.
V il e C o u r t i e r s Hangers-on and attendants of the demon lords, undelons live in the shadows of their terrible masters. They ply their patrons with encouraging words and make offerings of themselves for their lords to do with as they might, all in the hopes of increasing
Unde l on
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 22 (natural armor) Hit Points 231 (22d10 + 110) Speed 40 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 21 (+5) 19 (+4)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Con +11, Int +11, Wis +10 Skills Deception +12, Insight +10, Perception +10, Persuasion +12 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Enamoring Gaze. If a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the undelon and the two of them can see each other, the undelon can force the creature to make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw if the undelon isn’t incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature magically becomes charmed for 1 hour. If the creature cannot see the undelon and is not within 30 feet of it, the creature can repeat the saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this undelon’s Enamoring Gaze for 24 hours.
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A creature that isn’t surprised can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If it does so, it can’t see the undelon until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If it looks at the undelon in the meantime, it must immediately make the save. The undelon is immune to its own gaze. Humiliating Compulsion. As a bonus action, the undelon targets one creature within 60 feet that is charmed by it. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or take 22 (4d10) psychic damage, move up to 20 feet toward the undelon, and then fall prone. Innate Spellcasting. The undelon’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20). The undelon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: charm person, crown of madness, enthrall 1/day each: dispel magic, hypnotic pattern, compulsion, confusion Magic Resistance. The undelon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The undelon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage. Delicious Suffering (Recharge 4–6). The undelon stimulates the pleasure centers of creatures it has charmed that are within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or take 22 (4d10) psychic damage and become stunned for 1 round.
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their favor and, with it, their standing in their lords’ eyes. Their fawning conceals a terrifying capacity for evil, one they prefer to keep hidden behind their servile masks. When away from their patrons, undelons dominate lesser demons and wretched souls. They bend their victims’ minds with their supreme will, humiliating them as they themselves are humiliated by their masters.
Xaie x Clouds of shrieking ravens, swarms of bloodthirsty rats, and packs of ravenous dogs sometimes form for normal reasons, but sometimes they herald a darker influence. When these ordinary animals grow weirdly hostile and expend their numbers with almost mindless fury, one can be nearly certain some evil influence has fallen over them. The xaiex (pronounced ZEEKS) revel in the chaos created by their demonic influence and drive their thralls to their dooms to spread chaos and destruction in the world. Though they rarely reveal their true faces, xaiex appear as tall, gaunt humanoids with bodies made from solidified shadows. Their arms and legs end in long, curling claws, and their eyes shine with steady white light. When they move quickly, tufts of fur and feathers swirl in the air behind them.
Xaie x
Medium fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil
Innate Spellcasting. The xaiex’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The xaiex can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12) Speed 40 ft. Str 14 (+4)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 8 (–1) 13 (+1)
Cha 18 (+4)
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Corrupt Beasts. While not incapacitated and while in the form of a beast, the xaiex can corrupt ordinary beasts who match its form and that are within 60 feet of it. In giant rat form, the demon affects giant rats, rats, and swarms of giant rats. In jackal form, the demon affects hyenas and jackals. In raven form, the demon affects ravens and swarms of ravens. Each beast matching the xaiex’s current form that starts its turn within 60 feet of the demon must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or have its alignment change to chaotic evil. While its alignment is chaotic evil, the affected creature is friendly to the demon and obeys its mental commands. In addition, weapon attacks made by such creatures deal an additional 1d6 damage.
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At will: speak with animals 1/day each: conjure animals, dominate beast Magic Resistance. The xaiex has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The xaiex’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. The xaiex can use its action to polymorph into a giant rat, jackal, or raven, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
“Jackals, rats, ravens, and other ‘children of the night’ are associated with corruption and evil not necessarily because of the beasts themselves, but the ability of demons like the xaiex to borrow and use their forms.” — from The Daemocon of Anduz 129
D e m o nic I n v a d e r s Frequent travelers to the Material Plane, xaiex find the gaps between planes and slip through them to work mischief and evil wherever they go. While not the most powerful fiends, they move unseen through the mortal world by adopting animal forms, usually taking the shapes of black dogs, ravens, or giant rats. In these forms, they corrupt animals whose forms they match, turning them into unwitting servants of the Abyss.
Z al l ax e s
kill, corridors shift, illusions mask exits, and countless other tricks work to frustrate explorers. But even if a traveler manages to overcome these methods, Baphomet keeps the passageways well stocked with subjects eager to kill in his name. Zallaxes have the greatest numbers of those demons pledged to Baphomet, having been bred for the sole purpose of hunting people in the maze. Zallaxes walk and fight on their hind legs but run on all fours, able to skitter across floors and ceilings without slowing down. Each zallax has a shaggy body and a single horn sprouting from the center of its forehead above a monstrous, eyeless face all twisted up into a snarling grimace. Worst of all, though, are their eyes, which peer out from the tufts of fur blanketing their chests where their nipples ought to be.
The screams echoing from the endless corridors making up Baphomet’s maze tell of the fate awaiting any who would dare test their mettle against the convoluted mind of the Lord of Beasts. Aside from the traps that maim and
Z al l ax
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 16) Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 9 (–1) 16 (+3)
Cha 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Str +6, Dex +4, Wis +5 Skills Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Charge. If the zallax moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a horn attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Labyrinthine Recall. The zallax can perfectly recall any path it has traveled. Magic Resistance. The zallax has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The zallax’s weapon attacks are magical. Spider Climb. The zallax can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. A c t ions Multiattack. The zallax makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with its horn. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or have its body flayed by the zallax’s claws. A flayed creature makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage until the end of its next turn. Horn. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
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De mon L or ds Beings of dread power, lords of the hatred and endless violence defining the Abyss, demon lords represent some of the most powerful beings in the multiverse, short of the gods themselves. Presented here is a selection of lesser figures, though they are still powerful enough to challenge even the most veteran parties.
De mon L or ds and P rince s
Each demonic breed contains numerous physical and mental variations. The most powerful transcend the limitations of their original forms to become demon lords or princes. It is unknown precisely how a “standard” demon becomes a lord, though energy derived from mortal souls seems to play an important role in the transformation. Some lords prefer to retain vestiges of their original appearance, but many select a form without parallel in all of the underworld. Less mysterious are the means by which a demon lord becomes a prince. Through arcane magic, warfare, and sheer force of will, some demon lords are able to “tame” a layer of the Abyss. Just as a god commands certain magical and mundane aspects of its home realm, so too can a demon prince shape and control the physical and metaphysical landscape of its personal domain. The greatest demon princes, such as Vaz’zht and Demogorgon, command more than one contiguous layer, though such empire building is extremely rare. Of the 666 cataloged layers of the Abyss, fewer than one-third have been so dominated. Another third form battlegrounds for would-be princes hoping to gain control, and the rest are so hazardous even the most appalling demon lords see little in them worth the trouble of conquest. Dominating a layer of the Abyss brings with it a host of benefits. Demon princes need not fear death outside their home plane. If slain on another plane, the demon’s essence returns to its domain and is re-formed by the plane itself (usually in a familiar but somewhat different form) within six days. Thereafter, it is barred from returning to the plane of its destruction for a hundred years. While a century might seem a long time for a human or even an elf, most demon princes are willing to bide their time, plotting revenge against their murderer’s progeny. And, of course, they remain free to send minions or mortal worshippers against their hated enemies from afar.
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G a t he ring Soul s
A demon prince requires energy to bend a layer of the Abyss to its will and maintain control over it, and it gains this energy from the souls of deceased mortals. Princes engage in two primary means of acquiring souls: sponsoring and harvesting. Soul sponsoring involves making pacts with mortals. In return for some service, the demon prince lays claim to a mortal’s soul upon that being’s death. Rather than the complicated contracts prepared by their diabolical kin, demons favor a simple approach. When a mortal calls out for a demon’s aid, whether through thaumaturgic rituals (the usual method) or simple entreaties (a far less certain prospect), the prince gazes into the supplicant’s heart. If the offer is in earnest, the bargain is accepted on the spot. If not, the demon ignores it or sometimes punishes the mortal for wasting its time. Not all souls find their way into a demon prince’s domain willingly. Though sponsored souls have especial succulence, the sovereigns of the Abyss gain some power from the destruction of souls harvested from the plane’s uppermost layer. Agents of the demon princes, often powerful demon lords in their own right, scour the layer for newly arrived souls, who are “harvested” in great numbers and driven in packs through the many gates leading lower into the Abyss. The screams of these tortured, hunted souls fill the layer’s skies with a grim cacophony, giving the place its most common sobriquet: the Howling Threshold. Most souls given to demon princes are utterly destroyed and can never return to the world of the living (this process can take from a moment to several years’ time, depending upon the disposition and methods of the prince in question). Some souls, however, achieve positions of power within a prince’s hierarchy, acting as knowledgeable advisors or trusted guards. Some princes admire the souls of particularly devout followers or extremely debased individuals and allow them to exist for eternity. Others keep souls merely to provide entertainment in the form of tortured screams that never end. Many seem to make such determinations purely at random. For some mortals, living forever in the service of a demon prince is more exciting and alluring than mortal life ever could have been. Others receive only horrific tortures and so suffer the final justice that they eluded in life.
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C r e sil t he Im pur e When the breeze stirs in the Abyss, one can sometimes catch a whiff of Cresil in the air. So profound is his stink and that of his dominion that the odor of it sometimes reaches across the whole of the Abyss. The Lord of Excess, Gourmand of Garbage, Prince of Rubbish, Sultan of sh*t, Cresil the Impure rules over a layer crowded with the leavings of a million worlds, all heaped and rotting, the landscape groaning over stacks and piles of whatever foulness the demon lord has managed to collect. When not picking his way between the towering piles of garbage or sampling the offensive stench of some bit of rot or filth, he can be found seated atop a hill of souls that have had the singular misfortune to find themselves cast into his safekeeping. His prodigious weight crushes the pile, squeezing out the doomed so they gasp and wheeze with each shift of his ponderous bulk. He chortles at their misery, swinging his head bristling with thirteen horns that climb from the sticky mass of black hair this way and that to look down and mock his victims’ suffering. As befouled as his domain, spoiled food, excrement, and even less savory substances plaster his body, on
which scramble countless quasits eager to feed upon an errant morsel that might sustain their deviant appetites. Cresil has little to do with other demon lords, shunned as he is for his base humor and low interests. Thus, he makes no effort to contribute to the eternal war against Hell or to embroil himself in the many machinations that turn demon lord against demon lord. Cresil seems content to pass the eons in the reeking mountains of his layer, expanding his influence by adding to the piles whatever choice treasures he and his foul minions can find. Since Cresil’s attention remains fixed upon feeding his appetites and making his victims suffer, he finds scant followers in the Material Plane. Those who might appreciate his singular focus are usually tempted away by other powers of the Abyss, such as the Lord of Many Forms and Marbas. When mortals do seek out Cresil, for whatever insane reason they might, Cresil’s interest in his servants is fleeting at best, and when he does pay attention, he tends to see these individuals as playthings to torment by withholding his favors or introducing fresh horrors to their lives and loved ones as some bizarre reward for their devotion.
C r e s il’s L ai r Cresil rules over a great trash heap on his own layer in the Abyss, seemingly an enormous ziggurat of writhing souls, vermin, and trash. Piercing screams emanate from the pile as searching centipedes, spiders, and worms find new and interesting places in which to spawn in the bodies of Cresil’s crushed and writhing victims. The hatching of these eggs sends fresh screams forth to create a cacophonous symphony of suffering. Cresil, exulting in the awfulness of his state, laughs madly with every shriek, twitch, and pleading cry. Encountered in his lair, Cresil has a challenge rating of 26 (90,000 XP).
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Cresil takes a lair action to cause one of the effects listed. Cresil can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row. • Cresil’s hideous laughter echoes through the lair, causing one creature of his choice to be targeted by power word stun (DC 23). Cresil need not see the creature, but he must be aware that the creature is in the lair.
• Cresil summons up to ten dretches to appear in unoccupied spaces of his choice anywhere in his lair. These demons obey his commands, which can reach anywhere in the lair. 132
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• Cresil releases a horrific cloud of reeking gas from his nether regions that spreads through a 200-foot-radius sphere centered on his space. Each creature in the area that is not a construct, fiend, or undead must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned by this effect, the creature is blinded. A poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and ends the effect on itself with a success.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The region containing Cresil’s lair is stained by his foul presence, which creates one or more of the following effects: • Pools of stinking effluvia gather in places, each 5d6×5 feet in diameter. If a creature touches the stuff, the liquid seeps into its skin and reeks from the point of contact forever.
• Maggots spontaneously appear in food that’s brought into the region, making it inedible. • Rubbish covers the ground everywhere. In places, the debris is so thick that it becomes difficult terrain.
If Cresil dies, the rubbish remains, but the other effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
E ur yno mu s t he Cor pse E a t e r A primal demon lord with no allegiance to power or prince, no territory to call his own, and no cause for which to fight, Eurynomus roams the Abyss, followed by a shrieking mob of ghouls. On a plane obsessed with souls, Eurynomus’s taste runs to something different: flesh. Known as the Corpse Eater, Eurynomus has a voracious appetite for flesh of all sorts. Nothing gives him more pleasure than sucking the meat off the bones of a freshly killed victim, a passion he shares with the ghouls that follow him. He is such a glutton, so the story goes, that he grew a second mouth in his belly so he could eat faster. Whatever the truth of its origin, his horrific lower maw is legendary. It never speaks, moving only to eat or to lick its lips in anticipation of its next feeding. The Corpse Eater does what he must to feed his addiction. He sometimes hires himself out to demon princes, though in truth he isn’t a very reliable mercenary. He often visits the Material Plane to feed, and he especially enjoys traveling to worlds at war. Blasted battlefields, filled with the wounded and the dying, are places of beauty to Eurynomus. Men crying out for their mothers before the oblivion of death are like invitations to dinner for the Corpse Eater and his followers. In some lands graced by visits from Eurynomus, funerary customs changed quickly. Several temples have taken to cremating corpses instead of burying them, to better protect the honored dead from desecration.
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C r e sil t he Im pur e Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 350 (28d12 + 168) Speed 40 ft. Str 26 (+8)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 23 (+6) 21 (+5)
Cha 25 (+7)
Saving Throws Str +16, Con +14, Int +14, Wis +13, Cha +15 Skills Deception +15, Insight +13, Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) Aura of Weakness. Cresil emits an aura of soul-draining energy in a 30-foot radius. Each creature that is not a construct, fiend, or undead that starts its turn in the area must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or become weakened until the end of its next turn. A weakened target makes attack rolls with disadvantage, and its melee weapon attacks deal half damage. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Cresil fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Cresil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Cresil’s weapon attacks are magical. Innate Spellcasting. Cresil’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22). Cresil can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, poison spray (as 17th-level spell) 1/day each: cloudkill, contagion, divine word, insect plague, telekinesis, teleport A c t ions Multiattack. Cresil makes two flail attacks. Cresil can cast a spell in place of one of these attacks. Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) fire plus 11 (2d10) necrotic damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 34 (4d12 + 8) piercing damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Cresil can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Cresil regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Drag Close. Cresil makes a flail attack. If the attack hits, the target must succeed on a DC 23 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 10 feet toward Cresil. Foul Excretion. Cresil casts poison spray. Devour (2 actions). Cresil makes a bite attack.
Va r ia n t : De mon Summoning
If you’re using the variant rules for demon summoning, Cresil has an 80 percent chance to summon 1 balor and 2d20 dretches.
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E urynomus t he Corpse E a t e r Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil A c t ions
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 212 (25d10 + 75) Speed 40 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
Multiattack. Eurynomus makes three attacks: two with his claws and one with his tail slap. If he hits the same target with both claws attacks, he can take a bonus action to attack with his toothy maw. Cha 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Str +13, Con +6, Wis +8, Cha +7 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 16 (15,000 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, Eurynomus can move up to his speed toward a hostile creature that he can see. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Eurynomus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage. Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Toothy Maw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) piercing damage. Corrosive Breath (Recharge 5–6). Eurynomus exhales foul, corrosive gas from the depths of his bowels in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 20 (8d4) acid damage and 21 (6d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
Magic Resistance. Eurynomus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Eurynomus can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Eurynomus regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Magic Weapons. Eurynomus’s weapon attacks are magical.
Charge. Eurynomus moves up to his speed. Brutal Tail. Eurynomus attacks with his tail slap. If he hits and the total of his attack roll beat the target’s AC by 5 or more, the target also moves 1d6 [ts] 5 feet away from Eurynomus.
Eurynomus towers above his followers, with tall, twisted horns reaching up from his brows, cloven hooves, a barbed tail, and long, wicked claws. Where his belly would be, a second face licks its lips, its maw looking like it could swallow a person whole. Blood stains his body everywhere but where the drool from his twin mouths washes his flesh clean.
Mal ohin t he S t r angl e r As the demon prince of murder, Malohin was honored by professional assassins and common thugs alike, but he lost his Abyssal realm and status as retribution for his part in an uprising against the demon prince Kostchtchie, who stripped Malohin of his memory and banished him to the Material Plane. Malohin’s worshippers are few and secretive. A tiny cabal of assassins maintains loyalty to their fallen lord and works to bring about his return to power. Since his exile, the deposed lord has wandered lonely mountain trails and dark canyons far outside civilization, feeding upon anyone he meets. He occasionally possesses an unlucky victim and wanders into a border town, where he feverishly searches libraries and interrogates wise ones in a search for his identity. These expeditions are all the more disturbing due to Malohin’s preference 134
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Mal ohin t he st r Angl e r Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 25 (natural armor) Hit Points 161 (14d12 + 70) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 21 (+5) 21 (+5)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Str +12, Con +12, Wis +12 Skills Perception +12, Stealth +11 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 21 (33,000 XP) Defy Detection. Malohin can’t be targeted by divination magic, cannot be perceived through scrying sensors, and cannot be detected by any effect or ability that senses demons or fiends.
Innate Spellcasting. Malohin’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19). Malohin can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
incapacitated and loses control of its body. Malohin now controls the body but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness. Malohin can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and he retains his alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. He otherwise uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t gain access to the target’s knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, Malohin ends it as a bonus action, or Malohin is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, Malohin reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to Malohin’s Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
Malohin can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Malohin regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Invisibility. Malohin casts invisibility on himself. Claws. Malohin attacks with his claws. Harm (Costs 3 Actions). Malohin casts harm.
At will: detect magic, major image 3/day each: darkness, dispel magic (as a 9th-level spell), teleport 1/day: finger of death, project image Keen Smell. Malohin has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Malohin fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Malohin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Malohin’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. Malohin can use his Frightful Presence. He then makes three attacks: one with his claws, one with his bite, and one with his stomp. He can cast a spell in place of his stomp attack.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (4d6 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, the target is grappled (escape DC 20). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Malohin can grapple one target at a time. If the target is already grappled by Malohin, the target takes an additional 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Malohin’s choice that is within 120 feet of Malohin and aware of him must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Malohin’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Possession (1/Day). One humanoid that Malohin can see within 5 feet of him must succeed on a DC 19 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by Malohin. Malohin then disappears, and the target is
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for using the bodies of young children. When he fails to uncover anything of substance, he tears the town apart in a violent rage. In his true form, Malohin stands twenty feet tall and has the legs of a stork and the torso of an emaciated ape, with four long arms and a quivering pink mole-like head. Slime drips from his snout, mouth, and bleary eyes.
Me rihim Many planar travelers consider the Abyssal layer known as the Soaking Canyon of Malignancy to be one of the least hospitable locations in the multiverse. Unlike the Elemental Plane of Fire or an Abyssal layer composed entirely of rapidly spinning shrapnel, it’s possible to survive in the canyon—it’s just not possible for most mortals to survive there for long. Home to Marbas, the demon prince of disease and mutation, the layer features steep walls of afflicted flesh seeping streams of pus, rivers of cancerous bile, and legions of demonic creatures best identified as overgrown bacteria. Pestilence floats on the air here, bringing slow death to all who inhale it. The layer does have its attractions, however. Marbas’s personal caverns, known as the Dripping Darkness, hold a wealth of magical liquids sought after by alchemists throughout the multiverse. Those who would plunder that dank repository of filth, however, must first deal with Merihim. Merihim has served Marbas for millennia as guardian, general, confidant, and science project. Abyssal legend posits that he was once a handsome mortal elf, but eons of exposure to the canyon and the personal attentions of the Master of Fetid Change transformed him into his current incarnation. Now, Merihim looms as large as a giant, but with a stooped posture from his twisted spine. Rubbery skin the color of phlegm covers his deformed frame, and 136
jutting up from his back are six fleshy stems each tipped with a snapping maw. The stems of skin serve as direct conduits to his tumorous internal organs, fertile growth beds for numerous diseases. His oversized mutated left arm appears cumbersome, but Merihim manipulates it with grace and ease, crushing opponents in his giant, terrible hand. His right arm is a different story. Atrophied and nearly unusable due to extreme palsy, it is a testament to the power of disease to harm even the mightiest foes. Though Merihim spends most of his time at the mouth of the Dripping Darkness, Marbas occasionally sends him as an envoy to the Material Plane, knowing that Merihim represents Marbas’s best chance at spreading disease and mutation among mortals.
M e r ihim ’s L ai r One of Marbas’s most prized thralls, Merihim roams the fetid caves known as the Dripping Darkness. Foul organic fluids seep from the walls and gather in puddles on the floors, while piles of excrement and offal shudder and shift from the dreadful vermin that feast on the noxious offerings. A veritable maze of twisting corridors, the confounding layout and pestilential atmosphere are often enough to defeat intruders bent on harvesting those chemicals and substances alchemists prize. But those who manage to overcome the deadly environment invariably attract Merihim’s dread attention. Encountered in his lair, Merihim has a challenge rating of 26 (90,000 XP).
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Merihim takes a lair action to cause one of the effects listed. Merihim can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
• Merihim casts the stinking cloud spell three times, targeting different areas with the spell. Merihim doesn’t need to concentrate on the spells, which end on initiative count 20 of the next round.
• Merihim causes the ground inside of a 30-foot-radius circle centered on a point within 120 feet of him to become covered in excrement and offal. Any creature that moves
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Me rihim
Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Magic Weapons. Merihim’s weapon attacks are magical.
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 262 (21d12 + 126) Speed 40 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 21 (+5) 23 (+6)
Regeneration. Merihim regains 10 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point. Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Str +14, Con +13, Wis +13 Skills Athletics +14, Insight +13, Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 24 (62,000 XP) Disease Stems. Six prehensile fleshy stems that each end in toothy maws emerge from Merihim’s monstrous back. Noxious fumes billow out from these stems at the start of each of Merihim’s turns. The bodily gases spread out in a 30-foot radius and remain until the start of Merihim’s next turn or until dispersed by a strong wind. Each creature that starts its turn in the area must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw. Constructs, fiends, and undead are immune to this effect. On a failed save, the creature contracts a disease. Until the disease is cured, the target is poisoned and can’t regain hit points except by magical means, and the target’s hit point maximum decreases by 10 (3d6) every 24 hours. If the target’s hit point maximum drops to 0 as a result of this disease, the target dies. A target that successfully saves against this effect becomes immune to Merihim’s Disease Stems for 24 hours. Innate Spellcasting. Merihim’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 21). Merihim can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, major image 3/day each: dispel magic, fear, telekinesis 1/day each: power word kill, project image Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Merihim fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Merihim has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
through the area must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. A creature that falls prone in the stuff makes Strength and Constitution saving throws with disadvantage until the end of its next turn.
• Merihim causes a 5-foot-wide orifice to appear on a solid surface he can see within 120 feet. The orifice opens to let loose a flood of toxic filth in a 60-foot line. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 27 (6d8) poison damage.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The region containing Merihim’s lair is toxic, noisome, and rife with contagion, creating one or more of the following effects:
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A c t ions Multiattack. Merihim makes two attacks: one with his claws and one with his palsied hand. Merihim can substitute Rend or Smotherfume for his claws attack. Merihim can cast a spell in place of his palsied hand attack. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 22). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and Merihim can’t use his claws on another target. Palsied Hand. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit with disadvantage, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 35 (10d6) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or become diseased. While diseased in this way, the target is poisoned and must repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns or reduce its hit point maximum by 5 (1d10). If the target’s hit point maximum drops to 0 as a result of this disease, the target dies and its soul wriggles free to become a manes under Merihim’s control. A target that succeeds on the initial saving throw is immune to the effects of the disease for 24 hours. The disease can be removed only by a heal spell or another disease-curing spell that is 6th level or higher. Rend. Merihim tears the flesh of a creature he has grappled. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or take 29 (4d10 + 7) slashing damage. Smotherfume. Merihim lifts one creature he has grappled and hangs it over his Disease Stems. The creature is subject to the effects of Merihim’s Disease Stems and makes the saving throw with disadvantage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Merihim can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Merihim regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Rend. Merihim uses his Rend attack. Spreading the Disease. Merihim blights a creature he can see within 120 feet with a disease. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution spell or be subject to the effects of the contagion spell. Smother in Fumes. Merihim uses his Smotherfume attack.
• The area within six miles of the lair becomes steeped with sewer plague (see Diseases in the Dungeon Master’s Guide for more information). Humanoid creatures that travel through this area are exposed to the disease and make the Constitution saving throw with disadvantage.
• Stinking brown rain falls from clouds. Anyone exposed to the rain gives off a foul odor that imposes disadvantage on Charisma checks made in social situations.
If Merihim dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
“By the gods, what is that smell?!?” 137
Phil ot anus t he Se duce r As Socothbenoth’s pet and plaything, Philotanus is an utterly insane demon lord, propelled by his insatiable lust for the forbidden. He would have been a prince, perhaps ruling his own layer, but his desires have always interfered with his advancement. Instead, the king of sexuality, Socothbenoth, supplies the mad demon with suitable companions, and Philotanus, in turn, serves him as faithfully as his urges allow. As the patron of illicit love, this demon is entreated by mortals for aid in achieving the fulfillment of their most secret, urgent desires. Philotanus is more than happy to assist in whatever way he can, though when called to the Material Plane, he more often snares the young lover for himself. This capricious manner perpetually gets the fun-loving demon into trouble.
Phil ot anus t he Se duce r Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil
8th level (1 slot): dominate monster 9th level (1 slot): power word kill
Armor Class 23 (natural armor) Hit Points 297 (22d10 + 176) Speed 30 ft. Str 26 (+8)
Dex 26 (+8)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 21 (+5) 19 (+4)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Philotanus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Cha 29 (+9)
Saving Throws Int +12, Wis +11, Cha +16 Skills Deception +16, Insight +11, Perception +11, Persuasion +16 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) Innate Spellcasting. Philotanus’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24). Philotanus can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, disguise self, shield 3/day each: counterspell, dimension door, wall of fire Spellcasting. Philotanus is an 18th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24). Philotanus has the following bard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): friends, mage hand, minor illusion, vicious mockery 1st level (4 slots): charm person, dissonant whispers, feather fall, hideous laughter 2nd level (3 slots): crown of madness, enthrall, hold person 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, fear, major image 4th level (3 slots): compulsion, confusion, greater invisibility 5th level (3 slots): dominate person, geas, hold monster 6th level (1 slot): eyebite, irresistible dance 7th level (1 slot): etherealness, teleport
138
Magic Resistance. Philotanus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Philotanus’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. Philotanus attacks twice with his rapier. Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage. If Philotanus scores a critical hit, he rolls damage three times, instead of twice. Charm. Philotanus magically attempts to charm a creature he can see within 120 feet. If the target can hear him, the target must succeed on a DC 24 Charisma saving throw or become charmed by Philotanus for 24 hours. The target can repeat the saving throw whenever it takes damage from Philotanus, ending the effect on itself on a successful save. A creature that succeeds on a saving throw against this effect or to end it becomes immune to Philotanus’s Charm for 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Philotanus can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Philotanus regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Philotanus makes a melee attack. Charming Words. Philotanus uses his Charm action. Come to Me. One creature charmed by Philotanus that Philotanus can see must use its reaction to move up to its speed toward him and grants advantage to Philotanus’s attack rolls until the end of its next turn. Slip Away. Philotanus casts dimension door or hold person.
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Despite his devotion to Socothbenoth, Philotanus is a traitor. Belial, an archdevil in Hell, seduced the randy demon and offered him a choice from the stable of a thousand delights. Attracted to the realm’s rampant sensuality and violence, Philotanus easily slipped into Hell and prostrated himself before his new master. Now, Philotanus lives two lives, one rampaging through the Abyss and the other sampling the delicious screams of the tormented in Belial’s fortress. Stranger still, both Belial and Socothbenoth know of the demon lord’s treachery, but, for now at least, both abide his antics. Philotanus stands nine feet tall, with flawless features. While he usually manifests in masculine form, it’s a trivial thing for him to take the form of a breathtaking example of any gender, though all such shapes are unmistakably Philotanus. He wears the finest clothing in the latest fashion and keeps his face dusted with white powder, with blue on his nose and cheeks. Normally, he conceals his horned head under a wig of golden locks, each strand taken from a mortal he has despoiled. The only clues to his wicked nature are the mouth filled with sharp, brown teeth and the squirming of worms in his gums.
Sraosha. A crooked tower made from rusting iron plates that bristle with hooks and barbs serves as Rahu’s lair, and the sounds of screaming reach out through the jagged gaps and carry for miles around the blighted place. Rahu’s dread influence distorts the landscape around him, twisting it into a reflection of his cruelty and madness. Within the tower’s confines suffer Rahu’s victims, countless wretches pulled apart, torn, and racked by his fell ministrations. Encountered in his lair, Rahu has a challenge rating of 24 (62,000 XP).
Rahu t he Tor me n tor Torturers everywhere pray to the demon prince Azidahaka as patron of both truth and lies. They’re much more likely to respect his chief “surgeon,” Rahu the Tormentor, though, as it is Rahu who frequently visits the Material Plane to evangelize the use of torture as a means of political control. A collector of both surgical instruments and preserved body parts, Rahu has an interest in human physiology and anatomy best categorized as obsessive. He tires of working under the paranoid Azidahaka, wasting his efforts upon demons and souls. He longs to flee to a mortal world, where he can continue his grim work with no shortage of live human victims. The Tormentor speaks in a soothing, low voice that would put listeners at ease if it came from the mouth of anyone else. He favors highly fetishized garments of tight leather, accenting the assembly with a blood-spattered apron. Dozens of small saws, awls, vises, and worse dangle from the apron, some still thick with the skin and fluids of past unfortunates. Evil mortal sovereigns sometimes call upon Rahu to assist them in extracting information from otherwise intractable foes. This he does, for a price. Occasionally, the demon lord tortures his employer as well, all in an effort to better understand the human body and how to make it do one’s bidding through the methodical application of pain.
R a h u ’s L ai r As one Azidahaka’s subjects, Rahu makes his lair on his master’s layer, the dread realm known as
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Rahu t he Torme n tor Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil
must make a DC 21 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target must answer the question truthfully and to the best of its knowledge. On a successful save, the target becomes immune to Rahu’s Truth through Pain for 24 hours.
Armor Class 25 (natural armor) Hit Points 199 (19d10 + 95) Speed 50 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 22 (+6)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 19 (+4)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Dex +13, Int +13, Wis +11 Skills Intimidation +13, Insight +11, Perception +11 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 23 (50,000 XP) Blood Frenzy. Rahu has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points. Innate Spellcasting. Rahu’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 21). Rahu can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, major illusion, true strike 3/day each: fear, hold person, suggestion 1/day each: displacement, power word kill Inscrutable. Rahu is immune to any effect that would sense his emotions or read his thoughts, as well as any divination spell that he refuses. Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain Rahu’s intentions or sincerity have disadvantage. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Rahu fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Rahu has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Rahu’s weapon attacks are magical. Regeneration. Rahu regains 10 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point. Truth through Pain. Rahu can take a bonus action to ask a question of one creature within 120 feet of him that he can see. The target
L air Actions On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Rahu takes a lair action to cause one of the listed effects. Rahu can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row. • A hooked chain leaps from a point on the ground, ceiling, or wall within 120 feet of Rahu and attempts to ensnare one creature within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained until Rahu uses this lair action again. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw and end the effect on itself with a successful save. • Rahu causes the air to fill with the shrieks and screams of the tormented. Until Rahu uses a different lair action, Wisdom (Perception) checks are made with disadvantage. 140
A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) slashing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is also grappled (escape DC 19). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained. Tools of the Trade. Rahu uses his torture tools on one creature he has grappled. Choose one of the listed effects. A regeneration spell or healing magic of the same or higher level that’s cast upon the target ends the effect on it. • Don’t Look at Me Like That. Rahu sticks pins into the target’s eyes. The target takes 22 (4d10) piercing damage and is blinded. • Not the Face! Rahu uses hooks to mutilate the target’s face. The target makes all Charisma attack rolls, checks, and saving throws with disadvantage. • Kneel before Rahu. Rahu uses a serrated blade to cut the tendons in the back of the target’s legs. The target can’t stand up and can move only by crawling. • That’s Enough Out of You. Rahu crushes the target’s larynx with a pair of rusty pliers. The target cannot speak. • Unhand Me! Rahu saws off one of the target’s hands. Teleport. Rahu magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Rahu can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Rahu regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Amplify Pain. Rahu amplifies the pain of one creature he can see within 120 feet. If the target doesn’t have all of its hit points, it must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or take 16 (3d10) psychic damage. Attack. Rahu attacks with his claws. Teleport. Rahu uses his Teleport action.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The region containing Rahu’s lair is warped by his magic, which creates one or more of the following effects: • Hideous weeping and the occasional scream fill the air within 1 mile of the lair.
• Pools of blood and bits of skin and bone, along with heaped offal, litter the landscape within 1 mile of the lair.
• If a humanoid spends 1 hour or longer within 6 miles of the lair, it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or treat the landscape moving away from the lair as difficult terrain.
If Rahu the Tormentor dies, these effects fade over 1d10 days.
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D E VIL S The infernal armies of Hell constitute some of the finest warriors in all the multiverse. Disciplined, loyal, and utterly afraid of the lords of Hell who rule them, these soldiers give their lives for whatever cause to which they have been directed. Many devils descend from those fallen angels who rebelled against the Lords of Good in ancient times. Having tumbled into the Pit, they were transformed by their hatred, bitterness, and spite into the horrid things they are today. Other devils were bred from less noble stock, having climbed the ranks from the lowly position of damned souls. Through their efforts to prove their use and devotion, they might ascend to higher and higher ranks, gaining the physical traits their new positions entitle them. Of course, just as quickly as devils climb, so too can they fall. More than one pit fiend who has fallen into disfavor with Asmodeus has been cast down to squirm in the muck as a wretched imp until such time that it can earn its way back into its master’s graces.
A big or Grand Duke Abigor serves Beelzebub on the Seventh Circle. There he trains and commands the forces of his master in preparation for forays into the Abyss and, more importantly, for an invasion into the Eighth Circle. Of the troops he commands, he favors bearded devils for their expert skills in combat and their valuable magical abilities. Though Abigor appears loyal to his master, he secretly plots to overthrow Beelzebub and take his place as master.
G r an d Duk e
of
War
Abigor’s specialty is warfare. Demonologists claim he has acute foresight and can anticipate troop movements, battle plans, and supply lines far in advance of the opposing army. For his skills in military matters, many of the devilish nobility approach him for their personal guard’s training or even training for themselves. This has led the duke to gain many powerful allies and valuable insight into the fighting potential of his master’s rivals. Not just Hell’s aristocracy finds Abigor appealing; many mortals seek out his influence and knowledge despite his obscurity and the minor role he plays in respect to the other powers in Hell. Desperate conflicts, hopeless causes, and revenge are all viable reasons why mortals seek out his wisdom. Abigor prefers to command his armies on the back of one of his prized hell horses (see Hell Horse, later in this
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chapter, for more details). He races around the battlefield, shoring up the front lines by crashing into his enemies and savaging their ranks with his lance. While mounted, Abigor has never lost his seat and has destroyed countless knights in combat.
An t aia t he Wi t ch Que e n They gather in secluded grottoes and forbidden glades, dancing under the light of the full moon. Scorned by clergy and feared by villagers, the witches meet to celebrate the power of magic. They pay respect to a host of spirits, but one receives their devotion above all others: Antaia the Witch Queen. 141
A big or
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 23 (plate, natural armor) Hit Points 405 (30d10 + 240) Speed 40 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 25 (+7) 22 (+6)
Cha 23 (+6)
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +15, Int +14, Wis +13 Skills History +14, Insight +13, Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Hellish Weapons. Abigor’s weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage on a hit (included in the attacks). Innate Spellcasting. Abigor’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 23). Abigor can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic, dispel magic, fireball, lightning bolt 3/day each: dispel evil and good, flame strike Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Abigor fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. A c t ions Multiattack. Abigor makes three weapon attacks. Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +27 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d6 + 9) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Lance. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (2d12 + 9) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Scepter of Command. Abigor wields a scepter through which he can channel his dark power. As an action, Abigor can point his
Antaia is a minion of Belial, Lord of the Fourth Circle. Unlike most devil nobles, Antaia is not overly obsessed with infernal politics. Her primary concern is the expansion of her cult. On a hundred worlds in the Material Plane, she is worshipped as a goddess by covens of blackhearted witches. Her power is indisputable, even though she is incapable of granting spells to her followers. Antaia’s cult teaches that true power comes from within and that individual witches can achieve the same insights as their mistress. By turning the witches away from the gods, Antaia furthers the infernal cause.
Mo t h e r
of
E vil W i t c h e s
Antaia takes an active role in the promotion of her cult. She travels the Material Plane frequently, enforcing her will and testing her worshippers. On several worlds, 142
scepter at one creature he can see, forcing the target to make a DC 21 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes charmed by Abigor for 24 hours or until the target starts its turn 1 mile or more away from Abigor. While charming creatures in this way, Abigor can use a bonus action to telepathically command each creature charmed by him to take a course of action he describes. The creature must carry out the activity to the best of its ability. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to Abigor’s Scepter of Command for 24 hours. Infernal Standard (1/Day). Abigor waves a battle standard in the air and plants it in the ground. Until the standard is removed (which requires a successful DC 20 Strength check), all fiends within 120 feet of the standard make attack rolls and saving throws with advantage, while all creatures within this range that are hostile to Abigor make attack rolls and saving throws with disadvantage. Creatures immune to being frightened are immune to this effect. R e a c t ions Parry. Abigor adds 4 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, Abigor must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Abigor can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Abigor regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Abigor makes an attack with a melee weapon. Teleport. Abigor magically teleports to an unoccupied space he can see within 120 feet. Secrets of Warfare (Costs 2 Actions). Abigor can scrutinize one creature he can see and force that creature to make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, Abigor gains insights into the target’s tactics. For 1 hour, whenever Abigor makes an attack roll against the target or a saving throw against an effect originating from the target, he rolls a d6 bonus die and adds the number rolled to his total. Likewise, whenever the target makes an attack roll against Abigor, the target must roll a d6 penalty die and subtract the number rolled from its total.
