Table Of Contents

Templates

Corrupted Creature

"Corrupted" is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature that is not a celestial nor fiend (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Creatures that gain this template change their type to aberration, unless it was already undead (which stays undead). A corrupted creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Natural Armor. The corrupted creature's natural armor increases by 2.

Damage Immunities. A corrupted creature gains immunity to acid damage.

Senses. A corrupted creature gains darkvision out to 60 feet.

Damage. The corrupted creature's claws lengthen, teeth multiply, and muscles harden. The damage die used when the creature deals damage with natural attacks increases by one die type, so that 1d8 becomes 1d8, 2d8 becomes 2d10, and so on.

Disruptive Attack. The corrupt creature deals 1 vile force damage whenever it touches or hits with a melee attack against a non-corrupted non-fiend. This damage increases to 1d4 against a celestial.

Regeneration. The corrupted creature regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Ability Score Increase. If the base creature's intelligence was 1 or 2, it becomes 3.

Alignment. Any evil.

Challenge Rating. Base creature +1.

Fiendish Creature

"Fiendish" is a template that can be added to any corporeal aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant of nongood alignment (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

Type. A beast's type changes to monstrosity.

Senses. A fiendish creature gains darkvision out to 60 feet.

Magic Resistance. The creature has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Ability Score Increase. If the base creature's intelligence was 1 or 2, it becomes 3.

Alignment. Any evil.

Saint

Mortal by birth, immortal by virtue: a saint is the apex of an aspect of mortal nature. When a living creature lives its entire life as an exemplar of the principles it believes in, it may become a saint.

"Saint" is a template that can be applied to any creature with an Intelligence score of at least 8 except a celestial or fiend. It uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Type. The saint's type changes based upon its alignment:

Saint Type
Alignment Type
Good Celestial
Evil Fiend
Lawful neutral Construct
Neutral Elemental
Chaotic neutral Aberration

Ability Score Increase. The creature's Constitution score increases by 2. Increase the creature's Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 4. The selected attribute is the creature's "enhanced ability" when referred to below.

Senses. The saint gains darkvision out to 60 feet.

Pure Defense. When the creature isn't wearing armor, its Armor Class equals 10 + its enhanced ability modifier + its Dexterity modifier.

Divine Power. The saint's weapon attacks are considered to be magical for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Damage Resistances. The saint is resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

Damage Immunities. The saint is immune to three damage types from the following list:

Damage Type Damage Type
Acid Cold
Fire Force
Lightning Necrotic
Poison Psychic
Radiant Thunder

Innate Spellcasitng. The saint can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: bless, guidance, resistance

1/day: globe of invulnerability

Regeneration. The saint regains 5 hit points if it starts its turn with at least 1 hit point.

True Believer. The saint has advantage on all Wisdom saving throws.

Tongues. The saint knows all languages.

Protective Aura. As a bonus action, the saint can raise or lower this aura. While it is raised, all creatures of the saint's choice within 10 feet gain the benefits of this aura. An affected creature benefits from a magic circle spell at its feet constantly. While gaining the benefit, the creature glows a color of the saint's choice, providing 5 feet of dim light.

Strongly Aligned. If the saint ever intentionally commits an act against its alignment of its own free will (suggestion and similar effects don't count), it loses all of this template's powers until it atones. For example, if a lawful evil saint shows mercy to a lawbreaker, the saint cannot benefit from this template until it completes an arduous task to advance the cause of law and evil.

Challenge Rating. Base creature +4.

Half-Fiend

"Half-fiend" is a template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A half-fiend uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Type. The creature’s type changes to fiend.

Speed. A half-fiend has bat wings. Unless the base creature has a better fly speed, the creature can fly at the base creature’s base land speed.

Armor Class. The half-fiend's natural armor increases by 1.

Attack. The half-fiend has sharp claws. Its half-fiend's unarmed strikes do 1d6 slashing damage, doubled for every size category above Medium.

Divine Smite (1/day). After hitting with an attack, the half-fiend can choose to deal an extra 9 (2d8) force damage against a celestial or undead.

Innate Spellcassting. The half-fiend's spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can cast the following spells based upon its pre-adjustment CR. These are cumulative:

Innate Spells
CR Spell
0-1/2 fire bolt at will
1-2 darkness 3/day
3-4 snilloc's snowball storm 1/day
5-6 ray of enfeeblement 3/day
7-8 stinking cloud 1/day
9-10 contagion 1/day
11-12 divine word 1/day
13-14 holy aura 3/day, hallow 1/day
15-16 Abi Dalzim's horrid wilting 1/day
17-18 feeblemind 1/day
19+ meteor swarm 1/day

Senses. The half-fiend has darkvision out to 60 feet.

Damage Immunity. The half-fiend is immune to poison.

Condition Immunity. The half-fiend is immune to being poisoned.

Damage Resistance. The half-fiend is resistant to acid, cold, fire, and lightning damage, and to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks.

Magic Resistance. The half-fiend has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The half-fiend's weapon attacks are magical.

Ability Score Increases. Increase Str, Dex, and Cha by 4, and Con, Int, and Wis by 2.

Alignment. Any evil.

Challenge Rating. Base creature +2.

Monsters

Demons

Tanar'ri

All demons in the Monster Manual, Out of the Abyss, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes not listed below have the tanar'ri tag:

  • Quasit
  • Shadow Demon
  • Yochlol
  • Dybbuk
  • Sibriex
  • Wastrilith
Obyrith

The sibriex has the obyrith tag.

Loumara

The dybbuk has the loumara tag.

Devils

Baatezu

All devils in the Monster Manual, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes not listed below have the baazetu tag:

  • Chain Devil (Kyton)
  • Nupperibo
Variant: Devil Summoning

Some devils can have an action option that allows them to summon other devils.

Summon Devil (1/Day). The devil chooses what to summon and attempts a magical summoning

A legion devil has a 33% chance of summoning 1 legion devil.

An amnizu has a 50% chance of summoning 1 abishai of a color of its choice.

An abashai has a 40% chance of summoning 1 abashai of a color of its choice

A pain devil has a 40% chance of summoning 1 pain devil.

A paeliryon can summon four lemures, two bone devils or bearded devils, or one erinyes, horned devil, or ice devil.

A harvester devil has a 40% chance of summoning 2d6 lemures or 1d4 bearded devils.

A narzugon has a 30% chance to summon 1 narzugon and steed.
Dance of Ruin

Three vrocks within 10 feet of each other can magically devastate a battlefield. Each of the three must use join hands in a circle and use its action and movement on three consecutive turns to perform a wild dance. If any of the three are unable to do this for any reason, they must all start again. When all three have finished their third turn of the dance, every creature other than a demon within 120 feet must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 20d6 force damage on a failed saving throw, or half on a success.

Variant: Demon Summoning

Legion Devil (Merregon)

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 17 (studded leather, shield)
  • Hit Points 19 (3d8+6)
  • Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities frightened, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s darkvision.

Pack Tactics. The legion devil has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the legion devil's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Legion’s Defenses. If a spell, supernatural ability, or other effect that allows a saving throw targets more than one legion devil, all the devils use the highest d20 result rolled by the group. If three legion devils are caught in a fireball and the d20 rolls for their saves are 17, 5, and 8, all three devils use 17 as the result of their roll before adding any modifiers.

Legion’s Mind. If a spell or ability that causes the charmed or frightened condition or automatically fails if a target is immune to charm or frighten targets a single legion devil, the devil and all other devils within 60 feet make saving throws against it. If any devil succeeds, all the devils succeed. If all the devils fail, they all suffer the effect of a failed save.

Legion’s Strength. Legion devils combine their physical vitality into one single pool of strength. In many battles, legion devils seem to absorb blow after blow, fighting on despite massive injuries, until a single decisive attack against one causes all of them to fall to the ground,slain. Legion devils combine their hit points into one large pool. Any damage that a legion devil takes comes from this hit point pool. If the pool is reduced to 0, all the legion devils in it immediately die. A legion devil gains the pool’s benefits as long as it remains within 100 feet of the rest of the group. If forced to move farther away, the legion devil reclaims some of its hit points. Divide the hit points in the pool by the number of devils in the group. The devil forced out of the group gains that many hit points, and the pool loses a like number. If the share is less than 1, the devil immediately dies and the pool does not lose any points. By the same token, if any devil receives healing apply it to the devils’ total pool.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Legion’s Advance. As a bonus action, a legion devil can immediately teleport to a space adjacent to any other legion devil within 120 feet.

Actions

Multiattack. The legion devil attacks once with its longsword and once with its shield bash.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet away from the devil.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Legion Devil (Merregon)

Legion devils are the Nine Hells' weakest foot soldiers, but in groups their power grows exponentially. In the Blood War, they march in groups of thousands. Wicked mortals may enjoy a company of 2 to 8 guards or elite troops.

They live to die in the service of their archdukes. The arcane laws of the Nine Hells demand that they receive a small wage in gold coins, even though they have nothing to spend this wage on. This has ensured that no one archdevil can amass a horde large enough to threaten his rivals with.

Legion Devil Commanders

Exceptional legion devils become officers in the armies of Hell. These individuals usually have higher Intelligence scores than normal (10 rather than 6), and gain levels in a variety of character classes. Most typically, these leaders gain fighter levels, but legion devil officers with sorcerer, wizard, or cleric levels are common.

Branded Devils

Summoning has some flaws as a devil feature. It can quickly swing an easy encounter into a deadly one, and it is random--not something the devils are fond of.

If you'd like to remove devil summoning while keeping a power increase, consider giving a devil one of the following features, depending on which archdevil it serves:

Bel: Bel's hatred for demonkind burns through the devil's blade. The devil gains a magic greatsword, longsword, rapier, or shortsword (its choice) that burns with green hellfire. Attacks with this weapon do an extra 1d6 force damage against good-aligned or chaotic-aligned creatures, or an extra 3d6 against demons. The devil also gains the Pack Tactics trait if it didn't already have it.

Dispater: In keeping with the paranoia of its lord, the devil gains blindsight out 30 feet, or its blindsight increases by 30 feet. In addition, the devil can cast shield and expeditious retreat three times a day each.

Mammon: When faced with mighty foes, the devil grovels and asks for mercy. Against weaker enemies, it shows no quarter. Enemies that have more HP than the devil must make a Wisdom save at the start of their turns or see it as pathetic and hardly worth killing, and thus have disadvantage on rolls to attack it until the start of their next turn. Whenever the devil rolls damage against an enemy with less HP than it, it rolls an extra die.

Fierna or Belial: The dark perversions of Fierna and Belial fuel the devil's power in combat. Whenever the devil takes or deals damage, it gains 1 pleasure point. The devil can spend 1 pleasure point before rolling an attack roll, damage roll, ability check, or save to add 1d6 to the roll. Pleasure points vanish at the end of the encounter.

Levistus: Levistus grants his subjects skill among the ice. The devil can move through icy difficult terrain and snow at normal speed, and it does not risk falling prone from ice. The devil's weapon attacks do an extra 1d6 cold damage, and it has resistance to cold damage. Once per day, as a reaction in response to being dealt cold damage, the devil can gain immunity to cold until the end of its next turn.

Glasya: The devil's body throbs with a number of fleshy tumors equal to its Constitution modifier + 3 (minimum three tumors). Each round, as a bonus action, it can draw strength from one of these cancerous growths to gain one of the following benefits:

  • +10-foot bonus to its speed until the start of its next turn.
  • Heal 2d6 points of damage + its Constitution modifier
  • Increase its reach with its melee attacks by 5 feet until the start of its next turn.
  • Spray a stream of noxious filth at an adjacent target, forcing that creature to succeed on a Constitution save (DC 8 + devil's proficiency bonus + Con modifer) or become poisoned until the end of its next turn

Spent tumors regrow in 10 rounds.

Baalzebub: The devil's slippery skin gives it advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape a grapple. Any creature that enters or leaves a space adjacent to the devil must succeed on a Acrobatics check (DC 8 + devil's proficiency bonus + its Con modifier) or immediately stop moving. A creature that fails this check by 5 or more falls prone in its current space. In addition, the devil reeks of decay, excrement, and worse, forcing any living creature within 10 feet of it to succeed on a Constitution save (same DC) or become poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns. After saving successfully, it is immune to this stench for 24 hours.

Mephistopholes: Mephistopholes's rage and frustration are legendary. If the devil misses an attack or a target saves successfully against an effect it creates, the devil has advantage on its next attack roll. Additionally, the devil rerolls any 1s on attack rolls, saving throws, damage rolls, or ability checks until they're not 1s.

Asmodeus: All bow before the Lord of the Ninth, and devils sworn to him take after their liege. The devil can cast command (DC 8 + devil's proficiency bonus + its Cha modifier) as a 5th-level spell 3 times a day. In addition, whenever a creature would attack the devil or target it with a spell or ability against the devil's will, it must first succeed on a Wisdom save (same DC). If the creature fails, it must select another target or take some other action. Once an opponent succeeds on the saving throw, it cannot be affected again by this effect for 24 hours.

Amnizu

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 82 (15d8 + 15 )
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 16 (+3)
  • Skills Arcana +5, Deception +9, History +5, Insight +6, Perception +3, Persuasion +6
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 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.

Secure Intelligence. The amnizu is immune to any effect that would reduce its Intelligence score.

Regeneration. The amnizu regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Innate Spellcasting. The amnizu's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The amnizu can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: charm person

3/day: fireball

Actions

Stupefying Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 6 (2d4 + 1) slashing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence save or have its Intelligence reduced by 2d4. A creature with its intelligence reduced to 0 is stunned until it regains at least one point of Intelligence. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.

Amnizu

Amnizus are guardians of Hell's portals, as well as bankers of souls.

Steel Devil (Bueroza)

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 18 (full plate)
  • Hit Points 76 (9d8 + 36)
  • Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) 14 (+2)
  • Skills Athletics +6
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 6 (1028 XP)

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's vision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Pack Tactics. The steel devil has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the steel devil's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Chant. As a bonus action, the steel devil can begin to chant. Until the start of the steel devil's next turn, it produces a rhythmic shrieking that sounds like metal rasping against metal. Any spellcasters within 30 feet of a chanting steel devil must make a spellcasting ability check (DC 10 + the spell's level) or the spell's slot is expended with no effect.

Innate Spellcasting. The steel devil's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +6 to hit). The steel devil can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: cause fear, command (5th level), haste (self only)

Actions

Multiattack. The steel devil makes two greatsword attacks.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. The steel choose to force the target to make a DC 14 Strength save or be pushed 5 feet in a direction of the steel devil's choice.

Steel Devil (Bueroza)

The steel devil is another front-line fighter. They cast haste on themselves routinely.

Harvester Devil (Falxugon)

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 75 (10d8+ 30)
  • Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 22 (+6)
  • Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +9, Insight +4, Perception +4, Persuasion +12, Stealth +7
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 feet, passive Perception 14
  • Languages all
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Shroud of Deception. The falxugon is immune to magic that allows other creatures to read its thoughts, determine whether it is lying, know its alignment, or know its creature type. Creatures can telepathically communicate with it only if it allows it.

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's vision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Refuge of the Damned. Through a bizarre clause in the Pact Primeval, harvester devils are magically warded to prevent attacks by all nonoutsiders, at least until they strike first. A harvester devil continually gains the benefit of a sanctuary spell; a DC 17 Wisdom save is required to overcome this effect. Fiends and celestials are unaffected by this ability. If a harvester devil attacks any opponent, this ability ceases to function for 1 minute. A nonoutsider that succeeds on its save against refuge of the damned takes disadvantage on all saves for 1 minute, the cosmic price for breaking the ancient clause that protects harvester devils. A creature that has signed a pact with any devil has disadvantage on this save.

Innate Spellcasting. The falxugon's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit). The falxugon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At-will: plane shift (self only), disguise self, major image

3/day: dispel magic, vampiric touch

1/day: mirror image

Actions

Multiattack. The falxugon makes two attacks with its Poisoned Dagger.

Poisoned Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft./range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage and the target is affected with Infernal Debt (see sidebar).

Harvester Devil (Falxugon)

Falxugons are the unmatched corruptors of mortal souls.

Infernal Debt. This injury poison is only distilled in the Nine Hells. It places a powerful curse upon those struck by it. When struck by a weapon coated in it, a target must make a successful DC 17 Charisma save or become poisoned. Whenever a poisoned target makes an attack roll, ability check or a saving throw before the effect ends, the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the attack roll or saving throw as feelings of fatigue and sloth overcome it.

This poison lasts for 24 hours or until the target willingly strikes a good-aligned creature. This attack must deal its full normal damage, though the victim can opt to make an unarmed strike or other similarly ineffectual blow. The victim feels a strange urge to strike eligible targets to break the curse, and it can feel soothing relief waiting for it if it only gives in to the malevolent whispers that echo in its mind. A remove curse or greater restoration spell rids a victim of the penalties, as well as the urge to do a companion harm.

A similar poison exists that is only relieved when the target strikes a chaotic-aligned creature. This version is typically used against demon cultists.

Pain Devil (Excruciarch)

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 15 (studded leather armor)
  • Hit Points 114 (12d8 + 60)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 15 (+2)
  • Skills Insight +6, Intimidation +8, Medicine +6
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's vision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Agony’s Caress. Pain devils can send arcane energy cascading down their weapons to leave their victims wracked with pain beyond imagining. Any attack from a pain devil that hits does an extra 10 (3d6) psychic damage (included in the attack). Additionally, any creature struck by a pain devil’s melee attacks or Storm of Pain must attempt a DC 13 Constitution save. On a failed save, the target can use either an action or a bonus action on its next turn, not both. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Sadism. If a pain devil did at least 25 damage since the start of its last turn, it has advantage on its first attack this turn. If it did at least 50, it has advantage on all attacks and saves until the start of its next turn.

Torturer's Eye. The pain devil targets one creature it can see as a bonus action. The target must contest its Charisma (Deception) check against the pain devil’s Wisdom (Medicine) check. If the pain devil wins, it ignores the target's damage resistances and immunities and the target has disadvantage on Concentration checks caused by the pain devil until the start of its next turn.

Aura of Agony. A pain devil creates a supernatural aura of pain and misery. All within this area suffer painful cuts and wounds that spontaneously appear on their bodies. At the end of each of a pain devil’s turns, creatures within 10 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution save or take 5 (1d10) points of slashing damage. The save DC is Charisma-based. Baatezu are immune to the aura. The pain devil can activate or deactivate this aura as a bonus action.

Innate Spellcasting. The pain devil's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit). The pain devil can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At-will: vampiric touch, cure wounds, cause fear

Actions

Multiattack. The pain devil attacks twice with its Hell Scourge.

Hell Scourge. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) psychic damage. This is a magic weapon attack. On a hit the pain devil can forgo dealing the piercing damage and attempt to trip the target, in which case the target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Teleport. The pain devil magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Storm of Pain. The pain devil can whirl its hell scourge above its head in a wide, deadly arc. When a pain devil uses this ability, every creature within 10 feet must make a DC 14 Dexterity save. On a failure, a creature takes 10 (2d4 + 5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) psychic damage, or half on a successful save.

Pain Devil (Excruciarch)

Pain devils are the Nine Hells' most expert torturers. Their signature weapon, the hell scourge, is a +2 spiked chain that functions only in the hands of the pain devil that it belongs to, and that crumbles into dust if it leaves its hands. The pain devil can summon another as a bonus action.

Assassin Devil (Dogai)

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 117 (18d8 + 36)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 26 (+8) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 16 (+3)
  • Skills Acrobatics +12, Deception +7, Perception +6, Stealth +16
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's vision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Ghost Step. As a bonus action, the assassin devil can turn invisible until the end of its current turn. It remains invisible even if it attacks.

Evasion. If the devil is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, the devil instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.

Assassinate. During its first turn, the assassin devil has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. Any hit the assassin devil scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.

Innate Spellcasting. The assassin devil's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit). The assassin devil can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: dimension door, fog cloud, nondetection, pass without trace, silence, minor illusion, gaseous form

1/day: plane shift (self only)

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The assassin devil deals an extra 21 (6d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 ft. of another enemy of the target that isn't incapacitated and the assassin devil doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Actions

Multiattack. The dogai makes two rapier or longbow attacks.

Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8 + 8) piercing damage. If both the dogai and its target are in dim light or darkness, the target takes an additional 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8 + 8) piercing damage. If both the dogai and its target are in dim light or darkness, the target takes an additional 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.

Assassin Devil (Dogai)

Nicknamed "Hell's Ninjas", dogai are expert assassins.

Orthon

Large fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 18 (plate)
  • Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 70)
  • Speed 22ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
22 (+6) 10 (+0) 21 (+5) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Pack Tactics. The orthon has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the orthon's allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Dimensional Interference. As a bonus action, an orthan can raise or lower its dimensional interference field. When raised, it emits a 20-foot-radius field that disrupts extradimensional and interplanar movement. All creatures within the area are prevented from using any spell or ability that provides such movement.

Maggot Burst. When an orthon takes a critical hit, or if it is slain, maggots surge from its body. All creatures other than baatezu within 10 feet of the orthon take 6d4 points of piercing damage as the maggots swarm over the area, gnawing and biting all in their path.

Actions

Multiattack. The orthon makes two attacks. If it attacks twice with its hellspear, it can make a third attack against a different target.

Hellspear. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 20ft., one target. Hit 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing or slashing damage. This weapon is silvered.

Hellfire Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 400 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) force damage.

Teleport. The orthon magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Orthon

Orthons are foot soldiers in the armies of the Nine Hells.

Weapons

The hellspear is unique to orthons. It is a very long spear with a variety of sharp blades projecting along its shaft, making it useful against distant and close opponents.

The hellfire crossbow shoots bolts of hellfire, which feel like fire but ignore resistance. In 3.5, this was untyped damage, but as that no longer exists, I rendered it as force damage.

Only baatezu can create the energy necessary to fire hellfire, though a hellspear certainly could be salvaged from a battlefield.

Paeliryon

Large fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 241 (23d10 + 115)
  • Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., fly 100 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 23 (+6) 19 (+4) 23 (+6)
  • Skills Arcana +13, Deception +13, History +13, Insight +11, Investigation +13, Perception +11, Persuasion +20
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The paeliryon's weapon attacks are magical.

Innate Spellcasting. The paeliryon's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21). The paeliryon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: arcane eye (no concentration required), charm monster, clairvoyance, dispel magic (6th level), greater invisibility, hold monster, major image (6th level), meteor swarm, mind blank, polymorph, suggestion

3/day: antilife shell, divine word

Intoxicating Perfume. The paeliryon's perfume is so overwhelming it clouds the mind. All nonbaatezu within 20 feet of it have disadvantage on Wisdom checks and saves. Creatures immune to being poisoned are immune to this ability.

Actions

Multiattack. The paeliryon makes two retractible claw attacks.

Retractible Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 20ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage and the target’s Charisma score is reduced by 1d4. The target falls unconscious if this reduces its Charisma to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.

Belittle. The paeliryon unleashes a torrent of epithets and insults. All nonbaatezu within a 60-foot cone must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom save or be stunned for 1 round and become frightened of the paeliryon for 1 minute thereafter.

A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by that same paeliryon’s belittle ability for 24 hours.

Teleport. The paeliryon magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Reactions

Mock. In response to being missed by an attack or succeeding at a saving throw, the paeliryon cruelly insults the creature that attacked it or forced it to make a save. The creature must succeed at a DC 21 Wisdom save or have disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of its next turn. Creatures that do not understand any language are immune to this effect.

Paeliryon

Paeliryons are devilish conspirators, working to undermine good and chaos through information trafficking.

Kalabon

Small fiend (devil), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 13 (2d6 + 4)
  • Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 9 (-1) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11
  • Languages None
  • Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Stench. Any creature other than a kalabon that starts its turn within 10 ft. of the kalabon must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature’s next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the stench of all kalabons for 1 hour.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the kalabon has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

Multiattack. The kalabon makes 1d3 Tentacle attacks.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.

Kalabon

Kalabons can combine into colonies. Colonies pool their hit points and gain additional bonuses. See the table below:

Kalabon Size
Size Tentacles Str Damage dX # needed
Small 1d3 13 d4 1-3
Medium 1d4 15 d8 4-7
Large 1d6 17 2d8 8-31
Huge 2d4 21 3d8 32

For example, 8 kalabons combine into a Large colony. The resulting creature has 104 hit points, makes 1d6 tentacle attacks each round, has a 17 in Strength, and has the following action option:

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage.

Ayperobos Swarm

Ayperobos swarms act in teams to overpower bigger and stronger devils.

Ayperobos Swarm

Medium swarm of Tiny fiends (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 16
  • Hit Points 110 (17d8 + 34)
  • Speed 5ft., fly 90 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 23 (+6) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 13 (+1) 15 (+2)
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages None
  • Challenge 10 (4397 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 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 insect. The swarm can’t regain hit points except with its Regeneration feature or gain temporary hit points.

Regeneration. The swarm regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Control Body. Any creature that begins its turn with the swarm in its square must make a DC 14 Consitution save or be controlled as if by a dominate monster spell. The swarm is removed from play as it takes control of the victim’s body. The creature can make a new save against this ability at the start of each of its subsequent turns.

Distracting. Concentration checks and Wisdom (Perception) checks made inside the swarm's space are made with disadvantage.

Actions

Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 0ft., one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 50 (20d4) piercing damage, or 25 (10d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Narzugon

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 20 (full plate, shield)
  • Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
  • Speed 30 ft. (when riding a nightmare, 60 ft., fly 90 ft.)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 13 (+1)
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 5 (2660 XP)

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's vision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Spiked Armor. Any creature grappling the narzugon takes 7 (3d4) piercing damage at the end of its turn.

Baleful Gaze. When a creature that can see the narzugon’s eyes starts its turn within 30 ft. of the narzugon, the narzugon can force it to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw if the narzugon isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. A creature that fails the save is frightened of the narzugon.

Innate Spellcasting. The narzugon's spellcasting ability is Charisma (+4 to hit). The narzugon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: compelled duel, scorching ray

Charge. If the narzugon moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a lance attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 13 (2d12) piercing damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The narzugon makes two longsword attacks.

Lance. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 9 (1d12 + 3) piercing damage. The narzugon has disadvantage on attacks with this against a target within 5 feet of it.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) if held with two hands.

Malebranche

Huge devil (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 189 (14d12 + 98)
  • Speed 40 ft., fly 120 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
26 (+8) 9 (-1) 24 (+7) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)
  • Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 14 (4667 XP)

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The devil's weapon attacks are magical.

Dive Attack. If the malebranche is flying and dives at least 30 ft. straight toward a target and then hits it with a ranseur weapon attack, the attack deals an extra 16 (3d10) damage to the target.

Flyby. The malebranche doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Terror Aura. Every enemy that starts its turn within 30 feet of the malebranche must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns. A frightened target must use all its movement on that turn to get as far from the malebranche as possible, must finish the move before taking an action, and must take the most direct route, even if hazards lie that way. A target that successfully saves is immune to the terror aura of this malebrance for the next 24 hours.

Actions

Multiattack. The malebranche makes one ranseur attack and one claw attack.

Ranseur. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 30ft., one target. Hit 24 (3d10 + 8) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 21 (3d8 + 8) slashing damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 21).

Narzugon

Narzugons are Hell's cavalry. They ride nightmares.

Malebranche

Malebranches are huge brutes.

Abishai

Medium fiend (devil, baatezu), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
  • Speed 30ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison (and see text)
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 6 (2,900 XP)

Devil's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the devil's vision.

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Innate Spellcasting. The abishai's spellcasting ability is Charisma (DC 13). The abishai can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: cause fear, command, disguise self

3/day: charm person, suggestion

1/day: wrack

Actions

Multiattack. The abishai stings once, claws twice, and bites once.

Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 2d8 of a damage type determined by the abishai's color.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage.

Abishai

Abishai are Tiamat's chosen devils.

Chromatic Abishai

There is an abishai for each kind of chromatic dragon. The damage type listed is used both for determining immunities and for determing the kind of damage tha abishai does.

Black Abishai: Acid. A black abishai is amphibious (it can breathe air or water), has a swimming speed of 30 feet, and has immunity to acid damage.

Blue Abishai: Lightning. A blue abishai has a burrowing speed of 20 feet and immunity to lightning damage.

Green Abishai: Poison. A green abishai is amphibious (it can breathe air or water), has a swimming speed of 30 feet, and is healed by poison damage.

Red Abishai: Fire. A red abishai has climbing speed of 30 feet and is healed by fire damage.

White Abishai: Cold. A white abishai has a burrowing speed of 20 feet, a climbing speed of 30 feet, and immunity to cold damage.

Bar'lgura

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 68 (8d10 + 24)
  • Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
  • Saves Dex +5, Con +6
  • Skills Perception +5, Stealth +5, Survival +6
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The barlgura's spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). The barlgura can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: cause fear, darkness, dispel magic, druidcraft, entangle, see invisibility, telekinesis

2/day: disguise self, invisibility, major image

Reckless. At the start of its turn, the barlgura can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn.

Running Leap. The barlgura's long jump is up to 40 feet and its high jump is up to 20 feet when it has a running start.

Actions

Multiattack. The barlgura makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its fists. It can replace one or both fist attacks with boomerang attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the bar'lgura can grapple the target (escape DC 15).

Boomerang. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target, Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Miss: The boomerang returns to the bar'lgura's hand.

Abduction. The bar'lgura magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying and anyone it is grappling or willingly touching (up to 2 creatures), up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Any target grappled who doesn't want to be teleported can make a DC 13 Charisma saving throw.

Gadacro

Small fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 44 (8d6 + 16)
  • Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (-2) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1)
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Flyby. The gadacro doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Magic Resistance. The demon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The gadacro deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 ft. of an ally of the gadacro that isn’t incapacitated and the gadacro doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Eyethief. Instead of dealing sneak attack damage or extra damage from a critical hit, the gadacro can attempt to blind the target. The target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is blinded. It can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Innate Spellcasting. The gadacro's spellcasting ability is Charisma (DC 11). The gadacro can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

1/day: earthbind, mirror image

Actions

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.

Reactions

Sudden Escape. Immediately after taking damage, the gadacro can teleport up to 20 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Bar'lgura

Ported from their 3.5 version because they're amazingly versatile there, and lack their signature Abduction in 5e. Kept Reckless and entangle, however, as they fit wonderfully.

Gadacro

The gadacro is a vicious lesser demon that torments its foes by blinding them.

Abyss-Bound Demons

Summoning has some flaws as a demon feature. It can quickly swing an easy encounter into a deadly one.

If you'd like to remove demon summoning while keeping a power increase, consider giving a demon one of the following features, depending on which demon lord it serves:

Nashrou

Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 69 (6d10 + 36)
  • Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 22 (+6) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 8 (-1)
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Critical Vulnerability. A nashrou has a unique weakness that can allow a clever or lucky opponent to slay it in a single blow. If the nashrou suffers a critical hit that deals damage (so a critical ray of enfeeblement wouldn't work), it is instantly slain.

Pack Tactics. The nashrou has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the nashrou’s allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

Pounce. If the nashrou moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The nashrou can then make up to two gore attacks against prone targets as a bonus action.

Actions

Multiattack. The nashrou makes two claw attacks or two gore attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.

Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Nashrou

Nashrous are vicious, animalistic predators that roam the blasted volcanic plains of the Abyss. Reaving claws extend in four directions from a nashrou’s central body, and many legs propel it rapidly across the ground. Nashrous are swift, tireless hunters that have been known to pursue prey for days or even weeks. Occasionally, their tenacity is such that they will follow prey through a portal to another plane.

Umbrilith

Umbriliths are nightmarish shadow demons that delight in the suffering of their prey, attacking from the darkness.

Umbrilith

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 188 (25d8 + 75)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 10 (0)
  • Skills Athletics +10, Acrobatics +8, Stealth +12
  • Saves Str +6, Dex +8, Con +7
  • Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
  • Damage Resistances piercing from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 9 (450 XP)

Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the demon has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Innate Spellcasting. The umbrilith can innately cast darkness, requiring no material components.

Shadow Step. As a bonus action when it is in dim light or darkness, the umbrilith teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see that is also in dim light or darkness. It then has advantage on the first melee attack it makes before the end of the turn.

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the creature can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Spider Climb. The umbrilith can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Multiattack. The umbrilith makes two Shadow Claw attacks, uses Drag, and then makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. If the target was grappled by Shadow Claw, it is now restrained as long as it is grappled..

Shadow Claw. The umbrilith attempts to grapple a creature within 50 feet of it with pure shadow. It makes a grapple check as normal (with a +10 modifier), but it can grapple creatures of any size. It can have up to six creatures grappled at once.

Drag. The umbrilith pulls each creature grappled by it up to 25 feet in a path of its choice.

Urthelid

Huge fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 195 (17d12+85)
  • Speed 80 ft., climb 80 ft., burrow 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
26 (+8) 8 (-1) 24 (+7) 12 (+1) 22 (+6) 22 (+6)
  • Saving Throws Con +13, Int +7, Wis +12
  • Skills Athletics +14, Intimidate +12, Perception +12, Survival +18
  • Damage Resistances cold, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Immunities acid, fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., tremorsense 240 ft., passive Perception 22
  • Languages Obyrithic Abyssal, telepathy 120 feet
  • Challenge 19 (22,000 XP)

Dimensional Lock. As a bonus action, the urthelid can raise or lower its dimensional lock field. When raised, this field completely blocks extradimensional travel and teleportation within 120 feet. Forms of movement barred include astral projection, blink, dimension door, etherealness, gate, maze, phasing, plane shift, misty step, far step, teleport, teleportation circle, and similar abilities.

Hatred Embodied. The urthelid has advantage on all attack rolls and saving throws against tanar'ri.

Magic Weapons. The urthelid's weapon attacks are magical.

Spider Climb. The urthelid can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Dissolving Enzymes. The urthelid can burrow at half its speed through solid rock, metal, crystal, or other substances.

Innate Spellcasting. The urthelid's spellcasting ability is Charisma (+12 to hit, spell save DC 20). The urthelid can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: major image (benefits from illusionist feature Malleable Illusions), earthbind, pass without trace, infestation (4d6)

3/day: insect plague, dimension door, mirror image, shield

Form of Madness. Any creature within 120 feet that observes an urthelid must attempt a DC 20 Wisdom save or become terrified of the ground and the things that crawl under it. As long as the creature is in contact with the ground or a structure built on it, it is frightened. This condition is permanent until the insanity is cured by greater restoration, heal, wish, or divine intervention. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by that same urthelid's form for 24 hours, and a creature that fails cannot be affected a second time (until cured). The save is Charisma-based.

Regeneration. The urthelid regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Water Anathema. While submerged in water, the urthelids' attacks do no acid damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The urthelid attacks 2d4 times with its Foreleg Impale and uses its Tri-Pronged Tail once. If it hits a single creature at least twice with Foreleg Impale, it latches on and injects more acid, and the target takes an additional 14 (4d6) acid damage and is grappled (escape DC 22).

Foreleg Impale. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8 + 8) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) acid damage.

Tri-Pronged Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15ft., one target. Hit: 27 (3d12 + 8) piercing damage plus 12 (5d4) lightning damage, and the target must make a DC 21 Consitution saving throw or become stunned for 1 minute. It can repeat this save at the end of each of its turns. The save is Constitution-based.

Forelag Snap (Recharge 6). The urthelid snaps its foreleg against itself, producing a painfully loud boom that can be heard up to 2 miles away. All creatures and objects in a 300-foot radius centered on the urthelid (including itself) must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or take 78 (12d12) thunder damage, or half on a successful save. The save is Constitution-based.

Urthelid

If balors have nightmares, they are surely due to the urthelids, horrific crawling abominations that hunger to rid the Abyss of all non-obyriths. Thankfully, these monsters are very rare even in the Abyss, and virtually unheard of outside it.

Hatred in Flesh

Obox-ob, the disgusting Prince of Vermin, rages endlessly against his fall and longs for his return to preeminence. The urthelids are physical embodiments of his hatred for the tanar'ri who displaced him and betrayed his kind. They have no purpose besides the wholesale extermination of non-obyriths in general, and tanar'ri in particular, from the Abyss.

Apex Predators

Urthelids are evolved (as close as demons have to evolution) to hunt tanar'ri. One of their favorite tactics is to deactivate their dimensional locks, dimension door on top of their prey, and then reactivate their dimensional lock. As many demons are immune to poison, they instead use acid; they themselves are immune or resistant to the brunt of what others can dish out.

Savage Illusionists

Although urthelids are not especially intelligent, they have an instinctive understanding of group dynamics and how they operate, and are fond of conjurating illusions of others of their kind approaching from one direction, so as to drive their prey directing into their hungry maws.

Dukes of Vermin

The urthelids are made in the shape of Obox-ob, and they occupy a ducal role on his layer of Zionyn. They are seldom found there, however, as their drive to kill tanar'ri can never be truly sated, and few tanar'ri can be found on Zionyn.

The Long Hunger

Urthelids' mouths are too small to be of any use in combat and do not have teeth at all, being some combination of mouth and proboscis. They prefer to slurp up the liquified remains of their foes, or suck out their innards if the target was killed by acid injection. Though they gain no nourishment from feeding, they seem to relish in the activity of consuming another organism, especially one of the hated tanar'ri.

Alkilith

Medium fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
  • Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 22 (+6) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2)
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone
  • Senses blindsight 60 feet., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

Magic Resistance. The alkilith has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Innate Spellcasting. The alkilith's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The alkilith can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: contagion, detect magic, dispel magic, hold monster, magic circle, stinking cloud, plane shift (self only), wall of ice

3/day: cone of cold

Amorphous. The alkilith can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the alkilith or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 9 (2d8) acid damage. Any nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the alkilith corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent cumulative - 1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the alkilith is destroyed after dealing damage.

The alkilith can eat through 2-inch-thick, non magical wood or metal in 1 round.

Spider Climb. The alkilith can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Cloudkill Form. As an action, the alkilith magically takes the form of a choking, toxic cloud. This places the effect of gaseous form on it, and inflicts the effects of cloudkill on anyone caught inside the cloud (DC 15), but doing acid damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The alkilith makes 4 Pseudopod attacks and uses Command Ooze.

Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d8) acid damage. In addition, non magical armor worn by the target is partly dissolved and takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10

Command Ooze. An alkilith can control the actions of one ooze it can sense within 60 feet (DC 16 Wisdom save).

Alkilith

Alkiliths are horrid acidic slime demons.

Solamith

Large fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 161 (14d10 + 84)
  • Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 8 (-1) 23 (+6) 8 (-1) 13 (+1) 15 (+2)
  • Damage Vulnerabilities cold
  • Damage Resistances acid, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Regeneration. The solamith regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.

Soulfire. A solamith can deal itself 5 points of damage to tear flesh from its body and hurl that flesh up to 120 feet with perfect accuracy. When it lands, the flesh explodes in a 20-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 7 (2d6) fire damage and 7 (2d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.

By dealing itself an extra 5 points of damage, a solamith can widen the sphere to a 40-foot radius. By dealing itself an extra 10 points of damage, a solamith can make the burst deal maximum damage. A solamith can use both of these abilities on the same soulfire attack, but takes damage for each.

Reactions

Soulfire Retort. When a melee attack damages the solamith, it can discharge soulfire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3 (1d6) fire damage and 3 (1d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Solamith

A solamith is a manifestation of depraved gluttony and burning hunger, drawing energy from the spirits it devours. That power charges its flesh with spiritual fire, which it uses against its enemies by hurling bits of its own body.

Arrow Demon

Medium fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 83 (11d8 + 33)
  • Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 23 (+6) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Bowmaster. Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on the demon's attack rolls, nor does making a ranged attack while it is within 5 feet of a hostile creature. Its ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover. It has a +3 to all ranged weapon attacks (included). Before it makes a ranged weapon attack, it can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If it does so and the attack hits, it deals +10 damage. When it has advantage on an attack, it can reroll one of the dice once.

Innate Spellcasting. The arrow demon can cast dimension door at will on itself only, no material components required.

Magic Resistance. The arrow demon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The arrow demon makes six longbow attacks or four claw attacks.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 6) slashing damage.

Reactions

Skirmish. When an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of the arrow demon, it can move up to half its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Arrow Demon

Arrow demons were created to serve in massive battalions on the endless abyssal battlefields. Although they still play a devastating role in such battles, arrow demons have now begun to appear elsewhere. Powerful demons and mortal summoners alike have learned that even one arrow demon is capable of dominating a battlefield.

Abyssal Succubus

Medium fiend (demon, tanar'ri, shapechanger), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 18 (dark purity)
  • Hit Points 99 (18d8 + 18)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 17 (+3) 13 (1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 20 (+5)
  • Saves Wis +4
  • Skills Deception +11, Insight +7, Perception +7, Persuasion +11, Stealth +9
  • 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 all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Dark Purity. The succubus adds its Charisma to its AC (included above).

Shapechanger. The succubus can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. Without wings, the succubus loses its flying speed. Other than its size and speed, 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.

Innate Spellcasting. The succubus's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). The succubus can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: bane, charm monster, command, detect evil and good, detect thoughts, suggestion, vicious mockery (2d4)

Magic Resistance. The succubus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Telepathic Bond. The succubus ignores the range restriction on its telepathy when communicating with a creature it has charmed. The two don't even need to be on the same plane of existence.

Actions

Multiattack. The succubus makes two claw attacks.

Claw (Fiend Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Draining Kiss. The fiend kisses a creature charmed by it or a willing creature. The target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 32 (5d10 + 5) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The target must also make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be affected as if by a suggestion to kiss again.

Succubus's Gift (1/day). The succubus lovingly embraces one willing or incapacitated creature. An unwilling creature can make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw, suffering no effects on a success. On a failure, or on a willing target, the target gains a +2 bonus to its Charisma (max of 24) and rolls an extra d4 whenever making a saving throw. Moreover, the target's weapons count as magical for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. The gift lasts for 24 hours or until the target creature is affected by dispel evil and good.

As long as the character possesses the gift, the succubus's name (written in Abyssal) appears as a tattoo somewhere on the character’s body. Most succubi take pains to place this mark somewhere that’s easily hidden. The recipient of a succubus’s gift cannot see its own tattoo. As long as the gift remains active, the succubus can monitor the character’s location flawlessly. It can communicate telepathically with the character at all times, despite any intervening distance (even across planes), and by concentrating can observe the world around the character as if it were there in the target's place. Succubi often use this ability to influence and trick a character into performing chaotic or evil acts.

Accepting a succubus’s gift is a chaotic act and could have repercussions on the recipient’s alignment.

Teleport. The succubus magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Etherealness. The succubus magically enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa.

Abyssal Succubus

Some succubi are demons, and have different powers correspondingly.

Carnage Demon

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 85 (13d8 + 26)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 6 (-2) 6 (-2)
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Abyssal
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Destructive Appetite. A carnage demon is a threat even to its allies. After every successful melee attack, a carnage demon must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom save. If it fails, if it can't attack an enemy during its next turn, it attacks the nearest creature that is not a carnage demon.

Reaving Fists. The carnage demon's weapon attacks are magical, and it can cause its fists to be treated as any type of substance.

Carnage. If there are at least two other carnage demons within 30 feet of the carnage demon, it gains advantage on all attack rolls and it rolls an extra die of damage when making an attack.

Actions

Multiattack. The carnage demon makes two claw attacks.

Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Carnage Demon

Carnage demons exist only to destroy, and they revel in the ruin they wreak.

Broodswarm

Sinister and cruel, these swarms of Tiny demons are created by night hags and sent out into the world to find innocent souls for their mistresses to harvest.

Broodswarm

Medium swarm of Tiny fiends (demon), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15
  • Hit Points 67 (15d8)
  • Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1)
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, lightning, piercing, slashing
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Abyssal, Common
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 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 demon (about the size of a sparrow). The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Smell Goodness. The swarm can tell if a creature is good-aligned if it can smell it.

Stitching. Whenever the broodswarm hits with its Claws attack, the creature becomes restrained and its speed is halved as the broodswarm uses black thread to stitch it up. If it hits a restrained creature, the creature also becomes blinded and its speed drops to 0. If it hits a restrained and blinded creature, the creature becomes paralyzed.

A creature can attempt to break free of its stitching (even if paralyzed as a result of the stitching) by making a DC 20 Strength check. Each attempt (successful or not) deals 7 (2d6) points of slashing damage to the victim. Another creature can cut the stitching loose with a DC 10 Medicine check and 1 minute of work.

Call Night Hag (1/day). The broodswarm spends 1 minute concentrating, after which the night hag that created it is teleported to its location, unless the hag doesn't want to come (25% chance).

Actions

Multiattack. The broodswarm uses Daze Aura, and then uses its claws.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 28 (8d6) piercing damage, or 14 (4d6) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. The swarm can choose to do no damage instead.

Daze Aura. Each non-night hag creature within 30 feet of the broodswarm must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it's incapacitated until the start of the broodswarm's next turn. On a success, it's immune to the Daze Aura of all broodswarms for the next 24 hours.