Antaia’s cult is opposed by an order of white witches called the Daughters of the Moon. This group knows that Antaia is no god but in fact a devil, and they fight her machinations with dedicated fervor. Despite the often-powerful magics thrown about this witch war has gone largely unnoticed, as its battles usually take place far from the centers of civilization.
S a c r ific i a l M a g ic Antaia teaches her followers an ancient and bloody rite that lets them bolster their magical power. When a mortal is sacrificed in Antaia’s presence or on a specially prepared and profaned altar dedicated to her, all the members of her coven double their proficiency bonus for the purpose of determining the DCs of spells they cast and their spell attack bonus.
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An t aia, t he Wi t ch Que e n Medium fiend (devil, shapechanger), lawful evil A c t ions
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 187 (22d8 + 88) Speed 30 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 25 (+7) 18 (+4)
Multiattack. Antaia makes three weapon attacks.
Cha 26 (+8)
Saving Throws Con +10, Int +13, Cha +14 Skills Arcana +14, Deception +14, Perception +14, Persuasion +14 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 24 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Antaia can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Antaia regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Attack. Antaia makes a weapon attack. Teleport. Antaia magically teleports to an unoccupied space she can see within 120 feet of her. Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Antaia casts a spell.
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Hellish Weapons. Antaia’s weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage on a hit (included in the attacks). Innate Spellcasting. Antaia’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22). Antaia can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, protection from evil and good 3/day each: charm person, dispel magic 1/day each: geas, teleport Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Antaia fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. Antaia can use her action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back to her true form. Other than her size, her statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies. Spellcasting. Antaia is a 20th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Antaia has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, fire bolt, minor illusion, prestidigitation, shocking grasp 1st level (4 slots): alarm, false life, magic missile, shield, unseen servant 2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, darkness, detect thoughts, ray of enfeeblement 3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, clairvoyance, fireball, nondetection 4th level (3 slots): black tentacles, confusion, ice storm, phantasmal killer 5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, hold monster, scrying 6th level (2 slots): disintegrate, eyebite, mass suggestion 7th level (2 slots): arcane sword, mirage arcane, plane shift 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster 9th level (1 slot): weird
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As a k k us Asakkus are servants of Lilith, Lord of the Sixth Circle. Their bodies are long and serpentine, with humanlike heads and fanged mouths. Mortal scholars have noted a certain similarity to the couatl, and conjecture makes asakkus ancient, evil offshoots of those feathery exemplars of virtue.
As a k k u
Large fiend (devil, shapechanger), lawful evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
Cha 16 (+3)
Skills Deception +6, Insight +7, Perception +7, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
If this is true, neither asakkus nor couatls have confirmed it. However, there are several battles documented between the two, most of which have been noted for their intense savagery. It isn’t clear whether these battles signify nothing more than the animosity of good and evil or the special hatred only estranged family members know. In any case, fighting is not the primary responsibility of asakkus. They perform very special duties for Lilith: the corruption and infection of mortal children. They are frequent callers on the Material Plane, commonly visiting rural areas. Polymorphed into wide-eyed youths or fantastical animals like unicorns, asakkus befriend children while their parents toil in the field or the home. Asakkus seem like friendly faeries, full of stories and magic. Those children befriended by asakkus meet one of three fates. The asakkus drink their blood, infect them with lethal diseases, or corrupt their young souls. The latter is the most difficult to achieve but pleases the asakkus the most. When a child plunges a knife into their father’s heart of their own free will, the asakku knows it has served its mistress well. Children who are good at heart are more likely to simply be killed. These deaths, especially those brought about by disease, are designed to bring despair to the parents of the slain.
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. The asakku’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The asakku can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: dancing lights, detect thoughts, minor illusion, prestidigitation, shocking grasp 1/day each: charm person, contagion, scorching ray 1/week each: plane shift (self only) Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. An asakku can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium beast or humanoid, or back to its true form. Other than its size, its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the creature is charmed. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or that ends the effect becomes immune to the effect for 24 hours. Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: 23 (4d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. The target is grappled (escape DC 15) if the asakku isn’t already constricting a creature, and the target is restrained until this grapple ends.
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“Condemned one! Face the judgement of Asmodeus the Cruel, Lord of the Ninth Circle, whose sentence upon you is death.”
Ashme de
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 136 (13d10 + 65) Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +7, Cha +7 Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Fear Aura. Any creature hostile to the ashmede that starts its turn within 20 feet of the ashmede must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, unless the ashmede is incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the ashmede’s Fear Aura for 24 hours. Innate Spellcasting. The ashmede’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The ashmede can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, detect magic 3/day each: dispel magic, greater invisibility 1/day: forcecage
Ash me de Hell is always associated with evil, but its lawful aspect is oft forgotten. There may be more backstabbing and politicking than any mortal could understand, but ultimately, devil society is all about the rules. The ultimate arbiter of devil law is, of course, Asmodeus, the King of Hell and Lord of the Ninth Circle. Only the worst crimes, the most heinous infractions, are brought directly to Asmodeus’s attentions. His judgment is final and, in most cases, brutal. Enter the ashmedes. These devils of vengeance enforce the judgments of Asmodeus. When the King of Hell pronounces a death sentence, ashmedes carry it out. Since Asmodeus doesn’t feel it necessary to warn the condemned in advance, the first indication they receive is a scythe-wielding ashmede attacking out of nowhere. No pleas are accepted.
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The ashmede makes three attacks: two with its scythe and one with its wings. Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d12 + 7) slashing damage. If the ashmede scores a critical hit, it rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice. Wings. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) bludgeoning damage.
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B al an
and devils can only speculate what would happen if the two were ever to meet.
Mas t e r o f t he I n f e r n a l H un t
Th e In f e r n a l H u n t
Balan, a three-headed beast of a devil, is a noble in the service of Belial, Lord of the Fourth Circle. As Master of the Infernal Hunt, Balan organizes hunts for Belial’s sport on the Fourth Circle. These inevitably revolve around stalking and killing rogue devils or bands of invaders. The noted paladin Flavius was caught in one such hunt, and he and his followers were slain to a man. Belial also periodically releases Balan and his Infernal Hunt onto the Material Plane. This is a real treat for the old devil. He gathers together a pack of fiendish beasts, hell hounds, and devils. They appear at night, howling through the sky and landing to reap souls and cause untold destruction. Each hunt has a special target chosen by Belial (such as a troublesome crusading church), but the Master of the Infernal Hunt has free rein to continue his merry ride until he’s had his fill of bloodletting. Balan and Mammon, Lord of the Third Circle, are great rivals as sportsmen. Mammon leads his own hunt,
Balan is usually encountered with his hunt, which ranges in size from a dozen creatures to over a hundred. A typical hunt includes his hunter (see Beldrake, Balan’s Hunter, later in this chapter, for more information) and 3d6 hell hounds. The hunt uses its great numbers and speed to run enemies to ground and tear them apart.
Fl e sh t e ar e r Balan rides a special mount when hunting—an infernal bear named Fleshtearer. Balan reared this beast himself, feeding the cub only the most tender mortal flesh and the freshest blood. Now full-grown, Fleshtearer strikes terror into mortal and fiend alike.
B e l d r a k e , B a l a n ’s H u n t e r Balan’s huntsman is a special office in the retinue of Balan (see Balan, earlier in this chapter). The officeholder benefits from Balan’s blessings and carries Balan’s horn.
B al an, Mast e r o f t he In f e rnal Hun t Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Pack Tactics. Balan has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of Balan’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56) Speed 40 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 13 (+1)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +6, Wis +6 Skills Insight +7, Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 19 (22,000 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Hellish Weapons. Balan’s weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage on a hit (included in the attacks). Innate Spellcasting. Balan’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). Balan can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: dispel magic, dominate beast, find the path, wind wall 1/day: plane shift Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Balan fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical.
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Three Heads. Balan’s proficiency bonus is doubled for any Wisdom (Perception) check he makes (included). He also has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Wakeful. When one of Balan’s heads is asleep, his other heads are awake. A c t ions Multiattack. Balan makes three weapon attacks. Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. When Balan makes a ranged attack with this weapon, the weapon teleports to his hand. Flight of the Hunters (1/Day). At night, each creature of Balan’s choice that he can see gains a flying speed equal to its walking speed + 10 feet that lasts for 12 hours or until the creature is touched by the light of dawn. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Balan can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Balan regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Balan makes a weapon attack. Attack Command. One creature of Balan’s choice within 30 feet that he can see can use a reaction to make a weapon attack. Teleport. Balan and a creature he is riding magically teleport to an unoccupied space he can see within 120 feet.
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Each year, Balan’s followers compete in a great hunt on the Fourth Circle of Hell. The Master of the Infernal Hunt releases an infernal beast with a silver ring around its neck, and the devil who brings the ring back becomes Balan’s hunter for the following year. That is the only rule. Only the most clever and vicious devils have a chance of winning this contest: the current huntsman, Beldrake, beheaded three rivals to capture the silver ring. Balan is most pleased with him. When Balan organizes an expedition to the Material Plane, it is the huntsman’s duty to travel ahead and scout the way. He reconnoiters the terrain, picks out worthy targets, and eliminates prying eyes. When all is ready, he blows his horn of office, which summons the entire hunt to the Material Plane. Then, the mayhem begins. When Balan has had his fill of slaughter, Balan’s huntsman sounds his horn again, and the infernal pack returns to Hell.
H u n t s m a n ’s H o r n Balan possesses an impressive horn, a gift given to him by Belial several millennia ago, and allows his chosen hunter to bear it while on the hunt. Carved from the yellowed tooth of an ancient silver dragon, tipped with adamantine, and enchanted with dark magic, the horn celebrates the power of Hell. If the hunter is slain, the horn teleports to Balan. If Balan is slain, the horn teleports to Belial’s treasure vault insteadt
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Fl e sh t e ar e r Huge monstrosity, lawful evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 212 (17d12 + 102) Speed 50 ft., climb 40 ft. Str 27 (+8)
Dex 11 (+0)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 3 (−4) 12 (+1)
Cha 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +5 Skills Perception +4 Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Keen Smell. Fleshtearer has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. Magic Resistance. Fleshtearer has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Fleshtearer’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. Fleshtearer makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) slashing damage.
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Be l dr a k e , B al an’s Hun t e r Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
3/day each: dimension door, expeditious retreat, wind wall 1/day: find the path
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33) Speed 50 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 19 (+4)
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +7, Wis +8 Skills Investigation +4, Perception +8, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Ambusher. In the first round of combat, Beldrake has advantage on attack rolls against any creature he has surprised. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Hellish Weapons. Beldrake’s weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage on a hit (included in the attacks). Innate Spellcasting. Beldrake’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16). Beldrake can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Bul ug ons Bulugons are common in the Third Circle of Hell. Their appetite is legendary: bulugons are perhaps Hell’s greatest gluttons. Food is scarce on the Third Circle, but they are canny scavengers.
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Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, Beldrake can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Beldrake deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Beldrake that isn’t incapacitated and Beldrake doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. A c t ions Multiattack. Beldrake makes two weapon attacks. Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Sound the Horn (Recharge 5–6). Beldrake blows his horn, sending a wave of thunderous force into a 100-foot-long cone originating from the horn. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 27 (6d8) thunder damage and becomes deafened for 1 minute on a failed saving throw, or just takes half the damage on a successful one.
Their bloated forms slide easily through the mud and slime, and they can hunt in the icy depths with relative ease. Their corpulent bodies make them clumsy fliers, but amazingly their wings can support their bulk. With its wide jaws and large size, a bulugon can swallow a humansized being whole, stripping the flesh from the bones and spitting out the remains. Bulugons are typically summoned to the Material Plane as tools of vengeance (either at the behest of their own lords or by evil spellcasters). Necromancers have been known to consort with bulugons because they can provide clean skeletons in just a few minutes. When the bulugon arrives on the Material Plane, it uses its magic to win the aid of a few locals. It then sets itself up in a convenient location, like a cave or, more blasphemously, a religious shrine. Word goes out through the charmed dupes that the devil must be fed or the community will feel its wrath. The bulugon keeps eating no matter how much food comes in tribute. In just a few days, it can deplete the food reserves of the average village. Some bulugons don’t stop even after the food stock is gone. These malefic gluttons turn on the locals and start to feed on them. There are many tales of the heinous lotteries enacted by small communities as the locals tried to choose the next victim of the bulugon’s insatiable appetite. Bulugons have been the cause of countless famines,
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Bul ug on
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Innate Spellcasting. The bulugon’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). The bulugon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 68 (8d10 + 24) Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 6 (−2)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 11 (+0)
1/day each: charm person, fear, fog cloud Cha 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Str +8, Con +6 Skills Perception +3 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Flying Charge. If the bulugon flies at least 10 feet straight toward a Medium or smaller target and then hits it with a gore attack during the same turn, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or become impaled on the bulugon’s horns. An impaled creature is grappled (escape DC 16) and restrained. It can use an action to make a DC 16 Strength check to remove itself from the horns, ending the effect on itself on a success. While the bulugon has a creature grappled, it cannot use this trait.
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The bulugon makes a trident attack, a bite attack, and a gore attack. Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d12 + 5) piercing damage. Acid Spew (Recharge 6). The bulugon spews acid in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
but they usually return to Hell before vengeful clerics or adventurers can make them pay for their crimes. Sadly for bulugons, their lives do not consist solely of living off the fat of others. They must sometimes fight for their masters or defend themselves from adventurers. They prefer to fight on the ground but are adept at using their horns in aerial combat. Bulugons may not be very fast or agile, but their considerable bulk adds to the punch when they impact. In the perpetual rain of the Third Circle, enemies rarely see them coming. Bulugons usually fight defensively.
Cha mag ons Chamagons are quick-footed devils common on the First Circle of Hell. They are used in the armies of Hell as infiltrators and magical saboteurs. They appeared from nowhere one day in Baal’s legions, fully trained and ready for battle. Their origins are unknown. Some say that they were captured demons transmogrified by Tiamat, while others say the King of Hell granted them as a boon to the Lord of the First Circle. Only Baal knows the truth, and he is too wise of a devil to make it known. Each chamagon generates a sphere of antimagic around itself, and Baal has developed several innovative tactics to take advantage of this ability. He often
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Chamag on
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision.
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27) Speed 50 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 22 (+6)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 9 (−1)
Innate Spellcasting. The chamagon’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The chamagon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: Cha 15 (+2)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +9 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Avoidance. If the chamagon is subject to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
At will: antimagic field Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the chamagon can take the Hide action as a bonus action. A c t ions Multiattack. The chamagon makes two wingblade attacks and one bite attack. Wingblade. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) piercing damage.
C r anial Wr e t ch Small fiend (devil), lawful evil
Armor Class 15 Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5) Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. Str 8 (−1)
Dex 21 (+5)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage. If the target is a creature that has not already had its memory drained, it must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or have its memory drained for 24 hours. Constructs and creatures lacking physical bodies are immune to this effect. Whenever a memory-drained creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from its total. A lesser restoration spell or similar magical effect used on an affected creature ends this effect. Acidic Spittle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage.
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teleports chamagons into the midst of the enemy to sow confusion and wreak havoc with their magic-damping abilities. He can achieve a similar effect by sending them forward under cover of night to take up concealed positions. At first sight chamagons appear to have wings, but they can’t fly. Their winglike appendages are actually a series of blades, which chamagons wield with dazzling expertise. Furcas, Duke of Rhetoric (see Furcas, later in this chapter), has an abiding hatred for chamagons. He has no use for the savage creatures, and he has commented that their very existence offends him. Other nobles have noted that while chamagons can take the power out of his words, even they cannot stop Furcas from talking.
C r anial Wr e t ch Only the worst of mortals find themselves in the icy regions of Asmodeus’s layer in Hell. There, the furthest from the light of the good, do these souls truly lament their iniquitous lives, entrapped in ice while devils feast on their brains and sins. Cranial wretches are small corruptions of the cherubs, devoted servants to their master Asmodeus. They travel in swarms through Hell, serving as messengers or spies all in service to the dark lord. The primary purpose of these devils is to extract the memories, minds, and sins from the most wicked of mortals condemned to an eternity in Hell. The cranial wretch latches on to the victim and spreads its sensual lips to suckle on the back of its prey’s head. Though cranial wretches enjoy the fresh, bloody meat found within the skull, they exercise unbelievable restraint, selecting the choicest bits to savor as their victims live on to suffer for eternity.
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Dag on Dagon is Leviathan’s most loyal minion. He is entrusted with the defense of the Fifth Circle of Hell—and he is very good at his job. Dagon won his position several thousand years ago, during a major war in Hell, when Belial, Lord of the Fourth Circle, led an invading army into the Fifth Circle. While thousands of devils were dying on both sides, Leviathan’s generals bickered. Fed up, Dagon took matters into his own hands. He lured Belial’s forces onto an ice shelf and then summoned up monsters from the deep. On Dagon’s command, the sea monsters smashed the ice shelf, sending countless numbers of Belial’s soldiers into the churning depths. So great was the feeding that day, it is said, that Dagon’s monsters did not eat again for a hundred years.
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Dag on
Huge fiend (devil), lawful evil
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 230 (20d12 + 100) Speed 40 ft., swim 60 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 16 (+3)
Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Cha 19 (+4)
Saving Throws Con +11, Wis +9, Cha +10 Skills Perception +9 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 19 (22,000 XP) Amphibious. Dagon can breathe air and water. Churning Waters. If Dagon is submerged in liquid and not incapacitated, the liquid within 30 feet of him churns, heaves, and froths. Creatures other than Dagon treat the waters as difficult terrain, and the churning waters impose disadvantage on attack rolls made against Dagon and creatures in the area. Dagon does not have disadvantage on his attack rolls due to this effect. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. Dagon’s’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). Dagon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no verbal or material components: At will: control water, detect evil and good, locate object, suggestion
A c t ions Multiattack. Dagon makes three attacks: one with his claws, one with his bite, and one with his tail slap. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8 + 9) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (2d12 + 9) piercing damage. Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (2d20 + 9) bludgeoning damage. Razor Fish (Recharge 5–6). If Dagon is submerged in liquid, a cloud of razor fish fill a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on Dagon, spreading around corners. Each creature in the area other than Dagon must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) piercing damage on a failed save, or just half this damage on a successful one. The razor fish then dissipate. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Dagon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Dagon regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Tail Slap. Dagon makes a tail slap attack. Teleport. Dagon magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Dagon fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Thrashing Waters. If submerged in liquid, Dagon can heave his body to disperse other creatures. Each creature within 30 feet of him must succeed on a DC 23 Strength saving throw, or be pushed 30 feet in a straight line away from Dagon.
Leviathan consumed his previous warden and gave Dagon the job. Since that time, Dagon has secured the Fifth Circle for his master. He has spies everywhere, sending out patrols both above and below the sea. Only three of his minions have ever moved against him—all are dead. Dagon’s favorite servants on the Material Plane are the sahuagin, and many of them worship him as a god. This has not enamored Dagon to the patron god of sahuagin. Belial, eager to avenge his humiliation at Dagon’s hands, is rumored to be seeking an alliance with the sahuagin god.
A distender’s body is divided into four inner chambers, each of which produces one of the four classic humors: black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile. It can regurgitate huge quantities of these fluids, operating as a sort of living artillery piece for infernal armies. The humors’ effects are especially potent on the Material Plane, and even one distender can carry a battle for the forces of evil. Infernal agents and minions thus frequently summon them.
Di st e nd e rs Distenders are truly foul devils that can be found in all the circles of Hell. Students of the infernal argue over whether distenders were born or bred. Their existence is commonly attributed to Mephistopheles, but it seems unlike the old fox to put such a potent weapon into the hands of his enemies. 152
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If distenders have a weakness, it is their low intelligence. They’re smart enough to do what they’re told, but complicated orders are beyond them. They also tend to play with their food: Their name actually comes from their odious habit of force-feeding captured enemies with gouts of humor. When a victim is bloated with blood and bile but not quite dead, the distender pops the snack into its mouth and swallows it down. Not a pleasant way to go.
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Dist e nde r
Huge fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 121 (9d12 + 63) Speed 30 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 8 (−1)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 6 (−2) 16 (+3)
Cha 16 (+3)
However, the creature must take the Attack action each round, attacking the nearest creature to it, regardless of whether that creature is friend or foe. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to all distenders’ yellow bile.
Skills Perception +6 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The distender makes two melee weapon attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) bludgeoning damage. Vomit. The distender spews one humor from the following options from its mouth into a 30-foot-long cone. The distender cannot choose the same humor two rounds in a row. • Black bile. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become paralyzed for 1 minute, overcome by their feelings of sorrow. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to all distenders’ black bile. • Blood. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned for 1 minute, overcome by their feelings of joy and happiness. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to all distenders’ blood. • Phlegm. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. While frightened in this way, the creature must take the Dash action each round and move away from the distender by the safest available route. If the creature cannot move away from the distender, it instead becomes stunned until the start of its next turn. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to all distenders’ phlegm. • Yellow Bile. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become overwhelmed with hatred for 1 minute. A creature overwhelmed by hatred makes attack rolls with advantage, and its attacks deal an additional 2d6 damage.
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E n f or ce r o f Di s The Second Circle of Hell largely consists of the enormous city of Dis, home to millions of devils, damned souls, and even desperate mortals. Enforcers of Dis patrol the streets in the name of their lord, Dispater, rooting out lawbreakers and renegades.
D is p a t e r’s H e nc hm e n Dispater rules the city from his iron tower and rarely ventures forth. He might be a schemer and a tyrant, but Dispater does believe in the rule of law. (Of course, he also makes the laws in Dis.) Many devil lords pay lip service to order but act as chaotically as the demons they despise. The enforcers of Dis make their lord’s belief a reality. Enforcers of Dis are, without a doubt, cruel, but they are not capricious. Like their lord, they place value in the law. Enforcers can mete out punishment on the spot for transgressions, and, this being Hell, punishment is swift and severe. The most common penalty is death, followed by imprisonment and torture. Several neighborhoods of Dis host mortal residents, an oddity in Hell. Some residents were lured here by infernal lies, others came with adventuring parties and were stranded, and a few even thought they could profit in Hell. The enforcers of Dis pay particular attention to these districts, most of whose residents live in abject fear of them. One word from an enforcer can send anyone to prison—or worse.
E n f orce r o f Dis Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Innate Spellcasting. The enforcer’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The enforcer can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33) Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 13 (+1)
Cha 17 (+3)
Skills Insight +5, Investigation +4, Stealth +8 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the Enforcer of Dis’ darkvision.
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At will: detect evil and good, detect magic 3/day each: dimension door, hold monster, lightning bolt, suggestion, wall of fire Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The enforcer of Dis makes two claws attacks. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that ends the effect or succeeds on the saving throw becomes immune to this enforcer’s frightened effect for 24 hours.
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T he Face l e ss Moving up in the caste system of Hell is an arduous task. It can take thousands of years of loyal service, an act of sacrifice, or seizing on a unique opportunity—one that may never come. While there are many devils who are willing to adhere to the rules of society, others prefer the code of the silent knife. It is these power-hungry fiends who call upon the faceless. The faceless are a society of cutthroats who make their services available to anyone willing to pay the price. That price is souls. Upon successfully completing an assignment, the killer returns to its employer wearing the proof of its success—the face of its target. No one knows for certain where in Hell the faceless reside. Devils who wish to hire a member of this secret society must communicate through intermediaries who, if the job is accepted, relate the price to be paid (based strictly upon the target’s station). There is no further communication until the assassination is attempted. A number of strict guidelines bind each member of the faceless. They are never to kill unless they have been specifically given a target. They can never take assignments other than those given to them by their superiors. A target is assigned one faceless, who must succeed in that mission or die trying. If an assassination fails, the fee is returned. In addition, the former target has the right to hire one of the faceless to kill the original employer—free of charge.
Face l e ss
Large fiend (devil, shapechanger), lawful evil
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33) Speed 40 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 17 (+3)
Innate Spellcasting. The faceless’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). The faceless can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Wis +7, Cha +9 Skills Acrobatics +8, Perception +7, Stealth +8 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Ambusher. In the first round of combat, the faceless has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised. Dance of Blades. As a bonus action, the faceless can perform a trick with its blades. One creature within 30 feet that can see it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned until the end of its next turn. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes immune to the faceless’s Dance of Blades for 24 hours.
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At will: charm person 1/day each: greater invisibility, teleport Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. The faceless can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the faceless can take the Hide action as a bonus action. A c t ions Multiattack. The faceless makes three kukri attacks. If the faceless hits the same target with two attacks, the target takes an additional 7 (2d6) slashing damage. If the faceless hits the same target with all three attacks, the target takes an additional 10 (3d6) slashing damage. Kukri. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
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Fa l st af f Hell is in the business of harvesting souls. The devils go to great lengths to tempt mortals into making unwise bargains and then claim their souls when the deals invariably go bad. While devils of all stripes might enter these bargains, Falstaffs make it their singular purpose. These devils stand ready to step into the Material Plane and offer their assistance to mortals in need.
A pp e a l ing B a rg ain e r s Falstaffs adopt forms their targets might trust. After all, it does no good to show up with red skin, goat legs, and a pair of horns, which is how they normally look. Such a visage could very well put off reluctant prey. Instead, Falstaffs might appear as portly men, matronly women, enticing paramours, or even wide-eyed, innocent children.
Fal st af f
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60) Speed 30 ft. Str 15 (+2)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 23 (+6) 18 (+4)
Cha 25 (+7)
Saving Throws Con +7, Int +10, Wis +8, Cha +11 Skills Deception +11, Insight +8, Persuasion 11 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Infernal Coercion. As a bonus action, the Falstaff targets one creature that has at least 1 temptation token (see Wicked Temptation, later in this section, for more about temptation tokens) and is within 30 feet of it. The target must make a DC 19 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the Falstaff decides what action the target takes and how it moves on its next turn. On a successful save, the target removes 1 temptation token. Innate Spellcasting. The Falstaff ’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19). The Falstaff can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: knock, mending, minor illusion, prestidigitation 3/day each: charm person, hideous laughter, suggestion 1/day each: fear, major image Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. A c t ions Multiattack. The Falstaff makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with its bite. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) piercing damage. Change Shape. The Falstaff magically polymorphs into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. R e a c t ions Wicked Temptation. When a creature within 30 feet of the Falstaff makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, the Falstaff can grant the creature advantage on its roll. If the creature makes the roll with advantage, it gains 1 temptation token and becomes charmed until it removes the temptation token. A remove curse spell removes all temptation tokens from a target.
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F e l ug ons Sometimes called the unseen, felugons excel in subterfuge and assassination. When mortals bargain with Hell to eliminate a hated rival or dispense with a troublesome spouse, the felugons are the ones who make the deal and carry out the killing with practiced ease. If double-crossed, however, felugons descend on their erstwhile employers and exact their price in blood and souls. They take the “unseen” moniker from the fact that few ever see them. Even when summoned from Hell, they appear as shadowy, indistinct figures, bright eyes glittering in the headshaped gloom. Whisper quiet and vanishing in darkness, felugons have few rivals when it comes to the art of murder.
H e l l s ’ S pi e s When not corrupting mortals on the Material Plane, felugons serve the infernal aristocracy as spies and killers.
F e l ug on
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33) Speed 50 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 21 (+5)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 21 (+5) 23 (+6)
They infiltrate the strongholds of their enemies to gather what intelligence they can and cover their tracks by snuffing out the lives of anyone who gets in their way. Felugons also play an important part in the ongoing war against the Abyss, as they are able to slip through the enemy lines and sabotage their offensives.
F l e sh Scul ptor All devils delight in torturing those souls condemned to their care, and most devils spend some amount of time making their prisoners most uncomfortable, using whatever technique they like. For victims who have earned the true scorn of Hell, however—to the flesh sculptors they go. If these devils take pleasure in their grisly work, they show no sign. They simply divide and reassemble their victims, one at a time. Flesh sculptors have bodies of flesh and machine and are usually equipped with telescopic lenses to magnify their gaze so they can perform the delicate work with their razor-sharp blades. Metal plating, gears, cogs, and springs have been fitted into raw flesh, seemingly to keep these devils functioning beyond the horrific damage they themselves have endured. What few realize is that the damage and their “improvements” have been done to each other.
Cha 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Wis +9 Skills Perception +9, Stealth +8 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Nimble Escape. The felugon can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of its turns. Smoke Form. The felugon can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. If a creature starts its turn with the felugon in its space, the creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage and become poisoned until the start of its next turn. A c t ions Multiattack. The felugon makes two claws attacks. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) slashing damage.
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Fl e sh Scul ptor Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
an ally of the flesh sculptor that isn’t incapacitated and the flesh sculptor doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 45 (7d8 + 14) Speed 30 ft. Str 15 (+2)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 16 (+3)
A c t ions Cha 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +7 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the flesh sculptor deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of
Multiattack. The flesh sculptor makes two weapon attacks. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage. If the flesh sculptor scores a critical hit, it rolls damage dice four times, instead of twice. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become incapacitated until the end of the flesh sculptor’s next turn. Sparagmos. The flesh sculptor targets one incapacitated creature within 5 feet of it and forces the target to make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the flesh sculptor disassembles the target’s body. The creature does not die, but is instead reduced to a collection of body parts. While a collection of body parts, the creature cannot take actions or move and it automatically fails all Dexterity saving throws and makes all other saving throws with disadvantage. A greater restoration spell or similar magic can restore a disassembled creature. A target that survives this experience must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or suffer a random long-term madness. Remake. The flesh sculptor targets one collection of body parts within 5 feet of it and reassembles the parts in a way it finds pleasing. An affected target makes all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage, has its speed reduced to 5 feet, and grants advantage on all attack rolls made against it. A greater restoration spell returns a remade target back to a collection of body parts.
Fu rc as
Duk e
of
R h e t o r ic
Duke Furcas is Hell’s foremost intellectual, at least in his own mind. He is a member of Dispater’s court and thus spends the majority of his time in the city of Dis. This suits Furcas just fine, since Dis is the closest thing Hell has to a center of knowledge. Furcas has written many books that circulate throughout the Material Plane. His favorite is Gods or Monsters: An Investigation into the Nature of Divinity. This book argues that the gods are not gods at all, but powerful yet petty beings who fool mortals into worshipping them. All of Furcas’s books are meant to lead the reader into evil by destroying their cherished beliefs with cold logic and powerful rhetoric. Furcas presides over the Forbidden Library, an octagonal edifice in the city center. The library is a den of blasphemous secrets, the ultimate destination for evil mages and cultists from across the planes. Parts of this collection are nearly as old as the planes themselves. Access, of course, is strictly controlled by Furcas. Only those willing to donate a rare volume or their own services may enter. Furcas has collected more than one soul in this way, and it allows him to maintain a cadre of agents on the Material Plane that is second to none. 158
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Furcas, Duk e o f Rhe toric Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
Armor Class 21 (mage armor, natural armor) Hit Points 178 (21d10 + 63) Speed 40 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 22 (+6)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 26 (+8) 17 (+3)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Int +14, Wis +9, Cha +12 Skills Arcana +14, Deception +12, History +14, Insight +9, Investigation +14, Perception +9, Persuasion +12, Religion +14 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)
Furcas can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Furcas regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Furcas makes a melee weapon attack. Teleport. Furcas magically teleports, along with everything he is wearing and carrying, to an unoccupied space within 120 feet. Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Furcas casts a spell.
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Hellish Weapons. Furcas’s weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage on a hit (included in the attacks). Innate Spellcasting. Furcas’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22). Furcas can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: counterspell, levitate, polymorph (self only), suggestion 3/day each: dispel evil and good, greater invisibility, nondetection Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Furcas fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Spellcasting. Furcas is a 20th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Furcas has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): chill touch, detect magic, fire bolt, light, minor illusion 1st level (4 slots): expeditious retreat, fog cloud, mage armor, magic missile, shield 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, locate object, mirror image, scorching ray 3rd level (3 slots): clairvoyance, dispel magic, fireball, vampiric touch 4th level (3 slots): banishment, ice storm, phantasmal killer, wall of fire 5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, scrying, telekinesis 6th level (2 slots): chain lightning, eyebite, flesh to stone 7th level (2 slots): finger of death, mirage arcane, prismatic spray 8th level (1 slot): feeblemind 9th level (1 slot): power word kill A c t ions Multiattack. Furcas makes two melee weapon attacks. Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage.
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If Duke Furcas has a weakness, it’s that he craves recognition for his genius. It is not enough for him to outsmart a foe; he must make sure that the deed is publicized. Even his books, written under pen names, contain complicated ciphers that reveal the true author to those smart enough to figure it out. His thirst for accolades has gotten him into trouble in the past. Dispater pierced his body with iron rings and hung Furcas from his tower for a year after a particularly notorious incident. Furcas has kept the rings in his body as a sign of obeisance. Furcas’s greatest rival in Hell is Bune, Duke of Eloquence (see Bune, later in this chapter). Both devils use honeyed words as weapons, but Furcas’s rhetoric is backed up with knowledge. His arguments are based on fact and logic, while Bune’s manipulate the psyche. They have never confronted each other directly, instead preferring to play a great game down through the centuries. The dukes try to prove their mastery by converting each other’s minions. Both courts are riddled with double agents, and only intellects such as theirs can keep track of where true loyalties lie. Neither Furcas nor Bune misses an opportunity to show up his rival.
Gl a dia t rix
Armor Class 16 (breastplate) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 40 ft. Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 9 (−1) 9 (−1)
Gladiatrixes are powerful Obeyed of Hadriel, the duch*ess of Domination (see Hadriel, duch*ess of Domination, later in this chapter, for more on Hadriel and the Obeyed). They are recruited from tough female devils who spurn the role of seductress typified by the erinyes.
T o t a l D o min a t io n Gladiatrixes are committed to the complete physical domination of their foes and underlings. They despise weakness and take any opportunity to display their prowess in combat. Once she straps on her distinctive helmet, a gladiatrix is committed for life. This helm can be removed only in the presence of Hadriel—only she is worthy of seeing her warriors’ faces. Many mortal members of Hadriel’s Submitters (see the Shrieking Violet Society, later in this chapter, for more on submitters) aspire to become gladiatrixes. Since their faces are never seen, it is not known if any have achieved this honor.
C o ns t a n t T r aining
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Str 18 (+4)
Gl a dia t rixe s
Cha 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6 Skills Athletics +7, Intimidation +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Avoidance. If the gladiatrix is subject to an effect that allows her to make a saving throw to take only half damage, she instead takes no damage if she succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if she fails.
duch*ess Hadriel maintains an arena in Hell where the gladiatrixes train incessantly. They practice on live targets: a steady stream of petty devils dragged into this arena. Gladiatrixes sometimes travel to other parts of Hell to test their mettle against more worthy opponents. At the moment, gladiatrixes are not seen frequently on the Material Plane, for Hadriel is pursuing a subtle strategy that might be upset by their bullheaded ways. When needed for special assignments, they are summoned forth briefly and then returned to Hell. Several anchor points of Hadriel’s sigil are in wild country, and it is here that the gladiatrixes have really proved their worth. It takes only a few of these punishers to take care of an entire tribe of savage humanoids.
Ha dr ie l
D uc h e ss o f D o min a t io n
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Flail Mastery. When the gladiatrix attacks with a flail, she deals an additional 2d8 bludgeoning damage (included in the attack). Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Pack Tactics. The gladiatrix has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the gladiatrix’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. A c t ions Multiattack. The gladiatrix makes two melee weapon attacks. Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
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duch*ess Hadriel is an infernal success story. She began as an erinyes who, through long service, shrewd politics, and well-timed betrayals, rose up through the devil hierarchy. She eventually won a place at the court of Mephistopheles and felt she had truly arrived in devil society. With the prestige and resources that were now hers, she believed her power could only increase. What Hadriel had not reckoned with was Mephistopheles himself. The Lord of the Eighth Circle was known as a devil of the old school. He still considered fallen celestials like Beelzebub to be upstarts, and Hadriel discovered that female nobles in the court of Mephistopheles could aspire to nothing more
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than becoming the consort of a count or duke. After all her hard work, she was to be treated as a trophy. Hadriel did not make it to Mephistopheles’s court by being stupid, so she swallowed her pride and played the part until an opportunity arose. She became the consort of Duke Bifrons, a brutish general who spent much of his time in the field. Hadriel spent the better part of a century building up a cadre of loyal minions and then struck. Bifrons had an “accident” while on campaign, an obsidian dagger somehow ending up in his heart. Hadriel took over so quickly no one thought to question it. This maneuver solved Hadriel’s immediate problem, but Mephistopheles’s attitude had not changed. Hadriel knew she had to do something big—so big that Asmodeus himself would take notice. That she could not do in Hell, so she left a skeleton staff there and moved her operations to a world in the Material Plane. Her plan was simple but ambitious: she would offer up an entire world as a sacrifice to Asmodeus.
S h r i e k ing V iol e t S o c i e t y Hadriel is now firmly established on the Material Plane, where she has assumed a mortal identity. As Lady Cindara, she has founded the Shrieking Violet Society, a social club for middle- and upper-class women. Largely urban based, the society has been spreading from city to city. Lady Cindara chooses the location of each new club very carefully. Others comment on her vanity and how she simply must find the right spot in just the right neighborhood. Her choices have a much more sinister purpose, however. Each
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club is an anchor point in a monstrous sigil that spreads across hundreds of miles. Should this sigil ever be completed, a huge gateway will open up that leads directly to the Ninth Circle of Hell. Then the infernal legions will burst forth and drag souls screaming into the Pit. To enact this ambitious plan, Hadriel uses two types of servants. Her lowliest minions are the Submitters, who include lesser devils and humanoid cultists recruited from the Shrieking Violet Society. Hadriel’s more powerful lieutenants are female devils known as the Obeyed. They have learned their mistress’s lessons of domination well, and they keep the Submitters in line.