Kinetilith

Medium fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15 (mage armor)
  • Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 23 (+6) 11 (+0) 15 (+2)
  • Skills Arcana +10
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 4 (2,900 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The kinetilith's spellcasting ability is Intelligence (+8 to hit, spell save DC 16). The kinetilith can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: emerald planes, mage armor, shield

1/day: Bigby's hand (forceful and interposing only)

Magic Resistance. The kinetilith has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Magic Missile. The kinetilith creates 2d4 glowing darts of magical force. Each dart hits a creature the kinetilith can see within 120 feet of it. A dart deals 3 (1d4 + 1) force damage to its target. It can direct them to hit one creature or several. Each creature hit must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet back for each bolt that hit it. Alternatively, it can target a creature within 600 feet of it, in which case it only fires one missile. Both damage and push are blocked by shield.

Missile Storm (Recharge 5-6). The kinetilith selects a point it can see within 120 feet of it. Each creature within 40 feet of that point takes 3 (1d4 + 1) force damage. This is blocked by shield.

Chain Missile (Recharge 5-6). The kinetilith targets one creature it can see within 120 feet of it and fires four bolts at it, each bolt doing 3 (1d4 + 1) force damage. Each bolt bounces one to another target within 30 feet, but no secondary target can be hit by more than one bounce. Each target can avoid damage with shield, but they still bounce.

Explosive Missile (Recharge 5-6). The kinetilith targets one point it can see within 120 feet of it and fires a very big missile. Any creature within 10 feet of the point takes 7 (2d4 + 2) force damage and must make a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Each creature can avoid damage on itself and being knocked prone with shield.

Kinetilith

Devils are magic-resistant and resistant or immune to many forms of attack. This displeases the tanar'ri, who have devised a race of minor tanar'ri who specialize in the magic missile spell, which their hated enemies are not protected against.

Jovoc

Small fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 68 (9d6 + 36)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 7 (-2)
  • Skills Stealth +8
  • 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
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Magic Resistance. The jovoc has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration. The jovoc regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Aura of Retribution. When the jovoc takes any kind of damage (even if it is resistant or immune to it), the same type of damage is reflected on all non-demons within 30 feet of it. So if it were hit by a ray of sickness spell with an 11 rolled, each non-demon within 30 feet of it would take 11 poison damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The jovoc makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Jovoc

These vicious little black-hearted fiends were born to create strife. Their ability to inflict the damage they take on others makes them invaluable in the front lines of tanar’ri armies. A unit of jovocs can absorb repeated blows and spells from the enemy and still survive to exact a punishing revenge.

Palrethee

Medium fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)
  • Damage Vulnerabilities cold
  • Damage Resistances lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities fire, necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Magic Resistance. The palrethee has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Fiery Body. A creature that touches the palrethee or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6) fire and 3 (1d6) necrotic damage, and is cursed with demonic fire. A cursed creature takes 3 (1d6) fire damage and 3 (1d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. This fire cannot be extinguished by nonmagical means—even total immersion in frigid water fails. Lesser restoration, dispel magic, or remove curse ends the burning. A creature killed by this burning immediately reanimates as a skeleton immune to fire and necrotic damage, and gains this trait and Illumination. The skeleton is under the palrethee's control.

Illumination. The demon sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light in an additional 30 ft.

Death Throes. When the palrethee dies, it explodes, and each creature within 10 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The explosion ignites flammable objects in that area that aren't being worn or carried.

Innate Spellcasting. The palrethee's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). The palrethee can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect evil and good, detect magic, identify, see invisibility

1/day: fear

Actions

Multiattack. The palrethee makes two attacks.

Flaming Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) if the attack is made with two hands, plus 3 (1d6) fire damage and 3 (1d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it is cursed with demonic fire.

Fire Bolt. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) fire damage and if the target is a creature it is cursed with demonic fire.

Palrethee

According to legend, palrethees were once ambitious demons who yearned to rule the Abyss as balors. Despite their great malice and their sadism, these lost souls failed in some unknown trial by fire, and now they burn for all eternity. Many balors use palrethees as sergeants or messengers, taking great pleasure in reinforcing the ambitious demons’ subservient positions. This connection between the two kinds of tanar’ri has lent credence to the bards’ tales about the palrethees’ origin.

Bebilith

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 196 (17d12 + 85)
  • Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 21 (+5) 20 (+5) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)
  • Saves Int +5
  • Skills Athletics +10, Perception +9, Stealth +13, Survival +9
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
  • Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Ambusher. In the first round of a combat, the bebilith has advantage on attack rolls against any creature it has surprised.

Demon Hunter. The bebilith has advantage on saves against the spells and abilities of demons. Demons have disadvantage on attack rolls against it and can't charm, frighten, or possess it.

Spider Climb. The bebilith 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 bebilith knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker. The bebilith ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Magic Weapons. The bebilith's weapon attacks are magical.

Actions

Multiattack. The bebilith makes three attacks: two with its claws and one with its bite or Web. If it hits the same target twice with both claw attacks, it sunders the target, destroying any nonmagical shield or armor it is wearing and negating any natural armor the target has until the target is restored to full HP.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d4 + 6) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18).

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) piercing damage plus 22 (4d10) acid damage, and if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Web (Recharge 5–6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 60/180 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 20 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 25; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage). While restrained, freedom of movement and similar effects provide no benefit, and the creature cannot teleport or travel across planes (except by a bebilith's Dimensional Jaunt).

Dimensional Jaunt (Recharge 6). The bebilith magically shifts to a plane or layer as if by plane shift. Any creature it is grappling must make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or be dragged along with it.

Bebilith

Bebiliths are enormous, predatory, arachnid demons that hunt other demons. While they favor preying upon other demons, they aren’t picky—they will stalk and attack any type of creature. A bebilith has a body the size of a plow horse, with legs spanning more than 14 feet. It weighs more than two tons.

Ekolid

Small fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 65 (10d6 + 30)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 16 (+3)
  • Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +6, Int +3, Wis +4
  • Skills Acrobatics +6, Perception +4, Stealth +6
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages Obyrithic Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Form of Madness. Each non-obyrith creature that looks at an ekolid when within 60 feet of it must succeed at a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it begins hallucinating that tiny biting insects are infesting its hair, skin, and clothes. The victim suffers disadvantage on ability checks and must succeed on a DC 5 Concentration check in order to cast any spells. On a failure, the spell is not cast, but the slot is not expended. The insanity can be cured by remove curse or lesser restoration, and does not vanish on its own. A creature that makes the save is immune to the form of madness of all ekolids for 24 hours.

Magic Resistance. The ekolid has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration. The ekolid regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Swift. The ekolid can take the Dash or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns.

Actions

Multiattack. The ekolid makes a bite attack and 6 stinger attacks.

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage and the etarget must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be implanted with an egg. At the start of the ekolid's next turn, all eggs inside the creature burrow out, dealing 1d4 piercing damage per hatching egg. After the eggs hatch, the creature must make another DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is poisoned until the end of its next turn, and incapacitated while poisoned in this way.

Newly hatched ekolids fall to the ground and are otherwise harmless, but grow to maturity quickly over the course of only 2d4 hours. A hatched grub falls to the ground after crawling free of its host. A grub is a Tiny fiend (demon, obyrith) with 1 hit point, a speed and climb speed of 10 ft., a 2 (-4) in every ability score, and an AC of 6.

Any effect that cures a disease kills all eggs inside a creature, but immunity to disease does not stop them from being implanted.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Ekolid

Nightmarish primeval insects from the depths of the abyss, ekolids flurry about, injecting their young into all victims they can find.

Golothoma

Huge fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 203 (15d12 + 105)
  • Speed 30 ft., burrow 60 ft., swim 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
21 (+5) 26 (+8) 25 (+7) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 19 (+4)
  • Saving Throws Dex +13, Con +12, Wis +8, Cha +9
  • Skills Acrobatics +18, Perception +8
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 18
  • Languages Obyrithic Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

Dimensional Reach. The golothoma can make ranged attacks with its claws. If prohibited from teleporting or shifting across planes in some way (such as with a forbiddance spell), it cannot make these attacks. However, as long as it can make these attacks, its attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.

Form of Madness. A creature within 120 feet that observes a golothoma must attempt a DC 17 Wisdom save. Failure indicates the victim develops an unhealthy obsession with shadows and shadowy illumination. Whenever the creature is in darkness or dim light, its distraction and discomfort distract it, imposing disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. In addition, it must make a DC 15 concentration check to cast a spell. On a failure, the slot is wasted.

Its reflexive desire to accept shadow causes it to take disadvantage on saving throws against a golothoma’s acid and ravenous shadow abilities. Shadows and other creatures from the Plane of Shadow gain advantage bonus on attack rolls against such a creature.

This madness can be cured by heal, greater restoration, or wish. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to that particular golothoma’s form of madness for 24 hours. This ability does not affect obyriths.

Magic Resistance. The golothoma has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration. The golothoma regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Actions

Multiattack. The golothoma makes a tail attack and 5 claw attacks, and uses Ravenous Shadow.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 200/800 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6 + 8) piercing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d6 + 8) piercing damage plus 22 (4d10) acid damage, and the target must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) more acid damage at the start of its next turn.

Ravenous Shadow. Each creature within 15 feet of the golothoma must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, its maximum hit points are reduced by 22 (4d10). This reduction lasts until cured by greater restoration or other magic. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

A golothoma’s shadow exists despite the surrounding lighting. In fact, in complete darkness, it’s more difficult to see the shadow’s boundaries, and Dexterity saves made to avoid it suffer disadvantage. A golothoma’s ravenous shadow has no effect on a creature immune to necrotic damage.

Golothoma

These horrid serpent-worms writhe about, their talons sinking deep into flesh.

Verakia

Gargantuan fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 263 (15d20 + 105)
  • Speed 60 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
30 (+10) 14 (+2) 25 (+7) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 17 (+3)
  • Saving Throws Wis +7
  • Skills Athletics +20, Intimidation +13, Perception +7, Survival +12
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, lightning
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages Obyrithic Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 16 (22,000 XP)

Magic Resistance. The verakia has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The verakia's weapon attacks are magical.

Regeneration. The verakia regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Form of Madness. A creature that starts its turn within 120 feet of a verakia and can see it must attempt a DC 16 Wisdom save. Failure indicates the victim becomes obsessed with the raw fury and murderous potential represented by the demon's teeth and claws. The victim is incapacitated, and it must make another save at the start of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the victim must secure a slashing weapon at the first opportunity to the exclusion of all other actions. Once it has possession of a slashing weapon, it attacks the nearest living creature other than itself with it until the target is dead. If no targets are apparent, it focuses its energy on finding a new target. Most creatures afflicted with this psychopathic urge eschew all other actions (including eating), and left to their own devices soon die of thirst. Creatures that need not eat continue on their murderous rampage until cured or slain.

As long as a creature suffers this insanity, it is resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons, and is immune to being charmed, frightened, and to exhaustion.

This madness can be cured by heal, greater restoration, or wish. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to that particular verakia’s form of madness for 24 hours. This ability does not affect obyriths.

Forest Stride. The verakia's movement is not inhibited by undergrowth (including magically manipulated undergrowth), and it suffers no damage or impairments from such plantlife.

Actions

Multiattack. The verakia makes a bite attack, a tail slam attack, and two of claw or talon attacks or one of each. If at least three of these hit the same creature, the target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the verakia's next turn. Any creature within 30 feet of the verakia's target who witnesses this flurry of attacks must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of the verakia's next turn, and restrained while frightened in this way.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (3d10 + 10) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d6 + 10) slashing damage.

Talon. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d6 + 10) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the verakia can grapple the target (escape DC 30).

Tail Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage.

Agony Breath (Recharge 5–6). The verakia exhales soul-scorching fire in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) fire damage and 16 (3d10) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The radiant damage is vile damage.

Legendary Actions

The verakia can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The verakia regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The verakia makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Momentum. The verakia moves up to half its speed without taking opportunity attacks.

Tail Sweep (2 Actions). The verakia sweeps its tail in a 20-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Verakia

The apex predators of the Screaming Jungle on Demogorgon's layer of the Abyss, these horrific dinosaur-dragons live solely for carnage.

Sleeping Sjekraan

Gargantuan fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 8 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 390 (20d20 + 180)
  • Speed 0ft., swim 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
28 (+9) 1 (-5) 28 (+9) 25 (+7) 23 (+6) 26 (+8)
  • Skills Athletics +21, Arcana +19, History +19, Perception +12
  • Saving Throws Str +15, Dex +1, Con +15
  • Damage Resistances all, see Sleeping
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, poisoned, prone, unconscious
  • Senses blindsight 240 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 22
  • Languages Obyrithic Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

Sleeping. The sjekraan has resistance to all damage and can take no actions. If it drops below half heath, it wakes up (go to the entry for "Sjekraan", but start at half health). The act of waking up ends all negative conditions on the sjekraan.

Magic Resistance. The sjekraan has advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.

Translucent. Even when the sjekraan is in plain sight, it takes a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot a sjekraan. In the lightless depths of the Shadowsea, all creatures have disadvantage on this check. A creature that tries to enter the sjekraan's space while unaware of the sjekraan is surprised by the sjekraan.

Dreaming. Any creature that starts its turn within 120 feet or comes within that radius for the first time on a turn suffers hallucinations. All affected creatures must make an DC 20 Intelligence saving throw. On a success, the visions are recognized as just that. On a failure, they seem completely real. If the visions harm a target who believes they are real (acting on the sjekraan's turn), the afflicted creature takes 45 (7d12) psychic damage. A creature can use its action to make an Investigation check against the DC to try to disbelieve them.

Stinging Tendrils. Any creature passing through the sjekraan's space or starting its turn there takes 50 (20d4) piercing damage and must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature suffers the effects of one of the venoms in the sjekraan's body (see sidebar). On a success, it takes half damage and no additional effects.

Regeneration. The sjekraan regains 30 hit points at the start of its turn. If the sjekraan takes radiant or lightning damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the sjekraan's next turn. The sjekraan dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.

Sjekraan

The sjekraan (pronounced SHAW-krawn) is a fearsome predator of the Shadowsea, and only very rarely found outside that layer.

Unlike most of the obyriths, the sjekraa do not resent the rise of the tanar'ri. They were never subservient to the obyrith princes, not even Dagon, and they have continued doing what they have done for aeons: floating through the lightless depths of the Shadowsea, consuming any who fall into their tendrils.

A randomly encountered sjekraan has a 11/12 chance to be asleep, and a 1/12 chance to be awake.

Monstrous Jellies

Sjekraa look like enormous translucent jellyfish fifty feet wide at the top and dangling for hundreds of feet, and while asleep they act exactly like jellyfish. When awake, they drift until they find prey, then hunt their prey with a ferocity more evocative of orcas than of jellyfish.

A sjekraan's form is not horrific or madness-inducing like those of most obyriths. Rather, it is serene and almost peaceful. They wouldn't look very out of place in the Material's oceans apart from their immense size.

Sleeping Horrors

The sjekraa spend most of their time asleep, their mental functions suspended. Just as humans continue breathing while asleep, a sjekraan continues floating and eating as it sleeps, though it is a much more passive predator.

Ponderous Sages

When awake, sjekraa are quite curious and talkative, and may even spare those that share with them interesting news, gossip, or treasure. Their minds are libraries of knowledge, and they will sometimes part with bits and pieces of it for magical treasure.

Middle of the Food Chain

Even the horrific sjekraa have predators, but the things that prey upon the dark jellies are best left unimagined.

Dreams

What does a demon older than most of the stars dream about? For many, surely it is the things they enjoy when awake: food slain in their tendrils, visits from other knowledgeable beings to trade information, and general destruction. However, some dream of things they long for: powerful magic items, undersea cities to destroy, or mountains of shiny gemstones.

Sjekraan

Gargantuan fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 390 (20d20 + 180)
  • Speed 0ft., swim 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
28 (+9) 10 (0) 28 (+9) 25 (+7) 23 (+6) 26 (+8)
  • Skills Athletics +23, Arcana +21, History +21, Perception +13
  • Saving Throws Str +15, Dex +6, Con +15
  • Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
  • Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, poisoned, prone
  • Senses blindsight 240 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23
  • Languages Obyrithic Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)

Burst of Speed (Recharge 4-6). The sjekraan can take the Dash action as a bonus action, and its speed is tripled instead of doubled when Dashing.

Magic Resistance. The sjekraan has advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.

Translucent. Even when the sjekraan is in plain sight, it takes a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot. In the lightless depths of the Shadowsea, all creatures have disadvantage on this check. A creature that tries to enter the sjekraan's space while unaware of the sjekraan is surprised by the sjekraan.

Stinging Tendrils. Any creature passing through the sjekraan's space or starting its turn there takes 50 (20d4) piercing damage and must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature suffers the effects of one of the venoms in the sjekraan's body (see sidebar). On a success, it takes half damage and no additional effects.

Bioluminescence. As a bonus action, the sjekraan can make its lure glow, or alternatively stop glowing. This provides 15 feet of dim light around it, but can be seen from 600 feet away.

Regeneration. The sjekraan regains 30 hit points at the start of its turn. If the sjekraan takes radiant or lightning damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the sjekraan's next turn. The sjekraan dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.

Grasping Tendrils: The sjekraan can have up to twenty tendrils at a time. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 20; 30 hit points; immunity to necrotic, poison and psychic damage). Destroying a tendril deals no damage to the sjekraan, which can extrude a replacement tendril on its next turn. A tendril can also be broken if a creature takes an action and succeeds on a DC 25 Strength check against it.

Actions

Multiattack: The sjekraan makes six attacks with its tendrils, uses Reel, and can use Disjoin if it's availible.

Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 120ft., one creature. Hit The target is grappled (escape DC 33). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and the sjekraan can't use the same tendril on another target.

Reel. The sjekraan pulls each creature grappled by it up to 60 ft. in any direction (usually straight towards it.)

Disjoin (Recharge 6). All ongoing magical effects within 120 feet of the sjekraan end. Magic items and the benefits they provide are unaffected.

Roll Venom Description
1-3 110 (20d10) poison damage and is paralyzed for the next minute (it can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns).
4 99 (18d10) radiant damage and is blinded for the next minute.
5 110 (17d12) necrotic damage and cannot regain hit points by any means for the next minute.
6 125 (50d4) slashing damage and the target is incapacitated for the next minute (it can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns).
7 104 (24d8) acid damage and the target cannot make weapon attacks for the next minute (it can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns). If the target is slain by this damage it immediately rises as an aquatic alkilith.
8 105 (30d6) psychic damage and the target cannot cast spells or use psionic powers for the next minute (it can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns).
9 140 (40d6) poison damage and the target is poisoned for one hour.
10 No damage, but the target is dominated (as dominate monster) by the sjekraan until the effect is broken.

The venom of the sjekraa is unpredictable, unstable, and notoriously hard to harvest. It is a DC 30 Dexterity check (proficiency in poisoner's kit applies) to harvest this venom, and it decays to putrid goo within 24 hours.

Venom types

Whenever a creature suffers the effects of sjekraan venom, roll a d10 and consult the adjacent table.

Bilithiex

Small fiend (demon, obyrith, shapechanger), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 36 (8d4+16)
  • Speed 30 ft., crawl 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 (-4) 18 (+4) 12 (+2) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 24 (+7)
  • Saving Throws Con +4, Int +7, Wis +6, Cha +9
  • Skills Deception +11, Investigation +9, Insight +8, Persuasion +11
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 3 (1,100 XP)

Mask of True Lies. The bilithiex is immune to abilities that allows other creatures to read its thoughts, determine whether it is lying, know its alignment, or know its creature type. No abilities can perceive a bilithiex's true form, not even truesight. Detect magic and similar abilities do not detect its shapechanging as magical. Additionally, no matter what it says, any magic always declares it is telling the truth unless the bilithiex wishes otherwise.

Shapechanger. The bilithiex can use its action to polymorph into a form that resembles any demon of CR 5 or lower or a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form, apart from its size. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is transformed along with it. It does not revert to its true form if it dies.

Innate Spellcasting. The bilithiex's spellcasting ability is Charisma (+9 to hit, spell save DC 17). The bilithiex can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: friends, dancing lights, minor illusion, message, guidance, feign death, sending, eldritch blast, prestidigitation, mage hand (the hand is invisible), nondetection (self only)

1/day: expeditious retreat, crown of madness, silence

Actions

Disintegrating Glare. The bilithiex targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw against this magic or take 7 (2d6) force damage. A creature reduced to 0HP by this damage is disintegrated (as the spell). The save DC is Constitution-based.

Invisibility. The bilithiex magically turns invisible until it attacks, casts a spell, or uses its Disintegrating Glare, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the bilithiex wears or carries is invisible with it.

Weird Investigation. The bilithiex targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must contest its Charisma (Deception) check against the bilithiex's Intelligence (Investigation) check. If the bilithiex wins, it magically learns one fact or secret about the target. The target automatically wins if it is immune to being charmed

Bilithiex

Believed to be the unholy children of Obox-ob and Pale Night, these two-headed freaks enter tanar'ri society to weaken it from the inside. They're fond of luring well-meaning adventurers to destroy their non-obyrith enemies, or of acting as advisors to demon lords to lead them astray.

Dark Cunning

The bilithiex is a response to the increasing subtlety of much of demonkind, and the fact that the obyriths can no longer simply overrun their enemies. Brilliant, astute, and extremely persuasive, these creatures derive no greater pleasure than seeing a fortress fall through its leaders' foolishness.

Vathugu

Large fiend (demon, tanar'ri), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 219 (19d10 + 114)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
21 (+5) 12 (+1) 22 (+6) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 20 (+3)
  • Saving Throws Con +10
  • Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Vulnerabilities cold, fire
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 11 (1,100 XP)

Plantlike. The vathugu counts as a plant creature as well as a fiend.

Magic Resistance. The vathugu has advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.

Innate Spellcasting. The vathugu's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20). Dagon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: entangle, locate animals or plants, speak with plants, tree stride (fungi and mold only)

3/day: plant growth, contagion

1/day: finger of death, wall of thorns

Actions

Multiattack. The vathugu makes one bite attack and three tentacle attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17).

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

Tendrils. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) psychic damage, and if the target is a corporeal living creature with a central nervous system, the target must make a DC 18 Con save. On a failure, it is controlled (as dominate monster), except the creature's mind remains its own and it can still take purely mental actions (such as some spells).

Vathugu

The bestial vathugus are formidable demons used by Zuggtmoy as guardians. Her cultists often use planar ally spells to call these creatures from her realm in the Abyss to serve as temple guardians or to bolster their armies. A vathugu called by planar ally has no real interest in monetary wealth and instead demands its payments for service in the form of living sacrifices.

Dagon

Gargantuan fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 350 (20d20 + 140)
  • Speed 20 ft., swim 90 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
30 (+10) 14 (+2) 25 (+7) 24 (+7) 20 (+5) 20 (+5)
  • Skills Arcana +15, Perception +13, History +23
  • Saving Throws Str +18, Dex +10, Con +15, Int +15, Wis +13, Cha +13
  • Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities cold, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion frightened, poisoned, paralyzed
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 25 (4587 XP)

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Dagon fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Amphibious. Dagon can breathe air and water.

Freedom of Movement. Dagon ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can’t reduce his speed or cause it to be restrained. He can spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled.

Regeneration. Dagon regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Innate Spellcasting. Dagon's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20). Dagon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: control water, hunger of Hadar, dispel magic, Evard's black tentacles, maelstrom, water breathing

Form of Madness. Any creature within 120 feet of Dagon must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw. Success renders the creature immune to his Form of Madness for 24 hours. Failure indicates the creature develops an overwhelming fear of the ocean and its depths. As long as the ocean is in sight, the creature is distracted with fear and has disadvantage on Perception checks, initiative rolls. It also has disvantage on attack rolls against creatures with a natural swim speed. This lasts until cured by heal, greater restoration, or wish. Demons are immune to this effect.

Reactive. Dagon can take one reaction on every turn in combat.

Actions

Multiattack. Dagon makes three tentacle attacks.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Dagon has however many tentacles you decide he should.

Tentacle Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 40 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d4 + 10) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 23 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. It is incapacitated while poisoned in this way, and it can repeat the save at the start of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d8 + 10) piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature grappled by Dagon, that creature is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside Dagon, and it takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of Dagon’s turns. If Dagon takes 50 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, Dagon 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 him. If he dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Doomsong (1/day). Dagon can create a hypnotic, rumbling song that can lure nearby creatures to his location. Every creature within 300 feet must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw against this magic. Dagon’s doomsong is as much sonic as a charm, so a creature must both be immune to being charmed and either immune to thunder damage or deafened.

On a failure, the creature becomes hypnotized by the song and can do nothing but attempt to reach the source of the song by whatever means possible. Hazardous environments are ignored—an air-breathing creature blissfully walks into the ocean to reach Dagon if it succumbs to this effect. Once a creature reaches Dagon, it stands motionless before the demon, listening quietly to the song. This effect is more powerful than his Form of Madness, and creatures affected by both still follow his doomsong.

This effect lasts 1 minute, or until Dagon's concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).

Legendary Actions

Dagon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Dagon regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Tentacle Attack. Dagon makes one tentacle attack or tentacle claw attack.

Swim. If he's in water, Dagon moves up to his speed. He does not provoke attacks of opportuniy while moving in this way.

Dispel Magic (Costs 2 Actions). Dagon casts dispel magic.

Dagon

Dagon, the Prince of the Darkened Depths, is feared by all those who sail the seas, for they know he is always hungry.

If a creature goes mad within sight of him, roll on the adjacent table. This is in addition to his Form of Madness.

Madness of Dagon
d100 result Flaw (lasts until cured)
01-16 "I know secrets that no one else does and only share them for worthy sacrifices of treasure or food."
17-32 "I love being in water, especially seawater. I am safe there. Dry land is horribly dangerous."
33-49 "Lights in the dark are signs of warmth, food, and safety. I always go towards them, no matter what anyone says."
50-66 "I will never die. I will outlast everyone else in the multiverse through my cunning, might, and wisdom."
67-82 "I refuse to enter into entangling alliances or pointless rivalries. I am strongest alone."
83-00 "I have gills."

Alternative Writeup

Dagon is a kraken with the following modifications:

  • He is a Garguantuan fiend (demon, obyrith).
  • He speaks all languages and has telepathy 120 ft.
  • Skills Athletics +17, Arcana +13, Perception +11, History +20
  • Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities cold, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
  • He has the following traits:

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Dagon fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Dagon has advantage on saving throws against spell and other magic effects.

Regeneration. Dagon regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Innate Spellcasting. Dagon's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20). Dagon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: control water, darkness, dispel magic, maelstrom, tidal wave, water breathing

3/day: Abi Dalzim's horrid wilting, tsunami

  • He loses the Lightning Storm action and gains the following action options:

Teleport. Dagon magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

Doomsong (1/day). Dagon can create a hypnotic, rumbling song that can lure nearby creatures to his location. Every creature within 300 feet must make a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw against this magic. Dagon’s doomsong is as much sonic as a charm, so a creature must both be immune to being charmed and either immune to thunder damage or deaf.

On a failure, the creature becomes hypnotized by the song and can do nothing but attempt to reach the source of the song by whatever means possible. Hazardous environments are ignored—an air-breathing creature blissfully walks into the ocean to reach Dagon if it succumbs to this effect. Once a creature reaches Dagon, it stands motionless before the demon, listening quietly to the song.

This effect lasts 1 minute, or until Dagon's concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).

Pazuzu

Medium fiend (demon, obyrith), chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 342 (36d8 + 180)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 180 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
22 (+6) 27 (+8) 21 (+5) 23 (+6) 21 (+5) 26 (+8)
  • Skills Deception +15, History +18, Insight +12, Investigation +13, Perception +12, Persuasion +15
  • Saving Throws Dex +15, Con +12, Wis +12
  • 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 all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 24 (4587 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Pazuzu's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 23). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: call lightning (5th-level), charm monster, control weather, control winds, darkness, detect evil and good, detect thoughts, dispel magic, insect plague

3/day each: call forth the beast, curse weather, divine word, fallen soul, remorseless charm, telekinesis

1/day: extract gift, (can alternatively grant up to a +4 bonus to any ability score, max 30), wish (no stress)

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Pazuzu fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Pazuzu has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Aura of Servile Avians. All evil-aligned creatures with a natural fly speed feel a strange bond of attraction to Pazuzu. Any such creature within 120 feet of Pazuzu who would affect Pazuzu with any harmful action must first make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature must choose a new target or lose the action. This even applies to area of effect abilities.

Magic Weapons. Pazuzu's weapon attacks are magical.

Flyby. Pazuzu doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when he flies out of an enemy's reach.

Regeneration. Pazuzu regains 15 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point.

Evasion. If Pazuzu is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Actions

Multiattack. Pazuzu uses Command Avian. He then either uses his breath weapon, makes four attacks, or makes two attacks and casts an action spell or uses Touch of Chaos.

Anarchic Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage. If the target is a construct or a lawful celestial or fiend, it takes an extra 13 (2d12) vile force damage.

Touch of Chaos. Pazuzu touches a creature within 5 feet. It must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be affected as if by the spell touch of chaos.

Glittering Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, range 150 ft./600 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8 + 8) piercing damage, and the target is affected as if by a faerie fire spell until the start of Pazuzu's next turn.

Command Avian. Pazuzu chooses one creature with a natural fly speed that can hear or see him. This creature must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. Good creatures have advantage on this saving throw, while evil creatures have disadvantage. On a failure, the creature is charmed until the start of Pazuzu's next turn, and controlled as if by dominate monster while charmed in this way.

Temptation. If a creature utters the name “Pazuzu” three times in succession, a magical link between the speaker and Pazuzu is immediately established. He instantly learns the speaker's alignment, and for the next minute can hear its surface thoughts and use Planewalker to plane shift directly to it. He always makes a Wisdom (Insight) check to try to determine whether the one who calls him is trying to entrap him, against their Charisma (Deception) roll if they are. Once he arrives, Pazuzu asks the speaker why it called upon the Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms. Pazuzu almost always agrees to provide aid, but if he does, the caller’s alignment shifts one step closer to chaotic. If the caller’s alignment is already chaotic, it instead shifts one step closer to evil. These shifts in alignment are considered voluntary. Pazuzu never provides aid to chaotic evil creatures and often punishes them for calling upon his aid rather than using the tools he has likely already granted the creature in question.

Planewalker. Pazuzu casts plane shift targeting himself and willing targets only. Unlike this spell's normal rules, he chooses exactly which layer to arrive at without requiring any components. If he has ever been to the location before, he arrives exactly on target.

Breath Weapons (Recharge 5-6). Pazuzu uses one of the following breath weapons:

Acidic Poison. Pazuzu exhales a thick cloud of acidic poison in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) poison damage and 33 (6d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Insect Swarms. Pazuzu creates six loyal demonic locust swarms or one loyal abyssal dove swarm (see next page). The area of the swarms consists of 10-foot-cubes, which Pazuzu arranges as he wishes. Each cube must have at least one face adjacent to the face of another cube, and at least one cube must be adjacent to him. He can create only one abyssal dove swarm per day.

Legendary Actions

Pazuzu can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Pazuzu regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Attack. Pazuzu attacks once.

Move. Pazuzu moves up to his speed.

Come to Me. One creature Pazuzu can see must use its reaction to move up to its speed towards him.

Aberrate (Costs 2 Actions). Pazuzu uses Touch of Chaos.

Pazuzu

Mighty Pazuzu is one of the oldest of the tanar’ri princes. His realm is the skies above the Abyssal layers, and he takes great delight in the corruption of purity.

Fiendish Locust Swarm

Large swarm of Tiny monstrosities, chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 50 (9d10)
  • Speed 5 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 (-4) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 3 (-5) 7 (-2) 14 (+2)
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
  • Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
  • Languages —
  • Challenge 3 (700 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 insect. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Blood Frenzy. The swarm has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.

Magic Resistance. The swarm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 20 (8d4) piercing damage, or 10 (4d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.

Fiendish Locust Swarms

These locusts' eyes glow with hate and they feed far beyond what they need.

Abyssal Dove Swarm

Abyssal doves look beautiful, kind, and peaceful, and would not be out of place on Arborea or Celestia. Indeed, aside from their horizontal eyelids, they easily pass for celestial doves. An examination on an unconscious or dead one, however, reveals horrifying mutations. Their feathers are hard and sharper than a shark's teeth, and their beaks end in a needlelike point. Worst of all are their huge acid glands in their mouths, which allow them to spray explosive caustic slime up to thirty feet.

Abyssal Dove Swarm

Large swarm of Tiny aberrations, chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
3 (-4) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 7 (-2) 16 (+3)
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, cold, fire, lightning, piercing, slashing
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
  • Languages understands Abyssal but can't speak
  • Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the dove can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny dove. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Magic Resistance. The swarm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The swarm's weapon attacks are magical.

Spellcasting. The abyssal ant swarm forms a hivemind that is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The swarm does not have to provide any components for its spells. The swarm has the following sorcerer spells known:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, guidance, mending, prestidigitation

1st level (4 slots): catapult, shield

2nd level (3 slots): earthbind, misty step

3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, haste

4th level (3 slots): greater invisibility, sickening radiance, vitriolic sphere (vile damage)

5th level (1 slot): synaptic static, wall of light

Actions

Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 50 (20d4) piercing damage, or 25 (10d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer, plus 22 (4d10) vile acid damage.

Acidic Spittle. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) vile acid damage. Whether or not this attack hits, every creature within 10 feet of the target creature (including the target) must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) vile acid damage.

Shapeless Hunter

Large monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 75 (6d10 + 42)
  • Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 15 (+2) 25 (+7) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
  • Skills Intimidation +6
  • Damage Vulnerabilities piercing and slashing from weapons that are coated in white ash
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't coated in white ash
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages None (see Mimicry)
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Shapechanger. The shapeless hunter can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large humanoid or beast it has seen, or back into its true form (an animal-skull-headed large creature seemingly composed of sticks). Its statistics, other than its size, 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.

Imperfect Disguise. Though shapeless hunters can look and sound like humanoids and animals, they have difficulty getting the cadence of speech or the fluidity of movement right. All Deception checks made to mimic a phrase or gesture are made with disadvantage. Failed mimicked gestures look herky-jerky, too fast, or too slow, and failed mimicked phrases sound like the shapeless hunter is trying to speak for the first time, just with someone else's voice.

Mimicry. The shapeless hunter can mimic any phrase it has heard, and any gesture it has seen, though it does not automatically understand the meaning of either. While in the guise of a humanoid, its voice sounds like that of the humanoid they are taking the form of. If it tries to mimic a phrase in animal form, its voice sounds wrong, like that of a cat trying to speak. It is impossible to mistake this version of the voice with a normal humanoid voice, and any Deception checks made to pass it off as such automatically fail.

Uncanny Speed. If no sentient (Intelligence over 4) creature within 60 feet is currently observing the shapeless hunter, it can take the Dash action as a bonus action, and its speed is quadrupled when Dashing in this way.

Actions

Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, depending on the shapeless hunter's current form and appropriate natural weapons. If the shapeless hunter is in a Small or Medium form, this damage decreases to 5 (1d6 + 2), and if Tiny to 4 (1d4 + 2).

Shriek. A shapeless hunter can emit a terrifying, otherworldly shriek that activates the primal flight response in all creatures that hear it. All creatures within 300 feet of the shapeless hunter that hear its shriek must make a successful DC 17 Wis saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. While frightened, the creature must move away from the shapeless hunter as rapidly as possible. If the creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn’t have line of sight to the shapeless hunter, the creature can make another Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the effect ends for that creature. After successfully saving against this ability, the creature is immune to the shriek ability of all shapeless hunters for the next 24 hours.

Shapeless Hunter

Shapeless hunters are the cause of many stories of the woods going quiet, or of awful, terrifying shrieks. Although they are relatively nonviolent, nearly all creatures seem to have an instinctive fear of them. Nothing preys on shapeless hunters, not even creatures twenty times deadlier, and their prescence deadens the woods.

Fleshgait

Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral evil or chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 21 (+5)
  • Skills Deception +9
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't coated in white ash
  • Senses darkvision 60 feet., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Common, and see Consume
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Shapechanger. The fleshgait can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny, Small, or Medium beast it has seen, or back into its true form (a pale, thin, sharp-fanged humanoid with huge eyes and clawed arms reaching its knees). Its statistics, other than its size, 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.

Consume. Over the course of a minute, a fleshgait can consume all organic matter of a dead or unconscious humanoid. It can optionally choose to leave the skin unharmed, which it can then wear (though bruises will be visible on the skin). The fleshgait learns the languages the victim knew in life, and while wearing its skin, can mimic the creature's voice perfectly.

Twitch Reflexes. The fleshgait has an inhumanly fast body and mind. It has advantage on initiative checks and it can take two actions each turn.

Loner Hunter. If the fleshgait hits a target who has no allies within 60 feet, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) damage from the attack.

Mimicry. The fleshgait can mimic any noise it has heard a creature say (wolf howl, lion roar, etc.).

Actions

Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, depending on the fleshgait's current form and appropriate natural weapons.

Fleshgait

These deadly cousins to shapeless hunters are far more sinister. While shapeless hunters are generally content to terrify interlopers away from their territory, fleshgaits prey upon humanoids and lure more into their territory to gain new bodies.

Spirit of Winter's Hunger

Large fey, chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 127 (17d10 + 34)
  • Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 19 (+4) 7 (-2)
  • Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7, Survival +10
  • Saves Constitution +5
  • Damage Vulnerabilities fire
  • Damage Immunities cold; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't hot enough to glow (900 F)
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
  • Senses darkvision 300 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages Common, Sylvan
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Icy Incorporeal Movement. The spirit of winter's hunger 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. Any creature it moves through takes 5 (1d10) cold damage.

Heat Anathema. The spirit of winter's hunger cannot willingly approach closer than 20 feet to any exposed flame, and it cannot affect a creature in this protected area with its spells. Additionally, the spirit of winter's hunger cannot willingly enter any region with a temperature above freezing.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the spirit of winter's hunger has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Cold Absorption. Whenever the spirit of winter's hunger is subjected to cold damage, it takes no damage and regains a number of hit points equal to the cold damage dealt.

Innate Spellcasting. The spirit of winter's hunger's innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: gust, frostbite

1/day: gust of wind, sleet storm

Actions

Multiattack. The spirit of winter's hunger makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.

Hunger (1/day). The spirit of winter's hunger targets one creature within 60 feet that it can see. This creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain 1d4 levels of exhaustion. These levels of exhaustion vanish after the creature has a full day of normal eating.

Spirit of Winter's Hunger

The spirit of winter's hunger has no relation to either the fleshgait or the shapeless hunter, but they are confused often enough they are grouped together.

Bog Imp

Small fey, lawful evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 38 (7d6 + 14)
  • Speed 30 ft., burrow 60 ft., swim 30 ft. (see Liquid Burrow)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 21 (+5) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1)
  • Skills Stealth +8
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities acid, poison
  • Condition Immunities paralyzed, poisoned, unconscious
  • Senses passive Perception 11
  • Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Stagnate. Any nonmagical liquids that come within 60 feet of a bog imp immediately stagnate. This effect renders water, wine, milk, and other liquids nonpotable; anyone who drinks them must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution save or be poisoned for 1d4 hours. A creature poisoned in this way is incapacitated. This ability has no effect on potions. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Fey Nature. The bog imp has advantage against being charmed.

Amphibious. The bog imp can breathe air and water.

Code of Law. Every clutch of bog imps has a code of behavior they must follow. A bog imp who violates that code of law cannot use its sink ability and it loses its immunities and resistances.

Swamp Camoflauge. The bog imp has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in swampy terrain.

Liquid Burrow. When moving through stagnant, slime-filled water or other liquids more viscous than clear water, a bog imp can use its burrow speed in place of its swim speed.

Sink. With a simple glance (no action required), the bog imp can cause anyone standing on or in water, mud, or any other nonsolid surface to sink. This ability functions within 60 feet. A successful DC 13 Wisdom save negates the attack and renders the target immune to the sink ability of that particular bog imp for 24 hours. The save DC is Wisdom-based.

If the save fails, the target is dragged beneath the surface by a spectral force; this takes 1 full round, plus 1 additional round per point of the target’s Strength bonus, if any. Once beneath the surface, the target is subject to drowning (standard drowning rules apply). A target can be rescued if aided by another who succeeds on a DC 23 Strength check, but this simply begins the process over again. The effect ends instantly if the bog imp is slain, if the target is placed on solid stone or lifted 5 feet or more above the surface of the bog, or if the target moves out of range (more than 60 feet away from the bog imp).

If an elf (and only an elf) drowns in this manner, it does not truly die. Rather, it remains in a form of stasis beneath the swamp, pickling and shriveling over the course of thirteen days. When that period ends, the elf becomes a new bog imp. It has an instinctive understanding of the laws of its clutch and a lawful evil alignment. It remembers little, if anything, of its past life.

Actions

Multiattack. The bog imp makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d4 + 5) slashing damage, and if the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution save or be poisoned for 2d4 minutes.

Bog Imp

Bog imps are cruel fey who delight in taunting other creatures.

Blinker

Medium aberration, chaotic neutral

  • Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 35 (10d8-10)
  • Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
4 (-3) 28 (+9) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 7 (-2) 6 (-2)
  • Skills Arcana +4, Stealth +11
  • Damage Immunities force
  • Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 8
  • Languages Deep Speech
  • Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Blinking. Roll a d20 at the end of each of the blinker's turns. On a roll of 11 or higher, it vanishes from its current plane of existence and appears in the Ethereal Plane. At the start of its next turn, it returns to an unoccupied space of its choice that it can see within 10 feet of the space it vanished from. If no unoccupied space is available within that range, it appears in the nearest unoccupied space (chosen at random if more than one space is equally near). It can pause this effect, staying on the Ethereal or Material as long as it wants.

Evasion. When the blinker is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity 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.

Actions

Multiattack. The blinker makes 1d6 Blink Strikes at random non-allied targets within 30 feet. It can use its Teleport before each attack if it teleports to within 5 feet of the creature it's attacking.

Teleport. The blinker teleports 60 feet.

Blink Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d4 + 9) slashing.

Reactions

Reactive Teleport. In response to taking damage, the blinker teleports 60 feet.

Blinker

Blinkers lurk in caves, preying upon those that pass them. They can be reasoned with only when injured; when uninjured, they are far too prideful to seek peace talks. Many of them go for months without sustaining a single point of damage, so when they do, they may flee.

Blinkers attack out of hunger, not malice, and only the most starved ones attack beings they know to be sentient, whether out of morality or recognition that sentient beings tend to be a lot of trouble to hunt.

Greater Blinkers. Some blinkers are even deadlier predators. They do 2d6 or even 3d6 attacks, but only very few have more hit points. Many of these can also choose who to attack, not having to rely on the hands of fate.

Thumper

Large monstrosity, unaligned

  • Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 113 (14d10+42)
  • Speed 40ft., climb 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 8 (-2) 17 (+3) 3 (-4) 13 (+1) 5 (-3)
  • Damage Immunities thunder
  • Condition Immunities deafened
  • Senses tremorsense 30ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages —
  • Challenge 4 (1,800 XP)

Pressure Field. As a bonus action, the thumper can create a wave of high pressure around itself that lasts until the start of its next turn. While raised, any physical projectile that passes within 20 feet of the thumper automatically misses its target.

Sure-Footed. The thumper has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.

Concussive Innards. A creature that deals damage to the thumper with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it is pushed 5 feet away.

Charge. If the thumper moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 9 (2d8) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.

Actions

Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 16 (3d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) thunder damage.

Pressure Spike (Recharge 5-6). All creatures within 30 feet of the thumper must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (4d10) thunder damage and be pushed 30 feet away, or half damage and 15 feet away on a successful save. This can be heard from up to 600 feet away, and is the "thump" which the thumper is named for.

Thumper

Thumpers are herbivorous mountain-dwellers. They are ill-tempered and highly territorial, but if raised from birth can be trained as mounts. Hobgoblins sometimes employ them as cavalry, protecting foot soldiers from hails of arrows.

Green Thirster

Large aberration, chaotic neutral

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 104 (16d10+16)
  • Speed 10ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 6 (-2)
  • Saving Throws Con +4
  • Skills Acrobatics +6, Investigation +5, Stealth +9
  • Damage Immunities acid
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common, Sylvan, Deep Speech
  • Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Spider Climb. The green thirster can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

X-Ray Vision. The green thirster can see through objects within 60 feet.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The green thirster's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: detect magic, dancing light, identify, phantasmal force

1/day: create food and water, pass without trace

Acid Blood. A creature that deals damage to the green thirster with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage.

Assassinate. The green thirster has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the combat yet. In addition, any hit it scores against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

Actions

Multiattack. The green thirster attacks twice with Leg Spear or Liquidate, or once with both.