H a d r i e l’s L ai r Hadriel makes her lairs in the center of urban environments where she can attract unwitting mortals to her service. Setting up the places as high-end clubs, these lairs tend to be richly furnished and dripping with luxury. Encountered in her lair, Hadriel’s challenge rating becomes 16 (15,000 XP).
L air Actions
When fighting within her lair, Hadriel can exploit her servants and channel her infernal magic to beset her enemies. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Hadriel takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. Hadriel can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row. 161
• Sweet-smelling perfume fills a 50-foot cube within 120 feet of Hadriel. To creatures other than Hadriel, the area of perfume is lightly obscured until initiative count 20 of the next round. In addition, any creature that is not a fiend that starts its turn in the area or enters it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. • Rushing out from hidden passageways are 1d6+1 of Hadriel’s thralls that attempt to grapple Hadriel’s enemies.
• One creature Hadriel can see within 120 feet must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or become overwhelmed by pleasure and pain. An affected creature is stunned until initiative count 20 of the next round.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The region containing Hadriel’s lair is warped by her unnatural presence, which creates one or more of the following effects: • Creatures within 1 mile of the lair experience lustful feelings.
• When a creature hostile to Hadriel takes a long rest within 1 mile of the lair, the creature experiences terrifying dreams and must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 3d6 psychic damage and derive no benefit from that rest.
If Hadriel dies, the effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Ha drie l , duch*e ss o f Domina t ion Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
with her bone hook, but she cannot use that bone hook to attack a different target. Hadriel cannot have more than two targets grappled at a time.
Armor Class 21 (natural) Hit Points 144 (17d10 + 51) Speed 40 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 22 (+6)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 22 (+6) 17 (+3)
Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Dex +11, Wis +8, Cha +10 Skills Deception +10, Insight +8, Perception +8, Persuasion +10, Stealth +11 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 15 (13,000 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. Hadriel’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 19). Hadriel can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: charm person, detect evil and good, dispel magic 3/day each: geas, suggestion 1/day each: dream Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Hadriel fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. Hadriel can use her Frightful Presence. She then makes two bone hook attacks. She can substitute Rend the Flesh for each bone hook attack. Bone Hook. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it becomes grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and Hadriel can automatically hit the target
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Frightful Presence. Each creature of Hadriel’s choice that is within 20 feet of her and aware of her must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Hadriel’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Rend the Flesh. Hadriel wrenches a bone hook from a creature she has grappled. The creature must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) piercing damage on a failed save, or just half this damage on a successful one. Change Shape. Hadriel magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating no higher than her own, or back into her true form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (Hadriel’s choice). She reverts to her true form if she dies. In a new form, Hadriel retains her alignment, hit points, Hit Dice, ability to speak, proficiencies, Legendary Resistance, lair actions, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, as well as this action. Her statistics and capabilities are otherwise replaced by those of the new form, except any class features or legendary actions of that form. R e a c t ions Deflect Missile. Hadriel adds +5 to her AC against one ranged attack that would hit her. To do so, Hadriel must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Hadriel can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Hadriel regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Attack. Hadriel makes a bone hook attack. Teleport. Hadriel magically teleports, along with whatever she is wearing or carrying, to an unoccupied space she can see within 120 feet. Greater Domination (Costs 3 Actions). Hadriel casts the dominate monster spell.
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He l l war de ns Hellwardens are an ingenious creation of Baal, Lord of the First Circle. More fighting goes on in Baal’s domain than anywhere else in Hell: There the devilish legions have fought demons, celestials, and one another uncountable times. In fact, war is so frequent that piles of corpses, fields of bones, and forests of the crucified are common sights. Baal made the Hellwardens to take advantage of this terrain, giving himself an easily camouflaged spy network. Hellwardens look like horribly crucified devils, often with missing limbs and gaping wounds. Although they appear quite dead, powerful magic keeps them alive. Baal and his commanders plant these spies throughout the First Circle to collect intelligence on their enemies. Hellwardens are sometimes used to guard fortresses and encampments as well, since their piercing scream makes an excellent alarm. Hellwardens are occasionally seen on the Material Plane, but only during particularly brutal wars or pogroms. Hellwardens are not fighters: their job is to collect information, not attack the enemy. Occasionally, though, they are used to ambush enemy columns. When gathered in numbers, they can be quite formidable. Hellwardens use their magic to keep their distance in combat while they attack with their other spells.
He rl e k ins The story is a familiar one to inquisitors throughout the Material Plane. Some poor soul dabbles with summoning magic. Their intentions, so they say, are good, but Mephistopheles himself answers their call. The poor summoner is no match for the great deceiver and finds themselves seduced. The misguided spellcaster then tearfully relates their forbidden, usually nocturnal, couplings and begs for mercy. The inquisitors can only smile ruefully as the same stories unfold. They know that none of these folk have met Mephistopheles—Lords of Hell do not dally with mere dabblers. No, the great seducers in these cases are almost always the lowly herlekins The herlekins are rank-and-file soldiers of Hell. When Baal leads the infernal armies to war, hundreds of
He l l war de n
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 51 (6d8 + 24) Speed 0 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 6 (−2)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 15 (+2)
Cha 13 (+1)
Skills Perception +4 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. The hellwarden’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12). The hellwarden can innately cast the following spells, requiring no somatic or material components: At will: detect thoughts, dimension door 3/day each: magic missile, project image Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. Piercing Scream (1/Day). The hellwarden unleashes a piercing scream to give voice to the countless days it has suffered in one long shriek. Each creature inside a 30-foot-long cone originating from the hellwarden’s mouth must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) thunder damage and becoming stunned until the end of its next turn on a failed save, or just taking half this damage on a successful one.
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He rl e k in
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4) Speed 40 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 8 (−1) 9 (−1)
Cha 12 (+1)
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the herlekin can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Murderous. When a herlekin drops a creature to 0 hit points or fewer, the herlekin gains 1d6 temporary hit points and makes attack rolls with advantage until the end of its next turn.
thousands of herlekins march behind him. Because there are so many of them, they frequently find themselves summoned to the Material Plane. The goat-legged, horned herlekins have thus become synonymous with devils in the minds of common mortals. Herlekins are unsubtle, to say the least. Primarily, they want to drink, fight, and fornicate (not necessarily in that order). They are bullied so often by more powerful devils that they take every opportunity to push around those weaker than themselves.
S h o c k T ro o p s Herlekins are fast-moving shock troops, sent in after waves of lemures have exhausted the enemy. They excel at assaults but do not do well with complicated maneuvers. Herlekin have a taste for blood and are difficult to control once battle has begun. Still, in numbers and properly led, they make a potent force.
Ice S t al k e r
A c t ions Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piecing damage.
Natives of the frigid Eighth Circle, ice stalkers are the eyes and ears of Mephistopheles. They patrol the vast icy wastes, reporting suspicious activity to the ice devils.
C a nn y H u n t e r s An ice stalker’s tail can strike overhead or to the rear but does not, as is often claimed, contain a poisonous sting. Ice stalkers usually run on all fours but fight upright so they can better use their claws. Their ability to burrow through the snow allows them to approach undetected and literally go to ground when pursued. It also allows them to set up effective ambushes—vital whenever war comes to the Eighth Circle. While the scouting function of the ice stalkers is well known in Hell, their hunting role is not such common knowledge. Ice stalkers are expert trackers, and Mephistopheles and his minions use them to hunt down fugitives, be they escaped souls, runaway devils, or exiled nobles of Hell. Few know about this ability because few survive the attentions of ice stalker packs on the hunt. The secret may soon be out, however, thanks to a book by a human sorcerer named Tharkul Snorrson. This tome, On the Forms and Functions of Devilkind, contains an essay on ice stalkers and recommends their summoning in colder climates. It makes special mention of their tracking and ambush expertise and provides several dubious stories on their use in a barbarian tribal feud. The book remains obscure for the time being—and may remain that way, if agents of Mephistopheles find out about it.
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Ignag ons One cannot fail to see the ignagons. Standing twenty feet tall, wearing blackened crowns upon their heads, with bodies wreathed in hellfire, they wade through enemies, knocking them aside with each swing of their mighty fists. Although fearsome in their own right, their mere presence inspires other devils, stiffening their spines and firming their resolve to keep fighting even against overwhelming numbers.
Hell recognizes the differences between souls that walk through its iron gates. Most of the damned face transformation into manes, devils situated at the very bottom of the plane’s hierarchy. In time they might ascend to higher positions, earning new bodies to match, but most just languish among the lowly. However, when a soul belonging to a great tyrant, brutal warlord, or despicable despot finds its way to Hell, it is set aside, its fate much different. These souls become infernal beacons for the devils on the battlefields, transformed into towering figures tasked with leading the charge against Hell’s enemies. One might think such a position to be a promotion, but, in truth, ignagons suffer like all the rest, forced to fight and die for uncaring masters.
Ice S t al k e r
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. (ice and snow only) Str 14 (+2)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Cha 8 (−1)
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Cold Breath (Recharge 5–6). The ice stalker exhales an icy blast in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the ice stalker deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the ice stalker that isn’t incapacitated and the ice stalker doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. Spines. Spines bristle all over the ice stalker’s body. When a creature successfully grapples the ice stalker, the creature takes 3 (1d6) piercing damage. A c t ions Multiattack. The ice stalker makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with its tail slap.
“Not all devils are creatures of fire. The ice stalkers of the Eighth Circle dwell in eternal cold.” — from On the Forms and Functions of Devilkind C hapter II: T he F iends
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Ignag on
Huge fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 200 (16d12 + 96) Speed 50 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 11 (+0)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)
Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Con +11, Wis +9, Cha +10 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 16 (15,000 XP) Crown of Fire. When the ignagon takes 20 damage or more from a single attack, flames burst from its crown into a 30-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in the area must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) fire damage on a failed save, or just half this damage on a successful one. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Flaming Body. A creature that touches the ignagon or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 11 (2d10) fire damage. Illumination. The ignagon sheds bright light in a 60-foot radius and dim light for an additional 60 feet. Infernal Beacon. All friendly devils within 120 feet of the ignagon that can see it are immune to the frightened condition. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The ignagon’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The ignagon makes two melee attacks. Flaming Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d12 + 7) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) fire damage.
In f e r n a l F o r t r e ss e s
While most ignagons serve their masters in the field, some are charged with command of an infernal fortress-outpost in one of the Circles of Hell, as are similarly powerful devils such as pit fiends. These iron or basalt bulwarks house battalions of devils and the whole of an infernal fortress is considered the commander’s lair. While fighting within its fortress lair, a devil commander can take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the devil can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects: •
An area up to 30 feet across within the fortress sprouts sharp iron spikes, which last until the devil takes a different lair action. The area is considered difficult terrain, and any creature falling prone within it must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) piercing damage. A successful save results in half damage.
•
A spectral, flaming eye appears on any surface of the fortress, lasting until the devil takes a different lair action. The devil commander can see and hear from the spectral eye as if it were present at that point.
•
An opening appears in a wall of the fortress like the effect of a passwall spell, but with three times the usual dimensions. It lasts until the devil commander takes a different lair action or chooses to dismiss it as a bonus action.
•
The walls of the fortress sprout spectral arms, which last until initiative count 20 on the following round. Any creature that is intruding in the fortress and starts its turn within 10 feet of a wall must succeed on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled. Escaping requires a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
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K ere
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 76 (8d8 + 36) Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 28 (+9)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +12, Con +7, Wis +4 Skills Acrobatics +12, Athletics +9, Perception +4 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Avoidance. If the kere is subject to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Swift Step. A kere imposes disadvantage on all attack rolls made against it as a result of its movement triggering opportunity attacks. A c t ions Multiattack. The kere makes three scimitar attacks Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d6 + 9) slashing damage. R e a c t ions Parry. The kere adds 5 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the kere must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
K ere s Keres are elite soldiers in the armies of Baal, Lord of the First Circle. They move fast and hit hard, and Baal prizes their skill and ruthlessness. Long spider legs sprout from their backs in mockery of the beautiful wings of celestials. These extra legs give keres a mobility undreamed of by the rank-and-file devils. Keres can climb walls, hang from ceilings, and pounce on opponents from any angle. The drow, especially their clerics, hate keres with unrivaled passion. They see the devils as an affront to their Spider Queen and seek to slay keres above all other foes. This greatly amuses the keres, but they respect the drow as adversaries.
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“Behind you!” — Said to be the last words of the wizard Storax Lilith is known to favor female keres in her armies, but the majority of these devils serve the Lord of the First Circle. Keres love to fight, and they excel at it. In combat they are a blur of motion, using their spider legs, tumbling ability, and spring attacks to fight a very mobile style of warfare. Keres never just stand in one spot and duke it out. They always keep their opponents guessing where they’ll move and whom they’ll attack next.
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K nock e r
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 6 (1d8 + 2) Speed 30 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 9 (−1) 8 (−1)
Cha 12 (+1)
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. The knocker’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). The knocker can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: minor illusion Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions War Pick. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
K no ck e r Knockers are members of the downtrodden underclass of devilkind. Unlike lemures, they are not reborn spirits of the dead but true members of the devil tribe. They are expert miners and so spend most of their time toiling in the dank tunnels of the Seventh Circle, where they serve Beelzebub on his ceaseless construction projects. The Lord of the Flies is constantly building new cities and abandoning them as soon as they are complete. This program requires endless raw materials, and that’s where the knockers come in. Knockers have also been pressed into Beelzebub’s armies on more than one occasion, where they are treated as cannon fodder. Thus, no knocker wants to march to war in Hell, a virtual death sentence.
P i e r c ing
t he
Pl a n e s
Despite their lowly status, knockers are not uncommon visitors to the Material Plane. Petty wizards sometimes summon them, but more frequently knockers stumble through an underground portal and leave Hell before they realize it. Once on the Material Plane, they delight in making mischief. After toiling for countless hours in Hell, these visits are almost like vacations to them. For once, they don’t have to do the bidding of their taskmasters. For once, they can make the rules. 168
One would think that knockers would have some sympathy for mortal miners, but the opposite is true. They enjoy nothing more than leading miners astray to catch them in cave-ins or watch them starve to death in forsaken tunnels. Knockers thus tend to gravitate to mines or other underground areas on the Material Plane, where they have their fun at mortals’ expense until they are caught or driven off.
Lel
M a rq uis e
of t he
N ig h t
Lilith, the ruler of the Sixth Circle, is one of the most notorious seductresses in the multiverse. But when Lilith encounters someone too smart, pure, or strong-willed to fall for even her legendary powers, she calls on Lel, Marquise of the Night. Lel is a favored minion of Lilith, a specialist in the dark arts of blackmail and murder. She is a valuable tool in the politics of Hell, but she is priceless on the Material Plane. Very few mortals have what it takes to survive Lel’s attentions. Rumors in the infernal courts ascribe her special powers to godly blood, and some whisper that she is the result of a tryst between Lilith and Anshar, the Babylonian god of night. Raising such a child would be quite a feat, considering that Lilith’s breasts produce poison instead of milk, but that doesn’t stop the gossip.
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C u nning C o u r t i e r Unlike many devil nobles, Lel does not maintain her own fortress. She lives at her mistress’s court and serves Lilith directly. Roughly a millennium ago, she started training an elite cadre of devils in her line of work. Known as the Teeth of the Night, this group has provided invaluable service to Lilith since its foundation. They proved so effective on the First Circle that Baal has sworn vengeance against Lel. The marquise feigns indifference regarding the vendetta, but minions of Baal have a nasty habit of ending up dead.
C h a r ming l y E vil For a devil with so much blood on her hands, Lel is surprisingly lighthearted. When not on assignment, she enjoys the pageantry and decadence of Lilith’s court. Many a devil noble has been charmed by her, only to learn her dread identity later. When it’s time to work, though, Lel is deadly serious. She takes off her silken gloves, exposes her claws of pure darkness, and gets down to the business at hand.
L e l , Marquise o f t he Nig h t Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 97 (13d8 + 39) Speed 50 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 25 (+7)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 14 (+2)
Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Dex +13, Int +9, Cha +11 Skills Perception +8, Stealth +13 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 17 (18,000 XP) Daughter of the Night. While Lel is obscured by dim light or darkness, she imposes disadvantage on attack rolls made against her. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Lel fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, Lel can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Lel deals an extra 21 (6d6) damage when she hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Lel that isn’t incapacitated and Lel doesn’t have disadvantage on the roll. A c t ions Multiattack. Lel makes two Claws of Darkness attacks. Claws of Darkness. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage plus 22 (4d10) necrotic damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Lel can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Lel regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Attack. Lel makes a Claws of Darkness attack. Teleport. Lel magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing and carrying, to an unoccupied space of her choosing within 120 feet. Vanish. Lel magically becomes invisible until she takes the Attack action or until the end of her next turn.
“Charmed, I’m sure. Well, then, the stage is set. Shall we dance?” C hapter II: T he F iends
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Ma gug on s Magugons are natives of Hell’s Fourth Circle. They serve in the bowels of Belial’s fiery city and only rarely venture outside of its confines.
I n f e r n a l S mi t h s Belial takes great pride in the magugons, whose smithing abilities are well known across the planes. They run the armaments workshops that ensure a steady stream of weaponry
for their lord’s armies. They have the strength, skill, and multiple appendages necessary to work the great furnaces and bellows that produce fine adamantine. The Fourth Circle is scorching to begin with, but only these special apparatuses make enough heat to burn away all the metal’s impurities.
B e l i a l’s S ol di e r s Belial maintains a small core of magugons as shock troops for his armies. These magugons spend part of their time training for combat, and Belial uses them as a reserve unit when in great need. Several battles have been turned by the magugons’ arrival. It’s hard to deny the impact of a gang of 20-foot-tall, four-armed, fire-hurling monsters.
“When it is said something is ‘forged in the fires of Hell’ it is likely at the many hands of the magugons.” — from On the Forms and Functions of Devilkind Magug on
Huge fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60) Speed 50 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Skills Perception +5 Damage Vulnerability cold Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Flaming Hide. Any creature that moves to within 10 feet of the magugon or starts its turn there must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half this damage on a successful one. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The magugon makes two claws attacks. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (6d6 + 7) slashing damage. Fire Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (8d8) fire damage.
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Ma l g rin
Duk e
of
U nl if e
A powerful noble of the First Circle of Hell, Malgrin tries to curry favor with Lord Baal by winning military victories and has chosen a novel way to do so. Most armies on the First Circle are composed, naturally enough, of devils. They are in near-constant conflict with their perpetual enemies, demons, but also face internal threats. Devils are simply too interested in their own advancement to make trustworthy subordinates. Malgrin should know—he rose to his position by assassinating his former boss. Once in charge, he decided to secure his position by increasing the undead forces under his command. There were plenty of corpses to make troops from, and he found their obedience pleasing. Moreover, his fiendish skeletons cannot be turned while in Hell. Now known as the Duke of Unlife, Malgrin has a huge undead horde under his command. His officers are not devils at all, but necromancers of various races who have pledged themselves to him. The implacable advance of the duke’s legions has routed both demons and rival devils.
• A bone spike erupts from a point on the floor within 120 feet of Malgrin. One creature of Malgrin’s choice within 5 feet of the spike must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) piercing damage and become impaled on the spike until the end of its next turn. An impaled creature’s speed is 0.
• A foul stench of rotting meat fills the air inside a sphere with a 60-foot radius centered on a point within 120 feet of Malgrin. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw against poison or become poisoned until the end of its next turn.
S e c r e t Pl o t s To most outside observers, Malgrin seems content to rule his necromantic fiefdom, though none can say what really lurks in the heart of the Duke of Unlife. Other nobles of the First Circle whisper in their lord’s ear. They say that Malgrin is planning a move and that he wants to turn the entirety of Baal’s realm into a boneyard. The archdevil may harbor some suspicions, but right now he values the duke’s armies too much to take any action.
M a l g r in ’s L ai r When not in the field leading his armies, Malgrin lurks within the corridors of the Bone Citadel, a grim fortress built on the banks of a river of blood. Twitching corpses and the animated bones of his victims litter the corridors and chambers of his complex. Encountered in his lair, Malgrin has a challenge rating of 22 (41,000 XP).
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Malgrin takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. Malgrin can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
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Mal g rin, Duk e o f Unl if e Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
throw is successful, the creature is immune to Malgrin’s Fear Aura for 24 hours.
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 70) Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 25 (+7)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 18 (+4) 22 (+6)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Malgrin fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Str +14, Con +12, Wis +13 Skills Insight +13, Intimidation +10, Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 21 (33,000XP) Awaken the Dead. As a bonus action, a dead humanoid Malgrin touches becomes a skeleton or zombie under his control as if he had created the creature with the animate dead spell. Unlike the spell, there is no limit to the number of undead he can create. Undead he creates have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Fear Aura. Any creature hostile to Malgrin that starts its turn within 20 feet of him must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw, unless Malgrin is incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving
• The corpse of each dead humanoid creature inside a 30-foot cube originating from a point within 120 feet of Malgrin animates to become a skeleton or zombie (Malgrin’s choice). The creatures act on initiative count 0 and obey all of Malgrin’s mental commands.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The region around the Bone Citadel is infested with negative energy flowing from the Duke of Unlife, creating one or more of the following effects: • Creatures making death saving throws within 1 mile of the Bone Citadel make the saves with disadvantage.
• Bits of flesh, bone, and hair found in the landscape within 1 mile of the lair sometimes clump together and waddle about as if they were creatures. Harmless, they move in this way for a few moments before falling apart. • Undead within 1 mile of the Bone Citadel have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
If Malgrin dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days. 172
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. Malgrin makes two melee attacks. Unholy Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 7) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) necrotic damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Malgrin can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Malgrin regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Malgrin makes a melee weapon attack. Grave Grasp. Malgrin targets one creature on the ground that he can see within 60 feet. A bony hand reaches up to grab the target. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and become grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained. Teleport. Malgrin magically teleport, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, to an unoccupied space within 120 feet.
Ne rg al
t he
F e t i d P r inc e
Nergal is a powerful noble in the service of Beelzebub, Lord of the Seventh Circle. His form is huge and bloated. A master of pestilence, Nergal takes particular pleasure in spreading disease on worlds in the Material Plane. He revels in the fact that the randomness of truly virulent disease can shake even the strongest faith. Devils thrive in this sort of atmosphere, tempting mortals onto a path that leads them to Hell upon death.
Ag e n t
of
D e c ay
Nergal is also proof that Beelzebub has a sense of humor. He whose stock in trade is disease that rots from within is in charge of preventing the decay of Beelzebub’s organization. He commands the bone devils of the Seventh Circle and makes sure they are properly policing the Lord of the Flies’ minions. Nergal receives hundreds of reports every day from his far-flung agents, feeding him information on countless devils. He has dirt on most of Beelzebub’s important nobles, and they hate him for it. They also fear him, of course—that and Beelzebub’s continued support keep Nergal in office.
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Ne rg al , T he f e t id P rince Huge fiend (devil), lawful evil
plus 18 (4d8) poison damage (see Flesh-Eating Weapons). Hit points lost to this weapon’s damage can be regained only through a short or long rest, rather than by regeneration, magic, or any other means.
Armor Class 24 (plate, natural armor) Hit Points 218 (19d12 + 95) Speed 50 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Con +12, Wis +10, Cha +10 Skills Perception +10 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. Nergal’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). Nergal can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Mass Contagion (1/Day). Nergal releases a cloud of pestilence from his space that spreads out and around corners in a 120-foot radius and then dissipates. Up to twenty creatures Nergal chooses in the area must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be subject to the effects of the contagion spell. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Nergal can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Nergal regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Nergal makes a wounding spiked chain attack. Teleport. Nergal magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing and carrying, to an unoccupied space he can see within 120 feet. Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Nergal innately casts a spell.
At will: fog cloud, grease, poison spray, ray of sickness 3/day each: blight, contagion, insect plague Flesh-Eating Weapons. Nergal’s weapon attacks are magical. When Nergal hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage (included in the attack) and the target must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be affected by flesh rot as if Nergal had cast the spell on the target. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Nergal fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Nergal has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. A c t ions Multiattack. Nergal makes three melee attacks. Wounding Spiked Chain. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d6 + 9) slashing damage
N e rg a l’s L ai r Nergal claims a rotting fortress at the center of a vast and terrible swamp. The place reeks of filth and decay, with bloated bodies of those who have succumbed to plague found everywhere throughout, posed in ways only Nergal considers humorous. If encountered in his lair, Nergal’s challenge rating is 23 (50,000 XP).
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Nergal takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. Nergal can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
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• A cloud of fetid, noxious gas spreads out from a point within 120 feet of Nergal until it reaches a 30-foot radius. The cloud wraps around corners. The cloud remains until initiative count 20 of the next round. The cloud partially obscures the area. Any creature in the area when the cloud appears or that enters it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) poison damage and gain one level of exhaustion.
• Liquid excrement bubbles up from a point on the ground within 120 feet of Nergal and spreads out in a 30-foot radius. The puddle wraps around corners and remains until initiative count 20 of the next round. The puddle is difficult terrain. Any creature knocked prone in the puddle must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 36 (4d8) poison damage and reduce its hit point maximum by 10 (3d6). The reduction to a creature’s hit point maximum lasts until it finishes a long rest.
• Nergal targets one creature he can see within 60 feet of him. If the target is not a construct or undead, it must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw against poison or contract a flesh rot as if Nergal has cast the contagion spell on that creature.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The Fetid Prince built his base of operations in an enormous swamp. His minions teleport in and out, so there is no need for a navigable path to his fortress. Any overland attack is doomed to failure, as the swamp can swallow up entire armies. Nergal’s magical influence warps the place, creating one or more of the following effects: • Clouds of gnats and biting insects fill the air within 1 mile of the lair, making an expedition to it miserable.
• All water within 1 mile of Nergal’s lair becomes corrupted and unsafe to drink. Any creature consuming corrupted water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. • The swamp actively resists intrusion. Creatures attempting to navigate the swamp have disadvantage on their Wisdom (Survival) checks and make these checks against a DC 25 to avoid becoming lost. If Nergal dies, the effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
Pain Mist r e ss e s Pain mistresses are Submitters of duch*ess Hadriel (see Hadriel, duch*ess of Domination, earlier in this chapter). They inflict pain on other Submitters and receive pain from the Obeyed. They are thus perfect servants for the duch*ess of Domination. Pain mistresses are instantly recognizable by their oversized claws. They serve Hadriel in two ways. They act as torturers, squeezing secrets from Hadriel’s enemies, and they track down and capture persons of interest to the duch*ess. Their ability to assume humanoid forms allows them to hunt on the Material Plane as well as in Hell. Pain mistresses are key members of the Shrieking Violet Society and have proved an important part of Hadriel’s operation in the Material Plane. With precise applications of pleasure and pain, they mold the society’s members into proper tools.
A c c us t o m e d
to
Mo r t a l s
If Hadriel has a worry, it is that the pain mistresses are enjoying their stay on the Material Plane too much. They spend most of their time in an alternate form, living among humanoids. Some have become quite notorious in their mortal identities. One, who goes by the name Michaela, has the entire nobility of her home city 174
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Pain Mist r e ss
Large fiend (devil, shapechanger), lawful evil
Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical.
Armor Class 18 (breastplate, natural armor) Hit Points 84 (8d10 + 40) Speed 40 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 9 (–1) 14 (+2)
Cha 16 (+3)
Shapechanger. The pain mistress can use her action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into her true form. Her statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies. A c t ions
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +6 Skills Deception +6, Insight +5, Intimidation +6, Perception +5 Damage Resistances cold, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Multiattack. The pain mistress makes two melee attacks.
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision.
Inflict Pain (1/Day). The pain mistress releases a wave of psychic energy that spreads out and around corners in a 30-foot radius. Each creature the pain mistress chooses in the area must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) psychic damage and becoming incapacitated for 1 minute on a failed save, or just taking half the damage on a successful one. An incapacitated creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Innate Spellcasting. The pain mistress’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The pain mistress can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: dominate person Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
under her sway. These jaded aristocrats have fallen hard for Michaela’s hellish attractions. They see it all as decadent and risqué fun, and they fail to understand that Michaela has real power over them.
Se l idim As a Plane of Perdition, Hell has few rivals. Souls condemned to the various layers find every nightmare made manifest, their existence defined by the torments they must withstand. The devils’ cruelty transforms the flesh of their new infernal forms into something more, something deadlier and darker, awakening the evil brimming in their hearts until these horrid souls join the ranks of Hell’s legions. Devils delight in their work, and each possesses some means to make life worse for those beneath them. Whether the cruelties inflicted are physical or psychological, the results are the same. The damned suffer, exquisitely. Some devils, however, pay special attention to their work and make it the sum of their existence both to deliver pain and receive it. The selidim are such devils.
U ns p e a k a bl e O rg i e s Considered degenerates by most other devils, the selidim seek Hell’s forbidden pleasures. Standing twice as tall as
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Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it becomes grappled (escape DC 16). Until the grapple ends, the target is also retrained and the pain mistress’s claws attacks against the grappled target hit automatically, but the pain mistress cannot attack a different target with the claws without ending the grapple. A pain mistress can grapple up to two creatures at a time.
most humans with perfect, flawless forms , they take charge of their minor holdings and preside over unspeakable orgies that explore the ecstasy that comes from horrifying suffering. Few devils seek out a place among these garish spectacles, with most having fallen out of favor in one way or another and received the attention of a selidim as their punishment. Throughout the endless acts of debauchery, the selidim feed on the pain, experiencing awful pleasure that leaves them writhing and gasping on their thrones. To heighten their experience, they pierce their flesh with barbed hooks, flay their backs with scourges, and tear strips of skin from their bodies, letting the blood flow. The greater the pain, the greater the pleasure, until the selidim finally have enough and slaughter the gathered thralls.
“The Cult of Sighs, active in certain noble circles more than a hundred years ago, was made up of devil worshipers in service to the selidim. Their midnight gatherings descended into deeper and deeper depravities to emulate and please their infernal masters and to satisfy the jaded tastes of the cult’s leaders.” — from The Annals of the Knights of the Flame 175
Se l idim
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 200 (16d10 + 112) Speed 40 ft. Str 21 (+5)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 25 (+7) 18 (+4) 13 (+1)
Cha 26 (+8)
Saving Throws Con +13, Wis +7, Cha +14 Skills Insight +7, Intimidation +14, Persuasion +14 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 19 (22,000 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Hellish Weapons. The selidim’s weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 14 (4d6) poison damage on a hit (included in the attack). Infernal Seduction. As a bonus action, the selidim targets one creature it can see within 90 feet. The target must make a DC 22 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes
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charmed for 1 minute and on each of its turns moves toward the selidim by the safest available route. If the target cannot move closer to the selidim, it instead falls prone and remains prone until it is no longer charmed. Whenever the target takes damage, it can repeat the saving throw with disadvantage, ending the charmed effect on itself with a success. A creature that saves against this effect or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this selidim’s Infernal Seduction for 24 hours. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. sad*stic Glee. Whenever the selidim deals damage with an attack, the selidim regains 11 (2d10) hit points. Pleasure from Pain. Whenever the selidim takes damage, it makes all attack rolls with advantage until the end of its next turn. A c t ions Multiattack. The selidim makes three attacks—two with its whip and one with its Exquisite Touch. Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. Exquisite Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 35 (10d6) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or become stunned until the end of its next turn.
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Soul snif f e r
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 84 (13d8 + 26) Speed 50 ft. Str 17 (+3)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0)
Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Cha 13 (+1)
Skills Athletics +6, Investigation +5, Perception +3, Stealth +8 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Ambusher. In the first round of combat, the soulsniffer has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Keen Smell. The soulsniffer has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the soulsniffer deals an extra 10 (3d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the soulsniffer that isn’t incapacitated and the soulsniffer doesn’t have disadvantage on the roll. Soul Scent. The soulsniffer can pinpoint, by scent, the location of any creature with a soul that is within 120 feet of it. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Soulsuck. The soulsniffer can suck the soul of one creature within 5 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 minute. The soul becomes trapped inside the soulsniffer’s gullet until the devil uses an action to release it or the soulsniffer dies. While a soul is inside a soulsniffer’s gullet, the creature cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell.
Soul sni f f e rs Soulsniffers scour Hell’s nine circles and capture renegade souls for their diabolical lords. When souls first arrive in Hell, they are incorporeal and bewildered. Most of the time, before they can get their bearings and come to the realization that they are dead, they become larvae, the abused majority of Hell. Sometimes, though, a particularly powerful or canny soul avoids this transformation. These souls roam through Hell looking to escape, and sometimes they succeed. On rare occasions they return to the Material Plane as ghosts. The Lords of Hell, of course, cannot allow such impudence to stand. They maintain a specialized cadre of soulsniffers, devils that hunt down runaway souls and return them to Hell. On special occasions, a lord may even send soulsniffers to the Material Plane to bring back a particularly juicy soul. Due to their expertise at dealing with incorporeal targets, soulsniffers sometimes find themselves summoned to the Material Plane by mortal spellcasters as well.
S pinde r The well-equipped adventurer has little to fear from a single spinder, despite its jagged appearance. Unfortunately, the only time one of these ferocious creatures is found alone is when it’s dead.
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I n f e r n a l V e r min Spinders arrive in and disappear from the various levels of Hell much like a plague of vermin. They have little intelligence to speak of and dedicate most of their lives simply to propagating their line. This is more difficult than it sounds, because spinders cannot gestate on their own but must infest other creatures by force. Because they aren’t much of a threat singly, spinders band together in groups of six or more to better accomplish this goal. The other denizens of Hell react poorly to spinders and attempt to exterminate any packs they find in their vicinity. This prejudice has made the spinders nomadic out of necessity. Similarly, they can survive for years without food, although they tend to eat in prodigious amounts if they have not fed for any substantial period of time.
S t r e ng t h
in
Num b e rs
Without their ability to get into and survive fights, spinders would have ceased to exist ages ago. They prefer to initiate combat only when they outnumber their foes at least two to one, but they attack anything if it has been a while since they have spawned or fed. Upon finding a suitable target, a group of spinders attempts to encircle its prey. They run forward on all fours with their heads down, relying on their spines to deflect any potential ranged attacks. Once they have their prey surrounded (or as close to this as they can get), they leap simultaneously, trying to knock the target down. If the
spinders do not have the advantage of numbers, they leave one or more enemies free so that they can gang up on others. Spinders press their attack until they have killed or subdued their foes, unless there is danger of the entire pack being wiped out, in which case they beat a hasty retreat. If they have managed to infest one or more opponents, they break off at the first sign that the combat is going against them.
S pinde r
Small fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 33 (6d6 + 12) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. Str 13 (+1)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 6 (–2) 8 (−1)
Cha 6 (–2)
Skills Perception +1, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Inject Eggs (1/Day). In a fight, the spinder injects its eggs into the first creature it hits with a bite attack that is neither a construct nor undead. That creature must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw against disease or become poisoned for 24 hours. At the end of each hour the target has been poisoned, its hit point maximum reduces by 1d6. If the target’s hit point maximum drops to 0, the target dies as 2d4 Tiny spinders eat their way free from the target’s body. The new spinders then roll initiative as a group and take their turns together. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Pack Tactics. A spinder has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the spinder’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. A c t ions Multiattack. The spinder makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. The first creature hit by its bite that is not a construct or undead must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be injected with the spinder’s eggs and become poisoned (see Inject Eggs for additional details). Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.
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S pi t e s Sometimes confused with the helpful and benevolent faeries found in the mortal world and the realms of the fey folk, spites share nothing more than their appearance with these good-hearted folks. Cruel and wicked, spites aid mortals to make easier their labors. Mortals who agree find the spites work quickly and expertly, faster than anyone could ever hope to achieve. Upon completion of their work, however, the spites demand payment, which normally takes the form of a human child. If the mortal provides the child, the demons spirit it away to Hell, where, through depraved rituals, they transform the child into another spite. If the mortal refuses to give up the child, the spites undo everything they have done and take the mortal’s nose for calling them heedlessly. Spites serves as craftsmen and artisans in Hell, constructing the vast palaces of the infernal aristocracy. They
S pi t e
Small fiend (devil), lawful evil
build iron boulevards, erect great towers, and manufacture any number of commodities. Spites perform in other capacities, as well. They make for excellent spies and infiltrators, servants, and even torturers—they make the best butchers.
S t rig a Strigae (the plural of striga) are Submitters of duch*ess Hadriel (see Hadriel, duch*ess of Domination, earlier in this chapter). They are spies recruited from particularly devoted and ruthless members of the Shrieking Violet Society. Hadriel promises these women arcane secrets and tells them that they will see the world in a whole new way. Few decline such an honor. She creates the strigae herself, using a complicated ritual she tortured out of a powerful sorcerer. This process is incredibly painful for the inductee, who is both blinded and scalped. A new magically grown sensory organ is then implanted in the back of the skull. When a new striga awakes, bereft of normal sight and with new-grown wings and claws, the shock is
Armor Class 14 Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. Str 8 (−1)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
S t rig a
Cha 7 (−2)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances cold Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Pack Tactics. A spite has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the spite’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Innate Spellcasting. The spite’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 10). The spite can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: create food and water, fabricate 3/day each: creation A c t ions Razor. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or take 3 (1d6) psychic damage. Dismantle. One nonmagical object that is neither worn nor carried and is within 5 feet of the spite loses all its hit points and is destroyed. Teleport (1/Day). The spite magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing and carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
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Medium fiend (devil, shapechanger), lawful evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1)
Cha 13 (+1)
Skills Deception +3, Perception +3, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. The striga can use its action to polymorph into a Large or smaller humanoid or back to its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. Invisibility. The striga magically becomes invisible until it attacks or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).
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overwhelming. Many succumb to insanity, unable to adjust to their new way of seeing the world. Those who survive the ritual, though, discover that their new sensory organ is very powerful indeed. It allows them to see the essential nature of the people and things around them. With their special sensory abilities, strigae can provide impeccable intelligence for their duch*ess. They also sometimes lead groups of Submitters. Mortal members of the Shrieking Violet Society, many of whom aspire to such status themselves, treat strigae with awe. They whisper among themselves that strigae can sense a traitorous heart with only a glance of their sightless eyes. Strigae are normally found on the Material Plane, working for Hadriel. They change their shape to disguise themselves as humans, elves, or other humanoids.