Leg Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 13).

Liquidate. The green thirster pumps enzymes into one creature grappled by it. The target creature must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 21 (6d6) acid damage, or half on a successful save. The green thirster regains hit points equal to the damage done.

Green Thirster

Although they do not need to hunt to eat, the green thirsters find the taste of living beings infinitely more enjoyable than conjured sustenance. Individual thirsters develop specific tastes, and actively hunt their preferred prey.

Green thirsters are almost always found in forests, though there is a rare chthonic variety that is grey-colored, smaller, and more psionically inclined than the forest breed.

Varient: Gray Thirster

A subterranean variety of green thirster, these creatures gain the following action option:

Psychic Crush. The gray thirster targets one creature that it can sense within 60 feet of it. The target must make a DC 13 Intelligence saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Hatchling Phaerimm

Tiny aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 35 (10d4 + 10)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
4 (-3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)
  • Saving Throws Con +3, Int +2, Wis +3
  • Skills Arcana +4, Perception +3, Persuasion +5
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  • Languages Phaerimm
  • Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Sense Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 1st-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11, +3 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, mage hand, minor illusion

1st level (2 slots): charm person, sleep

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 slashing damage.

Juvenile Phaerimm

Small aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 72 (16d6 + 16)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
  • Saving Throws Con +3, Int +3, Wis +4
  • Skills Arcana +5, Perception +4, Persuasion +6
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages Phaerimm, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Full Vision. The phaerimm can see invisible creatures and objects, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Sense Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, light, mage hand, minor illusion

1st level (4 slots): charm person, silent image

2nd level (3 slots): scorching ray, suggestion, web

Sorcery Points. The phaerimm has 4 sorcery points. It can spend 1 or more sorcery points to gain one of the following benefits:

Heightened Spell (3 points): When it casts a spell that forces a creature to a saving throw to resist the spell’s effects, the phaerimm can give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw against the spell.

Quickened Spell (2 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, it can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes two claw attacks and a bite attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

Phaerimm

Phaerimms are horrid aberrations that look like sunflowers attached to the open ends of windsocks. They crave magic and hate all other living things.

They come in many age categories, from the hatchling (previous page) to the revered elder.

Young Adult Phaerimm

Medium aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 121 (22d8 + 22)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 17 (+3)
  • Saving Throws Con +4, Int +5, Wis +6
  • Skills Arcana +8, Perception +6, Persuasion +9
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages Common, Deep Speech, Netherese, Phaerimm, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 8 (3,500 XP)

Full Vision. The phaerimm can see invisible creatures and objects, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Sense Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, light, mage hand, minor illusion

1st level (4 slots): charm person, shield

2nd level (3 slots): scorching ray, suggestion, web

3rd level (3 slots): fear, major image

4th level (1 slot): charm monster

Sorcery Points. The phaerimm has 7 sorcery points. It can spend 1 or more sorcery points to gain one of the following benefits:

Careful Spell (1 point): When the phaerimm casts a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, it can choose up to 3 of those creatures. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Quickened Spell (2 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, it can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.>

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes four claw attacks, a bite attack, and a stinger attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage. 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. While poisoned in this way, it levitates a few feet off the ground.

Adult Phaerimm

Large aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 162 (25d10 + 25)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 19 (+4)
  • Saving Throws Con +5, Int +7, Wis +8
  • Skills Arcana +11, Perception +8, Persuasion +12
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
  • Languages Common, Deep Speech, Netherese, Phaerimm, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Full Vision. The phaerimm can see invisible creatures and objects, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Analyze Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic and identify spells combined but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, light, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation

1st level (4 slots): charm person, shield

2nd level (3 slots): scorching ray, suggestion, web

3rd level (3 slots): blink, fear, major image

4th level (2 slots): charm monster

5th level (2 slots): dominate person, synaptic static

Sorcery Points. The phaerimm has 10 sorcery points. It can spend 1 or more sorcery points to gain one of the following benefits:

Careful Spell (1 point): When the phaerimm casts a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, it can choose up to 4 of those creatures. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Heightened Spell (3 points): When it casts a spell that forces a creature to a saving throw to resist the spell’s effects, the phaerimm can give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw against the spell.

Quickened Spell (2 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, it can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes four claw attacks, a bite attack, and a stinger attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) piercing damage.

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage. 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. While poisoned in this way, it levitates a few feet off the ground.

Additionally, 1d6 eggs are implanted in the host. The young emerge 90 days later, literally devouring the host from inside. The eggs can be destroyed by any magic that removes a disease.

Mature Adult Phaerimm

Large aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 187 (25d10 + 50)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 20 (+5) 21 (+5)
  • Saving Throws Con +7, Int +8, Wis +10
  • Skills Arcana +13, Perception +10, Persuasion +15
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 20
  • Languages Common, Deep Speech, Netherese, Phaerimm, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

Full Vision. The phaerimm can see invisible creatures and objects, and can see into the Ethereal Plane, all out to a range of 120 feet.

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Analyze Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic and identify spells combined but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 13th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, light, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation

1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, charm person, shield

2nd level (3 slots): suggestion, web

3rd level (3 slots): blink, fear, major image

4th level (2 slots): charm monster

5th level (2 slots): cone of cold, dominate person

6th level (1 slot): mass suggestion

7th level (1 slot): plane shift

Sorcery Points. The phaerimm has 13 sorcery points. It can spend 1 or more sorcery points to gain one of the following benefits:

Careful Spell (1 point): When the phaerimm casts a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, it can choose up to 4 of those creatures. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Heightened Spell (3 points): When it casts a spell that forces a creature to a saving throw to resist the spell’s effects, the phaerimm can give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw against the spell.

Quickened Spell (2 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, it can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes four claw attacks, a bite attack, and a stinger attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage. 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. While poisoned in this way, it levitates a few feet off the ground.

Additionally, 1d6 eggs are implanted in the host. The young emerge 90 days later, literally devouring the host from inside. The eggs can be destroyed by any magic that removes a disease.

Elder Phaerimm

Large aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 263 (35d10 + 70)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 19 (+4) 20 (+5) 23 (+6)
  • Saving Throws Con +8, Int +10, Wis +11
  • Skills Arcana +16, Perception +11, Persuasion +18
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21
  • Languages Common, Deep Speech, Netherese, Phaerimm, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Analyze Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic and identify spells combined but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 16th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, light, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation

1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, charm person, shield

2nd level (3 slots): suggestion, web

3rd level (3 slots): blink, fear, major image

4th level (2 slots): charm monster

5th level (2 slots): cone of cold, dominate person

6th level (1 slot): mass suggestion

7th level (1 slot): plane shift

8th level (1 slot): dominate monster

Sorcery Points. The phaerimm has 16 sorcery points. It can spend 1 or more sorcery points to gain one of the following benefits:

Careful Spell (1 point): When the phaerimm casts a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, it can choose up to 4 of those creatures. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Heightened Spell (3 points): When it casts a spell that forces a creature to a saving throw to resist the spell’s effects, the phaerimm can give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw against the spell.

Quickened Spell (2 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, it can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes four claw attacks, a bite attack, and a stinger attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage. 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. While poisoned in this way, it levitates a few feet off the ground.

Additionally, 1d6 eggs are implanted in the host. The young emerge 90 days later, literally devouring the host from inside. The eggs can be destroyed by any magic that removes a disease.

Revered Elder Phaerimm

Huge aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 352 (37d12 + 111)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 21 (+5) 22 (+6) 25 (+7)
  • Saving Throws Con +10, Int +12, Wis +13
  • Skills Arcana +19, Perception +13, Persuasion +21
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23
  • Languages Common, Deep Speech, Netherese, Phaerimm, Undercommon, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)

Immutable Form. The phaerimm is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Analyze Magic. The phaerimm senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic and identify spells combined but isn’t itself magical.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 19th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following sorcerer spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, friends, light, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation

1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, charm person, shield

2nd level (3 slots): suggestion

3rd level (3 slots): blink, fear, major image

4th level (2 slots): charm monster

5th level (2 slots): cone of cold, dominate person

6th level (2 slot): mass suggestion

7th level (1 slot): plane shift

8th level (1 slot): feeblemind

9th level (1 slot): psychic scream, wish

Sorcery Points. The phaerimm has 19 sorcery points. It can spend 1 or more sorcery points to gain one of the following benefits:

Careful Spell (1 point): When the phaerimm casts a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, it can choose up to 4 of those creatures. A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Heightened Spell (3 points): When it casts a spell that forces a creature to a saving throw to resist the spell’s effects, the phaerimm can give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw against the spell.

Quickened Spell (2 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, it can change the casting time to 1 bonus action.

Twinned Spell (1-9 points): When the phaerimm casts a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, it can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).

Phaerimm Magic. The phaerimm never has to provide verbal, somatic, or material components, even costly ones, when casting sorcerer spells. Additionally, the phaerimm can learn any wizard spell as a sorcerer spell.

Actions

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes six claw attacks, a bite attack, and a stinger attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 5) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) piercing damage.

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d12 + 5) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) poison damage. 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. While poisoned in this way, it levitates a few feet off the ground.

Additionally, 1d6 eggs are implanted in the host. The young emerge 90 days later, literally devouring the host from inside. The eggs can be destroyed by any magic that removes a disease.

Relief Golem

Large construct, unaligned

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 178 (17d10+85)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
22 (+6) 9 (-1) 20 (+5) 3 (-4) 11 (+0) 1 (-5)
  • Skills Stealth +7
  • Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't adamantine
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
  • Languages understands the languages of its creator but can't speak
  • Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

False Appearance. While the golem remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate statue, sculpture, or painting.

Immutable Form. The golem is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Innate Spellcasting. The golem can innately cast meld into stone at will, requiring no components. When melded, it appears on the paintings or carvings of the stone.

Magic Resistance. The golem has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The golem’s weapon attacks are magical.

Tomb Walk. The golem can walk through wood, stone, and plaster walls as if they weren't there.

Actions

Multiattack. The golem makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

Relief Golem

A relief golem is a flat creature that resembles a bas-relief or frieze carved into a wall. However, it can leave the wall to defend an area or destroy intruders.

Kraken, Elder Eidolon

Gargantuan construct, unaligned

  • Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 144(1d4 + 5)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
30 (+10) 11 (+0) 25 (+7) 22 (+6) 18 (+4) 20 (+5)
  • Saves Str +18, Dex +8, Con +15, Int +14, Wis +12
  • Damage Immunities force, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren't adamantine
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, stunned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages understands Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, Primordial, and Deep Speech but can't speak
  • Challenge 24 (2651 XP)

Constructed Nature. An eidolon kraken doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Freedom of Movement. The eidolon kraken ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can't reduce its speed or cause it to be restrained. It can spend 5 feet of movement to escape from nonmagical restraints or being grappled.

False Appearance. While the armor reamin motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal suit of armor.

Fast Repair. The eidolon kraken regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Magic Weapons. The eidolon kraken's weapon attacks are magical.

Magic Immunity. The eidolon kraken is immune to spells and other magical effects unless it wishes to be affected, with exceptions listed below:

Etherealness restores the caster's level in HP to the eidolon kraken.

Any spell that prevents teleportation or planar travel negates the eidolon kraken's insanity aura and mirror image.

A transmute rock spell in the rock to mud mode slows an eidolon (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw, while mud to rock heals all of its lost hit points

Insanity Aura. Any living creature within 10 feet of an eidolon must make a DC 22 Wisdom save or be affected as if by the confusion spell. However, this effect is nonmagical.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionic). The eidolon kraken can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: mirror image, dispel magic

False Appearance. While the eidolon kraken remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal gigantic statue of a kraken.

Actions

Multiattack. The eidolon kraken makes three melee attacks, of which only one can be a bite, and each of which it can replace with one use of Fling.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 23 (3d8 + 10) piercing damage.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 30ft., one target. Hit 20 (3d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 26).

Fling. One Large or smaller object held or creature grappled by the eidolon kraken is thrown up to 60 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.

Reality Storm. The eidolon kraken magically creates three bolts of pure eldritch energy, each of which can strike a target the eidolon kraken can see within 300 feet of it. A target must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) force damage and being confused on a failed save, or half as much and not confused on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage is disintegrated.

A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a true resurrection or a wish spell.

Legendary Actions

The eidolon kraken can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The eidolon kraken regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Tentacle Attack or Fling. The eidolon kraken makes one tentacle attack or uses its Fling.

Reality Storm (Costs 2 Actions). The eidolon kraken uses Reality Storm.

Mirror image (Costs 3 Actions). The eidolon kraken casts mirror image.

Elder Eidolon Kraken

This terrible construct of a kraken is horrifically powerful.

Rakshasa, Ak’chazar

Medium fiend, lawful evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 221 (26d8+104)
  • Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 19 (+4) 19 (+4) 22 (+6)
  • Skills Arcana +16, Deception +18, Insight +10
  • Damage Vulnerabilities piercing from magic weapons wielded by good creatures
  • Damage Immunities necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
  • Languages all
  • Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)

Limited Magic Immunity. The rakshasa can't be affected or detected by spells of 6th level or lower unless it wishes to be. It has advantage on saving throws against all other spells and magical effects.

Wave of Pain (3/day). As a bonus action, the rakshasa sends a surge of pain into all other creatures within 30 feet. Afflicted creatures must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated with pain for 1 minute, and have its speed reduced to 0 while incapacitated in this way. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Creatures with no discernible anatomy, or those that do not feel pain, are immune to this ability, and ease pain ends it.

Innate Spellcasting. The rakshasa’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The rakshasa can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: animate dead, blink, circle of death, detect magic, detect thoughts, enervation, fly, invisibility, mage hand, minor illusion, mirror image, suggestion

3/day: charm monster, cone of cold, contagion, create undead (9th-level version), eyebite, finger of death, greater invisibility, harm, major image (6th-level version), mass suggestion, telekinesis

1/day: Abi Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, dominate monster, magic jar, gate

1/week: meteor swarm

1/year: wish

Actions

Necromantic Mastery (1/day). The rakshasa casts any necromancy spell of any level from any list. It then suffers 1d4 levels of exhaustion that last for 1 minute.

Command Undead. One undead within 60 feet of the rakshasa must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it falls under the rakshasa's permanent control. On a success, it is immune to this power for 24 hours.

Change Shape. The rakshasa magically polymorphs into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. Other than its size, its statistics are the same in each form. If the rakshasa dies, it reverts to its true form.

If the rakshasa stays in a single humanoid form for at least 6 hours, and carries a Khyber dragonshard, its type appears to be humanoid to spells such as glyph of warding or detect evil, as well as to effects such as Divine Sense. Furthermore, when examined with truesight, its disguise is interpreted as its true form. If its Khyber dragonshard is taken more than 5 feet from it, it loses this benefit until it regains its Khyber dragonshard and spends 6 hours in a single form.

Rakshasa, Ak’chazar

These are among the mightiest of the rakshasas, and they are masters of necromancy, as well as being skilled at various other magical arts.

Daelkyr

Medium fiend, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 400 (32d8 + 256)
  • Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 22 (+6) 26 (+8) 25 (+7) 22 (+6) 25 (+7)
  • Saves Str +11, Dex +12, Con +14, Int +13, Wis +12, Cha +13
  • Skills Arcana +19, Medicine +18, Perception +12
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities posion, psychic
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 20 (25,000 XP)

Magic Resistance. The daelkyr has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. The daelkyr’s weapon attacks are magical.

Alien Mind. The mind of a daelkyr is a labyrinth that can swallow the thoughts of lesser creatures. Any creature who attempts to read the thoughts of a daelkyr or otherwise study its mind must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become affected as if it it had failed contact other plane's saving throw.

Innate Spellcasting. The daelkyr’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). The daelkyr can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: confusion, feeblemind, haste, misty step, polymorph, slow

3/day: flesh to stone, mass polymorph, true polymorph

Regeneration. The daelkyr regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.

Immutable Form. The daelkyr is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Actions

Multiattack. The daelkyr uses its Aura of Madness. It then makes four attacks: two with its claws and two with its tentacle whip.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6) slashing damage and one of the target's ability scores of the daelkyr's choice is reduced by 1d6. The target dies and dissolves if this reduces its ability to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing damage (but still dealing a stat reduction), the daelkyr can grapple the target (escape DC 21).

Tentacle Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d4 + 6) slashing damage plus 2 (1d4) poison damage, and one of the target's ability scores of the daelkyr's choice is reduced by 1d6. The target dies and dissolves if this reduces its ability to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Instead of dealing damage (but still dealing a stat reduction), the daelkyr can force the target to make a DC 21 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is knocked prone.

Aura of Madness. Each within 20 feet of the daelkyr must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or become affected as if by the confusion spell. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the daelkyr’s Aura of Madness for the next 24 hours.

Teleport. The daelkyr magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Reactions

Harden Chitin. In response to being dealt damage, the daelkyr can choose to gain immunity to the triggering instance of damage and resistance to all other damage until the end of its next turn, but it is restrained until the end of its next turn.

Daelkyr

True lords of madness, the daelkyr are fiends from Xoriat, and are responsible for the creation of numerous aberrations.

Greater Daelkyr

The statistics for the daelkyr above represent a typical individual. But far more powerful daelkyr exist, who might have one of the following abilities:

  • Corruption. When the daelkyr hits a living creature with its tentacle whip, the target's type changes to aberration and must make a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it is indefinitely charmed by the daelkyr.
  • Eyetheft. When the daelkyr hits with its tentacle whip, the target must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or go permanently blind. The daelkyr can then see out of the creature's eyes and cast spells as if it were there.
  • Slimecall. When the daelkyr hits with its tentacle whip, the target must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it begins transmuting into an ooze of the daelkyr's choice. The 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 permanently turned into an ooze of the daelkyr's choice under its control. Only a wish can revert this effect.

Quori, Tsoreva

Medium fiend (quori), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 18 (natural armor, psychic armor)
  • Hit Points 102 (12d8 + 48)
  • Speed 40ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 17 (+3) 17 (+3)
  • Skills Arcana +8, Deception +6, Insight +6, Intimidation +9, Perception +6
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages Common, Riedran, Quori, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Quori's Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the quori’s darkvision.

Power Resistance. The quori has advantage on saving throws against powers and other psionic effects, including psionic innate spellcasting.

Psychic Armor. The quori adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Spider Climb. The tsoreva can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The quori’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: teleport (self only; only when on Dal Quor)

1/day: fear, staggering smite

1/year: dream (quori must be on Dal Quor and target must be on another plane)

Actions

Multiattack. The tsoreva makes two mind blade attacks.

Mind Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d8 + 3) psychic damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the quori until the start of the quori's next turn. The frightening is a psionic ability.

Possession. The quori can possess a willing human with a Charisma of at least 13, granting it is skill proficiencies and increasing the target's Charisma by 4 points to a maximum of 24 while so possessed. The quori has total control of the subject, and can use all of its powers and abilities. The quori can still use its innate spellcasting while possessing, but cannot use any of its other powers.

Quori, Tsoreva

The clicking of many legs draws your attention to a monstrous creature perched above you. Dozens of spindly legs sprout from a segmented body, and blades of energy protrude from the ends of two handless arms. Glowing blue eyes glare from the top of a headless torso, watching your every move.

Quori, Tsucora

Medium fiend (quori), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor, psychic armor)
  • Hit Points 145 (17d8 + 68)
  • Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 17 (+3)
  • Skills Arcana +9, Persuasion +9, Deception +6, Insight +7, Perception +7, Stealth +5
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
  • Languages Common, Riedran, Quori, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Quori's Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the quori’s darkvision.

Power Resistance. The quori has advantage on saving throws against powers and other psionic effects, including psionic innate spellcasting.

Psychic Armor. The quori adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The quori’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: mage hand (hand is invisible), teleport (self only; only when on Dal Quor)

3/day: cure wounds (self only)

1/day: charm monster, confusion

1/month: dream (quori must be on Dal Quor and target must be on another plane)

Actions

Multiattack. The tsucora makes two claw attacks and one sting attack.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 13).

Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage and the target is affected as if by a phantasmal killer spell, gaining a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw as normal. The phantasmal killer is a psionic ability.

Possession. The quori can possess a willing human with a Charisma of at least 13, granting it is skill proficiencies and increasing the target's Charisma by 4 points to a maximum of 24 while so possessed. The quori has total control of the subject, and can use all of its powers and abilities. The quori can still use its innate spellcasting while possessing, but cannot use any of its other powers.

Quori, Tsucora

A nightmarish creature slithers toward you. Its headless torso is covered with eyes and twitching limbs. Two massive arms sprout from the top of the torso, ending in powerful pincers. The creature is covered with plates of black chitin, and its serpentine tail sports a vicious stinger.

Quori, Hashalaq

Medium fiend (quori), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 19 (psychic armor)
  • Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
  • Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 23 (+6)
  • Saves Con +7, Int +9, Wis +8, Cha +10
  • Skills Arcana +13, Deception +10, History +13, Intimidation +10, Investigation +13, Insight +12, Nature +13, Perception +8, Persuasion +14, Religion +13
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 18
  • Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Power Resistance. The quori has advantage on saving throws against powers and other psionic effects, including psionic innate spellcasting.

Psychic Armor. The quori adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Empathetic Feedback. Every time the quori takes damage, it negates half of this damage or 12 points of this damage, whichever is less, and the attacker takes the negated damage as psychic damage.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The quori’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: charm monster, command (5th level), cure wounds (self only), disguise self, hypnotic pattern, mage hand (hand is invisible), major image (6th-level), probe thoughts, suggestion, synaptic static, telekinesis, teleport (self only; only when on Dal Quor)

1/day: dominate monster, dream (quori must be on Dal Quor and target must be on another plane)

Intimate Knowledge Aura. The hashalaq constantly reads the surface thoughts of all creatures within 60 feet of it as if it were focusing on them with detect thoughts. All such creatures have disadvantage on Charisma (Deception) checks against the hashalaq.

Actions

Idyllic Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. Hit 29 (4d12 + 3) psychic damage and the target has disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saves for 1 minute as extremely potent joy and pleasure floods the target's mind. Additionally, the target must make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw after the disadvantage is applied. On a failure, it is incapacitated for 1 minute or until it takes any damage, and its speed is 0 while incapacitated in this way. This is a psionic ability.

Mind Thrust. The quori targets one creature within 30 feet with an Intelligence of at least 3, massively assailing its thought processes. That creature must make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) psychic damage on a failure, or half on a success. This is a psionic ability.