T aurg e n Normally constrained to the Phlegethon, the Lake of Fire, the taurgen keep the wicked from escaping the burning sea. Occasionally, a pit fiend or an influential horned devil conscripts a company of these horrors to fight in a raid or other conflict.
F al l e n Taurgen fell during the uprising in heaven, cast down with the other Fallen to reside in the wastes of the Lower Planes. Evidenced in their features, beneath their armor, are their beatific features, twisted and contorted with hate and rage. They hate all mortals, believing that their existence maintains their condemnation to the darkness and horror of Hell.
Vie rha ande r In the higher strata of devil society, owning a vierhaander is a sign of status. These gangly, leather-skinned creatures were bred to serve Hell’s nobility. Two hands were judged insufficient to accomplish this task, so the vierhaander has four. For all their worth to their masters, vierhaanders are generally not summoned forth except to impress other diabolical nobles. They serve in the infernal courts as jesters and whipping boys, a ready form of entertainment for the jaded aristocracy of Hell. Over the centuries, the vierhaanders have even lost most of their ability to speak,
T aurg e n
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical.
Armor Class 20 (plate, natural armor) Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Speed 50 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)
Innate Spellcasting. The taurgen’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The taurgen can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: Cha 14 (+2)
Skills Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, Ignan, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Charge. If the taurgen moves at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a trident attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 16 (3d10) piercing damage. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
At will: detect evil and good, fire bolt 3/day each: command, suggestion Fiery Teleport (Recharge 5–6). As a bonus action, the taurgen erupts in a burst of flame and magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, to an unoccupied space within 120 feet. Each creature within 5 feet of the taurgen when it teleports must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 4 (1d8) fire damage. A c t ions Multiattack. The taurgen makes three attacks: one with its bite, one with its trident, and one with its hooves. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage. Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
“Terrible Taurgen, ye fallen who burn for all eternity within the Lake of Fire, tormentors of the damned, I bid ye arise, arise to this circle at my command.” — from The Book of the Black Sun 180
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Vie rha ande r
Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20) Speed 50 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 11 (+0)
Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Cha 15 (+2)
Skills Performance +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Innate Spellcasting. The vierhaander’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The vierhaander can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 1/day each: blur, fear, gust of wind, haste
A c t ions Multiattack. The vierhaander makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with its bite. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (4d6 + 2) slashing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it becomes grappled (escape DC 12). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained. The vierhaander can grapple just one creature at a time. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage. Rack. The vierhaander targets one creature it has grappled. The vierhaander drops prone onto its back and lifts the grappled creature into the air with all four hands, straining to pull the creature apart. The creature must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) force damage on a failed save, or half the damage on a successful one. The vierhaander then stands up.
but they have gained something else: the desire for freedom. There are numerous barriers to this recently discovered need, not the least of which is the fact that their numbers are scattered throughout Hell. Since their tasks only take up a small fraction of their day, however, the vierhaanders have been slowly building up an underground network through which they can communicate. They know that they cannot hope to escape from their servitude by force, so a subtler way of attaining their goal is currently in discussion. Adventurers who are foolish enough to believe they can gain allies by advancing this cause, though, are likely to live only long enough to regret their error.
A R is k y S u mm o ning Vierhaanders are seldom seen on the Material Plane. They are a valued commodity and are only given (or, more often the case, loaned) to mortals who have committed truly nefarious deeds in service to Hell. A vierhaander uses such an opportunity to its advantage, trying either to escape or to kill its mortal master. If successful, it stays clear of mortal settlements and sticks to secluded wilderness areas where it is unlikely to be noticed.
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Vual l , Duk e o f Pl e asur e Large fiend (devil), lawful evil
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision.
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 70) Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 15 (+2) 16 (+3)
Innate Spellcasting. Vuall’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22). Vuall can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: Cha 26 (+8)
Saving Throws Int +8, Wis +9, Cha +14 Skills Deception +14, Insight +9, Intimidation +14, Perception +9, Persuasion +14 Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) Bestow Charisma. As a bonus action, Vuall can kiss the forehead of one willing creature within 5 feet of him. The target gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information) and a +1d6 bonus to Charisma (maximum 30) that lasts for 24 hours.
At will: charm person, detect evil and good, detect magic 3/day each: divine word, lightning bolt, polymorph (self only), suggestion Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Vuall fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Spittle (Recharge 3–6). As a bonus action, Vuall spits a gob of his diabolical saliva at one creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or be splashed with the stuff, taking 10 (3d6) acid damage. At the end of each round for 5 rounds, until a creature that can reach the target uses an action to wash the filth away, the target takes an additional 10 (3d6) acid damage. A c t ions Multiattack. Vuall makes two claws attacks. Vuall can substitute Exquisite Touch for one of these attacks. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage. Exquisite Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) psychic damage and the target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned until the end of its next turn from the rush of bizarre sesnsations flowing through its body. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Vuall can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Vuall regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Horrid Caress. Vuall makes an Exquisite Touch attack. Teleport. Vuall magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, to an unoccupied space he can see within 120 feet. Make Barren (Costs 2 Actions). Vuall targets one creature he can see within 200 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or become stunned until the end of its next turn. In addition, the target becomes unable to produce offspring until Vuall uses an action to restore this ability. A wish spell ends the infertility effect.
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Vu al l
Whipt ail
Duk e of Pl e asur e
Vuall has power over sex and fertility, and he is popular among the barren and those whose true loves do not share their affections. Spurned men send prayers to Hell to force adoration from the subjects of their irrational desires. The ugly and poorly-spoken look upon their pleasingly featured, silver-tongued fellows with homicidal envy. Murderous sexual partners slit the throats of their companions while they’re sleeping, collecting their blood in iron chalices to be quaffed in dark ceremonies. And nestled in the Oasis of Unbound Passion, in an arid desert on the first layer of Hell, Vuall laughs. Vuall is said to have written many treatises on lovemaking, and his reputation as a lover spans the planes. He is something of a patron “antisaint” among those who regard sex as nothing more than a tool for personal power, or who value hiers over love in their unions. The devil is far from altruistic, however. Every fertilization he performs, every sensuous secret he whispers into the ear of a desperate lover, is calculated to bring him the most gain, in the form of either material wealth or contracts on the souls of his followers. Though Vuall understands the intricacies of infernal nobility, he considers himself politically independent (with a distaste for Beelzebub and his faction, whom he views as upstarts).
Small fiend (devil), lawful evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 7 (2d6) Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft. Str 10 (+0)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 7 (–2) 8 (−1)
Cha 10 (+0)
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Pack Tactics. The whiptail has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the whiptail’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. A c t ions Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become stunned until the end of its next turn. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (3d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Whipt ail Whiptails are curious inhabitants of the Ninth Circle, with a very particular function. They are a kind of parasite, feeding on the dead flesh of the King of Hell. At the very bottom of the pit of Hell lies the serpentine form of Asmodeus. The story of his fall has been lost in the mists of time, but fall he did. It is said that devils spring fully formed from his still-bleeding body, which stretches for miles. Asmodeus has never truly healed from his fall, and his blood continues to seep from a thousand wounds. Whiptails cluster around him, tearing off chunks of flesh with their teeth. If Asmodeus notices the feasting, he gives no sign. When he shifts his colossal form, however, the sky blackens as thousands of whiptails take to the air. Perhaps once in a decade, Asmodeus feels the need to thin their ranks. At these times, he sends swarms of the creatures into various worlds in the Material Plane to sow destruction and discord. This is a one-way trip: the whiptails continue to plague these worlds until they are eradicated. In the course of history, several kingdoms have fallen as a consequence of swarming whiptails.
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F AL L E N ANG E L S The Outer Planes are the battleground of ideas and ideals. Just as fiends represent all that is evil and profane, the celestial inhabitants of the Upper Planes embody all that is righteous and benevolent. For the most part, fiends and celestials meet only as combatants, as champions of their mutually exclusive ideologies. Malignancies have a way of spreading, however, and even paragons of purity are susceptible to the beckoning song of sin. Fallen celestials are a paradox. According to the laws of planar philosophy, they should not exist: celestials are made of the essence of goodness. Yet a very, very few do become corrupted by evil. This quandary is perhaps best personified by the solar Iblis, who is thought to have been the first celestial being to fall from grace. In refusing to serve the first mortals, Iblis fell victim to the deadly sin of pride. The Samyasan Host (some 200 angels led by the seraph Samyasa) also abandoned the heavens in their lust for mortal pleasures. The ranks of the Fallen include the proud, gluttonous, covetous, and others who succumbed to all manner of failings.
Corrupt e d F orms
Most fallen celestials appear as corrupted versions of their original selves. Some might have eyes that flicker with black fire and mouths that drool sickly green bile, while others find their feathered wings have become leathery and bat-like. Forked tails and cloven hooves are frequent but by no means the only forms of mutation common to fallen celestials.
Pe o pl e Apart
The Fallen are not truly fiends and cannot technically be classified as devils, demons, or daemons (though many scholars settle for such sloppy categorizations). Some serve fiendish lords—indeed, some rule whole layers of Hell and the Abyss. Others ignore the bizarre hierarchies of the fiends altogether. A small number of fallen celestials cling to some vestige of their ancient ideals, seeing fiends as unholy blights fit only to be purged in some grand reimagining of the Outer Planes. At the heart of it, however, every fallen celestial is defined by the flaws that caused its disgrace in the first place.
“Our compact is fulfilled, my part of the bargain upheld. I have now come to claim what is mine by right.”
Bi t t e r and S pi t e f ul
Though all fallen celestials willfully turned from the cause of good, not all expected to be thrown down for their transgressions. Some, even after centuries, cannot believe what has happened to them and continue, as much as they are able, to live righteous lives. More often, fallen celestials remain deeply embittered about their outcast status, working to make a mockery of everything they once held sacred. Few enemies of the Lords of Good are as spiteful as the Fallen.
Unhol y Com pac t
Some powerful fallen angels can engage a living creature in a blasphemous agreement. The Fallen offers the realization of a great temptation in exchange for the mortal’s soul upon that being’s death. When a mortal who has consented to the unholy compact dies, their soul travels to the Fallen’s domain in the Lower Planes. There it is permanently trapped, as though with the minimus containment effect of the imprisonment spell. The terms of the compact must be absolutely clear, and the mortal cannot be under any form of magical compulsion, lest the agreement be considered null and void. Acceptance need be no more than a verbal statement that is a free action. Some fallen celestials prefer to draw up a physical contract, but this is an affectation. As soon as the agreement is in place, the Fallen must spend its next action casting the wish spell, which it can only do when a compact is made. Freeing oneself from an unholy compact is nearly impossible. Even a wish spell cannot release the promised soul. A still-living mortal is released only if the Fallen is destroyed or the mortal can somehow convince it to give up its claim without magical compulsion. A fallen angel automatically knows if a given mortal has entered into a compact with another and has little patience with those it knows it cannot corrupt.
Hol y In t e r dic t
As a consequence of their disgrace, the Fallen are forever barred from venturing to the Upper Planes, whether by magical or nonmagical means. Likewise, they have difficulty entering holy places, such as churches and even graveyards dedicated to the Lords of Good. In order to do so, the fallen celestial must succeed on a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw. The DC might be higher for especially sanctified places, such as the main temple of the pantheon’s chief deity.
I mm o r t a l N a t u r e A fallen angel doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
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Fal l e n Ang e l Medium celestial, any evil
A creature frightened in this way must take the Dash action on each of its turns to move away from the fallen angel by the safest available route.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64) Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 17 (+3) 15 (+2)
Cha 21 (+5)
Saving Throws Wis +6, Cha +9 Skills Insight +6, Perception +6 Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Accursed Weapons. The fallen angel’s weapon attacks are magical. When the fallen angel hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 18 (4d8) poison damage (included in the attack). Blasphemous Benediction. As a bonus action, the fallen angel can touch one creature within 5 feet of it. If the target is evil or has any corruption, it makes attack rolls with advantage and its weapon attacks deal an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage for 1 minute. Unsettling Presence. A 30-foot radius of disturbance extends out from the fallen angel, moves with it, and spreads around corners. Each beast that starts its turn in the area or moves into it must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw. The creature becomes frightened for 1 minute on a failed save, or becomes immune to the fallen angel’s Unsettling Presence for 24 hours on a successful one.
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Innate Spellcasting. The fallen angel’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The fallen angel can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, detect thoughts 3/day: inflict wounds (as a 2nd-level spell) 1/day each: contact other plane, finger of death A c t ions Multiattack. The fallen angel makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with either its longsword or claws. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. Change Shape. The fallen angel magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating equal to or less than its own, or back into its true form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the fallen angel’s choice). It reverts to its true form if it dies. In a new form, the fallen angel retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and special senses are replaced by those of the new form, and it gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks.
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Name d Fal l e n Ang e l s Several figures found in the Planes of Perdition were once celestials and descended to the depths through their wickedness. The following fallen angels are among the most powerful found in these evil places.
Ahrimane s Before the angelic rebellion in heaven—before the fall of those angels and their subsequent descent to the Abyss and Hell—there was Ahrimanes. An angel, like so many of his brethren that fell from grace, he never exhibited the purity of his fellow celestials. Despite dwelling in the presence of the gods, he could never accept that these beings could have created him. He watched their bickering and childish behavior in shock, horrified by the power they controlled and disgusted by their capriciousness and infighting. He grew to hate them, and, in his hate, he fomented discord in his kind, forming the first rebellion against the gods. His arrogance allowed him to believe he could walk unchallenged in Heaven, talking freely of the pettiness of the immortal masters and their misguided use of power. He gathered a motley host of sycophants to his side, composed of those who saw things as he did, or perhaps they joined because they saw power in him. When their meetings turned violent, the gods would brook no more offense and demanded that Ahrimanes and his followers be cast out of the Heavens. Those angels who enforced the gods’ will were Iblis, Sariel, and Beelzebub, who would eventually rise up against their divine masters when the gods created mortals, inspired by the words of Ahrimanes.
H e a v e n ’s O u t c a s t Ahrimanes’s ejection from the Heavens occurred before Hell was formed and while the qlippoth still ruled unchallenged in the dark, away from the gods. No mortal world yet existed, so Ahrimanes wandered the shadows of the cosmos, too afraid to find shelter with the soulless in the yawning depths of the Abyss. Filled with hatred for all of his kind, he nursed his grief and loneliness for a thousand years, until mortal man first drew his breath on a world created just for him. Soon after, Ahrimanes watched his fellow angels—those that
ignored his warnings and cast him from the light of the Heavens—struggle futilely against the combined might of the Heavens. He watched as Asmodeus, his heir, fell from the Heavens to land in a new place, a place of torment and woe, where the gods would give over mortals of similar disposition to the hateful devils. He laughed gleefully when the others fell to the Abyss and struggled for survival against the qlippoth. In the end, with these fiendish realms created and with demons and devils established in their new realms, Ahrimanes returned from his exile and settled in Gehenna, doing his part to corrupt the mortals and send them to their dark masters. He has an uneasy truce with the exarchs, though each suspects he plots to seize the entire plane for his own. Given his charismatic nature and bottomless corruption, it is a threat that all would do well not to ignore.
Bune Long-sealed volumes in the locked basem*nts of holy temples tell the story of the Primogenial Rebellion, when the solar Iblis (see Iblis, Duke of Pride, later in this chapter, for more information) refused the will of the Lords of Good and brought legions of angels to their doom in the depths of Hell. Only the most ancient tomes reveal that many of the celestials who followed Iblis to perdition were convinced to do so by the calculatingly influential principality Bune [boo-NAY], a trusted angel who had long commanded the bene elim celestials of the Sun God under Iblis. As Iblis made his historic stand, Bune worked behind the scenes, whispering to doubting celestials that Iblis’s actions must be a test from the Lords of Good and that to pass it they would have to show support for Iblis. No one knows whether Bune genuinely believed his own rousing words of solidarity, but many of the other archons, perhaps with a preexisting sliver of faithlessness or arrogance, flocked to his cause. In the end, Iblis’s betrayal might indeed have been a test. But thanks to the diplomatic efforts of Bune, far more failed than otherwise might have, and all were cast into the bowels of the underworld. Many of the Fallen hate Bune with an unequalled passion, blaming him for their disgrace.
“The chief of daemons, lowest of daemons, Ahrimanes, we beseech you, send your servants to devour our foes.” —“Canticle of the Cursed” 186
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Ahrimane s
Large celestial, neutral evil Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 250 (20d10 + 140) Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 19 (+4) 22 (+6)
Cha 25 (+7)
Saving Throws Con +14, Wis +13, Cha +14 Skills Deception +13, Intimidation +13, Perception +12 Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, cold Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, petrified Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 21 (33,000 XP) Divine Awareness. Ahrimanes knows if he hears a lie. Fallen Weapons. Ahrimanes’s weapon attacks are magical. When Ahrimanes hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 22 (5d8)necrotic damage (included in the attack). Innate Spellcasting. Ahrimanes’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22). Ahrimanes can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, invisibility (self only) 3/day each: blade barrier, dispel evil and good, flame strike, raise dead 1/day each: commune, control weather, insect plague Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Ahrimanes fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Ahrimanes has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Vexing Flies (1/Day). Ahrimanes’s face is a seething mass of wriggling maggots. As a bonus action, Ahrimanes can cause 1d4 + 1 swarm of flies (treat as a swarm of insects, as found in Appendix A of the Monster Manual, but with a walking speed of 5 feet and a flying speed of 30 feet) to move out from his space into a space Ahrimanes chooses within 5 feet of him. The swarm of flies rolls initiative and takes the next available turn, under Ahrimanes’s control. Unsettling Presence. A 150-foot radius of disturbance extends out from Ahrimanes, moves with him, and spreads around corners. Each beast that starts its turn in the area or moves into it must make a DC 22 Wisdom saving
C hapter II: T he F iends
throw. The creature becomes frightened for 1 minute on a failed save, or becomes immune to Ahrimanes’s Unsettling Presence for 24 hours on a successful one. A creature frightened in this way must take the Dash action on each of its turns to move away from Ahrimanes by the safest available route. A c t ions Multiattack. Ahrimanes makes three attacks: one with his whip, one with his bite, and one with his claws. He can substitute Harmful Touch for his claws attack. Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d4 + 7) slashing damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8 + 7) slashing damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. Harmful Touch (4/Day) Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 52 (11d8 + 3) necrotic damage and the target becomes poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target is blinded and deafened. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Ahrimanes can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Ahrimanes regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Move. Ahrimanes moves up to his speed. Probe Soul. Ahrimanes probes the soul of one creature he can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Charisma saving throw or become charmed for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, the target grants Ahrimanes advantage on attack rolls he makes against it. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success.
Whip Attack. Ahrimanes makes a whip attack.
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Bune
Large celestial, lawful evil A c t ions
Armor Class 24 (natural armor) Hit Points 250 (20d10 + 140) Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft. Str 25 (+7)
Dex 22 (+6)
Con Int Wis 25 (+7) 26 (+8) 23 (+6)
Multiattack. Bune makes two melee attacks.
Cha 30 (+10)
Saving Throws Int +15, Wis +13, Cha +17 Skills Deception +17, Insight +13, Intimidation +17, Perception +13, Persuasion +17 Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities fire, necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages all but cannot speak, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) Aura of Menace. Any creature hostile to Bune that starts its turn within 20 feet of him must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw, unless Bune is incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to Bune’s Aura of Menace for the next 24 hours.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6 + 7) slashing damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Bune can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Bune regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Teleport. Bune magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. Hateful Burst (Costs 2 Actions). Bune emits magical divine energy. Each creature of his choice in a 10-foot radius must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) necrotic damage plus 14 (4d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Implosion Gaze (Costs 3 Actions). Bune targets one creature he can see within 60 feet of him. If the target can see him, the target must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw or take 55 (10d10) force damage. If the damage drops the target to 0 hit points, it collapses in upon itself with a sickening pop and dies instantly.
Blasphemous Benediction. As a bonus action, Bune can touch one creature within 10 feet of him. If the target is evil or has any corruption, it makes attack rolls with advantage and its weapon attacks deal an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage for 1 minute. Divine Awareness. Bune knows if he hears a lie. Fallen Weapons. Bune’s weapon attacks are magical. When Bune hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 22 (5d8) necrotic damage (included in the attack). Innate Spellcasting. Bune’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 25). Bune can innately cast the following spells, requiring no verbal or material components: At will: continual flame, detect evil and good, disguise self, message, nondetection (self only) 3/day each: charm person, command, dispel evil and good, finger of death, suggestion 1/day each: commune, flame strike Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Bune fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Bune has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Unsettling Presence. A 150-foot radius of disturbance extends out from Bune, moves with him, and spreads around corners. Each beast that starts its turn in the area or moves into it must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw. The creature becomes frightened for 1 minute on a failed save, or becomes immune to Bune’s Unsettling Presence for 24 hours on a successful one. A creature frightened in this way must take the Dash action on each of its turns to move away from Bune by the safest available route.
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Duk e
of
E l o q u e nc e
In the intervening years, Bune has become a patron of liars and corrupt politicians. Bishops of apostate cults say silent vespers to the Duke of Eloquence, praying that none will see through their profane ruse. Captured murderers on the way to trial carve ritualistic scars upon their flesh, hoping to attract Bune’s attention and blessings. On the eve of important negotiations with an enemy nation, a sovereign might enter a portal to Hell to confer with Bune on how best to convince the other of good intentions while at the same time ordering the murder of that rival’s family. When the Lords of Good damned Bune, they punished him in what they thought was the harshest way possible. First, they stripped him of the holy trumpet of his station. Next, since his words had caused so much trouble, they erased his mouth from his comely face. Finally, they plucked out his penetrating, handsome eyes and set the sockets aflame with agonizing orange fire. Yet despite these deformities, Bune has persevered. Soon after the fall, he was taken in by Asmodeus, Lord of the Ninth Circle, and given protection and a lair in the form of a shining castle called Neverdusk. There he is served by a personal guard of three pit fiends and several devils of lesser rank. Bune knows all languages, but he is unable to speak and must communicate via a complicated series of hand gestures. These are interpreted by a canny bone devil named Regudel, who serves as Bune’s majordomo.
B e s t o w E l o q u e nc e In exchange for a fitting sacrifice (such as the destruction of some hated being of good alignment or the gift of a rare or rarer magic item), Bune bestows his diabolical eloquence upon a supplicant. He places his large, beautiful face to the supplicant’s ear and, despite his lack of a mouth, magically whispers a word in the Elder Tongue, an arcane language of great power. Though the listener never remembers this word, just hearing it fills them with presence and confidence, granting advantage to all Charisma checks the creature makes for the next three days. During this time, the supplicant is also aware of all divination spells cast upon them and can warp the results as they see fit (such as appearing to be friendly when hostile or masking outright lies as the utter truth). When the effect ends, the listener gains 1 corruption (see the Corruption Effects Table in Chapter 3 for more information).
I bl is
Duk e
of
P ride
Long before the birth of the first mortal, the Material Plane was the domain of the divs, genies born of fire and entrusted with the government of the world by the Lords of Good. After nine thousand years, the divs rebelled against their superiors under the rule of Gian ben Gian, a powerful warrior king. The gods turned to the solar Iblis to defeat the uprising, which he accomplished by slaying the genie caliph in personal combat. The divs were banished from the Material Plane as punishment for their insurgency. Time-lost myths relate that the Lords of Good thereafter decided to populate the Material Plane with weaker beings who would serve them with good works and reverence. When the gods presented their creation to the celestials and told their glorious warriors that from now on they existed to serve the mortals, Iblis spoke out. “Ye have created me from fire,” he exclaimed. “Yet ye would have me bow to a creature made of dust?” For this refusal to serve, Iblis was cast from the Upper Planes. With him fell a legion of celestials, said to have represented a third of the heavenly host. Iblis’s followers came from all ranks of the angelic choirs, from the lowly ischim to the powerful archangels. Unable to venture to the Material Plane unless summoned, the Fallen turned to Hell; some say they were encouraged to settle there by the dark lord of the plane’s lowest circle. Their arrival triggered a fierce war against the devils who had previously dominated the plane. Powerful, cunning fallen celestials such as Beelzebub and Belial distinguished themselves in this centuries-long conflict, but Iblis, who had started it all, largely withdrew from the battle to ponder his own concerns. Somehow, he managed to rally to his banner the divs whom he had once defeated, and these corrupted genies now serve him in an enormous army.
Swo r d
of
G i an
be n
G i an
Iblis wields an ancient greatsword forged in the age of myth by a mighty div artisan. A most impressive-looking weapon, its crimson-tinted blade is covered in the flowing cursive script of the ancient divs, a dead language now only known by the wisest sages and celestials. The inscriptions, made before Gian ben Gian’s rebellion, sing the praises of the Lords of Good and pledge eternal loyalty. Iblis took the weapon from his fallen foe after the rebellion was crushed and renewed the pledges on the blade as a sign of his own obedience. The spirit of
“In his house in Hell, Proud Iblis lies fallen, prostrate at the betrayal of the Lords of the Heavens. The great sword of Gian ben Gian abides, but the blade still thirsts, and the Proud One will arise to claim his Throne once more.” — from The Litany of the Fallen Ones C hapter II: T he F iends
189
I bl is, Duk e o f P ride Large celestial, lawful evil
Innate Spellcasting. Iblis’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 27). Iblis can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
Armor Class 28 (natural armor) Hit Points 580 (40d10 + 360) Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft. Str 30 (+10)
Dex 22 (+6)
Con Int Wis 28 (+9) 27 (+8) 27 (+8)
Cha 30 (+10)
Saving Throws Con +18, Int +17, Cha +19 Skills Deception +19, Perception +17 Damage Resistances fire, lightning, radiant Damage Immunities acid, cold, necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 27 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 31 (175,000 XP) Divine Awareness. Iblis knows if hears a lie. Fallen Weapons. Iblis’s weapon attacks are magical. When Iblis hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 45 (10d8) fire damage (included in the attack).
he
At will: detect evil and good, invisibility (self only) 3/day each: blade barrier, dispel evil and good, finger of death, fireball (as a 7th-level spell) 1/day each: divine word Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Iblis fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Iblis has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. A c t ions Multiattack. Iblis makes two greatsword attacks or three longbow attacks. Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d6 + 10) slashing damage plus 45 (10d8) fire damage. Slaying Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage plus 45 (10d8) fire damage. If the target is a creature that has 100 hit points or fewer, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or die. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Iblis can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Iblis regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Iblis makes a weapon attack. Teleport. Iblis magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. Probe Soul. Iblis examines the soul of one creature he can see within 120 feet. Until he takes this legendary action again or becomes incapacitated, Iblis has advantage on all attack rolls he makes against the target. Flames of Hatred (Costs 2 Actions). Iblis releases the magical fire of his hate. Each creature of his choice in a 20foot radius must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) fire damage plus 18 (4d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Thwart Magic (Costs 2 Actions). Iblis chooses one creature, object, or magical effect that he can see and automatically ends any spell on the target that is 7th level or lower. Killing Gaze (Costs 3 Actions). Iblis targets one creature he can see within 90 feet of him. If the target can see him and has 90 hit points or less, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or die.
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Gian ben Gian must have laughed when the hammer of the Lords of Good himself fell from grace. Down in the Pit, Iblis considered destroying the weapon, but he decided to keep it instead. He considered it a symbol of his ill treatment at the hands of the Lords of Good. He was true to them, but that loyalty was not returned. Now Iblis and his blade are enemies of Heaven.
I bl is ’s L ai r Iblis claims a stretch of rocky region in the First Circle of Hell, where he and his divs continue their spiteful, timeless struggle against their creators, infiltrating the Material Plane and undermining the worship of the Lords of Good. The writhing remains of countless mortals and devils alike litter the grounds for miles around Iblis’s dominion, serving as a warning to any who would dare trespass in his realm. Some of his victims struggle in pools of boiling pitch, while others have been impaled from the anus through the mouth, yet somehow still live. Screams fill the air, and the ground underfoot has become sodden with blood and excrement.
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Iblis takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. Iblis can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row. • Horrible screams fill the air inside a 60-foot cube of space. Each creature in the area that is not a fiend must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 18 (4d8) psychic damage. • A ball of black fire streaks down to crash againt a point within 120 feet of Iblis, where it explodes in a 30-foot radius. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) fire damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. • Tar bubbles up from a point on the ground within 120 feet of Iblis and spreads out until it covers a 30-foot radius. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) fire damage and become restrained until initiative count 20 of the next round.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s As a being of considerable might, Iblis’s mere presence transforms the region around his lair, creating one or more of the following effects: • Souls of the damned writhe in their torments in a 1-mile radius around the lair, each suffering a unique torture tailored to their crimes. • Ashes and cinders fall from boiling black clouds overhead within 1 mile of the lair, covering the ground with fine black powder and greasy soot.
• All natural sources of water brought to within 1 mile of Iblis’s lair turn into blood.
If Iblis dies, the effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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Na amah
C o n t e ss a
of
D u pl ic i t y
In the early days of the multiverse, Naamah served the Heavens as an astral deva. Now she is a consummate corrupter and a mighty foe of the Lords of Good. Naamah’s task was to watch over mortal agents of good on the Material Plane and aid them in times of need. Filled with zeal, she followed her orders to the letter, observing all that her protégés did and said, day and night. Naamah was amazed by mortals’ capacity for lust and duplicity: even her most pure charges lied from time to time and satisfied their carnal urges with relish. As she watched and learned, Naamah soon imitated the mortals she was bound to protect. Naamah seduced other celestials, showing them the mortal joys that they were forbidden. Some say it was her whisperings that led Samyasa and his followers to lust after mortal pleasures (see The Samyasan Host in 191
Na amah, Con t e ss a o f Dupl ici t y Medium celestial, lawful evil
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 153 (18d8 + 72) Speed 50 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 16 (+3)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +8, Cha +11 Skills Deception +11, Insight +8, Perception +8, Stealth +9 Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 14 (11,500 XP) Accursed Weapons. The fallen angel’s weapon attacks are magical. When the fallen angel hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 18 (4d8) force damage (included in the attack). Blasphemous Benediction. As a bonus action, the fallen angel can touch one creature within 5 feet of her. If the target is evil or has any corruption, it makes attack rolls with advantage and its weapon attacks deal an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage for 1 minute. Innate Spellcasting. The fallen angel’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The fallen angel can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, detect thoughts 3/day: inflict wounds (as a 2nd-level spell) 1/day each: contact other plane, finger of death Magic Resistance. Naamah has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Multiple Heads. Naamah has five heads. While she has more than one head, she has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Whenever Naamah takes 20 or more damage in a single turn, one of her heads dies. If all of her heads die, she dies. At the end of her turn, Naamah regrows one of her heads, unless she has taken acid or fire damage since her last turn. Naamah regains 10 hit points for each head regrown in this way.
Chapter 1 to learn more). Yet when Samyasa rebelled, Naamah was nowhere to be seen. She watched both Iblis and Samyasa fall, but her own crimes remained hidden. Having survived both rebellions, Naamah came to enjoy a false sense of security. This was her undoing. It was the solar Uriel who finally unmasked Naamah. When he discovered how many celestials she had seduced, Uriel’s wrath was great. He inflicted her punishment in front of the assembled ranks of his celestial army as a lesson to them all. “You wore many faces, Naamah the Pleasing; now let Heaven see them all!” he intoned. Naamah’s beautiful face split apart, and five wicked heads sprang from her torso. “You sought to lead others astray and defy the will of Heaven,” Uriel continued. “Now show us your true form.” Naamah’s five heads cried out in agony 192
Unsettling Presence. A 30-foot radius of disturbance extends out from the fallen angel, moves with her, and spreads around corners. Each beast that starts its turn in the area or moves into it must make a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw. The creature becomes frightened for 1 minute on a failed save, or becomes immune to the fallen angel’s Unsettling Presence for 24 hours on a successful one. A creature frightened in this way must take the Dash action on each of its turns to move away from the fallen angel by the safest available route. A c t ions Multiattack. The fallen angel makes two flail attacks and as many bite attacks as she has heads. Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) force damage. If Naamah scores a critical hit against a creature, the target must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or become stunned for 1 minute. A stunned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) force damage. Change Shape. The fallen angel magically polymorphs into a humanoid or beast that has a challenge rating equal to or less than her own, or back into her true form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the Naamah’s choice). Naamah reverts to her true form if she dies. In a new form, Naamah retains her game statistics and ability to speak, but her AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and special senses are replaced by those of the new form, and she gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but she lacks. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Naamah can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Naamah regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Bite. Naamah makes a bite attack. Wriggling Move. Naamah moves up to her speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
as her legs transformed into the scaly body of a snake and her wings burned away. “For your crimes,” the solar thundered, “you are cast out of Heaven for all time. Join Iblis and Samyasa in the Pit and burn for all eternity!” Then Naamah fell straight into Hell, as many had fallen before her. If Uriel thought he had taught Naamah a lesson, he was quite wrong. Naamah ended up in the Fourth Circle of Hell, serving another fallen celestial, Belial. She soon proved that her skills were a boon to Hell, and Belial came to value her greatly. She takes particular pleasure in undoing the work of her former celestial kin. She and her agents on the Material Plane are corrupters of the first order and a constant thorn in the side of the astral devas.
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QL I P PO T H Ancient beings of fathomless evil, the qlippoth [KLIP-awth] haunted the Abyss long before the coming of the demons. Despite nearly being wiped out by the angels who invaded the Bottomless Pit, the qlippoth endure. Countless centuries ago, the Abyss was dominated by the qlippoth, shadowy creatures some consider the effluvia of creation. Legends tell that when the Lords of Good created the celestials to serve them, the qlippoth formed as a by-product, the stuff of metaphysical necessity. Sometimes referred to as the Hollow Ones, the insubstantial qlippoth were always beset by a great hunger they could not quench and a great thirst they could not slake. The qlippoth ruled the first layer of the Abyss long before it became a repository for the souls of chaotic evil mortals (since mortals had not yet been created at the time of their apogee). Though the greatest among them braved the portals leading from the first layer to the realms below, the qlippoth lacked the tenacity required to dominate the plane itself, and their explorations into the heart of the Abyss seldom led to permanent gains. The qlippoth subscribed to a form of evil so profound and primal that few mortals could conceive of their depravity. They initiated great experiments, mixing magic and primitive technology to create dozens of “inferior” races to serve them. Among these servitors were new multiformed demons and dozens of others whose names have been lost to history. The qlippoth meddled little outside the Abyss, preferring to construct a perfect dystopia on the plane’s uppermost layer. The ruins of qlippoth foundry cities litter the gates of the Abyss, forlorn monuments of a civilization destroyed in the final birthing pains of the multiverse. The seeds of the qlippoth’s destruction came in the form of chaotic good celestials born of idealism and hope. While their lawful-minded kin among the angelic choirs of the Seven Heavens debated the issues of temptation presented by the devils of Hell, these new immortals focused on the demonic qlippoth as their foes of choice. Legions of celestial knights swarmed the Abyss, laying siege to the cities of the Hollow Ones with brutal efficiency. Unused to intrusions from outsiders, the qlippoth were savaged, their great works sundered, and their servitors scattered. The qlippoth’s most tenacious slaves fled the celestial host through gates leading deeper into the Abyss. These demons held out in those treacherous depths for the ensuing centuries, while the celestials scoured the first layer in an attempt to completely eradicate the qlippoth. In the meantime, the creation of mortals inevitably led to the dispersion of mortal souls to the Outer Planes, which added further chaos to tumultuous Abyssal battlefields. Eventually, powerful demon princes managed to bend some lower layers to their will, gaining near-godlike powers in the process. Though these grim monarchs warred with each other from the start, their combined power was enough to
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expel the celestial intruders and establish the demons as the preeminent power in the Abyss. Worse, these demon princes had interests far beyond the infernal planes. They and their minions ventured into the Material Plane to tempt mortals to chaos and evil, revealing profane multiversal secrets and initiating countless unspeakable intrigues. Remnants of the ancient qlippoth yet endure in hidden pockets of the deepest Abyssal layers, hatching vile plots to take back the mantle of rulership that once was theirs. Qlippoth roam nearly every layer of the Abyss and frequently visit the Material Plane. Other demonic races exist, but their influence seldom extends beyond a single layer.
Che rnobue Harbingers of evil, misfortune, and death, chernobue, a breed of qlippoth, dwell in the deep layers of the Abyss, where they spread their infection to whatever and whomever they encounter. On occasions, they slip through the secret paths, unknown to even most demons, and creep into other planes to spread misery and death, transforming their victims into hideous abominations. The obscenity of chernobue forms sets them apart from other demons, for they appear to have been cobbled together from the leavings of creation. A great, bulging eye, crusty with filth, stares out from the center of their bulky ovoid bodies, which are the color of an old bruise. Their undersides sport toothy gashes from which falls a constant drip of foul, stinking paste. A pair of whiplike tails slash the air around them, while great snuffling trunks, complete with sucking orifices, sample the air for prey. The qlippoth lord, Shiggarreb (see Shiggarreb, later in this chapter, for more information), created these horrific monsters and deploys them as agents of her unspeakable cruelty and evil. Loathing mortals, Shiggarreb bestowed onto her brood strange keys that enabled them enter other planes. Lying in wait for foolhardy summoners and thaumaturges who sought the power of the Abyss, the chernobue answered these calls, muscling aside the intended demon to take its place and destroy its summoner. Even now, chernobue pose a hazard to those trafficking with demonic forces, for one can never tell if these qlippoth will hijack the summoning and appear in the demon’s stead. Since chernobue upset demonic plans by thwarting their escape to the Material Plane, demons scour the Abyss for them, destroying them wherever they find them. Although chernobue are absent from the most populated layers in the Abyss, Shiggarreb spawns more and more, working, as ever, to reclaim her people’s control over the infinite layers of this hateful plane. 193
Che rnobue Large fiend (qlippoth)
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 105 (10d10 + 50) Speed 40 ft. Str 22 (+6)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 13 (+1) 17 (+3)
Cha 19 (+4)
Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +8 Skills Perception +8 Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 18 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) Abyssal Darkness (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the chernobue casts the darkness spell. Aura of Misfortune. The chernobue emits an aura of evil malaise that spreads out in a 30-foot radius. Whenever a creature that isn’t a fiend starts its turn in the aura, it must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage until the end of its next turn, while on a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this chernobue’s Aura of Misfortune for 24 hours.
throw or become hideously deformed by the appearance of sucking orifices that appear all over the target’s body. While deformed in this way, the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by 10 and it makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage. In addition, whenever the target takes damage, it sprays filth from its orifices in a 5-foot radius. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be hideously deformed as described above. A hideously deformed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of a long rest, ending the effect on a success. Fascination (1/Day). The chernobue changes its coloration and posture to create a beguiling display that overloads the senses of creatures who can see it. Each creature within 30 feet of the chernobue that is not a fiend must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 minute. At the end of each of the incapacitated creature’s turns or whenever it takes damage, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to this chernobue’s Fascination for the next 24 hours. R e a c t ions
Genital Maw. When a creature moves to within 5 feet of the chernobue, it can make a bite attack against that creature. Hijack Summoning (1/week). When a fiend within 120 feet of the chernobue is being summoned to appear in another plane, the fiend does not appear and the chernobue goes in its place.
Magic Resistance. The chernobue has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The chernobue’s weapon attacks are magical. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the chernobue has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. A c t ions Multiattack. The chernobue makes four attacks: two with its antennae mouth and two with its tail. It can substitute a bite for one of these attacks. Antennae Mouth. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 3 (1d6) damage at the end of each of its turns until it regains any number of hit points or uses an action to stanch the wound. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 6) slashing damage and the chernobue pulls the target 5 feet toward itself. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving
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Hydr ag g on The stretch of the River Styx that winds its way through the Abyss used to positively teem with hydraggons, the dominant form of aquatic qlippoth. When the celestial host began to ravage the Howling Threshold, legions of hydraggons rose up to fight them and died in a holocaust of holy fire. The remaining hydraggons fled into the depths of the river. Since the Styx is incalculably long, the hydraggons split up and hid in stretches of the river throughout the Lower Planes. The celestial armies dared not follow them to Hell and Hades, lest they touch off a war even they could not win. Thousands of hydraggons
were killed by devils, daemons, and other horrors of the Styx, but a core survived and even came to thrive in their adversity. Now hydraggons can be found throughout the River Styx. Although they are clearly of fiendish origin, few know they are from the Abyss. It is rumored that a colony of hydraggons also escaped to the Material Plane, but if this is so, their lair remains well hidden. Hydraggons do not usually congregate in large numbers, since they’ve found it easier to pass unnoticed in small groups. In dire situations, though, it can be critical for all hydraggons in the area to coalesce quickly. When threatened, hydraggons can summon a spectral trident and morningstar formed out of magical force as a bonus action, wielding them telekinetically.
Hydr ag g on
Large fiend (qlippoth), chaotic evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 34 (4d10 + 12) Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 9 (−1) 10 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills Perception +2 Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 3 (700 XP) Amphibious. The hydraggon can breathe air and water. Psychic Beacon. When the hydraggon takes damage, each hydraggon within 100 miles knows it. Styx Immunity. The hydraggon is immune to the memory-stealing effects of the River Styx. A c t ions Multiattack. The hydraggon attacks twice: once with its trident and once with its morningstar. Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage. Fascination (1/Day). The hydraggon changes its coloration and posture to create a beguiling display that overloads the senses of creatures who can see it. Each creature within 30 feet of the hydraggon that is not a fiend must succeed on a DC 11 Charisma saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 minute. At the end of each of the incapacitated creature’s turns or whenever it takes damage, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to Fascination for the next 24 hours.
“Hydraggons are not beasts, but cunning fiends, known to wield infernal weapons in their tendrils.” — from The Daemocon of Anduz
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Nyog ot hs Nyogoths epitomize the insatiable hunger of the qlippoth race. They are, in a way, a physical representation of the incompleteness of the multiverse. No matter how much they eat, the nyogoths are always hungry. No type of qlippoth deserves the sobriquet “Hollow One” more than the nyogoth. In ancient days, before the celestial host descended upon the Abyss, nyogoths served the qlippoth as living disposal systems, dissolving with their powerful body acids that which did not fit into their many mouths. Products of the great genetic programs in the qlippoth’s foundry cities, they were bred for passivity and industriousness. Passing millennia within the darkest shadows of the Abyss worked out nyogoths’ disposition to docility, but they continue to pursue their primary task—eating— with a most unqlippoth-like work ethic. Their anatomy defies nature. Nearly all of a nyogoth’s body is given over to digestion. Its four appendages erupt from its body and suck in food: alive, dead, or inanimate. Most nyogoths remain concealed in the Abyss with the rest of the qlippoth. A small number have found their way to the Material Plane at the behest of dark magicians. Few summoners who end up with one truly know what they are in for.
Nyog ot h
Medium fiend (qlippoth), chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 102 (12d8 + 48) Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 9 (−1) 13 (+1)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +8 Skills Perception +5, Stealth +5 Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages understands Abyssal but can’t talk, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Acid Spray. Whenever the nyogoth takes piercing or slashing damage, it sprays from its body corrosive fluid. Each creature within 5 feet of the nyogoth must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) acid damage. A c t ions Multiattack. The nyogoth makes five attacks: four with its maw and one with its bite. Maw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Teleport (3/Day). The nyogoth teleports to an unoccupied space that it can see within 120 feet of itself. Fascination (1/Day). The nyogoth changes its coloration and posture to create a beguiling display that overloads the senses of creatures who can see it. Each creature within 30 feet of the nyogoth that is not a fiend must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 minute. At the end of each of the incapacitated creature’s turns or whenever it takes damage, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to Fascination for the next 24 hours.
“There is almost nothing nygoths will not dissolve and attempt to consume, like infernal locusts. Foul acids burst from a nygoth’s body in place of blood, beware of cutting into one.” — from The Daemocon of Anduz 196
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Shig g arr e b In the days when qlippoth ruled the Abyss, Shiggarreb controlled the great foundry city of Vorath. With millions of minions at her command, she built her metropolis into the ultimate expression of cosmic evil. In her slave pits and laboratories, new monstrosities were birthed every day. Shiggarreb and her followers used the primordial stuff of chaos to create and destroy, to twist and corrupt. Unconcerned with the rest of the multiverse, they continued their mad experiments until hosts of celestials brought the qlippoth civilization tumbling down. While countless qlippoth died, Shiggarreb escaped the wrath of the celestials by an expeditious flight to Hades. When she returned, she found the demons in the process of taking over. She tried to rally the qlippoth and put the demons back in their place, but too few of her race remained—the demons had grown strong in the depths of the Abyss. Shiggarreb’s forces
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were destroyed, and once again she was forced to flee. She has been hunted by the demon princes ever since but has never been caught. Shiggarreb and most of the remaining qlippoth found refuge in the deep layers of the Abyss, in pockets hidden from the vengeful demons. Alone in the darkness, the qlippoth plot a return to power and glory. Shiggarreb remains among the most powerful of her race, though neither she nor other lords of her kind have learned how to master an entire layer of the Abyss. Lacking this knowledge and the power it represents, Shiggarreb has turned to other methods of combating the hated demons.
Sc h e m e s
wi t hin
Sc h e m e s
Over the millennia Shiggarreb has attempted many schemes and been foiled each time. Most of these plans involved outright military conquest or working with evil allies from other Lower Planes. Now Shiggarreb has hatched a new scheme. She recalls only too bitterly the glittering celestial host and the damage they dealt the qlippoth. Shiggarreb hopes to draw down the angelic armies a second time and let the Lords of Good do her dirty work for her. To achieve this end, Shiggarreb has 197
Shig g arr e b
Huge fiend (qlippoth), chaotic evil A c t ions
Armor Class 22 (natural armor) Hit Points 230 (20d12 + 100) Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft. Str 26 (+8)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 24 (+7) 14 (+2)
Multiattack. Shiggarreb makes a claws attack, a bite attack, and a slam attack. She can cast a spell in place of her claws attack. Cha 15 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +12, Wis +9, Cha +9 Skills Deception +9, Insight +9, Intimidation +9, Perception +9 Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 23 (50,000 XP) Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Shiggarreb fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Shiggarreb has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Shiggarreb’s weapon attacks are magical. Spellcasting. Shiggarreb is a 20th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Shiggarreb has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, message, poison spray, true strike 1st level (4 slots): charm person, detect magic, magic missile 2nd level (3 slots): darkness, scorching ray, web 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, fireball, fly 4th level (3 slots): dimension door, greater invisibility, wall of fire 5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, cone of cold, teleport 6th level (2 slots): chain lightning, disintegrate 7th level (2 slots): delayed blast fireball, etherealness 8th level (1 slot): incendiary cloud 9th level (1 slot): time stop
Shig g a r r e b’s Sche me s
In perpetuating her schemes on the Material Plane, Shiggarreb has yet to draw the full wrath of the Upper Planes down upon the Abyss, but she has often provoked heroic mortals to strike against infernal forces. Sometimes these mortals, in turn, can be corrupted to see fiendish threats everywhere, but Shiggarreb has begun to realize their potential as pawns, pitted against the armies of the Abyss. So the qlippoth has begun playing both sides against each other, on the one hand creating infernal cults devoted to this or that demon lord, while on the other creating or inspiring arcane orders and secret societies dedicated to the eradication of demons and their influence. Adventuring heroes who join such an alliance may not realize its mysterious patron is one of the Hollow Ones at first—perhaps not even until it is too late.
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Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (4d8 + 8) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (2d12 + 8) piercing damage. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage. Change Shape. Shiggarreb magically polymorphs into a Large or smaller humanoid that has a challenge rating equal to or less than her own, or back into her true form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (Shiggarreb’s choice). She reverts to her true form if she dies. In a new form, Shiggarreb retains her game statistics and ability to speak, but her AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and special senses are replaced by those of the new form, and she gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but she lacks. Fascination (1/Day). Shiggarreb changes her coloration and posture to create a beguiling display that overloads the senses of creatures who can see it. Each creature within 30 feet of Shiggarreb that is not a fiend must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 minute. At the end of each of the incapacitated creature’s turns or whenever it takes damage, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to Fascination for the next 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Shiggarreb can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Shiggarreb regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Attack. Shiggarreb makes a melee attack. Move. Shiggarreb moves up to her speed. Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Shiggarreb casts a spell.
been traveling the worlds of the Material Plane and perpetrating terrible crimes in the name of various demon princes. With her shapeshifting ability and mastery of magic, it’s all so easy for her to pin the blame on demons. Such evil acts play right into the preconceptions of the Lords of Good. In the past hundred years, Shiggarreb has incited a cult of Orcus to murder every child in a populous kingdom and bring them back as an army of zombie children, burned to ashes one of the greatest repositories of knowledge in the multiverse in the name of Flauros, and spread countless plagues that seemed to be the work of Abaddon. Each act is calculated to cause moral outrage in the Upper Planes. Shiggarreb feels it is now only a matter of time before the Lords of Good will be forced to act.
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Shog g t i
Large fiend (qlippoth), chaotic evil Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42) Speed 30 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)
Cha 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +5 Skills Insight +5, Perception +5 Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Magic Weapons. The shoggti’s weapon attacks are magical. Superior Evasion. When the shoggti is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained. The shoggti has four combat-capable tentacles, each of which can grapple one target. Braincloud. Melee Spell Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 3 (1d6) psychic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw or be subject to a Braincloud. Until this effect ends, whenever the target would take an action, bonus action, or reaction, the target must repeat the saving throw or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success. A target that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect is immune to this shoggti’s Braincloud for 24 hours. Fascination (1/Day). The shoggti changes its coloration and posture to create a beguiling display that overloads the senses of creatures who can see it. Each creature within 30 feet of the shoggti that is not a fiend must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 minute. At the end of each of the incapacitated creature’s turns or whenever it takes damage, the creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to Fascination for the next 24 hours.
A c t ions Multiattack. The shoggti makes four tentacle attacks. The shoggti can substitute its Braincloud attack for one tentacle attack.
Shog g t i Shoggti are repulsive tentacled demons that slither with uncanny grace. In the ancient days of the Abyss, shoggti served their race as slave masters. They worked countless servitor races to extinction, keeping the rest in line with a mind-numbing touch from their lengthy tentacles. The oldest demons still flinch in memory of the terrible tortures endured in the days before the angels raided the Howling Threshold, allowing the demons to escape and eventually dominate the plane. Shoggti that fall into the hands of demonic captors may find death far preferable to the vengeance they may face at the hands of these ancient fiends. Since the fall of the qlippoth, the shoggti have lived in the depths of the Abyss with the rest of their kin. They periodically raid demon-controlled layers and bring back fresh slaves to work on bolstering the defenses of these enclaves. The qlippoth sanctuaries are well hidden, but they will need all the defensive strength they can muster should demonic forces discover where their hated creators have been hiding. The memories of the demon princes are eons long, their taste for vengeance insatiable. The shoggti will be prized prisoners and torture subjects in case of demonic incursion.
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UNS P E A K A BL E E VIL The infernal planes are unnatural places, and many of their foul denizens do not fit neatly into the categories promulgated by mortal occultists and sages. More than two dozen of these unspeakable evils, found throughout the Lower Planes, are detailed here.
Ako p The monstrous beings known as the akop flit through the shadows of Hell. Smoky and insubstantial, akops are mere vestiges of their former forms. Tricked by Mammon in ancient times and brought to Hell, they exist in a state of torment and lash out at anything they can in the hopes of avenging themselves for the wrongs done to them.
Ako p
Small fiend, neutral evil Armor Class 13 Hit Points 13 (3d8) Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. Str 6 (−2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Con Int Wis 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 4 (−3)
Cha 12 (+1)
Skills Stealth +5 (+7 in dim light or darkness) Damage Vulnerabilities radiant Damage Resistances acid, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, fire, necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 7 Languages telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 2 (450 XP) Incorporeal Movement. The akop can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Magic Weapons. The akop’s weapon attacks are magical. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the akop can take the Hide action as a bonus action. A c t ions
“The akop are a cautionary tale with regard to making deals with devils.” — from On the Forms and Functions of Devilkind 200
Wisdom Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) psychic damage, and the target’s Wisdom score is reduced by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces its Wisdom to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.
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Thousands of years ago a sophisticated people known as the akop ruled an obscure world in the Material Plane. The akop, though monstrous in appearance, were masters of magic and builders of wonders. After dominating their home world for millennia, they finally encountered a problem their magic could not overcome. Their world, they realized, was dying, and there was nothing they could do about it. Their leaders sought a way to save their people. While their powerful wizards could travel the planes, this did the commoners no good. Ultimately, they were forced to make a deal with Mammon, Lord of the Third Circle of Hell. Mammon promised to transport all of the akop from their doomed world and to protect them from physical harm. In return, the akop agreed to travel to Hell and serve Mammon for one generation. Mammon enforced the letter of the agreement. He saved the akop, who traveled to Hell to do their service, but the archdevil had cruelly enchanted the giant portals so when the akop emerged, they did so as insubstantial shadow beings, bereft of fleshy form. Now they could not be physically harmed, nor could they reproduce. In one fell swoop Mammon had entrapped the entire people. Because their life span was extended indefinitely by Mammon’s enchantment, they were bound to serve him for an eternity. Since Mammon’s master play, the akop have degenerated, losing their magic and, ultimately, their sanity. Now they haunt the Third Circle of Hell, attacking any opportune targets. Mammon long ago gave up trying to
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command the insane creatures but still periodically sends small groups of them to terrorize the Material Plane. The akop hate anyone lucky enough to wear flesh, and they relish bringing their own madness to such unlucky victims. But every akop slain in battle brings their race one step closer to its wished-for annihilation.
Ar mag e ddon Be ast While it’s technically impossible for an infinite plane to have a “lowest” layer, few demons of the Abyss would argue with such a characterization of Volgauth—a hostile, stinking realm with but a single planar entrance. Positioned at the end of a gauntlet of deadly Abyssal layers, Volgauth would go without notice in the multiverse were it not the point of origin of a particularly deadly breed of fiend known as the Armageddon beast. One of the Abyss’s deadliest inhabitants, the Armageddon beasts await their moment of liberation. Once each century, a team of balors descends to their layer and undoes the chains binding a single beast. Fleeing before the monster, they lead it through the gate so they can unleash it upon their enemies. Even a single Armageddon beast can wipe out entire armies and lay low a demon lord, so demons are reluctant to use them too often.
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Armag e ddon Be ast Colossal fiend, chaotic evil
If one of the beast’s heads has been severed, it loses access to that head’s breath weapon.
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 555 (30d20 + 240) Speed 20 ft. Str 30 (+10)
Dex 8 (−1)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Str +19, Con +17, Int +11, Wis +10, Cha +12 Skills Perception +10 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 31 (175,000 XP) Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Armageddon beast fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The Armageddon beast has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The Armageddon beast’s weapon attacks are magical. Multiple Heads. The Armageddon beast has seven heads. While it has more than one head, the Armageddon beast has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Whenever the Armageddon beast takes 80 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads, of the attacker’s choice, dies. If all its heads die, the Armageddon beast dies. It takes about a month for the Armageddon beast to regrow a severed head. Reactive Heads. For each head the Armageddon beast has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks. Siege Monster. The Armageddon beast deals double damage to objects and structures. Wakeful. While the Armageddon beast sleeps, at least one of its heads is awake. A c t ions Multiattack. The Armageddon beast can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes as many bite attacks as it has heads. It can substitute a claws attack for up to two bite attacks and one of its breath weapons for three bite attacks. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (1d20 + 10) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 49 (6d12 + 10) slashing damage. If the Armageddon beast scores a critical hit, roll damage dice four times, instead of twice. Breath Weapon (Recharge 6). Each of the Armageddon beast’s heads possesses a different breath weapon. The following breath weapons each correspond to one of its seven heads and recharge separately. When the Armageddon beast uses a breath weapon, it breathes in a 90-foot cone, with the effects determined by which head breathed.
1. Acid Breath. Each creature in the area must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 2. Annihilation Breath. One creature in the area must succeed on a DC 20 Will saving throw or take 90 (20d8) necrotic damage. If the damage drops the target to 0 hit points, it and everything it was wearing and carrying short of an artifact disappear, utterly erased from existence. An artifact drops to the ground below the space the target occupied. A target erased from existence cannot be restored to life by any means. 3. Cold Breath. Each creature in the area must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw, taking 40 (9d8) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 4. Lightning Breath. Each creature in the area must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw, taking 40 (9d8) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 5. Petrification Breath. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained target must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends on the target. On a failure, the target is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. 6. Thunder Breath. Each creature in the area must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw, taking 45 (7d12) thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. 7. Torpor Breath. Each creature in the area must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes affected by torpor for 1 minute. While affected by torpor, the creature makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage; halves its speed; and cannot use reactions. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the Armageddon beast’s choice that is within 120 feet of the Armageddon beast and aware of it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Armageddon beast’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The Armageddon beast can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options that follow. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The Armageddon beast regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Bite. The Armageddon beast makes a bite attack. Move. The Armageddon beast moves up to its speed. Breath Weapon (Costs 2 Actions). The Armageddon beast uses one of its breath weapons.
“And so I was carried in vision into the depths, and there I saw a beast like no other, sevenheaded blasphemy of creation…” — from The Prophecies of Nibor 202
C hapter II: T he F iends
Bone dr e g, Qua drupe d
Bone dr e g s
Medium construct, unaligned
Spawned in the Fifth Circle of Hell, bonedregs lurch on two legs or skitter on four, each resembling a skeleton arranged in improbable and unlikely form. Nearly mindless, they exist to carry out the orders of their commanders, proving themselves implacable enemies in battle. Leviathan’s followers on the Fifth Circle feed the gargantuan beast to quell his bottomless hunger, hurling into his cavernous maw both the living flesh of monsters and devils and the souls of the damned. All of this flotsam tumbles down Leviathan’s great gullet, but some things even Leviathan can’t digest, and the leavings find their way into two enormous sacs—bones and other physical refuse end up in one, the stripped-down fragments of souls in the other. When he needs to, the Lord of the Fifth Circle can harvest his own excrement to serve his purposes. He spits up the soul fragments and physical refuse into his mouth, where the wastes commingle, bones coalescing in improbable ways around the souls to form hellish new life. Leviathan then spits out the newly created bonedregs for use by his minions. Nothing remains of the personality of the soul fragments animating the bonedregs. Mindless, they can do nothing without explicit orders from a devil empowered to command them. If uncontrolled, a bonedreg follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, although it will defend itself if attacked. It can be given a simple program to direct its actions in the controller’s absence, such as “Guard this area until I return.”
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 28 (3d8 + 15) Speed 50 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 1 (−5) 11 (+0)
Cha 3 (−4)
Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Infernal but can’t speak Challenge 2 (450 XP) Magic Weapons. The bonedreg’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Bone dr e g, Bipe d Large construct, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 73 (7d10 + 35) Speed 30 ft. Str 20 (+5)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 1 (−5) 11 (+0)
Cha 3 (−4)
Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons Damage Immunities cold, poison, psychic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Infernal but can’t speak Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Magic Weapons. The bonedreg’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
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Dr ag on, A byss al Not even dragons can resist the corrupting influence of the Abyss. Seduced by promises of power or hatched there after being offered up in the shell by mad cultists hoping to gain favor with their demonic masters, dragons condemned to this hateful place experience no end of torment as the demons ply their vile knowledge in remaking these beasts into useful slaves. Driven mad by pain and fueled by hatred for all, Abyssal dragons terrorize the shifting landscapes in which they live, greedily gobbling up the souls of the doomed and tearing apart those demons they catch. But when their masters call, the Abyssal dragons have no choice but to answer and soon after take to the air to lend their might to the hideous armies of the Abyss.
P e rve rsions
of
N at ure
Demons chain down dragons they capture and rid them of their thick scales, prying the scales from the flesh with claws, teeth, and razor-sharp blades until the beast’s tortured hide is raw and bleeding. Then, with the body so exposed, the demons affix plates made from steel harvested from the worlds they have destroyed, using silvered nails quenched in the tears of angels. Each plate bears a foul rune scrawled in the hateful script of Abyssal that ensures the nails cling painfully to the meat and cause the beast unspeakable suffering. Driven to the brink of madness by their suffering, Abyssal dragons show no restraint in battle, lashing out at anything they can reach, driven to inflict the same agony they experience on their victims. They snort and chuff in a fight, screaming their pain as they vomit forth scraps of souls they have devoured. Their eyes roll in their heads, while black blood oozes from between the plating that armors their bodies. They fight without regard to their safety and prove relentless to the point of their annihilation. Demons exploit their horrid creations in the field of battle. Often, the Abyssal dragons are symbols of status and personal power, released from their chains when a demon prince wages war against a deadly rival or continues the futile invasions into Hell and elsewhere. Demons rarely prize anything’s value, and Abyssal dragons are no different in their estimation. They are to be used and discarded when no longer useful. The Abyss influences dragons condemned to pass their existences on this plane, warping their minds and twisting their thoughts around the pain and horror they experience. Like other dragons, the Abyssal dragons seek to fill their lairs with plunder and treasure, but instead of gold and gemstones, Abyssal dragons covet the scales stolen from them, and their lairs often hold the rotting remains of dragons they have slain. Their need to share their suffering sometimes results in them taking prisoners, which is no mercy to the victims. Abyssal dragons take their prisoners and impale them on bones and spikes driven 204
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Adul t A byss al Dr ag on Huge dragon, chaotic evil
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 304 (21d12 + 168) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 29 (+9)
Dex 9 (−1)
Con Int Wis 27 (+8) 14 (+2) 10 (+0)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +15, Wis +7, Cha +13 Skills Intimidation +13, Perception +7 Damage Immunities poison Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, Draconic Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. A c t ions Multiattack. The Abyssal dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (2d12 + 9) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
successful one. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the charmed effect on itself on a success. While charmed by this effect, the creature obeys the telepathic commands given to it by the dragon as if the creature were under the dominate person spell. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The Abyssal dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The Abyssal dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Detect. The Abyssal dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. Mounting Horror. One creature within 120 feet of the dragon that can see it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. If the target is already frightened, it instead becomes stunned for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon’s Mounting Horror for the next 24 hours. Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d8 + 9) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage. Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon’s choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Accursed Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales a swirling cloud of fragments from the souls it has eaten in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) poison damage and becoming charmed for 1 minute on a failed save, or taking half as much damage on a
Young A byss al Dr ag on Large dragon, chaotic evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 218 (19d10 + 114) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 25 (+7)
Dex 10 (+0)
Con Int Wis 23 (+6) 12 (+1) 9 (−1)
Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +11, Wis +4, Cha +10 Skills Intimidation +10, Perception +4 Damage Immunities poison Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, Draconic Challenge 13 (10,000 XP) A c t ions
“What do even the great wyrms fear? One need look no further than the abominations bound in the service of the infernal that were once dragons. The destruction of such corrupt creatures is one of the few areas where all dragons are in agreement.” — from The Great Book of Dragons C hapter II: T he F iends
Multiattack. The Abyssal dragon makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d12 + 7) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage. Accursed Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales a swirling cloud of fragments of the souls it has eaten in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) poison damage and becoming charmed for 1 minute on a failed save, or taking half as much damage on a successful one. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the charmed effect on itself on a success. While charmed by this effect, the creature obeys the telepathic commands given to it by the dragon as if the creature were under the dominate person spell.
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A byss a l S pe l l c a st e rs
The Dragons as Innate Spellcasters variant from the core rulebooks can also apply to abyssal dragons, using the same guidelines: the dragon can cast spells per day equal to its Charisma modifier. Each spell can be cast once per day, with no need for material components, and the spell’s level cannot be greater than one-third the abyssal dragon’s challenge rating (rounded down). The dragon’s bonus to hit with spell attacks is equal to its proficiency bonus + its Charisma bonus. The dragon’s spell save DC equals 8 + its proficiency bonus + its Charisma bonus.
into the walls and croon along with the shrieks and cries their victims’ pain produces.
A n A b yss a l D r a g o n ’s L ai r Abyssal dragons dwell wherever their masters keep them, but the ones who escape the clutches of powerful demons make their lairs in noisome caverns, the floors littered with bones, splashed with blood and excrement, walls gashed and scratched from the beasts’ futile efforts to dislodge the painful nails holding the plates to their meat. The air in these places is particularly foul, thick with the dragon’s breath and the stench of rot and old blood. Minor demons might scuttle in the shadows, watching and giggling in delight at the monster’s groaning. Encountered in its lair, an adult Abyssal dragon has a challenge rating of 21 (33,000 XP).
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Abyssal dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. The Abyssal dragon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
• Superheated filth erupts from a point on the ground that the dragon can see within 120 feet of it, creating a 20-foot-high, 5-foot-radius geyser. Each creature in the geyser’s area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) fire damage and 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. • The wailing of souls the dragon has devoured fills the air inside a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon can see within 120 feet. Each creature in the area that can hear the wailing must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. While frightened by this effect, the creature grants advantage to the Abyssal dragon’s attack rolls made against it. At the end of the frightened creature’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw and ends the frightened condition on itself with a successful save.
• Excrement-slicked hands emerge from the surface inside a 30-foot radius around the dragon to grab anything they can reach. Each creature on the ground in the area other than the dragon must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or become restrained for 1 minute. A creature restrained in this way can use an action to make a DC 15 Strength check and removes the restrained condition from itself on a success. 206
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s An Abyssal dragon’s lair pollutes the region around it, creating one or more of the following effects:
• The faces of souls the Abyssal dragon has devoured appear on surfaces within 1 mile of the dragon’s lair. Animate but silent, the faces mouth curses, laughter, mockeries, and wails at passersby.
• Waters redolent of blood, excrement, and worse collect in pits and gullies within 6 miles of the dragon’s lair. Aside from the noxious stench, the liquid is toxic, and a creature that comes into contact with the liquid must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or gain 2 levels of exhaustion and become poisoned for 24 hours. • Hoots, cries, wails, laughter, and other unnerving noises sound at random intervals within 1 mile of the lair.
If the Abyssal dragon dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d12 days.
G ol e m, Ra zorwir e Demons never create life; they destroy. Golems found in the Abyss tend to be accidents, mishaps spawned from the plane’s corrupting nature on the scraps and leavings of the wreckage the demons create. Razorwire golems are ancient remnants of the great construct armies that helped demons gain dominion over the Abyss in their prehistoric war with the angels. Few remain in existence, and nearly all serve the oldest and most powerful demon princes as estate guardians or battlefield terrors. Whether defending a treasure hoard or taking the lead in a charge, their ability to swiftly and emotionlessly flay the skin from an enemy has granted them respect among demons, souls, and mortals alike. Standing ten feet tall, they appear as towering masses of jagged steel wires and blades with roughly humanoid forms. A tangled ball of wires near their center pulsates with a heart-like cadence. Razorwire golems have total control over the shape of their bodies and can explode outward in loops of razor-sharp metal or contract to a space no larger than 2 feet on a side.
C o ns t ruc t e d N a t u r e A golem doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Ra zorwir e G ol e m
He l l Horse
Large construct, unaligned
Huge fiend, lawful evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 157 (15d10 + 75) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. Str 19 (+4)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 3 (−4) 11 (+0)
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 187 (15d12 + 90) Speed 50 ft., fly 50 ft. Cha 1 (−5)
Str 24 (+7)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 15 (+2) 14 (+2)
Cha 11 (+0)
Damage Immunities fire, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)
Skills Perception +6 Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16 Languages understands Common and Infernal but cannot speak Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Burst of Speed (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the golem takes the Dash action.
Innate Spellcasting. The hell horse’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). The hell horse can innately cast the following spells, requiring no verbal, somatic, or material components:
Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The golem makes four melee attacks. Barbed Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 15) and restrained until the grapple ends. The golem has four barbed tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
He l l Hors e Abigor, demanding a fitting steed to function as his mount in combat, specifically bred these horses to serve him and his closest allies. Legend holds the first horse in his breeding plan was a powerful sacredly awakened celestial horse that served a holy warrior valiantly on the Material Plane. Abigor, having personally murdered the paladin, entrapped the mare and subjected it to horrors unimaginable. Eventually, the mare birthed hundreds of warped foals, which Abigor bred with each other. Eventually, a steed meeting Abigor’s stringent requirements emerged.
3/day each: darkness 1/day each: contagion A c t ions Multiattack. The hell horse makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8 + 7) slashing damage.
Ir e cunda The erratic scrawl covering the crooked Scroll of Days makes mention of Irecunda the Fallen, a titan cast down from the celestial realms after his attempted assault on the highest and noblest of their kind. Thrown out in chains and fire, Irecunda fell into the Abyss, passing layer after layer until his monstrous bulk plunged into the Beseeching Sea, a vast Abyssal ocean fed by the tears of unloved children. The chains twisted around his body dragged him into the depths, where he has thrashed against his bindings for millennia, straining to be free and take his vengeance against the whole of creation for the suffering he has had to endure.
Ti t a nic E vil
“Although the more common nightmare is sometimes known as a ‘hell horse,’ that appellation truly belongs to a far worse creature.” — from On the Forms and Functions of Devilkind C hapter II: T he F iends
Of Irecunda’s original form, only his humanoid shape remains. A towering figure dwarfing even the largest demon princes of the Abyss, Irecunda boasts a crown of sixty-six horns and a face that bulges with an equal number of eyes rolling and flicking back and forth with the intensity of the truly deranged. Almost hidden behind 207
the shifting orbs lurks a cavernous maw from which issues the stink of a thousand abattoirs and that can be scented from hundreds of miles away. Wagon-sized lumps of iron hang from the chains winding around Irecunda’s body, almost concealing the names of those gods inscribed on its scales that the titan has pledged to destroy. The golden ichor seeping from these crude carvings streaks the horror’s flesh and puddles on the ground. Where this fluid falls, it blackens and gives birth to bottle flies whose buzzing wings sound of mad laughter.
D o o ms d ay W e a p o n So long as Irecunda remains bound and anchored at the bottom of the Beseeching Sea, he poses no danger to the Abyss, its inhabitants, or the rest of the multiverse, and the demon princes have shown rare wisdom in leaving this unwelcome guest alone. However, many such powers regard the titan as a weapon of last resort and, if faced with annihilation, might release the horror into the planes once more.
I mm o r t a l N a t u r e Irecunda doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep. 208
J al ie Squar e f oot
L ic h Fie nd
Jalie Squarefoot is an ambitious noble in the court of Mephistopheles. He is a gifted manipulator who exceeds even his master as a schemer and corrupter of mortals.
U n d e a d D e vil Millennia ago, Jalie was a pit fiend whose promotion to the nobility came at the expense of a vicious rival, another pit fiend named Belphagon. The vengeful fiend and his coterie, jealous of Jalie’s meteoric rise, concocted a number of plans for his assassination. After he had escaped dozens of attempts, one finally left Jalie barely alive, mere inches from humiliating demotion. He needed a new weapon— and he found one. Jalie discovered the secrets of lichdom, but he also learned that a mortal body was a prerequisite. Leaving a polymorphed double at court, he hid away to prepare the lich’s phylactery, then took mortal form long enough
C hapter II: T he F iends
Ir e cunda
Gargantuan fiend (titan), chaotic evil Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 444 (24d20 + 192) Speed 50 ft. Str 30 (+10)
Dex 8 (−1)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 5 (−3) 11 (+0)
Cha 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Str +18, Con +16, Wis +8 Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 240 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 28 (120,000 XP) Blasphemous Sigils. Once per round, when Irecunda takes damage, the sigils twist and writhe, issuing an unholy light. Each creature within 20 feet of Irecunda must make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or become stunned until the end of its next turn. Inescapable Evil. Any creature that starts its turn within 120 feet of Irecunda must succeed on a DC 24 Strength saving throw or be moved 1d12 x 10 feet toward Irecunda. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Irecunda fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Irecunda has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Irecunda’s weapon attacks are magical. Siege Monster. Irecunda deals double damage to objects and structures. Titanic Collapse. When Irecunda drops to 0 hit points, he falls prone into a 50-foot cube of space originating from a point in his space. Irecunda’s body deals 55 (10d10) bludgeoning damage to everything on the ground in the cube. A creature that would take this damage can make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking half the damage on a successful save, or being knocked prone and trapped beneath Irecunda’s body on a failed one. A creature trapped beneath Irecunda’s body can make a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check as an action to escape.
to ritually destroy his body and pass through the horrid change to undeath. The assassination attempts continued after his change, and they were eventually successful. Belphagon assumed Jalie’s office and lands, serving for exactly three days before Jalie’s body re-formed. With the advantage of total surprise, Jalie tricked Belphagon’s own followers into murdering their lord. He took back his title and role and has stood at court ever since. Before his transformation, Jalie was tall and proud, with the head of a handsome stallion. In undeath, his desiccated form stoops under a grim mummified skull, and eyes that once blazed with intelligence are reduced to pinpricks of feeble light. His right foot has shriveled into a club-like hoof, which led to his nickname “Squarefoot.”
C hapter II: T he F iends
Trample. When Irecunda moves through a space occupied by a creature smaller than him, the creature must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage and fall prone. A creature makes this saving throw only during Irecunda’s turn, regardless of how many times he moves through the creature’s space. A c t ions Multiattack. Irecunda makes two slam attacks and one gore attack. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 55 (8d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 62 (8d12 + 10) piercing damage. Corrupting Expulsion (Recharge 6). Irecunda spews a river of filth from his mouth into a 120-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) acid damage and 55 (10d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies, and a manes rises from the corpse and acts immediately after Irecunda in the initiative count. The manes is under Irecunda’s control. Roar (Recharge 6). Irecunda throws back his head and emits a magical roar. Each creature within 1,000 feet of Irecunda and able to hear the roar must make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw. Each creature that fails the saving throw becomes frightened for 1 minute. While frightened in this way, the creature is also deafened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
Irecunda can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Irecunda regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Irecunda makes either a slam attack or a gore attack. Crushing Steps. Irecunda moves without provoking opportunity attacks. Roar (Costs 2 Actions). Irecunda uses his roar or recharges his roar.
U nc h e c k e d A m bi t io n Jalie’s lust for power is exceptional even by the standards of Hell. His ultimate goal is control, not merely of that plane, but of all existence. To this end he has dozens of schemes percolating, some of which won’t mature for a thousand years.
J a l i e ’s P h yl a c t e r y Jalie’s life force is stored in an adamantine disc that is itself hidden inside a secret chest on the Ethereal Plane.
Un d e a d N a t u r e Jalie Squarefoot doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
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J al ie Squar e f oot Large undead, lawful evil
6th level (1 slot): mass suggestion 7th level (1 slot): teleport 8th level (1 slot): power word stun 9th level (1 slot): wish
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 324 (24d10 + 192) Speed 30 ft. Str 25 (+7)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 26 (+8) 24 (+7) 22 (+6)
Cha 22 (+6)
Saving Throws Dex +8, Con +15, Int +14 Skills Arcana +14, Deception +13, Insight +13, Perception +13 Damage Resistances cold, lightning Damage Immunities fire, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagic attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 21 (33,000 XP) Innate Spellcasting. Jalie’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Jalie can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: animate dead, detect magic, fireball 3/day each: hold monster, wall of fire Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Jalie fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Weapons. Jalie’s weapon attacks are magical. Rejuvenation. If Jalie is destroyed while he has a phylactery, he gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all his hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery. Spellcasting. Jalie is an 18th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Jalie has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, chill touch, mage hand, minor illusion, ray of frost 1st level (4 slots): charm person, detect evil and good, magic missile 2nd level (3 slots): alter self, blur 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, major image 4th level (3 slots): black tentacles, greater invisibility 5th level (3 slots): dominate person, hold monster
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Turn Resistance. Jalie has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. A c t ions Multiattack. Jalie makes two attacks: one with his claws and one with his head butt. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) cold damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Head Butt. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Voice of Maleficence (Recharge 6). Jalie speaks to one creature within 30 feet of him. If the target can hear him, the target must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned for 1 minute. While stunned in this way, the target must answer truthfully any question Jalie asks. The stunned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to Jalie’s Voice of Maleficence for the next 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Jalie can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Jalie regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Cantrip. Jalie casts a cantrip. Paralyzing Claws (Costs 2 Actions). Jalie makes a claws attack. Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). Jalie fixes his gaze on one creature he can see within 10 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to Jalie’s Frightening Gaze for the next 24 hours. Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of Jalie must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Kok-L ir
Kok-L ir
Huge monstrosity, lawful evil
Great groans and shrieks precede the horror known as the kok-lir as it slithers through the caves and tunnels riddling Hell. The sounds it makes as it moves conjure images of screaming innocents and the tearing of their flesh. Hell’s denizens know enough to flee from these sounds, for they aren’t the usual noises one hears in this cruel place; they are something other and far more monstrous. Kok-lirs have massive, wormlike bodies covered in tumescent polyps that tend to burst and spray the grounds around them with corrosive fluid. Globular black eyes ring their toothy maws, and a nest of flailing tendrils whips the air, helping them sense their surroundings and to push food into their maws.