Familiar Face. The quori targets one creature within 60 feet. That creature must make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw, or the quori perfectly mimics it in every way. Even behaviors, verbal tics, and other traits are copied flawlessly. Thereafter, the target can only make a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to find out something is amiss. If the hashalaq takes any violent action against the subject or that creature's allies, the effect ends immediately. This is a psionic ability.

Possession. The quori can possess a willing human with a Charisma of at least 13, granting it is skill proficiencies and increasing the target's Charisma by 4 points to a maximum of 24 while so possessed. The quori has total control of the subject, and can use all of its powers and abilities. The quori can still use its innate spellcasting, Intimate Knowledge Aura, and Mind Thrust while possessing, but cannot use any of its other powers.

Quori, Hashalaq

A humanoid wearing an iridescent, pale blue robe stands before you. Hiding its features is a deep hood, from which dim blue light shines. This creature seems to be hovering a few inches off the ground. As you look more closely, you realize that the entire figure, robe and all, is formed from translucent, fleshy tendrils, twined together to mimic a humanoid shape.

Hashalaqs despise melee combat, preferring to launch synpatic statics from afar.

Quori, Usvapna

Large fiend (quori), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 22 (natural armor, psychic armor)
  • Hit Points 200 (21d10 + 84)
  • Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 19 (+4) 19 (+4) 19 (+4)
  • Saves Con +8, Int +8
  • Skills Arcana +8, Deception +8, Insight +12, Perception +8, Persuasion +12, Stealth +12
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
  • Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
  • Languages Common, Riedran, Quori, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Quori's Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the quori’s darkvision.

Power Resistance. The quori has advantage on saving throws against powers and other psionic effects, including psionic innate spellcasting.

Psychic Armor. The quori adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The quori’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: cure wounds (self only), mage hand (hand is invisible), teleport (self only; only when on Dal Quor)

3/day: probe thoughts

1/day: dream (quori must be on Dal Quor and target must be on another plane), pain

Actions

Multiattack. The quori makes four pincer attacks. If it hits the same target with two pincer attacks, the target must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw or be incapacitated until the start of the quori's next turn. The creature's speed is 0 while incapacitated in this way. The incapacitation is a psionic ability.

Pincer. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft., one creature. Hit 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Mind Thrust. The quori targets one creature within 30 feet with an Intelligence of at least 3, massively assailing its thought processes. That creature must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) psychic damage on a failure, or half on a success. This is a psionic ability.

Scare. The quori chooses one creature within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the quori 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. This is a psionic ability.

Schism (1/day). The quori splits its mind in half, creating a secondary mind that acts independantly. For 1 minute, the quori can take two actions, one with its primary mind (any action) and one with its secondary mind. The secondary mind can only use Mind Thrust, Scare, or one of the quori's innate spells, and can take no other actions.

Invisibility. The quori turns invisible until it takes an action.

Possession. The quori can possess a willing human with a Charisma of at least 13, granting it is skill proficiencies and increasing the target's Charisma by 4 points to a maximum of 24 while so possessed. The quori has total control of the subject, and can use all of its powers and abilities. The quori can still use its innate spellcasting, Mind Thrust, Scare, and Schism while possessing, but cannot use any of its other powers.

Quori, Usvapna

The creature before you seems to have stepped out of your nightmares. Four pincer-tipped limbs emerge from a massive torso, and a snakelike tail coils about a legless body as it floats in mid-air. A void of inky blackness sits where the creature’s head should be, and you can feel its malevolence.

Quori, Du'ulora

Large fiend (quori), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 20 (natural armor, psychic armor)
  • Hit Points 242 (23d10 + 115)
  • Speed 0 ft., fly 70 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 19 (+4)
  • Saves Dex +7, Con +10, Int +7
  • Skills Arcana +9, Intimidation +9, Insight +9, Perception +9, Stealth +6
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold
  • Damage Immunities fire
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
  • Languages Common, Infernal, Riedran, Quori, telepathy 120 ft.
  • Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Power Resistance. The quori has advantage on saving throws against powers and other psionic effects, including psionic innate spellcasting.

Psychic Armor. The quori adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Regeneration. The quori regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The quori’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: enemies abound, mage hand (hand is invisible), teleport (self only; only when on Dal Quor), wall of fire

1/day: dream (quori must be on Dal Quor and target must be on another plane)

Actions

Multiattack. The quori makes three tentacle attacks, and then uses Rage Aura and Berserker Aura.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15ft., one creature. Hit 22 (3d10 + 6) fire damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 19) and restrained while grappled in this way. While this grapple lasts, the quori can automatically hit with this attack, and can't target anyone else with this tentacle.

Rage Aura. Each willing creature of the quori's choice that is within 30 feet of the quori gains the following benefits if it isn't wearing heavy armor

  • It has advantage on all Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
  • When it makes a melee weapon attack using Strength, it gains a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
  • It has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Regardless of whether the creature is wearing heavy armor, if it is able to cast spells, it can't cast them or concentrate on them while raging.

Berserker Aura. Each creature of the quori’s choice that is within 30 feet of the quori and aware of it must DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become filled with supernatural rage 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.

A creature that fails its save gains the benefits of the rage aura, but it also must use its action each round to attack the creature nearest to it. If it can make extra attacks as part of the Attack action, it uses those extra attacks, moving to attack the next nearest creature after it fells its current target. If it has multiple possible targets, it attacks one at random.

The creature also takes 16 (3d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns while berserk.

Possession. The quori can possess a willing human with a Charisma of at least 13, granting it is skill proficiencies and increasing the target's Charisma by 4 points to a maximum of 24 while so possessed. The quori has total control of the subject, and can use all of its powers and abilities. The quori can still use its innate spellcasting, Mind Thrust, Scare, and Schism while possessing, but cannot use any of its other powers.

Quori, Du'ulora

This creature is a grotesque, bulbous, flying mass that extrudes three thick tendrils, each one capped with a eyeball that augments the central eye in its body. Three pairs of stubby wings protrude from along the sides of its body, and it's difficult to see how they can possibly support its weight.

Quori, Kalaraq

Medium fiend (quori), lawful evil

  • Armor Class 24 (psychic armor)
  • Hit Points 242 (21d8 + 147)
  • Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 20 (+5) 24 (+7) 27 (+8) 26 (+8) 28 (+9)
  • Saves Str +2, Dex +12, Con +14, Int +15, Wis +15, Cha +16
  • Skills Acrobatics +12, Arcana +15, Deception +23, History +22, Intimidation +23, Insight +22, Investigation +22, Nature +15, Perception +15, Performance +16, Persuasion +23, Religion +16
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, petrified, prone, restrained
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 25
  • Languages all, telepathy 300 ft.
  • Challenge 24 (62,000 XP)

Power Resistance. The quori has advantage on saving throws against powers and other psionic effects, including psionic innate spellcasting.

Psychic Armor. The quori adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Regeneration. The quori regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the quori takes psychic damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the quori’s next turn. The quori dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.

Incorporeal Movement. The quori 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.

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the quori fails a saving throw, it can choose to suceed.

Horror Aura. When a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the quori, it sees its worst fears before it. The quori can force it to make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw if the quori isn’t incapacitated, and the target isn't immune to being frightened. On a success, it is immune to the Horror Auras of all kalaraqs for 24 hours. On a failure, the creature is affected as if by a fear spell. Also on a failure, the creature must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw. It takes 22 (4d10) psychic damage if it fails this Constitution saving throw. If it fails by 5 or more, it drops to 0 hit points.

A creature that fails its first save is plagued by nightmares for the rest of its life. Every night, it is effectively targeted by a dream spell (DC 24). Greater restoration must be cast to end these nightmares.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The quori’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: charm monster, confusion, dream (works across planes), dream sight, dream walk, dreaming puppet, disguise self, dispel magic (also works on psionics), dominate monster, hypnotic pattern, manifest desire, manifest nightmare, mage hand (hand is invisible), major image (6th-level), mass suggestion, probe thoughts, programmed illusion, prying eyes (9th level), psychic scream, restful slumber, synaptic static, telekinesis, teleport (self only), weird

Actions

Shred Mind (Recharge 6). The quori forces one creature within 10 feet of it to make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw. Creatures immune to being charmed gain advantage on this save. On a failure, the quori instantly learns everything the target knows. The quori can erase or add memories as it sees fit and alter emotions, opinions, and even alignment. When the quori is done, it can leave the creature insane (as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide) or seemingly unaffected, without any memory of the intrusion. This is a psionic effect. Quori are immune to this ability.

Severe changes to personality and changes to alignment can be corrected by a greater restoration spell. Alterations to memories and subtler thoughts can be restored only through wish or direct divine intervention.

Possession. The quori can possess a willing human with a Charisma of at least 13, granting it is skill proficiencies and increasing the target's Charisma by 4 points to a maximum of 24 while so possessed. The quori has total control of the subject, and can use all of its powers and abilities. The quori can still use its innate spellcasting, Shred Mind, Teleport, and Hostile Psychometabolism while possessing, but cannot use any of its other powers.

Legendary Actions

The quori can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The quori regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Teleport. The quori psionically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Charm. The quori innately psionically casts charm monster or suggestion (no concentration needed).

Hostile Psychometabolism. One creature of the kalaraq's choice within 600 feet takes 22 (4d10) damage of a type of the kalaraq's choice as its body is brutally modified and reconstructed.

Quori, Kalaraq

A humanoid figure formed of pure shadow looms before you. A nimbus of light surrounds it, shedding no actual light, serving only to highlight the absolute darkness of the being within. The figure is completely featureless, but a host of disembodied eyes of all shapes and sizes whirl around it. These eyes are constantly shifting—sometimes fading away, other times bursting like bubbles.

Only twelve kalaraqs are currently alive and free, but those few are the nobility of nightmares. They like to use Hypnotic Pattern to initiate, Shred Mind on their enemies one at a time, and then once they've shredded as many minds as possible, repeated Psychic Screams. If they are in danger, they teleport away and harass with Hostile Psychometabolism.

Kython Broodling

Small aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 32 (7d6 + 7)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 9 (-1)
  • Saves Con +3, Wis +3
  • Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 11
  • Languages understands Infernal and Abyssal but can't speak
  • Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Acidic Blood. When the kython takes piercing or slashing damage, every creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 2 (1d4) acid damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The kython makes a bite attack and a tail sting attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 3 (1d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Tail Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is poisoned for 1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. While poisoned in this way, it has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.

Kython Broodling

Newly hatched kythons, or broodlings, have no functional arms. Instead, they look like massive, tooth-filled mouths in eyeless, carapace-covered heads on two short legs, with a long, whiplike tail. Coloration varies wildly, from dark green to black to orange-white.

Broodlings cannot wield kython weapons.

Juvenile Kython

Medium aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 46 (7d8 + 14)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 9 (-1)
  • Saves Con +4, Wis +3
  • Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13
  • Languages Infernal, Abyssal
  • Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Acidic Blood. When the kython takes piercing or slashing damage, every creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 3 (1d6) acid damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The kython makes a bite attack, a tail sting attack, and two claw attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 3 (1d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Tail Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is poisoned for 1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. While poisoned in this way, it has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Juvenile Kython

As kythons mature into juveniles, they grow larger and develop an exoskeleton. They also gain the use of two clawed arms. In other ways, juvenile kythons look like broodlings.

Each juvenile has a 10% chance to possess a kython weapon.

Kython Weapons

Some kythons employ special weapons. Each entry lists their probability to have a weapon. Of course, as the DM you are free to decide a kython wields whatever weapons you choose.

Each of the following weapons requires the kython to give up one of its claw (or impale, for an impaler) attacks to wield it. It can use Multiattack with the weapon in place of one of its claw attacks.

Acid Spitter (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +(dex + prof) to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: (3d6 + kython's Dex) acid damage. This weapon bears a vague resemblance to a repeating crossbow, although it has a bulbous green membrane attached to its top.

Bone Shard Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +(dex + prof) to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: (1d6 + kython's Dex) piercing damage, plus poison damage as if the kython had bit the target. This weapon resembles a repeating crossbow made of carapace and cartilage.

Boneblade. Melee Weapon Attack: +(str + prof) to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d10 + kython's Str) slashing damage. A creature damaged by this weapons takes 2 (1d4) points of piercing damage at the end of its turn until the target receives magical healing or a creature within 5 feet of it uses its action to make a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. This weapon is bone-white with thin red and blue veins covering its sides.

Mouth Launcher. Melee Weapon Attack: +(str + prof) to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 10 + kython's Str + kython's prof), and the kython can immediately pull the target to within 5 feet of it. While grappled in this way, the target is restrained, and the kython can't bite or mouth launcher anyone else. This weapon, which attaches to the back of a kython’s mouth, looks like a worm with a sphincterlike mouth.

Mucus Pod. One creature within 5 feet of the kython must make a DC (kython's 8 + Con + Prof) Dexterity save or be restrained for 1 minute. Alcohol will wash the substance off a victim. Otherwise, there is no nonmagical means of getting free before the duration is up. This gray and red membrane sac, filled with yellow fluid, attaches to a kython’s arm.

Each of the following "weapons" might be more accurately described "tools". They require nothing to be given up to be worn:

Extra Armor. Extra chitinous plates are fitted to the kython’s body, adding +2 to its natural armor.

Phase Organ. This small fleshy pod fits upon the forehead of the kython, grafting into place permanently. It allows the kython to enter the Ethereal Plane (or return to the Material Plane) as a bonus action. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane. This organ also grants its bearer the ability to see 60 ft. into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa.

Adult Kython

Medium aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)
  • Saves Con +6, Wis +5
  • Skills Perception +5, Stealth +5
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13
  • Languages Infernal, Abyssal
  • Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Acidic Blood. When the kython takes piercing or slashing damage, every creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 4 (1d8) acid damage.

Actions

Multiattack. The kython makes a bite attack and four claw attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Also on a failed save, the target is poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, it does only half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition on itself on a success.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Adult Kython

When kythons mature fully, their torso grows so that they become a little more like upright humanoids (although they still usually hunch over). Their tail drops away as they pass into this stage, but they gain another set of clawed arms. The exoskeleton is now either green, dark blue, or black. Adult kythons’ bodily fluids become less poisonous, but they develop poison sacs in their mouth with a new type of venom.

Adults guard the nests and carry out most of the work that needs doing for kython society as a whole. Most kythons remain in this stage forever. A few mature into more specialized stages, most of these becoming impalers, a few transforming into slaymasters, and very rare individuals becoming slaughterkings.

Each adult has a 30% chance to possess a kython weapon.

Impaler Kython

Medium aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 15 (+2)
  • Saves Con +6, Wis +5
  • Skills Acrobatics +8, Perception +5, Stealth +11
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 15
  • Languages Infernal, Abyssal
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Acidic Blood. A creature that hits the kython with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) acid damage.

Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the kython can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Assassinate. During its first turn, the kython has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn. Any hit the kython scores against a surprised creature is a critical hit.

Actions

Multiattack. The kython makes a bite attack and four impale attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Also on a failed save, the target is poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, it does only half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition on itself on a success.

Impale. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage.

Impaler Kython

Impalers do not look all that different from regular adults, except that their form is more slender and sleek. In the palm of each claw is a retractable spike made of hardened bone.

Impalers are kython assassins. They are fast, sneaky, and cunning. Unless assigned to eliminate a foe (one that has penetrated a kython nest or been decreed an enemy by a slaymaster or slaughterking), these creatures are usually at rest. Impalers are never found as guards.

Each impaler has a 50% chance to possess a kython weapon.

Spellbreaker Kython

Medium aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 19 (+4) 15 (+2) 15 (+2)
  • Saves Con +6, Int +7, Wis +5
  • Skills Arcana +10, Perception +5, Stealth +5
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 15
  • Languages Infernal, Abyssal
  • Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Acidic Blood. A creature that hits the kython with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) acid damage.

Innate Spellcasting. The kython's spellcasting ability is Intelligence. The kython can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: counterspell, detect magic, dispel magic

1/day: circle of power, antimagic field

Magic Resistance. The kython has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The kython makes a bite attack and four claw attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw against this poison. On a failed saving throw, the creature loses its highest-level spell slot, and takes 1d6 force damage for each level of the slot.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, it can grapple the target (escape DC 16). If the target is benefitting from one or more spells, the kython can choose a spell and make a Charisma check against a DC of 10 + the spell level. On a success, it dispels the spell on the target and gains it for itself for the remaining duration.

Spellbreaker Kython

Spellbreakers look identical to regular adults aside from the thicker hides and colorful floating lights hovering around them. Their venom affects magic, causing negative feedback in spellcasters' bodies.

Each spellbreaker has a 50% chance to possess a kython weapon.

Slaymaster Kython

Large aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
22 (+6) 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 19 (+4) 19 (+4)
  • Saves Con +8, Wis +8
  • Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +8, Stealth +7
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13
  • Languages Infernal, Abyssal
  • Challenge 11 (3,900 XP)

Acidic Blood. A creature that hits the slaymaster with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage.

Disruption Field. As a bonus action, the slaymaster can reduce the range of its blindsight to 30 feet. If it does so, nonkythons within this smaller area take disadvantage on saves, ability checks, and skill checks. Any nonkython trying to cast a spell in this area must make a spellcasting ability check (DC 10 + spell's level). On a failure, the spell fails and the slot is lost with no effect. The disruption field can operate at the same time as the defensive field, or the slaymaster can activate them independently.

Enhanced Defense. As a bonus action, the slaymaster can reduce the range of its blindsight to 30 feet. If it does so, it gains a +2 bonus to AC and advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Enhanced defense can operate at the same time as the disruption field, or the slaymaster can activate them independently.

Actions

Multiattack. The slaymaster makes a bite attack, four claw attacks, and a constrict attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Also on a failed save, the target is poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, it does only half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition on itself on a success.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d4 + 6) slashing damage.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 20). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the slaymaster can't constrict another target.

Slaymaster Kython

Slaymasters take on a form quite unlike that of regular adult kythons. In some ways, they seem to regress toward broodling form. Slaymasters have no legs and regain the long stinger-tipped tail, only this time it forms the bulk of the creature’s body, which resembles that of a snake.

Slaymasters were the rulers of most kython nests until the appearance of the slaughterkings. They are brutal and savage, and they seem to take more enjoyment in killing than their relatively unemotional lessers do.

Each slaymaster has a 90% chance to possess a kython weapon. If it does possess a weapon, it has a 10% chance to possess a second one.

Kython Weapons
d% Weapon
01–20 Acid spitter
21–50 Bone shard crossbow
51–60 Boneblade
61–70 Extra armor
71–80 Mouth launcher
81–90 Mucus pod
91–00 Phase organ

Slaughterking Kython

Large aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 152 (16d10 + 64)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
24 (+7) 18 (+4) 20 (+5) 20 (+5) 19 (+4) 21 (+5)
  • Saves Con +10, Wis +9
  • Skills Intimidation +15, Perception +9, Stealth +9
  • Damage Resistances fire, lightning
  • Damage Immunities acid, cold
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13
  • Languages understands Infernal and Abyssal but can't speak
  • Challenge 13 (3,900 XP)

Acidic Blood. A creature that hits the slaughterking with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 9 (2d8) acid damage.

Disruption Field. As a bonus action, the slaughterking can reduce the range of its blindsight to 30 feet. If it does so, nonkythons within this smaller area take disadvantage on saves, ability checks, and skill checks. Any nonkython trying to cast a spell in this area must make a spellcasting ability check (DC 10 + spell's level). On a failure, the spell fails and the slot is lost with no effect. The disruption field can operate at the same time as the defensive field, or the slaymaster can activate them independently.

Enhanced Defense. As a bonus action, the slaughterking can reduce the range of its blindsight to 30 feet. If it does so, it gains a +2 bonus to AC and advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Enhanced defense can operate at the same time as the disruption field, or the slaymaster can activate them independently.

Actions

Multiattack. The slaughterking makes a bite attack and four claw attacks. Instead of biting, it can use its poison spray.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Also on a failed save, the target is poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, it does only half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition on itself on a success.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage.

Poison Spray. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) poison damage, and the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target is poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, it does only half damage with weapon attacks that use Strength. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned condition on itself on a success.

Slaughterking

Slaughterkings look like adult kythons, but they are much larger and more muscular, standing about 12 feet tall. Their mouths can open very wide like a snake’s. They have an almost regal—but still feral—bearing.

The newest kython variation, the slaughterking rules over all lesser kython. Slaughterkings are ill-tempered creatures that crave battle. Occasionally, a slaughterking goes off on its own to kill nonkythons, but usually it is found in a nest, surrounded by guards and attendants.

Each slaughterking automatically possesses a kython weapon. It has a 40% chance to possess a second one.

Lantern Archon

Tiny celestial (archon), lawful good

  • Armor Class 13
  • Hit Points 21 (6d4 + 6)
  • Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)
  • Skills Insight +2, Perception +2, Persuasion +2
  • Damage Immunities lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Condition Immunities petrified, poisoned, prone
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common, Celestial
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Purity. Aberrations, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead have disadvantage on attack rolls against the archon and can't charm, frighten, or possess it.

Variable Illumination. The archon sheds bright light in a 5- to 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional number of ft. equal to the chosen radius. The archon can alter the radius as a bonus action.

Innate Spellcasting. The archon’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 10). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: aid, detect evil and good, glowing orb, mage hand, teleport (self only, always on target if possible. Otherwise, it stays where it is.), tongues

Actions

Multiattack. The archon uses its Aura of Menace and then makes one light ray attack.

Aura of Menace. Each creature of the archon's choice that is within 30 feet of the archon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws for 24 hours. The effect ends if it successfully hits the archon with a spell or weapon attack. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the archon's aura of menace for the next 24 hours.

Light Ray. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) radiant damage, and the next attack roll made against this target before the end of the archon's next turn has advantage, thanks to the mystical 5-foot dim light glittering on the target until then.

Teleport. The archon magically teleports up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Lantern Archon

The lowest of the archons, lantern archons are still popular familiars for good wizards, and often serve as spirit guides for paladins or clerics.

Variant: Lantern Archon Familiar

Some lantern archons are willing to serve spellcasters as a familiar. Such archons have the following trait.

Familiar. The archon can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the archon senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the archon is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the archon's Purity trait. At any time and for any reason, the archon can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.

Variant: Coure Eladrin Familiar

Some coure eladrins are willing to serve spellcasters as a familiar. Such eladrins have the following trait.

Familiar. The eladrin can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the eladrin senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the eladrin is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the eladrin's Purity trait. At any time and for any reason, the eladrin can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.

Variant: Musteval Guardinal Familiar

Some musteval guardinals are willing to serve spellcasters as a familiar. Such guardinals have the following trait.