Bl o o d
of t he
F ai t hl e ss
Legend holds that kok-lirs came from a woman whose hatred for her unfaithful husband drove her to forge a bargain with Hell. In return for her soul, she asked for a way to get revenge on the man who had turned his back on his family. Mephistopheles readily agreed and transformed her into a great beauty of almost godly allure. So accoutered, she sought out her absent man, found him, and seduced him. And in the carnal act of their passion, hideous worms spilled from her belly and devoured him, manhood first, until nothing remained of him but bones. With his bargain fulfilled, Mephistopheles claimed the woman and dragged her to Hell to suffer her reward, and from her tormented womb slithered free these abominations.
K rot e p
Ph a r a o h
of
A xo r
As if millions of devils weren’t bad enough, Hell is also home to wicked deities from a variety of pantheons. These gods maintain their own realms, largely standing outside of infernal politics. Although none of their realms can match the sheer size of even a single circle of Hell, these deities do have something that even the devil lords lack: true godhood. It is thus not surprising that some devils attempt alliances with, or in some cases even worship, these foreign gods. The Egyptian god Set’s realm is in the Fifth Circle, and no one approaches Set without dealing with Krotep and Nekhet (see Nekhet, Prophet of Set, later in this chapter, to learn more). These two siblings claim (perhaps spuriously) to be the children of a liaison between Set and a devil princess. Some say Krotep and Nekhet began to squabble while still in the womb; certainly, their mother did not survive the birthing process.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 100 (8d12 + 48) Speed 30 ft. Str 24 (+7)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 5 (−3) 11 (+0)
Cha 15 (+2)
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities fire, poison, psychic Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Haunting Sounds and Images. The friction created by a moving kok-lir torments the minds of other creatures. When a kok-lir moves, each creature that is not a fiend and is within 20 feet of it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes stunned until the end of its next turn. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes immune to the kok-lir’s Haunting Sounds and Images for 24 hours. Magic Resistance. The kok-lir has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The kok-lir’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. The kok-lir makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its tendrils. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage. Tendrils. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage. Burst Polyps (1/Day). The kok-lir bursts several polyps sprouting from its body, releasing a noxious torrent of filth in a 30-foot radius. Each creature in the area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) acid damage on a failure, or just half the damage on a success.
A xo r Krotep controls the northern and western approaches to Set’s realm. Here he has set up his kingdom, Axor, on a vast icy plateau. Though Krotep is technically a vassal of Leviathan, the great sea beast leaves him alone as long as he pays enough tribute. Axor is a strange place, a twisted inversion of ancient Egypt where snow replaces sand and thousands of slaves toil ceaselessly to build pyramids out
“Build for Krotep, for the glory of Set! Serve for Krotep, for the glory of Set! Die for Krotep, for the glory of Set!” 211
of huge blocks of ice. Krotep dedicates each pyramid to Set, in the hope that his father will recognize him and grant him godhood. Despite dozens of completed pyramids, hundreds of years of labor, and thousands of dead slaves, Set has given no indication that he even recognizes the effort. This treatment has only driven Krotep further into his mania, and he now raids other planes for the slaves he needs to keep up the effort. He is convinced that if he can honor the great god, he will be allowed to take his rightful place by the side of his father. In Krotep’s mind, his biggest adversary is his sister, Nekhet. She controls the southern and eastern approaches to Set’s realm and attempts to win the favor of their father in a different way, by winning him more worshippers. Krotep believes that only his sister’s machinations have
prevented the success of his own endeavors, so he dedicates much of his time to undermining her plans. Since Nekhet is quite active on the Material Plane, this has forced Krotep to increase his own presence there as well. Through several active agents, he has promulgated his own cult. Now brother and sister clash both in Hell and the Material Plane, and all the while Set laughs at the spectacle.
K rot e p
Medium fiend, lawful evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80) Speed 40 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 14 (+2)
Cha 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +10, Wis +7 Skills Deception +8, Perception +7, Persuasion +8 Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 16 (15,000 XP) Innate Spellcasting. Krotep’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16). Krotep can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: ice storm, sleet storm, wall of ice Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Krotep fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Krotep has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. Krotep’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Multiattack. Krotep makes three attacks: two with his whip and one with his snapping claws. Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) thunder damage. Snapping Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained. Krotep can have one creature grappled at a time, and attacks with his snapping claws hit automatically against a creature he has grappled. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Krotep can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Krotep regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Attack. Krotep makes a melee weapon attack. Move. Krotep moves up to his speed. Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Krotep innately casts a spell.
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N e cr or ip pe r In Gehenna, there are horrors made horrors, terrors stitched together from terrors. In the eternal war, Ulasta, the exarch of Envy, creates her own soldiers. Cobbled together in great lifeless factories at the heart of the Circle of Envy, these constructs are made of undead parts pieced together by daemons that yearn to join the battle but are forced instead to toil. Necrorippers are automatons, created only to fight in great hordes. They are particularly suited for battle with demons and devils, as Ulasta regularly hones and perfects their makeup in an effort to better defeat her enemies.
C o ns t ruc t e d N a t u r e
Ne crorip pe r
A necroripper doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Ne k he t
P ro p h e t
of
Se t
Nekhet is the bat-headed sister of Krotep (see Krotep, Pharaoh of Axor, earlier in this chapter, for more information). Like her brother, she believes herself to be the child of the Egyptian god Set. She and Krotep have been fighting each other their whole lives. Both desire recognition by their purported father and ascension to godhood. They also believe that only one of them can win this prize. For almost a millennium, Nekhet and Krotep have been camped outside of Set’s realm, Nekhet to the south and east and her brother to the north and west. Each has armies that clash intermittently, but each also has a strategy to assume godhood. Krotep believes he can flatter Set by constructing pyramids in the god’s name. A simple approach, but a time-honored one—it never hurts to appeal to divine vanity. Nekhet long ago rejected such notions, and she has nothing but contempt for her brother’s pigheadedness. She plans to offer Set something every god wants: greater power. While Krotep works slaves to death in Hell, Nekhet has focused her energy on the Material Plane to win worshippers for Set, making him ever more powerful and respected.
Wi d e l y T r a v e l e d These days Nekhet actually spends little time in Hell. Instead she travels to different worlds in the Material Plane to found cults of Set in person, appearing most often in rural areas as a wandering prophet. She performs “miracles,” preaches the glory of Set, and wins converts for
C hapter II: T he F iends
Large construct, neutral evil
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 136 (13d10 + 65) Speed 40 ft. Str 23 (+6)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 17 (+3)
Cha 5 (−3)
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, psychic Damage Immunities acid, necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages understands Abyssal and Infernal but can’t speak Challenge 14 (11,500 XP) Aggressive. As a bonus action, the necroripper can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. Fiend Destroyer. The necroripper has advantage on attack rolls it makes against fiends, and its attacks deal an extra 3d6 damage to fiends. Immutable Form. The necroripper is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Magic Resistance. The necroripper has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The necroripper’s weapon attacks are magical. Rampage. When the necroripper reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the necroripper can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack. A c t ions Multiattack. The necroripper makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) piercing damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage.
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Ne k he t
T he P ro phe cie s o f Ne k he t
Medium fiend, lawful evil
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
The legendary Prophecies of Nekhet are a set of finely-painted papyrus scrolls wound around golden spindles, containing a great deal of infernal occult knowledge and cryptic verses of prophecy. Attuning to the scrolls causes the character to gain a point of Corruption, as does each use of them. While attuned to The Prophecies of Nekhet, you can cast augury, beast sense, contact other plane, planar ally, and planar binding at-will, but only as rituals. You also double your proficiency bonus for Intelligence (Arcana) checks involving knowledge of fiends and matters concerning them. A set of the Prophecies sometimes turns up in the hands of a leader of one of Nekhet’s mortal cults.
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45) Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 18 (+4)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 20 (+5)
Cha 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +11, Cha +11 Skills Deception +11, Insight +11, Perception +11, Persuasion +11, Religion +10 Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 21 Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Nekhet fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The devil’s weapon attacks are magical. Spellcasting. Nekhet is a 17th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). Nekhet has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): guidance, light, resistance, sacred flame, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots): bane, command, cure wounds, detect magic 2nd level (3 slots): aid, blindness/deafness, silence, spiritual weapon 3rd level (3 slots): beacon of hope, bestow curse, dispel magic, spirit guardians 4th level (3 slots): banishment, freedom of movement, guardian of faith 5th level (2 slots): contagion, dispel evil and good, flame strike 6th level (1 slot): harm 7th level (1 slot): divine word 8th level (1 slot): earthquake 9th level (1 slot): gate A c t ions Multiattack. Nekhet makes two quarterstaff attacks. Toxic Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) poison damage. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions Nekhet can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Nekhet regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Attack. Nekhet makes a melee attack. Move. Nekhet moves up to her speed. Cast a Spell (Costs 3 Actions). Nekhet casts a spell.
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her father. Once the cult is established, she moves against other local religions, defiling temples and killing priests. Having thus assured the cult’s survival, she appoints a leader and moves on to spread the word elsewhere. Through follow-up visits and intimidation, she keeps the various cults in line.
L e vi a t h a n ’s S u bj e c t Leviathan, her titular lord in Hell, is not very happy with Nekhet. She is neglecting her duties to the Lord of the Fifth Circle. He would have taken her out long ago if not for the possibility that Set really is her father. Leviathan cannot afford to offend the god, since he doesn’t want an enemy in the midst of his circle of Hell. Agents of Leviathan are currently investigating the true parentage of the siblings. Should godly blood not run in her veins, Nekhet may soon find herself enjoying a lengthy digestion in Leviathan’s bowels.
T h e P ro p h e t ’s S t a ff Early in her career Nekhet visited a world in the Material Plane with a vigorous cult of Set. Delighted to find a strong church dedicated to her father, Nekhet made a surprise entrance to the cult’s temple and announced her parentage to the assembled throng. The worshippers were suitably impressed and bowed down to the bat-headed offspring of their deity. The high priest, however, was not so quick to serve. In a private conference with Nekhet, he cast aspersions on her story and all but accused her of lying. The sacred scrolls made no mention of her, he asserted, so how could she be Set’s daughter? Nekhet listened attentively to his protestations and then left him without saying a word. The next morning, Nekhet appeared with the high priest’s staff of office. He was never seen again. The rest of the priests got the message, and no one ever dared to question her authority.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Ou bl ie t t e Found throughout Hell, oubliettes were created by Asmodeus to deny pure souls from reaching the Lords of Good for all time. Big, lumbering things of flabby flesh, they each have long tentacles that extend out from their stomachs and end with the severed heads of good creatures they have stolen from the Material Plane. As they travel through Hell, oubliettes ensure their victims bear witness to the plane’s worst atrocities.
A S t rug g l e
for
S o ul s
The planar powers contend with each other for souls. Devils tempt mortals into evil so that their souls will travel to Hell upon death. Likewise, the souls of the good go to the Seven Heavens or other good planes. Accumulating souls makes both gods and devils more powerful, which is why the war is prosecuted with such vigor. Each corrupted soul adds power to Asmodeus and denies it to the Lords of Good. But the King of Hell realized that there were some souls too good to be corrupted and too powerful to be allowed into Heaven, such as those of heroic paladins and clerics. He created the oubliettes to be living prisons of flesh. When a devil noble or Lord of Hell wants a troublesome champion of good removed, an infernal strike force is assembled that includes an oubliette.
S t e al e r
of
S o ul s
An oubliette extends a long tentacle from its stomach, and when the oubliette or another devil kills a creature, the oubliette snatches the creature’s head and mounts it on the end of its tentacle. The oubliette’s hideous nature keeps the head both alive and conscious.
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Ou bl ie t t e
Huge construct, unaligned Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 150 (12d12 + 72) Speed 40 ft. Str 27 (+8)
Dex 9 (–1)
Con Int Wis 22 (+6) 5 (–3) 14 (+2)
Cha 14 (+2)
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities fire, poison Condition Immunities charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 14 (11,500 XP) Magic Resistance. The oubliette has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The oubliette’s weapon attacks are magical.
Wailing Soul. The insane head attached to the oubliette’s tentacle screeches and wails. Whenever a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the oubliette, the creature must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened for 1 minute. At the end of each of the frightened creature’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect becomes immune to the oubliette’s Wailing Soul for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. The oubliette makes a slam attack and a bite attack. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (1d12 + 8) piercing damage. Stomp (Recharge 4–6). The oubliette brings down its foot with tremendous force, causing a shock wave to travel through the ground in a 60-foot radius. Each creature on the ground in the area must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 (8d12) force damage and being knocked prone on a failed save, or taking just half the damage on a successful one.
An oubliette lives for millennia unless slain, and for all that time, the good soul trapped within is lost to Heaven. To make matters worse, oubliettes wander throughout Hell, making their charges watch the unspeakable evil that goes on there. A century or two of unending horror is enough to drive most mortals mad. Some even begin to enjoy the spectacle; these are Asmodeus’s greatest triumphs. When this happens, the oubliette can safely smash the head apart and release the now-evil soul to join the host of Hell.
C o ns t ruc t e d N a t u r e An oubliette doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Painshrie k e r While duch*ess Hadriel prefers female servants, she knows how to use men when it suits her. The painshriekers, a common form of Submitter (see the entry for Hadriel, earlier in this chapter, for more information), are a case in point. Painshriekers are recruited from the most ardent of Hadriel’s male mortal followers. Such is their desire to please their mistress that they willingly submit to the agonizing process of transformation. Like strigae (see Striga, earlier in this chapter, to learn more), they are first blinded. They are then slit open from navel to chin, and large segments of their internal organs are removed and replaced with a vibratory superstructure that projects an ultrasonic beam. The new painshriekers remain blind until 216
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“Those beasts are to devils as newts are to cruel boys—if newts were eight feet long, hot as a forge, and with jaws that can tear you in half.” Painshrie k e r
Medium monstrosity, lawful evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 37 (5d8 + 15) Speed 30 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 15 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 10 (+0)
Cha 8 (–1)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4 Damage Resistances thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this distance), passive Perception 12 Languages understands Common, Infernal but can’t speak Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Shocking Appearance. When a creature that can see the painshrieker starts its turn within 60 feet of the painshrieker, the painshrieker’s horrifying appearance forces the creature to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw if the painshrieker is not incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened for 1 minute. While frightened in this way, the creature is paralyzed. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature also suffers short-term madness (see the Dungeon Master’s Guide). At the end of the frightened creature’s turn, it can repeat the saving throw and ends the frightened effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw to resist or ends the frightened effect becomes immune to the painshrieker’s Shocking Appearance for 24 hours. A c t ions Multiattack. The painshrieker makes two hand scythe attacks. Hand Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Sonic Barrage (1/Day). The painshrieker screams into a 60-footlong cone for 3 rounds or until the painshrieker moves, uses an action, or becomes incapacitated. When the painshrieker uses its Sonic Barrage, each creature in the area takes 4 (1d8) thunder damage. A creature that takes this damage must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw at the start of its turn, taking 9 (2d8) thunder damage on a failed save, or just half the damage on a successful one.
the grafts heal, at which time they can “see” again with their implanted sonic generator. They also learn to create a powerful sonic attack.
I n f e r n a l S ol di e r s Hadriel uses the painshriekers as shock troops. Their inhuman appearance and sonic barrage make them much-feared opponents. Since Hadriel is operating in the shadows at the moment, painshriekers are rarely seen on the Material Plane. They are kept in several remote forest keeps, waiting to burst forth on the duch*ess’s command.
C hapter II: T he F iends
Phl ogiston Moni tors Phlogiston monitors infest the Lake of Fire. They gather all along its shores, sometimes entering the flaming waters to dine on the occasional sinner. They occupy nearly every available place on the shores and even the rare islands that surface, presenting a battle to those who escape the relentless fires of the burning sea.
I n f e s t a t io n Devils regularly overlook these creatures, seeing them more as a part of the environment and natural order than anything worthy of respect. When their numbers grow too great, the archdevils call for a hunt to thin the population. For weeks, the devils subject phlogiston monitors to horrific tortures and humiliations, through which the devils vent their frustrations and perverse cravings. In turn, phlogiston monitors regularly snatch devils and make messy meals of them, showing the same humiliating cruelty they’ve been granted to these monsters. 217
Phl ogiston Moni tor
Sk ul l dug g e rs
Medium monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21) Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 19 (+4)
Con Int Wis 17 (+3) 6 (–2) 12 (+1)
Cha 4 (–3)
Saving Throws Str +6, Con +5 Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities fire Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages — Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Heated Body. A creature that touches the phlogiston monitor or hits with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Phlogiston monitors watch for the lone or weak traveler, ignoring most parties of any significant size. Something that appears sickly or suffering is the best target for these fire lizards. When such prey comes close, the phlogiston monitor attacks. If it succeeds in incapacitating the victim, it roots about in the softer sections of flesh for tender meats, which it enjoys above all else.
Only two demon princes know the secret of skulldugger creation: Gamigin and Orcus. Both of these princes are masters of necromancy and lords of undeath. Unlike mortal necromancers, they also have millions of evil souls at their command. Skullduggers are created in blasphemous rituals enacted personally by the demon princes. They use souls to animate these undead, rather than negative energy, as is usually the case. In theory the ritual can be performed on several different types of skeletons. However, both demon princes favor the remains of an extinct breed of qlippoth. They have found its winged form of great utility, so other forms of skullduggers are almost never seen. Gamigin uses skullduggers to hunt down souls owed to him and bring them to the Jagged Tor of Final Reckoning. Orcus uses them as spies and messengers, often sending them to the Material Plane to communicate with his followers there. Skullduggers confound good clerics because their unique method of animation makes them immune to turning.
Un d e a d N a t u r e A skulldugger doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Sk ul l dug g e r
Medium undead, chaotic evil Armor Class 13 (natural armor) Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9) Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)
Cha 12 (+1)
Saving Throws Dex +4 Skills Perception +2 Damage Resistances nonmagical piercing and slashing attacks Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned, turned Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages understands Abyssal but can’t speak Challenge 2 (450 XP) Innate Spellcasting. The skulldugger’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). The skulldugger can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 1/day each: burning hands, clairvoyance, dimension door, invisibility A c t ions Multiattack. The skulldugger makes a claws attack and a gore attack. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
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So ul T a k e r During the heavenly uprising, the angels who sided with the Adversary cast long evil shadows. These insubstantial things extended into the still not fully formed Gehenna. There, ungoverned, the shadows cast darkened with every blasphemy committed and every vile act the angels
performed. When the angels fell into the Abyss and Hell, their shadows remained trapped in Gehenna, awakened to their unnatural nature and eager to escape. They became soul takers. These hateful things broke free from Gehenna and journeyed to return to their rightful bodies. Some soul takers discovered that their physical forms had fallen, destroyed in the wars of the Heavens. Without a physical form, these former angels would never regain their bodies, trapped between oblivion and life.
Soul T a k e r Large undead, any evil
Armor Class 15 Hit Points 180 (19d10 + 76) Speed 50 ft., fly 80 ft. Str 6 (−2)
Dex 20 (+5)
Con Int Wis 18 (+4) 22 (+6) 24 (+7)
Cha 28 (+9)
Saving Throws Dex +10, Wis +12, Cha +14 Skills Perception +12, Stealth +10 Damage Vulnerabilities radiant Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities necrotic, poison Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages Celestial, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
Scythe. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature and not a construct or undead, it must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or reduce its hit point maximum by the amount of damage it took from this attack. If the reduction drops the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies and the soul taker claims its soul. A creature whose soul has been claimed cannot be restored to life by any means short of a wish spell. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Howl of Sorrow (1/Day). The soul taker lets loose a shriek of heartrending sorrow and soul-chilling fear. Each creature within 60 feet of the soul taker that can hear its shriek must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Amorphous. A soul taker can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing. Horrific Appearance. Any humanoid that starts its turn within 30 feet of the soul taker and can see the soul taker must make a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed saving throw, the creature is frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the soul taker is within its line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the soul taker’s Horrific Appearance for the next 24 hours. Unless the target is surprised, the target can avert its eyes and avoid making the initial saving throw. Until the start of its next turn, a creature that averts its eyes has disadvantage on attack rolls against the soul taker. Innate Spellcasting. The soul taker’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 23). The soul taker can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: darkness 3/day each: dispel evil and good Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the soul taker can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the soul taker has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. A c t ions Multiattack. The soul taker makes two scythe attacks.
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Eons later, the soul taker lament their existence, hating the mortals that formed the basis for the uprising and hating the Adversary who urged them to take arms against the heavenly host. Now, though most reside in Hell, many travel the planes looking for some means to restore their physical forms, consulting with necromancers, liches, and worse. Though no shadow angel has yet regained its body, they are relentless in their pursuit. Despite their obsession, they retain their hate for all mortals, slaughtering them when they prove to have no use, hoping to reclaim their bodies with each soul they take. Provided they can find the means, soul takers can freely leave the Lower Planes and enter any non-good plane without restriction.
Un d e a d N a t u r e A soul taker doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
S pawn o f Mar b as Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 30 (4d10 + 8) Speed 40 ft. Dex 14 (+2)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 8 (−1) 10 (+0)
It’s hard to say what the spawn of Marbas looked like before they came to the Soaking Canyon of Malignancy. Some say they were a planar breed of horse, others a type of hunting dog. What is certain is that Marbas, in a fit of inspiration, brought thousands of the creatures to his cancerous corner of the Abyss. He unleashed the raw power of chaos on the hapless animals, warping their bodies and their minds. His ultimate purpose remains unknown, for one day Marbas ceased his attentions and began to pursue some fresh inspiration. Such is the nature of chaos. The spawn of Marbas were left to wander the Soaking Canyon of Malignancy, apparently forgotten by their creator. Native demons began to use them as mounts, attack hounds, and, of course, food. Warlocks dedicated to Marbas also began to summon them to the Material Plane. Now they can be found on many different worlds, confounding scholars and adventurers alike.
U n finis h e d W o r k s
Large monstrosity, chaotic evil
Str 16 (+3)
S pawn o f Mar b as
Cha 9 (−1)
Although the spawn of Marbas appear bizarre, with their bird beaks and misshapen forms, these creatures of chaos have maintained a surprisingly stable form for several millennia. The irony is perhaps lost on Marbas, though some say he intends to finish what he started with the spawn when the time is right.
Damage Resistances cold, fire Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Abyssal but can’t talk Challenge 1 (200 XP) A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. Pain Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) psychic damage, and the creature must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or experience the pain the spawn of Marbas endures every day. The target gains one level of exhaustion. If the target succeeds on the saving throw, it becomes immune to this spawn of Marbas’s Pain Touch for 24 hours. Color Burst (Recharge 6). A spawn of Marbas can use an action to turn its skin translucent and expose its inner organs, which pulse with chaotic energy. Each creature within 20 feet of the spawn of Marbas and that can see it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become blinded for 1 minute. At the end of each of the creature’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw and ends the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on the saving throw or ends the effect on itself becomes immune to this spawn of Marbas’s Color Burst for 24 hours.
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S phinx, Dark Sphinxes normally see themselves above the fray when it comes to the struggle between light and dark, good and evil. However, sometimes a sphinx gains Hell’s attention and might find itself drawn into darkness against its will. Darksphinxes are raised in Hell and learn at Hadriel’s feet, trained as bodyguards and instilled with utter loyalty to the duch*ess. Hadriel awards them to her most trusted lieutenants and occasionally to other devil nobles as well. A darksphinx bodyguard is very prestigious and highly
sought after in Hell. Many suspect that these “bodyguards” are nothing more than spies for Hadriel, but that has never been proven. Although their job may seem simple, the darksphinxes enjoy their work. Protecting an important personage from assassination in Hell is a never-ending intellectual sport, and second-guessing creatures bred to be deceptive is no easy task. The appearance of darksphinxes makes their lineage clear, but they stand upright like humanoids and prefer to use weapons in combat. duch*ess Hadriel (see Hadriel, duch*ess of Domination, earlier in this chapter, to learn more) long admired the gynosphinx. Fierce, enigmatic, and unbelievably
Dark s phinx
Large monstrosity, neutral evil
same turn, the darksphinx can move away from that target without triggering an opportunity attack from it.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor) Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20) Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 23 (+6)
Dex 16 (+3)
Con Int Wis 15 (+2) 22 (+6) 19 (+4)
A c t ions Cha 21 (+5)
Skills Arcana +10, Deception +9, Perception +7, Persuasion +9, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, Sphinx Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Multiattack. The darksphinx makes three attacks: two with its longsword and one with its tail slap. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage. Tail Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Inscrutable. The darksphinx is immune to any effect that would sense its emotions or read its thoughts, as well as any divination spell that it refuses. Wisdom (Insight) checks made to ascertain the darksphinx’s intentions or sincerity have disadvantage. Innate Spellcasting. The darksphinx’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18). The darksphinx can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect magic 3/day each: clairvoyance, darkness 1/day each: dispel magic, legend lore, locate object 1/week: symbol Magic Resistance. A darksphinx has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The darksphinx’s weapon attacks are magical. Springing Strike. If the darksphinx moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and hits it with a melee weapon attack on the
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intelligent, gynosphinxes were everything that Hadriel aspired to be. When she became the duch*ess of Domination, Hadriel sought out several gynosphinxes and tried to attract them to her entourage, without success. The creatures would not be wooed by power or prestige. Hadriel decided to approach the problem differently. She visited a powerful gynosphinx named Newella and challenged her to a battle of wits. If Newella won, Hadriel would become her servant. If Hadriel won, Newella would mate with the male of Hadriel’s choosing. The contestants posed a dozen riddles and logic puzzles to each other. Newella missed but a single answer, but that was enough. She was forced to mate with Hadriel’s husband, Duke Bifrons. The resulting half-fiend offspring were the first darksphinxes.
S t a sis Ca g e
S pin e s e e k e r Voracious predators that seemingly exist only to feed, spineseekers pose a serious threat to even the demonic residents of the Abyss. A spineseeker’s dull gray body can reach a length of four feet, though specimens half that size are far more common. All spineseekers are hermaphroditic and reproduce by mating. A pregnant spineseeker can give birth to up to thirty-six young, disgorging them from its three mouths in a mass of stomach acid and pulpy afterbirth. Whenever a colony of these creatures finds its way into a demon settlement, the demons do everything within their power to destroy the incursion. More devious
Wondrous item, rare
The six walls of this glass container have been etched with arcane symbols and magical formulae. One side is hinged, allowing items or creatures up to Small size to be placed within. The box can hold one Small creature or two Tiny creatures. Anything within a closed stasis cage is placed into a state of suspended animation. For the occupants, time ceases to flow. The occupant does not age, all bodily functions cease, and it cannot be harmed in any way. The effect lasts until the door opens.
S pine se e k e r Small fiend, chaotic evil
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 33 (6d6 + 12) Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. Str 16 (+3)
Dex 24 (+7)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)
Cha 8 (−1)
Saving Throws Con +5, Dex +10, Wis +5 Skills Perception +3, Stealth +10 Damage Resistances fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages — Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Damage Transfer. While it is attached to a target, the spineseeker takes only half the damage dealt to it, and the creature to which it is attached takes the other half. Magic Resistance. A spineseeker has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. A spineseeker’s weapon attacks are magical. A c t ions Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d4 + 7) piercing damage, and if the creature is Large or smaller, the spineseeker attaches to it. While attached, the spineseeker doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the spineseeker’s turns, the target loses 5 (2d4) hit points due to blood loss. The spineseeker can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can use its action to attempt to detach the spineseeker. A creature must contest a Strength check against the spineseeker’s Dexterity check. On a success, the creature tears the spineseeker free, dealing 7 (3d4) piercing damage to the target to which it was attached. While attached to the target, the spineseeker winds its tendrils around the target’s spinal cord. Whenever the target takes a turn, it must contest a Charisma check against the spineseeker’s Wisdom check. If the target succeeds, it can act normally during its turn. If the target fails, the spineseeker decides how the target takes its turn, as if the target were under the effects of a dominate monster spell.
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demons can be seen at the heart of such battles, squatting over injured spineseekers, forcing the creatures into specially prepared magical cages. Despite the danger they pose—and likely because of it—spineseekers represent an important commodity in the Abyss. Though far from stupid, spineseekers have no language and don’t seem to care whom they attack. They cannot be reasoned with and know nothing of mercy or compassion. They make incredibly effective assassins since their lack of communication makes it extremely difficult to track the killing back to its sponsor. Demons (or even mortals) wishing to use spineseekers in this manner trap them in containers known as stasis cages (see the Stasis Cages sidebar for details), which are then opened in the presence of the intended target. It doesn’t always work. Sometimes the
S t i t ch face
Medium undead, unaligned Armor Class 9 Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) Speed 20 ft. Str 14 (+2)
Dex 8 (−1)
Con Int Wis 16 (+3) 3 (−4) 11 (+0)
Cha 10 (+0)
spineseeker attacks the bearer of the stasis cage. Usually, however, it flies right to its mark and begins its grisly work. Spineseekers get their name from their favorite combat tactic, which involves grappling (often larger) opponents. Once it has grabbed an enemy, a spineseeker attempts to attach itself to the creature’s spine, draining it of vitality, while at the same time controlling its motor functions.
S t i t ch face s Hideous creations of Orcus’s necromancer cultists, stitchfaces serve as guardians and soldiers in the cause of evil. Stitchfaces are essentially humanoid-shaped sacks made by stitching together animated human faces, whose features contort with obvious agony, and filling the vessel with maggots and rotting meat on which these vermin can feed. Imbued with dark power called forth from the Abyss, stitchfaces prove themselves implacable servants, as hideous as they are brutal in a fight.
Un d e a d N a t u r e A stitchface doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Damage Resistances necrotic Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 3 (700 XP) Cloud of Flies. Flies swarm around the stitchface in a 5-foot radius centered on the stitchface’s space and move with it when it moves. When a creature starts its turn in the area, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) piercing damage and become poisoned until the start of its next turn. Constructs and undead are immune to this effect. If the stitchface takes fire damage, it loses its Cloud of Flies until the end of its next turn. Spray of Maggots. When the stitchface takes piercing or slashing damage, it spurts maggots at one creature within 5 feet of it. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or take 3 (1d6) piercing damage. Stench. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the stitchface must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the stitchface’s Stench for 24 hours. A c t ions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) bludgeoning damage. Engulf. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (2d10 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and if the creature is Medium or smaller, the stitchface enters the creature’s space and the creature becomes grappled (escape DC 12). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained. The stitchface can grapple just one creature at a time, and it cannot attack while it has a creature grappled. At the start of each of the stitchface’s turns, the maggots filling its body feed on the creature the stitchface has grappled. The creature must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) piercing damage on a failure, or just half the damage on a success.
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T he Rive r S t yx
The polluted, festering stream known as the River Styx (or sometimes the River Lethe) winds its way through the Lower Planes, cutting a path through several Abyssal layers. The river also touches upon Hell and Gehenna, and some say it even extends to certain worlds in the Material Plane. Legends tell of riverboats disappearing into banks of thick fog and emerging into a hellscape of gibbering demons or leering devils. Whether these legends are true or not means very little. The dark reputation of the Styx extends to all corners of the multiverse. Many inhabitants of the Abyss use the river as a convenient means of transportation. Generally, a journey upon its surface leads to a random Abyssal layer after 1d8+1 days. If the trip begins on the Howling Threshold, where the river is strongest, the traveler has a 50 percent chance of ending up in a different randomly determined Lower Plane. Such travel brings with it horrific dangers, however. Hezrou demons plague the Styx throughout most of the Abyss, while hydraggons and stygian interlopers swim in the regions those toad-like demons avoid. The most insidious aspect of the River Styx, however, involves the water itself. Any mortal who touches the river must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or suffer total memory loss. Such a loss is permanent—the creature completely forgets who it is and loses all sense of identity (including languages and proficiencies). Those foolish enough to drink from the River Styx receive no saving throw. Once removed from the river, stygian water loses all magical properties. The only “safe” means of traveling upon the Styx is on rickety barges poled by hooded daemons (sometimes called Charons, after a mythological figure who served the same purpose). A journey upon such a vessel halves the time it takes to travel to another layer, and Charons can direct their barges to a specifically requested layer or Lower Plane (no other creatures or vessels on record possess such power over the Styx). Charons expect to be paid for their service (very rarely in gold), and seldom appear when they are most needed.
S t ygian In t e rl o pe r Medium fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12) Speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft. Str 12 (+1)
Dex 13 (+1)
Con Int Wis 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
Cha 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +3, Cha +4 Skills Deception +4, Perception +3, Stealth +3 Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Amphibious. The stygian interloper can breathe air and water. Magic Resistance. A stygian interloper has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. A stygian interloper’s weapon attacks are magical. Shapechanger. The stygian interloper can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid who has fallen prey to the mind-erasing powers of the River Styx, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form, though the interloper gains all of the stricken individual’s memories, in a sense becoming the person whose form it adopts. Styx Immunity. The stygian interloper is immune to the memory-stealing effects of the River Styx. A c t ions Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) slashing damage.
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Urhydr a
S t ygian In t e rl o pe r When mortals touch or drink from the River Styx, their memories flow from their minds into its waters, carried away by the current to some unthinkable corner of the underworld. Stygian interlopers, bizarre lizard-like fiends that inhabit the river, swarm to these memories, inhaling them deep and relishing the play of recollecting thoughts for the very first time. When a stygian interloper finds memories of a particularly interesting life, it assumes the form of the amnesiac individual, “returning” to the Material Plane to spread chaos in mortal guise. The stygian interloper does its best to integrate itself into the mortal’s forgotten life, taking delight in destroying family bonds, sullying reputations, and betraying confidences. Ranging in coloration from dull green to deep blue, stygian interlopers spend nearly all of their lives submerged in the waters of the Styx, where they remain relatively safe from everything but other Styx-dwelling fiends. Neither qlippoth nor demon, stygian interlopers care little for Abyssal politics, concerning themselves with reliving the lives of others through stolen memories to the exclusion of nearly everything else.
UrHydr a Ordinary hydras prove deadly foes for most adventurers, but when touched by the Abyss and warped by its dread influence, they become true terrors. Travelers in the Abyss who manage to survive its myriad horrors sometimes report hearing strange music lifting above the din of screams and the rumble of the chaotic plane, a song that hooks the soul, easing the mind of the terror that dogs visitors to this dread plane. Those who succumb to the alluring song scramble toward its source, which is nearly always a cave, and disappear in the darkness, forever lost. The mind-wrenching song sources from the urhydra, a monstrosity usually found in the Abyss but sometimes found on the Material Plane as well. Sages believe the urhydras sired the ordinary hydras found across the planes, since these monstrosities exceed the lesser breed in size, toughness, and sheer malice. Whether or not there happens to be a connection, urhydras possess all the might of other hydras, but with keen minds bent to cruelty.
A H o r r ific V is a g e Urhydras have seven heads sprouting from the trunk of their serpentine bodies that seem to go on forever. Thick
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Gargantuan monstrosity, chaotic evil Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 350 (20d20 + 140) Speed 30 ft. Str 27 (+8)
Dex 12 (+1)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Cha 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Str +15, Con +14, Wis +7, Cha +11 Skills Perception +14 Damage Resistances cold, fire Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 24 Languages understands Abyssal and Common Challenge 24 (62,000 XP) Multiple Heads. The urhydra has seven heads. While it has more than one head, the urhydra has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious. Whenever the urhydra takes 50 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all of its heads die, the urhydra dies. At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last turn, unless it has taken acid or fire damage since its last turn. The urhydra regains 15 hit points for each head regrown this way. Reactive Heads. For each head the urhydra has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks. Wakeful. While the urhydra sleeps, at least one of its heads is awake. A c t ions Multiattack. The urhydra makes as many bite attacks as it has heads. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (2d12 + 8) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. Luring Song. The urhydra sings a magical melody. Every humanoid and giant within 300 feet of the urhydra that can hear the song must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the song ends. The urhydra must take a bonus action on its subsequent turns to continue singing. It can stop singing at any time. The song ends if the urhydra has three or fewer living heads. While charmed by the urhydra, a target is incapacitated and ignores the songs of other urhydras. If the charmed target is more than 5 feet away from the urhydra, the target must move on its turn toward the urhydra by the most direct route, trying to get within 5 feet. The target doesn’t avoid opportunity attacks, but before moving into damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it takes damage from a source other than the urhydra, the target can repeat the saving throw. A charmed target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If the saving throw is successful, the effect on it ends. A target that successfully saves is immune to this urhydra’s song for the next 24 hours. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions The urhydra can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. The urhydra regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Bite. The urhydra makes a bite attack. Move. The urhydra moves up to its speed. Crush (Costs 2 Actions). The urhydra shifts its prodigious bulk. Each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage.
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“It should go without saying, but there is literally nothing good within the foul depths of the Abyss. Should you find any comfort, surcease of suffering, or balm for pain there, do not trust it.” — from the account of Brother Maxwell scales, the color of old pus, armor their bodies, and their eyes gleam with hatred. The urhydras make their music by moving air through their nostrils, and they can further lure prey into their clutches by spraying the ground with their saliva, which gives off odors that seem pleasant to creatures charmed by their song.
U r h y d r a ’s L ai r Urhydras make their homes in large caves with easy access to the surface. Sweet-smelling slime, filth the urhydras eject from their maws, drips from the ceiling, paints the walls, and collects in pools on the ground. Deeper inside, piles of excrement, bristling with bones and undigested bits of gear, describe the fates of those who ran afoul of these hateful creatures.
L air Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the urhydra takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. The urhydra can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row. 226
• Up to four heaps of excrement within 120 feet of the urhydra give birth to mangled zombies (see the entry on zombies in the Monster Manual for more information). These creatures immediately roll initiative and take the next possible turn to attack the urhydra’s enemies.
• Dollops of slime fall from the ceiling onto creatures the urhydra chooses within 120 feet of it. Each creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become covered in the stuff. A creature covered in the slime takes 10 (3d6) acid damage plus an additional 7 (2d6) acid damage at the end of each of its turns until it or another creature that can reach it uses an action to wipe the stuff away.
• Part of the urhydra’s impossibly long tail shifts to strike up to three creatures of the urhydra’s choice within 60 feet of it. To strike multiple creatures, each creature targeted must be within 10 feet of another
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targeted creature. A creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage and fall prone.
R e g io n a l E ff e c t s The region containing an urhydra’s lair is contaminated by the urhydra’s vile nature, which creates one or more of the following effects: • A pleasant odor fills the air within 1 mile of the lair. Each creature in the area smells something it desires, such as food, ale, perfume, or something else. • Zombies smeared with filth shuffle around the lair in packs of 1d6 + 3. What remains of their expressions shows bliss.
If the urhydra dies, the zombies shuffle off immediately, but other effects fade over a period of 1d10 days.
Va sh t uk Gehenna is home to wanderers from many planes, including petty gods and outsiders who have nowhere else to go. One such transient who calls the Circle of Greed his home is Vashtuk, whom goblins call “the Smiling God.” Members of many goblin tribes worship Vashtuk. They believe he will favor them with guile in their battles against bigger creatures. And indeed, he is filled with guile—having convinced the goblins that he is a god, or that he is even a goblin. Once a servant in Heaven to the God of Laughter, Joy, and Riches, Vashtuk was high among the celestial host. But over the years, he became too enamored with his lord’s many trinkets and riches, until at last, he became obsessed with one belonging in particular: a golden drinking cup. Vashtuk thought, “It is only the smallest of things, this little cup—he shall never miss it!” and so took it as his own. But Vashtuk had not known that this cup was a gift to his lord from his lord’s sister, the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Indeed, it reflected her fairness, captured in the gold of the cup that made Vashtuk so obsessed. One day, when the goddess came to visit her brother, they chose to have wine. She asked her brother why he did not drink from the cup she had given him. When he could not find it, she became convinced he had given away the cup to a goddess he was wooing. She flew into a wild rage and left, infuriating Vashtuk’s lord. Soon enough, the theft was uncovered, and Vashtuk was cast out of Heaven. His lord declared upon casting him out: “If you will steal trinkets and skulk about at the heels like a miserable goblin, then a miserable goblin you will be! You will have this mark to remember me by. The greater your misery, the more forcefully will you laugh at the poverty of your existence. For laughter is my gift, and you shall have it until you choke!” And so it was.
“Oh Great and Noble Ones! All of Gehenna trembles in your presence! Might Vashtuk, humble Vashtuk, loyal and insightful Vashtuk, offer you guidance and insight into its treacherous ways? For I can see that your company will offer me stories aplenty to tell.” C hapter II: T he F iends
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Vash t uk
Small celestial, neutral evil Armor Class 27 (natural armor) Hit Points 187 (22d6 + 110) Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft. Str 18 (+4)
Dex 23 (+6)
Con Int Wis 20 (+5) 23 (+6) 23 (+6)
Cha 27 (+8)
Saving Throws Dex +13, Int +13, Wis +13, Cha +15 Skills Deception +15, Perception +13, Stealth +13 Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities acid, cold, necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23 Languages all, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 21 (33,000 XP) Divine Awareness. Vashtuk knows if he hears a lie. Fallen Weapons. Vashtuk’s weapon attacks are magical. When Vashtuk hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 22 (5d8) necrotic damage (included in the attack). Innate Spellcasting. Vashtuk’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 23, +15 to hit with spell attacks). Vashtuk can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, invisibility (self only), suggestion 3/day each: chain lightning, dispel evil and good, finger of death, major image 1/day each: dream, feeblemind, hallucinatory terrain Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Vashtuk fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Vashtuk has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Nimble Escape. Vashtuk can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of his turns.
beast that starts its turn in the area or that moves into it must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. The creature becomes frightened for 1 minute on a failed save, or becomes immune to Vashtuk’s Unsettling Presence for 24 hours on a successful one. A creature frightened in this way must take the Dash action on each of its turns to move away from Vashtuk by the safest available route. A c t ions Multiattack. Vashtuk makes two Blighted Blade attacks. Vashtuk can substitute an Accursed Touch attack for one of these attacks. Blighted Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (4d4 + 6) piercing damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. Accursed Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one fey, humanoid, or giant. Hit: 18 (4d8) psychic damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. In addition, the target must succeed on a DC 23 Charisma saving throw or become incapacitated for 1 minute. An incapacitated target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A target that saves against this effect becomes immune to Vashtuk’s Accursed Touch for 24 hours. Slaying Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6 + 6) piercing damage plus 22 (5d8) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature that has 100 hit points or fewer, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or die. L e g e n d a r y A c t ions
Vashtuk can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options listed. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn. Vashtuk regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Disappear. Vashtuk casts the invisibility spell. Teleport. Vashtuk magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
Unsettling Presence. A 150-foot radius of disturbance extends out from Vashtuk, moves with him, and spreads around corners. Each
Foul Temptation (Costs 2 Actions). Vashtuk casts the suggestion spell.
Vashtuk was made into the likeness of a goblin and since then has sought to make some measure of an existence for himself. Still quite powerful, he seeks to accumulate wealth, hoping that with enough he will be able to buy his way back into Heaven. To this end, he has convinced many goblins that he is their god and takes offerings from them. Sometimes he even comes to their aid, especially if he sees a way to benefit from it monetarily.
when they swing their arms. They leave trails of sparks in their wake. Their torsos, clearly the most interesting part of these monsters, are giant furnaces that glow white-hot with some inner conflagration. Metal portcullises raise and lower before them, making a resounding din, like the tolling of a bell. Vowing never to allow the celestials to gain a foothold in the Lower Planes, infernal craftsmen constructed guardians to provide a defense that would stem the tide of any invading force; thus was born the Vulcan demolisher. As good a defensive force as the demolisher has proven, pit-fiend generals resist the urge to increase production, as the concussive force of the demolisher’s nova claims just as many of their own troops as it does the enemy. A few powerful, but disturbed, nihilistic artificers have crafted these demolishers on the Material Plane. The results are often spectacular, with the demolishers laying waste to whole cities, claiming thousands of lives before they can
Vul can De mol ishe r Vulcan demolishers lumber across the battlefields, shaking the ground as they walk. Huge, headless constructs made from iron, hellish flames flare out of their joints and 228
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Vul can De mol ishe r Huge construct, unaligned
Armor Class 22 (natural armor) Hit Points 337 (25d12 + 175) Speed 40 ft. Str 28 (+9)
Dex 11 (+0)
Con Int Wis 24 (+7) 3 (−4) 10 (+0)
Cha 1 (−5)
Damage Immunities fire, lightning, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t made with adamantine Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages understands Infernal but can’t speak Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
furnace is restrained, has half cover against attacks and other effects outside the demolisher, and takes 55 (10d10) fire damage at the start of each of the demolisher’s turns. A demolisher can have only one creature trapped in this way at a time. If the demolisher takes 50 damage or more on a single turn from a creature trapped inside it, the furnace doors open and the creature falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the demolisher. If the demolisher dies, a trapped creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from its remains by using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Immutable Form. The construct is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Infernal Heat. A creature that touches the construct or hits with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 11 (2d10) fire damage. Magic Resistance. The construct has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. The construct’s weapon attacks are magical. Nova. When a demolisher is destroyed, it explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The explosion ignites flammable objects in the area. Stoke the Flames. Whenever the demolisher is subjected to fire or lightning damage, it takes no damage and its infernal heat deals an additional 2d10 fire damage until the end of its next turn. A c t ions Multiattack. The demolisher makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (3d12 + 9) bludgeoning damage plus 11 (2d10) fire damage. Into the Furnace (Recharge 6). The Vulcan demolisher makes a slam attack against one Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of it. On a hit, the demolisher also dumps the target inside the furnace that makes up its torso, trapping it there. A creature trapped inside the
be contained and destroyed. Consequently, dark wizards and the rare thaumaturgists who know how to build them jealously guard the process for constructing these machines.
C o ns t ruc t e d N a t u r e A Vulcan demolisher doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
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III: In S e rvice t o E Vil 230
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E
vil tempts , corrupts , and destroys mortals .
Devils offer undreamed of power in exchange for souls, while daemons look on from their ghastly realms as mortals succumb to the temptations whispered in their ears. Finally, demons seek any means to escape the Abyss that they can and might find their way to the Material Plane through the efforts of thaumaturges only to break free from the thaumaturges’ control and kill all they can. As uninviting and terrible as the Planes of Perdition are, mortals have cause to interact with them. They might seek forbidden knowledge, power, wealth, glory, or worse from the fiends, any and all of which are only too happy to indulge the foolish ambitions of their prey. In these and other ways, mortals find their moral failings, and unless they alter course and find some way of attaining redemption, death is a doorway to the very worst nightmares imaginable. Compared to other people living in the world, adventurers are thought to be above the temptation of dealing with the fiends. After all, these characters often play the part of heroes, taking the fight to evil wherever they find it. Yet, in a game where player characters can possess any alignment, it’s possible for those with darker ambitions to take the road into shadow. Many evil adventurers who deal with fiends do so as a shortcut to real and lasting power, to gain the edge they need when pursuing their goals. Others might fall into the fiends’ well-laid traps out of desperation, finding few options other than to bargain with a fiend for information they need. But, really, adventurers can find themselves enticed by the fiends for any number of reasons, and the first step taken into darkness is rarely the last. This chapter reveals a wealth of new options for characters that, for whatever reason, find themselves in league with the fiends. Most choices made available in these pages are wildly inappropriate for most adventuring parties, and the selection of such an option can bring about a fair amount of conflict between both the characters and their players. Before you descend into the evil offered here, be sure to talk the decision over with your GM and your fellow players. If it turns out that the choice will create unnecessary conflict, make a different one until you find a time and place where playing such a character would be good for the campaign.
C H A R A C T E R O P T IONS Devotees of darkness might avail themselves of any of the options presented in the Player’s Handbook and other supplements, but their willingness to embrace evil in order to achieve their personal goals leads such dastardly figures down sinister roads that, ultimately, result in damnation and destruction. Here, you will find new character options designed with evil characters in mind. From vile thaumaturges who call up demons from the Abyss to do their bidding to warriors of darkness who have pledged their souls to unspeakable forces, characters armed with these options could use their vile gifts to combat other foul enemies or to become true villains in their own right.
B ar b arian Anger, hate, and rage drive barbarians, transforming them in the heat of battle into living engines of destruction. Approaching madness, most barbarians manage to just maintain enough control to not be a danger to their companions and allies, but the risk is there always, and one mishap can release all that pent-up rage and make them killers of all, painting the battlefield red with the blood of their victims. Despite these risks, barbarians prove themselves able combatants, ferocious in a fight and unflinching in the face of danger. The rage burning inside barbarians can come from many different sources. Some barbarians draw from their anger, while others gain their might from primal spirits or from the elements themselves. This unreasoning hatred, though, can also come from much darker origins. Demons might slip free from the Abyss to possess powerful warriors, using these vessels to spread chaos and carnage. Other barbarians might have tumbled into darkness at the whispered goading of the daemons, while others still find themselves in the thrall of vile devils who exploit them for their own personal gain.
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P rimal Pa t hs
When barbarians attain 3rd level, they gain the Primal Path feature, which helps to explain the source of their rage. The following options describe ways in which evil might be responsible for the anger burning in the hearts of barbarians.
Pa t h
of
Hat re d
The power of a barbarian’s rage can derive from a place of righteousness, and be turned to the ends of justice... but there are darker manifestations of this primal anger. For some barbarians, the rage burning in their hearts comes from a dark place, a wrong done to them, a loathing for others, or a madness brought on by some horrific, mind-shattering experience. As their hatred grows, they find its grip on them tightening until it consumes their waking thoughts and torments them in their dreams. The only way to quench the fire of their hate is to spill the blood of their enemies. The path of hatred invariably leads to tragedy, both for the barbarians’ victims but also for the barbarians themselves, for their anger ultimately leads to a life of bitterness, isolation, and pain. 231
Pa t h o f ha t r e d Barbarian Level
3rd 6th 10th 14th
Feature
Channeled Hatred Bloodbath Uncontrolled Hate Unstoppable Hate
Channeled H atred Starting at 3rd level, when you choose this path, you can channel your hatred into your attacks. At the start of each of your turns while you rage, you gain one hatred token. You can have up to three tokens at a time, and you must discard any tokens you gain beyond this number. On your turn, you can spend your hatred token on one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The creature retains that token until your rage ends or until the creature drops to 0 or fewer hit points. When you attack a creature bearing your hatred token with a melee weapon, you make the attack roll with advantage. If you hit a creature bearing a hatred token with a melee weapon, you can also spend a hatred token to double the bonus to your damage roll from your Rage feature.
Bloodbath
At 6th level, when your attack drops a creature to 0 or fewer hit points, each creature you choose within 30 feet of the
target creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. If a creature has one of your hatred tokens, it makes the saving throw with disadvantage. A creature becomes frightened for 1 minute on a failed save or immune to your Bloodbath feature for 24 hours on a successful one. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Uncontrolled H ate
When you reach 10th level, your hatred becomes almost a living thing, and it takes over whenever you feel pain. Whenever you take damage while you rage, you gain a hatred token (as per your Channeled Hatred ability), and that token is immediately applied to the creature that was the source of the damage. However, if you make an attack roll against a creature that does not have one of your hatred tokens, you make the attack roll with disadvantage.
Unstoppable H ate
Starting at 14th level, if you start your turn restrained while you rage, you can make a DC 15 Strength saving throw and end the restrained effect on yourself with a success. In addition, you triple the bonus to your damage roll from your Rage feature when you hit a target that has your hatred token.
Pa t h
of t he
In f e r n a l H u n t
Hell’s reputation as a place of calculated evil, of convoluted plans and endless plotting, might seem to be at odds with the raw brutality found in barbarians, but certain powers in the infernal plane, such as Balan the Jackal, find unchecked aggression and savagery useful for carrying out their designs. Barbarians who follow the path of the infernal hunt have made terrible bargains with the devils, bargains that see them offer up their souls in exchange for greater ferocity, strength, and durability. The devils’ gifts deliver what was promised and more: these jackals, as they are sometimes called, fight with shocking brutality. However, with these gifts come bloodlust and savagery that eventually transform these barbarians into almost mindless killers. Barbarians who join the infernal hunt transform into ravening monsters when they surrender to their rage. In this form, their hands lengthen into claws ideal for rending flesh and tearing their foes apart, while their faces assume the likenesses of wild beasts. They fight with relentless fury, wading through their enemies, clawing and ripping, brutalizing everything they can reach.
Pa t h o f t he In f e r n a l Hun t F e a t u r e s Barbarian Level
3rd 6th 10th 14th
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Feature
Bestial Transformation Wild Shape Beasts of the Field Master of the Hunt
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T he F e a st
Bestial Transformation When you choose this path at 3rd level, you can undergo a physical transformation when you rage. If you do so, you gain the following benefits and drawbacks until the rage ends:
• You have disadvantage on Intelligence and Charisma attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. • Your hands lengthen into claws. You can roll a d10 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike, and the damage type for your unarmed strike changes from bludgeoning to slashing. • When you score a critical hit with an unarmed strike, your attack deals an additional 1d10 slashing damage.
• You have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, the range of your darkvision extends by 60 feet.
Wild Shape Starting at 6th level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature once. You regain the expended use when you complete a short or long rest. Your barbarian level determines the beasts you can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes Table. At 6th level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower that doesn’t have a flying speed.
Be a st Sha pe s Level
6th 10th
Max CR
1/2 1
Limitations
No flying speed No flying speed
Example
Giant goat Tiger
You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your barbarian level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. This feature is otherwise the same as that granted by the druid class.
Beasts of the Field
At 10th level, you can communicate telepathically with beasts and monstrosities that are within 60 feet of you. This communication is two-way and allows for understanding even if you have no languages in common.
M aster of the Hunt
Finally, at 14th level, when you rage, you can call forth allies from the Lower Planes to join you in your hunt. While you rage, you can expend an extra use of your rage to cause 1d4 hell hounds to appear in unoccupied spaces within 60 feet of you. The hell hounds are friendly
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Barbarians who follow the path of the infernal hunt have often been chosen by Balan for their cruelty and viciousness. Before these barbarians can benefit from their patron’s favor, they must undergo an orgy of cannibalism and murder called “the Feast,” which climaxes with them opening their chests and consuming their own hearts. The experience, assuming they survive, transforms them into bestial killers, strong and savage.
to you and obey your spoken commands. The hell hounds remain for 1 minute or until they drop to 0 hit points, at which point they disappear. The GM has statistics for these creatures.
Cl e ric Armed with the magic of the gods, clerics represent their patrons’ interests in the world, championing causes that relate to their gods’ portfolios and waging war against the enemies of their deities and all they represent. Clerics accomplish their goals thanks to the power entrusted to them by the gods or whatever powers they happen to serve, and so long as they remain true to their beliefs and constant in their faith, they can go forth with the confidence and support of their divine masters. Although most clerics worship gods and are rewarded as a result, any being of sufficient power and presence could have clerics. Powerful demon princes, exarchs, and even some archdevils might count clerics among their mortal servants. Individuals who serve such despicable beings rank among some of the worst in the mortal world, for they have given of themselves willingly to the enemies of all and almost certainly find horror and suffering as their rewards. Still, the temporal gains might be enough to make them ignore the doom that awaits them.
Cl e ric Domains
All clerics gain the Divine Domain feature at 1st level. Domains reflect the influence of the gods on their chosen servants. The following options offer characters in service to dark gods or the abominable powers of the Lower Planes the magic and talents they need to revel in their darkness.
F e ar Great, monstrous beings, often alien in form and motive, gods and other powers associated with fear cause grave upset through their mere existence. Knowledge of these beings evokes feelings of dread, and an understanding of their motives can awaken horror in even the sturdiest of souls. Followers of these deities carry out their patrons’ inscrutable goals, reveling in the chaos and terror their actions produce. Their magic reveals unspeakable truths and glimpses of awful vistas no mortal should ever see. These heralds of disaster set their foes to wringing their hands or fleeing in fear of what dreadful news they bring. 233
F e a r Domain F e a t u r e s Cleric Level
Feature
Bonus Proficiencies, Domain Spells, Terrifying Strike Channel Divinity: Tide of Terror Dread Presence Divine Strike Herald of Horror
1st 2nd 6th 8th 17th
Bonus Proficiencies When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with heavy armor and the Intimidation skill.
Domain Spells
The Fear Domain Spells Table lists the domain spells you gain at the indicated cleric levels.
F e a r Domain S pe l l s Cleric Level
1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th
Spells
frighten*, hideous laughter crippling despair*, phantasmal force fear, major image confusion, phantasmal killer dominate person, maddening horror*
Terrifying Strike
*New spell
At 1st level, when you choose this domain, you can call upon your patron’s dreadful presence to unravel your enemies’ courage. When you hit with a melee attack, you can force the target to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a failed save, the target becomes frightened for 1 minute. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can repeat the saving throw and end the effect on itself with a successful save. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Tide of Terror Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity feature to break your enemies’ spirits and send them fleeing from your presence. When a creature within 30 feet of you takes damage, you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a failed save, the creature drops whatever it is holding and becomes frightened
for 1 minute. While frightened by this effect, the creature must take the Dash action and move away from you by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a place where it doesn’t have a line of sight to you, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC and ends the effect on itself with a success.
Dread Presence
Starting at 6th level, whenever a creature that can see you attacks you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the roll. Creatures immune to the frightened condition are unaffected by this effect.
Divine Strike
At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 psychic damage. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
Herald of Horror
At 17th level, you become a figure of fear and loathing, imbued as you are with the favor of your god. You gain the following benefits: • You gain immunity to the frightened condition.
• Your enemies within 60 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws made against any effect that would grant the frightened condition, as well as on saving throws made to end the frightened condition .
P ain Gods and other powers of pain represent some of the most dreadful beings in the multiverse for their purpose:to spread suffering, crush spirits, and reduce all to shrieking, gibbering wrecks who offer up prayers in the hopes of gaining a reprieve from their agony. Such beings rule over places of punishment, where souls, sullied by their corruption, find endless torment at the hands of the deities and their hideous minions. Mortals who serve the gods of pain can be zealous hunters of evil, driven to purge the world of darkness and feed souls to their dreadful powers. But they can also be deranged and broken people who have confused pain for pleasure and see their patrons as the surest means to feed their disturbing appetites.
Pain Domain F e a t u r e s Cleric Level
1st
O t he r Domains
The Book of the Righteous includes several domains suitable to characters in service to evil: Corruption, Madness, and Tyranny.
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2nd 6th 8th 17th
Feature
Agony’s Grip, Heighten Suffering, Domain Spells, Channel Divinity: Touch of Agony Channel Divinity: Embrace the Pain Powerful Spellcasting Master of Torments
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Agony ’s Grip At 1st level, your intimate knowledge of anatomy and methods of torture helps you land painful blows. Once per round, when you roll a 1 on a die for damage, you can reroll the die. You must use the second result, even if it’s another 1. In addition, you learn the chill touch cantrip, which does not count against the total number of cantrips you can know. If you already know this cantrip, you can learn a different cantrip in its place.
Heighten Suffering
Also at 1st level, you can heighten the suffering of others around you, amplifying their pain so even the slightest injury feels like a mortal wound. When a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see takes damage, you can use your reaction to cause that creature to take an extra 1d12 damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a rest.
Domain Spells
The Pain Domain Spells Table lists the domain spells you gain at the indicated cleric levels.
Pain Domain S pe l l s Cleric Level
Spells
1st
exquisite pain*, inflict wounds
5th
bestow curse, vampiric touch
3rd 7th
9th
blindness/deafness, ray of enfeeblement agonizing vulnerability*, blight contagion, insect plague
*New spell
Channel Divinity: Touch of Agony Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity feature to cause a creature to experience incredible pain by your touch alone. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, you can choose to forgo dealing damage with the attack and use your Channel Divinity feature. Electric agony courses through the target’s body, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target becomes incapacitated until the start of your next turn or until the target takes damage.
Channel Divinity: Embrace the Pain
Starting at 6th level, when you take damage, you can use your reaction to channel divinity and gain a surge of confidence and might that lasts until the end of your next turn. Until this effect ends, you have resistance to all damage types and you make attack rolls and saving throws with advantage.
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Powerful Spellcasting Beginning at 8th level, when you deal damage with any cleric cantrip, add your Wisdom modifier to the damage.
M aster of Torments
At 17th level, you can use a bonus action to emit a field that increases the suffering of other creatures around you. The field extends out from you in a 30-foot radius that lasts for 1 minute or until you dismiss it using another bonus action. Each creature in the area other than you has vulnerability to damage types to which it is not immune or resistant.
R uin Bringers of the apocalypse, the powers of ruin exist to bring about cataclysmic endings, shattering cities, eradicating entire peoples, and even reducing entire worlds to cinders. Such beings are terrifying figures, whose names are never spoken by mortals lest they invite disaster into their lives. Many gods of ruin stand outside their pantheons and are called upon to bring about the end of one age so another can begin. Others might be powerful demon princes whose hatred for creation sees them obsessed with assailing the mortal world with calamity after calamity. Clerics of ruin are harbingers of the end times, doomsayers and prophets who watch for the foretold signs or work to bring them about in order to secure favor with their ruinous masters. 235
Ruin Domain F e a t u r e s Cleric Level
1st 2nd 6th 8th 17th
Feature
Domain Spells, Doom Channel Divinity: Ruinous Proclamation Prophecy of Doom Powerful Spellcasting Harbinger of Endings
Domain Spells The Ruin Domain Spells Table lists the domain spells you gain at the indicated cleric levels.
Ruin Domain S pe l l s Cleric Level
1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th
Spells
bane, thunderwave blindness/deafness, shatter bestow curse, call lightning blight, ice storm contagion, insect plague
Doom When you choose this domain at 1st level, you can use an action to invoke the ruinous nature of your deity and doom one creature you can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become doomed for 1 minute. While doomed, the target makes attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws with disadvantage. In addition, each time the target fails a roll on which it had disadvantage, it takes 1d6 psychic damage. A doomed target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, and ends the effect on itself with a success. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Channel Divinity: Ruinous Proclamation
Starting at 2nd level, you can spread destruction by calling upon the deity you serve. You can take a bonus action to channel divinity. Choose a point on the ground within 60 feet of you. From that point, the ground upheaves in a 30-foot radius, creating an area of difficult terrain that remains until cleared away. In addition, each creature standing on the ground in the area must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
Prophecy of Doom
At 6th level, you can destroy those whose ends you have foretold. When a creature you can see within 60 feet of you fails an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can expend one of your uses of Doom and use your reaction to cause that creature to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spellcasting DC. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d10 + your cleric level psychic damage, or half damage on a successful save. 236
Powerful Spellcasting Beginning at 8th level, when you deal damage with any cleric cantrip, add your Wisdom modifier to the damage.
H arbinger of Endings
Starting at 17th level, you can visit utter destruction and ruin to the world, causing the ground to shake and heave, toppling buildings, and tearing fissures in the earth. You can use your action to cast the earthquake spell, but the range of the spell increases to 1,000 feet, and the tremor rips through the ground in a 500-foot-radius circle centered on the target point. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you complete a rest.
Pal a din All paladins swear oaths to accomplish some end or objective and, by doing so, are themselves shaped by their mission. Many paladins swear to perform some noble, good, or valiant act, but strains of paladins exist to carry out villainy. These unholy warriors become true horrors as they prove themselves to be relentless in the pursuit of their wicked ends. No deed is too dark, no act too foul for them to commit, provided it results in the furtherance of their missions.
Sacr e d O a t hs
Paladins gain the Sacred Oath feature at 3rd level. The following options are appropriate for evil paladins that seek despicable ends in the world.
Oat h
of
E t e r n a l D a r k n e ss
The Oath of Eternal Darkness appeals to paladins who despise the light and those peoples who exult in its glory. While these paladins recoil from the light of the sun, the light they truly loathe is that cast by the good and holy. Paladins of Eternal Darkness strive to crush the goodness from their enemies and extinguish the light burning in their hearts. Only when all have succumbed to despair, fear, and horror is the work of these vicious killers done. Most paladins belonging to this order serve the powers of the Lower Planes. They might kneel before devils or succumb to the daemons’ corrupting whispers. Some might serve dark gods as well. Any deity associated with darkness and evil serves as a suitable patron for these dreaded paladins.
Tenets of Eternal Darkness
Paladins who take this oath surrender their souls to the darkness and become united by their disdain for all that is noble and pure in the world. Such paladins embrace the worst feature of mortals and celebrate cruelty, despair, hatred, and relentlessness. • Cruelty. Enhance the suffering of your victims by showing no mercy and stretching out their pain. It
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is not enough to kill. You must make them suffer before they die.
• Despair. Spare none in your crusade to spread despair. Make victims of all you meet.
• Hatred. Never forget and never forgive. Let the offenses done against you stoke the flames of your hate.
• Relentlessness. Do not hesitate. Abandon all doubts. Go forth and spread the eternal darkness wherever you go.
O a t h o f E t e r n a l Da rk ne ss F e a t u r e s Paladin Level
Feature
3rd
Oath Spells, Channel Divinity
15th
Eyes of Darkest Ebony
7th
18th
20th
Aura of Gloom (10 ft.)
Aura of Gloom (30 ft.)
Champion of Darkness
Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
O a t h o f E t e r n a l Da rk ne ss S pe l l s Paladin Level
fog cloud, protection from evil and good
9th
fear, nondetection
13th 17th
Starting at 7th level, you can take a bonus action to emit an aura of magical darkness that spreads out from you in a 10-foot radius. The darkness moves with you, remaining centered on your space. The darkness heavily obscures the area and thwarts all normal vision except for truesight. You can, however, see normally through this darkness. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
Eyes of Darkest Ebony
Beginning at 15th level, you can see normally in all forms of darkness, even magical darkness. In addition, you cannot be blinded.
Champion of Darkness
At 20th level, you become a true champion of darkness. As an action, your body assumes a shadowy and indistinct form, and you remain in that form for 1 minute. While in this form, you gain all of the following benefits and drawbacks: • You are vulnerable to radiant damage.
• You are resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. • You are immune to necrotic and poison damage.
Spells
3rd
5th
Aura of Gloom
crippling despair*, darkness
black tentacles, phantasmal killer cloudkill, contagion
Channel Divinity
*New spell
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options: • Awaken Dread. As an action, you channel divinity to make the evil burning in your heart a palpable force to the creatures around you. Each creature you choose within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is frightened for 1 minute. A creature frightened by this effect can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful save.
• Corrupted Weapon. As an action, you can channel divinity to imbue one weapon that you are holding with negative energy. For 1 minute, you add your Charisma modifier to attack rolls you make with that weapon (with a minimum of +1). If the weapon is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration. You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.
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237
• You can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. • While in dim light or darkness, you can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
• Your melee weapon attacks deal an additional 2d8 necrotic damage.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
Warl ock Ever pushing against magic’s boundaries, warlocks delve into secrets and mysteries with abandon, even if it costs them their immortal souls. Central to the warlocks’ methods is the pact they forge with a patron, an agreement that guarantees magical knowledge and power in exchange for some service. Such agreements depend on both sides keeping up their ends of the bargain, which leads many warlocks to making pacts with archdevils, archfey, and alien gods. Some warlocks, however, venture into agreements with less reliable powers and bargain away their souls to the fickle demon lords and princes who rule in the Abyss. While these powers are almost certain to betray and destroy their warlock servants, the power they offer makes the risks worth it, at least to those mad, degenerate souls who would sully themselves by seeking out such forbidden knowledge in the first place.
Ot he rworl dl y Pa t ron
Warlocks gain the Otherworldly Patron feature at 1st level, which describes the power they have bargained with and the benefits derived from such a bargain. The following options expand on those found in the Player’s Handbook.
Th e D e c e i v e r Ever eager to grow their stables of souls, devils readily enter bargains with mortals and can be effusive with the gifts they offer in exchange for the eternal souls of their mortal subjects. Often, these bargains involve complex contracts loaded with loopholes and traps buried in the most convoluted texts, all to leave mortals so befuddled they have no idea what they are signing. Upon making their marks in their own blood, the mortal souls are doomed, bound for Hell when death inevitably comes to call.
Devils tend not to be choosy when it comes to making bargains, though many respect cunning and malice and might focus their efforts on subverting those mortals who display these traits. Rather than coax them into signing a disastrous bargain, the devils use these individuals to carry out their work in the Material Plane. They arm them with magic, tricks, and anything else they need to corrupt others into coming under Hell’s sway.
T he De ceive r F e a t u r e s Warlock Level
1st 6th 10th 14th
Feature
Bonus Proficiencies, Cunning Plan, Expanded Spell List Slippery As an Eel Double-Cross Corrupting Words, Infernal Tempter
Bonus Proficiencies At 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Deception and Insight skills if you don’t already have them. In addition, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with these skills.
Cunning Plan
You occupy your mind with contingencies for whenever your plans go awry. Starting at 1st level, you can reroll any attack roll, ability check, saving throw, or damage roll and use the best result. Once you use this feature, you must wait until you finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
E xpanded Spell List
The Deceiver option expands the list of spells from which you can choose when you learn a warlock spell. You add the following spells to the warlock spell list.
T he De ceive r E x pa n de d S pe l l s Spell Level Spells
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
color spray, disguise self detect thoughts, locate object haste, major image confusion, greater invisibility geas, seeming
Slippery A s an Eel
F ol l owe rs o f J a l ie Squa r e f oot
Beginning at 6th level, whenever you would make a saving throw, you can use this feature to make the saving throw with advantage.
Of the many fiends who recruit mortal servants, Jalie Squarefoot has had considerable success. Anyone who would serve him must sign over their soul in a blood oath, using a drop of their own blood, with the duke’s personal attendance at the ceremony. This experience makes the mountebank cunning but absentminded, as if always thinking of some complex plan.
Starting at 10th level, whenever you would take damage while you are within 5 feet of another creature, you can use your reaction to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, one creature of your choice within 5 feet of you takes the damage instead of you.
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Double-Cross
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Corrupting Words At 14th level, you can use your action to corrupt one creature charmed by you that is within 30 feet of you. If the target can see you, hear you, and understand you, contest your Charisma (Deception) check against the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If you succeed, the target gains 1 corruption. If you fail, the target becomes immune to your Corrupting Words for 24 hours.
Infernal Tempter
Finally, at 14th level, you become a true agent of Hell, using your gifts to manipulate and corrupt other creatures. You can use your action to cast the charm person spell without expending a spell slot, even if you do not know this spell. In addition, the spell can target any creature you can see within range of the spell, not just humanoids. Once you use this feature, you must wait until you finish a long rest before you can use it again.
T he Pl ague l or d
The fiends use whatever methods they can to spread misery and corruption into the world, with their principle aim being to turn mortals away from their gods and bring them under their influence. Fomenting wars, blighting crops, and spoiling waters are just a few of the tactics that
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fiends employ. Of them all, though, plagues are among the most insidious, as the spread of disease destroys the body and spirit, leaving its victims desperate for any relief they can find. Warlocks in service to the Plaguelord revel in the corruption and decay of living flesh. They work as messengers, spies, and killers on behalf of their patron and use their mastery of sickness and filth to advance their patron’s agenda.
Pl a g ue l o r d F e a t u r e s Warlock Level
1st 6th 10th 14th
Feature
Bonus Cantrip, Expanded Spell List, Pestilential Presence Gore-Buzzard Blowfly Wings Sower of Plagues
Bonus Cantrip Starting at 1st level, you learn the acid splash cantrip if you don’t know it already. It does not count against your number of cantrips known.
E xpanded Spell List
The Plaguelord option expands the lists of spells from which you can choose when you learn a warlock spell. You add the following spells to the warlock spell list. 239
S e rva n t s o f Ne rg a l
Prospective servants of Nergal must demonstrate their allegiance before earning their master’s trust, and the primary means of doing so is to accept Nergal’s children. When prospective servants do this, giant maggots nest in their guts and consume them from the inside out. This awful sacrifice changes them into hideous fly-like creatures. Nergal’s children aren’t picky about their food, and they are found in canals and ruins all over Hell. A score of devils transport initiates to an infested area, drench them in fetid blood, and let the ravenous grubs do their work.
Pl a g ue l o r d E x pa n de d S pe l l s Spell Level Spells
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
inflict wounds, sicken* blindness/deafness, crippling despair* bestow curse, stinking cloud confusion, giant insect contagion, insect plague
An affected target can spread its disease to other creatures it touches. Anyone that comes into physical contact with the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 3d12 poison damage and become poisoned as described previously. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
T he De mon L or d
Having examined ancient, forbidden traditions and unspeakable lore, you discovered a demon lord and have pledged your immortal soul to one of the Abyss’s great powers, a demon lord whose attention you have gained by performing grotesque rituals and making obscene offerings. Your patron’s need to influence the mortal world provided you with the means to grow your understanding of magic and increase your command of its power. You cling to the hope that through constant service and unswerving devotion, you might earn a place of prominence in death. Failing that, perhaps you will outwit your patron and reclaim the soul you have offered.
*New spell
Pestilential Presence
Also at 1st level, your patron transforms you into a carrier of plagues and sickness. As an action, you can cause each creature inside a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on you to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. Any creature that fails this saving throw becomes poisoned until the end of your next turn. Once you use this class feature, you must wait until you finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Gore-Buzzard
You are a remorseless opportunist, and you leap upon the most vulnerable. Starting at 6th level, when a creature within 5 feet of you takes damage, you can take a reaction to attack that creature.
Blowfly Wings
Starting at 10th level, you can use an action to sprout large insect wings from your back. Whenever you take the Dash action, you can fly instead of walk, but if you haven’t landed by the end of your turn, you fall.
Sower of Plagues
Finally, at 14th level, you can afflict your enemies with a terrible disease. When you hit a creature with an attack, you can use this feature to burden the target with disease. The target takes 6d12 poison damage and becomes poisoned. Whenever the target finishes a short or long rest, it must make a Constitution saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failure, the target reduces its hit point maximum by 4d8. The reduction lasts until the target is no longer poisoned from this effect. After the target succeeds on the saving throw for the third time, it ends the effect on itself. Any effect that ends or ameliorates a disease applies to this effect. 240
T he De mon L o r d F e a t u r e s Warlock Level Feature
1st 6th 10th 14th
Blackened Soul, Rage of Demons, Expanded Spell List Demonic Might Demonic Authority Demonic Incursion
Blackened Soul Forging a pact with a demonic patron has left your soul stained and sullied, blackened by its connection to the Abyss. Starting at 1st level, creatures under the effects of the detect evil and good spell or similar magic perceive you as if you were a fiend. However, the darkness within you makes you menacing to others. You gain proficiency in the Intimidate skill if you do not have it already, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses that proficiency. In return for offering up your soul to your dark master, your knowledge of magic grows and you can also call for aid from your patron. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill if you don’t have it already, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses that proficiency.
R age of Demons
Starting at 1st level, you can call upon the rage and madness of the Abyss to aid those fighting at your side. You have a pool of d8s that you use to help your companions. The number of dice in the pool equals your warlock level. You can use your reaction to spend one die from your pool when a creature you can see within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll. If the attack hits, the creature’s attack deals an additional 1d8 damage. If the attack misses, the creature takes 1d8 psychic damage and makes its next attack roll before the end of its next turn with advantage.
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Your pool regains all expended dice when you finish a long rest.
E xpanded Spell List
The Demon Lord option expands the lists of spells from which you can choose when you learn a warlock spell. You add the following spells to the warlock spell list.
T he De mon L o r d E x pa n de d S pe l l s Spell Level Spells
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
exquisite pain*, summon least horde demon* rage*, scorching ray evoke chaos*, summon lesser horde demon* confusion, dismemberment* maddening horror*, summon horde demon*
Demonic Might
*New spell
Starting at 6th level, you can call upon your patron’s favor to increase your vitality. You can take a bonus action to
gain 10 temporary hit points and, until the start of your next turn, make all saving throws with advantage. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Demonic Authority
Starting at 10th level, you have earned enough of your master’s esteem to command lesser demons with their authority. You have advantage on Charisma checks you make to interact with fiends, including contests made to exert your authority over demons you summon.