Familiar. The guardinal can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the guardinal senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the guardinal is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the guardinal's Cunning Action trait. At any time and for any reason, the guardinal can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.

Coure Eladrin

Tiny celestial (eladrin), chaotic good

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 14 (4d4 + 4)
  • Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2)
  • Skills Stealth +9
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold
  • Damage Immunities lightning
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages Common, Celestial
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Purity. Aberrations, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead have disadvantage on attack rolls against the eladrin and can't charm, frighten, or possess it.

Innate Spellcasting. The eladrin’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: dancing lights, detect evil and good, detect magic, faerie fire, tongues

3/day: magic missile, sleep

Incorporeal Movement (Light Form Only). The eladrin 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.

Variable Illumination (Light Form Only). The eladrinw sheds bright light in a 5- to 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional number of ft. equal to the chosen radius. The archon can alter the radius as a bonus action.

Actions

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 1 piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. If its saving throw result is 5 or lower, the poisoned target falls unconscious for the same duration, or until it takes damage or another creature takes an action to shake it awake.

Change Shape. The eladrin magically polymorphs into a Tiny ball of light, or back into its true form. When in this form, it can't attack or cast spells, it gains immunity to the prone condition, and it can hover. It resistance to fire and thunder damage and bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.

Musteval Guardinal

Tiny celestial (guardinal), neutral good

  • Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 21 (6d4 + 6)
  • Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (-2) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1)
  • Skills Perception +6, Stealth +8
  • Damage Resistances acid, cold
  • Damage Immunities lightning
  • Condition Immunities petrified
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages Common, Celestial
  • Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The guardinal’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: detect evil and good, detect magic, disguise self, protection from evil and good, see invisibility (self only), tongues

1/day: invisibility

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The guardinal deals an extra 3 (1d6) 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 guardinal that isn't incapacitated and the thief doesn't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the guardinal can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Actions

Blinding Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is blinded until the start of the musteval's next turn.

Whiskerbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) radiant damage.

Coure Eladrin

The weakest eladrins are still commonly chosen as familiars among good wizards.

Musteval Guardinal

These small ratlike guardinals serve as scouts and spies for mmore powerful good-aligned beings.

Harmonious Choir of the Words

Small celestial, neutral good or true neutral

  • Armor Class 20 (soul shield)
  • Hit Points 72 (16d6 + 16)
  • Speed 0 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 20 (+5) 20 (+5) 20 (+5)
  • Skills Arcana +13, History +9, Nature +9, Performance +13, Persuasion +13, Religion +9
  • Saving Throws Con +5, Int +9, Wis +9, Cha +9
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
  • Damage Immunities acid, lightning, necrotic, radiant
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, petrified, prone, restrained
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages all
  • Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Avoidance. If the choir 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.

Soul Shield. The choir adds its Charisma to its Armor Class (included).

Divine Awareness. The choir knows if it hears a lie.

Aura of Protection. All creatures of the choir's choice (including itself) within 30 feet of it have advantage on all saving throws, and other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against them. In addition, all creatures affected by the aura gain the benefits of detect evil and good, detect magic, light, speak with animals, speak with plants, tongues, and truesight out to 120 feet. These can be dispelled as normal, but the choir recreates them at the start of its turn.

Glyph Mastery. The harmonious choir can automatically bypass (with no effect) or dispel any magical glyph, rune, symbol, or writing, including (but not limited to) glyph of warding and symbol. It never suffers from negative effects of these writings unless it wishes to.

Incorporeal Movement. The choir 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.

Unsilenceable. The choir can dispel any magical silence within 30 feet of it at will, no action required.

Innate Spellcasting. The choir’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: commune, daylight, detect thoughts, dissonant whispers, enhance ability, enthrall, identify, legend lore, sending, speak with dead

3/day: creation, dispel evil and good, dispel magic, fabricate, glyph of warding, major image, suggestion

1/day: compulsion, confusion, hypnotic pattern, mirror image, modify memory, remove curse, skill empowerment, slow, true creation

Divine Inspiration (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the choir chooses one creature other than itself within 60 feet of it. Until the start of the choir's next turn, whenever that creature makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, it adds a d10 to the roll.

Words of Creation. Whenever the choir casts a spell that neither deals damage nor requires a saving throw, the level of the spell is increased by 1. Additionally, the choir adds twice its proficiency bonus to all checks made to repair or create something.

Actions

Light Ray. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 30 ft., one creature. Hit: 33 (8d6 + 5) radiant damage, and the target must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be affected as if by the confusion spell.

Teleport. The choir magically teleports up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Possession (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the choir can see within 5 ft. of it must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the choir; the choir then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The choir now controls the body but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness. The choir can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It 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, the choir ends it as a bonus action, or the choir is forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, the choir reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of the body. The target is immune to this choir's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.

Harmonious Choir of the Words

These spirits embody the words of creation themselves, and are notoriously dangerous.

Asag

Huge elemental, lawful evil

  • Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 200 (16d12+96)
  • Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 10 (+0) 22 (+6) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)
  • Saves Con +10
  • Skills Arcana +5, Deception +6, Insight +5, Intimidation +10, Perception +5, Stealth +4
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 15
  • Languages Common, Infernal, Terran
  • Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Stone Camouflage. The asag has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in rocky terrain.

Many Eyes. The asag has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that use sight and on saving throws against being blinded.

Siege Monster. The asag deals double damage to objects and structures.

Innate Spellcasting. The asag’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: detect magic, earthbind, earth tremor, guidance, move earth, plane shift (self and willing targets only; can't go to Plane of Earth)

3/day: erupting earth, stoneskin, stone shape

1/day: bones of the earth, creation (created mineral or metallic matter is permanent)

Actions

Multiattack. The asag makes three slam attacks. It can replace one slam attack with Dry Death.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the asag scores a critical hit, the target is stunned until the start of the asag's next turn.

Dry Death (Recharge 5-6). The asag chooses up to three creatures it can see within 60 feet. Each creature must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage and is cursed with dry death. The cursed target can't regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 10 (3d6) for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and its body turns to a pile of rocks, sand, dirt, gravel, clay, or other soil (as fits the environment). The curse lasts until removed by the remove curse spell or other magic. On a success, the creature takes half damage and suffers no other effects.

Animate Earth (1/day). The asag magically animates up to three piles of rock, sand, or other soil it can see within 60 feet of it into xorn. A xorn remains animated as long as the asag maintains concentration, up to 1 minute (as if concentrating on a spell), and serves the asag loyally. After that, it returns to nonmagical earth.

Asag

Earth demons banished from their home plane by powerful sha'irs, asags hate arcane spellcasters and all those who plunder the earth for its treasures. They set up petty kingdoms on the Material Plane, demanding tribute and admiration from any travelers. They can bless their followers with immense gifts of rare metals or gemstones.

Clockwork Eunuch

Medium construct, neutral

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
  • Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0)
  • Skills Athletics +8, Insight +6, Investigation +4, Perception +6
  • Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't adamantine
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages Common
  • Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Keen Senses. The clockwork eunuch has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Sure-Footed. The clockwork eunuch has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.

Magic Resistance. The clockwork eunuch has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Vigilant. The clockwork eunuch can make attacks of opportunity without using its reaction.

Innate Spellcasting. The clockwork eunuch’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: zone of truth

1/day: hold person

Actions

Multiattack. The clockwork eunuch makes two scimitar attacks.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the eunuch can grapple the target (escape DC 18) or knock the target prone.

Oil Slick (1/day). The clockwork eunuch sprays oil on the ground out to a radius of 15 feet centered upon it. When the oil appears, each creature standing in its area must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. A creature that enters the area or ends its turn there must also succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. The oil remains slippery for 1 hour. Clockwork eunuchs are immune to Oil Slick.

Reactions

Dart (Recharge 5-6). If a hostile creature within 30 feet of the clockwork eunuch moves, the eunuch can move up to its speed.

Clockwork Eunuch

Clockwork eunuchs are made by sultans to guard their harems and recapture prisoners.

Flying Monkey

Small monstrosity, neutral

  • Armor Class 12
  • Hit Points 14 (4d6)
  • Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 5 (-3) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
  • Skills Acrobatics +4, Athletics +1
  • Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 11
  • Languages Flying Monkey
  • Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Group Snatch. The flying monkey can grapple creatures larger than it normally can with no penalty if it works in concert with other flying monkeys. It takes two monkeys to grapple a target two sizes larger than it, four monkeys to grapple a target three sizes larger than it, eight monkeys to grapple a target four sizes larger, and sixteen monkeys to grapple a target five sizes larger. The monkeys can add their push/drag/lift weight together when snatching a target together.

Pack Tactics. The flying monkey has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the monkey's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Actions

Grab. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the flying monkey can grapple the target (escape DC 11). If the target is too large for the monkey to grapple, it grabs on (and may still be able to grapple if others do, as per Group Snatch).

Rock Drop. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, one creature directly underneath the flying monkey. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen, up to 10 (4d4).

Flying Monkey

Horrid little monkeys with a nasty sense of humor, they delight in stealing food, taunting their marks with their caws, and generally wreaking havoc.

Lurking Strangler

Tiny aberration, lawful evil

  • Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 14 (4d6)
  • Speed 5 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 19 (+4) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 10 (+0)
  • Skills Athletics +5, Perception +5
  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
  • Languages Lurking Strangler, understands Common and Deep Speech
  • Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Pack Tactics. The flying monkey has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the monkey's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Actions

Strangle. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the strangler can't strangle another target. The target also can't breathe or speak until the grapple ends.

Fear Ray. One creature within 30 feet of the strangler must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and be frightened until the start of the strangler's next turn. While frightened in this way, ust take the Dash action and move away from the strangler by the safest and shortest available route, unless there is nowhere to move. If the target moves to a place at least 30 feet away from the strangler where it can no longer see it, this effect ends.

Sleep. One creature within 120 feet of the strangler must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or fall unconscious. It wakes up if it takes any damage or if another creature uses its action to shake the sleeper awake.

Lurking Strangler

Horrid little eye with a nasty sense of humor, they delight in stealing food, taunting their marks with their caws, and generally wreaking havoc.

Sarrukh

Medium monstrosity, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 333 (35d8 + 175)
  • Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 20 (+5) 20 (+5) 27 (+8) 18 (+4) 18 (+4)
  • Saves Wis +11
  • Skills Arcana +22, Perception +11, Religion +22
  • Damage Immunities fire, poison
  • Condition Immunities poison
  • Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21
  • Languages Sarrukhar, Celestial, Abyssal, an ancient language appropriate to your campaign
  • Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)

Magic Weapons. The sarrukh's weapon attacks are magical.

Magic Resistance. The sarrukh has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the sarrukh fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Aura of Servility. At the start of each of the sarrukh's turns, each creature of its choice within 30 feet must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. Scaled Ones have disadvantage on this saving throw. On a failure, the creature is charmed by the sarrukh until the sarrukh harms it or its allies. The charmed creature regards the sarrukh as a divine emissary and will interepret its requests in the most positive light, though it will not harm its allies.

Innate Spellcasting. The sarrukh's spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 23). The sarrukh can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect magic, identify, invisibility, lightning bolt, major image (6th level), project image

3/day: divine word, fire storm, forcecage

1/day: holy aura

1/month: resurrection

The sarrukh's resurrection requires the sacrifice of a sapient being within one step of the alignment of the deceased; the sacrifice must also be at least as high a level or CR as the deceased. This resurrection works regardless of how long the creature has been dead.

Actions

Multiattack. The sarrukh makes four attacks. It can't use the same type of attack more than once.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 65 (10d12) poison damage, and the target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is poisoned until cured, and it takes 6 (1d12) poison damage at the start of each of its turns while poisoned.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d12 + 5) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the sarrukh can grapple the target (escape DC 20).

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 20). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the sarrukh can't constrict another target.

Serpent Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d6 + 8) piercing damage, or 12 (1d8 + 8) if held with two hands, and if the target is a creature, it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it loses any immunity to poison damage or the poisoned condition it had for the next hour. This does not work against sarrukhs.

Spit Acid. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 30 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) acid damage.

Manipulate Form. The sarrukh touches a living Scaled One within 5 feet and changes the creature's form. An unwilling creature can attempt a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, suffering no effects on a success. On a failure, or if the creature is willing, the creature falls unconscious for 2d4 rounds from the shock.

Full details of what changes a sarrukh can cause with this power are on the next page.

Legendary Actions

The sarrukh can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The sarrukh regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Slither. The sarrukh moves up to half its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

Smite. The sarrukh makes a spit acid, claw, or constrict attack.

Summon (Costs 2 Actions). The sarrukh summons a beast or swarm of beasts of CR no more than 3. They must be Scaled Ones, and they are under its control. They remain for 1 minute.

Sarrukh

The ancient progenitor race of all Scaled Ones (yuan-ti, nagas, lizardfolk, pterafolk, kobolds, and more), sarrukhs are creatures of myth. They are very near extinction.

Sarrukh do all they can to avoid combat or flee as quickly as possible. No sarrukh wants to yield to a Scaleless One, but every sarrukh recognizes that its own survival is of peak importance, above even its own pride. Consequently, if outmatched and unable to flee, a sarrukh will almost always plead for mercy.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the sarrukh takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the sarrukh can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

  • Spectral snakes slither across one creature within 120 feet of the sarrukh. It takes 16 (3d10) force damage and must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 16 (3d10) poison damage and is poisoned until initiative count 20 on the next turn, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way. On a success, it takes half damage and suffers no other effects.
  • Up to three creatures within 120 feet of the sarrukh must each make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, a creature suffers the effects of the enemies abound spell until initiative count 20 on the next turn, as it perceives its allies as disguised servants of the sarrukh.
  • The sarrukh creates an opaque wall of writhing snakes on a solid surface it can see within 120 feet of it. The wall can be up to 30 feet long, 30 feet high, and 1 foot thick. When the wall appears, each creature within its area is pushed 5 feet out of the wall’s space, appearing on whichever side of the wall it wants. Each 10-foot section of the wall has AC 5, 50 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to poison damage. A creature can move through the wall as difficult terrain, taking 7 (2d6) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage. The wall disappears when the sarrukh uses this lair action again or when the sarrukh dies.

Regional Effects

The region containing a sarrukh's lair is warped by the sarrukh’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:

  • Scaled Ones are nearly omnipresent within 6 miles of the sarrukh's lair. The sarrukh can use the senses of any such reptile within 1 mile as if it were its own.
  • The environment within 6 miles of the sarrukh's lair is perfectly suited for Scaled Ones. They have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth), Wisdom (Survival), Charisma (Deception), and Charisma (Persuasion) checks made against any other creature. They also automatically stabilize at the start of the sarrukh's turn. The sarrukh can suppress these benefits on a Scaled One it dislikes.
  • The soil in the sarrukh's lair is very soft. Any creature other than a Scaled One moving on top of it must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or sink into it and become restrained until it takes an action to make a DC 15 Strength check to free itself. The burrow speed of all Scaled Ones is doubled in this soft soil.

If the sarrukh dies, the effects end over 1d10 days.

Manipulate Form

A sarrukh may use this ability to change a minor aspect of the target creature, such as the shape of its head or the color of its scales. It may also choose to make a much more significant alteration, such as converting limbs into tentacles, changing overall body shape (snake to humanoid, for example), or adding or removing an appendage. Any ability score may be decreased to a minimum of 1 or increased to a maximum equal to the sarrukh’s corresponding score.

A sarrukh may also grant the target a trait or action, or remove one from it. The DM should use discretion on this.

The change bestowed takes effect immediately and is permanent. Furthermore, the alterations are automatically passed on to all the creature’s offspring when it breeds with another of its unmodified kind.

Typical physical alterations that sarrukh often bestow with this ability include the following.

Arm: The touched creature sprouts a humanlike arm that ends in a viciously clawed hand. The sarrukh may, at its option, change an already existing appendage (such as a tentacle) into an arm, or cause a new arm to sprout from a spot of its choice. The creature can manipulate small items and wield weapons with the new appendage as effectively as a normal human can with a hand.

Breath Type: The touched creature is altered to be amphibious, to be only be able to breathe air, or to be only able to breathe water. Sarrukhs commonly use this to kill Scaled Ones that turn against them.

Leg: The touched creature sprouts a humanlike leg. The sarrukh may, at its option, change an already existing appendage (such as a tentacle) into a leg, or cause a new leg to sprout from a spot of its choice. A pair of such legs gives the creature the ability to walk upright, and four legs give it the ability to move like a quadruped. The creature loses any ability it previously had to constrict with its lower body. Its speed remains the same as it was before the alteration unless it now has more than two legs. In that case, it moves at a speed typical for a quadruped of its size category.

Tentacles: The touched creature sprouts a tentacle. The sarrukh may, at its option, change an already existing appendage (such as an arm) into a tentacle, or cause a new tentacle to sprout from a spot of its choice. The subject can now wield a melee weapon in each tentacle acquired.

Humanoid Torso: A humanoid torso replaces the subject’s previous torso. The subject loses any special attack or special quality dependent on its previous torso (such as constrict).

Snake Torso: A snake torso replaces the subject’s previous torso, granting it a constrict attack if it didn’t already have it (see the Sarrukh's own constrict attack, as well as that of the Constrictor Snake, for ideas). Its speed remains the same as it was before the alteration.

Wings: The subject sprouts feathery wings from its back. These appendages grant it the ability to fly at its previous speed.

Omnidirectional Eyes: The subject can move its eyes independently from one another and visually process all the information so acquired. The creature gains advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks relying on sight, but suffers disadvantage on Charisma checks when its eyes are visible.

Increase or Decrease Size: The subject’s size category changes by one step.

What is a Scaled One?

Serpent Kingdoms gives many examples of scaled ones. Dragons don't qualify, but all other reptiles do, as do some other reptile-associated things like serpentflesh golems and yuan-ti purebloods.

Grell Philosopher

Medium aberration, neutral evil

  • Armor Class 16 (mage armor)
  • Hit Points 91 (14d8 + 28)
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1)
  • Skills Arcana +6, History +6, Perception +7, Persuasion +4, Stealth +9
  • Damage Immunities lightning
  • Condition Immunities blinded, prone
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 17
  • Languages Grell and two others (usually Common and Undercommon)
  • Challenge 5 (200 XP)

Grell Alchemy. Because of the alien physical laws used in grell magic, all creatures have disadvantage on any rolls to identify, dispel, or counterspell their spells. Furthermore, Magic Resistance and similar traits provide no advantage against a grell's spells.

Innate Spellcasting. The grell's spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14). The grell can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: mage armor (self only), mage hand, mending, prestidigitation

1/day: gentle repose, invisibility, lightning bolt

Actions

Multiattack. The grell makes three attacks: one with its tentacles, one with its beak, and one with its lightning lance.

Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target is paralyzed, and it can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The target is also grappled (escape DC 17). If the target is Medium or smaller, it is also restrained until this grapple ends. While grappling the target, the grell has advantage on attack rolls against it and can't use this attack against other targets. When the grell moves, any Medium or smaller target it is grappling moves with it.

Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage.

Lightning Lance. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) lightning damage, and the target can't take reactions until the start of the grell's next turn.

Grell Philosopher

Wise and scholarly grell, these are some of the leaders of their race. They craft the lightning lances their fellow tribe members carry into battle.

Grell philosophers decide the tribe's course of action through reasoned debate.

Lightning Lance

Uncommon (wondrous item), requires attunement

This strange silver tubelike device about 3 feet in length is only created by grell. It can be wielded as a magical yklwa that deals lightning damage instead of piercing. Its primary function, however, is projecting a bolt of electricity from your mind and soul. As an action, make a ranged spell attack against a target within 60 feet using Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (your choice). On a hit, you do 3d6 lightning damage, and the target can't take reactions until the start of your next turn.

Grell can use these weapons more efficiently than any non-grell, which is why their Multiattack includes them.

Blinding a Grell

How can you blind something that doesn’t have eyes? It’s difficult, but it can be done. A grell does not lose its blindsight until both its hearing and its electrical sense are impaired. Hearing can easily be damaged by means of spells or effects that create deafness or silence. The electrical sense is harder to obscure. Powerful discharges of electricity can do it, even though grell are normally immune to electricity. If a grell would have taken 20 points or more of lightning damage since the start of its last turn, the monster must make a DC 15 Constitution save at the start of its next turn or lose its electrical sense for 1d4 rounds. If it would have taken 40 points or more, the save DC is 20, and electroreception is lost for 2d4 rounds.

Spawn of Juiblex

Huge elemental, chaotic evil

  • Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 173 (15d12 + 75)
  • Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)
  • Saves Wis +6
  • Skills Perception +6, Stealth +10
  • Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
  • Damage Immunities poison
  • Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
  • Languages Aquan
  • Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Sludge Form. The spawn can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. In addition, the spawn can occupy another creature's space and vice versa. The first time it enters a creature's space on a turn, that creature takes 7 (2d6) poison damage and is poisoned until the start of the spawn's next turn.

Horrific Presence. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the Spawn of Juiblex must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or use all of its movement to move as far away from the spawn as it can. If it can't move, it is stunned until the start of its next turn.

Slimy Infestation. When the spawn hits a creature with its slam or sludge orb, the target is coated in a thick later of slime the spawn can animate in subsequent rounds. A creature can remove the slime from itself or from a creature within 5 feet by taking an action.

Actions

Multiattack. The spawn uses Animate Slime and then makes two slam attacks. It can replace one slam attack with a sludge orb attack.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, and if the target is a creature it is affected by Slimy Infestation.

Sludge Orb. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, and if the target is a creature it is affected by Slimy Infestation.

Animate Slime. The slime on every creature coated in slime animates and makes a melee weapon attack against one creature of the spawn's choice within 10 feet of the coated creature. This attack has +7 to hit and on a successful hit it deals 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Spawn of Juiblex

For untold millennia, the demon lords Zuggtmoy and Juiblex have struggled for control of Shedaklah, the 222nd layer of the Abyss. Centuries ago, Zuggtmoy used a series of powerful divinations to determine the Demon Lord of Ooze’s exact location within Shedaklah. She then erected a series of adamantine plinths throughout the Abyssal layer and triggered a powerful ritual meant to banish Juiblex to a different plane.

Unfortunately for Zuggtmoy and the rest of the cosmos, the ritual simply sent a portion of Juiblex’s polluted form to the Elemental Plane of Water. Though weakened, the Faceless Lord survived, but the toxic and virulent nature of his material form corrupted the elemental matter around it. The denizens of the plane near this polluted area combined their power to contain the corruption and send it to its own demiplane. Though this process was successful, it scattered the spawn of Juiblex across the Material Plane.