Demonic Incursion
Starting at 14th level, whenever you summon a demon using a spell you cast, the demon appears in a flash of lightning. Each creature within 5 feet of the demon when it appears must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spellcasting DC. A creature takes 2d8 lightning damage and becomes blinded until the end of its next turn on a failed save, or just takes half the damage on a successful one.
CO R RU P T ION Some creatures described in this book can corrupt other creatures, pushing them toward darkness and evil that will eventually consume them. Corruption points describe a creature’s decline into darkness. The greater a creature’s corruption total, the more profound evil’s hold becomes on that creature, resulting in changes in personality, behavior, and, eventually, alignment. Corruption’s effects depend on the creature’s corruption total, as shown on the Corruption Effects Table. The effects are cumulative.
Co r ru p t ion F l aws
Co r ru p t ion E f f e c t s Total
Effect
Nothing
1–2
Flaw
3–4
Lesser corruption
5–6
Alignment change
7–8
Greater corruption
9+
Marked for death
Flaw
d10
1 2 3 4
The evil weighing on your soul manifests as a change to your personality. You gain one flaw, which you can choose from the following table or let the die roll decide.
5
The darkness sullying your soul manifests as a random physical mutation. Roll a d100 and find the result on the Lesser Corruptions Table on the next page. Corruptions cannot be removed by anything short of a wish spell.
8
Lesser Corruption
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6 7
9 10
Flaw
I lose my temper over the smallest things, and I often rampage until I break something or hurt someone. I resent other people who have things that I do not. I make no effort to hide my interest in people to whom I’m sexually attracted, and I often make inappropriate comments and gestures to display my arousal. I can’t be bothered to help others. I would rather do nothing. I eat and drink to excess all the time. I take small things that don’t belong to me because I can. I brag about myself all the time. I know secret truths about the universe, and this knowledge sometimes makes me do and say things that make no sense. I delight in the suffering of others. Everyone is out to get me. 241
L e ss e r Co r ru p t ions d100
01–05 06–10 11–15 16–20 21–25 26–30 31–35 36–40 41–45 46–50 51–55 56–60 61–65 66–70 71–75 76–80 81–85 86–90 91–95 96–98 99 00
Effect
Raspy Voice. Your voice becomes harsh and unpleasant, enhancing your fearsome presence.
Clubfoot. One of your feet becomes badly deformed, the arch rising and ultimately buckling with the ankle turned inward, making walking extremely difficult. Reduce your base speed by 5 feet. Fangs. Your canines and incisors sharpen slightly, giving you a more fearsome appearance.
d100
01–10
11–20
Milky Eye. One of your eyes becomes clouded and milky.
21–30
Vestigial Horns. A pair of small horns grows from your forehead, giving you a demonic appearance.
31–40
Lose All Hair. Your exposure to chaotic magic has caused all of your hair to fall out. It never regrows.
Fingernails Fall Out. Your fingernails fall from your fingers, leaving behind tender flesh that never fully hardens. The affliction will remain a minor inconvenience for the rest of your life.
Unpleasant Odor. Your body emits a rank, pungent odor that can be masked only by the sweetest perfumes. Forked Tongue. Your tongue is forked.
Splotchy Skin. Your skin develops a bright red rash of unsightly splotches from head to toe. Irises of Fire. Your irises glow with a faint red radiance.
41–50
51–60
61–70
Unsettling Presence. The taint of chaos has grown so strong in you that animals have trouble controlling themselves in your presence, becoming nervous and skittish around you. Spine Ridges. The vertebrae in your spine become slightly spiky, giving your back a ridged contour.
Unseemly Girth. You instantly gain 100 pounds of body fat.
Pointed Ears. Your ears become elongated and jagged, growing about twice as long as those of the average elf.
71–80
Terrible Breath. Something within you has become very, very rotten, and it makes itself known every time you open your mouth. Tail Spur. A fleshy growth about 2 inches long and 1 inch thick emerges from the base of your spine.
Webbed Fingers. Your hands grow a thin film of skin between each finger and thumb. Shifty Eyes. You have extraordinary trouble focusing your eyes for longer than a moment, giving others the impression that you are untrustworthy.
81–90
Dual Corruption. Roll twice on this table and ignore future results of 96–98.
91–95
No Corruption. Somehow, your body has managed to stave off the corrupting influence of chaos—for now.
96–00
Greater Corruption. Roll on the Greater Corruptions Table.
A lignment Change If you are not evil already, you become evil.
Greater Corruption
The corruption of your soul worsens and manifests as an even more profound physical transformation. Roll a d100 and find the result on the Greater Corruptions Table. 242
G r e a t e r Co r ru p t ions Effect
Bestial Snout. Your nose twists and warps wildly, taking on an animalistic appearance. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Cloven Feet. Your toes curl into the soles of your feet, which harden into cloven hooves. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks that involve jumping.
Forked Tail. You gain a fiendishly barbed tail. It’s relatively easy to conceal the tail by dressing carefully. You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks that involve balancing. Melted Eye. One of your eyes liquefies and completely melts, leaving behind a fleshy empty socket. You gain blindsight to a range of 10 feet. If you already have blindsight, the range increases by 10 feet.
Third Eye. You develop a third eye, situated in the middle of your forehead. You make Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight with advantage.
Mark of the Beast. A large birthmark appears in a prominent location on your body, such as on your face or hands, that marks you as an agent of the Abyss. You make Charisma checks with advantage when interacting with evil creatures. Scaly Skin. Your skin grows a thin layer of transparent scales. The natural armor grants you a +1 bonus to AC.
Tears of Blood. You no longer weep ordinary tears. Instead, stinging, poisonous blood flows from your tear ducts. You can take a bonus action to smear your tears on a piercing or slashing weapon, causing it to become poisoned for 1 minute or until you deal damage with it. Any creature that takes damage from the weapon must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Con modifier) or take 1d6 poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. Celestials make the saving throw with disadvantage. A creature poisoned in this way can repeat the Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success. Once you use your tears of blood, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use them again. Appetite Loss. You lose the ability to eat and process foods or drink liquids, sustained only through a supernatural link to your demonic patron. You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition. Cursed Progeny. Your obsession with chaos has so warped your body that it now passes on to future generations. Your sexual fluid becomes ice cold to the touch. Any child sired or birthed by you is a tiefling. Dual Greater Corruption. Roll twice on this table and gain the result of each roll. Reroll if your roll comes up as 96 or higher until you get a number less than 96.
M arked for Death The forces of darkness converge on you, eager to reap your soul for their dark masters. You make death saving throws with disadvantage. In addition, fiends might periodically attempt to capture you and carry you into the Lower Planes to receive the rewards of your vile service.
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B A C K G ROUN DS Some characters might abandon the paths they walk for the rewards service to evil might afford, but many begin their stories in darkness’s embrace. The following backgrounds help to explain how your character came to serve evil and what your character might hope to gain from such service. Although intended for evil characters, you might choose the following background, regardless of your alignment, if you want to play a character fighting for redemption.
Cul t ist You joined a subversive, proscribed cult dedicated to an evil god, demon prince, archdevil, or some other dreadful figure. You might have been recruited by other cultists, seduced by promises of power, favor, wealth, or the fulfillment of some other desire, or you might have joined without prompting, so fully in the thrall to evil that you saw the cult as a vehicle for carrying out your diabolical goals. Your time in the cult taught you the strange rituals and rites required to attract your patron’s attention, as well as to make sacrifices, engage in lewd and strange activities, and do whatever else your dark master required. Being a cultist does not necessarily mean you are a cleric, warlock, or some other user of magic. Rather, it means you’re familiar enough with the inner workings of the society that you can perform the necessary rites to honor the vile power you serve. Choose one evil entity to serve. You can choose an evil god or gods from your campaign’s pantheon, or an appropriate one from this book. You should work with your GM to determine how you joined the cult, your responsibilities in the cult, and whether or not you remain a member. Perhaps you were a congregant, a person who joined the cult for social reasons. Then again, you might have founded the cult yourself and acted as the leader. The cult might have continued on without you, or witch hunters might have exposed your group’s wickedness and put most of the members to death in the purifying flames of the pyre.
C ul t is t ]
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, Deception Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: An unholy symbol (given to you upon completing your initiation), pamphlets or a tome containing the tenets of your vile religion, a dagger, a mask, robes, and a pouch containing 13 gp
Uns pe a k a bl e De vot ion
Many different cults thrive in the world, from small circles formed to pay homage to one of the archdevils to secret cabals of occultists
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243
d8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
d6
1
2 3 4 5 6
d6
1
2 3 4 5 6 d6
1
2 3 4 5 6
244
Personality Trait
I am cruel, vicious, and hateful. I put myself first in every situation. I’m not above betraying others or breaking my word. I take charge. I know what should be done in almost every situation. I am insane. I never know what I’m going to do next. I avoid sharing details about my life and views with others. There’s always some disaster waiting just around the corner. I can’t trust anyone. People are always out to get me. People are resources to exploit. I make friends wherever I go so I can use them later. Ideal
Anarchy (Chaotic). I never obey the law. I resist authority whenever I can. Blasphemy (Neutral). I despise the gods and find people’s devotion to such beings the height of folly. Survival (Neutral). I will do whatever it takes to survive. Power (Evil). I crave power, and I’ll stop at nothing to get it. Redemption (Good). I regret my past and strive to make amends. Knowledge (Lawful). I seek to expand my mind and am unafraid to look in dangerous places. Bond
I have done terrible things. One day, I will prove that it was worth it. I will destroy the cult that recruited me and ruined my life. The only limits are the ones I place on myself. I will overcome my fears and doubts. I am sworn to protect my fellow cultists and keep them safe from our enemies. I will earn my master’s favor so that in death I will stand at my master’s side. I will find a way to free my soul from the dark power that claims it. Flaw
My towering arrogance makes it difficult for me to see my flaws. I am obsessed by my work and won’t let anything interfere with it. I delight in making other people suffer. I know what awaits me in death, and so I’ll do anything to survive. The ends always justify the means. I’m loyal only to myself.
who traffic with demons. The being you serve can help shape your identity and motivations. Choose one dark power to serve, or roll on the Dark Power table.
Da rk Powe r d6 Roll
Dark Power
1
Demon prince or demon lord
2
Archdevil
3
Exarch
4
Evil deity
5
Pantheon of evil deities
6
Alien entity, such as a Great Old One or forgotten deity
Fe at ure
Se cr e t Conne c t ions
Few cults operate in the open and for good reason. The powers they serve, the agendas they pursue, and the practices they perform stand in opposition to the goodhearted, law-abiding people in the lands and thus invite unwanted attention from the countless individuals and agencies that exist to stamp them out. Too often, cultists exposed for what they are find grisly ends in torture chambers or strapped to stakes in the centers of pyres. With merciless witch hunters, overzealous priests, and do-gooding adventurers searching the land for evil in all its forms, cultists do well to lie low and avoid attracting attention to themselves. However, you do maintain contact with other members of your illicit society and can call upon them for aid when you find yourself in trouble. Cults tend to be widespread and connected to others who share their commitment to darkness. You know the secret signs, coded messages, and other techniques to find other cultists in communities and, perhaps, gain information, shelter, or some other form of aid from them.
Sug g e st e d Char ac t e rist ics
As a cultist, you have sworn your soul to a being of great evil. Such an act almost always puts you at odds with good characters and forces you to keep your allegiances concealed. While you might have villainous tendencies, you don’t have to be an antagonist. You might ally yourself with a group of good-aligned heroes to defeat a common enemy. Alternatively, you might see your devotion as a route to gaining power in the mortal world, but otherwise pursue goals in common with your companions. In a party that does not share your same ambitions, it falls to you to find ways to be a productive member of that group and ensure your actions contribute to their overall goals. In other words, don’t be a disruption. Use the following tables to select traits and other characteristics that are part of your character. You can select these traits yourself, or roll the die.
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F E ATS Feats allow players to customize their characters beyond the options presented in their classes. If your GM is using the optional feats rule in the Player’s Handbook, you can choose from the following feats to describe the effects of your character’s service to evil. The feats presented below represent some of the ways Gehenna works to corrupt mortals. Whispers from demons, devils, or dark lords might grant these boons in return for mortals embracing their worst natures. You decide how you earned these benefits. You might have gained them after performing an act of profound evil, or you could have developed them as a result of daemonic favor.
F avo r
of
G r a vic a r ius
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment Your pride might be your undoing, but until then, you can be confident in having earned favor from the exarch of Pride. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your highest ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20. If your highest ability score is already 20, increase the next highest ability score by 1.
• When you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can choose to make the roll with advantage. If you hit or succeed, you gain 1d8 temporary hit points. If you miss or fail the roll, you take 1d6 psychic damage. The psychic damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level.
F avo r
of
I n ’n a ss i
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment Your hedonistic appetites consume your waking thoughts, and you are eager to indulge in any act that will give you pleasure, from sex to drugs, alcohol, or murder. In’nassi prizes your enslavement to your impulses and rewards you with the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill.
• You can use an action to convince one creature you choose that is within 30 feet of you that you know and can satisfy their lusts, either personally or through secret connections. The target must make a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. If you do not actually know
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what the target lusts after, they make the saving throw with advantage. The target becomes charmed for 1 hour on a failed save, or immune to your use of this feature for 24 hours on a successful one. A charmed target is friendly to you. You can use this feature once, and you replenish your use of this feature when you finish a long rest.
F avo r
of
My t a x x
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment Motivated by greed, you find you just cannot help yourself when the opportunity to take something of value presents itself. For your evil deeds, Mytaxx, the exarch of Greed, grants you the following benefits: • Increase your Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency in the Sleight of Hand skill and in thieves’ tools. • You can take a bonus action when you hit a creature within 5 feet of you with a melee weapon attack to magically rob that creature. Contest your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against the target’s Wisdom (Perception) check. If you succeed, you take an object of the GM’s choice that you can hold in one hand from the equipment the target wears or carries.
F avo r
of
T y r e x xus
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment Your hate burns inside you, growing with each new offense you must endure. As your anger grows, you find yourself lashing out at anyone nearby, venting your wrath on whomever happens to be in your presence. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Strength by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• Whenever you take damage, you must use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack. You choose the target of your attack randomly, as you are unable to discern friend from foe. If you can’t use reactions, you take 1d6 psychic damage. The psychic damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level.
ays “He had always known his form was loathsome, alw day hated the pretty dandies who walked by his shop eachnot exchanging pleasantries with the ladies. But it was n until the fair ones came to aid him that he knew eve something as petty as envy has power in this world.” —An Account of a Murder, the Great Sage Yvkin 246
F avo r
of
Ul a s t a
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment You have earned the attention of Ulasta, who finds favor in your envious nature and how it compels you to perform spiteful, wicked acts. You gain the following benefits: • Increase your Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20. • You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion.
• When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw with advantage, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that roll. The next time you make an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw before the end of your next turn, you make the roll with advantage. Once you use this feature, you must wait 1 minute before you can use it again.
F avo r
of
Vi a s t a
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment You find it harder and harder to care or do much of anything as you exult in your idleness. Such is your sloth that Viasta bestows his favor on you, granting you the following benefits: • Increase your Wisdom by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• If, on your turn in combat, you choose to take no action and not move, you gain 1d6 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points increase to 2d6 at 5th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 17th level. While you have these temporary hit points, you make all saving throws with advantage.
F avo r
of
Yu ng o
Prerequisite: Any evil alignment The dread and disgusting exarch of Gluttony has heard of your terrible appetites and shows his approval by bestowing on you the following benefits: • Increase your Constitution by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain resistance to poison damage, and you make saving throws against poison with advantage.
• You can use an action to begin eating one unconscious or dead creature you can reach. The target must be of your size or smaller. It takes 1d6 + 1 minutes to fully consume the target. If the target is alive, it takes 1d6 piercing damage each round you spend eating it. When you fully consume the creature, you reduce your speed by 10 feet, but your hit point maximum increases by 1d10. The increase to your hit point maximum increases to 2d10 when you reach 5th level, 3d10 at 11th level, and 4d10 at 17th level. The reduction to your speed and increase to your hit point maximum last until you finish a long rest.
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SPE L L S The following spells expand on those found in the Player’s Handbook. Many spells presented here have obviously evil effects and are intended for characters who serve dark powers or who are otherwise corrupted and villainous.
S pe l l L ists
Wa r l oc k S pe l l s
The following spell lists show which spells can be cast by characters of each class. For your convenience, the spell’s school of magic is noted in parentheses. If the spell can be cast as a ritual, it’s noted inside the parentheses as well.
B a r d S pe l l s 1st Level 2nd Level 4th Level 5th Level
Frighten (necromancy) Crippling Despair (enchantment) Rage (enchantment) Ecstasy (enchantment) Maddening Horror (illusion)
Cl e r ic S pe l l s 2nd Level
Omen (divination)
Sicken (necromancy) Omen (divination) Rage (enchantment) Fleshy Blight (transmutation)
So rce r e r S pe l l s 1st Level 3rd Level 4th Level
Frighten (necromancy) Evoke Chaos (enchantment) Dismemberment (transmutation)
S pe l l De script ions Agonizing Vulnerability
3rd Level 4th Level 5th Level
Exquisite Pain (enchantment) Frighten (necromancy) Sicken (necromancy) Crippling Despair (enchantment) Omen (divination) Bind Inmai (conjuration) Agonizing Vulnerability (enchantment) Maddening Horror (illusion)
8th Level
Bone Burst (necromancy)
2nd Level
Wiz a r d S pe l l s 1st Level 2nd Level
D ruid S pe l l s 1st Level 2nd Level 9th Level
1st Level
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 150 feet Components: V, S, M (a barb or thorn) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Shadowy figures created from the suffering of those souls doomed to pass eternity in the Lower Planes come boiling out from a point within range and assail creatures within 20 feet of that point. Each creature in the area must make a Charisma saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 psychic damage and gains vulnerability to all damage types for the duration on a failed save, or just takes half the damage on a successful one. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and ends the effect on itself with a successful save.
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3rd Level 4th Level 5th Level 8th Level 9th Level
Exquisite Pain (enchantment) Frighten (necromancy) Sicken (necromancy) Summon Least Horde Demon (conjuration) Crippling Despair (enchantment) Rage (enchantment) Bind Inmai (conjuration) Evoke Chaos (enchantment) Summon Lesser Horde Demon (conjuration) Agonizing Vulnerability (enchantment) Dismemberment (transmutation) Ecstasy (enchantment) Maddening Horror (illusion) Summon Horde Demon (conjuration) Bone Burst (necromancy) Fleshy Blight (transmutation)
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the psychic damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.
Bind Inmai
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 hour Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (50 gp worth of incense) Duration: Instantaneous
You call forth an inmai from the Abyss and bind it to a structure or object, such as a book, doorpost, or chest, within range. The object you touch assumes a sinister appearance—a tome’s cover smokes, a chest oozes black ichor, a post warps and cracks. The inmai remains bound to the object until you use an action to dismiss it. The inmai cannot move more than 30 feet from the object to which it is bound. Once you bind the demon, you can give it simple commands, such as guarding a particular path or the contents 247
of its container. It follows the letter of your commands, but not necessarily the intent, twisting your words as much as possible to afford it the greatest leeway. Thereafter, it follows what it perceives as the orders to the best of its ability. You can only bind one inmai at a time.
Bone Burst
8th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 150 feet Components: V, S, M (a broken bone) Duration: Instantaneous
The bones of every creature inside a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within range twist and bend. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw. Constructs, oozes, plants, and other creatures that don’t have skeletons are not affected. A creature takes 7d12 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the damage equals half or more of a creature’s hit point maximum, the creature also becomes paralyzed as the bones in its body break. The creature remains paralyzed until it regains hit points.
Crippling Despair
2nd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (a tragedy mask) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
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Feelings of hopelessness wash over up to three creatures within range, forcing each to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened for the duration. While frightened in this way, whenever the creature takes an action, it must first make a DC 10 Wisdom check. On a failed check, the creature uses its action to sob uncontrollably. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself with a success.
Dismemberment
4th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 150 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous
Several planes of magical force gather around the target and slice through its body from different directions. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. It takes 6d8 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target is killed by the damage, its body falls apart to land in pieces on the ground in its space. Each creature within 10 feet of the target that can see it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of its next turn. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot above 4th.
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Ecstasy
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (a drop of massage oil) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Choose a creature you can see within range. You cause the target to experience feelings of intense sexual pleasure. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be incapacitated for the duration. This spell has no effect on constructs and undead. At the end of each of its turns, the target can make another Charisma saving throw. On a success, the spell ends on the target.
Evoke Chaos
3rd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, M (a 6-sided die) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Multicolored ribbons twist and writhe through a 10-footradius sphere centered on a point you choose within range. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the spell. Whenever an affected target makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it must roll a d8. The target subtracts an odd number from the triggering roll and adds an even number to the roll. If the target rolls an 8, the target regains 2d6 hit points. If the target rolls a 1, it takes 2d6 psychic damage.
E xquisite Pain
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
blight on a failed save, or takes 6d12 psychic damage on a successful one. A target afflicted by fleshy blight undergoes a profound physical change, whereby its form melts, warps, bubbles, and changes at random. Until the effect ends, the target is incapacitated and cannot hold or use any item. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. The target takes 6d6 psychic damage on a failed saving throw from the agony of its stretching bones and warping flesh. The target suppresses the spell until the end of its next turn on a successful save, having regained control over its form. If the target gets three successful saving throws, the spell ends. If, however, the target remains affected by fleshy blight for the duration, the effect becomes permanent and can only be ended by the use of a wish spell.
Frighten
1st-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (15-foot cone) Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Your words and gestures unravel the courage of all creatures inside a 15-foot cone originating from you. Each creature in the area must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for the duration. A creature frightened by this effect can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.
M addening Horror
5th-level illusion
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (30-foot-radius sphere) Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Brilliant red threads of magical gossamer settle over up to three creatures within range, forcing each target to make a Constitution saving throw. The target takes 1d6 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target fails the saving throw, it makes attack rolls and ability checks with disadvantage for the duration. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it can make a Wisdom saving throw and ends the effect on itself with a success. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot above 1st.
You awaken dread, anguish, and loathing in each creature you choose inside a 20-foot-radius sphere. A target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become stunned for the duration. A creature affected by this spell can repeat the saving throw whenever it takes damage and at the end of each of its turns. A successful save causes the creature to become frightened instead of stunned. If the creature was already frightened by this spell, it ends this effect on itself with a success. On a failed save, the creature takes 4d8 psychic damage and makes saving throws with disadvantage until the end of its next turn.
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (a drop of unformed substance from Limbo) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You hurl ribbons of raw chaos at one creature within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. Oozes and creatures with the shapeshifter tag are unaffected by this spell. The target becomes afflicted by fleshy
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you make a saving throw Range: Self Components: S Duration: Instantaneous
Fleshy Blight
9th-level transmutation
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Omen
2nd-level divination
You receive a warning of imminent danger, which grants you advantage on the triggering saving throw.
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R age
2nd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You fill up to three creatures within range with blinding rage. An unwilling target can make a Charisma saving throw and end the effect on itself with a success. A target affected by this spell has advantage on Strength attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws; its melee weapon attacks deal an additional 2d6 damage; and the target gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. However, at the end of each of the target’s turns, it takes 1d6 psychic damage.
Sicken
1st-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Your touch causes a creature to become overwhelmed by nausea. Constructs and undead are immune. Make a melee spell attack against a creature within your reach. On a hit, you grip the target with sickness that lasts for the duration. A target gripped by sickness halves its speed and makes attack rolls and ability checks with disadvantage. At the end of each of the target’s turns, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes stunned until the end of its next turn due to extensive vomiting. On a successful save, the target ends the effect on itself.
Summon Horde Demon
5th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (an ounce of bodily fluid harvested from a creature slain at any time within the last 24 hours) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You smear the material component on a surface you can reach and make a blasphemous invitation to a demon of the Abyss. At the start of your next turn, a horde demon or 1d4 – 1 lesser horde demons (minimum 1) appear in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you and remain for the duration. When a demon appears, you must contest a Charisma check against the demon’s Charisma check.
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If you summoned multiple demons, make the check just once against the group. On a success, the demon (or demons) is friendly to you, regards you as its ally, and obeys your telepathic commands (not an action). On a failure, the demon is hostile to you. When the demon appears, it takes its turn on your initiative count each round for the duration or until the demon is destroyed.
Summon Least Horde Demon 1st-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (an ounce of bodily fluid harvested from a creature slain at any time within the last 24 hours) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You smear the material component on a surface you can reach and make a blasphemous invitation to a demon of the Abyss. At the start of your next turn, a least horde demon appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you and remains for the duration. When the demon appears, you must contest a Charisma check against the demon’s Charisma check. On a success, the demon is friendly to you, regards you as its ally, and obeys your telepathic commands (not an action). On a failure, the demon is hostile to you. When the demon appears, it takes its turn on your initiative count each round for the duration or until the demon is destroyed.
Summon Lesser Horde Demon
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (an ounce of bodily fluid harvested from a creature slain at any time within the last 24 hours) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You smear the material component on a surface you can reach and make a blasphemous invitation to a demon of the Abyss. At the start of your next turn, a lesser horde demon or 1d4 + 1 least horde demons appear in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you and remain for the duration. When a demon appears, you must contest a Charisma check against the demon’s Charisma check. If you summoned multiple demons, make the check just once against the group. On a success, the demon or demons are friendly to you, regard you as their ally, and obey your telepathic commands (not an action). On a failure, the demon or demons are hostile to you. When the demon appears, it takes its turn on your initiative count each round for the duration or until the demon is destroyed.
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BI BL IOG R A PHY Everyone who worked on this book made extensive use of reference materials to help bring the Lower Planes to life. What follows is a short survey of the various books that inspired the work that went into this one. Ashley, Leonard R. N. The Complete Book of Devils and Demons. New Jersey: Barricade Books, 1996. ISBN: 1569800774.
Knappert, Jan. The Encyclopedia of Middle Eastern Mythology & Religion. Rockport: Element, Inc., 1993. ISBN: 1852304278.
Morgan, Genevieve & Tom. The Devil: A Visual Guide to the Demonic, Evil, Scurrilous, and Bad. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1996. ISBN: 081181176X.
Spence, Lewis. An Encyclopedia of Occultism. New Jersey: Carol Publishing Group, 1993. ISBN: 0806514019.
Stanford, Peter. The Devil: A Biography. New York: Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1996. ISBN: 0805030824. Wall, J. Charles. Devils: Their Origins and History. London: Studio Editions, 1904, 1992. ISBN 1851709509. Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. Free Press, 1994. ISBN: 002907052X. Manfred, Lurker. A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987. ISBN: 0415039444. Pickering, David. Cassel Dictionary of Witchcraft. New York: Sterling Pub Co. Inc., 1998. ISBN: 0304350982. Sutin, Lawrence. Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. ISBN: 0312252439. Van Scott, Miriam. Encyclopedia of Hell. United States: Thomas Dunne Books, 1998. ISBN: 031218574X.
Bibliography
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft. 2nd ed. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1999. ISBN:081603849X. Ashe, Geoffery. The Hell-Fire Clubs: A History of Anti-morality. United Kingdom: Sutton Publishing, 2000. ISBN: 0750924020. Turner, Alice K. The History of Hell. United States: Mariner Books, 1995. ISBN: 0156001373. Henson, Mitch, ed. Lemegeton: The Complete Lesser Key of Solomon. Jacksonville: Metatron Books, 1999. ISBN: 0967279704. Pagels, Elaine. The Origin of Satan. New York: Vintage Books, 1996. ISBN: 0679731180. Barnstone, Willis, ed. The Other Bible: Ancient Alternative Scriptures. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1984. ISBN: 0062500309.
McComb, Colin. Faces of Evil: The Fiends. United States: TSR, 1997. ISBN 0786906847. Perrin, Steve. The Fires of Dis. United States: TSR, 1995. ISBN: 0786901004. Pramas, Chris. Guide to Hell. Renton: Wizards of the Coast, 1999. ISBN: 0786914319. Grubb, Jeff. Manual of the Planes. United States: TSR, 1987. ISBN 0880383992. Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual. United States: TSR, 1977. ISBN 0935696008. Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II. United States: TSR, 1983. ISBN 0880380314. Greenwood, Ed. “The Nine Hells, Part 1.” Dragon VIII, no.1 (July 1983): 16–33. Greenwood, Ed. “The Nine Hells, Part 2.” Dragon VIII, no.2 (August 1983): 22–44. McComb, Colin and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Law. United States: TSR, 1995. ISBN 0786900938.
Weyer, Johann. Pseudomonarchia Daemonum. 1584.
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IN D E X A
Abaddon.................................................7–8 Abandoned Dream............................ 65–66 Abigor............................................. 141–142 Abraxas...................................................... 8 Abyss, the............................................ 5–23 Aezidion..............................................55–56 Agonizing Vulnerability........................ 247 Ahrimanes......................................186–187 Akop.............................................. 200–201 Alastors........................................... 101–102 Alrunes...........................................102–103 Amalrehtan................................................ 6 Amezyarak................................................31 Amitiel......................................................31 Amorines........................................... 56–57 Anarazel..................................................... 9 Antaia the Witch Queen................ 141–143 Ariel..........................................................31 Armageddon Beast.........................201–202 Armaros....................................................31 Asakkus...................................................144 Ashmede.................................................145 Asmodeus................................................. 30 Astaroth................................................9–10 Azalar..................................................... 104 Azazel.................................................10–11 Azibeel......................................................31 Azidahaka.................................................11 B
Baal.......................................................... 28 Backgrounds.................................. 243–244 Balan...............................................146–148 Barbarian........................................231–232 Bearers of False Burdens..........................45 Beelzebub........................................... 30, 31 Behemoth................................................. 12 Beldrake..................................................148 Belial...................................................29, 31 Bind Inmai............................................. 247 Bitter........................................................ 46 Bone Burst............................................. 248 Bonedregs.............................................. 203 Borgeg.....................................................105 Bulugons.........................................148–149 Bune..........................................31, 186–188 C
Calumnite.......................................... 46–47 Carniveau..................................................31 Chamagons.....................................149–150 Chernobue......................................193–194 Chnum......................................................31 Circle of Envy.................................... 25–26 Circle of Gluttony.............................. 26–27 Circle of Greed........................................ 27 Circle of Lust........................................... 26 Circle of Pride.......................................... 27
252
Circle of Sloth.......................................... 26 Circle of Wrath.................................. 24–25 Cleric.............................................. 233–236 Companions of Malice............................ 34 Corruption......................................241–242 Effects....................................................241 Flaws................................................. ..241 Greater................................................. 242 Lesser.................................................... 242 Cranial Wretch............................... 151–152 Crausus.............................................. 47–48 Cresil the Impure............................132–133 Crippling Despair.................................. 248 Crun....................................................... 106 Cultist............................................ 243–244 D
Daemons.......................................... 33–100 Mercenaries............................................ 34 of Envy............................................. 45–54 of Gluttony....................................... 73–82 of Greed............................................ 83–92 of Lust.............................................. 55–64 of Pride........................................... 93–100 of Sloth..............................................65–73 of Wrath............................................34–44 Servitors................................................. 34 Thralls.................................................... 34 Watchers..................................................33 Whisperers...............................................33 Dagon............................................. 151–152 Danjal........................................................31 Darbas.............................................106–107 Decarabia........................................... 12–13 Demons...........................................101–140 Demon Lords.................................131–140 Devils.............................................. 141–183 Dismemberment.................................... 248 Dispater.................................................... 28 Distenders.......................................152–153 Dragon, Abyssal............................ 204–206 E
Ecstasy................................................... 249 Eligor....................................................... 13 Enforcer of Dis...................................... 154 Enticer................................................ 93–94 Entropus.........................................107–108 Enveloper of the Innocent..............108–109 Esdreel......................................................31 Eunuchs..............................................58–59 Eurynomus the Corpse Eater........ 133–134 Evoke Chaos.......................................... 249 Exquisite Pain........................................ 249 F
Faceless, the....................................155–156 Faces of the Great.............................. 94–95 Fair One............................................. 48–49
Fallen Angels..................................184–192 Falstaff................................................... 156 Favor of Gravicarius (feat)..................... 245 Favor of In’nassi (feat).................... 245–246 Favor of Mytaxx (feat)........................... 246 Favor of Tyrexxus (feat)......................... 246 Favor of Ulasta (feat)............................. 246 Favor of Viasta (feat).............................. 246 Favor of Yungo (feat)............................. 246 Fear (cleric domain)............................... 233 Feasting...............................................73–74 Feats............................................... 245–246 Felugons..................................................157 Flabule................................................75–76 Flauros......................................................14 Flesh Sculptor.................................157–158 Fleshtearer..............................................147 Fleshy Blight.......................................... 249 Frighten.................................................. 249 Furcas..............................................158–160 Furtivin.................................................... 83 G
Gadreel.....................................................31 Gamigin..............................................14–15 Gehenna............................................. 23–27 Gladiatrixes............................................160 Glomerays................................................ 96 Golem, Razorwire......................... 206–207 Gyvast the Foe’s Bane.............................. 42 H
Haagenti.............................................15–16 Hadriel............................................160–162 Hakael.......................................................31 Harbinger of Vengeance.....................37–38 Harlequins......................................109–110 Hell.................................................... 28–31 Hell Horse............................................. 207 Hellwardens............................................163 Herlekins........................................163–164 Hoarders.................................................. 84 Horde Demon.................................110–111 Howling Threshold................................ 5–6 Hunger................................................76–77 Hungry..................................................... 77 Hydraggon..............................................195 I
Iadalbaoth.................................................31 Iblis...........................................31, 189–190 Ice Stalker.......................................164–165 Ignagons..........................................165–166 Inciter....................................................... 40 Indolent.................................................... 66 Infernal Fortresses..................................166 Inmai.......................................................112 Ipos............................................................16 Irecunda......................................... 207–209
Index
Orusula...................................................118 Oubliette.........................................215–216
J
Jageth....................................................... 85 Jahi..........................................................113 Jalie Squarefoot.............................. 208–210 Jeqon.........................................................31 Jilaiya.......................................................114 K
Kasdaye.....................................................31 Keres.......................................................167 Knocker...................................................168 Kochbiel....................................................31 Kok-Lir...................................................211 Krobulon.............................................77–78 Krotep.............................................211–212 Kurgel...................................................... 97 L
P
Paesod.................................................78–79 Paigoels........................................... 118–119 Paimon......................................................31 Pain (cleric domain)....................... 234–235 Pain Mistresses............................... 174–175 Painshrieker....................................216–217 Paladin........................................... 236–238 Path of Hatred................................231–232 Path of the Infernal Hunt.............. 232–233 Penemue....................................................31 Pertoblen................................................ 120 Philotanus the Seducer...................138–139 Phlogiston Monitors....................... 217–218 Proud........................................................ 98 Q
Languishing........................................67–68 Lel...................................................168–169 Leviathan................................................. 29 Lilith........................................................ 29 Lustful..................................................... 60 M
Mabaxa...........................................114–115 Maddening Horror................................ 249 Magugons...............................................170 Malgrin........................................... 171–172 Malicious Captain....................................37 Malicious Footman.................................. 36 Malicious Lieutenant............................... 36 Malohin the Strangler................... 134–135 Mammon................................................. 28 Mandragoras...................................115–116 Maodon.................................................... 86 Marbas......................................................17 Mazareen........................................ 116–117 Mephistopheles........................................ 30 Meresin.....................................................31 Merihim......................................... 136–137 Miser........................................................ 87 Mockery in Flame............................. 87–88 Moloch......................................................31 Mother Igwyre....................................49–52 Murmur....................................................31 N
Naamah........................................... 191–192 Necroripper.............................................213 Nekhet............................................213–215 Nergal............................................. 172–174 Nocticula............................................. 17–18 Nyogoths.........................................196–197 O
Ograq................................................. 60–61 Omen..................................................... 249
Index
Qlippoth.........................................193–199 R
Rage....................................................... 250 Rahbad......................................................31 Rahu the Tormentor.......................139–140 Rashedes........................................ 120–121 Raum...................................................18–19 Remnant.................................................. 89 River Styx.............................................. 224 Ruin (cleric domain)...................... 235–236 Ruin in Flesh......................................52–53 S
Sabnach.............................................. 19–20 Samyasa.....................................................31 Sariel.........................................................31 Sathreen..........................................121–122 Schir............................................... 122–123 Seere......................................................... 20 Selidim............................................ 175–176 Shax..........................................................21 She..................................................... 98–99 Shiggarreb.......................................197–198 Shining Ones......................................... 100 Shissen........................................... 123–124 Shogarr, “Consumer of Souls”........... 68–69 Shoggti....................................................199 Sicken..................................................... 250 Skullduggers...........................................218 Slothens.......................................... 124–125 Slumbering Valor................................69–70 Socothbenoth........................................... 22 Solesik............................................ 124–125 Soulkeepers............................................ 126 Soulsniffers.............................................177 Soul Taker...................................... 219–220 Spawn of Draqolath................................. 90 Spawn of Marbas................................... 220 Spells...............................................247–250
Bard......................................................247 Cleric.....................................................247 Druid....................................................247 Sorcerer..................................................247 Warlock..................................................247 Wizard..................................................247 Sphinx, Dark......................................... 221 Spinder............................................ 177–178 Spites.......................................................179 Stoker........................................................39 Striga...............................................179–180 Stygian Interloper.......................... 224–225 Summon Horde Demon........................ 250 Summon Least Horde Demon.............. 250 Summon Lesser Horde Demon............ 250 T
Taker...................................................91–92 Tamiel.......................................................31 Taurgen.................................................. 180 That Which Cannot Be......................61–62 Thieves of Dreams................................... 71 Torthen.................................................. 127 U
Umplebum............................................... 72 Unc........................................................... 63 Undelons................................................ 128 Urakbarameel............................................31 UrHydra......................................... 225–227 U’ulgan................................................41–42 V
Vashtuk...........................................227–228 Vecrose............................................... 43–44 Veezel..................................................72–73 Vepar.................................................. 22–23 Vierhaander.....................................180–181 Vlogars..................................................... 64 Vuall................................................182–183 Vulcan Demolisher........................ 228–229 W
Warlock.......................................... 238–241 War Zone, the......................................... 24 Weeping Coils................................... 53–54 Whiptail..................................................183 Wrathful.................................................. 44 Wugart............................................... 79–81 X
Xaiex...................................................... 129 Z
Zallaxes.................................................. 130 Zovarik...............................................81–82
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