Obsidian Ooze

Large ooze, unaligned

  • Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 179 (17d10 + 85)
  • Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 4 (-3) 20 (+5) 1 (-5) 6 (-2) 1 (-5)
  • Damage Immunities fire, piercing, slashing
  • Damage Vulnerabilities cold
  • Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone
  • Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8
  • Languages —
  • Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Molten Core. A creature that touches the ooze or hits it with a melee attack while within 10 ft. takes 7 (2d6) fire damage. Additionally, any nonmagical weapon made of anything with a melting point below 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit that hits the pudding melts. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed.

Nonmagical ammunition made of anything with a melting point under 2,200 that hits the ooze is destroyed after dealing damage. It can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical material under this melting point in 1 round.

Spider Climb. The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Multiattack. The ooze makes three attacks. It can replace one attack with Engulf.

Spine. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage, and if made as a melee attack, the target is grappled (escape DC 17). The target's speed is halved until it regains at least 1 hit point. This attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 18-20. Making this as a ranged attack deals 2 (1d4) necrotic damage to the ooze. Because of the nature of the spines covering it on all sides and even internally, it can attack a creature it has engulfed.

Engulf. The ooze makes one spine attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is also engulfed, and the grapple ends. While engulfed, the target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the ooze, and it takes 21 (6d6) fire damage at the start of each of the ooze's turns.

An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC 17 Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of the ooze. However, this also creates a spray of lava. All creatures within 5 feet of the ooze must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failure, or half as much on a success.

Obsidian Ooze

This creature looks like a mass of obsidian with its edges polished and smooth. Yet when it moves, it gives the impression of a mobile snake made of glistening tar, with numerous razor-sharp lances of flexible obsidian writhing chaotically out of its mass.

An obsidian ooze is a dangerous predator that lurks in lava tubes and other underground chambers near volcanic regions. The creature can burrow through solid rock with ease by melting its way through the ground; the tunnels formed remain stable for several days and resemble perfectly round lava tubes in shape. Obsidian oozes feed on the ash of organic matter.

A typical obsidian ooze resembles a 3-foot-wide, 14-foot-long snake. It weighs 35,000 pounds. They usually split into two to three smaller oozes upon growing to 36 Hit Dice, although rumors of colossal obsidian oozes that live in the heart of active volcanoes persist.

Fiendish Possession

Some fiends with a Charisma score of at least 13 have the magical ability to shuck their physical forms and take on an ethereal form that allows them to possess another creature or an object.

The creature’s new form is ethereal and thus immune to almost all attacks by nonethereal creatures. It can attack and be attacked by other ethereal creatures normally. When a fiend possesses a creature or object, even spells such as forcecage no longer affect the fiend. Only spells such as dispel evil and good can affect a possessing fiend. Any other sort of attack, magical or otherwise, directed against the fiend affects the possessed creature or object instead.

While a fiend is in ethereal form or possessing, its corporeal body lies senseless, as if in a state of suspended animation. The body does not require food or air, but direct damage or exposure to an extreme environment will kill it. A fiend can roam ethereally as long as it wants, but an ethereal fiend dies if its body is destroyed, and it instantly returns to its body if dispel magic (or a similar effect) is successfully cast on the fiend’s body.

Fiends with the possession ability have a Challenge Rating 2 higher than standard fiends of their kind. For example, a succubus with the possession ability is a CR 6 creature.

Once a fiend is on the Ethereal Plane, it floats through the world insubstantially, seeking a target to possess. Making a possession attempt is a magical ability that a fiend can use at will as an action.

Some celestials also have this power, but very few of them use it except in the direst circumstances (to infiltrate an evil cult about to summon a demon lord, for example). Good creatures have disadvantage on the save against being possessed by a celestial, as do creatures currently committing a good act.

Possessed Creatures

If a fiend wishes to possess a creature, the fiend’s ethereal form must be within 5 feet of its desired target. A protection from good and evil spell (or similar effect) makes a creature immune to possession attempts. An unprotected target of a possession attempt must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier) to avoid possession. Evil targets of a possession attempt have disadvantage on this saving throw, as does the target of a possession attempt who is in the middle of committing an evil act. The DM may roll this saving throw secretly to prevent a player from knowing whether his or her character has become possessed.

Once a creature makes a successful save against possession, that fiend cannot attempt to possess that creature again for 24 hours. On a failed save, the victim is possessed.

A fiend in possession of a body becomes a part of the victim, aware of what is going on around the creature that it possesses. It can see and hear as well as the victim can. A possessing fiend can, at any time, speak telepathically to the creature that it possesses, although if the victim isn’t very intelligent, its understanding may be limited.

A creature possessed by a fiend doesn’t always know that it is possessed. Further, a fiend can attempt to hide its presence within the possessed creature, allowing it to pass through a magic circle, enter a forbiddance-warded church, and escape detection by detect evil and good. To do so, the fiend must make a special “mental” Stealth check. This is a Stealth check using the fiend’s Charisma modifier rather than its Dexterity modifier. The DC for the Stealth check is the caster's spell save DC. The fiend gains advantage on its Stealth check if it is not currently controlling the victim. A fiend can also make this Stealth check to prevent the possessed creature from taking damage from fiend-targeting abilities such as a paladin's Divine Smite. The DC of the Stealth check is the same as the saving throw DC of the damaging spell. If the fiend’s Stealth check fails, the spell affects the possessed creature as if it had the same alignment as the fiend.

Possessing fiends have immediate access to all of their victim’s current thoughts, as the detect thoughts spell. They automatically read surface thoughts. If desired, a possessing fiend can probe the possessed creature’s memories as well (as the probe thoughts spell), but the victim is allowed a Wisdom save (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier). If the save is successful, the victim keeps the fiend out of his or her thoughts for 24 hours. Whether the save succeeds or fails, probing memories automatically reveals the fiend’s presence to the victim.

Physical harm to the possessed creature does not harm the fiend. Killing the possessed victim forces the fiend back onto the Ethereal Plane, where it can attempt a new possession; the fiend is unharmed. Not even ethereal creatures can harm a possessing fiend.

A fiend possessing a creature can take one of six roles with respect to its victim: rider, ally, controller, enemy, mutterer, or transformer. The fiend can switch from one role to another as an action.

Using the Levels of Possession

Possessed NPCs can present an entertaining challenge for the characters, but running possessed PCs makes life difficult for the Dungeon Master. However, this situation can be rewarding, as long as the DM allows the player a certain amount of control. The following tips might help.

Rider

Much of the time, a fiend that possesses a creature simply rides along with the victim, who is typically unaware of the fiend’s presence. The fiend might combine riding with hiding to get into an area protected by forbiddance or slip past a magic circle near a target that it could not otherwise approach. A fiend in the role of rider may decide to take the role of ally or controller of the possessed creature instead. Both of these actions, however, make the fiend’s presence known to the victim (although victims with low Intelligence scores may not understand what is happening to them).

Riders and PCs

If the PC has reason to suspect the demon’s presence, you might wish to give the player clues occasionally. Otherwise, its presence should remain a secret. Make sure the rider attempts to hide from the PCs whenever necessary.

Ally

If the possessed creature is aware of the possessing fiend and willing to be its host, the fiend can grant the possessed creature a bonus up to +4 to any single ability score, to a maximum of 30. This bonus is granted at the conclusion of some bargaining between the fiend and the possessed creature (which can communicate telepathically with each other). The fiend is in control of this bonus and can take it away or modify it (no action required) if the possessed creature acts contrary to the fiend’s wishes. If the possessed creature doesn’t do what the fiend wants, the fiend can go from ally to controller or from ally to enemy as an action.

Allies and PCs

Only a rare PC can form an alliance with her possessor and still retain a nonevil alignment. Still, an unwary or desperate PC might try to bargain with a possessing demon. If a deal is struck, the demon should continue to prompt the character to perform more and more evil acts until she either rebels or becomes completely evil (usually becoming an NPC).

Controller

In the most feared form of possession, a fiend can take an action to attempt direct control over the actions of its victim, who struggles to maintain control over his or her own body. The victim must succeed on a Charisma saving throw every round (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier + 1 for each previous failed save against control that day) to avoid losing control. If the victim’s save succeeds, the victim has resisted the fiend, but the fiend can make another control attempt in the next round. Victims struggling against control have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

If the possessed creature makes three successful saving throws in a row, then the possessing fiend cannot make further attempts to control the victim for 24 hours. The success or failure of the victim’s saving throws against control does not affect the overall possession, however, and the fiend still possesses the creature.

If the possessed creature fails the Charisma save against control, the fiend has access to all the creature’s senses, abilities, skills, feats, and spells. The fiend now acts as though it is the creature in all respects, until control is lost or it relinquishes control. During this time, the possessed creature can still speak mentally to the fiend and is still privy to all sensory input unless the possessor takes an action each turn to block the possessed creature’s access to its senses. If the fiend wishes, the victim blacks out while the fiend is in charge.

The fiend uses its own Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores, but it adopts all the possessed creature’s physical ability scores. Fiends of at least 6 CR and a Charisma score of 15 that maintain control of a victim for at least 1 minute a day for seven consecutive days can also draw upon the possessed creature’s innate spellcasting even when not controlling (but still possessing). The fiend retains the victim’s type and is affected by spells and effects as if the fiend were the possessed creature. Thus, a cornugon-possessed wolf is subject to spells affecting beasts, even though it is far more intelligent than a normal wolf.

The fiend automatically maintains control for a number of rounds equal to twice its Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round) + 1 for each time the fiend has controlled this specific victim. When the fiend’s control lapses, the fiend can attempt to assert control again if it chooses.

Fiends often choose weak-willed creatures to possess such as golems and other constructs (a warforged doesn’t fall into this category). The construct can make a Charisma save just as any other creature to avoid the possession, but it is likely that the possessing fiend can take and retain control, because most constructs have poor Charisma saves. A fiend possessing a construct can also aid it as described under the ally role, but it must relinquish direct control to do so, after which the construct reverts to its prior programming.

Controllers and PCs

In general, this sort of possession should be limited to NPCs, since it takes the game out of a player’s hands. However, if the DM has reason to suppose that the characters can fight the demon off or the affected PC can resist control on a regular basis, this arrangement can make an intriguing storyline. If possible, allow the player to run the character even while he is possessed, but be careful—few players can truly act chaotic evil with respect to their own parties and still ensure that everyone enjoys the game. On the positive side, a PC/controller relationship can be used to end a demonic possession in a climactic way.

Enemy

The opposite of an ally, this sort of possessing fiend is a hindrance to a creature it possesses. The possessing fiend usually takes this role when it has failed to control its victim or when it’s angry at a possessed creature that the fiend was acting as an ally toward. The possessing fiend can impose on the victim a penalty up to –4 to any single ability score (minimum 1). The fiend is in control of this penalty and can take it away or modify it (no action required), sometimes by working out an agreement with the possessed creature after telepathic negotiations.

Enemies and PCs

The enemy fiend works well as a possessor of PCs. This creature makes life difficult for its victim but does not really prevent her from doing whatever she desires. A player willing to roleplay this situation can add drama to the game for some time (although not indefinitely). Furthermore, an enemy possessor can become an ally (and vice versa) if necessary.

Mutterer

A mutterer enjoys planting barely perceived whispers in its victim’s mind in an attempt to influence its actions and, with luck, drive it insane. A mutterer has the same characteristics as a rider (see above), except that every so often, the mutterer cajoles, criticizes, warns, or otherwise influences its host. These “mutterings” don’t always come in the form of words. Sometimes the demon passes on whatever strong, negative emotion it is experiencing to the victim, causing its host to feel frightened, anxious, angry, or sad without knowing why.

Whenever a character possessed by a mutterer is alone or under extreme stress, the demon might strike (DM’s option). The character receives emotions, advice, or other “mutterings” and might feel the desire to act on them or try to “get them out of his head.” A character plagued by a mutterer must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier). Failure means the victim must either perform a specific action in response to the demon’s mutterings (DM’s option) or spend a round befuddled, as if under the effect of a confusion spell. A successful save leaves the victim in control of its mind and actions but does not automatically tip the demon’s hand—the host might still have no idea that it is possessed.

Mutterers often drive their hosts insane, or at least give them the appearance of insanity because they have a difficult time not talking back to the voices in their heads. Creatures playing host to mutterers often appear agitated or exhausted (since some mutterers deprive their hosts of sleep), and many actually develop physical tics.

Mutterers and PCs

As DM, you might want to pass notes to the affected player or even apply secret modifiers (usually +d4 or –d4) to the character’s d20 rolls to reflect the mutterer’s growing influence over the character. If you know that the player in question can handle the intricacies of playing a possessed character, you might want to let him in on the secret early and keep the truth from the rest of the players for a while.

Transformer

This demon wants to use its host to gain a foothold on the Material Plane. To that end, it utilizes its considerable power to transform all or part of any creature it possesses into its own demonic shape. This process usually takes considerable time and effort on the part of the demon, but the overall effect is devastating.

A transformer demon can attempt only one change per day, and that change can never encompass more than one-quarter of the host’s body. Whenever it makes such an attempt, the host must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier) to resist the change. Failure indicates that some part of the host’s body transforms, either becoming identical to the corresponding portion of the possessing demon’s normal form or gaining some sort of fiendish physical characteristic (see the Fiendish Characteristics sidebar). Whether the initial save succeeds or fails, the host must immediately attempt a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier). Success means that she can communicate this transformation (or attempted transformation) to others, and the demon cannot stop her from doing so in any way. Failure means the host attempts to conceal the transformation for as long as possible.

Complete transformation takes at least four days (one for each quarter of the host’s body). Once a victim has been completely transformed, the demon has essentially taken the host’s place. At that point, the demon has access to all the powers and abilities it normally possesses. The victim is trapped within the demon—effectively functioning as a “rider” in the demon’s body—and can neither communicate nor exercise any power.

Transformer demons seldom, if ever, leave their host bodies willingly. Killing a transformer demon slays the host but frees its soul for the purpose of a resurrection or raise dead spell. A transformer demon cannot be banished once it has fully changed its host, but it can still be exorcised. If the fiend is forced out of the host’s body by any means, the victim must attempt a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier). Success frees the character of the demon and returns her body to normal; failure means the victim dies of shock but can be raised normally.

Some demon cults consider voluntary transformation a religious rite. In such cases, cultists possessed by transformer demons willingly fail saving throws to resist transformation. As is their nature, however, transformer demons often use full transformation as a “reward” for the cultists offering themselves for sacrifice.

Fiendish Characteristics

When a character gains demonic characteristics—either from possession by a transformer demon or by some other means—certain mechanical benefits or drawbacks might come with his altered limbs. The exact mechanics are up to the DM, but the following table provides a few suggestions. A character might gain a benefit and no drawback, or a drawback and no benefit, or both a benefit and a drawback (provided that they don’t conflict) from a single transformation. Various combinations of effects are recommended for multiple transformations. PCs should not aspire to possession by a transformer demon, since such a creature can kill them fairly easily, given time. But the acquisition of benefits and drawbacks can make the fight against transformation that much more interesting.

Affected Body Part Benefit Drawback
Claw/arm/hand Unarmed damage bonus Loss of fine manipulation ability
All upper limbs Strength bonus Loss of fine manipulation ability
Torso Natural armor Resistant to healing
Legs/lower body parts Speed bonus Speed penalty
Head One innate spell Charisma penalty
Transformers and PCs

This situation is quite difficult to run, but it offers a great deal of drama. The affected PC usually gains some interesting—if horrific—benefits and might be forced to hide the affliction from others. In addition, she might have to deal with the possibility of a horrible death in a short period of time. When a transformer possesses a PC, all the characters should undergo a rollercoaster ride of situations and emotions as they race against the possessing demon’s attempts to transform and permanently inhabit their friend.

Possessed Objects

A fiend can possess an object no larger than Huge. An item held, worn, or carried by a character (including magic items) uses its owner’s Charisma saving throw modifier to resist possession. Unattended sentient magic items gain a saving throw as if a spell was being cast upon the item. In each case, the Charisma save is DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier. A possession attempt automatically succeeds against an unattended nonsentient item.

A fiend possessing an object becomes a part of the object. A possessing fiend can see and hear out to 60 feet away from the object, and if it has special senses those also work to a maximum range of 60 feet. The possessing fiend remains vulnerable to spells that affect fiends (such as divine word or dispel evil and good), as well as mind-affecting spells and effects. Physical attacks and most spells (such as fireball) don’t affect the fiend, but they might affect the object. Harming the object does not harm the possessing fiend; if the object is destroyed, the fiend takes ethereal form and can choose a new host object (or creature).

A fiend can attempt to hide its presence within a possessed object, allowing it to pass through a magic circle, enter a forbiddance-warded church, and escape detection by means of spells such as detect evil and good. Use the same rules as when a fiend hides in a creature. If the spell ordinarily detects or targets only creatures, the fiend gains advantage on its Stealth check because it is within an object. The fiend can also attempt this Stealth check to avoid the effects of type-based damaging spells, such as forbiddance. If the fiend fails its Stealth check, the possessed object takes damage as if it were the fiend.

A fiend can possess a substance that has no fixed shape (such as a pool of water or a dust cloud) or is part of a larger object (such as a section of wall). When it does so, a fiend cannot possess an area or a volume larger than 10 feet on a side.

A fiend might possess an item to use as a stepping stone for possessing a character. The possessing fiend gets a bonus on attempts to possess a creature that carries, holds, or wears the item. For each consecutive day the possessed item was worn, held, or carried by the target before the possession attempt, the DC of the target’s Charisma save increases by 1, up to a maximum increase of +10.

A fiend possessing an object can take one of four roles with respect to its victim: watcher, controller, corrupter, or enhancer. The fiend can switch from one role to another as an action.

Watcher

A fiend in the role of watcher can see and hear out to twice the normal distance (120 feet) as long as the possessed object remains stationary. It can also use any special senses out to this higher radius.

Controller

If a possessed object is one that has moving parts, such as a wagon, clock, or crossbow, a possessing fiend can control the object’s movement. A wagon can be made to steer toward a pedestrian on a street or roll out of a stable with no horse pulling it. A clock can slow or run backward. A crossbow can cock and fire (but not aim or load itself). Possessed objects with wheels or legs cannot move faster than the fiend could move in its corporeal form.

Fiends with at least 8 CR and a Charisma score of 17 can force an object to animate even if the object doesn’t have any moving parts (such as a table or a statue). The possessed object functions as an animated object (see page 13 of the Monster Manual). However, no fiend can control an animated object that has a Challenge Rating higher than the fiend’s.

Corrupter

A fiend in the role of corrupter causes the possessed object to radiate a cursed, befouling presence. Anyone touching the possessed object must succeed on a Wisdom save (DC 8 + fiend’s proficiency bonus + fiend’s Charisma modifier) or fall under the effect of a bestow curse or bestow eternal curse spell, cast at a level equal to half the fiend's CR (minimum 3rd level, maximum 9th level). Unlike with the bestow curse and bestow eternal curse spells, the subject does not necessarily know that the curse is in effect or that it came from the item. Nothing about the object’s appearance suggests that it is possessed (although there might be residual evil effects; see below). The curse lasts until removed with remove curse, or similar magic, even if the fiend vacates the possessed object.

A particularly crafty fiend might possess a small fountain as a corrupter, affecting anyone who touches or drinks the water. Similarly, a fiend could corrupt a patch of ground, affecting anyone who walks over it.

Lingering Effects of Evil

A fiend-possessed object may demonstrate one or more of the following properties.

  • Object becomes darker or paler in color.
  • Object becomes warped in shape.
  • Object becomes unnaturally cold.
  • Object takes on a faint greenish glow.
  • Object has a foul odor.
  • Object has strange images burned into or somehow appearing on its surface: leering demons, ghostly faces, or other symbols of evil.
  • Object seems frail and brittle.
  • Touching the object causes momentary pain (no damage).

Enhancer

In the role of enhancer, a fiend can possess a weapon or suit of armor and enhance it as if it were a magic weapon or magic armor. The fiend can duplicate magic item powers as seen on the adjacent table.

Fiend CR Maximum item rarity
0-4 Uncommon
5-10 Rare
11-16 Very rare
17-22 Legendary
23-30 Artifact

For example, a hezrou (CR 8) that enhances a longsword could duplicate the effects of a +2 longsword, a flame tongue longsword, or any other common, uncommon, or rare applicable weapon enhancement. A fiend that is possessing a suit of magic armor or a magic weapon can increase its powers to the same maximum rarity.

The fiend is in control of the powers it bestows upon the item. It can take them away (no action required) if the creature using them does not act in a manner that the fiend favors, or change them as an action to fit the situation. If the fiend leaves the item, it loses all powers bestowed by the possession.

Despite the fiend’s ability to duplicate magic item abilities (including overcoming damage resistance), a nonmagical possessed item doesn’t actually become magical. Detect magic does not sense an aura; detect evil and good does, however. Smart characters might notice that the possessed item behaves strangely or has an unusual appearance (a magic weapon that isn’t well-made quality, for example, is a tip-off that something is awry). A character who succeeds on a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check notes “something strange” about the item.

Channeling

Where fiends are known for their ability to seize control of a creature or object, respect for the life and dignity of sentient creatures bars good creatures from usurping control of another in this manner except under extreme circumstances. However, some celestials are happy to exercise their power through a mortal form if the mortal host invites them to do so. Similar in many ways to fiendish possession, this celestial channeling is an important means by which the forces of good work in the world.

Some celestials have the magical ability to invest mortals with their power in this fashion, and certain spells allow a mortal to invite any celestial into his or her body in this way.

Unlike possession, channeling works only if the mortal is willing. The celestial does not assume an ethereal form in preparation for possessing the mortal; it simply merges its own form with the mortal’s as part of its magical ability. As with possession, spells such as protection from evil and good block celestial channeling, even if the spell’s target is willing to channel the celestial.

A mortal who channels a celestial becomes a mortal manifestation of the celestial’s power. The celestial can draw on all the mortal’s memories, and the celestial senses what the mortal senses. The mortal and the celestial can communicate telepathically, but neither has complete access to the current thoughts of the other. While a mortal is channeling a celestial, the mortal’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores become 5 points lower than the celestial’s (or remain the same if they are equal to or higher than that value already).

The mortal can use his or her own skills as well as the celestial’s skills.

A channeling mortal can use all the celestial’s magical abilities. A mortal remains in complete control of his or her own body while channeling a celestial, so celestials almost never allow nongood mortals to channel them. The mortal or the celestial can end the channeling at any time (no action required). When this occurs, the celestial appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the mortal

Fiends can offer themselves to channel as well, but generally only do so to their most loyal cultists.